Benjamin Franklin's Solar Return 2008

Born of a humble family in Boston, MA on Jan 17, 1709 (exact time unverified--using *10:30 am LMT as shown at astrodatabank.com --other possible birth times listed at end of post) Ben Franklin's Solar Return for 2008 falls on Jan 17.

This 15th child of 17 apprenticed to a printer when he was 12, and began his own printing company, age 17. The 10:30 am natal chart has shown links from the Solar Arc Directions for today which is one of the methods I use for deciding which chart to work with when an historical person's birth time is in question...simple synchronicity (as if there is such a thing!)

Fame and success attended Mr. Franklin whose Pre-Natal Eclipse Series, 14South, brings just that--success when an obsessive idea is finally accepted, then Jupiter brings along the promised success. His Jupiter, whose natural house is the 9th house of Publishing, Philosophy, and Religion, is happily placed in business-oriented Cancer, although Rx--which gave Franklin something of a maverick flavor.

ASC 7Ari14, sign of the pioneer, gives active Mars as chart-ruler, and Franklin is known to have been robustly healthy as a youth. Neptune, which he would not have been aware of in his lifetime, is in 1st house, indicating some confusion and early loss, and a talent for role-playing and deception--useful traits for an ambassador and politician to possess.

In the Placidus house system Saturn is barely in 1st house which gives stability to the personality, plus, early hardship and work (apprenticed at 12 years old)--Saturn rules 10th house 3Cap44, with pleasant Venus in Capricorn at MC (arts; literature.)

Mars applies to sesquiquadrate with Uranus (1A31) but approaches an even closer trine to Pluto (0A16.) The Mars/Chiron combo = the sacred warrior archetype, and there is a separating trine with creative Neptune...good for public relations and promotions...and for secretive pursuits such as Freemasonry meetings and rituals.

In her book, New Insights in Astrology, Nona Gwynn Press gives the sequiqradrant (135 degr) as having transformative power.

You will recall his rather funky promo for his Almanac where he published an "astrological prediction of death" for one **Titus Leeds, a rival almanac publisher. This ruse, a preface in the 1st edition of Poor Richard's, was carried on for years and gained Franklin much notoriety while promoting sales. Leeds did not cooperate and die at the appointed time yet Franklin insisted each year that Leeds was dead and that others had assumed publication of his almanac.

One assumes this farce aided almanac sales for Mr. Leeds as well, and I suspect they held in common brotherhood in a certain organization.

(BTW: I've gotten to where I only change house systems with historical charts when there's a known chart to duplicate--usually with Regiomantanus, or whatever was originally used at the time. Here I stick with Placidus. In this case, Venus is near enough to MC to be possibly placed in 9th house of Publishing.)

Jupiter in 4th house has associations with publishing success so the 10:30 am chart 'works' for his fortune being made in Publishing--he began Poor Richard's Almanac in 1733 and retired, age 42, in order to devote himself to Science until Politics 'called' him in appr 1753. Quite a whistle heard round the world--with America the decided winner.

However, if you look at the chart for 1:30 am, Jupiter and Uranus are placed in 9th house while Pluto (linked with the masses and with Publishing) falls in 10th house of Career and Public Standing. Yet this birth time puts n Moon in AQ--29AQ52, 4th house. Was Franklin's Sun in Cap with Moon in the humanitarian and scientific (and astrological) sign of the Water Bearer? Or is Moon in mystical Pisces as is so often said?

The chances during the 24 hours of his day of birth do favor the Pisces Moon, but just in case, here are the Images for Integration for both combos...

Sun Cap-Moon AQ: A prophetic poet is awarded high honors...An historian points the way to the future...Having struggled unaided to the peak, a mountaineer hitches a ride on a passing helicopter.

Worldy ambition and success mixed with furturistic, scientific concerns. See what I mean?

Now here's the Sun Cap-Moon Pisces blend: A child builds a sandcastle of reinforced concrete...Bilbo in Tokein's 'Lord of the Rings'...'Bathers in a Landscape' by Paul Cezanne...A wine collector uncorks a rare vintage to celebrate a success. (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Chas & Suzi Harvey.)

With our decider-in-chief off the continent (and as usual I feel a certain bouyancy), we're forced to decide for ourselves which combo may better describe Benjamin.

Franklin was ahead of his time and one cannot rule out a Pisces Moon, the sign which contains all other signs before it, and Cap-Pisces is a humanitarian combination--actually the humanitarian businessman. A New Moon personality, Franklin was emotional, impulsive, subjective, and intuitive.

