(This
article first appeared in the online magazine Reality
Sandwich on June 13th, 1008.)
Election Day 2008 is marked
by a planetary combination symbolizing the angst-generating tension between
stasis and change.
Every four years, the global community of
astrologers does its best to predict the outcome of the U.S. presidential
election. Given that astrology can be as much a mantic art as it is a
science, and that astrologers are as subject to political prejudices as anyone
else, the results are sometimes mixed. However, often the most
interesting information gleaned from an astrological analysis of an election is
not who will win, but a description of conditions surrounding the winning.
For example, in 2000, a number of astrologers clearly
foresaw the uncertainty and "irregularities" surrounding the
electoral process. Jim Shawvan, a San Diego astrologer, published the
following on the astrological web site StarIQ.com:
The election may be so close in some states that it
may be several days before the actual electoral college votes can be tallied
with accuracy. This could involve the counting of absentee ballots, and
possible charges of fraud or irregularities in some places. As of election
night, it may look very much like a Bush victory, but uncertainty may develop
as the count goes on.
There were other notable hits. Astrologer Jacob
Schwartz of Philadelphia predicted a long delay in the electoral decision, a
situation not usually anticipated in a typical election. Uncannily, he
also predicted that Gore would win the popular vote, yet still lose the
election. Astrologically, the biggest
factor behind these predictions was a profoundly screwed-up Mercury, the planet
associated with communication, information processing, and by extension, voting
machines.
In 2008, astrologers are again energetically analyzing
the astrological charts of the presumptive candidates, John McCain and Barack
Obama. A big impediment has been the lack of reliable birth times for all
of the candidates, but there is a bigger problem. This year, something
doesn't seem right. No one feels good about the astrological conditions
on election day, nor the conditions on inauguration day. There is a
shadow looming over the charts.
In 2008, the major
planetary configuration of interest is a Saturn-Uranus opposition that occurs
on election day itself, November 4th. (From a geocentric perspective, the
planets will be 180 degrees apart, or directly opposite each other.) This
event begins a series of five such oppositions that end in July 2010.
This is a combination that occurs approximately every 45 years. This
year, the Saturn-Uranus combination is the astro-elephant in the room. It
tells us quite a bit about the energies surrounding election day, and thus the
next four years.
Astrologers see the Saturn-Uranus opposition as particularly
problematical because the natures of the two planets are so different.
While planets beyond Saturn relate to more unconscious and universal themes
beyond our individual control, Saturn itself describes the structures and
boundaries that define our limits within the physical world. In some
sense, Saturn fits the definition of reality as given by Phillip
K. Dick: it is “that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.”
It is the leaden symbol of conservatism, resisting change and yearning
for stasis, if not the past.
Conversely, Uranus is the archetype of change, deviance, and
rebellion. Often acting in a lightning-fast manner, it seeks to tear down
the type of restrictions that are represented by Saturn. In his writings,
the philosopher and cultural historian Richard Tarnas sees
Uranus as Prometheus, the figure who stole fire from the gods and gave it to
men. He calls Prometheus the "Awakener."
While researching material on Ralph Waldo Emerson for a
recent article, I received the gift of a synchronicity. Curiously, I
found that Emerson used the Saturn-Uranus polarity in a cogent political
analysis in which he describes the "primal antagonism" between
Conservatives and Reformers. In his 1841 essay The Conservative, he
relates the following:
There is a
fragment of old fable which seems somehow to have been dropped from the current
mythologies, which may deserve attention, as it appears to relate to this
subject.
Saturn grew weary
of sitting alone, or with none but the great Uranus or Heaven beholding him,
and he created an oyster. Then he would act again, but he made nothing more,
but went on creating the race of oysters. Then Uranus cried, `a new work, O
Saturn! the old is not good again.'
Saturn replied. `I
fear. There is not only the alternative of making and not making, but also of
unmaking. Seest thou the great sea, how it ebbs and flows? so is it with me; my
power ebbs; and if I put forth my hands, I shall not do, but undo. Therefore I
do what I have done; I hold what I have got; and so I resist Night and Chaos.'
`O Saturn,'
replied Uranus, `thou canst not hold thine own, but by making more. Thy oysters
are barnacles and cockles, and with the next flowing of the tide, they will be
pebbles and sea-foam.'
`I see,' rejoins
Saturn, `thou art in league with Night, thou art become an evil eye; thou
spakest from love; now thy words smite me with hatred. I appeal to Fate, must
there not be rest?' -- `I appeal to Fate also,' said Uranus, `must there not be
motion?' -- But Saturn was silent, and went on making oysters for a thousand
years.
