Alex's Asteroid Astrology

Donald J. Trump’s 74^th Solar Return occurs at 8:00 AM EDT on 13 June 2020; I’ve set it for Washington, as the normally peripatetic president has been hobbled of late by COVID-19 restrictions, unable to campaign in the traditional mode, though it’s uncertain as of this writing exactly where he’ll spend his birthday.  Perhaps at Mar-a-Lago?  At 8 AM, however, we can be fairly confident he’ll be in his jammies, tweeting insults at someone.

This may be the most important Solar Return (hereafter abbreviated “SR”) in Trump’s life, determining as it does whether he remains the most powerful man in the world, or is removed from office and translated from the White House to the Big House, no longer immune from prosecution as sitting US President.

So let’s not waste any time in seeing what it says…

The Sun at 22 Gemini falls in the SR Twelfth House, is exactly conjunct centaur Asbolus, also within orb of TNO Chaos at 26 Gemini and asteroid Karma at 19 Gemini; exactly opposed asteroid Hybris at 22 Sagittarius; and in a Grand Cross with a Nemesis/Whitehouse pairing at 16 and 24 Virgo and a stellium of Mars/Neptune at 20 Pisces, asteroid Requiem at 21 Pisces, Moon at 25 Pisces, and asteroid Achilles/TNO Borasisi at 26 Pisces.  That’s a lot to unpack, but here goes.

The SR Sun in the Twelfth shows some degree of weakness, vacillation, “invisibility’, retirement, a retreat or withdrawal from the public, possibly based in a health concern, mental deterioration or hospitalization.  It can be about letting go of ego attachments, and worldly concerns, surrendering oneself to a higher power, though of course, Trump acknowledges no power greater than himself.  It is definitely a year of facing karma and paying the piper for prior transgressions.  There’s lots of behind-the-scenes action and the emergence of hidden enemies; espionage and spying has been associated with this House.  Incarceration is also possible (though it’s hard to imagine the wheels of justice grinding so swiftly that Trump finds himself in an orange jumpsuit before this SR runs out, whatever happens in November).  Neptune is the natural ruler of the Twelfth (and also squared the Sun this year), doubling down on this placement and suggesting a lack of focus or mental acuity, isolation, confusion, debilitation or weakness.

Trump got an early birthday present from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, when in the aftermath of the forcible removal of peaceful protestors she renamed a portion of the 16th Street approach to the White House (just visible, far right) as “Black Lives Matter Plaza”, and painted the street to match

Over all, not an impressive Sun placement for a year as vital as this.  The one thing going for it is that Trump’s ability to play the martyr is heightened, and he may inspire zeal, even fanaticism, in others, so hardcore supporters are unlikely to abandon ship.  The problem for him is, there aren’t enough of them to gain re-election.

Of particular interest (to me, anyway) is that exact polarity from Asbolus to Hybris, exactly aligned with the SR Sun, and thus the strongest influences on its “character” for the year.  Asbolus is about reading the room; connecting with the zeitgeist, or spirit of the times, having one’s finger of the pulse of events.  This is an area which traditionally Trump has mastered, but it seems to have abandoned him in his approach to the coronavirus pandemic, and the protests following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.  Trump is consistently at odds with public opinion on the severity of the virus and how to combat it, creating a disconnect in the electorate which has more than compensated for the typical “rally ‘round the flag” momentum of a crisis, and kept Trump’s poll numbers low.  He’s also been off his game in his reaction to the massive, country-wide protests against police brutality, seeming to encourage violent oppression of peaceful demonstrators while paying lip service to their right to speak out.   Recent polling suggests only 1 in 3 Americans approve of his handling of the coronavirus crisis, just 1 in 4 agreeing with his stance on protests.  Perhaps Asbolus exact with the Sun will give him back his sea legs in this department for the year ahead, and allow him to read the political tealeaves more adroitly going forward.

