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New Moon Period Forecast - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Presidential Election New Moon Period; October 28, 2008 through November 13, 2008 Finally, Election Day is here! So what does the Lunation period encompassing Election Day hold in store? Let's take a look. In this posting my focus is the Presidential campaign and election, at least in the days leading up to Election Day. After Election Day, we can turn our attention to a Lame Duck, outgoing president - as well as a new President-Elect! So what are they going to be dealing with and paying attention to during this two week period that ends November 13 when the Full Moon Period takes over? Jobs! Employment! With the economy suffering a tremendous slowdown - and Wall Street traumatized by wild mood swings (as shown by transiting Uranus in adherence to the Washington Inauguration natal Saturn, Lord of the 5th), the realization will sink in with many people that the next shoe to drop will be jobs and employment. Public confidence will drop as people begin to really worry about their jobs - and whether or not they will be standing in the unemployment line (or an online unemployment queue) before long. |
With a Level 4 Libra Spirit Releasing period in effect this weekend, this fear will be one of the final driving factors behind voters' presidential choice for those that actually vote on Election Day. Which candidate has the right ideas and philosophies about jobs and employment? Which one is the best choice to handle the economy and the deteriorating jobs market? Watch the exit polling voter interviews on Election Day to get a sense of the public's dread and unease over this issue. You may have to read between the lines, as this fear will not be readily articulated. On Election Day the issues will be uppermost in voters' minds - which is aptly reflected by Mercury entering Scorpio and therefore being in phasis. This happens at about 11:00 AM EST - and since Mercury is Lord of the Level 1 profected sign of Gemini, and now transiting Scorpio once again sees the Level 2 Lord Saturn, the presidential race may well be mostly set in stone early on Election Day. Voters should be quite enthusiastic and optimistic about voting and the election outcome. Just after the new President is elected, watch for the financial situation and the economy to dominate the news cycles again - after a sort of mini-vacation from disturbing news during the weekend and the days leading into Election Day gives the voters - and the presidential candidates - a chance to catch their breath. Finally, for the rest of the New Moon period, watch for Presidential attention, both Lame Duck and Elect, to be focused on the economy. |
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2008 Third Presidential Debate - Wednesday, October 15, 2008 Tonight is the third and last debate. Following transiting Mercury and Saturn and how they're currently impacting the Washington Inauguration chart, we find that transiting Saturn remains in the 1st while transiting Mercury is stationary direct in the 2nd. Both are diurnal now in a diurnal chart - Saturn is angular, while Mercury is in phasis by being stationary. Sounds like something of a standoff to me - even if the two planets don't know it, being in aversion - not only natally, but also by transit. In fact, transiting Mercury opposes natal Mercury - and likewise with Saturn. And this setup remains in place all the way up to Election Day, when Mercury will again be intensified by being at Egress (29 Libra). However, Mercury remains the major time lord. So I don't see much changing in the presidential race between Obama and McCain as a result of this third debate. McCain probably will make up some ground tonight if he focuses on the economy and his philosophy for attacking the problem. But it won't be enough, as his efforts will be lackluster, shown by Saturn's degree-based sextile to the Moon. |
McCain has threatened to "whip Obama's you-know-what" tonight in the debate. I don't see that happening. McCain will think twice about going negative on Obama - although he may be able to tactfully bring up the so-called domestic terrorist Ayers and perhaps even Reverend Wright. Still, at the time of this writing (about 12:30 PM MST) the Dow remains down about 400 points, reflected by Mercury's station in the 2nd house of the WI chart. The public remains focused on the economy. The Debate's Ascendant in Gemini opens the debate by receiving a degree-based square from Saturn - and with Vice-President Cheney's heart troubles again making the news, the public will be thinking secondarily about vitality issues as well as the economy and financial issues. I think the public remains deeply concerned with financial and job issues in their personal lives - and so these issues (Mercury) will remain in focus, front and center. Personal attacks, demagoguery and trying to create or instill fear about qualifications and personality will continue to backfire badly for those that use these tactics. |
