Back during the 1992 Presidential election, I noticed that each of the three candidates (Bill Clinton, H. W. Bush & Ross Perot) had moon/Pluto square in his chart.  This started me looking more closely at Pluto aspects in the charts of politicians.  I’ve since referred to Moon/Pluto and Sun/Pluto squares as “the mark of a politician.”

Why Pluto?  And why the square (90 degree) aspect?

Pluto is the planet that rules will power, regeneration and transformation.  This is intense stuff, as your Scorpio friends can demonstrate, being “ruled” by Pluto.  For a Scorpio, everything is serious, a life and death matter.  Pluto is intense and forceful.

The square aspect seems best described by the word “friction.”  Friction is not outright opposition or entirely unpleasant; the friction of a square in astrology stems from the fact that the signs involved are actually alike in some way.  To be square, signs involved must share the same mode (cardinal, mutable or fixed).  The alikeness creates attraction but the friction comes from the signs being in incompatible elements (such as air & water).   Squares are frustrating.  You like the person, if only he wouldn’t talk so loud . . . 

John Boehner, Ohio 8^th district house rep and current speaker of the House, is both a Sun sign Scorpio with Pluto square his sun.  Boehner has a double dose of intensity with a forceful twist.  I haven’t met the man, but I will guess his is a “presence” when he is in the room, drawing attention through intense charisma and power.  Scorpios are extreme in their feelings, either loving or hating; likewise, Scorpios attract the same passionate response – they are loved or hated, or both.

So why do Pluto/Moon and Pluto/Sun squares love politics?

I’ll have to quote my 12^th grade political science teacher.  He taught us that politics was simply about two things:  “Politics is power and it’s all about who’s ox is being gored.”   Individuals with Pluto square sun or moon have lost power or have had their willpower thwarted in some way.  Their loss of personal power through life’s challenges creates a driving need to be in control, to be back in power.  Pluto square aspects represent your quintessential “control freak.”  What better place is there to manifest a drive for control than in the realm of politics? 

John Boehner’s chart clearly demonstrates a need to be in control.  What’s more, his chart also indicates a need for perfection, with Saturn conjunct Mars in Virgo.  I imagine working for Boehner is much like working for the head of a fashion magazine as described in The Devil Wears Prada.  Saturn and Mars conjunct also suggests that when he is not pleased with you, Boehner can describe in great, painstaking detail the reasons why.  He is a demanding perfectionist.

There is one area of Boehner’s chart that suggests relief from all this intensity and that is his moon conjunct Neptune in Libra.  It’s nice to see there is a part of Boehner that can enjoy pleasure and spend a lazy afternoon doing nothing – as long as there is a partner present.  Neptune conjunct the moon suggests that Boehner is very idealistic in love.  His harsh demands in other areas of life are relaxed as he tends to worship his partner with an almost mystical devotion.

Boehner is charmingly ruthless and ruthlessly charming.  He’s ruthless.  And he’s charming.

Writing about Boehner’s intense energy level is somewhat exhausting.  I imagine those working with or near Boehner might feel energy depletion from this intensely demanding man.  And imagine living with all this energy oneself?  Possibly Boehner entered politics not solely from a desire to maintain power and control, but because his energy level couldn’t be contained in a cubicle, office or the small portion of life that most of us are allotted.  A man of this energy level needs a wide open area where the force of his personality can be dispersed, like radioactive material, so as not to cause injury to those around him or himself.