Alex's Asteroid Astrology

The 2024 DNC kicked off in Chicago on 19 August, under very different circumstances than those under which it was conceived and planned.  Originally intended as a re-up ceremony for incumbent US President Joe Biden, likely a fairly sedate affair (given his age and the flagging poll numbers in the race against Donald Trump), after the former withdrew from the race and passed the baton to VP Kamala Harris, things changed dramatically. 

In just four short weeks, a super-juiced Harris has erased the polling deficit with Trump, and is now pulling ahead of the felonious GOP candidate, both in national polling and in key battleground states, in some of which she now exceeds Trump by more than the margin of error.  The effect on the Democratic Party from this swap-out has been electric, with record fundraising, record volunteerism, and record new voter registrations.  And that enthusiastic spirit has permeated the convention, where on Thursday, 22 August 2024, Kamala Harris accepted her Party’s nomination for President of the United States.

Whence this excitement?  Look no further than the July 15^th conjunction of Mars and Uranus at 26 Taurus, which fell closely atop Harris’ natal Jupiter, ruling politics, at 24 Taurus, and set off a Grand Cross of Saturn (career) at 28 Aquarius, asteroid Victoria 12 (named for the Roman goddess of victory) at 25 Aquarius, Mars (campaigns of all types, including political ones) at 21 Leo, and asteroid Whitehouse 4036 (the presidency itself) at 24 Scorpio, with asteroid Camelia 957 (one of several celestial stand-ins for Kamala, for which there is no exact match) at 28 Scorpio.  Put that all together, it spells intense energy (Mars) and excitement (Uranus) for a Harris (Camelia) run for the presidency (Whitehouse), with the potential for a political (Jupiter) victory (Victoria) which makes her chief executive (Saturn).

I blush to admit that, as I contemplated the effects of this conjunction, as well as Uranus’ upcoming station retrograde on September 1^st, which strongly impacted all four top candidates on both tickets (at that time), it never occurred to me to consider the hyper-energizing, excitement-evoking potential for Uranus.  As a current events astrologer, I typically encounter Uranus in its less pleasant attire, as a disrupter, mover and shaker, provoking volatility, controversy and shock value.  Rarely do I get to see him in his Sunday best, and I overlooked that possibility entirely.

Bad on me.  But good for the country and the fate of democracy in the US.  Because that’s just what the Mars/Uranus jolt has provided for Kamala Harris, to this point:  energy, excitement and enthusiasm, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Barack Obama’s candidacy in 2008.  Yes, her elevation shook things up a great deal, a typical Uranian trait, but in the most positive ways possible.

Adding emphasis to this boost is asteroid Harris 2929, which has been conjunct Uranus since late June, and will continue so right through both the election and the inauguration, not passing out of its influence until early April 2025.  This affords a protracted period of enthusiasm and excitement for Harris, likely leavened with controversy, but this bubble is not about to burst anytime soon (unless, of course, Uranus flips on her, always a possibility with this unpredictable planet).  Uranus is also known for shattering barriers, perhaps like the glass ceiling Hillary Clinton’s head put such a dent in; this alone argues for the likelihood, under an asteroid Harris/Uranus extended conjunction, of a VP Harris groundbreaking, record-breaking, victory, and the inauguration of the country’s first female president.

At 29 Taurus for the DNC’s opening day (with Uranus now at 27), Harris also conjoins asteroids TRIUMF 14959 (an acronym of a Canadian science research facility, but useful as its phonetic match, “triumph,” for great success) and Chicago 334, at 3 and 4 Gemini respectively.  This places Harris (Harris) on the spot (Chicago) for what promised to be a triumphal (TRIUMF) nomination. 

Not to be outdone, asteroid Camilla 107 (another Kamala referent) came to its retrograde station at 26 Aries the very day the DNC convened, signaling a major turning point for Harris, a pivotal moment in her biography.  Camilla closely opposes asteroid Victoria at 27 Libra, and overlays Harris’ natal Sun/Moon polarity, with the Moon at 27 Aries and the Sun at 27 Libra, further igniting a natal Grand Cross that includes asteroid Camilla at 22 Capricorn and asteroid Harris at 27 Cancer.  This forcibly identifies her with the day as well, in highly personal ways.

But of course that’s just the tip of the cosmic iceberg.

