Trying to get a cohesive sense of where the present Middle Eastern debacle is heading is not easy. Qatar says the crisis will bring world economies down as oil runs out. There are ominous reports from the fear-mongering Daily Mail that Russia is feeding Iran info on where to bomb US warships. Other more substantial indicators are that Trump is trying to persuade the Kurds to move in on the ground which analysts say would open a Pandora’s box, risking fragmenting Iraq as well as Iran and presumably upsetting Turkey.
On the other hand Iran says mediation has started despite the bombardment in all directions continuing.
Strategic motives on Trump’s part are hinted at in knocking out China’s ally in the region and depending on who is writing it is either a good thing or not for Taiwan.
All is the usual Trump chaos with strategic planning or awareness of collateral damage neither in evidence nor expected.
One commentator wrote: “Trump prides himself on smashing the status quo. So while Powell had his pottery rule (‘you break it you own it’) Trump’s tagline might be more “You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs — and the eggshells are someone else’s problem.” “Mess is a feature, not a bug, of Trump’s world — and it will not be easily tidied up.
What follows are disjointed astrological thoughts.
Tr Uranus in an explosive (reckless) square to the Israel 10th house Mars in Leo from March 12th to April 7th does not suggest a ceasefire instantly. And tr Uranus square the Mars in late Aquarius on the Iran Attack chart of 28 February 2026 over the same time frame also hints at extended conflict. Tr Uranus is also at the same time rattling up the Mars opposition Pluto in the Iran 1501 chart.
Both the Iran attack of 28 February and the Iraq attack chart of 20 May 2003 started with Pluto conjunct the Midheaven pointing to a need to control and to destroy any opposition to plans for domination. Pluto rarely lets go easily which might in this case also point to a long drawn-out conflict.
In varying degrees most of the Gulf countries are unsettled in the extreme over coming months – UAE, Lebanon, Bahrain, Libya, Dubai, Qatar. What is worth noting is how many have planets that will be triggered by the upcoming August Leo Solar Eclipse – Dubai, Kuwait, Libya, Sri Lanka, Bahrain and the 1979 Islamic Republic Iran chart. Not all the effects will be easy but the eclipse falls in the Saros Series 10 South, which brings a time of breaking out of a negative, hopeless situation into positive phase with more options. A worry will disappear as solutions appear that need to be grasped. There is no saying definitely it will last that long or miraculously clear up then but it does look marginally more cheering.
Turkey which is desperately trying not to get dragged into the mess had the recent Lunar Eclipse opposition its midheaven and Uranus; and from late this month has tr Pluto square its Scorpio Sun, on and off till late 2027 so will be facing challenging conditions.
Keir Starmer has made himself unpopular as his active dislike of Trump and his errant ways comes out into the open. Their relationship chart has an argumentative composite Sun Mars; with a chained-together and resenting-it Saturn trine Pluto with Pluto in a power-struggling trine to Jupiter; all capped off by a distrustful Saturn opposition Neptune in a highly-strung square to differing-agendas Uranus. Not happy campers for sure.
Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish PM has been equally vociferous in opposition and his relationship chart with Trump has a calamitous composite Sun opposition Neptune trine/sextile Mars and Pluto – visceral dislike and distrust.
A somewhat obscure thought. Eris and Chiron were conjunct when the Iran Attack took place and indeed were close to the Midheaven when Trump gave the order on board Air Force One on the way to Texas on the 27th February at 3.38pm. Eris is the planet of discord, but a catalyst as well as an indicator of conflict, so has a positive purpose of bringing an overdue reckoning. Chiron is the wounded healer. So from that angle it could be seen as an act of chaos on Trump’s part spurred on by the hurt of domestic failures and looming Epstein taints.
The Hamas Attack of 7 October 2023 on Israel, also had Eris conjunct Chiron and the North Node – a brutal act emerging from a sense of vengeance for past hurts but also one which would have wider repercussions through the North Node into the zeitgeist, and arguably the instigator for what followed including this Israel-US attack on Iran.
Daniel Fiverson in a fascinating Substack posting talks about Eris making nine squares to the USA 1775 chart Pluto between 2026 to 2030 – slightly later into the mid 2030s for the USA 1776 chart – which will bring a time of reckoning and a need to face the contradiction between the USA ideal and the reality both now and in the past.
