Hillary Clinton’s Real Birth Time

UPDATE: Yep, I failed to correctly predict the 2016 election outcome. Keep reading though.

There’s a problem with Hillary Clinton’s birth time. The two most commonly reported birth times for Hillary are 8:02 am and 8 pm, cataloged on Astrodatabank. The claim for 8:02 am come from Alice Mason who talked to an unnamed Clinton associate, corroborated by a friend of Basil Fearrington who asked Hillary herself. The claims for 8 pm come from Hillary Clinton herself, multiple times, although she has been reported giving different times to the same question. There appears to have been no birth announcement published at the time of her birth and unless the public is granted access to Hillary Clinton’s birth certificate, there will be no way to verify which time is correct.  However, I want to compare the two charts according to fundamental astrological principles and present what I consider to be good evidence for the correct birth time.

Before beginning this analysis it’s important to outline how someone can judge the differences between the two charts.

• Sect

Sect is the distinction between day and night charts. The Sun, Jupiter and Saturn belong to the diurnal sect while the Moon, Venus, Mars are of the nocturnal sect. Mercury is diurnal when oriental of the Sun, nocturnal when occidental. It is useful for this kind of determination about Hillary’s chart because one reported birth time is during the day and the other is at night. If she was born during the day, Saturn would be more constructive and Mars would be more problematic. If she was born at night, Mars would be more constructive and Saturn would be more problematic. It’s easier to focus on the malefics because bad stuff is easier to notice.

• The Ascendant

The Ascendant is the sign and degree of the eastern horizon at the precise time of birth. Since it is where the Sun makes its first appearance beginning a new day, astrologically it signifies one’s appearance and general impetus in life. The Ascendant is colored by the particular zodiacal sign it falls into. For example, a Libra Ascendant may have more balanced, symmetrical features, and present themselves in a graceful and pleasing manner. A Capricorn Ascendant may have a more mature or solemn look, and present themselves in a serious or professional manner. Looking at the two different Ascendants of the two different times will allow us to make some qualitative judgments as to which sign Hillary seems to fit more, but there is another component to consider alongside the sign of the Ascendant.

• The Ruler of the Ascendant

The ruler of the Ascendant indicates how one gets about in life, their habitual approach in life, their modus operandi. For example, someone with Venus ruling the Ascendant might characteristically use charm, beauty and social connections to get through life. If the chart is diurnal, this approach may be unwisely applied, or perceived as brash or inauthentic. If the chart is nocturnal, then this approach is better received, or perceived as graceful and authentic. Someone with Saturn ruling the Ascendant might be more cautious, patient, disciplined or somber in their approach to life. If the chart is diurnal, then this approach is considered respectable, sensible, opportune. If the chart is nocturnal, then this approach can be perceived as cowardly, cruel or miserly.

• The House of the Ruler of the Ascendant

The ruler of the Ascendant falls into a particular house which calls attention to a particular topic in their approach to life. For example, someone with Venus ruling the Ascendant with Venus present in the 4th house may be someone who characteristically uses charm, beauty and social connections in the sphere of the family, the home and community. This could be someone who benefits greatly from their family connections, whose home is a center for social gatherings, or attempts to beautify or otherwise serve their local community, through art, music, recycling or housing renovations. Contrast that with someone who has Venus ruling the Ascendant in the 8th house, who characteristically uses charm, beauty and social connections in the sphere of other’s finances, taxes, inheritances, legacies. This could be someone who benefits greatly from inheritances or finds success in banking or fundraising.

• Planets conjunct the Ascendant

Even if a planet does not rule the Ascendant, if it is conjunct the Ascendant, it can become a defining characteristic. That person may become a kind of exemplar of that planet, it’s at the forefront of their personal and public presentation.

8:02 AM, Scorpio Rising

If she were born at 8:02 am, then she was born when Scorpio was rising. The ruler of the Ascendant is Mars in the 10th, the highest position in the chart indicating a focus on the topic of career, reputation and public life.  Mars ruling the Ascendant would indicate a tenacious, competitive, bold and even ruthless approach to life, especially in her public presentation and professional ambitions. Mars is powerfully placed in this chart, although because it’s a day chart, it would not always work in her best interests. True to the nature of Mars the warrior, a term often used to describe Hillary by both herself, her supporters and opponents is a “fighter”.

