Presidential Hopefuls
Zip Dobyns
Even though Election Day is more than a year and a half away, the contenders for the U.S. presidency are swarming on stage, with new volunteers adding their names to the list. Since President Reagan gets first option as the Republican nominee and since he is playing coy on his plans, all the action to date is on the Democratic side. Walter (Fritz) Mondale is generally considered the front runner, though that position is sometimes also a hazard since the rest of the field tends to concentrate their attacks on the guy in front. So far, I only have birth data for a few of the competitors, but Mondale’s chart is so powerful, the others will have to pull a near miracle to defeat him. I will include what charts I have, so our readers can entertain themselves speculating on the outcome. If anyone tries unusual techniques and gets interesting results, we would like to hear about it.
Mondale was born on Jan. 5, 1928 at 10:30 A.M. in Ceylon Minn. His horoscope is strongly transpersonal, mostly concentrated in the 9th to 12th houses and signs, though he has his Pisces grouping in the first house (personal needs). The main emphasis in the chart is on idealism and power, with both areas included as lessons since Saturn and the south node of the Moon are in Sagittarius conjunct Mars-MC. The tenth house Mars in Sagittarius is an identification with ideals and power (potentially a statement of “my will is law and God”). By secondary progression, Saturn has remained conjunct the natal MC for a major part of Mondale’s life, a strong drive towards executive power. Pallas is just on the cusp of the eleventh house with Sun, Ceres, and Vesta all in the eleventh, all four in Capricorn. Capricorn, like the tenth house, pushes toward the executive role while the eleventh house symbolizes the legislature. As Senator, and briefly as Vice President under Carter, Mondale has functioned in both areas.
The first house Pisces planets, including Jupiter and Uranus conjunct in the sign, repeat the identification with idealism indicated by Mars in Sagittarius, while placement of a ruler of the tenth house (Jupiter) in the first house is another one-ten mixture similar to Mars (natural ruler of the first house) in the tenth house. Of course a one-ten mixture can lead to either overdrive or to self-blocking, and we have to observe the life to see whether the individual has ended up at one of the extremes or has managed a compromise in the middle. In general, an emphasis on fire and earth will tend to overdrive. Pisces can go either way, depending on the faith of the individual. With either a strong faith in oneself (I am God and can do anything I want) or a strong faith in a higher power (God is on my side and will take care of everything), Pisces can contribute to overdrive.
Despite the transpersonal emphasis with its tendency to be very involved in larger issues, Mondale wanted home, family, and mate. He has the Moon in its own house and Pluto in Cancer in the fifth house, emphasizing home and family, while Juno in the seventh house in Virgo suggests a choice of a practical mate. If Frigga is also a key to a mate, Mondale’s placement of this new asteroid exactly on his Ascendant is additional emphasis on the need for a partner. Another possible indication of a need for love could be Mondale’s Eros exactly conjunct his natal Mars. The position of the Moon’s nodes exactly on the MC axis may also emphasize need for relatedness, though prominent nodes can also indicate an impact on the public.
The most impressive features of the chart are the progressions on both Election Day (Nov. 6, 1984) and inauguration day (Jan. 20, 1985). In addition to the long conjunction of Saturn to the natal MC, Mondale has Hidalgo also progressing over the MC, while his progressed Ascendant is conjunct progressed Dembowska. If Hidalgo and Dembowska are like auxiliary Saturns, the combination is certainly a focus on executive power. Another interesting combination is his Washington, DC Ascendant conjunct natal heliocentric and progressed geocentric Jupiter. Whether the strong faith suggested by this mixture is justified, only time will tell, but faith and hope are likely to attract votes in a time of world anxiety.
Vesta, our overdrive asteroid that can symbolize a total devotion to doing a good job, is also in high focus in the progressed chart. For whatever they are worth, progressed Diana and Eros are conjunct Mondale’s natal Vesta while his progressed Washington Ascendant and his birthplace Quotidian Ascendant (the latter moving about a degree a day) are quincunx natal Vesta and trine progressed Vesta on inauguration day. On the same day, quotidian MC is conjunct progressed Mercury opposite Neptune and quincunx progressed Moon, while on Election Day, progressed Moon is opposite natal Vesta and quincunx progressed Vesta. All the Vesta aspects suggest a change of job, though of course that does not guarantee becoming President. He might be separated from his ambition. Still another indication of a job (and home) change is suggested by the Washington quotidian East Point axis crossing the nodal and MC axes on inauguration day. On Election Day, the quotidian angles for Mondale’s birthplace are just returning to his natal angles: MC to MC, etc., suggesting a new start on another turn on the spiral. On inauguration day, Mondale’s Washington quotidian MC is conjunct his natal East Point and square the progressed nodes of the Moon, just coming to the square to the natal MC and progressed Saturn.
