Stormy Weather

[Editor’s note: we are delighted to publish this article by Alex Miller, with thanks to Alex and his website, Alex’s Asteroid Astrology, an incomparable resource for asteroid-related astrology. There you’ll find in-depth astrological analyses of breaking events, as well as the astrological meanings of many mythic named asteroids.]

On Sunday evening, 25 March 2018, TV’s premiere news magazine, “60 Minutes”, aired an interview with Stephanie Clifford, AKA Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who alleges a 2006 affair with Donald Trump, and who was paid $130,000 by his lawyer, scant weeks before the 2016 election, to keep quiet about it.

A March Madness basketball game ran into overtime, so the segment, slated to run first up when the episode was scheduled for 7 PM, was delayed until 7:39 EDT, a circumstance which yields a very interesting chart, finely tuned to focus on Ms. Daniels’ horoscope.

Since writing the original story on this topic, I’ve come across a birth time for Ms. Clifford—1:10 AM CST in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on 17 March 1979 (Rodden Rating A). This gives Clifford a Midheaven at 11 Libra, the exact degree of the Ascendant for the delayed broadcast of her interview! Sitting aside that MC, and thus aside the interview Ascendant, is her natal asteroid Storm, for stage name Stormy, at 14 Libra. And this in turn makes an exact conjunction with Donald Trump’s natal Chiron, representing a wound. Further, Clifford’s natal Pluto at 18 Libra, ruling sex and scandal (as well as the rather thuggish, underworld, threatening behaviors she alleges in her interview) is also bound up with the interview Ascendant, and all these points are conjoined Trump’s natal Jupiter at 17 Libra, bringing politics and his reputation into the mix.

The MC of the interview at 12 Cancer focuses attention on Donald Trump’s natal Mercury, his version of the story, at 8 Cancer, and his natal Nemesis, that point of self-undoing, at 16 Cancer. The hit to Nemesis suggests that the interview (watched by more than 22 million people, the highest-rated “60 Minutes” segment in a decade, eclipsing The Donald’s own 2016 post-election appearance) may prove a substantial factor in bringing down the Trump administration. The fact that his version of their relationship directly contrasts with hers can be seen in Clifford’s natal Mercury, which at 8 Aries is exactly square Trump’s. These two are not going to see eye-to-eye about much, but Clifford’s natal asteroid Aphrodite, also at 8 Cancer and exact on Trump’s Mercury, reveals the substance of the dispute—an illicit affair, Aphrodite-ruled. This is highlighted by the interview MC as well.

The Descendant of the chart at 11 Aries highlights Clifford’s natal Mercury, and also her asteroid Washingtonia, at 10 Aries, but there is a lot more there on the day to bolster this placement as well. A phenomenal grouping of asteroid Whitehouse at 0 Aries, TNO Salacia at 1 Aries, Nemesis at 3 Aries and the Sun at 5 Aries are all encroaching on Clifford’s Mercurial tale. Whitehouse of course represents the Oval Office and the presidency itself; Salacia refers to titillation, sex scandal, sensationalized events and crude or boorish sexual behaviors; Nemesis brings undoing, often self-created; and the Sun draws our attention and focus. Coming at Clifford’s Mercury from the opposite direction, and also angular in this chart, is a transit Mercury which is in retrograde, creeping back from 16 Aries to reconnect with its natal degree. That’s Clifford going back into her story, going fully public, causing a reappraisal.

The IC at 12 Capricorn sits on the midpoint of Clifford’s natal Troemper/Whitehouse pairing, at 9 and 15 Capricorn, conjoined each. If we think of the literal meaning of the Nadir, another word for the IC, that is, “the lowest point”, we might expect that this interview brings the Trump (Troemper) administration (Whitehouse) to its lowest ebb. And nestled right there are transit Mars at 4 Capricorn and Saturn at 8 Capricorn, indicating sex stories (Mars) about the chief executive (Saturn). Mars also aligns perfectly with Trump’s natal Whitehouse, while Saturn exactly opposes his Mercury and exactly squares hers. Transit Aphrodite at 14 Capricorn completes this picture, once again bringing in the element of extramarital involvements. All these points are encompassed by the IC of the interview.

