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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 Friday 8/14/2015 & the Weekend: New Moon in Leo, China, Megyn Kelly & More
/in The ForecastTGIF!
I’ve been working on this forecast since Thursday (yesterday), which you might have experienced as something like this:
“We are in the dark side of the Moon — the end of the lunar cycle, a.k.a. the balsamic phase. The New Moon (and new energy) officially kicks in at 10:53AM ET on Friday — in Leo, hear it roar! During this dark side, it is not unusual to feel listless or restless, sensing the shift that is just around the corner, but not being sure what. This is a good time to wrap up projects started a month ago…and/or contemplate your agenda for the next four weeks.
Thursday’s Leo Moon is sailing free and clear, seeking to fulfill its need for recognition, applause and a good party. There’s an easy alignment between the Sun and innovative Uranus for you to play with (exact at 6:27AM ET), so go hang out with your funkiest friends and come up with a way to reinvent the wheel.”
Well? Did you do that?
Which brings us up to today (Friday):
This innovative vibe continues on Friday, as the Moon is supported by Uranus at 8:38AM ET, meets up with the Sun and then hangs indulgently with Venus (love, money, art women) at 2:25PM ET. Not a bad way to end the work week. Happy hour at the office?
On Saturday, Moon goes void just after midnight for a few hours. Then it enters Virgo at 3:46AM ET, perhaps motivating a major sorting/analyzing/clean up around the house. Or some other project requiring refinement and exquisite detail. Mindset and communication is likely to lean toward the deep end, courtesy of an easy alignment between Mercury and perspicacious Pluto. Maybe you’ll uncover some dirt about a past social encounter of an idealized kind. And here I would be thinking about the addition of the Sun’s meet-up with Venus at 3:22PM ET on Saturday….and how the whole combination of planetary patterns reflects today’s item about President Warren G. Harding having a love child with his mistress, Nan Bratton, oh so many years ago. I’ve heard from more than one reader this week about running into a former flame during this Venus retrograde, which is not surprising.
Saturday night favors music and other intangible escapes, given nebulous Neptune’s rosy fog coloring the Virgo Moon’s need for perfection at 9:29PM ET. A deep conversation with an Other or your journal may be yours on Sunday AM, as the Moon makes contact with Mercury (yakkety yak) and Pluto (did I say “deep”?).
And now, more on the New Moon, exact Friday at 10:53AM — soon after this forecast lands in your inbox.
As I said, it’s in Leo, which refers to the heart. Hooked up with the Sun and Venus, it suggests love, applause and creative self-expression, with a dramatic dose of idealism. Connections with rebel Uranus suggest innovative insights about how to get it; a challenge to Saturn suggests a hard-nosed ambition driving it; Mars running wild in Leo suggests dramatic action taken for the sake of it — possibly getting away with murder as only Mars in Leo can. But y’know, with Venus retrograde, the suggestion is that efforts to get the love you need could be productively spent working on more a loving relationship with yourself. Whoa. That’s so…innovative…and deep.
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon at 22 degrees of Leo is “a carrier pigeon.” Sabian Symbol guru Blaine Bovee notes that this is a bird that can be trained to fly home, usually carrying a message. Note that we do not train pigeons to fly from New York to Nova Scotia, if the birds live on 57th Street in Manhattan. They only fly in one direction: home.
Wherever 22 Leo falls in your horoscope is the area of your life in which you may experience a homing instinct during this lunar cycle. If you have a planet or angle at 22 degrees of Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio and especially Leo, you are even more affected by the potential a new cycle can bring. Consult your local astrologer for details, or consider ordering an Astro-Basics Report so you can learn what degrees your planets are at. It’s described in the Services & FAQs section of my website.
