117th Congress scheduled to open January 3, 2021

Speculative Astro-Notes Concerning the 117th Congress of 2021

by Jude Cowell

September 8, 2020: If all goes according to plan, the 117th Congress will open on January 3, 2021, and unless Election 2020 in November results in leadership changes, Mike Pence will continue as President of the Congress.

Now I won't write much about the speculative January 3, 2021 chart set for Capitol Hill Washington DC and "noon EST" (in lieu of an announced hour - even the date could change), but below are a few general observations concerning the day's planets, plus, here's a view of the horoscope of the 117th Congress' Prenatal Solar Eclipse ('PE') for which we do not need a correct opening hour in order to ascertain the opening's 'PE' for as long as the 117th Congress opens in January 2021, its 4 South PE remains the case with a 'fated' theme intact - plus, it's also the PE of Inauguration 2021:

117th Congress: January 3, 2021 noon est Capitol Hill shows 19Aries04 rising, the exaltation of the Sun degree. Naturally, the Sun (leadership) @13Cap32 conjuncts the noon Midheaven ('MC') while opposing US natal Sun (July 4, 1776) suggesting a period when government goals and objectives should be reassessed and, if necessary, a change of direction may be taken. This is due to the fact that annually, January 3rd (or 4th) is the Executive Branch's "un-birthday." So with Mars-ruled Aries rising, Mars is chart-ruler (@28Ari32 and rising in 1st house) and makes three applying Ptolemaic aspects in the chart: 1. square Saturn (@1AQ56 in career 10th house conjunct bold Altair the eagle) causing difficulties, delays, stalling, lack of preparation or planning, frustration, challenges to authority, and with a potential for anger; 2. square Jupiter (@3AQ24 in 10th house) suggesting overreach, exaggeration, risk-taking, empty gestures, and/or sloppiness with details; 3. conjunct Uranus Rx (@6Tau46 in 1st house) which indicates unusual or nontraditional actions and circumstances along with an explosive and/or shocking quality. First house denotes early expression of these restless energies with society's current anarchistic, protesting, even rioting activities also indicated--for discussion or possibly legislation in Congress, if not actual physical expression. Unexpected events may occur!

The Mars-Uranus Conjunction becomes exact on January 20, 2021 @6Tau44 and rises in the Inauguration 2021 Horoscope, as you know. And obviously whenever Mars and Uranus combine their highly charged energies, violent measures may be taken, risky or dangerous behavior can complicate issues and bring unfortunate consequences, and/or accidents may occur. For more dangerous indications, add to this the fact that the transiting Uranus-Pluto midpoint not only opposes their Great Conjunction degrees of 1965/66 (mid-Pisces) and stimulating street clashes, Civil Rights demands, and upheaval as before, but Uranus-Pluto also conjuncts the destructive January 3, 2021 Mars-Saturn midpoint (aka, the 'death axis'--Ebertin). "Not a pretty picture" hardly describes the mundane possibilities of this pile-up especially considering the vicious form of politics and vengeance being practiced.

So however the Inauguration 2021 ceremony goes, We The People can expect the unexpected with a desperate Uranian chaos-creator Trump involved and what for him will be a major test of nerves and strength.

Closely Related is the First Lunation of 2021 - a New Moon @23Cap13 of January 13th which falls in the middle of the 117th Congress' Mercury-Pluto Conjunction (22-25Cap), and as we know, is within the overly stimulated "Capricorn corridor", super-sensitized ever since January 12, 2020 when karmic Saturn and Pluto conjoined @22Cap46 - conjunct Trump's natal Vertex (22:51) of fated encounters. (Actually, January 3 2021 is almost a Mercury Return to the Saturn-Pluto Conjunction Horoscope's Mercury - exact January 4th at 4:07 am est with an exact Moon-Neptune opposition hinting at scandals, illusions, and a deceptive environment); meanwhile, Venu$ @23Cap48 activates the Capricorn New Moon linked, above! So apparently, new activities are being seeded and planned in the realms of Mercury-Pluto and finances, and at some point we'll be able to blame or credit the 117th Congress for the consequences.

Now several potentials are indicated for the combination of Mercury and Pluto such as 'political talk that offers abrupt changes to some functions; high security and intelligence activities; communications satellites; news of space exploration, orbital weapons, or toxic gases'.

