Election 2016 – Solar Returns

The Presidential election this fall is a major contest and the outcome can be determined astrologically. To do it, we need to consider a wide variety of techniques. In this post I’ll look at the Solar Returns for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

The contest has changed recently, since Trump has a new Solar Return that began on his birthday in June. Trump was in NYC for a campaign rally on June 13, 2016 (the exact time of the return may fall on the day before the calendar birth date), and I’ll assume he was also in NY that morning, when his Sun returned to its natal place. At this writing, many reporters suggest that he’s become more controversial in recent months.

Trump has won support by being a political outsider, but as the Republican presidential candidate, he has alienated party leaders. A Latino judge who Trump criticized recently ruled that the fraud suit against Trump University would go to trial. These events show issues with authority figures, and Trump has Uranus conjunct the Midheaven this year. It forms a stressful yod with the Sun conjunct Venus in the 11^th house and Mars in Scorpio in the 4^th, a combative pattern.

The T-square of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune is very close in Trump’s Solar Return, indicating his controversies involving minorities and immigrants (afflicted Jupiter).

Hillary Clinton is closer to the end of her Solar Return year, which also fell a day before her birthday, when she attended a private event in NYC. Questions of Clinton’s trustworthiness continue to dog her, her e-mail scandal seems to have a life of its own, and she has flip-flopped on a number of issues. Her Solar features Neptune conjunct the Midheaven, showing a questionable reputation. While Neptune squares Saturn in the Return, it also has some excellent aspects, forming a grand trine with the Cancer Ascendant and the Sun in Scorpio in the 5^th house. Neptune also sextiles Pluto in her 7^th, which might ease the public’s skepticism of her somewhat.

Hillary’s 10^th house of status and position ends up being more favorable than Donald’s.

The Ascendant is a significant point as well, representing the candidate. Trump has the Moon in the 3^rd closely sextiling his Solar Ascendant in Leo (the same sign rising in his birth chart). Hillary also has favorable quintile aspects between the Ascendant and the benefics Venus and Jupiter in her 4^th house, in addition to the grand trine involving her Solar Ascendant. While the Ascendant is also inconjunct Saturn, highlighting her emotional reserve and keeping many from warming up to her, the flowing aspects add more weight. Hillary’s Ascendant also ends up being more favorable than Trump’s.

Angularity adds power to planets and both candidates have angular planets in their Solar Returns: Trump has Uranus conjoining the Midheaven and Mars in the 4^th house; Clinton has Venus, Mars and Jupiter conjunct in her Solar 4^th house, Neptune on the Midheaven and Pluto in the 7^th. Hillary’s Solar Return is more powerful with more angular planets.

I always like to consider essential dignity as well. In his Return, Trump has Mercury in Gemini and Mars in Scorpio, strong in their ruling signs, but Mercury opposes Mars and Mars is also the focal point of the yod. While Clinton has Venus in its fall in Virgo, it forms a mutual reception with Mercury in Libra (each other’s ruling signs), and disposes of the rest of the planets. Mercury, though, is part of a T-square with the Moon, Uranus and Pluto. Neither candidate appears much stronger through essential dignity.

But Hillary Clinton’s Solar Return ends up being more favorable overall, with a better aspected Midheaven and Ascendant and more angular planets. There’s much more we could say about the Solar Returns, and this is only one part of the analysis we need to do to forecast the outcome of the election.

Note: I use relocated SR charts in the Tropical zodiac and do not correct for precession.

Is Personality Stable?

It depends. As astrologers, we know that some people, with a mutable emphasis in their birth charts, have more changeable personalities, while others (say, with a significant Uranus or Pluto in their horoscopes) have charts that suggest dramatic change over the course of their lives. Still, psychologists have been arguing about the question for decades.

In the 1960s, the world of psychology accepted the fact that personality was stable – that we can be categorized as certain types of people and will consistently behave in particular ways. Yet when Walter Mischel, PhD began his professional career, he reviewed the literature and saw that none of the studies he consulted supported that conclusion. Instead, in his 1968 book, Personality and Assessment, he revealed that personality is not stable over time. Consistency was an illusion. Despite the research behind the book, it was controversial. People just didn’t want to accept that personality was unstable. On a gut level, we want to believe that we know who people are and can predict their behavior.

