The layers of meaning and influence of an eclipse will unfold over time, but the days immediately surrounding the exact day can bring events that take unusual turns.
A big national story at the eclipse was the arrest on July 16 of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates in his home after being mistaken for a burglar. At his press conference on July 22 President Obama addressed the incident, which has been much discussed for the racial and class issues it has raised.
Like any good Leo Sun (not to mention being the world’s most famous political leader), the president can’t do much without creating a stir. He did create a furor at the news conference by commenting that police “acted stupidly” in arresting Gates. The president’s remarks became the big news story at a time when he was seeking to build public support for his health care plan. Obama’s progressed Moon is now at 27°01′ Aquarius, exactly conjunct the US Sibly Moon — signifying the public — at 27° Aquarius. Surely the US populace is in need of support and recognition by the president and he is in the unique position, remarkably so right now, to make decisions that have a huge impact on us all. I think the urgency of the health care debate is symbolized in part by this once-in-29-year aspect.
His progressed Moon is also on his natal south node at 27°01′ Aquarius; I didn’t see the press conference, but some reports suggested that he seemed a bit disheartened or weary. Who wouldn’t be with that combination?
Maybe another display of this aspect is the excessive media attention right now to the “Birthers movement” whose adherents don’t believe that Obama was born in the USA.
Back to the eclipse, which falls in Obama’s natal 6th house of public employees. Some say the president insulted all the police in the land with his comment. Obama’s natal Mercury is at 2°20′ Leo; although out-of-sign, that’s still within 3° of the solar eclipse at 29°26′ Cancer.
After acknowledging that he could have used more “calibrated” language, the president then said he hoped to turn the incident into a “teachable moment, where all of us, instead of pumping up the volume, spend a little more time listening to each other.” (1) Sounds suspiciously Aquarian to me.
So, apparently, the police officer and the professor will join the President at the White House for a beer.
How’s that for Neptune, Chiron, and Jupiter to the rescue? (These three bodies carry a mighty healing force and are just slightly over one degree apart.) The arrest was perceived as an injustice and that is receiving attention. The president hopes for a “teachable moment” (Chiron and Jupiter), bringing disparate parties together for a beer (Neptune). That sounds like a good idea for lots of different situations these days.
Notes:
(1) Bloomberg.com