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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 Wednesday – Sunday 11/26-30/2014: Happy Thanksgiving!
/in The ForecastAfter a potentially restless night, the enterprising Capricorn Moon is supported by a cooperative flow of mindset, communication and structure until it goes void at 10:30AM ET. Go with the flow; roll with the twists and flakes (snow!) that may detour your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Thank you, unpredictable East Coast storm.
Moon re-engages at 2:23PM ET, when it enters humanitarian Aquarius, a sign whose friendliness and tolerance for the unconventional and the fringe is echoed by a harmonious connection between Venus in righteous Sagittarius and rebel Uranus in crusading Aries at 7:22PM ET. Perhaps your usual Thanksgiving celebration will deviate from the norm? Go ahead and add a few new things to the menu. Chat up the perfect stranger you’re stranded with at the airport.
There’s a dreamy/bewildering haze over it all today, as nebulous Neptune in intuitive Pisces squares the opinionated Sagittarius Sun. Watch for idealized visions and things not being as they really seem to be. Here’s what was in the news on another Sun-Neptune square, which happens four times a year. Peace!
The Aquarius Moon continues through Thanksgiving Day, with easy connections to loving Venus and Uranus suggesting a noticeable lack of the usual family tensions for most of the day. Huzzah! One shift you may also notice occurs at 9:26PM ET, when Mercury, planet of communication, leaves heavy Scorpio for high-flying, opinionated Sagittarius. See if the conversations become more righteous as the evening progresses.
On Black Friday, an early face-off between expansive Jupiter and the Moon at 4:16AM ET suggests overindulgence and/or optimism, leading up to an ambitious reach or wet blanket smackdown from restrictive Saturn at 12:14PM ET. That’s when the Aquarius Moon goes void for five hours, and you have no business doing any shopping at the malls. Try it out for yourself and see if purchases made during voids do not prove to be nearly as useful as you thought they would be.
At 5:03PM ET on Friday, Moon shifts gear into empathetic Pisces, and quickly squares off with mental Mercury at 7:03PM ET, suggesting the potential for a fleeting spat or communication snarl. Said spat may be related to your New Moon agenda, as several hours later at 5:06AM ET, we’ll see the First Quarter Moon, which suggests a challenge to whatever seeds were sown last week. This is a better day for shopping than Friday, as there is no void to space you out. However, you may be inclined to spend more on Saturday than you would on Sunday, courtesy of a socially indulgent square between Venus and the Moon at 9:26PM ET.
Sunday is an intriguing mix. The Pisces Moon continues, stabilized by an easy connection to disciplined Saturn at 3:47PM ET. Then the Moon wanders off into the void, suggesting potential detours in your travel plans until it charges into Aries at 8:14PM ET. Aries is feisty and proactive. It falls down stairs because its faster than walking. Astrologer Rick Levine likes to say that the Aries mantra is “Ready. Fire. Aim!” — and he would know, since he’s an Aries. And given the visionary (upside) and/or befuddled/delusional (downside) potential of a challenge between mental Mercury and Neptune at 11:27PM ET, we may see more than the usual happenings of impulsive or misfired actions as a result of muddled or “out there” thoughts and communication. On the plus side, if you’re an artist, healer or spiritual type, you may find yourself quite inspired.
And now, the news.
The grand jury decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for shooting unarmed teenager Mike Brown six times (and killing him) after a provocative encounter, sparked protests all over the country. The decision was announced at 8:25PM ET on November 24th and looking at the chart for that event time, we instantly see the potential for disruptive outrage. Uranus and Pluto are on the angles of the chart; the Capricorn Moon is about to clash with both. Warrior Mars is running wild (and thus pulling focus) and is also on an angle in the chart (translation: aggression in your face). There’s more, but you get the idea. Fascinating.
That being said, the failure to bring Officer Wilson to trial was received by many as heavy, heavy news, reflecting the depressing, intense, controlling mindset suggested by yesterday’s exact Mercury-Saturn conjunction in Scorpio. And it also motivated one creative, despairing soul to produce a mock-up of the New York Times front page that then made the rounds on Twitter and Facebook. Do NOT NOT NOT NOT look at it if profane language might offend you. I offer it only as an example of the potential of planetary patterns — astonishingly brought to life.
Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was asked to resign. Mr. Hagel was criticized for coming across as “tentative” in his presentation, which is reflected in the Sun-Neptune in Libra conjunction in his horoscope (Oct 4 1946 North Platte NE — no birth time known). Sun-Neptune aspects tend to diffuse and/or confuse. Barack Obama has a Sun-Neptune square in his horoscope. Even he has had a difficult time figuring out who he is — and there are plenty today who would argue that we still do not know what he’s all about. What’s heavy about Mr. Hagel’s resignation is that presumably his replacement will be even heavier.
