Tomorrow is a big day in US politics – the Iowa Caucuses, the official start of the 2020 US Presidential Election. Ah, democracy.

Now is Iowa near Missouri? I can’t remember. Anyway,

The excitement is palpable as people flood to the grocery stores to buy beer and chips and wings to prepare for a night of election results. Wait, that’s for tonight’s Super Bowl. Anyway,

It’s a big deal. It will be on TV all day tomorrow, I mean all day. Or is that the impeachment hearings that are all day and the caucuses at night? Anyway,

In my house there’s a great deal of anticipation. My female feline, of great maturity, still has her “Pick Rick [Santorum]” poster over the litter box. I’ve told her that Republican Rick Santorum is of the same party as the incumbent president and will not be in the running as no one in politics can beat media-star branding and marketing.

“But Rick can make a full sentence and string coherent thoughts together,” she argued. “He has a lot of interesting things to say.”

“I’m not sure that’s an asset in this country,” I replied, much to her dismay.

My young male feline, in contrast, has changed parties. A die-hard Republican since the age of six months when he was neutered and reached premature maturity, he recently switched parties upon noticing that his cat toy acquisitions had slowed.

“Why don’t you buy me as many toys as you used to?” he asked.

“Because they cost more,” I replied. “Tariffs.”

So tomorrow night my feline family will gather around the television to watch the caucus results. Unless they are only on cable. Then we can’t. Anyway,

Caucus Day Energies

Tomorrow, February 3, 2020, Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn will be in “do it my perfect way or you will get punished” Capricorn. Pluto and Saturn are very serious planets – they contract, purge and transform. You can tell them “no” but then you’d better watch your back and make sure the ground you’re standing on isn’t a trap door that will drop you into the netherworld.

These aspects aren’t always fun for individuals but are the food of politicians. Tomorrow will be the usual rough-and-tumble with a bit of bitter vegetable on top. Regardless of who wins, it will feel more like the satisfaction of having eaten your vegetables rather than having had a sweet treat for dessert.

The sun is in rebellious Aquarius. Caucuses, of course, are the “not traditional primary” so very Aquarian. Aquarius rules group activity centered on ideals.

Mercury, Neptune, and Venus are in Pisces, an emotional sign. There may be a lot of precipitation, including fog, which seems more prevalent than usual these last few months. When Mercury and Neptune are conjoined the communications are more imaginative than factual. This is normal in politics but remember that the energies also affect your spouse and children.

Uranus is in Taurus. This planet travels through each sign for seven years – aka the seven-year itch. This itch has moved from individual assertion to body, earth and property (including money). Stay tuned for more earth and property changes.

Mars in Sagittarius is in the opposite sign of moon in Gemini (although not geometrically opposed). There’s a lot of earth (Capricorn, Taurus) and water (Pisces) energy which can be grounding but a bit dull and whiny. Sagittarius and Gemini add a little fire and air energy (respectively) but probably not enough to override three planets in Capricorn. But there may be some fun, especially for those that get a hotel room for the event. For those watching from afar, you may prefer Super Bowl highlights.

How does this energy play for our candidates?

The Top Five Candidates

Since there are too many candidates and too little time, OHA will look at the top five by a poll reported in The Hill. We’ll go in alphabetical order, the best, fairest order, ever devised.

Joe Biden
Sun in Scorpio with moon in opposite Taurus, Biden is experiencing a Uranus conjunction to moon and opposition to sun. Uranus energizes and enlightens, often suddenly and unexpectedly. Uranus is neither good nor bad. So we can say this election will provide volatile and unexpected results for Biden – but as winner or loser?

Using Uranus to his advantage may involve playing up the underdog rather than the expected winner for the “opposite” result which then suggests organic energy. Biden’s natal Uranus and Saturn will be conjunct tomorrow’s moon adding more of this sudden, impulsive energy.

While OHA can’t say which way Uranus will go for Biden, aspects suggest positive results for this candidate. And his desire to emote will go over well with the three planets in Pisces tomorrow.

And his steady Taurus moon will be please to the Jupiter/Pluto/Saturn authorities out there who will pressure you to vote your duty rather than your heart.

Pete Buttigieg
This ambitious Capricorn sun and Scorpio (or maybe Sagittarius) moon is close to a direct conjunction of the Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto with the sun. Running for president at a ripe young age (38) is certainly transformative and pits him against the powers that be without much protective clout.

The Capricorn transits also square his Mars/Saturn/Pluto conjunction in Libra. While Buttigieg might be pleasant Libra eye-candy, don’t confuse him for a sweetie. He’s made of iron and steel and will both live and die by the sword.

