Chart shown: Dec 1, 2009 @ 8:00 pm est, West Point, New York. President Obama will give a TV address from West Point to announce his decision on sending thousands more US soldiers to Afghanistan; Hour of Mars @ 8 pm, switching to a Sun Hour by 8:05 pm.
Click chart to enlarge.
Moon and Sun apply to opposition as mentioned below, a Full Moon 10Gem15; Sun then applies to a trine with Mars (7A39) and conjunction to Venus (9A49.) Trines are usually considered a positive help or talent, but can set one up for a ride on a slippery slope.
At 8 pm there's a Fire Grand Trine highlighted as you see and indicating an adventuresome, daring, and courageous nature. (Ideally for a planetary pattern, the Mc point should have a planet there. There is, however, a midpoint
at Mc...
Moon/Jupiter = Mc: recognition for ideas and work in expanding knowledge in foreign affairs.)
Plus, the Moon/Jup pairing of energies has an 'uncertainty, doubt, and vacillation team with expansion, advice and opinions' flavor. Moon symbolizes defensiveness and Jupiter increases that tendency; expounding on goals and ethics is indicated as well. (Munkasey.)
As you see, the current July 21, 2009 Solar Eclipse (11 South Series) is rising (ASC 29Can00, a
crisis degree) with its flavor of 'systems fail; new ideas and methods are needed to deal with events brought by the eclipse; any blocks could be violently or tragically removed.' (Brady's
Predictive Astrology.)
Now I know the president probably won't begin speaking at precisely 8:00 pm so chart-ruler Moon (
the public; Cancer ASC) will soon morph into chart-ruler Sun (
the leader) at 8:05 pm est, ASC 00Leo00. Either way, the president's first natal planet to rise is Mercury, planet of announcements, messages, oration, and thought processes.
The president's thinking and planning - nine meetings these last several weeks concerning war escalation, reports NPR - are described here and his n Mercury 2Leo20/Jupiter 00AQ52 Rx opposition (n Jupiter and Saturn 25Cap20 Rx in the karmic n 12th house of Self-Undoing) means that n Jupiter, planet of growth and expansion, sets in the TV address chart.
I have neglected to highlight Mr. Obama's n Jupiter/Saturn on the chart although his other natal positions are marked in
turquoise. Some US n planets/points are marked in
pink and US Inaugural Moon 2009 (29Sco45) is added because it conjoins Mr. Obama's n Mc along with transiting Venus 00Sag09 in 5th house of Risk-Taking and Gambling. Venus and tr asteroid Cupido (
corporatism; The Family) are conjunct here @ '1 Sag' = the "A Grand Army of the Republic Campfire" Sabian Symbol.
Privatized war for profit, a favorite past time of the tiresomely imperialistic 'industrial military complex', is indicated by this corporate significator at this particular degree along with Venus, planet of values, relationships, and revenge when she's scorned. "A Grand Army" indeed - but misdirected energy ill-used, imho.
Messenger Mercury is in 5th house as well @ 24Sag32, a degree traversed by powerful Pluto in late 2004 and all through 2005 which ropes Obama firmly into the Bush-Cheney war pursuits. This is significant in Dec 2009 because the president is having to come up with new ideas and methods in an attempt to finish the objectives of the US Afghanistan adventure, or misadventure, depending on your viewpoint.
Considering that the Big Money 8th house of this announcement has Jupiter 21AQ04, Chiron 21:45, and oily, gaseous Neptune 23:54 posited within, I'd say that the control of the region's natural resources is still on the agenda of the US government - and the speculator pair, Jupiter/Neptune, are leading our expansion of grand schemes and risk-taking. As you know, the two big 'uns will conjunct for the third and final time this go-round (13-year cycle) on Dec 21, 2009 conjunct US natal Moon(
the people) which continues to ensnare us and our children's futures within their power play games toward a dominant world government.
And speaking of 8th house, you see that the 8th cusp conjuncts the president's natal Ascendant 18AQ03 (his natal birth data is given below) which personalizes Jupiter/Neptune in his natal 1st house of Self. So contentious god of war Mars 17Leo37 is conj his n DESC of Partnerships and is rising in the announcement chart, as you see.
Now this chart has ~Sun 176 degr 22 mins Moon~ which is a Gibbous phase just prior to a Full Moon @ 10Gem15:05 which perfects @ 2:30:24 am est on December 2. '10Gem' = "An Airplane Falling" or if you prefer to round up, '11Gem' = "A New Path of Realism in Experience."
Since any prior degree indicates karmic conditions for the next degree (such as the above-mentioned change of ASC degree for the Solar Eclipse), both symbols are pertinent in the wheel of life. And by 'karmic' this Saturnian astrologer means past behaviors and inherited conditions, not 'past lives' or reincarnation. Wars and an economically disabled country were passed down to Mr. Obama from you-know-who.
The "Airplane Falling" degree has CRISIS as its keyword. Positive expression: highly advantageous reorientation of selfhood through every issue; neg/unconscious/shadow side: defeat through disinclination to lift even a finger in decent self-interest.
