Monday 2/5/2024: Sneak Peek at the Week; the Grammys & Much More

Allllrighty then!

Covid is far from over, as planetary patterns observed in recent months suggested, not to mention my own personal experience. I tested positive six days ago, and am only now coming out of a mental fog. On the upside, the initial headache wasn’t as intense as the first time, and I didn’t lose my sense of smell and taste. On the downside, I blame myself for not adhering to my usual strict policy of wearing a mask everywhere I go, including the common areas of my building. One of my neighbors tested positive the day before I did — someone I’d chatted with in the hallway several days earlier. In a moment of derring-do, I’d gone downstairs to the lobby to retrieve a package — without a mask. My bad! Please, dear Avid Reader, wear that mask. I’m sick of wearing them too, but I’d rather you feel sick about a mask, than actually be sick!

Is it possible to see in a horoscope when you are more susceptible to catching a virus? Of course! In my case, it did not go unnoticed that the conjunction of Mercury and Mars last month squared my Midheaven, one of the angles (that’s the technical term) of the horoscope. Experience shows that the angles are more sensitive to transits, and any hard aspect from Mars is 100% guaranteed to be provocative — for better and/or worse.

Not only that, but the South Node was on my Midheaven (career and public status).  In the language of astrology, the South Node suggests destruction. Meanwhile, I’ve got a Neptune transit to another planet, suggesting extra focus may be required in communication and travel, lest I do myself in. Yet another alert is what’s happening to Saturn,  ruler of my Ascendant (one of the health areas of a horoscope). It just got zapped by Uranus (disruption; breakthrough) and it is squaring my Moon, which is putting a squeeze on another area of the horoscope related to health.

The silver lining here — because there always an upside potential to a planetary pattern — is that I had zero ability to put words together for a consultation, forecast, or PowerPoint. But I could entertain myself by surfing the web — and stumbled across a website with volumes of scanned archives from villages in 19th century Italy, including the one where my Italian great-grandparents were born.

Students of astrology will appreciate that while the South Node was on my Midheaven (figuratively wiping out my professional/public status last week, starting with Mailchump not delivering Monday’s forecast until Tuesday evening), the North Node was on my IC (roots; core family foundation). The North Node suggests growth. And Mars (remember that Mars transit from three paragraphs ago?) rules my IC. We see the potential for a growth spurt in core family concerns!

And that’s what happened. I harnessed the intense, dirt-digging potential of today’s Mercury-Pluto conjunction, and scoured the exquisite calligraphy of those Italian archives. I discovered records for all of my great-grandparents’ relatives, including their parents and grandparents. Best of all, birth times were recorded, and you can see in those horoscopes (!!!) the astro-logic of why their lives are being brought to light NOW by their relentlessly inquisitive American descendant. The horoscope lives forever…and I’ll be sharing a couple of these charts in my talk next Monday (via Zoom) at the London School of Astrology (open to the public, as you can see here).

But enough about me. Hopefully your takeaway here is a greater understanding of how astrology helps us appreciate why things happen when they do. When I consult with clients, I ask them to tell me what they see for themselves in the future, and then we discuss how the potential suggested by the patterns in their horoscope can help them realize their dreams.

And now…

Highlights this Week

• Mercury enters Aquarius on Monday
• Mercury conjunct Pluto on Monday
• Venus trine Uranus on Wednesday
• Mars sextile Neptune on Wednesday
• Sun squares Uranus on Thursday
• New Moon in Aquarius on Friday
• Mercury square Jupiter on Saturday

It goes like this:

