[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 April 28, 2018, the rearward-traveling asteroid Troemper comes to a standstill in the heavens, turns, and resumes direct motion. Our celestial referent for Donald Trump, Troemper has been in retrograde motion since January 30, when it stationed at 2 Libra, conjunct Trump’s natal Neptune at 5 Libra and squared natal Whitehouse at 4 Capricorn. This natal square says much about the ongoing muddle, disorder and deception proceeding from Trump’s Oval Office tenure, and the ensuing period has arguably been one of increased confusion, isolation and paranoia or perceived persecution (all Neptune keywords), affecting both the President (Troemper) and the administration (Whitehouse).
Policies and messaging shift from day to day (abrupt, often contradictory, changes on North Korean talks, Russian sanctions, tariffs and trade, and military intervention in Syria), more and more of the President’s closest aides and advisors have left the scene (White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, Communications Director Hope Hicks, lead counsel John Dowd), and multiple investigations and legal battles have arisen (the Stormy Daniels case, the FBI raid on Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, a lawsuit brought by the Democrats over Russian collusion in the 2016 campaign). Just when we think it can’t get any worse, it does.
Troemper and Trump have been in an entrenched, backpedaling phase, going back over old ground and finding lots of critters coming out from under the overturned rocks. With the type of business “ethics” Trump evinced in his former life, this is hardly surprising, but these prior misdeeds are coming home to roost. Trump has been a somewhat passive participant in these events, subject to the vagaries of Fate, but with the switch to direct motion, the President may become more actively aggressive, shifting into high gear and no longer contenting himself with caustic or complaining tweets, but taking affirmative actions to end his “sea of troubles.” Will he move on terminating the Mueller investigation, taking aim directly at the Special Counsel, or indirectly via Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein?
Looking at the transits for the day Troemper makes its dramatic turn, we can begin to draw a portrait of the ensuing period of direct motion, which will continue through May 23, 2019, when Troemper once again turns retrograde, this time at 27 Capricorn, exactly on the US Pluto, and opposing Trump’s own Saturn. That should be a very interesting time for folks who want to see less of Trump; the implication is of some devastating (Pluto) personal (Troemper) outcome which reverberates in the President’s career (Saturn). Impeachment? In any case, that’s speculation for a future date. The celestial conditions pertaining at this station will mirror facts on the ground now and going forward, allowing us to judge strengths and weaknesses, and providing a window into the likely future and potential outcomes. The ways these interact with Donald Trump’s natal chart will determine the relative difficulty or ease with which he assimilates the situations arising from their interplay.
First off, we should note that Troemper is stationing at 18 Virgo. From there, not only does it oppose Neptune at 15 Pisces, but it’s also exactly squared asteroid Roberta at 18 Gemini. Neptune suggests issues around basic honesty, lying or fabrication, deception and intrigue; Roberta is one of three asteroid referents for Special Counsel Robert Mueller (we’ll encounter the others later). So we have Trump directly connected to both the theme of his untruthfulness, and the man who is investigating it.
Moreover, the connection between them is distinctly adversarial (the square) and it is precise, creating an archetypal image of the roles of hunted and hunter which they embody. With Roberta is asteroid America at 19 Gemini and TNO Chaos at 22 Gemini, all of these on Donald Trump’s natal Sun at 22 Gemini. Roberta/America suggests Mueller is in close alignment with the country (significant majorities polled want him to complete his work), which is on the brink of disorder, disarray, even anarchy (Chaos). These factors will be a constant focus for Trump during this time due to their conjunction to his natal Sun.
Troemper moreover is closely inconjunct asteroid Nemesis at 19 Aries, as well as in trine to Pluto/Mars at 21 and 22 Capricorn, so there is a pull toward some sort of self-undoing or cosmic retribution (Nemesis), perhaps on a truly devastating scale (Pluto), based in a scandal (also Pluto). There’s also a broader inconjunct to asteroid Whitehouse at 13 Aries, now dropping out of its protracted conjunction with Nemesis, which has wrought so much havoc at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in recent months. This suggests some degree of adjustment will be necessary (inconjunct) between Trump (Troemper) and the workings of his administration (Whitehouse); this would also refer to continued changes or upheaval in staff and Cabinet.
