by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA
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Any natal star map is not a static object even though it appears to be just that, and that is also true of any other birth. It is simply the map of a moment, a freeze-frame of the sky with that stillness for the purpose of seeing the patterns clearly, because the sky never truly stopped in its motion. Astrologers use the actual movement of the cycles past the freeze frame called the birth event to see the growth and development of what was begun in that moment of time, the progression of the birth and what that represents. For the USA, the freeze frame was the birth of our country and the progressions are the growth represented by experience. It is quite simple to see who we are (birth) contrasted with what we are becoming and what we now need in order to become (progressions). The call goes out from the country, the electorate responds, a person is elected. That person fits beautifully into the natal and the moving star map – our fearless leader, our elected president.
My research on the election process for the United States (USA) shows clear connections between the birth sky map, the progressed positions for the election date and the current transiting positions for the election date.
- The USA birth information I used is set for July 4, 1776 at 9:36 am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There are thirteen primary positions that reflect the basic character of the country and its needs: the Ascendant, Midheaven, our ten major solar system bodies and the Lunar North Node.
- The USA progressed pattern in this instance is set for Election Day, November 4, 2008, using the original coordinates. The thirteen original positions have moved naturally the equivalent of 232 days from birth reflecting the 232nd year since the birth of the country. These new positions reflect the changing and current needs and status of the country for the chosen election year (2008) as a stand-alone map for the four-year term of that election, and can also show connections to the original birth pattern.
- The third measure (think of Spock’s three-dimensional chessboard on the old Star Trek series) is that of specific Election Day energy, again using the birth coordinates for consistency. A map is constructed to show the energy pattern for Election Day as it relates to the USA. This can also be used as a stand-alone seeding illustration for the four-year term of the election, and can also show connections to both the original birth and the progressed patterns.
The progressed and day patterns reflect a four-year term. If the election happened to be based on a ten-year period, the time of effect would be ten years. The progressed and day patterns will always be in motion providing new information, but the seed planted on Election Day determines the unfolding of the term in question. There are more comparisons possible, such as the connections between the president and vice president and the team they represent to the country, but for simplicity’s sake, we are going to consider only the three country patterns in this article. I will deal only with conjunctions and oppositions with tight connections. I will keep my explanations simple, with minimal tech talk. You do not have to be an astrologer to understand this article.
We as a country had been alive for 232 years as of Election Day in 2008. We had started from a dream of the Founding Fathers and had stretched and grown tremendously over that time. We had a heart and a core that was clearly defined (natal positions), but we had experienced and been changed by experience over the intervening years. What we are now is a composite of what we started out as and what we have become through being and doing. The core of who we are is still there, but it has been reshaped by 232 years of experience. We are a constantly changing, hopefully evolving group effort with new needs and emerging dreams. That is shown by the ongoing state of our being, our progressing patterns. An Election Day choice must address who we are at our core as well as what we have become. And as if that isn’t enough, the day itself has its own energy, drive and dynamic from which we as a country cannot be separated. It affects or becomes incorporated into our being-ness as the seeding principle mentioned. “Whatever is begun in a moment of time carries with it the qualities of that moment in time,” is paraphrased from the writings of Carl Jung. Just what were the connections between the three described patterns for Election Day 2008?
The Midheaven is a good place to begin as it describes our current status in the world, the mountain of achievement we are climbing, our reputation, the work to be accomplished. By progression, the USA Midheaven has moved from the original 8 Gemini 52 position traveling almost 2/3rd of the way around a complete 360-degree cycle to 24 Capricorn 15, about five minutes (a few weeks in timing) from the opposition (stress, monkey in the middle) to our USA Mercury (communication, local activity and our youth). Talk about a direct hit! The grass roots movement and the turnout of our youth in this election were amazing and boy did we experience communication during the primary process. A lot of that communication was argument and confrontation, mishandled in myriad ways. It is important to realize we were born with a very stressful powerful communication energy that can be used for good or for ill. This was a key pattern for the country at the moment of election and whoever was elected would both inherit and embody this need.
What else? The normally backward-moving Lunar Node is cuddling up to that always forward-moving midheaven over the next two years as we deal with old bad habits of relating and responsibility in cultural alliances. We are under an international spotlight. We cannot rely on the usual international social and cultural habits, but we must force ourselves to grow and to own up to what is wrong and fix it. The sign is Capricorn and we are responsible! This could get very uncomfortable in the doing, but do we truly want to perpetuate what is wrong with our country or fix it?
What else? Our Progressing Mercury is at 23 Aquarius 46 and retrograde, a little over a degree past the USA natal Moon at 22 Aquarius 38. Our election process emphasized communication, youth, and grass roots as mentioned above which is connected tightly into our emotions (Moon), our independent streak, our sense of humanity and group awareness, and with a strong sense of the future embedded deeply (Aquarius), leading up to election. The retrograde nature of the progressing Mercury indicates a pattern that was in place for the primary and election process but which would continue past the point of the election itself. The person elected was expected by the country to provide this energy. Look at the other candidate team (names are unnecessary, look only at the energy). Could the competing team have provided the country with what it needed?
