Here’s a quick reminder of the weekend forecast, and a brief news round-up:

SATURDAY:At 7:53 AM ET, Moon shifts gears into Libra, now seeking fairness and balance in relationship. Once again, we have another lonnnnnng stretch of the Moon traveling without interference in a sign. This time, the snowball rolling down a hill may be turbulent, as the Moon is in an Air Sign. High winds and tumbleweed? Thoughts in a tizzy? Plenty of hot air? It goes and goes and goes like this until….

• SUNDAY…at 4:07 PM ET, when cooperative input from Venus may turn the mental gyrations into a coherent message.

No sleeping in on Monday, if you’re working next week. The Libra Moon will not be void, though it will be back in another long stretch of no input from other planets, building to a power play or catharsis around 4:19 PM ET, when Moon squares Pluto.

As we move through this weekend, headlines will begin to reflect these patterns, exact on Tuesday:

• Venus squares Jupiter — suggesting abundance, generosity, indulgence — or wretched excess.
• Mars opposing Neptune — suggesting scandal and/or seduction, especially in matters of faith and illusion/delusion

Meanwhile, Mercury is slowing to a virtual stop, preparing to turn retrograde on Wednesday at 3:59 PM ET. BACK UP YOUR COMPUTERS NOW. Wednesday is August 23rd, the date of the first Republican presidential candidates debate. It’s also the first day of the Sun in Virgo, starting at 5 AM ET. I’ll have more to say about all that in the next Forecast.

And now, the news.

Reflecting the build-up of air suggested by the weekend’s runaway Moon in airy Libra):

• “Warning of catastrophic flooding as Hurricane Hilary nears Mexico and Southern California” — this surprising weather pattern (it’s been ages since California experienced a hurricane) is apt for the disruptive potential of a Sun-Uranus square, perhaps.

Elsewhere…

I can’t remember ever seeing the words “aesthetic injury” in a court ruling, but these words are apt for a Venus retrograde. Venus refers to aesthetics, and a retrograde planet is considered debilitated — and arguably injured. Another word for a retrograde planet — according to traditional astrologers — is “imbecilic,” and I’ll let you decide if that fits, too.

• “Trump judge’s actual argument for abortion bans: Doctors are harmed without cute sonograms” — about James Ho’s ruling restricting access to mifepristone, and banning telemedicine prescriptions for it. It’s not a final judgement, as the case now goes to the Supreme Court. Historian Heather Cox Richardson has more on this story.

Meanwhile…

It wouldn’t be a Venus retrograde without one or more attention-grabbing celebrity break-ups.

• “Britney Spears’ husband Sam Asghari says their marriage is over” — after six years of togetherness. Asghari is having his first Saturn return, a year-long process of maturation. His Mercury (how he needs to think and  communicate) is receiving a square from transiting Uranus, likely reflecting a new mindset seeking disruption, innovation and liberation. We don’t have a birth time for this Pisces Sun-Scorpio Moon, but it’s possible that the Moon is also receiving a challenging transit from rebel Uranus.
• Here is a write-up of Spears’ horoscope. In contrast to Asghari,  the 41-year-old superstar’s Mercury is receiving the sobering input of transiting Saturn. Astrology suggests she will be feeling newly-empowered by early 2025, with prospects for personal happiness throughout that year.
• “Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces separation from wife, Sophie“. Here is a write-up of Trudeau’s horoscope.   Like Spears, Trudeau is also receiving heavy Saturn transits — squaring his natal Saturn and conjunct his 7th House (of partnerships). A renewed commitment or a public split would not be unexpected. It’s interesting that the article in the first link quotes a political science professor at the University of Toronto who thought (before the separation announcement) that Trudeau might step down in 2025. Solar arcs (another way astrologers have of measuring time) suggest exceptional recognition in the Fall of 2024…and yes, the potential for a significant change in 2025 — in any and/or all matters of home, family, and profession. We shall see.
• “The Blind Side shared his adoption story. He says it wasn’t true.”

“Lookback window” is another apt reflection of Venus retrograde (combined with Rx Saturn, Rx Neptune and Rx Pluto), as in:

• “Louisiana court upholds lookback window in win for Catholic abuse victims”

Meanwhile…

• “Lawsuits from two Michael Jackson accusers can go to trial, court rules” — and yes, we see this disruptive action in what we know of Jackson’s horoscope (and if I had to bet on astrologer Basil Fearrington’s proposed birth time of 11:58 PM, I would). Here, Uranus is in hard contact with Jackson’s Mars and Midheaven, with his Virgo Sun receiving an opposition from karma cop Saturn. Horoscopes continue to reflect action in a person’s “life,” long after that person has left their mortal coil. Astrology is amazing!
• General in charge of the rebuilding (Venus Rx!) of Notre Dame dies in fall (Sun square Uranus suggests accidents!). The general did not fall from Notre Dame, however — which is what I thought when I first saw this headline.
• Bring on the Venus Rx nastiness: “Blocking feature to be removed from former Twitter platform.”

I meant to share this story earlier this week as an example of Venus-Sun square Uranus shock and Venus Rx overkill — literally.

• “Kansas paper raided by police has a history of hard-hitting reporting”. The warrant for the raid has since been withdrawn, and seized items have been returned.  One of the paper’s owners — 98-year-old Joan Wright Meyer — died the next day (likely from stress and shock) but not before condemning the police for its “Hitler tactics.” As noted many times in this Forecast over the years, Hitler’s horoscope is in an empowered stage of development, which — according to astrology — explains why we can expect his name to be making headlines in the near-term future.
• Joan Wright Meyer was born on May 23, 1925 — in Marion, KS — time unknown. With Sun, Moon and Venus in Gemini, she could be a natural newshound, seeking fulfillment by being the smartest, most informed kid in the room. Her Mercury in Taurus, opposed by Saturn in Scorpio suggests a hard-nosed mindset, with a ruthless focus on matters of home/homeland security suggested by a Mars-Pluto conjunction in Cancer. Meyer’s newspaper was known for holding local governments accountable. Her Gemini Sun has been receiving a square from transiting Saturn, suggesting a squeeze on vitality. It’s interesting to note that her Uranus — freedom of expression with a maverick quality — is commanding attention now — and increasing in prominence into 2024. Perhaps that prominence will come in the form of lawsuits attempting to hold certain politicians and law enforcement accountable for her arguably wrongful death.

Finally…

Heather Cox Richardson has the latest on the historic summit of the leaders of South Korea and Japan, hosted by President Biden at Camp David. In an earlier post, she notes other expansive efforts at global cooperation, in sync with planetary patterns noted on the Summer Solstice, and the overall patterns in the 2020 Great Mutation in Aquarius, now supercharged by transiting Pluto.

Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Mercury retrogrades are an excellent time for a REview of your life.

Thank you for reading this forecast — and for sharing it. Referrals are the best.