Alex's Asteroid Astrology

Former VP and current presidential candidate Joe Biden celebrates his 77^th birthday on November 20, making him the first of the serious contenders for the Democratic nomination to inaugurate a solar return year which will incorporate the 2020 election within its scope. I won’t be doing this for everyone, but I will for Uncle Joe. Because while I have serious misgivings about Biden’s ability to do the job, I do believe he’s the most electable, which is my sole criterion for the upcoming election. So long as he wins and ousts Trump, for all I care, he can drool into a cup and delegate for four years, like Reagan.

And the good news is that Biden’s 2019 Solar Return chart has an unbelievably strong signature of success. The bad news is, there are a lot of qualifiers.

The two principal asteroid markers of success are Nike and Victoria, named respectively for the Greek and Roman goddesses of victory (Victoria is actually the root of our English word). This pair has been in reasonable proximity, traveling within ten degrees of each other, since June 2019, but they have not met at the same degree until November 16^th, just three days before Biden’s Solar Return (which occurs at 11:58 PM EST on 19 November 2019, chart cast for Biden’s legal residence in Wilmington, Delaware).

Auspicious in and of itself, I would say, but you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet! Not only does their conjunction at 2 Virgo conjoin Biden’s Solar Return (hereafter abbreviated “SR”) Moon at 1 Virgo, it is also conjunct his SR Ascendant at 4 Virgo, and in an out-of-Sign square to his 27 Scorpio Sun! And this entire cosmic package closely squares Biden’s natal Ascendant at 3 Sagittarius! That paints a huge “victory” sign over Biden’s core essence (Sun), emotional body (Moon) and public image (Ascendant).

Holy Mother of Mithras! That’s a success signature! I don’t see how someone can’t be successful with that kind of energy (unless it’s in some weird Star Wars Obi-Wan “if you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine”-type way). Since this SR takes Biden, not just through the Primary season, but also the General Election to follow, it would seem inevitable that Joe becomes the Democratic nominee and the 46^th President of the United States.

Well, in isolation. But that’s the durned thing about astrology – nothing is isolated!

Winged Victory graces a pedestal, just as her asteroid referents, Nike and Victoria, grace Joe Biden’s solar return Ascendant; does this presage winning in 2020?

Are there pitfalls to avoid, handicaps to overcome, roadblocks to navigate? For sure. And Biden could just take this phenomenal potential and throw it in the toilet by bowing out of the race. Or consistently speaking gibberish in public (though that seems to work for Trump). Or feeling up every female in the rope line (though, again, Trump…).

So let’s see what else the Solar Return can tell us, shall we? I always like to look first to the Sun and its aspects, particularly conjunctions. In his 2019 SR Biden has an exact conjunction of the Sun at 27 Scorpio with asteroid Hybris; this is a definite warning sign. Hybris represents “prideful arrogance” (it’s the root of our word “hubris”, named for the Greek goddess of the same), and can indicate complacency or over-confidence. “Pride goeth before a fall,” as the proverb says, and it is essential that Biden remains pragmatic and highly focused on his goal, no matter how far ahead of his competition he may seem to be at any point in this contest. Whatever pollsters say, overconfidence could be fatal. If he sits back and rests on his perceived laurels (the ancient symbols of victory), he’s done for.

The Sun also conjoins asteroid Icarus at 2 Sagittarius; this point tends toward rash, reckless acts or decisions, heedless of the consequences, often taken in the teeth of countervailing advice. It can also indicate an inability to accept, or follow, good advice. Joe doesn’t seem like a reckless guy to me, ordinarily, but the pressures of a campaign can bring out normally repressed character traits, and it’s a fact that natally, Biden has Icarus at 24 Sagittarius, exactly conjoined asteroid Josephina (one of several PNAs approximating his first name) and also conjunct both asteroid Victoria at 19 Sag and asteroid Nike at 29. That’s a sign that there may be a streak of rashness in him, and SR Icarus on the SR Sun this year could bring that into focus. Mostly, it’s a call to heed advice: be yourself, but let the handlers handle. (With his natal Icarus embedded at station and trine the Sun, these are lessons Donald Trump has never learned.) But natal Icarus/Victoria/Nike is also an admonition that to win (Victoria/Nike), he may need to take some risks (Icarus), so there’s some flexibility in this, if only in a “walking-a-tightrope” kind of way.

