Welcome to Mars in Virgo, which began on November 12. Mars will go retrograde in Virgo and spend a longer than normal amount of time in this mutable earth sign.

Mars is outward projected energy in the sign of discriminating choice, health and work. Is this good or bad for you? It depends on the placements in your natal horoscope.

For Ohio governor John Kasich, this is a positive transit. Kasich has Jupiter, Venus and sun in earth sign Taurus and moon in earth sign Capricorn. At the beginning of December, Mars will be the missing piece of a grand earth trine.

Without knowing Kasich’s time of birth, I can’t know in which houses (i.e., areas of life) this grand trine will occur. It’s also difficult to know if the moon will be part of that grand trine.

Regardless, like seeks like and the earthy Kasich will relish in more earthy energy in his chart. Virgo is the “mental” earth sign which plans, worries and gets ailments due to excessive nervous output.

If I cast what’s called a solar chart for Kasich, with the sun in the first house, the trine will affect the 12th (possibly 1st), 5rd and 9th houses. The earth energy will be in the houses naturally ruled by fire.

It means that Kasich can express his true earth self with positive results. Normally when he wants to talk about the one cent discrepancy in the checkbook register, he might see bored, glassy-eyed expressions. From now until next June, he will have a captive audience for his detailed, practical and serious plans. The party will pause, the music will be turned off and people will listen.

The trine could involve Venus and the moon. If so, Kasich’s relationships with women will improve – again, in practical ways. If Kasich and the women around him are arguing about money and property, agreements will be reached. Practical problems will resolve, but not necessarily emotional or spiritual issues.

Jupiter is still transiting Taurus as well, hopping back ‘n forth over Kasich’s Jupiter and Venus and soon the sun. This is a lovely thing which brings abundance in material aspects of life (Taurus).

For the earth sign Kasich, Jupiter in Taurus and Mars in Virgo are like giving a geologist and extra sandbox to play in. Some like to delve into the collective waters, some like to burn like the logs in a fireplace and some like to soar like birds. Others, with strong earth in the chart, like to put their neat fingers into the dirt and plant new life.

I’m guessing that politically Kasich will have a good six months during the Republican Presidential primaries. Possibly he will play a big part in the campaign from now until June 2012. Ohio, then, will be in the spotlight.