Carol Shepp McCain's Wedding Day 1965

A Wedding Day Astrology article is now published if you've been wondering about the starry portents of the McCain - Shepp Wedding Day of July 3, 1965.

Using the Sun (male) and Moon (female) positions for the day, we may finagle a few details concerning this marriage which was so rudely interrupted by...McCain's next marriage to Cindy Hensley - his current wife, if you're counting!

The crystal ball of Underdog McCain

Just want to be certain you heard that John "Underdog" McCain seems to have a secret about the November presidential election:

McCain predicts he'll overtake Obama 48 hours before the election so he must know something we don't know.

Sounds to me like Underdog, as he's calling himself, has received an assurance from Karl Rove.

Well, November 4 is a Lunar Return for John McCain, his natal Moon conjuncts US natal Pluto (power; the secret hand), and thus Underdog's n Pluto opposes US n Pluto--sheesh! you say, that's a shotload of Moon-Pluto energy...what does it mean?

Moon-Pluto is a primal combination of emotions and rage with his natal opposition giving him an extremely touchy temperament, as colleagues in the Senate can attest when they offend McCain's vanity, however slightly.

By comparison, Bush's Cancerian sensitivity is nothing in comparison to this joker's emotional issues and need for control. Natal moon in Capricorn = reigning need for control and authority, which only bolsters his Moon-Pluto issues such as:

McCain's tolerance for emotional pain is very low and his bitterness is deep toward those who would attempt to control him--they're wasting their time if they try. He'll be doin' the controlling around here, and donchu forget it.

There's a natural defiance of authority with a Moon-Pluto opposition, so having this primal, maniacal rage within White House walls with this particular finger on The Button are frightening thoughts.

Public relations is a usual interest with this aspect yet there will be trouble in dealing with the public. His Crankiness may be on display from the Oval Office on a regular basis with a president named McCain, whose natal Moon-with-US-Pluto will be on display at Midheaven on Jan 20, 2009, noon, Capitol Building...The Goal.

If we think George Bush has turned a deaf ear to the American people during his interminable tenure, push Underdog through the backdoor and don't expect any hint of a president "representing" the common good--or of his upholding, protecting, or defending, the US Constitution.

With a McCain presidency, a show will be made initially, of course--they all do for the illusive honeymoon period, but really--shouldn't the Oath of Office be morphed to reflect a globalist shill's true elitist intent toward America?

So the natal aspect which may help catapult McCain into the White House may turn out to be the fly in the bad president ointment "at the end of the day" as Moon (the public; publicity)-Pluto (propaganda; manipulation; control; coping ability) give Underdog the necessary primal energy to continue the fascist subjugation of the American people and the destruction and transformation of our nation's most hallowed dreams, systems, and infrastructures.

With Moon-Pluto, Underdog possesses the massive Ego needed for the job of top propaganda-catapulter (as Bush so richly termed himself...sometimes a hint of honesty accidentially--aka unconsciously--peeks through their political masks. Kind of like the above announcement where McCain--oops!--spills a smidge of The November Plan!)

And with McCain as prez, the political fly paper has Dick Cheney's wings pinned to our destiny as before and the New World Order marches on totally oblivious and uncaring for the misery it causes the innocent.

About 48 hours before Nov 4, eh? Moon will conjunct McCain's natal Jupiter in mid-Sagittarius during that time bringing happy feelings and a fleeting sense of well-being!

False flag op, bin Laden tape release, an Obama secret revealed, a new trick up Rove's magician's sleeve? The possibilities are truly endless when you live by the ends-justify-the-means creed of Washington players and the blackmailers who enable them.

Thoughts of Bill Clinton 6.24.08

It's been quite a while since I posted on anyone's Minor Progressions which indicate the Mental/Causal plane of thoughts which are striving to be integrated into consciousness.

And since I've blurbed about Minors here before, I'll skip the long explanation (see astrologer Robert Blaschke's excellent work on Progressions) and give the midpoint pictures for Bill Clinton's Minor Progressed chart, set for this afternoon.

All, none, or some combination of these pictures may be in play for Mr. Clinton who now embraces the candidacy of his wife's victorious opponent, Barack Obama, so see if any seem to apply.

Remember the Minors are the '27' in the ratio: 27:13:1, with '13' being the Tertiary Progressions (Intuitive-Emotional-Spiritual plane), and '1' as Secondary Progressions (Physical plane.)

Now let's 'peek under the hood' of Bill Clinton, shall we?

