Obama wins presidency

With his decisive win on November 4th, Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States. While I had thought that Obama would likely win the election, I was somewhat surprised that it all came off more or less according to plan. Like many astrologers, I had believed that the Saturn-Uranus opposition on election day might portend events a little more dramatic and unusual than a simple election victory for the Democratic senator from Illinois.

As it turned out, Obama's election victory was indeed historic in magnitude for two reasons. First, he is the first African American to win the highest office in the land. Second, the Democratic sweep represents the end of neo-conservatism as a political force for the foreseeable future. The free market philosophy that began under Reagan a generation ago preached de-regulation and smaller government. This has been largely discredited with the recent economic crisis and will be replaced by a more interventionist economic policy not unlike what predominated in the post-1945 world. In those important senses, the tension and shock (Uranus) to fixed structures (Saturn) was expressed by the shift away from a Republican winner-take-all approach to the economy to what will likely become a more collectivist and Keynesian orienation.

With the various afflictions in Obama's chart, he is certain to face many important challenges in the months and years ahead. His Mars bhukti begins in early 2009 and looks particularly troublesome since his Mars is poorly placed in his 8th house. From the violent symbolism of Mars, this may reflect new military situations for the US or perhaps even threats to his personal safety. More generally, it may represent the hardship of the ongoing economic downturn for the coming year. The Mars bhukti lasts for about one year.

Stocks in freefall; Dow below 9000

In the face of a torrent a bad economic news including global bank nationalizations, investors lost hope late this afternoon as markets sold off over 7% in New York. The Dow closed below 9000 for the first time since 2003 and finished the day at a bracing 8579 while the S&P ended trading at 909.

While not quite 'crashworthy', this was more or less in keeping with my standing prediction for a large percentage decline (5-10%) for today, October 9th.

I believe there is more downside tomorrow, although my sense is much of the negative planetary energy has already been expressed. It's possible we will see a further decline to the much-talked about support level of 7500-8000, but I think there will be a lot of buyers at 8000 so we should expect a lot of intraday volatility. Of course, it's conceivable that the Dow goes below these levels, but it's not probable and even if they do, they won't stay there very long.

I think Friday will be the much-sought after capitulation and near term bottom after which we will rise into next week. We are now facing a two month bottoming process where there will be some retesting of the lows we likely make tomorrow. Early November is the first probable retest, and then again in the first two weeks of December.

The VP Debate

With the much-anticipated Vice-Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin tomorrow, here are a few thoughts on the probable outcome as it relates to the general trend in the campaign. As predicted in mid-September, the Obama campaign has pulled into the lead and is now ahead of McCain by an average 5-6 points in recent polls. This trend is likely to continue as the Obama campaign chart is very strong in the coming days while the McCain campaign chart is troubled.

With Moon and Venus transiting the 7th house of the Obama campaign chart today (Oct 1), we can see that his campaign is riding high. A new poll was released today that put him ahead by 9 points, the most in the campaign thus far. His vote tonight in the Senate on the bailout bill will also improve his profile and popularity. The difficulty in the McCain campaign chart is that transiting Mercury is exactly aspected by malefic natal Saturn, so he is likely to look weak and out of favour in the next couple of days. While Mercury is usually a fast moving planet, it is retrograde now and moving quite slowly. This extends the negative influence on McCain.

The debate tomorrow doesn't look like a game changer for either campaign. It is very unlikely to help McCain much since Mercury will still be afflicted by Saturn, especially since transiting Mars conjoins the natal IC. With Venus transiting the 4th house cusp Thursday and Friday, it's possible that McCain may get a small bounce but it will not be significant. Another possible interpretation may simply be the feminine influence (Venus in Libra) that Palin will exert on the campaign at this time. At the time of the debate, the Moon will be in a difficult square aspect to the Sun-Mars-Saturn conjunction in her chart, so this will certainly be a high stress moment for her. It also suggests that things may not go as well as she would have liked. By contrast, the Moon will conjoin Biden's natal Mercury and come under the helpful aspect of his natal Jupiter at the time of the debate. This may suggest that Biden is relieved and happy with his performance. At the same time, transiting Venus is close to his natal Mars which is often a problem and transiting Mars opposes his natal Moon over the next few days which is rarely a good thing. There may be some negative post-debate fallout with Biden that could cause some short lived problems for the Obama campaign.

The next significant time to watch out for is October 9-10, when transiting Mars opposes the natal Sun in the McCain campaign chart while transiting Sun comes under the influence of the natal Saturn. This looks like a major setback for the McCain-Palin ticket and will likely increase Obama's lead.

After that, however, Obama still stumble from Oct 13-16. With the involvement of Mars, Sun and Mercury with malefic points in the horoscope, there will likely be some element of conflict with the event. Fortunately for Obama, he will likely be enjoying a lead of more than 5 points at that time, so it's more likely he will be able to withstand this problem and go on to win. The problem will occur right around the time of the last debate on Oct 15 so it may be doubly embarrassing for him if it becomes the focus in the debate. Alternatively, it may simply be a poor debate performance.

This promises to be an interesting finish to the campaign.

Stock markets plunge 9% on failed bailout vote

Markets in New York fell off a cliff today after the House of Representatives unexpectedly rejected the emergency financial bailout bill. The Dow lost a record 777 points or 7% and closed near its worst levels of the day at 10,365. The S&P lost 9% or 106 points and closed at 1107. This decline confirms my prediction from two weeks ago that the 29th would be very negative, although I had thought the drop might be more like 5%. Over the weekend, when it seemed that the bill would pass, I wondered if my original prediction had been mistaken, as I wrote in my weekly forecast. As it turned out, it underestimated the losses. Not surprisingly, oil fell $11 to $95 as investors worry of a global economic slowdown and gold rose over $22 and closed at $910. Today's New Moon in Virgo that featured a beleaguered Mercury may be seen as one important indicator for the decline in stocks.

I think tomorrow's trading will likely be negative but I don't foresee any huge drop like today's. In fact, there may be a stabilizing in the afternoon. I still expect some kind of rally perhaps on Wednesday and Thursday. As in my weekly forecast, Friday is looking quite iffy, perhaps due to some bad economic news in the jobs report.

Next week looks even worse, so we may be preparing for a 1000 point drop in the Dow. Even with a rally later this week that might get the market back to 11,000, I think we'll be under 10,000 with next week's collapse. 9000 is a worse case scenario by October 10th, although that is a very speculative target.

Obama widens lead in polls on economic uncertainty

As predicted here last week, Obama has regained a significant lead in recent days as fears grow over the US economy. While Obama was tied with McCain in Intrade.com a week ago, Obama now leads by 10 points. Obama is now also leading in Virginia for the first time in some polls and has shown gains in other battleground states such as Colorado.

I expect Obama's strength in the campaign to continue until October 1st at least, when the Moon and Venus conjoin in the 7th cusp of the campaign chart.

Hillary for Biden?

As the Democrats face the prospect of another electoral defeat, perhaps Barack Obama may execute a last minute Hail Mary pass of his own to match McCain's desperate move of picking Palin: could be drop Joe Biden and pick Hillary Clinton at this late date? This is now actually being considered in the world of political betting, as 8% of participants on Intrade.com believe this will happen, no doubt as a way to salvage Democratic chances in November. There have been rumours about this idea ever since Palin was selected as VP nominee.

Hillary's chart does indeed look very strong in the next week, especially around the 25-26th. Transiting dasha lord Venus conjoins her natal Sun, although that could be due to the resurgence of the Democrats in the polls and the positive response to her campaigning for Obama. Possibly even more powerful is that Jupiter is sitting on her relocated 7th house cusp for Chappaqua, NY using the 20.01 chart. While I had been an advocate for the 8.00 am time for Hillary, it's interesting to see what the potential might be if the 20.01 chart is the correct chart. That stationary Jupiter aspecting the first house in the relocated chart is extremely powerful and is exactly what one would expect to see if she was to suddenly rise in prominence in this race once again. At the same time, transiting Venus and Mars are moving into Biden's 12th house of loss, a possible sign of his growing invisibility in the campaign. It's certainly an intriguing scenario to ponder, especially if the Dems continue to slip in the polls in the coming days. If McCain's poll numbers grow any more, then I would think the likelihood of Hillary replacing Biden would grow substantially. I will investigate this possibility further in the coming days.

