Christopher Renstrom’s The Cosmic Calendar: Using Astrology to Get in Sync with Your Best Life provides a wonderful introduction to astrology, and the author’s writing skill and deep understanding of both history and cycles make this a special book.
Renstrom presents the equinoxes, solstices, elements, modes, day and night horoscopes and more with chart diagrams. These immediately convey the multi-dimensional nature of astrology and provide an excellent introduction to help beginners look at a chart. With perceptive and evocative descriptions, the Sun, Moon and planets in signs are addressed at length, with short interpretations of Sun and planet combinations. Christopher writes with sensitivity, insight and emotional resonance and has created a work that’s refreshing, fun and often funny.
We learn so much from the fact that Cancer “can’t resist the impulse to pick up things and to hold them; to cuddle, coddle and cradle.” The Moon in Virgo “treats the body like a temple and not a pup tent.” Jupiter in Leo should “make a big splash, not a big splat.” Saturn in Aquarius’ “matter-of-fact way of putting things gives you the bedside manner of a Vulcan.” Each thought is skillfully crafted to enhance our knowledge and awareness.
Renstrom introduces essential dignities by connecting these fundamentals with the seasons, magically making a sometimes murky topic crystal clear. The Moon is dignified in Cancer when the Northern Hemisphere is vibrant with life; it’s exalted in Taurus, the time of spring growth. Venus rules Taurus’ month, when roses bloom, as well as Libra’s, the time for harvests. Saturn is connected with two months of seasonal cold and dormancy. The associations are disarmingly simple but also profound, as they strike at the heart of their meanings.
A marvelous historical perspective is sprinkled throughout, with enlightening anecdotes about Caesar, Cleopatra and the calendar, Newgrange alignments, Roman myths, the discovery of the outer planets and other intriguing tidbits. The book itself is beautifully designed, compact and easy to read.
The Cosmic Calendar is like a raspberry cheesecake with the nutrition of a macrobiotic meal. Read this book to refresh yourself on astrological basics, or simply for the elegant and entertaining prose. Buy it for friends and family: it should make a perfect gift for the budding astrologer on your list!
In a stunning settlement, the University of Southern California agreed to pay $1.1 billion to compensate over 700 sexual abuse victims for their experiences with long-time student gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall. The agreement is the largest of its kind, an admission of the gravity of the doctor’s behavior. How is a perpetrator of such extensive abuse able to continue for so long?
May 22, 2018 (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
Dr. Tyndall’s prominent T-square shows his long-term position (Sun, Mercury and Mars in Capricorn), his attraction to young people (the Moon in Cancer – a full Moon chart) and his hidden, distorted reality (all square Neptune). Saturn in Leo in its detriment conjunct Pluto and inconjunct Mercury in Capricorn seems a clear indication of his abuse of his position and power over his teenage patients. Mars exalted in Capricorn allowed him to persist for nearly a full Saturn cycle of 27 years. Jupiter in Scorpio sextile Tyndall’s Sun reflects his specialty as well as his ability to escape prosecution for so long.
Tyndall began the job in the summer of 1989, with transiting Saturn conjunct his Capricorn Sun. He was suspended in 2016 as Saturn conjoined his South Node in Sagittarius. Complaints of the doctor’s inappropriate comments, traumatizing physical acts and improper photographs of patients began in the 1990s and continued through the year of his removal. Neptune’s squares seem obvious from both his lack of boundaries and interest in photography. His offices were described as cluttered and unsanitary.
Powerful placements and aspects like these don’t necessarily make someone a “bad” person. Actresses Sandy Dennis and Andréa Ferréol, both born on the same day, channeled their Neptunian energies into more productive lives.
Perhaps most significantly, though, are the doctor’s aspects in declination. The Moon, Mercury and Pluto, all placed out-of-bounds (along with Mars just beginning to step OOB at 23 S 27’) show the negative expression of these energies and how Tyndall countered norms, particularly for one in a position of power and authority over young women. Kt Boehrer associated the OOB Moon for men with having few or no children, and Tyndall also appears to have had none. His wife, found through a matrimonial service, was around 20 years his junior and eventually returned to the Philippines.
Dr. Tyndall was charged with over 30 felony counts of sexual abuse beginning in June of 2019, as Saturn again conjoined his Sun. His trial is pending.
Ancestry.com provided the birth date for George R. Tyndall (January 6, 1947 in Plattsburgh, NY, I used a noon chart – no time available). The Los Angeles Times of December 19, 2018 confirms the year of birth and provided background information for this post.