After that, the
word of Uranus came into his mind like a ray of the sun, and he made Jupiter;
and then he feared again; and nature froze, the things that were made went
backward, and, to save the world, Jupiter slew his father Saturn.
Emerson goes on to summarize the meaning of the passage:
This may stand for the earliest account of a
conversation on politics between a Conservative and a Radical, which has come
down to us. It is ever thus. It is the counteraction of the centripetal and the
centrifugal forces. Innovation is the salient energy; Conservatism the pause on
the last movement.
Substituting John McCain for Saturn and Barack Obama
for Uranus (and perhaps wars for oysters), the above dialogue makes perfect
sense in today's political context. If we work with Emerson's metaphors,
we can see the 2008 election as a critical turning point in the face-off
between the forces of stasis and change, which Emerson describes as the
"two poles of nature." (Notice how often the already-tired
phrase "agent of change" has been used in the campaigns.) But,
this time, the perennial conflict between conservatism and reform seems to
involve something more than the usual empty arguments, and the polarity seems
likely to come to some kind of real denouement, perhaps resembling a sudden release of tension.
In his recent book Cosmos and Psyche, Richard Tarnas
presents an exhaustive correlation of historical and cultural developments with
planetary transit cycles. (See RS review by
Daniel Pinchbeck.) Tarnas describes the Saturn-Uranus combination as
follows:
Historical periods in which Saturn and Uranus moved
into dynamic aspect were marked by certain distinctive themes that were readily
intelligible in terms of the archetypal principles associated with these two
planets: the exacerbation of tensions between authority and rebellion, order
and freedom, structure and change. Often the two archetypal principles
combined and interpenetrated in contradictory ways: repressive revolution,
erratically unpredictable authority, and so forth, as evident during the Terror
in revolutionary France and the Cultural Revolution in communist China just
mentioned. Especially frequent with this cycle were crises and the sudden
collapse of structures, crashes, and accidents, grim awakenings, and sudden
breakdowns, whether political, economic, or psychological.
Think 1965-1967, the time of the last Saturn-Uranus
opposition. Unfortunately, Saturn-Uranus energies often manifest with all
the subtlety of a grand
mal seizure. This is not the kind of energy that is conducive to a
smooth electoral process. We are entering a stressful time.
In May, a panel of
astrologers at the United Astrology Conference in Denver offered their opinions about the 2008 presidential election. The astrologers used a variety of approaches, but one topic that was discussed is a method commonly used to predict the outcome of an election: cast a chart for election day, then analyze the charts of the candidates in relation to that one.
In the case of the chart for November 4th, the astrological
indicators were unfortunate for everyone. So, while panel members gave varying opinions as to
whether McCain or Obama would win, the process was not unlike picking a winner
in a horse race being run in a mine field.
For those who know a bit about astrology, here are some
of the highlights of the planetary morass on election day:
·
The Saturn-Uranus opposition, previously discussed,
becomes exact at 8:33 AM EST. Significantly, on this day, it acts
synergistically with a number of major structures in the chart, forming an
uncomfortable relationship with the planet Venus, implying stresses on the
social order or (perhaps) international tensions.
·
Mercury, our trickster friend from 2000, moves from
the sign Libra to Scorpio at 11:00 AM EST. This places it in something of
an unsettled cosmic state, introducing the possibility of the kinds of
information "irregularities" we saw in 2000.
·
In the morning, the Moon is in a sign of its detriment
(Capricorn), and is void of course. It changes signs about an hour before
most of the polls close on the east coast (7:01 PM EST). This suggests,
in the worst case scenario, that the public will not benefit from the election,
and imparts a certain pointlessness to the day's activities.
·
There is a Mars-Neptune square aspect (90 degree
separation), symbolizing misdirected or exploitative energies, and possible
feelings of discontent or wasted effort.
So, what will be the outcome of the election? No
one really knows -- all astrologers can do is lay out possibilities, and
describe the prevailing energy patterns in effect in that time. It's kind
of like forecasting the psychic weather. Most astrologers don't accept
determinism, and believe that one can consciously work with the symbolism of
the planets to effect a desired outcome. It's a complicated subject, but
the basic idea is that knowledge of upcoming patterns expands your range of
future possibilities. (Or, in a Borgesian sense, the number of paths to choose
from in your garden.)
That being said, it is true that certain planetary energies
are more difficult to handle than others. This is certainly the case with
the Saturn-Uranus combination. The combination tends to build up tensions
which are later released in sudden and sometimes disconcerting ways. The
release isn't always destructive, but its exact nature is usually unexpected.
