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An Explosive Horary

Washington, D.C. astrologer Barbara Watters included a chart in her Horary Astrology book for an employee accepting a job with a less than ideal chart for the offer.  It was her husband, James W. Watters, and he died in a lab explosion on the job when he was 59.

We don’t have his time of birth, but he was born on May 23, 1909 in Selma, Alabama.  He was a civilian employee working on an experiment in rocket fuel combustion for the Navy.  We can see his work with potentially dangerous materials in his Sun-Mars-Jupiter T-square.  He must have been very quick and bright with the Sun also in Gemini, but I’ve personally found that Mars-Jupiter oppositions can be somewhat clumsy or accident prone.  James had Jupiter in careful Virgo which probably had alleviated the tendency somewhat. 

He had another T-square with Saturn in Aries squaring Uranus in Capricorn and Neptune in Cancer, and while this could indicate expertise and innovation, it, too, might also symbolize the need to take care with noxious chemicals (Neptune) or potentially combustible materials (Uranus).  The Moon in Cancer may also be involved in the pattern, which could impact his physical health more strongly.

The only flowing aspects in the chart are Mercury conjunct Pluto in Gemini, both trine Mars, another pattern that may suggest dangerous situations.  Though he must have had a strong analytical mind and good research skills (he had a PhD).  Ultimately, the potential for a life threatening accident is in his birth chart (though of course we don’t have his time of birth).

James held the job for eight years, so the horary worked well for some time.  The chart is set for the time when he opened the letter with the offer, after months of searching.  He’d already rejected three previous offers due to “hopelessly bad charts.”  He’d been “critically ill” with a “serious infection” and didn’t start work for several months.

Sagittarius rising and Jupiter in the 1st house represent James, since he had initiated the job search, and the Sun will sextile Jupiter, so he got the job.  The position itself is ruled by Venus in the 12th (ruling the 6th of work), and the Moon in the 8th house is about to trine it.  Barbara associated these in the horary with secrets, and the work demanded a top secret security clearance, which James had.  (I’d guess that some of his natal planets were also in the 8th and 12th to do this type of work.)

Barbara didn’t like the Mars opposite Saturn, which she thought could create some “serious difficulties.”  After the eight years, James developed some friction with his immediate supervisors, and started looking for another job.  Not long after, he and a colleague were killed in the explosion on January 23, 1968.  The fire only did minor damage to the lab.  In her 1973 book, Barbara said that nothing about the cause of the explosion was ever revealed.

She felt that the timing in the horary was indicated by solar arc Mars conjoining the Moon (his dissatisfaction) and squaring the Sun (the accident).  She often found the Nodes to be sensitive degrees, that any planet in the same degree in the horary was a “fateful testimony,” sometimes connected with an actual fatality.  Mercury closely squares the Nodes.  Pluto also squares the Ascendant/Descendant axis.

I might have considered James the 7th house, since the offer was initiated by the Navy.  In that case, he was represented by Mercury, which seems a more obvious indication of what occurred.  Whatever rules we use, Jupiter in Sagittarius also doesn’t seem like a weak, recuperating man to me.

At 59, James was experiencing his Jupiter return, which had also just squared his Sun and Mars, interesting due to the emphasis on Jupiter in the horary, and the issues with Jupiter in detriment as part of the natal T-square.  Jupiter can certainly be explosive.  Saturn would only return later in the year.  Transiting Neptune in Scorpio squared his Mars, and Pluto in Virgo was within a degree of squaring natal Mercury, reiterating Pluto’s squares in the horary.

These charts make me wonder about the role of fate and free will.  If James hadn’t accepted the offer, or the Navy hadn’t been so patient about delaying his employment, what would have happened?  Could he have died in an explosion in a different research lab?  How long does a horary answer last, and how influential could it be?  And I wonder how much Barbara really saw in the chart, since she identified James with Jupiter rising.

James’ birthday on May 23, 1909 is from FindAGrave.com.

The horary is on page 130 in Watters’ Horary Astrology, which has been republished by the AFA.

About my reviews and links.

 

Genesis of a Scoop

On March 11, 2025, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic magazine, a left-leaning publication, received an invitation to a Signal group chat from U.S. national security advisor Mike Waltz.  On March 13, on the verge of a total lunar eclipse, he was added to the group.  Surprised it wasn’t a hoax, Goldberg read text discussions by top national security officials about a planned attack on Houthis in Yemen.  To his surprise, he found it was real on March 15, when the attacks were carried out on schedule.

How was the journalist privy to the news?  Of course Mercury was about to turn retrograde.  And the eclipse at 24 Virgo was right on Goldberg’s Sun and Mercury.  But there are many other astrological correlations.