Why did I ever get involved with the presidents? It must be astrological. With a strong Saturn trine the Ascendant, my connection with them began before I even thought about looking at their elections astrologically.
When I was a kid, my parents bought me a poster with headshots of all the chief executives. I’m not sure why they considered it an appropriate gift for a grade-schooler, but they were both civic-minded and we all had Capricorn in our charts. The poster stood out in black and gold on my bedroom wall, and I was fascinated by the weird hairdos and fashions. I knew very little about the people, but named my hamster after one of them. (Fillmore’s cage sat beneath the poster, though he never got as far on his wheel of fortune as his namesake.)
When my first book about Sun-signs and career came out, one of my radio interviews was in Tennessee. It was election season and I thought they’d like to hear about Vice Presidential candidate Al Gore’s chances for success. Using pretty basic techniques, I already expected Bill Clinton was likely to win, and Gore’s chart settled it.
I’d always been attracted to forecasting, and calling the outcomes of political elections was the kind of definitive, testable astrology I liked. Clients were interested in it, too. I focused on the natal horoscopes for my conclusions regarding major changes, continuing on a particular path, and possible success.
Early 20th century astrologer Evangeline Adams was no stranger to prediction, and famously called the outcomes of several presidential elections correctly. She appeared to base her judgments, at least partially, on transiting Saturn, which is so important to career and life direction. When I began studying Adams’ work, I became more interested in her Gemini rising U.S. chart, and took more time with my next presidential forecasts, studying not only the candidates’ charts but the country’s too.
With several correct forecasts in a row, I now had a record to uphold! I eventually became convinced that the more things I looked at, the more accurate I’d be. I checked transits, solar returns, progressions, solar arcs, progressed declination, planetary cycles, the candidates’ progressed to the U.S. chart, as well as their progressed to U.S. progressed aspects, and included the candidates’ spouses to see if they supported my conclusions.
Some were easier than others. I was skeptical that an African American president could be elected in 2008, but the prevailing transit of Saturn opposite Uranus, announcing innovation, clinched my forecast of Obama’s win. In 2012, his progressed declination was so deeply connected with longer-term U.S. progressions that I felt his work with the country was not yet complete. At the same time, Mitt Romney had transiting Neptune squaring his Gemini Ascendant, while running mate Paul Ryan had the mirror aspect to his Sagittarius Ascendant: I imagined their joint hopes would evaporate.
The presidential contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore, despite being one of the closest in U.S. history, seemed to me relatively easy to determine astrologically, and many other astrologers agreed.
My brother, a die-hard skeptic, also kept me focused on the presidential predictions. A math person with a fixed-sign Aquarius Mercury, he argued my successes were simply coincidence. I’d actually been correct 6 out of 6 times. The probability of choosing heads correctly in 6 coin tosses is 1 in 64, or a 1.56 % (.0156) chance.
But by the time Hillary Clinton ran against Donald Trump, I’d become overconfident, and transiting Jupiter trine my Moon that year only added to my presumption. Living in New York City for most of my life, I assumed most would see Donald Trump’s run as the publicity stunt I thought it was. I also couldn’t imagine someone with such a checkered career in the White House. We all know the result; bias is not a good thing for astrological judgment, and the lack of an accurate birth time for Hillary didn’t help.
I was determined to do better with the 2020 election and again spent a great deal of time with the candidates, their spouses and the U.S. charts. I also returned to basics, and only used the techniques I was most familiar with – transits, progressions and progressed declination. My study of U.S. Inauguration charts for my book Tecumseh’s Curse also helped me call the 2020 outcome correctly, when I realized that Saturn and Uranus in hard aspect historically suggested a change in presidential party.
I now had an accuracy record of 7 in 8 correct, or 87.5%, versus odds of 3.13% by chance alone. When I asked my brother what he thought, he laughed nervously and began talking about Trump’s legal challenges. (We now know that his 60+ lawsuits for voter fraud across the country were virtually all dropped or dismissed due to lack of evidence.) More importantly, I had refined my forecasting techniques and vindicated both myself and astrology.
On the verge of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, I’m delighted to release my new E-book, Tecumseh’s Curse: Indigenous Wisdom, Astrology and the Deaths of U.S. Presidents. I cover the Shawnee brothers linked to the “curse” and the zero-year presidents dying in office, the connections between myth and history, Indigenous culture and American expansionism, and astrology and prophecy. The book looks at patterns in American presidential history and includes analyses of inauguration charts with a preview of the 2021 term and the Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius era to come.