What Mischel also found, and others have supported, is that the different situations that we find ourselves in can very much change behavior. One may have one type of personality at work and another at home. And certainly, people change over time. An alcoholic can recover, a criminal may rehabilitate himself, a 30-year marriage can dissolve when the parties develop differing goals.

With astrology, we see why all of these variables are possible. The birth chart is stable – we live with that pattern throughout our lives. But we also experience different cycles and phases as we move through the years and decades. Progressions will change our personal emphasis in life, and transits will alter what the world is showing us. So in some sense, we are both consistent and changeable. And astrologers also have the extraordinary ability to forecast these trends.

Drawing Up Horoscopes by Hand

Like most astrologers my age, I originally learned to draw up horoscopes by hand. Computers quickly changed all that and made it much quicker and easier to calculate charts. But I could never let go of hand writing the aspects.

I didn’t like how they looked on the print-outs, no matter how many different wheel styles I tried. And more importantly, they never made much sense to me that way.

So I’ve always used a computer to print out charts, but still keep my colored pencils to draw in the aspects myself. I figure them out the old-fashioned way, Sun-Moon, Sun-Mercury, Sun-Venus, etc. As I work through them, I familiarize myself with the chart and discover many connections and patterns that I might have otherwise missed. When I’m finished, I feel like I have a good impression of the person’s horoscope, its highlights and issues.

Technology facilitates many things for us these days, but may also take away some levels of our experience. My gut feeling on this was recently confirmed by a NY Times article reviewing studies of handwriting vs. keyboarding. It appears that more brain circuits are activated with manual writing, increasing mental activity and ideas. And, as I somehow suspected, handwriting may also help us process new information better.

Justin Timberlake and Neptune

Justin Timberlake’s new song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” hit the top of the charts over Memorial Day weekend, and is being touted as the song of the summer. This infectious pop tune reflects Timberlake’s exact Moon conjunct Neptune in Sagittarius.

“Can’t Stop the Feeling” captures a sense of love, joy and happiness, and the video shows people in everyday life expressing it. Since Justin not only performs the song, but was also a writer and co-producer, it strongly reflects his personality. His Moon and Neptune closely trine his Leo Ascendant from the cusp of the 5th house, giving him the ability to creatively dramatize a special moment in time. The singer-songwriter seems able to effortlessly capture an evanescent feeling.

Sagittarius showcases optimism and expansiveness, but it’s also the combination with Neptune that transcends the material plane and blends it into a sense of higher consciousness. Neptune is certainly at home with music and dance. And look how many joyful Sagittarius-Neptune phrases we can find in the song’s lyrics:

“I fly so high, no ceiling, when I’m in my zone”
“Got that good soul in my feet”
“moving so phenomenally”
“Just imagine”
“Nothing I can see but you when you dance, dance, dance”
“It’s something magical”

Director Mark Romanek (born September 18, 1959) perfectly captures the essence of the song in the music video. His Uranus at 19 Leo conjoins Justin’s Ascendant while trining his Moon-Neptune conjunction in Sagittarius. Transiting Uranus will station in the third fire sign, Aries, in Timberlake’s 9th house this summer, creating a once-in-a-lifetime grand trine. So the hype about “Can’t Stop the Feeling” being the summer’s song is probably correct!

Justin Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981 at 6:30 PM in Memphis, Tennessee, according to his birth certificate on Astrodatabank.

My New Evangeline Adams Novel!

I’m thrilled to announce the publication of The Precious Pachyderm, my new mystery novel featuring Evangeline Adams. Scroll down for more. You can also read my article about how I got the idea for this book.

Manhattan, 1926. A wealthy businessman found dead. A priceless elephant figurine from an extravagant Indian prince gone missing. And famous astrologer Evangeline Adams is a primary suspect. To save their jobs, Adams’ assistants Mary Adler and Clara Cosentino investigate the astrologer’s classy clients, oddball employees and offbeat associates to help discover who really committed the crime. And Evangeline solves her first case with the help of astrology in this funny, fast-paced whodunit.
Buy Kindle version — The Precious Pachyderm (An Evangeline Adams Mystery Book 1)
Buy print version — The Precious Pachyderm (An Evangeline Adams Mystery) (Volume 1)

When Was Hillary Born?

