Big, bright, and gorgeous Full Moon–see National Geographic link for pics and more. The Moon will reach Full only 2 minutes after it passes perigee (it’s closest point to Earth). This is the closest that perigee will occur to a Full Moon for this century. The second runner up for this honor occurs Jan 21, 2023.
Transit Of Venus Across the Sun June 5- 6, 2012
This isn’t your regular run-of-the-mill astrological “transit.”
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln
The recent victory in Kansas brings Rick Santorum front and center once again. It seems that voters are not wholeheartedly behind Mitt Romney.
It is a simple matter to see that Rick Santorum has the charisma necessary to persuade people to give him votes. His natal chart boasts the lovely Jupiter trine Chiron, an aspect that indicates great personal charm.
Others with this natal aspect include Zooey Deschanel and Drew Carey. Ronald Reagan had this aspect in his natal heliocentric chart. Tom Cruise has a natal Chiron and Jupiter conjunction. Ellen DeGeneres has these planets in parallel in her natal chart.
Rick Santorum not only these two planets in a trine, but they are also parallel in the declinations. In Magi Astrology this is called a Bi-Level Enhancement. Rick Santorum has been blessed by a double dose of charisma.
Charisma alone however can’t win an election.
The reason Rick Santorum is still in the race and giving other candidates a run for their money (literally) is found in his progressed chart.
Progressions show the major trends that affect a person’s life.
Although there is no verified birth time it is still possible to progress the birth chart as long as one uses wide orbs.
As you can see on this progressed chart that only has the beneficial angles displayed (such as trines and conjunctions) Rick Santorum STILL has Jupiter trine Chiron in the progressed chart (thanks to retrograde planets) and these create a Grand Trine with progressed Vesta.
Click chart to enlarge.
Grand Trines are a type of planetary geometry representative of enormous good luck, inspiration and success.
Jupiter and Chiron are also parallel in the declinations by progression. The Bi-level Enhancement that gave him a double dose of charisma at birth is still alive and well in the progressed chart
Additionally, Mars, Ceres and Saturn are also forming a Grand Trine.
Two Grand Trines aligned in this way are called a Star of David.
Rick Santorum’s progressed chart has a Star of David formation in the chart example created for the progressed chart of June 6, 2012.
A Star of David formation is a very rare planetary alignment involving 6 planets and two grand trines. It is a very beneficial example of planetary geometry.
Does this mean Santorum will win the GOP nomination? No, it doesn’t, but it does lead one to predict that Rick Santorum will do something important in the next few years. No one should waste such blessed progressions and talents. He has the energy (Mars) business skills (Ceres) and ambition (Saturn) to make his mark as well as the popularity (Jupiter trine Chiron) with groups (Vesta) to receive help from supporters.
With Super Tuesday looming on the horizon it is time to take a look at why Mitt Romney is starting to feel the love from voters once again.
Elections are basically a popularity contest, no matter how many idealists wish otherwise, and the outcome depends upon the way people perceive the candidates.
For a few weeks there was a tight race and it looked as though Rick Santorum was pulling into the lead, once he was put in the spotlight and had a chance to show off his immense personal charm (natal chart has Jupiter trine Chiron).
However, by looking at the transits to Mitt Romney’s birth chart it is easy to see that Mitt Romney’s ability to charm the public is currently on the rise.
As of March 5, 2012, transiting Chiron (that asteroid that boosts popularity) is parallel Mitt Romney’s Sun, both transiting Venus and transiting Jupiter are contraparallel Mitt Romney’s natal Chiron, and transiting Chiron is applying to a conjunction with Mitt Romney’s natal Mars (which is trine his natal Chiron, so we have an accentuated trine in progress). With transiting Pluto also within orb of a parallel to his natal Jupiter to add opportunity and power, it looks like Mitt Romney will be the popular choice on Super Tuesday.
Mitt Romney’s chart compared to March 5, 2012:
As of March 5, 2012, transiting Chiron (that asteroid that boosts popularity) is parallel Mitt Romney’s Sun, both transiting Venus and transiting Jupiter are contraparallel Mitt Romney’s natal Chiron, and transiting Chiron is applying to a conjunction with Mitt Romney’s natal Mars (which is trine his natal Chiron, so we have an accentuated trine in progress). With transiting Pluto also within orb of a parallel to his natal Jupiter to add opportunity and power, it looks like Mitt Romney will be the popular choice on Super Tuesday.
