Planet Neptune and the Modern US Presidents: Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama

While studying the astrological birth charts of all the US presidents, I discovered that those of the thirteen modern US presidents, from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama, each had the natal Sun ( the planet that reflects one’s basic identity) making an aspect (certain designated degrees between two planets) to their natal Neptune. This was surprising since I would have thought that politicians, particularly those aspiring to the presidency, would have had an overwhelming emphasis on the Sun-Mars aspect, but not on a Sun-Neptune aspect.

Politics does seem to be in many ways a warrior’s (Sun-Mars) pursuit that is best undertaken by someone with lots of energy, energy that is usually the hallmark of those with a Sun-Mars aspect. A Sun-Mars aspect can put one in good stead to handle the challenges of political office. But, I found it fascinating that the only aspect ALL modern presidents share is the Sun-Neptune aspect. This was interesting because the Sun-Neptune aspect can sometimes be seen as somewhat of a weak placement, not an aspect one might initially associate with those in the political world. A Sun-Neptune aspect might seem more suited to one who is interested in the arts or in the helping professions where one’s sensitive and compassionate sides can shine.

What I eventually discovered in my research was that good politicians are not warriors per se who use the techniques of warfare to muscle their way through adversity. Rather, they are good actors (Sun-Neptune) who are essentially chameleons (Sun-Neptune) operating in the foggy (Neptune) realm of subtlety (Neptune) and seduction, using their sensitivity (Neptune) to serve their intuitive (Neptune) sides to try to achieve their goals. It became apparent that a good politician is excellent at assuming different roles in order to fit a given political situation and move his agenda forward. David Maraniss, the author of FIRST IN HIS CLASS, a biography of Bill Clinton wrote, “[Natural] politicians are skilled actors [Sun-Neptune], recreating reality, adjusting and ad-libbing, synthesizing the words, ideas, and feelings of others, slipping into different roles in different scenes, saying the same thing over and over again and making it seem like they are saying it for the first time.” (page 323)

For most personality traits that biographers and historians can describe and identify, astrologers can usually identify a corresponding symbolic correlation in the astrological chart via planetary aspects, signs, and or house placements. A case in point, Sun-Neptune individuals can sometimes have a weak (Neptune) or absent father (Sun). Jonathan Alter, author of the DEFINING MOMENT, FDR’S HUNDRED DAYS AND THE TRIUMPH OF HOPE, wrote, “Just as strong mothers have often bred strong presidents, so the absent or weak father [Sun-Neptune] appears again and again in presidential family history, often as pitied by their sons.” (page 21)

The Sun in aspect to Neptune is not unusual, and is just as likely to turn up in a natal chart as is any other planet aspecting the Sun, but there is no aggregate population that has one hundred percent of its members with this aspect. I was intrigued with this occurrence and thus set out to research the presidential biographies in question to see just how this aspect played out in their individual lives. It seemed to be a prerequisite for being elected to the modern Oval Office. Perhaps this phenomenon reflects the media and celebrity-driven culture of the current day and thus today’s presidential campaigns. The celebrity (Neptune) status of modern presidents has increased. Perhaps it began with the advent of radio and television, two mediums that can highlight the acting (Neptune) abilities as well as the celebrity qualities of any good politician to create a desired image (Neptune).

Roosevelt, perhaps, became the first master at using the medium of radio in his 1930s “fireside chats.” Television came along in the late 1940s. Ever since Roosevelt, the media has become increasingly important in creating a winning political candidate. Since the advent of radio and television, Americans have elected presidents who have Sun-Neptune aspects, presidents who can shine as celebrities (Sun-Neptune) and who also have a certain amount of charisma (Neptune). This was not always necessarily the case. Of course, the use of the mediums of television and radio are in and of themselves Neptunian since they are both used to drive and create a desired image (Neptune). And in a sense, political theater (Neptune) and intrigue serve as a form of entertainment for the masses. Indeed, entertainment is escapist (Neptune) in nature, allowing for brief interludes away from the daily routine.

The individual chapters written on each president are written for both the accomplished astrologer as well as for those who have little or no knowledge of astrology.