A SOTU 2015 Address, Mercury Stations Rx, and Two More Years
by Jude Cowell
For President Obama's annual State of the Union Address to a Joint Session of Congress, I'm looking at the 9:00 pm est horoscope set for January 20, 2015 Capitol Building Washington. My focus is on planets Mercury, Jupiter, Moon, Sun, Saturn, a few midpoint pictures, and on the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square (social unrest, violence, revolution, Civil Rights, major reforms, old v new) in contact with the undulating Nodal axis of the Moon, a past-future destiny indicator often called the Dragon with the North Node as the head (future direction) and South Node the tail (of past behaviors, the unconscious, and inherited or well developed talents).
(You will, of course, spy other chart factors of note but this post has to end sometime!)
One good place to watch is www.whitehouse.gov/SOTU.
In the 9:00 pm horoscope pictured below, the transiting combo of disruptive Uranus @12Ari57 conjunct South Node is poised upon the cusp of the monied 8th house (Corporations, Transformation, Insurance, Credit, Debt, the Occult, Surveillance, etc) and the 2nd house of the National Treasury is favored by the NN. The president will tout the economic progress of the last 6 years. Yet with astrological Uranus, technological and surveillance matters such as cyber attacks, a Mars influence via Aries are brought to mind (Saturn-Neptune = Uranus). This midpoint picture also applies to President Obama's speech in Iowa on Wednesday January 14 on his plan to "challenge state laws that limit the expansion of high-speed broadband access" in rural areas. (Saturn-Neptune = socio-economically challenged people). Additionally, lightening fast micro trades and the current ups and downs of the NYSE are spotlighted plus the potential for sudden changes of fortune for some.
And on January 15th it was reported that there are major losses and shock at the Swiss National Bank.
Hacker Genius Uranus, God of Technological Progress!
Now tell me...is the White House's progressive techno access plan to facilitate better spying on small town folk whose lack of internet access allows them to 'slip through the net' of the government? Hmm-m-m...please pardon suspicious of the suspicious me!
Meanwhile, perhaps you heard this tech news concerning a lawsuit against large players Google and Apple for colluding against their employees. Has the Saturnian tail of the Dragon swiped a few tech giants and high flying brokers? Astrological Uranus can act early, on time, late, or never, after all and there may be more to come though they'll recover well enough.
If you wish, read a few previous unedited thoughts of a predictive nature concerning the critical-degreed (12 Aries) January 20th Uranus-South Node meeting and SOTU 2015 posted just as the January 20th date was announced. Earlier a pundit or two had even suggested that the Republican-led 114th Congress would fail to send the president the annual invitation to address them as a sign of their usual disrespect, however, Speaker Boehner came through in spite of the desires of certain factions of the party.
As you know, difficult energies of the ongoing Cardinal Square between Uranus and Pluto have been seriously affecting people of every nation and not the least, triggering America's natal chart via our national Saturn in mid-Libra opposed by tr Uranus = old order v new order), tr Pluto opposing US natal Sun (power challenges for the president--and vice versa to some degree), and tr Uranus squaring US natal Sun (others control issues, will power to succeed is tested or challenged). Basically, this cosmic circumstance activates our natal Sun-Saturn square with natal Sun @13Can19 conjunct Egyptian star Sirius, the goddess star of Venus-Isis, aka, the dog star (keywords: the mundane becomes sacred; the scorcher).
So with progressive futurist Uranus conjoining tr SN (a Saturnian point of separation), tr NN @12Lib48 is precisely 2 degrees past conjunction with US natal Saturn (14Lib48) which gives the above indicator of Uranus opposite US natal Saturn a 'contact with the masses' flavor and a sense of fatedness attached, thanks to both the Nodal axis and karmic Saturn. On the level of the Collective Unconscious, this sense of fatedness comes in part from decades of propaganda by politicians, authors, film makers, financiers, and the complicit media touting a 'new world order' and 'global government' said to be inevitable. Perhaps so, yet the Uranus-SN--US-Saturn trio is merely a signpost along the way to their Utopian goal, not its destination--though the sign may be painted in ALL CAPs when worrywarts like yours truly read it.
Now let's have a brief look at basic factors in the SOTU 2015 horoscope with emphasis on the chart-ruler's applying Ptolemaic aspects, if any, for clues on how the president's address, proposals, and announcements ('shocking' as they may be!) will proceed:
Please tap or click to enlarge image for notes that may not be included in this text for the sake of brevity. Note: the horoscope is mistakenly set for the White House but should be set for the Capitol Building therefore, each cusp shows here a difference of 1 to 2 minutes of arc and all degrees and planetary positions remain as you see due to the close locations of the buildings.
Hour of the Sun (goals); a new cycle of activity has begun with the New (Syzygy) Moon @00AQ08 which perfects on January 20th at 8:14 am est and conjoins not only the US Inaugural Sun (POTUS) (suggesting a culmination of some sort)--but means that SOTU 2015 will be delivered on Inauguration 2009's 6th Solar Return and conjoins 2009's Mercury Rx. You'll remember that Mr. Obama took the oath twice in 2009 because of Justice Roberts' flub (alleged flub!). Plus, Sun @00AQ41 is a solar transit to Barack Obama's natal Jupiter Rx in his 12th house of Politics defining a time of expansive plans, extended horizons, favored judicial actions or decisions, courage, pride, and confidence--just as both his presidential terms have been. Yet Inaugural 2009 Mercury shouted that his opponents would challenge his ideas and plans and be impossible to 'corral' (tr Mercury oppo natal Mercury in Leo).