Buttigieg has the inner stuff to handle the dirty world of politics. Yet, his Achilles heel is that at the same time he doesn’t like to get his socks dirty and always wants to come out looking nice (like Cary Grant in the Illinois cornfield scene of North by Northwest). If he does make it to nomination, expect some delicious dirt to emerge which will make this young one potentially sadder (Pluto/Saturn) but wiser (Saturn).

OHA doesn’t expect him to do as well as planned tomorrow.

Amy Klobuchar
If Klobuchar tried to run for president in the 20th century, OHA would have told her to go back home to Minnesota – a double Gemini could never, ever, ever win the presidency. This country has historically loved the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) which are signs that are steady, consistent, and strong with a natural bent for leadership.

In the 21st century in our Age of Aquarius (air), a double Gemini may be the new norm – great communication ability, agile, smart, saavy and not boringly consistent.

Sun, moon and Mercury in Gemini suggest Klobuchar can (and will) use words and ideas to sway in a very convincing manner. Today’s digital world is Gemini on steroids. Talk, communicate, text, post, post, post. Klobuchar can keep up with all of the information.

With natal Mars in Aries, there’s a lot of competitive energy. With the ability to compete and communicate, this “can’t-sit-still” woman may be the very candidate needed to meet Gemini sun Trump tweet-for-tweet.

Although sun and moon in the same sign can trump other energies in a horoscope, Klobuchar has a nice balance of elements with earth (Venus in Taurus, Pluto in Virgo and Jupiter/Saturn in Capricorn), a sprinkling of water (Neptune in Scorpio) and fire (Mars in Aries, Uranus in Leo).

Klobuchar can communicate well that she feels your pain, although she’s not really a feeling sort. She’s intellectual and detached.

As for tomorrow?

While Klobuchar has good stuff for the role she seeks, OHA isn’t sure that the Capricorn transits will let her pass the gate. The current transits are hanging onto old authoritarian structures and Klobuchar is made of newer stuff.

Bernie Sanders
The anger and energy Sanders is known for stems from his moon and Mars conjunction in Aries. Aries, you know, is the first sign of the zodiac and is focused on self and is very competitive. During the 2016 US Presidential election, Uranus was in Aries and Sanders clearly resonated with the need for self-determination and the need for the politicians to see and understand “me.”

Uranus is no longer in Aries; it is in Taurus. The negative side of Aries – anger – may have carried a few candidates through the whitewater rapids in 2016, but now the needs have moved back to more traditional concerns – money and property. Can I ever afford a house? Can I ever afford to retire? Can I afford to go to the doctor? Can I afford to go to college?

Sanders understands these types of worries; with Saturn in Taurus, there’s always a feeling of not having enough from a physical standpoint.

For Sanders, the answer is always “Yes, I’ll make it free.” This sounds nice, especially to those shouldering unmanageable debt simply to get well or to enter college. But even those that wish for elimination of all debt know that it probably will never occur so simply.

Uranus in Taurus has extinguished some of the fire around Sanders. As Uranus moves towards his natal Saturn, there is also financial and physical worry of his own. As we know, he’s already suffered a heart attack as Uranus moved into Taurus. There is more physical “enlightenment” coming.

Tomorrow’s energy of moon in Gemini and Mars in Sagittarius will probably produce lesser-than-expected results for Sanders.

Elizabeth Warren
Warren has sun, Uranus and Venus in Cancer and moon in Taurus. Warren by nature appears warm and cuddly but can change unexpectedly. When she’s not nice and warm, she’s very not nice and warm.

Moon in Taurus is good for calming energy so Warren can probably (mostly) keep her mood changes close to the belly. But transiting Uranus hitting the moon brings out some unexpected stewings. Cancer does nothing if not stew and worry.

With Uranus transiting the moon and Uranus on the sun, OHA expects better-than-expected results in Iowa. However, the transiting Capricorn energy (Jupiter/Pluto/Saturn) is opposite her sun and square her natal Neptune in Libra so I expect the established powers to be against her nomination and potentially rule against her in any potential dispute.

Capricorn is father and Cancer is mother. As our historical results indicate, male is the preference for president and in this Authoritarian Armageddon we are experiencing, mothering and nurturing energy may get snuffed out until Pluto moves into Aquarius in 2024.

If she doesn’t make it in 2020, Warren may not choose to run again in 2024. However, when Pluto enters Aquarius it will be conjunct her Jupiter in Aquarius and she will be embraced by the new energies that emerge at that time.

Related: Pluto in Capricorn blogs