Barack Obama quit his longtime association with the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago today. Under the influence of transiting Pluto (destruction) in opposition to Venus (relationships) in Obama’s chart, the longtime association between Obama and Pastor Jeremiah Wright blew up in a very public way.

This bustup was coming for quite some time, as seen in the progressed chart of Barack Obama which shows his progressed Mars conjunct progressed Mercury in Libra, within minutes of a challenging aspect from this conjunction to the Aries Mars and Libra Mercury in Jeremiah Wright’s chart. The Mars/Mercury conjunction in Obama’s progressed chart indicates a strengthening of his mental (Mercury) will (Mars), and demonstrates his readiness for the fight that is still to come against McCain. Under the influence of Mars we seek independence, and the opposition of Obama’s progressed Mars to Wright’s natal Mars illustrates the separation of Obama’s desire for harmony (Libra) to Wright’s own inner conflict between the ideal of harmony (Mercury in Libra) to his thirst for vengeance (Mars in Aries).

If the new chart for Obama is correct, we also see transiting Mars conjunct his Leo Sun and preparing to cross over his descendant, the cusp of the seventh house of partnership and open enemies. He is ready for battle, and using the sword of Mars to make changes where necessary.

Still, the process is painful for him as we can see from the transit of Saturn (testing his strength) over Chiron (old painful psychic wounds) in his natal chart.

Personally, I wish that Obama had stood his ground on this issue rather than cave in to the pressure of the campaign because there is an opportunity here for white America to learn about black America. But realistically I realize America is not yet ready for that. If Obama will be elected it’s because he’s somewhat transracial and therefore palatable to more white Americans than if he had ghetto cred.

Trinity’s motto is “unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian,” and Obama’s comments today were that he was resigning not only for his own sake but for the sake of the church as well:

“We don’t want to have to answer for everything that is stated in the church,” Mr Obama said, speaking in South Dakota, which holds its primary election on Tuesday.

“On the other hand, we also don’t want a church subjected to the scrutiny that a presidential campaign legitimately undergoes.”

He also responded to the most recent comments by a guest preacher by saying he was “deeply disappointed” by such “divisive, backward-looking rhetoric.”

I do expect Obama to remain in the hot seat as we get closer to his double dip of Mars/Uranus coming up in mid to late June.