Romney and the U.S. Moon
Mitt Romney (March 12, 1947; 9:51 am; Detroit, MI) has no natal planets at 25º of any sign. Only Pallas, the political strategy asteroid, is close at 24º Aquarius, but it’s 1 ½ degrees away from the U.S. Moon – too far to dominate the election. However, his progressed chart tells a different story. All his progressed personal planets have recently been, are, or soon will be at 25º.
As of the New Hampshire primary on February 14, 2012, Romney’s progressed Venus and Mars are at 25º and 26º Aries respectively, where they sextile the U.S. Moon. This gives him the boldness Republicans are looking for. His progressed Sun and Mercury are at 24º and 25º Taurus respectively, which squares the U.S. Moon. The square is not a bad thing in this context, because it denotes change. The Taurus influence tells us what kind of change Romney plans, and that’s the economy based on conservative Republican values.
Fine-tuning these measurements, progressed Mars is well past the sextile, but Romney has been energetically politicking on the campaign trail for several years now, networking, constructing a platform, and building his financial resources. As a side note, Romney has a progressed triple conjunction in January 2014 involving his Moon, Venus and Mars. This is significant because it squares the U.S. Pluto. If he does become the Commander-in-Chief, this is a sure sign of a major crisis at the time, perhaps war or some other military invasion. It could also signify an economic collapse forcing Romney to marshal U.S. financial power in some way.
Romney’s progressed Mercury is a bit past the square to the U.S. Moon during the early 2012 primaries, but still a strong influence shaping his economic ideas. His progressed Sun at 24º Taurus represents a growing influence throughout the 2012 election cycle. On Election Day – November 6, 2012 – Romney’s progressed Sun will be only 0º03’ from squaring the U.S. Moon. This gives him a clear emotional connection with the American people, making him a potential winner.
After his Harvard education, he was recruited by the private investment firm of Bain & Company, where he prospered and rose rapidly through the ranks. By 1984, he was ready to be a CEO. He co-founded Bain Capital and switched his business model from investing in start-ups to the relatively new practice of leveraged buy-outs. He made his fortune in this business, the $100s of millions that would sustain his future political ambitions. In 1990, his first business employer, Bain & Company was facing bankruptcy, and he was asked to return. He became the new CEO in 1991 at the nominal salary of $1/year. Within a year, he had restructured the entire business, returning it to profitability, and then turned it over to new leadership in December 1992.
A similar success story was repeated when he became President of the 2002 Salt lake City Olympic Games Organizing Committee. When Romney took over, the event was running some $379 million in debt. Making matters worse, the Games had been tarnished by bribery scandals, all while terrorism fears following 9/11 hung over the proceedings. After rallying the local citizenry and business support, Romney broke the record for raising private money to support the 2002 Olympic Games. He walked away with a fiscal profit of $100 million, and widespread praise as a turn-around artist.
Riding the wave of his business record, Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts the next year, and won, but inherited a budget deficit of some $3 billion. By pushing through spending cuts, increased revenues, and closing tax loopholes, Romney brought the state to a surplus of some $700 million by 2006. And incidentally, he was at the forefront of a universal health care plan, the first in the nation. The plan was so successful, that President Obama copied it when he became president.
Romney is the One
Looking at Romney’s transits and progressions during the early primaries, he seems likely to do very well, even though he’s being followed by a cloud of uncertainty. Three major Neptunian astro-events keep the excitement low when it comes to selecting Romney as the GOP’s standard bearer in 2012. They are: transiting Neptune squaring his Ascendant, transiting Pluto squaring his Neptune (the ruler of his Pisces Sun), and his progressed Sun forming a hard aspect (a trioctile, or 135º aspect) to natal Neptune. All three of these are exact or near exact in March and April when the primary tallies reach critical mass.
Romney’s progressed Moon trines natal Saturn on February 16, two days after the New Hampshire primary. This is quite favorable for his win in this key New England state. Transiting Jupiter squares his Midheaven on February 27, the day before the South Carolina primary, also suggesting he’ll do well here. A win in this southern region would be severely damaging to Perry’s campaign. Transiting Jupiter is conjunct Romney’s Ascendant on June 15, and then trine his Midheaven on July 12 – all of which points to his growing confidence and success.
