John McCain's Virgo Sun is undergoing a transit of Saturn which began last November, took a second hit in February, and just concluded.  Because of Saturn's tendency to create limitations and challenge, the transit of Saturn to the Sun can make it difficult for any individual to express themselves in the best light.

McCain's greatest weakness is his inability to relate well to others, as shown in the opposition between Saturn and Venus (love and relationships) in his birthchart.  To exacerbate the situation even more, Saturn in his chart is retrograde, showing that he is particularly self-critical, and both Saturn and Venus are squared by Chiron (healing and wounding) which shows that this has been a lifelong challenge for him and a painful one.

Currently, Uranus is beginning a challenging transit to this T-square of planets including Venus, Saturn and Chiron in McCain's natal chart, an event that began in May as transiting Uranus collided with McCain's Saturn, and coming to a head in June, July and August with Uranus changing direction in what we call a "station" (where the planet virtually stands still) in an exact opposition to Venus and square to Chiron. 

Uranus is the Awakener, the Disrupter.  It brings about change and a radically new way of doing things.  Often when we are undergoing a planetary transit, the planet in question appears in the form of a person who exhibits the traits of that planet to introduce its influence into our lives.  Uranus is personified in this transit by Barack Obama, the cool cat with Aquarius rising (ruled by Uranus) who is all about change. 

And Obama's popularity and newness (Uranus) is bringing out all of the painful (Chiron) awkwardness of the guy who can't get a date with the press (McCain's Saturn/Venus opposition) who he complains has been ignoring him.  In fact, a Wall Street Journal headline asks, "Is McCain Stupid?" 

Over the next month McCain's progressed Virgo Moon will catch up to a conjunction with his progressed Mars/Midheaven conjunction.  It's quite possible that during this period we will see McCain blow up into one of his famous rages for which he has become so famous but which have been so notably absent during the campaign. 

In November transiting Saturn will oppose Saturn in his natal chart and set off the whole Venus/Chiron thing.  Typically we would expect this kind of cycle to denote a time of difficulty, but some powerful people can glean the most from this transit and use it to work their way to success.  This is not usually McCain's methodology, however, and I would guess that this Saturn event, coming around election time, will not be an easy one.  

from Lynn Hayes Blog:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/astrologicalmusings/

The Saturn-Uranus Opposition on Election Day

Despite the reservations, all five astrologers though Barack Obama would win, some more hesitantly than others. Bearing in mind that statistical research reveals that the vast majority of astrologers at US congresses vote for the Democratic Party, this is perhaps not surprising. However objective you think you are, the truth is that we are powerfully influenced by our preferences. Predicting a winner you dislike is unhealthy, because there is a tendency to want that person to win to fulfill your prediction.

HOROSCOPE: 4th August 1961 19.24 Honolulu. (AS 18.03 AQ)

The horoscope is quite surprising because it places the Ascendant ruler Saturn in the 12th and the Sun in Leo in the 6th house. Both these planets are dignified in their own signs, which is very helpful for success, but the 6th / 12th house emphasis is said to be weak. It certainly tones down the arrogance, of which Obama is accused (they spotted that Leo), and emphasizes the sacrifice and service element. Both Bush and Blair have their Sun in the 12th house, so it would seem this is an important position in politics.

With such a fine testimony to the birth time, it is tempting to check out the progressions to see if the time is backed up by events. And it is. Obama’s parents were separated when he was about two years old, and this is the time when the MC/IC axis moves from Scorpio to Sagittarius. Being born with the axis in the 28th degree of Scorpio/Taurus is a sign of much residency instability and change in life. When he was 6, his mother remarried and moved to Indonesia for four years �?this was exactly the time when his progressed Descendant conjoined Uranus and subsequently went over the nodes in Leo/Aquarius �?his first baptism in an international environment.

He returned to the island of Hawaii when the Ascendant changed sign into Pisces, going on to trine Venus in Cancer �?he went to live with his maternal grandparents. Earlier his MC/IC axis had squared Chiron and Pluto, which suggests a wrenching upheaval from his mother. Later in 1982, when his biological father (who he only saw once after the birth year in 1971) was killed in a car accident, he was experiencing a progressed full moon with the Sun on Pluto and the moon on Chiron.

Obama graduated from Harvard in 1991 with the Ascendant progressed at 25 Pisces trining Saturn �?the previous years had activated his incredibly hard-working Saturn/Mars trine in Earth. The MC progressed was trine the North Node the same year, and shortly afterwards he married. As his Ascendant entered Aries and MC Capricorn in 1995 things really started moving for home. Around the time when his Ascendant progressed squared Venus in Cancer, his mother died of ovarian cancer and he became elected democratic senator for Illinois state senate �?progressed IC was on Venus. His political career advanced through the nineties and in November 2004 he was elected to the Senate with Ascendant progressed at 12 Aries exactly trining his Sun in Leo. 

What then do the progressions show for the all-important election on November 4th 2008? Not a lot. By this time the progressed Ascendant is at 17.14 Aries and the MC progressed at 12.10 Capricorn, which is �?perhaps auspiciously and perhaps not �?quincunx his Sun. It should be noted that the mid-point of Venus and Mars in Obama’s chart is exactly on his Leo sun, which may account for his charisma and popularity. His progressed Sun is at 28.14 Virgo which is actually trine his progressed Jupiter at 27.20 Capricorn, but this probably refers to his success since he announced his candidacy. In late 2010 the Sun progresses into Libra and trines his radix Jupiter.

But his progressions do reveal several astonishing influences. Firstly the progressed Moon at this time is at 16.18 Aquarius, which means that at the time of the inauguration it will be within ½ degree of his Ascendant, which is surely a sign the people of America �?in the US chart the Moon is at 27 Aquarius �?is fully behind him. And when you bear in mind that the inauguration takes place on January 20th with the Sun at 0.47 Aquarius �?which is the position of Obama’s Jupiter (0.52) �?and that retrograde Mercury at this time is also at 0.41 Aquarius, the omens look very good for him. If you support Obama rather than McCain, that is a good sign. This is actually the time when Jupiter returns to Aquarius; at inauguration it is at 3.32 Aquarius, a Jupiter return for Obama.

Jupiter is interesting in Obama’s chart because it carries the water from Aquarius to bring sustenance to Capricorn, retrograding back to 27 Capricorn, and in fact turning direct by progression over the next 4 years. This does suggest a mission of bringing radical change to the political structure. His sun progressed trines Jupiter progressed now, and will trine the radix position in 2010. Another favorable indication on election day is that Saturn in Virgo trines Jupiter in Capricorn and both sextile Mars in Scorpio, which is a repeat of the Mars trine Saturn/Jupiter in Obama’s birth chart: This indicates that his organization talent pays off and that the country resonates with a belief that he is up to the job.