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Mercury Retrograde and Recounts

Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein is the force behind the election recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Born on May 14, 1950, she has Mercury retrograde! So a REcount is in her astrological blood.

People with Mercury retrograde in their birth charts do seem to do better when it recurs, most notably at retrograde-like projects like re-doing votes already tabulated. Stein seems to be getting more attention and media coverage now than she did when she ran for president. She raised millions of dollars in an extremely short time to pay for the recounts.

Harvard educated Stein was a practicing physician for many years. One of her research interests is toxins, and she has particularly studied Mercury contamination! She wants to REmove Mercury from the environment. (I once had a dentist with Mercury retrograde who removed the Mercury fillings from people’s teeth – you can’t make this stuff up.)

Jill Stein’s Mercury is closely conjunct her Sun, with both in Taurus, so she is committed to her views. Her intellect, thoughts and opinions are part of her identity. The Sun and Mercury trining Mars and a possible Aries Moon make her a natural activist. Stein also has Uranus Out of Bounds in declination, which seems like appropriate symbolism for a nonconformist, a reformer and someone who, at least in this case, may behave in an unexpected manner.

Hillary Clinton has Mercury exactly stationery turning retrograde and her campaign is providing some support toward a recount, although commentators don’t expect the results of the presidential election to change. As of this writing, a Federal judge has stopped the recount in Michigan.

Roque De La Fuente, born on 10/10/54, who requested a recount in Nevada, was born with Mercury slowing down and well into the shadow of its retrograde period.

When We Got It Right

Astrologers have brooded enough about their mis-calls of the 2016 election. Let’s remember some highlights – 11/7/00 and Bush v. Gore. The country didn’t know who the winner was, but most astrologers did, and funnily enough, it had been a fairly easy call. A stationary Mercury square Neptune, among other considerations, informed many.

Here are a few of the many correct astrological forecasts from 2000 – at times scarily accurate. (Some of these astrologers have unfortunately passed in recent years.)

Arch Crawford, New York, NY, financial newsletter 10/2/00: “This day will not go as expected. Something really strange and unusual will make this day remarkable.”

Jacob Schwartz, Glenside, PA, New Visions magazine 10/00: “Will the next President receive a majority of the popular vote of the voting citizens of the U.S.? No. The election will be so close that both major party candidates will be able to claim a victory of sorts!”

Kim Rogers-Gallagher, Bradenton, FL, American Astrology “Tomorrow’s News” November issue: “Tuesday evening looks a bit confusing… something’s been overlooked, stalled or delayed. It’s going to be tough to tell the results until very late that evening.”

Jim Shawvan, San Diego, StarIQ.com 11/6/00: “uncertainty may develop as the count goes on. The election may be so close in some states that it may be several days before the actual Electoral College votes can be tallied with accuracy.”

Maxine Fiel, New York, Liz Smith column, Newsday: “What seems like a runaway winter could end up the loser. The winner might not be decided after the polls close.”

Photo courtesy of pexels.com

Astrology is Popular!

Astrology is gaining in popularity these days, entering the mainstream media once again. 2012’s Lola Versus cast Greta Gerwig as a woman negotiating her Saturn return, and the musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 premiered the same year. The Comet opened on Broadway in November as David Hyde Pierce continued his run in A Life, about an astrologer trying to make sense of a recent break-up and his place in the universe.

In 2014, Mother Jones ran an article summarizing recent polls on belief in astrology. A National Science Foundation study suggested that Americans are more accepting of astrology than they have been in over 30 years.

Celebrities like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie are all reported to believe in and even rely on astrology.

Astrology is breaking out into popular culture once again, for the first time that I can remember since its great popularity in the 60s when the musical Hair and “The Age of Aquarius” became synonymous with the beginning of the “New Age.” And with the proliferation of online classes and accreditation programs in the 21^st century, it’s now probably better understood than it was before.

