Obama vs. McCain. With only days left before the US election
this event is undoubtedly on everyone's mind whether you live
in the US or not. The polls are lined up for Obama, but are
the stars lined up for the political star? Or are we looking
at a another last minute upset by the republicans, and John
McCain? There has been a lot of speculation by astrologers East
and West about the election this year. The main problem that
has kept me reluctant to discuss this has been the discrepancies
with the candidates birth times.
The Issue
of Obama and McCain's Birth Times
In the first half of 2008 most astrologers were using a speculated
birth time for Barack Obama of about 1:00 pm giving him a Libra
ascendant. Then in July, Obama's own website released his birth
certificate (click to view) with a birth time of 7:24 pm,
giving him a 24 degrees Capricorn ascendant. In terms of birth
time accuracy it doesn't get any better than a written document,
especially a birth certificate. Of course, they can be created
in photoshop, but my opinion is that we have to give them the
benefit of the doubt. In Obama's case the state
of hawaii itself has declared (click to view) that his birth
certificate is authentic. This should pretty much settle the
question.
The story of John McCain's birth time is even more convoluted.
For many years, 9:00 am was the accepted birth time, giving
him Virgo ascendant. However, earlier this year McCain's campaign
released
an ad (click to view) in which his mother states that he
was born about 11 am, giving him Libra ascendant. One
week ago, my friend and fellow astrologer Marc Boney emailed
me to let me know about a birth
certificate that emerged (click to view) for McCain giving
him a 6:25 pm birth time and a 27 degrees Aquarius ascendant.
You can read about this by clicking
here.
Here are their natal charts, as well as their navamsha and dashamsha
charts, based on these newly released birth certificates:
Barack Obama:
Vimshottari Dasha on election day: Jup-Moon-Mer
Barack Obama's Natal Chart
Barack Obama's Navamsha Chart (D-9)
Barack Obama's Dashamsha Chart (D-10)
John
McCain:
Vimshottari Dasha on election day: Mer-Mer-Jup
John McCain's Natal Chart
John McCain's Navamsha Chart
John McCain's Dashamsha Chart
The Obama
Edge?
Interestingly, both of these new charts show a strong Saturn
in its own sign in the lagna forming a shasha mahapurusha
yoga. This alone gives their charts inherent strength,
leadership, a hard work ethic, and ability to sacrifice for
a greater cause. Obama's slight edge is that he's in a better
dasha period, Jup-Moon, versus McCain's Mer-Mer.
Obama's Jupiter gains directional strength in the lagna, and
it's conjunction with Saturn gives it neecha banga raja
yoga, or cancellation of debility, among other cancellation
factors. Jupiter's aspect to exalted Moon, forming a Gauri
Yoga discussed in my recent
article on Obama, is the combination that reveals his enormous
support and popularity. It also shows his compassionate nature
that has won many hearts of the struggling middle class, and
his inspirational message of hope, and positive solutions which
Jupiter represents. Both Jupiter and the Moon are involved in
raja yogas; Jupiter has neecha banga raja yoga,
and the Moon is the 7th lord in the 5th house forming a raja
yoga. This further strengthens their connection due to
Jupiter's aspect.
Jupiter is also tightly mutually aspecting Mercury the 9th lord.
This aspect continues in the navamsha chart where Jupiter and
Mercury are both improved by sign strength with Jupiter in its
own sign and Mercury exalted. This represents his extraordinary
oratory skill.
What concerns me most for Obama is his dashamsha chart. Jupiter
is in the 7th house, a powerful angle which is good for gaining
a position. However, the Moon is in the 12th house, and in the
6th house from Jupiter. These dusthana positions causes some
doubt as to whether he has the strength to attain the presidency,
or if he attains it whether he can keep it.