Jeffrey Goldberg was born on September 22, 1965 according to Google, in a tumultuous year featuring Saturn in Pisces opposite the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in Virgo.  People born in 1965 may be faced with instability and even upheavals in their lives from time to time.  And Saturn is a singleton the editor’s chart, making its influence more important in timing and events.

Goldberg’s Sun and Mercury in Virgo are classic placements for a reporter, writer and editor who needs to communicate the facts.  (We don’t have a time of birth, but the Sun is in Virgo all day.)  Jupiter in Cancer, the sign of its exaltation, is also an excellent placement for publishing, helping him assertively reach out for news as it squares his Sun.  Venus, Mars and Neptune are all in Scorpio, known for research and ferreting out the truth.  Mars conjunct Neptune sextiles the Virgo planets, and Venus trines Saturn.  So there is some interference with the major oppositions, with outlets for the opposition energies.  Goldberg’s Moon is in Leo, giving him a sense of pride and more leadership ability than all the Virgo placements might suggest.  In interviews, he gives a low-key, matter-of-fact Virgo report with a dignified Leo presentation.

The events that unfolded are a good example of hard aspects activating events.  We wouldn’t have necessarily thought they were “lucky,” but they proved to be so for the journalist.  Goldberg was added to the chat group on March 13 at 4:28 p.m. according to USA Today’s timeline.  Aside from the eclipse, the transiting Ascendant squared his Mars and conjoined his Moon, allowing him entry.  Jupiter in Gemini squared his natal Saturn-Uranus-Pluto oppositions, creating a big story.

Transiting Saturn had recently trined the editor’s Mars and opposed his Mercury and Sun; certainly his experience and long time in the industry were responsible for his phone number being on Mike Walz’s list in the first place (nearly 60, Goldberg recently experienced his second Saturn return).  Neptune also nearly exactly opposed his Sun (3 minutes approaching), and this certainly represented an error but also a revelation.  (Natal Neptune has mainly flowing aspects.)

But as a startling and unexpected story, we have to look to Uranus.  Transiting Uranus was close to trining Goldberg’s dignified Mercury, with a boost from Mars in Cancer, which trined his Scorpio planets and sextiled his Uranus and Pluto in Virgo.

It’s nice that so many tried-and-true astrological themes are present in this story.  But it’s even more interesting to see how Goldberg’s natal planets were activated by hard aspects, perfectly in keeping with appropriate astrological motifs, but in a way that perhaps we wouldn’t have exactly forecast.  Then again, Uranus isn’t called unpredictable for nothing!

Goods of the Dead

I always feel that Evangeline Adams introduced me to genealogy.  Her Pluto conjoined my Moon, and as I researched her life, I uncovered many government and church records that provided key information about her.  After that, I more easily researched other families as well as my own.  Pluto unearths things and can be relentless in its action.  It kept me focused on genealogy research for a long time.

The National Archives had their records center on Varick Street in downtown Manhattan in the 1990s, and I spent some time there.  It was a quiet, library-like setting with helpful clerks.  You’d first search for a name in Soundex listings, which phonetically accommodated different spellings.  That would lead you to particular Census records, all originals scanned onto microfilm.  As I scrolled through the wide microfilm rolls on the big old microfilm viewing machine, it was exciting to find Evangeline and her family in Andover in 1890 and Boston in 1900 Census records.

Chatting with an adopted woman who was searching for her birth parents, I realized that I could find my own family records, too.  I returned another day to find my father’s family in Manhattan and Brooklyn and my mother’s in central New York in the early 20th century.

With home-loving Cancer on my fourth house cusp and its ruler, the Moon, prominent in the first, I’ve always found family stories compelling.  But I think that Saturn in the 9th trine my Ascendant gives me the ability to find old records.  To my mind, Saturn, ruling old things and permanence, as well as the Moon, are key significators for genealogy.

I still remember an old astrology book describing Saturn careers having to do with “goods of the dead,” one of those ultra-specific key phrases that left me shaking my head.  It wasn’t until I was in my forties that I took a part-time job with an estate lawyer.  He had Saturn in Cancer and handled wills and court proceedings for heirs,  marshaled decedents’ assets and distributed them.  Goods of the dead, I realized one day with a start.

But the best part of the job for me was access to Ancestry.com, which helped us create family trees and prove family relationships in court.  I did much of the genealogical research for many estates over fifteen-plus years, regularly proving ancestry to first cousins of the decedents.

