The United States’ Birth Chart: Astrology Of The USA

Countries, states and cities all have birth charts just like people do. Astrologers who study world events often look at the charts of countries and their leaders to predict future events.

A country's birth chart is created using the year, day and hour the country was ‘born.’ For example, the date for the United States' birth chart is typically seen as July 4th, 1776. There is a Sagittarius rising chart as well as a Gemini rising chart for this date, but I personally use the Sagittarius rising chart which is based on a time of 5:10 PM, in Philadelphia and is supported by certain historical documents and seems to play out accurately. Alternatively, some astrologers believe that July 2nd is the actual date of the US chart since this was the day the crucial vote for independence was taken.

United States birth chart

After years of research, I believe that the Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius chart on July 4th, 1776 describes traits the United States embodies such as optimism and expansion along with the idea of the Wild West. This is a commonly used chart called the ‘Sibly chart.’ There are other charts and times in question but when I refer to the US chart in this article, I am referring to the Sibly chart for all practical purposes even though all astrologers do not agree on this chart and there are numerous others.

The Sun in the United States' birth chart: Cancer

The Sun in the US chart or any other, describes the leader of the country whether it is a King, Queen, Prime Minister or President. It also describes the nature of the country and its identity.

In the U.S.' chart, the Sun falls at 13 degrees of Cancer in the seventh house. Cancer is a warm and sensitive sign and embodies the concept of home, the homeland and family and ranks nurturing at the top of the list. The Sun is conjunct Jupiter and Venus, both also in Cancer. Jupiter conjunct the Sun is a positive and lucky aspect that shows a basically honorable population. It is a blessing to have an aspect like this and since Jupiter is one of the financial planets, it makes sense that the United States is still considered the wealthiest country in the world.

The Sun is in the seventh house of the U.S.' chart, or the house that rules partners. The U.S. places a great deal of emphasis on the bonds it forms with other countries that it considers partners. This aspect also implies friendliness between the classes of people at home as opposed to other systems such as the caste system. It increases the power of the people over the government.

The Sun squares Saturn

Sun square Saturn is a challenging transit and the Sun squares Saturn in Libra in the 11th house. Saturn in Libra is considered exalted which means it is most comfortable in this sign. Libra rules justice and the law, and the U.S. is a nation of laws. Even with its faults, the U.S. has one of the best and most fair legal systems in the world.

Saturn is the planet of discipline, responsibility and hard work. This is the classic aspect of the person who rises to the top of their profession through a great deal of effort and hard work. It symbolizes the self-made individual. Throughout U.S. history this has been the case and many well-known Americans are self-made such as Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Benjamin Franklin, John D. Rockefeller and many others. People from all over the world come to the U.S. for the opportunities that are available.

With the Sun square Saturn, certain Presidents or leaders may face unpopularity or obstacles and delays may occur in terms of the passage of legislation as a result. Obstacles may arise between branches of government such as Congress and the President with this aspect. At times the health of the nation may suffer as a result of this placement.

The Moon in the United States chart: Aquarius

In the Sibley chart, the Moon falls in the third house in Aquarius at 27 degrees. The Moon represents the people and their moods. Aquarius is the sign that rules the 11th house or the collective, and Aquarius is the sign of independence, brotherhood and freedom.

The United States has four planets in Cancer — The Sun, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter — so the Moon in the Sibly chart acts as the final depositor. Since this is the case, the needs of the final depositor or the Moon must be met. Ultimately, the people rule everything through their elected representatives with the Moon in Aquarius. The people are sovereign and if the government becomes too corrupt the Constitution gives the people the right to alter or change the government.

The Moon in the third house also shows a great deal of travel, communication and means of transit. Important matters concerning education, communication and the Post Office come to the front with this placement. These matters have always been important to Americans.

Dominant transits in the United States’ birth chart

Mars square Neptune 7th to the 9th house

At its best, this is an idealistic vision, representing a strong ethical stance, but at the same time, there can be confusion over the actual effects of its actions, leaving it inadvertently open to corruption from those who would mislead in the name of ideology and/or religion. Whoever wins the Presidency inherits an empire with this duality and as a result must have the vision and the wisdom to see beyond what the issues appear to be, with a clear vision of what the future can be.

Neptune is the planet of dreams, fantasy and imagination, which is expressed by our film industry. With its positive influence, we can experience divine union and artistic imagination and fight for our ideals. But, Neptune squares Mars and Mars connects with violence and aggression. We can lose touch with reality, glamorize violence and descend into a society of conspiracy theories if left unchecked. It can also represent a form of compassion versus aggression and violence or blurred visions of right and wrong.

Transiting Neptune opposed Neptune and squared Mars before and during the U.S. Civil War. It was one of the most violent and bloody wars in U.S. history and involved compassion in terms of those who wanted to end slavery (Neptune) versus those who were willing to fight to keep slaves as property (Mars).

