Starlight News Blog

The path of humanity is a razor’s edge path between self-sacrifice and selfishness, between service to the greater good and advantage to self.  This inner struggle is always there, and we are sometimes more pulled in one direction, and sometimes more pulled in the other. All of the great religions focus on the importance of this inner effort and inspire us toward kindness and generosity and a remembrance that we are all children of God, as well as away from the dangers of a dangerously consuming self-absorption.  For example, the Seven Deadly Sins – greed, lust, envy, gluttony, pride, sloth, and wrath – mostly point to the soul-defiling seduction of compulsive, self-obsessed grasping.

Ideally, once the basic needs of food, shelter, and safety are satisfied, we are more readily able to give to others less fortunate or in crisis. But sometimes, people become lost in the inner gesture of taking, and it becomes an overwhelming, never satisfied hunger.

One of the great paradoxes of life is that the more you give and the more you care for others, the happier you are, while the more you are focused on yourself and your bottomless pit of unmet needs, the more miserable you become. If we translate this into the arena of national policy, we can understand that the America that the world loves and respects is the one that gives generously to nations less fortunate or in crisis, welcomes strangers in need of a new home, and supports multilateral efforts to create a healthier, more prosperous, and more peaceful world. The America that is disliked and disrespected, on the other hand, resembles the proverbial Ugly American: loud, brash, arrogant, self-absorbed, and trampling whoever gets in its way.

Although the selfish, ugly American attitude has always been with us, it has never so thoroughly permeated the policy and pronouncements of the Chief Executive and his party as it does today. It is as if a deep and virulent soul sickness is spreading throughout the country, a sickness that is most fully manifest in the Oval Office itself.

In their previous attempts to damage President Obama , as well as their continued support for the current administration, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly put party over Country, no matter the harm these efforts might cause. Manufactured rationalizations are simply fitted to conform to whatever agenda works best for political expedience or the interests of wealthy donors, with little concern about the actual facts on the ground.  Examples of this can be found in Republicans’ distorted health policy, tax policy, and climate policy, to name the most obvious. Moreover, there has been, in Republican circles, a tendency not only to blame the victim, as for example, inferring that poverty is the fault of the lazy, overly dependent poor, but to suggest that the taxpayers are the real victims, somehow exploited by the poor who receive benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid.

Ultimately, the emergence of Donald Trump can be seen as the culmination of this devolution of consciousness and loss of integrity and morality that has been unfolding for years in the modern Republican Party.  There is no longer any compassion or empathy for the poor, the sick, or the hungry, either domestically or globally, in stated American policy.  There is no longer any interest in reining in corporate malfeasance, either financial or environmental. There is no longer any desire to coordinate with allies with an uplifting global agenda. Instead, it seems we are obsessed with how those with needs or who desire cooperation are exploiting us and how we should step away from deeds of concern and kindness and into a defensive, angry, and self-protective crouch.  In short, the inner gesture of the American government and its supporters has become one of selfish grasping, distrust, and spite, and the soul sickness of Donald Trump is rapidly becoming the soul sickness of the nation.

At this juncture in our history and to thwart this deep dysfunction, it is imperative to remember who we are and who we strive to be. Both Republicans and Democrats need to recall and reaffirm the elements of our fundamental and unifying identity. America is a nation of immigrants, a multi-hued thread made stronger by its diversity and ever-reinvigorated roots. It is a wealthy and powerful nation, made great by its generosity and vision, its push toward research, invention, and increasing potential. Moreover, America is a nation that believes in the synergy of alliances, of nations coming together to work towards freedom, democracy, greater decency, and a better future. We need to forcefully hold to this understanding, now more than ever, when there are those who would tarnish or destroy it for their own dark purpose. And we need to elect leaders who can unrelentingly share this vision and fiercely fan its inner fire.

