Monday 1/17/2022: Sneak Peek at Short Work Week; Full Moon in Cancer; Uranus Direct; the US Pluto Return
A warm welcome to Avid Readers who have just discovered this Forecast. I hope you will always find it fun and informative.
Here’s a recap of what was anticipated for the weekend, posted last Monday:
- FRIDAY: It’s possible that whatever seemed certain last night may be challenged by Mercury turning retrograde at 6:41 AM ET.
- SATURDAY: Moon enters Cancer at 11:10 AM ET, shifting our focus to matters of home and homeland security. Is there a sense of optimism about a potential power play that may happen around 9:50 AM ET on…
- SUNDAY: as the Sun meets up with Pluto? An hour earlier — at 8:58 AM ET — Moon will have sextiled Uranus, suggesting unconventional alliances and cooperation. Did Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer say last week that he’d try to carve out an exception to the filibuster on the voting rights bill by Martin Luther King Day if the Republicans were still blocking it? Is it a coincidence that the Full Moon on Monday — MLK Day — falls at 27 Cancer, opposing — and also illuminating – the U.S. Pluto? And what about rebel Uranus also humming in the background this week, as it prepares to turn direct next Tuesday morning? A disruption of the status quo would be in order — and let’s hope it’s for the better.
As it turned out, the Mercury retrograde coincided with a postponement of the planned debate on the crucial voting rights bill, thanks to stormy weather, a case of Covid and other things. The Senate will take the matter up on Tuesday and will be in session that week instead of being in recess. Another pattern apt for disruption — which I neglected to share last week — is that Mercury turned retrograde oh-so-close to an exact square with Uranus. BUT — the square won’t actually be exact until February 24th — and this is a date to watch for a possible resolution to the shocks in mindset and communication that grabbed our attention a few days ago. Meanwhile, as I type on Sunday night, the Cancer Moon is waxing full and will be exact on…
- MONDAY. Note your dreams on this federal holiday, as Moon trines Neptune at 5:18 AM ET. Today’s holiday honors the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr., whose horoscope I briefly wrote about in 2012. Where does the time go? The Full Moon suggests emotions on the rise, and this one is intensified by the Moon’s opposition to Pluto at 4:07 PM ET. A power play or catharsis involving security concerns would be apt, followed by further release and illumination as the Cancer Moon opposes the Capricorn Sun at 6:48 PM ET. Here is what that looks like, set in Washington, DC:
Observations:
- Under a Cancer Full Moon, the need for compassion, nurturing and FEELINGS (FFS!) challenges the decidedly unemotional, status-seeking ambition of the Capricorn Sun.
- The Cancer Moon is in the 12th House, shining its light on behind-the-scenes activities, hidden enemies, institutions of confinement and the self-undoing.
- Four planets in the 6th House suggest a focus on matters of labor, systems of process and cooperation, service and enslavement. Y’know Mercury IS retrograde, so a notable labor strike would not be surprising.
- What IS likely to be surprising affects the head of our government, symbolized by rebel Uranus at a dead stop as it prepares to turn direct — right on the Midheaven of the Full Moon chart for DC
- Saturn is on another angle of the chart — the Descendant — adding to the tension between the old guard and the avant-garde, reflected by any number of logjams. Oy vez!
- The Sabian Symbols for the Full Moon are (for the Moon): “a modern Pocahontas;” for the Sun: “a large aviary.” These are the Symbols that were illuminated on the Full Moon in Capricorn in July 2016. You know what happened then, right? Democrats and Republicans held their respective conventions and nominated HRC and TFG, respectively. This post written in the carnage of the latter noted the potential rise of fascism in America should the Republican Party’s candidate prevail. Few pundits took that potential seriously, etc., etc. — and now, here we are. Isn’t it interesting that these Symbols have returned NOW? What choice will be made? Anyhoo, here’s what Sabian Symbol Blain Bovee has to say about the large aviary:
Imagine a group of people, united by race or religion, talking amongst themselves about another strange and foreign group with whom they share nothing in common, apart from the fact of being human. Stories build, probably rife with moral branding, bias and projected fears.
As for Pocahontas, Bovee writes:
…a playful, perhaps wanton, little girl fascinated with the strangers from a foreign region…
Of these two Symbols together, Bovee suggests:
Be alert to the need to tell a story to one’s best advantage, to talk matters up to reinforce a prevailing version. Watch for uninhibited natures: sexual, social, moral, political, that shamelessly wander into foreign regions, dress in foreign clothes, pray to strange gods; bringing home an unlikely marriage; bridging worlds of difference with sprightly, unaffected resolve, despite being very much talked about.
If you like Bovee’s take on the Sabian Symbols, here’s the link to his book.
And speaking of choices, 2022 is apparently the Year of Choices, according to Beth Owl’s Daughter’s fascinating analysis of the Tarot Card for 2022: The Lovers.
You are more personally affected by the illumination and release potential of this Full Moon if you have planets or angles around 27 degrees of Cancer, Aries, Capricorn and Libra. This includes the United States, which has its Pluto at 27 Capricorn. It also includes VP Kamala Harris, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Susan Collins. Not only that, but the Full Moon activates MLK’s 25 Capricorn Sun and 28 Capricorn Midheaven.
