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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 3/27/2015 & The Weekend: Germanwings Flight 4U9525
/in The ForecastSpeechless. But let’s write and post anyway.
As you know from reading Monday’s forecast, the Gemini Moon was void yesterday between 8:35AM and 3:45PM ET. Routine tasks were favored, as was chilling if you could. Avoiding making mountains out of molehills would have been favored, too. Yea verily, I tried hard to follow my own advice and simply write and publish, but my best efforts were thwarted by a boondoggle of a “crisis”. I’ll find out in a few days if it was “much ado about nothing,” as the void suggested. Oy!
The Moon is now in Cancer, driving the next 48+ hours with a need for nurturing and nourishment. A home-cooked meal with decadent indulgence would be divine, suggested by a square between an especially sensual Venus in Taurus and Jupiter in drama queen Leo — exact at 10:11PM ET. If you were born almost halfway through the signs of Taurus, Leo, Aquarius and Scorpio, you may be feeling the push to expand and/or bliss out more than most.
Earlier today — at 3:43AM ET — the First Quarter Moon may have offered a challenge to your New Moon agenda set last week. An easy alignment between Moon and Neptune at 7:34AM ET suggests you note your dreams. The expansive and indulgent spirit of Venus and Jupiter permeate the day, with the potential for an upset or power play around 9-10PM ET, when the sensitive Cancer Moon makes contact with Uranus and Pluto.
Patterns on Saturday are relatively quiet — with two exceptions, which I’ll discuss in a minute. The Cancer Moon remains in gear during business hours, so feel free to shop. Focusing on home and family improvement is favored — whatever fulfills your needs for emotional security. If said needs are not being met, you may be feeling cranky about it at 9:58PM ET, when the Moon goes void on a charged connection to willful Mars. Do you really need to lash out?
The Moon enters regal, playful Leo at 1:48AM ET on Sunday, looking for an excuse to play, shine or otherwise steal the show. Efforts to do so can be applied with righteous practicality around 11AM ET, as Moon makes an easy alignment with taskmaster Saturn. If you need to have a serious heart-to-heart with healing potential, ride the wave of emotional depth suggested by an easy flow between Venus and Pluto, exact Monday at 3:45AM ET.
Moon goes void at 9:57AM ET on Monday, not to enter the next sign — Virgo — until 2:12PM ET Tuesday. Long weekend, anyone?
And now, the news.
Before I talk about specific events, let’s talk about those patterns I mentioned earlier that are not “relatively quiet”. They’re humming in the background and may be reflected by startling headlines, even on days with little other exact planetary patterns.
First, we’re in the aftermath of 1) the fallout from last Friday’s New Moon/eclipse at 29 Pisces — also the prominent Aries Point; and 2) the fallout from the seventh Uranus-Pluto square. This is big stuff — and potentially exhausting, as I’m hearing from many who are more intuitive than the average bear.
But wait, there’s more. Uranus and Pluto are also in an obsessive-compulsive relationship with the Aries Point, suggesting more more more actions that achieve prominence in areas ruled by these two planets; e.g., aviation, accidents, infrastructure, technology, corporations, plutocracy, energy resources, mining. This tension is not going away. The pressure on Uranus will ease up in May, then return at the end of November and carry us through early 2016. The pressure on Pluto is in effect for all of 2015. Whoa.
The technical astrological term for this obsessive-compulsive pattern is quindecile, which is an aspect of 165 degrees. If you are a serious student of astrology, order The Quindecile: the Astrology & Psychology of Obsession by Ricki Reeves.
Now — really — the news.
Avid reader Ben asked me to write about Germanwings flight 4U9525. I was planning to write about Monsanto, but I am going to defer to Ben, because he’s kind enough to forward this forecast to everyone he knows, some of whom I’ve actually worked with on their horoscopes. Thank you, Ben!
Flight 9525 was scheduled to take off from Barcelona at 9:35AM, when the Taurus Moon was void of course. So already we have the potential for things not to go as planned. The Moon was conjunct the fixed star Algol, which in mythology and astrology suggests violence, “losing one’s head” and otherwise unfortunate endings. There is a strong feminine energy associated with Algol, and I wonder how this might play out as we learn more about this flight. In the departure chart, Moon and Algol are in the 12th House, the house of “self-undoing”.