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In America’s birth chart, we find the US Sun (13Cancer19) widely conjunct Venus (3Cancer06) and Jupiter (5Cancer56), which suggests a generous, wealthy and successful nation, although the Cancer influence also points to a strong need to pull inward when feeling threatened. The potent Jupiter can additionally bring, at times, a streak of arrogance and self-righteousness..   On the whole, however, this Venus, Sun, Jupiter combination describes wealth, favorability, and optimism.

The Cancer Sun is in a 135 degree aspect with the Aquarian Moon (27Aquarius12) which creates some tension between the self-protective Cancer attitude and the global citizen attitude of the Aquarian Moon. It is the latter that most accurately describes the nation-of-immigrants meme in the American identity. Aquarius is always about working together for the greater good and the “out of many, one” theme immortalized by our founders.

Of great significance at present is that we are moving relentlessly toward the US Pluto return (27Capricorn33), with transiting Pluto moving to conjunct the US natal second house Pluto, culminating in 2022. In my mind, it is this natal second house positon that describes the overwhelming compulsivity of material acquisition that is also a part of the American identity, as well as the immense power of the “plutocrats”, those who are hugely wealthy and never tire of gathering yet more wealth into their personal coffers. The US Pluto return that is building in strength at present points to the growing ascendance of this billionaire class and their increasing dominance of all policy in the near future. It should also be pointed out that Pluto transits tend to bring things to such an extreme that they eventually implode and cause a transformation, so we may find that the Pluto return will herald a shift in this unbalanced power structure that now exists and seems to be intensifying. Pluto transits also cause a profound power struggle to build, and thus we may also see a growing opposition to the global, corporate power wielders over the next few years.

As for Donald Trump, one could say he embodies the rising strength of the US second house Pluto: dominating, relentless, greedy, and grasping. Moreover, there is no doubt that his anti-regulatory and tax policies benefit the super-rich to the exclusion of all else.  In addition, his unhinged behavior, obsessive ruminations, vengefulness, and paranoid thinking are reminiscent of the worst traits associated with Pluto.

The period of growing stress in Trump’s chart and the Inaugural chart has already begun and will continue to intensify throughout the summer and fall, until November 12. Transiting Saturn moves to quincunx his natal Saturn/Venus conjunction during May and June and again in October and early November. It will oppose his Sun and conjunct his Moon from late June to mid-October. Taken together, these suggest loss, dwindling poll numbers, great criticism, frustration, and extreme difficulty.

In addition, most of July through August 8 will bring some expansionistic and potentially reckless actions (transiting Pluto square natal Jupiter), especially from July 28 to August 4 during the final crossing of his Jupiter return. Given the continued Saturn station on his Moon through August, it is very likely his expansive and aggressive actions in late July and early August will not turn out well at all.

As of July 1, the US chart comes under increasing pressure. Some kind of significant crisis for the country seems very likely from July through early October, due to transiting Saturn square to natal Neptune and opposite natal Mars, as well as the progressed Moon semisquare progressed Saturn (mid-July to mid-August). In other words, we will move from the ongoing humiliation of Trump’s self-sabotaging, incompetent, and dysfunctional behavior to an actual crisis with him at the helm. The Saturn station opposite US Mars that coincides with the progressed US Moon/progressed Saturn aspect suggests a situation that causes suffering and loss (Moon/Saturn) combined with an inability to act effectively and decisively (Saturn/Mars) to swiftly remedy circumstances. As I have said previously, the difficulties of the summer and early fall offer the possibility that Trump may be forced to resign. If this doesn’t happen by late October, he may ride out the storm, and we may be stuck with him for quite a while.

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The steady drip of corruption and lies seeping out of the Trump administration has become a raging torrent of toxic swamp water.  At the foundation of this monstrosity posing as a presidential administration is its disturbing enmeshment with Russia, including the foulness of a Russian agenda infecting an American election. Eventually, the myriad pieces of this giant jigsaw puzzle will be fit together to coherently tell the full story: who conspired with whom; who promised what to whom; and who extorted what from whom.