Sun/Saturn = Uranus: unusual circumstances; relationships crises; a clash between new ways of doing things and long-established ways; the fight for individuality.

Sun/MC ('the goal') = NN: picking one's associates carefully; forming relationships.

Moon/Mars = Sun: solidarity between husband and wife especially felt by the latter; the power to establish oneself in the world; prosperity through harmonious cooperation.

Mercury/Jupiter = Sun: success with the intellect; creative ideas are born; solutions are illuminated.

Moon/Venus = Mars: living passionately; potential overindulgence.

Moon/NN = Jupiter: confidence; good fortune through interactions with others.

Mars/MC = Jupiter: promotion in professional status; great success; energy and opportunity; a good organizer; prudence; far-sightedness; clear consciousness of objectives; a happy attachment.

And the only really difficult in the bunch which is actually between generational planets and thus in effect for people born around the same time as Bill...

Saturn/Uranus = Pluto: the desire to overcome a difficult situation through extraordinary efforts; rebellion against one's lot in life; harm through force majeure; brutality; upheaval to protect assets; tremendous fear of loss.

Well, there they are, the current Mental/Causal plane's midpoint pictures of former President Bill Clinton. Whether one chooses to act upon thoughts that swim up from the unconscious or not is, of course, up to the driver--obsessions and compulsions notwithstanding!

I'll take Flip-Flop for the win, Alex

If you love the game of Politics at all--and I know ya do--you gotta love John McCain's recent opportunistic shift of position on offshore drilling.

As he and his possible VP mates flip flop on what has been for years a no-no for candidates of both parties, it's in the news bwo Senator Obama's clear-eyed assessment that offshore drilling begun now won't decrease Americans' pain at the gas pump. This is, of course, so obviously true that it makes you wonder what the flip floppers hope to gain by this new stance.

Even if we disregard continued protection of vacationers' lovely oceanic paradises and proceed to drill away, it will be after the year 2030 before the oil tanker comes in.

That prices are being manipulated seems a given to this reluctant astrologer, but perhaps you disagree. But why would energy mavens and wheeler dealers want gas prices to go down anyway? They wouldn't. So that makes the practice of Politics during a presidential campaign the rat in the woodpile, doesn't it?

To seem to care, and to be 'doing something' is considered a safe way to win an election without actually having to do what would actually improve a situation...a political win-win.

So will this issue sway you in November, dear voter? Will you let Rs say that Ds have blocked new drilling making our gas pump pain all the Ds' fault? Puh. Ds are enablers, it's true, but 99% of them are obfuscating as usual.

(I always except 1% of Washington politicians in case there's an honest man or woman running about Capitol Hill. I do try to be fair but 1% is all I've got for this gaggle of pocket-liners.)

My intuition these last few weeks has been that prices are rising in part so that Republicans can push the offshore and Anwar drilling issues again, even though they've not used all the millions of acres adjacent to Anwar to date and have given no hint of drilling/speculating on what they already have access to.

That they want drilling rights and new lands is obvious.

But giving the American consumer relief at the gas pump may be the last thing on their greedy minds. And manipulating elections is always first.


~~NPR reported early today that two Bear Stearns execs were arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon. We'll see if this political performance--seeming to be 'doing something'--will amount to a housecleaning within Wall Street's den of thieves.

US Progressed Moon to ASC: May 30, 2008

Here you see America's Secondary Progressed chart for May 30, 2008--date of the real Memorial Day.

(Secondary Progressions describe the physical plane and I tend to abbreviate them to 'Sec.')

As you can see, Sec Moon 27Leo11 is conjunct Sec Ascendant which relates to the Self or physical body, and any time a planet or luminary (Sun or Moon) progresses to a chart's angle, change is in store.

This position also happens to be opposite US natal Moon (the People; the public) so let's see what this may indicate for the American people.

Our Progressed Moon has been in the warm-hearted sign of Leo for some time now since Sec Moon progresses appr one degree per month. This quickness is due to the fact that the natural Moon is the fastest moving body in our solar system and its orbit around the Earth creates our calendar month, as you know.

Sec Moon remains in a sign for about 2 1/2 years so we see here that we're nearing the last months of Leo, with our Sec Full Moon exact on Dec 24, 2008 at 4Vir10.

Having Sec Moon opposite natal Moon brings issues similar to those of Sec Moon to 1st house/ASC, so for briefness' sake, I'll simply list what's being emphasized here:

nuturing, food, veganism, home, homeland, domestic concerns, personal security, ecology (Earth, our home), emotions and emotional security, caretaking roles, public involvements (ex: elections; publicity; the silver screen), and identity and/or residential changes.

