Lynn Hayes: August 2008 Archives

Note:  This will be my last political post for a short while - politics is fascinating but too much of anything is not always a good thing. An obsession with politics can too easily take us away from our own internal process and a life that is grounded in a greater reality.

(If you missed Friday's article about Sarah Palin, catch up here.) One of the most interesting tools that astrology provides is a glimpse into the inner workings of interpersonal relationships.  Evidently McCain only met Sarah Palin once, at a governors meeting, before choosing her as his running mate, so their chemistry is untested. 

I've updated the original profile of Sarah Palin to reflect my (educated) guess that Palin's Moon is in Capricorn, and if that is true it harmonizes with McCain's Moon, also in Capricorn.  The Capricorn moon has a deep-rooted drive for success and achievement of one's goals - there is a strong sense of responsibility and respect for the establishment. 

McCain and Palin share a conflict in their charts between this need for the established structure.  McCain's Virgo Sun respects rules and requires order, and the Capricorn Moon and Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) retrograde in his chart depict a never-ending struggle to live up to one's own regulations.  On the other hand, Mars (in volatile Leo) squares Uranus in his chart revealing his notorious temper and rebelliousness.  Palin's Saturn conjuncts her Mars, suggesting that she must channel her drive and desires (Mars) through the rigidity of Saturn, and this combined with her Capricorn Moon is a strong indicator for someone who adheres to the rules and regulations of the status quo.  On the other hand, her strong Aquarian nature makes her a natural rebel.

It's great that McCain and Palin share this duality, which makes them both mavericks (Uranus/Aquarius)  in the conservative world (Saturn/Capricorn).  But what happens if they don't agree on where to buck the system, and where to adhere to the status quo?  I predict that tempers will flare and there will be a lot of juicy gossip as a result. 

Palin's and McCan's Mercuries are exactly trine (harmonious aspect) each other: her Mercury is in Aquarius and his is in Libra.  Mercury shows the way we communicate, so this is an excellent aspect for two people who must share ideas and communicate well together.  However, Uranus in Palin's chart sits right on McCain's Sun.  This is very exciting to McCain as Uranus can be quite stimulating, but its tendency towards surprise and sudden change is unsettling to him as well.  He will never be really certain where he stands with her..

The number of tight aspects between the charts of two individuals gives a sense of how connected their lives will be.  Whether those aspects are harmonious or difficult, if there are many points of contact between the two charts their destinies are usually tightely intertwined (we saw that with Obama and Biden.)  In the case of McCain and Palin, the aspects between their charts are generally favorable although there are not a great deal of close connections which suggests that they will not share any great destiny together.  They are on separate paths which collide for a short time.

The composite chart shows the nature of the relationship as it stands separate from the two individuals.  In this case, the Sun is at 29 degrees Scorpio, a critical degree that in horary astrology suggests that something will end.  I am not an expert in fixed star astrology, but this degree is square to (conflicts with) the fixed star Regulus at 29 Leo, which presides over rulership and leadership, as well as Alcyone at 29 Taurus which according to Rob Tillett rules "ambition, honor and glory, and trouble with the opposite sex."  We also see a square of Mars in Taurus, which shows perseverance but can also be extremely stubborn, to Pluto.  This combination illustrates conflict in the relationship, and a struggle for power and dominance.

Overall this is not a very good astrological pick for a running mate.  Transiting Uranus (radical change and surprising events)  is conjunct Saturn in McCain's chart right now and opposing his natal Venus.  This can often be a stressful time for a marriage, since Uranus instills a desire for change at any price and an abhorrence of the status quo.  One has to wonder whether in making this pick for VP McCain may be introducing a new woman into his life in a way that is politically acceptable.

Sarah Palin has been embraced by the religious right of the Republican party and that will help McCain win over that constituency.  But when these two are thrust together in the intensity of the campaign limelight, the weakness in this alliance will be more evident.

Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, is John McCain's new choice for Vice President. Palin brings an interesting combination of political and personal characteristics to the McCain ticket.  She fought vigorously against the widespread corruption in the Alaska political system, even to the detrment of her own party.  She hunts, fishes, and won a beauty pageant in 1984.  She has five children including an 18-year old son who deploys soon to Iraq and an infant with Down Syndrome, and calls herself a "hockey mom."  She is strongly "pro-life", meaning she opposes abortion, but supports capital punishment.  (I have to say, I have never understood how you can be pro-life in one breath and embrace the killing of a human being on death row in another.  But I digress.)

