Astro Analysis of Barack Obama

We finally got a birth time for Barack Obama. People were raising doubts about whether or not he was born in the U.S or in Kenya which forced his staff to release his birth certificate on the internet. .  Do I sense some sneaky astrologers behind this event?  The new time is 7:24 PM on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii,  which gives him an Aquarius Ascendant, Gemini Moon and Leo Sun.  This chart looks much better for a Win than the previous time we had of 1:06 PM.

 

The previous time we had gave him a Scorpio Ascendant and a Taurus Moon.  Looking at the prior chart, I couldn’t understand how he could be an agent of change with three fixed signs-- (Leo, Taurus and Scorpio).  I didn’t know if he was putting us on or we were seeing something that wasn’t there.  Now with Aquarius rising and a Gemini moon, I certainly believe he is the right person to bring change.  He also has an abundance of Neptune energy and Neptune rules idealism and belief.  The Obama bumber sticker “Change we can believe in”  an exact reflection of his chart. 

 

I analyze birth charts by looking at the archetypes, or in other words, daimon’s or Gods and Goddesses. As Hillman’s states in his book, The Soul’s Code, “The soul of each of us is given a unique daimon before we are born and it has selected an image or pattern that we live on earth….the daimon is the carrier of our destiny”.  Plato said that before we come to earth a God or Goddess stamps us on the forehead and says, “go to earth and do what I did”. Thus we are born with unconscious drives and motivations.   The ancients Greeks called this energy the gods, Hillman calls them daimons and Jung called them archetypes.   Archetypes are unconscious clusters of behaviors, and  patterns of emotions and mental constructs.  I believe that becoming conscious of the archetypes in your psyche allows you to express them in a more mature and enlightened manner.  Astrological signs are the archetypes.  They are more profound then simply a list of qualities of behavior, they are a mythos, a schema, and a plan that is imaged in a story--a pattern of development. The classical myths and fairy tales were written about these archetypes.  These stories and our birth chart can help us learn about the archetypes in our psyche.  The most important archetypes in our birth chart are revealed by the sign of the Sun, the Moon and the Ascendant

 

The Sun in the chart represents the Self, the core identity--what we are to become.  In Obama’s chart, the Sun is in Leo, the Benevolent King.  Leo’s are destined to be the center of attention or the head of state.  It is a warm, fixed, extroverted, fire sign¹.  We look to Leo’s to lead. This is a great sign for a president.

 

The sign on the Ascendant in our birth chart represents the archetype that we project out into the world and how the world views us.  It is similar to the persona in Jungian psychology. In Obama’s chart, his Ascendant sign is Aquarius. This archetype is best personified by Prometheus, the only god who was a humanitarian.  If you remember, he rebelled against the gods to bring fire to mankind.  We see him as someone who will rebel against his class, in this case the political system, and bring change to save us.  Aquarius is the sign that signifies the revolutionary, the change maker.  It is ruled by Uranus which was discovered around the time of the French and American Revolution. 

 

The Moon in the birth chart represents the inner child, our hidden emotional nature.  It is similar to the personal unconscious in Jungian Psychology.   Obama has the Moon in Gemini.  Gemini is a mutable sign.  I think it is better to have the moon in a strong sign such as a cardinal or a fixed sign.  The Moon is our inner core.  And when things get really tough it is good to have a solid center.  This Moon may be too weak but can be helped by having a really strong partner.  Gemini is also Peter Pan who doesn’t want to grow up and leaves his shadow in the drawer.  Gemini’s don’t like to face anything difficult, but they are very verbal because Gemini is also the Bugs Bunny archetype.  He has a great gift for communication, this will be a tremendous help in debates and fielding questions from the press.  Gemini’s are not afraid to change their minds.  This may be why he has been accused of flip flopping on issues.

 

His Moon in Gemini is in a challenging square to Uranus and Pluto which may indicate deep emotional wounds acquired during his childhood and from dealing with women; he may see women as unpredictable and controlling.  The Moon is also his inner nature, which in this case could cause his emotional nature to be demanding and erratic.  He could suddenly change direction.  I found a definition for these three planets in aspect in an old astrology book by  Reinhold Ebertin who said that the Moon with Uranus and Pluto shows a destiny of  “building anew upon ruins.”  A very apt description of what he will need to do if he is elected president.

 

Neptune is very strong in Obama’s chart.  It is the most elevated planet, the only planet that aspects the Sun; it squares Mercury and Jupiter and is the apex of a Fixed T-Square². Traditional Neptune outlets are art, theatre, dance and music. Neptune wants to escape reality.  If it doesn’t have these outlets it can lead to addictive behavior.  With Neptune, dealing with practical realities may be too demanding and unfulfilling.  There could be unrealistic goals, self-deception, escapism and hidden psychological weaknesses or blind-spots.  He may protect himself from harsh reality by distorting whatever filters through his emotions.  He needs to learn discrimination.  Psyche, a good example of a Neptune archetype, lived in an unconscious state with Eros until she was told by her sisters (her other self) to bring a knife and a lamp to bed to see who her husband really was.  She was punished for disobeying her husband by being sent to the underworld.  There she had to sort seeds, discriminating one seed from another.  Has Obama learned discrimination? This is a very important question in this chart.

