The Total Solar Eclipse of November 23 is almost exactly on the Ascendant of the California chart. This indicates major change in how the state presents itself. To put it mildly.

California already had a reputation for being kooky, far-out, and hypnotized by Hollywood. But its politics were relatively serious, and generally associated with some political skill. (Even Ronald Reagan spent several years training to be governor—and even then he put California into huge debt for the first time.)

This time, politics, apparently, was the problem. Voters were fed up with political games. They wanted a complete change, and Arnold Schwarznegger presented himself as someone removed from the political fray. Never mind his meeting with Ken Lay of Enron, and ranking California Republicans, after Cruz Bustamente filed suit for California against Enron for $9 billion damages. Never mind that he ballyhooed using his own money, but didn’t advertise that he took far more from corporate donations than any other candidate.

We had the strong man of Hollywood offering to be the strong man of California, and the public went for it. How will the unstoppable Arnold influence California?

He will totally transform it, and it will be difficult to stop or control his juggernaut.

California has the Moon’s North Node in Leo, and the state does like royalty (see California's chart). Hollywood fills that role. Pomp and circumstance, drama, the big show, entertainment are all Leo affinities. North Node shows the unconscious direction of the state. We move in the direction of our North Nodes unconsciously, unaware of what we’re doing. Alliances with our North Node help us along that path, and we absorb them deeply, into our subconscious. Nodal connections are common in close relationships, and they indicate a karmic familiarity, and often have an obsessive or compulsive component. Hollywood itself serves as one expression of California’s North Node in Leo.

Schwarzenegger’s Pluto is right on California’s North Node (see Arnold's chart). Pluto is the Law of Evolution. It inexorably changes whatever it touches. It is the ultimate power. This conjunction means that California absorbs this transformative force of Arnold’s Pluto power at the deepest levels, and that the state will inexorably, whether they like it or not, be changed.

They probably will like it, for the change will be in the direction of Arnold’s image, and after all, the electorate voted for that image.

Pluto is also compellingly hypnotic. It moves masses, and relates to mass movements. Power is its goal, and it can be totally manipulative to get the power it wants. And people follow, for Pluto is the planet of the masses. Conscience and compassion are simply not part of Pluto’s repertoire.

Pluto was discovered in the heavens in 1930, just as the Nazi party was getting started. Hitler’s mass hypnotism is considered by astrologers to be representative of the workings of Pluto. Schwarzenegger has said, in fact, that he wants to be able to command mass audiences as did Hitler at Nuremberg.

Our selected leader of the United States, GW Bush, personifies Pluto (see GW's chart). He has it on his Ascendant, also in Leo, and he is magnetic to many people. He has Mercury conjoining his Pluto, and this is why he will say anything that he thinks will get him what he wants. Truth and falseness are irrelevant to Pluto. Bush doesn’t "lie," because the whole idea of truth is just simply not on his radar.

Arnold has Sun and Saturn conjoined with Pluto. They give him a strong will and an enormous amount of drive. That combination can get him wherever he wants to go. And it has. Sun also means that his ego is involved with power, which is obvious from his career. Sun with Pluto also means that he has a conscious direction of his power, and directs that power to serve his ego.

Arnold, as a Leo Sun, wants an audience. And he will respond to audience cues. With Cancer on his Ascendant, he knows how to appeal to the people—and it is up to us, his audience, to let him know what we want.

North and South Nodes are in opposite signs, and work together. California’s South Node is in Aquarius, the sign of the people. The U.S. Nodes have this same polarity (see U.S. chart). The Leo North Node is the Ruler, and the ruler will rule. However, the Aquarius South Node is the people. "Ruling with the consent of the governed" is the cornerstone of U.S. government. It is a partnership, and there must be input from the people in order to keep the balance, so that North Node doesn’t get topheavy.

Arnold, himself, has his split points of view. His North Node, plus planets and asteroids, in Gemini, show that he is of two minds. His marriage to Maria Shriver made him part of the Kennedy family, and he has absorbed their liberal views. His wife, his Kennedy connections, and his liberal views on many social issues probably tipped the scales sufficiently to elect him in this Democratic state.

We must speak up. Arnold will listen to people power. We are his audience, and he wants our apprval. In fact, Arnold’s progressed Sun just entered Libra, and he begins a 30-year period of working on listening to all points of view, and creating a balance. This is a very good omen.

Pluto’s great transformational power can be used for healing. It takes time, and experience, to learn to use Pluto wisely. We all have Pluto somewhere in our charts. We are all working on this project, each in our own fashion. Arnold can give us a laboratory for developing Pluto power for the good. Our work is to stay informed and to give feedback—just as we do for ourselves in our personal growth.