National Political Astrology: Mr. Scorpio Speaker of the House- John Boehner, (R) Ohio

[tweetmeme] In the funeral wake of the loss of Democratic power in the U.S. House of Representatives during the current Venus Retrograde in Scorpio, I wanted to shine the light on the power of the new Speaker of the House: Scorpio, John Boehner, (R) Ohio. As astrology will tell you, the sign of Scorpio, ruled by the power planet, Pluto, is strong-willed, extreme, powerful, obsessive, secretive, and probing. Speaker Boehner will assume his new leadership role, after Aries, Nancy Pelosi, (D) California.

I find it interesting that soon-to-be former Speaker Pelosi’s Aries Sun is ruled by Mars, while soon-to-be Speaker Boehner’s Scorpio Sun is ruled by Mars’ higher octave, Pluto. In fact, astrology lore tells us that Scorpio’s former ruler was Mars, before Pluto was discovered in 1913, and there are still many astrologers who uphold Mars‘ rulership of both Aries and Scorpio. The point being, we are not losing a fighter in the U.S. House of Representatives—we have a different warrior.

I decided to pull up Speaker John Boehner’s astro chart, born November 11, 1949, and look at the progressions and transits on election day, November 2, 2010. I’ve used a default 6am birth time as I do not have an exact time of birth, so the Ascendant, House positions, and Moon will not be taken into account. Aspects of note are listed below:

• Note: Boehner’s Natal Moon can be anywhere between 11-26 degrees Libra, based on the day of birth and the Moon’s travel speed. This is important as the planet Saturn is current traveling around 12 degrees Libra (its sign of exaltation) and can bring rewards for hard work.
• Natal Sun/Mercury conjunction in Scorpio square Pluto in Leo. Progressed Sun/Mercury conjunction in Capricorn, conjunct natal Jupiter: This is a very important set of aspects! Nothing says “Speaker of the House” better than the Sun and Mercury in harmony, with planetary aspects to powerful Pluto, expansive Jupiter, in the backdrop of public recognition in the sign of Capricorn?
• Transiting Mercury in Scorpio approaching conjunction with natal Mercury in Scorpio: Boehner’s Mercury Return occurred soon after the election. Another nod to Mercury, the ruler of communication.
• Natal Venus in Capricorn trine natal Saturn/Mars conjunction in Virgo. Progressed Venus opposite natal Pluto: Another reinforcement of transiting Saturn, exalted in Libra (ruled by Venus). John Boehner is known to be a fiscal conservative, among other things, and his natal chart reflects delayed gratification, small business, favoring lobbyists, etc, with Venus in Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) in aspect to Mars and Saturn. It is also extremely interesting to see Pluto and Venus (power and money, big business) together. Restructuring of finances, anyone?
• Natal Mars/Saturn conjunction in Virgo: Hard…work…sustained…effort…steady…climb…to…the…top…criticizing…all…the..way…
• Natal Uranus in Cancer opposite transiting Pluto/North Node conjunction in Capricorn/conjunct transiting South Node in Cancer: Boehner was able to tap into the will of the people (South Node in Cancer) who wanted dramatic change (Uranus) in government leadership (Pluto/North Node in Capricorn).

PA Political Astrology: Lancaster County Democratic Women’s Association Honors Janice Stork (D-Scorpio)

(Middle, at the podium) Janice Stork, a Scorpio, the first female Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who served from 1990-1998.

[tweetmeme]This afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending my first “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” luncheon hosted by the Lancaster County Democratic Women’s Association (LCDWA). The LCDWA, headed by Sue Stoltzfus (Scorpio), presented the first annual Catherine Baker Knoll (a fellow Virgo, yeah!) Award to Janice C. Stork (Scorpio), who served as Mayor of the City of Lancaster, PA from 1990-1998. (Just a quick note: Catherine Baker Knoll shares a September 3rd Virgo birthdate with Joe Hoeffel, who is getting my vote for the next Governor of PA!) Janice currently has a one-line Wikipedia entry, as of today, but Tracey Lynn Arriola, Secretary of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee (LCDC) and member of the LCDWA, is working to change that. The luncheon had a great turnout at The Press Room of over 50 people, which included many male and female local officials such as Bruce Beardsley, Chair of LCDC; Craig Lehman, Lancaster County Commissioner; Nelson Polite, Lancaster City Council; and State Rep. Mike Sturla (Aquarius), among others for the males, as well as Lois Herr (Capricorn), candidate for PA Congress (16th District); Pat Brogan, Lancaster Mayor’s Office; Susan Rutt, PA Federation of Democratic Women; and Pat Coller, Lancaster City Council, among others for the females.

