THE RULERS CONNECT A THIRD TIME

Since the nodes regressed into Scorpio (North Node) and Taurus (South Node) on August 19, 2012, the rulers (Venus and Pluto) have made two contacts (see posts October 31st and November 21st). Each time there was news about the U.S. presidential election (including the attack in Benghazi), extreme weather, and conflict in the Middle East. On November 28th, an hour after the Lunar Eclipse, the two planets perfected their third aspect – a waning sextile (8° Scorpio to 8° Capricorn) and I expected these three areas would make headlines again. I was not disappointed.
        Astrologically, Venus was in detriment in Scorpio, Pluto’s sign, and separating from a conjunction with Saturn; while Mars and Pluto were in partile conjunction in Capricorn, in mutual reception with Saturn. The Lunar Eclipse at 6°46 Gemini, activated the sextile and formed a yod with the Moon at the apex. The yod is called the finger of god, and considered an aspect of fate. In my mind this is because the aspect indicates a situation that is out of your hands: you’re backed into a corner with no way out and you have to take whatever is handed to you. Here, with the apex planet in an opposition there is an outlet – the Sun in Sagittarius – suggesting a higher ground, a new tack is possible for the taking. Nonetheless, the energy remains combative and antagonistic.

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Given this astrology, what happened during the week (I generally look within three days either side of the exact aspect). On Tuesday, November 27th, Susan Rice, the U.N. Ambassador, headed to the Hill for a private meeting with Senator McCain and other disgruntled Republican leaders about the terrorist attack in Benghazi that led to the death of the Libyan Ambassador and three other Americans. The meeting settled nothing and left Senator Lindsey Graham “more disturbed now than I was before.” It would appear a new line has been drawn in the sand between the White House and Republican adversaries.

 Two days later, on Thursday, November 29th, a day after the aspect perfected, the President had lunch with his former opponent, Mitt Romney. The men shook hands, then lunched on turkey chili and grilled chicken salad. Here was a Full Moon culmination, a bitter loss for one, a triumphant win for another. Later that same day, in New York City, at the U.N., Palestine was granted non-member observer status, an upgrade that will provide more legal avenues for Hamas to address Palestinian grievances. This rebuke to the U.S. and Israel suggests a small shift in the balance of power in the Middle East. Also, November 29th was the one month anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. Tens of thousands of people were displaced by the storm, and the extensive cleanup is ongoing. Those affected are now rebuilding, and facing the power of big insurance. People are becoming increasingly upset as promised help is slow to arrive, and insurance companies are denying payouts. This is what they do. As occurred after Hurricane Katrina, insurance companies safeguard their profit, and later raise premiums to recoup losses, with the government powerless to intervene. Here may be another reset — perhaps enough people will say no — we will not put up with this. In summary, it would appear that at the closing sextile, there was closure on some fronts. One man won a new presidential term, another man conceded defeat. In an endless conflict, one country made strides toward legitimacy. But new battle lines were drawn. What will be the fall-out from Benghazi? What will happen when insurance companies flex their might and close their checkbooks?

 There is an astrological question too. How significant are minor aspects? The semi-sextile between Venus and Pluto will occur on December 24, 2012. At this time will a thread from these themes emerge in the news once more? I will be watching closely to see if there is development along these lines. On January 17, 2013, the two nodal rulers conjunct, indicating the start of a new cycle. Is the old cycle buried and put to rest, or will old conflicts re-emerge? Watch the news the week of January 14-20 for headlines that describe the Capricorn conjunction. These themes are certain to reoccur as the nodal rulers realign and sequentially make contact during the following year – up until February 19, 2014, when the nodal axis regresses into Libra-Aries.

THE NODES AND PREDICTING THE 2012 ELECTION OUTCOME

Now that the election is over, hindsight enables astrologers who predicted the election outcome, an opportunity to analyze the accuracy of their technique. I first looked at the election in the fall of 2011, when I was writing the chapter on President Obama for my book. At the time, the front running Republican was uncertain, but it seemed to me as if all fingers were pointing at Mitt Romney, and so, I looked at both their charts to see what nodal aspects they would experience come election day.

            History is always a good guide and since both men had lost big elections, it was instructive to check this out too (these charts aren’t shown here, but they’re in my book on pages 242 and 258). In 2000, Obama lost his primary bid to become the Democratic nominee for Illinois in the U.S. Congress. The transiting nodes were at 1° Leo, aligned with his natal Mercury-Jupiter opposition. Given natal Jupiter (ruling the 11^th) at the South Node, this expressed as the loss of a dream. Romney lost his election to become Senator of Massachusetts in 1994, eighteen years ago (think one nodal cycle). At the time, the transiting North Node was at 15° Scorpio square natal Pluto at the South Bending. While there were other confirming aspects in play, this described a loss of power.

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            Fast forward to 2012, with the transiting nodes at 26° Scorpio-Taurus. For Obama, they aligned with his Mc-Ic axis, with the North Node at the top of the chart. This was square the natal North Node at the transiting North Bending, signaling a time of professional culmination. It would not be an easy fight. The transiting North Node was square natal Uranus (and the natal North Node) at the South Bending, denoting a drain of energy for the president (Uranus rules the Ascendant). [It is important to see this distinction: the transiting North Node is at the North Bending of the natal North Node; the natal North Node is at the South Bending of the transiting North Node.] 

   Transiting Neptune, now fully engaged in Pisces, had separated from its conjunction with the natal South Node, an aspect that had coincided with a sustained period of financial infighting over the country’s dismal economy (Neptune rules the 2^nd house of money, and, in a leader’s nativity, personal aspects often translate into public concerns). With this aspect over, and with assistance from natal Saturn and progressed Jupiter, energized through a sextile/trine to the transiting nodes, Obama emerged victorious.

