Wendy Davis, Mercury Rx, and Midnight at the Filibuster

On June 25, 2013, as I watched Senator Wendy Davis (D-Texas) stand and speak for eleven hours to lead Texas Democrats on a filibuster to block Senate Bill 5 - legislation that would create new abortion restrictions and close down 42 women’s reproductive health clinics, leaving only 5 in the entire state - I worried how Mercury’s retrograde station would affect the outcome. 











Mercury, also known as Hermes, messenger of the gods, has

dominion over all transportation and communication. If the bill passed, the poorest women in Texas, those in El Paso, Brownsville, Abilene, Lubbock and Amarillo, would have the farthest to travel for their medical care. Those in El Paso would have to drive just less than 600 miles – an eight-hour trip each way. 

                                                                               

But more immediately, I was concerned about communication issues because Mercury represents every form of it, from the most basic elementary education with its books, pencils, papers, reading and writing; proceeding on through to mail, contracts, leases, deeds, agreements, wills, appointments, phones, novels, newspapers, blog posts, legislative bills, speeches and filibustering…just to begin. 

Our ability to say what we mean and to mean what we say is less acute during the retrograde period, as well as our ability to discriminate. Our critical faculties are dimmed as well–in most cases. There are exceptions to the rule, but nearly always, it leads to confusion and uncertainty. Mercury is prominent in the charts of people who are woefully misinformed, like Texas Representative Jody Laubenberg, whose Mercury is in slow, methodical Taurus conjunct the south node (a malefic). She mumbled her words and seemed anything but a wealth of knowledge or voice of authority. In addition, she was under the misnomer that a rape kit could end a pregnancy. 

Mercury retrograde represents backtracking and sidestepping, and by referring to the rape kit as “another form of abortion,” she advocated for the very thing she is trying to make illegal 20 weeks later. In that case, perhaps she is also under a Neptunian delusion that women should be allowed abortions only at the times that she, herself, feels are appropriate. When Laubenberg was ridiculed for placing restrictions on her fellow women without even understanding the procedure, she retreated and had nothing else to say. 

Mercury has dominion over all spoken and written word. It regulates our rational thought, mental clarity, and filters the material between our brains and our tongues (or not, as the case may be).  It controls whether we are deliberate thinkers or jump to conclusions, and whether we are hearing or speech impaired, have learning disabilities, ADHD, dyslexia, epilepsy, schizophrenia, stutter, or in the case of a certain myopic governor, just can’t see the forest for the trees. 

 In short (who am I kidding?), Mercury processes and disseminates information, and is the main tool for teachers, writers, journalists, librarians, orators, advertisers, salespeople (especially those who travel), couriers, coders, commentators, critics, filibusterers and many more. As if Mercury doesn't have enough to do, as the ruler of Virgo, it reigns over health care, too.

Of course, no planet actually stops in its orbit around the sun, nor does it reverse direction. But from our vantage point on earth, planets appear to do so, and it has a significant effect upon the matters that each planet represents. It’s quite common, with some planets seeming to move in backward motion roughly half the year (ever feel like you’ve taken one step forward and two steps back?), but Mercury is the quickest, and that may be why we notice its effects more than those of Neptune and Pluto, for instance.

The retrograde period begins a few days before the planet appears to stop its motion. Its backward trek lasts for about three weeks until it reaches its direct station. Then it appears to stop again before returning to direct motion and speeding away. It does this about every four months. The current cycle started when Mercury began to slow down, preparing to change direction, around June 15.

When Mercury is retrograde, there are all kinds of transportation and communication problems. Mail is misdirected, keys are lost, votes are recounted…Mercury was retrograde during the 2000 presidential election when Florida recounted the votes due to “hanging chad,” and “the winner,” George “Dubya” Bush, conveniently had a brother serving as the Governor of that state. Mercury was also retrograde during the 2012 Election that returned Barack Obama to office, but it challenged astrologers trying to predict the winner months before the event.