Clifford’s remaining PNAs also factor into the day. Asteroid Daniels at 27 Leo retrograde opposes Damocles, the doom hanging unseen overhead, at 26 Aquarius. Accompanying this are asteroids Clifford at 0 Pisces, Eros, designating erotic passion, exact with Damocles; and Icarus, denoting rash, reckless actions heedless of the consequences, at 23 Aquarius. This basic polarity is actually the spine, or String, of a Kite pattern, formed from a Grand Trine including asteroid Stephania (for Stephanie) at 28 Sagittarius, and a grouping of Venus exact with Eris at 23 Aries, Uranus at 27 Aries, and asteroid Storm at 26 Aries. Stormy (Storm) Daniels (Daniels), the disrespected and marginalized (Eris) lover (Venus), makes shocking revelations (Uranus) of an ill-considered (Icarus) romantic tryst (Eros) which now threatens to bring ruin down on the head (Damocles) of Donald Trump.

Adding to the complexity, the basic opposition here also forms a T-Square with transit Jupiter at 22 Scorpio, affecting the reputations of both accuser and accused. Clifford’s stated reason for reneging on the non-disclosure agreement is the treatment she has received at the hands of Trump’s legal and political surrogates, who have all alleged her to be a liar.

We should note also that this Stephania conjoins Trump’s natal combination of Salacia, Achilles and Clifford, all at 24 Sagittarius, which resonates to his bad sexual behaviors (Salacia) constituting an inherent flaw or weakness which threatens to destroy him (Achilles), focused here on the person of Stephanie (Stephania) Clifford (Clifford), as the very visible representative of all such similar incidents throughout his life. That this pattern is central to his bio is confirmed by its inclusion in the primary natal polarity formed by his Sun at 22 Gemini opposing his Moon at 21 Sagittarius, thus Clifford et al is bound up with both Lights.

Other points of interest include a string of celestials from Pluto at 21 Capricorn through Pandora at 25, Askalaphus at 26 and Achilles at 28 Capricorn. Pluto, as we’ve seen, rules both sex and scandal; Pandora is the unleashing of unintended consequences, inimical to the unleasher and those about him; Askalaphus represents tale-bearing, the revealing of secrets; and Achilles is again that flaw or weakness which undermines and destroys. All these points are currently opposing Trump’s natal Venus/Saturn combination at 25 and 23 Cancer, in itself indicative of the role women have to play in his career, and are squaring that transit Uranus stellium mentioned above. (Another manifestation of Venus and Saturn is a career in entertainment, and Trump has always been focused on that aspect, from his casino holdings to his reality TV persona; even his presidential campaign was more of a traveling circus than a typical political endeavor.)

Adding temporary emphasis is the transit Moon, which at 22 Cancer is conjoining natal Venus/Saturn and filling in a T-Square of the Pluto/Uranus and associates square. This in turn is part of a Grand Trine, with trines to Jupiter at 22 Scorpio and Chiron at 28 Pisces. Exactly on the midpoint of Moon/Jupiter is asteroid Troemper at 22 Virgo, opposing Chiron and creating another Kite. Put it all together, and you have a woman (Moon) creating a wound (Chiron) for Trump (Troemper), which affects his reputation and political status (both Jupiter).

For once the vaunted counter-puncher isn’t punching back. Not a word has passed the lips or fingertips of Donald J. Trump directly regarding Stormy Daniels or the “60 Minutes” interview, though the White House press office has reiterated Trump’s earlier denials of any involvement. Apparently Trump’s shrinking legal team has advised him that the matter does not rise to the level of a presidential riposte (unlike slamming the father of an NBA player, knee-taking NFL players, Gold Star widows and families, cable news anchors, or already-bested political opponents and fired former employees), and for once, Trump is taking that advice.

For now…