As the United States general election approaches on Nov. 5, some are turning to astrology in hopes of predicting which presidential candidate will come out on top. Astrologists say the stars are aligning for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Republican former President Donald Trump.

Although Harris’ presidential announcement has seemed to appeal to most young voters, many do not share the same interest in mixing astrology with politics. Most Florida Atlantic University students don’t believe that astrological charts are capable of predicting who will win and believe that decision is up to the voters. 

One of the astrologers who predicted Harris’ victory is Bruce Scofield, who has been studying astrology since 1967; and simplifies astrology as “the study and use of mapping techniques to analyze self-organizing systems.”

When it comes to predicting who the next presidential candidate would be, Scofield said, a snapshot of the sky during a significant time is taken and studied to foresee who will be the next president. He referred to these snapshots as “time slices,” also known as birth charts or, more commonly called horoscopes.

“When you’re looking at a birth chart, you’re looking at a foundational map of the emergent properties of the organism or system that is being accessed,” said Scofield, stating emergent properties are characteristics that appear when a system comes together. 

At the time of one’s birth, the alignment of the planets can reveal traits like strengths or weaknesses. Scofield said that astrologers then use this birth chart of planets as a map and then compare it to the current positions of the planets. By looking at how the birth chart planets interact with today’s moving planets, astrologers can then make predictions about life changes, in this case, career opportunities.

How does this correlate to Trump and Harris?

Trump and Harris’ birth charts were used to see which candidate’s chart more closely lined up with the U.S.  birth chart. These comparisons were used to astrologically decide what the country will politically need at this time. Trump was born on June 14, 1946 and Harris was born on Oct. 20, 1964. While the birthdate of the U.S. is considered to be Independence Day, July 4, 1776.

Cathy Coleman, an accredited astrologer with over 35 years of astrology consulting experience, explained that in Vedic astrology — astrology based on ancient sacred Hindu text — the time it takes for a planet to orbit the sun indicates the kind of phases someone will experience during a certain time in their life. She called these “planetary periods.”

Planetary periods are specifically used in the Dasha system, a branch of Vedic astrology, to read the periods in a birth chart. Coleman stated there are twelve periods and these periods mirror the Earth’s 24-hour rotation around its axis. She said that based on where a planet falls, a different strength or need is shown. 

“When Trump was elected, his horoscope matched carefully with the United States horoscope; not so much when Biden was elected… Now Harris’ is stronger than Trump’s,” said Coleman,  explaining that based on the two candidates’ horoscopes Harris’ chart matches with the country’s current needs.

So why do astrologists see Harris taking the election over Trump? 

Coleman and Scofield explain more astrological advantages Harris might have over Trump. 

“Pluto is just on the verge of going into Aquarius,” said Coleman, stating that Aquarius has been in Capricorn for 20 years and leaves Capricorn on Nov. 19.

She stressed that Harris may have an advantage because, while Pluto is a small planet, its transition into a different sign is quite significant. 

Scofield adds to this, saying, “When you go into Aquarius, you go into the sign of revolution and freedom… you will see changes in a few years; we’ll be adjusting to a new reality.”

In astrology, Capricorn represents an old order, while Aquarius represents a new order. Given that Trump served as president from 2016 to 2020, Coleman said it would be a contradiction to label him as a representation of the new order, as he is not a new candidate for the presidency. Trump is running for reelection while Harris has never been president.

“Harris may have a little edge with Pluto going into Aquarius because she would represent the more progressive of the two candidates,” Coleman said. 

Student perspectives on astrology predictions 

Students at FAU weighed in on the astrological predictions and their relevance to the upcoming elections. 

Shila Ductan, a political science major and former Boca Raton campus governor, believes astrology has no real influence in politics. From her perspective, what you choose to surround yourself with, will begin to shape your perception. 

“The more you look at it, and the more you study it, it does become your world,” Ductan said.

David Linares, a political science major, shared similar views as Ductan when it comes to astrology. He believes that if people read something bad in their horoscope, then they’ll begin to look for signs of this throughout the day. 

“If people read the prediction and it gives them more confidence that she’ll win, then there will be people who vote for her because they feel like she has a better chance at winning,” Linares said.

Linares highlighted the psychological impact of astrology. In his view, if someone believes in astrology and reads the positive predictions about Harris, it’ll sway them to vote for her because they’re confident in her chances of winning. 

Criminal justice major, Bela Simpson, holds a different perspective. While she thinks Harris will win, Simpson believes it is solely based on her policies and not due to astrology. 

To Simpson, Astrology is a personal hobby and not one that has political stakes.

“Astrology is good for telling somebody about themselves, but it doesn’t hold much weight when it comes to politics, besides the influence it carries,” Simpson said.

Kaii Thompson is a contributing writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email her at kaiiliburdthompson@gmail.com.