Now that Hillary Clinton is the de facto Democratic nominee, we have a problem: when was she born? We can’t make a good forecast for the outcome of the presidential election without it.

Several different times of birth have been published for Hillary, including rectified times. Lois Rodden based her rating system on documentary evidence, never astrological opinion. Yet in this case, there is no published birth certificate and most reports are hearsay. The times with more definitive sources are shortly after 8:00 AM or 8:00 PM.

The two horoscopes are quite different. The 8 PM chart has Uranus in Gemini conjunct the Ascendant and the Moon at 29 Pisces in the 10th house. This is the only angularity. Uranus on the Ascendant squaring the Moon, both in mutable signs, shows a lack of focus. The energy could potentially be brilliant, but it’s also quite restless and even manic. The Moon in the 10th is also an indicator of movement: the career is changeable. Neither of these indicators point toward a woman who appears centered in the most challenging of circumstances. I also find it hard to believe that Clinton, who has consistently enjoyed high-profile positions, has a mutable, Void of Course Moon in her 10th house of status.

I find the 8:02 AM time to be a much better fit. The Sun in the behind-the-scenes 12th house is a placement shared by other high-level politicians (George W. Bush, Senator John Edwards, Jimmy Carter, U.S. Grant and Abe Lincoln). Scorpio rises, with Venus and Mercury in Scorpio conjoining the first house cusp, and Jupiter is also placed in the first in its ruling sign of Sagittarius, a powerful combination for a strong speaker and personality. We see her as both guarded and controlled (Scorpio) yet energetic (Jupiter and Sagittarius).

Taurus on her 7th house points toward her husband. The ruler, Venus, is conjunct the Ascendant from the 12th and placed in its detriment in Scorpio – a nice description of their complicated relationship. But with her fixed signs, the partnership has endured.

A triple conjunction of Mars, Saturn and Pluto falls in Hillary’s 9th house in the 8:02 AM chart, variously squaring her first house planets. This accounts for the strong negative gut reactions many people have toward her. There’s more going on than we know. The focus on the 9th exemplifies her experience as a lawyer, representative and diplomat, and higher office in general. It’s also a good indicator of the legal problems that continue to plague her.

I will use the 8:02 AM birth time for Hillary in the future. But we can never be completely sure until she shares her birth certificate with us (and of course even then there may be errors).

Hillary Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois

Bernie Sanders and Saturn

Bernie Sanders is on his second run for President. The Brooklyn Public Library discovered high school newspapers documenting his bid for president of his student government organization in 1958. That’s 58 years ago and two Saturn cycles, making Sanders’ activities a fascinating example of Saturn’s repeating transits through the natal chart.

Saturn’s influence often relates to our goals and plans for the future. Change usually accompanies its aspects, as we make adjustments to our situation, let go of obligations and take on new responsibilities. We can characterize Saturn’s transit through the various houses and its aspects to natal planets. As we get older, we may look back on previous Saturn transits to get a general idea of what to expect when these aspects repeat. Although we’re usually not experiencing the same thing, sometimes very similar issues come up. For example, Billy Joel’s second daughter was born in 2015, 30 years after her sister’s birth.

Evangeline Adams appeared to consider Saturn’s influence in considering the outcomes of political elections, since Saturn also relates to career and status.

Transiting Saturn was in late Sagittarius when Bernie Sanders was nominated for Student President in December of 1958. By March of 1959, with Saturn in early Capricorn, he had lost the election, yet continued his philanthropic activities at his school in Midwood, Brooklyn.

Sanders was Mayor of Burlington, Vermont when Saturn was again in late Sagittarius to early Capricorn in 1988. He first ran for Congress that year, but once again lost under the same influence of Saturn. (He won the Congressional seat a few years later.)

Sanders’ campaign for U.S. president began in May of 2015 with Saturn in early Sagittarius. He laid off staffers in April of 2016 as Saturn stationed in square to his Virgo Sun. Yet he’s continued his efforts with great success. Saturn will not be far from squaring his Sun at the Democratic convention in July, and will exactly square his Sun again for the election in November 2016, closely timing expected events and suggesting some important developments.

Saturn does not seem to be helpful for Sanders’ election to the Presidency in November, but we should never base forecasts on one astrological element alone.