Astrology is not the best at determining outcomes. We can always describe the astrological weather and types of events to expect, but predicting a result is a different matter. It’s far more effective to describe what planets are operating and how they might alter the status quo. Pluto relentlessly erodes what it touches, Neptune dissolves things, Uranus can shatter, Saturn gradually reframes, and Jupiter refreshes situations.
For political elections, we are astrologically considering the likelihood of an outcome. When we add personal bias and agendas to the mix, we can understand how challenging it can be to predict a result. Analyzing the kind and amount of change an individual may expect is one way to approach it. Another is by studying long-term planetary cycles. An important combination this year is the progressed U.S. Sun leaving its conjunction with transiting Neptune.
On election day in 2016, transiting Neptune retrograde at 9 Pisces 16 was very close to the U.S. progressed Sun at 11 Pisces 28. These placements were also approaching a trine to the U.S. natal Sun at about 13 Cancer, allowing Neptune’s cloak to stealthily wrap itself around the country. Neptune advances only a little more than 2 degrees each year. On election day 2020, with the U.S. progressed Sun at about 15-1/2 Pisces and Neptune stationing at 18+ Pisces, the aspect is beginning to depart from the conjunction.
This suggests that some of the Neptunian confusion and complications the country has faced in recent years will gradually begin to lift. Neptune rules otherworldly transcendence, dreams, images, illusions, healthcare, drugs, contagion, disintegration, empathy, charity, idealism, isolation, the oppressed, secrets and deception, among other things.
By 2000, the influence of pharmaceutical companies had already led to a national health crisis, and deaths from opioid overdoses peaked in 2017. The coronavirus pandemic is a Neptunian development all its own, but it also exacerbated the opioid crisis and brought to light the flaws in the American healthcare system.
The proliferation of the Internet, smartphones and other mobile devices, communications satellites, distance learning and web conferencing has kept people glued to screen images.
Donald Trump, the real estate developer turned TV personality who was elected president in 2016, is truly a Neptunian character. His administration popularized the terms “fake news” and “alternate facts” to describe media coverage, promoted a nostalgic return to fossil fuels, and issued executive orders limiting the rights of refugees (many of whom were incarcerated). Through mixed messages and skepticism, he encouraged a mistrust of journalists and healthcare professionals, fueled conspiracy theories and further polarized the nation.
Neptune and Pisces have surely been influencing many aspects of our lives. The country entered an economic slump caused by a trade war with China that became a recession with the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. But feminist, LGBTQ and Black rights movements coalesced during this time.
Another interesting feature of the 2020 election is that transiting Neptune in Pisces is activating all of the major candidates’ horoscopes. It stations in square to Donald Trump’s natal 10th house Uranus in November; opposes his progressed Moon in Virgo the day before election day; and goes on to exactly square his Sun-Moon opposition in March of 2021. The station squares Mike Pence’s Sun-Mercury midpoint in Gemini, exactly squares it in January and squares his prominent Mercury for the first time in April 2021.
The Neptune station in November opposes Joe Biden’s Midheaven, exactly opposing it for the final time in February of 2021. The station transits Kamala Harris’ 10th house as it opposes her natal Venus in Virgo and opposes progressed Mars in Virgo in October and January. Which candidate has the vision for the future? Ultimately it’s a judgment call.
I’ve looked at the 2021 Inauguration horoscope, the Nodal Return cycle, and the candidates’ forecasts. The tides comes in and tides go out, and so it is with astrological developments. As it seems to me that Donald Trump resonates more strongly with recent Neptunian developments, I believe the tide has turned against him as a politician.
I always consider the Vice Presidential candidates when evaluating an election, checking on how they’re interacting with notable transits like Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn and their progressions. Both Pence and Harris show important changes in their lives in the coming months.
We unfortunately don’t have a time of birth for Mike Pence. Declination moves slowly, and his progressed Moon is on the less fortunate downslope, though offering the possibility to coast along in a position. Are there any indications for a major change? I think so.
Pence has a notable Venus conjunct Mars in early Leo squared by Neptune in Scorpio in his birth chart. These squares will become a T-square with the transiting Jupiter-Saturn conjunction between the crucial months of November and January, scattering his attention and hampering his efforts. In addition, Jupiter and Saturn contraparallel his Mars in December, causing many frustrations. The aspects are more notable since natal Mars is also inconjunct Saturn. While Pence has nice sextiles from transiting Jupiter and Pluto to natal Jupiter, it may not be enough for re-election.
