US forecast Nov 13 - Dec 10, 2018

[Jim Eshelman]

USA Mundane Forecast
for the four weeks beginning NOVEMBER 13, 2018
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 (15th) Edition.

LONG-TERM (Solar Ingress) PATTERNS
The 12 months beginning January 15, 2018 are unstable, revolutionary, revising, remapping, anti-establishment, and often anti-government. Here are the highlights from the Capsolar (most of which have already been manifesting all year exactly as written in January):

Pluto (0°08') & Uranus (0°42') angular. A spirit of revolution assaults current systems, tearing at iconic structures. PLUTO: High-impact events that sever connections. Mainstream and counter-establishment sensibilities clash. Leader crises, financial crises, severing historic relations. Natural disasters include hurricanes, earthquakes, floods. URANUS: Explosions (literal or metaphorical); sudden rupture, shock, surprise, overflowing normal boundaries & limitations. Disclosures, revelations, surprise attacks, changes in leadership, protests, and revolts and their suppression.

Foreground SUN-VENUS-URANUS: Changes in foreign relations are a certainty. Shifting social values, including increased liberty in Venus matters. "Culture wars" kick up more intensely. The voice of rebellion is concentrated on those in the highest office.

MOON conjoins MERCURY & SATURN. Expect economic narrowing and backtracking on the recovery: recession is not unthinkable. Capsolars had close Moon-Saturn aspects in 1819, 1837, and 2008, which should concern students of American money crises. Its record for violent inhumanity is heart-stopping. Climate destabilization will escalate faster in 2018 than in previous years, with tragic, life-smashing consequences.

• Mercury + Saturn. Restrictions, delays, failures, & calamity in transportation & communication. Communication fails for technical reasons & because people stop listening to each other. Information flow is interrupted & rationed. Data integrity is increasingly doubted; cybersecurity is a greater priority than cyber-expansion. Commerce is interrupted: More newspapers go out of business, more small businesses close their doors.
• Moon-Mercury: The media remains much of the story.
• Moon-Saturn: Hardship, narrowing, sacrifice, loss, sadness, with few causes for celebration. Bereavement, deprivation, disappointment, destructive assaults by people & nature; other hardship centers primarily on alienation and divisiveness. It will be a good year for undertakers.
• Saturn in Sagittarius: Internationalism, immigration, aviation, elitism, hierarchical economic separation, & missiles dominate headlines.

MARS-JUPITER: Resources are squandered, stretched past capacity. Religious evangelism and other belief-driven enthusiasm and aggression accelerate. Bigots have louder voices. In nature, as in human affairs, expect stormy weather.

Libsolar
This ingress, overlaying mid-October to mid-January, is volatile. "Combative" doesn't do it justice: It is more intensely confrontational. Angular Pluto brings many of the year's themes to a head. Moon conjoins Mars within half a degree (closer for Washington than the world): This is outright bloody (in parts of the world, literally spilling blood and counting bodies); yet the conjunction closely squares Mercury, so the "bloodying" we see will be especially with words... and with disclosures from data streams, documents, and the press and other publications. A close Mercury-Uranus PVP opposition signals discoveries and revelations. These start spilling forth at an accelerated pace through the last half of October and into early November and the elections.

A late hurricane season will impact the Gulf. Saturn is on IC near New Orleans and through the Mississippi Valley where the worst effects will land. Neptune (in the west) and Pluto (in the east) are the only other two planets crossing large swaths of continental U.S., so local climate and cultural crises can be expected. Most worrisome is Pluto on IC along the coast from North Carolina to New York City, while squaring Ascendant in New England. The eastern seaboard, therefore, is as vulnerable to severe autumn storms blowing off the Atlantic as is the Gulf.


MEDIUM-TERM PATTERNS (The Bridge)
All month is a PLUTO Zone. This reiterates and concentrates Pluto elements in the Capsolar interpretation above, continuing to bring primary of themes of the year to a head for several weeks.


SHORT-TERM (Lunar Ingress) PATTERNS

Caplunar (Nov 13)
The Caplunar covers November 13 to December 10, especially the first week, November 13-20. The month is favorable and industrious with a positive sense of taking risks and moving forward, and just a bit of blithely ignoring available facts to enhance the optimism. For the moment, people are happy not to know everything and to just head on into the holiday season.

Mars square Jupiter dominates the chart, with Jupiter 0°40' from IC and Mars 1°26' from Westpoint. With concurrent optimistic aspects, this does not feel like economic crisis but, rather, like enthusiasm and confidence that includes aggressive spending, economic expansion, and greater industry and productivity. Heroic victories (including sports victories), achievement, causes for and public celebration prevail, but commonly with stormy, boisterous (but probably convivial) engagement.

