Bibi’s Swindle Return
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu was indicted on charges of corruption on November 21st, just as asteroid Swindle returned to its natal degree of 26 Virgo. The embattled Netanyahu has been fighting for his political life for months, with two inconclusive general elections in April and September 2019 showing no clear victor, and neither Bibi nor his chief rival, Benny Gantz, able to form a collation government, leaving Israel essentially leaderless. Head of the center-right Likud Party, Netanyahu has been PM since 2009, following an earlier stint in the late ‘90s, but has been under investigation for corruption for almost three years, before Israel’s Attorney General filed charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu, a staunch Trump ally, has characterized the indictment as a “witch hunt” and attempted coup (gee, I wonder where he got that idea from?).
Born in 1949 in Tel Aviv, Bibi was raised largely in the United Sates, a graduate of Cheltenham High School in the Philadelphia suburbs. After graduation he returned to his homeland for a stint in the Israel Defense Forces, then it was back to the States for further education at MIT, briefly interrupted in October 1973 by service in the Yom Kippur War. In 1978 Netanyahu returned permanently to Israel, barring six years in diplomatic positions, including ambassador to the UN, 1984-1988, which first brought him into contact with the Trump family. In 1988 he became a member of the Knesset, Israel’s legislative body, and in 1993 was elected chair of the Likud Party following a devastating loss which unseated it from power. Netanyahu rebuilt Likud, and in 1996 went on to win election as Israel’s youngest Prime Minister, and the first to be born in the State of Israel.
Allegations of corruption have dogged Bibi from his earliest days in the seats of power, and led to his defeat in 1999 by Ehud Barak, after which Netanyahu temporarily retired from politics, returning as Foreign Minister in 2002, then Finance Minister in 2003. In 2005 he retook the leadership of Likud, and was re-elected PM in 2009, a post he has held ever since, now in his fourth term.
With the Sun squared Jupiter and asteroid Israel, it’s no shock to find Bibi Netanyahu involved in Israeli politics, but a t-square with asteroid Bilk suggests that corruption charges may be valid
Born 21 October 1949 at 10:15 AM EEDT in Tel Aviv, Israel (Rodden Rating C), Benjamin Netanyahu has several chart points which support allegations of corruption. Asteroid Bilk, named for an observatory in Dusseldorf, Germany, but functioning very well in its English language equivalent of “to defraud or cheat”, appears at 20 Cancer, in square to Netanyahu’s Moon/Sun combination at 19 and 27 Libra. This can indicate a deep-seated tendency toward deception, especially as regards financial matters, as well as an overall lack of honesty.
Also with the Moon is a Mercury/Neptune pairing at 9 and 15 Libra, which in itself suggests playing fast-and-loose with the facts, a willingness to deceive or misrepresent, and a fluidity of speech which does not necessarily comport with reality or truth. This is reinforced by an opposition to asteroid Lie at 16 Aries, forming a T-Square with Bilk, an indication that Bibi’s words can’t be trusted, and his motivations are always in question. This is enhanced and inflated by Jupiter at 24 Capricorn, known for its tendency toward exaggeration, which creates a Grand Cross. Also squared the Sun, Jupiter attracts Netanyahu to politics and excess, as well as providing that larger-than-life quality and bon vivant impression he makes. With asteroid Israel nearby at 28 Cap, we see the geographic venue for Bibi’s political aspirations. Asteroid Jerusalem at 7 Scorpio is at the extreme edge of conjunction with the 27 Libra Sun, and also squares asteroid Benjamina, a feminine form of Benjamin, at 4 Leo; with the Sun and a PNA directly connected to the State he rules and its purported capital, it’s no surprise Netanyahu has been influential in Israeli history.
Benny Gantz is Netanyahu’s chief political rival and contender for Prime Minister; asteroid Ganz is stationary in Bibi’s chart, conjoined the Descendant and t-squared Saturn and Nemesis
Two asteroids are at station in Netanyahu’s chart: Bibee at 22 Aquarius, which turned direct 6 days before his birth; and Ganz at 16 Gemini, which turned retrograde the day before. Both form embedded, vital components of Netanyahu’s character and biography: Bibee may be the source of Netanyahu’s nickname of “Bibi” for Benjamin, while Ganz represents Benny Gantz, his chief political opposition currently, who may end his career. Bibee is conjoined by asteroid Hybris at 18 Aquarius, an indicator of extreme pride and arrogance, coloring Netanyahu’s image, and opposes a Pluto/Mars pairing at 17 and 26 Leo, suggesting the power and force of Netanyahu’s personality (Pluto) and his tetchy, in-your-face attitude, an aggressive competitor and combatant (Mars). Ganz also conjoins the 10 Gemini Descendant, and is involved in a Grand Cross with Saturn at 15 Virgo, itself exactly opposed asteroid Nemesis at 15 Pisces as well as asteroid Achilles at 9 Pisces, and TNO (Trans-Neptunian Object) Borasisi, exact on the 10 Sagittarius Ascendant. Also in the mix is Venus at 12 Sag.
