Starlight News Blog

The news cycle is so relentless and manic these days that the unrestrainedly furious response I began to write over the DACA repeal is already in the ash heap of history. Bowing to recent applause for his sharp shift in direction, the ever-excitable Trump has just made a deal with “Nancy and Chuck” and written a hopeful tweet to the Dreamers. Who knows what next week might bring from the Unpredictable One. For the moment, I reserve comment.

In the meantime, we are all swept away in the reality of the historically powerful and huge Hurricane Irma following on the heels of the equally historical deluge and destruction of Hurricane Harvey. Despite what weirdo faith poseurs say about “blaming the gays” for these catastrophes, it is notable that they have hit the two most populous Republican states, both of whose governments absolutely deny climate change, refuse any attempts to mitigate its effects, and despise government handouts. Just sayin’.

From an astrological perspective, these two disasters seem to fit into the rubric of the recent full solar eclipse that traversed the sky in the US on August 21. Such an event would have been seen by traditional astrologers as an omen of some form of catastrophe. And here we are, with twin calamities wreaking havoc in both Texas and Florida, the vast and overwhelming devastation of the Caribbean islands, as well as the worst flooding in a decade in South Asia and the strongest earthquake in a century in Mexico, in just the past few days.

Moreover, the long station of Saturn opposite the US Mars (21Gemini23) culminates around mid-day on Sunday, September 10, after which we will begin to see the dissipation of a two-month period of upset and intense stress.  Despite its waning energy, however, this Saturn transit will be triggered late on the 10^th to about 1 AM on the 11^th by a quincunx from the Moon, as well as during all of September 13, by a square from the Sun, and an opposition from the Moon in the early morning. Expect some difficult news on that day, potentially from the continuing impact of the storm. Nonetheless, the waning energy of this transit suggests some mitigation by the 11^th, after 1 AM, perhaps by a downgrade of the storm’s potency or its trajectory moving further west.

Also in the US chart, is the beginning of the Saturn transit square to US Neptune (22Virgo25), from September 11 through October 4. This transit suggests a quelling of any unrealistic military scheming as a healthy dose of reality hits the tendency for American grandiosity. There is also a great deal of fear and anxiety that extends for weeks, which might relate to people being upset by the general state of things, both domestic and foreign, and an acute awareness of the difficulty handling current circumstances in Texas and Florida easily and with dispatch.

Although the US chart improves somewhat after October 4, for our sketchy Oval Office Resident and his Inaugural chart, trouble begins again during the last week of September continuing through November12.  From September 26 to October 12, Saturn will oppose his Sun (22Gemini56), frustrating and blocking his goals and causing him difficulty in any area where he has not been very disciplined and cautious.  This is followed by Saturn quincunx his Saturn (23Cancer48) from October 10 to October 23, and Saturn quincunx his Venus (25Cancer44), from November 1 to November 12, both of which point to intense criticism and negative poll numbers.

The Inaugural chart, which is essentially the chart of the Trump administration, points to significant trouble for the entire month of October, with transiting Saturn returning to its natal position (23Sagittarius37) and then square to Mars (24Pisces22) and semisquare to the Moon (9 Scorpio22). This suggests a very vigorous blocking of his agenda and a potent period of protest against him. Furthermore, transiting Uranus will be square to the Inaugural Midheaven (26Capricorn13) from October 2 through October 26, and given the concurrence of Saturn transits, suggests unexpected, powerful revelations and events that impact this presidency in a negative way. Perhaps Mueller’s efforts will coalesce into an unexpected magic bullet? If not, we may be stuck for the duration of this endless and horrifying roller coaster ride.

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The fourth most populated American city is now drowning, as the evaporation of a warming Gulf of Mexico gets turbocharged and then mercilessly unleashed by a hurricane’s massive storm system. Millions of citizens are watching their homes slowly submerge into devastation, while the floodwaters continue to rise, day after day. At the moment, the crisis is extreme and acute, but we can hope it eventually will reignite a discussion of the effects of climate change and how best to insulate ourselves from its effects as well as minimize its impact in the coming years. Of course, even this might be a herculean task given our troglodyte administration.

Meanwhile, as the nation’s gaze remains focused on Houston, the Mueller investigation creeps onward, and Mandarin Mussolini gleefully trumpets his vicious racism practically unhindered. Essentially pissing on the constitution and its revered “rule of law”, Trump has boldly pardoned former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, renowned for his profligate roundups of any “brown people” he suspected might be illegal, as well as his dire mistreatment of those he incarcerated in his “concentration camps”, all despite the court’s clear prohibition of these actions. And, of course, Trump has also doubled down on his obvious discrimination against transgender individuals who want to serve in the military. We can be hopeful for some legal action against this to wind its way through the courts, but it will still vastly complicate the already complicated and difficult lives of those affected.

