(10 May 2017) The Trump presidency took an unexpected and disturbing turn on Tuesday with the surprise firing of FBI chief James Comey.  Comey has been a controversial figure on both sides of the aisle in Washington since his very public investigation of Hillary Clinton and her private email server and then later with his unprecedented intervention in the election.  It now seems likely that Comey’s letter to Congress on October 28th cost Hillary Clinton the presidency.   Recently, Comey and the FBI had been leading an investigation into the alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia.  It has now come to light that Comey’s dismissal came just days after he requested additional resources to probe more deeply the Trump-Russia connections.

While his firing of Comey may solve one of Trump’s imminent problems, it is unlikely to boost his political fortunes in the short run.   The optics are terrible for Trump as it now looks like he is a man on the run desperately trying to silence further questioning about possible collusion with Russia.   Where this all is leading is hard to say although the astrological perspective suggests that Trump is unlikely to find solace for the rest of the month of May at least.   The problem would appear to center on Rahu, the North Lunar Node. 

Trump’s horoscope is strongly influenced by Rahu at the current time.  Rahu is a malefic planet by nature and is symbolically linked to situations that disrupt the status quo.   That’s why Rahu (and Ketu) is always close by whenever there is an eclipse, the time that the Lunar Nodes step in and interrupt the constant light of the Sun or the Moon.   When the chart is afflicted, the bad side of Rahu may predominate and this can burden the native with secrecy and scandal. 

Transiting Rahu (5 Leo) is closely conjunct Trump’s Ascendant (6 Leo).  Rahu is undermining Trump’s sense of self (1st house) and may be a source of confusion for him.  The added problem for Donald Trump is that Rahu is also conjunct Mars (3 Leo) and hence there will be more areas of his life that will be subject to disruption and uncertainty.  Mars is related to action and leadership, so it seems appropriate that Trump’s summary firing of Comey should have caused such a storm of upset in the halls of power in DC. 

Previously, I’ve written about how the Saturn station in the first two months of the Trump presidency coincided closely with many of his current problems.  Saturn tends to deny or delay rewards so it was not surprising that Trump’s approval rating would be hitting rock bottom at 40% or below during his first 100 days.  For all the bluster and talk, his presidency got off to a poor start.  Even the passage of the much-vaunted GOP health bill has done little to change perceptions as he may find the Senate a less cooperative body.

But now Rahu seems to have taken the baton from Saturn.  The other first-class malefic could be focusing our attention on the shadowy nature of Donald Trump and his presidency.   Trump’s natal chart will sustain a Mars transit (27 Taurus) starting the week of May 22nd which could further intensify public scrutiny.  Mars is due to conjoin the natal Rahu on the 22nd and will then oppose his Moon (28 Scorpio) on the 23-24th.  These are unlikely to be times of triumph for the President as his enemies may become more active against him.

Rahu was similarly prominent in the chart of disgraced former President Richard Nixon at the time that he was on the defensive and fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox in the "Saturday Night Massacre" on October 20, 1973.  Cox had been appointed to investigate the Watergate break-in earlier that year in May but Nixon pulled the plug on him in an effort to short-circuit the investigation.  While Transiting Rahu (8 Sagittarius) wasn’t close to Nixon’s Ascendant, it was conjunct the key stellium of Mars-Mercury-Jupiter at 7-9 Sagittarius.  This stellium of planets was the most important feature of Nixon’s chart and could be said to act like a de facto second Ascendant.  Rahu’s transit of these planets introduced typically Rahuvian qualities of scandal, intrigue and secrecy into Nixon’s political career.  Just one week after Cox’s firing, the American public largely turned against Nixon and would remain opposed to his presidency until his resignation in the following August.

So maybe my previous Trump-Nixon analogy might not be far off.  I had suggested that Trump inauguration chart bore certain common qualities with the Nixon inauguration chart in 1973.  I didn’t think the afflictions in the Trump chart were quite as stark but there were some similarities given the close Mars (power) and Saturn (authority) alignments.  The raw, self-serving exercise of power may be the common thread in both inauguration charts although I am still uncertain about whether Trump will be able to serve out his term. 

The upcoming Mars-Saturn opposition on May 28th may serve as another focal point for additional troubles for "45".   It is quite possible we could see voices grow louder for an independent investigation of his Russia links leading up to this time, perhaps including the appointment of a special prosecutor. 

Interestingly, the chart of the President-elect of the United States (PEOTUS) also suggests that Trump will likely suffer further from the placement of Rahu in early Leo.  As I previously suggested, the transit of Rahu to the equal house 12th house cusp (= secrets, loss through unscrupulousness) in late April and May was likely to bring more problems to Trump.   I would expect the furor surrounding this latest Trump move to last into early June when Mars opposes Saturn and opposes the natal Venus in the PEOTUS chart and squares the Ascendant.  The Sun’s transit (21 Taurus) opposite natal Saturn (21 Scorpio) on June 4th may be another hint that Trump’s authority will be further questioned at this time. 

Trump could catch a break around the Jupiter direct station on June 9th.  He is running the Jupiter dasha period so its forward motion may straighten out some ongoing questions.  And yet it is difficult to imagine Trump suddenly becoming successful and wildly popular this summer since Saturn will station direct in close conjunction with his Moon-Ketu conjunction in late August.  It’s a very difficult combination which suggests isolation and disappointment.   Could the Trump presidency somehow get even worse this summer?  It seems it may.  But I would be surprised to see his resign with these transits.  It will likely be bad for him but it’s not that bad.  Or at least, not bad in that way.  Given the double affliction to the USA’s Mars (0 Gemini) this summer, it seems more likely that some major military action will become foremost on Trump’s agenda. 

Weekly Market Forecast

All of this political intrigue has yet to affect financial markets,  as stocks are still trading near their record highs.  The Dow finished Tuesday’s session largely unchanged from the previous week at 20,943.  Meanwhile, Indian shares have pushed higher this week as the Sensex finally made a new all-time high above 30,000.  I thought there was some bearish potential in the Saturn influence on the Mercury direct station late last week and early this week.  We did get some very modest downside last week, but sentiment looks somewhat better so far this week. 

The rest of this week looks mixed.  Friday stands out for its difficult Moon-Mars opposition, especially in the US.  A decline is more likely on this aspect.  Thursday looks less problematic for its part.  Next week could see more gains around the Venus-Jupiter aspect.  This is exact on Friday in Asia and Europe although its positive effects may manifest a day or two earlier.

For more details and analysis on market trends for this week, this month and this year, please check out my weekly MVA Investor Newsletter.  The newsletter is published every Saturday and includes extended discussion of US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil and major currencies.