Welcome to the second part of my election predictions for the 2020 Presidential Race – the first being about the energies surrounding the pivotal and highly volatile Halloween Blue Moon (which has a 2-4 week window) and the October Surprise. My aim there was to provide some background context on the larger forces at work within the collective zeitgeist, dating which started to gain momentum as far back as June 2020 – forces that could well affect people’s behaviour and voting decisions between now and mid-November.
In this post, which is designed to dovetail with the geomancy forecast I recently did on YouTube, I will be doing some straightforward predictions, using the astrology of the polling day itself, and showing its links to both the birth charts of the two candidates and where relevant, to the so-called Sibley chart for the US, to see what the possible outcome of this election will be.
Since recording the horary-style geomancy forecast, I’ve also had some further thoughts and intuitive hits on the messages that came through, which I will try to weave into tapestry of this forecast to provide a richer, more fleshed out picture. I must say that I found having a point of comparison very helpful – it definitely helped me to fine-tune my overall sense of which way the wind was blowing.
Some Important Considerations & Caveats
For those who are impatient and simply want a yes/no answer, here is my response.
Although I believe in my heart of hearts that the majority of the American people are dissatisfied with Donald Trump and want a change – my gut feeling is that this particular election is not going to be a straight-forward, cut and dried thing. Some of my reasons for this are outlined in my previous post.
Furthermore, this is no ordinary election year.
In addition to the destabilising and highly turbulent influences of the June 5 Eclipse and the October Blue Moon, with their strongly Uranian signature (= awakenings but also potential chaos and upheaval), which I discussed in my background post, there are other factors at work that make this particular election very difficult to predict in the usual ways, including:
- COVID-19 peaks and troughs – a phenomenon strongly linked to the movements of Saturn and Pluto, as we discovered earlier this year with that seismic Saturn-Pluto conjunction on 10 January – one day before China announced its first death from this coronavirus, along with the Wolf Moon lunar eclipse that followed.
- Mercury, which ends its retrograde in the scales of legal eagle, Libra, on the day of the election (read: shifting sands and plenty of room for errors, miscommunication and general chaos), whilst simultaneously oscillating between a pair of squares to restrictive Saturn that will bookend this election.
- And finally, there is the much-vaunted Pluto Return for the US, which only happens once every 240 years and is actually worthy of all the hype, often leading to dramatic changes and seismic shifts in power structures and the fabric of society on the collective level. You can read more about the role of Pluto in affecting the fortunes of America in my previous post.
Election Chart & Key Planetary Trends
With context and caveats out of the way, let’s get down to the chart of polling day itself to see what it potentially reveals. Rather than the 7am I used in past elections, I have chosen a noon chart set for Washington (12h00 EST), because this year, most Americans have chosen to vote early or by mail ballot.
Delays, Legal Challenges & Interference: Mercury
Some of the stand-out elements of this chart for me include the position, condition and aspects of Mercury.
Mercury STAT: Nothing will be Straightforward
Mercury is stationary in the 9th house of the law – and in the sign governing legal and diplomatic matters: Libra. Already, we have a cosmic signal that litigation and legal challenges will play a key role in this election.
Mercury turns direct on November 3 – election day itself. This direction shift (as perceived from our perspective here on Earth) introduces the possibility of voters or other parties with vested interests, changing their mind at the last minute. It also indicates that the way events unfold, or information is relayed/processed (eg public announcements, vote counting or mail delivery), will be far from straightforward, with plenty of scope for mix-ups, errors in judgement, as well as misreporting/misrepresentation. (Think of the birds in the geoscope, which emphasizes communication of all kinds, including rumours and leaks, as well as the dissemination of information).
‘Snailmail’ & the Mercury-Saturn Squares
The November election is also book-ended by a rather remarkable double set of squares to Saturn on Nov 1 and 6, punctuated by Mercury’s station on Nov 3. Any square to malefic Saturn doesn’t bode well, suggesting delays, logistical obstacles and interruptions to the flow of data or communication. There may also be a need to rethink plans & strategies, or face up to uncomfortable facts.
Given Mercury’s involvement, this could potentially affect vote counting or indicate postal vote delivery issues – something also indicated in the geomancy reading. This could potentially be a serious problem, given that over 80 million votes – more than double that of 2016 – are expected to be cast by mail in 2020, as officials try to limit the spread of coronavirus in the lead up to the winter flu season.
