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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 Thursday 10/16/2014: If It’s Out There, It Must Be Neptune
/in The ForecastOK, chill time is over; time to walk your talk. Why? Well, the Moon entered love-love-me-do Leo at 6:29AM ET, looking for a stage or a kingdom on/in which to shine. It glides along without interference today, bolstered by an idealistic hook-up between mental Mercury and the Sun, aiding and abetting a bit of sweet talk. Said mental Mercury is well-supported by action hero Mars in gamboling/gambling Sagittarius; thus, the walking of the talking. Caveat: Mercury is retrograde and Sag is a klutz. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the trip.
And now, the news.
Nebulous Neptune, which refers to illusion, fantasy, drugs, toxins, glamor, spirit and spirits, etc., has been running wild in the cosmos and also in an obsessive relationship with expansive Jupiter, currently parading through potentially bombastic Leo. This suggests a bit of scandal and deception, on the one hand, and potentially “out there” collective beliefs, on the other.
With Mercury retrograde, things from the past have a way of turning up. So earlier this week it was interesting that the NYT published an in-depth investigation about thousands of chemical (Neptune) weapons that were uncovered in Iraq between 2004 and 2011 by U.S. troops. These weapons were made decades ago, and the rest of the story has plenty of other Neptunian elements: deception, cover up, denial, toxins, abandonment, etc. It’s a long, compelling piece — one of the reasons why being a NYT subscriber is worth every penny — though a shorter editorial summary is here.
Following up on last week’s supercharged contact among Venus (women, social expression), Uranus (unconventional) and Pluto (transformation/perspective), here’s another NYT exclusive reflecting changing perspectives on gender identity: “When Women Become Men at Wellesley“. If you’re not familiar with Wellesley, it’s a women’s college outside of Boston and the alma mater of two former secretaries…of State: Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton. And I’m proud to say it’s my alma mater, too.
I’m not sure what concoction of planetary patterns this next item reflects. The surreal world of runaway Neptune? Gender equality issues of the Uranus-Pluto square we thought we covered during the Uranus-Pluto conjunction of the mid-60s? The outrageous action of macho Mars in righteous Sagittarius with the gaming spirit of Jupiter in Leo? The brutal bullying potential transiting Pluto to U.S. Saturn? Probably all of the above, but here’s the story: Anita Sarkeesian, who has written a lot about the deplorable portrayal of women in the videogame and other media (Neptune) industries, was scheduled to speak at a university in Utah. Threats were made against her life, and the speech was canceled....because Utah is an open-carry state and the school did not believe it had the legal authority prevent people with guns from attending the lecture. Brutal? Surreal?
If you’re not familiar with Sarkeesian’s work, here’s her website — with lots of engaging videos (Neptune) — enjoy!
Mercury retrogrades are excellent times to REview your life with an astrologer. Right now I’m offering a little incentive for new clients. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 10/15/2014
/in The ForecastAnother day with the Moon in Cancer, favoring a focus on emotional and home(land) security needs. What’s for dinner? Something from your own kitchen? An indulgent connection from artsy Venus gets us going this morning, exact at 9:46AM ET, followed by a more practical, steadying influence from Saturn at 2:35PM ET. Tune in and focus.
The major aspect today is the 3rd Quarter Moon: a square between the Libra Sun and the Cancer Moon. By now you may know if your New Moon projects are going to bear fruit; if not, you may find this afternoon a bit of a challenge. It’s interesting to note how the Ebola drama in Dallas developed during this lunar cycle. Thomas Eric Duncan went to the hospital with symptoms on the New Moon and was misdiagnosed. He returned to the hospital and was correctly diagnosed on the First Quarter Moon and died on the Full Moon. Today it was reported that a second health care worker has tested positive for the virus. Let’s see where we are at with this story on the New Moon next week.
At 7:27PM ET, Moon goes void on a square to mental Mercury. If someone’s emotional needs are not getting met, you may be hearing about it. Be kind and chill during the void, which lasts until 6:29M ET on Thursday. Avoid impulse shopping and finalizing major decisions; stick to routine and roll with whatever twists arise in your efforts to move forward in a straight line.
