A campaign to recall Governor Gray Davis of California was begun by Rep. Daryll Issa, a wealthy Republican southern Californian who wants to be governor. Rep. Issa put $1.5 million of his own money into getting petitions signed to make the recall possible, and he has gotten enough signatures before the deadline so that the election is certified to take place as soon as possible.

This means it needs to be a special election, rather than going on the spring primary election ballot. This means that there will be few voters, because this is always the case with special elections. When there are few voters, Republicans dominate. They are better at going to the polls.

This is the first time there has been an attempt to recall the governor in California, and only the second time in the nation. A governor can never please everyone, but normally the electorate accepts whomever the majority has elected. Governor Davis was not an unknown quantity when he was re-elected a year and half ago—by the clear majority of California voters.

A recall is a good safety valve—in case of drastic malfeasance by an elected leader. (But hey! We don’t even recall GW Bush—and he has taken the whole country into an illegal war, is running its economy down the drain, and is ruining its environment—and he wasn’t even elected by a majority.) Malfeasance is not the case with Governor Davis, and many of us feel that it perverts the democratic process to run a recall just to further one’s ambitions to become governor. The election itself will cost the very broke state of California some tens of millions of dollars, which will come out of the already impoverished general fund.

The whole process is politically complicated, and few of the voters—even sophisticated voters—understand all of the ramifications. Every time I hear a description, a new piece of the jigsaw puzzle falls into place. So most of us voters will start behind the eight-ball, in ignorance of what we’re really doing as we mark our ballots. This cloud of confusion in itself will keep many voters home.

And the election is coming soon. There is not much time for developing education leading to clarity. I believe the election date is October 9, but at this late date I’m not even sure of that.

Essentially, the voter gets to mark the ballot twice, the first time yes or no in regard to recalling Governor Davis, the second time in voting for a candidate in case the recall passes (even if she votes no on the recall). But then what happens? That’s where the complications come in. On the same ballot, there will be candidates running to replace the governor in case the final vote is for recall, namely of course Daryll Issa.

The real kicker is that it is quite possible that a new governor of California could be elected through this process with as little as 10% of the vote of the electorate! It could become another Republican coup to capture the powerful state of California.

There are no party-run candidates, and anyone can sign up to be a candidate. So far, besides Daryll Issa, the only declared candidate is Peter Camejo, of the Green Party. However, he is not backed by the Green Party. (The Green Party has not taken a stand on the recall.)

The Democrats support Governor Davis, and do not want to run a candidate "against" him. Thus there are not apt to be Democrats among the list of candidate choices. But on the other hand, the election will take place, and suppose the recall wins? Who then will get to become governor? Who can a progressive or a Democrat vote for? There are Republicans in the wings who are considering signing on as candidates—but then they dilute the Republican chances of gaining the governorship. There are many chess moves yet to play in this game, and a big one will be played by the voters on October 9.

We will not speak now of the complex of game-playing amongst the Republicans in Washington, who see California as a big piece for them in the 2004 election, and have been after this predominantly Democratic (and huge) state since before Bush even took office. Three days after GW was inaugurated he signed an executive order greatly raising the ceiling on energy prices in California—after meeting with Enron CEO Ken Lay in Texas earlier. (All of the states have been under attack by this Administration, as it seeks to consolidate federal power, but California is in the front lines. It doesn’t help that Governor Davis has bucked the Administration on several occasions.)

Anyway, let us look at some charts around this recall, and see what we can learn.

The Full Moon chart for the election is very revealing.

The chart for the Full Moon of October 10 (view chart) shows the circumstances surrounding the election. The Full Moon occurs at 3:28 a.m. EDT, or 12:38 a.m. PDT on October 10.

The Full Moon is in Aries, opposing Sun in Libra. Squaring this opposition is another opposition: Saturn in Cancer opposing Chiron in Capricorn. These are the four cardinal signs, and together they create a grand cardinal square. Cardinal signs are those signs which initiate the seasons. They are the go-getters; they set things in motion.

In square, the cardinal signs challenge one another. Here we see each one of these four cardinal signs motivating their planets to go out in different directions, with four different goals. That interaction creates four very stressful situations. Each one demands action, but some kind of action which conflicts with the others. A grand cardinal square creates an insoluble dilemma. One does something, because one has to, but that action creates problems—whatever that action might be.

It’s bad enough that we’re confused now, two months before the election. But the confusion will be worse at election time, and there is no good solution. (This stressful condition will be true for all of us at that time, whatever our involvements.)

To add to the confusion of election time, Mercury is at 6 Libra. Mercury in Libra seeks balance, and has a hard time deciding amongst alternatives under the best of conditions. Furthermore, six degrees is a crucial degree at this time. (Mercury was in Libra at the general election of 2000.)

The significance of this election, and its timing, is shown by the close conjunction of every one of the planets at this Full Moon to either natal or progressed planets of Governor Davis and of the State of California.

Not only that. Three of the four corners of the cardinal square conjoin the U.S. natal cardinal T-square. Most notably, Saturn at Full Moon is on the U.S. Sun. This means extra hard work and responsibility for the U.S. Administration. Saturn can bring rewards for work well done, but in any case Saturn’s laurels do not come easily.