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2008 Second Presidential Debate - First posted on the MySpace Hellenistic Astrology Forum on October 6, 2008 Researching the Washington Inauguration chart and the aspects at the start of the next debate on Tuesday at 8:00 PM CDT in Nashville, TN Using ZR from Spirit, Mercury and Saturn are major and minor time lords currently. While transiting Saturn is loosely supporting (hexagonal configuration) the natal Moon in Cancer in the 11th (acquisition of finances and resources), transiting Mercury is wreaking havoc by threatening both our sense of emotional security (WI 4th house) and the arena of joint finances (8th house) through a diameter configuration to natal Mars (Mars ruling both the 4th and the 8th in the natal chart - the 4th through a trigonal relationship); and contradicting the natal Moon through a tetragonal configuration, thereby undermining Saturn's somewhat lukewarm support. Mercury, as said before, is the major time lord, and so wields a big stick right now. While it's true that Mercury still remains retrograde and under the beams, he has by transit switched (just yesterday) from the nocturnal realm to the diurnal realm - and so is carrying more influence in the diurnal natal WI chart. Not only that, but Mercury has lowered the curtains - he's now in his Chariot by virtue of being in his own Bounds! The themes are repeated when you look at Fortune Houses as well - Mercury challenges our feelings and notions about 2nd House spending money, disposable income, possessions, etc; Mercury also threatens jobs; and Mercury is demanding a different direction in philosophy. And once again, Saturn weakly defends the status quo that shapes our philosophical attitudes. |
These themes are impacting Presidential politics right now - not just Obama and McCain, but Bush as well. Tomorrow night looks like a lively discussion about finances - although with Mercury retrograde and under the beams there is bound (no pun intended) to be some confusion. However, Mercury at 12 Libra is protected by being in its Chariot (Bounds) - so issues and choices might become clearer. It looks like that what really happens (Fortune houses) is that a clear difference in philosophies about these issues becomes much clearer. Saturn does make a sextile to the Moon concerning money (and Fortune philosophy) - by being a demagogue (appealing to the lowest common denominator) trying to socialize (sextile) and get on people's good side - shining them on so to speak. In the standalone debate chart, Saturn is succeedent and Mercury is cadent, but there's more heat provided by the oppositions and squares (testimony-wise), so once again there may not be a clear winner, as Mercury and his issues still has trouble getting heard. These are the major players. Mars might be a wild card, having just ingressed into a comfortable Scorpio, and being in the 7th in the standalone chart. Venus, the ruler of the debate chart Ascendant is also in Scorpio (uncomfortable) in the 7th - so perhaps there will be a display of heat and anger with no love lost between Obama and McCain. I'm thinking in terms of the palpable dislike McCain showed towards Obama in the 1st debate making a strong reappearance in this debate. |
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2008 Vice Presidential Debate - First posted on MySpace Hellenistic Astrology Forum on October 1, 2008 The Vice-Presidential debate is scheduled for tomorrow night, October 2, 2008, at 8:00 PM CDT in St. Louis, Missouri. The chart dignities are not auspicious. Sun is in Depression; Moon is in Depression; Mercury is retrograde and under the beams with no chariot protection; Venus is in Anti-Domicile; Mars is in Anti-Domicile; Jupiter is in Depression. Saturn is relatively neutral, but is not helped by being in any of its own Places, nor the Places of a sect-mate. I get the feeling this debate is going to be a train wreck. In my other post on Zodiacal Releasing and the election, it is Mercury and Saturn who are the Time Lords currently. Mars gets in on the picture by being co-present in the Washington Inauguration chart with Mercury - and by being in Domicile. In the Solar Return for the WI chart, Mercury is in superior position to Saturn, while Mars is in a partile degree-based opposition to Jupiter, with both being in Depression. The recent station of Mercury retrograde in Libra (in adherence to Mars in Libra) reflected the absolute financial mess we're in right now, especially since this Mercury/Mars pairing took place in the 2nd house, in a degree-based square to the Solar Return Mars/Jupiter opposition. This opposition involves the 11th house (mundane: Vice-President) and the 5th house (mundane: stock market speculation). |
