Solunars by Aldebaran Sidereal Academy

In this thread, I will examine every non-dormant Libsolar that came immediately before a U.S. presidential election. (I'll skip dormant years.)

The goal is to see the discernible effect, if any, if this mid-October solar ingress. Do certain patterns support one party or another? (I suspect, rather, that there will be patterns supporting incumbents or challengers.) Are any of the generalizations we've proposed correct? How large is the effect of this one pre-election chart on the election outcome? Anything else to learn?

Vice President John Adams defeated Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and others in the first contested U.S. presidential election. (Jefferson, coming in second, became Vice President.)

Philadelphia was still the U.S. capital. The Libsolar was dormant, though it had a Moon-Saturn square (1°42' in mundo). I'm almost inclined to credit the widely rising Neptune, though, because the one thing that most characterizes this election is confusion. Not only was the nation adjusting to Washington refusing a third term, the method of selection was still rough (and soon abandoned) and the new arising of political parties strained the process.

I don't have strong feelings about the usefulness of this Libsolar.

Vice President Thomas Jefferson beat President John Adams and others.

Neptune on Asc 1°59'
Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Pluto more widely foreground
-- Venus-Saturn sq. 1°35' in mundo
-- Mars-Saturn sq. 2°08'
-- Saturn-Neptune sq. 2°55' in mundo

The emerging political polarities of the nation were between the Federalists, who favored a strong central Federal government, and the Democratic-Republicans, who favored a weaker central government and supported the immigration-limiting and free speech limiting Alien & Sedition Act; and more power falling to the state governments and denounced the A&S Act. Jefferson and Burr tied in electoral votes, forcing a resolving election in the House of Representatives who, on the 36th ballot, gave Jefferson the presidency, leaving the vice presidency to Burr.

I think the Libsolar is quite clear: It has three disappointing foreground aspects, the most distinctive of which is the Saturn-Neptune square that is known for the removal of those in power, suggesting the incumbent would lose. I speculate that the strong Neptune gave greater national preference to decentralization (Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans) than to concentrated central control.

The Libsolar had a less concentrated effect on the election than in later years. In 1800, every state could pick its own election day so voting occurred from April through October. However, the conclusion of the process and - at the time, much more important - the actual voting by the selected Electoral College occurred under the Libsolar. However, the final selection of president was completed by the House of Representatives in February 1801 under the next Capsolar, which, however, was dormant for the new capital, Washington, DC.

President Thomas Jefferson beat Gen. Charles C. Pickney and others.

Under the new 12th amendment, president and vice president election was made much more streamlined and less confusing. This was the first election with the two leading characters both from the South.

Neptune on Asc 0°33'
Venus on MC 0°34'
Moon on IC 1°46'
Pluto more widely foreground
-- Venus-Neptune sq. 0°01' in mundo
-- Moon-Venus op. 0°09'
-- Moon-Neptune sq. 1°13' in mundo
-- Venus-Pluto 2°04'
-- Moon-Pluto conj. 2°13'

The chart is a bit wild, but, at first glance, speaks to me especially of celebrity and drunken celebration. This is interesting since the strongest factor in the election was Jefferson's run-away popularity after the Louisiana Purchase. The economy was strong everywhere. He won every state except Connecticut and Delaware, with 73% of the popular vote.

Secretary of State James Madison (Democratic-Republican) beat Ambassador Charles C. Pickney (Federalist).

Jefferson's strong endorsement of Madison (his Secretary of State, fellow Virginian, and fellow Founding Father) was a strong factor in the election. Madison won a heavy majority of states at 65% of the popular vote.

Neptune on Asc 0°42'
Pluto on IC 1°38'
-- Neptune-Pluto sq. 2°20' in mundo
Jupiter widely foreground
Moon-Venus sq. 1°44' in mundo
Moon-Mars conj. 3°08'

It isn't clear to me how this chart describes this election. With Pluto on IC, I probably would have anticipated an overthrow; and, though the incumbent was not running, Madison was so strongly endorsed by Jefferson that he was effectively his alter ego. I'll have to see more of these charts to conclude what this might mean. I'm inclined to interpret Neptune-Pluto as "strange new waters." Perhaps the Moon-Venus close square signifies the general happiness in the country.

President James Madison defeated fellow Democratic-Republican DeWitt Clinton.

The War of 1812 was already underway. Madison squeaked by with 50.4% of the popular vote (against Clinton's 47.6%), but with 128 of the 217 electoral votes. The biggest issue was a split in the Dem-Reps, with Clinton leading (among other things) an antiwar faction. Clinton drew a mix of Dem-Rep and Federalist backing, but it wasn't enough.

Mars on MC 0°13'
Pluto on IC 1°05'
Neptune on Asc 1°20'
-- Mars-Pluto op. 0°52' in mundo
-- Mars-Neptune sq. 1°33' in mundo
-- Neptune-Pluto sq. 2°25' in mundo

Wow, with such a chart there is surprise that the war dominated the election, and no surprise that the people support the warrior who was currently Commander in Chief.

Notice that the malefic leaning of the chart did not mean "the incumbent loses," as one theory has held. Rather, I suspect we will see that these charts make the most sense in terms of the issues that are active at the time, not so much in terms of incumbency or political party. (But we shall see.)

James Monroe built repeat candidate Rufus King.

Continuing the run of Democratic-Republican presidents and the run of Virginians, Secretary of State James Monroe beat Federalist candidate Sen. Rufus King, a perennial candidate for VP or Pres (in the last election in which the Federalist party mounted a candidate). Monroe got the nomination based on the support of Madison and Jefferson.

The gist of the campaign seems to have been that Madison had done well and people were happy; he had even fulfilled some primary Federalist goals and they didn't have a distinctive agenda or the energy to mount a candidate (King ran on his own). Monroe won 68% of the popular vote and 16 of 19 states in the Electoral College.

Neptune on Asc 0°53'
Uranus & Pluto widely foreground
-- Uranus-Pluto sq. 1°34' in mundo
-- Neptune-Pluto sq. 2°38'
Moon-Mercury 2°48'
Moon-Saturn 3°46' in mundo

I don't see how this Libsolar applies to the election. The angular planets and especially the Uranus-Pluto foreground square suggest overthrowing the old, but the old continued on a long, uninterrupted run. Moon-Saturn suggests people were unhappy, but they were pretty happy as the election results show. I'd have to say that the chart doesn't reflect the election as I understand it.

