Monday 5/20/2024: Sneak Peek at the Week; A Gemini Double Feature

Alllrighty then!

It’s still Monday, and at 8:59 AM ET, the Sun left Taurus and entered Gemini. sign of the Twins. So let’s send out TWO forecasts today, shall we? Here we go! I’m still using Mailchimp while I get the hang of using Substack, and I appreciate the encouragement received so far for the planned permanent change.

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Highlights this week:

• Sun enters Gemini on Monday
• Sun trines Pluto on Wednesday
• Venus conjunct Jupiter and sextile Neptune on Thursday
• Full Moon in Sagittarius on Thursday
• Venus enters Gemini on Thursday
• Jupiter sextiles Neptune on Thursday
• Venus trines Pluto on Saturday
• Jupiter enters Gemini on Saturday

Venus, Jupiter and Neptune are the star players, as the first two wrap up their stay in comfort-seeking Taurus, channeling as much vision/ideals from Neptune as possible. One shift we may notice right away as they enter Gemini is an uptick in people who are suddenly ready to talk. Also, things that may have been stuck, may suddenly move.

It goes like this:

• MONDAY: With the Sun in Gemini as of 8:59 AM ET, we note that clever communication of boatloads of information is what Gemini is designed to do — often while doing several other things at once (to keep from being bored or boring). If Taurus gives form to Aries’s initiatives; Gemini sells what Taurus builds and takes a commission.
• MONDAY: Moon is void in Libra until 6:34 PM ET, when it enters Scorpio. As I type, CNN’s Abby Phillips is covering the ongoing trial in Manhattan.  “It’s been a pretty long, meandering cross this morning from (defense attorney Todd) Blanche w/ (witness Michael) Cohen…” she tweeted. Long and meandering is an apt description of what we could expect during a Moon void. When the Moon does finally enter Scorpio, note the need for greater depth and substance, with an accompanying power play about 10:33 PM ET.
• TUESDAY: A clash of communication and/or information some may live to regret is what we may experience around 10:18 AM ET, as the Scorpio Moon opposes Mercury (how we need to think) in stubborn, earthy Taurus. Moon travels without interference for the rest of the day, possibly gathering a ton of intelligence that serves the Power That Be. How so? At 6:02 AM ET on…
• WEDNESDAY: …Moon trines Saturn, suggesting a Scorpio strategy may be easily structured and granted a measure of authority. We may hear of an initiative involving power, resources and a transformation among heads of state and business, as Sun trines Pluto at 11:13 AM ET. And what about YOUR plans for world domination? Patterns during this week suggest support for money and values, perhaps after a few unsettling illuminations, starting with the Moon’s opposition to rebel Uranus at 4:23 PM ET. Deal with the surprise upset, and note the possible tensions released around 3 AM ET on…
• THURSDAY…as Moon opposes Venus and Jupiter. Is this a face-off about “mine” vs. “ours”? Could be. Perhaps the tenacity of the Scorpio Moon melts a bit as it connects with Neptune by trine at 3:27 AM ET.  You won’t notice the 57-minute Moon void, but you may notice a building feeling of exuberance as the Moon enters Sagittarius at 4:24 AM ET, waxing to its fullness at 9:53 AM ET. Exuberance is also reflected by Venus meeting up with Jupiter at the verrrrrry end of Taurus (29 degrees) at 4:29 AM ET. There may be a sense of urgency about material comfort and security, as planets at the end of a sign often reflect. If you have planets around 29 degrees of just about any sign, how is your luck going this week? At 6:50 AM ET, Venus sextiles Neptune, seeking beauty, healing, and perhaps sweet music. Venus-Neptune patterns can foster a need to see everything in the best possible light, so put on your rose-colored glasses. Depth is added to the vision, as Moon sextiles Pluto, at 8:10 AM ET, seeking cooperation from the Powers That Be. And this is the set-up for the Full Moon in Sagittarius, exact at 9:53 AM ET.

