(13 July 2024) The violent potential of the Mars-Uranus conjunction was realized today today as former President Donald Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump did not suffer serious wounds from the attack, although the blood near his ear suggested he may have been grazed by a bullet. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by the secret service.
The conjunction of Mars and Uranus occurs once every two years and often coincides with sudden and violent events as the aggressive nature of Mars combines with the intense energy of Uranus. This time around the conjunction was more likely to bring some disruption since it conjoined Algol, a fixed star with mostly negative connotations. The exact conjunction occurs on Monday morning at 2 Taurus — the first day of the Republican convention. Given the proximity of Mars to Uranus, it is possible we could see more significant events relating to the fallout of the shooting in the coming days.
The Mars-Uranus conjunction was likely going to be eventful for Trump since it exactly conjoins his MC/10th house cusp and forms a square with his natal Mars at 3 Leo. While the MC or 10th house cusp is not widely used in Vedic astrology, it is a very sensitive point in the chart when it is activated by transit or progression. The 10th house cusp marks the spot that is the highest point in the sky at the time of birth. Transiting Mars to natal Mars aspects are often times of conflict and strife, and all the more so when Uranus is in the mix.
Trump may be subject to more of this conflictual and combative Mars influence over the next week as Mars will square his Ascendant at 6 Leo. The danger to him will remain elevated during this time as the slow-moving Uranus will sit atop his Mc/10th house cusp. This will produce continued amplification of the fiery and intense Mars and Uranus energies since Mars will be activating the horizon/Asc, while Uranus simultaneously activates the zenith/10th house.
This Monday’s conjunction of the Sun with his natal Saturn (0 Cancer) looks unhelpful, as if his wishes will be blocked by an authority in some way. However, since this is a short-lived transit it may not represent anything too significant.
By surviving an assassination attempt, Trump has been handed a great political opportunity in the middle of a campaign. It will now be up to him to decide how he will respond to it. He is due to accept the nomination on Thursday, July 18 where he will deliver a closely-watched speech. If he is angry and vengeful, it could set a destructive tone for the rest of the campaign which could lead to an escalation of political violence. If he chooses to be more resilient and statesmanlike, it could benefit him immensely.
However, the continuing strong influence of Mars next week suggests that it may be difficult for him to remain calm and measured in his remarks. Mars will be at 4 Taurus on Thursday, just two degrees shy of an exact square with the Ascendant. And yet some of that potential harshness will likely be tempered by the transiting Sun conjoining his natal Venus at 2 Cancer. The Sun-Venus conjunction is usually positive and here it may simply reflect him winning the nomination and basking in the glow of victory. And yet it could help him avoid making some intemperate remarks.
This campaign is shaping up to be one for ages. Joe Biden is on the verge of withdrawing and now Trump has been targeted by an assassin. Perhaps the assassination attempt will now leave the Democrats with no choice but to dump Biden in order to try to generate some much-needed momentum. The shooting has boosted his betting odds by 6% in the three hours since it happened. Trump’s odds of winning are now 64%.
