Monday 7/8/2024: Sneak Peek at the Week; New Moon in Cancer

Allllrighty then!

Thanks for being here. I appreciate your interest in my ongoing effort to present the astro-logic of current events, in the hopes that we may find some comfort in understanding that there is order in seemingly-random chaos. There are multiple speed bumps, wild cards, and power plays on the cosmic calendar for the rest of July. One challenge for us humans is to avoid rushing to judgement about whether an upset is good or bad.

The parable of the Chinese farmer, credited on this website to philosopher Alan Watts, is worth committing to memory:

Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”

The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”

The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad — because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.

Note that the events the Chinese farmer does not judge are also ones he can’t control. Planetary patterns are beyond our control, too, though we can learn to work with them to maximize potential and minimize mental/emotional freakouts in these interesting times.

Highlights this week are:

• Venus sextiles Uranus on Monday
• Mercury sextiles Jupiter on Monday
• Sun trines Saturn on Wednesday
• Venus trines Neptune on Thursday
• Venus leaves Cancer and enters Leo on Thursday
• Venus opposes Pluto on Friday
• Mars meets up with Uranus and Algol next Monday. This is a major wild card, and its disruptive buzz is likely to show up over the weekend.

Before I get into the daily forecast, here is the chart for last Friday’s New Moon in Cancer, exact at 6:57 PM ET.

Observations:

• Moon functions well in Cancer, the sign it rules. Now is the time to plant seeds for greater emotional and/or homeland security, i.e., core foundational concerns. Where is your home? Are you standing on solid ground? Tell me about your family, your mother, your ancestors. How are you being nourished and nurtured? How are you nurturing others?
• Speaking of others, Moon in the 7th house suggests that for the United States, seeds will be planted in matters of significant others, for better or for worse. In your own horoscope, look to the house that contains 14 degrees of Cancer for guidance. Better yet, make an appointment with your local astrologer if you’re feeling lost.
• The strong achievement potential of this New Moon is reflected by the easy flow among multiple planets.  Venus sextile Uranus facilitates reaching across the aisle; Mercury sextile Jupiter expands the reach of the message; Sun trine Saturn pulls the structure together. A sextile between Sun and Mars in Taurus may not be the most elegant expression of action and assertion, but it holds its ground.
• I told you last week that the Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is “a group of people who have overeaten and enjoyed it.” The deeper message, according to Sabian sage Blain Bovee, seems to be “relax…don’t worry…be happy.”
• You are more personally affected by this New Moon if you have planets or angles around 14 degrees of Cancer, Capricorn, Aries, or Libra. That includes the United States and George W. Bush.

Soon after researching the Sabian Symbol, this famous exchange between Elizabeth Willing Powel and 81-year-old Ben Franklin crossed my news feed. Powel was a highly influential socialite, married to Philadelphia’s mayor. The exchange occurred during the Constitutional Convention, reportedly on September 18, 1787. 

“Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”

“A Republic if you can keep it,” said Franklin.

“And why not keep it?”

“Because the people, on tasting the dish, are always disposed to eat more of it than does them good. The first man put at the helm will be a good one. Nobody knows what sort may come afterwards.”

Food for thought.

On to the daily forecast!