Joe Biden hits the campaign trail; with Nike and Victoria conjoined both the SR Ascendant and SR Moon, squared the SR Sun, he’s “in it to win it.”

Also with the SR Sun is asteroid Veritas, Latin for “truth”, at 3 Sagittarius (and exactly conjoined his natal Ascendant). Veritas is a symbol of truthfulness, but also authenticity. That quality of genuineness, of being himself, and a “real person”, is one of Biden’s greatest assets (which he shares with Trump, who has Veritas conjoined his Troemper at birth, squared his Ascendant). Natally, Biden’s Veritas at 18 Aries is exactly sesquiquadrate his 3 Sag Ascendant, the source of his “good old boy” persona, so attractive to voters. Reinforcing this in real time for the 2020 election season can’t hurt.

The Sun also conjoins the SR IC, or Nadir, at 0 Sagittarius, lending angular force and power for the year, and establishing it as a “foundational” one for Biden. The conjunction with this Fourth House cusp (as well as the out-of-Sign square from the Moon) could indicate an upcoming change of residence, like to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, although of course that would not go into effect until the following Solar Return.

So much for the conjunctions. In square we have that out-of-Sign stellium of Moon, Ascendant, Nike and Victoria in early Virgo, suggesting decent health for the year (though not, perhaps, without a few hiccups, considering Virgo’s tendency to chronic ailments), as well as linking Biden’s internal essence (Sun) to his public image (Ascendant) and emotional wellbeing (Moon), and reinforcing the “victory” vibe.

A somewhat bewildering selection of campaign buttons, perhaps prompting some to ask “who is Jo?” Mercury turns direct shortly after the solar return kicks in, but technically is still retrograde; maybe we need to rethink the graphics?

Also in square is a grouping of asteroids Achilles at 19 Aquarius, Carolina exact with Damocles at 22 Aquarius, and House exact with Askalaphus at 28 Aquarius. Let’s break that down. House/Askalaphus is the closest in aspect to the Sun, thus the most impactful, and seems to represent the impeachment process, initiated in the House of Representatives (House), based in a whistleblower complaint (Askalaphus). This is pivotal to the outcome of Biden’s year (squared the Sun), and while the impeachment will be important to any candidate gaining the nomination, Biden has a special connection to the investigation, since Trump’s efforts in Ukraine centered on obtaining dirt specifically about him. If the impeachment is successful, and Trump is removed, Biden faces a different General Election opponent altogether, and we have a whole new ball game. If Trump retains his office, but is materially weakened, Biden’s task becomes easier; if there is a backlash against impeachment which supports the President, Biden has a tougher row to hoe. However you slice it, impeachment strongly colors the race.

Achilles suggests a weakness or vulnerability for Biden in this, but at 9 degrees out from House/Askalaphus, it’s a very broad conjunction, and not one likely to tip the scales to Biden’s disadvantage. Damocles however, is closer, and represents the unseen doom hanging overhead. With wall-to-wall coverage on six networks, impeachment certainly isn’t “unseen”, but its ultimate effect is still very much in doubt, and just whose doom is portended is unclear. With your indulgence, I’ll wait on interpreting Carolina until later.