As mentioned previously, a full solar eclipse has historically been seen by astrologers as a predictor of catastrophe in the nations where it is most visible. The harsh reality of Houston, and soon perhaps Louisiana, only days after the August 21 eclipse seems to corroborate this theory of prediction. Whether there will be other severe and dangerous events over the next 12 months, as the dark omen of the eclipse remains in effect, is as yet unknown. In the meantime, the Mercury station will be sitting on the eclipse degree (28Leo53) from September 1 through September 8, while transiting Mars will also cross the eclipse degree from September 1 through September 3. It is quite possible the situation in Houston will become even more dire and bogged down (Mercury station) during this period, or another extremely stressful and dangerous situation will emerge during this time, as both of these transits will tend to trigger the difficult ramifications of the eclipse.

In the US chart, we are in the last two weeks of the protracted Saturn station opposite US Mars (21Gemini23), which moves to exact on September 10.  The morning of August 30 will also bring the transiting Moon into a conjunction with transiting Saturn, likely causing some acute and painful manifestation of this transit. Generally, a Saturn station on a US planet brings some kind of extreme stress and difficulty to some segment of the population, and, coming so soon after the recent eclipse, this event has moved into catastrophic proportion. In this situation, Saturn sits opposite US Mars, the planet of activity, energy, and war.  Moreover, Mars rules the 4^th house in the US chart, which describes the home and emotional roots. The Texas flooding has damaged, and in many instances destroyed, the homes of many Americans, as well as restricting and damaging the nation’s Oil refineries (energy infrastructure). With the Mercury and Mars transits to the eclipse point during the first eight days of September, while we are also under an ever tightening Saturn transit opposite US Mars, we may expect further dangerous and shattering events, although whether they are a continuation and exacerbation of the current crisis in Texas or something entirely unrelated, such as a confrontation with North Korea, or both, remains to be seen.

In addition, the precise one-degree orbed waxing transit of Mars to Donald Trump’s Mars will run from around 2 PM (EDT), Tuesday, August 29, to about 4:15 AM, Thursday, August 31.  This is a period during which Trump will be extremely active, irritable, and more prone than usual for precipitous action. This is also the last few days of the waxing Saturn transit across his Moon (21Sagittarius12), triggered by the Moon on Wednesday morning. So he is especially upset, and feeling unjustly attacked, while also angered by Mars, during these few days.

And finally, if we look at the Inaugural chart during these same few days, we find the tertiary Moon from August 27 to August 30, activating the very stressful Saturn/Mars square, which also is in minor hard aspect to the natal Moon in this chart of the Trump administration. This tertiary progression also points to some kind of crisis in which Trump’s actions are frustrated and insufficient (Saturn square Mars) and people are angry and upset (Saturn semisquare Moon and Mars sesquiquadrate Moon). And whatever these few days bring, they are followed by the long, slow, stuckness of the Mercury station, likely triggering the dark omen of the eclipse.

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Something different was in the air in the past week. As Donald Trump promised to rain down “fire and fury” on North Korea, “the likes of which we have never seen,” he seemed to connect with something deeper and even more dangerous than the unstable and angry buffoon we have experienced since the election. His recent vicious, irritable, vengeful persona was replaced by a megalomaniacal grandiosity that left the sane and the responsible amongst us literally shuddering. In proclaiming himself ready to take on, and perhaps take out, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Donald Trump once again, in his own mind at least, become the great Rescuer, the one man strong enough and courageous enough to destroy this dangerous scourge on mankind.

The Rescuer is, of course, the third corner of the Victim/Persecutor/Rescuer triangle that Donald Trump used with such great effect during his rise to the presidency. Also known as the Karpman Triangle, this comprehensive description of pathological interpersonal relationships helps us to better understand the enormous pull Trump has on his followers and how he manipulates others.

According to Stephen Karpman,those who participate in this form of dysfunction shift from one corner of the triangle to another, as each of the three roles feeds into the other two in a never-ending negative feedback loop. During the presidential campaign, for example, we often heard Rescuer Trump fanning the flames of his followers’ Victimhood while presenting himself as so rich and so powerful that he could literally save them from their misery.  At other times, both during and since the campaign, Trump has joined with his supporters’ sense of grievance as he proclaims his own suffering and victimization, when, for example, he is treated “so unfairly” by the courts or his political opposition  or when the “fake news” always lies about him.  And finally, he is never far from the righteous rage that justifies the Persecutor mentality, in other words, Trump’s extraordinary viciousness and nastiness against all who oppose him or even mildly disagree with him.  Indeed, this is the pattern of all bullies who rationalize their aggression by some form of mistreatment that they perceive has been unfairly perpetrated upon them.

