The 2008 Election: An Astrological Perspective

Submitted by Benjamin on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 17:27.

by Benjamin Bernstein

Obama & McCain with astrology symbolsDoes astrology have anything to say about who will win the 2008 U.S. presidential election on  November 4? Of course -- astrology can shed light on just about anything! In this article, we'll take a look at the most important astrological influences affecting this historic election.

Please note that an article such as this unavoidably requires the use of a lot of Astrologese. Please rest assured, however, that all technical terms will be promptly followed by English translations!

 The Bottom Line

For those who just want the bottom line, I'll give it to you up front: my professional astrological opinion is that Obama will win. (I should note that, in doing my analysis, I have tried my best to remain objective and set aside my personal support for Obama. I have also tried to set aside from my thinking the fact that Spiritsong also supports him, and has contributed money and time to his campaign. [For better or worse, Aquarians excel at separating their heads from their hearts!])

An Obama victory was also the prevailing opinion among a panel of seven well-known astrologers at the UAC astrology conference in May. Although they used many different systems and styles of astrology to reach their conclusions, six predicted an Obama win, while one called it a tossup between Obama and McCain. (Interestingly, none predicted a win for Hillary -- even one female astrologer who was campaigning door-to-door for her!)

 The Uranus-Saturn Opposition

Even those who called it for Obama, however, noted an extraordinary synchronicity: Uranus and Saturn make an exact opposition on Election Day! Uranus rules shock, unpredictability and surprise, thus throwing a "wild card" energy into the mix. However, this aspect can also be interpreted as revolutionary new paradigms (Uranus) overcoming the old order (Saturn). Since the outermost planet (Uranus in this case) always has more power, I interpret this aspect as favoring the candidate who more truly represents change (Obama).

In looking at the transits, progressions and solar arcs (three planetary movement systems) being experienced by both candidates on Election Day, Obama has a far calmer chart. However, McCain's chart shows that busier is not always better: it's full of challenging aspects!

 Benefics and Malefics

As we get into this, I will be identifying certain planets as benefic (having a positive influence) or malefic (having a negative influence). This may seem odd to those of you who are accustomed to my optimistic "it's all good" personal consultation style. But different types of astrology require different approaches. In client work, it's valid and helpful to use the "it's all good" approach of seeing even the greatest challenges as ultimately positive growth opportunities. When doing forecasting that involves countries and politics -- mundane astrology -- the planets can be viewed as having overtly positive or negative influences.

Finally, before we jump into the chart analyses, here's the birth data I'm using (Porphyry houses):

  •  Barack Obama: 8/4/61, 7:24 pm, Queens Hospital (Honolulu), HI
  •  John McCain: 8/29/36, 9 am, Cosocolo, Panama
  •  United States (Sibly chart): 7/4/1776, 5:10 pm, Philadelphia, PA

 The Obama Breakdown

In Obama's Election Day transit chart, the transiting Nodes of the Moon line up on his Sun. This can indicate his ego and vital energy stepping into his destiny. Also, transiting Mars is closely sextiling natal Mars. This bodes well because transiting Mars is in the Ninth House (politics) and approaching the Midheaven (public recognition, career). Also, Mars is the ancient ruler of Obama's Scorpio Midheaven.

The most compelling success transit in this chart, however, is the transiting Moon. (In a celebrity chart, the Moon can represent the public.) While the transiting Moon conjuncts natal Saturn (a malefic) in the early morning hours, it conjuncts lucky Jupiter (the Great Benefic) in the late afternoon. Using Whole Sign houses, the Moon also moves from Obama's Capricornian 12th House (dreams and visions) into his Aquarian First House (new beginnings).

This movement of the Moon from the 12th House into the First is also shown by Obama's Progressed Moon. While late in the 12th on Election Day, it crosses the Ascendant on Dec. 17 -- placing it just past the powerful cusp of his First House on Inauguration Day.

I also find it compelling that Obama's Solar Arc Mars (his ancient career ruler and indicator of new begin
nings) is conjunct his Ninth House Neptune (political dreams and visions).

