America 250:  Station to Station

By Alex Miller

As the United States prepares to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence, it’s only fitting we take a closer look at the chart of the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.  This founding document was written in large part by Thomas Jefferson, working on several drafts between June 11^th and 28^th, 1776.  In the midst of this process, on June 18^th, a wee bit of space debris, an asteroid that would be named “America” nearly 150 years later, came to a critical stage in its orbit about the sun.

That stage is called a station, a point where, due to the triangulation between the Earth, the sun, and any third celestial body, that body appears, from our perspective, to slow, come to a standstill in the heavens and reverse motion for a time.  Astronomically, this is an optical illusion, but astrologically, the station has great import, allowing energies associated with that point to coalesce and embed themselves in the collective consciousness, as well as in the psyches of individuals for whom the station falls in significant aspect.  In consequence, the body takes on an enhanced ability to promote manifestations, which tend toward the momentous, marking watershed events, major changes of fortune, and significant shifts in direction.  In short, turning points.

In the case of Thomas Jefferson (1), asteroid America (26 Libra) came to its station in that hot, humid Philadelphia summer opposed (180 degrees) his natal Sun (23 Aries), itself conjoined asteroid Jefferson (21 Aries, a point later named for him), in a T-Square (2) with Uranus (26 Capricorn).  Uranus is the planet ruling revolt and rebellion, independence, and the establishment of something new and unique.  Its natal square to Jefferson’s Sun made him a natural-born revolutionary, and as he sweated away in his second-floor boarding house digs on the rough draft of what would become one of the defining documents of human history, the asteroid named for the country he was helping to create made its powerful impact on him personally, as well as the world.

By the time of the actual signing, on 4 July 1776, asteroid America had moved on to the subsequent degree (27 Libra), from where it formed patterns in the chart of the new nation that well describe its mission and self-image.  America is not alone in its stationary stance st the US’ inception:  also standing still in the sky are asteroids Veritas (10 Scorpio) and Themis (12 Scorpio).  Veritas is named for the Latin word for “truth,” while Themis is named for the Greek goddess of justice.  Together, these three stationary points spell out “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” a catchphrase later coined by comic book character Superman in the 1940s, which came to be adopted by Americans as a sort of motto for their country, a verbal portrait of how they see themselves.

But America is also dramatically placed to further describe the nation.  Its placement in late Libra completes a T-Square begun by natal Mercury (24 Cancer) opposed natal Pluto (27 Capricorn), helping to establish the United States as a country founded on free speech (Mercury), which would in time become one of, if not the, most powerful (Pluto) nations the world has ever known.  Further, an exact trine (120 degrees) to the US natal Moon (27 Aquarius) recalls Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address statement of America as a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” with the Moon ruling the public and the populace.

Asteroid America also features prominently in the charts of many of the Founding Fathers.  For George Washington (3), the winning commander of the Revolutionary forces and the US’ first president, America (12 Libra) conjoins Jupiter (8 Libra) and Pluto (17 Libra, squared (90 degrees) the Moon (16 Capricorn).  This establishes Washington as a larger-than-life figure (Jupiter), a key element of the nation’s birth (Pluto) and transformation (also Pluto) to an independent state, a man beloved of the people (Moon). Termed “the Father of his Country.”

John Adams (4), America’s second president, an early champion of independence and the original proposer of the establishment of the Continental Army in 1775, had America (11Libra) conjoined Mars (15 Libra), ruling the military and champions alike.

Jefferson, in addition to writing the Declaration, was an early ambassador for the US, and the country’s third president.  Natal America (10 Libra) also conjoins Jupiter, for the man who fueled American expansion (Jupiter), doubling the size of the new nation at one throw with his Louisiana Purchase (also signaling his ambassadorial work with foreign relations).  America is also squared to natal Neptune (Cancer), enabling Jefferson to capture the spirit (Neptune) of the nation, and as critical in forming its aspirational, foundational myth (also Neptune), that all men are created equal.

James Madison (5), the fifth president and author of the US Constitution, the creator of Madisonian democracy, had America (24 Sagittarius) squared his natal Sun (25 Pisces), in a reciprocal relationship whereby he defined the nation, as it defined him.

Asteroids representing these, and other Founders, as well as pivotal Americans throughout the country’s history, appear in apt placement in the US natal chart as well.  We’ll take a look at just how in Part Two of this series.

Notes:  (1) Thomas Jefferson, born 13 April 1743, no time available

(2) A T-Square is a dynamic pattern composed of two or more planets in opposition (180 degrees), each squared (90 degrees) a third.  It represents stress and conflict, with the fulcrum point (at the square) offering a possibility of resolution.

(3) George Washington, born 22 February 1732, 10 AM local time, Pope’s Creek Estate, Westmoreland, VA (Rodden Rating AA)

(4) John Adams, born 30 October 1735, no time available

(5) James Madison, born 18 March 1751, no time available

Sources:  birth data and historic data from Wikipedia; chart data from serennu.com

Title Image Credit:  drawn by Chat GPT