The Sarah Palin Factor

We now have a fairly reliable birth time for Sarah Palin -- 4.40 pm. This birth time comes from someone who claims to have seen her birth certificate although it has yet to be confirmed. For the moment, let's go with it. With a timed chart, we can look for additional clues about the outcome of the upcoming election on November 4th. It's a very impressive chart. Cancer rising with first lord Moon closely conjunct benefic Mercury in the 7th house, widely conjunct the Sun. This is a well disposed 7th house indicating she is charming and relates well to other people. Well, no surprise there. And the close aspect of the Sun to the ascendant makes her confident and outgoing. Since it is in a close degree conjunction to Mars and Saturn in the early degrees of Aquarius, this really amps up her assertiveness, initiative and ability to get things done. Jupiter is strong in its own sign of Pisces in the 9th house and aspects the ascendant. Her strong religious faith may partially come from this placement as Jupiter in the 9th inclines a person to follow traditional or conservative spiritual paths. Since Jupiter's aspect is so close to the ascendant, the good fortune of the 9th house is transferred to her whole person.

Perhaps more important is that this chart is running the Jupiter-Venus dasha, which will be in effect until late November. The Jupiter dasha began in 1998 and will run until 2014. As we've seen, Jupiter is very well placed so that is broadly in keeping with her rise in status and power as mayor of Wasilla, then governor of Alaska and now as the VP nominee. As subperiod lord, Venus is very well placed in the 9th house in Pisces, its sign of exaltation and rules the 4th house of happiness and 11th house of gains. This is certainly an excellent combination of planets and generally bodes well for all matters. By itself, however, these planets do not confer victory in the election since they may describe the increase in status that Palin has enjoyed in this race so far. She could still lose the election and look forward to a bright future as a possible presidential candidate in the future. In that sense, the positive karma endowed in the Jupiter-Venus period may only represent her bursting onto the national stage, to say nothing of the collection of action figure dolls.

We also have to look at the situation of the dasha lords in context of the prevailing transits from now until the election. Transiting Jupiter is placed in the 6th house of competition. While this is not a great placement, it may not be that negative either since it may merely reflect the fact that she is engaged in a situation of ongoing conflict. It should also be noted that transiting Jupiter squares its natal position, which is another less than favourable pattern but not a deal breaker. On November 4th, transiting Venus is well placed on the 5th house cusp in late Scorpio and trines the ascendant. There will definitely be some sense of happiness and ease on election day, whatever the result. Transiting Mars squares her Sun on election day, and this suggests an infusion of energy that might be interpreted in various ways. Given Mars' rulership over the 10th house of status, it may be conferring status that goes with an election victory. It may also simply describe the tension and excitement on election day, particularly if the outcome is not known until late.

From that brief analysis, I would say the Palin chart allows for the possibility of a Republican win. However, the absence of any progressed planetary stations in Palin's chart is one important reason why I have nagging doubts that she and McCain can win. While politicians on both winning and losing sides can have supposedly "good" transits at the time of the election, they do not always translate into victory. Very often, the losing candidate's good transits may simply indicate the great public attention they are getting and the culmination of a long, exhausting campaign. Even losing can provide a semblance of relief.

Following the work of astrologer Richard Houck, one of the most important signals of a political win is the presence of a progressed station in a politicians' chart near the time of the election. Just as planetary stations are more powerful indicators of an event for either good or ill, progressed stations are often more emphatic expressions of planetary energy. Mars and Saturn stations are often negative and can indicate losses generally, depending on the larger configuration they are involved in. Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter stations are more commonly associated with successful endeavours, although they, too, can 'go the other way' if they are connected with negative planets and houses.

Of course, the presence or absence of a progressed station is not sufficient to predict the outcome of an election. There may be occasions when no station is necessary for victory, but in my experience these are quite rare. In this case, I note that both Saturn and Uranus are stationing by transit in the month following the election. Because both of these planets are slow moving, their transit stations may have comparable power to the minor progressed station of a fast moving planet that is otherwise not well connected to the rest of the chart. But here again, neither transiting Saturn nor Uranus energize a key point in the natal and relocated Palin charts. This is therefore another potential weakness in her chart that does not seal the deal of the Republican win in November.

As I've said all along, there are some obviously stressful and downright negative characteristics of the Obama chart in November. Like many astrologers, I've wondered aloud if these afflictions might indicate that some harm may come to him, or if he will just lose the election. The chart of the Democratic Party similarly appears to show some kind of conflict or sudden affliction that represents something other than a simple loss at the polls. The Biden chart seems more clearly powerful and positive to me, most obviously because the stationing Saturn-Uranus opposition is so close to his MC-IC.

John McCain's chart has the Saturn-Uranus opposition sitting on his relocated Asc-Dsc for Phoenix. While this may be seen to be roughly equivalent to Biden's situation, I see the involvement with the MC-IC as pertaining more directly to career and status, whereas the ascendant is more about the person himself. McCain also presents an interesting puzzle as far as the progressed stations go. He has a minor progressed Saturn station just a few days after the election. Saturn is often negative, but it's important not to make a snap judgement here. Saturn's progressed station occurs at 28 Aries, in close trine aspect to his natal Venus. Any soft aspect contact with malefics can be an indicator of success. Moreover, McCain's natal Saturn is very strong natally by virtue of it being in its own sign of Aquarius and being in close opposition aspect with Venus. If those were the only influences on McCain's progressed Saturn, then I would think he would win. However, things are murkier because the Saturn is also in a very tight square with minor progressed Mercury. Squares are very rarely good, and Mercury-Saturn squares are almost never indicators of positive events. Also, Saturn is sitting very close to the 8th house cusp of the natal chart. This is an unhelpful influence and reinforces the possibility of obstacles, sudden changes, and disappointments.

Confused yet? So am I! It's a complex picture to be sure, far more than the last presidential election in 2004 or the California election of Schwarzenegger in 2003. I was very confident of both of those successful predictions because the charts seemed unequivocal to me. Here that is not the case. While I still favour the Democrats to win, I'm not at all sure of this prediction. If I was betting, I wouldn't want to put much more than $10 on this outcome.

The other way to look at this election is to get a sense of the prevailing trends. Since the selection of Sarah Palin, the Republicans have gone up in the polls as she has captured much of the media attention once reserved for Barack Obama. McCain is now slightly ahead in the polls, reversing the long-held Obama advantage. I think the pendulum is about to swing back to Obama in the next week. This may probably be helped along by a deteriorating financial situation in the US as I am forecasting stock markets to fall further in the coming weeks. The most difficult time for McCain may be in the last week of September as transiting Saturn conjoins the natal Ketu in his campaign chart. At the same time, transiting Mars will oppose the natal Mercury. I believe that Obama and the Democrats will once again move into the lead in the polls by early October.

But at that point, Obama's campaign will stumble, perhaps fatally, on or around October 15-16 as Mercury stations on the 6th house of the campaign chart at the same time that Mars conjoins the descendant. This is really a very negative pattern that speaks to conflict, misunderstandings, and stress. Since this occurs near the time of the last debate on foreign policy, it may reflect a poor performance by Obama. Since this is the last debate, a bad showing there could be difficult to come back from. Obama will have to be in the lead before this debate in order to have any chance of winning on election day. He is almost certain to lose some popularity as a result of events of Oct. 15th. If he goes on to win, it likely won't be by a wide margin.

The exact Saturn-Uranus opposition on election day promises an election unlike any other. We already know it will be historically significant in some way depending on if Obama or Palin are elected. But I think the extent of the energy and tension of that day will exceed the symbolic nature of the outcome. It promises to be one very wild ride.

Dow plunges 500 points as financial turmoil deepens

The Dow lost 500 points today as Wall St. tried to assess the implications of the bankruptcy of Lehman as the financial crisis deepened over the weekend. The Dow closed at 10,917 while the S&P finished the day at 1192. The S&P close below 1200 was below the previous July low of 1200 while the Dow nears its 2008 intraday low set back in January of 11,700.

This is very close to my prediction of two weeks ago in my long term outlook on my website -- repeated in last week's regular weekly forecast in my regular Market Jyotish blog -- that the markets would fall back to 11,000 and retest previous lows on either the 12th or 15th of September. The central astrological culprit was the trinal aspect of Rahu to Mars which happened to fall on the natal Saturn of the USA chart. Unlike many other configurations which are sometimes open to a lot of interpretation, this seemed like a clearer bearish indicator.

