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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 Tuesday-Friday 9/2-5/2014: Sneak Peek at the Week; Saturn in Scorpio;Horoscope of a Beloved Cat
/in The ForecastNo sleeping in on this Back-To-Work/School Tuesday. The Moon is waxing in high-flying, opinionated Sagittarius, fueled by a square to the Virgo Sun at 7:11AM ET. A First Quarter Moon suggests a challenge to whatever seeds were planted on last week’s New Moon. What was that all about? “Piercing intellect” and integration of whatever sharp reality check or ambitious reach may have landed on your plate last week, especially if you have planets or angles around 2 degrees of Virgo, Pisces, Gemini and Sag…and 16-19 degrees of Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius or Taurus. If you don’t know where your planets are, consult your local astrologer.
Deep perspective and issues of resources, healing and regeneration are facilitated over the next two days, courtesy of a harmonious alignment between potent Pluto and the Sun on Wednesday at 12:08PM ET, as well as supportive contacts to the optimistic Sag Moon from expansive Jupiter and innovative Uranus Tuesday at 8:10AM ET and 5:38PM ET, respectively. Avoid finalizing shipments and signing on the dotted line between 2:06PM and 6:15PM ET on Wednesday, when the Moon will be void-of-course. Stick to routine tasks and chill during this natural planetary rest period; roll with whatever twists may occur in your efforts to move forward in a straight line.
Once the Moon enters proactive Capricorn at 6:15PM ET on Wednesday, you’re likely to feel a push to make things happen, with the following caveats: a potential power play or emotional catharsis around 1PM ET and/or an upset to the status quo around 8:41PM ET, when the enterprising Moon is challenged by ruthless Pluto and rebel Uranus. I’ll give you an example of how one of these bumps can manifest later in this forecast. Otherwise, forge ahead with your agenda until Friday at 11:08 AM ET, when the Moon once again goes void for the rest of the business day, until 7:59PM ET. Skip out early for the weekend without consequence; avoid impulse purchases and launching important initiatives; see if you notice a wandering “drift” in the energy of the day; avoid making mountains out of molehills.
Two planets change signs this week. Mercury, which rules the mind, travel and communication, leaves Virgo for Libra at 1:38AM Tuesday. Mercury excels in Virgo, where it easily tends to every exacting detail. In Libra, Mercury’s need is to be fair and pleasing, but it may miss — or avoid — unpleasant details for the sake of peace and/or appearances. On Friday at 1:07PM ET, Venus leaves Leo for Virgo. Venus refers to social expression, women, aesthetics, finances. In Leo, Venus can be grand, dramatic and generous. Note how the ubiquitous Ice Bucket Challenge caught on fire (Leo is a fire sign) when Venus met up with expansive Jupiter earlier this month. The preceding link is comedian Wendy Liebman’s effort to raise awareness of ALS. She’s a Wellesley classmate, too — and will be on America’s Got Talent tonight at 9pm — go, Wendy, go! Vote for Wendy — rah rah rah! See? Dramatic Leo social expression. Let’s just say that in Virgo, social expression is likely to be more refined, sometimes priggish and critical.
When planets change signs, we may need a day or two to adjust. Patience is advised if your communication and social expression experiences are a bit “wobbly”.
And now, the news.
Regular readers may recall a recent post about Saturn, the planetary taskmaster, finally past the halfway mark in Scorpio, sign of energy, resources and transformation, a.k.a. sex, other people’s money/debt and death. Saturn began its journey in Scorpio back in October of 2012. At that time, we anticipated that issues involving deep, difficult consequences of sex, death and money would dominate the headlines. And in fact, we have seen plenty of disturbing and controversial stories involving rape, contraception, abortion, crushing debt and — at least in the US — downright horrific stories about the death penalty. Did you know that the US is only one of nine nations that regularly executes convicted criminals (not including random citizens stopped by police)?
Anyway, there’s been tremendous controversy in the above-referenced matters, especially in areas of CONTROL (Saturn!). But now with Saturn past the halfway point — i.e., 15 degrees of Scorpio — as expected, we’re seeing more and more headlines about pushing back. In Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, judges have ruled that certain restrictions placed on reproductive health clinics that provide abortions are unconstitutional. Sunday’s NYT magazine features a fascinating profile of a pioneering Dutch doctor who has found a way to provide women around the world with a method of terminating pregnancies without having to travel to a clinic. In California, a federal judge ruled that its death penalty system was unconstitutional. We saw a similar pattern in cases involving same sex marriage when Saturn was in Libra a few years back. Once Saturn was moving forward past the halfway point, the tides were began to turn in favor of marriage (Libra) equality (Libra!), as predicted. Interesting, isn’t it? Search the archives of this forecast for specific examples.
