TGIF.

As anticipated, we’ve had a week of well-coordinated surges of action, for better or worse — and it’s not over yet. Please refer to Monday’s forecast for a look at this high-octane weekend, including an analysis of Saturday’s Full Moon in Taurus, which is also a lunar eclipse.

The only stopgap to the outbursts of physical and emotional energy reflecting the weekend’s oppositions among Mercury and Mars (in Scorpio) to Jupiter (in Taurus) is that the Moon is in Taurus…and the needs symbolized by a Taurus Moon are to preserve the status quo and keep things calm and comfortably secure. If you can afford the luxury, your coping strategy is to balance the need for physical action and emotional release with material comforts, e.g., a nourishing meal, a glass of wine, sweet music or the arts, a snuggle with your sweetie or the nearest tree (as a way of connecting with the element of Earth). In other words…ground yourself and…

Meanwhile, I’ve caught up on all the personalized eclipse insights (for the solar and the lunar one) requested by Avid Readers, and I’m happy to write up another batch upon request. These are handcrafted insights — not computer-generated — and they are yours for $65. Just please email me your birth data — time, place, and date — if you know I don’t already have it.

And now, the news…

…because as always, astrology is amazing, and the synchronicity among planetary patterns and the headlines is an eternal wonder.

First up…the new Speaker of the House. Note the journey of the Moon on Tuesday, and note that House Republicans announced their 4th nominee — Mike Johnson — in the early evening:

TUESDAY: The “sobering focus on what’s real and practical” is symbolized by the meet-up of the Pisces Moon with Saturn at 5:34 AM ET. This focused sobriety receives plenty of structural support from the other kids in the cosmic sandbox: Sun trines Moon at 5:44 AM ET; Moon trines Mercury at 10:56 AM ET (make your pitch before then); Moon trines Mars at 6:57 PM ET (put the plan into action)…and maybe have cause to celebrate around 11:56 PM ET, when Moon sextiles Jupiter.

Looks like a potentially productive day, doesn’t it? And so then I looked at what we know of Johnson’s horoscope and thought, “Welp. He’s got a strong shot at this.” And he did. All Republicans present — 220 of them — voted to elect him Speaker the very next day.

Here is a fascinating article explaining how Johnson was able to make it all the way to Congress from Shreveport, LA — and why it makes sense that Johnson says he doesn’t believe in democracy (because he has a history of running unopposed). Here is Heather Cox Richardson explaining why the former guy calls the new Speaker “MAGA Mike Johnson.“   Not only did he vote against certifying the 2020 election, he led the charge to do so.

And here is Avid Reader Penny, who emailed her take on Johnson’s chart before I could write mine up — so take it away, Penny [with my notes in italics]:

Even though I don’t have a birth time, I could not wait to look at the new Speaker of the House’s birth data. Mike Johnson was born on Jan 30, 1972, per Wikipedia, just 2 days after Amy Coney Barrett. [Good catch, Penny! Isn’t it interesting that Barrett has been compared to a handmaid, and now Johnson is being compared to a Gilead commander. Where do we see that potential in their horoscopes?] Similar to the former guy, it was on a lunar eclipse, with nodes which are exactly square the upcoming eclipse, 10/28/2023. Transiting Pluto is conjunct his natal Mercury [powerfully persuasive communicator right about now], in a close trine to his natal Saturn and both are in an out-of-sign trine to his natal Pluto (which is conjunct President Biden’s Neptune). A high-functioning Mars in Aries [the sign Mars rules] is in opposition to Uranus, reflecting how he seemed to appear suddenly. [Yes, and how he’s likely on the fringe — and potentially reckless when it comes to action — full of surprises]. The empathetic Pisces Venus probably contributes to his “nice guy” persona…[Yes, and that can seem accommodating, but Venus has no support from the other planets in his horoscope, and an exalted Venus may not merit the pedestal on which it’s placed]. 

My Avid Readers are so smart!! Great job, Penny!

I would add that Johnson’s Jupiter is in Sagittarius — strong in the sign it rules, and it is close enough to 0 Capricorn to be on the Aries Point, demanding our attention.  Jupiter refers to collective beliefs (not facts), including religion (the dogma part, not so much the spiritual part, which is Neptune),  and Johnson is known for his avowed Christianity. His Jupiter is square to Pluto in Libra — also on the Aries Point, so we see the potential for resources, power, and all that Jupiter symbolizes pushed to extremes — and which could make him famous.

Oh wait — there’s more. His Saturn is at 29 Taurus — the verrrry end of the sign that seeks its ambition and authority in an empire of material comfort and security — however things ought to be. A planet at the end of a sign is in a crisis point, needs to build something material before Saturn enters Gemini and has to face the facts (which are different from Jupiter-in-Sagittarius beliefs). Johnson’s Saturn is conjunct the Fixed Star Alcyone — which is not a happy placement. It suggests a person of blurred vision — who can’t accept the opinions of others. Elon Musk and Richard Nixon have this in their horoscopes.

