Monday 4/22/2024: Sneak Peek at the Week; Full Moon in Scorpio; Mars-Neptune Alert

Alllrighty then!

After weeks of intense planetary activity, we have a fairly rare week of no exact aspects among the planets, except to the Moon. Look to the Moon to drive the action all week — and let the chips fall where they may. Experience has shown that these weeks of no exact contact (except to the Moon) can reflect events as sudden and impactful as a ginormous shelf of ice crumbling into the sea.

Highlights this week:

• Full Moon in Scorpio on Tuesday
• Mercury direct on Thursday
• Mars conjunct Neptune NEXT Monday — but we’ll be feeling its potential focus on all things sexy and scandalous; mystical magical and fanatical as we roll into the weekend.

It goes like this:

• MONDAY: Moon in Libra drives the day with a need for fairness and balance, especially in the law and in diplomatic relationships. Fun Fact: The Libra Moon is right on the recently-eclipsed Jupiter of the only president ever to have the dubious honor of defending himself in a criminal trial, which started today. Moon opposes a riled-up Venus in warrior Aries at 7:24 PM ET, so unless you want to provoke your mother or some other significant woman in your life, make like a chicken and lay low. Chill during the 16-hour Moon void — which means rolling with whatever twists and flakes disrupt efforts to move forward in a straight line. Stick to routine concerns, and don’t make a mountain out of a molehill of crisis. Avoid major purchases.
• TUESDAY: The Moon void continues to be in effect until 11:19 AM ET, when Moon enters Scorpio. Gone is the focus on Moon-in-Libra social graces. Moon in Scorpio seeks depth and substance, consolidating knowledge for the sake of power and control. It’s a great day to call in the exterminator or nearly any kind of purge. Emotions are on the rise, as the Moon waxes to it fullness at 7:48 PM ET, illuminating matters involving mine-mine-mine vs. ours-ours-ours. Adding to the emotional intensity/ruthlessness is a square between Moon and Pluto, at 3:27 PM ET.

Here is the chart for the Full Moon in Scorpio, set in Washington, DC:

Observations:

• The Sabian Symbols for this Full Moon are: (for the Moon) “a massive rocky shore” and (for the Sun) “a widow at an open grave.”  Astrologer Blain Bovee notes that a massive rocky shore may seem like an impenetrable divide (separating land from sea), but the relentless force of the waves (water) will — over time — wear those rocks down into — get this — gravel. Thus, we have two Symbols conveying meaning that is pretty darn serious, yes? As for the grave, the fact that it is open suggests that its secrets are not yet buried. Bovee adds (for more, look here): “… no more stepping around realities…there is no escaping. And therefore, there is no time to fool around.”
• You are more personally affected by the illumination and release potential, likely involving grave concerns, if you have planets or angles around 5 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Off the top of my head, that includes Liz Cheney and Stormy Daniels (whose Moon is 4 Scorpio). Anyone whose horoscope was affected by the October 28, 2023 eclipse is affected by this Full Moon.
• It is quite striking to see the Moon and the Sun sitting exactly on the 4 Scorpio Ascendant and 4 Taurus Ascendant. Wow! In this chart, Moon rules the 9th house — publishing, legal opinions, foreign relations. The Moon in a mundane horoscope represents the people, and there We The People are, front and center. The Sun rules the 10th house in this chart — of leaders and public status,  and the Sun itself refers to leaders. It is literally a setting Sun…receiving a little bit of luck from a waspish Venus in Aries, the dispositor of the Part of Fortune, and ruler of the 7th house of partnerships. Hmm. What else do you see?

