Yorktown 1781
At Yorktown, on October 19 1781, the British comman­der surrendered to the US troops, thereby ending the war. Significant transiting aspects were:

• A very narrow conjunction between transiting Uranus and Venus in the 10th house - a clear mark of victory, of freedom and a new per­spective won, in relation to the power of the nation and its relations to nations it is linked to.

• An opposition between transiting Mars in the 5th house and the moon's node in the 11th, marking action of domestic initiative, opposing the posi­tion it has in international relations.

• An almost precise trine between the same Mars and Uranus in the 9th house, showing both that the martial activity stimulates a new order of the nation, and that the tendency to create new order in the nation stimulates this martial activity.

     The first and the third of the above are the most significant to the event of the day. Of course, there were other transit aspects, but of minor importance and relevance.



Versailles 1783
In the peace treaty of Versailles, September 3 of 1783, the British accepted US independence. On this date, there was a number of transit aspects to the US horo­scope, the most significant being:

• An almost precise opposition between transiting Mars, retrograde, in the 7th house, and Saturn in the 1st house - showing that a break in the bilateral relation, already in reality accomplished, seems to contradict a US attitude of faithfully standing by its commitments. This implies that the USA by this event lost some trust, not only by the British, but also that the nation won respect for its firm position.

• An almost precise opposition between transiting retrograde Saturn in the 4th house and Jupiter in the 10th, which shows how domestic re­sponsibilities already committed to, demanded actions which were costly to US relations to other nations - again implying that Britain cannot have been the only European country disturbed by this step.

     The two almost precise oppositions above, indicate clearly that the treaty of Versailles was both a difficult and costly step for the USA. We have to remember that the French revolution was still some years in the future, so any revolt against a kingdom was not taken lightly - not even by its enemies. The USA must have been regarded as something of a barbarian nation.

Constitution 1787
On the 17th of September in 1787, the Constitution of the United States was passed, marked by the following most significant transits:


Signing of the Constitution. Painting by Howard Chandler Christy.

• A very narrow conjunction between transit retro­grade Saturn and the moon in the 5th house, showing a duty, an obligation, of a purely domestic nature - a commitment demanded from domestic needs. This commitment was not as radical as first intended, the retrograde points out, but readily accepted.

• Transit Mars forms a very narrow conjunction with Venus in the 10th house, which signals a firm decision taken in the seat of power, having a fruitful influence on the continued work of the rulers as well as on the relation to other countries.

• An almost precise trine between transit retro­grade Pluto in the 5th house and Saturn in the 1st. This indicates a drastic and significant change in the domestic situation, also marking a change in the nation's attitude and self image. A national pride is both nourished by the change, and a reason for this change.

     The transits mentioned above point clearly to the Constitution primarily satisfying the nation's inner needs and wishes - the trio of houses 1, 5 and 10 involved is in this combination dealing with self esteem, pride and position in the world.

George Washington 1789
About a year and a half after the Constitution was passed, USA's first president was sworn in: George Washington, on the 30th of April 1789. Considering the importance this office has shown to have in the US political and social life, ever since the first president, this date is of quite some significance to the nation. Its most important transits are:


Inauguration of George Washington 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall, New York. A contemporary picture.

• Transit Uranus on the cusp of the 11th house has a near to precise sextile with the ascendant, showing that the presidency will be an office of impressive importance way beyond the domain of its function, and to a large extent improve international respect of the nation. Uranus also implies that this presidency is a new and reformed form of leadership, which will influence leadership perspectives both domestically and abroad. The focus of it is on competence, rather than inheritance, and still with a lot of pomp to it, since Uranus is in Leo.

• Transit Mars in the 7th house has a close square to the sun in the 10th, showing that the complications with the presidency will be in bilateral relations and allies, also the president's cooperation with the house of representatives will be a bumpy ride, where conflicts are not rare - but still fruitful to the government of the nation.

• The close to precise trine between transit Neptune in the 1st house and Mars in the 9th, indicates that the symbolic qualities of the presidency, the power of the idea of this leadership, will be helpful in reforms and renewals of the nation, in setting new courses and following them.

• Transit Jupiter in the 10th house has a close to precise sextile to Neptune in the 12th house and a less precise conjunction with natal Mercury. This means that the success to follow the beginning of the presidency is more clear in dreams than in reality - that is, as a symbol, a uniting and inspiring force in the subconscious of the US population, more than in the day to day governing of the nation, where struggle and difficulties are not done away with by the presidency, but maybe even increased.

• The square of transit Mercury in the 7th house to natal Mercury in the 10th again points out the complications for the presidency to work smoothly with other governing bodies of the nation - especially the house of representatives, to which the presidency is sort of a partner, though from neither side a very pleasing arrangement.

• Transit Venus by the cusp of the 8th house has an almost exact sextile to natal Venus in the 10th, showing that from the start the presidency will prove to be fruitful in the government (although as seen above not easy), especially in having a way of making the nation's leadership seem like a natural order of things, as if "meant to be", and also in times of crisis and unforeseen disaster, where the president is able to bring optimism and strength to the government.

     The transits do sum up to a positive whole, which is clear also by the fact that there are no opposition aspects at all. The conflicts between the presidency and the house of representatives is stressed in many ways, but also the importance of this leadership as a symbol for the nation, helping to move it forward.

19th Century events

© Stefan Stenudd 2001