The McCain-Palin Ticket: An Astrological Perspective

August 31, 2008 By

John McCain & Sarah Palin

John McCain & Sarah Palin

Note: This will be my last political post for a short while – politics is fascinating but too much of anything is not always a good thing. An obsession with politics can too easily take us away from our own internal process and a life that is grounded in a greater reality.

(If you missed Friday’s article about Sarah Palin, catch up here.) One of the most interesting tools that astrology provides is a glimpse into the inner workings of interpersonal relationships.  Evidently McCain only met Sarah Palin once, at a governors meeting, before choosing her as his running mate, so their chemistry is untested.

I’ve updated the original profile of Sarah Palin to reflect my (educated) guess that Palin’s Moon is in Capricorn, and if that is true it harmonizes with McCain’s Moon, also in Capricorn.  The Capricorn moon has a deep-rooted drive for success and achievement of one’s goals – there is a strong sense of responsibility and respect for the establishment.

McCain and Palin share a conflict in their charts between this need for the established structure.  McCain’s Virgo Sun respects rules and requires order, and the Capricorn Moon and Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) retrograde in his chart depict a never-ending struggle to live up to one’s own regulations.  On the other hand, Mars (in volatile Leo) squares Uranus in his chart revealing his notorious temper and rebelliousness.  Palin’s Saturn conjuncts her Mars, suggesting that she must channel her drive and desires (Mars) through the rigidity of Saturn, and this combined with her Capricorn Moon is a strong indicator for someone who adheres to the rules and regulations of the status quo.  On the other hand, her strong Aquarian nature makes her a natural rebel.

It’s great that McCain and Palin share this duality, which makes them both mavericks (Uranus/Aquarius)  in the conservative world (Saturn/Capricorn).  But what happens if they don’t agree on where to buck the system, and where to adhere to the status quo?  I predict that tempers will flare and there will be a lot of juicy gossip as a result.

Palin’s and McCan’s Mercuries are exactly trine (harmonious aspect) each other: her Mercury is in Aquarius and his is in Libra.  Mercury shows the way we communicate, so this is an excellent aspect for two people who must share ideas and communicate well together.  However, Uranus in Palin’s chart sits right on McCain’s Sun.  This is very exciting to McCain as Uranus can be quite stimulating, but its tendency towards surprise and sudden change is unsettling to him as well.  He will never be really certain where he stands with her..

The number of tight aspects between the charts of two individuals gives a sense of how connected their lives will be.  Whether those aspects are harmonious or difficult, if there are many points of contact between the two charts their destinies are usually tightely intertwined (we saw that with Obama and Biden.)  In the case of McCain and Palin, the aspects between their charts are generally favorable although there are not a great deal of close connections which suggests that they will not share any great destiny together.  They are on separate paths which collide for a short time.

The composite chart shows the nature of the relationship as it stands separate from the two individuals.  In this case, the Sun is at 29 degrees Scorpio, a critical degree that in horary astrology suggests that something will end.  I am not an expert in fixed star astrology, but this degree is square to (conflicts with) the fixed star Regulus at 29 Leo, which presides over rulership and leadership, as well as Alcyone at 29 Taurus which according to Rob Tillett rules “ambition, honor and glory, and trouble with the opposite sex.”  We also see a square of Mars in Taurus, which shows perseverance but can also be extremely stubborn, to Pluto.  This combination illustrates conflict in the relationship, and a struggle for power and dominance.

Overall this is not a very good astrological pick for a running mate.  Transiting Uranus (radical change and surprising events)  is conjunct Saturn in McCain’s chart right now and opposing his natal Venus.  This can often be a stressful time for a marriage, since Uranus instills a desire for change at any price and an abhorrence of the status quo.  One has to wonder whether in making this pick for VP McCain may be introducing a new woman into his life in a way that is politically acceptable.

Sarah Palin has been embraced by the religious right of the Republican party and that will help McCain win over that constituency.  But when these two are thrust together in the intensity of the campaign limelight, the weakness in this alliance will be more evident.

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McCain Picks a VP

August 29, 2008 By

Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, is John McCain’s new choice for Vice President. Palin brings an interesting combination of political and personal characteristics to the McCain ticket.  She fought vigorously against the widespread corruption in the Alaska political system, even to the detrment of her own party.  She hunts, fishes, and won a beauty pageant in 1984.  She has five children including an 18-year old son who deploys soon to Iraq and an infant with Down Syndrome, and calls herself a “hockey mom.”  She is strongly “pro-life”, meaning she opposes abortion, but supports capital punishment.  (I have to say, I have never understood how you can be pro-life in one breath and embrace the killing of a human being on death row in another.  But I digress.)

