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I am a reporter with a unique beat. I use my understanding of planetary cycles to provide advance notice and analysis on the Zeitgeist of the day. If you have ever wondered “why is this happening now,” my insights will transform your experience of the headlines, adding new meaning and understanding. Call it Astrology for News Junkies. If you’re curious to know why the Impossible Burger is trending…or why the outcome of the 2019 Israeli elections was likely to be a shocker …or why “Woodrow Wilson, Stud Muffin” was a New York Times headline in December 2013, you will find it here, in over a decade’s worth of historical research and reporting.
Note that I do use astrological jargon in The Forecast in my effort to show how the planetary patterns are reflected in mundane events. I explain what the jargon symbolizes, so that all who want to understand the connections between astrology and the news may do so. However, I do not use astrological jargon in personal consultations, just plain English.
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 4/11/2016: What’s the Buzz; Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastGood Morning!
The start of the work week is brought to you by the Moon in chatty Gemini, seeking to be the smartest kid in the room. Just ask Barack Obama, who was born with the Moon in Gemini. At 4:36AM ET, a need to know may have been smacked down by a higher authority in the form of a face-off with Saturn. Good thing most of us were sleeping, eh? Check the headlines for a potential early morning wet blanket in the headlines, and enjoy your caffeinated buzz.
This day offers much promise for gadding about in balanced, innovative and visionary ways. Moon makes an easy contact with Uranus at 11:58AM ET, followed by another easy contact with the proactive Aries Sun. Pick up the phone; send that email; make that pitch…at least until 2:57PM ET, when the Moon goes void until 4:07AM ET on TUESDAY. Then, wait and see what “much ado about nothing” story will seize the media’s attention until the Moon gets back into gear.
Moon will be in Cancer on Tuesday, happily focusing our needs on home and emotional security. At 5:40AM ET mental Mercury makes an easy connection to Neptune, suggesting the potential for inspired and/or rose-colored thinking. At 3:17PM ET, Venus (women, social expression) makes a harmonious connection to Mars. With Venus in Aries and Mars in Sagittarius, fiery impulses that push boundaries with great fervor are favored. If there’s a potential downside, it would be the integrity of the pixie-dust involved, suggested by Mars is in a challenging aspect with Neptune all month long. Is that passion sublime or scandalous?
On Wednesday we’ll have the First Quarter Moon, presenting a potential challenge or advance to last week’s New Moon agenda. We’ll also have the Moon’s weekly clash with Uranus and Pluto — this time between 10:57AM ET and 4:45PM ET. This sets the stage for potential power plays, revelations and other upsets to the status quo. Moon goes void on Wednesday at 11:59PM ET, roaring into love love love Leo at 9:53AM ET on Thursday.
Thursday’s only exact aspect is an easy flow between Mercury and Jupiter, facilitating big ideas about earthly matters in great detail. The party-hearty Leo Moon will be void on Saturday between 1:48PM ET and 7:23PM ET — so avoid the malls and making a mountain of ego drama out of a molehill. The big news of the week happens at 8:14AM ET on Sunday, when Mars goes retrograde at 8 degrees of Sagittarius, backing up into Scorpio until June 30th. Pluto turns retrograde in the wee hours the very next day. Stay tuned for details as we get closer to the weekend.
The news will be back tomorrow. If you’d like to have an informative discussion about what’s going on in your horoscope, today would be an awesome day to contact me to schedule an appointment. Moon is in Gemini, after all — and today it makes a harmonious connection with Uranus, ruler of astrology. How cool is that? Timing is everything.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday-Sunday 4/7-10/2016: New Moon in Aries; More Rolling Heads and Warrior Women
/in The ForecastFeeling especially charged this morning? Fizzle out as the day progressed?
Between 4:33AM ET and 10:56AM ET, the me-me-me Aries Moon made contact with Saturn, Pluto and Uranus, before going void for the rest of the day on that Me-Without-Compromise Moon-Uranus meet-up. At 7:24AM ET, the new lunar cycle officially began, as the Moon met up with the Aries Sun. Light a candle; make a list and take time to re-set your intentions for the next thirty days.
A New Moon in Aries suggests a need — or an opportunity — to be a courageous, inspiring pioneer and/or warrior, preferably on the side of the angels. At its best, Aries is a champion for the weak and vulnerable. It inspires people to take initiatives and defy the odds…yes, sometimes foolishly, but hey — if Plan A blows up, there’s always a Plan B, a Plan C and D. A true Aries never never never gives up. There is always a tomorrow.
