The death of a President

Modern astrology has left mundane astrology almost forgotten. The majority
of the books available focus only in natal astrology, and students usually
have no interest on the subject. Most astrologers have never even drawn a
solar ingress chart. So, it is no surprise that, when a politic or social event
occur, we dont know how to even begin analyzing it.

So, when the Barack Obamas inauguration came, several astrologers tried to
analyze the chart of his accession to power. Many looked for signs of death,
others for anything at all. Event charts are much easier to read than the real
mundane charts (like the solar ingress chart). But it should be noted that the
ancient traditional astrologers would use several charts, beginning with the
big periods of time, like the Great Conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn, going
all the way down until they get into the event chart of the accession of the
King to power.

Abu Mashar in his chapter that teaches how to know how many years the
kingi will have in power, includes more than ten considerations, and only one
of them is based on the inauguration chart! All the others are based in the
ingress chart that occurred before the inauguration, or in the Great
Conjunctions, or in the shifts in triplicity of the Great Conjunctions, or in the
beginning chart of that particular dynasty of rulers, or in the mundane
firdaria, etc. I would also include eclipses, syzygy and comets as possible
points of interest for astrologers to begin studying again.

But as almost all of Abu Mashars considerations are very complex, for
reasons of time and size of this article, I chose to simply concentrate on the
inauguration chart. As it is an event chart, I think the technique will be more
familiar to most astrologers, but it should be noted that I am not, in any way,
proposing the analysis of this charts as a stand alone technique. I believe
that the analysis of these charts is useful to raise red flags, but professional
astrologers should consider several testimonies and techniques before
pronouncing judgment.

First things first

Above I wrote that astrologers dont know how to analyze the inauguration
chart. To illustrate my point, lets see some examples of delineations that I
found on several internet forums and blogs about the Inauguration chart of
President of U.S., Barack Obama:

The moon is void of course, and every president that was

inaugurated under a void moon died in office.
Venus is in the 11th house, so we see that Obama is reflecting the
hopes and dreams of the nation
The Sun is exiled in Aquarius, showing that he will be a bad
president.
Venus is exalted in pisces, so we see that the American people has
unrealistic expectations about Obama.
Venus is exalted in pisces, showing he will be a good president.
Venus is in pisces, so we see that his administration will be utopian
and have their heads on the clouds

In every one of these delineations we can see that astrologers took no more
than 2 minutes to analyze the inauguration charts. If they have taken a little
more time than that, they would have probably noticed that, for all
inaugurations since 1937:

the Ascendant of the inauguration is always in Taurus, around

the 15 degree.
the sun is always in the first few degrees of aquarius (so in
exile)
that venus would be either around 17 pisces or around 13
Capricorn (venus has a regular 8 years cycle)
Sun will be probably in the 10th house (even if it not exactly on
the MC)
Venus will be exalted in half of the inaugurations, in the 11th
house, when in pisces.
Venus will be only in triplicity, in half of the inaugurations, in
the 9th house, when in Capricorn.
She will never be combusted.

So, even if Obamas inauguration shows an utopian era, so did Bushs

administration! If Obamas Administration showed the hopes of nation, so
did Clintons! And so will the administration of every president that will
accede to power in this 8th years cycle! If astrologers had took the trouble to
open the chart of Bushs inauguration they would probably have avoided a
lot of the mistakes above. As astrologer Rodney Smith also notedii, the myth
of the void of course moon also has no grounds on reality, only on internet
fantasy.

So, it is important to see that the inauguration charts will have a lot of
regularities and coincidences between each other, so, trying to read them as
if they were horaries can be very misleading.

Technical factors.

In this article, I use the tropical system, the Alchabitius declination system of
domification, the mean node, and the Egyptian terms.

Every chart was drawn using the time of noon. Modern astrologers claim
that the time of the Oath should be used, but the presidential term begins at
noon, independent of the Oath, that can be applied at any time. Readers
who are interested in the reasons why the oath is not important are invited
to see posts on the subject by Lee Lehmaniii, Rodney Smithiv and on my own
blogv. Charts were drawn using the capital of the US as location, first New
York and then Washington, D.C. At least in one occasion the president was
not in the capital at the time of the inauguration, but I used the capital
anyway, as I believe that the inauguration is connected to the Fate of the
Country and not only to the individual.