The unfilled leg in the U.S. natal T-square, is Capricorn. Chiron, now travelling in Capricorn, is shaking up the Establishment. It opposes Saturn in the heavens, and it opposes the natal Suns of the U.S. and of GW Bush. Chiron is the key to this Aries Moon’s activities. Certainly the recall itself is a Chiron activity, as is all the fallout from it. Chiron now conjoins Gray Davis’ Venus (and mine). Davis’ Venus—and now transiting Chiron—oppose the Suns of Bush and of the U.S. We can see that this recall is a titanic battle between Bush/U.S. and Davis. Chiron, who has the power here, ultimately re-aligns things in a new way.

A titanic battle is, in fact, a good description for a grand cardinal square. With Saturn being one of the corners, it is likely that much will come to light. Saturn demands firm foundations, and shows up mistakes.

Gray Davis is a hard-working Capricorn.

Gray Davis was born on December 26, 1942 in the Bronx, time unknown (view chart). He was born with a Capricorn Sun and a Leo Moon. This cardinal-fixed combination makes him a fighter, and at the same time gives him determination and stability. He has a reputation for doing best in crisis situations.

Gray’s North Node is in Leo, the sign of taking command. Chiron, the wounded healer, conjoins his North Node, showing that his wounds and his healing come in regard to directing his own show. This also gives him the potential to be a healer in his work in the world. Perhaps this recall will give him a special opportunity. At the time of the recall, Uranus is exactly opposing Gray’s Chiron, disrupting his career, but at the same time awakening him to his special healing potential. Because this is an exact aspect, it will act strongly.

The other nearly exact transit on election day is Mars, freshly direct and full of vim and vigor, squaring Gray’s Uranus. This is certain to bring sudden and unexpected disruption to Gray’s life, particularly to his career (because his Uranus conjoins Saturn, a career planet).

In the sky, Uranus and Mars, these two planets making exact transits to Gray’s chart, are nearly joined. Thus for Gray they are now acting together to change his destiny, his entire life direction. That combination in the heavens also means that voters in the booth will be impulsive, and will act without thought of consequences.

Gray’s natal chart has a nearly exact opposition between Saturn and Mars—mediated by Pluto. Thus his tough stance on prisons. He really is a heavy law and order man, and not just because the prison guards give him generous donations. This election will really upset his innate need for order, and will likely give an unwanted freedom (Uranus).

Gray’s close opposition, of Saturn in Gemini and Mars in Sagittarius, will be crossed by the strong Mars-Sun opposition of August 28, with Mars in Pisces and Sun in Virgo. This gives Gray another grand square, a mutable one this time. Mutable crosses are still stressful, but because mutables are more flexible, there are more options for creative resolution. No matter what, a mutable square is very hard on the nervous system. It can lead to burnout.

Grand squares are the same as grand crosses. This pressure-filled aspect is sometimes called a cross of crucifixion. Gray Davis will be dealing with two of them in the near future.

The Mars-Sun opposition of August 28 also strongly affects Gray’s progressed chart. He has progressed Sun at 6 Pisces, the same degree as celestial Mars at this time. Gray’s progressed Saturn is at 6 Gemini, almost exactly squaring his progressed Sun. This means he is going through a difficult time, with obstacles and blocks in his path. The Mars-Sun opposition of August 28 will bring this difficult period to a head. (Remember that Pluto is turning direct at that same time, releasing underground energy.)

The California chart also ties into these current transits.

The chart of California (September 9, 1850, noon, Sacramento, CA) (view chart) also has a mutable square at six degrees! In California’s chart, Neptune is at 6 Pisces, and Chiron is at 6 Sagittarius. Chiron here is the outlet for the current Mars-Sun opposition in the sky, and Chiron does upset the applecart. California’s progressed Vesta now sits on its natal Chiron, and this means a period of re-aligning money and investments in California. This has been happening bigtime, but events now, at the end of August, will give that process a big push.

At the same time, Pluto now turning direct is in the final minutes of orb of squaring California’s Sun, which it has been doing since late 2001. Pluto transforms, at a deep level. It cleans out dead wood, to make room for new growth. It is not comfortable, but it leaves a more real, authentic situation in its wake. Certainly the dot.com boom was unreal. And the same is true of the housing boom, which may now collapse.

With the August 28 sky events, something will happen which will throw a surprise to Gray Davis and to California. At the same time, Jupiter is moving into Virgo. Virgo is a sign of the people, compared to Leo, a sign of the elite. The influence of the people will grow for the next year.

Virgo is the sign of California’s Sun, Vesta, and Jupiter, and these energies will also undergo a growth period during the next year. Jupiter is, right now during this difficult period, trining Gray Davis’ Sun, and this gives him both protection and luck. His best strategy now is to appeal to the people, rather than to the money pockets. In fact, this is what will work best for the Democrats for the next year.

Astro*Carto*Graphy maps continually show heavy stresses and strains on the east coast, and often in the midlands, but California looks comparatively peaceful. Whatever happens with the election and with the economy, we will ride it out. And wherever he is, Gray Davis is in for a year of growth along with his Saturn hardship.