As the Liberals Turn

Stephen Harper's suprise recognition of Quebec as a nation yesterday has injected new life in the Ignatieff campaign. Hard to know now how much it will benefit him and if it could put him over the top. It made me to look at the horoscopes again.

Although the picture for both candidates is mixed (all horoscopes arguably are), I can see a couple of factors I neglected in Ignatieff's chart that more strongly indicate his victory. In secondary progressions, his Jupiter stations in declinations (16S10 05) in 2005 and 2006. Because we're working without birth times, we can't see which year it applies to and yet its sheer proximity to the current situation reflects well on his chances. In addition, he has a secondary progressed Venus station in declinations (23N18 19) that is exact next year, although if he was born early in the day, then that might reflect his current levels of success and public exposure. The approximate birth time means we can't be sure when it will kick in. But at worst, it seems he can win this thing on Dec 2 and it may well help him win the PM's job in the event of an election next year.

In my experience, progressions trump transits and progressed stations trump progressed aspects. This Liberal convention will be another useful test of that idea.

Cdn Liberal leadership update

As the Canadian Liberal Party move closer to choosing a new leader on December 2, it looks as though frontrunner Michael Ignatieff (May 12 1947) is running out of steam. He's made a number of gaffes and his idea to declare Quebec a nation within Canada has created a lot of criticism. Currently, he's got 30% of decided delegate support compared to 20% for Bab Rae and about 17% for both Stephane Dion and Gerard Kennedy. I had earlier predicted Ignatieff would win the leadership although I didn't have access to his birthtime. My main reason for favouring Ignatieff was on the strength of a couple of excellent progressed aspects -- p2 Venus trine p2 Chiron and p2 Sun trine p2 Jupiter. Using a rounded noon birthtime, however, both aspects have already perfected several months ago. Maybe they reflect the frontrunner status he has enjoyed for the past six months. Has he peaked?

One of the nagging things about Ignatieff's chart is the transit picture on the day of the vote. Although tr Mercury conjoins natal Jupiter, tr Jupiter conjoins natal Ketu while tr Venus opposes natal Uranus. Bob Rae (Aug 2 1948), by contrast, has a fairly unremarkable progressions picture but better transits than Ignatieff. Tr Venus conjoins natal Jupiter (rewards), tr Jupiter trines natal Mercury (good news), while Saturn exactly conjoins his natal Saturn (responsibility).

Rae's chart also has the advantage of having better progressed synastry with the Canada chart. For example, Canada's p2 Moon conjoins Rae's Sun. And Rae's nodes fall across the Asc-Dsc axis of Canada's solar return.

Mark Foley scandal helps bury the Republicans

The Republicans have left the building. Anger over handling of the Iraq war and adiminstration corruption pushed many voters over to the Democrats as they regained the House and Senate in the midterm elections. At least part of the blame for their fall from grace lies with disgraced Republican congressmen Mark Foley and the revelations of his sexual impropriety with underage male congressional pages. His chart (Sep 8 1954 4.55 am EDT Needham, MA) shows no shortage of stresses.

The scandal of Foley's sexually explicity text messages hit the media on September 28. Foley resigned the next day. Using the Krishnamurti ayanamsha, he had just begun his Jupiter-Venus period on September 8. Natally, we can see a potential for problems with the Venus bhukti because it closely conjoins Saturn, and in fact, it is hemmed in between malefics, Saturn and Neptune. And although Venus is strong in its own sign of Libra, it's noteworthy that its nakshatra dispositor is Rahu and it is closely conjoined by Mars. This shows the potential for exaggerated sexual actions and punishments during Venus' periods. Mahadasha lord Jupiter is placed with Ketu in the 11th in Gemini which is is fine in itself. However, it also suffers somewhat by virtue of Mars' aspect, although it is much wider.

At the time the scandal broke, transiting Rahu was trining dasha lord Jupiter within two degrees showing the sudden and upsetting nature of the event. Since Rahu was connected with Mars natally, it brought that energy along with it by transit. Transit Saturn was applying to conjoin the ascendant and natal Pluto in the first degrees of Leo. The November station of Saturn would bring Saturn to Foley's lagna and bring full pressure on his Pluto. Bhukti lord Venus was transiting through Virgo, its sign of debilitation, whilst conjoining malefic Ketu. Transit Mars also exactly squared natal Rahu.
To see his homosexuality and excesses therein, one has to dig down into nakshatra rulerships and the navamsa chart. What's fascinating here is the importance of Rahu (NN). The 7th ruler is Saturn, and it is placed in a nakshatra owned by Rahu. Its dispositor is Venus, which is also in the same Rahu-owned nakshatra. Venus itself is significator of love expression, so that repeats the Rahuvian theme.

Rahu is Rahu obviously, and that can create excesses or transgressive behaviours under any circumstances. In Foley's chart, however, Rahu conjoins Mars (the sexual planet) and the Moon. This is a destabilizing influence. Mars rules the 7th cusp by nakshatra rulership and Mars is conjunct Rahu. Mars as a significator for sexuality and partners is further distorted by virtue of 7th ruler Saturn's exact to the minute 3rd house aspect (sextile). Also note that the Moon is ruling the 12th house of secrets and bed pleasures so having Rahu and Mars influence here would tend to direct pleasures towards the unconventional.

His navamsa chart (9th harmonic) is highly troubled. The nodes lie across the 1-7 axis showing problems with partners generally. Moreover a fallen Mercury in Pisces occupies the Ascendant. Fallen planets in the 1st and 7th houses create marital (and sexual) problems. Sun is also fallen in Libra which conjoins the natal Venus Saturn conjunction. A third fallen planet in navamsa is Moon in Scorpio. Also Saturn is in an exact opposition with Mars. Also intriguing is the fact that navamsha Venus exactly conjoins the natal Mars.