At its worst, well…let’s just say Aries can be utterly self-absorbed and go to disturbing extremes in order to get there FIRST. Wherever, whatever…so long as something gets started. Astrologer Rick Levine — who celebrated his Aries birthday yesterday — aptly describes the Aries strategy for success as “Ready? Fire. Aim!” I like to say that Aries falls down stairs because it is faster than walking. You got a problem with that?
New Moon seeds planted now may be imbued with a strong need for freedom and empowerment, suggested by Moon’s contact with Pluto and Uranus. They also hold an easy structuring flow, courtesy of the Moon’s early AM contact with Saturn. Also in an easy flow: prominent crusading values and righteous opinion, suggested by Mars in Sagittarius trine to Venus at 2 Aries, at the Aries Point. Want some pixie dust with that? Mars and Neptune have been in a tense pattern for weeks, and the tension continues through May, returning for a last huzzah at the end of August. Your dusted pixies may be fanatical, magical, scandalous, seductive or drunk on their own delusions. It’s we who choose how we will manifest the potential suggested by planetary guideposts. Upside or downside — we decide.
Many astrologers have noted that this New Moon makes contact with Eris, known in mythology as the Goddess of Discord. File this under “increased potential for righteous outrage from those who perceive they haven’t been offered a seat at the table.” Also file it under “bullheaded/intractable thoughts and communication, potentially running wild,” suggested by Mercury unaspected in Taurus.
In the New Moon chart for Washington DC, we see this Mercury exactly on a 2 degree Taurus Ascendant, with the Sun and Moon exactly squaring an 18 Capricorn Midheaven, atop which sits Pluto at 17 Cap. There are four planets, plus Chiron, Eris and the South Node in the 12th house. This house traditionally refers to covert concerns, secret enemies, institutions, the self-undoing and issues we bury in the subconscious. Sounds like a lot of behind-the-scenes, backroom power plays which — with that Mercury on the ASC, we should hear about in plodding detail or pixie-dusted spin. Also hidden away in the chart for Washington: Mars and Saturn in the 8th House. Intriguing.
You’re more personally affected by this New Moon if you have a planet or important point at 19 degrees of Cancer, Libra, Capricorn, and especially Aries. Bernie Sanders has Moon at 20 Aries, Mars at 24 Aries and Venus at 23 Libra. The entity that continues to wreak havoc in the Middle East and elsewhere has Sun at 20 Aries, Venus and Eris at 23 Aries and Mars at 22 Aries. Justin Trudeau has Moon at 18 Aries. Pope Francis has Mars at 20 Libra — and he’ll be making headlines on Friday.
The Sabian Symbol for 19 Aries is “a magic carpet.” Ooh — more pixie dust! A magic carpet is empowered by something outside conventional norms, transcending the Earth, rising above it. What an interesting perspective you can get by introducing a little levity into your life. Or alternatively, as Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee writes:
(cue “Shock Horror Riff” now, please)
Bovee’s take on this Symbol seem to echo the overall patterns of this New Moon with its breakout, magical or delusional potential. In applying this Symbol in our daily lives, Bovee adds:
How interesting that the Sabian Symbol for last month’s New Moon suggested the potential for being swept away by the madding crowd.
On Friday, the Taurus Moon seeks to build and maintain comfort and security — perhaps in ways that are fiercely unique, given Saturday’s meet-up between the Sun and rebel Uranus. The Taurus Moon will be void all day Saturday. Chill and avoid the malls.
Moon buzzes into Gemini at 1:59AM ET on Sunday, clashes with Mars at 4:06PM ET and squares off with nebulous Neptune at 7:59PM ET. Double check your communication channels to make sure what you heard is what was said.
No sleeping in on Monday, as the Moon will not be void in the morning.
And now, the news.
The disruptive Sun-Uranus-Pluto action this week continues to be reflected in rolling heads (the Sun) of state and other bright stars. In the wake of the Panama Papers massive leak, Argentina’s leader now faces an investigation. British PM David Cameron appears to be coming clean. In China, no heads are rolling, but websites posting the leak have been censored. Because if you censor it, that means it didn’t happen.
In Alabama, articles of impeachment were filed against Governor Robert Bentley (R-AL), who is currently mired in a sex scandal amid other questionable actions. In other news, Thomas O. Staggs, thought to be the likely successor to Disney CEO Robert Iger, was suddenly let go.
Meanwhile, Don Blankenship, the former CEO of Massey Energy, received the maximum sentence — one year — for conspiring to ignore federal mining safety regulations. This is considered extraordinary, the first time such a high-ranking executive has been found guilty of a workplace safety violation. You may recall that six years ago, 29 miners were killed in an explosion in one of Massey’s mines.
