Washington Watch
Zip Dobyns
We are gradually completing our data for presidential contenders. I discussed Albert Gore in the fall 1987 Asteroid-World. His time came from Marian March via Lois Rodden. He was born in Washington, DC on March 31, 1948 at 12:53 P.M. EST. This time from his birth certificate gives him very strong aspects to the angles, and he has a real chance in the fall of 1988. He is being mentioned often as a likely candidate for the vice presidency, to attract both the more conservative and the southern Democrats to the ticket if a liberal easterner is the nominee for president.
We also now have Pierre DuPont’s time, given in the Gauquelin Book of American Charts as noon EST. The rest of the data is January 22, 1935 in Wilmington, DE. He is not given much chance with Bush and Dole strong front runners on the Republican side and Robertson a dark horse with a lot of money and loyal fundamentalist followers. At the nominations in August 1988, DuPont’s progressed (P) Moon will be quincunx his P MC along with P Mars, forming a yod configuration for a possible important separation and major new direction in the life. At the election, P Moon will quincunx P Sun and the natal MC in Washington, DC, forming another yod. His prominence is certainly shown in the chart with P MC conjunct the midpoint of Ascendant/MC, trine P Jupiter and natal Ceres, with P Pluto conjunct Ceres, and P Ascendant sextile P Neptune in the fifth house and trioctile natal Saturn. P Venus squares Ceres and Pluto and is quincunx P Jupiter along with P East Point, forming another yod. Of course, there are many more aspects, including lots of asteroids. A few of the latter include P Aten (like another Sun) conjunct natal Washingtonia, opposite P Dembowska, square P Juno and sextile-trine the natal nodes as well as trine natal Sun. Dembowska seems very like Saturn, and is strongly aspected in almost all the candidates’ charts. Batya Stark who wrote the humor book on Dudu, Dembowska, Pittsburgh and Frigga describes the keynote of Dembowska as “it seemed like a good idea at the time.”
The surprise of the race is the re-entry of Gary Hart who dropped out in the spring of 1987 after the disclosure of his various extra-marital affairs. At that time, he had P Moon in Aries square his natal MC in Capricorn; P local (Washington, DC) Ascendant in Cancer opposite the MC; natal Mars in Libra completing a cardinal grand cross; plus P Circe (who turned men into pigs) on P Moon opposite P Asmodeus (Babylonian god of lust) in Libra and also square the MC and P local Ascendant. When I did Hart’s chart last spring, we did not have accurate positions for Icarus. Mark was able to get an accurate Icarus in the fall of 1987 by having the computer calculate it twice a day and by using up-dated, slightly more accurate masses for the major planets. Hart has P Icarus on his natal MC, further strengthening the cardinal grand cross, and quincunx his natal Moon. Of course, the P Moon is now out of the pattern, but all the rest of the factors will hold the aspects for at least two years. He does not look like a winner. Voters will remember, as they remember Chappaquiddick for Teddy Kennedy, and question his personal judgment.
Hart rejoined the race with P Moon still in Aries but moved into the first house and a square to natal Vesta in the fourth house; personal will still in conflict with the traditional mores of the public which will determine his ability to get the job he wants. Vesta is associated with both work and traditional mores. P Moon is also square natal Icarus in the tenth house. Icarus is a classic myth of overreach; he flew too close to the sun, his wax wings melted, and he fell to his death. P Ceres (another key to one’s job) has been conjunct natal Icarus for over two years. P Moon will reach the square to P Mercury in the tenth house by the New Hampshire primary. The theme of personal will (Aries, first house, Ascendant, Mars) in conflict aspects to the limits of personal will (Capricorn, tenth house) is repeated over and over in the chart. If Hart’s birth time is precise, (and the progressed aspects certainly support it), his P MC enters Pisces within days after the New Hampshire primary. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the Pisces issues of faith, morals, etc.
