With increasing contempt and hyperbole, paranoid and crazed Republican politicians and wingnut radio hosts have been vigorously attempting to sabotage the public’s trust in their new leader and wreck his honeymoon with the American people. Nonetheless, despite the right-wing smear machine’s McCarthyesque slurs, incoherent rants, and its intermittent attempts at inciting an insurrection against the new-born presidency of Barack Obama, the popularity of the freshly-elected president remains extremely strong. The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll has his favorability rating at a whopping 66%. This prolonged honeymoon will continue through the first days of November, notwithstanding all efforts to the contrary.
In the midst of a global economic meltdown of drastic proportion, today begins Obama’s first presidential visit to Europe, slated to include the much-anticipated G20 summit in London, as well as a whirlwind of meetings with numerous foreign leaders both in London and across the continent. Despite a significant rift among participants at the G20 on the use of spending to stimulate the moribund world economy and huge, angry demonstrations already beginning in London, Obama’s extraordinary personal charm and ability to listen respectfully are likely to smooth his passage through these dangerous shoals in the global diplomatic sea.
The two astrological aspects that are easing Obama through these early troubled months in his presidency and giving him a Teflon-protected popularity are progressed Venus conjunct progressed Uranus (28Leo10) exact in early July 2009 and solar arc Venus conjunct his Ascendant (18Aquarius03) exact in early June 2009. Both of these will be activated during his European sojourn. The transiting Sun will be sesquiquadrate progressed Venus/progressed Uranus from the evening of April 1 to the evening of April 2, while the transiting Moon will be semisquare this configuration during the day of April 2.
In addition, transiting Venus, moving slowly and retrograde, will be semisquare Obama’s Ascendant/solar arc Venus on April 2 and April 3. Transiting Mercury will be sextile to his Ascendant/solar arc Venus on April 3. From April 4 through early April 6, transiting Venus will be square to Obama’s natal Venus (1Cancer47) benefiting the final days of his tour, though perhaps with less intensity than the particularly noteworthy uplift of April 2 and April 3. A transiting Venus/Pluto square will also be in effect on April 2 and April 3, pointing directly to the signature planetary combination currently impacting the charts of the US, France, and Britain that has contributed to the feeling of deep anxiety (Pluto) about the threatening plunge in our standard of living (Venus).
The one difficult configuration of the coming week does not impact Obama’s chart directly but does show up in the chart for the trip which began on March 31at 8:33 AM, from Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington, DC. Here we find a waxing Mars/Saturn opposition that will culminate throughout April 4, during the last day of the NATO meeting in Strasbourg, France. It seems likely there will be an inability (Saturn) to move forward (Mars) on several issues at that time. Much of Obama’s work during this trip, however, will be done behind the scenes, as evidenced by the Sun/Venus/Mercury conjunction in the 12th house in the trip chart. And it will be the pervasive and benevolent gaze of Venus that will accompany him for the next several days helping him establish important relationships on the world stage that are likely to carry through his presidential term.