Photo courtesy of ISORepublic.com

Astrology on Broadway

Does Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 have anything to do with astrology? The musical, which has been produced to wide acclaim for over four years, recently opened on Broadway. It’s adapted from a segment of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

When Pierre sees the comet at the end of the show he feels joyful and uplifted, and that he’s entering a new life. It speaks to his soul. And through the millennia, astrologers have looked to the skies in the same way. The represent a higher plane, especially when things are going in our favor!

The Great Comet had been associated with the War of 1812 (as well as the powerful New Madrid earthquakes in the U.S.), but it actually appeared in 1811, and had faded out by the time that Napoleon entered Russia in the spring of 1812. Wine bottled in 1811 was renowned for its quality, as are other “comet vintages.”

And Tolstoy had given a twist to the traditional interpretation of a comet, which often portended disaster. Comets were typically unexpected, not regular and predictable as the stars and planets, and therefore not to be trusted. The dispute among the producers before the show’s Broadway opening is more in keeping with a cometary influence.

Election 2016: Afterthoughts

The election is over and most of us astrologers forecast an incorrect outcome. At least we weren’t alone! Most in the news thought Hillary had an easier path to the presidency.

While the polls showed a very close race, commentators suggested that Trump’s ability to forge a lead in electoral votes was difficult. We are all still under a long-standing influence from Saturn square Neptune, with Neptune stationary at the time of the election. This not only undermines confidence in authority figures, like politicians and police, for example, but it also inhibits our ability to project (Neptune) accurately into the future (Saturn). And the public appears to have become tired (Neptune) of doing things the same old way (Saturn).

I’m leaving all of my Election posts up so readers can follow my thought processes. Some things I may have misjudged include the following:

The birth charts themselves: Trump’s chart promises more possibilities and a better reputation than Hillary’s, who with many squares had to fight harder for her successes in life. And of course we’re not certain of Hillary’s birth time, which could change many things. (We also lacked birth times for Mike Pence and Melania.)

Trump’s progressed Moon Out-of-Bounds: This is a powerful progression, but I limited its interpretation in Trump’s chart in response to Hillary’s inability to gain the presidential nomination in 2008, when she had her own Moon beginning to progress OOB.

The transit of Uranus in Trump’s 9^th house exactly trining his Moon less than two weeks after the election should have been emphasized over Saturn – it characterized what many called a stunning victory. I also may have over-emphasized the negativity of Saturn’s oppositions in December and January. There is always the question of whether taking on a major position is the result of a flowing or challenging aspect from Saturn, making the outcome difficult to call. But the next few months will no doubt be tough on Trump.

I’m curious to see what becomes of Tim Kaine. With his Saturn return in 2017 and Pluto transiting his 10^th house Mars in Capricorn, it seemed obvious to me that he would take a big step forward in his career. The Pluto aspect is exact for the final time in December. Something about this election has fundamentally changed things for him and they will continue to develop next year.

I may not have followed my own advice to avoid bias and the influence of the polls as much as I should have. Over the weeks I studied the charts, the evidence seemed to be piling up for Hillary. But Bill Clinton’s transit Saturn chasing his progressed Moon didn’t promise a big victory. I thought this reflected a back-seat role in the White House. But once again we return to the question of whether Saturn brings responsibilities or a lack of opportunity.

I misinterpreted the past Saturn cycle for both of the Clinton’s – when Saturn was in the same place Bill was Governor of Arkansas and declined to run again. While Hillary had independent appointments at that time, the decision limited both of their movement forward toward their ultimate goals – which parallels 2016.

The delineation of progressions was challenging. For example, Trump’s progressed Ascendant conjoined the US progressed Midheaven, but it was nearly 2 degrees past. The US progressed MC also conjoined Trump’s progressed Jupiter, but it, too, was moving away. And I felt Hillary’s progressed MC trining US progressed Jupiter more significant. While the outcome may support my use of a Gemini rising chart for the US, we can never rely on public birth times to be exact.

Hillary Clinton had a new Solar Return two weeks before the election, and I overlooked it – considering her Solar for the campaign year instead. The correct Solar Return is not great.

In writing posts every week or so, I also addressed the charts of the candidates in more of a linear fashion than I usually do, which perhaps also detracted from my judgment.

