Trump, the Singapore Summit, and Capella

The public event had plain symbolism for astrologers and non-astrologers alike

The United States and North Korea have long been at odds, and the last few years saw tensions escalate. To some extent, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Eun even got in a name calling tat, until both sides agreed to meet face-to-face at a summit that was held in Singapore in June. The Singapore summit led to warmer relations between the US and North Korea and the two sides reportedly signed a joint statement agreeing to security guarantees, new peaceful relations, the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, recovery of the soldiers remains, and follow- up negotiations between officials. “There is no longer a threat from North Korea,” Trump tweeted June 11. Reactions to the summit were mixed, with critics saying that North Korea had a history of breaking agreements and the statement was non-binding. Though the media covered most angles of the 2018 Singapore Summit, one aspect of the meeting was largely missed by the mainstream media. The fixed star Capella figured prominently in events as much as Trump or Kim Jong Eun. The sixth brightest star in the night sky, Capella had synchronistic appearances at the summit. It is important in Trump’s natal chart, was directly conjoined with the sun at the time of the summit, and even had a connection to the summit’s location. The symbolism of Capella, the result of countless people’s careful study and observation, is an important interpretive tool for understanding the dialogue between the US and the North Koreans. The summit’s issues link to the star’s meanings, as well as the Trump presidency.

There are a few interesting facts regarding the star, which is one of the more prominent ones in the sky. Capella is located in the northern celestial hemisphere at 21’51° Gemini. It is a quadruple star system with two binary stars. The name means “little goat” in Latin. It belongs to the constellation Auriga, which is Latin for “the charioteer.” It appears to be a white-yellowish color. It is not visible south of 44° South. Nearby stars are Epsilon Aurigae, Zeta Auriga, and Eta Aurigae, and the four stars together form an asterism. The star Capella for all its brightness and visibility is used in an interpretive sense in astrology, and it has a role in allowing astrologers to understand the current US president.

The star Capella has various meanings and symbolism. Ancient people assigned meanings and symbols to the stars, and astrologers added their own observations. In Bernadette Brady’s Book of Fixed Stars, Capella is “nurturing but free- spirited.” She suggests that speed, flight, and freedom—particularly freedom and independence in a non-aggressive way—are related to the star. Brady also says that Capella embodies action and movement. Vivian Robson’s The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology mentions that Capella gives eminence, honors, wealth, renowned public position, eminent friends, and an interest in learning new things. In The Fixed Stars and their Interpretation Reinhold Ebertin associates Capella with the thirst for knowledge, curiosity, and eccentricity. Another association for Capella is military and political success and honors. So, there are many views on what the high magnitude star represents.

As part of the constellation Auriga, Capella shares in some of the traits associated with the Charioteer constellation. It represents the harnesser of the horse but it had other additional symbols attached to it. In ancient Mesopotamia, it was associated with goats. The Greeks were the ones to link the constellation to the charioteer In the Christian period, it was associated with the shepherd. Imagery surrounding the constellation was a shepherd’s crook, a charioteer carrying a nursing goat in the left arm, and a she-goat suckling two kids. Brady goes further, and looking at the available evidence suggests that the object the charioteer carries is “a symbol of a nurturing, feminine breast.” Along with the obvious links to horses and femininity, the charioteer symbolizes the domestication of wild animals for human purposes. The charioteer is a nurturer, and is good at providing for the horses or animals that it harnesses so that they in turn will pull the chariot. The goal is to move forward in the chariot, but that can’t be achieved without the nurturing element. While the lore surrounding Auriga is complex and has many images, the Charioteer constellation has prominent themes of nurturing, achieving goals, harnessing of animals, and taming wild forces.

The fixed star Capella has significance for Trump from the perspective of Western Horoscopic Astrology. Trump’s natal chart has Capella in the eleventh house conjunct the sun and Uranus. A natal chart is a diagram of the positions of the planets from the perspective of a place on earth at a given time. Trump was born June 14, 1946 at 10:54 AM in New York. Capella’s position was 21’ 51° Gemini in the tropical zodiac around the year 2000. The position of the stars on the ecliptic moves forward a degree every 72 years due to the precession of the equinoxes. Trump was born in 1946 with the sun at 22’ 45°. In traditional and modern astrology, a fixed star has greater significance and effect when it is within two to three degrees of a planet. To an astrologer, Capella conjunct the sun is an important indicator that Trump’s natal sun has the power and characteristics of Capella behind it, in addition to the usual considerations. The planet Uranus is also close to Capella at 17’ 53° Gemini. However, it was more than four degrees away from Capella in 1946, and since it is more than two to three degrees distant, the star’s effects on Uranus are negligible. Either way, the sun is closely connected to Capella in the chart, and it has significance for additional reasons. The sun is an important planet in Trump’s chart. It is the sect light, or the sect in favor. It means he was born at day and the source of light was the sun, so it has more significance than the other source of light, the moon. Second, it is the lord of the ascendant. Trump is Leo rising. That means that the zodiacal constellation Leo was on the eastern horizon in the tropical zodiac when he was born. The sun rules the sign Leo. Both the ascendant lord and the sect light are important aspects of any natal chart. One authority on fixed stars writes about the sun and Capella together in a way that evokes Trump. Robson writes that having Capella with the sun, natives are “vacillating, changeable, too loquacious, quick speech, misunderstood and criticized, martial honor and wealth.” Some of these descriptions fit the media’s portrayal of Trump. He is changeable and vacillating on a great many issues. Trump’s view of the media also fits Robson’s description, namely that he is misunderstood and criticized by the mainstream media, and by more than half the American electorate. Finally, Capella is a 0.1 magnitude star and one of the famous Behenian stars. The brighter the star, the greater the power and effect, and all of the Behenian stars are treated seriously in astrology. Capella is one of the more powerful stars in the night sky and is important in interpreting Trump’s natal chart.