Mike Pence’s controlled and low-key image is probably due to his natal Saturn in Capricorn contraparallel a Venus-Pluto parallel (all within about a half a degree). Between late October and January, transiting Jupiter and Pluto will both activate the natal contraparallel. This is another combination involving the year’s momentous transits that also suggests significant life developments.
Progressed Venus in Virgo has moved another degree closer to squaring Pence’s natal Sun. While the Neptune station in November is about two degrees past an exact square to both, it activates them at a crucial time, creating another T-square, and T-squares are purveyors of change. President Trump’s progressed Moon at about 18 Virgo is also moving away from Pence’s progressed Venus as both experience the Neptune transits. Outside events, such as the pandemic or economic recession, may feel out of their control and impact negatively on re-election.
The Vice President has the Sun conjunct Mercury in Gemini in his birth chart. Mercury is prominent, as it’s placed Out-of-Bounds in declination and disposes all other planets but Saturn. As a conservative radio host and politician, it’s allowed him to share his message. But his progressed Sun will be about 15 Leo and progressed Mercury about 11 Leo by the 2021 inauguration. In February and March, transiting Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius will oppose his progressed Mercury, and by May, transiting Uranus will square it, creating a third T-square and suggesting significant new developments in life that may be unanticipated or contrary to his intentions.
Transiting Jupiter opposes and contraparallels Mike Pence’s progressed Sun and Uranus in February, as Jupiter parallels natal Jupiter and trines his Sun. He should be moving toward new vistas by then, and will certainly land on his feet.
We stand on firmer astrological ground with Kamala Harris, who was born in California, where birth records are available. As other astrologers have noted, Harris has quite a strong birth chart. Her Ascendant and North Node in Gemini form a grand trine with her Sun in Libra and Saturn in its ruling sign of Aquarius conjunct her Midheaven. This shows a consistent focus on career and the ability to gradually move to positions of greater authority. The pattern opens out to a rare Star of David or grand sextile, an active and dynamic pattern with nine planets and points and four oppositions involved.
Like Mike Pence, Kamala has Jupiter at 24 degrees. Transiting Jupiter through her eighth house will create a grand trine with her Venus in Virgo in September and Jupiter in Taurus in November. This shows support for her efforts and events running in her favor. Her progressed Moon, exalted in Taurus, has been activating her earth-sign planets, and will trine natal Pluto in December, oppose her Neptune in January and go on to trine natal Venus in early February. This run begins and ends with favorable influences for success while her progressed Moon also double-approaches a conjunction with progressed Jupiter.
From late October through December, the transiting Jupiter-Saturn conjunction also sextiles Harris’ progressed Venus at 26 Scorpio (close to conjoining running mate Joe Biden’s Sun).
The candidate’s progressed Sun in late Sagittarius exactly conjoins her Descendant in December, bringing her before the public as it approaches a sextile to her natal Sun over the next four years. At the same time, she’s experiencing a Nodal Return (exact in early October, see my earlier article on that here). And finally, her progressed Sun conjoins her natal South Node in January. While the South Node may not seem like a favorable conjunction to western astrologers, it could signify Harris being drawn along by karmic forces. In any event, she is at quite an important turning point in her life and career.
Transiting Saturn squares Harris’ Sun and Moon in late November. With so many oppositions in her chart and the Sun and Moon key components of her grand sextile, I believe this indicates new responsibilities. In February 2020, when Saturn first activated the opposition, she called on the Trump Administration for a plan to combat the pandemic. In August, shortly after the second exact squares, she was named the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate. These themes would be consistent with her election. Her progressed Moon also contraparallel natal Saturn in the tenth in late December is a similar influence which may include changes in residence, lifestyle and responsibilities.
All the candidates this year have natal or progressed mutable planets or points that are activated by Neptune, which may relate to prevailing confusion over the coronavirus pandemic and their various approaches to it. In Harris’ case, transiting Neptune stations in opposition to her natal Venus and progressed Mars in Virgo from October through January, bringing up issues in her natal chart. Progressed Moon opposes Neptune at the same time. These are difficult aspects to delineate, although Neptune goes on to more favorably trine her natal Neptune before election day.
Kamala Harris’ Moon progresses Out of Bounds in declination, making for significant periods of time in her life. It is now on the more fortunate upslope, but will peak in her early sixties, a time when she may attract even more attention or prominence – perhaps as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024.