With transiting Pluto on MLK’s Sun all year — and on his MC for the next two years, he is in for a powerful transformation, for better or worse. The first exact hit of Pluto to his MC is on March 19. Looking at his horoscope, we also note that his Mercury is at 11 Aquarius — activated by transiting Uranus on March 6th. This is a critical time in MLK’s life development — and it doesn’t matter that he no longer walks the Earth. The horoscope lives forever — as this article explains. It’s interesting to see that MLK has a rare solar arc (another way astrologers measure time) between the Sun and the Midheaven, exact on January 15th. This usually suggests fulfillment, success, recognition and reward. Gosh, I hope so — because if MLK’s dream is not fulfilled, our democracy is toast. And speaking of dreams, transiting Neptune is currently squaring MLK’s Mars — which can really put a damper on one’s assertive energy.
- MONDAY (cont.): After the Full Moon is exact, it goes void for the next four hours. Chill! At 11:02 PM ET, Moon enters regal drama king/queen Leo and sets the stage for…
- TUESDAY: …driving the day with the need for love and adoration. Meanwhile, we’ll have a potential shock to the system around 10:25 AM ET, as rebel Uranus turns direct at 10 degrees of Taurus. Uranus refers to revolutions, rebellion, innovation, genetic mutation, seismic activity, accidents, aviation, space travel, technology, astrology, uranium and genius. Watch the headlines. At 3:39 PM ET, the Leo Moon opposes Mercury Rx in Aquarius, creating a logjam involving regal edicts vs. the will of the people. An upset occurs around 8:11 PM ET, as Moon squares Uranus, followed by a block or authoritarian effort at control around 2:18 AM ET on…
- WEDNESDAY…as Moon opposes Saturn. There are no exact aspects to the Leo Moon all day, which may feel like the slow, wandering pace of a Moon void. Another potential is that a regal need for recognition runs away with the day, using the Capricorn Sun’s need to administer progress. This is the last day of the Sun in Capricorn, matters of the Established Powers may be in crisis mode.
A pause, while we pay homage to the Sun’s ingress into Aquarius, which happens at 9:39 PM ET. Aquarius is an airy (mental), fixed (organizing) sign. Keywords for Aquarius include innovation, eccentricity, friendship, humanitarian, unconventional, rocket scientist and/or mad genius. If you were born with the Sun in Aquarius, you have the energy to innovate and intellectualize with others. If your Moon is in Aquarius, you need to be socially significant — and dare I say appreciated for it. You probably need to be unusual, too. I look forward to your empowerment when Pluto enters Aquarius in 2023.
- THURSDAY: Moon goes void on a trine with Mars at 3:15 PM ET. East Coasters, that’s your excuse for sleeping in, as the Moon doesn’t enter Virgo until 9:02 PM ET. It’s mission: to clean up the mess from Leo Moon’s party. You can also use the next few days of Virgo Moon energy to tackle your Mercury and Venus REtrograde REvisions and REorganizing — perhaps with all of the gusto suggested by the Moon’s opposition with Big Daddy Jupiter at 5:58 PM ET.
- FRIDAY: Moon trines Uranus at 5:28 AM ET and Venus at 8:18 AM ET, facilitating unconventional alliances with surprisingly like-minded souls. Hope that energy carries through the entire day, as the Moon is once again left without a playmate in the cosmic sandbox for the rest of the day. Perhaps it will get carried away with its drive for perfection and making things right. Action that pushes boundaries is likely to demand attention all weekend, as Mars is now at the verrrry end of Sagittarius, activating the Aries Point. Horoscopes affected include — off the top of my head – Alexei Navalny and Edward Snowden. Mars enters Capricorn on Monday, giving the Free World yet another opportunity to hear from Ted Cruz. Meanwhile, a need for a beautiful escape grows as the evening progresses and Moon opposes Neptune at 12:43 AM ET on…
- SATURDAY. Use the last bit of the Virgo Moon’s drive to organize in the morning, with deep cleaning supported by Moon’s trine to Pluto at 10:52 AM ET. Perfection may clash with action that pushes boundaries around 2:45 PM ET, as Moon squares Mars. Do you reeaaaaally want to fight about it? The choice is yours. Chill during the brief two-hour void; Moon enters Libra at 5:02 PM ET, now focused on people-pleasing and relationships. That drive is supported by a trine between the Sun and Moon, exact at 10:42 PM ET. Conversation flows around 11:47 PM ET, as Moon trines Mercury. Talk about the past — perhaps with a tinge of idealism, as Mercury meets up with the Sun at 5:28 AM ET on…
- SUNDAY. Time to jot down your inspiration upon waking. A clash of values and aesthetics may crop up around 2:21 PM ET, as Moon squares Venus. Stability is regained by evening, as Moon trines Saturn, seeking structure for diplomatic ideals.
And now, the news.
First, a few words about the US Pluto Return, which astrologers have been anticipating since forever. It’s taken 245 years for Pluto to make a complete circle around the U.S. horoscope. It will return to the place it was on July 4, 1776, on February 20, July 11 and December 28. Note that we will have a solar arc between Pluto and the US Midheaven on March 2. That first week of March looks like yet another week to watch — and note that March 1 is when President Biden is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Union address.
