On the Campaign Trail

I have been digitally traveling coast to coast to check out conditions on the ground (and in the sky) as the 2024 US presidential election draws nearer.  There have been quite a few twists and turns, and several moments that highlight the state of the race.  This article will attempt to fill the gaps in our knowledge with an asteroid-eye view of where things stand, as the Above reflects the Below.

Progressives knew it was too good to be true, when, in a matter of weeks after receiving the nomination, Kamala Harris made fundraising, voter registration and volunteer sign-up history, and had erased the polling deficit experienced by Joe Biden in the campaign against Donald Trump, bringing the campaigns to parity.  By early September, following her bravura debate performance with Trump, Harris had moved to 4-5 points ahead in national polling.  And then, the worm turned.  Or, more accurately, asteroid Harris 2929 did.

That minor body’s conjunction with Uranus when Kamala Harris received the hand-off from Biden on July 21 was the source of the incredible energy, enthusiasm, and excitement in those early days of her campaign.  But that type of momentum is hard to sustain over the long haul, and Harris was bound to find a speedbump somewhere on the road.  And hers came in the form of asteroid Harris coming to its station, and turning retrograde on September 27.

As Harris slowed to its station, which came at 3 Gemini, there was a noticeable stagnation in the campaign, when, after weeks of high-profile appearances and positive media attention, both the candidate and her running mate seemed to disappear from the scene.  Barbs flew thick and fast from the Press, which felt neglected and decried Harris’ lack of interviews and media availability.  Polling shifted too, until by October, the race was once again back to parity, a virtual dead heat.  This sort of disruption was to be expected, given the celestial circumstances

Retrogrades can be periods of setback, yes (think of Mercury retrograde), but also offer opportunities for reappraisal, self-evaluation, and course correction.  Right on cue, barely a week after the September 27 station, Harris, responsive to the criticism, embarked on a media blitz in early October, assisted by asteroid Harris in a supportive trine aspect with Mercury, the planet ruling communications and the media.  The dam had burst, and within a week Harris appeared on media venues as diverse as CBS’ “60 Minutes,” ABC’s “The View”, the Howard Stern radio show, and the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, the second-largest on Spotify.  Within another week, she had scheduled a town hall with black influencer Charlamagne tha God in Detroit, and even booked an interview on Fox News, seen as the belly of the beast by progressives.

Asteroid Harris remains in retrograde until after Congress certifies the 2024 presidential election winner on January 6, 2025.  That doesn’t mean the intervening period will be unproductive for Kamala Harris, only that she needs to adapt and alter her approach to achieve the result she desires.  Her rapid adoption of an open attitude toward media, and a pivot on how she prosecutes the case against Trump, more aggressively challenging both his mental capacity and moral fitness for the job, suggests she’s well on her way to finding her new footing.  And Uranus is still aligned with her celestial namesake, still pushing, still energizing, still enthusing, still focused on bringing about the novelty and record-smashing (both Uranian traits) reality of the first female US President.

And speaking of mental decline, Donald Trump is making Harris’ case for his incapacity on that score a lot easier and more obvious with his latest antics.  Trump is visibly devolving as the election, and his last hope of avoiding jail time, approaches.  His lies are more outrageous, his statements more unhinged, his interviews more incoherent, his social media posts more divorced from reality.

Trump continues to double down on the lie that illegal aliens are eating Americans’ pets in Springfield, Ohio, and that the federal response to hurricanes Helene and Milton has been nonextant.  He has cancelled or refused to accept invitations to appear on “60 Minutes,” NBC, and CNBC, after a disastrous appearance at the Economic Club of Chicago on October 15, where he threw a tantrum when fact-checked on his outlandish economic plans.  He tweeted on October 17 that Harris should be investigated and forced from the Democratic ticket for supplanting Joe Biden, whom he opines should be allowed to run in her place.  At a campaign Town Hall packed with rabid supporters on October 14, Trump fielded five softball questions which he failed to properly answer, then took advantage of a pair of medical incidents in the crowd to stop the event (two attendees fainted from the heat in the room), but remained onstage for 39 minutes, swinging and swaying to his favorite playlist in a bizarre performance.

