“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was
the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”
(Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two
Cities)
Charles Dickens certainly captured
our present situation in this opening line of his French Revolution-themed
masterpiece. For many working- and middle-class Americans, life since Wall
Street’s 2007-8 greed-fest has been “the worst of times,” indeed. For those at
the top, however, it’s been arguably the “best of times,” as well. As for
wisdom and foolishness, there’s been plenty of both in politically high places to
go around.
It doesn’t take an astrologer to
know that the gap has been steadily growing between “worst” and “best” in this
land, and that too many Americans feel slapped in the face with every
substandard paycheck. Relying on credit
cards to stretch from one check to the next gets old, real fast, so the road
ahead has appeared bleak.
To their everlasting credit, both
Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump drew attention to these populist concerns
during the 2016 Primary season. One did so with wisdom and grace (even birds
seemed to like his message); one did so while spewing foolishness and hatred
(and in his latest gaffe, crossing the line into veiled threats).
Despite some foolish moves of her own, Clinton—promoting the only acceptable
“middle way” for many —is benefiting from both.
Today’s post focuses not on predicting election outcomes, but
on taking a sober look at a potentially volatile astrological period that is
poised to play out in the near-term. Specifically, we will consider 1) the
annular Solar Eclipse on September 1st (a quick revisiting; see the June
13th post here for more), 2) the chart for the Sun’s entrance into Libra on
September 22nd and what that suggests about the remaining days of
this astrological year (ending at next March’s equinox), and 3) the possibility
of an “October surprise.”
The September eclipse…an unhinged medley?
In the June 13th post
here, we discussed the incredible gathering of mutable forces represented by
the September 1st annular solar eclipse at 9°+Virgo, and we
considered the impact of that eclipse on each of the three major presidential
candidates. As it happens, the impact on Donald Trump discussed in that post is
already being seen—largely, I would offer, due to his progressed Sun moving
into mutable Virgo.
Sign changes to an individual’s
progressed Sun can be dramatic times, requiring adjustment—the transition from
blustery, dominant Leo to the more subdued, detail-oriented, rational and
service-oriented sign of Virgo is surely taking Trump way out of his comfort
zone and—as we’ve seen in the past two days of news—he’s not handling it very
well. As mentioned in that earlier post, his behavior is attracting more
scrutiny these days, as well, since his Progressed Sun has not only changed
signs, but transitioned over his Leo Ascendant into his first house.
The September eclipse will also put pressure on Trump’s 1st
and 7th houses, suggesting he will likely continue projecting
incoming criticism out onto others (towards his Descendant) by claiming critics
are out to get him and somehow “rigging the system” against him. He’s already
tried to use his predictable “dishonest
Media” line to explain his ill-conceived 2nd Amendment comments.
Significantly, the eclipse will be
tightly opposed to Neptune, which has been transiting Trump’s 7th
house of enemies and Others since March, 2011, so it’s no surprise that the
difference between “real” and “perceived” enemies has been blurred for him. This
distortion plays well to those who know they’ve been working hard, but have
been spinning their wheels and need someone to blame for their difficulties.
Especially on the heels of a
growing GOP defection from his campaign, it won’t be surprising if this eclipse
clinches that “victimization” narrative in some dramatic fashion. In his latest
controversial comments, Trump projected that narrative onto his followers, suggesting
to gun owners that they will be losing their 2nd Amendment rights—“their
safety”—if Clinton wins.
So, will Mr. Trump’s GOP nomination
be actually revoked, as some are calling for? Will there be a massive exodus
from Trump to newly-declared Independent candidate, former Republican, Evan
McMullin?
Or, will Trump continue blowing up
his campaign, as we’ve seen he is capable of doing? Let’s consider the actual
eclipse chart next to his nativity.
Biwheel #1: (inner
wheel) Natal, Donald Trump, June 14, 1946,
10:54 a.m. DST, Jamaica, NY. (outer
wheel) Solar eclipse, September 1, 2016, 5:01:57 a.m., Washington, D.C.