For the McCain ticket, Palin brings credentials where McCain is lacking. She enhances his “maverick” status, which has waned in recent months as he waters down his personality for the presidential campaign. Unlike McCain, Palin is an active churchgoer (Pentecostal) and wants creationism to be taught in schools alongside evolution, bridging the mistrust the Religious Right holds against McCain.

Astrologically (born February 11, 1964) , she has at least four planets in Aquarius (Mercury, Sun, Mars and Saturn) and possibly the Moon as well, if she was born after noon.  Aquarius is the sign of the activist, the renegade – the individualist who isn’t afraid to buck the system.  With no planets in water signs other than Chiron, Palin is not a very emotional person and this is heightened by the strong Aquarian influence which is more interested in rational thinking and ideas than emotional viewpoints.

That Aquarian individuality is tempered with a triple conjunction of Saturn and Mars to the Sun.  Saturn is the ancient ruler of Aquarius, and lends its focus on solitude and a tendency towards rigidity which in the case of Palin may exacerbate the fixed nature of the Aquarian personality. Palin is conservative under the Saturn/Mars/Sun conjunction, but the Aquarian influence makes her quirkily so.

Neptune squares her Sun – the very same aspect in Obama’s chart that has suspicious astrologers claiming Obama is deceptive.  (See my earlier article.)  Neptune/Sun aspects tend to show that the individual has experienced difficulty expressing herself as an individual, and that there is a tendency for others to be unable to see her clearly because she becomes a hook for their projections.

Palin’s birthchart also shows that she has an exact opposition from Chiron to Pluto, and by association to Uranus as well.  I would be surprised if she has not had painful experiences in her life – that Chiron/Pluto opposition indicates an indivdiual who must continually face her inner demons so that they can be vanquished.

This is an interesting time for Palin – transiting Saturn has been aspecting this opposition, coinciding with the birth of her son with Down Syndrome.  Transiting Neptune is affecting her as well – passing over first her Sun, then Mars, then Saturn over the next several years.  This Neptunian time shows that she is prone to overidealizing the realities in her life, and there is a danger of not seeing things as they really are.

Update: Depending upon the time Palin was born, her Moon was either in Capricorn (morning) or in Aquarius (afternoon).  I’m going to go for Capricorn because without that earthiness and practicality at a deep emotional level her chart would not have the discipline and drive to achieve that Palin demonstrates.  The  Moon shows the way we respond when we’re backed against the wall – our instinctive nature, and Palin’s Troopergate scandalhttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/2_bing.gif, where she fired a public safety commissioner for not firing her former brother-in-law during his messy divorce from her sister, demonstrates the ruthless side of Capricorn for which the ends justify the means.

She’s an interesting choice for an already interesting election!  Tomorrow I’ll look at how she and McCain will likely get along.

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Negotiating Painful Family Situations

August 28, 2008 By

Art by Melanie Weidner

Art by Melanie Weidner

It is a commonly held belief among explorers of the New Consciousness that as souls, we work with our guides to choose the life that we will next be born into.  For many people that’s a horrifying thought!  Why would I choose the kind of torment I experienced as a kid?

But the birthchart often reflects with eerie accuracy the psychological setting of the family of origin.  Pluto conjunct the Moon – your mother seemed terrifying to you?  Saturn square the Sun - you never felt you were good enough for your father?  Yet you were born with this astrological chart; the birthchart predates the events that cause us emotional pain.  This makes it hard to continue blaming our parents since it appears that we come into this world already prewired for certain experiences.   Later in life we learn to make conscious choices that lift us out of a state where we simply react to external stimuli that keep us stuck in the psychodrama of our lives.

I am always impressed by the tenacity and strength of my clients, many of whom have come through difficult childhoods with tremendous coping skills and an eagerness to transcend their limitations.  The nugget of transformation lies within every painful situation, and is a great gift.

I’m not so sure it’s necessary to forgive the ones that hurt us, but I DO believe it’s imperative that we end the cycle of blame.  As long as we blame anyone, whether it’s ourselves or someone else, we keep ourselves locked in a box of victimhood from which we can’t escape.  When we make a choice to turn away from blame and self-pity, we naturally open to the gift of power and transformation that awaits.

