Part Five: Best Picture

Also read: Part One – The Oscar Ceremony & Seth MacFarlane

Also read: Part Two – Best Supporting Actor & Actress

Also read: Part Three – Best Actor & Actress

Also read: Part Four – Best Song & Director 

BEST PICTURE

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Academy, and ordinary pundits, fans and filmgoers out there who would just like to know—we are about to unveil this year’s ASTRO OSCARS winner for Best Picture of the Year.

This has not been an easy one to discern. The methodology I have used has not been the accumulation of various awards, personal popularity or arcane industry statistics, but rather the celestial planetary patterns that give us clues as to the actual energy at hand. To that end, let’s first review the chart of the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, February 24^th.

The Sun, in Pisces, is just setting on the 7^th House cusp of relationships, emphasizing the give-and-take, I-and-thou nature of the nominated pictures. Just beneath the horizon, but close to the Sun, is Neptune, whose energy speaks about creativity, compassion and spirituality, but also emotional confusion and trouble with boundaries. The key-like symbol for Chiron, associated with woundedness, sits close to the Sun on its other side. We can immediately see that there aren’t a lot of feel-good movies being depicted here. There’s a lot of pain in this chart.

The Moon is in late Leo, a lighter energy given to leadership and indeed showmanship. It sits on the chart’s opposite side, in the 12^th House, the place of secrets, loss, past karma, confinement, and dealings with the subconscious mind. The Moon’s light is dimmed in this position, even in the showy sign of Leo. Here, we can say it represents the audience, which may not get what it really wants. The ceremony also occurs just a few hours before the exact Full Moon. It’s a night of “anything can happen.”

With Mars (willpower/ego) and Mercury (intelligence/communications) also residing in the 7^th House, this is going to be either a very cooperative show or else somebody’s ego flies completely out of whack. Uranus, planet of shocks, sits in the 8^th House making an adaptation angle to the chart’s Ascendant at 4 degrees Virgo. This looks like at least one major upset or surprise. Pluto (obsessions) sits in a loose trine (flowing angle) to the Ascendant from the 5^th House of creativity. This is another indication of hidden power issues at work.

We must also pay attention to Jupiter (expansiveness/generosity/philosophy) sitting right near the Midheaven, the topmost angle in the chart and the point of reputation. This looks like an epic or expansive theme will win. Jupiter also rules long distance travel and also law, both of which figure in several of the nominated films. And Saturn, giver of earned rewards, sits in Scorpio in the 3^rd House of communications. Expect a long show once again, with our patience being tested but rewarded.

And now, to our question: What film fits this energy pattern best? The one that does will win Best Picture. We have several relationship movies, several with foreign travel, several with themes of rescue or of dealing with secrets, several which espouse philosophy and several with legal themes. How are we to discern the winner? Well, let’s go through the list and look at each film’s release date—which is, in a way, the “birthday” of the film’s run. Do we see a particular film and its date of release that fits comfortably with the energy pattern of the Oscars ceremony?

The earliest date is for the foreign film Amour, which was released in the U.S. on May 20^th. That was also the date of a big Solar Eclipse at zero degrees Gemini. Eclipses have a powerful effect, and this was a New Moon, a potent seed point, so it’s no surprise that a film released then was nominated for several Academy Awards. That’s also right at the top of the Oscars chart, but then there’s that hard square to Neptune (creativity), which blocks its path. It’s poignant and wonderful, but Amour will not win Best Picture.

Beasts of the Southern Wild was released on June 27^th, making it a Sun-sign Cancer. But other than its 8-year-old star, the hard angles to Uranus (surprises) and Pluto (power) in the Oscars chart give the film a tough journey to creative recognition. Despite all its magical realism, I’m afraid that this Beast won’t be in the hunt for Oscar.

The bloody Django Unchained was released on Christmas Day (Quentin Tarantino makes a joke of these things) and is therefore a Sun-sign Capricorn. It does fit the theme of personal confinement—it’s about slavery, after all—but other than a nice angle to the Sun in the Oscars chart, there is little energetic connection. This spaghetti Western will not dine at the trough on Oscar night.

The same goes for the tuneful Les Miserables, despite the star power of Hugh Jackman and the probable win for Anne Hathaway. While the suffering and ultimate redemption of the human heart does fit the Neptunian theme, other energies have dictated that it needs more than singing to win this year. Les Miz must be content to have stated its theme so fully.

Life of Pi is an extraordinary journey, literally and figuratively, befitting that horizon-seeking Jupiter at the top of the Oscars chart. It’s philosophical and takes place on the ocean, astrologically given both to Pisces and to the 12^th House. It was also released on November 21^st, when the Moon was crossing through Pisces. So Pi almost precisely fits a great deal of the energy in the Oscars chart. Is it enough to win? I wouldn’t be surprised if it does. But the late Scorpio release date sits in a hard angle to the Leo Moon on Oscar night, so as much as I adored the film, I think its chances are iffy.

Zero Dark Thirty almost hits a bullseye when it comes to corresponding to the Oscars chart, which is fitting because it depicts “the greatest manhunt in history.” Released on December 19^th, making it a Sagittarius, the film has not only got themes of “us vs. them” (Oscars Sun on the 7^th House cusp), it is a story about finding a hidden leader (Oscars Moon in Leo in the 12^th House). It involves foreign intrigue and long distance travel (prominent Jupiter in the Oscars chart), and a technology-aided raid that ends in blood (Uranus in the 8^th house). If you feel like gambling, here’s your bet. At least according to the astrology, this film’s got a real shot at winning.

But from here on in, it’s basically a crapshoot. Even Yours Truly, a professional astrologer for over 30 years, finds this year to be extraordinarily confusing. I probably should just punt the ball and say, “Well, somebody’s gonna win!” But as it’s my professional duty to pick the winner, we’ll do the best we can.

Argo was released on October 12^th, making it a Sun-sign Libra, the sign associated with diplomacy. The Oscars Sun is in the 7^th House, given in astrology to Libra. Ben Affleck’s Sun-sign is Leo, which is where the Moon resides on Oscar night. The film has been cleaning up virtually every award for which it’s been nominated. So it’s the smart pick to win Best Picture.

But the model we’ve been using, release dates and comparison to the Oscars chart, doesn’t do much for Argo. There’s Oscars’ Moon in the 12th House (behind-the-scenes activities), and Jupiter at the top can refer to foreign intrigue, but it’s more jovial than the general tone of nail-biting Argo. The massive grouping of planets in the Oscars chart’s 7^th House of relationships doesn’t quite fit, either.

Affleck was of course snubbed in the Best Director category, and you could take the view that all of these awards are a populist revolt against the snooty Academy. After all, almost no movies have won Best Picture without its director being nominated. So let’s look at Affleck’s chart and see what we can see.

Ben’s a Sun-sign Leo, and remember that the Moon is passing through late Leo on Oscar night, so he’s definitely pumped. His natal Moon’s in early Scorpio, and Neptune (dreams/film) is making a lovely flowing trine to it now. That’s a good sign. Affleck’s also gotten a lot of mileage out of that snub, which occurred in mid-January as Uranus (shocking events) made a hard square to his Venus/Ascendant conjunction (love/arts/self-image). With Pluto (power issues) sitting on the opposite 7^th House cusp, people took umbrage at the snub and boosted his reputation by throwing all kinds of awards at him.

Will he grab the Best Picture Oscar, too? It’s true that Mars (willpower/conflict) is within a degree of his Midheaven (point of reputation) on Oscar night, with retrograde Mercury right there, too. But Mercury retrograde is famous for its disappointments and both planets sit in an exact square to Saturn (hard knocks), located in the 12^th House of past karma. Saturn has also just turned retrograde in a hard square to Affleck’s natal Mercury in Leo. So, despite all the hype, it’s tough to see a win here.

George Clooney executive-produced Argo, and his chart is more positive:

With 11 degrees Pisces rising, Clooney is well-set-up by the cosmos right now. Saturn (accomplishments) sits in a sextile (opportunity angle) from 11 degrees Capricorn to that Pisces Ascendant, and Pluto (empowerment/transformation) is making an exact flowing trine to the Ascendant (self-image). This indeed looks like a win. Additionally, Uranus (liberation) sits in a opportunistic sextile to Jupiter (good fortune).

But on Oscar night, retrograde Mercury (difficult communications) and Mars (conflict) make a harsh square to Clooney’s Midheaven (point of reputation). Neptune (creativity/spirituality) also sits right on his South Node (point of karma), which could add some confusion to the mix. In short, Clooney’s chart shows a possible win, but we also see snafus. Affleck’s chart shows disappointment. So will Argo win? It’s not a cosmic certainty.

And now we come to the delightful Silver Linings Playbook, a bona fide hit about a tough subject—mental illness. This film perfectly fits the Oscars chart in several ways: first, that big stellium (grouping of planets) in the 7^th House of one-on-one relationships, which speaks to the vigorous, wounded and often angry exchanges between the lead actors…who end up a couple.

Then there’s the Oscars Moon in Leo (grand emotions) in the 12^th House of illness and hospitalization. And don’t forget the Sun-Neptune conjunction—Neptune rules medications. The only thing in the Oscars chart that doesn’t really fit is that prominent Jupiter (philosophy) at the Midheaven. But Jupiter also rules optimism, and Bradley Cooper’s character IS looking for a “silver lining.” Add to this rumors of a groundswell of support for the film and yes, it’s entirely possible for Silver Linings to win. There will be a lot of Neptunian tears on the stage and in the audience if it does.

For my money, though, the film that fits the Oscars chart best, even though it’s being discounted as having been bypassed in the voting, is Lincoln.

First of all, it’s an epic, which fits the Oscars chart’s Jupiter at the Midheaven. Jupiter is about morality, kindness and sometimes legalities—all of which play a part in the film. The Oscars’ Sun-Neptune conjunction is about compassion, made personal by it straddling the 7^th House cusp of relationships. Tommy Lee Jones’s character actually marries a slave.

The Oscars Moon in Leo speaks about leadership, and its placement in the 12^th House speaks to the issue of confinement/slavery. It’s also the place of martyrdom, and Lincoln was assassinated shortly after Congress passed the 13^th Amendment for which he fought. Additionally, 27-28 degrees Leo—where the Moon will be during the Oscars ceremony—corresponds to where the fixed star Regulus is located. Regulus is associated with royalty and leadership. And around 9 pm PST, when the Best Picture selection is announced, Saturn (sternness/authority) is beginning to rise in the 1^st House of self-image. Here is the chart for that moment:

Libra rising is associated with social justice issues, personal fairness and with equal partnerships. That fits Lincoln precisely. But with Libra also being associated with love and relationships (it’s ruled by Venus), this chart could easily fit Silver Linings Playbook. In fact, what with that very soft and sweet Moon-Venus opposition being virtually exact at this moment, as well as that stellium of 7^th House planets having progressed through the night into the 5^th House of love affairs…

I am going to forego my usual analysis and declare AN ASTROLOGICAL TIE between Silver Linings Playbook and Lincoln. These movies best fit the chart for Best Picture at the 2013 Oscars. I think one of them will win. My head says Lincoln. My heart says it will be Silver Linings. If Silver Linings wins in an upset, just remember that you heard it here first. (At least I’ll be able to claim THAT!)

But since I have to declare ONE winner instead of two—I’m still thinkin’ Lincoln. Honest Abe is my man. We’ll find out Oscar night if he feels the same way about me. Good luck to us both! To paraphrase the movie: Sweat has been spilt to afford us this moment—now, now, NOW!

Content Engine

Part Four: Best Song & Best Director

Also read: Part One – The Oscar Ceremony & Seth MacFarlane

Also read: Part Two – Best Supporting Actor & Actress

Also read: Part Three – Best Actor & Actress

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The only real question this year about the category of Best Song is whether or not Adele will win the Oscar for the James Bond theme “Skyfall” and thus add to her already-abundant personal awards collection. Let’s look at her chart to see what we can see:

We notice that Adele has Jupiter conjunct the Sun in Taurus (associated with the throat and therefore singing) in the 2^nd House of possessions. Well, she certainly possesses a rare voice! Jupiter (abundance) also accounts for her never having to worry about being too thin. The Moon in Sagittarius (ruled by that lucky Jupiter) in the 10^th House of reputation suggests her fame is no accident and will probably be long-lasting. Indeed, with Uranus (quick results) near Saturn (ruler of the past) on the cusp of the 11^th House of the general public, it looks like her fast rise is her karmic due from a recent past life. Her Aquarius Ascendant, with Mars nearby, accounts for her feisty individuality.

