Category Archives: horoscope interpretation

Andrew Ross Sorkin on Evangeline Adams

Andrew Ross Sorkin, author of the bestselling book Too Big to Fail, takes on the great stock market crash in 1929.  But in his thumbnail sketches of Evangeline Adams and astrology, his research skills completely fail him.

In his introduction, Sorkin claims “more than eight years reporting and thousands of hours of research.”  He’s been writing for the New York Times since high school, has a show on CNBC and edits a financial news service.  But when it comes to Adams and astrology, all he can do is regurgitate questionable bits from a nearly 50-year-old book.  You can’t track down every fact, but the rumors and innuendos are perpetuated.

Astrology is the colorful, sexy subject that many want to laugh at.  Adams is mentioned in over a half dozen online reviews of Sorkin’s book, yet she only plays a tiny role in it.  She was probably included in the press release as a fascinating part of the history.  Sorkin himself compares horoscopes to fortune cookies in an interview, seemingly only aware of Sun sign astrology.

Of course, Andrew Ross Sorkin is an over-achiever who probably had assistants compile much of the information in 1929.  The few short parts on Adams are all directly from The Day the Bubble Burst, a 1979 book about the crash.  In order to look like they did more research on Adams, Sorkin also cites Maury Klein’s 2003 book The Crash of 1929.  But academic Klein also swiped the same skewed anecdotes directly from Bubble Burst.

In both, Evangeline Adams is a regular at the Plaza Hotel dining room, where she “had her own reserved table… surrounded by several star struck young men.”  On September 2, 1929, she predicted on a radio show that “the Dow Jones could climb to heaven,” which it obligingly did.

On Black Thursday, October 24, 1929, Adams held a group session in her office for worried clients, telling them that things were looking up.  She then supposedly contacted her broker, who said she’d lost $100,000 on the market, and told them to sell it all ASAP.

I could verify none of these stories, and much sounded bogus to me.  (Evangeline said she ate lunch at her desk; she was a workaholic with the Moon in the 6th house.)  The original authors gave no specific source notes and were clearly biased against Adams from the start.  Sorkin repeats the same prejudice.  Evangeline made a great forecast, but cared nothing for her clients as long as she could profit from their loss.  The astrologer as charlatan and fraudster is such a tired trope.  How would anyone know how much she had or when she sold?  I don’t even think she owned stocks; she always said her chart was unlucky for speculation (with Cancer on the 5th house and the Moon in the 6th opposite the Sun).

I shouldn’t complain.  Of the 100+ people on Sorkin’s cast of characters list, Evangeline Adams, “astrologist known as the stock market’s seer” (another attribution I could never confirm), is the only woman portrayed in 1929’s exclusive men’s club.

Sorkin, interestingly enough, has the Sun and Moon in Pisces and Mercury and Mars in Aquarius, signs he shares with Adams.  They helped him create a varied and comprehensive story.  His T-square of Mercury conjunct Mars opposite Saturn in Leo and square Uranus in Scorpio has clearly made market crashes a preoccupation.

Yet with a grand trine of Venus, Saturn and Neptune, Andrew Ross Sorkin will likely continue on his merrily ignorant way.  Until, of course, the calamitous day there’s a sudden major reversal he can’t explain, leaving him crushed and in need of direction, and ignorant of what astrology could do to help.

Astrologers won’t find anything enlightening on Evangeline Adams or astrology in 1929.  The many other character profiles might help understand their individual horoscopes.  Reviewers compliment the writing, but I personally wonder how such a seemingly intelligent man can be so oblivious to a subject that has become standard in market forecasting.  In this astrologer’s opinion, 1929 is a missed opportunity.

Sorkin’s birth information is from Wikipedia.  We have no time of birth.

For the real story on Evangeline Adams, read my books, Foreseeing the Future and What Evangeline Adams Knew.

Jeane Dixon

Jeane Dixon was often called an astrologer but was primarily a psychic.  She wrote a daily horoscope column for years, though she used her crystal ball (literally) to get impressions for each sign.