That leaves the opposing points. These comprise TNO (Trans-Neptunian Object) Sedna, exactly opposed from 27 Taurus, and asteroid Columbia at 28 Taurus, which again we’ll defer discussing until later. Sedna’s myth is a complex one, incorporating a number of various themes, so for Sedna advice, I turned to Sue Kientz, a pioneering leader in the region of the solar system from which this Kuiper Belt object hails. This was her reply:

“Sedna opposed his Sun on the somewhat negative side: he’s got a dogged opponent who will throw the kitchen sink at him and be relentless, i.e. Trump. As a candidate Biden always shares the defining story of his life, the terrible tragedy of losing his first wife and daughter (and having his children injured) due to a car accident, and how he nevertheless kept on and served his congressional job [as Senator] that had just begun. There’s Sedna suffering and determination all at once.

Lastly, Biden appears to see this run for President as his calling to save the country. So while he has a relentless opponent (opp Sedna), HE knows he must be as determined and persistent as possible, to be the most dogged opponent to Trump. In fact unlike most of the others, he’s made opposition and vilification of Trump his main attack line.”

To this, I would add that Sedna has an affinity with isolation (she lives in the deepest, most inaccessible part of the Arctic Ocean). Running for President is, ironically, one of the most isolating ventures an individual can undertake, cut off from human contact by secret service agents seeking to protect and aides trying to prevent gaffes or mistakes. Biden needs to be both cautious and vigilant about remaining accessible and relevant, especially as it concerns Press availability, which has not been a feature of the campaign so far. SR Sedna opposed the Sun may incline the candidate to put up walls and isolate, but he needs to remain vitally engaged.

Short and sweet, with visual aids, may be the best way to go for a campaign undertaken during a solar return year with Mars and Mercury joined with asteroid America

Let’s take a break from general interpretation and look at what the SR has to say about the first hurdle for “Biden 2020”, attaining the Democratic nomination for president. We’ll stipulate that the strong Nike/Victoria placement in his SR grants Biden a natural advantage over his Primary opponents this year. But how will the race play out? For that, we can look to placements of PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) representing geographic locations likely to prove important in the Primary contest.

Unfortunately, we’re laid a dead stymie at the outset: there is nothing suitable for Iowa, the nation’s first caucus state, holding its contest on February 3, 2020. It’s a closed book to us, so far as Biden’s SR is concerned. For New Hampshire, the nation’s first Primary, on February 11, we have asteroid Concordia, standing in for its capital of Concord. At 11 Libra, SR Concordia conjoins SR asteroid Josefa (another Biden referent) at 14 Libra, and exactly squares centaur Hylonome at 11 Capricorn, with Saturn at 16. Hylonome refers to grief or loss, and Saturn often throws up hindrances or roadblocks, as well as teaching lessons. So we have here an image of Biden (Josefa) coming to grief (Hylonome) in New Hampshire (Condordia); he loses the state, but takes the loss very personally (Josefa) and learns from it (Saturn). The centrality of this contest, however it plays out, is demonstrated by the SR Sun near the midpoint of the Concordia/Hylonome square, in semisquare to each.

Next is the caucus in Nevada, on February 22. No “Nevada” asteroid, but there’s a Carson, for its capital of Carson City. At 2 Aries, remarkably, Carson has just returned to its natal degree, so Biden is experiencing a “Carson Return” for this contest, reigniting whatever potential it had at birth. In an out-of-Sign trine to the SR Sun, squared asteroid Jose (Spanish for “Joseph”) at 7 Cancer, the implication is that Biden wins this race handily. Natally, Carson squares Nike at 29 Sagittarius, reinforcing it as a “winning” locale for him.

South Carolina’s “First in the South” Primary may be make or break for Biden, as exemplified by asteroid Carolina exact with Damocles in the solar return chart

Now we come to South Carolina, holding its primary on Leap Day, February 29, 2020, a pivotal juncture for the Biden campaign. The Palmetto State is represented celestially by asteroid Carolina, which we have seen falls at 22 Aquarius, squared the SR Sun, and by asteroid Columbia, its capital, which opposes the SR Sun from 28 Taurus. The solar connections reinforce the state’s importance to Biden for the year, but the modifiers are not especially favorable.

