Allrighty then!

After the big heaviness of last week’s patterns (reflecting the bigness of those involving Jupiter and the heaviness of those involving Saturn), this week features the shocking upsets and revelations of patterns involving Uranus combined with the ideals and/or delusions of Mercury conjunct Neptune and dirt-digging potential of Mercury with Pluto. Fasten your seat belt for yet another wild week of world events.

For a look at what’s on deck, check out historian Heather Cox Richardson’s latest, which covers it all, including likely developments in Israel/Gaza and a  SCOTUS opinion on the sexual predator/fraudster/Viktor Orban fanboy running for president, who — for better or for worse — is enjoying supportive and expansive patterns in his horoscope today.

UPDATE: the opinion was just released, and the bottom line seems to be (I haven’t read the full text yet) that individual states don’t get to decide who gets to be on the presidential ballot; that power is reserved for Congress in this particular instance. Score another one for the former guy’s horoscope.

Planetary highlights this week  are:

• Mercury sextile Uranus on Monday
• Mercury conjunct Neptune on Friday
• Mars square Uranus on Saturday
• Sun sextile Uranus on Saturday
• Mercury enters Aries on Saturday
• New Moon in Pisces on Sunday
• Mercury sextile Pluto on Sunday

It goes like this:

• MONDAY: Another morning to note your dreams, which could be especially transporting, thanks to a square between the boundary-pushing, righteously opinionated Moon in Sagittarius, exact at 10:40 AM ET. Chill during the ensuing 5 1/2 hour Moon void. If you’re not familiar with the term “Moon void,” but you’re old enough to know what a pinball machine is, think of the Moon as a pinball. When it is not void, it makes contact with other planets in the way that a pinball bounces off the bumpers (and racks up points) during the game. Eventually it stops bouncing, and when it does, its speed changes, right? And sometimes the pinball gets hung up on the side of the machine, yes? The way the pinball falls back to the bottom of the machine is a good analogy for a Moon void. The Moon is literally launched into the next sign, just like the pinball when it is put back into play. Got that? Your coping strategy for a Moon void is to stick with routine concerns and avoid launching anything you wish to be of consequence. Crises which crop up during voids are likely much ado about nothing. Take time to wander — or work on a draft of your novel. Chill!’
• MONDAY (cont): Void or not, opinions “coinciding” with this Sagittarius Moon are likely to reflect a possible innovative consensus, as it happens in the wake of Sunday’s Venus (values) – Uranus (lightning bolt of clarity) square, as well as today’s Mercury (how we need to think) sextile (cooperatively) Uranus, exact at 3:23 PM ET. Moon enters Capricorn at 4:15 PM ET, and everyone should take note of the initiative announced around that time, as the Moon will be activating the Aries Point (0 degrees of the Cardinal signs, for astro-students).
• TUESDAY: Make the most of the achievement-driven Capricorn Moon, which is well-supported by contacts with Saturn, Jupiter, and the Sun at 10:37 AM ET, 1:30 PM ET, and 8:01 PM ET. If your initiative is daring (or reckless); visionary (or delusional), planetary patterns have your back!  If you live in one of the 15 states that is having its Super Tuesday primary election today, go cast your vote. Act as if this whole “we the People” voting thing matters, because if you don’t vote, somebody will…and then you’ll be sorry. Go and vote — if only to make sure that you are still a registered voter in your state. Here’s where you can check your status in any state.
• WEDNESDAY: More of the same from yesterday, but ship it before 2:35 PM ET, when the Capricorn Moon goes void. Support to the Moon comes from Uranus, Mercury, and Neptune, exact at 2:28 AM ET, 7:54 AM ET, and 2:35 PM ET. Chill during the void; Moon shifts gears at 7:38 PM ET, when it enters Aquarius. Now is the time to network and think outside the box. More groupthink, less “because I said so,” please. There’s a power play or a catharsis scheduled this evening, as Moon meets up with Pluto at 9:54 PM ET.
• THURSDAY: The only exact aspect is a square between Jupiter and the Moon, which suggests enthusiasm and expansion. That’s the energy leading up to President Biden’s State of the Union address at 9 PM ET in Washington, D.C. This build-up leads to a likely focused outburst of assertion/action the closer we get to 1:50 AM ET on…
• FRIDAY…as Moon meets up with Mars, and then squares Uranus at 3:50 AM ET. Surprise! This is a sneak peek of the daring — possibly fog-clearing — action that is likely to follow on Saturday, when the Mars-Uranus square will be exact. This is another morning to note your dreams, which may be enhanced in advance of the Mercury-Neptune conjunction in Pisces, exact at 10:05 AM ET. Past examples of Mercury-Neptune headlines are here and here. Astrology is amazing.
• FRIDAY (cont.): As you know from reading Heather Cox Richardson’s sneak peek, March 8 (today)  is another big day for the sexual predator/fraudster/wannabe dictator who is the current Republican front-runner in the presidential primary race. He’s supposed to post an $83.3 million bond to cover what he owes E. Jean Carroll per a jury of ordinary Americans;  he has to do that in order to appeal the judgment. He owes another $455 million — after it was determined that he and others in his family business cooked their books. Meanwhile, RNC Chairwomen Ronna Romney McDaniel officially steps down, and Lara Trump and others loyal to her father-in-law are apparently about to gain access to the RNC piggy bank.  It is also International Women’s Day,  and many women may bask in the  goodwill reflected by the “equal rights for all” potential of the Moon-Venus conjunction, exact at 1:55 PM ET. In France, they will be celebrating an historic vote, as France becomes the first country to codify “mon uterus; mon choix,” as a constitutional right. Astrology argues that — over the next two years — it will not be the last. Meanwhile, perhaps the Moon-Venus conjunction will reflect Congress having the wherewithal to pass a funding bill or two, to avoid shutting down part of the government.  Last week they kicked the can down the road again as anticipated in this forecast. Chill during the ensuing 6-hour Moon void. Moon enters Pisces at 8:03 PM ET. seeking to identify with ideals, empathy, and suffering. This need is not to be taken lightly, as suggested by the Moon’s meet-up with Saturn (controls, authority, loss), at 8:03 PM ET on …
• SATURDAY. We are now in the balsamic phase of the lunar cycle — aka the dark of the Moon — aka a ‘dead’ Moon. Time to wrap up projects initiated last month, and think about intentions for the next cycle, which begins on Sunday. With no light from the Moon, now is the time for meetings behind closed doors and other activities requiring a cloak of invisibility. There may be a palpable buzz today, made bigger by a sextile between Moon and Jupiter at 4:24 PM ET. This suggests a positive spin on the daring assertions involving themes including, but not limited to: tech, aviation, testosterone, combat, and cars. Those come courtesy of the Mars-Uranus square, exact at 5:55 PM ET. A sextile between the Sun (leaders of business and state) and Uranus (innovation; liberation) suggests potentially notable cooperation among unconventional alliances.
• SATURDAY (cont): News that hits the wires today has an added level of prominence, as Mercury is at the verrrrrrry end of Pisces. If we hear significant news involving Roe v. Wade, Ronna Romney McDaniel, Alexei Navalny, and/or Liz Cheney, I will not be surprised. At 11:02 PM ET, Mercury leaves Pisces and enters Aries, where it will remain until May 15th. Mercury — which refers to how we need to think and communicate — in Aries is likely to have an answer before anyone realizes there’s a question. Being ahead of the curve can be frustrating, because those who are that forward-thinking are not always appreciated by those in the middle of the pack. Some may actually lose sleep over this, as it’s time to set your clocks ahead one hour, thanks to Daylight Savings Time. Mercury will be in Aries for this long period of time because Mercury will be retrograde between April 1 and April 25. No whingeing!
• SUNDAY: Did you set your clocks ahead one hour? The Pisces Moon sextiles Uranus at 4:22 AM ET, and its innovative, cooperative spirit leads to the New Moon in Pisces, exact at 5 AM ET. Light a candle and set your intentions for this new cycle, with its focus on making dreams come true, perhaps.