- According to numerous media reports, the US postal service (or USPS as it is affectionately known) has suffered a number of funding cuts under the Trump administration), which hasn’t helped it to run at full capacity. Trump has previously expressed scepticism about postal voting on Twitter, ostensibly because of it’s vulnerability to tampering, dumping and voter fraud.
- Democrats, however, are quick to point out that the current Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, a USPS outsider with strong ties to the Republican Party, was appointed by the White House on 6 May 2020 when Mercury (USPS) was making a conjunction to the Sun (Trump) in Taurus (snailmail) – a fact that many critics see as ‘sketchy,’ to say the least. Some have accused DeJoy of deliberately and ‘inappropriately slowing down the agency’s delivery in the crucial run-up to the presidential election’ – an allegation he denies.
Further testimony: Mars
A further testimony to postal votes being a potential problem is a retrograde Mars in Aries opposite Venus in Libra – also in the 9th (legal judgements). In this chart, Mars both occupies and rules the 3rd house (post, local transportation, propaganda, media) and Venus rules the 4th house (end of the matter). Even if there isn’t any tampering, it certainly suggests legal disputes surrounding possible ballot fraud.
Mercury in Libra in the 9th: Legal Challenges & Possible Election Hacking
A strong focus on the 9th house of the law, as well as the position of both Mercury and Venus in Libra, symbolised by the scales of justice, point strongly to lawsuits. Mercury will also be conjunct the Part of Discord, reinforcing the prospect of legal wrangles. We also know that Trump (who has Mars rising) loves a fight and won’t hesitate to sue if he doesn’t like a particular decision. There are already reports of legal challenges to postal ballots being lodged in several states by both sides – something that could well delay or affect results.
Here, it may be significant that in the geoscope, we had the same signifier for Trump in the 10th (Office of the Presidency) and third houses (= postal services), which could suggest possible corruption or willful obstruction around the legality/validity of the postal vote – a move that is classic Trump, as you’ll know if you’ve read Michael Cohen’s expose. And indeed, the Biden camp are already bracing themselves for a potential re-run of Bush vs Gore in 2000, with many expressing concerns about ‘nightmare scenarios’ in which Trump will try to use the postal vote as a way to cheat his way to victory, with a Democrat insider telling Reuters:
Trump is “laying the groundwork to say: ‘The election was stolen, there was fraud, we’re going to go to court, we’re going to call out people on the streets,’” said Mark Brewer, an elections lawyer who is helping train Democratic legal volunteers in Michigan. “The guy is capable of anything, so we have to plan for everything.”
Reuters, 23 July 2020
Neptune: Cults, Cheating & Election Hacking
Which leads me on to my next point: The 9th house also governs foreign policy/diplomacy and religious matters, so we also cannot rule out possible attempts at sabotage or interference by third parties like foreign states, or indeed, fanatical religious groups or conspiracy cults like QAnon. After the furore about Russian hacking in the 2016 election, this cannot be lightly dismissed. Here, the fact that Election Venus co-rules both the 9th house and the 4th houses could also point to a connection between foreign policy/agencies, and the final outcome of the matter.
This particular spectre did rear its ugly head in the horary-style forecast I posted on YouTube. The outcome of the reading featured the snake (delays, backstabbing and betrayal) and the fox (cunning, deception and sabotage) paired with two Saturn-ruled geomantic figures. (In relation to the fox, see my remarks about Trump and the fixed star, Procyon below).
Here, I am also rather concerned about Neptune, which can often signify deceit, subterfuge and confusion if afflicted. In this chart, it forms a T-square to the nodes and the Gemini Moon across the 5th (youth, celebrity) and 11th houses (social media, groups), suggesting sneaky attempts to sway the decisions of younger voters via seductively believable and secretive propaganda campaigns on social media.
The effect that social media has on people’s opinions and behaviour – and the fact that it can be weaponised by foreign powers and agents looking to sway elections is not new – it has been consistently raised since 2016 by people like Tristan Harris, who runs the Centre for Humane Technology whose work is the inspiration for the movie, The Social Dilemma. The CIA also established without doubt that foreign agents, primarily Russia, had made attempts to interfere in the 2016 Presidential Elections. More recently, Firefox launched a campaign asking Facebook to suspend its Group recommendations algorithm ahead of the 2020 US elections because of a link to extremist groups and agitators.