He moves into Mars sub period on March 24, 2009 for about 1
year, which is a more powerful position in the navamsha and
dashamsha charts, aspecting Jupiter in each. However, in the
natal chart Mars is with Rahu in the 8th house, and 8th house
from Jupiter. This is certainly a dangerous combination that
have caused some astrologers to predict, God forbid, an assassination
if he is elected. I must agree that this is some possibility
especially because Saturn will be transiting over Mars until
September 2009. This is followed by a Rahu sub period, showing
a continuing trend. Could it also simply represent a lot of
intensity and crisis to deal with over the next few years? Yes.
A McCain Comeback?
McCain is also in a strong dasha of Mercury, which he began
in December 2006. There are quite a few pluses and minuses with
Mercury. It's conjunct Venus the yogakaraka planet from both
the ascendant and the Moon, however, Venus is debilitated. Mercury
is exalted in Virgo, however, it's in the 8th house, the house
of failure and defeat. It's also debilitated in the navamsha
and afflicted by both Mars and Saturn from dusthana houses,
12th and 6th. These mixed indications show both his support
and struggles in the Mercury dasha. In the dashamsha chart,
Mercury becomes the 1st lord, aspected by the 9th and 10th lords.
This certainly could elevate him in the Mercury dasha and is
one factor that tells me he could perhaps pull off an upset.
The day of his inauguration, Aug 29th, Saturn was at 17 degrees
Leo, only 4 degrees from his Sun at 13 degrees. Since that time
he's received a lot of criticism over his ability to handle
the economic crisis, as well as his sound judgment in choosing
Sarah Palin is a vice president.
I'm voting for Barack Obama, but I must say I'm concerned about
the difference in their dashamsha charts. McCain's D-10 certainly
looks like it could give a high position, whereas it's not as
clear in Obama's chart as mentioned above. McCain's Mercury
is aspected by 10th and 9th lords Jupiter and Saturn.
I suspect that his actual birth time could be more than 4 minutes
earlier which would move his dashamsha lagna to Taurus from
Gemini. He was elected to the senate in January 1987 in his
Jupiter-Rahu dasha, and this would place these two planets in
his 10th house in the dashamsha. It would also explain better
his long run in the senate during his entire Saturn dasha, which
began in December 1987. Saturn would then become the 10th lord
and yogakaraka placed on an angle.
If McCain somehow wins the election I think it's because of
the power of his dashamsha, and the weakness of Obama's. The
other surprise factor is the fact that his Mercury is exalted
and forming a raja yoga in the 8th house. When the
8th house is strong like this it can represent sudden reversals
and windfalls in his favor. Lastly, he's also in a sub sub dasha
of Jupiter, placed in the 10th house. One can certainly make
a case for a McCain comeback, but I think it's unlikely.
The Vice President's Birth Times
Obama's VP, Joe Biden, has a moderately reliable birth time
of 8:30 am which comes from "his memory" according
to the Astrodatabank software. McCain's VP, Sarah Palin, on
the other hand, has two birth times floating around, neither
one fully verified. One of 4:40 pm, and the other of 9:43 pm.
Only the 4:40 pm time has a source, which says that it comes
from "Claudia Dikinis, a friend of Sarah Palin’s."
In any case, since there's no source for the other time I'll
go with that.
Here are their birth charts, assuming that they're correct.
Joe Biden:
Vimshottari Dasha on election day: Jup-Jup-Rahu
Joe Biden's Natal Chart
Joe Biden's Navamsha Chart
Joe Biden's Dashamsha Chart
Sarah Palin:
Vimshottari Dasha on election day: Jup-Ven-Ketu
Sarah Palin's Natal Chart
Sarah Palin's Navamsha Chart
Sarah Palin's Dashamsha Chart
Biden the
Clincher?
Biden's chart is quite spectacular with Jupiter, the 5th lord,
exalted in Cancer in the 9th house. Notice that it's also vargottama,
and goes to the 10th house in the navamsha. Wow. Looking further
at Jupiter, notice how it tightly aspects his 10th lord Sun
in the lagna. This forms a powerful raja yoga between
the 5th and 10th lords, involving the karaka of political power,
the Sun. Could this get any better? Yes! He just started his
Jupiter dasha just over two years ago on Sept 21, 2006, which
is certainly great news for Obama supporters.