In the final analysis, we need to remember that astrology is not an exact science. I feel that after forecasting six presidential elections correctly (two for Clinton, two for Bush, two for Obama), I may have become overconfident. Still, 6 out of 7 correct is pretty good – over 85% – and many astrologers have the same record of accuracy.

Election 2016: Final Thoughts

The Presidential Election is upon us and most astrologers agree that Hillary Clinton will win. I’ve presented a number of astrological techniques that support the same outcome, but there are many ways to look at the election astrologically.

I considered the Moon’s progressed declination, but not the other planets, which are slow-moving and can be very powerful. I haven’t looked at eclipses, which are basic to astrological forecasting. Consideration of candidates’ announcements, ingress, polls opening and inauguration and charts are also often used. And I’ve seen terrific use of the asteroids as well.

The campaign was strongly colored by the Saturn-Neptune square, which was exact for the final time in September of 2016. Both of the candidates are flawed (Neptune) authority figures (Saturn), with many voters unable to fully commit to either. Some of the obvious Saturn-Neptune ideas discussed include a literal “wall” to block Neptunian illegal immigrants, and carelessness (Neptune) with classified (Saturn) e-mails.

Hillary Clinton’s horoscope is heavily Scorpio and fixed signs, while Donald Trump’s is strongly Gemini and more mutable – the two couldn’t be more different astrologically. What they have in common is Saturn, the planet of authority and position, in signs of its detriment (opposite its ruling signs). Donald has Saturn in Cancer and a background in real estate and property management. Hillary, with Saturn in Leo, is more of a career public figure. They also both share Mars and Pluto in Leo – showing why Donald might admire her energy and stick-to-it-iveness and she his children, both Leo-ruled. While hugely successful, the two have struggled for the ultimate high-status position, excellent examples of how planets in their debility can push people to achieve. But it’s also taken time and effort for both to get where they are today. (Barack Obama, for example, with Saturn in Capricorn, came to office with relative ease and at a much younger age.)

The two candidates also share an emphasis on the nodes. Trump was born on the day of a total lunar eclipse (with the Sun conjoining the North Node and the Moon opposite); Clinton has the South Node rising. These placements may account for some of the drama in this campaign. Bill Meridian quotes Charles Jayne as writing that, “The birth of rulers near eclipses indicates either the start or end of a dynastic line and often a state.” Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about that, given the fact that Donald Trump is unlikely to win.

I was curious about presidential eclipses and checked out Frances McEvoy’s comprehensive “A Roll Call of Presidents” in the NCGR Geocosmic Magazine from the fall of 1996. There has never been a U.S. President born on an eclipse. A contemporary politician similar to Trump astrologically is Newt Gingrich, who was also born with the Sun in Gemini opposite the Moon in Sagittarius, perhaps one reason why Gingrich recently defended Trump in a live interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly! (Kelly, funnily enough, has the Sun and Venus in Scorpio like Hillary.)

Scorpio is a common sign in the White House, and there have been five other Scorpio presidents (John Adams, James Polk, James Garfield, Theodore Roosevelt and Warren Harding). There have only been two previous Gemini presidents, John F. Kennedy and George H.W. Bush, though both were elected in the late 20^th century and the Scorpio presidents served earlier.

Election 2016: Transits

While transits give us much information, it can be challenging to forecast outcomes with them. But with transits, timing is everything. Do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s transits give us insight into the presidential election?

Donald Trump has transiting Jupiter in his 2nd house over 2-1/2 degrees past a sextile to Pluto on Election Day, November 8, 2016. While nice, it has already passed its peak, and Jupiter transits don’t last that long.

Uranus conjunct his 9^th house of wide reception will be only 22’ from a trine to his Moon in the 4^th, which is another matter. Uranus stations in late December and will trine his Moon again on February 6, framing the Election and Inauguration dates. But while Uranus is really shaking up his Moon with new experiences, the 4^th house more particularly relates to his home and family, not a position.

