Trump’s grandstanding ‘liberation day’ as he launched a trade war with tariffs for all the world like a gameshow host has fulfilled one of his aims, namely drawing the attention of the world to him.
He timed his bombshell announcement unwittingly with astrological precision at 4pm Washington, DC time. The destructive Fixed Star Algol was exactly conjunct the Midheaven; and the shipwreck Scheat plus unrealistic Neptune were on the cusp of the financial 8th. There was a confident Moon Jupiter in the 10th. With an exact mini Grand Trine of Mars in Cancer in the 11th trine Saturn in the friends-and-enemies 7th, sextile Uranus in the international 9th.
He also has tr Uranus on his personal birth chart conjunct his Midheaven exactly, suggesting his birth time of 10.54 am may well be accurate. Which would mean that tr Neptune Scheat are also moving into his 8th – an ominous sign for his financial acuity and progress ahead.
Scott Bessent, 21 August 1962, Treasury Secretary, is having a panicky-failure year ahead with tr Neptune square his Mars running till late January 2026; with jolts and jangles from this July onwards.
Peter Navarro, 15 July 1949, described as Trump’s ‘tariff czar’, is equally nervy from early this June with tr Neptune square his Uranus, extending through and worsening in 2026 when he also picks up a financial-bubble-bursting Solar Arc Jupiter opposition his Neptune and a high tension tr Urus square his Saturn.
Instant success will not be on the cards.
Since economics is not my area, some snippets below from informed economic journalists, all of whom are clear that no one really knows what the effects will be.
“It is hard not to feel, yet again, that part of what drove Trump’s decision was the sheer thrill he gets from his power. He glories in the way the world hangs on his every move, as the world must when its largest economy is controlled by a grudge-bearing man-child with guns who governs by decree.”
“Perilous and chaotic, Trump’s tariffs add up to an attempt to transform a badly broken economic model.”
“Trump’s announcement was awash with insult and rambling nonsense.”
“Things may not look so benign, however, when the rubber hits the road — when the inevitable price hikes are passed on to consumers, when inflation and the cost of mortgages begin to rise, when real wages remain flat, or when investment stalls and the US economy starts to experience a Trump slump.”
“It will be months, if not years, before many US companies or sectors have the confidence and the cash to invest in the way “fortress America” supporters hope.”
“Trump thinks tariffs have a magical ability to transform the US economy but they are more likely to boost inflation, inhibit investment and undermine growth.”
“Tariffs alone are not going to rebalance the entire world economy.”
“A central trade-off not just with tariffs but with any solution to the problem of gargantuan trade and currency distortions: someone, somewhere has to pay. If Trump lets the dollar appreciate, then American consumers don’t have to bear the cost. But then American factories won’t recover either.”
“A crucial question is whether Trump will be able to sustain these aggressive trade policies for an extended period or will eventually reverse them under the weight of economic, market, political and even legal pressure.”
“The instant effect of “liberation day” will be confusion and uncertainty, which for Trump is often intentional. The more chaos there is, the greater his sense of being in control. It is also rash to assume that voters will be immune to economic disinformation. Social media has taken the art of scapegoating to near scientific heights.”
“Irrespective of whether Trump’s trade war chaos is fleeting or gets worse, the diplomatic cost will be enduring. Countries will look to do the serious deals with each other and bypass America. In that sense Trump’s transactionalism is self-defeating. Falling trust means fewer deals.”
Has anyone read The Signs of the Times: The Neptune Factor and America’s Destiny
Book by Stan Barker,
The US Sibley Solar Arc Saturn is currently conjunct the natal Mars at 21 Gemini in the 7th House of the chart covering “foreign affairs; relations with other countries, whether friendly or hostile, political or commercial.” Presumably this would tie in with conflict about trade borders, restrictions etc both by the US and the rest of the world. The US progressed Saturn at 2 Scorpio in the 11th house is moving to trine the US natal Venus at 3 Cancer in the 7th house which may reflect the impact this is going to have on every ones money a fact perhaps emphasised by the fact that the US SA Moon representing the people is at 4 Scorpio. All this will being influenced by transiting Pluto in Aquarius which will be in mutual reception with that progressed Saturn.The US natal Pluto was sextile transiting retrograde Mercury at the time Trump made his tariff speech.
