Republican Presidential Candidate Jim Gilmore entered the race so late (July 30) that this political blogger planned to ignore him. Next time there’s a presidential election cycle, Mr. Gilmore, can you please show up on time?

But then . . . through unrelated research on incarcerated terrorist Carlos the Jackal, I noticed the birthday looked quite familiar. Carlos the Jackal was born six days after Gilmore.

Suggesting a Venezuelan terrorist and US politician have personality traits in common is where you can lose a lot of folks on astrology. Yet this is where it is most fascinating and reveals its greatest truths. The motivations of a politician and a terrorist may be the similar and the yet outcomes different.

Joining a nation’s military force is socially-sanctioned so any violence inflicted on acknowledged enemy is deemed appropriate. In contrast, having a personal mission and inflicting violence is illegal.

I’m guessing we’re all okay with that but life can put situations in our path where the difference isn’t always so clear. For example, if one country supports another country’s “rebels,” aren’t they agreeing that it is okay to sometimes have a personal mission? What if in your socially-sanctioned military defense organization you are asked to perform violence that doesn’t directly protect your nation? If one day your socially-sanctioned mission is perceived by others to be evil, are you personally responsible?

Astrology can explain energy and motivation which can result in different outcomes. The outer planets describe the environment and how a generation may perceive those motivations and manifestations.

Idealism

Carlos the Jackal is the moniker for Venezuelan Ilich Ramírez Sánchez. If Illich doesn’t sound Hispanic to you it’s because Ramirez’ father named him after the Communist leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Upon being born, Ramirez was faced with idealism – forced idealism.

Both Ramirez and Gilmore were born with Neptune conjunct the sun in Libra. Libra, an air sign, is the sign of partnership and often reflects off of others to form identity. Therefore, looking at Libra life paths, it can be important to understand their external influences. Idealism attached to Libra often involves idealism of relationship.

The Neptune-in-Libra generation I refer to as the “Make Love Not War” generation although many of these babies did go to war. Remember that others lived in communes and re-invented relationship. In fact, somewhere in time romantic partnerships began to be called “relationships” and I’ve always suspected it was the Neptune-in-Libra generation that changed this.

From Gilmore’s online biographies, I can’t tell if he is idealist and, if so, how. There’s really not much about him out there. I did discover he plays the clarinet; Libra is ruled by Venus and you often find artistic behavior in the charts of Libra. Venus can also manifest as an overly strong desire for pleasure as exhibited in Ramirez’ playboy lifestyle while functioning as a terrorist.

From a timeline perspective, Ramirez was active in terrorism in the early 1970s while Gilmore was in the military serving in counterintelligence during that same time. During the mid 1970s, Uranus was in Libra (it’s in a sign for seven years) ending in September 1975. At that time, Ramirez was initiating terrorist acts that would eventually land him behind bars. According to this Encyclopedia Brittanica timeline, from the end of 1975 until the early 1980s, he was inactive due to pressure from the governments where he was living. At that time, Uranus had passed into Scorpio.

Uranus transiting Libra would have created an even stronger impulse for idealism in these two men and sudden life changes. Uranus energy is sudden like lightening and inspiring like an idea for a new invention. Uranus disrupts the system in order to create a new system. Uranus rules Aquarius which is also idealism of the mental kind. The ideologies developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are pure Uranian constructs.

Neptunian idealism, in contrast, isn’t always logical but joins people on a spiritual and/or emotional plane. The loss of self experienced during a religious ceremony or the loss of self experienced by a young girl in the early 1960s watching the Beatles live both fall under the spell of Neptune.

Ramirez was captured on August 14, 1994 when Saturn was transiting Pisces and opposite his natal Saturn in Virgo. The year 1994 is when Gilmore earned his first elected office – Attorney General of the State of Virginia. Saturn represents responsibility and authority. Ramirez became responsible for his past actions and Gilmore became responsible for the physical well-being of his state’s citizens.

According to this CNN timeline, Ramirez converted to Islam in the mid-1990s. I’m not sure if Gilmore had any change of religious, moral or ethic belief at that time, but it would have been driven by Saturn’s sense of responsibility.