So let’s end with some lighter stories, shall we? For there is much to be thankful for and worthy of celebration. First, the annual study of the Happiest Countries in the World is out — and the U.S. is nowhere near the top. That’s heavy, but perhaps we can learn something useful by examining the operating models of countries that now rank higher. That’s a happy thought, yes?
Second, here’s a story reflecting some of the typical traits of Sagittarius: adventurous, animal-loving, international, righteous, generous, optimistic. It hit the news on the Sagittarius New Moon. A Swedish team of athletes were on an extreme trek in Ecuador. One athlete tossed a meatball at a hungry stray dog, and that dog followed them for the rest of their journey — even going so far as to swim alongside them they were crossing by kayak. This story has a very happy ending — and lots of pictures, too.
Enjoy — count your blessings — and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am thankful to you for reading this forecast and further supporting these efforts by sharing it with your friends. Gratitude!
P.S. — Yes, I am working this Sunday, should you find yourself in need of further astro-logical insights on your own unique horoscope. Especially if you have planets or angles around 12 degrees of Aries, Capricorn, Libra and Cancer. Those with planets around 22 and 29 Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius, you are also in the hot seat — and how are you planning to handle it?
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 11/25/2014: Heavy, Man
/in The ForecastA fleeting upset or power play….or a flash of insight may rattle your morning, as the enterprising Capricorn Moon makes its weekly clash with Pluto and Uranus at 7:54AM and 9:25AM ET, respectively. Go about your business for the rest of the day, noting the potential for a weighty focus as the evening progresses, courtesy of the annual meet-up of mental Mercury with controlling Saturn in equally controlling Scorpio. If you have a planet or angle around 27 degrees of Scorpio, that’s where you’re feeling the ambitious reach, sobering reality check or gravitas. Consult your local astrologer for details.
As noted yesterday, mind and communication are front and center this week, in ways that may be expansive, heavy and bewildering — possibly all at the same time. Thus it was fun to read Beth Owlsdaughter’s Tarot Card of the Week yesterday and marvel once again at the synchronicity of two symbolic languages: astrology and Tarot.
And speaking of communication, after my effort yesterday to make it absolutely clear how you can receive your very own Really Useful Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide Bookmark (2015 edition), I felt like the Lord of Swamp Castle. If you’d like a bookmark, type your MAILING ADDRESS in the Message Box, you’ll find by going here. I do not need your birth data in order to send you a bookmark, and that’s the last you’ll hear about bookmarks for at the next several days.
Thank you for reading this forecast and sharing it with your friends.
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 11/24/2014: Sneak Peek at Most of the Week; Moving Ahead on New Moon in Sag
/in The ForecastLate New Moon post, I know, but I’ve been busy stuffing envelopes with Really Useful Mercury Retrograde Bookmarks for those of you who responded to the offer. It’s always an interesting exercise to see how others respond to something you’ve released to the world. Makes you appreciate that we each process information in our own unique way. It doesn’t matter what you may have intended to express. You can’t control how the information has been understood. And given the New Moon’s suggested themes of information and communication, it’s an apt subject for discussion.
For example, the wizards at WordPress can tell me how many people clicked on the link to contact me and ask for a bookmark (but not who). And I’ve been intrigued to learn that twice as many people clicked on the link compared to the number who actually sent a request. Why was that, I wondered? Was it because the link takes you to the same contact form you can fill out if you want to book a consultation? Did you find that confusing?
Just to clarify: even though there are spaces on that contact form for your birth data, I do not need that information in order to send you a Really Useful Bookmark. Just send me your name, email address and in the “Message Body” section of the form, type in your mailing address. And then type in whatever numbers are in the little security box at the bottom of the form to prove that you are human. That’s it. Really. Although friendly little notes are always appreciated, and I am over-the-moon with gratitude to the two awesome readers who sent in donations that will cover a good portion of the postage and printing costs. Thank you!
Fun fact: 30% of requests have come from readers in the Tri-State area (NY, NJ & CT), which is no surprise, since I’m based in New York. Tied for second, with 10% each: California (also not a surprise) and….CANADA? Eh? I am delighted to have so many book-loving fans in the Great White North.
OK so…the New Moon and the week ahead.
First, be advised that the Moon is void of course on Monday AM until 11:31AM ET. So there’s your excuse for any slow starts or twists in your usual morning routine. Once the Moon enters “make it happen” Capricorn at 11:31AM, you can move ahead on your high-flying Sag New Moon agenda.
A New Moon offers us an opportunity to re-set intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle. Around the 29th, 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 December 6th, 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 14th, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon on December 21st.
