The astrology behind the McCain-Trump feud

(27 August 2018) The passing of Republican Senator John McCain on Saturday has highlighted the deep divisions in US politics.   McCain was one of the longest-serving and most respected Senators who was known for his sense of honor and human decency and his ability to rise above partisanship when necessary.  He also staunchly opposed President Donald Trump and the changes he has wrought in the Republican Party. Trump's ascension to the White House has transformed the GOP from a "big tent" right of center party into a vengeful, ethno-nationalist populist party. 

There was no love lost between McCain and Trump.  Trump famously insulted McCain during the 2016 campaign when he cast aspersions on McCain's long captivity and torture in North Vietnam.  But McCain got the better of Trump when he delivered the famous 'thumbs down' deciding vote against the GOP's repeal of Obamacare in July 2017.  Trump has maintained his disdain even with the death of McCain as he never even mentioned his name in the official White House announcement of his passing, let alone offer any praise for his life of public service.  Before he died, McCain also expressly stated that Trump was not allowed to attend his funeral which will be held on Saturday.  He called instead for eulogies to be given by former presidents and political rivals, George W Bush and Barack Obama.  Even in death, the bitterness remains.

It is interesting to see how this level of rancor and enmity manifests itself in the horoscopes.  While it can be useful to do a standard overlay comparison of the charts (e.g.  A's Mars is opposite B's Sun, etc.), I am currently in the thrall of Davison Relationship charts.  These are derived charts that take the temporal midpoint of the births of two people in order to cast a third chart.  This halfway mark between the dates of birth of two people is often very telling in terms of describing the nature of their relationship.  It can also give an accurate timing of events that impact the relationship through transits and progressions. 

Trump was born on 14 June 1946 while McCain was born 10 years earlier on 29 August 1936.  Their derived relationship chart therefore takes the halfway point in between -- 22 July 1941 at 7.09 p.m.  The resulting chart is very clearly reflects their mutual disdain.   Saturn is sitting on the 7th cusp directly opposite the Ascendant.  Cold, austere, no emotional connection at all.  Saturn is aspected by Neptune-Rahu very closely and thus makes the Saturn influence even more harsh, unbending, and unusually intense. 

The other thing to notice is that Venus is also part of that large Saturn alignment as it sits up in the 10th house in a close square with Saturn.  While it would be tempting to think that this strong, angular Venus might somehow offset the exaggerated and harsh Saturn influence, it actually makes it worse.  A Venus-Saturn square nullifies all the pleasant, social Venus side of a relationship.  The fact that it is highlighted on the angles with the Ascendant in focus adds an additional layer of cold detachment.  Since the Venus-Saturn-Rahu-Neptune alignment is so closely aligned with the Ascendant, it may well reflect the public nature of their mutual dislike.  The angularity of the planetary alignments pushes those qualities into the public sphere.  As a result, Trump and McCain are famous for hating each other. 

The Moon-Mercury conjunction in Gemini in the 8th house is almost exactly squared by Mars.  This is clearly a relationship characterized by conflict, frustration and anger.  A close Mars aspect to either the Moon or Mercury would have been sufficient to generate some conflict but this is a double whammy since both the Moon and Mercury are subject to the energy of Mars.  It is difficult to imagine a more hostile alignment of planets between two people.

At the time of McCain's deciding vote against the GOP Obamacare repeal, Rahu was sitting near the 10th house cusp conjunct Venus and activating that Saturn alignment.  Since Rahu is the planet of disruption and surprises, this placement was an apt reflection of the sudden nature of McCain's vote.  It wasn't clear how he would vote until prhaps an hour before the roll was taken.  The Sun-Mars conjunction at 10-11 Cancer was exactly conjunct natal Pluto, the planet of power and coercion.  Clearly, this was McCain's power play against Trump as he stuck to his principles.  The vote was the political defining event in their troubled relationship.