Let’s face it, Donald Trump has never been the “very stable genius” he claims to be, and as he closes out his seventies under the extreme pressures of looming incarceration and a high stakes presidential campaign, he’s becoming more and more unbalanced.  The current astrological prod to this mental breakdown is asteroid Ophelia 171, which is coming to its station at 27 Aquarius on October 21 (already at its station degree), conjoined his 29 Aquarius Descendant, opposed Mars at 26 Leo (as well as the Ascendant) and squared the Midheaven at 24 Taurus.  Ophelia is named for the tragic character in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” who goes insane and drowns herself in a river.  Astrologically, the point functions as an indicator of mental health issues (as well as suicide, something we probably don’t need to be too concerned about, with a narcissist like Trump).

Its current placement is making Ophelia’s slender-grasp-on-reality presence felt in his interactions with others (Descendant), with whom Trump becomes combative (Mars) if crossed in any way, in a highly public manner (Midheaven, the point of highest elevation in the chart and the focus of all eyes, affecting career and reputation), which influences how others see him (Ascendant).  On the day of the bizarre dance fest Town Hall, natal Ophelia at 7 Gemini was given a jolt from the transit Sun at 22 Libra, exactly sesquiquadrate, further exposing (Sun) his mental decline and incapacity (Ophelia).

That day also featured a conjunction of asteroid Troemper 28130, our celestial referent for The Donald, at 1 Leo, and asteroid Terpsichore 81, named for the Greek Muse of dance, at 9 Leo, perhaps provoking the inexplicable danceathon.  Since Trump was more swaying than dancing, I went to the list of minor planets, looking for a match for “sway.”  Closest was asteroid Swain 4046.  You all know how much I enjoy playing with language, and to me, Swain could be read as “swa(y)in’” to the music.  So I popped it into the chart, and, for what it’s worth, it appears at 0 Scorpio, closely squared Troemper.

On October 17, Trump received another mental body blow with the ruling from Judge Tanya Chutkan, which rejected his lawyers’ request to delay the release of new evidence brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith in Trump’s federal election interference case (relating to the January 6 insurrection), until after the 2024 election.  U.S District Judge Chutkan denied the request, stating the indictment would be released on schedule the following day.

Transit asteroid Jackschmitt 7749 (Jack Smith’s name rendered as one word, with a German version surname) at 10 Leo not only conjoins transit Troemper (now at 2 Leo), not to mention transit asteroid Justitia 269 at 7 Leo (named for the Roman goddess of Justice, the US Cabinet Department for which Smith works), but is also an exact match for Trump’s natal Pluto, ruling criminal conduct.  Jackschmitt also opposes transit asteroid Donn 4689 at 18 Aquarius (itself conjunct natal Jackschmitt at 15 Aquarius) and is semisquare asteroid Nemesis 128 at 0 Libra, a point noted for ruin and destruction, often self-created.

Moreover, transit asteroid Smith 3351 at 26 Leo is exactly conjoined by transit asteroid Themis 24 at 26 Leo, named for the Greek goddess of Justice.  Together, this cosmic tag-team aligns precisely with Trump’s natal Mars, also conjunct the 29 Leo Ascendant, suggesting that the information revealed has the potential to affect how others see the former president (Ascendant), who is likely to lash out in anger (Mars) at the unfavorable decision.  With transit Uranus still hanging out at 26 Taurus in exact square, this could indeed provide some shocking or controversial (both Uranus) information which disrupts (also Uranus) the campaign (Mars).

The Donald has been in flux lately for another reason:  asteroid Donn made its station on October 4, turning direct at 18 Aquarius.  This portends a major energy shift, change of direction, a pivotal moment.  Indeed, since early October, Trump has doubled down on his bleak, dark rhetoric, focused more and more on his apocalyptic vision of America and the dystopian revenge-based state he hopes to create.  By October 13, Trump had introduced another dogeared fascist trope into his playbook, alleging to Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Features” that the greatest threat to the US was “the enemy within,” defined as progressives like Adam Schiff, upon which domestic threats he would unleash the National Guard or military.

