With the control of Congress hanging by a thread, this year’s midterm elections have taken on a particular ferocity and viciousness. Despite all the blather about bipartisanship on any given subject, the split between the parties is as sharp and nasty as it has ever been. The rampant distrust of the Republican administration by those on the Left, and, increasingly, in the Center, threatens the very fabric of our civil society. Many silently suspect that the sly and scheming Bush administration had a hand in the tragic plane crash last week that killed Paul Wellstone and his wife. Whatever the truth of this speculation, that it exists among so many suggests a deep, unbridgeable chasm within our political culture.
Another example indicative of profound distrust for the current administration comes with the growing concern that election fraud will once again pervade Florida. The Justice Department’s announced intention to monitor the situation has actually deepened, rather than mitigated, many people’s fears in this matter.
Into this cauldron of suspicion and acrimony comes the election of 2002. If the Republicans win control of both Houses, any hope of slowing the Bush roller coaster to disaster evaporates. On the other hand, if the Democrats can hold onto the Senate, and even moreso, if they can take over the House, there is some hope that they will step up to the plate and form a bulwark against the ruinous, destructive, and bullying policies of this administration. Granted, the timorous Democrats failed miserably by granting Bush his War Powers Resolution, a ticket to permanent war if ever there was one. But there will still be much they can do to slow, hinder, obstruct, and investigate this administration in the coming two years, if they can hold onto at least one House of Congress.
To determine whether or not the Democrats will be successful in the coming election, it makes sense to look at the charts of those who would be elated and relieved by such an outcome, as well as those who would clearly be either angry or upset. Although this method gives some mixed results for predicting the outcome in the House, the Senate results seem fairly clear. When comparing the charts of Senator Tom Daschle and Senator Trent Lott, the Democratic and Republican Senate leaders, Senator Daschle’s chart suggests a far greater degree of success and general good feeling than does that of his Republican counterpart, both after the election and in January 2002, when the Senate reconvenes.
For most of November, Daschle will undergo the last crossing of Pluto over his Sun, while Jupiter is simultaneously in trine aspect. The Jupiter trine is especially strong for the first week of November and the second half of December. Combined with Pluto’s energies, it will bring a strong sense of power and success to Daschle. Highlighting the few days from November 8 through 11, Venus will also be in aspect to Daschle’s Sun (semisquare), adding an even clearer picture of good feeling during that time.
Beginning in November 2002, we find Daschle’s progressed Sun opposite his progressed Pluto, continuing through most of 2003. This is then picked up by progressed Sun opposite natal Pluto through December 2004. The Sun /Pluto combination during this period suggests that he will be wielding tremendous power, that of Majority Leader. To make this picture crystal clear, we find Jupiter conjunct progressed Pluto and opposite progressed Sun, thereby triggering this expansion of power and impact, in the second half of January and again in June 2003. There is no hesitancy whatsoever in this aspect, and we will see Daschle take the reins firmly in hand at this time. Moreover, during the entire month of January and much of February 2002, Daschle will be under several Jupiter transits (trine the Ascendant, conjunct natal and progressed Pluto,quincunx natal Venus, and trine natal Jupiter), all of which further emphasize success and general good feeling.
There is one potential glitch in this picture, which is that Daschle’s progressed Moon will square his natal Saturn from mid-November to mid-December 2002. This covers the period of the Lame Duck session. Moon/Saturn here suggests some upset or sorrow that Daschle will be feeling. It is possible that Bush’s relentless march to war will be an issue, or it may be that the Senate is temporarily in Republican hands, and a great deal of acrimony and filibustering result. In any event, the larger picture is one of great success for Daschle, which would certainly seem to translate into success for the Democrats in the Senate with respect to the 2002 election.
Senator Lott, on the other hand, is somewhat mired in Saturn transits during the last months of 2002 and into the first quarter of 2003. Natally, he has a Saturn/Venus opposition. Thus, Venus is sensitive to any Saturn transit, and Lott tends to have difficult and upsetting experiences during those times. During October, Saturn has been quincunx Lott’s Venus, and will still be in orb during the election. This suggests a general feeling of dismay and unhappiness with the general situation. In addition, transiting Saturn will be semisextile natal Saturn and square natal Neptune through mid-November, adding to the somewhat gloomy mood.
Despite Lott’s general irritability around election time, there are indications in his chart of some measure of empowerment during November and December. Both Pluto and Jupiter will be trining his natal Mars. Again, this suggests the possibility that he will be running the Lame Duck session for a few weeks, but given Dubya’s difficult planets during that period (see below), I don’t foresee the Republicans ramming through much, if any, of their agenda. Come mid-January through March 2003, Lott will have Saturn square his Nodes, putting him in a rather irritable and frustrated mood. Late January also brings the transit of Uranus square to his natal Saturn, so again we see the same theme repeated – a difficult and not very satisfying beginning to the Senate session for Senator Lott.