It’s also not a good idea to sign contracts, leases, wills, bills and other legal documents during a Mercury retrograde phase. It’s not even advisable to make important decisions. Something will go wrong. Did you read the small print, dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s? Is all the information there, and is it all correct? Was something slipped in at the last minute without your knowledge? Did an extra page appear in the contract? Does it really mean what you think it means? Are you sure? Absolutely sure?

Retrograde Mercury highlights the flaws in our arguments, and forces a restructuring of our thoughts, ideas and plans. It is at its most powerful during the retrograde cycle, and that is when unresolved issues come back to haunt us, demanding to be re-examined and dealt with again. 

These periods tend to coincide with profound, 

critical and fated events of historic or global importance. 

The issues are thrust upon us, like it or not, and we have little control over the outcome, other than how we respond. We temporarily become more introspective and contemplative of the matters under the jurisdiction of the sign through which Mercury is traveling. 

During the current retrograde cycle, Mercury is in Cancer, the sign of women, motherhood, fecundity, fertility, birth, lactation, family, domestic matters, “Home, Mom, Apple Pie,” patriotism, boats and the sea. 

At the same moment that Senator Davis 
was standing for women not only in Texas, but nationwide, and was holding the floor in those pink running shoes while the clock ticked toward midnight, the hour when the Senate's special session would end and the bill could no longer be voted upon, transiting Mercury was stationary retrograde, about to stop in its tracks. 

Some of the symptoms of this period are misunderstandings and confusion; friends plan to meet for lunch, but one thought it was Thursday, the other thought Saturday, or the time or place are mixed up. Sometimes it obscures the facts, or we’re missing vital pieces of information. Or we are misdirected with a sleight-of-hand.

It interrupts communication, causing malfunction or loss of electronic equipment such as computers and telephones (a beaver caused Internet access and cell phones to go down in a wide area of New Mexico last week). It is rarely advisable to set up networks or make changes to computers during Mercury’s retrograde period. 

It is also infamous for coinciding with glitches and missed connections in transportation and accommodations. Whistleblower Edward Snowden was not on the plane to Cuba. Now he is stuck in limbo while various countries decide whether or not to grant asylum to him under pressure of trade agreements coming due. I’m betting Snowden didn’t know that Mercury's retrograde period tends to bring unforeseen changes and blockages.

On Tuesday, the Bolivian president's jet was rerouted because France and Portugal refused entry into their airspace, amid suspicions Snowden was on board. The plane landed in Vienna with no sign of the whistle blower. Maybe the Bolivian plane was the designated decoy. There is a certain irony in Snowden being charged with spying by people who are spying. That's convoluted Mercury logic.  And the re-routing of the plane clearly coincides with Mercury retrograde.

Mercury is a trickster, and in an attempt to block the filibuster, Republicans began trying to disqualify Senator Davis for mentioning Planned Parenthood and for adjusting her back brace.

(Texas will eventually have to change their filibuster rules to include the physically disabled because it discriminates. But one thing at a time…) 

 

Finally, and literally in the 11th hour, Republican Sen. Donna Campbell claimed that sonograms weren’t germane to Bill 5 in an attempt to get the third strike against Senator Davis. But invasive vaginal sonograms are mandatory for all abortion patients. How is that not germane to the issue? That’s what 180,000 people watching online, and a Capitol building with hundreds of others wanted to know, and what Senator Kirk Watson (D-Texas) asked. At great length.  Calmly. And slowly.

Here’s what Donna Campbell doesn’t want you to know about vaginal sonograms. 

Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst (R-TX) tried to rush a vote on whether or not the filibuster could continue, but Senator Leticia Van de Putte (D-TX), who attended the session straight from her father’s funeral, and who has Mercury in outspoken Sagittarius, insisted on being recognized. The sheer nerve.

Dewhurst blew her off when she requested he walk her through his procedural rulings.

“Did the President hear me, or did the President hear me and refuse to recognize me?" she asked. 

Still not called on, she persisted.

"At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over her male colleagues?” and the crowd roared. 