I’ll take a look at the headlines tomorrow. Stay tuned!
Mercury retrogrades are excellent times to REview your life with an astrologer. Right now I’m offering a little incentive for new clients. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 10/14/2014: Sneak Peek At the Rest of the Week
/in The ForecastGood Morning!
Note your dreams upon waking, as the Moon in intuitive Cancer makes an easy connection with visionary Neptune at 5:18AM ET. And that’s right on the heels of a communicative connection between an unusually diplomatic Venus and expansive Jupiter. You might not even need that second cup of coffee to put a smile on your face this morning.
Whatever tensions do arise are more likely to happen as the Moon makes its weekly clash with disruptive Pluto and Uranus, at 5:02PM and 11:07PM ET, respectively. These brief contacts offer the opportunity for an added push or insight. Try to use them positively — but if you feel yourself being pulled into a confrontation around these times, see if you can simply decide not to engage. This too, shall pass.
Planetary patterns are fairly light this week, and what patterns are happening facilitate the Mercury REtrograde mantra of REconnecting beautifully. There’s a easy flow of communication despite the snafus of, for example, showing up for a screening of Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel only to learn that the venue was changed and you didn’t get the memo. In such situations, just trust you will make it to the new venue in plenty of time and that the film will be a delight. It was, and I’m convinced the character played by Ralph Fiennes had 12 planets in relationship-conscious Libra.
Other patterns exact on Wednesday and Thursday suggest a need to see things in their most idealistic light — so that’s also good for REconnecting with people from the past. No one is likely to notice the added wrinkles or pounds.
Moon voids this week: Wednesday 7:27PM ET until 6:29AM ET; Saturday 9:10AM until 7:08PM ET. And that’s it! Cool, huh?
One caveat about Mercury retrograde that should be kept in mind is the potential for “disinformation” in the news and also for rumors running wild. In the case of the latter, note the buzz in recent weeks about the disappearance of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Well, apparently he’s now been spotted in public. So much for his reported ouster. An example of the former would be the endlessly changing facts about how a Dallas hospital treated (and perhaps mistreated) Thomas Duncan, the man who died last week from Ebola.
Meanwhile, the liberating and/or disruptive potential of Saturday’s face-off between Venus (social expression, love) and rebel Uranus was reflected in this newsflash from the Vatican: it is allegedly advising a more tolerant stance about gay couples, unmarried couples and divorce. And surprise, surprise — to anyone who thought Edward Snowden deserted his longtime companion when he left the United States, it turns out they are now reunited and living together in Moscow.
Last, but not least, here’s the 411 on personal astro-logical consultations, including a little Mercury retrograde incentive for those of you who have been contemplating taking the plunge much as a diver contemplates the long distance from the diving board to the swimming pool. Just jump!
Thank you for reading this forecast. Have a wonderful day!
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday-Monday 10/9-13/2014: Venus in the Hot Seat
/in The ForecastThe long void ended at 7:44AM ET when the Moon entered comfort and material security-seeking Taurus. Steady as she goes for the next couple of days. Around 9:08AM ET, Mercury retrograde challenges the Moon, suggesting a need for extra focus in transit or communication — or perhaps the spark you’ve been waiting for to push forward with an idea. The only other exact aspect is a supportive connection between Moon and visionary Neptune at 4:30PM ET, setting the stage for healing, arts or some other dreamy — yet somehow grounding — escape.
On Friday, Mercury retrograde will move back into Libra, facilitating the detached, verbal and rational in communication over the controlling, intense and emotional. Take advantage of the cooperative and expansive spirit suggested by the Sun and Jupiter’s easy alignment, exact at 7:18PM ET. Moon goes void Friday at 8:49PM ET…not to enter Gemini until 11:51AM ET Saturday.
Note the potential for unusual attractions and upsets in relationship/financial/aesthetic concerns over the next few days, as Uranus will oppose Venus on Saturday at 5:10AM ET. Saturday night features another dreamy escape when Neptune squares the Moon at 9:08PM ET. Events that happen on a Moon-Neptune square may not be as they seem, as exemplified here (last paragraph).