Given Neptune’s contacts to both the lunar nodes and the Gemini Moon – the main signifier for voters in any election horoscope, this should not be ignored. It shares similar signatures to the Mars T-square, also to the nodes back at the June eclipses, which coincided with a spike in civil unrest and protests in the US – something I discussed at length in my previous forecast.
It may seem harmless, but fake news really does foment social division and polarisation – something younger voters in particular really need to guard against if they are to remain unaffected. The axis of Sagittarius-Gemini (prominent in the US Sibley Chart) further emphasises the need to balance knowledge/news/data with discernment and wisdom when it comes to assessing news and information, especially that shared on public forums such as social media platforms. This trend will continue right up until the solstice, thanks to their re-activation by the eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius that take place on 30 November and 14 December 2020.
Capricorn Stellium on the AS: COVID & Structural Collapse
I also couldn’t complete my forecast without mentioning the stellium of Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter in Capricorn on the Ascendant. As we know from the January 10 conjunction, this concentration of purging, often destructive energy, is very potent.
This angular position only serves to emphasise what is already a potent combination of power
Personally, I got chills when I remembered that Saturn-ruled Tristia (final outcome and 9th house) is also symbolised by the image of the fallen tower – you may too if you read my last post…a sign???? (Signs and omens are ruled by the 9th house)
Now, let’s turn to the candidates and the planetary forces at work in their natal charts to see how these energies could translate with regards to the outcome of the election.
The Candidates & Their Chances
Donald Trump: Sly Old Fox
Much like fellow Gemini, Boris Johnson, there is something of the sly fox about the slick, if somewhat bombastic show act that is Donald Trump. I therefore find it interesting that Procyon, the alpha star in canis minor (also known as the Tuemessian fox because of its link to summer wildfires) is conjunct Trump’s natal Venus-Saturn conjunction in Cancer, which is currently being opposed by the Capricorn stellium (transiting Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto), so prominent in the election chart. To me this represents Donald Trump’s affiliation with the establishment, despite his many attempts to paint himself as a maverick and an agent of change.
Have the Blinkers Come off?
He may have a Sun-Uranus conjunction, making him a natural disruptor, but his actions are driven, not by the desire to bring about social change that benefits everybody, but rather, self-interest. However, his genius is his Gemini cunning – his ability to read and then tap into the hopes, dreams and fears of ordinary working class Americans in order to win them over. However, as his former aide, Michael Cohen makes very clear in both his memoir of his time as Trump’s personal fixer, and in his TV interview with Seth Myers:
“Open up your eyes and acknowledge that Trump doesn’t care about you…He doesn’t care about your family. He doesn’t care about anything other than winning this election and, in essence, becoming an autocrat, which is what he wants to be.”
Michael Cohen, Seth Myers Interview
As Cohen well knows, however, Trump is very good at pretending to care, thanks to his natal Mercury in Cancer. However, if we compare his horoscope to the 2020 election chart, we see that Trump’s Mercury is square to that sneaky and deceptive Neptune we discussed above in the section on election hacking. As Cohen has made clear in his cringey and eye-watering exposé, Disloyal, Donald Trump thinks nothing of lying or cheating to get his way, and it looks as though this modus operandi most certainly won’t change when it comes to this election.
Disruption and Deflection
As for that pesky and disruptive set of Mercury-Saturn squares – they fall in Trump’s 3rd house of communication and his fifth house of children, sex and leisure, suggesting yet more scandals and cover-ups relating to unsavoury activities conducted either by his children on his behalf, or his cronies in the media. In short, expect more fake news, lies and denials of culpability from Trump in response to criticism, leaks or allegations of corruption or cheating in the weeks to come.
Given that the election Mercury is conjunct the Part of Discord in Trump’s 3rd house, I also fully expect him to use his usual tactics of verbal and ideological deflection by fomenting social division to ‘wag the dog’ and projection – accusing others of the very things he himself engages in, in order to maintain the patriarchal status quo represented by the Saturn-Pluto-Jupiter stellium on the election chart ascendant. ‘Business is usual,’ is his primary desire – the question is whether voters want the same thing. With Uranus so prominent in the astrology surrounding this election, my guess is that they are more than ready for a change.
Fixed Stars & Foxes: Fatal Flaws Exposed?
