Someone once said that it was impossible for him to believe in Astrology because Margaret Thatcher was a Libra. From a superficial view of the subject it would be hard to disagree. The classic interpretation of a Sun Libra is someone who seeks cooperative ventures, who looks for balance in relationships and life and who has the skills and intention to maintain harmony and evenness. Librans are generally recognised to be good at seeing the other person’s point of view which can result in indecisiveness. None of her supporters or opponents would see Thatcher as a typical Libran.

A quick glance at her chart, however, reveals her to be anything but typical, and in many ways the opposite of the classic Libran character. Thatcher’s Sun is conjunct Mars, an aspect of a fighter, someone who will assert themselves strongly as an individual. Sun conjunction Mars has many of the qualities of Aries, the opposite sign to Libra. The Sun and Mars are in the 11th house which is traditionally associated with politics.

She also has the Moon in Leo. The Moon rules a person’s instincts and feelings about themselves – in Leo she would have a strong sense of dignity and nobility, a feeling that she was meant to lead others. The Moon is conjunct Neptune and it is at the very top of the chart, which would mean her sense of leadership could be inspired by a higher source or delusional depending on whether you supported her or not. She was certainly driven by a strong calling and a sense that the country needed her leadership.

Her Ascendant is Scorpio. The Ascendant rules how one expresses oneself and how others see you. Scorpio rising endows a toughness and an intensity not always associated with Librans. It gives her tremendous power and stamina together with a strong influence and the capacity to change other people’s behaviour to suit her goals. She also has Saturn conjunct the Ascendant which adds to the tough exterior. It also tends to make someone stick strongly with traditional ways and values.

Another extremely powerful combination in the chart is a T-Square. Jupiter is in Capricorn in the 2^nd house opposite Pluto. Two planets pulling in opposite directions create a tension that requires the individual to expend considerable energy to resolve. Both of these planets are in 90 degree aspect to her Sun and Mars, this means that the tension implicit in the opposition is strongly projected onto these planets, making her more dynamo and powerful. The Sun is in square aspect ( red line ) to Pluto indicating a sudden and powerful change in her life that would have major consequences for both herself and for politics generally.

THE TIMING OF HER LIFE

There are many differing views about Margaret Thatcher but the one thing that is not disputed is the most important year of her life, 1979, when she became Prime Minister. Pluto is the red planet in the 8th house of her chart, it is connected by opposition aspect ( a blue line across the middle of the chart ) to Jupiter, also in red in the 2nd house. Both these planets are connected by red lines to the Sun ( in gold ) and Mars ( red ) in the 11th house.

Thathcher was born in 1925 and died in 2013. Over the course of her life Pluto would have slowly travelled anticlockwise half way around the chart to come close to Jupiter when she died. On its journey by far the most significant event would be when it reached the Sun. This would unleash all the energy contained within the Pluto / Jupiter / Sun Tsquare in the birthchart. Pluto arrived at 19 degrees Libra in 1979 in conjunction with her Sun in the 11th house of politics when she was elected Prime Minister, the watershed moment of her life.

In fact there were two watershed moments in Thatcher’s life that were intrinsically linked, becoming PM and being elected leader of the Tory party in 1975. In 1975 Pluto had reached 9 degrees Libra in conjunction with her Mars ( her ruling planet ) on its way to the Sun in 1979.

Another major turning point in her life was leaving office after 11 years in 1990. Pluto was conjunct her Ascendant at 15 degrees Scorpio in 1990.

Thatcher died in 2013, when Pluto was at 9 degrees Capricorn throwing a 90 degree square aspect to her ruler, Mars.

The only other major transit that Pluto made during her life was the conjunction to the Neptune / Moon conjunction between 1953 and 1957. Her twins Mark and Carol were born in 1953 and she did not stand as a candidate for the 1955 General Election because it was too soon after their birth. Interestingly the Moon rules motherhood.

She was elected to Parliament in 1959 when Pluto reached 3 degrees 51 Virgo, her Midheaven at the very top of her chart, a position that is strongly associated with the career.

The major events of Margaret Thatcher’s life occurred at all of Pluto’s major transits. She was clearly a Plutonian Lady.