Trump, or Plump, as I unaffectionately refer to him, has managed to slip scandal after scandal out of the heat of the pan and straight into the garbage disposal, mixed with alternative facts, “fake news,” bald-faced lies, suggested “spin,” ad infinitum, ad nauseam, to be liquefied along with total denial of any wrong-doing, and washed down the drain, completely forgotten as he instantly turns to ignite his next disastrous flambé. This is his pattern. Kaboom.
First, let’s look at his natal chart and pick out the aspects that prevent him from suffering the consequences of his actions.
When Trump said he could “Stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and not lose any voters,” he was subconsciously expressing the “luck” of his natal chart through the bombastic, narcissistic energy of Mars conjunct his Ascendant, the Ascendant itself in the last degree and last minute of Leo, the “Do Something!” degree with one minute left on the clock, in a sign that strives to draw attention to itself and make a splash. Further, his Ascendant is conjunct Regulus, the fixed star associated with royalty, so he really does see himself as King.
Saturn, Sovereign of Accountability and Consequences, occupies Trump’s 11th house of friends, groups, associates, clubs, fraternities / sororities, brotherhoods, clans and social networking. The 11th house can manifest as twists of fate, changes in fortune, strokes of luck, and bizarre “coincidences” involving enormous odds. It’s also the home of technology, aviation and invention. When Saturn is aspected in our charts, we either voluntarily learn the Lessons of Ity - responsibility, dependability, authority, paternity, security, humility and most importantly, integrity, or we suffer as the lessons are enforced yet again. Isolation, grief, guilt, sorrow, depression and pain are the sentences we serve when we fail the tests.
Trump’s Saturn is in conjunction with Venus, ruler of his Midheaven, the part of the chart that represents our yearning, our purpose in life, our raison d’etre, and ikigai. It’s our public image, a place that indicates fame or infamy, honor or dishonor. It’s our ambitions and goals, the body of our career, our lifetime achievement, and the results of our labors. It’s our path and direction in life, how we go, the way we roll, our brand, our rep, our cred – or lack thereof.
Trump’s Venus and Saturn sextile his Midheaven. Opposed to them, the Vertex date with destiny at 22 Capricorn trines his Midheaven at 24 Taurus 23. When planets transit Trump’s Midheaven or Nadir, they’re making a trine or sextile to his natal Saturn at the same time. In the current chart, we can see that as transiting planets dip across the Nadir and begin to ascend toward the Midheaven:
- They first conjunct his natal Moon (which isn’t one of his lucky stars),
- and then his Vertex date with destiny at 22 Capricorn (which is).
- Then they oppose Saturn at 23 Cancer. In the case of most people, we might expect to hear the words, “You’re fired,” when a transiting planet opposes our Saturn. Let that sink in.
- But then, the very same transits immediately trine the Midheaven at 24 Taurus and sextile Venus, ruler of the Midheaven (25 Cancer), and they repair his standing and reputation, no matter what he’s done.
- Last but not least, they square his natal Mars and he’s off to choreograph his next drama. It will include bullying someone because the last aspect will be a square to the Ascendant / Descendant axis. It builds ratings, and Trump is all about ratings.
I’ll be using his Impeachment chart as an example but before that, let’s look at Trump’s other lucky stars.
Jupiter trine Uranus is one of the most fortunate aspects anyone can have.
We all experience it by transit roughly every six years (making allowances for retrograde periods) and sometimes by progression or direction, but some people are fortunate enough to have it natally. Jupiter is associated with bigger, better and more, good luck, buoyancy, success and generally happy conditions. Uranus brings sudden, surprising and unexpected changes (beware the squares and opps), which result in windfalls, help at the 11th hour, and unexpected benefactors.
Jupiter in Trump’s chart is made even more beneficial by being conjunct Chiron, which has a lot to do with rare opportunities or once-in-a-lifetime events, and symbolically being cast into the heavens to shine among the stars. Our names are carved in the annals of history, and we become associated with a crowning achievement. Chiron of triumphant ascendancy simply wins.
For a quick post about Chiron, click here.