Our progressing Moon was about to change signs from Leo to Virgo, from drama to practicality, from an influence of inflationary emotions, egotistical bubbles and entitlement habits to a period of hard work, learning to do more with less, developing our discernment of those who represent us as a collective, plus learning as a country that life does catch up with us when we’re not paying attention.
I haven’t mentioned Pluto, Uranus and Neptune in these progressions because they make new connections very slowly in the heavens due to their vast orbits. Moving Pluto is still very close to its original position, as are Uranus and Neptune. They do activate from time to time over the hundreds of years of our existence, but not by progression this year.
Previously, I said the progressed pattern could be read as a stand-alone map for the election’s four-year term. There is an opposition (stress, tug of war) between our current social and financial values and our also current assertive, aggressive urges and our need to take action – and the pattern is growing stronger. Venus is at 17 Aries 39 and Mars is at 18 Libra 40 and retrograde, opposite each other and getting stronger (applying). The signs are that of stand up on your own two feet and do it yourself (“I-ness”) and fairness, honesty, relating and partnership (“we-ness”). Does any of that that sound like the tremendous financial crisis, health care reform, the bail out crisis, and the general tug of war that is going on in our country at the moment? This opposition is not over yet; this usually short-term aspect will affect our country and its people – in this instance, over the four-year term of this presidency because it is in the seed planted at the moment of the 2008 election. This pattern would be in place regardless of whom we elected. It is a lesson we must learn. The person we elected to the presidency did not cause the pattern; it is a naturally evolving progression of the country itself, a lesson on which we are collectively working. President Obama got himself elected to serve just as payment came due. Lucky him (and hopefully lucky us)!
Because I can see it so clearly, I will mention that about eight years prior to this election, the USA progressing positions encountered Saturn on the Descendant, a restrictive, rigid, disciplinarian energy that limited, blocked, and thwarted our international work with our trade partners, alliances, and cooperative ventures. Again, the USA naturally progressed to a point where this became the lesson. The person elected filled the role that was needed, whether or not we like what happened or the person in charge. This was go-to-school time, and we did go to school! This restrictive energy planted a seed that is still in effect at this moment. We can see the effect it has had and is continuing to have on our experience. It occurred in the sign of Scorpio, long term-finance, taxes, insurance, credit card matters, debt, and ecology, our environment. Sound familiar? These patterns take time to work themselves out. The progressions well describe the current experience of the whenever we choose.
What about Election Day 2008’s energy itself? A new president was elected in that moment of time, and the qualities of that moment in time will affect and influence our chief executive and therefore our country and its citizens. I’ve spoken at length about the Saturn/Uranus opposition currently in the sky that repeats every 45 years. The current rendition began exactly on Election Day and made its second connection about two weeks past Inauguration Day. The forces of conformity are pitted against the forces of change. Does that sound familiar? That which wants to preserve the status quo and allow the past to continue unchanged is in mortal combat with that which wants us to move forward, change what is necessary and to fix what’s wrong. Where do you stand? Bear in mind, I’m simply reading energy patterns, not making up aspects to suit nefarious purposes. There was a third pass on September 15th, and there will be two more passes to come before this energy pattern is finished at the end of July, 2010. Hopefully we will learn our lesson and have less of a problem 45 years in the future when the pattern returns.
The 2008 Election Day’s energy brought an interesting tie between the day’s Ascendant at 18 Sagittarius 27 and the day’s at Venus 20 Sagittarius 21, a close union (conjunction) between our financial and social values (Venus) and our coping skills and the face we present to the world (Ascendant). It is a Sagittarius face, full of fight, daring, challenge, reaching, stretching, and hoping. Will it overreach itself, a typical Sagittarius foible? The combination is approaching a connection to Pluto, but that is two elections away. It is a lesson for our future, one we might study so we can be prepared. Will we do that?
The Election Day Moon was right on our natal Mercury/Pluto opposition (power/communication in stress) and right on the progressing midheaven (stature, goal, ambition) mentioned earlier in this article
- This shows tie #1 between the natal, the progressed and the diurnal (day) patterns as I said was possible.
- As if that weren’t enough, Election Day’s Neptune (spiritual essence) is very close to the natal Moon (who we are as a people, our emotional independence feature) and the progressed Mercury (communication, youth, grass roots) previously mentioned – tie #2.
- Although I had not mentioned it earlier, that conformity versus change Saturn/Uranus opposition (tug of war) is very close to the USA’s natal Neptune, which is both our natal and progressed spiritual essence and core – tie #3.
- The natal, the progressing and the individual day’s patterns are quite intimately connected.
There is no error in this or any other election. The country calls. The electorate answers the call and votes. An individual responds to that exact call for every election. Barack Obama is now our president and there was no error. The country called and the man responded. My intended sequel to this article has already been published. Please see “USA 2008 Election Part 2 – the Winning Presidential Team” on President Obama, Vice President Biden and Team Obama/Biden’s tie to these USA natal, progressed and Election Day patterns.
Published on EZine online December, 2009, republished with slight editing.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.