TGIF!

Here’s a recap of the weekend forecast, with update:

• FRIDAY — the Scorpio Moon‘s need for depth continues, but today it is well-supported by five other planets: Mars at 10:59 AM ET, Neptune at 11:54 AM ET,  Jupiter at 5:14 PM ET, Sun at 9:47 PM ET  and Pluto at 9:53 PM ET. Maybe it ends on a high note for the markets, compared to what’s going on now. We’ll see.

UPDATE: in fact, the markets did end on a high note — “the biggest rally since 2008” — so that was fun to see. This was after the market cratered after P45’s catatonic address to the nation on Wednesday night  — with patterns among the Moon, Pluto and Saturn that echoed the ones that happened last week, on the night that Nathaniel Woods was executed by Alabama (refer to Monday’s forecast). Stephen Colbert reports on P45’s speech –– and what happened just before and after —  in case you missed it.

• SATURDAY — another brief void at 6:06 AM ET, then the Moon breathes a sigh of relief as it soars into Sagittarius at 7:09 AM ET. There are no exact aspects to the Sag Moon today, but two other aspects are exact. At 6:33 AM ET, pixie dust, the surreal and sex appeal are facilitated, as Mars (action; assertion; desire) forms a harmony (a sextile) with Neptune. At 12:04 PM ET, the Sun (willpower, leaders) sextiles Pluto in Establishment Capricorn, which sounds like a perfect storm for somebody’s empire.

Speaking of empire, Vladimir Putin came one step closer to his quest for world domination and his goal of becoming Russia’s “president for life.”  Meanwhile, P45 and an army of corporate leaders presided over a press conference at the White House on Friday, declaring the novel coronavirus a “national emergency.” An action plan was presented, apparently with the help of Jared‘s brother Joshua’s father-in-law, who is a doctor and belongs to a Facebook group. Someone had to step in for the White House’s expert pandemic response team P45 fired in 2018, right?  At the podium in Rose Garden (or was it the new White House tennis pavilion), the PTB — that’s shorthand for “Powers That Be” — all shook hands on it. I kid you not. Surreal. As I type at 6:17 PM ET, Nancy Pelosi announced that a deal has been reached and that there will be a vote in the House tonight on the #FamiliesFirst bill. Assistance will include paid sick leave and other benefits. See how easy aspects to the Moon are reflected in life development? The Sun is also well-supported, as you may recall. The Senate votes on the bill next week.

• SUNDAY — Moon squares wiggy Neptune at 3:52 PM ET — and that’s it. Let the Sag Moon inspire you to take a walk in the woods and/or expand your mind. If you can’t get out of the house, you may find these virtual tours of 12 museums inspiring and apt for planetary patterns. Note your dreams and express your righteous opinions.

The Sagittarius Moon will be void on Monday from 5:34 AM ET until 12:25 PM ET, so that’s your excuse for sleeping in and/or flaking out. Then the Moon enters Capricorn, driving the next few days with a need to Make Things Happen. It’s an interesting week, as the Sun will be in the last days of Pisces (which can feel like the End of the World — BUT IT’S NOT). Sun enters Aries — to begin a new cycle — on Thursday night.

And now, more news.

When transiting Saturn makes a hard contact with the Ascendant, separations from the past are not uncommon. And if transiting Uranus makes a hard contact with the Sun, we often see an upset — with the higher purpose being liberation. That’s what’s going on in Bill Gates‘s horoscope, and he just announced he’s stepping down from the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway. He’s going to devote his time to philanthropic pursuits.

We don’t have a birth time for Chelsea Manning, so we don’t have a confirmed Ascendant. However, we do see she’s been in a period of emotional extremes, as transiting Pluto was exactly on her natal Venus on March 6th. Not being a White House staff member, she was  jailed last year after refusing to testify before a grand jury, and was hospitalized last week after a suicide attempt. Emotional extremes indeed — enough to catch a judge’s attention, who ordered her released from jail.

Alex Trebek was discussed in my “Charts in the News” column for Mountain Astrologer last year, when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. There were a number of uplifting patterns in his horoscope, and his disease went into remission with astonishing speed. He recently shared a hopeful prognosis with fans — here on video. He’s considered how he might end his 35-year run as host of Jeopardy! — but doesn’t seem to have a date in mind. With transiting Saturn opposing his natal Mercury and Sun at 28-29 Cancer three times in 2020, we could see how he might opt for a graceful exit by the end of the year. We saw a similar potential for astrology skeptic Jon Stewart  back in March of 2015, months before he called it quits on The Daily Show.

I’m looking for stories to inspire you — in case you haven’t noticed. Rep. Katie Porter is often an inspiration. She’s a no-nonsense California Congresswoman who stands her ground with her facts in order. We don’t have a birth time (Jan 3 1974 in Fort Dodge IA), but her Capricorn Sun is driven by the stubborn persistence of her Taurus Moon and Mars. With Venus and Jupiter together in Aquarius, we appreciate why she needs to be a benevolent and wonky champion for humanity. Her Saturn (ambition, structure, control) is at 0 Cancer — serving a need for emotional and home/homeland security — with prominence! Here she is demanding that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert R. Redfield actually do his job, in an exchange that reminds me of many I’ve had with customer service representatives in various industries. You?

In other news…

It’s fascinating to see how quickly the potential of Saturn’s ingress into Aquarius next week is already coming to life. Remember, Saturn is control and structure. Aquarius is groups, the masses and technology. And here we are, looking at massive controls on group gatherings, thanks to the coronavirus threat. Broadway is dark; museums are closed; sports events and presidential primaries are postponed; parades are cancelled. Students are packing up at colleges and heading home; professors are preparing to teach the rest of the semester online.  “Social distancing” is now a thing.

Saturn in Aquarius should facilitate the shift to virtual gatherings. That’s the good news. Here’s another bit of good news: in areas hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak, the air quality has dramatically improved. Perhaps we will do something productive with this newfound awareness.

It occurs to me to consider other silver linings this crisis — with its necessary slowdown — may offer. Perhaps it’s the fact that this virus does not discriminate based on income, social class or nationality. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson tested positive. So has Sophie Trudeau, a congressional aide to Rep. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the mayor of Miami,  and the president of Brazil’s press secretary (pictured here last weekend with P45 and sidekick at Mar-a-Lago). Ivanka is self-quarantined, as is Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz.

Even in Italy, which is under lockdown in a serious way (as Avid Reader Alexandra reports from Rome), there are moments of sublime transcendence:

• “Video shows quarantined Italians singing together from their windows”

The power of music is an apt reflection of the weekend’s harmony between Mars (action!) and Neptune (music), as well as the Sun’s sextile with Pluto (power). Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has music for you, too — via Twitter.

What’s going on in your horoscope that is reflecting events in your life at present? Are you working from home — for a change? I am always working at home — and would be delighted to provide insights in a personal consultation. Here’s the 411.   We will have a fine discussion together.

Thank you for reading this forecast — and for washing your hands with soap and water many times a day. Let’s take good care of ourselves — and look out for each other, too.

Gratitude to Anne Marie Darling for creating this weirdly wonderful PSA