Vladmir Putin announced today that he had a moral right to continue to wield influence in Russia. It has long been suspected that he would take steps to stay in power after his term as president runs out next year, and to many these words are confirmation of that intention.

Though Vladmir Putin (see Astrodatabank birthchart) is a Libra with four planets in that sign of harmony and beauty, the intense sign of Scorpio is rising in his chart. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, and Pluto is concerned with matters of power. Pluto in Putin’s chart is prominently placed at the Midheaven, the highest point in the chart that reveals our highest aspirations and goals, so it is clear that for Putin, the desire for power is a guiding force that motivates his career and his life.

The Libran influence is made even stronger by the placement of Venus, Libra’s ruler, in the first house of personal identity. Venus shows a facility with personal relationships and in Scorpio there is a charisma with a sexual undertone that is clearly visible to the casual observer from its placement in the first house. Jupiter in Taurus (ruled by Venus) in the seventh house of partnership and open enemies (also ruled by Venus) expands this Venusian theme, and the fact that Jupiter is opposite Venus provides yet another Venusian signature. This guy is as lucky as you can get, but Venus is not all sweetness and light. Venus can also be self-indulgent, especially when opposed by Jupiter in Taurus, greedy and fickle, and in her form of Aphrodite she was legendary for the wrath that she exhibited to those who failed to worship her.

The combination of Libra and Scorpio is a potent one, because where Scorpio is sensitive to the ebb and flow of power and has a secret desire to achieve a powerful end, Libra can be manipulative in its diplomacy and use flattery and subtlety in order to meet its goals. For Libra, like all the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Capricorn), the end justifies the means, and without a strong sense of justice this combination can lead to a relentless pursuit of power (Pluto/Scorpio) using personal charm (Libra).

This is an old pattern for Putin, as shown by the placement of the South Node (representing our karmic past) conjunct that midheaven Pluto and squared by his charming Venus on the one side and and by Jupiter on the other. If Putin were on a spiritual journey of self-realization, he would find himself moving towards his North Node which lies on the nadir of his chart and encourages us toward introspection and self-awareness as well as creating a home for ourselves where we can find inner peace. The end of his Presidency could provide an opportunity for him to step out of the spotlight and pursue a new comfort with his inner life, but it appears that he is determined to remain stuck in the South Node for some time.

This announcement by Putin of his “moral right” to stay in power comes just as transiting Jupiter is making a trine to the Pluto/Midheaven combination in Putin’s chart. Jupiter, in its role of King of the Gods, brings confidence and a sense of righteousness and we are clearly seeing this in Putin’s grandiosity right now, and when transiting Jupiter enters Capricorn next year it will retrograde back and forth in a square to Putin’s Sun increasing his desire to stay in power. However, a transit of Neptune across the nadir of Putin’s chart and in opposition to his Pluto/Midheaven over the next couple of years could erode some of this confidence and create significant doubts and challenges for him.

Still, Putin has survived many planetary cycles and his influence is likely to continue unabated, in one form or another.