This Whitehouse placement is exactly conjunct Trump’s natal asteroid Mueller, and right beside his natal Russia at 12 Aries. Yes, once again, we’re seeing, this time in the birth chart, the connection between the investigator and his subject. Whitehouse by transit brings us into the present with this potential, and shows the venue in which it will play out—the Oval Office. Transit Mercury at 11 Aries is also energizing this area of Trump’s chart at this time, involving decisions to be made as well as the news they create. And all of this squares Trump’s natal Nemesis at 16 Cancer.
And on that Nemesis, currently? Why, asteroids Cohen, Moskva and Kassandra, naturally! All of these have the potential to act as a nemesis, or source of undoing, for the upcoming phase of Trump’s life. Cohen of course refers to Trump’s personal lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen, subject of an FBI raid earlier in April, said to know “where all the bodies are buried”; Moskva is the Russian for “Moscow”, Russia’s capital, and represents Russian interests generally, and the issue of Russian meddling in the 2016 election specifically; Kassandra refers to one’s credibility and basic honesty—is the individual trustworthy and reliable? Can they be believed? These are all themes which can imperil the President going forward.
Transit Mercury at 11 Aries is also energizing this area of Trump’s chart at this time, involving decisions to be made as well as the news they create. Not to be outdone, asteroid Rosenstein is here, too, at 8 Aries, representing Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General now in charge of the Mueller investigation, whom Trump has been considering replacing. Mueller exactly squares Trump’s natal Mercury at 8 Cancer, and the decisions he makes regarding whether or not to fire Rosenstein will factor heavily into the outcomes. And all of this Aries stellium squares Trump’s natal Nemesis at 16 Cancer.
The Troemper inconjunct to Nemesis doesn’t stand alone. There is a second inconjunct, placing Troemper at the Apex of a Yod, or Finger of Destiny, formed with asteroid Roberts at 21 Aquarius. Roberts is the second celestial referent for Robert Mueller. This joins Trump with the Special Counsel (Mueller) and his power to bring down the President (Troemper), acting as his adversary (Nemesis). Although these points are too wide to be considered part of the Yod, Roberts is traveling with a tighter grouping just ahead composed of asteroids Damocles and Washingtonia, at 27 and 29 Aquarius. This is a cautionary tale for Trump, establishing DC (Washingtonia) as a place of peril (Damocles) for the President, potentially invoking Mueller (Roberts) as the doom hanging overhead (also Damocles).
There is one final aspect from Troemper, a sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) to a pairing of asteroids Askalaphus and Achilles at 0 and 1 Aquarius respectively. Askalaphus represents tale-bearing, the revealing of secrets, while Achilles indicates an inherent vulnerability or weakness which threatens to destroy the native. Having these together, and connected to Trump’s PNA, suggests a period of exposures and revelations which could prove fatal. These also square asteroid Russia, the backdrop for much of the secrets to be revealed, at 3 Scorpio; Russia is semisquare Troemper.
So much for Trump’s own PNA, and that’s plenty! Another remarkable feature of the chart is five points which appear also at station, like Troemper. Stationary bodies are the still points upon which the chart revolves; embedded in consciousness, they exert a power and influence far out of proportion to their normal status.
The additional stationary points are divided into two main groups; the first is comprised of asteroids Lie, Michel and Mueller. Lie, which of course is the foundation of the matter as the investigations unfold, falls at 26 Sagittarius, bound up with Trump’s natal Sun/Moon polarity at 22 Gemini and 21 Sagittarius, and turned retrograde just three days prior. Its placement, conjoined the Galactic Center at 27 Sagittarius, guarantees global notice and attention for Trump’s untruths. Michel, again representing Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, the encyclopedic repository of information regarding many of Trump’s potentially deceptive or dishonest actions, appears at 29 Sagittarius, conjoined Lie, and turned retrograde April 20. Mueller is the primary PNA representing the Special Counsel; at 5 Capricorn, it assails Trump’s natal Whitehouse at 4 Capricorn and will turn retrograde six days later, on May 4.