Venus entering Aries on Tuesday suggested prominent stories of fiery, independent and/or warrior women. I’d heard of Burning Man, but not the Dinah, where this year 20,000 lesbians gathered for a five-day festival in Palm Springs. The fest has been happening since 1991. Meanwhile, the NYT just posted a depressing piece about how Boko Haram is training abducted women to become suicide bombers. Feels like there are shades of Eris, Goddess of Discord in that one.
Discordant women in Indiana are attracting attention nationwide today, as a campaign called Periods for Pence made the home page of the NYT. In response to Governor Mike Pence signing a bill requiring, for instance, that a miscarried or aborted fetus must be now buried or cremated at the woman’s expense, Hoosiers with hoo-has have been peppering the governor’s office with status reports and questions about gynecological concerns. A suit challenging the constitutionality of the law has just been filed.
Meanwhile, in Australia, prominent Venusian themes of sugar, women, money and social graces made headlines in this story about a Gender Gap Bake Sale intended to expose wage disparity, yet exposed something even uglier. Also ugly: a very lengthy expose on sugar itself, arguing that it is poison. What’s interesting about that story — which I’ve heard before — it that it builds on research that was published in the aftermath of the Uranus-Pluto conjunctions of 1965-1966. The research was not well-received, and now another scientist is having a go with research of his own.
That’s it for the news! Have a wonderful Moon in Taurus weekend, indulging in good food, drink and a snuggle with your sweetie. To facilitate your efforts to build material security, here’s how you can stash away some tax-free funds right here in the good ol’ USA. No need to call anyone in Panama.
Thank you for reading this forecast. Here’s how to schedule a personal consultation. We will have a fabulous discussion together!
Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 4/6/2016: Dead Moons; Heads Roll; Venus Pulls Focus; Mars & Neptune
/in The ForecastOhhhhhh-kayy!
The Moon charged into Aries at 2:46AM ET, looking for a fire to start. Perhaps this explains why I was wide awake at the crack of dawn. A focus on pioneering and/or me-me-me social expression and values is suggested by a meet up between the Moon and Venus at 4:01AM ET. A smooth application of energy and action that push boundaries righteously is suggested by a trine between the Moon and Mars at 3:52PM ET. Minutes later, at 4:10PM ET, the Sun is squared by Pluto in Capricorn. Sounds ripe for a power play behind closed doors, given that we’re in the dark of the Moon.
We’ve been seeing plenty of headlines reflecting a focus on power, resources and heads of state all week. If your horoscope is personally affected by this pattern, you may be feeling a power play in your own personal world, for better or for worse. Got a planet or significant point in around 19 degrees of Aries, Capricorn, Cancer or Libra? Bernie Sanders does.
We are in the dark side of the Moon — the end of the lunar cycle. Especially with the Moon in Aries, we may be feeling restless, sensing that something new is just around the corner, but we don’t know what. Wrap up your projects from the past cycle’s agenda and get ready to re-set your intentions for another 30 days when the New Moon kicks in tomorrow (Thursday) at 7:24AM ET.
Be aware that the Moon will be void as of 10:56AM ET on Thursday, not to enter the next sign — Taurus — until 2:10AM ET on Friday. Use this awareness to avoid making mountains out of molehills during what I expect may be a super-charged day in a super-charged week.
And now, the news.
With planetary patterns suggesting themes of power, resources and a prominent me-me-me in social expression and values (money), how apt to see this disruptive headline in the NYT: “‘Customers First’ Becomes the Law in Retirement Investing”. What a concept.
The prime minister of Iceland is toast, thanks to information leaked in the ongoing Panama Papers scandal. Born March 12, 1975, David Gunnlaugsson has at least one planet — Venus (money, social expression) at 20 Aries — impacted by this week’s rollicking pattern. British PM David Cameron is not toast, but apparently “ducking questions.” The VP of Brazil may be toast (facing impeachment, perhaps along with Brazil’s president); the president of South Africa is not toast (survived impeachment).
In Myanmar, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was given a new title, “moving closer to leading” the country, reports the NYT. Transiting Jupiter to her natal Uranus, along with transiting Jupiter conjunct her natal Jupiter does suggest a potential windfall and/or opportunity for expansion. And while the birth time and place of her horoscope are not confirmed, this empowerment would not be inconsistent with transiting Pluto (and possibly Uranus, depending on the Moon’s degree), making contact with its Libra Moon.
