Election 2012 - The Dixville Notch Chart

by Robert Wilkinson

Most people don't know it, but this 2012 US Presidential election actually begins at midnight November 6, 2012, with the opening of the voting booths at a little place called Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Ordinarily, you wouldn't think a little hamlet in New England would have the ability to determine the outcome of a presidential race, but it does have one of the largest astrological influences imaginable.

The reason Dixville Notch is so important is that it determines the chart for election day. Since it is the first place to open its polls in the US, it sets the time and place for the beginning of the actual event, or contest, that will determine the next President of the US, or so we'd like to believe. I’ll quote from my 2008 article on the Dixville Notch chart:

According to J. Lee Lehman's analysis of possible approaches to determining US elections, the Dixville Notch chart was correct 2/3 of the time, a far greater percentage than any other methods except for examining the prior lunation, which offers a 70% accuracy, and the Sunrise chart for election day, which offers a 68% accuracy rate.

Up to Election 2004, in prior lunation analysis that we find that a Full Moon preceding the election gives a 50-50 chance rather than a New Moon, which overwhelmingly favors the Defender. Historically, the more accurate prior lunation charts give a 62% home field advantage to the Defender.

Obviously, the incumbent is the defender, and the challenger the attacker. So those of you who want to research the prior Lunations (already addressed on this site) please feel free to chime in with your opinions.

I've already made my call in this article on the “real world” influences on Election 2012. It is important to remember here that "real world" influences have the most effect on organic processes, and while a chart can show those influences, it cannot overcome human free will or natural limitations.

For example, if you live in New York, you may plant potatoes on the best day to plant in December, but probably won't have a very good crop since potatoes don't grow in December in northern latitudes. Or you can take out an expensive loan on the best day possible, and still fail to make the payments if you don't have a job.

Thus astrology indicates the patterns at work in a given moment, but there are always other factors involved. This is true of economics, home building, law, medicine, and every other field of human endeavor. It may be a great day for an operation, but not if your doctor is not paying attention. Your chart may show it's a great time for building a home, but a hurricane in Florida or New Jersey may drive up the cost of building materials, thus putting a curve ball into the mix.

That's one reason why the subheader to this blog is "Using... to move and groove through the intersections of fate and free will..." Free will and human endeavor or mischief can have a huge effect on any contest, such as the current malfunctioning e-vote machines in more than a few states, as well as Republican party voter disenfranchisement tactics.

That said, let's look at the Dixville Notch chart from an astrological angle. This article will use the fundamentals in astrological analysis, so much of what I write may not be easily understood by readers who are not versed in horary techniques. Still, even novices of the craft should find much that is worthy of consideration.

The chart is essentially a contest analysis, with the challenger shown by the 30 Leo Ascendant and the defender by the 30 Aquarius descendant. (Here it's interesting to note that this is only 3 degrees off the 2004 election, which had 27 Leo-Aquarius on the horizon, and 2 degrees off the 2008 Election with 28 Leo-Aquarius). According to traditional astrology, this puts the Sun as ruler of the challenger, and Saturn as ruler of the defender, with Uranus as co-ruler.

A brief look shows the ruler of the challenger is at 15 Scorpio in the 3rd, and the ruler of the defender is at 4 Scorpio, also in the 3rd (the 9th from the 7th). This shows both camps are focused on their message, with the challenger focusing more on the small picture and the defender focusing more on the big picture. Neither ruler has a distinct advantage over the other through sign or house placement, though an edge must be given to Saturn elevated relative to the 7th house. (I told you this would get technical!)

Aspects to the rulers show the Sun in only a decile to Mars, a quincunx to Jupiter, and a septile to Pluto. These do not favor the challenger, but it does show the obsessive compulsive quality of the challenger. Saturn also shows a mixed bag of aspects, with only a semisextile from Mercury, a quincunx from Uranus, and sextile to Pluto. These indicate a solid productivity behind Obama, but with the “expansion through sacrifice” of the quincunx between Obama’s rulers.

So the aspects to Romney’s ruler show a partially developed gift of attack, a loss of momentum via the quincunx to Jupiter, and some weird stuff at the core indicated by the septile to Pluto. The aspects to Obama’s ruler show a minor favorable movement around the message, a sacrifice of some spiritual principles to practical realities via the Uranus quincunx, and a solid support via the sextile to Pluto. In this regard, please reference my comment about the CFR yesterday. That very well could be indicative of the relationship of the two rulers representing the candidates to Pluto (the CFR).