President James Monroe, at the height of his Era of Good Feelings, ran essentially uncontested. No one had done this since Washington, and no one would do it again. He won every state and 81% of the popular vote.

This occurred despite the economic downturn triggered by the Panic of 1819.

Uranus on Asc 1°20'
Neptune on Asc 2°46'
-- Uranus-Neptune conj. 1°26' in mundo
Saturn widely angular; Sun & Pluto very widely angular
-- Neptune-Pluto sq. 1°16'
-- Uranus-Pluto sq. 1°36'
Moon-Mercury sq. 1°02'

Again, the chart suggests a radical departure and there was none at all. It seems to me the chart is a fail. There was no underdog win, no absurdity or surrealism, no surprises and overturns, no shift to new direction or extraordinary new vision.

Two Democratic-Republicans were at the top of the competition. Neither had an Electoral College majority, requiring the House of Representatives to resolve the matter. In one of the bitterest rivalries in U.S. presidential history, Sen. Andrew Johnson, who received 99 electoral votes to Secretary of State John Quincy Adams' 84, lost in the House 13 states to 7.

Neptune on Asc 1°39'
Mercury sq. Asc 0°30'
Moon on WP 0°32'
Sun, Uranus, & Pluto more widely angular
-- Mercury-Neptune sq. 2°28'
-- Mercury-Pluto op. 2°51'
Moon-Sun sq. 0°32'

I think the chart adequately shows the confusion and unknown outcome (the election being finally resolved in the next quarter).

President Adams lost to Senator Jackson in the grudge match four years later. By now, the Democratic-Republican party had split, with Jackson running as the Democratic party and Adams as the National Republican (or Anti-Jacksonian) Party.

Adams had lost popularity, especially through tariffs. Jackson, who had won the popular election the prior round, maintained his popularity and had less interference from other candidates.The campaign was dirty, bringing the term "mudslinging." Jackson got 178 of the 281 electoral votes and 56% of the popular vote, winning 15 of the 24 states.

Mars on EP 0°42' [sq. non-ang Mercury 0°57' in mundo]
Neptune on Asc 1°50'
Moon on Asc 2°14'
Saturn & Uranus more widely angular
-- Mars-Saturn op. 0°02' in mundo
-- Moon-Neptune conj. 0°20'
-- -- Mo/Ne on Asc 0°12'
-- Mars-Uranus conj. 1°34'
-- Saturn-Uranus op. 2°50' in mundo
-- Saturn sq. non-angular Mercury 0°54'

The Libsolar shows the viciousness of the campaign and the great divisiveness. If it shows the outcome it is only by a general sense of displeasure by he people and the raw force of the competition.

President Andrew Jackson (Democratic Party) beat Secretary of State Henry Clay (National Republican Party) and others decisively. Jackson received 219 of the 286 electoral votes and 54% of the popular vote.

This election saw the introduction of nominating conventions. The main political theme of the election dealt with divisive banking laws, which turned into a campaign issue of the elite vs. the poor.

Neptune on Asc 0°50'
Sun sq. Asc 0°18'
Uranus sq. 0°55'
Venus on MC 2°57'
-- Venus-Uranus 0°52'
-- Sun-Neptune sq. 2°02'
-- Sun op. non-foreground Pluto 3°00' in mundo
Moon-Pluto 2°12'

I see this election centered solidly on Pres. Jackson himself. I'm not sure I would have suspected re-election with the Uranus, but the Venus on MC shows a general pleasure with things. I think we will continue to see this as a mark of re-election or continuity. (We shall see.

Vice President Martin Van Buren (Democrat) beat four Whig candidates, including Sen. William Henry Harrison and Sen. Hugh L. White.

The decisive factor in the election seems to have been that the Democrats were united and strong, with popular from positive feelings about the Jackson administration, whereas the Whigs (a newer party) were divided an inexperienced as a party. With 294 electoral votes in play, 148 were needed to win the presidency and Van Buren won 170, as well as 51% of the popular vote. (Harrison won most of the rest, a foreshadowing of four years later.)

Another important feature of this election was that divisiveness over slavery emerged as a big issue, and would continue to dominate national politics for the next three decades. Van Buren was vulnerable, as a northerner from Ohio, to accusations of being unsympathetic to southern states' interests, though I don't think he took a strong stand on the matter. The issue did, however, cause the Whigs to primarily align behind one candidate (Harrison) in the north and another (White) in the south. Van Buren beat them both.

Neptune on Asc 1°02' stationary
Mars on Dsc 2°27'
Jupiter widely foreground
-- Mars-Neptune op. 0°17'
-- Mars sq. non-angular Saturn 2°40', NA Mercury 1°50'
-- Neptune sq. NA Mercury 2°07', NA Saturn 2°57'
Moon-Saturn sq. 1°23' in mundo

The Libsolar appears quite brutal and terrible. I would have expected this from later years in the slavery battles, but nothing I've yet read about this election leads me to think that Mars-Neptune (with further afflictions) types of psychological violence occurred. There were controversies and divisions, but these seem the normal political process. Furthermore, the incumbent party carried the day.

I think, again, this is not too useful, though there may be other historic data about the election I don't know which makes this look different. BTW, I'm already wondering if these will behave different once we get into the 20th century or, in general, times when the Libsolar quarter actually gave final resolution to the presidency. Many of these elections had final resolution after the next Capsolar came into play (in this election it was the unresolved vice presidency). During this era when Neptune was routinely rising for the Libsolar, the nation was also sorting out the workings of its election method - we were still quite young as a nation and it seems that every election had new uncertainties.

Senator (and former general) William Henry Harrison (Whig) beat President Martin Van Buren (Democrat). Harrison won 53% of the popular vote but 234 of the 294 electoral votes (19 states out of 26).

The Panic of 1837 (the wort economic period in the country to date) put the Van Buren administration in a bad light. People were hurting from it. Since the Whigs finally got their act together and united behind one strong candidate, they prevailed.