Other possibilities include: 'secrets involving business or transportation systems; hidden activities; self-destructive impulses in business; and/or breakdowns in road networks (and one wonders: in cyber networks? hacks and leaks? grid or voting machine attacks?). 'Paranoia about secrets', plus, 'ruthless investigations' are also suggested (Munkasey) along with 'propaganda, persuasion, the power of suggestion, overzealousness, sly cunning, sharp criticism, a famous orator, plagiarism, demagoguery, fraudsters, and/or diplomacy (Ebertin). I'll add, malicious scheming, plus, the fact that Mercury is out-of-bounds ('OOBs') so there's no telling what he or she is up to - or what outrageous things may be said, reported, or what may be stolen. Then as always, running in the background is America's natal Mercury-Pluto opposition of total awareness, surveillance/spying, confidential information, mind control, censorship and publishing which affects all such matters in a challenging way. But all results must depend upon which political party comes out victorious in House, Senate, and White House, and that's a secret even the Universe is keeping close to her vest.

Update October 6, 2020: please note that the above post was published prior to Trump's recent hospital stay allegedly due to contracting coronavirus and his superspreader status making those around him ill. jc

A Total Solar Eclipse December 14, 2020: Fate Steps In

December 14, 2020 Brings a 'Cosmic Blink' from Above: Fate, Destiny, Karma

by Jude Cowell

June 18, 2020: Many events, changed conditions, and tweets have occurred since last I posted the Horoscope of the 4 South Solar Eclipse which perfects on December 14, 2020 @23Sag08 so here's another consideration of the chart with a few hindsight conditions in mind, plus, a nod to the element of fate, aka, destiny:

As you see, the natal placements of Donald Trump are not littering the chart even though his Sun-NN/Moon-SN polarity is involved with the transiting Nodal axis, Mercury (20Sag05), and the Solar Eclipse, primarily because like most people I am truly weary of the blighter. He does figure in, of course, and may be the primary recipient of the 'fate' suggested by the 4 South eclipse themes (see below), plus other cosmic indications in the chart. However, 'wherever Trump goes so goes America' at least for now so mention should be made of the fact that his natal Descendant rises in this chart (Ascendant @29AQ01, a critical-crisis 29th degree). Also rising are two of the eclipse's midpoints: Pluto-Chiron (plutocrats; exploitation; primal violence; racism and other oppressive -isms), and, inventive Mercury-Uranus with little Mercury snugged between the eclipse and the Saturnian South Node (ideas behind or ahead of their time? same old tweeted insults? leaked plans?). Well obviously, technology and communications are suggested by Mercury-Uranus along with a potential for rebellion or riots due to goals not being fully explained or being rejected, plus, accidents via travel are possible, and Trump's past tweets may be spotlighted as they've been before. Yes, tweets (Mercury) from the past (SN) can come back to haunt even the most erstwhile tweeter!

Meanwhile, radical Uranus @7Tau07 lurches through the 2nd house of Earning Ability and the National Treasury and is unaspected (spurt-like energy or intuition from Uranus) and likely seeking 'unusual methods of financing' when in Taurus. This placement also suggests that 'premature action results in failure' (Ebertin) and can result in costly upsets or disruptions of one kind or another such as sudden natural events (exs: tectonic plates shifting--Saturn at a critical 29th degree--storms, hurricanes, and/or tech disruptions). Expect the unexpected.

And yet it's gas-lighting Neptune in her own sign of Pisces that rises in 1st house and denotes potentials for undermining conditions, saboteurs and subversives, events too massive to handle (possibly involving water or other liquids and/or toxins, drugs, oceans) plus, illness, infection, weakness, instability, confusion, fear and paranoia rising. So apparently our current difficulties continue to flow through society while a disinterested fellow with a power-grasping agenda 'mans' the helm of the White House and tweets our country away to the highest bidder.

Then, in 9th house of Foreign Lands, Philosophy, Higher Education, and Legal Affairs is Venus @28Sco44 - a money planet in the business and investment sign of Scorpio. Venus leads the tilt of a BOWL which falls over the 10th cusp of Career and Public Reputation. She's on a mission and is advocating for a cause (BOWL) but is less effective due to her limited experience of the world as shown by the signs outside the BOWL - the realms of Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Libra. To me this indicates missing elements of versatility, nurturance, natural leadership, discrimination, and balance. Unfortunately as 2020 ends, the trio of planets in governmental Capricorn and eroding Neptune in Pisces are outweighing Cancer's natural tendency to nurture and dissolving Virgo's natural function of discrimination - or trying to.

