March 18, 2001
Nancy Lubar Sommers, LCSW
The noxious aroma of soft-money payback has left its potent stench in several Bush administration and Congressional GOP initiatives lately. The coal industry, which gave 3.8 million dollars to the Republican Party in the last election, is gloating over the recent reversal of Bush’s promise to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. The banking and credit card industries are delighted with the new bankruptcy "reform" bill that protects them rather than the bankrupt. United Parcel Service, which gave over a million dollars to the GOP recently, will be a major beneficiary of the repeal of ergonomic regulation originally created by former President Clinton to minimize repetitive stress and other work-related injuries in workers. And finally, California, currently reeling from an energy crisis with no immediate end in sight, would benefit greatly from the few months’ respite that temporary price caps would give. However, those Texas energy companies that are making millions off of California’s woes were some of Bush’s biggest contributors. It is this kind of legalized bribery and extortion that the McCain-Feingold bill is attempting to thwart by making unrestricted, huge donations from corporations, unions, and individuals illegal.
One way to gauge the success or failure of the campaign finance reform legislation is to look at the chart of Senator John McCain. There we find numerous indications that John McCain will be a very happy man in the coming months. This to me suggests successful passage of the McCain-Feingold bill as well as increased prominence for Senator McCain.
According to the available birth data, John McCain has a Libra Ascendant and a Cancer Midheaven. This gives greater significance to transits and progressions that include Venus, the ruler of Libra, and the Moon, the ruler of Cancer. Activity involving Venus will have an impact on McCain’s direct, personal experience of the world. Activity involving the Moon, including the movement of the progressed and converse progressed Moon, will describe his evolving public position. What we find in the coming months is a tremendous amount of energy coming to both natal Venus and progressed Venus that will put McCain boldly but sympathetically in the spotlight. (Progressed Venus at 12 Sagittarius is trine natal Mars at 12 Leo, peaking around May 1st. Progressed Mars is conjunct natal Venus at 22 Virgo, waxing until November, 2001.) These are very strong "feel-good" progressions that will be activated by various transits, especially during the first and third weeks of April by transits from Mars and then Jupiter. The progressed Moon square to natal Venus in May will also activate the progression of Mars to natal Venus bringing an entire month of strong positive feelings and successful career experience. This continues over into mid-June with the converse progressed Moon moving into conjunction of natal Venus.
Another planetary indicator of McCain’s current prominence is the transit of Pluto to his natal Jupiter. Already active for the past two months, this transit will continue at maximum intensity through mid-April and then return briefly in December. Pluto here is expanding and intensifying Jupiter’s already excellent oratory skill (Jupiter is near the cusp of and rules the 3rd house of communication) and accessing it to huge numbers of people. This is evidenced by McCain’s frequent appearances of late on the news and talk shows as well as the likely coverage of the Senate debate over the campaign finance legislation.
The only suggestion I find in Senator McCain’s chart of uncomfortable feelings comes with the progressed Moon square to Saturn that peaks around March 19 and then recedes. This intimates his concern over the fate of his bill and over the potential weakening of support demonstrated by some Democrats in recent weeks. Because this progression is exact just as the debate begins, it indicates more anticipatory anxiety than actual opposition beyond the first day or so. Also worthy of note is the progressed Sun opposition to natal Uranus that was exact around mid-March. This brought with it the shock and "blindsiding" of the alternative bill offered by Senator Hagel and supported by Resident Bush. The presence of the Hagel bill also contributed to the sorrow and concern indicated by progressed Moon opposite Saturn.
Thus, it seems that while the negative energies are about to wane, an extraordinary confluence of positive forces are about to envelop John McCain. The Senator from Arizona is soon likely to be basking in the triumph of one of the great accomplishments of his career.