The upcoming funeral on Saturday, 1 September also should highlight their rancorous relationship.  The near-stationary and powerful Mars is in close opposition to the Sun suggesting that the memorial service will be another instance where their mutual dislike will be on display.  Venus will be conjunct the cusp of the 12th house of loss and isolation.  This symbolizes the absence of any Venusian sense of sociality or mutual empathy.  Mercury's placement near the top of the chart could represent how their dysfunctional relationship will be communicated and shared with a wider audience through the media coverage of the event.


Weekly Market Forecast 

Stocks have continued to march higher as the summer nears its end.  Most of the major US indexes have hit all-time highs, with the notable exception of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.  I thought we might have seen some weakness come into the market last week as we approached the Full Moon and the Mars direct station. That really hasn't happened yet, however, and Monday's rally on the possible NAFTA breakthrough did not hint at any imminent declines. 

While stocks could rise a bit further from here, I still think the clock is ticking on this rally.  The time around the Saturn-Uranus-Rahu alignment in September is likely to shift the market logic.  Saturn is due to station direct on 6 September so that first week of September is definitely one to watch.  But this week there is more of a mix of alignments.  Today's gain was fairly predictable on the bullish Moon-Mercury-Jupiter alignment.  Tuesday looks much less positive, however, so we could see some profit-taking and some downside.  Wednesday also looks suspect as the Moon will still be close to Full and also in the 8th house from the Sun.  I wouldn't expect anything too dramatic this week but maybe the tides will begin to turn on the market.

For more details on the short and medium outlook for the markets, check out my weekly investor newsletter.  I cover US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil, and major currencies.

US midterm elections: can the Democrats win?

(21 August 2018) As the summer winds down, attention is shifting towards the US midterm elections in November.  These elections will be particularly important this year since they will largely be a referendum on the turbulent Trump presidency.  Currently, the Republicans control both houses of Congress as that has helped Trump to implement his agenda.  But if the Democrats win the House and possibly the Senate, then Trump would be hamstrung and effectively neutralized.  It would also likely mean that impeachment proceedings would begin in early 2019. 

At the moment, most analysts believe the Democrats are likely to win the House of Representatives.  The political betting site Predictit.org puts the odds at 67% while Fivethirtyeight.com gives it a 75% probability.  A Democrat win of the Senate is more unlikely with around just a 25% probability. 

My readings of the horoscopes of the key players suggest that the Democrats are likely to do well in the elections on November 6th.  For starters, President Trump's chart looks difficult at that time.  Transiting Mars (0 Aquarius) will be squaring his MC/10th house cusp indicating stressful situations relating to career and status.  Mars will also oppose its natal position in the 1st house and align with Saturn and Venus in his 12th house.  None of these hits suggest winning bigly.  Rahu (North Lunar Node) will be conjunct his 12th house cusp representing loss.  This is often a bad transit which correlates with disruptive events that break with the status quo and cause disappointment. 

Jupiter will be transiting his 4th house cusp in November so that could be a saving grace.  Maybe the GOP holds on to the Senate with this transit.  And yet Jupiter hits are no guarantee of positive results, especially when the rest of this chart is this afflicted.  Jupiter is often weaker at the bottom of the chart and could represent a turning inward (4th house = mind) as a consequence of negative events in the world.

The other thing to remember about Donald Trump's chart is that he enters his Jupiter-Saturn dasha period on November 19 according to the Krishnamurthi ayanamsha.  For the duration of his presidency, he has been running the much stronger Jupiter-Jupiter dasha.  As of November, he should have a worsening of fortunes over the next 2+ years.  Saturn is poorly placed in his 12th house, albeit next to Venus.  This dasha period could bring about separation or divorce from his wife Melania since Saturn is conjunct Venus, the planet of marriage.  The 2018-2020 period may also be a time when secret 12th house matters involving women and sex (Venus) bring him embarrassment and scandal. 

Compare Trump's chart with Barack Obama, the former Democrat president.  If Obama's horoscope is well-aspected, then it seems more likely that the Democrats will do well in the midterms.  That does seem to be the case as Jupiter (5 Scorpio) is exactly conjunct his 10th house cusp/MC which symbolizes career and status.  When benefics such as Jupiter align with this point, the person usually has good news regarding career.  As an added boost, Jupiter will aspect Obama's Mercury in November. 

