Alex's Asteroid Astrology

“I’m responsible for your silliness because I did the same thing that you’re doing now for 10 years. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years. The more people that follow Mr. Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that I’m suffering.”

• Michael Cohen, Congressional testimony, 2/27/19

That was Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen warning GOP congressmen at his public testimony for the Oversight Committee in the House of Representatives on February 27^th that their continued support of the President would lead to disaster. Of course the plea fell on the deafest of ears, but it’s significant that none of the Republican legislators questioning Cohen even bothered to defend Trump, merely attempting to discredit Cohen instead.

But calling a liar someone who is a self-professed liar, one who is already going to jail for perjury, isn’t a very effective debate tactic. The lack of coordination or substance to the attacks on Cohen was rather shocking given the stakes involved, but I guess it comes down to that old legal advice: when the facts are with you, pound the facts; when the law is with you, pound the law; when neither is with you, pound the table.

Cohen knew his credibility would be an issue, and showed up with some documentary evidence, including copies of checks cut by Trump as repayment for a hush money settlement with porn actress Stormy Daniels, an alleged mistress, silenced in the weeks before the 2016 election. This exchange has been ruled a campaign finance law violation, and some of the checks were signed after Trump entered the Oval Office, making the crime at least partly post-inauguration.

Exhibit A; a check cut by Donald Trump to reimburse Michael Cohen for his hush money payout to porn actress Stormy Daniels, to cover up their affair; note the date – well after Trump infested the Oval Office

Cohen was also explicit about the President’s advance knowledge of the infamous Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 between Don Jr and senior campaign officials, who discussed getting “dirt” on Hillary Clinton from Russian government sources. And he testified to overhearing a phone conversation between Trump and political advisor Roger Stone about WikiLeaks’ release of stolen Clinton campaign emails. Trump has publically denied any knowledge of any of these incidents, as well as the Stormy Daniels payments; Cohen’s testimony establishes him as not only “in the know”, but actively directing these acts.

Cohen also asserts Trump’s deceit in regards to ongoing business discussions with Russian interests during the presidential campaign, which Trump denied: “To be clear, Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations through the campaign and lied about it.”

Cohen minced no words in his condemnation of his former boss, with whom he worked hand-in-glove for a decade: “He is a liar. He is a conman. He is a cheat.” A blistering indictment, to be sure, but nothing that anyone with half a brain didn’t already surmise about Donald J. Trump.

Cohen’s closing statement to Congress, however, was even more chilling: “I did things and I acted improperly, at times at Mr. Trump’s behest. I blindly followed his demands. My loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost me everything: my family’s happiness, friendships, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honor, my reputation and soon my freedom. And I will not sit back, say nothing, and allow him to do the same to the country. Indeed, given my experience working with Mr. Trump, I fear that is he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power, and this is why I agreed to appear before you today.”

For what it’s worth, Cohen is sworn before his testimony to the House Oversight Committee; he was sworn at his last appearance also, when he lied to protect Trump

When Michael Cohen was sworn before testifying at 10:25 AM EST on February 27, 2019, the Sun was exactly conjunct centaur Nessus at 8 Pisces, with asteroids Lie and Vesta conjoined from 10 and 12 Pisces, and Neptune, planetary ruler of deception, just a spit down the celestial pike at 15 Pisces. Among those qualities associated with Nessus, who attempted to rape Herakles’ wife Deianeira after ferrying her across a river on his back, is betrayal. Certainly this energy fits the time, as Trump’s former intimate turns against him publically.

But there are betrayals and there are betrayals; if it’s done for the public good, and not as an act of revenge or for self-serving reasons, it can be an honorable deed. Vesta here with Nessus, symbol of self-sacrifice and public service, suggests that Cohen’s motives were pure.

Lie and Neptune both active show the predominant theme of the hearing: Cohen was called back on the carpet to expiate his former lies to this same body, for which he is now about to suffer incarceration, and to expose the deceptions of his former boss. As if to set the seal on this, Neptune is exactly squared asteroid Truth at 15 Sagittarius, which conjoins Jupiter at 21 Sag, ruling Congress itself, and the Moon at 22 Sag, indicating the public nature of the hearing. The inclusion of asteroid America into this pattern from 20 Virgo creates a T-Square, and identifies who the lies were directed toward, the American people, now ostensibly being given the truth. The Sun/Nessus conjunction is more broadly squared Truth, and also asteroid Kassandra, which at 1 Sagittarius is closely conjunct the 0 Sag Descendant, giving it angular force and power. Kassandra relates to trustworthiness, which was another theme of the testimony, with both Cohen’s and Trump’s credibility at issue.

