I love the Tour de France. Three weeks of hell on a bicycle as around 200 supreme athletes race up impossibly steep roads, bash their bodies over cobbles and complete a lung busting circle around France of around 3000 km. These guys are brave, risking their lives as they hurtle down mountains, and totally mad for putting themselves through the pain barrier, all to achieve eventual glory on the grand boulevards of Paris. At the moment, the leader of the race and likely winner is an Englishman, Bradley Wiggins. For a Frenchman, the idea of an “Anglais” in the yellow jersey and winning their race for the first time must be a galling experience (sorry for the pun), however Bradley has, after a lot of scepticism, started to win over the doubters.
Bradley was born on 28th April 1980 in the cycling hotbed of Ghent in Belgium, however he moved with his mother back to the UK when only 2 years old after the split of his parents. Immediately if you look at the chart you can see why. His Sun sits peregrine alone in Taurus unconnected by any major aspect to any other planet. Whenever the Sun is disconnected from the rest of the chart, one knows that the mother and father split. There is further evidence here. The Sun is quindecile to independent Uranus, his father would have needed his own space and may have been a bit of a rebel and Saturn in retrograde, showing a lack of love from his father missing from his upbringing.
Bradley has taken this independent spirit with him through life from his father, he has his own style, his sideburns and though he dutifully does the requisite interviews as part of the race, one can see he doesn’t thoroughly enjoy his space being invaded by reporters. He is a Taurus and it does not surprise me that he is making his mark as he gets into his 30’s. Taureans take their time, won’t be hurried, but when they do achieve success, it is no flash in the pan and they can hold onto the top position for a long time. The last 18 months he has been peerless on a bicycle, and slowly but surely he is reaching his peak.
His Moon sits in Libra conjunct to Pluto, so there is an intense store of emotion within him as well as in intense hatred of anything which is not harmonious and in balance. This guy is a real idealist and he does suffer with huge worries and indecision, Moons in Libra just cannot make up their minds and emotionally it will tear them to pieces, but he can hide it behind that Pluto, at least until the emotions get to boiling point, and then the emotion will explode out like the proverbial volcano.
This is a fascinating chart. We have a mystic rectangle here connecting Moon Pluto in Libra, Venus in the sign of Gemini, Neptune in Sagittarius and Mercury in Aries. There is no aggression here except when Bradley speaks out, and he will speak his mind clearly and concisely. This is a peaceful man, a gentle yet passionate guy and a true winner. Why? That Mercury in Aries is the key. Mercury rules the 3rd house and transport in general, including bicycles. That Mercury is in the sporting sign of Aries and it picks up aspects from pretty much every planet going on this chart. It is also the point of a Yod connecting Uranus and Saturn (he has a dry and quirky sense of humour) and is part of a Mars/Jupiter North Node and Neptune grand fire trine. That Mars Jupiter and North Node sits on the fixed star Regulus, the sign of the king. He has luck on his side, is courageous and in battle he will be successful so long as he does not seek revenge for people who do him wrong. All that energy passes through that Mercury, his bike riding ability.
Uranus is trine to Jupiter and Mars so Bradley is severely impulsive, brave and can take too many risks. The saving grace of this aspect is that Jupiter is just into Virgo rather in Leo like Mars. this allows him to think strategically, to plan out the tiniest details so that success can be gained. This Jupiter in Virgo is modest in one’s achievements, and is happy for the overall success of any venture rather than for personal gain. He is a proper team man, and has a Musketeer spirit, of “all for one and one for all”.
Saturn in Virgo shows he has great attention to detail and is severely self-critical and he will suffer in relationships of all forms being square to Venus and Neptune. Maybe he can be too over-idealistic, too harsh on himself and this may take it’s toll, but victory in “Le Tour” will make up for a lot of heartbreak (Venus) and years of sacrifice (Neptune).
I look forward to history being made on the Champs Elysees on the afternoon of Sunday 22nd July 2012. I hope the French public will acclaim Bradley as the champion cyclist of the year, and give him the true adulation he so richly deserves.