The geomancy reading, also seemed to point specifically to importance of the fixed stars in relation to Trump. Ordinarily, I would assume this to be a referral to Sirius (canis major), the ‘dog star’ because of its prominence in the US Sibley chart (it conjuncts the Sun = president) and its links to the ‘Independence Day’ lunar eclipse in Capricorn. However, as I wrote about in my post for the Cancer New Moon in July 2020, it might also be pointing to canis minor i.e the fixed star, Procyon, which medieval astrologers associated with a fox, so perhaps this is actually an allusion to Trump’s wily cunning and reputation for ‘fire starting’? Given the obvious visual connection between the russet coat of a fox and Trump’s predilection for the colour orange, one certainly can’t rule this out! Interestingly, Procyon sits smack bang on Donald’s natal Venus-Saturn conjunction, from where it will oppose Saturn and the Capricorn stellium in the election chart, again, reinforcing the idea of Trump trying to slyly charm his way into another four years in charge (Venus rules his MC and 3rd house).
Procyon, however, is square to that all-important election Mercury, so if charm doesn’t work, he’ll happily flip into trouble-making. I think what he may be underestimating is how much support he got from business and religious leaders, as well as Republicans and their backers. If they had not supported him during his impeachment trial, he would’ve been a goner. Now that he has delivered on corporate tax cuts and civil rights rollbacks, they may well see him as more of a liability than an asset, and cut him loose.
Interestingly, both Procyon and Sirius straddle the Descendant of the Election chart, from where Sirius makes a square to Trump’s natal Chiron (in his second house of money), so it could well be that any dodgy business dealings could well come back to bite him now. They could be his potential Achilles heel, leaving him exposed to prosecution – something his enemies (7th house of adversaries) won’t hesitate to pounce on if they smell blood.
This could be why we have Carcer, a figure associated with imprisonment, so prominent in the geomancy reading where it is associated with money (the ‘big’ fish here possibly showing him being deserted by his former campaign supporters and financial backers or else going to jail for murky business dealings). Already, there have been reports in the media stating that Trump could face jail time once he leaves office for various crimes that he currently enjoys immunity from due to his presidential status. All that could be revoked if he loses – something I think he is keenly aware of.
In general, my sense is that the astrological odds are not with Trump. although there is no doubt that he will put up a good fight, but I think that his handling of COVID, represented by and the Capricorn stellium, (which is opposing his natal Venus and Saturn in Cancer) and its devastating effect on the American people and economy, will be the final nail in his career coffin.
Joe Biden: A Safe Pair of Hands?
At 77, Obama’s former vice president could be the oldest president America has ever had. (Here it is fair to point out that Biden is only four years older than Donald Trump, who was born in 1946.) A quadruple Scorpio, it’s fair to say that Biden is certainly is not a quitter.
Man of the Hour?
Many see him as a Goldilocks prospect – not too radical, not too conservative – qualities that mean he could easily be mistaken for a moderate Republican. Just like Ronald Reagan or Theresa May, however, he’s been tipped as being the nominee best positioned to bridge the gap between the increasingly polarised liberal and conservative camps – someone who can appeal to middle America and all those swing voters who could end up deciding the election.
Four years on, after a chaotic presidency and a once-in-a-century pandemic, that has highlighted Trump’s worst character flaws and leadership failings, many Americans just want someone to make America America again….Who more fitting for a return to normality than Joe?
Times Magazine, 31 Oct 2020
Interestingly, the AS-DS axis in his natal chart mirrors that of the US Sibley one with Sagittarius, the Archer, rising and Gemini setting, which suggests that on the surface at least, he does appear to epitomise American wholesomeness. His open-hearted and unaffected Sagittarius AS may also explain his occasional bouts of ‘foot in mouth’ syndrome – he is known for his political gaffes. But it’s also what makes him so endearing and eminently relatable. As David Chater recently put it, Biden may be a ‘gaffe machine’ but ‘Trump exaggerates, insults and lies constantly’ (no doubt a by-product of his Gemini Sun-Sagittarius Moon opposition and hyperbolous Mercury-Neptune-Jupiter square).
As a result:
Trump has given cover to all Biden’s faults, making him look presidential.
Times Magazine, 31 Oct 2020
Gateway Candidate?
Although no Bernie Sanders, many Democrats also see him as being a ‘gateway’ president – someone who can help to steer the country towards the future, rather than try and revive the past:
Though the Democrats’ policy programme is incrementalist rather than transformative, Mr Biden has embraced important progressive demands: a $15 minimum wage, the abolition of the death penalty, $2trn of investment in green technologies, a net-zero carbon target, and the expansion of health insurance to most Americans. He has the potential to be a transitional president, opening the way to a new era in the United States.
