Astrology and News
Boris or Ken, a Gemini Mayor for a Gemini city (and why Scotland is Cancerian)
It’s not just people that have star signs. It’s also towns and countries. Scotland, for example, is a Cancerian. One maybe thinks of Cancer’s connection with the family, and the various clans that have played such an important role in Scotland’s history. Or perhaps we can focus on Scotland’s greatest hero, Robert the Bruce. He was born on July 11 1274, and he therefore had a Cancer star sign. And Robert the Bruce’s big moment was the Battle of Bannockburn, at the end of June 1314, when he comprehensively defeated the English. At the time of the battle the Sun was in Cancer, and so was Jupiter, the planet of good fortune. It’s also worth noting that the Sun was in Cancer on July 1 1999, when the Scottish Parliament was opened, when a number of powers devolved from Westminster to Edinburgh. And we’re not just talking about a modern association. The astrologer William Lilly, in the mid-Seventeenth Century, categorised Scotland, as well as Holland, as Cancerian countries. Ireland, on the other hand, is Taurean. It’s the Emerald Isle, and the sign Taurus has a special affinity with the colour green. And the defining moment in Ireland’s struggle for independence was the Easter Uprising of 1916, which started on April 24, under a Taurean Sun.
William Lilly regarded London as being a Gemini city, along with Bruges, Nuremberg and Cordoba. And if one thinks about it, London has many Gemini qualities. Geminis get bored easily, and London has plenty of variety - the kind of variety that goes way beyond what the average big city can offer. Having dozens of distinct areas, like a patchwork of connected villages, each one having a special character. Then you have the many cultures and languages, that have been spawned by centuries of population movement. And that’s perhaps the essence of a successful Gemini - never standing still, always changing its face so that it never becomes boring. There is also London’s great physical split, caused by the River Thames. North and South London have their differences, and perhaps also their rivalries. Two sides of the same coin, two twins.
As far as politics is concerned, one would have expected Geminis to do particularly well in London - Gemini politicians for a Gemini city. So it’s not surprising that Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, is a Gemini, born on June 17 1945. He has been in London politics for a long time, and in the 1980s was head of the Greater London Council. This was abolished by Margaret Thatcher, but Ken wasn’t finished, and such was his popularity amongst Londoners that in 2000 they elected him to be their Mayor, even though he was standing as an independent. Steve Norris, the candidate from the Conservative Party, came second. And yes, you guessed it, he was also a Gemini, born on May 24 1945. In 2004 there was another election for Mayor of London. Again Ken Livingstone won, again Steve Norris was runner-up.
Now it’s 2008, and in less than a month’s time Ken Livingstone will be facing re-election. It’s going to be a tough battle for him, though this time his Conservative challenger will be Boris Johnson. I should of course say that there are other candidates, but the chances of them winning are next to nothing. Anyway, Boris Johnson is yet another Gemini, being born on June 19 1964. The spirit of London, ruled by Gemini, is demanding a Gemini Mayor. And because Gemini is symbolised by the Twins, it wants a pair of Geminis to fight the matter out.
Boris and Ken are in many respects typical Geminis. They’ve got a lot to say for themselves, and their off-the-cuff remarks sometimes get them into trouble. I also get the impression that neither of them are team players. Ken Livingstone didn’t get the Labour Party nomination for the 2000 mayoral election, which is why he stood as an independent. He’s returned to the Labour fold, but he’s not a robotic politician, who puts party discipline before everything. Likewise Boris, whose eccentricity would I think prevent him from getting to the highest echelons of national politics. And both Boris and Ken are entertaining people, who come over extremely well on television.
So who is going to win? The opinion polls say it’s going to be Boris, and so far I haven’t done a detailed astrological analysis of their respective prospects. Besides, the main point of this article was to highlight the strong connection between London and Gemini. And if you’re a Gemini, and you’re wondering where to live, then London could be an excellent choice. But if London isn’t to your taste, try Cordoba. I spent a day there once, while I was travelling through Spain. Nice place, beautiful architecture, strongly recommended. Though the employment opportunities mightn’t be as good as London, particularly if you don’t speak Spanish.