Have you ever gone to a rock concert to see a super famous band in their prime? A concert where you spent half (or more) of your rent money and drove a gang of friends across the state? Gathering your friends, getting stuck in traffic, you were a bit late, missing the opening band.

Did you care?

You may have disregarded the opening band as you parked in the dirt lot a mile from the stadium, tucking your stadium contraband safely inside your sure-to-conceal special place.

But what if later you discover that opening band is rocking like the headliner, is minutes away from fame and you may have to spend another rent check to see them in the future? How would you feel knowing you could have seen them when they were just starting?

Last week and weekend brought a spring shower of announcements of presidential candidacies. Rand Paul, Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio all made the announcement. It was big news.

Reading the news today, I forgot we already had a candidate in the ring – Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz made his announcement several weeks earlier, on March 23.

Looking at Cruz’s horoscope today, I got the strong sense this opening act will be more visible in the future. We might want to pay attention now.

Ted Cruz Version 2.0

Cruz has a fascinating horoscope (Astrotheme horoscope). Of the ten astral bodies in a horoscope (includes moon and Pluto), nine are clustered together with Pluto (in Virgo) at one end and Mercury (in Capricorn) at the other.

The only planet not in this cluster is Saturn (in Taurus) which creates several different types of aspects to the cluster of planets from the tense opposition to the pleasant trine.

Let’s start with Pluto. Pluto was at 29 degrees of Virgo when Cruz was born. Pluto is far away and often appears to make a backward (retrograde) motion. Pluto went forward and backward a bit after Cruz was born then in late summer 1972, Pluto stayed in Libra and headed on its way.

Pluto then visited by conjunction every one of those nine planets and in March 2014 finally visited Mercury at 13 degrees of Capricorn. As mentioned above, Pluto goes back and forth and will do the same over Cruz’ Mercury for the next year. This site describes how Pluto will go back and forth between 12 and 15 degrees of Capricorn until January 2016.

Pluto is the planet of transformation and evolution. Cruz’ lifetime until the present has been a process of evolution. He’s had few breaks from the intensity. The Cruz born in 1970 is not the Cruz who stands before you. He’s Cruz version 2.0 carved from the eroding and shape-shifting power of Pluto.

To have survived the skin-flaying experience of Pluto transiting your entire chart, you must have a very, very strong core. Pluto is insightful, profound, revealing, myth busting and intense. It is never easy.

With natal Mars, Venus and Jupiter in the sign of Scorpio (ruled by Pluto), the intensity is part of the personality. Transformation is a drive, a pleasure and part of the spiritual/religious social order.

Whatever Cruz receives from others during this election, he’s already experienced inside. If Cruz does rise, he will not fall easily.

The Personal Ted Cruz

Cruz has sun in Capricorn and moon and Uranus conjunct in Libra. Pluto transited Cruz’ sun at the beginning of 2008, at the time of the Economic Crisis. For Cruz, there very well may have been a loss of money (or substantial gain, I suppose), but he may have also experienced an internal crisis of identity around Capricorn themes of control, success, responsibility and authority. In his Wikipedia entry, it appears that he went into private practice about that time until 2013.

About a year after this, Saturn transiting Virgo began its trek through Cruz’ cluster of planets. I’m suspecting Cruz had a crisis that involved feelings of imperfection due to perceived lack of success in Capricorn endeavors (work, authority). Natal Pluto in 29 degrees of Virgo is relentless in its demand for perfection.

After Virgo, comes Libra where Saturn visited Uranus and the moon which represents some issues with women, sudden impulsive emotions and possibly an inappropriate attraction. Who is married who hasn’t had marital problems? I hope we skip this during the primary process.

Saturn then moved into Scorpio in late 2012 where the issues moved into the sexual and monetary realm and met with natal Mars, Venus and Jupiter. If the Astrotheme 1 a.m. chart is correct, there were some loans or excessive hedging going on at this time. That transit of Scorpio just ended last December although Saturn has decided to travel backward and visit Scorpio again for a few moments in time. Listening to Cruz’ campaign announcement speech, he made reference to having recently paid off some loans.

Saturn is now moving to a transit of natal Neptune (in Sagittarius). This can bring the blues as Neptune wants to float in the atmosphere in a hot air balloon while Saturn keeps filling the balloon with sand bags. Some of what makes this serious man inspired may fail him at times.

Saturn is an important planet in the chart of a Capricorn sun as Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. For Cruz, Saturn has decided to oversee all other planets as it hangs out far from the others in Taurus. Cruz may also like to keep others at arm’s length.

Saturn in Taurus is also in the horoscope of contender Marco Rubio. I see this placement has having a sense of poverty regardless of the true financial situation. Saturn in Taurus may very well be poor and that’s why they want to borrow your vase and never return it.

But often for Saturn in Taurus, material accumulation provides a sense of self-worth. Loss of money or property damages the self. Normally this placement gives the appearance of living well regardless of the actual circumstances.

When first looking at Cruz’ chart, I got the sense of someone in indentured servitude. This exploitative situation occurs when others are offered work then trapped into endless work until a “debt” is repaid, often a debt for getting the employment.

While I don’t think that’s happened to Cruz, somewhere inside he may feel that way. He’s had to endure Pluto all his life with Saturn opposite pointing a finger at him telling him to put up with all the struggles. He may feel like he had no choice but to work, work, work until that debt was paid.

Cruz probably exists under the weight of an unusual sense of responsibility. Possible that’s what’s leading him to the presidency beyond the normal Capricorn desire for control and authority – the sense of being responsible for everything. If he’s president of the United States, he will be responsible for quite a lot of what occurs in the world’s political and economic spheres.

Pluto will soon move into the open space in Cruz’ chart leaving him to experience his inner self in a lighter way, if he chooses.

Becoming president doesn’t sync up with this opportunity for lightness, but Cruz is a Capricorn. When does a Capricorn stop being productive? Or maybe this is his last dip into the waters of collective responsibility and he will come out cleansed of the need to take control of everything.

The moon in Libra is the lightest area of Cruz’ chart and is a pleasure-driven placement. Cruz relaxes with his partner. Libra is also artistic and drawn to creativity. Libra is also interested in justice and fairness which Cruz has clearly followed with his law career.

During the election, transiting Saturn will also give Cruz a bit of a break. It will be mostly tucked between Neptune and the sun. Toward Election Day 2016, it will be closer to making squares to natal Pluto. He might make it in some form through the election process. If so, the last days will be tough, as they would be for any candidate.

Transiting Uranus in Aries is at play in his horoscope, opposing natal Uranus and moon. Uranus is trying to create a reaction with the unemotional Libra moon. Libra doesn’t like to express anger, but Uranus will try to provoke this reaction.

Ted Cruz Version 3.0?

From an astrological perspective, Cruz has “arrived.” He’s free to be a happy Capricorn (sort of an oxymoron). But Capricorn is one of the slower signs to accept that you can do nothing and still have intrinsic self-worth. Capricorn must prove, prove, prove.

I’m guessing someone suggested to Cruz that life as Supreme Court Justice would be a lot nicer and easier than being president of the United States. This role fits like a glove for a Capricorn sun / Libra moon. And you get to wear black, which goes with anything. And you probably get to spend more time with your kids.

Regardless of what path Cruz chooses, I suspect he’ll be an influence in our future in some way. Let’s forget about Dame Hillary for a moment and pay attention to the chorus line, those hard-working actors in the background. Some will one day make center stage.