I cast a chart for the CBK Luncheon and thought the Cancer Ascendant was quite a nice indicator for honoring females in politics, considering the Moon rules Cancer and is symbolic of women, political favor, nurturing and emotions, and the public. The Moon in Aquarius is separating from a recent conjunction with Neptune and Chiron in the 9th house of the higher mind, philosophy, and freedom. (See chart below.) Check out my tweetphotos of the event here and my Picasa Web Album here.

I almost didn’t make it to the lunch, however, because last night, my beloved 1991 Buick Riviera—that I just poured money into, repairing the fuel pump and rear windshield—finally blew its transmission. How fitting a time for my car to give out as transiting retrograde Saturn (ruler of delays and restrictions) passes over my natal Mercury (ruler of communication and transportation), while transiting Mars (ruler of action and aggression) goes stationary direct on the cusp of my 3rd house of communication and transportation. ¡Que Lastima! Thankfully, I got a ride from my brother and was able to meet up with my new found LCDC and LCDWA friends, Sue Stoltzfus, Martine Elianor, Janet Spleen, Kathy Rammer, and Renee Martin, and I met a few new ones as well. In case you missed it, you can read how I met these wonderful women at DemFest and the LCDC Convention.

PA Political Astrology: Lancaster County Democratic Committee Goes Joe!

[tweetmeme]Well, well, well … after attending demfest via twitter hashtag, then tweeting up afterwards with one of Cocalico’s finest, I was finally able to attend Saturday’s Lancaster County Democratic Committee endorsement convention. Woot-woot! Click here for the twitter hashtag roundup: http://twubs.com/lcdc.

I got a ride with Sue (@susan1030) and a few of the Cocalico Democrats. We arrived at the Lancaster Host Resort and I checked-in on foursquare at 8:07am. (See chart cast for this time below.) It was then that I met Lancaster County Commissioner, Craig Lehman, and put my name on Joe Sestak’s petition for PA Senate. I even took one to get more signatures, so if you are a Lancaster, PA resident, are registered to vote, and haven’t yet signed a petition for Benedict Arlen DisreSpecter, come sign my petition for Joe Sestak! Then, I signed Sue Stoltzfus’s petition for PA State Committee, as well as 5 other petitions for Lancaster Committee people. I was introduced to Renee Martin at the Jack Wagner for Governor table, then I grabbed some coffee and finally got to meet Martine (@politicslovr) who was working the Lois Herr for Congress table. Lois Herr is a Capricorn, running against Libra, Joe the Pitts of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to the Affordable Healthcare for America Act. After Martine and I chatted, I looked on my UberTwitter and saw that Beth Becker (@spedwybabs) had arrived and was looking for me. The funny thing was that as I told Martine that Beth was looking for me, she said, “Oh, Beth is right over there.” Beth was within 10 feet of where I was, haha! So, we got a picture together and proceeded to tweet away about how the convention was progressing.

Eventually, everyone settled into their seats as Bruce Beardsley, the Lancaster County Chairman called the meeting to order and gave the introductory remarks. We then broke out into workshop sessions, of which I attended the “Computer Sampler” with Ken Ralph, Common Ground newsletter editor. After the first session, I moseyed over to the Joe Hoeffel for PA Governor table, signed his petition, and then met Jena Grosser (@jena_grosser) who I had been following on twitter since DemFest 2010. The second breakout session I attended was “How Not To Do It Yourself,” led by Ken Ralph and Sally Lyall.