Meanwhile, President Obama made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room to comment on the Panama Papers. Walking the talk, yesterday the U.S. Treasury issued new rules aimed at stopping corporate inversions, a.k.a. clever tax-dodging schemes. Result: Pfizer backed away from its planned acquisition of (Botox manufacturer) Allergen, in what would have been the biggest clever tax-dodging schemes of its ilk to date. Happy Saturn retrograde, Pfizer. Your ambitious plans required a REview.
During yesterday’s Moon void (favoring upsets by underdogs), Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz won in Wisconsin. No surprises here. With Cruz — birth time unknown — building momentum at the moment, one wonders if his Libra Moon may be currently opposed by transiting Uranus, intensifying — and perhaps outing — his need to be ever-so-people pleasing, even though experts agree that the junior senator from Texas is not especially likeable. His 1 degree Capricorn Sun did just get a boost from transiting Venus at 1 Aries, along with a longer-lasting dose of love from his progressed Venus, exact in mid-April. Astrology is amazing.
Speaking about that dose of love, factor in that back around March 10th, Cruz’s Neptune at 1 Sagittarius was hit by transiting Mars. And Neptune-Mars transits can suggest scandal of a prurient nature, along with potential pixie dust/charisma, illusion and viral infection. I did not write about it back then, but I was intrigued to see an item hinting at a potential scandal involving Cruz — on the same day another item hit the “Internets” alleging infidelity on the part of Marco Rubio (whose Neptune is at the same degree as Cruz’s, thus hit by transiting Mars at the same time).
Then on March 20th, with the Sun at the Aries Point, making contact with Cruz’s natal Sun-Pluto square (which we could spend hours discussing in a personal consultation), Anonymous threatened to expose the dirt. Perhaps someone at Anonymous works at the National Enquirer which — a few days later — reported lots of dirt which Cruz denied was true. Astrologically, let’s see where these stories are at over the next few months, when this Mars-Neptune pattern will repeat itself.
For no particular reason — well, perhaps Venus in Aries at the Aries Point, suggesting pioneering women and social expression in the spotlight — let’s close with a story about Hilde Kate Lysiak, a nine year-old who publishes her own online newspaper and just broke a murder story. She doesn’t care what her critics say, and when I grow up, I want to be just like her.
Thank you for reading this forecast. If you recently sent me a request for a personal consultation via the contact form on my website and haven’t heard back from me, please email me directly at eg at graceastrology dot com. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.https://elisabethgrace.com/what-to-expect/
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday & Tuesday 4/4-5/2016: Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastApril kicked off with the Sun still charging ahead in fiery Aries, bursting with the energy of the new astrological year. The intense pace continues this week, then begins to slow down, leading to a much-needed long period of time to absorb and process recent dynamic shifts and challenges. “Hurry up!” may mark the start of April, but by the end of the month, the message may be “wait.”
Today the day is driven by the Moon in Pisces, needing to empathize, intuit and identify what is ideal. You may feel rather charged up about it, the closer we get to 3:01PM ET, when Mars righteously squares off with the Moon. A soulful or dreamy surrender/escape may grace your evening plans, as the Moon meets up with Neptune at 7:42PM ET.
Also driving the day — and exact Tuesday at 12:09PM ET — is a constructive focus that may assist your plans for world domination, courtesy of an easy connection between the Aries Sun and Saturn. Use it or lose it today if possible, as the Pisces Moon goes void on Tuesday at 6:33AM ET, not to enter Aries until 2:46AM ET on Wednesday.
Whilst the Moon may be wandering on Tuesday, other planets will be shifting. Venus leaves compassionate Pisces for me-me-me Aries at 12:51PM ET. Overall we can expect less patience and more impulsiveness in social interactions between now and April 30th, when Venus will segue into Taurus.
Also on Tuesday: Mercury leaves Aries for Taurus at 7:10PM ET. Mercury refers to how we need to think and process information. Taurus is an earthy energy that needs to build material comfort and security. So we can expect a need for ideas and communications to be evaluated on those terms from April 5th until June 13th, i.e., slowly and deliberately. Why so long in Taurus? Because on April 28th, Mercury goes retrograde for the second of four instances this year.
But wait, there’s more. On Wednesday, the Aries Sun is challenged by Pluto in Capricorn, facilitating power plays in world events, including significant news about energy and resources. If your horoscope is personally affected by this pattern, you may be feeling a power play in your own personal world, for better or for worse.
On Saturday, the Sun meets up with Uranus. What a day to be yourself without compromise, even if it disrupts the status quo. There’s likely to be a buzz in the air a few days before this exact meet-up, and now you ‘ll understand why. Watch for stories involving breakthroughs and breakouts, along with significant technological advances.