Lately, Bovee has gotten me thinking about how Sabian Symbols work in pairs. Every degree has an opposing degree. The opposing degree of 22 Leo is 22 Aquarius. The Sabian Symbol for 22 Aquarius is “a rug placed on the floor for children to play”. Bovee notes that the nature of play (Latin ludere) is “to go beyond bounds of normal containment”. Taken together, these two Symbols suggest a polarity between testing one’s limits and being aware of “the relative nature of rules and boundaries; issues of safety and security regarding the home and the world beyond; homing in on what really counts.”
In the last two lunar cycles I noticed a curious synchronicity between the opposing Sabian Symbol of the New Moon and the stories that made headlines. For June, the opposing Symbol was “a flag bearer”. For July, the Symbol was “a women entering a convent,” which Bovee suggests can reflects themes of confinement, including prison. Immediately after July’s New Moon, President Obama visited a prison, highlighting the condition of our penal system. Then Sandra Bland — the woman who allegedly committed suicide after a provocative police officer in Texas tossed her in jail after stopping her for a minor traffic violation— made headlines. In June, one of the major stories of the cycle was the Confederate flag. Coincidence or conspiracy?
And now, the news…
…which I’ve been glancing at out of the corner of my eye this week, in between client consultations and the heart-centered books I mentioned in Tuesday’s forecast. More than one of you appreciated those book recommendations enough to write and tell me. Thank you so much — you made my day!
On that heart-centered theme, along with Wednesday’s musical Neptune-Mercury opposition and Thursday’s Sun (heart) – Uranus (innovation) trine, it was fun to see this item about a Beethoven symphony that some scientists say can also help your heart! It was not fun to read that Columbia House — the company that brought us those “8 CDs for one cent” offers that started my CD collection — filed for bankruptcy, thanks to competition from more modern technology. RIP sadface.
I’ve glanced at other newsmakers this week, including the aforementioned Warren G. Harding, Megyn Kelly and China. The latter of course is making big news in the markets, after devaluing its currency earlier this week. A quick look at its horoscope shows transiting Pluto (transformation, power plays, cutting dead wood) in hard aspect to nebulous Neptune and mental Mercury. The Neptune thing can be weird — and refers to matters involving China’s 2nd house (money, worth, values) and 10th house (status, reputation). The Mercury thing refers to matters of the 5th and 8th houses, e.g. relationships with other, self-expression and values relative to others. The Pluto-Mercury thing can be quite forceful and persuasive. These patterns will be back for a final pass in October-December, accompanied by another measurement between Saturn (control, structure, limit) and Venus (money, values, social expression). Hard aspects between Saturn and Venus can be experienced as isolating and streamlining. Let’s see what happens.
Megyn Kelly is a Scorpio with Moon in either Cancer or Leo — we do not have a birth time. A measurement between her Scorpio Sun and Uranus suggests this is a breakout period for her. We’d expect her to be uncompromising in matters of self-expression, and likely get away with it. Another measurement between her Mars (planet of action) and Uranus suggests a higher probability of taking action outside the box, with surprising results that clear the air. These measurement will be in effect for some time. Wouldn’t you say that’s apt, given the unfettered independence she showed in her questioning of Donald Trump in last week’s debate? And the airwaves are still buzzing about it…
As for Warren G. Harding…when I first looked at his horoscope, I was irked. Given planetary patterns, he should have made the news a year ago. Well, guess what? He did make news a year ago — and I even wrote about it, as well as his horoscope!
Astrology is amazing. What’s going on in your horoscope? Why not find out in a personal consultation. I guarantee it will put your life into a perspective that will be practical, helpful and enlightening.
Thank you for reading this forecast and for sharing it with your friends and family. Referrals are the best!
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 8/11/2015: Jupiter in Virgo; Love Over All
/in The ForecastMoon continues its sojourn through Cancer today. A face-off between the Moon and Pluto at 9:16AM ET suggests an added layer of intensity to the morning: a power play or an illuminating catharsis. Fortunately aspects to the Moon pass quickly; however, if you happened to be born at 9:16AM ET today, with that face-off permanently imprinted in your natal chart, I’m sorry to hear about the power struggle you’re likely to have with your mother — throughout your entire life.
