Transcript of Radio Show: The USA and the 2020 Election – Kamala Harris & Joe Biden
In my last show back in July, I examined the charts of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Given Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate, I thought we would look at her Astrological chart today. Back on July 20, 2019, I did a radio show that looked at Kamala Harris (and Elizabeth Warren) as part of my examination of the major Democratic candidates for President, (and you might want to listen to that show as well). But now that Kamala has been selected as Joe Biden’s choice for Vice-President, I thought it would be interesting and helpful to take a deeper look today.
The first thing that I look for in any chart is the overall pattern. Astrologers have found that there are definite shapes of a chart whereby the planets around the earth form a pattern. And indeed, there is a distinctive pattern in Kamala’s chart, and It is called a Seesaw or Hourglass pattern. There are planets on one side and planets on another side, and there is a wide space on each side of the two groups with no planets. This arrangement indicates a person who has the ability to appreciate and understand one side and equally the other side of an issue or problem; they can encompass an understanding of the whole issue, to see one person or group and then see the other side. People like Kamala will strive to bring ideas, people, and groups together to forge agreements by building a bridge of mutual understanding. Kamala will try to reconcile and integrate sides that are seemingly opposed to one another. People like Kamala are the interlocutors and intermediaries of the Zodiac; they seek to bring people together through objective understanding and reason. And this is quite fitting for a Libra, (Kamala’s Sun Sign) which is known for that very quality of Social Intelligence, Diplomacy and Bridge Building.
Then we look and see how the Planetary energy is distributed in a chart. We are talking about the elements of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water, and whether Kamala is more Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable in modality. Kamala’s chart shows that she is a very fiery and earthy person, so that she combines the idealism and drive of fire but she fuses that with a more practical orientation in terms of grounding those ideals in something purposeful, meaningful, and most importantly achievable.
Then in terms of the modality, she is very Cardinal but also Fixed. The Cardinal comes from her Sun in Libra and her Moon in Aries, but then she has a lot of fixed planets. Cardinal people see a problem and they want to deal with it, they go for it and try and fix it. But Fixed people try to bear up and maintain things, so she has a little bit of both. She will not hesitate to address problems by taking action, but Kamala will be guided by her determination to remain steadfast and be guided by certain values that she holds to be true.
I also like to see if there any sort of special pattern that might provide a special quality to a person. Indeed, there is a rather special pattern in Kamala’s chart, and it is called the Mystic rectangle. The Mystic Rectangle is formed by two groupings of planets. For Kamala it is her Sun opposite to her Moon, and her Mars opposite to Saturn, and then each of those four points is linked with one another. The two oppositions are linked by what we call sextiles and trines.
Often oppositions lead to a struggle between one thing and another. By having this Mystic pattern, it allows a person to find a way through, a bridging if you will between what seems to most to be irreconcilable things. In her case the Sun in Libra would predispose a person to try to do the right thing in terms of relationships and partnerships, and to defer one's own needs and interests for that of others, to be what we call very “other interested”. Yet her moon in Aries says she also feels a strong need to assert herself and display leadership, courage, and initiative. And if that is too strong one might run roughshod over other people.
So, it is a tug of war between doing what is right for oneself and doing what is more accommodating. Of course, the lesson in her life was to learn to hold herself in the middle, to be positively self-assertive without being too abrasive or strong about it; to be mindfully sensitive so that she equally consider the social consequences of those words and deeds in order to maintain harmony and balance.
Likewise, with her Mars in Leo, Kamala wishes to act in the world in a way that that displays confidence and mastery as she looks to earn respect. But if you shape your actions too much by what will bring you approval and respect, well then you might become untrue to who you really are. That is when her Saturn in Aquarius reminds her, “to thine own self be true”, and that she should not overly care what people think. So that also pulls on her from another direction. Given this polarization, she could get stuck by either being too accommodating in terms of trying to earn people's respect or too dismissive of people so she can do her own thing. The need of course is to strike the right balance, to be someone who values honor and individuality, but also realizes the importance of doing that within a context that is socially meaningful. This pattern is one of the keys to understanding what drives Kamala’s life.
Then we turn to the principle indicators in anybody's chart, and for Kamala it is her Sun in Libra placed in her 5th house. People with the sun in Libra are focused on relationships and partnerships, and we often find them being the mediator between individuals and groups. Libra’s have a strong sense of fair play and justice, and we usually see them working towards alleviating injustices and healing divisions. Kamala is a lawyer, and a prosecutor and now a senator, and getting involved in social causes and trying to make that social space more equitable and fairer would be something that would drive her story without question.
Kamala’s Sun is in the “natural house” for the Sun, the 5th House, as the Sun rules the 5th sign of Leo. This placement often indicates someone who carries some form of energy that naturally displays leadership; she inspires others with her principled nature. Moreover, with her Sun in the natural house of Leo, she will shine like the Sun, and when she smiles it will light up the room with warmth and goodness.
