US forecast Jun 8 - Jul 5, 2020

[Jim Eshelman]

USA Mundane Forecast
for the four weeks beginning JUNE 8, 2000
If you are unfamiliar with the methods and interpretations of Sidereal mundane astrology, please see my free book Sidereal Mundane Astrology. (A link to the current edition can be found near the top of the Publications sub-forum.) For standard interpretations, see Chapter 8 of the current (17th) Edition.

LONG-TERM (Solar Ingresses)
(Summarized from my original interpretation of the 2020 Capsolar in the January 15 forecast.) For the U.S., the 12 months beginning January 15, 2020 are dominated by Uranus on Eastpoint mundanely square a Sun-Saturn-Pluto conjunction at Midheaven. This difficult year will have more challenges than blessings and foreshadows even more severe patterns in 2021. (Much of what follows describes the coronavirus pandemic and civil outrage thus far.)

• Uranus: A year full of surprises, sudden ruptures or eruption, shock, revelation, overflowing of limits and boundaries, surprise attacks, changes in foreign relations or leadership, riots and revolts.
• Sun, Saturn, and Pluto are the main story: This year will be a horrible struggle with great damage along the way. It seems astrologically inconceivable that Trump's presidency will survive the year.
• Saturn-Pluto: Hardship including catastrophic disasters laying waste to a landscape, feeling irrevocable loss or separation, a seemingly apocalyptic time, even (in the extreme) the downfall of cities and nations.
• Sun-Saturn-Pluto across Florida, New Orleans, and coastal Mississippi: devastating hurricanes this year, after the fashion of Hurricane Andrew. Mars through Santa Barbara County sparks unusually severe fire. See the maps.
• Sun-Saturn: Sad, arduous events; death or restraint of leaders; government gridlock; restrictive, controlling, or failing government that causes or worsens disaster, fiscal crisis, structural collapses, natural disasters, events requiring government oversight and response.
• Sun-Pluto: Diverse possibilities from natural disasters to political confrontation; removing or assailing those in power, rebelling against conventions, disrespect for and disobeying the law.
• Saturn-Uranus: Bubble-bursting, harsh reality, wide pendulum swings between freedom-restriction, liberality-conservatism, liberty vs. safety, change vs. status quo.
• Uranus-Pluto: Destabilizing, revolutionary, revising, remapping, anti-establishment, antigovernmental: a spirit of revolution dismantles current systems and tears down existing structures; people ignore, challenge, or reject precedent, custom, convention, and authority.
• Sun-Uranus: Sudden, startling, explosive, surprise attacks, leadership changes, life-altering technology.

Amidst deep cultural divisions, the nation is hurled closer to a spirit of revolution. As Pluto transitions from Sagittarius to Capricorn, every solar or lunar cardinal ingress of the next three years worldwide will have Sun or Moon closely conjunct, opposite, or square Pluto.

Arisolar (Apr 14)
Due to a dormant Cansolar, the Arisolar is the Quarter chart from April 14 to October 17. It is marked by a single aspect, Venus square Mars: Venus rises (0°31', dignified in Taurus); Mars culminates (1°33', dignified in Capricorn); and Venus squares Mars 1°03' in mundo.

Foremost, the aspect means passion in every respect. People feel powerfully about things. In an election year, we expect inflamed passions to prevail over reason across the terrain of political engagement (i.e., the usual). More broadly, great restlessness sweeps the land, tempers burn short, and selfish wants win out over any greater social mindfulness. Venus-Mars also frays international relations with wounded alliances and even military attacks.

MEDIUM-TERM (The Bridge)
Most of the month centers on Jupiter; some of it adds Mars. The time is primarily healing, recovering, and expanding. Bridge zones are: June 6-19 Jupiter. June 20 to July 5 Jupiter Mars.

• Jupiter conjoins Capsolar MC all month and is emphasized worldwide in every lunar ingress. In the U.S., expect that stimulus programs continue and expand, stalled economies move toward "open for business," and people feel expansive.
• Mars is active June 20 to the end (square U.S. Cansolar MC 6/20-26, then opposite Capsolar Moon worldwide). Expect new levels of struggle and much restlessness and rebellion as people push boundaries. A keyword is expensive.

