Predicting congressional elections is always fraught with difficulty. For one thing, we rarely have a reliable birth time for candidates. For another, the loss of a congressional or senate seat often does not spell the end of a life-long ambition and the thwarting of years of preparation that a presidential defeat frequently does. Congressional wins and losses, therefore, usually do not show up in the chart with the same clarity as presidential outcomes.
There are, however, always some for whom congressional elections are of tremendous importance and concern, and often they will be found in various leadership positions in their respective senate and congressional caucuses. It is these charts, unfortunately none of which has a birth time, that I have consulted in my attempt to understand the upcoming election.
At the moment, Republicans are unabashedly salivating at the prospect of possibly winning the House and greatly narrowing their minority status in the Senate. The media is filled with doom and gloom scenarios for Democrats, including the likelihood of endless subpoenas for the Obama administration should Republicans chair the House committees once again. The expectation that accompanies the thought of a Republican win is for obstructionism on steroids with endless legal entanglements spun out of whole cloth to further cripple a beleaguered administration.
If this were indeed to be the outcome in November, we should expect to see jubilation in Republican charts continuing at least through early January 2010 when Republicans would ostensibly regain the reins of power. Instead, we find some limited good feeling around the election, which would seem to imply some definite gains, but a more prominent and extended sense of restriction and disappointment which suggests no transfer to majority status in either house.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (11/17/49), in particular, seems quite distressed with the election results due to Saturn square his Venus (12Capricorn), conjunct his South Node (16Libra10), and conjunct his Neptune (16Libra18), covering the period from late October 2010 through February 2011 when taken together. It is also possible Saturn will be on his Moon (18Libra at noon) during election season, but without a birth time we have no way of knowing. Boehner clearly covets the Speaker position and will be very disappointed not to have it. But he will certainly be enjoying some higher numbers and greater clout in his caucus, as evidenced by Jupiter trine his Sun in early December 2010 and Jupiter sextile his progressed Sun/Jupiter conjunction in early January 2011.
Congressman Pete Sessions (3/22/55) is the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman. He is intimately involved in crafting election campaign strategy for Republicans in the House. Although his chart shows some sense of accomplishment in November due to Jupiter trine his Uranus (23Cancer38) for much of the month, he seems very weighed down and distressed from mid-December 2010 through mid-February 2011 due to the station of Saturn quincunx his Mars (16Taurus53) and the transit of Pluto semisquare both his Venus (20 Aquarius52) and his Saturn (20 Scorpio47). There is also the long-term progression of his Saturn sesquiquadrate his natal Sun (1Aries) and opposite his Mars (16Taurus53) that will continue for years and make the transit of Saturn this winter quincunx his Mars particularly onerous. This is a man who feels held back and restricted.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (2/20/42) shows little elation during the election period other than what seems like some minor gratification for a day just after the election, when Venus trines his Sun. Otherwise, he will be generally grumpy and aggressive with progressed Mercury conjunct Mars (through January) and transiting Pluto sesquiquadrate Mars (21Taurus29) in January and early February 2011. Like Sessions, he is likely to feel restricted and unhappy: progressed Mercury conjunct natal Saturn for the first half of 2011 and transiting Saturn stationary sesquiquadrate his Sun from mid-December 2010 to late February 2011.
Senator John Cornyn (2/2/52) is the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman. With progressed Saturn opposite progressed Sun (11Libra36) until exact in November 2010 and triggered by transiting Saturn right up to the election, he will be working very hard under difficult circumstances on behalf of his colleagues. Transiting Neptune sesquiquadrate this position will trigger it for all of November and December 2010, suggesting a great deal of work with disappointing results and some confusion. By late November, Cornyn will move into his Saturn return (14Libra54) through August 2011, often accompanied by transiting Neptune sesquiquadrate Saturn, which stretches from March 2011 through January 2012, describing a period of dashed hopes and disappointed expectations as his ideology and self-deceptions crash against the shores of reality.
Representative Eric Cantor (6/6/63), the second highest ranking Republican in the House as Republican whip, shows some short-term good feeling just after the election suggesting some definite gains for Republicans in the House (transiting Venus will sextile his Mars/Uranus conjunction at 1 Virgo and sesquiquadrate his Sun at 15 Gemini). But these do not seem to translate into more far-reaching power as what looks like the continuing minority status sinks in. Saturn will oppose his Jupiter from November 9 to November 20, and then the Saturn station will semisquare his Mars/Uranus conjunction from mid-December through late February 2011. Again, we see the sense of aggression held back and frustrated as the new congressional term begins.
