The American election has been and gone.

At time of writing this, Joe Biden is President Elect with a five million votes lead over current President Trump, and with a substantial Electoral College seat margin and legal challenges aside, Trump can’t catch him.

Currently Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are receiving all of the credit for the victory. Much like in 2016, when initially Donald Trump received all of the credit for the victory. Later however, as the victory laps subsided, we started hearing about some of the clever marketing from some of the marketing geniuses.

People such as Brad Parscale, Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Jared Kushner and so on, started to receive acknowledgement for the unexpected, upset victory.

I imagine over time, the accolades for people behind the Biden victory will also be promoted and that point we will start to learn about what took place in the planning and implementation stages which led to the victory.

But until that occurs, an event like a US election is such an important event, that it is beholden upon any professional in marketing, sales and entrepreneurship to dedicate some deep thought as to what occurred and how this may be utilised or avoided in our own situations. In fact, I believe the US election is the biggest game on earth and if you are serious about building a business then this is the game to analyse and critique.

Now if you had to beat Donald Trump, how would you go about doing it?

Even more so, if you had to beat Donald Trump during a pandemic, in which Donald Trump obviously mismanaged, how would you go about getting a victory?

In my analysis, I believe that the most obvious strategy, the thing to do was actually quite simple. It need not involve a lot of marketing magic and or trickery. It is not anything revolutionary nor a master strategy. I actually think it was fairly obvious, and the Biden camp nailed it with “spades”

They chose to run against Trump on one thing and one thing alone, and that was character.

Sometimes in marketing, the simplest things are often the most effective.

It reminds me of the scene in the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie, when Harrison Ford meets up face to face with this knife wielding bad guy. The bad guy is putting on a performance, whipping the knife around swishing it, twirling it and Harrison Ford reaches down, grabs his gun and goes bang, shoots him dead. The obvious thing to do. It doesn’t matter how good you are with your knife; you are not beating a gun if the guy knows how to use it and he’s within close proximity.

I think it was similar with the Biden campaign strategy. Biden went obvious, Biden went simple, and Biden stayed focused on character. Whilst Trump, seemed a bit everywhere. No doubt Trump expended enormous energy and that probably got him the 70 odd million votes. By and large, Trump’s campaign seemed to be focusing a lot more on the magic tricks. Brad Parscale was back doing his Facebook stuff. Bannon was targeting right wingers in the media. Trump himself was reaching for his playbook move, which he has used so effectively just about his entire adult life, which is to start abusing people and picking fights. Prior to Hillary it was Rosie O’Donnell and that got him heaps of free publicity and a platform. This time it was anybody he could besmirch, even the legendary Dr Anthony Fauci.

Along with this Trump strategically defiled convention by using the podium in the White House to straight up electioneering. Trump labelled China the enemy, Antifa the enemy, the Democrats the enemy. Trump had innocent people pushed aside for a photo opportunity with a Bible. And of course, there was the alleged attempt to obtain a dirt file from the Ukrainian president on his opponent. Then there were the nicknames. Shifty Schiff, Nasty Nancy and Sleepy Joe, and on and on it went. But all of this simply played into the Biden campaign of character over everything.

Trump’s most effective tool was his rally’s. Rallies are a demonstration of power. Demonstrating a strong following and giving him a platform to beat up on the media, and the other enemies, in particular “Sleepy Joe”.

Hats off to Trump he is great at delivering rallies and one could sense the momentum building as he chalked up rally after rally after rally often 3 a day criss-crossing the country.

Meanwhile, Biden simply focused on character.

To demonstrate this, he listened to folks. He was guided and guarded that there “is a virus out there”, I can’t be seen running all over America, organising big virus spreading events. Maybe truth be known he didn’t do these because he knew his events wouldn’t look anything like Trump’s events.

Biden stuck to all things character. All the while using the threat of the virus and mobilizing people to vote by mail as it would be a “lot safer”. Joe Biden identified that because it was dangerous out there, he would do the character thing and stay as much as possible in his bunker and exhibit ultra-social distancing. He wore masks, he provided safe messaging and he did not miss a chance to outline how poorly it was being handled by his opponent. Biden symbolised a person of integrity, a person of character, and as a consequence I am the person to vote for, safely and by mail.

He also demonstrated his character in his interactions. He offered help and a platform the child with the stutter, he comforted children who had lost a parent, he comforted the mother whose son was fighting in Iraq, and so on and so forth. I am not saying any of this was false, but he was choosing to amplify these messages, as you do in marketing, all aimed to amplify the trait of character – the perceived weakness of his opponent.