I was in the Kings County Surrogate’s Court record room one day waiting for the clerks to bring me another old file, when I realized that some of my own ancestors’ records might be there, too.  Transiting Pluto was close to conjoining my Saturn at the time, and it opened up an entirely new set of records to me.  I quickly looked in the old fashioned card catalog and found the index card that was created when my great-grandfather died in 1936, and the clerks pulled the file.  My grandfather had been the executor, and it was fascinating to see the will, so similar in language and format to that used today, with all of my grandfather’s siblings’ information and releases included.  Saturn also relates to consistency and tradition, which still exists in many court papers and proceedings.

Saturn rules our ancestors, and the Moon relates to our family connections.  Both also have to do with cemeteries, another wonderful place to dig up family history.  We found a photo of my great-grandmother on the family monument she had purchased 100 years ago in Holy Cross cemetery in Flatbush, just a few miles away.

These, too, are what they used to call “goods of the dead.”  Some of the old associations are still valid today.

The Astrology of Bond

I’m definitely not a James Bond fan, but I really enjoyed The Astrology of Bond.  Why?  It’s the astrology!  Hollywood astrologer Ra Rishikavi Raghudas has given us lots of charts, with well-drawn interpretations that only someone who’s spent a lifetime practicing astrology can do.  And I no longer see many in-depth horoscope portraits elsewhere, making this book valuable indeed.

The Astrology of Bond cover blurb says it’s “suitable even for those with little or no astrological knowledge,” and while there are clear explanations throughout and much of a non-astrological nature, I personally think readers should have the basics to best appreciate the book.

Ra has done a tremendous amount of research and I especially enjoyed reading about the history and back story of the Bond works.  We’re treated to the horoscopes of Queen Elizabeth’s astrologer Dr. John Dee, Rudolf Hess (yes, he’s connected), creator Ian Fleming, his mentors, his wife, the American ornithologist whose name was borrowed for the character, the producers, all of the actors who played the title role and more.  For film and electional astrology buffs, all of the horoscopes for the movie premieres are included too.

I also found the section on the alchemical myths that relate to the Bond story fascinating, as well as Fleming’s friends in occult circles (and their horoscopes).  It’s ironic how such a self-destructive man as Ian Fleming (who died at 56 from a heart attack due to chain smoking, drinking and a generally unhealthy lifestyle) created what became a seemingly indestructible man.

Ra is living in the 21st century, and while James Bond may have been an old-school, misogynistic alpha-male, the writer certainly is not, and also considers the shifting cultural climate and how the series adapted to succeed throughout the years.  He also notes the 1962 Solar Eclipse in Aquarius (with seven planets in that sign) and the Uranus-Pluto conjunction of the 1960s as initiating the new social norms that helped the Bond archetype take root.

Ra Rishikavi Raghudas is a seasoned astrologer who brings a depth of experience to his book.  He’s a wonderful writer with an easily accessible style, who presents sound, solid astrology while also touching on many tools to use and ways to look at a chart.  If you’re an astrologer who’s interested in film or its history, you’ll enjoy this fun and informative book.  But if, like me, you crave compelling horoscope interpretations of real people and events, you’ll find much more.

See The Astrology of Bond on Amazon.

About my reviews and links.

The In-Between

When my mother first moved to an assisted living facility, they placed her under hospice care.  Being the stubborn and contrary person that she was, she fought them every step of the way until they disenrolled her (she lived for five more years).  We weren’t sure why she was put on that plan, but I ended up feeling it was a very good program that was more holistic than most medical treatment today.

So my interest was piqued when I saw The In-Between:  Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments, a memoir written by a hospice nurse, about her experiences with twelve patients over the course of a few years.  Most interesting to me was the medical reality of patients receiving visits from their loved ones as they neared death.

The author, Hadley Vlohos, R.N., was a teenage unwed mother when she enrolled in nursing school and later landed in hospice care.  She felt at home with the more patient-centered, comfort-driven mandate of hospice.  Hadley shares what she learned from her patients, who were usually open and candid at the end of their lives.  We follow her on her journey as she acclimates herself to the challenges of her job, gets married, goes through the death of her mother-in-law from brain cancer and learns to confront medical authorities when necessary.  Her patients range from wealthy to homeless, elderly with dementia to a young parent, slow and expected weakening to quick passages, and all offered insights and wisdom.

But it’s the unusual relationships that develop, as well as the metaphysical experiences described that were the most compelling.  Patients invariably felt calm and peaceful near the end, and many looked forward to rejoining long departed family members who had recently visited them.  Hadley herself had struggled with her religious upbringing, and she found that beliefs didn’t affect her patients’ experiences in dying.  (Even a life-time atheist was also visited by family from the other side.)

