“I am not a bully” — Chris Christie

Governor Christie finds himself in the midst of a scandal this week as a core group of his aides and appointees have been exposed for plotting to snarl traffic at the Washington Bridge as political payback to a Democratic mayor who did not support Christie’s re-election campaign.

Christie abrasive style has long earned him a reputation as a bully. Among the numerous examples cited in the press, a typical one is that of Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle who questioned Christie’s use of a state helicopter to fly to his son’s baseball game (thus avoiding the snarled traffic in New Jersey sometimes orchestrated by his political appointees) and then to a political dinner.  Christie snorted in response to the assemblywoman’s inquiry: “I mean she should really be embarrassed at what a jerk she is for saying something like that.”  How dare she question his use of expensive state resources for purely personal gain!

Unfortunately, Christie’s time of birth is unknown.  Here is his sunrise chart for his birthplace with Placidus houses:

Gov. Chris Christie, sunrise chart, time unknown.  Mars square Mercury is one of his most prominent features.  Since the time of birth is unknown, his Moon is somewhere in the first 13 degrees of Sagittarius.

Interestingly, Mercury rules both the ASC and MC of the sunrise chart.  Mercury, a planet of transport and communication style, very closely squares aggressive Mars in the sunrise 10th house.  Mars in Cancer is in a fallen state.  Mars also happens to rule the 3rd house of communication of the sunrise chart.  Christie’s aggressive speaking style has become one of his most public features.  With Sun conjunct Pluto, he is at home with the use of power.

Christie’s closest aspects are Mercury semi-sextile Pluto and Mercury square Mars.  No wonder he is known for his aggressive verbal style.  Cafe Astrology delineates Mars square Mercury (his closest major aspect) as follows:

“You can be quick on the trigger when it comes to verbal reactions to others, and you are not always courteous or tactful when it comes to expressing your opinions. You often take things quite personally, and your defensiveness can make it hard for others to have peaceful or productive conversations with you at times. You might often compete for the floor when it comes to expressing your ideas, thoughts, and opinions. You might often find yourself stirring up controversy with what you say, or how you say it.“

Natal Jupiter opposite the Sun/Pluto conjunction and square the Moon (a T-square configuration) probably inflates his Sun/Pluto tendency to be domineering and his strong emotional reactions (Pluto square Moon).

The solar return of Christie’s sunrise chart cast for his birthplace suggests a stressful year for him politically:

2013-2014 Solar Return of Christie’s sunrise chart

SR Neptune on the cusp of the return 3rd of communication squares natal Moon in the 3rd house, suggesting a scandal that makes the news.  Retrograde Pluto rising in the 1st of the SR chart is a sign of significant complications during the year.  Mars, which rules the SR 12th of undoing and scandal, lies in the 8th and squares Saturn at the cusp of the 11th of his hopes and wishes — a stressful configuration.  SR Uranus (sudden disruption) conjoins the IC (family, home base) and opposes the MC (career).  Venus in Libra in the 10th and ruling the 10th is a protective factor, which indicates that he will survive the scandal and may even benefit from it.  Perhaps some of his supporters will admire the way he socks it to his political opponents.