Capella made three appearances at the Singapore summit. The first was the natal chart of Donald Trump, as already noted. Trump was born with the sun very close to Capella. Trump’s chart is more significant than that of his advisers, the secret service, or other US government officials. The natal chart of a leader has more eminence and in a way represents that of the collective during a presidency or a king’s reign. Most astrologers would see the golden fixed star as an important aspect to understanding Trump’s life and to understanding the US during the period of his presidency. The second big appearance was the timing of the summit, which was held June 12, 2018. The sun was at 20’ 47° Gemini, within one degree of Capella. This might not be a big deal to most people. After all, the sun was within two to three degrees of Capella from June 11-16^th in 2018. However, the sun is one of the more important planets in Trump’s natal chart and Capella the second most important fixed star. That’s significant to an astrologer. Trump’s chart has two prominent fixed stars in conjunction with planets or key points. He has the fixed star Regulus at the degree of the ascendant when he was born. If the time is correct, the ascendant on Regulus at 29° Leo is arguably the most important fixed star in Trump’s chart. Capella is the second most important fixed star. That’s because it is the ruling planet of the rising sign and the sect light, as mentioned earlier. The third big appearance was the name of the summit’s site, which was the Capella Hotel. It’s a pretty big coincidence that the first summit between North Korea and the United States occurred at a hotel named after the star. The hotel is called Capella Hotel Singapore, and is one of the hotels managed by the Capella Hotel Group. On the hotel group’s about page, it reads: “Amidst the northern skies stellar clusters, Capella is the brightest star of the Auriga constellation. This powerful light is the impetus behind the Capella Hotel Group: a formation of the finest hotels and resorts in the world.” Taken together, Capella can be linked to the Singapore summit.

Interpreting the summit with Capella and Auriga’s lore is tricky. One can look at it from the context of Trump’s personal life. It’s easy to see the summit as just one example of Trump’s high points and personal successes, even if it won’t achieve any sort of lasting denuclearization. It fits the “honors” that some authorities associate with the star. Though it has yet to materialize as a complete success, Trump benefited politically. Polls showed that the majority of the American public supported the summit. Trump indeed has said the North Korea talks were one of the achievements of his presidency, along with defeating Islamic State and the strong economy. The summit can thus be seen, at the very least, as one of Trump’s victories and successes. Trump can also be connected to the “military victories” aspect of the star, though he didn’t actually win a war against North Korea. The American government’s actions in its sanctions campaign and Trump’s public rhetoric were everything short of war. If denuclearization occurs, then the campaign to halt the North Korean nuclear program succeeded. It would mean the objective was achieved. Since the threat of military action as well as Trump’s rhetoric may have convinced the North Koreans to come to the negotiating table, the summit could be interpreted as a type of military success. On a further note, an actual war between the US and North Korea could involve China and Russia and the victor would be left with a world in ruins. Talks could be the only substitute for real military victory and honors in this situation. Moving beyond Capella, the great charioteer constellation Auriga also links to Trump’s life. The charioteer is able to nourish and take care of those around him or her so they do what he or she wants. The charioteer supports the animals that in turn pull the chariot forward. From this angle, Trump showcases how he obtains peace and denuclearization by providing the North Koreans with security guarantees and financial incentives. As an embodiment of Auriga, he is taking care of and providing for the North Korean side as long as they cooperate and do what they promise. Using the lore of both Auriga and Capella, there are interpretations that fit Trump’s life and his role at the summit.

