Category Archives: horoscope interpretation

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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Jackie’s Path

Biographer Carl Sferrazza Anthony’s recent book Camera Girl:  the Coming of Age of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy focuses on the future First Lady’s young adulthood and her written works as she faced some crossroads in her life.

Jackie was attracted to her Bouvier ancestry and studied at the Sorbonne as part of her French major in college.  She was also a great reader who enjoyed art, literature and history and was a talented writer and illustrator herself.  Many of these themes are represented by her Sun and Mercury in Leo in her 9th house sextile Jupiter in the 7th and trine Uranus in the 5th.  She had great creativity, a unique perspective, and was able to enlist the help of others to move her projects forward.

Back in the U.S., the college senior entered a Vogue magazine contest that offered the winner an editorial position.  With Mars in Virgo in the 10th house, she worked diligently on lengthy essays through several rounds of finalists until finally winning in May of 1951.  But her divorced parents’ disputes kept her from immediately taking up the offer.  When she began work as an editorial assistant at Vogue in September, her mother foiled her plans by calling her repeatedly at work and insisting that she focus on meeting eligible men.

Jacqueline had been brought up in wealthy households yet had no fortune of her own as her father had phased into alcoholism.  While her Moon-Saturn-Neptune grand trine suggests much good from her family, Neptune closely conjunct the Midheaven raised confusing issues.  Her Moon in Aries also shows her aggressive and at times abusive mother, especially as the Moon also squares Pluto.

Her powerful Sun in the 9th suggested she stay in the publishing world.  Instead, she left the position within a week to return to her mother’s home.

With her prominent Neptune and the help of her step-father, Jackie landed an entry level job at the Washington Times-Herald in October of 1951, and worked her way up to becoming the paper’s daily “Inquiring Photographer” columnist, asking provocative questions and taking pictures of people from all walks of life.  She soon had a byline and a raise, with the column renamed “Inquiring Camera Girl” before she turned 23.  The vibrant Leo Sun paid off again.

Though she broke off an engagement with a New York stockbroker, Jackie’s 7th house Jupiter in Gemini sextile her Sun and Mercury gave her promising prospects for marriage.  She had gradually developed a relationship with Congressman John F. Kennedy, who shared her interests in history, international affairs and travel.  Despite being told of JFK’s philandering ways by a close friend of his, she believed the family’s Catholic background would keep him in a permanent marriage.  7th house Jupiter is in detriment in Gemini, but ruled by Mercury in Leo, a fixed sign, so her conclusion was correct for the marriage.

But according to her letters to family and friends, Jackie was conflicted about losing her identity in a marriage, doing something notable with her life, and facing an uncertain future as a writer or editor.  She needed security and couldn’t really hope to earn the money to finance her accustomed lifestyle herself.  Her Scorpio Ascendant trine Pluto was pragmatic and sought financial stability and even power.  Saturn in the 2nd house opposite her Venus in Gemini in the 8th also shows insecurity about finances.  She had already been drawn to older, wealthy and powerful men, and Jack Kennedy was also 12 years older.

While a grand trine can indicate an ease of success, with both Neptune and the Midheaven involved in Jackie’s chart, it also showed the appeal of the path of least resistance.  And Neptune not only relates to photography, but glamor, dreams and a broad scope.  A good marriage was a more typical choice than an independent career for most women in the 1950s, and the easiest way to satisfy many of her needs.

Jackie’s second marriage to Ari Onassis showed her following similar priorities, but after his death in 1975, she became a book editor in New York, returning to a path that she had begun many years before.

Astrodatabank quotes Frances McEvoy’s collection of the birth data (from mutual friends).

Read another post about Jackie’s Neptunian mystique here.

Camera Girl is on Amazon.

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Gloria Steinem’s Marriage

Gloria Steinem remains a strong advocate for equality and social justice.  A 1934 Aries, she chose not to marry because she felt the role too restrictive for her as a young woman in the 1950s.  But she did finally marry at the age of 66. How does this show up in her birth chart?

