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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 Monday 11/3/2014: Sneak Peek at the Week; Bill Cosby
/in The ForecastHappy Monday!
Focus on routine tasks in the early part of the day, as the Moon is void-of-course in Pisces until 1:53PM ET. What is a Moon void, some of you new to this forecast may wonder. Have you ever played on an old-fashioned pinball machine? The ball bounces off those rubber bumpers with force and direction, lighting up the board and scoring points. Eventually the ball stops making contact with the bumpers and rolls down to the bottom of the machine. If you imagine that the Moon is the pinball and those bumpers are planets, the last contact the pinball makes with a bumper is equivalent to the last contact the Moon makes with a planet while it is in a particular sign, such as Pisces. The time it takes for the pinball to fall back down to the bottom of the machine and be relaunched (into the next sign, such as Aries), is like a Moon void. The pinball rolls back down without much force, and sometimes there is a delay, as the pinball gets stuck on the side of the machine. So it can be with a void-of-course Moon. Got that?
We have a few long Moon voids this week, during which your efforts to move forward in a straight line may feel like you’re herding cats. Roll with whatever twists and flakes crop up and resist the temptation to make mountains out of molehills. Avoid impulse shopping and finalizing plans. Otherwise, chill out. Here are the voids, in addition to today: Wednesday 8:25AM ET – 4:33PM ET; Friday 11:17AM ET – 8:45PM ET.
It’s full speed ahead once the Moon charges into Aries at 1:53PM ET, ready to get something started with fiery conviction. Never mind those pesky details; just jump! Upsets and/or revelations, as well as power plays — for better or for worse — are likely tomorrow morning, as the Moon makes its weekly clash with the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square at 9:07AM and 12:29PM ET. But first, be aware of another charged clash between the Moon and action hero Mars at 12:52AM ET, suggesting you pay close attention behind the wheel and avoid ego-driven confrontations. Better to apply this brief power surge to a creative project or something productively physical.
Other patterns of note this week include the Full Moon in Taurus on Thursday and Mercury entering Scorpio on Saturday. Humming in the background is a fast-approaching challenge between an extremely effective Mars in Capricorn to Uranus and Pluto, which will be exact next Monday and Wednesday. What kind of events can we expect? Here’s what happened in April; here’s what happened in June.
And now, the news, brought to you in part by Saturn in nitty-gritty things we might prefer not to face in matters of sex and death.
First, Brittany Maynard passed away on Saturday at age 29. Ms. Maynard was diagnosed some months ago with terminal brain cancer and made a decision to end her life “on her own terms,” rather than let the disease run its course. She moved to Oregon and made headlines as the poster child for those advocating the right to die with dignity (as one can in Oregon). It is interesting to note her passing on a day with Moon in Pisces (endings), Mars (action) in a cooperative connection with Neptune (drugs, spirit, surrender), along with other exact patterns noted in prior forecasts.
Second, comedian Bill Cosby is making headlines again. Back in September I noted the release of a new biography about the iconic comedian, which was reflective of general planetary patterns. But obviously something suggesting prominence would have been going on in his horoscope, especially since the reason Mr. Cosby is making headlines this month is because a male comedian (Hannibal Buress) called him a rapist several weeks ago in his stand-up act. And in fact, Mr. Cosby was accused of sexual assault/abuse almost a decade ago, and thirteen women were going to testify against him…until the case was settled out of court.
These allegations were raised again back in February by Salon, but the article did not generate much traction. Now, within a few days, we have Burress’s shout-out going viral and a lengthy account by Barbara Bowman, a woman who did not settle, now detailing the whole sordid, OMG-must-we-know-all-these-awful-things, tale. (Yes, we must. With Saturn in Scorpio, we can’t look away. Even though we were able to back in 2006).
So what’s going on in Bill Cosby’s horoscope? How about ruthless Pluto turning direct and making contact with the top of his horoscope for the FIFTH and final time since 2013? That’ll get you prominence: a new biography, a new sitcom and — oh yeah, those sexual assault allegations you thought were buried. Not with Pluto.
Next year Uranus will be making contact with Cosby’s me-me-me Aries Ascendant and his emotional security-seeking Cancer Sun. Other patterns reinforce the suggestion of a break-out and an overturning of the status quo. I am intrigued by a measurement to his perfection-driven Virgo Moon suggesting a trauma up for healing, especially since the Moon is part of a pattern in his horoscope called a Grand Trine. I learned from Noel Tyl how Grand Trines, traditionally viewed as “lucky”, also function as defensive structures, which allow the native to act as if the laws others must follow do not apply to him or her. We shall see.
Meanwhile, headlines in Canada are currently focused on allegations of serial sexual assault that resulted in the firing of media personality Jian Ghomeshi. Sign of the times.
