Category Archives: horoscope interpretation

Louisa May Alcott’s Jupiter

Popular writer and feminist Louisa May Alcott has enjoyed unusual popularity over the years. Her best-known work, Little Women, published in 1868, spawned five feature films and has been translated into over 50 languages. Her life is explored in at least half a dozen biographies, and her earlier works have been rediscovered. Why have so many for so long responded to her work? You guessed it: Jupiter.

Alcott had an eventful life, and not an especially easy one. Saturn rises in Virgo as part of a T-square with Mercury in Sagittarius in her 4th house and Jupiter in Pisces conjunct the Descendant. Her upbringing was unusual, with great limitations but also rich rewards. Her parents were both reformers who supported social equality, abolition and women’s suffrage. Her mother was responsible for the home and family and later became an early professional social worker. Her father, Bronson Alcott, was an idealist and vegetarian who believed in self-denial (in keeping with Louisa’s Saturn in Virgo archetype). He ran an experimental school, brought the family to a utopian community, and would only accept donations for his work or lectures. The family was often impoverished and moved repeatedly.

But growing up, Louisa got to know many prominent writers and thinkers, including neighbors Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne, Julia Ward Howe and Margaret Fuller. She met Frederick Douglass and the family home served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Saturn rising in Virgo points toward her sense of responsibility and practicality, and Saturn rules her 5th house of creativity and 6th house of work and service. Louisa began teaching and writing at a young age and she supported family members throughout her life. Her writing gained acclaim around the time of her Saturn return in 1863 when she published Hospital Sketches, about her experiences nursing Civil War soldiers. Saturn also forms a tight grand trine with Mars in the 9th house of publication and Neptune in the 5th, igniting her imagination and giving her the ability to express it. Her work was commercially and critically successful.

Alcott’s Jupiter in Pisces conjunct the Descendant sextiled Mars in the 9th and Neptune in the 5th house, turning the grand trine into a kite pattern. It also forms another T-square with her Ascendant and Midheaven. The 7th can show business partners and it was a publisher who originally asked her to write a book for girls. She had mixed feelings (since the Moon in Aquarius in her 6th squares Mars), but accepted the offer. The autobiographical book became Little Women, which was praised for its strong, realistic female characters. Alcott’s Moon in Aquarius conjunct Uranus helped her as a freelance writer. The Moon’s trine to the Gemini Midheaven shows the popularity of her work and subject matter, and its sextile with Mercury in her 4th house points toward her facility for drawing on her past experiences.

But it’s ultimately Jupiter in Pisces that ensured her long-term success. Angularly placed within half a degree of the 7th house cusp, it gave her an unusual ability to reach a wide audience. The sextile to Neptune in the 5th provided a great well of inspiration. Jupiter is also the final dispositor of the chart (eventually ruling all others). Well over a century after her death, she continues to resonate with the public.

Alcott never married and contemporary interpretations of her life and writing suggest she may have been gay. Regardless of our retrospective opinion, Jupiter in the 7th house can show someone whose need for independence is too great to tie themselves down. Pluto conjunct the 8th could also indicate strong personal boundaries, especially as it squares Venus in Capricorn.

Louisa May Alcott and her father were both Sagittarians and shared the same birthday. She passed in 1888 at the age of 55, two days after her father died.

Dad had a Grand Cross

The grand cross is known as a tough pattern, with challenges throughout life. The standard descriptions I’ve heard characterize it as scattering the energies and presenting repeated crises. I’d instead suggest it as a strong motivating force, demanding compromise and bringing notable developments in life from time to time. All of course depends on the planets, their essential dignity and placement in the horoscope.

My dad passed ten years ago and is never far from my mind. He was centered, stable, good-humored and yes, he had a grand cross. Don Christino was born at home in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I believe his time of birth is essentially correct. Uranus in Pisces in his 10th house fell in a T-square with his Gemini Ascendant and Jupiter in Sagittarius conjunct the Descendant. All of his positions in life were relatively independent. He had a restlessness about him and was multi-talented: a handyman, driver, gardener, mechanic, bird watcher and personal accountant.

The grand cross in cardinal signs includes the Sun in Aries, Moon in Libra, Mars in Capricorn and Pluto in Cancer. I believe Mars and Pluto work for the 2nd-8th houses. He prioritized job security and benefits, and when he died at the age of 87, his affairs were in perfect order. Don grew up during the Great Depression, worked a paper route as a boy, and made money from football pools at school (which the principal shut down as they were starting to do really well). He loved telling the story of how he earned more than his father one Christmas holiday.