Update: it has been reported that the pilot who crashed the plane was having a “relationship crisis”
The ruler of the chart for the actual flight departure at 10:01:12AM is Mercury in Pisces, almost exactly conjunct Chiron. Pisces can be a challenging placement for Mercury, which refers to mindset. Mercury functions more efficiently in signs like Gemini and Virgo, which support logic and discernment. Pisces can be a faith-based, sensitive sort — sometimes melancholy — and not always logical. Chiron represents a wounded healer. An additional suggestion of sacrifice, loss, martyrdom and bewilderment is suggested by Neptune squaring the Gemini Ascendant. Something about this whole event (the departure) is not as it seems.
Rushing into the 12th House from the 11th is Mars, unaspected, and thus attracting a lot of attention. It is in Aries, a headstrong, reckless and/or courageous energy that needs to take action — and it does so quite effectively, for better or for worse. I could write more, but already we’ve covered enough points to see that this moment in time is not one any astrologer would consciously elect to do much of anything.
The Ascendant of the chart for the actual crash at 10:41AM in Barcelonette is 29 Gemini — the Aries Point — suggesting prominence. We also see Pluto in a quindecile to that very prominent Ascendant, suggesting themes of power, obsession and potential destruction.
In 1999, Egyptair 990 went down in the Atlantic shortly after takeoff. It was determined that one of the pilots had deliberately crashed the plane. That flight departed JFK at 1:19AM on October 31st. There are some similarities between that departure chart and that of Germanwings 4U9295.
Exhibit A: the Sun is squared by Neptune, Uranus and the South Node. In classical astrology, the South Node suggests destruction. The Sun in the Germanwings chart is conjunct the South Node and Uranus. Exhibit B: the Moon is in the 12th House — but here it is challenged by opposing Neptune, the South Node and Uranus. Exhibit C: Like the Germanwings flight, Mercury is also conjunct Chiron. It is also in an obsessive quindecile to heavy Saturn — suggesting depression and/or control. Exhibit D: Mars is strongly placed — but here it is in “make-it-happen” Capricorn, and in an easy alignment with ambitious Saturn.
I find these similarities interesting.
We now have a birth date for Andreas Lubitz, the Germanwings pilot. He was born on December 18, 1987 — time unknown. I can think of others born around this date who have made headlines. One is known for an act of violence and a distorted sense of reality; another has been called a traitor or a hero, depending on one’s politics. Planetary patterns around this birth date are intense,
Briefly, Lubitz’s Sun is in high-flying, Sagittarius, tightly conjunct Mercury and Saturn. This suggests a serious focus — and I would wonder about possible depression…and perhaps a challenging relationship with a strict father. Add erratic, restless, intensely independent Uranus to this tight cluster of planets and you can appreciate a maverick potential.
Update: it has been reported that Lubitz did suffer from depression and sought to hide his condition from his employer.
Other aspects involving the nodal axis and Chiron suggest a challenging relationship with the mother/maternal influence. Lubitz’s Moon is in either Scorpio or Sagittarius, probably the former. This suggests a reigning need to be seen as a person of substance and depth, likely concerned with acquiring knowledge as a means of gaining control. This Moon could be conjunct (depending upon birth time) Mars and Pluto, also in Scorpio. Mars and Pluto in Scorpio suggest extremes in action.
Meanwhile, a potential wild card here is nebulous Neptune, planet of transcendence, fantasy, the spiritual and the delusional, What is this person’s vision? This can run away with the horoscope, for better or worse. Discipline and control challenged by a desire to move beyond boundaries?
Update 3/28 — headline: “Andreas Lubitz Sought Treatment for Vision Problems Before Germanwings Crash”. Eyesight wasn’t what I was thinking when I noted the potential for a bewildering vision running wild in the horoscope — but it’s interesting. Was thinking more along the lines of a distorted psychological vision….
In other news, Wikileaks released more on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that is being negotiated in secret. Why is that, we would all like to know. Wouldn’t we? Here is the headline from the linked article: TPP Leak Reveals Extraordinary New Powers for Thousands of Foreign Firms to Challenge U.S. Policies and Demand Taxpayer Compensation. Do you know what the TPP is?
