Juan Williams is a well-respected journalist who has been a commentator for NPR news since 1999 and on Fox News for the past several years.  Last week Williams was fired by NPR for saying that he was afraid of travelers in Muslim garb, a comment that has generated a great deal of subsequent controversy.

In early 2009 NPR executives requested that Fox News stop referring to Williams as an NPR correspondent after Williams made some unflattering remarks about Michelle Obama, and Williams now says that NPR has been looking for a reason since then to fire him.  

Throughout his career Williams has resisted being pigeonholed in any particular ideology and he has been accused of taking a liberal slant on NPR and a more conservative one on Fox News.  This is a facet of his rebellious nature that we can clearly see in his astrological chart.  With the Sun in Aries (born April 10, 1954, time unknown) in an exact square to Uranus, the planet of rebellion and innovation, he is an independent and individualistic (Aries) fighter for the rights of others and true rebel (Uranus).  He can be evasive and difficult to pin down (Sun opposing Neptune) which makes it easy for him to slip in and out of philosophical arguments.  

Mars (aggression) squares Mercury (communication) in his chart, and this planetary combination has been affected by the transit of Jupiter (confidence) and Uranus (rebellion) over the past two months.  This is a planetary cycle that inspires us to be more outspoken than usual and speak without thinking.  

The whole question of whether Williams should have been fired by NPR is outside of the scope of this article.  Personally I think it was an impulsive move on the part of NPR that was not entirely necessary.  But as I look at Williams’ chart I can’t help but think that he is an individual who must give voice to his ideas and opinions, whether or not they fit the expectations of those he works for.  He is better suited to the role of a roving commentator – a political expert called on for opinions rather than an unbiased presentation of news.