Overall exact patterns on Sunday are light and playful, reflecting a need for entertainment and diversification. On Monday, which is a holiday for most in the US, Moon goes void at 1:58pm ET until 7:30PM ET. Keep that in mind if you’re thinking of hitting a Columbus Day sale, as impulse purchases made during voids often prove not to be useful. Moon enters Cancer at 7:30PM ET. You’ll be so happy to be home, if you’re coming back from a long weekend escape.
News, news, and more news.
Markets have been volatile, as has often been the case when Venus makes a challenging contact with the Uranus-Pluto square.
Better late than never news from underground: a 100-year-old time capsule is unearthed in New York.
Yesterday I wrote about a Mercury retrograde glitch in The Guardian, but neglected to supply the link. Ha! The outdated photo of SCOTUS has been replaced, and apparently the Guardian does not have a current photos of the justices on file. Bummer. On Tuesday, Speaker John Boehner (or his staff member in charge of Twitting) clearly was not focused when he tweeted a new jobs plan with every single key factor omitted — much to the delight of critics, who offered their own suggestions.
Meanwhile, reflecting the empowered perspective involving women and money (Pluto square Venus) combined with the shock value of Uranus, comedienne Sarah Silverman launched a provocative video fundraising campaign skewering the fact that women earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man. She calls it “the vagina tax,” and if you enjoyed Monday’s new item about lab-grown penises, you’ll be delighted to see a few of them in her video.
In other news, a fracking (Pluto) company has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation (Venus) and is promoting breast cancer awareness with its nifty, new pink-colored fracking drill bits. Totally bizarre (Uranus), but perfectly reflective of planetary patterns.
These patterns directly affected the horoscope of actor Stephen Collins, star of the WB TV show, 7th Heaven, in which he played a pastor. Now that show (now in syndication) has been pulled off the air and Collins was fired from the movie Ted 2 after TMZ published an audio tape secretly recorded in a therapist’s office in which he allegedly confesses to indecent exposure and other unsavory behavior involving young girls. Collins was born on Oct 1, 1947 in Des Moines, Iowa — and a quick look at the noon chart for that date shows it is lit up like a Christmas tree. His Venus (social expression, women, popularity, money) is at 15 Libra — exactly eclipsed — and under fire from Uranus (the truth will set you free) and Pluto (no matter how ugly it is). Transiting Saturn has just completed an anguishing square to his natal Saturn and Pluto (so deal with it), perhaps recalling actions taken 7 and 14 years ago. Interesting to also note that Mercury turned retrograde on his natal Mercury-Mars square, suggesting a release involving a challenging “get away with murder” Mars in Leo. Also interesting that he is a Libra with Moon in me-me-me Aries, just like yesterday’s Full Moon. There’s more, including a nasty divorce, but you get the idea.
I found the Stephen Collins story interesting in light of an op-ed in Sunday’s NYT arguing that pedophilia is a disorder, not a crime, and that society would be better off if it spent more energy on treatment of the disorder than on punishment. Is that naive? Another item arguing for a more integrative, less isolating and punitive approach is this story about how Salt Lake City is dealing with its homeless population by giving them homes instead of throwing them in jail. It is saving the city a jaw-dropping amount of money, and chronic homelessness is apparently down 72%. An empowering (Pluto) innovative (Uranus) social expression (Venus), reflecting a shift in perspective (Pluto)?
Meanwhile, there’s a movie generating buzz now — Gone Girl — based on the book published in 2012. It’s a thriller, but apparently also a psychological drama involving a train-wreck of a marriage between two arguably very flawed people. And the woman who wrote the book, Gillian Flynn, apparently has a dark side, too — a Venus-Pluto witchy-bitchy type in her younger days — as noted in her Wikipedia biography. But don’t we all have a dark side? And if we do, how do we live with it? Deny it? Avoid it? Suppress it? Joshua Rothman at the New Yorker wrote a provocative analysis of Gone Girl which ends thusly:
Current planetary patterns suggest plenty of creepy, confusing and troubling things brought to light, especially for those whose horoscopes are personally affected. Actor Gerard Depardieu made headlines some months ago when his horoscope was hot, and now his Mercury (mind, communication, writing) is being supercharged by the Uranus-Pluto square. He’s just published an autobiography detailing a truckload of troubling behaviors. Of course he did.
