If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget about it. This is real astrology for the real world, not some mystical mumbo-jumbo psycho-babble word salad. If it's real astrology for yourself that you want, you can get it by phone or in print. And if you need help deciphering the astrological glyphs in the graphics accompanying this article, see Astroglyphs: Astrological Symbols Guide. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT, aka GMT). Location for all mundante charts is set for the Great Pyramid at Giza; the choice being strictly arbitrary in any case. Also please be aware that, while I never change a forecast once it's published, I do post errata to acknowledge typographical errors and the like.

PLEASE NOTE: This month’s forecast incorporates elements of (and refers to) my complete 2017 World Forecast Highlights (38 8-1/2 x 11" illustrated pages); focused, amplified and elaborated with details for the month as appropriate. The full version of my 2017 World Forecast Highlights is available in hard copy by mail ($75) or as a PDF document by email ($50). Orders may be phoned in (toll-free from anywhere in North America to 800-527-8761), and charged to any major credit or debit card. Orders may also be placed direct from your own PayPal account page to rnolle@astropro.com – or by using the AstroPro PayPal order page.

"If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of."
-- Bruce Lee
 

The Skinny

The two eclipses (on the 7th and 21st) are the focal points for this month; along with the Mercury Max cycle that began on July 30 and continues throughout August. Also weighing in are the reprise of Jupiter’s square to Pluto on the 4th and a trio of planetary stations (Uranus and Mercury retrograde on the 3rd and 13th respectively, and Saturn direct on the 25th). Lots of economic, geophysical and geopolitical drama there. On a lighter note, some spontaneous Venus fun and games stuff to take our minds off the sturm und drang, if only momentarily . . .

Lights Out

Although the solar eclipse doesn’t happen until August 21, it dominates the whole month; and we’re already in its shadow, in the sense that coming events cast their shadow before. The eclipse is part of a sky train that was set in motion back on May 29, when Mars opposed Saturn from 25°44’Gemini to 25°44 Sagittarius – just a degree from the June 15 Sun-Saturn opposition in the 24°30’ Gemini-Sagittarius polarity, when Earth and Saturn had their annual close approach.

What does a Gemini-Sagittarius polarity from back in May and June have to do with the August 21 solar eclipse at 28°53’ Leo? You’d know, had you been reading my forecasts for the last few months.

It all goes back to June 14, 1946 at 10:54 AM EDT, at the Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York. That’s Donald J. Trump’s official birth certificate (BC) data. There are a few other birth times in circulation, but there’s only one officially documented time. I use it because it’s evidence. All the other options are speculative, mere opinions; which is to say, lacking evidentiary value. (Put lipstick on a pig by calling it a rectification if you like. Just remember: there’s a reason it’s known as "wreck-tification".)

The Trump chart is dramatically highlighted by the August 21 eclipse, which falls on Mr. Trump’s Mars at the ascendant; with Saturn simultaneously falling on his natal lunar eclipse – which has been the focus of the May and June Saturn aspects mentioned above.

There’s an ominous – and I use the term literally – historical parallel here to Julius Caesar. Following a sacrificial omen by the Julliards at the festival of Lupercalia on February 15, 44 BCE, the soothsayer Spurinna warned Caesar that his life would be in danger for a period of 30 days – ending on March 15, the infamous Ides of March.

Having a Saturn perigee fall on your natal (eclipsed) Moon is not a cheerful prospect. One might well call it ominous, like the omen at Caesar’s Lupercalia sacrifice. Will Trump, like Caesar, be in danger for a period of 30 days – associated with July 15? But wait, there’s more!

I’m not predicting a strict historical parallel here; only noting a curious coincidence. The coincidence in this case starts with Saturn’s transit across Mr. Trump’s natal Moon, which at the very least indicates a (further) loss of popular support. The soothsayer Spurinna precedent points to the 30 days following June 15 as an inauspicious time for the President. But Saturn comes back into focus with the solar eclipse of August 21, so there’s more to this story.

A glance at the headlines of late seems headed in an ominous direction for the President since around the time of the June 15 Sun-Saturn opposition on his natal lunar eclipse. Wednesday June 14 brought an armed assault on a GOP baseball practice session, which left the shooter dead and four people wounded (including GOP Whip Steve Scalice). Almost daily ever since, President Trump seems to be digging an ever deeper hole for himself, in terms of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election (with an alleged assist from Trump and/or his associates).