If we believed traditional astrology, squares would indicate defeat in the election, but in view of the troubled times we are likely to face in the coming years, it is quite possible that the squares and strong Saturn flavor in the chart indicate the pressure, tension, responsibility, and worry that will be part of the office. If my theories about the rest of the century are accurate, whoever inherits the Presidency inherits a king-sized headache. I think only a person operating in overdrive could imagine trying to handle the job. I’m sure some readers have already looked to see where Icarus is in Mondale’s chart. Natal Icarus is in Aquarius, at the midpoint of and octile the Mars-Antivertex square, with the natal Ascendant at the midpoint of Icarus and the Washington Ascendant. Progressed Icarus is at the midpoint of Venus-progressed Uranus (sextile both) and conjunct progressed Mars. There is enough fire in those combinations (Venus in a fire sign and house, likewise progressed Uranus and Washington Ascendant, with Mars in a fire sign and Antivertex in a fire house) to justify possible overdrive and a crash. Since I think the world situation is pretty “out-of-control”, I would expect anyone going for the Presidency to have overdrive indications in the chart.
Obviously, many more aspects could be mentioned, including several additional quincunxes, the “closet-cleaning” tendency to go in new directions, making major changes in the life. Mondale’s progressed East Point is quincunx natal Mars; progressed MC is quincunx natal Pluto; quotidian MC on inauguration day is quincunx progressed Moon; progressed Pallas is quincunx Neptune; progressed Ascendant is quincunx natal Mercury, etc. If he doesn’t win the Presidency, he certainly is likely to change his life activities in major ways.
One of California’s Senators, Alan Cranston, is also currently a contender for the Presidency. He has been an excellent Senator (as far as the liberals are concerned) but almost no one thinks he has any chance at the top position. He was born in Palo Alto, Ca. on June 19, 1914 at 7 A.M. Most of the chart is above the horizon, in transpersonal signs or houses, showing the public life, except for the rising Neptune-Venus in Cancer and Mars and south node in the second house. We can see the one-ten combinations again, showing the potential for aspiring to the supreme executive position. Aries is on the MC (and Mars, the ruler, in Leo provides a five-ten combination), while Venus, ruling the Taurus in the tenth house is in the first house and Moon, ruling the first house, is in the tenth house. Additional power drive is suggested by Sun, a ruler of the Leo in the first house, conjunct Pluto and Saturn: a five-eight-ten combination. An active mind is shown by the mutable emphasis (signs and houses) along with idealism with the rising Neptune, strong twelfth house, and north node and two asteroids in Pisces.
I am rather sorry that Cranston has so little chance for the office, since it would be fascinating to pit him against Andropov of Russia who was born just four days earlier. Of course we have no time of birth for Andropov. I suspect a Scorpio MC and Capricorn rising. For readers who would like to experiment with Andropov, try about 19:04 U.T. at 44N27 and 42E55. Since I have relatively few events for Andropov, the time is quite speculative, but it puts Algol on the fourth cusp and the heliocentric nodes of Mars across the Moscow MC axis. We are dealing in large “if”s, but if this time of birth is accurate for Andropov, his birthplace Ascendant would be conjunct Mondale’s progressed Pallas while his Moscow Ascendant would be conjunct Mondale’s natal Pallas. I find Pallas often prominent in politicians, and struggles involving social issues. Mondale’s Washington Ascendant and progressed Jupiter would be square that Moscow Ascendant for Andropov, and Mondale’s progressed Moon on inauguration day would be opposite Andropov’s natal Ascendant, on the seventh cusp of partners or open enemies. It is a fascinating world. I did not note the connections between the two charts until writing this article. Andropov’s progressed south node is on Mondale’s seventh cusp and there are several other conjunctions between the two charts.