Back to the forecast:

• WEDNESDAY: Since the Full Moon, the Scorpio Moon will have traveled for nearly 24 hours before it finally makes contact by trine to Saturn, exact at 5:51 PM ET. This is an easy flow of energy for anyone consolidating information. Focus is on the agenda, as Mercury slows to a virtual standstill and prepares to turn direct at 8:54 AM ET on…
• THURSDAY. This change of Mercury’s direction may coincide with more than the usual communication/transportation disruptions, given that the Moon opposes Uranus and Jupiter at 6:25 AM ET and 7:54 AM ET, respectively. The Sabian Symbol for Mercury’s turnaround is “brownies dancing in the setting sun.” Setting sun? That’s intriguing, given the chart for the Full Moon, set in Washington. Blain Bovee tells us that this is an image of benevolent entities celebrating at the end of the day. Humans may be preparing to rest, but these nature spirits are just getting started. It is an image of repair and healing — and of letting the powers of nature do what needs to be done to clear out what is rotten, so that new growth can occur. The last time I wrote about this Symbol was in April 2019, when it represented that month’s New Moon in Aries.
• THURSDAY (CONT.): Action and spin drive the rest of the day, as Moon trines Mars at 2:25 PM ET and then connects with Neptune at 7:16 PM ET. Chill during the Moon void, which ends at 9:36 PM ET, when Moon enters high-flyin’ Sagittarius.
• FRIDAY: Days driven by Moon in Sag are apt for pushing boundaries and expressing righteous opinions. Other than a sextile to Pluto at 1:36 AM ET (which adds depth to any dirt-digging), the Moon runs wild through the day. Humming in the background is next Monday’s meet-up of Mars (action, anger, men) and Neptune (lies, illusions, idealism) in suffering succotash Pisces. It’s a perfect weekend for listening to the soundtrack of Billy!, a musical about a compulsive (but endearing) liar, brought to life in London’s West End by Michael Crawford. I saw it there back in the Stone Age. Some soundtracks stick with you forever, especially if you grew up in the time before 24/7 TV and the internet.
• SATURDAY: Whatever provocative spin is spun (encouraged by Mercury’s trine to the Moon at 3:59 AM ET), a dose of reality may kick in around 4:21 AM ET, reflecting Moon’s square to Saturn. Undeterred by the smackdown, the Moon in Sagittarius again runs wild through the rest of the day. Get out of that state you’re in; take in a foreign film; go for a walk in the woods. Your date night could be provocative, under the Mars-Neptune spell, not to mention a Moon-Mars square at 2:15 AM ET on…
• SUNDAY…followed by a lovely harmony between “nothing is impossible” Venus in Aries and Neptune. Rose-colored glasses are provided courtesy of Moon’s square to Neptune at 3:30 AM ET. Chill during the two-hour Moon void. At 5:37 AM ET, Moon enters Capricorn, now looking to Make Things Happen, supported by a trine to the earthy Taurus Sun, exact at 10:27 PM ET. Ohhhhhhhh but “what a tangled web we weave/When we first practice to deceive!” …and I’m typing that in honor of the Mars-Neptune conjunction in Pisces, exact at 12:30 AM ET on MONDAY. Mars conjunct Neptune in Pisces suggests themes of spiritual warfare or warriors; fanatical or sublime vision; scandal, drugs, charisma and music — to name a few. Here are some headlines from past Mars-Neptune in Pisces conjunctions. Here are some more. This one is especially significant because Mars and Neptune are at the verrrrrry end of Pisces, activating the Aries Point, thus demanding prominence. Not only that, but on Monday, Venus will be at the verrrrry end of Aries, rushing to get her Warrior Woman Agenda accomplished before she settles into Taurus and cools down later that day.

Here is Beth Owl’s Daughter’s always-in-sync Tarot Card of the Week. I was hoping it would have special gravitas (reflecting the patterns in Tuesday’s Full Moon), and it does.

And now, the news.

Predictions were made about the Big Fat Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction in Taurus, with action potential added by its sextile to Mars, not to mention the empowerment/power play potential among leaders and energy resources suggested by the Sun-Pluto square.

