Nancy’s Blog

Hillary Clinton continues her presidential campaign despite the ever-narrowing possibility of success. Increasingly, Barack Obama is being seen as the presumptive nominee. In Clinton’s natal chart (10/26/47, 8:00 AM, Chicago), her relentless, dogged determination is described by the Mars/Pluto/Saturn conjunction square Mercury/Ascendant/Node/Venus, all in fixed signs. The downside of this configuration, however, is an inflexibility and obsessiveness that make it hard to let go.

Perhaps the most significant planetary indication of Hillary’s recent downturn is the shift in Saturn’s direction, moving direct as of early May, and towards its final crossing of Hillary’s Midheaven (4Virgo35) at the end of June and into very early July. During the last two weeks of February, during Saturn’s second pass across the career point (MC) in Hillary’s chart, Obama won 11 primaries in a row. As Saturn’s influence began to retreat by March 5, Clinton scored her very significant Texas and Ohio victories. At present, we are moving towards the last pass of this planetary influence, which will be painfully enforcing the rules of reality on the Clinton campaign. Perhaps, had she been under Jupiter, with a mix of Neptune thrown in, Hillary could have successfully pandered that gas tax boondoggle or somehow sidestepped the delegate count, but not under nitpicking Saturn and its ruthless adherence to fact.

The most problematic planet for Hillary during this entire campaign has been Neptune, initially square to her Ascendant and Mercury and opposite her Saturn through mid-February, and, more recently, square to her Node (23Taurus35). This accounts for the ever-changing, chameleon-like persona of the candidate herself: the policy wonk, the feminist, the victim of the press, the fighter, the working class gal, the Scranton gal, the shot chugger, the populist; as well as the ever-changing path to victory: the pledged delegates, the popular vote, the superdelegates, electability, Michigan and Florida, and so on. It also accounts for the sure sense of victory continually becoming a mirage and slipping through her fingers. The illusion-prone Neptune tends to make it very difficult to perceive reality in the clear, cold light of day. Instead, there is a tendency to lend drama and hyperbole to one’s perceptions, often including a somewhat self-aggrandizing, Hollywood flare. As we have seen with the current White House occupant, Neptune-inspired wars can morph from painful necessities due to geopolitical brass-knuckle decisions to crusades against evil under divine guidance. For Hillary, it has been more about believing she can still win against impossible odds. In addition, there is the underlying, rather inflated sense that she feels only she can rescue the country from the nefarious grip of the Republicans. Neptune will go retrograde on May 26 and recross the square to her Node through July 18. Will she still be fighting for the nomination through this period despite the evidence, or will she be fantasizing about the Vice Presidency or other possibilities?

One planetary aspect that suggests Hillary may still be fighting through most of July is the second pass of Pluto sesquiquadrate Hillary’s Mars (14Leo00), activating her very tight and very relentless Mars/Pluto conjunction. Whether it is for herself or for Obama or for some other issue, Hillary will be extremely aggressive and energized during this time (6/25 through 7/26) and again for the third pass in September and October.

The final aspect of significance for Hillary is the Uranus transit that is coming very close to conjunct her natal Moon (22Pisces50) over the next several weeks. Running from early May through June, this transit could be the one that indicates a total change in direction for her. Uranus brings sudden, total transformations of the status quo. It is likely a factor in the huge upset and game changer in North Carolina and Indiana of May 6. With Saturn also active during June in its crossing of Hillary’s Midheaven, I do not think the coming Uranian changes will be in her favor. They are more likely to include a sudden, sharp awareness that she must let go and move on. The question remains, however, what the strong Mars/Pluto and the Neptune/Node activity indicate for July. She will have high hopes for something and be very energized. Let us hope her extraordinary fortitude will be focused on moving us all towards party unity and victory in November.

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Note to everyone: On Thursday, I will be going to my first astrology conference since 1975. If any of you are going to be in Denver for the Big Event, please look me up. I am not presenting, but will be attending most, if not all, of the mundane astrology lectures. Please come and find me and say hello. You can probably call me through the front desk as well. I would love to meet you.

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It has been a while since we addressed the ongoing American nightmare that is George Bush’s misbegotten war in Iraq. Despite the great promise of the surge and the seeming dip in violence for half a year, escalating attacks in the past few months have been enough to give even the most self-deluding neocons pause. Of greatest concern is the growing Shiite civil war between the Mahdi Army and the government forces of Prime Minister Maliki allied with the US military, currently engaged in a vicious struggle over control of Sadr City.

