Two additional Mercury factors emerged in early September which bear inclusion in this survey of things eclipsial, both centered on Mercury-ruled areas of speeches, one to students (also Mercury). No sooner had the wave of protest against the proposed health reforms subsided, than a new “threat” from Obama was observed by the Right—namely, that the president was actually going to speak to our children! Gasp! What vile indoctrination would he spew? Just how much would this alien-born, socialist-communist Nazi racist corrupt our young?

And this classroom talk was to be followed by the most important address of Obama’s career—a speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday September 9, where the president would outline his healthcare reform plan.

As things transpired, the text of Obama’s classroom speech was released beforehand, and found innocuous enough to pass muster; the feared radiant beams of Obama’s massive brain would not in fact penetrate those of our children, turning them to liberal pulp. The congressional address which followed the next day was a valiant attempt to bring his eclipse-smacked Black Hole Mercury back under control; it remains to be seen how effective this will be. When we take a look at the chart for that speech, some interesting factors emerge.

When the President began his remarks at 8:16 PM EDT in Washington, DC, Pluto at 0 Capricorn, just days away from its direct station, had just crested the Midheaven, which was exactly occupied by the Black Hole at 5 Capricorn. This speech had the capacity to remake the administration, as evinced by the powerful Black Hole contact in the sign ruling government. Pluto’s minutes-old shift into the Ninth House of political philosophy and policy set the tone for a thorough nuts-and-bolts scrutiny of the subject at hand, reforming America’s healthcare.

With Chiron, Neptune and Jupiter all traveling together in Aquarius, some health (Chiron) reforms (Aquarius) are inevitable (though the level of reform is seriously in doubt), but so is a certain degree of fear-mongering, deception, misrepresentation (all Neptune), bombast and politicization (both Jupiter). Mercury just under the 10 Libra horizon at 5 Libra, exactly conjoined a Quasar and squared the Black Hole Midheaven, rules the speech itself and shows the need for illuminating detail and debunking the alternate views of the administration’s proposals, as Quasars are far and away the brightest objects in the universe, and their activation brings focus and attention to whatever they touch.

The underlying tension of the situation is ably portrayed by the Saturn/Uranus opposition forming from 24 Virgo and Pisces, just days away from exactitude, which describes the forces of big business and the entrenched status quo (Saturn) and those of reform, innovation and equality for the masses (Uranus). Saturn’s position in the Sixth House of health implies the end result may be more of the same and less innovation.

There are minor points to be noted as well. The ultimate fate of this legislation lies with Max Baucus (D-MT), chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee which will write the final bill, a conservative “Blue Dog” Democrat who has as much as said that a public option is dead. Homophonic asteroid Baucis (#172), at 28 Virgo in the speech chart, clearly sides with Saturn at 24 Virgo and the agents of the status quo. Its exact inconjunct to asteroid Achilles (#588) at 28 Aries shows Senator Baucus as the administration’s weak spot, its Achilles heel.

During the speech, as the president was attempting to debunk the charge that illegal immigrants would be covered by the reforms, he was heckled by South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson with cries of “You lie!” Wilson was immediately booed down by other members, and later apologized for his breach of common courtesy. Asteroid Wilson (#2465) at 15 Taurus conjoined the Black Hole at 16 Taurus and the 20 Taurus Moon, and squared asteroid Barry (#1703, for Barack, the name by which he was known in youth) at 11 Aquarius, also conjoined a Black Hole at 12 Aquarius, describing Representative Wilson’s emotional (Moon), contentious (square) outburst against the president (Barry). Such agitated states are also evoked by Mars’ 9 Cancer placement, conjoined the high profile Quasar at 8 Cancer, its energies further enhanced by conjunction with the Nadir at 5 Cancer.

Given this type of opposition, Obama would be well justified in feeling frustrated by the seemingly endless debate and deception, the need to go back into the issues again and again to achieve clarity and a success which seems to elude him. That he has a cosmic right to feel the fruitlessness of his efforts is displayed by the ongoing actions of asteroid Sisyphus (#1866), named for that Hadean worthy doomed to forever roll a rock uphill, only to have it roll back down on him, necessitating a repetition of his actions. Sisyphus at 14 Leo has been rolling its rock repeatedly of late over Obama’s 12 Leo Sun and its conjunction with the controversy-provoking Maser at 14 Leo. Asteroid Barry has been retrograde, implying the president has been at somewhat of a disadvantage and not operating on all cylinders, but it turns direct once more on September 15, just as Saturn and Uranus complete their opposition in the sky. Barry goes on to conjoin Jupiter on October 20, perhaps allowing Obama to regain the political upper hand, and Neptune on November 8, which may afford a chance to finally lay to rest the lies and deception fostered by opponents of reform.

Well, we can always hope...