And speaking of the Times, the New York Times would like you to know — in a pithy article — that Bill Cosby and Hannibal Buress will be performing in the New York Comedy Festival this weekend. But not on the same stage.
What’s going on in your horoscope? That nagging need to make a change will likely be affirmed by planetary patterns, so you can move forward with confidence. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 10/31/2014 & The Weekend: Happy Halloween!
/in The ForecastTrick or treat!
If you’re looking for something scary this Halloween, be advised that planetary patterns favor the weird and wacky over ghouls and goblins. The Moon is still in Aquarius, which favors the unconventional. If you haven’t figured out what costume to wear, a helpful boost to the Moon from Uranus may spark your imagination before you head for the office. Oh go ahead, wear something fun to work — you know you want to. I’m wearing my native costume.
Whatever you’re wearing, keep putting the Aquarian networking potential to good use, aided and abetted by three cooperative connections that will be exact on Saturday: between Mercury and Jupiter; Venus and Pluto; Mars and Neptune. These suggest inspired communication and thought processes, some of which may be quite magical. A sexy spin, perhaps, or something equally spellbinding. Let’s hope you’re the one casting and not the other way around.
The Moon goes void on a bit of a bump at 2:22AM ET Saturday, on a challenge from “wet blanket Saturn”. Moon doesn’t enter Pisces until 12:37PM ET, so feel free to sleep in and chill. Avoid impulse purchases during the void.
Don’t forget to set your clocks back before you go to sleep on Saturday; Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday morning. The Pisces Moon favors the soulful, the artsy and compassionate; plan your day accordingly. A cooperative connection between the Sun and Pluto favors power and regeneration, which can be a good thing, depending on one’s agenda. Power can be used for good and not-so-good, doncha’ know. The planets have no say in these matters, but people do.
You can drift into the office on Monday, as the Moon will be void from 4:05AM to 1:53PM ET. The mood should shift noticeably when the Moon enters Aries in the afternoon.
And now, the news.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has a birthday on Saturday. And yesterday he published an essay yesterday acknowledging that he is gay and very proud of it, thank you very much. Mr. Cook is a Scorpio with Moon in pioneering Aries. Without an exact birthtime, we don’t have the exact degree of the Moon, but given the timing of the announcement, it could be between 11 and 14 degrees of Aries, and thus being supercharged by the Uranus-Pluto square, suggesting an upset and/or empowerment. This Moon is part of a tense T-Square pattern in his horoscope — between Saturn at 13 Capricorn and Mars at 16 Cancer, suggesting, among other things, the potential for extraordinary drive and discipline. Mars and Saturn have also been under high tension, suggested by contact with Uranus and Pluto — and this will continue into next year.
Interesting to note that Mr. Cook’s Scorpio Sun is tightly conjunct nebulous Neptune, suggesting among other things, a visionary potential, empathy, and also that ego identity issues may be rather bewildering. You can’t tell from a horoscope if someone is male or female, but you can tell if that person may struggle with issues of self-determination, including sexual expression. I once worked with a client who was transitioning from male to female, and the timing of her public declaration of her gender identity, name change, projected hormone treatments, etc., were perfectly in synch with patterns in her horoscope. It made perfect sense, and my client found it very reassuring to learn how planetary patterns validated her struggle and decision to change.
In other news, a drama perfectly reflecting the determination of one individual (Uranus in Aries) to defy the Established Order (Pluto in Capricorn) is going on way up in Maine, as nurse Kaci Hickox rebels against the state’s efforts to enforce a 21-day quarantine since she returned from West Africa. Meanwhile, in the NYT Sunday Magazine you’ll find a harrowing and poignant account penned by journalist Theo Padnos about being kidnapped and held captive in Syria.
Planetary patterns are relatively quiet now, but as we get closer to November 10th, headlines are sure to become volatile, as Mars comes into contact with Uranus and Pluto. Not only that, but on December 15th, we’ll have the sixth of the seven exact squares between Uranus and Pluto. So it made sense that another missive from The Hathors was delivered via sound healer Tom Kenyon yesterday, giving us a heads up. When was the last missive sent? On March 26th, a few weeks before the fifth exact square. I am fascinated by their consistent sense of timing, as noted in this forecast from last December.
Whoever or whatever The Hathors are, what they have to say about climate change, government/institutional breakdowns & breakthroughs — and especially the crisis in spiritual evolution and consciousness that we face collectively on Planet Earth — is mirrored by the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square and other significant alignments, etc., etc. What they als0 offer (via Kenyon) is a number of practical meditation techniques to keep you grounded and clear in these challenging times. That is why I find their posts relevant and helpful.
