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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 5/29/2015 & the Weekend: Color It Rose
/in The ForecastTake note of your dreams this morning….
After a potential jolt to the peace-loving Libra Moon at 8:17AM ET, the day is mostly free and clear. Ship it before 4:20PM ET, when the Moon goes void on an indulgent contact between the Libra Moon and Venus (money, women, social expression, values). TGIF and head for the nearest happy hour.
Moon enters emotionally intense Scorpio at 5:34AM ET, looking for depth, power and control. Idealism runs high through the weekend, many may be walking and talking with blinders on — or in a rose-colored fog. Don’t worry, it will lift a bit next week…
There’s no Moon void to detour your shopping adventures this weekend, but with Mercury retrograde, I would not invest in a major purchase. Feed your soul instead — with senseless beauty and random acts of kindness. You can probably get away with a late start to the work week, as the Moon will be void on Monday between 7AM and 2:39PM ET…
And now, the news.
Here’s a random post from almost four years ago, noting a few events that hit the wires in a prior Neptune-Sun-Mercury extravaganza. This was before someone taught me how to use hyperlinks…
Talk about shrouded in fog. Big news today is that former House Speaker Denny Hastert has been indicted on charges of lying to FBI agents about millions of dollars paid to an “Individual A”. This unknown person received these funds as compensation for an equally unknown transgression on the part of Mr. Hastert…leaving much to the imagination. It should surprise no one who reads this forecast that planetary patterns on Mr. Hastert’s January 2, 1942 birthday have been mightily supercharged by Uranus and Pluto over the past few years. His 11 Capricorn Sun and 18 Capricorn Mercury have been under pressure, along with his sensitive (degree unknown) Cancer Moon.
More Neptune on the home pages: “In Europe, Fake Jobs Can Have Real Benefits”; “Delusionary Thinking in Washington”; “Detailed Plans vs. ‘A Whole Lot of Crazy‘”. That last story refers to James E. Holmes, whom you may remember as the man who dressed up as The Joker and killed people at the midnight premiere of a Batman movie. The “detailed plans” refer to his Moon in Virgo; the “crazy” refers to Neptune running wild. His horoscope was covered in this forecast here , before an exact birth time was known.
Heavy Neptune, combined with other patterns, sometimes calls up an image of pouring oil on troubled waters. My teacher once said that Neptune “puts ambition to sleep”. In the Middle East, the entity known as ISIS has conquered Palmyra, but oddly enough, it has not destroyed the city’s “magnificent Greco-Roman ruins”…at least not yet.
Neptune is one of the planets associated with memory. How interesting to see this story: “Amnesia Researchers Use Light to Restore Lost Memory in Mice”. Meanwhile, this story of healing borders on the surreal: “Woman Comes Face-to-face with her Dead Brother’s Transplanted Face”.
Want to buy your own magical Neptunian retreat? Neverland, Michael Jackson’s former home, is for sale. Or just escape into your mind with Google’ new virtual reality device. Last but not least, “Water: the Strangest Chemical in the Universe”.
What’s going on in your horoscope? Feeling a bit bewildered? You may be going through a heavy Neptune transit. A personal astrological consultation can bring you clarity and solid strategies for making the most out of what is often a confusing time. Here’s the 411 on consultations. We will have a excellent discussion together.
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 5/28/2015: More on Neptune
/in The ForecastMoon continues its sojourn through Libra, seeking balance, harmony and social graces. Its quest is beautifully supported by easy connections to the Sun (willpower), Mercury (mindset) and Mars (action), so enjoy the smooth ride during business hours today.
Bumps may arise in the late evening and wee hours of Friday morning, as Moon makes its weekly clash with Pluto (at 12:10AM ET) and Uranus (at 8:17AM ET). Some surprises in Friday’s early headlines…some of which will stem from the confusion/illusion/vision suggested by an exact square between nebulous Neptune and Mercury at 2:59AM ET.
And now, the news.
