Howdy Travelers.
Taking a break from the finishing touches of my tarot classes and the start of my astrology classes, I’ve had a series of dreams (which I won’t write about here, but have marked down in my journal) about “presidents”. These dreams brought to mind an idea that has been stirring around in the back of my brain - what archetypes have the previous president’s embodied/represented according to their number.
Please note that these are my personal observations and while I give examples, not all may fit and some may cross over.
Jimmy Carter #39 = The Hanged Man (Key 12)
Ronald Reagan #40 = The Emperor (Key 4)*
George Herbert Walker Bush #41 = The Hierophant (Key 5)
William Jefferson Clinton #42 = The Lovers (Key 6)
George Walker Bush #43 = The Chariot (Key 7)
Barack Hussein Obama #44 = Strength (Key 8)
*45 = The Hermit (Key 9)
Joseph Robinette Biden #46 = Wheel of Fortune/The Magician
#39 Jimmy Carter - Key 12, The Hanged Man
I like to call the “accidental” president. He had always been involved in politics and was even Governor of Georgia from 1971-1975. Served in the Navy on submarines and even left politics for while to return to his father’s peanut farm to help it out of bankruptcy. Even after leaving the political spotlight, he has remained a humanitarian and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, for his continued work aimed at promoting and expanding human rights. His most notable program is Habitat for Humanity. He is the oldest living president at 97.
The Hanged Man being ruled by Neptune represents the ability to see things from a higher/different perspective. He and the planet bring in the energies of compassion, empathy, voluntary sacrifice (leaving politics to become a peanut farmer), idealism, spiritual independence (he is a deeply religious man, yet never forced his beliefs onto the public), observant (recognizing a need for more affordable housing for the lower-middle class). In a nutshell, one could say that The Hanged Man is about the One Identity. Sacrificing the needs of one for the many.
#40 - Ronald Reagan - Key 4, The Emperor
Hollywood royalty. An actor before he was a politician, and lived his private as though he owned the world. This is not meant in a disparaging way, but he was a bit “entitled”. His refusal to accept, acknowledge or lift a hand to help the Gay community during the AIDS crises of the 80’s and his “voodoo economics” was similar to the “Just Say No” program - say no to drugs, pull yourselves up and men stop having sex with men and it’ll all just go away. This is the “my way or the highway” energy of the reversed Emperor.
While I did not like Reagan, I also did not dislike him. My impression of him was like that of the card - an old man in a position of authority who did not have a vision of the future and thus was content to believe that “things are the same/should stay the same”. At the time of his election, he was the oldest president ever elected.
#41 George Herbert Walker Bush - Key 5, The Hierophant
After WWII, where he served as a pilot in the Navy Reserve, Old Man Bush went into politics in the 1960s. He served as Ambassador to the UN, Chief Liaison to the People’s Republic of China, head of the RNC and was appointed by President Ford as DCI (head of the Central Intelligence Agency. Old Man Bush was the first incumbent Vice President to be elected as President since Martin Van Buren in 1836.
If there is one thing I could say about Old Man Bush - he was a true believer. Conservative Christian values, Democracy -with a big D, American superiority, might and strength. Like The Hierophant he had a “calling” from the “true interior” that America was and would always remain “A Shining City on the Hill”.
Old Man Bush believed in institutions and the upholding of “higher principles”. His term was geared heavily towards foreign policy. He presided over the invasion of Panama, the Gulf War and the Iran-Kuwait conflict and from these policies we see Old Man Bush being very dogmatic, back-stabbing and full of intrigues.
#42 William Jefferson Clinton (Key 6, The Lovers)
In fact, his birth name is William Jefferson Blythe III, but since his father was killed an car accident, he took the last name of his mother’s second husband. His mother had four husbands and they moved a lot.
For almost his entire political career, Bill Clinton was known as charismatic and a philanderer. From his Arkansas Governorship all the way to his Oval Office residency, scandals- most involving women and sex seemed to follow Bill Clinton like a shadow - Whitewater Savings and Loans scheme, Gennifer Flowers, Monica Lewinsky.
I once saw an interview with comedian Chris Rock who said: “Clinton was so charismatic that if he’s asked him to have sex with him, he would’ve - or at least thought about it.”
But the other side of him - he was able to preside over the longest period of peace time economic expansion in the history of the country. He signed into law NAFTA which had started under Old Man Bush’s presidency, appointed both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer to the Supreme Court and did a most incredible thing - balanced the budget for the entire Country. But he also enacted the “Three Strikes Law” - The 1994 Crime Bill act (co-authored with Joe Biden). This law states that if a person committed three felonies, they would be sentenced to life in prison without parole. This extended to low level drug convictions as well and caused a massive increase in incarceration numbers in the US. This is the flip side of The Lovers - bad decisions, pressure (people were upset about drugs infiltrating their neighbors).
#43 George Walker Bush - Key 7, The Chariot
My observations on Young Bush is that he did indeed enter the political picture riding a chariot. Having name recognition from his Old Man and after defeating a very popular Texas Democratic Governor - Anne Richards, Young Bush rode in a a fresh wave of triumph.
He too like his father, started by flying planes in the Texas National Guard, but where the story diverges - Young Bush was not a politician. Harvard grad and business man, he once owned the Texas Rangers baseball team and once he was elected, he helped to make Texas the leader in Wind Energy. During his presidency he introduced tort reform, introduced the “No Child Left Behind Act” in education and presided over part two of the Gulf War (part 1 having started with his father). We also remember that he was seated as president during 9-11 and waged war with the Taliban, ousted Saddam Hussein and was widely criticized for his handling of Hurricane Katrina.
