More of the Moon in Aquarius today. If you wake up with a bright idea, perhaps an easy connection to the Moon from innovative Uranus at 5:09AM ET has something to do with it. This day is ripe for intense focus, investigative dirt and no-holds-barred communication, suggested by a challenge between Mercury and ruthless Pluto. Add intense emotions to the mix, too — with a possibility of healing and regeneration if your heart is in the right place. That comes courtesy of an easy flow between Venus (affections, women, money, aesthetics) and Pluto at 3:40AM ET Friday morning.

Moon goes void at 12:22AM ET on Friday and enters intuitive Pisces at 1:18AM ET Friday; blink and you’ll miss the void. Friday morning dawns with an advance, a heavy responsibility or a wet blanket, as taskmaster Saturn squares the sensitive Pisces Moon at 6:34AM ET. A need for vision quickly follows suit, as the Moon then meets up with Neptune at 1:17PM ET.

And now, the news.

UPDATE: As anticipated, Vice President Joe Biden made a decision on whether to run for president. You may recall we expected a decision around October 23rd – 27th; I’m quite happy with October 21st. Mr. Biden decided not to run, but planetary patterns still suggest opportunities for expansion in matters of career and public status, as Jupiter conjuncts his Midheaven in November and again in 2016.

UPDATE: Paul Ryan is reportedly getting the cooperation he demanded from his party in order for him to advance his bid for Speaker. It’s interesting that his dedication to his family is front-page news now, because transiting Saturn (responsibility, ambition) is sitting on top of his Ascendant and Neptune. The area of his horoscope that refers to family foundation is ruled by Neptune. So we see the pressure and potential limitation therein. The timing of this career move is reflected beautifully in his horoscope.

Plenty of dirt-digging and investigative reporting has surfaced, courtesy of Thursday’s exact Mercury-Pluto square. Wikileaks is releasing private emails from John Brennan’s hacked AOL account. He’s the director of the CIA. I can’t even.

Shipwreck discoveries made headlines — one involved US and British ships destroyed by the Third Reich in 1942; another is a steamship from the Civil War found in Lake Ontario. News from underground…and under water!

Here’s a great tech breakthrough headline, suitable for Mercury as it travels between hits to Pluto and Uranus: “Quantum Theory Experiment Said to Prove ‘Spooky Interactions”. And speaking of cosmic stuff, I can’t believe I neglected to include last week’s big ginormous mystery megastructure that reputable publications were seriously speculating might have been built by…cue Twilight Zone theme now, please…space aliens! And cue the spacey potential of last week’s heavy Neptune action, too.

With Jupiter in Virgo (along with Venus and Mars), we can expect a focus on diet and health. I’m trying to link the ones that are particularly interesting, like this one claiming that people who follow the so-called Mediterranean diet “may be slowing the ageing process by five years.”  A book I’m reading now isn’t making headlines, but it’s all about diet and I’m finding it fascinating. It’s called The China Study — originally published in 2004.

And if you decide to read that China Study book, you’re going to need a bookmark. I have some 2016 Really Useful Mercury Retrograde Bookmarks I’d be happy to spare, if you’re willing to help cover costs for postage and printing and lovely handwritten thank you notes. Here’s the link to a DONATE page. It’s $2.88 for one; $4.99 for three. Click the gold button and you’ll land on a PayPal page. You do NOT need a PayPal account to use PayPal. All you need is a credit card. These bookmarks make nifty gifts, too

So, that being the fifth time I’ve mentioned these bookmarks, here’s the single most valuable piece of information I received as a student at Wellesley College. I found it in the Wellesley Career Center — in a brochure about careers in sales.

Here is what I learned:

90% of all sales are made by 10% of the sales force…on the FIFTH call.

Think about this. Let it sink in. How many of you are self-employed? How many of you have livelihoods that are dependent on getting someone’s attention and agreeing to do something…or buy something you are offering? How often do you feel discouraged because you are not getting the response upon which your life depends????

90% of all sales are made by 10% of the sales force…on the FIFTH call.

If you haven’t reached out to someone at least FIVE times, you have no reason to feel discouraged. You simply haven’t put in enough effort! You have to reach out at least five times — and in this crazy modern age of internet and other distractions, it’s probably now TEN times you need to reach out!

90% of all sales are made by 10% of the sales force…on the FIFTH call.

I’ve been a freelance writer/producer/astrologer for most of my career. On days when I was looking at a totally blank calendar, wondering how the bills would be paid, I would remember the words I read in that brochure at Wellesley:

90% of all sales are made by 10% of the sales force…on the FIFTH call.

And this would give me confidence. And I would pick up the phone and dial. And I would keep dialing until somehow, inevitably, those bills were paid.

90% of all sales are made by 10% of the sales force…on the FIFTH call.

I hope you remember this little story if you’re ever feeling discouraged about not getting the response you need. You must believe that what you have to offer is valuable. Make that call!

(Are you feeling the persuasive mindset of Pluto square Mercury yet?)

Thank you for reading this forecast. If you’d like to schedule a personal consultation, here’s the 411.