Another factor in this election: All states finally gave the presidential vote (i.e., vote for electors) to the people (which, at this point, meant adult white men), whereas previously some states' legislatures had selected electors. This change ignited a strong wave of voter participation. In this psychological environment, war hero Harrison ran as "a man of the people," while Van Buren was viewed as more elitist and removed from the people.

Mars sq. MC 1°21'
Neptune on Asc 2°33'
Venus widely angular

Again, we have a severely malefic ingress. The incumbent lost, although we haven't seen this be a consistent pattern. If this chart is expressive of the voting, then it's the combination of the war hero image and, especially, people's rage and hurt in the wake of the economic depression - the former had been a factor four years earlier but not the latter.

Speaker James K. Polk (Democrat) beat Sen. Henry Clay (Whig). The popular vote was close (49.5% to 48.1%) and Polk only carried 15 states our of 26 (170 electoral votes out of 275, where 138 were needed).

Slavery was the big issue of this election (which was less than 20 years before the Civil War). Related to the slavery issue was the question of annexing Texas, which also threatened a war with Mexico, though the people, in general, were in favor of expanding the country by opening Texas.

Polk, then Speaker of the House, had been governor of border state Tennessee. He also favored expansion into Texas, which was popular. Clay, despite its long experience in elected government, campaigned badly, mostly tripping over trying to please both sides on the Texas and slavery issues.

Venus on WP 1°13'
Neptune rises 3°03'; Moon widely foreground

This is the first election where Neptune was not tightly angular. Still reasonably strong, it handed off to Venus; plus, Moon was in the mix. I find this quite fitting and interesting! Much of the election outcome rested on Polk's clarity and Clay's unclarity on the key issues and, with Neptune not the strongest driving force, clarity won. There was also a positive feeling among the people about expansion and the Manifest Destiny of American growth westward. Polk seems more aligned with that tone.

Gen. Zachary Taylor (Whig) beat Sen. Lewis Cass (Democrat) and former President Martin Van Buren (Free Soil Party, who won no electoral votes). The election was close, with Taylor winning 47.3% of the vote and Cass 42.5%. Taylor won exactly half the 30 states which gave him 163 of the 290 electoral votes (146 were needed).

For the first time, Election Day was set by law to occur on the same day in every state. Will this change how the Libsolar behaves?

Under Polk, America had fought a War with Mexico. Gen. Taylor emerged from that war as a national hero with great popularity. Taylor ran on no clear principles - like Whig Pres. Harrison before him (another general), he avoided taking clear positions on controversial issues and was no more philosophically aligned with the Whigs than with their opponent.

This seems to be regarded as one of the most positive presidential campaigns ever, with much enthusiasm, little issue polarization, and more of a popularity contest with a bit of name-calling (though I am sure issues like slavery were always at least quietly present in the mix).

Saturn sq. MC 0°29'
Neptune more widely foreground
-- Sa/Ne = Asc 0°03'

This chart makes no sense to me as a "feel good election" chart. It does, however, show a sharp shift from the earlier election Libsolar, being the first to feature a strong Saturn and to shove Neptune into so minor a role. We would expect, therefore, concretion over vagueness, economic and survival practicality over ideology. It wasn't an election where concrete proposals won the day, but may have seemed quite pragmatic, a "getting down to business" election perhaps? Taylor wasn't a mainstream Whig and, ironically, had made his name fighting for Texas annexation which was an anti-Whig agenda. Again, I leave this as a puzzle piece but look forward to other Saturn ingresses to see how those campaigns ran.

Sen. Franklin Pierce (Democrat) beat Gen. Winfield Scott (Whig) by a huge electoral margin. Pierce got 51% of the popular vote (against Scott' 44%), but thereby won 27 of the 31 states and 254 of the 296 electoral votes.

The Libsolar is dormant.

Ambassador (and former Secretary of State) James Buchanan (Democrat) defeated Gen. John C. Fremont (Republican) and former President Millard Fillmore (the anti-immigration Know Nothing party). Buchanan won 45% of the popular vote (vs. Fremont's 33% and Fillmore's 22%), giving him 19 of the 31 states and 174 of the 296 electoral votes (149 were needed).

The Whigs have dropped off the map and new parties picked up their threads.

Slavery was heating up as an issue. The recent Kansas-Nebraska Act (an attempt at compromise on the issue) had people very stirred up. Domestic upset and political conflict was high, which is probably one reason that Buchanan and Fillmore (who were out of the country during recent years) did as well as they did and Fremont was at a disadvantage. This, of course, did not help Buchanan as president: There was probably no way that anyone elected in 1856 could have been seen as a success.

Saturn sq. Asc 0°17'
Sun, Mercury, & Jupiter more widely foreground
-- Sun-Mercury conj. 0°12' in mundo
Moon-Venus op. 0°09' in mundo
Moon-Uranus conj. 3°45'

This time the angular Saturn shows the extreme upset that drove the election. People were unhappy, larger numbers of people had their livelihood and well-being at risk.

Rep. Abraham Lincoln (Republican) beat Vice President John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat) and two minor candidates. Lincoln got 40% of the popular vote (against 18% or less for the other candidates). This gave him 18 of 33 states (just over half) and 180 of the 303 electoral votes (152 were needed).

The centerpiece of the election was absolutely slavery. States promised to secede if Lincoln was elected, then kept to their promise. Lincoln's win involved all northern states plus California and Oregon. Breckinridge took the entire south, Bell took four border states, and Douglas took Missouri. The country was quite enthusiastic for and involved in the election with 81% voter turnout (the highest percentage to date).

Sun on Dsc 2°03'
Moon on Dsc 3°09'
Mercury more widely foreground
-- Mo/Su on Dsc 0°33'
-- Moon-Mercury conj. 1°52' in mundo
-- Mercury sq. non-foreground Mars 0°19', op. NA Pluto 0°22'
Moon-Pluto op. 2°45'

This Libsolar is starkly different from any that came before it. My mind looks at that Moon-Sun distribution on the angles and wonders if their fusion refers to the preservation of the union - certainly it raises the issues of strong, central executive control vs. the voice of the people, both having strong voice. Also, for an election that guaranteed division, the Moon-Pluto opposition is starkly fitting.

Would I have predicted the election correctly from this chart? Maybe not. Had I known Lincoln was born at sunrise I likely would have found that consistent with the national temperament. I think the chart shows well the polarized opinion and divisive issues.