With regard to the EU 1958 chart the progressed Saturn is now at 25 Sagittarius conjunct its natal Mercury at 26 Sagittarius and its SA Mars is conjunct its natal Chiron/Venus conjunction at 14/15 Aquarius.
At the time the US government announced the new tariffs Mars by transit was conjunct the US Sibley chart’s 8th house retrograde Mercury at 24 Cancer and Donald Trumps natal Saturn at 23 Cancer. It was trine transiting Saturn, retrograde Venus and retrograde Mercury in Pisces. Mars was conjunct the North Node in the Chinese 1907 Revolution chart and trine its Saturn at 25 Pisces. Mars was trine the Mercury at 23 Pisces in the UK 1927 chart
Uranus at 24 Taurus was sextile all these planets. It was square the UK 1801 Saturn at 23 Leo, the UK 1927 Moon/Neptune at 24 Leo. Uranus conjoined the EU Maastricht Treaty Moon at 24 Taurus while opposing 4th House Pluto/Mars conjunction at 24 Scorpio and Mercury at 19 Scorpio in that chart. It was square the Maastricht Saturn at 23 Aquarius. Both transiting Mars and Uranus were inconjunct the EU 1958 natal Mercury at 26 Sagittarius.
Mercury in those charts presumably signifies trade and commerce among other things. Its position in the US chart would highlight its role in American national finances which for the first 125 years of the country’s existence was largely funded by tariffs. Trumps move looks to pose a very real threat to the EU particularly as envisaged by Maastricht where trade is both tied up with the political power of the institution and how the organisation holds together It also looks central to its very identity as Mercury, Mars, Pluto and the Sun are all in Scorpio in the 4th House.
There was a lot of energy flowing because of all those trines and sextiles but whether it can be harnessed positively remains to be seen. Those ill omened fixed stars Marjorie mentions certainly don’t help. Trump’s natal Mars at 26 Leo squares that opposition between transiting Uranus and the EU Maastricht Pluto/Mars so this move could be even more confrontational than any he has made so far.
It is worth noting that tariffs once levied become hard to remove. Even though Smoot Hawley was repealed in 1932 it took decades for first FDR and then GATT to unwind the consequences.
I wonder what you think about the EU Treaty of Rome, 25 March 1957 chart, Hugh? It’s looking rattled now. The early degree planets also make links to the UK’s Jupiter/Uranus/Pluto yod so that moves by Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto energise both charts at the more or less the same time.
ToR has Neptune 1 Scorpio, Moon 2 Aquarius, Uranus 2 Leo, and Mars 4 Gemini.
The ToR Mercury, 9 Aries, has just had the recent Aries eclipse on it. In the Placidus chart (Book of World Horoscopes) merchant Mercury rules the 9th house of the far horizons, and the 12th house of self-undoing, and hidden enemies. That house does contain protective Jupiter in Virgo, which may soften things around adversaries a little.
Financial Venus in this chart is 29 Pisces, ruling the financial 8th house, and the Libran ascendant. Venus is/has been under pressure from tr Saturn, Neptune, and the Nodes and is aligned with rise and fall Scheat in Pegasus. Further pressure comes with September’s Solar Eclipse 29 Virgo, which opposes Saturn Rx in Pisces. Neptune returns to late Pisces in October.
I also noticed that Pluto in the ToR chart is 28 Leo in the 11th house of legislature, but also perhaps the alliances and group endeavours the EU aims for?
In June tr Mars in Leo squares Uranus in Taurus at that degree. At that point, tr Jupiter has just entered Cancer, squaring both tr Saturn and Neptune mid June, which may be helpful, I’m not sure. It looks like an intense phase anyway. The Aquarius Solar Eclipse in February 2026 is 28 Aquarius, square Uranus, so quite an emphasis on that Pluto, and the power it represents. The fixed energies can be hard to budge, but perhaps this could be the beginning of a new kind of EU, eventually?