Reflecting the largesse potential of Friday’s exact challenge between Venus and Jupiter, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced he planned to give the bulk of his $800 million fortune to charity before he dies. Add the easy corporate flow of Wednesday’s Sun-Saturn trine to this “big deal” potential, and lo and behold — Kraft and Heinz announce a merger that will make them the world’s 5th largest food company. Even more dazzlingly efficient and expansive: members of Congress appear to have actually accomplished something this week, as NYT columnist Gail Collins cheerfully explains.
Finally — talk about pressure, Scientists have discovered a new layer miles beneath the Earth’s surface — that may be the source of some mysterious earthquakes.
If you’re interested in learning more about why you’re the way you are, and what planetary patterns are active in your horoscope now and in the future, consider scheduling a personal consultation. I guarantee you will find it helpful and enlightening.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 3/24/2015: The Rose-Colored Glasses of Venus & Neptune
/in The ForecastSweet dreams after a pleasant evening, I hope.
Savor the potential slow start to your morning, as the Taurus Moon is still void of course. It buzzes into Gemini at 9:22AM ET, yakking and gathering information happily until around 5:53PM ET, when it faces off against stern Saturn. OK, so…who is trying to muzzle your brilliant thoughts and words now? Just before midnight confusion or a rose-colored escape may be yours, as the Moon is challenged by nebulous Neptune.
Planets in Taurus are generally steady, slow, deliberate and patient. Planets in Virgo function with precision and detail. Instead of doing the news, today I’m sharing a video a friend sent me about an unusually exacting and patient artist. Why an artist? Probably because I’m under the spell of the cooperative connection between Venus (art) and Neptune, exact at 2:26AM ET. I’d like to look at the world through rose-colored glasses for a bit.
Have you ever heard of Paul Smith? He has four planets in Virgo, including three (Saturn, Sun and Jupiter) conjunct at 29 Virgo, which is a point of prominence. He’s likely to attract attention just for being in the room. And in fact, his work became known around the world.
He has Moon in Taurus. He can be patient. He finds what he likes and sticks with it. We don’t have a time of birth (September 21, 1921 in Philadelphia), but I’d bet his Moon is in touch with Neptune, suggesting sensitivity and artistry.
His Mars is in Virgo (more precision in action), and it’s opposed by rebel Uranus. So there’s a buzz about his activity — something offbeat, electric and erratic. His Venus (social expression) is in Leo. He has a sunny, regal disposition — at least from what I can see in this video.
What’s his medium? He creates pictures on an old-fashioned typewriter. Well, created. He passed away in 2007 at the age of 85. I loved watching the video of him at work. I love how his art expresses patterns we see in his horoscope. And I wanted to honor his efforts to bring a little bit of beauty into the world — in a tangible, Moon-in-Taurus form. He was born with plenty of hurdles to overcome, the least of which was severe cerebral palsy. But as his website says, he led a remarkable life.
How interesting that my friend sent me the video a few days ago, when the New Moon & solar eclipse made exact contact with Mr. Smith’s Jupiter-Sun-Saturn conjunction. We’d expect that eclipse to trigger that pattern of prominence, and here I am, compelled to share his story with you. Coincidence or conspiracy?
Thank you for reading this forecast. The regular news round-up will continue tomorrow.
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 3/23/2015: Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastOff to the start of another dynamic week!
Get it started or ship it early this morning. The Taurus Moon goes void at 10:24AM ET, not to enter the next sign until 9:22AM ET on Tuesday. Initiating projects during voids are subject to a higher level of flakes and twists in your efforts to move forward in a straight line. This does not mean that sitting around doing nothing is advised; you can still make excellent use of the Taurus Moon’s need to organize resources for the sake of building and maintaining comfort and material security. Routine matters are favored during voids. Take time to chill — especially this evening — and let the rose-colored sweetness of an aspect between Venus (affection, art, values, money) and Neptune inspire an indulgence in wine, women and song. The Venus-Neptune aspect is exact at 2:26AM ET.
Exact planetary patterns are relatively light this week — and much less volatile than those of the past few weeks. You can apply the proactive, inspired energy of Friday’s New Moon quite constructively, suggested by an easy alignment between the Aries Sun and taskmaster Saturn, exact on Wednesday at 3:25PM ET. On Friday we’ll have the First Quarter Moon at 3:43AM ET, suggesting a challenge or push forward on your New Moon agenda. A potentially luscious, expansive contact between Venus and Jupiter Friday at 10:11PM ET suggests good cheer and maximum use of corporate expensive accounts everywhere.