Yet on an outer level, the Sun to natal Jupiter transit may likely inspire overconfidence and misguided expansion since dramatic Leo is involved and his natal Jupiter is Rx. As 2015 Jupiter moves backward in Zodiacal degrees, Mr. Obama's natal Sun @12Leo will again be conjoined (see below). Jupiter to natal Sun is the 12-year indicator when something begun 12 years before must be increased or discontinued all together--he was compelled by higher-ups to continue US occupation and other military actions in the Middle East (while pretending to end them) though Gitmo prison is in process of being emptied at last--and of course, Republicans disagree.
As for matters of war and conflicts, the SOTU 2015 chart does show Mr. Obama's natal Mars @22Virgo rising and, as always, obscured by US natal Neptune--with America's natal Mars in the very visible 10th house (US military used as global cop).
Jupiter Carries a Big Bucket
Leonine Jupiter Rx, here isolated in the hidden 12th house of Politics, remains the handle planet of a Bucket pattern and as such reveals where primary Jupiterian interests and future direction lie while linking together the two halves of the chart.
Another chart consideration involves Jupiter's broadcasting function for the rising midpoint of Jupiter-NN signifies the address itself and denotes responses made to others who are separate--such as public contact with ivory-towered politicians, or the 'Grand Old Party' rebuttal that comes in response. Plus, when Jupiter-NN energies combine we find such things as closed legal societies and/or a legal system hampered by erroneous decisions about the status of groups or parties! Religious leaders involved in Politics, imports that disrupt trade or business (TPP?), and consequences from treaties with allies are potentials. (Munkasey).
Mars-Neptune's 'Fog of War'...again
Now the final dispositor of all the planets ('actors') is mystical, foggy Neptune @5Pis57, planet of Islam, in its own sign of Pisces and posited in the 6th house of Military, Police, Health, Work, Civil Service, and Daily Tasks denoting that something is hidden, mysterious, fraudulent, and/or non-transparent in one or more of these areas--and in the SOTU address. Perhaps this is only a 'lack of, or inattention to, details' circumstance (see below) but in Politics (that 'organized system of hatreds') actions and omissions are usually much more purposeful than that.
One clue is that warrior Mars @6Pis46 has just left his meeting with insinuating Neptune and this suggests a charismatic male or groups (exs: ISIS/ISIL, military or entertainment figures, crooks) with tendencies toward hidden attacks, deception, lack of trustworthiness, dissolution, or misguided or inspired actions. However, rashness is cautioned against since hastiness will be certain to lead to disappointment in any or all 6th house matters as a new Mars-Neptune cycle begins--and this includes deceptive or misguided attacks on Obamacare.
Plus, we may wish to note that this position of transit Neptune conjoins President Obama's natal 1st house Chiron Rx (5:19), the guru, priest, seeker, healer centaur. Actually, a Neptune-Chiron melding may also show a double emphasis on a particular blind spot. Is the identity of a presidential mentor veiled? Is the president the mentor? Perhaps someone is providing inspiration from 'on high' as the White House acts under orders from afar and an out-of-touch character to the president's activities may continue to be noticed.
As you see, transit Saturn @2Sag42 in 3rd house of Communications conjoins the 'Sequestration--Super Congress' Solar Eclipse (2Sag37) of November 25, 2011 (chart shown) so the karmic planet of delay, loss, and well-deserved rewards triggers the eclipse with its 'peculiar turn of events' flavor which continues to affect both financial projects and relationships. (Brady).
Another financial indicator for SOTU 2015 is the Pre-Natal Eclipse Series it falls into which you see marked @00Sco24 in the 2nd house of the National Treasury (17 New North) for the Series has 'hectic activities; financial projects' vibes with a Scorpionic emphasis on such areas as Big Business, intense force (Mars-Pluto), hidden matters, research, operations (medical and military), and opportunities for Regeneration.
Then there's the Uranus-NN midpoint of radical politics, here activated by tr Pluto (novel solutions update old thinking) and by US natal Sun (impressions left by implementing reforms) which combine to form an intense Cardinal Cross if we include the Nodal axis. Yet there are those who endeavor to protect traditional procedures from radical reforms and we may think of Republicans' renewed **attacks on America's social safety net programs for the aged, poor, ill, and disabled.
Challenges of Mercury opposite Jupiter: GOP v POTUS
As for chart and MC ruler Mercury in its Station Rx condition (turning Rx Jan 21 @10:54 am est), Mercury the Orator 'applies' to only one aspect: an opposition to Jupiter Rx which conjoins the 12th cusp, the house of Secret Deals and Hidden Enemies (as well as Politics and Karma already mentioned above). So does Mercury on the verge of seemingly changing direction actually apply? The proceedings spotlighted by SOTU 2015 are more complex than that for Mercury and Jupiter will engage in a dance opposite one another for a while--we could say they'll 'circle' one another--so that their relationship is the pertinent aspect determining the results of SOTU 2015 and the proposals announced therein.
