Shifting Tides in the Mexican War

Forced Surrender

General Scott would take Mexico City on September 14, 1847, as Mars turned stationary retrograde at 15 Taurus.133 (more on stationary orbs)

Venus was also stationary retrograde at 17 Libra as part of a transiting T-square with Uranus at 17 Aries and Jupiter at 16 Cancer. The transiting T-square would form a Grand Cross to the Pilgrim Mars at 16 Libra and Mercury at 16 Capricorn. (more on transits to nation charts)

The stationary Venus was conjunct the Pilgrim Mars at 16 Libra as the stationary Mars at 15 Taurus opposed the Pilgrim Venus at 13 Scorpio 59 in a double whammy.

This was a Mars retrograde seventy-nine-year return of the British troop’s takeover of Boston in 1768 to enforce American compliance that would be pivotal in sparking the revolution. The Mars stationary return occurred with an inverted theme as Americans had taken over Mexico City to force an end to the war. (more on stationary returns)

President Polk’s State Department clerk, Nicholas Trist had made several failed attempts to broker peace and received notice of his recall on November 16, 1847, Mercury had turned retrograde the previous day. (making yearly event page)

On November 22, 1847, a new Mexican government asked to negotiate peace, Mars was stationary to change direction with Jupiter and Saturn also stationary.134 

The stationary Jupiter at 20 Cancer was in opposition to the Paris Jupiter at 22 Capricorn in the first step towards making a treaty. The transiting Sun at 29 Scorpio was conjunct the Paris Moon at 29 Scorpio while transiting Venus at 15 Libra and the transiting Uranus at 14 Aries aspected the Paris Mars at 14 Aries to break off war engagement. (more on keywords)

Nicholas Trist, let Mexico wait until December 4, 1847, to agree to talks and ignored his recall. Mercury changed direction to stationary direct the next day with Mars stationary direct at 00 Taurus 46, stationary Mercury of talks on the Federal Ascendant with stationary Mars square the Federal Uranus. Texas was accepted as a state on December 29, 1845, with Jupiter stationary at 00 Taurus 52.

Trist and the Mexican government agreed to sign a treaty on February 2, 1848, that fixed the Texas border at the Rio Grande and gave over the area that became the states of Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California, and New Mexico in exchange for 15 million and settlement of millions in debt owed to Americans by Mexican government.135

Comparison of the Texas annexation to the peace treaty had a double whammy of the Sun at 11 Pisces conjunct Saturn land at 11 Pisces and Saturn 13 Aquarius conjunct the Sun at 13 Aquarius.

The treaty would be ratified on March 10, 1848, in a 38 to 14 vote, expansionists who had wanted all of Mexico voted against the treaty.136 Jupiter stationary direct at 10 Cancer had changed direction from when Mexico asked for peace talks.

Jupiter was an eight-three-year stationary return to the Stamp Act which had intended to pull revenue out of America to benefit Britain by trade. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo benefited the United States in a gain of southwest land and settled borders. The vote also exposed the overreach by the expansionists, which was reminiscent Parliament’s desire to go too far with the Stamp Act.

The Political Arena

President Polk had declared to his cabinet that General Taylor was deeply partisan when in actuality he had been so disinterested in politics that he had never even voted in an election or belonged to a party. He was however, a deeply patriotic nationalist, an independent political outsider with Whig sympathies.137

The Whigs had opposed the expansionist actions of Texas annexation and the Mexican War, and yet nominated on June 7, 1848, the Mexican War hero for president.138 General Taylor, appealed to many northerners with his military record and southerners felt safe that he owned a Louisiana plantation with slaves as a bridge for the polarized nation.

The political class did not trust his vague positions with Neptune stationary retrograde at 02 Pisces and transiting Venus at 04 Gemini conjunct the Federal Moon at 04 Gemini. Transiting Mars at 00 Leo was conjunct the Federal Uranus at 01 Leo, the people had ‘Taylor fever’.

While General Taylor was popular with the public, the political establishment claimed he was unsophisticated and wholly unqualified for the presidency. Others claimed he lacked the intellectual subtlety and the political tact needed for high office.139 

He was the first to become president without holding any prior political office. As a military man and not a politician, he was used to taking charge of armies in a straightforward manner. The outsider was not skilled or interested in the ambiguous double talk of half-truths and lies of polished politicians.

To learn more.

Mundane vs Natal Astrology - Different Branches

How to Work in Mundane Astrology

Notes

133. Paul Boyer, editor, The Oxford Companion to United States History, 497.

134. Thomas J. Farnham, “Nicholas Trist & James Freaner and the Mission to Mexico,” Arizona and the West 11, no. 3 (1969): 251

135. Charles Van Doren and Robert McHenry, Webster’s Guide to American History, 188.

136. Charles Van Doren and Robert McHenry, Webster’s Guide to American History, 189.

137. John S. D. Eisenhower, The American Presidents Series: The 12th President, 1845-1850, (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2008), 78-81.

138. Randolph Campbell, “The Whig Party of Texas in the Elections of 1848 and 1852,” The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 73, no. 1 (1969): 18.

139. Eric Foner and John A. Garraty, eds. The Reader’s Companion to American History, 1061.