…and….we’re off to the races again.

[Good grief, I set this to ship hours ago, but neglected to fully execute the SEND on Mailchimp. Apologies for the inconvenience!]

Highlights this week:

• Sun opposes Neptune on Tuesday.
• Sun trines Pluto on Thursday.
• Sun enters Libra — happy Autumnal Equinox — on Saturday.

That’s it. It goes like this:

• MONDAY: Moon entered Scorpio at 12:58 AM ET, driving the start of the work week with a need for depth and substance, consolidating knowledge for the sake of power and control. A trine (harmony) to Saturn at 5:18 AM ET offers structure, facilitating your quest for world domination. Word gets out around 5:52 PM ET, as Moon sextiles Mercury.
• TUESDAY: Moon opposes Jupiter at 6:15 AM ET, suggesting headlines involving stubborn overconfidence, perhaps later regretted, as the regretful party may have bitten off more than they can actually chew. We can appreciate a bit (!) of magical thinking, given the Sun’s annual opposition to Neptune at 7:17 AM ET. Sun refers to ego expression and leaders; Neptune refers to smoke and mirrors, spirits of all kinds, forgiveness, scandal, surrender, music, oil, poison, oceans, drugs, etc. etc — so watch for those themes in the news. You are more personally affected by this pattern if you have planets around 26 degrees of Pisces, Virgo, Gemini, and Sagittarius. Fun fact: President Biden will be giving a speech to world leaders at the United Nations in New York  — though many world leaders won’t be attending. Ukraine’s President Zelensky arrived on Monday, and visited Ukrainian soldiers in a hospital on Staten Island.
• TUESDAY: A clash of values — or more indulgence — is suggested around 8:29 AM ET, as Moon squares Venus — still in regal Leo. Moon travels without interference for most of the rest of the day, opposing Uranus at 8:46 PM ET –– surprise, surprise. If you’re a night owl, the upset to the status quo may be inspirational, and innovative ideas may flow into the wee hours on…
• WEDNESDAY…as Moon trines Neptune, sextiles the Sun and sextiles Pluto — all between 3 AM ET and 6:30 AM ET. If you slept through the night, note your dreams upon waking. East Coasters can take it slow this morning, given that the Moon will be void for 3 1/2 hours, starting at 6:21 AM ET. You know the Moon void drill: roll with the twists and flakes; don’t make a mountain out of a molehill; avoid impulse purchases and any other activity you hope will be of consequence. Stick to routine concerns and CHILL if you can. At 10:05 AM ET, Moon enters Sagittarius, facilitating righteous opinions seeking to be of influence. Note that with Saturn now back in early Pisces, the usual boundless enthusiasm of the Sag Moon may be controlled by a square to Saturn, exact at 1:57 PM ET. Cuts and losses? An ambitious authoritarian advance? Power, breakdown, and transformation may be involved, reflecting the Sun’s trine to Pluto, exact at 1:20 AM ET on…
• THURSDAY.  Note that a year ago, in a week with Sun opposing Neptune, followed by Sun trine Pluto, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth was televised around the world. This day begins with news that seeks to refine the broad strokes the Sagittarius Moon is more inclined to paint. Mercury in perfection-seeking Virgo squares Moon at 5:12 AM ET. The rest of the day flows freely and easily, as Moon sextiles Mars at 4:12 PM ET, and trines Venus at 6:25 PM ET. Note that the Virgo Sun is now in the last degrees of its sign, liking shining a spotlight on leaders — and people with planets and angles at 28-29 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces (e.g., off the top of my head, Liz Cheney, Alexei Navalny).
• FRIDAY: Note your dreams upon waking. Moon squares Neptune at 9:37 AM ET, offering inspiration. The First Quarter Moon happens at 3:31 PM ET with Sun — and now, Moon — at the verrrry end of their respective signs (Virgo and Sagittarius), so we may notice a sense of urgency about generating enthusiasm for a program or policy intended to separate the wheat from the chaff. At 4:20 PM ET, Moon enters Capricorn, on a quest to administer progress on the Big Idea, supported by a sextile to Saturn (authority; structure), exact at 7:44 PM ET. Enjoy the last full day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
• SATURDAY: Sun enters Libra at 2:49 AM ET. Happy Autumnal Equinox…a perfect balance between day and night.

A pause, while we discuss the significance of this change of seasons.

Libra is an airy, mental sign, generally concerned with relationships, social graces and with promoting fairness, justice and balance. Its ruling planet is Venus, which can be oh-so-sweet and socially gracious. Libra’s mantra is: I BALANCE. This does not mean Librans are balanced; it means they generally are seeking balance and are quite capable of swinging back and forth wildly as they search for it.

Did you know that Fox News (motto: “fair and balanced”) launched under a Libra Sun? If you’re now thinking “wow, there must be a lot more to a horoscope than just a Sun Sign,” I commend you. And that’s another  compelling reason why you should get to know your horoscope. Or have a professional explain it to you.