The two Vice Presidential candidates both have mixed aspects. I’m influenced by Biden and Trump’s forecasts, as well as Harris and Trump’s Nodal returns and the 2021 inauguration horoscope. What stands out in Pence and Harris’ analysis is that notable developments are promised for both, which would hold true for a change of administration. Saturn rarely surprises us. With hard aspects from Jupiter and Saturn for both candidates, the current trajectory of Trump’s team polling lower than Biden’s will probably continue, with Kamala Harris moving into a new job.
What are Joe Biden’s astrological chances of winning the November 2020 presidential election? His natal horoscope is certainly not as fortunate as President Trump’s, and the incumbent always has an edge.
Biden was born during World War II, and the era’s characteristic Saturn-Uranus conjunction straddles his Descendant as it opposes his Sun, Venus and Ascendant. The oppositions are probably responsible for the ups and downs in his life and career, but six planets in fixed signs give a consistency of purpose. Neptune in his 10th trines and sextiles the oppositions, balancing the energies and making him a career public servant. A yod with the Moon at its apex and inconjunct aspects to the Ascendant, Venus and Neptune may have also added to the elusiveness of his presidential bids in the past.
But as we near election day in late October, transiting Jupiter trines his Midheaven, while Pluto stations conjunct Jupiter near the trine, helping him promote his message. In November and December, the approaching Jupiter-Saturn conjunction sextiles his rising Sun and Venus and trines progressed Uranus and Neptune, an unusual combination. Transiting Uranus also sextiles his progressed Moon and trines progressed Mars in November. While sextiles are not the strongest aspects in the world, they facilitate things, and the great Jupiter-Saturn mutation into air signs is favorable to Biden.
Donald Trump struggles under the weight of oppositions from the momentous transits in Capricorn while his opponent profits from their aspects to both his natal and progressed charts. Jupiter and Saturn go on to square Biden’s Moon and trine his 10th house Neptune by the end of the year, suggesting both a change of residence and new career vistas. (His progressed Moon square natal Saturn, exact on January 1, has similar resonances.)
Biden’s progressed Mercury at about 25 Capricorn falls right on the progressed U.S. Moon, South Node and Pluto in Capricorn combination as well as the Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto transits in November, which appear to be keeping him in sync with important developments in the country.
Biden’s progressed Sun in Aquarius will be less than a degree from trining the U.S. Mars and a few degrees from conjoining the U.S. natal Moon (using Evangeline Adams’ Gemini rising chart), showing a closer relationship with the country. His progressed Moon and Venus in early Pisces are both drawing close to trining the U.S. natal Sun-Jupiter midpoint, which also seems a favorable connection.
The candidate’s progressed Midheaven at 9 Sagittarius falls in his first house near an opposition to his natal Saturn and U.S. natal Uranus. This could potentially signify an upset, but given the preponderance of other flowing aspects, I feel it suggests a new phase in his life, along with new responsibilities.
The U.S. progressed Venus is about a half a degree from conjoining Biden’s natal Moon in Taurus, indicating a close connection.
The powerhouse in Joe Biden’s chart is Ascendant-ruler Jupiter exalted in Cancer in his 8th house, which trines his Sun, Mercury and Venus. Not the most fortunate of placements, it has nevertheless helped him win supporters and raise campaign funds. Progressions of the heavier planets move very slowly, but in an unusual combination, Biden’s progressed retrograde Jupiter in Cancer is within two degrees of conjoining U.S. progressed Jupiter. At the same time, it trines the U.S. progressed Sun at about 15-1/2 Pisces in a double-approaching aspect (about a degree and a half from exact), and also conjoins the natal U.S. Sun (at about 4 degrees). His progressed Jupiter is also close to trining his Mercury-Mars midpoint in Scorpio, creating a grand trine with U.S. progressed Sun near his IC, a fortunate combination for considering the outcome of an election.
The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius shows Biden in the right place at the right time, and that his momentum continues into 2021. The conjunction transits his 2nd house, and in January (inauguration month), exactly trines 7th house Uranus while sextiling his Ascendant. Jupiter also trines natal Saturn in the 7th, which should help in dealing with the public and important partners. Since Jupiter and Saturn are always close in declination when conjunct, they both also parallel Biden’s Sun and natal 1st house Venus in January, aspects often signifying notable career developments.
An unusual transit is Neptune stationing closely conjunct Biden’s fourth house cusp in November. An angular Neptune can be difficult to interpret. Certainly transiting Neptune closely squaring both Mitt Romney’s Gemini Ascendant and running mate Paul Ryan’s Sagittarius Ascendant in 2012 seemed a strong testimony that they would fail to win their bid for the presidency. Here it may suggest the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the country and a sense of “shifting sands” underfoot. As it also closely trines Biden’s natal Mercury in Scorpio (ruler of his 10th and 7th houses), it might be less onerous than otherwise. On some level, though, it also has the potential to undermine him. Perhaps the idea of people voting against Trump rather than for Biden is symbolized here.