Unfortunately, presidents tend not to consult with astrologers before they plunge us into the abyss of war. If they did, George Bush would never have begun his ill-fated disaster in Iraq. As predicted on this site in early 2003, the chart for the Gulf War clearly indicates unending power struggles that repeatedly sabotage fulfilling the goals of the war, as well as an unclear and ever-shifting rationale for the war itself that undermines success. The ever-frustrating battle for dominance is seen in the Pluto-MC/Saturn-IC/Sun-Mercury T-square, while the Sun in the final degree of Pisces, void of course, indicates the purpose of the war losing relevance and constantly straining to become coherent.

This profound battle for the ultimate definition of the war and amongst the multitudinous factions that are striving for dominance, both militarily and politically, is being played out with increasing vigor in 2008 as Pluto squares the war chart natal Sun. Are we winning as John McCain and George Bush say we are, or are we losing as many ex-military generals and the Democrats say we are? Are we there for oil or to install democracy or due to a grandiose and delusional neocon pipedream? Are we allied with the Shiites, the Sunnis, or the Kurds, having given arms to all three? Are we fighting al Qaida, a Sunni based fundamentalist sect, or Iran by proxy, a Shiite fundamentalist nation? Or are we simply caught up in a civil war and best served to get out of the way? Suicide bombings and attacks are up; the Shiite factional war between Muktada al Sadr and Nouri al Maliki and their surrogates is intensifying; and Turkey is still attacking the Kurds, with the Kurdish rebels furious at the US for providing Turkey with intelligence. Coherence is in scant supply.

The Pluto transit square the war chart Sun (29Pisces04) that is exacerbating this many-headed hydra in Iraq continues through October 2008. Moreover, further chaos and agitation, as well as sudden and unexpected shifts in the contours of the war, are indicated by the transit of Uranus square to the war chart Midheaven (20Sagittarius42), first active in late March and April 2008 and returning in full force from July 2008 through early February 2009. The first pass corresponded with the renewed hostilities between Moqtada al Sadr’s Mahdi Army and the government forces of Nouri al Maliki. The second, more prolonged pass is likely to begin with intensified violence and struggle and a general escalation of conflict due to progressed war chart Moon conjunct natal Mars (9Capricorn39) from July 9 through mid-August coupled with transiting Uranus square to the US Mars (21Gemini23) also waxing strong in July and August.

As of mid-November 2008, however, Saturn will move into a square of both the war-chart Midheaven and the US Mars through mid-January 2009. This indicates that the battle for dominance and control in Iraq (Pluto square war chart Sun) as it relates to US policy will continue and intensify through October and early November, at which point severe restrictions (Saturn) will begin to intrude. It seems likely that the face of the war will go through a profound shift at this time. It is as if the air goes out of the US battle to control the situation and a forced and very restrictive understanding of what is possible takes over. Some of this may be explained by a Democrat winning the White House with the stated intention of winding down the war.

But problematic, frustrating, and difficult issues on the ground are also likely. In the swearing-in chart of Prime Minister Maliki (4/22/06, Baghdad, time unknown), the progressed Sun reaches its exact square to natal Saturn in November 2008 and will be triggered by transiting Uranus sesquiquadrate from late November 2008 through mid-January 2009. This is likely to be an exceptionally stressful time for him and possibly threaten his leadership role. It is also worth noting that in George Bush’s chart, the very same Saturn station plaguing the US Mars and the war chart Midheaven, will be square to George Bush’s Uranus (19Gemini09)/North Node (20Gemini36) conjunction, indicating frustration and significant setbacks for his agenda, of which Iraq is the central pillar.

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As the US role in the Iraqi civil war deepens, more marines stream into Afghanistan, and endless earthquakes shake up Nevada, the agitating and aggressive Uranus transit opposite US Mars is officially in full swing. This transit indicates that there will be little let up in the increasingly belligerent mood emanating form the Bush administration at least through August, which does not bode well for the adjustment in strategy being called for by the new government in Pakistan.

