(15 July 2021) “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”   With these words uttered in 1858, the future President Abraham Lincoln warned of the coming US civil war.  Borne of a violent war of independence against Britain, the US was never going to be a mild-mannered country.  The bloody Civil War (1861-1865) seemed to only cement its cultural proclivity for bold action and conflict, if deemed necessary.

Nowadays, we can see that the US is becoming an increasingly divided country once again as the two warring political parties appear more polarized than ever.  This division took root under George W. Bush and Barack Obama, only to see the Trump presidency amplify it even further.  Despite Joe Biden’s promise as a moderating force after the raucous Trump years, America remains as divided as ever.  If anything, the pandemic has likely deepened the cultural divide between liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans, as cooperation and compromise is in short supply on every conceivable issue — Covid, the economy, censorship, climate change, and race relations.

From an astrological perspective, the Biden presidency seems unlikely to mend any fences.  One key data point in this respect is the Inauguration chart for noon, January 20, 2021.  The presidential swearing-in horoscope is a symbolic representation of the themes that will be prominent for the next four years.  As I have previously noted, the Biden Inauguration chart is very afflicted.

Aggressive Mars forms an exact conjunction with unstable Uranus in the 1st house in Aries.  This is a pattern that points to potentially historic events unfolding during Biden’s term.  The Mars-Uranus combination is usually associated with conflict and violence, especially since it is placed here in the 1st house of the body/nation.  This placement definitely increases the likelihood of some kind of military action between 2021 and 2024.  In addition, however, the involvement of the 1st house could mean that the conflict could be focused within the nation itself.

One key time window to watch for is this coming September and October.  At that time, Saturn is due to station direct at 12 Capricorn, thus forming an exact 90-degree square alignment with Mars and Uranus.  Saturn is a malefic planet which is often implicated in difficult situations.  In this instance, it should be seen as a catalyst or trigger for the powder keg of Mars-Uranus energy.  Moreover, transiting Rahu will form a 120 degree aspect with Saturn and the Sun in the 10th house.  Like Saturn, Rahu is considered a natural malefic which can cause problems.   Since the 10th house represents government and leaders, the Rahu influence could symbolize a disruption of the US government in some way.

The Biden presidency may therefore come under intense stress with these two simultaneous aspects.  As I have suggested before, Biden himself may be the focus of attention here, as these afflictions may bring major political changes.   One possible scenario could be his resignation although other scenarios are also very possible.  In any event, these stresses seem likely to amplify the political and cultural divisions in the US.

Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks have remained near their record highs this week despite ongoing inflation concerns.  For now, the Fed seems content with monitoring the situation without actually providing any details on when tapering of its QE asset purchases may begin.  This is good news for investors as the endless injections of government and central bank cash keeps stock prices inflated alongside most other things in the economy.

Next week could see a bit more uncertainty enter into the market, however, as Mars enters Leo and aligns with Pluto.  And using somewhat broader parameters, Mars will also form minor alignments with Rahu and Saturn early next week.  Overall, this seems more likely to coincide with some downside.

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