Thus far, we know that Russia sent anti-Hillary propaganda in many forms – fake news stories, selectively leaked emails, internet bots to feign support – all of it purposefully spread to strengthen Trump and harm Hillary.  The circumstantial evidence further suggests that the Russians expected a robust return for their efforts if Trump should win, including an end to the sanctions, a cessation of resistance to their tactics in Ukraine, and a generally friendlier and more easily manipulated US government.  What we don’t know is who among the Trumpistas was involved in this grand scheme and what they expected to gain. Was extortion involved, was it barely concealed greed, or are we simply looking at a rather cavalier and somewhat delusional grandiosity.  Perhaps it depends on which of the players we are considering.

Meanwhile, with extraordinary irony, Trump has inadvertently created an entirely new TV genre: part fast-moving crime drama, part soap opera, and part twisted reality horror show. America is transfixed and has been for many months. For much of the time, the primary characters have been moral and intellectual pygmies, whose words are blatantly dishonest and whose deeds are mostly self-serving political stunts. Donald Trump is, of course, chief among them, but we must also include Kellyanne Conway, Sean Spicer, Reince Priebus, Mike Pence, as well as almost every Republican Senatorial and Congressional leader in this lineup. Collectively, they defile the country.

Recently, rising in opposition to the pygmy brigade has been the strengthening presence of those with unflagging integrity and a clear, succinct understanding of service to country, morality, and truth.  The appointment of a special counsel to investigate the Trump administration points to the intensifying of these voices of integrity and service over partisanship and corruption. Among those who have brought this wave of fresh, clean air to the national consciousness to blow mercilessly through the clouds of swamp stench are serious public servants such as James Comey, Sally Yates, and Adam Schiff, to name only a few, as well as the multitude of journalists and commentators who brave the wrath of Trump to speak truth to power.  As these courageous and honorable souls gather steam in the national drama now unfolding, they give us hope that there might be an end to the sick, twisted nightmare we have been witnessing.

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Astrologically speaking, the most notable thing currently in the US chart is the month-long transit of Jupiter square to the US Sun (13Cancer19) which runs from May 12 through June 17.  This transit tends to bring an upsurge of patriotism and pride in the US. I have previously suggested two potential manifestations for this energy: a renewed belief in American democracy that unfolds when the much heralded system of “checks and balances” manages to show enough muscle to stand up to the multitude of Trump depredations; and the possibility of an expanded military effort accompanied by a lot of flag-waving patriotism.

The former has already begun to occur with the appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller to be special counsel and investigate the Trump/Russia affair. Many politicians and commentators have stated openly that this has given them renewed optimism (Jupiter) about the survival of American democracy in the Age of Trump.  The appointment was made, to almost universal approval and praise, on May 17, just as transiting Venus (13 Aries) moved into a square with the US Sun (13Cancer), thereby triggering the impact of transiting Jupiter (13 Libra).

The second suggested manifestation of this Jupiter transit is the potential for an expanded military action, possibly with North Korea or Syria, and likely enabling Trump to distract us briefly from his current legal entanglements and dysfunction.  This wag-the-dog scenario may initially be somewhat successful (transiting Jupiter) but seems likely to eventually cause trouble as the extremely problematic summer planetary indicators take hold.

In the US chart, significant trouble begins around July 1 and continues until October 4, with the transit of Saturn square US Neptune (22Virgo25) and stationary opposite US Mars (21Gemini23).  This combination signals frustration, deep upset, and anxiety, as well as the hindering or even failure of forceful and effective action.  Moreover, the progressed US Moon will be semisquare to progressed Saturn (3Scorpio03) from July 17 to August 17, suggesting some loss and sorrow directly impacting the American people. Many have expressed concern about what might happen if the Trump administration is faced with an actual crisis beyond the ongoing mess of their own self-sabotage. We may be finding the answer to this question over the summer.

