Women on Top: Venus in Power
I got excited a while ago when I noticed that Brazilian premier Dilma Rousseff, Ukraine’s ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Korean PM Park Geun-hye all have Venus in Capricorn, the sign of earthly power. I wondered if there would be more women at the top of the political tree with this placement.
Alas no, Venus in the charts of female elected heads of state turns up just about anywhere — except Leo.
However, Venus ought to tell us something about what makes someone popular enough to get elected. Since I’d already done all the research, I thought you might like to have a look yourself. Here are female elected heads of state listed by Venus sign.
Some of these leaders I know a bit about, so I speculate about the possible commonalities between the Venuses. I’ve included some nicknames which give you an idea of the esteem (high or low) in which these women are held.
Venus placement certainly does not show whether you’re left or right wing, but it may indicate if you’re “one of the boys”.
Venus in Aries
I just found one Aries — but the Venus in Aries does say “I am the only one”.
Cristina Kirchner
President of Argentina (2007-2015) “Queen Cristina” or “She-Devil” — I guess it depends who’s doing the talking.
Venus in Taurus
Venus is at home in Taurus, and often blesses the individual with a pretty face. Good looks might play a part here and these politicians are all unusually handsome women. Stamina must be another quality too — all of them have had extremely long and productive political careers. Bhutto’s was, of course, cut untimely short.
Benazir Bhutto
Twice Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988-1990 and 1993-1996) “Pinkie” to her family or one of the “Iron Lady” gang
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
President of Iceland (1980-1996) personal motto: “Never Let Women Down”
Mary Robinson
President of Ireland (1990-1997)
Mary Robinson’s career at the top continues with her work for the UN.
Chandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1994-2005) (daughter of Mrs Bandaranaike, see below)
Both mother and father were prime minster in their times.
Venus in Gemini
Venus in Gemini often works better as part of a couple — although not in the case of Golda Meir!
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first democratically elected female head of state
Thrice Prime Minister of Bangladesh — 1960-1965, 1970-1977 and 1994-2000!!
Initially the “Weeping Widow”. She came to power after her husband was assassinated. During her last stint as PM, her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, was president. Talk about keeping it in the family, and running a two-hander.
Golda Meir
Prime Minister of Israel (1969-1974), the first “Iron Lady” and according to David Ben Gurion “the best man in the government”
Unlike Bandaranaike and Eva Peron, Golda Meir was very much solo (although in her time she had plenty of love action apparently). This may be accounted for by the conjunction of Venus with Pluto.
Eva Peron
First Lady of Argentina (joint president with her husband) (1946-1952) “Evita”
She probably needs no introduction. But she was very much a double act with her husband Juan before dying tragically young.
Venus in Cancer
You might expect a kind of “mother of the tribe” type with this placement.
Eugenia Charles
Prime Minister of Dominica (1980-1995) “The Iron Lady of the Caribbean”. Charles was also the first female head of state in the Americas.
Khaleda Zia
Three times Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1981, 1991-1996 and 2001-2006)
Zia’s chief rival is Sheikha Hasina. They swap the top office regularly. I don’t know enough about Bangladeshi politics to say definitively if she’s tribal or maternal but… as you know Cancer is the sign of the home, ruled as it is by the Moon. And you might expect someone with Venus in Cancer to have an instinct for real estate. So it’s interesting that one of the scandals associated with Zia is her family’s residence until 2010 in Cantonment House, which was a grace and favour residence for her husband as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army. Since he died in 1977, she stayed quite a lot longer than usual.
Venus in Virgo
You’d expect their popularity to ride partly on the view of them as “servants of the people”. I notice that all these women have very sensible hair!
Angela Merkel
Chancellor of Germany (2005-now) “Mutti”
Exiled in East Germany until reunification. More on her natal chart here.
Violeta Chamorro
President of Nicaragua (1990-1997)
Survivor of exile and torture. She brought peace and reconciliation to her country.
Michele Bachelet
Twice President of Chile (2006-2010) (2014 to now)
Survivor of torture and exile.
Venus in Libra
Sheikha Hasina
Twice Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1996-2001 and 2009-now)
Her arch rival is Khaleda Zia. They are known as the “Battling Begums”.
Venus in Scorpio
In the West, the most famous Venus in Scorpio female pol is Hillary Clinton, of course.
Sonia Gandhi
The widow of Rajiv Gandhi, son of Indira. Sonia was the matriarch of India’s longest standing political dynasty.
Tarja Halonen
President of Finland (2000-2012)
By all accounts she was extremely popular in Finland: an advocate for LGBT equality and women’s rights.
Venus in Sagittarius
Margaret Thatcher
British Prime Minister (1979-1992) “The Iron Lady”
More on her legacy and astrology here.
Portia Simpson-Miller
President of Jamaica (2012 – now) “Sista P” or “Mama P”
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
President of Liberia (2006 – now)
Johnson is the first female president of an African state, and she has had some seriously tough times to deal with.
