Moon Day's Reflections - 'Iron Lady' Breaks New Ground for Women and Liberia

Monday known as 'Monandaeg' by the Angle-Saxons has always been linked to the moon
and traditionally reflected the light of the "first day" of the week, Sunday. Whetherit was the ancient Romans who called this day 'dies lunae" or the Germans with their label "montag,' this day was connected to the ebb and flow of the tides, emotional changes and moods. Today's lunar phase is "waning gibbous" astronomically or as Dane Rudhyar termed "disseminating" which describes how a person wants to demonstrate or share what they have learned or experienced.

In our charts, the Moon speaks of feelings and their fluctuations along with our own attitudes toward our Mother and our children. Mundane Astrology equates the Moon with the general public and their changing opinions, with families, community and women, particularly those women that have impact on society. Today January 16, 2006 on this official celebration and momentous tribute to the Man of the Hour, Martin Luther King Jr. there is also a woman who deserves recognition - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state.

'Iron Lady'Heralds Transformation for Liberia


Liberia's new president, Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf who is affectionately known as the 'Iron Lady' by her many supporters is a Scorpio and "iron" is the element sacred to Mars, the ancient ruler of Scorpio. She was born sixty seven years ago in Monrovia and educated in the US - achieving a degree from the University of Colorado and going on to study economics at Harvard, gaining a masters degree in public administration. Ellen has said that she wanted to become president in order "to bring motherly sensitivity and emotion to the presidency" as a way of healing the wounds of war.
War a Way of Life in Liberia
In case you haven't checked into the history of Liberia which owes its establishment to the American Colonization Society, founded in 1816 to resettle freed American slaves in Africa - check out my article: AMERICA’S UGLY STEPCHILD
The short version regarding Liberia's recent history of bloody purges hopefully ending on 11 August 2003, when after much persuasion, warlord,dictator Charles Taylor, who had ties with Pat Robertson, handed power over to his deputy Moses Blah. If we view the independence chart for Liberia (set for July 26th, 1847) first off we see Mars/Pluto together in violent Aries and that Black Hole Hades 24º Aries is conjunct the Liberian Mars almost partile. Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf whose nodes are Scorpio/Taurus is ready to bring a peaceful makeover to a country that has thrived on death, destruction and abduction (note that Black Hole Kore/Persephone is at 26º Aries conjuncts Pluto in Liberia's chart). Significantly the chart set for Liberian Independence has identity and purpose at 2ºLeo close to Ellen's natal Pluto 1º30'Leo indicating that her leadership will involve a radical departure from the continual doctrines of war.

Getting back to our original lunar theme, notice that Ellen's moon phase is crescent. Crescent moon types are assertive and tend to challenge the old ways sometimes locked in an intense struggle but more then willing to overcome sometimes insurmountable obstacles. The negative side to the "crescent moon type" is the deep, subconcious sense of being overwhelmed by the past. Back in 1984 (Pluto in Scorpio), she was sentenced to ten years in prison and spent seven months incarcerated where she was raped. Ellen was able to transmute this bleak period in her life and offer hopeful politcal change plus healing for herself and others. Looking at her chart below - we see: Pallas/Pisces (poetic inspiration and non-violent resistance) is in a Grand Trine to Chiron, the wounded healer and Hygeia (health giver).
After her jail time, she was allowed to leave the country and went into exile. During the 1980s she served as Vice President of both the African Regional Office of Citibank, in Nairobi, and of (HSCB) Equator Bank, in Washington. In her chart Jupiter is in Aquarius allowing her to embrace many cultures and peoples with diplomacy and great success.
With the planet of revolution and unexpected change, Uranus opposing her N Node in Scorpio, her poltical fortunes were up and down in the 90's and Johnson-Sirleaf campaigned against Taylor and was charged with treason and again needed to go in hiding.
The immediate future for Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf, a divorcee whose ex-husband died a few years ago, will be positive with Jupiter crossing her Sun, Mercury, asteroid Hygiea, N Node this year. In fact having Mercury conjunct her Node in Scorpio will be a distinct advantage bringing her vast intellect and communicative powers to the aid of Liberia which will need lots of help from the outside with a 85% unemployment rate. As a woman who has been involved with large financial sums (Pluto trine Venus)she will need to use lots of her connections to bring tangible resources to Liberia.
The fact remains that Ellen is taking over after the tenuous end of a 14-year civil war in 2003. As a Scorpio with modern ruler Pluto trine Venus she has a fated connection/relationship between herself and the people of Liberia where half the country's 3 million people have been uprooted and left up to 250,000 dead.

When we look more deeply into that strong Taurus/Scorpio axis present in her chart it is obvious that she will be an active force in efforts to bring regeneration to Liberia.
Much of her sense of acceptance has come from nurturing others once she has provided for her own physical security (Ceres in Taurus) as a mother of four sons and has six grandchildren, I think she is ready to spearhead a major transformation involving greater wealth and continued healing for her Liberian family.


Chart set for Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf as noon on Oct. 29, 1938 in Monrovia, Liberia (time unknown) Click to expand.