In the past week, Trump seamlessly and with considerable relish stepped into his Rescuer role once again. The extraordinary and powerful Trump, Commander-in-Chief of the greatest military on Earth, was promising to rid us of the Evil Dictator who has bedeviled and threatened the world for decades. Never mind that Kim Jong Un has done nothing other than bluster for years. And never mind the dire consequences of what an actual war on Kim would mean, including the untold number of potential casualties and widespread harm. The one compelling factor is that the narcissistic Trump loves his Rescuer role and the personal grandiosity that it feeds, and that his followers adore that side of him. Meanwhile, an unstable and power-hungry Thug-in-chief is getting a dangerously addictive taste of the almost limitless power at his disposal, and he has chosen an enemy that no one would mourn if he were gone.  What could possibly go wrong.

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The astrological indicators of the coming two months are exceptionally troubling. Whether we will reach an armed confrontation or whether we will merely get to the very scary brink is not clear. But there is certainly danger if cooler heads do not prevail. The North Korean chart is drawn for September 10, 1948, in Pyongyang. Both midnight and noon are given as potential birth times. Using either chart, the composite chart drawn with the US chart gives as the Sun at 15 Leo conjunct North Korea’s Pluto (15Leo33), and transited by Mars over the past few days as tensions built. Moreover, composite Saturn is 21Virgo51 and composite Node is 21Gemini24, both experiencing the protracted Saturn station that is also sitting on President Trump’s Moon (21Sagittarius12) and opposite the US Mars (21Gemini23). The Saturn transit bespeaks of enormous and mostly unresolved tension between the two countries through September.

In Kim’s chart, using January 8, 1983, Pyongyang, we find the progressed Sun conjunct natal Mars (22Aquarius35), waxing through mid-October, using the generic noon birth time. This speaks of a very aggressive and martial stance by the North Korean leader at this time. It will be strongly triggered by transiting Mars (22Leo) from August 23 to 24, and by transiting Jupiter (22Libra) from August 29 to September 4. Moreover, there is a several month Pluto station on Kim’s Sun (17Capricorn15) from early July through early November 2017. This describes a very overwhelming, survival-threatening power struggle in which he finds himself. Combined with the Sun/Mars progression, this could be construed to suggest war. One way or another, by the time the Pluto transit is done, the situation for Kim will be significantly altered.

One further indicator for North Korea is the position of natal Saturn (28Leo50) which is almost exactly conjunct the coming solar eclipse (28Leo53), and which will be strongly triggered by Mars and Mercury from August 31 to September 8. More than any other time, it is this period that seems the most dangerous. It is preceded by two transits of Mars that could well unleash significant violence if unconstrained: transiting Mars crossing Donald Trump’s Mars (26Leo47), currently conjunct solar arc Uranus and his location chart Ascendant in Washington, DC, from August 29 to August 31; and transiting Mars crossing the composite US/North Korean Mars (27Leo41) from August 31 to September 1. The last few days in August are clearly marked for having some very significant and angry drama involving Donald Trump. Whether we will be seeing a war with North Korea or some other dramatic event (a lethal mega storm, the precipitous firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, or maybe a new level of Trump’s unhinged rage), it seems likely the last few days in August will in some way unleash the power of the eclipse in early September.

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It is becoming ever more obvious that Donald Trump and his minions represent a clear and present danger to America. They are a danger to our land, our water, our air, and our future climate and environmental stability, as well as to Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Muslim Americans, gay and transgender Americans, Dreamers, families of law abiding but undocumented immigrants, financially struggling Americans, and Americans needing inexpensive and reliable health care. Nothing is sacred except massive tax cuts, mostly for the rich, and ending government regulations that might impede corporate profit. And yet, somehow, the red-meat-flavored snake oil continues to sell amongst the easily aroused, Kool-Ade drinking base of the Cult of Trump. Not even a trickle of reality seems to get through the impenetrable haze of their mindless adoration.

As for the Congress of the United States, a supposedly co-equal branch of government, they are like an old man slowly waking up from a coma, just beginning to show some flickers of awareness and response. At long last, they are pushing back against the giant cluster*$** that has taken hold of the once- revered office of the Presidency of the United States. They have thus far held the line against the destruction of Obamacare, the weakening of sanctions against Russia, and the sabotage of the Mueller investigation, but much of the chaos and damage continues apace. It remains to be seen how much will there is to really step up and take a stand.