Neptune, Neptune and more Neptune — combined with Mercury in retrograde. Oy vey, what potential for sensationalism, based on delusion and/or lies. How else to explain a totally lame video making the rounds on social media, alleging that a “rare planetary pattern” happening this weekend will lead to a certain natural disaster in a specific place. It evens cites a verse from Nostradamus, blathering about Mercury in Taurus and Mars in Virgo (neither of which are currently happening). I am not mentioning the specific catastrophe or the place, because there is no “rare planetary pattern” and this video is the kind of thing that gives serious astrology a bad name.
HOWEVER….
If you were a clever marketing person at a movie studio, releasing a FAKE video (as described above) to generate HYPE for a MOVIE when Neptune-Sun-Mercury alignments do facilitate gullibility (e.g., this Friday), that would be a brilliant strategy…
Meanwhile….
Am I the only person who found this headline totally surreal? “U.S. Vows to Rid Global Soccer of Corruption”. Like we don’t have enough to clean up here at home? But seriously, folks, this is a major major scandal, with dawn raids and arrests made at a five-star hotel in Switzerland, as well as allegations of millions of dollars taken in bribes.
Cleaning up corruption in sports has been noted here before as a likely consequence of the Uranus-Pluto square (with thanks to astrologer Bill Herbst) — and we could expect Saturn’s streamlining transit through Sagittarius (a rather sporting sign with an international reach) to further assist, but the fact that it is the Justice Department of the United States that is leading the cause feels a bit mind-blowing. Then again, with Neptune so active in the U.S. horoscope for at least the next year, bewilderment is sure to be part of our collective experience.
Other Neptune headlines — briefly. Neptune is sleep and drugs. It is viruses and healing. It could be compassion and redemption, after an intense 28-month focus on Saturn in Scorpio matters of life and death (penalties).
Much more I could write — but in your own personal world, I recommend using Neptune to fine-tune your vision and intuition over the next few days.
Gotta hit “send” now to post by 10AM ET. Enjoy!
Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 5/27/2015: Curiouser and Curiouser…
/in The ForecastAn exact meet-up between action hero Mars and mental Mercury at 6:37 AM ET suggests an urge to multitask and translate sharp words into fast action. Well guess what? The nitpicky Virgo Moon is void of course and Mercury is retrograde. Be especially mindful in your travels this morning. Chill, check your facts, make sure what you heard is actually what was said — and appreciate that a void Moon suggests crises that crop up are often much ado about nothing.
Moon doesn’t get into gear until 5:42PM ET, when it enters people-pleasing Libra, seeking to restore balance and harmony to any hypercritical situation. Patterns are relatively quiet until Friday, save for the building tension between Mercury and nebulous Neptune, which we last experienced on May 9th. What were you thinking about around then?
And now, the news.
You know there’s really something to planetary patterns when your astrologer writes about how surreal the headlines might be…and then you read Serious NYT Economist Paul Krugman’s column. Yesterday he referenced one of the wackiest (and wisest) books ever written, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Coincidence or conspiracy?
Let’s keep talking about Neptune, because it’s everywhere this week (as noted in yesterday’s forecast). Neptune refers to intangibles and illusions, such as photography, television and film. On Monday famed documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark passed away. As a photographer, we’d expect Neptune to be strongly emphasized in her horoscope (March 20, 1940 in Philadelphia) — and it is. We see Mercury opposed by Neptune and Venus-Mars-Uranus trine Neptune, suggesting vision, aesthetics and compassion (Venus is in Pisces), the latter of which she was especially known. Here are some of her photographs.
Another photographer making headlines is very much alive and raking in the dough. Richard Prince uses what some might call the sleazier side of Neptune. Is Neptune strong in his horoscope? Mr. Prince was born on Aug 6, 1949. Ooh — look — Neptune is square to Mars and recently supercharged by transiting Uranus and Pluto. His Capricorn Moon, which knows oh-so-well how to put things and people to good use, might be in touch with Neptune, too — we’d have to have a birth time to know for sure.