Mercury-Jupiter: August 2014--July 2015
Now the current Mercury-Jupiter cycle began when they conjoined in early Leo during the first week of August 2014, a Mercury Return for President Obama and a time of expanded plans for him (Jupiter to natal Mercury). In *Politics and Business we find that a combination of Mercury and Jupiter leans toward communicating about such areas as: growth and expansion plans, business matters or legal affairs that affect commerce and transport, religious and philosophical ideals, and/or scholarship that is censored by religious leaders who have political aspirations. Probably not up for public airing by the president (yet perhaps will be mentioned in the Republican rebuttal to SOTU 2015 performed by Sen. Joni Ernst, the hog castrator) will be a strained budget due to over expansion, a constant soapbox of the GOP when expansion threatens to benefit the common good of our nation.
So with their SOTU 2015 opposition issuing from their August 2014 conjunction and showing a 'Full Moon' phasal relationship, here are the directional changes and degrees of planning Mercury the trader and investing Jupiter the politician and banker as their challenging dance of stalemate/awareness is performed:
January 20, 2015: SOTU 2015 is delivered and marks the beginning of the last two years of the Obama presidency; Inauguration 2009's Solar Return exact at 11:02:39 pm est with Jupiter-Saturn on Ascendant revealing 'the tactician'.
Morning of Jan 21, 2015: SOTU Mercury turns Rx @17AQ05 opposing Jupiter Rx @19Leo46 (affecting SOTU 2015 and the Obama Presidency's 6th Solar Return; this echoes Mr. Obama's natal Mercury-Jupiter opposition across the early Leo-AQ axis). Potentials during this opposition include: harboring fantastical plans, a lack of attention to details hidden in the 'small print' which may lead to loss, making irresponsible remarks or unrealistic proposals, someone 'backing out', a search for easy solutions or methods, following a myriad of interests which scatters one's energies, and reviewing, retracting, or redefining and clarifying goals. Plus, others may be insincere in their declarations and/or legal entanglements may not go as well as hoped.
Note that in regard to SOTU 2015, Republicans in Congress have stated that the president is the one "stopping progress" and playing "political games"---well, it 'takes two to tango' doesn't it? And here we see the R v D game played out in the Cosmos by a Mercury-Jupiter tango! Yet we must look at the results and ultimate consequences of political actions and not what they say or don't say if we wish to see what was really intended. Meanwhile, the titanic power struggle continues (tr Pluto oppo US natal Sun) though it's true nature is seldom if ever revealed to the public.
On February 11, 2015, Mercury Stations Direct @1AQ19 showing that a Mercury Return to the 114th Congress' January 6, 2015 chart has just occurred--US Congress' Mercury @2AQ31 and this transit emphasizes the president's proposals and the GOP response to SOTU 2015. At SOTU Mercury's Station Direct, tr Jupiter remains Rx @16Leo55 so the phase of Mercury-Jupiter is at an obsessive-compulsive quindecile stage (165 degrees) denoting tendencies for grandiose thinking, bias, idealism and ideology to drive motivations including religious fervor (Reeves). For the president, Mercury opposes natal Mercury, a time when minds may be changed, schedules are difficult to maintain, and more challenges are revealed as testy disagreements are expressed.
Then on March 12, 2015, a general shift in thinking and planning occurs as Mercury leaves Aquarius and enters murky Pisces at the "A Public Market" degree in the Sabian Symbols. However, this won't end Washington's grandiose thinking with the speculator-wastrel pair of Jupiter and Neptune associated with Pisces but may make them more confusing or subtly hidden. The Jupiter-Neptune pair also relates to political conflicts so the political games and challenges continue on both sides of the aisle.
Another shift occurs on April 8, 2015 as giant Jupiter turns Direct @12Leo35 and this is another instance of the Jupiter to natal Sun transit mentioned above for President Obama. At this time, tr Mercury @16Ari57 conjoins techno genius and cyber hacker Uranus and this pair relates to several levels of experience, of course, including air and space travel. 12Leo to 16Aries suggests their recent Fire Trine of creativity and technological advances which may aid the acceptance and implementation of President Obama's SOTU 2015 proposals, grandly inspired as they may be.
If not by April, then growth, investment, and development may occur once Jupiter passes the shadow degree of his December 8, 2014 Rx Station (22Leo37) in July 2015 and begins to move ahead into the future.
Related: Jupiter's Rx Station of Dec 8, 2014.
~:~
*For more info see Michael Munkasey's Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets; also see Ebertin's The Combination of Stellar influences.
**That's it, GOP, weed out 'useless eaters' from the herd a la Charles Darwin and your freaky idol Ayn Rand! For apparently your nonexistent consciences won't keep you awake at night and you can always run to The Grove this summer to 'cremate care' under the owl of Moloch's watchful eye. And say hello to the Democrats in attendance while you're partying like frat boys and making secret plans, scoundrels that you are.
