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The Nomination Chart: Part 1: Donald Trump

I recently wrote a TMA blog titled Why Astrology Can’t Predict the Next President. One of the core arguments in that article is that astrology can’t answer every question. Astrology can only answer questions that are specific, precise, and have a limited set of possible answers.

Astrologers started asking the question, “Who will be the next President of the United States” more than a year before any candidates had officially entered the race. Astrology doesn’t work with hypotheticals. Until the candidates are official, the question isn’t valid.

To be sure, the question isn’t valid even after the candidates are official. There’s no definitive way for astrology to predict the winner of a presidential election.

That being said, astrology can now provide some insights into the election.

So, what changed?

We finally have an objective event to consider.

On July 21, 2016 at 10:19 p.m. EDT, in Cleveland Ohio, Donald Trump became the official Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential election. The moment he officially and publicly accepted the nomination represents the birth of his campaign. The chart for that event should, in theory, provide some insight into his chances of success.

When considering the presidential election, the nomination charts are the most specific and relevant charts to consider. However, they’re still not specific enough to predict a definitive winner. The nomination charts show the outcome of the campaigns from the perspective of each candidate. They don’t provide an objective chart for the election itself. We still have to consider two independent charts, and there’s no objective metric to judge the outcome.

In this article, I will consider the chart for Donald Trump’s nomination, and in Part 2, I will explore the chart for the Democratic candidate, once that candidate becomes official.

Before looking at the chart itself, we need to define what we’ll be looking at.

Here’s a quick rundown of how to interpret an event chart.

The first house represents the nominee. We’ll consider the planet that rules the First House and evaluate its condition, including both Essential Dignity (power) and Accidental Dignity (prominence). We’ll also consider any planets that occupy the First House because they further describe the condition of the nominee.

The seventh house represents the opposing candidate, but here’s where things get a bit complicated. The ruler of the Seventh House specifically represents how the nominee perceives his or her opponent. We’ll consider the dignity and debility of this planet both independently and in comparison with the dignity and debility of the ruler of the First House.

The tenth house is the prize. In this case, the Tenth House and the ruler of the Tenth House is the Presidency.

The second house relates to the nominee’s money and resources available for the campaign.

The Moon shows the action and events. Every aspect the Moon makes before it changes signs is significant. And if the Moon doesn’t make any aspects before changing signs — if it’s Void of Course — that’s also significant. A Void-of-Course Moon suggests that nothing will come of the question.

 So here’s the nomination chart for Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election.
Trump NominationLet’s take a closer look at the players.

The chart has 1°32” Pisces on the Ascendant, so Jupiter, the ruler of Pisces, represents Trump.

Jupiter in the chart is in Virgo in the seventh house. Jupiter is in detriment and has no Essential Dignity, so it’s also peregrine. It gets a score of -10 for power, which is about as weak as you can get. (1) Trump is severely damaged. He has no control over the outcome of events. All he can do is go along for the ride.

Of even greater concern is that Trump is in the seventh house of his opponent. The seventh house is angular, and planets in the seventh receive a score of +4 for prominence. This does not work in Trump’s favor. Accidental Dignity does not compensate for Essential Debility. On the contrary, it means that everyone will see how weak he is. And being in the house of his opponent suggests Trump is exactly where his opponent wants him to be.

The chart also has three malefic planets in the first house: Neptune, the South Node, and Chiron. Neptune suggests deception, illusion, and fantasy, but especially in the first house, it also suggests the dissolving and corroding of Trump. The South Node is a drain, and that drain is perhaps magnified because it’s conjunct Neptune. And Chiron represents a core wound.

Things do not look good for Trump so far. Let’s see how he views his opponent.

Virgo is on the Descendant, so Mercury, the ruler of Virgo, represents Trump’s opponent.