Rules were called into question. A vote was required to end the filibuster, but the voting couldn’t be heard over the raucous marathon of cheering and chanting in the gallery. Democrats had the ball and were skillfully milking the clock while Republicans tried to speed up the game. It was really very good drama, playing out not just to the last minute, but beyond. Midnight came and went and Republicans indicated that a vote had been taken and passed, while Democrats declared that the vote had taken place after midnight and died. Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst and his minion left the Senate floor. Confusion reigned and various media reported differing winners. 

Three hours later, Dewhurst conceded that the bill was dead.

Mercury was in the last hours of its stationary motion. It paused in its tracks at 8:02 A.M. CDT, at 23 degrees Cancer on June 26, just hours after the filibuster ended. 

Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, said, “Republican Senate leaders realized they were on very shaky legal ground,” when they declared victory on Senate Bill 5 a couple minutes after midnight—going so far as to change the time stamp on the Legislature’s official web page.” 

True to a retrograde cycle, Governor Perry will try to force the bill through as part of three bills in a second special session to be debated again. And in true Mercury trickster style, he’s being sneaky about the time and place that it will be done. 

In fact, while I have been working on this post, three states have passed strict new abortion laws by sneaking them into other bills without public debate. 

* Texas House committee approves abortion rules
* North Carolina latest state to seek tighter abortion clinic rules
* Ohio Democrat: GOP’s new abortion laws would never have survived public debate

There are two more phases to this cycle before it ends.

Mercury will officially pause, end its backward journey, and begin direct motion again at 13 degrees Cancer. The direct station is the most powerful, and should be utilized for maximum benefit. July 20 should coincide with a turning point.

Finally, on August 4, Mercury will once again reach 23 degrees Cancer, where it began the cycle. The chips have fallen. 

Unless it all gets rehashed in the next cycle in October, in the sign of Scorpio, because a retrograde Mercury cycle is also a time when matters begun under a previous retrograde cycle will finally arrive at an end. 

Remember early on when I wrote that “Our ability to say what we mean and to mean what we say is less acute during the retrograde period, as well as our ability to discriminate. Our critical faculties are dimmed as well–in most cases. There are exceptions to the rule…?”

An exception that comes to mind are people born while Mercury was retrograde. Of course, Mercury is unique for every individual, and must be read in context with the rest of the chart, but Wendy Davis has a very interesting natal Mercury Retrograde. 

When I don’t have a birth time, I usually use a sunrise chart, or maybe a noon chart if someone has burst into sudden infamy or renown. If the moon changed signs on the date of birth, I then cast charts from midnight to midnight to see the exact range of the moon that day, and that’s what I did with Senator Davis's chart.

The moon moved from Aquarius to Pisces on her date of birth. Most people with the moon in Aquarius (Princess Diana, Pope Francis, Ashley Judd) are intellectual, progressive, and politically-minded types. 

Most people with the moon in Pisces are romantic, creative types (Leonardo daVinci, Michael Jackson, Percy Bysshe Shelley). 

So I wanted to see a chart with the moon in Aquarius. 
When I cast the chart for the latest time of day that the moon was in that sign, it gave me a birth time of 5:30 PM. And there are some interesting things about this speculative chart.

For one thing, look at the degree of the midheaven 22 Cancer, (women, family, motherhood), just one degree from the current Mercury’s retrograde station. And conjunct the midheaven are the moon’s north node (a beneficent, and particularly fortunate in that position) and the Part of Fortune (also a beneficent) at the highest point of career, reputation, honor and path in life. It’s impressive.

Another interesting point about this chart is that the moon’s nodes changed from direct motion to their normal retrograde motion at 10:26 A.M. the morning of her birth. Planets gain strength during their direct stations, and it appears the same may be true for the moon’s nodes. The North Node is a benefic of the quality of Venus or Jupiter.

One more quick one before I go on to show you something else. Neptune, ruler of the 6th house of health is rising in Scorpio (sex, death, rape, abortion, surgery, the welfare of the people, Persephone). It’s also the dispositor of Chiron, the asteroid associated with health issues and teaching. Neptune trines Chiron with a separation of only 26 minutes. Chiron is in compassionate Pisces in the 5th house of children as well as the house of romance and sex without commitment. Aquarius is the sign on the 5th house showing progressive and intellectual attitudes about them.