Mr. Prince’s latest exhibit consists of photos lifted from Instagram — without permission from the original photographers — and they are selling for up to $90K per print. Which might be a strong argument for posting your pix on Snapchat, where the images will disappear. Snapchat just announced plans for an IPO, btw…
Boundaries — or lack thereof — are another Neptune theme. Neptune dissolves whatever it touches. This is why its influence can be so bewildering. In the material world, we like to have boundaries. They define structure and structure can make us feel secure. Saturn is structure. Where would you be without Saturn? Living a field, for sure – there would be no structure over your head.
Neptune dissolves Saturn — or, on the plus side, can give structure a vision.
Oh geez, Louise. This story just hit the wires:
In this case (which gets weirder with every paragraph), Saturn struck back — giving nebulous Neptune a hard, cold reality smackdown. Got that?
Have I mentioned recently that Mercury retrogrades are an excellent time to REconnect and/or REview your life with your astrologer? Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Thank you for reading this forecast — and sharing it with your friends.
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 5/26/2015: Weird, Wild Neptune — All Week Long
/in The ForecastGood Morning!
Still a lot of pixie dust in the air this week. Could be magical and mystical. Could be a total scam. More likely a little bit of both…with an added touch of the surreal. Why?
Mercury is still in retrograde, encouraging us to slow down, review, reconnect, relax. Mercury is in Gemini, along with the Sun and action hero Mars, so we can expect a need for a bit of buzz.
Mercury meets up with Mars on Wednesday, suggesting tongues may wag ever so sharply. Mercury meets up Neptune on Friday, suggesting a need for vision or a rose-colored fog. Mercury meets up with the Sun on Saturday, reinforcing those idealistic rose-colored glasses. On Sunday the Sun is squared by Neptune.
Dream away — but be advised that your visionary reverie may require a reality check once Mercury turns direct on June 11th. Still, it can be a sublime time to be an artist, musician, healer or some other spiritual type. You’ll understand when I tell you about some of the headlines we saw under the spell of last night’s wiggy Neptune-Mars square.
The Moon is in Virgo, continuing the quest for perfection it started on Monday. We had a First Quarter Moon yesterday, too — suggesting a challenge to the New Moon projects you began last week. Moon goes void at 10:21PM ET…not to enter the next sign, Libra, until 5:42PM ET on WEDNESDAY. Yet another reason to chill and not verbally shoot from the hip in the foggy potential outlined in the preceding paragraph.
The only other void this week happens between 4:20PM ET on Friday and 5:34 AM ET on Saturday. So what, big deal.
And now, the news.
I love the headlines that crop up when rebel Uranus squares off with Venus (social expression, values), which it did last night. In the few days leading up to this “can’t we all get along?” pattern we saw Ireland — yes — Ireland — become the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote. And then the president of the Boy Scouts announced that gay scout leaders were A-OK, and perhaps it might be time to stop banning them. And the Girl Scouts formally welcomed transgendered girls into the club. Coincidence or conspiracy?
Now add the bewildering scam potential of a charged Mars-Neptune contact to the mix, and what is on the NYT home page as I type: “Maligned Study on Gay Marriage is Shaking Trust”. Fascinating.
My favorite Mars-Neptune pixie dust story is this one: “Five hundred new fairy tales discovered in Germany”. Spellbinding! Mars-Neptune also refers to Hollywood glamour and movie magic…and along with the “unconventional women” potential of Uranus with Venus, this item about last of the silent movie stars is aptly timed. Find out where she is now! Also aptly timed: a story about the “fairy godmother” who helps out Broadway divas Kelli O’Hara and Kristin Chenoweth — and she’s quite an eccentric character, too.
Seriously, why are these stories making headlines now?
And then there’s this one — just posted on the NYT home page — which begins:
Fleet Week is the weekend that New York welcomes hundreds of sailors to town. Neptune refers to the sea…and things are especially bewildering this year, as the sailors have apparently traded alcohol for other transporting experiences. Neptune also refers to drugs…and apparently druglords can be tourists in New York, too. And we’re hearing about it now.
