It may be long past Fourth of July, but GOP lawmakers treated the public to a variety of fireworks displays on November 15, 2023, as tempers flared in both legislative houses. In the hallowed halls of Congress, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) allegedly elbowed fellow Republican Tim Burchett (R-TN), one of eight GOP members who voted for his ouster last month, while passing in the corridor. On the Senate floor, a hearing threatened to dissolve into fisticuffs when Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) challenged witness Sean O’Brien, Teamsters President, to take it outside, with a mano-a-mano bareknuckle brawl. Meanwhile, back in the House of Representatives, Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) verbally sparred with committee member Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), who accused Comer of eerily similar financial transactions with his brother, compared with actions between President Biden and his own brother, which Comer characterizes as corrupt.
The triple brouhahas completely stole the thunder of new Speaker Mike Johnson’s successful, uneventful passage of yet another continuing resolution supplemental funding bill to kick the can of government spending squabbles down the road into 2024, with a two-month extension of current spending levels.
Perhaps we need look no further than the exact Sun/Uranus opposition in effect that day at 21 Scorpio/Taurus, as an explanation of the disruption, potential violence and shocking lack of decorum (all Uranus), spotlighted (Sun) across the legislature. Accompanied by Mars at 23 Scorpio, we see the injection of hostility and animus, as well as the harsh rhetoric, offers to fight, and actual physical assault. Asteroid America 916 in the mix from 25 Scorpio, and asteroid Child 4580 exact with the Sun at 21 Scorpio, exactly opposed Uranus, identifies the national government in question (America), and the puerile, juvenile shenanigans (Child). A T-Square formed with Damocles 5335 at 26 Aquarius on its fulcrum suggests the doom hanging overhead for the state of American democracy, reduced to such infantile interactions.
But there is, of course, much more.
To begin with, asteroids Washingtonia 886 and Toro 1685 are locked in an extended conjunction, currently at 10 and 15 Capricorn respectively. Washingtonia represents DC and the federal government; Toro is noted for toxic masculinity, and bullying, brutish behaviors. These two have been running together within ten degrees since late September, but are about to separate, providing one last (?) show of temper and abusive acts in Congress.
As well, asteroid House 4950 and Pluto have been forming a bond, conjoined from 22 and 28 Capricorn respectively. House is our cosmic stand-in for the House of Representatives, where two of the three decorum lapses occurred, while Pluto also provokes extreme responses and ill-tempered rhetoric. These are squared by TNO Eris 136199 at 24 Aries, wellspring of strife, discord and general fractiousness or squabbling.
Particulars can be filled in by pertinent PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) representing the principal combatants.
The “kidney punch heard ‘round the world” featured former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy physically assaulting fellow member Tim Burchett in a congressional hallway. McCarthy denies the incident as anything more than a minor accidental contact, but that’s not how it looked to the reporter interviewing Burchett, who was suddenly shoved into her space. McCarthy has a history of such shenanigans, as documented by former Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).
McCarthy is represented by asteroids Kevin 23739 and McCarthy 106537, while Tim Burchett has no exact matches, but can be seen as asteroids Burkert 267003 and Burchell 28855. Their proximity on the day is celestially depicted by asteroids Kevin and Burchell, conjoined at 2 and 8 Virgo, opposed Saturn at 0 Pisces. Points in conjunction often have a “chafing” vibe, an abrasiveness borne of the irritation of inescapability, though PNAs together can also signal allies or partners. In this case, both apply, with formerly collegial associates turned bitter rivals by the vagaries of political expediency. Kevin’s sesquiquadrate to Toro at 15 Capricorn indicates this was no close-space misunderstanding, but rather an attempt at intimidation and a display of misplaced machismo. Saturn in the mix suggest the government setting, and rules lawmakers generally.