We see Steinem’s personal strength and self-sufficiency in her Scorpio Ascendant and its ruler Mars.  Mars is placed in its other ruling sign of Aries and conjoins the Sun, a very dynamic combination.  The Sun is exalted in Aries and rules her 10th house of career.  This might be a combination focused on children, since the Sun and Mars are in the 5th house.  But Evangeline Adams’ teacher Catherine Thompson said that the Sun in the 5th house has the potential to “burn up.”  Mars is also inconjunct Neptune in Virgo in the 10th, showing a less conventional outlet.  Gloria pursued a career that she liked and enjoyed.

The 5th house also relates to creative self-expression and Steinem began as a freelance journalist.  Her Moon in Leo in the 9th house found a wider audience through writing, editing, lecturing and political activism.  She became a celebrity in 1963 for her exposé on the treatment of women at the Playboy Club in New York after being hired as a Playboy bunny waitress.  This was the time of her Saturn return, when it also opposed her Midheaven, showing a major turning point in her life.

Her experiences with marriage and partnerships are 7th house issues, and she has Taurus on the cusp, ruled by Venus in Aquarius.  Venus conjoins Gloria’s 4th house cusp, so again we might consider an outlet through the home, or a sense of security as inducements to marriage.  Though the sign of Aquarius is not known to necessarily follow conventions.

Saturn also conjoins her 4th house cusp and Venus, so we can see why her concept of relationships had a sense of restriction.  With both planets conjunct in Aquarius, Steinem needed a feeling of independence in partnerships, and her focus remained on special-interest advocacy.  The early home is also represented by the 4th house, and Gloria’s youth was peripatetic, with some freedom but obligations as well.

Her father was a travelling antiques salesman, and the family rarely stayed in one place for long.  When her parents divorced when she was 12, she became responsible for the emotional support of her mother, who suffered from chronic depression.  This might also be indicated by Mercury in Pisces in the 4th opposite Neptune, giving her empathy and compassion through an experience of suffering at an early age.

In keeping with the prominence of the dignified Saturn in Aquarius, Steinem’s paternal grandmother had been a noted Ohio suffragist in the early 20th century, astrologically showing her feminist roots.

Taurus on the 7th and its ruler in fixed signs typically supports longer lasting connections, and Gloria had several long-term relationships with prominent men over the course of her life.  She came close to marriage once, even getting a license, but didn’t follow through.  She has said that it was always her own choice not to marry, but both Saturn and Aquarius may shy away from legal permanence.

Steinem’s marriage to businessman and environmentalist David Bale on September 3, 2000 at the age of 66 is in keeping with Saturn’s influence for a delayed or late marriage, or one that demands maturity.  The marriage seems to have been a good one, but while Bale was seven years younger than his wife, he died of brain cancer in late 2003 at the age of 62, putting Steinem back in a caretaker role during the last two years of his life.

At 90, Gloria Steinem continues to fight sexism and campaign for equality, working from her Manhattan brownstone home.  Google Arts & Culture says that “Since 1966, this apartment has served as birthplace and host to many movements and limitless ideas… countless organizations and individuals… coalesced here to organize, strategize and create.”  Real estate is another 4th house theme, and the activist eventually bought her apartment, which is extremely valuable today.  Ultimately, it seems that the home and the relationships that it supports became the real center of stability in Steinem’s life, a connection that’s lasted nearly 60 years.

Gloria Steinem was born on March 25, 1934 at 10:00 p.m. in Toledo, OH, rated AA on Astrodatabank (from “officially certified birth data”).

Ms. Gloria Steinem: A Life by Winifred Conkling is an excellent biography that inspired me to look at Steinem’s horoscope.

Kevin McCarthy’s Ouster

Speaker Kevin McCarthy is in the news with his ouster from the House on October 3, 2023 after only 9 months in office.  It reminded me of a class with Bob Zoller nearly 30 years ago.  He was stressing that nothing will manifest that’s not promised in the birth chart.  We all accept that, but he had a more deterministic view.  Certainly, I argued, sometimes things work out better than astrologers might expect.  He agreed, but went on to say that if that’s the case, the success will be either partial or short-lived. 

We often find Saturn in the 10th house in people with visible positions of authority.  But sometimes, depending on the essential dignity and aspects, they’ll face challenges or experience a loss of position for one reason or another.  Think about Herbert Hoover, who had an illustrious career but only served one term as President due to the Great Depression.  He had Saturn in Aquarius in the 10th opposite his Moon, Mars and Uranus.  Woodrow Wilson had Saturn in Cancer conjunct the MC and opposite his Sun, and had to address World War I and a severe stroke that left him disabled.  He never realized his hope for a League of Nations.

