Is Bradley really okay? Trends imply possible complications.

Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Bradley’s recently disclosed heart condition bears watching. Looking fit amidst snappy exchanges with Al Gore during their December 19 debate, Bradley appeared far removed from the scare that had sent him to hospital just nine days previously. However, a look at Bradley’s astrological picture in regard to health issues gives cause for concern.

Leo is the Sign of the Heart

Bradley was born with the Sun in Leo (4 degrees to be exact) on July 28, 1943. Astrology associates both the sign Leo and the birth position of the Sun with the heart. This does not mean that all Leos are predisposed to cardiac problems, but it does mean that astrologers pay close attention to the position of the Sun—especially in Leo—when questions of cardiac viability arise.

Uranus' Rude Awakening

Bradley’s condition—atrial fibrillation—was first diagnosed in 1996 when the planet Uranus first reached 4 degrees in the sign of Aquarius. Leo is the sign opposite Aquarius on the zodiac wheel. (The opposition  is a 180 degree angle that represents the challenge of a new perspective.) There are pros and cons to this Leo/Aquarius opposition, but the tension is considerably increased when it is exactly opposite by degree, for example Bradley’s Sun at 4 degrees of Leo opposed by transiting Uranus (Uranus' current position) at 4 degrees of Aquarius.

Bradley’s rude surprise in ’96 is typical of the shock impact of Uranus. Such trends challenge individuals to re-invent their lives in the wake of sudden and often radical new developments. Following mild electric shock treatment to his heart (very Uranian!) and medication, Bradley got a Stairmaster exercise machine, which he continues to use religiously.

Bradley’s Health Sensitized by Neptune

Uranus moved away from the opposition to Bradley’s Sun in ’98, as Bradley stepped up his efforts to lay the groundwork for a possible campaign. However, beginning in the spring of 1999, another planet—Neptune—reached 4 degrees of Aquarius. Unlike radical Uranus, Neptune's effects are diffuse. Neptune pervasively increases the sensitivity of whatever it influences.

Neptune phases are often associated with a time of healing. Sabbaticals are typical during Neptune transits, as are hospital stays—hardly the setting for conducting a presidential campaign. Sometimes the healing energy of a Neptune transit is synchronistic with medical or herbal remedies, and can bring about a softening of attitudes and on occasion a more mystical outlook.

Neptune’s opposition to Bradley’s Sun is suggestive of overlooked factors or hidden complications. Increased cardiac sensitivity may have developed since Neptune’s arrival at 4 degrees of Aquarius this past spring. Bradley’s vulnerability sounds suspiciously understated in an aide’s remark that Bradley had “felt a little different” the evening prior to his December 10 hospital visit.

Students of astrology should take note that Mars—the adrenal planet—was zipping through early Aquarius during and just prior to Bradley’s unscheduled hospital campaign stop. Planets with faster orbital cycles—especially Mars—tend to act as “triggers” during long-term trends. Flaws or weaknesses are often revealed during these shorter intervals. Mars trends generally signal hectic periods of increased activity, pumping more adrenaline into the system.

Here are key dates to watch Bradley over the next year, times within which health-related episodes are more likely to occur.

Neptune with Bradley Throughout 2000

While atrial fibrillation—an irregular beat of the heart’s upper chamber—affects at least 2 million Americans, voters are likely to remain sensitive to what so far has been a downplayed as a medical condition that “does not in any way interfere with his ability to function.”

If Bradley remains relatively strong and stable through the coming months of the presidential campaign he will have probably weathered the worst of it. Neptune’s last exact contacts with Bradley’s Sun occur in 2000, but its influence could linger well into 2001.

See Bill Bradley: A Humble Leo by David R. Railey