The election on November 6th features the Sun at 14 Scorpio, and for most, that’s as far as it goes. But old Sol is not traveling alone; among his peeps are an asteroid entourage including America, Pandora, Tantalus and Ohio.
Two of these are pretty self-explanatory. Having asteroid America at 17 Scorpio with the Sun on the day the US selects its next leader is no big surprise, at least not if you’re familiar with asteroid dynamics.
For Barack Obama, natal Washingtonia at 7 Capricorn exactly squares natal America at 7 Libra, and this aptly describes the focus of his first presidential campaign - pitting himself as the representative of the voice of the people (America) versus (square) its government (Washingtonia). Unfortunately, since Obama now is the government he once opposed, he can be seen as part of the problem, and this dramatic transformation in status is well depicted by transit Pluto’s appearance at 7 Capricorn on Election Day, exactly on that natal Washingtonia. Does this combination offer Obama a devastating loss, or a phoenix-like rebirth? Both are Pluto-ruled. Washingtonia in the sky at 3 Aquarius is still conjoined Obama’s natal Jupiter, ruling politics and prestige, at 0 Aquarius, but it’s separating, perhaps prefiguring Obama’s own departure from Washington politics.
And with politics the order of the day, we can look at Jupiter’s placement vis-a-vis Election Day asteroids. At 14 Gemini, Jupiter forms an exact Grand Cross with asteroids Karma at 14 Virgo, Panacea at 14 Pisces and Juno at 14 Sagittarius, bringing together factors which describe the consequences of our prior actions (Karma) with a desire for a cure-all, a quick easy fix to our problems (Panacea), and a feeling of being dis-empowered or disenfranchised (Juno), which will be the literal case for millions of Americans this year due to voter suppression tactics in key battleground states. Jupiter is also conjoined by Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO) Chaos at 16 Gemini, a minor planet with effects pretty much what you’d expect, given its name - confusion, disorder, and general pandemonium, none of which augurs well for our politics, but all of which pretty ably describes it.
Panacea served Obama well in 2008 - it conjoins his natal Sun from 10 Leo, helping to catapult the “hope and change” candidate to the Oval Office, as voters embraced the blank slate he offered and projected their preferred remedies onto it. But that change didn’t completely materialize, the hope is running dry, and this year, that quick-fix Panacea seems to be in Romney’s camp.
Natally, Panacea also holds a strong position in Romney’s chart, appearing at 0 Sagittarius closely conjoined the 1 Sagittarius Descendant, the way we interact with others and the alliances we form. It’s also within orb of an exact Moon/Jupiter pairing at 27 Scorpio, representing political (Jupiter) popularity (Moon). And on election Day, Panacea at 14 Pisces is on Romeny’s 13 Pisces Mercury (his message and the vote) and 21 Pisces Sun, as well as traveling in the sky with asteroid Willaert at 8 Pisces.
Willaert is a variation on “Willard”, Romney’s given first name, and its inclusion with Panacea while transiting Romney’s Sun and Mercury could suggest that Americans view the GOP candidate as the cure-all for their ills. (Willaert in Obama’s 2012 solar return chart falls at 22 Pisces, closely conjunct his natal Achilles at 24 Pisces, implying that Romney could be Obama’s Achilles heel, a weak spot or point of undoing, this year.)
At 8 Pisces, Willaert is also in sextile to transit Pluto (offering power) at 7 Capricorn and exactly trine Obama’s natal Neptune (disappointment) at 8 Scorpio, while exactly conjunct his solar return Chiron (wounding) and closely squared solar return Nemesis (undoing) at 9 Sagittarius. In contrast, Willaert is exactly squared Romney’s 2012 solar return North Node (his future) at 8 Sagittarius and closely trine his solar return MC (career, worldly status) at 7 Scorpio.
How pivotal any of this is to the outcome remains to be seen, as asteroids, while highly descriptive of the situation, do not necessarily predict an outcome. Their role is more to fill in the gaps of our knowledge, providing the astro-reporter’s answers to the Who, Where and Why of the What in question. But they sure provide food for thought...
Find out where your Washingtonia is, or any of the asteroids mentioned in this article:
Most astrologers don’t use the minor bodies of the solar system; many are not even aware of them, beyond a passing recognition that they do in fact exist. But there are more than 15,000 named asteroids and minor planets, with names culled from rich mythic origins like Eros, Achilles, Osiris and Atropos. There are names of countries and cities, like Libya, Manhattan, Washingtonia and America; “regular people” names like Barry, Julia, Paul and Kate, and common surnames like Smith, Miller, Jones and Williams; prosaic names like Beer, Petunia, Fireman and Storm. Many of these names show up in significant aspect in charts of events which feature these mythic themes or actual people, places and things.
And the 2012 US presidential election is no exception. A spate of minor bodies interacting on the day, and with the charts of the two candidates, can give us clues into how the day might play out. So let’s put on that asteroid detective’s hat and get crackin’!
Asteroids and the
2012 Election
and he can be reached for comment or astrological services at glaktix@verizon.net.
Alex Miller is a writer and astrologer specializing in deep space points, asteroids and minor planets of our solar system. His work appears monthly at daykeeperjournal.com
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Pandora and Tantalus are perhaps a little less obvious. Pandora here suggests that we’re about to receive some unintended consequences, whatever choice we make. Open that forbidden (ballot) box, and who knows what evils we unleash? Pandora is also exactly squared Mitt Romney’s natal Pluto at 11 Leo - can we trust him with the world’s most powerful office, or will devastation and destruction on a global scale ensue, such as more wars with Muslim countries like Iran?
Tantalus represents many things, including the commission of heinous crimes (and in my opinion, vote suppression and tampering ranks right up there, and both are likely in play this election). But Tantalus is chiefly remembered as the source of our English word “tantalize,” meaning “to tempt or tease with something desired that is always just out of reach, unattainable.” Whatever that may say about our choices for president this year, it’s a fact that Tantalus at 12 Scorpio is exactly squared Barack Obama’s natal Sun at 12 Leo , and he greatly desires a second term - will Tantalus keep it from his grasp?
Also active on Election Day is asteroid Washingtonia, representing the nation’s capitol. At 3 Aquarius, Washingtonia is exactly squared to transit Saturn, representing the US presidency, at 3 Scorpio. Again, not a shocking combination, if you know asteroids.
But it’s also active in the charts of both candidates. For Mitt Romney, natal Washingtonia at 3 Leo is closely aligned with Saturn at 2 Leo. This implies that at some point, Washington will be pivotal in his career, which is Saturn-ruled (he also has asteroid Massachusetts just a degree off his natal Pluto, identifying the state he governed as the source of his political power). And this also reiterates the Saturn/Washingtonia theme of the day, perhaps giving Romney an edge. Further, with Washingtonia exactly opposed its natal degree in Romney’s chart on Election Day, there is a sense of that natal potential coming to fruition, with the opposition aspect reflecting the illuminative, completing, high tide power of the Full Moon.
And Ohio here? At 24 Scorpio, it’s a bit wide, at the edge of the Sun’s influence (but also conjoined the North Node, our future, at 28 Scorpio), yet it still shows the importance of that state to the day’s outcome, which many think may well depend on how the Buckeye State weighs in.