The most salient aspect of the day is the Full Moon polarity at 27 Aquarius and Leo, which occurred at 1:26 PM CDT; a chart cast for then in Chicago will be our primary interpretive tool.  Not only is that Moon exactly conjunct the USA’s own, there is an exact T-Square formed with Uranus at 27 Taurus on the fulcrum, energizing and motivating the populace (Moon) with excitement and enthusiasm.  Moreover, exact with the Sun is asteroid Whitehouse at 27 Leo, with Mercury right alongside at 26 Leo.  What more perfect celestial combination can be envisioned for the massive speechifying (Mercury) of a presidential (Whitehouse) nominating convention, commanding the focus (Sun) of the public (Moon)?

The Full Moon polarity is widely conjunct the MC/IC axis at 5 Virgo/Pisces, which aligns, in reversed fashion, with Harris’ natal MC/IC axis at 2 Pisces/Virgo, denoting the moment as one which strongly impacts her career (MC) and residence (IC), as she moves toward setting up her residential digs at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The 22 Scorpio Ascendant completes a Grand Cross with that Sun/Moon/Uranus alignment, and shows asteroid Camelia conjoined from 17 Scorpio, also conjoining Harris’ natal asteroids Camillo 3752 (our third Kamala variant) at 17 Scorpio, Whitehouse at 24 Scorpio, and Camelia at 28 Scorpio.  Having both a natal and transit PNA (Personal-Named Asteroid) highlighted by the Ascendant shows the activation of inborn potential (natal points) in real time (the transit sky), a reinforcing cosmic one-two punch that propels Harris to the forefront (Ascendant).

As well, Camelia on the Ascendant opposes asteroid Washingtonia 886 at 18 Taurus on the 22 Taurus Descendant, also conjoined Harris’ natal Jupiter at 24 Taurus.  And indeed, the promotion of Harris (Camelia) as the public face (Ascendant) of the Democratic Party sent political (Jupiter) shockwaves (Uranus) through the capital (Washingtonia, for DC), as reflected in this lunation’s chart.

Also of note, a T-Square from Saturn at 17 Pisces opposed Venus, exact with asteroid Kamil 14124 (our final Kamala referent) at 18 Virgo, with a Mars/Jupiter conjunction at 19 and 17 Gemini on its fulcrum.  This remarkable pattern describes a female (Venus) named Kamala (Kamil) engaged in a political (Jupiter) battle (Mars) for the presidency (Saturn).  Not only does it include both Venus and Jupiter, the traditional Lesser and Greater Benefics, conveying luck and positive outcomes, but it also aligns with Harris’ natal Venus at 17 Virgo, also activating natal Uranus and Pluto at 13 and 15 Virgo.  This natal grouping can be read as the power (Pluto) of an energized, enthused (Uranus) female population (Venus).

An opposition from Pluto at 0 Aquarius and asteroid America 916 at 1 Aquarius to asteroids Nike 307 (named for the Greek goddess of victory) and Demokritos 6129 at 2 and 10 Leo shows the country (America) at a critical transformation point (Pluto), and may presage a Democratic (Demokritos) win in November (Nike).  With Nike also exactly conjunct asteroid Flagstaff 2118, patriotism is back in style in the Democratic Party, as the winning strategy (Nike) to counterbalance Donald Trump’s apocalyptic visions of America as a third world nation.

Other notables at the DNC show prominently as well.  The convention was gaveled into order at 5:38 PM CDT on 19 August 2024, by Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison, and Convention Chair Minyon Moore.  By then the Ascendant had moved to 17 Capricorn, highlighting asteroid Harrison 4149 at 23 Capricorn by conjunction, and asteroid Moore 2602 at 10 Aries by square, only appropriate for the two persons most responsible for the convention’s success or failure.

The first night was dedicated as a love fest for President Joe Biden, whose selfless sacrifice in stepping away from the race made this Democratic enthusiasm possible.  Joe was very much in evidence celestially, with asteroid Bida 32014 (our cosmic equivalent of Biden) at 7 Gemini, conjoined asteroids Chicago and TRIUMF at 3 and 4 Gemini, as well as asteroid Harris at 29 Taurus.  And make no mistake, the convention was a triumph for Biden as much as Harris, and Biden was a strong presence in the Windy City, albeit no longer at the top of the ticket.  His withdrawal is reflected as asteroid Josephina 303 at 18 Libra (feminine form of Jospeh, for which there is no exact match), conjoined asteroid NOT 2857 at 17 Libra, a general disqualifier or symbol of negation, an unwillingness to proceed.   Note that the Josephina/NOT pair also squares the convention Ascendant – this is not his time, but he’s a featured player nonetheless.