After the midterm elections, this is likely to be the most relaxed, family-friendly Thanksgiving holiday in a couple of years, and probably the most free-spending Black Friday.

Tipping the tone toward the positive is a 0°27' Moon-Venus square felt worldwide. Adding the bit of unrealistic thinking, a widely foreground Neptune squares a non-angular Mercury. Overall, though, this is upbeat enough to soften harsher week-by-week signals later in the month.

CapQ Ascendant opposes Mars as the week starts, but adds Jupiter by 11/15 and fades by the 17th. More severely, CanQ angles touch Venus-Saturn on 11/12, then persist with Saturn 11/13-18. (Will Saturn + an afflicted Jupiter mean a market downturn?)

Arilunar (Nov 20)
The Arilunar covers November 20-26. Despite my forecast of a more family-friendly Thanksgiving, there will also be stories of heart-rending tragedy.

Venus is dominant for the week (1°30' off Midheaven and 0°35' from opposite Moon). Primary focus is on friendships, pleasures, and social and familial connection.

However, Moon and Saturn, each 3° off angles, are in 0°03' mundane square. Saturn squares Venus 2° in mundo. Uranus, even more widely foreground, forms a distant Venus-Uranus opposition. Pluto is on Eastpoint, sneaking in a 2°56' Venus-Pluto square in RA. These are aspects of tragedy and loss. Moon-Saturn, the strongest voice, means hardship, sacrifice, loss, and sadness. Venus-Saturn means powerful love coexisting with loss, as in grief; also spoiled fun, a sense that “the party is over.” Venus-Pluto is similar, but with larger community impact. Venus-Uranus adds an element of social impact. All of these Venus aspects emphasize and alter relationships.

Of the many possibilities, one of the strongest is loss through a major fire or deadly structural collapse. In political and other national affairs, it shows strained, lost, or dramatically shifting alliances.

Jupiter crosses CapQ IC on the 11/21. CanQ IC crosses Uranus 11/20; its MC squares Mars 11/24.

Canlunar (Nov 26)
The Canlunar covers November 26 to December 3. It is borderline dormant, its closest angularity being Saturn 3°09' from Descendant, so it may have no impact. In any case, its simple message is a subset of the Arilunar, with the angular Saturn and the month's third close Moon-Venus aspect. Expect a simpler version of what was written for the Arilunar above.

A close Sun-Mercury-Jupiter conjunction square Mars is cadent in Washington, but will, of course, be angular in several parts of the world. Of these, those particularly drawing attention are the American west, on a curve that cuts through most of Washington, Nevada, and Arizona; a patch from Minneapolis due south through Louisiana and southernmost Mexico; eastern India, Bangladesh, Burma, and central China; Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and western Africa in general; and New Zealand. Many of these places are highly vulnerable to extreme, stormy weather conditions. Additionally, one might expect cowboy-style confrontations, power politics, and local economic crises.

CapQ Descendant crosses Neptunes nonstop 11/28-12/13, so there is a Neptune thread through the week. CanQ EP crosses Mars 11/29. CanQ angles touch Plutos and Jupiter 11/30-12/1 with appropriate events, one of which may be a critical political or legal challenge of the president's authority or other significant court action.

Liblunar (Dec 3)
The Liblunar covers December 3-10. It is the worst week of the month, toxic and treacherous. The closest angularities are Sun and Mercury, but the most important - due to its aspects to Sun and Mercury - is a Mars-Neptune conjunction. Additionally, there is a whisper of Jupiter in the mix.

Sun is 0°14' from Eastpoint. Most neutrally, this places focus on the head of state in particular, the government more broadly, or a cultural leader, hero, or centerpiece. It may show higher levels of government presence, intervention, or oversight, or a heightened perception that government agents (such as police) are more intrusive.

Sun squares the Mars-Neptune conjunction. (Mars and Neptune are, respectively, 4° and 7° from IC, conjoined within 2°39'. Sun squares Mars 0°10' and Neptune 2°30'.) This is a toxic expression of Sun or a toxic, threatening condition for solar things. For example, Mars-Neptune pairings are signature aspects for threats to presidents and other leaders. The trio is ripe for scandalous police malfeasance. Most broadly, Mars-Neptune signals panic or terror: surging adrenaline + heightened hysterical emotion with greater risk of treachery, sabotage, other betrayal, poisoned relationships, and scandal.