At the moment, Adele is actually under several tough astrological aspects. Saturn (hard knocks) is turning retrograde right on top of her natal Pluto (powers issues/transformation), which traditionally is a “no such luck” aspect. And it’s within 3 degrees of an exact opposition to that Jupiter-Sun conjunction, making the road bumpy. Transiting Pluto also sits precisely on her Neptune (dreams/ideals), and her focus has shifted recently to her child and to motherhood. Transiting Neptune has been making a hard square (90-degree angle) to Mercury (communications), another indication of not having it easy lately.

The better news is that the Moon’s North Node (life destiny point) is currently in an exact trine (flowing angle) to its natal position, indicating a fated luck-point. Neptune (music/personal glamour) is also making a sextile (opportunity angle) to Saturn (accomplishments), and on Oscar night the Moon in Leo crosses her chart’s horizon—where it makes a flowing trine to the Midheaven, the point of reputation.

I think she’ll win. Despite other difficulties of which we may know nothing, Adele will probably need to clear space to accommodate the golden statuette which seems—even with all her other successes—to be her rightful due.

BEST DIRECTOR 

This year’s contest for Best Director is of course under the cloud of controversy which accompanied the absence of Ben Affleck, but it is a very strong category nonetheless. For the astrologer, the major difficulty here is that, other than Steven Spielberg’s, none of the directors’ charts has a known birth time. But we can see enough by looking at the aspects to make an informed choice.

First, we’ll look at Benh Zeitlin, nominated for Beasts of the Southern Wild.

A Sun-sign Libra, with Venus also nearby, Zeitlin has a natural pull toward the beautiful, even though Saturn (restrictions) and Pluto (obsessions) overload the Sign of the Scales and draw his attention toward life’s difficulties. With his Moon in Virgo, he is a meticulous craftsman, and I’m sure we’ll hear much more from him in the future.

Zeitlin’s Jupiter (planet of blessings) sits in mid-Scorpio, not far from where Saturn is currently making its retrograde station. That’s not a good sign for rousing success. Neptune (ruler of film) is also in a hard square to Uranus (the unexpected), another tough transit. Pluto (power) recently crossed his South Node (karma point), meaning that the nomination is a bit of a fated reward for him: it’s the gateway to bigger things. But there is little else in his chart to show him at the podium clutching a golden man. So his fate will steer him toward the future, rather than gaining recognition now.

Next up, the chart of Michael Hanake, director of the poignant Amour.

With his Sun in Aries, and Uranus, planet of sudden change, crossing that chart point last year, Hanake has had a major revival of his career. The flowing trine to Pluto (empowerment) has also helped. Hanake’s Moon (emotional nature) and Jupiter (great good luck) sit together at 14 degrees Gemini—which is where Jupiter is currently heading. But it’s not quite there yet, and while an every-14-years Jupiter return, with Moon in the mix, seems like extraordinary happiness and a possible indication of a win, there’s not much else that’s positive going on that would seem to be a clincher.

Neptune in Pisces is sitting in a 30-degree angle to his Aries Sun, which could be creative opportunity, but it’s behind the Sun-sign, rather than in front. So, this nomination may be a closing out point for Hanake’s career, rather than an indication of future things. As such, it seems to lack the astrological potency to propel him to the podium.

Now we come to a true hot prospect, David O. Russell, whose Silver Linings Playbook has become an enormous popular hit.

Russell is a Sun-sign Leo, and remember that the Moon on Oscar night is in Leo and in fact crossing his Sun’s exact degree at the time of the ceremony—so right away we know that he’s feeling great that night. Leo in astrology rules the physical heart, and Silver Linings is ultimately a love story. Russell’s Moon is at 11 degrees Scorpio—which, unfortunately, is the exact degree where Mr. Saturn (ruler of practical hardships) is retrograding as we speak. Despite the buoyancy elsewhere, it’s hard to see this as a win.

Pluto (power issues) is in a nice sextile (60-degree angle) to the Moon, but this is a psychoanalytical transit rather than a gathering of great honors. Jupiter (who bestows honors) is actually in a flowing trine to Venus, ruler of the arts, but it’s beginning to move off…diminishing its effectiveness. David O. Russell deserves a lot of credit for putting such a wonderfully human movie on the screen, but it looks as though his honors lie there rather than at the podium on Oscar night.

Now we come to Ang Lee, director of the wondrous Life of Pi:

Well, you couldn’t ask for more intensity: right now Ang Lee is under his second Saturn Return, where Saturn (responsibilities) returns to its natal position, here being 10 degrees Scorpio. This only happens once every 29 years, and represents a culmination point where one either earns rewards for past efforts or feels the weight of too much personal responsibility. It is never an easy time, although it can certainly be a time of great accomplishment.

With his natal Mercury (communications) sitting nearby, and Pluto (deep transformation) making a sextile (opportunity angle) to both Mercury and Saturn, Ang Lee’s chart has the gravitas which accompanies great things.

That empowering Pluto also sits near the North Node, or life destiny point— meaning that Ang Lee does have the aspects for a possible win.

On Oscar night, Mercury (communications) and Mars (action) sit directly opposite his natal Moon in Virgo, which hints that he’s truly in the mix. By the time the announcement is made, the Moon has crossed his Pluto in Leo (personal strength) and is moving toward a sextile (“open door” angle) to his Sun in the last degree of Libra. Ang Lee, in short, could win.

But will he? He’s facing a legendary director who has not won an Oscar in over a decade, and may be considered due. Let’s look now at the well-known chart of Steven Spielberg:

Hallelujah, we have his exact time of birth, so we can peg these aspects exactly. Spielberg’s Sun is in late Sagittarius, which funnily enough completes the Fire- and Air-sign “full house” that the cosmos has designed in the Best Director category this year. As the Moon on Oscar night is moving through late Leo (another Fire sign, remember), his chart is smoothly activated. With the Moon in early Scorpio, he’s always had emotional depth, but had to grow into his creative expression of it.

There are a couple of aspects that may have a disruptive effect on his night. Mercury and Mars (communications and action) make a nice flowing trine to the Midheaven, point of recognition, but they also sit precisely opposite Uranus, giver of shocks. A hard square (90-degree angle) to his masterful Saturn-Pluto conjunction also could bode ill. Can we actually see a loss here to Ang Lee? It does look astrologically possible.

But Saturn (accomplishments) is currently in Spielberg’s 5^th House of creativity and sits in a precise, easeful trine to his Ascendant at 10 degrees Cancer. This is a pretty clear indication of personal recognition for one’s creative work. As Pluto (personal power) is sitting exactly on his 7^th House cusp of relations with others (and therefore right on the chart’s horizon of personal visibility)—as well as making a sextile (opportunity angle) to Saturn, lord of dignity—it’s hard not to see him being given a standing ovation for tackling a weighty subject in Lincoln and being rewarded for it with the splendid gravitas of an Academy Award.

I think Steven Spielberg will indeed reap the fruits of his long labors and receive his just due on Oscar night, and it will make for an uplifting personal and also patriotic moment!

NEXT: WE FEARLESSLY PREDICT THE BEST PICTURE WINNER!

Content Engine

Part Three: Best Actress & Best Actor

Also read: Part One – The Oscar Ceremony & Seth MacFarlane

Also read: Part Two – Best Supporting Actor & Actress

BEST ACTRESS 

One of the most fascinating races this year pits the youngest-ever nominated actress against the oldest ever nominated, along with a battle royale between a snarky 20-something and an obsessive CIA agent, with a heartsick mother thrown in for good measure. Let’s look at their charts and see who’s golden.

The place of honor, as the first nominee born in the 21^st century, goes to Quvenzhané Wallis. We’ll just call her “Q.”

A quick glance at her chart (alas, with birth time unknown) reveals several things: first of all, she’ll be back. Saturn, planet of wisdom and maturity, currently sits in a harmonious trine to its own natal position, indicating that this is a growing-up experience for Q—literally and figuratively. With Pluto (mystery and power) opposite Saturn as well, there is a confrontation with the unknown at hand, and that’s what Beasts of the Southern Wild was all about.

Q has a lovely Jupiter-Sun-Venus stellium (i.e., three planets together) in the very smart sign of Virgo. Neptune, planet of imagination and spirituality, opposes her Sun and Venus from Pisces over the next couple of years. That’s about as creative as it gets. She also has Mars (energy) and Uranus (awakenings) right where Neptune is transiting, giving her a lot of personal motivation. Better learn to pronounce her name so you don’t sound foolish next time. (It’s kwa-ven-je-nay). Here’s a link to how she pronounces it herself.

Next, the chart of the lovely and talented (but very soggy in The Impossible) Naomi Watts:

Naomi actually has several excellent aspects happening right now that could net her some lovely accolades. Will she get the gold on Oscar night? Well, Libra, her Sun-sign, just loves aesthetics! We know that she throws herself deeply into her roles, what with natal Pluto (intensity) sitting on her Virgo Ascendant, and right now Uranus, (the new, fresh & exciting) is opposite her Sun and right near her North Node, or life destiny point. That signifies a time when NOTHING is impossible!

With Jupiter, lord of blessings, gleefully revving its engines in a fun-filled trine to her Sun, she could be in for a very joyous time indeed. Add to that spiritual Neptune in a beautiful trine to Venus (love/the arts) and you have an actress in the bloom of her career and very happy in her personal life also. It’s tempting to see Oscar gold in all of this. But these transits, while harmonious, may not be enough of a clincher to bring her an actual statuette. I think Naomi will be up at that podium eventually, but probably not this year.

Now all please rise out of respect for the perfect synchronicity: the oldest-ever nominee is up for an Oscar on her 85^th birthday—which also just so happens to be the exact date (February 24, 1927) of the first Academy Awards! Here is the birth chart of Emmanuelle Riva:

Any astrologer will tell you that your birthday every year (technically called the Solar Return) is a personal day of power. Unfortunately, we do not have an exact birth time for Ms. Riva, star of the poignant film Amour, so we cannot peg the energies more exactly. But we can see that she is certainly in her strength now, and actually has the aspects to win.

Her Sun-sign is Pisces, and Neptune, Pisces’ ruling planet, is associated with creativity and glamour; it’s in its home sign and closing in on Emmanuelle’s Sun. It also sits in an approaching trine (flowing angle) to her North Node (life destiny point). No matter what your age, that’s a great aspect for an actress to have. It points to creative recognition.

Emmanuelle has lived long enough to experience a rare opposition of Pluto (personal power/regeneration) to its own natal position. Under this transit life sometimes hands you everything you want just to see what you do with it—because you don’t have much time left. Transiting Jupiter (blessings) also directly opposes Saturn (accomplishments), which looks like a change in status. Uranus (surprises) in trine to Saturn is another sign of a possible win. I’d bet money on a possible upset here, if there weren’t two other actresses still to consider.

Jessica Chastain, a one-woman powerhouse in Zero Dark Thirty, comes next:

As you might expect from a redhead whose characters show such spunk, Jessica’s Sun-sign is Aries, sign of the warrior. (Associated color: red.) Uranus, the planet that says, “Say goodbye to the past—and NOW!” has been crossing back and forth over her Sun for the last year or so. Boom! Big shift in her life and image. It will sit still on her Mercury in a few months, making for even busier times in 2013. Uranus is also making a lovely approaching trine to Saturn (accomplishment). But right now, it seems, is a bit of a fallow period where Jessica has some wonderful aspects that are unfortunately opposed by some really tough ones.

First, Saturn is sitting still in Scorpio in an almost exact square (hard 90-degree angle) to its own natal position in Leo. Well, that’s pretty tough. Few win awards under that kind of aspect. That stationary Saturn is also squashing her Uranus (personal freedom issues). That’s equally tough. And Mr. Pluto (power issues) is making a close square to its own natal position, often a sign of power struggles and a need for regeneration. I am afraid that, despite all of Jessica Chastain’s work and her probably deserving the award, I do not see a statuette in her hand.

That leaves the equally spunky, trash-talking but charismatic young star of Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence, to take home the gold.

A Sun-sign Leo, we should never expect her to be anything less than at home in the spotlight, and the cosmic beams are plenty bright for her right now. Uranus in Aries (full speed ahead!) is making an exact sextile (60-degree opportunity angle) to her North Node (life destiny point) in Aquarius. That’s a winning aspect right there. But wait! There’s more.

Uranus also makes a flowing trine to the Midheaven, the point of career recognition. Jupiter, giver of all good things, has also, during Oscar voting, been in a precise trine to that destiny-oriented North Node in the 12^th House of past karma. The energy of blessing is virtually unhindered. And it looks to me like a reward that comes from effort in a previous life.

Pluto (power/transformation) is only a degree away from Neptune (dreams/creativity) in the 11^th House of one’s peers and the greater audience. That’s an empowering of her dream. Transiting Saturn (achievement) also sits still in a flowing sextile to that Pluto-Neptune conjunction. This adds the blessing of authority. And with the transiting North Node (the destiny point, remember) also at the precise midpoint between Saturn (achievement) and Mercury (communication), it is easy to see an excited young woman named Jennifer up at the podium, Oscar in hand.

