In the Stars with Kathryn Silverton
Author of "In the Stars" for United Airlines' in-flight magazine Hemispheres

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The 2012 Presidential Election

Why Barack Obama will be a two-term president

At the time of this writing, one might be considered a fool to predict that President Obama could pull off a re-election considering the current state of the economy and the unemployment numbers. So, what is so promising about the astrological influences at both the time of the election on November 6, 2012 and Inauguration Day on January 20, 2013 that suggests Mr. Obama could beat the odds?

Let's start by looking at the Election Day aspects, including transits, secondary progressions and solar arc directions.

Obama's progressed moon will sit at 16 Degrees of Aries, in his second house of not only money but the value that he brings to the table. This progressed moon creates an applying sextile to his natal Ascendant, at 18 Aquarius, becoming exact between Election Day and Inauguration Day. The moon, among other things, represents the public and the public appeal, and with this sextile it suggests he has the support of his backers and those of the voting public. The support is palpable as he is perceived as a leader, (Aries) and someone who has a mind of his own. Backing up to August 2012, the approximate time of the Democratic Convention, at which point he would be officially nominated by his party, his progressed moon will be in a trine to his Natal Sun, indicating his popularity among his party.

Mercury, the messenger, will sit at 4 Degrees of Sagittarius, a separating trine to his natal Mercury, suggesting his ability to positively get his word out. It is also separating from a trine to his natal Jupiter, implying that the philosophical message he puts out will also be positively received. It is also sextile his progressed Sun at 2 Libra and opposed his natal moon at 3 Gemini.

Mars at 22 Sagittarius sits right on his eleventh house cusp, giving him the capacity to energize his political standing. Mars is also approaching a sextile within a 2 degree orb of his progressed Mars at 25 Libra and is also separating from a sextile to his Ascendant at 18 Aquarius.

Jupiter at 14 Gemini in his natal fourth house, the house of the base, is at a 4 degree orb of a trine to his Ascendant, indicating wide support from his supporters, and is sextile his natal sun at 12 Leo. The only hard aspect that Jupiter creates is a square to his Vertex at 12 Virgo. A hard aspect from benefic Jupiter to a planet or even a lesser weighted point such as a Vertex is not enough to offset a win. One possible negative from Jupiter's position is a square to progressed Saturn. This could imply the hard economic times that have plagued his administration as well as the country.

Saturn at 3 Scorpio creates a square to natal Jupiter, removing support due to excesses, but trines his natal Venus, which garners appreciation and respect from his base, as Venus rules his fourth house of foundation. Saturn also creates a conjunction to his natal Neptune, suggesting that rumors will continue to surface, especially about economics and perhaps his own personal finances. It also squares his natal Mercury, suggesting that some of his ideas could be manipulated to appear that his own ideas work against him.

Uranus is separating from a trine to his natal Mercury, giving support to innovative ideas he has placed before the country, but square his natal Venus, perhaps suggesting some sort of inexplicable, fractured support from his base. The unconventional planet also sextiles his natal Jupiter, but because it is separating and is a relatively wide orb for an outer planet transit, may not hold much weight. It is however, approaching a trine to his natal Part of Fortune in Sagittarius in his natal tenth house.
Neptune, the planet of one's dreams and visions, at 0 Pisces works to his benefit in that it is trine its lower octave equivalent of Venus at 1 Cancer at the same time that it in-conjuncts his Mercury, creating some speculation regarding his health (especially if he is still perceived as a cigarette smoker), but at the same time semi-sextiles natal Jupiter and squares his natal moon. Again the rumors, many of which can be neither proved nor disproved, will surround him and questions will remain regarding the clarity of his message and impact on the country.

Pluto, surprisingly enough, makes no obvious exact aspects at 7 Capricorn, other than a sextile to his natal Neptune.

The nodes of the moon play a critical role, with the North Node straddling his tenth house cusp of career and the South Node straddling the fourth house cusp in Taurus, suggesting a stalwart support from the majority of his base. The North Node in Scorpio on his MC implies he's not about to give up and also avails him of resources he can pull out from seemingly hidden places.

Looking at Solar Arcs, we see Solar Arc Sun (and Secondary Progressed Sun) at 2 degrees Libra, sextile his natal Mercury, which holds true both for Election Day and Inauguration Day. This solar arc degree is also trine transiting Mercury on Inauguration Day, reinforcing the fact that he will be once again be taking the oath of office.