In this chart, Mercury is in Leo in the sixth house. Mercury in Leo also has no Essential Dignity, and receives a power score of -5 because it’s peregrine. Trump’s opponent is damaged, but not nearly as badly damaged as Trump. Jupiter is both peregrine and in detriment. In this context, Mercury is far more powerful than Jupiter.

Mercury occupies the sixth house in the chart and is just emerging from the Sun’s Beams (less than 17° from the Sun). Both of these are severe Accidental Debilities that have a negative effect on prominence. Mercury has a prominence score of -8, but keep in mind this is all from Trump’s point of view. Trump can’t see his opponent.

Strategically, this is bad news for Trump. It means he won’t be able to respond effectively to attacks or challenges during the campaign. Every attack will come as a complete surprise.

At the time that Trump became the nominee, the Democratic nominee had not been selected. But there’s an interesting connection between Mercury, representing Trump’s opponent in his nomination chart, and Hillary Clinton, the presumptive nominee.

 Trump’s Opponent is on the Back of the Bear.

In the nomination chart, Mercury is conjunct the fixed star Dubhe. Dubhe forms the back of the Great Bear in the Ursa Major constellation, and it’s considered to be a violent, destructive influence. (2)

Oh — and Hillary Clinton has both natal Mars and natal Pluto conjunct Dubhe.

This seems to suggest that underestimating or dismissing his opponent, especially if it’s Hillary Clinton, would be a huge and probably fatal mistake for Trump. It’s never a good idea to poke the bear. You could lose everything.

But losing is only a bad thing if the prize is worth having.

The Midheaven of the chart is 14°37” Sagittarius, so Jupiter is also the prize.

From the moment he threw his hat in the ring, I’ve maintained that Donald Trump has no interest in becoming president, but only wanted to run for president. I explored this in detail, while exploring the predictive triggers to Trump’s natal chart, in my article, Trump TV: The Season Finale, in the June/July 2016 issue of The Mountain Astrologer.

The nomination chart supports this theory. The prize, being elected President, is a poison pill. Jupiter is in Detriment and peregrine, and is applying to an opposition with Chiron and a quincunx to Uranus. There’s nothing fun or entertaining about Jupiter in Virgo. Jupiter in Virgo is endless, expansive bureaucracy.

And here’s where things get tricky. Jupiter rules both Trump and the Presidency, and when considering horary and event charts, that belongs clearly in the “Yes” column (that is, to the question about the success of his campaign). Trump is literally one with the prize.

But to judge the outcome of the chart, you have to consider all of the factors. The prize is badly damaged (Detriment) and lacks power (peregrine). It would be an empty win for Trump. More importantly, the prize is located in the seventh house of his opponent.

At best, this suggests that Trump is conflicted about winning, but I think it can also be viewed in a different context. Trump won the only prize he sought: the nomination. He wants the celebrity without any of the responsibility.

And then there’s the question of money.

Running a campaign in the general election takes lots of money, and Trump can’t count on it being there when he needs it.

Oh, there’s lots of money on the table. With Aries on the cusp of the second house, Mars in Scorpio, the ruler of Aries, represents the available resources to Trump’s campaign. Mars is powerfully dignified with both rulership and triplicity, so there are some very deep pockets involved. The problem is that those pockets are in the ninth house. At best, they’re far away.

Getting the money from the ninth house into Trump’s second house campaign coffers won’t be easy. Uranus occupies the second house, suggesting chaos, disruptions, and financial upsets for Trump’s campaign. But more importantly, Mars and Uranus are quincunx each other, suggesting an even greater divide between Trump and the financial support of the party.

The quincunx between Mars and Uranus is significant for Trump on a personal level because it’s one of the dominant themes in his 2016 Solar Return, which I explored in the Trump TV: The Season Finale article. In that chart, it suggests both personal and professional disaster for Trump because Uranus is on the Midheaven of the return chart.

But what really matters in an event chart is the Moon.

Everything we’ve covered so far has described the context of the campaign, but the Moon determines the outcome. When considering horary, electional, or event charts, we have to pay close attention to the sequence of aspects the Moon will make before it leaves the sign it’s in.