Meanwhile, other karmic or fated conditions are shown by factors such as the interception of the Virgo-Pisces axis across the 1/7 house polarity (including watery Neptune opposing dedicated Vesta). Yes, it's obviously time that America's Virgo-Pisces 'victim-savior' issues be dealt with and these include police brutality, Black Lives Matter, work place ethics (US Neptune in Virgo, sign of work and health), medical matters (exs: Covid-19, hospitals, supplies, testing, death rates), and the current loss of employment, lives, and lifestyles of millions of Americans, under empty vessel Trump.

Heavyweight Planets Pluto-Jupiter-Saturn and US natal Pluto

Naturally a major component in the eclipse chart is the 12th house of Karma, Self-Undoing, Large Institutions, Politics, and Behind-the-Scenes activities and meetings because heavyweights Pluto, Jupiter, and Saturn, now Direct in Capricorn, are grouped there across the house cusp which also happens to be conjoined by US natal Pluto Rx (27Cap33). As you know, US Pluto always drags along our nation's Mercury-Pluto opposition of surveillance and thought control (propaganda). In fact, the Mercury-Uranus duo includes the interesting potential of 'using propaganda during emergencies'. Ya think? Well, chart-ruler Saturn makes no applying aspects yet Venus does sextile conservative Saturn (a good business sense with a talent for setting priorities) while expansive Jupiter applies to their game-changing Great Conjunction (0A47) @00AQ29 perfecting at Winter Solstice 2020, a cosmic harbinger indicating major changes in society on several levels which we've discussed before (as has every other astrologer!).

Then sneakily, in the 12th house of Secret Deals is karmic Saturn sporting the Sabian Symbol for his rounded-up degree of '30 Capricorn' = OPPORTUNITY: "Directors of a Large Firm Meet in Secret Conference" with the word picture's negative expression: "rampant selfishness and rank exploitation" (Jones). Does this sound anything like a group of corporate executives, financiers, political operatives, and bad faith enablers you know? And maybe a selfish Ayn-Rander or two?

So when we look at the transiting midpoint picture with US natal Pluto as apex planet, what possibilities do we see? Tr Jupiter-Saturn = n Pluto: 'a total reversal of plans; intense business activity; extreme changes or reforms; and, wealthy, stealthy puppet master Pluto 'in control of the situation'. Actually, this midpoint picture is penned in the center of the chart and its potentials may very well relate to the objectives of that secret conference. Alternately, it may describe other players, too.

The Times They Really Are a-Changin'

Yes, change is rather the point of a 'cosmic blink'/'wild card' eclipse that affects conditions and events on Earth much as quirky, shocking Uranus tends to do: with disruption, unexpected events, intervention by a higher power, and possibly a total change of direction as a result. Are we listening to the Voice of a higher power? Well, some of us are! Are you?

Such is the Total Solar Eclipse of December 14, 2020 @23Sag08 which contains themes of 'very strong emotional feelings concerning relationships and/or money; a sense of fatedness as individuals are caught up in relationship events beyond personal control; a sudden desire to end relationships or associations; anger; lust; blocked emotions that lead to much frustration. Best advice is to avoid hasty action until issues settle down' (paraphrasing Brady's Predictive Astrology).

Silent Neptune Undermines and Erodes

In addition, there are squares to the Eclipse/Nodal axis from Neptune - intercepted, as noted - with Neptunian potentials as mentioned, above and below. Foggy conditions, cloudiness, or insecurity may cause eclipse imperatives to seem difficult to understand or manage for the masses, even for the media (Neptune), yet to make karmic progress, clarity and truth must be constantly attempted to the extent that we can, our years of extreme disappointment with Washington politicians notwithstanding. Because feeling Neptunian disappointment in our elected officials is no longer enough to effect the positive changes we need and democracy requires participation.

