Bill Clinton, who launched a memorable, successful, and quirky eight-year charm attack, is our most recent pre-Obama Leo. But that doesn't mean Barack is just like Bill. The complexities and vagaries of the planetary angles in Obama's chart look like a Spirograph compared to Clinton's straightforward horoscope 2 . In other words, Barack has a more complicated chart, which suggests, to some in my profession, a more complicated personality.
Okay, here's the fun part: the actual geometry of the astrology. With Obama's Aquarius ascendant ("rising sign"), we have a president who always will be able to help us look to the future, look on the bright side. He's more concerned with the masses than with having a "one on one" connection, as did the Libra-ascendant Clinton. That's the part of Bill that was all "I can feel your pain," and — at the time — he probably meant it.
We are ready for a Leo president. We are ready for someone who's articulate, confident, considered, strategic, and courageous. Just last week, I wrote down one of the phrases Obama used discussing the appointment of Stephen Chu as head of the Department of Energy. Chu is an actual Nobel Prize–winning scientist, as opposed to a political hack or evangelistic ideologue. "Facts demand bold action," explained the president-elect.
Those two words, "demand" and "bold," are classic Leo-speak. Contrast that with Bush during the 2000 campaign and his plan to use "experienced" administrators. This basically translated to Ford- and Reagan-era Cold Warriors (at least the ones who didn't treat his dad so badly, but that's veering off astrology and into Freudian psychology). The fact that he kept that promise and completely fucked the so-called "bipartisan" agenda he promised was just another reason to be thankful that we're upgrading from crustacean to cat.
Barack to the future: Who is this guy?
And now, a new day. A quickie overview of Obama's chart reveals the sun just under the descendant in the sixth house. That means this is a guy who can work and is happy working and is also not happy not working. It is further indicative that he is the type who can look around and say, "There are those who aren't as fortunate, for whatever reason. What can we do?"
His moon (emotional responsiveness) is in curious Gemini, buried in his fourth house (home concerns), which suggests, to me, a certain flexibility in habitat. One's moon sign is one's emotional fingerprint, and Gemini is a deeply curious sign. (Contrast this to W., whose moon is in ambivalent Libra, making an awkward angle to his sun. He's friendly — but not your friend.)
Saturn (limits, lessons) lies very close to Jupiter (expansion, generosity), in Obama's 12th house (subconscious, hidden agendae). The close proximity of those two planets in Obama's chart suggests he's a guy who can live within his means. (This also acts as a "hedonism check," which is to say too much joy makes him nervous). His Mars (ability to take action) is in fussy, critical Virgo in the eighth house (sex, death, other people's money — yeah, it sounds like a caper film). That prissy side of Barack — the jacket-and-tie side, versus shirtsleeves-and-visible-holes-in-shoe-soles side — that's his Mars.