Mercury rises (1°29') under strong affliction. In addition to a mundane square to Mars on IC (2°31'), rising Mercury has a PVP square to Saturn on the prime vertical (0°28'). This occurs under a Capsolar with a strong Moon-reinforced Mercury-Saturn conjunction and a Libsolar with a strong Moon-reinforced Mercury-Mars square, so we should expect unusually unpleasant (if not malevolent) Mercury expressions. Deadly transportation disasters are an easy call for this, as are significant pronouncements or other verbiage that is attacking, demeaning, assailing, and toxic. Besides the transportation theme, it's all about "the message" that is launched and the uncivil tone of engagement. Notice that this is the only week of the month that does not have a close Moon-Venus aspect, leaving us only limited opportunities to reach peace. The toxic conditions already identified run rampant. Attacks are calculated and strategic.

We might ignore the barely-foreground Jupiter altogether were it not for its close (2°10' in mundo) square with Neptune. This fosters a compelling, surreal, unreasoned optimism and belief-driven decision-making. It also reinforces a trend in this chart toward deception and unfair dealing, if not fraud. If there are fires, the death toll will be inflated by over-abundance, immoderation, and glut, such as over-packing a venue. Economic indicators are less trustworthy than usual. Also, this week commences with Hanukkah, which may link important events to the rest of the ingress.

CanQ Descendant crosses Sun 12/5, placing the president (and central government authority overall) more at the center of things than usual. A Uranus crossing 12/9 brings surprises and shakes things loose.

[Jim Eshelman]

PROGRESSIONS & TRANSITS
President Trump continues several progressions this month, of which the foremost are a mix of powerfully positive and positively negative patterns:

• p Saturn conjunct p Midheaven
• p Mars sextile r Pluto
• p Venus conjunct r Jupiter (p Venus also trines r Uranus; p Sun aspects Venus-Jupiter)

Progressed Venus trine natal Uranus is exact 11/16. We have seen this working for some time as it has been partile and moving toward exact, so there may not be an exact event at this precise time; but progressed Moon sextile progressed Uranus peaks 11/13, suggesting that emotional tensions reach a climax. What we have most seen during the Venus-Uranus progression (understanding that there may be private matters about which we have no knowledge) is unfaithfulness to more or less everyone around him. His favor does not signify protection or security. He shifts alliance and allegiance quickly, even whimsically. He demonstrates little loyalty to anyone.

That progressed Saturn has been in years-long semi-square to his Uranus, and is currently only 0°01' wide, amplifies the negative cast of this. It amplifies the negative side of Venus-Uranus; to borrow a short list of traits from Ebertin: willfulness and stubbornness in relationships, inconstancy, moodiness, an urge to break away and sever bonds, and psychological strain from having to restrain his instincts. Progressed Venus and Saturn to his Uranus, in summary, leaves him with little stability in his relationships and increasingly unsatisfied wants and blocked instincts.

All month (building to a new peak 12/3), emotional insecurities and uncertainties deepen as progressed Moon aspects Neptune.

Transiting Pluto squares natal Jupiter. This has been the defining transit of his presidency: It uplifts the lowly and drags down the almighty. After November 24 it will be gone for good, except when it gains new life by appearing on angles of his lunar returns. As it ends its natural life cycle (4/3/16 to 11/24/18), we can expect that its redefinition of his status, finances, ethics, reputation, and life station will be complete, having marked a major shifts in his career already.

In Pluto-Jupiter's last days, transiting Saturn squares natal Neptune until 12/1 (exact on 11/21). Degrading and depressing, frustrating and disillusioning, this challenges one's emotional and physical security and stirs the hauntings of personal demons and troubled mental states. It is an aspect of removal and displacement (voluntary or involuntary). His weeks of protection by Jupiter (most recently with Jupiter square his natal Ascendant) expire 11/17. Will Saturn-Neptune's climax deliver a final wound, or will its departure in December mean that he has escaped a pernicious threat?

Dreadful states of mind are not over for him, though, as Saturn opposes natal Mercury beginning December 10. We will see more of this next month.


SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Nov 10)
President Trump's Sidereal Lunar Return occurred while he was in Paris, and is rightly calculated for that location. In the mundoscope, a partile (0°15') natal Mars-Pluto conjunction forms, exactly opposed by transiting Mars. Furthermore, natal Saturn is the same distance on one side of Descendant as natal Mars-Pluto is on the other, so natal Mars/Saturn and Saturn/Pluto midpoints are exactly angular - Ma/Sa being exact to the minute of arc and Sa/Pl only 0°07' off. Finally, President Trump's close natal Venus-Saturn conjunction is foreground.