Trump birthday cards became an instant meme sensation on the internet, many lampooning the 45th President’s appearance, manner or verbal style

The opposition to Hybris speaks volumes.  Hybris is named for the Greek goddess of prideful arrogance, the root of our word “hubris”, representing excessive pride or self-confidence and conceit.  This point was exactly conjunct asteroid Troemper, opposed Mercury, when Donald Trump rode down that Trump Tower escalator in June 2015 to announce his bid for the presidency.  Arrogance and overconfidence are certainly self-defining characteristics of the 45^th President of the United Sates, and will be all the more glaring as the year unfolds.

But “pride goeth before a fall”, as the Proverb states, and Trump’s unwavering belief in his destiny may be key to his destruction, if he continues to ignore popular sentiment and the true spirit of the times, conveyed by Asbolus, and focus on the inner self-assurance that has always propelled him, as typified by Hybris.  In Greek myth, Hybris and Nemesis form a sort of divine tag team, with Hybris encouraging arrogance and conceit, a sense from mortals that they were the origin of their own good fortune, failing to acknowledge the blessings of providence.  In essence, Hybris sets them up and Nemesis comes along to knock them down; we’ll speak more of this later.

Also with the Sun is Chaos, which means pretty much just what it sounds like – disorder, disarray, pandemonium, confusion and anarchy.  Natally Trump has this point in square to his Sun, so these are the waters he swims in at all times, but by transit, Chaos has been conjoined the Sun since before he began his first presidential run.

No, this is not photo-shopped; the very streets of the nation’s capital now blazon the voice of protestors

And we’ve seen those effects, glaringly displayed, for three years.  Chaos is moving away now, but still within orb (it takes 311 years to circle the sun, so its transits endure for quite some time), and it’s still a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming year.  Never underestimate the power of The Donald to sow disruption and mayhem; with that native ability now focused on the 2020 election, watch out!

And have we mentioned karma?  We have, in that Twelfth House placement – this is strongly reinforced by asteroid Karma also within orb of the Sun, from 19 Gemini.  This is a time of reckoning, of comeuppance, of being called to account for prior acts.  The cosmic chickens are coming home to roost, and the fox that guarded the henhouse previously may find himself too distracted by other concerns to properly defend against the onslaught of karmic creditors clamoring for redress.

Which leads us to that exact Mars/Neptune conjunction in square.  Indicating debilitated energy, irrational anger, difficulty with focus and forward momentum, absent leadership, thwarted action and unrealistic strategies; I can’t imagine a worse pairing for an important campaign year.  Add in an angry electorate, symbolized by the Moon’s inclusion in this stellium, and that exact Achilles/Borasisi pairing, which suggests that the constant lying is a liability, weakness or vulnerability, plus Requiem, a sign that people are fed up to the teeth with this BS and ready to end it, and you have a recipe for the worst electoral shellacking in a generation.

A comedic take on Trump’s birthday celebration two years ago, with fellow world leaders looking on askance as Trump’s body language asserts his defensiveness and isolation

I will say this – in the right hands, Mars/Neptune could indicate an inspired, spiritually-attuned campaign, something that pulls people up out of the field of petty daily concerns and offers something truly stimulating and unifying.  But Trump is not the man for this.  Even he cannot convert four years of courting division, partisan bickering and fomenting strife into a Unity Ticket.

The icing on this cosmic cake of cataclysm is that Nemesis/Whitehouse pairing also in square to the SR Sun, and filling in the Grand Cross.  Nemesis represents divine justice, karmic retribution and self-undoing.  It’s the archenemy, the opponent, the block or hindrance to progress; paired with Whitehouse, it suggests that Trump’s worst enemy, his greatest adversary, is the current occupant of the Oval Office – namely, himself.  “We have met the enemy and he is us” sums it up rather nicely.  If Trump fails in his effort for re-election, it will be because he has defeated himself.

So much for the Sun.  Also of note, a 22 Cancer Ascendant, exactly conjoined asteroid Pandora as well as conjunct asteroid Atlantis at 20 Cancer, with Pluto and Jupiter at 24 and 25 Capricorn opposing from the Descendant.

Cancer is a Sign which traditionally is not comfortable with the spotlight.  More shy, reserved and retiring, Cancer prefers to sit at home and focus on domestic pursuits, rather than mixing it up socially.  Of course nothing will supersede Trump’s natal Leo Ascendant, with its “me, Me, ME!”, limelight-coveting party vibe.  But a Cancer Ascendant in this election year may throw Trump off his game, adding just enough emotional dissonance and reticence to limit his effectiveness on the campaign trail.

