Looking back to last November’s fateful election, I have to say that I was amazed by how—after 8 years of the Pluto-in-Virgo Obama administration—the presidency reverted back in time to the earlier, Pluto-in-Leo generation.
Though not unprecedented (Reagan was of an earlier
generation than Carter, for instance), this is not the normal course of events,
and even though 2016 seemed like
“Hillary’s time” (having run unsuccessfully against Obama, but still enjoying
popular momentum), she was beat by someone a shade older than herself, not
younger. The nation was fated, apparently, to suffer through a sort of
Pluto-in-Leo “last hurrah” with Donald Trump.
A lot of things might be different
with a younger person in the office, although heaven knows that being young is
no insulation against being wrong-headed or reactionary. Would we still be
committed to our European allies? Would we still be committed to the Paris
Accord? Would we still be trying to ban refugees and Muslim immigrants? Would
we be trying to wrench health care from 23 million people and starve public
education?
Unfortunately, it’s possible that
nothing much would be different because what’s been lacking in Trump’s policy
actions to date is an historical
perspective, and younger leaders might also fall short on that count. The
usual equation is: more years on this planet = more chances to develop a sense
of history.
Trump is anything but usual, of course: if his thinking was equipped
with this perspective, he would appreciate
our European allies and have a lot less admiration for strong-arm dictators,
from Russia and Turkey, to the Middle East and the Philippines.
Even the history of our founding
principles seems to elude him: we see this every time he squirms uncomfortably
under the constitutional “checks and balances” to his presidential power.
When Trump placed his hand on the
Bible this past January 20th, he signed on to protect and defend the Constitution, not to undermine it. Some
analysts wonder if he’s even read the
Constitution!
The hot topic this week in the
press: will he try to claim “executive privilege” in regards to former FBI
director Comey’s Senate testimony on Thursday? Before that, what will Director
of National Intelligence Dan Coats have to say to the Senate committee
regarding Trump’s attempts to stop the FBI investigation? So far Trump seems to
understand that to claim executive privilege would be self-destructive. That sense
of self-preservation didn’t stop him from ridiculous tweeting about his TRAVEL
BAN this week, however, so who knows?
Bottom line, normally we can count
on older individuals to have a more seasoned grasp of history than younger
generations do: with Trump, either he doesn’t have that grasp (for whatever reason), or he simply doesn’t accept the responsibilities that come
along with that history.
So, what am I getting at here? For
one thing, Trump is about to be one year
older. On June 13th, he will experience his 70th solar return (turning 71 years old). The solar
return can vary from the celebrated birth date (in his case, the 14th),
since what matters here is the moment at which the Sun “returns” to its exact
astronomical position at that individual’s birth. The variance is usually a
matter of a few hours and rarely more than a day.
A chart cast for this precise
astrological moment is thus called a “solar return” chart, and we can use that in
combination with Trump’s natal chart here to gain insight into his coming year.
Before we do that, however, we’ll take a brief look at the Pluto-in-Leo
generation’s “nativity”—the chart cast for Pluto’s ingress into Leo in 1937—and
consider that chart in reference to Trump. As anyone who’s ever enjoyed the
drama of a strong Leo-type in their family knows, there’s a definite light and dark side to this sign: with Pluto, the intensity only deepens.
I should know—I belong to this Leo,
“Baby Boom” generation that debuted in October 1937, nearly 80 years ago. It
was a great, creatively exhilarating period in which to grow up, not to mention
one of the most consequential periods in American, and in world history. And heaven knows, my generation still has a lot of
life (and “roar”) in it.
I’m less certain, however, that we
should be trying to rule the world any longer. Maybe it’s time to stop managing things to our satisfaction, and to start loving
and trusting the younger generations to build a world in keeping with their
needs. Leo can do both, magnificently, although relinquishing power is a touchy
subject—regal Lions do love to strut their stuff, the more colorfully the
better. Let’s consider this generational “birth” more closely, alongside
Trump’s nativity.