Much more analysis of this intense
biwheel (incorporated into a triwheel with Trump’s progressed chart) is available
in the June
13th posting—here, I’d like to simply revisit the tense
interchart grand square that shoots through the heart of this biwheel,
especially in light of post-Convention realities:
Interchart Grand-Square:
Eclipse Mars (Sagittarius) widely conjoins
Trump Moon (Sagittarius) and together these oppose Trump Uranus-Node-Sun
(Gemini); all of this squares Eclipse Point-Node (Virgo) opposite Eclipse
Neptune (Pisces). Please note: Eclipse Saturn is just out of orb to
oppose Trump’s Gemini points, but it does figure into the rest of the grand
square. Eclipse Saturn-Mars are applying to Trump’s South Node, ratcheting up
the tension of this grand square and playing to Trump’s default modus operandi
and agitated (Mars-Saturn) emotional (Moon) demeanor.
Grand squares—especially mutable ones—can be supremely unnerving,
since we tend to feel caught up in a chaotic sea of forces we cannot control.
The
Eclipse point (Virgo) is also widely conjunct Trump’s progressed Sun (discussed
above), which could pull him further out of his comfort zone. Those who
speculated in the news this past week that Trump is too “unstable” to be
President may see more of the same once this eclipse hits. We can only hope his
instability doesn’t richochet out onto others.
In Trump’s 4th house, Eclipse Mars and Saturn transiting
square Neptune in Trump’s 7th could trigger more veiled or real
threats against his perceived “enemies” (7th house Neptune). His ambiguous
suggestion today that “2nd
Amendment people” may be able to do something
to stop Hillary Clinton from appointing an anti-gun Justice to the Supreme
Court reads like a sneak preview to this tense square.
In crude political
terms, Trump’s insinuation here is called a dog
whistle. Those with ears to hear will hear it.
In fact, elements of the square are already in place today
(8/10), with Sagittarius Mars now squaring his Virgo Progressed Sun. Considering
that things can get worse once the
eclipse hits, it’s a good thing that Trump’s comments are not being taken
lightly by Clinton’s campaign and the Secret Service.
The Sun falls into
Libra
In years when the Aries ingress chart features a fixed
rising sign, Ptolemaic tradition dictates that the Aries chart represents
conditions we will experience for the entire solar year (from Aries ingress to
Aries ingress). In years with mutable or cardinal rising signs (the 2016 chart
features 0°+Sagittarius
rising), the Aries chart represents only half
of the year, leaving us to consider the Cancer, Libra and Capricorn ingress
charts for further insight.
This tradition is controversial, by the way—discussed in
great detail in Mundane Astrology by
Baigent, Campion and Harvey—but these seasonal ingresses of the Sun are, at least, powerful transits that merit consideration
and help us tune into the outer planetary pictures of those periods.
So here, we’ll consider the Libra ingress set for
Washington, D.C., a chart that features fixed sign Scorpio rising, suggesting
its impact could be felt by the U.S. at least through the election, if not for
the rest of this solar year. In fact, there are some powerful historical precedents
for the Libra ingress’s importance covered by Mundane Astrology, a story for another day.
For now, let’s consider the chart on its own first, and then—for
deeper national context—set against the U.S. Sibly chart.
Chart #2: Libra
ingress, September 22, 2016, 10:09:46 a.m., DST, Washington, DC.
11th Sun conjoins Jupiter (both Libra); both also widely
square Mars (Sagittarius); Mars trines Uranus (Aries). The nice
Sun-Jupiter conjunction should compensate for the so-called “fall” of the Sun
in Libra. The Sun’s power—as perceived here on Earth, anyway—gradually diminishes
after the autumnal equinox, so this ingress represents a vulnerable time for
Self-and-Other related issues. Here, Jupiter offers protection, which we’ll
consider more deeply when we look at the Ingress-Sibly biwheel. Suffice to say
here that, in the 11th house, this duo suggests a focus on public
affairs and specifically, a possible leadership figure (Sun).
The out-of-sign square to Mars (wide, but within traditional
orbs) also taps into the sensitive Sagittarius Galactic Center, as well (Mars conjoins
this point). Between these two aspects, there is potential for volatility
(Mars-Uranus in fire) that’s worth watching.