It's possible we will go lower tomorrow, although I'm not at all certain. It is hard to precisely correlate price magnitude with levels of planetary affliction. We should see some buying later in the week at least, although Friday looks negative. The market looks quite negative for the coming weeks. More significant declines are likely in early October and then again in the first week of November. The November decline looks worst and may be on the order of 10% or more in a single day. There's a good chance that the November decline will become known as a "crash".

I'm not sure where or when we might see the bottom but anything is possible here, including all the way down to 7500 and the 2002 lows by December. In other words, we may have another 25-30% to go in the short term. This is admittedly a worse case scenario, but the planets are indicating a grim mood in the coming weeks. A best case scenario might be a decline of another 10% -- down to 9700. That seems far too optimistic, however. I think the early October decline will put us under 10,000 as it is.

McCain picks Sarah Palin for VP

In a daring political gamble, John McCain has picked little known Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. No doubt hoping to make their own case for change and appealing to disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters, the GOP rolled the dice today by tapping the 44-year old Palin.

Although her birth time is unknown, we do have her date of birth: February 11, 1964. Palin is all Saturn as her Sun-Mars-Saturn conjunction in late Capricorn and early Aquarius shows a non-nonsense, tough as nails fighter. Unfortunately for McCain, there isn't much significant planetary activity going on in her chart around election day. Without the birth time, one has to be careful about making any definite conclusions, but this is not a chart that shows victory on November 4th. There are no close aspects of any description, and there is very little action in the progressed charts as well.

In comparison with Joe Biden's very active chart, this is another piece of evidence that supports the notion that the Democrats behind Obama and Biden will win the election. Whatever twists and turns that may occur between now and the inauguration on January 20th, I'm even more confident now than the Democrats will win the White House in November.

Obama picks Joe Biden as VP nominee

Joe Biden won the Veepstakes this week as the 65-year old Senator from Delaware was seen to bring experience and foreign policy credibility to the Obama ticket. Biden's horoscope is yet another window on the November election and its probable outcome. Based on the data we have, Biden was born Nov 20 1942 at 8.30 am in Scranton, PA. I have rectified this time back a few minutes to 8.27 but it's likely a fairly accurate time of birth.

It's a very strong chart with Sun and Venus rising in Scorpio closely aspected by exalted Jupiter in the 9th house. This may reflect Biden's early legal career and perhaps his overriding concern for social justice issues and sticking up for the little guy. The opposition aspect from Uranus and Saturn to these first house planets, however, may make him overbearing and unpredictable at times. The rising Sun can create an inflated ego while a rising Venus makes for charm and affability and an appreciation of the fairer sex. Perhaps that is par for the course with politicians. Biden's Moon in Aries aspected by Rahu is one potential source of his 'loose cannon' label since Rahu can create a instability of mind when it combines with the Moon.

Biden is currently running Jupiter-Jupiter dasha. Jupiter is wonderfully placed in the 9th house and points to success in all sorts of matters. However, it needs to be noted that the Saturn subperiod beings October 18th according to the Krishnamurti ayanamsha. Saturn is quite active in his chart as it receives an aspect from 1st and 6th house lord Mars. This is not necessarily negative, but it does suggest that competitions, conflict, and violence may be featured during this subperiod that runs until 2011. It should be noted that the death of Biden's first wife in 1972 is related to this Mars aspect to the 7th house retrograde Saturn. Perhaps more interesting is that at the time of the election on November 4th, transiting Saturn will conjoin the MC (the unequal 10th house cusp) in his chart while transiting Uranus will be close to this IC (the unequal 4th house cusp). This is a very powerful pattern that suggests to monumental changes in the native's life. They indicate a very stressful and chaotic time. Transiting Rahu will also aspect the natal Saturn and this suggests the possibility of new patterns of status since Rahu is placed in the 10th house in Biden's natal chart.

In addition to the close transits of Sun and Mars that occur election day, this is clearly a very energized chart. His tertiary progressed Pluto station in November is a classic indicator of political victory. Overall, there are many signs in this horoscope that point to an Obama-Biden win in November. And yet, there are an unusual number of negative or disruptive factors here that do not easily square with a victory. With the various negative indicators I've seen in the various relevant charts, I've wondered for months what the extenuating circumstances might be here. I do not think this will be a simple Obama victory on Nov 4th. The Saturn-Uranus opposition perfects on the very day of the election. Part of this energy of revolution and change (Saturn' structures upset by Uranus' radicalism) may simply be the historic significance of an Obama win, the first black man to win the highest office of the USA. But Biden's chart seems like it contains another layer of disruption of the status quo that goes beyond this.

So at this point, I would say Biden's chart very much points to an Obama win, but at the same time it reaffirms the notion of some kind of unforeseen development that complicates the election, either in terms of its outcome or in terms of a major event that proves distracting from it. Hopefully I can refine this foggy picture with new data including the horoscopes of the Biden acceptance speech, the Obama acceptance speech, and the Republican VP nominee.

McCain's houses

John McCain's campaign hit a bump in the road today after he could not answer a reporter's question about how many houses he owned. The Obama camp has pounced on this as proof of how out of touch McCain is with the average person struggling to cope with housing and mortgage crisis. This has been given big play in the media with CNN labelling it "McCain's Gaffe".

This setback coincides with transiting Mars moving up to conjoin his natal Mercury which can often denote difficult and unexpected situations that cause annoyance. At the same time, the transiting Sun is being troubled by the aspect of his natal Ketu, suggesting a time when his ability to lead is compromised. This may be a difficult couple of days for McCain. However, this is unlikely to create a lasting problem as benefic Mercury and Venus are moving towards a close conjunction with his natal Venus on the weekend. Next week should belong largely to Obama anyway with the Democratic convention, but the week after looks quite difficult for Obama and very good for McCain.

Hillary's convention catharsis

The Democrats get their three days of free media coverage next week as they converge on Denver for their Convention. While there is no longer any suspense surrounding the nomination of Barack Obama, questions remain about the overall tenor of the convention and the extent to which some of Hillary Clinton's supporters could create some awkward moments for the party. After considerable negotiation, Obama has acceded to Hillary's request for her name to appear on the ballot and for her supporters to have their day in the sun. So the stage is set for a certain amount of healthy difference of opinion on the convention floor, but is there any astrological clue that suggests that things could become fractious or otherwise divisive?

The transit of Mars to the natal Rahu in the Democratic Party horoscope suggests that there will a level of conflict and energy that may be somewhat excessive and perhaps make the Obama camp uncomfortable. I am also interested to see what the effect of the Mercury-Venus transit to the natal Mars in this chart will be. This occurs around Aug 23rd before the convention begins and may represent some minor setback for the Democrats in the election campaign. For the convention itself, the Mars conjunction to Rahu becomes exact on the 27th. This may be the most likely time when things may boil over somewhat.

While Hillary is scheduled to speak on the 26th, her chart does not suggest a major event. Mercury and Venus are squaring her Uranus so that can make for things to be a little out of one's control perhaps. Both benefic transiting planets come under the influence of her natal Rahu so that is another sign matters getting out of hand or things not working out in a favourable way for her. This is certainly not a positive pattern so Hillary may come up with the short end of the stick during the convention.

The 27th has two potential sources of conflict -- the roll call of state delegates to cast their votes for either Obama or Hillary and a speech by Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton's chart looks very animated at this time as the transiting Mars is conjunct his ascendant. Clinton has been widely criticized for his sometimes uncontrollable anger and some questionable statements during the campaign and lacklustre support for Obama. This Mars transit strongly points to another eruption by the former president, either during his speech or perhaps as a result of a roll call vote that ends with Hillary receiving an embarrassingly low number of votes. I think Bill Clinton will emerge as the big loser in the convention as the transiting Sun will be right on the 12th house cusp signifying loss, diminished status, and isolation. I would not be surprised to see him booed during his speech. In some way, Bill and Hillary Clinton will create difficulties for the Democratic Party.

But the overall effect of the convention is likely to be generally positive for Obama and the Party. Transiting Sun closely aspects the natal Moon in the natal chart suggesting high public profile and this is also in trine aspect to the natal Venus indicating convivial feelings. While neither nor the Moon nor Venus cast full strength aspects in Vedic astrology, it is important to remember that the mutual planetary interaction still exists because trine aspects are conjunct in the navamsa chart.