The Moon travels through her Sun-sign, Leo, on Oscar night, as well—giving her even more personal oomph—so joyful dramatics are guaranteed from that stage. Enjoy the moment because Jennifer Lawrence certainly will!

BEST ACTOR

This is a category that is simply magnificent this year. These actors are an acclaimed lot, whose work reflects their laser-like focus. Let’s look first at the chart of Denzel Washington:

Denzel is a Capricorn, a sign known for no-nonsense behavior, and Denzel’s roles reflect what his chart says are his strengths: authority and intelligence, a kind of steely moralism. In Flight, he plays a courageous pilot with a problematic past, and right now we find that he needs that courage. Uranus, (sudden change) has been making a hard square to his Sun while approaching a friendly sextile to his visionary Aquarius Moon. That basically means that the energy had to go somewhere: he did so well in the role that the Academy could not ignore him, even though it may not know what to do with him now.

Jupiter (abundance) is waving its blessing wand in the form of a lovely trine to his Moon, but there aren’t a lot of other aspects going on that might give Denzel the gold. Could he surprise people? Well, Uranus (shocks) IS right on his chart’s horizon, on the 7^th House cusp, indicating a breakthrough or breakdown sort of energy, and Pluto at the bottom of his chart is another sign of empowerment; but I don’t see the golden clincher. This year we must be content to love and respect Denzel without hearing a victory speech.

Next, we’ll consider the case of Joaquin Phoenix, star of The Master.

It shouldn’t surprise us that Joaquin takes idiocyncratic roles and doesn’t care what we think about his quirkiness—he’s an Aquarius, after all. We don’t have his birth time, but even a noon chart like this tells us why he was nominated at this time: there’s a lot happening in early to mid-degrees of the various signs, where Joaquin has many of his planets. His life-cycle, in other words, is well-activated astrologically.

With Uranus (the unusual) exactly atop his Aries Moon right now and making a flowing sextile to his Aquarius Sun (ruled by Uranus), Joaquin is a true wild card in this race. Having just passed through the Pluto square Pluto aspect that indicates the need for personal regeneration—a theme in The Master—Joaquin seems to be on a vision quest for something that’s not quite there for him to take. There are not, at the moment, enough close hits in his chart to indicate a triumphant walk up to the podium on Oscar night. Saturn (hard knocks) squaring his Sun punctuates our thesis. This year, he will not be Oscar’s master.

Now consider, if you will, the fortunes of one Bradley Cooper, whose hangover turned into a dream come true by portraying a bipolar man trying to get a grip in Silver Linings Handbook: 

His chart shows that, like fellow Capricorn Denzel, Bradley is hugely ambitious and can do just about anything he puts his mind to. We wouldn’t have known it from his previous roles, but with Mercury and Venus also in Capricorn, and its ruler, Saturn, opposing his Sun, Bradley Cooper is one serious guy.

It’s his Moon in attractive Libra and party-hearty Mars in Sagittarius rising that have given him his previous rep. Neptune on the Ascendant gives him glamour and sexy charisma. But that’s all changing as Pluto (power) swings closer to his Sun and squares its own position in the 10^th House, the point of worldly status. He’s in a period of shifting stature, and he’s only going to rise.

But what about now? As Uranus (the Awakener) makes a flowing trine to Neptune and his Ascendant, Bradley is getting respect for playing a man who struggles with personal boundaries (Neptune). But the Jupiter and Saturn aspects you want to see for a win aren’t really there. Bradley Cooper may make a career out of playing tough guys who have a heart, but he’ll have to applaud for someone else this year.

Speaking of heart, anyone who steals bread, contemplates the sorry fate of man, and then spends two hours singing about it, as Hugh Jackman does in Les Miserables, deserves our attention:

A creative triple threat whose Sun-sign is Libra, sign of the artist, Jackman’s Scorpio Midheaven (one’s status in life, remember) is being well-triggered astrologically. Saturn (dignity/accomplishment) is stationing right there as the Oscar votes are counted, and no astrologer could look at that without saying that Jackman has a real shot at winning. With transiting Pluto (power) also making a flowing sextile (opportunity angle) to the Midheaven, Jackman’s stature is increased. Uranus (sudden change) about to cross the North Node (life destiny point) provides even more ammunition for those who think an Oscar upset is possible.

But will he actually win? Like Bradley Cooper, Jackman has a Sun-Saturn opposition, giving his backbone some steel, probably from dealing with adversity…and such types don’t give up easily. Jupiter, lord of blessings, does sit in a nice sextile to the North Node, the destiny point. If this were any other year, these are aspects that say he should be dusting his mantelpiece now, because a little golden man will be joining him.

But this is not any other year. This, both creatively and astrologically, is the year of Daniel Day-Lewis, whose portrayal, in Lincoln, of our 16^th president really does “belong to the ages.” His chart, though frustratingly without a birth time, is shown below:

Even with this vagueness we are able to discern a few major things that clarify matters for us considerably. First, Daniel’s chart has a Sun-Venus conjunction in Taurus, a Fixed Sign, indicating that his creative career will be long lasting. Second, his Moon in Pisces is all about the image, the creative process, and it sits in a lovely trine to Neptune, ruler of film. Day-Lewis lives to be creative.

Neptune, who astrologically represents the ocean of consciousness, is highly activated in his chart right now. Lincoln opened just as Neptune was transiting over Daniel’s Moon—representing one’s emotional life and (for an actor) one’s audience. Daniel disappeared (“pulled a Neptune”) into the role, and he is loved for it. It happens that Neptune is currently also in a flowing trine to its own natal position in Scorpio, another indication of the emotional depth conveyed in the film. And Neptune also makes a soft sextile (60-degree angle) to his Sun in Taurus, an indication of mass appeal.

These Neptune transits are almost the only major aspects that we can detect happening in his chart right now. But they are enough. Abraham Lincoln is usually thought of as quite Saturnian—pensive, somber, even melancholy—with the weight of the nation’s fate on his shoulders. But we feel his humanity in the film, and respond to it accordingly. This is due to an actor somehow absorbing his very essence. In astrological terms, this is deeply Neptunian.

Daniel Day-Lewis will earn his third Academy Award by bringing us into the oceanic depth of emotional connection with a great man.

NEXT UP: PREDICTIONS FOR BEST SONG AND BEST DIRECTOR

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Part Two: Best Supporting Actress & Actor

Every nominee has to be hot, astrologically speaking, to get to the point of an Oscar nomination. But as for actually winning, the question becomes: Who’s the HOTTEST come Oscar night?

Also read: Part One: The Oscar Ceremony & Seth MacFarlane

Sometimes it’s like choosing between an inside straight, a flush, or a full house: which nominee’s chart––and its energetic aspects––trumps the others? That is what we are here to discern. Maestro, the nominees, please!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

First up, here is the chart of Jacki Weaver, who played the snack-baking mother and wife in Silver Linings Playbook. Her birth time’s unknown, so we’ll use a noon chart:

Jacki was born a Gemini, and Mr. Good Luck himself, Jupiter, is transiting now close to her Sun, or sense of self—filling her with buoyancy and giving her the good fortune of a nomination. Uranus, planet of sudden changes, also makes a direct opposition to her natal Neptune, associated with film, and her role in Silver Linings was not that big, so the nomination was a bit surprising. But we also find Saturn, Mr. “Not-So-Fast, Bub,” sitting in a square (hard 90-degree angle) to Pluto, lord of power. That’s a “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” sort of energy—so I think we’re safe in saying that Ms. Weaver appreciates the opportunity but will not take home the gold.

Next, let’s look at another Gemini, Helen Hunt…PLEASE!

Her performance as a sex therapist in The Sessions certainly gives new meaning to the term “attractive older woman.” At age 49, Helen was completely naked, both physically and emotionally. That fits astrologically, because for the last year she has had Uranus, planet of youth and rebellion, crossing over her Moon and bringing her image as a woman into a more freedom-oriented state. But does she have the astrological signature of a winner?

With Jupiter (expansiveness) caressing her Venus (arts/pleasures) in early Gemini, but also sitting at cross purposes with Mars (willpower/aggression) in Virgo (pickiness), odds are that she is admired for her courage in taking on the role, but not rewarded for it. Saturn (hard luck) conjunct Neptune (creativity) confirms it. She—and we—must be contented with her bold choice and empathetic performance.

Next up, “The Flying Nun” who’s still flying high—Sally Field:

Sally’s sign is Scorpio, a sign of passion and willfulness, and her performance as Mary Todd Lincoln was powerful and direct. Portraying a slightly unhinged woman who suffered from depression, Sally currently finds her own chart under similar Uranian and Saturnian aspects. Uranus-Moon aspects are sometimes associated with mental illness, and in Sally’s chart they are currently conjunct. This can indicate brilliance, domestic chaos or emotional breakdown. If nothing else, this energy helped her understand Mary’s character.

Saturn in one’s Sun-sign often brings recognition after long effort, and the sobering Saturn square Saturn-Pluto aspect in her chart illustrates the seriousness of the role as well as the challenges of her current life, but this tough transit is not what you’d normally see in the chart of a winner. Sally, the planets and stars like you—they really, really like you—but this year the nomination is your reward.

And now, someone who could really pull an upset, according to the stars—Amy Adams.

Every nominee should wish for aspects like Amy has this year: transiting Saturn (rewards for long effort) in a harmonious trine to its own natal position and also in a trine to Jupiter, giver of blessings. That’s a winning combination. With a Moon-Pluto conjunction in Libra to go along with her radiant Sun-Mercury conjunction in Leo, Amy is a smarter and more emotionally intense individual than her previous roles have given her room to show. Her role as the manipulative wife in The Master showcases her chart’s strength.

Jupiter is also in a flowing trine to Amy’s natal Pluto, another indicator of empowerment or success. And transiting Uranus, that lightning bolt full of surprises, also trines Amy’s Venus, which rules the arts. Meryl Streep had a similar trine in her chart when she won last year. You could do worse than bet on Amy Adams to pull an upset, and I will not be surprised if she wins. You heard it here first.

You have to have an inside straight to beat an astrological hand like that. But however unlikely, someone does. Here is the chart of Anne Hathaway:

Named after William Shakespeare’s wife, Ms. Hathaway has an intense chart, with all the planets grouped together in basically four signs. This indicates a highly focused individual whose life is one of great passions. She just turned 30, and during the traditionally harsh Saturn Return at age 29, Anne played, in Les Miserables, a desperate young woman who turns to prostitution. Like Sally Field, Anne has a Sun-Jupiter conjunction in Scorpio, which is where Saturn (earned rewards) currently sits. Does that mean an Oscar this year?

Jupiter (blessings) is currently sitting in an opposition to Uranus (breakthroughs), a very lucky combination. Transiting Uranus is also very close to the Nadir, or bottom of the chart, and thus by polarity electrifies the Midheaven (career point) at the top. This looks like a career breakthrough. Neptune is also square Uranus, another indicator that change is afoot. But the aspect that looks like it will give Anne a golden statuette is the transiting North Node, or life destiny point, crossing over her extraordinarily lucky Venus-Jupiter-Sun conjunction. Time for the big speech! Looks like she’s earned it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

This is a strong category this year, with several upset possibilities being supported by the stars. First we’ll cast our glance upon the chart of Django Unchained actor Christoph Waltz:

Lack of a birth time restricts us from waltzing in and being even more precise, but we can see enough to determine that perhaps this is not Christoph’s year to win. While he does at the moment have a lovely Jupiter sextile Uranus aspect, which can give unexpected good fortune, as well as Uranus in a flowing trine to its own natal position, these are aspects which peaked in December when Uranus turned direct at 4 degrees Aries. The recognition which has flowed from that energy has carried through to a nomination—but that, I think, will be about as far as he goes this year.

Now here’s the chart of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who made a dark spectacle of himself in The Master. With an unknown birth time, this is a noon chart as well:

Hoffman, no stranger to authoritative roles with that Sun in Leo, finds himself between cycles this year. While the Vegas oddsmakers think it possible for him to win, I am afraid that the cosmos does not agree. Yes, Uranus is approaching his Saturn (recognized accomplishments), giving him a shot at an upset, and Jupiter is blessing his natal Venus, ruler of the arts…but Mr. Saturn is by transit also sitting in a hard square to buoyant Jupiter, giving his Oscar chances a bit of a cold shower. However, with that approaching Uranus transit, it looks like he could be back next year, being recognized for an unusual role.

Next up is Alan Arkin, whose unprintable catchphrase was one of the best things about Ben Affleck’s Argo.