But an odd astrological coincidence casts further unpredictability into this race. Like Perry, Romney has an ongoing connection between transiting Uranus and his progressed Moon unfolding during this election season. Romney’s progressed Moon entered Aries on December 12, and transiting Uranus turned direct at 0º Aries on December 9. So Romney’s progressed Moon and transiting Uranus are traveling together, creating plenty of excitement, unexpected turns, and sudden shifts. These two are exact three times, but remain extremely close throughout January and February.
One possibility is that a new champion will enter the race, one that has not declared as of this writing. A plethora of GOP billionaires recently urged New Jersey governor Chris Christie to run, but he wisely turned down the opportunity. If he had entered, he would have been severely disappointed and lead to further GOP embarrassment at the poor crop of candidates. Christie’s horoscope (September 6, 1962; Newark, NJ; time unknown) shows very weak connections to the U.S. horoscope, both natally and by secondary progression. The push for Christie was a sign of desperation.
Other possibilities are Herman Cain, Ron Paul, and Jon Huntsman. Pizza CEO Cain (b. December 13, 1945) has no natal planets aspecting the U.S. Moon, nor any by secondary progression. This makes him a non-contender. Paul (August 20, 1935) has a Sun-Pallas conjunction opposite the U.S. Moon, which has brought him this far in the campaign. He has a loyal faction, but not the traction, and is probably too old now to gain momentum at this stage of the campaign. Jon Huntsman’s chart actually looks pretty solid, and he may do better than most pundits expect. His progressed Ceres at 25º Aquarius is very near the U.S. Moon, but unfortunately, makes him appear too civil and rational during times that call for visceral political attacks. He may make a good vice president.
Republicans are left with Romney, who is actually a good choice if the more provincial elements can get over his Mormonism. Romney’s progressed Ascendant trines his Moon-Jupiter in March, a sure sign of victory. Looking down the road to the Republican Convention (beginning the week of August 27, 2012), he has a progressed Moon-Midheaven conjunction shaping up, which is very favorably trine natal Pluto. This combination is about personal empowerment, and is strong astrological confirmation that he’ll be nominated. The progressed Midheaven trines natal Pluto in March 2013, which could very well correspond to his inauguration.
The GOP Field
Astrologically speaking - and this is true for either party – a successful candidate must have close connections to the U.S. national horoscope. Without these, a candidate can’t make it on the national stage. Plus, the candidate’s personal chart should show signs of success.
Links to the U.S. Moon are particularly useful in separating the potential winners from the wannabes. As the symbol for the American people and their security needs, the Moon at 25º28’ Aquarius has been increasingly relevant over the last century in marking winning candidates. Most likely, this is due to the phenomenal growth of communication networks. This allows an accelerated feedback loop between opinion polls and candidates’ reactions and their evolving positions.
A quick example shows how this works in practice. A spectacularly rare combination (statistically improbable) is the successful candidate’s natal or progressed Mars at 25º Aquarius. When this shows up among the candidates, we have a potential winner. Jimmy Carter and George Bush (senior) both have natal Mars at 25º Aquarius. Ronald Reagan was elected in November 1980 when his progressed Mars was at 25º Aquarius. Voters (Moon) are impressed with this martial influence (Mars) in their future Commander-in-Chief.
Among the current GOP candidates, only Jon Huntsman fulfills this measurement, since his natal Mars is at 25º Aquarius. However, Huntsman misses on the two factors that Republicans are looking for in 2012: he neither upholds the traditional Republican values, nor is he unusually bold in his attacks on Obama. Still, with his Mars in this key location, he may look forward to serving his country in some capacity in the future.
Other planetary connections to the U.S. Moon are also highly favorable. The contrary is also true: if a candidate lacks these connections, there’s not much hope for success. The U.S. Moon can therefore be used as a litmus test to evaluate the candidates. The orb should be extremely tight: ½ degree or closer is best.
NeptuneCafe presents
GOP Candidate
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney, a Closer Look
If Mitt Romney’s personal history is any guide, he could take a collapsing U.S. economy and turn it around in a few short years. As early as his Mormon missionary stint in France at the tender age of 21 he was recognized for his leadership abilities. In 1968 he became the co-acting president of a mission demoralized by civil unrest and a serious car accident, and by year’s end had instilled a renewed sense of purpose among his 175 fellow workers while meeting ambitious new goals.