He won’t see the late Sagittarius transits that exactly coincide with his two previous election bids until 2017. If he follows the same pattern, he’ll continue with his work no matter what the election results are. Yet both Saturn and his increased national profile suggest that he’s entering a new phase.

Bernie Sanders was born on September 8, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York.

The Retrograde Diaries – Episode 17

Mercury stationed and went retrograde this week, and I’ve already experienced the typical mix-ups, mishaps and confusion it so often brings. Minor annoyances, yes, but they do add up.

I was first in line at the greengrocer, but my cashier turned to help out her colleague. After five minutes, a third line opened up, so I switched. As I walked across the floor, another woman purposely ran in front of me to get to the register first! When she did, she gave me a wide grin, very pleased with her success. Mercury retrograde’s sense of displacement seemed to work better for her than for me.

I wanted to copy a few pages from a library book when I returned it. However the machine was turned off and no librarian was at the desk. I spent several minutes and finally found the button to turn it on, then waited at least five minutes for it to warm up. I wasn’t sure it was working – why was it turned off? I was impatient to leave and didn’t want to wade through the many instructions necessary to make a simple copy. Remember when it was simple? But Mercury retrograde can make things appear more complicated.

A bird pooped on my jacket and I didn’t notice it until I got home and it was dry. I did get it off. But Mercury retrograde may also relate to hitting an unintended target since accuracy is a Mercurial trait.

I sat on my glasses and went to the optician for a repair. I ended up going back a second and even a third time. Each time a different technician was there, though no one seemed to have the skills to do this task properly. Repair should be an appropriate Mercury retrograde “re” word, but this shop is under new management and does not appear to do a good job. Or is it just Mercury retrograde?

I needed to send an item by Federal Express and called to be sure I had the proper instructions. The representative was so generic in his response, I thought he was a machine! I embarrassed myself by telling it that I wanted a real person. He assured me he was human, but his response was still so glib and general, I wasn’t convinced I had the correct information and needed to call again.

We’re only in the first week of the retrograde – I’m sure there’s more to come!

Sagittarius and the NYC Subway Boom

The sign of Sagittarius relates to travel as well as things done on a grand scale. In the horoscope for Greater New York, Sagittarius is on the 3rd house cusp, along with Saturn, Mars and Venus placed in this sign in the 3rd house. They accentuate trade, society, diversity, big buildings, the press and many other matters. This combination also points toward our large, sprawling transit system.

New York City’s subways may more specifically be indicated by Saturn in the 3rd house (signifying well organized but rigid routes) opposite Pluto (for its underground nature). The MTA just announced that ridership has been over 6 million on many weekdays – greater than it’s been since 1948. Why?

New York City experienced it’s Saturn return in the 3rd house in late December, showing demands on local transit. The Saturn return for individuals may be linked to growing pains, and perhaps this is true of the subway as well. The Census Bureau recently announced that more than 8.5 million people now live in New York City – more than ever before. Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx gained the most in population, which included immigrants. Both the increase and foreigners are all Sagittarius-ruled.

Now, transiting Saturn is retrograding toward an opposition with natal Pluto and will station close to its natal place in August. In addition, transiting Mars is also stationing very close to a conjunction with natal Saturn, also activating this area with its energy. These planets are making NY transit notable at this time, but news itself is also a 3rd house and Sagittarius topic.

True to Saturn’s nature, the MTA also reported that there are more delays and crowding as well. Guess they’ll have to keep on working on it.

Tough Guys and Mars

Men typically die five years sooner than women, on average, and physical differences can’t explain it. Researchers at Rutgers University found that men who saw themselves as tough, brave and self-reliant – typical characteristics of Mars – tended to choose male doctors and shared fewer symptoms with them.

The higher they scored on a “masculinity scale,” the greater their Martian attributes. This increased their tendency to ignore medical problems and to delay addressing them. They also avoided showing weakness to other men, which caused them to down-play their symptoms with male doctors. Women with strong Martian characteristics had similar outcomes as well, though it’s worse for men (perhaps because they are all Mars).

Astrologically, Venusians are sensitive, crave comfort and seek balance. Martian types are more headstrong, rash, and willing to take risks. And unfortunately, these characteristics don’t help them in the longevity department.

Karen Christino

Astrologer and Writer