Thursday, April 18, 2019

Collusion of a different sort? You decide: the charts




It goes without saying that Holy Week should not be about Trump, or the Mueller report, but tell that to those who choreographed today's absurdity in D.C. 

It almost played out like a Holy Week "Passion play"--Attorney General William Barr lifts Trump up as the patient, but tortured victim of an attempt to smear his good name and delegitimize his “amazing” presidency, and everyone else is left with their jaws hanging open by his absolute loss of all objectivity. 

If it wasn’t clear before today’s 9:30 am press conference that Barr has chosen to become Trump’s personal attorney and protector, rather than the nation’s Attorney General, it certainly is now. 

In that 9:30 a.m. press conference, Barr repeatedly stated that the Mueller investigation found “no collusion” between Trump, members of his campaign or any American and the Russian effort to interfere in our 2016 election. He neglected to say that the investigation never was able to get Trump to sit down with Mueller for an actual interview because his lawyers feared a “perjury trap”—that Trump agreed only to submit written answers to questions, which would have been carefully lawyer-fied. 

Barr made no attempt to hide the incontrovertible facts that the Mueller team unearthed about Russia's efforts to interfere in our election, but he downplayed the part in the report that discusses how Trump and members of his team were aware of and at times welcomed Russia's help, even if they didn't criminally conspire with the Russians. The stark difference between "illegal" and "dishonorable" comes to mind here. 

Click here for a transcript of Barr’s prepared remarks. 

Nothing about today’s performance by Barr was surprising: we’ve seen how carefully he’s worked to manage public perception about the Mueller report, and the Democratic-led committees in Congress that have been waiting nearly a month to receive the report have certainly noticed these efforts, as well. Click here for Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler’s statement protesting Barr’s attempts to manipulate public perception and not “let the report speak for itself.” 


House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jerry Nadler.

Nadler protested when the DOJ told his committee that Congress would receive the report 90 minutes or more (between 11-12pm) after Barr’s 9:30 press conference characterizing its contents. Clearly, Barr’s plan to roll-out the report was calculated to give even Trump time to further characterize the contents before Congress would receive it. Will anything Congress might want to say about the report even matter with all this effort to spin and manage public perception?  


“An aggressive administration rollout plan for the release of a redacted version of Mueller's final report Thursday is sparking accusations of blatant political interference. The choreography is bolstering accusations that Trump's team is tipping the scales of justice over a report into the President's behavior before and after an election that a hostile foreign power, Russia, sought to help him win.”
So Barr has put his official stamp of approval on the “No collusion, no obstruction” meme, and Trump is the beneficiary, with a nice bonus, to boot: Barr’s comments this morning simultaneously painted (without naming them) those Democratic-led committees who have a constitutional role of oversight at stake here as the victimizers, who have simply been out to get Trump who cooperated so fully. 

Really??! So Trump is now the suffering and redeemed “Christ” figure—right in time for Holy Week?! 

Yes, Barr chose to characterize Trump as the long-suffering victim in this whole scenario, as follows:

“Yet, as he said from the beginning, there was in fact no collusion. And as the Special Counsel's report acknowledges, there is substantial evidence to show that the President was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks. Nonetheless, the White House fully cooperated with the Special Counsel's investigation, providing unfettered access to campaign and White House documents, directing senior aides to testify freely, and asserting no privilege claims. And at the same time, the President took no act that in fact deprived the Special Counsel of the documents and witnesses necessary to complete his investigation. Apart from whether the acts were obstructive, this evidence of non-corrupt motives weighs heavily against any allegation that the President had a corrupt intent to obstruct the investigation.”
So, in Barr’s version of events, all those Twitter tirades by Trump that sought to demean and destroy the careers of Mueller and DOJ members, all the firings that just happened to have something to do with the investigation, and on and on…were just a matter of Trump’s “sincere belief” that he was being victimized, and that he had “no corrupt intention” and was totally justified.  Are we supposed to take this as an objective conclusion? 

Clearly, the story has been framed for us, and as we’ll see, the astrological timing of Barr’s presser couldn’t have been more advantageous to Trump, so to my eye, it appears that an astute astrologer helped to choreograph this roll-out as well. All told, it’s no surprise that the sentiments expressed would reflect a heavy-handed attempt to protect Trump’s interests and to cast any skeptics in the role of “presidential harassers.” 

On that note, let’s take a quick peek at the 9:30 a.m. chart for Barr’s appearance on its own (Chart #1, below).