Saturn represents Netanyahu’s career in government, and specifically the post of Prime Minister, while Nemesis is an arch rival or opponent, possibly leading to ruin or downfall, and Achilles exposing weakness or vulnerability. This gives Ganz, in the form of Benny Gantz, a huge opportunity to fulfill this role, and with Borasisi another point indicating lies or deception, we see the potential for underhanded dealings to dislodge Netanyahu from his office, replaced by Ganz/Gantz. Venus squared Saturn shows his popularity as PM, with four terms under his belt, as well as an ability to smooth over deceptions with a honeyed phrase, a breezy attitude, or a pleasing persona.
Meteorite expert Timothy Swindle might be surprised to find that his namesake asteroid functions reliably as an indicator of financial misdealing, but astrologers aren’t shocked to find that asteroid Swindle returned to its natal degree the very day Netanyahu was indicted for corruption
Which brings us to Swindle, an asteroid named for astronomer and meteorite expert Timothy Swindle, but which, as with Bilk, also functions as an indicator of fraud or deception, especially as relates to suspect financial dealings such as the bribery with which Netanyahu is accused. Natally, Swindle is involved in a precise T-Square incorporating an opposition to TNO Chaos at 26 Pisces and a square to asteroid Icarus at 26 Sagittarius, with TNO Salacia at 28 Sag. This suggests outrageous scandal (Salacia) related to rash or reckless (Icarus) fraudulent financial dealings (Swindle) which results in disorder, turmoil or mayhem (Chaos). What’s stunning is that transit Swindle returned to its natal degree on October 21st, the very day of Netanyahu’s indictment, reenergizing and activating the potential of this natal pattern to sow disruption and scandal in Bibi’s life.
Swindle is closely squared a triple conjunction of transit Venus, asteroid Truth and Jupiter at 24, 26 and 27 Sagittarius, and an opposition to transit asteroid Karma at 20 Pisces, which also overlays the natal T-Square, energizing it further. This indicates that a period of reckoning has arrived (Karma), with payment due for past fiscal indiscretions (Swindle) relating to his political activities (Jupiter), with the facts becoming known (Truth) regarding the ethics of his financial dealings (both Venus). Transit asteroid Bilk at 23 Scorpio conjoined the transit Sun at 28 reinforces the importance of fiscal fraud for the period, and their square to transit Achilles and Damocles at 20 and 22 Aquarius suggests that an inherent flaw exposes his weakness (both Achilles) and brings down an impending doom (Damocles).
Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is represented by asteroids Themis and Justitia, named for the Greek and Roman goddesses of justice; Mandelblit brought the indictment with transit Justitia in a T-square with both transit and natal Nemesis, and transit Themis exactly squared transit Saturn, while transit Pluto conjoined natal Themis exactly
A remarkable grouping of transit Mars at 1 Scorpio with asteroid Ganz, Mercury and asteroid Benjamina at 9, 11 and 12 Scorpio illustrates the neck-and-neck (conjunction) campaign (Mars) for votes (Mercury) just navigated by Netanyahu (Benjamina) and his chief rival Benny Gantz (Ganz). An opposition to transit asteroid Lie at 14 Taurus suggests that the campaign rhetoric was less than honest, perhaps on both sides (with both Ganz and Benjamina engaged).
The ongoing Saturn/Pluto conjunction, now at 17 and 21 Capricorn, is squaring Netanyahu’s Moon/Sun combination, and will form its exact conjunction at 23 Cap in January, atop his natal Jupiter, perhaps indicating a devastating loss (Pluto) to his political (Jupiter) career (Saturn). Pluto’s current degree of 21 Cap exactly conjoins Netanyahu’s natal asteroid Themis, named for the Greek goddess of justice, implying a thorough scouring and reckoning of that principal in Netanyahu’s life. Transit Themis at 17 Libra is exactly squared transit Saturn, and conjoining not only the natal Mercury/Moon/Sun profile, but also natal asteroid Justitia, named for the Roman goddess of justice, at 14 Libra. Being called to account by Justice would seem to be a current theme, and with Pluto/Saturn astrologically spelling out “crime and punishment”, we can rest assured that justice will be done, however it plays out.
Is time running out for Netanyahu? With so many astrological factors converging simultaneously on the embattled PM, it may well be
But the starkest indicator of a potential downfall is transit Nemesis at 17 Virgo, conjoining natal Saturn and opposing its natal degree of 15 Pisces, which is exactly where transit Neptune forms its station on November 27th, bringing disillusion and disappointment in its wake. Neptune could also result in incarceration. In addition, transit asteroid Justitia joins the party from 15 Gemini, exactly squaring that natal Saturn/Nemesis axis. Game, set and match.
What’s next for Netanyahu? Hard to say, but things don’t look too rosy for Bibi.
