Barack Obama's Solar Return 2011

I always look at the Solar Return chart of the President of the United States because what is going on the President’s chart holds significance for the country as a whole. A Solar Return chart is a horoscope for the moment in time when the Sun makes its annual return to the sign and degree of the natal Sun.  This chart is a valuable predictive tool that reveals the conditions, events and themes of the upcoming year for the individual.  The Sun’s placement in the Solar Return chart reveals the focus for the upcoming year. In President Obama’s Return chart the Sun falls in the second house of money.  Money, debt, budgets and value systems play an important role. No big surprise there.  The President faces powerful opposition.  For the most part he knows who opposes him but this year will bring some surprises.  There are those that are not being quite honest with him and when the truth comes to light there will be a few shifts in alliances.  Women and diplomacy play an important role, a smart, intellectual, thinking woman in particular. There will be a lot of tense public meetings and events. Whatever agreement they come up with over the next few weeks will not be one that will stick because it will not really settle anything in a permanent way. The President knows this and will work throughout the year to consolidate, revise and review; getting all his ducks in a row for the big 2012 push.  He will have a serious communication problem with difficulty getting his message heard and understood.  Surprising, unexpected, innovative and unusual actions and events will highlight his year. Since he is the President much of this will play out in the public arena.  He will appear moody, emotional and at times petulant.  There will be a lot going on behind the scenes.  He may do an about face when he finds that those he thinks he can trust are perfectly willing to stab him in the back. There are powerful forces aligned against him and his reactions will often be based on emotion rather than intellect.  Within him this year is a need to negotiate, to see both sides of the picture and come to a just and equitable agreement.  This is a year where President Obama will make enemies of friends and friends of enemies.  Life will not be dull as the President faces difficult choices, hard negotiations and powerful, influential enemies.  The week after his birthday as we roll up to the Full Moon in Aquarius will be a week of action.  When listening to the late, breaking news, don’t rush to judgment. Be wary of lies, slurs, exaggerations and plain misinformation coming from all sides of the political spectrum with the media jumping in without a thought to something as simple as a fact check.

Let’s Look at Lincoln Chafee

When Lincoln Chafee was elected Governor of Rhode Island it was a three way split so it is not like he was elected by a landslide. It was more like a squeaker. A lot of people were upset, they don’t like his politics, and they don’t like his sales tax, beverage tax or any other plan that he might have to balance the budget. This week the General Assembly voted on Chafee’s proposed budget. Chafee had stated that he did not expect it to survive as written. The relevant quote from the article on Projo.com is that Chafee had “wins, losses and some compromises.” The word that jumps out at me is “compromise”. Compromise is Chafee’s middle name. You wouldn’t think so, him being a “me first Aries” but his natal Venus, retrograde in Taurus has a lot of what astrologers call “Essential Dignities” which makes Venus a potent energy operating within his personality. Lincoln Chafee does not come across as an aggressive Aries. He has this super dignified Venus along with retrograde Mercury in Pisces. The world sees that Mercury and that Venus. A softness and less than clear articulation is the signature of Mercury in Pisces. His mode of operation is reflected in that Venus. He is known for reaching across the political aisle, reaching a consensus, looking for a compromise. His formation of a pension committee is a clear expression of this strong Venus. Remember Venus in Taurus is about money and Venus in general rules tact and diplomacy. This year began with Pluto in Capricorn in square aspect to Lincoln Chafee’s natal Sun. This aspect remains in force until the end of the year as Pluto rolls back and forth over his Sun. Now a square aspect creates problems and issues that require action. A battlefield over debt(Pluto), pensions (more Pluto) and budgets perfectly describes this aspect. Lincoln Chafee has his work cut out for him but do not be fooled by that Venus in Taurus, Mercury in Pisces persona. Chafee is an Aries and Aries loves a battle. Jupiter’s entry into Taurus in early June hit his Venus and his Mars. Jupiter brings gifts so I would venture a guess that this budget that has passed in the General Assembly has more of what Chafee wants then meets the eye. His troubles are not over though. His entire tenure as Governor will be a series of battles, upsets and unexpected events. His personal life will not escape either. In November 2011 he will experience his second Saturn Return, a major life cycle event. This is a 29 year cycle. In May of 2012 he will have a Jupiter return, a 12 year cycle. In the midst of all this he will be contending with Uranus conjunct his Aries Sun. That’s another slow moving transit that begins in April of 2011 and ends in February of 2013. Uranus’ cycle is one of 84 years and when the Master of Surprise conjuncts a personal planet get ready for the far out, the unexpected and the unusual. My mantra for Uranus transits is, “if you can think of it, that is not it.” Events occur that are so beyond your personal scope they jolt and jar your very existence. My advice to Lincoln Chafee, should he ask, is to be ready for change and don’t resist it. With Uranus, areas where we have become entrenched in a rut or lifestyle that is not beneficial to us are ripe for disruption. Uranus says, make the change or else I will do it for you. And by doing it for you he means, some event outside yourself will occur that will force the change. The powerful planetary lineup in the sky this summer, Pluto, Uranus and Saturn in a difficult T-Square aspect, reflects the difficulties prevalent in the world today. Pluto is about sex, death, taxes. Uranus speaks to the sudden upset of the status quo while Saturn works to maintain that status. These three energies are at odds with one another. Lincoln Chafee, as Governor, must steer the ship of state that is Rhode Island through that tangle of energies. The average citizen must make their way through the confusing often debilitating morass that life in modern society has become. Change what you can. Deal with what you can’t. Keep the faith and remember to breathe.