President Abraham Lincoln (National Union) beat Gen. George B. McClellan (Democrat), probably aided by a pro-war Democrat running mate, Andrew Johnson. With the southern states not participating, Lincoln had an almost perfect sweep of every state in the union, winning 55% of the popular vote, 22 of 25 participating states, and 212 of 234 available electoral votes.

In the heat of the Civil War, Lincoln's popularity carried the day. That, and the absence of a southern vote, pretty much tell the story of the election. (The National Union party was a common banner of the Republican Party and sympathetic Democrats.)

Venus on Dsc 2°37' [barely op. non-foreground Pluto 3°59']
Sun sq. MC 1°46'
Moon & Saturn more widely foreground
-- Sun-Saturn conj. 1°11' in mundo
-- Venus-Saturn sq. 1°22' PVP
-- Moon-Saturn op. 3°08' in mundo

I would not have thought that his would be a chart for reelecting an incumbent. The assault on the president seems so strong. I must conclude, therefore, that this isn't what the chart is about. Instead, it shows the horror of the war and Lincoln's victory was predictable only by inference. The national experience was emotionally and otherwise devastated and it clung to the one that had been leading them through it thus far. (Plus the geographic politics were pretty clear from the start.)

Today we are accustomed to incumbent presidents being elected. Lincoln, however, was the first since Andrew Jackson to pull that off.

General Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) beat Gov. Horatio Seymour (Democrat). Grant won 53% of the popular vote, giving him 26 of the 34 states and 214 of the 294 available electoral otes.

As will be seen, beginning with Lincoln there was a long Republican run on the presidency. Democrats were primarily the southern party that had lost the Civil War, with Republicans representing the power that had preserved the Union. They wore this karma well for decades.

Issues were obvious in the campaign, therefore: Republicans were inaugurating and running Reconstruction as Federally strong government that had abolished slavery. Democrats ran on a pointedly racist, pro-white and anti-black platform. Additionally, Grant was the general that had won the Civil War and who now campaigned on an appeal for peace.

The Libsolar is dormant, but with a partile Moon-Sun conjunction. I suppose this spoke to "union," but has little else to offer. No comment on this one due to dormancy.

President U.S. Grant (Republican) beat newspaper publisher Horace Greeley (Liberal Republican). With 56% of the popular vote, Grant carried 29 of 35 states and got 100% of all electoral votes credited (286 out of 352 possible; but Greeley got none).

The Republican Party split, hence the two candidates stemming from it. However, Greeley died after the election and before the Electoral College met, so votes that would have gone to him were split among various lesser candidates.

The main issue was civil service reform. The Grant administration (through inexperience, not graft, on the president's part) had gathered a bit of scandal that Greeley sought to turn against it.

Venus on WP 0°36' [sq. non-angular Uranus 0°23' in mundo]
Mars & Pluto more widely angular
-- Venus-Pluto op. 2°59'
Moon-Saturn sq. 0°30'
Moon-Sun op. 1°09' in mundo
Moon-Mercury op. 2°43' in mundo
Moon-Neptune conj. 3°44' in mundo

Once more, Venus angular seems to speak favorably (through popularity) for an incumbent. Additionally, this election had loud voices raised for women's suffrage. The Moon-Saturn square and Venus-Pluto opposition may refer to Greeley's death. The issues were pretty straightforward.

Governor Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican from Ohio) beat Gov. Samuel J. Tilden (Democrat from New York).

What most stands out for this election, of course, is that it was "one of the most contentious and controversial presidential elections in American history" (Wikipedia) and eventually required congressional resolution. Hayes was a decisive loser of the popular vote (48% to Tilden's 51%) but he won 21 of 38 states and the bare minimum number of electoral votes, 185 to Tilden's 184.

When the Electoral College first voted, 20 votes were in doubt due to contested vote counts in Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Therefore, the score was Tilden 184, Hyes 165, and 20 votes unknown. The count was never actually resolved, but a "Devil's bargain" was struck: Hayes would get all the contested votes and become president in exchange for pulling all U.S. troops out of the southern states and ending the (frankly) military occupation that was Reconstruction. (This, of course, immediately led to disenfranchisement of Black voters in the South.)

Even before this, the campaign was mudslinging and filthy. Both parties stood against the corruption that had infiltrated the Grant administration.

Pluto on EP 0°53', rises 2°19'
Uranus on IC 3°11'
Jupiter widely foreground [sq. non-angular Saturn 0°29']
-- Uranus-Pluto sq. 0°19'
Moon-Mars conj. 1°11' in mundo

The contentiousness is clearly shown by the Moon-Mars conjunction. The irregular conditions and ultimate flip of expectations are reminiscent of other Uranus + Pluto years, most recently 2016, and are highly descriptive. This is an excellent showing!

Rep. James A. Garfield (Republican of Ohio) beat Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock (Democrat) in a close race. In the popular vote, Garfield barely inched past with 48.3% vs. Hancock's 48.2% (less than 2,000 votes apart), and they each won 19 of the 38 states. However, the Electoral College breakdown of this gave Garfield 214 of the 369 votes (with 190 required to win).

Voter turnout, as in 1876, was extremely high. The Greenback Party, as a third party, was rising in strength and had a small impact on the election. Civil War loyalties raged and the tariffs and immigration issues familiar to us today intruded (specifically Chinese immigration).

Unfortunately, the Libsolar is dormant.

Gov. Grover Cleveland (Democrat of NY) beat Secretary of State James G. Blaine (Republican), the first Democratic victory since before the Civil War.

It was another close race. Cleveland got 48.9% of the popular vote vs 48.3% for Blaine. Cleveland won 20 of the 38 states and received 219 of 401 possible electoral votes. Blaine's campaign was hurt by dissident Republican "Mugwumps" breaking off in protest of his documented corruption. Again, the campaign was filled with personal attacks and assaults on the candidates' characters.

Venus on IC 1°27'
Saturn more widely foreground

This chart contradicts the prior Venus angular charts. It doesn't describe what happened at all. The campaign was acrimonious, the populace was not generally happy, and neither the incumbent (not running) nor the incumbent's party one. For the first Democrat winning in about three decades, we'd expect something radical and overturning. I think this is a complete mismatch.

