Unconventional Aquarius

Sarah Palin Astrology Profile

by Jeff Jawer

Sarah Palin has five planets in the idealistic sign of Aquarius. Yet the close conjunctions of stern Saturn and aggressive Mars with her Sun give her the strong will and sharp elbows of a pragmatic politician.

Sarah Palin is by all odds an unusual woman. Born February 11, 1964, she has the Sun and four other planets in Aquarius, the sign of originality. The mother, governor, hunter and ex-basketball player has been thrust into the national spotlight at lightning speed, stirring excitement from conservatives and consternation from moderates. Aquarians are supposed to be progressive humanists but Sarah, like Dick Cheney, represents the right wing of this frequently surprising sign. The likely reasons for her departure from the usual Aquarian themes of intellectualism and tolerance are the close conjunctions of Mars and Saturn with her Sun. Traditional Astrology called these “malefics,” representing the challenges they represent. Today’s astrologers have a more enlightened and nuanced view of them, yet some of their harsher characteristics still apply.

Saturn, the planet of authority, control and limits, is associated with conservatism. Palin’s adherence to a fundamentalist form of Christianity is an expression of Saturn’s absolutist side. She was born with the karmic South Node of the Moon in Capricorn, Saturn’s home sign, reinforcing a hierarchical view of reality that favors control and eschews questioning. Certainly, the presence of this powerful planet signifies her ambition and success in becoming a governor. Dick Cheney, by contrast, was born with Saturn in a tense 90-degree square to his Aquarius Sun, darkening the sign’s idealism with an instinct for rigid rule.

Mars is a warrior, the planet of assertion and aggression. It’s often strong in the charts of athletes, and Palin was a star high school basketball player. Her on-court ferociousness earned her the nickname “Barracuda.” This competitive side serves her well in the political world, where Mars’ combative nature can be a major asset. Active Mars conjunct the Sun is a natural fighter, one who is more inclined to battle than to negotiate. Palin, the former beauty queen, is gifted with charm that has worked well to balance the unyielding drive and determination that marks her chart. Venus, the planet of grace, forms a harmonious 60-degree sextile with mental Mercury and the Moon, both in Aquarius. She can flash a smile as effectively as she can wield a knife, and is likely to demonstrate a sharp wit as well.

When astrologers talk among themselves, they often characterized people by their significant planets as well as by their signs. Sarah Palin is definitely an Aquarius, an original who mixes motherhood, religion, hunting and politics in a Great Northern stew unlike any we’ve ever seen before. Yet in spite of her debatable reputation as a reformer, an Aquarian trait, she’s a Mars-Saturn person to those in the know ... which means she’s one tough barracuda.