Ariel Sharon has arguably been one of the most significant figures in world history over the past thirty years. (painting by W. Horvath: The Spiral of Violence) Because of the importance of Israel in world politics and the growth of international terrorism, decisions made there have had enormous global impact. Ariel Sharon has been a fierce warrior for his country, but has also been seen as a warmonger and destroyer of the Palestinian people.

Ironically, Ariel Sharon has many of the same astrological characteristics as Jack Abramoff (see article below). He has a Pisces Sun and Mercury, indicating a chameleon-like individual whom it is nearly impossible to really know. He has Mars in the late degrees of Capricorn, showing that he is intensely goal-oriented with a strong leadership drive. Mars in his chart makes a trine (harmonious aspect) to his Taurus Moon, linking the power of his emotions (Moon) to his drive for achievement (Mars). This can give a tremendous force of will to a Pisces Sun person that may otherwise be somewhat weak.

Sharon has Jupiter (faith, ideology) in Aries (the Warrior), and it is conjunct Uranus (the rebel). Both planets are in the twelfth house of the subconscious, showing that Sharon is driven by unconscious desires for war and rebellion. Additionally, he has Aries rising in his chart–his persona wears the cloak of leadership and aggression. With this much Aries in the chart, he can be perceived more as an Aries than as a typical Pisces which is much more flexible and desires to go with the flow. Sharon’s fingerprints can be seen throughout the course of Israeli history as in sparking the fires that fueled the escalating conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. However, Pisces is a sign that longs for peace, that craves an experience of flow. I suspect that this side of Sharon was buried deep within himself and never allowed much if any expression in his life.

Recently Sharon seemed to have started to mellow a bit; he orchestrated the pullout from Gaza and was in the process of beginning his own more moderate political party when he had his first stroke in November. Astrologically this corresponds to a period when Chiron (the wounded healer) passed over his Mars. The study of astrology is a study of potentialities – when we look forward we can see possibilities, but when we look backwards we are able to see clearly how those potentialities took form. The purpose of Chiron in astrology is to uncover those areas where we hide from ourselves and create dissonance in our personalities which then helps to create health problems. The name “Wounded Healer” comes from Chiron’s mythology (see other posts on Chiron here), but also describes the way Chiron operates in the birthchart and in our lives.

Currently Chiron is approaching a square to Chiron in Sharon’s birthchart, which we call the “Chiron square.” Squares are challenging aspects that create friction and conflict, and during stressful Chiron periods we are prone to emotional distress as a result of the peeling off of layers of protection that covers old wounds and painful emotions that we have hidden over the years. If left to fester, this distress can create severe health problems that worsen as we age. The Chiron square is exact on February 9 and begins a series of challenging transits throughout the month of February. I suspect that we will see Mr. Sharon’s health continue deteriorate during that time.