Arkin, who has made a superb late career out of playing snarky old men, has one great astrological aspect going for him on Oscar night: Uranus (breakthroughs) sitting next to his natal Sun in Aries and also making a flowing trine to his Midheaven (point of recognition). It’s a revolutionary aspect and even the plot of Argo had to do with revolution. The Oscars’ Moon is in Leo, as is Arkin’s natal Moon—a good sign—and it rises above the chart’s horizon by the start of the ceremony. Still, it’s coming off an opposition to Saturn (restrictions) and I think that means that for Alan Arkin’s chances this year, it’s close but no cigar.

Two other actors have even better aspects. Here’s the chart of the favorite in the race, Tommy Lee Jones:

His wily Congressman in Lincoln was a thing of beauty, and Jupiter, ruler of the law, currently sits in Jones’s 1^st House of personality, bringing him an expansive period in his life. On Oscar night, that lucky planet also sits in Jones’s chart in an exact flowing trine to Neptune, ruler of film… in the 5^th House of creativity. That could well be victory. What’s more, transiting Venus (pleasure) is in an exact trine to his natal Jupiter, in the 6^th House of work. The transiting Moon in Leo makes a lovely sextile (60-degree opportunity angle) to Jones’s Jupiter on Oscar night as well. So far, so good.

But now we come to some less-than-auspicious aspects. Tommy Lee’s natal Moon is in Taurus, and the Oscars Moon makes a hard 90-degree square to it, usually not indicative of success. Transiting Jupiter also is making a quincunx—a 150-degree, “Sorry, there’s more work to be done” angle—to Jones’s natal Venus, ruler of the arts. So even though Uranus (sudden change) is making a nice flowing trine to Saturn (achievement), there are enough mixed aspects here to give us pause. Does he win? I think his odds, astrologically, are no better than 50-50.

Who does that leave as a potential upset victor? None other than the great (but not rewarded lately) Robert De Niro.

A Sun-sign Leo like Hoffman, De Niro’s status as an actor is unrivaled and he now gives us an OCD-prone father to bipolar Bradley Cooper in the delightful Silver Linings Playbook. Like Arkin, he also has a lucky Jupiter-Uranus connection occurring; but in a twist of astrological fate, De Niro is now experiencing two of them at the same time!

First is a conjunction by transiting Jupiter, lord of luck, to his chart’s surprise-prone Uranus—which screams “UPSET!” Transiting Uranus is also in a harmonious trine to De Niro’s Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in Leo—which translates as empowerment. People win lotteries under aspects like these.

The Moon on Oscar night is also in late Leo, close to De Niro’s Sun. The astrological rule of thumb is that when the Moon is crossing through your Sun-sign—especially if you’ve got multiple planets there, as De Niro does—you’ve got a lot of extra pizzazz going for you! President Obama, also a Sun-sign Leo, won reelection under a Leo Moon. The Oscars Moon also well-aspects De Niro’s Saturn, rewarder of past efforts.

Just to add a smidgen of doubt to the mix, Saturn (Mr. “Forget About It!”) is currently in a hard square to De Niro’s Jupiter, a restrictive aspect that mitigates the possible lightning-strike victory. On Oscar night, Mercury (communications) is also retrograde, which could mean snafus. But it’s transiting only a few degrees away from De Niro’s Pisces Moon (for an actor, the Moon represents the audience), with Mars (action) also close by.

The last time De Niro won (for Raging Bull, in 1981), he was also under similarly auspicious astrological energies (Sun-Venus-Mars trine his Jupiter-Pluto conjunction, among other aspects). Tommy Lee Jones’s chart does not show similar aspects to his last victory—in 1994, for The Fugitive. We’ll never know, of course, but I do think the vote will be close.

Still, I’m going out on a limb and giving the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor to Robert De Niro in an upset victory. This year, it looks like the planets are once more revolving around his star.

Just don’t touch his remote.

NEXT UP: BEST ACTRESS AND BEST ACTOR!

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That’s right, we don’t have to endlessly peruse statistics, corner Academy members, make our own guesses or even trust Harvey Weinstein’s considerable clout: no, the very patterns of the heavens will tell us the winners.

As proof, last year we were 7 for 7 in our predictions, including Meryl Streep’s surprise upset of Viola Davis for Best Actress, which occurred precisely as stated in these pages–standing ovation, teary speech and all. How did we know it was Meryl redux? Neptune trine her Sun, Uranus trine her Ascendant. That’s astro-speak for: “THE ASTROLOGY SAID SO!”

We all live within a matrix of greater energies, cyclical cosmic patterns which begin at the moment of birth and continue throughout our lives. Good fortune and honors tend to occur when patterns are harmonious, as they were in Meryl’s astrological chart in 2012. Despite Viola Davis’s status as the favorite in the race, her energetic aspects were not as favorable, and those things are clear to the professional astrologer. So relax and come along for the ride as we see once more what the stars above are saying!

First we’ll look at the chart for the ceremony itself, set for Sunday, February 24th in Hollywood, CA. The official start, according to the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is 5:30PM pm PST, which corresponds to the actual start of the telecast. This is the astrological chart for that moment:

We first notice that most of the planets are on the right, or western side of the chart, indicating that cooperative themes will be spotlighted. The solitary hero is out of luck this year. Indeed, the Sun, representing the ceremony’s sense of identity, is in the 7^th House, associated with partnerships. While this is the case every year, with the ceremony beginning just before sunset, this year the Sun has some planetary company in this sector. This says that relationship movies and conflictual “us vs. them” themes have a central place in this year’s show.

The ceremony used to be held in late March, but was moved up in order to shorten the seemingly interminable Oscar campaigns. With the shift to late February, the Oscars’ Sun-sign changed from Aries to Pisces—fire to water. The celebs may shiver more in their skimpy gowns, but the compensation is that the energy of the show seems more in alignment with old-time glamour and the “magic” of Hollywood.

Pisces, after all, is a sign associated with the imagination. Its ruling planet is Neptune, which in this year’s chart is transiting near the Sun (as it will be for the next three years or so) and is also in its own sign. Neptune is associated with creativity, spirituality, dreams and glamour. Fantasy films, or those with a lighter touch, do well under this aspect, as was evidenced last year with “The Artist” winning Best Picture under a frothy planetary alignment.

This year’s chart has that same (often very confusing but creative) Neptune-Sun aspect, but here it also straddles the 7^th House cusp—the point given in astrology to marriage and relationships, war and peace, and direct dealings with others. This seems to correlate with several movies nominated, such as Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, and Amour.

And the Moon, a few hours from being full, has just risen and inhabits the 12^th House, which in astrology is given to secrets, clandestine activities, caregiving, suffering, confinement and subconscious habit patterns. Let’s see—that describes, wholly or in part, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Les Miserables and Django Unchained. And the Moon’s cruising through late Leo, a sign associated with leadership—also a theme this year. It’s no accident that, under these energies, serious dramas take the limelight now rather than lightweight fare. Expect one of them to win Best Picture.

This year’s ceremony takes place under a Mercury Retrograde, so glitches and misspoken speeches may be part of the milieu. Jupiter, planet of expansion and good fortune, sits prominently in the 10^th House of social status and reputation. Jupiter also rules ethics and the law, and several films concerned with legal issues were nominated this year…Lincoln, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Django, Les Miz…you get the picture.

Saturn, planet of hard work, frustrations and accomplishment through sustained effort, sits in the 3^rd House of communications. Make sure you have a pillow handy, because this says the ceremony will be as long as ever. Saturn also rules history, and several hard-hitting historical dramas made the cut. Mercury (communications) is also hanging out with Mars (god of war), in the 7^th House of partnerships. The word “gritty” comes to mind. Hearts-and-flowers films are a bit out of place this year.

Now let’s look at the birth chart of the host, Seth MacFarlane:

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“But James, I need you!”

“So does England!”

–The Spy Who Loved Me 

Even though he returned to star in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery turned out not to be eternally bound to an eternal Bond. After Connery finally bailed, the producers, having had a single dalliance with a frustrated George Lazenby, went back to someone they had thought about hiring for several years—the great English “Saint,” Roger Moore.

Like Lazenby, Moore had started out as a model. Always a clotheshorse, he was once known as “the Big Knit.”  In 1962, he was cast as Simon Templar in the British TV show, “The Saint.” It ran for 118 episodes, and after he was cast with Tony Curtis in the early ’70s show, “The Persuaders,” Roger Moore was the highest paid TV actor in the world. Intriguingly, “The Saint” premiered on the telly one day before the first Bond film, Dr. No, premiered in theatres. Bit of a strange bond for those who played Bond.

Read Part One of The Astrology of Bond

Roger Moore turned out to be the longest-running Bond, doing more official Bond films than any other actor in the role. From 1973 to 1985, Moore was more, starring in Live and Let Die, The Man With the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and  A View to a Kill. With Moore as 007, the series took a turn for the absurd, with jokey lightness and outlandish gadgetry replacing Cold War deadliness. Any series that features a villain with steel teeth named “Jaws”—twice!—is not begging to be taken seriously. But then, the 1970s wanted to forget the 1960s anyway. So the stunts became the movies.

This also was in keeping with the times. The Uranus-Pluto conjunction, that volatile, revolutionary energy that was the true cause of the social upheaval of the Sixties, was uncoupling itself and the energetic effect was a desire to find one’s bliss. As Uranus (the impulse toward freedom) entered Libra, sign of relationships, followed at a distance by intensely transformative Pluto, the emphasis shifted toward more personal issues. Women’s liberation, gay rights and various indigenous peoples’ movements sprang up. Neptune (idealism) also entered the playful, questing sign of Sagittarius, bringing forth a flowering of yoga practice and New Age teaching. Disco replaced socially conscious rock’n’roll. The Cold War thawed a bit, and 007 seemed much less relevant in the age of détente. Nevertheless, the franchise continued.

What was it in Roger Moore’s astrological makeup that allowed him to play the role and fit the times so well? Let us look at his chart:

Moore was born under Libra (sign of elegance and artistry) with Mars (planet of willpower/conflict) sitting close to his Sun in the 3^rd House of communication. Sophistication and polish, blended with sex appeal and wit, made Moore a splendid example of someone who could pull off an iconic role and look like he wasn’t even breaking a sweat. The audience found his Bond easily digestible.

Moore’s Gemini Moon sits high in the chart in the 10^th House of status, giving him a public destiny and personal attractiveness. His image as a quick wit and smooth talker (again, Gemini Moon) was developed in his previous acting roles and elevated by the Bond producers to the point where the audience almost anticipated some drollery after a heavy action scene. Moon in Gemini is nothing if not a lover of language.

But it’s the Leo Ascendant that really made Moore so popular. Leo, after all, just loves spectacle. He was also born under the conjunction of Jupiter (blessings) and Uranus (sudden change)—called by astrologers the “Thank you, Lord!” energy. Roger Moore is just naturally lucky. Like Marilyn Monroe, Moore has Neptune (glamour/film) rising in Leo in the 1^st house, creating a charismatic image that he used well.

During his time as Bond, both Uranus (forward thinking) and Pluto (power issues/sexuality) were moving back and forth over his Libra Sun and Mars. Like Connery before him, he simply fit the zeitgeist. The movies had varying critical reception, but Moore as Bond almost became a cultural institution. But—when intense Pluto went into Scorpio in the mid-’80s and the social scene darkened amid the AIDS crisis, the producers rethought the role and gave it to a younger actor who projected a more serious image.

Here is the chart of Timothy Dalton:

As with George Lazenby, we do not have an exact time of birth for Dalton, but one look at the aspects tell us that he is a formidable individual.

Timothy Dalton was born under rough-hewn Aries, the opposite sign from Roger Moore’s polished Libra Sun, and the contrast between their interpretations of Bond could not be more different. A classically trained Shakespearean actor, Dalton had been considered for the part of James Bond as far back as Sean Connery’s departure in the early 1970s. He was deemed too young then, but just the right age when Moore was done.

Dalton made two Bond films, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. The former was praised as a return to Bond being the “blunt instrument” envisioned by Ian Fleming, while the latter finally hit theaters after a 4-year legal wrangling that drained much of the life out of the franchise; even Dalton’s portrayal was considered substandard. What accounted for such wide critical opinions and tumult in Dalton’s life?

Dalton has three planets in Aries, making him an assertive type who probably loved guns, swords and fighting anyway, and found a positive way to channel it. Mars (energy/conflict) is the ruler of Aries and sits extremely close to Saturn, planet of authority. This aspect is pretty ruthless. Dalton’s Bond is cold-eyed and dour with little of the lightheartedness of Moore’s performance. Add in Pluto, lord of the underworld, sitting in an almost exact angle to Dalton’s Mercury (intelligence) and Venus (love of beauty), and you have an actor who brings plummy speech and some realism to his role. But as Bond, he’s also been called dull. At least his Moon is in sexy Scorpio, giving him emotional intensity.