Possibly all this impacts on the USA Moon in Aquarius too – emphasising the American people, and how they are experiencing all this as ‘We the People’?
Mars was at 24 Cancer in the Trump 2.0 Inauguration Chart too. It was conjunct the Inauguration IC, as well as conjunct the 1776 Mercury in the 8th.
That suggests the main financial impact of Trump’s tariffs will be in the US itself.
The US is incredibly financialised with 60% of the population owning stocks. As a result the Federal govt is more dependant on capital gains tax receipts than any other govt in the world. Falling stock markets put a hole in the govt’s tax receipts. People feel impoverished too when their investments evaporate, which will affect their spending.
My feeling is that Trump will get Liz Truss’d – the astrology points to it. Saturn is coming up to a conjunction with the North Node – apparently Caligula was removed when Saturn and the NN were conjunct. Because the US doesn’t have a Parliamentary system, it’s not as easy to make Trump resign as it was for the Tories to force Truss out though.
The period from mid-month looks ominous, where Trump might invoke the Insurrection Act to consolidate power amidst the turmoil.
On the day he took office, Trump signed an EO on the declaration of an emergency at the US Southern border. Under Section 6b of the order, Trump directs Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to submit a joint report on the border, including recommendations for actions that “may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border. He specifically cites one option—”including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.”
The deadline for the report is 20 April. Mars trines Neptune the day prior, in the lead up to its final pass opposite Pluto, and the particularly fractious period from then until early May which Marjorie has mentioned before.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/declaring-a-national-emergency-at-the-southern-border-of-the-united-states/
[Sorry Jennifer I didn’t mean to put this as a reply to your post below]
Yes, it’s deeply hypocritical and proof that political memory is remarkably short. Just five years ago, the European-made AstraZeneca vaccine was offered to the United States at cost, one of the fairest trade gestures imaginable to the American people during a global crisis. Yet America rejected it, despite its proven effectiveness and widespread use abroad. While Europe moved swiftly to protect its citizens, the U.S. delayed, paid more for alternatives, and almost certainly lost lives in the name of regulatory caution (and convenient corporate profit).
Now, the same guy is imposing tariffs on European imports, accusing allies of unfair practices – conveniently forgetting that, during the pandemic, it was Europe offering partnership, not exploitation. These tariffs now punish the very nations that stepped up when the U.S. hesitated.
The hypocrisy is stark: when solidarity could have saved lives and billions in taxpayer funds, the U.S. of Donald Trump turned inwards. Now it weaponises that same mindset, not to protect its people, but to score political points through economic aggression.
Astrologically, this speaks volumes. The Sibley chart of the United States is, as we know, dominated by Cancer with Venus and Jupiter conjoined in the seventh house, symbolising a nation that ideally seeks nurturing partnerships and emotional security through alliances. But with transiting Neptune now entering Aries and squaring that Venus-Jupiter conjunction, delusions around values, foreign relations, and financial fairness are surfacing. There’s a fog of self-righteousness – actions cloaked in the language of protectionism that mask deeper insecurities and contradictions.
Neptune in Aries brings a dangerous kind of idealistic bravado – moral posturing that lacks clarity. As it clashes with the U.S.’s Cancerian desire for loyalty and safety, the result is confused diplomacy, selective memory, and an erosion of the very alliances that once offered real solidarity.
Actually “confused aggression” is a description that works for Neptune in Aries and Trump himself.
It occurs to me the tariffs announcement comes a few days after Neptune moved into Aries. Maybe it’s just a coincidence because I can’t easily see the symbolism – other than perhaps that Trump believes the USA has been taken advantage of by all these other countries and therefore the victim (Neptune) is standing up for itself (Aries).
Will be very interesting to see what happens when Saturn arrives into Aries at the end of May. Probably a dose of reality about this decision. As André points out the Saturn-Neptune conjunction will be square America’s Venus and he suggests it’ll be economic wipeout.