This morning’s Washington Post printed an article by Yousaf Gillani, the newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, spelling out his government’s plan to negotiate with insurgent tribesmen in the northwestern provinces bordering Afghanistan. The aim is to create peace with the rebels and at the same time wean the local population away from supporting the terrorists who live among them by addressing local concerns of unemployment and poverty. Previously, the Musharraf government, in alliance with the Bush regime, was pursuing a far more militant approach, which the new government feels merely increased the level of violence and the radicalization of the population. But Musharraf’s power and influence are waning, while Gillani and his coalition are growing in stature.

Clearly, Pakistan is in a period of roiling ferment. Last fall, Prime Minister and President Pervez Musharraf declared martial law and imprisoned judges who opposed his policies. The many upsetting and powerful events of those months were predicted by the Uranus station (15 Pisces) activating the Islamabad Spring Equinox chart which had Uranus exactly square the Midheaven. By December 2007, Pakistan had entered a year-long series of Pluto transits that would heighten both the actions of radicals and the power struggle to contain them. In Pakistan’s natal chart (8/14/47, Karachi, 9:15 AM), Mars (00Cancer10) is semisquare a Pluto/Saturn/Venus conjunction (13Leo12, 13Leo30, 14Leo55), suggesting a very passionate and intense quality in the national psyche that is often subject to repression and eruption. The Pluto transit from December 2007 through December 2008 is sesquiquadrate the natal Pluto/Saturn/Venus position and opposite natal Mars. The assassination of former Prime Minister and candidate Benazir Bhutto, on December 27, 2007, came as transiting Pluto moved into a one-degree orb of the sesquiquadrate with natal Venus, and as a slow-moving, retrograde Mars moved into an opposition with transiting Pluto and conjunct natal Mars, triggering the intensity of feeling and anger that surrounded the assassination and continued for several days.

The continuation of the Pluto transit, especially strong from April through mid-June 2008 and October through early December 2008, suggests that the intense power struggles and the acute battle with terrorism in the outlying provinces is not yet over despite Gillani’s interventions. In particular, August 14 though August 19, when Mars will be square to transiting Pluto, suggests a particularly vulnerable time for violence and extreme emotions. Gillani, at present, is under Neptune conjunct his natal North Node, suggesting he may be disappointed when a painful reality deflates his more idealistic (Neptune) hopes. This is likely to come between mid-September 2008 and early March 2009 when numerous aspects come together. Pluto will turn direct in early September 2008, beginning its last phase of agitating extreme emotions, fanaticism, and possibly terrorism through early December 2008. In Gillani’s birth chart (6/9/52, Karachi), Saturn will square natal Venus (14 Gemini) in mid-September and then move to square natal Sun/Mercury (18 Gemini) in late October 2008 and again in February and early March 2009, suggesting difficult obstacles and setbacks. In Gillani’s swearing-in chart (3/25/08, Islamabad, 11 AM), Saturn will cross the IC (15 Virgo) and oppose the Mercury/Venus conjunction (15 Pisces) in late September and early October 2008, also indicative of very trying times. In addition, Uranus will station on its natal place (19Pisces34) from mid-September 2008 through mid-January 2009 suggesting many upsets and great agitation for Gillani’s administration to deal with. And finally, if the time is correct for the swearing-in, Pluto will move to oppose the Ascendant as of January 2009 for much of the year, suggesting tremendous battles as Gillani moves to strengthen and consolidate his position against some powerful opponents. How much the more aggressive US proclivities in the summer will play into events in Pakistan is unclear, but it seems unlikely that George Bush, in his waning days on the world scene, will want to act with much restraint if the Pakistani government is following a more nuanced approach.

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At last, the endless season of Pennsylvania is past and the springtime of Indiana and North Carolina is upon us. As Keith Olberman mentioned the other night, the first Democratic debate of this campaign is having its one-year anniversary. Even the most robust of us news junkies is staggering in the eternal sunshine of it all.

With Uranus now within minutes of its one-degree orb of opposition to Obama’s Mars (22Virgo25), the viciousness of the attacks against him is intensifying. May, June, and July, during the Uranus station, will be relentless, making April and Bittergate seem like silly season. After all, it is one thing to be less than sensitive about working class mores, but it is another to be portrayed as a hate-filled, flag-burning Muslim who is simultaneously an elitist wimp incapable of waging the sacred fight against the terrorists. The Herculean task for Obama is to not let the demonized and fraudulent caricature of the slime machine become the narrative of the campaign. Fighting a war on four fronts - against Hillary, Bill, McCain, and the bloodthirsty and deceitful right-wing punditocracy, all of whom would love to see him crash and burn – will be the story of the summer of 2008. Its astrological signature is Uranus opposite Mars, an aspect that indicates brutal and sudden attacks, possible violence, and a ruthless, sharp and focused response. Obama will be in the fight of his life, and likely Uranus will push him to a far more aggressive stance than we have yet seen.