Looking ahead toward a future study: The Cansolar (which, given the dormant Capsolar, was the Year chart) had Pluto rising conjunct Saturn - much more fitting! I now suspect we'll eventually find the Year charts much more meaningful than these Libsolars. Nonetheless, I continue to the end...!

Sen. Benjamin Harrison (Republican from Indiana) beat incumbent President Grover Cleveland (Democrat). Harrison actually lost the popular vote, 47.8% to Cleveland's 48.6%; but he won 20 of the 38 states and got 233 of the 491 electoral votes.

This extremely close election returned the White House to Republicans, of which Cleveland's term had been the exception in the half century or so after the Civil War. A typical party division on tariffs was central: Cleveland wanted to reduce them to benefit consumers, Harrison wanted high tariffs to benefit industry and those employed in manufacturing. Cleveland also wanted to constrain inflation and end Civil War pensions. These positions led Cleveland to get the most votes, but Harrison (President W.H. Harrison's grandson) won larger states with more electoral votes.

The Libsolar was dormant, though with a 1°48' Moon-Mars mundane square. I'm not sure it contributes much.

Former President Grover Cleveland (Democrat) came back to win a second term (the only "divided presidency" in our history), defeating incumbent President Benjamin Harrison (Republican) and Populist candidate James B. Weaver.

Cleveland won 46% of the popular vote against Harrison's 43% (Weaver got 8.5%). Cleveland won 23 states (more than the other two together) and got 277 of the 444 electoral votes.

Jupiter sq. Asc 0°56'
(Saturn more widely foreground)

Tariffs remained the big issue. But a further issue (striking sour tones today) was that the Republicans were pushing a voting rights bill to install Federal protections on local elections - primarily to ensure Black voting rights, which would have benefited Republicans - and Cleveland led the charge to defeat it (to Democratic advantage). This gave Cleveland uninterrupted wins across the south, among other areas.

I imagine the Jupiter (and, to a lesser extent, Jupiter + Saturn) trends areconsistent with the tariff issue and its impact on different aspects of the American economy. People were voting for a high life standard, I think.

But another matter affected the last weeks of the campaign - essentially from the Libsolar on: First Lady Caroline Harrison tied of tuberculosis October 25 and all candidates stopped campaigning.

Former Ohio Gov. William McKinley (Republican) defeated the great former Rep. William Jennings Bryan (Democrat of Nebraska). The popular vote wasn't as close as in many contests (51% to 47%), but McKinley only won 23 of the 45 states (1 more than Bryan). The final electoral tally was generous, 271 to 176.

Due to the Panic of 1893, the country's economy was devastated. This clearly gave advantage to the Republicans over the incumbent Democrats.

Mercury on IC 1°10'
Sun sq. Asc 1°18'
Moon-Uranus sq. 0°02'

Economic issues mattered most, of course - and this doesn't show in the Libsolar IMO. The solar element might refer to the gold issue, but I'm skeptical of that. (Republicans wanted to stay on the gold standard and won; Democrats wanted to step off it to a bimetal or free silver standard.) Also, Bryan stood up for "the working man" against the wealthy. Ultimately, Bryan attracted more farm and rural attention which produces fewer electoral votes, while McKinley drew larger, more manufacturing-driven segment of the country, which produce more electoral votes. Money won.

The Libsolar is kinda boring. I'm not sure that it describes what happened.

In a rematch of four years earlier, with nearly identical results, President William McKinley (Republican) again defeated former Rep. William Jennings Bryan (Democrat). McKinley got 52% of the popular vote vs. 46% for Bryan. McKinley made a stronger showing winning 28 of 45 states and 292 of the 447 electoral votes.

Sun on IC 2°13'
Mars more widely foreground
Moon-Mercury sq. 0°19'
Moon-Mars conj. 2°09'

I'm tempted to take the angular Sun as "It's all about the president," though that hasn't been true usually in earlier Libsolars. Nonetheless, this campaign was led by McKinley's great successes, including the very positive outcome of the Spanish-American War and a rapidly improving economy. At a time American had just acquired numerous new territories, Bryan's anti-imperialism platform wasn't flying with the public and his push for a gold-silver standard instead of a gold standard did little (outside the South, which was easily Democratic anyway) besides secure Colorado.

So the angular Sun probably spoke to an "American imperialism, American strength" kind of spirit anchored in a successful, strong incumbent president. Adding Theodore Roosevelt as the VP candidate (who succeeded the assassinated McKinley the next year) surely strengthened the push even more,

President Theodore Roosevelt (Republican) beat conservative NY Appellate Court Chief Justice Alton B. Parker (Democrat) in a landslide victory. Roosevelt commanded 56% of the popular vote to Parker's 38%, winning 32 of 45 states and 336 out of 476 electoral votes.

The Libsolar was dormant, despite medium-foreground placements of both luminaries, Jupiter, and Saturn. Its strongest features were Moon square Jupiter (0°13') and Sun (2°58'). This supported a campaign driven primarily by candidate personalities (especially since they had no outstanding platform differences). Consistent with Moon-Jupiter, the campaign is generally described as being marked by good will and a lack of contention between the candidates.

Secretary of War William Howard Taft (Republican) beat former Rep. William Jennings Bryan (Democrat) by a substantial margin. Taft had 52% of the vote to Bryan's 43%. Taft won 29 of 46 states and 321 of 483 electoral votes.

The Libsolar was dormant, though Mercury was stationary only 3°18' from IC. Moon squared Sun (1°04'). I'm not sure that this said much about the election (and I'm not paying much attention to these dormant Libsolars).

Gov. Woodrow Wilson (Democrat of NJ) solidly trounced former President Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive or "Bull Moose") and incumbent President WIlliam Howard Taft (Republican). Wilson won 42% of the popular vote against Roosevelt's 27% and Taft's 23%. By winning 40 of the 46 states, Wilson won a staggering 435 electoral votes out of 531. This was the first decisive, strong Democrat win since before the Civil War. (This strong win was assisted by the Republic party dividing between its progressive and conservative factions, mostly down the middle.)

The Libsolar was simple:
Venus on IC 2°19'

Roosevelt waged a passionate progressive campaign much resembling what his longer-serving cousin would implement a few years later, including social insurance, standard workday length limits, and economic regulations. Wilson;s "New Freedom" platform was less progressive by modern standards but rode powerfully on economic regulation reforms including banking laws, tariff constraint, and trust-busting.