Sounds like locavores may come into their own!

Of course, changes and fluctuations are always where the Moon resides in a chart--natal, progressed, Returns, etc. And we know that the Moon describes the mundane ups'n'downs of our daily lives as well.

But having Sec Moon advancing from the hidden, secretive 12th house into the more visible 1st house is a big change...and to make things more interesting, the midpoint of Neptune and the North Node (NN of the Moon--a destined joining point which relates to public involvements) is sitting directly upon the ASC and 'pointing' toward the Sec Moon.

Thus we have a couple of midpoint pictures to consider:

Neptune/NN = Moon: high sensitivity; feeling ostracized; being misunderstood; a lack of community spirit or adaptability; cessation of an inner understanding with others; disappointments.

Neptune/NN = ASC: feeling uncomfortable in the presence of others; experiencing deceit; being duped; appearing strange to others; disappointments. (Tyl; Ebertin.)

Now you know that Neptune/NN contacts also relate to films as well as to deceit with the public and use of illusions in public life, political or not.

Two examples are perhaps becoming more aware of propaganda than usual within Hollywood films or in TV shows--or Photoshop pics may imply what isn't there (of course I'm thinking of Politics as I type for there would be no Hollywood without Neptune's illusions--and synchronistically, we're plopped in the midst of a political campaign of great import where Neptunian image is everything.)

Neptune is sextile NN and thus in Nodal degree (fated) and has formed a YOD pattern with US natal Moon (marked in pink at the Desc) so the above midpoint picture is doubly ephasized. YODs indicate special tasks or a crisis.

To paraphrase Frances Sakoian, in The Astroloer's Handbook, Neptune sextile NN indicates:

an ability to subtly influence public opinions, moods, and actions; riding the current of public moods and trends; evasions are used rather than direct confrontation.

Plus, connections between Neptune and NN tend toward sleeplessness, and a lack of judgment leading to wrong ideas about associations (Ebertin.) Not such a good situation with November elections upcoming, is it?

Actually this sextile in the US Sec chart has been of influence for quite a while with its confusions, deceits, and illusions--and the YOD once focused on Mercury in AQ. I posted on this pattern some time ago so I won't repeat it here.

Also rising in this Sec chart is Royal Star of Persia, Regulus, whose *keywords are: success if revenge is avoided.

Taking revenge when this Star is prominent means that all that has been gained will be lost, and if this isn't so for America since the attacks of 9/11, I'll eat my beanie cap sans mayo or mustard.

I see Regulus as relating to the old saw, the bigger they are, they harder they fall, for the higher one climbs and the more success one achieves, the more Regulus expects noble actions of us...and revenge is perhaps the basest action of all.

But taking pride in the small things of life may help offset some of the problems that are created by mishandling the energy and gifts of this important Star, so perhaps the American people may be allowed to focus on their domestic needs, family, nurturing, etc (and turn vegan?!)...and thus mitigate some of the damage our 'leaders' have perpetrated toward their selfish ends to the exclusion of our needs.

So will the upcoming shift to a new Oval Office occupant bring change of identity for our country along with more presidential focus on our security and other real needs? Will more people lose their homes as Washington's massive amounts of deceit continue to bedevil and undermine us?

A change of identity is certainly on the way as our Sec Moon enters further into 1st house territory. My prayer is that improvements will accompany it.


* Brady's Fixed Stars.

UPDATE 8:30 pm: You'll find more details on this chart including Capulus at Midheaven and the Sun Pisces-Moon Leo blend here.

VP search: political musings for the week

Summer is upon us, it's Memorial Day weekend, and I've been blurbing and musing on 2008's presidential candidates and the required search for a VP candidate to share the ticket: VP search: too many senators has a few points I've been pondering this week concerning senatorial egos, piggish governors, Obama's Israel shout-out, and Hillary's crystal ball for June horrors, among other things.

Last here on May 21, the two-tiered interweb (thanks, TV's Craig Ferguson!) is continuing to be problematic for it seems I'm allowed into this blog on alternate days at best, or every three or four days more annoyingly and my 'real world' schedule must often take precedence over creaky page-loading.

But I love my Stars Over Washington blog, so please don't think I diss if I'm absent awhile, okay? Blogging has become quite a struggle on Turtle Lane.

