Monthly Archives: October 2015

Forecasting Political Elections

We’re revving up for the U.S. Presidential race, though Election Day is over a year away – much too soon to make an astrological prediction. I’ve correctly forecast the outcomes of the last six presidential elections. Here’s what worked for me:

1. Wait for the final roster of candidates. Initial candidates can have life-changing aspects which may end up having little to do with the presidency.

2. Use every tool at your disposal. This takes time (another reason to wait for the final candidates!). I use nomination charts, transits, solar returns, progressed declination and solar arcs, as well as comparisons with the U.S. chart. I also try to look at the Vice Presidential candidates and the potential first ladies, too. Despite many excellent aspects in 2012, transiting Neptune squared Mitt Romney’s Ascendant; we might say he never truly caught fire. But V.P. candidate Paul Ryan also had Neptune opposing his Ascendant, emphasizing the possibility of loss for both men.

3. Don’t be too influenced by a single technique. Hillary Clinton’s progressed Moon was Out of Bounds in declination for the 2008 presidential election, giving her a very high profile. If we used that technique alone, we might erroneously conclude she’d win. Still, it was a break-out time for her: she garnered tremendous support and was soon appointed Secretary of State. Obama’s nomination chart that year had a Void of Course Moon. One needed to overlook the typical “nothing will come of it” interpretation (he’d been a de facto candidate well before his nomination).

4. Be aware of bias. Astrologers in the U.S. lean liberal, and seem to forecast more Democratic success. Understand your own bias and consciously take a step back.

5. Don’t be swayed by the media. We have to consider what commentators say. But stick to the astrology. The close, hotly contentious 2000 Bush-Gore presidential race needed a Supreme Court decision to resolve, though it was much more obvious astrologically that Bush would win.

6. Learn to weigh ambiguities. Evangeline Adams appeared to use transits of Saturn in her election forecasts, since Saturn can figure importantly in changes of status, position and fortune. But does Saturn point toward a low showing at the polls or accepting the weight of office? It can be challenging to sort through the range of interpretations, but only in-depth research and reasoned judgment will help.

After six correct forecasts, I worry about breaking my run of hits. So every four years I end up spending even more time with the analysis – it’s become a bit of an obligation to prove myself. But given a good skill set and enough time and attention, I believe that any astrologer can do it. After all, we have the same 50-50 chance of calling the outcome correctly that the commentators do!

Uranus in Gemini and the U.S.

Evangeline Adams was one of the few astrologers to forecast WWII astrologically. As early as the 1920s, she said that “the signs point to a war from three different angles: for religious, racial and political reasons, in 1942, 1943 and 1944.” For her forecast, Adams used a cycle of Uranus in the sign of Gemini that Luke D. Broughton had outlined for the U.S. decades earlier.

In his book, URANU.S.A, astrologer Nick Dagan Best takes an in-depth look at this same Uranus cycle, building a fractal-like case with a wealth of examples of Uranus stations, ingresses and transits to birth charts and solar returns of key individuals in U.S. history. The book has a fabulous design and clear diagrams on every page to help illuminate the Revolutionary War, Civil War and World War II eras. As good a historian as he is an astrologer, Best has also added irreverent picture captions just for fun. The book is most suitable for intermediate astrologers, but beginners interested in planetary cycles should learn much since all is clear and straightforward. For those interested in forecasting, it is absolutely fascinating. Purchase directly from the author.

Moon Void? Of Course!

Now that Saturn has entered Sagittarius to stay, we have an unusual phenomenon. The heavier planets are all below 20 degrees and even Jupiter and Mars are both in early degrees. What that means is that there’ll be a lot more Void of Course Moons.

The Moon is Void when it leaves its last major aspect before changing signs. With the Sun toward the middle degrees of Libra, it, too, cannot save the Moon from being Void of Course that much for the next week or two. So, for example, we’re left with the Moon being Void for most of Thursday, October 8, 2015, Saturday October 10, Tuesday October 13, Thursday October 15, etc. That’s a lot of void to fill!

Al H. Morrison, who studied the Void Moon quite a bit, felt that decisions and actions could prove fruitless at these times, bearing unexpected consequences. If you force things through, you may regret it, as unintended results are more common. We’re not in charge of the outcome.

On the other hand, Al thought the VOC Moon was good for routine things like chores and entertainment, as well as therapy. He believed the VOC Moon heightened intuition and awareness and could provide inner revelations. Since the Moon rules our moods, emotions and needs, I suppose being Void places the emphasis more on our authentic inner selves than on connecting with the outer world.

I feel we’ll all have a little more “down time” in the coming weeks. It’s almost like enforced astrological relaxation. As Al so succinctly said, “Feed your soul until the time shown for entering the next sign. Then, go back into business!”

There’s more on Al H. Morrison and his thoughts on the Void of Course Moon in my book, The Best of Al H. Morrison.