Smooth sailing during the rest of business hours; the potential for an upset of the status quo — for better or for worse — happens around 10:27PM ET, when the Moon is challenged by rebel rocket scientist Uranus.
Big news in the cosmos today is Jupiter — the planet of expansion — leaving regal, sunny, fiery, heart-focused Leo at 7:13AM ET. For the next year — until Sept 9th, 2016 — it will travel through earthy, service-oriented, mindful Virgo. What does that suggest? First, it suggests an expanded focus on all that Virgo symbolizes in astrology, for example: cooperation and cooperatives; diet, nutrition, health and healthcare; work forces and labor unions; food production systems. Virgo needs perfection — or at least to be perfecting, which it does through detailed analysis and critique, separating the wheat from the chaff. At its worst, Virgo can be overly-critical, fussy, neurotic: the micro-manager in your worst nightmare.
On the upside, Jupiter in Virgo suggests the potential for a jovial attitude and willingness to expand projects in the above-listed arenas. Big is out. Small is in. On the downside, Jupiter’s need to expand on every little detail can result in a plan of action that totally misses the Big Picture.
I’m interested to see what will hit the headlines when Jupiter is at 17-18 degrees of Virgo this November and next March and July. These were the degrees of the game-changing Uranus-Pluto conjunctions of 1965 and 1966. I expect we’ll see expanded progress on the seeds planted at that time, including, but not limited to: awareness of climate change and other ways human behavior is impacting ecological systems; awareness of subatomic particles, e.g. the Higgs boson; health care systems such as Medicare (which was created in the mid-60s). Read your history books and fill in the rest of the possibilities.
You are more personally affected by Jupiter’s expansive potential if you have planets and/or angles in Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius or Pisces….and especially if you have planets and/or angles at around 13 and 23 degrees of those signs. If you do not know where your points and angles are, consider spending $18 on an Astro-Basics Report, a.k.a, a ton of information for a ridiculously modest price. Send me your birth info — date, time and place of birth. Make an $18 donation using the link at the bottom of this email (if you’re getting this forecast via email), or by clicking the big, gold button on the left side of the Daily Forecast page.
No news today…just a few interesting book recommendations that are in tune with planetary patterns. On a day with four planets in heart-centered Leo, challenged by lone-wolf Saturn in matters of life-and-death Scorpio…and the Moon in emotion-ruled Cancer, I found myself reading Broken Hearts: The Tangled History of Cardiac Care by David Jones and two books by James Lynch: The Broken Heart and A Cry Unheard: New Insights into the Medical Consequence of Loneliness. The first book is about the amazing technological advances that are being used to treat heart disease, especially stents and coronary artery bypass surgery, which seek to resolve blockages in the heart. What is interesting about this book is how much doctors do not understand about why some treatments work for some and not others…or even why certain people are more susceptible to blockages in the first place. And so now, when faced with a coronary health decision, the options can be overwhelming.
The second two books address the uncertainty of the first book by offering a new perspective. The author argues that people most likely to develop heart disease are those who suffer from lack of love…especially the kind of loving dialogue with a partner, family, friends and community that has been proven to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. The author feels that by looking at the heart — and all body parts — as merely parts of an organic machine, we are missing a critical understanding of what creates good health. In his opinion, what creates well-being is love – experienced as a meaningful, heart-centered connection with the rest of the world. As an example, he notes that if a patient in a coma is touched by a loved one, there will be a response observed in the machines monitoring the patient’s heart. There will be no response in the machines monitoring the brain.
Food for thought….
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 8/10/2015: Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastGood morning!
