Monday 7/22/2024: Sun in Leo, Empowered; Mercury in Virgo

Allllrighty then!

If you found time to read the forecast posted on Friday re: yesterday’s Full Moon in Capricorn, I hope it prepared you for Sunday’s extraordinary headlines. President Biden stepped aside, endorsing VP Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the Democratic slate. Harris will still need to win support from 1976 of the delegates attending her party’s convention next month, and as of 9 PM ET today, she has 1682, per Washington Post. True to the potential of Sunday’s exact planetary patterns, the disruptive news has been invigorating (Mercury square Uranus) and inspiring (Sun trine Neptune suggests vision, surrender, sacrifice and healing). Harris received tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions (Venus sextile Jupiter suggests generosity), and hundreds of endorsements (Mars trine Pluto suggests effective, forceful action).

Astrology is amazing.

[UPDATE: campaign contributions are now the highest ever received for a candidate in a 24-hour period: $81 million, one dollar for every person who voted for Biden-Harris in 2020, and outgrossing Twisters’ opening weekend].

Here are the highlights of what should be an easier-flowing, but no less energetic week, with a respite scheduled for the weekend, if you wish:

• Sun enters Leo on Monday
• Sun opposes Pluto on Tuesday
• Mercury enters Virgo on Thursday
• Sun sextiles Mars on Thursday

It goes like this:

• MONDAY: All hail the ingress of the Sun in regal Leo, the sign it rules. Now is the time to party and shine, shine, shine — and help others, shine, too. A jovial mood starts the day, as the humanitarian Aquarius Moon encourages unique individuals to rally for a common cause. Moon opposes Venus in Leo at 5:38 AM ET, which may be challenging for those who aren’t getting the love they feel they deserve. Here’s an example from The Guardian, “Key Democratic donors back Harris, but others warn against a ‘coronation.;” Don’t take it personally, says Moon in Aquarius. It’s really not about you. Humming in the background is the annual opposition between Sun and Pluto at 1:37 AM ET on…
• TUESDAY. This may be the first Sun-Pluto opposition with the Sun in the sign it rules, which grants dignity to leaders and expressions of will that are being empowered and/or transformed now. I think the Sun was in Cancer on last year’s opposition. Anyhoo…a surprise upset occurs in the wee hours, as Moon squares Uranus at 3:48 AM ET, with illuminating or further jarring news around 5:58 AM ET, as Moon opposes Mercury. FYI, Moon will be traveling this morning through the very end of Aquarius, activating the horoscopes of everyone who’s been affected this month by the now-infamous and convincing Mars-Uranus-Algol conjunction. Astronerds may appreciate this as a powerful argument for the U.S. Sibly chart (the horoscope widely used for the U.S.), with its Moon at 27 Aquarius. So…watch for any and all of these people to be making news: President Biden, VP Harris, Joe Manchin, the convicted felon and his running mate, Jim Jordan, Jim Comer, Taylor Swift, Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell…it just goes on and on.
• TUESDAY: Avid Readers on the East Coast can sleep in without penalty, as the Moon will be void for roughly three and a half hours, until it enters Pisces at 9:22 AM ET. Moon in Pisces heightens empathy and intuition, and it clashes with Mars at 12:35 PM ET. Translation: possible fightin’ words and wounded feelings…or…assertive speech advocates for an ideal.
• WEDNESDAY: Exuberance in the morning reflects the Moon’s square to Jupiter at 6:46 AM ET. Gravitas graces the afternoon, as Moon meets up with Saturn, demanding a plan and accountability.
• THURSDAY: Mercury is at the verrrry end of Leo today, right on the convicted felon and adjudicated rapist’s 29 Leo Ascendant and President Biden’s North Node. Words defending honor and integrity would be apt; peril to those seeking vengeance. We will revisit these words on August 13th and 14th, as Mercury is about to go retrograde. If the words don’t sink in then, we’ll get a third opportunity on September 8th and 9th, after Mercury turns direct. Note that Mercury entered its shadow phase on July 17th, so information, communication and contract negotiations done between then and September 11th are subject to review and revision.
• THURSDAY (CONT.): A dreamy morning, perhaps, as Moon sextiles Uranus at 6:19 AM ET and meets up with Neptune at 10:31 AM ET. After a 20-minute Moon void, the pace picks up as Moon charges into Aries, looking for a new initiative — not now, but RIGHT NOW.  Action flows easily today, aided by Moon’s sextile to Pluto at 12:13 PM ET, a trine to Sun at 4:28 PM ET and a sextile to Mars at 4:35 PM ET. Not only that, but at 10:32 PM ET (and in effect for a few days), Sun (willpower, leaders, the heart) is in a cooperative flow with Mars in Gemini. It may have been a provocative, assertive couple of days for President Biden and VP Harris, as Mars opposes Biden’s Sagittarius Ascendant (how he needs to be seen) and squares Harris’ Midheaven (her public status). On Sunday, Biden did say he and the VP would have more to say about his decision to step aside and endorse her as the nominee.
• THURSDAY:  Meanwhile, Mercury — how we need to think and communicate — improves in condition when it ditches Leo for Virgo. Now is the time for sorting and analyzing in exacting detail, at least until August 14th, when Mercury revisits Leo.
• FRIDAY: The me-me-me Aries drive receives buoyant support from harmonious contacts to Jupiter and Venus. Moon sextiles Jupiter at 9:15 AM ET and trines Vensu at 6:14 PM ET, just in time for Happy Hour. Cheers…and chill, chill, CHILL during the nice, long, 19-hour Moon void. Roll with the twists and flakes; take time to wander if you can. Crises that crop up during Moon voids are usually much ado about nothing. Avoid impulse shopping, as such purchases have a higher probability of not living up to expectations.
• SATURDAY: Moon enters Taurus at 1:22 PM ET, seeking to preserve material comfort and stability. Simple joys are on your agenda…or…if you must create a structure for ideas generated during the Aries Moon, Taurus Moon has your back. This day is not without some tensions, however. Moon square to Pluto at 2:40 PM ET suggests a catharsis or power play. Get the word out before 3:35 PM ET, when Moon trines Mercury. Late evening may feature stubborn resistance, as the Leo Sun’s need to rule is (squared) resisted by Taurus Moon’s preference for keeping things as they are, thank you very much. Remember these thoughts when you read about Michael Bloomberg in a few paragraphs.
• SUNDAY: Keep calm and carry on. If you’re working this weekend, your plan for advance may come together this evening, as Moon sextiles Saturn at 9:42 PM ET.