Tomorrow night when the Vice-Presidential debate starts, Mercury and Mars are still co-present, although moving away from each other (Mercury will once again catch Mars in Sagittarius at the end of November - right after the Pluto ingress to Capricorn. This takes place in the WI 4th house - mundane: houses, real estate - so I suspect some ramifications of the current financial mess will appear at the end of November. I'm hoping we have a clear Presidential-elect by then...). Mercury is completely absorbed by the Sun, while Saturn, although not great, is at least in the 1st House. What I think this portends for the debate though is demagoguery of the worst sort - transparent, blatant populism and appeals to prejudices, both overtly and subversively. Mars, at 29 Libra, is either in phasis, or approaching phasis in anticipation of his Scorpio ingress. So a lot of attention is focused on Mars - which might make for some fireworks at the debate, i.e. cutting remarks, sarcasm, anger, etc. And it will probably go both ways... the Debate Jupiter is partile square to the WI Mars, while the Debate Mars is in diameter to the WI Mercury in Aries. I expect a spectacle, with an avoidance of a discussion of real issues. This is not to say however, that it won't make great television... "A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." My apologies to Mr. William and Macbeth. |
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2008 Elections Part 2 - First posted on MySpace Hellenistic Astrology Forum on September 15, 2008 This is a followup to my post over on the MySpace Horoscopic Astrology forum in the thread "Republican Vice-President Data," in which I took a look at the upcoming election through the Hellenistic time lord procedure Zodiacal Releasing from Spirit. This approach was predicated on the study of Zodiacal Releasing by Hindsight and others including Chris Brennan and Patrick Watson. However my application of the time lord procedure is somewhat more extrapolated than theirs - and to my knowledge has no direct antecedent in the Hellenistic record. This application was motivated by the swirling confusion surrounding most, if not all of the candidate birthtimes. Instead of focusing on which candidate(s) has/have the most conducive personal chart(s) for victory, I use this procedure to look at the mood, or the will (in this election cycle), of the American electorate. Zodiacal Releasing addresses just this sort of view - and when combined with the Washington Inauguration chart of 04/30/1789, 1:20 PM LMT, New York, NY - I feel this procedure can give an accurate view of the American electorate will at this point in time. To summarize my previous post, the current election cycle corresponds to the 1800 election contest between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, with Jefferson winning, but only after a tough campaign and a election crisis that was settled by Congress. Already in this cycle we have fears (engendered by the last two elections) of more election chicanery by either or both of the parties; an Electoral College crisis precipitated by a disparity between the popular and Electoral vote counts; and of course fears of presidential term curtailment caused by either health problems or violence. By 1800 the mood of the country was ugly and restless, due in part to the Alien and Sedition Acts, which greatly restricted the movement and rights of citizens, and especially immigrants and aliens. These Acts were subsequently declared unconstitutional. Currently we're dealing with the Constitutional ravaging caused by the Patriot Act - and of course an ugly and difficult immigration debate. Adams, the candidate of the conservative, British monarchy-supporting and established business-supporting party was distrusted by his party, leading to a fracturing that eventually led to its demise. Today the Republicans (at least before the introduction of Palin as candidate for Vice-President) faced a similar fracturing of loyalties, leading some pundits to speculate about the future neutralization of the Republican Party as a political force. Adams was also considered personally to be arrogant, uncooperative and temperamental - qualities also associated today with McCain. Adams was a hero of the Revolutionary War, as McCain is a hero from the Vietnam War. Thomas Jefferson used his 1800 presidential victory to build and chart a new direction for America, and established his new Democratic-Republican Party as the part of power for the next couple of decades. Historians now view the 1800 election as a "watershed" election. If the ZR cycle correspondences hold then, this election should signal a new direction for America, leading to new ideas and new approaches in the coming years. The party/candidate that best captures this spirit I believe will win the election, as I'm gauging that the American electorate is ready for a significant change in national direction. So far, change has been a hallmark of the Obama campaign, with McCain trying to co-opt that image and paint Obama/Biden as Washington insiders. I