Exciting, erratic Uranus is conjunct Trump’s North Node of the Moon, which is associated with the future and how motivated we are to embrace it, and also with milestones and turning points. The North Node adds benefit to the planet or point it conjuncts when the person utilizes that planet. As much as many of us may not appreciate it, it’s obvious that Trump benefits from his radical viewpoints and eccentric behavior through group energy (all you have to do is see his influence over his base at his rallies), and his use of technology (Twitter).
Another lucky thing in Trump’s chart is that he was born under a total Lunar Eclipse (23 Sagittarius 05) and between two Solar Eclipses. Technically, he was born four hours before the eclipse as the Moon increased in light, which may explain, at least partially, why he’s associated with madness and lunacy by many. A lunar eclipse is, after all, a super strong Full Moon. Being born under an eclipse is associated with leadership or distinction in some way, possibly with a special destiny, but whether it’s through fame or notoriety depends on aspects to natal planets and from transits, as well as the rest of the chart. Karl Marx was also born under a Solar Eclipse.
Now let’s see how Trump’s chart works for him by comparing to it the transits for December 18, 2019, the evening of his impeachment, while he was speaking at one of his rallies in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Transits for Donald Trump’s Impeachment
and Battle Creek Rally
During the rally, upon receiving the news that the House had voted to impeach him, which was expected, he smiled and said to his audience, “I don’t feel impeached.” Note the transiting Moon (emotions, the public, a timer) in exact trine to his natal Midheaven (reputation, standing). He was in the limelight at the moment, and as a narcissist, nothing else matters to him.
Notice that the transiting Sun at 26 Sagittarius 48 (ego, vitality) is only two minutes from an exact trine to his natal Mars (26 Leo 46), the planet with which he punches, and then to his natal Ascendant (Donald Trump, here and now), indicator of personality and viewpoint, at 29 Leo 59.
The transiting North Node is conjunct his natal Mercury (communication, speeches), showing benefits on stage and by communication. It was his longest rally so far.
These don’t exactly look like the aspects we expected to find on one of the most damning days of his life and career. We should take a closer look.
If we look back a couple of days, we can see his anger with Nancy Pelosi (and probably any other women whose path crossed his) grow as transiting Venus opposed to his natal Venus / Saturn conjunction, but I don't want to go off on a tangent here.
The last remaining aspect (from this view) was the transiting East Point (personal matters which take place in public, or gain public notice, or capture the public’s attention or imagination; almost a melding of the Ascendant and Midheaven) conjunct Trump’s natal Saturn (loss, damage), then a sextile to his Midheaven (opportunity), followed by a conjunction to Venus, ruler of the Midheaven. It’s always that pattern, and that’s how he “gets away with murder.” Now let’s take a look at what’s going on behind the scenes in Trump’s chart, at those things to which he won’t admit.
The Transits in the Background
Tell a Whole Different Story
When Trump claims that he “doesn’t feel impeached,” he’s not telling the whole truth (what else is new?) because the rest of the transits to his natal chart tell a completely different story. The inner planets describe his personal spin on it, but the outer planets reveal what’s really going on all around him.
- Transiting Pluto is exactly one degree from his natal Vertex date with destiny.
- Transiting Saturn is applying to an opposition to itself by 030 54”.
- Transiting Neptune squares natal Uranus.
- Transiting Jupiter squares natal Neptune.