Astrologically, Romney’s horoscope is superbly designed for success in the business world, and more to the point, for fixing failing enterprises by instilling confidence, a vision for the future, and the support of the larger community. His Pisces Sun is conjunct Ceres, the caretaking asteroid. This gives him a sense of compassion, a need and desire to protect those who have fallen or lost their faith. The Sun-Ceres connection in a man’s chart makes him paternalistic, and many people respond favorably to his advice.
Romney’s Sun also squares Uranus, a combination often found in the charts of self-made billionaires. The Sun-Uranus vibe doesn’t follow the crowd, but relies on his own unique understanding of the business world. Bill Gates, Howard Hughes, and J. Piermont Morgan all have close Sun-Uranus aspects. It brings a willingness to think outside the box, beyond the conventional wisdom.
Romney’s Sun is given fantastic fortune by the trine to a Moon-Jupiter conjunction in Scorpio. This Moon-Jupiter is exceptionally powerful because the aspect is so tight (only 0º03’ from exact). It confers a sense of being special, a golden child, one who deserves the best, and can attain it. It helps him to stay cheerful and optimistic even when the worst is manifesting, and it allows him to spread that feeling to others who may feel dejected. In Scorpio, this Moon-Jupiter conjunction inherits a mastery over capital resources, instinctively understanding how to leverage assets for maximum growth.
Venus in his 10th house of public standing has an array of supportive and challenging aspects. Venus is part of an Air Grand Trine, involving Uranus and Neptune. This highly protective configuration helps him build business and political support through his unique ideas (Uranus in Gemini) and his visionary partnerships (Neptune in Libra). Venus in Aquarius excels at networking.
Venus is also part of a T-square: it opposes a Saturn-Chiron conjunction and squares Pluto. This configuration is what gets him involved in failing businesses. The stress of a Saturn, Chiron and Pluto on Venus (and the moneyed interest it symbolizes) introduces him to enterprises on the verge of failure. The potential catastrophe inferred by this T-Square is part of Romney’s personal drama. He repeatedly runs into such conditions, and then through the strength of his Grand Trine and Moon-Jupiter conjunction, he turns everything around. The cycle repeats over and over in his life. And now he wants to do the same thing on the national stage.
Comparing Romney’s chart to the U.S. horoscope, he has close connections to America’s Scorpio Ascendant and its ruling planets Mars and Pluto. His Moon-Jupiter conjunction is exactly sextile the U.S. Pluto, conferring onto him membership in the nation’s plutocracy. This favorable Moon-Jupiter to the U.S. Pluto ensures close connections to those with financial and political influence.
His Pisces Sun squares the U.S. Mars in Gemini (orb: 0º06’), and his natal Uranus is widely conjunct the U.S. Mars. This configuration is reminiscent of George Bush senior’s chart; Bush’s Gemini Sun squares Uranus in Pisces, as both are closely aligned with the U.S. Mars. It confers a close connection with the military-industrial complex. It’s also reflective of close connections with American industry, especially the automobile industry. His father, George Romney, was CEO of American Motors before becoming Michigan’s governor.
Romney’s Chiron is conjunct the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant (orb: 0º16’). This is the most direct and powerful connection he has with the U.S. chart. It has an ambivalent significance because it can be interpreted two ways. At first, he may become identified as the “wounded candidate”, one who has so many negatives, but is still a respectable choice. Romney’s visionary passage of universal health care in Massachusetts is now a liability in his own party. His shifting policy positions is a natural tendency for his Sun-Uranus mutable square, indicating flexibility and an open mind. But that’s a handicap among party members who want a consistent voice. And perhaps most significantly, a full 30 percent of Republican voters say they would not vote for a Mormon.
On the plus side, Chiron also brings Romney the image of a fixer and a problem-solver, someone who can mend the broken economy. He’s done it repeatedly in the past, and he’s campaigning on the promise that he will do it again.
on this page...
breaking down the GOP field by their connections with the U.S. Moon, Romney's progressed planets and the U.S. Moon, Romney - a closer look at his biography and natal horoscope.
the material here is excerpted from a full-length article in Dell Horoscope, to be published in early 2012
For more on the GOP candidates, see GOP 2012
