I followed many of the key speakers at the DNC and was mesmerized by tracking the astrology as it unfolded, but I do not have the objectivity to make a prediction about the upcoming election. I’m happily optimistic about those predictions that have called it for Obama, and very happy that he has gotten a bounce in the polls. (1) (Those of us watching the astrology, especially at the end of his speech, could feel that coming.)
Chris Brennan diligently and impeccably covered all three days of the convention. Check out his fine contribution here: Day I, Day 2 and Day 3.
I have some highlights and impressions below.
Bill Clinton’s amazing, warm-hearted speech was the big event on Wednesday, September 5th; many have commented on the content and specificities in his talk. He was in very good form: Clinton was having a return of his exalted Moon in Taurus that night and he started his (long) speech as the local Moon (the chart set for Charlotte) was on the Ascendant.
Clinton’s speech ended and Obama walked out onto the stage at 11:23 p.m. for a hug with Bill and a brief wave to the crowd (which was going wild). The Ascendant at that moment was 3° Gemini, the degree of the president’s natal Moon. The Moon, of course, connects us to the public; in these moments you could sense the delegates’ affection for these two men. (One TV commentator who had attended both conventions said that the biggest difference was the genuine warmth and family feeling at the DNC. I didn’t watch the RNC — Chris Brennan and his crew did — but according to this fellow, there was not much of a feeling tone present.)
The president spoke on Thursday, September 6th, and there were many moments that were positive omens for his success in November. As mentioned above, one in particular was at 10:26 p.m. as Obama accepted the nomination: transiting Venus (ruling the Taurus Ascendant) was at 1° Leo, exactly conjunct the IC. This placed 1° Aquarius at the Midheaven, the degree of Obama’s natal Jupiter.
Another striking observation: A big shout out to Kate Petty for so vividly noting that Obama has a natal antiscia between the Midheaven (29° Scorpio) and Jupiter (1° Aquarius) that was lit up by the transiting Moon-Venus antiscia, and precise as Obama accepted the nomination! (2)
The north node was at 29° Scorpio; Obama’s natal Midheaven is 28° 53 Scorpio. The Moon was exactly conjunct the south node at 29° Taurus.
There were many more remarkable moments; do read Chris Brennan’s three-part series for the moment-by-moment account. (And, his report on the RNC.)
In looking back to the 2008 election, Obama’s solar arc Mars, ruler of his natal Midheaven, was 8°16’ Scorpio, exactly on natal Neptune (8°36’). In hindsight, this suggests the idealistic hope (I was right there) and subsequent mood of disappointment for some. He has no exact solar arcs at the time of this election. At least, that particular moment in time is behind him.
A brief look at some other difficult aspects that have also passed:
Transiting Neptune was square the natal Midheaven from March through December 2011. (His reputation suffers and/or his goals are confused?)
The transiting south node (3° Gemini) was conjunct Obama’s natal Moon during the summer of 2012. That has passed, and the transiting nodes have changed signs, with the north node conjunct his Midheaven at the time he accepted the nomination.
His progressed Sun moved into Libra in November 2010, just in time for that powerful ingress onto the world axis to be opposed by transiting Uranus throughout 2011.
There is another stressful series of progressed and progressed-to-natal patterns that have passed exactitude. It’s a bit complicated to write, so let’s look at the current (secondary) progressed chart first:
In summary:
Progressed Mercury conjunct progressed Mars in July 27, 2008
Progressed Mercury square progressed Saturn on November 11, 2008 (the election was on November 4)
Progressed Mars, ruler of the Aries Ascendant, precisely square progressed Saturn, ruler of the Midheaven, in March 2009
Progressed Saturn square progressed Ascendant on November 16, 2010
Progressed Mercury square progressed Jupiter on May 7, 2012
Progressed Mars opposite Ascendant on August 25, 2012 (a few days before the convention)
To add another layer, here’s the president’s natal chart:
Saturn and Mars rule the angles in the natal chart (as well as the progressed angles). Saturn rules the natal Aquarius Ascendant and Mars rules the natal Scorpio Midheaven.
Transiting Saturn has been squaring natal Saturn since November 2011 and was precise for the last time at 25°19’ Libra on August 21, right before the convention.
During this same time, transiting Saturn was opposite the progressed Ascendant, conjunct progressed Mercury, and square the progressed Midheaven ruler (see chart above), i.e., Saturn at 23° Capricorn and conjunct Ascendant ruler Mars at 25° Libra; both rulers are also on the progressed angles. One further detail: slow-moving progressed Mars has also passed the exact square to natal Saturn in April 2012. Yikes! I’d say this is a life well-tempered by Saturn.
The president’s natal Jupiter is retrograde at 0°51’ Aquarius (in the 1st house in whole signs). In January 2011 Jupiter went direct by progression. This is a hopeful note as well, perhaps a (slow) improvement over the conditions he has inherited. (3)
Very recently, the U.S. Sibly progressed Moon was conjunct progressed Mars (exact on September 1, 2012, right before the DNC).
With that riled up Moon just behind us, maybe the U.S. populace will start to get along a bit better. (I must be channeling Bill Clinton: this conjunction is at 18° Libra; he has Libra Ascending with Mars, Neptune, Venus, and Jupiter in the 1st house. His natal Venus/Jupiter midpoint is 17° Libra and Chiron is at 18° — an echo of Chiron’s role as the wounded healer. He spoke memorably at the convention about bringing people together and the fact that he “never learned to hate” his opponents.
This leads me back to my overall impression of Obama’s speech. Saturn at 25°19’ Capricorn is his chart ruler (Aquarius rising) and transiting Saturn has been squaring natal Saturn since November 2011. As noted, the last exact square was on August 21, 2012. He gave a sober, serious speech, a realistic assessment of what’s ahead. He was critiqued in some places for not being inspiring or lofty enough; I thought it was a perfect display of a natal dignified Saturn. I hope he wins.
Footnotes:
(1) Huffington Post
(2) My friend Robert Blaschke was always trying to get me to pay attention to antisica. I never saw it so clearly as that night, an unforgettable moment. Thanks, Kate.
(3) Thanks to Gary Caton for this comment to a blog I wrote in 2009: “Jupiter in fall explains the extraordinary circumstances which he has inherited through no fault of his own.”