I’ve been told so many times that most straight men don’t (or won’t) believe in astrology. And yet, the more I yap about it to the guys around me, the more interested they seem to become. So this column is dedicated to those dudes: The suspicious and the curious, the skeptical and the inquisitive. I’ll be here every other week, tackling the stuff your basic-ass horoscopes will never get into. Because you know what? You might think astrology is esoteric snake-oil, but everyone around you still judges you based on your star sign.
Another week, another Democratic presidential candidate for president. The newest entrant to the race? New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. (And yes, I know he didn’t announce this week, but he did announce in the last seven days, so don’t @ me.) But enough about him, after all, he’s among the most disliked politicians in the country and doesn’t stand a chance in hell at becoming the next POTUS.
That said, given that we’re a men’s lifestyle site and this column is called Dude-strology, I thought it’d be fun to look at the charts of the most prominent male Democratic candidates who actually might(ish) win the nomination.
Per usual, a look at the whole birth chart is crucial, but the main components I’ll be focusing on are:
- Ascendant: The dynamic ways we approach life
- Sun: Our ego, vitality and creative thrust
- Moon: How we process emotionally, and what we need to feel safe
- Mercury: How we communicate
- Mars: An indicator of how we use our energy to accomplish the needs of our Sun sign
- Outer Planets: Saturn (father time himself, and literally the government); Uranus (radicalization, altruism, social constructs and unpredictability); Neptune (illusion and delusion); and Pluto (lord of the underworld, destruction and transformation)
- Midheaven: What we want to be known for, the reputation that precedes us and authority
I promise that they can tell you as much about a candidate as any debate or town hall. So here we go…
Cory Booker
In Booker, we have a revolutionary and crusader (i.e., Aquarius rising) who doesn’t let anyone tell him how to live his life, and goes by his own moral code. Similarly important, his Sun is in the stable sign of Taurus, and sits particularly close to his Saturn. This adds an extra boost to how he prides himself on being grounded in his ability to build upon his ideals.
The way he speaks about his plans, however, could be interpreted as far less than stable, which we can see in the aspect his Mercury in Taurus is making with his Neptune. They’re in opposition, which implies a tug-of-war. This manifests in a tendency to project an idealistic attitude (Neptune) to the outside world that isn’t necessarily clearly defined.
Meanwhile, his Moon is in Virgo, another major earth influence. Virgo is about getting to the bottom of things, solving problems and being of service. That said, his Moon is in his eighth house — the house of transformation, crisis and secrets. The indication here: A particularly rich inner-world probably filled with a lot of anxiety (a Virgo term). In plainer terms, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some skeletons in his closet — or at the very least, some deep traumas from his past that will present themselves eventually, as they always do when you’re trying to, you know, run for president.
Joe Biden
The overwhelming vibe of this chart is a deeply secretive nature. Along with having his Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars in Scorpio, Biden also has them all locked away in the 12th house of hidden bed pleasures (hmm) and confined institutions (a la the Senate or White House). Scorpios are all about getting other people’s resources and knowing other people’s secrets, while not revealing anything about themselves or their motives. Similarly, the position of his Moon, and the harsh aspects that are being made to it, indicate his inner-world and personal life aren’t something he’s particularly happy about sharing with anyone — and is probably pretty turbulent. Then there’s the fact that he’s a Sagittarius rising, which means Jupiter rules his chart. Where is his Jupiter placed? In his 8th house. There’s that secretive Scorpionic influence yet again.
After this, I certainly don’t trust him.
Andrew Yang
Saturn is particularly important in Yang’s chart. And with so much Saturn, we can see someone who is generally extremely afraid of change and cannot function without rules, boundaries and order. In simpler terms, the guy probably comes across as extremely rigid and tight-assed.