Ironically, the Central Park production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, featuring a Trump look-alike in the title role, has been in the news lately. Not to mention the unmentionable: comedian Kathy Griffin’s notorious display of a beheaded Trump made headlines on Tuesday June 13. Coincidences? We’ll see as we approach the solar eclipse on August 21.

The Sun-Saturn opposition at 24° Gemini-Sagittarius on June 15 marked the Ringed Planet’s closest approach to Earth this year – as big and bright as it gets in our night sky. It’s a time for chickens coming home to roost; for slowing down, taking responsibility and owning up. The easy way out is not a real option.

President Trump’s natal lunar eclipse being targeted by the June 15 Sun-Saturn alignment is just the beginning. It doesn’t get any better for him after that. The August 21 solar eclipse is on his natal Mars at the ascendant, with Saturn still on his natal Moon.

It should be noted that at his age, Mr. Trump has experienced this same eclipse on his Mars at the ascendant a couple times already: in 1979 and 1998. Neither of those eclipses, however, was accompanied by a Saturn transit across his natal lunar eclipse – the distinguishing factor in the August 21 solar eclipse.

The August 22, 1998 eclipse did come with an impeachment factor, however. It touched not only Mr. Trump’s chart, but also Bill Clinton’s – within a couple degrees of the latter’s natal Sun, in fact. See the connection? That was in the thick of Independent Counsel Ken Starr’s investigation of the President, which ultimately led to his impeachment on December 19, 1998. Is impeachment in Mr. Trump’s future too, under the same eclipse that brought Mr. Clinton to that impasse? Or will it be a 25th Amendment removal from office? Or something else? There are a lot of possibilities here; none of which bodes well for Mr. Trump.

There’s a previous eclipse-impeachment connection, by the way. Threatened with impeachment, Richard Nixon resigned less than two months after the June 20 solar eclipse at 28d35’ Gemini – which occurred within a week of the publication of Woodward and Bernstein’s All the President’s Men. Clearly, the June 20, 1974 eclipse marked a time flow that took Nixon down.

That June 20 eclipse was just the tiniest fraction of a degree from right on Nixon’s natal Pluto, which opposed Mars at his birth. Pluto at the time was within less than two degrees of spot on Nixon’s natal south lunar node. Notice the parallels to the August 21, 2014 eclipse connection with Mr. Trump’s chart: a strong eclipse aspect to Mars in both cases.

As far as the 1979 solar eclipse on his Mars-ascendant is concerned, that was the year when undocumented Polish workers began construction on his namesake Trump Tower. That construction resulted in the destruction (ordered by Trump) of Art Deco masterpieces at the Bonwit Teller building. Trump had originally promised to save those architectural features, and donate them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Not his finest hour.

As opposed to those two previous solar eclipses on Mr. Trump’s ascendant, the distinguishing factor this time around is the simultaneous Saturn transit on his natal lunar eclipse. That Saturn factor is not a happy prospect: a loss of public support, most likely in reaction to hasty, reckless, aggressive and even dangerous acts on his part – and/or against him by others. In that regard, check Mr. Trump’s natal astro-locality chart: his Mars horizon line touches both North Korea and the US capital. This is too early to be an outbreak of a major war. But it’s certainly not an outbreak of peace.

While there isn’t a previous solar eclipse on Trump’s natal Mars that combines with a Saturn transit to his natal Moon, the Saturn factor itself has happened twice before. The first such transit was in 1958. A glance at the Trump biography reveals that he was then an academic and disciplinary problem in the exclusive private school he was attending at the time. Apparently, that was the last straw for his parents (the Sun and Moon in anyone’s chart). The following year, he was sent off to a strict military boarding school. Misbehavior has consequences.

The second Saturn transit over Trump’s natal Moon came in late 1987 – a few months after Mr. Trump purchased a controlling interest in the star-crossed Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City. There’s an ill omen for you. Trump Taj Mahal struggled financially through good years and bad and a couple of bankruptcies, until it finally closed its doors in 2016 – liquidated at four cents on the dollar.