The full Moon squaring Mars and Pluto suggests contention in the home. His father was a Libra who apparently left all household tasks to his wife, creating conflict. Don ended up doing much of the heavier work at a young age, including getting up early to shovel coal in the winter. But he liked the responsibility and doing things for himself and others. His Ascendant ruler Mercury in Pisces is drawn into the grand cross, and gave him charm, compassion and understanding. (A Viet Nam vet told us at his funeral that he’d helped him get over the war. No idea what he did, but it made sense.)

Aquarius on the MC and a prominent Uranus drew him to engineering (often associated with square aspects) and he began a college course. But World War II intervened, a disruption of his life path nicely symbolized by Uranus in the 10th house. With the Sun in Aries and Mars in Capricorn (out-of-bounds in declination), he led a tank unit. Hard Pluto aspects may also point toward a strong survival instinct or the experience of traumatic events like these. After the war he joined the police force in Brooklyn and was a motorcycle cop on the block where I later lived for over 25 years. He subsequently became a credit card detective and finally a Court Officer. He notably guarded mass-murderer Joel Rifkin at his sentencing in 1996 (as Jupiter conjoined his Mars and Uranus into Aquarius sextiled his Sun from the cusp of the 9th house). The video was featured on the evening news and his picture was on the front page of the daily papers.

(The photo of us is probably from the late ’80s.)
I feel the strong essential dignity in my father’s chart helped him overcome the challenges his early life presented. The Sun exalted in Aries and Mercury in its detriment both fall in the fortunate 11th house. He was gregarious and popular, but had no ambition for any great achievements. Venus is dignified in Taurus, Mars exalted in Capricorn and Jupiter angular (conjunct the 7th cusp) in its ruling sign of Sagittarius. As he could be generous to a fault, there similarly always seemed to be someone on hand to help when needed.

He was happiest lifting a glass with friends and family, and was a part-time bartender at his club for much of his life (Gemini rising with Mercury in Pisces). He loved tending to his backyard “farm,” battled squirrels every year, and avidly followed the Three Tenors (Venus in Taurus in the 12th). Straightforward and direct, he believed that serving on a jury was a wonderful experience, yet typically Southern Italian, he trusted few authorities and felt politicians were “all a bunch of thieves.” (Uranus in the 10th square Jupiter in Sagittarius, and traditional MC ruler Saturn in Scorpio). He enjoyed reading Michener, Mark Twain and James Herriot, was a wonderful storyteller himself, and had a deep and hearty laugh (Jupiter trine Neptune).

Does a grand cross signal a frustrated, sad or wasted life? Indeed not. Planetary placement and dignity are often more important to consider than aspects. This horoscope clearly shows why we shouldn’t too quickly judge a prominent pattern without a thorough study of all facets of the chart.

2022 Election: Chuck Grassley

Senator Chuck Grassley accepted Donald Trump’s endorsement for his his 8th term in the Senate, where he’s the longest serving Republican at 88 years old. A successful politician, his horoscope has assets and liabilities, as most do. In the coming year, though, stressful aspects far outweigh the supportive ones.

As reality-driven Pluto trined his Sun in Virgo at his October 9, 2021 appearance with Trump, the Senator stated, “I was born at night, but not last night…” expressing his understanding of the former president’s popularity in Iowa. As we have no time of birth for Grassley, let’s take him at his word and estimate around 9:40 p.m., the middle of night-time hours. This approximation gives him Gemini rising with Sagittarius on the 7th house cusp, and 7th ruler Jupiter in the 5th conjoining both Mercury and the Sun in Virgo. The fortunate combination is in keeping with his continued popularity, his 67-year marriage, and five children.

Grassley had supported Trump’s policies and lauded his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices. But he criticized Trump’s actions following the 2020 election, and called the January 6 violence at the Capitol “an attack on American Democracy itself.” Things change.

While September 2021 polls show Grassley leading against his Democratic opponent, aspects throughout 2022 present challenges. He will experience his third Saturn return in December, as Saturn activates his natal Saturn-Mars square. While it could consolidate his position, it’s also sure to produce some life changes, along with professional frustrations and limitations. Transiting Uranus’ station in January 2022 also begins to turn the natal square to a T-square, introducing unforeseen circumstances over which the Senator will have little control, especially as it exactly opposes natal Mars in May and December 2022.

Another notable pattern in Grassley’s chart is his natal Uranus-Pluto square, characteristic of the early Depression era. Transiting Pluto activated this pattern in 2021, which may indicate shifting sands or unstable footing. Pluto exactly squares Grassley’s Uranus once again in August and November 2022 – significant timing for his re-election.

The Sun conjunct Mercury and Jupiter (with Mercury exalted, closely conjunct and parallel Jupiter) seems to be at the heart of his past success. Transiting Neptune, though, will weaken this pattern and likely undermine his efforts going forward. The Senator survived the coronavirus in November of 2020 as Neptune opposed his Sun-Neptune midpoint. But Neptune will exactly oppose his Sun throughout 2022 and into early 2023, beginning to station again at the time of the election, an aspect that may well reduce his effectiveness.