Burchett is also represented by asteroid Burkert, which at 27 Capricorn conjoins asteroid House at 22 Cap and Pluto at 28 Cap, squared Eris at 24 Aries. This opens Burchett (Burkert) to the possibility of criminal (Pluto) activity (such as assault) at his workplace (House), based in general disagreeableness and a sense of grievance, having been slighted in some way (all Eris). Asteroid McCarthy at 14 Scorpio opposes Jupiter at 8 Taurus, in a T-Square with asteroid Nemesis 128 at 6 Leo, signifying the former Speaker’s (McCarthy) take on Burchett being bound up with his political (Jupiter) undoing (Nemesis). McCarthy is closely sextile Toro, doubling down on the bullying energy, and also within orb of the Sun at 21 Scorpio, highlighting the incident, with Jupiter bringing publicity and a degree of celebrity, not to say notoriety, to the act.
The incident in the Senate hearing was exacerbated by asteroid Washingtonia, which remains opposed to TNO Chaos 19521 at 2 Cancer, creating turmoil, disorder and anarchy in Congress generally. But this polarity is also currently in a T-Square with Venus at 6 Libra. You’d think this promoter of peace, conciliation and politesse would turn down the heat on the conflict and confusion created under that chaotic opposition, and in fact, she played a part, in the form of Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where the incipient scuffle occurred. When the rhetoric between Senator Markwayne Mullin and Teamsters president Sean O’Brien devolved into a challenge to resolve their differences in a physical contest, with both men taunting the other to “stand your butt up,” the 82-year-old Sanders stepped in and reminded Mullin of his status as a US Senator, and ordered him to sit back down.
Sander’s peaceable attitude is reflected in asteroid Bernardina 629 (for Bernard “Bernie” Sanders), conjoined Venus from 13 Libra, and asteroid Sanders 3029 at 4 Cancer, conjunct Chaos, attempting to pour oil on the waters and quell the chaos. Sean O’Brien and Markwayne Mullin’s standoff is seen as a T-Square with asteroid Sean 7051 at 13 Gemini opposed asteroid O’Brien 21774 at 9 Sagittarius, with asteroid Marc 71445 (for Markwayne) at 19 Pisces on the fulcrum. Marc is also embedded at station, yielding a less-than-cooperative, dug in stance, with Marc having turned direct on November 10th, just five days before the altercation. Asteroid Mullo 5164 (for Mullin) at 21 Capricorn is within orb of both Toro – bullying – and Pluto – intimidation, and squared by Eris – squabbling. Mullo also taps into the Sun/Child-Uranus opposition by exact sextile and trine, spotlighting (Sun) his childish (Child), socially unacceptable (Uranus) behavior.
The verbal fracas that broke out in the House Oversight Committee involved Chair James Comer and democratic member Jared Moskowitz, and at one point, descended to juvenile personal attacks, with Comer calling Moskowitz, clad in a vibrant blue suit, as a “Smurf.” Their basic antagonism is seen in asteroid Jaredgoodman 24549 at 2 Scorpio widely squared asteroid James 2335 at 12 Aquarius. There is no exact match for Jared, but Jaredgoodman is an acceptable CNA to use to represent the name (a CNA, or Compound-Name Asteroid, is one with first and last names strung together as one word, which can be separated and used for either). The inclusion of Jupiter at 8 Taurus and Nemesis at 6 Leo makes a Grand Cross, adding a gloss of rivalry (Nemesis) in a political context (Jupiter) which again becomes a matter of public notice (all Jupiter).
Comers’ less-than-forthright stance on the issue of Biden’s financial dealings with his brother, which so closely mirror those with his own family (right down to the dollar amount of the transactions, $200,000 in both cases, and the fact that Biden’s brother is also named James), is portrayed by asteroid Commerson 13770 (closest to Comer) at 23 Sagittarius, squared Neptune at 25 Pisces, ruling lies, deception, disingenuousness, and misrepresentation, all of which apply here, as well as the zealotry which prompts Comer to pursue Biden’s alleged misdoings so forcefully. Asteroid Moskovitz 8254 (for Moskowitz) at 29 Scorpio is within orb of the Sun, highlighting the Democratic backbencher in the moment.
With fraught relations between the parties, and even among members of the GOP caucus, at such fever pitch, the promise of that overhanging Sword of Damocles in the Soli-Uranian T-Square, about to descend with its doom at any moment, seems very real indeed.
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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