One factor of primary importance in such a chart is the sign and house of the Moon, showing the public’s general disposition. It’s in Leo, clearly indicating that “the people” are solidly for what Obama (Sun and Mercury in Leo) seems to stand for. The Moon is in a Grand Fire Trine, showing a stable inspiration in Obama’s support, and offering hope that this election actually could bring changes indicated by Moon trine Uranus in Aries.

Given the nature of Mercury about to go stationary retrograde, this is a threshold election, and will bring echoes of past elections, past promises, and probably a LOT of confusion before the entire thing is settled in a few weeks. Still, the Grand Fire trine shows that any delays or challenges should favor Obama, since the public will be supportive.

Given the Sabian symbol for the Uranus degree, it’s clear that Obama has distinguished himself by shining a light on what he isn’t. We certainly know more about Obama than we do about Romney, who has failed to define himself in any concrete way other than declaring war on Public Television and Planned Parenthood.

The ruler of the Ascendant challenger (Mitt Romney) is the Sun in Scorpio in the 3rd house. We always have the Leo-Aquarius horizon with Sun between 9-16 Scorpio due to US Constitutional mandate. This cannot be considered the overriding determining factor since both sides have produced victories under these conditions. A "real world" factor in analyzing the chart is that the small Dixville Notch voting population is overwhelmingly Republican in its vote bias, and except for 1968, has only voted for the winner when Republicans won the presidency.

Another real-world factor here is that though the contest is on this day, the electors will not assemble to cast their votes in the EC until the "first Monday after the second Wednesday in December." And in 1824, 1876, and 1888 they didn't follow the popular vote. The 1824 election was stolen from Andrew Jackson; payback came 4 years later when he blew JQ Adams out of the water in the 1828 election.

Perhaps astrological factors in these elections can offer hints into possible "stolen election" scenarios, but the election charts would have to be done for an indicator other than Dixville Notch, since that location first became America's first vote tally in the 1960 election. Before that it was at Hart's Location in NH beginning with the 1948 election.

In the Dixville Notch chart, the Defender Obama has Neptune in the 7th, conjunct Chiron. Of note is that with 30 Aquarius on the Descendent and Neptune at 1 Pisces, it clearly indicates this election is part of the unfolding of “the cusp of the Age,” where the old Age of Pisces is giving way to the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. That certainly makes this point in history important in terms of this election marking some issues that are part of this Age in Transition.

Barack Obama (Aug 4, 1961, 7:24 pm, Honolulu) has his primary ruler in the Dixville Notch chart at 4 Scorpio, very close to his natal Neptune at 9. Though the Moon at 5 Leo squares the chart Saturn, it’s very strong in the Grand Fire Trine, close to Obama’s natal Mercury at 3 Leo. The Grand Fire Trine favors Obama’s sextile-trine-opposition of Mercury, Moon at 4 Gemini, and Jupiter at 1 Aquarius.

Another correlation is the Chiron of the chart is exactly conjunct Chiron in Obama’s chart, and the Descendent of the chart is very close to Obama’s natal South Node at 28 Aquarius. Of course, that also means the chart Ascendant is close to Obama's North Node, an extremely favorable contact!

I believe the quincunx of Saturn and Uranus shows major problems with the electronic vote machines, and Mercury stationary retrograde square Neptune shows we will have a lot of intrigues and confusion in the aftermath of the election. Given the powerful Moon septile Jupiter, Mercury septile Venus, Sun septile Pluto, Mars biseptile Uranus, and Jupiter biseptile Neptune and triseptile Pluto, this is going to be one gigantic obsessive compulsive irrational mess.

Simply put, no matter what happens, people are going to go nuts! I gave you more on this rare and exrtemely important set of septile-related aspects in the article on Mercury preparing to go retrograde at 5 Sagittarius.

(To note, Election 2000 also had Mercury retrograde, showing the mess I predicted with complete accuracy on “Coast to Coast AM” before that train wreck unfolded. I’m sure you can go to their archives and find the interview. I really did exactly call that election on the radio to a huge audience. A couple of paraphrases: “Both sides will wake up the day after the election and wonder who won,” and “Gore will get elected, but the problem will be getting him inaugurated.”