Some of Dixon’s predictions were legendary.  In 1956 she forecast a Democratic presidential win in 1960, but that the president “will be assassinated or die in office” (possibly referencing the 20-year Jupiter-Saturn pattern of deaths in office).  She’d forecast a win for Harry Truman in 1948, when most commentators expected him to lose.

Dixon foresaw a wiretapping scandal for Richard Nixon, though she thought it would “help his image.” Twenty years before Bill Clinton’s impeachment, she could see a president “implicated in misconduct, or worse.”

Jeane Dixon wasn’t always right, but she had some remarkable hits.  She read for Ronald and Nancy Reagan when he was governor of California, and was invited to the White House to meet with Franklin Roosevelt and Nixon.

Dixon’s focus on world leaders is shown by her dignified Saturn in Aquarius conjunct her MC; it disposits much of her chart.  Her Gemini Ascendant closely trined Saturn: an immediate connection.  Her reputation was for her unusual Aquarian metaphysical skills, and she was one of the best known psychics in her time with an extremely stable career.

Her Gemini writing ability also popularized her work.  She wrote seven books, including an autobiography, a book on dog horoscopes and an astrological cookbook.  She had a Dial-a-Horoscope service in the mid-1980s, and wrote a quarterly celebrity forecast column for the gossipy supermarket tabloid The Star for over twenty years.

Mercury in Aquarius in the 9th house ruling the Ascendant gave Dixon a wide readership.  Mercury sextiles Venus in Sagittarius in the 6th house, and she seemed to love her work and its divinatory aspects.  Mercury was also inconjunct Neptune in the 2nd and she wrote from inspiration.  She was also a religious Roman Catholic who attended mass every day and felt her talents were divinely inspired.  Dixon believed that all events were foreshadowed and that she was only a messenger.

There’s a wide yod in Jeane Dixon’s chart with Neptune at the apex, and quincunxes to the Mercury-Venus sextile, connecting her Neptunian values with work and her ideals about sharing her message with a wide audience.

Jeane must have enjoyed the spotlight with her Moon in Leo in the 4th house.  She came from a family of ten children, which must have been lively with the Moon’s opposition to Mars, but never had children of her own.  She and her husband partnered in a real estate firm, with the Moon’s ruler, the Sun in Capricorn, placed in the 8th, and associated with business earnings through commissions.

But many of Dixon’s placements also relate to psychic sensitivity.  The Moon’s opposition to Mars would have given her strong impressions, and some of her predictions were spontaneous.  Pluto in her 1st house in Gemini closely trined Mars in Aquarius in her 10th house and sextiled the Moon, giving her deep perceptions that obviously went well beyond what most observed.  A Pluto in Gemini transformation in her life related to her name change from Lydia Pinckert.

The Sun in the 8th is also connected with the metaphysical world.  It sextiles Jupiter in Pisces in the 11th house, making her popular and adding an oracular touch, but Jupiter in this sign also placed Dixon within a religious and spiritual community.

Jeane Dixon died on January 25, 1997 at the age of 93 of a heart attack, in keeping with the Moon in Leo.  A museum dedicated to her life and work opened in 2002, but only lasted about six years.

Jeane’s bio on Wikipedia.   Astrodatabank rates her birth data AA.

About the Jeane Dixon Museum

Dixon’s autobiography, My Life and Prophecies.

 

Joan Quigley and the Reagans

1988 was a great time to be an astrologer.  Nancy Reagan’s use of astrology in the White House was suddenly revealed to the public, and it was big news.

Former chief of staff Don Regan’s memoir came out in early May, and the press leapt on the news.  It was no surprise to astrologers, who were aware that the Reagans had consulted Carroll Righter and other astrologers during their Hollywood years.  Don Regan didn’t know the identity of the San Francisco astrologer that the First Lady used, but the press soon found out:  Joan Quigley, who Nancy may have consulted as early as the early ‘70s.

