THE
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 1/11/2016: Sneak Peek at the Week; Sean Penn, Michael Moore, Leonardo DiCaprio & More
/in The ForecastGood Morning!
The day is driven by a humanitarian Moon in Aquarius, well-supported by cooperative input from Saturn (structure), Venus (social graces) and Uranus (innovation). Arise, go forth and network. Plant seeds. If it’s an initiative you’d like to pitch, be advised that the Moon is more focused and engaged today than it will be tomorrow. Moon goes void at 8:09PM ET, not to enter Pisces until 6:53PM ET TUESDAY.
Moon voids suggests a higher flake factor, when efforts to move forward in a straight line are subject to space-outs, twists and/or a general sense of meh. Roll with the delays and detours and pledge now not to freak out at a perceived crisis. It’s likely much ado about nothing. We’ll have another long void on Thursday between 11:31AM ET and 9:48PM ET. Watch and learn.
Overall, planetary patterns this week are quite buoyant, compared to last week’s jolts and power plays. The song that comes to mind is “If You Want to Sing Out (Sing Out)” from the cult classic Harold and Maude (which does not star that drug lord dude Martin Shkreli, fyi — do not confuse him with actor Bud Cort). And wasn’t there something about singing in the symbolism of Saturday’s New Moon?
On Tuesday, Venus (money, social expression, women, beauty) is in alignment with Uranus (innovation, technology, eccentrics, rebels, astrologers). A woman could be your best friend this week. Your sense of aesthetics might favor the unconventional. On Wednesday, the highlight is the Sun’s easy alignment with expansive Jupiter at 5:49PM ET. NOW will we have a winner in the record-breaking Powerball lottery, whose jackpot is now over $1 billion and sure to soar even higher? It would seem to be in synch with planetary patterns.
Idealism and big thoughts are suggested on Thursday, when mental Mercury meets up with the Sun and aligns with Jupiter. Good fortune or too much of a good thing are suggested over the weekend as Venus squares off with Jupiter right after midnight next Monday. A liberal dose of pixie-dust is suggested by Mars in an easy alignment with Neptune a few hours later. Sweet seductions or snake oil?
Keep in mind that Mercury is still retrograde as you go about your business. Double check the details thrice; don’t sweat the tech snafus and don’t believe everything you hear on the news.
Speaking of which…the news:
File this under events flying under the radar (suitable for New Moons and dead Moons, when there is little light). El Chapo, the Mexican drug lord who escaped from prison (for the second time) last year, was recaptured, after a dramatic pursuit involving sewers and sex motels. How was he found? Seems that a clandestine interview he gave to actor Sean Penn in October may have had something to do it. Mr. Penn’s piece was published in Rolling Stone on Saturday, a day after El Chapo was arrested.
Why Sean Penn? Naturally I had to look at his horoscope, and noticed immediately that transiting Jupiter squared Penn’s Sagittarius Ascendant in September. It was square to his natal Jupiter at 23 Sagittarius last month and this month, expanding on themes related to publishing, travel and appearing larger than life. Remember how we were talking last week about how people with planets around 22 Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces would be personally affected by Jupiter turning retrograde at 22 Virgo?
Meanwhile, lots of stories reflecting the sober themes of Saturn (chill, reality, time, aging, ambition) meeting up with Venus (money, women, beauty, values). In the NYT, it was practically the whole Sunday Review section. “It’s Payback Time for Women,” makes a case for why a civilized nation should consider paying every citizen a basic salary to compensate him or her for (mostly) mothering, nurturing, caregiving, etc. Fun water cooler debate: why is it OK that a First Lady receives no salary for the work she does on behalf of the country?
Then there was a piece extolling the virtues of being a single woman, bemoaning the “lack of models for how to construct a life outside of coupledom”; then there was an annoyed bit about the fuss paid to Carrie Fisher over how she has aged in the nearly 40-years since her Star Wars debut; followed by a third called “You Don’t Need More Free Time“; and finally, “Be Happy: Think About Your Death“.