That first night, Hillary Clinton stole the show with a blistering critique of her 2016 opponent, as seen in asteroid Hillary, opposed the gavel Ascendant from 14 Cancer, conjoined both asteroid Karma 3811 at 12 Cancer and asteroid Troemper 28130 (our celestial referent for The Donald) at 5 Cancer.  They say Karma is a bitch, and though bittersweet, given their prior interaction, I’m sure it was pleasant for Clinton to skewer Trump, on the precipice of losing to another female opponent.

Night Two featured the Obamas, with both Barack and Michelle offering rousing, “rally the troops” speeches.  Asteroid Barry 1703 (for Barack, the name by which he was known in youth) at 3 Virgo conjoins the Full Moon MC at 5 Virgo and squares asteroid Chicago at 4 Gemini, also sesquiquadrate the 17 Capricorn convention Ascendant.  Asteroid Michelle 1376 at 8 Scorpio doesn’t make a huge impact in the chart, but even the cosmos can’t be everywhere at once, so it apparently swapped out Michelle for asteroid Michel 1348, the masculine French equivalent, which at 11 Aries also squares the convention Ascendant.

Night Three was VP nominee Tim Walz’ night, his major introduction to America.  In a 15-minute, barn-burning speech, Walz showed clearly why he was the right choice as running mate, exhorting the audience to action, in his best coaching manner:  “We got 76 days.  That’s nothing.  There’ll be time to sleep when we’re dead.”  Folksy and direct, with just the right amount of Trump snark, Walz laid out the case for voting for the Dem ticket as a vote for freedom.  

Tim Walz is another modern politico with a regrettable lack of exact cosmic referents, but two CNAs (Compound-Named Asteroids, with first and last names strung together as one word, which can be separated and used for either) beginning with Timothy show his prominence in the proceedings.  Asteroid Timothycooper 22722 at 19 Capricorn conjoins the convention Ascendant, while asteroid Timothychang 25123 at 16 Cancer opposes it.  Asteroid Wallin 66661, one of several possible cosmic stand-ins for Walz, appears at 8 Virgo, conjoined the 5 Virgo MC of the lunation chart.

The fourth and final night was reserved for Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech.  The VP had two jobs that night – to show the American people that she was ready to lead, and to draw a contrast between her and Donald Trump.  She knocked it out of the park on both counts. 

Perhaps her best moment was when she, a former prosecutor, Attorney General, Senator and Vice President, rightfully declared that her only client has always been “the people,” then pointed out that Trump’s only client has always been “himself.”  With asteroid Harris at 29 Taurus in a T-Square with the Sun and Moon, Harris was the heart and soul of this convention; conjunct Uranus, she was the focus of the excitement and enthusiasm.  With asteroid Camelia at 17 Scorpio conjunct the lunation chart’s Ascendant and exactly sextile the Ascendant for the convention gavel, there’s no question whose public image was being crafted that week.  With asteroid Camilla at 26 Aries and asteroid Camillo 3752 at 24 Cancer tied in a T-Square with asteroid Victoria at 27 Libra, victory is in her grasp.

Little Donnie Trump, the Incredible Shrinking Candidate, also has a role to play, as the antihero of the convention, and the name most mentioned after Kamala Harris.  Asteroid Donn 4689 at 24 Aquarius conjoins the Moon and opposes the Sun, putting him, his record and his foibles in focus (Sun) for the American people (Moon).  With Donn also squared the 22 Scorpio Ascendant of the lunation chart, Trump became the alternate face of the convention, its shadow side.

Much has been said about the joy and jubilation with which Democrats are now facing the November election, and that was on full display for the DNC.  No surprise, with asteroid Felicitas 109 at 19 Aries (Latin for “happiness”) closely squared the convention’s 17 Capricorn Ascendant, and asteroid Joya 7899 (for “joy”) at 16 Leo, conjunct asteroid Demokritos (Democrats) at 10 Leo and squared a combination of asteroids Jubilatrix (“jubilation”) and Camelia (Kamala) at 12 and 17 Scorpio. 

A Grand Trine Kite pattern best defines Harris’ identity as a “happy warrior,” leading the fight to save democracy and freedom.  With an exact trine from Jubilatrix to asteroid Bellona 28 at 12 Cancer (named for the Roman goddess of war), incorporating Saturn at 19 Pisces opposed an exact Venus/asteroid Kamil conjunction on its String at 18 Virgo, we see a woman (Venus) named Kamala (Kamil) as the exultant (Jubilatrix) fighter (Bellona) for the presidency (Saturn).

There are still miles to go before we sleep, much to be accomplished by Election Day, but the effort to preserve American democracy by keeping Donald Trump as far away from the Oval Office as possible, seems to be on a winning course.