While I will await the selection of the VP candidate before making a definitive prediction on the outcome of this election, the horoscope of the Democratic Party is not in good condition in November. I noted some of these problems several months ago and couldn't quite figure out how the afflictions there could be reconciled with the charts of the key figures in the party. There seemed to be too much affliction to denote a victory. One alternative scenario was a win but under very trying circumstances such as warfare, rioting, or something of that disruptive nature. But looking at this chart again reaffirms just how chaotic the election period will be. While I had thought Obama's new birth time boosted his chances for winning, I wonder now if that might only translate into popularity and enhanced public visibility rather than actually winning office.

More on that topic to come.

Saturn in command: singer's voice was dubbed in Olympic opening ceremonies

You could say it's a case of the control needs of Saturn having to rise to the surface. There is a controversy brewing both abroad and in China itself over a decision to dub the voice of a 9-year old girl singing Ode to the Motherland in the opening ceremonies. Apparently Chinese organizers thought the singer didn't have the right "look", so they got a more photogenic little girl to take her place. It has also come to light that Chinese television added computer-generated fireworks to enhance the spectacle of the opening ceremonies.

All of this supports the strong role of Saturn in the chart of the opening ceremonies. As I had suggested last week, the influence of Saturn would mean that the games would be seen as regimented and perhaps sterile, something that is more likely given these revelations for a heavily stage-managed presentation.

This is in keeping with my prediction of some kind of "confusion or technical malfunction" that was possible around the 11th owing to Mercury's vulnerable position in the China natal horoscope. While not a strictly technical problem, the exposure of this bit of excessive manipulation is broadly in keeping with the notion of a malfunction of planning that has blown up in organizers faces.

Meanwhile, the violence is heating up in the Western province of Xinjian, as three security officers will stabbed to death yesterday, the NY Times reports. This follows another bombing in Western China by Muslim separatists took place on the 10th and resulted in the deaths of ten people. This is yet another instance of violence during the Games that can be seen in the charts of China and the Olympics.

Murder in Beijing; Chinese man kills U.S. tourist

In a random attack, a Chinese man attacked two American tourists and their Chinese guide, killing one of them, and then committed suicide by leaping to his death. The New York Times reports that the death has cast a pall over Beijing just a day after the well-received opening ceremonies.

A few days ago, I had suggested that there might be a violent or disruptive event at the time of the opening ceremonies. This killing, coupled with some minor protests that occurred the day prior to the opening of games would appear to have fulfilled that energy in the charts.

Bad weekend ahead for John McCain

Looking at the John McCain campaign chart (Apr 25 2007 12.21 p.m), the approaching Sun-Ketu conjunction will be right on the natal Saturn of this chart. This aspect will be exact on Sunday, but it should be considered to be in range from Saturday to Monday. This is likely indicative of a some kind of frustration and anger, possibly involving the optics of his campaign to the media. With Saturn in the first house, I wonder if his age, a frequent target of talk show jokes, is part of the story. Transiting Mars passes over his natal Venus at the same time, so that might suggest this would have something to do with women. I don't see this event has being hugely significant, but it may put him on the defensive after Obama has been back on his heels in the past week.

As you can see, this is a powerful chart, but not one without some significant problems. The Moon-Saturn conjunction in the first house says this is the chart of the Old Man. The exalted Sun and Mercury in the 10th house near the Midheaven is a very strong feature. And having 11th lord Venus in its own sign of Taurus is an outstanding indicator for gains and victory. And yet the Mars-Rahu-Uranus conjunction in the 8th house is cause for concern and speaks to the prospect of violence and sudden incidents that may disrupt this election campaign. More on that later.

Beijing Olympics set to open

Yesterday's terrorist attack in the Western Chinese province of Xinjiang by Muslim separatists has underlined potential security concerns for the upcoming Olympics which begin August 8th. As I've discussed previously, the springtime protests against the Chinese rule in Tibet during the torch relay were attributable to transiting Saturn's weakened state in the 8th house of the China horoscope. While Saturn has moved away from this point, transiting Ketu has now conjoined the natal Mars-Pluto conjunction. Mars and Pluto together create a picture of the exercise of power and the possibility of brutal violence. Ketu's influence here can bring out the sudden manifestations of these energies in sometimes shocking ways. Monday's attack was symptomatic of this planetary energy. Given the power of this transit and the co-presence of the transiting inner planets in the 8th house during the games, I think we can expect more violent and/or protest incidents over the next two weeks.

On the night of the opening ceremonies on the 8th, transiting Venus is very close to the 8th house cusp. Venus rules the 10th house of government and leaders and the 8th house represents embarrassments and setbacks. The transiting Moon comes under the aspect of natal Mars around midnight, indicating a possible moment of conflict and violence. On the night of the 11th, transiting Mercury moves to this same sensitive point in the 8th house, indicating a possible time of confusion or technical malfunction that affects the games and causes headaches. The fact that Mercury rules the 9th house of foreigners in the natal chart of China suggests that foreign nationals may be the source of the problem for Chinese officials. Finally, the two days at the close of the Olympics on the 23rd and 24th also look troublesome as transiting Sun moves across that 8th house cusp. At the same time, transiting Mercury and Venus conjoin the natal Mars in the 2008 Olympics natal chart at 29 Leo (see below). This may indicate situations that put officials in an awkward position for some reason, most likely due to protests. The closing ceremonies on the 24th display this pattern somewhat more strongly.

Another way to read the probable character of these Olympics is to examine the chart of the games themselves. The Olympics are scheduled to being at 8.08 pm on August 24th in Beijing. This chart therefore reflects the general nature of the games. What stands out most of all is that the lagnesh Saturn, ruler of Aquarius, is angular and aspects the ascendant quite closely. As we have seen from the build-up, the security presence in China for the games is extremely visible. Since Saturn represents order and structure, I think it's safe to say that the extreme security measures for these games will be a dominant feature. With Venus closely conjunct Saturn in the 7th house of others or guests, it's likely that visitors will probably feel oppressed somewhat by the security to the point where their enjoyment of the games will be compromised. This idea of a very regimented games is further seen by the situation of the Moon in Libra in the 9th house. As 6th lord of conflict, it is also aspected by Saturn suggesting that security will be seen as too strict although perhaps necessary to deal with the protests that may occur.

Overall, I think the games will be remembered as well-organized but probably too strict and sterile where the authoritarian character of China's government is laid bare for the whole world. Protests and smaller acts of violence will also mark the games on several occasions, although I don't expect anything hugely significant on that front. Mars is closely opposed by unpredictable Uranus in the Olympics natal chart, but the extent of any damage will be limited by the calming influence of the Jupiter aspect. This forecast will be amended by the chart for the declaration of the opening of the games which usually occurs near the beginning of the ceremonies on the first night.

Obama runs into turbulence

On the heels of Barack Obama's successful world tour, his campaign has generated more potentially damaging controversy in recent days with the accusations about him playing the race card, the new McCain celeb ad that attempts to depict him in an unflattering light, and now Obama's apparent flip-flop on offshore drilling. Clearly, he is suffering the effects of the transiting Mars to his natal Mars. Several months ago, I had predicted that the first week of August would be a stressful and conflictual time for Obama and that seems to be taking place.

Given that Mars (25 Leo) is currently still a few degrees away from Obama's natal Mars (29 Leo), it's very likely that the upcoming week will mean more headaches and missteps for him. Remember, too, that the effect of this Mars transit to Obama is greatly magnified by the presence of transiting Uranus exactly opposite at 28 Aquarius. This combination can be volatile and is often associated with accidents and sudden actions which cause hardship. I don't think he's in any great danger here, but he's is likely to be on the receiving end of anger and animosity and maybe a rotten egg or tomato. I would expect more protests of the sort that he encountered in Florida when a number of black supporters tried to interrupted his speech. I think it's also possible that polling numbers to perhaps begin to favour McCain next week. Up to now, Obama has been ahead although his lead has shown signs of diminishing in recent weeks Obama's birthday is tomorrow August 4th. Before he blows out the candles, he may be wishing for Mars to get on its merry way.

I will post something on John McCain in the upcoming week. His natal Venus (29 Leo) will be subject to the same Mars-Uranus influence this week so he, too, may have to react to some sudden development that embodies some element of conflict or violence. It's possible there may be some news involving Iran that affects the presidential campaign.