Returning to Teddy Kennedy, he has pulled another gross violation of democratic principles as was done to the laws of Massachusetts to help him escape the consequences of Chappaquiddick. See the book Teddy Bare by Zad Rust for the story of how the laws of Massachusetts were changed so that the grand jury trying the case would not hear all the evidence. The current manipulation of the law for Kennedy’s personal benefit involved getting Fritz Hollings to insert a paragraph in the budget bill when it was in the House-Senate committee for final compromise adjustments. Congress lacked time to re-read the huge bill and voted it into law without knowing of the added paragraph. Kennedy’s addition prevents the Federal Communications Commission from allowing Rupert Murdoch more time to sell his ailing New York newspaper and his marginally profitable Boston newspaper or the TV stations which he bought in both cities. The U.S. anti-media-monopoly law forces him to choose between the TV stations and the newspapers. Rupert’s Boston newspaper has challenged the liberal politics of Kennedy who obviously hoped to force Rupert to sell it to a friendlier owner. But Rupert plans to keep the Boston paper and sell the Boston TV station while he keeps the New York TV station as the center of a planned new network and closes the failing New York paper. Democratic Senator Moynihan of New York is not pleased with this outcome which will add to the unemployment in New York. Needless to say, free newspapers are essential in a democracy even if they disagree with one’s personal convictions. Rupert is reported to have himself bent and manipulated the law and done his share of skirting its edges in more than one country, so the current affair may be considered karmic justice, but I still would not like to see Teddy Kennedy as President.
Pat Robertson is the only important contender for whom we still lack full data. I surely would like to have his birth time! The latest issue of Mark Lerner’s journal has an article on the presidential race by E. Alan Meece. It is very interesting though a bit too fatalistic for my taste. Mostly applying Grant Lewi theories which he has checked out against past presidential races, Meece states that no one can be elected to a term during which the candidate’s Saturn return occurs; that no one can be re-elected to a second term if his Saturn return occurs in the first three years of the term; that a President can be elected or re-elected to a term if the Saturn return occurs in the term’s final year (election year) but that re-election to the next term is unlikely and if it occurs, war or scandal will destroy the President. Also using the Grant Lewi theories on the house positions of transiting Saturn (ruling out anyone with T Saturn in the twelfth to the third houses), and using a few aspects, Meece rates the candidates. He gives Gephardt the best odds, considers Dole and Simon possible, includes Dukakis as remotely possible but limited to a single term, and adds that Gore and Jackson also show strength.
The usual diversity of opinions among astrologers was described in a recent article in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. Ellia E. Conklin wrote the article and it occupied the front page of the Style section on January 3, 1988, with pictures of Babbitt, Jackson, and Dole who were chosen by different astrologers. Sydney Omarr said that Bruce Babbitt had the best shot at getting the Democratic nomination. Of course, the polls put him dead last most of the time. Omarr also said that Jackson was the other “most effective” Democrat, but warned that his life was in danger in 1988. He thinks Bush will be politically damaged by documents that will be discovered, and that Dole is the most likely Republican nominee. He also predicted that Gary Hart’s candidacy would be very short-lived.
Rockie Gardner, a local Los Angeles astrologer, predicted that Reagan would die in office with Bush taking over and then winning re-election. He also thinks Jesse Jackson may be the vice presidential candidate for the Democrats.
Jeanne Dixon (who is really a psychic with minimal knowledge of astrology) says that one of the youngest candidates will drop out of the race because of controversy over his personal life. (Gore at age 39 is the youngest, with Jackson and Gephardt next, both 47 years old.) Dixon calls Bush the front-runner, but says that Jackson will do surprisingly well in the March primaries in the south. She adds that AIDS will be a major issue and that one of the candidates will have a top staff member develop the illness. She also says that three of the Republicans will drop out of the contest within the next few months and that three of the Democrats will last to the national convention.
Jim Watson, founder of the Metaphysical ESP Institute of Los Angeles (sounds like another psychic) thinks that Cuomo will be drafted following a deadlocked Democratic convention and will defeat Dole, the Republican nominee. He sees no energy around Hart or Babbitt, but thinks Simon will arrive at the convention with the most delegates.
Howard Berg, a Cleveland astrologer with a radio program, also predicts Cuomo as a result of a brokered convention.