At 8:02 am, a retrograde Mercury in Scorpio was rising on the eastern horizon. Many of Mercury’s qualities are widely observed in Hillary’s character by friend and foe alike – her intelligence, her cunning, her skill in debate, her calculating nature, her political savviness. Just as Mercury has extremely hot and cold sides, Hillary is commonly regarded as a polarizing figure. When asked in 1993 about her public persona, she even responded “I’m a Rorschach test”. In any case, a retrograde Mercury rising in Scorpio would be appropriate as an unambiguous marker to her very political nature, for better or worse.

8 PM, Gemini Rising

If she were born at 8 pm, then she was born when Gemini was rising. The ruler of the Ascendant is a retrograde Mercury in the 6th, a cadent house in the chart. Mercury ruling the Ascendant would indicate an adaptable, crafty, cunning, quick-thinking, mathematical and communicative approach to getting through life, especially in her presentation and in the areas of health, employment and service. Mercury is weakly placed in this chart, although because it’s a night chart and Mercury is occidental, Mercury could work to the native’s advantage. One episode that Hillary is still well-known for was her doomed attempt to reform the nation’s healthcare system, which was even called Hillarycare. It is something she was well known for, and ultimately the episode proved not to be an insurmountable setback for her ambitions.

At 8 pm, Uranus in Gemini was rising on the eastern horizon. Uranus is the radical, the activist, the anarchist, the whistleblower, the disruptor of established order. Hillary in her own way is looking to break the glass ceiling of the presidency, and she got her start in politics as an activist. Uranus is also known for its association with technology, and Hillary recounted writing to NASA as a teenager to enquire about how to become an astronaut, only to be told that women need not apply. I’m already not sure that this is the best descriptor of Hillary.

8:00:47 PM, Cancer Rising

One potential complication with 8 pm is that 47 seconds after 8 pm, Cancer began to rise. In this case, the ruler of the Ascendant is the Moon in 9th. The Moon ruling the Ascendant would indicate a passive, reflective, gathering, nurturing and emotional approach to getting through life, especially in areas of higher education, law, religion and spirituality. Although the Moon is cadent in the 9th, because it’s a night chart and the Moon is of the nocturnal sect, this approach would be beneficial to the native. Perhaps this describes her approach to campaigns, her famed lunar-like “listening tours”, and no one disputes the importance of her Methodist upbringing as a factor in her devotion to public service and her marriage.

8:02 AM vs 8:00 PM vs 8:00:47 PM

So is she more of an intense and enigmatic retrograde Mercury in Scorpio rising with a Martian impulse to claw her way to the top, or is she more of a talkative and revolutionary-minded Uranus in Gemini rising with a Mercurial impulse to shuffle the deck in areas of health and employment or more of a sentimental Moon in Pisces with a lunar impulse to gather others to her politics and philosophy?

1) The planetary placements are less eminent and descriptive at 8 pm than the 8 am chart

At 8 am, the Ascendant ruler Mars is in the 10th, an angular house, which makes a lot more sense for someone with as high a profile as she has and for how doggedly she has pursued her political ambitions despite remarkable challenges and failures. To me this seems more descriptive of Hillary than the other two possibilities, and the 10th house is objectively a more dynamic place in a chart as an angular house. The 10th house is after all where the Sun is normally at its highest point. Compared to Mercury and the Moon in cadent places at 8 pm, the 8 am chart is certainly more eminent in terms of angularity, it just stands out.

Even more remarkable at 8:02 am is the mutual reception between the Sun in Scorpio in the 1st and Mars in Leo in the 10th. It’s an intimidating combination, mutually reinforcing her actions and appearances as a tough leader, or as she prefers, a “fighter”. This dynamic occurs when Gemini and Cancer are rising but in houses seemingly unrelated (3rd and 6th? 2nd and 5th?) to where we see it in Hillary’s life (1st and 10th).

2) The role of Mercury makes more sense at 8:02 am

The 8:02 am time makes Mercury’s placement a central part of her identity and public persona. At 8 pm with Gemini rising, Mercury represents the way in which she approaches life. I think Hillary’s identity and persona is far more Mercurial than is her general approach to life. This is a narrow distinction, but one I think aligns with the most broadly shared opinions about Hillary. If Hillary was born at 8 pm, then Uranus conjunct her Ascendant would have to be explained, and I can only qualitatively judge that Hillary personifies Mercury more than she does Uranus. Hillary is more of politician seeking to improve the status quo from a place of respectability than a bomb-throwing revolutionary, decorum be damned.

Okay, but this is still somewhat subjective. What about transits?

I’m glad you asked…