The 23 Sagittarius solar eclipse on December 14, 2020 is strongly placed in Biden’s 1st house of identity, and squares transiting Neptune and his MC, while sextiling his progressed Ascendant in Aquarius. This spotlights his message, but there may be upcoming events that we cannot anticipate as yet.
In evaluating presidential candidates, I look at several astrological factors. Whether they win or lose is basic, but can be complicated, although there are often clear indicators for success or failure. Does it look like they’ll have a change in responsibility or residence? And what about their continuing relationship with the country?
The natal chart is the most important element. Donald Trump attracts attention with his Sun conjunct Uranus birth eclipse. It brings surprising successes, but, I’ve always felt, will include equally notable falls from grace. Belinda Lai has included a detailed analysis of Trump’s birth chart on AstroPastures and I agree with her analysis that the mutable pattern tends toward one-shot situations, rather than long-term appointments.
Trump has many challenging transits in the coming months. Between October and February, transiting Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto all oppose the president’s Venus. Jupiter and Pluto exactly oppose his Saturn in November and December, close to the election. (They will trine his Midheaven near that time, too, but since Venus rules his MC and Saturn relates to career, I feel the oppositions carry.) Pluto also opposes his natal Venus for the first time on February 18, 2021, drawing him to begin a new life direction.
Progressions may be more notable in terms of where a person is going in life. The president’s progressed Mercury in Leo, near his Mars-Pluto midpoint, sextiles natal Uranus in late September, and transiting Uranus sextiles his Mercury in late October. Mercury co-rules his 10th house and is prominent in the 11th so this could point toward unexpected support. But his natal Mercury lacks dignity, and none is added by the sign or 12th house placement of the progression. He can expect help from loyal associates behind the scenes, and there may be a court decision in his favor. But I feel that the challenging aspects outweigh the rest of the picture.
Trump’s progressed Ascendant at 29 Libra 57, denotes the end of a phase in his life. His progressed Venus, Jupiter and Ascendant in Libra will all take exact squares from the heavy Capricorn transits from late October through December. (These may also explain his catching the coronavirus in early October.)
His progressed Midheaven, showing his status and career development, is equally afflicted. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius will oppose both his progressed Midheaven and progressed Saturn in January of 2021 from the bottom of his progressed chart (traditionally the “end of the matter”).
Trump’s progressed Moon in Virgo squares his natal Uranus in the 10th in October. The transiting Neptune in Pisces station squares natal Uranus in November, while progressed Moon opposes transiting Neptune close to election day, creating a T-square. Transiting Neptune’s continuing aspects from the 7th house aren’t yet exact, but will include squares to his Sun, Moon and Nodes, forming a grand cross and eroding his popularity. The December 14 solar eclipse at 23 Sagittarius also activates the grand cross.
In addition, the progressed Moon is within a degree and a half of conjoining the Midheaven of Joe Biden’s 8:30 a.m. birth chart! It’s as if he’s ready to hand over the reins of government. Or we might say that his work ethic and health situation enhance Biden’s reputation.
The progressed Moon in declination may show periods of time when one achieves great popularity or notoriety. Trump’s Moon progressed Out of Bounds in declination between the ages of 69 and 71, presenting a very unusual period of time when he won the 2016 election. His progressed Moon is now on the downslope and has not been OOB for a few years: he no longer enjoys the responsiveness from the public that he did four years ago.
Trump has some positive progressions, including progressed Moon approaching a trine to progressed U.S. Moon and his progressed Sun near a trine to U.S. progressed Ascendant. However the most notable thing is the number of progressed to progressed aspects that are departing (I count 13 of them under 4 degrees), showing his path moving away from the country’s. The U.S. progressed Moon at 22 Capricorn, South Node at 26 Capricorn and Pluto at 29-1/2 Capricorn are all reinforced by the transits in the same sign that afflict his birth chart.
All of this is within the context of the bigger picture. Donald Trump is experiencing a Nodal return, which often coincides with a life-changing time. See my earlier post on Trump and Kamala Harris’ Nodal returns. And the Inauguration chart, with its prominent Saturn square Uranus, also suggests a change in the party in power. My earlier Inauguration 2021 post shows that this has historically been the case with many new administrations of the past.
