Democratic Leadership Contest

On “Super Tuesday” last week, the search for a hopeful to oust Donald Trump from office took an unexpected turn, when candidates pulled out and gave their backing to Joe Biden, and he experienced a huge upturn in his chances against Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders

Bernie has often been described as the U.S. counterpart of our Jeremy Corbyn, a genuine socialist with special appeal to young voters.  But as a country, the U.S. is even less likely to vote in a left leaning government.

The Sun in Virgo suggest a purist in some form, in this case in ideology.  It is situated in his 10th House of Career and Politics, and he has been unwavering throughout his life in his ideals.  The Sun is loosely conjunct the North Node too, indicating a leader.  The North Node also conjuncts Neptune, adding the flavour of a spiritual leader. With the Sun (self-expression), the Midheaven (Careerpoint), and the North Node (karmic mission) all in Virgo in his 10th House, his path has been clear and certain, but not supported enough by the voting population to put him in power (as yet).  His bid for leadership against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election was defeated.  He is a cheerful and enthusiastic warrior, with the Moon conjunct Mars in Aries sextile exactly with Jupiter.  He has a keen mind, with Mercury trine Saturn (mental application), Mercury trine Uranus (mental briliance), Mercury sextile Pluto (a deep thinker) and Mercury conjunct Neptune (oratory, perhaps even channelling).  He has popularity and social skills (Venus trine Jupiter), and is peace-loving (Mercury and Venus in Libra).  He is able to combine sensitivity and practicality (Saturn trine closely Neptune), and able to take in complexity (Uranus trine Neptune).

He was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, who lost several members in the Holocaust in Poland.  Early in life he joined peace, non-violent and anti-war movements, and attended the march where Martin Luther King’s delivered his “I have a dream” speech.  While at Chicago University (studying for a degree in political science) he joined in various protest movements, and helped to end some racial segregation.  Building a political career after University, he took various jobs, including carpentry, which is a Virgoan skill.  He became Mayor of Burlington Vermont in 1980, a post he held until 1989, achieving a great deal in that time.  He went on to become a Senator in 2007.  Although not achieving high office directly, he has been known to be able to influence various amendments to legislations.  He opposed the Gulf War in 1991 and the Iraq war in 2003.

At the age of 78, his health has been of concern recently.  On 1st October 2019 he experienced chest pains and was hospitalized.  It was later apparent that he had had a heart attack (Uranus was square to his natal Pluto in Leo in his 9th House at the time), but by December he had produced a clean bill of health.

His transits for the leadership election in June include: Mars opposite his natal Sun (will need to look after his heart), Jupiter trine his natal Neptune (some uplift), Uranus trine his natal Midheaven (an unexpected opportunity), but with two squares.  They are Uranus square his natal Chiron (again, a health caution), and Pluto square his natal Mars (again some physical danger).  There is also some strength and protection from Pluto sextile his Ascendant, so a mixed bag, and a set of extremes.  His transits for the Presidential election in November show Jupiter square his natal Venus (some social awkwardness), Saturn trine his natal Neptune (as at birth, showing poise), Uranus still trine his natal Midheaven (a turning point in fortunes), Pluto square his natal Venus (difficulty in his private life) and Pluto trine his natal North Node (an important moment karmically).

Joe Biden

Joe Biden has many points of similarity in his chart when compared to Bernie Sanders, and some of those are due to his being a similar age (now aged 77, he was born 14 months after Bernie).  One way in which he is opposite in nature is that Bernie has 0 planets in the emotional Water element, while Joe has half his planets (5) in Water. Joe also has over half his planets (6) in  the Fixed signs, giving him a very strong will.  He has the Sun plus three other planets in the sign of Scorpio in his 12th House, and has had more than his fair share of drama during his life.  He has endured much hardship, but with the Sun trine Jupiter he has been strong and positive.  Both Joe and Bernie have the groundbreaking Saturn/Uranus conjunction in Taurus of their time, but Joe’s is wide, and Bernie’s is close (iconoclasmic, as applied to his revolutionary political views). However, Joe has the Rebel Archetype (Sun opposite Uranus), though he is seen much more as a tried and trusted figure (having served successfully under Barak Obama as Vice President).  With the Sun sextile Neptune, Joe is compassionate.  He definitely has power issues, with the Sun conjunct the Ascendant in the 12th House (he has certainly acted the role of the power behind the throne), but the Sun squaring the Nodal Axis means he has power issues to work through from past lives.  His North Node in powerful Leo is exactly conjunct Chiron, which suggests a karmic mission involving healing – has he come to heal the Democratic Party at this point in time?  Like Bernie, he has the Midheaven in Virgo in 10th House, and they both have the social graces of Venus trine Jupiter in their charts.  They both have Saturn opposite the Ascendant (a struggle for recognition, perhaps?).