Apologies for hogging so much space in these comments, Marjorie, but I would like to add a few points more to this post. First, re. Callie S’s note about a void of course Moon at the time of the Iran attack, I looked it up as to whether the Moon was VOC when Trump ordered the attack, or not. It was not, and the attack has not “come to nothing” as events have shown.
Marjorie gives the order time as 3:38pm over Corpus Christi on Feb 27 (for which reference, thank you!). The time of the bombing that killed Khamenei was approx. 9:40am on Feb 28 in Tehran. So, the Trump chart does not have a VOC Moon because it is applying to inconjunct (quincunx, 150) Mars, but the Tehran chart does. When the attack was ordered, the Moon was above the horizon in the 12th house at 23 Cancer 48′, Mars was at 27 Aquarius 53’in the 8th house, and Uranus was at 27 Taurus 43′ in the 10th, square to Mars. That is plenty to indicate a sudden aggressive action.
However, the explosion in Tehran has Moon just past the exact inconjunct to Mars by less than a degree, so the event has culminated and the Moon has become VOC. The Tehran chart fits the situation as to the leader having been ‘decapitated’ with Uranus at Algol.
A respected author in horary, Barbara H. Watters, puts it this way in her 1973 book, Horary Astrology and the Judgment of Events: “The Moon is void-of-course when it makes no aspect to another planet before it leaves the sign it is in. The major aspects are: conjunction, trine, square, sextile, opposition, quincunx, parallel and contra-parallel. Some people include the semi-sextile, semi-square, and sesqui-quadrate in this list, but I have not found them effective in preventing the dead-end result that comes from a void-of-course moon condition.”
It is useful to note that a double quincunx is a Yod, the so-called “finger of god” aspect. Which leads a person to look for one – et voila, there it is in the Khamenei chart. The Moon is at 28 Cancer 46′ on the cusp of the 4th house of the Iranian homeland, inconjunct Mars 15 28 Aquarius from the 11th and inconjunct the Part of Spirit at 28 Sagittarius from the 8th. How tragically symbolic.
The 29 degree Iranian Moon next goes from Cancer into Leo and a new start in the 4th, traversing many troubles indicated by constellation Hydra, the water snake. Interesting to note that Hydra includes the fixed star Alphard, which is associated with great troubles related to shipping.
On the US side, the 23-24 degree attack Moon was conjunct fixed star Pollux, 23 Cancer, which can indicate initial success, then reversal or disaster. And following Pollux, the Moon moves next to Procyon, the fall from grace, the lesser dog star. No use following this symbolism further, but the indications are not good for either side.
Sorry, don’t know where the 15 28 Aquarius came from – it’s 28 Aq, no 15!
Excellent post, thank you.
Regarding Void of Course Moons. It is an interesting debate whether to use the decision to order a military strike or the moment of the strike itself. The fact that the moon was not VoC for Trump’s order to strike but was VoC for the strike does rather indicate a decision that once taken will not produce the desired result.
It is possibly not an apt comparison but I did some research into astrological aspects of WW2 and by my calculations Operation Barbarossa was launched on a VoC Moon in 1941. That also may have had the order given when the Moon was not VoC, but nevertheless the launch on a VoC Moon did not (thankfully) produce the desired result for Hitler et al of permanently conquering large areas of Eastern Europe and Russia, although they did come fairly close to succeeding at times.
IIRC someone else was mentioning that 9/11 happened on a VoC Moon as well.
Thanks for your comment, SD! I went back to Watter’s book to check her discussion of VOC moons again and she continues with this: “Most commonly it (the VOC) means that in the very near future something unforseen will happen which will render the whole matter of the question null and void.” So, taking that into account, perhaps Trump’s attack on Iran to cause regime change has now been diverted by the oil crisis roiling the markets and the instant appearance of Khamenei the son? The situation has morphed into a bigger problem Trump did not anticipate.
It should be noted also that Mercury was retrograde (inaccurate or insufficient information and, as well, a second horary stricture applies to Trump’s order: the Ascendant was less than 3 degrees of the rising sign, Leo. (The other half of the VOC stricture being that the matter is already concluded or near conclusion and the action is unnecessary or too late.)