Biden’s appointment of Kamala Harris was another demonstration of his character. The fact that he could turn the other cheek to someone who actually mauled him during the primaries, the fact that he had the vision to bring a woman into the White House, the first ever. The fact he had the vision to have it be a woman of colour, to be the first woman of colour in a position in the White House as vice president. more indications of character.

During all of this, Trump simply continued to rally. Even though he does these unbelievably well, by and large rallies were more a thing for 2016 and not a COVID plagued 2020.

At his rallies Trump was imploring people to give up your midweek Election Day to stand at a polling booth for four to five hours, and to subject yourself to the risk of getting coronavirus. That folk’s is a tough sell. On the other hand, Biden went, “no, don’t do that to yourselves”, and what is more “you may even get bullied by Trump people”. So, don’t do it, mail in your vote instead.

And the people did, and they voted early as we now know.

Having garnered 70 odd million votes, Trump still generated a solid following and in fact this is why he feels defeat so incredulously, because he knew his rallies were magnificent. And he would have left every one of those rallies thinking, man, I’ve got this thing in the bag.

So, a US election can be just like a business, often in business, the solution can be obvious. There is never a need to make things overly difficult.

I have been guilty of this myself, plenty of times in fact.

I have tried to prove to clients that I know my stuff, and in doing so created overly elaborate and difficult sales funnels and the like. Sometimes there is a place for these, but more times than not when I’ve been introduced to a company, business or a situation where they have a marketing issue, generally the answer involves slowing down, taking stock of what’s going on, and finding one, two, or maybe three things that are somewhat out of kilter. This approach often fixes the problem outright.

No need to make it too hard. It can be a lot easier than you think.

Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, Comrade Debo Adediran, on Friday in Lagos, took the ruling All Progressives Party, APC, the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to the cleaners, over the judgment delivered by the supreme court on the governorship election in Bayelsa state.

Recall that The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Douye Diri, as the winner of the Bayelsa governorship election.

The Bayelsa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed shock over Supreme Court ruling nullifying the election of its candidate, David Lyon as the Governor-elect for the state.

The Supreme Court today ruled that Lyon’s deputy Ereminyor submitted forged documents which disqualified the joint ticket and nomination and urged INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to them and reissue same to the next party with the require constitutional spread.

Doifie Buokoribo, the state APC Publicity Secretary, said the party was shocked at the development. “It is a shocking one but one thing that is clear is that the Dickson’s administration must leave tomorrow, there is no room for elongation of tenure not even for one minute.

“It is clear that only APC met the required spread as we won convincingly in five out of the eight Local Government Areas (LGAs), so without that spread I do not see how PDP can make it, certainly the Speaker of the state House of Assembly would be sworn in as Acting Governor.

“Those of them celebrating in the PDP camp are doing so in ignorance,” Buokoribo said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before news of the judgement filtered into town, APC faithful were in high spirit preparing for the governor-elect inauguration on Friday.

But, chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, told journalists in Abuja that by the virtue of the Supreme Court’s judgment which disqualified APC candidates from the election, the total number of vote cast now stands at 146,999 and the candidate of the PDP scored 143,172 with geographical spread.

However, speaking with our correspondent on the outcome of the judgment, Debo stated that the Supreme Court does not care whose ox is gored, since APC violated the INEC rules and regulations on the fielding of aspirant.

The CACOL boss described APC as the victim of its arrogant for failing to set-up a screening committee to carry out due diligence check on the governorship aspirant in Bayelsa state before wasting financial and other resources to sponsor the election, was declared in favour of the PDP aspirant by the apex court.

He also took on the election regulatory body for failing to cross-check and be sure that the personal details, like names, qualifications and other information supplied by the APC governorship aspirant were correct, before allowing him to contest the election.

The CACOL boss wondered why Mrs Mary Peter-Odili, wife of the former governor of Rivers state was made the head of the 5-man justices that delivered the judgment.

His words: “Mrs Peter Odili is alleged to be sympathetic the PDP and should have been allowed to head the team, though the team of justices delivered a sound judgment, without minding whose ox is gored”.

On his part, Comrade Bakare Kenny, chairman, Lagos state chapter of Civil Liberties Organization, CLO said the political issue in Bayelsa state is a critical one, where politicians in Nigeria play politics like games,

He stated that once the supreme court delivered judgment in favour of the PDP governorship aspirant, the law must be followed and the man sworn in, in order to avoid anarchy.

I’m writing this article on Tuesday August 2nd, after visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and dropping by to see my friend Melva Ortiz. The outing was a perfect way of welcoming the New Moon in Leo.

