(5 April 2023) The run-up to the US election season took an unusual turn this week as former President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury in New York. The leading candidate to be the nominee for the Republican party in 2024 is facing 34 felony charges relating to hush money payments he made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 before becoming president. Whatever the merits of the case, Trump’s path back to the White House just became more complicated.
Trump’s current predicament is not at all surprising to astrologers. As I suggested last year, Trump was likely to be bogged down with difficulties throughout last year and into this year due to multiple afflictions to his natal chart. Transiting Neptune was parked in a near-stationary square with his Sun and suggested a loss of vitality and focus. Pluto was conjunct his 6th house cusp symbolizing power plays, coercion from enemies, and legal troubles. And just in time for the indictment, Saturn opposed his Ascendant creating setbacks and frustrations. The indictment is also the consequence of the malefic Grand Trine alignment of Saturn, Ketu and Mars as it closely aligned with his Ascendant within just a few degrees.
While these afflictions present a serious obstacle for Trump’s candidacy, I’m less convinced that they will knock him out of the race. In the short term, Trump will likely remain on the defensive until June when Saturn stations at 13 Aquarius and thus forms a close alignment to his natal Mercury at 15 Gemini, as well as minor alignments with his Sun and Moon. So the next couple of months could be quite challenging for him and his defense team. Whether or not things get substantially worse for him is harder to say, however.
However, Trump’s fortunes are likely to improve in the summer as Saturn backs off its alignment with Mercury and Venus stations retrograde while in conjunction with his Ascendant in July. There are several possible positive scenarios for him this summer, including having his case thrown out after an appeal to a higher court. But even if the afflictions of Saturn, Ketu and Mars dissipate, Trump will still have to contend with the effects of the ongoing conjunction of Pluto to his 6th house cusp. Regardless of the twists and turns of the current indictment, the legal pressure against him will likely continue in some form for the rest of 2023.
His troubles may intensify once again in the fall as Saturn stations direct while conjunct his 7th house cusp at 6 Aquarius. This could refer to renewed obstacles in the nomination race, either due to bad polling numbers or unresolved legal issues. It may also refer to marital troubles since the 7th house symbolizes marriage. The ongoing Saturn transit to his 7th house this year cannot be good for his marriage to Melania, especially given the sordid details of the legal case involving the adult film actress. Any potential marital troubles may be especially worrying for a politician like Trump who must project the appearance of being part of a happy couple on the campaign trail.
And yet his transits look quite good for Election Day on November 5, 2024. Uranus conjunct his Midheaven (10th house cusp) suggesting a sudden surge in status and public profile. Jupiter is conjunction his natal Uranus (“major rewards”) and Venus is conjunct his Moon (“happiness”). While I haven’t yet done a full analysis of his chart for the election, it does look generally positive. In future posts, I will assess President Biden’s chances, as well as attempt to interpret DeSantis’ chart without a birth time.
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