The Gemini Moon goes void at 7:45AM ET for just over 20 minutes — blink and you’ll miss it. Its ingress into Cancer reflects the energy driving this day: sensitive, intuitive and seeking emotional security and stable (home/family) foundations. This drive is supported early this AM by boost from expansive Jupiter; at 6:10PM ET an easy flow between the Moon and mental Mercury may stimulate a sensitive conversation.
Significant planetary patterns this week are as follows: tomorrow at 7:13AM, Jupiter leaves Leo for Virgo, which should make everyone born with the Sun in Virgo happy, and those born with Virgo Midheavens even more so. Don’t know where your Midheaven is? Really? Ask your astrologer. When you know what’s going on with your Midheaven, you can anticipate developments in your career and other matters of status.
I will write more about Jupiter tomorrow; no time to do it now. Other patterns of note this week include a face-off between mental Mercury and nebulous Neptune on Wednesday; an easy alignment between the Sun and technogeek Uranus on Thursday, and a New Moon in Leo on Friday.
The first pattern may infuse thoughts and communication with a need for what is ideal. Downside: this need may manifest as a rose-colored fog. Upside: matters related to music, spirit, illusion, film, photography and other intangibles are likely to pull focus in the headlines. Working in tandem with the Thursday’s Sun-Uranus alignment, look for stories of innovation, humanitarianism, tolerance and eccentricity. Oh look — the NYT just posted a story about models and how they are using their influence in social media to promote humanitarian causes. Yes, of course that story would show up now. Watch and see how these themes show up in your own personal world.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 8/7/2015 & the Weekend: Debate Fallout; Art Heist Breakthrough; Jon Stewart
/in The ForecastAlllll-riiighty then!
Spending way too much time this AM skimming the headlines in the wake of last night’s “debate” — did you watch? Not too much boat-rocking, I thought — overall, kinda meh — pretty much as anticipated in yesterday’s forecast (even the monthly Jobs Report released today was called “boring”).
Donald Trump pulled focus right from the start, as expected. Perhaps his most important statement — and true to the in-your-face potential of someone with Moon in opinionated Sagittarius, as well as a provocative Mars in Leo on the ASC — was that he’d given money to almost every man on that stage (and other politicians offstage). He made it clear he felt he’d gotten a return on his investment.
As it turns out, Mr. Trump’s statement was an exaggeration, according to the fact-checkers at the Washington Post. Well, if you had transiting Jupiter sitting on your Ascendant, you’d probably project a larger-than-life image, too. But this list and article published in the NYT earlier this week are not exaggerations at all. The article begins:
How does that make you feel? Part of the wake-up potential of the Uranus-Pluto square – especially as it impacts the US horoscope – is to understand how power and resources are concentrated in the world. Because the square happened in the action-oriented signs of Aries and Capricorn, there is a higher probability that action will be taken on that awareness.
Oh what a “coincidence”. Here’s a sneak peek at a Sunday NYT op-ed entitled “Capitalists, Arise: Why We Need to Deal with Income Inequality”. Or else. The author is writing a book on the death of the middle class.
Anyhoo….
About today and the weekend. Mercury leaves Leo for Virgo at 3:15PM ET, a most excellent place for Mercury to be. Mercury rules Virgo, and the sorting and analyzing needs of Virgo make for an efficient, earthy and detail-oriented mindset. If there is a downside, it is that Mercury in Virgo can be hypercritical under stress, and worry that is NEVER perfect. We can expect mindset and communication to reflect these qualities until August 28th.
Moon goes void for just one hour early Saturday (12:40AM ET) and then shifts gears into versatile chatterbox Gemini. There’s no Moon void to ruin your yard sales purchases, though luxury and aesthetic items may have a higher price tag, given that Venus is retrograde. Music and other soulful/spiritual rarefied escapes are favored Saturday night, as Mercury is challenged by nebulous Neptune. That’s good, because I just scored tix to a show!