While the topic may be off-putting to many, Hadley Vlahos tells her patients’ stories with great feeling and empathy, and the book becomes a celebration of life in all its many facets.  Hadley learned that she couldn’t control everything and often had to trust both her patients and the universe and let go.  (Saturn is often invoked in the subject of death, but may also be appropriate in its sense of timing and the idea of release, too.)  All of the patients’ stories resonated with me.  In an age of AI and continual promotions, it’s nice to find a work that honors uniquely human experiences.

See The In-Between on Amazon.com.

About my reviews and links.

Edgar Cayce and the Magi

Who were the Magi that traveled to see the baby Jesus, and what was the star they followed?  The Edgar Cayce readings support and add to the scientific and historical record and also give us personal insight into some of the people involved. 

Matthew tells us in the New Testament that the Magi asked Herod, the king of Judea, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him… and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” (Matthew 2:2-10)  This report suggests that the Magi already knew of the birth and that the star led them to their destination.

Most translations of the Bible refer to the visitors as wise men.  Some use the term “magi,” which suggests priests or magicians.  The Good News Bible calls them “some men who studied the stars” and Wycliffe’s Bible literally uses the word “astrologers.”  Maybe some of the signs they followed were astrological.

The Christmas “star” has been seen as a comet, a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction and a supernova.  Many believe it was simply a miraculous event.  The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction has gotten the most support from astronomers, astrologers and historians, and a conjunction was recorded by Babylonian, Chinese and Egyptian astronomers before Herod died around 4 BCE.

The 17th century astronomer Johannes Kepler, who famously formulated the planetary laws of motion, knew that the Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions repeated every 20 years.  As an astrologer, he also knew that they bring notable changes to humanity, often relating to new regimes or rulers.  They complete a full circle around the zodiac every 800 years, a cycle initiating more significant turning points, often called World Ages.  Projecting the cycles backwards, Kepler identified a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction from 7 to 6 BCE in the sign of Pisces (the fishes), which is associated with Jesus and Christianity.

Well before Kepler, when astronomy and astrology were intertwined, a tradition had already developed around these cycles.  The ancient Persian astrologer Gjamasp al Hakim had written an important book on the Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions by the 6th century BCE.  The Jewish Persian astrologer Mashallah studied the conjunctions in Baghdad in the 8th century, as did the Muslim Persian astrologer Abu Mashar a century later.  These prominent historic figures passed on a longstanding tradition that pre-dated the birth of Jesus.

Many today believe that the Magi were Zoroastrian priests from Persia (ancient Iran), who are known to have used astrology to understand history and cycles.  In a 1937 reading, Cayce said, “The entity… was among the Persians who had been of the teaching class, and… [his son] became among the Wise Men.” (1378-1)

According to the readings, Zermada, a Syrian-Persian astrologer, had independently concluded “… that the looked for changes were coming in the Holy or Promised Land… and … there came more communications and interpretations of those records or signs that eventually brought the journeys of some of the Wise Men, of which we have records.” (2880-2)  Perhaps like Herod, she knew of the prophecy recorded in Micah 5:2 stating that the child would come from Bethlehem.  But since Zermada was an astrologer, the records she studied could have certainly been astrological as well.

In a reading for the reincarnation of Thesea, Herod’s third wife, Cayce stated that “There was more than one visit from the Wise Men… They came from Persia, India, Egypt and also from Chaldea, Gobi and what is NOW the Indo or Tao land.” (2067-7)  So there were more learned visitors and more visits than in the Bible account.  There were notable astrological traditions in India, Egypt and Chaldea.  The same could be said of China, perhaps what was meant by the “Tao land.”

Some of the Magi seem to have been Persian priests who were knowledgeable about astrological traditions and cycles.  It appears that the “star” was a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction that foretold significant developments for the world.  Even if the star itself occurred miraculously, Cayce suggests that the Magi had studied the skies and expected a momentous event.

I wrote about the Magi and the Dalai Lama here.

My review of Courtney Roberts’ Star of the Magi

I wrote more about the Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions in America in my book Tecumseh’s Curse.

Morrison on Pluto in Aquarius

In June, 1991, Al H. Morrison’s article, “Two Centuries of Pluto in Signs” appeared in The Mountain Astrologer magazine.  He began with a backward look at Pluto in Gemini through Scorpio, then added a forecast of what he considered likely with Pluto in Sagittarius through Aries (ending in 2097).  Here’s his take, over 30 years before the fact: 

Pluto will enter Aquarius on November 21, 2024. Traditionally, Aquarius is ruled by Saturn. In modern times we assign it to Uranus, the most reactionary of all planets. The action of Saturn is to hold everything as it is or was, in stable order. The situation/structure is a return to a vacuum, an empty space with perhaps some clutter of shattered bits and pieces of what has been.

