Within a week President Obama went from the stunning disappointment of traveling to Copenhagen, replete with exaggerated media attention and fanfare, to having Chicago eliminated for the 2012 Olympics, and then to the equally stunning surprise of winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
What happened in his personal horoscope within that week?
As a background theme: the President has Scorpio on the Midheaven, which symbolizes his public life and reputation. Scorpio is ruled by Mars, which is natally placed at 22°35’ Virgo. Transiting Uranus, of course, has been opposing Mars since summer 2008. And 22° is a particularly sensitive degree: Uranus stationed retrograde at 22° in June 2008 and, after moving back and forth a bit, it stations again at 22°, this time going direct on December 1. So, generally, Obama’s reputation is subject to the quick reversals signified by the volatile and eccentric Uranus. 
Looking more specifically, transiting Mars was applying to oppose natal Saturn in Capricorn (co-ruler of the Ascendant) for the trip to Copenhagen. The opposition was exact on October 6; some obstacle had come to a head and was behind him when the Nobel Prize was announced on October 9. Transiting Venus came to consort with Mars as well — Venus was exactly conjunct the President’s natal Mars late on the 8th.
Obama’s progressed Mars travels through 23° Libra, the degree of the beautiful fixed star Spica, for only a few years in his horoscope. In October 2008, Mars arrived at 23° and will move to 24° in mid 2010. The President’s progressed Moon was at the very end of a sign when he went to Copenhagen, at 29° Aquarius. On October 6 the Moon moved into Pisces, just in time to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
The mysterious, shape-shifting, projection-laden, out-of-the-ordinary, yet expansive/possibly magnificent conditions described by the rare and refined combination of Chiron, Jupiter, and Neptune is part of the picture as well. Disappointments (Neptune), unusual experiences (Chiron), great honors (Jupiter) are all hovering around the President’s Ascendant. Jupiter is closest right now: the bringer of reward and accolades goes direct on October 12, within a degree of Obama’s Ascendant.
With this combination of influences, the Aquarius archetype is obviously pronounced. We can imagine for a moment that the Nobel Prize might signify some of the best of Aquarius, i.e., the ability to see beyond what is currently apparent, to demonstrate clear, deep thinking, to have genuine independence from practical restraints, and to recognize creative possibilities hidden from our ordinary view. As Rick Tarnas has proposed, rather than Uranus, it may be Prometheus — the wisest of the Titans who tricked Zeus and stole fire from the gods to give to humans — who is resonant with the sign of Aquarius.
Psychological astrologers say that it’s never a good idea to argue with an archetype. Putting cynicism and doubt about the prize being awarded to the President so early in his term (and on the same day he was debating a huge expanse of troops in Afghanistan) aside, maybe the Aquarian ability to offer an experience of mutual hope and bring inexplicable events is setting a very high bar that the President and all of his companions (that’s us, friends) can indeed accomplish.
There was an air trine in the sky on the day of the announcement: the Sun at 16° Libra, and the Moon in Gemini complete the trine to Jupiter. (1) (Oct. 9, 2009; 9:00 am GMT; Oslo, Norway)
Certainly, as transiting Saturn is about to cross the U.S. Midheaven, our reputation as a nation is at a crucial turning point and the U.S. can demonstrate a new kind of responsible leadership in the world. (2)
References:
(1) “Mr. Obama was not told of the award in advance and only found out about it when he was awakened by his press secretary at 6:00 am (1000 GMT), an hour after the decision was announced in Oslo.”
Times Online
(2) The Sibly Midheaven is 1°03’ Libra. Transiting Saturn will be exactly there on November 8 and continue through the summer of 2010.
7 Comments
This is a beautiful analysis. Thank you!
Hi Mary –
US Presidents are always in the news but I appreciated your view bringing together these two extracurricular presidential activities, if you will, for our consideration. I got an image of international bookends – one a big loss, one a big gain – on either side of a ‘That Was The Week That Was’ personally extraordinary. Even for a President.
Attracting controversy also comes to mind for the T Uranus-N Mars opposition you point out; and ‘humanitarian’ seems to capture both the Aquarius and Nobel emphasis (Alfred Nobel himself had the Moon in Aquarius).
Thanks for your thoughtful piece.
Thanks Glenna and P.D.
Thanks Mary, the part about Spica was particularly fascinating to me because Bernadette Brady reports that Alfred Nobel had that as his heliacal rising star.
Also, if you use classical rulerships, The waxing gibbous SP Moon ingressing Jupiter’s nocturnal domicile at the same time that transit Jupiter contacts the Asc is indeed rather significant
Finally, it should be noted that SP Jupiter is not far from stationing direct (in a couple yrs). So the committee seems to be connecting with the enormous potential of a SP station -which IME is quite often a life-defining event
thanks Gary..I had not noticed that SP Jupiter is slowing to a station. I just checked and it’s actually at the degrees and minute of the exact station in Jan 2011
27 degrees 19′ Capricorn..
Do you think Jupiter’s fall could explain some of the public judgment and controversy over the news?
the public is the Moon and i think by and large the public supports him (Gallup showed a significant bounce in job approval after this announcement)
Jupiter in fall explains the extraordinary circumstances which he has inherited through no fault of his own…
Jupiter’s SP station direct signifies the slow eventual reversal of many of these circumstances (the DJI is over 10k again already)
The SP Full Moon in 30 months is right on US Sibley MC/IC !
He will accomplish much more for our Country and go down in History for much more than his color and this prize to be sure
Thanks for the insightful article. I don’t know why the progressed moon and chart always seem to be such remarkably precise indicators. I guess if I did I might win a Nobel myself!
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