Olof Palme

The late Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme, who was brutally killed on a cold winter night in 1986, was born on January 30, 1927 in Stockholm. His father was the president of an insurance company, his mother was named Elisabeth von Knieriem. After his examination at the Sigtuna humanist grammar school the young Olof continued with academic studies in the U.S., where he came to travel around a lot during his student years. Back in Sweden, he studied law and received his law degree from the University of Stockholm in 1951. Early on, he took a stand for social democracy, although having himself grown up in an upper-class and conservative environment.

Olof Palme held a number of leading positions - including as First Secretary at the Defence Staff and as Secretary and later Bureau Chief in the Prime Minister's Office - before he eventually became a Member of Parliament and a Cabinet Minister in the Swedish Social Democratic government.

In October 1969 he became the leader of the Social Democratic party and Prime Minister. His uncompromising standpoint against the U.S. war in Vietnam and for the freedom aspirations of the so-called Third World countries made him internationally known and controversial. In domestic politics the Palme government implemented several significant reforms.

In 1976 the Social Democrats lost the election and the right wing parties took over the government. Four years later Olof Palme was appointed UN mediator in the war between Iraq and Iran (the Palme Commission). Then in 1982, after the Social Democratic election victory, Palme was again the Prime Minister of Sweden. Now he came into a sharp conflict with the industrial leaders, especially when the government decided in 1983 to introduce the so-called “employee funds”, which the industrial representatives looked upon as a way to socialize companies. He also came into conflict with senior representatives of the armed forces, who considered him far too submissive before the Soviet Union in connection with the repeated submarine incidents in Swedish waters. Senior military officers declared that they had no confidence in Palme as a person.

By taking a stand for Fidel Castro in Cuba, for Chile's socialist President Salvador Allende and against the United States, Palme stirred up strong feelings about his person. Either he was loved or hated. "Palme hatred" became a household word. It all culminated with the gun shots on the street in Stockholm on February 28, 1986. Who fired the gun and who were behind and why has never been revealed.

Olof Palme's birth chart looks like this:

Olof Palme, 30 January 1927, 05:15, Stockholm, Sweden

(Source: Astro DataBank)

The most prominent and emphasized signs are Aquarius (with the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Second House) and Sagittarius (with the Moon, Ascendant, Saturn, and the Twelfth House). We have the progressive humanitarian, outgoing and rebellious (Aquarius), inspiring, open-minded, enthusiastic, determined, adventurous, sometimes tactless (Sagittarius). The Fire element dominates, followed by Air and Water - the enthusiast and the emotional thinker. The Earth element is weaker represented but on the other hand the fixed signs dominate - there is a stubbornness.

Most planets are in the first quadrant, in the First and Second Houses. We are dealing with an independent person, who knows how to map out his path, and we can also sense a certain self-centeredness. Most of the planets are also in the northern hemisphere, below the horizon, which indicates that it is his own identity and his own resources that form the basis for his appearance in the world. The Balsamic Moon phase is less than 45 degrees behind the Sun, demonstrating a group conscious person for whom the group's needs and goals are a primary consideration, and who is easily involved in various issues of concern.

The Ascendant in Sagittarius shows the idealist and enthusiast. Olof Palme was lively and outspoken as a politician and had quite a fiery temper. He was perceived as honest and blunt, full of energy and enthusiasm and the ability to inspire - all characteristics of Sagittarius. The Moon is also in this freedom-loving sign in the First House which of course reinforces all of this and shows that he had an emotional need to be independent and that it was important for him to express himself.

The Moon forms a square to revolutionary Uranus in Pisces near the Third House cusp and is at the same time included in a large Fire Trine with Neptune in Leo in the Eighth House and Chiron in Aries in the Third House near the IC. We sense something of Palme's sensitivity and commitment to vulnerable groups, but it also shows that he might have had a tendency to idealize (Neptune in Leo). The Grand Trine grows into a Kite together with Venus in Aquarius in conjunction with Jupiter in Pisces in the Second House of values. Here emerges the image of Palme as a person, his spontaneity and unconventional style. He liked the company of original and slightly different people, perhaps because it also gave him the freedom to express his own individuality.

Venus' sextile with the Moon demonstrates his charming and social side. The conjunction with Jupiter reflects his often cheerful disposition, his generosity and popularity, as well as a tendency to go to extremes. Venus' opposition to Neptune may indicate a tendency to fall into romantic illusions and idealizations, but because the opposition is part of the larger Kite pattern it might still primarily show Olof Palme's compassion and strong political and social engagement. Venus also rules the Fourth and Fifth Houses in Taurus and the Ninth House in Libra - Palme was attracted to egalitarianism.

Sun and Mercury in the freedom-loving and socially engaged Aquarius form a sort of "unaspected island" in the Second House of values. Also Mars in Taurus on the Fifth House cusp is almost unaspected. It is as if these energies are living their own somewhat “wild” life in Olof Palme's person. He was characterized undoubtedly by his unconventional, original and kind of rebellious style.

The retrograde Midheaven ruler Pluto is totally unaspected in the Moon-sign Cancer in the Seventh House. It shows his great influence on the environment, an influence that maybe he was not always himself fully aware of. There is a tremendous intensity also expressed by the Midheaven in Pluto-ruled Scorpio. Pluto shares the Seventh House with the North Lunar node - a challenge to grow and mature in close interaction with others. The Seventh House is also of open enemies, which Olof Palme easily attracted through his often uncompromising stance and his pungent statements.

Saturn in Sagittarius on the Twelfth House cusp forms stressful aspects to Jupiter and the North Lunar node. This indicates a strong internal discipline and self control, as well as high standards for himself and also maybe uncertainty about his own ability. Probably he was driven to overcompensate this by constantly striving hard to achieve ambitious goals. Saturn-disposed Pars Fortunae in Capricorn in the First House suggests that Olof Palme's greatest joy and fulfillment was to build a stable sense of self-worth and a right relationship with himself and others.

At the time of the murder, transiting Mars - the deadly shot – was in Sagittarius exactly on Olof Palme's Ascendant – on his person and his body.