We fell into talking about the upcoming election and The Donald’s chart. (June 14, 1946 at 10:54 am EDT, Queens NY) I immediately noticed that he is getting hit by both yesterday’s new Moon (August 1st) and the Lunar Eclipse. As the New Moon falls smack on his Neptune/Apollon midpoint, it will begin to become apparent that he is not presidential material. The lunar eclipse will be exactly at the midpoint of his MC and his Mars, and transiting Uranus has just stationed retrograde square. His Venus/Saturn and the Saturn station direct which begins on the 9th of August will semi-square the Uranus, and his and his Venus/Saturn.

All of a sudden it hit me; the question is not will Hillary or Donald win the election, but will the Donald still be in the race when we finally get to the election.

Right now, transiting Neptune is sitting at the midpoint of his natal and progressed Sun, and transiting Pluto is 22 ½ degrees from his natal Sun. Furthermore, his progressed Moon at this time is midpoint transiting Neptune and his progressed Sun. His instability is becoming apparent to everyone. The combination of Pluto and Neptune aspecting both his natal and progressed Sun’s indicates a loss of power.

Let me be the first to bring this to your attention.

When I checked the planetary pictures being created in his chart at the time of the election, I knew he would not be elected. Beginning with his progressed Moon (emotions) conjunction his Saturn, and as transiting Saturn (restriction) will be at the midpoint of his natal and progressed Sun. Next, he will have transiting Neptune (dissolving) sitting on his Sun/Mars (will power) and semi-squaring his Saturn (restriction) and hitting his Jupiter (expansion) by half solar arc. This confirms for me he will not be our next president.

Now, after looking at the transits hitting his chart at this time, I do not think he will be on the ballot at the time of the election.

I almost forgot to mention the Mercury retrograde period (miscommunication) coming at the end of August, and since he is a Gemini it is important.

Mercury will go retrograde on August 30th at 29 Virgo, a single degree off the cardinal axis midpoint his Neptune and his Sun/Moon, along with his Jupiter and the transiting Neptune/Saturn, as transiting Pluto semi-squares his progressed Sun.. If he is still in the race at that time the Mercury retrograde a lot will come to light about his love /marriage life. Mercury (communication) will then go direct September 21st at the midpoint of his progressed Sun and the cardinal axis and transiting Saturn will set that off beginning November 4th.

Democracy is a popular form of Government. It is practised successfully in many countries of the world. In this form of Government, people elect their own rulers. In a democratic country, there are many political parties. They take part in election. The party which wins by the majority of vote is declared successful. It is called to form the Government. The rest of the parties are supposed to sit on the opposition benches. In the assembly, important issues are debated and discussed by both the ruling party as well as the opposition party. The decision on different problems of the country is taken after much deliberation.

Dictatorship is a system of Government in which one party or one person rules the country. The entire power rests with that party or the ruler. The party comes into power after election. However, unlike democracy, there is not any opposition party. All the votes are cast in favour of one party. In dictatorship no one can oppose the ruler. There are many restrictions on the freedom of people. An individual does not enjoy any type of freedom. The radio, the television, the newspapers and other mass media conceal facts. Their main business is to admire and praise the ruling party. In dictatorship an individual does not enjoy any respect. This form of Government is popular in communist countries as Russia, China and East Germany.

In democracy there is a full freedom of expressing public opinion. An individual enjoys full freedom to think, write and express his views. The press is completely free. The policies of the Government are debated and discussed freely in the newspapers as well as in the assembly hall. In democracy, a person enjoys respect and importance.

Democracy is linked withe justice. Every body has equal right in the eyes of law. The voters can chocse and remove their rulers according to their own will. This form of Government is popular and successful in America, Britain, India and Japan. Democracy has failed in underdeveloped countries. It has not worked successfully in many of the Asian countries. The reasons for its failure are the following.

Democracy is a difficult system of Government. Only the educated and sensible people can understand and run it. In our country and in many other Asian countries, most of people are uneducated and backward. They cannot understand the real spirit and structure of a democratic system of government. Most of the people in our country are poor. At the time of election, the voters are bribed and tempted to give their votes in favour of irresponsible and uneducated candidates. In this way, in democracy, the responsible and educated candidates do not return to Assembly.

In a democratic form of government, the candidates use unfair incans to win the election. The candidates of the rival party are kidnapped.The ballot boxes are broken and undue pressure is exercised on the officers who conduct the election. In this way, the elections open the gateway to corruption bribery and selfishness.

Democracy has many merits but it has many demerits also. It is known for its inefficiency and slowness. At the time of national emergencies, it fails to cope with the situation. The national issues of great importance are debated and discussed in the assembly. It takes a long time to arrive at any decision. In this way, many problems of utmost importance remain unsolved in the light of above discussion. We can say that democracy inspite of its defects is still a popular form of Government. It is better than dictatorship.