Saturn transits Donald’s 4^th house and sextiles Jupiter in late November, a stabilizing aspect. Once again, though, it’s over 2 degrees away on Election Day – this time a little too late. Saturn’s more significant aspects, opposite Uranus, conjunct the Moon and opposite the Sun, are in December and January, when the election is past. Opposition aspects are, to me, more separative than anything else. He’s entering a new phase of life, but it probably won’t be exactly as he had hoped.

In late January and February 2017, Uranus trines Donald’s Moon, Jupiter trines his Sun and Saturn trines his Mars. If these were all operating on Election Day, it’d be terrific. But they’re not. However some significant opportunities should turn up for Donald Trump by February.

Hillary Clinton has transiting Jupiter in her 11^th house, approaching a sextile to Mars in the 9^th, peaking just a week after the election. This is better timing and nice for popularity and getting out the vote. But a more significant transit is Saturn in her 1^st house trine Pluto in the 9^th (exact 11/5), a powerhouse combination, especially since these planets are conjunct in her birth chart. Her hard work should reap larger rewards and her past experiences help her leverage the vote.

Transiting Uranus in the 5^th will also approach (by only ¼ degree) a trine to Hillary’s Saturn in the 9^th house. Uranus and the 5^th show a gamble that can pay off in a big way, and it’s certainly a lucky transit as well as one of release. I do feel that Hillary’s transits are stronger on Election Day and that she’ll be the winner, especially in light of all of the other astrological techniques pointing in the same direction.

When transiting Jupiter conjoined Donald Trump’s natal Neptune in the 2^nd, his “boys’ talk” video was revealed. Jupiter to Neptune can expand publicity, but there’s no telling how. Since Hillary and Donald are close to the same age, she also has Jupiter conjoining her Neptune – exact on November 1^st – a week before Election Day. This seems to correlate with the FBI’s revisiting the e-mail issue. But it’s also at the same time that Hillary continues her popularity and gains help from key Democrats. In her 11^th house of the “Good Daemon,” Jupiter should work in her favor.

Hillary’s Birth Time?

Last Friday, The Washington Post covered data researcher Marc Penfield’s support of a 2:18 am birth time for Hillary Clinton. (See Source notes at Astrodatabank.), saying that “he retracted his claim.”

Ray Merriman of ISAR had written on October 2, stating that Penfield wrote about this time, provided by Hillary’s cousin, as early as 2007. Another astrologer, Zayin Cohen, confirmed the time and says he saw the actual birth record at the City Clerk’s office.

The lack of a definitive birth time for Hillary has been getting some play in the media – a plus for astrologers. Here’s the Wall Street Journal’s 9/29/16 take on the situation.

I’ve been using an 8:02 AM time for Clinton, one of the most common that she and her mother have provided over the years. I’m not clear why astrologers hadn’t adopted the 2:18 AM time if it’s based on documentation.

Birth times for public figures are often questionable. While a number of my conclusions about the election are drawn from astrological techniques utilizing the Midheaven, Ascendant and Moon, which would change with a different birth time, I still think that Hillary Clinton will win the presidential election. The beauty of utilizing so many astrological techniques to arrive at a judgment is that we end up relying less on any one particular element of the analysis. I’m betting on it!

Election 2016: Spouses II

Last time I analyzed Melania Trump’s chances of becoming First Lady in November and January. Let’s see what Bill Clinton’s astrological situation is. We have a consistent birth time for Clinton that was used by astrologers throughout his presidential term.

His progressed Sun in Scorpio is only a little over a degree from trining his Midheaven, lighting up his career sector. His progressed Venus in Sagittarius is less than half a degree past trining natal Saturn in the 10^th, reiterating the themes of status and position. It’s also is less than a degree from conjoining his progressed Ascendant, echoing his natal characteristics (with Venus in Libra in the first) and showcasing his genial personality and the importance of relationships in his life. The progressed Ascendant approaches a sextile to the natal Ascendant.

Bill’s progressed Moon is also in Sagittarius and close to conjoining his South Node on Election Day. It will also quincunx his natal Moon and oppose natal Uranus in early 2017. These aspects are not great, but they do seem to suggest a change. And for a Leo who’s been president, the Moon conjoining the South Node appears appropriate for taking a back seat and emphasizing altruism and supportive activities.