Moon voids this week — other than Monday afternoon: Thursday 8:35AM – 3:45PM ET; Saturday 9:58PM – Sunday 1:48AM ET. If you are new to the forecast and not familiar with Moon voids, here’s the 411.
Awareness of Moon voids is helpful. Just ask my ballet teacher. I told her about voids a few months ago. Now, on days when she notices a higher than usual student no-shows or other wiggy happenings, she asks me, “Is the Moon void?” Inevitably, it is. Her new awareness has resulted in less stress about the flakes and twists. Astrology is a good thing to know about. You can save yourself a lot of grief by understanding planetary cycles.
And now, the news.
Last Friday’s New Moon/Eclipse at the very end of Pisces, followed by the start of the astrological New Year at 0 Aries suggested endings and beginnings; the ending of beginnings; the beginning of the ends. How super cool to see NBC News, a mainstream media outlet, air a story about a ten-year old boy in Oklahoma who distinctly remembered having a prior life as a Hollywood agent. That agent’s name was Marty Martyn, and he died in 1964. A non-mainstream media account of the story was published last summer. Check it out. Elsewhere, the NYT published another kind of “reincarnation” story about people launching successful fresh starts relatively late in life.
In other news, add the idealistic/healing/mindset potential of last Wednesday’s meet-up between Mercury and Neptune to the breakthrough potential of Uranus and Pluto. Then thank Kristine, the avid reader who sent me this bit from Down Under about a new ultrasound technology that may restore memory loss for people with Alzheimer’s. That would be a dream come true for millions.
Meanwhile, gratitude to avid reader Helen, who forwarded me this bit about the ongoing investigation of Swiss bank HSBC and efforts to hold it — or some actual human person — accountable for multiple incidents of alleged wrongdoing. As noted before, Pluto’s transit through Capricorn suggests exposure of corruption in our hallowed institutions, including banks, governments and infrastructure in general. The “shock to the system” challenge to Pluto from Uranus serves to intensity the process, as does the fact that both planets are about to enter the second half of their respective signs.
Elsewhere, this Sunday’s NYT included a special book review section entitled The Secret Life of Money — all about books about — money.
Here’s a fun one. Several weeks after the first Uranus-Pluto square happened in June of 2012, King Richard III’s bones were discovered buried under a car park. Later this week, in the aftermath of the seventh Uranus-Pluto square, the King will be re-interred, with considerable more pomp and circumstance than he received in his first burial 500 years ago.
Meanwhile, Ted Cruz announced that he will be announcing his run for president tomorrow. Avid readers may recall prior observations on the Senator’s horoscope, including the fact that his Capricorn Sun is at the Aries Point, and thus needs to attract considerable prominence. You may also recall that last Friday’s New Moon was also at the Aries Point, so it is no surprise to see the Senator moving ahead on an ambitious agenda at this time.
Last May, Monica Lewinsky made headlines, in sync with planetary patterns in her horoscope. An essay she wrote was published in Vanity Fair. The essay was nominated for an award. Quite a comeback for someone who had not been heard from much in nearly ten years. On Sunday, there she was again on the cover of the NYT Style Section, after delivering a killer TED talk called “The Price of Shame”.
Her horoscope is still on fire. After last April’s eclipse to her Taurus Moon, she experienced another eclipse in October — right on the cusp of her 7th house (relationship/the public). The seventh Uranus-Pluto square hit all four angles of her horoscope, suggesting dramatic potential for an empowered fresh start. Her horoscope is personally affected by last Friday’s New Moon and next week’s Full Moon — both of which were potent eclipses. She’s likely to continue on this roller coaster ride through 2018, as Uranus and Pluto continue to connect with the angles and other planets in her chart. Elizabeth Warren’s horoscope has a similar potential, as noted in a prior forecast.
What’s going on in your horoscope? I invite you to find out by scheduling a personal astro-logical consultation. We will have a most excellent discussion together.
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday & Friday 3/19-20/2015: New Moon & Solar Eclipse in Pisces; Vernal Equinox
/in The ForecastThe only exact aspect today is a communicative hit between the intuitive Pisces Moon and potent Pluto at 7:11AM ET. With the Sun and Moon in the last degrees of Pisces, we are at the very end of the lunar cycle and the astrological year. In this dark of the Moon, we may feel listless or restless, sensing that there is something new just around the corner. Do not despair.