It would be interesting to see where her asteroid goddesses are, but asteroids aren’t my forte, and it’s a lot of work to do without an accurate birth time, so I’m going to pass for now.

MIDNIGHT AT THE FILIBUSTER

As said earlier, if Senator Davis’s birth time is close to 5:30 PM, then the stationary retrograde Mercury (communication as ruler of Gemini / health as ruler of Virgo) would have made its station within a degree or two of her natal midheaven (honor, career, reputation), north node (a benefic, forward movement) and Part of Fortune (luck). 

Transiting Venus (feminine principle) in Cancer (women, motherhood, family planning) would occupy the 10th house (honor, career, reputation).

Transiting Mars (assertiveness, effort) in Gemini (communication) on the cusp between the 8th house (sex, death, rape, abortion, surgery, the welfare of the people, Persephone) and the 9th house (philosophy, medicine, religion, law) would trine her natal ascendant (physical body, personality, in this time and place) in the sign of Libra (balance, justice, diplomacy).

The transiting moon (women, motherhood, mood) in Aquarius (intellectual, progressive, revolutionary) would square Senator Davis’s natal Neptune (the mood and inspiration of the times) in Scorpio (sex, death, rape, abortion, surgery, the welfare of the people, Persephone), which is conjoined by the transiting north node (shines a favorable light). The square represents the stress of the event, and sets off the Neptune trine to natal Chiron (health issues, teaching, wounding, protecting), which has been progressing toward a return to its natal place for several months.

That’s all I’m prepared to speculate about without an accurate birth time.




SENATOR DAVIS AND THE SIBLY CHART

There’s another chart we can look at even without Senator Davis’s exact birth time. 

Born July 4th, 1776, The United States has the sun in Cancer, (Home, Mom, apple pie; Mother, God, country), and the moon in Aquarius (freedom, liberty, equality).

When comparing Senator Davis’s chart to the Sibly chart, we can’t use her ascendant, midheaven or Part of Fortune because they move so fast, but she could have been born up to about five hours before the speculative 5:30 time, and her natal moon would still be conjunct the natal moon of the United States of America in Aquarius (freedom, liberty, equality). There is a strong lunar connection (intuition, influence, emotional rapport) between Senator Davis and women in the U.S.

Progressive, intellectual, unconventional approaches to motherhood and families are shared through the Aquarius moon. The moon is the ruler of the U.S. 8th house (sex, death, rape, abortion, surgery, welfare, public opinion and values, Persephone abduction) where the senator’s natal north node conjuncts get this – the United States natal retrograde Mercury in Cancer, just 1 degree 06 minutes ahead of the current retrograde Mercury station. Transiting Mercury will have to go through its entire retrograde cycle and return to its stationary degree before it will complete the conjunction to the natal U.S. Mercury on August 4. That will likely be a critical date in the abortion debate. 

A couple of days prior to that conjunction, direct Mercury will conjunct Senator Davis’s natal north node and possibly her midheaven and Part of Fortune, putting her in the spotlight once again. 

The Saturn Cycle of Career Success

To read the post on the Saturn Cycle that measures our lives in 7-year increments, click HERE.

Grant Lewi has been described as "the father of modern astrology in America." It is also said that he predicted his own death. He was the editor of Dell Horoscope magazine for a number of years and the originator (as far as I can tell) of the premise that man's destiny has a direct correlation to Saturn's transit in their natal chart. Regarding this, he wrote:

Strong men of destiny ride the full tide of their natures, upward and downward. They start obscurely, rise meteorically, and fall spectacularly...Standing at the midnight point, they proclaim their will to be, and catch the hour hand as it swings up the circle from obscurity to fame. Still proclaiming their individual pre-eminence, they stand for one fearful hour at the noon point, and then, orating about their indomitable will, they have not the will to let go of their fate, but clutching the indicator with a death grip, sweep with it down the slope to darkness.