Quigley was the daughter of a successful hotel owner, and she and her sister grew up in a penthouse and were featured in the society pages attending events and charitable functions.  We can see her inherited wealth and social standing in her Aries Sun in the 8th house trine her Moon in Leo in the 11th.  With a Virgo Ascendant, she was attractive and always perfectly dressed, seemingly without a hair out of place.  Joan graduated with an art history degree from Vassar College.  Her Ascendant closely trined Venus in Taurus, so she had good taste.

After college, Joan returned to San Francisco, where she started practicing astrology and continued volunteer work.  Her Venus in the 9th showed her attraction to art studies, and since it also ruled her second house of income, her ability to earn through sharing her astrological knowledge.

She was choosy about her clients since she didn’t need the income.  Her Moon also trined Saturn in Sagittarius in her 3rd house; while she published three books, the first, Astrology for Adults (1971) very much used Evangeline Adams’ 1930 book Astrology: Your Place Among the Stars as a direct source.

Quigley’s Mars and Pluto were in the 10th house and her focus was on her career.  Mars squares both Mercury and Uranus in the 7th, attesting to the short-term nature of consultations.  She never married, probably a good choice as she needed freedom in relationships.  The 7th also shows her clientele and public outreach.  Jupiter in its own sign of Pisces, closely conjunct the 7th house cusp, added to her independent spirit, as well as her ability to come before the public.  Quigley made regular appearances on the Merv Griffin show and he was probably a client.  Though with Pluto in Cancer in the 10th and Saturn in the 3rd, the astrologer was discreet and typically didn’t reveal anything about her clients.

Jupiter also shows that Quigley could serve some notable patrons.  She had volunteered for Ronald Reagan’s campaigns for California governor and then president.  After the assassination attempt on President Reagan on March 30, 1981, Nancy began to rely on Joan regularly.

Quigley was 54 years old at the time.  Her progressed Jupiter conjoined 7th house Uranus, opening her to an unusual relationship.  Her progressed Midheaven conjoined her natal Moon in Leo in the 11th, nicely describing her association with a regal kind of woman, and she was also experiencing a lunar return.  Joan’s Mercury had progressed to her 10th house, and was a few degrees from conjoining her North Node and squaring natal Uranus.

Pluto transited her 2nd house of finances and values at 23-1/2 Libra, equidistant from a trine to 10th house Mars and opposition to her 8th house Sun, showing a rewarding career opportunity.  Neptune through her 4th house trined her natal Neptune in the 12th, and she was hired as a consultant and counselor, but had to keep it secret.  The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in early Libra that had foreshadowed the assassination attempt on the president was transiting Quigley’s first house, so a long-term (Saturn) partner (natal Jupiter conjunct her 7th) had come to her (first house).  Both exactly opposed natal 7th house Uranus within a few months, bringing a new relationship.

Quigley’s Mercury in Pisces and Uranus in Aries in the 7th house square Mars in Gemini in her 10th shows the potential for sudden upheavals in relationships from time to time.  The pattern suited Joan’s consulting work with Nancy, especially as they did it remotely, by telephone (Uranus).

When the news broke in early May of 1988 about Joan Quigley’s influence on President Reagan’s schedule, transiting Saturn and Uranus were closely conjunct in Capricorn and squared her 7th house Uranus, creating a break.  Of course, her seven-year stint represents a Saturn cycle, and the relationship had begun when Saturn conjoined Jupiter and both opposed her Uranus.  Transiting Pluto in Scorpio through her 3rd house was less than a degree from squaring her Moon:  the relationship with the powerful First Lady had ended.  Quigley said that Nancy only spoke with her once after the public got the news.

Nancy Reagan couldn’t deny what had happened, but distanced herself from astrology, describing her use of it out of fear.  Joan Quigley felt compelled to speak out, and later write her own book, where she detailed her influence on the Reagan administration, including encouraging the president to work with Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev on arms control agreements and ending the Cold War.

Some astrologers felt that Quigley had betrayed a confidence.  Her leonine integrity and dignity had been questioned, and she wanted all to know what astrology could really do.  With five planets in fire signs and an angular Mercury and Jupiter, she shared her truth.