Putting all these elements together, the President’s prospects this time around are not encouraging for him – personally as well as politically. In the current highly polarized political atmosphere, half the US population (at least) are hoping that Mr. Trump’s removal from office is imminent. Not so fast! President Nixon’s resignation occurred on August 9, 1974 – some two years and two months after the break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate Hotel. (And that was with the Democrats controlling Congress.)

A rapid exit could follow from a mishap which befalls him or some rash, erratic and dangerous act on Mr. Trump’s part. It’s too early for a major war, as I’ve said. But posturing, threats, wagging the dog and surgical strikes, on the other hand, fit the scenario.

Unfortunately, given that war and peace hang in the balance over Korea even in the best of times lately, rash action can easily spin out of control. We can be sure that the infamous Trump petulance will raise its ugly head around eclipse time. The fact that Mr. Trump’s natal Mars horizon line arcs from Washington DC across North Korea is noteworthy. Born under Mars rising, Mr. Trump is widely known for his belligerence, for going on the offensive when he feels threatened, for bullying his way through adversity. Those lifelong traits are especially dangerous now that he is Commander in Chief – and particularly under an eclipse activating that Mars line through Korea.

Apart from a major Trump tantrum – which would not be out of character for him at any time, let alone under this kind of eclipse activation – the odds of his removal from office in the near term remain a long shot. But it’s not unlikely that the train has left the station as of August 21. Realpolitik suggests a couple of alternative outcomes. The quicker one is that the GOP power structure turns on the President, and turns him out via the 25th Amendment. The slower hinges on the Democratic Party regaining a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2018 mid-term election – which would put us on a timeline not unlike the Nixon-Watergate scenario.

The threads of destiny can be woven in any number of ways going forward. None of them look particularly favorable for Mr. Trump in light of the August 21 eclipse. And don’t forget: the window to watch for immediate manifestation in the case of a solar eclipse is plus or minus seven days of the exact event; i.e. August 14-28 this time around.

Other Solar Eclipse Signatures

I have devoted so much time and space to the August 21 eclipse in relation to Mr. Trump’s chart because of the unusually close connections between the two. But there’s a lot more to the story than that.

Eclipses are much like SuperMoons in terms of their connection with storms and seismicity, but they tend to rank a little lower in magnitude. Don’t expect an eclipse to herald the kind of extreme tidal surges so typical of a SuperMoon, for example. But there remains a notable historical connection between eclipses and strong storms and seismicity, including moderate to severe (Magnitude 5 and up) earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

An eclipse is a syzygy – a new or full moon - in which the alignment of Earth, Sun and Moon is so precise that the body of one blocks out the light of one of the others. Tradition from ancient times associates eclipses with natural disasters, and astrologers have long considered this class of syzygies to be of special importance. The Greek historian Thucydides (5th Century BCE) wrote about "an eclipse of the Sun at the time of a new moon, and in the early part of the same month an earthquake." In the 2nd Century CE his countryman Phlegon reported that "in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an eclipse of the Sun . . . and a great earthquake that broke out in Bithynia destroyed the greatest part of Nicaea." (The fourth year of the 202nd Olympia corresponds to 33 CE, the year Jesus of Nazareth was crucified in Jerusalem. Early Church scholars debated whether this eclipse timed the crucifixion.)

The association of seismic upheaval and other natural calamities with eclipses isn't solely a preoccupation of ancient historians. It survives to this day, because earthquakes, volcanoes and great storms persist in their synchronicity with eclipses. Examples closer to our own time include the May 8, 1902 eruption of Mt. Pelee, which left 29,000 dead and destroyed the city of St. Pierre in the West Indies - within a day of a SuperMoon that also happened to be a partial solar eclipse.

My own rule of thumb for eclipses is that solar eclipses have a geophysical shock window that extends a week either side of the exact date, while lunar eclipses are effective within a plus or minus three day window. If the seven day-either way window for solar eclipses seems extravagant, consider that it represents an orb of only seven degrees for the Sun; and that solar eclipses can happen with the Sun within as much as 18 degrees either side of the lunar nodes. I'll not presume to proselytize, but I would point out that eclipses, as syzygies, represent a pronounced ripple in the local system's space-time continuum; which ripple radiates in all directions from the exact moment of the event. How far that ripple is noticeable may be arguable, and I'm not the argumentative type.

