Monday 10/24/2022: Sneak Peek at the Week; New Moon/Eclipse in Scorpio; Retrograde Mars; Jupiter Back in Pisces
Allll righty then!
We’re rolling into eclipse season (Oct 25 and Nov 8), and yes, I am offering Avid Readers a few paragraphs of personal insights on what to expect from these two eclipses, based on your unique horoscope. Eclipses accelerate progress, and experience has shown that it is helpful to understand in advance when said progress will be accelerated, and what areas of your life are likely to be lit up. To order yours, toss $52 into my Cosmic Tip Jar as a Joyful Random Expression of Appreciation and email me your birth data if I don’t already have it.
Here are the highlights of the week:
- New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Scorpio on Tuesday
- Mercury trines Mars on Wednesday
- Mercury squares Pluto on Thursday
- Jupiter Rx backs into Pisces on Friday
- Mercury enters Scorpio on Saturday
- Mars goes retrograde on Sunday
Awesome! We have something to look forward to every day!
Generally speaking, planetary patterns aptly reflect Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week. Saturn is just barely moving forward; Mars is slowing down to a virtual standstill. We’re in the dark of the Moon now — with no light to guide us — and what little stream of light there is will be partially interrupted on the eclipse on Tuesday. Jupiter is also slowing down. We are feeling stuck — but hey! We have the power to free ourselves — and this week, the way to do it is with our beautiful collective mind.
Here’s how the week goes:
- MONDAY: Moon in Libra seeks fairness and justice, aided and abetted by support throughout the day from Saturn, Mercury and Mars. Moon’s weekly clash with Pluto at 8:35 PM ET suggests a catharsis or power play. Chill during the ensuing 7 1/2 hour Moon void. Roll with the twists and flakes; don’t make a mountain out of a molehill of crisis. CHILL! And no impulse online shopping.
- TUESDAY: Moon enters Scorpio at 3:18 PM ET, demanding emotional depth, substance and control. At 6:48 AM ET, the New Moon in Scorpio officially begins — with a partial solar eclipse. At 8:04 AM ET, Moon connects the dots between the Sun and Venus, getting the day off to a potentially idealistic start, with themes of honor and loyalty — possibly among thieves. Hey — with little light from the Moon, it’s hard to see what’s going on…often right before your very eyes.
Here is the New Moon/Solar Eclipse, set in Washington, D.C.:
Observations:
- The root of this eclipse/new lunar cycle for the U.S. is represented by Pluto at the bottom of the horoscope. Corruption exposed, transformation and purges at the core of our country, ideally leading to empowerment.
- Speaking of idealism, this is suggested by the Sun-Venus conjunction (along with the Moon), which colors the focused Scorpionic need for control in intense shades of rose.
- The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is “a broken bottle and spilled perfume.” We worked with this Symbol on the Full Moon of October 2018. Sabian sage Blaine Bovee notes that “spilled perfume leaves an aroma that lingers…it permeates the air in a way that is not easy to dispel.” It can be overpowering, and sometimes, it just plain stinks, like garbage or your favorite cat’s litterbox. But if you couldn’t smell the stink, how would you know it was rotten (or full of crap) so it could be tossed out? This is where we are at, two weeks away from the midterm elections.
- Sabian Symbols work in pairs. “An electrical storm” is the counterpart for the broken bottle of perfume. Bovee suggests we be mindful of “…sudden awakenings; being suddenly plunged into disruptive situations; a shock in midstream; experiences that let the stink out; past events that pervade the air long past their due.” I can certainly imagine what the headlines might be over the next couple of weeks, given that advisory.
- Mercury is right on the Ascendant, about to square that rooted, purge-ready Pluto. Mercury is in Libra, needing to think and communicate rationally, weighing two side in the balance. Pluto adds persuasive power in the extreme. But Mercury is also conjunct Spica, a most auspicious Fixed Star, which is hopeful. There is a spiritual dimension to this connection, according to astrologer Jamie Partridge. Mercury is also conjunct the Part of Fortune — and one of the areas Mercury rules in this chart is publishing, travel, collective beliefs (i.e., legal theories; religious dogma) and foreign affairs. Mercury is also trine (in harmony) with Mars, ruler of adversaries in this horoscope. Mars is in the 9th House — of foreign affairs, travel, publishing, etc.
