January 8, 2014: the 50th Anniversary of LBJ's War On Poverty
Since Republicans and their wealthy backers have their 'hearts' set on more cuts to our nation's safety net programs, many of which were created by President Johnson (Medicare, Food Stamps, Head Start, increased Social Security benefits for the elderly, etc), it may be good to reflect astrologically on January 8, 1964 v January 8, 2014. See Pressured on poverty programs, GOP divided on defense (as if assuring that more children go to bed hungry can be defended.)
Plus, NPR is featuring For LBJ, The War On Poverty Was Personal (click for text or audio) that is quite informative concerning Lyndon Johnson's childhood which was blighted by poverty--a failed father, the constant threat of the bank taking away the family's house, often no food in the cupboard--just how millions of Americans live today.
On January 8, 1964, Johnson addressed Congress and the nation and announced his War On Poverty initiative. Poverty was "explored under Kennedy" (see article linked, above) but set in motion by President Johnson with the help of Walter Heller, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. JFK had been assassinated just 7 days prior to LBJ's announcement.
Here are the noon EST positions for Jan 8, 1964, Capitol Building with any January 8, 2014 transits included:
Sun (leadership) @17Cap26 (18Cap = the POLITICAL POWER degree of 1993's Uranus-Neptune conjunction/s...the NWO); the noon chart's Solar Return 2014 was actually yesterday;
Moon (We the People) @9Sco53--Scorpio, sign of regeneration;
Mercury @8Cap05 (Rx and conjunct South Node indicating the utilizing of previous ideas, or implementing the ideas/plans of others--here, JFK's; Mercury, planet of oration, also conjoins fixed star Facies--ruthlessness or, the victim--LBJ is well known for his ruthlessness, and was a victim of poverty in childhood);
Venus @19AQ40;
Mars, planet of war, @26Cap26 and nearing US natal Pluto Rx, a transit of intensity and purpose when new uses for old things may be found, projects that require patience may begin, and something karmic that is meant to be done is on the to-do list;
Jupiter @11Ari30 has been and will be conjoined by radical Uranus, a time when religious, educational, political, and/or social spheres of life are broadened or altered completely, and events may be unexpected and/or out of anyone's control;
Saturn @21AQ13 approaches US natal Moon in 1964, a depressive, restraining contact that on one level denotes elderly and/or poverty-stricken people;
Uranus 9Vir49 Rx conjoins fixed star Zosma, another of the 'victim stars';
Neptune @17Sco22, planet of the masses and associated with loss, grief, and misery (and the media who in 1964, considered this Johnson's uranium speech--they ignored its poverty message as they prefer to do now);
Pluto @14Vir05 Rx, near its mid-1960s Great Conjunction with electrifying Uranus in mid-Virgo, a pair whose energies include tyranny, obsessions with the manipulation of people and processes, and a 'secret need to change the lifestyles of others (Munkasey).
North Node (public contact; future direction) @11Can11 was in the midst of America's natal planets in Cancer (Venus, Jupiter, and the Sun), and the Sun in Capricorn, near SN, indicates a man morphed into The Leader of a nation via the loss and separation (SN) of the previous president.
It seems to me that LBJ's War On Poverty and its announcement 50 years ago today put a lot of stress on his relationships, alliances, and group affiliations because it occurred during a 1 North Saros Series whose themes include such stress and the advice to 'make no hasty decisions because information is distorted and possibly false' (Brady). 1N is the series that ushered in the 21st century with a Solar Eclipse on August 11, 1999--the one Nostradamus warned us about--the 'Mother of All Eclipses.'
And yes, as all you Chiron fans noticed right away, the War On Poverty has had its Chiron Return recently thanks to Chiron's approximately 50-year orbit--Chiron, of Wounded Healer fame--then and now traversing Pisces, the sign of compassion!
Here are the dates of the War On Poverty's Chiron Return/s to 11Pis18: March 30, 2013, September 6, 2013, and January 28, 2014--the date of President Obama's next SOTU address! Mr. Obama was born with a 1st house Chiron in Pisces, and with the synchronicity of 1964's Chiron Return, and, considering current social conditions in America affecting millions of citizens, we may be certain to hear him speak of poverty in America.
After all, poverty has hardly been spoken of in public for 50 years so it's way past time to stop whispering as if our down-on-their-luck-ers don't exist!
Now here's a link to Lyndon B. Johnson's natal data and chart if you're interested. You'll note that his natal Sun @3Vir46 and natal Moon @9Vir32 were trampled upon by 1964 Uranus (@9Vir49 Rx, as noted above) so sudden residential and lifestyle changes had most definitely occurred for LBJ due to the assassination of President Kennedy.
So if you're wondering if this reluctant astrologer believes the ruthless Mr. Johnson had anything to do with the assassination of his predecessor, yes. I do.