Quigley’s book on the Reagans has interesting facts, but her ego comes off a little strong.   What does Joan Say?  My Seven Years as White House Astrologer to Nancy and Ronald Reagan.

Genesis of a Scoop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Astrology of Bond

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

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

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

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

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

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

See The Astrology of Bond on Amazon.

About my reviews and links.

Kamala Harris 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trump in 2024?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2024 Election Overview

The 2020 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycle heralds a notable generational change, as it initiates a new 800-year phase of conjunctions in air signs.  In Aquarius, it’s combined with Pluto’s final entry into that sign, after the presidential election in November 2024.  These markers may help us consider the results of the election.

Many American voters weren’t pleased to see either Trump or Biden on the ballot again, reflecting the natural cyclic need for change.  Candidate Joe Biden was also beginning to remind me of the weakened father figure on the Maya Temple of the Cross at Palenque, which commemorated the hand-off of power from one generation to the next at another Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.

Kamala Harris’ entry into the race seems to signify the younger person who’d be the new leader as the Jupiter-Saturn metaphor suggests.

Pluto will return to the sign of Capricorn for the final time from September to late November and will be in Aquarius for the 2025 inauguration.  Pluto at 0 Aquarius conjoins the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction of 2020 and accentuates the new and different phase for the country.  Some of the current political slogans amplify and reiterate the Jupiter-Saturn themes.  Harris supporters repeat “We’re not going back” echoing forward-looking Jupiter, while Trump’s followers continue to repeat “Make America great again,” which harkens toward a Saturnian look back.

As we might expect from the astrological symbolism, polls and statistics show a changing electorate.  Pew Research in April 2024 noted that well over 50% of voters age 18-39 affiliate with Democrats, while over 50% of voters aged 60-80+ lean toward Republicans.  Gen-Z voters are more socially and politically conscious than previous generations, and 47% of them are people of color.  (In the south and west, a majority of newly-eligible voters are people of color.)  And for the last 60 years, more female voters have turned out for presidential elections.  All may give Kamala Harris an edge in the race.

Donald Trump’s legal challenges can’t help but lower his chances with a portion of voters.  His difficult progressions with the U.S. chart continue through around 2027 (see my 2022 post on this topic).  The erratic nature of his 10th house Sun-North Node-Uranus conjunction shows his attention-grabbing newsmaker abilities, but also the ups and downs of his career.  I also felt that his assassination attempt in July didn’t especially augur a win in November.

In strong contrast, Kamala Harris’ Ascendant and North Node in Gemini trine her Saturn near her Midheaven, showing someone who slowly and surely moves forward in her career.  We can see her progress from D.A. to State Attorney General to Senator to Vice President.  President would be the next step forward.  (I covered her chart in 2020 when she was a Vice Presidential candidate.)

Both candidates have some challenging aspects coming up and we’d need to look further for the outcome of their 2024 contest.

Planetary cycles and generational change take years to play out, especially when indicated by the Jupiter-Saturn Great Mutation and Pluto moving into Aquarius.  But these shifts are major astrological indicators that will reverberate for many years to come.  In exactly what election will the change definitively manifest?  Kamala Harris clearly represents a newer generation of political leaders.  But we need to analyze the birth charts to confirm if she’ll actually be elected president in 2024, which I’ll be doing in the coming weeks.

Parallel Shootings

Former president Donald Trump was campaigning and hoping for a comeback win after leaving office nearly four years earlier.  He became the victim of a failed assassination attempt and was superficially wounded.  We can say exactly the same of Theodore Roosevelt 112 years before.  Roosevelt was shot in Milwaukee and it seemed an odd synchronicity that Trump would soon address the Republican convention in Milwaukee, too.  What similarities are there in the horoscopes?

