Obama’s appointment of the old guard (Larry Summers, Tim Geitner, et al) on his economic team points to his comfort with maintaining the status quo. He kept Robert Gates on as Defense Secretary, a hold over from the Bush years. Obama did not significantly alter our foreign policy, despite the fact that many in his party have called for scaling down our military occupations. He has been slow to alter the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy affecting gay members of our military.
Obama spoke frequently about the need to make government more “transparent” so that citizens could understand the actions and impact of their elected officials. On the positive side, the Obama administration developed an online portal (recovery.gov) to track how and where the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding is being spent.
Many progressives are of the opinion that Obama has failed to apply this value of transparency in other arenas, including the process that led to the development of national health care reform legislation. Candidate Obama identified health care affordability and access as a major problem and vowed that his administration would fix this problem. He was clear from the beginning that he did not support a single payer healthcare system (unless he were starting a system from scratch), but he did talk about bringing together key health care players to the table to deliberate on a health care insurance plan for the nation. These deliberations would be televised on C-SPAN so citizens could view the process. So what actually happened? Obama met secretly with PhRMA to apparently cut a deal on the parameters of pharmaceutical coverage in the administration’s proposals.(3) While the Senate and the House subcommittees deliberated on various proposals, Obama was no where to be seen on this issue. Undoubtedly White House staff was in frequent contact with influential legislators around health care issues, but Obama chose to play a very background role in this process. In fact, some critics claimed that his lack of public relations visibility initially shifted the momentum in favor of the anti-health care reform advocates, particularly the Tea Party movement. Obama clearly played a leadership role after the two houses of Congress passed their respective health care reform bills and this led to the development of one piece of legislation through the reconciliation process.
What astrological factors explain this behind-the-scenes behavior? Scorpio is the sign at the highest point of his natal chart, which represents how he conducts himself in the realm of public standing and career. Scorpio energy can be secretive. Scorpio can hold their cards close to their chest, using a card player’s analogy. Scorpio does not reveal what it doesn’t have to.
Why does Obama on the one hand provide a participatory vision while on the other hand act in secret? Obama’s Ascendant is in the sign of Aquarius. The Ascendant is synonymous with the rising sign, and it is our personality. Aquarian energy is rather aloof but at the same time social, as are all the air signs. As astrologer Caroline Casey observes, Aquarius is a sign of both traditionalists and futurists, and these apparently contradictory impulses are often intertwined within the character of the same person.(4) Aquarius wants to be part of a team effort, both to make it happen and to share the experience. Although not all Aquarians believe in an “egalitarian” team, they do have a vision of how the collective should operate. Perhaps more of this energy was visible to the public during Obama’s candidacy for the presidency. I suspect that “community organizer” Obama was astute at utilizing his Ascendant energy to create a mutual vision in the community where he was involved as a community organizer.
Uranus is the planet of innovation, sudden change and radical actions. Left of center Americans expressed the desire to see Obama initiate bold new actions in his first months in office. In Obama’s chart Uranus is quincunx (a relationship where there is little in common between the signs the aspecting planets are occupying) Saturn, the planet of maintaining structures and traditions. Clearly, Obama is challenged to reconcile his need for honoring the tried and true with his need to radically alter that which no longer serves a purpose. Obama’s natal Uranus does square (an aspect of great tension and incompatibility) his Midheaven (MC), but this aspect does not have the strength of planets aspecting one another. This aspect often indicates a tendency to rebel against authority, which Obama might have demonstrated in his younger years. The following excerpt from an online article about Obama’s life does demonstrate the Uranus square the MC energy.
When Barack was in high school, she (his mother) confronted him about his seeming lack of ambition, Mr. Obama wrote. He could get into any college in the country, she told him, with just a little effort. (“Remember what that’s like? Effort?”) He says he looked at her, so earnest and sure of his destiny: “I suddenly felt like puncturing that certainty of hers, letting her know that her experiment with me had failed.” (5)
By contrast, in FDR’s chart (6) Uranus is trine (an aspect indicating a free-flowing, easy relationship) Jupiter, the social reformer, and Neptune, the idealist and servant of the collective, both in his 10th house of public standing and career. In other words, FDR probably experienced less personal resistance to acting boldly in contrast to the more cautious Obama. (FDR's natal chart is not shown, but I utilized Koch Houses for my analysis).