When we look to see how her Sun is connected to the rest of the chart, the first thing to note is that Kamala was born a Full Moon. I like to say that a person born at a Full Moon is born with no excuses, because they implicitly understand cause and effect, the law of action and reaction. But it also indicates that Kamala was brought into the world so that when she looked at her mother, and then she looked at father, she said to herself, “wow these people are different”. It set Kamala on her path, to try and figure out how to reconcile the differences I sense within me, and then between myself and other people. This awareness drives her story throughout her life, trying to find a way to bring together people and to bring together the opposites and achieve an integral synthesis.
Her Sun is also perfectly lined up with her Saturn in Aquarius. A Sun/Saturn trine person has a very deep understanding about how the world works, and equally a resolute sense of responsibility in the world in terms of their life. We typically find that people like this often find their life tends to shine once they hit their 50s and onward, as they show great adeptness and maturity and skill in working in structures and mastering them.
Her Sun is next to Mercury, what we call a conjunction, and that makes her a very sharp person in terms of her intelligence. And that strength of mind fits quite well again with her moon being in Aries since the moon in Aries rules the head and makes for a rather quick mind.
An Aries Moon person leans into life, they are very enthusiastic, sometimes a little too enthusiastic, sometimes a little too competitive, and that eagerness or overreaching can sometimes bring them trouble. Whenever a Moon in Aries person is frustrated or having some difficulty, I always tell them that the answer or remedy is for them to get moving, to just get very physical and use up that energy in some form of physical exertion. Rather than peaceful and still meditations in order to be centered, people like this should run, dance or move vigorously and that will restore their peace of mind.
The Aries Moon in Kamala’s chart is in the Eleventh House of social ideals, of her social consciousness and conscience. This means that Kamala’s communities, the groups, and associations that she belongs to and participates in are so meaningful to her. These communities and causes bring her nurturing and comfort as she equally tries to bring leadership and nurturing to them.
Moreover, the Moon in her chart is opposite to her Mercury and that means she initially had to struggle to integrate what she was feeling and what she was thinking and speaking about. Having had to work on this, she probably has learned to master the art of weaving together her intellect and her feelings, to hold them together so that her words and ideas can carry that much further into the mind and hearts of others. But she may still get stuck or stumble between what she is thinking and what she is feeling sometimes, and when unable to overcome that divide, she might be misunderstood.
Kamala is fortunate to have her Moon trine her Mars, (and that Mars in her chart is important and we will come back to that). Mars is her rising planet, it is the lead planet of her chart, and anybody with the Moon trining Mars is someone who is a “Can Do person”, not a “Cannot Do person”; the word no or cannot is just not part of their DNA. Once they set their sights upon a task or mission that is it, they are fully energized once they feel strongly about something, so that they are on it completely and nothing will dissuade them.
Kamala approaches the world like a Gemini because she has Gemini Rising. This makes her curious and restless, and sometimes provocative or contrary. She can see more than one side to an issue, and she relies upon her intelligence and adaptability to solve problems and not get stuck.
The Midheaven of a chart shows the destiny or path in life, and for Kamala she has the sign of Pisces on top of her chart. This means that she feels that her life and her life work must have something to do with a mission or greater purpose, that it is not about herself but about the calling to some task that requires sacrifice and dedication.
Kamala’s rising planet of Mars is in the sign of Leo. I have mentioned many times that Mars in Leo is one of the significators found in more US President’s charts than any other. Kamala’s Mars in Leo is in a prominent position, and it gives her a Leo quality of being a fighter for honor and for integrity. Mars rising people embody a warrior spirit, it can make them strong, but they need to be careful in how they wield this power. For Kamala, Mars is placed in her Third House of the Mind and Intelligence, and indicates a very sharp and quick mind, and often a very sharp tongue. It is great asset for a debater, it is the perfect asset for a lawyer because that is where this energy can find a meaningful application.
But she has to learn to be careful to not overdo or overwhelm her opponent (or audience), and that if she comes across as too strong or to seem to be full of herself in terms of what she knows or how she wields that power of her mind it could reveal a lack of social grace. Her very intelligence and assertive nature could be turned against her.
As much as Mars is so important as her rising planet, the culminating planet in anyone’s chart is also significant, revealing much about their soul and their destiny. For Kamala, it is the planet Saturn in Aquarius. Saturn rules structure, reality, institutions, and the law. Moreover, it is in the Ninth House which rules higher understanding, the realm of Truth, Science, Philosophy, and the Law as well. This placement shows that Kamala has a great ability in this lifetime to be masterful in realms of religion and philosophy and science and law. As we all know, she was a lawyer and a prosecutor, and given Saturn in the Ninth house the path of her professional life makes sense.
