The Guardian has picked up on the Times’ front page suggesting Cameron is facing problems from female colleagues over his all-male economy team and reaction to equality issues in general. Although prominent candidates like Louise Bagshawe somewhat redress the balance for the Tories, there is still a large difference between the promotion of women within the Conservative Party and within Labour. It shouldn’t really matter if the Tories were really cruising towards victory, and although no doubt it will be met by much of the blogosphere with cat-calls of “is that the best you can do, Draper?” here in the real world it looks as if something approaching an Achilles Heel has been found.
Again, analysis here suggests this could be a running story, so without further ado...
Situation.
The Moon. A choice needs to be made that could determine your happiness for a long time ahead. You need to be guided by intuition and feelings when making this choice, but at the same time there is a real danger of delusion, of being misled by wishful thinking, or by someone whose judgement you trust. Times like these are true tests of character and your grasp on reality.
This is perhaps a test of Cameron’s suitability to lead in the long term as well as the short term. A government nowadays must govern for all, and Labour learned this a long time ago even when they were largely dominated by the male-orientated politics of the labour movement. This issue may not be a life-or-death, make-or-break dilemma for the Tories so much as it is a test of whether the party has matured sufficiently to form a government in times that are radically different to when it last returned to office – under, of course, a woman leader.
Public motivations.
III Cups. A fresh start leading to success is offered. Problems that have been troubling you for a while will finally be resolved, leading to a renewed sense of purpose and direction. This card can signal the birth of a child, new love, friendship, or even career, whichever it is will lead to joy and a feeling of abundance.
The party is being guided and advised with this – the newspapers, on the face of it, wish it to succeed in the new arena and are pointing out where the party still has a lot of work to do on its image and personnel. There is a superficial goodwill, though the actual motivation of both the Times and the Guardian may be laid bare by other cards. Supportive guidance, if not taken, however, may turn into impatience and frustration in time.
Public opinions.
V Wands. Gold, opulence and splendour come your way, but a rival is threatening your position. Resist the urge to score points and your enemy will end up exposing their own pettiness. Competitiveness is healthy up to a point but can become destructive if taken to extremes. Double-check everything you do, and the situation will resolve itself.
There is a resolve here to examine the Conservative alternative more forcefully and rigorously than previously – there is no easy ride even at this point where their poll ratings have immensely improved since the winter. Time is moving on too fast towards important elections for the party to slip past the finish post unexamined. They have pinned a lot of hope on appearing to have modernised the party but now the press are getting round to looking at a Conservative future – and finding that there are genuine problems still with Cameron’s “project”.
Underlying opinions.
The Chariot. Triumph through the careful balancing of opposites and courage in the face of danger are shown by this card. Turmoil, upheaval and excitement on a journey that can be metaphorical or real, but either way leave you feeling that you have arrived in a different place. Hard work at this stage is recognised and rewarded for a change, but be careful not to relax too soon.
My internal suspicions with this card is that the Tories are going fast towards a potential victory but that there are things being left undone and unsaid that need at some point to be broached by those interested in a victory. Dismissing this as just another Labour prong of attack will mean that the underlying problems are not addressed as soon as possible. It is because Cameron is taking short-cuts in his party’s development to get to the finish as quickly as possible that the media need to make sure they have backed the right horse as far as modern issues are concerned, and this may be a sign of frustration as much as a sign that the Tories are being taken seriously as a party of government. It is something that needs addressing – the Tories are going too fast and need to sort out any last minute wrinkles in their plans as soon as possible.
Underlying motivations.
Ace of Cups. The Ace of Cups represents the beginning of a period of joy, abundance, friendship, fertility, love and just about every other good thing you can think of on the emotional plane. It stands for the promise of being able to act out your dreams in a period of happy creativity while enjoying yourself along the way and being appreciated by those around you. Nonetheless, it will call upon all your finest qualities.
The Tories are being taken seriously – so there is every reason here to respond to the challenge with solutions that don’t just dismiss the reports as spin against them from the worst depths of the Labour propaganda machine. If it is taken seriously, it represents a way that the Tories can excel themselves. If taken as a threat or insult, however, it may not have the desired effect and end in denial and thus a bad ending for Cameron’s project and leadership.
Roots of the issue.
Queen of Wands. The Queen of Wands is a mature, practical person with a great down-to-earth wisdom. Charming, sympathetic, and graceful, she is less outgoing than her bold King but has very strong character and self-possession. She gets things done by talking to individuals rather than groups, and thus getting below the surface of events. Often she is the real leader of a group without it being noticed.