Chart #1: Barr Press Conference, April 18, 2019, 9:30 a.m. DST, Washington, DC. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node.
Mutable T-Square: ASC (Gemini) opposes Jupiter-DSC (Sagittarius); this axis squares Neptune/Venus (midpoint, Pisces).  As we’ll see in Biwheel #1 below, this t-square ties into Trump’s chart very snugly—hence the advantage I mentioned above, but we’ll get to that in a bit. It’s also relevant to the significance of this t-square that Mars (Gemini) squares Neptune. First, let’s consider how midpoints expert Michael Munkasey reads the Jupiter square to the Neptune/Venus midpoint:

“Openness to good advice on how to use makeup or adornments; excessive use of deceptive practices in financial or artistic endeavors; indulging in religious deceptions as a form of holiness.”[1]
Munkasey also characterizes the Venus/Neptune midpoint apart from such aspects in a way that makes sense here:

“Scandals concerning the misuse of, or deceptive practices within, the treasury or internal resources; subversives who desire to gain access to finances, spies in the financial branches, monetary fraud, art deception.”[2]
With Trump’s Gemini Sun conjunct the press conference ASC and his Moon conjunct conference Jupiter here (see Biwheel #1 below), we can deduce that Trump’s perspective on events is key here, and he does indeed think that anyone (i.e., Congress) who wants his financial information (tax returns) is “subversive.” We can only imagine that he’s suspicious of IRS workers who might cooperate with Congressional oversight, as well (spies?). 

Even so, numerous side investigations (not linked to the Mueller one) are looking into some aspect of Trump’s finances as we speak—that “excessive use of deceptive practices in financial endeavors” Munkasey notes could still be an anxiety-producing pitfall (Trump Moon). These investigations won’t necessarily be put off by Barr’s conclusions, but they could be weakened.

These investigations are looking at the Trump Inauguration Committee’s possible misuse of funds, into the possible illegal funneling of foreign dollars into the 2016 election, into possible money laundering activities with Deutsche Bank, and so on. Could all this be simply swept under the rug because Barr wants to give Trump a clean slate?

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has been trying to make the argument that Congress doesn’t have legal standing to demand Trump’s tax returns. To my knowledge this congressional inquiry is not related to the Mueller investigation, but even so, if the Mueller report “totally exonerates” Trump, and Barr has painted him as a victim, will Mnuchin’s argument gain strength?  The Southern District of New York is pursuing a bank fraud line of inquiry in regards to Trump’s taxes which is distinct from the Mueller investigation: will the aura of innocence Barr has spun around Trump hamper that in any way? 





The midpoints have it: Trump’s presence looms behind Barr’s conclusions 

It's like another miracle--Abraham parting the sea and leading his people through comes to mind. In an almost uncanny way, a number of significant midpoints in and between the two charts in Biwheel 1 below tell the story we’ve been witnessing over the past two years, culminating today. Rather than explain, let’s just proceed to the biwheel to illustrate. Setting these two charts next to each other creates a stunning visual representation of what just went down in DC between the DOJ and the White House.

So this will be a very quick rundown, based solely on the midpoints in question. No doubt, Trump has a lot at stake in trying to frame the Mueller report narrative in his favor, but a lot less concern is being given for what the nation has at stake in getting to the truth of the matter. As we saw with the heavy Mutable influence on the press conference angles, there’s ample reason to believe that Barr was spinning, rather than reporting on the facts in Mueller’s report. Let’s begin.





Biwheel #1: (inner wheel) Donald J. Trump, June 14, 1946, 10:54 a.m. DST, Jamaica, NY; (outer wheel) Barr Press Conference, April 18, 2019, 9:30 a.m. DST, Washington, DC. Tropical Equal Houses, True Node.

Barr Press Conference (BPC) Mercury/Pluto (midpoint, Aquarius) opposes Trump Mars-ASC (Leo). Trump’s tendency to burst into a rage over criticism, or worse—that  he might be stopped from doing something he wants to do—is well reported, so what would he have done if Barr didn’t give him what he wanted today? Of this midpoint, Munkasey says the following:

“Aggressiveness and persistency in quests for sexual power and control; an untiring energy in your search for information, demands that information be used in the ways you plan; mental preparation before difficult exercise.”[3]
Trump is ever the “alpha male,” so even the sexual connotations seem to fit here. Even without those connotations, however, this interpretation seems quite apt: we know that Trump was given more than one preview of Barr’s plans, so yes, he had time to mentally prepare, and apparently any “demands” he made that “information be used in ways he planned” were pretty carefully honored. We can’t know for sure what Trump expected or demanded of Barr, but what more could he ask for than what he got?

Trump’s control-seeking Leo Mars definitely is aggressive and persistent in everything related to self-defense (ASC--Trump makes no secret that he “punches back” when attacked)we’ve seen this behavior throughout the entire investigation, so why not now? This points to an important point that Barr ignored in his conference remarks—Trump was not a patient, complying cooperator with the Mueller investigation. If cooler heads hadn’t prevailed at some key moments, Mueller himself would have been fired! 

The White House cooperated out of one side of its mouth, and did its best (remember all those tortured interviews with Giuliani and others?) to destroy the investigation’s credibility with the other—that’s not cooperation. The pugilistic attack mode is far more characteristic of Trump than the picture Barr painted of his behavior this morning.  