And with four planets in Scorpio, he certainly is someone who intimately understands transformation and reinvention, so he could well be the one person who can raise America, phoenix-like from the ashes of its Pluto Return, as he has had to do himself both personally and politically, after the premature death of both his first wife and then, later, his son.
America’s Saving Grace?
Given the prominence of the Sun in Scorpio in the election chart, I find it fascinating that Biden’s Scorpio stellium, Mars in particular, sits right near to fixed stars, Alphecca and Acrux, the alpha star in the Southern Cross – a placement he shares with Leonardo DiCaprio.
According to Vivian Robson, Acrux is of the nature of Jupiter, bestowing piety, seriousness, patience and empathy, as well as deep intuition, often borne from ‘many burdens, trials, and responsibilities, together with much suffering and many hardships’. Sounds about right! This may also help to explain the presence of Tristia (twice), as well as the Tower + the Cross trinkets that clarified the Sun (the president elect) in the geomancy reading. It may be lonely at the top, but if anyone knows how to be a pillar of strength and comfort during a time of national suffering and loss, it is Joe Biden.
Beset by more than anyone’s fair share of personal tragedy, Biden is also the perfect president to sympathize with a nation in mourning – again, a big theme in the geomancy reading. Interesting then, that Biden has Regulus conjunct Chiron and North Node in his chart – the perfect combination symbol for a compassionate leader whose painful losses and life lessons have prepared him to become ‘America’s consoler-in-chief’.
Astrologically, the Scorpio Sun in the election chart is conjunct BOTH Alphecca and Acrux – which means that this same transiting Sun will also make a conjunction to Biden’s natal Mars (11th). I find these final placements to be a major testimony that Biden will win. Not only did Mars represent him in the geomancy reading, but it also linked him to the electorate via the 4th house, which can also indicate the end of the matter, and its Scorpio rulership.
Furthermore, Tristia represents Saturn in Aquarius which brings us full circle to astrology and the upcoming ingress of Saturn back into the sign of the water bearer in December 2020. The planet Saturn, which ingressed into Aquarius at the March 2020 Equinox and will return there for a spectacular conjunction to Jupiter at 2020 winter solstice, heralding the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. So, even for old father Saturn, it’s out with the old and in with the new.
Outcome
For me, it is Mercury, along with the luminaries and fixed stars, that hold the keys to this election. They suggest confusion, delays, chaos and legal challenges – in essence a repeat of the 2000 election between Bush and Al Gore, but on steroids because of the influence of other complicating factors like Neptune (= election hacking and voter fraud/cheating) and Uranus ( = potential civil unrest and rabble rousing).
With Mercury trining the Gemini Moon (= voters, especially the younger generation) and squaring the Capricorn stellium (which is conjunct the chart AS), I do believe that the postal vote will be a major focus in this election, as will the impact of COVID-19.
Overall then, despite any volatility or dirty tricks, I think that the victory will ultimately be Joe Biden’s. It may take a lot of grit and steely determination to see off all the curveballs that Trump and his fellow supporters will almost certainly throw his way. However, my feeling is, given his connection to scrappy Mars and his quadruple Scorpio placements, that he will still manage to prevail. Under-estimate ‘Sleepy Joe’ at your peril!
CROSSES & CROWNS
Given how much COVID-19 has changed the political landscape in America, I feel compelled to mention the election chart’s emphasis on fixed star, Alphecca. Along with Acrux (see Joe Biden’s section), it will be on the Midheaven, where it will conjunct the Sun at noon on election day. This is hugely significant for all sorts of reasons, not least its rather uncanny link to crowns. Why? Alphecca is the alpha star in the constellation known as the Northern Crown, which in Latin is corona borealis. Astrologically, the coming together of these two chart points is a very clear way to mark out the election or ‘coronation’ of a king or leader. How poetic then, to find Alphecca being the fixed star associated with the 2020 election. Metaphorically speaking, it seems to me that the ‘heavenly writing’ is telling us that the ‘cross’ (Acrux) and ‘crown jewel’ of corona borealis (Alphecca) may ultimately lead to the crucifixion of Trump and the crowning of Biden as the new leader of this northern hemisphere powerhouse.
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