U.S. Ingresses Jul 20 - Aug 17, 2024

[Jim Eshelman]

USA Mundane Forecast
for the four weeks beginning JULY 20, 2024

• Outer Planet Sign Transits
• Pres. Biden's Lunar Returns

CAPSOLAR (Jan 15)
Effective Jan 15, 2024 to Jan 14, 2025. For the full interpretation of the 2024 "year chart," click here.

ARISOLAR (Apr 14)
Effective Apr 14 to Oct 17. For a full interpretation of the 2024 six-month Arisolar, click here.

MEDIUM-TERM (The Bridge)

• 7/20: Uranus Mercury
• 7/21 to 7/24: Uranus Mars Mercury
• 7/25 to END: Uranus Mercury

All month, Uranus transits Capsolar Ascendant and progressed Capsolar Moon squares Mercury. This seems not only surprising and revelatory but fresh, renewing, and breaking things loose that have been stuck. For most of the first week, though, Mars transits Cansolar Moon.

Concurrently, the USA natal chart has progressed Moon square Mars: Progressed Moon squares both natal Mars (7/21) and Neptune (8/15). Historically, this pattern is volatile and particularly has put the life and well-being of the president at risk repeatedly.

• Jul 20: t Jupiter co USA r Uranus
• Jul 21: USA p Moon sq r Mars
• Aug 7: t Mars co USA r Uranus
• Aug 14: Mars-Jupiter co 21°35' Taurus
• Aug 16: Mars-Saturn sq 22°37' -Tau-Aqu
• Aug 15: USA p Moon co r Neptune

CAPLUNAR (Jul 20) Effective Jul 20-Aug 17
Malefics mark the angles of every active lunar ingress this month. That this comes as USA progressed Moon aspects natal Mars-Neptune edges our psychological perimeter with warning flags: In some very pure form, malevolence stands in our face daily. Circumstances are toxic with charged emotion (Neptune), bringing loss if not grief (Saturn) and emotional (perhaps physical) violence (Mars). There seems no subtlety about it: The nation is in pain. Were this the chart of an individual, we would expect them to suffer and probably get hurt.

This might just be the psychological tone of the presidential race. At least part will be severe summer weather under which millions suffer and too many people die from excessive heat. Beyond this, though, the charts increase the risk of physical violence and suggest that the president is at risk.

The Caplunar opens the month with Neptune rising conjunct a more widely angular Saturn. The 0°23' Moon-Sun mundane opposition keeps the people's attention fixated on the nation's leadership. Sacrifice and renunciation characterize Saturn-Neptune events (sometimes as the involuntary sacrifice that arises from scandal). Diminishment is basic to the aspect.

ARILUNAR (Jul 27)
The Arilunar is dormant. The Caplunar continues as the sole active lunar ingress.

CANLUNAR (Aug 2) Effective Aug 2-10
With a difficult Neptune-dominant Caplunar, this Canlunar has Saturn within 2° of Ascendant. Moon aspects Mars and Pluto (as if we don't have enough Moon-Mars).

Rather than repeat a litany of negative possibilities, I will simply say this is bad - experienced as a bad week marked by loss and sadness - with related violence likely. Weather conditions continue to be intolerable (though the heat may break temporarily at the end of the week once Mercury hits minimum declination).

LIBLUNAR (Aug 10) Effective Aug 10-17
Mars is 1°12' from MC, Saturn 2°20' from Descendant, and (not visible in the mundoscope above) Jupiter 0°59' from Zenith. It's a confusing, contradictory confluence of energies in the week just before the Democratic National Convention.

Malefic influences (by aspect and angularity) are a little bit stronger: The process feels difficult. Struggle, loss, and hardship coexist with heroism that can be a kind of victory by itself. If these three planets were this angular and interwoven in a single person's horoscope, we would expect ultimately success and triumph in business and life-achievement by their wielding fierce energy and competition through the winning combination of hard work and luck. In a mundane chart, though, we expect different players - different segments of the masses - to enact the different energies in interwoven ways.

This is also the week (on Aug 11-12) that transiting Uranus exactly crosses the Washington Capsolar Ascendant and the Declaration of Independence chart has an exact progressed Moon-Mars square. Major changes occur accompanied by rage and outrage - with psychological, if not physical, violence.