As sweet as Libra can be, they are not marshmallows. The term “iron fist in a velvet glove” often applies. Jimmy Carter is a Libra. So was Margaret Thatcher, a.k.a. The Iron Lady. So is VP Kamala Harris.

The Sun’s ingress into Libra means that it’s the first day of fall. Did you know that the Sun is considered to be in its fall when it’s in Libra? In the language of astrology, when a planet is in fall, it means it is traveling through a sign that is not compatible with the planet’s essential nature. The Sun is all about ego recognition, around which everything (and everyone) revolves. It needs to be this way. But Libra needs to be focused on WE, not ME. Maybe that’s why one of Libra’s traits — according to pop astrology —  is indecisiveness. The Sun also refers to heads of state and CEOs.

In other news, here’s what you need to know about the first day of any season  — i.e., equinoxes and solstices — from an astrological point of view. The first days of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter correspond with the first day (or first degree) of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, respectively (there are thirty degrees in each sign of the zodiac). Got that? Good.

These four signs are called cardinal signs. Cardinal signs initiate. They come up with the idea and put it into action, which leads to necessary change. “Cardinal” suggests (from the Latin root of the word), “that on which something turns or depends.”  So the first day/degree of a Cardinal sign is a turning point. In astrology, the technical term for the first degree of any Cardinal sign is the “Aries Point”, just to confuse people who are not professional astrologers. In other words, the first day of Cancer, Libra, Capricorn and Aries is the Aries Point. The first day of Taurus (and the rest of the signs) is NOT at the Aries Point).

Equinoxes and solstices are also prominent. We make a fuss over them, right? In Japan, the first day of each season is actually a national holiday. How cool is that? Thus, in a horoscope, a planet or angle at the Aries Point needs to be prominent. Off the top of my head, astro twins Meryl Streep & Elizabeth Warren were born with the Sun at the Aries Point. They’re pretty prominent in everything they do, don’t you think? Ted Cruz also born with the Sun at the Aries Point, and some have observed that he can stick out like a sore thumb — which is another form of prominence.

Back to the day-by-day Forecast:

• SATURDAY: The proactive Capricorn Moon is well-supported by trines from Mercury and Jupiter at 2:23 PM ET and 6:12 PM ET — facilitating growth and messaging. Whatever your agenda is, get it done — hopefully in the late afternoon/early evening. At 11:17 PM ET, Moon squares Mars in Libra, which may be reflected in a clash of tempers.
• SUNDAY: Remember a couple of weeks ago I called attention to the current pattern — a Minor Grand Trine — among the three outer planets in our solar system? You can read about that again here. The Capricorn Moon connects with all three today, starting with a trine to Uranus at 7:27 AM ET, then a sextile to Neptune (at 1:02 PM ET), and a conjunct to Pluto at 4:05 PM ET. Fun fact: once upon a time, before the outer planets were discovered, astrologers would have judged this Capricorn Moon to be void of course. You can observe and judge from your own experience if it feels like an almost-all-day Moon void, instead of just the 3 1/2 hours between Moon’s meet-up with Pluto and Moon’s ingress into the next sign — Aquarius — at 7:29 PM ET. Moon in Aquarius seeks to be of unique social significance, within the confines of a larger group. Brainstorming bright ideas among friends and other like-minded souls is an apt activity for days driven by the Moon in Aquarius.  Moon trines Sun at 10:26 PM ET; maybe we can all get along. Humming in the background for the past few days in the third and final trine between Mercury (in Virgo) and Jupiter (in Taurus), so the time is ripe for big news in matters of media, court opinions, sports, religion, education, etc. Some of what we see in the headlines may be a rethink of decisions made during the last Mercury retrograde. The trine between Mercury and Jupiter is exact on Monday at 8:02 AM ET.

And now, the news.

Headlines over the weekend were sponsored in part by these patterns:

• New Moon in Virgo last Thursday — which activated the horoscopes of those with planets around 22 degrees of Virgo, Pisces, Sagittarius, and Gemini — as we’ll see.
• Mercury turns direct last Friday — activating 8 degrees of the above.
• Sun trines Uranus last Friday — 22 degrees of just about any sign
• Venus squares Jupiter for the third time on Sunday (yesterday) — 15 degrees of the Fixed signs
• Sun opposes Neptune and trines Pluto (this week) — 26-28 degrees of Cardinal and Mutable

The Sun-Uranus trine suggested themes of aviation, cooperation among leaders, technology – and maybe a bit of astrology. Here’s one:

