Al, Say It Isn’t So!
Actually, that’s an overstatement. As a politician coming out of the entertainment world where the rules of behavior tend to be loser, it really isn’t much of a surprise that Al Franken became the latest man to be accused of improper sexual advances. The offenses occurred in 2006 when Franken was still a working comedian. Nonetheless his actions are inexcusable and he was quick to offer an apology.
Looking at his horoscope it is easy to see why the revelation came out when it did. (Click on Al Franken to see a double chart with his natal chart in the middle and yesterday’s transits on the outside.) For a while now Pluto has been square Franken’s natal Neptune. I wouldn’t expect this aspect to have a lot of personal impact, though it is interesting that Neptune rules Franken’s Fifth House of love affairs. What happened yesterday was that Mars joined the party, closing in on a conjunction to Franken’s Neptune and a square to transiting Pluto.
When Mars and Neptune get together the result is often scandalous. The fact that Neptune is in the 12th House in Franken’s horoscope speaks of secret things, things from the past. Pluto’s involvement brings sex and power into the mix. Even though Franken’s actions might have been intended as a joke, the subtext of the joke was male dominance. Interestingly, Franken’s natal Pluto is also involved. It is sextile his natal Neptune and quincunx transiting Pluto. However, the planet that set everything off was transiting Mercury which formed a sextile to transiting Mars yesterday. Of course, Mercury represents communication and the news.
What’s also interesting is the fact that Franken is currently completing an important Saturn Cycle aspect. Transiting Saturn is square it natal place. During the past year Franken published a book and made the rounds to all the talk shows. He was becoming one of the most recognizable of our Senators and a lot of people’s favorite Democrat. Saturn cycle aspects often do lift a person’s professional profile, but they also reveal our faults and errors. How this last dose of Saturn will impact Franken’s career remains to be seen, but it can’t be good.
Another thing that was going on in Franken’s chart yesterday was a trine by transiting Neptune and transiting Venus to Franken’s natal Venus. Together the three planets formed a Grand Trine. On top of this, Jupiter was conjunct Franken's Ascendant. Franken handled this poisonous situation as deftly as was possible. He immediately issued a statement owning up to the offenses and apologizing and then called for an ethics investigation of himself. Essentially, he seems to have done exactly what a man in public life has to do in these situations. This is evidence of this essentially “good” aspect, however only time will tell if these aspects willl help Franken in the long run.
I probably don’t need to add that compared to Harvey Weinstein and Louis C K masturbating in front of women and Roy Moore trolling malls for high school girls Franken’s offenses, a sloppy kiss and a joking grope, seem rather tame. However, what’s going on now with Jupiter in Scorpio is an examination of male privilege and the use of sex as a means of domination. Franken’s situation is part of that process. So, even though forgiveness is always an option, forgetfulness is not.
