Lynn, I don’t know if you’ve seen my earlier comment in response to your “Happy Inauguration Day!” post, but this is worth pursuing. How can Obama be said to have sworn his oath, if he did not do it on the Bible, to God, this second time? In addition, why is everyone repeating the media line that it was Chief Justice who flubbed the lines, when it was clearly Obama who tripped him up twice. First he prematurely interjected, putting him off balance, then when the Chief Justice got the order wrong, Obama followed the new order to the extent of saying “I’ll execute” and then pausing, instead of saying “I’ll faithfully execute”. So it can’t be said Obama paused to help the Chief Justice correct the mistake, when he, Obama, had already gone with it. He simply managed to make the Chief Justice even less certain of how to recover. You may think I’m splitting hairs, but the reality is that Obama is an NLP expert and has still not been truly sworn in as President.

I don’t feel that this is an argument for these pages so let’s let this comment die quietly, folks.

One more thing. There is a self-proclaimed “prophet” somewhere in the American West, I forget his name, who was featured on one of the main news portals, may have been the British BBC, or Yahoo, I also forget, claiming that Obama will not be sworn in as President. He didn’t know how not, and was speculating, if I heard him right in the video, about some kind of strike hitting Obama before. Well, it seems he was wrong on the detail, be he got the ultimate result right.

When I watch all the secular-progressives drooling over Obama, I can’t help but think that I’m watching a bunch of idol-worshipping pagans.

Sorry, Lynn, I see you replied to my comment to the other post, so much of the above is an unnecessary repeat. I see from our timings we were more or less in “real time”, hence the crossed lines. Apologies, and thank you for responding.

I agree with most everything you said, Lynn, except one tiny, annoying detail: the press pool report says:

“At 735 pm, Roberts administred the oath of office again to obama in the map room. Robert gibbs said the wh counsel, greg craig, believes the oath was fine Tuesday, but one word was out of sequence so they did this out of a “an abundance of caution.”"

So the time is 7:35 according to the pool report. I don’t know why the Chronicle put down 7:30 since they were going by the pool report like everybody else.
So I have: Second Inauguration, 1/21/2009, Washington, DC (38N54, 77W02), 19:35 EST, which gives me 0Vir26 rising.
max
['Man, having Merc Rx as the Chart ruler should confuse things greatly.']

Thanks for this Max. I confess I did not do extensive research – I just went with the first time that I found. I guess the SF Chronicle didn’t realize the extent to which people would be paying attention to that five minutes.
So yes – now we have Mercury retrograde ruling the chart of the second oath. What I don’t think we’ll be able to establish a consensus on is how important this second oath is. Under the constitution, Obama became president at noon on the 20th no matter when the oath is administered, so in my view it’s likely a moot point.
I’ll tell you what though – I am going to revive my Moon VOC Research Project and keep detailed notes for the next few months. Last time I did that I found absolutely no correlation between weirdness and the VOC Moon.

Thanks for your fine little article on this second oath. I have been closely watching this timing of the oath(s). This second administering of the oath does add a reassuring element with the Sag Moon, much more jolly than the earlier chart when Roberts screwed up his lines.
The layered combo of both Scorpio and Sag Moons gets me thinking about the unveiling of more secrets from the Bush era, and the Sag Moon also adds a possibility of courts of law: perhaps the American people (or the World Court) will haul Bush and company into a court of law and prosecute them for their many crimes. Obama is very unlikely to go down that road – he has so much work to do with the mess they made.
on another note, do you think that Pluto in Capricorn is deflating the bombast of right wing media? After expanding quickly when Pluto was in Sagittarius, Fox News struggles these days, spinning some mighty hard-to-follow scenarios, and they are sounding like pretzels of huh??? Limbaugh is floundering around, too, sewing hatreds with his usual arrogant and ignorant ease, but really nervous now that he has to deal with challenges to his outrageous poisonous projections. I suppose that some loony tunes wing nuts actually believe that their wacko paranoid right-wing story lines still hold water, but they do sound like they are straining these days. Meanwhile the world and our nation cheer for hard work, eloquent clarity and the power of forthright, yet more modest approaches.
Thanks, Lynn, for your great column. I so enjoy reading your astute insights.

Thanks Lynn, I heard that the retaking of the Oath has happened before. Perhaps these occurrences and the events surrounding those Presidencies will shed some light on how this plays out. I am sure we will see some discussion on this soon.

His presidency began by law at 12:01 per the 20th amendment. Article II of the constitution then would apply as it states “Before he enters on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation;” . This is a sequitor, not a determinitive. Execution and affirmation are keywords. Since the passage of the 20th amendment all successive presidencies began at 12:01 and correct charts should reflect that overlooked piece of law. We need to stop stretching both the law and the astrology to give Mr. Obama a pyschic break. It is what it is, and the VOC applies in full.

Just want to share that Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009 at exactly 12:05 PM EST ! They had the time on the TV screen and I recorded it as well.Thought I throw that out there, eh ?

Since our forefathers chose our nation’s astrological chart, you would think the same care would be taken when swearing in a new President. I wonder if they ever did that, and if so, when and why did they stop?

I was watching the inauguration event and when Obama took the oath at 12:05 p.m. I calculated his chart. I take that to be the correct one for all the reasons given here and for his intention and everyone else’s intentions involved. The rest is nit-picking – for me. Being a Leo I will admit I prefer a Leo rising, especially so because so is Obama. But I don’t see how we can discount that original oath even if every word was not in the right order for some people.
Interesting too how many people are interested in that chart.