The issue here is of women, hence the Queen figure, and of manipulation of some sort behind the scenes leading to uncomfortable but perhaps necessary headlines. The manipulation is necessary – and a professional party would take it as a helpful intervention – but there is something within the Conservative establishment at the moment which is fixated on a short-term game rather than looking to solidify and substantiate gains, and the element of manipulation may here be taken as hostile criticism from a malevolent source rather than the spirit of free inquiry the media exists to provide. The Conservatives may feel the Queen is meddling in their affairs for an underhand purpose as they may feel it is their birthright to be feted by the press irrespective of pressing issues or flaws in their programme rather than the double-edged sword cutting both ways.
Seeds sown by the issue.
II Wands. A possible partnership offers a way of furthering your ambitions. Unnecessary self-doubt is blocking your way, however, so you need to be decisive and trust in your instincts. Or, if this is not possible, ally yourself to someone who has that confidence. The prospects are good – just have faith.
This does look like a genuine attempt to assist the Tories make good a deficit that they need to respond to to improve their standing with the public. At the last election, they had more ethnic minority candidates than the other main parties. Now they need to sort out the deficit in female representation and women’s issues. There is still an unwillingness to understand the criticisms as constructive rather than media manipulation; the complacency exhibited elsewhere suggests that the party may not see this as helpful even though it is given in good will. Much will depend on how the party rises to the challenge to attract female representatives and on what battlegrounds the election is really fought.
Cameron’s reaction.
Strength. This card signifies success through meeting problems head-on and overcoming them by strength of will. Perseverance, courage and determination combined with intelligence and modesty make an irresistible combination not only for teaching adversity but for encouraging others to come to your assistance. The strength of this card inspires others because its triumph benefits all.
Another reading of Strength is keeping problems at arm’s length, but Cameron on the face of it should not have any problems taking advice because his background suggests that he is receptive to criticisms of this sort. However, he will have to show that addressing the problem is important to him, otherwise any triumph will be shaky and built not on a rocky foundation but on the shifting sands of political fate which have been volatile in the past and could be so again if they are allowed to change too much again before the election.
Cameron’s actions.
Queen of Pentacles. The Queen of Pentacles is regal, generous and diplomatic, ruling her suit in close partnership with her King and in much the same manner, although with perhaps a touch more warmth and understanding of human frailty. She has a good grasp of finances as well as being a generous and welcoming hostess. The card represents either someone you should turn to, or qualities you need to cultivate.
The actions here may address the immediate issue but leave some other things unanswered. Cameron needs to take this advice on board, as he needs to take other advice from people with his best interests at heart. However, why is this advice offered now when candidates are filling up available slots? Should he not be pre-empting these issues and not leaving them to fester? He has had plenty of advice, plenty of people on his side, yet he often does not see the reason why the advice is given – if it has to be given now, what happened to the time when it would have been easier to come up with a balanced plan? Why has it been left until now to solve them reactively when he could have been a pro-active King? This card answers some immediate questions, but leaves the major, long-term issues unaddressed.
Direction of trend.
Seven of Pentacles. The Seven foretells a truly rewarding time. The possibilities before you are quite awesome, but do think in the long-term. Decide who you are and what you would like to remembered for by your family and friends. The choices you face really are that important. Destiny is at work.
So is anything being done to ensure Cameron has or leaves a lasting legacy, or is everything being jury-rigged to try and get an outright win without building foundations for a lasting government? Will we have to wait a lot longer for this to happen or will there come a point where the Seven turns into the constructive Eight and fulfilled Ten?
Solution.
X Swords. Traditionally this is the unluckiest card in the tarot pack, being the ruling number of the unluckiest suit. As such it signals calamity on almost any front – health, finances or romance – but it can also mean the ending of pointless commitments and the beginning of a fresh and wonderful stage of your life.
This is another example of the hand of fate at work. Cameron seems to be blocked by this wherever and whatever the situation at hand. It comes even after a succession of good cards and optimistic opinions for Cameron, and may be the shoots of seeds sown years back. If he can overcome this card he will go on to better things. However, that seems now to be a big if.
Outcome.
King of Swords. In astrology the character of Saturn in his benign aspect closely resembles that of the King of Swords. He represents power, authority and the law, splitting complex arguments with the edge of his sword. His judgements can at times seem lacking in tolerance of human frailty, but are never unfair. The card usually represents an authority figure that the querent can look to for justice.
The person to whom the responsibility falls is a figure not known for warmth or “modernity” but is needed and expected to take the issue by the horns and enforce some sort of rigour in the hazy light of the party and its prospects. This strike needs to be made by someone who can enforce order and expose problems within the programme for government, as well as take a lot of the advice given by this and other issues on board and use it to return the party to government in the middle of difficulties for the current government and the country looking for change. If this cannot be done by current leaders, then another must be found to improve the party’s long-term prospects as well as continue the current game of political poker. It needs Zeus with his thunderbolts to restore order to the party, but Vulpes Vulpes has never taken this particular role seriously and may pay the price as a result.