Much greater forces were at play on Trump’s Impeachment Day. I’ve always said there are three planets you never want to see squaring off or opposing each other: Saturn, Pluto and Mars. Add a hard aspect from Uranus into the mix and you have a recipe for disaster. Here’s an example from my files:
A happily married woman lived in a paradise where she ran a successful business for which she was well-compensated, and was financially independent. When transiting Pluto opposed her natal Saturn, transiting Saturn simultaneously opposed its own place, and transiting Uranus squared her natal Moon, she lost everything. Her mother, who lived twelve hundred miles away, began to decline in health (Uranus square the Moon). Her sister, with whom she hadn’t communicated in thirty years, contacted her (Uranus square the Moon), and asked her to return to her hometown (Uranus square the Moon) to help with their mother. Her husband had recently become unemployed, so after some discussion with him, the woman agreed. She and her husband sold, gave away, or stored all their possessions (never to be recovered), and her sister sent her own husband to help them drive the remainder to her hometown. The woman and her husband were to stay with her sister and brother-in-law where there was “plenty of room” for them while they looked for jobs. When the three arrived “home,” three days and twelve hundred miles later, they discovered the sister had left her husband in his absence, and had taken everything right down to the last scrap of toilet paper out of the house (Uranus square the Moon). That happened the first week of December. The woman’s mother died between Christmas and New Year’s (Uranus square the Moon) and had no burial or life insurance (Pluto conjunct Saturn, Saturn opposed to Saturn). The financial responsibilities fell to the woman who had spent her life savings to move “home” in the first place. As of this writing, twenty years later, she has not been able to return to her former life. She lost everything, her marriage went south, she never financially recovered, and she continues to live in austere conditions.
When Saturn opposes Pluto, or the reverse, it pits an immovable object against an irresistible force. Sure, conjunctions of the two can be a powerful force for good in some situations (if you’re making diamonds, for instance), but oppositions mean confrontation and conflict, and that’s what’s going on behind the scenes in Trump’s chart right now – the potential to lose everything.
It is a time of reckoning.
Trump is more vulnerable now than at any other time in his life.
Transiting Pluto Opposes Trump’s Natal Saturn
Saturn and Pluto are currently traveling in conjunction between 20 – 23 degrees of Capricorn. Pluto leads at the moment, but Saturn will quickly catch up with him, and they will meet at 22 Capricorn 46 on January 12, 2020, both opposed to Trump’s natal Saturn, but not yet partile. Transiting Pluto opposed to Saturn leads to hardship, losses, suffering and frustration. The Universe holds us accountable. All that has been built is in danger of being destroyed, and there is nothing to be done about it. There is no help in sight. Rob Hand describes it as, “Every challenge to your current position on any matter seems to be a challenge to life itself.” That’s how serious and threatening it feels. Hand goes on to explain that the physiological response to it was originally intended to deal with a real physical threat to life (fight or flight).
For Common Responses to Trauma and Coping Strategies click here.
Hand appears to have described this opposition before the term “Complex Post Traumatic Stress” was coined because the body’s reaction to Pluto opposed to Saturn includes the same symptoms – shock and disbelief, fear, anxiety, anguish, grief, denial, emotional outbursts, mood swings, panic, feelings of lacking any control, feelings of betrayal, emotional numbing, shame, anger, vindictiveness, feelings of doom, the sense that there is no order or justice in the world, insomnia, food and digestion issues – basically the things Trump’s been putting the rest of us through for three years. Karma’s a bitch.
Transiting Saturn Opposes Trump’s Natal Saturn
Along with Pluto’s transit in opposition to Trump’s Saturn, he’s also dealing with transiting Saturn closing in on an opposition to its own place. Saturn’s cycle in our lives is extremely important, and gauges our successes and failures.
You can read about the Saturn Cycle in three places on this blog:
The Saturn Return marks new beginnings (although not necessarily happy ones), and hopefully, new awareness, maturity and acceptance of responsibility. It ushers in a new phase in life and challenges us to make smart choices. During our first Saturn Return we finally “grow up.” In fact, the Universe says we’re not mature until we’ve experienced our first Return (around age 27 – 28). During that time, we tend to marry, have our first child, buy our first home, or get serious about our careers. We deal with a variety of life events that test our mettle and teach us patience, responsibility, fortitude, perseverance, integrity and a whole host of other Saturn-related life lessons.
During the second Saturn Return, which occurs in our mid-fifties, if we discover we haven’t made the best choices or we’re not on the path we wanted to be on, the Return is like a reboot. With the right attitude we can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and try again. The second Return is easier than the first because we have all that life wisdom behind us. As the auto insurance commercial says, “We’ve seen a thing or two.” Fourteen years ago during his second Return, Trump (allegedly) cheated on his wife, then divorced her and remarried. A little over a year later, Barron was born. Then he cheated on that wife with at least two other women.