This time we have mostly different planetary positions, so there will be some of the confusion of Election 2000 due to Mercury again squaring Neptune, but many other things will be different from that mess of an election. We will still see challenges, reversals, votes lost and found, and probably massive confusion at the polls regarding everything from who is eligible to vote, to where voters in coastal NJ are supposed to vote, along with the problems associated with email voting, absentee ballots, and overseas ballots.

Due to the hurricane, they’re shipping in paper ballots to places that have little or no electricity, but it is expected there will not be enough of them, which could lead to a loss of hundreds of thousands of votes that would probably go to Obama. Also, makeshift polls are being set up, but many voters may not know where to go, and with a lack of electricity, may not have a way to find out.

Mitt Romney (Mar 12, 1947, 9:51 am, Detroit) has a Moon conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio natally, and the Dixvile Notch chart has a North Node at 27 Scorpio, accenting Mitt’s Scorpionic approach to campaigning throughout the election season. Mitt’s South Node is close to the election chart’s Mercury, his Neptune is close to the election chart’s Venus, and his Saturn is close to the election chart’s Moon.

The election Moon conjunct Mitt’s Saturn would imply that most people, and specifically women, do not like him. Period. This is also born out by numerous polls throughout the campaign that indicate women in general do not like Mitt or his proposed policies. A final correlation shows the election Jupiter conjunct Mitt’s Uranus, showing an abundance of nervous energy and unexpected turns of events at this time in his life.

Of course, all the positions in the Dixville Notch chart should be seen in the light of them being transits to the charts of both candidates. Without going too deeply into that right now, I will note that Saturn is below the horizon in Mitt Romney’s chart, but above the horizon and elevated in Obama’s chart. Usually it takes Saturn being elevated to achieve high office.

Mars on the nadir of the election chart shows the election outcome is both stimulating and aggravating to the nation, and with Mercury about to go retrograde in the 4th in Sagittarius, other countries are highly interested in this election. At least we can hope the North Node in Scorpio in the 4th indicates that the more “Scorpionic” candidate will grow through loss.

Given Romney’s ruler in the chart is in Scorpio, and he has very strong Scorpio energy in his natal chart, perhaps this very strong magnetic energy will indicate this election will “gain through loss,” despite the confusion of Mercury stationary retrograde in a mutual reception with Jupiter. Lots of oppositional legal filings!!

As with all American elections, Mars rules the Sun in this chart. In this election, it rules the rulers of both the challenger and defender. Ordinarily Mars brings focus, but in Sagittarius it shows both candidates are focused on being all over the map.

As Mars rules the 9th, expect a lot of legal action by Romney’s team. Since Saturn in the 3rd is the 9th from the Defenders house (7th) we can also expect very stubborn legal defenses from Obama’s team. As Mars is the dispositor for the rulers of both parties, it indicates that as each moves legally, it will provoke a response in the other. But Saturn in Scorpio is far more tenacious than Mars in Sagittarius, and far more patient than Sun in Scorpio, so Obama will not give an inch, unlike Gore in 2000.

Here are some other points of importance in the election chart. This chart is a “Splash” Jones Pattern, showing a widespread election that is more general and less focused on specific issues. Venus trine Jupiter shows a huge turnout of women, and due to the Venus Sabian symbol, kindness is a theme among a lot of them.

It’s interesting to note that in general, Venus and the Moon rule women and Mars and the Sun rule men in election charts. That we have had our elections with Sun in Scorpio for many years shows men usually have dominated the elections. In this election run-up, polling consistently shows men favor Romney, while women favor Obama.

While we might think with Mars in the 4th that men will determine the outcome of the election, on the other hand Venus trines Jupiter, the most elevated planet in the chart. Because Mars is in Sagittarius, Jupiter is the ruler of Mars. The favorable Venus trine the ruler of Mars would seem to indicate that women will be clear and powerful factors in this election. And since the 10th house is the 4th from the 7th, it shows the outcome for the Defender.

Jupiter is considered much more beneficial than either Mercury or Mars, and is much better aspected, giving the edge to Obama. That Jupiter is quincunx Romney’s ruler shows he will lose many female votes due to past media attention around Republicans trying to deny women access to certain medicines and medical treatments, as well as roll back their rights to make their own medical decisions without interference by those with a political agenda.

It’s a Disseminating Moon, indicating an event spreading information all over the place, where messages are to be disseminated as far and wide as possible. We are told this Lunar phase involves “synthesis,” and is “assimilative, evaluative, and innovative.” This certainly seems to describe what’s happening now! Lots of need to impress and/or inspire others, release new ideas, and move in a new direction. Of course, this is interpreted entirely differently by the two parties contesting this election.

