"Say Hi to your mother," says Mercury the Messenger; NASA image
Summer 2020: An Extended Mercury Return Period for Donald Trump
by Jude Cowell
In a recent SO'W post concerning the 2020 Solar Return Horoscope of Donald Trump you'll find a dual chart image of his 2020 Solar Return chart, plus, his natal horoscope sporting Mercury @8Can51 in 11th house of Groups, Associations, Hopes, and Wishes. The usual descriptions of natal Mercury in Moon-ruled Cancer tend to sound much more domestic and harmonious than this fellow with his continual school yard insults toward others, vengeful maliciousness, thieving nature, and his fantasies, lies, exaggeration, indiscretion, plus, a good memory (appearing as a bad memory - or have his advanced years have taken their toll?). Now as you know, much of his problematic Mercurial traits are thanks to thinking Mercury (the Messenger) square cloudy Neptune, and for Trump, all his Mercury Returns re-square confused, secretive Neptune's natal position! He thinks he's responding to people and events based on logic when it's really emotions leading his thoughts and thus communications and actions. Of course, anger, bad temper, and impulsiveness play major parts in his communication 'style' but that's more a function of his rising Mars, the me-first planet, in egotistical Leo, plus, what I believe to be liver and/or gland disturbances.
Meanwhile, Trump prefers to focus on his subjective, self-defensive ideas and plans, and on Mercurial interests such as trade, commerce, propaganda and promotion of a cause, oration, and a voluminous amount of communication that's more his 'style'. Plus, as you know, he fancies himself the best 'deal maker' ever born - and he's addicted to tweeting directly to approximately 30% of the American people. The ones who have Twitter accounts, that is. Neptune = the web or internet, the masses, and the media, while Mercury = tweets, gossip, lies, and insults. And of course, the Covid-19 pandemic takes up much of his brooding time these days along with deep anxiety over his 2020 re-election, or re-(s)election, I call it. Add to his worries a volatile stock market which naturally involves Mercury in his trade and commerce roles and it's a wonder Trump can manage to get out of bed each day by noon. Remember the olden days when he admitted that he had thought the job of presidentin' would be easy?!
Summer 2019
Now last year, Trump's once-only Mercury Return perfected on June 9, 2019 with both Mercury and Mars out-of-bounds of the earthly plane yet widely conjunct by degree (7A03). Venus was unaspected (an isolated wallflower?), and a midpoint picture formed in the 2019 Return chart with chatty trickster Mercury at apex: Moon-Uranus = Mercury which contains potentials for 'suggestive thought power' (like an experienced propagandist should! Goebbel's 'The Big Lie' really works!!), 'great mental activity' (his sneaky Mercury-Neptune mind is always scheming), 'surprises' and/or 'sudden news'. I would add, exciting or quirky ideas, fanatic planning, and/or peculiar interests.
Summer 2020
But conditions are different in 2020, both on the ground and above our heads, so let's consider Trump's 2020 Mercury Return which is actually a three-fer this year due to Mercury's period of retrogradation: 1. June 5; 2. July 2 Rx; and 3. July 20. Additionally, the Mercury-infused November Election will allegedly take place as scheduled and, as you know, Mercury is the planet of votes, voters, ballots, elections, decisions, glitches, lies, and such - and Mercury in late Libra changes direction on November 3rd. So I wish I could say that voting and voting machines will run smoothly on November 3rd, ballots will not be tampered with, votes will be accurately counted and reported, even if mailed in - but I can't so I won't. That's if the 2020 Election is held at all (coronavirus the expected justification).
Besides, Trump is under orders to 'win' a second term and he knows that accountability for his many crimes may have to be faced if he loses. Well, someone - a group of someones - certainly selected an operator who'd do absolutely anything to keep and expand whatever power he's grabbed, saving his own derriere and lining his deep pockets in the process.