Between the Return and the Opposition are two Saturn squares. How we handle the events of each 7-year quadrant of the 27/28-year cycle determines how the next will go. After the Return, the next test will be in seven years. Seven years after that, Saturn opposes its own place, as it’s doing for The Donald right now.
During a Saturn opposition, karma comes calling. The seeds planted during the Saturn Return will now be harvested. Many things begun at the Return end during the opposition.
Being the ruler (pun intended) of ambition and the career cycle, when Saturn opposes its own place, a person tends to chafe at the bit. His business may be failing, and he may be experiencing a personal or professional hardship. He may be responsible for an elderly parent or disabled family member. Maybe after decades of blood, sweat and tears, he realizes he hasn’t reached his goals. Saturn “is made of lead,” so he feels tired and controlled. He may suffer from an illness (Saturn rules Trump’s 6th house of health). It’s a time for serious reflection about his sense of duties, obligations and burdens vs. rewards and dreams. Maybe he should try a different line of work, or retire altogether. Hasn’t he reached the age where all he should be doing is playing golf or fishing? Hasn’t he earned that?
Not only does a man doubt himself, his choices and his path in life, but lots of other people doubt him, too. They evaluate his job performance and probably find it lacking. People with character and integrity tend to survive career adversity and job cuts better than those without. He who has neither may have surfed (unearned and undeservedly) through the last seven or fourteen years feeling high and mighty. Now he receives censure, rebuke and criticism from higher authorities, so he loses hope and optimism – this job ain’t fun no more – and doubt and despair set in.
One of my favorite transit insights from Rob Hand is “If your affairs are working out positively, this transit represents a material peak in your life. The structures you were going to build [except the border wall, which will never be built] 1 in this Saturn cycle have [already] 2 been built.
By this time you have made the impact upon others that you were supposed to make. It is as if you have said to the world, ‘Here is what I am.’ ” Now for the next fourteen years, the world will reply, “Here are the consequences of what you are.”
This is Trump’s last hurrah. He can regroup and try again at his next Saturn Return in about fourteen years, but considering the shape he’s in, he may not live to experience it. On the other hand, Barron will be experiencing his own Saturn Return very shortly after his father has his, and much can happen to change a person’s path in life at that time.
Transiting Neptune Squares Trump’s Natal Uranus
There has to be a good joke in there somewhere. When Neptune, the planet of illusion, delusion, deception and confusion squares Uranus, the planet that huffs and puffs and blows our house down, chaos ensues. Secrets are revealed that shake things up. As it happens, people aren’t who we thought they were, situations not what we believed, and beliefs long-held were wrong. Anyone under this aspect is confused, deluded, deceived or deceptive about something that's going to change the trajectory of their life. If this isn’t a perfect planetary description of the Ukraine phone call scandal, there is none. This aspect is far from partile, so there may still plenty of cats to come out of the bag.
In Trump’s chart, Uranus occupies his Midheaven – his career and reputation – and rules his 7th house of marriage, partnership, legal opponents, known enemies and the general public; so all those things may be involved. He’s easily confused or misled and is susceptible to outsiders who wish to influence him. He has illusions of grandeur even beyond those shown by his Leo ascendant. He exaggerates (yes, even more; increasingly and unceasingly, it seems) and takes big risks, but lacks the common sense or proper perspective of history – or much else. He’s caught in a web of wishful thinking and fantasy. The Emperor actually believes he’s wearing clothes. He's currently incapable of understanding that the kingdom is laughing at him.
Transiting Jupiter Squares Trump’s Natal Neptune
Jupiter increases everything it aspects. Neptune represents dreams and fantasies. A square between them roughly translates to grandiose delusions.