Since Trump's chart looks bad on November 6th and Obama's chart looks good, it seems more likely that the Democrats will regain control of at least the House.  Therefore, the astrology would seem to support the prevailing view that the Democrats will win.  But can they also win the Senate which most analysts are saying is a long shot? 

I don't have any strong opinions on that question, although a look at the horoscope of the Democrat Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer suggests it's possible.  Schumer was born with the Sun at 7 Scorpio so Jupiter will be closely conjunct at the time of the election.  This is a very positive placement.  Also, Venus will be in aspect with his natal Jupiter in early November.  Unfortunately, Schumer's birth time is unknown so we can only use his approximated chart cast for noon. 

GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell's chart looks unimpressive for November.  Again, he have no birth time for him so we have to use the noon chart.  Unlike Schumer's chart, Jupiter is not aspecting any planet in McConnell's chart.  More negatively, Saturn (11 Sagittarius) will be casting its full strength 3rd house aspect to the Sun.  Moreover, it will align closely with Venus (12 Capricorn), Pluto (12 Cancer) and possibly the Aries Moon also, depending on his exact birth time.  These hits strongly suggest that McConnell will not have much to celebrate in November. 

Of course, it may not mean that the GOP loses the Senate. McConnell's chart would likely be afflicted in November anyway if the Democrats simply won the House since it would damage his party's fortunes overall. But the level of affliction hints at possibility of bigger problems than simply losing the House.  McConnell and the other GOP bigwigs likely already expect to lose the House.  This suggests that the midterm losses the GOP suffers will be greater than expected, including maybe losing the Senate. 

I will revisit this question in the coming weeks as the election draws closer.


Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks have generally been bullish thus far in August.  In fact, the S&P 500 made a new record high today at 2873 before pulling back at the close. Indian stocks have also hit records as the BSE Sensex is now trading above 38,000.  In my previous forecast two weeks ago, I thought that the rally in stocks might start to weaken last week in the wake of the New Moon.  That hasn't really happened although we did see some down days on Monday and Wednesday last week. 

So where do stocks go now?  While the bulls are very much in control, some kind of pullback also looks likely in the coming days.  The Full Moon on Sunday, August 26th is a bearish influence, as is the Mars direct station on Monday the 27th.  Therefore, the rest of the week may see increased caution.  Wednesday's Moon-Pluto conjunction is a possible signal in that regard, although Venus will be bullishly aligned with Jupiter and Neptune as well.  This could offset some of the brewing negativity.  Mars aspects the Sun again tomorrow, however, so that is an additional burden on sentiment.  I would note that Mars has been in aspect with the Sun on Monday and Tuesday already with few obviously negative effects.  Thursday's Moon-Mars conjunction looks more volatile and could turn an initially positive week into a losing one. 


For more details on the short and medium outlook for the markets, check out my weekly investor newsletter.  I cover US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil, and major currencies.

Who is winning the US-China war?

(6 August 2018) The ongoing trade war between the US and China shows no signs of abating.  Last week, President Trump announced his intention to slap 25% tariffs on another $200 Billion worth of Chinese goods. China's response was muted as they only targeted $60 Billion worth of US products for tariffs.  While there is much gnashing of teeth about the possible global economic fallout of a full-scale trade war and a return to 1930s-style protectionism, so far financial markets are taking a wait-and-see approach.  At least they are in the US, where most stock indexes are again near their all-time highs from January.  The Dow Jones is comprised of more trade dependent companies so it has been lagging the NASDAQ and S&P 500.

But Chinese stocks have fared much worse and have actually entered a bear market as the Shanghai Index (SSEC) has fallen more than 20% from its January highs.  While global markets all sold off sharply in January, it should be noted that Trump announced the first tariffs on Chinese goods on January 23 as part of his "America First" economic policy.  Much of the global decline can be attributed to this action. 

As the SSEC price chart shows, this coincided closely with the decline.  One reason why tariffs have hit China harder than the US is because its economy is more trade-dependent.  Financial markets believe the US is in a better position to ride out any ongoing trade tensions, especially if its domestic growth remains stronger than the rest of the world.