Saturn in McCarthy’s chart is different in that it’s closely square the Moon in Sagittarius conjunct the 7th house cusp.  There’s no dignity for Saturn in Pisces or the Moon in Sagittarius, and the mutable signs are not as forceful as the fixed (Hoover) or as tenacious as cardinal (Wilson).  But like the others, he is in a sense the victim of circumstances.  He’d do better if he had a solid majority to back him.  But his horoscope doesn’t suggest that.

The Moon may represent his constituents, the public, his general audience or his open enemies.  Ruled by Jupiter in Taurus in the 12th which squares his MC, his partnerships and position (since Saturn is also ruled by Jupiter) are somewhat at the mercy of others, and might be undermined by hidden enemies (the 12th) who are more determined than he is (Taurus).  And with his angular Moon so closely square Saturn, the timing has not been right.

McCarthy’s horoscope has some good aspects but no essential dignity.  So despite being a member of Congress for over 16 years, as Zoller said, his greatest success was both contentious and short-lived… so far.   I don’t think we’ve heard the last of him.

British journalist Martin Bashir, who controversially interviewed Princess Diana, has some similarities in his chart with Saturn in the 10th square his Moon, though his Saturn in Aquarius is stronger and the Moon is weaker.

All the Beauty in the World

The 12th house is one of the most difficult to understand.  But when we experience 12th house issues, we can connect with them directly.  Patrick Bringley’s book All the Beauty in the World: the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me seems to share such a 12th house journey in a compelling way.

Horary practitioners relate the 12th house to disappointments, sorrow, affliction, even imprisonment.  Planets here may show a focus on the wounded, hospitalized or withdrawn.  Al H. Morrison related the 12th to people who retreat from society to meditate, who turn inward or connect with inner guidance.

Patrick Bringley’s book chronicles his experiences following the death of his brother.  He could no longer tolerate a somewhat superficial job that required him to spend his days in front of a computer.  He had found meaning in art and instead became a security guard at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan.  At this 12th house institution, his co-workers joked they had “nothing to do and all day to do it.”  Bringley added that “Guards are nothing but secret selves in dark blue suits.”   He worked at the museum for 10 years, recovering from the loss of his brother and becoming a husband and father along the way.

The experience of loss, his low profile position and his escape from the achievement-oriented world are all 12th house affairs.  So is suffering, which many of the artists experienced as well.  Their works capture the sublime and ineffable, and transcend time and place.  They celebrate “the making of anything worthwhile in a world that so often resists our efforts.”  The author shares that, “Artists create records of transitory moments, appearing to stop their clocks.”  “Such moments provide solace; they are heartwarming; they are pure.”  “They help us believe that some things aren’t transitory at all but rather remain beautiful, true, majestic, sad and joyful over many lifetimes – and here is the proof.”

Bringley shares his impressions of a Michelangelo sketch, done while painting the Sistine Chapel, with a note saying, “I am not in a good place and I am no painter.”  The artist begged to be released but the Pope refused him.  In his 70s he was similarly assigned as the architect to complete St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, “to his intense dismay and completely against his will.”

Fra Angelico’s Crucifixion “reminds us again of the obvious:  that we’re mortal, that we suffer, that bravery in suffering is beautiful, that loss inspires love and lamentation.”  The best art puts us “in touch with something we know intimately yet remains beyond our comprehension.”  All 12th house.

Bringley shares his musings on many other works, old and new, from around the globe.  We learn of his experiences with his warm co-workers and the patrons of the museum.  Like the artists he’s come to know, Patrick Bringley connects us with something transcendental and metaphysical.  I am definitely not a fine arts person, but I loved this book.  It illuminates the 12th house, not as a long, dark journey of the soul but a celebration of the cycles of life.  I found the print and audiobook are equally well done.

Find All the Beauty in the World at Amazon.

What Evangeline Adams Knew Review

I was very pleased to read Sara Rose Diamond‘s review of my update of What Evangeline Adams Knew: a Book of Astrological Charts and Techniques:
Christino has done the world of astrology a major service by compiling, and presenting in such a lively way, a lot of valuable information that would otherwise fall by the wayside… vital scholarship for the safeguarding of astrological history.