I apply the same astro-locality maps to eclipses as to any other important astrological configuration. But solar eclipses are unique: the zone of visibility for the eclipse is a unique target zone for the alignment. Lunar eclipses can be visible over large portions of Planet Earth, but only narrow swaths are singled out by the Moon’s shadow as Luna passes across the solar disk.

The total eclipse at 28°53’ Leo on August 21 is the second and final solar eclipse of 2017. Visible at least in part from far Eastern Siberia across the Eastern Pacific into North and Central America (and the northern part of South America) into the Atlantic, this one has a zone of totality that that stretches from the North Pacific across North America from Oregon to South Carolina and out into the Atlantic.

Astro-locality mapping this eclipse points out a few other susceptible zones, including a longitudinal swath through the center of North America, from Canada through Mexico; emerging on the other side of the world to pass through India, China and Russia. See the astro-locality map for more – and notice Iceland under a Saturn horizon line.

These areas will be a major focus for storms and seismicity during the shock window associated with this eclipse, which stretches from August 14 through the 28th.

Since this eclipse window occurs during a Mercury Max cycle – more about that later - beginning within a day of Mercury’s retrograde station, I expect that it will be accompanied by an outburst of solar storms, CMEs etc.; which will intensify the storms and seismicity that normally accompany an eclipse. Extreme weather events and electrical disturbances will play havoc with all kinds of infrastructure during this eclipse window. If traveling, allow extra time for delays. Be prepared for power outages. A good time to hunker down.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

August 7 brings the last 2017 lunar eclipse, at 15°25’ Aquarius, with a geophysical shock window that extends from the 3rd through the 12th – opening up a day early due to the Moon reaching its peak declination south of the celestial equator on the 4th, and extended a couple days by the Moon’s northward crossing of the celestial equator on the 11th.

This one is accompanied by a Mercury-Neptune opposition and a Sun-Mars conjunction, which like the previous (February 11) lunar eclipse bespeaks an outbreak of panic, fear and greed – likely due to rumor and manipulation. Mania runs to extremes in the financial markets at times like this: go to the sidelines, if it’s safety you seek. Take nothing at face value, secure what’s yours, and don’t be caught unprepared for an outbreak of the usual Mars stuff: fires, crashes, clashes and explosions, ultra-violence, terror attacks and military clashes. This will be small stuff in the grand scheme of things - but not if you’re anywhere near ground zero when it breaks out.

Regulars know what to expect on the geophysical front during August 3-12 lunar eclipse shock window: an outbreak of powerful storms with heavy precipitation and damaging winds; plus extreme tidal surges; and a surfeit of moderate to severe seismic activity (M5+ earthquakes and newsworthy volcanic eruptions).

Like all syzygies, the August 7 eclipse is astronomical in scale and therefore planetary in scope; which is to say that it raises tides in the atmosphere, seas and crust of our home planet. Got crust and sky? Then you’re a potential target. Therefore, having your weather radio and go bag handy wouldn’t be such a bad idea – just in case.

That said, there are several suspicious looking target zones in the eclipse astro-locality map. They include a longitudinal swath extending north and south from East Texas to pass through Winnipeg and Mexico City in the western hemisphere, and through East India and Western China in the east.

A Sun-Mars-Moon horizon arc sweeps downward across Siberia and Kamchatka, through the Western Pacific; emerging on the other side of the world through West Africa and across the Mediterranean through Eastern Europe. I’m not saying you’re off the hook elsewhere, mind you – or that you’re inevitably under the gun in these zones. But it won’t hurt to keep an eye on the skies, and the headlines.

Mercury Max, Solar Storms and Static

Time and space do not allow for more than a cursory glance at the rest of August. I cannot let the Mercury Max Cycle slip by. Like SuperMoon, Mercury Max is another of my astrological innovations. It is, in short, the part of the Earth-Mercury-Sun relationship where Mercury comes around from behind the Sun to catch up and pass the Earth.