Anyone who pays attention to global issues knows that Brazil, the world’s largest country physically, and by population eighth largest, has been in a financial crisis for several years. Most Americans, however, do not understand what is at the heart of that crisis, or how recent developments, including the 2018 election of Jair Bolsonaro, have affected it.

In writing Brazil in Crisis: The Joy and Pathos of a Nation, Marianne Campagna set out to explore what has resulted in Brazil’s current crisis. Today, Campagna is a citizen of the United States, but she spent her formative years growing up in Brazil in the 1950s and 1960s. Not a Brazilian herself, she was born in China to a Chinese father and German mother and immigrated to Brazil as a child. She then immigrated to the United States as a young woman. However, for Campagna, Brazil will always be home. Growing up near Rio de Janeiro, she grew to love the customs, culture, and people of Brazil, and her heart has bled to see the increase in crime and corruption in this land that is also so full of joy, laughter, and rich cultural traditions.

Campagna’s primary focus in this book is to explain the 2018 presidential election in Brazil for readers outside the country so they can understand Brazil’s political process and all the factors that came into play to elect Jair Bolsonaro as Brazil’s president. To fully understand the election, Campagna argues that you must understand Brazil, and so she takes readers on a cultural journey through Brazil, its past and present.

As an American today, Campagna also explores how Brazil is similar and yet different from the United States. Jair Bolsonaro has been named the “Trump of the Tropics” because he admires Donald Trump and in many ways has similar policies. At the same time, the United States is a country that believes in rugged individualism while Brazil is a more collective society. Quoting Mother Teresa, Campagna talks about the loneliness in America where people often do not even know their neighbors, whereas in Brazil there is a true sense of community. The two countries also share a history of having been European colonies and having a legacy of slavery that continues to affect them. These and other comparisons help American readers understand the Brazilian experience better and judge for themselves the merits and shortcomings of this remarkable nation.

Campagna begins her discussion by documenting the burning of the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro in September 2018, just before the national elections. This tragedy resulted in many wonderful artifacts being lost. From there, Campagna launches into a discussion of numerous topics, devoting separate chapters to Brazilian Society, Brazilian Culture, Brazilian History, the Favelas (slums), Corruption, Crime, Fiscal Reality, and finally, the 2018 Presidential Election, and a look at Brazil’s future.

After reading Brazil in Crisis, I found myself eager to learn more about Brazil. I mourned for the poverty of the people who live in the slums, while I admired their ingenuity and ability to live without many of the things we take for granted in the United States. I could hear the Brazilian music and taste the Brazilian food and enjoyed traveling through the streets of Rio as well as through the Amazon. At the same time, I was grateful not to have lived under a military dictatorship or to experience crime and government corruption to the degree it exists in Brazil.

The description of Brazil’s political system was especially interesting. Campagna explains that while Brazil is technically a democracy, it is incomplete as such. Many detrimental forces plague the government and its political system, including corruption at the highest levels. In addition, it has forty-plus parties, so understandably, with each party wanting to pull the country in a different direction, it is difficult to have a consensus on what is best for the country. During elections, if no candidate receives the majority vote, the two parties with the most votes then run against each other in a second election to determine who will be elected. In this scenario, it is possible that a party that had less than 5 percent of the vote initially could be elected to power.

At the same time, Campagna is quick to point out the social class divide in Brazil. There is the upper class and then there is everyone else, who make up the true Brazilian people. These people are warm and friendly and proud of their cultural heritage. Campagna, like most Brazilians she meets who have emigrated elsewhere, misses most the people of Brazil, which is why she continually journeys back to the land of her childhood.

I could say much more about the beauty, magic, and sadness that mark Brazil, but it is best you read about it in Brazil in Crisis. Then take a trip there to experience Brazil for yourself. After reading this book, I think you will be eager to go, and you will realize in the end that we are all citizens of the world and the more we understand about each other, the more we will realize we have more in common with our Latin neighbors than we might think.

Both dependent care and medical flexible spending accounts are funded with pre-tax deductions from your paycheck. Both have a “use or lose” policy if the funds deducted are not used in the calendar year for which the election was made.

Typically, a person can only make the election to have these deductions taken at the time of their hiring or during the annual enrollment period every company offers for their employees to make changes to their health and welfare benefits. (There are other times as well during certain “life events” such as marriage or birth of a child when benefit elections can also be changed.)

Since the election to make these deductions are made for a full year, one must be very cautious about the amount chosen. If you don’t use the funds towards eligible expenses in the time period allowed, you cannot get the money back.