In another Vanity Fair piece, actress Jennifer Lawrence has come out swinging weeks after nude photos of her were stolen and distributed online (she’s experiencing some challenging Saturn transits). As a woman (Venus) expressing an empowered perspective (Pluto), she says:
Yesterday’s potent Full Moon suggested a focus on polarity and integration in relationship, but with Mercury retrograde, we have the added suggested benefit of going within to focus on polarity and integration in ourselves. How are we liking ourselves these days? Are we getting along? Are we appreciating ourselves or beating ourselves up?
If we’re not happy with ourselves, how can we be happy in relationship with someone else? If there’s something we don’t like in someone else, is it because we fear we have the same quality in ourselves and need to distance ourselves from it? Can you accept that you’re perfect just the way you are and forgive yourself for all of your real or imagined transgressions? Because if, after having taken stock of your relationship with yourself, you can then forgive yourself for every perceived fault, studies show that you will move into a position of greater freedom (Uranus) and empowerment (Pluto). And when applied to your relationships with others, forgiveness will improve those, too.
Here’s the 411 on personal astro-logical consultations, including a little Mercury retrograde special. Thank you for reading this forecast.
Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 10/8/2014: Full Moon Fallout With a Double Espresso
/in The ForecastThe Full Moon in Aries will be exact at 6:51AM ET. I expect an energetic surge in the morning, suggested by the Moon’s easy connections to action hero Mars and expansive Jupiter. At 10:20AM ET, however, the Moon goes void with a sigh, perhaps not unlike that of a hang glider who has run down a hill and jumped off a cliff.
You could coast through the day, propelled by the fiery drive of the aforementioned Mars-Jupiter connection. Roll with whatever twists delay your efforts to move forward in a straight line, courtesy of the long void. Avoid making significant purchases, especially impulse purchases. Be aware that the square between Venus and Pluto at 1:31PM ET may be emotionally intense and cathartic, or simply witchy-bitchy. Sometimes a brutal heart-to-heart is needed to clear the air, but during a Moon void, often the drama is overblown. Chill, chill, chill if this happens to you.
An earthy Taurus Moon settles things down Thursday at 7:44AM ET.
And now, the news.
Unconventional relationships and power plays are themes in a story from Australia about a murder-suicide in which a woman was killed by her partner. Here is the Guardian’s take on the story. If you want to see how the NY Post and other tabloids told it, you’ll have to Google those alternative realities yourself. Let’s just say they lack a certain humanitarian Uranian spirit. In other news, the NYT reported that New York is “easing the law” for NYers shifting gender, allowing one’s identity — not one’s anatomy– to define one’s gender. How interesting to see these stories breaking around a pattern involving Sun, Uranus and Pluto.
Uranus refers to zany humor and unconventional expression. In Aries, we add a fierce independence. During Tuesday’s Sun-Uranus opposition, one matter before the Supreme Court seems to have been under that influence, as this sub-headline in The Guardian noted:
Really, the reported questions and arguments were rather bizarre. Meanwhile, The Guardian was clearly under the influence of Mercury retrograde when it ran a very dated photo of SCOTUS accompanying the article. Dear Guardian: there are three women on the Supreme Court, not one. We’ll see if the paper has corrected the error by the time you read this. D’oh!
Uranus also refers to magic, lightning, surprises and buzz. Which makes JK Rowling’s tweet hinting yesterday that there might be more in store for Harry Potter perfectly timed. It’s totally buzzworthy, as is this article about how our coffee habits are shaped by DNA. Finally, if you’d like to find how other habits in your life are shaped by planetary patterns, especially on a day with Moon in me-me-me Aries, here’s the 411 on personal astro-logical consultations, including a little Mercury retrograde special. Huzzah!
Thank you for reading this forecast.