The Reluctant Astrologer » Politics

Barack Obama is 50!

Dayel — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:46:25 +0000

Barack Obama’s Solar Return is ruled by a twelfth house Neptune directly opposite Mercury (retrograde!), the planet of communcation.

Neptune is that lovely influence that offers spirituality, creativity, idealism…on one level. On a day-to-day, wordly level, Neptune is illusion and confusion. Buried in the 12th house, it is even more elusive.

This is not the Solar Return that I expected to see for the year of what is sure to be a vicious presidential campaign year. Obama will have a difficult time communicating and being understood about practical matters although he may reach new highs in speeches that inspire. Fortunately, the Neptune effects are strongest for the next 5 weeks – which coincides nicely with the holiday period. It is perfect time for lying on the beach and communing with the sea!

Aspects:

Pluto is still in Capricorn, still presenting challenges for all governments. Right now, Pluto is square Uranus and opposite Mars indicating a period of increased stress. The year will be full of dramatic surprises.

Most of the other aspects in the Solar Return show pleasant aspects. Again, not what I was expecting considering the year that Obama is facing.

Al and Tipper Gore – Going their separate ways after forty years

Dayel — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:26:40 +0000

How does a couple that has been married for over forty years decide to divorce?

THE BIRTH CHARTS

Both of the Gores are currently experiencing dramatic transits that affect their relationship:

Al Gore has Pluto conjunct his Moon, an influence that occurs once in 248 years. This is a powerful period of emotional rebirth and, since the Moon represents all we are at a core level, many things in Al Gore’s life will change, particularly his relationship with women, his home, and what he needs for emotional comfort.
Tipper Gore’s Seventh or relationship house is ruled by Saturn. This means that there were karmic conditions connected to her choice of marriage partner. Neptune is now opposite Saturn in her chart, a once-in-84-year influence that ‘dissolves’ these conditions. This is ultimately freeing but can be very disorienting as Saturn feels like our realty .

THE RELATIONSHIP

The relationship chart is the chart created for the mid-point in time and space between the two natal charts and can be used for timing events, just as each individual chart can be used.

Before going retrograde, Pluto had moved to oppose Mercury in the relationship. In this case, Mercury not only represents communication, but both rules and occupies the Seventh or relationship house.
The Solar Return for the relationship has Pluto on the Nadir, squaring the ascendant/descendant and opposing the mid-heaven, indicating a transformation of literally everything in the relationship.
Just in case there is any doubt, Uranus, the planet that also represents dramatic transformation is on the descendant of the Solar return, square the mid-heaven/nadir and opposite the ascendant, again changing literally everything in the relationship.
A point of interest that perhaps only astrologers will find fascinating is that the ascendant, descendant, mid-heaven and nadir are all ’0′ degrees of a cardinal sign. It truly is time for new beginnings!

The relationship that the Gore’s have experienced to this point is over. It needs to re-form, encapsulating all of the new energies in each of them and in the relationship itself.

Stephen Harper vs. the People of Canada

Dayel — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:47:44 +0000

On December 30th, Stephen Harper unexpectedly prorogued Parliament, killing all pending legislation and closing the hearing into reports that some of the Afghan detainees that had passed through Canadian hands had been tortured.

The Conservatives assert that this is to allow them time to ‘recalibrate’ their economic action plan.

Ralph Goodale, the Liberal House Leader said “Three times in three years and twice within one year, the prime minister takes this extraordinary step to muzzle Parliament. This time it’s a cover-up of what the Conservatives knew, and when they knew it, about torture in Afghanistan. So their solution is not to answer the questions but, rather, to padlock Parliament and shut down democracy.”

Harper maintains that the people of Canada are only worried about the economy and not bothered by the Afghanistan torture issues or that Parliament will not sit for over 3 months. He may have miscalculated. Over 180,000 have signed on to the Facebook site Canadians Against Prorogation, rallies are being planned and over 170 university professors have written a letter of protest . Even some Conservatives are starting to complain.

Stephen Harper

Canada’s rising sign or personality is Libra and Harper’s Sun sign is Taurus. Both Libra and Taurus are ruled by Venus and Canada’s Venus and Harper’s Venus are virtually the same (16 & 18 degrees Gemini). This is one of those connections that are very important when someone is running for office. Another is that Harper’s Mars is virtually the same as Canada’s Sun (11 & 9 degrees Cancer). The clincher is Harper’s Saturn opposite Canada’s Moon, i.e the people. The connection is cold and distrustful, on both sides, but very strong.

