A Keep It Simple Student examination of President Obamas horoscope progressed to Nov 04, 2008

    In our classes we study all the major predictive systems used by astrologers including transits, secondary progressions, solar arc directions and solar and lunar returns. For this example we will use the extremely popular secondary progressions method. Secondary Progressions are created when the astrologer looks up the positions of the planets for a specific number of days after birth and compares those positions to the location of the birth planets. They count one day after birth for each year of life. So, in Secondary Progressions, the formula is each day after birth equals one year of life. It is based on the idea that one revolution of the earth (one day) has a correlation with one cycle of the earth around the Sun. (one year) Astrologers like to say that the microcosm reflects the macrocosm. By this system we could examine the 22nd year of life by looking at the positions of the planets 22 days after birth and comparing them to the birth or natal planets. The 34th year of life would correlate with the 34th day after birth and so on. Because we are looking at small amounts of time, the planets don't move too very far from their birth or natal positions.  But when they have moved far enough to make aspects to the natal ascendant, midheaven or planets, the effects can be very strong. Very strong indeed. Above is the progressed horoscope of Barack Obama. The inner horoscope is his birth chart and the outer circle indicates the positions of his planets progressed to election day, November 04, 2008. I would imagine that being elected president is something that should be apparent to an astrologer. Let us see if that is the case. 
      The first thing I see is that the Sun, Jupiter and Uranus have all progressed to form powerful aspects with the midheaven or top of the horoscope and that Venus is just about to do the same. That is 40% of the entire horoscope forming an aspect with a point that deals with ones aim in life, status, honor, fame and reputation. 40% is more than a lot. It is actually one planet short of half of his entire horoscope! This represents an overwhelmingly powerful time in life concerning ones aim in life, status, honor and reputation. In addition, the progressed Sun and progressed Jupiter are each exactly sixty degrees from the midheaven with one on the left side and one on the right side of this important place in the horoscope. This means that not only are they both aspecting and therefore stimulating his midheaven, but that the midheaven is at the midpoint or most powerful point of stress between these two powerful celestial bodies! Midpoints represent the exact degree where the forces of any two planets are operating at their strongest.  According to Ebertine, who wrote the book on midpoints, an astrologer could interpret the natal midheaven at the midpoint of progressed Sun and Jupiter as "luck in ones enterprises." Sounds like a good aspect to have on election day. 
      But, there is more. Look at the position of the progressed Moon very near the ascendant. Because the Moon is the fastest moving celestial body, it will completing one revolution around the horoscope approximately every 28 years. In Barack Obama's life the Moon has made one and three quarters revolutions around his horoscope and on November 4, 2008 was very near his ascendant. In fact it was only a degree away from forming a conjunction with his ascendant.  In early January, when the new president rose his hand and swore to uphold the constitution, it was at 18 degrees and 45 minutes of Aquarius.  As he took official possession of the presidency of the United States of America his progressed Moon was exactly conjunct his ascendant. Lets take a closer look at this progressed Moon.
More than six months before the election Barack Obama was featured in our Celebrity's section. At that time we predicted his election and told a story about his progressed Moon. We said that he began his political career shortly after his progressed Moon was conjunct his natal Sun in the sixth house of work and service to others.  This is a very significant time in ones life because when two planets form a conjunction they begin a cycle. The conjunction of the two most powerful celestial objects, the Sun and Moon, begins a highly significant new life cycle that continues for the next 28 years of life or until the next conjunction. This cycle, like all cycles, progresses until the opposition aspect occurs about 14 years later at which time the events and circumstances that began at the conjunction come, for good or ill, to fruition. In the year following the conjunction a young Community Organizer named Barack Obama changed his life path. He joined the board of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project. An over achiever, he soon found himself on the board of directors of the Joyce Foundation. That same year Obama became the founding president and chairman of the board of directors  of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and served on the board of directors of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Lugenia Burns Hope Center. It was certainly a very busy and significant year when a young Barack Obama shifted gears from being an educated worker bee to a leader with a very bright future.  Following these successes he entered politics setting the stage for the next 28 years of his life.    As the Moon progressed in Barack's horoscope he climbed the ladder of political success. The month his progressed Moon was exactly opposite his natal Sun completing the cycle, Barack Obama found himself accepting the nomination of his party for president of the United States. We also wrote at that time that the opposition aspect is usually poor for ones health and that he would become sick that month. Sure enough, he caught a cold, became ill and could barely speak as he completed his rise to political dominance exactly on schedule. Not a bad predictive technique this secondary progressed Moon. 
       With 4 planets activating the highest point in his horoscope, Obama easily won the presidency..... and 2 months later, when he raised his hand and took the oath of office, the progressed moon was exactly conjunct his ascendant beginning another major new cycle.  It is well known that when the Moon by progression conjuncts the ascendant a new cycle begins in the life. It is an important time of change. A change in residence, a change in ones relationships and a change in their position in life accompany's this aspect. So, with progressed Sun, the most powerful celestial body in any horoscope, Jupiter, the most beneficial planet, Venus the next most beneficial planet  and Uranus, his ruling planet, all indicating an outstanding opportunity for advancement in life; predicting a win for Obama from his horoscope is actually rather easy. As mentioned earlier, there are other systems of prediction but they all have the same outcome. Barack Obama was going to become the 44th president of the United States and our ship of state was about to take a hard turn to the left. It was a stunning victory. But all was not good. The economy was on the morphine drip, property values were also circling the drain and the opposition party was decimated by the election and was willing to do anything to get back the power they had just lost. How would it all work out? Pundits are busy predicting the outcome of this election but the astrologers are the only ones with an inside tract.  All we have to do is progress this horoscope.
In closing I am compelled to state that if ever this country needed a brilliant leader, one with vision, a strong work ethic and the audacity of hope, it is now.  Sadly, his presidency is ripe for stress and loaded with frustration. A horoscope cast for the moment of his inauguration, which speaks of his presidency, is more than a bit stressful. So, what does the future hold for President Obama and our country? We will address these and other questions each month at The Celestial Cafe.