For the McCain ticket, Palin brings credentials where McCain is lacking. She enhances his "maverick" status, which has waned in recent months as he waters down his personality for the presidential campaign. Unlike McCain, Palin is an active churchgoer (Pentecostal) and wants creationism to be taught in schools alongside evolution, bridging the mistrust the Religious Right holds against McCain.

Astrologically (born February 11, 1964) , she has at least four planets in Aquarius (Mercury, Sun, Mars and Saturn) and possibly the Moon as well, if she was born after noon.  Aquarius is the sign of the activist, the renegade - the individualist who isn't afraid to buck the system.  With no planets in water signs other than Chiron, Palin is not a very emotional person and this is heightened by the strong Aquarian influence which is more interested in rational thinking and ideas than emotional viewpoints. 

That Aquarian individuality is tempered with a triple conjunction of Saturn and Mars to the Sun.  Saturn is the ancient ruler of Aquarius, and lends its focus on solitude and a tendency towards rigidity which in the case of Palin may exacerbate the fixed nature of the Aquarian personality. Palin is conservative under the Saturn/Mars/Sun conjunction, but the Aquarian influence makes her quirkily so.

Neptune squares her Sun - the very same aspect in Obama's chart that has suspicious astrologers claiming Obama is deceptive.  (See my earlier article.)  Neptune/Sun aspects tend to show that the individual has experienced difficulty expressing herself as an individual, and that there is a tendency for others to be unable to see her clearly because she becomes a hook for their projections. 

Palin's birthchart also shows that she has an exact opposition from Chiron to Pluto, and by association to Uranus as well.  I would be surprised if she has not had painful experiences in her life - that Chiron/Pluto opposition indicates an indivdiual who must continually face her inner demons so that they can be vanquished.

This is an interesting time for Palin - transiting Saturn has been aspecting this opposition, coinciding with the birth of her son with Down Syndrome.  Transiting Neptune is affecting her as well - passing over first her Sun, then Mars, then Saturn over the next several years.  This Neptunian time shows that she is prone to overidealizing the realities in her life, and there is a danger of not seeing things as they really are.

Update: Depending upon the time Palin was born, her Moon was either in Capricorn (morning) or in Aquarius (afternoon).  I'm going to go for Capricorn because without that earthiness and practicality at a deep emotional level her chart would not have the discipline and drive to achieve that Palin demonstrates.  The  Moon shows the way we respond when we're backed against the wall - our instinctive nature, and Palin's Troopergate scandal, where she fired a public safety commissioner for not firing her former brother-in-law during his messy divorce from her sister, demonstrates the ruthless side of Capricorn for which the ends justify the means.

She's an interesting choice for an already interesting election!  Tomorrow I'll look at how she and McCain will likely get along.  

Art by Melanie Weidner

It is a commonly held belief among explorers of the New Consciousness that as souls, we work with our guides to choose the life that we will next be born into.  For many people that's a horrifying thought!  Why would I choose the kind of torment I experienced as a kid?

But the birthchart often reflects with eerie accuracy the psychological setting of the family of origin.  Pluto conjunct the Moon - your mother seemed terrifying to you?  Saturn square the Sun - you never felt you were good enough for your father?  Yet you were born with this astrological chart; the birthchart predates the events that cause us emotional pain.  This makes it hard to continue blaming our parents since it appears that we come into this world already prewired for certain experiences.   Later in life we learn to make conscious choices that lift us out of a state where we simply react to external stimuli that keep us stuck in the psychodrama of our lives.

I am always impressed by the tenacity and strength of my clients, many of whom have come through difficult childhoods with tremendous coping skills and an eagerness to transcend their limitations.  The nugget of transformation lies within every painful situation, and is a great gift.

I'm not so sure it's necessary to forgive the ones that hurt us, but I DO believe it's imperative that we end the cycle of blame.  As long as we blame anyone, whether it's ourselves or someone else, we keep ourselves locked in a box of victimhood from which we can't escape.  When we make a choice to turn away from blame and self-pity, we naturally open to the gift of power and transformation that awaits.  

