I was driving home from work and NPR was running a story about the transit of mercury across the face of the sun tomorrow. I wondered, for grins, “What are the astrologers predicting for this election?”
So first off I hit Wikipedia, which says regarding a transit of mercury:
A Mercury transit only lasts a day or two. Mercury transits affect the mind and movement. So often, you want to travel, write letters, e-mail, make phone calls and generally communicate with others. A Mercury transit may also stimulate you to make many local errands.
Hmmm. I suspect a lot of folks are wanting to “communicate” with D.C. today… But in these hours of nail-biting we seek more certainty! Perhaps a Google search will be more enlightening.
Follow me over the fold to see what I found…
And so I found Alex Miller-Mignone’s Election Preview 2006. He sounds like someone we can trust:
Bush’s low approval ratings and the continuing circus of GOP congressional misconduct, scandal and criminality have combined to create the most favorable environment for major Democratic gains since the Republican take-over of the House of Representatives in 1994. But will the clearly expressed will of the people manifest at the polls on Election Day 2006, or will we see yet another corrupted travesty? And if the latter, will the American people finally take to the streets as did the citizens of the Ukraine and Mexico, or will they merely roll over and hit the snooze button yet again?
He’s also the past president of the Philadelphia Astrological Society, and we all know the best political prognosticators and analysts are in Philly, right Booman?
So what do the stars say?
As in 2000 and 2004, galactic indicators favor a change, and Democratic victory, but nothing is certain: free will is still a factor, and the auguries can just as easily be read as electoral chicanery.
Uh Oh!
Here’s a sampling of the analysis:
Mercury’s position at 18 Scorpio, similarly, could indicate either of two outcomes. Its retrograde status on Election Day could signify the change of heart in the electorate, a repudiation of the GOP and its policies, or it could indicate the subverting of the vote by clandestine means (Scorpio). [Or both? – K.P.] Mercury is conjunct the Sun at 15 Scorpio, as well as Venus, Mars and Jupiter at 17, 9 and 26 Scorpio, and also opposes the 16 Taurus Black Hole. Mercury/Mars implies an angry electorate, Mercury/Venus could indicate the importance of female voters in determining the outcome, and Mercury/Jupiter shows the potential for a larger than normal turnout.
Mercury is further squared by both Saturn at 24 Leo and Neptune at 17 Aquarius. Neptune here underscores the possibility of fraud or deception, and Saturn could suggest the blocking or suppression of the vote. But this is a powerful T-Square which also speaks to the ultimate disillusionment (Neptune) of the population (Mercury) with the administration (Saturn), and that may be an energy that not even vote fraud can counterbalance.
[snip]
Currently, the Democrats are receiving several significant transits from Pluto. At 25 Sagittarius, the planet of transformation and regeneration is sextile both its natal position at 23 Aquarius, unleashing more of its power, and Jupiter at 23 Libra, compelling a revision of its philosophy and party platform. A simultaneous trine to its Saturn at 25 Aries and an inconjunct to its 23 Taurus Sun, both conjoined Black Holes, suggests a change in its worldly fortunes and power as well as its self identity and image.
The Republicans have a tougher row to hoe, with transit Uranus as the dominant force in their nativity currently. Uranus’ shocks and upsets, as well as affinities with revolutions, revelations and exposing things hidden, squares well with the series of body blows the party has received over the past year, from the Abramoff scandal to Foley’s disgrace. From 10 Pisces on Election Day, transit Uranus conjoins natal Neptune at 15 Pisces, eliciting disruption and confusion, and bringing voters greater clarity as to the GOP’s true agenda and feet of clay. Additionally, an exact square to the Republican natal Saturn at 10 Gemini could indicate a major upset for the administration, which the loss of one or both Houses would certainly be. The trine to the GOP natal Sun and inconjunct to its natal Mercury at 9 Leo both suggest some major shifts, particularly in the area of self-identity and communication.
You should really go read the whole thing for yourself, for grins, while waiting for election results.
So how does he call it? He hedges his bets:
Read simply, both Pluto and Uranus indicate major change, but Pluto gravitates toward an increase in power where Uranus signals disruption. Taken with the Election Day transits discussed above and the national polling, Democrats seem poised to take one, possibly both Houses, effectively disabling the Bush juggernaut. But as in 2004, with every major indicator against them, the White House remains serenely sanguine about the elections, not even preparing a game plan for a Democratic takeover of Congress.
Could they know something we don’t?
Hmmm. I don’t know that I feel a whole lot better, or better informed, but it was kinda fun, and got me away from cable news for a few minutes. Any other soothsayers you’ve run across whose predictions you care to share?
