Alex's Asteroid Astrology

 

If that title seems reminiscent of “The Perils of Pauline”, it’s intended to be. The melodrama that’s been going on in and around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue of late certainly sounds like some old, over-acted radio drama, full of a cast of one-dimensional characters. Villains, victims, buffoons and bastards abound – all we’re lacking is a hero.

 

One way of tracking the insanity is to look to the stars. Yes, we can check out Trump’s natal chart, and we’ll find lots of material there. We can also look at the chart for the USA, and again, we’ll find reflections of the reality on the ground.

 

But there’s a third method, in the emerging field of PNAs. PNAs are Personal-Named Asteroids, of which there are some 17,000 already, and more being named every day. These points and the interaspects they make, both in the transit sky and with the natal charts of the key players in a story, eerily reproduce the current circumstances, and give clues to the further development of the saga. Oftentimes we can find exact matches for names in the heavens of people and places we encounter here on earth, but sometimes we need to make an accommodation with the cosmos.

 

Such is the case with Donald Trump. There is no “Donald” asteroid, nor is there a “Trump.” There is, however, a “Troemper”, the closest match phonetically. When Donald Trump first announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination on 16 June 2015, I searched for a suitable PNA, and found Troemper. Curious, I plugged it into a chart cast for the time he announced, 10:07 AM. What I found was encouraging, at least as regards using this point as a Trump celestial surrogate.

 

At 9 Sagittarius, Troemper was opposing Mercury, ruling announcements and speeches, at 5 Gemini. Not bad, but what convinced me was the peripherals. Exactly with Troemper was asteroid Hybris. The root of our word “hubris”, Hybris represents inordinate pride and arrogance, an energy which fits perfectly with The Donald, both as an expression of his innate character, but also in the reaction to his throwing his hat into the political ring. Most people thought it was just that – Trump’s ego trip and nothing more, with a candidacy bound to go nowhere and wither in a matter of months, if not weeks. So Troemper exact with Hybris, as so emblematic of the man himself, seemed to me a clear statement that this was the way to go.

 

Troemper and Hybris were also exactly squared Neptune at 9 Pisces. Again, this reflects both the reaction and Trump’s perspective. For him, a presidential run was the realization of a long-held dream, a fantasy he had nurtured for at least a decade. To others, it seemed the ultimate in self-delusion and wishful thinking, both Neptune-ruled.

 

The final piece of the puzzle was asteroid Icarus, which at 5 Virgo completed a Grand Cross and exactly squared Mercury. Icarus represents rash, reckless actions heedless of the consequences, often taken despite good advice to the contrary. This certainly describes the tenor of that first speech, and the campaign to follow, where Trump brashly lashed out against first Mexicans, then a host of other groups and individuals, including his competitors for the nomination. Any one of these rash pronouncements would have sunk a conventional candidate in less time than it takes to say “you’re fired!”, but The Donald just kept on rolling along.

 

Troemper continued to track for Trump throughout the campaign. Likewise, it showed prominence on Election Day, 8 November 2016. Asteroid Hillary was prominent then as well. Both asteroids were at station points – Troemper had turned direct two days before the election, and Hillary was poised to turn retrograde four days after. Both were trine the Sun, but I gave Hillary at 16 Cancer the edge because its trine was exact the Sun at 16 Scorpio; Troemper’s trine was wide, from 22 Pisces. There was a secondary indicator also, in Venus conjunct asteroid Whitehouse at 25 and 26 Sagittarius. That said to me, “female in the Oval Office.”

 

But it was not predictive; rather, it was descriptive, of Hillary Clinton as the first viable US presidential candidate, not necessarily the winner (although, with three million more votes, it’s arguable that she did win the election, just didn’t get the job). And what was blocking her? Asteroid Troemper, in close square to that Venus/Whitehouse pairing.

 

These and additional examples up through the inauguration convinced me of Troemper’s utility as a stand-in for the 45^th president, and subsequent events continue to bear this out.

