Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 10/16/2014: If It’s Out There, It Must Be Neptune
OK, chill time is over; time to walk your talk. Why? Well, the Moon entered love-love-me-do Leo at 6:29AM ET, looking for a stage or a kingdom on/in which to shine. It glides along without interference today, bolstered by an idealistic hook-up between mental Mercury and the Sun, aiding and abetting a bit of sweet talk. Said mental Mercury is well-supported by action hero Mars in gamboling/gambling Sagittarius; thus, the walking of the talking. Caveat: Mercury is retrograde and Sag is a klutz. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the trip.
And now, the news.
Nebulous Neptune, which refers to illusion, fantasy, drugs, toxins, glamor, spirit and spirits, etc., has been running wild in the cosmos and also in an obsessive relationship with expansive Jupiter, currently parading through potentially bombastic Leo. This suggests a bit of scandal and deception, on the one hand, and potentially “out there” collective beliefs, on the other.
With Mercury retrograde, things from the past have a way of turning up. So earlier this week it was interesting that the NYT published an in-depth investigation about thousands of chemical (Neptune) weapons that were uncovered in Iraq between 2004 and 2011 by U.S. troops. These weapons were made decades ago, and the rest of the story has plenty of other Neptunian elements: deception, cover up, denial, toxins, abandonment, etc. It’s a long, compelling piece — one of the reasons why being a NYT subscriber is worth every penny — though a shorter editorial summary is here.
Following up on last week’s supercharged contact among Venus (women, social expression), Uranus (unconventional) and Pluto (transformation/perspective), here’s another NYT exclusive reflecting changing perspectives on gender identity: “When Women Become Men at Wellesley“. If you’re not familiar with Wellesley, it’s a women’s college outside of Boston and the alma mater of two former secretaries…of State: Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton. And I’m proud to say it’s my alma mater, too.
I’m not sure what concoction of planetary patterns this next item reflects. The surreal world of runaway Neptune? Gender equality issues of the Uranus-Pluto square we thought we covered during the Uranus-Pluto conjunction of the mid-60s? The outrageous action of macho Mars in righteous Sagittarius with the gaming spirit of Jupiter in Leo? The brutal bullying potential transiting Pluto to U.S. Saturn? Probably all of the above, but here’s the story: Anita Sarkeesian, who has written a lot about the deplorable portrayal of women in the videogame and other media (Neptune) industries, was scheduled to speak at a university in Utah. Threats were made against her life, and the speech was canceled....because Utah is an open-carry state and the school did not believe it had the legal authority prevent people with guns from attending the lecture. Brutal? Surreal?
If you’re not familiar with Sarkeesian’s work, here’s her website — with lots of engaging videos (Neptune) — enjoy!
Mercury retrogrades are excellent times to REview your life with an astrologer. Right now I’m offering a little incentive for new clients. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.