In other news…
It’s been almost five years since Neptune began its 14 year journey through Pisces, which it had not entered since 1848. Back in 2012, I anticipated that water would become a hot button concern, along with toxins, chemicals and poisons — all Neptune keywords. On the cover of the NYT Sunday magazine is a piece about Rob Bilott, a lawyer who has worked for years against DuPont, exposing “a brazen, decades-long history of chemical pollution,” especially in the drinking water in West Virginia. Ever hear of PFOA?
Toxins in the water came to a head last week in Flint, Michigan. Gov. Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency nearly two years after an apparent cost-cutting measure poisoned the city’s water. Flint native Michael Moore penned a sharp letter outlining the situation, calling for Governor Snyder’s arrest. How interesting to note that in Mr. Moore’s horoscope, his Jupiter is being squared by transiting Jupiter right now — like Sean Penn. We’d expect an intense buzz in mindset and communication all last fall and into the spring, suggested by other patterns — helpful if you’re promoting a new film (which he is).
I wrote about Mr. Moore’s horoscope in 2012, focusing on the time he was elected to the local school board at age eighteen. Looking at his horoscope now, 2013 and 2014 looked like challenging years for him personally, starting with his second Saturn return. There were other challenging measurements, too — and for Mr. Moore, the outcome was a divorce.
Saturn returns — which occur for everyone just before age 30 and 60 — are usually intense periods of focus on what is working in life and what isn’t. There is definitely an upside. If you’re about to turn 29 or 59, I’d happy to tell you more about it. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
This just in — happy day! Leonardo Di Caprio just won Best Actor for his performance in The Revenant, which also won Best Picture at the Golden Globes. Two years ago I was thinking that 2015 would be an excellent year for Mr. Caprio, and the patterns continue into 2016. Astrology is amazing.
Thank you for reading this forecast — and sharing it with the rest of Free World.
Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 1/8/2016 & Weekend: New Moon in Capricorn
/in The ForecastA slow start or twist your morning if you live on the East Coast, as the Moon will void until 10:07AM ET. After that, the energy of the day is fully engaged in Capricorn, a sign that needs to push things forward in tangible, earthy, top-of-the-mountain form. Oh, but Mercury is retrograde. Oh, but it’s end of the lunar cycle. No matter. Use this practical energy to review and clean up your desk, in preparation for the New Moon which happens at 8:30PM ET on Saturday.
Speaking of practical, on Friday, Mercury backs up in Capricorn, needing to think in more concrete terms than airy Aquarius might prefer. Capricorn needs to think about how to use things — and people, too. Something to consider until February 13th, which is when Mercury finally moves ahead into Aquarius. Also on Friday — 11:11PM ET, Venus meets up with Saturn. This adds to the no-nonsense Capricorn vibe (Saturn is the ruler of Capricorn), as money, women, aesthetics and other forms of social expression are likely streamlined and serious.
On Saturday, Moon makes its weekly clash with Pluto and Uranus — and 1:40PM and 3:58PM ET. Perhaps few upsets during the day — and a power play or two, likely behind closed doors (in the dark of the Moon), in the form of people pushing to make a point. There’s no Moon void to discourage your shopping endeavors, though electronics are not the optimal purchase while Mercury is retrograde.
A New Moon offers us an opportunity to re-set intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle. Light a candle; make a list. Around the 16th, on the First Quarter Moon, we can expect a challenge to those goals, with appropriate adjustments made. At the time of the Full Moon on January 23rd, we can expect illumination on the success or failure of our goals for the cycle. If we succeeded, we can consciously release our success into our reality; if we failed, we let go of whatever did not work. After the Third Quarter Moon on the 31st, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon on February 8th.