The US Presidential Election this year has been a battle between the Pluto in Cancer generation (John McCain), the Pluto in Leo generation (Hillary and Bill Clinton) and the Pluto in Virgo generation (Barack Obama).  Back in February I covered this in an article about the Clinton/Obama contest as a referendum between the early (Pluto in Leo) and late (Pluto in Virgo) boomers.  The passion of the feelings in the comments on this earlier article reveal the intensity of the conflict between these two generations.  (Note:  obviously these are generalizations about a demographic group as a whole.  Within these groups individuals find their own exprssion.)

The Clintons were central to a powerful Democratic political machine that was centered on loyalty and a politics of personality - hallmarks of the Pluto in Leo generation.  Although I am counted among that generation, I have to admit that there is truth to the blame that the early boomer (Leo) generation gets for being narcissistic and self-absorbed.  These are negative traits of Leo, but there are also positive ones:  generosity, inspiration, creativity and open-mindedness.  The Clinton era has reflected all of the traits of Pluto in Leo, both positive and negative.  But the strongest Leonine traits of the politics of both Clintons has been a powerful sense of pride and entitlement,  Politico reports:

The former president is disappointed, associates said, because he is eager to speak about the economy and more broadly about Democratic ideas -- emphasizing the contrast between the Bush years and his own record in the 1990s.

This is an especially sore point for Bill Clinton, people close to him say, because among many grievances he has about the campaign Obama waged against his wife is a belief that the candidate poor-mouthed the political and policy successes of his two terms.

Pluto in Leo has a hard time turning over the spotlight.

On the other hand, we have Barack and Michelle Obama, Pluto in Virgo types.  Virgo tends to shy away from expressions of ego and doesn't care much for Leo, and the Pluto in Virgo generation bears a fair amount of resentment against the egotism of the Pluto in Leo older brothers and sisters.  But often this resentment obscures the understanding that it was the boldness and vision of Pluto in Leo that started the wheels of change turning.  As a generation, Pluto in Virgo (1956-1971) has been the beneficiary of many of the changes that the Pluto in Leo generation, with their search for pleasure and freedom, sought to implement.

Then there's John McCain representing Pluto in Cancer (1913-1939) - the generation that sacrificed everything for family and country, both under Cancer rulership.  This generation, as a whole, did not question authority or seek to pursue their own dreams as they lived through two World Wars.  Cancer's main focus is on security and emotional safety, and they may have a greater tendency than other generations to relate best to people that are most like them (Cancer is rooted in tribal affiliations).   

With the transition of Pluto into Capricorn, change is afoot.  Those who embrace change will vote for the new guy.  Those who fear it will retreat to the safety of the past and vote for the old one.  

Q:  I have a friend that I have a very unique relationship with and it creates many questions and pretty much no answers. Very recently our relationship has been intense after a long cooling period.  He is never really honest about his feelings and contradicts himself aA: lot. If you can give me any insight I would really appreciate it!

Lynn: There are a lot of "points of contact" between your two charts which bring the two of you together and give you a sense of harmony.  Your Suns are conjunct, which is not that strong of a compatibility signal but still it shows that you both have the same Taurean needs for stability and securty.  Where your Moon is in Taurus, his Moon is in Scorpio where it opposes yours, so there is some emotional tension there. 

Another issue is that your friend, with his Scorpio Moon, craves intensity and passion but then his Venus is in Aries, and it is opposed by Mars the ruler of Aries.  The technical term for this is "double whammy," where there are two astrological statements that say the same thing.  There is conflict here between his desire to be in relationship (Venus) and his need for adventure and battle (Aries/Mars).  Your Neptune forms a square to the opposition in his chart, and this is confusing for him.  At times he likely feels overwhelmed by the dreamy romance that the two of you find yourselves in and he needs to back away to find himself again.  Your Venus is in Taurus where you prefer stability to adventure in your relationships, but it's important for you to give him the space to be able to maintain his balance.  He will not always be able to feed your security needs so you will need to strengthen your own internal balance.

Transiting Pluto is squaring Mars in his chart right now.  This started back in January when Pluto entered Capricorn, so this could be a challenging period for him.  His Venus is being affected by association and he will be deepening his experience in many different ways. This may be the root of the changes that you are experiencing right now.  Don't be surprised if he still needs to cool off at times - finding that balance between the intensity of Scorpio and the freedom of Aries will be more difficult under the Pluto cycle.  