In non-Saturn-related news, Yang’s complex Moon is in an Aquarius configuration. Specifically, his Moon is conjunct (i.e., the energies blend) to his Mercury and Venus, giving him the ability to speak (Mercury) from his heart (Moon) in a way that’s relatable (Venus). The most interesting thing happening here, though, is that all of these planets are in tension with his Uranus in Scorpio. Uranus is the modern ruler of Aquarius, and with all of these placements already in Aquarius, we see a huge boost of electric eccentricity. Plus, given that Uranus is at the very top of his chart conjunct to his midheaven, being a radical change agent is something he not only strives for, but intends to prove he can make happen.
That said, all that Aquarian energy will definitely make some people upset along the way.
Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg’s chart ruler is Mercury, which is in Aquarius. Mercury also rules his midheaven, indicating that being seen as “smart” is of great importance to him. And because Mars and Saturn are harmonious with his Mercury, it’s natural for him to speak (Mercury) about the actions he’ll take (Mars) and how those actions will affect existing structures (Saturn). A major thing to note about his Mercury, though, is that he seems to do a lot of talking. And none of this talking has anything to do with who he actually is.
Now, his Sun sitting right next to his Venus (the planet of peace and how we relate to others) may make him likable and charming, but again, there’s no real substance there.
We do start to see more dynamic things happening with the aspects from his Sun to Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn and Mars. Three out of four of those planets represent where the difficulties in our lives show up, indicating that he’s probably got some anger issues (Mars) he’s dealing with — along with a generally recalcitrant attitude (Pluto and Saturn) and overblown ego (Jupiter).
Lastly, his Moon is conjunct to Uranus at the very bottom of his chart, indicating he’s not entirely sure how to integrate this reserve of wild energy into the rest of his personality in a healthy way. The twist? Being that the Moon rules Cancer, and his Cancer house is the 11th (the house of our peers and social structures), this is something he’ll need to reconcile if he wants anyone to ever trust him.
Beto O’Rourke
O’Rourke was the only candidate I couldn’t find a birth time for, so his breakdown is thinner than the others. Still, there’s stuff to go on. Like, his Sun is in Libra. Libra is ruled by Venus and is generally seen as pleasant and charming, albeit indecisive and flaky. In fairness, since Pluto, Mars and Mercury are conjunct to his Sun, there is some bite in there, too. Also: Jupiter is pumping him up with extra self-confidence (maybe even too much), while Saturn provides a challenge regarding how he expresses his energy.
Bernie Sanders
Sanders’ chart rulers are Mars and Pluto, leading us straight to his Mars in Aries, which sits next to his Moon in Aries. The result: A strong personality who isn’t afraid (Mars) to speak his mind (Moon), even if it isn’t always received well (Mars being in adverse aspect to his Ascendant). He’s also able to speak about what he feels is an ideal state of living (thanks to his Mercury being in Libra, which is conjunct to Neptune), but since his Mercury is in adverse aspect to Jupiter, there’s a tendency to overpromise. After all, Jupiter is just a ball of hot air.
It’s worth noting, too, that his Sun is in Virgo, which is at the top of his chart. When that’s the case, it’s usually an indicator that someone is striving for fame. That said, it’s a placement associated with leadership as much as an over-inflated sense of self. Though I’m guessing it’s more the latter since there’s another adverse aspect from Jupiter coming into contact with his Sun, pumping up the ego even more and giving him a grandiose sense of self.
This in a lot of ways makes him a classic politician: While he has the ability to talk about ideals, keeping the promises he makes about them is a totally different matter.
Write to me! Because dude, I’m more than happy to tell you what your sign means w/r/t whatever is happening in your bedroom, with your friends and family or your job/office. Hmu at erin.taj@melindustries.com.
Erin Taj
Taj is the Art Director and resident Astrologer at MEL. She’s worked with Nike, UPROXX, Taschen, Red Bull, New Balance, and other brands as an art director, graphic designer, illustrator, and producer. She was born and raised in Los Angeles. She's a Leo, does jiujitsu, and has a giant bully pit-bull named Roxanne who's completely useless.