This dreamy/spacey flow is likely to shift noticeably on Friday, as the Moon and Sun charge into Aries, ready to fire without necessarily taking the time to aim. Let’s talk about the potential of the New Moon first.
A New Moon offers the opportunity to re-set your intentions for the next 30 days. Make a list; light a candle; plant those seeds. Around the 27th, on the First Quarter Moon, we can expect a challenge to those goals, with appropriate adjustments made. How are our seedlings doing? Keep on nurturing them, and at the time of the Full Moon (and a potent lunar eclipse) on April 4th, they may flower. We may receive illumination on the success or failure of our goals for the cycle, either way. 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 April 11th, we can harvest our achievements, then tie up loose ends, compost and get ready to begin another New Moon cycle on April 18th.
The Pisces mantra is I BELIEVE. If you know where 29 degrees of Pisces falls in your horoscope, this is the area of your life where you might consider your long-held beliefs and contemplate a new vision. The New Moon is exact at 5:36AM ET. You’ll have less than an hour to contemplate soulfully during a Moon-void that ends at 6:28AM ET. Then Moon enters me-me-me Aries. The Sun follows suit at 6:45PM ET. Happy Vernal Equinox! Let the action begin! As Aries astrologer Rick Levine says of Aries, “Ready! Fire! Aim!”.
And therein lies the caveat of this potent lunation. Some visions may be acted upon impulsively, perhaps recklessly. Aries energy is RAMbunctious. It is a pioneer and it is a warrior.
The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon is “The Great Stone Face,” which recalls a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne about “a boy who lives under and looks up to a mountain formation resembling the face of a man“. The story was written in 1850, when Uranus and Pluto were conjunct in Aries and Neptune was in early Pisces (about where it is right now). How interesting that it was created under the influence of planetary patterns that are not unlike what we are currently experiencing.
There is a spiritual element to the story and a search for greatness outside the self, What does it takes to become the embodiment of an ideal and how do you know if it’s the Real (i)Deal? Here is the Wikipedia summary; here is the full text of the story. If you like The Wizard of Oz and/or The Alchemist (by Paolo Coelho), you’ll like The Great Stone Face.
Of this Sabian Symbol, expert Blain Bovee writes:
Well, that sounds deep and wise and all-encompassing, doesn’t it? In the aftermath of the seventh Uranus-Pluto square, one would hope that the next signpost on this cosmic journey would be something big. So what does it mean for you?
Wherever this New Moon falls in your horoscope is where you have the opportunity to plant seeds — with greater than the usual potency. That’s because this New Moon is also a solar eclipse…and it also falls on the Aries Point. If your life is on track, you may reap an abundant harvest. If your life is not on track, this New Moon/Eclipse may call attention to certain flaws, resulting in quite a challenge. So do think carefully about those seeds.
A Solar Eclipse can act like a “bottleneck” of energy. Light flowing from the Sun is temporarily interrupted, focusing attention on that interrupted point, allowing something new and possibly fragile to enter the picture and grow. And here I would be thinking of Michael, the kindhearted policeman in the storybook Make Way for Ducklings, who stopped the flow of traffic on Beacon Street so Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their brood of eight could safely make their way to the Boston Public Garden. Got that?
You are more personally affected by this soulful, potent New Moon/Eclipse f you have a planet or angle around 29 degrees of Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius and especially Pisces….or in the first few degrees (beginning) of Libra, Cancer, Capricorn and especially Aries. Several famous people whose horoscopes are affected include Jill Abramson, Glenn Close, Harvey Weinstein, Spike Lee, Holly Hunter, Brent Scowcroft and Bruce Willis; they were all born on the 19th or 20th of March.
And now, the news.
Right after I posted the forecast on Tuesday, a massive solar storm hit Earth, disrupting the status quo and lighting up the skies of both hemispheres. Wow! Other status quo disruptions: a campaign has begun to put a woman on the face of the $20 bill — who would you nominate? The target launch date is 2020 — sounds about right.
Meanwhile…first it was Walmart, and now Target has announced it will raise its minimum wage. I predict this trend will continue. Did you know that the first minimum wage law happened in 1933, during the last Uranus-Pluto square cycle? It was ruled unconstitutional, but after a few years of chaos, it was reinstated in 1938.
