(11 August 2020) Kamala Harris won the veepstakes today as Joe Biden chose the junior Senator from California as his running mate in the upcoming November election.  With Biden enjoying a 10-point lead in the national polls over the incumbent President Trump, Ms. Harris finds herself on the cusp of gaining access to the focus of power in Washington, DC.  And with the aging Biden as the Democratic nominee, the Harris pick is all the more significant as many observers wonder if Biden will be mentally and physically capable of completing his first term.

Her horoscope is clearly a good one.  As I suggested last year, Kamala Harris would likely do reasonably well during the run-up to the primaries, even if she suffered from some telling planetary afflictions during the crucial middle period of the Democratic primaries.  Born with Rahu rising, Harris revels in the role of a trailblazer and a person who likes to break with tradition.  Her Full Moon in Aries in the 11th house suggests she can effortlessly stand out from the crowd and can actively pursue her goals.  Her Moon in the 11th house is an excellent placement for realizing one’s ambitions and so it is no surprise that Harris has made the successful transition from law to politics.

She was chosen today just as Jupiter exactly aspected her Venus while transiting Venus was trine to her Midheaven (MC) — the unequal 10th house cusp.  Both transits are common with happy occasions.  We can also see that Mars (28 Pisces) was closely conjunct her 11th house cusp (gains, ambitions) suggesting a significant achievement.  Also, Uranus is stationary retrograde tomorrow at 16 Aries and it forms an exact 45 degree alignment with her Ascendant at 1 Gemini.  This Uranus station may have provided the sudden burst of energy needed to ‘put her over the top’ and be chosen as Biden’s running mate.

As good as her natal chart is, however, the next few weeks look quite challenging for Harris.   To be sure, Jupiter is due to station direct at 23 Sagittarius in September.  This will maintain the aspect to Venus and will likely keep her in the public eye and a center of attention as the campaign intensifies.  But Saturn and Mars are also going to station in September in close alignment with two key natal points.  The Mars retrograde station on September 9 at 4 Aries will conjoin her 11th house Moon and could indicate a major setback in her plans.  Mars-Moon aspects are often rooted in conflict and usually lead to frustration.

But the added problem here is that Saturn will also station direct on September 29 at 1 Capricorn conjunct her 8th house cusp.  Afflictions to the 8th house often symbolize scandals or embarrassment of some kind that force people to take up a defensive position.  And to top it off, she will be undergoing a nodal return over the next several weeks as Rahu returns to its natal position in late August and September.  Nodal returns are often times of uncertainty and disruption which can be difficult to handle.   This nodal return is more likely to bring setbacks and confusion since Rahu will align closely with Mars and Saturn so that all three malefics will activate her Ascendant at 1 Gemini.  Therefore, the next 4-6 weeks may be unusually difficult for Harris both personally and professionally.  I would not be surprised if Biden’s polling lead shrinks further during this time.

But her chart looks quite good for Election Day, November 3.  Mercury is due to station direct at 1 Libra where it will exactly align with her Ascendant.  Also Jupiter (27 Sagittarius) and Pluto (28 Sagittarius) will aspect her 10th lord, Jupiter, with 2-3 degrees and will align with her 11th lord Mars (28 Pisces).  This is more evidence that Biden/Harris will have the initial lead over Trump on Election Day.  Whether they can hold it until the presidential inauguration on January 20 is another question that I will address in a future post.

Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks have remained mostly bullish over the past week as an improving employment situation in the US gave investors hope that the worst of the Covid crisis might be over.  However, stocks, bonds and gold fell today (Tuesday) on renewed inflation fears with the Nasdaq leading the way lower.  Big tech companies like Apple suffered most, and this was in line with my thoughts from last week’s post that the Mars aspect to the natal Venus in the Apple horoscope would likely coincide with some downside this week.  Apple fell 3% today.

I think we could see more downside this week as Mars square Pluto over the next day or two.  Mars will then enter sidereal Aries next week where it will align with the Sun, Mercury Saturn and Ketu, the South Lunar Node.  While the Sun and Mercury are considered neutral or mildly benefic, the other three planets are natural malefics.  This elevates the downside risk considerably for next week.

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