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is intriguing: “a hidden choir singing”. Hooray for Sabian Symbol Blain Bovee to paint a picture of how this Symbol might be reflected in your own personal world and in the news during this lunar cycle. “Many voices raised in song, hidden from view,” he notes. And how should we apply it? “With a mind to the hidden, alluring powers of sublime singing…[including) blissful joys and destructive potentials of intoxicating reveries and revelries”. Are the singers angels or knaves? Should you be tempted by their siren song? I’ll keep an eye out for headline stories and keep you posted.
On Sunday the Capricorn Moon will be void between 12:39PM and 3:23PM ET. No impulse shopping during those hours, but returning things during Moon voids can be a breeze. No sleeping in on Monday. The Aquarius Moon needs you to reach out to everyone in your database, in the spirit of Mercury retrograde REconnecting. Astrology is an Aquarian thing — did you know that? Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
And now, the news.
Here’s an interesting headline about an under-the-radar gathering suitable for a Dead Moon, especially in the wake of Thursday’s Sun-Uranus (technogeek) square. “Revealed: White House Seeks to Enlist Silicon Valley to ‘Disrupt Radicalization‘”. Well…sort of under-the-radar now. Speaking of tech, the Consumer Electronics Show is in full swing in Vegas, where Edward Snowden made a guest appearance — “in disguise,” naturally. Of course he did, with a flurry of transits this week among Venus, Uranus, Mercury, Sun and the Sun/Moon midpoint in his horoscope. Surprise! There a few other measurements suggesting a public outreach this week. So fascinating. Astrology is amazing.
Elsewhere, another disruption of the status quo — and it’s big: “New Study Provides the Strongest Case Yet That the Planet Has Entered a New Geological Epoch”. Meanwhile, the markets are still volatile…and streamlining, perhaps suggested by Friday night’s meet-up between Venus and Saturn. In the U.S., gun stocks are soaring. Next week patterns are less volatile, more optimistic. Let’s see what happens.
So much more — but it’s time to ship this off. Closing with some fun feedback from Avid Reader Karen, who wasn’t buying The Atlantic’s REvised choice of Saturn as the “best planet,” displacing Jupiter:
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 1/7/2016: Uranus Upsets; Jupiter Turns Retrograde
/in The ForecastKeep calm and carry on, regardless of the startling revelation or upset that may greet you upon waking, as rebel Uranus squares the Sun in Capricorn, sign of the Establishment at 7:22 AM ET. Oh, and that would be several hours after a sobering meet-up between the Moon and Saturn. Someone wings may soon be clipped.
Overall the day has an optimistic and innovative flair, courtesy of the high-flying Sagittarius Moon in easy alignment with technogeek Uranus (at 9:28 AM ET) and boosted by Jupiter at 9:44PM ET. More boundaries pushed?
Yes and no. At 11:40PM ET, Jupiter — planet of expansion and reward — joins Mercury in a seemingly-backward trek across the sky. In your own personal world, Jupiter retrograde can put a hold on expansion. In Virgo, which refers to the need for perfection, organization and microscopic details, it suggests you turn inward and reconsider plans for growth, making sure they are in synch with this ideal of perfect form. As Jupiter turns retrograde at 23 degrees of Virgo, you’ll feel this shift more personally if you have a planet or angle at 23 degrees of Virgo, Pisces, Gemini and Sagittarius. Jupiter will turn direct on May 9th at 13 degrees of Virgo. Jeb Bush has his Ascendant at 23 Virgo. Hillary Clinton has her Moon at 22 Pisces. Bernie Sanders has his North Node at 23 Virgo and his Sun at 15 Virgo. I expect Senator Sanders will be on quite an expansive, potentially electrifying track in June, when Jupiter conjoins his Sun and Uranus opposes his Venus and meets up with his Mars.
Note that the Moon goes void at 9:44PM ET, not to enter Capricorn until 10:07AM ET on Friday. Also note that we are in the dark of the Moon, a time to wrap up projects initiated last month, or just do something you’d prefer to keep under the radar. The last days of the lunar cycle can have a listless, restless feel. We know something is coming, but we don’t know what. It can be challenging to stay focused, given that Mercury is retrograde, but focus is what you must do if you have to be on the clock.