Rick Santorum, on the other hand, has several Saturn transits dampening his chances. Transiting Saturn is parallel both his natal Jupiter and Chiron (the two planets in trine in his natal chart that make him such a charm machine) so of course this transit of the planetary bad guy, Saturn, puts a chill on his chances. Rick Santorum’s likeability and popularity with the general public is undermined by this Saturn transit. Yes, he still has a major Cinderella transit within orb (t. Chiron trine his natal Neptune) that helps him be seen as the political sweetheart of many anxious Republicans, but it is a separating aspect. Transiting Uranus is also approaching his natal Venus giving him extra media exposure. But neither of these aspects are close enough to offset those nasty Saturn transits that hit him right below the belt where his public image lives.
Rick Santorum’s chart compared to March 5, 2012:
Early August 2011 was a highly charged time when a US government shutdown loomed and Congress made difficult and controversial decisions about raising the debt ceiling by unprecedented trillions of dollars.
On August 5, 2011 Standard and Poor downgraded the US credit rating from AAA to AA+.
S&P said the compromise made by Congress and President Obama to cut spending and boost the debt ceiling “falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government’s medium-term debt dynamics.”
“We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and will remain a contentious and fitful process,” the ratings firm said.
What may have hit home with astrologers was this further statement by S & P, “More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating.”
Please notice the word predictability. Basically S & P spokespeople said that US policymaking is UNPREDICTABLE.
If we look at the progressed US chart for 2011 we will see that currently the p. Sun is square p. Uranus. Click here to see the chart.
A keyword for a Uranus square is Unpredictablility.
Even more interesting, another keyword for Uranus is Change – and in the last Presidential election the Democratic platform rally cry was “Change.”
If we want to even have more fun we can consider that another keyword for Uranus is revolutionary and since the last election the grassroots political group called the Tea Party has sprung up, reminding us all of another Revolution in 1776.
We can even go so far as to say that this period of time, during the Sun Uranus progressed square, will receive a great deal of publicity and cause worldwide ripples, because fame and globalization are also symbolisms of Uranus.
So we know from the Magi solar progressions of the US chart that the trend of the administration (the Sun) is unpredictable and that is exactly what S & P based the downgrade upon.
The world transits in early August reflected the problems and are perhaps even more telling of the situation.
T. Saturn was within half a degree of an exact square to the US natal Sun. The US chart has a natal Sun Saturn square, which might represent the checks to power intended by the Constitution. The President as well as Congress is kept in check by the rules (a Saturn keyword) of the Constitution, which is a very good thing. Transits of Saturn, however, seem to point out past mistakes and invite criticism. The administration was certainly criticized for the trillions of dollars in spending that resulted in a need to raise the debt ceiling.
But even more importantly a Grand Cross was forming in this time period that involved four planets. Click here to see the chart for August 5 2011.
This Grand Cross involved several planets and was within orb – as Mars triggered the Grand Cross – over several days. The transit of Mars over the U.S. chart’s natal Venus accentuated the Pluto opposition to natal Venus as well as the square from transiting Uranus.
If you recall this was also a time when Congress was struggling to balance the budget and raised the debt ceiling to incredible – historic – heights.
Click here to see chart of the Grand Cross compared to U.S. chart
They formed a “Super Committee” to find ways to economize in the future.
It is no wonder the Super Committee failed, considering that the Grand Cross was in effect when the Super Committed was formed. Anything begun during difficult transits creates a chart with difficult aspects.
We could discuss the Occupy Wall Street movement in light of the ongoing Uranus Pluto square in the world chart, but perhaps it is best to leave 2011 on a high note.
Since early 2009 transiting Pluto has been in opposition to the U.S. chart natal Venus and Jupiter, creating a situation of economic strain and unprecedented spending. The final opposition of Pluto to the U.S. Jupiter occurred in November 2011.
Hang in there folks! In the upcoming year transiting Chiron and Neptune will both form a trine to the U.S. Venus.
Calming, soothing and financially secure Neptune moves very slowly so the benefits of a Neptune trine will be available through 2013.