The American Character Seen Through the American Revolution

"Character Is What You Are When You Are in the Dark" (a quote from the film, *Buckaroo Bonzai)

Set for 5:00 am LMT on April 19, 1775 in Lexington, Massachusetts, a view of the natal horoscope of the American Revolution shows a rising Sun at a critical-crisis 29th degree of Mars-ruled Aries and an 8th house Moon @13Sag50. Interesting that this degree and sign of Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius rises in the 'Sibly' version of America's natal horoscope for July 4, 1776 5:10 LMT Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (or any hour around that time on that date such as the Dane Rudhyar version; Independence Day celebrations did occur on that date and both Jefferson and Adams apparently wished July 4th to be used--you know the tale of how both men took their last breaths on that date in 1826).

Of course, the Founding Fathers are long gone but astoundingly America so far remains so is there anything to be gleaned concerning the American personality and character which began with revolution, fighting, and separation from our Mother Country by reviewing our national Sun-Moon blend in the horoscope of the American Revolution? After all, the US 5:10 pm natal chart does show our IC (Foundation, but also Ending) at Aries Point, the primary of the four Cardinal Points of world prominence--and suitably Mars-ruled for revolution and sadly for the wars the US government can't seem to stop itself from waging against all common sense.

Aries is known for starting big and seldom completing what it begins and we must notice the mysterious endings of wars we engage in...desultory sometimes which hints at our confused, deceptive, misguided Mars-Neptune square.

Okay, I'll hush on Martian topics and consider now America's natal Sun Aries-Moon Sagittarius blend of energies with Sun the male/conscious principles and Moon the female/unconscious principles that in Mundane Astrology represents the masses, the public....in three words: We the People.

Aries-Sag is a passionate double Fire combination full of volatility, creativity, and drama--a 'pure Fire' temperament. A biographer of Winston Churchill, a double Fire type, described a problem of double Fire blend as he described Churchill, "The seven league boot tempo of his imagination hastens him on to the sunny uplands of the future, but he is apt to forget that the slow steps of humanity must travel every inch of the weary road that leads there."

Ever heard America and Americans criticized as 'arrogant' or 'brash'? Well, there we are! Thing is, the above description of our double Fire blend reminds me as well of our frequent wars and conflicts with enemies, some of whom Washington had to search for and create so that our national Mars and Uranus in duplicitous Gemini, sign of the Twins, would have opponents to fight. And of course, US natal Uranus (8Gem55) has been active when America goes to war on a cyclic basis particularly during periods when Uranus--discovered in 1781 between the American and French Revolutions--returns to its US natal position. As you know, sudden, upsetting events like bolts of lightening that tend to cause separations and social upheaval art the sort of results independence-loving Uranus prefers.

Is our nation and our national character still of this fiery mindset? Well, double Fire is compelled to engage in an 'enthusiastic fight toward glory' so perhaps you'll agree that this is certainly the propaganda we've all been fed with our pablum since the Revolution but especially in the last several decades. As for still being fired up, many people say the American people are way too apathetic (lazy) to take needed actions because we won't risk our (alleged) security for freedom.

This is partially described by America's double Fire blend for when reality catches up with our ideals, we tend toward a 'compensating pessimism' in order to deal with 'coming down to earth' whether it's financial and budgetary decisions and lacks, or being otherwise restricted in how we wish to expand. This trait supports our childish 'let's ignore the bad stuff and it will go away' tendency.

Our entrepreneurial Sun Aries-Moon Sag in particular is a visionary, impatient, talkative, exuberant, outspoken, ideology-bound, and confident explorer (Manifest Destiny, you say?) We love to have fun but are prone to exaggeration. Highly-strung, we convince ourselves of an intense moral certainty as we arrogantly instruct other nations on how to conduct themselves yet we consider our nation to be above the laws that we expect others to follow--torture and invasion of sovereign nations (pre-emptive war--supposedly against American principles) come quickly and tragically to mind.

As things now stand, it seems the US Constitution is merely a suggestion and not meant to be an actual guide of our national conduct, as modeled in recent years by the US government, and in Washington DC our traditional constitutional principles have been dispensed with as soon as was possible--by hook or crook by a villainous faction of operatives and infiltrators.

Putting aside our nation's usual 'grandiose philosophizing' and insensitivity to the feelings of others, perhaps the word picture of the fiery Sun Aries-Moon Sag blend's Image for Integration will add a further detail that some Americans may resonate with in our deeply-held idealistic way:

"A child shoots an arrow toward the enchanted castle in the distance as he follows the road less travelled."

Well, I don't know about you, dear reader, but the image opens up several cans of ideological worms for this **Child of the Revolution--for one thing, the blend is also found in the natal horoscope of Thomas Jefferson!

~:~

*For popular quotes from Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension try this blog and I promise to never ever call you 'monkey boy'. :) What about politicians? No promises! jc

**30 Cancer' = "A Child of the Revolution" in Sabian Symbols and is linked to this dissenting American's natal Mars and to a few of my ancestors' military service and the losses such participation always entails. jc