During the period that Dalton was playing 007, transiting Pluto (magnetic power) sideswiped his Moon—which in the case of an actor represents the audience. This gave him high visibility, but saddled him with proximity to power plays, which manifested as long infighting between the studio and producers. He grew discontented with the delays and direction in which the series was headed and gave his notice that two films were enough.

This time frame (late 1980s to early 1990s) had as its prime astrological signature the coming together of three planets in the restrictive sign of Capricorn, called by astrologers “the Capricorn Climax.” The expansive Saturn-and-Uranus-in-Sagittarius energy that gave Dalton good reviews when The Living Daylights came out in June, 1987, turned ultra-serious when it joined Neptune in Capricorn in 1988, and stayed that way for several years. In the U.S., there was a deep economic recession.

Capricorn is the sign of government, and when Cap’s ruling planet Saturn (business matters/traditions) moved into its own sign and hung out with Uranus (chaotic change) and Neptune (dreams/ideals), the energy was not conducive to staying with something that wasn’t working. Lest we forget, the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and much of Europe changed. After a dismal showing in his second Bond film because of poor marketing and a lethargic performance, it was felt that James Bond would need a freshening up, too.

That left the door open for an actor already playing a suave TV detective who was a close approximation of Bond.  The Broccoli family, producers of the Bond series, had wanted Pierce Brosnan even before Timothy Dalton, but NBC wouldn’t let Brosnan out of his contract for “Remington Steele.” When the series ended, the dreamily handsome Irishman was the obvious choice to play James Bond. Even the media was excited.

Here is the chart of Pierce Brosnan:

Brosnan was born a Taurus, with his Sun in the 5^th House of creativity and love affairs, giving Brosnan a natural charm in the attraction department. His Moon (emotional self/women in his life) also sits on the cusp of the 7^th House of relationships. Any planet on the horizon of a chart is doubly potent, and his Gemini Moon (remember Roger Moore’s?) showcased a witty charm that, along with his romantic looks, made women swoon. As 007, Brosnan was playing to his natural strengths.

Brosnan’s Ascendant is Sagittarius, known as the sign of the adventurer (and bachelor). Though married in real life, Brosnan projected in the Bond role the desirability of the dreamboat lover. Pluto in Leo (raw power) sitting in a hard angle to his Taurus Sun (personality) adds sexual magnetism to Brosnan’s image. Saturn (authority) and Neptune (glamour) sit together in Libra, the sign of romance, so Brosnan felt comfortable as Bond and was immediately accepted by the audience as well.

Pierce Brosnan made four Bond movies: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is not Enough and Die Another Day. He brought style and banter back to the series, the sophistication audiences had enjoyed with Sean Connery and which had gone missing since. Brosnan balanced the stunts with some acting chops, but mostly he just looked like your fantasy Bond, as if he’d been born in a tux. For audiences left unsatisfied by Moore’s clownishness and Dalton’s grimness, this was a refreshing tonic.

While Brosnan was playing Bond, Pluto (power/transformation) was transiting his chart’s 11^th House of hopes, goals and social recognition. He became a worldwide star, GoldenEye opening just as Pluto made an opposition to Jupiter (good fortune) in the 5^th house of entertainment. Transiting Jupiter also crossed his Ascendant (image) at the same time, and he was off and literally running as Bond.

It was just at that time, too (November, 1995), that Pluto entered expansive Sagittarius and the world’s troubles seemed to lighten up for awhile. The economy improved and the Internet became popular as Uranus (innovation/technology) and Neptune (creativity) transitioned into the futuristic sign of Aquarius. The tech boom went hand-in-hand with Bond’s sophisticated gadgetry, as if the world had finally caught up to him. The producers took this as a challenge: in his last film, 007 even had an invisible car!

Then the energy changed, not entirely due to Brosnan’s acting. The tragedy of 9/11 changed the tastes of audiences, and the fantasy element in spy films seemed out of place now. The Bond producers got the message. From this point on, realism would be king.

Enter the sixth and current Bond, Daniel Craig. His chart is shown below:

Craig’s birth time is unknown, but enough can be gleaned from the lines of energy in the chart to make it worth our while.

Daniel Craig was born a Pisces, a sign associated with sensitivity and imagination, not necessarily sex and violence. The Sun (self-image) does, however, sit in a wide opposition to Pluto, planet of extremes and badass behavior. This certainly confers sexual charisma, and an ability to go to the depths of one’s soul, but what Craig gives us as Bond is not what we’ve been used to feeling for the character…namely, human empathy. Yet there is something in Craig’s portrayal that makes his Bond emotionally present to us. Astrologically, this is explained by Craig being born in a Water Sign, known for emotional bonding…so to speak.

With Chiron, the dwarf planet known as the Wounded Healer, sitting in Pisces (sign of sacrifice) along with the Sun, what we have in Daniel Craig’s Bond is a man who displays his wounds to us even while trying hard not to show them. This is a long way from the buffoonery that characterized previous portrayals of Bond. What Daniel Craig gives us is real pain.

One look at Craig’s three planets in Aries, sign of the warrior, convinces us that, despite his personal sensitivity, he is definitely a man of action. His Bond movies have emphasized his physicality, and astrologically speaking, it doesn’t get more physical than Mars (willpower/energy) and Saturn (achievement) sitting together in Aries. His Moon (emotional self) and North Node (life destiny point) also are conjoined in Aries, telling us that it is his life task to convey his emotional self. Acting to Daniel Craig is a type of emotional salvation.

With Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and now Skyfall, we have been given not only spectacular action, but a more well-rounded, truly human Bond. Venus (attractions) and Mars (drive) are harmoniously aspected in Craig’s chart, and it allows us to glimpse his characters through an unexpectedly intimate lens. He looks capable of bringing more depth to Bond than any previous actor. Let us hope that the cultural zeitgeist shifts and allows for a bit more optimism. Craig’s 007 could use some lightening up.

The Bond franchise’s 50^th anniversary is actually a significant astrological milestone as well. The franchise is in the midst of its Chiron Return—and Chiron, as mentioned, deals in astrology with wounds and with healing. It goes once around the chart about every fifty years. A successful transit confers wisdom and self-integration. Right now, as Skyfall hits theaters, Chiron is in the same position as it was when Dr. No was first released. This is a back-to-basics moment for the franchise, a time for renewal.

And what do we see up on the big screen? We see how astrology actually works. Without, I’m sure, consciously knowing that this was the case, the story decided upon by director Sam Mendes and the Broccoli family fits the astrological energy pattern. A wounded hero (or anti-hero, as Daniel Craig plays him) quite literally takes a few bullets and needs emotional healing. He goes back to his childhood home to anchor himself. In the end, despite his deep loss, he pulls himself together and is ready for further action. This is an almost perfect description of the challenges of the Chiron Return. We have right now, in theaters where we all can see it, literal proof of the strange synchronicity that astrologers deal in all the time. The cycles of life continue, whether for a movie franchise or for an individual, and astrology helps us understand them.

After the Chiron Return in one’s life comes the harmonious Pluto trine Pluto aspect, a time of potential self-empowerment. For the Bond franchise, I would expect that the next movie would bring a confident, but somewhat lighter tone, where portrayal of pathos is less important than sheer enjoyment. Bond will once again be comfortable in his skin.

This is in keeping with the Uranus-square-Pluto aspect which reoccurs several times over the next three years. It’s the first time since the 1960s that these two agents of change—Uranus: fast; Pluto: slow and deep—have been together. But now they’re in a tough angle to each other and many issues that were first seeded in the Sixties are back again to be worked out. James Bond was a part of that previous cultural milieu, and the films now can play a part again, perhaps by giving Bond back his (updated) mojo.

When Daniel Craig integrates a little more glamour and wit into the character, we’ll have the best of all possible worlds. The world fell in love with what Bond originally was: a sophisticated rogue. Keep that quality while staying with the emotional depth and he will forever be our hero, the spy who loved us: Bond…James Bond.

Cue that theme song now!

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“Do you expect me to talk?”

“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”

–from Goldfinger

The name is Bond—James Bond; the most famous superspy of them all. It’s been fifty years since Sean Connery first embodied him in Dr. No, and with the current raves for Daniel Craig’s Skyfall, we have a great opportunity to see how an iconic movie character—and the actors who’ve portrayed him—can be a real mirror of the times. The longest-running franchise in film history, the Bond movies actually embody the astrological energies at work during different decades, and the various actors’ birth charts can tell us why they succeeded, or failed, at their job. It’s quite a fascinating journey!

James Bond is, archetypally, pure Scorpio energy. He’s a spy, first of all, someone who’s secretive, prone to violence, highly sexual, and who wields a sarcastic wit. Quick-thinking and suave but suppressed emotionally, and sometimes as vengeful as his enemies, he’s a man of action and passion—a ruthless sort who faces down a lot of death. In fact, he causes death as part of his job. Power issues surround him, usually coming from some domineering enemy. He must continually prove himself, transcending limitations of danger and fear. Indomitable, courageous, he always wins in the end. Plus, he gets the girl—often a whole passel of them! All of these traits describe Scorpio in its pure, unadulterated state. The Bond character puts a face on one of the twelve zodiac signs as clearly as we can possibly hope for.

British author Ian Fleming was born under Gemini, the sign of the writer. Here is Fleming’s astrological chart:

Fleming came from a wealthy family, indicated by his having the Moon (indicating family background) in Taurus, the sign of money. As a social aristocrat, he valued personal refinement and gave Bond some of this suavity. While working as special assistant to the head of British naval intelligence during World War II, he was involved in planning secret operations…one of them called Operation Golden Eye, later used as the name of his writing retreat in Jamaica and the film, GoldenEye.

Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953, to immediate success. There followed eleven more Bond novels and two short story collections. He also wrote the children’s story, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, best known as a charming 1968 movie. The Bond stories are among the best-selling fictional books ever published, selling over 100 million copies worldwide. All of this is in keeping with Fleming’s Sun and Moon being well-situated in the 3^rd House of writing, speaking and high IQ. His mother lobbied the head of Reuters news agency to give him a job after he was dismissed from Eton College for enjoying a mildly dissipated lifestyle, and Fleming thereafter became a journalist who traveled the world… activities suited to one whose Luminaries resided in that restless 3^rd House.

During Fleming’s wartime activities, he originated many schemes to mislead German forces, dispensing misinformation and becoming intimately acquainted with secret codes and tactical uses of force. That he had talent in this area is shown by the placement of Uranus (chaos/technology) in Capricorn (sign of government) in the 12^th House of secrets. He worked closely with Col. “Wild Bill” Donovan, FDR’s special intelligence envoy to England. It’s easy to see in Donovan the inspiration for Felix Leiter, Bond’s counterpart in the CIA.

Fleming’s Rising Sign is Aquarius, famous for being future-oriented and enamored of new technology. Fleming was something of a geek, essentially Tom Clancy’s literary godfather. Fleming’s novels are Cold War morality tales featuring a character he called “a blunt instrument in the hands of the government,” and technology plays no small part in the plots. It was not his fault that it became so overblown in the films, and he probably would have laughed along with us at Maxwell Smart and Austin Powers. Yet, prophetically, technology now informs our everyday lives.

That Fleming had a creative destiny is shown by his Mercury (mentality), Mars (sexuality/drive/conflict), Neptune (imagination) and North Node (life destiny point) all residing in his chart’s 5^th House, which rules creativity and pleasures of life. Fleming lived in Jamaica, had flings with hot, wealthy women, was also married and eventually smoked and drank himself to death in 1964 at age fifty-six. One day he invented the “Vesper martini” as an alternative to going to a 5 p.m. church service called Vespers. (Ingredients: vodka, gin, Kina Lillet vermouth and a lemon peel for garnish.)

Fleming’s success with Bond is indicated by Scorpio, sign of the spy, occupying the top of his chart. Fleming’s and Bond’s careers, in other words, had much in common. He said he modeled Bond on a number of people he met during his intelligence career: among others, his brother Peter, the artist Hoagy Carmichael, and an elegant station head of MI6 in Paris. But it’s clear to biographers—and especially to an astrologer—that Fleming put much of his own personality into Bond. Curiously, the world’s most famous spy got his name from an American ornithologist, an expert on Caribbean birds. Fleming read his book and thought the author’s name, James Bond, spoke to a strong, terse Anglo-Saxon type of masculinity. (There’s the Gemini obsession with words!)

Fleming was happy to sell the movie rights to his books. But it took him a while to warm up to the actor who originated the role on screen, and who remains in many minds the definitive Bond.

