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Astrology
by Hand Week 42
Last week
we talked about general features of Senator
John McCain's chart. This week I want to concentrate on what
in the chart makes him buck his own party concerning campaign finance
reform and why that is an issue now. The bill has just been passed by
the Senate, and it looks as if McCain is going to be able to pull off
a campaign reform bill that is close to what he intended. What will happen
after that in the courts and in actual practice is another matter.
 First
we have tenacious Pluto in the Tenth House of career opposite the
Moon (emotions) in the Fourth House of origins, the past and family.
This combination has many qualities, some of them difficult, but among
them is a tendency toward obsession and persistence with an idea or an
emotion. Moon-Pluto types do not readily let go of something once they
have gotten hold of it.
Prepared
for the Public
Another factor
is the action planet Mars in the Eleventh House of the public. Now, the
exact placement of Mars could be given as the Tenth or Eleventh House
depending on which house system the astrologer is using. In the Koch system
Mars is so close to the Eleventh House cusp that I would have to reckon
it an Eleventh House placement. In the Whole Sign system that I now prefer,
it is completely in the Eleventh. This placement gives a high degree of
self-assertiveness within groups. It may or may not denote a leader, but
anyone with such a placement who is not a leader will act independently
of whoever is the leader.
On top of
this, Mars is moving into a 120-degree angle (trine) with lucky, expansive
Jupiter, and Jupiter is in its own sign, Sagittarius. I mentioned Jupiter
last week in connection with its square (90 degrees) to Saturn. This is
an extremely dignified Jupiter. “Dignified” simply means that it behaves
in a way that is completely consistent with its own nature. Mars and Jupiter
together indicate fortunate or expansive actions, actions often taken
against the odds but with the anticipation of a good result. Jupiter is
in the Third House, which indicates communications. So we have Mars in
a house of group relations and Jupiter in a house of communications. This
indicates that McCain is likely to have prepared carefully for his campaign
to get the finance reform bill through Congress, and to have networked
very effectively.
A
Conservative Rebel
As Mars moves
toward Jupiter in McCain’s chart, it also separates (moves away from)
from a 90-degree angle (square) to rebellious Uranus. Here we have the
maverick—an unconventional member of a group—in McCain’s chart. If he
did not have restrictive Saturn in such a powerful rulership (the Ascendant,
one’s public face) he would not be so conservative. His chart is both
in balance and tension with the conservatism of Saturn ruling the
Ascendant (by exaltation and triplicity) and his fastidious Virgo Sun and traditional
Capricorn Moon, all working against the Mars-Jupiter and Mars-Uranus combinations.
Why
Now?
Why is all
of this happening now? As I write this, Pluto is at 15 degrees and 13
minutes of Sagittarius. McCain’s Jupiter is at 15 degrees and 6 minutes
of Sagittarius. In late March, Pluto stopped moving forward and turned
backward very close to where it is now. The debate on the bill is occurring
on the exact crossing (transit) of transformative Pluto over McCain’s
natal Jupiter. Jupiter-Pluto is a combination that indicates reform and
regeneration. The symbolism is perfect.
While Pluto
will eventually get to the 90-degree angle (square) of his natal Saturn,
it will not be this year. Pluto’s next transit will be to come back over
Jupiter within the next couple of weeks because Pluto is now retrograde
(going backward as seen from Earth). Then it will come close to making
the 120-degree angle again to his Mars. But it does not quite make it.
This will be in August, and the final pass of Pluto will be in December.
Will McCain
continue to be successful? He should in the near future. It is a bit harder
to say in the long run. Saturn, which is now quite far from making any
combination with his natal Jupiter, will begin to oppose it, falling just
short in September.
In May of
2002, Saturn will oppose his Jupiter just as Pluto crosses over that same
Jupiter for the last time. I believe that May of next year will bring
a time of crisis concerning this legislation (although it could be something
else in his life, to be sure). Saturn will be in the Ninth House of the
chart, which rules the courts and legal system. That could be the time
of the court challenge, although as of this writing it is difficult to
see how it would take so long to get to the courts. Time will tell.
Next week,
something new.
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