Bob Woodward’s new book Fear: Trump in the White House is the fastest-selling book in Simon & Schuster’s nearly 100 years of publishing, according to the L.A. Times. The veteran journalist has covered eight presidents in his 45 years of reporting. Surprisingly enough, Neptune is one of his most prominent planets!

Neptune closely conjoins the Ascendant and opposes the journalist’s Sun in Aries and Ascendant ruler Mercury in Pisces. This is an unexpected combination and we’d imagine that Woodward might be challenged to tell the truth himself, as Neptune opposite Mercury may present a false view of reality. Certainly in his most significant stories, like Watergate, his long-term analysis lifted a veil or exposed a cover-up. His current book relies on anonymous sources, and one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Watergate story was the identity of Deep Throat, a key informant. So Neptune rising in Libra may show the ability to keep a partner’s secrets as well as tease them out of others.

Neptune and Mercury are ruled by Venus in Taurus and Jupiter in the 10th, which are more open and straightforward. And the rest of the chart is consistent with journalism and sharing information with the public. The Sun in Aries in the 7th house trines Pluto in the 11th and suggests powerful contacts and the ability to tap into key witnesses. The Moon in Sagittarius in the 3rd house is naturally candid in communications and completes a grand trine with the Sun and Pluto. Research and investigative abilities are accentuated by Scorpio on the 3rd house, Pluto’s placement Out of Bounds in declination, and its trine to the Moon in the 3rd.

Jupiter, the planet of ideas and education, is in Woodward’s 10th house of career, exalted in Cancer. His books and articles have focused on the country’s leaders. Jupiter is in mutual reception with the Moon, and the two dispose of all the other planets but Venus.

Saturn conjunct Uranus in Gemini in the 9th house has gained him great acclaim and shows the combination of traditional reporting and unexpected breakthroughs he’s shared with a wide audience. These two planets complete a kite pattern with the Sun, Moon and Pluto, and Uranus trines Neptune and the Ascendant as well. While Bob Woodward’s success has much to do with Jupiter, he also has a wide Star of David (or grand sextile) pattern, one of the most harmonious in astrology, that includes his Ascendant.

The 9/11 release date of Bob Woodward’s book has tremendous resonance for the country, but at the time, the transiting Sun and Mercury were also conjunct his Ascendant and activating his grand trine/grand sextile pattern. Progressed Mercury in Taurus was also trining the Ascendant and nearing a conjunction with 9th house Uranus to make for great excitement about his work.

Bob Woodward’s birth data is from his birth record and rated AA on Astrodatabank.