Biwheel
#1: (inner wheel) Pluto Leo
ingress, October 6, 1937, 12:05:08 p.m. ST, Washington, D.C.;
(outer wheel) Donald J. Trump, June 14, 1946, 10:54 a.m. DST, Jamaica,
NY.
Tropical Equal Houses, True Node. (I'm assuming here that he will be in D.C. on June 13th--this could change, of course!).
Pluto-in-Leo (PL) Pluto widely conjoins
Trump Venus-Saturn (Cancer) and trines PL Saturn (Aries). PL Pluto
falls in the 8th house of this generational chart, suggesting that
we were the beneficiaries of a strong financial heritage (our parents came of
age during the Depression, and so knew how to squeeze a nickel til it
screamed). In fact, our parents were the beneficiaries of America’s
all-too-brief experiment with building a strong middle class, and with notable
exceptions (by race, etc.) we enjoyed that largesse during our formative years.
 |
| https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Approaching_Omaha.jpg |
Even though those who fought were
born under Pluto in Cancer, World War II was a Leo
Pluto phenomenon—I’m reminded of this, writing today on the 73rd
anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Mars and Pluto
were conjunct in Leo that day (June 6, 1944), with Jupiter farther into the
sign, protecting our courageous forces, fighting against horrific odds alongside
our Allies. Venus and Uranus joined together to bless
Sibly 6th house Uranus in Gemini; casualties were staggering,
but our forces prevailed, marking a major turning point in the war.
Even so, there was a clear dark side
to Leo’s war: it split the world’s leaders into strong authoritarian types
(Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin) and those equally strong characters who opposed
them in favor of democracy (FDR, Churchill, de Gaulle). This war established
America as a super-power (PL Aries Saturn-trine-Leo Pluto),
and it jump-started the American “middle class dream:” the GI Bill provided a
strong leg-up for returning soldiers, who enjoyed subsidized education and housing, and they used those resources
to create and support the “Baby Boom” (us).
PL Neptune was approaching return to Sibly Neptune (Virgo,
chart not shown), so the rest of the world envied our “dream,” thinking
American streets were “paved in gold” (Leo).We did our best to maintain that
image.
Not that everyone enjoyed the lap of luxury—social ills like racial
discrimination kept many behind, but those problems became a focus for
political action as the Leo generation came of age. The Civil Rights movement was also a quintessentially Leo phenomenon:
the dignity of humanity was at stake. I still remember television reports
showing African-American men marching, with signs around their necks that read
“I AM A MAN.” In retrospect, it shouldn’t be surprising that a man named Martin
Luther King, Jr. (Leo = royalty) led
the way.
Meanwhile, the Trump family gained
its name in real estate development and management during the run up to WWII
and it capitalized greatly on the robust market for housing after the war, well
into that Civil Rights era.
In fact, the company was investigated for war-profiteering
in 1954 and racial discrimination in housing in 1973. Of German heritage, the
Trumps claimed after WWII to be from Sweden, for the sake of business. We see
the financially-protective energy in Donald Trump’s chart (outer wheel) in his 11th
house Cancer Venus-Saturn conjunction—applying to the 8th house generational
Pluto.
Building a business empire and making money has been the basis for his public
life.
Trump was definitely “to the manor
born”—his paternal grandfather “Friedrich Trump, had immigrated to New
York City in 1885 from the German village of Kallstadt, Palatinate (by then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria) and made a fortune in the Klondike Gold Rush.” As discussed in the May
26th post here, the Gold Rush days were a period of our history
that’s come back to haunt us lately.
Trump Chiron-Jupiter conjoin PL Sun –MC (all
Libra) and trine Trump Uranus-Node-Sun (Gemini); PL Sun squares PL
Jupiter-Part-of-Fortune (Capricorn). The generational Sun
falls in the 10th house, denoting a prominent public role for
Boomers; in fact, the Boomer presidencies (Bush and Clinton) have both been
dynastic—a Leo idea if ever there was one. We very nearly had one Boomer
president return to the White House (after two administrations of his own) as
“First Gentleman.” This is something we need to be very aware of with Trump: he also has political dynasty ambitions
for his progeny.