George Washington acceded to power in 30 April 1789. Every other

inauguration was held either in March 4 or 5 (if the 4th was in a Sunday).
After 1937, because of the 20th amendment, the presidential term begins on
January 20th.

Warnings

As I said before, this technique shouldnt be used as a stand alone.

Professional astrologers should only give judgment after considering several
testimonies from different mundane techniques. Easy answers are for lazy
astrologers, and lazy astrologers are seldom correct. As I didnt include all
the other mundane factors, like eclipses or Great Conjunctions, this study
should be considered as nothing more than preliminary.

I will leave the ethical aspects of the prediction of death for the readers.
Traditional astrologers dont share the taboos of modern astrologers about
death, but it may be important to remember that it is not healthy to predict
the death of a president. At least you may receive a visit from the FBI or
other agency.

Astrologers from other countries are warned against using this technique on
the inauguration of their own presidents without studying previous
inaugurations. The United States of America have a astonishing high
probability of killing their leaders the same technique will probably not
work as it is for other countries.

I warn against tying to see mundane factors like Inflation, Economic growth,
Famine, from inauguration charts they seem to be strictly about the future
Administration, not the general fate of the country.

For last, although I tried to take a neutral mindset when evaluating this
charts, they are the product of hindsight. The goal of astrologers is foresight,
and so this technique has to be tested for several years before we can reach
conclusions of its validity. And, as all products of past experience, there is no
guarantee that it will work in the future as well as did in the past. One chart
didnt followed the model (Franklin D. Roosevelts inauguration, January 20,
1945), so we never can be sure that others exceptions wont follow.

Will the president die in office?

What are the factors that we can look in an inauguration chart to see the
possibility that the president will die in his office, during his term?

Well, it is very simple: the most important factor will be aspects between

The ruler of the 8th house of the chart

The exaltation ruler of the 8th house
The ruler of the Ascendant
The ruler of the MC

Before the reader start to feel disappointed with the simplicity of the
scheme, let me assure you that it is not really that simple, as our goal is to
differentiate the charts were the president didnt die, from the ones that
they passed away. Generally, astrologers only look charts from the group in
which they are interested, without concern for a control group. As an
example, one time I was testing the rules that I receive from one astrologer,
concerning how to discover the charts of serial killers. Using those rules I
could prove that Kiri te kanawa and Hillary Clinton, and several others
famous people were serial killers, as this astrologer obviously didnt care to
look for a control group of non killers.

In almost every inauguration there is some sort of aspect between these set
of significators, so our problem is in how to differentiate the aspects that kill
from those which dont.

For a matter of convenience, I am breaking the analysis in two sets: one

before the 1937, and the other after. The reason is that the charts before
1937 were held on a different day, march 4 or 5.

Even when the president had multiple terms, the possibility of death during
that term should be read from each inauguration term, not from the first
term.

Factors on the Inaugurations before 1937

In all these inaugurations, we have the beginning of Cancer ascending

(around 2 degrees), so the ascendant ruler was always the Moon. The MC
was around 10 Pisces, and his ruler was Jupiter. The Sun was conjunct the
MC in 13 Pisces. The ruler of the 8th house, using alchabitius houses, is always
Saturn, and the exaltation ruler is mars.

Look for aspects between Jupiter (the King) and Saturn

(death)

Look for aspects between the moon (the body of the ruler)
and mars (also death)
1. Every aspect can kill, even sextiles and trines.
2. Several astrologers claim that the Ascendant of the inauguration
represents the people. I dont agree. The charts seem to show that
the Ascendant represents the new Administration in it its totality,
and the MC the more specific role of the ruler.
3. The ruler of the 5th (8th from the King) doesnt seem to have any
importance in this matter.
 4. Both aspects, Jupiter to Saturn and moon to mars are essential. But
sometimes death can happen with only one of the aspects
5. An partile aspect of moon to mars will kill, even in the absence of a
Jupiter-Saturn, if the planets are not cadent or weakened in other
way.
6. In one case (march 4, 1901) there was death even without a moon-
mars aspect.
7. For some unknown reason, aspects of the moon to saturn, or of
Jupiter to mars dont seem to be enough to kill.
8. Aspects should be close, from 3 to 8 degrees depending on several
factors. Applying aspects have larger orbs. When the planets are
conjunct, they also have larger orbs. Mutually separating planets
(when one is retrograde) seem to have very little orbs.
9. Reception doesnt seem to be very important, unless there is mutual
reception.
10. Even if the ruler of the 8th is in his dignities, he will still kill.
11. If the ruler of the MC (Jupiter) is one of his debilities, he will be
easier to kill.
12. When there is a close aspect, angularity seem to be the most
important factor, followed by dignity. If Saturn (death) is angular,
and Jupiter (the president) is cadent, the President will die.
13. And vice-versa: if Saturn is cadent, the president will not die.
14. If both planets are angular, succedent or cadent, then combustion
and retrogradation can diminish the power of a planet, pointing the
winner.
15. Make sure the aspect will complete before planets change signs.