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

Observations:

• Having written about the horoscope of King Charles in the last forecast, the first thing I see is that the Midheaven is 13 Aries — same as the King’s — with the North Node right on top of it. Publicity and positive growth for the leader of the U.S., perhaps? Growth for a North Node in Aries = courage and a pioneering initiative.
• Big pile-up of planets at the end of Taurus in the 11th house, area of administrative bodies and groups of like-minded souls. An urgency about material comfort and/or preserving the status quo, especially since Things May Change.  Venus and Jupiter are so close to the Sun that they are blinded by that light; arguably what they represent may not be readily apparent.
• The Sabian Symbols for this lunation are “two men playing chess” (for the Moon) and “the Garden of the Tuileries” (for the Sun). The Garden of the Tuileries was last written about on the Gemini New Moon of 2020.  How interesting that we have an opportunity now for illumination on what was going on back then.
• Blain Bovee tells us that the Garden of the Tuileries is “an image of royal palatial remains, open to the public.” The palace in question was burned down in 1781 during the Commune of Paris, which was an organization that seized control of the government during the French Revolution. Their principles were “in direct contrast to the laws and order of the status quo,” says Bovee. Hmm. French Revolution…and we now have Pluto in “power to the people” Aquarius, where it was at the time of the French Revolution?  Based on Bovee, we could surmise that this Full Moon may illuminate a conflict seeded four years ago between established rules of order and forces determined to turn the rules — and perhaps the U.S. flag — upside down.
• Bovee reminds us that chess is the “game of kings,” and that the origin of the word chess — esches — is an interjection warning an opponent of impending danger.  Chess is a game that calls for intelligence, strategy and creativity (says Bovee) — but only if you play by the rules. Bovee offers more here.  Over the next two weeks in the U.S., we will see if the man who appeared to freeze for a full 30 seconds when his teleprompter failed  is subject to certain rules, according to verdicts and other court opinions. Over the weekend, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) wouldn’t commit to accepting the 2024 election results.  Neither would Senator Ron Johnson (R-Moscow). Hmm.
• If you have a planet or angle around 2 degrees of Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo or Pisces, you are more personally affected by this Full Moon. Off the top of my head that includes President Biden, VP Harris, Mitch McConnell, and Mitt Romney.

Meanwhile…

• THURSDAY (cont.): Venus enters Gemini at 4:30 PM ET, valuing diversity and clever conversation in social expression. How many flirtations would you like to have between now and June 17th, when Venus enters Cancer? Go for it. Meanwhile, at 5:44 PM ET Jupiter — symbol of reward and expansion — sextiles Neptune, symbol of intangibles. This is a significant marker in the cycle that began on April 12, 2022, when Jupiter and Neptune were conjunct at 24 Pisces. Back then I wrote:

A pause, while we review the potential of this pattern, which has not happened since 1856. A notable development during that time was the rise of Spiritualism, especially in America.

In the language of astrology, Jupiter refers to growth, optimism and fortune. It refers to collective belief systems, publishing, religious dogma, court opinions, horses, the liver and the pancreas, etc., etc. Jupiter expands whatever it touches; Neptune dissolves whatever it touches, including boundaries and solid form. Neptune refers to spirits of all kinds, drugs, toxins, chemicals, oceans, dreams and fantasy; photography, music, the lymph system, and the woo-woo.

Jupiter and Neptune function with high-efficiency in Pisces, as they are both rulers of this sign. The keyword for Pisces is I BELIEVE. And what Pisces believes is whatever it feels. Facts really do not enter into the equation. So the upside of Jupiter-Neptune in Pisces is  powerful opportunity to plant seeds for making a dream come true — that could be realized a few years from now. An enlightened Pisces dream would involve empathy, compassion and the wisdom of understanding that we are all connected. The shadow side of Jupiter-Neptune in Pisces is belief in flat out lies – i.e., propaganda, disinformation and conspiracy theories. These are not dreams. These are delusions. Watch the headlines today for important clues in this new Jupiter-Neptune cycle.

…and FWIW, here are headlines from the week of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. Let’s see if any of them advance to a new stage of development soon.