The PL Libra trine to Trump’s Gemini
points reflects how Trump was sort of a generational “golden child,” although
he’s also accumulated some wounds (Chiron) in his quest to stay on top.
His Neptune
(Libra) rules his 8th house of “legacy money” and also
squares
PL Mars (Capricorn) opposite PL Chiron (Cancer); these Cancer-Capricorn
points resonate with Trump, Sr.’s Mars-Uranus conjunction in Capricorn
(not shown), so we can appreciate how deeply Donald J. has internalized his
father’s aggressive views of business and beyond.
The Neptune factor could
indicate a deep sense of “entitlement” in Trump, as well, and it’s worth noting
that Trump Sr.’s Pluto (Gemini) is exactly conjunct
his son Donald’s Sun. Another dramatically dynastic
connection: pleasing Dad is more than
a casual affair with Donald Trump, and we can extrapolate from this that his sons have absorbed that message
as well.
Trump Mars-ASC (Leo) trines Trump Moon-PL
ASC (Sagittarius) and sextiles Trump Sun (Gemini). Trump’s Leo points
overlay the generational 9th house, suggesting international prominence
and legal involvements—both consequences of his aggressive nature (Mars-ASC).
In addition, the neat trine-sextile connections made between his key personal
points and the PL chart reflect the standard-bearer role Trump is playing for
Boomers right now, as U.S. president.
Whether this will be a positive “last
hurrah” for the generation is far from certain; astrologically, Trump’s Moon-So.
Node conjoin the generational ASC from its 12th house, suggesting
an emotional downside (for him, if not the generation and the nation). Trump’s
time in office is probably not going
to be the way the Leo generation would like to be remembered.
It should be noted that, remarkably,
the day Trump was born was marked by a full-moon, lunar eclipse at 24°+Sagittarius, conjunct his Moon
and the generation’s ASC.
This certainly speaks to a fateful connection between our generation’s image/legacy
and Donald Trump, for better or worse. It can’t escape us, either, that
transiting Saturn Rx is now conjunct
that eclipse and the generational ASC, perhaps reflecting the recent
heightened drama we’ve been seeing in Trump’s presidency (there’s been drama
since day one, of course).
Saturn has been hovering near the Galactic
Center (GC) since at least February, too—this has helped produce the
information “leaks” gushing out of the White House and other agencies (most
recently by NSA employee Reality Winner), and it may also have something to do
with Trump’s apparent inability to stop saying things that incriminate himself!
He’s all but admitted to obstruction of justice in a number of his tweets—does he
not understand how he’s hurting his own case? With his natal eclipse reawakened
by Saturn,
it’s possible that some part of him wants to be held accountable for his
actions.
This same Saturnian energy will
influence the many testimonies on Capitol Hill this week, from the four
Intelligence heads (Coats, McCabe, Rogers, Rosenstein) today (Wed.) and Comey’s
testimony on Thursday, and Saturn will form the 3rd
leg of a fiery grand trine between transiting Uranus, and Trump’s natal
Mars.
It will be very surprising if we don’t see some attempt to hijack the
proceedings on Trump’s part; he may even attempt to use these hearings to his
own benefit in some way. There will be drama…the forecast calls for a major
“tweetstorm,” if not worse.
The
Sun comes round…
So, let’s now turn attention to
Trump’s solar return for this year, as set against his nativity. There’s a
palpable sense in the media that something big is about to happen in the wake
of this week’s hearings: if so, we should see something dramatic in the solar
return. Even though the chart doesn’t officially “kick in” until June 13th
(see chart data in endnote #1)[1] , there’s
a long-standing opinion among solar return experts that the general “feel” of
the coming year seems to precede the actual birthday, sometimes by a matter of
months.
Bottom line, it’s quite possible the
energies we will see in this solar return are already being experienced by
Trump himself.
In his very useful guide entitled The New Solar Return Book of Prediction, Ray
Merriman[2]
emphasizes how the house emphasis of
the solar return chart reflects the general “tone” of the year.