Trump is under yet another delusional influence while transiting Jupiter squares his natal Neptune. Neptune is altruistic but lacks pragmatism. Instead of pardoning thousands of cannabis smokers rotting in jail, Trump pardons war criminals whose own men call “a monster.” Speculation by Joyce Vance, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, suggests he may pardon Duncan Hunter, former Republican Representative from California and chairman for the House Armed Services Committee, who embezzled money intended for Wounded Warriors. Other experts fear that Trump will use the pardon power to manipulate witnesses who might testify against him.
Neptune brings disappointment and disillusionment. It dissolves the will and vitality. We want to escape from our duties and obligations. I don’t think Trump’s desire to resign and be done with it will overpower his delusions of being King, though.
The Kitchen is Only Going to Get Hotter
The Solar Eclipse of December 26 fell into Trump’s 5th House (recreation, entertainment). He flew to Florida, played a little golf and threw a lavish party. Moving on.
A Lunar Eclipse takes place January 10, at 20 Cancer 00. It conjuncts Trump’s natal Saturn, and activates the Vertex date with destiny and the opposition to natal Saturn by transiting Saturn and Pluto. One of two things are likely to happen: there will either be an immediate event associated with the opposition (an event may begin to build a day or two before the actual eclipse like dark clouds build before a storm), or the eclipse will mark the chart, and when an appropriate planet triggers the opposition that will produce the destined event, then it will take place at that time. Or both. In this case, the transiting Pluto and transiting Saturn conjunction to each other will become exact just two days later – January 12, 2020. See the chart below.
It should be mentioned that Saturn is the ruler of Trump’s 6th house, the area of life that includes health and nutrition, which must be affected by all the Saturn / Pluto pressure. His diet and weight are very unhealthy.
The 6th is also the house of service, duty and obligation. A politician who has a strong 6th house is a person truly dedicated to serving and improving the lives of others. That’s not Captain Bonespurs. The pressure on his natal Saturn could convince him it’s time to retire. Here, have a hankie. I know it sounds absurd, but when you quit laughing, think about how many people quit their jobs before they can be fired. How many times have we heard, “You can’t fire me! I quit!” The 6th house is also the house of pets and small animals. Trump once said that people with pets are “low class.” So his 6th house is already weak and unwholesome.
One more thing to point out in the chart above is the Eclipse East Point conjunct Trump’s Midheaven. Do you need a reminder of what the East Point represents?
East Point: personal matters which take place in public, or gain public notice,
or capture the public’s attention or imagination;
it’s almost a melding of the Ascendant and Midheaven.
An example might be something like winning the lottery in public,
or being hit by a taxi on a busy city street.
A public spectacle.
A public spectacle.
With the Eclipse East Point conjunct Trump’s natal Midheaven, something personal to him will likely happen in public, or become public knowledge.
The Transiting Saturn and Pluto Conjunction Becomes Partile
Two days after the Lunar Eclipse, the conjunction of transiting Saturn and Pluto will become exact. An opposition to natal Saturn by either of these is enough to inflict trauma, but both at once may be too much for Trump, who isn’t an enlightened being, to handle.
There are more transits on this day than just Saturn and Pluto. The transiting Sun and Mercury also oppose Trump’s natal Saturn. Both are indicators of feeling isolated and alone. He may as well go outside and eat dirt in the Rose Garden. The Sun represents his ego and vitality, and Mercury represents his mental state, and both show gloom and doom in his aura. He’s a classic projectionist who must blame someone else for his issues, and in this case, there will be someone—Democrats or Obama, maybe Pelosi—who are “holding him back” from achieving his goals.
The conjunction in question takes place on a Sunday. If the event concerns his health, Sunday is fine. If an event concerns the House, Congress, or any other government showdown, it will have to wait for Monday. See the chart below.
Monday morning looks much like Sunday night, but at 8:00 AM in Washington DC, the Moon (a timer that says, “You. Here. Now.”), and the Vertex date with destiny conjunct Trump’s Ascendant. The transiting Sun is one minute from being conjunct transiting Pluto, and 10 1” from being opposed to natal Saturn. It’s only eleven minutes from a conjunction to the Vertex. While structures are crumbling all around him, the morning might be personally pleasant for Trump. Venus conjuncts his angular Part of Fortune, and transiting Mercury opposes natal Venus, ruler of his public reputation. Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
Before we get to the day when the opposition between transiting Pluto and natal Saturn become partile, there’s a day between the two that triggers Trump’s chart in a noteworthy way. I picked it out of interesting transits to his chart even before I learned the date for the State of the Union Address.