Pandora here is also potentially troublesome.  Asteroid maven Martha Lang-Wescott suggests “encountering unexpected consequences, getting ‘more than you bargained for’”, and “agitation” as keywords for its energies, none of which sounds particularly helpful.  Recall that when Pandora opened her box, against the best advice, she released all the world’s evils, and all that remained inside afterward was Hope.  And that may be all that’s left for Donald Trump once COVID-19 has finished with him and the economy.  And speaking of coronavirus, asteroid Koronis, our celestial moniker for the infectious disease, appears at 16 Aries in the SR, exactly squared natal asteroid Nemesis at 16 Cancer, underscoring the virus’ potential to defeat Trump this year.

Atlantis is a point which carries its own complications.  I associate it with a sense of feeling “flooded” or overwhelmed; Martha adds “sense of impending doom; belief in deserved punishment/negative karma” and “abuse of resources, talents or information.”  This could affect not only the President’s outlook, but also how others see him – as a lost cause rightly consigned to failure.  Martha’s “abuse” clause suggests using the office of the presidency to further re-election in immoral or unlawful ways, something I think we can all agree is bound to happen.  Is, in fact, already happening, with Trump’s staunchly avowed opposition to vote-by-mail and his recent installation of a crony donor as Postmaster General setting the stage for electoral shenanigans involving mailed-in ballots.

Pluto and Jupiter conjoined the Descendant is fairly obvious astrologese for “dramatic transformation (Pluto) in political (Jupiter) relationships (Descendant)”.  In and of itself, the Pluto/Jupiter conjunction signals scandal and corruption in political circles, and having it angular in the SR only emphasizes the importance of these energies and how they affect Trump’s interactions with others.

Trump’s actual birthday celebration in 2018; note chief White House strategist Stephen Miller (second from Trump’s right), architect of the administration’s most racist and exclusionary policies, close at hand

This conjunction is also part of a Yod or Finger of Destiny, inconjunct the Sun at its Apex, indicating some fated circumstance which platys out is the coming year.  And the other base point of the Yod in sextile to Pluto/Jupiter and inconjunct the Sun?  Why, that would be asteroid Bida at 25 Scorpio, our celestial referent for Joe Biden, of course!  This could suggest Biden as the vehicle Fate has chosen to deliver that Plutonian political body-blow.

This Ascendant also falls within a degree of Donald Trump’s natal Saturn/Karma pairing at 23 Cancer.  This could be the year when past actions finally come back to bite The Donald in his copious ass.  Saturn/Karma says as some point, inevitably, the piper needs to be paid, past wrongs assessed and redressed, and punishment meted out.  When better than at the height of success, while leader of the Free World?

Stationary points have also been reliable indicators of Trump’s SR fortunes over the years.  These exert outsized influence on the term in question, and in the past have included such points as asteroids Russia, Whitehouse and Roberts during Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and Trump campaign collusion (with Roberts at station twice, in both 2017 and 2018, covering the entire period from Robert Mueller’s appointment as Special Counsel to the release of his report).

This year, one point stands out at station – asteroid Josefa, a feminine variation of “Joseph”, for rival presidential candidate Joe Biden.  Josefa turned direct at 16 Libra on June 9^th, less than a week before the SR kicks in, and conjoins Trump’s natal Chiron/Jupiter conjunction at 14 and 17 Libra, symbolizing “incurable political wound”.  Josefa’s station degree is also exactly squared Trump’s natal Nemesis at 16 Cancer, and tag teams this point in an exact T-Square with its opposition to SR Koronis at 16 Aries, the coronavirus.  As above, so below?

Another Joseph variant, asteroid Josephina, also makes a bold statement.  At 3 Aquarius, Josephina stands with Saturn at 1 Aquarius, which represents restriction and limitation, as well as career matters generally and the presidency itself.  The combination suggests Biden as a source of career friction at a minimum, a stumbling block on Trump’s road to the presidency which needs to be overcome if progress can be made.  These appear at the Apex of another Yod, with inconjunct aspects to asteroid Lie at 1 Cancer and Victoria with Nike at 1 and 4 Virgo, both named for goddesses of victory.  The implication is that, to be successful (Victoria/Nike) in retaining the presidency (Saturn), Trump needs to deceive and misrepresent (Lie) his opponent (Josephina).  Not that this is anything we didn’t already know.

