(12 May 2024)  With the November election looming, Joe Biden certainly has his hands full.  The US president continues to lag Donald Trump in the opinion polls as his campaign platform has yet to gain much traction.  Despite the insistence that free-spending Bidenomics is working, most Americans are still worried about inflation and the increasing unaffordability of daily life.  Throw in an ongoing border crisis that his administration is unwilling or unable to fix and the very divisive Israel-Hamas war, and it is obvious why a second Biden term is looking a bit less likely.

The war in Gaza is the latest political headache for Biden.  Despite being a staunch ally of Israel, the US is starting to voice criticism of Israel’s prosecution of the war as it plans to enter the Southern city of Rafah.  With most Western allies firmly opposed to the invasion of the densely-populated city of Rafah, Biden took the unprecedented step last week of threatening to halt the supply of arms to Israel if it entered Rafah.  The threat comes as Biden is attempting to appease the left wing of the Democratic party which has become pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel in recent years.  Biden’s criticism of Israel may also be a political calculation as he tries to curry favor with Muslim voters, especially in the swing state of Michigan, which could prove decisive in the November election.

Part of Biden’s Gaza problem may lie in his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  The leaders not only have different interests and goals in the current conflict, but there is growing frustration within the Democratic party with Netanyahu.  With his combative conservative perspective, Netanyahu has alienated many former supporters in the US.  Majority Senate Leader Chuck Schumer even went so far as to demand new Israeli elections so that Netanyahu could be replaced.

The tense Biden-Netanyahu relationship is clear to see in their horoscopes.  Using an overlay biwheel, we can see that Netanyahu’s Mars (3 Leo) forms a very close square with Biden’s Sun (4 Scorpio) and Venus (5 Scorpio) in the 1st house.  As a rule, Mars aspects tend to increase friction between two people, and the square is even more likely to do so than other aspects.  In Mars-Sun alignments, the Mars individual challenges the leadership of the Sun individual and thereby creates conflict.  In Mars-Venus alignments, the Mars person thwarts the success, happiness and comfort of the Venus person, usually through assertive or aggressive means.

In addition, we see that Biden’s Saturn (16 Taurus) is in close opposition to Netanyahu’s Venus (19 Scorpio).  Thus, Biden’s stubbornness and adherence to traditions and rules (however defined) blocks Netanyahu’s success and happiness as measured through his Venus.  Also, Netanyahu’s leadership style as seen in the Sun (4 Libra) may unsettle Biden’s peace of mind and emotional stability as seen in his Moon (8 Aries).  While it is quite common for two people have some difficult relationship alignments, this is often offset by the presence of some positive alignments.  However, the Biden-Netanyahu relationship does have any major positive alignments which might serve to mitigate the negatives.  It is therefore a relationship fraught with conflict.

So what could happen now?  Biden’s chart looks quite tense this week as the approaching Mars-Rahu conjunction (19 Pisces) on May 18 forms an exact full-strength 8th house quincunx aspect to his natal Mars (19 Libra).  This double dose of Mars is likely to coincide with more anger and frustration.  While it need not stem from Israel’s actions in Gaza, it nonetheless seems like one plausible scenario, perhaps as Israel finally moves into Rafah.   Regardless of what happens this week, Biden is likely to remain under considerable stress for the foreseeable future given the Saturn (23 Aquarius) opposition to the unequal 10th house cusp (Midheaven/MC) at 26 Leo. Hard aspects involving Saturn and the 10th house usually brings disappointments and setbacks in career which damage the individual’s status and prestige.

However, some relief may be in sight as Jupiter and the Sun-Jupiter conjunction (3 Taurus) approaches his 7th house cusp at 10 Taurus.  In individual charts, the 7th house represents the married spouse and business partners, but in national charts this can often symbolize allies and treaty partners such as Israel.  With Jupiter transiting through the 7th house cusp in Biden’s chart, we could see less friction between the US and Israel in the coming weeks.  Given the US stated preference for a ceasefire in Gaza, there is some reason to think that hostilities could end fairly soon.