To return to Cranston’s horoscope, there are a few interesting similarities in his and Mondale’s aspects, including progressed Moon opposite progressed Vesta on election day and opposite progressed MC on inauguration day. But Cranston lacks the strong Saturn emphasis. Progressed Saturn is in a long conjunction with Pluto and trine Ceres, but lacks aspects to angles. Progressed Hidalgo and Dembowska sextile each other but otherwise only aspect progressed Mercury with a semisextile and a square. Progressed Ascendant is opposite Chiron while progressed MC squares Chiron so the inauguration Moon completes a grand cross. Progressed Washington Ascendant squares Neptune-Venus, while progressed Washington MC will oppose Pallas by inauguration day and progressed Sun will be quincunx Pallas by inauguration. By Election Day, the progressed Sun is conjunct the progressed south node of the Moon, square the midpoint of natal and progressed Hidalgo. Progressed Mars is approaching the opposition to the natal MC (and if the birth time is just a couple of minutes earlier, the aspect would be within the one degree orb). I don’t know whether the democratic nomination will take place in July or in August, 1984, but Cranston’s progressed Moon will probably be quincunx natal Moon throughout the summer, as well as sextile natal Uranus which squares the Moon. By inauguration day, the progressed Moon squares Chiron. I am not satisfied with any of the weighting systems I have tried so far, so judgments are subjective, but Cranston’s chart just does not have the feeling of power I think is necessary for election to the Presidency. He does have the natal Sun sextile Neptune (Mondale has them trioctile). Most of our presidents seem to have Sun-Neptune aspects. It takes a bit of delusions of grandeur to think one can handle that job.
I have no data on Gary Hart, Reuben Askew, or Dale Bumpers, and would love to get it if any of our readers have it. John Anderson was born on Feb. 15, 1922 at 20:55 CST in Rockford, IL. His chart is distinguished by having stelliums in air signs in fire houses with Saturn conjunct the Ascendant and Pluto conjunct the MC (both being one-ten combinations since there is some Scorpio in the first house and Saturn is natural ruler of the tenth). Mostly, the chart looks like a lot of hot air, though the progressed Moon is trine the Ascendant at election so some people will probably vote for him. He also has the progressed Sun quincunx natal Mars and sextile natal Venus and just coming to the trine to progressed Psyche which is stationary-direct. He also has progressed Ascendant square natal Sun, progressed MC opposite progressed Uranus, progressed Mars trine progressed Mercury and octile progressed Moon, and progressed Antivertex opposite natal MC among many aspects. Anderson lacks the Sun-Neptune aspect usually found in presidential contenders, but has Jupiter rising and trioctile the Sun as a good substitute.
John Glenn, former astronaut and current senator from Ohio, is generally considered the most serious contender against Mondale for the Democratic nomination. Unfortunately, his time of birth is uncertain at this point. He was born on July 18, 1921 in Cambridge Ohio and is variously listed as 3, 3:30, 4 or 4:30 P.M. in either Eastern, Central, standard or daylight time. That gives us quite a range, and I have not tried to rectify his chart since reading about the confusion over time. The time reported by Gauquelin was 3 P.M. eastern daylight, giving 9 Scorpio rising and 17 Leo on the MC with his Cancer-Leo planets in the ninth house. Neptune is just under 18 degrees from the Sun so there is no traditional aspect though 18 degrees is in the quintile series. Neptune is exactly quincunx the Moon in Capricorn and square the Ascendant if this time is right. The Mercury-Pluto conjunction trines Uranus and forms a grand trine to the Ascendant if the time is accurate. Vesta is sextile Uranus on one side and Mercury Pluto on the other, and trine Jupiter which is widely conjunct Saturn in Virgo. Except for the ninth house emphasis, the chart is strongly earth and water with a grand trine in earth and a possible one in water. Normally, such an emphasis would indicate a strong concern for security and a tendency toward conservative ideas and action. Since being one of the first men into space is hardly a conservative action, we can be reasonably sure that Glenn does have that strong ninth house or fire in some other form, but until I can get more events from his life, I am reluctant to speculate on the outcome of the presidential contest. Angles (natal and progressed) are vitally important as keys to major events in the life. The Moon is less sensitive to time changes, and will probably be square natal Sun and quincunx progressed Sun during the summer when the nominations are made; not a good augury for success. But on inauguration day, the progressed Moon is in a grand trine to progressed Juno and progressed Mars.