As a measurement of how much the two main parties have flipped since then, Roosevelt's platform was based more on government controls and service to the people and Wilson's on individualism within a constrained central government.

I'm not sure what role Venus had in the election, if any. It certainly didn't support the incumbent or his policies. It may have reflected a national progressive tendency centered on people's readiness to get on with a better quality of life.

President Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) won a narrower victory over Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes (Republican). Wilson won 49% of the vote (more than in his first election) to Hughes' 46%. However, he won only 30 of 48 states and 277 electoral votes to Hughes' 254.

Mars on IC 1°27'
Venus widely foreground
Moon-Pluto conj. 0°12'
Moon-Mercury sq. 1°37'

The Moon-Pluto aspect and angular malefic clearly did not signify a need to split from the past or antipathy toward the incumbent. Instead, it likely portrays the reality on everyone's mind, that World War I was already raging in Europe and the U.S. and managed to stay out of it. Wilson campaigned on his having kept us out of war thus far so surely benefited from the public perception of threat. (This is an excellent example of how these Libsolars tend to show current psychological patterns but are not specific votes on the incumbent etc.)

Sen. Warren G Harding (Republican of Ohio) defeated Gov. James M. Cox (Democrat of Ohio) in a landslide. Harding received 60% of the popular vote against Cox' 34%, winning 37 of 48 states and 404 of 531 electoral votes.

This was the first election where woman were guaranteed voting rights. The potential voting public doubled, therefore. Harding was a compromise between the interests of the progressive and conservative halves of the Republican party.

Jupiter on Asc 1°21'
Uranus on WP 0°32'
Moon-Mars conj. 3°13'

WW I was over, the national economy was tenuous (in recession), and American culture was ready for the libertine boom that would be the Roarin' '20s. The country had rejected Wilson's globalism (the founding of the League of Nations) and the progressive movement in general. As Wilson had been a Democrat exception to more than half a century of Republican dominance, Harding campaigned on a "return to normalcy" (shades of Joe Biden in 2019!). The most important foreshadowing of the future was in the Democratic VP candidate, a young man named Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

I think the Uranus and Jupiter played as a refreshment, a turning away from the era of Wilson in the spirit of the two parties as then constituted. Harding (who died in office) would go on to enact policies that were horribly unpopular at the time, yet seem prescient and enlightened with nearly a century of hindsight.

This chart is pretty good. Again, it doesn't comment on a party but rather states social trends that then make since in the context of the candidates and the times.

President Calvin Coolidge (Republican, who ascended when Harding died in office) defeated Ambassador John W. Davis (Democrat) and Progressive candidate Robert M. La Folette. Harding won 54% of the vote to Davis' 29%, 35 of the 48 states, and 382 of 531 possible electoral votes.

Uranus on Dsc 0°14'
Jupiter sq. Asc 0°47', on IC 1°01'
Moon on MC 1°08'
Venus is more widely angular
-- Jupiter-Uranus sq. 0°46' in mundo
-- Uranus-Neptune sq. 1°11' PVP
-- Moon-Uranus sq. 1°22' in mundo
-- Moon-Neptune sq. 1°54' PVP
-- Moon-Jupiter op. 2°09' in mundo

This seems an extraordinarily progressive, liberal chart. It perhaps shows the enormous sense of success and well-being the country felt in a booming peacetime economy. It was primarily a battle between two strongly conservative candidates, arguing for smaller, less controlling government.

It isn't how we would tend to interpret the charts in today's social and political climate, but it seems a square fit to the times.

Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover (Republican) beat Governor Al Smith (Democrat of NY) by an electoral landslide. In the popular vote they were closer but not close: Hoover got a generous 58% of the popular vote and Smith 41%. But Hoover won 40 of the 48 states and 444 of the 531 electoral votes.

Hoover essentially inherited the booming 1920s economy karma from Coolidge. America saw no need to change horses. Additionally, Smith was hurt by his Catholicism.

The Libsolar is dormant and has no lunar aspects.

Gov. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Democrat of NY) beat President Herbert Hoover (Republican) by a substantial margin. Roosevelt essentially flipped the prior election's numbers around, getting 57% of the popular vote, winning 42 of 48 states (including by far the most northern states a Democrat had won since before the Civil War), and 472 of 531 electoral votes.

The Great Depression had hit and President Hoover had not turned it around. That was more than enough to end over half a century of nearly uninterrupted Republican rule.

The Libsolar is dormant, however. Some other chart (to be discovered later) brought about the conditions of the election. (For example, the Capsolar had a partile Moon-Uranus conjunction.)

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat) trounced Gov. Alf Landon (Republican of KS). Roosevelt, recent hero of starting to pull America out of the Great Depression, won 61% of the popular, 46 of 48 states (all but Vermont and Maine), and 523 of 531 electoral votes.

The Libsolar is dormant with no lunar aspects.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat) won an unprecedented third term by beating businessman Wendell Willkie (Republican). Wilson got 55% of the popular vote, won 38 of the 48 states, and won 449 of 531 electoral votes.

The Libsolar was loaded with PVP aspects. Without them, it seems torn between a Moon-Pluto that might mean "depart with the past" and an angular Sun that might mean "stick with the president." With these aspects, it's a much richer chart.

Sun on EP 1°46'
Moon-Mercury op. 1°00' PVP
Jupiter-Saturn conj. 1°14' PVP
Moon-Jupiter conj. 1°32' PVP
Moon-Pluto sq. 1°36' in mundo
Mercury-Jupiter sq. 2°32' PVP
Moon-Saturn conj. 2°46' PVP
Mercury-Saturn op. 3°46' PVP

It's all economics! It does still focus on the president, or on national feelings of confidence, while the aspects bring primarily economic and business principles to mind. A non-politican businessman like Willkie was a good bet for the Republicans, and he did keep Roosevelt to his narrower win to date. However, FDR was still the economic hero to most Americans. His greatest weakness was that he was breaking all precedent in seeking a third term.

The chart is good.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democrat) beat Thomas E. Dewey (Republican) soundly, winning an unprecedented fourth term. Roosevelt won a comfortable 53% of the popular vote against Dewey's 46%. He won 36 of the 48 states and 432 of 531 electoral votes.

