I'm starting a new thread on Bernie with an initial focus on trying to confirm (or refine or disprove) the birth time floating round for him. While a lot of people like the chart - the SAturn-Uranus conjunction on Descendant is impressive - the purported source of the time sounds flaky. As originally quoted from a web site:
Bernie Sanders' birth time is not entirely certain. I talked with a man who campaigned with Bernie Sanders in the Burlington, Vermont races 35 years ago, and was also an astrology enthusiast. According to him, working off of his memory, Bernie's birth time was 12:27 PM EDT
The number of unknowns in those few lines is throttling.
I'm going to loop through different events I've collected with different techniques, aimed at maximizing the chance of detecting whether the time itself is correct or nearly so.
I'll start by saying he won the Nevada caucuses tonight. It was a strategic event because it was the first primary or caucus that wasn't essentially a tie - it looks like he'll get nearly half the total vote, which is huge. For simple transits to angles or Moon of his birth chart, we get only the neutral Mercury crossing his IC.
But, on to other events... I'll only mention those that show something.
Mother died (3/25/60). No solid hits; but with the 12:27 PM MC being 14°32' Leo, transiting Pluto was 10°00' Leo, and would have been exact if the birth were 18 minutes earlier (about 12:09). At a further extreme, t Saturn at 23°21' Sagittarius would have squared natal Moon had it been 2° earlier (about 4 hours earlier).
Father died (2/4/62). This, though - when he was fully orphaned - may have been the rightful Pluto event. With given MC 14°32' Leo, transiting Pluto was 15°14' Leo, within a degree.
First marriage (9/6/64). This is good! t Jupiter on Dsc within a degree.
Son born (3/21/69). Mars sq. his MC does not seem fitting.
First day as Senator for Vermont (1/3/07). t Jupiter sq. r MC (partile). This is good symbolism but not a good event because the date was forced by law, not spontaneous.
Declared candidacy for president (4/13/15). t Neptune on r IC (partile). This is interesting, I'm more inclined to credit it than not.
Emergency heart operation (10/2/19). t Pluto sq. r Moon 08'. I think this is quite fitting.
Although a lot of events (most not mentioned) showed nothing at all, those which showed something had it within 1° and with correct symbolism. This is very, very good so far.
Next, I'll look at progressed Moon and progression involving angles.
Mother died (3/25/60). p Moon sq p MC is too weak n inicator. Neither is within orb of Neptune (they're within 2° but not 1°). Nothing here.
Father died (2/4/62). p Moon sq. r Venus, p MC 39' past p Neptune. Mixed, unclear.
First marriage (9/6/64). p Moon sq. r Asc. Tempted to count it, I wish there were something planetary and more substantial.
Son born (3/21/69). p Venus conj. r Asc 28' (though this could have been for the wedding 5 years earlier; but this is good by itself). p Moon op. r Venus 09' (this is good!).
Became mayor of Burlington (4/6/81). p Venus s r M 06' (not what we'd first look for, but broadly correct and nothing "wrong" about it).
First day in House of Representatives (1/3/91). p Asc sq. r Mercury 16' (too vague, could mean anything).
Declared running for president (2/19/19). p Moon sq. p Saturn on natal Asc and progressed MC. A lot of exact aspects here... is the symbolism right?
Overall, these are disappointing, though with a worthwhile hit or two. I can't say I learned anything from these that I can rely on.
I will now run the events for Solar Arc directions, looking only at aspects involving natal or directed angles or Moon.
Father died, orphaned (2/4/62). d Pluto sq. r Asc
Married (9/6/64). d Neptune op. r Moon (03') - acceptable.
Became mayor of Burlington (4/6/81). d Moon conj. r Saturn (15') - While a meaning can be discerned that fits, this is not what we expect. Count this against the time.
Married second wife, Jane (5/28/88). d Venus sq. r MC (10'). Exactly right.
First day in House of Representatives (1/3/91). d Uranus sq. r Moon 29' (Maybe yes/no: Symbolism isn't clear, though I'm sure his first week in Washington was a lot of new experiences and getting his eyes opened.)
First day in Senate (1/3/7). d Jupiter sq. r Asc 42'. This persuasively registered as a higher dignity (a promotion).
Declared candidacy for president (4/13/15). d Moon sq. r Mercury 19' (OK, it was an announcement and paperwork at least.)
Heart surgery (10/2/19). t Jupiter in is more than 1° from his Leo MC, so I don't think we can count it (despite the life-saving etc.). There were other solar arcs that had nothing to do with Moon an angles, esp. d Pluto conj. r Venus.
Overall, these are excellent! They are quite persuasive that the time may be exactly as given.
While looking at it with solar arcs, I should mention that for Election Day we find the following:
d Jupiter conj. r MC 0°02' [r Ju-Pl ssq. 13']
d Neptune sq. r Sun 02'
I'll run SLRs later. That will take more work digging out places for the events list, and just more work in general. (I ran a few for spot checks - so far, they're all good.)