Almost every kind of severity, belligerence, and cold-heartedness one could imagine is potential in these aspects. Natal Mars-Pluto is a stockpile of explosive force, whether (for example) in rage or sexual ferocity, and vulnerable to burnout. Sensitive to pressure or coercion, pot-stirring, and defiantly resistant to outside control, this marks a person who can’t seem to avoid breaking or upsetting something. Transiting Mars opposite natal Mars-Pluto intensifies this and makes it more conflictual, combative, competitive, angry, struggling, sexually brutish, neglectful of manners, and straining to maintain control. Natal Ma/Sa angular shows struggle, hardship, and aggressive over-compensation in response to feeling loss or insufficiency. It brings out a tough survivor, maneuvering for control, perhaps making things harder than necessary, and hunkered down for hardened defense. Natal Sa/Pl angular speaks of loss, burden, and lone wolf isolation. Together, these mark a harsh, dark, lonely, struggling way.

Natal Venus-Saturn shows loss in personal pleasure, often from focusing more on work, duty, and devotion. For people naturally less dutiful and less devotional, it is emotionally hardening and dwells on how little pleasure life is returning to them. Such people often are willing to pragmatically sacrifice (i.e., sell out) whatever they must for something more important to them.

Although the Paris chart just discussed persists all month, upon his return to Washington, a quite different chart overlays it. In Washington, transiting Jupiter rises within 0°06'. Jupiter also squares his natal Ascendant 0°32'. He feels like a winner. The world has given him a prize. His esteem is heightened.

There is, however, something dirty and deceptive about this. This Jupiter is doubly afflicted. First, nearly as angular as Jupiter is transiting Neptune, 0°31' from IC, the Jupiter-Neptune mundane square only 0°25' wide. Second, Mars squares Jupiter within a quite reasonable orb for a Lunar Return.

Jupiter-Neptune is the signature aspect. Its key is unreasoned optimism. Its giddy trend may reflect an excessively optimistic state of mind not warranted by the facts, though the aspect does not, itself, mean that the facts are wrong. Classically, Jupiter-Neptune is known to mark a swindle, either that one is swindling others or is caught in the swindle themselves. Mars square Jupiter suggests that his victory has cost him, probably more than he thinks it's worth - that he feels exploited, cheated, a sucker who had to forge an agreement or cut a deal that he regrets in hindsight. The sense of deception is strengthened by Mercury's close square to the angular Neptune.

Nonetheless, he looks in the moment like a happy winner. Pluto square his natal Jupiter (0°42') has a positive bent. Venus squares natal Venus (0°48'), suggesting he has something to celebrate with others.

SIDEREAL DEMI-LUNAR RETURN (Nov 24)
Interestingly, the Demi-SLR (cast for Washington, DC) has much in common with the Paris SLR. Natal Mars is 0°15' from Descendant. Transiting Neptune (which is stationary) squares Midheaven 1°03'. These set the tone of the Demi's fortnight, combining personal aggression and alpha-assertion with the uncertainty and delusion around him.

Transiting Mars bridges them. It is 4° below Ascendant, opposite natal Mars 3°57' in mundo on one side and conjunct Neptune 3°38' in mundo on the other, 0°10' from their midpoint. Mars opposite Mars is the essence of conflict, polarized warriors facing off, rousing divisive conflict. With Neptune, the fight is filled with drama and treachery. With Jupiter square transiting Mars, his opponents have advantage.

This is the essence, but there is much more. Natal Pluto is only 5° below Descendant (contrary to how it appears ecliptically).Transiting Mercury, 8° west of MC, squares natal Pluto (3°18' in mundo). This reiterates that there is confrontation, stress, and irritability. The nature of the confrontation is informational: Decisions are called due, commitments must be made, unambiguous answers must be given.

Whenever Mercury-Pluto combinations present, one has to wonder if it involves legal proceedings. It would be an easy call, were we to place reliance on houses, that this is indeed the case, since Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter are conjoined in the 9th house, which refers to the courts, connected to the 7th house adversarial position. Without houses, we get a similar hint - at least a hint - that courts may be involved because Mercury widely conjoins Jupiter, and Sun (within orb of square Ascendant, and representing those who hold authority over him) also conjoins Jupiter (1°13'). Of these, only Jupiter itself is not foreground or technically angular: The advantage is not his.