And sometimes my blog on WordPress navigates more easily, so you may find me there instead. If you follow the above link you'll also find articles on the natal charts of TV's Craig Ferguson, chanteuse Amy Winehouse, and master artist Edgar Degas sprinkled amongst the politics.

That's because Jude's Threshold is meant to be a hodge podge of Art, Astrology, and Politics...a veritable tapestry of creativity and societal concerns stretched upon a loom of Astrology.

Perhaps it's a good mix, but as you know, the clunker in the happy blend is none other than Politics, that system of organized hatreds which ruins most of what it touches while lying to our collective face in order to cover its fallibility and pocket-lining.

We could put it down to human nature, but these critters, vermin, and crooks imagine themselves to be above the rest of us on the evolutionary ladder along with their elite societal status...because they confuse wealth of money with wealth of character.

And Scripture says it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. So that settles that, doesn't it?

Now this reminds me of the Sabian Symbol for "25Leo"..."A large camel crossing the desert"...ADEQUACY...

pos: uncompromising persistence and uncomplaining self-expenditure in any course to be followed;

neg/unconscious/shadow side: ruthlessness in an unintelligent self-interest.


But what would Washington be without its unintelligent self-interest?

(The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Dr. Mark Edmund Jones.)

Barack Obama's Jupiter in Aquarius

Here's a post on Senator Obama's Jupiter in Aquarius which you may find of interest.

Shared by Albert Einstein and Walt Whitman, this is an intellectual and curious placement for expansive Jupiter and often draws its native toward working for the collective.

Plus, Obama's Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is helpful for those with political aspirations and seems to have been of benefit to him so far!

can election outcomes be predicted?

If the past can predict the future, then the use of Secondary Moon Phases and the Natal Sun/Moon phase of each candidate may yield surprising results for 2008/09.

Obama's anti-war speech Oct 2, 2002

NPR has a feature recalling the day of then-Illinois Senator Barack Obama's anti-war speech in Chicago on Oct 2, 2002--approximately two days prior to his Mars Return in Virgo.

As you know, Mars Returns time new 2-year cycles of activity--and Mars is the god of war. As you may know, Obama's natal Mars is conjunct to-the-degree America's natal Neptune, planet of idealism, illusions, and dreams.

Hence his touted 'rock star status' is real, but perhaps that's the wrong word when Neptune is involved. Actually, the public projects upon the screen of his image, more like.

Well, since there are no YouTube or other video of his anti-war speech dissing political hacks like Karl Rove, here's the speech's transcript if you'd care to read it--and then perhaps you may pardon me for the following cynical political rhyme:

Lone Ranger for President!

And if we should end up with a President Obama, he'll be lone in Washington, imho, for who's going to allow him any cooperation or credit for accomplishing anything the People want or need?

btw: here's a previous post, "that hellish path blindly", a quote from his speech, where I linked to the same transcript of the same Obama speech (just lookin' out for ya, m'peops! We the People!)

Eclipses of 2008 = 1990's Eclipses

2008's Solar Eclipse Series are repetitions of the ones from 1990. Check out the article with its list of events from 1990 because we may be dealing with same or similar issues this year.

We're now in the 10 North Series from Feb 6 which conjuncts the Unmasking degree, plus, the 10 South Eclipse is on the horizon for Aug 1 at "10Leo"--and this is the Prenatal Eclipse Series of John McCain which may be perfect timing for the November elections for Senator McCain.

So have any of your own masks been slipping lately? Perhaps it's a good thing!

Ralph Nader announces--yet again!

This morning I watched Meet the Press as Ralph Nader, that thorn in corporatism's side, announced yet another run for the US presidency.

Why is this common-do-gooder such a thorn?

Nader's natal Sun 8Pis08 is conjunct America's natal Chiron-Pluto midpoint (July 4, 1776) and Chiron-Pluto is one of the primary signatures for plutocracy with its oppressions, class warfare, racism, corporatism, violence, and disenfranchisements.

You'll find a few notes on the subject of Ralph Nader here along with an article link concerning Hillary Clinton's and John McCain's votes to go to war in Iraq.

What do you think: should their warmongering votes disqualfy them from the presidency?

Moon, out-of-bounds Mars, and Nevada

SpaceWeather News for Jan. 19, 2008:


MOON & MARS: When the sun sets tonight, go outside and look east. The Moon and Mars are having a beautiful close encounter all weekend long. The best night to look is Saturday when the distance between the pair shrinks to less than 2 degrees. Campfire-red Mars so close to the silvery Moon is a sight wonderful to behold.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for sky maps and photos.