Lunch was a blast, where I met Sonya and Sandy Duncan of Columbia Borough, and sat with my committee person and district leader, Bill Sheaffer, as well as the LCDC office manager, Tracey Lynn Arriola. It was also during the lunch break that the candidates for PA Governor showed up: Dan Onorato the Aquarius came by our table first, then Jonathan Saidel the Gemini (Lt Gov), and finally Joe Hoeffel the Virgo. I got a picture with Joe but am waiting to get it from Bill’s camera. You’d better believe it will be on my facebook and twitter! I’ve been a fan and supporter of Joe Hoeffel since I met him at the Ambler R5 train station when he ran for Congress in 1998. I was a Sophomore at Temple University and rode the SEPTA from Ambler to Philly 5 days a week and was impressed to see Joe out on the tracks, greeting the commuters. Then, in 2005, he agreed to read my poem, Closet Rebel (email me if you’d like to read it), that I wrote for the Montgomery County Wissahickon Democrats, “Thank You” party for volunteers. To top it all off, Joe is also a Virgo, born on September 3rd, my astrology sign as well. We Virgo’s are awesome. Organized, hard-working, virtuous, practical, and down-to-earth.

You can bet I was sooooo totally stoked when Joe not only lit the room on FYRE with his speech but then clinched the endorsement for PA Governor from the Lancaster Democrats. Hell yea! Then, Joe Sestak the Capricorn shows up in his green military jacket and takes the floor. He didn’t speak from the podium like the other candidates—he stood with the people and walked up and down the aisle speaking to us with passion and conviction. (He did the same at the Chester County Dems meeting. See YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozJF9z0tXLQ) I must admit, I almost cried. The only candidate that didn’t show, was of course, Arlen DisreSpecter. And guess what, he got NO LOVE from Lancaster County. Joe Sestak received the endorsement. And although Gemini Jonathan Saidel didn’t get endorsed by the Lancaster Dems, I got a chance to talk with him and to hear him speak. He’s already been endorsed by the state committee and many other county committees. Doris Smith-Ribner (no birth date known yet) is great as well—in fact, she’s amazing. I wish I had known who she was prior to Saturday’s convention but I have time to learn more and hope she stays on the scene for a while.

All in all, I had a great time at the convention—I even got to be “mic runner” for all the committee nominations. I shook a lot of hands and actually remembered to hand out business cards. I should probably thank the recent new moon at 26 degrees Aquarius, that was conjunct my MC, the angle for career and reputation, for the public exposure I had this weekend. I cast a chart for the actual convention below. The time was set for when I arrived, a little after 8am, which was the time the convention was scheduled to begin. I like the Aries ascendant that had our group fired up but also in good spirits—note the chart ruler, Mars in the 5th house of recreation. The north node is in close conjunction with the 11th house of groups and associations, and power-monger Pluto is sitting very high in the chart near the MC, in the sign of Capricorn, ruled by Saturn. The moon in Taurus was set in the 2nd house of values, its home position as Taurus rules the 2nd house, and it was nice to hear Chairman Beardsley touch on Democratic values during his opening speech, mentioning how there are now over 100,000 registered Dems in Lancaster Co, 50 state offices are held by Lancaster officials, the PA State Democratic organization used Lancaster’s strategy as a template for the state, that power flows upward from the districts to the state level, and that we must keep in mind that for the primary we are running and competing against friends and allies. I’m optimistic that that Saturn in Libra on the cusp of the 7th helped to forge some fortunate alliances and partnerships for this year’s election cycle. More to come! Go Dems in 2010!

PA Political Astrology: Tweeting up after DemFest 2010

[tweetmeme]Today I had the pleasure of tweeting up with Sue Stoltzfus of the Lancaster County Democrats after we crossed paths on twitter yesterday during DemFest. (See also: PA Political Astrology: DemFest 2010 and Social Media and the Pennsylvania Young Democrats hashtag “Twub.”) Sue is the President of the Lancaster County Dem Women, a club that I had wanted to become a part of for some time. We had a wonderful conversation at Isaac’s Restaurant & Deli, which I added as my first, Newbie check-in point on foursquare. I was delighted to discover that we both share an interest not only in politics but also in social media. We have since connected on facebook and LinkedIn, and were brainstorming like crazy on new ideas for community and county engagement. When I left our meeting, I felt as though I was finally connected to my new town after leaving Montgomery County in late 2007.