So, I invite the reader to try to judge charts 1 through 6, using those rules,
but without seeing the answer. In every pair of charts, one of them is from a
presidential term that ended with death, and in the other the president
lived.

Chart 1
 1058'

12'
19

21
30'
00 14 26
14
34' 09'
00' 48'
45' 10 26
10 9
27 12' 38'

11 8
20
07'

12 7
02 02

40' 29' 25 40'
1 6

07'
20 2 5
26 3 4 45'

38' 19' 27

19 30'

05
19

12'
30' 21
1058'

Chart 2
 1100'

14'
19

21 32'
14 02

00 11' 28'
02
46' 26' 26
45' 10 9
27 40'
11 8
16

17 39' 12 7
15'
02 02

42' 25' 26 42'
1 6


2 5
26 3 4 46'
45'
40' 48' 27
02
09' 29

05
19 14'

32' 21
1100'

Answer Charts 1 and 2

Chart 1 the moon is in Sagittarius, a sign that doesnt behold mars. Jupiter
(the king) also doesnt behold Saturn. Conclusion there will be no death.

This is the chart for the Lincoln first inauguration in March 4, 1861.

Chart 2 Jupiter and Saturn are in their dignities, Jupiter in Sagitarius

mutually applying to Saturn in Libra. See that Saturn is succedent and Jupiter
is cadent. Saturn will beat Jupiters strength!

The moon is also conjunct mars in the 12th house, giving enough signs of
death.
This is the chart for Lincolns second inauguration in March 4, 1865. Lincoln
died on April 15, 1865, shortly after the inauguration.

Chart 3

1108'

22' 19

21 40'
25 14
21
26 56' 18'
00 12'
54' 08 14' 07 26
16' 10 9
27 44' 09' 47'
11 8

23 12 7
17'
02 02

48' 48'
17' 23
1 6

2 5
26 3 4 54'

47' 27
14'

27
19 22'

40' 21
1108'

Chart 4
 1021'
36' 18


20 54'
13
0429
32'
25'38' 10
28

10' 26' 07 26
10 9 16'
27 26 49' 04'

28 24' 11 8

17'



12
12 7 20'
02 02

08' 08'
1 6

2 5
26 3 4 10'

04' 27
25'

04
18 36'

54' 20
1021'

Answer to Charts 3 and 4

Chart 3 Jupiter and Saturn are in Aries and applying, so we have an

important factor. Even though moon is separating from mars, the aspect is
very close. Death will come from this chart.

This is the chart for James Garfields inauguration in March 4, 1881. He died
in September 19, 1881.

Chart 4 Moon applies to mars.

We see that Jupiter is very far away from Saturn, and it wont meet him until
Saturn changes signs. But, even if they did meet, Jupiter is angular and
Saturn is cadent. He will not die.
Chart 4 is from Woodrow Wilson inauguration, March 4, 1913

Chart 5

1025'

40' 18

20 58'
13 10
14
28 36' 18'
29 45'
14' 06 01' 26
41' 10 9
27 25' 07'
11 8

17
50'
12 7
02 02

11' 11'
1 6

2 5
26 3 4 14'
41'
07' 27

29
02'03'

1422
18

40'
58' 20
1025'

Chart 6
 1056'
10' 19


21 28'
14
0707
13
07' 18
00 57'29'
07'
43' 06' 26
26'
10 9
27 36'
11 8



12 7
02 02

38'
0331'

38'
0718' 1 6

2 5
26 3 4 43'

36' 02' 27
29'
22
07
19 10'

28' 21
1056'

Answer to Charts 5 and 6

Chart 5 Jupiter and Saturn are in virgo. They are both retrograding and
slowly separating, but conjunctions have larger orbs and they will not change
signs before going back again.