Venus in Capricorn
Park Geun-hye (2013-now)
Prime Minister of South Korea
Park is also the scion of a political dynasty. But being labelled “daughter of a dictator” has not stopped her from a storming election victory, trouncing her rival by 30% at the polls. Her approval ratings have yo-yoed since then. But she has one of the most delicate leadership posts in the world, treading the line between North Korea, China and the US.
Dilma Rousseff
President of Brazil (2011 – now)
Brazil’s president is currently in a spot of bother, accused of corruption. She is a remarkable woman though — a rebel, torture survivor and fighter. More on Brazilian astrology here.
Yulia Tymoshenko
Prime Minister of Ukraine (2007-2010) “the Gas Princess”
More on the Ukraine astrology here. It’s interesting to see how the chart for the country is playing out.
Corazon Aquino
President of the Philippines (1986-1992) “Tita Cory” — Auntie Cory
Aquino’s husband had been assassinated by the Marcos regime. She returned to the Philippines to restore democracy.
Indira Gandhi
Indian Prime Minister (1966-77 and 1980-84)
Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first post-independence Prime Minister. She was the mother of Rajiv and grandmother of Rahul. The Gandhi dynasty has dominated Indian politics now for four generations. In her time, she was responsible for some ugly politics, and shocking human rights abuses. However, her powerful self-belief may have been helpful in steering India through difficult times.
Just as an aside two early female captains of the cosmetics industry, Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, both have Venus in Capricorn. They both became incredibly wealthy and powerful through the eponymous businesses.
Venus in Aquarius
Helen Clark
Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999-2008)
Helen Clark’s Venus in Aquarius has certainly worked hard. She is now the most powerful woman in the UN, the classic Aquarian organisation.
Venus in Pisces
You’d never call Pisces a political sign exactly, but Venus in Pisces is exalted, and it could be that it helps to make you popular. It’s interesting that there are
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Three times prime minister of Norway (1981, 1986-1989, 1990-1996)
With her Venus conjoining Jupiter, she certainly seems to have been popular. She is now deputy chair of The Elders, the organisation founded by Nelson Mandela to bring together the collective wisdom of elder statesmen and women in the service of world peace.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Philippines (2001-2010)
Beata Szydło
Current Prime Minister of Poland, just elected.
Scarily right wing…. not what you might expect from a “lovely” Venus in Pisces. However, she does have Sun and Jupiter in martial Aries.
Luisa Diogo
Prime Minister of Mozambique (2004-2010)
Like her sister African woman in power Sirleaf, Diogo is ex-World Bank and finance minister and about five times as qualified to run a country as her male counterparts — in Africa or anywhere else.
One of my heroes, Aung San Suu Kyi, born June 19, 1945, with Venus in Taurus. Myanmar’s constitution was amended to forbid her from being president, but her NLG party won the majority in the 2015 election…she is a ghost president…for now.
Oh my goodness — how did I leave her out?! She is a favourite of mine too. I’ve written about her chart on here.
http://www.oxfordastrologer.com/2010/11/aung-san-suu-kyi-embodying-the-peoples-dream.html
Venus in Taurus — another unusually good looking pol.
If Venus in Leo is the exception – perhaps it is about a different ind of leadership and search? Liz Green equates Leo with the Parsifal myth; the search fort he Grail. Venus in Leo in both men and women IMO is more about the psychological mastery of self than public leadership. It is not a fixture of political institution unlike Venus in Capricorn. It is much more subtle than that!
Plus Pallas Athenea might be more revealing in the charts of women of leadership?
Michael Jackson, Tori Amos, Jacques Delors, Nicole Kidman, Phoolan Devi, Gareth Bale, Gertrude Lawrence, Queen Victoria… all have/had Venus in Leo.
At least two of the women stand out to me as having huge leadership qualities – Queen Victoria and Phoolan Devi! Both with Venus in Leo – perhaps it just has very different qualities which ned a certain drama to power their cause. Perhaps Venus in Capricorn actually stunts passion which is more suitable for public office/the boardroom?
Meanwhile Pallas Athena gives a much stronger picture! In Aries for instance – Angelina Jolie, Albert Einstein, Kim Kardashian, Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger…robert De niro… Jackie Kennedy.
Michael Jackson has Pallas in Leo – along with Venus. His feminine side seems to have been very developed and an integral part of him. I see Venus not as belonging to the domain of women but as the feminine principle.
All that said – Madonna has Venus in Leo, and Sun/Pallas conjunct in Leo. Who has the more powerful leadership – Madonna or any in the article the above!! Its just a question of style!
Very interesting analysis!
It got me thinking though, how this picture might change if we considered the Midheaven, and then looked at the sign and placement of its ruling planet.
I see you paid mention to The Honorable Helen Clarke, however we again presently have another female Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. She has a Gemini Venus. Yes it’s early days into her leadership with her due to give birth very soon.
Oh and to add…whilst Jacinda Ardern is on maternity leave, our Deputy Prime Minister will be running our country. As we have a Mixed Member Parliament Winston Peters leader of NZ First Party did a deal with Jacinda (Labour) to form a government late last year.