• MONDAY: Moon is in Leo, seeking applause for the success of its cooperative efforts. At 7:04 AM ET, Venus sextiles Uranus, facilitating innovation and unconventional alliances. At 10:26 AM ET, Mercury sextiles Jupiter, helping to get the word out. Moon square Mars at 5:17 PM ET alerts us to a potential outburst, perhaps a regal demand for recognition that clashes with another’s desire to defend the status quo. Watch the action this evening, especially around 2:03 AM ET on…
• TUESDAY…when Moon squares rebel Uranus. We may be getting a sneak peek of next Monday’s meet up of Mars and Uranus. Whatever the disruption, note that the Moon will be void for the next eight hours. Stick to routine concerns (if you’re still awake), and don’t make a mountain of crisis out of a molehill. Chill! At 9:47 PM ET, Moon enters Virgo, determined to humbly put everything back in order, precisely detailed, preferably in perfect condition. This need may run away with the day (everyone’s a critic!), as Moon travels without interference until 6:07 AM ET on…
• WEDNESDAY… when it squares Jupiter in blah blah blah Gemini. The day begins on a confident note, with TMI at no extra charge. A need for a perfect union continues, and with a trine (easy flow) between the Sun (will power, leaders) and Saturn (structure, strategy, controls) exact at 11:04 PM ET, efforts are likely to deliver results. This may be an illuminating evening at the White House, as the Moon connects with President Biden’s Midheaven (professional status). Caveat: at 12:26 AM ET on…
• THURSDAY…Moon opposes Saturn. Detailed analysis, at the expense of sensitivity? An authoritative advance for the sake of getting it right? Action is supported by a sextile to the Sun at 12:34 AM ET, followed by a trine to bullheaded Mars at 8:51 AM ET. Venus is now at the verrrry end of Cancer, and we may see matters involving money, women, aesthetics and how they maintain emotional and family security at a crisis point. Soulful waves of empathy, coupled with a desire for reconciliation may be expressed, as Venus trines Neptune, exact at 10:32 AM ET. Then, at 12:18 PM ET, Venus ditches the Cancerian sensitivity for Leo, which comes with a crown and regal robes, preferably in gold lame. Party on down and let the drama queens reign until August 4th.
• THURSDAY SIDE NOTE: it’s July 11th, the day the convicted felon was supposed to be sentenced after a jury convicted him of 34 crimes, but that was postponed after SCOTUS declared his “official acts” to be above the law, meaning 1) that he can’t be prosecuted for crimes committed within the scope of an official act; and 2) nothing done within that scope can be used as evidence to prove crimes committed in an “unofficial act.” So now Judge Merchan has to sort it all out, and the sentencing is now scheduled for September 18th.  The convicted felon is nevertheless scheduled for a provocative 48 hours, as Mars connects with his Midheaven. He’s on the attack or being attacked — and maybe a bit of both. Meanwhile, note that Mars will square his Mercury (how he needs to think and communicate) on September 18th — also a provocative pattern.
• THURSDAY (cont) : Meanwhile, the Virgo Moon still seeks perfection, possibly with the help of a coalition, as it trines Uranus at 2:20 PM ET. Clearly-defined lines may fade as evening approaches, as Moon opposes Neptune as 9:54  PM ET. Make sure the message was received as intended, as its chances of attracting attention are higher than average. At 10:06 PM ET, Moon shifts gears into Libra, now focused on partnerships, the fairer, the better. A sextile to Venus at 11:14 PM ET adds appeal, and a trine to Pluto at 12:24 AM ET on…
• FRIDAY: …adds depth, as does the opposition between Venus and Pluto, exact at 10:11 AM ET. This suggests obsessions, purges and other extremes of emotion, especially in matters involving money, women and art. Let’s see how the markets respond. Here’s what was happening earlier this year, when Venus was conjunct Pluto. Illumination on what was making news back then would not be surprising. The work week ends on a upbeat note, as Moon trines Jupiter at 7:58 PM ET.
• SATURDAY: An ease of communication starts the day, as Moon sextiles Mercury at 8:18 AM ET. Adjustments may be required as the First Quarter Moon in Libra at 6:48 PM ET presents a diplomatic challenge in matters of home and homeland security. Chill during the ensuing 16-hour Moon void, which means rolling with twists and flakes that may disrupt efforts to move forward in a straight line.
• SUNDAY: Moon enters Scorpio at 10:52 PM ET, demanding a consolidation of knowledge for the sake of control. An overt power play may arise around 1:01 PM ET, as Moon squares Pluto. A clash of values or intense indulgence is suggested around 6:54 PM ET, as Moon squares Venus. Extra awareness is advised if you’re in transit this weekend,  as the meet-up between Mars, Uranus and Algol at 10:04 AM ET on…
• MONDAY (7/15): …suggests shocks to the system, including accidents. Upside: innovation in technology, including outer space (thinking of those astronauts who are currently stuck in space). You are more affected by this personally if you have planets or angles around 26 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Aquarius, and Scorpio. Off the top of my head this includes, Taylor Swift, President Biden, Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron, the United States, the man who claims to know nothing about Project 2025 and its detailed outline for destroying American democracy (even though he’s reportedly mentioned over 300 times in its 900+ page operating manual), plus a truckload of U.S. politicians who will likely make news next week.

Here is Beth Owl’s Daughter’s always-in-sync Tarot Card of the Week.

And now, the news.

Writing this forecast is a lengthy process, and I started writing this one on Sunday (yesterday). It was delightful to review what astrology had in store, i.e.:

SUNDAY (7/7):The word that gets out later in the day may be less controlling and more accepting than the messages that came in at the end of last week and the start of this one. Moon meets up with Mercury at 4:23 PM ET, followed by a buoyant sextile to Jupiter at 6:18 PM ET. Why? Because on Monday morning, Venus and Uranus will be in an easy connection, and these patterns suggest unconventional alliances and humanitarian endeavors. Mercury and Jupiter will be in a similar pattern (a sextile)…

…which was reflected by:

• “Surprise win for leftwing alliance predicted in France in post-election exit poll”  — blocking Putin-Trump fangirl Marine Le Pen and her National Front Party, which came in third.  Emmanuel Macron’s challenges are far from over, however, as disruptive and streamlining patterns in his horoscope will kick in starting next summer.