Astrology has many tools to explore Trump’s personal life, politics, and the Singapore summit that won’t be used in this article. Mundane astrologers looking at the event can use ingresses, or natal astrologers looking at Trump’s life will use certain techniques like solar returns, annual profections, secondary progressions, primary directions, or zodiacal releasing to dig and find further recurring themes and patterns. Astrology is symbolic and archetypal. Patterns that are reflected in the stars are linked to events on earth. Sometimes the symbolism manifests literally, such as it did with the second big coincidence, the fact that the site of the summit was named after the star. This phenomenon is largely symbolic. Without going into either mundane or natal astrology, let’s explore Capella and Auriga’s mythological associations and how they fit the event. The symbolism alone is rich enough to explore and tie into the summit and its greater context. Also, it should be noted that the associations and mythologies surrounding stars have no precise system of interpretation. Some astrologers have seen patterns with planets and star combinations. It’s up to the astrologer to apply the symbolism to events as one sees fit.

The themes that astrologers assign to Capella can be linked thematically to the summit. First is the “action and movement” that Brady suggests. The relationship between the US and North Korea has been frozen in time. There has been little change or progress. However, recent events including the Singapore summit hint at action, with the development of normalized relations, embassies, and cooperation between the two sides. After decades of stalemate, there is movement and action.

Also, Brady mentions that those connected with Capella will have a dedication to “freedom and independence in a non-aggressive way.” That is the overall goal of the summit. The North Koreans seek freedom and independence, and claim the nuclear arsenal they have been building is solely for their protection against an imperialist United States. Washington, on the other hand, has a for more complex foreign policy reality to cope with in a world where North Korea has nuclear ICBM’s. At the very least, it constrains the US establishment on a whole range of issues. The American government seeks to maintain the status quo, rather than see mass nuclear proliferation and states that are deemed bad actors pose existential threats. Both sides are behaving out of self-interest, and refuse to see their own side as an aggressor in the circumstances.

Finally, Brady says that Capella gives “a love of freedom versus the desire for domestication.” In other words, the star represents two divergent needs, the need for freedom and the cold reality and practicality of domestication. The dilemma is how much freedom to give up in the interest of greater prosperity for the sake of nurturing dependents. That may be the most apparent theme to all observers of the summit. The North Koreans developed nuclear weapons for the existence of their regime. They seek to achieve freedom from sanctions and the military threat posed by the American military. The North Korean side wants freedom, but the US side is grounded in curtailing the independence of the regime and having it follow international norms. For the American side, future freedom and survival is at stake, as a rogue state with a nuclear arsenal poses new threats that change the entire calculus of military balance. Both sides have similar issues at stake, ones concerning current and future freedom of action. However, overall the North Korean side represents freedom while the US side represents domestication. The US plays the role of the charioteer to the wild North Korean horse. The Americans envision the North Koreans taking steps to get rid of their nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and the end of sanctions, as well as potential access to the global economy. Trump has even offered economic aid and predicted many economic benefits if the wild horse-like North Korean side gives up their nuclear push. The US government had an advertising agency make a video that highlighted how opening the North Korean economy up to the outside world would make its beaches holiday destinations. The Trump administration has stuck to the talking points, and they fit the role of the charioteer well. The next few years will tell whether the North Koreans choose domestication and by extension prosperity or instead rather opt to go it alone, inviting danger, isolation, and potential war. The summit fits the themes of freedom and its antagonistic relationship with domestication.

Though the media covered most angles of the Singapore summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Eun back in June, there were a few major astrological coincidences they missed. Two countries that fought a war sixty years ago had their first summit at the Capella Hotel, which just so happened to take place when the sun was a degree away from the fixed star Capella. One of the leaders of the countries, Donald Trump, was born with the sun within two degrees of Capella. These two coincidences in the context of the American president’s natal chart are more striking than those astrologers usually find. The Singapore summit had a literal manifestation of astrological themes. As for predictions regarding what will happen between the US and North Korea, all the tools of modern or traditional mundane astrology would have to be used to get a clearer picture. The symbolism doesn’t suggest that the ultimate outcome of the Singapore summit is successful denuclearization, increased engagement, and peace. More it highlights how the summit was one of Trump’s personal successes as well as the struggle between the two sides in pursuit of freedom, in opposition to the need to reign in wild and free behavior. The symbolism hints that responsibility and following international norms on the one hand, and the freedom to act on the other, are at play between the two states.

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

1. Hamedy, Saba and Tseng, Joyce. “All the times President Trump has insulted North Korea.” CNN. Web. March. 9. 2018.
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4. Brady, Bernadette.”Brady’s Book of Fixed Stars.” Red Wheel. 1999. pg 89- 93.
5. Partridge, Jamie.“Capella Star- Little She-Goat.” Astrology King. Web. November. 18. 2015.
6. Robson, Vivian. “The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology.” American Federation of Astrologers. August. 2. 2017.
7. Ebertin, Reinhold and Hoffman, Georg. “Fixed Stars and their Interpretation.” Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers. 1971.
8. Harper, Jennifer. “Still hostile: News coverage of President Trump is 92 percent negative, study finds.” The Washington Times. Web. 10 October. 2018.
9. “About- Brand Story.” Capella Hotels. Web. February. 2019.

 

Photo Credits

1. Featured image: A selection of trophies in a trophy room. Photo by Michael Trolove.