The movement of Uranus into new territory in Pisces will also impact the charts of both Hillary Clinton and John McCain, as well as the composite chart of Obama and Clinton. Whereas the transit of Uranus opposite Obama’s Mars will include the full brunt of the planetary station, from May 1 through July 22, the transit to both the Clinton and McCain charts falls several minutes short of reaching exact and will therefore be less intense and of shorter duration. In Hillary’s chart (10/26/47, Chicago, 8AM), Uranus comes to within 11 minutes of her natal Moon (22Pisces50), assuming the accuracy of the 8 AM birth time. Natally, she has a Moon/Uranus square, suggesting that the impact of this planetary event is likely to be significant and stressful. It will be in effect from roughly May 13 to June 29, 2008. Hillary is likely to be agitated and impatient, with things happening around her at warp speed. Sudden and unexpected circumstances may cause upsets and reversals of fortune. The transit of Saturn across her Midheaven during the last 11 days of June suggests that the sudden events implied by the Uranus transit to her Moon may bring loss and disappointment. With the natal Moon in the 4^th and ruling the 9^th, difficulties may arise from sudden revelations or incidents involving family members or unanticipated legal issues. If she decides to exit from the campaign battle before the convention, it would seem that the end of June would be the time.

The Uranus station of the next few months will be almost exactly opposite the Sun in the Clinton/Obama midpoint (composite) chart (22Virgo33). This transit runs from May 5 through July 13, and suggests a great deal of tension, upset, agitation, and possibly significant shifts in the relationship between these two. It is likely to be particularly stressful and acrimonious between May 31 and June 17 when transiting Saturn is conjunct the composite Mars (3Virgo20). It may be that some of the nasty attacks Obama will be experiencing will be reinforced by Hillary, and some of the emotional upsets Hillary will be experiencing will be in some way involving Obama. Another stressful but less dramatic time for their relationship will be from August 4 through August 13 when transiting Saturn is on their composite Venus (9Virgo10).

In John McCain’s chart (8/29/36, 8:37 AM, Cocosolo, Panama), the Uranus station will oppose natal Venus (22Virgo47) reaching to within 8 minutes of arc. This transit will be operative from May 11 through June 29, 2008. It follows the 6-week McCain honeymoon of progressed Moon conjunct natal Venus and converse Moon square Venus, which are active through roughly May 10, and which have brought him an irrational popularity and Teflon imperviousness to his many gaffes and horrifying policy statements. It would be very useful for the news media to resubmit some of these stories after May 11 when the Teflon begins to wear out.

With natal Venus in the 12^th and ruling both the first and 8^th houses, the Uranus transit opposite McCain’s Venus in May and June is likely to bring him sudden upsets revealing financial problems (8^th house of other people’s money), secret “enemies” (12th house) that attack him personally (1^st house), or serious gaffes that are not swept under the rug (12th house of self-undoing). The period from May 11 through May 24 may bring particular difficulties to him with converse Moon square to converse Saturn. There will be a brief reprieve from his struggles toward the end of the Uranus transit in late June and into early July, when progressed Moon squares progressed Jupiter/progressed Node (25Sagittarius). But this may be the last wave of enjoyment and popularity for him in this campaign, possibly coming in the waning days of the Hillary/Obama slugfest or at the height of the vicious attacks on Obama, when the world is distracted from McCain’s true positions and capabilities. Increasingly, July will bring him significant obstacles and stress, including possibly some health issues, especially through July 20, when Saturn crosses his Sun for the final time and converse Moon opposes his Saturn. Before the series of Saturn transits (square Jupiter, conjunct Neptune and opposed Saturn) that hit McCain beginning in late September and that are likely to increasingly diminish his chances of success, the period from August 8 through September 18 will see a very aggressive McCain, prone of flashes of temper. It is possible that the famous McCain fury will be on display during this time, needless to say, going viral through the internet for all to see.

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