For those with young children or elder parents needing day care, the dependent care FSA can be useful. The maximum amount that can be set aside is pegged at $5,000 each year. With the costs of child care and adult day care being what they are, it is not likely that an employee will end up not using the full amount set aside so maxing out makes sense.

However, the dependent care program only allows a person to receive funds already in their FSA account, regardless of how much the person has already paid out in dependent care expenses. For example, if a person elects the $5,000 maximum to be withdrawn over the course of the year, after 3 months there is only $1,250 in the account. Even though the person has already paid more than that to the child care provider, they can only receive the balance.

With the medical flexible spending account, however, a person can be reimbursed at any time during the year up to the annual amount elected to have withdrawn. Thus, the person can receive funds from the FSA prior to the funds actually having been withdrawn from their paycheck.

Let’s assume you know you are going to have a surgical procedure in January and your cost will be about $5,000, so you elect to have $5,000 deducted towards the medical FSA during the open enrollment period. In February, you pay your $5,000 portion. Even though you have only about $800+ in your FSA account, you can submit a reimbursement claim for the full $5,000 that you paid out.

It is prudent to review what your expected medical expenses may be in the upcoming year, verify that they are eligible FSA expenses with your employer’s FSA administrator, and then make the election. It can’t hurt to underestimate, so you may have to pay some expenses with after tax dollars, but that’s still much better than giving away money because you overestimated and you lose what you had deducted and not used.

Some examples for using a medical FSA are when you incur orthodontia expenses and dental procedures for which you have a high deductible and/or co-pay. Regular doctor office visit co-pays, which are not usually exceptionally expensive, are eligible for FSA reimbursement. If you go often enough, even saving a few tax dollars can be beneficial.

Using the FSA is a great tool to enforce a disciplined savings program to cover expenses that are expected to be incurred anyway during the year. And by doing it through a tax-deferred program at work, you’re ultimately reducing the cost by your marginal income tax rate so that your savings stretch out to buy you more services. (For someone in the 20% marginal tax bracket, for example, one would have to earn $1.25 to have enough cash to pay for $1.00 of services after the impact of taxes.)

By taking some time to project your personal expenses, you can ultimately benefit with Uncle Sam’s help.

In our 30th episode of the Madness Chronicles, we’ll take a look at the madness of our recent ‘election.’ Remember, madness is a state of being mentally ill, severely, extremely foolish behavior, and a state of frenzied or chaotic activity. Let’s take a look at our 2020 election madness.

Our 2020 Presidential election has clearly shown our nation’s depths have plummeted when it comes to honesty and integrity. In Antrim County, Michigan, what is described as a ‘software glitch’ resulted in 6,000 votes for Trump being miraculously changed to 6,000 votes for challenger Joe Biden.

The Dominion election software used in Antrim County is also used across Michigan and thirty other states, including the eight swing states now in question. In another ‘glitch,’ the Dominion Voting Systems company lobbyist in DC is Nadeam Elshami, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s former chief of staff. And if that wasn’t coincidence enough, Richard Blum, California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s husband, is a significant shareholder in the company. Will wonders never cease.

At Cobo Hall in Detroit, ground zero for vote counting, one poll watcher described an eerie scene. At 4:30 AM, a mysterious van showed up outside, delivering 61 boxes of ballots. In her words, “It felt like a drug deal going down.” And what a deal it was. About an hour later, Biden went from losing to gaining the lead with 200,000 votes. Miracles do happen.

In a tightly contested race in Fulton County, Georgia, red flags have appeared on 132,000 ballots where the addresses are questionable due to ‘change of address’ labels. May turn out to be nothing, but there sure are a lot of moving parts long after the polls closed in this election.

In other strange occurrences, Minnesota and Wisconsin had massive, record voter turnout the likes of which they’d never seen before. Minnesota saw 90%, while in 2016, they saw 75% and an average 76% in the last four Presidential elections. In Wisconsin, the turnout was 89%, while in 2016, it was 67%, and averaged 69% the previous four Presidential elections. Another Festivus miracle.

Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan all announced that results would not be announced on election night in an unprecedented move. There were also reports of military ballots being Xeroxed and postal workers claiming they were instructed to backdate envelopes to make the deadline. Who knows what is real?

In Maricopa County, Arizona, we even have a Sharpie controversy and investigation. The claim is the GOP precincts were given a Sharpie to mark their ballots with, and allegedly a Sharpie will invalidate your vote in the machine. Who knows? But you surely can’t make this stuff up.

Probably the most valid question is centered on the law of probability. Joe Biden rarely went on the campaign trail, and when he did, he bombed. The week before the election, he appeared in Dallas with Bon Jovi. Together they drew an audience of 30 people. The President made 17 appearances in 3 days and attracted thousands of supporters. And we are to believe Biden received a record number of votes. That would be a miracle, indeed.

