Russ Feingold is a dream candidate for the Democrats. He’s got charisma, good looks, and he was the only Senator who voted against the Patriot Act. Last year he was the first Senator to suggest a timetable for bringing the troops home. He has taken a firm stand in campaign finance issues, cosponsoring the McCain-Feingold act. He voted against NAFTA and other free trade agreements, and most recently he stood up and called for censure against would-be emperor George W Bush over the warrantless spying scandal.

As a child, Feingold was a big admirer of John F. and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. He was a Rhodes scholar and graduated from Harvard Law School with honors. Three years later, he was elected to the Wisconsin state Senate. Ten years after that he won a seat in the US Senate campaigning with little money against millionaire opponents. Feingold is in the process of divorcing from his second wife.

What do the planets show about Russ Feingold?

He has a Pisces Sun, not a common placement for a politician, but he also has a strong Aries influence. Pisces people are considered compassionate and somewhat dreamy, imaginative and creative. Pisces tend to follow the path of least resistance, and don’t like to make waves. They are empathetic and sensitive to the needs of others, and one of Feingold’s campaign promises when he ran for state Senator was to hold listening parties to stay in touch with constituents. His positions on the issues show a tendency to side with the needs of the people rather than corporations.

Mercury in Feingold’s chart is in Aries, as is Mars and Venus. Aries is god of war, ruled by Mars (the Roman counterpart of the god Ares). Mercury in Aries shows Feingold’s courage to speak out where others fear to, and is not afraid to stand alone in the face of battle. Mars in Aries shows a strong drive, which in Pisces can be tempered by the compassionate nature of that water sign. His Mars makes a trine (harmonious aspect) to Pluto, connecting the will of the individual self (Mars) with the god of personal power (Pluto). This is a powerful aspect that propels him effortlessly into the accumulation of real power.

His Sun makes a trine (harmonious aspect) to Uranus, showing that he is an individualist: he is also inventive and concerned with social issues (Uranus). His Mars makes a square (challenging aspect) to Uranus, showing that this individualism can be expressed in impulsive (Mars/Uranus) ways.

Feingold has a complex system in his chart called a Grand Cross (a stressful combination of planets with two oppositions (180 degrees) square each other). This Grand Cross includes Mars which is conjunct Venus, both in Aries opposite Saturn and Neptune, both in Libra and both retrograde. With Venus involved in this dynamic we would expect Feingold’s relationships to be affected, and clearly he has had difficulties in this realm. With Saturn opposite Venus, he doubts (Saturn) his ability to be loved by another (Venus), and since Saturn is retrograde in his chart the self doubt that Saturn is known for is turned inward, creating a rather loud voice of self-criticism. Neptune opposing Venus often leads to unrealistic fantasies (Neptune) about relationships. Men with Venus in Aries tend to want dominion in the home and that can be a problem in today’s world.

The Grand Cross creates many challenges, but also teaches lessons that build strength of character. My sense is that Feingold’s world is primarily the realm of politics and public life, and this helps him to sublimate the need for a personal life. In 2004 and 2005 Feingold went through a difficult Saturn transit, where transiting Saturn that opposition between his natal Saturn and Venus, during which he and his second wife announced their separation and impending divorce. At the same time, though, Pluto began a harmonious transit of Venus in his chart which may have begun a transformation (Pluto) of his needs in relationship to others (Venus). During Pluto transits we tend to lose relationships that no longer serve us, and this shows that the end of his marriage will ultimately be a positive influence for him.

Feingold will undergo a series of positive planetary events this year, including several Jupiter cycles that began last December and will continue through August of this year, bringing him opportunities (Jupiter) and expanding his influence. With the exception of a few short challenges, it looks like the planets will be kind to Feingold. Could he be the candidate to watch?