August 2, 2004

John Kerry's Pluto

By most accounts, John Kerry's acceptance speech last Thursday was an overwhelming success, as he officially became his party's nominee for President at 10:22 pm. His two daughters and wife Teresa added the family touch aimed at reaching middle America and the critical swing voters. Immediately after the convention Kerry and Edwards hit the road for a 22-state campaign blitz over the next two weeks.

John Kerry (December 11, 1943; 8:03 am; Denver, CO) was born with a prominent Pluto, one that transforms his personal life and thrusts him onto the national stage. His Pluto at eight degrees Leo is found in the eighth house of his partner's money and is given a favorable fate by being conjunct the Moon's North Node. Pluto here is significant since it forms an exact square to the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, giving him the potential to transform the national identity.

The inherent power of this degree is evident by looking at the record. Kerry was born when the U.S. was planning and implementing D-Day and the largest invasion force in world history to take back Europe from the Nazi war machine. Pluto's square to the U.S. Ascendant at the time initiated the nation's transformation into a respected superpower.

Kerry made his acceptance speech under the emotional influence of the Full Moon, which took place right on his Pluto. In addition, his running mate John Edwards has his progressed Sun at eight degrees Leo, in an exact conjunction with Kerry's Pluto. By election day in November, transiting Jupiter (Kerry's ruling planet) will be prominently placed near his Midheaven and forming a favorable sextile to his natal Pluto.

Ron Reagan Jr., The Wayward Son

Of the many fine speeches coming out of Boston last week one of the more surprising was delivered by Ron Reagan Jr. who spoke on behalf of stem cell research. The son of the revered Republican President drew cries of "traitor" from his own family and Christian fundamentalists when he said* that the theology of the few should not be allowed to forestall the health and well-being of the many.

Ron Reagan Jr. (May 20, 1958; 8:46 am; Los Angeles) was born with the family-oriented sign of Cancer on his Ascendant. This makes the Moon his ruling planet, which is found in the secretive twelfth house. The Moon here is under great stress by being opposed to Saturn and square Mars in the moral signs of Sagittarius and Pisces.

The Moon-Mars-Saturn complex impels him to confront the"compassionate conservatism" of his Republican inheritance. This configuration describes the intense, behind-the-scenes family squabbling, a situation magnified by transiting Pluto. Over the last few years, transiting Pluto has squared his Mars and is now opposite his Moon. Pluto goes on to conjoin his Saturn in 2005 and 2006.

Ron Reagan Jr. has some revealing connections to the U.S. horoscope. At the moment he gave his speech his Sun had progressed to an exact, to-the-minute conjunction with the U.S. Sun (13CAN13) describing this memorable occasion. However, his most natural impact on American politics is as a revolutionary, independent thinker, since his Uranus (associated with independence) is found at eight degees Leo, exactly square the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant.

Michael Douglas Goes to Court