Republicans Won 28 of 29 Most Competitive House Seats, Added 3 State Legislatures, did not lose a single House race. But Joe Biden won the election, and that is another miracle amidst the madness.

May we wake from this madness before it’s too late. I wish you good health, and until next time, have fun, enjoy life, and watch out for the madness amongst us. It’s 2020, and it’s getting out of hand.

Easy answer – who knows? Not so easy answer – who knows? The election (mercifully almost over) will set a course depending on which party wins. The pandemic will set the other course. Regarding the election maybe the biggest immediate unknown is whether there will be any kind of immediate stimulus package that could include some type of immediate cash payment like the last package and/or renewed unemployment assistance. The economy grew at a record pace in the third quarter but is already losing steam. A renewed stimulus package would help mitigate the effects of the new Covid restrictions now being put into place in some parts of the country. But there is a lot of time between election results and inauguration day. This “Who knows?” – what could happen between election and inauguration, would get the all-caps treatment.

As for the pandemic course, the situation for the economy is trending less optimistic even as third quarter GDP took a dramatic 7.4% jump. But on the other side of that picture layoffs in some industries are beginning to increase. Several states are already beginning to re-impose restrictions, and if infections and hospitalizations keep spreading (in thirteen Midwestern states average daily cases has jumped 45% over the last two weeks) more restrictions might be put into place. How much effect could that have on Christmas shopping? The most likely effect is that online shopping could increase even more. That could then mean less people going to stores forcing layoffs again in the retail sector.

For a small business owner, if consumers begin to hold back spending at all because the virus is taking a larger toll or more shutdowns are put in place, you need to be even more careful about your cash. Until workers and consumers feel safe and healthy, spending is probably going to continue to be restrained. Do you have costs that can be cut? Are there potential new sources of revenue? Could you cut back on the variety of items you sell? Will you have enough cash to make it to spring when there will start to be more daylight and hopefully a vaccine beginning to be administered in large numbers? If real improvements do begin to take hold in the spring, one scenario that I could see (with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek) is that consumers will be desperate get out to spend all that money they have been saving and will come pouring out of their houses waving their credit cards and throwing cash into the air to celebrate as they race to the stores. Make sure that you’re still there to open the doors and get out of the way. Cash is king.

An unusual dilemma sits at the astrological heart of our USA presidential inauguration date. Originally, 233 years ago, Election Day was set for the first week in November. March 4th of the year following an election was chosen by the Founding Fathers as Inauguration Day. The four month gap was not an unusual choice because the times and travel were daunting for winners of all federal elections, for those who were taking the oath of office as well as for the sitting and incoming Congress and those administering and witnessing those oaths. Four months between election and inauguration was necessary and that time was used for organizational efforts as well. We were a sprawling country, with men who had businesses, farms, jobs, families, other responsibilities, who had to travel vast distances under difficult conditions with fairly primitive modes of transportation and communication.

As we developed and the industrial age improved communication and transportation, it was decided by Congress that four months was no longer necessary and Inauguration Day was re-set for January 20th of the year following an election. That allowed two and a half months for the incoming president to get his act together, select a cabinet and primary staff, get briefed on the state of the nation, put his personal business affairs in order, pack up his family for the move, and generally be ready at the moment of oath to take on the running of the country. The first president inaugurated on the new date was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 for his second election. During his first term he had taken us through the recovery of the Great Depression and the rebuilding of the American economy plus he dealt with Germany’s Hitler who had started on his way to world domination and World War II. But step back a bit — can you imagine what FDR inherited in 1933 on his first election and what he faced as the German war machine emerged? Does it remind you of a current economic crisis?

So far this description of inaugurations sounds like the normal running of the country, but there is an underlying story that needs to be revealed. It is well known that several of the Founding Fathers were Free Masons, a quite secretive intellectual fraternity or society strongly influenced by symbolism and ritual. Over the years, some of their esoteric secrets have been revealed but there are still many questions left unresolved. These Masonic practices are believed to have influenced the founding of the United States of America (USA) through the involvement of the Founding Fathers themselves. It is the astrological symbolism and influence that I am interested in for this article and it is quite prevalent in drawings and documents that are now in the public domain. For example, there is well-known drawing of George Washington wearing his Masonic Apron at the dedication ceremony laying the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol. Our very first military leader and President had risen to a high degree of Free Masonry.

For this article, I will make the assumption that at least some of the Founding Fathers were Free Masons, were well schooled in metaphysical and astrological symbolism and lore and that their belief system did enter into their choices for the new country they were founding. If you are interested, study the symbolism inherent in our founding, developing, capitol city layout and buildings, our country seal and currency and you will find proof for my assumption.

