I have been avidly watching the series on John Adams that’s been running on HBO – a must for anyone interested in American politics. It’s been fascinating to see how our government began, and the lies and manipulations that kept the fledgling US in war after war so that certain men could become rich and powerful. Sound familiar?

Anyway… the HBO series “John Adams” is a fascinating study of the Scorpio politician. Largely based on David McCullough’s apparently flattering (based on reviews, I haven’t read it) biography, I can only surmise that Adams may have been even more intense and contentious than portrayed here. He was widely disliked and came to power more out of admiration for his probing and thorough analysis of the law and his tireless dedication to the new republic than for any popularity or ability to work with others. He alienated most of his colleagues and many of his friends, and lost his bid for a second presidential term to the more popular Thomas Jefferson who his closest friend for much of his life.

Astrologically, John Adams had the Sun, Mercury and Venus all in Scorpio, and Astrotheme has a birth time of 2:57 am which reveals Virgo rising, an ascendant that makes complete sense considering his focus on the details of the law and his dislike of the trappings of wealth. An opposition from Mars in Libra to an Aries Moon describes the prickly emotional rages for which he was known, and a conjunction of Saturn to Chiron, both retrograde, mirrors the difficult and emotionally painful experiences which marked his life.

That Scorpio intensity and tendency to hold a grudge did not serve Adams well in his presidency, although the drive and passion with which he approached all of his endeavors did earn him the respect of his colleagues.

Warren Harding was another Scorpio president, with Saturn, Sun, Mars and Mercury all in Scorpio. Harding evidently channeled all of his Scorpionic passion into extramarital affairs and petty scandals rather than focusing his intensity into political power.