Astrology isn’t confined to the birth of people; it can also be applied to the birth of relationships. Now, naturally, as a Virgo/Libra cusp, I can get carried away with casting an event chart whenever I meet a new guy (see also: Astrologers in Love). But, when I returned home, I couldn’t wait to cast an event chart for my first political tweetup. And wouldn’t you know, the event chart house positions for my tweetup today are almost identical to my natal chart! I’ve seen this configuration before when I cast the event chart for the first day at my current job (that I love, by the way). It’s also interesting that Susan is an October 30th Scorpio, which puts her Sun in my natal and event chart 6th House (near the Vertex, a point of fated connections) – the house of service, everyday routine, and work. Looks like I’ve made an auspicious connection and I’m eager to get started. Yay technology! (See today’s tweetup chart below.)

PA Political Astrology: DemFest 2010 and Social Media

Photo courtesy of micahmj11

[tweetmeme]When I heard the snowmageddon was coming, I was prepared for a comfortable, snowed-in Saturday. What I wasn’t prepared for was the phenomenon of #DemFest on twitter this morning and afternoon. I’m not a political insider in the traditional sense, so I wasn’t invited to attend the actual Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee endorsement gathering, known as DemFest. I don’t really rub shoulders with powerful people either but I read and watch a lot of news like MSNBC, FoxNews, CNN, Daily Show, Colbert Report and pay attention to local political blogs like PoliticsPA, Pa2010, Capitol Ideas, and subscribe to CapitolWire‘s Under the Dome email newsletter. What I also do is follow people that are interested in politics on twitter.

Lucky for me, I was able to pick up on the gossip of DemFest 2010 as it was happening thanks to the #demfest twitter hashtag and the wonderful political twitterati and bloggerati that kept us all up to date. Some, like @micahmj11, even had live video and pictures of the event that they shared with their tweet updates. It’s funny that while I was immersed in the PA Drama, I also clicked on a link tweeted by @spedwybabs (also partner in Progressive PST) on How Scott Brown friended, tweeted, and LOLed his way into the people’s Senate seat. Back in January, I tweeted about how Scott Brown had 3x more twitter followers than Martha Coakley. I even wrote a post comparing their astrological charts to see who’s chart looked more favorable for the special election (Brown’s did). And even though I was ultimately disappointed in the unsurprising endorsements by the PA Dems of Arlen Specter for PA Senate and the disappointing drop of Joe Hoeffel from the 1st round of ballot voting, I found out that I wasn’t alone and that I am still connected for change.

I exchanged tweets with 4 wonderful twitter “entities” that are also in my voting area: @Susan1030, @politicslovr, and of course @spedwybabs / progressivepst. This is wonderful for me because I recently relocated to Lancaster County (see also Lancaster Democrats), after having lived in Montgomery County my whole life (see also Montco Democrats), and haven’t had the chance to meet a lot of local Democrats because I commute to Philly for work everyday and still spend the majority of my time there. From these twitter connections, I’m looking forward to having a tweet-up and talking with and ultimately organizing a nice grassroots social media group for 2010 and beyond. Oh, what fun!

Stay tuned as I begin to analyze the astrology charts of our candidates for the upcoming Senatorial and Gubernatorial races. For the Democrats, we’ve got Aquarius Arlen Specter and Capricorn Joe Sestak against Republican Scorpio Pat Toomey for PA Senate, as well as Democrats Virgo Joe Hoeffel, Capricorn Jack Wagner, Aquarius Dan Onorato, and Pisces Anthony Williams, against Republican Leos Tom Corbett and Sam Rohrer. You can read my previous posts on Jim Gerlach, Tom Corbett, and Ed Rendell to catch up on what I’ve seen so far. Please feel free to tweet me, too: @signon2nine.