New 7.24 p.m. birth time for Barack Obama

Christmas came early to astrologers this year as the Barack Obama campaign responded to questions about his citizenship and released his birth certificate. He was born at 7.24 pm on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu. This is fairly close to the previously popular time of 7.11 pm, and while the basics of the chart do not change, there are some potentially significant differences in the varga or Hindu harmonic charts. So what does this new and apparently definitive birth chart reveal about Obama's future and the 2008 Presidential election?

In terms of his political aspirations, the 7.24 pm chart improves his chances in November. Moon becomes the current bhukti period and this will run until February. The Moon is well-positioned in the natal chart by virtue of being in Taurus, its sign of exaltation, and placed in the favourable 5th house, which also happens to be the house most associated with politics. If we tweak the birth time back a bit to about 7.20 pm, the Moon rises in the all-important D-10 dashamsha chart which represents career and status. While I tend to be wary of gratuitous tinkering with birth times in order to prove a theoretical point, this is a more legitimate rectification and conforms with the standard margin of error observed in officially documented birth times. Having the bhukti lord Moon rising the in D-10 chart is one important source of his current popularity. Significantly, the Moon subperiod began in November 2007, which was essentially the time when his campaign really took off.

This new chart also confirms the likelihood of troubles I had previously forecast for Obama for early July and then in early August. We can see transiting Rahu (24 Capricorn) is now within range of the ascendant and will continue to be for the next month of so. Rahu isn't always malefic, of course, but in Obama's chart it is more likely to create difficulties owing to its problematic natal situation: placed in the dussthana 8th whole sign house, conjunct Uranus and Pluto. Moreover, Saturn, its transit dispositor, is currently transiting the 8th house applying to a conjunction with Pluto. The 8th house represents surprises (often unwelcome), embarrassments, secrets and scandals, and accidents. I'll have a clearer idea about his election chances when he announces his VP running mate.

Besides his obvious popularity and political success, the other predominant theme in his chart is violence. This is seen through his natal Mars placed in Leo in the 8th whole sign house. The new 7.24 p.m chart unfortunately moves this Mars even closer to the equal 8th house cusp, which makes him more prone to violence and intrigue. In addition, Mars is debilitated in Cancer in the D-8 ashtamsha chart which represents troubles and hardships. It is worth noting that the next bhukti period after the current Moon period belongs to Mars and runs from March 2009 to February 2010. While dashas and bhuktis are not infallible predictive techniques, this is an important factor to consider when constructing a larger model of Obama's future. Given the difficulty of Mars' situation in Obama's chart, this is a possible time of violence against him or his family. Michelle Obama's chart is also heavily laden with active Mars symbolism and intense stresses. In fact, her chart looks so stressed, it is hard to imagine how it could represent a victory for Obama, and yet if there are other sources of hardship on a national and personal level at the time around the election, then they are possible expressions of her chart karma that may allow for an Obama victory. In that sense, negative karma is a zero-sum phenomenon that needs expression somewhere, the only question is how it is manifest. Without knowing her birth time, it is very tricky to figure out just how things will fall into place.

At the same time, I do not want to rule out the possibility of violence in the campaign (especially early August) and during the time after the election and before the inauguration. Transiting Mars conjoins his natal Mars in early August and this will be opposite unpredictable Uranus. While this is a time that will be marked by some kind of violence or sudden event, it's important to remember how there may be karmic surrogates for it such as some global military event that alters the course of the campaign. A strike against Iran is one obvious possibility at this time. Also, Saturn stations near his malefic natal Mars in the 8th house in November and December and these are also likely times of conflict and turmoil either in the country generally, or involving him specifically. So while the new time does enhance his chances of getting elected, it also increases the chances that he will be assassinated. Overall, I think the most dangerous period is summer 2009. Late December 2008 is also marked by some malefic patterns, most obviously transiting Sun and Mars forming an opposition to his natal Venus and the transiting Pluto. Venus represents his wife Michelle, so she is likely to be under stress at this time. And since Venus is also lord of the 10th house of career, it appears to be an indicator of stress from his job -- assuming for the moment that he wins the election, this may mean confronting a serious financial and/or international crisis. This also coincides with the Saturn-Uranus opposition and points to a major disruption (Uranus) to global economic structures (Saturn). The stock market is likely to decline sharply around that time. It seems the US and the world is entering a more difficult and turbulent period that may last for the next three years.

Server problems on my main site

Just a brief note to let readers know that I'm having some server issues right now with my main Modern Vedic Astrology site. It is currently unavailable. These should be cleared up by mid-week -- I hope!

Hillary bows out

Hillary Clinton ended the race for the Democratic nomination today and forcefully threw her support behind the candidacy of Barack Obama for president. After one of the closest and most intense nomination races in history, Obama has emerged as the presumptive nominee for the Democrats and is due to be formally nominated at the convention at the end of August in Denver.

While I had known that the current period would be difficult for Hillary, I did not foresee her defeat at this time. I underestimated the manifestations of the negative influences that were operating in her chart and believed instead that she would take the race all the way to the convention. So I was wrong. Astrology has never been an exact science, and I certainly make more than my share of mistakes. Moreover, the lack of reliable birth times for any of the candidates adds another layer of potential error to the inherent fragility of all astrological forecasting. Over the past three weeks, a new birth time has surfaced for Obama (7.11 pm) , which complicated matters further. It has not been verified by official documents and it seems unlikely that it ever will be.

That said, my forecast for imminent problems for the Obama campaign still largely stands, although now they will likely result in popularity gains for McCain. While it's still conceivable that some of these embarrassments may cause some Democrats to wonder aloud if Obama is electable, it is fanciful to think that they will somehow resurrect Hillary's chances. I know that the first week of August looks extremely trying for Obama and the Democrats, but it probably won't change the basic fact that Obama will be the nominee.

One interesting development in the coming weeks will be Obama's selection for Vice-President. I believe that he will pick Hillary, as her chart looks quite strong in early July, on either the 5th or the 13th. Transiting Mars and Saturn conjoin on her Midheaven while a grand trine is formed on the 5th between Venus, Uranus and her natal Mercury. On the 13th, the Sun replaces Venus in that alignment. She will be successful in all her endeavours at this time. Assuming that the race would still be on at this time, I had originally predicted that this would be a time when she would turn the tables somewhat on Obama. Now that the race is over, this favourable time will likely manifest as her being chosen for VP.

While I may have been dead wrong about Hillary Clinton winning the nomination, I'm still puzzled by the planetary configurations around the November election. These look stressful for Obama, the Democratic Party and, frankly, the USA as a whole, although they are not bad for Hillary and, in fact, one may even read them as favourable. One possible explanation might be that the Democrats lose the election and that segments of the country are sufficiently upset that protests or civil unrest result. And Obama loss would strengthen Hillary's hand going forward and into the next election cycle. I have to do a lot more work on this time period, including sorting out John McCain's chances. The problem is exacerbated by the appearance of a new birth time for him -- 11.00 am -- to go with the 9.00 am time that is already out there.

I've found a couple of new sources of information that may shed some light on how events may unfold. First is the wedding date of Barack and Michelle Obama on October 18, 1992 in Chicago. While one may wonder what a marriage horoscope has to do with a person's political fortunes, the answer is: quite a bit. When this chart is well aspected, the marriage does well and, by inference, so do the fortunes of both people involved. This marriage chart suggests an intellectually active and publicly significant union as the Moon-Mars conjunction in Gemini is closely opposed by Uranus and Pluto. This chart also seems afflicted, however, and generally it's not good to have the Moon influenced by Mars. This chart is under heavy affliction in November with the perfection of a couple of difficult tertiary progressions -- a Mars-Saturn opposition and Sun-Saturn square. Transiting Rahu will also conjoin the natal Saturn which is often unhelpful for stability and happiness. While it's possible that these measurements indicate some private marital strife between the Obamas at a time of great tension, they also add another perspective to the problems that Obama is likely to confront in the election. It does not bode well for a Democratic win in November, but it is not definitive in any way, particularly without a specific time.

