Sparks to a Flame:  Arson at the PA Governor’s Mansion

By Alex Miller

On 13 April 2025, 38-year-old Cody Balmer allegedly scaled an iron security fence at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg, PA, armed with a small sledgehammer and several homemade incendiary devices.  Balmer told police he intended to beat PA Governor Josh Shapiro with the hammer, but, unable to locate him, started a fire instead.  At about 2 AM EDT the Governor was awakened by PA State Troopers pounding on the door; he escaped injury, along with his wife, four children, and several visiting relatives, who had celebrated a Passover seder there a few hours earlier.  The south wing of the official residence was badly damaged in the fire.  No specific motive for the attack has been released, though reports state that Balmer, who is described by his mother as having mental health issues, admitted to “harboring hatred” for the governor, according to a police affidavit.  Balmer faces charges including attempted homicide, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault.

Charts for the PA Governor, his would-be assailant, and the time of the incident show some remarkable similarities that aptly describe the circumstances, including significant points at station representing the arson, with stations (the degree at which a celestial body, from our perspective, appears to come to a standstill and reverse course) symbolizing pivotal moments, powerful turning points, and, in birth charts, elements which will define a character or biography.

In particular, asteroids which represent flames or burning are active by station in all three charts.  In the incident chart (set for 2:01 AM EDT on 13 April 2025), asteroids Flamini (12 Sagittarius) and Flammario (16 Sagittarius), both etymologically relating to “flames,” are standing still in the sky.  Governor Josh Shapiro (born 20 June 1973, no time available) has asteroids Burns (9 Scorpio) and Flamini (11 Scorpio) at station.  Cody Balmer’s birthdate has been given as 23 March 1987, on which day asteroids Flamini (28 Cancer) and Flammario (3 Leo) are stationary.  Often natal potential is triggered by a repeat of the same pattern or status in the sky later in life, as seems to be the case here, with “fire” of some sort being prioritized in Balmer’s bio, and both Flamini and Flammario at station now, as at birth.

In addition, Balmer’s natal asteroid Israel is also at station, exactly conjunct Flamini, which could point to an antisemitic or religious motivation for the conflagration, occurring at the start of the Jewish Passover celebration.  Shapiro also sports a stationary asteroid Harris (28 Aquarius); this describes the strong pull toward the Pennsylvania state capital (Harrisburg) for him, even though he was born in Missouri.  The date for the incident yields two additional stations:  asteroid Fireman (21 Leo), for the persons who extinguished the flames; and asteroid Beer (20 Sagittarius), conjoined both Flamini and Flammario, with Balmer’s homemade Molotov cocktails consisting of beer bottles filled with gasoline.

Having Flamini at station in all three charts is a truly head-spinning circumstance, but the placement of asteroid Sparks (for the setting of the fire) might be considered gob-smacking.  Governor Shapiro’s nativity includes a triple conjunction of asteroids Sparks, Flammario (both at 26 Cancer) and Balmer (0 Leo), placing the arson (Sparks, Flammario) directed against him in close proximity with the suspected arsonist (Balmer).  Cody Balmer’s birth chart offers a triple conjunction of asteroids Sparks (24 Pisces) and Shapiro (28 Pisces) with his Sun (2 Aries), also uniting the crime (Sparks) and his target (Shapiro), in some way central to his biography (Sun).  And indeed, the arson (Sparks) at the Governor’s (Shapiro) mansion is likely to be the self-defining (Sun) act of Balmer’s life.

Planetary placements for the incident show stressors to Cody Balmer’s celestial makeup at the time of the attack.  Aligning with the Flamini/Israel/Flammario grouping is transit Mars (28 Cancer), ruler of attacks and fires, also squared (90 degrees) by the Sun (23 Aries), just past a Full Moon, often a trigger for events, which had occurred hours earlier.  The Moon (26 Libra) is also squared the Cancer grouping, and accompanied by asteroid Nemesis (22 Libra), a point noted for bringing ruin, downfall or destruction.

As well, the Sparks/Shapiro/Sun grouping is conjoined by transit Venus (24 Pisces), Saturn (25 Pisces), Mercury (28 Pisces) and Neptune (0 Aries).  Venus represents the loved ones put at risk in this attack; Saturn rules chief executives such as governors (also the ancient lord of death, an intended outcome here); Mercury denotes a newsworthy event; and Neptune suggests mental health issues, fanaticism, or a religious motivation.

Title Cover Image:  Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence image from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Governor%27s_Residence#/media/File:Pennsylvania_Governor’s_Residence.jpg; flames image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay; combined by author