 

Like the incredible spate of chaos we’ve just witnessed. Here’s a brief and incomplete run-down of the last two weeks in July, when Trump couldn’t seem to do anything right:

 

• July 19 in a New York Times interview, Trump airs his frustration and disappointment with AG Jeff Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, which he sees as the original sin in that debacle; he continues to bully Sessions via Tweet and speech for the next week
• July 21 the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director, which precipitated the immediate resignation of Press Secretary Sean Spicer
• July 24 Trump makes a politically-sensitive speech to the historically nonpartisan Boy Scouts of America at their Jamboree; the next day the head of the organization publically apologizes for the president’s remarks
• July 25 & 27 first the US House of Representatives, then the Senate, overwhelmingly pass new sanctions against Russia for their meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and this time, the legislation specifically limits Trump’s power to revoke the sanctions without congressional approval
• July 26 Trump tweets a ban on transgender individuals serving in the US armed forces; the next day the Joint Chiefs of Staff issue a rebuttal to the effect that no such changes will be put into effect until proper notice of policy change and how to implement it has been received from the Department of Defense.
• July 28 the debacle of the final death knell to the Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, as Senator John McCain, whom Trump insulted during his campaign as “not a war hero” because he’d been captured, casts the deciding vote against it
• July 28 Trump makes a speech before the Suffolk County, Long Island Police Department, where he suggest they should not “be too nice” when taking suspects into custody; the following day the Suffolk PD issues a statement to refute this advice, and several major police departments nationally follow suit in this condemnation of his remarks
• July 29 the resignation of Chief of Staff Reince Priebus following a New Yorker magazine interview with Scaramucci, who excoriated Priebus and others in terms so vulgar that mainstream news outlets could not repeat them
• July 31 the installation of former Homeland Security Secretary General John Kelly as new White House Chief of Staff, followed by the resignation of Scaramucci, just ten days on the job

 

So in a little less than two weeks, Trump managed to dislodge two senior staffers (without actually firing anyone himself) and threaten a cabinet minister, offended the military and the LGBT community, police departments across the country, and the friggin’ Boy Scouts (!), had his hands tied by legislatures controlled by his own Party, and saw his signature legislative effort go down in flames for the fifth time. How much drama can one administration take? And what’s causing it?

In a word: Troemper. This celestial Donald Trump referent has been in heavy astrological weather for some time, negotiating a difficult Grand Cross composed of an opposition to Pluto and simultaneous squares to Jupiter and asteroid America. Not only that, but from its mid-Cancer location, Troemper is also conjoining Donald Trump’s natal asteroid Nemesis, a point which denotes self-undoing. And as always, Trump proves to be his own worst enemy, with self-inflicted wounds galore.

 

From July 18^th, the day before the initiating action of the NYT interview lambasting AG Sessions, noted above, through August 6^th, transit Troemper has been conjoined natal Nemesis, highlighting Trump’s tendency to shoot himself in the foot, and then stick it in his mouth (natal Nemesis at 16 Cancer broadly conjoins natal Mercury at 8 Cancer – he can’t seem to stop talking and tweeting in ways which damage his agenda). The peak of the transit was Troemper’s exact contact to natal Nemesis, on July 27 and 28, at the height of the drama.

 

All the while, the various arms of the Grand Cross have been activated in turn by Troemper’s passage. By far the longest-lived of these aspects has been the square to asteroid America in Aries. With similar rates of speed, once asteroids come into contact with each other, the aspects between them can last for weeks, months, even years. The square to America began on June 17^th and lasts until August 13^th, two full months where Trump seems at odds with the nation. In the ensuing period, Trump’s approval ratings have consistently dipped, from the upper 30s to the low 30s, with the latest Quinnipiac poll showing him at his lowest point yet – 33% approval. Even a quarter of Republicans polled disapprove of his performance as president.

 

That square between Troemper and America became exact on July 23 through 26, and right in the midst of that was Trump’s disastrous speech to the Boy Scouts of AMERICA (!), on July 24^th. Following a statement from the Boy Scouts’ leadership apologizing for the president’s partisan remarks, Trump asserted that he’d been called by them, expressing fulsome praise for the speech. The Boy Scouts responded that they had no record of any such call being made.

 

But having the country against him is the least of The Donald’s troubles. The square to Jupiter in lid-Libra was the next arm of the Grand Cross to kick in, effective July 14 through August 10. This period saw the legislative bodies of the US Congress (Jupiter-ruled) either coming out specifically against Trump, or proving themselves unable to advance his agenda. Repeated attempts to pass a health care bill, ANY health care bill, all came to naught, with the fatal blow being the failure to pass the so-called “Skinny Repeal” of Obamacare. This final attempt came in the wee hours of the night of July 27-28, and this period just happens to coincide exactly with Troemper’s exact square to Jupiter, ruling politics and legislatures.