Current Influences

The current face-off between Harper and the people of Canada will not fade away as did the grumbling at past problems. This is a power struggle and an important period of testing. It is part of a several year period which will be as dramatic and confrontational as any Canada has experienced.

The current Pluto opposite the Moon indicates that the people of Canada are being challenged by powerful forces and they will find they have to become stronger than they ever thought that they wanted to be. The Pluto energy will be used by them or against them.

At the same time, Pluto is conjunct Harper’s Pluto, a once-in-250-year period when his reality, the structures in his life, and those things he thought would never change are transformed. It is a powerful and brutally honest time for him.

Canada (with current Solar Return)

USA and the Saturn/Uranus Opposition

Dayel — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:28:06 +0000

On September 15, there will be an exact opposition of Saturn and Uranus. Saturn is in Virgo and Uranus is in Pisces and the two planets have been roughly opposite for about a year . They were exactly opposite on November 4, 2008 (election day in the US) and February 5, 2009.

A Saturn – Uranus opposition is the old versus the new. Forward motion is hampered by structures and conditions built up in the past. Individuals who find change difficult or frightening are stressed and put up road-blocks.

With a slow moving planet like Saturn has been this year — or that Uranus always is — the effect of a transit can last for months. It takes the addition of one of the fast moving planets to trigger off a manifestation of the energies. The degree-per-day Sun will be at 22 Virgo on the 15th and play the role of an instigator.

This Saturn/Uranus energy will be felt by everyone as stress but, for any transit to affect an individual or a nation as a physical event, it must connect with a point in the birth chart.

The USA:

The United States has Mars at 21 Gemini square to Neptune at 22 Virgo. Saturn is moving forward at 24 Virgo and theoretically past connecting with those two planets but Uranus, at 24 Pisces, is retrograde or moving backward so it is opposite Neptune. Once one planet in a configuration is aspected, any other planets in the configuration are also affected.

On September 15 — and a day or two before — the Saturn-Uranus opposition will affect the USA. There will be the clash of the new vs. old forces, exacerbated with the addition of the Mars/Neptune square which produces (among other things) the ugly anger that rises in a form that is difficult to confront with logic or debate.

An important transit always shows up in more than one way. In the 2009 US Solar Return, the Solar Point is now in the 3rd house which is ruled by Mercury opposite Pluto — power struggles over ideas — and, on September 15, the Solar Point will be at 2 Cancer, right on Mercury.

The Ninth and Third houses are involved by both transit and Solar Return. The Ninth House represents legal matters, religion, foreign countries and long-distance travel and the Third house represents communication, short trips and neighbours.

The Death of Edward Kennedy

Dayel — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:22:58 +0000

(CNN) — Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the patriarch of the first family of Democratic politics, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77…”He was “not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy,” President Obama said, speaking to reporters during his vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Death does not usually show up in an astrology chart as one of the oppressive or threatening transits like a Saturn or Pluto square. Usually, it is Uranus or Jupiter involved – influences of transformation or growth.

Edward Kennedy’s ascendant is Capricorn. Saturn ruled his ascendant and was also located in the First house so it really represented him and the image he portrayed, particularly in that a Capricorn influence of any kind (i.e. Sun, Moon, Ascendant…etc.) presents difficult lessons and limitations in the first half of life but usually matures very well.

Kennedy’s Saturn progressed (Solar Arc) through the 77 years of his life until it reached Uranus, the planet of dramatic transformation at 16 Aries.

Edward Kennedy Natal and Solar Arc Progression Charts

Sarah Palin Announces She is Quitting

Dayel — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:05:18 +0000

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she will step down as Alaska’s chief executive by the end of the month. She will not seek election to a second gubernatorial term in 2010… (CNN news story)

The question is Why?

Sarah Palin has two major (i.e. life-altering transits) at this time:

Pluto Square Venus – death and transformation process that may involve important relationships and/or what you value.
- A good relationship will not necessarily end but it will have to be transformed at a very deep level.
- Events that affect material possessions will illustrate what is truly important and what must be eliminated.
Neptune Conjunct Saturn/Mars/Sun: the coming together of the fantasy, illusion or inspiration with down-to-earth reality. A dream may find physical form or the illusion may be tested and found lacking in substance.

