July/August 2014 Issue

Can the Zodiac Explain Why Washington, DC, Is So Messed Up?

An astrologer divines why Capricorn Ted Cruz can’t get along with “typical Leo” Barack Obama.

Dongyun Lee

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For ages, people have looked to the heavens to understand the strange doings of their earthly leaders. In that spirit, we divined the star sign of every member of Congress and then contacted Nick Dagan Best, a Montreal-based astrologer and the author of URANU.S.A.—”a graphic nonfiction astrology novel”—who has studied Washington’s “astrological dynamic” past and present. (For instance, an infamous 1856 incident in which a congressman severely beat Sen. Charles Sumner on the Senate floor can be explained by Mars being in retrograde, a time of heightened tension.)

Pluto, which has retained its astrological power despite being delisted as a planet, is in Capricorn right now and will be until 2023. That means we can expect big things from Capricorn Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, says Best. Younger senators with air signs are also rising. Best likes the prospects of Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republicans Marco Rubio and Mike Lee, all Geminis. Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Tammy Baldwin are also primed to have lasting impact. “It’s not just that they’re Aquarians,” Best says. “They’re the right kind of Aquarians.”

What about Barack Obama, one of only four Leos to ever occupy the White House? “The typical Leo failing is that they really want to make everybody happy,” Best explains. “That becomes kind of an obsession.” But he foresees bright times for the president if he hangs tough through the midterms. “In 2015, people are going to be saying his name and chanting the slogans again.” Beat that, Nate Silver.

Most common zodiac sign for…
House members: Gemini
Senators: Scorpio
Congressional Democrats: Libra
Congressional Republicans: Gemini
All presidents: Aquarius
All Americans: Cancer

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

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