The rising transiting Mars squares Sun 3°06' on one side and Mercury 3°06' on the other: Mars is 0°00' from the Sun/Mercury midpoint. At this orb, it understates to call this competitive or argumentative. It does have the flavor of formal inquiry, i.e., of the world's authoritative, contentious demand that its curiosity be satisfied.

Pluto squares his Jupiter (61'). Saturn squares his Neptune (18'). These were discussed above. The only salve (and it is slight) is Venus square his Venus (11'). It seems he still has friends.

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Dec 7)
At first impression, the chart looks like relief. After all, who doesn't like a Lunar Return with angular Jupiter? On closer inspection, though, the chart is more challenging.

Transiting Jupiter is 2°40' above Descendant. Natal Pluto is 3°36' west of IC. Thus, they are in partile square (0°56' in mundo). This is the defining aspect of the SLR. Its hallmark significance is gain from separation. Specifically, one acquires or frees up resources - whether wealth or energy or time - from one's separation from someone or something. It is an aspect of blesséd liberation.

Otherwise, it often is an aspect of legal conflict. As United States president, there is plenty of opportunity in his life for this, though from an aspect this close and powerfully placed we expect a comparably major event. Legal entanglement (as a route to disentanglement?) is further suggested by the powerful 7th house, which holds both luminaries and more.

Mercury is the most angular planet, stationary and 1°37' from Descendant. It conjoins Jupiter (they are only 4° apart in mundo, and their midpoint is 0°32' from the horizon), a further suggestion of diplomatic or other legal engagement. Mercury squares natal Mars (0°26') so the engagement is contentious or competitive. (This could, for example, be further aggressive trade conflicts.)

One might think at first that the barely foreground Sun (9° above Descendant) is strengthening. However, it squares a 0°11' non-angular Mars-Neptune conjunction. The conjunction is close enough to demand attention even without angularity, and here, as in the overlapping Liblunar, it squares a foreground Sun. Surely it will feel as if others are out to humiliate him. (They likely will succeed.)

[Jim Eshelman]

CapQ Ascendant opposes Mars as the week starts, but adds Jupiter by 11/15 and fades by the 17th. More severely, CanQ angles touch Venus-Saturn on 11/12, then persist with Saturn 11/13-18. (Will Saturn + an afflicted Jupiter mean a market downturn?)

As this is from quotidians, it doesn't require the Caplunar to have come in - and it already started today. The DJIA lost over 600 points, primarily on evidence that Apple's iPhone profits are tanking.

[Jim Eshelman]

More on Trump's behavior and mood under his current and recent SLRs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

This morning (November 20m 2018) the NY Times published a story that Trump demanded the Justice Department jail Mrs. Clinton and James Comey.

I have no words.

[Jim Eshelman]

Moon enters Cancer later today. This one especially interests me for technical reasons: Is it really dormant? Can we actually tell because it mirrors the Arilunar in some critical facts?

Saturn is a little further from the angle than we usually allow, but not much (and these aren't hard-eteched lines). I was inclined to read the chart for the forecast, but to hedge on my certainty it would be applicable. We might get a chance to learn something from this chart over the next week. Only the first paragraph below is outright affected by this consideration.

Canlunar (Nov 26)
The Canlunar covers November 26 to December 3. It is borderline dormant, its closest angularity being Saturn 3°09' from Descendant, so it may have no impact. In any case, its simple message is a subset of the Arilunar, with the angular Saturn and the month's third close Moon-Venus aspect. Expect a simpler version of what was written for the Arilunar above.

A close Sun-Mercury-Jupiter conjunction square Mars is cadent in Washington, but will, of course, be angular in several parts of the world. Of these, those particularly drawing attention are the American west, on a curve that cuts through most of Washington, Nevada, and Arizona; a patch from Minneapolis due south through Louisiana and southernmost Mexico; eastern India, Bangladesh, Burma, and central China; Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and western Africa in general; and New Zealand. Many of these places are highly vulnerable to extreme, stormy weather conditions. Additionally, one might expect cowboy-style confrontations, power politics, and local economic crises.

CapQ Descendant crosses Neptunes nonstop 11/28-12/13, so there is a Neptune thread through the week. CanQ EP crosses Mars 11/29. CanQ angles touch Plutos and Jupiter 11/30-12/1 with appropriate events, one of which may be a critical political or legal challenge of the president's authority or other significant court action.

[Avshalom Binyamin]

A probe is supposed to land on Mars today, for the purpose of drilling down deeper into the surface. Sun-Mercury-Jupiter square to Mars seems apropos.