World War II was underway. Roosevelt's steady hand was seen by most Americans as the basis of confidence we would prevail. Dewey attacked him on "big government" angle of the New Deal.

Sun on Asc 0°39'
Moon sq. MC 0°16', on Asc 1°39'
Mercury on Asc 2°01'
Mars on EP 1°38'
-- Moon-Sun conj. 1°00' in mundo
-- Sun-Mercury conj. 2°24'
-- Moon-Mercury conj. 3°40' in mundo

It was a time of war and the president was strong and trusted. That's the gist of the chart's message. With the Sun-Moon conjunction so close and rising (Sun just slightly stronger than Moon), the people were quite conformable with the strong government involvement in their lives and its strong hand. Besides, Paris was liberated three months before the election and the rest of the war news was excellent.

President Harry S Truman (Democrat) beat Thomas E. Dewey (Republican) despite the splintering off of southern Democrats (because the Democratic Party adopted a civil rights plank to its platform) under the Dixiecrat banner with Gov. Strom Thurmond (South Carolina), who won four southern states.

Truman received 49.6% of the popular vote against Dewey's 45% - quite a sizable margin that gave him 28 of the 48 states and 303 of 531 possible electoral votes. Despite this eventual outcome, Truman famously went to bed election night believing he had lost due to polling and reporting, only to wake up at 4:00 AM as the newly re-elected president.

Mercury on Asc 1°02'
Sun widely foreground

World War II was over and Truman had finished winning it. However, his strong-handed post-war stances were vulnerable to attack and Dewey particularly challenged his new Cold War postures but tepidly. The Dewey campaign, thinking it had an easy win, campaigned softly and safely, while Truman raged across the country with passion.

I do find it interesting that, with a Mercury-driven Libsolar, the most interesting and remembered news of the time dealt with failed polls and reporting.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) defeated Gov. Adlai Stevenson (Democrat of IL). Eisenhower got a comfortable 55% of the popular which gave hi 39 of the 48 states (all but the deep South two near-South states) and 442 of the 531 electoral votes. (Republicans also won both houses of Congress.)

In the aftermath of WW II, it is likely Eisenhower would have won regardless of his party affiliation, though after five consecutive terms of Democratic presidents during times of urgency there was likely a readiness for a Republican administration during the subsequent prospering.

However, the Truman administration had ended unpopular. The Korean War had begun and Cold War anxieties were intense. Stevenson inherited Truman's political karma and, since he couldn't gain distance on the past, stood especially on Roosevelt's record. Bug Eisenhower prevailed.

Mercury on Asc 0°29'
Venus, Jupiter, & Pluto are widely angular
-- Ve/Ju on EP 0°23'
-- Jupiter-Pluto sq. 0°39' in mundo
-- Venus-Pluto sq. 1°21'

The Mercury angularity is rather tepid, perhaps consistent with two moderate candidates (and especially with the fact that this is the first campaign to use TV, inventing modern techniques for marketing candidates via TV); but the accompanying aspects are quite vocal and identify the issues quite clearly. Were we to regard this as a referendum on Truman, the Jupiter-Pluto would suggest an overthrow; but these charts haven't been functioning that way. Instead, we have Ve/Ju speaking to the new prosperity and wish for peaceand flourishing; Jupiter-Pluto reminding people of the last war and of current geopolitical tensions (as well as the changing lifestyle dimension of the early '50s); and Venus-Pluto reminding of the current war and the American young men dying.

From various angles, I would not have thought of this as a Democratic win.

In a rematch of four years earlier, President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) defeated Gov. Adlai Stevenson (Democrat), winning by a slightly larger margin than before. Eisenhower received 57% of the popular vote against Stevenson's 42%. He won 41 of the 48 states and 457 out of 531 electoral votes.

The Eisenhower administration enjoyed great momentum and success on both peace and prosperity.

The Libsolar is dormant and has no lunar aspects.

Senator John F. Kennedy (Democrat of MA) defeated Vice President Richard Nixon by a slim margin. Kennedy received 49.72% of the popular vote against Nixon's 49.55% (112,827 votes difference nationwide). Kennedy won a minority of states - 22 of the 50 - but his particular state wins gave him 303 of 537 electoral votes (where 269 were required to win).

Venus on Asc 1°19'
Uranus sq. Asc 0°57'
-- Venus-Uranus sq. 0°02'
-- Venus-Mars sq. 0°05' PVP
Mercury & Pluto more widely angular

Clear, the refreshment of youth and beauty won out. With Venus and Uranus tightly angular, only 0°02' from square, both a sense of freshness and a liberating dalliance of youthfulness were what the nation wanted. (The Venus-Mars PVP square often spoke of this.) Commentators have long held that Kennedy's appearance on TV (contrasted to Nixon's) was a major factor in his win, and that the country clearly went with a young, virile, handsome figure as its figurehead.

President Lyndon B. Johnson (Democrat) trounced Sen. Barry Goldwater (Republican from AZ). Johnson received 61% of the vote, won 44 out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia, and received 486 out of 538 electoral votes.

Uranus on MC 0°00'
Venus on MC 0°43'
-- Venus-Uranus conj. 0°44'
-- -- Ve/Ur on MC 0°11'
Saturn sq. Asc 1°11' [sq. non-foreground Neptune 0°10']
Moon on IC 2°56'
Jupiter & Pluto widely foreground
-- Moon-Uranus op. 2°55' in mundo
-- Moon-Venus op. 3°39' in mundo

One might have taken this as an overthrow chart. Uranus is, to the minute, on MC. An angular Saturn squares Neptune within minutes, though Neptune is not angular.

But the stronger message of the chart is Venus-Uranus, as in 1960. The two planets are in partile conjunction minutes from MC and opposite Moon. The message was for change and social renovation, but evidently of the sort Kennedy-Johnson represented, not the social and (especially) economic shift Goldwater sought.

Johnson's platform was continuation of the success of his civil rights legislation and the larger Great Society his multiply-Leo heart most wanted. This was consistent with the social revolution of the Libsolar. Goldwater was staunchly against it - a stance that, for the first time in history, solidly handed the deep South to the Republican party that has held it ever since. But - besides those states and Goldwater's native Arizona - Johnson got all the rest.

