At 12:05 PM BST on July 23, 2019, in London, England, it was announced that former UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had been elected Leader of the Conservative Party, currently in power in Britain. Although the formality of outgoing PM Theresa May’s resignation to the Queen, and Her Majesty’s formal invitation to Johnson to form a government, do not occur until the following day, the vote effectively makes Boris Johnson the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
A former journalist, Member of Parliament, Mayor of London and Foreign Secretary, the blonde, mop-headed Johnson has often been compared to Donald Trump, predominantly for their shared trademark bluster and the incendiary nature of their statements, as well as a similarly anti-immigrant, isolationist, transactional, politically opportunist bent. A leader in the pro-Brexit movement, Johnson has vowed to fully sever ties with the European Union by the current October 31 deadline, come what may.
Born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, the new PM is of Turkish and Russian Jewish ancestry, with English and French roots as well. Born at 2 PM EDT on June 19, 1964 in New York while his father was a student at Columbia University (Rodden Rating A), Johnson holds dual American and British citizenship. With the Sun at 28 Gemini, Johnson shares a solar affinity with Donald Trump, but its conjunction with Mercury at 19 Gemini makes him a true intellectual, someone who came within an ace of earning a first at Oxford, which he attended on a scholarship (as well as Eton prep).
With nearly 20 volumes to his credit (which he has actually authored), Boris Johnson has likely written more books than Trump has read. An 11 Libra Ascendant makes him somewhat vacillating and changeable, with a desire to conciliate and be liked, while the Moon at 0 Scorpio can be slash-and-burn emotionally, and grants a bit of a sting. The Moon opposed asteroid Britten, phonetic match for Britain, at 6 Taurus provides an emotional link to his homeland.
The importance of “Queen and country” for Johnson can also be seen in two stationary points, asteroid Regina and TNO Albion, which become embedded factors in his psyche. Latin for “queen”, Regina at 24 Libra turned direct just four days before his birth; Albion, an ancient name for Britain, turned retrograde almost a month before at 20 Aquarius, but remains at that degree in Johnson’s birth chart.
Asteroid Alexander, Johnson’s given first name, appears at 11 Virgo, exactly semisextile the Ascendant, semisquare the Moon and squared Mercury, all common placements for one’s own PNA. Asteroid Borisov, closest match to his middle and preferred name of Boris, falls at 23 Capricorn, inconjunct to both Mercury and the Sun and broadly squared the Moon, while asteroid Johnson at 27 Taurus is semisextile the Sun and sesquiquadrate the Ascendant. It should be noted that 23 Capricorn is precisely where Pluto founds its retrograde station in April, signaling a deeply transformative period for Johnson, with the potential for a huge increase in personal power. Asteroid Johnson is also widely squared Albion and sextile asteroid London, for the city he headed, at 29 Cancer. Asteroid Johnson’s square to asteroid Icarus at 26 Aquarius suggests a tendency to act or speak rashly, recklessly, heedless of the consequences.
Two close oppositions define the chart: Jupiter at 15 Taurus exactly opposes Neptune at 15 Scorpio, while Saturn at 5 Pisces opposes Uranus at 6 Virgo. Jupiter/Neptune suggests a political philosophy of isolation, seen in his support for Brexit, as well a tendency to deceive or misrepresent (Johnson was fired as a journalist from The Times of London in 1987 after falsifying a quote). The Saturn/Uranus opposition betrays a tension between conservative and liberal values, and Johnson has straddled that line throughout his career, leaping back and forth across it with alarming regularity.
Once a staunch supporter of the EU, Johnson also led the fight to leave it, and his originally progressive views on immigration have hardened with age. As a columnist for The Daily Telegraph, Johnson often voiced homophobic or racist sentiments, in keeping with the perceived perspectives of its conservative subscribers. Saturn’s conjunction with asteroid Dowling at 2 Pisces, the closest match to Downing, the street associated with the ultimate power in the UK, suggests a career which brings him to that address.
When Boris Johnson was elected Leader of the Conservative Party, the skies reflected his elevation. The announcement, scheduled for 11:45 AM, was delayed by some 20 minutes, which brought the transit Ascendant to 11 Libra, exactly matching his natal degree, a sure sign that the moment was his to dominate. Asteroid Borisov at 2 Libra conjoined the Ascendant, and is in a Grand Trine with asteroids Dowling at 4 Aquarius (for No. 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s residence) and Pandora at 3 Gemini, denoting the unleashing of unintended consequences, which becomes a Kite with Borisov’s exact opposition to asteroid Karma at 2 Aries, suggesting a fated or predestined moment. Borisov and Karma are in a second major configuration, a T-Square with asteroid Britten at 1 Capricorn, further doubling down on the quality of a fated moment for the nation he will now lead.
Asteroid Alexander, for Johnson’s first name, at 26 Cancer conjoins both Mercury retrograde at 27 Cancer and the Sun, which is just minutes into Leo, granting Johnson increased visibility and a prominence in the news cycle.
Asteroid Johnson at 15 Aries conjoins the Moon and the Descendant at 12 and 11 Aries, and is in a Grand Trine with Mars at 13 Leo and Jupiter at 15 Sagittarius, putting energy (Mars) into Johnson’s political (Jupiter) campaign (Mars also), making him the choice of the people (Moon, although in this case, “the people” refers only to some 160,000 Party elders who get to vote on their leadership).
Jupiter of course promotes positive outcomes, boosts reputation and social standing, and Johnson on the Descendant increases his profile with angular potency, much as Borisov on the Ascendant does.
Johnson’s political rise, although not unexpected, may send shockwaves through the country, and will doubtless prove controversial, as seen in an exact pairing of Albion with London at 9 Taurus, both conjunct Uranus at 6 Taurus, which is itself exactly conjoined Johnson’s natal asteroid Britten. His view of the country could be contentious and divisive, the source of much unrest and revolt.
One disconcerting aspect is the exact conjunction of Achilles and Damocles at 26 Aquarius, exactly atop Johnson’s natal Icarus. Achilles represents a weakness or vulnerability, an inherent flaw which threatens to destroy the native, while Damocles is the doom hanging unseen overhead. Bringing these two factors together in precise juxtaposition with Johnson’s Icarus, which in addition to reckless, rash acts denotes an inability to heed or follow good advice, suggests there may be trouble to follow in the wake of Johnson’s elevation. He has already expressed his intention of removing the UK from the EU by the appointed October 31 deadline, with or without a deal, an act which could redound painfully on the British people.
With Saturn at 16 Capricorn on the 15 Cap IC, it was conservatism’s time to shine, but its square to the Moon and asteroid Johnson could indicate some tough times ahead, lessons to be learned, criticisms hurled, and limitation or scarcity to be overcome, for Britain’s people and their new leader.
Where is the Brylcream? A little dab will do ya. Even greasy kid stuff would help.