'11 Gem' = IDENTIFICATION; positive expression: effective mobilization of the self's practical resources for the role it must play in daily living. Neg/unconscious/shadow side: self-delusion through sheer fantasy. (Marc Edmund Jones,
The Sabian Symbols in Astrology.)
Well, with the transiting Saturn/NN midpoint (
serious meetings) now upon President Obama's natal Midheaven (
the goal) we may wish to consider the picture thus formed...
Sat/NN = n Mc: maturing through the help of others; able assistance through groups or meetings (9 meetings, as noted - jc); using assistance of others to mature and find one's destiny. (Michael Munkasey.)
Noel Tyl gives this mdpt picture as: standing alone in life; little joy from accomplishments; mourning for others.
For the human race, war
is mourning, isnt' it?
The first transiting midpoint to rise is Moon/Saturn (4Leo42, just passed Mr. Obama's n Mercury = prudence; maturity; the wise thought; sadness, esp among women - Tyl) indicates an astute awareness of ambition, strategy, and direction. A depressed (Saturn) populace (Moon) is indicated, too.
Since Dec 1 is the day of rebellious
Uranus' Direct Station (as seen in this chart @ 22Pis42 in 9th house of Foreign Lands, @ 3:28 pm est West Point, NY), its disruptive and shocking effects are too much indicated for my comfort - the 'shock doctrines' theory of Naomi Klein comes readily to mind.
Uranus' Direct Station is precisely opposing Mr. Obama's natal Mars 22Vir35 and US natal Neptune 22Vir25. We may not want to look at the mdpt picture thus formed for with our national Neptune conj BHO's n Mars, it's not as if his actions (Mars) are clearly seen (Neptune) by the public, so let's have a peek on this momentous occasion, for cloudiness is a bad idea for the future of this war.
Mars/Neptune = Uranus: unusual stamina to speed up the outcome of activities; an unconventional approach to forcing (Mars) idealism (Nep) and socialism (Nep) on others; a noisy rebellion against aggravating dreams or visions forced by others. (Munkasey.)
Tyl adds:
energetically following one's personal dream; reaching for 'pie-in-the-sky' which is exactly most of what's bothering me about the whole war escalation.
Plus, tr Uranus opposing the president's natal Mars is a time when the physical urge to act is compelling, yet outcomes are unpredictable. It's been reported today that President Obama and his power elite backers realize that this prescription for war escalation won't be accepted by the American people unless an exit date or plan is touted as well.
Uranus opposite n Mars also indicates stress, strain, head injuries, fevers, and/or headaches - and hostile confrontations will not favor the president, and as our representative, the American people will negatively impacted by the escalation of this war. "Not 8 or 9 years more" in Afghanistan doesn't necessarily mean a short extension of our occupation.
But as you see in 6th house, tr Pluto/Chiron (plutocrats, oppression, racism, corporatism, fascism, class warfare, etc) = Venus/Uranus (erratic with money; broken relationships) = Jupiter/Pluto (big bankers; criminal elements with great influence; self-destructive forces stemming from offical corruption; pacts with foreigners; growth of spying agencies; greater powers for religious leaders; a society which wields much influence; extreme depletion of resources - Munkasey), an equation that sums up much of what we're experiencing with these midpoints conjoining US natal Pluto 27Cap33 Rx.
In the chart shown above is another powerful equation of interest involving the transiting Uranus/NN midpoint...
Uran/NN = Jupiter/Neptune = Pluto/Mc. (Uran/NN and Jup/Nep are given above.)
Munkasey gives the political and business implications of
Pluto/Mc as: pursuit of large social or research projects; studies involving the concept of earth, the solar system, etc, as a living organism; practices concerning the disposal of toxins or waste products (ex: nuclear wastes); inadequate preparation, supplies for emergencies, or similar large disasters; overloaded waste disposal systems ('systems fail' eclipse?); destructive self-centered terrorist actions; focusing on weapons systems for great destruction.
Interestingly, a few minutes after 8 pm, veiling Neptune will be focal planet between the Pluto/Mc midpoint which seems to tell the larger tale...
Plu/Mc = Neptune: Inwardly seeing the need for changes on a larger scale; temporary setbacks due to illusions about how to effect some progress; thinking of using dubious practices to increase reputation or power.And nebulous Neptune's foggy tendencies?
The Fog of War.~:~
Barack Obama August 4, 1961 7:24 pm AHST Honolulu, Hawaii ASC 18AQ03; Mc 28Sco54; Sun 12Leo33, 6th house; Moon 3Gem21; 4th house; 1st house Chiron 5Pis19 Rx opposing Pluto 6Vir59; NN 27Leo18 conj Uranus 25Leo16, 7th house. Uranus/NN = 'radical political reformers':
Uranus/Pluto = NN: drawn to others with similar ideas about how to change the world through new approaches. (Munkasey.)
Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets, by Michael Munkasey.