The action of Pluto is revolution, mutation of individuals, and changes of consensus caused by such mutation. Aquarius has been thought to rule science, individual intellectual freedom, logic, fixed systems of rules, and independence (for individuals as well as groups or nations). It follows that Pluto arriving in Aquarian territory will upset our entire culture and change the way people think (or permit computers to manage everything). Aquarius is a very dry sign, not a very propitious environment for projects based on emotional or sentimental concerns.

We may have a planetary totalitarian regime during this tour of Pluto in Aquarius, perhaps required to cope with climatic changes, global nuclear and chemical pollution and other environmental problems. The most serious problem has not been addressed in the west in this latter part of the 20th century: what to do about overpopulation. First raised by Malthus early in the 19th century, it was countered by religious dedication to maximum birthrates. The mandate is yet to bring forth children “to fill the earth” in most religious groups.  The basic question comes to such crisis as to force world action while Pluto tours Aquarius…

It is even probable that scientists will discover while Pluto is in Aquarius that time itself is not constant or uniform, but merely another confusing variable.

(Pluto enters Pisces on March 1, 2043.)

The article above is an excerpt from The Best of Al H. Morrison.

Buy on Amazon.com.

Forecasting Elections

Another U.S. presidential election is past, and many astrologers, including myself, were wrong about the country’s choice.  Why?  Astrology, by its nature, is not good at predicting outcomes.

Nevertheless, my perception is that most experienced forecasting astrologers have a pretty good track record on these things – greater than chance and often better.  I’ve been correct for seven out of nine elections – about 78% of the time.  Not a fabulous grade, but I always remember Bob Zoller saying, “If you’re getting 75%, you’re doing really well.”  Although we have a 50-50 chance of getting it correct each time, there’s only about a 7% chance of calling heads correctly in seven out of nine coin tosses, the reason that casinos are generally rather profitable for the house.  It’s also why there’s such an interest in financial astrology:  if astrologers can give clients even a slight edge, they’re ahead of the game.

Still, most of us call elections outcomes only once every four years, so we’re not the most experienced.  We may imagine that we can figure out one specific technique that will solve the puzzle once and for all.  But even history professor Allan Lichtman who developed his “13 Keys to the White House” has been right only eight times out of ten (80%).  The pollsters and commentators certainly don’t have better records.

I did forecasting for clients for over 20 years and was quickly convinced of the foolishness of trying to predict certain outcomes.  Clients are often very eager for outcomes!  You can “guesstimate,” but I always found it better to describe the general astrological weather rather than suggest a definitive answer.  A specific horary can get you a little closer.  But we often just don’t know.

Astrology provides a window on reality that mainstream culture and experts lack, a glimpse into the Mind of God, if you will.  But it’s still only a glimpse, and there are as many different viewpoints as there are techniques.  And there may be no definitive reality in this heavy sublunary world.  (I doubt that an AI program written by top astrologers could call outcomes correctly 100% of the time.  Weather forecasting is supposed to be only 70% accurate for a week ahead.)

Astrology does better in describing the quality of a situation instead of quantitative analyses.  Symbols give wonderful insight, but by their very nature, they rarely provide hard and fast, definitive answers.  It’s not math or even science.  And there are many variable interpretations possible in keeping with a particular influence.  We do very well with birth chart delineations.  But another layer of complexity is added with any forecasting technique, and timing is often not as exact as we hope it will be (all reasons why rectification is so challenging).

We work through inference and judgment.  For a presidential election, I consider who has more success-oriented aspects and also which candidate has a more compelling interaction with the U.S. chart.  I usually use both longitude (regular chart placements) and declination, transits and progressions, because I feel that together they give a fuller view.

As you cannot separate the dancer from the dance, you also cannot separate the astrologer from their use of a technique.  It’s never the technique alone.  Of course, no one can escape a certain amount of bias, politically or astrologically.  But that doesn’t really explain why 64% of astrologers who Mark Cullen surveyed in 2024 thought that Kamala Harris would win and 53.5% of astrologers in 2020 forecast a Trump win (presuming that the astrologer pool hadn’t shifted dramatically in 4 years).

There seemed to be a number who were correct in their forecasts of a 2024 Trump win because he had Jupiter transiting his 10th house.  But Jupiter is not a panacea, as most experienced astrologers know.  We can’t conclude that Jupiter through the 10th house wins every time, and its influence doesn’t last long.  If it were that simple no one would get it wrong.

