Alex's Asteroid Astrology

On Valentine’s Day 2023, former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley jumped into the 2024 GOP presidential nominating pool.  It remains to be seen whether it was a swan dive or a belly flop.  In a three-minute video Haley touted her credentials and philosophy, taking a few sideswipes at Donald Trump, in the shallow end of that pool, by calling for a new generation of leadership, reminding folks that Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven out of eight recent general elections, and asserting that she’ll stand up to bullies.

But will she stand up to Trump?  In 2016, as a rival presidential candidate, she called him “embarrassing.”  In 2017 she resigned as South Carolina’s governor to join his administration as UN Ambassador.  In 2021, she broke with Trump after the January 6^th insurrection, calling his actions post-election “badly wrong”, only to state later that year that if Trump ran for office again in 2024, she would not oppose him.  Now, of course, she is.

With her Indian heritage, Haley is a prime target for Trump’s patented brand of belittling and racist nicknames.  After all, he just lowered the bar again by calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis “Meatball Ron,” an ethnic slur for Italians dating from Trump’s dimly recalled youth.  Is Haley ready to fight fire with fire, or will she merely lob softballs of inuendo?

That’s a question to be answered at a later date, but for now, the Haley campaign seems off to a good start, at least celestially speaking.  A chart cast for the video’s release at 7 AM EST on 14 February 2023 (set for Charleston, SC, nearest city to her Kiawah Island residence) shows the spotlighting Sun at 25 Aquarius conjunct Chief Executive Saturn at 27 Aquarius, both on the 23 Aquarius Ascendant, potentially allowing her to look presidential to the populace at large (with the Ascendant symbolizing our public image). 

The Moon at 5 Sagittarius crests the 6 Sagittarius Midheaven, symbol of a female (Moon) in a position of dominance or authority (Midheaven), with asteroid Nikko (one of two referents for Nikki) also conjoined from 10 Sagittarius, placing her celestial stand-in among the most elevated points in the chart, as the focus of all eyes.  Opposing this cluster is Mars at 13 Gemini, representing the campaign itself, but there’s a troublesome seed of destruction planted there as well, with asteroid Achilles at 9 Gemini, suggesting a weakness or vulnerability, an inherent flaw that threatens to doom the enterprise (as in “Achilles heel”).

As well, the timing couldn’t be better from an asteroid standpoint, with asteroids America and Nicky conjoined at 23 and 25 Libra, both embedded at station, making their greatest impact.  Trine Sun/Saturn, the pairing unites Haley personally (Nicky) with the nation (America) in the collective unconscious at the time her candidacy becomes official, a good jumping-off point.  (In the summer and autumn of 2020 an ongoing conjunction between America and asteroid Bida led to Joe Biden’s election that November, as the nation identified with the Democratic candidate.)  America had turned retrograde on the 11^th, with Nicky following suit just the day before her announcement. 

Asteroid Halle (alternate referent for Haley) at 18 Taurus conjoins Uranus at 15 Taurus and squares the Sun, placing her in the spotlight on the day (Sun) and suggesting there may be something controversial or innovative (both Uranus) about her campaign.  It could also indicate a strong emphasis on tech as outreach, or feeling somehow exciting or invigorating to others, as additional Uranian factors.  A T-Square with asteroid Carolina at 19 Scorpio identifies the state from which she hails, and the prior executive experience she gleaned there as governor, which is so pivotal to her resume for the job.

Asteroid Halley (closest to her surname) at 8 Pisces conjoins asteroids Nike, Icarus and Valentine at 2, 7 and 10 Pisces respectively, at the fulcrum of a T-Square with Moon/MC/Nikko and Mars/Achilles.  Nike is named for the Greek goddess of victory, certainly a useful energy to have on one’s side at a time like this.  Icarus suggests there may be some rash or reckless decisions in the works, perhaps even extending to the choice to run at all.  Campaign advisors may find their words falling on deaf ears, much in the way Icarus ignored his father’s advice not to fly too close to the sun, resulting in disaster.  Valentine is of course a nod to the timing, as Nikki Haley entreats the GOP electorate, “Be mine!”

A grouping of Venus, Neptune and asteroid Whitehouse, splayed out over nine degrees from 22 Pisces to 1 Aries, could signal a huge disappointment or unrealistic expectations (both Neptune) for a female (Venus) running for president (Whitehouse), but some might find her sympathetic or inspirational (both Neptune as well).  Regardless, becoming president is certainly her dream (Neptune).  With Venus and Neptune squared asteroid Washingtonia at 20 Sagittarius, we see the gravitational draw of the lodestar of the capital.