In addition, Grassley’s progressed Sun will be nearly 24 Sagittarius in November 2022, creating a T-square with his natal Sun and transiting Neptune and adding to Neptune’s disintegrating effects. (Donald Trump had a similar pattern at the time of the 2020 election, with a grand cross of natal Sun, Moon and Uranus with his progressed Moon and transiting Neptune.) However, when transiting Uranus conjoined the Senator’s Mars and squared his Saturn, he was elected to Congress. When transiting Neptune squared his Sun, he was elected to the Senate.

Throughout much of the Senator’s birth night, Saturn in Aquarius was a singleton and the most elevated planet, an indication of his political longevity. Vice President Kamala Harris has a similar placement. Both consistently advanced step-by-step in their careers.

Still, it does not look good for Chuck Grassley in the year ahead. But without a timed chart, we can only speak in relative generalities. His popularity seems to ensure his 2022 re-election, but the long-term, heavy planet transits point toward many developments by that time. He’ll be 89, and may fall prey to health issues, erosion of support, a rapidly changing landscape, or all three. Perhaps he only wants to ensure that Iowans retain a Republican Senate seat. But things will certainly play out differently than he imagines. We’ll have to wait and see.

Post-election update 11/13/22 — Grassley won re-election once again with 56% of the vote, but only after polls in October showed his Democrat rival closing in on him within 3%.  The Senate will continue to be controlled by Democrats.

Dueling Elections

When an electional chart works, events should flow smoothly and allow you to accomplish your goal. Might things turn out differently if we started earlier or later? It’s hard to say, since there’s usually no way to compare. But Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s 19th century race around the world gives us two departure times for the same goal.

Nellie Bly was an early undercover reporter who famously had herself committed to a mental institution in 1887 and shared her experiences in the sensational New York World. She subsequently exposed sweatshops, jails and lobbying practices. Later, 25-year-old Bly convinced the editors to support her attempt to beat Jules Verne’s fictional record from Around the World in 80 Days. Her ship departed for Europe from Hoboken, New Jersey on November 14, 1889 at exactly 9:40:30 a.m.

Capitalizing on the publicity, Cosmopolitan magazine sent its own writer, Elizabeth Bisland, on the same journey in the opposite direction. Bisland was a freelancer from the south who only had six hours to prepare. Her train left Grand Central Station at 6:00 p.m. the same day for the west coast. How do the event charts compare?

Nellie Bly left in the morning. Jupiter rises, and all the rest but Neptune and Pluto are above the horizon. The Sagittarius Ascendant signifies a long trip, though Jupiter in Capricorn is not at its best (the reporter did pack light, bringing only one carry-on bag). But Venus in Libra in the 10th house of success is a final dispositor of the chart (all planets by traditional rulership lead to it), and its conjunction with Uranus shows the attention-grabbing nature of the event.

While the horoscope isn’t high in essential dignity, rulerships strengthen some key planets. Jupiter in its detriment in Capricorn squares Mars in the 9th house but also exalts it. The combination perfectly describes the pioneering journey and highlights initiative and speed. Mercury in Scorpio in the 10th sextiles Jupiter, and it’s also exalted by Saturn in the 8th house, which trines Jupiter, symbolism for both movement and follow-through (as well as the support of a major publication). Saturn also exalts Mars.

Bisland’s trip of course has the same dignities. But she left after sundown, when most planets were below the horizon, and the Ascendant ruler Mercury fell in the weaker 6th house. (Its sextile to Jupiter conjunct the 8th house may confirm the fact that Cosmopolitan’s editors bribed some carriers to facilitate the trip.) The Midheaven ruler, Saturn, showing the final outcome, is below the earth in the 4th. And while electrifying Uranus now forms a nice grand trine with the Ascendant and MC, dignified Venus is in a relatively weaker position near the 6th house cusp.

As we’d imagine, Nellie Bly completed the trip in about 72 days and 6 hours, receiving great acclaim. Elizabeth Bisland returned to New York 4½ days later. But if the departure times were switched, would it have worked out differently? Event and election charts are not stand-alones, and the natal charts always tell part of the story.

The journey was Bly’s idea proposed a year earlier, and with Jupiter in Scorpio, her Sun conjunct Pluto and Moon all in Taurus, she was determined and had overcome an impoverished background. Transiting Jupiter approached a trine to her Taurus planets at her departure, and transiting Uranus trined its natal place.