This transit occurred again from 2020-2022 and is still within orb today. The first and only riot at the Capitol by American citizens occurred on January 6th, 2021 when Donald Trump, the only U.S. President to ever fail to concede an election, was accused of encouraging his supporters to go to the Capitol in protest of what he called a ‘rigged’ election. Conspiracy theories about many matters have abounded during this period and the country is more divided than in the lifetime of anyone reading this.

The deaths of unarmed Black people at the hands of police have also been significant news during these years and include victims like Dante Wright, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray and Eric Garner to name only a few of the more well-known cases.

Since this aspect began in 2020 we have seen parts of society and politics that want to reverse past accomplishments such as the freedom of a woman to choose, rights of the LGBTQ+ community, voting rights and most recently the SCOTUS decision to in effect end Affirmative Action which was intended to create educational and workplace diversity for those who are underrepresented.

This aspect also coincided with COVID-19 as Neptune can rule infectious diseases. In fact, during the Civil War which shared these transits, more soldiers died from infectious disease than fighting.

Mercury opposite Pluto

In the Sibley chart, Mercury opposes Pluto from the 8th to the 2nd house of the chart. The combination of Mercury-Pluto refers to media among other things such as money, incomes and the financial well-being of the country.

This aspect, present during the time of transition from being governed by a monarchy to an emerging democracy, shows the mental activity required by its founders and their well-thought-out efforts, especially since Mercury was in station retrograde.

The media plays a significant role in the United States and has been referred to as the ‘fourth estate.’ This powerful opposition represents a sharp focus on the recognition of opposing political points of view and the collective mindset. The typical definition of a transit like this is propaganda, and Pluto cements these various concepts into the collective mind.

While the Revolutionary War was the first physical manifestation of this aspect, we can see more recent manifestations in terms of military actions in the Middle East.

The United States' Pluto return

Over the past several years we have been experiencing the first U.S. Pluto return. This means Pluto returns to its original place in the US chart at 27 degrees of Capricorn. Many people believe the U.S. is more polarized politically than any other time since the Civil War. Some significant events that have recently occurred during Pluto’s first return include:

A resurgence of Black Lives Matter in response to police shootings of unarmed African Americans.
The release of documents from the U.S. Justice Dept concerning Russian interference in the U.S. election that occurred through propaganda.
Lies and mistruths by media networks concerning the U.S. election, other news and subsequent lawsuits.
A ferreting out of political corruption by the Department of Justice.
Financial assistance provided by the U.S. to Ukraine for the attack by Russia.

The results of the US Pluto return will play out for years to come. We will experience one last pass of Pluto conjunct Pluto in the US chart from September 19th to November 1st of this year.

Sun, Venus, Jupiter conjunct and square Saturn

The first three planets are all conjunct in Capricorn in the seventh house of the U.S. chart and represent social interaction, material wealth and satisfaction. These three planets carried to the extreme, however, can result in greed, the increased size of things such as land and appetites. Jupiter is associated with faith and expands whatever it touches for good or ill.

Since these three planets also square Saturn, however, this same combination can result in denial of the same qualities that can be carried to the extreme. In the U.S. we constantly alternate in terms of binge and diet and boom and bust.

Uranus in the 6th house

Uranus is the visionary and it falls in the sixth house of the U.S. chart which rules the military, workers, and to an extent the health of the nation. The U.S. military has been called the greatest in the world, and the US has historically been a country of visionaries and inventors. This placement can also indicate strikes and worker discontent and at times affect the health of the nation.

Aquarius will heavily influence the United States and the world in the near future.

At this time we are still in the throes of the U.S. Pluto return since Pluto has recently returned to Capricorn.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of structure, hard work and responsibilities. We can expect the status quo to continue for the rest of 2023, but in January of 2024 it inches into Aquarius for the first half of the year.

Pluto will also enter Aquarius for the next 19 years on November 19, 2024. When this occurs we will see major changes in the U.S. and around the world as Pluto rules the collective. Pluto last transited Aquarius from 1777-1798 and we saw many changes including the French Revolution and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The Age of Enlightenment reached a crescendo during these years embodying the concepts of self-governance, reason and humanity's power to steer its own destiny. The same will happen once again, but of course in different ways.

Aquarius rules the 11th house of the collective and represents the qualities of equality and brotherhood to name a few. We will see a demand for justice and equality over these years, but it won’t be an easy path. This time Pluto is in Aquarius we will no doubt be focused on technology, medicine, information data, systems of power and science.

By 2026, Pluto will sextile Neptune and Saturn and trine Uranus. All of the outer planets; Neptune, Uranus, Pluto and Saturn will form an amazing configuration with each other that has the potential to benefit mankind in ways that have not yet been seen in our lifetime, regardless of whatever else is happening in the world.

Happy Birthday, America!

Leslie Hale is a professional astrologer offering personal astrology readings worldwide by phone, WhatsApp, or Zoom.