He'll be in Jup-Jup-Rahu on election day. Rahu is in the 10th
house in the sign of power, Leo, in his natal chart, and receives
the aspect of Jupiter by transit, the dasha lord, as well as
Saturn, forming the double
transit effect in his 10th house. A Rahu dasha is also like
the dasha of the Sun, due to its dispositorship, so this also
supports a rise in power. In addition, Rahu is in the lagna
of the Dashamsha chart, which is a strong position. Could Obama's
first executive decision after winning the democratic nomination
to choose Biden prove to be the clincher of his campaign? There's
great reason to believe so.
Furthermore, on November 8th Biden will begin his Jup-Sat dasha.
Saturn is aspected by the 10th lord Sun, and notice how in the
Dashamsha, Saturn becomes the yogakaraka conjunct the
10th lord Moon, forming a raja yoga between the 5th
and 10th lords.
Palin's Last Minute Appeal?
After all the jokes are over about Palin, you've got to admit
that she has certainly stirred up a lot of interest in McCain's
campaign. But can she help pull McCain over the edge to victory?
I don't think so. Palin's in a Jup-Ven dasha. At first glance,
you can see that they're both in the 9th house, and both are
strong by sign position, with Jupiter in its own sign and Venus
exalted. They also form a raja yoga between the 4th
and 9th lords. Okay, that's great and shows her overall appeal,
but how does Venus do in the navamsha and dashamsha charts?
Not so good. Venus is debilitated in the 8th house with Ketu
and the Sun. Ouch. You'll have to ask Todd about how that effects
their marriage.
But this isn't a personal question, it's presidential, especially
because she could take over for McCain if he has a relapse of
skin cancer. Venus doesn't appear to be boosting her to a great
position of power. It's not that powerful in the dashamsha chart,
being placed in the mildly dusthana 3rd house, and in the 8th
house from Jupiter. She'll also be in a Ketu sub sub period
on election day, which doesn't help her, being a planet of disappointment
and disillusionment.
Transits on Election
Day
Transit Chart for Election Day
Conclusion
What makes political predictions tricky is that the candidates
will still have a powerful political position even if they lose.
Either Obama or McCain will go back to the Senate, which is
not too shabby. Therefore, what we're looking at is - who has
the edge in terms of magnitude of power? This is sometimes
hard to gauge.
For instance, how many gauri yogas like Obama's has
anyone researched? It's a rare yoga so probably not many. Could
it alone be more powerful than would be typically surmised?
Yes. This could be the key to Obama's edge. The other big edge
for Obama is the strength of Biden's chart.
Lastly, the final clue that seals it for me is that the Moon
is transiting to the exact degree over Obama's Jupiter in the
lagna on election day (see the transit chart above) in uttarashada
nakshatra. As the 7th lord transiting over the dasha lord Jupiter,
the Moon shows tremendous support coming to him. He's also in
a Mercury sub sub dasha with Mercury being his 9th lord, the
planet of fortune and blessing. By transit Mercury is in his
10th house with the Sun and Mars, two planets of power. Yes,
I do agree that the stars and planets are lined up for him.
Admittedly, I'm not very even-minded about this because I want
Barack Obama to win so much anyway! Nevertheless, my prediction:
Obama Biden wins!
Take a deep breath democrats and republicans and go vote on
election day!
Barack Obama's Natal Chart
Barack Obama's Navamsha Chart (D-9)
Barack Obama's Dashamsha Chart (D-10)
John McCain's Navamsha Chart
John McCain's Dashamsha Chart
Joe Biden's Dashamsha Chart
Sarah Palin's Natal Chart
Sarah Palin's Navamsha Chart
Sarah Palin's Dashamsha Chart