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries had transiting Jupiter trining his Jupiter at the time of the election, and his position remains unchanged.  Instead of winning, his book for young people about democracy was published at that time.  Publication is an important Jupiter theme, so we’d have to look elsewhere to explain why he didn’t advance in the House (though we lack a birth time for him).  Jupiter will sextile his Sun and Mars in Leo right after the inauguration.  This could facilitate a number of things but probably won’t make him speaker.

I lost a high paying magazine column when Jupiter trined my Moon.  Zoller would have said, “You’ve been released” and been correct, but it was still a disappointment.  Perhaps Kamala Harris feels the same with her progressed Moon exactly conjunct U.S. progressed Jupiter, with transiting Jupiter on her Ascendant and trine her Sun in May.  But as Evangeline Adams said, “Jupiter does not move the world alone.”  Adams also had a good election record, but got it wrong sometimes, too.  Astrology elevates no one to god-like prophetic status.

So why do we keep trying if we can’t be assured of success?  I personally believe that we can stretch ourselves and improve our skills by doing it.  It’s the future, after all.  Will we convince non-believers of the validity of astrology if more of us consistently “get it right”?  Hardly.  And when pollsters and political commentators can’t do better, why not try?

My own history with election forecasting (written in 2021).

My previous October and November 2024 posts show what I analyzed and my thinking.

Kamala Harris 2024

Kamala Harris has some compelling astrological influences that should help her win the 2024 presidential election.  Her progressed Moon is Out-of-Bounds, her progressed Sun conjoins her Descendant, and her progressed Sun is also parallel transiting Saturn in declination, all influences that have helped others achieve the presidency in the past.

The progressed Moon’s cycle Out-of-Bounds in declination usually marks a significant turning point in life, with the ability to find a notable public response.  Former president Trump was at the top of this cycle in 2016, and Hillary Clinton had it in 2008-9.  While she didn’t get the presidential nomination, she was appointed Secretary of State, the highest achievement of her career.  Harris is also at the top of this cycle, currently reflected in the millions she has raised for her campaign, nearly twice as much as her competitor.

Harris’ progressed Sun in late Sagittarius conjoins her Descendent this year, showing her rapport with the  public and how she’s benefited from notable partnerships like Joe Biden and the Democratic party.  (Trump’s progressed Sun was conjunct his Ascendant when he was elected.  Now, still in his 1st house, it only indirectly aspects his 10th house through rulership).  Harris’ Sun was near an exact conjunction with her Descendant when she was elected Vice President in 2020, but closely sextiles her natal Saturn (5’) at the time of the election, and will go on to sextile her MC over the next 4 years.

Her powerful Saturn, dignified in Aquarius and her most elevated planet, specifically relates to her career since it conjoins her MC.  Her natal Sun and Mercury are trine Saturn and the Midheaven, showing her steady path to success.  As the presidency is the next upward step, and her progressed Sun activates the natal, it signifies advancement.

Charles Jayne determined the outcome of presidential elections by comparing transiting Saturn’s declination to the candidates’ natal Sun, and Ann E. Parker analyzed this technique for all previous presidential elections in the Summer 2001 NCGR SIG newsletter The Other Dimension.  She confirmed that 69% of winners had transiting Saturn approaching a parallel or contraparallel with the birth Sun.  Transiting Saturn will actually station within less than 2 degrees in an approach to parallel Harris’ Sun in November of 2024, closer than many of the presidents Parker studied.  (Trump also had this combination in 2016.)

In addition to the above, I believe that the 2020 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction and Pluto’s transition into Aquarius help her since Harris represents a new generation.  See my earlier post for more.

Harris’ numerous close progressions to her own chart and the U.S. are also more favorable than Trump’s (outlined here).  Very close aspects include her progressed Moon in Cancer parallel her Ascendant and North Node, her Ascendant parallel Jupiter, and Mars parallel Venus, classic patterns we associate with success.  Progressed Uranus moves extremely slowly, but on November 5 it will be stationing within 2’ of her natal Moon, signifying new experiences.

Similarly, Harris’ progressed Sun contraparallels the U.S. progressed Jupiter and the natal U.S. Ascendant, Venus and Mars, while paralleling the U.S. Pluto, extending their rapport.  Her progressed Mercury is exactly parallel the U.S. progressed South Node, linking her destiny with the country, as Mercury rules her 1st house (herself).

