NCAA Championship Game: Duke vs. Butler

Tip-off time for the NCAA men's basketball championship game in Indianapolis is publicized as 9:21 p.m. EDT tonight (8:21 p.m. here in Milwaukee).  I have cast the chart and will post it once the game actually starts.  Rising sign is 00.33 Scorpio, so we know for sure that Duke--strongly favored--will be Mars, and Butler--the underdogs--Venus.  Cusp 10 (Duke success) is Leo, making the Sun Lord 10.  Cusp 4 (Butler success) is Aquarius, making Saturn Lord 4.

Butler is the 'cinderella' team this year and public sentiment seems to be on their side.  I will certainly be rooting for them myself.

When we look at the chart, what jumps out is Mars closely applying to cusp 10.  This suggests Duke is strong in its own power.  However, Mars is applying immediately to oppose the Part of Fortune (Fortuna).  Per Sports Astrology, this is clear and strong testimony in favor of the underdogs. 

The Sun at 16.09 Aries will make an immediate square to the North and South nodes at 16.32 Capricorn/16.32 Cancer.  Frawley doesn't address this configuration in the book, but intuitively this looks like a challenge for Duke.

The Moon in game-start charts is the flow of action.  I reviewed the section about the Moon after calling the Butler vs. Michigan State game incorrectly.  The book claims that the type of aspect is irrelevant.  If that is true, then the Moon square Jupiter (MSU) in that chart should have favored MSU--but it didn't.  In tonight's chart we have another such square with the Moon:  Moon square Sun (Duke success).  This is supposed to favor Duke, but now I am skeptical.  Then the Moon appears to conjunct its own North Node (possible only if consider NN as standing still).  This, too, should favor Duke.

To summarize, then:  We have one major testimony which should favor Butler: Mars opposing Fortuna.  We have two testimonies that should favor Duke: Moon square Sun and (if valid) Moon conjunct NN. 

I'm calling the game for Butler.  Somehow Lord 1 opposing Fortuna feels like stronger testimony to me.  In a few hours we shall see what actually happens.

Happy viewing, college basketball fans!