People who follow my Astrology blog will know that I do have a keen interest in sport. Seeing as there is not much happening in the entertainment world right now, I decided to have a look at the Frenchman at the helm of Arsenal football club, who has been under severe pressure of late. A really interesting choice as Arsene’s chart is incredibly similar to Benjamin Netanyahu (the Israeli PM) who I looked at just yesterday. Both charts are under the same pressures, but differ very slightly in emphasis. Please look at the link at the bottom of this article and compare the two and you will see exactly what I mean.
Arsene was born on 22nd October 1949 (1 day after Netanyahu) at 11.00am in Strasbourg, France. He has a sun sign Libra in conjunction with the Moon (as with Netanyahu) however the Moon had now moved around to be in Scorpio. So we have someone who is sociable, needs peace, harmony and hates conflict yet is also intensely private, controlling and needs to know everything going on around him. It is a fascinating combination, Arsene is a people person, who loves being involved in social contact but who ultimately is hard to get to know properly. The Sun is placed in the 10th house so this is a man to whom his reputation, public position and role in life is hugely important; Arsene needs to be appreciated for his talents and will work and work, to the detriment of his personal life. In that regard, he needs a very understanding wife. The Sun Moon conjunction makes him very one sided, stubbornly so (especially as the Moon is in a fixed sign – Scorpio). You try to move a Scorpio when their heels are dug firmly in? It’s impossible!! The Scorpio moon sits in the 11th house of friends and team affairs. Anyone who befriends Arsene will be a friend for life, and this deep emotional attachment will extend to the players and staff at the club too. Scorpio is very emotional and ingrained, Arsene will see it as his duty to guide everyone in his principles and philosophies. I’ve heard it that Arsene is seen as a father figure and this aptly describes how he will see himself, albeit a father who keep at a distance. He will not let anyone get too close.
The Sun/Moon conjunction makes aspects to Jupiter in the 2nd house and Uranus in the 7th and Mars in the 8th house. The Sun in Libra square to generous Jupiter in Capricorn makes Arsene very capable in business, seeing and being able to cope with the large expanse of a project. Combined with a Virgo Midheaven, which is very detailed orientated, he has all the attributes of an architect and economist rolled into one – a rare combination. The links to Mars show huge enthusiasm and interest in how things work, the mechanics of a project and the link to Uranus is a very free and yet technical link. In education Arsene did well, went to university and studied economics and electrical engineering. The way his teams play embody the mechanics of the mind of the man, a form of total football, players interchanging positions with ease. Technique to Arsene is everything. He has very much been behind the analysis of football by using computers and statistical data - Uranus makes a square also to detail influenced Mercury and the Midheaven. The one other thing that Arsene’s teams are noted for is the beauty of the football played. Beauty is associated with Venus and through them the signs of Libra and Taurus. We already know of the Libran link. The Sun is in Libra as well as Neptune and Mercury in the 10th. Here, one’s dreams need to be translated into reality. Arsene will also be a superb public speaker being able to coherently explain that vision to those under his wing.
Neptune is also associated with grace and artistry and makes a sextile to Venus – Arsene has a fine appreciation of all type of creativity, and his own creative talents come out through his work. The Mercury link gives him tact, considerable charm and mediating skills, being very adept in dealing with people in a kind and considerate way . Venus sits on Arsene’s ascendant just into the first house. His appearance will always be neat smart and tidy and he will dislike conflict and disagreement. How on earth did this charming, considerate, rather gentle man get into the rough and tumble of professional football? We have to look to Taurus for that. Where do we find it? On the cusp of the fifth house of sports and games. Taurus does have a reputation for encouraging a love of team games and here is the sign of the builder ruling the 5th. It stand to reason that Arsene would never have been happy in just playing football, he would want to make and run his own team. Taurus rules possessions. With Taurus also extending over to rule the 6th house too, the exercise, diet and nutrition of his team would also give him great interest. Remember the Virgo Midheaven. This is Virgo’s house and no detail whatsoever will go unnoticed in Arsene’s working life. He single-handedly revolutionized sports nutrition and fitness science in English football, turning a well run but rather dour team into one that everyone wanted to watch.
