(21 October 2015) Canada elected a new Prime Minister on Monday as voters sent Liberal Party newcomer Justin Trudeau to Ottawa to serve as the country’s 23rd Prime Minister. The charismatic 43-year old son of former PM Pierre Trudeau ousted Conservative Stephen Harper in a stunning victory as Trudeau brought the 3rd place Liberal Party back to power with a majority government. Although he was initially seen as inexperienced and trading on his father’s fame, Trudeau gained support through the campaign as he focused on positive change for the country after nine years of often uninspired Conservative rule.
So what kind of leader will Justin Trudeau be? His horoscope suggests he is may a natural gift for political life, irrespective of his family background. Leo, the sign of leadership, rises in the 1st house. His Ascendant at 10 Leo is just four degrees from a conjunction with the fixed star Regulus. Traditionally, Regulus has long been regarded as one of the four royal stars in the sky and is said to confer leadership qualities. The lord of the 1st house is the Sun and it is powerfully placed in the 5th house of politics in Sagittarius. Since the 5th house symbolizes intelligence and the ability to give wise counsel, Trudeau’s Sun greatly enhances his ability to be trusted by others. The fact that his Sun is exactly on the equal 5th house cusp strengthens his political savvy even further.
Trudeau campaigned on a platform of a more inclusive "positive change" in contrast with Conservative PM Stephen Harper’s more austere and defensive posture based on fear and the taxpayers’ bottom line. This more uplifting message may well be a very nice encapsulation of Trudeau’s typically optimistic Sagittarian Sun that sees the world as a glass half-full.
The Moon is another important clue to Justin Trudeau’s unique personality. Trudeau was born with the Moon in Pisces, a sign associated with feeling and intuition. Clearly, he is not going to be motivated purely by the cold, hard calculus of numbers as his predecessor may have been. His more sensitive Moon may be one reason why he enjoys a more emotional connection with voters as he exudes a natural warmth when in the presence of others. He is very much a people person. He is more likely well-served by this intuitive impulse since it is aspected closely by Jupiter. Jupiter’s influence infuses the Moon with a sense of balance and wisdom which is necessary in order to avoid some of the flights of fancy that often comes with the often overly emotional Pisces Moon.
That said, the very close opposition from Uranus to the Moon suggests he may act unpredictably at times, and be drawn to approaches and solutions to problems that others consider unorthodox. He may well relish playing the role of a more independent and rebellious leader, perhaps channeling the spirit of his late father who was similarly inclined towards maverick positions. That will likely lead to some self-inflicted political wounds from time to time as he deliberately goes against the safer consensus view.
As an intriguing aside, we should also note that Trudeau’s Moon (23 Pisces) is exactly conjunct the Ascendant (24 Pisces) of the horoscope of Canada, using the midnight chart for the independence of the country on July 1st 1867. This kind of close planetary contact suggests that Trudeau enjoys a special affinity with the nation as a whole. Given this connection between the Ascendant and the Moon, he may well become closely associated with Canadianness and may come to personify the image of Canadians around the world.
Trudeau’s chart also suggests he has the special ability to win over rivals and enemies, often without much conflict or difficulty. The 6th house is said to symbolize how we deal with others who may have different goals. A strong 6th house is vitally important for politicians since they are always encountering people who may espouse differing views on the issues of the day. Trudeau’s 6th house is outstanding given the close conjunction of Venus and Rahu in Capricorn, and both are very close to the equal house cusp. The 6th house is one of the strongest placements for malefic Rahu and may indicate that Trudeau can use unorthodox and ingenious ways to outmaneuver his opponents. Rahu is said to function best in the upachaya houses — the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th. The presence of Venus here makes the 6th even stronger as Trudeau may be able to literally charm (Venus) his opponents into silence or submission.
The placement of Saturn in the 10th house is an important reason why he has achieved the office of Prime Minister. Saturn in the 10th is another classic signature of leadership, and its sign exchange with Venus (Taurus-Capricorn) gives Saturn an added boost. The close opposition with Neptune in the 4th house is perhaps one reason why Trudeau is idealistic and seeks a more positive and inclusive politics. Neptune is the planet of aspiration and ideals and when it is prominently placed in the chart it can lend an idealistic outlook to a person, above and beyond rational calculation or narrow self-interest. The downside here is that Neptune in the 4th house can sometimes indicate confusion or at times, even deception. There can be a lack of rigorous thinking with this placement which may undercut some of this more lofty goals, such as enacting electoral reform or leading the effort on climate change.
Fortunately, Trudeau is blessed with a very strong Mars placement which will give him a keen ambition and determination to achieve his goals. Although his Mars is placed in the 8th house, this should not be seen as a weak placement at all. (N.B. President Obama also has this placement) It is tightly opposite Pluto and in a wider T-square alignment with the Sun. Mars with Pluto tend to signify very courageous and determined individuals no matter what house Mars is placed in. Indeed, that is one of the lessons of Justin Trudeau’s horoscope. Although there are several planets in supposedly malefic dussthana houses (Moon, Venus and Mars), these are not negative for him. He is Prime Minister, after all! Many introductory astrology books over-emphasize dussthana house placements as inherently bad when this is not the case. This is another reminder that some of the basic principles of astrology (both Vedic and Western) are sometimes demonstrably incorrect, or at least, need to be taken with a grain of salt and put into a larger context.
Justin Trudeau won the election as transiting Venus, Mars and Jupiter were all in his 1st house. This is an excellent placement for recognition and success, of course. Less obvious, however, is that transiting Saturn (8 Scorpio) was opposite his natal Saturn (7 Taurus) and conjunct his Neptune. On the face of it, this Saturn-Saturn transit looked difficult and suggested obstacles, if not outright failure. Usually, these Saturn oppositions coincide with difficult times that one would not associate with life-changing achievements. But it is useful to note that Saturn is actually a good planet for Trudeau because it is placed in his 10th house (status, career success) and gets that aforementioned boost from Venus. So it is possible that the Saturn transit may actually have been carrying that very positive 10th house energy and was one reason why he won the election.
Transiting Rahu (6 Virgo) was closely aspecting his 10th house Saturn at the time of the win and that is perhaps more easily understood as a positive influence on career. Rahu is typically a favourable influence on material matters and status, and its 6th house natal placement with benefic Venus gave it a lot of energy to do good for him. Transiting Uranus was also tightly conjunct his Moon in October and likely reflected the complete change in his life that would come as a result of the election. In keeping with Uranus’ tendency for sudden and radical change, Trudeau has now been thrust into the national and international limelight.
While Trudeau’s administration is likely to have its share of missteps and blunders, especially in 2017 and early 2018, Justin’s horoscope looks very strong for the time of the next election in October 2019. I would think the odds are very good that he will win a second term. In the meantime, I will wait for his swearing-in on November 4th to see what the resulting chart suggests about the next four years of his administration.