Yes, GD most certainly that’s what came across in that speech. Bully cosplaying the victim. The big whinge about how unfair the rest of the entire planet is to America, as if America was a fragile blushing virgin being taken advantage of by rough, mean bullies. Classic DARVO! Presumably that’s why he levied a massive 48% on Vietnam, who had the temerity to defeat their occupiers half a century ago. Aggressive victimhood = Neptune in Aries.
Apologies for inaccuracy. Tariff on Vietnam is 46% not 48% as I stated. However, Vietnam is now a key manufacturing hub and this will undoubtedly affect the clothing, footwear, furniture and toy industries. Major companies such as Adidas and Nike will face increased costs as a result.
The main takeaway I got from that speech was that of an angry, vindictive child. Very little reason or logic in any of it.
Indeed and he’s playing it like he’s being magnanimous in only applying a tariff half of the other (e.g. 20% tariff on EU where he claims EU tariff is 39%; Vietnam 46% to 90%). What has become apparent once the numbers were revealed is that he’s applying tariffs in response to a trade deficit. More misdirection and lies.
It occurs to me that Neptune into Aries is occurring in Trump’s chart with it arriving in his 8th house of “give and take in relationships” (I recall cusp being 28-29Pisces). So he’s reacted to how this transit is making him feel weak with his usual bullying, selfish, take/take/take methods but Neptune is trying to teach him with subsequent passes that it’s ineffective and he needs to learn to give. Which of course he won’t but that’s by the by …
Inspired by an item on the news tonight, I looked at what Marjorie wrote on 26th March, 2024 about the swift and shocking collapse of the Baltimore Bridge. The Bridge was named for Francis Scott Key, who wrote the words for The Star-spangled Banner…..there were a number of amazing astro links between FSK and that catastrophe just over one year ago. Perhaps it was an early warning for the ‘land of the free’?
“Does seem not only a tragic accident but slightly spooky in terms of its symbolic significance.”
As we’ve discussed before, sometimes a striking disaster like that can herald turbulent times for the location or country involved. The recent Aries Eclipse opposed the 9 Libra MC for the Baltimore collapse chart, and was close to its Sun at 6 Aries.
An apt metaphor for a Saturn-Neptune conjunction square US Venus-Sun-Jupiter.
When you think about how relatively quickly the Soviet Union split at the last Saturn-Neptune conjunction, it’s not inconceivable that America which has spent 250yrs building itself could fall apart in just a few years. Astrologically it has just had its Pluto return which suggests need for extreme rebuild which didn’t notably occur. And will soon be having its 3rd Uranus Return to perhaps trigger that.
Trump believes these tariffs are needed because U.S. trade deals are “one-sided” and don’t benefit America. But is he really that clueless about the history of the military-industrial complex and the post-WWII global order?
It’s not one-sided at all.
In exchange for running trade deficits, the U.S. secures:
– Global influence through economic and military alliances
– Dollar dominance, since most global trade is still done in USD
– Military leverage, with bases in allied countries and strategic regions
Either Trump’s being deliberately obtuse, or he’s the perfect Russian sleeper agent, because these tariffs risk pushing more countries away from the U.S. and straight into the arms of BRICS.
BRICS was born out of frustration with U.S. dollar dominance and Washington’s tendency to punish countries that don’t toe the line. Cuba and Iran are classic examples who have been sanctioned for daring to challenge U.S. authority.
Meanwhile, Russia, a BRICS member, has made it clear it wants to weaken the dollar’s role in global trade. And it’s working.
The U.S. currently enjoys around 85% control of global trade settlement in dollars, but with each new tariff, each fractured alliance, that grip loosens. As more nations look for alternatives, BRICS expands, and new coalitions emerge to diversify away from a U.S-centric system.
Its clear the American empire has been declining for some years, but I think Trump’s role is accelerating it. I just don’t know if it’s out of his stupidity and narcissism or if it’s deliberate to help Putin.