Cowboy style politics are going on in Mississippi, where a Senate run-off election is taking place. The incumbent, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, has had her talking about public hangings, and her history of attending and sending her children segregated private schools surface.

[Jim Eshelman]

Good symbolism. - One would expect, perhaps, that with Sun in IC through Mississippi in the Caplunar, the president-identified Republican would have even more advantage than her party identification would give her. But she's not doing as well as everybody expected, so it will be pretty interesting to watch.

[Jim Eshelman]

CNN reports that Trump, presently in Argentina, is in a "terrible" mood and "spooked and distracted" by the increasingly threatening swirl tightening around him from the Mueller investigation. Yesterday's events - Cohen, Manafort, Putin, and more - look like chess master Mueller is entering endgame. Compare this to what I've been writing the last couple of months about his state of mind, including:

Progressed Venus trine natal Uranus... emotional tensions reach a climax. What we have most seen during the Venus-Uranus progression... is unfaithfulness to more or less everyone around him. His favor does not signify protection or security. He shifts alliance and allegiance quickly, even whimsically. He demonstrates little loyalty to anyone.

...progressed Saturn has been in years-long semi-square to his Uranus, and is currently only 0°01' wide, amplifies the negative cast of this. It amplifies the negative side of Venus-Uranus; to borrow a short list of traits from Ebertin: willfulness and stubbornness in relationships, inconstancy, moodiness, an urge to break away and sever bonds, and psychological strain from having to restrain his instincts. Progressed Venus and Saturn to his Uranus, in summary, leaves him with little stability in his relationships and increasingly unsatisfied wants and blocked instincts.

All month (building to a new peak 12/3), emotional insecurities and uncertainties deepen as progressed Moon aspects Neptune.

...transiting Saturn squares natal Neptune until 12/1... Degrading and depressing, frustrating and disillusioning, this challenges one's emotional and physical security and stirs the hauntings of personal demons and troubled mental states. It is an aspect of removal and displacement (voluntary or involuntary). His weeks of protection by Jupiter... expire 11/17. Will Saturn-Neptune's climax deliver a final wound, or will its departure in December mean that he has escaped a pernicious threat?

Dreadful states of mind are not over for him...

I could quote at length on his current SLR and Demi-SLR. The whole is given above on the second post in this thread, but here are some highlights that apply to today's news:

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Nov 10)
President Trump's Sidereal Lunar Return occurred while he was in Paris, and is rightly calculated for that location... Almost every kind of severity, belligerence, and cold-heartedness one could imagine is potential in these aspects... a stockpile of explosive force, whether (for example) in rage or sexual ferocity, and vulnerable to burnout. Sensitive to pressure or coercion, pot-stirring, and defiantly resistant to outside control, this marks a person who can’t seem to avoid breaking or upsetting something. Transiting Mars opposite natal Mars-Pluto intensifies this and makes it more conflictual, combative, competitive, angry, struggling, sexually brutish, neglectful of manners, and straining to maintain control... struggle, hardship, and aggressive over-compensation in response to feeling loss or insufficiency. It brings out a tough survivor, maneuvering for control, perhaps making things harder than necessary, and hunkered down for hardened defense... loss, burden, and lone wolf isolation. Together, these mark a harsh, dark, lonely, struggling way... loss in personal pleasure... emotionally hardening... dwells on how little pleasure life is returning... willing to pragmatically sacrifice (i.e., sell out) whatever they must for something more important to them.

SIDEREAL DEMI-LUNAR RETURN (Nov 24)
… [Aspects] combining personal aggression and alpha-assertion with the uncertainty and delusion around him... the essence of conflict, polarized warriors facing off, rousing divisive conflict... the fight is filled with drama and treachery... his opponents have advantage... confrontation, stress, and irritability. The nature of the confrontation is informational: Decisions are called due, commitments must be made, unambiguous answers must be given... one has to wonder if it involves legal proceedings. The advantage is not his... [The chart] does have the flavor of formal inquiry, i.e., of the world's authoritative, contentious demand that its curiosity be satisfied.

[SteveS]

Jim posed the question about Trump’s t. Saturn 90 his Natal Neptune:

Will Saturn-Neptune's climax deliver a final wound, or will its departure in December mean that he has escaped a pernicious threat?