T-Square: Neptune-SNode (Pisces) opposes Mercury-NNode
(Virgo); this axis squares Saturn (Sagittarius). Compared to the
mutable grand square we’ve been experiencing, this t-square is downright
benevolent, but a Saturn-Neptune square always raises agitation levels, so communications
(Mercury) will continue being clouded and ambiguous, and hack attacks
(breaching data boundaries, Mercury-Neptune) are likely to continue. Getting
out the vote (Mercury) this November—especially in a way that doesn’t raise
questions and accusations of rigging—is likely to be a rocky process. Because
Jupiter disposes Sagittarius Saturn and conjoins the Sun, targeted parties may be
protected from the worst case scenarios.
Saturn (Sagittarius) trines and Pluto (Capricorn) inconjoins MC (Leo);
Pluto trines Mercury. Interestingly, the ingress MC also exactly conjoins Hillary Clinton’s
natal Mars-Saturn (chart not shown), so the Cosmos could be trying to tell us
something here about Clinton’s national role in the near future. With Pluto’s
inconjunct to these points, however, the power struggle that plays out in the
media (3rd house Pluto also trines 11th house Mercury) will
be one for the books. This race is personal
for Trump (Ingress Mercury will be transiting his 1st house),
and we shouldn’t expect him to be detached, sportsmanlike or professional about losing.
Moon (Gemini) opposes Saturn/Mars (midpoint, Sagittarius). This
interesting connection plays right into Trump’s chart, with his lively
Gemini-Sagittarius axis (Uranus-Node-Sun opposite Moon) and suggests that he
may finally see the wisdom of restraining his impulsive outbursts. He may not
see this, however, becoming even more agitated by the attempts of others to
control him. We can expect turbulence surrounding the presidential debates,
supposedly beginning on September 26th. Trump has already put out signals that
he wants to “renegotiate” the terms and name who he considers to be a “fair moderator.”
Considered in the ingress chart on its own, this midpoint
configuration falls between the 2nd and 8th houses,
suggesting efforts to restrain some Market volatility or perhaps even issues
with the Federal Reserve before this solar year is out. This configuration taps
into that chart’s mutable grand square (which is somewhat loose, but within
orb)—a story to consider more thoroughly another day.
Pluto (Capricorn) trines Mercury-NNode (Virgo) and sextiles Pluto-SNode
(Pisces). It’s possible our voting system will experience a
transformation of sorts during this season; the need for a total recount is not
out of the question, either, with Saturn (and by extension its square to
Neptune) disposing Capricorn. The Nodal axis reflects the national importance
of this election as a matter of “public service,” (Virgo), reminding us that
political power (5th-11th house axis) demands a balance
between pragmatism (Virgo) and collective empathy (Pisces).
In the national
context
Now we can consider briefly how this ingress chart functions
next to the U.S. Sibly chart.
Biwheel #2: (inner chart) Radix, U.S. (Sibly),
July 4, 1776, 5:10 p.m. LMT, Philadelphia, PA; (outer wheel) Libra
ingress, September 22, 2016, 10:09:46 a.m., DST, Washington, DC.
Ingress Sun-Jupiter (Libra) conjoin Sibly MC (Libra), square Sibly
Venus-Jupiter (Cancer) and widely trine both Sibly Uranus (Gemini) and Sibly
Pluto (out-of-sign, Capricorn). This ingress will likely open up a “Pandora’s
Box” of cascading effects. Jupiter-Sun appear to be blessing our national “soul”
(MC) here—or at least, bolstering our national image in some way. Consumer
confidence and our sense of national security (7th house Venus-Jupiter)
may take a hit, however, and the corporate sector (Pluto) appears primed to
capitalize on the last quarter of 2016, although there could be challenges
(out-of-sign trine). The trine to Sibly Uranus may explain where the profit
centers will be—military technology is likely to be an area of growth.
Ingress Moon conjoins Sibly Mars (both Gemini). This Moon,
representing the People, is tied into a much more complicated configuration as
well (our next consideration), but it’s worth considering in isolation first.
This Moon placement in the Sibly 7th suggests national security will
be a broadly held concern, perhaps triggered by rhetoric from the Trump camp
(see the earlier discussion for how this Moon ties into his volatile
Gemini-Sagittarius axis), or perhaps from actual events on the ground.
Ingress Mars semi-sextiles Sibly Pluto, sextiles Ingress Venus (Libra),
opposes Ingress Moon-Sibly Mars (Gemini) and inconjoins Sibly Mercury (Cancer);
Ingress Venus squares Sibly Pluto, trines Sibly Mars and squares Sibly Mercury.