I do not believe that Donald Trump will begin a second term as President of the United States. If he’s somehow re-elected, I expect he will face very difficult challenges indeed. I hope to post about Biden’s horoscope soon.
The 2021 inauguration horoscope seems to indicate a period of momentous change and potential turmoil, upheaval and even loss during the term. Seven planets all square one another, and Neptune squares the Nodes. Certainly there should be many noteworthy events in the coming four years, and we also appear to be moving into a new and different situation. Is it possible to be more specific?
We can get a better idea of what we might expect in the future by looking back through history. While I’ve seen no inauguration horoscope as focused or dramatic as 2021, various elements repeat themselves from previous administrations.
Pluto can relate to financial issues, power, essential transformation and intervention or even manipulation. Pluto with the Sun or Midheaven in an inauguration horoscope may show the president’s experience with these issues during the term.
Thomas Jefferson’s 1801 administration and James Monroe’s 1817 term both had the Sun conjunct Pluto in Pisces. William McKinley (and Theodore Roosevelt) had the inaugural Sun and Mercury in a T-square with Uranus and Pluto. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had an angular grand cross with the Sun, Moon, Mars, Uranus and Pluto in 1937 and a fixed grand cross with the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Pluto in 1941. Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inauguration had the Sun, Moon and Nodes square Pluto.
Most of these Plutonian administrations were notable victories for the presidents elected. They all sought to unite the country in various ways, and often succeeded (the above list includes some of the most notable presidents in history). The political parties themselves also underwent change either in their evolution or due to reforms or other pressing issues. Developments in the country’s territory, alliances and antagonisms came to the forefront. Financial affairs were often highlighted, with important changes in policies and trends. The presidents either chose to utilize more fiscal or political power, or were forced to do so.
Hard aspects from Uranus to the Sun in inauguration horoscopes created surprising and unforeseen circumstances in administrations that started with them. They coincided with danger to the chief executive as well as some of the shortest of presidential terms. William Henry Harrison served for a month (Sun conjunct Uranus), James Garfield and William McKinley only eked out about six months apiece (Sun opposite and square Uranus, respectively), and Warren Harding served for about two and a half years (Sun opposite Uranus). The Civil War raged throughout Abraham Lincoln’s Sun square Uranus 1861 term, with a tempestuous and chaotic situation for the entire country. (All of these inauguration charts also included Jupiter conjunct or parallel Saturn.)
A concern for 2021 is Uranus conjoining the inaugural Ascendant (less than 7½ degrees). Roosevelt’s 1941 inauguration Uranus was solidly in the first house and he was forced to confront the constant unpredictability of war (though Uranus had no close classical aspects and the fixed grand cross did not involve it). Roosevelt’s 1937 administration may more closely resemble 2021, as Uranus is in a grand cross with the Sun, Moon, Mars and Pluto. Overseas conflicts were a key issue, but the U.S. was not yet at war. Though in 1937, Uranus was in the twelfth house in the inauguration chart.
Ulysses S. Grant’s first term featured Uranus rising closely trine the Sun and a grand fire trine, quite a different pattern. He was a reformer who supported Reconstruction and civil rights and made progress in these areas while stabilizing the economy.
Uranus and Mars conjunct the first house in 2021 suggests a new identity and perspective for the country. Mars in its detriment in Taurus holds the potential for volatility and even violence, and with an angular Sun square Uranus, the president will likely face some surprises. Popular movements may impact the coming years, leading to reform or even some sort of crisis or revolution that shakes up the country in a significant way.
But with traditional rulers, Saturn is the final dispositor of the 2021 inauguration chart, ultimately ruling both Mars and Uranus as well as the Sun. Only a few chief executives began their terms with the Sun actually conjunct Saturn. These coincided with contentious issues and the administrations were limited in time or by circumstances.
Zachary Taylor was the only president not elected in a zero year to die in office. His 1849 inauguration Sun conjoined both Saturn and the South Node. Over a decade before the Civil War, the slavery debate had created partisan divisions and southern leaders threatened succession. Rutherford B. Hayes came to the presidency in 1877. With an inaugural Sun conjunct Saturn, Hayes’ election was one of the most hotly disputed in U.S. history. He lost the popular vote, and electoral votes in the south were contested amidst charges of fraud and Black voter suppression. John F. Kennedy’s Sun conjunct Saturn in Capricorn years are remembered for the Cold War, with civil rights also an important issue during the early ‘60s as well.