 

 Neptune types can draw people to them who are deceptive and dishonest.  I see Neptune types as victims of vampires, those people who are looking for power and energy and can suck a Neptune type dry because Neptunes don’t have strong boundaries.   Neptunes need to be in a safe environment.  There is a strong feeling of compassion and need to serve with Neptune, but also a yearning to escape when things get really tough.  His Neptune gives Obama an air of vulnerability that is very appealing.

 

Neptune represents yearnings. With Neptune square the Sun he yearns for the ideal.  But Neptune also sets up confusion; there could be self deception, delusions and again, no boundaries.  He sets a very high standard for himself.  His expectations of what he can accomplish may be too high.    Neptune types can become martyrs, or victims.  He could be disillusioned when things don’t work out as he had envisioned. The challenge with this aspect is to make dreams happen. He can be a great inspiration to others as we have seen with the huge crowds of people who are feeling energized by him.  With Neptune square his Mercury he is highly creative and imaginative.  He has a gift for distorting reality.  He may have problems separating fact from fiction.

 

Obama has both Jupiter and Saturn aspecting his Mercury.  Jupiter would make him very broad minded and tolerant.  He hopes for the best and is optimistic. He is interested in philosophy, religion, education, law and politics. He focuses on the future and has a lot of knowledge about many subjects.   He is an inspirational speaker.  On the downside he could exaggerate, overstate his case, be careless in speech, and be arrogant about opinions. He can be over-confident especially with his Mercury being in Leo.  There could be a lack of clear judgment.  Jupiter is optimistic but also excessive.  This is mitigated by the fact that his Mercury is also opposite Saturn.  The Jupiter aspect is a much tighter orb and I think will be stronger.

 

Saturn represents a craving and a fear around whichever planet it aspects.  In aspect to Mercury, there is a craving and a fear around knowledge.  He wants to know everything but is afraid he doesn’t know enough.  He didn’t feel smart enough as a child.  Saturn aspects also indicate a craving for the father.  He is looking for a wise man for a father figure to give him advice.  But this Saturn aspect means that he is destined to become the father himself.  This aspect is very good for writers, teachers and lecturers; it indicates a logical, systematic thinker.  It is very serious and tends to melancholy, but the Jupiter would balance that. 

 

Both his Mercury and his Moon are heavily aspected.  His has 5 aspects to the Moon and four to the Mercury.  The mind, thinking, writing and speaking are a big part of his life and he is very intelligent and imaginative.  Both of the books he has written became best sellers.

 

The Moon aspects represent his inner emotional nature and I wonder if he has worked on that part of himself.  The Moon is the hidden part of us.   Both his Ascendant and Moon are in air signs I and believe these signs do not like delving into their psyche to dredge up some shadow material.  Air signs and the Neptune types would rather go into denial.  I hope his emotions and his problems with women don’t trip him up someway.  Air signs want to talk, think, write, communicate and network.  They love theories and ideas.  They like to collect information and communicate it.  His other sign is Leo which is fire.  Fire signs also don’t like dealing with the deep psychological stuff either.  They are too busy being active

 

My astrologer friend Robert Hand says that “You don’t know how much consciousness is pumped into a chart”.  That is true and that is why when I do astrological counseling I never try to analyze a chart of someone who is not there in front of me or on the phone to give me feedback.  I don’t know how much Obama has worked on himself.  Each archetype has an evolved and unevolved or mature and immature aspect.  My experience has been that we have to be introspective, have learned something from our suffering and work on ourselves to manifest the higher elements of the archetypes.  My experience also has shown me that it is difficult to have worked on yourself and have all the archetypes operating in a conscious manner if you are only 47 years old.   Usually the way we evolve is that we work on our charts one archetype at a time and by the time we are 60, or more times than not 70, there is a chance that we have the entire chart humming along in a compassionate, conscious manner. 

 

No, I am not going to predict who will win the election.  I am batting zero in that area.  I thought Gore would win because I could see success in the chart but he lost the election and got the Nobel Prize instead. It would be presumptive of any astrologer to be sure of how the astrological energy of any aspect and transits will specifically manifest itself

 

But, now I will look to see what impact the transits and progressions will have on his chart the coming year.  Two important major cycles I look at to see where someone is in their life and if they are they on their way up or down is the Secondary Moon phase and transiting Saturn.