But there’s a further cosmic wrinkle here.  That Victoria/Nike is also at the fulcrum of a T-Square incorporating squares to Venus retrograde at 8 Gemini and asteroid America retrograde at 9 Sagittarius.  This links Trump’s “winning” potential for the year very strongly to his popularity (Venus) in the country (America), and specifically as regards women (Venus also).  Ordinarily this might give some hope of re-election, but with both Venus and America retrograde, the suggestion is of a downturn in popularity, rejection by women, and ultimately by the country as a whole.

After protests came too close for Trump’s liking, new fencing was installed to increase and strengthen the White House perimeter; critics liken the new design to a baby gate, perhaps appropriate given the current resident

Eclipses this year will impact Trump’s fortunes as well.  On June 5, just a week before the SR goes into effect, a Lunar Eclipse at 15 Sagittarius squares the upcoming SR Nemesis placement at 16 Virgo (as well as lying inconjunct to natal Nemesis), pumping energy into retributive scenarios where Trump finally gets what’s coming to him.

The subsequent Solar Eclipse of June 21 at 0 Cancer highlights SR Lie by conjunction; sometimes an eclipsed point is energized, sometimes it’s suppressed.  With some 18,000 lies, distortions, mischaracterizations or misleading statements catalogued by the Washington Post since becoming president, it’s unlikely Trump will start to tell the truth anytime soon, so we can expect an increase in falsehoods from the Oval Office.  But the eclipse’s impact may also be that the lies themselves are less and less effective.

A second Lunar Eclipse in this sequence occurs July 4 at 13 Capricorn, opposing Trump’s natal Nemesis at 16 Cancer and the US Sun at 13 Cancer, also conjoined his natal Koronis exactly, and squared SR Koronis at 16 Aries as well as the US Saturn at 14 Libra.  This highlights the potential for the coronavirus (Koronis) to bring about his undoing (Nemesis), and interrupt (eclipse) his relationship as president (US Saturn) of the nation (US Sun).  This eclipse also energizes that stationary SR asteroid Josefa at 16 Libra by square, as well as the natal Chiron/Jupiter pairing this conjoins, further reinforcing Biden’s potential to deliver that political wound.

Let’s hope this e-Card is prophetic as well as funny, as Donald Trump faces perhaps his worst year ever, coinciding with his reelection attempt

None of this is looking favorable for a Trump win and retention in office in November, but stranger things have happened.  Like 2016.  We don’t need our celestial crystal ball to predict that Trump will once again lose the popular vote, probably by a greater margin than last time. But will he keep his job?  That’s a much thornier question to answer, and one which cannot be definitely determined from the data we currently possess.

As always, time will tell, but things are looking up.

There’s one last pattern I want to discuss.  It’s yet another Yod (man, Fate is just pilin’ on this year, ain’t it?)  It involves asteroid Troemper, our celestial referent for The Donald, which at 29 Aries is exactly sextile Damocles at 29 Aquarius, both points inconjunct asteroid Whitehouse at 24 Virgo on the Apex.  This depicts the personal (Troemper) doom hanging overhead (Damocles) for Trump if he fails in his bid for reelection (Whitehouse).  Troemper conjoins TNO Eris at 24 Aries, spreading strife and discord, and representing the disgruntled constituency that voted him in office in the first place, while Damocles lies exactly on Trump’s natal Descendant, prophesying doom if Trump’s relationship with his base is shattered (as is foreshadowed by the precipitate drop in evangelical Christian support in recent polls).  This is make-or-break for Trump; if he loses, he’s bound for financial ruin, years of litigation, very possibly the loss of his freedom.

So what do you think, faced with this kind of potential catastrophe, a man with no moral compass or ethical underpinning, shameless, ruthless, will do to avoid this fate?

Absolutely anything.