As Dana Milbank recently wrote, “Trump’s economy caught the coronavirus.” Certainly, the Stock Market plunge of the past 10 days and the rapid global economic slowdown, all due to fears of the rapidly spreading coronavirus, suggest Trump’s seemingly “titanic” economy may have hit a giant iceberg in the North Atlantic in mid-winter.
If we look at the US chart, we find Mercury (24Cancer12) in the 8th house opposite Pluto (27Capricorn33) in the 2nd house. This opposition in the houses of finance is an important indicator of the US economy. Pluto here represents concentrated and enormous wealth, which can be intensely avaricious, controlling, and manipulative. To me, it indicates the great potency of corporate and billionaire wealth in the US that has so much impact on governmental policy and decision making. Mercury in the 8th house represents investments, the Market, trade, communications and transportation, all of which are to some degree directed by that powerful 2nd house Pluto (big money).
From February 14 to February 26, we have had the first crossing of Saturn to US Pluto, causing enormous contracting pressure on the big corporate wealth. If we use the birth time for the US chart as 5:13 PM, the Ascendant is 12Sagittarius 59, which receives a semisquare transit from Saturn (February 17 to 28) at almost exactly the same time as the Saturn crossing of Pluto. This Saturn semisquare to US Ascendant brings the anxiety and stress of the Saturn transit to US citizens in a very personal way (Ascendant), such as is currently being felt while the value of their 401-K’s diminishes and their fears of coronavirus expand.
Saturn will return to US Pluto from July 22 to August 4 and from November 6 to November 21, 2020. It seems likely that at those times, there will other events that seem to put stress on the concentrated wealth of the country. It is noteworthy, that Bernie Sanders has gained significant momentum during this first crossing in February, and that his actual ascendancy, should he win in November, could be a manifestation of the final crossing of Saturn to US Pluto just after the election. I am not predicting this at this point, but it is one possible reading of this configuration.
We should also note the first crossing of Pluto opposite US Mercury from January 25 to February 29. This Pluto transit is another indicator of pressure and anxiety on US Markets (8th house). It remains within orb and therefore continues to have impact until it intensifies again on April 26 when it begins to retrograde opposite the Mercury degree through June 26. The last few days of this week saw both the Sun in semisquare to Pluto and Venus in square to Pluto, both triggering this Pluto opposition to US Mercury. Health concerns over the spreading virus and fears about the plunging Market were greatly exacerbated during that time. Pluto will return for its final crossing opposite US Mercury from November 29 to December 31, 2020.
If we look at the chart for the Madman of Mara Lago, we see that the first crossing of Saturn opposite his Venus (25Cancer44) occurred during the height of the impeachment events, January 29 to February 7, clearly a deeply stressful and upsetting time for him. Transiting Pluto was also opposite his Saturn (23Cancer49) during these events (January 15 to February 14). When Saturn returns for a protracted and painful crossing of his Venus from August 18 to October 22, his self-serving actions, moral bankruptcy, and harm to the nation will once again be microscopically examined, dissected, and roundly criticized.
The current Market plunge and the slipshod and largely condemned handling of the emerging coronavirus has occurred with a Neptune transit triggering Trump’s progressed Midheaven conjunct progressed Saturn (3Leo10) from February 2 through March 3. Neptune suggests confusion, dishonesty, and delusion hovering over the extremely difficult challenges described by the Saturn/MC progression. This configuration will return from September 25 to December 6, 2020.
Given that the first crossing of several of these difficult transits impacting both the US and Trump charts have ended or are about to end at present, we may find the Market restabilizing in the next few days. We may also find the narrative for the virus shifting to more of a general acceptance that there will be a flu-like illness that hits a lot of people over the next few months, and we should stock up, wash our hands, and avoid crowds.
It is possible that the worst of the virus will come in May and June when Pluto stations opposite US Mercury (4/26 to 6/26), while additionally stationing opposite Trump’s Saturn (5/1 to 7/12). The progressed US Moon (24Capricorn36) will also be crossed by transiting Pluto during this time (5/12 to 6/6) pointing to stress and anxiety among the US population. And finally, transiting Saturn will be crossing Inaugural Sun (00Aquarius49) from March 20 to April 4 and again from June 8 to June 27, suggesting onerous challenges for the administration. One possibility is the need to deal with an overstressed health care system during this period.