Moving on to the Inauguration Day picture, we see Jupiter within a tiny three degree orb of a conjunction to his natal moon in Gemini. Since Gemini is the sign of the twins and therefore dual, this strongly implies that he has a strong second shot at being the public face of our country.

As mentioned above, the secondary progressed moon will be creating a sextile to his ascendant between Election Day and Inauguration Day, implying that he will be putting together his next cabinet, awaiting approval once he has been sworn in again.

Mars will be sitting on his ascendant, showing that he is in charge, and Mercury will be conjunct Jupiter, suggesting that he will be speaking with confidence. Mercury is also indicative of how one is called or addressed, and conjunct Jupiter, this suggests he will be verbally accepting a high office and one of legal standing.

By Inauguration Day his solar arc moon at 23 Cancer will trine the transiting North Node, further evidence of his place in the public domain. The most difficult solar arc position is Mars at 12 Scorpio, square his natal sun, which could possibly highlight unseen battles, but at the same time this solar arc Mars conjuncts his progressed part of fortune, offering additional luck and support.

Another important element to ponder in this, as well as in all charts, is not only what is there, but also what is missing. When it comes to elections, the seventh house represents one's opponents, often times also called one's open enemies. It is interesting to note that there are no transits or progressions of any sort in this house, suggesting that the candidate he will be competing against will not prove to be a very formidable contender. In the case of election 2008, Saturn was transiting his seventh, clearly representing his opponent as being significantly older and more conservative, as was the case with Senator John McCain.

If we operate under the assumption that he indeed will serve a second term, it would mean his tenure would legally and officially expire on Inauguration Day of 2017. At this time we see Jupiter by transit, creating a trine to his natal Ascendant, Saturn sextile his natal Ascendant, bringing a sense of finality to this phase of his public life, freeing him up to create new partnerships, as Jupiter conjuncts his solar arc North Node, and Saturn returns to Mar's transit on Election Day 2012, another very strong indicator of finality and separation. The North Node will have moved over his natal Vertex by Election Day, implying that the deeds of others now impact his own life, and transiting Jupiter on that Election Day also conjuncts his progressed Vertex, further underscoring the inevitable role that others play in his life, freeing him up from his legal obligations as President. Neptune is trine its natal position, implying the fulfillment of a dream. Solar Arc moon will be at 27 Cancer, approaching within a 1 degree orb of a trine to his MC, suggesting the timely transition from the public and now allowing history (Cancer) to begin writing its story.

Although there are some difficult aspects showing up both on Election Day and Inauguration Day, they are far outweighed by the preponderance of positive aspects, the largest of which is Jupiter conjunct natal moon at the time of his second inauguration, as well as the total absence of any viable competition, illustrated by the absence of planets in the seventh on Election Day itself.

Mitt Romney: His prospects for Election Day 2012

What are the astrological influences in Mitt Romney's chart for Election Day 2012 that might indicate a win or a close election?

Transiting Mercury at 4 Sagittarius sits on Romney's South Node. The south node is a point that suggests one's karmic past, that which we have mastered in the past or in other lifetimes. Mercury, the planet of communications and the Messenger god, sitting on this point, suggests that the message Romney is putting forward resonates from his past. The message that the public will be responding to is one that he has clung to not only during the current election cycle, but perhaps one that he relied upon during the course of other elections, such as during his campaign for Governor of Massachusetts. Mercury is well-aspected to his natal Part of Fortune and Venus at 7 and 8 degrees of Aquarius, respectively, suggesting that his message is well-received. However, it is in square to his natal Mars, suggesting that his message might not be competitive enough. It is also in a separating trine to natal Saturn, implying that days before the election he will score some points with the older electorate or that politicians who are considered to have considerable influence are in a good position to convey Romney's message.

Venus, by transit, is conjunct Romney's natal Neptune, the ruler of his three Pisces planets: Mars, Mercury and the Sun, and the ruler of his 11th House of politics. He will therefore be appreciated for his idealism, his competitive spirit, his strong sense of faith and his desire to make an impact on the political world. Venus is also sextile his natal Pluto, giving him respect for his resilience and his persistence. Venus is also separating from a trine to his natal Part of Fortune and Venus, giving him support from those who act in a protective role over him.