For Neptunian circumstances squaring the eclipse include delusional leaders, subversives, saboteurs, radical reactionaries, and folks who are out of step with current societal standards and traditions - and all are eager to continue interfering with America's karmic progress for they prefer either the status quo or better yet (they think), the regressive policies of olden days. Why, even Trump's natal fantasy-prone, deceitful Mercury-Neptune square is echoed by this eclipse chart (but from Sagittarius to Pisces instead of Cancer to Libra). This 'square' condition of off-kilter Mercury and Neptune is another way that Trump shows up in the chart along with his natal Sun-Moon-Nodes configuration, and his speculating, transactional Neptune-Chiron-Jupiter trio in Libra conjunct the 8th cu$p of Shared Resources, Debt, Credit, and Corporatism, among other realms. And as you know, the Nodes of the Moon suggest the fated paths all Earthlings must tread, even scofflaw freeloader Donald Trump.

A Related Post: December 2020 Solar Eclipse a Wild Card for Trump which shows the Inauguration 2017 Horoscope with its 8th house Saturn @23Sag30 - to be eclipsed by the December 14, 2020 Eclipse, plus, it activates Trump's Total Lunar Eclipse (@23Sag)! To me this eclipse pile-up sounds like a whole bunch of fated conditions and events coming due and it may take a huge amount of cheating and bribes to shoehorn his bulk into the Oval Office again. Or am I only wishfully dreaming?

Perhaps so, but it seems to me that this particular eclipse 'begs to differ' with such subversives and radical reactionaries concerning the fate of America because in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius, a solar eclipse calls for integrity, honesty, ethical actions and moral standards to be upheld, not disrespected or neglected. Negative expressions such as misguided beliefs, erroneous philosophies, deceit, and fraud will amount to nothing of value under the influence of the December 2020 Eclipse, if karmic progress is to be made by the Collective as we face 2021, and it is extremely important that We The People not scatter our energies. Because as many people have called for lately, Unity is needed - for as everyone knows, there be strength in numbers!

A related opinion: Solidarity Will Turn the Impossible Into the Inevitable.

2020 Electoral College votes on December 14, 2020

Election Day: November 3, 2020 but the Real Deal Is Sealed on December 14th

As it now stands, the 2020 Electors will vote for a new president and vice president or will re-elect the incumbents on December 14, 2020. And as synchronicity would have it, a Total Solar Eclipse perfects @23Sag08 on that very day at 11:16:26 am est so the horoscope below is set for that date, hour, and the Capitol Building Washington DC in lieu of an accurate time and location for the Electoral College vote; please enlarge the image if you wish to read my scribbled notes:

As you see from the title on the above image, this chart shows the Prenatal Eclipse ('PE') of Inauguration 2021 which falls within the 4 South Saros Series; however, it is not the PE of Election 2020 (that would be the 4 North in June 2020). Themes of 4 South are on the difficult side: 'strong emotional feelings concerning money and/or relationships; sense of fatedness in relationships or of being caught up in events beyond personal control; a sudden desire to end relationships; emotions may be blocked or checked causing a great deal of frustration; there may be anger or lust, and for best results, rash action should be avoided until issues settle down' (paraphrasing Brady's Predictive Astrology). The last 4 South eclipse occurred in 2002 @11Sag54; the initial eclipse in this series manifested on March 19, 1624 @29Pisces; therefore, for more depth of information the Sagittarian energies of the December 2020 eclipse can be viewed or filtered through a Pisces (Jupiter/Neptune) lens--double Jupiter which suggests the possibility of staged or feigned performances (Munkasey). Personally I tend to call such performances 'politics'.

Now voting planet Mercury @20Sag05 conjuncts South Node (see edit, below) and accompanies the eclipse in 10th house of Goals, Career, and Public Standing, and the Moon-Sun-Mercury trio ropes in Trump's natal Moon-South-Node conjunction, as noted. And as you know, a Moon-SN conjunction suggests a person with bad timing who has trouble doing things in the right way, and who tends to alienate others. It reveals a karmic condition due to the past mishandling of wealth, position, and popularity. Trump's opposing Sun-North-Node conjunction helps to uplift the depressive qualities of his 'estranged from mama' Moon-SN but who really knows how often his nibs sobs when he's all alone.

Actually, the planets form a BOWL shape with the 9th house Venus in Scorpio leading the tilt and denoting 'advocacy of a cause' or the 'furtherance of a mission' (Jones). If Venus leading the other planets could signify a lady candidate in Big Business Scorpio, perhaps Senator Elizabeth Warren is suggested.