In Trump’s nomination chart, the Moon doesn’t make any future aspects. Trump accepted the nomination literally minutes after the Moon in Aquarius went Void of Course, completing its final aspect, a square to Mars in Scorpio.

Astrologically, this may be the last straw for Trump. His acceptance speech was the beginning and the end of his campaign. There are no new events and nothing will come out of the campaign. And Trump’s lack of power (Jupiter being peregrine and in detriment) means he can’t do anything to influence or alter the course of things. All he can do is play the hand he’s got and hope that his opponent has worse cards than he does.

But let’s take a moment and acknowledge his acceptance speech.

Trump’s speech perfectly embodied the moment, bringing to life the energy of the Moon in Aquarius in the twelfth house exactly square Mars in Scorpio in the ninth house. Trump played up the idea of hidden enemies and unconscious fears and continued to tap into the deepest twelfth house shadows of the population. He emphasized the Aquarian idea of freedom — at least as it applies to the members of a particular group. The enemies, of course, are ninth-house foreigners and immigrants who pose a Mars-in-Scorpio dire and direct threat to our very existence. And given that it’s a fixed square, his solution is to build a wall, strengthen our borders and boundaries, and prepare for a siege.

So let’s summarize what we’ve learned from Trump’s nomination chart.

Trump as a candidate (Jupiter in Virgo) is not only powerless (peregrine), but also damaged (detriment). He’s further weakened by the presence of Neptune, the South Node, and Chiron in the first house. His weaknesses are quite prominent because Jupiter is in the seventh house, and since the seventh house represents Trump’s opponent, his opponent will have an easy time exploiting those weaknesses.

Trump’s opponent (Mercury in Leo) is also powerless (peregrine), but she’s less damaged than Trump. She’s potentially destructive because Mercury is conjunct the fixed star Dubhe. Because Mercury lacks so much prominence from being under the Sun’s beams (less than 17° from the Sun) and in the sixth house, Trump doesn’t see her. This gives her a tactical advantage because every attack will be a surprise.

The prize, the Presidency, is a poison pill. It’s also represented by Jupiter in Virgo, and given that it’s in the seventh house, from Trump’s point of view, it belongs to his opponent.

And most importantly, the Moon is Void-of-Course, so nothing else happens with Trump’s campaign. The high point of the campaign was his acceptance speech, and it’s all downhill from here.

But this doesn’t mean that Trump will lose the election.

This chart describes Trump’s campaign in the general election from Trump’s perspective. It does not describe the outcome of the election.

Objectively, this is a lousy chart for Trump. But it still has to be considered in context. In poker, a pair of twos still beats an ace high. Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic candidate, has yet to accept the nomination. And with the conventions only a week apart, her nomination chart will have many of the same challenges that Trump’s chart does.

Stay tuned for more!

In Part 2, I will consider the Democratic nomination chart, both on its own and in comparison to Trump’s nomination chart. It’s still not possible to definitively predict the winner of the presidential race, but the nomination charts may reveal what we can expect in the next few months.

Editor’s notes:

(1) The author uses the Accidental Dignity and Debility scores as described in Nicholas de Vore’s Encyclopedia of Astrology.

(2) The fixed star Dubhe is at 15°21′ Leo (in the Ursa Major constellation). Source: Astrology Weekly: Fixed Stars 2011

Bio: Kevin B. Burk is the Headmaster of The Real Astrology Academy, which provides astrological information, education, and training to astrologers and astrology students around the world. He’s the author of eleven books, including Principles of Practical Natal Astrology: Talented Astrologer Training Book 1. Read more of his articles in the Talented Astrologer Blog.

 

 

13 Comments

  1. Kevin, I’m double-posting on FB and here. I was just watching the roll call vote at the Dem convention on CNN and noted the exact time that the delegate count went over the required 2,383 votes for Clinton, at which point CNN immediately declared her the winner in a breaking news flash. Time was 3:38 p.m. Looking forward to your analysis.