We can see this reflected in the birth chart as well.  Born 20 January 1972 (no time available), the pull toward the nation’s capital generally and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in particular is expressed in an exact conjunction of asteroids Nicky and Washingtonia at 11 Sagittarius, with the 29 Capricorn Sun squared asteroid Whitehouse at 26 Aries.  This suggests that Haley and DC are inextricably entwined, and she sees Oval Office occupancy as self-defining in some sense.  An exact sesquiquadrate from that exact Nicky/Washingtonia pairing to Whitehouse constitutes another strong personal tie to the presidency. 

Transit Pluto is currently exactly conjunct that Sun, offering dramatic transformation of circumstances, and has been squaring Whitehouse since 2021, with two back-to-back stations in exact square in April 2021 and October 2022, though the last exact hit came in December.  Perhaps Haley’s timing is just a bit off for success.  The recent stations of Nicky and America opposed natal Whitehouse, cementing her decision to make her candidacy official.

A natal T-Square of Mars at 16 Aries opposed asteroid America with Uranus at 15 and 18 Libra, Mercury at 12 Capricorn on the fulcrum, suggests that hers could be a campaign (Mars) of ideas and actual policy proposals (Mercury), even startling insights (Uranus) which could resonate with Americans (America).  Regardless, having a woman of color as their standard-bearer would certainly be an unexpected choice (Uranus) for the GOP base that dominates the primaries.

Haley got her political start in the South Carolina House of Representatives, as depicted in a Grand Cross of asteroid Carolina at 12 Taurus opposed asteroid House at 16 Scorpio, with asteroids Halle at 8 Leo and Halley at 6 Aquarius on the crossbars.  Her elevation to Governor can be seen in an exact trine from the 29 Capricorn Sun to Saturn at 29 Taurus, ruling the chief executive, which also broadly incorporates asteroid Columbia at 20 Cap, conjunct the Sun, representing South Carolina’s capital.

When Nikki Haley won the race for Governor on 2 November 2010, a Grand Cross of the Sun at 9 Scorpio opposed asteroid Carolina at 6 Taurus, with asteroids Halle at 5 Leo and Nikko at 1 Aquarius on the crossbars, set her up for success in the Palmetto State.  Asteroid Nike (victory) at 19 Libra conjunct Saturn (governors) at 11 Libra, in square to asteroid Nicky at 18 Capricorn, repeated the “winning” vibe.

Perhaps Haley’s most notable act as Governor was signing the bill which removed the Confederate Battle Flag from the grounds of the South Carolina State House, in response to growing protest at this relic of slavery and rebellion.  In the natal chart, asteroid Flagstaff is stationary at 9 Virgo, suggesting a prominence for the issue in her biography, and forms a Grand Trine with Mercury (making a statement, sending a message) at 12 Capricorn and asteroid Carolina at 12 Taurus.  The flag had flown prominently since 1961, as a symbol of the state’s massive resistance to desegregation, so it was perhaps appropriate that South Carolina’s first woman of color chief executive should be the one to order its removal. 

When the bill was signed on 9 July 2015, transit Neptune at 9 Pisces, ruling dissolution and disappearance, was exactly opposed Haley’s natal Flagstaff, with transit Flagstaff at 9 Aries exactly inconjunct, an aspect which denotes a need for adjustment.  Transit Flagstaff was also semisquare transit asteroid NOT at 22 Taurus, a symbol of negation or refusal, while transit asteroids Halle and Nicky at 1 and 7 Leo in trine to Flagstaff identify Nikki Haley as the facilitator of that change.

On Election Day 2024, 5 November, Nikki Haley’s prospects look good.  The 13 Scorpio Sun is highlighting a T-Square, opposing asteroids Nikko and Washingtonia at 6 and 15 Taurus, with an America/Nicky pairing at 12 and 15 Aquarius on the fulcrum.  This highlights the candidate (Sun-Nikko), and gives her direct access (Nicky) to the American people (America) and the city where she hopes to reside (Washingtonia).  As well, a conjunction of asteroids Whitehouse and Halle at 4 and 5 Libra, squared by asteroid Halley at 8 Cancer, unites Haley with the office of the presidency in a convincing manner.

Halley is also embedded at station, marking an important “turning point” in Haley’s life, and in trine to Saturn at 12 Pisces, planetary referent of head-of-state (also at its station degree, about to turn direct ten days later), making a Grand Trine Kite pattern with the Sun/Washingtonia/Nikko polarity.

As stated, it looks good for candidate Nikki Haley on Election Day, in a cosmic vacuum.  But she has to get the nomination first.  Aye, there’s the rub!