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The 2008 Election: The Generation Gap

August 27, 2008 By

The US Presidential Election this year has been a battle between the Pluto in Cancer generation (John McCain), the Pluto in Leo generation (Hillary and Bill Clinton) and the Pluto in Virgo generation (Barack Obama).  Back in February I covered this in an article about the Clinton/Obama contest as a referendum between the early (Pluto in Leo) and late (Pluto in Virgo) boomers.  The passion of the feelings in the comments on this earlier article reveal the intensity of the conflict between these two generations.  (Note:  obviously these are generalizations about a demographic group as a whole.  Within these groups individuals find their own exprssion.)

The Clintons were central to a powerful Democratic political machine that was centered on loyalty and a politics of personality – hallmarks of the Pluto in Leo generation.  Although I am counted among that generation, I have to admit that there is truth to the blame that the early boomer (Leo) generation gets for being narcissistic and self-absorbed.  These are negative traits of Leo, but there are also positive ones:  generosity, inspiration, creativity and open-mindedness.  The Clinton era has reflected all of the traits of Pluto in Leo, both positive and negative.  But the strongest Leonine traits of the politics of both Clintons has been a powerful sense of pride and entitlement,  Politico reports:

The former president is disappointed, associates said, because he is eager to speak about the economy and more broadly about Democratic ideas — emphasizing the contrast between the Bush years and his own record in the 1990s.

This is an especially sore point for Bill Clinton, people close to him say, because among many grievances he has about the campaign Obama waged against his wife is a belief that the candidate poor-mouthed the political and policy successes of his two terms.

Pluto in Leo has a hard time turning over the spotlight.

On the other hand, we have Barack and Michelle Obama, Pluto in Virgo types.  Virgo tends to shy away from expressions of ego and doesn’t care much for Leo, and the Pluto in Virgo generation bears a fair amount of resentment against the egotism of the Pluto in Leo older brothers and sisters.  But often this resentment obscures the understanding that it was the boldness and vision of Pluto in Leo that started the wheels of change turning.  As a generation, Pluto in Virgo (1956-1971) has been the beneficiary of many of the changes that the Pluto in Leo generation, with their search for pleasure and freedom, sought to implement.

Then there’s John McCain representing Pluto in Cancer (1913-1939) - the generation that sacrificed everything for family and country, both under Cancer rulership.  This generation, as a whole, did not question authority or seek to pursue their own dreams as they lived through two World Wars.  Cancer’s main focus is on security and emotional safety, and they may have a greater tendency than other generations to relate best to people that are most like them (Cancer is rooted in tribal affiliations).

With the transition of Pluto into Capricorn, change is afoot.  Those who embrace change will vote for the new guy.  Those who fear it will retreat to the safety of the past and vote for the old one.

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The Astrology of the Democratic Convention

August 25, 2008 By

The two overriding planetary aspects shadowing the Democratic National Convention over the next few days ia a long-term conjunction of Chiron (wounding and healing) to the North Node (the ascending point where the path of the Moon crosses the path of the Sun around the Earth, from our perspective on Planet Earth).  The North Node is not a planet, but in astrology it symbolizes the path of our future evolution. The conjunction of Chiron to the North Node began back in June and will continue through October.

The North Node opposes the South Node (the descending point on the path of the Sun), so an aspect to one point affects the other point as well.  The South Node denotes the past – issues and ideas that hold us back from evolving towards our destiny.  Chiron right now is therefore opposite the South Node, where it is challenging and opening old wounds from the past that are keeping us from moving forwards towards our soul’s true purpose.

This conjunction takes place in Aquarius, the sign of the collective and the urge for change, social justice, and living a life of authenticity and freedom.  One could argue that the Democratic party is ruled by these Aquarian principles of change and equality, so it is not surprising that the Convention, falling under this Chiron/Node conjunction, is opening old wounds of party issues.  The Clinton/Obama rivalry which many hoped was behind us is now heating up to a boiling point, and questions of rivalries between men and women, between those of different races, and between generations are rupturing as old wounds fester and come to the surface.  This is Chiron’s work: to bring the old wounds to the surface of our awareness so that they can be faced and dealt with.

Working in tandem with the Chiron/Node system is a square from Pluto (transformation and endings) to Mercury and Venus.  The square of Pluto to Mercury signifies difficulty in communication – arguments and power struggles between various ideologies.  Pluto to Venus stimulates the ending of long-held alliances and partnerships.  At the same time, Uranus (rebellion and radical behavior) is opposing Mercury and Venus as well – instigating arguments (Mercury) and questioning alliances (Venus).