Since SSR (transiting Saturn) was partile 90 his Natal Neptune, I see this aspect ‘locked into collusion’ his entire solar year. However, I do believe malefic things are peaking for Trump between now and end of Jan with t. Saturn approaching partile 180 his SSR Moon. I may be entirely wrong, but if Muller is not able to deliver some type of death blow to Trump during the time period of t. Saturn partile 180 SSR Moon, I don’t believe Muller will ever get Trump. The way I see it---Muller has to deliver something that is so damaging to Trump, which causes the House to implement impeachment proceedings with legit grounds, meaning legit enough to severely pose as a “removal” threat; otherwise Trump will eventually escape the “removal” threat. I don’t really track the political news as close as you Jim, but if you say Muller is closing in on some type of death blow, we should see this reflected in the betting odds for House Impeachment odds. The last I checked betting odds were House Impeachment +150, which is close enough to even odds for House Impeachment to make me believe Muller may be close to nailing Trump. As we get close to the end of Dec and beginning of Jan, if we see significant jump in betting odds favoring House Impeachment, then this will indicate to me Muller is getting close to busting Trump. SSR Moon- SSR Saturn is usually a very depressing hit which appears to be closing in on Trump now, and Sidereal Astrology says now is the time for a Moon-Saturn hit. Time will soon tell. If Muller has not nailed Trump by the time t. Saturn separates from partile SSR Moon, then I think Muller will not get Trump. I know this: Vegas will probably see in a knowing way before us—so I will follow the betting odds closely for my feel of the real/truer situation. The Vegas betting odds nailed the midterms. Lets see what happens to these odds as a new Dem House comes into being in Jan.

Also, we have the most interesting partile Moon-Mars cnj maturing now in the Sun/Regulus chart. Another very malefic hit if Muller indeed nails Trump.

[Jim Eshelman]

I don't think it will be by impeachment - unless something overwhelmingly egregious emerges that even the Senate Republicans can't ignore, which is quite a stretch.

If I were laying down a $5 bet, it would still be what I said over a year ago: Impeachment is unlikely (even more so after the January 2017 aspects were survived). The best path is to make the case against Trump to be sure you have documented his sins for history, then go after his sons and cut a deal that if Trump resigns his sons won't go to prison for the rest of Trump's life.

[SteveS]

Jim wrote:

The best path is to make the case against Trump to be sure you have documented his sins for history, then go after his sons and cut a deal that if Trump resigns his sons won't go to prison for the rest of Trump's life.

Wow, do you actually believe Muller can achieve this? So, if Muller can't get Trump to resign, then we are stuck with Trump for maybe another 6 years. If they don't impeach Trump, I can't see him resigning, but I just don't understand politics like you do. Know absolutely nothing about what Trump's sons did to go to prison, spend too much of my time listening to music . As far as I am concerned--lots of politicians belong in prisons but that entire DC gang sticks together--never sends a high politician to prison. I will stick to my prediction: If Muller doesn't nail Trump himself on illegal stuff (enough for impeachment) by end of Jan--then its nothing but ongoing political games to feed the media. And, I don't believe Trump gives a damn about 'his sins of history.' I am more likely to believe Trump gets assassinated than resigning, but anything is possible, Nixon Resigned!

[Avshalom Binyamin]

Mueller is now scheduled to detail (in a court filing on Dec 7) Manafort's crimes and lies in breach of his cooperation agreement. Manafort had been cooperating in bad faith, with the intent of feeding information about the Mueller agreement to Trump.

Mueller did not have a gag order on Manafort, though he did have a gag order on another cooperating witness, Gates. So it appears Mueller was aware Manafort was acting in bad faith, and waited for Trump to submit his written answers (after coordinating with Manafort), before pulling the plug on the Manafort cooperation agreement.

[Jim Eshelman]

...and before getting new admissions under oath from Cohen

So strange that the media acts like Cohen's new out-of-the-blue guilty plea this week was puzzling.

[SteveS]

Just discovered these new betting odds hit the board Thursday Nov 29. This is the first time I see odds on Trump resigning, so Jim you must be seeing/hearing something that Vegas considers serious about the possibility of Trump resigning. Also note: Vegas is now putting odds out on Trump being impeached by the House and Senate and the odds are basically even for (Yes) Trump being impeached by House and Senate. Vegas is now confirming a-lot of what you have posted in this thread Jim.

Will Donald Trump be impeached by the House and Senate before the end of his 1st term?
Yes -110

No -140

Will Donald Trump resign during his first term?
Yes +135

No –110

[Jim Eshelman]

Interesting...

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

Trump now owns Mueller's boss. He now owns Mueller's investigations.

I'd look for odds on Mueller's resigning, because he won't be able to do anything more as soon as all the convictions he's already made have been sentenced.