The main consideration is the Jupiter-Saturn square. It shows competing, shifting tides especially in politics and finance. The central theme of Jupiter-Saturn aspects is the seesaw or tug-of-war between winning and losing. Watch the way decisions are made and strategy calculated based on the questions “What will it cost me to win?” and “What do I gain by losing?” (common practical questions of politics and finance). Opposite forces or considerations battle for dominance without either having a clear advantage, though the end result has a feeling that something has been lost. Though this aspect is common for financial crises, structural collapses, and other infrastructure weakening, a competitive pull between Jupiter's aspirational motives and Saturn's pragmatic functionality is the main point.

Besides the foreground Jupiter-Saturn, Mars-Saturn, and Mars-Jupiter aspects, we have PVP aspects among Sun, Mercury, and Saturn. Sun-Saturn especially shows the struggles of leadership. All three aspects give Saturn the points advantage when the final whistle blows. Information, transportation, tactical, and logistical systems are always more vulnerable with an afflicted Mercury. We also have seen these aspect combinations at abdications.

[Jim Eshelman]

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Jul 27)
Effective Jul 26-Aug 23. Foreground planets and aspects in Joe Biden's new lunar return are a transiting Jupiter-Neptune square aspecting a natal Saturn-Neptune square. (Both are mundane squares.) Of the transiting planets, Jupiter is stronger (2°25') than Neptune. Of the natal planets, Neptune is stronger (1°37') than Saturn. The closest aspect is transiting Neptune square natal Saturn (0°45'), but Jupiter to natal Neptune is nearly as strong (0°49').

Taken together, these portray a Gethsemane moment: deep, troubled, almost nightmarish soul-searching culminating in surrender, self-sacrifice, and renunciation that elevates him and raises his prestige in an atmosphere of unreasoned optimism, ritual, and collective cohesiveness.

Under the four weeks of this SLR, President Biden will withdraw as a candidate for re-election and pass the baton if he has not done so previously.

Under Jupiter-Neptune, despite faith, confidence, and inspiring vision of possibilities, there is no guarantee of the outcome. Sometimes enthusiasm and optimism soar and then amounts to little in the end. The eventual outcome is not a matter for this one monthly chart: It will be seen in other charts for other people. This current SLR, showing one man's feelings, actions, and responses for this particular four weeks, it speaks of soul-searching, surrender, and honoring.

Neptune's transit to natal Saturn is the headline: It is emotionally difficult. Things always thought to be certain and enduring prove unreliable and fleeting. Jupiter's transit to natal Neptune is the next line of the story: Anxiety is eased, one is released from debts and perhaps doubts, when the world tells us, "Relax a while, we've got this." Jupiter also conjoins natal Saturn, an aspect that wipes the slate clean and eases worries.

In any case, it's a pivotal month: Not visible in the ecliptical chart above is that transiting Sun and Moon are in 0°00' mundane square, always showing significant shifts - a "phase change." Furthermore, this precise aspect completes a mundane T-square with Pluto, making this fundamental shift message more adamant: This month is a decisive end for him that is also a new beginning in deeply personal ways.

In Chicago, where the Democratic National Convention will be held in the last week of this lunar return month, the chart is utterly ungracious - even threatening - suggesting that it refers to a sub-plot or separate story than the Washington chart. With Mars within 1° of Descendant, a foreground Mars-Saturn square is on natal Uranus. Saturn squares natal Sun-Venus (all mundane). These are aspects of extreme unpopularity and assault. I believe the Secret Service needs to be even more attentive to his physical safety in Chicago than usual and his physicians on alert.

SIDEREAL DEMI-LUNAR RETURN (Aug 10)
Effective Aug 9-23. This simple chart nests well within the full lunar return above: Natal Jupiter is 0°08' from Nadir forecasting a good two weeks when Biden's satisfaction and happiness rise. He has a positive, expansive view of the future, feeling lucky and optimistic. Transiting Moon is barely 1° from Descendant suggesting popular attention and rapidly shifting conditions requiring adaptation and flexibility. Farther from angles and still foreground, natal Moon (7°00' before Asc) and natal Mars (9°54' before Dsc) are in mundane opposition they don't have in his birth chart: He is feisty, provocative, and hungry to be in the middle of the action.