Mars, by transit, is creating a square to his natal Sun, suggesting that he may have difficulty inspiring the base of his party, as the Sun rules his natal fourth House of the roots. This could also imply that he's running out of physical steam.

Jupiter, by transit, is conjunct natal Uranus, the ruler of his natal 10th House of career and status. Jupiter has a mixed reputation. On the one hand it is considered favorable and lucky. On the other hand, it is also known for its ability to free oneself up. In this case, it could bring about unexpected results and could possibly free him up from his climb to the top of the career ladder. In fact, Jupiter will be sitting very close to his natal Uranus from the middle of September through virtually the end of October. This could result in unexpected information coming out about him, perhaps from people with whom he has been professionally associated with in times past. The problem with Uranus being triggered is that this planet represents the inevitable as well as things that are totally out of one's control. So, there could be unforeseen information surfacing; perhaps verbal gaffes that get him into trouble and reverse his message. This may prove significant during the pre-election debates.

Saturn is doing nothing to help Romney. It will be square his Midheaven, the uppermost point in the chart, indicating a long and hard slog in his attempt to further his status. It is inconjunct his Ascendant, another indication that he may become physically exhausted by the campaign process, and it is also square his natal Saturn. This could suggest that karma may not be on his side, or that his sense of timing could be off.

Uranus, by transit, could play a more helpful role. It is sextile his natal North Node and therefore trine his natal south node, suggesting that he can garner support through technological means such as email campaigns or alternative methods of campaigning. He could also gain support by pointing out the radical differences in his message compared to his opponent, as well as the differences in the style in which he communicates to the public.

Uranus is sextile his natal conjunction of the Part of Fortune and Venus, suggesting that he can anticipate additional financial shots in the arm, should he need more funding to further his campaign message. Uranus is also sextile his natal Saturn, although a bit wide for election purposes. Those in positions of respect and considerable status can be relied upon to help further his message, perhaps putting their own unique spin on Romney's platform. It is in a wide opposition to natal Neptune, possibly suggestion some bizarre rumors that could be floated about. However, due to the wide orb in play here, these rumors are not likely to have legs upon which to stand.

Neptune, by transit, is the most elevated planet in his chart. This therefore implies that he is pursuing a life-long dream. His message may be somewhat idealistic in nature, a bit of contrast to his pattern of promoting himself as a consummate businessman with a proven financial track record. Neptune is in a wide conjunction to natal Mars, which can dissipate his competitive spirit, and it is also in a square to his natal Gemini ascendant. The latter suggests that there may be mixed messages as to what he stands for, and therefore implies that his competitor may be playing on this very theme. Expect the theme of flip-flopping to become a dominant charge leveled against him from his opponent.

Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth, healing and transformation, offers some assistance in that it is in a sextile to Romney's natal Mars. This influence therefore helps offset some of the above-mentioned influences suggesting that he could be running out of physical steam. If it weren't for this influence, he could be perceived as extremely exhausted by the entire campaign process. However, Pluto is also in a square to Romney's Neptune, suggesting that his dream of achieving greater power and influence could be slipping away.

The biggest asset Romney has comes in the form of the transiting North Node, moving over his natal conjunction of Jupiter and the Moon in Scorpio. This conjunction screams of his well-documented pattern of taking over failing companies, dismantling them and breathing new life into them. If he manages to win the election, he will have this transiting node to thank, as it will highlight his ability to breathe new life into what may be perceived as a failing economy or a failed Obama administration.

The one influence that makes it difficult to fathom that he could be elected is that of his progressed Moon. It will be moving into his 12th House of behind the scenes activity, an aspect which significantly decreases his visibility for the foreseeable future. Owing to the expansive nature of his 12th House as seen through the Placidus House cusp system, Romney's progressed Moon will remain in his 12 House until April of 2016. This is a little late for him to be declaring his candidacy for the next election, but it could heighten his public visibility at that time.

Romney's chart for Inauguration Day 2013

There are two aspects that suggest Romney could take office on January 20, 2013. The first is transiting Mercury conjunct his solar arc Jupiter/Moon conjunction, suggesting an elevation of title. If he loses the election, perhaps this elevation of title suggests some sort of role he might be asked to play within the Obama administration. The second is transiting Jupiter conjunct the North Node in the first House in Gemini. No other planets make any other aspects to suggest an elevation of status.

 

Kathryn L. Silverton
Lilburn, Georgia
770-931-2577