The emphasis on very prominent Fire and Water energies indicates this election is both highly emotional and based in spiritual and religious beliefs. The separating oppositions in the chart show that the polarization came to the surface in the past, and indicate clearly defined oppositions in thinking and philosophies in the electorate.

Due to Mercury square Neptune, expect weird surprises and deceptions. We’re already seeing deceptions attempting to disenfranchise poor, elderly, and minority voters in several states, and since Mercury will continue to square Neptune after election day, expect deceit and confusion in counting the votes.

As I noted yesterday and in updates in that comment stream, there will be numerous challenges to voters by Republicans demanding IDs from voters, even when that’s illegal or unnecessary. There are already reports of massive voter disenfranchisement in many states through a variety of means, and the touchscreen voting machines seem to malfunction in ways that overwhelmingly favor Republicans. This is not surprising since Republicans own or have owned companies that make these machines, or still own the proprietary software of those machines.

I believe these dirty tricks are indicated by afflicted planets in Pisces. Uranus in Pisces marked the 2004, 2006, and 2008 elections, and this one has an afflicted Neptune in Pisces. Voters have already been illegally stripped from rolls through Republican deceit and/or illegal actions in many states and touch screen machines are having “patches” installed that have the ability to flip votes with no scrutiny due to proprietary software issues. And the flipping of countless votes from Democrat to Republican begins!

Then there are the numerous more local deceptions by Republicans, such as sending out official looking flyers telling voters that because of record turnout, Republicans are to vote on Nov 6 while Democrats are to vote on Nov 7, which of course is NOT election day. These and other illegal deceptions, such as Republican operatives trashing thousands of Democratic voter registration forms, have already been reported in the news. Mercury stationary retrograde square Neptune in Pisces indeed!

So the Moon in the 12th favorable to Uranus is supposedly a good thing for Obama, while the separating square to his other ruler Saturn shows his recent problems. The Moon in Obama’s Sun sign is good for him, while the Sun in Romney’s Moon sign is good for him. So each should perform strongly to their base, and that means Romney loses, since there are far more Democrats in America than Republicans, and the Electoral College already is solidly favoring Obama given the demographic breakdown.

Though I won’t do an in-depth analysis of the Sunrise chart for election day, all other factors still hold. This chart (with Scorpio rising) gives the added power of the ruler of the Ascendant in the first, but Mars is not that well off in the chart. Venus, ruler of the Descendant, is in its own sign, and very favorably aspected. Neptune in Pisces in the solar 4th afflicted by Mercury in the first in Sagittarius indicates multiple deceptions on the part of the challenger.

Also, as a bonus this year, I did a horary a few weeks back on “Who will win the election?” I got a very clear picture then, and in an interesting twist, the Ascendant of that chart is the exact degree of the IC in the election day chart, and the Midheaven of the horary is the exact degree of the Ascendant of the election day chart! I’ll write a bit about that in the near future, since that degree of exactness is rare and clearly indicates the answer to the question is related to the chart for election day.

To sum it up, all things considered the Dixville Notch chart seems to mirror what's going on in this election just as it has in past elections. This chart leads me to believe that my previous assessments are accurate and Barack Obama will be re-elected the next President of the United States. Now if he can just get inaugurated.....

In any other time period he’d be elected in a landslide, given the real world economic indicators. But we’ve entered a political period where money calls the tune, the vote machines are owned by people with a bias toward one party, and that party is intent on grabbing and keeping power by any means fair or foul, even at the cost of American democracy and fair voting practices for all our citizens.

Vote, and get your friends to vote! The future of the United States depends on it!!

Copyright © 2012 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[dcu]

Thank you for your excellent analysis. Not surprisingly I agree with everything you write in this and the previous article. I do think that in the end President Obama will remain in office, but he may well have to contest many of the dirty tricks that are already in play. I am counting on the fact that in the end he is a Leo, which indicates that he will not go quietly into that good night. He will fight them to the bitter end and therefore prevail. May what is in the highest and best interest of our great nation and the entire world come forth from this election.

[rebekka]

"...this is going to be one gigantic obsessive compulsive irrational mess...." :)
great string of adjectives! well put.
I love reading your articles Robert.
as always, THANKYOU!!!
blessings my Friend, i reckon we wont be meeting up in L.I. anytime soon... All the best to you n B!