• FRIDAY: Moon in Sagittarius drives the day with a need for righteous opinion (not facts, which are Gemini’s purview). Boundary-pushing actions are favored. Take a gambol or a gamble — whatever broadens horizons. Impulsive actions and assertion may get a necessary correction, courtesy of  Moon’s square to Saturn at 2:29 PM ET. Make the adjustment and go with the flow suggested by Moon’s trine to Mars at 2:36 PM ET.  For anyone whose horoscope was affected by the April 8th total eclipse, note that Mars will arrive at the degree of that eclipse — 19 (plus 24 minutes of arc) right around 9 PM ET. A surge of action or assertion would not be unexpected, perhaps even a few days beforehand, given how Mars in Aries needs to be ahead of the curve.
• SATURDAY:  Money, women, art, and social expression gain depth, power, and greater resources, reflecting the trine between Venus and Pluto, exact at 7:16 AM ET. Note your dreams upon waking; Moon’s square to Neptune at 10:47 AM ET may open channels. After a 48-minute Moon void (you won’t notice it), Moon enters Capricorn at 11:35 AM ET, now seeking to Make Things Happen, with no interference from any other kid in the cosmic sandbox.
• SATURDAY: At 7:14 PM ET, Jupiter, planet of reward, expansion, and All Things Big — leaves Taurus and enters Gemini, where it will be until June 10, 2025. Thus we can expect reward and expansion (for better or worse) in all matters ruled by Gemini, e.g., words in spoken and written form, trivial pursuits, sales, marketing, multi-tasking, anything that come in pairs or has a double quality; working with one’s hands; handicrafts. Old-time astrologers would say that Jupiter is not at its best in Gemini because it blows up small details at the expense of seeing the big picture. I’ll have more to say about Jupiter’s trek through Gemini in the next forecast, but one point of contemplation for now is to think back to 2022 and the seven months Mars spent in Gemini. With Jupiter now following in Mars’ footsteps, we anticipate an expansion in matters that cropped up during that time.
• SUNDAY: Moon in Capricorn is supported by the sensible mindset of Monday’s exact sextile between Mercury and Saturn. Moon trines Mercury at 4:48 PM ET and sextiles Saturn at 8:33 PM ET. If you’re putting together something from Ikea, chances are good that you read and understood the directions. Hopefully your assembly was completed before the outburst potential of the Moon’s square to Mars at 11:36 PM ET.

Here is Beth Owlsdaughter’s always-in-sync Tarot Card of the Week. Last week’s card was The Hermit, FYI.

And now, the news.

This seems like an apt obituary for Venus and Jupiter at the verrrrrry end of Taurus:

• “Ivan Boesky, inspiration for ‘Wall Street‘ villain Gordon Gekko, dead at 87.” Fictional character Gekko famously said, “Greed is good.”

On Wednesday, the First Quarter Moon was expected to be challenging for many U.S. politicians who have planets around 27 Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio and Leo, including TFG and President Biden.

• “Biden and [TFG], trading barbs, agree to two presidential debates in June and September”

Last Thursday, the Sun (leaders) was conjunct Algol and Jupiter; Mars was running wild in Aries; Mercury was squaring Pluto. That’s a recipe for leaders losing their heads against a backdrop of ruthless and extreme communication. Moon was running wild in Virgo, trying to make things right.

During the day, ten MAGA congresspersons mostly wearing blue suits, white shirts, and red ties traveled from DC — presumably at taxpayers’ expense — and held a press conference outside a Manhattan courthouse. There, they said things their cult leader can’t because he’s under a gag order, and Heather Cox Richardson has the details. 

That evening, the House Oversight Committee experienced an Aries-driven outburst, involving Marjorie Taylor Greene (Venus in Aries square Uranus), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Moon in Aries) and Jasmine Crockett (Sun-Venus-Mars in Aries, opposing Jupiter-Saturn in Libra, all impacted by the March 25 lunar eclipse….and I told Avid Readers months ago to keep an eye on Crockett). Watching the video, I can’t tell who told Crockett to “calm down,” but this is never a good thing to tell an Aries. Just don’t do it.

Elsewhere…

•  “Bright green fireball lights up the skies over Portugal and Spain”  on the Venus-Uranus conjunction, “stunning” onlookers. Surprise!
• “‘More like therapists’: adult virgins turn to Nevada brothels for sex – and healing” — also Venus-Uranus, with the compassionate healing element sponsored by Saturn and Neptune in Pisces
• “Dutch woman, 29, granted euthanasia on grounds of mental suffering”. It’s complicated.

With Venus and Jupiter together in Taurus, a focus on food — especially sugar — is timely. Thanks to the Guardian for these PSAs:

• “What are those weird ingredients in our favorite US packaged foods?”
• “Ultra-processed US foods are bad for you. Here’s what to know”

Finally…

…because we always aim to end on an uplifting note…

…did you see the clip of Heart performing Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors? Heart is on tour, so any excuse to generate publicity makes sense, but gosh, what an apt reflection of the weekend’s planetary patterns (Sun conjunct Jupiter in Taurus sextile Neptune (music and mysticism); Venus conjunct Uranus in Taurus). This clip was all over Twitter, and Greg Olear wrote about it in his Sunday Substack post (this is where you’ll find the clip), which you simply must read for many reasons, not the least of which is his argument that the lyrics of Stairway to Heaven could correspond to a Tarot card reading. Paging Beth Owlsdaughter — what do you think?

Here is the 411 on personal consultations. Astrologers are like dentists, doncha’ know. It’s good to check in with us every six months to a year.

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A pair of twins traveling among the stars.