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We are now about a third or more of the way through the period long predicted to be one of severe strain for the decency-challenged and morally bankrupt Chief Executive and the country. As of the past few days, the Mueller investigation is working with at least two grand juries and has expanded into Trump and Co.’s tangled and suspect financial dealings with Russia. It is possible, but probably unlikely, that enough will be revealed to actually end this toxic presidency by early fall. Nonetheless, it does seem that the noose is tightening and his actions are becoming more and more limited – by Congress, the courts, and the general atmosphere of legal jeopardy.

For this, we may thank the Inaugural chart Mars (24Pisces22) square to Saturn (23Sagittarius31), with the Moon (9Scorpio22) in a tight minor hard aspect to both. This limiting, frustrating, restraining configuration is very strongly energized this year through October.  Every time it is triggered, a new crisis seems to engulf the White House. Not only is the tertiary Saturn in an exact square to Inaugural Mars through October 5, but the tertiary Sun is now moving in to semisquare both through October 1. Any minor transit or minor progression will set off this highly stressful configuration: the transit of the Sun on August 16, the transit of Mars on August 25 to 27, the tertiary Moon from August 27 to September 1, the transit of Venus on September 2, the transit of the Sun on September 16, the transit of Mercury on September 26 and, finally, the transit of Saturn from October 4 through October 29 . Every one of these transits, as well as the tertiary Moon, is likely to bring further explosive revelations or some other difficult and highly intractable crisis. The Saturn/Mars square will remain a profound challenge throughout the entire Trump presidency, but it will be less active after October until 2020, when transiting Uranus will repeatedly set it off (from 8-9 Taurus).

As for Trump’s chart, we can be happy that his final Jupiter return, further activating the Pluto transit square to Jupiter through August 8, has now passed. The incendiary and vicious speech he gave to a rabid and cheering base on August 3 in West Virginia may be seen as the climax of this transit.  Al Sharpton, on a TV talk show, described this speech as “megalomania on steroids”. Indeed. This Jupiter transit, active from July 28 to August 4, also brought the appointment of General John Kelly to the position of White House Chief of Staff, likely renewing hope in Trump that he might reassert control over the current chaos.

Of course, the Saturn transit continues its long, painful station on his Moon (21Sagittarius12) throughout July and August, and the dark cloud of the Mueller investigation continues to weigh heavily upon him. Although Trump is currently on vacation, transiting Saturn will be activated by the Moon on the morning of August 10 and the evening of August 16, as well as by Venus on August 17 and 18.

Ironically, and one hopes prophetically, Trump will return to the White House on the day of the solar eclipse, August 21. The eclipse itself (28Leo53) will be just over a degree from conjunct his Ascendant (29Leo55).  In essence, an eclipse is like a really bad omen, a brief darkening of the light that can point to a future crisis. It can be triggered by planetary transits up to a year after its occurrence.

From August 31 through September 9, a very significant trigger to this eclipse point will take place. Both transiting retrograde Mercury and transiting Mars will converge on the eclipse degree during the first few days of September. The transiting Moon will move to oppose this separating conjunction on September 4.  Mercury will remain in station on the eclipse degree through September 9. Moreover, transiting Saturn will be making its final pass opposite US Mars (21Gemini23), exact on September 10, suggesting some form of crisis for the country just during and after the activation of the eclipse.

One can only speculate as to what will happen during these dangerous days. It is notable that this period will launch with Trump being exceedingly angry and vicious, due to transiting Mars crossing his Mars/solar arc progressed Uranus (26Leo47) from August 29 to August 31. Could we have another super-storm like Katrina or Sandy? Could the Congress manage to not increase the debt ceiling and spark a huge financial crisis?  Could Trump finally face a legal firing squad that would finish his presidency? Anything is possible.

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Lashing out like a sorely wounded animal, Donald Trump is viciously clawing at anyone who gets within range of his darkest secrets. At the moment, this includes the Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the acting FBI director Andrew McCabe, and the Deputy head of the Justice Department Rod Rosenstein, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions who upon his recusal enabled Rosenstein to appoint Mueller in the first place.

