Today as we all know, Donald John Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. I will be working on a little write-up this weekend on his inaugural chart set for Jan. 20, 2017 at 12:00:26 PM in Washington DC at the US Capitol. This time is when he completed the statement “So help me God” which is the birth of his presidency.

In my opinion, the inauguration horoscope is read to understand the karma of the nation for the upcoming term of the US President. It is not a chart that we read to understand the personality and character of the President. It will reflect the personality and character of his office and the collective karma (samhita) of a nation.

I was surprised to hear from friends today that some astrologers are remarking on the lagna of President Trump’s inauguration chart being Bharani nakshatra, and the Sun being in Abhijit and Uttarashadha nakshatra and Abhijit muhurta, as if these things are unique to this president’s inauguration chart. They are not!

Let me backtrack a moment for those who don’t study Vedic astrology in detail. First, Bharani nakshatra spans from 13 degrees 20 minutes to 26 degrees 40 minutes of sidereal Aries. This nakshatra is rising in the inauguration charts for most presidents starting in 1933 as it rises in Washington DC on January 20 around noon. It rises in Washington DC around noon from the 1700s and for almost 400 more years into the future. All the recent presidents except for JFK and LBJ (first term) have Bharani rising. The rulers of Bharani are Mars and Venus so where they fall in the various inauguration charts will be important to analyze for more specific information.

Re: Abhijit, there are two different Abhijits, one a nakshatra, and the other, a muhurta.

Abhijit nakshatra is an additional 28th intercalary nakshatra or lunar mansion in the zodiac (Lyrae-Vega) between Uttara Ashadha and Shravana nakshatras. Its longitude starts from 06° 40′ to 10° 54′ in sidereal Capricorn i.e. from the last quarter of Uttara Ashadha to the first 1/15th part of Shravana. Its span is approximately 4° 14′ (4.2277 degrees).

One may wonder if those who established the inauguration to be held on January 20 at 12 PM planned this for a good astrological reason, as Abhijit nakshatra and muhurta are both auspicious. The Sun rules the president and his executive office so when in a good zodiac sign as well as high in the sky in the diurnal chart like this, the timing is auspicious and gives some protection for the leader and his administration.

The Sun has been in Abhijit nakshatra on January 20 since the 20th Amendment was ratified in 1933. It will be in Abhijit nakshatra on Inauguration Day only through the year 2026. The Sun is also in Uttara Ashadha nakshatra in the inauguration chart (which runs from 26/40 Sagittarius to 10 Capricorn) and this has been true for January 20 for hundreds of years and will be until the middle of the next millennium; so in other words, this is also standard fare.

Abhijit muhurta is another matter. It is a 48-minute section of the day that occurs near midday (the exact muhurta time-span depends on location) and is also propitious and often used for electional astrology when a quick auspicious time is needed for beginning an important action. In this era, in Washington, DC, the Sun is always in Abhijit muhurta on Jan. 20 around noon, and will be until the year 2496.

Vedic astrologers are expected to maintain equipoise when studying and interpreting astrological charts. This is written in Brihat Samhita, Vol. 1, Ch. 2, “Canons for [the] Astrologer,” by Sage Varahamiha. I will approach the inauguration chart analysis with as much equipoise as I can muster because when we can do this, it is easier to “see.”

I also wanted to mention that in Vedic and Western astrology, when interpreting the charts of public figures, we are meant to follow an ethical code. Our interpretation is to be “confined to areas that are considered public domain due to specific achievements or notoriety as revealed in interviews, published documents, or recorded observations. When interpreting charts of public figures, astrologers refrain from making slanderous comments. Information should be presented in a manner that is respectful to the individual whose chart is being discussed.” (ACVA.org/ethics/)

Further, we astrologers are meant to offer hope and a positive message as well as remedial suggestions for any pending karmas that we might deem to be “challenging,” and this is especially because “Astrological variables can manifest in differing events of similar meaning, and astrology cannot predict with absolute certainty the outcome of future astronomical events.” This is also because we have a lot of power to create change. Reality is not all fixed. We are changing it all the time with our thoughts and actions.

In regard to ethics and a positive message, I think of the Dalai Lama, who is one of the most enlightened beings on our planet, and a wonderful role model for all of us, astrologers included. He said this when asked about Donald Trump:

1. “The president, of course, (is a) very important individual, but basically I (am) always telling (people), the world belongs to humanity…Each nation belongs to the people.” [In other words, we each make the world what it is. Divisiveness and hatred need to be rooted out within each of us.]
2. “I feel during the election, the candidate has more freedom to express.” He said that once in power, all Presidents were forced to work with “reality” and that he is not at all worried about President Trump and looks forward to meeting with him soon.