Mercury Max begins when evening star Mercury reaches its maximum elongation (greatest distance) east of the Sun; extends through the Mercury retrograde and the inferior Sun-Mercury conjunction, and ends when the little planet as morning star reaches its maximum elongation west of the Sun.

Mercury’s maximum elongations are astronomical definitions, mind you – not to be confused with traditional astrological fables such as "shadow" and "storm" periods. The latter are not found in astronomical literature, references and software; elongation is. (For details, see my free online article on Mercury Max.)

The key concept to Mercury Max is that, as it passes between Earth and Sun, Mercury gets closer to us and brighter in our skies. As it does so, it causes eddies in the outflow of Earth-bound radiation from the Sun. This coincides with a higher than normal level of solar outbursts, including strong solar flares (M and X Class) and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Dump Gigawatts of extra solar energy onto Earth, and you get strong geomagnetic storms (Kp 5 and higher), and, unusual auroral activity. But there’s more to it than pretty lights in the sky. You also get strong storms in the atmosphere, increased seismic activity, and a lot of electrical interference – resulting in power outages, radio interference and fried circuits. In the latter category are scrambled neural networks: some people are extremely sensitive to these solar outbursts. (You know who you are.)

2017 MERCURY MAX CYCLES

Max-E	S-Rx	Cnj. SUN	S-D	Max-W
DEC 11, 2016	DEC 19, 2016	DEC 28, 2016	JAN 8, 2017	JAN 19, 2017
APR 1, 2017	APR 9, 2017	APR 20, 2017	MAY 3, 2017	MAY 17, 2017
JUL 30, 2017	AUG 13, 2017	AUG 26, 2017	SEP 5, 2017	SEP 12, 2017
NOV 24, 2017	DEC 3, 2017	DEC 13, 2017	DEC 23, 2017	JAN 1, 2018

Max-E = Mercury (Evening Star) Max. Elongation East of Sun (Max begins)
S-Rx = Retrograde Station (Retrograde GBegins)
Cnj. SU = Inferior Conjunction with Sun
S-D = Direct Station (Retrograde Ends)
Max-W = Mercury (Morning Star) Max. Elongation West of Sun (Max ends)

The current Mercury Max began on July 30, and extends through September 12. (See the accompanying table.) There are five critical points in the cycle: the beginning (July 30), the retrograde station (August 13), the inferior conjunction (August 26), the direct station (September 5), and the end (September 12). These five points are periods of maximum turbulence, plus or minus three days either side of the exact dates. The entire cycle is a storm watch, as it were – but those five peak periods are storm warnings.

Check Your Chart!

I mentioned a number of degree positions in this month’s forecast, mainly in connection with the eclipses and the Saturn alignments with the Sun and Mars. I recommend checking your chart, to see if these degrees were emphasized in the sky when you were born. If so, the timing and nature of this month’s celestial highlights could prove to be significant for you.

Also be mindful of some of the odds and ends I didn’t have time for here, although I mentioned them in the introduction: the other two planetary stations (besides Mercury), the Jupiter-Pluto square on the 4th (detailed in the full version of my 2017 World Forecast Highlights) and the Venus-Neptune trine on the 12th and Venus-Pluto opposition on the 15th. It’s a bit of a mix . . .

Acknowledgments

All mundane astrological charts as well as eclipse and astro-locality maps are set for the Universal Time (UT) of the event, and calculated and produced using Esoteric Technologies’ Solar Fire Gold Version 7.0.8. Charts are set for the location of the Great Pyramid - a purely arbitrary choice, since location is irrelevant to these charts. Unless sotherwise noted, sky map images are screen captures from the Pocket Universe or Star Rover apps for iPhone, or produced by Starry Night for Windows; storm tracks are screen captures from The Weather Channel app for iPhone; and earthquake maps are screen captures from the QuakeFeed ör Quake Alerts app for iPhone.

SPECIAL FEATURE: This month's birthdays of the famous and infamous (with astrological birth charts)

Richard Nolle, Certified Professional Astrologer consultations/orders (AmEx/Discover/MasterCard/Visa) 800-527-8761 data/message 480-753-6261 - email rnolle@astropro.com Box 26599 - Tempe, AZ 85285-6599 - USA www.astropro.com