With transiting Saturn at the same place in 1987, Clinton, as Governor of Arkansas and Chair of the National Governor’s Association, announced that he would not be running for president that year. Saturn was (and is) moving downwards in his chart, what Grant Lewi called an “obscure period,” that once again I believe would be in keeping with a secondary role at the White House.

Most significant, however, is the fact that Bill Clinton is in the midst of his progressed Moon conjoining transiting Saturn – known as “Saturn chasing the Moon.” Because the progressed Moon and transit cycles of Saturn are so close, the conjunction began for him around 2009 and will last through at least 2019. This can represent an extended period of hard work, obligations, few rewards, frustration and even hardship and depressed feelings. For Bill, it’s coincided with milestones involving the women in his life – Hillary’s appointment as Secretary of State and her bid for the White House, and Chelsea’s marriage and the birth of her kids. Yet it also included the attacks on the Benghazi Consulate, and Hillary’s concussion. His own significant life events during this time have been work with the Clinton Foundation; an appointment as UN Special Envoy to Haiti and criticism of his role; a heart incident, stent surgery and switching to a vegan diet; publication of a book on the economy called Back to Work; receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama and public reminders of his past infidelities.

This pattern is difficult to evaluate as it’s inconsistent in length but often lasts a long time. I suspect it’s easier to address at a mature age, when we have more experience of life, though Bill Clinton has obviously not enjoyed the same prominence during this cycle as in his years as Governor and President. But his natal Moon, exalted in Taurus, and Saturn in his 10^th house, are both very strong, which are a plus. Though the reality of returning to the White House as the spouse of the president will probably be quite different than he once imagined.

Transiting Saturn will sextile Bill’s Jupiter in January and trine his Sun in February, perhaps easing up some of the negatives. It’s interesting that Tim Kaine has a significant Saturn cycle as well. These are all in keeping with taking on responsibilities. I do once again feel that Bill Clinton’s forecast is more in keeping with beginning a new position than Melania’s.

Election 2016: Spouses

An additional way to consider the outcome of the election is to take a look at the horoscopes of the candidates’ spouses, who will certainly have important life changes if a partner is elected president. What do the charts of Melania Trump and Bill Clinton tell us?

Unfortunately, we don’t have a birth time for Melania Trump, born on April 26, 1970 in Sevnica, Slovenia. She is a very grounded person, with the Sun in Taurus, Moon in Capricorn, and a total of six planets in earth signs.

Melania’s progressed Venus is less than a degree from sextiling natal Pluto, an aspect that should help her address the public while still maintaining some privacy. Progressed Mercury is less than half a degree from conjoining natal Venus, which helps her dialogue with the public in a nice way. Progressed Mars is about half a degree past sextiling her Sun, showing increased activity, ambitions and status. The progressed Moon is in Virgo, forming a grand trine with her Moon, Sun and other Taurus planets, but without a birth time we don’t know how close any of these aspects may be.

I find that transits are almost always active at times of significant life developments. Transiting Jupiter conjoined Melania’s Uranus exactly on 10/5/16, a few days before her husband’s “locker room talk” audio was revealed. But Jupiter moves quickly, and by Election Day it will be out of orb of Uranus – the excitement it generates having worn off.

Transiting Neptune exactly conjoins Melania Trump’s North Node in January, the time of the Inauguration, and will sextile natal Saturn in February. These seem like wonderful aspects for her image and personal satisfaction, but are not really in keeping with taking on a major public role.

Transiting Saturn on Election Day will be at the same place as the fall of 1987 when Melania was first accepted at a fashion course for models. She was only 17 at the time and pursuing a goal, but didn’t come before the outside world in a position at that time.

While Melania Trump has many nice aspects, they don’t seem powerful enough to add up to becoming First Lady. Next time I’ll look at Bill Clinton’s forecast astrologically.

Karen Christino

Astrologer and Writer