Just speculation, but was Khamenei already dead or dying and the new regime was about to be revealed anyway? And why the meeting at Khamenei’s home when there was constant surveillance, but the younger Khamenei was nor present, or injured? Khamenei Sr. has not been buried yet, either, which is strange because Muslim burials are supposed to take place within a day. The Wiki on Islamic funerals says “In extraordinary circumstances, the prayer can be postponed and prayed at a later time as was done in the Battle of Uhud” – but the burial must happen regardless. And Pluto was on the order’s Descendant – was that an indicator that the enemy (7th house) had experienced a death (Pluto)?
Anyway, the Ascendant of Trump’s order was 2 Leo 48, which is cutting the horary stricture rather fine, but the rules are not to be messed with. Did the too-soon Ascendant, under 3 degrees Leo, mean Trump’s action was premature and would miss its mark of putting an end to the Khamenei regime? It appears so, for now at least.
Given the close identification of the Trump brand with the US (intentionally, by the current president), could the Trump Towers in the Middle East and possibly around the world be targeted by Iran and its proxies? How would Trump react to such attacks?
Would it be worth looking at the charts of the various Trump organisations in light of the eclipses to see if they will be particularly affected?
The Washington Post also reported yesterday, based on discussions with what intelligence officials are left in the Trump administration, that the Russians are passing intelligence and targeting information on the location of US military assets to Iran.
I wonder if this will impact Trump’s slavish devotion to Putin? Does the astrology show any split or divergence between them?
I admit I’d love to see Putin engineer a kompromat dump on Drumpf!
As you say, Marjorie, “All is the usual Trump chaos with strategic planning or awareness of collateral damage neither in evidence nor expected”! We keep waiting for something to upset the applecart, with concerns about Trump’s health, mental state and general disconnection from reality. What could set off a change in direction? It doesn’t look like it will be military or political. Could it be the Epstein thing finally making an impact? Thus far, Trump has escaped unscathed.
But, coming up, there is a Uranus square by transit to Trump’s ascendant, on April 24/25th at 29 Taurus 55′-56′ (exact at 56′). At the same time, Pluto at 5 Aquarius will be trine his natal Neptune at 5 LibraRx, and while that is a trine, Pluto isn’t exactly anybody’s friend, especially when it goes through the 6th natal house of health and domestic issues.
Transiting Saturn at 8 Aries will also be exactly square his natal Mercury at 8 Cancer in April. Meanwhile, his progressed Saturn at 3 Leo is opposed by the transiting Pluto at 5 Aquarius in a T-square to his progressed Ascendant at 4 Scorpio in the 3rd, and triggered by transiting Neptune at 3 Aries.
This is not to predict anything physical as Trump’s natal Venus at 25 Cancer in the 11th (albeit conjunct Saturn) rules his Midheaven and is holding up just fine by progression – it is square progressed Venus and Jupiter at 25 Libra, an exact, powerhouse progressed conjunction in his 3rd house of communication. That is at its peak in April. At the same time, his progressed Moon at 25 Scorpio is trine the natal Venus. All of which means he will likely continue his rash actions, largely unopposed as to his official station.
However, I note that in April transiting Vesta (altar sacrifice, virgins, etc.) is on the cusp of Trump’s 8th house (the partner’s and other people’s money, finance in general, as well as sex and life and death – meaning sex per se, not love (5th house) or marriage (7th)).
At 22 Pisces 02′ transiting Vesta is less than a degree from an exact square to Trump’s natal Sun at 22 Gemini 56 in the 10th and also sextile his natal Vertex at 22 Capricorn in the 5th of children. Which goes along with the major planets transiting his 8th house these days: Neptune, Saturn, Mars and Mercury – which, I’d say, is a fair amount of 8th house emphasis.
So, I wonder if this could be when the chickens come home to roost as to DJT’s actions in relation to Epstein and other matters, such as finances/stock market etc. Hard to say what it could actually do, but Trump is very well protected by his position and money. Though that didn’t do very much for Andrew in the end, did it?