The relatively easy-flowing patterns this week are aptly applied reflected in Beth Owls Daughter’s always-in-sync, Tarot Card of the Week.

Finally…

Perhaps you are wondering how these patterns affect people who are not naturally making news. You know, ordinary people like you and me. Many thanks to Avid Reader Julia for remembering that I’d told her to watch events in President Biden’s life because her horoscope is receiving similar transits from Mars. Translation: explosive action, anger, assertion, accidents, and aggression are possible. Here’s what happened to Julia over the weekend…

I was making a batter in my blender yesterday and didn’t put my hand on it, and it blew up all over the kitchen. Then my second batch of batter melted in the microwave and blew up in that! I’m like ‘Ohhh-kayyyy.’

And then there were two shootings in the park in our neighborhood, and I captured video of people jumping into the lake to avoid being hit!!!

Anyway…I had a chuckle over my batter, and I’m thinking earlier about everything blowing up for Biden, ’cause he fumbled the debate and got Covid. Same planetary patterns for me — and I just had a good laugh.

It delights me to no end when I hear how a client’s awareness of planetary cycles helped them better manage expectations and emotional responses. It is helpful to know when Mars is active in your horoscope. I mark those dates in my calendar. If you’d like to do the same, but don’t have your own astrology software program, you can order a Your Year Ahead report, described here on my website — look under “Helpful Reports.” The report is not a substitute for a personal consultation, but it is a useful accessory — a handy reference to have.

And now, the news.

Experience has proven that it is rarely wise to overlook the horoscope of Nancy Pelosi. Even though hers was one of the first I wrote about for Mountain Astrologer, before her birth time was known (we think we now know it, and it does track well),  I neglected to review it before January 6th, 2021. If I had, I would have been alerted to the high probability of violence, as transiting Mars was activating her Saturn – Pluto square at 0 Taurus – Leo that week.

Off and on since 2023, Pluto — as you know — has crossing over 0 degrees Aquarius, and that’s where it is now.  Transiting Pluto in hard aspect to natal Pluto suggests empowerment in the extreme. Pluto in hard aspect to Saturn suggests an anguished effort against the threat of potential loss. Pelosi’s Saturn is right on President Biden’s Moon at 0 Taurus; Pluto squares it.  Yes, she can help him structure and empower his need to preserve the status quo…but she can just as easily block it and/or tear it down.

The birth time Astrodatabank has on file gives Pelosi a 27 (queenly) degree Leo Ascendant, squared by Mars-Algol in Taurus, conjunct her Midheaven. Transiting Mars and Uranus kicked her need to preserve her own vision of How Things Ought To Be into action last week…just look at this headline from July 18th:

• It’s Genuinely Surprising That Nancy Pelosi Is Pushing This Hard to Boot Biden

It’s not surprising at all.  If only the reporter had asked for an astrologer’s opinion. And there are more patterns in Pelosi’s horoscope that would make for excellent discussion, if a reporter realized that it was worthwhile.