According to Marc Penfield in the Mercury Hour, Glenn’s mother gives his time as 4:30 P.M. EST. This later time would shift the Cancer-Leo planets to the eighth house, put Jupiter and Saturn in the ninth house, and give Sagittarius rising. In recent years, both progressed Jupiter and Saturn would have sustained long conjunctions with the MC for the mother’s time, and the progressed Sun would be on that MC during 1984-5. John Kennedy had progressed Sun on his local MC when he was elected President and on his birthplace MC when he was assassinated. Glenn’s progressed Jupiter is just leaving a conjunction to progressed Saturn, while progressed Sun is just reaching Saturn and will remain on it during 1985-6. The progressed Sun will also be just ending the two year sextile to natal Sun in November 1984. Progressed Icarus is in a grand trine to Chiron and the midpoint of natal and progressed Neptune; all in fire signs and partly fire houses, depending on time. Progressed Icarus is also square progressed Ceres and Hidalgo in Virgo. The earlier chart does not seem strong enough to achieve the presidency, but the mother’s time produces more impressive angles. Progressed MC would be sextile progressed Jupiter, progressed Ascendant semisextile progressed Uranus, and progressed Antivertex almost conjunct Uranus. Glenn’s Washington progressed MC would be octile progressed Mercury and his Washington progressed Ascendant would oppose Neptune, his Washington progressed East Point would oppose progressed Pallas and be quincunx progressed Jupiter, his Washington progressed Antivertex would conjunct natal Uranus. Most fascinating of all, Glenn’s progressed Icarus is conjunct his Washington, DC Ascendant calculated for the mother’s time. Icarus on Ascendant in Sagittarius is the fire emphasis we expect when people try to do too much or too soon.
Other fascinating patterns appear involving two of our new asteroids, Hidalgo and Dembowska, which I think are similar to Saturn suggesting concern with power and the Law. In Glenn’s chart these auxiliary Saturns form a variety of aspects and midpoints to each other, Saturn, Sun, Mars, Ascendant, etc. Rather than write out all the aspects here, I will list them under Glenn’s chart using symbols. “L” means “local” (Washington, DC in this case), “P” means “progressed,” planet/planet means the midpoint between the two planets, “A” is the Ascendant, “M” is the MC, [first symbol below] is Icarus, [second symbol below] is Hidalgo, and [third symbol below] is Dembowska. As a final, fascinating tidbit, Glenn has the asteroid “America” on his Washington MC if his mother is right on his birth time. The more I work with the chart, the more I am impressed with it though I still think Mondale has the edge.
Of course the uncertainty over Glenn’s time is mild compared to the total confusion over Reagan. I still prefer the Scorpio rising, despite the claims for a Cancer Ascendant. I consider the ruler of the Ascendant to be even more important than the sign, and Reagan has Pluto in Gemini for the talkative nature, in addition to the Sun in Aquarius in the Gemini house and Mercury conjunct Uranus. If he did not have the Mercury-Uranus in double earth (sign of Capricorn and house of Taurus), he would be more able to handle abstract principles. My impression of him (and that of many others who have observed him more than I have) is that he has genuine feeling for others in a one-on-one situation where he sees concrete (earth) details, but he lacks the capacity to grasp mass starvation and want. He may well decide to run again in 1984, but I do not think he can win. I think the economic problems in the U.S. and the world will defeat him, as they did Carter. But Reagan’s Scorpio-Capricorn emphasis certainly fits the current lessons of humanity as Pluto moves into its own sign and four major planets head for Capricorn.
If new information appears on the preceding or other candidates for the presidency, we will keep you informed. We are also still trying to get accurate time on Bush, Reagan’s V.P. and a possible future contender for the office. Various sources have listed Bush as 11:05, 11:30, and 11:45; all A.M. and EDT. If anyone can track him down, please let me know. Where Cranston and Andropov have Sun conjunct Saturn in Gemini, Bush has his Gemini Sun in the tenth house trine Saturn. At least, he has more intelligence than Reagan and might be able to take on Andropov. But for the moment, the most likely winner looks to be Mondale in 1984, though I think he will be sorry he asked for the job before he is finished with it (assuming he does get it —a big assumption in view of how many astrologers predicted that Carter would defeat Reagan).