It should be noted that from the firing of James Comey on May 9 onward, there is nothing but almost continuous difficulty and stress for Trump and his administration through mid-November.   In the Inaugural chart, the extremely difficult configuration involving Saturn, Mars, and the Moon will be stimulated almost non-stop during this period, by either transiting Saturn throughout June and throughout October or by tertiary progressions, including tertiary Venus square Saturn (6/25 to 7/27) and tertiary Sun semisquare Saturn and semisquare Mars (8/6 to 10/1). In addition, the tertiary Moon will join the tertiary Sun from August 27 through September 1, further exacerbating the situation for the Trump administration.

This profoundly difficult configuration in the Inaugural chart was described as follows in my previous article:

… This Moon/Mars/Saturn combination describes a central pattern in the Trump administration:  aggressive, often not-well-considered action (Mars in Pisces) meets restriction, frustration, and push back, often legal (Saturn in Sagittarius), while setting off upset and anger among the people (Moon in hard aspect to Mars and Saturn).  Every time this configuration is set off by transits or progressions, we find an eruption of drama that fits this pattern.

Again, watch June through October for this troubling pattern to continue to reassert itself.

As for Trump himself, he is also under excruciatingly difficult transits, building in May and June with the Saturn quincunx to natal Venus (25Cancer44) and natal Saturn (23Cancer48), but intensifying as of late June when transiting Saturn moves to oppose his Sun (22Gemini56) and station on his Moon (21Sagittarius12) through mid-October, followed by a repeat of transiting Saturn quincunx natal Saturn and then Venus through November 12. In addition, his progressed Moon will be conjunct progressed Saturn (2Leo42) June 25 to July 21. All of this describes a time of great frustration, turmoil, and profound stress, with his every move blocked or criticized or both.  With the August 21 solar eclipse just outside of a degree orb of Trump’s Ascendant (29Leo53), it is possible this extraordinarily difficult period will end with his resignation from office, likely with a deal not to prosecute. If however, he survives into December, we may be stuck with the unfolding degradation of our country and the destabilization of our government and our place in the world for a few more years.

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There is a great deal that we know of Donald Trump, his history, and his character.  But for some reason, no one is saying what is so very obvious. The following is an attempt to put it all together, to connect the dots, so to speak.

We know that during the campaign, Donald Trump praised Vladimir Putin, repeatedly, and often said how nice it would be to get along with Russia. This was one of the defining narratives of his campaign and seemed like a clear part of his agenda should he win the election.

We know that virtually all of the American intelligence agencies agree that Russia interfered in our presidential election, using fake news stories, bots on alternative news sites, and leaked emails via Wikileaks. In addition, it later became clear that this interference was specifically in support of Donald Trump and against Hillary Clinton.  Currently, the House, the Senate, and the FBI are investigating this Russian interference and whether or not there was collusion with it from the Trump campaign.

We know that the Trump administration has done everything in its power to thwart, sabotage, and stonewall these investigations. The firing of Sally Yates three days after she warned the White House of Michael Flynn’s connections to Russia; the refusal to fire Michael Flynn for 18 days after Sally Yates warned the White House, and only firing him when his misdeeds were revealed in the press; the wild goose chase of Devin Nunes to support Trump’s dishonest and distracting accusation that Obama wiretapped him; the refusal by the White House to give to Congress any documents relating to Michael Flynn; and the unprecedented firing of FBI Director James Comey while he was in the midst of leading the FBI investigation of the administration, to name only what comes to mind immediately; all point to a massive cover-up of serious misdeeds relating to the Trump campaign and the Trump administration with respect to collusion with Russia. It seems obvious that if Russia had acted on its own and had had no contact with the Trump campaign, or if Michael Flynn were just some rogue operator, than there would be every reason to cooperate with the investigations and resolve these issues quickly. But instead, Trump has attempted to squash them at every turn and thrown out numerous counter narratives and attacks that attempt to discredit those who would reveal the truth.