His most powerful natal midpoint picture (which I entered on the chart but didn't complete due to lack of space, so here it is) has Jupiter/Pluto (plutocrats!) pointing at scientific reformer and rebel, Uranus...

Jup-Pluto = Uranus: intense application of resources to establish new perspectives; turning the tables; getting back on track or finding a better one; fanatical striving for improvements; sudden reform; adjustment to new circumstances (Tyl; Ebertin.)

In the 10:30 am chart, pictured here, there is also a YOD (Finger of God) which I neglected to colorize for you but will mention since it relates to a special life purpose but also to health issues.

Moon-Venus = Uranus: sudden romantic feelings and attachments (he was a laydees' man--and had Mars-Pluto midpoint conj Desc, 10:30 am); a periodic and sudden manifestation of sexual desire (hubba hubba); fits of emotion and irritability.

Ebertin gives Moon-Venus as glandular secretions and Uranus disrupts--this may cause convulsive states when triggering the Moon-Venus midpoint.

Well, I don't know what Franklin actually died from but it couldn't have been good--it killed him.

Now on that sassy note, let's consider his Solar Return chart for Jan 17, 2008:

Historical charts for our Founding Fathers intrigue me and I tend to use them to 'speak for' America in the here-and-now (or for whatever time frame under consideration.)

So you can imagine my semi-surprise when I found Hillary Clinton's campaign 2008 written all over it. And since Ben himself is no longer with us these 218 years, I shall give a pass to his SR as a personal map for him and mosey on to Hillary implications.

Primarily it's the Taurus Moon in 10th house of Public Status and Career that clued me in...

Mars/MC = Moon: publicity; an emotional appeal (!); changing status through emotional "feel" !!

Yes, Hillary is being said to be using a newly accessible emotional style. She's found her "voice" she says...and, this reluctant astrologer notes, her tear ducts along with it. Weepy crocodiles the world over are tres proud!

Venus-Jupiter = Pluto: publicity; the world view (as in NWO?); popularity; unbounded enthusiam (she's waited so long to take hold of the New Millennium baton...she expects it and perhaps has been promised it. Guess the New Moon over New Hampshire was Hill and John McCain hooking up.)

Sun-Uranus = Neptune: self-deluding schemes for ego recognition; blind zeal can only be detrimental; unexpected events connected with flying, water, or navigation.

Hey! that last sounds like Bush's tour of the Middle East when he was forced to motor instead of helicoptering--and of course, Franklin's Solar Return is also a simple transit chart for Jan 17. Perhaps Clinton will experience similar delays on the campaign trail--or Bush may have vehicle troubles again.

Pluto-MC = North Node (the public; associations): the desire to gain leadership; influence over other people.

Mars-NN = MC: excellent teamwork; partnership values are important.

Well, there you have it. Hopefully, Benjamin isn't squirming in his grave at this post with its quirky insinuations concerning our current outrage--er, I mean presidential campaign.

If he is, I'll be more than happy to fluff his pillow which will give me a chance to apologize to a Founding Father for the America this squad of politicians have brought upon us and upon the world.

Global domination indeed.





*other possible birth times: 11:00 am, 1:30 am, 9:40 pm, all LMT.

**Titus Leeds' predicted date of death: Oct 17, 1733, "3 hos, 29 mins PM"...a request for calculation supposedly made to Franklin by Mr. Leeds...cheeky monkeys!

For dates of Ben Franklin's triple Uranus Return visit Jude's Threshold if you wish.

Leo Strauss Sep 20, 1899

Here's the sunrise chart for Leo Strauss, father and instigator of neoconservatism.

Will post more on the morrow concerning this Chiron/Uranus system-busting guy, but 'til then, you may wish to read an excellent essay on his esoteric/exoteric self here:

Essay on Strauss by Edward Skidelsky

OK, it's Sunday, and here're the Jones and the Rudhyar versions of the Sabian Symbol for Strauss' Sun position:

"28Vir" = "A bald-headed man who has seized power."

Keynote: The sheer power of personality in times that call for decision.

Whether at the religious or at the socio-political and cultural level there comes a time when obsolescent patterns of order and cultural refinement have to be radically and relentlessly challenged.

Catabolic personages emerge to seize power and dictate decisions that alter the structure of society. At such times, the issue has to be met and, ruthless as the power may appear, it must be accepted.