I’m not surprised that Hillary Clinton is still exerting her influence in the convention.  Transiting Pluto is just completing a square to her Moon, which is intensifying her already intense personality characteristics (Senator Clinton has four planets in Scorpio plus the South Node, and all are square to a powerful conjunction of Saturn, Mars and Pluto in Leo which hungers for power).  The conjunction of Chiron to the North Node is interacting with her Leo and Scorpio planets and I sense that she is not yet ready to relinquish what she feels to be her destiny on the national stage.

There is a lot of uncertainty as to how these events will unfold, but I predict that things will not go smoothly.  There will be a fair amount of dirty laundry aired and protests that will reveal the wrinkles in the happy front that is presented to the press.

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Obama-Biden: My Dream Ticket!!

August 23, 2008 By

Barack Obama & Joe Biden

Barack Obama & Joe Biden

I have to insert a disclaimer here:  I have been a huge fan of Joe Biden since he ran back in the ’90s, but I’ll attempt to be as neutral as possible under the extremely exciting circumstances.

(Note: There is an 8:30 am birthtime floating around for Joe Biden, but until this is confirmed I have used the noon chart and discount any mention of ascendant and midheaven.)

There are a lot of nearly exact aspects between the charts of these two men, something which often indicates a strong karmic connection.  If I had compared these two charts before, something that I kept meaning to do, I would probably have predicted that they have a destiny together for this reason.

There are a lot of nearly exact aspects between the charts of these two men, something which often indicates a strong karmic connection.  Joe Biden is a Scorpio, with a triple conjunction of Mercury, Sun and Venus all in Scorpio.  Mars is in Scorpio also, but outside of the conjunction.  With Sun conjunct Mercury he is extremely bright, and the strong Scorpio qualities show an individual with a powerful personality.  I would expect that Biden’s ascendant would have a much lighter quality, perhaps Gemini or Sagittarius, that masks the intensity of the Scorpio personality.

These Scorpio planets form a square, or challenging aspect, to Obama’s Leo planets.  Most particularly, Biden’s Mars is in an exact square to Obama’s Sun, which shows that Biden will energize and inspire Obama, but also piss him off.  This can be a very exciting aspect if managed well and if the two have open communication.  It can also show that Biden may tend to want to boss Obama around.

Uranus in Obama’s chart forms a square to Biden’s Mercury/Sun/Venus conjunction, an aspect which denotes an exciting interchange that is full of surprises and new ways of looking at the world.  However, it can also indicate difficulties in aligning their vision to work together as a team.

Still, there is plenty of harmony between their charts in close aspects such as Obama’s Mars (assertive qualities)  in a harmonious aspect (sextile) to Biden’s Mercury (communication), suggesting that Obama will offer Biden the independence to formulate and express his own views in cooperative ventures.  There is a large number of Uranus contacts between the charts, indicating that the pairing is full of new ideas, excitement, fresh energy for change.

Stay tuned for more information on the upcoming election and the candidates.

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More on Sun Signs and the Olympics

August 22, 2008 By

Astrological Signs

Astrological Signs

Yesterday we introduced the work of statistician Kenneth Mitchell’s analysis of the correlation of certain astrological signs with sports that correspond to those signs.

Moving on to Taurus – Mitchell learned of a sport called Bull Leaping and from the pictures deduced that Pole Vaulting and gymnasts would have similar skills.  Taurus, of course, is symbolized by the bull.  Mitchell found that those born under the Taurus Sun sign had a 128% greater chance of winning medals in these competitions than the average athlete.

Mitchell also discovered that Taurus athletes born in 1985-1987 won 21 medals instead of the expected 8.5, a 200,000 to 1 event.  During this period Neptune was in Capricorn (which is trine, or harmoniously aspecting, Taurus) and it was sextile Pluto in Scorpio (opposing Taurus).

Geminis excelled in sports that required team players (the twins are always striving to complete themselves), but Cancers followed the trends of the general population of athletes and showed no statistical variations in any field.  Leos excelled in sports where they could compete as individuals rather than teams, which we would expect because of the need for Leo to express one’s individual Self.

Virgos excelled in skiing competitions, sprinting and hurdles – sports needing a great deal of discipline.  Mitchell notes that the fast reflexes required by these sports are not known to be a Virgo characteristic, but I would argue that because Virgo tends to be more comfortable in the body than other signs this would make sense.

