At the recent United Astrology Congress in Denver, Colorado a panel of five astrologers discussed the coming US election in November, and all expressed powerful reservations about doing so because there was no birth time for any of the (at that time) three contenders that was confirmed to be true. This situation has radically changed. In an effort to put to rest rumors that he is not a natural born US citizen, which he of course is being born in Hawaii to an American mother, Obama has had his birth certificate posted online. (Note 1)
Despite the reservations, all five astrologers though Barack Obama would win, some more hesitantly than others. Bearing in mind that statistical research reveals that the vast majority of astrologers at US congresses vote for the Democratic Party, this is perhaps not surprising. However objective you think you are, the truth is that we are powerfully influenced by our preferences. Predicting a winner you dislike is unhealthy, because there is a tendency to want that person to win to fulfill your prediction.
HOROSCOPE: 4th August 1961 19.24 Honolulu. (AS 18.03 AQ)
The horoscope is quite surprising because it places the Ascendant ruler Saturn in the 12th and the Sun in Leo in the 6th house. Both these planets are dignified in their own signs, which is very helpful for success, but the 6th / 12th house emphasis is said to be weak. It certainly tones down the arrogance, of which Obama is accused (they spotted that Leo), and emphasizes the sacrifice and service element. Both Bush and Blair have their Sun in the 12th house, so it would seem this is an important position in politics.
With such a fine testimony to the birth time, it is tempting to check out the progressions to see if the time is backed up by events. And it is. Obama’s parents were separated when he was about two years old, and this is the time when the MC/IC axis moves from Scorpio to Sagittarius. Being born with the axis in the 28th degree of Scorpio/Taurus is a sign of much residency instability and change in life. When he was 6, his mother remarried and moved to Indonesia for four years – this was exactly the time when his progressed Descendant conjoined Uranus and subsequently went over the nodes in Leo/Aquarius – his first baptism in an international environment.
He returned to the island of Hawaii when the Ascendant changed sign into Pisces, going on to trine Venus in Cancer – he went to live with his maternal grandparents. Earlier his MC/IC axis had squared Chiron and Pluto, which suggests a wrenching upheaval from his mother. Later in 1982, when his biological father (who he only saw once after the birth year in 1971) was killed in a car accident, he was experiencing a progressed full moon with the Sun on Pluto and the moon on Chiron.
Obama graduated from Harvard in 1991 with the Ascendant progressed at 25 Pisces trining Saturn – the previous years had activated his incredibly hard-working Saturn/Mars trine in Earth. The MC progressed was trine the North Node the same year, and shortly afterwards he married. As his Ascendant entered Aries and MC Capricorn in 1995 things really started moving for home. Around the time when his Ascendant progressed squared Venus in Cancer, his mother died of ovarian cancer and he became elected democratic senator for Illinois state senate – progressed IC was on Venus. His political career advanced through the nineties and in November 2004 he was elected to the Senate with Ascendant progressed at 12 Aries exactly trining his Sun in Leo.
What then do the progressions show for the all-important election on November 4th 2008? Not a lot. By this time the progressed Ascendant is at 17.14 Aries and the MC progressed at 12.10 Capricorn, which is – perhaps auspiciously and perhaps not – quincunx his Sun. It should be noted that the mid-point of Venus and Mars in Obama’s chart is exactly on his Leo sun, which may account for his charisma and popularity. His progressed Sun is at 28.14 Virgo which is actually trine his progressed Jupiter at 27.20 Capricorn, but this probably refers to his success since he announced his candidacy. In late 2010 the Sun progresses into Libra and trines his radix Jupiter.
But his progressions do reveal several astonishing influences. Firstly the progressed Moon at this time is at 16.18 Aquarius, which means that at the time of the inauguration it will be within ½ degree of his Ascendant, which is surely a sign the people of America – in the US chart the Moon is at 27 Aquarius – is fully behind him. And when you bear in mind that the inauguration takes place on January 20th with the Sun at 0.47 Aquarius – which is the position of Obama’s Jupiter (0.52) – and that retrograde Mercury at this time is also at 0.41 Aquarius, the omens look very good for him. If you support Obama rather than McCain, that is a good sign. This is actually the time when Jupiter returns to Aquarius; at inauguration it is at 3.32 Aquarius, a Jupiter return for Obama.
HOROSCOPE. Inauguration. January 20th 2009. 1 p.m. Washington.
What is not so good is the fact that at the time of the election Mercury progressed catches up with Mars progressed at 23 Libra and both are square Saturn in Capricorn within minutes of arc. Not only does that look problematic, it is positively dangerous. Obviously it reflects a hard battle of words with an older man, which is what the election will be all about. Obama cannot get elected without a monumental struggle. Yet, talking to Americans at the UAC congress in Denver, I was struck by the amount of people who resignedly suggested that if Obama came to power, he would be killed. Many people said that; it is like the Wild West. Rumor has it that ever since Obama announced his candidacy, he has had a huge security detail assigned to him. Looking closely at his chart, it can be seen that the Mercury/Mars progression is simultaneously semisquare radix Pluto in 2007 and progressed Pluto in 2008/9. This means that there is a violent Mercury/Mars/Saturn/Pluto constellation (a conjunction in the 8th harmonic) which can only make one hope that the secret service know what they are doing.