Sean Connery’s chart is shown below:

Connery had been acting in local productions when he auditioned for Bond by dressing scruffy, acting macho and throwing out a devil-may-care vibe. He was hired immediately and given a little social tutoring by director Terence Young. By the time Dr. No was filmed, Connery’s sex appeal shone through and his Bond took the world by storm.

Sean Connery was born a Virgo with Neptune (glamour/imagination) sitting next to the Sun (self-image) in the 8^th House associated with sex, death and regeneration. That’s a sexy (and potentially dangerous) energy combo if there ever was one! Connery’s Moon (emotional self/appeal to women) also occupies Virgo, in the 9^th House of internationality…or perhaps we should say, “foreign affairs.” What is James Bond if not the original international man of mystery? Connery’s solar and lunar placements point to how well the role of Bond fitted his own energy.

The key to understanding Connery’s chart, though, is his tough-natured Capricorn Ascendant (projection of take-charge authority), with Capricorn’s ruling planet, Saturn (command and accomplishment), also sitting right there on the angle. Connery always projected an alpha male energy and he used it to great effect in his movie roles. Capricorn’s associated with tradition (Connery is a patriotic Scotsman) and with longevity (he acted into his 70s), so he’s had a long-lasting career of great influence.

The “love ‘em and leave ‘em” persona of Bond can also be found in Connery’s chart, in the guise of a Venus-Uranus opposition from romantic Libra to feisty Aries. When love comes to Bond, it’s usually exciting, short-lived and volatile. Connery himself has had a long, stable marriage, but the energy for Bond came from somewhere, and Sir Sean has made some controversial statements about women. Jupiter (abundance) and Pluto (power) both sit in the 7^th House of relationships in Cancer, a sign of emotional bonding. (!) Connery’s appeal to women is legendary.

Women may have wanted him, but men wanted to BE him! We find this energy depicted in the square (hard, 90-degree “I-gotta-be me” angle) that Connery’s Mars (sex/conflict/physicality) makes to both his Moon (emotions) and Mercury (intelligence/wit). This is the astrological definition of charisma. The Bond films played off Connery’s natural energy and the result was a lasting worldwide phenomenon.

What energy was afoot when Dr. No premiered, that gave the series such longevity and appeal? Here is the chart for the movie’s premiere at the London Pavilion:

October 5^th, 1962 happened to have as its signature a Libra Sun (romance/artistry) and a late Sagittarius Moon (expansiveness/exotic fun). By itself, this was fortuitous, but add in Venus in Scorpio (sex/obsessions), Mars (action/violence) in a fortunate trine to Venus, and an exact Jupiter-Uranus opposition (sudden good fortune), and the astrological picture is very encouraging. Saturn (longevity/tradition) is the most elevated planet in the chart. Mercury retrograde speaks to how many times the series has had to be rebooted, but it would be hard to pick a more fortunate astrological moment to launch such a franchise.

In Connery’s chart, Uranus (breakthroughs) was precisely conjunct Neptune (glamour/creativity), which meant that Jupiter (conveying blessings) also formed an exact opposition. The man and the character—and the franchise—became one in the public’s eyes. Connery WAS Bond.

Because the Bond franchise continued, it not only participated in the evolving astrological energies of the 1960s, it became part of the cultural revolutions of the decade as well. It has, after all, been the expressed intent of the producers to keep James Bond relevant to the moment, and this means the films mirror not only the times but the larger energies at work. Dr. No unwittingly premiered just two weeks ahead of the Cuban Missile crisis, the closest we have come to nuclear destruction. What are the Bond films mostly about? Defeating a power-mad super villain and saving the world from destruction.

As they went on, the Sixties became more liberated because of the rare transit of Uranus (youth/innovation/revolution) conjunct Pluto (sex/power/obsessions). One could argue that the sexual revolution was helped along by the Bond films and their playful, glamourized spin on sexuality. (Nude females were not yet a common sight.) The films were naughty in a delightful way and Western culture loved it. Sean Connery’s Bond was a symbol of macho confidence in matters of state (he always won), but was also something of a cultural breakthrough. Sex (and glamourized violence) was part of life now. The repression of the Fifties was gone.

After filming Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice, Connery tired of the role. Though he returned for Diamonds Are Forever and what’s considered an unofficial Bond entry, Never Say Never Again, he was replaced in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by a very unlikely prospect…who actually did rather well in the role, if only briefly.

This is the chart of George Lazenby:

We do not know Lazenby’s time of birth, and must content ourselves with looking at the astrological aspects in his chart…but these are quite revealing.

Like Connery, Lazenby was born a Virgo, with Venus (ruler of good looks) conjunct his Sun (personality). Additionally, Neptune (creativity/glamour) was still occupying Virgo as it had in Connery’s chart. That could make for a very handsome, popular man! Lazenby was born under a Grand Trine, a very fortunate, creative energy. The signs Virgo, Taurus and Capricorn are all occupied.  A Moon-Uranus conjunction (emotional electricity) in the sign of Taurus (money/sensuality), and a well-aspected Mars (sexuality/conflict) in Capricorn (business/authority) complete the picture of a confident, suave sophisticate who would probably do very well in life.

Lazenby was known not as an actor, but a model. He had done an ad for Big Fry Chocolate Creams, and with his GQ looks and debonair manner was considered a man of visible refinement. He happened to have the same barber as Bond producer Albert Broccoli, and when they met one day over haircuts, Broccoli invited him to audition for Bond. He came to the screen test dressed to the nines, accidentally punched out a stuntman and got the job due to his looks and aggressive mannerisms.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is now considered one of the better Bond films. It co-starred Diana Rigg and is the only time in the series that Bond actually gets married. Unfortunately, Lazenby had big shoes to fill and at the time of release his turn as Bond was considered to be several grades below that of Connery. Time has been kind to OHMSS, however, and Lazenby’s less witty, more assertive performance is now considered closer to Fleming’s original conception of Bond than Connery’s interpretation. It’s simply a more serious film.

But the stars—or at least the director, Peter R. Hunt—were against Lazenby continuing. For some reason, Hunt wouldn’t speak to Lazenby directly while on the set. Fed up with it all even before the film’s release, Lazenby simply walked away. Astrologically, that tumultuous Uranus-Pluto conjunction was crossing Lazenby’s Neptune (creativity/confusion/deception) during the time of shooting. It was never going to be an easy time for him. December, 1969, when OHMSS  premiered, was also the month of Altamont, when a young man was murdered at a Rolling Stones concert and the spirit of the Sixties effectively died. So, in the movie, did Bond’s wife. It was just a heavy time.

Playing James Bond, George Lazenby only lived once.

NEXT, IN PART TWO: James Bond is both shaken and stirred! The filmic times (and personal charts) of Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan & Daniel Craig.

007 lives on!

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 ELECTION 2012 ASTROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS

PART 3: THE ELECTION WINNER PREDICTED

Astrologers are like cosmic detectives, always looking for the edge when it comes to insight about events. Astrology has a number of ways to discern results, whether personal or national. The most common is to look at the transits, or energy patterns, that the planets are currently making to a birth chart, which holds the blueprint of energy for the person or nation.

The United States of America actually has no clearly known birth time, so astrologers have their pick of several times during July 4^th, 1776, for the moment when the Founders began to sign the Declaration of Independence, thus initiating the process which gave birth to the nation. The current favorite is what’s called the Sibley chart, set for 5:10 pm, Philadelphia, PA.

We are a Moon-child nation, born under the sign of Cancer. Home, family and tradition play important roles in American life. With its Cancerian, Water Sign sensitivity, Mom, apple pie and the girl you left behind have been prominent themes. Our personal (and social) security are important. It’s a bit of a contradiction because we were born of revolution (Uranus, signifying just that, is here situated near the horizon).

The Sagittarius Ascendant, expressing an expansive self-image, speaks of the sheer size of the country, the westward push and the dedication to the dubious concept of Manifest Destiny. Yet the Aquarius Moon (symbolizing the people) indicates the egalitarian mindset American society holds up as its sacred ideal: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Pluto (power) in Capricorn in the 2^nd House of money speaks to the economic engine of America being so great as well as the concentration of wealth among the elite (called plutocrats, after all). Jupiter, bestower of blessings, sits next to Venus (love/money/pleasure) in Cancer, reiterating the theme of a nation blessed with an abundance of resources and love of family. Saturn (accomplishment) sits in Libra, sign of social justice, high in the 10^th House of reputation—designating a nation committed to law and destined to lead.

Neptune, the energy of dreams and ideals, not to mention religion, sits equally high in the chart, in Virgo, sign of applied knowledge, in the 9^th House of spirituality and international affairs. America takes its religion seriously (at least at election time) and moral issues are always at the fore in public debates. Neptune can, however, also mean illusions, and America’s vision regarding the rest of the world has lately left much to be desired.

Mars (energy, aggression) in the US chart is in Gemini, giving us a tendency toward diversity in thought, word and deed but with a relatively short attention span. Mars in the same sign as Uranus also speaks, for good or ill, to the importance many place on being armed.

So what’s happening now in the USA chart and which political candidate best fits the energies at work? Here are the transits (outer wheel) displayed for Election Night, set for the time when the polls close on the West Coast.

The astrology says there is a possibility of snafus which could delay the election results. Mercury, the planet associated with communications and transportation, turns retrograde at 5:57 pm EST. This is a big red flag that things may not run as smoothly as we might hope.

Every four months or so, the orbital ratio between the Earth and Mercury changes, so that from our POV it looks like Mercury is going backwards in the sky. Clear thinking seems to be fuzzed up by the energy. More effort is required to have things turn out well. Accidents occur with more frequency, computers break down, people argue and communications generally take a beating. It happens so often and so predictably that, whenever something goes awry, people call me and ask, “Is Mercury retrograde?”

What could it mean for the election? A retrograde means that the past is important, that energy turns backward. This would favor the incumbent, President Obama. But it could also mean delays in counting votes due to unexpected factors. There may be trouble with voting machines. After all, the last time Mercury was retrograde on Election Day (turning direct that very day) was the year 2000…and we all remember what happened then. Should we expect more hanging chads? It’s possible. Hurricane Sandy also fits the astrology. But don’t discount another controversy arising, such as one candidate winning the popular vote and the other winning the electoral college.

There are factors, though, which give us clues as to the winner. On Election Night, the Moon (emotional connection) is in Leo, President Obama’s Sun-sign—giving him some extra oomph. Venus (affection) is close to the USA’s Saturn (the past) in Scorpio, in the 11^th House of community. This is generally a sign of continuity. Mars (anger) sits in an exact square (tough, 90-degree angle) to the USA’s Neptune (ideals)—a sign of weariness, confusion and perhaps an inability to accept the election results. Expect the winner to issue a call for healing.

Let’s check the transits to the candidates’ charts for further clues. First, Mitt Romney’s:

There are several strong factors in Romney’s chart that say he is a force to be reckoned with at this time. The transiting Sun is just moving off from an exact trine (flowing angle) to his Mercury, which means his message is heard. The transiting North Node, or life destiny point, has just crossed his Moon-Jupiter conjunction in Scorpio. This gives a great boost to his chances, but it is also just moving off. It peaks before Election Day.

Uranus, the sudden change agent, is within three degrees of an exact sextile (opportunity angle) to his natal Venus, creating much affection and excitement in his life. Jupiter (good fortune and expansion) is in his 1^st House (personality) in a close square to Mercury (communications). The classic interpretation is exaggeration and “malarkey,” but in any case he is being listened to.

However, a couple of harsh energies may do Romney in. The first is Saturn (accomplishments) transiting in a tough square to its own position in his birth chart. This is reality check time—a clear sign of loss, not gain. Neptune (dreams/illusions) is also transiting in a square to his Ascendant (image), which speaks to a lack of actual substance. Neptune is barely moving and will make its turn from retrograde to direct motion on November 11^th, indicating a change of direction of his personal dreams.

Do the transits to Romney’s composite chart with Paul Ryan indicate anything different?  Here again (see Part II) is the chart of their relationship:

What jumps out here is the transit of Neptune, making its station November 11^th at zero degrees Pisces, precisely on the composite chart’s Sun and Ascendant.  Technically, Neptune has moved back by a few minutes of arc into the 12^th House, which one could interpret as loss after much media glamour. The phrase “smoke and mirrors” comes to mind. Neptune breeds intrigue and charisma, but makes it difficult to discern substance. It’s also in a hard square to the Midheaven, the point of reputation. What appears solid may be insubstantial instead.

Saturn, Mr. “Get Real” Himself, is approaching the composite chart’s Neptune, which looks like cold water being dumped on Team Romney’s dreams. Benevolent Jupiter is retrograding out of its fortunate conjunction to the chart’s Saturn, which is like getting that hot girl to say yes to a date and then getting acne.