And now, the news.
Lots of power plays and upsets, as we would expect. Markets are still volatile. They closed lower yesterday as oil (power/resources/Pluto) was down and China was a worry. Markets in China plunged 7% early Thursday, until a breaker halted trading (second time this week). That’s certainly disruptive. I wrote about China about a month ago — here. In California, another story about oil and gas reached a crisis point:
“This” would be a natural gas leak in Los Angeles, which has forced the evacuation of hundreds of families since October. Meanwhile, TransCanada, the company that hoped to bring you the Keystone XL pipeline, filed a suit against the U.S. after the project was squashed last year. Or, as The Washington Times reports, “filed suit against the Obama Administration,” accompanied by a photo of President Obama looking as if he has just swallowed a subpoena. The Washington Times is one of Justice Antonin Scalia’s favorite newspapers. The other one is the Wall Street Journal. Where do you get your news?
Random sports headline, expressing the shocking potential of Sun square Uranus, empowered by Pluto: “A Star Who Gave the Mets a Jolt, and Not Just at the Plate”. It’s about catcher Mike Piazza, who has Sun at 13 Virgo, Jupiter at 15 Virgo and Pluto at 22 Virgo. Transiting Jupiter must be working its cosmic sugar daddy potential. Mr. Piazza retired from baseball years ago; he was just inducted into the Hall of Fame.
UPDATE: after North Korea claimed it detonated a hydrogen bomb (reported during Tuesday’s Moon void), the U.S. says it’s much ado about nothing. Interesting, eh?
File under “Mercury retrograde, bringing back issues from the past”: in Alabama, Chief Justice Roy Moore ordered a halt to same-sex marriage licenses. Justice Moore made headlines on this same issue almost a year ago. Really, Justice Moore? Really? Elsewhere, it was an upset for Brian Encinia, the police officer who arrested Sandra Bland in July. A grand jury indicted him on charges of perjury. You may remember the disturbing video of Mr. Encinia arresting Ms. Bland after a traffic stop. She was found hanged in her jail cell three days later. I wrote about correlating planetary patterns here.
At the moment, the top story on the Washington Times reports that after 57 tries, the Republican House successfully voted Wednesday to repeal Obamacare. The bill also defunded Planned Parenthood, and President Obama will veto it. Earlier this week, the NYT ran a lengthy piece about how the Affordable Care Act is not proving to be affordable for many, many citizens — well worth the read. In 2017 we could see some groundbreaking legislative efforts…but which way those efforts go will depend on who’s elected to the House in November. A president can’t do everything by herself or himself. If you don’t vote, somebody else will.
Let’s close with some groundbreaking news from the cosmos: “Visible Light from Blackholes Detected for the First Time.” Oh – and just in time for Jupiter to turn retrograde, a REthinking of its status from The Atlantic: “A Major Correction”
Coincidence or conspiracy?
What’s going on in your horoscope? Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 1/6/2016: Pluto Power Plays & Such
/in The ForecastAlll-righty then!
Writing this during Tuesday’s 13-hour Moon void in Scorpio, looking forward to the lift I expect we’ll all feel once the Moon enters Sagittarius at 1:56AM ET on Wednesday. If you are new to this forecast (welcome!) and are not familiar with the term “Moon void” or “void of course Moon,” here’s a lengthy explanation of what it is and why it is helpful to know about them.
A Sagittarius Moon needs to express its righteous opinion. It can be blunt, coarse and brutally honest. It needs to push boundaries and expand horizons with great enthusiasm, and it’s always up for a gamble or a gambol. Fun Moon-in-Sagittarius activities include catching a foreign film, getting out in nature, engaging in a spirited philosophical debate. At 4:40pm ET, when the Moon is squared by fuzzy Neptune, you may find yourself contemplating a dreamy escape. A harmonious aspect between the Moon and Venus at 7:54PM ET bodes well for social enjoyment, rustic as it may be.