            For Romney, the transiting North Node was conjunct his natal Moon-Jupiter conjunction, a position that would auger well, except for the fact that Jupiter rules Romney’s 7^th house, which represents his opponent—this transit appears to have helped the president. The transiting South Node was in the 12^th house conjunct the progressed Sun and progressed Mercury in Taurus, and Romney was suffering from gaffes and a perception of entitlement he projected onto less fortunate others. The aspect expressed as a fall from grace and loss of personal standing (Mercury ruling the Ascendant, and the Sun ruling the self). Transiting Neptune in Pisces made a square to Romney’s natal nodal axis, such that the planet of delusion and confusion was aligned at the South Bending, and the negative traits of the planet manifest. With the South-Bending Neptune trine transiting Saturn, Romney felt he would win. It was not to be. Transiting Saturn was square progressed Saturn and the progressed Sun, and quincunx the progressed North Node and natal Ascendant, and there was bitter disappointment that made for a difficult finish at the end of a six year long campaign. 

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           What was my prediction about the election?  Writing in 2011, I concluded that: "Given these aspects, Obama looks strong, despite a jaded and disheartened public (p. 248)." In regards to Romney: "Although the current polls have Romney winning over Obama in a two-way race (statistically they are even), when considering the progressions and transits on election day, Obama appears stronger than Romney. As transpired eighteen years previously, if Romney is running in this race, he will likely lose. (p. 262)." 

ELECTION DAY’S MERCURY RETROGRADE

With the presidential election now over, astrologers have been weighing in on the meaning of Mercury going retrograde on election day. Since a similar astrological event occurred in the 2000 election, some thought there would be a similar result – the verdict would be delayed. This did not occur and at 11.14 pm on November 6, NBC declared the winner.

            In hindsight, the meaning of the retrograde can be gleaned from each candidate’s chart and the house of Mercury’s travel. Moving direct, the messenger entered his shadow on October 18, 2012 at 18° Scorpio. This was two days after the second presidential debate that solidified Romney’s momentum  and highlighted Obama’s questionable handling of the Benghazi attack. As Mercury traversed Scorpio, it was moving through Obama’s 9^th house of foreign affairs as he faced questions about the killing of the American Ambassador and three others on September  11, 2012. For Romney, Mercury was moving through the 6th house and he was hammering home his theme of fiscal responsibility, getting rid or Obamacare, and enacting policies that would bring new jobs. The race was tightening. 

            On October 29^th, Mercury left Scorpio and entered Sagittarius, bringing a change of agenda. For the president, Libya was off the front burner and Hurricane Sandy was in the news. In Jupiter’s hopeful sign, Romney’s pollsters were running fanciful numbers that showed their candidate winning in a landslide.

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            Election day came, and with it Mercury’s station. For Obama, the station occurred in his 10^th house and he won. Days later, as Mercury re-entered his 9^th house of foreign affairs he would once again face questions on Benghazi and whether he covered-up the truth in order to win re-election. For Romney, the station of Mercury occurred in his 7^th house, the house not only of marriage partners, but anyone with whom we have a close relationship with. This would include supporters, who came out in jubilant numbers, expecting a win. But Mercury in Sagittarius is in detriment, and for the Romney camp this symbolized inaccurate beliefs that he had the numbers to win. So certain was he of victory he had no concession speech; when the results rolled in he was ‘shell-shocked.’ In the following days, as Mercury retraced its steps in Scorpio, the truth emerged: Romney’s pollsters had made optimistic and erroneous estimates that had no basis in fact. The mainstream polls they called biased, turned out to be correct.

THE NODAL RULERS IN ACTION

In the October 31^st blog “The Rulers Conflict” I made three predictions based on recurring aspects between Pluto and Venus, the current nodal rulers. On November 3^rd, the two planets would perfect the first hard aspect since the nodal sign ingress, and based on what happened on the two previous dates of contact, I thought that the election, a hurricane, and Israel, would be in the news.

            Of course, with the presidential election on Nov 6^th, that was hardly an insightful prediction. What was interesting was the Republican thread at each contact. With the quincunx, the GOP was asking questions about the killing of the American Ambassador in Libya; with the trine, Romney received a bounce after his stellar first debate. On November 3rd, in the waxing days of campaigning, he and his team foresaw a decisive win, which was not to be.

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            There was hurricane activity around the quincunx and the trine, but superstorm Sandy, blowing ashore on October 30^th, landed before the square. However, on November 3^rd, weather forecasters were warning about a coming bad winter storm, bringing high winds, bitter cold and deep snow – which arrived on November 7 and 8^th, adding further injury to an already devastated region.

            In regards to Israel and Hamas, which now stand on the brink of war, the first signs of trouble occurred on the trine, which followed in the wake of Obama’s perceived UN snub of President Netanyahu occurring on the quincunx. The current conflict can be traced to November 10^th, when Israel and Hamas began firing rockets at each other. The delay, a week from November 3^rd when the square formed, suggests  that one side gave careful thought about what was to come (it is still unclear to me who fired first). With Venus set to sextile Pluto on November 29^th, there is an opportunity for peace.

            On December 24^th, Venus and Pluto will semi-sextile each other, and I would expect more news from the Middle East, more Republican soul-searching, and more bad weather. On January 16, 2013, Venus and Pluto will conjunct, bringing to a close one set of themes, and initiating another. Pay close attention to what happens during the conjunction, for that will set the stage for coming events that will transpire with the ensuing Venus-Pluto aspects over the course of the year, up to the next conjunction.