Everything bows to THE POWER OF THE WILL--divine, executively human, or Satanic. #

MEJ describes "28Vir" as DOMINANCE...

Positive: accomplishment through a completeness of self-mastery and a rigid control of others. (And that's the positive!)

Neg/shadow side: a sadistic sophistication. #


And since the *Moon was in Aries all through the 24 hours of Sep 30 1899, we see this personality blend:

Sun Vir/Moon Aries: intellectual precision and curiosity; scholarly; pragmatically diligent; self-centered; committed workaholic; bossy; detached; sharp tongue; doesn't suffer fools gladly; sense of humor.

Greatest Weaknesses: scathingly critical; a verbose know-it-all: overly cerebral and emotionally detached.

Image: A jolly, rotund monk enjoying his food and wine while excelling in well-worn Latin sayings, witty responses, and kindly good humor. (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Chas & Suzi Harvey.)


And yes, Strauss shares this Sun/Moon combo natally with Dick Cheney. Perhaps they can toast each other in Hades.


You have noticed, I'm sure, that Strauss has a major pile-up in idealistic Sagittarius--Uranus conjunct Chiron, and a wide conj of Chiron with Saturn.

If you wish, read my previous post on the Chiron/Uranus combo: Stars Over Washington: Chiron/Uranus Types in Government

This trio of Chiron snugged between Saturn and Uranus is interesting also because Chiron is the 'bridge' between Saturn (which was considered the outermost planet until the discovery of rebel Uranus in 1781--hence its connection to the American Revolution, etc), and Uranus, the first of the Transpersonal or Generational planets. Uranus therefore has particular significance in America's chart/s.

So you could say that Sat/Uran = Chiron, and describes the tension of Saturn's control/restriction vs the rebellious, disruptive freedom and independence of Uranus, the Awakener, and Chiron's transcending abilities.

(Sat/Ura = tension; the urge for freedom; willpower; and violent people, according to Reinhold Ebertin's "The Combination of Stellar Influences".)

Saturn: the past, Uranus: the future, and with Chiron as the Key or Bridge, we see a bringing together of the two principles by way of Chiron transformation--and of course Chiron is the Christ archetype in the chart...the Alpha and the Omega--the past and the future blended with Chiron's "be here now" effect.

And although Strauss' Sat/Ura conjunction has a 13 degree orb, it seems applicable:

Original genius with ideas arrived at intuitively, Saturn conj Uranus gives the realism of Saturn and the originality of Uranus to the nature, plus a serious interest in mathematical studies, science, and the occult, including Astrology.
(Brings to mind Strauss' esoteric/exoteric philosophy, as does the Symbol for his Moon's sunrise degree, see below.)

There is use of systematic, math-oriented methods to make new discoveries and breakthroughs. The new (Uranus) builds upon the solid foundation of the old (Saturn.)

But the square (blockage) from Mercury (thinking; communication) results in obstinacy and autocratic attitudes. And a Virgoan Mercury generally indicates a primary interest in ideas that have a practical application for financial success and status.

Plus there's a T-square with Mercury as focal point--

Saturn/Pluto (a magician or an adept, or on another level, cruelty, violence, and war) = Mercury: the desire to solve difficult problems (doesn't seem to occur to Straussians that they ARE a difficult problem); thoroughness; taciturnity; doing research work.

And so our society's current infestation by the "elite" has much in common with this man's autocratic attitudes which he seems to have passed on successfully, yet the funny thing is, *Moon in Aries = "I AM the people" (!) and it's the same Moon placement as that other revolutionary everyone loves to hate--Robespierre...who was fond of saying just that.

Psychopaths get all kinds of odd ideas, don't they? But the "Reign of Terror" rearing its ugly head in the new millenium isn't just odd, it's tragic...once again.


Now for the sunrise degree of his Moon (Moon = the reigning need), which relates, I believe, to his esoteric/exoteric way of thinking:

(DR)"7 Aries" = "A man successfully expressing himself in two realms at once."

Keynote: The first realization of the dual nature of man and the possibilities it implies. LIVING TWO SEPARATE LIVES.

MEJ's version gives the same picture, but keyword, PROFICIENCY, speaks of the many interpenetrating realms of reality, and of a capacity for a complete control of events by shifting from one to another focus of emphasis whenever it proves convenient or expedient. #

Hmph. Sounds like the class all our current politicians have passed with flying colors...but they're sure not red, white, and blue.

3.5.06 11:26 am est

Leo Strauss
neoconservatism Political Astrology