Senator John McCain announced his bid for the presidency on the Republican ticket on David Letterman's show, this last Wednesday, February 28, 2007. It had been expected and one had to wonder, "hadn't he declared already?".

John McCain is a Virgo, born on August 29, 1936 in CocoSolo, Panama. Both parents were U.S. citizens and he became a U.S. citizen automatically, thus qualifying him for the presidency. He has a Capricorn moon, with Libra rising. On the Astro Data Bank site they list his birth time as "A", yet says they asked people on his staff who said his mother told them "about 9:00 am" - that's always a little suspicious to me. Remember, Adolf Hitler had an astrologer and Winston Churchill hired his own astrologer to find out what Hitler was being told, as well as Ronald Reagan deliberately confusing his birth date, knowing what vital information it contains. I would want to see the birth certificate itself. But further on two bloggers rectify it to just after 9 am so it's pretty close.

With the asteroid, Pallas, in the first house, it shows he is very much a cerebral person; someone who can take a myriad of objects and bring them together in a form which makes sense. Jupiter is essentially the first planet from the ascendant, providing an element of luck, and certainly indicating politics (particularly since it's in it's own sign, Sag) is a natural inclination.

The moon in Capricorn resides at the bottom of the chart, and would say his mom is the bedrock of his life, even tho it opposes Pluto in the 10th. Saturn is in his 6th house of work and service. Residing in Pisces, he would probably look askance at somebody reading his chart.

Uranus in the 7th house of mate would suggest that he wants a woman who is unique and different, and who surprises him.

It's interesting that Pluto is in the 10th house of career, along with Mars. It's often been said that those with Pluto in the 10th have a powerful father, and they do best when they move away from home.

With all his down to earth demeanor, McCain has the Sun in close proximity to Neptune. While it isn't a true conjunction (it's just a mite off), it still says that there is a soft side to this individual. It would be interesting to know if he feels he has creative talents. Certainly, with Pallas in the 1st, indicating the ability to create and put disparate parts together, he should be creatively talented in some way. The reverse of this, however, is that Neptune can act as the 'spin doctor' and he can say what he thinks people want to hear.

McCain is known to have a fierce temper, and we usually see that when Mars, a fire sign to begin with, in in an angular house and squares Uranus, this time in Taurus, and both are fixed signs. "Don't mess with me! I'm right and I don't want to hear anything else!" Mars is hair-trigger anyway, and Uranus just gets in there to keep him on the edge. I would also add, that Pluto is in the ball park, and early in his life, Pluto went over Mars, which undoubtedly caused a power struggle with his father, or someone else in authority. When we get to the Chinese chart, I shall add some other indications. (I often wonder what happened to make his face look like a chipmunk on the left side? Would that have been something that happened while he was in confinement during the war, or was he born that way?)......it always looks like he's tucking away some food for later!

Pluto was in the 12th house during his confinement in Vietnam, and he was released just as Pluto was getting close to his ascendant.

Chinese Astrology: If the birth time is accurate, and it would seem to be in the ballpark anyway, with Pluto being in the 12th during his captivity (see the astrodatabank.com site for astrolgers who have rectified it to just past 9am). McCain was born in the Year of the Rat, the month of the Snake, the hour of the Snake, and the minute of the Snake. Lots of Snake. Lots of needing to be right. Lots of not being able to be wrong. Lots of feelings of superiority and always having someone around who is inferior in order to build themselves up. Lots of disappontment. Lots of being his own judge, jury and perhaps, executioner; as in does he feel the inner worth to be president, or will he sabotage himself somehow?

McCain has the Monkey/Bladder energy in the 4th house, where his moon is, which would indicate that his mother was a controller, who had to have things her own way. This, then, becomes McCain's foundation and roots. He creates a world within which he performs easily, and will not hear, see or entertain anything else. This adds to the temper angle.

The Tiger/Lung energy in the 10th house of father and career, would show an indication towards vanity, and the need to show off.

Currently, Pluto is in the 3rd house, moving into Capricorn next year, while Neptune is getting out of the 4th, and Uranus is moving over the 5th about to conjunct Saturn. Uranus can liberate Saturn, but it will be a tussle to see who wins. As Saturn moves into Virgo in the fall, it will move over his Virgo sun and then Neptune. Something will happen then, to throw some cold water on his aspirations. The intriguing part of this whole scenario is that the Master YOD point of Neptune sextile Pluto is pointing at Pluto as we approach the election. The charts of presidents don't necessarily have Pluto moving thru the 10th house of career; there is usually a less obvious clue. As Pluto moves into Capricorn, and Neptune gets closer to Pisces, the Master YOD (which is a little wide right now), will point at the end of Cancer and the beginning of Leo...right where McCain's natal Pluto resides....which would seem to indicate that he will show us as the path shower, how the baby boomers will be moving into a place of prominence and power as a group as the YOD points at their Pluto placements, one by one.

This year, Pluto sesquiquadrates Mars on July 2nd and Nov 9th, which may trigger his temper. During 2008, Saturn sits on his sun, while Uranus conjuncts his Saturn and opposes Venus (his serious visage may be loosened a bit). Around election time, Saturn conjuncts his Neptune and opposes his Saturn, bringing his life into stark reality. Whether Pluto in the 10th, being at the apex of the Yod will be enough to catapult McCain into the presidency will remain to be seen. Usually, Virgos are the king makers, not the king.

copyright 2007, Pamela Leigh Powers, all rights reserved.