Also, I found the chart of the Obama's eldest daughter, Malia - July 4, 1998. There is a 1999 birth year circulating out there for her, but I believe it is mistaken as I came across a media reference to her celebrating her 9th birthday in 2007 in the midst of July 4th festivities. There's no birth time with this chart but using the Libra Moon as the ascendant, we can see Sun and Mars in the 9th house of the father in Gemini. While the Sun is strongly placed indicating a powerful father, the presence of Mars in the 9th is more problematic. Moreover, it is aspected by Ketu within 4 degrees and by Saturn by third house aspect within 3 degrees. That is a very afflicted Mars in the 9th house of the father. It could signify any number of things including having a father who engages in military actions that do not turn out well, to having a father whose life is linked to violence in some way. Although the chart might indicate a good and intellectual father (Gemini), it seems too unremarkable to suggest a father who is president. Of course, one doesn't want to read too much into a chart without a birth time, but it's another fragment of evidence to consider in the overall puzzle.

Finally, I wanted to briefly discuss this new Obama chart for 7.11 pm. We're told it comes from official government documents, but since no astrologer can confirm it personally, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. But at the moment, it is the most plausible chart. The problem that I have with this chart is that Mars, the planet of executive power and violence, is placed in the malefic 8th house. By my reckoning, this is not the chart of a president. Having Mars in the 8th can also indicate a sudden or violent death, although it is largely unafflicted, so Obama is likely to avoid that fate. It's worth noting that JFK had Mars in his 8th house as well, but it was in much worse shape, as it formed an 8th harmonic aspect with Pluto and was in square with Uranus.

As I've mentioned several times already, transiting Saturn will station just two degrees from that Mars at election time. Since Mars rules the 11th house of gains in this chart, this does not favour him in the election. Of course, the chart is uncertain, so my observations are contingent on new information that might come in regarding the birth time, or any new campaign developments that might serve to clarify his horoscope. I will be watching the events of early August closely and adjusting my forecast if need be. If Obama is damaged by some revelations or gaffes at that time, it will greatly diminish his chances of winning the presidency. I have always thought that Hillary Clinton's horoscope looked good for November 4th and January 20th for that matter, so I'm not sure how to connect all the dots here. It could be that I'm just not reading his chart right and Obama wins in November and therefore Hillary wins the VP and makes some history of her own. More when I know it.

Trouble looms for the Obama campaign

While Hillary Clinton is poised for a lopsided win in West Virginia tonight, most observers no longer consider the primaries to be relevant any more, now that Barack Obama has moved into an unassailable delegate lead. Obama is now focusing his campaign speeches exclusively on Republican John McCain while wooing superdelegates in Washington. This is clearly his time to bask in the media glow as the de facto presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party.

Despite this apparent resolution in this fractious and hard-fought race, I believe that this situation will be thrown into chaos in the weeks ahead as some very malefic alignments form in the Obama campaign chart. (Feb 10 2007 10.13 a.m. Springfield, IL). Given the uncertainty that surrounds Obama's actual birth time (and Hillary's, too, for that matter) , the campaign launch charts have been fairly reliable indicators of the ebb and flow of the race. Although I've made some interpretive mistakes here and there, I can think of no better confirmation of the usefulness of this chart than the Jupiter station that occurred exactly on the Midheaven (unequal 10th house cusp) during last week, when Obama was flying high coming off the convincing win in NC. While I saw him doing well on May 6th, I underestimated the power of this configuration. The Jupiter station has raised him from frontrunner to de facto nominee as most observers agree that his lead cannot be surmounted by Hillary and the race is essentially over.

While I am reluctant to argue against something as powerful as a Jupiter station on the 10th house cusp, I can't help but see that Obama is going to be sideswiped very soon. One of the distinguishing features of the his campaign chart is a t-square involving Saturn (27 Cancer) , Moon (0 Scorpio), and a conjunction of Neptune (25 Capricorn) and the Sun (27 Capricorn). This is a negative influence as I see it, and suggests the failure or loss (Saturn) of a popular (Moon) dream (Neptune) of a leader (Sun). This potential will be realized through the movements of two key planets -- Rahu/Ketu and Mars. The Lunar Nodes, Rahu and Ketu, are fast approaching this Sun-Neptune-Saturn configuration. While the nodes have a changeable influence, they are more neutrally associated with breaking down structures and normal patterns. Rahu will soon conjoin the natal Sun-Neptune and produce exaggerated and distorted sense of idealism, overconfidence and entitlement, while Ketu comes to the Saturn and will tend to erase boundaries and structures of power. It's important to note that Hillary Clinton has a similar architecture of planets that will be subjected to this nodal influence in June and July. In her case, however, the Moon and Venus take the place of Obama's Sun. So it's clear that the nodal transit to this point (25-27 Capricorn) will cause great changes to the dynamic of the race. I think the effect of this transiting Rahu will be more damaging to Obama because his natal planets are aligned with that Moon in the first degree of Scorpio.

This is a potentially difficult placement since the Moon is debilitated in Scorpio and is associated with excessive and unpredictable emotions, weakness and sickness (especially with the Neptune influence) and difficulties involving women and sexuality. While this may simply refer to the fact that his main opponent in this race is a woman, I think there is also the possibility that he may be embarrassed by some kind scandal, perhaps one that involves sex. Another possible explanation might be some kind of unethical real estate dealings that come to light, because the debilitated Moon, as 4th lord of home and land is placed in the malefic 8th house. I know there has already been some talk of real estate transactions involving the shady Chicago political mogul Tony Rezko, so it's possible that something like that might come back into the picture. Still another possible scenario involves an exogenous event such as a sudden geopolitical or military development that compels people to rethink their confidence in Obama. In such a event, his perceived softness in foreign policy might be compounded by ill-considered comments. The most obvious time window to watch for these events to unfold is when transiting Mars moves into the first degree of Leo around June 21. This difficult and disturbing situation may in fact manifest earlier, say starting around June 14 when transiting Mars conjoins the transiting Ketu to conjoin the natal Saturn.

While there is likely going to be a single event that changes the race, I am also expecting Hillary's fortunes to improve perhaps as soon as the last week of May. This may not correspond to much improvement in her chances of winning right away, but look for hints of better coverage and small successes. This will be partially due to the retrograding of Mercury then, which occurs on May 26th, which his is often associated with reversals of established trends. The first significant indicator that Hillary's fortunes are looking up should come around June 3rd when transiting Mars conjoins its natal position in Hillary's chart. With Mars in her 10th house of status and leadership, this looks like a bold, assertive, in-your-face sort of move. This corresponds with the date of the last primary, so it likely has something to do with delegate counts and possibly the ongoing dispute over the Michigan and Florida delegates. It seems unlikely that Hillary can reverse this Obama coronation at the convention through purely tactical and legal means, since her aides admitted said that she still trails Obama even when potential delegates from MI and FL are included in the count. I think for the race to be recast, I think the scandal/big event scenario seems more likely. And yet, there is also a sense of a gradual shift in momentum that happens here over the course of June and beyond. I'll see if I can post something else if details become clearer to me.

Two other dates to watch out for are July 28th and August 5th. On July 28th, transiting Mars conjoins the natal Ketu of the Obama campaign chart. Since Hillary's chart has more or less the same placement of the nodes, this looks to be a sudden situation that catches people off guard, perhaps in both camps. What's worse for Obama is that this Mars will oppose his Venus which is often a sign of conflict, anger and loss of happiness. As I've mentioned before, the first week of August, These looks extremely volatile as tr Mars opposes tr Uranus. This will negatively activate the Mars in the Democratic Party chart as well as the Mars in Obama's birth chart. This appears to be the time of the most intense conflict and state of upset and division between the two rival campaigns. This fight may threaten the very existence of the Democratic Party.

In a nutshell, this race is far from over. And I still think Hillary Clinton will somehow emerge as the Democratic nominee.

When a split is really a win

Things are again looking very precarious for Hillary Clinton after Tuesday's primaries. Hillary Clinton did manage to split by winning Indiana but overall the night belonged to Barack Obama as he easily won North Carolina and increased his delegate and popular vote lead. Most pundits are now saying the race is essentially over and even Clinton supporter George McGovern has now suggested that she leave the race. My central focus last night was on how the tr Venus transiting over the Obama campaign chart's ascendant would manifest. Since this was a clear signal for happiness and rewards for Obama, I thought it might have meant a sweep for him. As it turned out, he did basically carry the evening by increasing his delegate and vote lead and stopped whatever momentum Hillary had as a result of the Wright controversy. Clearly, that campaign chart is correct and is a good barometer of how things are going. The Clinton win in IN also gave her reason to fight on and therefore also fulfills my prediction that Howard Dean would be somewhat frustrated by the events of last night (including the tardy Lake county results), as he seeks to end the race as soon as possible and avoid a damaging fight at the convention in August.