• MONDAY: Mercury entered Aquarius at 12:10 AM ET, suggesting a collective need to think in intellectual, innovative humanitarian concerns, as opposed to Mercury in Capricorn’s need to think strategically for hierarchical purposes. Mercury leaves Aquarius on February 23rd. Meanwhile, at 6:55 AM ET, the Aquarius Sun was  in a cooperative flow (a sextile) with the Sagittarius Moon, which continues to reflect righteous boundary-pushing (border talk?) opinions and action through the day. At 7:57 AM ET, Mercury met up with Pluto, bringing us the results of ruthless fact-finding missions on matters of life and death. You are more personally affected by this conjunction if you are President Biden or anyone in the British Royal Family.  It may be a dreamy, foggy evening, reflecting the square between Moon and Neptune, exact at 12:07 AM ET on…
• TUESDAY. Chill during the seven-hour Moon void. At 7:08 AM ET, Moon shifts gears and enters Capricorn, now seeking to Make Things Happen. That goal has plenty to work with over the next few days. First, there is structural support from Those That Mean Business, reflected by the Moon’s sextile to Saturn at 7:18 PM ET, followed by a trine to Jupiter at 8:40 PM ET.
• WEDNESDAY: Second, unconventional alliances are supported throughout this day, as Moon meets up with Venus at 3:12 PM ET and trines Uranus at 3:18 PM ET. This is echoed by the actual trine between Venus and Uranus at 4:25 PM ET. Venus refers to women, money, art and social expression. Third — though this could be a slippery one — assertive action may be less inclined to be overtly aggressive, reflecting a sextile between Mars and Neptune, exact at 7:19 PM ET. On the one hand, charm — or perhaps music — could be an effective offensive strategy. On the other hand, fantasy or fanaticism may be involved. On the third hand, the sum of these patterns may well add up to great news for all of the unconventional women who rocked the Grammys last Sunday: Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Annie Lennox, and of course, TAYLOR SWIFT.  If you’re a night owl and a creative type, you may find inspiration via Moon’s sextile to Neptune at 2:29 AM ET on…
• THURSDAY: ...which is followed by an action-sparking meet-up with Mars at 2:52 AM ET. Chill during the six-hour Moon void. Fourth, the buzz that’s been in the background all week is a square between the Sun (leaders) and Uranus (disruption), exact at 5:45 AM ET. Upsets to the status quo are to be expected — watch the headlines for break-outs, break-up, rebels, seismic activity, astrology, aviation, and tech innovation. Stories from past squares between Sun and Uranus are here and here.
• THURSDAY (CONT): Moon enters Aquarius at 8:59 AM ET. East Coasters, if you slept through your alarm, you likely missed nothing of consequence during the void, but the intense buzz may not have dissipated yet. At 9:57 AM ET, a catharsis or power play comes courtesy of Moon’s meet-up with Pluto. Moon in Aquarius needs to network, intellectualize and innovate — so reach out to all your friends to accomplish you quest for world domination. A hint of the big news to come this weekend may be seen around 6:25 PM ET, as Moon meets up with Mercury and then squares Jupiter at 10:09 PM ET. Exuberance or over-confidence — what will it be?
• FRIDAY: We are in the dark of the Moon — the end of the lunar cycle. If you want to fly under the radar, this is the time to do it, as the lack of light from the Moon supports your clandestine agenda. Sometimes we may feel listless or restless on a New Moon, as we sense something new is going to begin, but we don’t know what it is. If that’s how you’re feeling, your malaise may be jolted around 3:35 PM ET, as the Moon squares Uranus. Surprise! That sense of disruption is what is likely being processed as the New Moon in Aquarius officially begins at 5:59 PM ET…and then goes void…for the next 14 hours. Avid Readers know that Moon voids suggest a higher than average probability of twists and flakes, and we are advised to stick to routine concerns. It is not the time for impulse purchases or for any action you hope will be of consequence. Crises may crop up that turn out to be much ado about nothing, and if that happens to you, just CHILL. Meanwhile, because there is so much news I want to cover today, I’m going to postpone writing about that chart until later this week.
• SATURDAY: Big news in the morning, perhaps — reflecting the square between Mercury and Jupiter, exact at 8:25 AM ET. Look to the media, sports, court opinions, higher education, and foreign affairs. At 8:42 AM ET, Moon enters Pisces, driving the weekend with a need for empathy, intuition, impressions and other intangibles. Gravitas graces the evening as Moon meets up with Saturn at 8:44 PM ET and then sextiles Jupiter at 10:04 PM ET.
• SUNDAY: Another day of going with the flow, and it’s a good one for gathering with friends — or meeting new ones. Moon sextiles Uranus at 3:05 PM ET and sextiles Venus at 11:31 PM ET, which means I’m betting that Taylor Swift will make it to Vegas from Tokyo in time for the Big Game. Humming in the background is a conjunction between Mars and Pluto — exact on Tuesday — which should supercharge the action on the field.

And now, the news.

It couldn’t have happened at a better time for those aforementioned unconventional women who rocked the Grammys last night:

• Tracy Chapman commanded authority — so apt for the completion of her second Saturn return! To me, that country cover of Fast Car sounds like fast food in comparison —  baked in a microwave, with a weird texture  and taste. Kudos to Chapman for reclaiming her power, voice, and original song. One of the rewards Saturn brings is the confidence that comes from knowing your  worth, just like she says in her song.  Here is her horoscope; with transiting Uranus conjunct her Venus, I predict a year of fresh starts.
  