For decades, Trump has lived a lavish and self-indulgent lifestyle despite a multitude of business failures and bankruptcies. The key to this sordid success is the hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of dollars that have continually streamed from Russia to Trump, craftily funneled through his labyrinthine real estate empire. In essence, dirty money flows out of Russia, needing to be cleansed, and into properties – posh apartments, magnificent high rises, luxuriant houses, and even gambling casinos – in the Trump name. Trump gets rich and the Russians protect their money. Everyone wins, except for the tiny fact that money laundering is illegal, and Putin, Inc. now has a mountain of dirt on one Donald J. Trump.

Like an old fairy tale come to life, the collusion to bring Trump to the White House just transformed this dirt into a mountain of Russian gold. It is no coincidence that Putin and Trump are always so chummy and that Putin is the only person on the planet that Trump does not say nasty things about and attempt to control. Putin holds Trump’s leash, and Trump will do anything to placate the Russian president and to keep his own financial misdeeds secret.  Putin is running an extortion racket, and Trump is caught in its snare. While the treasonous collusion is merely a subplot in this byzantine drama, the enormous threat to national security is very real.

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Way back in December 2016, when it was first revealed that the Russians interfered in our election, not only to sow chaos but specifically to help Trump win, I said that the return of the same planetary configurations the following summer would blow this story wide open with dire consequences. And here we are.  Since late May, difficult planetary configurations have been impacting Trump as the story of Russian involvement continued to unfold (transiting Saturn quincunx his Venus, quincunx his Saturn, opposite his Sun, while his progressed Moon has been conjunct progressed Saturn). As of today through early September, the transiting Saturn station is conjunct Trump’s 4^th house Moon (21Sagittarius12).  The fourth house is the house of the family and one’s close emotional connections. Trump’s entire family is now under scrutiny and potential legal jeopardy. Investigations everywhere are heating up.  Saturn stationing on the Moon is a very depressing and upsetting transit, and it will be heavily felt for the next six weeks. Moreover, it will be followed by transiting Saturn again crossing opposite Trump’s Sun (22Gemini56) through October 12 and then quincunx his Saturn and Venus, taking us to November 12. This spells a very dark period for Trump.

At the moment, Trump is like a cornered animal and his claws are coming out in every direction. Over the next week, until July 27, there is a Sun/Mars conjunction, heightening aggression worldwide. In addition, this Sun and Mars transit (6Leo12) will be triggering the transit of Saturn (21Sagittarius12) to Trump’s Moon from July 28 to July 30. We can expect some high drama at this time, with Trump acting very aggressively to try to stamp out his troubles, either through distraction (military) or through unilateral attacks on his inquisitors (possible firings). His final Jupiter return from July 28 to August 4, already square to transiting Pluto, suggests some kind of wild push against boundaries with a distinct megalomaniacal flavor.  Once this passes, the Saturn transit will only tighten its grip for the rest of the month.

The solar eclipse on August 21 is at 28Leo53. Trump’s Ascendant as per the birth time given is 29Leo55. Personally, I feel that the clearest impact for an eclipse will be when it hits within a degree of a sensitive degree in the birth chart. It is easily possible that Trump was born up to perhaps a half a minute earlier, in which case we would have a direct hit of the solar eclipse on his Ascendant.  If so, this configuration can truly spell disaster for Trump, especially when the eclipse point is triggered by both transiting Mercury and transiting Mars during the first week of September. In fact the Mercury station is exactly on the eclipse degree from September 1 through September 8. Moreover, an eclipse can point to powerful and often deeply problematic circumstances up to a year after the actual event.

And finally, the Inaugural chart shows significant trouble all year through October.  The tight Saturn/Mars square in the Inaugural chart, with both in a minor hard aspect to the Moon, describes the constant push back – legal, legislative, and popular – against every effort made by Trump to manifest his agenda. The tertiary progressed Saturn is in an exact square to Mars and semisquare the Moon through October 5. The tertiary Venus is square to Saturn from June 25 to July 27. The tertiary Sun is semisquare to Saturn from August 6 (right after that Jupiter return) through October 1. And the tertiary Moon is likely to activate a few days of intense crisis for Trump when it moves to semisquare both Saturn and Mars and conjunct tertiary Sun from August 27 to September 1 (just before the big triggering of the eclipse). This extraordinary amount of energy focused on the Inaugural Saturn/Mars square will continue to push very hard against everything that Trump tries to do and could potentially bury him, given the other aspects unfolding at the same time.

For now, the sharks are circling, and there is blood in the water. Trump will be fighting back hard, but the financial implications of all that Russian money and all those Russian meetings and the connections to all those banks already under scrutiny for massive Russian money laundering can no longer be ignored. As I have said previously, if he holds onto power through November, we may be stuck with him for the duration. But the noose is tightening. Maybe he will make one of his famous deals and then resign.

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