Meanwhile…

Look at all these people whose horoscopes are being activated by Mars and Uranus at the end of Taurus, as anticipated!

• Joe Manchin — rumored that he might rejoin the Democratic Party and run against Kamala Harris over the weekend…but…oh…never mind. He has Sun at 0 Virgo; Venus-Mercury at end of Leo; North Node at 27 Taurus.
• West Wing scribe Aaron Sorkin pens NYT (obviously) op-ed imagining the Democrats nominating Mitt Romney as their candidate…and then retracts his wild idea. Romney has Moon-Jupiter at 27 Scorpio; Sorkin has Mars conjunct Uranus in Leo (a dramatic shocker, fer sure) widely opposing her Saturn at 29 Aquarius. Sorkin is now all-in for Kamala.
• Barack Obama has Uranus conjunct his North North in Leo, squaring a 28 Scorpio Midheaven. He’s a natural-born disruptor, and even more so these days, given that he hasn’t yet endorsed Kamala Harris’ candidacy. Transiting Pluto is on his Jupiter, suggesting extreme access to power and resources. Hmmm.
• Michael Bloomberg, who has Sun square Uranus at the end of Aquarius and Taurus, doesn’t think Democrats should rush to rally around Kamala Harris, and people like him are ones to watch when Mercury goes retrograde next week. I imagine he and his ilk might be making plans this weekend, while the rest of us take a well-earned respite.

As for Kamala Harris…

I wrote about her twice for Mountain Astrologer, and you can find those detailed essays in the archives of my website. When she became VP in 2021, we could appreciate how transiting Neptune reflected her apparent “vanishing act” initially. But as Neptune moved away from her Gemini Ascendant, Saturn moved to the top of her horoscope, suggesting she would arrive at a peak in her career. Transiting Pluto spent two years squaring her Libra Sun and Aries Moon. That can be empowering and transforming. Not only that, but she had her second Saturn return, suggesting a “new lease on life.”

Her campaign is off to a great start, reflecting the rush of energy contained in yesterday’s illuminating patterns. I am cautiously optimistic that she will prevail at the convention and prevail on Election Day. Caveats include multiple patterns which I won’t get into now. Could be disruptive; could simply affirm that she is represents the avant garde replacing the old guard. I love that her 2020 campaign slogan was “For the People,” and perhaps it was ahead of its time, given that Pluto was in Capricorn. So apt for Pluto “Power to the People” in Aquarius. Her Saturn is in Aquarius, too. She is here to help humanity.

The second week of August looks combative and streamlining for her.  The week of the convention looks good. I like the patterns in her horoscope on Election Day, and I am quietly smiling at what I see in her next solar return on October 20th. In general, I see her horoscope continuing to blossom, and prominently so. I admire how brilliantly she has lived out the potential in her horoscope and fulfilled the need of her Aries Moon to be the first in everything she does. Becoming the first woman president of the United States would be fulfilling indeed.

Some astrologers think that Gavin Newsom has a good chance of becoming her running mate, or even usurping her nomination for president. I’ve mentioned that when Pluto returns to Capricorn for its swan song on September 1st, we will see an urgency on the part of the old guard/patriarchy/corporate masters to hang on to control. Plus, the last time Pluto backed into Capricorn (it happened last year) a bridge on a major highway in Philadelphia collapsed. Pluto’s final ingress into Capricorn coincides with rebel Uranus turning retrograde, upping the odds of disruption. Random sidebar: the UK’s new PM, Keir Starmer, has a birthday is September 2nd. What a interesting solar return he has scheduled.

It’s true that Gavin Newsom’s horoscope — discussed many times here over the years — will have the first of three conjunctions of Jupiter on his Midheaven and square his Ascendant, with the former exact on Election Day. I think this bodes well for any team Newsom is backing, whether he is a candidate on the slate or not.

Ooh…here’s a fun “news from underground” story that reflects today’s Sun-Pluto opposition:

• ‘Dark oxygen’ in depths of Pacific Ocean could force rethink about origins of life.

In the hours I spent contemplating and crafting Friday’s forecast, I wrote up an analysis of J.D. Vance’s horoscope. But since we’re at over 2400 words now, and it feels right to pause now…and continue anon. It’s 9:46 PM ET…and apparently around 9:16 PM ET, Kamala Harris received enough pledges from delegates in the Democratic Party to clinch the nomination.  I remain cautiously optimistic in these all-too interesting times.

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When not indulging in my passion for the astonishing synchronicity of astrology, I make my living as a consulting astrologer. Here’s the 411 on how astrology can help people live life better.

“I just want to say thank you so much for your time this Sunday afternoon. That was enlightening, interesting and unbelievably accurate. My friend was right!”

Your mission during the Sun’s trek through Leo is to shine, shine, shine — and help others, shine, too.