Moreover, we know a great deal about Trump’s character based on what has been reported of his actions in recent decades and especially over the course of the campaign and the first months of his administration, to which we have had a front row seat. We know that he likes to win at all cost, gathering support and resources from wherever he can, with little concern about the source.  He has taken money from Russian oligarchs and mafia bosses over the years. He welcomed political support from neo-Nazis and former Klansmen during the campaign. In short, support and praise from any quarter has always been happily accepted, with any uncomfortable details easily ignored.

On the other hand, we know that Trump’s instinct is to forcefully crush anyone who gets in his way, criticizes him, disagrees with him, or seems to threaten him. We remember his attempt to destroy the reputation of the judge who was ruling in the Trump University case, as well as his vicious criticisms of the judges who ruled against his Muslim ban. We know of his involvement in thousands of lawsuits, many demanding ruinous amounts of money from anyone toward whom he feels any grievance.  These days, those who speak out against Donald Trump are immediately subject to nasty, reputation-battering character assassination by Twitter, often in the middle of the night. We have recently seen public servants, such us James Comey and Sally Yates, who stand up for the truth and do not bend to his will, precipitously fired.

We also know of Trump’s impulsiveness and his difficulty delaying gratification of his immediate wants. The twenty some women who came forward after the Hollywood Access video surfaced come to mind. His inability to control his rage responses on Twitter is another indication of this. His rush to push through his Muslim ban in the early days of his administration and his rushed and botched first attempt at health care legislation are other examples. When he wants something, he rushes heedlessly towards it, with little serious consideration for consequences.

And finally, there is his extraordinary inability to understand or respect boundaries, whether personal, political, or legal.  Rather than disagreeing with ideas or policies, he jumps right in to attack people’s character and speaks as if he knows their innermost thoughts. Moreover, he has shown no willingness to honor political precedent, smashing long-held traditions with reckless abandon, including the “one president at a time” concept during the transition. He shows no respect for the separation of powers or the checks and balances written into our Constitution and upon which our nation is founded.  The fact that the Legislative and Judicial are co-equal branches of government seems beyond his understanding.  Even worse, he has created a counter narrative by maligning “political correctness” as a way to diminish the necessary respect for healthy boundaries which are the foundation for a healthy society.

When all of these facts are woven together, it is very easy to imagine a cavalier Trump being delighted about getting a boost from Russia to win his campaign for the presidency, as well as sending his minions during the transition to reassure the Russians that when he is president, the nasty Obama sanctions will be gone, and we can all work happily together to blow up ISIS and explore oil in the Arctic. Thus, Flynn was probably sent to talk to the Russian ambassador in late December about lifting the sanctions, and Jared Kushner, twice in December, was sent to talk to representatives from the Russian state bank, VEB, currently under severe US sanctions, to assure them that a friend would soon be in charge. Although my conclusion may seem circumstantial, there is simply no other way to put all the facts together into one narrative that makes any sense. As they say, if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it is a duck.

And there is one other thing to consider. President Obama warned Trump not to hire Michael Flynn. Sally Yates warned Trump that Flynn was compromised by the Russians. Trump did not fire him immediately but, instead, kept him on as long as he could, involved in top-level national security meetings, until the news media began covering the story. Could it be that Flynn’s multiple contacts and relationships with Russia were exactly why Trump wanted him? Could it be that they were a feature and not a bug?  Why else hire him and then keep him as long as possible? Perhaps Flynn wasn’t ousted for his Russian connections. He was embraced for them.

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In the Trump Inaugural chart, there is a very tight Saturn (23Sagittarius31) square to Mars (24Pisces22), with both planets in minor hard aspect to the Moon (9Scorpio22).  This Moon/Mars/Saturn combination describes a central pattern in the Trump administration:  aggressive, often not-well-considered action (Mars in Pisces) meets restriction, frustration, and push back, often legal (Saturn in Sagittarius), while setting off upset and anger among the people (Moon in hard aspect to Mars and Saturn).  Every time this configuration is set off by transits or progressions, we find an eruption of drama that fits this pattern.

