Don't make me grab a switch!
Last night, President Obama gave his first State of the Union address. While listening to it again this morning, I was struck by the unmistakable Daddy tone he took with the other two branches of U.S. Federal power. This is what many have been eagerly anticipating from him. A verbal smackdown for the fools holding this country back. One look at his Saturn-heavy chart told me that he had this in him all along. Saturn gives enough rope to either hang ourselves or save ourselves. And that's President Obama's modus operandi with his co-workers in Congress and on the U.S. Supreme Court.
I have been reluctant to publicly analyze or interpret President Obama's chart because of my pro-Obama bias. However, after reading so many other astrologers' crackpot interpretations (I refuse to link to them here) that are colored by a strong anti-Obama bias, I figured that I should toss my hat in the ring just to add some more perspective to this leader who we all know and *ahem* most of us support. Even though I support President Obama's agenda, I believe I'm qualified to view him rationally and with a balanced point of view (charge it to my Mercury-ruled 7th and 10th houses and Libra-ruled 11th house).
While reading or doing a consultation with someone, I often get these flashes of insight (charge it to my connected 3rd, 8th, 9th and 12th houses) that open up a whole new vista into someone's chart. I just completed my first Saturn Return (feeling grown!) and am currently reading "12 Faces of Saturn: Your Guardian Angel Planet", so Saturn has been on my mind for awhile. Last night was no different.
Given new information and insight, I like to revisit people's charts to see if I see what I saw in a new light. So here we go.
Below is President Obama's natal chart with transits on January 27, 2010.
(Source: Barack Obama's birth certificate)
Note: Though they won't be analyzed in depth here, I'm including President Obama's chart with transits for those who like to do this type of comparisons. Note that transit Saturn in Libra is retrograde and passing through Obama's 8th house of other people's resources, shared power, healing, death, taxes, sex - all subjects that he touched on in his address to urge everyone to strive towards a better balance of power. :) Transit Mercury and Pluto in Capricorn are in his 11th house of social conscience, collective aspirations and forward-thinking/planning. Transit Sun, Venus, Chiron and Neptune are in Aquarius in Obama's 12th house of universal conscience and 1st house of personal identity. When I saw this, I knew that his address would strike the right note and be well-received by most. The stars were truly aligned for him last night.
Before digging into the State of the Union, let's first quickly take a look at the condition of Obama's natal Saturn:
12th house Saturn in it's natural home of Capricorn
Trine 4th house Gemini Moon
Opposed 6th house Mercury in Leo
Trine 7th house Mars in Virgo
Conjunct 12th house Jupiter in Capricorn
Semi-square 7th house Uranus in Leo
Sextile MC in Scorpio
11th house is co-ruled by Saturn/Capricorn
12th house is ruled by Saturn/Capricorn
His sense of purpose (and possible liability) is attached to his ability and willingness to accept personal responsibility for his actions. He studies first, speaks later. Possibly worries about appearing stupid, superficial, glib, narrow-minded, egocentric. Words carry great emotional weight with him. He's aware of the effect his words have on others, and is able to stand in the place of his audience when crafting and delivering a message. He's a longterm, strategic thinker/planner. Favors tried-and-true solutions and may view untested ideas as too radical and far-fetched. Concerned with practical application rather than creative possibilities. Ultimate team-player. Naturally assumes leadership role even while working with partners. Wields power secretly. Has powerful friends and enemies in high places. Allies see him as honorable, reliable, stubborn, charismatic. Enemies see him as an arrogant, egocentric, seductive radical tyrant. Distinct possibility of being/playing the role of a scapegoat. If he doesn't use his power wisely and responsibly, there's a good chance of a huge fall from grace. I believe he's aware of this potential.
Moving on to his State of the Union address...
The overall feeling I got from it was that Daddy is not happy. Throughout the hour-long speech, Obama alternated between Tolerant Fun Dad, Disapproving Dad and King of the Hill.
He gave historical context for our current dire situation >> Saturn.
He listed America's challenges and some of his proudest accomplishments thus far >> Saturn.
He urged his co-workers to be accountable for their irresponsible decisions and petty bickering and demanding that they honor the oaths they made to serve the American public >> Saturn.
He rewarded the House with praise for passing bills >> Saturn.
He admonished the Senate for their stalling tactics >> Saturn.
"Now, yesterday, the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission. So I'll issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans. (Applause.) And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason for why we had record surpluses in the 1990s. (Applause.)"
I think it's fair to say that the U.S. Senate is the obstruction to the progression of Obama's agenda through Congress, represented natally in his chart by Capricorn Saturn in 12th house and by transit Capricorn in Pluto in his 11th house.
Although with deference, he expressed his strong disappointment in the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision regarding lifting campaign finance regulations for corporations >> Saturn.
And just in case anyone thought to argue with his plans for exercising his veto power, he made it clear that it is now their turn to "accept [his] discipline" >> Saturn!
When he said that, everyone in the pizzeria where I watched the address made a whoa-face. Then I had flashbacks to my childhood of angrily yanked belts >> Saturn.
Yes, President Obama ran on change. But Obama is no radical. Those who are looking for someone whose idea of "change" is overthrowing an entire system need to look elsewhere. Or, better yet, move elsewhere. He is no anarchist, by any means. His mentioning of offshore drilling, nuclear proliferation and "coal energy" is proof that he likes to tread familiar ground. With all of that Saturn energy in his chart, Obama's definition of change is incremental steps that he can use as benchmarks and test for workability (Mars in Virgo) that, over time (Saturn in Capricorn), will lead to "big" fundamental and systemic change (Jupiter in Capricorn). In the long-run. His view that longterm trumps shortterm cannot be overly emphasized here.