Neptune refers to water in general…and charity. Here’s an apt story: “NYC-based investment firm helps Detroit residents pay water bills, avoid shutoff”. Meanwhile….toxins? Poisons? Music? Neptune! “Stronger Regulations of Toxic Chemicals” is the headline of Monday’s NYT editorial. Elsewhere, B.B. King’s daughters have alleged that their father, who passed away last week, was poisoned.
Wait — there’s more. Neptune-Mars suggests a potential for scandal. Case in point: Josh Duggar, the eldest son of the Duggar tribe resigned his post at the Family Research Council after he was “forced to acknowledge” that he had been investigated for molesting underage girls when he was a teenager.
Before I glanced at planetary patterns on March 3, 1988 (Duggar’s birthdate), I had a strong hunch we’d find a challenging relationship between Mars and Neptune. Sure enough, they are together. along with Saturn and Uranus. Challenging indeed. Astrology is amazing.
Alrighty, then. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little focus on (mostly) Neptune. We’re likely to see plenty of similarly-themed stories this week — and now you know about the planetary patterns they will reflect. Those born in the first ten days of Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces and Virgo are more likely to be affected than most.
As always, if you’d like to find out how planetary patterns are influencing whatever bewildering state you might be in…and how to successfully chart a course through all that fog…then by all means schedule a personal consultation. Here’s the 411.
Astro-logical Forecast for Friday & the Holiday Weekend: From the Sublime to the Ridiculous
/in The ForecastWith the long holiday weekend about to begin, it already feels like a Friday night. But no, it’s still Thursday (as I type). The Moon is void in Cancer, not to enter Leo until 5:42PM ET on FRIDAY. Roll with the flakes and twists that may derail your efforts to move forward in a straight line and stick to routine matters, especially ones that reinforce your sense of emotional security, foundation/home and general nourishment. Hang with your best gal pal.
If you were to sneak out early tomorrow, there would likely be little consequence — unless your horoscope is directly impacted by the ambitious reach/wet blanket suggested by the 9:35PM ET opposition between the Gemini Sun and Saturn in Sagittarius. In other words, if you were born in the first day or two of Gemini, Pisces, Virgo and Sagittarius…or if you have a planet or angle around 1 degree of those signs.
Otherwise, a Leo Moon during a holiday weekend presents a fine opportunity for partying, playing and drama. Good news for theatergoers everywhere! Other planetary patterns suggest strong potential for out-of-this-world experiences and major pixie dust.
Like what, you may ask. Like electric Uranus challenging Venus (social expression, women, money arts). Like nebulous Neptune challenging Mars (men, action, aggression). Both of these aspects come to a head on Monday. Could be weird and wiggy in a wonderful way between now and then.
Do your shopping on Saturday or on Monday, after the Moon engages in Virgo around 5AM ET and cleans up big time. Sunday is another day-long Moon void in drama king/queen Leo. Chill!
Here’s what happened when Neptune squared Mars once before. Here’s an example of what can happen when Venus is supercharged by Uranus (and Pluto). A more current example would be NYT columnist Gail Collins writing about efforts to ditch Andrew Jackson in favor of Harriet Tubman as the face of the $20 bill. Forget about a birth time; we do not even have a confirmed birth date (or year!) for the inspiring Ms. Tubman, but I’d bet a small sum that her horoscope, once rectified, would have major points around 15 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn. This would reflect her achieving so much prominence right now.
Update on Barack Obama’s Twitter launch earlier this week. Remember I said that the time of the launch was not ideal for fostering a warm and fuzzy reception from the public? Apparently the reception has been so chilly in certain circles that the NYT was compelled to write about it.
Have a fabulous holiday weekend under a festive Leo Moon. When the Moon enters Virgo on Monday, you may feel like sorting, organizing and analyzing — all of which are excellent activities during a Mercury retrograde. And if your analytical focus moves from your files and sock drawers to your life direction…or any other burning question on your mind, consider scheduling a personal astrological consultation. I guarantee your will find the perspective helpful. Here’s the 411 on all of that.