The article also quotes Meece, whose opinions are covered above in much more detail than is possible in a newspaper survey. Conklin does not indulge in the usual media attack on astrology, but lets the astrologers speak for themselves. Of course, the diversity of opinions illustrates nicely that astrology remains an art, not a science. An alternative view might suggest that many astrologers are not very competent; that the field offers more than we are presently using.
Shifting gears, but still keeping an eye on our nation’s capital, I was very pleased to find in Mark Lerner’s journal the time that Reagan and Goryachev signed the nuclear treaty. The agreement to eliminate NATO and Soviet mid-range nuclear missiles could be a historic break-through in making the world safer for human beings (and most other life with the exception of cockroaches who don’t mind nuclear radiation). The sticking point in reducing nuclear arms has always been the need of both sides to inspect the other to insure compliance. The U.S. is no more eager for such inspections than is the Soviet Union. In fact, our California Republican Senator, Pete Wilson, is hesitating to endorse the treaty because of the reluctance of San Diego area defense plants to allow entry to Soviet inspectors. The consensus seems to be that the treaty will be confirmed by the Senate with some minor changes, but the chart has its share of tensions. According to Mark Lerner, the signing took place at 2:06:20 P.M. EST on December 8, 1987 at the White House. Uranus and Pallas (which is so often involved with social causes) were at 26 and 28 Sagittarius trine the Washington, DC Ascendant at 27 Aries and the Moscow Ascendant at 27 Leo to form a grand trine in fire. But also, the Moon squared the Washington Ascendant and the Moon’s south node was quincunx it. Chiron was sextile the Ascendant, expressing the hope of both nations, but it opposed Uranus-Pallas and squared the nodes to form a mutable grand cross bringing questions about faith, truth, ethics, etc.
Of course, the asteroids blew me away! I will include more in the next Asteroid-World, but to avoid boring other readers, I will just say here that when they signed the document, the asteroid Russia had just risen; Washingtonia had just set; they were opposite each other and square the Moon, all to the degree; Moskva (Moscow) was on the MC with Samantha, both to the degree. Samantha was named for Samantha Smith, the U.S. child who wrote to Russia asking why our two countries could not have peace, and who was invited to visit the Soviet Union and given VIP treatment. Tragically, she died in an airplane crash returning home from playing a role in a movie in England. The document signing was delayed quite a bit from the planned schedule, but the time it took place could not have been more appropriate. I don’t know how the universe manages such things.
Washington, DC, along with New York, location of our primary stock exchange, will continue to be center stage all year. Every chart seems to repeat the crucial importance of our handling of power this year. Aspects in our Declaration and Constitution charts have been mentioned before. The Federal Reserve (FED) will also be center stage in the months immediately ahead as Saturn, Uranus, and Mars move into Capricorn, crossing the natal Sun of the FED, square the MC and opposite the East Point and Pluto. The stress could involve many issues from the falling dollar (the FED has just joined the central banks of several other countries to buy dollars and at least temporarily keep it from falling farther) to another stock market crash in late February or March, to the issuing of our new currency to replace the familiar “greenbacks” we have had for so long, to difficulty in selling our Treasury Bills and Bonds which would force the FED to raise interest rates and risk recession, to ??? Of course several of the above are possible. They are not mutually exclusive.
One additional possibility was just announced by Brady, head of the Commission appointed by President Reagan to investigate the causes of the October market crash, and to make recommendations for changes that might help to stabilize the markets. Among the possible changes proposed by Brady are raising the margin (amount that must be provided by the investor with the balance of the cost borrowed) for purchasing futures and options to the same level required for stock purchases (50%); limiting the amount that stocks are allowed to rise or fall in a single day as is the practice with commodities; setting up a uniform clearing system for stocks and commodities and improving their exchange of information; and combining the two organizations which oversee and regulate stocks (Securities and Exchange Commission) and commodities (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) into a single body to be controlled by the FED. It would be possible for the major transits hitting the FED chart this year to indicate increased power and responsibility rather than ceasing to exist as suggested by Carol Mull. The FED’s secondary progressions suggest legal changes, but I would be inclined to guess toward more power rather than less. The FED is acting coy about such an idea, but it is interesting that the Brady Commission did its work preparing its report in the headquarters of the New York Federal Reserve Bank which might be described as the first among equals. Congress is not likely to implement very soon anything as drastic as these suggestions, but we have three Uranus-Saturn conjunctions during the year and in such cases, the last one is often the most important in terms of action with lasting results.