During the first nine days of the administration, transiting Saturn moved to complete the square with Mars and the semisquare with the Moon. Within that period, we had the massive anti-Trump Women’s March across the country, quickly succeeded by the first Muslim ban, which itself was swiftly followed by widespread, angry protests and legal pushback.

At present, from roughly May 9 to May 15, the tertiary progressed Moon has moved to conjunct natal Saturn and then square natal Mars. It was on May 9 that FBI Director Comey was fired, eliciting shock and outrage in the news media and on Capitol Hill, as well as across the country. This response of anger and upset over an ill thought out, aggressive action by Trump is similar to the mood after the Muslim ban. In both instances, we find the Saturn/Mars/Moon combination being activated.

By secondary progression, Saturn will move slowly during the four-year term towards its exact square to Mars and semisquare to the Moon, not quite reaching them by January 2021. Thus, the frustration and restriction (Saturn) placed on Trump’s actions (Mars) and the upset experienced by the people (Moon/Saturn) will continue to intensify over the course of his presidency. The faster moving tertiary progressed Saturn moves to complete the square to Mars and the semisquare to the Moon as of early October, 2017, accentuating the stress experienced over this presidency even more during its first year.

Moreover, the transit of Saturn will twice more cross the exact square to Mars and the semisquare to the Moon during 2017, as it did during the first nine days after the Inauguration. These two periods are likely to also produce surges of anger and reaction to Trump misdeeds. The first covers from June 3 to June 29, when Saturn first squares natal Mars and semisquares natal Moon (6/3 to 6/17) and then conjuncts natal Saturn (6/13 to 6/29).  During this same period, transiting Saturn will be quincunx Trump’s natal Saturn (23Cancer48) from June 11 to June 25, and will begin its crossing opposite his Sun (22Gemini56) from June 25 to July 7, suggesting he will be frustrated and upset over the situation that is unfolding.

Given that there is a Jupiter station square to the US Sun (13Cancer19) from May 13 to June 18, one possibility may be that the turmoil in June is in response to some form of problematic military expansion initiated by the Trump administration that upsets the American people. It is also possible that our national pride will expand (Jupiter/Sun) due to a united Congress working in the national interest, perhaps relating to an honest probe of collusion with Russia in the election, rather than for partisan gain. We shall see. This Jupiter square to the US Sun begins in a few days. It is hard to see how the likely impact of expansive US power and pride will manifest.

The final crossing of Saturn in aspect to the Mars/Saturn/Moon configuration in the Inaugural chart will unfold from October 4 to October 29.  This transit comes at the beginning of the US progressed Moon opposition to natal Mars, which waxes from October 20 through November 20, and is likely to agitate and enflame the American public in some way. These aspects also parallel difficulties showing up in Trump’s chart (Saturn opposite his Sun, quincunx his Saturn, and quincunx his Venus) suggesting that yet again, dramatic circumstances enflame the country and create yet another Trump-inspired psychodrama.

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Although the cacophonous brinksmanship between the US and North Korea of last week has been drowned out by the discussion of the nation-wrecking tax cuts proposed by the Poseur-in-Chief this week,  the alarming tensions with North Korea still simmer dangerously close to a boil, albeit on the back burner.  Allowing two self-indulgent schoolyard bullies to lock horns in a crowded corner of the world is no way to run a foreign policy, but here we are. Both Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump have melded their fragile egos, their haughty inability to back down, and their reckless belligerence with their respective nations’ foreign policy and national pride. As a result, we are playing a game of chicken with millions of lives in the crosshairs.

Most of April was complicated by the station of Venus in an exact square with the station of Saturn, putting much of the world on edge. As that aspect began to wane after April 21, so too did the universal tension that came with it, including some of the angst that came with the escalating tensions between the US and North Korea.  There was also a general exhalation when the moderate candidate Macron came through the first round of the French election, signaling that France may find a centrist path forward and remain tied to Europe.