 

During this time, the Congress also came out proactively against Trump, not just with multiple GOP legislators speaking harshly of his antics and warning him off of certain mooted actions in the future, but with actual legislation impinging on his ability to act effectively. This includes a new sanctions bill against Russia for their meddling in the 2016 presidential election, which contains language restricting Trump’s ability to remove the sanctions without congressional approval; a bill pending to prevent the firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller without review by a three-member judicial panel to approve the action; and the Senate remaining in a “pro-forma” session while members are on August break, which prevents any recess appointments (which do not require Senate approval) by Trump during their absence.

Troemper’s opposition to Pluto was the last to engage, but perhaps the most damaging in the long run. Effective from July 20^th through August 8^th, the curbs on Trump’s personal power described above also fit the bill for this aspect. And while the revelations of Donald Trump Jr’s interactions with Russian government agents regarding their assistance in the 2016 campaign began dribbling out in early and mid-July, while the Jupiter square was in effect (defining the political aspects of the story), it wasn’t until Troemper opposed Pluto that Trump’s direct involvement in the attempted cover-up of the illicit meeting came to light. In fact, Troemper’s exact opposition to Pluto on July 29 & 30 sparked the July 31 disclosure that, far from being unaware of the meeting, Trump had himself dictated the first public response from Don Jr, an effort to portray the meeting as an innocent discussion of Russian adoption laws.

 

The president’s meddling in this matter is one more nail in the coffin Mueller is carefully crafting for Trump, involving both collusion during the campaign and obstruction of justice later, both of which constitute egregious scandals and felonies with potentially devastating legal consequences (all of these Pluto-ruled).

 

Meanwhile, with Troemper transiting natal Nemesis, transit Nemesis in the sky was weighing in as well. Nemesis infused the global astro-atmosphere as the period kicked off, opposing transit Mars on July 18 and the transit Sun on July 21. Moreover, Nemesis also began an opposition to Trump’s natal Saturn at 23 Cancer, ruling his career, on July 19, when it entered an applying orb of five degrees to the natal point. Due to a retrograde in September, this opposition remains in effect until October 26, when Nemesis moves five degrees past Trump’s Saturn, prompting continued opportunities for Trump to undermine his authority and career goals throughout this period.

 

Having set the stage for the insanity, let’s take a brief closer look at some of the particulars.

 

When Sean Spicer resigned as White House Press Secretary on July 21, Troemper at 13 Cancer was well embedded in the Grand Cross, aspecting all points. It was also in semisquare to asteroid Sean at 27 Taurus, which was itself also sextile the 29 Cancer Sun, showing prominence in the events of the day. Asteroid Spicer at 2 Taurus was squared the Sun/Mars conjunction at 29 Cancer and 0 Leo, indicating the conflict (Mars) with Anthony Scaramucci that precipitated Spicer’s exit. Asteroid Antonia (for Anthony) at 4 Leo is bundled with that Sun/Mars combination, showing Scaramucci’s close involvement in the story, and Spicer’s replacement, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is represented by asteroids Sanders, conjunct the Sun from 25 Cancer, and Sara, conjunct Jupiter and squared Troemper from 14 Libra. The transit Sun/Nemesis opposition had occurred that day, and formed an additional Grand Cross with Uranus (volatility, surprise) at 28 Aries and asteroid Pandora (the unintended consequences of our actions) at 29 Libra.

Trump’s Tweet stating that transgendered persons would no longer be allowed in the military (a pronouncement he had no authority to make, much less via Twitter) was at 8:55 AM EDT on July 26. Transit Troemper at 16 Cancer is now exactly conjunct Trump’s natal Nemesis, and exactly squared transit Jupiter at 16 Libra, indicating the likely political nature of the decision, as a sop to Trump’s anti-gay base. Also active is asteroid Sappho at 16 Scorpio, in exact trine to Troemper, which represents the LGBT community (named for Sappho of Lesbos, a famous ancient Greek poet, who gave her name to female homosexuals, Lesbians). Troemper and Sappho form a Grand Trine with transit Neptune at 13 Pisces, while Troemper also opposes Pluto at 17 Capricorn and is sextile the transit Moon at 15 Virgo. Asteroid Ganymed, another indicator of the LGBT community (named for Zeus’ cupbearer and boy-toy lover) at 25 Leo conjoins Mercury at 0 Virgo, making gay issues a focus of the news for the day. Mercury is rising on the 6 Virgo Ascendant, providing the timing for the Tweet.