The timing there is interesting; it now appears that Trump may not speak with Mueller, who will then move to conclude his investigation sooner, absent presidential input. So seeing celestial Mueller turn retrograde and retrench, looking inward as his terrestrial counterpart begins to wrap up the active phase of the investigation and proceed to a conclusion, just after Troemper resumes an active phase and may move to thwart him, accurately reflects the relative position of the two antagonists. As Mueller moves closer to making his findings public, the pressure to act to prevent this will dramatically increase for Trump, likely prompting desperate, counterproductive actions. (Incidentally, asteroid Mueller returns to direct motion on August 2, which I would suggest is a likely timeframe for Special Counsel Mueller to submit his report to Congress.)
The other stationary points are perhaps even more evocative. These are asteroid Veritas, Latin for “truth”, and Daniels, representing porn star Stormy Daniels, at 25 and 26 Leo respectively. Daniels bound up with Veritas suggests that Daniels will be judged to be truthful in her allegations, and vindicated in the courts. Daniels’ importance to this period is further reflected by asteroid Storm, for “Stormy”, at 15 Taurus, in conjunction with the 8 Taurus Sun of Troemper’s station, specifically highlighting her for the period. This encroaches upon Trump’s natal asteroid Lie at 17 Taurus, once again calling into question his basic veracity.
As well, Daniels’ birth name is Stephanie Clifford, and asteroid Clifford appears at 18 Pisces, exactly opposing Troemper. Imagine having the defendant, the prosecutor and the chief witness all bound together in an exact T-Square! With Clifford is another “Michael” referent, asteroid Michela, at 17 Pisces, in this case likely indicating her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, always at her side, who has made such an impact on the dynamic of this story with his media blitz.
Of course, both of these are also within orb of Neptune, that font of disappointment, disillusionment, and despair, which is the planetary ruler of deception and untruth. Asteroid Stephania, for “Stephanie”, is exactly conjunct Mueller at 5 Capricorn, and itself will turn retrograde at the subsequent degree on May 14. Mueller may not be directly involved in the Daniels case, but it was his tip-off to FBI agents in the Southern District of New York about probably criminal acts which prompted their raid on Cohen’s office and home. Mueller has been pivotal to the case, even if he has no further involvement. Interestingly, asteroid Toro, noted for bullying, aggressive behaviors, exactly opposes Storm from 15 Scorpio, with alleged threats to Daniels forming an important part of the legal case.
One more point to note: there is a body sitting pretty on the degree where Troemper made its retrograde station in January, 2 Libra. This is asteroid d’Arrest. No, I am not making this up. d’Arrest relates to a cessation or termination (as in “cardiac arrest”), but also indicates legal arrest, detention, or the filing of charges. We might think of it here as keeping Troemper’s retrograde station seat warm for him.
And a hot seat it’s likely to be, for Troemper and d’Arrest will be traveling together in an extended conjunction for much of the summer and autumn. Starting June 25, they will be within five degrees of each other continually until October 22, with their exact conjunction occurring August 9. There is some uncertainty as to whether or not a sitting president can be indicted; I would suggest that with Troemper conjoined d’Arrest, we may soon find the answer.
It’s remarkable how this moment in time captures the essential themes of the upcoming period, which we already know will be dominated by the issues and individuals these PNAs represent. There are, of course, additional factors to consider in assessing an outcome, including transits to the natal chart, progressions of that chart, and Trump’s 2018 solar return, due in just six weeks. But the Troemper station energies lay it all out pretty succinctly, with astounding accuracy and detail, proving once again the underlying truth of astrology’s guiding dictum, “as above, so below.”
Alex Miller is a professional writer and astrologer, whose website AlexAsteroidAstrology.com offers a trove of info on the role of asteroids in personal and mundane astrology. He is the author of The Black Hole Book (available on Amazon.com) and The Urban Wicca, former editor of “The Galactic Calendar,” and past president of The Philadelphia Astrological Society. His pioneering work with Black Holes in astrological interpretation began in 1991, when his progressed Sun unwittingly fell into one. Alex’s books and writings are available on his website. Alex can also be reached for comment or services at .
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