believe this effort motivated (in part) McCain's choice of Palin as his running mate. In the Inauguration chart the ZR Lords are Major Mercury and Minor Saturn for this election cycle - as they were for the 1800 cycle as well. In the natal chart, Mercury and Saturn are in aversion - so the two Lords are not working together in any capacity. Saturn in the WI (Washington Inauguration) chart is at 20 Pisces - which reverberates today in the Saturn/Uranus opposition of 18 Virgo/18 Pisces on Election Day. Modern astrologers see this as a tug-of-war between entrenched power and change. Uranus of course is not a traditional astrological planet - but this conflict between orthodoxy and change can also be seen in the ZR Lords as Saturn and Mercury - Mercury being the traditional significator of change. |
As far as transits go, Major Lord Mercury stations twice with a retrograde in between, in Libra, which falls in the 2nd Place of the WI chart. And of course, economic/Wall Street events today (September 15, 2008 seeing the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the sale of Merrill Lynch) correspond quite nicely with this 2nd house emphasis, even though Mercury has not yet stationed retrograde - which it will do on September 23/24 - ominously with an exact co-presence (conjunction) with Mars (the out-of-Sect malefic in the WI chart.) Look for some nasty economic news next week - with possibly profound repercussions affecting the presidential campaigns of either or both parties. However, there's more. Part of Hellenistic time lord procedures (as I understand it) is examining the current, yearly Solar Return to get a sense of how the particular Time Lords you're dealing with are operating. The Solar Return chart is like a yearly Board meeting where the Sun hands down marching orders. The WI Solar Return chart features (like the natal chart) Virgo in the Ascendant, with Saturn retrograde at 1 Virgo conjunct the Ascending degree of 2 Virgo. Saturn represents business-as-usual, entrenched power structures - and is powerfully placed in the WISR chart. However - his Domicile Lord is Mercury - which is the Major Time Lord currently active in the ZR from Spirit procedure we're examining. Not only that - but the Exalted Lord is also Mercury - as is the Bound Lord! So Saturn, although powerfully placed, is still subservient to Mercury, who is in Taurus conjunct the MC point in the 9th. Mercury therefore is angularized by the MC conjunction. Furthermore, Mercury is in Superior trigonal position to Saturn - and so in my estimation holds the upper hand. Change (Mercury) and Issues (Mercury) will dominate and decide this election - despite Saturn's retrograde grumpiness. Digging a bit deeper however, one cannot help but notice the central degree-based opposition between Mars in Cancer in Depression and Jupiter in Capricorn in Depression. Mars is in the 11th, which in Mundane astrology represents the Vice-President among other things - and personally, when I see this Mars in Cancer in Depression I cannot help but see Sarah Palin! And she's opposed by a depressed Jupiter in Capricorn - which reminds me of Joe Biden. Of course, the 5th house is seen (at least by modern and mundane astrologers) as the house of financial speculation and the Stock Market - which was rocked by today's financial developments. We've already seen these themes develop; the extraordinary interest in the Vice-Presidential candidates; and the economic/Stock Market rumblings. Ominously, the mundane 5th house also shows signs of threats to national leadership. And just as troubling - the Mercury Station/Mars conjunction in Libra is at 22 degrees next week - T-squaring the Mars/Jupiter opposition in the WISR chart (and partile squaring the Jupiter end.) Jupiter is a player this year in this chart also because he is the Ascendant Annual Profected Lord as the Sagittarius 4th is lit up this year. Again, look for some nasty developments next week - involving the nation's economic health and stock market - and affecting the presidential campaign - possibly the Vice-Presidential candidates in particular. These developments/events will stay in the nation's psyche up until Election Day as Mercury, the Major ZR Profected Lord stays in Libra - crossing (in direct motion) the 22 Libra station point on Halloween (all the while squaring Jupiter by degree and tetragonal testimony.) |
