There’s a lot of talk about the upcoming Great American Eclipse. It will be visible in America for all to see and its shadow will travel across the width of our country. In addition to this the eclipse will be taking place at 28 degrees Leo conjunct the Fixed Star Regulus. Regulus is the King Maker – and in some instances the King Breaker – of Astrology. When positively aspected it lifts the person up in rank. It bestows nobility and honor. When negatively aspected – like during a solar eclipse – it can throw that person down from the highest heights. Or at least that’s what Ptolemy believed when he said that “eclipses in Leo portend death or misfortune for royalty, nobility, and ‘persons of quality . . . ”
Astrologers are abuzz about President Trump having Mars rising at 26 degrees Leo conjunct the eclipse degree. Moreover Trump has 29 degrees rising in Leo thereby making his horoscope even more susceptible to the nefarious cosmic energies at play. But it might be interesting to go back and see what happened last time we had a solar eclipse at 28 degrees Leo. True, it wasn’t visible in the United States which means that it lost some of its impact, but it did wreak havoc nonetheless.
The last time we had a solar eclipse at 28 degrees Leo was August 21, 1998. President Clinton was in office and he had celebrated his birthday just two days before.
On August 20th, President Clinton ordered a military strike on targets in Sudan and Afghanistan. This was in response to attacks on two American embassies in Africa that left 224 dead and over 4,500 injured. The attacks were orchestrated by a terrorist by the name of Osama bin Laden and rather than risk another hit from this sworn enemy of the United States, Clinton struck aggressively. One target was a pharmaceutical plant in the Sudan suspected of developing chemical weapons and the second were training camps in Afghanistan run by bin Laden.
It was hailed by the military as proactive and assertive, yet it received a skeptical reaction from the public. The reason was Monica Lewinsky. The Monica Lewinsky sex scandal had dominated the headlines for months and on Aug. 17 Clinton became the first president in the history of the United States to testify before a Grand Jury. He was accused of having denied under oath his affair with the 22 year old intern and that was why he was called before the Grand Jury. Afterwards he appeared on television and admitted to having had “an inappropriate relationship” with Lewinsky and misleading his wife and the American people.
The American people saw Clinton’s bombing of these terrorist targets as a weak attempt to divert attention away from the sex scandal and to appear “presidential”. The public wasn’t buying it. Four months later Clinton was impeached on two charges: perjury and for obstruction of justice. Interestingly enough Clinton was acquitted of these charges by the Senate on February 12, 1999 – four days before the solar eclipse at 27 degrees Aquarius. Aquarius is the sign that is opposite Leo on the zodiacal wheel. Meanwhile Osama bin Laden faded into the background.
It’s interesting to note that once again we have a President who is facing accusations of scandal and who is also perceived by the public as looking for ways to divert attention away from the unfolding investigation. One wonders what new cause célèbre he will roll out (transgenders in the military? Anti-white bias in the colleges?) or will it be something serious like North Korea? Planetary transits, like history, often repeat themselves but in surprising and ironic ways. It’s the astrologers’ job to try to decipher the writing on the wall but it isn’t always easy to read. Clinton survived his impeachment and finished his term in office. Will Trump – faced with what could prove to be similar challenges – do the same?