Both Pluto and Neptune transits may be called ‘karmic’ –as they are often part of a process that began before birth.

Both Pluto and Neptune transits require ‘transcendence’ — the ability to rise above oneself and approach life in a different way.

Sarah Palin

Michelle Obama – most requested chart

Dayel — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:30:36 +0000

(Reprise – first published July, 2008)

By the numbers:

Michelle is an 11/2 destiny. Eleven is a ‘master number’ that always holds its own value as well as the value of the two.

The 11 is charismatic, inspired, spiritual, excited and can sometimes be impractical unless, like Michelle, the 11 is combined with other strong numbers. The 2, the day-to-day expression of the 11/2, is diplomatic and sensitive and represents the qualities of a good partner or manager, the ability to stand back and let others lead the way.

Michelle’s personality is 8. She is strong with natural executive abilities. She needs to be in control.

Michelle is not missing any numbers. This doesn’t mean that she does not have things to learn in this life but that lessons are not concentrated in one or more particular areas.

By the planets:

We don’t have a birth time for Michelle so we construct a chart called a Solar Chart. This chart puts the Sun where the ascendant would be in a Natal chart and the houses start with the birth sign. This chart is a valid chart and is actually better for seeing actual physical events while the Natal chart is better for interpreting the effect or purpose of the events. The weakness of the Solar Chart is that there is no Ascendant and we can’t know the placement of the Moon as it moves a degree every two hours.

Michelle’s Sun is Capricorn: old when you are young, young when you are old. Capricorn children usually get the message that they have to *do something* so they usually grow up determined to succeed. (Note: The full moon last night fell on Michelle’s sun, i.e. put her in the spotlight so that is perhaps why I am doing this now, using prep work that I set aside months ago.)

The Moon/Venus/Mars planets in Michelle’s chart show that she is creative and wants to be inspired by anything she does and is attracted to partners who are idealistic, charismatic and unique. She doesn’t have strong aspects between these planets and her very practical Capricorn and Virgo planets so it is hard for her to integrate all of herself into her day-to-day life at any one time.

The Synastry with Barack

Barack is missing a 7 and would look to a partner who represents that number. Michelle has a 7 but only as the energy that she expresses, i.e. she *looks* like a 7.

Barack’s Ascendant is 17 Scorpio and Michelle’s Neptune is 17 Scorpio. Ebertin calls this combination ‘mutual delusion, mutual make-believe, deception and deceit’ so there are, at the least, some illusions about their relationship.

There is a trine between their Venuses which is nice as Venus is the planet that most represents the love nature. There is also a compatibility in that neither chart expresses a lot of emotion but their Moons are square to each other so, on a day-to-day basis, they would get on each other’s nerves.

Barack’s Saturn is one degree from Michelle’s Sun, a classic hook There is always an important Saturn connection between people who marry as it indicates they have lessons to learn from each other.

The Day of Reckoning for Blagojevich

Dayel — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:01:13 +0000

Blagojevich is currently addressing his impeachment trial. He will speak for up to 90 minutes and the prosecution will have 30 minutes for rebuttal. At approximately 2 p.m. (CST), the Senate is expected to begin deliberations on whether to remove Blagojevich from office. If the governor is removed, which is likely, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will take over.

Rod Blagojevich

Blagojevich has a chart with very few challenging aspects and the ones he has are ones that make him over-confident, over-expansive and overly talkative.

If events transpire as predicted today, the Moon will be at approximately 20 Pisces when the impreachment takes place, pointing directly at the Uranus (20 Pisces) / Saturn (21 Virgo) opposition that is currently affecting Blagojevich’s chart, squaring his Sun from two sides. A Saturn transit is usually experienced as restrictive and/or depressing and an Uranus transit is experienced as exciting, dramatic and life changing. With both aspecting Blagojevich’s Sun, he is undoubtedly swinging from wild optimism to hopelessness. His physical body is under a lot of stress.

The other important transit is the once in 125 year Pluto square Mars, a time when the individual is challenged by powerful forces.