In Chicago, where he surely will be in the second week of the demi-lunar fortnight, only the two Neptunes are foreground (natal Neptune a little closer to the horizon than transiting Neptune). Their opposition has narrowed to 1°19' (mundanely). This isn't too important by itself and mostly shows a loss of physical and psychological energy. He is more passively responsive to events in Chicago.

[Jim Eshelman]

This is now complete.

[fivesight]

Thanks Jim. This is exactly what I saw in his returns that made be think he would drop (or be forced) out.
I once gave a presentation on Edward the 8th for NCGR, based on his return and Enneads which were very precise about the Saturn-Neptune hard aspect.
I used Bradley's interpretation (from Solar and Lunar Returns) starting from "A real throne-toppler this. Among it's paramount keywords is removal, for Saturn-Neptune usually takes first prize for forcing resignations, abdications, exiles, deportations and firings from jobs." (side note - I've even seen it appear in a benign form when people give up drinking, meat or drugs).
About three quarters into the presentation my partner showed up with the transparencies of George Bush's SSR and Ennead collection, because I was asked to try and predict who would win between him and Clinton - I didn't have what I considered a trustworthy chart for Clinton at the time. The chapter president told me that the last few speakers he had were predicting Bush Sr. would win. I hadn't seen the charts yet, but once I looked at the SSR and the first Ennead, they both had Saturn-Neptune all over them.
Just like Edward 8, and now Joe Biden.

[SteveS]

I hear you fivesight. I see strong Saturn-Neptune PVP symbolism for DC’s Aug Caplunar. I will be very interested if this will mark the time Biden finds himself in exile as the Democratic Candidate for Prez. This Aug Caplunar begins as the DNC begins their formal proceedings.

[Jim Eshelman]

In wrapping up the old month now leaving, I want to note that the Medium-Term (Bridge) section and the Caplunar forecasts seemed on target even though they painted almost opposite pictures.

The Bridge correctly caught the idea of break-out FRESHNESS of the Harris campaign. I could have stated it better - it's clearer in hindsight as always, and after all the astrological darkness we've been through it was hard to anticipate just exactly how exhilarating this might feel - but the core elements were there.

MEDIUM-TERM (The Bridge)
All month, Uranus transits Capsolar Ascendant and progressed Capsolar Moon squares Mercury. This seems not only surprising and revelatory but fresh, renewing, and breaking things loose that have been stuck.

The other half of the same event cycle was President Biden's withdrawing from the campaign July 21, the day after the Caplunar. This showed vaguely - almost indirectly - in the Medium-Term section, but I think was captured well in the Caplunar interpretation. (Read the last paragraph in particular.)

Concurrently, the USA natal chart has progressed Moon square Mars: Progressed Moon squares both natal Mars (7/21) and Neptune (8/15). Historically, this pattern is volatile and particularly has put the life and well-being of the president at risk repeatedly.

[...]

CAPLUNAR (Jul 20) Effective Jul 20-Aug 17
Malefics mark the angles of every active lunar ingress this month. That this comes as USA progressed Moon aspects natal Mars-Neptune edges our psychological perimeter with warning flags: In some very pure form, malevolence stands in our face daily. Circumstances are toxic with charged emotion (Neptune), bringing loss if not grief (Saturn) and emotional (perhaps physical) violence (Mars). There seems no subtlety about it: The nation is in pain. Were this the chart of an individual, we would expect them to suffer and probably get hurt.

This might just be the psychological tone of the presidential race. At least part will be severe summer weather under which millions suffer and too many people die from excessive heat. Beyond this, though, the charts increase the risk of physical violence and suggest that the president is at risk.

The Caplunar opens the month with Neptune rising conjunct a more widely angular Saturn. The 0°23' Moon-Sun mundane opposition keeps the people's attention fixated on the nation's leadership. Sacrifice and renunciation characterize Saturn-Neptune events (sometimes as the involuntary sacrifice that arises from scandal). Diminishment is basic to the aspect.