Here is an illustration of what he meant:

I remember reading this early on when I began to study astrology, and occasionally when I am reading the chart of some famous person, it leaps from my mind and presents itself for examination. I have chosen the charts of two famous people to examine. The first is Richard Nixon because he fit the description of "a strong man who began obscurely, rose meteorically, and fell spectacularly."  I also chose the chart of Vivien Leigh, the British actress who won two Academy Awards, both for playing the role of a Southern Belle. She's well known enough to be interesting and familiar. 

 

Those are not peace signs Nixon is flashing. Those are V's for victory.

First, let's look at the natal chart of Richard Nixon:

Born January 9, 1913 at 9:35 P.M. PST in Yorba Linda, California. With a majority of planets in Earth signs, and a majority in mutable signs, his chart had a Virgo signature, which was also the sign on his Ascendant. This made him critical, analytical, and detail-oriented. Uranus was the final dispositor of the chart. It was the ruler of his natal moon and his 5th house of duty, service, and obligation.
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His sun was in Capricorn. It was just inside his 5th house of creativity, risks, and pleasures in life. It trined his practical, hard-working blue-collar Virgo ascendant, so he felt comfortable that his ego, inner self, and inner identity were in harmony with the identity he projected to the world, and the way he was perceived by others. It was opposed by Neptune, the planet of illusion, delusion, deception and confusion from the 11th house of friends, groups, and associations. It also made a wide trine to its own ruler, Saturn. Saturn in Taurus is highly concerned with financial security and material comfort. It is a penny pincher and does not gamble with property or possessions, but look...the sun is in the 5th house of gambling. Nixon would take calculated risks if he was nearly certain he could not lose, and over-confident, he trusted less cautious people with his security. The loss of any money or material possession could throw him off his game for as long as it took to recover it. If you read the blog post "The Saturn Return,"  you may recall that Saturn is the planet which represents:

Respectability, responsibility, maturity, conservatism, seriousness, sobriety, security, dignity, wisdom, reverence, tradition, trust, authority, ambition, efficiency, methodicalness, achievement, organization, leadership, mastery, perfection, and parenthood. It can bring respect, honor, distinction, and esteem when well aspected.     

           
When it is badly aspected or abused, it can also be disrespectful, lowly, indecent, irresponsible, immature, infamous, materialistic, selfish, mercenary, parsimonious, pusillanimous, stingy, capitalist, hardhearted, lazy, introverted, inferior, withdrawn, sulky, brooding, cruel, workaholic and slave-driving. It can bring restriction, poverty, loss, sorrow, suffering, grief, depression, and self-undoing.
   

Nixon's natal moon was in the humanitarian and political sign of Aquarius in the his 6th house of duty, service, and obligation. Somewhere underneath his Capricorn exterior, he really did feel the need to serve his country. Its dispositor, Uranus, was also in the 5th house of risk-taking, and trined his South Node rising in his first house, so this was not the first life in which he served in a public or political capacity. The moon in Aquarius can talk about emotions all day, but has a difficult time feeling them. This was someone who wanted to serve mankind, but found it hard to understand or express warmth and affection. 

His Mars opposition to Pluto in the 10th house of power and authority, career, and direction in life, gave him Scorpionic tendencies to impose his will, though he would not tolerate a dominating attitude in others. He had respect for power and authority, but appreciated it most when it was his own. It is an intimidating aspect of "all or nothing," and indicates an explosive temper. He was the exact opposite of everything the love and peace movement of the Viet Nam era represented, and could not abide by or assent to anything connected with the peace movement. He had no sympathy for rebellion, demonstrations, "filthy hippies," or “bums…blowing up campuses.”