Here is the chart for the New Moon, set in Washington, D.C.:

Observations:

• Uranus — a disruptor — is at the root of this horoscope. Change is in the air.
• A packed 2nd house puts the focus on money, worth, and values.
• The Moon’s next aspect is a conjunction with Neptune, and that is where the Sun is headed, too. Themes of drugs, oceans, ideals, intangibles, faith, victims, healing, fantasy, and fog apply.
• Mercury — prominently placed in Aries at the Aries Point — is sextile Pluto, ready to dig up dirt and/or argue persuasively.
• The North Node — the optimal direction in which soul growth can be made (if one believes in such things) — is conjunct Chiron (the wounded healer) in Aries (the warrior, the crusader;  the Self). The cavalry is not coming to save us, but courage could.
• The South Node in on the cusp of the 9th house — publishing, courts, international affairs, travel, higher education. We appreciate how these issues — and a desire to avoid conflict by pleasing all parties concerned — could be draining.
• The Sabian Symbol for this lunation is “a little white lamb, a child and a Chinese servant.” What does this mean? Blain Bovee tells you here.  Basically we have three separate entities that don’t seem to have much in common. Why are they even together? How is anything going to get done? It’s weird and bewildering — but it fits the patterns of this New Moon. We are advised to watch for stories of “personal sacrifice for a collective goal; watchful stewarding of nascent potentials.” On the potential downside: “disgruntled attitudes that barely hide contempt; ‘What about ME?’; being self-serving to the detriment of the team.”
• You are more personally affected by this New Moon if you were born on the 10th of March, June, September, or December…or if you have planets around 21 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Pisces or Sagittarius. Off the top of my head that includes the man who was found by a jury to have sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll and owes her $83.3 million, the United States, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), and E. Jean Carroll.

