Sunday, April 17, 2016

The Spousal Solar Return

©2016 J. Lee Lehman, PhD

It has been obvious to me for some time that it is possible to get greater detail out of solar returns when a person is part of a solid bonded couple. This is because each person's solar return acts independently, but also, the two solar returns interact through derived houses. In other words, you can examine the spouse's chart through the 7th house of the other party's solar return, and compare that result to that person's solar return.

Normally, when I do this technique, it's to examine how one person's events affect the other. For example, if I see a 6th house issue that could represent a serious medical problem, I will consult the two solar returns that the spouse will have that covers the Native's solar return. Say Partner 1 is an Aries, and Partner 2 is a Scorpio. Partner 1 has a solar return in April. Now that solar return in 2016 is split by Partner 2's 2015 and 2016 solar returns: in this case, the 7th house of the 2015 solar return of Partner 2 is in effect for Partner 1 for the 2016 solar return from April until November. So if Partner 1's 2016 solar return shows a medical problem, and if Partner 2's 2015 shows a medical problem (from the 6th from the 7th, which would be the 12th), but there is no such argument in the 2016 solar return of Partner 2, then you can be reasonably certain that the medical condition manifests and is resolved from April to November.

Once you observe this idea, it becomes a neat way to split the year between the two partners if there is more than a two or three month gap between the two birthdays.

There is one other cool idea associated with this method: it may give some useful information when the birthtime of one of the partners is unknown or in dispute. Consider therefore the chart of Bill Clinton. Hillary's birthtime is in dispute, and while everybody in the astrological community desperately wants A Data for Hillary, we simply don't have it. So the question is: can we do derived houses with Bill's?


First, if we briefly examine Bill's nativity, we see three very powerful planets: the Sun in Leo, the Moon in Taurus, and Venus in Libra. This is absolutely stunning, especially given that his Ascendant is Libra, and thus ruled by that Venus. I have been told  by people who have met him that they have never experienced such incredible magnetism (some would say sex appeal) from a human being. I think the dignity, combined with  Neptune in the 1st house, explains the magnetism. With the Moon in Taurus ruling the 10th, we see these two cusps critical to worldly success in incredibly strong condition.

But now look at this from Hillary's point of view. The 7th house cusp is ruled by Mars in Libra: Mars very strong, but in its Detriment, but in Bill's house, not hers. Here we can begin to unravel the astrological indicators of  her high negative rating. Hillary was considered too strong and too feminist during his period as Governor of Arkansas, and this continued into his presidency. Now we add the Neptune in a partile conjunction to Mars. This gives someone who may not have the best boundaries about "mine" and "yours" - someone, in other words, who is easily perceived as either glamorous or sleazy, depending upon your point of view. Hillary has been both, from the iconic Secretary of State with Blackberry and shades, to the wife of Slick Willy.

Hillary's 10th house cusp is Bill's 4th by derived houses. And here, the ruler of her 10th is Saturn in Leo: Saturn in Detriment. So from Bill's chart, both of Hillary's important angles are ruled by planets in Detriment! What for him is so very strong shows from her standpoint as equally strong, but also problematic.

Skip forward to 2015 Bill's Sun in his solar return is in the 3rd house: the opposite house to the joy of the Sun. Cadent houses are weak, and here is the description of Bill's solar return for the most crucial period of the Democratic Party campaign! Bill's Ascendant ruler is Mercury, in fabulous essential dignity, and angular.

Hillary is given by Jupiter in Detriment - likewise cadent! Her MC is ruled by Mercury in her 10th house, so that's something. Of course, coming into this year, she was so overwhelmingly favored to win the nomination that it was unbelievable.

But Neptune has a role to play in this solar return - it's conjunct the MC! And through this year, instead of being able to act as Hillary's biggest cheerleader, Bill has been accused of an illegal act in Massachusetts, and has seemingly manifested more foot-in-mouth tendencies than the golden oratory for which he is generally noted. The Moon in Libra is translating the light from Pluto to Uranus, all by hard aspects. This does not look like anything except the incredible slog that this campaign season has been for them, with Hillary's popularity plummeting and conflict within the Party, leading to the question of whether the Bernie supporters will vote for her should she win the nomination.