For the most part, you could say that Young Bush was moving fast with drive, ambition and success of some of his policies, but then reversing the Chariot with others with misdirection (weapons of mass destruction), conflict, defeat and failure. After his infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on 1 May 2003, celebrating the “defeat” of the Iraqi regime and end of the war on terrorism - his hasty declaration as he rode The Chariot to much acclaimed victory, fell apart as that war ended up being the longest war in US history - the Afghanistan war. I am of the opinion that there really were no “winners” in this conflict.
#44 Barack Hussein Obama - Key 8, Strength
First off, Barack Obama was born 4 August 1961. He’s a Leo. And the Strength card represents the sign of Leo. Second, he was the first Black president ever elected in the 244 year history of the country. To say that he had to have strength and be strong would be understatement when it comes to accepting the nomination of the “First Black President”. Amid fears of possible assassination attempts and overt racism, he stood publicly and announced his dreams. He started his political career as a community organizer in Chicago.
Full of hope, optimism and a “Can-Do” attitude, Obama brought us messages of inspiration and aspiration. The mere mention of his name or sometime of appearance was like a Rock Star. His signature legislation of ACA - Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare” as it became to be known was also borne out of a strength. It was the strength of his ill mother who had to fight the insurance agencies to pay her bills when she was ill and dying of cancer. He is also credited with bringing America back from the brink of another depression during the 80’s financial crises,
But don’t let the bigger than life persona fool you. Obama was more conservative than he let on. He was against Same-Sex marriage, decriminalization of marijuana, and deported more illegal immigrants than any other president in the nation’s history. Let’s not forget his staunch resistance to Edward Snowden, Putin, Julian Assange or that he sent the “Hit Team” out to kill Osama Bin Laden.
I feel that of all the presidents, Obama embodies his archetype the most. He had strong will power, self-control, balance and a vision of what he wanted he wanted his legacy to be. But I will also say, that were many times I was very disappointed in Obama when during the face of extreme opposition from the Senate, he showed a lack of faith, helplessness and weakness all borne out of not wanting to be seen as the “Angry Black Man.” Vainglorious and a Catch-22.
*45 - Donald John Trump - The Hermit, Key 9
The most unexpected president. In fact, so unexpected that he had not speech written for when he won. He never believed he would win, so never prepared. Being “never prepared” is the keystone energy of his administration. Everything was done “off-the-cuff” or last minute.
I could write about things I’ve read about him - his childhood, life at home, his career as a businessman, but I don’t feel I need to. His actions say more than any words ever written. He stands alone “at the top” and this is where he will remain. He uses the staff he holds, not for support, but to beat back any who may challenge his position.
As a student and a teacher - he learned from some of the most ruthless and has revived the education of meanness, being spiteful, hatred, division and bullying. I don’t say he has created these conditions - they have always been hiding beneath the surface of American society. I say he has grabbed America by the arm spun her around and ripped her dress off, exposing her dirty underwear and in this, he is lighting the way for others and offering the “key” to a “situation/crisis”.
My observation is that while some may feel this is part of the “upright” Hermit, I would say that in one respect they would be correct. Deep down though, when I look at him I see nothing but the reversed Hermit - self-pity, deceit, fraud, lies, dishonesty, foolish behavior and narrow-mindedness.
More than anything, I see the isolated figure at the top. He is where he wants to be or believes he should be, yet like the figure on the card, he is there all alone. My mother has a friend who works inside the White House and she mentioned to me once that Melania and Baron did not even stay/sleep at the White House. They stayed with her parents in house over in Virginia. They only came to the White House if they were needed for photo opportunities.
This meant that each and every night, *45 was alone in the White House - with no one share the weight of the office, listen, or offer him kind, loving support. This is why he spent so much time on his phone speaking to his “unofficial advisors”. From his lofty perch, surrounded by the concrete symbols of power - he was alone and isolated. He likes it this way though.
#46 Joseph Robinette Biden - The Wheel of Fortune (Key 10)/The Magician (Key 1)
Joe Biden or Uncle Joe as I like to refer to him. Is another most unlikely president. A long career in politics, he had two failed attempts and presidential nomination only to land as the Vice President for the First Black President. Then The Wheel of Fortune turned for Joe Biden and being the third oldest man elected, he finally became President in 2020.
In all honesty, I would’ve voted for Hillary Clinton five times over before voting for Joe Biden, but at the time - the contest between him and *45 - it was a bit like the lesser of two evils.
Joe Biden signed the Three Strikes law with Bill Clinton. He helped Clarence Thomas get his seat on the SCOTUS. He called Dr. Anita Hill a liar and said he didn’t believe her story of sexual harassment - on television, in front of the entire nation - so he’s never even been on my “okay” list.
While charming and folksy, I don’t feel that Joseph R. Biden is the most effective president this country has ever elected. He’d been in Congress since 1973 and the country had not made really pertinent advances in many of its policies during his term there. Since becoming president, his statement that “he’s knows how to get things done because he knows how the Senate operates as I’ve been there a long time”, has proved somewhat fruitless. The Wheel turns back and forth for Uncle Joe - some successes, some failures.
What remains to be seen is if Uncle Joe will step into the archetypal energy of The Magician. The Wheel is a 10 - a changing energy and relates to all ones in the tarot.
Will he be able to use the up cycle of the Wheel to gather his energies and make real, tangible changes - ones that can be seen and felt or will it all turn out to be illusions?
He takes office after the near demise of Democracy, a pandemic, economic upheaval and rebellious world leaders. That’s a lot for a man his age, but can he do it? Can he take the chaos of the turning Wheel and create something fantastic, magical? We shall have to wait and see.
The Two Most Powerful Men You Have Never Heard Of:
If I had to point to a time when the demise of Democracy started here in America - it would go back to Old Man Bush and Douglas Coe.
If I had to point to a time when Authoritarianism first entered the picture here in America it would go back to Young Bush and Leonard Leo.