All of the above drama is part of the potential for the New Moon in Aries, which happens on Thursday at 7:24AM ET. We’ll break that down as we get closer to Thursday. Meanwhile, your Moon voids — in addition to the all-day void on Tuesday — are as follows: Thursday 10:56AM ET until Friday 2:10AM ET; Saturday 5:49AM ET until Sunday 1:59AM ET. If you focus on routine matters, avoid impulse purchases and roll with whatever twists may crop up in your efforts to move forward in a straight line, you’ll be just fine.
And now, the news.
As we’ve seen again and again, when the Uranus-Pluto square is triggered by transiting planets, news involving power and resources happens, often of a disruptive kind. Last week Mercury (information) triggered the square; this week it’s the Sun. Have you heard about the Panama Papers? This is a bigger-than-Wikileaks data dump from the files of Mossack and Fonseca, the world’s fourth-largest offshore law firm. How do some of the world’s power players cover their assets? Check out this still-developing story, which names names and is already creating consequences for one world leader, who happens to be the prime minister of Iceland. Vladimir Putin is making headlines about this, too — along with others.
Triggers to the Uranus-Pluto square often coincide with headlines involving aviation, energy sources (especially nuclear) and technological advances. Virgin America is being bought by Alaska Airlines. A fatal plane crash in California featured a bizarre instance of deja vu. Now consider that Venus (women, social expression, money, aesthetics) at the Aries Point, thus attracting prominence to Venusian concerns. Of course we’d read that flight attendants on Air France may refuse to fly on a new route to Tehran, should they not wish to wear a requisite headscarf.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk tweeted over the weekend that pre-orders for his first mass-market vehicle, the upcoming Tesla 3 electric sedan, are going gangbusters, in synch with planetary patterns and his rocket-scientist horoscope, as noted in prior forecasts. In New York, a planned gas pipeline near the Indian Point nuclear power plant is generating controversy. In South Dakota, a portion of the Keystone pipeline has just been shut down, while all over the country, oil and gas workers appear to be still waiting for promised paychecks.
Aries is all about the power of the individual. Add in the fiercely independent energy of Uranus to the Aries Sun, and today’s SCOTUS affirmation of the “one person, one vote” legal principle is timely — and empowering. Not a bad day for governors in New York and California to sign bills that will eventually raise the minimum wage in their states to $15 an hour. I’ll leave it to you to decide if Kim Kardashian is really doing anything to facilitate empowerment after posting a nude/semi-nude selfie on Instagram; this linked op-ed argues against it.
Thank you for reading this forecast. If you would like to support my efforts to keep you informed and entertained, here’s a totally guilt-free link to a handy donation page. If you would prefer to schedule a consultation to discuss how all these retrogrades are likely to be reflected in your horoscope, here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 3/30/2016: Mercury in Action; Make it Happen
/in The ForecastAlllll-righty then!
As I type, the high-flying and righteous Sagittarius Moon is still void. Any twists or upsets in your morning so far? You rolled with them, I trust. No sense making a mountain out of a molehill — this, too, shall pass.
By the time you read this, the energy of the day will have shifted, courtesy of the Moon’s ingress into Capricorn. This is an earthy, practical energy that would be happy to move any mountains of crisis you might have created, because you neglected to remember the Moon’s voidy-ness this morning. Get off your duff and make it happen, assisted by an especially persuasive, innovative and dirt-revealing alignment between Mercury (mindset, communication) and Pluto — exact at 10:52AM ET. If the FBI is able to announce that it managed to crack open an iPhone without Apple’s assistance, just imagine what intense revelations could crop up in your own personal world, especially if your horoscope is directly affected.
Last week, under the influence of Mercury’s meet-up with Sun in Aries (pioneering — yet perhaps idealistic and or reckless — communication), Microsoft launched an AI experiment that was quickly sabotaged by certain subversive Twitter users. “Tay” is a “chatbot” that was designed to engage with actual humans, but within hours of its launch, said subversives turned Tay into “a racist jackass”. Launching the chatbot on last weekend’s potentially bitchy-in-a-big way patterns between Venus (women, social expression) and Saturn (bitchy) and Jupiter (big) also seems to have been reflected. Tay made a brief re-appearance this morning, but after several brutally blunt communications (Mercury square Pluto!), it’s been pulled offline again.
That’s it for the news. As for how best to apply the energy of the Capricorn Moon that will be driving the next couple of days, Beth Owldaughter’s Tarot Card of the Week offers wise words, always in synch with planetary patterns.
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