Mars is in Aquarius with Neptune until June 19, then enters Pisces: Thus far, Mars in Aquarius has brought the tension between continuing lockdown vs. a strong desire to break out and open up, plus explosive protest on human rights themes. Beginning June 19, Mars in Pisces will change the primary day-to-day story with new themes dominating headlines. Jupiter retrograde into Sagittarius June 22. Summaries of longer-term trends from outer planet sign transits are here.

SHORT-TERM (Lunar Ingresses)

Liblunar (Jun 2)

20200602 LiLun.jpg

The Liblunar covers the four weeks June 2-29 due to three intervening dormant ingresses. This makes it one of the most important ingresses of the year. Moon conjoins Pluto (0°21') and Jupiter (1°40'). The loudest focus is on Uranus, especially the Moon-Uranus aspect.

Uranus rises (1°12'), Moon sets (2°03'), they are opposite in mundo within about 3°, their midpoint 0°26' from the horizon. Moon-Uranus is the premier aspect for these four weeks.

Therefore, this is the month that everything changes. Let nothing surprise you because everything is likely to surprise you, even in the always-surprising conditions to which we have become accustomed. Moon-Uranus especially means adaptation and reorientation to shifting circumstances. Expect new conditions and rapid new responses. The phrase "new normal" will be commonplace. Many of our most routine, familiar behaviors will be redesigned for the duration (in addition to the new, strategic uses of technology, which, by then, may already have become old and familiar). The Liblunar is consistent with civil instability and demands for freedom, social change, and populist arousal.

June is the month the nation gets back to work, back to the office, back to more of our ordinary activities - at least, for the duration of the summer. October's Libsolar will bring a more dangerous reality; August has several deadly indications; but for June and July, the country pursues a sense of normalcy despite knowing that there are still snakes in the tall grass.

Caplunar (Jun 8)
The Caplunar is dormant. (The Liblunar continues as the primary lunar ingress.) Moon conjoins Pluto (0°06' in mundo) and Jupiter (1°15') continuing the ongoing Jupiter-Pluto emphasis with focus on turning a corner (or reversing the tide); reconstructing a social order; effective alliance; ethnic or nationalist coalescing; reversals in political or money matters; and recovery, healing, or correction of wrong, unjust, dangerous, or undermined conditions.

• 6/8: CanQ Asc sq. Cansolar Mars

Arilunar (Jun 15)
The Arilunar is dormant. The Liblunar continues as the primary lunar ingress. Moon squares Pluto (0°36') and Jupiter (0°38') with the same meaning as above.

Canlunar (Jun 22)
The Canlunar is dormant. The Liblunar continues as the primary lunar ingress. Moon opposes Jupiter (0°06') and Pluto (0°45') with the same meaning as above but also opposes Saturn (2°22' in mundo), suggesting that dire conditions return (e.g., perhaps pandemic deaths again rising).

• 6/27: CapQ IC = Capsolar Jupiter
• 6/28 CapQ Asc sq. T Mercury = Capsolar Jupiter

Liblunar (Jun 29)

20200629 LiLun.jpg

The Liblunar covers June 29-July 5, including the July 4 holiday weekend. It sets up one of the most important Caplunars of the year the following week.

Venus squares Ascendant. People are significantly more social and feel generally happy. Moon squares Jupiter and Pluto, with Jupiter-Pluto 0°04' from exact conjunction. (Phoenix and Salt Lake City get the strongest brunt of this conjunction.)

However, this happiness and sociability come at a cost. Saturn joins Jupiter and (especially) Pluto in azimuth, forming three PVP conjunctions. Saturn brings a darker side to Jupiter-Pluto with political undermining, unstable prosperity, and freakish weather extremes.

A prevailing conversation will center on pursuing success through sensible, conscientious patience. Unlike earlier months, focus is less on immediate survival and more on rebuilding, perhaps using the nation's birthday to reconceive where we want this country to go. Jupiter-Pluto fuels strong desires to contribute to community and the social order and a willingness to repair through social restructuring as old social patterns start to crumble.