A push for empowerment and emancipation may be on your plate, courtesy of late Tuesday night’s meet-up between the Sun and Pluto at 10:26PM ET. The emancipation or other disruption of the status quo may be experienced as an upset or revelation between now and 7:22AM ET on Thursday, as the Sun squares Uranus. Certainly we’ll see it in the headlines….and oh, look — it’s 9:48PM — and this breaking news just hit the home page of The Guardian: “North Korean Nuclear Test Suspected as ‘Artificial Earthquake’ Detected”. Amazing how that works. If the Moon weren’t void, I might freak out about it. I think I’ll chill instead.
Meanwhile…
President Obama was right on schedule Tuesday morning, announcing his efforts to do something — anything — to curb gun deaths. What got noticed? The fact that President Obama spoke through tears, which we would expect. Why? His Venus in emotionally sensitive Cancer — running wild and at the Aries Point. His caring nature needs to be prominent, and with a measurement to Venus from soulful Neptune, we would not be surprised to witness still more prominent displays of compassion and empathy from him this year. Others may be numbed out by the violence, but he can’t be, given what’s going on in his horoscope. We can expect more sweeping initiatives this year, suggested by other patterns noted in Monday’s forecast.
The good folks at the Guardian have put together a useful chart where you can find out the number of gun deaths in your electoral district in the past year, and how your elected representatives are rated by the NRA. Mine all got an F, with $0 in campaign contributions from the NRA. Yours?
Closing with a quirky fashion piece that reflects the empowered potential of the Sun’s meet-up with Pluto, combined with the aesthetic ideal of Neptune square Venus. What does one wear to a power lunch? The NYT has the story — live from New York’s famous — and soon to close — power lunch spot, The Four Seasons.
And if you do check out the Four Seasons piece, you might see — out of the corner of your eye — this one, from a few months ago: “Armani and Missoni: In the Shadow of the Supermoon”. And if you happen to read the first few lines of that story, you will snorf.
Did you snorf?
I can’t even….
Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 1/5/2016: Mercury Retrograde; A Hot Mess
/in The ForecastLots of action in the cosmos, as outlined in detail in yesterday’s forecast. Refer to that for the specifics.
It occurred to me yesterday morning that an apt term for the potential of this week would be “a hot mess,” especially when I found this explanation of its origin and evolution. My spies are reporting having experiences that are truly sublime and empowering, as well as utterly bewildering. Both kinds of experiences in the same time period. High highs. Low lows. It is fascinating.
How was your day yesterday? Wall Street was messy, as expected. Market volatility has manifested consistently whenever a planet — this week it is the Sun — has made challenging contact with Uranus and Pluto. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg announced his New Year’s resolution on Facebook. His personal goal for 2016 is to develop a robot that will serve as butler for his home. He plans to do the coding himself. A modest goal after learning Mandarin in 2010. How many creative messes will he make before he gets it right? What are your goals for 2016?
I was delighted to find that the term “hot mess” originally referred to food, having seen a number of notable stories about food in the headlines over the past two days. Like this one, for example, about how a few creative types are finding ways to grow vegetables in Alaska…or how “consumers will no longer know where their beef and pork were born and raised,” now that a labeling law has been repealed. Oh the joys of “mystery meat”…and while we’re at it, here are the secrets shared by successful food photographers. Happy nebulous Neptune square Venus, whose need for artistic expression contributed to an empowering, record-breaking week on Broadway.
Creativity is by nature a messy process; science has apparently proven that messy people are more creative. The fits and starts of the two planets turning retrograde — Mercury (today at 8:06AM ET) and Jupiter (on Thursday) add to the potential for false starts and serendipitous gaffes. The gaffe potential increases after 12:47PM ET, when the intensely emotional Scorpio Moon goes void, i.e., drifts without any particular direction, until 1:56AM ET. Roll with the twists and flakes, and be patient with the communication and technology snafus.