This solar return will rule the actual Democratic convention. Will there be enough residual name recognition and capital to eke out a win?

The situation actually looks worse with the 2016 solar return. As I pointed out in Classical Solar Returns, the new solar return phases in starting about a month before the new solar return actually occurs. In that work, I showed how Obama seized an opportunity at the Democratic Convention in 2004 to achieve greater national prominence in that transition period. Bill will likewise be in this transitional period during the Convention when both solar returns will apply.

In Bill's case the new solar return has the Sun in the 12th house. Now this is simply difficult to see in any other terms except unraveling. It's a Full Moon solar return, shifting from build-up to letting go. Hillary is again ruled by Jupiter in Virgo: in Detriment - and in Bill's house. Now why, when she is the one running for President, should she be shown in Bill's house rather than the other way around, or at least none of the above?

Now we have Neptune partile conjunct Hillary's Ascendant (the 7th house cusp). Does some scandal finally stick? Further, we have the Part of Fortune and the South Node conjunct in her 1st just two degrees away from the Descendant itself: again, that's hard to reconcile in any positive way. And then we have Mars and Saturn, the two malefics, coming to conjunction at Hillary's 10th house (the radix 4th). Again, I just cannot see this in a positive outcome.

There's also a curious configuration in this chart that is not at first obvious. Consider the disposition in this chart. The Sun in Leo (Bill) stands alone. There are no other planets in Leo. Everything else hangs off of Mercury in Virgo. In the classical treatment of disposition, Jupiter in Virgo is received by Mercury, which means Mercury is going to try to help Jupiter. Now, Mercury is highly dignified in Virgo, but Mercury is an inferior planet: having to carry Jupiter in Detriment on its back is rather like the image of an ant trying to carry a corn kernel. That worker ant is under stress to say the least! Now add all the other planets to Mercury's back, and Mercury is simply going to go splat! Too much stress, especially when the two immediate dispositions, Venus and Jupiter, are both in debility. But that Mars-Saturn conjunction is received by Jupiter, which is received by Mercury - and the Moon is received by Saturn. You get the idea! Poor Mercury is going to feel like a ton of boulders has descended! In this chart Mercury is Bill himself, because Mercury rules both 1st and 10th. Everyone and everything, including his wife, devolves to him.

Again, this just doesn't look like Hillary riding high in a campaign that was supposed to be a coronation. In fact, the more I looked at the chart, the more I realized that this chart is, in the description that I gave in Traditional Medical Astrology, an exit visa for Bill. An exit visa is a year where the issues are so severe, that death becomes possible. Here, with that Saturn at the IC being conjoined by Mars and ruling the 6th, illness cannot be ruled out.

If Hillary can somehow pull off a win under these circumstances, the Mars-Saturn looks like a miserable set-up to the beginning the presidency. And Bill at that stage would be absolutely exhausted, if not worse.

If Bill can make it through 2016, his 2017 solar return is much better. Now his Sun is conjunct the 10th from the 9th, a much stronger position, especially as the Sun joys in the 9th. Hillary is Venus in Cancer, where she has Triplicity, and in her 2nd house conjunct the Moon in Cancer. Perhaps once again, she is giving speeches to donors and corporations, and thus fulfilling the promise of her 2nd house.

We shall soon see just how much use a husband's chart with A data can be used to predict a wife without!

Friday, April 08, 2016

And on the Republican side, Part 1


©2016 J. Lee Lehman, PhD

I recently wrote about two of the Democratic Party presidential announcements, so now, that leaves the Republicans for examination. And of course, there were a lot more of them! This article takes up a selection. Since most of them are now gone, we can perhaps reflect more fully upon the results. So here they are, largely in alphabetical order.