With Carolina exact with Damocles and just three degrees away from Achilles, the suggestion is that peril awaits (Damocles), and vulnerability or weakness is exposed (Achilles). But it’s important to remember that in the myth, the suspended sword of Damocles threatens destruction, but never actually descends. Rather, it teaches a vital lesson based in recognition of danger. Achilles can also refer to valor and a supposed invincibility, called into question by a fatal flaw. Columbia with Sedna suggests that support may be lacking, with Biden isolated from voters. My best guess here is that Biden wins the state, but narrowly, highlighting that his strength among minority communities is not as robust as expected, and this allows him to recalibrate and compensate for an inherent defect. (Recall that we have a second state with Carolina in its name, and this pattern could also refer to North Carolina’s role in the General Election, a swing state which may be crucial to the outcome.)

Super Tuesday follows on March 3^rd, when more than 50% of the Democratic delegates will be awarded, including such behemoths as California and Texas, 15 contests in all. Many of these have no asteroid referents, but some which do include Massachusetts, represented by rival Elizabeth Warren in the US Senate, and Oklahoma, the state of her birth. With asteroid Oklahoma at 19 Aquarius conjoined SR Achilles, and asteroid Boston, named for Massachusetts’ capital, at 16 Taurus in square, the cosmos seems to endorse the unlikelihood of Biden prevailing in those naturally Warren-friendly states. Asteroid California at 20 Aquarius also with Achilles puts the Golden State potentially up for grabs, and with asteroid Texas at 7 Taurus conjoined Uranus at 5, with asteroid Virginia at 5 Scorpio opposed it, the outcomes there could be unexpected or shocking (I would submit that this could also apply in the General Election for the increasingly purple Lone Star State, which could conceivably flip blue).

Is this a mind meld or a headbutt? The relationship between Biden and Primary opponent Elizabeth Warren has deteriorated from this early debate stage comraderie, as suggested by asteroid Elisabetha stationary and squared Bida in the solar return, and foretold by Elisabetha exactly conjoined Nemesis in Biden’s birth chart

Of course, Joe Biden’s principal competition for the nomination at this point would seem to be Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, though it’s still early and this could easily change. This is reflected in the SR chart with asteroid Elisabetha, closest to Elizabeth, at 20 Cancer, and asteroid Sanders at 4 Aries; both are stationary, implying a greater-than-typical importance and an embedded stance in Biden’s life for the year. Elisabetha turned retrograde on November 16^th, with Sanders following suit and resuming direct motion on November 21^st, conjoined Carson (might this presage a strong Sanders challenge in Nevada to restrain Biden’s easy win?). As well, asteroid Warren at 2 Leo squares SR Mars at 0 Scorpio, suggesting a fight or competition, while asteroid Bernie is exactly conjunct asteroid Bida (for Biden) at 26 Libra, perhaps “hemming in” the former VP. Their PNA placements in Biden’s birth chart bear out their roles as adversaries or competitors of note, with natal asteroid Elisabetha exactly conjunct natal Nemesis at 15 Libra, and natal asteroid Sanders at 15 Aries exactly opposing it.

What other indicators are there of Biden’s involvement in the General? Lots.

Let’s start with that Bida asteroid noted above. From 26 Libra, Bida is part of Grand Cross which includes squares to asteroid Washingtonia at 25 Cancer, Pluto and asteroid Troemper at 21 and 28 Capricorn, and an opposition to TNO Eris at 23 Aries. This clearly sets up Trump and Biden as in conflict (square), with the nation’s capital (Washingtonia) as the prize; Pluto with Troemper puts Trump in the more powerful position (which as an incumbent is undoubted), albeit plagued with scandal resulting from criminal actions (all Pluto-ruled). The decision may well be made by those whom Eris represents – individuals feeling marginalized, disrespected, and discontent. The question is, are they more discontent with Trump’s shenanigans and underperformance, or the Washington “business-as-usual” establishment as represented by Biden? Sue Kientz has suggested this could also indicate a desire for a “return to normalcy” by a population stressed-out by four years of Trump’s chaos.