Moon is separating from mars but it still is within a small orb. So we judge
death from this chart.

This is the chart of Warren G Hardings inauguration, March 4, 1921. He died

on August 2, 1923.

Chart 6 This chart can be misleading. Moon is applying to mars. Jupiter is

separating from Saturn, from almost 6 degrees. Jupiter and Saturn are both
angular. Is the separation enough? Yes, and I think that one factor is that
they are mutually separating, as Saturn is also retrograde.
The president of this chart, James Buchanan, March 4, 1875, did not die.

Factors on the Inaugurations after 1937

The logic behind the method is exactly the same, but with some changes,
because the day was moved from March 4 to January 20. So the ascendant
moved from 2 cancer to 15 Taurus, and the MC changed from 10 Pisces to 27
Capricorn, with the Sun in aquarius.

Reader should remember that we will still focus on Jupiter and Saturn, but
from now on, Jupiter will represent death (as the 8th cusp is always in
Sagitarius) and Saturn will represent the President (as the MC is in 27
Capricorn). Again, a significant aspect between these two can bring death.

The ruler of the Ascendant is now Venus. As the 8th cusp has no exaltation
ruler, nor an obvious almuten (terms of Jupiter, face of mercury, triplicity of
Sun, Jupiter and Saturn), I consider that Jupiter (death) is the only important
significator. Aspects of Venus to Jupiter will confirm death.

Chart 7
 2737'


41'
05

06 13'
00
20 06

08
17'
00' 25'
31'

18' 11

05 10 9
12 18'

08'
11 8 10

44'


06
24' 12 7
08 01'
16 16

08' 08'
1 6

09'04

2 5
08'
11 18'
05
3 4
18' 12

05 41'

13' 06

2737'

Chart 8
 2740'

45' 05



06 17'
0400
1812 14
09
55'20' 55'
42'34' 10'
22' 11
10 9
12 22'
11 8

00
24'
12 7
16 16

13' 13'
1 6
24'
00
03'
2 5 19

11 3 4 22'

22' 12
08'

05

05 45'

17' 06

2740'

Answer to Charts 7 and 8

Chart 7 - Chart 7 clearly shows death. Venus is applying to Jupiter, and

Jupiter and Saturn are conjunct. They are very close, and will complete the
aspect. But wait ! There is mutual reception between venus and Jupiter! He
will avoid death! Franklin D. Roosevelt, January 20, 1941.

Chart 8 Venus is applying to Jupiter, but Jupiter and Saturn are mutually
separating, as Saturn is retrograde! The president didnt died. January 20,
1949 inauguration, Harry S. Truman.

Chart 9
 2745'


51'
05

06 23'
1000 2118

08
17 04'26' 55'40'
28' 23 18' 11
09'
22' 10 9
12 29'
11 8

12 7
16 16

20' 20'
1 6

2 5

11 3 4 28'

29' 46' 18' 12
17'
01 08
09

05 51'

23' 06

2745'

Chart 10
 2754'

01' 05


07 32'
1100
1613 11

28'34'
22'33' 48'
39' 11
10 9
12 39'
11 8

12 7

27' 21
16 16

32' 32'
1 6

2 5 22'
47' 10
11 39'
3 4 09

39' 12

29'28'

0511
05

01'
32' 07

2754'

Answer to Charts 9 and 10

Chart 9 Jupiter and Saturn are closely conjunct in Capricorn, in the 9th
house. Note that venus closely sextiles Jupiter.

This is a very well known chart, January 20, 1961 , inauguration of Kennedy.
Died in November 22, 1963.

Chart 10 In chart 10, Jupiter and Saturn are separating, but very very close!
Venus also squares Jupiter!

That was my tricky question. This chart is from the inauguration of Reagan,
January 20, 1981. Reagan suffered an attempt of assassination in March 30,
1981, but he did survive!