The
predominance of either angular (1-4-7-10), succedent (2-5-8-11) or cadent
(3-6-9-12) placements is key. It’s also key where his natal points (outer wheel) fall against the solar return (inner wheel-see
Biwheel below). For our purposes today, two tables will help organize this
information and give us ample insight into the likely tone of next year. Again,
for the pertinent chart data, please see endnote #1 below.
Table
1. Solar Return house placements
|
SR Planets/Luminaries
|
Angular
|
Succedent
|
Cadent
|
|
Sun
|
|
|
9
|
|
Moon
|
4
|
|
|
|
Mercury
|
|
|
9
|
|
Venus
|
7
|
|
|
|
Mars
|
|
|
9
|
|
Jupiter
|
1
|
|
|
|
Saturn
|
|
|
3
|
|
Uranus
|
7
|
|
|
|
Neptune
|
|
|
6
|
|
Pluto
|
4
|
|
|
Table
2. Natal planets in Solar Return houses.
|
Natal Planets/Luminaries
|
Angular
|
Succedent
|
Cadent
|
|
Sun
|
|
|
9
|
|
Moon
|
|
|
3
|
|
Mercury
|
|
|
9
|
|
Venus
|
10
|
|
|
|
Mars
|
|
11
|
|
|
Jupiter
|
1
|
|
|
|
Saturn
|
10
|
|
|
|
Uranus
|
|
|
9
|
|
Neptune
|
|
|
12
|
|
Pluto
|
10
|
|
|
Clearly, angular and cadent
placements dominate both solar return and natal-to-solar house placements, with
cadent pulling ahead in Table 2. The general tone is one of intense activity,
within an equally intense state of flux. It’s not surprising with a president
that we see 10th house activity; considering the tumultuous period
Trump is approaching right now, it’s also not surprising to see the cadent
emphasis. Merriman also emphasizes the importance of any planet conjunct a
solar return (SR) house cusp or angle: we’ll see how those details factor into
the highlights below.
Even without looking at the charts
themselves, there are plenty of interesting points to ponder from these Tables:
1. SR
Sun’s placement in the 9th (the same as his natal Sun, of
course) suggests a focus outward into the international arena, and closer to
home, on legal issues. Opposite SR 4th house Saturn, his
Sun will likely experience stress and serious demands for accountability. This
isn’t necessarily a negative: a president deals with international and legal
issues and is expected to be accountable all the time, however the emotional
toll could be heavy (SR Saturn conjoins his Natal
Moon).
2. Trump’s
SR
Moon (Aquarius) conjoins the SR 5th house cusp, suggesting
there will be changes (possibly upsetting) in his close relationships
(children, especially). This point inconjoins SR Mars in the 9th, which
appears to be playing a heavy role in this chart (more below), so things could
get rocky. This may be offset by SR Moon’s trine to SR
Jupiter at the SR ASC, so overall, probably an
emotional “roller coaster ride.”
3. His
SR
and Natal Mercuries (Gemini and Cancer) also fall in the 9th
house, with SR Mercury square SR Neptune at the 6th house cusp,
however, so there may be reason for concern with his health. Mercury
disposes his natal Gemini points, so it’s a key energy in his chart. Mental health could be an area of
concern this coming year.
4. Jupiter’s
placement conjunct the SR ASC (and Trump’s natal Jupiter-Chiron
also conjunct that point) suggest either a wonderfully optimistic year of
wielding great influence and enjoying huge benefits, or a year of troubling,
undisciplined excesses, in terms of personality and behavior. Knowing Trump and
the nature of his position, we’ll probably see a mixture of both positive and
negative.
Chiron is not usually considered in solar return charts, but
its proximity to the SR horizon weighs against the positive possibilities.
Trump may continue with self-defeating and excessive behaviors, yet his support
from those who feel his “charisma” may continue to be strong.
5. Natal
Neptune’s placement conjunct the SR ASC from the 12th house suggests that difficulties could undermine
Trump’s coming year. His credibility and effectiveness could suffer (his Natal
Neptune also squares Natal Mercury-SR Mars). SR
Neptune falls in the 6th house, suggesting that he may
encounter health issues, as well.