Another shift Saturday is Mars, planet of action. It leaves Cancer for Leo at 7:33PM ET. This is viewed as an improvement by astrologers of the traditional persuasion, as the ego drive of Mars functions more effectively in drama king/queen Leo. We can expect the headlines to reflect a need for dramatic, show-stopping, regally entitled displays — boosting the Sun, Venus and Jupiter — also in Leo. That’s a lot of fire, too — with Uranus also in Aries, another Fire Sign. August is looking hot!
Mars will be in Leo until September 25th.
Sunday is quiet, as the Gemini buzz continues, aided by innovative input from Uranus. Feel free to think outside the box; gather with your most unconventional friends.
No sleeping in on Monday.
And now, more news and such.
First, a fun website that may help you with your review of your financial strategy — so perfect during Venus retrograde. Here’s an interesting way for your spare change to add up — have you heard of Acorns? Second, some helpful hints that may serve you well at networking events. Minding your manners is critical during Venus retrograde periods.
Here’s an interesting blast from the past involving art, another Venus matter. It concerns new information on the staggering and as-yet-unsolved heist at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 25 years ago. The original NYT piece is here. We actually have an exact time for the moment the heist began: 1:24AM on March 18, 1990. If this were the horoscope for a person, we would immediately see the potential for revelations and a dramatic change of status. There are a number of significant arcs and transits to the angles of the horoscope, as well as several planets. We will see more on this story for sure.
Last night, Jon Stewart taped his final appearance as host of The Daily Show. His closing bit was steady and serious, reflecting the sobering, “get real” mindset of Saturn square Mercury (exact yesterday at 4:19PM ET). The Taurus Moon was reflected in a monologue on the subject of bulls**t, especially in the news. Taurus is the Sign of the Bull, and Saturn square Mercury suggests little tolerance for fluff and lies.
“Did Jon Stewart Have a Serious Lesson for Journalists?” is the topic for today’s NYT feature Room For Debate. Earlier this week, the NYT put together a tribute to Mr. Stewart and a compilation of “9 Essential” Daily Show moments.
Have a great weekend!
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 8/6/2015: It’s Debatable; Donald Trump; Mark Zuckerberg
/in The ForecastMoon in Taurus continues its steady quest for material security and comfort today — and all through tomorrow, too. Hope you are enjoying a few pleasures in the realm of the senses. A sunny idealism permeates the day, but behind the shining stars (regal egos?) is a need for gravitas in mindset and communication. Thank you, Mercury conjunct Venus in Leo, square Saturn. That need to be taken seriously (exact at 4:19PM ET) will surely resonate with the seven Republican contenders exiled to the (Uncool) Kids’ Table, a.k.a. the Not Ready for Primetime Players of tonight’s debate.
Around 8:44PM, an easy flow between the Moon and Pluto intensifies the potency of the need for things to be the Way They Ought to Be, setting the tone for the Primetime Portion Starring Donald Trump. Also setting the tone: a square between that stability-seeking Moon and the regal Leo Sun at 10:03PM ET. This might be the measurement for one of the contenders to go off the rails tonight; but really, with a change-averse Taurus Moon driving the bus, I do not expect shocks and upsets. Plus, Saturn is at the top of the chart of this event, suggesting a need to project executive authority, control and top form. But to confirm that speculation, I would need birth times for all of the candidates, which I do not have. If someone were having an exact Neptune (bewilderment) transit to the Ascendant, for example, we might see something like this.
Tonight is as good as it gets for Venus retrograde heartthrob Donald Trump, who reportedly released his birth certificate four years ago…and then refused to release it several weeks ago when another newspaper asked. Weird — and I’m at a loss to explain why the lamestream media — seems to have forgotten that they already published the birth certificate in question. Did they make it up? What did I miss? If someone has a clue, let me know. Here is the horoscope based on that birth certificate, which appears to be functioning as designed.