Gymnastic competitions that require balance were the strength of Libra, which is surprising because I have 3 planets myself and was terrified of the balance beam.  Maybe it’s Saturn conjunct my Libra Sun square Uranus.  At any rate, Mitchell’s data reports that Librans are also better able than other signs to curve a ball, such as in curling, cricket and soccer.  I must say that I am at a loss to explain this, except perhaps that Libra’s aesthetic drive encourages a more creative sport.

Mitchell’s research on Scorpios was interesting – he expected them to excel at fencing but instead they performed at an INFERIOR level.  Scorpios did, however, score at odds of 1 in 100,000 in the sabre competitions.  Mitchell notes that the sabre competitions involve more footwork and less bladework than fencing, and compares this to the scorpion whose mating dance tends to mesmerize the captive into submission.  Just like the Scorpio personality!

The Sagittarians scored lower in archery competition than other athletes which went against Mitchell’s expectations until he discovered that the Sagitarii were horse archers, so he began looking at athletes whose success depending on accurate hitting of a target – basketball.  And sure enough, he found a statistical correlation here, as well as in relays where a baton was passed.

Mitchell combines Capricorn and Aquarius since both are ruled by Saturn; however, he misses some of the subtleties of the two signs.  Capricorn follows the rules and is doggedly disciplined, whereas Aquarius is the innovator and seeks change under its modern rulership by Uranus.  Capricorns dominate boxing and badminton, whereas Aquarians are the volleyball experts.  Boxing of course is very physical, appropriate for the earthiness of Capricorn.  In badminton it is the shuttlecock that sails through the air, but in volleyball the players are in the air, very appropriate for the air sign Aquarius.

I looked to see what the skeptics were saying to throw the kibosh on this well-defined data, and I did find one article which says basically ok, so what.  Correlation doesn’t imply causation.  In my view, scientists can really prove very little about the world that we live in.  Can it be proven that we love the people in our lives?  Can it be proven that it will rain tomorrow?  Can it be proven that animals have feelings?

With this study we come closer than we ever have to seeing actual correlations between astrology and success in various fields.  As one reader wrote, just imagine if the rest of the birth chart is considered as well!

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Sun Signs and the Olympics

August 21, 2008 By

Generally, research projects based solely on the Sun signs of individuals are not very successful.  The astrological chart is so complex and includes such a wide variety of influences that the Sun sign is often dwarfed by comparison. But this article, sent to me by a reader (thank you Tracey!) is quite fascinating in its detail and statistical significance in correlating Sun signs to Olympic specialties.  Kenneth Mitchell, a British statistician, was not expecting to find astrological correlations when he began his study of the birthdates of every Olympic winner since 1896 and discovered that those born under the sign of Pisces “received 30% more medals than expected by chance” in water events like swimming and polo, a 1 in 100,000 probability. .

Mitchell evidently knew nothing about astrology when he began this project, and when he saw that those born under an Aries Sun had a higher number of Olympic medals than expected he looked up Aries in Google.  Learning that Aries was associated with Mars and war, he looked first at Olympic events that were martial in character.  Beginning with Shooting, he found a 1 in 60 level of significance that went up to 1 in 250 when the women’s events were excluded.  When he combined all of the “martial” events, such as wrestling, archery, etc., the result was a 1 in 20,000 probability. When these events were added to the Aries results in skiing, shot puts, rope climbing, handball, lacrosse etc., the result was over 1 billion to one probability.

One of his more interesting findings is that Aries women did not have a significantly higher percentage of medals, unlike their male counterparts.  This likely suggests that the Aries drive is muted somewhat in women, either by choice or through socialization.

I’ll look at this in a little more depth tomorrow!  Meanwhile, read more here…

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The “I” Within

August 20, 2008 By

The "I" Within

The "I" Within

One author who has had a profound affect on my personal evolution and my client work is Stephen Levine, author of the magnificent book Who Dies which you can find in the Recommended Reading list in the sidebar. Stephen, a practicing Buddhist, writes about the softening of the hardness that we build around our hearts when our lives are under stress, and how to relax into a sense of presence and that-which-is.  These are Buddhist concepts, but they transcend Buddhism or any religious or spiritual definitions.  This presence is also what is taught by Eckhart Tolle, who has become one of the leading spiritual leaders of our time.

Dharmaruci at Astrotabletalk was a practicing Buddhist for many years and has an interesting article up today on this subject in a follow-up on an article about a Buddhist nun.  He begins:

There are certain things I love about Buddhism. Its philosophy of emptiness makes complete sense. It is saying that everything is part of an interconnected flux in which there are no separate ‘things’. That includes the sense of ‘I’ – hence the famous ‘no-self’ doctrine.