… you might work toward you personal ends — success, power, fame or whatever — without any regard for those around you. Pluto-Mars energies can be completely egoistic. You may pay no attention to people who disagree with you, whether they oppose you outright or whether they think you are wrong and are trying to set you right. You will lose the benefit of potentially good advice from those who would help you and win the undying hatred of your opponents. Enemies you make at this time will eventually have the power to damage you, even if they don’t have it now. Robert Hand, Planets in Transit, 1976, Para Research ,Inc.

Limbaugh Wants Obama to Fail

Dayel — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:42:49 +0000

“My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, ‘Well, I hope he succeeds. We’ve got to give him a chance.’ Why? They didn’t give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated, the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I’m not talking about search-and-destroy, but I’ve been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don’t want them to succeed. Rush Limbaugh, January 16, 2009

My question: ‘Why is Limbaugh so willing to swim upstream at every opportunity?’

By the Numbers:

Destiny: 11/2 – a Master Number, an individual with imagination and creativity, drawn to religion or spirituality. Energy is stimulating but sometimes almost manic and the 11 has to learn how to ground himself.
Karma: 0 – no Missing number which does not mean no Karma but does mean that lessons will come from various areas and not concentrate in one or two
Personality: 3 – creativity, personal expression, an individual who enjoys the spotlight
Current Influences:
- Year 5 of the Nine Year Cycle: – shake-up year, to sort out what is not going to work in projects that began 5 years ago.
- Pinnacle of 8 (for rest of life): – a period of life very concerned with worldly and material success and the attainment of power.
- Challenge of Six (for the rest of life): – this is also Rush’s Method of Approach. A 6 represents the challenge is to be of service to others and the danger of becoming judgemental or hypercritical.

By the Planets:

Mercury Opposite Uranus: Number One reason why Limbaugh is so determined to swim upstream. Mercury opposite Uranus loves to be provocative and shocking.
Pluto Opposite Mars: Number Two reason why Limbaugh is so determined to swim upstream. Pluto opposite Mars loves a battle, attracts many of them and is determined to win.
Moon-Void-of-Course: (must be the celestial theme of the week!) Limbaugh’s Moon is 23 degrees Pisces and would not make any angle to any other planet before it changed sign to Aries. This is a Moon-Void-of-Course. To simplify is to say that an individual with MVOC has boundary issues. Some issue with early bonding or the establishment of healthy separation (around the age of two) has left an unusual sensitivity to outside influences and a need, especially in early years, to constantly test boundaries. A MVOC may be brilliant once they achieve some degree of mastery of their unusual perceptions. (Winston Churchill was MVOC)
Current Influences:
- Pluto Conjunct Mercury: Once in 248 year influence. Lasts one to two years and is a time when how one thinks and expresses goes through a powerful regeneration. This influence won’t pass completely until Septermber, 2010.
- Neptune Conjunct Mars: Once in 84 years. Another transit that lasts for a few years and that won’t pass completly until late 2010. Neptune and Mars do not combine well at all as Neptune is otherwordly influences such as dreams and inspiration and Mars is very personal, ego and passion. The result is that those things done for purely personal gain often end in a mess and the long term effect is that there is an evolvement in the long term goals and ambitions.
- Saturn Opposite the Moon: Once in 27 to 30 years. Another transit that lasts for a few years and that won’t pass completly until late 2010. The Moon is the most personal planet and carries the pre-verbal imprinting from the womb and first year or two of life. Saturn Opposite the Moon is a time when the emotions are tested and the past rises to the surface. Most experience this time as depression but it is also an excellent time to rid self of baggage that is normally buried.
Rush Limbaugh w/ 2009 Solar Return

Obama Takes the Oath Again

Dayel — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:58:12 +0000

The first time Obama swore the oath of office the Moon was Void-of-Course, a time when the Moon has moved past making any aspect to any other planet in the chart. It is not recommended that any big decisions be made at this time and any contracts signed then may have to be re-negotiated.

Second Oath

The words of the oath were not said in the correct order and the words of the oath are in the constitution so, ‘in an abundance of caution’, Obama took the oath for a second time tonight at 7:35 pm at the White House.

Most of the planets are very close to where they were yesterday. The two main differences are that the Ascendant is Virgo instead of Taurus and the Moon is now Sagittarius, square to Uranus/Venus on one side and Saturn on the other, emphazing the struggle between tradition and prior obligations and the excitement of new directions.