If you were hoping this week would start with a hug and cute stuffed bunny rabbit,  I would not count on it. Please refer to the forecast posted Saturday for thoughts about what we can expect today. To recap: we’ve got a me-me-me Aries Moon, void as of 2:43AM ET until 5:43PM ET, suggesting we do our best to chill out through whatever fiery, self-absorbed crisis lands on our collective plates. Adding fuel to the fire: the volatile Uranus-Pluto square puts pressure on the maternal/homeland Cancer Sun all week, with exact hits today (from Pluto at 8:03PM ET) and Thursday (from rebel Uranus at 2:22AM ET).

Last, but hardly least, a chilly square between Saturn in karmic debt Scorpio and Venus in regal Leo suggests hardcore realities must be faced in matters of women, money, beauty and affection. Is that why the front page of the NYT homepage has a sobering article on the outrageous expense of childbirth in the United States? It should come as no surprise that it costs more to have a child here than in anywhere else in the world…but still, the numbers are staggering.  Another stingy, rotten headline, this one involving money:  many workers are now being paid with debit cards instead of checks, and they have to pay a fee every time they use the card to withdraw their wages. The nerve! Can an article about PayPal’s outrageous service fees be far behind? Gosh, I hope so.

Meanwhile, many eyes will be on Austin today at 2PM, as Rick Perry’s “special” session of the Texas legislature attempts to shut down 37 of the 42 women’s health care clinics that also provide abortion services. It is fascinating to see in Governor Perry’s horoscope an exact conjunction between stern Saturn and the Moon in prissy, perfectionist Virgo opposing the Sun in sensitive Pisces. That can be harsh. Additionally, we note that transiting Saturn  Venus square is exactly squaring and opposing Perry’s Venus in Aquarius, so we expect that he personally is dealing with issues of control regarding women, social expression, money, etc. Sigh.

Other signs of volatility and/or revolution at the start of this tumultuous week include continued  uprisings in  Egypt, violence in  Tanzania, fires in  Arizona,   an empowered change of status in Croatia, protests in Hong Kong and strikes (a Mercury retrograde tradition) in Oakland.

When the Moon enters Taurus at 5:43PM ET, it ushers in a slower pace, as slow as things can be with the drumbeats of revolution as background music. Moon will be void of course again on Wednesday at 11:51AM ET until 5:22AM on Thursday (start your 4th of July break early)…and from 8:30AM ET to 6:14PM ET on Saturday (no shopping sprees, if you please).