28-year-old Aquarius Bisland was also independent and self-supporting. Transiting Jupiter trined her natal Saturn, and she neared her Saturn return, both heavier influences. The trip also reflected her natal Saturn square Uranus, bringing a sudden development to her life. Like Bly, she was probably well paid for her efforts.

I’m not sure an astrologer would have elected either of these charts, though both travelers returned safely. If we wait for the ideal time to act, we could be waiting a long, long time.

Nellie Bly was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mills, PA. Elizabeth Bisland was born on February 11, 1861 near Fairfax, Louisiana. No times of birth are available.

Data and information is from Matthew Goodman’s Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World.

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Astro-Genealogy

My great-grandmother died in the 1918 pandemic, well before my father was even born.  We only have a few records of her life, though her original birth certificate actually has a time, so astrology can tell us more.

Mariantonia de Stasio was born in Montecalvo Irpino in Avellino, Italy in 1870.  The country was unified in 1861, but the south had a high tax burden, limited medical care, transportation problems and land shortages.  About a third of the town’s residents left for the U.S. between 1892 and 1924.

I’m not sure of the accuracy of the 11:00 a.m. birth time on Maria’s birth record.  But it gives her Leo rising, which seems appropriate, as her photo shows that she had good taste and presented a polished appearance.  She wore a beautiful lace collar and earrings, and her hair is perfectly swept up.

Maria’s Sun in Taurus conjunct Pluto, as well as her Moon-Venus-Saturn T-square, suggest some trauma and limitations in her life.  Her father died before she married at the age of 20.  Her husband, my great-grandfather Donato, travelled to New York City in 1895, and their second daughter died in Italy only a few months after he left.  But with Jupiter trine her Moon and conjunct her Sun, emigrating to the U.S. was probably a good choice for Maria.

Maria and Donato had six more children in New York, one of whom died in infancy.  Census records show that they lived in tenement apartments in Manhattan’s Little Italy on Mott Street and Hester Street.  By 1915 they had moved to Bridge Street in Brooklyn’s Vinegar Hill, on the other side of the Manhattan Bridge. 

Maria’s mutable Moon in Virgo square Saturn in Sagittarius could also indicate their less than ideal housing situations.  She had been trained as a tailor and must have been skilled, with a strong work ethic.  Her oldest daughter Rose was working as a coat finisher when she was only 13.  Like many women of the time, they probably sewed piecework in their home. 

The Moon rules Maria’s 12th house relating to the immune system, and Saturn rules her 6th of illness.  Saturn is then placed in her 5th of children.  It seems like her many responsibilities may have weakened her health.  She might have also suffered from anxiety or even depression. 

The flu pandemic hit NY in the spring of 1918, and became much worse that fall.  With transiting Jupiter and Pluto in Cancer and Saturn in Leo, both youthful signs, it was more dangerous to children (as opposed to the 2020 pandemic with Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn affecting seniors more strongly). 

Maria’s Sun helpfully conjoins Jupiter, but Jupiter in its detriment in Gemini makes it less benefic.  Mercury is dignified in Gemini and disposes the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn, so she probably overcome her limitations with common sense and the help of friends (since Mercury conjoins the 11th house).  But mutable signs can affect the lungs:  Saturn in Sagittarius might constrict her breathing, while Jupiter in Gemini presents potential lung congestion.  She contracted the flu and died of pneumonia less than two weeks later, on October 24, 1918.  Transiting Saturn conjoined her Ascendant, lowering her vitality, while transiting Uranus in the 7th opposed it.  The doctor visited but was unable to help her; she was only 48 years old.

At the same time, Maria’s progressed Midheaven at 25+ Gemini opposed natal Saturn, and her progressed Ascendant at 26 Virgo conjoined her Moon, both activating the natal Moon-Saturn square.  (It seems that her 11:00 birth time may not be that far off.)   

We often find close connections with the horoscopes of family members.  I never met my great-grandmother and we have only one photo to tell us what she looked like.  But her Pluto is only a few minutes from my Moon and the connection is both genetic and after her death!  

 

I wrote more about the 1918 pandemic in New York City here.

Medical astrology information in this post is from Diane Cramer’s book, Managing Your Health and Wellness. 

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The Cosmic Calendar

Christopher Renstrom’s The Cosmic Calendar:  Using Astrology to Get in Sync with Your Best Life provides a wonderful introduction to astrology, and the author’s writing skill and deep understanding of both history and cycles make this a special book.

Renstrom presents the equinoxes, solstices, elements, modes, day and night horoscopes and more with chart diagrams.  These immediately convey the multi-dimensional nature of astrology and provide an excellent introduction to help beginners look at a chart.  With perceptive and evocative descriptions, the Sun, Moon and planets in signs are addressed at length, with short interpretations of Sun and planet combinations.  Christopher writes with sensitivity, insight and emotional resonance and has created a work that’s refreshing, fun and often funny. 