Saturn is the old man of the zodiac. He's wise but walks with a limp and a cane. Saturn in an earth sign, particularly Capricorn, will not be rushed into making foolish mistakes. Nothing short of the passage of time and solid proof that his plans do or do not work will change Obama's mind or gameplan.
Imagine the captain of the Titanic who has control over, and responsibility for, this giant, bulky mass of steel that's heading straight towards an iceburg. Everyone on board has put their faith in the belief of the "unsinkable Titanic". What type of skills do you need to avoid hitting the iceburg that may cause thousands of deaths? Now imagine the Titanic has just hit the iceburg. The captain now realizes too late that the unthinkable has happened - the Titanic is not only sinking but sinking faster than he ever dreamed possible. He gets thrown overboard by the passengers who realize that they've been sold only a bill of goods. Enter the First Mate with a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Capricorn in the 12th house who now becomes captain. He feels that it's his spiritual and karmic duty to make the most of this now-sinking hunk of disaster.
Meet our new captain - President Obama.
Now imagine you are the new captain. What would you do?
Some more President Saturn quotes from last night:
"Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our union. For 220 years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty."
"And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations and our fears, America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, as one people.Again, we are tested. And again, we must answer history's call."
"So I know the anxieties that are out there right now. They're not new. These struggles are the reason I ran for President."
"So we face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope -– what they deserve -– is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics."
Our most urgent task upon taking office was to shore up the same banks that helped cause this crisis. It was not easy to do. And if there's one thing that has unified Democrats and Republicans, and everybody in between, it's that we all hated the bank bailout. I hated it -- (applause.) I hated it. You hated it. It was about as popular as a root canal. (Laughter.)
To recover the rest, I've proposed a fee on the biggest banks.Now, the true engine of job creation in this country will always be America's businesses. (Applause.) But government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers.So tonight, I'm proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. (Applause.) I'm also proposing a new small business tax credit..
From the day I took office, I've been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious; such an effort would be too contentious. I've been told that our political system is too gridlocked, and that we should just put things on hold for a while.
For those who make these claims, I have one simple question: How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold? (Applause.) You see, Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China is not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany is not waiting. India is not waiting. These nations -- they're not standing still. These nations aren't playing for second place. They're putting more emphasis on math and science. They're rebuilding their infrastructure. They're making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs. Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America. (Applause.)"
- 12th house Saturn in Capricorn semisquare 7th house Uranus in Leo is comparing his country to other countries (his 7th house peers) and wants to be the winner! This, of course, appeals to America's egocentricity and ethnocentricity. We sure do love our leaders with strong Leo influence, don't we?
And by the way, it's time for colleges and universities to get serious about cutting their own costs -– (applause) -- because they, too, have a responsibility to help solve this problem.
I know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy. I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change. But here's the thing -- even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy-efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future -– because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation. (Applause.)
Re: Health insurance reform:Now, let's clear a few things up. (Laughter.) I didn't choose to tackle this issue to get some legislative victory under my belt. And by now it should be fairly obvious that I didn't take on health care because it was good politics. (Laughter.) I took on health care because of the stories I've heard from Americans with preexisting conditions whose lives depend on getting coverage; patients who've been denied coverage; families –- even those with insurance -– who are just one illness away from financial ruin.
But I also know this problem is not going away. By the time I'm finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance.
And by the way, I want to acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make kids healthier. (Applause.) Thank you. She gets embarrassed. (Laughter.)- high praise for his lovely Saturn-ruled wife, Sun Capricorn Michelle Obama, who he affectionately refers to as his "Rock".
So, as temperatures cool, I want everyone to take another look at the plan we've proposed.This week, I'll be addressing a meeting of the House Republicans. I'd like to begin monthly meetings with both Democratic and Republican leadership. I know you can't wait. (Laughter.)Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will. (Applause.)
But I also know this: If people had made that decision 50 years ago, or 100 years ago, or 200 years ago, we wouldn't be here tonight. The only reason we are here is because generations of Americans were unafraid to do what was hard; to do what was needed even when success was uncertain; to do what it took to keep the dream of this nation alive for their children and their grandchildren.
Our administration has had some political setbacks this year, and some of them were deserved.
Unfortunately, too many of our citizens have lost faith that our biggest institutions -– our corporations, our media, and, yes, our government –- still reflect these same values. Each of these institutions are full of honorable men and women doing important work that helps our country prosper. But each time a CEO rewards himself for failure, or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain, people's doubts grow. Each time lobbyists game the system or politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up, we lose faith. The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates to silly arguments, big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away.No wonder there's so much cynicism out there. No wonder there's so much disappointment.
But what frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is Election Day. We can't wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side -– a belief that if you lose, I win. Neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can. The confirmation of -- (applause) -- I'm speaking to both parties now. The confirmation of well-qualified public servants shouldn't be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual senators. (Applause.)But remember this –- I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I could do it alone. Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That's just how it is.Those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths and pointing fingers. We can do what's necessary to keep our poll numbers high, and get through the next election instead of doing what's best for the next generation.
The spirit that has sustained this nation for more than two centuries lives on in you, its people. We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We don't quit. I don't quit. (Applause.) Let's seize this moment -- to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more. (Applause.)Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
Full text of speech as delivered.
Update: More than 48 million of us watched the address last night. Now it's to time to contact your representative in Congress (call, email, tweet) to make sure they don't fall asleep at the wheel.
Make the one-step call here.
Here's President Obama's full State of the Union address:
Want to learn more about Saturn? Click here.