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Mercury, the ruler of his Midheaven (career, reputation, and direction in life, the house of honor or dishonor) as well as his ascendant (the part of our personality we project to the world, the mask we wear for others), was at 0 degrees (and only one minute!) of Capricorn, a critical degree and Aries point. Nixon rushed out into the world, projecting himself into his environment in order to conquer it. He dominated and influenced others. It was a thrusting of his ego and identity that propelled him. This representative of his Midheaven (public reputation) and Ascendant (me, me, me) wanted to be famous. One thing was certain: he would never stop trying.  

The Aries Points are indicative of action. They are movers and shakers, those who get things started. They rush in where angels fear to tread, and their need for recognition is what drives them. In Capricorn, Nixon's fame would be achieved through business, politics, or banking. It is also related to conservative leadership, experience, old money, tradition, and authority. The 0 degree of Capricorn results in something tangible and promises to be remembered. Conjunct Mars, the other planet of ambition (and warmongering), and also Jupiter (bigger, better, more), it could never be satiated.

With Mercury as the ruler of both his Midheaven and Ascendant, many referred to him as "Tricky Dicky."

So let's have a look at the highlights of his life and the position of transiting Saturn at those times. I'll begin with his marriage to his wife, Pat.

Transiting Mars, a frequent indicator of marriage in a man's chart, and transiting Mercury, the ruler of his natal Midheaven and rising sign, conjuncted his natal Neptune, ruler of his 7th house of marriage. Transiting Neptune was conjunct his Ascendant. Transiting Saturn wasn't doing much, but was on the cusp of the 9th house of legalization. Shortly after, another 9th house event took place in Nixon's life. He went to serve two years in the Navy. Notice transiting Uranus, connected to his moon (women, emotions, home & family) and his 6th house of duty and obligation, transiting in a conjunction to his natal Saturn, planet of adulthood. The Navy and shipping are also ruled by the moon.

In November of 1946, Nixon won a seat in Congress. Where is Saturn? It's not in the sector of the chart that Grant Lewi describes as "on the rise." It's in the sector of consolidation and settling for security rather than expansion. It's conjunct Pluto, planet of power and subterfuge in the 11th house of friends and cronies, groups and organizations (as well as the house of Congress and Representatives). Nixon built his reputation on a Zero Tolerance attitude against communism and immediately went to work with the Senate Un-American Activities Committee, which blacklisted many creative and open-minded types in film, music, art and literature, ruining careers and lives. Notice how transiting Neptune, planet of illusion, delusion, deception, confusion and imagination, the ruler of those careers, conjunct the South Node in his first house of Self (me, me, me).

In November, 1952, Nixon, at the ripe old age of 39, was the running mate of Dwight Eisenhower, after only six years in politics. And Saturn? Again, not in the Up-and-Coming Sector. In fact, it was in the sector of the chart that Lewi described as "the Obscure Period," the most difficult, when there will be a setback of some kind. It is the time he said you should withdraw and go into semi-retirement. I guess Nixon didn't hear that. Interestingly enough, it was the year after Lewi passed away. There's actually very little in this chart (above) to indicate the achievement of that kind of power and position. Transiting Saturn was conjunct transiting Neptune, that slippery planet of illusion, but they didn't make close aspects to anything in the natal chart. However, the transiting South Node (negative energy, past karma) conjuncted Nixon's Part of Fortune in the 11th house of friends and cronies, and the transiting North Node conjuncted his Vertex, a place of fate and an appointment with destiny. 

Eisenhower and Nixon served two terms, and near the end, Nixon was nominated to represent the Republican party in the race for the presidency against an Irish Catholic Democrat named John F. Kennedy. If you don't know who won that race, you might need to return to your 6th grade history class. Where was Saturn? It was in the sector that Lewi called the First Rise: progress, development and emergence. It was beginning to make a trine to his Ascendant, but was a long way still from making a trine to its own natal position. It wasn't really doing much of anything. Because the Moon's Nodes move backwards, they were leaving the conjunctions to Nixon's Ascendant axis. The transiting sun was inconjunct (adjustment, compromise) his Midheaven (career, reputation, honor / dishonor) and Mercury, ruler of his Midheaven and Ascendant, was retrograde. Notice the transiting Vertex (fate, date with destiny) opposed to his Midheaven and conjunct his 4th house of endings. As per the traditional "October Surprise" before the election, it was leaked to the press that Nixon accepted quite a bit of money from billionaire Howard Hughes, who had a lot of defense contracts with the government, and that he had used the money to upgrade his personal homestead, just as his natal Saturn in Taurus promised. Oops..