6. SR
Mars (Cancer) also squares the SR horizon from the 9th
house, suggesting a challenging year of infighting in the White House (seems
like the status quo) and between Trump and our allies (DSC). International
affairs will thus be a likely focus of some challenges. Trump’s Natal
Uranus (Gemini) overlays that SR 9th, conjoins SR
Mercury and trines both SR and Natal Jupiters, so it’s
possible he will try to deflect attention from personal/ally challenges with
volatile actions on the international front.
7. Natal
Mars-ASC (Leo) conjoin the SR No. Node, in the only succedent
placement (SR 11th) in both charts. Importantly, this Mars falls almost exactly
at the SR ASC/MC midpoint, which Merriman suggests is a sensitive,
possibly debilitating point for the SR Sun. It will be interesting to
see how Trump’s Natal Mars-ASC fare here: certainly, he will attempt to project
his power and authority in this 11th house realm of public influence,
yet relations with key associates could be stormy. Trump’s tendency to lash out
in anger may be problematic.
8. SR
Uranus and SR Venus in the 7th reinforce the importance of
allies (Venus) and the dangers of volatility (Uranus) in the coming
year.
9. SR
Pluto (Capricorn) and Natal Pluto (Leo) are both conjunct
SR house cusps: the former on the SR 4th and the latter on the SR 11th.
This suggests that something pertaining to these areas will end or be
transformed. In terms of the more personal 4th house, we may see
either a deepening of compulsive behavior on Trump’s part, or a type of “healing”
in matters of personal power. In terms of his SR 11th, Trump may
experience the same dynamics in regards to important associates, and in regards
to his ability to influence others with his power. Reforms may be in order.
10. Natal
MC (Taurus) overlays SR 8th; this suggests
that finances will be a key focus this coming year; what this means in
practical terms is a mystery, since there’s so much we don’t understand about
his finances (and the many conflicts of interest he has between them and his
position as president). Inconjunct SR Saturn (Sagittarius), it’s likely
that those finances (tax returns?) will be scrutinized, and that Trump will be
held responsible for what’s revealed there. Needless to say, this isn’t likely
to happen without a fight from Trump, and possibly from his entire family.
Final
thoughts
There’s so much more to say here,
but suffice to say for now that the year ahead looks very similar to what we’ve
experienced with Trump this past year: tumultuous and emotionally excessive.
Will Trump continue on his steep “learning curve” for the job of president, or
will he begin losing his grasp on that position? This solar return suggests
that a lot depends upon how he responds to the demands placed upon him.
Self-defeating behavior could be just that—self-defeating.
Aggressive attempts to “bully” his
way through any challenges by lashing out and/or deflecting attention off onto outside threats are
something to watch—the fiery grand trine at the heart of this chart, that takes
in his Natal Mars, SR Uranus and SR Saturn-Natal Moon, will make sure
of that. Let’s hold out hope that “cooler heads” will prevail.
Finally, to return to my early point
about Trump being the Pluto-in-Leo generation’s “last
hurrah” in the White House, I hope I’m right. As a generation approaching its
80th anniversary this October, we need to stop being the “patriarch”
who’s afraid the “family business” will fail miserably if he retires.
No, we
don’t have to resign ourselves to being irrelevant,
but we need to transition to being the “wise elders,” to preserving our many
worthwhile contributions in the arts, in literature, in business, in
statesmanship, and in that way supporting the generations that need to step
into leadership.
IMHO, the 2016 election is looking
more and more like a generational anomaly that shouldn’t have happened—not for
Trump or Clinton; where are the
leaders of the future, and how can we
help them now?
Raye
Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former educator. 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.
She is
also available to read individual charts—contact her at: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
© Raye Robertson 2017. All
rights reserved.
[1]
Donald Trump’s solar return was exact on June 13, 2017, 2:39:02 p.m. DST, Washington,
D.C. Of course, it’s possible he will not be in Washington, D.C. this day, but since
the 13th doesn’t fall on a weekend (meaning he’s less likely to be
at Mar-O-Lago), we’ll use this location for our purposes here.
[2]
Raymond A. Merriman, The New Solar Return
Book of Prediction, Seek-It Publications, West Bloomfield, MI, 1977.
