Category Archives: forecasting

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.

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.

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.

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.

Trump and Uranus

With transiting Jupiter continuing through his 1st house, Donald Trump enjoys unrestrained self-expression and is getting more media coverage than ever. But Jupiter in Virgo squares his natal Uranus this week, which may both broaden his appeal but also invite controversy. He’s already being criticized by the Republican establishment, who see his lack of political experience and outspoken manner as a danger to winning the presidential election this fall.

Uranus can behave like a wild card – it may be unpredictable and disruptive. The noise from Jupiter’s short-term square to Uranus will blow over. The more significant influence of transiting Uranus then trines Trump’s Moon in April and sextiles his Sun from the 9th house in May, aiding his efforts and perhaps also bringing some surprises.

Uranus will go on to square Trump’s Saturn and oppose his Jupiter in June, which represents unexpected developments and a possible upset. This aspect repeats in July as he heads toward the convention. It’s not hard to predict that Trump is sure to stay in the news.

I won’t yet hazard a guess as to the outcome of the election in November as I’m following my own rule and waiting for the official slate of candidates.

Forecasting Political Elections
Candidate Trump

Scalia and Saturn

Justice Antonin Scalia served on the Supreme Court for 29 years – the magic Saturn cycle number. So Saturn must have played a significant part in his experience. And he was a very Saturn character.

Saturn is known for its conservatism, and Scalia presented the conservative viewpoint in his decisions as well as in his life. He remained a staunch opponent of both abortion and gay marriage, and solidified individuals’ rights to own guns. Saturn typically protects the status quo and is not an innovator. Scalia took a historical view of what the Constitution meant when it was written, rather than seeing it as a living document, since Saturn rules both history and endurance.

And talk about job security – something every Saturn person wants. How many jobs have a lifetime guarantee? Scalia found one.

When we look at Justice Scalia’s horoscope, it’s no surprise to see he was born with Saturn conjunct his Sun. He respected authority and became an authority himself. (Of course there was much more to the man and his horoscope, though Saturn is a strong factor.)

Scalia was appointed by Ronald Regan and affirmed by the Senate on September 17, 1986. Saturn was at 5 Sagittarius and had recently stationed in trine to his Leo Midheaven, while Uranus, also in Sagittarius, was near the midpoint of a square to his Sun conjunct Saturn. When he died on February 13, 2016, just a month shy of his 80th birthday, transiting Saturn was again in Sagittarius and squared his Saturn.

Justice Antonin Scalia was born on March 11, 1936 at 8:55 pm in Trenton, New Jersey, according to his birth certificate and Astrodatabank.

The Second Saturn Return

As a strong Saturn person who became a professional astrologer on my first Saturn return, I’m always interested in the Saturn cycle. Al H. Morrison felt that the second Saturn return was quite significant. (He, too, had an important Saturn, with Saturn conjunct his Sun straddling the fourth house cusp.) Al saw the second Saturn return as further consolidating the career or life direction. The return at ages 58-59 has a Janus-like effect. With the perspective of time, you easily look back at your life history, seeing what you’ve experienced and accomplished. In harsh Saturnine terms, time has passed and we won’t be getting it back. What do you want that you haven’t had the opportunity to do? What have you done that you’d like to continue?

At the borderline of 60, we also more easily look ahead. How many years might we continue to be active? And what can be accomplished in that time? This hard look at reality makes us more focused, according to Al, which is a natural Saturn function. We no longer have time for things that aren’t important as we become more aware of the limitations of our time.

Here’s an example: A good friend experienced her second Saturn return last year. She’d been a writer for over 30 years though she earned more through teaching. But all her hard work in the previous cycle bore fruit at the return as she began finding better writing opportunities, and she left a regular teaching job as a result. Shortly after the return was past, she found what she once would have considered an ideal teaching position; but she ended up not applying for the job — it would interfere with her writing opportunities.

These career transitions can be typical of the Saturn return. We realize that we can’t do everything. And our changing opportunities and circumstances may lead us in different and even more rewarding directions.