In longitude, the candidate’s progressed Moon in Cancer is very helpful in its own sign.  It closely activates her natal Venus-Uranus-Pluto sextile Neptune pattern with a trine and sextiles, while also closely conjoining U.S. progressed Jupiter, and trining the U.S. progressed Sun and Moon in Pisces.  This is about as good as it gets!  The Moon functions more tellingly for her as she has been campaigning on women’s reproductive issues.  Her progressed Moon will even trine the Inaugural Venus and Saturn as it sextiles her own progressed Jupiter conjoining the Inaugural Ascendant and opposes Mercury – creating a sextile-bowl pattern.

In addition to Charles Jayne’s transiting Saturn to natal Sun technique outlined above, Harris’ progressed Midheaven (career) conjoins U.S. progressed Venus in Taurus, solidifying her advancement, while closely opposing U.S. progressed Saturn (11’).  Donald Trump’s progressed Ascendant closely conjoins U.S. progressed Saturn, which I judged as blocking him personally.  For Kamala, with a strong and helpful Saturn in her birth chart, as well as years of experience in public service, I believe this shows assuming more responsibility.

Kamala Harris has an advantage, to my mind, in that her Ascendant closely aligns with Evangeline Adams’ Gemini rising U.S. Ascendant and Mars.  Transiting Jupiter’s station in late October conjoins her Ascendant and North Node, and  give her a boost.  While Jupiter won’t exactly trine her natal Sun and Saturn until April-May of 2025, its station is within 4 degrees of her Ascendant on election day.  Jupiter exactly sextiles her Mars throughout October (and conjoins U.S. Mars, which closely sextiles Harris’ Mars), channeling abundant energy into her efforts.

Transiting Saturn is also angular through Kamala Harris’ birth chart  (her 10th house).  She experienced the end of her second Saturn return while in office in early 2023.  Both show a period of time when one can capitalize on experience and move into a new phase in life.

The rest of Harris’ transits have a Uranian flavor which can be difficult to predict.  Kamala’s 10th house ruler Jupiter in Taurus forms the corner of a T-square with 3rd house Mars and Saturn conjunct her Midheaven. Transiting Uranus exactly conjoined her 12th house Jupiter in late April, leading up to Trump’s negative court judgments in May and Biden’s withdrawal from the race in July.  These surprising events and reversals were very much in keeping with Uranus’ energies.  As Uranus approached a square to her natal Saturn at the beginning of September, many of her polls had risen from their levels with Biden.

Similarly, transiting Saturn stations as it opposes natal Uranus from October to December; transiting Uranus will conjoin Harris’ Jupiter again in December, disruptive aspects that bring change.   But which way?  Adams described Uranus conjunct natal Jupiter as “an extremely powerful aspect which only occurs once in a lifetime, and which can work out advantageously or just the reverse.  If you confine yourself to your legitimate business, then you will do the right thing, for you are more likely to be in harmony with yourself and the constructive forces of the Universe than you have been in many years.”

While Harris may be promising the public more than she can realistically deliver, she seems to be following long held precedent.  She has been on an upward trajectory, but much could develop in the coming weeks.  The Uranian aspects might relate to the historic nature of a woman of color being elected U.S. president for the first time.

Due to the strength of Kamala Harris’ birth chart and her many significant progressions, I think she will win the 2024 election.  Though there may be some Uranian twists and turns before she gets to the White House.

Trump in 2024?

Despite a loyal following, Donald Trump’s chances for re-election in 2024 are slimmer than they were when he was elected U.S. president in 2016.  At that time, his progressed Moon was Out-of-Bounds in declination, promising a great public response.  His progressed Sun conjoined his Ascendant, strengthening his capabilities and achievements.  In addition, Trump’s progressed Sun paralleled transiting Saturn, an aspect that Charles Jayne believed coincided with election to the presidency.  Trump enjoys none of these combinations now.

With a dynamic and favorable birth chart, Donald Trump often gets what he wants.  His closest aspect is Jupiter trine his Uranus in the 10th house of career and success.  Evangeline Adams described this pairing as “one of the most powerful aspects known… if you have political leanings this vibration is an extremely favorable one.”  To prove her point, both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, also born in the summer of 1946 like Trump, have the same aspect, though not quite as close.  While a charismatic combination, Uranus’ influence can also create unexpected emergencies or controversy as well.

Trump’s Mars in Leo conjunct his Ascendant gives him great vitality and a strong desire to prove himself a winner in contests.  Mars’ sextile to his Sun in the 10th house and trine to his opposite Moon in Sagittarius lend the ability to achieve his goals with a combination of showmanship and force.