The fact that Arsene has survived so long in such a cut-throat business in a foreign country is down to great determination and resourcefulness. This he has in abundance with a Mars and Pluto conjunction in Leo in the 8th house. This is a determination to keep on going, I think he will work on until he drops. The love of being in the spotlight (Leo) is very addictive. By the way, below the gentle peace loving exterior lies a volcanic temper. Woe betide anyone who upsets him, although with Venus being so prominent in this chart, it will take a lot to for him to lose his cool. Mars and Pluto in the 8th are associated with investment and big business and whatever your standpoint on international football, they are now all inevitably linked. Arsene is well placed in this regard to make the right purchases to keep the club solvent and successful.
Saturn always shows ambition and fear. In the international 9th house in Virgo, Arsene was always destined to work and have his greatest impact (Saturn) abroad (9th) – this is backed up with the open minded Sagittarian ascendant which would always push him to broaden his horizons. Saturn in Virgo square to Venus conjunct the ascendant, is hugely self-critical. You will not see it with the privately emotional Scorpio Moon, but Arsene will beat himself up inside constantly. He will worry, fret, tear himself to pieces if his ambitions are not fulfilled. If his team loses, he will be inconsolable. With the square to Venus ruling the 6th through Taurus, any setback will tend to affect his health too, as well as his relationships. Arsene will be a stickler for precision, for order and correctness, although he will tend to over analyse a situation when a more instinctive or emotional decision may be called for. As well, he will be one who will cling to his beliefs no matter wether other people are giving good and maybe more correct advise. This is certainly an achilles heel in his make up, his stubborn “I know best” attitude can get in the way of progress.
The transits that Arsene are facing are strikingly similar to the ones that Benjamin Netanyahu are facing, namely transiting Saturn conjunct natal Neptune and Mercury which is generally depressing in nature and shows weakness and confused and lacking in ideas in what to do with the resulting criticism that he is facing. With a Virgo Midheaven, this criticism will hurt, no matter Arsene’s stubborn attitude. Transiting Pluto is opposite natal Uranus. Now Uranus through Aquarius is associated with money as Aquarius is intercepted in the 2nd house. Even if the mantra coming out of Arsenal is that they have money in the bank, that money is being strictly controlled (Pluto) and that control of others (Uranus in 7th) leaves Arsene helpless (Scorpio ruled by Pluto on the cusp of the 12th) in not being able to invest (natal Pluto in 8th) in the team (Scorpio on cusp of 11th), i.e. Arsene is being held under a strict budget, he has to sell to reinvest.
Transiting Neptune is also having an effect being trine to his Sun, quindecile to Saturn and opposite to Mars. It suggest to me false optimism & a veil of deception over what is actually going on behind the scenes. Further along the line, transiting Saturn will hit Arsene’s South Node in September. This never a good transit and suggests a separation of some sort in his work (10th house). Will Arsene finally announce that he is going to call it a day and move upstairs into a more senior role at the club by the end of the season? I only suggest this as a possibility as Saturn will then move on to conjunct natal Saturn in December/January 2012, revisit that position in retrograde in March 2012 and finally finish the transit by September 2012. Saturn here suggest a separation from team (11th house) affairs, yet also shows a maturing of the Sun and of his position – maybe a promotion into the boardroom, also suggested by the 11th house transit. One other thing to consider. When Arsene was made Arsenal manager on 30th Sept 1996, transiting Saturn was conjunct Arsene’s North Node. A half cycle of Saturn will be completed this Autumn as it soon hits the South Node for a final time, an appropriate time to move on for a new role in Arsene’s life?
Looking around him at the vast sums of money now being spent by other teams and seeing his beloved club falling behind simply through a lack of economic clout, Arsenal may consider that having his considerable talents more involved at board level in guiding the direction of the club, and getting a fresh face to give the team more impetuous, may be the best route for Arsenal to go.