Mars and Pluto

Both men have Mars and Pluto conjunct in Leo. Mars rules war and Pluto destruction and in Leo demands others honor your sense of pride – or else. Pluto in Leo is the “Me Generation” which later created the social unrest of the 1960s.

Mars and Pluto conjunct in any sign could become demanding to the point of invasion of others’ boundaries – i.e., some sort of violence. Violence isn’t always on the physical plane, of course. But violence is only one manifestation of the Mars need for action and the Pluto need for transformation.

Both Ramirez and Gilmore have a strong aggressive drive – Gilmore possibly even more with moon in fire-sign Aries (more below). While both have similar drives, the paths and outcomes are different.

Moon and Venus

While much of Ramirez’ and Gilmore’s charts are similar, two planets changed signs in those six days – moon and Venus.

Gilmore’s moon is in Aries, the fire sign opposite Libra. The Aries-Libra polarity creates a lot of confusion between self (Aries) and other (Libra). Libra reflects off of others to develop a sense of self. With this polarity, there are fluctuations of independence and dependence. It’s kind of like perennial teenager-hood where you want mom and dad to leave you alone but after they give you your allowance.

Ramirez’ moon is in Gemini. Gemini and Libra are both air signs so Ramirez was probably able to disassociate from his actions through mental constructs. This would explain Ramirez’ playboy lifestyle while at the same time creating violence for the cause of Communism. Neither Libra or Gemini are strong feelers – others’ reactions help understand the emotional territory. The only water in Ramirez’ chart is Uranus in Cancer. Since Uranus provides sudden shifts, shifts to personal emotions and family life are indicated here.

Gilmore has Venus in Scorpio, a water sign, which provides more emotional awareness. Venus changed signs a few days later so Ramirez has Venus in Sagittarius. Gilmore is looking for emotional connection while Ramirez is (and was) seeking freedom.

Saturn is currently transiting Scorpio to go back into Sagittarius. We may have a news story in the coming months about Ramirez seeking parole. Saturn in Virgo put him behind bars and I suspect Saturn in Sagittarius (square aspect) will keep him there.

Gilmore

Enough about the Jackal – he’s not running for President of the United States. But maybe Gilmore isn’t either as I can’t find his running-for-president website . . .

Why Gilmore waited so late to announce his candidacy is a bit of a mystery. Jupiter is transiting Leo which activates his Mars/Pluto conjunction in that sign. But Jupiter is soon to move into Virgo so I think Gilmore may be exhibiting some Libra inability to make a decision. He should have jumped in the fire while Jupiter-in-Leo was hot.

I suppose Mars in Leo, which occurs soon and lasts for a month, can sustain him for that period of time.

Jupiter in Virgo will meet up with Gilmore’s natal Saturn in Virgo about mid October. I’m expecting Jupiter will enhance Saturn’s true belief that Gilmore isn’t really perfect enough to be commander-in-chief.

Next January transiting Saturn in Sagittarius will square natal Saturn in Virgo. If Gilmore makes it past October, January is sure to bury him in the snow of New Hampshire.

With Mercury, sun and Neptune in Libra, there can be more than a little indecisiveness. That’s not a good thing for a presidential candidate. The Leo energy in his chart is good, but Jupiter in Leo has passed so it must stand on its own.

Transiting Uranus in Aries conjunct Gilmore’s natal moon would have created sudden inspiration to run for President. But that transit appears to have passed so, again, the energy is gone.

Reading about Gilmore, I learned that he ran briefly in 2008. I’m guessing that will occur here as well due to his late arrival and missed fire energy. I think by January Gilmore will be on to other pursuits.

Gilmore wants something if he is continually dipping his toe in the waters of presidential politics. But since it’s only a toe, he may want to follow the Libra energy and do something more pleasant or diplomatic.

Here’s an idea – both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan have their national days in the sign of Libra (October 1 and October 10 respectively). China might be a good place for this Libra diplomat who wants to do something political.