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2008 Election Part 1 - First posted on the MySpace Horoscopic Astrology Forum Given the uncertainty of candidate birthtimes in this (and probably other) elections, perhaps a fruitful approach might be looking at the American electorate and forecasting just what the mood of the people that elect Presidents might be. From there one could favor one candidate over the other as to who best meets the American public's mood and/or expectations. Also, given the widespread sentiment that 1) it doesn't matter who is in the Oval Office; and 2) whoever is there - despite their best (or most evil) intentions - has limited impact; perhaps it is better to get a sense of and to predict/forecast the currents the Ship of State is sailing in. So... if Zodiacal Releasing from Spirit provides clues as to what a nativity does through some exertion of conscious or semi-conscious will; and if there be recurrence themes that run through specific Releasing signatures as proposed by those who have studied Releasing; and given that astrology itself is a study of recurring cycles, then perhaps a study of the previous cycle corresponding to the one we're currently in as a nation can provide clues as to what lies ahead. To do this though you need to unfocus your mind and look for patterns and currents, not details. The names, labels, specifics and philosophies - especially in the political arena - are ever shifting. Yesterday's Republican is today's Democrat (and vice versa) when considering the life of a nation. Of course, the question of which American chart to use becomes somewhat of an issue. In terms of cycle correspondences though, it doesn't matter. The current Releasing cycle we're in corresponds to the same historical cycle regardless of which chart you use. Of course, the Lords involved change - so pick your favorite American chart and go for it. And one last hurdle. Curt Manwaring's magnificent Delphic Oracle calculates a Loosing-of-the-Bond-like jump at the completion of the Zodiacal major period cycle - which alters the historical correspondence with the current Releasing period. I have chosen instead to ignore this jump as I found little major correspondence between this Loosing of the Bond-determined presidential contest and the current one. This is not to say there are no references or parallels - events, especially recent events, have recalled this Loosing of the bond-determined presidential contest. Regardless of the chart you use, you'll find this 2008 election season Releasing period corresponds to the 1800 Adams-Jefferson contest Releasing period. If you follow the major Loosing-of-the-Bond schematic, then this 2008 season corresponds to Teddy Roosevelt's second election. To be sure, there are minor echoes of this contest to the current contest - McCain tried to establish some sort of mantle connection to Teddy Roosevelt's policies/approaches by saying that he modeled his philosophies on Roosevelt (as reported in the New York Times, July 13, 2008). And McCain's recent pick of Sarah Palin from Alaska as VP seems to echo some Rooseveltian qualities. However, I feel that the real cyclical echoes emanate from the 1800 Adams-Jefferson contest. Although there are of course major differences in detail, the general currents are similar. Adams and Jefferson had battled each other for the Presidency 4 years before, with Adams winning, and Jefferson winding up as Vice-President. 1. In the years previous to the 1800 election, the Alien and Sedition Acts had been passed by Adams, with the stated intent of protecting the United States from immigrants and alien citizens - as well as perceived criticism of the government. Opponents of the day, like opponents of the current Patriot Act, saw a more sinister political intention in this - and in fact the Alien and Sedition Acts were later overturned. These Acts only invited backlash against Adams' party, the Federalists. This party was greatly weakened by this fiasco - and along with the defeat of 1800, was hurried along towards extinction. Today, the Republican Party is suffering from strong unpopularity with the electorate as a whole, and there have been fears of widespread losses on the Republican side at different political levels. While I don't see the Republican Party going away any time soon, this current election season could greatly weaken their hold on political power. 2. Adams was the Federalist candidate. The Federalists supported business interests and were generally supportive of British monarchic ideals in the early United States - as opposed to Jefferson who generally supported French ideals. Adams was of course very active in the American Revolution - as was Jefferson. Mainstream Federalists did not especially care for Adams, but grudgingly supported him - much like today's McCain who has had to overcome party base distrust. 3. Adams in his day was a bit of a maverick (again like McCain) and was seen as independent, temperamental, arrogant and dogmatic. This damaged the Federalist Party's effort at presenting a unified front, which allowed Jefferson and his Democratic-Republican Party to win the election. 4. The 1800 election was extremely contentious - but then again most - at least these days - are. There were rumors and personal attacks, with the usual (through a modern lens) charges of liberalism and conservatism. Some things never change...! |