While looking at it with solar arcs, I should mention that for Election Day we find the following:
d Jupiter conj. r MC 0°02'.....
I have been very aware of this one particular possible Solar Arc for months. If I knew for sure his birth data with this Solar Arc possibility was AA, it would add a-lot of $ to my bank account. Simply put: If this Solar Arc is true, he will definitely be next Prez if Dem Nominee.
I can't guarantee that, of course, and I've been skeptical of this time because of how flaky the source is. However, the transits to angles and solar arcs involving angles are stunning - really stunning. I was quite surprised. Also, the spot-checking I did on SLRs was very satisfying.
Just a few examples of the SLRs, the ones that really caught my attention:
His father died (making him an orphan) 2/4/62. If they were still living in Brooklyn, the Jan 27 Demi-SLR had Saturn partile square MC (less than half a degree).
His SLR for his first marriage is a terrible chart. I don't know the circumstances, and I might be mistaken on the the location, but it's a really tough, pressuring circumstance. (No child was born for two years, though.) The SLR immediately before his son's birth is complicated and unsure: It has a paternity indicator, some difficult and atypical angularities, and a sense of having to struggle with decisions about life-changes. I don't know how to judge it.
He became mayor of Burlington 4/6/81. His SLR two days earlier had Jupiter exactly on MC, 2° from conjunct Saturn.
He married his current wife, Jane, 5/28/88 (I'm guessing Burlington, though they might have gone elsewhere). It's a fine wedding SLR with Sun and Jupiter straddling Ascendant, Sun squared by Mars. The Demi-SLR a day before is less clear, with Jupiter opposite Pluto near the meridian and natal Pluto on EP (mostly shows change of status; but, again, it has the hallmark Jupiter foreground most closely, though not super-close).
SLR for his first day in the House of Representatives (1/3/91, Washington, DC) is a rough chart. Unless he had rough circumstances relocating or a really rough first week or two, this doesn't show well (whereas other techniques show this event reasonably well).
His first day in the Senate (1/3/07) is similarly rough, with Mars exactly on MC partile square his Sun, Uranus rising. Oh, but Jupiter exactly squares Asc.
His sudden heart surgery was October 2, 2019, in Las Vegas. The September 16 SLR has a 0°12' Moon-Pluto square closest to angles. His 9/29 Demi-SLR, right before, is less clear but not unfitting: Neptune is right on IC squared by Jupiter on EP (the usual "lots of anxiety, but got good treatment" you and I have seen before. But here's the big one: His Sun was 2° off MC, opposed by transiting Neptune within 0°06' and squared by transiting Jupiter within 1°19'. (There are other things like his natal Saturn-Uranus setting, probably in close mundane square to his Sun).
I'm very happy with these SLRs. I can't explain where the birth data came from and how, being so clumsily conveyed and pulled from someone's memory after several decades, it could be this accurate - but take a look at the transits, solar arcs, and SLRs and give me your opinion.
That last example was so acute that I'm going to work it up in detail so that I know I'm not fudging orbs and things in my head. (I already see that I underestimated the importance of the Jupiter: It isn't just clsoe to EP, it's exactly square MC.) And yes, we do get natal Sun-Saturn and Sun-Uranus mundane squares on the angles! And the successful, happy outcome was never in doubt from this chart.
Emergency heart surgery in Las Vegas, NV October 2, 2019, with a Demi-SLR occurring September 29, 2019, 11:26:56 PM PDT.
t Mars on MC -9°35'
----------------------------- r Jupiter on WP +0°58'
t Jupiter sq. MC +0°55'
t Neptune on IC +1°48'
r Sun on MC +2°24'
r Uranus on Dsc +3°57'
r Saturn on Dsc +6°48'
-- t Neptune op. r Sun 0°06' -- t Jupiter-Neptune sq. 1°14'
-- t Jupiter sq. r Sun 1°19'
-- r Sun-Uranus sq. 1°33' in mundo
-- r Saturn-Uranus conj. 1°48'
-- t Mars-Jupiter sq. 2°05' in mundo
-- t Neptune sq. r Uranus 2°09' in mundo
-- t Jupiter op. r Jupiter 2°55' -- t Neptune sq. r Jupiter 4°09'
-- r Sun-Saturn sq. 4°24' in mundo
Other partile
t Mercury op. r Mars 0°02'
t Pluto sq. r Moon 0°08'
t Uranus sq. r Pluto 0°26'
t Mars conj. r Neptune 0°54'
It damn sure would be worth my retired time from a potential $ standpoint to try and make contact with his top aid when his campaign is in Alabama. Maybe hand his top aid the birth time we are working with here, and ask him/her to please confirm or not confirm the birthtime we are working with....suggestions?
Sanders finally suspended his campaign. I hope that this is not a sign that Biden is considering Sanders as a running mate. It's very strange, Biden's chart doesn't seem to be that optimistic. It's positive for the year overall, but the progressions are not stellar. Either way, I wonder how relevant his birth chart is because of his memory.