Representative Mike Pence (6/7/59) is the Chair of the House Republican Conference. Like Cantor, he shows some short-term happiness just after the election, signifying some clear wins (Venus square Venus at 00Leo and Venus sesquiquadrate the Sun at 16 Gemini). Nonetheless, his mood remains generally dour and his sense of power limited for the coming year with transiting Pluto conjunct his Saturn (5Capricorn05), setting off progressed Node square natal Saturn, from late November through December 2010, and returning from July through October 2011, as well as transiting Saturn semisquare his Pluto from mid-December 2010 through mid-February 2011. By May, transiting Saturn will move into a station with his Node (10Libra46) through early July 2011, returning in October 2011.
On the Democratic side, one would expect a measured or mildly upbeat response if Democrats were to experience only minimal losses. On the other hand, if they were to lose one of their majority positions, we would likely see some considerable upset in the charts, particularly a very strong Saturn presence.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (9/28/39) is himself up for reelection in a closely watched race. Recently, he has pulled ahead in the polls in his contest against tea-party conservative Sharon Angle. Once Saturn finishes its final square to Reid’s natal Venus (2Capricorn02) in late August 2010, he will be under only very positive planetary indicators through February 2011. His poll numbers are likely to rise significantly in September due to the combined transit of Uranus and Jupiter on his natal Jupiter (28Pisces59) and quincunx his Node (28Libra29) during that month. These transits repeat in January and February 2011. In addition, converse Sun is now opposite his natal Jupiter through November 2010. Venus will station on his North Node in November, and the Node will make a long transit to his Venus from late November 2010 through early February 2011. This amazing combination suggests not only reelection in his Senate seat, but Reid happily reclaiming his title of Majority Leader with at least a few votes to spare.
Senator Dick Durbin (11/21/44), the Democratic Senate Whip, also looks quite happy with the election results and joins Reid in very upbeat feelings from November 2010 through early January 2011 at the start of the new session. The Jupiter station of late October through November 2010 will be opposed to his natal Jupiter (23Virgo36). Early January will bring Jupiter trine his Mars/Sun conjunction (27 and 29 Scorpio) and Venus conjunct his Mars/Sun conjunction.
In the House, the indication in Democratic charts is mildly upbeat but with some difficulties likely due to a smaller majority. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s chart (3/26/40) suggests significant power struggles developing with Pluto coming to square her Sun (5Aries) as of late December 2010 and continuing through most of 2011. Although the Jupiter station opposite her Neptune (23Virgo49) in late October and November 2010 indicates some high expectations (later disappointed), Republican obstructionism and renewed vigor would seem to be on display with the Saturn station quincunx her Mercury (17 Pisces) from late December 2010 through early February 2011. But the Pluto transit to her Sun also indicates a tremendous wielding of power, and the converse progressed Venus square Mars (26Taurus) in late 2010 and 2011 and progressed Venus conjunct progressed Mars in 2011 combine to point to a continuing leadership role and support.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (6/14/39) has numerous small but relatively upbeat transits from November 2010 through January 2011 that also point to a “good enough” outcome for Democrats in the House. Transiting Venus will be trine his Mercury, square his Pluto, and quincunx his Venus just after the election. In December 2010 and early January 2011, Pluto will square his Jupiter, and later in January, Jupiter will trine his Pluto and square his Mercury. Although none of these is remarkable, there is also nothing to suggest the deep concerns that losing the House would be likely to bring.
There are two caveats to the above predictions. The first is, as mentioned above, I have no birth times for any of these charts. This is a huge handicap. Secondly, the Inaugural progressed Moon will be square to Inaugural Saturn (21Virgo24) from October 20 through late November, exact November 18. This suggests some kind of very difficult challenge facing the administration during that time. Moreover, transiting Saturn will be square to US Sun from November 9 through November 18 further pointing to a stressful period for the country during the same period. It is quite possible that these indications suggest some kind of foreign policy or other crisis unrelated to the election, but an upsetting election result cannot be ruled out as a possibility. Nonetheless, the President will enjoy transiting Venus trine his Venus and square his Jupiter just after the election, potentially a very good sign.