Asteroid Astrology: National

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The 2024 Democratic National Convention

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. 

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Debby Down(pour)er

Hurricane Debby made landfall as a Category 1 storm in the small town of Steinhatchee, in Florida’s Big Bend, at about 7 AM EDT on August 5, 2024.  Debby had been named as a Tropical Storm just two days before, an unusually short interval between naming and effect.  Winds began falling rapidly shortly after Debby went inland, and she was downgraded to Tropical Storm status again within a few hours, but Debby’s impact is expected to be felt in the arena of rain, with as much as 30” predicted in some regions.  Already as of this writing (August 6), Debby has dropped some 16” in Manatee County, Florida, and historic flooding is expected in Georgia and the Carolinas.

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Tim Walz Wins Dem Veepstakes

On August 6, 2024 Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her pick for running mate in the November presidential election.  Straightforward and folksy, Walz makes a good counterpoint for Harris, and has proven his worth as a foil for the Trump/Vance ticket, as one of the earliest protomers of the “they’re just weird” trope that seems to be gaining traction, or at least, getting under Trump’s very thin skin.  Born just six months before Harris, Walz’ white hair and “dad” vibe makes him appear older than his sixty years, though still hale and hearty, a venerable statesman whose executive governing experience makes him a valuable asset for the team.

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Kamala Harris: Born to Succeed?

When Kamala Harris announced her run for president in 2019, she looked like a long shot.  And she was, with a troubled campaign that ended before the first primary votes were cast.  But looking at her birth chart then, it seemed to me that she was going to get to the Oval Office at some point, however distant.  When Joe Biden chose her as his running mate a year later, she took a major step towards that goal, and when they won that November, a giant leap was made.

But there were still a number of hurdles to cross in the race to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, such as waiting her turn after a successful re-elect gave Biden a second term (should that even occur), and then fending off Democratic competition for the open seat in 2028, and winning that election.  US Vice Presidents don’t have a compelling track record of succeeding to the office, barring the death of the boss mid-term, and she still faced a strong headwind.

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Biden Leaves the Race

At 1:46 PM EDT on Sunday, 21 July 2024, US President Joe Biden posted a letter to the American people on his X account, announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential election, while recuperating from a COVID-19 infection at his summer home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  A few minutes later, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the now-vacant nomination.  The decision ends weeks of frenzied bedwetting by Democrats, following Biden’s disastrous performance against Donald Trump in their presidential debate in June. 

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The September Surprise: Uranus in Retrograde

The October Surprise has a venerable history in American politics, dating back more than a century, and referring to a sudden, often shocking, unanticipated turn of events which threatens to upend a presidential election.  Perhaps the most famous example is October of 1980, when it was announced that the hostages held at the American Embassy in Tehran would not be released before the election, thus further imperiling Jimmy Carter’s hotly contested race with Ronald Reagan (spoiler alert – Carter lost!).

But this year, the October Surprise may come early, with an astrologic flair, as Uranus, the planet of shocks, surprises and the unexpected, will be coming to its retrograde station on September 1st, perhaps tossing a bombshell into the presidential race.  The reason why that may be so is Uranus’ prime placement, occupying 27 Taurus, celestial real estate that strongly impacts both major candidates, as well as VP Kamala Harris and Trump’s running mate, JD Vance.  But the most strongly affected will be Joe Biden, with Uranus exactly opposed his Sun at 27 Scorpio.  Uranus moves onto the 27th degree of Taurus on August 8th, so the fireworks could ensue as early as that.

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