(16 August 2024) The whirlwind candidacy of Kamala Harris seems unstoppable. The Harris nomination has provided a much-needed jolt of energy into the listless Joe Biden-led Democratic party that had been trailing Donald Trump in the polls for months. Under Harris’ presumptive leadership, Democrats now find themselves enjoying a slim lead in some national polls and most betting markets. With Harris grabbing all the media attention, Donald Trump is reported to be increasingly frustrated as his campaign is showing signs of sputtering.
How long can the Harris honeymoon last? With the Democratic convention coming up next week (Aug 19-22), it would not be surprising if she continued to do well in polling until she formally wins the nomination. And yet she is already getting some mainstream media criticism from today’s economic program announcement which did not include any funding sources for her proposals. This is a small bump in the road and may reflect the influence of the Mars (24 Taurus) square aspect to her natal Venus (24 Leo) which is exact on Saturday, August 17. Combined with the close Saturn opposition to her Venus, this weekend before the convention may prove to be stressful for Harris as the affliction to Venus can coincide with unhappy situations that bring conflict and discord.
Another potential setback may occur in the last week of August. At that time, Mars will conjoin both her Ascendant and her natal Rahu in the first degrees of sidereal Gemini. While Mars is a natural malefic, it can also bring energy and determination, especially in situations involving competition and prevailing over adversaries. However, the larger problem is this Mars-Ascendant conjunction will occur at the same time that Mercury is due to station direct on August 28 while conjunct her natal Mars at 28 Cancer. Due to the slow speed of Mercury around its station, this Mercury-Mars conjunction will actually be within effective range from Aug 22 until Sep 1. The Mercury-Mars conjunction can highlight intense and strategic communications which, if deployed carefully, can help the native realize their goals. However, since this conjunction lasts for more than a week, it is more likely we will see some nasty Mars-type fallout here as Mercury is often too vulnerable to handle the stronger energy of Mars.
Without jumping to conclusions, this double Mars influence could simply be Harris expressing open and vociferous disagreement with Donald Trump against a larger backdrop of a combative election campaign. But there is a real risk that Harris could get the worst of it, as the atmosphere of conflict could create some awkward situations for her.
There is another reason to pay special attention to the late August time frame. As I noted in a previous post, Kamala Harris’ tertiary progressed Uranus will station retrograde on August 27. While the exact date need not be significant, it is another reason to pay extra attention to the last week of August. As a planet associated with sudden events, a retrograde Uranus station suggests that there could be an unexpected and unwelcome development for Harris. As a general rule of thumb, direct Uranus stations tend to be more positive in their effects, while retrograde stations tend to be more negative.
Of course, every campaign has its share of ups and downs. With Harris riding high in the polls ahead of the convention, it would not be unusual for the nominee to lose some of that momentum as the campaign enters a more routine phase with multiple daily appearances and media interviews.
This will all be part of the lead-in to the debate with Donald Trump on September 10. Harris’s Sun-Venus conjunction on that day looks very good as suggests she will shine in this major public appearance. However, we should note the transit of Mars (9 Gemini) over her relocated 12th house cusp (10 Gemini) for Philadelphia, the site of the debate. This Mars influence looks unhelpful and may go beyond simply reflecting the adversarial nature of the debate itself. I hope to write a longer post about the debate in the coming days.