We learn so much from the fact that Cancer “can’t resist the impulse to pick up things and to hold them; to cuddle, coddle and cradle.”  The Moon in Virgo “treats the body like a temple and not a pup tent.”  Jupiter in Leo should “make a big splash, not a big splat.”  Saturn in Aquarius’ “matter-of-fact way of putting things gives you the bedside manner of a Vulcan.”  Each thought is skillfully crafted to enhance our knowledge and awareness. 

Renstrom introduces essential dignities by connecting these fundamentals with the seasons, magically making a sometimes murky topic crystal clear.  The Moon is dignified in Cancer when the Northern Hemisphere is vibrant with life; it’s exalted in Taurus, the time of spring growth.  Venus rules Taurus’ month, when roses bloom, as well as Libra’s, the time for harvests.  Saturn is connected with two months of seasonal cold and dormancy.  The associations are disarmingly simple but also profound, as they strike at the heart of their meanings. 

A marvelous historical perspective is sprinkled throughout, with enlightening anecdotes about Caesar, Cleopatra and the calendar, Newgrange alignments, Roman myths, the discovery of the outer planets and other intriguing tidbits.  The book itself is beautifully designed, compact and easy to read. 

The Cosmic Calendar is like a raspberry cheesecake with the nutrition of a macrobiotic meal.  Read this book to refresh yourself on astrological basics, or simply for the elegant and entertaining prose.  Buy it for friends and family:  it should make a perfect gift for the budding astrologer on your list!

Buy The Cosmic Calendar on Amazon.com.

Out-of-Bounds Doctor

In a stunning settlement, the University of Southern California agreed to pay $1.1 billion to compensate over 700 sexual abuse victims for their experiences with long-time student gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall.  The agreement is the largest of its kind, an admission of the gravity of the doctor’s behavior.  How is a perpetrator of such extensive abuse able to continue for so long? 

May 22, 2018 (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

Dr. Tyndall’s prominent T-square shows his long-term position (Sun, Mercury and Mars in Capricorn), his attraction to young people (the Moon in Cancer – a full Moon chart) and his hidden, distorted reality (all square Neptune).  Saturn in Leo in its detriment conjunct Pluto and inconjunct Mercury in Capricorn seems a clear indication of his abuse of his position and power over his teenage patients.  Mars exalted in Capricorn allowed him to persist for nearly a full Saturn cycle of 27 years.  Jupiter in Scorpio sextile Tyndall’s Sun reflects his specialty as well as his ability to escape prosecution for so long.

Tyndall began the job in the summer of 1989, with transiting Saturn conjunct his Capricorn Sun.  He was suspended in 2016 as Saturn conjoined his South Node in Sagittarius.  Complaints of the doctor’s inappropriate comments, traumatizing physical acts and improper photographs of patients began in the 1990s and continued through the year of his removal.  Neptune’s squares seem obvious from both his lack of boundaries and interest in photography.  His offices were described as cluttered and unsanitary. 

Powerful placements and aspects like these don’t necessarily make someone a “bad” person.  Actresses Sandy Dennis and Andréa Ferréol, both born on the same day, channeled their Neptunian energies into more productive lives. 

Perhaps most significantly, though, are the doctor’s aspects in declination.  The Moon, Mercury and Pluto, all placed out-of-bounds (along with Mars just beginning to step OOB at 23 S 27’) show the negative expression of these energies and how Tyndall countered norms, particularly for one in a position of power and authority over young women.  Kt Boehrer associated the OOB Moon for men with having few or no children, and Tyndall also appears to have had none.  His wife, found through a matrimonial service, was around 20 years his junior and eventually returned to the Philippines.

Dr. Tyndall was charged with over 30 felony counts of sexual abuse beginning in June of 2019, as Saturn again conjoined his Sun.  His trial is pending.

Ancestry.com provided the birth date for George R. Tyndall (January 6, 1947 in Plattsburgh, NY, I used a noon chart – no time available).  The Los Angeles Times of December 19, 2018 confirms the year of birth and provided background information for this post. 

Neptune and the 2020 Election

Astrology is not the best at determining outcomes.  We can always describe the astrological weather and types of events to expect, but predicting a result is a different matter.  It’s far more effective to describe what planets are operating and how they might alter the status quo.  Pluto relentlessly erodes what it touches, Neptune dissolves things, Uranus can shatter, Saturn gradually reframes, and Jupiter refreshes situations. 

For political elections, we are astrologically considering the likelihood of an outcome.  When we add personal bias and agendas to the mix, we can understand how challenging it can be to predict a result.  Analyzing the kind and amount of change an individual may expect is one way to approach it.  Another is by studying long-term planetary cycles.  An important combination this year is the progressed U.S. Sun leaving its conjunction with transiting Neptune. 