Biden hails from Scranton in Pennsylvania, and served as U.S. Senator for Delaware from 1972.  Like Sanders, he opposed the Gulf War of 1991, but in contrast he voted to authorize the Iraq War of 2003.  He became the running mate to Barak Obama in 2008 and served as Vice President until 2016, serving two terms.  He announced he would run for president in this present contest on 25th April 2019, with Saturn trine his natal Midheaven in Virgo in 10th House (slow and steady wins the race?).

Joe married his first wife at the age of 23, but she was killed in a car accident in 1972 together with their daughter, and he was left to bring up two sons as a single parent, while juggling his political career.  Shortly afterwards, in January 1973, he became a Senator.  He met his second wife, Jill, in 1975 and they married in 1977. In 1988 Joe suffered two brain aneurysms, necessitating brain surgery, and made a full recovery.  As mentioned, Joe Biden’s life has not been easy, and in addition to the earlier tragedies, one of his sons, Beau, died in 2015 of brain cancer.

Writing yesterday in the Guardian, Jonathan Freedland described Biden: “… the face it chose was a familiar one, belonging to a man whom Democrats feel they’ve known for ever, whom most of them trust and like. Even the voters I met who were not backing Joe Biden described him the same way: as a ‘good man’, as a ‘really decent person’, as someone of warmth and ’empathy’.”  However, there has been some concern for his health, as with Bernie’s, especially in terms of his rambling speech and gaffes, tripping over his tongue.

As to his transits, before we even get to the leadership contest, Biden has Saturn squaring his Moon around 6th April this year, which may be connected with his wife or domestic life.  This difficult personal square recurs around 26th December.  He also has Neptune opposite his Midheaven in April and in the Summer, which may make him feel at sea.  Uranus squares his Pluto in May and again in December, which is additionally disruptive.  So the campaign trail is going to be arduous for him.  At the time of the choice of leader, Pluto will be opposite his natal Jupiter (a bid for power) and Saturn will be trine his natal Neptune (which Sanders has at the time of the presidential election).  At the time of the presidential election, Joe Biden has Jupiter sextile his natal Mercury (which is mentally upbeat) and Chiron trine his natal Pluto (which is profoundly helpful).  Neither Sanders nor Biden have glowing transits, but Biden has slightly better transits.

Donald Trump at the time of the presidential election will have: Uranus sextile his natal Mercury (surprise), Saturn opposite his Venus (heartache), Neptune square his Uranus (confusion) and Chiron opposite his Neptune (more confusion).  Although this is a mixed bag, there is enough difficulty there to possibly topple him…

Aspects

We start the week with today’s conjunction between the Sun and Neptune at 18 degrees Pisces.  We may wonder where we are, struggling to get our bearings.  If we can establish where we are, we may be able to access higher inspiration for whatever we are engaged upon.  It is a day when progress can be made on subtle and spiritual issues, with memorable ephemeral experiences.

Another conjunction follows this evening, which is convivial and socially stimulating: Venus conjunct Uranus at 4 degrees Taurus.  If you have been working over the weekend, you can let your hair down this Sunday evening!  It is a vibrant social aspect, which may carry an element of serendipity.  People may question your sanity, however, or you theirs.

Tomorrow (Monday 9th) there is a Full Moon in Virgo, so again there may be some strangeness in the air, building up to early evening.  Things may not be all they seem, and emotions may be running high.  Or people may be looking industrious, but underneath their desks they may be doing a riverdance (!). If you have health issues, or ecological interests, focus on your best outcomes, and release negativity and paranoia.

For some Tuesday (10th) will be a saving grace, as Mercury will be stationary, prior to turning Direct.  You might actually be able to sit at your desk, concentrate, and achieve something.  Forge ahead with your paperwork and documentation, and with regard to transport know that you will have more chance of arriving on time.

Wednesday (11th) brings the brightest aspect  of the day, and one of the brightest of the year: Sun sextile Jupiter.  Where there has been dejection, it is time to let in hope, or even celebration.  It will certainly be lucky for some.  Focus on what makes you happy, and make more of that.

We finish the week, on Saturday (14th) with a sextile between Mars and Neptune, which favours the combining of spiritual focus with the physical exercise.  A moving meditation, yoga, Qijong and Tai Chi are some ways in which you can achieve the most from this combination.

But the planets have not finished with us, for mid-afternoon on Saturday the Sun sextiles Pluto, so we have two sextiles on that day.  This finishes the day and the week on a profoundly satisfying note in some way.  Delve deep into your psyche and into the issues which need solving in your world, and find holistic solutions.  Then perhaps apply your solutions to the wider concerns in the world.  There is a You Tube video available by Chris Griscom on how to deal with the coronavirus, from a spiritual perspective.  She makes a few useful recommendations, which you might like to try out.

The week has two conjunctions, which may make it an intense week, mainly in a good way.  The two sextiles at the end of the week could leave you feeling you have accomplished something of lasting value.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – spiritual focus; sparkling social life
  • Tomorrow – emotional high tide
  • Tuesday – improved communications
  • Wednesday – lucky day
  • Saturday – combining the spiritual and the physical; profound work