• “Lessons from a 20-Person Polycule“ — featured in the NYT Sunday Magazine, which never disappoints. Expansion/innovation in pleasures of the senses (with group-centric input from Pluto in Aquarius) indeed.
• Also in the NYT Magazine: “Can a sexless marriage be a happy one? Experts are challenging the conventional wisdom that sex is essential in relationships”
• Seismic activity and wild weather were anticipated. Would you settle for earthquakes on one of Jupiter’s moons? Thanks to Avid Reader Lucy for that one.
• Avid Reader Carole sent in news of the triple eruption of a volcano in Indonesia on Friday, along with a story about floods –– !!! — in Dubai.
• Less than 24 hours after Sunday’s Sun-Pluto square, it’s not surprising to see a lawsuit involving plutonium making news.
• Disruptive news in retail/fashion (Taurus), as the FTC sues to block the acquisition of Michael Kors by Tapestry (owner of Coach)
• Most-read story on The Guardian homepage concerns housing (a Taurus concern): “SCOTUS hears key case on homelessness”
• “The U.S. just changed how it manages 10% of its land“ — score an expansive win for Mother Earth. Heather Cox Richardson has more.
• Are we surprised that the House of Representatives got its act together and passed a number of foreign aid bills on the day of the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in material comfort and security-seeking Taurus? Heck, no.  As historian Heather Cox Richardson described it, “Suddenly, the dam broke.” A dam breaking is an apt image for the jackhammer potential of Uranus in Taurus. The bills passed included a critical package of assistance for Ukraine.
• Much is being written about House Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson’s apparent sudden turnaround/epiphany, since he’d been blocking the Ukraine bill for months. Why now? Remember that Johnson’s Uranus — an intense need for freedom of individuation — was hit by the Big Fat Solar Eclipse of April 8th, and this eclipse was activated by Mercury and Venus on April 17 and April 19, respectively.
• Much is also being written about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and what some are calling his “emergence as the shadow Speaker.” Note that Jeffries’ horoscope — what we know of it — was affected by the March 25 lunar eclipse, which fell on his Uranus. So we see a strong potential for him to lean into his maverick qualities…and note that his Uranus will be opposed by Mars on May 8. Also note that the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction was on his natal Saturn — his authority, ambition and need for necessary controls. We anticipate a rightness of purpose and innovative/disruptive potential.

Fun fact: the last time Jupiter and Uranus met up in Taurus was in May of 1941. In March 1941, Jupiter and Saturn met up in Taurus, and the technical term for that is “Great Conjunction.” Anytime Jupiter and Saturn conjoin (which they do about every 20 years), represents a new economic cycle. So…what happened back then? For one, on March 11, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the Lend-Lease Act, which “envisioned the U.S….as the “arsenal of democracy,” using its industrial and agricultural might to aid nations that stood against brutal Nazi aggression.” 

Meanwhile, here’s another person whose horoscope is affected by the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. Doesn’t matter that he’s dead. The horoscope lives forever!

• “The book Stanley Kubrick didn’t want anyone to read is about to be published.” Kubrick apparently couldn’t stand criticism, but the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction is right on his stubborn Mars in Taurus. When Pluto opposes his Leo Sun next year, he’ll be going through some things.

Don’t let this ginormous Mercury retrograde snafu happen to you:

• “Man billed $143,000 by T-mobile for using phone overseas”

Finally, the former president who nods off in court whilst standing trial on criminal charges did have an especially combative past week, as patterns in his horoscope suggested. He had to sit and listen to prospective jurors say unflattering things to his face, and his allies at the Faux News revealed so many tidbits about one prospective juror that they asked to be excused from the case. Opening arguments were set to begin today (Monday), sometime after 9:30 AM ET. And as I was researching this forecast, I kept an eye on the ever-changing horoscope set in Manhattan. I noted that Mars would be on the Midheaven around 10:30 AM ET and thought that felt appropriate for an attack. Lo and behold, the prosecuting attorney began his statement at 10:28 AM ET — and you can read the transcript of everything that was said right here.

Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Yes, I take horary questions, too — and I was delighted to hear from Avid Reader Barbara just moments ago that her missing wallet was found (as anticipated) near a piece of furniture that was upholstered (also anticipated). It went missing yesterday, but I didn’t think she’d find it until today. Astrology is amazing.

Thank you for supporting this forecast — and sharing it with friends.

Spring has sprung in Central Park.