Monday, March 14, 2016

A retrograde “tag team” looms—regrouping ahead for Trump?



Every candidate is feeling the pressure (there’s been a lot of regrouping and redirecting of efforts), but Jupiter is taking its Rx walkabout in Trump’s 1st house of self-identity, throwing a frustrating curve at some of his other planets and points in the process. Could this explain the heightened rhetoric and defensiveness we’re seeing?


On February 27, I posted an article on this site that digs into the retrograde comings and goings of Mars, Saturn and Jupiter during this election season. In the spirit of retrogrades, however, I feel now that the topic deserves a second look, at least in terms of the Trump campaign. I still believe there’s a strong possibility of at least one brokered convention in July—but I feel that more needs to be said about this candidate's road between now and then.

Jupiter’s retrograde in Virgo, for instance, may have a lot to do with the precipitous decline of Marco Rubio’s campaign. Jupiter took its about face in his 2nd house in January, backing out of its cozy transiting trine with his natal Saturn-Pluto and deflating his 1st house hopes. Reportedly, he’s still the candidate preferred by lobbyists funding campaigns, and he certainly was cultivated as the RNC’s “Establishment darling,” but if he loses in home-state Florida tomorrow, he’s likely out of the race entirely. On the other hand, Mars (not yet retrograde) is transiting conjunct his natal Jupiter-Neptune, so his campaign may surprise us tomorrow.

Could it also be that some of the high-profile, outrageous behavior at Trump rallies is a response to Jupiter Rx? Slowing down his expansive possibilities is not this candidate’s cup of tea. Every candidate is feeling the slow-down (there’s been a lot of regrouping and redirecting of efforts), but Jupiter is taking its Rx walkabout in Trump’s 1st house of self-identity, throwing a frustrating curve at some of his other planets and points in the process. Could this explain the heightened rhetoric and defensiveness we’re seeing?



Specifically, when Jupiter turned retrograde on January 7 (chart below), it did so trine Trump’s Taurus MC and t-squared with his Sun-Node-Uranus opposition to Moon (Gemini-Sagittarius). Jupiter was also sextile his Cancer Saturn-Venus. This was arguably a “sweet spot” for Jupiter transiting Trump’s chart; however, Jupiter has since backed into a less sweet position—at this writing, on the eve of the Ohio and other "winner-take-all" primaries--to 17°+Virgo. This position places Jupiter exactly square Trump’s Uranus and exactly semi-sextile (or inconjunct) his Libra Jupiter (Rx at birth, direct by progression).




Trump’s Uranus-120-Jupiter is a power center in his chart, especially in regards to wielding social change as a tool for self-advancement (Uranus conjoins his Sun-Node and opposes his Moon), so the tag-team relay of retrograde transits about to unfold could rain on his parade. He’s racking up more delegates than the other Republican candidates, but as Jupiter backs further away from that sweet spot, Trump may be feeling less secure about getting what he wants in the end, despite his bravado. He still has a strong core of supporters, but his campaign isn’t growing much these days.

Complaining to supporters at his rallies that he’s being treated badly by the press, by the Republican National Convention, by rowdy protesters, and so on, may be his way of leveraging the negatives to produce a positive. At the same time as he complains, he connects with his supporters and validates their own anger and perceived victimization—all wily plays when the Cosmos has dealt you a retrograde 1st house Jupiter. But is complaining and playing the victim a strong strategy going forward?

The big question is, could Trump overplay his hand with this and the other retrogrades to come between now and May, when Jupiter turns direct at 13°+Virgo? Saturn turns retrograde at 16°+Sagittarius on March 25, Mars turns retrograde at 8°+Sagittarius on April 17. By that time Jupiter will be slowly working its way backwards over the 13th degree of Virgo towards its station and about face on May 10.  Since all three planets will be retrograde when Mars turns on April 17th (chart below), that may be a particularly vulnerable period for Trump and any candidates who are just “hanging on” at that point. What do you think?





Stay tuned—it just gets more intriguing! More on the “youth vote” coming right up!


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.