Trump has natal Vesta at 28 Pisces 01′ in the 8th – it is the only ‘planet’ in the southwest quadrant of his natal chart, which gives it some prominence. At present, transiting Uranus is sextile natal Vesta at 28-29 Taurus from the Midheaven and progressed Mercury and natal Mars are inconjunct from the Ascendant at 26/27 Leo. That is quite a bit of juice for natal Vesta at the moment. The other female asteroids, too, are activated by progression at critical degrees – Juno at 29 Libra, Pallas at 28 Sagittarius, Ceres at 29 CapricornRx.
In April, by progression, DJT’s Vesta will be at 4 Aries in the middle of the 8th house. So progressed Vesta ties into the greater configuration of the Neptune/Pluto transits, the progressed Ascendant in Scorpio, and progressed Saturn in Leo. Along with transiting Vesta on the cusp of the 8th (cusp: 22 Pisces 58′) something might transpire when there are 3 Vestas in the same house and crossing the cusp is often meaningful. Vesta is currently in late Aquarius and moves quickly, so it won’t be long before we see if anything comes of this interpretation.
News is on about Trump to meet Xi in April (no confirmation yet).
I think Andrew have soured family ties long before he is cast out. So it is not a good comparison to Trump being the family’s Patriarch.
Interesting to learn about Vesta.
According to several sources, the Gulf states that contributed billions to Trump’s Board of Peace initiative and are now finding themselves caught up in the Iran war are considering divesting themselves of their US investments in general (amounting to trillions of dollars). Such a withdrawal would certainly send shockwaves through the financial markets and affect a great many people in the US and elsewhere. Would this tie in with the 8th house effects you have observed? As I understand it, Vesta is about what makes you tick, what fires your imagination, etc., and in Trump’s case that is certainly money, preferrably other people’s money. I have a strong suspicion that the Board of Peace funds will be used for something entirely other than what was stated at the time.
Susan H, I could not say anything as to the BoP from looking at Trump’s chart. Not saying it would have no relevance, but imo it goes too far to consider financial shocks from the 8th house of the sitting president. Certainly not from a personal asteroid in his 8th. Vesta is more about him personally than the world at large, though I admit, in his case, it could be meaningful in a wider sense when his influence is so pervasive. Still, he’s not the only player.
I admire the nerve of the old Babylonian astrologers who predicted the fate of Ashurbanipal and the nation from his personal chart. The risks they took must have been breathtaking. Personal astrology for leaders is perilous at any time. But I think that’s going too far in this day and age to jump from Vesta to financial shockwaves. Wikipedia has an interesting take on Babylonian astrology, fwiw.
Hi SG, thanks for your response. I have to admit that I don’t know that much about asteroids and how much weight to give them. So your comment was helpful. There are so many and at times it is hard to see the wood from the trees. But I do so enjoy reading the comments here made by people such as yourself who are well versed in the intricacies of astrology.
Or maybe chickens won’t come home to roost. I remember glaring at GW Bush’s chart wondering when he would get his comeuppance for Iraq and he slid off into the sunset without karma doing much. Ditto Tony Blair.
Sometimes Lunar Returns can be helpful.
Solar Returns I find less useful but his Solar up to this June has Jupiter in the 10th with a grandstanding Pluto in the 5th tied into Jupiter Mars in a yod which sounds about right. His Solar Return from June 2026 for a year has Mars in the 6th which could be health related – and Jupiter in the 8th (= good for money, sigh.)
His Lunar Return for Feb 26 for four weeks – successful Jupiter in 10th, Algol Uranus in the 8th (destructive) and health-stressed Saturn Neptune in 6th tho’ balanced with an outgoing high-vitality Sun Venus Mars in the 5th.
LR April 7 – challenging Pluto in 6th house of health, Mars Neptune Saturn in financial 8th – not good news.
May 4 – Sun in 6th house of health
June 1 – Pluto in 10th – can be domineering or career-damaging.
28 June – Pluto in 6th house of health, agitated Mars Uranus in career 10th; Saturn Neptune in financial 8th
Yes, so we fear. I’ve glared at Trump’s chart so long I should stop for my own mental health. He just keeps on trucking, though we know ultimately everybody meets their maker, if not their just deserts. As you point out, it’s ups and downs for Trump, but that doesn’t mean he’s done, and it’s only to be expected for such a controversial figure. I have never expected him to do anything but his full term of office, but I have suspected because of the challenging aspects from about now forward that his executive power will be diminished or somehow held in check, especially after the midterms.