On election day in 2016, transiting Neptune retrograde at 9 Pisces 16 was very close to the U.S. progressed Sun at 11 Pisces 28.  These placements were also approaching a trine to the U.S. natal Sun at about 13 Cancer, allowing Neptune’s cloak to stealthily wrap itself around the country.  Neptune advances only a little more than 2 degrees each year.  On election day 2020, with the U.S. progressed Sun at about 15-1/2 Pisces and Neptune stationing at 18+ Pisces, the aspect is beginning to depart from the conjunction. 

This suggests that some of the Neptunian confusion and complications the country has faced in recent years will gradually begin to lift.  Neptune rules otherworldly transcendence, dreams, images, illusions, healthcare, drugs, contagion, disintegration, empathy, charity, idealism, isolation, the oppressed, secrets and deception, among other things. 

By 2000, the influence of pharmaceutical companies had already led to a national health crisis, and deaths from opioid overdoses peaked in 2017.  The coronavirus pandemic is a Neptunian development all its own, but it also exacerbated the opioid crisis and brought to light the flaws in the American healthcare system. 

The proliferation of the Internet, smartphones and other mobile devices, communications satellites, distance learning and web conferencing has kept people glued to screen images. 

Donald Trump, the real estate developer turned TV personality who was elected president in 2016, is truly a Neptunian character.  His administration popularized the terms “fake news” and “alternate facts” to describe media coverage, promoted a nostalgic return to fossil fuels, and issued executive orders limiting the rights of refugees (many of whom were incarcerated).  Through mixed messages and skepticism, he encouraged a mistrust of journalists and healthcare professionals, fueled conspiracy theories and further polarized the nation. 

Neptune and Pisces have surely been influencing many aspects of our lives. The country entered an economic slump caused by a trade war with China that became a recession with the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.  But feminist, LGBTQ and Black rights movements coalesced during this time.  

Another interesting feature of the 2020 election is that transiting Neptune in Pisces is activating all of the major candidates’ horoscopes.  It stations in square to Donald Trump’s natal 10th house Uranus in November; opposes his progressed Moon in Virgo the day before election day; and goes on to exactly square his Sun-Moon opposition in March of 2021.  The station squares Mike Pence’s Sun-Mercury midpoint in Gemini, exactly squares it in January and squares his prominent Mercury for the first time in April 2021. 

The Neptune station in November opposes Joe Biden’s Midheaven, exactly opposing it for the final time in February of 2021.  The station transits Kamala Harris’ 10th house as it opposes her natal Venus in Virgo and opposes progressed Mars in Virgo in October and January.  Which candidate has the vision for the future?  Ultimately it’s a judgment call. 

I’ve looked at the 2021 Inauguration horoscope, the Nodal Return cycle, and the candidates’ forecasts.  The tides comes in and tides go out, and so it is with astrological developments.  As it seems to me that Donald Trump resonates more strongly with recent Neptunian developments, I believe the tide has turned against him as a politician. 

2020 Vice Presidents

I always consider the Vice Presidential candidates when evaluating an election, checking on how they’re interacting with notable transits like Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn and their progressions.  Both Pence and Harris show important changes in their lives in the coming months. 

We unfortunately don’t have a time of birth for Mike Pence.  Declination moves  slowly, and his progressed Moon is on the less fortunate downslope, though offering the possibility to coast along in a position.  Are there any indications for a major change?  I think so. 

Pence has a notable Venus conjunct Mars in early Leo squared by Neptune in Scorpio in his birth chart.  These squares will become a T-square with the transiting Jupiter-Saturn conjunction between the crucial months of November and January, scattering his attention and hampering his efforts.  In addition, Jupiter and Saturn contraparallel his Mars in December, causing many frustrations.  The aspects are more notable since natal Mars is also inconjunct Saturn.  While Pence has nice sextiles from transiting Jupiter and Pluto to natal Jupiter, it may not be enough for re-election. 

Mike Pence’s controlled and low-key image is probably due to his natal Saturn in Capricorn contraparallel a Venus-Pluto parallel (all within about a half a degree).  Between late October and January, transiting Jupiter and Pluto will both activate the natal contraparallel.  This is another combination involving the year’s momentous transits that also suggests significant life developments.

Progressed Venus in Virgo has moved another degree closer to squaring Pence’s natal Sun.  While the Neptune station in November is about two degrees past an exact square to both, it activates them at a crucial time, creating another T-square, and T-squares are purveyors of change.  President Trump’s progressed Moon at about 18 Virgo is also moving away from Pence’s progressed Venus as both experience the Neptune transits.  Outside events, such as the pandemic or economic recession, may feel out of their control and impact negatively on re-election. 