Back to the Forecast:

• SUNDAY (cont.): Moon meets up with Neptune at 3:45 PM ET, sprinkling sparkly sequined pixie-dust all over those getting ready for the Oscars. What twist or flake might arise in the ensuing 4 1/2 hour Moon void? And what prominent factoid might command our attention in the news, as Mercury sextiles Pluto at 6:20 PM ET? See if you notice a shift in the Oscar’s live broadcast after 8:19 PM ET, when Moon enters Aries. It, too, will be at the Aries Point, demanding we focus on a matters of courage, crusades, and pioneers. Depth is added to the message by Moon’s sextile to Pluto at 10:38 PM ET, which is echoed around 11:14 PM ET, as Moon meets up with Mercury. And speaking of Pluto, it refers to power and plutonium, including movies about such subjects, e.g. Oppenheimer.

Beth Owl’s Daughter’s always-in-sync Tarot Card of the Week captures the intuitive, visionary potential of this New Moon in Pisces, after the flashes of action and insight we are may see in the days before.

No sleeping in on Monday.

And now, the news.

Big and heavy,  with a focus on CEOs and heads of state. Avid Readers were alerted to this potential of Wednesday’s Sun-Saturn-Mercury conjunction in Pisces (that was the heavy). “Big” was sponsored in part by Tuesday’s square between Mars (action) and Jupiter, and reinforced over the weekend, with the Jupiter’s sextile to the Sun and Mercury.

Also in the mix: Sunday’s square between Venus and Uranus, suggesting news of convention-defying women, aesthetics, money, and social expression.

Ready?

• “Nearly two dozen European parliament leaders ask House Speaker MAGA Moscow Mike Johnson to act on Ukraine” — which would pass if only MMMJ would bring it to floor. That letter was released last Tuesday.
• On Wednesday, during the 33-hour Libra Moon void, President Biden, VP Kamala Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries strove to shift MMMJ’s stubborn position in an Oval Office meeting that Schumer said was “intense,” aptly reflecting the Sun-Saturn-Mercury conjunction.
• Also on Wednesday, Mitch McConnell announced he would step down from his Senate Minority Leader position after the November elections. As this happened during the void, it is arguably of little consequence, except that his replacement is sure to be worse. Stephen Colbert has the details on the above  three stories.  Not surprisingly, McConnell’s announcement “coincided” with transiting Mars conjunct his Mercury,  and transiting Jupiter his Mercury, and transiting Mercury square his Jupiter — all adding up to big, provocative news.
• More big heavy Moon void-ness: “US Supreme Court will rule on Trump immunity claims,“ specifically, “Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.” This delays the start of multiple criminal trials in which the man who took classified documents from his former place of employment and stashed them in his bathroom is the defendant, much to the frustration of anyone who believes it could not be any clearer that no US president is above the law, and thank goodness — again — for Stephen Colbert and his cathartic response to this surreal stalling tactic.
• On the other hand, astrology advises against turning this latest setback into a mountain of crisis, and it’s already been argued (here) that it is likely to take until the end of May/early June for the first of a series of disruptions to affect the status of the man who yesterday pledged in Virginia to “take all federal funds away from public schools that require vaccines.” Yes, it’s a wild ride, with a repeat of patterns noted in 1860-1861 (Neptune at the verrry end of Pisces), 1933 (Uranus in Taurus conjunct Algol — though that’s a few months away), and 1789 (early days of Pluto in Aquarius, reflected by the ratification of the US Constitution and the French Revolution).

And now, a word about Saturn. After its exact conjunction with Sun-Mercury last Wednesday, Saturn arrived at 10 degrees Pisces — a third of the way into the sign. In doing so, it has lost its essential dignity. This is the technical term for describing how effective that planet — and whatever needs the planet symbolizes — may be in fulfilling its needs. If you were an Avid Listener of Off the Charts: A Stellar Newscast, you may recall co-host Whitney McKnight and me talking about this last year.

Up until February 29th, Saturn (which refers to necessary control, strategy, structure, and authority figures), was operating from a position of fearful focus in matters ruled by Pisces. Empathy, surrender, and sacrifice are Piscean concerns, as is the notion that We Are All One. We can appreciate how Saturn’s need for structure is challenged by the material it’s given to work with in Pisces: water!