National Political Astrology: Jupiter in Pisces and SCOTUS Campaign Finance Ruling – Gemini John Edwards’ Road to Redemption

[tweetmeme]I’ll tell ya, that planet Jupiter sure knows how to make an entrance! I was reading the headlines today and thought, “what the hell kind of alignment is occurring now?” Well, according to Astro.com’s current transits, Jupiter is at 0 degrees Pisces. Not only did the Supreme Court of the United States (or SCOTUS) overturn campaign finance restrictions for corporations, but John Edwards decided to start his Baby Mama, Road to Redemption PR campaign in Haiti.

Now, I’m no expert on Supreme Court rulings or the history of campaign finance in America, but boy, oh boy, the reactions to the freedom of corporations and nonprofit groups to spend freely on campaign ads are sure to dominate our political scene for the upcoming 2010 elections. Not to mention, President Obama decided to take on the banks in an address today. Many astrologers have been writing about the current Saturn square Pluto transit, and I find it interesting that, on the day of this court ruling, Jupiter has entered into the sign of Pisces while the transiting Sun and Venus in Aquarius have entered into aspect with the Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn square. Further explained:

• Transiting Jupiter is making a 60 degree (sextile) aspect to transiting Pluto as well as a 150 degree (quincunx) aspect to transiting Saturn
• Transiting Sun and Venus are making a 120 degree (trine) aspect to transiting Saturn, as well as a 30 degree (semi-sextile) aspect to transiting Pluto

When I use astrology, I tend to look for patterns in planetary movement, so when I see…

• Jupiter, which represents the law, entering a sign of Pisces (ruled by Neptune), which represents the dissolution of boundaries, enter into aspect with
• The Sun and Venus, which represents identity and money, and
• With Saturn which represents rules and boundaries, and Pluto which represents power and destruction

… my analytical, Virgo eyes take notice. AND THEN, there is our beloved John Edwards (Gemini), former Democratic VP candidate in 2004 and Presidential candidate in 2008. (Note: John was born on the same day but different year, June 10,  as fellow Gemini Eliot Spitzer, who I discussed in an earlier post.) Oh, John, I won’t trash you because the popular media and American people can do that themselves. And lord knows, my critical Virgo nature is salivating at the opportunity to talk shit. But right now, I just want to peek at your astrology chart and see what the HELL is going on. Sigh…

Hello Pluto! Transiting Pluto has decided to get all up in John Edwards’ dirty business and expose the truth as it opposes Edwards’ natal Mercury and progressed Moon/Venus conjunction in Cancer, not to mention forming a trine with his natal Venus in Taurus. His progressed Sun is also approaching a conjunction with natal Pluto. You CANNOT hide from Pluto. Pluto digs, Pluto exposes, and Pluto destroys, but it also clears the way for a new beginning. You have to hand it to a slick Gemini to time a paternity scandal with a redemptive trip to Haiti, as well as media highlights on service work in El Salvador. I find it interesting that the transiting North Node is also conjunct Edwards’ natal Chiron, a planet associated with healing that I also referenced in my post yesterday regarding Governor Ed Rendell’s orphan rescue in Haiti. There is also some natal South Node activity as John’s progressed Mars forms a conjunction, and in addition, transiting retrograde Mars is forming a conjunction with his progressed Sun. Mars doesn’t only provide energy, fight, and courage—in this instance, it is marring or damaging this man’s reputation. Not that it is unwarranted. Yes, I’ve been reading Game Change and Edwards sure had it coming. (Chart below with 6am default birth time- actual birth time unknown.)