Elsewhere, a rebellious Greece defied the EC by moving ahead with measures that would offer food stamps to the poor. In Israel, many were surprised that Prime Minister Netanyahu won his bid for re-election so “decisively”. The win does support a projected career boost this fall, suggested by his horoscope (and noted in a prior forecast). In Tunisia, anti-terrorism rallies are being held in response to a massacre at an art museum yesterday, in which a number of foreign tourists were killed.
Yesterday’s exact meet-up between Mercury and Neptune suggested a focus on spirits of all kinds and illusion. Exhibit A: a bit-coin “exit scam” whose perpetrators made off with $12 million. Exhibit B: the effectiveness of “faith-based” Alcoholics Anonymous (another product of the last Uranus-Pluto square in the 1930s) is called into question, as the program itself is called “irrational”. Exhibit C: in Napa, a murder-suicide over an investment gone wrong — in a vineyard — is making headlines.
In a follow-up to one of Tuesday’s stories: Atlantic reporter David A. Graham attempted to make sense of the bewildering reality of the “dude” known as Al Gore now being “like the planet, getting hotter by the hour”. Dear David A. Graham, do give me a call, and I will explain what’s going on in Mr. Gore’s horoscope (or just read my Tuesday forecast, dude).
What’s going on in your horoscope?
Find out in a personal astro-logical consultation.
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday & Wednesday 3/17-18/2015: The Seventh Uranus-Pluto Square
/in The ForecastTop o’ the Morning to you!
Any day that starts with a link to a song performed by the Muppets can’t be all bad, right? The Moon is in quirky, off-beat Aquarius, and at 7:23AM ET, an easy flow of innovation and wackiness could have been yours, thanks to a communicative connection to Uranus. If it’s unconventional and unique, Aquarius is likely all for it, especially if it bucks the system. For instance, today’s St.Patrick’s Day Parade in New York marks the first time an openly gay group will officially march. This disruption of the status quo is sure to have someone’s knickers in a twist. Deal with it.
Meanwhile, we’re also under the delusional/visionary/rose-colored spell of that meet-up between Mercury and Neptune (exact tomorrow) that I mentioned yesterday. Take note of your dreams.
The only other exact pattern today is an energetic contact between the Moon and assertive Mars at 2:18PM ET. Given that the Moon also goes void at that time, said energy may well dissipate with a sigh, or find itself challenged by its efforts to move forward in a straight line.
Well, it is St. Patrick’s Day you know….and Venus (social expression, values, women) has just entered Taurus, an eat (meat and potatoes), drink (green beer) and be merry sign if there ever was one. Your indulgences tonight are likely to be of little or no consequence.
Get it off your desk by 2:18PM ET and take some time to chill. Moon enters Pisces at 6:58AM ET on Wednesday — looks like more dreaminess tomorrow night.
And now, the news.
Rose-colored Mercury-Neptune alignments can also refer to music, so how cool is it that the NYT just posted a debate about last week’s ground-breaking copyright ruling about a song called (wait for it) — “Blurred Lines”. Add the “news from underground” potential of the Uranus-Pluto square, and marvel that in Spain, the remains of Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) have been found. Cue “The Impossible Dream” now, please (with Peter O’Toole & Sophia Loren, no less — now that’s dreamy).
For more ground-breaking news about idealism, check out this new study that disrupts most — and perhaps all — prior studies that consistently proved that conservatives are happier than liberals. Researchers explained this difference in emotional well-being as a reflection of the cliched bleeding-heart liberal tendency to empathize more with the pain and suffering of decimated bee colonies and starving baby sea lions (and fellow human beings); thus, they are miserable.
What makes this new study so ground-breaking? Instead of asking conservatives and liberals how happy they were (and assuming the response was accurate), the researchers measured happiness as expressed in actual behavior. Here is the Editor’s Summary from Science magazine:
The study observes that conservatives seem to have a need for something the scientists call “self-enhancement,” which sounds very Mercury-Neptune (with some me-me-me Aries accents) to me. You may recall my post on Feb 25th about the prominence of Mercury and Neptune (and Aries) in the horoscopes of Brian Williams, Robert MacDonald and Bill O’Reilly, who all recently made headlines for enhancing themselves just a wee bit.
More ground-breaking shifts, ’cause in the wake of the seventh Uranus-Pluto square, the Planetary Pattern Everyone Should Be Talking About, this is what we’re expecting. How about this: “Circular Thinking: Stonehenge’s Origin is Subject of a New Theory”, or “Researchers May Have Solved Origin-Of-Life Conundrum” (score another one for Science magazine).