Exceptions to the rule

In the rules for inaugurations before 1937, I stated that sometimes a contact
between moon and mars (if partile) could be enough to cause death, even
without an aspect between Jupiter and Satun. An example is March 4, 1841,
inauguration of William H. Harrison. The aspect o moon to mars is partile,
and we have no connection between Jupiter and Saturn. Nevertheless,
Saturn is right on the descendant of the chart, opposing the Ascendant.
Harrison died in April 4, 1841.

1048'

03'
19

21 21'
14
02

08' 00' 16
00
36' 56' 26
19'
10 9
27 29'
11 8


12 7

02 02

32'
54' 01
32'
1 6 17'
18



2 5 15'

24
26

44'
3 4 46'
36'
05
29'
56'
05
27


16

19 03'

21' 21
1048'

Would other planets on the descendant cause death ? Mars was on the
descendant of Rutherford B. Hayes inauguration (March 3, 1877) but
without causing death. In that chart, Jupiter and Saturn did aspect each
other, but in a sextile with a 11 degree orb. Jupiter in Benjamin Harrisons
inauguration descendant (March 4, 1889) didnt cause death either. In
Harrisons chart, Jupiter and Saturn didnt behold each other.
I stated that, in the charts before 1937, a contact between moon and mars
was usually necessary to bring death, besides the contact between Jupiter
and Saturn. One exception to this rule is the chart of William McKinley
accession to power (March 4, 1901).

1015'

31'

18

20 49'
1913 28

16'27' 52'

05' 25

27 10 9
58'
26

30' 11 8


14
14'
12 7
20' 08
02 02

03' 02' 25 03'
1 6


2 5 30'

26
25 3 4 05'

58' 27
56' 27'

28 06
18 31'

49' 20
1015'

In the chart above, you can see that Jupiter and Saturn are making an aspect
by conjunction in capricorn (Jupiters fall) but moon is not beholding mars.
Maybe the facts that moon is aspecting Jupiter, or that she is almost in
opposition to the sun, are of importance, we cant know for sure. He died in
September 14, 1901.

As noted before, the chart of the inauguration of Roosevelt (Jan 20, 1945)
doesnt follow any of the rules established here. Maybe it is because he was
already with so many health issues, but I can only speculate, and we should
avoid speculations when working with hindsight data. Notice that Jupiter and
Saturn are very far away, as well as Venus is far from Jupiter.

2543'


30'
03

04 05'
00 17
11
07
18' 46' 10'
16 45'
51' 08
40' 10 9
09 53'
11 8

26
35'
12 7
13 13

25' 25'
1 6

2 5

08 23' 51'
3 4
27
53' 09
32'
46' 42'
05
17 09
03

30'
05' 04

2543'

I have found that the Sun has little saying in the matter of the death of the
president. But if he is besieged by malefics, it may be a sign of danger in that
term.

Now a little foresight:

Readers are now invited to use the technique learned (with all the warnings
and caveats in mind) to see for any signs of red flags in the chart of Barack
Obamas inauguration (noon, January 20, 2009) as well of the future
presidents of the U.S.
 2807'

16' 05
07

47'
0000 18
0903

15 55'32'47'40' 29'
17
55' 53' 11
47' 10 9
12 55'
11 8




29


49'
12 7
16 16

50' 50'
1 6

2 5
11 55'
3 4 24'
55' 12
21
55'

09
05

16'
47' 07

2807'

Jupiter is not aspecting Saturn. Venus is not aspecting Jupiter. Jupiter, the
lord of death, is angular, but combusted, so lose its strength. Data from this
study, as limited as it is, does not support the hypothesis that Barack Obama
will be assassinated or die from natural causes. This, of course, doesnt mean
that he cant lose his office by other means, but this is besides our
investigation.
ii
Abu Mashar: On Historical Astrology. Translated by Keiji Yamamoto & Charles
Burnett. See also the comments of Steven Birchfield about his techniques in William
Ramesey: Astrologia Munda, appendix II, edited by Steven Birchfield.
http://astrosage.blogspot.com/2009/01/void-moons-and-dead-presidents.html
ii
iii
http://leephd.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-inauguration.html
http://astrosage.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-inauguration.html
iv
v
http://episthemologie.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/obama%c2%b4s-inauguration/