(Posted July 3, 2011)  DSK must be thanking his lucky stars this weekend.  Ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been released from house arrest following new revelations about the alleged sexual assault victim that have undermined her credibility.  Reports suggest that the entire case is now on the brink of collapse as the chamber maid’s criminal ties and attempts to profit from the incident have been exposed.   After the July 1 hearing, the judge returned his bail bond citing that he was no longer a flight risk.  

This stunning turnaround has thrown France’s political class into turmoil as DSK’s possible candidacy for the Socialist Party is now being opening debated.  In light of these new circumstances that point towards his innocence, some candidates are now suggesting that the closing date for nominations for the primary be extended from its original July 13 deadline.  DSK’s next hearing in front the judge is scheduled for July 18.  It is therefore possible that the charges could be dropped at that time and he would then be able to launch a campaign for the leadership of the Socialist Party.  Primary elections are slated for October 9, with a run-off on October 16 in the event that the first election does not produce a clear majority for any single candidate.

This abrupt reversal in fortune was a clear example of how planets are supposed to work.  Jupiter is good, Saturn is bad.  It doesn’t get much simpler than that.  As I noted in my original article after DSK’s arrest, his chances for release looked more favourable in the summer because Jupiter would be assuming a greater prominence in his chart while Saturn would be retreating into the background.   Here’s what I wrote in the May 22 issue of my newsletter:

"Saturn will begin to back off its conjunction after June 13 so this may alleviate some of the pressure from this situation and will gradually increase the likelihood of more positive developments. Also, Jupiter is now transiting through his 10th house to conjoin all those planets in Aries.  That should help his recover some of his damaged status and reputation in June and perhaps July as Saturn’s negative influence begins to wane.  At minimum, this may bring a certain rehabilitation to his reputation in France, where apparently over half of the population believe he is the victim of a politically-motivated plot by Sarkozy to entrap him.  This is perhaps more likely when Jupiter is near its station in August and September where it will conjoin his natal Venus.   Could the maid’s story begin to show cracks at this time?"  (N.B.  This is a slightly different version from what I posted on my website.)

Jupiter is definitely paying big dividends for DSK already as its conjunction with the Sun has led to his release from house arrest and the granting of bail.  Mercury’s transit to the ascendant also likely provided a helping hand.  Just to be clear, I was not certain then that he would be cleared of the charges, but I thought this Jupiter transit meant he had a good chance to at least get bail and for his status to be rehabilitated during this transit of all his 10th house planets.   Since he has already been released, it seems that Jupiter may have more good luck left for him as it has yet to conjoin Venus. 

Most media reports suggest that the case is on the verge of being thrown out completely.  With more Jupiter energy still to come, it does seem likely now that DSK will be cleared of the charges.  Perhaps this is more likely to occur when Jupiter is close to its conjunction with his natal Venus at 14 Aries.  Since both planets are benefics, Jupiter-Venus contacts usually bring good news.  This is perhaps even more likely since Venus rules Taurus which is the 11th house of gains in his natal chart.  Gains in his current circumstance would likely equate with victories in competitive or antagonistic situations such as the current legal case.  The exact conjunction occurs July 23, just five days after his next scheduled court appearance, so I would not at all be surprised to see the chargesdropped on July 18 or thereabouts.

So if things are looking up for DSK’s legal future, what is the status of his political career?  At the time of writing, it is still very much up in the air.  If the case is thrown out quickly, perhaps around the Jupiter-Venus conjunction on July 23, then it may be possible for him to re-enter the race for leadership of the Socialist Party in time for the October primary.  Back in May, I didn’t think this was likely, although I did note that his fortunes would be improving.  The problem lies in disentangling the effects of the astrological influences of his legal woes from those that might effect his political career.  We can see that his luck is returning sufficiently to help him beat the sexual assault charge, but it’s a whole other level of luck and success for him to 1) enter the primary race and then 2) to win it on October 9.

I believe Jupiter’s transit of the 10th house should raise his status and popularity enough to enter the race.  Apparently, there is outrage in France now and DSK is seen as the real victim in this affair.  For some, he is seen as a folk hero who has withstood the vicissitudes of rough US justice   To what extent he will be successful may depend on the party’s willingness to accommodate his late entry.  While Jupiter is very strong for him and will boost his public profile here, there is a difficult transit situation in the first week of August that could bring a setback.  Transiting Mars will conjoin his 12th house cusp while Mercury will turn retrograde while conjunct his Saturn.  There could be some disappointment here that blocks or delays his wishes.  It seems unlikely from completely preventing him from becoming a candidate, but it will be a time window to watch.  It could involve some lingering legal issues, or perhaps even some new embarrassing revelations about his philandering ways. Mars’ transit of the 12th house is a possible source of problems here generally since it rules the 10th house of status and career.  When it is weakened in transit, it could raise new questions about his leadership abilities and moral propriety.

But if he can pass through that August period unscathed and his campaign intact, then his chances in the October primary will be improved.  On the 9th, transiting Jupiter — now retrograde — is again conjunct Venus, 11th lord of gains.  And the karmic ace up his sleeve is that his Jupiter minor dasha period will start the day before the primary election, at least according to the Krishnamurti ayanamsha.  Using Lahiri, it starts in November.  So there is a good chance that his efforts will bear fruit and he will win whatever competitions he is undertaking in October.  If his party changes its rules and permits him to run, then I think he could really win.  If I’m more optimistic about his political future than I was back in May it’s because Jupiter’s effects appear to be manifesting earlier and stronger than expected. 

And if he wins the nomination in October, then I do like his chances for becoming President in April/May 2012 against Sarkozy.  The first election takes place on April 22 just as Mercury and Uranus will conjoin near his MC, the unequal 10th house cusp.  This is a very strong indication of achievement, especially one that occurs suddenly.  The Moon and Jupiter will also both conjoin his Mercury in the 10th house.  That also looks like "success" and generally translates into some kind of good news.  This also is an appropriate transit reflection of the dasha energy since he will be running the Moon-Jupiter dasha period.  Meanwhile, Saturn will be pushed more in the background after a preceding conjunction with Ketu.  It’s still quite close and hence it could prove to be disruptive in the final days of the race.  But that Jupiter looks stronger to me.  So maybe we will see President DSK after all.  It’s hard to imagine, but Jupiter is definitely opening up the possibility to such a reversal of fortune.  The other side of this political equation is that Sarkozy’s chart looks quite afflicted for the time of the election.  So it seems likely that he will lose and that the Socialist Party will win, whoever it ends up nominating.

But I’m getting way ahead of myself here.  He is still facing sexual assault charges and will have to clear them first before any more this Jupiter transit to the 10th house plays out.  I do think things are looking up for him.  Let’s see if July continues to bring positive news for DSK or whether than 12th house Mars transit in August confounds his ambitions.  I’ll try to update this story as it unfolds.