The Ousting of Kevin McCarthy

On 3 October 2023 Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his position as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. This event was no surprise because McCarthy had made a Faustian “deal with the devil” in January of 2023 to secure enough votes to squeak by in winning the vote to become Speaker. Political pundits were expecting the devil to cash in on this Faustian bargain, and the eventual ouster seemed inevitable. The only question was when it would occur. Let’s look at the chart of McCarthy, whose data are from his Birth Certificate.

Kevin McCarthy Birth Chart

With Aquarius on the MC, Saturn is the traditional ruler of his profession and actions in the world. Saturn in the 10th is angular and is often seen in charts of people who rise to positions of prominence but are at risk of a great fall, depending on their conduct in office. The 10th can indicate governmental positions. Besides the 10th of career, Saturn rules the 9th (travel, religion, legal affairs) and is the ruler of the 6th by exaltation. Saturn is almuten of the 10th and 6th Placidus house cusps.

Saturn closely squares the horizon axis. It’s placement almost exactly on the nonagesimal (the highest point or 90th degree of the ecliptic above the horizon) gives Saturn even more prominence in this chart. Saturn also closely squares the natal Moon which lies on the cusp of the 7th house and rules the 3rd of communication.

Even though Saturn is prominent in the angular 10th house and square the horizon, it possesses little essential dignity. Saturn’s antiscion lies at 26 Libra 02′, the sign of Saturn’s exaltation but it lies in the 6th house, which can be unfortunate. Saturn’s dispositor is Jupiter which occupies the unfortunate 12th house of secret enemies. Jupiter rules the 7th of partners and open enemies and the 11th of supporters and benefactors, but Jupiter’s placement in the 12th suggests that people he thought were friends and partners turn out to be secret enemies. This interpretation is reinforced by Neptune (illusion, deception) in Scorpio in the 6th opposing Jupiter in the 12th.

The most notable fixed star connections are the natal MC parallel Sirius, and Saturn conjunct the ecliptic position of Fomalhaut. Traditionally, MC in configuration with Sirius (of the nature of Jupiter and Mars) is connected with high governmental office.

Fomalhaut is one of the four Royal Fixed Stars of Persia. Bernadette Brady writes that each of the four royal stars “gives power and promises success, but only if you can deal with the particular hurdles that will be placed in front of you.” Saturn conjunct Fomalhaut (of the nature of Venus and Mercury) in the 10th is significant for career matters.

Robson comments that Saturn conjunct Fomalhaut is associated with “accidents, ailments affecting the lungs, throat and feet, loss through enemies, friends, Mercurial affairs, bands and companies, wrongfully accused, affairs involved at end of life, sudden death and family cheated out of their rights” (italics mine). Ebertin notes the Fomalhaut can be either very favorable or very adverse, depending on the rest of the chart. Joseph Rigor comments that Fomalhaut has an undermining influence and gives the example of President Richard Nixon: “Fomalhaut, is in conjunction with Nixon’s Venus, which is negative. This star, in conjunction with a negative Venus indicates he is subject to undermining influences by self-seeking individuals that could only lead to his downfall” (italics mine).

Bernadette Brady writes that Fomalhaut prominent by paran indicates that “you need to be very clear and honest with yourself about your motives in the pursuit of some goal and, as you start to achieve your outcome, it is imperative that personal glory does not become the main driving force. If recognition is forthcoming, it is also important that it is not manipulated for personal glorification.”

Other notable people with Saturn conjunct the ecliptic position of Fomalhaut include Boris Johnson, Nigel Farange, Woody Allen, Justin Bieber, and Courtney Love.

What happened to his House Speakership in 2023?

Let’s begin with his annual profections? In 2023 McCarthy, born in 1965, turned 58 years old and his profected Ascendant sign became Aires, ruled by Mars. Because it is a day chart, Mars is the contrary-to-sect malefic. Mars is further infortunated because it rules the Aries 12th cusp and the sign Scorpio in the 6th house, both considered unfortunate houses. Mars is peregrine in the Egyptian system of dignities. Mars is also opposed by Neptune in Scorpio in the 6th. A year whose Lord is Mars is likely to be especially challenging for this native. His 12th house enemies are likely to be quite active against him.

