(3 November 2024) Emotions are riding high on the eve of a hard-fought and often bitter US election campaign.  With most polls showing Donald Trump and Kamala Harris virtually tied, Tuesday’s election outcome may be a coin toss, although some pollsters such as Nate Silver are giving Trump a slight edge.   Given the long, drawn-out counting process in many states and the prospect of any number of legal challenges, it may be sometime before we know who will become the next president.

The transits this week do not offer much evidence of a clear-cut winner on Tuesday evening.  The very tense Mars-Pluto opposition is an apt reflection of the fever-pitched rhetoric that has polarized the US electorate as never before.  If there is a silver lining here, it is that Mars is now separating from its alignment with Pluto and thus there could be a lessening of tension later this week.  Perhaps that increases the odds of a winner being declared in the coming days.

However, we should also note the disruptive potential of Rahu (North Lunar Node).  Rahu will form a close, 120-degree/5th house aspect to both Mercury and Mars in the days immediately following the election.  Rahu tends to intensify and/or distort the symbolism of planets it aligns with.  Rahu-Mercury alignments are associated with unexpected events, miscommunication, and deception while Rahu-Mars alignments tend to bring out the bad side of Mars such as conflict, anger, and frustration.  Taken together, this double dose of Rahu suggests the election results are likely to be highly contentious.  Since the alignment is closest in the first half of the week, there is the possibility of clarity emerging later on in the week.

Thursday’s transits deserve special mention.  On that day, the Rahu-Mercury-Mars alignment will still be within effective range while the Mars-Pluto opposition will be highlighted through the Moon’s conjunction with Pluto.  This could coincide with an intensification of frustration and anger and could reflect blunt assertions of power by either party.  This potent transit set up may have negative repercussions in financial markets as well.

For those seeking respite from the election, relief could arrive on Saturday as the Moon is aspected by Jupiter in the morning (EST) while harmonious Venus forms a square with the universalizing effect of Neptune.  The Moon’s alignment with Jupiter will re-activate the benefic Jupiter-Chiron alignment which is still close but now separating.  As the Jupiter-Chiron alignment separates in November, we could see a gradual lessening in optimism and hope.  Nonetheless, the combined effects of these transits may provide more conducive energy for starting new projects, business meetings and social activities at the end of the week.

Based on my previous analysis, I still think Donald Trump is more likely to win, although I’m not sure when that will happen.   When the polls close, the Moon will be at 10-11 degrees of sidereal Sagittarius.  This will form a tight conjunction with the natal Jupiter of VP nominee JD Vance, although it doesn’t hit anything in Trump’s chart.  Venus (29 Scorpio) will be just one degree past a conjunction with Trump’s Moon and could signal some favorable situations.  That Venus is coming up to conjoin Kamala Harris’ 7th house cusp which could be somewhat good but not as favorable as its conjunction with Trump’s Moon.

Mars could bring troubles for both Trump and Harris.  Mars (6 Cancer) is sitting on Trump’s equal 12th house cusp signifying losses and punishment.  And yet Mars is also not doing any favors for Harris either as it squares her Sun-Mercury conjunction, suggesting frustration and anger.  Both transits are unhelpful but they may not be decisive for determining the winner.

We have to take all these transit placements with a grain of salt since the election is unlikely to be settled on Tuesday.  They may, however, represent passing subjective moods of the candidates.  Perhaps Mars will create some unwelcome results for Trump on Tuesday, where Harris could enjoy some short-term benefit from the Venus transit only to have to face up to the full negative effect of the Mars-Sun-Mercury square later in the week.

Some interesting days ahead to be sure.

Photo Credit: Joe Shlabotnik