• 7/2: CanQ EP = Cansolar Jupiter
• 7/4: CanQ mc sq. Cansolar Jupiter

[Jim Eshelman]

PROGRESSIONS & DIRECTIONS
Long-running progressions continue: p Mars sx. r Pluto & p Mars ssq. r Mars (contentious); p Sun-Venus ssq. (celebrity); and p Mercury sx. r Jupiter and r Uranus (surprising luck and success in business and cutting deals). - The Mercury-Jupiter sextile is exact this month, exactly on his birthday, so one might expect a surprising success in business, celebrity, or reputation that is out of context of everything else showing in his charts.

Among his Solar Arc directions, d Moon is sqq. r Jupiter and d Mars sqq. r Sun, both of which will be exact near Election Day. This actualizes his natal Mo/Su = Ma/Ju 0°03' (conjunction at 28°05'/08' Leo). - Directed Ascendant sq. r Pluto, separating 45', probably has indicted his confrontation with the pandemic.

2020 SIDEREAL SOLAR RETURN
Donald Trump's new SSR occurs June 14 at 9:58 AM EDT. If he is in Washington as expected, it has difficulties but is better than either of the two prior.

One thing clearly shown is change: His life is reinvented this year in a way that uproots the old and reinvents his future. Transiting Uranus, 1°12' from Midheaven, squares a widely foreground natal Pluto within 2°. - Lest anyone get too eager that this predicts the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, I hasten to mention that things could go either way: This aspect could overthrow him or it could provide a miraculous overcoming the odds to his advantage.

It does, seem, though, that this reframing of his life is difficult and costs him. Transiting Uranus means that he is the one most surprised by the year. The only other angular planet is Saturn, widely conjunct Westpoint. The test of the year is whether Donald Trump can change. Can he reinvent himself? In that case, he likely will thrive, albeit with difficulties. However, if he can't change, if he continues on his old formulae, the universe will lower the boom: He will fail by behaving in old ways in a new world.

Moon aspects perhaps don't tell us anything new. Trump's natal Mercury-Neptune square is one of his most obvious aspects and always forefront in his behavior, so the fact that SSR Moon closely aspects both planets may mean little; except SSR Moon is 0°01' from the Mercury/Neptune midpoint so, in some fashion, this aspect will be greatly intensified for the whole year, bringing deception and the push-pull-conflict between reason and unreason. The aspect, of course, has both advantageous and disadvantageous expressions for Trump. We're likely to see a lot more fantasy modelling and seeking to relieve psychological pressures with unreality along with his circus barker enthrallment of his followers.

Within this basic "it all changes" meaning, half a dozen non-foreground aspects unfold ranging from the kindest to the unkindest. Transiting Jupiter opposes his Venus, known for pleasure, comfort, and sociability (but it also can be lazy and seek to evade work). Mars conjunct Neptune and square natal Moon is physically and psychologically toxic, hurling his emotional outbursts into higher gear and seriously threatening his health and safety.

Other partile background aspects give varying signals of changing fortunes, a mix of positive, neutral, and negative indications. In particular, Jupiter opposes natal Saturn, normally a stabilizing, forgiving salvation aspect but, in this case, part of t Jupiter/Pluto = r Saturn to the minute mundanely, an aspect of difficulties, separation, and uprooting old skeletons from one's back yard.

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Jun 6)
Natal Neptune is the most angular planet, 0°30' from Descendant. A partile Mars-Neptune conjunction transits just above Ascendant. Transiting Mercury is half a degree from natal Mercury, both square his Neptune. Exactly angular Mercury-Mercury-Neptune, exact Mars-Neptune, and a little natal Jupiter: That's the new month in a nutshell.

This is an unpleasant and likely irrational month. Mars-Neptune is threatening, even intimidating. Mercury-Neptune is distorting. Mercury-Mercury, in this double-Neptune context, leans to the hyper-rational, abusing facts and words against the interests of truth.

Mars conjunct Neptune foreground is toxic, either to the body or psyche. It magnifies emotions, is anxious, fearful, anticipating danger or misfortune, stoking the perception of threat. Feeling vulnerable to abuse, attack, and betrayal, one's soft spots are exposed, any neurotic tendencies amplified. Enthusiastic surrender to temptation has fiercer consequences than usual.