On a housekeeping note, if you are interested in booking a personal astro-logical consultation for yourself or for a friend, I am extending my Mercury retrograde incentive for new clients through November 12th, as we are still in the “shadow period” of the last Mercury retrograde. At some point in the not too distant future, I do intend to raise my rates, to reflect the two years of study and knowledge accumulated since the last modest increase. And I wanted to give you plenty of notice in advance, with much gratitude for your continued support.
Thank you for reading this forecast. Have a fabulous weekend!
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 10/30/2014: Get Real
/in The ForecastBriefly: with the Moon now in humanitarian Aquarius, arise, go forth and network. Note the potential later in the afternoon for a challenge to crop up regarding your New Moon agenda, no doubt related to a stubborn disagreement over how to exert power and control. Shall ye be emotional or rational? Yes.
Will recap the news tomorrow, save for some words of wisdom from the eminently quotable Pope Francis, whose latest bit reflects the practical, down-to-earth quality of action hero Mars, now that it is in Capricorn. “God is not a magician,” he says….thus encouraging people to believe in evolution and the Big Bang.
See how you can integrate a realistic-yet-enterprising action plan with the visionary idealism that is otherwise suggested in current planetary patterns.
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday & Wednesday 10/28-29/2014: Politics As Usual
/in The ForecastOnce again, note your dreams, as the Sun makes an easy connection to intuitive Neptune at 5:50AM ET. Then, see if you notice the boost in energy encouraging you to get up and at ’em, as the enterprising Moon in Capricorn makes contact with an equally proactive Mars. Cooperative connections to the Moon among Neptune, Sun and Venus suggest a nice balance to your juggling act during business hours and beyond.
Tensions are more likely as we move into the wee hours on Wednesday, as the Moon makes its weekly engagement with the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square at 1:47AM ET and 5:50AM ET. Hmmm….that could be your wake up call on Wednesday…and you’ll feel it more personally if you have a planet or angle at around 14 degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn.
Still, a heightened productivity is favored until the Capricorn Moon goes void at 11:01PM ET Wednesday night. Then you can rest — and perhaps sleep in a bit on Thursday, as the Moon will not enter Aquarius until 9:52AM ET. Why can you sleep in? Because things that happen — or are scheduled to happen during Moon voids often prove to have no consequence. There’s also a higher probability of twists and flakes. But don’t take my word for it. Listen to the great Yogi (Berra) who once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching”.
And now, the news.
With Neptune in touch with the Sun and Venus on Monday and Tuesday, I found it interesting to note the obituaries posted on the NYT homepage. Neptune refers to healing, spirits, music and other artsy concerns. So who passed away? John-Roger, a New Age spiritual leader; Stan M. Jay, a “seller of musical instruments to the stars”; Doris Hering, a dance critic and Jack Bruce, “Cream’s adventurous bassist”. Isn’t that interesting? I’m pleased to report that over the weekend the NYT published a respectful yet juicy and intriguing obituary for Joan Quigley, the astrologer who consulted with First Lady Nancy Reagan on behalf of the President.
Meanwhile, Jeb Bush made headlines thanks to certain family members — especially one of his sons — dropping hints that Mr. Bush might run for president. Which reminded me that a reader asked me about this prospect some months ago, and while I looked at the horoscope and noted measurements suggesting ambition and windfall opportunities right about now and into early 2015, I never got around to writing about it.
Here is Jeb Bush’s horoscope: Sun in Aquarius, Moon in enterprising Capricorn; Virgo rising (maybe). It has a few classic signatures suggesting a challenging relationship with the father and an element of feeling suppressed in his early home life. There is also a defensive structure suggesting extraordinary self-sufficiency, especially in matters of mindset. Does he really need to know what you think? Probably not. But I’ll wager he’d find it fulfilling to teach you a thing or two. Issues of authority and administration in matters of self expression are coming to a blossoming point in the next year or so.
It’s interesting to note the timing of this “announcement” of ambition — indirect as it is. Transiting Saturn (ambition) is making the third of a series of challenges to his natal Sun and Pluto — it was exact on the 25th — talk about timing. He has some tough decisions to make. Also interesting that Saturn rules his 5th house (his son) and Pluto rules his 3rd house (siblings), and reportedly his brother George is one of his biggest fans, especially on this issue of making a run for it. Let’s see where he’s at towards the end of January/mid-February.
Another politician I’ve been asked about is Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who’s up for re-election next Tuesday. I wrote about him back in early 2011, after he was elected during the “buyer beware” Venus retrograde 2010 election that ushered in many Tea Party candidates. It didn’t take long for Mr. Walker to move forward on his Koch brothers-backed agenda of crushing unions and so forth, prompting protests and a recall effort that ultimately failed, reflecting extremely demanding transits in his horoscope that could be also described as torturous. But then there is this reigning need of his Sun and Moon in Scorpio’s for power and control, which he has obviously maintained.