The Davison relationship horoscope for the US and China aptly reflects this growing trade dispute.  The US-China relationship chart cast for the temporal midpoint of 17 February 1863, was under considerable stress in January when Ketu (South Lunar Node) was conjunct the Moon-Mercury conjunction (22 Cancer), very close to the 7th house cusp.  Ketu disrupts and interrupts the status quo and is usually seen as a malefic influence.  Mercury symbolizes commerce and the Moon represents collective mood and mindset.  Therefore, we can see that Ketu's transit of this very powerful and close conjunction of the Moon and Mercury would have significant effects.  As an additional layer of sudden change, transiting Ketu also closely aspected the natal Ketu-Uranus conjunction in the chart.

Moreover, Pluto (power, coercion, manipulation) is in a near-exact 120 degree angle with Mars, the planet of conflict, aggression and assertion.  While the 120 degree angle is seen as less damaging than a 90 or 180 degree angle, it is still a potent combination that indicates an extended time period of tension and conflict between the US and China.  In recent weeks, Saturn has been squaring its natal position (12 Sagittarius) and thus creating a climate of frustration, distrust and hardship. 


So what does the future hold?  The month of August could see some improvement in relations between the two countries as Mercury will align with Jupiter and Neptune this week.  This will align with the natal Venus (22 Aquarius) and offer the possibility of a much-sought after trade deal.  But I think there is also good reason to think that the tensions will worsen in September.  Mars is due to station direct on 27 August at 4 Capricorn and then it will approach the Moon-Mercury conjunction in September and October.  This looks unhelpful in terms of the chances for an enduring trade deal.  The Mars influence could be felt most intensely in mid to late October when the conjunction is closest. This could signify any deal falling apart or some other area of dispute arising, such as involving North Korea.

Another aspect of this situation is the afflicted chart of Chinese President Xi Jinping (15 June 1953).  Xi has been coming under unprecedented domestic criticism over the past week or two as middle and upper class investors has expressed disappointment with China's response to the trade war.  The upcoming Saturn station in September will oppose his natal Mars very closely -- within one degree -- and could indicate a very turbulent and difficult political situation for him.  It is possible that Xi himself could be forced out of power although it could also be a less serious event such as China suffering additional economic distress in financial markets. 

While it is usually a better astrological practice to expect more moderate outcomes, I would note that China's horoscope is very afflicted at this time.  The South Node Ketu and Mars are conjunct the Capricorn Ascendant while Saturn stations direct at 8 Sagittarius which is exactly on the equal 12th house cusp.  Saturn is due to square China's Sun and Mercury over the next year so that will likely reflect some ongoing disappointment and frustration with government and the economy.  I suspect that I will be returning to this topic again fairly soon as the situation develops.


Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks have moved higher since the Full Moon and lunar eclipse on 27 July.  While there was indeed the expected pullback in the days following the Full Moon, the decline was surprisingly modest.  I thought we might have seen more selling given the tense Mars and Saturn alignments around the time of the lunar eclipse.   Although disappointing, the fact that we did see at least a small pullback nonetheless confirmed the notion of relatively bearish effects around the Full Moon period. 

Now the NASDAQ is at all-time highs after Apple posted strong earnings and became the first $1 Trillion corporation.  The Dow is still lagging other indexes as it is still holding on to the 25,500 level. Stocks have rallied in recent days as we approach a more bullish New Moon.  As it happens, this New Moon will also be a solar eclipse which occurs on Saturday, 11 August.  This is a positive factor for stocks this week.  Also we can see that the Sun-Mercury conjunction after hours on Wednesday the 8th will align fairly closely with Jupiter and Neptune.  This is another generally positive influence for the week.  So the stars this week offer support to the expectation that we could see new all-time highs in US and Indian stocks.  To be sure, it is unlikely to be a straight line upwards, but there are no strongly negative short term patterns in play this week.  Next week looks more mixed by comparison so markets may finally be approaching a time of reckoning.

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