Anyhoo…Pluto refers to extremes, as well as power and resources. In Capricorn, power and resources are easily vested in the Establishment. A Pluto Return is a conjunction — and a conjunction is like a New Moon. So, this is a seed-planting opportunity for the US. What are we going to build on in terms of our power structures in the next cycle? Who gets to decide?
We do have a reference point for our Pluto Return. How so? Well, astrologers can track Pluto’s challenging aspects to its natal Pluto since July 4, 1776 — and what we find is fascinating. Transiting Pluto squared the US Pluto for the first time between 1848 and 1850, followed by the solar arc by square in 1869. If you’ve been reading Heather Cox Richardson’s essential Letters from an American, you know that in 1870 is the year Congress passed the 15th Amendment, (and here is a bit from 1850) Note that transiting Pluto opposed the U.S. Pluto in 1936 and 1937 — in which FDR was re-elected after four years of New Deal policies expanded the role of the federal government and its social safety nets. Another Pluto-Pluto solar arc happened in 1958.
We had another square of transiting Pluto to the U.S. Pluto in 1982 and 1983. Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980 and said in his 1981 inaugural address that “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Taxes were cut; safety nets were slashed. Fun fact: in 1983 — for the first time ever — Economics — not English — was the most popular major among seniors graduating from Wellesley College. And those econ majors all went on to work in consulting firms, investment banks and then get their MBAs. I remember one of my English professors remarking that if Wellesley graduates actually applied what they’d been taught in a college whose motto is non ministrari; sed ministrare (not to be served, but to serve), they would tear those institutions apart. Obviously, that did not happen. So here we are now, in 2022 — with Pluto returning to its original place in the US horoscope. Who will end up with the power and the resources?
Astrology is amazing.
In other news…
With the Sun conjunct Pluto (news from underground) and Uranus at a virtual standstill as it prepares to turn direct (a focus on upsets, including seismic activity), the undersea volcanic eruption in Tonga and subsequent global tsunami should come as no surprise.
Other disruptive items — for better or for worse:
- “DirecTV to drop OANN in blow to conservative channel.” This is interesting because AT & T owns DirecTV and a few months ago it was revealed that AT & T funded OANN (a story disputed by AT&T). I wonder how many AT & T customers dumped them as a result and sent an email to AT & T’s CEO informing them of the reason for the switch (raises hand). OANN is still carried by VerizonFIOS.
- “Leader of the Oath Keepers and 10 others indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of ‘seditious conspiracy’” for their involvement in the 1/6 attack on the U.S. Capitol
- It was revealed that Republican persons in multiple states submitted forged documents claiming to be the electors representing their respective states and that TFG won their respective states’ Electoral College votes when in fact those states voted for President Biden. Many of these forged documents were signed by current and would-be elected representatives, as you can see in this segment presented by Rachel Maddow. Surreal, right? And so apt for a country that is under the influence of a wiggy Neptune square.
- The Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s OSHA mandate that required employers with over 100 employees to require Covid vaccinations or weekly testing, as Heather Cox Richardson explains. In a separate ruling, hospitals that accept federal funding for Medicare and Medicaid patients were permitted to require vaccinations, though this was a 5-4 decision. Justices Roberts and Kavanaugh were willing to grant that whatever entity is PAYING for something has control over it. File this under our Venus retrograde in Capricorn review of money and worth — especially as it relates to big government. Got money? Great. You get soup. No money? No soup for you.
- Prince Andrew had a no-good horrible terrible bad week, as he was finally stripped of his royal title and other honors. That was the queen’s response to the news that Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault case against Andrew will be permitted to go forward here in the U.S. His horoscope — linked in this post from 2019 — has been working like a slow-moving trainwreck. Coming up next: the third square to his regal Leo Ascendant from transiting Uranus in early March, as transiting Pluto puts pressure on his natal Venus-Mars conjunction in Capricorn for the rest of the year. We can appreciate Venus-Mars together in practical, earthy Capricorn could be tempted to make use of certain opportunities for their exalted enjoyment. In May, his 25 Scorpio Moon will be eclipsed. In March of 2023, transiting Saturn will put the squeeze on his Pisces Sun. Fun fact: Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein both have Venus-Mars conjunctions in their horoscopes.
- Novak Djokovic also had a no-good horrible terrible bad week, as he was finally kicked out of Australia in a two-week-long controversy involving resistance to the country’s vaccine mandate and allegations of dishonesty on his immigration papers. Let the record show that Prince Andrew and Djokovic have both experienced a transit of Jupiter squaring their respective Suns. Jupiter expands whatever it touches…but that doesn’t guarantee that the expansion will be experienced as enjoyable or lucky.
Gah! Nothing light in the news today. The best I can do is offer a conversation about Saturn transits in the horoscope. Saturn is not thought of as a fun influence, but astrologer Kathy Rose and I had a ton of fun dishing about it — in the latest episode of her Maverick podcast. Here it is on YouTube — enjoy!
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Thank you for reading this forecast.