Al H. Morrison was born on July 8, 1916 at 12:17 AM in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

For more from Al, see my book, The Best of Al H. Morrison.
Buy from Amazon.com: The Best of Al H. Morrison

Jupiter square Jupiter

I recently had transiting Jupiter square my natal Jupiter. This can be a time to stretch our boundaries and explore new vistas. During the transit, I had an odd dream that seemed to resonate with this symbolism.

I was leaving a high-rise building in Manhattan with my husband. The elevator arrived but it wasn’t clear if it was going up or down. I took a chance and got in: if it went up, it would be a short ride before it returned. My husband waited.

Once in the elevator, it was obvious that the ceiling was too low – I had to sit on the floor. Meanwhile, a technician was cleaning some mechanical parts in the other side of the cab, and I worried that something might be wrong. We did in fact go up and returned back down, when my husband got on and we got to the ground floor without any problems.

Obviously, I’d taken a risk in the dream, which is Jupiterian thing to do. I’d assumed my actions would simplify things, taking a “shortcut” in a way, but I’d made myself uncomfortable and perhaps wasted time. Still, the trade-off was experience, as it was not exactly what I expected and I had a minor adventure.

An elevator going up may symbolize a rise in consciousness, which Jupiter does, too. I expanded beyond my boundaries, but it wasn’t comfortable – which might be in keeping with the square aspect. Maybe the elevator car also represented the current limitations of my life that I needed to exceed. Though I did feel better returning to earth with my husband!

The physical act of travel is very common when we have Jupiter transits, and for me, this was metaphoric rather than real. Some of the key words for Jupiter are expansion, raising status (in this case, figuratively) and speculation. All seem appropriate.

Forecasting Political Elections

We’re revving up for the U.S. Presidential race, though Election Day is over a year away – much too soon to make an astrological prediction. I’ve correctly forecast the outcomes of the last six presidential elections. Here’s what worked for me:

1. Wait for the final roster of candidates. Initial candidates can have life-changing aspects which may end up having little to do with the presidency.

2. Use every tool at your disposal. This takes time (another reason to wait for the final candidates!). I use nomination charts, transits, solar returns, progressed declination and solar arcs, as well as comparisons with the U.S. chart. I also try to look at the Vice Presidential candidates and the potential first ladies, too. Despite many excellent aspects in 2012, transiting Neptune squared Mitt Romney’s Ascendant; we might say he never truly caught fire. But V.P. candidate Paul Ryan also had Neptune opposing his Ascendant, emphasizing the possibility of loss for both men.

3. Don’t be too influenced by a single technique. Hillary Clinton’s progressed Moon was Out of Bounds in declination for the 2008 presidential election, giving her a very high profile. If we used that technique alone, we might erroneously conclude she’d win. Still, it was a break-out time for her: she garnered tremendous support and was soon appointed Secretary of State. Obama’s nomination chart that year had a Void of Course Moon. One needed to overlook the typical “nothing will come of it” interpretation (he’d been a de facto candidate well before his nomination).

4. Be aware of bias. Astrologers in the U.S. lean liberal, and seem to forecast more Democratic success. Understand your own bias and consciously take a step back.

5. Don’t be swayed by the media. We have to consider what commentators say. But stick to the astrology. The close, hotly contentious 2000 Bush-Gore presidential race needed a Supreme Court decision to resolve, though it was much more obvious astrologically that Bush would win.

6. Learn to weigh ambiguities. Evangeline Adams appeared to use transits of Saturn in her election forecasts, since Saturn can figure importantly in changes of status, position and fortune. But does Saturn point toward a low showing at the polls or accepting the weight of office? It can be challenging to sort through the range of interpretations, but only in-depth research and reasoned judgment will help.

After six correct forecasts, I worry about breaking my run of hits. So every four years I end up spending even more time with the analysis – it’s become a bit of an obligation to prove myself. But given a good skill set and enough time and attention, I believe that any astrologer can do it. After all, we have the same 50-50 chance of calling the outcome correctly that the commentators do!

Karen Christino

Astrologer and Writer