[As a silly aside here, I’ll mention that there’s also an asteroid “Old Joe”, which at 24 Libra in the SR conjoins Bida; how funny is that? In his nativity, Biden’s Old Joe at 25 Sagittarius conjoins Nike at 29, perhaps an indication that his greatest success comes late in life.]

Biden’s other serious competition for the nomination comes from Bernie Sanders. Asteroid Sanders is also stationary in the solar return, squared asteroid Jose (Joseph in Spanish), and exactly opposed Biden’s Nemesis in the natal chart

A T-Square composed of asteroid Whitehouse conjunct Nemesis at 15 and 17 Virgo opposed Neptune and asteroid Karma at 15 and 20 Pisces, with asteroid Josephina on the fulcrum at 12 Sagittarius, is another strong indicator that Biden may be in it to the end. Whitehouse/Nemesis can manifest as a competition for the Oval Office, as well as the downfall of an administration, but it cuts both ways – will this presidential run be the ruin of the incumbent or the challenger? Likewise, Neptune can provide a huge disappointment or the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, and Karma can also play both sides of the fence, rewarding virtue or punishing wrongdoing. The outcome is uncertain, but with a PNA promising personal involvement (Josephina) in a pivotal position, it’s likely that Biden emerges as one of the contenders in the electoral equation.

Finally I’d like to talk about what the SR chart says about the campaign itself. For that we look to Mars, signifier of any campaign, from military to advertising to political; and to Mercury, which rules the message. At 0 Scorpio and 11 Scorpio respectively, Mars and Mercury aren’t quite within orb of conjunction, but the gap between them is bridged by a very apt point – asteroid America, at 8 Scorpio, which binds them together. This encapsulates Biden’s sense that he is fighting, not just for himself, but for his country, and he’ll have much of America with him.

But it won’t be pretty. The Scorpio accent here suggests that there will be plenty of mudslinging, scandal, manipulation and power plays. The rhetoric is likely to be heated, even acrimonious or downright confrontational and angry, with undertones (or, given Trump’s record, more likely overtones) of racism and White Supremacist themes, and a focus on fear as the motivator.

Joe Biden with Donald Trump at his 2017 inauguration, probably the last civil word they’ll speak to each other; asteroids Bida and Troemper square each other in the solar return, in a Grand Cross with Washingtonia and Eris

The entirety of this grouping opposes Uranus at 5 Taurus, so expect plenty of shocks, surprises, volatility and controversy. Wild swings in fortune are likely, and tech issues such as social media manipulation, voter registration tampering and actual vote hacking become paramount concerns.   Mars opposed Uranus hints at physical violence to play out on some level at some stage of the campaign, something outrageous and deplorable, while America in opposition to Uranus sets the mood of the nation as tense, nervous, volatile and erratic. Mars is exempt from this next aspect, the orb is too wide, but both America and Mercury also oppose asteroid Lie at 15 Taurus. The country is subjected to highly toxic levels of deception, fraud and cheating, all of which pervade the campaign rhetoric and the voting process itself. Need I say more?

But there’s one advantage Biden has – this Mercury is at station. It won’t officially turn direct until some 14 hours after the Solar Return kicks in, but Mercury’s stationary status will allow Biden to embed a message in his campaign that will be stable, resilient, focused and unwavering, while the Scorpio component suggests something powerful, transformative and catalytic. The conjunction with America says that Biden is able to tailor his message to fit his countrymen, fine-tuning it as sweet music to their ears. With Mercury technically still retrograde when the SR occurs, Biden’s campaign is likely to have a somewhat nostalgic, return to the “good old days” inflection.

Again, as noted above, this is all in isolation – one man’s potential in one year, without outside interference, which of course will abound. But we have to start somewhere, and if I were running for President, and my astrologer showed me this, I’d feel pretty good about it.