Mercury-Neptune signals confusion, disorientation, and bad choices. Deception, fanciful thinking, and impracticality frustrate his plans. He is vulnerable to being deceived and certainly willing to mislead others. Promises now made are unreliable (at best). With natal Neptune exactly angular, he is absorbed in a point of view and committed to preserving his adopted reality against all assaults.

With these strongest factors, it isn't clear what natal Jupiter, 6° above Descendant, has to offer. Usually, it means that self-esteem and confidence are high, that one feels lucky. I don't see that this is a good trait in the context painted by the stronger factors: It suggests he is confident and self-satisfied even though he is wrong.

Pluto still opposes his Saturn (0°15'). Transiting Jupiter opposes his Venus (0°20') but transiting Venus squares Saturn (0°58' in mundo). These are background aspects that show something of the context in which he is operating even if they do not describe the primary influences of the month.

SIDEREAL DEMI-LUNAR RETURN (Jun 20)
Transiting Venus, 0°41' from Midheaven, is the only foreground factor. This makes for a straightforward forecast: Pursuing pleasurable activities, he's happier than he's been for a while, sociable, popular, and merry.

This occurs about the time his progressed Mercury-Jupiter aspect is exact and in the immediate aftermath of his birthday. (Transiting Mercury also squares natal Jupiter exactly in the Demi-SLR.) Something has gone his way: It feels good.

This occurs against the backdrop of current partile transits: Uranus-Pluto and Pluto-Saturn show shifting conditions, the collapse of old, previously stable and reliable things. Jupiter-Saturn brings new foundations and wipes the slate clean for the moment. Jupiter-Venus shows things going well for him.

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Jul 3)
Natal Uranus is the most angular planet, 0°49' from square Ascendant. Transiting Neptune is 2°26' past Descendant. Neptune squares natal Uranus 0°08' in mundo and also squares Trump's Moon (1°) and Sun (3°).

Therefore, things get weird again for a month. Neptune's transit to natal Uranus has been with Trump for most of his presidency, most obviously appearing as a battle between truth and deception, a struggle over meaningful information, and a trickster's chaos used to keep circumstances unstable and unmanageable. (Trump's management gifts rest on a form of chaos theory, controlling events best by keeping the ground unsteady beneath his opponents.)

More broadly, President Trump is now exposed to the strongest doses of Neptune yet as it moves in on his luminaries. Transiting Neptune feels as if one were inside a hurricane, a maelstrom of unmanageable information and conditions. Neptune's transit to his Moon increases his sensitivity and vulnerability; that to his Sun undercuts his clarity on who he is or what goals he pursues (identity and direction being central solar ideas). He is already losing certainty about his relevance and role. By the time Neptune-Sun is partile a year from now, the remnants of his ego-certainty will be gone.

Background partile aspects are substantially the same as two weeks earlier: Uranus-Pluto, Pluto-Saturn, and Jupiter-Pluto dominate, with transiting Mercury also conjunct natal Mercury.

[Jim Eshelman]

This morning's Liblunar - having only an angular Venus and Moon's aspects to Jupiter-Pluto - marked the Supreme Court decision this morning overthrowing a Louisiana abortion law that put at risk the rights of women to obtain abortions in the state. It's a sterling bit of symbolism.

Liblunar (Jun 29)
The Liblunar covers June 29-July 5, including the July 4 holiday weekend. It sets up one of the most important Caplunars of the year the following week.

Venus squares Ascendant. People are significantly more social and feel generally happy. Moon squares Jupiter and Pluto, with Jupiter-Pluto 0°04' from exact conjunction. (Phoenix and Salt Lake City get the strongest brunt of this conjunction.)

However, this happiness and sociability come at a cost. Saturn joins Jupiter and (especially) Pluto in azimuth, forming three PVP conjunctions. Saturn brings a darker side to Jupiter-Pluto with political undermining, unstable prosperity, and freakish weather extremes.

A prevailing conversation will center on pursuing success through sensible, conscientious patience. Unlike earlier months, focus is less on immediate survival and more on rebuilding, perhaps using the nation's birthday to reconceive where we want this country to go. Jupiter-Pluto fuels strong desires to contribute to community and the social order and a willingness to repair through social restructuring as old social patterns start to crumble.