In this current period, when the USA is being run by a “stable genius”, in the President’s own repeated description of himself, Democratic hopes are being pinned on any candidate that can liberate the United States from the terrifying grip of a man who got elected in 2016 with the votes from the half of the electorate who clearly liked watching The Apprentice, where Trump was the big boss. Trump struck a chord with them with his promise to build a wall, put barriers up to immigration, protect the coal industry, repeal Obamacare (well, repeal Obama, really) and clean up the Washington swamp.
The State of the Union
This appeal to the fears of the (white) American electorate was extraordinarily effective, because the USA is a country with a lot of survival anxiety, and a very poor social safety net – an electorate the Democrats have foolishly abandoned over the years. Though immigrants and overseas production were Trump’s chosen scapegoats, this is not the reason voters in the Rust Belt are suffering. In fact there are twice as many immigrants in coastal states that vote Democrat than in the mid-West. The reason is the automation of low-skill jobs, and it is going to get worse, as even some service jobs will also slowly disappear as artificial intelligence replaces their functions. Whilst USA officially has about 5% unemployment, this is not the true figure because many people have given up looking for work and make do on disability support, welfare hand-outs and part time jobs. Added to this is the fact that for several decades, real incomes have been going down for working-class Americans, and many have jobs giving subsistence wages. People are furious. Donald Trump is their revenge.
The State of the President
Some Trump voters probably were attracted to the fact that he said things without a politically correct filter, women voters obviously didn’t mind him molesting women, and he seemed a refreshing alternative to pretty unattractive characters like Ted Cruz. And Hillary Clinton. But nothing good can come to a country when a narcissist is given the keys to power. In the end the country reconstitutes itself from the top down, as people in the Administration who disagree with the narcissist are weeded out, until the man is surrounded only by sycophants.
Daily tweets from Donald Trump only serve to confirm, that there is something seriously wrong, the latest being his threat to Turkey about invading Syria. This is what he said:
“If Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits I will totally destroy and obliterate the economy of Turkey”
Well, Turkey is actually a NATO ally, and Trump actually invited Turkey into Syria when he decided to withdraw US troops. But, voters, do you think Trump has great and unmatched wisdom? Or does this tweeter-in-chief blindly expose gaping personality flaws?
A Lesson in Astrology
Trump’s horoscope tells the story. With Leo rising and the Sun in the 10th, he is the classic self-made man with a big ego. The conjunction with the North Node brings a dream-like quality and inflates the ego to supernatural proportions. The Sun in Gemini shows that communication is a key to his success, and the conjunction of the Sun with Uranus, shows his mastery of the media and the tweet. The eclipsed “blood” Moon in Sagittarius in the 4th house, reflects his projections on those immigrants streaming in from foreign lands, and the “carnage” in US cities. It is the Sun-Uranus in Gemini that gives his extraordinarily disjointed speech and repetitions. The Trump Tower is his edifice and the metaphor for his power, with its golden elevators a reflection of the Moon’s nodes that create channels from the heavens to the earth, and from the seat of power to the people.
Donald Trump June 14th 1946. 10.54 am. Jamaica, New York. AS 29.58 LE
The dispositor of the Sun, Mercury, is in Cancer in the 11th house, showing his ability to communicate with the populace, and the square to Neptune his congenital lying. Mars conjoining the Leo Ascendant shows his pugilistic attitude, bullying tendencies and need to belittle opponents, but also his charisma. Sun-Uranus trine Jupiter in the 2nd house indicates his amazing good fortune, whilst Neptune (square Mercury) shows his bankruptcies. He is a fighter, and he is lucky. As he says: “I’ve always won, and I’m going to continue to win. And that’s the way it is.”
Impeachment
And, indeed, nobody should underestimate Trump’s capacity to win. His Sun-Uranus trine Jupiter is almost the definition of good luck. He is a man who has repeatedly used litigation to get what he wants, and this is why impeachment is not necessarily going to be successful. Astrological factors in 2020 seem to show that he will be fighting every step of the way, and that the fight is going to be virulent and dirty as retrograde Mars activates the Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto stellium in Capricorn three times in the latter part of the year. In 2020 autocrats the world over will be fighting for survival, and new political structures will take form when it is over.
At the time of writing (October 2019) Jupiter is conjoining Trump’s eclipsed Moon, which coincided with the announcement by Nancy Pelosi of an impeachment investigation. The problem for Trump right now is that Mercury has entered Scorpio, moves retrograde at 27 degrees, and activates the Saturn-Pluto conjunction three times. Information about past phone calls and murky dealings is getting dredged up, and it is extremely damaging.