Lynn,
Great post, as usual. You know Mercury RX, it makes us go back… like going back and retaking the oath. The chart should be, as everyone here says, calculated at the 12:05 time, with all due respect to the 20th Amendment. Chiron’s right, it is what it is.
That VOC moon added the unexpected, not necessarily unhappy, element.
In my mind it’s an “in your face” to anyone who continues to doubt the power of these periods in our lives, even today, evan with all our technology and scientific method. They still have teeth, they can still bite.
Take care all,
Sue

Obama took the oath on a void of course moon and “it came to nothing.” Of course. He retook it and we must acknowledge the new start that he chose to give himself. The new ascendant, by the way, is Virgo rising at 0 degrees 26 minutes. A mutable sign of service and detail. (as opposed to taurus – which is fixed and resists change) Check out the Sabian symbol for the ascendant (read as 1 degree virgo) “A man’s head is revealed. It is a portrait in which the artist has sought to idealize the best of human character. Intention.” For both charts, the symbolism of the north node is auspicious. “A man of stature has been catapulted into ephemeral popularity, and unspoiled, he plans further achievements.” Amen.

The interesting thing about Inauguration at noon is that it puts the Sun in the tenth house, which is an auspicious place for every presidency. You have to wonder if there was an astrologer at work there.

I repeat, every president since FDR ( including him from his second inaugural on ) legally became president at 12:01. All charts since 1933 should reflect that fact. They all have a tenth house sun. The time of the oath is inconsequential.

….0 degree Virgo rising is the perfect metafore for the re-take: nit-picking Virgo-style!

I’m beginning to wonder if I would understand anything at all if it wasn’t for your helpful dissections. Thanks again, Lynn. And don’t we just adore Obama’s cool flexibility. His leadership as a ‘transparent overlay’ is already stunning.

Chiron, In all due respect that’s like saying that your born when you first discover that your pregnant, and the actual birth in your words is ‘inconsequential ? You can’t apply man made laws to the laws of spirit.

I agree with Chiron about the new presidency beginning, by law, at 12:01. With no disrespect, I don’t think the pregnancy/birth metaphor was well applied in the previous post. But to continue the metaphor: The 12:01 time is the official birth, to be compared to the time the baby emerges completely from the womb. The oath, perhaps, could be compared to the time of first breath.
I was encouraged by Lynn’s researching showing little effect from a VOC moon. I have never noticed its effects in my own life, and I am a Cancerian. I think the Scorpio moon in its 29th degree speaks to the hidden poisons and pain our country has experienced in regards to race over 400 years; in regard to political polarization; and that this presidency, whatever else it may accomplish or not accomplish, gives us an opportunity to drag that out in the light of day, look at it, and hopefully purge it.

“Chiron” is correct. The 1933 Constitutional amendment makes it clear that inauguration or not, words or not, Obama’s presidency began at noon. If you wish to play around with the communications, polarization or other subtle aspects of his presidency, or with Mercury retrograde, have fun. But the “man made law” is the law that rules on the start of the presidency. Its consequence is clear, that’s when the “birth” took place. Moreover, deny that and you deny the date of things like the executive orders that took place between the initial oath and the re-take.

This discussion brings to mind Ronald Reagan’s swearing in at midnight prior to the official swearing in at noon at the insistence of Nancy and the recommendation of Joan Quigley. Reagan dodged a bullet that term and one cannot help but wonder what the earlier swearing in had to do with the course of the presidency.

sorry emc. consider that a practice run. Kind of like practice at the church before a wedding. he wasn’t president until 12:01.

Yes, yes, yes, Obama legally became president at 12:01. This we all know. But if oaths didn’t matter, there would be no need to take them. They in fact do matter to set the tone of one’s journey, and they are as symbolic as astrology. No one should rule out the first oath, but the second oath matters just as much. Or else why do it over? To me, his legal status as president has more to do with the material or worldly side of the office, while the oath is the spirit of the presidency.

Well I have to agree with Rinna. I have always understood that the time of the oath represents the way the journey will unfold – the way in which this person will undertakle the responsibilities that have been bestowed upon him. it is the giving of the oath that provides the spritual overlay and meaning to the particular journey. But now we have an oppoprtunity to really clarify our thinking on the subject. Perhaps this president will come to nothing – either by not completing his term, or in failing to accomplish his objectives. Or perhaps the Obama administration will come to represent brilliant energy and creativity (jupiter conjunct sun in the fifth house)and dedicated service (0 degree virgo rising). At the end of four years we should have a better understanding of the significance of the second oath. I”ll check back with you.

In astrology, with our modern computers we have the opportunity to do lots of different charts. We have the birthchart, and the progressed chart. We have the solar return chart. We can do a chart for the tertiary progressions, the solar arc directions, and on and on nearly to infinity.
Events are similar, in which case there are several different aspects of the event that can provide a chart. When a nation is formed, is its birth when the declaration is given? When it is signed into law? When the new government actually takes over?
If the Constitution says that the new government begins at 12:01 pm on January 20, I am inclined to use that chart for the Administration, and not the chart that rectifies the giving of the oath. If you close on a house but there is a typo in the closing documents and you have to go in and initial the correction, does that change the closing date? No, the house is closed when the deed is recorded.