 

When Senator John McCain (R-AZ) cast the deciding vote against the Obamacare repeal at 1:29 AM EDT on July 28, the skies again reflected the realities on the ground. Troemper at 17 Cancer is now exactly opposed Pluto, representing the devastating loss, and is also exactly trined asteroid NOT at 17 Scorpio, a general significator of denial or cessation of progress. The squares to Jupiter and America remain in effect. The scene is set by transit asteroid Senator, which also represents the Senate itself as well as its members, and at 6 Libra conjoins the Moon at 7 Libra, representing both the public and health care. McCain was joined in his rebellion by fellow GOP Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). All are vividly present in the drama.

John McCain appears as asteroids Johney, which at 9 Gemini is rising on the 0 Gemini Ascendant, showing McCain as vital in the proceedings of the moment; asteroid Johnny, which at 29 Capricorn conjoins transit Nemesis at 26 Capricorn (this pair opposing Trump’s natal Saturn, his career); and asteroid McCann (for McCain), which at 15 Aries conjoins asteroid America at 16 Aries, with both squaring Troemper, putting McCain firmly on the side of the country and in conflict with the president. The Johnny/Nemesis connection identifies McCain as the particular means of Trump’s undoing, filling the role of block to ambition or progress which Nemesis is noted for.

 

Susan Collins is represented by asteroid Susanna (for Susan), which at 5 Sagittarius is powerfully poised on the 0 Sagittarius Descendant, opposing Johney, and by asteroid Collins, which at 25 Virgo is closely trined Nemesis, making her another thorn in Trump’s side. Lisa Murkowski is represented by asteroid Lise (for Lisa), which at 11 Gemini conjoins Johney, placing her firmly in McCain’s camp; Lise is also exactly sesquiquadrate Nemesis, making three for three on the architects of Trump’s legislative defeat. The Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, whose herculean efforts to pass a bill dissipated in the moment, is represented by asteroid McConnell at 6 Sagittarius, also on the Descendant, and asteroid Mitchella (for Mitch), which at 3 Virgo squares the horizontal axis, and is conjoined Mercury at 2 Virgo, signifying the vote count that eluded him.

In closing, let’s take a quick look at yet another bizarre story to emerge from the period, namely the publication of a story including a disparaging reference Donald Trump made about his new residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In an article posted at golf.com on August 1^st, Trump is quoted as apparently channeling his inner Bette Davis when he stated that he visited his Bedminster NJ golf resort so frequently because “that White House is a real dump.” (No word on whether he accompanied this declaration with the staccato cigarette puff favored by drag queen Bette Davis impersonators.)

In a Tweet on August 2^nd at 9:29 PM EDT, Trump denied the report, but with 8 witnesses to the statement, the White House was later forced to back down, characterizing the remark as “a joke”. Troemper at 19 Cancer is still engaged in the Grand Cross, which is now joined by asteroid Alain (for Alan Shipnuck, the reporter who broke the story) exactly conjunct Jupiter (publishing, golf) at 17 Libra and opposing asteroid America at 17 Aries, both in square to Troemper. Additional points show the vital importance of timing – once again, as in so many Trump Tweets, Mercury is angular; at 7 Virgo it conjoins the 8 Virgo Descendant. Also of note is the Moon at 18 Sagittarius, exactly on the MC, and conjunct Saturn at 21 Sagittarius. Together these spell “the residence (Moon) of the Chief Executive (Saturn)”, and the angularity (MC) gives it prominence in the moment. Asteroid Whitehouse itself, at 25 Aquarius, is exactly inconjunct Trump’s natal Venus at 25 Cancer, suggesting his desire for an adjustment (inconjunct) in the White House (Whitehouse) décor (Venus).

 

It has been a blistering summer for Trump in more ways than one; with the Solar Eclipse on his Ascendant in August and Pluto stationing opposed his Nemesis min September, it doesn’t look like cooling down anytime soon.