More status quo-disrupting stories include massive protests in Brazil, and (potentially) today’s election in Israel. Will Netanyahu prevail? Meanwhile, there’s a ton to report about in the US, as its horoscope is directly affected by Uranus and Pluto, as avid readers of this forecast know well. There’s also a strong Neptune influence, suggesting a collective bewildering identity crisis.
Today my efforts to write cogently about specifics are being distracted by stories such as Oklahoma state legislators who have moved forward on a bill that would “take the state out of the marriage business,” meaning you’d have to be married by a pastor or other church official because gay people. Or that in the US Congress, the confirmation of Lorretta Lynch as our next Attorney General is being held hostage because insanity, and the House has just introduced a budget proposal that would privatize Medicare, etc., etc. because happy. From a planetary perspective, let the record show that Medicare was created in the mid-60s, on the Uranus-Pluto conjunction. Isn’t that interesting? We could expect further developments on that initiative during the square.
Last but not least — and in fact, ultimately — climate change. It occurred to me a few years ago that this issue was one of the two big wake-up calls the Uranus-Pluto square would reflect. The other wake-up call is about power and resources: who has ’em; who doesn’t. But let’s stick with climate change for now, because with other exact Uranus-Pluto hits, I was expecting to see headlines reflecting the crystallization of this awareness.
Thus in Vanuatu, a category 5 cyclone that devastated the island over the weekend was blamed on climate change. In Los Angeles, it’s been close to 100 degrees (in March!), and a NASA scientist projects that California has just one year’s supply of water left. Avid readers will recall that Neptune’s ingress into Pisces suggested that water — and the lack thereof — would likely become an urgent concern. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that “the melting of Antarctica…has just gotten worse.”
All of this would be expected at this time. But then there was…oh, the timing, the timing — of this NYT piece — in sync with the seventh Uranus-Pluto square. Lo and behold, it is an update on one of the biggest driving forces of climate change awareness…..Al Gore. Amazing…really, dear readers, why is this article being published now?
And guess what? He’s changed (so the article says). He’s a vegan. He’s feeling “optimistic”. He’s invested heavily in — and profited greatly from — green technologies. He cites a whole bunch of stuff about the awe-inspiring speed with which these innovative technologies are being implemented, suggesting “a sharp break with the past, not a slow evolution”. As in, just like that.
Mr. Gore is an Aries — born with the energy to inspire, to lead, to be a pioneer. His 11 degree Aries Sun is opposed by Neptune, which suggests a visionary energy that not everyone might find credible. His Moon is in practical, enterprising, earthy make-it-happen Capricorn (same as fellow Aries David Letterman). Mr Gore has a Leo Ascendant that some might find a tad proud and overbearing, especially with three powerhouse planets contained within it: Pluto, Saturn and Mars (power, authority/discipline and drive). This is gravitas!
Mr. Gore’s Sun-Neptune opposition has recently wrapped a two-year cycle of empowerment and transformation thanks to Uranus and Pluto. Interesting that he became a vegan two years ago. His Libra Midheaven (career/public status) is about to be just barely conjoined by Uranus this summer…and again full-on in 2016. Fresh starts and other changes of direction, in career, family foundation/home concerns, public outreach and partnership could be expected.
Hmm…and now that I’m looking at it, this summer and 2016 will likely be a year of big change for Mr. Letterman, too. I think I’ve noted that in a prior forecast.
Since this forecast is being posted so late today — here’s your forecast for tomorrow (Wednesday). Note your dreams in the AM. Be mindful of an ambitious reach or wet blanket around 2:47PM ET, when the sensitive Pisces Moon is challenged by Saturn in righteous Sagittarius. Have a dreamy evening playing with spirits and other rarefied intangibles (art, music, healing, vision), when Moon meets up with Mercury and Neptune.
Thank you for reading this forecast. To find out what’s going on in your own personal horoscope, here’s how you can contact me to schedule a consultation. Alternatively, if you are totally digging the words on the screen, and would like to express your appreciation for the time and energy it takes to craft them, donations are always welcome, with much gratitude.
Peace out.
P.S. — This just in — yesterday a major solar storm hit our home planet, which might “pull the Northern Lights south”. Well that would be an extraordinary disruption of the status quo….