The Lame Duck Congress Convenes - Or "The Hot Air Conference"

Congress reconvenes today at 2PM EST in Washington, DC. The map of the heavens at that time shows the constellation Pisces on the horizon with Moon in Pisces within one degree of the Ascendant in the 12^th house. Jupiter, co-ruler of the Ascendant is conjunct Uranus in the 1^st house. The good side of Pisces speaks to idealism and selfless sacrifice the bad side brings in fraud, deceit and disillusionment. Jupiter and Uranus together in the angular 1^st house indicate the potential for a big surprise. Uranus’ slogan is, “if you can think of it, that ain’t it” while Jupiter promises “lots of” whatever surprise Uranus has in store. The Sun, the heart and soul of any horoscope, is in the money and debt sign of Scorpio in Scorpio’s own 8^th house. Retrograde Venus in Libra, on the cusp of the 8^th moving to the 7^th tells us that the debate over taxes, debt, and insurance will be public and the 7^th house says you will know your enemy. Mars and Mercury conjoined in Sagittarius suggest that fiery debate is in the offing. The Sagittarius factor brings belief systems, philosophies, religion as well as international affairs and immigration to the table. Saturn in Libra is the big dog here, he has a lot of dignity and is posited in the 7^th house. Saturn here says, “You can talk, blither and bluster all you want but you will get something done”. In a horoscope, Congress is ruled by the 5^th and 11^th houses. The 5^th house signifying the Senate in this instance has the sign Cancer on the cusp, the Senate this session is operating under the influence of a Pisces Moon; a lot of high ideals, plenty of mystical references but not a lot of practical accomplishments. On the other hand,  the House of Representatives has Capricorn, ruled by super dignified Saturn, on the cusp. The House will do a lot of hard work and have something to show for it after all is said and done. But here is the thing, Harry Reid, still the Senate’s head honcho, has natal Sun in Sagittarius conjoining Mercury/Mars as this session opens. His Pisces Mars sits on the Ascendant, in the 12^th and his natal Jupiter is mixing it up with the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in the sky presently. A lot of his work is going to be done behind the scenes and make no mistake, he is still a power to be reckoned with. Another power to be reckoned with is Nancy Pelosi, Reid’s counterpart in the House of Representatives. Nancy Pelosi’s Aries Sun sits in the 1^st house of this chart. Her retrograde Mercury in Pisces sits on the Ascendant, conjunct the Moon. She will speak to the heart of the matter, to the core, to the instinct. She’ll hit those Representatives where they live and arouse some gut reactions. It is pretty obvious that she is the only Democrat with any balls. She has a stellium (2 or more planets in a sign other than the Sun sign) in Taurus. So not only does she have the initiative of Aries but also the stick to it, stubbornness of Taurus. You are not going to budge a Taurus once they have dug their heals in. Try it sometime, let me know how you make out. After the Moon shifts into Aries on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 the action should heat up. Congress will be meeting late into the night on Wednesday as the Sagittarius Mercury makes a connection with Saturn in Libra. Thursday is a big day though, for Congress and for everyone as both Jupiter in Pisces and Venus in Libra change direction and begin moving in forward motion. Things may not hit the fan then but you can be sure it is on its way. We may have to wait until the Full Moon in Taurus on Sunday on the 29^th degree along the Taurus/Scorpio axis. This is going to be a real “banger”. Stay tuned, more to come.