Solunars by Aldebaran Sidereal Academy

Sen. John McCain was born, according to his birth certificate, August 29, 1936, 6:25 PM EST, in Cocosolo, Panama.

Today it was announced that he has a brain tumor, as diagnosed by the Mayo Clinic. It isn't clear how serious this is, although anything surgical can be serious at age 80.

Currently, his most important long-range transit is Uranus' square to his Pluto, which is exactly triggered by Mars yesterday and today. He also has a "turning point" square of Saturn to his natal Saturn that will hang around for the next few months.

Something I have seen before and wondered about: Progressed Mars conjoins his natal Mercury (12' applying). If Mercury indeed "rules" the brain as part of the nervous system, then this is a precise indicator. Concurrently, progressed Venus squares progressed Mars and natal Mercury, which, in its simplest form, is auspicious.

His current SSR for Washington has a Saturn-Mars conjunction on IC square Neptune, somewhat bringing in his Sun (more widely. This is quite malignant. (He has several natal planets angular that complicate the picture.) SSR Moon conjoins natal Mars.

His next (August 29) SSR, if he remains in Washington is predominantly a Neptune chart. This is quite common for chemo. On the other hand, I'm not sure why he would stay in Washington if he were undergoing strong treatment. If we check his home in Phoenix, his current SSR has the Moon conjunction with natal Mars on Ascendant, with natal Uranus on MC. His 2017 SSR for Phoenix has Venus on MC opposite his Moon and, despite a few tense indicators, is basically a positive chart.

Except... no matter where he is, the 2017 has a close Moon-Saturn conjunction. At best, it will be tough for him. (No surprise.)

His current SLR also has Mars, in the same degree, rising - essentially the same angles as the SSR. Mars is reaching its station in a few days opposite natal Pluto. It wouldn't be surprising if the concurrence of the SLR and SSR (i.e., after his birthday and before September 20) was significant. The only SLRs in the next six month that have something particularly stand-out and crisis-prone is October 17 (Mars on IC).

Thanks for the timed birth Jim, interesting aspects as well.

About 10 AM this morning, the McCain family announced, from is home in Sedona, that he is discontinuing treatment for his brain cancer.

His birthday is in a few days. His new SSR is next Thursday, August 30. In addition to Jupiter almost exactly at MC, it has Mars rising opposite his Pluto and square Moon. Here re just the closest features:

0°53' Cap SSR Asc
3°41' Cap SSR Mars
4°03' Ari SSR Moon
4°09' Ari natal Pluto

One can add:
7°21' Ari SSR Uranus
8°33' Cap natal Moon

Surely it will be his final solar return.

Senator McCaine passed away peacefully at 4:28 PM Arizona time Sedona AZ just announced.

John McCain was one of the best examples of my position that one doesn't have to agree with a man to respect him. I agreed with only a little and respected him greatly.

A proud Leo Sun exactly setting with Jupiter (square Neptune) culminating and a Capricorn Moon opposite Pluto (and exactly trine Mercury): That wraps him up rather nicely. In Washington, the Jupiter was even closer to Midheaven. In Sedona (and mostly Arizona at large) he had Uranus exactly on IC.

So yeah, despite being a loyal party man to the core, he broke a few windows and stood to be unpredictable at any moment. Arizona sent him to the Senate six times.

He died as Pluto was rising. Transiting Neptune squared his culminating Jupiter 49'. Uranus sesqui-squared his Neptune 10'. Both suggest to me that he had other realities in his mind and heart as he passed. A very slow-moving Mars, nearly stationary, opposed his Pluto 31' and Mercury conjoined his Mars. I don't consider these especially strong transits, but I wasn't there to understand the event with him.

Ah, but transiting Pluto wasn't far from his local Ascendant. I wouldn't be surprised if his birth time were about five minutes earlier than the official one.

His progressed Moon conjoined his natal Moon almost to the day! It was applying by 18'. (I had to look twice, I thought I'd miscalculated progressions for his birthdate, then say the early Scorpio Sun-Mercury conjunction trine Pluto.)

He went out on his old SSR - I thought he would wait until next week and exit under his new one. For Sedona, the old one had Venus on MC (opposite natal Moon) and Uranus setting. (At least part of the tory of the last year has been a seemingly non-stop stream of old friends flying in to visit and pay their respects.) But the chart, for wherever it set up, also had a close Moon-Saturn conjunction (square natal Venus-Saturn). - The SSR's two transits of note are the nearly stationary Mars square foreground SSR Uranus, and transiting Uranus within 1° of SSR Descendant.

His new (August 23) SLR has Jupiter exactly at MC, Mars and Pluto hovering near Ascendant (Mars opposite Pluto), and a Moon-Uranus square: Some pain, some peace, some sense of adventure.

His final Ennead had Pluto at MC, a Moon-Uranus opposition along the horizon, but especially Mars minutes from square Ascendant.

His SNQ had progressed Urans on Ascendant. His SQ had a line of Uranus wrapped around Descendant. His Mean rate PSSR had a line of Plutos on Ascendant.

There is not a great deal in John McCain's chart to single him out as the tough, enduring war hero which came to be a central part of his reputation and (to the extent he might be considered legendary) his legend.

There is an angular Leo Sun for general strength of character and leadership, Venus-Saturn for suffering. Generally exalting (and perhaps the most military exalting) is his culminating Jupiter in Scorpio, a few degrees from trine Mars.

Consider, in comparison, three positions from his Novien:

Moon 16°57' Cancer
Mars 18°19 'Aries
Mercury 19°58' Cancer

Here is the military flare and also the verbal firebrand we came to know. It only gets stronger when you add natal Mars at 18°42' Cancer!

There were other aspect of interest - Novien Sun conjunct natal Jupiter 1°39', for example - but the above especially caught my eye.