When the progressed Venus/Jupiter duo start to separate in a year, there should be a weakening of his powers and by then his “popular message” may have run its course, too, with progressed Mercury at 29 Leo (though that could be interpreted differently as it is a critical degree, maybe even more extreme). His progressed Moon, too, in 2027 will be quindecile progressed Uranus, which could a fall from grace in a serious way.
In 2 years, his progressed Ascendant will have a square from progressed Saturn, which ought to be dampening of vitality, and his progressed Moon will be approaching exact opposition from p. Uranus, and the p. Moon will have squared his p. Sun. By then, the p. Venus will have separated by about 2 degrees from p. Jupiter, so the fun and games should start winding down. I don’t know what to make of the p. Pluto being exactly conjunct the MC – could mean game over, or new game if it means he has assumed dictatorial status.
By 2029, progressed Mars will conjunct his natal Jupiter Rx at 17 Libra in the 2nd of money and trine his natal Uranus at 17 Gemini. Lord knows what that means – he could retire a national hero, or maybe those who have survived his reign focus more on his Moon in Capricorn legacy in the 5th of the younger generation of Trumps. Anyway, it’s not going to be over until it’s over and looks like the game has just begun with Iran. I’m not writing this with any joy in my heart. I hope saner people will prevail, but sorry to say, astrology describes “conditions” but it doesn’t give specific outcomes, at least not with general techniques like progressions and transits.
I don’t think Trump will see 2029 or even 2028 still the same or as the President, the man has serious health issues even though they are being kept a secret. There is one recent photo of him showing rash at the back of his neck, same like the one on his hands. If he completes this year and his term, he will definitely be one of kind.
Also, one the great astrologers who taught me astrology many years ago, he is old now and retired, he once told me that your children also determines your future, what is happening in your life from their birt, I often use that if I don’t know someone’s birth time. It often gives a clue, in Trump’s case. His last born Barron Trump was born on 20 March 1996, A Piscean Sun and Ascendant, Trump had ascendant in Leo. Saturn is in Leo in Barron’s chart, in Trump’s ascendant, which clearly shows Trump is on a decline, Pieces is ruled by Neptune, and we all know Pisces is not about leadership, it makes sense why Trump is so delussioned and often frustrated, mismanaging the country and economy. Pisces also does not harmonise with Trump’s Pluto and ascendant in Leo, suggesting being accident prone, we have seen that already with his attempted assassinations. In general what Donald and Barron’s combination means is that all is not going to end well for Trump, he won’t retire or die peacefully.
Starmer (edited)
Starmer has been walking a tightrope – and he cut the best deal for the UK on tariffs. Nobody would have thanked him for job losses. He led the European Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine- maintaining American support for them was another reason he tried to get along with Trump. I didn’t vote for him …. but who would want his job at the moment? This isn’t a political debating site but I couldn’t let that remark pass without comment.
Just a question, I agreed with what people here said about the 28 Feb 2026 Iran attack happening on a Moon VOC. But I am curious, when Iran retaliated , the timing would have been a non VOC moon? 0 or 1 degree Leo? I could only find the time of the Fairmount Palm Hotel fire online. 6.40pm (UAE)
The first thing I thought when I saw Trumps/Starmer’s Composite Chart was “ power struggle”. I am no fan of either of them! Their composite chart also has a Psyche/ Pluto conjunction. If psyche is the soul and Pluto is transformation then it could it be seen as either one of them attempting to transform the other? Change the way they do politics? Prove themselves? Persephone being dragged into the underworld and stripped of everything, depicts this psyche/soul Pluto/political power struggle. Both being asked what they are each made from? It is interesting viewing their individual characters and approach to this War. One is action and the other is paperwork /detail. Transiting Pluto is conjunct Starmer’s Saturn in his own chart, further igniting his style of leadership being challenged by this conflict ? The real cosmic conjunction is in April 2029 – circa Britains next General Election time, and again in September and October of that year. The Pluto/Uranus midpoint in Trump’s and Starmer’s composite chart is also conjunct their Sun/Mars conjunction. Adding further flashpoints and power struggles. Will this conflict define Starmer’s or Trump’s approach by others? These strong challenges presented in their composite chart, is the very definition of two people struggling to get their stance over! Two leaders cosmic duel?