@Jo, yes, Trump is that clueless. And he’s stupid, ignorant and narcissistic and, based on his behavior, eager to bow the knee to Putin and give his master whatever he wants, including the destruction of his own country. It was Khrushchev who forecast that the Russians/Soviets would destroy the US from within. And Trump, a reported Russian asset since the ’80s, is Putin’s tool to accomplish that. Mission in process of accomplishment.
It is telling that the tariffs are for all nations except Russia (if any further proof of his role as an asset were needed). Also interesting to note is that S. Korea and Japan have now entered into an agreement to supply China with chips in exchange for the resources needed to make them. So much for isolating China. Wondering what will transpire when Mars squares his Uranus soon.
I believe US sanctions on Russia are already so tight there was no room for more. I read somewhere (can’t find it now, sorry) that Trump has a lot of personal $$ tied up in Russia; if the Trump position on Russia changes, I would expect it to be easing of sanctions, not adding more.
To me, the key transit will be the Saturn-Neptune conjunction square US Venus, which will bring an economic wipeout. Canadian PM Mark Carney just said the if the US doesn’t want to be a world leader any more, Canada will take its place. His Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the first house is showing the way of the future, while the US has turned to the past.
Mark Carney is such a contrast to Trump. A DPhil in Economics from Oxford, then Governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England (one after the other, not simultaneously).
At the very least, I’d trust him more on economics than I would Trump.
The UK’s biggest trade with the US is in crude oil. I would guess most people here would be more than happy to switch that trade to Canada.
Just an observation. Trump started blabbering at 16 o´clock, but he signed the executive order approximately an hour later, which would move the Moon-Jupiter conjunction onto the MC, pushing Mercury, Saturn and NN into the 7th house (Placidus). I tried to find the exact time of signing but had no success.
Intriguing.
That would put Mercury *retrograde,* Saturn, and the often over-ambitious North Node in the seventh house of trading partners and open enemies.
Trump’s obsession with tariffs is nothing new; he has been banging the drum for them for decades. He harks back to the old days (late 19th, early twentieth century) when tariffs, not taxes, were a major source of America’s revenue. He fails to grasp or accept that the World has changed dramatically in the past 100 years. Is there anything in his chart that might account for this; or is he simply doing it because he enjoys causing disruption?
Saturn-Venus in Cancer I’d reckon Ken. Probably his Dad told him tariffs are great and he still believes it. At the least, I suspect his introduction of tariffs is motivated by the idea he can fund government through them and therefore (legally) avoid ever paying any income tax. That Saturn, especially within Cancer, the signs of parents and old habits will have a strong grip
Buckle up, kids, we’re going.
Watching Dow Jones tanking real time. To an extent Chuck Grassley, a 1933 Virgo Sun has introduced a bipartisan bill with Democrat Maria Cantwell requiring President to bring tariff decisions before the Senate within 48 hours of of imposing them.
I just heard the Dow is down 1200 points and the NASDAQ, tech heavy, down 400.
Will Big Business decide to Do Something? I think someone will….
From Heather Cox Richardson:
“Just five months ago, on October 19, 2024, The Economist ran a special report on America’s economy. That economy was, the magazine said, “the envy of the world.” Today, stock market futures plummeted after President Donald J. Trump announced that he will impose a 10% tariff on all imports to the United States, with higher rates on about 60 countries he claims engage in unfair trade practices, including China, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea, as well as the European Union.”
What economy would that be? If the economy had been O.K., would so many people feel dissatisfied and vote en masse for this candidate? Heather Cox Richardson is selective and wrong. And the stock market is many things, but it is not the economy. Statistics and numbers, sometimes willingly, sometimes unwillingly, have a way of obscuring the issues and are often unable to tell the whole story, which is often not just quantification.
I note that transiting Mars is on Trump’s Saturn-Venus in Cancer which really seems to be symbolic here with putting up walls for homegrown interests and involving money.
You forgot the Mars/Saturn aspect which is like driving with the brake on.
So it doesn’t seem as if this will go anywhere.