Still, Jupiter is nicely aligned with the chart’s Mercury, emphasizing good news of some sort, and there is a rare Yod aspect—called the “Finger of God” because it indicates something fated—involving the chart’s Saturn (achievement), Pluto (power) and transiting Uranus (sudden change). The transiting North Node (destiny point) is also close to the chart’s Midheaven (angle of elevated status). It’s entirely conceivable that Romney and Ryan could win the popular vote, or come close, and lose the electoral college.

So what about President Barack Obama? Let’s look at his transits.

The transiting Sun is moving away from a tough square to his natal Sun, indicating an improvement from the last few days before the election. The transiting Moon revs up Leo, his Sun-sign. Obama’s mood is light…and made lighter by the fortunate angle of Venus (harmony and love) in justice-loving Libra to his Sun in Leo (leadership).

Jupiter, giver of grace, is within two degrees, in mid-Gemini, of a sextile (opportunity angle) to his Sun, and moving backwards toward the exact angle. If we do not know the results on Election Night, this is an indication of him winning in a week or two.

Saturn (achievement) is moving past a harsh square to Mercury (communications), so the hard times begin to fade just as the election arrives. Neptune (ideals) floats harmoniously in a trine to the president’s Moon (moods), another indicator of happiness. Pluto (transformational power) also sits in a flowing trine to its natal position, a self-empowerment aspect.

The transiting North Node (destiny point) is near the Midheaven (point of status), but also in a square to Uranus (the unexpected), so nothing is guaranteed until all the votes are counted. Transiting Mars is also precisely square his natal Mars on Election Night, an indicator of perhaps having to bring out his political boxing gloves one more time.

Finally, we find that the president is in his Chiron Return, an every-fifty-years aspect of crisis, regeneration and healing. Taken together, Barack Obama’s astrological aspects seem to indicate a winner. Not an easy winner, but a victor nonetheless.

Can we get a final confirmation from his composite chart with Joe Biden?

The transiting Sun is illuminating the team’s 10^th House of status and reputation, and on November 6^th forms an exact flowing trine to Uranus (innovation) in the 7^th House of partnerships. That’s a big yes to political victory. The Moon on November 6^th moves through the composite chart’s 7^th and 8^th Houses of shared connections, and by early morning is close to a conjunction with Pluto (power). That’s another favorable sign.

Transiting Venus (harmony) is that day also on the precise midpoint between Team Obama’s Sun (self-identity) and Mars (desire for action). That’s a soft, warm pillow for their political head. But it’s not all honeydripping goodness, as the transiting Moon (emotions) makes a tough square to the chart’s Moon, indicating some major mood swings during the day, and maybe from the electorate as well.

As if that weren’t enough, transiting Uranus (liberation or chaos) is precisely opposite the composite chart’s Sun. This could be the constraints being removed or the wheels coming off, but taken together with other positive factors, I am seeing it as reelection and a major new political direction.

Barring an upset brought about by weather conditions, hanging chads or rigged voting machines, energies indicate that we will have Barack Obama as our president for four more years. Hopefully they will be less divisive and much more inspiring.

Like a ship caught in a hurricane, America is undergoing much buffeting right now, and I don’t mean from Warren Buffet. It is simply a volatile period, and America has an important role to play in leading the way toward a more prosperous and peaceful world. This election is part of that process. It’s as if the heavens are putting pressure on us to see if we can transcend our differences, our illusions, our attachment to the past. If we don’t, the pressure gets more intense. The world needs a strong, but clear-minded and open-hearted America.

Astrology gives us a language, a spiritual vocabulary, to be able to understand the energies at work. Those energies right now say to look forward, not back. We shall see if the electorate agrees. Perhaps they should listen to their astrologers!

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 ELECTION 2012 ASTROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS

PART 2:  THE POLITICAL PARTNERS

No one runs for president of the United States by themselves… although sometimes we may think they should. The vice presidential candidate can either bring strength or weakness to the ticket and this year’s election shows a great contrast of personalities.

Here is the birth chart of current Vice President Joe Biden:

Biden’s Sun-sign is Scorpio, an intense sign known for passion and insight—not to mention secrecy and behind-the-scenes diplomacy. Biden, of course, is a renowned wheeler-dealer. Biden’s Sun is in his 12^th House of karma and possible loss, along with three other planets. In fact, all the inner planets except the Moon are in Scorpio in the 12^th, intensifying a pattern that says that Biden’s life has been about coming to awareness through suffering.

His well-off father lost his job, moved the family to Delaware from Pennsylvania and never really recovered his previous prosperity. Scorpio represents the sting of death, and Biden lost his first wife and son in a car accident after being elected in his first Senate race in Delaware. He went through much anger and religious doubt. But Scorpio energy can be relentless, and Biden has had a long and distinguished career. His Moon, situated in Taurus (another fixed sign) indicates that stick-to-it-iveness is one of his strengths.

Biden is a foreign policy expert, indicated here by the presence of Pluto (power), Chiron (healing and healing crises) and the North Node (life destiny point) in the 9^th House of international affairs. Saturn (accomplishment) sitting in his 7^th House of partnerships signifies that his greatest victories may be in conjunction with a partner. He has credited his second wife, Jill, with saving him emotionally and of course he is Vice President due to his political partnership with Barack Obama.

Biden’s most cringe-inducing trait is also explained astrologically—his tendency to put his foot in his mouth. Joe has Sagittarius rising, a sign renowned for this very thing. So when Biden makes a verbal gaffe, blame it on his Sagittarius Ascendant! He just can’t help himself. Jupiter (blessings/expansion) rules Sagittarius, and therefore his entire chart. It’s a blunt and big-picture energy, and Biden often gets in trouble for speaking the raw truth as he sees it. He may be looked upon as a bit of a clown, but his gaffes are seen as amusing, not cynical or wicked. That’s Jupiter at work.

Biden’s opposite number in this election is Paul Ryan. Here is Ryan’s chart:

Ryan’s Sun-sign is Aquarius, making him an independent “I think for myself” sort. His Sun sits in the 3^rd House of communications, and Ryan definitely articulates, in great detail and intensity, what he wants to say. These verbal faculties are strengthened by the nearby presence of Venus, the ruler of harmony. Whether or not his subject matter is endearing, Ryan has felicitous phraseology. He has taken inspiration from author Ayn Rand (also an Aquarius) and one could call Paul Ryan a conservative iconoclast… essentially a Libertarian.

Ryan’s Moon is in Libra, the sign of artistry, partnerships and social justice. It’s situated in the 11^th House of community, associated in politics with Congress. Ryan loves to network and express his deeply-held personal views to as many people as possible.

Ryan’s Ascendant is (like Biden’s) the sign of Sagittarius. The quest for truth is doubly evident in Ryan because of the presence of Neptune, the God principle, sitting precisely on the degree of the Ascendant. Neptune here is very strong, even though it is a diffusive and often confusing energy. (Ryan’s budget plan has been viewed as vague and deceptive.) Neptune clearly indicates that Ryan’s religious views—again, like Biden, he’s a Catholic—play a big role in his life and indeed in his self-image. He’s a devout, orthodox Catholic who is totally against abortion, even in cases of rape or incest. From the looks of his chart, this to him is Divine Revelation.

Paul Ryan has the charisma, but also the religious bent, of the crusader. His politics are essentially an outgrowth of his morals and religion. With Mars (aggression) in its home sign of Aries opposing Uranus (volatility) in Libra, Ryan is someone who won’t back down from a fight. A positive aspect of this is that he is health conscious and runs marathons. Negatively, he is prone to disputes which he could avoid with a little less impulsiveness.

Pluto (control issues) is also in a wide opposition to Mars from the late 10^th House of status. Pluto in Virgo gives Ryan his love of detail regarding taxes and such, but it also keeps him focused on small-picture items like budgetary figures rather than larger humanitarian concerns. Paul Ryan’s chart has a bit of the obsessive-compulsive energy one finds in addicts (which Neptune rising could also indicate). If he is elected Vice-President, expect him to defend Romney’s views vociferously.

COMPOSITES

These two men are, of course, each part of a political team. In astrology, the synergy between two people can be seen in the composite chart, made up of the midpoints between the angles and planets when one chart is compared to the other. This third chart paints a revealing picture of the energy at work in the relationship and here can be used to discern the essential energy and focus of each political ticket. It can show us a successful or unsuccessful pairing.

Here is the composite chart for the team of Barack Obama and Joe Biden:

The Sun in this chart is in Libra, sign of harmonious relations. It’s a give-and-take relationship, with an emphasis on 9^th House energy. This sector is about international affairs and one of Obama’s top priorities has been to deal with the winding down of two wars on foreign soil (Mars, god of war, is here as well). Sun in the 9^th also means that Obama’s international reputation would be important. Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 essentially for not being George W. Bush.

The Mars-Neptune conjunction (action regarding caregiving) is the most elevated aspect in the chart and speaks to the important role his health care law has played in his administration. This is actually somewhat double-edged: a political ticket with an elevated Neptune is almost certain to be idealized, and if those great expectations are not met, disillusionment follows. This also points up something strange: facts don’t seem to matter when Obama’s opponents talk about his administration. There seems to be a (Neptunian) glaze of sorts over objective facts.

Is Obama’s administration on the level? Astrologically, we could read Neptune’s position either as Obama being too idealistic and/or pulling the wool over people’s eyes, or being the subject of outright fantasies from his opponents. Either way, it’s hard for people to see this administration clearly. And Obama has sometimes not been the best messenger for his own policies. Lack of clarity has hurt him. But Neptune in the higher sense is compassion, and Obama projects caring for the common folks, which helps him politically. Neptune in the 9^th also means that both Obama and Biden are essentially spiritually-minded individuals.

We find the Moon (responsiveness) in Taurus (fixed focus/money issues) in the 4^th House associated with the homeland and personal security. Obama has suffered because his economic policies have not made people feel more secure, and people blame him for their not having a job. Still, Taurus is a fertile and steady sign; it sits in a flowing trine, or fortunate angle to the Ascendant in Capricorn, the sign of business. This is a good sign if he wins reelection that the economy may indeed rise again.

That Capricorn Ascendant shows an ultra-serious image with emphasis on practical matters. Capricorn being associated with government per se, arguments over the size, shape and programs of the government play an important role in their mutual image. On a personal level, this shows that maturity (Biden’s near 60 and Obama looks like he’s aging quickly) plays a big part in decision-making. A ticket with Capricorn rising is actually quite traditional, for good or ill, and not the radical change many have hoped for—or feared. Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, often limits one’s options, and here it sits opposite the Sun in fiery Aries. This describes Obama and Biden having to deal with policy limitations from a feisty Republican Congress.

Volatile, change-prone Uranus, sitting on the 7^th House cusp of relationships, speaks to the initial “hope and change” image this ticket had in 2008, and some policy disagreements may crop up between Obama and Biden. But overall, it’s a harmonious relationship, with Jupiter (good fortune) in the 4^th House at the foundation point and making a flowing angle to Pluto (power) and the Moon’s North Node (the destiny point). This is a powerful aspect for success. Obama’s political partnership with Joe Biden also looks to be long-lasting.

Now let’s look at the composite chart of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan:

The first thing we see in this chart is that the Sun is rising in Pisces, directly on the Ascendant, making this an exact sunrise chart. This immediately speaks to mutual empowerment, a strengthening of their mutual identity. Whether or not one agrees with the candidates and the Republican platform, this is a strong ticket. Romney’s Sun-sign, of course, is Pisces, so it especially benefits him. Pisces is the sign of merging one’s identity in a larger cause, and both men are extremely religious. This ticket is about a Cause with a capital C.

But exactly what cause is this ticket trumpeting? Neptune rules Pisces and therefore the entire relationship. It represents all things transcendent and also confusing on the rational plane. Deception and illusion come under this heading, as well as glamour and charisma. The promises Romney has made so far are vague (Neptunian). Oil is also given to Neptune and Pisces, and the Koch brothers, plutocrats who are vitally invested in oil, are essentially bankrolling the campaign. Romney has clearly stated he will do well by the oil industry. Expect that to happen should he win.

The Moon in Scorpio (the men’s personal connection) sits near Neptune on one side— reiterating our theme—and Jupiter (wealth) on the other. There is really no doubt about whose interests this ticket will represent. Scorpio represents the banking industry, power and secrecy. The Moon’s placement here, however, is basically benevolent and casts a bit of a media glow over their campaign.

Pluto, ruler of Scorpio and representing power itself, sits near the 7^th House cusp, opposite the Sun and on the angle of partnerships. Yikes! This is a very nasty indication of power plays and manipulation. Should this ticket win, there will be a focus on power issues with regard to allies. Pluto also represents violence and terrorism, and it’s tough to look at this aspect and think positively about the possibilities. There may be issues between Romney and Ryan themselves.