The two overriding planetary aspects shadowing the Democratic National Convention over the next few days ia a long-term conjunction of Chiron (wounding and healing) to the North Node (the ascending point where the path of the Moon crosses the path...

I have to insert a disclaimer here:  I have been a huge fan of Joe Biden since he ran back in the '90s, but I'll attempt to be as neutral as possible under the extremely exciting circumstances. (Note: There is...

  Yesterday we introduced the work of statistician Kenneth Mitchell's analysis of the correlation of certain astrological signs with sports that correspond to those signs. Moving on to Taurus - Mitchell learned of a sport called Bull Leaping and...

Generally, research projects based solely on the Sun signs of individuals are not very successful.  The astrological chart is so complex and includes such a wide variety of influences that the Sun sign is often dwarfed by comparison. But this...

One author who has had a profound affect on my personal evolution and my client work is Stephen Levine, author of the magnificent book Who Dies which you can find in the Recommended Reading list in the sidebar. Stephen,...

With Pluto making its final swing through Sagittarius where it has transformed (Pluto) all aspects of the way we construct our theology of the meaning of life (Sagittarius), Obama and McCain joined televangelist Rick Warren for what may be...

Thanks to the Magi Astrologers for posting this fascinating article about the origin of the Olympics.  The most common myths report that Zeus (Jupiter) started the Olympics to celebrate his victory in a battle over Kronos (Saturn), but Valerie Vaughan...

I found a link to Willow's Web Astrology from Matthew's site, and found it quite interesting.  A square from Mars to Pluto is part of the eclipse formation tomorrow, and here is what Willow writes about that aspect (I've added...

The National Ledger has my new post that takes a brief astrological look at the latest celebrity breakup....

How cool is this!!  [S]oon Bangalore will boast of an exclusive supermarket, perhaps the first of its kind in the country [called Star and Planet]. It'll house soothsayers: astrologers, numerologists, palmists, tarot-card readers, horoscope specialists - all under one roof....

Nancy Waterman has a new post up on the recent increase in aggressive activity coming from Russia.  Nancy writes: Whether the Bear is merely demonstrating a revanchist hunger to increase its sphere of influence or feels threatened by a growing...

"Full Moon" from Spirited Art. In my travels on the web today I found this article by Geoffrey de Meaux, a French astrologer from that time about an eclipse that occurred in March of 1345 that he believes was the...

Virgo is about a return to purity and respect for the mind/body/spirit connection, and for this reason it is connected to matters of health and healing. Ever since Saturn entered Virgo last fall, we have been confronted by revelations about factors...

image by Frank Laumen. This crop circle was found at 5:30 am.  The Crop Circle Connector field report seems to suggest that it was made using mechanical means, but it's a fascinating image nonetheless. Harold Stryderight tells us that the...

I wrote this post a couple of years ago but thought I would repost it in light of comments on the John Edwards story, and for a reminder myself! Astrologers usually follow a code of ethics in their work, just...

Out of respect to the Edwards family and in response to the comments of my thoughtful readers, I have edited this post. I confess that during the Presidential campaign I became disillusioned by John Edwards, beginning with his sudden passion...

One of astrology's miracles is in helping us to better understand ourselves and our loved ones, thereby improving our ability to relate to others.  A reader wrote, I'm hoping you can give me some advice regarding any effect the recent...

Cameron Diaz has reportedly told boyfriend Paul Sculfor that she'd rather be single, even though he's moved his stuff into her Los Angeles home.  Cameron seems to shy away from romantic entanglements, and even during her long relationship with Justin...

Friday is August 8, 2008, and the numerologists are once again going crazy.  We saw this on May 5, 2005, we saw it in a big way on June 6, 2006, and now we are re-experiencing it for 08-08-2008. ...

Robert Wilkinson is the author of Aquarius Papers, one of the earliest astrology blogs and still one of the best.  He writes today of one of his readers in India who sought astrological advice in his home country and was told...

Skywatch for August is posted here, and here's a snippet on this month's eclipse cycle along with news for the first week of August: August begins with the first of a pair of Leo/Aquarius eclipses, this one a Solar Eclipse...

...and the potential death (Pluto) of capitalism (Capricorn).   thanks to Mike Eggleston for the image....

  You may want to read my astrological profile of John McCain for some background information. John McCain's Virgo Sun is undergoing a transit of Saturn which began last November, took a second hit in February, and just concluded. ...