Bush in Retrograde; Obama, McCain Rising

July 2, 2008 — -- To predict presidential destinies, some go to political pundits on the Sunday morning circuit to guide the way. Others look to the blogosphere. Still others look to the planets, where they find reason in the retrograde, to seek outcomes from the universe in trying to conclude 2008's fate.

And what do the stars have in store for 2008's presidential hopefuls? Well, for starters, this is no Age of Aquarius.

In May, seven astrologers at the United Astrology Conference in Denver predicted that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. would win the White House in November, citing Saturn's opposition to Uranus on Election Day as a celestial occurrence that pits a stodgy planet against one of rebellion, resulting in transformation and social upheaval.

The astrological sport of Election Day predictions are nothing new. In 2000, Philadelphia-based astrologer Jacob Schwartz predicted that former Vice President Al Gore would win the popular vote but not the election.

Power to the People, Not the Planets

Susan Miller, an astrologer and best-selling author, says astrologers can present the conditions at a particular time, but the final outcomes are still anybody's guess.

"Astrology shows you the conditions, it doesn't show you the outcome. The outcome is up to us. We all have to vote," she says.

"I think it's gonna be one of these really tight elections," Miller says. She described the election battle as the age-old "rebel versus the conservative," and the astrological charts of both nominees as "excellent."

Arizona Republican John McCain, a Virgo, has aspects that mark him for compassion and service, Miller says, while Obama, a Leo, shows inspirational leadership in his chart and an affinity for innovation and excellence in new media.

Predictions Beyond the Candidates

Miller, whose online forecasts on Astrology Zone reach 6 million readers per month, says to expect game-changing shifts in the presidential race following two eclipses in August. Obama and McCain will lead their parties to November, but other politicians will emerge in new roles.

The August 1 solar eclipse, she says, has strong designs for former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Clinton, Miller says, "gets a new job on that eclipse. She's not going back to the Senate, I'm sure of that."

What she's unsure of is whether or not Clinton's new role will be announced come August or at the next round of eclipses in February. "One way or the other, she gets a very high, very good job," Miller predicts, "something she's happy with. "

Another New York politician who strikes pay dirt in the August eclipses, according to Miller, is New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"I think Bloomberg might be chosen as a running mate for one of them," she says, his independent status making him a possible choice for either the Republican or Democratic candidate. Her reasoning for a Bloomberg Rising cites the Aug. 16 lunar eclipse as opposite Bloomberg's Feb. 14 birthday. When an eclipse falls on or opposite your birthday, Miller says "your number is coming up for big change".

Election Day 'Malfunctions'?

Not everything is dictated by the stars, Miller admits.

She predicts "malfunctions" come Election Day, but not because of the cosmos, but because of good, old-fashioned lack of initiative.

"Somehow we haven't figured out how to have elections the way Visa and American Express figured out how much we spend to the penny. And I have no idea why. I simply do not understand that," she says. "It seems like we've learned nothing since last time."

Adding her 2 cents on the state of the Electoral College, she offers, "I don't know why every state doesn't vote the same way."