News from the Ohio primary polls in the state capital is more about a failed zoo levy than the exciting news that the 2014 Ohio Governor race is on!

In case you missed the big Ohio news, Ed FitzGerald is now, officially, the Democratic challenger to incumbent governor John Kasich this November. FitzGerald, in January, selected his running mate – Sharen Neuhardt.

It’s never too early to do some background checks (of the astrological kind) on our political contestants. We have only 177 days until the election and often get busy in the summer with cook-outs, pool parties and wild and crazy carousing in the streets. Of course, that will begin when Jupiter enters Leo in July so we still have May and June for political study.

Sharen Neuhardt

Sharen Neuhardt has Saturn, Neptune, sun and Mercury in Libra with moon in Taurus. Mars and Venus are conjunct in Virgo. Pluto and Jupiter are in fire (Leo and Aries respectively) and Uranus is in Cancer.

Taurus and Libra are both ruled by Venus so five of the ten astrological planets have a Venus overtone.

Pluto possibly squares the moon (depending on time of birth), my own mark of a politician. If it weren’t for that mark, I’d see the interest in politics and law in Neuhardt’s chart, but not necessarily the drive or compulsion to run for political office.

The first image that came to mind from her horoscope (without knowing time of birth) is someone both stubborn and scattered, someone who is fiercely protective of ideas but who changes them often, someone who is both influential and, at times, easily influenced.

That Venus/Mars conjunction in Virgo makes for a very discriminating partner whether in the home or at the office. Venus in Virgo is “love me perfect.”

Neuhardt has a natal T-square with Jupiter (in Aries), Uranus (in Cancer) and Saturn (in Libra). The opposition portion of this (Jupiter and Saturn) is quite tight. Often with Jupiter in hard aspect to Saturn, you see a challenging of authority or status quo through partnership or alliance with someone of a different ethnic, racial or religious background. If that doesn’t provide the challenge, sometimes it’s outright rejection of the religious beliefs in the environment.

Neuhardt is lucky to have a Taurus moon; it provides stability and grounding in a personality that would have trouble maintaining equilibrium.

Pluto is currently transiting Capricorn and is directly opposing Neuhardt’s natal Uranus. The Plutonian powers that be are asking her to make changes to some unusual family situation. Uranus doesn’t like to be told what to and often erupts with irregular or disruptive behavior in response. In Cancer, the disruptive occurs in a family or social group.

Meanwhile transiting Uranus in Aries is creating the same need for eruption opposite natal Neptune, sun and Mercury. I’m getting the sense that Uranus, in its many hard aspects here, is eager to bust out of a constricting situation.

The recent transiting cardinal grand cross of Mars (in Libra), Jupiter (in Cancer), Uranus (in Aries) and Pluto (in Capricorn) must have been tough for Neuhardt. It’s like pressure from every angle, no matter where you look. The pressure will continue.

Jupiter will transit Leo beginning mid July. By January 2015, it will be exactly on Neuhardt’s Pluto. At that time she will have a burst of both powerful and righteous energy – whether a political winner or loser.

Ed FitzGerald Partnership

The partner Neuhardt will have for the next 177 days is her governor contender Ed FitzGerald.

Looking at their two charts together is like following the ball in a pinball machine or watching to chefs in a tight space grab for the same ingredients. FitzGerald and Neuhardt are made of much the same stuff – lots of cardinal energy – but I’m not seeing how they balance each other out. I can imagine it’s a stimulating but also frustrating relationship. I hope they don’t argue in public . . .

The missing cardinal energy in Neuhardt’s chart is Capricorn, which her partner supplies in the form of moon in Capricorn. Capricorn, more than other signs, is about ambition and success and the political arena is rife with this energy. FitzGerald has a compulsion for it and Neuhardt has a T-square that needs Capricorn “success” to make it whole.

FitzGerald’s missing cardinal energy is Libra which Neuhardt supplies in abundance. Libra is partnership, charm, social graces and smoothness with others that moon in Capricorn doesn’t possess.

Because both Pluto and FitzGerald are filling in the fourth point of her square, both will represent authority and both will be a challenge. FitzGerald will probably be harder on her than her foes although her Plutonian foes will hit hard.

Neuhardt will be motivating to FitzGerald with Uranus on his Mars and her Mars/Venus on his Jupiter. But he may seem like an anchor when she wants to sail with the wind in her hair as his Saturn in Aries opposes her Neptune/sun/Mercury.

There may also be issues of who’s leading whom. It may be difficult for FitzGerald / Neuhardt to come across as both a balanced and equal relationship.

Neuhardt is about 17 years older than FitzGerald which is manifested through her Saturn in an opposite sign (Libra) to his (Aries). Saturn oppositions, due to the length of time Saturn takes to revolve around the sun (about 30 years), reflect generation gaps.

There’s a generation gap here with Neuhardt focusing on law and equality (Saturn in Libra) and FitzGerald focusing on confidence and self-assertion (Saturn in Aries).

With her Venus and Mars in Virgo, I’m guessing that Neuhardt will do a lot of coaching of her partner, although technically she’s a junior position to his. Moon in Capricorn FitzGerald likes to be the authority so this may not go down well.

Cardinal energy candidates

During the recent cardinal grand cross mentioned above, you read a lot of blogs and stories about what that energy means. Some blogs even scared you, made you feel the sky was falling and the world ending (again). Cardinal signs tend to overreact.

Yet everyday the skies are changing and we astrologers promise love, progress, development, emotional changes, thinking changes, great shifts in consciousness, forgiveness, sudden encounters, monetary loss, monetary gain . . . everything.

Looking in the rear view mirror of our lives, most days are similar and some stand out due to a major event or simply because something was realized. Reading these darn astrological blogs, you’d think every day was a great transformation. Love is around the corner even though you’ve been married for 35 years – of course astrology is dismissed.

To better understand astrology and cardinal energy, tune in to the Ohio governor election and watch two cardinal candidates in their motivations, perceptions and reactions in the middle of a cardinal pool of energy. Watch how cardinal energy reacts as opposed to fixed or mutable energy.

Do we do better when swimming in our own energies or in balancing energies? Will cardinal energy in the astrological skies help or hurt these two candidates with so much cardinal energy in their charts?

Energy is everything and people are part of that energy. Astrology isn’t really about people, it’s about energy patterns. Ohio is attracting the energy of the cardinal grand square, so let’s see what it’s about.