Last Thursday afternoon at 4:24 PM Eastern US time, the Sun entered Aquarius for 30 days of self-expression through idealism, innovation, radical politics, and unusual (“unpresidented”) situations. In the Washington, DC chart for the Aquarius ingress (which reflects all America, because our capital is there), the asteroid Vesta, Goddess of the Home and Hearth, is out of bounds, rising, in Cancer – square to the Moon and Jupiter in Venusian Libra in the Fourth House. In sum, their message is: you can’t go home again.
This month we will all be exceptionally aware of the maternal principle, of our roots and home, our mothers and other female ancestors, and of the role of nurturing and kindness within our relationships.
We all – in America, especially – are called to reassess. What does it mean to be a woman, or to love women, in a nation that has chosen as its chief representative an ignorant con man and self-confessed sexual assailant over an intelligent, experienced female? How can we do better at honoring the Feminine in ourselves and others? Where have we been too “nice” (Jupiter in Libra) or not nice enough? How do we “fight” or rebel (Uranus in Aries) without perpetuating the pettiness and cruelty that got us here in the first place?
Throughout the next year, the Cardinal T-square asks us to find a balance between the competing forces of power and authority (Pluto in Cap), individual liberty (Uranus in Aries), and kindness and tolerance (Jupiter in Libra), so that we can take good care of ourselves and our world (Cancer). It’s a complicated task, as I’m sure you can attest.
As I write this newsletter, President Trump is delivering his inaugural address. He was sworn in at 12:00 PM today in Washington, DC, with a chart that has several interesting features.
The Sun is at the first degree of Aquarius – as indeed it always is on January 20th, the date on which we have sworn in our presidents since FDR’s second term in 1937. The Sun represents, among other things, the archetype of the King. Aquarius, the collective, is the sign of the Sun’s detriment.
January 20th and the whole Aquarius season of the Zodiac are here to remind us that the president is not a king; he has no license for tyranny. His power is limited by public opinion and by congress (both Aquarian-ruled things). As Audra McDonald recently tweeted: “Tomorrow our new employee starts his temp job. We’re the boss.” Or, as comedienne Michelle Wolf put it earlier this week: “Donald J. Trump, you just became America’s butler. Now go fix our healthcare and make me a sandwich.”
The inauguration chart also has Juno and Saturn conjunct in Sagittarius, in the Eighth House of secrets. Juno is the asteroid that represents partnership, while the planet Saturn is, of course, government and authorities. Sagittarius, meanwhile, is the sign of foreigners, publishing, the law, and unfettered, open communications. Are you connecting the dots on this like I am?
In astrology, there are always multiple potential expressions of the archetypal energies in the chart. That’s how it’s is compatible with free will: in our individual lives, we get choose whether to do a higher or lower form (or some combination thereof) to “use up” the energy of every planet and aspect in our chart.
That being said, while I admit I could be wrong – I am strongly inclined to interpret the Juno/Saturn/Sadge/Eighth House energy in the inauguration chart as an indication that the man we just swore in has a secret (Eighth House) foreign (Sagittarius) government (Saturn) partner (Juno) with publishable information (also Sagittarius) on his debts, taxes, and sexuality (also Eighth House).
This interpretation is bolstered by the fact that the infamous dossier prepared by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele (which contains unverified allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Vladimir Putin’s government – allegations which were presented to President Obama, then-PEOTUS Trump, and other government leaders, and which are, apparently, currently being investigated by the FBI, CIA, NSA and three other government agencies) came to light under the Cancer Full Moon last week. As I wrote then, last week’s Full Moon was about the revelation of secrets. The Cancer Full Moon was, moreover, sitting smack dab on the Donald’s natal Venus (sex, money) and Saturn (karma, control) in his natal Twelfth House (“undoing”), lighting up that portion of his internal sky.
Furthermore, Mercury (communications) and Pluto (power) are in Capricorn in the inauguration chart, both sitting in the Ninth House of foreigners and foreign travel. Using the technique of derived houses, we see that the Eighth House is where the Ninth House planets bury their secrets: in this case, Saturn and Juno are the secrets that are lurking behind the scenes of Mercury and Pluto.
And still FURTHERMORE, in the inauguration chart, the Eighth House Juno and Saturn are locked in a tight trine with Uranus, Eris, and Ceres – all three of whom are conjunct in Aries in the Twelfth.
The Twelfth House, like the Eighth, contains secrets; it is also known as the House of Undoing – where we undermine ourselves and where our karma is paid. Aries is the sign of aggression and anger, while Uranus rules radicalism and unexpected breakthroughs. The angry (Aries) Lord of Chaos and Change stands in solidarity with the two angry (Aries) feminine dwarf planets, Mother Goddess Ceres and Eris, the Goddess of Discord. All three are communicating openly (trine) with Juno and Saturn in Sadge, and opposing Jupiter in Libra, which amplifies everything.
If there ARE tales to be told, the eclipses in February should tell them. I expect a resolution by the time Uranus and Eris meet and kiss for the third and final time on March 17th.
Donald Trump has demeaned and degraded so many women, so consistently over the years, both as individuals and as a group, and based on this chart, I hereby predict that it’s us “nasty women” who will be responsible for removing him from power.
And finally – I don’t always look at the fixed stars when analyzing a chart, but sometimes it’s helpful. In this case, it’s interesting to note that the fixed star Rasalhague is highly stimulated both in Donald Trump’s natal chart and in the sky right now.
Rasalhague (not to be confused with the Batman villain Ra’s al Ghul) sits at 22 degrees, 27 minutes Sagittarius, and has an “orb” of just 2 degrees, 10 minutes – meaning that whenever a planet or asteroid travels through the patch of sky located between 20 degrees, 7 minutes Sagittarius and 25 degrees, 7 minutes Sagittarius, it is considered to be “in orb of,” or conjunct, Rasalhague.
According to Vivian Robson’s book The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, the nature of Rasalhague is to give “misfortune through women, perverted tastes and mental depravity,” or what we now call kink.
In Donald Trump’s chart, both his South Node (loss, release) and his Moon (emotions, femininity) are subject to the influence of Rasalhague. Both are in his Fifth House (pleasure, excess), and of course, in Sagittarius (foreign places)
Saturn in the sky right now is also passing over Rasalhague: Saturn has been in orb of it since December 21st, he touched it on January 10th, and he will move out of its orb on February 6th. Transiting Saturn then travels away from Rasalhague, before returning to its orb from June 6th through November 6th of this year, peaking on July 14th and October 4th.
To quote Robson again: Rasalhague with Saturn is “selfish, unpopular, determined, [with] fixed opinions” and prone to “losses of a Mercurial nature.” This is an influence we’ll be feeling, all over the world, as long as Saturn is in orb of Rasalhague. As the sportscaster Warner Wolf used to say, “Let’s go to the videotape!”
The closing-quarter Moon that shines above us tonight (Friday, January 20th) is in Scorpio, and maybe that’s why I decided to walk on the dark side of the energy today. All the same, remember, the light is still with us.
Be well, everybody. Be the light!
Hugs,
Anne
P.S. There’s a New Moon in Aquarius next week. See sidebar for details about my on Wednesday.
P.P.S. For more on this year’s great big Cardinal T-Square, you may want to check out my webinar Setting Your Intentions for 2017.
