Some thoughts on the Greek General Election

Belatedly, I decided to take a look at the chart for Greece as the people prepare to vote in what could be a ground-shifting election tomorrow. I've used the chart drawn up for the swearing-in of Constantine Karamanlis as prime minister following the collapse of the military dictatorship in 1974.¹ One of the interesting things about this election is that the man who's widely tipped to become the next prime minister of Greece – Alexis Tsipras – was born only four days after the republic was formed. Therefore apart from the position of his Moon (of which we can't be sure as we don't have a birth time for him), he has almost the same horoscope as Greece itself. And there are very significant transits to these charts on election day.

Traditionally, voting takes place between sunrise and sunset in Greece² so I've erected a chart for election day based on sunrise in Athens, which is both the capital and Tsipras' place of birth.

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One of the first things I noticed was that Uranus (13 Aries 04) on election day is almost exactly square the Ascendant in the chart for Greece (13 Cancer 08). Also, Mercury is retrograde in the election chart. It's being drawn back to the Sun, having turned retrograde just a few days ago. In terms of Mercury's synodic cycle (a subject dear to my heart at the moment), the cycle is drawing to a close so Mercury is being pulled toward the future with its eye firmly fixed on the past. Greece has been in economic melt-down for years and I freely admit to being biased because I love the Greeks, but I feel they've been very cruelly treated by the EU. Many Greeks have suffered terribly during this period – you can 'listen again' to some of the interviews John Humphrys made in Greece this week for the BBC Today programme³. Many Greeks are saying that all the other politicians have failed them so this time they're going to give Syriza (the radical left coalition that Tsipras heads) a chance. They're looking for change, and this shows in the transiting Uranus, which is also squaring the Greek Saturn (just risen in the national chart) and Mercury.

There are, in fact, many significant transits to the Greek Ascendant-Saturn-Mercury. Transiting Pluto is also exactly opposite this trio and the nodes are square. Interestingly, the North Node is in Libra, a sign that's concerned with social justice but whose shadow side is totalitarianism. The South Node in Aries suggests the root of Greece's problem was selfishness and rampant individualism during the Good Times – or the 'snout in the trough' sort of behaviour that came to light here in the UK during the MPs' expenses scandal. The shadow side of this – a bright shadow – is that people were forced to find other ways to survive once the money ran out. Some didn't make it, but in other cases it built strong networks and communities based more on what people are than on what they have.

Coming back to the retrograde Mercury in the election chart, this can also be seen as either a people who have turned in on themselves and their problems or who are turning against the tide. They've had enough of the 'business as usual' approach of mainstream politicians and they're willing to give Syriza a chance. Of course, we can't be certain that Syriza will win and we certainly can't be sure that Syriza will be any better for them than what has gone before. They could be lured onto the rocks by a siren's song, or they could find that their dreams of a better life come true. Note that transiting Neptune is square the natal Neptune of Greece and Tsipras – though transiting Saturn is approaching their Neptune. When Saturn reaches that point could be when they get a reality check.

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Those seem to be the most important things to me, but I'd just like to mention Alexis Tsipras' chart in relation to the opening and closing of polls in Athens. The Sun on election day is exactly opposite his natal Sun, and at dawn his Sun has just sunk below the horizon of the election chart. When the polls close ten hours later, his Sun has just risen above the Ascendant in the close of poll chart. That, together with the fact that the Moon is riding high at the top of the election chart suggests to me that he'll be the people's choice. Moon is conjunct Uranus and South Node and all three are in the ninth house, a sign that people want change and they have faith in him to deliver it.

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References

(1) Campion, Nicholas The Book of World Horoscopes Wessex Astrologer, Bournemouth (2004) pp 146-7

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Greece accessed 24/01/15

(3) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04ykbjh accessed 24/01/15