Trump and Barr


BPC Sun/Jupiter Rx (midpoint, Aquarius) also opposes Trump Mars-ASC (Leo). Again, Trump’s perspective and expectations weigh heavily. Munkasey’s read:

“Leadership qualities, rebuilding self confidence when facing life’s problems and trials; pushing and striving for excellence in all efforts; confidence and haste in the need to progress in all areas of life.”[4]
The relevance here is pretty self-explanatory—Barr clearly sought to rehabilitate any damage that’s been done to Trump’s presidency, and that can’t help but boost Trump’s self-confidence (it’s difficult to see that as an issue, with his Mars-ASC). We’ve already seen the White House hint at coming “investigations into the investigators”—it’s likely he won’t be happy to simply take the victory Barr handed him without pursuing a vendetta of some kind. 

We can imagine that Trump has probably felt like a “caged lion” (Leo ASC) during the Mueller investigation—how can we expect him to behave now that Barr has thrown open the cage door? 
BPC Venus/Pluto (Aquarius) also opposes Trump Mars-ASC (Leo). This seems like an incredible “gift” of the Cosmos—all these midpoints converged around one purpose, making Trump feel better about himself. This particular midpoint is especially potent, however, because it operates on so many levels. 

On its own, without Trump’s Mars-ASC, Munkasey characterizes it as:

“Volcanic activity deep within the earth which causes great destruction of agricultural activities or financial centers; attracting elements of organized crime; a breakdown within the social fabric of a society.”[5]
At this point it’s good to remember that the Sibly Moon—We the People—falls at 27+Aquarius, so we’re already subject to that domineering opposition from Trump’s Mars-ASC, however today’s Venus/Pluto midpoint at that point suggests that we “ain’t seen nothing yet.” Will Trump be totally emboldened by today’s results and more determined to push tectonic changes to our society and democratic system of government?   

Venus/Pluto’s connection with potential “elements of organized crime” may also be right on—some of the financial investigations that remain open into the Trump organization may end up treading into that territory. 

One way or another, having a man in the White House who inspires such suspicions is already tearing at our social fabric—it’s not hard to imagine what the conversations over Easter dinner will be like this year!

Trump’s Mars-ASC connection with the Venus/Pluto midpoint speaks to ways in which Trump could weaponize his response to any perceived threats, especially in regards to “big money.” This segues very intensely with the transits of Saturn and Pluto (Capricorn) opposite his Saturn-Venus (Cancer). He’s clearly feeling pressured financially (Venus), with his authority (Saturn) challenged and restricted by the “powers that be” (Congress and other investigations), so it will be no surprise if he puts his compliant Attorney General in charge of helping out with those as well. 

BPC Mars/ASC conjoins Trump Uranus (Gemini) and these points square BPC Neptune (Pisces). This is more complicated because it involves multiple points in each chart, however Barr clearly stood in front of the audience and acted (Mars/ASC) to “spin” (Neptune) Mueller’s narrative to suit Trump’s purposes (10th house Uranus). 

It’s no secret that Trump relishes the role of change-maker and disrupter (Uranus), and the Cosmos (and Barr) seems willing to go along with him here. 

BPC Jupiter Rx/Pluto (midpoint, Capricorn) opposes Trump Mercury (Cancer). Munkasey has a fairly precise explanation for this, given what we saw this morning:

“Articulating and expounding upon your needs, goals, or opinions; an obsessive need for studying how to isolate yourself physically from others; you often feel you are above the law; thoughts on eliminating offensive ideas.”[6]
The “you” that is articulating and feeling itself above the law here could be either Barr or Trump—Barr has arguably stepped way over the bounds of proper conduct for an Attorney General by spinning the Mueller report’s conclusions as he has—but considering Trump’s Mercury is involved, we can see that his viewpoint is woven into it as well. 

So, collusion, anyone? Not the kind the Mueller report was after, but certainly of a defensive/protective kind:

Barr’s natal Eris-North Node (Aries) square Trump Mercury (Cancer) and Barr’s natal Uranus conjoins Trump’s Mercury—Trump seems to have found his warrior/protector in Barr. Barr’s No. Node lends a fated feel to this whole relationship—we have to give Trump credit for knowing how to pick his defenders, but in accepting the protector role, Barr is redefining what it means to be Attorney General! Click here for a closer look at Trump’s chart set next to Barr’s. 




Final thoughts

Timing is everything, right? Trump and company have a clear knack for staging and launching a message when and how it suits them—he wasn’t a Reality TV star for nothing, after all, and we’re definitely being played for ratings on this Holy Thursday/Passover.

Both celebrations focus on victimization at the hands of corrupt regimes, and on redemption—of being held unjustly captive and finding favor from God—of death being overcome by Light and Life.

If Barr orchestrated this event to consciously play to this symbolic overlay—while conveniently “dumping” the report at a time when the least number of people would want to pay attention—then he and his "team" (Trump?) deserve an Emmy for “Best Cynical Performance in a Reality TV show.” The evidence for conscious timing is weighty. You draw your own conclusions!

Meanwhile, all the best to everyone for this Spring holiday weekend!  






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 2019. All rights reserved. 





[1]Michael Munkasey, Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets, ACS Publications, San Diego, CA, 1991, pp. 208-9.
[2]Ibid.
[3]Ibid, pp. 176-77.
[4]Ibid, pp. 76-77.
[5]Ibid, pp. 212-13.
[6]Ibid, pp. 272-73.

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