Astrological musings on our next President and other political movers and shakers
By SYMBOLINE DAI | December 30, 2008
"It is the stars,
The stars above us, govern our conditions."
Kent, King Lear, IV, iii
Why Hillary will be a great Secretary of State
She’s a Scorpio. Scorpios are strategic. She’s got a lot of patience when it comes to understanding underlying economic issues (Jupiter in Sagittarius in the second house). She’ll be strong about keeping the focus of her new office on women’s and children’s issues (moon in Pisces in the fifth house), as well as on sovereign concerns. And she’ll be quite prepared to deal with the dozens and dozens of macho despot tyrants she’ll encounter — after all, she’s been married for decades to her rambunctious Leo mate. Stressful times for Hillary: Secretary Clinton’s staff may want to jot down some dates in their Blackberries: February 7 through 10, April 13 through 16, June 1 through 5, and October 18 through 25. These four periods will be times when it might be best to just get out of Hillary’s way. Those who know her may find her impatient and inconsistent on these 21 days. Though she has been, in the occasional interval, in lockstep with the Zeitgeist, as someone born with natal Mercury retrograde, Hillary has more typically spent years and years being misunderstood by the masses. |
Another Leo president. That's what we're getting with Barack Obama, and it's even good news on an astrological level. Never mind that our earliest First Lions were weaklings like Benjamin Harrison (who got the national budget up to $1 billion), and Herbert Hoover (on whose watch occurred that other ghastly stock-market crash). History has not been kind to Hoover — admit it, even playing word association with his name, you immediately think "Dam" or "suck." Despite his other shortcomings, however, Hoover actually had the right idea about how to fix the country's problems, but just lacked political capital and ability (admittedly, big red flags on any political resume). And, with Aquarian (the avatar of optimism in that era) FDR coming along, he never had a chance.So, why should we be grateful to have a Leo back in the Oval Office? For one thing, Leo, a fixed fire sign, is the sign of kings and public relations. The boilerplate on the big cat is that those born under its sign are confident and charming, and don't hesitate to step up to lead. Generally, what you see is what you get with these people, and Leo leaders tend to have compelling personalities. Public acclaim doesn't confuse or annoy them — it's just part of the cost of doing business.
The showbiz lions and lionesses that immediately come to mind are Mick Jagger, Madonna, and Martha Stewart. You know, on a personal level, that they're probably narcissistic sociopaths of the highest order, but they get the job done, to their own satisfaction.
And, after eight years of Bush, a Cancer (astrologically, we mean), God knows we need the clarity. Cancer's symbol is the crab, and W. has showcased the absolutely rock-bottom worst 1 attributes of that sign, from the shifty affect, to the relentless defensive posture, to the ghastly and tragic loyalties that have dominated his administration. How long did it take Bush the Lesser to take Rummy out of the picture, anyway? Lord help us, that gratulating war criminal had been rolling around since the Ford administration. That's way too much loyalty.
Related:
The ‘A’ word, Women on the verge, Emasculation proclamation, More 
- The ‘A’ word
How can the media cover a subject that nearly everyone’s thinking about, but is almost too abhorrent to discuss?
- Women on the verge
At next week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver, Hillary Clinton’s delegates will get just about everything they’ve wanted — aside from the nomination of their candidate, of course.
- Emasculation proclamation
Though the press and Barack Obama supporters often maintain the opposite, by the rough-and-tumble standards of American politics, Hillary Clinton really hasn’t run that tough a campaign against the Illinois senator.
- Suffrage net city
Three years ago, when the Red Sox were winning and John Kerry was losing, YouTube hadn’t even been invented.
- The shape of things to come
The Democratic front-runners and the Republican establishment will be making critical decisions in the coming weeks that will shape the course of the race.
- Night of the living dead
It’s almost over. This is welcome news.
- That’s what he said
More than any other presidential candidate, Barack Obama owes his success to sheer rhetorical power.
- Hoover? Damn!
It doesn't matter how many negative ads are broadcast or how many moose are slain on the tundra, candidates and their actions don't transform our politics nearly as much as outside events and circumstances do.
- Robert McNamara, RIP
As secretary of defense under President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara prosecuted the Vietnam War on a day-to-day basis, just as Donald Rumsfeld orchestrated the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for George W. Bush.
- Has Obama peaked? No, he hasn't
Barack Obama's popularity should not be judged by the day-to-day, media-driven vagaries of politics — nor by the wishful thinking of his opponents.
- Give Malalai Joya a visa
In a display of mendacity worthy of the days when the late Senator Joseph McCarthy stifled free speech from coast to coast, the United States Department of State has denied a visa to Afghanistan's most internationally recognized activist, Malalai Joya.
- Less
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Lifestyle Features
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