Finally, we should note the basics. Johnson’s Sun is in Aquarius, driven by the Moon in Leo. If pushed out of balance, the energy for detached, intellectual innovation, driven by a commanding stage presencesand a need for the love love love, could create a potential king complex. Everything he does would be personal, potentially devoid of logic. Thus it was interesting when Alexandra Petri (WaPo’s resident humorist) took him to task for bemoaning the real problem in the recent AR-15 massacre in Maine. It wasn’t the gun; it was “the human heart.” –– oh, there’s just not enough love to go around. Petri’s op-ed is now the second most-read article on the WaPo site, after the live updates on Israel and Gaza.

In other news…

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) announced today that he is running against Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential race. No surprise here in what we can see of Phillips’ horoscope — January 20, 1969 in St. Paul, MN. Phillips could have Sun at 29 Capricorn or 0 Aquarius — we need a birth time to be sure. Either way, he joins Nikki Haley, Marianne Williamson, Pete Buttigieg, President Biden, and  RFK, Jr. — who all have Sun or Moon between 28 Capricorn and 0 Aquarius, and are thus all empowered and potentially transformed by transiting PLUTO. Got that?

But is he a Cap with Moon in Aquarius, a double Aquarius, or an Aquarius with Moon in Pisces? I don’t know, but given his family businesses (liquor and gelato), and that Dear Abby was his step-grandmother, Neptune should factor prominently, if a birth time is ever disclosed.  Guess where Phillips has his Mars? 11 Scorpio, which means that transiting Mercury and Mars (walking and talking) are sitting on it, and it is being opposed by Jupiter right NOW. Of COURSE he would take action and declare his candidacy NOW.

Guess who else has planets at 28 Capricorn? Confederate General Robert E. Lee, that’s who, with Sun and Chiron. This week it was announced that a bronze statue of him has been melted down, and will be — get this — “transformed” into another piece of public art, one that is more inclusive. The horoscope lives forever, doncha’ know. Here is what we know of Lee’s horoscope.

Meanwhile…

We knew on Monday that we were likely to be processing heartbreaking headlines, right? Beth Owl’s Daughter tipped us off, and this week’s planetary patterns suggest forceful, ruthless action, yes? Thus, in the Middle East, Israel is reportedly “stepping up its operations in Gaza,”  even though members of the UN overwhelmingly voted for a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire (the U.S. voted against it).

Here in America, as noted earlier, a man with an AR-15 killed 18 people and injured another 13 people in two locations — a bowling alley and a bar —  in Lewiston, Maine.  Lewiston is a place like Lahaina, Maui — where you’d least expect something massively brutal and tragic to happen.

The perpetrator — Robert Card — is still on the run, though I suspect they will soon catch up with him.. He had complained of “hearing voices” after getting new hearing aids this July, and the Army reservist’s behavior was so erratic while on tour with his unit at West Point that he was sent to a psych ward (in New York) for two weeks. [UPDATE: he was found dead on Friday night and is presumed to have shot himself, as anticipated].

Observation: in the language of astrology, Saturn refers to deafness, and as Saturn slows to a virtual standstill now, as it prepares to turn direct next week, Saturn-ruled issues should demand focus.  With Saturn in Pisces, themes of compassion, empathy, and a lack of boundaries should be involved. It’s notable that Robert Card was hard of hearing, and that some of his targets were deaf.

Times like these, I wish astrologers could be called upon to offer insights on how likely a person is to act on destructive impulses. It’s so clear in what we can see of Card’s horoscope — 4/4/1983 in Lewiston, ME — that given his mental state, extreme care should have been taken to keep him from harming himself and others in 2023. Planetary patterns in October and November suggested strong potential for reckless outbursts. However, whether the law in Maine and other states would permit such preventive measures is debatable, according to this article in the Bangor Daily News.

Speaking of the law,  Jared Golden (7/25/82), a Lewiston native who represents Maine’s 2nd district  in the US Congress, issued an apology to constituents for his past opposition to legislation that would ban semi-assault rifles. Going forward, he says he is committed to getting gun control legislation “done, in the time he has left in Congress.” And with transiting Pluto soon to square his natal Jupiter in  Scorpio AND oppose his natal Sun-Mercury conjunction in Leo, he may well become empowered enough to fulfill his mission.

In other news…

... the economy is going gangbusters, as in:

• “U.S. economy grew at blistering pace in 3rd quarter”.  Consumers are spending, and that fits the patterns of Mars (action) opposing Jupiter in Taurus (expansion; stuff).

…and in the spirit of this weekend’s Mercury-Mars conjunction in Scorpio, which demands deep, penetrating communication that cuts through the fluff, here is Heather Cox Richardson seeking to shed light on why so many Americans believe our economy is worse than it actually is. 

Three of the former guy’s attorneys (Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Ken Chesebro) and one other defendant (whatshisname) in the Georgia election case will plead guilty and testify for the prosecution…

Mark Meadows (Cassidy Hutchinson’s former boss) has been granted immunity in the DC and will presumably testify against his former boss…

A 14-year-old — Heman Bekele — was named “America’s top young scientist” and won a prize after developing a soap that can help treat skin cancer. In the language of astrology, Saturn refers to skin.

Stephen Colbert has recovered from Covid and is back in the studio, helping us laugh at things that might otherwise make us cry. Here, he introduces the new speaker, MAGA Mike…

…and finally, in Santa Cruz,  841, the mischievous sea otter who would not be subdued this summer, is now 841 +1.

Always good to end on a upbeat note.

Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.

Thank you for reading — and sharing — this forecast.

‘Tis the season…