    • Pat,

      I’m double-replying. 🙂 The event that matters is when Clinton publicly accepts the nomination, and that won’t happen until Thursday evening.

      The roll-call vote doesn’t involve Clinton or her campaign. It doesn’t become official until she accepts the nomination. It’s a little bit like the difference between the conception and the birth.

  2. Kevin, thanks for the “double reply.” 🙂

    I don’t agree with the conception/birth metaphor, but as I wrote on FB, astrologers often disagree on which time to use for a chart. The debate typically includes various interpretations; e.g., in the case of country charts, there’s often a debate between when a country became a legal entity versus when independence was announced. The United States chart is a notable example. The most often-cited chart is Sibly, but there are good arguments to be made for July 2, some other time on July 4 (backed up by archival records), and the First Constitutional Convention.

    In the case of the Democratic nominee, there are written procedural rules. I just looked them up. They make a distinction between a NOMINEE and a CANDIDATE. Clinton became the nominee when the balloting process ended. That being the case, I was wrong about the time, as were the media who rushed with breaking news alerts the instant the vote went over 2,383. Officially, she wasn’t the nominee until the last state voted. And it was a dramatic and unprecedented moment. When it was Vermont’s turn to vote, they passed so that they became the last state, behind Wyoming. After the leader of the Vermont delegation gave their count, Bernie Sanders, who was sitting with his delegation, moved to suspend the rules and declare Clinton the nominee by unanimous vote. The gavel came down at 3:55 p.m. EDT. At that point, Clinton was no longer the “presumptive nominee.”

    According to the rules, she becomes the party’s CANDIDATE at the conclusion of her acceptance speech. It has nothing to do with whether her campaign is involved, but is strictly governed by party rules.

    If you want to use the chart for the time of her candidacy, that’s fine, and you don’t need to justify it one way or the other, since it’s your analysis. However, be sure to make the distinction between NOMINEE and CANDIDATE.

    Thanks for your posts. I’m still looking forward to your next installment.

    • I also did a DJT official nomination chart based on his acceptance. of course I have the same chart Kevin Burke drafted. I did it in real time on my phone then realized later I forgot to use EDT (i live in LA) then had a moment where I thought…whoops wrong time and replaced the chart. I had actually not been watching Trump’s speech because I had recorded that hour because I had to run to the market and pick up food at restaurant. I could feel the 9th/12th and used the word dystopia. When I later watched it…I thought. Yep. And honestly now with this Russian Putin stuff, I feel this chart makes sense. Where does the moon move when you draft the chart for the end of his speech?

  3. I have a different take. This is DT’s acceptance of the Republican Nomination, so, I think the 1st house represents the Republican Party, and I think Trump represents the 7th house, as he is the one being chosen as their partner in the effort to win (the prize, as you say, which is the overhead 10th house). And I don’t feel it’s necessary to put Hillary in this chart because she’s not running for the Republicans (I also doubt to what degree these nomination charts will show the outcome of the race) but I do think these charts can show the energies around the nomination, and moving forward.

    OKAY, so, I prefer Neptune as the Ruler of Pisces (you use Jupiter), and thus, Ruler of the chart– it’s safe to say the Republican party’s been deluded, divided, going in different directions (1st house Neptune in Pisces conjunct ASC and SN clearly shows this); and the party has also been wounded in the past (shown by Chiron in 1st) BUT simultaneously, Neptune in Pisces on ASC offers a bit of hope, and ruling all things Hollywood, I’d certainly say this current RNC was probably the most inspired RNC convention in a while– imbued with a touch of glamour.