This New Moon happened at 0 degrees of Sagittarius at 7:32AM ET on Saturday, offering us the opportunity to lighten up. Sagittarius refers to collective belief systems — e.g. law, religion and the philosophical foundations of political inclinations, as well as “big picture” avenues of communicating these beliefs, e.g., publishing, broadcasting and academia. Belief systems are not always factual, yet they’re used to create all sorts of constructs that control how we live in the “real world.” Ooh, deep thought. I had to share it. And needing to share deep thoughts and opinions is very Sagittarian indeed. You don’t have to ask a Sagittarius for input on anything; they’re sure to tell you — bluntly and righteously. And if they don’t, they are not living up to their full Sagittarian potential.
With Sagittarius, the sky’s the limit. Patterns in this New Moon chart are quite optimistic, if potentially idealistic and bombastic. Mental Mercury (mindset, communication) is challenged by expansive Jupiter in Leo, sign of royalty — so look for kingly/queenly thinking and communication in the headlines and your own personal world. The color rose is also highlighted, with the Sun and Venus in Sagittarius challenged by visionary Neptune. The latter happened last Thursday; the former will be exact on Wednesday, casting a dreamy spell on Thanksgiving — but not before some serious focus lands on your plate late Tuesday, courtesy of an intense meet-up between mental Mercury and stern Saturn.
If you’re one who thrives on disruptions of the status quo, you won’t be disappointed by the headlines as this lunar cycle progresses. On December 15th, the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square will make its sixth of seven exact squares, and we’re likely to see how we’re doing in terms of integrating the huge paradigm shift mandated by this powerful — and rare — pattern. So this New Moon carries the potential for significant breakthroughs in belief systems. You’ll feel if more personally if you have a planet or angle around 12 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn.
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon at 0 degrees of Sagittarius is “a Grand Army of the Republic campfire,” and with the help of Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee, we’ll see how this Symbol supports the overall New Moon patterns of “big picture” thinking. First, note that the Grand Army of the Republic was an organization of Union Army veterans who fought in the U.S. Civil War. These were people who’d seen quite a few horrors, put their lives on the line for a common cause and were forever bound together as a result of their shared experience. In this Symbol, I find it interesting that the war is over. Bovee notes that the group was dedicated to supporting each other by establishing pensions and such, and the implication is that only the people who fought on one side of the conflict were included. To the victor goes the spoils? Hmmm.
Bovee advises us to apply this Symbol with an awareness of a “Rah! Rah” spirit…affected appeals to gather ’round the campfire; books and movies evoking a past sense of glory”. We are also advised to be mindful of gatherings “organized around self-serving interests…capitalizing on sentiment in the wake of hardship.”
You will feel this rallying cause more personally if you have a planet or an angle at 0 degrees of Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo or Pisces. Senator Mary Landrieu is a Democratic Senator from Louisiana whose bid to pass a bill supporting the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline was narrowly voted down by her Democratic colleagues last week. She was born on November 23rd. She’ll find out on the Full Moon of December 6th whether or not she still has a job. She’s also going through her second Saturn return. She has a pixie dust configuration in her horoscope that is similar to one found in the horoscope of Senator James “Climate Change is a Great Hoax: Inhofe (profiled here last week). She is advised to let go of what no longer serves.
Moon voids for the week, other than this AM: Wednesday 10:30AM ET – 2:23PM ET; Friday 12:14PM ET – 5:03PM ET; Sunday 3:47PM ET – 8:14PM ET — avoid the malls during those times.
And now, some news. Briefly.
Reflecting the “big picture” potential of the weekend’s Mercury-Jupiter square, I noted these stories. First, the FCC is auctioning off some public airwaves to the tune of $34 billion — way more than the $10 billion expected — and it seems the price may go even higher. Here’s why this is significant for consumers. Meanwhile, in Texas, the State Board of Education approved some new social studies textbooks, and soon students can look forward to reading about how influential Moses was on the Founding Fathers. Educational standards is definitely a collective belief system, and we can expect a “get real” battle to kick in once Saturn enters Sagittarius at the end of this year. Oy.
What’s going on in your horoscope? Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 11/21/2014: Scorpio Rules
/in The ForecastSun in Scorpio; Moon in Scorpio; mental Mercury in Scorpio. Man, that can be heavy, ruthless, penetrating, controlling, stubborn. Oh, and Saturn, the heaviest of the heavies, is in Scorpio, too. No, you can’t look away. Use this determined, focused, take-no-prisoners potential for the Light, aided by a supportive connection to Mercury (communication) from action hero Mars in practical, effective Capricorn. Big ideas and expansive communication about those ideas are on deck for the next few days, as Mercury is supercharged by Jupiter in regal Leo.