 

Obama is now in a Gibbous Moon phase which means that he is  moving toward the Full Moon phase where he will reap the rewards of all of his past actions and hard work during the last 14 years. The Full Moon phase for him will occur in 2011.  The Gibbous Phase is a growing phase where he can see his rewards in the distance and is working toward them

 

Transiting Saturn is now in his 7^th house.  He is in the stage of the Hero’s journey where he is returning to the tribe to bring his gift to mankind. The hero's journey is a key theme in myths, fairy tales and stories from the beginning of time and throughout the world.  The Hero goes on a journey, meets a challenge and returns home with a gift, a treasure or his wisdom.  The Hero's return is celebrated, and life is transformed by his journey.  The 7^th house is also called the debut point in the chart.  It comes after 14 years in the underworld where the Hero has worked hard with no recognition and now comes up to the upper world where other’s see and respect all he has done and he starts his rise to power.  Obama made the debut in 2006 and he will climb toward success until 2015 when he will hear the call to adventure and want to do something different in his life.
   

Joseph Campbell writes that Returning to the Tribe can be a dangerous part of the Hero’s Journey.  Cambell said three things can happen when you try to return with your gift.  One problem is that the tribe does not accept your gift and you can either give up and go back into hiding or, two, you can sacrifice your gift to be accepted, to fit in.  The third way is to give a little of what you have to offer and wait for the world’s ability to receive it.  Both the Moon phase and the Saturn phase indicate that Obama he is on his way up.  He is headed for more and more success.

 

There are two major problems this year that he will run into on the way.  First of all there is a Lunar Eclipse on August 16, 2008 that will conjunct his natal Uranus in the 7^th house.  An eclipse represents a crises and on Uranus it can mean a disruption, a sudden turn of events.  It’s in the 7^th house of other people or his partner. The 7^th is the house of open enemies.  An eclipse here means that some major relationships will be transformed.

 

Second, transiting Uranus is opposite Mars.  This aspect repeats three times, the first time was on Jun 12, 2008, next is July 10, 2008 and the third pass will be March 12, 2009.  When a transiting planet makes three passes, there is usually a hint on the first pass as to how it will manifest.  Any problem he had in June will repeat.  This aspect can cause sudden trauma, sudden upsets or unexpected shocks.  He may come under attack.  He needs to be careful as this can manifest as an accident caused by him being too impulsive or rash.

 

To become president a candidate has to have a strong connection to the United States chart which represents “us” as a collective.  His Uranus at 25 Leo is exactly opposite the US Moon at 25 Aquarius.  We deeply resonate to his ideas of change.  Also, his Neptune is conjunct the Ascendant of the US.  We look to him to satisfy our collective hopes and wishes.

 

On election day, we will all experience a transiting Uranus opposite transiting Saturn aspect which portrays a battle between the status quo (Saturn) against the forces of dynamic change (Uranus).    Since Obama has Aquarius rising, ruled by Uranus and Uranus is transiting his 1^st house, we know that he is representing Uranus on Election Day.

 

On Inauguration Day, Obama has a lovely progressed Sun in sextile to his Midheaven  of fame.  This shows an assumption of power.  This is not a guarantee of a win, but it is a good indication of public recognition at that time. Also, his Jupiter and Saturn are on either side of the MC in the inauguration chart, a very good sign of a successful day.  But, I haven’t looked at John McCain’s chart yet in this kind of depth.

 

An interesting point about this election year is that we had 3 people running who were born in three different Pluto generations³.  The sign Pluto is in tells the overall focus of that generation.  McCain was born with Pluto in Cancer, a generation focused on home, family and country.

Hillary Clinton was born with Pluto in Leo, the me generation; the generation that wants to achieve and actualize themselves.  Obama was born with Pluto in Virgo, the generation that wants to serve.  Virgo wants to be efficient, fix what is broken, clean up the environment.  This year, the Virgo generation, especially those born in 1961, is experiencing transiting Saturn on their natal Pluto which is a time that they can transform and manifest the power of service.  If elected, he will be the standard bearer for the entire generation of Pluto in Virgo.

 

I wish him safety and good fortune.

 

Janet Kane

 

⁽¹⁾ Mutable signs are Gemini, Pisces, and Virgo.  They are flexible.

Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo and Aquarius.  They are steadfast and loyal

Cardinal signs are Aries, Libra and Capricorn.  They are outgoing and dynamic

Air signs – Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.  They are thinkers and communicators.

Fire signs – Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries. They are intuitive and creative

Water signs – Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.  They are emotional and  sensitive

Earth signs – Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.  They are practical and efficient

 

⁽²⁾    Three planets squaring each other in fixed signs

⁽³⁾    Pluto in Cancer Generation – Those born in1914-1938

Pluto in Leo Generation – Those born in 1939-1956

Pluto in Virgo Generation – Those born in 1957-1972