Jupiter is the planet that informs and guides our beliefs and our truths, of what we find meaningful to us, and forms our inspirations and motivations. Kamala has her Jupiter in the sign of Taurus, and it is in her Twelfth House. With Jupiter in her 12th House, she can draw upon a well of spiritual confidence and understanding from within herself; for Kamala, her faith is centered, deep and abiding. With her Jupiter in Taurus, she makes her way by a very persistent search for the truth. Moreover, Kamala has a firm belief that there are teachings and values that are eternal, and this supports her optimism and faith in humanity. Because of this sense of lasting value, she has a very steady kind of spiritual understanding, she lives a faith informed by truth.
With her Saturn in the 9th house, Kamala would have started with a certain cultural/spiritual system of belief, but then by her own need and through circumstances, she would have been exposed to and explored other cultures, beliefs and paths to Truth. Her Saturn “test in life” is in fact the test of truth, and those with this test eventually arrive at a place of a more encompassing understanding of Wisdom tethered to Humility. Then people like Kamala can help other people understand what is true and how to understand the way to truth because that has been and remains Kamala’s journey.
The planet Venus in a chart will show what you value, what you love, and how you love. For Kamala Venus is especially important because she is a Libra, a sign ruled by Venus. For Kamala, Venus is in the sign of Virgo, so even though Kamala is a Libra she really wants to be a Virgo. Kamala wants to be more at peace, to have a more complete understanding of value, beauty, and love by taking an analytical approach to beauty and to relationship. It can make someone somewhat of a perfectionist, but it also makes her more attentive to the need for relationships and partnerships to be formed with right structuring so that they are harmonious and balanced. Venus is a strong indicator for Kamala, since it is the planet that is rising before her Sun. With Venus in this position and Sign, she is led through life by Venus; she seeks to understand and heal the patterns and conditions of relationships between partners and groups of people.
Mercury is the planet that rules the mind and our means of communication, and for Kamala it is in the sign of Scorpio. So even though Kamala is a Libra, she thinks like a Scorpio which means with a great insight that always seeks to go deeper, to remove the veil covering things that are hidden. She will not accept things at face value but will dive deeper to find the truth. Kamala’s mind is focused, determined and authoritative since her Mercury lines up with her Saturn, (just like her Sun). She goes deeper than most and goes to the heart of the matter, so that when she delivers that message, she is compelling and persuasive.
KAMALA/BIDEN:
How do Joe and Kamala’s charts line up with one another? The most striking difference between their charts is the Fixed and Watery nature of Biden as compared to the Cardinal/Fixed and Fiery/Earthy nature of Harris. Joe will appreciate Kamala’s drive and idealism, but he will certainly come across as the more sensitive and emotional person in their partnership. After all, he has the Moon as his Rising Planet, so Joe is an emotional and sensitive type, he will be the healer or “Empathizer in Chief”. Kamala has Mars rising, she will be the one who is ready for battle, she will be the “Warrior Woman”.
One of the most significant links between two charts is when one person’s Moon aligns with the other person’s Moon, and Kamala’s Moon and Joe’s Moon are conjunct, and that creates a bond of empathy and understanding between them. Then Kamala’s Sun (which is opposite to her Moon), is also opposite Joe’s Moon. Here is when we say, “opposites attract”. Each will feel that the other person is different but in a stimulating way; in some sense, each will feel that the other balances or completes them in some manner. For Kamala, she will have to come to understand Joe’s emotional nature (which is quite different from hers, he with the Moon in Taurus, and her with the Moon in Aries), and Joe will have to accept and enjoy Kamala’s strong personality, especially with her Sun in her Fifth House.
Astrologer’s will always look to see if there are Saturn connections between two charts, and that is here. Joe’s Sun Squares Kamala’s Saturn. I always say to my clients who have this in their partnership, that this forms the feeling of “Déjà vu”, so that the two people will feel that this relationship is familiar, like they are meeting one another “once again”, and their relationship seems to have a feeling of karma and destiny about it. It will tend to hold people together, to be deeply committed to one another.
Biden’s Mercury squares Harris’s Mars, and this will create a frisson of energy, but also the potential for friction between them. Basically, Joe will usually want to talk more about some matter or issue, whereas Kamala will wish to take action more quickly. Each will moderate the other when it works; Joe bringing more deliberation into an issue before moving on it, and at times Kamala getting Joe to act sooner than he might have without her.
Jupiter is especially important in a relationship, especially for Biden who has Sagittarius Rising. Joe’s Jupiter squares Kamala’s Moon. This may seem challenging at times, but Jupiter being the greater benefic will often lead to a rewarding experience. Joe’s Jupiter will help Kamala to expand her outlook and broaden her understanding of the world. The key to this working will be do they fundamentally share the same spiritual/cultural beliefs? And for that we need to examine the aspect between Joe’s Jupiter and Kamala’s.
Joe has his Jupiter in Cancer and Kamala has her Jupiter in Taurus, and they form a strong and positive sextile. That means their understanding about the nature of truth and faith are similar and aligned. They will form a partnership that can inspire and bring out the best in one another and give hope and inspiration to others as well.