President Hoover died October 20, right after the Libsolar, causing suspension of campaigning for a week. This probably is (for example) the Saturn element.

Former Vice President Richard Nixon (Republican) defeated Vice President Hubert Humphrey (Democrat) and third-party American Independent candidate Gov. George Wallace of Georgia. Nixon 43.4% of the popular vote against Humphrey's 42.7%, a slim lead. However, this was enough for him to win 32 states vs. Humphrey's 13 + DC and Wallace's 5, and thus get 301 of the 538 electoral votes.

There is no guarantee that Wallace supporters would have voted for Humphrey if Wallace hadn't run. Wallace was nominally a Democrat but the South had become distrustful of the party overall. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that Wallace and Humphrey together pulled over 56% of the popular vote.

Jupiter on MC 0°13'
Uranus & Pluto are more widely foreground
-- Jupiter-Pluto conj. 0°45'
-- Uranus-Pluto conj. 2°26' in mundo

I am completely unclear what this Jupiter on MC means. It doubt it has any connection to Nixon's strong Sagittarius. I do think that the Jupiter-Pluto partile foreground square refers to a readiness for "regime change," and the Uranus-Pluto conjunction foreground is typical of overthrowing the current arrangement.

1968 was a strange year with many political flips and flops across it (reflected in the Capsolar). President Johnson decided not to run after witnessing the campaign performances of Eugene McCarthy and Bobby Kennedy; then Kennedy was murdered. Of the many candidates, VP Humphrey emerged the victor at the Democratic convention but was trapped in his loyalty to Johnson where he should have followed his own desires and campaigned against the Vietnam War. Wallace was a further dramatic figure, though his campaign weakened at the end.

President Richard M. Nixon (Republican) thoroughly trounced Sen. George S. McGovern (Democrat of SD). Nixon got 61% of the popular vote to McGovern's 38%, winning 49 of the 50 states and receiving 520 of 538 possible electoral votes. (McGovern won only Massachusetts.)

Jupiter on EP 0°51'
Venus sq. Asc 1°04'
Saturn on Dsc 3°24'
Mars & Pluto more widely foreground
-- Jupiter-Pluto sq. 0°06'
-- Saturn-Pluto sq. 2°13' in mundo
-- Mars-Pluto conj. 3°11' ini mundo

Clearly the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction did not mean a regime change this time - quite the contrary. However, it did introduce a factor of illegality. It also interests me that with the introduction of Watergate this began the era of routine culmination of Pluto during election years. Mostly the Libsolar is more brutal than I would expect for a landslide win by an incumbent, though, in contrast, it does have the Lesser and Greater Benefics as the two most angular planets. It's a complex year and I suppose the chart described the end reasonably well.

This BTW was the first election where the new lowered voting age of 18 was a factor.

Gov. Jimmy Carter (Democrat of GA) beat President Gerald R. Ford (Republican) in a close election. Carter won 50.1% of the popular vote to Ford's 48%. Carter only won 23 states and DC compared to Ford's 27 states, but these gave Carter 297 electoral votes to Ford's 240. (Carter won the entire South including Texas and much of the northeast.)

For a relatively benign campaign, the Libsolar is dormant. It does have two Moon aspects:
Moon-Mars sq. 1°08' in mundo
Moon-Uranus sq. 2°08' in mundo

Former Gov. Ronald Reagan (Republican of CA) beat President Jimmy Carter (Democrat). Reagan received 51% of the vote to Carter's 41%. This gave him wins in 44 states and a high electoral vote count of 489 and out 538. This election was also significant for overthrowing many Democrat senators (especially those who leaned liberal) and replacing them with a new wave of Republicans.

Sun on MC 2°57'
Jupiter & Pluto are more widely angular
-- Sun-Pluto conj. 2°40'
-- Jupiter sq. non-foreground Mars 0°17'

Sun-Pluto clearly shows the radical overthrow or readiness for a clean break. Carter was punished by voters for the economic recession and, especially, for the prolonged holding of U.S. citizens hostage by Iran. Also, as a persistent outsider, he never formed effective relations with legislators in his own party that would have helped. Carter was also blindsided by an arising Christian conservatism that bought extensive TV advertising to brand him a traitor to the South and no longer a Christian. Accordingly, he failed to win any southern state except his own Georgia.

President Ronald Reagan (Republican) beat former Vice President Walter Mondale by a large margin. Reagan got 59% of the popular vote against Mondale's 41%. In a move resembling Nixon vs. McGovern, this gave Reagan 49 states (Mondale got his home state plus DC) and 525 of 538 electoral votes.

Mars on Asc 1°16'
Pluto on MC 1°59'
Mercury & Jupiter more widely foreground
-- Mars-Jupiter conj. 2°05'
-- Mercury-Pluto conj. 2°24'
Moon-Sun sq. 1°52'

Reagan was riding a high wave of economic recovery and confidence. Nothing Mondale could bring would override that. However, Mondale stood for traditional liberal value and projects and made history by picking a female running mate, Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, the first time this had happened.

I'm unclear how this chart fits. None of the possible combinations - Mercury-Pluto, Mars-Pluto, or Mars-Jupiter - describe the last weeks or the apparent outcome. Collateral themes such as military didn't significantly raise their head. There is no evidence that the U.S. voters overall underwent a fundamental shift of point of view. None of it seems a good fit except Moon's square to Sun, a token of national pride and perhaps highlighting the president.

Vice President George H.W. Bush (Republican) beat Gov. Michael Dukakis (Democrat from MA). Bush received 53% of the vote to Dukakis' 46%. He won 40 of the 50 states and 426 of 538 possible electoral votes.

Moon on Asc 0°50;
Pluto is more widely foreground & Neptune very widely foreground
Moon-Mercury sq. 2°23'

I think this is the first of these charts to be marked primarily by an angular Moon. It is not obvious to me what it means. (We continue in the time of Pluto on MC every year, though have yet reached a time when it is closely angular.)

The campaign was mostly a left vs. right debate, particularly on economic principles. Dukakis lost an early lead through overall weakness (he frankly wasn't a great candidate).

With an angular Moon, one would expect an element of populism or mass/herd response arising in the final weeks. I don't know of a way in which this is true.