November 2, 2010 witnesses the midterm election of the Obama administration, a testing point which will help to determine the administration’s continued effectiveness for the remaining two years of its first term. Advance polling shows an overwhelming Republican advantage in the generic ballot, and if the Democrats lose control of one or both houses of Congress, the President’s agenda could well be stymied.
But the picture may not be as bleak as the polls suggest, for when it comes down to individual races, many of the Republican challengers come not from the ranks of the GOP Party mainstream, but its insurgent fringe embodied by the Tea Party movement, which has provided rabidly conservative, radical candidates who may well prove unacceptable to that great Independent middle of the electorate that ultimately determines election outcomes.
What does Galactic Astrology have to say about the outcome? Basically, major change. And given that, it would seem likely that the Dems will take a significant hit come November.
The Sun at 9 Scorpio is exactly squared a Black Hole at 9 Leo, a sure indicator of dramatic shake-ups in the wind. In the past, when the Sun has interacted with Black Holes on Election Day in the US, congressional control has often changed hands, with seated incumbents swept away in an electoral “wave” supporting the rival party. Such was the case on 8 November 1994, when Republicans captured 54 House seats, to wrest control of the lower chamber from Democrats for the first time in 40 years. On 7 November 2006, Democrats won back the House with a 31-seat pick-up. Both instances saw the Sun opposed the Black Hole at 16 Taurus, impelling massive disruption of the status quo and the establishment of an alternate political reality.
Those dramatic, historic turnabouts occurred with the Sun in opposition to a Black Hole. With the Sun in square this year, the energy is much the same, but focused differently. There is a stronger sense of conflict, but less of a sense of completion, attainment or fruition. The closest electoral analogy is one the pundits have been rehashing in recent weeks—Reagan’s first mid-term on 2 November 1982, when Republicans lost 27 House seats to further cement the Democratic majority already in force. Although the loss was dramatic, no chamber switched hands, and this election from 28 years ago also saw the Sun at 9 Scorpio squared the same Black Hole. If past truly is prologue, we may be looking at a repeat of that year, with major gains by one party which nonetheless do not result in changes in the majority. With this Sun also opposed to the Maser at 8 Taurus, there may be some degree of controversy or volatility surrounding the vote.
This election is pivotal to Obama’s future, and that is borne out by the Sun’s square to asteroid Barry (for “Barack,” the name by which he was known in youth) at 11 Leo, which is itself conjunct the 12 Leo Sun of the President’s chart. This is a crisis moment (square) for Obama, who is very personally involved (transit Barry, natal Sun) in the outcome. The eleventh degree is fraught with meaning in this chart, further illuminating the challenges for Obama, as from 11 Leo asteroid Barry is exactly sextile to transit Saturn at 11 Libra and asteroid Achilles at 11 Gemini, while exactly trine asteroid Narcissus at 11 Sagittarius, and exactly inconjunct both asteroid Karma at 11 Capricorn and asteroid Dionysus at 11 Pisces.
Democrats may reap the harvest (Karma) of the President’s (Barry) obsessed focus (Narcissus) on health care for the first year-plus of his administration (Saturn), to the detriment of both the economy and their public image, which could prove a weak spot (Achilles) for their electoral chances—an epiphany (Dionysus) which came too late to quell the tide of loss (Saturn).
At 20 Scorpio, Mercury’s Galactic position is not very strong, although it does form exact semi-squares to both the Quasar at 5 Libra and the Black Hole at 5 Capricorn, thus lying on their mid-point. In the past, when Mercury has been strongly aspected to a Black Hole on Election Day we have seen unexpected outcomes, such as its station direct conjunct the Black Hole at 29 Libra in 2000, which elicited the bizarre and contested Florida outcome, resulting in the dramatic, erratic and protracted struggle for the presidency between Al Gore and George W. Bush.
A strong Galactic Mercury in 2004, with the planet ruling votes and voting processes resting on a fixed T-square of Quasar, Black Hole and Maser, produced massive e-vote fraud across the nation, culminating in the electoral shenanigans in Ohio which denied John Kerry the presidency. Mercury activating the same T-square in 2008 saw a sizeable increase in voter turn-out generally, with an emphasis on young people, both Mercury-ruled. But with Mercury relatively somnolent this time around, we can expect less turn-out generally, and certainly less involvement by the 18-29 age bracket, and hopefully, less vote fraud.
With Venus at 2 Scorpio in retrograde, and squared the Black Hole at 3 Leo, women will be influential in the outcome. “Values voters” are also likely to have a strong voice, but with Venus retrograde, female candidates are likely to suffer, and the composition of the next Congress will be even more ponderously masculine. In part this is due to the type of women who are running, with several female Democratic incumbents at risk in congressional districts which traditionally vote Republican but were swept up in the tide of Obama’s 2008 victory, and are now likely to revert to their typical GOP allegiance. Additionally, several of the more fringe Tea Party nominees, such as Sharron Angle in Nevada and Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, are likely to fail in their Senate bids in contests which might have been easy Republican pick-ups with less controversial candidates.
