Please Be Seated, Senator Franken: An Astrologer Looks at When It Will Happen

© Terry Lamb

April 23, 2009

Maybe it’s because I met the guy, but I’ve been quite fascinated by Al Franken’s long journey to the US senate. When I met him, I asked what his birth time was, and he gave it to me (within a half-hour time frame). On the basis of that chart, data from memory, we might be able to see when he’ll take his seat as senator.

A Senate Cliffhanger
When I was trying to prognosticate as to how many senate seats the Democrats would win last fall, I kept looking at Minnesota’s numbers, and they were — crazy! Double digit variations from one source to the next, with a third-party spoiler. (Minnesota seems to come close to having multi-party elections.) So, I looked at both Franken’s and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman’s charts (Coleman’s untimed chart is cast for noon.), and I couldn’t see a clear winner: Both charts looked insufficiently strong on January 5, the day the oath of office was administered.

I predicted (privately) that Franken would win, but it would be a long, drawn out process to decide who would take the seat. I have not been disappointed. It has turned into the circus I knew it could be unless Coleman decided to grow fairness genes over Hanukkah.

Franken Declared Winner
On April 13, a panel of three state court judges declared Al Franken the winner, but Norm Coleman has appealed the decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court. There, it is expected that three judges will need to recuse themselves, leaving four judges to rule on the case.



Mercury Retrograde Could Play a Role.
When will Senator Franken be seated in the Senate? A look at his chart can give us clues. What I find interesting about Franken’s chart is the fact that he has Sun and Mars conjunct at 0̊ Gemini (no wonder he has been a comedian). Mercury is set to go over these points three times when it turns retrograde on May 6 just past these planets (at 1̊45' Gemini), effectively standing still on Mr. Franken’s Sun-Mars. This does not sound like swift movement into his designated seat.

However, Mercury has been known to shake things loose. Mercury does not tangle with anyother of his planets. In contrast, it will square Coleman’s Sun in Leo three times. Sounds like bad news for Mr. Coleman! It is possible that, during the three weeks of Mercury’s retrograde, the race will be below the radar. However, if there is news, it will be on the days that Mercury contacts Franken’s Sun-Mars, which are April 30 – May 2, May 12-13, and June 14.

Any bets on June 14?
Although there are many factors to consider, and divining a date for such an event is a bit like guessing when a baby will be born, June 14 or thereabouts is a good possible date for when the Minnesota Supreme Court will make a decision, and it will be in his favor. It is possible that a decision will come on one of the other dates, and if so, the time table moves up, but the dates still apply in some fashion.

Governor Tim Pawlenty could ostensibly decide not to sign the document authorizing Franken to take the seat, especially if, as expected, Coleman appeals to the US Supreme Court. However, if he does so, he cannot do so on the same basis as he is currently using. He will have to claim that he was denied equal representation. This is a substantially different argument that would result in the election being thrown out. Widely held speculation suggests that the Supremes will refuse to hear the case, but this will take time.


Coleman's Game
Of course, the name of the game (well, there are two of them) is: One, win by any means necessary; two, delay the seating of Senator Franken as long as possible to weaken the Democrats in the Senate and to shame Al Franken as much as possible. A little on the backstory here. In 2002, just before the election, the incumbent Senator Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash while campaigning in his state. His opponent was Norm Coleman, who was losing badly to this popular senator. Coleman, the Republican Party at some level, and the right wing media conspired to defame the Democrats before, during, and after Wellstone’s funeral, in a shameful example of human behavior. Coleman won against Democratic replacement candidate Walter Mondale and held the seat for one term.

Eclipses Could Play a Role.
If the senate seat remains in limbo past this time, the eclipses will come into play. A Lunar Eclipse on July 7 picks up Franken’s Venus/Neptune square, plus Coleman’s Mars/Neptune square, with equal intensity. The Solar Eclipse on July 21 triggers neither chart, but a rare second Lunar Eclipse on August 5 falls near enough to Al Franken’s MC/IC to suggest that he is likely to take or be in office at this time.

This is a rough estimate, and not a definitive analysis; let’s see what unfolds.