Befitting the weird planetary energies of the day, there are
some wild theories brewing about what might happen. These did not
originate with astrologers, but can currently be found on the web. These
theories primarily fall into three categories:
1.
No Election: The election will be postponed or canceled due to some "national emergency." This is a fairly popular theory; it usually involves the occurrence of a terrorist attack on the US or US military action against Iran. On BookTV.com, Chris Hedges recently pointed out that,
thanks to the spate of national security directives the Bush administration has
quietly put into place, we are "one or two terrorist attacks away
from a police state."
The astrologer Robert Hand has noted that a solar eclipse that
will occur on August 1st, 2008, falls on a very sensitive spot in George Bush's
chart, one that personally connects him to the behind-the-scenes power
structures in the government. The period of time at least a month before
and after this date should be watched carefully. One hopes that the
eclipse is just a harbinger of the president's peaceful transition into
retirement, and not a signal to action given by Bush's "shadowy
overlords."
2.
Vanishing
Candidates: One or more candidates will leave the race.
The unfortunate Obama assassination meme is already out there, and despite
being amplified by the artless comments of Hillary Clinton, is too disturbing
to discuss. More likely is some kind of scandal involving one (or both)
of the candidates that may cause him to quit the race. McCain seems to be
more subject to this possibility than Obama, but remember that we are expecting
the unexpected.
Cape Cod astrologer Gary Christen has told me that he expects a dark
horse candidate to materialize after some unfortunate event befalls the nation
or the "orthodox" candidates. Jacob Schwartz, who did so well
in calling the 2000 election, still publicly insists that Joe Biden will be the
Democratic candidate. Now that would be unexpected.
3.
Fraud,
Flaws, or Voting Fiascoes: There will be rampant fraud or data foul-ups on
election day, and yet another election will be stolen. Mark Crispin
Miller is the editor of a new book, Loser Take All: Election Fraud and The
Subversion of Democracy, 2000-2008. If you want to confirm your suspicion that things are
worse than you think, read this book. The democracy is in trouble.
In these times of copious angst, it's illustrative that the above possibilities, which would
have once fallen into the domain of conspiracy theories, are being given
serious consideration in wide circles.
Terence McKenna's Timewave concept, based in the
metaphysics of Alfred North Whitehead, quantifies the ebb and flow of a process
that culminates on December 21, 2012 -- the end of the Mayan Long Count.
This process, called novelty,
represents an invisible temporal quality that describes the degree of
connectedness of entities within time, an idea described by Whitehead as concresence.
A novel entity exhibits newness
and creativity --
an example might be a collection of people or ideas that have been brought
together for the first time. Typically, periods of high novelty are
marked by dynamic change and integration of new ideas. On the other hand,
the lack of novelty connotes periods characterized by terms like stasis and habit -- times of low creativity and
relative disjunction.
McKenna's description of novelty vs. habit sounds strikingly
like Emerson's description of the "two poles of nature" encapsulated
in the Saturn-Uranus polarity. If we entertain the premise that McKenna
was on to something -- despite technical criticisms of the Timewave theory --
then the occurrence of the Saturn-Uranus oppositions from 2008 to 2010 may be
the leading indicators of a final descent into novelty culminating in
2012.
Given that we will be in unfamiliar territory, how can we
ensure the most positive possible future given the stressful nature of the next
few years? On a recent YouTube
video, Mark Crispin Miller makes some good practical suggestions:
I don't want people to freak out, or stay home and
lock the door. On the contrary: It's crucial for us all to keep our heads,
and have our eyes wide open. If these things take us by surprise, we are that much more vulnerable to being manipulated [and]
pushed around, maybe with fatal consequences. If, however, we can be well
aware of the nature of the people in charge, and not be surprised by the steps
they take, we'll be strengthened by that kind of preparation, and we'll be able
to resist.
His advice is based on a worst-case scenario view of where we're headed.
However, in the opposing energies of Saturn and Uranus, there also exists the
potential for positive revolutionary change, a new beginning.
Emerson writes:
The boldness of the hope men entertain transcends all
former experience. It calms and cheers them with the picture of a simple and
equal life of truth and piety. And this hope flowered on what tree? It was not
imported from the stock of some celestial plant, but grew here on the wild crab
of conservatism. It is much that this old and vituperated system of things has
borne so fair a child. It predicts that amidst a planet peopled with
conservatives, one Reformer may yet be born.