In the interval between writing my economic overview which went out to all subscribers and this issue of The Mutable Dilemma, I have read several more recent books on our prospects for a depression in the years immediately ahead, but think I will save a fuller discussion for the next Asteroid-World. Any subscribers to The Mutable Dilemma who want the Asteroid-World can be added to the list by writing with their request. Donations are welcome but not required. Non-subscribers may receive it but I would like at least a $5 donation in such cases. Most of my “spare” time is devoted to the asteroids and the world scene. For those who would like to work with the chart of the FED, it became the power over our finances on December 23, 1913 in Washington, DC when President Wilson signed the law at 6:02 P.M. EST. P Moon was just reaching the natal Ascendant at the October stock market crash. It continued over natal Mars in the turbulent months after the crash, is now approaching the local Ascendant in New York and will continue on to oppose Jupiter (conscious faith) and conjunct Neptune (unconscious faith) in the months ahead. As it reaches Neptune in the late spring and early summer, it also is octile natal and P Saturn (fear of consequences, laws and their enforcement by authority figures or nature, along with many other meanings). Our whole financial structure rests on faith and some important decisions and executive actions lie ahead.
Before we leave the Washington watch I have to share with you a fascinating article which I received from Helen Clerf of Washington state. It comes from “Coming Events: The Astrological Monthly” dated February 1898! The author, Joseph Tilley of Los Angeles, California, discusses the ruling sign of America, and comes to the conclusion that the Declaration of Independence has Virgo rising!!! His data is not totally accurate, and I think his techniques are less effective and reliable than the use of secondary progressions including local angles (Ascendant, MC etc.) calculated for regions where we have been involved in major events, but I was certainly interested to see his conclusions and did check out his methods. He took a variety of events in our history and calculated the charts, finding Pisces rising before we attained independence and Virgo afterwards.
Unfortunately for his system, some of the data is questionable or miscalculated. He states that his historical sources put the timing of the first shot at Lexington Massachusetts (marking the beginning of the war of independence) at 3:30 A.M. My historical sources say that British General Pickering saw the militiamen “in the rising sun,” “shortly after dawn.” A chart set for 5:28 A.M. LAT with the Sun just above the Ascendant provides a better fit for the beginning and outcome of the war. That time puts 3 Taurus rising with Saturn in a long progressed quincunx to the Ascendant for the protracted and difficult struggle, but it also brings the MC into the grand earth trine for our eventual success.
Tilley writes that independence was proclaimed in Philadelphia at about noon on July 8, 1776. That would also be LAT (local apparent time). Tilley suggests that the procedure started early, to give Virgo rising, but it seems quite possible that they really did it at noon which would give us a dramatic chart; Sun exactly on the MC and Saturn exactly on the Ascendant. Anyone want to try that chart on our history? I haven’t had time yet, but it could be a good prospect.
Several of Tilley’s other events are also either questionable in time, or he has fudged the data a little to get his Virgo rising and Gemini MC. But it was a good effort and provided me with some additional historical material to add to the U.S. file for the mundane book I hope to write some day.
One more note before we leave the “perils of Pauline” in our nation’s capital. I wonder how many people noted that on December 29, 1987, a fire left five dead at the Thiokol plant in Utah which makes MX missiles and crucial parts for our grounded space Shuttle. Also, a new problem involving parts made for the Shuttle by Thiokol is postponing for weeks (or months?) our next effort to put humans into space. Meanwhile, on the same date as the Thiokol fire, (December 29), the Russians brought safely to earth their cosmonaut who holds the record for the longest stay of a human in space—326 days. The Soviets have the permanent manned space station which we are talking about as a possibility in the middle of the 1990s.
And for those who collect the data of interesting people, Lech Walesa’s autobiography gives his birth data as September 29, 1943 at 3:30 A.M., (l:30 UT), approximately 52 N 38 and 19 E 20. His town, Popowo, is unlisted, but he says it is “a stone’s throw” from the listed town Dobrzyn whose coordinates are given.