About Mercury retrograde…
So many people who know nothing else about astrology have heard of Mercury retrograde. Often it elicits curses and groans, and that’s a shame. Yes, on the first day of the last Mercury retrograde (back in September), all of the flights on American Airlines were grounded because of a computer glitch. And the entire country of Finland was offline because of a transportation strike. But there’s much good that can be accomplished when the Messenger Planet appears to be retracing its steps.
This month, Mercury—which in the language of astrology refers to mindset, travel and communication—will appear to move backward through the sky until January 25th. It’s not really moving backward, but that is how it looks from our perspective here on Spaceship Earth. Mercury goes retrograde 3-4 times each year, for a period of 22 days.
Contrary to popular belief, Mercury retrogrades are no reason to freak out. Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap because we are geared, in this crazy modern age, to always be thinking, doing, moving FORWARD. You know what that gets you? BURN OUT. We need our down times, and Mercury retrograde is a perfect time to give our minds a rest. Why else would your computer, phone and/or car choose THIS time to malfunction? Because you are supposed to be slowing down. And as you slow down, it is vitally important that you FOCUS.
When Mercury is retrograde, be prepared for travel delays, scheduling screw-ups, mechanical breakdowns, computer crashes, having to repeat what you’ve just said, misunderstandings, the past coming back for a second look, surprise reunions and having to repeat what you just said. Use your FOCUS and double check important details, like whether the restaurant you’ve chosen for a meet-up is still in business. Or whether it is booked for a commercial shoot or a private party — all of these have happened to me during Mercury retrogrades!
If you are looking for a job, Mercury retrogrades are a perfect time to reach out to people from your past. Mine your address book and trust that your contacts will be happy to hear from you. However, do not be frustrated if your target is away on vacation or keeps rescheduling meetings. Also, triple check your emails and resumes before you hit “send,” as there is a higher probability of typos and other sloppy snafus.
In your business, you’ll need to make sure all communications have been received and are clearly understood. Be mindful of the higher potential for communications equipment to go on the fritz. MAKE SURE YOUR FILES ARE BACKED UP. Also be aware of a higher than average probability for delays in shipping and travel arrangements. For this you will need an extra dose of patience.
You may also find it profitable to REview a project from the past. Maybe you shelved it then, but now is the time to REconsider. However, be advised that a spontaneously, “out-of-the-blue” idea for advancement may not be so sound when Mercury turns direct. This is why the conventional wisdom advises against finalizing and/or signing contracts on deals during Mercury retrograde. An exception might be supported if you are REnegotiating or RElocating. If you absolutely must close a deal, triple check everything.
This is a good time to schedule a corporate REtreat. Any activity that affords the opportunity to REview past performance is encouraged. REsearch on a new strategy is also favored.
Mercury retrogrades are not favored for launching a new website or a new communications systems. There is a higher than average probability of technical glitches and confusion. I can tell you horror stories about a certain prestigious college’s lackluster launch of a website/communications portal which occurred last year, on a day when Mercury was stationary retrograde…
Adopt a playful attitude of flexibility to whatever twists you encounter. Avoid making major purchases (especially electronic ones). Don’t believe everything you hear or read in the papers. Rumors have a higher probability of spreading during Mercury retrogrades. Avoid losing patience — that’s a big one.
When in doubt, be silent!
Do plan on RElaxing, REviewing, REsearching, REorganizing, REgenerating, REconnecting and REcreating…and REviewing your life with your astrologer. If you were born on the first day of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus or Scorpio — or if you have significant planets and/or angles at 0 degrees of Aquarius, you are more personally affected by this particular Mercury retrograde than most. As noted yesterday, President Obama is in this category.
Gratitude to Avid Reader Beth Owlsdaughter, who created this fitting Banana Mercury mash-up, which I have gleefully adopted. Check out Beth’s Tarot Card pull for 2016 here , as well as her Tarot Card for the Week here. It’s just amazing how in synch her card pulls are with planetary patterns.
Thank you for reading this forecast.