Many progressives have become annoyed with Obama (as well as with many in the Democratic Party leadership) for initiating negotiation processes from a compromised position. Why not start negotiations by asking for what you want or more than what you think you can get? This does not seem to be an issue with Republicans as it is for Democrats. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, presented his proposal for the 2010-2011 state budget calling for the elimination of the welfare-to-work program. The Governor has no problems proposing a drastic (some would say draconian) measure to addressing revenue shortfalls. Although both Obama and Schwarzenegger are Sun Sign Leos, Obama’s actions are often made in consultation with or initiated by others, as demonstrated by the eight planets in the western half of his chart. Schwarzenegger, on the other hand, is self-initiating (majority of planets in the eastern hemisphere) and often disregards others. (Schwarzenegger’s natal chart is not shown, but birth information can be found at astro.com). Progressives wonder now if Obama had begun the national health care reform debate with a single payer proposal if perhaps the process would have led to a “public option” proposal as a compromise.
Another astrological indicator of Obama’s cautious nature is reflected in the “axis” of his natal chart, which is comprised of his Ascendant (rising sign), the MC (the highest point in the chart), his IC (the lowest point in the chart), and his Descendant (opposite the ASC, and representing “others”). These points on the axis are in the fixed signs of Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus. Fixed signs are steadfast and slow to change. This may explain in part why the Obama Administration does not take swift action on various matters.
In an astrological chart there are two key indicators of our growth direction in the chart: the Sun and the North Node. The Sun, which represents our essence, our vitality, our sense of purpose and what makes us feel alive, is the destination of our life’s journey. We are often presented with various tests in order to grow into our Sun Sign. The North Node is where our energy needs to expand in order to achieve more balance. For Barack Obama, his Sun and his North Node are in Leo. Obama’s chart is coaxing him to embrace creativity, especially through performance; to inspire others with what ignites him; and, to find his way of feeling special. Leo is the sign often associated with royalty. In its highest form, Leo is beyond the ego trip and instead the source of inspiration. Being human, most of us do not always present our energy in its highest manifestation, so to speak, and this of course applies to Obama as well. I recall watching an interview with Obama on television several weeks ago where he commented in an interview with Larry King that “my poll numbers are doing all right.” (7) I was taken aback by this statement, thinking that perhaps in the midst of the oil disaster in the Gulf that modesty would have been more appropriate than this rather “royal” statement, which displayed a Leonine concern with being appreciated by others.
First, and foremost, progressives must stop expecting Obama to react as FDR did. Obama is not a bold change agent. I don’t want to overstate the ease with which Roosevelt made bold decisions, because he himself made a statement that clues us in on his need for public support beyond just doing the right thing. In a television interview with Tavis Smiley, Harry Belafonte, the activist and singer, provides his observations of Obama and the challenge for progressives in the following excerpt of the show: (8)
Belafonte: …There's also something else that we must take into consideration - Barack Obama is first and foremost a man. He is flawed. He has his contradictions. He's revealed those contradictions. There's a question that we have - do we get behind him and push him to become what we know he should be, or do we lay back, watch him drift, watch him capitulate to the enemy, and then say, "Ah ha, we knew it all along?"
Is not his conclusion to be ours? Is not his fate also to be ours? What role do we as a people play in forcing the mission to go where we know it must go? It reminds me of that much-quoted dinner with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and A. Philip Randolph when after a night of talking about politics and race, A. Philip Randolph was very eloquent in talking about the problems of Black America and White America during the Great Depression.
At the end of the dinner Roosevelt said, "Mr. Randolph, I've heard everything you've told me and I agree with almost everything. You're right - I do have power to make a difference. All I would ask of you is that you go out and make me do it."
I think that we have a task while we see these things going adrift, while we see reversal of promises back in Afghanistan, we're now going to be pretty soon in Yemen, all of these things are beginning to fray at the edges. It is up to the people of America to take a strong stand and let its voice be heard, and not have a small few in the special interest override the greater human interest for the world. We have to play a part that we're not playing.
Tavis: I'm glad you went there, and since you did, I'm going to follow you there. The story you just told about that meeting between A. Philip Randolph, Eleanor Roosevelt, the president, Franklin D. Roosevelt? You've told that story many times. Everybody in the country who knows your work knows that is your story.
Indeed there are press reports that President Obama has told that story himself - go out and make me do it. Now, I'm trying to juxtapose his telling that story with him really believing that those of us who are trying to, in love and respectfully, hold him accountable, those who are trying to push him, I get the sense, and many others do, that this White House oftentimes takes being pushed as being told what to do. They take being pushed as you're being disloyal.
