The Moon is still in Taurus and still void of course, suggesting a languid start to your day, coupled with twists and flakes. And  that challenging connection between rebel Uranus and aggressive Mars isn’t exact until 11:08PM, which accounts for the restless buzz or irritability you may be feeling or may witness in others. Reckless outbursts are not uncommon under this pattern, as in the case of a aide on Anthony Weiner’s embattled mayoral campaign who went ballistic in an interview last night…and there it is on the NYT home page this morning. Breakouts and breakthroughs in action and technology can also be expected; here’s an example of the former: a prison break in Pakistan in which hundreds escaped.

At 11:42AM ET the energy shifts noticeably as the Moon engages in Gemini, needing to inform and be informed. This swirling airy mental sign quickens the pace and the exchange of ideas. As the evening progresses and the Mars-Uranus challenge approaches, such ideas may have a decidedly rose-colored hue, courtesy of  nebulous Neptune squaring the Moon at 9:04PM ET. On the plus side, the potential for spiritual and/or artistic revelations. On the downside, the potential for rash behavior based on delusion.  Get it off your desk between 11:42AM ET today and 12:48PM ET tomorrow, if you can. Moon goes void again…not to engage in the next sign, Cancer, until 12:30AM ET on SATURDAY. But that doesn’t mean Friday can’t be very, very pleasant. More on that tomorrow…

In the news, the judge’s ruling in the case of Bradley Manning was delivered yesterday at 1PM, during the Taurus Moon void. It was a small victory for the underdog in that in the most serious charge against him — that of aiding and abetting the enemy — Manning was found not guilty. It could also be argued that the ruling was of no real consequence, as Manning was found guilty of most of the 22 charges against him.  We don’t have an exact birth time for Manning, so analysis of the horoscope is limited, but it is interesting to note that the ruling is coming down with transiting Jupiter (law, groupthink, religion)  exactly opposing his natal Neptune (vision, dream, sacrifice, faith). This  suggests an extremely idealistic period in one’s life, as noted by those who see him as a martyr for the cause of truth, as well as those who see him as a traitor to his country. He has become larger than life. Whatever sentence is handed down, it will be interesting to compare Manning’s fate with others who have been court-martialled for offenses such as murder and multiple acts of abuse and torture. Here’s a list of such cases — note that most sentences given were well under a year.

Also during yesterday’s void, an unexpected twist for readers of the Chicago Tribune appeared in the form of a fluffy grey kitten on the paper’s home page. This molehill of an event was quickly turned into a mountain, including a formal interview with the editors of the Chicago Tribune, in which they explained how this could happen. Meanwhile, I regret the delay in reporting a story that happened on Sunday’s oh-so-sweet connection between Venus (desserts) and expansive Jupiter. I’m sure the editors had no idea how in tune they were with planetary patterns when they published The Jupiter Cakewalk — coincidence or conspiracy?