Actually, since that Mercury-Jupiter aspect will be part of the New Moon chart, we’ll likely see that theme play out throughout the next lunar cycle, which begins Saturday at 7:32AM ET. In the U.S., for example, we’ll see much discussion continuing about the executive orders President Obama made last night to do something proactive about immigration policies, given the current “do-nothing” Congress, starting with this pithy piece from The Guardian. Once the Sun and Moon do leave Scorpio for high-flying Sagittarius at 4:36AM ET and 7:19AM ET, the mood should noticeably lighten up.
Meanwhile, on this heavy news day, with continuing coverage on moreScorpio-themed sexual assault allegations against 77-year-old Bill Cosby finally being taken seriously, Rolling Stone reports on one woman’s quest to hold perpetrators of abuse and violence against women accountable (thank you, karma cop Saturn in Scorpio) at the University of Virginia. It’s not pretty, and neither is this story, also from the Guardian, about toy manufacturer Mattel’s effort to present the iconic Barbie doll as a successful computer engineer, which resulted in an Epic Fail. Read about Barbie and you can appreciate the subtle, disempowering messaging that might lead a woman who has been subjected to abuse and violence to question whether she should speak out.
I’ll post a New Moon forecast later today or tomorrow.
On a lighter note. I am delighted by the number of you who have asked me to send you a few Really Useful 2015 Mercury Retrograde Bookmarks. Hooray! But yea verily, in this digital age I am amused by the number of you who also neglected to enclose your mailing address with that request. To clarify, these are bookmarks that will be lovingly placed in an envelope, along with a handwritten note. A postage stamp will be affixed to said envelope (I can’t believe I don’t even know how much stamps cost these days), and the envelope will be hand-delivered to you by your friendly local mailman/woman. Isn’t that charming and quaint? So you’ll be hearing from me soon if I don’t have your snail mail address. Meanwhile, if you haven’t emailed me a request for a bookmark, please do — and here’s how to contact me.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 11/20/2014: Happy Birthday, Mr. Vice President
/in The ForecastNote your dreams upon waking — especially West Coasters — as nebulous Neptune makes contact with the Moon and Venus between 9 and 9:30AM ET. Rose is the color of most of the day, with a shadow of deep burgundy provided by the Moon in Scorpio, now seeking depth, substance and control.
We are in the balsamic phase of the Moon — the end of the lunar cycle. This is the time to wrap up projects started at the New Moon and contemplate your intentions for the next New Moon on Saturday at 7:32AM ET.
And now, the news.
Bill Cosby continues to make headlines, as anticipated. Yesterday his sitcom deal with NBC was cancelled, and a development deal with another network was put on hold. Stay tuned for further developments.
Meanwhile, there is no Moon void tonight. President Obama will be presenting a major initiative on immigration reform. The President seems to give more speeches during voids than not, so pay attention to this one, even though none of the four major networks will be airing it, and a NYT columnist is utterly bewildered by his actions in recent weeks. If you’ve been following this forecast for some months, you shouldn’t be surprised at all by the timing or the initiatives.
The Scorpio Moon will make a cooperative connection to Pluto at 10:32PM ET. This is a power play aspect, suitable for persuasion and regeneration.
Today is also Vice President Joe Biden’s 72nd birthday. Here is his horoscope, though with a reported birth time of 8:30AM, one wonders if might be off by a few minutes, but I’m not going to take the time right now to do the math required to find out. What’s interesting is that Mr. Biden has the Sun and Venus in the 12th house at the end of Scorpio, and an Ascendant in the early degrees of Sagittarius, and that is where taskmaster Saturn will be for the next year. What’s also interesting is that Barack Obama has his Midheaven at the end of Scorpio — as noted before — and his Moon in the early degrees of Gemini. So there are some lovely aspects of compatibility between these two men, and we can also see that both are up for an extremely demanding year together. In 2016, expansive Jupiter will be at the top of Biden’s horoscope, so we’d expect to see an expanded public profile, with perhaps increased status, honor or reward in career matters. Here’s a post from 2012 — the last time the Vice President appeared in this forecast.
In other news, my Really Useful Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide bookmarks have been updated for 2015, and I’ll be happy to send a few to you and your friends if you email me your address. They are elegant, and the Mercury retrograde periods for the year are printed on the back, along with a list of helping coping strategies. Here’s how to contact me to request some bookmarks — my gift to you, as we move into the holiday season.
Thank you for reading — and sharing — this forecast.
Your donations inspire me to keep writing to keep you entertained and informed. If you’d like to know how planetary patterns are reflected in your unique horoscope, here’s the 411 on personal consultations.