All three of these Sun-Saturn administrations addressed Black inequality (the Sun-Saturn combinations reiterate the Sun-Saturn square in the U.S. horoscope). With the Black Lives Matter movement in the forefront in 2020, it seems probable that racial justice will once again feature in the 2021 administration. The president could be limited to some extent by public opinion (first house), opposing parties or international relations. Like FDR or even Woodrow Wilson in 1913 with a Moon-Mars-Uranus conjunction straddling the ninth house cusp, the president may also need to begin to respond to developments abroad as the country’s relationships are re-evaluated and reorganized (since Mars or Pluto rule the inaugural seventh house).
Uranus squaring Saturn in the tenth house in the 2021 inauguration highlights the breakdown of old structures, with movement into a new phase. Unanticipated events might even impact the president personally.
In fact, many presidential elections or inaugurations with hard aspects between Saturn and Uranus have coincided with a change in the president’s political party. (We can consistently see this in the transitions from James Buchanan to Lincoln, Hoover to FDR, Truman to Eisenhower, Ford to Carter, Clinton to George W. Bush and Bush to Obama.) This presents a likelihood that the same will occur in 2021.
Though I personally need to analyze the candidates themselves before coming to a more definite opinion about the election (see my guidelines for forecasting political elections here), planetary cycles are very powerful!
I analyze many inaugural horoscopes in my forthcoming book, Tecumseh’s Curse: Indigenous Wisdom, Astrology and the Death of U.S. Presidents.
Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris will have her third Nodal return on September 17, 2020. Donald Trump will experience his fourth Nodal return on November 10, 2020. With both candidates experiencing this near-exact aspect this fall, what, if anything, does it bode for the election?
Ken Negus did an in-depth study of these returns and found that we often experience important new beginnings, endings or even sharp turns when the Lunar Nodes return to their natal places at the ages 19, 38, 56-7 and 76. Some encounter major transformations and others may find various areas of their lives affected. Ken researched these cycles in the lives of the presidents and confirmed that at the returns, some of the notable events included appointment to major political office.
I attended Ken’s lecture on this topic in 1996 and will summarize his findings.
The Moon’s nodal cycle of 18.6 years overlaps the 19-year Metonic Sun-Moon phase cycle (though they diverge noticeably as the years go on). Ken found that, like Harris and Trump, almost half of the 41 presidents he studied had angular Nodes. This makes sense since the Sun represents the ego and the Moon the public. It may also explain their ambition for public service (since any random group should only have the Nodes angular about a third of the time).
At the age of 38, Ken found that 17 of the 41 presidents studied (about 41%) were elected or appointed to important political offices. But the returns at 56-57 were the most impressive, perhaps as they are a prelude to the Saturn return. 7 of the 41 began their first presidential terms at this age, and 3 went on to a second term (making for a total of almost 25% who were elected president on a Nodal return).
4 completed their presidencies and 4 more were elected to other offices – Vice President or Congress. On the other hand, another 4 of the 41 studied died in office! Ultimately, about 61% experienced significant turning points in their political careers at their third return years.
Ken concluded that the half returns were also notable. At age 66½ there were more negative overtones, including difficult terms of office, the decision not to run, defeats, and the death of a candidate or their spouse. Abraham Lincoln and Vice President Andrew Johnson were born only 45 days apart, with natal Nodes separated by about 1¼ degrees. Johnson took over as president after Lincoln was assassinated near both of their half-Nodal returns. Jimmy Carter lost his bid for re-election. (John F. Kennedy was also killed at a half-Nodal return at the young age of 46.)
By the fourth Nodal return at the age of 76, most presidents were in retirement, but often experienced other significant life events. Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia and James Madison became rector of the same institution. John Quincy Adams intensified his political activities, chairing a committee to impeach President Tyler (which did not go forward). Harry Truman was involved in John F. Kennedy’s campaign.
Can we draw any conclusions from the Nodal returns for the 2020 election? There’s a likelihood that both Harris and Trump will each have important career transitions. It makes the most logical sense to me that Harris will be elected and Trump will be voted out of the White House. Harris’ Ascendant trines her dignified Saturn conjunct the 10th house, showing the slow and steady progress of her career, and this would be the next logical step for her. While Trump’s Sun conjunct his North Node and Uranus in the 10th indicates spectacular achievements with equally striking reversals, which would be in keeping with him losing support.
But the Nodal return is just one element to consider, and we need corroboration elsewhere to arrive at a definitive judgment.
About Ken Negus — his chart on Astrodatabank, and his bio/obit from the Astrological Society of Princeton.