UPDATE: on Elon Musk, whom I’ve been writing about since 2013. Astrologers now have a potentially reliable birth time for Musk, reported in a recent biography, all 688 pages of it.  Here is the horoscope.  Turns out he has a 13 Cancer Ascendant, with Mercury sitting right on it, squared by Uranus (and Uranus also squares his Cancer Sun). He needs to be seen as a family man, but with Uranus in the mix, we appreciate why it’s a family that defies the norm. We see how his need to think and communicate would make a powerful first impression. It’s fascinating that his Virgo Moon — ruler of his Ascendant (how he needs to be seen) — is at 8 Virgo, which is where Mercury was when it turned direct last week. The 7:30 AM birth time might be off by a bit, but if it is accurate to the minute, it supports life developments happening in 2014-2015, when Uranus and Pluto would have been square and opposite his Ascendant, respectively. Themes of his innovation and empowerment were all over the news. Note that since 2022, transiting Pluto is now square his (presumed) 28 Aries Midheaven — a pattern in effect through the end of 2023. This Midheaven gives us fascinating midpoint pictures, one of which is Jupiter/Pluto – MC. The Jupiter/Pluto midpoint is a point of potential power and resources, and to see it configured with Musk’s Midheaven — public status, career, and reputation — makes perfect sense. We could talk for hours about his horoscope — and how recent headlines of shocking overreach as defense contractor (how apt for a double Cancer to be involved in homeland security), are aptly timed.

In other news…

• ‘”How do you lose an F-35?” US military still searching for missing jet’
• “Two pilots killed as planes collide in crash at Nevada airshow”

Meanwhile…

The square between Venus in Leo (dramatic social expression) and Jupiter in Taurus (expansive need for material/sensual comforts) suggested possible overindulgence. Cue Rep. Lauren Boebert and her skimpy Venus-in-Leo gold lame dress, with a performance that got the vaping, pistol-packing, Church Lady impersonator/grandmother (and her date) tossed out of a Denver theater (!) for explicit, boundary-pushing groping activity, as well as vaping (that was denied…until the theater’s security tape was released.) We can appreciate Boebert’s need to be disruptive, given her Sun-Uranus conjunction in Sagittarius (activated by last week’s New Moon at 22 Virgo).  Her Mars-Jupiter conjunction in Pisces suggests an abundance of physical energy, and coupled with a Venus-Pluto conjunction in Scorpio, we can appreciate the potential for emotional extremes. We don’t have a birth time, but Boebert was born on December 19, 1986 in Alamonte Springs, FL. Her Moon is in Gemini, suggesting she needs to be the smartest, most entertaining kid in the room.

In the spirit of this week’s Sun-Neptune opposition, here’s one reporter’s account of how she finally kicked her vaping habit.   And here’s how another woman connects with drug users to keep them from dying. This story reflects themes of Saturn in Pisces — structure, fear of isolation, empathy, and controls.

More incidents of Venus square Jupiter wretched excess include:

• “Jann Wenner faces backlash after comments about female and Black musicians”. 
• “Russell Brand’s management agency severs ties after sexual assault allegations”.  Brand is another born disruptor, with Uranus in a t-square to his 26 Capricorn ASC and Venus at 27 Cancer. Transiting Pluto is engaged with all three, and we appreciate the potential for a resistant-proof breakdown and transformation in the extreme. Brand is a Gemini with Moon in me-me-me Aries; Moon is conjunct a high-functioning Mars, and both oppose Pluto. His Mercury is 22 Gemini, activated by the New Moon in Virgo. Here is his horoscope.
• Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) is made headlines re: the outing of her allegedly long-running adulterous affair with political consultant Corey Lewandowski

Here’s an apt story of excess involving art, money and worth:  “Danish artist who submitted empty frames as artwork told to repay funding.” The artwork — which was supposed to be a recreation of an earlier work about the relative incomes of average Danes and Austrians — was entitled Take the Money and Run. Shades of nebulous Neptune in this one!

• “Senate ditches dress code“ as members opt for a more casual look…

Also reflecting tension involving matters of worth: UAW president Shawn Fein was on Face the Nation yesterday, arguing for automakers to place greater value on workers (who are striking). We don’t have a birth date for Fein.

It’s noteworthy that two talk show hosts — Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher — announced before Mercury turned direct that they’d be back in production, despite the fact that writers and actors are still on strike. Both hosts have now tabled that idea, as negotiations between labor and management will begin this week (as Mercury moves forward). Gosh, it would be so nice if they came to terms around next week’s trine between Mercury and Jupiter…but that may still be too soon.

Meanwhile, the big news this morning was:

• “Five Americans detained in Iran walk free, released in deal for frozen Iranian assets”

Elsewhere…

A New Moon is apt for closed-door meetings and other clandestine activity. On Saturday, indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate of the impeachment charges brought against him by Texas House Republicans (sound familiar)? Axios reports:

• “Behind the scenes: National Republicans organized an under-the-radar campaign of outside conservative pressure on the Texas senators designed to neutralize mainstream media coverage, top strategists tell me.”

Finally…lookie! They just found the missing F-35, which apparently went into something called “zombie mode.” Yep, that’s surreal. Here’s to a few more days of the surreal…

…and here’s Beth Owl’s Daughter’s always-in-sync Tarot Card of the Week.  Beth is offering workshops again, and on Saturday I attended a magical one…

Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.

Thank you for reading — and sharing — this forecast.

            Take me to the dream…and other flights of Sun-Neptune fancy