The main reason I have not predicted a win for the House Democrats is that House Minority Leader Gephardt’s current planetary picture suggests so many difficulties. Recently, his support of Mr. Bush’s War Resolution has generated an angry and mutinous response from many of his colleagues. Mr. Gephardt’s days as their leader may be numbered. In his chart we find Neptune finishing up a three month station in mid-November, conjunct his Descendant and square his Saturn, only to move into a conjunction with his Sun for much of 2003. Neptune brings confusion, loss, and a sort of wishy-washy image. Opposing the Ascendant and conjuncting the Sun, both fiery points in the chart, it tends to cause a dissolution of power and focus. This configuration suggests a great deal of trouble pursuing goals and a tendency to lose clarity and direction.
In addition to the difficulties presented by Neptune, Gephardt is under a strong Saturn influence through May 2003. This has been building since last spring, but will intensify during early 2003. His converse progressed Sun is currently quincunx his natal Saturn, suggesting loss, obstacles, and difficulties which demand tremendous will, strength, and fortitude. Neptune triggers the Sun/Saturn aspect in November while simultaneously bringing in its own hazy confusion.
In December 2002, Gephardt will undergo the first phase of Pluto transiting his natal Mars, a transit which will return intermittently in 2003. This is an aspect of great power, very different from the Neptune /Sun aspect described above. It may be that we see an alternation between these two energies during the next year. December 2002, and May, June, and October 2003 may stimulate the focused power and aggression of Pluto /Mars, whereas November 2002, and February, July, and December 2003 will bring more of the weak-willed and indecisive Neptunian energies to the fore. In any event, November 2002 looks very difficult for Gephardt around election time, and the aspects suggest a diminution of his power in some respect.
To add another element to this picture of the House Democrats, we find that Nancy Pelosi, the Minority Whip, looks quite upbeat and successful, with some very strong Jupiter transits, trine natal Jupiter and quincunx natal Mercury, for most of November and December. In addition, transiting Uranus will be square her natal Mars, suggesting that for the same two month period (likely the Lame Duck session), she will be very active, very aggressive, and perhaps quite angry at some of the ensuing events. Her political power seems to be on the rise beginning around January, with converse progressed Sun moving into opposition with converse progressed Pluto. This waxes ever stronger throughout 2003 and then moves into the converse progressed Sun opposite natal Pluto for 2004.
In Mr. Bush’s chart, the strongest positive emotions seem to peak just before the election: tertiary progressed Sun square natal Venus and transiting Jupiter sextile natal Moon. This suggests the potential for some kind of disappointment as a result of the election. In addition, beginning to come into effect around November 9 and continuing through December 2002, we find transiting Neptune once again quincunx Bush’s Mars, indicating increased ineffectiveness, unclear or unrealistic goals, and a weakness in leadership.
But there is a wild card in Mr. Bush’s chart that has been operating since mid-October 2002 and that continues to intensify until November 2003. The progressed Midheaven conjunction to natal Uranus brings with it the potential for unexpected, unilateral actions, as well as unexpected, transformative, and upsetting events. These will increase and become more impactful over the course of the next twelve months, especially in January through May 2003 with the Pluto sextile.
This same heightened unilateral energy is reiterated in the Inaugural chart’s progressed Mercury conjunct natal Uranus, from August 2002 through February 2003. The Uranus/Mercury is then strongly intensified from November 10 through December 10, 2002, with the Inaugural tertiary progressed Midheaven conjunct Inaugural Uranus. This suggests a time of sudden changes, transformative events that impact the administration, and a time when Mr. Bush will attempt to pursue policy by unilateral executive fiat.
If we look further into the Inaugural chart, however, we will see that the tertiary progressed Sun and Mercury both are moving into a square with Inaugural Saturn, from November 21 through December 30, 2002. This suggests that the goals (Sun) of the administration are held back and frustrated (Saturn) during this period. Note that this corresponds with the debilitating Neptune quincunx to Bush’s Mars, mentioned above.
With regard to the elections, it is quite possible that Mr. Bush will not manage a total victory in the Legislature, but may win control of the Lame Duck Congress, due either to a loss by Senator Jean Carnahan or the extraordinary lack of statesmanship (and narcissism) of Governor Jesse Ventura. If this should be the case, the planets suggest Bush may opportunistically try to ram a few things through Congress (Uranus), but be unsuccessful and ineffective in his endeavors.
When Congress reconvenes in January, however, the administration will not have the upper hand. The Saturn station of January through March 2003 will be aspecting the charts of Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Rove, Rice, and Ridge. While Daschle will be victoriously taking the reins of power in the Senate, the administration will be struggling with several issues, none of which will be going as planned.
Tom Daschle, 12/9/47; Aberdeen, South Dakota
Richard Gephardt, 1/31/41; St. Louis, Missouri
Trent Lott, 10/9/41; Grenada, Mississippi
Nancy Pelosi, 3/26/40; Baltimore, Maryland
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