- Uranus on the cusp of the 8th house — debt, death and taxes — sounds like Republicans threatening to push the nation into default if Democrats don’t cut Social Security and Medicare.
- Jupiter on the cusp of the 6th suggests a prominent expanded focus on workers, systems of process and health issues. Mask up!
- You are more personally affected by this New Moon/Solar Eclipse if you have planets or angles around 2 degrees of Taurus, Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius. Famous people affected — off the top of my head — include Hillary Clinton, Princess Anne, and philanthropist/novelist Mackenzie Scott. Fun fact: Saturn is eclipsed in the horoscopes of Tucker Carlson, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.
Back to the forecast:
- WEDNESDAY: an energized morning — with potential upsets and reactionary controls, as the Scorpio Moon opposes Uranus at 9:34 AM ET and then squares Saturn at 11:29 AM ET. A more forgiving stance may evolve, as Moon trines Neptune at 7:04 AM ET. Putting thoughts into action is supported all day (once past the speed bumps of the morning), as Mercury trines Mars at 11:36 PM ET. Time to walk your talk!’
- THURSDAY: Moon goes void on a sextile with Pluto at 12:27 AM ET. Chill during the overnight void. At 6:54 AM ET, Moon soars into Sagittarius, ready to share its walkie-talkie opinion with the Entire Free World, especially with Moon trine Jupiter (expansion). Persuasive power is added to the mix around 9:08 AM ET, as Mercury squares Pluto.
- FRIDAY: Jupiter — which is retrograde — backs into Pisces. Let’s review expectations — from a forecast posted last December.
When in Pisces, Jupiter is likely to expand matters involving all Piscean themes: empathy, refugees, oceans, feet, and faith, to name a few. Jupiter was in Pisces in 2010 when the Affordable Care Act was passed. That was a big statement of empathy and healing, was it not? Jupiter will be in Pisces until May 25th and then dips into Aries. On July 28th, Jupiter turns retrograde at 8 Aries and will stay in Aries until October 28th.
With Jupiter in Aries for the summer, I expect an excess of heat — and an expansion of all matters related to Aries, e.g., initiative, pioneers, war, steel, iron, crusades, cars, the color red, courage, and Mars. Jupiter turns direct on November 24th at 28 Pisces and returns to Aries on December 20th — right before the Winter Solstice. Anyone born with planets between 28 Pisces and 8 Aries gets a triple hit of expansion potential in 2022 — and we can expect to see a lot of them in the headlines.
- FWIW, people born with planets at 28-29 Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius are about to get a ton of attention this week and continuing until the Winter Solstice. Off the top of my head this includes Liz Cheney, Harvey Weinstein, Ted Cruz, Edward Snowden, Gavin Newsom, Rudy Giuliani and the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Also FWIW, planets at the end of Pisces can feel like the end of the world — because that’s what Pisces represents! The end!!!! But listen up — ’cause this is important — and I believe I said this in the last episode of Off the Charts: A Stellar Newscast. “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” Yes, it feels like the end of the world, but astrology — and life — is all about cycles, and a new one — symbolized by planets at the beginning of Aries — is just around the corner. Got that? This is one of your coping strategies for all the craziness — and please vote before November 8th if you can. VOTE!!
- FRIDAY: Moon sextiles Saturn at 2:16 PM ET, a fine time to reach an accord. A boundary-pushing dreamy escape can be yours around 9:37 PM ET, as Moon squares Neptune. The challenge is not to get so carried away by your personal rhapsody that it sparks a fight, reflecting the potential of the Moon’s opposition to Mars at 1:59 AM ET on…
- SATURDAY. The opinionated debate may continue into the morning, as Moon sextiles Mercury and squares Jupiter around 9 AM ET. At 9:21 AM ET, Moon enters Capricorn, needing to Make Things Happen. At 3:22 PM ET, Mercury (how we need to think and communicate) obliges, leaving Libra for Scorpio (which needs to consolidate knowledge for the sake of power and control). A harmonious evening can be yours, as the Moon sextiles the Scorpio Sun and Venus at 8:20 PM and 11:40 PM ET, respectively.