Teddy Roosevelt had endorsed William Howard Taft (his Vice President) for the 1908 election, but became disillusioned with his policies during Taft’s administration.  When TR didn’t receive the Republication nomination, he formed his own, more progressive party, and went on the campaign trail.  He arrived in Milwaukee on October 14, 1912, had dinner and was leaving the hotel for his speaking engagement when he was shot.  The bullet may have killed him but was slowed by a steel eyeglasses case and the 50-page speech in his breast pocket before lodging in his chest.  (The bullet was never removed and didn’t create problems.)  The former president went on to deliver his speech before seeking medical aid.

The event chart shows Gemini rising.  The Moon was angular, conjunct the 7th house cusp and conjoined Jupiter in Sagittarius, but both were setting, so not as strong as they otherwise might be.  Mars closely squared Uranus, showing the sudden violence of the act.  A total solar eclipse had occurred at 17 Libra four days before.  And we have heavier planets changing signs, with Uranus at 29-1/2 Capricorn and Pluto at 0° Cancer.  Both Pluto as well as Saturn at 3 Gemini were retrograde, and both would soon enter their previous signs by the time of the election, showing a changing situation in the outside world.

Roosevelt also had Gemini with Jupiter rising in his birth chart, so the transiting Ascendant conjoined his Ascendant, and transiting Moon and Jupiter were setting in his birth chart as well.

Trump’s shooting chart shows some similarities.  He was probably more fortunate than Roosevelt since only an ear was hit by the bullet.  He was immediately surrounded by Secret Service agents who rushed him to a local hospital for treatment.

Sagittarius was rising, opposite the sign of 112 years before, and Jupiter was once again setting, in the opposite sign of Gemini.  The Moon was again angular (in the event 10th house), once more showing a notable public event.  Mars conjoined Uranus in Trump’s shooting chart (by a little more than one degree, similar to TR’s shooting chart).  A total solar eclipse had occurred at 19 Aries three months before the shooting.

We once again have some heavier planets changing signs, showing how the outside world is poised on a new phase.  In July of 2024, Neptune is near 30 Pisces and Pluto at 1 Aquarius, both retrograde, and Pluto will return to Capricorn (conjunct the TR shooting Uranus and near U.S. natal Pluto) at the time of the November election.

The transiting Ascendant of the shooting chart conjoined Trump’s South Node and Moon, with transiting Jupiter, Mars and Uranus angularly placed in his 10th house.

What’s unusual about the two shootings is that both repeat and echo natal placements from mid to late Gemini and Sagittarius.  Nodes in both shooting charts were 10-12 Aries/Libra, with only about 2 degrees difference in the two charts.

In 2014, historian Gerard Helferich talked about his book on the TR shooting, saying that, “During the election campaign of 1912, the major issues included the growing divide between rich and poor, the overwhelming influence exerted by the corporations in the political process, a feeling that the political system was broken and needed to be fixed and a split in the Republican Party. Does any of that sound familiar?”

Obviously, both former presidents were campaigning and hoping to return to office.  Roosevelt, running independently, had split the Republican ticket and Democrat Woodrow Wilson was elected in 1912.  Trump was nominated by his party, though we have yet to see the results of the 2024 election.

To my mind, the synchronicities in these charts suggest that Trump may not win.  A shooting, no matter how fortunate, does hold the symbolism of danger.  But an omen is not astrology, and we’ll need to look at many more charts before coming to a definite conclusion.

Theodore Roosevelt was shot on October 14, 1912 at about 8:00 pm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to the Providence RI Evening Bulletin the following day.

Donald J. Trump was shot on July 13, 2024 at 6:11:33 pm according to a CBSNews.com timeline taken from live video footage.

My book, Tecumseh’s Curse: Indigenous Wisdom, Astrology and the Deaths of U.S. Presidents, analyzes the background and cycles of presidential deaths.

2021 Inauguration Revisited

No, I don’t think that President Biden will die before the November 2024 election.  But I do want to re-visit the 2021 Inauguration horoscope and compare it with actual events.  In my book, Tecumseh’s Curse (2021), I studied the inauguration charts of all the Jupiter-Saturn presidencies to see what information the planetary cycles conveyed. 