• Joni Mitchell –– what’s not to love? Her Scorpio Sun has been in a rewarding phase in recent months, courtesy of transiting Jupiter, while her challenging t-square among Mars-Saturn (militant discipline) in “Both Sides Now” Gemini at the midpoint of Venus-Neptune  in Virgo (dreamy romance in search of perfection) opposing Moon in Pisces (which needs to work with impressions)  has been receiving inspiration from Neptune. Here is her horoscope.
• Annie Lennox — with Sun-Moon-Mercury conjunct in Capricorn, a dilettante astrologer might write her off as caring only about status and material goods — to the point of being soulless. That would be a foolish (if only because what it suggests about Capricorns, who are humans, after all — even if more curmudgeonly than some). Lennox’s Venus-Saturn conjunction in Scorpio is deep, loyal, and likely demanding, perhaps defense of a vulnerable Mars in Pisces Saturn. Together with Jupiter in Cancer square Neptune, it all cries out for soulful expression…seen here in a tearful tribute to Sinead O’Connor.
• Taylor Swift — can do whatever she pleases. I wrote about her horoscope in 2016 and in 2020, noting that she was likely to continue to expand her influence. In 2023, with her opinionated Sagittarius Sun receiving an empowering contact from Pluto, one tweet got 35,000 people to register to vote. Swift’s Sun rules her 9th house — she needs to be of influence and she needs a crusade. This year, Pluto’s empowerment graces her Venus (social expression, values, and aesthetics), whilst transiting Uranus supports innovative action and fresh starts. Last night she added to her collection of awards and announced a new album — The Tortured Poets Department — would be released in April. Elle has everything you need to know — including links — to Tay-Tay at the Grammys.

This is the perfect spot to share Beth Owl’s Daughter’s always-in-sync –Tarot Card of the Week.

In other news…

The U.S. economy continues to perform beyond expectations, with the sextile between Jupiter and Saturn now at quite possibly the closest it’s going to get since its exact sextile last June. This is one of the major patterns that reflects the stunning job numbers, market performance, etc. that came in last week. As I wrote last June, on the Summer Solstice:

Cooperation between Jupiter and Saturn suggests a balance between necessary controls and expansion, and we have several days to make the most of it. Where does 7 degrees of every sign fall in your horoscope? That’s where the seeds for solid structure may be planted, especially if you have something around 7 degrees of Pisces and Taurus.

In revisiting what I wrote back then about the chart for the Solstice, I see I’ve made a number of predictions for events happening later this month, for those who are interested. With respect to what happens next between Jupiter and Saturn, we’ll find out around August 19 and December 24, when they form the first two of three squares. Think of it as a First Quarter Moon phase in a dance that began on December 21, 2020. We can expect challenges and a need to make adjustments, and we’ll see what sticks when the third Jupiter-Saturn square happens in June 2025.

There’s much to say about other U.S. news, but Avid Readers have asked for commentary on the latest announcement from Buckingham Palace: King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer.  Kate, Princess of Wales also had a health issue last month, and so did Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Coincidence, conspiracy, or astrology?

First of all, I’ve said repeatedly that the horoscopes of the key players in the British Royal Family are all impacted by planets at 0 Aquarius. The Great Conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn on December 21. 2020 was at 0 Aquarius. Pluto hit 0 Aquarius for the first time last March, and for the second time on January 20.

• Queen Elizabeth had Sun at 0 Taurus — squared by Pluto on January 27, the day Uranus turned direct
• King Charles has Moon at 0 Leo — squared by Pluto on February 3rd for the first of three passes
• Prince William has Jupiter at 0 Scorpio — squared by Pluto TODAY for the first of three passes
• Prince William‘s  MC  is 2 Scorpio — squared by Pluto for the first of three passes on Feb 14, 2025

Given this and other significant patterns I see in their respective horoscopes, it would not surprise me at all if King Charles were to step aside and Prince William were to be crowned king in 2025. Patterns in the horoscope suggest significant change. However, there are plenty of other scenarios — some that are perhaps currently unimaginable — that would fall into the category of  “significant change.” Stick around, and by the end of 2025, we’ll find out what it is. Until then, my wish is that the treatment King Charles receives is successful, and that he spends the rest of his long life doing whatever pleases him most.

Meanwhile, I will be discussing upcoming developments in the horoscope of Queen Elizabeth in my presentation to the London School of Astrology. Yes, the school is charging non-students an admission fee, because they are paying an honorarium to the speakers, but the talk is open to the general public.

What’s going on in your horoscope? Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.

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