The Vice President has the Sun conjunct Mercury in Gemini in his birth chart.  Mercury is prominent, as it’s placed Out-of-Bounds in declination and disposes all other planets but Saturn.  As a conservative radio host and politician, it’s allowed him to share his message.  But his progressed Sun will be about 15 Leo and progressed Mercury about 11 Leo by the 2021 inauguration.  In February and March, transiting Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius will oppose his progressed Mercury, and by May, transiting Uranus will square it, creating a third T-square and suggesting significant new developments in life that may be unanticipated or contrary to his intentions. 

Transiting Jupiter opposes and contraparallels Mike Pence’s progressed Sun and Uranus in February, as Jupiter parallels natal Jupiter and trines his Sun.  He should be moving toward new vistas by then, and will certainly land on his feet.

We stand on firmer astrological ground with Kamala Harris, who was born in California, where birth records are available.  As other astrologers have noted, Harris has quite a strong birth chart.  Her Ascendant and North Node in Gemini form a grand trine with her Sun in Libra and Saturn in its ruling sign of Aquarius conjunct her Midheaven.  This shows a consistent focus on career and the ability to gradually move to positions of greater authority.  The pattern opens out to a rare Star of David or grand sextile, an active and dynamic pattern with nine planets and points and four oppositions involved. 

Like Mike Pence, Kamala has Jupiter at 24 degrees.  Transiting Jupiter through her eighth house will create a grand trine with her Venus in Virgo in September and Jupiter in Taurus in November.  This shows support for her efforts and events running in her favor.  Her progressed Moon, exalted in Taurus, has been activating her earth-sign planets, and will trine natal Pluto in December, oppose her Neptune in January and go on to trine natal Venus in early February.  This run begins and ends with favorable influences for success while her progressed Moon also double-approaches a conjunction with progressed Jupiter. 

From late October through December, the transiting Jupiter-Saturn conjunction also sextiles Harris’ progressed Venus at 26 Scorpio (close to conjoining running mate Joe Biden’s Sun). 

The candidate’s progressed Sun in late Sagittarius exactly conjoins her Descendant in December, bringing her before the public as it approaches a sextile to her natal Sun over the next four years.  At the same time, she’s experiencing a Nodal Return (exact in early October, see my earlier article on that here).  And finally, her progressed Sun conjoins her natal South Node in January.  While the South Node may not seem like a favorable conjunction to western astrologers, it could signify Harris being drawn along by karmic forces.  In any event, she is at quite an important turning point in her life and career.

Transiting Saturn squares Harris’ Sun and Moon in late November.  With so many oppositions in her chart and the Sun and Moon key components of her grand sextile, I believe this indicates new responsibilities.  In February 2020, when Saturn first activated the opposition, she called on the Trump Administration for a plan to combat the pandemic.  In August, shortly after the second exact squares, she was named the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate.  These themes would be consistent with her election.  Her progressed Moon also contraparallel natal Saturn in the tenth in late December is a similar influence which may include changes in residence, lifestyle and responsibilities. 

All the candidates this year have natal or progressed mutable planets or points that are activated by Neptune, which may relate to prevailing confusion over the coronavirus pandemic and their various approaches to it.  In Harris’ case, transiting Neptune stations in opposition to her natal Venus and progressed Mars in Virgo from October through January, bringing up issues in her natal chart.  Progressed Moon opposes Neptune at the same time.  These are difficult aspects to delineate, although Neptune goes on to more favorably trine her natal Neptune before election day. 

Kamala Harris’ Moon progresses Out of Bounds in declination, making for significant periods of time in her life.  It is now on the more fortunate upslope, but will peak in her early sixties, a time when she may attract even more attention or prominence – perhaps as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024.

The two Vice Presidential candidates both have mixed aspects.  I’m influenced by Biden and Trump’s forecasts, as well as Harris and Trump’s Nodal returns and the 2021 inauguration horoscope.  What stands out in Pence and Harris’ analysis is that notable developments are promised for both, which would hold true for a change of administration.  Saturn rarely surprises us.  With hard aspects from Jupiter and Saturn for both candidates, the current trajectory of Trump’s team polling lower than Biden’s will probably continue, with Kamala Harris moving into a new job. 

Biden 2020

What are Joe Biden’s astrological chances of winning the November 2020 presidential election?  His natal horoscope is certainly not as fortunate as President Trump’s, and the incumbent always has an edge. 