From mid-May to mid-June, the US will experience a Jupiter station square to the US Sun (13Cancer19), further intensified by the transiting Node from May 12 to May 24. Somewhat simultaneously, transiting Uranus will be square to US Pluto (27Capricorn33), from May 21 to June 13. These configurations suggest expansionist and, initially, fairly successful policies. We might see a growing military presence around the Korean peninsula at that time, accompanied by a lot of American chest thumping.

As I have said repeatedly, difficulties come to the US and Trump by late June and continue through at least mid-October, due to a series of Saturn transits that hit both charts quite hard. If we have not been cautious and circumspect in our dealings with North Korea, it seems likely that this situation will become a highly problematic and costly mess. In addition, the Trump/Russian investigation may be doing significant damage during that same period.

The chart of Kim Jong Un shows increasingly erratic aggression from June 11 through August 19 due to transiting Uranus opposite his Mars (28Libra26), and intensified by the unrealistic expectations of a concurrent transit of Neptune in sesquiquadrate. Added to this is the transit of Pluto conjunct his natal Sun (17Capricorn01), from mid-July through late October 2017, suggesting that he is embroiled in a major power struggle at that time, either internally within his own government or with the US or perhaps both.

Of great concern is the period from July 25 to August 1, when not only Pluto but Jupiter will be in aspect to Kim’s Sun (17Capricorn01), suggesting a grandiose push for power. This coincides somewhat with the Pluto and Jupiter transits to Donald Trump’s Jupiter (17Libra27) from July 28 to August 4, intensifying the already megalomaniacal power push of transiting Pluto square Trump’s Jupiter from June 28 to August 8.  

In both Kim and Trump’s charts, this Pluto/Jupiter combination seems like a mix of far too much recklessness (Jupiter) with a somewhat heedless, yet compulsive, attempt to crush the opposition (Pluto). The fact that it comes during the protracted Saturn station opposite US Mars (21Gemini23) and conjunct Trump’s Moon (21Sagittarius12) from 7/16 to 9/12 spells nothing but trouble, stemming from any action that is not careful, meticulous, and very restrained, the exact opposite of combined Pluto and Jupiter. Let us hope the generals running our foreign policy can keep a rein on our impulsive president and his compulsive need to win at any cost while gleefully smashing his enemy to pieces.

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There is something that heats American blood and suffuses us with a magical rush of adrenaline when we witness our country’s most macho moments of military devastation against a perceived “bad guy”.  Those early flashes of consummate strength offer a heady and satisfying surge of potency.   Unfortunately, our collective memory is so short as to be almost non-existent, and we forget the long, painful, and draining slogs that often follow these moments, especially when the consequences have not been initially well considered. Witness Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and, now, possibly Syria, North Korea, and potentially the newly expanded war on ISIS, if we are not careful.

We should also be acutely aware that our new Commander-in-Chief just got his first real taste of an immensely satisfying adrenaline power surge when he bombed a Syrian military airstrip in response to Bashar al Assad’s recent chemical attack. After non-stop chaos, humiliation, and frustration in his new administration, this was a game-changing moment for President Narcissist, giving him, for the first time, near universal acclaim. It is hard to not imagine him almost compulsively hungering for more of the same.

In the US chart, there are two planetary configurations to watch that relate to this particular pattern. The first is the Mars (21Gemini23) square to Neptune (22Virgo25) which points to military adventurism that is, at first, exuberating and exciting, but is often followed by disillusion, disappointment, and loss.  During the late 1960’s, while the Vietnam War was heating up, the transiting Uranus/Pluto conjunction was crossing 21-22 Virgo, a powerful stimulus to the US Mars/Neptune square. And during much of the George Bush administration, as we expanded our messy footprint in both Iraq and Afghanistan, transiting Pluto crossed 21-22 Sagittarius while transiting Uranus crossed 21-22 Pisces, again over-stimulating the grandiose expectations and ultimate disappointment of the Mars/Neptune square.