The Lunar Eclipse under which Trump was born will be highlighted at the time he delivers the State of the Union Address. I’ll save you the trouble of scrolling back up and just repeat for you here what that means:
Technically, he was born four hours before the eclipse as the Moon increased in light, which may explain, at least partially, why he’s associated with madness and lunacy by many. A lunar eclipse is, after all, a super strong Full Moon. Being born under an eclipse is associated with leadership or distinction in some way, possibly with a special destiny, but whether it’s through fame or notoriety depends on aspects to natal planets and from transits, as well as the rest of the chart.
We’re going to get a good demonstration from Trump on this night of how he uses his Eclipse energy. The transiting Moon, showing the activity of the moment, will conjunct his natal North Node in the 10th house of public attention. The North Node provides some protection and benefit. If he goes on with the SOTU as long as he does with the speeches at his rallies, the Moon may also conjunct his natal Sun before it’s over (Moon reaches 22 Gem 00 at 11:36 PM ET). If he doesn’t explode during a shorter speech, there will be plenty of time before the night is through.
All three planets are in Gemini, the sign of communication, and transiting Mercury has entered Pisces, which may not be the most effective sign for giving speeches, but it’s angular, and headed for a trine to Trump’s natal Mercury in another water sign, which makes it comfortable for him. Mercury in Pisces may ramble, lose focus, lose track, embellish, create alternative facts…If the plan is to smooth ruffled feathers, the vague meaning or non-committal words he uses might pass for diplomacy. On the surface, it looks rather benign—a speech written by someone else, read from a teleprompter without much incident—yawn. But wait. Transiting Mars—the penis planet, his punching planet—is opposed to his natal Sun that night. Things just got more interesting.
Transiting Mars Opposed to the Natal Sun
As I am writing this, the U.S. has apparently assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on Trump’s orders. However this drama unfolds may be a talking point for the SOTU, and that is a matter which would be represented by Mars opposed to the Sun. Mars is the ruler of Trump’s 9th house of foreign matters and could represent an enemy at a long distance. But the SOTU is still a month away and in Trump’s world, anything could happen between now and then.
Generally, Mars opposed to the Sun represents a pretty intense conflict that could easily turn physical. Trump has enraged someone by doing something on the fly without consulting those who should have been consulted, and now the people want to put him in his place. It’s possible that some tables have turned and he needs their help, but they’re not inclined to be generous.
On the other hand, at the same time, something he started about a year ago may successfully conclude now, and he’ll make sure everyone knows it. SOTU might become STFU.
There’s one more chart to see before I close this up. On February 13, transiting Pluto will close the opposition to Trump’s natal Saturn. This is the aspect that can cause a person to lose everything. This is one where his superiors are unhappy with his performance and his job is in jeopardy. The one where he has risen to the level of his incompetence and doesn’t know how to fix things. He may suffer from serious health problems. At 8 AM that morning in DC, the transiting Moon will square this opposition and activate it.
In addition, transiting Jupiter squares natal Jupiter which can indicate legal problems (particularly with Jupiter in Libra), as well as ego problems. Jupiter afflicting itself is too optimistic and confident, so it over-promises, over-extends and over-pays.
Transiting Mars trines the natal Ascendant, which adds to the feeling of being bulletproof. It supplies a good deal of physical energy and makes one want to be active.
The real importance of this chart is that if Trump has managed to avoid paying the consequences of his actions thus far, then there will likely be no stopping him ever. These are the most difficult transits of his life. The pan has never been hotter. Because of retrograde motion, Pluto will make this opposition twice more: during most of July and the first two weeks of August; and again in November and December (2020), but Saturn will not accompany Pluto during those times and therefore, won't be as damaging.
1 and 2 are my own opinions, not those of Robert Hand.
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