Perhaps the most bizarre utterance in the stream-of-addled-consciousness events that Trump terms “rallies” was his assertion in Latrobe, PA on October 19 that native son and pro golf legend Arnold Palmer was extremely well endowed.  “This is a guy that was all man,” Trump opined.  “This man was strong and tough, and I refuse to say it, but when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there, they said, ‘Oh my God, that’s unbelievable.’”

What can I say?  That President Size Queen should have Arnold Palmer and cock size on what’s left of his mind can be explained celestially by two T-Squares active at the time.  Asteroid Donn at 18 Aquarius opposes asteroid Arnolda 1018 at 20 Leo, with penis euphemism asteroids Dick 17458 and Dong 150520 on the T-Square’s fulcrum at 19 and 23 Scorpio respectively.  As well, asteroid Troemper at 3 Leo exactly opposes asteroid Johnson 5905 at 3 Aquarius (another penis referent), with Mercury (speeches, statements) on the fulcrum at 8 Scorpio, prompting Trump’s dick talk.  In addition, asteroid Palma 372 (closest to Palmer) at 16 Libra is trine Jupiter, ruling outsized things, at 21 Gemini, as well as asteroid Pecker 1629 at 10 Gemini (yet one more penis colloquialism).

On October 20, the Trump campaign took a turn into cosplay, with Donald Trump donning an apron to impersonate a fry attendant at a McDonalds restaurant in Feasterville, PA, a Philly suburb.  The restaurant was closed during his visit, the drive-thru customers carefully chosen and screened by the secret service, and no one was allowed to order – they simply took whatever the former president passed out to them.  Trump performed the stunt as a jab against Kamala Harris, who he alleges is lying when she states she worked at McDonalds to help pay her way through college.

As ever, the skies reflect reality – or in this case, fantasy.  Asteroid Donn at 18 Aquarius opposes asteroid McDonalda 991 at 20 Leo (closest to McDonalds), in a T-Square with asteroid Golden 4423 at 26 Scorpio (for the “Golden Arches,” McDonalds’ nickname).  Not to be outdone, the cosmos provides the precise role that Trump mimed, with asteroid Fry 5190 at 1 Leo in close conjunction with asteroid Troemper at 3 Leo, with Trump manning the fryer.

Of course the irony here is threefold:  that Harris truly was a McDonalds employee, Trump is just pretending to be one; that Trump has opposed raising the minimum wage offered by such jobs; and that, as a convicted felon, Trump would likely not be employed by McDonalds (though franchisees are allowed to set their own rules, only 15% of company-owned restaurants will hire felons).

In more general election news, I’ve been troubled by the presence of asteroid Apatheia 8273 conjunct the Sun on Election Day, a suggestion that voter apathy (Apatheia) might rule the day, and encourage low turnout.  But if Georgia’s early voting performance is an indication of future trends, that doesn’t appear to be a problem.

The Peach State shattered its record for early voting when the in-person polls opened on Tuesday, October 15.  More than 310,000 Georgians showed up to cast their ballots, more than doubling its prior record of 134,000 for first day voting.  That trend continued, until by close of business Friday, 1.2 million voters had done their civic duty.  That’s roughly a quarter of the 5 million votes from Georgia in 2020.

Let’s take a deep dive on this, courtesy of asteroid Georgia 359.  At 11 Scorpio on October 15, when polls first opened for the 2024 election, Georgia is conjunct Mercury, ruling the voting process, at 2 Scorpio.  Between them is Apatheia at 5 Scorpio, which suggests a ho-hum attitude from Georgians.   But that’s not the end of the story.

Because right next to Georgia is asteroid NOT 2857, at 12 Scorpio.  NOT is a general disqualifier or symbol of negation, a great contrarian who loves to buck trends and throw a monkey wrench into our plans.  So, with NOT so closely aligned with Georgia, residents were less inclined to follow the siren song of the couch, as represented by Mercury/Apatheia.  It’s a sort of subconscious rendering of, ‘Oh, so don’t want me to vote?  I’ll show you!’  This is backed up by an exact square to Georgia from asteroid Yes 7707 at 11 Aquarius.  Yes is an affirmatory symbol, NOT’s polar opposite.