In ancient/traditional astrology, Jupiter is the ruler of Pisces, so any planet in Pisces must modify its behavior to meet the needs of Jupiter. Where is Jupiter now? In Taurus, which seeks to preserve material comfort and stability. Therefore, when fearfully focused,  Saturn’s need for control and authority could astro-logically be expected to reflect a kinder, gentler expression because it so anxious about the loss of comfort, should it fail to accommodate Jupiter.  Got that?

As of February 29th, Saturn no longer has essential dignity. It is considered to be peregrine — i.e., a foreigner (and thus perhaps regarded with suspicion), and a wanderer (i.e., operating without focus).  It is not invested in accommodating Jupiter’s need for comfort and security. It’s no longer anxious. Not only that, but the cooperative sextile relationship that Jupiter and Saturn have enjoyed for most of the last 12 months is separating. This is another pattern that tips us off to the challenges ahead.

What challenges might those be? For example, on May 25th, Jupiter leaves Taurus and enters Gemini, where it is essentially debilitated (this is the technical term). Jupiter needs to make things grow…and Gemini needs to diversify. Trivial pursuits may be blown out of proportion; there may be so many options — especially with respect to information — that it could be as frustrating and debilitating as a trip to a fancy foods store that has 57 varieties of mustard in Aisle 7. Research shows that having so many choices is not always a path to happiness.

Meanwhile…

UPDATE: on Jim Jordan, because the Feb 16th First Quarter Moon activated his horoscope, and I told you he’d be in the headlines — and he was. Why? Here’s a hint: the horoscope of Rep. James Comer (R-KY), the apparently gullible Chair of the House Oversight Committee was also activated (Aug 19, 1972 in Carthage, TN). Comer’s Sun is at 26 Leo; Jordan’s is at 28 Aquarius, in a militantly disciplined, rebellious conjunction with Mars and Saturn. We are going to see provocative action involving these two gents as Mars arrives at 27 Aquarius on the Vernal Equinox…and Uranus gets to 26 Taurus a few months later.

Anyhoo, Jordan and Comer brought Hunter Biden into a closed-door hearing last Wednesday — the big heavy Moon-void day of no consequence — and Biden had them for lunch, it seems — and here is the transcript.  Plus, their star witness — Alexander Smirnov — was arrested (again!) — and it seems the information he gave to the FBI regarding Hunter Biden was given to Smirnov by…Russian intelligence.

In other news…

UPDATE: on Flaco the Owl, whose sad demise was reported last week. “Flaco’s crash might have been more than bad luck. Here’s what we know.” There is going to be an autopsy, and they will be looking for signs  “poisoning that can cloud the brain” — i.e., consistent with transiting Neptune conjunct Flaco’s Mercury. And just as I am about to post this forecast at 8:10 PM ET, this NYT op-ed, “Flaco never had a chance,”  provides further details — with poison a likely suspect. Flaco was exquisite in every way.

UPDATE: that story about the White House “pill mill” is starting to get a little more media attention — Rolling Stone has followed up on its January 24 story with “Trump’s White House was awash in speed and Xanax” — let’s see where this story is at on March 8th, the day of the Mercury-Neptune conjunction.

Finally…

Avid Readers know that astrology applies to everything — not the news. We see these patterns everywhere…for instance…the gender-bender potential of Sunday’s Venus-Uranus square is aptly expressed in this SNL sketch whose conceit is that cast member Bowen Yang is actually straight. Why is this sketch in the show NOW? That is what astrology answers.

And writer Greg Olear continues to write in sync with planetary patterns, especially on Sundays, when he showcases favorite authors, poets and other artists. Yesterday, the spotlight shone on poet Laura Gilpin and two of her poems. First,  “Two-Headed Calf”. OK…a two-headed calf, on a weekend with Venus in Aquarius square Uranus in…Taurus, which refers to bovines…and of course, the Venus-Uranus square suggests a genetic mutation. Second, “Life After Death” — with a nod to how “bleak” the headlines were last week…hello…Sun-Saturn-Mercury conjunction!

Reading Olear’s tribute, I immediately knew that there would be strong signatures in Gilpin’s horoscope involving Neptune and Uranus...and there are. Saturn is running wild, too — and currently transiting Saturn is square her Mars! Gilpin’s birth date — October 10, 1950 — somewhere in Wisconsin; time unknown. She even has a Venus-Uranus square — and this synchronicity happens All. The. Time. What other patterns do you see, astro-students and pros? P.S. — Gilpin may be deceased, but her horoscope lives forever…

Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.  We will have a fine discussion together.

Thank you for supporting this forecast — and sharing it with friends. And thanks to Avid Reader Phil for suggesting I add an annual subscription to the options . I was today years old when I learned how to do that…and it’s fun to learn something new every day