BLUE MOON ALERT: This is an alert for Central and South Americans. The ongoing eruption of the Galeras volcano in southwestern Columbia is spewing fine ash miles high into the atmosphere. Airborne volcanic ash can act as a color-filter, turning moonlight blue. Although it is often said that Blue Moons are mythical, they can appear during volcanic eruptions, so this is a good time to look for a bright "Blue Moon" over your part of the world.#


UPDATE 2:20 pm EST: Romney wins a "quiet" caucus in Nevada and McCain and Huckabee tussling in SC...Romney says Rs voted for "change." Yeah?


Original post:

By tonight's hook-up of Moon with an out-of-bounds Mars in Gemini, sign of communications, speechmaking, travel, and young people, we will be chewing over the presidential candidates' fortunes and outcomes.

Taking a peek at this morning's charts for Las Vegas--9:00 am PST for the Republican shendigs to get underway, and 11:00 am for the Democrats--we see two midpoint pictures with Sun (leadership) as focal point...

Jupiter/Neptune = Sun: potentially misguided states; following a dream; trying to capture the essence of things; speculation; irresponsibility; deceiving or being deceived. (A foundation for the current political smokescreens: Saturn and Neptune continue their Quindecile Dance (165 degr) = deception within societal leadership.)

The R's 9:00 am PST chart has 11Pis36 as ASC with Uranus 16Piso4 (conj Pallas: strategy) rising which makes Jupiter as ruler of Pisces (and Neptune as the higher octave) point to the Rs as the primary inheritors of this midpt picture, imho.

The 9 am chart also has a T-square pattern with Moon/MC = Uranus: emotional excitability; upsets bwo females; motherhood; anxiety; threat of vocational instability.

Asteroid, Niobe (the grieving mother) is conjunct North Node (the public) in both charts, with NN nearing conjunction with US natal Moon, the People. (Is Cindy Sheehan in the house? I confess I'm posting this without looking at today's news--off the astrologer's cuff, you might say.)

And for the Ds at 11:00 am PST: ASC 28Ari35, ruled by the oobs Mars, with asteroid, Aesculapia (health) rising; the Sun is being triggered by the "powerful connections/wish to influence the masses" combo of Pluto/NN...

Pluto/NN = Sun: ruthlessness; the urge to impose one's will on others.

Is America's natal unaspected Pluto (always conj MC in each Inaugural chart since FDR's time--the powers-behind-the-throne, aka secret societies) setting up a Democrat to be "president"--aka their mouthpiece? This is my suspicion, and time, as always, will tell.


And in both charts and hence for the day is:

Venus/Jupiter = Pluto: enjoying an unusually large measure of popularity; ability to gain favor with the masses; publiicty; the world view; unbounded enthusiam. (Sounds like a good day for politicians--if there is such a thing.)



Perhaps of greater interest in the 9 am and 11 am charts for today are the midpoint pictures which differ between them.

First the Rs:

Sun/ASC = Neptune: high sensitivity about others' opinions; being duped or disregarded; disappointment; anger or upset; damage or calumny through others.

Pluto/MC = Venus: strong powers of attraction; emotional charisma; appearing sexy.

For the Ds at 11:00 am:

Uranus/MC = Mercury: nervous excitability in expectation of change; speaking with excitement; new ideas; excited discussion among people.

The last planetary picture fairly whispers of Barack Obama, yet we can't count out Hillary for her years of hanging about and toeing the world view's "free trade" line.

Last evening on Tavis Smiley's program, I heard former White House speechwriter David Frum say that Mike Huckabee "needles" the economic wing of the GOP with his attitiude and bad ideas. Guess that leaves John McCain who seems to be more aligned with the party than in 2000, with Mitt and Fred on hand just in case.

John Edwards has been sidelined--he talks against the establishment far too much for their NWO liking--and The People, who should be in favor of his ideas for more and better jobs, etc, don't seem to be interested in voting for their own best interests.

Go figure, America. Duped again?


(All midpoint pics from Tyl and Ebertin. No planets were harmed in the writing of this post.)

soothing and invigorating poetry?

Do you think it's possible for a poem concerning America and her politics to be soothing AND invigorating simultaneously?

I do, now that I've read American-in-Paris Tara Bradford's poem, Over the Horizon which I present to you for your consideration at Paris Parfait.

Do Enjoy!

And thanks, Tara, for your wonderfully graceful blog...graceful in spite of French bureaucracy!