Of course, Obama is also receiving his share of challenging aspects. Among them are a Neptune-Mars quincunx, Saturn approaching conjunction to Mars, a Sun-Neptune separating conjunction and Pluto squaring his progressed Sun. Compared to McCain's heavily afflicted chart, however, Obama's challenges are a relative cakewalk.

 The Lowdown on McCain

McCain's chart tells a very different story. Starting with his transits, malefic Pluto is conjunct his North Node, placing huge challenge upon the achievement of his destiny. Neptune is also quincunxing Venus, which could place a dissolving influence upon the ruler of his chart (the mask or persona projected to the world).

It also would seem to bode ill for McCain that the Election Day Uranus-Saturn opposition lines up on his natal Saturn. This highly disruptive energy challenges the core structures represented by Saturn, and in fact threatens to rock his very foundation (McCain's Saturn rules his Fourth House). The Uranus-Saturn opposition also lines up on McCain's chart ruler Venus, destabilizing another critical planet.

Transiting Saturn -- whose 30-year orbit of the chart times career cycles -- is early in McCain's 12th House on Election Day. This normally marks a fallow, contemplative time when career ambitions are released -- hardly an ideal energy for assuming the Presidency. Even McCain's transiting Jupiter, another important life cycle timer, is just entering his Fourth House -- which represents private and domestic affairs, not the national spotlight.

The Election Day transits of McCain's personal planets are overwhelmingly dominated by challenging squares and oppositions: Venus square Saturn, Venus square Venus, Venus opposing Chiron, Sun square Mars, Sun square Uranus and Sun square Mars. This is the astrological equivalent of a dense thicket of thorns and brambles! One otherwise hopeful sign -- transiting Moon conducting his natal Moon, which rules his Midheaven (career, public recognition) -- is weakened by the Moon's opposition to natal Pluto.

Like Obama, McCain has his Progressed Moon in his 12th House on Election Day. However, while Obama's immediately shifts into the First House of new beginnings, McCain's progressed Moon remains in astrology's lowest-profile (and unluckiest) house for another 18 months.

 What About the U.S. Chart?

Finally, let's examine the astrological clues in the chart of the United States itself. Starting with Election Day transits, Pluto is sextiling the Moon, indicating a public excited about meaningful change (score one for Obama).

Natal Mars is getting hammered - it's receiving a Uranus square, a Neptune trine, a square from Saturn, a quincunx from itself and an opposition from Venus! Being the only personal U.S. planet in Gemini, this indicates a powerful change in how the country thinks. And since Mars rules the U.S. Nadir, these transits also indicate a revolutionary change in many of the country's foundational structures. Given what I know of the candidates, it seems to me that Obama is more likely to spearhead the far-reaching transformations suggested by this barrage of transits.

The extraordinary Election Day Uranus-Saturn opposition lines up on Neptune in the U.S. Ninth House. Neptune can represent deceit, propaganda and illusions -- which the current Republican administration has dished out in abundance -- and the huge paradigm shift indicated by Uranus-Saturn could easily swing the pendulum over to the Democrats. (I also find it interesting that the U.S. Neptune is in the Ninth House of politics!)

The final transit I want to discuss is the Moon conjuncting Pluto in the Second House. This could indicate the public desiring a profound transformation in the country's values, something most easily achieved by the candidate who represents the greatest departure from the status quo.

Shifting to other planetary movement systems, the Progressed North Node is conjunct Mercury, which can be interpreted as the country's evolving destiny being brought to fruition by a younger person. And Solar Arc Jupiter is conjunct the Moon, indicating that the public will respond most powerfully to the candidate who offers the most hopeful vision. Obama would seem to be the candidate of choice on both counts.

 A Prediction, Not a Guarantee

Let me emphasize that all of this constitutes a prediction of an Obama victory, not a guarantee. The power of the "wild card factor", created by the Election Day Saturn-Uranus opposition, cannot be underestimated. If you feel strongly about one of the candidates achieving victory, you would be wise to do whatever you can to help his campaign right up until Election Day!