Biden was born during World War II, and the era’s characteristic Saturn-Uranus conjunction straddles his Descendant as it opposes his Sun, Venus and Ascendant.  The oppositions are probably responsible for the ups and downs in his life and career, but six planets in fixed signs give a consistency of purpose.  Neptune in his 10th trines and sextiles the oppositions, balancing the energies and making him a career public servant.  A yod with the Moon at its apex and inconjunct aspects to the Ascendant, Venus and Neptune may have also added to the elusiveness of his presidential bids in the past.

But as we near election day in late October, transiting Jupiter trines his Midheaven, while Pluto stations conjunct Jupiter near the trine, helping him promote his message.  In November and December, the approaching Jupiter-Saturn conjunction sextiles his rising Sun and Venus and trines progressed Uranus and Neptune, an unusual combination.  Transiting Uranus also sextiles his progressed Moon and trines progressed Mars in November.  While sextiles are not the strongest aspects in the world, they facilitate things, and the great Jupiter-Saturn mutation into air signs is favorable to Biden.

Donald Trump struggles under the weight of oppositions from the momentous transits in Capricorn while his opponent profits from their aspects to both his natal and progressed charts.  Jupiter and Saturn go on to square Biden’s Moon and trine his 10th house Neptune by the end of the year, suggesting both a change of residence and new career vistas.  (His progressed Moon square natal Saturn, exact on January 1, has similar resonances.)   

Biden’s progressed Mercury at about 25 Capricorn falls right on the progressed U.S. Moon, South Node and Pluto in Capricorn combination as well as the Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto transits in November, which appear to be keeping him in sync with important developments in the country.   

Biden’s progressed Sun in Aquarius will be less than a degree from trining the U.S. Mars and a few degrees from conjoining the U.S. natal Moon (using Evangeline Adams’ Gemini rising chart), showing a closer relationship with the country.  His progressed Moon and Venus in early Pisces are both drawing close to trining the U.S. natal Sun-Jupiter midpoint, which also seems a favorable connection. 

The candidate’s progressed Midheaven at 9 Sagittarius falls in his first house near an opposition to his natal Saturn and U.S. natal Uranus.  This could potentially signify an upset, but given the preponderance of other flowing aspects, I feel it suggests a new phase in his life, along with new responsibilities. 

The U.S. progressed Venus is about a half a degree from conjoining Biden’s natal Moon in Taurus, indicating a close connection. 

The powerhouse in Joe Biden’s chart is Ascendant-ruler Jupiter exalted in Cancer in his 8th house, which trines his Sun, Mercury and Venus.  Not the most fortunate of placements, it has nevertheless helped him win supporters and raise campaign funds.  Progressions of the heavier planets move very slowly, but in an unusual combination, Biden’s progressed retrograde Jupiter in Cancer is within two degrees of conjoining U.S. progressed Jupiter.  At the same time, it trines the U.S. progressed Sun at about 15-1/2 Pisces in a double-approaching aspect (about a degree and a half from exact), and also conjoins the natal U.S. Sun (at about 4 degrees).  His progressed Jupiter is also close to trining his Mercury-Mars midpoint in Scorpio, creating a grand trine with U.S. progressed Sun near his IC, a fortunate combination for considering the outcome of an election. 

The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius shows Biden in the right place at the right time, and that his momentum continues into 2021.  The conjunction transits his 2nd house, and in January (inauguration month), exactly trines 7th house Uranus while sextiling his Ascendant.  Jupiter also trines natal Saturn in the 7th, which should help in dealing with the public and important partners.  Since Jupiter and Saturn are always close in declination when conjunct, they both also parallel Biden’s Sun and natal 1st house Venus in January, aspects often signifying notable career developments. 

An unusual transit is Neptune stationing closely conjunct Biden’s fourth house cusp in November.  An angular Neptune can be difficult to interpret.  Certainly transiting Neptune closely squaring both Mitt Romney’s Gemini Ascendant and running mate Paul Ryan’s Sagittarius Ascendant in 2012 seemed a strong testimony that they would fail to win their bid for the presidency.  Here it may suggest the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the country and a sense of “shifting sands” underfoot.  As it also closely trines Biden’s natal Mercury in Scorpio (ruler of his 10th and 7th houses), it might be less onerous than otherwise.  On some level, though, it also has the potential to undermine him.  Perhaps the idea of people voting against Trump rather than for Biden is symbolized here. 

The 23 Sagittarius solar eclipse on December 14, 2020 is strongly placed in Biden’s 1st house of identity, and squares transiting Neptune and his MC, while sextiling his progressed Ascendant in Aquarius.  This spotlights his message, but there may be upcoming events that we cannot anticipate as yet. 

See my earlier posts on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ nodal returns, the 2021 Inauguration chart (suggesting a change of party) and Donald Trump’s forecast for more. 

I do believe that Joe Biden will win the U.S. presidency in November 2020.