They don't understand, necessarily, that being held to a standard of accountability, being pushed by the left or other persons, is not - they don't see that as giving them the cover, being the wind at their back that they need to go out and do what needs to be done
There were many articles by progressives in reaction to this “make me do it” statement originally made by FDR and echoed by Obama during his campaign. The articles concluded that it was definitely necessary to put pressure on Obama on various issues. Based on the analysis of their natal charts, the “make me do it” statement seems even more appropriate for Obama than it does for FDR because Obama’s life actions are the result of being pushed by others. In his first book, Dreams From My Father, Obama tells how he was pushed by his mother to find a direction and how his professors urged him to focus more attention on his academics and less on partying. Obama is an accomplished man, and what I am saying is not meant to undervalue all of his effort, but by his own admission, Obama tells us that people in his life played key roles in getting him on a roll.
Harry Belafonte and Tavis Smiley allude to the attitude Obama’s advisors and many mainstream Democrats have of progressives and that is, that we have no alternative but to vote for them, and because we are “so easy” that the support of more conservative independent voters becomes at least twice as important over that of progressives. Progressives are resisting “being taken for granted” by becoming more involved in the power structure of the Democratic Party (with groups like Progressive Democrats of America). Progressives, and not just registered Democrats, have also joined to challenge conservative “Blue Dog Democrats” (who often vote with Republicans) in local races and even in statewide races, like the recent battle between Senator Blanche Lincoln and Bill Halter in Arkansas. Lincoln was ultimately chosen as the Democratic candidate by a slim margin to run in the fall election. This race demonstrated the power progressives can wield when serious effort is applied.
Progressive activists are a boon to any campaign because they work extremely hard. To what extent Obama’s strategists acknowledge this, I don’t know. I think if Obama continues to ignore progressives in his party, he will be in serious trouble when his reelection bid comes in 2012. He must deliver to the progressive community in more ways than he has. I think it’s fair to say that a healthy percentage of Democrats, and certainly progressives, did not vote for Obama to be a “bipartisan” president. I think Obama stands to lose impassioned campaign volunteers, not to mention votes from less activist liberals and progressives.
Getting back to astrology, Barack Obama will be experiencing major shifts, according to the techniques astrologers utilize to “advance” his natal chart into the present time. In the work previously cited, astrologer Frank Clifford notes that Obama’s MC (highest point in the chart) has moved from the sign of Scorpio to the sign of Sagittarius. Will we see more open and participatory processes utilized by Obama and less back-room deals? Obama’s progressed Sun will be moving into Libra in the fall of 2010. Will this sign of harmony, balance, and justice bring more efforts towards peace utilizing diplomacy? Finally, Obama’s Jupiter (the planet of expansion) will go direct for the first time in his life in early 2011. Will Obama outwardly show more enthusiasm and a sense of adventure in his approaches to problems? It will be interesting to monitor his shifts in behavior during the next year.
Americans don’t yet utilize astrology to select their candidates. If we did, we would have lists of what attributes we wanted in our elected officials. Wouldn’t it be cool if in addition to the written statements we receive with our sample ballots, there would be the natal charts (and perhaps advanced charts) of the candidates. In that way, perhaps we could choose someone whose characteristics match the type of character we may need at this particular time in our nation’s history.
Endnotes
1. Obama's natal chart utilizes Koch houses and is based on the birth time of August 4, 1961, 7:24 pm AHST, Honolulu, HI from the birth certificate released by Barack Obama, and published in The Mountain Astrologer (April/May 2009), #144, p.70
2. Clifford, Frank (April/May 2009). Searching for Obama. The Mountain Astrologer #144, pp.23-31, 69-71.
3. Taper, Jake (2009, August 8). What Did The White House Know About the PhRMA Deal? ABC News. Retrieved from http://www. blogs.abcnews.com/.../what-did-the-white-house-know-about-the-phrma-deal.html -
4. Casey, Caroline W. (1998). Making the Gods Work for You. New York: Harmony Books.
5. Scott, Janny (2008, March 9). “The Long Run,” The New York Times. Retrieved from topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/s/janny.../index.htm
6. For FDR, I utilized Koch houses and the birth time of January 30, 1882, 7:45 pm in Hyde Park, New York as referenced in the astrodatabank at the website http://www.astro.com
7. The Associated Press (2010, June 3). Newsmax.com Retrieved from http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/US-Obama-Polls
8. The Tavis Smiley Show (2010, January 18) Interview with Harry Belafonte. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archives