Voter anger and discontent is highlighted by Mars’ position at 3 Sagittarius, conjunct the Black Hole at 4 Sagittarius, indicating a polarized and agitated electorate spoiling for a fight, and a ramping up of the intensity of dissatisfaction from anger to rage. And speaking of agitation, at Election Day asteroids America and Agita will have just conjoined at 4 Cancer, exactly atop a Black Hole and the South Node, and tightly inconjunct Mars and opposed Pluto at 3 Capricorn [see my article on this conjunction in this issue of Daykeeper Journal].
The disgruntled, disaffected, anxiety-ridden energies this evokes across the nation, focused on the USA’s natal Venus/Jupiter conjunction of 3 and 5 Cancer, with its implications for the economy, will be no friend to incumbents, and this year, that means Democrats. Giving voice to these fears and anxious feelings is counter-productive, but feels right (both South Node), and aggravated by Mars (aggression, acting out) and Pluto (manipulation, control), the pairing of America and Agita at this time could result in some very ugly scenes at polling places.
Jupiter at 23 Pisces retrograde combined with Uranus at 27 Pisces retrograde and squared the Galactic Center at 27 Sagittarius suggests a political (Jupiter) revolution or rebellion (Uranus), of a reactionary or backward-looking (retrograde) nature, as prefigured by the rise of the Tea Party candidates, who have consistently undercut establishment GOP figures for their party’s nominations this year. Whether they have the staying power and appeal to win a general election is another matter, but this pairing is yet another indicator that the time is ripe for change, upsets and unexpected outcomes, with radicalized (Uranus) political philosophies (Jupiter) rife.
Saturn at 11 Libra approaches the Black Hole at 13 Libra and opposes the Quasar at 10 Aries. At stake is the effectiveness and ability to produce (Quasar) of the Administration (Saturn), whose power to influence events could be dramatically curtailed or destroyed (Black Hole). Conservatism (Saturn) appears to be on the visible increase (Quasar), but could be in for a dramatic reversal (Black Hole) if taken to extremes.
Several personal-named asteroids could provide clues to the outcomes of individual races, although much would naturally depend upon the transits these candidates are enduring on Election Day. But that said, with asteroids Barbara (#234) and Sharon (#3694) at 19 and 23 Virgo respectively, both conjoined the US natal Neptune at 22 Virgo, it’s likely that both California’s incumbent Barbara Boxer and Nevada’s challenger Sharron Angle will be disappointed (Neptune) in their hopes for successful Senate bids.
Although these placements are not definitive, they may indicate trends in outcomes. Regardless, the general mood, astrologically and culturally, is ugly, and likely to result in more than a few upsets and set-backs for incumbents, imperiling the Democratic majority and the President’s agenda for the next two years. What the ultimate harvest of this sea change will mean for 2012 is yet to be determined, but there seems little hope for true and effective change in Washington, whichever Party wields the gavel.
Alex Miller is a professional writer and astrologer, whose website AlexAsteroidAstrology.com offers a trove of info on the role of asteroids in personal and mundane astrology. He is the author of The Black Hole Book (available on Amazon.com) and The Urban Wicca, former editor of “The Galactic Calendar,” and past president of The Philadelphia Astrological Society. His pioneering work with Black Holes in astrological interpretation began in 1991, when his progressed Sun unwittingly fell into one. Alex’s books and writings are available on his website. Alex can also be reached for comment or services at .
K Snyder,
Love to you, love to Lt. Col. Allen West of Fla., & love to the ‘concerned & peace filled’ Tea Party souls. I’ve seen nothing but civility, respect and non-hostile displays of human behavior at the events I have been to….even took photos to prove it to some I know, who keep saying these gatherings are made of nothing but ghouls!
I agree with k snyder. I am also grateful for the TRUTH finally being told, and now we need to expose the progressives. Your judgmentalism is akin to the left wing media you seem to be listening to. Knowledge is power.
Knowledge is indeed power. That is why we at Daykeeper continue to write and explore topics, perspectives and opinions that you’ll never find in the corporate media-cracy.
How very sad you call the Tea Party “fringe” when their gatherings have been non violent , no arrests, no damage, no injuries, and barely any trash left behind, unlike the inauguration which had less people then at the largest gathering of Tea Party folks on tax day last year.
I am gay nad have been to a couple of these out here in LA and was quite OUT and quite welcomed as was a friend. You all really need to check your judgmentalism seriously. Have you even been to any of these rallies or are you just going by what the Huffington Post has said.
Go look up Lt. Col. Allen West of Fla, oh wait you also probably think these people are racist don’t you? Yeah go look him up- youtube him he’s there.
So what do the planets say about judgmentalism these days, does that ever end? just wondering.