In December, Jupiter enters Capricorn, where it will weave a legal nightmare together with Saturn and Pluto. The transit graph from August 2020 to January 2021 shows this amazing interaction of these three heavyweights – something that has not happened for hundreds of years. Not shown on the graph is the conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Pluto from 22-24 degrees Capricorn in March 2020, which tears into Trumps Saturn at 23.34 Cancer, and later his Venus at 25.44. That will be a key period in the impeachment process. Pluto goes retrograde, but returns to oppose Venus around the time of the Inauguration.
Transit Graph: August 2020 – January 2021
The Mars-Jupiter-Pluto planetary combination represents an aggressive attack on Trump’s status, and suggests that the edifice will crumble. This is what Pluto does to Saturn. The dates for Pluto’s oppositions are February, July and December 2020.
Fighting Dirty
The graph shows how Mars goes on from Capricorn and into Aries, where it performs a pirouette moving retrograde at 28 Aries two months before the election and direct again at 15 Aries 10 days after the election. What is particularly damaging about this Mars transit is that it makes square aspects three times to the Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, exacerbating the attacks on whatever Trump’s Venus-Saturn conjunction in Cancer means. This probably refers to his financial empire from which more secrets spill out – the tax returns for example – and perhaps also his assaults on women will receive renewed attention. But one thing is certain: Trump will be fighting like a cornered tiger and this is a very dangerous period for America. Trump’s casual asides about civil war may become very real at this time, or, alternatively, a foreign policy “adventure” may seem attractive to him to distract voters and awaken patriotic support for the president.
Bernie Sanders
Trump is of course only one side of the equation. On the other side there appear to be three main candidates for the Democratic nomination: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. These, like Trump are rather old people – they will be in their seventies – and Sanders in particular looks vulnerable because of a recent heart attack.
Bernie Sanders Sep 8th 1941. Brooklyn. Time Unknown. (Solar chart)
Crazy Bernie (as Trump has called him) has the Sun at 15 Virgo square Jupiter at 19.50 Gemini, which shows a knowledgeable debater who masters the smallest details. Unfortunately the current Neptune transit activates this square well up to the election, which means his high hopes will most likely dissipate. The Moon in Aries conjoins Mars – a clear indication of his fiery independence and passion. The opposition to Venus (which like Mars is strong in its own sign) shows a purity of intention and desire for justice, which is strengthened by a great trine to Jupiter in Gemini. This is a guy whose mastery of rhetoric is as broad as Trump’s is limited. Finally, the trine of Saturn-Uranus to Neptune-Mercury shows his revolutionary engagement in socialist ideals. (Saturn-Neptune aspects are associated with left-wing political idealism).
Currently transit Pluto is square his Mars-Venus opposition, which shows the intense pressure he is under. You can win or lose with this aspect, but elimination seems to be on the agenda, especially as Mars, Jupiter and Pluto make a triple hit during the Democratic primaries. Also, Sanders’ horoscope does not resonate very well with the US (Sibley) chart; his Saturn is square the US Moon for example, which is not the best signature for resonance with the American people.
Joe Biden
Joe Biden has been the front runner for most of 2019, and as a result he has been the focus of a heavily financed smear campaign which is currently exploding in Trump’s face, leading directly to impeachment proceedings. Referred to by Trump as Sleepy Joe, he is by no means a political weakling, which is evidenced by his stellium of four planets in Scorpio, including Mars, which is square Pluto. This last aspect could be one reason that there have been complaints of overfamiliarity towards woman – Mars square Pluto tends to invade other people’s space, and there are sexual overtones to it. Ask Harvey Weinstein, who has exactly the same aspect.
Joe Biden. Nov 20th, 1942. 8.30 am Scranton, PA. AS 3.11 SG
Biden has better resonance with the US chart, not least with his Jupiter at 25 Cancer on the US Mercury, and his Sun at 27 Scorpio exactly square US Moon. Furthermore his Saturn is exactly on US Uranus. Of the three main candidates, only his birth time is available, which makes things a little easier. It can be seen that his MC-IC axis is 19.54 Virgo-Pisces, so transit Neptune is smack on it for the whole of 2020. He needs to retire and do some fishing. The fact that his progressed IC is on Saturn could go one way or another – heavy responsibility or the end of a political career.
Elizabeth Warren
Warren earned herself the nickname of Pocahontas from Trump, because of her claim to American Indian heritage. She does actually have 1/64th indigenous blood as she rather clumsily illustrated through an embarrassingly staged revelation of a DNA test, which only served to irritate leaders of the Cherokee nation. Trump is really going to have fun with this. As he recently said:
“I did the Pocahontas thing. I hit her really hard, and it looked like she was down and out… But don’t worry, we will revive it. It can be revived. It will be revived..”