Current transits include Venus, Mercury and Jupiter (expansion) clustered around The Donald’s regal 29 Leo Ascendant, in easy alignment to his blah blah blah entertaining Gemini Sun and righteously opinionated Sagittarius Moon. He needs to tell you what he thinks and know that what he says is respected. This need is his driving force! Rebel Uranus, which delights in its eccentricity, is conjunct Trump’s Sun and North Node and also opposes his Moon. Of course he needs to shake things up when it comes to partnerships and the general public. He thrives on excitement.
Oh, and there’s a pugnacious Mars in Leo on his Ascendant too, which astrologer Grant Lewi notes can easily “get away with murder” — also boosted by that cluster now in Leo. Mr. Trump needs to act with drama and showmanship. And now, this is Mr. Trump’s time to expand his projection of regal authority to the masses.
Yes, if the election were held today (and only Republicans could vote), he would likely win in a landslide…and voters would live to regret it after Venus turned direct. Thank Goddess the election is not being held this November. But why is Trump’s regal authority suddenly being taken so seriously, in a real-life political arena as opposed to a fake TV reality show? Look to 1) transiting Saturn squaring his Ascendant, spurring ambition and 2) solar arc direct Saturn at the Aries Point, suggesting a need for executive authority becoming prominent.
Then look to other solar arc directions in the chart including a personally radiant arc between the Sun and the Ascendant; another between the nodal axis and Mars (which adds to the explanation of why people are now resonating with the anger Trump projects)’ and a third between Pluto (power) and Jupiter (expansion). These solar arcs will become exact between now and next year, which is a compelling argument for why he’s likely to have staying power. A transit between Uranus and Trump’s natal Jupiter sparks his innate need for risk and excitement. Given that Jupiter rules his 5th House, which refers to performance and creative ego expression, we can expect quite a dazzling show. And when astrologers are respected and valued by mainstream audiences and paid for their analyses in the same way that Trip Daniel is getting paid by the New York Times, it will then make sense to spend time writing in ever greater detail about Mr. Trump. With a planet in my 2nd house hit by this week’s Jupiter-Saturn square, matters of worth and value are much on my mind. Isn’t astrology amazing?
UPDATE: more on The Donald — from a later forecast posted Dec 8th 2015:
Here’s a post from June 2015, after he announced his run; here’s one from April 2011.
I do not believe we have a confirmed birth time for Mark Zuckerberg, but several times have been proposed. One proposal suggests a 21 Virgo Ascendant, and it has a boatload of solar arcs exact soon and into next year — among planets involved with the 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th houses. Solar arcs involving the Moon and Mars (action) at the IC (the angle referring to home & family), as well as between Jupiter, ruler of the IC and Saturn, the ruler of the 5th house (children) reflect the potential for changes in his personal life. Other arcs and transits involve Uranus, which refers to the spark required to start something new.
These arcs will be exact on various dates between now and April. Last week Mr. Zuckerberg and his wife announced they were expecting their first child after trying without success for several years. On September 13th, the 21 Virgo Ascendant will be eclipsed, suggesting a major change in life. This eclipse will be triggered by transiting Jupiter (expansion) on November 29th and again on February 16th. The Zuckerbergs did not say when their baby girl was due. Let’s test this horoscope with its 21 Virgo ASC and see what happens. UPDATE: the birth of Baby Zuckerberg was announced on December 1st. The Zuckerbergs now have a daughter, Max, who was born “earlier that week”.
Finally, a shout-out of appreciation to Avid Reader Lucy, who took the time to share this delightful news:
Followed by:
Isn’t that fabulous? Lucy is referring to unclaimed.org, which I’ve been linking here all week — and where you can search the treasuries of every state in which you’ve ever lived (under every name you’d ever had) to see if one is holding a check or two for you. It’s a perfect thing to investigate when Venus is retrograde. Lucy’s news is still making me smile. Thank you, Lucy, for sharing your joy with the rest of us!
Thank you for reading this forecast. And if you’d like to discuss what’s going on in your unique horoscope, here’s how to schedule a personal consultation.