    Now, the MOON. I find it very interesting that it’s near the ASC but going Void– and that Donald accepted just moments before it became Void! (I think he did that on purpose)– I see it as working to the advantage of both Trump and the Republicans. Let’s face it: it’s not easy to be a Republican these days: out of step socially, religious dogma, a club of rich white guys– not many want to be associated to this, especially younger people. But the Void Moon, in my opinion, worked to make that little stigma much less of a problem for the greater masses to vote Republican now, and also helps to make Donald as the nominee less of a problem for the more conservatives in the party.

    Fascinatingly, the Moon in Aquarius is nearing the ASC/1st House (or Republican Party), and we saw an openly gay man (Aquarius/Uranus) speak about being gay and republican at the RNC for the first time– likely to be one of the most remembered things about that night, perhaps paving the way for more LGBT’s to participate in the party, and maybe even changing the party forever (hopefully!). And given that Trump’s natal Sun is conjunct Uranus, it fits. I doubt that announcement, in the past, would have been welcomed at the RNC (and I’m sure some bible thumpers there were still uncomfortable with it) — but void Moon in Aquarius with a Sun-Uranus Candidate made it all happen without a bump! Quite a feat, all things considered.

    Moving on to the 7th House: or Donald Trump. Well, I think it’s perfect that communicator is his Ruler, and it’s in Leo in the 6th conjunct Venus since he’s natally a Gemini with Leo on the rise, and Taurus midheaven (Venus), and he’s all about work, work, work– so I couldn’t think of better planets/placements to represent him, especially, since right now, the whole point of this chart is of him trying to go to work for the Republican party and the country.

    Okay, but there is a slight problem: Mercury-Venus (Donald) are SQUARE Neptune in 1st (the Republican Party): and it’s no secret, that Trump and the party itself have been at odds, which clearly shows when the Ruler of the Party is squaring the Ruler of Candidate LOL but then Neptune (the Republican Party) Squares the Midheaven/Saturn, anyway: those Republicans had little chance at the prize the way they were going, totally at odds with the majority public, and under illusions (Neptune). However, I think they’ve come to realize that while he may not be their ideal, their ideal has to change because the public spoke about what they want for the future (Moon in Aquarius on ASC), and so the RP has to give more, evolve, show more compassion (positive expression of Neptune)– if they want to win that prize.

    And the good news for the Republican party is: even though changing is hard, it has its rewards: they might just win thanks to their odd bedfellow: Mercury-Venus in Leo (Donald) is making a lovely grand trine with Uranus (change, the future) and the PRIZE, Sagittarius Midheaven and Sag Saturn!

    I also find it interesting to note that the Sagittarius Midheaven-Saturn conjunction perfectly represents DT’s promise to be the “Law and Order” President. I’d say that sums up Saturn in Sag quite well. Overall, it shows the nomination was a success, which it was, especially considering what could have gone wrong just didn’t.

    • Where I say “Well, I think it’s perfect that communicator is his Ruler” what I mean is that Virgo is on the 7th house cusp and so the Ruler of Donald Trump is Mercury, the communicator, which is his natal sun ruler, too.

      • Oh– almost forgot my take on Jupiter: in the 7th, it shows that the Republicans are lucky to have him (whether they realize it or not), and the with Jupiter trine Pluto in 11th, he’s got powerful support behind his dreams. N. Node in the 7th house also shows his timing is impeccable, which so far, it has been. He’ll be hard to beat.

    • And yes, I like your Mars assessment: there’s Moon in Aquarius rising up in a friendly aspect with Uranus — both at odds with Mars in Scorpio in the 9th, it really does illustrate well what DT has asserted about dealing with terrorism on foreign soil, and preventing it from coming here to US and threatening our freedom. Given Mars is in a grand trine with the Sun and Chiron– I think the Republicans will try to stop it.

    • I appreciated your analysis

  4. About the void of course moon, Obama was elected with a void of course moon nomination. How does that differ?

  5. I don’t see The Dark Moon Lilith on your Chart, She will decide who becomes the next President!

  6. LL, your analysis totally BLOWS the article out of the water! Thank you for posting!


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