PA Political Astrology: Governor Ed Rendell (D-Capricorn) Touches Haiti Ground and Catches Some Hot Air from CNN’s Anderson Cooper (Gemini)

[tweetmeme]Haiti has been on my mind since I saw a friend’s troubling facebook status update last week when the earthquake hit. Yesterday, when I opened my gmail and read the email blurb from CapitolWire about Governor Rendell (Capricorn) rescuing 53 orphans from Haiti, I thought, “Whoa, that was the last thing I expected to read in my Under the Dome email!” Of course, the story doesn’t end there. As I was perusing the headlines on Politicspa, I saw that Anderson Cooper (Gemini), the “Silver Fox” of CNN, had something to say about Ed Rendell’s trip. In essence, Cooper wants to know why the Governor could gain access to enter Haiti while many rescue workers still cannot. It’s a valid question, no doubt. But is Anderson just a little jealous because he couldn’t be the one to throw some power around and be the on-the-ground savior of the day? The bottom line is, 53 Haitian children are away from the dangers that still exist in Haiti—not just the imminent dangers of aftershocks, dehydration, and starvation—but the dangers of kidnapping and trafficking.

So what would motivate the Governor to attempt such a daring act? Apparently, he is writing an autobiography, according to a PennLive article. But what else could have inspired him to leave the comforts of the Governor’s mansion and the political parties in Harrisburg, to fly to Haiti, still in a state of chaos and tragedy, just to help out a few orphans? Let’s check out the chart. (See below. 6am default time used- birth time unknown.)

Bang! Eddie has a natal Mars/Uranus conjunction while transiting Uranus is not only squaring his progressed Mars but also conjunct his progressed Sun. The Governor has spontaneous action written all over his chart. He doesn’t play around and he didn’t during this 22 hour rescue mission. Also, looking at his estimated natal Moon position, ranging from 13-26 degrees Taurus, he’s also got the compassion of a transiting Neptune square natal moon and progressed Moon conjunct transiting Saturn and natal Neptune. There’s emotion mixed with duty and compassion, right there. And it’s not just the moon under Neptune’s spell. His progressed Venus is conjunct transiting Chiron and Neptune, plus his natal Jupiter is receiving an opposition from those planets as well. I know I’ve trashed Neptune on numerous occassions but here is an example of Neptune’s good side: compassion and service. Judging from his comments on seeing the children, his natural sense of justice and service for good was moved to initiate immediate, charitable action:

“I don’t care about [criticism from Cooper]. If you had seen the faces of these kids … it would have absolutely melted your hearts,” Rendell said.

I mentioned Chiron earlier, as it is transiting close to his progressed Venus, but his natal Chiron is opposite his progressed Mercury as well. Chiron is most often referred to when speaking about healing and sacrifice. Perhaps, as our beloved and notorious Governor is winding down his final year in office, he found a way to redeem himself amidst constant attacks on his character and affiliations. Yea, so he used his political weight and contacts in the Secretary of State’s office to get entry into Haiti when most people are trying to get the hell out. He also gave 53 orphans a new chance at life. I’ve got no problem with that. Do you?

MA Political Astrology: Martha Coakley (D-Cancer) vs Scott Brown (R-Virgo) for late Sen. Ted Kennedy Seat

[tweetmeme]First, I want to start by sending a positive energy wave to the late Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Pisces). You are missed and I hope your good work will never be forgotten.

Now, for the nitty-gritty question: Who will be voted to succeed his place in the Massachusetts Senate special election that takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, January 19, 2010? Well, I’ll tell you something— I’m not a fan of “predicting” things with astrology because I believe in free will as much as I believe in the planets—but when I looked at the charts of Martha Coakley (born July 14, 1953, Cancer) and Scott Brown (born September 12, 1959, Virgo), I couldn’t help but notice Brown’s chart is stronger at this point in time.

Now, for one thing, as superficial as it sounds, this guy, Scott Brown, is good looking, not to mention he posed nude in Cosmopolitan. (Um, Neptune, anyone?) I can admit to being superficial and in politics you have to take into account that many voters are very superficial when it comes to choosing their candidates. It’s sad but it’s true. Looking at Brown’s Progressed/Natal chart (below), my first glance is focused on the Sun, Venus, Neptune, and also the Moon but not so much because I don’t have an accuarate time of birth. Instantly, I see Neptune, the planet of glamour, smoke and mirrors, escape, Savior-syndrome, and all the delusion and salvation that it conjures up in humanity. Not only are Brown’s progressed Mars and Sun conjunct his natal Neptune, but also transiting Neptune is in a wide opposition to his natal Venus. The Venus/Neptune aspect also exists as a sextile in his natal chart. Transiting Jupiter is also in almost exact opposition to his natal Venus and progressed Venus in a separating conjunction to his natal Sun. Another Venusian indicator is transiting Saturn currently in Libra (and the sign of its exaltation) conjunct his natal north node. In short, these transits can be seen as “favorable” in astrology especially in regards to popularity, which is a superficial and fickle thing but it gets people elected.