As for the Electoral College, I can't say how they'll be persuaded to vote but I can say that there's an awful lot of Trump planets linked to this horoscope, some of which are penned around the chart. There's no space to pen on his speculative, overblown Neptune-Chiron-Jupiter trio (5--18 Libra) but it snugs around the 8th cu$p of Corporatism and Debt. Plus, you see the 1st house Neptune @18Pis13 rising yet intercepted which is apex of two midpoint pictures penned on the chart and highlighted in green. Now interceptions are somewhat controversial and some astrologers don't use them at all (using a different house system sometimes removes them all together). But I think of them as indicating karmic conditions and/or something hidden which must be dealt with and in this case, it relates to victim-savior issues (Virgo-Pisces axis) with karmic Neptune strong in its own sign of Pisces and apex planet of multiple T-squares which place much pressure on the nebulous planet of fraud, deception, dissolution, disappointment, loss, glamour, and/or spirituality. Neptune also represents propaganda, the masses and mass media as well and a 1st house Neptune supports the eclipse theme of 'caught up in events beyond personal control' as noted, above. Of course, water, gas, oil, or other liquids or toxins may be involved with large events (exs: storms or floods).

Politically speaking even a very large Blue Wave may be represented by an active Neptune which could hopefully make it more difficult for the Electoral College to vote against the popular candidate as they did in 2016. Of course, much depends on how well Republican cheating tactics work this time around and many things can happen between now (September 30, 2019) and December 14, 2020, even impeachment but I'm not counting my chickens on that score, partially because too many rats would have to scurry into the spotlight if the Trump yacht sank.

Now another negative factor in the horoscope is that social and religious fanaticism is suggested by a midpoint picture conjunct the 12th cusp of Politics and Karma: Saturn-Pluto = Jupiter, ruler of the eclipse bwo Sagittarius. And when a solar eclipse is in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius it's important for best results that energies be focused, not scattered, a search for truth is engaged upon, and motivations are aboveboard. Karmic progress cannot be made if misplaced idealism and/or erroneous beliefs are the guides under the influence of a Sagittarian eclipse (Lineman). These are often the very sorts of things that 'wild card' eclipses tend to uncover whenever society sorely needs a change of direction.

Then as you see, ascending in the chart is Trump's natal Descendant @29AQ (Partnerships) and he's in the midst of a Nodal Return when new alliances tend to form and fortunate contacts may be made. At Midheaven ('MC'; @12Sag22) is what many astrologers use for America's natal Ascendant, and with North Node in 4th house (US natal 7th house), we may expect an emphasis on the Homeland, Domestic Scene, Family Members as Partners, and/or Roots. Real Estate and/or the Mining Industry may also be in focus and opposite, there's potential for someone prominent (10th house) to lose (SN) their social position or career (MC).

And yes, there are several other cosmic links to Trump's natal planets but I have no wish to spotlight all of them because it's making me feel fussy just looking at the chart. Yet mention must be made that the 4 South eclipse perfects quite near Trump's natal Moon-South-Node conjunction so that secrets from his past may be illuminated as eclipses will do (tiresomely, I know, since there have been so many revelations already) via leaks, reporting, investigations, lawsuits, or, as it turns out, whistleblowing.

And of course this is a South Node eclipse so energies tend to drain from conditions and events possibly suggesting the exhaustion we all feel after years of resisting Trump-style destruction and his Geminian duplicity and constant tweeting.

Oct 20, 2019 edit: I neglected to add that Mercury conjunct South Node suggests persons or people who are mentally alone and cannot gain support for their ideas or plans, one who speaks out at the wrong time or in the wrong place, is not listened to, has ideas ahead or behind the times, may have ideas or plans stolen or plagiarized, and/or is able to escape the "pitfalls of popular opinion" (Sakaoian and Acker); positively Mercury-SN may denote an independent person with original ideas.

Yet there's one thing we know for certain for those with ears to hear: that truth will always have its own ring!

Looking ahead here are the Inauguration 2021 Midpoint Pictures. Glancing back to 2016, the Electors voted on December 19th for con artist Donald Trump. Didn't they know he's a gangster? And here's a nostalgic post concerning the cosmic conditions on that December day in 2016 when we were all much younger and sooo naive.