@Roderick, yes, see how Chuck Grassley reacted. There isn’t infrastructure behind this. Money can’t “grow home” if the manufacturing has been killed, and the speculative aspect of it is tanking.
There seems now to be a finance business/Republican response mounting on this. Some people just need to have this moment to have their bubbles burst.
It still may be too little, too late, because of the *events*, though.
@Roderick, am I right in recalling you’re now in Alabama? What are you hearing from people? Is support for Trump starting to slip? Thanks!
Hi Nicole, yes Trump’s support is starting to erode nationally. Some Republicans are already raising the alarm with his tarrifs, there is a warning by Sen. Rand Paul published in a news outlet, I qoute ‘Paul told reporters on Wednesday that, in addition to changes in markets, tariffs have also ‘led to political decimation.’
‘When [former President William] McKinley most famously put tariffs on in 1890, they lost 50 percent of their seats in the national election,’ The Kentucky Republican noted, bringing up the last time a president invoked such a sweeping tariff overhaul.
‘When [Smoot-Hawley] put on their tariff in the early 1930s, we lost the House and the Senate for 60 years,’ the senator continued, this time noting a congressionally-led tariff regime.’ Paula stated.
Also in Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Elon Musk poured millions into the campaign, but he was defeated with his millions, the liberals won. It looks like Elon Musk’s Uranus is already affecting him since his birth time is not verified yet. He is already experiencing lots of problems in his life and businesses. It was announced a few days ago that he will exit DOGE and focus on his businesses which is a little too late. His brand has been damaged. And Elon Musk being a Cancerian, he might not leave quietly, he might expose Trump’s secret financial dealings in public. We all know what Trump does to those he use to do his dirty work after they fall.
When you say I forgot – can you explain what you mean? I was just pointing out the symbolism and how transiting Mars is probably giving Trump the opportunity to express how his Saturn-Venus in Cancer views the country is best protected.
Good point GD. Some kind of angry Mars/Saturn moment for sure. Yet how long can these tariffs last? Everything may change again (and again) before the end of the year. Of interest is the fixed star, Pollux, in the constellation Gemini. It is at 23 Cancer, and will be highlighted – along with Trump’s natal Saturn-Venus and the Tariff’s Mars – by transiting Jupiter in Cancer this autumn. Here’s what Elsbeth Ebertin says about it:
“Pollux has a strong Martian nature and has the name ‘the wicked boy’ of the of the sibling Twins. According to its nature, this star is brutal and tyrannical, violent and cruel if in conjunction with the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, MC or with malefics. Just as Mars has its good sides if the energy it creates is channeled constructively, so Pollux should not always be considered as unhelpful. The star badly place could manifest that way, not by the native misusing his energy but by others deceiving him and fate playing him some cruel tricks. Helper if in peril on voyages at sea. [Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.41.]”
And V Robson says that Pollux with Mars suggests:
“With Mars: Violent, murderer or murdered, high position but final ruin, violent death by suffocation, drowning or assassination especially if the Moon be there also. [Robson, p.187.]”
And should probably factor in the USA’s own mercantile Mercury, 24 Cancer into the line-up of planets with the fixed star Pollux. Perhaps an influence on travel, communications, and, of course, trade.
It’s really sad to see what’s happening in the US with Donald Trump tariffs, he inherited a strong economy now he is destroying it with his personal agenda. Looking at the time and chart of the signing ceremony for his tarrifs, mercury is currently moving in a retrograde motion and being the trader of Zodiac, it means he is not going to achieve what he wants with the tarrifs, his plans are going to fail he will probably have to rescind them, or the congress or senate might do so for him. Even in my personal experience, having studied astrology for so many years, decisions that are made under mercury in a reverse motion tend not to produce the desired results. Economically what the tarrifs are going to bring for US, looking at the chart, is high inflation, high unemployment, economic instability and most companies in the US are going to struggle to make profits, their profit margins are going to fall. The US is going to pay a hefty price, unless if they reverse those tarrifs soon. By the look of things, I don’t see them lasting beyond 2025. Though unfortunately they would have already caused economic and reputational damage to the US, and only because of one man.