- SUNDAY: Mars — which has been slowing to a virtual standstill all week — turns retrograde at 9:25 AM ET. It will be retrograde until January 12, 2023.
A pause, while we discuss Mars retrograde:
We experience Mars retrogrades “every two years or so,” according to an official NASA site — which also offers a nifty animation explaining why planets seem to be move backwards in the sky from our point of view — even though they really don’t.
Mars is the planet of desire, action, anger and assertion. Moving backwards is not comfortable for Mars! Thus, many people find themselves more irritated, impatient and frustrated than usual. Why aren’t things moving forward fast enough? It feels like a truck spinning its wheels in the mud. Frustration built up can lead to an urge to jump into action — rashly. Resist this urge!
A more appropriate use of Mars retrograde is to treat it as an opportunity to plan strategy. Think of a coach calling a time out on the playing field. Mars retrograde is a good time to huddle — to turn inward — and reflect upon or talk about a strategy for…oh…I know I’ve said this before — walking your talk — suggested by Mars being in retrograde in GEMINI. Also apt: raise your awareness of the power of words, and how they are currently being used as weapons. Consider an alternative perspective, as Mars in Gemini seeks a diverse — albeit intensely clever — approach.
The last time Mars was retrograde in Gemini was in January 2008, after six weeks of being retrograde in Cancer. Where were you back then?
Conventional astrological wisdom suggests caution when contemplating launching certain initiatives when Mars is retrograde:
A marriage contract
A sexual relationship
Filing for divorce
Surgery
Taking title to property
Buying a car
Hiring a new employee (unless it’s a temp)
Quitting your job in a frustrated huff
Starting a lawsuit
Starting a warNotice that the operative word here is caution. Sometimes life has other plans.
Mars turns retrograde at 25 Gemini. It is fascinating to note that this was the degree of the New Moon of June 2015, and here is what was happening back then. There you will find a summary of the Sabian Symbol for this Mars retrograde, “a winter frost in the woods.” You are more personally affected by this Mars retrograde if you are VP Kamala Harris or Jeb Bush.
And now, the news.
It was a no-good, horrible week for Liz Truss, who resigned as the UK’s prime minister after 45 days in office. How humiliating — to have been outlasted by a head of lettuce. But it did prove once again that Larry Kudlow is wrong about everything, as Heather Cox Richardson reports. Here’s more on the lettuce — from Variety.
The new UK PM is Rishi Sunak. He’s the youngest PM ever, and also the “first British PM of colour and first Hindu” — but he’s a “Conservative.” Those who are not so enthusiastic about his innovative qualities note that he has become PM “without a single vote,” meaning — without a democratic election in which the general public could participate. A bit authoritarian, isn’t it? Thus, he’s another apt reflection of the current tension between old guard Saturn and avant garde Uranus, right?
Meanwhile…
Events in China went as expected, with President Xi Jinping securing a third term after stacking “the senior Chinese Communist party ranks with loyalists, showing China’s ever more powerful leader favors loyalty over merit – and wants rule insulated from criticism or questioning.” They were an apt reflection of the authoritarian cuts and advances of Saturn turning direct over the weekend.
Speaking of Saturn...and cuts, limits and reality checks, this afternoon US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced an important press conference about a national security issue involving Mars-in-Gemini double agents and China. It was scheduled for 1:30 PM — but that would not have been astro-logical!! Looking at the chart for 1:30 PM whilst tuning into C-Span, it didn’t look as imposing as it could have been. And what everyone saw on camera was an empty podium. The press conference didn’t start until the chart for the moment was hot — at 12:55 PM ET, when Pluto and Uranus hit the Ascendant and opposed the Midheaven, respectively Astrology is amazing!!
And that’s a wrap, ’cause it’s 1:30 AM ET. FYI, if you’d like a more constant stream of headlines reflecting planetary patterns, follow me on Twitter.
If you’d like a few paragraphs of personal insights on what to expect from these two eclipses, toss $52 into my Cosmic Tip Jar as a Joyful Random Expression of Appreciation and email me your birth data if I don’t already have it.
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