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In 1962 (chart above), Nixon could not get himself elected for dog catcher. He ran for Governor of California and lost to the incumbent. Two things to notice about this chart: The transiting South Node (malefic, negative karma) was conjunct his natal Uranus, ruler of his natal moon and his 6th house of duty and service, and the final dispositor of his chart. And Saturn is farther up in the sector of the chart Lewi called the First Rise. It wasn't doing Nixon much good. Oh, and also, Neptune, planet of illusion and deception, is leaving his 2nd house of money.

Six years later (chart above), and again nominated in August of 1968 as the Republican presidential candidate, Nixon finally won by a narrow margin against Democrat Hubert Humphrey. Finally, transiting Saturn shows up where Lewi expects it to be: in the sector he called the 2nd Rise, where the most public part of the career develops and heads toward the 10th House / Midheaven climax. It was in a sextile aspect (opportunity, use of common sense), which is mildly favorable, with his natal moon in political Aquarius in the 6th house of duty, service, and obligation. The transiting Part of Fortune was conjunct his natal sun. Transiting Mars was square his natal Pluto (power, control) in his Midheaven. There was some explosive, out-of-control ruthless drama going on there somewhere. Nixon told his supporters that his goal was to "bring the American people together" under "an open Administration; open to new ideas, open to men and women of both parties, open to the critics as well as those who support us."  Access to his administration was never open. All information was tightly controlled, and unauthorized new leaks brought reprisals. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

Interestingly, I happened upon this quote by President Harry S. Truman, who said this decades before Nixon became president:

“Richard Nixon is a no good, lying bastard. He can lie out of both sides of his mouth at the same time, and if he ever caught himself telling the truth, he'd lie just to keep his hand in. ”
                                                                            ~ Harry S. Truman

Nixon escalated the U.S. involvement in the Viet Nam War and ignited a firestorm of domestic protests. Note warmongering, brook-no-interference, fight fire-with-fire Mars on his Midheaven (reputation, authority) when he sent the National Guard to end a student demonstration at Kent State University on May 4, 1970, which ended with the death of four students. Saturn is in the 2nd Rise sector of the chart. In spite of growing discontent with involvement in the Viet Nam war and the Kent State Massacre, Nixon's approval rating was 81% from citizens he referred to as "The Silent Majority." So in this case, I'd have to say that Lewi was correct.

In the chart above, in May 1972, six months before the next Presidential election, Nixon visited Moscow, and Soviet leaders signed agreements to limit offensive and defensive strategic weapons. One result of the trip was a $1 billion deal to sell U.S. grain to Russia that brought election year support from American wheat farmers. Nixon was reelected when transiting Saturn conjuncted his natal Midheaven (career, reputation, honor / dishonor).

Nixon's downfall began (above) with the break-in at the Democratic headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex on the night of June 17, 1972. The scandal resulted in the indictment, trial, conviction and incarceration of 43 people, including dozens of his top administration officials. On June 5, 1974, Nixon was named as an un-indicted co-conspirator.  

Wow. What a chart. Transiting Saturn was in the sector that Lewi advised as a time to consolidate your position and build for security rather than expansion. At 5 degrees Cancer, it squared Nixon's North and South Nodes (karma, life lessons). Transiting Pluto (the destroyer, power, control) conjuncted his South Node (malefic, negative karma) in his first house of the self (me, me, me). Transiting Mercury, ruler of Nixon's Midheaven and Ascendant, was conjunct Saturn so it also made the square to the Nodes. 