It's no secret that the coming days are going to be difficult for Hillary. She's had to loan her campaign $6.4 million to keep it going. There will likely be more superdelegates coming out for Obama to further increase the pressure on her to drop out. The astrological signs support this picture of a difficult time for her. A few dates stand out. First, I see that tr Mars and tr Moon will oppose the Sun in her campaign chart on May 10, which suggests conflict and stress from authority figures. This may manifest as a significant endorsement for Obama ahead of the West Virginia primary on May 13. Interestingly, this coincides with tr Mercury aspecting the natal Jupiter which can indicate some major news development. While not necessarily unfavourable, since it coincides with the Mars-Sun aspect, I don't see this as helpful to Hillary. It is conceivable there may be a silver lining here, although I wouldn't bet on it.

The other key date is the primary itself on May 13. There will be a rather close planetary alignment that day which features the Sun in a square to the nodes, Rahu and Ketu. And remember that Neptune is conjunct Rahu so that's essentially a four-planet pattern. The problem for Hillary is that this t-square is configured closely with her 1-7 axis (ascendant-descendant). While this is not inherently bad, the tr Sun will receive the exact aspect of her 10th house natal Saturn that night. While Saturn has some strength to bring fame by virtue of its 10th house placement, this square aspect is often a difficult energy to handle and often indicate loss (Saturn) of ego and vitality (Sun). Moreover, the tr Sun will conjoin Hillary's natal Rahu, which also tends to be problematic and speaks of situations that cause upset or are disruptive. Another potentially unhelpful aspect is formed by tr. 8th lord Mars which squares her natal Sun. While this infuses energy and combativeness, the square aspect is usually too much to deal with and since Mars is her 8th lord of obstacles and anxiety, this is a another clue that the evening will not go well. Of course, in Hillary's chart, Mars is placed in the 10th house of status and fame, so there is some kind of a boost in status here. But collectively, these planets suggest poor results.

On Obama's side, the picture is better. In his natal chart, on May 13, tr Sun and tr Jupiter form a grand trine with his natal Mars. This is a powerful and almost always positive pattern that is what one would expect for a victory. It's true that tr Mars is conjunct his Mercury so there will be some rancour and intense competition that day, but this is in keeping with a closely-fought election race. In his campaign chart, he is currently enjoying the fruits of a Jupiter station on his Midheaven (unequal 10th house cusp). This station (reversal of planetary direction) occurs on the 9th and will be trined by tr Sun on the 13th. This is a very significant marker for a successful endeavour. It's hard to see the outcome as anything but an Obama victory in West Virginia.

Since this is supposed to be a Hillary-friendly state, this may be part of an endgame that will play itself out in the coming days. It's worth noting that the grand trine that Obama's chart has with the Sun-Jupiter aspect is also seen in the chart of the Democratic Party since their Mars' are conjunct around 27-29 Leo. This likely reflects the Obama victory and the momentum he will gain when the party begins to rally to him. The grand trine is repeated a few days later on May 18th as Venus takes the place of the Sun. This may be another significant date in the campaign and may represent another boost for Obama and a further sense of resolution and calming in the party.

So is there any way Hillary can win this thing now? There's no question the short term astrological indicators look very challenging for her. From a purely political perspective, I don't know how she could possibly withstand another defeat and stay in the race. So I think there is a very real chance that she will pull out, either on the 13th or perhaps on the 18th. This isn't likely mind you, just a reflection of how difficult the transits at that time will be for her. I realize this makes mincemeat of my prediction that she would win, but given the forces aligned against her, this is going to be a very difficult time for her. Can she pull a rabbit out of her hat? I don't see this happening in the next couple of weeks. And yet I feel that the unresolved issues of Florida and Michigan will somehow continue to haunt this race. Early August appears to be a key moment where events and conflicts may overtake the campaign. Tr Saturn opposes natal Mercury in the Obama campaign chart suggesting obstacles or disappointments while Ketu conjoins the Uranus in the Democratic Party chart indicating possible sudden disruptive events. It's also possible that these patterns reflect Democrat setbacks in the election vs. the Republicans. Regardless, the convention promises to be lively to say the least.


What really makes me think that something hasn't been resolved yet is that the chart of Democratic Party is so troubled (May 13, 1792, shown at right). This makes me wonder what sort of new and unpredictable scenario may emerge between here to November. I note that in the spring of 1968, tr Pluto conjoined the natal Mars (27 Leo) of the Democratic Party chart. This coincided with the tumult within the party that arose after President Johnson refused to seek re-election in the wake of the ongoing protests against the Vietnam War. As a result, the race opened up to include anti-war candidates Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy. While RFK was assassinated, McCarthy ending up losing to pro-war Hubert Humphrey in a brokered convention where party insiders ruled the day. To cut to the chase: in November, Saturn and Uranus will form an opposition just two degrees from that Mars, with Saturn forming the conjunction. While this is a different energy than Pluto, it is still very disruptive and suggests that struggles and conflict will dog the party for most of the campaign. In fact, this almost looks like the party itself will be in turmoil near election day, and probably not just because of what transpires at the polls. It's hard to imagine what sort of unusual development this may indicate, but several options are possible, including the possibility that the Democrats will not be united. Saturn and Uranus are like opposites -- the rigid structure of tradition coming in contact with an indomitable Promethean energy. Moreover they are trying to find an accommodation through Mars, the planet of aggression and action. It's a tension-filled trinity of planets that will rule the US in November. One thing is for sure: this will not be a routine election from here on in. I will post more updates as time allows.

Obama slipping in latest polls

Hillary Clinton's campaign appears to be getting a double-barreled boost from her Pennsylvania win and the seemingly inexplicable desire of Rev. Jeremiah Wright to destroy Barack Obama's political future. The intense media scrutiny of Wright's comments and Obama's reaction to them has once again raised questions about his electability. Hillary has now moved into a statistical tie in national polls and more importantly ahead in Indiana, which votes on May 6. I had predicted an Obama setback around this time (May 2) and it seems that I was off a few days with the reigniting of the Wright controversy.

Given the current trends, it seems that my previous prediction -- although it was anything but confident -- of an Obama win in Indiana is going to be wrong. Given the current dynamics, it is hard to see how Hillary will lose Indiana. Certainly, this fits in with my larger prediction that she will win the nomination. Losing in Indiana would make that almost impossible, so I'm actually quite pleased that she's ahead there as it gives her a realistic chance. Nonetheless, from an astrological perspective, I still have to address some unanswered questions, specifically why is Venus rising in the Obama campaign chart on May 6th? It's conceivable that this may signal some setback because of Venus' natal conjunction with Rahu, but it's not at all what one would expect. And it's possible that the Venus (happiness) stands for some other favourable development in the campaign other than the Indiana result. Astrology is, above all, a science of inference. The other more unsettling possibility is that the campaign chart isn't actually that reliable. I'm not willing to go that far yet but a big Hillary win in Indiana that further encroaches on Obama's status as front runner will undermine my faith in it.

Given Howard Dean's likely preference for Obama, it's likely that the problems I saw in his chart for May 6th reflect Hillary winning. With her already widening the lead in the most recent Indiana polls, a Clinton win seems to be the most likely manifestation of Dean's annoyance and disappointment rather than my speculation of legal challenges of primary results on election night.

Although I had been predicting a Hillary win in this race for months, I couldn't quite see how she could actually do it in political terms given her deficit in delegate support. The ongoing media appetite for the Wright controversy and the related issue of Obama's inability to appeal to working class Democrats supplies the plausible answer to this puzzle. If she manages to win both IN and NC that would accelerate the questions about Obama. I still don't see her winning NC, but I have to be honest and say I can't see this one very clearly. Perhaps it means the results overall will be ambiguous, or perhaps it's just an artifact of my chart reading limitations.

I'm looking at the Sun-Saturn square near May 22nd as another potentially significant date for the campaign. This appears to favour Hillary because the transiting Sun, the 11th lord of gains, aspects her Jupiter in the 2nd house of status. In Obama's chart, by contrast, this completes the negative feedback look to his natal Taurus Moon. Given the proximity of the Kentucky and Oregon primaries on May 20th, I think this bodes well for Hillary's results there. I'll try to refine the predictions later on.