But the former president is in the midst of some challenging aspects that continue well after the election.  With Uranus nearly exactly conjunct his Midheaven at the end of May, he was found guilty of 34 felonies in the New York City “hush money” trial.  In the 2+ weeks before Uranus exactly squared his 1st house Mars in July, he survived an assassination attempt and accepted the Republican nomination for president, but also suffered a reversal as Kamala Harris entered the race.  As the square repeats in October and April (2025), Trump continues to face volatile circumstances.  Transiting Pluto in late Capricorn, and Neptune in late Pisces also form a stressful yod to his Ascendant, lowering his vitality and making his actions less focused.

While Saturn through the 7th house can be a helpful influence for solidifying a relationship or career path, Saturn’s square to Trump’s natal Uranus in May found him liable to writer E. Jean Carroll in her sexual assault case against him.  As Saturn stationed and also approached a square to his Sun, Moon and Nodes at the end of June, his debate with Joe Biden revealed Biden’s weaknesses, but he soon stepped down in favor of Kamala Harris.  Saturn’s station in mid-November and exact squares to Trump’s Sun-Moon and Uranus in early 2025 seem unlikely to help him.

But it’s the progressions that tell the underlying story.  I like to look at both progressions in declination and the zodiac, as well as the candidate’s progressed aspects to the U.S. and its progressed chart to see how the relationship continues.  Trump’s progressed Mars conjoins the U.S. progressed Mars at the same time as the U.S. natal Saturn, as I described in a 2022 post.  Due to the strength of the U.S. Saturn, exalted in Libra, I ultimately feel that the country blocks his advances, since progressed Mars is also in its detriment in Libra.

Mars in Trump’s birth chart rules his 4th house of real estate and 9th house of the courts, both of which have had much to do with his success.  But the 4th house also rules the end of the matter metaphorically.   And at 78, things will eventually come to a close as he now nears the last chapter of life.

On the plus side, Trump has his progressed Mercury (co-ruler of his 10th) applying to a parallel to his Mars (himself), while his progressed Mars parallels natal Jupiter, both adding to his ability to fight for a position and get his message out.  But his progressed Midheaven (position) departs from a parallel to his natal MC.  His progressed Ascendant departs from a contraparallel to his natal Ascendant, and progressed Venus (ruler of the career 10th) departs from a contraparallel to his Ascendant, putting some career issues in the past.  I personally put less emphasis on his natal Mercury and Venus as they lack essential dignity.  And since progressed Mercury is also less than 2 degrees from conjoining natal Mars, it’s also near a square to his MC and accentuates the erratic pattern created by transiting Uranus to his MC and Mars.

Trump’s progressed Ascendant at 3 Scorpio also closely approaches a square to his progressed Saturn in Leo (in detriment, like his natal Saturn in Cancer), another combination suggesting frustration and weakness and ironically, coming up against an insurmountable wall.  His advances are blocked.  This aspect is reflected and augmented in his progressed Ascendant conjunct U.S. progressed Saturn (15’ past).  His progressed Ascendant also nearly exactly conjoins Adams’ Gemini rising U.S. MC, suggesting a close connection, but in my judgment, Saturn blocks him, especially as his birth Saturn is debilitated and the U.S. Saturn exalted.

Similarly, Trump’s progressed MC approaches a conjunction with his natal Pluto – a little wide at 2-1/2 degrees, but in his 12th house seems to me more like grappling with injustices done to him rather than success.

Trump’s progressed Venus and Jupiter are in a close conjunction in Libra, strengthening Venus in its dignity.  But they also both square his natal Venus and Saturn, as well as the U.S. progressed Nodes, looking more like a financial transaction, negotiation or settlement than a smooth connection with the destiny of the country as its leader.  In a like manner, the U.S. progressed Sun and Moon also square Trump’s natal Nodes and Uranus, while the midpoint of his progressed Moon and Ascendant square the U.S. natal Nodes (19’).  These are essential progressions as well as disruptive influences that point toward discord and shifting circumstances.

Despite any fame or fortune indicated in a horoscope, we all go through periods of success and failure, and times when certain achievements may not be possible  Donald Trump’s notable progressions with Saturn and the Nodes, as well as other patterns, suggest a loss to me.  And Trump lacks the three important aspects that surprisingly brought him to the presidency in 2016.  There are many ways to win, but Kamala Harris has virtually all three of those indicators in 2024.

I plan to post my forecast for Kamala Harris and the 2024 election in the next week or so.

Here’s my earlier overview of the 2024 election, based on the 2020 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.

In my book, Tecumseh’s Curse, I analyze the history of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions in the U.S. and their link to the deaths of presidents, look at the Indigenous history connected with them, and analyze presidents’ and inaugural horoscopes.