McCarthy was born on a Mars day during a Jupiter hour, so that Jupiter was his Lord of the Orb at birth (age 0). Because there are seven planets in the Chaldean sequence, Jupiter repeats as lord of the orb in 7-year cycles: ages 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 29, 56, and so on. Thus, at age 56, Jupiter was Lord of the orb, which means that at age 58, the Sun was Lord of the Orb, making the Sun a key partner with Mars in ruling the solar return year 26 Jan 2023 – 26 Jan 2024. The Sun as Lord of the Orb draws out attention to eclipses during this year.

Now, let’s look at this solar return for 2023-2024. Because Congress was in session, I assume he spent his birthday in Washington, DC, and cast the solar return for his location — the method advocated by Morinus. Here is his natal chart with the DC solar return superimposed.

McCarthy natal chart with Washington, DC, solar return superimposed.

Mars is Lord of the Year, and solar return (SR) Mars occupies the natal 1st house, conjunct the natal Asc. Natally, Mars signifies his 12th house secret enemies and their machinations against him.

The SR MC in Aries is ruled by Mars and closely squares SR Pluto in the natal 9th of legal matters. The Solar Eclipse of 20 April 2023 at 29 Aries 50′ falls almost exactly on the return MC in square to SR Pluto. We can expect a dramatic major change in his professional status this year. In addition, his Sun at 6 Aquarius 42′ , ruler of the solar return Ascendant, lies within 2 degrees of a perfect square (“at the bendings”) to his true lunar nodes, indicating a period of crisis and unwelcome or unexpected change.

In addition, the Lunar Eclipse of 5 May 2023 occurs at 14 Scorpio 52′, exactly opposite solar return Uranus in the natal 12th house, where SR Uranus conjoins natal Jupiter, dispositor of his natal MC-ruler Saturn. This lunar eclipse is also in partile square to his natal MC at 14 Aquarius 26′. A major disruption in his career brought about by secret (Jupiter in 12th) and open (Jupiter ruling 6th) enemies seems highly likely this year.

When is this major career disruption likely to occur? One way to answer this question is to divided the solar return year into roughly month-long periods using the various types of Moon-related returns. Morinus preferred to use the tropical lunar return to divide the solar return year. Other astrologers (for example, ibn Ezra if I recall correctly) used what are now called “12-harminic returns,” which simply means dividing the year into 12 segments, each beginning when the Sun returns to the exact degree and minute of the solar return in each of the 12 signs of the zodiac. Yet another method is to divide the year into twelve parts based on the Sun-Moon phase angle of the solar return. All of these methods produce interesting charts. Let’s look at the so-called “12th harmonic” method (a name I dislike because it can be confused with other uses of the word “harmonic” in astrology).

Chart for the moment the natal/solar return Sun occupies the same degree in Libra as it does in the birth chart. This chart covers the period from 6 Libra 42′ to 6 Scorpio 42′. McCarthy was ousted on 3 October 2023 while this chart was in effect. The Ascendant degree of this chart falls almost exactly on the degree of McCarthy’s prenatal eclipse.

Note in this so-called “12th harmonic” chart that Saturn is Retrograde, rules the 8th and conjoins the MC.

Jupiter rules the MC and conjoins the 12th house cusp of exile and also conjoins Uranus (sudden unexpected events) just inside the 12th house. Mercury rules the Asc and opposes Neptune in the 10th of career from the 4th of endings. Jupiter at 14 Taurus 30′ Rx is in partile opposition to the position of the May 2023 Lunar Eclipse at 14 Scorpio 52′.

The true lunar nodes are stationary, which usually corresponds in a solar return chart to a major life event and in a lunar return chart probably indicates an important month. Mars (profected Lord of the Year) at 21 Libra 55′ lies in partile conjunction to the Solar Eclipse of 14 October 2023 which occurs at 21 Libra 08′.

Pluto at 27 Cap 55′ Rx in the 8th of this chart lies within 2 degrees of orb of a perfect square to the Solar Eclipse of April 2023 at 29 Aries 50′. In addition, this 8th house Pluto is squaring the antiscion of natal Saturn (at 26 Libra 02′) which rules the natal 10th and is conjunct the true south lunar node in this monthly chart within just over one degree.

All in all, this looks like a month in which the proverbial 10th house mierda, promised in the solar return, will hit the fan.