And so Tweeter Trump's 2020 Mercury Return period is prominent this summer and until his next return in 2021. Mercury's aspects in all three charts should be considered along with house and planet ruler-ships, and other related chart factors should be noted (ex: any planets in Gemini or Virgo, and houses where these signs appear). And since it's a three-fer return, the year or approximate year until the next return perfects can be divided into quarters (12 mos divided by 3 returns = 4 mos each) to focus more closely on the timing of events and conditions. Perhaps the typical problem-denial-solution method sometimes used for retrograding planets would be informative as well for those who have the hours to spend.
Then adding to the revelatory possibilities of
Summer 2020 will be two
Lunar Eclipses, one on June 5th @15Sag34 and one on
July 5th @13Cap38 opposite US natal Sun (
secrets and scandals revealed?) so I suppose one must admit that
US natal Sun @13Cancer symbolizes the current resident of the Oval Office, Donald J. Trump, who plays the POTUS role like a bull in a China shop, mismanaging as he careens along. That would be his nibs.
For more info on the Summer 2020 Lunar Eclipses here's an excerpt from a recent post suggesting cosmic time links from American history:
Summer 2020 Lunar Eclipses Activate Past Solar EclipsesThe Lunar Eclipse @15Sag34 of June 5, 2020 reflects the 16 South Solar Eclipse of December 7, 1779 @15Sag45; 16 South Themes now reflected: 'misdirected motivations; wasted energy especially when dealing with groups'. Therefore, the Sabian Symbol of this degree, rounded-up, may also significant in Summer 2020: '16Sag' = "Seagulls Watching a Ship: Keyword: ALERTNESS; positive expression: a gift for recognizing every opportunity at hand; negative": (unconscious/shadow side--jc): "aimless expectation." Now you may disagree but for me, this symbol describes Trump's recent and continuing performance and his pie-in-the-sky expectations, plus, the plutocrats' habit of seeing every crisis as opportunity--especially the crises they engineer against us. It may also describe both friends and enemies of America watching our Ship of State sinking under the weight of corrupt governance, sails lowered, our course altered by saboteurs and mutineers.
Next this Summer comes the Lunar Eclipse of July 5, 2020 @13Cap10. Obviously this 'eclipses' US natal Sun (13Can19 of July 4, 1776 = leader/s) and reflects the Total Solar Eclipse of July 4, 1777 in the 14 North Saros series. Which is why I ask you, feeling *sequestered yet? (*14 North themes influenced Congress' 'Sequestration' measures in November 2011). Are you feeling oppressed by a lack of freedom as during our Revolutionary era? Well, the Cancer-Capricorn polarity contains Security issues and Home vs Career concerns, plus, Health conditions are implicated through the signs' sobering Moon-Saturn influences. And naturally, Moon-to-Sun symbolically echoes a New Moon, a phase of 'seeding plans' as a new cycle of activity begins in the realm of The Public (Moon) vs Authority Figures (Saturn) as 2020 Moon meets 1776 Sun.
And you know that "aimless expectation" reminds me of such things as Trump's touted fantasies about a quick-as-a-bunny Covid vaccine or the virus magically disappearing in April - not to mention drinking bleach as a cure (it is not!!).
Summer 2020 Brings a Significant Solar Eclipse Repeating from 2001
Meanwhile, new troubles and disruptions may loom around the time of the 4 North Summer Solstice Eclipse @00Cancer, one of the four World Points of Manifestation suggesting global events unfolding. And--stop the presses!--Trump has a birthday wedged into the mix, this year on June 13th. He'll turn 74 years old, is known to be drug-addled, and is not in the best physical condition in spite of his doctors' lies. But to Trump appearances are everything, yet my suspicion is that his true health condition won't be fooled by appearances for much longer. If only more of his supporters would join the real world and recognize the evil that bedevils and beguiles us - and that the elites' tiresome tactic of divide and conquer is alive and kicking hard against We The Masses in 2020.
Related: A List of 2020 Lunar Eclipses with Astro-Notes and Trump's Mercury in Cancer a la Adriano Carelli.