A quick note on Brown’s Moon, a planet that is a strong indicator of popularity. It can be anywhere between 18 degrees Capricorn and 1 degree Aquarius with his 9/12/59 birthdate. Why is this important? Well, currently the transiting north node is at 21 degrees Capricorn and if he also has a Moon/Node connection, in addition to the Saturn North Node transit I mentioned earlier, he’s got favorable planetary timing on his side. The North Node in astrology is almost always a positive auspice to be hoped for in times such as these. Also, his estimated progressed Moon is lurking around in a conjunction with his natal Jupiter, another good indicator of likability and positive public opinion.

Moving on to Martha Coakley’s chart, I see no such indication of the “Wow-Factor”—something that is desperately needed in a special election. Besides having a natal Venus/Jupiter conjunction, natal Sun/Mars/Uranus conjunction, and likely Moon/Pluto conjunction (no birth time-no exact accuracy on Moon position), I don’t see any current transits or progressions that are strong enough to combat the favorable activity in Scott Brown’s chart. Whereas Brown had a double-whammy of North Node activity, Coakley has a double-whammy of the South Node: 1) transiting her natal Sun/Mars/Uranus conjunction and; 2) natal South Node in a wide conjunction with progressed Venus conjunct natal retrograde Mercury. In astrology, the South Node is less-known for granting material success; however, it represents ease, spiritual gifts, and pitfalls in some instances. In Coakley’s case, it looks like complacency set in. It was said that Coakley did not do the things needed to win this election—for example, she did not get out and knock on doors, speak with voters, and get her face in front of people. What did Brown do? He got endorsed by Doug Flutie and Curt Schilling, two prominent sports figures in Massachusetts. What can I say? Even her chart looks a little boring (below). I hope the Massachusetts Democrats prove me wrong and go out and vote blue, otherwise, Mr. Glamour-and-no-substance may just get elected into a seat once held by our Last Lion, Ted Kennedy.

PA Political Astrology: Narrowing down the candidates for Governor (Part 1)

[tweetmeme]The race for PA Governor has taken a slight turn during this lovely Mercury Retrograde (ending this Friday, January 15, 2010), in that Jim Gerlach (R-Pisces) has decided to withdraw and, instead, run for re-election in the 6th Congressional District. This leaves only two GOP candidates left—Tom Corbett and Sam Rohrer—both Leo Suns (though Corbett is on the Leo-Virgo cusp). The Democrats, however, still have four candidates (that I’m aware of) in the mix: Joe Hoeffel (Virgo), Dan Onorato (Aquarius), Jack Wagner (Capricorn), and Tom Knox (unknown- if you know his birthdate, please share it). Fortunately for me, I can avoid experiencing the Democratic, decision paralysis that comes with more than two options—if you know me personally, then you know who my choice for Governor has always been and will be when I walk into the booth, then out of the booth, and on with my blue-blooded life. However, for the sake of the science of astrology—which has no “favorites”—I will remain relatively objective-ish and save my opinion for twitter, facebook, and casual conversation. 🙂 I’ll hold off on breaking down the natal charts of the Democratic candidates until after the field has quieted down. I wish them all luck in raising money and bolstering confidence and name recognition amongst the voters for the Primary—plus, I’d like to see some Lt. Governor action so I can have a clearer picture of what’s in store.