1. Ted Cruz


Ted Cruz made his announcement electronically, hence the time. So first, we may ask, as an electional proposition, if a midnight time seems appropriate for this endeavor. Since the Sun is a natural ruler of kings, this would seem a fair question, since what we are talking about is really the election of a temporary king. Granted, the Sun is angular, but the midnight angle seems the least associated with the job. Since he is announcing, he is given the 1st house, and Mars in Aries as a ruler looks exactly like he is: a combative man with a penchant for attack, and some skill at it, given the dignity. Actually, this chart has quite a bit of dignity, with the Moon and Venus in strong dignity. Venus rules his competition (the 7th house). Venus, however, is cadent, while Mars is succedent, giving the edge to Mars. In contest charts, however, it is often the debilitated malefics that are ultimately the most successful. It is Mercury which is debilitated, so perhaps this shows the tendency of hsi campaign to release falsehoods about his competitors just before primary votes. Neptune conjunct the IC would seem appropriate for a man who is appealing to the evangelical vote.


 2. Carly Fiorina



Carly seemed to only be able to project a single focus: fabricated delusions of what happens at PLanned Parenthood clinics. A controversial former chief executive of Hewlett Packard, her candidacy briefly appeared to achieve some traction before collapsing early in primary season. It's difficult to envision an electional chart with the Moon in Scorpio as providing success except ina  very narrow range of endeavors, and only then with strong natal support. Double up Moon in Fall with Mars in Detriment, and you have an attack dog, but not a serious candidate. With Mercury ruling the Ascendant, she did really have a message, and Mercury was even dignified. With it in the 12th and opposite Saturn, it was not going to be effective in the long run.


3. Mike Huckabee



Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, evangelical minister, and  Fox commentator, decided to run again for the presidency - he had last attempted it in 2008. Here, we see Leo rising - the ego factor, we might infer, with the Sun in the 10th - a better placement certainly, but peregrine in Taurus. Mars, ruling the 10th, was conjunct the fixed star Algol, hardly a star for success.


 4. Rand Paul



If Huckabee had Algol, then Rand Paul had Scheat, in this case, conjunct the Midheaven, one of the few stars which competes head-to-head with Algol (sorry!) for balefulness. Unlike his past performance, Paul never seemed to get off the ground this time. The Moon, ruling the Ascendant was in Scorpio, a double whammy, and even going to oppose Venus, normally lovely in Taurus, but conjunct Algol. Simply amazing.

5.  Marco Rubio

 
As we accumulate these charts, one might think that announcing in Aries, with the Sun exalted, might be a very good plan. Often, things do seem rather to look up as Spring rolls around. But here, the Sun is in the house of Rubio's competitors, and either Venus or Saturn rules him, depending upon whether you prefer Libra sign ruler Venus or its Almuten. Venus is peregrine; Saturn has mixed Triplicity and is retrograde; both are cadent.Rubio was thus never master of his own fate. As it happens we have the moment that he went off the rails: when Chris Christie slammed him during one of the Republican debates for being a robot - and he just stood there and acted robotic.



It is interesting that the Sun what in effect was the end of Rubio's run had just passed the Moon of his declaration. This chart also puts the lie to the idea that "nothing can come of" a void of course Moon. Here, the Moon passed into void by separating from Mercury: an interesting observation, since Rubio was undone by words, not deeds. That void Moon had even more recently separated from the Mercury of the declaration chart, and the opposition to the Part of Fortune of the declaration chart.

The cut-throat nature especially of this year's completion reminds us that this contest is very much more of the nature of the Sun than the Moon. As such, I thought to consider the Part of Spirit, which is really the Part of the Sun, for this chart. It was at 7 Sagittarius, butting it square to Neptune. Now, I don't think I would elect that! Curiously, when Rubio was taken down, Neptune had made a return to the degree of Neptune for the declaration, again highlighting the conflict with Spirit.


Of the Republican charts we have examined so far, Cruz's looks the best, which matches with the results that we have observed. What we have not been able to do is to correlate these charts with the candidates' nativities, an essential point when we consider these as being of the nature of electionals, because connection to the nativity can have a radical impact on the ability of the time to operate to the benefit of the participant.