I have to say that this “no-self” idea has always perturbed me.  I myself practiced a disciplined form of meditation for about 18 years and found when I entered psychotherapy that I had spent much of that time using meditation to numb myself from my painful feelings.  I actually quit meditating during the time I was in therapy so that I could more fully awaken to myself and begin to process a lifetime of discomfort.  When I began to meditate again I no longer worked to quiet the mind but instead to be present with what was happening in the moment.  The more I became Present, the quieter my mind became.

But Dharmaruci effectively describes this process in today’s article:

The sense of ‘I’ is a good place to start. It certainly seems very solid and real, and it locates us experientially at the centre of the universe, to which we reach out and relate. But that sense of ‘I’ is usually based on identifying with what we think and feel – that is what makes us ‘us’. What a lot of people don’t realise is that you don’t have to identify with, and act on, what you are feeling. We have a choice. If you are angry with someone, you don’t have to torment yourself with it, the mind circling endlessly as it tries to justify the feeling of anger. Nor do you have to go into therapy and try and find the root cause of it (though that can have its place.) We can make the decision to stand back and observe the feeling. This is a deeply transformational act.

This principle applies to all sorts of limiting, painful emotions which we all experience every day. And it is a different self that does the observing. This new self is not rigid and protective, for there is nothing to protect anymore. It is spacious. You no longer need take events so personally. You are fully present and aware, fully emotionally responsive to others, fully connected in a way you never were before, because you’re no longer seeing the world through the veil of your own reactions to it. You are, in other words, more aware of the interconnected flux to which in reality we all belong.
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Read more here. This process of becoming fully present is easier than one might think, but it requires courage and awareness and time to be still and pay attention.

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Psychology, Rush Limbaugh and the Faith Forum

August 18, 2008 By

John McCain/Barack Obama

John McCain/Barack Obama

With Pluto making its final swing through Sagittarius where it has transformed (Pluto) all aspects of the way we construct our theology of the meaning of life (Sagittarius), Obama and McCain joined televangelist Rick Warren for what may be the first of its kind forum for US Presidential candidates.  The fact that candidates feel it is important to share their faith with the country is an unusual development in itself, as this has not in the past been a highlight of Presidential campaigns.  John F Kennedy, famously the first Catholic candidate, minimized the importance of faith in his campaign.  Even Ronald Reagan, darling of the Religious Right, rarely attended church before he was in the White House, during or afterwards, though privately he was said to be devout in his adherence to the Bible.

Reading the candidate’s answers to the questions posed about issues like abortion and faith and the responses in the news from left-wing and right-wing media, I draw this conclusion:  Those on the right side of the aisle prefer a black and white approach to life, while those on the left prefer shades of gray and nuance.  Left-wing bloggers criticized McCain’s pat and rehearsed responses to pastor Rick Warren’s questions, while those on the right admired his clear and concise answers.  Conservative writers found Obama’s answers confusing and evasive, while more liberal writers extolled the virtues of his thoughtful and considered approach to the issues.

I’ll step out on a limb here and suggest that those with more conservative views are more security-minded and dislike change, so the lack of a strong stance that’s rooted in established tradition might be frightening.  On the other hand, more liberal thinkers would have a greater tolerance for the unknown, and in fact a greater enthusiasm for change and something new that requires consideration and deliberation in order to come to an intelligent conclusion.  Some viewers even said Obama was “too thoughtful.”

As astrologers, we often see the more extreme ideologies when there are inner conflicts between astrological signatures of conservatism (predominance of earth signs, Saturn) and signatures of liberal mindedness (air signs, Uranus).  That inner struggle between safety and security and more innovative thinking often results in an individual who becomes dogmatic on the right wing, or angrily rebellious on the left.

This is particularly true with those of us who have strong squares between Saturn and Uranus in our chart such as my own compatriots from the early 1950s. Rush Limbaugh is one of those, with a nearly exact square between Saturn and Uranus, Aquarius, the innovator, is rising in his chart so in some ways you might expect Rush to tilt more to the left.  But with the Sun in Capricorn and Saturn opposite the Moon, that conservative bent won the battle between the two ideologies.  But more important, the opposition between Mars in Aquarius and Pluto shows an obsession with power that makes the conservative mind view much more comfortable than a more liberal perspective which Rush deems “weak.”

After eight years of a president who famously “doesn’t do nuance,” I personally think a president who actually thinks through issues and considers them carefully would be a welcome change. But that has nothing to do with astrology and is just my opinion.

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