Hillary Clinton advanced an argument several months ago that it would be unwise to withdraw as a candidate, as one never knew what could happen, referring to the assassination of democratic candidate Robert Kennedy in June 1968. If you look at repeated trends it can be seen that Kennedy was shot at a Mars/Pluto square and American astrologers have noted that the lunar eclipse at the time of the Democratic Convention on August 16th also has a Mars/Pluto square… there are no shortage of doom scenarios, if that is what you are looking for. Michelle Obama’s progressed Sun opposes Pluto from 2009 to 2010 – but perhaps that just means that her husband is in the seat of power and the presidential family’s life is circumscribed by 24 hour paranoia and security. But clearly, with that formidable trio Uranus, Pluto and Mars in the seventh house, Obama is going to have no shortage of extremely dangerous enemies, particularly as his Mars conjoins the 8th house and is within 10 minutes of arc of US Neptune at 22.25 Virgo square US Mars 21.23 Gemini.
At the time of the election the rare opposition of Saturn and Uranus – note Obama’s slogan for Uranus in Pisces… “Change you can believe in” – perfects at 18 Virgo/Pisces going on to activate the US Neptune and Obama’s Mars. This highlights the revolutionary changes that should begin to take place in environmental, employment and health areas for America. These are the issues on the American people’s mind and it has to be said that for both Obama and Hillary Clinton these issues are paramount. However the new birth time for Obama makes the possibility of Hillary Clinton as Vice President less likely – even though I predicted this in an article in March 2007. (Note 2) Hillary has a Mars/Pluto conjunction at 14 Leo and Saturn at 21 Leo, so they fall on Obama’s Descendant. He would almost certainly feel constrained and threatened by the power of the Clinton dynasty.
I did suggest in that previous article that Obama would win the election, partly because of the activation of his Jupiter at the inauguration, and partly because during the course of election day the Moon is in Capricorn and when the election closes, in Hawaii at 8 p.m., the Moon is at 1.59 Aquarius. Thus the light is translated from Saturn in Capricorn, the old, to Jupiter in Aquarius, the young. The moon will be transiting Obama’s Jupiter position in the last hours of the election, suggesting a rising tide of euphoria. The fact that Obama’s progressed moon is about to conjoin his Ascendant completes the picture of being swept to power by the people.
Jupiter is interesting in Obama’s chart because it carries the water from Aquarius to bring sustenance to Capricorn, retrograding back to 27 Capricorn, and in fact turning direct by progression over the next 4 years. This does suggest a mission of bringing radical change to the political structure. His sun progressed trines Jupiter progressed now, and will trine the radix position in 2010. Another favorable indication on election day is that Saturn in Virgo trines Jupiter in Capricorn and both sextile Mars in Scorpio, which is a repeat of the Mars trine Saturn/Jupiter in Obama’s birth chart: This indicates that his organization talent pays off and that the country resonates with a belief that he is up to the job.
Looking for other evidence to support the argument – which astrologers do when they have a fixed idea – it can be seen that transiting Pluto is actually squaring the US chart’s MC/IC axis, suggesting a radical transformation of power in America, and even pointing to the possible prominence of a black person. The coming period is a time of economic crisis for America as Pluto goes on to oppose the comfort conjunction of Venus/Jupiter at 3 and 5 degrees respectively in the USA Sibley chart. (Note 3). This is economic depression time and the crash of the dollar. Yet as ruler of the MC, Venus in Cancer represents the president and the White House (Cancer). Will the White House not have a darker, more Plutonian, shade with Michelle Obama and her children there?
Furthermore, America’s progressed Sun entered Pisces 3 years ago and is building up to a square with Uranus from 2011 – 2013. There will obviously be acute problems for America at this time, but the idea of having a president from an ethnic minority seems likely. Prior to this, between the election and the inauguration, there is a progressed full moon in America’s chart square Uranus, suggesting radical upheaval and again the likelihood of a leader from a minority.
Finally, during the course of the next administration transiting Neptune conjoins the US Moon at 27 Aquarius. Already in June 2009 Neptune is joined by transiting Jupiter. This repeats in January 2010 (when Chiron also joins the crowd). Obviously extraordinary things are happening for America in the coming administration… is it likely they are happening under McCain? This is a healing of the American people, a euphoric period when dreams seem to come through. It is a time when sorrows are revisited and aired openly. It is a time when the image of the American people on the international scene changes, when humanitarian concerns dominate… at least until the bubble bursts.
Adrian Duncan June 19th , 2008
1. Visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/birthcert
Now why doesn’t every politician do that?
2. See: http://www.world-of-wisdom.com/04_articles/2007/02_elections.htm
3. US Sibley chart: July 4th 1776, 17.10 Philadelphia.