Even without an exact birth time, Walker’s horoscope has distinct measurements that suggest continued empowerment and uncompromising independence. There could be a upset suggested, if we knew the exact degree of his Scorpio Moon. His challenger, Mary Burke, is as fierce and tenacious as he is, but with a need to serve humanity. She is a Taurus with Moon in Aquarius. Like Walker, she has a determined, disciplined and potentially militant pattern involving Saturn and Mars. This Mars (action!), along with her Mercury has been supercharged in recent months by the Uranus-Pluto square. We’d expect persuasive action and communication in 2014 from a natal horoscope that has plenty of inherent resources and an stellar education.
It’s always intriguing to look at candidates running against each other. So often their horoscopes contain similar patterns! Add to the notes above a contact between the Sun and visionary/idealistic Neptune for Ms. Burke; in Walker’s horoscope, there is a likely connection between the Moon and Neptune. A close race, for sure, though I know which one I’d vote for, if I lived in Wisconsin.
I hope the readers who asked me about these candidates are pleased with the analysis, posted during an opinionated Moon in Sagittarius ; )
Thank you for reading 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. Special incentive for new clients will be honored through October — huzzah!
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 10/27/2014: Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastGood Morning!
East Coasters, make the most of the morning while the Sagittarius Moon is fully in gear. It goes void at 12:18PM ET, suggesting a higher probability of twists and delays in your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Keep that in mind if you work in a field where you simply must ship today. A live television show, for example, isn’t going to not air because of a Moon void. So just roll with whatever comes up and refrain from making a mountain out of what may just be a molehill of a crisis. Chill!
West Coasters, Moon will be void all day and into the night; Moon enters Capricorn on Tuesday at 6:03AM ET. And that’s when the get down to business vibe should really kick in, aided by an especially proactive Mars (action!) in practical Capricorn. Other Moon voids for the week: Wednesday 11:01PM ET until 9:52AM ET on Thursday; Saturday 2:22AM ET until 12:37PM ET. Really, not much to derail your efforts during business hours save for today (Monday). Onward!
As noted in Friday’s forecast, the first part of this week is dominated by dreamy connections to the Sun and Venus from visionary Neptune. This can be super-inspiring if you’re looking for a creative spark or deeply spiritual experience. I hope you’ve been keeping track of your dreams over the past few days.
A challenge to your New Moon agenda may show up late Thursday, on the First Quarter Moon. On the plus side, cooperative connections which are exact on Saturday suggest further inspired communication and thought processes, some of which may be quite magical. Projects that were on your desk around October 20th may be up for a revision. In fact there may be plenty to revisit and rethink as Mercury gets back up to speed in a forward direction. Be patient as our brains adjust to the change of motion.
And now, the news.
As anticipated, with Mars (planet of action/aggression) at the Aries Point over the weekend we did see more than the usual assortment of “if it bleeds, it leads” headlines. Here in New York, a man was killed after attacking four police officers with a hatchet. In Washington State, we saw another jarring shooting in a high school. “Once Again, Guns” was the title of NYT columnist Gail Collins’ most recent cheerful offering about that incident and the issue of guns in general in this election season.
You are aware that there is an election in the United States next Tuesday, yes? And you are planning to vote, right? Because if you don’t vote, someone else will. And you can quote me on that.
Meanwhile, Mars at the Aries Point sounds like a great time for the NYT to publish, by popular demand, a new and improved version of its “Scientific 7-Minute Workout.” Now there’s a productive way to channel a need for action and aggression. Go for it.
In other news, you might be startled by an especially aggressive tactic the I.R.S. has employed against certain citizens. Under a law that was no doubt well-intended, it seems that the agency has the ability to seize the accounts of taxpayers without ever charging them of a crime. Therefore, this is what it has done. But now that the New York Times took the time and trouble to give this aggressive tactic prominence, the I.R.S. is reportedly “curtailing” the practice.
Now what about all the dreamy, magical thinking that was also suggested by the weekend’s planetary patterns? The NYT had something to say about that, too. One op-ed in the Sunday Review was called “The Problem with Positive Thinking”. Another item really does read like a dream come true. Chocolate has yet another health benefit, a recent study suggests. It may improve your memory. But you’ll have to indulge in the really good dark chocolate, not the processed stuff on the shelves of your local convenience store. And you’ll have to eat a lot of it.
On a housekeeping note, the Mercury retrograde incentive for those of you who’ve been considering scheduling a first-time personal consultation is on through the end of this month. Here’s the 411.
Thank you for reading this forecast. And thank you, especially, to those of you who deem it worth sharing with others.