(Trump likes to say things at least three times… it’s the Gemini in him)
Warren has a very powerful Sun-Uranus conjunction at 0 Cancer and I guess that is where the feeling of American Indian heritage comes from, more like a family myth. Interestingly, Angela Merkel also has a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Cancer (as does the foundation chart for Canada). She also has a Mercury-Mars conjunction in Gemini trine Neptune, so she needs to take care with the story-telling. Her Mercury-Mars is right on the US Uranus, which in terms of electability is quite good when she presents herself in revolutionary mode. Seen from a European perspective, she has some great plans: Medicare for All, taxing the super-rich, easing the student loan burden and other sensible ideas, which she presents quite electrifyingly.
Warren has a strong horoscope, notably with the Moon exalted in Taurus and sextile to and in reception with Venus in Cancer, which suggests that she can bring stability and prosperity. This is a very beautiful aspect.
Elizabeth Warren. June 22nd, 1949 Oklahoma City. Time Unknown (Solar chart)
Warren has historically fought to ease the burden on the poor, especially through trying to modify bankruptcy laws and through debt forgiveness, and she has consistently fought corruption. She came up against Congressman Biden back in 2005 trying to get credit card law changed, and here Biden was on the side of the banks.
The interesting thing about Warren’s chart is that she has Jupiter at 0 degrees Aquarius. This is exactly the same degree as Obama’s Jupiter. There are three significant things about this. Firstly the Inauguration takes place every 4 years with the Sun at 0 Aquarius, so it is good to have Jupiter at this point. Secondly, on December 21st 2020, Jupiter and Saturn conjoin at 0 Aquarius, which is the beginning of a new historic period of conjunctions in Air Signs. Warren’s Jupiter is in a Finger of God pattern (double quincunx) to her Sun-Saturn sextile, so the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in December 2020 also activates this, and Sun, Saturn and Jupiter represent political elevation. Thirdly, on the date of the 2020 election, USA’s progressed Moon is at 0 degrees Aquarius.
At the election Warren has a progressed Sun-Saturn conjunction, which conceivably shows the mantle of responsibility. This aspect is square her natal Mars-Mercury conjunction, and aspects like this occur often for American presidents because they are suddenly surrounded by a host of bodyguards, and their movements are limited.
One-Term President
A few years back I wrote an article saying that if Hillary Clinton was elected in 2016, she would be a one-term president. The same arguments applied to any president elected that year, and, as it turned out to everyone’s surprise, this was Donald Trump. The reason for this is that there is a massive buildup of planetary transits in Capricorn prior to 2021, which shows the rise of autocracy. But then suddenly everything changes as planets move into Aquarius just after the 2020 election, and it seems unlikely that the president can survive this transition. These Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions take place every 20 years and coincide with every 5th election, and the elections of 2000, 1980 and 1960 were all elections when new presidents were elected.
The January 2020 Inauguration chart shows a whole different set of political circumstances, with a Sun-Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius activating Warren’s Jupiter. This seems an apt reflection of Warren’s many plans to level the playing field for Americans. The Inauguration Chart also has an exact Mars-Uranus conjunction in Taurus square the Aquarius stellium, so it is very likely that ingrained vested interests will put up stubborn resistance to change, and that the President may be presiding over an acute financial emergency.
The Election Chart
There are a few important comments to be made about election day. The Sun is always in Scorpio in US elections, but for the first time since 1936, the election takes place with the Sun opposing Uranus. Actually in 1936, Roosevelt was re-elected in the midst of the Depression, but it is quite likely that the 2020 opposition shows extreme upsets for the country’s leader. Bearing in mind that the Capricorn stellium very closely opposes Trump’s Saturn-Venus, he is likely to be unpopular, and heavy judgments are likely to fall against him. At the election, there is a Moon Node return for Trump, and the December eclipse falls right in his Moon, which again may eclipse his popularity.
US Election. November 3rd 2020. 7.00 Washington AS 14.58 SC
It is also fascinating to see that Mercury moves stationary direct on the date of the election at 25.54 Libra, which means that it dwells in exact square to Saturn in Capricorn for all of election week. As Mercury direct earlier squared Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in late September in its pre-retrograde phase, then the election looks like a final reckoning. Mercury in Libra square Saturn in Capricorn shows the heavy scales of justice, and it is worth noting the Nancy Pelosi announced impeachment proceedings with Venus in Capricorn exactly square Saturn in September 2019.
Donald Trump has the luck of the devil and a constant ability to surprise. Statistically, incumbents are almost always re-elected for a second term. Still, Trump will have difficulty wriggling out of this one. If he loses the election, he’ll have to move. Those who do not want to see him re-elected may be encouraged by the fact that his progressed Moon is square natal Uranus a month before the election and square progressed Uranus at the Inauguration, which domestically is very unsettling. Also his progressed MC-IC axis is on progressed Saturn. It is a small indication, but then, it is only a small move from the White House to Trump Tower.
Assuming that no other candidate gets into the top three, the next president will likely be Biden, Sanders or Warren. Sanders won’t make it, but Biden will go to the line, lose and then go fishing. The Finger of God points to Madam President.
Adrian Duncan – October 15, 2019