The second configuration in the US chart to note in this regard is the Sun (13Cancer19) square to a tenth house Saturn (14Libra48).   Saturn tends to put a rein on the more egotistical and overly proud tendencies of the Sun. Moreover, a tenth house Saturn is known to humble those who think they are invincible.  During the final months of the Vietnam conflict leading to the fall of Saigon, transiting Saturn was crossing the US Sun and squaring US Saturn (August 1974 through May 1975).  President Nixon resigned during the first crossing of Saturn to the US Sun (symbolic of the president) in August 1974.

At present, the US Sun is about to receive a long station of Jupiter in a square aspect from May 13 to June 18. We may well see an increase in patriotic fervor and an expansion (Jupiter) of US military power during that time. As always during Jupiter transits, the mood remains very optimistic and proud, but some amount of recklessness and poor judgement is a danger.  Of great concern is that this Jupiter station is followed by a long, slow Saturn station square to US Neptune and opposite US Mars, from July 1 through October 4.  This Saturn transit is likely to bring in the disappointment and loss that often follows the initial exuberance of American military adventurism. A painful reality (Saturn) check seems likely.

As for Donald Trump during the current period, the planets are informative. After two and half months of turmoil and resistance to his new administration, Trump had a series of wins over the past week. With transiting Jupiter conjunct his natal Jupiter from April 6 through April 13, Trump garnered one success after another. First, in response to the chemical weapons attack, he bombed the Syrian military airport to near universal acclaim. Next, his Supreme Court nominee was rammed through the Senate. He also had a successful meeting with the Chinese President, and, on the final day of this transit, he announced, in truly Jupiterian grandiosity and flair, that he used the “Mother of all Bombs” on a Taliban cave complex in Afghanistan. 

Strong Jupiter transits are likely to always bring moments of triumph to Donald Trump. Jupiter will be semisquare to his Ascendant (29Leo53) from April 27 through May 6 and July 1 through July 14. The final Jupiter return will come from July 28 through August 4. These may be times of expansionist gestures from the president, with some possibility of short-term success, especially during the upcoming Jupiter semisquare the ascendant (4/27 to 5/6) which will precede the series of Saturn transits in Trump’s chart beginning on June 11, likely to mitigate any benefits from Jupiter over the summer.

Thus, we might expect some more assertive and seemingly successful military action in late April and early May (Jupiter semisquare Trump’s Ascendant), followed by a big US “hoorah” from mid-May to mid-June (Jupiter square US Sun). The latter may relate to successful military action or it may relate of national pride that our democracy is not as moribund as it once seemed in its ability to stand up to Trump’s perfidious dishonesty and behavior.  In any event, things begin to get very stressful for Trump at the same time as the US optimism soars with the Jupiter station, perhaps relating to the metastasizing investigation of his campaign’s Russian ties. The transit of Saturn quincunx his natal Venus (25Cancer44) from May 13 through May 29 suggests a great deal of criticism and diminishing poll numbers.  Moreover, trouble comes to his administration in June, when Saturn comes back to square Mars (24Pisces28), semisquare the Moon (9Scorpio22), and conjunct Saturn (23Sagittarius31) in the Inaugural chart. This will set off major resistance to and anger at the Trump administration during all of June.

In Trump’s natal chart we find transiting Saturn quincunx natal Saturn (23Cancer48) as of June 11 through June 25, followed by Saturn opposite the Sun (22Gemini56) from June 24 to July 7 and again from September 26 to October 12, with the slow Saturn station conjunct his Moon (21Sagittarius12) from July 20 through September 1. In addition, his progressed Moon will conjunct progressed Saturn from June 25 through July 21, and transiting Saturn will return to quincunx natal Saturn and then natal Venus from mid-October to mid-November. This is a devastating series of aspects particularly as they parallel the long Saturn transit to the US Mars/Neptune square from July 1 to early October. Essentially, the country will be struggling and very upset over something, as well as feeling some significant losses, and Donald Trump is being blamed.

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