[lrm]

as dcu said:
May what is in the highest and best interest of our great nation and the entire world come forth from this election.

And this may not be what you think it should be....
the obvious is not always so obvious....
may the clarity to see the wisdom in all/any of this, be there for all....

[moira]

This is a wonderful exploration and exposition as always. I wonder what the dixon notch chart might tell us about third-party candidates in this election, if anything? Thank you!

[Shari]

Wow. I have read more objective interpretations of the election and candidate charts and aspects then what I found here today; which was very disappointing to me as I have been coming to read your insights for years.

[Sara]

Just a comment from someone who is not an astrologer...it's interesting that the first place open for voting on voting day sets the chart since so many people voted before then in early voting. A bit confusing for a novice but I trust that atrologers have a way of figuring all those tricky issues out.

Aside from that, it is fascinating to see how the candidates' charts interact with the election chart. Thank you for sharing this information!

[Robert]

Hi all - Thanks for checking in. I'll be publishing more today on an interesting horary that directly relates to the Dixville Notch chart, as well as a little more about the transits to the candidates' charts. Truly may our country not get stolen by the neocons again.

Hi lrm - Well, "the highest and best interest of our great nation" is not going to get elected today. We have a system of "lesser of two evils" and that system itself works against the best and the brightest. Right now I'll settle for not returning to neocon dominance.

Hi moira - Not sure how third party candidates are depicted, since in contest analysis it's always a question of two parties. Still, it's a great idea to explore. Perhaps they are represented by the 4th and 10th, if the primary contestant are the Asc/Dsc?

Hi Shari - So what were you expecting? I gave objective analyses of the chart(s). If you're seeing something that wasn't interpreted through traditional rules of contest analysis or horary, please let me know. I've also read at least a dozen other takes on the election and the players, and found most of them to be superficial glosses, with few if any taking traditional electional analytical methods into account. This article is the most exhaustive analysis using traditional Western astrological means on the web.

Also remember this was about the Dixville Notch chart, and not an in-depth interpretation of the candidates' charts. If you have some insights that I missed regarding what means what, and what signifies who and what in the Dixville Notch chart, please either explain or ask me to elaborate.

Objectively speaking, no one analyzes anything without coming in with some pre-set attitudes, even when it comes to figuring out what to eat on a given day or what clothes to wear or what we believe to be "real." All things are open to interpretation through our biases and filters. You came to this article expecting something that I assume would resemble either the superficial analytical style of some other astrologers, or the supposedly "objective arms-length" style which may not have anything to do with what's actually happening in this election or between the players. I could have made this very dry, but that's only my style when so much is not on the line. Please check back in for coming articles on Mercury retrograde. I'm sure they will be more pleasing to you, objectively speaking.

On a final note. This actually matters to me in ways most don't understand. I just happen to have been politically active for 45 years and have been a consultant on some very high levels, including being part of a well-respected non-partisan DC think tank for years. I probably know more about the score, the players, and the system than anyone you've ever known. I will always support the best option for leadership, and will challenge fascists till the day I die. Astrology cannot be divorced from "real world" conditions and still have any relevance whatsoever. Nor can our spirituality. "This machine kills fascists." - Woody Guthrie.

hi Sara - Well, I figure that early voting is not a national event timed for a certain day, set to begin at a certain time. Early voting would have a different astrological impact if we didn't have a formal day declared by the Constitution as the day to vote in national elections. I look at early voting as the equivalent to making bets before the race is run. Once the starting gun begins the race, that inceptionalizes the event.

[Robert]

Hi all - From the news, the first results of the 2012 presidential election are in.

The Associated Press reports that residents of Dixville Notch, the New Hampshire village that traditionally opens its polls just after the stroke of midnight, have spoken and it’s a tie — President Obama and Mitt Romney each received five votes. It is reportedly the first tie in Dixville Notch history.

In Hart’s Location, the other tiny town that permits polling in the wee hours, Obama beat Romney 23 to 9.votes, with Libertarian Gary Johnson receiving one vote.

[Iris]

Hi Robert: Great analysis. I always learn something here and this interpretation was no different.
I also ran a horary chart a few weeks ago on whether Obama would win the election. Be interested to read your analysis of the chart you cast.

[caliban]

For some reason, the robo callers think I vote republican. I receive up to a dozen messages a day from them to get out and vote. I was surprised to hear the state RNC chair say their effective ground campaign to rally republican voters insures a romney win. Hunh?