In other news…

• Fun fact: in the horoscope of Queen Elizabeth, we see the same disruptive pattern in effect this summer, continuing into April 2025. A shake-up in family or homeland matters would be anticipated, and isn’t it interesting that Britain’s Conservative Party lost its majority rule to the Labour Party “in a landslide” in the July 4th general election. The horoscope is a reliable timing tool, whether you’re dead or alive.
• The new British PM is Keir Starmer, and in what we know of his horoscope  why he would be in an expansive and empowered position, especially now. Starmer is a Virgo, with his Sun in a close conjunction with Pluto, opposed by Jupiter. This opposition is squared by transiting Jupiter now.
• Meanwhile, voters in Iran have just elected a new president. Masoud Pezeshkian is the former cardiac surgeon and health minister who defeated his hard-line conservative opponent. Pezeshkian wants to be a reformer, hoping to end Iran’s current isolated status quo. He’s a Libra, with Moon in either Libra or Scorpio, with Mercury at 0 degrees of Scorpio, currently squared by transiting Pluto. Translation: potential for extremely empowered and persuasive thought and communication. It was fascinating to read his bio and learn that, like President Biden, Pezeshkian’s wife and youngest son were killed in a car accident decades ago.

Speaking of President Biden…

He is a Scorpio with Mercury, Venus, and Mars in Scorpio, and Pluto in Leo, driven by Moon in Taurus. These six planets are in Fixed Signs, which means we expect them to stay the course. Moon in Taurus is resistant to change! A Taurus Moon needs needs needs to build material comfort and security, and Biden’s Moon is being supercharged in the extreme by transiting Pluto, which is currently right on top of his Moon.

Plus, with his presumed opponent (the convicted felon who recently called for Liz Cheney to be tried for treason in a televised military tribunal), it’s arguably a fated connection — instantly seen when we look at patterns connecting their respective horoscopes. Quitting the race isn’t an option, no matter how much of a squeeze we see in other patterns active in President Biden’s cosmic calendar. It would take an irresistible force to push the immovable object out of the race.

Biden has been operating under a pattern of high idealism in recent months, and that pattern crests on the 11th (Wednesday), as noted in the daily forecast. We see seeds planted with a righteous sense of purpose and zeal, as he seeks to expands the structures his administration has put in place over the past three years. What could stop him?

There is another pattern I’ve mentioned before, and its intensity depends on the exact minute of his birth. If the actual birth time is off by even a minute from the published time, a few key patterns will kick in a few months earlier or later. One pattern suggests a compelling need to shore up one’s personal and/or core family foundation. Domestic concerns may need attention, and balancing them with professional obligations may create tension. One obvious manifestation of this pattern was his son Hunter’s trial, right? Imagine how painful this must have been — and will continue to be, as there is a second trial scheduled this fall.

Another pattern also suggests streamlining, strategy, and/or necessary controls, and this second pattern could reflect diminished vitality, especially for a man who is as old as Ben Franklin was when he helped draft our Constitution.

Not being a professional psychic, I can’t claim to know the exact details of how the next several months will unfold. But we can use awareness of planetary cycles to anticipate when we are most likely to see provocative action or assertion. So…after the 11th of July, we’re looking at July 17 -18 (Mars will be at the verrry end of Taurus), and July 24-25 (Mars squares Biden’s Ascendant and Uranus), give or take a day. These dates are hot in Kamala Harris’ horoscope, too. We’ll see where we are then.

The action on July 17-18 may recall what was going on in March, when Mars was traveling through the last degrees of Aquarius, and the Republicans on the Oversight Committee were holding bogus impeachment hearings. This time, they’ll be in Milwaukee for a convention.

FYI, I wrote articles about Biden and Harris for Mountain Astrologer in May 2o21. I wrote about Biden in March 2o20 and Harris in June 2019.

Much more to say, but for now, I leave you with a possible coping strategy for feeling stuck or anxious. Ready?

Yesterday I asked a 20-something what he thought about the Supreme Court declaring last Monday that crimes committed by the President as part of an “official act” were immune from prosecution. He hadn’t heard about it. So I repeated myself, and asked if he recalled from history classes that one of America’s founding principles is that no one is above the law. Yes, he absolutely recalled it.

“That’s CRAZY that they (SCOTUS) did this!”

And so I told him about the impact of last Friday’s Chevron decision, and I explained the concept of legal precedent (which he didn’t know about), and how SCOTUS not only 1) rolled back 40 years of precedent in the Chevron case (and hundreds more in the presidential immunity case); but 2) gave themselves (judges) the power to decide regulatory matters, as opposed to experts in our non-partisan federal agencies. And then I asked if he’d heard of Project 2025 and how it could impact social safety net programs, e.g., Social Security.

“My parents are on Social Security!” he said.

Indeed.

I encouraged him to research Project 2025…and I encouraged him to read historian Heather Cox Richardson’s daily summaries.

“Thank you for telling me what the Supreme Court did. I had no idea!”

There is hope.

Now I have to make sure he’s registered to vote.

Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.

Thank  you for reading, supporting, sharing, restacking, and liking this forecast.

…and then you’ll be sorry.

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