There is an astrological aspect considered to be “lucky” or fortunate and is typically used when selecting a date and time to begin a major project such as the birth of a country that will have a positive influence when selected or activated. The aspect is called a trine, which is a 120-degree mathematical measurement of distance between two positions in a chart. This trine is considered strongest when Jupiter and/or Venus are involved. Jupiter (the slow moving giant) is called the greater benefic and Venus (the much faster moving and smaller rocky planet) is called the lesser benefic. Benefic stems from the word benefit which should require no explanation.

The USA birth chart has a lovely Venus/Jupiter applying conjunction in Cancer right at the very top of the Virgo rising chart. In English please. The two benefics (Venus and Jupiter) are holding hands (conjunct) and are strong (close) and getting stronger (applying) in the sign of clan, family, country (Cancer), high in the sky pouring down their blessings in our 10th house (arena) of goals, achievements, accomplishments and stature. The Sun is close by also in the 10th. It just doesn’t get better than that for any chart and it is our country’s chart for our 4th of July birthday.

Now that I’ve explained the concept of the trine we can take it a step further. If there are multiple trines in a chart, luck or good fortune is considered repeated regardless of which planets or points are involved because the aspect itself is fortunate. It is possible to have three of these trines connected to each other, forming what is called a grand trine, three connected trines of 120 degrees each around the 360 degree wheel. Our country does not have one of these in the birth chart itself, but our incredibly intelligent and futuristic Founding Fathers found a way to give us one of those babies anyway. I didn’t catch on at first, but once I realized what they had done, I saw the grand trine at work in and for our country. Or, should I say it was at work for our country until it was changed by well-meaning politicians.

The dates themselves are the grand trine and they were meant to continue in perpetuity for our country. July 4th is the date of our birth and our birthday each year at approximately 13 Cancer, the position of the USA Sun. The election the first week of November puts the Sun at about 13 Scorpio, give or take a couple of degrees (orb). March 4th is the date the Founding Fathers selected as Inauguration of the incoming president, approximately 13 Pisces. Thus, 13 Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces represents a grand trine of dates and signs with Lady Luck smiling upon us.

I’ve cast all the inauguration charts for each president, elected or elevated through necessity. Setting aside those inaugurations that were caused by the premature death of an elected president, which just cannot fit the intended pattern, the Piscean qualities of the traditional inaugurations are amazing. From the Sun as a singleton to incredible multiples of Piscean energy, the first 148 years of our country’s existence were dominated by that Piscean influence with that marvelous grand trine giving us as much protection and well-being as possible. Our Founding Fathers bestowed upon us a legacy of perpetual good. Regardless of how much good those heroes bestowed upon us, however, we cannot be protected against ourselves.

When a later Congress with good intent but little or no symbolic or astrological knowledge changed the date of inauguration to January 20th, they inadvertently destroyed the grand trine provided by our forefathers “in the know.” Our grand trine and our protection, as we knew it, disappeared and we have had a completely different pattern of birth/election/inauguration since the election of 1936 with its resultant inauguration of 1937. The date of January 20th moved the inaugural Sun to 00 Aquarius and the New Age was upon us, the Age of Aquarius, supposedly about “man’s humanity to man.” As I look around at current experience, I don’t quite see us rising to that lofty goal as yet, but it is now our signature.

We now know what we lost; there is no longer a grand pattern of benefic aspects that protect us. What did we gain? July 4th to the first week of November, birth to election, maintains the single trine and this is a good thing; three are better, but one is still good. Election date to inauguration is 77 days or degrees as the Sun travels, no aspect in particular. Inauguration date to birth is 163 days or degrees as the Sun travels, another non-aspect. No help there. What about the Aquarian theme mentioned above?

From the agricultural society of our Founding Fathers, through the industrial revolution and its ramifications, society moved from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy. The needs and expression of the country and its citizens changed. Since 1937 and that impending global war, we have moved into the computer and communication age. International and space travel are available, international borders are slowly dissolving as we become a one-world citizenry. We have moved into the future and the future “R us.” That is all very Aquarian. Uranus was discovered, not invented, as our emerging colonies became a “working” country. In the 233 years since our birth, we watched the world change dramatically as invention and expansion led us into the future. From its position at the very top of our national chart Uranus leads our nation with its influence of freedom, individuality, insight, invention and seeking the future, our eyes on the stars and our drive to have all humans be free. Thus the new inauguration energy actually serves our current purpose. What we have lost in sheer luck we must make up for in effort.

