This page was written when President Bush took office. It would seem that the curse (probably a prophecy rather than a curse) is over since he did not die in office. I'll leave this page up for awhile until I find something else interesting to change it to.

Special Note: Mark Dodich was interviewed for a program on BBC Discover Travel television. Here is a brief article on the topic asking the question whether President Bush will survive office.

Tecumseh's Curse

Popular folklore explains that the USA President elected every 20 years in "zero" years does not survive his term in office. This started when President William Harrison died of pneumonia in office in 1840. Every president since has not survived office when elected in a zero year, with the exception of President Reagan.

A brief version of the story tells us that Harrison was an Indian fighter in the Ohio Valley, and governor of the Indiana Territory. Chief Tecumseh was leader of a confederacy of tribes to halt the encroachment of white people into their land. Long story made short, Tecumseh died.

Tecumseh's brother was a medicine man and a prophet. Whether the following is a curse or a prophecy is subject to some debate. Tenskwatawa (Tecumseh's brother) stated that if William Harrison became the president, that he would not survive his term of office. He also said that this would occur for every great white chief ever twenty years, and that there would also be great division in the country.

Prophecy or curse, death came to the White House for Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, and Kennedy. Why did President Reagan survive, and what is in store for President George W. Bush?

The second part of the curse/prophecy came to pass in most cases through a divided country in the close outcomes of both popular vote and the electoral college process. The divided country part of the curse/prophecy certainly was the case in the election of President Bush. Perhaps there is more to this curse/prophecy than meets the eye.

Astrology associates major changes with the 20-year alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, which coincidentally aligns with the years of Tecumseh's Curse. This conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn represents major changes in philosophy and structure in society. Jupiter wants to expand and Saturn wants to constrict. For every president in this so-called curse cycle except Reagan, the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn were in earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn). Earth signs want tangible results for their efforts. Although earth signs are patient, they believe that “talk is cheap.”

The alignment of Jupiter and Saturn for President Reagan's term in office was in the air-element sign of Libra. Air signs are into ideas, communications, and social activities. Air signs consider conceptual discussion to be critical before taking an action.

President George W. Bush was elected under the last of the earth element conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn. These alignments work in 200-year cycles for each of the four elements. President Reagan was the beginning of the air sign alignments; President Bush is the last of the earth sign alignments.

So the question astrologers are asking is, “did President Reagan break the curse, or is President Bush the completion of the curse?” Time will tell, of course. However, the Autumn 2003 looks highly challenging for both President Bush and the USA when viewed from an astrological perspective. The restrictive nature of Saturn appears to stop on the life-giving Sun of both the USA and George W. Bush.

Astrologers tend to avoid predictions of death. However, challenging cycles do occur; and when they occur in both the President's and the USA birth charts, then it is important to pay attention. Whatever may come of Tecumseh's Curse, there is clearly a restructuring occurring in President Bush's and the USA between Autumn 2003 and Spring of 2004.

If you would like to see another article on Tecumseh's Curse, check out http://www.snopes.com/history/american/curse.htm.