Democrats 24-7: from Pennsylvania to Indiana

Hillary Clinton managed to keep her nomination hopes alive after yet another back-to-the-wall primary victory, this time in Pennsylvania. The margin was a little short of the psychologically important 10%, but it has still managed to achieve the desired aim of forcing the media and party insiders to begin to question Barack Obama's ability to win the centrist Reagan Democrats. I had thought that a big win like this was possible on the basis of the grand trine in Hillary's chart, while Obama was suffering from the various afflictions in his natal and campaign charts. All in all, I'm satisfied that the essence of my forecast has largely come to pass.

The next primaries are set for May 6th in North Carolina and Indiana. With its large population of African American and university graduates, there is no doubt that Obama will win NC handily. The real focus is then on Indiana which arguably represents a more typical cross-section of voters where Hillary can press her case that she is the better candidate to win key swing states in the November election. Polls thus far show they are in a statistical tie.

This one is a tough call as there are good and bad indications for both candidates. At this point, I'm less certain about the outcome than I was for Texas and Ohio. One thing seems likely -- DNC Chair Howard Dean will not be happy with the outcome as the tr Moon-Mercury in the 12th house form a square to his 3rd house natal Saturn. This may be due to either 1) a Hillary win in Indiana which further intensifies the division in the party and draws out this internecine battle or 2) an Obama win that is disputed by the Hillary side on procedural or technical questions. The likelihood of bad blood is perhaps also in evidence in the chart of the Democratic Party where the tr Mars in the 6th from the Moon forms a t-square with the natal Saturn-Neptune opposition. This may simply represent a lot of disappointed Hillary supporters at a loss in a crucial primary, but I believe it signals something more problematic for the party. A more prosaic explanation would be that Hillary might lose but refuse to drop out of the race arguing that Indiana is not a must-win Democratic state, as say Pennsylvania or Ohio are. This would mean the nomination race would continue and Howard Dean would still be stuck in the middle of it all.

I had predicted that Obama would run into some headaches in the days leading up to the primary, say on May 2. While these may be temporarily damaging to him, there are good signs on election day for him such as tr Venus conjoining the ascendant of the campaign chart. While it is no guarantee of happiness and achievement especially given Venus' natal conjunction with Rahu which can sometimes destabilize Venus transits, it is still a generally favourable factor that seems to point to an Indiana victory.

Nonetheless, Hillary Clinton does have some positive influences on May 6th. Transiting Sun, as 11th lord of gains, will oppose her 1st lord Venus, for example. The combination of these two houses is often a sign of a reward or improvement. The difficulty here is that there isn't much else besides that as a signal for a win where one might expect here to be. So it's seems a little thin in the plus column and may only indicate some kind of silver lining to the day's events. Chelsea Clinton's chart also doesn't appear particularly strong on that date (e.g. tr Mars aspects her natal Ketu), so that is another potential sign that a win for Clinton may not happen in Indiana. While I'm less certain of this primary prediction than any other so far, my best guess then is that Obama will narrowly win Indiana and Hillary will somehow find a way to carry on.

One interesting side note is that when the winner is decided in the evening of May 6th, the Moon will conjoin Aldebaran in the middle of Taurus. This is a fixed star that is associated with royalty and popularity, and is associated with political power. On the surface that might represent the front runner Obama winning the day, as there may be a sense of crowning in the air. However, as fixed star expert Vivian Robson has written, "[Aldebaran's] benefits seldom prove lasting and there is also danger of violence and sickness." I'm not suggesting one has to take this literally as the violence may only be symbolic, such as Hillary Clinton calling the DNC on ongoing legality issues concerning the vote in MI and FL. Again, I don't want to make too much of this coincidence of the Moon's position on May 6th, but I thought it was worth a mention.

Regardless of what happens in IN and NC, I am still predicting that Hillary will win the nomination. I would currently put my confidence level at 70%, indicating that this is the most likely outcome although not quite in the 'sure thing' category. For comparison's sake, current sentiment on Intrade.com puts her chances at about 17%.

Debate puts Obama on the defensive

By most accounts, Hillary Clinton came out of last night's Pennsylvania debate looking better than Barack Obama, who was put on the defensive for much of the evening. This largely confirms my April 2 forecast that Hillary would perform well in the debate while Obama would have problems:

"The April 16th debate looks very good for Hillary. Venus is conjunct her natal part of fortune on that day which usually indicates situations that work in one's favour. Also transiting Sun and Mercury will be aspected by his natal Rahu. This usually signals an awkward and unfavourable situation. He may come off as overly combative or perhaps just a little out of control here and his arguments will not be effective."

While Obama was never "out of control", several journalists have noted how weak some of explanations were for his recent gaffes and miscues.

The PA primary is next on the 22nd and Hillary is poised to win. The question is: by how much? I think she still has a shot at the crucial 10 point margin of victory, although I wonder if some of the strength in Obama's campaign chart might be a signal that the margin is narrower (less than 10%), and hence the victory might only be symbolic, as HRC would only cut into Obama's delegate lead marginally. While this weaker sort of victory is possible, I think a more convincing double-digit win is the most likely scenario. I don't foresee any significant negative news for Hillary in the days leading up to the primary that would reduce her current lead, which has been measured at about 5 points.

After the primary, Hillary may suffer some kind of setback around Apr 28 when tr Mercury conjoins her natal Rahu and comes under the aspect of Saturn. This looks embarrassing but I don't think this will do any lasting damage but it will only be in the news cycle for a couple of days. It may involve leaders or authority figures (esp foreign or hidden ones) whose words jeopardize her integrity and threaten her position. Obama will have to deal with a problem of his own around May 2nd, so that is likely to shift attention away from Hillary's difficulties. This May 2nd situation looks like it may rekindle more realistic hopes that the nomination is actually winnable. That seems improbable now, but it's a date worth watching.

Obama busted on "bitter" comments

Barack Obama has provided the most recent gaffe on the campaign trail with his comments on April 11 that small town Pennsylvania voters were bitter, religious, gun-toting xenophobes. Both Hillary and John McCain have suggested that the remarks are a sign that Obama is arrogant, elitist and out of touch with American reality.

This fits with my April 2 prediction that Hillary would experience a small boost from an intensification of the campaign at this time:

"For the next few weeks, I think her campaign will continue to be regarded as a long shot without any real chance of winning. There will be more little points scored along the way on both sides of course. Look for an intensification of the sniping and mud-slinging on both sides around April 11th. I think Hillary will gain a small advantage from that phase."

Although it is debatable if the campaign has actually become dirtier, there's no doubt that Hillary has scored some points over this, and the remarks were made on April 11th, right on schedule. This occurred as transiting Mars fell under the aspect the natal Rahu in both the campaign charts. Since the campaigns were launched just a few weeks from each other, the nodes are less than a degree apart. In Obama's case, the proximity of the Mars to his campaign chart's IC makes it worse for him. Also Sun, Mercury and Venus are transiting through Pisces the Obama campaign's 12th house which is a weakening effect, while they are moving through Hillary's second house which is more positive for communicating since the second house rules speech.

This gaffe gives Hillary some potentially useful talking points against Obama in the upcoming debate on the 16th. I am still predicting that she will peform much better than Obama there. If this 'elitist' label starts to stick to Obama, then it will likely give Hillary the boost her campaign needs to win Pennsylvania by at least 10 points. While the astrology favours Hillary in PA (60-40!), I was still having difficult seeing how it would actually happen in reality. Now with Obama's "bitter" comments, one can see how Hillary can gain the strategic advantage and storm to victory on the 22nd.

Olympic torch relay protests

China's problems are not getting any better as pro-Tibetan protests caused the Olympic flame do go out at least five times today in the relay through Paris. The rest of the relay through France has been cancelled.

This is more or less in keeping with my prediction that China's international reputation would be sullied as transiting Mars squared all of its 9th house planets in early April. I can see this tarnishing of China's image continuing for the rest of the week at least, as tr Mars (21 Gemini) will activate the natal Neptune-Ketu conjunction. April 12-15 looks especially damaging to China as the Ketu aspect is more exact. This may be a outbreak of significant violence in the relay which may intensify calls for a boycott, at least of the opening ceremonies. This has already been suggested by some EU members as a possible course of action and is the official position of some Tibetan protest groups.