I will say that it’s almost obvious who the Republican candidate will be: Tom Corbett (Leo), Attorney General. I mean, come on, he has the name recognition and is the Republican poster boy leading the charge of investigating corruption in the PA House of Representatives. He’s probably investigating you right now. (Damn, I may have just been targeted…) He squatted and claimed the domain name “www.attorneygeneral.gov” before anyone else did and is very interested in technology. (I only know this because I watched him being interviewed on PCN TV a few months ago and this is what he said.) Plus, he’s got a bit of the Jimmy Johnson thing going on. So, unless some miraculous manipulator gets him to withdraw from the race in order to continue his post as Attorney General on a Legislative witch hunt, it will be Corbett who faces the “chosen one” on the Democratic side of the ballot.

When looking at political candidates, I always look at the Moon and Venus first because those two planets deal with popularity and finances—two very crucial components for getting elected. Because I don’t have a birth time for Corbett’s natal chart, I’m using 6am. (This is a standard that I use as a default when I want to see how the planets are relating to one another.) I can only estimate the position of his natal Moon since it moves so quickly in the course of 24 hours (approx 13 degrees per day). At 6am it was at 5 degrees Leo, however, it can range between 2 to 15 degrees Leo on his recorded birth date of August 22, 1949, per Project Vote Smart. If it’s in the early degrees of Leo, his nata; Moon is favorably aspected by natal Venus (usually a good thing) and also the progressed Moon is conjunct the progressed Sun- forming a Progressed New Moon (also viewed as favorable). However, if his natal Moon is more toward the mid-degrees of Leo, it forms a tight conjunction with Pluto (a very powerful planet for good or ill) and also would be forming a favorable aspect to progressed Venus.  Additionally, transiting Pluto is forming a T-square with his natal Venus and natal Uranus, an indicator of dramatic and unexpected changes to finances and popularity, or females in one’s life. Any way I look at it, he’s got a strong chart, which can be seen by his current station in PA politics.

What is interesting is transiting Saturn is conjunct his natal Venus, which is also involved in the T-square with Uranus and Pluto. Saturn always adds an element of restriction, and when involved with Venus it can signal monetary restriction. However, that may not be a big deal because of his apparent lack of need for campaigning  (See header: Tom Corbett’s Free Campaign). On the other hand, Corbett has been accused of targeting Democrats over Republicans for investigation, most recently in the case of Senator Jane Orie. Time will unravel all the exciting details—his natal Sun is being supported by the energy of progressed Mars (even though the rest of us are experiencing the Mars retrograde), though opposed by the Jupiter, Neptune, Chiron conjunction. Also, the transiting north node is passing over his natal Jupiter. His chart (below) is nothing to scoff at but stay tuned…

National Political Astrology: Sagittarius Harry Reid (D) Makes a Negregious Slur

[tweetmeme]First, the Census 2010 has the word “Negro” as an option for racial classification. Then, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada says President Barack Obama lacks a “Negro dialect.” What is the deal with all this Negregiousness? Okay, I’m being a little silly, but really, is it that big of a deal? How old is Harry Reid? Um, he’s 70…and he’s a Sagittarius. His natal Mercury is not only in Sagittarius, too, but it is also, you guessed it, Retrograde. Sagittarians are born with Centaurian “hoof-in-mouth” syndrome and lack of tact. Just ask Nancy Pelosi about their inappropriate public gestures. But of all the signs of the Zodiac, Sagittarians are one of the least likely to be racist. Why? They are ruled by Jupiter, the ruler of foreign places, expansive consciousness, higher learning, and generosity. Now, I’m not saying there aren’t any Sagitta-racists, I’m just giving you some food for thought.

Give Senator Reid a break. His natal and progressed Mercury are both receiving transits from the Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron conjunction, while transiting Pluto is sitting on his natal Venus, and transiting Uranus, in concert with natal Pluto and natal Neptune, are forming aspects to his progressed Venus. In short, his reputation is taking a beating and the public is not very appreciative of him right now, while the media is using his words and actions against him rather than for him. His progressed Sun is awfully close to Chiron and Neptune which can sometimes be a signal of retirement but we will see how he fares in the upcoming election. In any case, I’ve got nothing against the man.