Election Day
One of the best arguments favoring a Scorpio Ascendant for the U.S. is that election day always takes place when the Sun is in Scorpio. Invariably, this date falls between November 2 and November 8, which is just after the Sun crosses the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant. The regulated cycle of endings and new beginnings is what keeps the country fresh. It's why America is a Scorpio nation.
On January 23, 1845 President Tyler signed into law the bill that established the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November as election day. At the time, the U.S. was primarily an agrarian society. November was a practical month because the harvest had been completed and winter storms had not yet set in. Symbolically, November (and its astrological sign of Scorpio) was a transition time between the past and the future.
At the time Tyler signed the bill, transiting Saturn - representing the establishment of procedures - was at 8º Aquarius, where it formed an exact square to the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, thereby fixing the nation's periodic renewal during the Sun's annual crossing of the national Ascendant. For the individual politician, it's a time of "do or die".
Every year, the transiting Sun is conjunct the Scorpio Ascendant on Halloween, that uniquely American holiday when children and many adults wear costumes. In traditional astrology, the Ascendant is often referred to as the mask we wear, or the persona that we present to the external environment. Political candidates excel at presenting an appealing mask, and it's up to voters to decide if the masks they wear fairly represent their true selves.
The Glamorous Silicon Valley
As the American political system struggles to appease anxious, angry Americans, one bright spot looms on the economic horizon: Silicon Valley. This relatively small region in southern San Francisco is home to America's wealthiest and most innovative high-tech businesses, including Apple, Facebook, Google, Intel, and eBay. The term Silicon Valley was first coined on January 11, 1971* in "Electronic News" to refer to the local silicon chip makers, but now represents the U.S. high-tech sector as a whole.
A chart for this date (set for sunrise, Mountain View, Santa Clara County, CA) can be used for charting American high-tech industry. The business-oriented Capricorn Sun forms an Earth Grand Trine with Pluto and Saturn, making this entity a self-sustaining engine for financial growth. Jupiter at 29º Scorpio is well placed with respect to California's horoscope, and also supports Pluto in the 8th house of venture capital.
Transiting Uranus was conjunct SV's Jupiter on December 12, 1980 when Apple made its $1.3 billion IPO and kick-started an explosion of well-financed new ventures (also, P2 MC conjunct Mars, P2 Mars conjunct Jupiter). The dot-com bust unfolded in April 2000 during SV's first Saturn Return, when transiting Uranus was conjunct the SV's progressed Sun. Today, Silicon Valley accounts for one-third of all new venture capitalism in the U.S.
Over the coming year, transiting Neptune will enter Pisces and conjoin the SV progressed Sun, with both squaring natal Neptune. This celestial development represents a growing mystique, including cinematically, as in Facebook's story in The Social Network. With the most cutting edge, inventive, futuristic ideas emerging from this region, Silicon Valley becomes an eagerly anticipated, glamorous first stop for visiting heads of state.
Frank Sinatra, The Voice
This week a captivating tale of an American icon is being released. "Frank, The Voice" is about Frank Sinatra's early years, his intense ambition, and smooth voice that charmed girls and turned them into fanatical fans by the thousands. As described in a Vanity Fair excerpt**, Sinatra's voice had an irresistible quality that blindsided "bobby-soxers" with romantic yearning and hints of lust.
Frank Sinatra was born with his adventurous Sagittarius Sun (December 12, 1915; 3:00 pm; Hoboken, NJ) square Jupiter, giving him a double dose of enthusiasm and showmanship. The Sun-Jupiter square has a downside, and that's a heightened sense of one's own greatness that others may see as an intolerable smugness. Mars in Leo trines his Sun, adding tremendous self-confidence.
However, Venus, the ruler of his chart, is in class-conscious Capricorn, and weighed down by an opposition to Saturn. Being Italian-American gave Sinatra deep feelings of inferiority which fueled his need to make something of himself. When his progressed Venus conjoined natal Uranus in 1940, Sinatra had joined the famous Tommy Dorsey band, and girls started screaming and swooning during his love ballads.
The progression of Venus to Uranus offers an electrical magnetism that creates superstars. Elvis Presley's progressed Venus was sextile Uranus in 1955-'56 when he began shaking his hips while rock'n'rolling and sending the girls into uncontrollable fits of lovesickness. Barack Obama's progressed Venus was conjunct Uranus when he became a political pop star between 2006 and 2008. In all three cases, Uranus closely aspects the North Node natally, and then progressed Venus activated the underlying destiny.
* See http://anchor-electronics.com/about_us/silicon_valley/history.html
** see http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/10/frank-sinatra-201010
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