Look for the House Judicial Committee to start investigating Trump. When they find enough, they'll bring it to the full House to impeach (which just means indict) Trump. The Senate will vote not to take up the impeachment and will refuse to hold a trial.
That ends that.

Trump will demand a trial, certain if there is one, he can razzle-dazzle it. If he doesn't get a trial, he's still the downtrodden underdog in the 2020 election. Whatever happens, it works to his favor.

With the way the Republican Party has gerrymandered voting districts in the states, if Trump runs in 2020, he may very well win another squeaker in the Electoral College, while losing the popular vote in a landslide. If he loses it won't be by much, and he'll tie up the world with recount on top of recount on top of recount.

[SteveS]

I kinda agree with you JSAD. I think i will bet 50 $ that Trump will not be impeached by both the House & Senate before the end of his first term. Thanks for offering your take on this situation.

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

I think that's a safe bet, since he can't be impeached by the Senate. Can not.

He can be tried by the Senate, but impeachment is solely the province of the House. It's all laid out in the Constitution.

Impeach is another word for indict. The House indicts, the Senate holds the trial and acts as judge and jury.

[Jim Eshelman]

Moon has entered Libra. Here is a reminder of what I expect in this "worst week of the month." BTW it's possible the solar influence refers to President Bush, whose state funeral is today.

Liblunar (Dec 3)
The Liblunar covers December 3-10. It is the worst week of the month, toxic and treacherous. The closest angularities are Sun and Mercury, but the most important - due to its aspects to Sun and Mercury - is a Mars-Neptune conjunction. Additionally, there is a whisper of Jupiter in the mix.

Sun is 0°14' from Eastpoint. Most neutrally, this places focus on the head of state in particular, the government more broadly, or a cultural leader, hero, or centerpiece. It may show higher levels of government presence, intervention, or oversight, or a heightened perception that government agents (such as police) are more intrusive.

Sun squares the Mars-Neptune conjunction. (Mars and Neptune are, respectively, 4° and 7° from IC, conjoined within 2°39'. Sun squares Mars 0°10' and Neptune 2°30'.) This is a toxic expression of Sun or a toxic, threatening condition for solar things. For example, Mars-Neptune pairings are signature aspects for threats to presidents and other leaders. The trio is ripe for scandalous police malfeasance. Most broadly, Mars-Neptune signals panic or terror: surging adrenaline + heightened hysterical emotion with greater risk of treachery, sabotage, other betrayal, poisoned relationships, and scandal.

Mercury rises (1°29') under strong affliction. In addition to a mundane square to Mars on IC (2°31'), rising Mercury has a PVP square to Saturn on the prime vertical (0°28'). This occurs under a Capsolar with a strong Moon-reinforced Mercury-Saturn conjunction and a Libsolar with a strong Moon-reinforced Mercury-Mars square, so we should expect unusually unpleasant (if not malevolent) Mercury expressions. Deadly transportation disasters are an easy call for this, as are significant pronouncements or other verbiage that is attacking, demeaning, assailing, and toxic. Besides the transportation theme, it's all about "the message" that is launched and the uncivil tone of engagement. Notice that this is the only week of the month that does not have a close Moon-Venus aspect, leaving us only limited opportunities to reach peace. The toxic conditions already identified run rampant. Attacks are calculated and strategic.

We might ignore the barely-foreground Jupiter altogether were it not for its close (2°10' in mundo) square with Neptune. This fosters a compelling, surreal, unreasoned optimism and belief-driven decision-making. It also reinforces a trend in this chart toward deception and unfair dealing, if not fraud. If there are fires, the death toll will be inflated by over-abundance, immoderation, and glut, such as over-packing a venue. Economic indicators are less trustworthy than usual. Also, this week commences with Hanukkah, which may link important events to the rest of the ingress.

CanQ Descendant crosses Sun 12/5, placing the president (and central government authority overall) more at the center of things than usual. A Uranus crossing 12/9 brings surprises and shakes things loose.

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

December 7th Congress needs to pass seven (7) spending bills to appropriate money for Homeland Security, and departments including Justice, State and Commerce. They rolled all 7 bills into one big one. If it doesn't pass by the 6th, there'll be a partial government shutdown. They may be postponing the discussion till after President Bush 41's funeral.

Both House and Senate are ready to pass these bills, except for one little Monkey with a Wrench called the Border Wall. Trump says he will not sign these bills without funding for his wall.

So we could have a major problem coming up. Trump has said he might (might) let them postpone the shutdown till next week because of the big funeral.

Mueller's investigation has already been given funding through an indefinite provision so won't be affected.