The 2021 Inauguration had quite a challenging horoscope.  We tend to read charts with the archetypes in mind, but much is guesswork or conclusions based on different types of charts.  I analyzed the chart by identifying the types of events that had actually occurred on previous cycles – hard aspects between the Sun and Pluto in inauguration charts, Sun-Uranus, Saturn-Uranus and Sun-Saturn.

Much can be gained by this kind of study, though it’s time consuming and not detail-oriented.  And I’ve always felt that accurate forecasts will, by their nature, tend to be somewhat generalized.  The more specific we try to get, the more often we’ll be wrong.  Narrowing down the considerations with a framework – in this case a presidential term – will also narrow down the possibilities.

The original text from Tecumseh’s Curse is in regular font; actual events are in italics.

Forecast:  “Sun-Pluto charts represented notable victories for the presidents, who sought to unite the country. (They included some of the most memorable chief executives in history.) The political parties themselves underwent change. 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. (In 2021, the country faces a recession and an exponentially rising national debt.)”

Actual events:  Common ground was found in the approval of the American Rescue Plan in 2021 (for economic stimulus), and the 10-year bipartisan Inventory and Jobs Act.  The Republican party is now dominated by “MAGA” adherents, and extremists on both sides of the aisle continue to make themselves heard, with stark ideological divisions.  Ukraine’s and Israel’s wars affected the U.S.  Fears of recession continued with inflation and rising interest rates affecting everyone.

Forecast:  “Hard aspects from Uranus to the Sun in Jupiter-Saturn inauguration horoscopes created unforeseen circumstances in the corresponding administrations. Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt faced tempestuous and chaotic years, and the 2021 administration also has indications of unpredictability and the prospect of involvement in overseas conflicts, with the country potentially re-evaluating its relationships.”

Actual events:  Biden withdrew American military from Afghanistan, a move that was roundly criticized (he began his term with over 50% approval, and spent much of it closer to 40%).  Ukraine and Israel’s wars escalated contention among various factions in the U.S. (most notably campus protests in 2024).  Billions in aide was sent to both countries, and economic sanctions were imposed on Russia (also in keeping with Pluto).

Forecast:  “Uranus squaring Saturn in the tenth house in the 2021 inauguration highlights the breakdown of old structures and the opening of a new phase. (Biden reversed many of his predecessor’s executive orders in his first days in office.) Change and progress should be inevitable, but as before, the president could be limited to some extent by public opinion, opposing parties and international relations. Popular movements should impact the coming years, leading to reform or even some sort of crisis or upheaval that shakes up the country in a significant way. Uranus and Mars conjoining the first house in 2021 suggest a new identity and perspective for the country. Mars also holds the possibility of volatility or perhaps even violence.”

Actual events:  Joe Biden was the first president to walk a union picket line with the UAW.  His climate change and clean energy bill failed to gain enough support.  Perhaps most notably, the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade caused legislatures in various states to limit women’s rights to abortion.  In six states, voters reversed abortion restrictions, with up to 11 more state ballot measures expected in 2024 elections.

Forecast:  “An inaugural Sun conjunct Saturn has correlated with contentious issues and administrations that were limited in time or by circumstances. In the past these have brought civil rights and racial injustice to the forefront, and it seems likely that these issues will continue to be addressed.”

Actual events:  Many in 2024 feel that Biden has aged-out of his job, and his more liberal policies were blocked (a voting rights bill failed in Congress, and the Supreme Court ended consideration of race in college admissions).  The Supreme Court’s July 2024 decision on former president Trump’s immunity helps him evade prosecution in the courts.  During the term, Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black female Supreme Court justice, Juneteenth was made a national holiday, and recognition of same-sex and inter-racial marriages were signed into law in December of 2022.

Ideological contention is nothing new, but there are many questions about both presidential candidates as I write this in the spring of 2024, with important developments expected as Mars conjoins Uranus in mid-July and Jupiter squares Saturn at the time of the election.  Pluto also dips back into Capricorn for the final time from September through November right before the election, bringing up lingering issues before moving forward. 

Original forecast text from Tecumseh’s Curse pages 167-169.

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