The major focus of the chart lies in the 12^th House, the place of hidden things. What is spoken about may not be all that is present here. Communications (Mercury) and values (Venus) are sketched out rather than given in-depth treatment. Caregiving is also 12^th House territory and both Romney and Ryan plan to repeal “Obamacare.” Should they win, expect a major emphasis on this topic.

With Mars rising in the 1^st in Pisces, there is an aggressive quality to the ticket and an appeal to the emotions. That can work for a ticket if there is a popular response to their assertions. The emphasis on a new approach to jobs (Uranus in the 6^th House of employment) is a strong sell, but Uranus sits in opposition to Venus in the 12^th, not a sign of agreement when it comes to money or personal values. Romney and Ryan disagree on social issues and have different approaches to policy making.

The Romney-Ryan ticket has the astrological markings of a shotgun wedding, and it remains to be seen whether or not their entreaties to the American people strike enough of a chord to catapult them into the White House. But in a close election, all bets are off.

READ PART 3: PRESIDENTIAL WINNER PREDICTED!

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ELECTION 2012 ASTROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS

PART 1:  THE CHARTS OF ROMNEY AND OBAMA

There was a time when astrologers were in danger of losing their heads if their predictions were not borne out by subsequent events. Despite the apparent flood of lunacy this election cycle, I think I’m currently safe. Wait! Let me check that lock again. Okay—so far, so good.

This is a race that has tightened—as astrologers have predicted it would—as Election Day draws closer. This fits with the rather tumultuous energetic terrain through which we are passing—what astrologers term Uranus square Pluto. It’s the first time since the 1960s that these two planets have been aligned. Uranus in astrology represents the forces of personal freedom, revolution, innovation and sudden, chaotic social change; Pluto represents the power structure undergoing a slower but inexorable transformation as we get down to core issues. Pluto is about power itself…in this case, about the holding of power.

The 1960s were not an especially peaceful time, and the social divisions of that time are reappearing now, as those who seek to return to previous notions of American culture do battle with those who live for the future. The result is an important election that can decide whether American society, and to some degree the entire planet, will be aligned with the current change-oriented energies or resistant to them.

Here is what astrology says about what we can expect to see this November 6^th. We’ll look at the charts of the contenders and predict the winner accordingly.

Let’s start by looking at the birth chart of the challenger, Mitt Romney:

Romney’s Sun-sign is Pisces, which is known for empathy and personal connections. Imaginative and spiritual, Pisces energy opens one up to greater causes. Romney’s Mormon faith is very important to him. The Sun sits in the 11^th House, the sector known for community involvement…and Romney spent time as a Mormon missionary. He’s definitely a “people person,” a natural salesman. It’s not an accident that he went into business as a profession. And being a Mutable Sign, he has no problem changing his positions on social or political issues. He may be glib, but he means what he says…at least, at that moment.

Romney’s Moon, representing his inner, emotional nature, sits in late Scorpio in the same degree and almost the same minute as Jupiter, the planet known as the King of the Gods and associated with wealth and abundance, generosity and moral rectitude. It doesn’t take much insight to see that Romney’s wealth (Jupiter) was inherited from his family (Moon, the ruler in astrology of home and hearth). One can see here the origin of Romney’s innate characteristic of not being able to relate to the little guy. He’s an aristocrat through and through.

But Scorpio is not a lazy sign. In fact, it has a reputation for ruthlessness. It’s associated with the banking profession, and despite the Moon-Jupiter conjunction’s knack for personal generosity, it can also be arrogant because the striving for power is strong. Its position in the 6th House of work, service and health emphasizes Romney’s work ethic—“I did it, so why can’t you?” Such a person will not be focused on creating a social net for the less fortunate for there is an innate self-interest at work. As the conjunction is close to the 7^th House cusp of relationships, he does in fact have some talent in relatability when he chooses to exercise it. He’s not a bad guy, but there is usually a profit motive hidden somewhere. Scorpio, after all, is known for its love of secrecy. What we have here is a natural Plutocrat—one who seeks out and enjoys holding power; power derived from one’s wealth.

Romney’s Ascendant, or Rising Sign, is in early Gemini, which means that he projects into the world a natural touch of intelligence—you don’t make his kind of money if you aren’t smart—combined with a way with words that can either be soothing or not depending on his mood (the opposition to the Moon). Gemini is another Mutable Sign and given to a love of variety. In politics, it pays to be wordy, but if you constantly change positions on the issues (another manifestation of the mutability factor), you may gain a reputation you have to live down.

Romney also has Mercury, the ruler of Gemini and therefore his entire chart, also in Pisces in the late 10^th House of career, which means his reputation in the world may be a bit “mercurial”—inconsistent—and that his speaking and writing ability may play a part in this. Whether or not he has developed it, it looks to me as if he has natural talent as a writer.

Venus is the ruler in astrology of love, money and worldly pleasures, and Romney was born when Venus was directly overhead, so we find it in the chart right at the Midheaven, or point of reputation in the world. Well, if you have money, you can have lots of pleasure! Intriguingly, Venus and his Midheaven point are in Aquarius, which is associated with a humanitarian outlook on life. Is Romney a secret visionary? Or a superficial lightweight? His chart says he could be both.

With Mars, the planet of willpower and aggression, also in Pisces, the sign of caregiving, in the 10th House, he could actually be a healer of sorts on the social level, as this is an aspect often found in the charts of doctors or those in the healing professions. Pisces being associated with religion, we know that he is at least devout. But Mars also sits in a square, a difficult 90-degree angle, to his Ascendant, or projected self-image. This man has a temper and his aggressive nature may come out at moments of insecurity.

Saturn and Pluto, the work and power energies, are at the bottom of his chart in Leo, the sign of aristocracy. Again, this points to him having been born into a socially prominent family. It was his karmic destiny. It would thus benefit him if he had a sense of noblesse oblige, the notion that he must give back to others because of his elevated social status. Whether this is the case or not is up for question. If nothing else, it points to using family status for his own ends.

Neptune, ruler of his Sun-sign Pisces, is associated with faith and creativity, but also with deceit and illusions. Romney has Neptune in the 5^th House of love, children and self-expression. How many sons does he have? Are they not all devout? A subliminal image is also here of his father’s background as part of a polygamist Mormon community, as Neptune represents a lack of personal boundaries, perhaps in relation to a religious faith. But there’s another indication of Romney’s personal charisma here as well. I still say he could have done well in the creative field.

Finally, we find Uranus, that lightning bolt-like energy referred to earlier, sitting in his 1^st House of personality along with the North Node, or life-destiny point. Mitt Romney is an individual, not someone who necessarily kowtows to others. He wants to be the boss. Uranus, in fact, is often found prominently in the charts of authoritarian types or political dictators. Romney has an easygoing nature publicly, but is a don’t-talk-back-to-me sort on the personal level. He will chart his own path and use his personality to fulfill it.

President Barack Obama has a somewhat surprising chart for someone who has ascended into the most powerful position on Earth. It is essentially the chart of a humanitarian and spiritual teacher.

He was born under Leo, the sign associated with leadership and personal charisma. His Sun sits in the 6^th House, associated with service to others and practical organizing. (Obama, of course, worked as a community organizer in Chicago.) Notably, the 6^th House is associated with health concerns, and Obama’s major claim to fame so far as president is his health care law.

His Moon is in Gemini, the sign of the writer, in the 4^th House of home and family roots. It sits in a trine, a flowing angle, to Jupiter (planet of life’s fortunes) in the 12^th House of dreams, visions and past karmic secrets. Hence, his book, “Dreams From My Father,” about his search for his own identity. This also gives him an emotionally generous nature. If he is not Bill Clinton (another Leo), who “feels your pain,” he is at least somewhat empathetic in the abstract. But it’s filtered through Gemini, an Air Sign, which deals with the mind. He is essentially an intellectual, not part of the common crowd. He likes suits and white shirts and rarely wears a hardhat.

This seeming aloofness is strengthened by Obama’s Aquarius Ascendant, which means he will think first (that’s the Air Sign energy) before acting. This trait gives him the cool, Zen-like persona, the contemplative quality that people see first in him. Obama sometimes comes across with an abstract iciness that does not serve him well politically. It does not really fit with the passionate expression of one’s feelings and general warmth of personality that Americans find so appealing in someone like Clinton. But it allows Obama to make decisions rationally, rather than emotionally, and to articulate inclusive humanitarian ideals, but it can also make him seem a bit cold-blooded. He may be a futurist, a visionary, but he is not universally loved.

Obama’s Mercury, the communication energy, is also in Leo in the 6^th House of craftsmanship, giving him personal charisma and eloquence. All his words are well crafted and pronounced. Venus—planet of love, pleasure and general harmony—sits in early Cancer, the sign of home and family, in the 5^th House of children and matters of the heart. The USA’s Sun-sign is also Cancer, so Obama’s family-oriented Venus energy does great things for his image. People like his family.

Of course, not everyone likes Obama, and astrologically this is due to his having Uranus, the innovating principle, and Pluto, the principle of regeneration, both in the 7^th House of partnerships. The presence of these two major planets of change—one fast, one slow—in the 7^th House (sometimes called the house of open enemies), means that no matter what he set out to do in his life, Barack Obama would face a great deal of opposition.

We also find Mars—the planet of personal drive, aggression and war—on the cusp of the 8^th House of death, legacies and transformation. Nobody who has these planetary configurations could expect to have an easy time of it in life. He would be fought every inch of the way and have to make sure that his own views were correct before putting them out to others, because the odds are he may not get anyone to listen.

Karmically speaking, we could say that Obama’s task in life is to be reconciliator. This is astrologically expressed by the placement of the Moon’s North Node (the life destiny point) in the 7^th House, the place of harmony with others. The problem is, not everyone wants to be reconciled. And Obama must be wise enough not to cause more conflict. Politically speaking, that has not always been the case. Because this energy of the 7^th House opposes his Aquarius Ascendant (his personality), Obama’s own voice may get lost, or he may simply not express himself strongly enough to avoid needless conflict. He could benefit from speaking his own feelings more frequently and more powerfully.

Nobody is elected to high office without a strong Saturn, because Saturn represents work, discipline, mastery and accomplishment. Here it’s in its own sign of Capricorn (government, business and tradition). It’s somewhat surprising that it sits in Obama’s 12^th House, which is about past karma, inner secrets and often loss. It does explain his father’s absence in his life (Saturn rules male authority figures) and also makes a fortunate angle to the Midheaven, the point of public reputation. Obama is nothing if not serious and dignified (Saturnian) when he appears in public. But Saturn also makes a hard angle to Uranus, which shows his struggles as an innovator. Many of his best ideas about the future may not work out as planned.

Saturn in the 12^th does not seem like it would fit the most powerful man on Earth. It’s often the sign of great struggles, both inner and outer—in a phrase—karmic burdens. Those who have this aspect need to dig deep to live up to their full potential, which may be blocked by outer circumstances. That may well be the case here, dependent on how self-disciplined Obama turns out to be. This is an aspect of great—and perhaps unappreciated— personal sacrifice. Saturn here is indicative of a scapegoat, one who is blamed for others’ troubles. The kicker is that the 12^th House is also about spirituality. Jupiter (hope and blessings) also being situated in this house lends spiritual protection to Obama against his own foibles and his political enemies. Somebody, it seems, has always got Obama’s back.

The suggestion of personal sacrifice leads to our final point. The magical rise to prominence of Barack Obama, at least according to his astrological chart, seems to have a spiritual element to it. Neptune, symbolizing spirituality as well as glamour and charisma, is his most elevated planet, sitting in the 9^th House of philosophy, religion, education and meaning. It occupies the sign of Scorpio (deep insight/power issues/transformation). Neptune is the God principle, universal energy. Here it makes a harmonious angle to the Moon in Cancer (great love) but a hard square, or 90-degree angle to the Sun (possible confusion or delusion).

There are those who feel that Barack Obama is the Devil himself, or that he is self-deluded. He seems to inspire extreme opinions (Scorpio is the sign of extremes) about his stature and policies. Neptune square the Sun can certainly mean a confused sense of self, or a Messianic complex. But it can also mean vision and clarity regarding the highest dreams of humanity. In short, Barack Obama is both a mirror and a chalice for the ideals which many want to make manifest in the world. Does he himself hold those same ideals? Or is he simply expressing what he knows people want to hear? The astrology says it could be either. But the main thrust of energy is basically positive. He has the chart of someone who could well be an instrument for the higher and wider good.

Obama is an enigma, and there remains something essentially unknowable about him. His reelection as president may come down to whether or not he can translate his own vision into concrete terms and not be overcome by the vicious fear and loathing so prevalent at this moment.

READ PART 2:  THE POLITICAL PARTNERS

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