(12 September 2024) Democratic nominee Kamala Harris took a big step forward in her campaign for the White House on Tuesday as she prevailed over Republican Donald Trump in a contentious and controversial presidential debate. While expectations for her were low, Harris’ performance silenced critics who thought she could not hold her own without the safety of a teleprompter. By appearing competent and presidential against Trump’s often flailing and angry approach, Kamala Harris is now in a better position to win the election in November.
While Harris’ debate win wasn’t too surprising given the favorable conjunction of the transiting Sun to her Venus at 24 Leo, I must admit I’m puzzled by the troubled state of Trump’s campaign in recent days. The transits to his natal chart do not suggest obvious problems since Saturn is widely squaring his Moon and Sun, but not close enough to have explained his debate setback and sagging numbers in betting markets.
Digging a bit deeper, I think there may be two more plausible reasons for the flagging Trump campaign. First, let’s look at the Saturn midpoints. While midpoints are commonly used in Western astrology, Vedic astrologers typically do not use of them. Personally, I only refer to them intermittently, especially when other factors do not offer a clear picture. As the most malefic planet, Saturn and its midpoints with other planets are potential sources of affliction. Arguably the most potent Saturn midpoints are those made with the slow-moving outer planets: Saturn-Uranus, Saturn-Neptune and Saturn-Pluto. Thus, the midpoint of Saturn (21 Aquarius) and Uranus (3 Taurus) is 27 Pisces. The midpoint of Saturn and Neptune (4 Pisces) is 28 Aquarius. The midpoint of Saturn and Pluto (5 Capricorn) is 28 Capricorn. We can see there is a clustering of these very negative midpoints at 27-28 degrees of their signs. Anyone with personal points (Ascendant, Sun, Moon) around 27 or 28 degrees of any sign is likely to be feeling Saturn’s constraining influence in some way these days.
As it happens Donald Trump was born on a Full Moon (and lunar eclipse) with his Sun at 29 Taurus and his Moon directly opposite at 28 Scorpio. In other words, all three of these difficult Saturn midpoints are aligning with both his Sun and Moon. The Moon alignment is that much closer and probably more relevant to his current challenges. Here I am not distinguishing any particular degree alignment or aspect as being stronger than another but instead assuming as significant an alignment of any multiple of 30 degrees.
The potential silver lining for Trump is that all three of this Saturn midpoints are now separating from his Moon. Saturn is due to continue its retrograde cycle and station at 18 Aquarius in November. This should lessen the influence of these midpoints as their respective alignments loosen. By election day on Nov 5, Saturn/Uranus will be at 25 Pisces, Saturn-Neptune will be at 25 Aquarius and Saturn/Pluto will be at 27 Capricorn. The Saturn/Pluto midpoint will still be close enough (just 1 degree) from forming an exact 60-degree alignment with his Moon and will exert some unwelcome impact. But the other two midpoint pairs will be much weaker and thus could provide a respite for Trump. But will it be enough to win the election?
The other reason for Trump’s current headaches can be seen in his Navamsa chart. This D-9 or 9th divisional chart (also known as the 9th harmonic in Western astrology) can serve as an all-purpose second chart, in addition to its traditional use as a chart for predicting marriage. If we overlay the degreewise Navamsa positions of the planets with current transits, we can see some obvious afflictions. Uranus is conjunct his Mars at 3 Taurus, Saturn is conjunct his Mercury at 22 Aquarius and Rahu is conjunct his Moon at 13 Pisces. These three influences are all stressful as the Uranus-Mars combination implies conflict and violence (e.g. the July assassination attempt), the Saturn-Mercury conjunction suggests disappointments and setbacks, and the Rahu-Moon conjunction signifies intense emotions and possible unhinged behavior. We have seen all three over the past month or so.
Here again, it is very possible that Trump’s fortunes could improve in the coming weeks as all three of these malefic conjunctions in Navamsa separate. The Saturn-Mercury conjunction is already past exact by one degree, but will be fully four degrees past by the November election. Rahu will move past the Moon in October and will be three degrees past exact in November. Uranus will be just two degrees past exact conjunction with Mars in November, and thus could be less disruptive of Trump’s efforts.
Of course, the Navamsa chart cannot replace the main Rasi chart as it must still be decisive in any interpretation. And yet if it lacks close aspects and shows mixed conditions, it makes sense to refer to the Navamsa D-9 chart as a back-up. Trump’s Navamsa chart is clearly under pressure at the moment and aptly reflects the challenges he is currently facing. As these afflictions lessen in October and November, it is very likely that the Trump campaign could get a boost.
As I have noted previously, I think Trump is more likely to win the presidency, although I don’t have high confidence in that prediction. The trio of three direct progressed planetary stations are huge pluses for his chances, but other factors seem a little lacking. Kamala Harris has to contend with negative effects of two retrograde progressed stations in the coming weeks, although she has some other placements which are quite favorable. If I were a betting man, I would still wager something on a Trump win, but maybe not too much. And definitely not the farm.