I believe in a purposeful universe, not random chance or chaos, so there was no error, there was simply change. We may have lost that protective energy provided by our Founding Fathers, but we are their descendants. We must take us into the future regardless of the risks because life always moves forward “and does not tarry with yesterday” (Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet). We are the children and the citizens of the new Age of Aquarius, emerging into world and perhaps galactic citizenship in the not too distant future.

If we respect our history, our lessons and our progress but keep our eyes on the future, we will succeed. We cannot succeed by looking backward while moving forward. This is a choice we must individually and collectively make. We as a people are bright enough, talented enough and brave enough to move confidently into our future. We can do this. We have to create our own grand trine!

Gujarat elections are imminent and political parties are in the news and are gearing up in the state. At this point, all eyes are for Bhartiya Janta Party, the ruling party under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

Looking at Gujarat’s Natal Sun chart, there is Aries ascendant having Sun 17.21.25 and Venus 03.16.20 in first house. Mars is in conjunction with Ketu in 11th house and retrograde Saturn is posited with retrograde Jupiter in 9th house. Transiting Jupiter will be passing through Natal Jupiter and Saturn during elections. Benefits of this transit to Gujarat are religion, law and order, justice, the court system, morality, higher education, international concerns, foreign affairs, shipping, the government, ruling party, national prestige, destiny of Gujarat.

In BJP’s horoscope, Sun is placed in its exalted sign Aries in Ascendance with 10.26.17 in Ashwini Nakshatra Pada-4. Ascendant Mars is of 04.03.56 degree in Magha Pada-2 and placed in 5th house, hence there is Pariwartan (change) yoga between these two planets. Dispositor of Ascendant is very strong. Lord of 10th house, saturn, is placed in 5th house with 27.17.25 in Leo.

During the period of Election for Gujarat, Sun-Rahu-Saturn Mahadasha will be active. Sun and Rahu are having trine aspect in this horoscope while Rahu and Saturn are conjunct in 5th house with Ascendant. However, Sun is the biggest enemy of Rahu and Saturn in Panchadha Maitri and Rahu and Saturn are neutral friends in this table.

Saturn (lord of 10th house) will exit from Magha Nakshatra in Leo during 3rd week of December. However, Saturn in Natal Chart is also placed in Leo as stated above. Moreover, transiting Jupiter will be passing through Mula Nakshatra with Tarus Navamansh.

Given all these events, Ganesha feels that elections in Gujarat will be quite tough for BJP, but looking at Jupiter’s transit in Natal chart during election period, it may give BJP a slight edge over their rivals.

Shree Narendra Modi is having Libra Ascendant with Scorpio Moon Sign. Natal Mars and Moon are conjunct in 2nd house in Scorpio, where Sun is conjunct with Ketu in 12th house. Ascendant Venus is Vargottam with Leo sign. Shree Modi will be passing through Sun-Mars-Moon Mahadasha during Elections. By considering Moon Chart for transit, Jupiter will transit through Mula Nakshatra. It will aspect 10th house of moon chart of Shree Modi. Mercury being Cuspal lord of 10th house is exalted in 12th house. Venus being Cuspal lord of 7th house is also posited in 11th house. Saturn and Ketu will be transiting through Natal Sun and Saturn in 11th house, but planetary relationship (considering Panchadha Maitri here), is very favourable for Shree Modi. This is also very good indicator for Transits and Mahadasha results.

According to Tarachakara, Jupiter will transit through Mula Nakshatra, which belongs to Vipata. However, Yogakaraka Saturn will be in Leo with 13.30.34 degrees in Purvafalguni on 15/11/2007. This belongs to Adhi Mitra and Kshem. This transit is more favourable than Jupiter. As per Moon Chart, lord of 10th house and natural significator of 10th house-Sun will be posited in Scorpio with Natal Moon during November 17 to December 16. As per Ashtakavarga, Shree Modi has 35 Bindus in karmabhav while Saturn has 3 Bindus in Leo Sign and Jupiter having 7 Bindus in Sagittarius. On the other hand, each and every planet is very strong in Shadabala calculation. This can lead Shree Modi towards victory.

On the whole, Shree Modi’s horoscope is strong enough to bring positive results for BJP.

Malav Bhatt, a Senior Astrologer of GaneshaSpeaks team predicts that if BJP’s horoscope is taken into account, to win the election will be a tough nut to crack for the party. As seen in the last few months, internal disputes, dissatisfaction in the party and anger of senior members are indicated. But Shree Narendra Modi’s natal chart and Gujarat’s horoscope indicate victory for BJP. Shree Modi’s horoscope also shows conflict between central government and himself. While horoscope of Gujarat supports the ruling party to continue even for the next term.