The transiting South Node (malefic, negative karma) conjuncted his Midheaven (career, reputation, fame / infamy, honor, dishonor), and the transiting sun joined it there, spotlighting Nixon's downfall for all the world to see.  Transiting Mars conjuncted his natal Neptune, an aspect that indicates weakness, loss of power, severe blows to the ego, trouble as a result of personal delusions and poorly considered actions. Secret and selfish actions brought to light. Anything that was selfishly done is now undone. Neptune ruled his 7th house of marriage, so I'm betting his wife, Pat, wasn't very happy with him, either. 

Transiting Jupiter (bigger, better, more), which is also the planet of law and justice opposed his Ascendant (*fingers snap* You, on the carpet, here and now, mister). 

There were two eclipses that month. The Lunar Eclipse at 13 Sagittarius opposed his Midheaven and squared his Ascendant. The Solar Eclipse at 28 Gemini conjuncted his natal Pluto (the destroyer, power, control) in his 10th house of career and reputation. And finally, when the transiting moon opposed his Midheaven and conjuncted the 4th house of endings, they stuck a fork in him. He was done.  

Between July 27-30, 1974,  the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment, charging Nixon with obstructing justice, misusing his presidential power, and defying committee subpoenas (he refused to turn over recorded conversations that would likely have proved his guilt.) His personal secretary took the blame.

On August 8, 1974 Nixon made a televised address announcing his intention to resign. Passing the blame, he said he should have set a higher standard for the conduct of the people who participated in his campaigns and Administration. The next day he left the White House.

Because much of this trouble was indicated by the slow moving transits of the outer planets, they had not changed much from their positions at the time Nixon was implicated in the Watergate break-in. The transiting nodes were still conjunct the Midheaven / I.C. axis, and transiting Jupiter was still opposed to his Ascendant. Pluto the destroyer was still transiting in conjunction with the South Node of bad karma. Transiting Saturn had advanced to 13 Cancer, soon to oppose his natal sun (ego, identity, life force), which was the ruler of his 12th house of seclusion and confinement. 

However, one transit that lasts but a single day was also in effect, and that was the transiting sun conjunct his natal Part of (Mis)fortune. And the coup de grâce was the transiting Vertex (point of fate, date with destiny) conjunct his disgraced natal Saturn.

But it ain't over 'til it's over, and there's one more chart.

On September 8, 1974, exactly one month after Nixon's resignation, Gerald Ford, the Vice-President who had assumed office, awarded Nixon a "full, free and absolute" pardon for any crimes he committed while in office. The pardon was widely condemned at the time, and likely cost Ford the next election, which was won by Jimmy Carter.

In this chart, you can see that transiting Saturn had reached the opposition to his natal sun. The transiting sun was conjunct the Ascendant (you, here and now). 

Transiting Uranus squared the natal Neptune, and this one is fascinating. According to Robert Hand who is probably the greatest living astrologer today,  and the one who wrote the definitive book of Planets in Transit, this aspect indicates "a severe test of your grip on reality," and "very confusing and causing you to be misled in a variety of ways." "You may suddenly find yourself in the grip of a total delusion that you believe to be the most real thing you have ever encountered." He stresses the importance of carefully considering any new idea or philosophy before letting it take control of your life. He adds that it could be a time of turning to psychedelics or mystical disciplines in an effort to understand what is happening to you. There might be an attraction to very abstract revolutionary ideals that call for total change, but then on the other hand, you may only be withdrawing from an unpleasant confrontation with everyday reality instead of dealing with it effectively.  He goes on to warn that in older people that it might indicate the onset of illness or disease of the type that makes the conscious mind less acute, such as senility or Alzheimer's, where the mind withdraws from the real world. Finally, he states that if you are willing to deal with the real world and its challenges, that this aspect can open up aspects of reality that you have never dreamed of, and become an enlightening experience at some level. But if you try to avoid reality altogether, it might bring the state of unconsciousness you desire, but with undesirable consequences. 

And finally, transiting Mars had returned to the exact place where it had been when Nixon won his first presidential election in 1968, square to the natal Pluto (power, control) in his Midheaven.

Next up, a look at the career cycle of actress Vivien Leigh. Click this link.