Your Astrology Guide to the 2016 Presidential Debates: Round 1

UPDATE: Yep, I failed to correctly predict the 2016 election outcome. Keep reading though.

We’re finally here. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will throw down in the first of three presidential debates on September 26th 2016, @9-10-:30 pm, in Hempstead, NY (Nassau County). Here is the chart.

firstdebate

House Clinton, House Trump

How should we interpret this? Our first response might be to interpret a debate between two opponents as the 1st house versus the 7th house, but which one represents each candidate? In the presidential debates of 2012, it was not always clear ahead of time. The candidate who won the coin toss was not necessarily best represented by the 1st house. Perhaps it’s an incumbent-challenger thing. What I took away from it is that the 1st and 7th do describe each candidate, but I’m just not sure at this point what determines which one takes which.

For the first presidential debate of 2016, the Ascendant is in Taurus, fairly close to the malefic star Algol. Its ruler Venus is in Scorpio, the 7th, the house of the opponent. The 7th is ruled by Mars, at 29 Sagittarius in the 8th. However, shortly after the debate begins, at 9:08 pm, Gemini begins to rise and continues for the rest of the debate. Either there is a delay and the debate starts then, or once Gemini rises, some shift in tone happens that sets the course for the rest of the event.

Gemini rising turns the 1st house ruler into a powerfully placed Mercury in Virgo, in its own sign and exaltation in an angular house. As the planet of speaking and debating, a powerful Mercury like this suggests one of the candidates will have a good night. With Sagittarius setting, the 7th ruler turns into Jupiter in Libra, blinded by the fallen Sun in Libra. In short, one of the candidates will exhibit the characteristics of Mercury in Virgo, detailed, logical, prepared, practical, quick on their feet. The other will be like the combust Jupiter, attempting to be grand, impressive and knowledgeable but overwhelmed by the spotlight and scrutiny of the Sun.

Reports from all over the media have covered Clinton’s studious approach to her debate with Trump, studying in particular the ways in which he gets agitated. Trump is pretty much just winging it. This seems to describe the conditions of Mercury and Jupiter in the chart, which will be the rulers of the 1st and 7th for the vast majority of the debate. Additionally with Sagittarius setting, Mars and Saturn are both in the sign suggesting unfortunate and hostile circumstances for one of the challengers. A lot can happen in 90 minutes.

The Blow-by-Blow

  • 9:00 pm Debate begins with Ascendant at 27 Taurus, Midheaven at 5 Aquarius.
  • 9:08 pm – Ascendant turns over to Gemini, Descendant turns over to Sagittarius, containing Mars and Saturn, Hillary’s Jupiter at 0 Sagittarius
  • 9:39 pm – Ascendant at 9 Gemini squares Neptune at 9 Pisces
  • 9:46 pm – Saturn sets
  • 9:50 pm – Ascendant at 12 Gemini squares Nodes at 12 Virgo/Pisces
  • 9:55 pm – Moon conjoins IC at 19 Leo
  • 10:06 pm – Ascendant at 16 Gemini squares Mercury at 16 Virgo
  • 10:08 pm – Ascendant at 17 Gemini conjunct Donald Trump’s Uranus at 17 Gemini
  • 10:24 pm – Descendant at 21 Sagittarius, Donald Trump’s Moon at 21 Sagittarius
  • 10:30 pm– Debate ends with Ascendant at 22 Gemini, Midheaven at 28 Aquarius, Donald Trump’s Sun at 22 Gemini, square Hillary Clinton’s Moon at 22 Pisces

Public Reaction

As for the public reaction? Generally the Moon in an inception symbolizes the people, and in this case, the Moon is in Leo, and its next applying aspect is a trine to Uranus in Aries, further emphasizing the potential importance of Uranus rising toward the end of the debate. It is almost as if people will be watching to be entertained, if nothing else than for something interesting to happen.

The Moon will be making an applying conjunction to Hillary’s Saturn at 21 Leo and a square to her Mercury at 21 Scorpio. This is not the most fortunate part of her chart to be lighting up at a debate, but it also makes some amount of sense. You would think at a debate that your Mercury would be involved in the transits. We’ll probably see both sides of this natal aspect of hers materialize – the question of her honesty or emails, as well as her studious command of policy details. This is the closest applying transit Hillary has that night.

The Moon will be making an applying sextile to Trump’s Sun at 22 Gemini and trine to his Moon at 21 Sagittarius. To me this shows that a lot of the public will be receptive towards Trump’s performance. Expectations are currently very low, so it would be interesting to see if his image improves due to simply having a public appearance in which he is not behaving like a total wanker. Progress built on a media-fueled illusion seems to describe the Sun-Jupiter conjunction that is heading right for his natal Neptune at 5 Libra in his 3rd house. However, as all transits do, they pass.

Let’s discuss this on my Facebook page on Monday night and see what happens!

3 thoughts on “Your Astrology Guide to the 2016 Presidential Debates: Round 1”

  1. It’s interesting that the asc changed signs about 10 minutes into the debate. Trump started out sounding and looking reasonably sane and had a good opening salvo against Hillary over trade deals. Not long after that, she shifted into high gear and he got progressively worse, erratic, uncontrolled and generally crazy.

  2. Pingback: Your Astrology Guide to the 2016 Presidential Debates: VP Edition - Patrick Watson

  3. Pingback: Your Astrology Guide to the 2016 Presidential Debates: VP Edition – Patrick Watson

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