The extraordinary vote totals are accounted for by Jupiter, which is forming a Thor’s Hammer, a fated pattern similar to a Yod, by sesquiquadrate aspects to the Mercury/Georgia zone and Yes, from 21 Gemini.  Jupiter foments increase and expansion, and going all-out, even to excess.

Which candidate is favored?  That’s hard to say.  With their primary surname referents, asteroids Troemper and Harris, currently in sextile from early Leo to early Gemini, what affects one, affects the other, to varying degrees.  In this case, Troemper at 1 Leo squares Mercury, while Harris at 2 Gemni is inconjunct.  That seems to favor Trump, with potentially more energy (square) from his supporters.  But asteroid Camillo 3752, one of four PNA (Personal-Named Asteroids) variations for Kamala, falls at 17 Virgo, squared Jupiter, with the implication there being that the surplus could go Harris’ way.  In contrast, asteroid Donn at 18 Aquarius, while conjunct Yes, is also squared that Georgia/NOT pairing, perhaps a sign that the Peach State is out of reach for Trump, at least as regards early voting.

By Election Day Georgia has moved to 19 Scorpio, conjunct the Sun at 13 Scorpio (showing its centrality to the day, and its outcome), still conjunct NOT and Apatheia, still squared Donn.  But it’s also closely conjunct asteroid Wildcat 17493 at 20 Scorpio, a symbol of unpredictability – anything is possible!  Which is why, for the next two weeks, I’ll have Georgia on my mind.

I’d like to close this article with a brief look at Kamala Harris’ Solar Return (SR) chart, with the Vice President celebrating her sixtieth birthday on October 20.  Solar Returns are calculated for the moment when the Sun realigns with its birth degree and minute, and afford a glimpse into the themes that may prevail in the year ahead.

The chart is dominated by four T-Square patterns, which are energetic linkages that tend to play out on multiple levels.  The first involves the Sun at 27 Libra, on the fulcrum of the opposition from Pluto at 29 Capricorn and a Mars/asteroid Champion 8732 pairing at 24 and 28 Cancer.  The Sun makes this a defining pattern for the year; Pluto refers to power, renewal, rebirth and transformation, but can also indicate a devastating outcome; Mars is energy and drive, and relates to campaigns of all types, from military to political; Champion suggests coming out on top.

The second T-Square relates directly to the presidency.  This involves an exact opposition at its base, from Saturn, the planet ruling chief executives, government and the office of president, to asteroid Close 54902 at 13 Virgo.  The symbolism here is clear – this is a close election for president, a squeaker, coming right down to the wire.  With Close is asteroid Camillo 3752 at 21 Virgo, which exactly squares Jupiter on the fulcrum, at 21 Gemini, accompanied by asteroid TRIUMF 14959, at 14 Virgo.  Camillo, one of four PNAs approximating Kamala, again personalizes the pattern to Harris, giving her skin in the game, while Jupiter encourages increase, expansion, luck and positive outcomes.  TRIUMF is an acronym named for a Canadian science research facility, but acts reliably as its phonetic match, “triumph,” meaning a stand-out victory.  As well, asteroid Whitehouse 4036, representing the Oval Office, appears at 26 Virgo, combining with Camillo and Jupiter (though too far out of orb to interact with the Saturn/Close polarity).  This reinforces the sense that Kamala Harris may in fact reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before the year is out.

The third T-Square is founded on an opposition from asteroid Harris at 2 Gemini to asteroid Victoria 12 at 29 Scorpio, named for the Roman goddess of victory.  This is obviously a great connection to have in a chart which governs an important contest, but the “winning” vibe is doubled down on by the presence of asteroid Nike 307 at 26 Leo, on the fulcrum, named for the Greek goddess of victory.

These patterns seem to indicate a successful prosecution of the race for the White House, but Kamala Harris isn’t out of the woods yet.  Damocles 5335, that looming peril or threat of destruction, about to descend at any moment, appears at 27 Aquarius, filling in a Grand Cross of that third T-Square.  And broadly conjunct Damocles is asteroid Donn at 18 Aquarius, fresh from its station, identifying Trump’s entrenched (station) base as the biggest threat (Damocles) to her victory, and our republic.  We’ll know in two weeks how this all plays out…

Alex Miller

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 .