This is part II – catch up with Part I here.

Obama’s Mars is in Virgo, a thoughtful and cautious place for Mars to be. Mars shows the kind of drive we have and how our aggressive instinct is expressed. This is not a Mars that would go to war on a whim, or invade a country without doing its homework. Virgo needs order and security, and Mars here tends to be somewhat cautious and precise. Obama’s Mars makes a trine to Saturn, the planet of discipline, hard work and success, suggesting a hard worker who is patiently focused on the goal.

Saturn in this chart is in its own sign of Capricorn and it is retrograde. The placement of Saturn by sign and house shows where we feel we are not good enough; where we suffer from self-doubt. In Capricorn, the sign that shares Saturn’s intense focus on goals and achievement, there is a deep fear of failure that rides along with the pressure to achieve. This is exacerbated in Obama’s chart by the fact that Saturn is retrograde, and that tends to enhance the inner voice of self criticism. Because Saturn is in the twelfth house of the subconscious and the call of Spirit, the intense drive for success and achievement can become confused and made more difficult. Or, if the individual heeds the call of the Inner Self and drives his ambition along the road of seeking to improve the lives of others as the twelfth house requires, Saturn provides the material rewards for which he is so well known.

Saturn in the twelfth, traditionally the “House of Karma” or the “House of Troubles” does sometimes reveal a great inner loneliness – one’s road is solitary and fraught with conflict. There is also a great sensitivity here and a need for isolation that in early life can be hard to bear. In later life we find that the imposition of this early isolation has strengthened our core soul structure and our ability to withstand the pressures of life.

Saturn is conjunct Jupiter here, but they are nearly 6 degrees apart and not in the same sign. Six degrees is a bit wide for what we call an “out of sign” aspect, so this aspect is weakened as a result. In any event, Obama’s Jupiter is in Aquarius where it seeks to find meaning in life (Jupiter) through the achievement of social justice and equality as well as by living one’s own dream (Aquarius). The placement of Jupiter in the chart shows the kinds of experiences we need to feel optimistic and that life is full of possibilities, and in Aquarius there is a need to live one’s life in a way that is unshackled by the expectations of others. Jupiter is in the twelfth house with Saturn where it finds meaning in a life of spiritual connection and expansion of the realm of the unconscious through dreams and meditation. Jupiter is retrograde which shows that it’s difficult for Obama to experience that sense of expansion or trust the opportunities that come his way.

Obama’s Jupiter is opposite his Leo Mercury, and herein lies his supreme confidence in speaking. Mercury in Leo basks in the attention that is given to one’s ideas and speech, and the opposition from Jupiter expands one’s confidence and aggrandizes the context of one’s conversation. Jupiter opposite Mercury thinks large and often without considering the details, which has been a big complaint against Obama. However, his Mercury sits in the sixth house of humility and work which is his saving grace. Mercury in the sixth house is always considering the details, but in Leo there is a grander concept at work. This has likely always been a struggle for Obama as he tries to balance the pressure of the need for a detailed approach to his conceptual framework with the pull of Jupiter to be always bigger, always better and always more confident.

This Jupiter/Mercury opposition squares Neptune, the bane of the anti-Obama astrologers. Mercury square Neptune is the deceiver! Jupiter square Neptune is the anti-Christ! These comments do have some basis in experience, and there is a tendency with the hard aspects of both Jupiter and Neptune to see the more negative aspects of these planets which include self-indulgence (Jupiter) and a tendency to confuse or mislead (Neptune). But in analyzing an astrological chart you cannot just take one aspect and turn it into a psychological analysis. Each element of the chart is layered upon the others to create a story. Mercury square Neptune can indicate a person who is prone to flights of fancy and who can easily deceive themselves, but it can also expand one’s creativity and understanding (Mercury) of the spiritual realms (Neptune).

The square from Jupiter to Neptune is interesting in Obama’s chart because there is some mutual reception here with Jupiter in the twelfth house, ruled by Neptune, and Neptune in the ninth house, ruled by Jupiter. This kind of “double whammy” is a signification that the dynamic is an important one in the chart and that these two dynamics are inextricably connected. In the search for meaning of Jupiter and the ninth house there is a need to establish a theological framework within which life has meaning, and this then becomes religion when it is shared among multiple minds. Neptune and the twelfth house seek to dissolve our conceptual ideas and flood us with a direct experience of the divine and Spirit.

The mutual reception shows that combining these two experiences is crucial for Obama’s personal growth, but the square between them indicates that this hasn’t always been easy. We know this from the history of his religious background which originated in an eclectic secular household and resulted in his finding his truth in Christianity. His speech about this experience reveals some interesting things about the Jupiter/Neptune relationship: He found his true faith when he saw that this faith (Jupiter) could serve as an agent in the world (Aquarius) and redeem him (Neptune).

Come back tomorrow for part III, hopefully the conclusion.