Results Jefferson and Aaron Burr won the popular vote fairly easily - and their party had schemed to engineer Jefferson into the Presidency and Burr into the Vice-Presidency. However, things screwed up and the elector voting ended up in a tie, which led to a constitutional crisis of sorts. In fact, the actual decision between who was President and who was Vice-President fell to the Federalist House of Representatives! With the voting problems we've had in recent years, as well as the fears about voting procedures, machines and the Electoral College in this election, one wonders if some sort of crisis might grow from the current election. Interestingly, the 1800 election has been seen historically as a profound change not only in American political life but also in the growth and development of the the American Nation as well. Clearly, the American populace in 1800 was in the mood for change - profound change. And of course, the mantra of Change is a resonant theme in this election, with Obama claiming the mantle of change (defeating Hillary Clinton as a result) successfully - at least up until this point. McCain recognizes the importance of this issue and is making a serious effort to claim Change as his own - largely by virtue of his Vice-Presidential pick, Sarah Palin. In the years following the 1800 election, the American Nation grew in strength and influence on the world stage, largely through the efforts of the Democratic-Republican Party with the Jefferson and subsequent Monroe Administrations. So I would venture that whoever successfully claims the mantle of change in the American electorates eyes will be elected President - hopefully leading to a sea change in direction in American policy, influence and reputation on the world stage. So what chart do I favor? Considering that the subject is the American Presidency and the American electorate's conscious expression of will (through voting) regarding the Presidency, I use the chart for Washington's Inauguration; April 30, 1789, 1:20 PM LMT, New York, New York (Wall Street to be exact). This chart marks the beginning of the Presidency and the ensuing cycle of Presidential elections. In this chart, the Lot of Spirit is found in Gemini in the natal 10th/Fortune 8th with its Lord Mercury in Aries in the 8th. Currently the Releasing from Spirit period we're in is Mercury as Major Lord with Saturn as Minor Lord - which was the same setup during the 1800 election. In the chart Mercury and Saturn are in aversion, so weakening any cooperation between the two. Mercury in this chart is a bit warlike, being co-present in the zoidion with an irascible Mars in Aries. Both Mercury and Saturn are diurnal in a diurnal chart, but Saturn is well placed in the angular 7th, albeit in Pisces. And yes, this is a connection between this chart and the transiting Saturn/Uranus opposition we're presently contending with - Saturn in this Inauguration chart is at 20 degrees Pisces. In mundane affairs, the 7th house can represent Congress, while Saturn represents the "old political guard". With Uranus transiting the natal Saturn the possibility of significant change in the old guard - or at least incumbency - springs to mind, especially in Congress. Disruption in the political process also is a possibility, with the specter of Congressional involvement in resolving any and all crises appearing. Transiting Saturn of course is opposing natal Saturn/transiting Uranus from the 1st house. Breaking down the Saturn cycle into 7 year increments brings to mind 2001 when Saturn was at the waxing square point of its current cycle - so there may be some significant echoes from that period as well. And one cannot ignore the volatility of the Saturn/Uranus contacts - in pivotal/angular houses in this chart at least. Finally, with the Major Lord Mercury stationing twice and retrograding in Libra - which is the 2nd Place/House in this chart perhaps economic themes will be uppermost in the electorate's mind when electing the President. However, I don't think it will be economic themes in the sense of how we grow or stimulate the economy (which I think would be more of an 11th house emphasis) but rather how we use and spend our financial and material resources in order to take care of ourselves. Obviously oil drilling is an issue, so that's a no-brainer. But I feel the American public is going to be asking the question "Who would be best at taking care of America financially?" So: 1) Who best represents a new change in direction? 2) Who will most effectively offer reassurances in the utilization of resources? 3) The possibility of an election crisis involving the seating of an Administration; and 4) the possibility of a volatile, disruptive surprise that affects the election. This might take the form of a foreign policy event that is unforeseen and unanticipated at the present time. Combined with the underlying need for a new direction in the world, the men/women who best answer these questions will be elected, charting the course for America not only during this Administration, but setting the tone for the next few ones as well. |