Finance (Venus) and aggressive action (Mars-opposite-Mars) work
hand-in-hand here, pulling the corporate sector (Pluto) into the national
security issue concerns discussed above. Mars is particularly woven into every
area of concern, suggesting a volatile international scene and an appetite for
belligerence at home. The Media (Mercury) appear to be at odds with the Mars
agenda—considering Sibly Pluto’s involvement, there may be some
behind-the-scenes wrangling of the message.
Interchart T-Square: Ingress Pluto (Capricorn) opposes Sibly Sun
(Cancer); this axis squares Sibly Saturn (Libra). This tense, cardinal configuration probably underlies the almost
hysterical concern we Americans seem to have about who gets to name the next Supreme Court justices. All three
branches of government have been undergoing a radical makeover for years now, so
a little objectivity and historical perspective would help if we want to preserve
the core “checks and balances” our system was founded on.
An “October surprise?”
Interchart
Grand-Square: Ingress Saturn
(Sagittarius)-Sibly ASC and opposes Ingress Moon-Sibly Mars (widely, Gemini);
this axis squares Ingress Mercury-NNode-Sibly Neptune (wide, Virgo) opposed to
Ingress Neptune-SNode-Chiron (separate oppositions). This mutable grand
square echoes the agitated dynamics we’ve seen in Donald Trump’s transits, but
the placement of the configuration is
key here—across the Sibly ASC-DSC horizon. This placement speaks to the feeling
of insecurity and perhaps, our itchy national trigger-finger as well.
This placement could portend
an “October surprise” of some kind, meant to disrupt the election or one
particular candidate. I haven't seen charts for new contenders Dr. Jill Stein (Green Party) and Evan McMullin (Independent), but nothing in this Ingress precludes a voter exodus happening from both Trump and Clinton. In fact, those most disenchanted by our wounded American Dream (Sibly Neptune opposed by Ingress Chiron) and those who feel democracy means being able to vote for whom you want, as opposed to voting against a distasteful choice, an exodus may be the only sane alternative.
In the meantime, Trump had better hope he hasn’t inspired a “lone wolf”
attack on Mrs. Clinton, because the conditions will be ripe for some unstable
individual on a “mission.”
New York Times columnist and economist Thomas Friedman writes
about the similarities of Trump’s veiled threat targeting Clinton and the 1995 extremist
assassination
of Israel’s Itzhak Rabin, a sobering parallel that we must take seriously.
Friedman reminds us that “words kill”—something anyone who’s ever been the
victim of verbal abuse knows well.
With his volatile Gemini-Sagittarius axis tied so tightly
into the nation’s volatile 7th house, Trump appears fully aware that
vicious suggestive words are a weapon that work in gun-toting America, and he chooses
to deploy them anyway.
Finally?
A much happier “surprise” this October could be a GOP
decision to finally revoke their candidate’s nomination. We’ve already seen election
meddling (a year-long hack of DNC emails) that appeared to originate from
Russia, so it will be interesting to see if there’s a repeat effort or some
variation thereof—with or without Trump’s prompting.
Any time transits or important cycles tap into Sibly Neptune’s
square to Mars, we can expect some level of chaos and disillusionment. At times
like these, the “American Dream” (Neptune) comes up for scrutiny and criticism,
and somebody out there (7th
house Mars) must be to blame.
With Ingress Neptune in the Sibly 3rd, we can
expect Trump’s conspiracy theories to proliferate, feeding the general
instability; it will be interesting to see to what extent debate moderators insist
on objective fact-based discussions, and how Clinton responds to Trump’s
inevitable “I saw it on the Internet”-style insinuations.
The beat goes on
Bottom line, both candidate charts tie into this year’s
Libra ingress chart in interesting ways. I hope you will investigate further—I would love to hear your thoughts!
Raye
Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former university English
instructor. A graduate of the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye
focuses on mundane, collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest
in current affairs, culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public
concerns such as education and health. Several of her articles on these topics
have been featured in The Mountain Astrologer and other publications over the
years. Raye can be contacted by comment here, or
at: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
© Raye Robertson 2016. All
rights reserved.
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