John McCain

John McCain was born on August 29, 1936, in Cocosolo, Panama. Astrologers on the internet seem to have some trust in the birth time being around 9:00 AM, so I base my chart and interpretation on that. But I try to avoid too much use of the elements of the horoscope that change significantly in a few hours - such as the Ascendant, MC, the Houses, and the position of the moon.

John McCain has an unusually complex horoscope, especially compared to those of former US presidents, who tend to have rather simple and concentrated constellations in their horoscopes. He has a concentration of planets in the signs Cancer to Libra, where eight of twelve are situated, although that area is just one third of the Zodiac. Three of them are in Virgo, which is also his sun sign.

Virgo is the worker, the critical mind, more prone to detail than to the whole. The sun in the beginning of the sign shows that John McCain is a man who is quick to roll up his sleeves and get to work, and that is also a central part of his ideology. He is sure that he is competent, and that most others are not.

Neptune in the middle of Virgo tells us that he dreams of what grand things that can be accomplished with perseverance and hard work. He might be underestimating the difficulties, although he has a sharp critical mind. On the other hand, his Venus in the same sign gives him a creative capacity for complicated tasks.

His 10th House is powerful, with Pluto at the end of Cancer and Mars in the middle of Leo. He easily gains power and tremendous respect, and he knows how to make use of it. He is quick to take charge, and not a bit afraid to make decisions. There is a frustration in his Pluto position at the end of Cancer, but he shares it with a whole generation. It indicates that he wants to have rules that keep control of people’s emotions, as if to eliminate the irrational in man. It cannot be done.

Saturn retrograde in Pisces shows that he has a deeply frustrated attitude toward power and responsibility, insisting on their importance but uncertain about what to do with them. This is in opposition to his problem-solving Venus, meaning that he can often be his own major obstacle. He seems to long for rules at the same time as he fails to trust them.

His second opposition is between his Pluto and his moon in Capricorn. The latter shows that he has some control of his emotions, a self-discipline that is straining on him but mostly holds, nonetheless. His will to keep a lid on himself makes him almost refuse to accept that emotional issues have importance in events of the world. He does not like it, and is practically unable to relate to it, although he often has to, because of events that he is involved in.

John McCain's horoscope has a lot of aspects. Mars has a significant role, linked with a square to Uranus in Taurus, and with a trine to Jupiter in Sagittarius. These aspects show that his leadership competence is supported by a sharp understanding of how things work in the material world, and the good luck he has with changes in his life - moving him upward, as if the sky is the limit.

Also the sun is in aspect with his Uranus, underlining his materialistic world view. Mercury in Libra shows that he can argue well, and reason with anyone about anything, but his mind is the most comfortable with superficial perspectives. He might be a problem solver, but no philosopher. That makes him ignorant of the complexity of mankind, although he is such a complex man himself.

Oddly, his MC in the middle of Cancer shows that he still regards himself as an emotional person, with strong feelings of sympathy and antipathy. The sextile to Neptune shows that he regards these emotions as his true motivations for his actions and his strife. His MC also has a square aspect to the Ascendant in Libra and a trine to Saturn in Pisces. It makes him feel like a man who will bring back justice and ethical principles to a somewhat lost and confused world. He wants to find and to preach what is really right and wrong, although he is not that sure of it. There is confusion inside of him, but he manages to act decisively and keep a straight face, anyway.

The presidential election

The election is on November 4, 2008. John McCain has several astrological indicators to his success at it. At that date, Saturn has just passed over his Neptune, carrying power and possibility to his dream of working hard to accomplish grand things.

Jupiter is at an opposition to his MC, indicating a fortunate event that he feels will be disadvantageous to him personally - and surely, that is the price of being the President. Your personal life will suffer. Jupiter is also in square with the Ascendant, which means that his official role, the way he presents himself to others, is strained but still successful. He manages well to keep a straight face in the hour of need.

On the election day, Uranus in retrograde has recently passed over his Saturn (it is exact on September 26, 2008), which is certainly involved in his ambitions, bringing many insights to it. Late September, when that aspect is exact, is when he becomes convinced that he will win the election. Uranus will return to pass Saturn again in the beginning of February 2009, which would be right after the new President enters office. He will be mentally ready for his job, and he will have a grand plan for it.

Next to the Uranus conjunction, the most important aspect for John McCain in this period is the Saturn to Saturn opposition, which is exact on November 18, a couple of weeks after the election. It shows that he has to overcome his frustrations and uncertainties about the use of power, and what principles to rely on. He will need to express certainty and unquestionable authority. And he will be able to do that, because he is at that time reminded of his deep and complex relation to both power and its principles.

Because Saturn soon after that goes into retrograde, it will form another opposition with John McCain’s Saturn on February 13, 2009, and then a third transit on August 8, 2009. During this period of the three transits Saturn to Saturn, John McCain will mature heavily into his responsibility, and shoulder it readily. In the process, he probably allows himself to become rather pragmatic about the ethics of power.

At the date of the presidential inauguration, January 20, 2009, Saturn is over John McCain’s Venus in Virgo, kicking off some tremendous and important work indeed. Pluto is approaching a square with his Mercury, showing that he will need to change his way of speaking, sharpen his tongue, and that his speaking is instrumental in making big changes. Mars is in square with his Ascendant, making it important for him to behave in a controlled manner and showing determination.