In one of the more bizarre split screen moments in US presidential history, Donald Trump meets with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at a Summit in Hanoi Vietnam, just as Cohen trashes him before Congress

Exactly squared Lie is asteroid Nemesis at 10 Gemini, also squaring Sun/Nessus and Neptune. Nemesis represents ruin or downfall, typically self-created and based in one’s former actions. In this case, the message is clear – it is deceit and falsehoods that have brought Cohen low, and may yet recue Trump to rubble. Nemesis is broadly conjunct the 0 Gemini Ascendant, also trined the 8 Aquarius MC, indicating its prominence in the moment. With that MC, and the highest-elevated points in the chart, are asteroids Icarus, House, Michel, Karma and Achilles, at 7, 8, 12, 13 and 15 Aquarius. Icarus represents rash, reckless acts taken heedless of the consequences (like lying to Congress in the first place); House exactly on the MC represents the House of Representatives, the venue for the testimony; Michel is one of several variants for “Michael”, placing Michael Cohen as the focus of all eyes in that moment, which he surely was; Karma is the results of our prior acts and decisions, come back to haunt us; Achilles exposes a weakness or vulnerability which threatens to destroy the individual.

Two other Michael variants, asteroids Michelle at 8 Taurus and Michela at 9 Taurus, square the MC and are sextile the Sun, putting a spotlighted focus on Michael Cohen for the day. Also squared the MC is asteroid Veritas, Latin for “truth”, which at 10 Scorpio is trine the Sun and also at station, about to turn retrograde on March first. This establishes the truth, the facts, as an embedded factor in the day. Also stationary is asteroid Cohen, which at 19 Scorpio is broadly conjoined Veritas, lending some degree of authenticity to Cohen’s statement. Cohen will not turn retrograde until March 13^th, after its terrestrial counterpart’s next round of Congressional testimony, but is already at its station degree. Its embedded stance and upcoming directional change show a literal “turning point” for Cohen, who has switched from Team Trump to Team America, and whose life is about to radically alter, with his incarceration. A square to Damocles at 25 Aquarius, that doom hanging overhead, is more than apt in the circumstances, both for Cohen and Trump.

House “Freedom Caucus” members Mark Meadows (seated) and firebrand Jim Jordan confer in front of the ridiculous poster Cohen was alluding to as the “silliness” in the quote beginning this article; such Kindergarten taunts have become a hallmark of the Trump Era

As for Trump, asteroid Troemper at 9 Capricorn is sextile Sun/Nessus/Lie, also sextile Veritas, semisquare Damocles and inconjunct Nemesis. Caught between his deception (Lie) and the truth (Veritas), faced with the betrayal (Nessus) of a lieutenant, Trump (Troemper) confronts the doom (Damocles) of his self-made undoing (Nemesis). Troemper is approaching Saturn and Pluto, about to embark in the extended conjunction between them which will dominate the year, bringing accountability, criticism, and penalty (All Saturn), as well as a total transformation of circumstance, with the potential for devastating outcomes (both Pluto).

Also appropriate is Cohen’s opposition to asteroid Whitehouse at 17 Taurus, with the President and his former fixer in an antagonistic stance. An exact pairing of asteroid Washingtonia with TNO Eris at 23 Aries, squared Pluto at 22 Capricorn, perfectly mirrors the fractious, hostile energies (Eris, named for the Greek goddess of strife and discord) well in evidence in the nation’s capital (Washingtonia) over this testimony, which is part of a high-stakes power struggle (Pluto) that could determine the outcome of Trump’s presidency.

Cohen’s ability to affect Trump’s downfall is prefigured in The Donald’s natal chart, with asteroids Michela and Lie, both at 17 Taurus, exactly trine asteroid Cohen at 17 Virgo, and natal Nemesis exact with asteroid Bilk at 16 Cancer on their midpoint, sextile to each. Michael Cohen here (Michela, Cohen) is granted an opportunity (sextile) to bring about Trump’s ruin (Nemesis) by exposing his fraud and deception (Bilk, Lie). It’s stunning celestial symmetry, beautiful in its simplicity.

Trump vented for two unscripted hours to a wildly sympathetic crowd at CPAC the weekend after Cohen’s testimony; flag-hugging is a venerated tactic of political scoundrels throughout US history, though it’s not typically taken to this literal extent

In the chart for the administration, as well, there are intimations of Cohen’s importance. Asteroids Michel and Michelle, at 27 and 29 Virgo, are both at station, indicating a preponderance of “Michaels” who will have disproportionate influence over the fate of the Trump White House. That’s certainly been borne out by the facts: from VP Mike Pence, SOS Mike Pompeo, acting COS Mick Mulvaney, and former NSA Michael Flynn, to detractors author Michael Wolff (“Fire & Fury”, the first expose of the insanity in Trump’s Oval Office), Michael Avenatti (Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, bringing suit against the President), and now Michael Cohen, you can’t throw a brick without hitting a Michael with some degree of importance to the administration or Trump personally. Asteroid Cohen at 16 Aquarius is semisquare Nemesis at 0 Capricorn and conjoined Damocles at 22 Aquarius for the inauguration, perhaps a vivid portrayal of just what Michael Cohen’s ultimate effect will be.

As ever, the Above reflects the Below. But for those of us caught in the Middle, those famously slow wheels of karma seem to be speeding up.