In other news, there was more than one upset at the U.S. Open while the Moon was void, as predicted. Moon voids often suggest a surprise twist or victory to the underdog in sports matches. Here’s some of what happened on Friday afternoon — and how about this:
Here’s the whole article, also from Friday. And here’s another upset during a long void on August 27th.
Meanwhile, sniping and bickering between the sexes of a most territorial kind erupted on two airplane flights last week, perhaps reflecting last Wednesday’s clash among stern Saturn, Mars and Venus, all in the stubborn signs of Leo and Scorpio. A more productive reflection of this energetic combination can be seen in this article, “The Decisive Marriage,” which argues that couples who are proactive about making plans are more likely to succeed than those who are not. What kind of marriage do you have?
Finally, you may recall I mentioned some days ago that I’d been tending to my adorable, but ailing, Himalayan cat. I’m sorry to say that she departed for Kitty Heaven last Thursday. She was the cat I always wanted when I was a little girl growing up in a house full of dog people. Not that dogs aren’t great, but you know what I mean if you’re a cat person. But did you know that pets have horoscopes, too?
I was fortunate to know Phoebe’s birth time — July 17, 1997 at 11:45AM in Sherman Oaks, CA— for astrology students who would like to see the chart. She was a nurturing Cancer with Moon in opinionated Sagittarius in the highly communicative 3rd house. She had a distinctive meow and was not afraid to use it. She loved to travel. She had a Libra Ascendant — beauty and social grace personified. She was highly intuitive and a little “out there,” suggested by her Sun opposed by nebulous Neptune (she was named after the spacey Phoebe Buffet from Friends). But she was also a hard worker, fiercely determined, suggested by an opposition between Mars and Saturn — which all together formed a loose Cardinal Grand Cross (remember the dynamic energy we experienced in April)? If I told Phoebe I needed to get up at 6AM, she’d jump up on the bed and meow right on time.
With her horoscope, I could see two years ago the potential for a critical illness that might develop at the end of 2013, when controlling Saturn began a series of long, tough contacts to Phoebe’s Mercury (ruler of the house of critical illness & also neurological issues), Venus (rules kidneys and her 1st house, the health center) and Jupiter (rules the liver,the hips and her 6th house of the physical body). In fact, she suffered from a combination of all three potentials, but the one that proved more than her strong will and heart could handle was the third hit of Saturn to her Jupiter (hips, liver).
I am deeply grateful to Diane Samsel, a highly gifted animal communicator whose insights about Phoebe’s physical condition were astonishing, as were the loving messages she relayed from Phoebe about Phoebe’s concern for my well-being, which was delaying her transition. Diane helped me move quickly into a space of release and joy. She assured me that “our pets are perennials,” capable of returning to us again after “a nice long vacation”. She mentioned a friend of mine by name — Phoebe had a message for him, which I relayed. And get this: this friend had dreamed about Phoebe the night before she passed — it was definitely Phoebe, he said — but in the body of a black and white kitten!
She left this world at 1:46PM ET in Forest Hills, NY on 8/28/2014. Since I had to take her to a vet, I knew I would not have full control over the timing of the event, but there was a window of a couple of hours that suggested the procedure would be smooth. As it turned out, it started a few minutes later than I’d hoped, with the Moon in an approaching connection to Pluto and Uranus. Remember what I wrote earlier about potential bumps or surges with those planets? The bump in this case was the vet’s decision to ignore my warning not to touch Phoebe’s hind leg, which caused her pain. A power play resulting in an emotional catharsis — the potential of Moon to Pluto. Otherwise, the vet and his staff could not have been kinder, and Phoebe made her transition with great dignity. I hope to see her in my dreams one night soon. She was the best assistant this astrologer has ever had.
Rest in peace.
Your donations never fail to make my day, with much gratitude to you for your appreciation. Gratitude also to those of you who share this forecast with friends. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Have a wonderful day!
Gratitude to photographer Jim Herrington for taking this snapshot in May 2014.
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday-Wednesday 8/25-27/2014: New Moon in Virgo; Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastHappy Monday — and Tuesday!
Did anyone else notice the subtle shift in energy around 10:13AM ET, the exact time of today’s New Moon? I was up very early this morning, as I have been in recent days, checking on the comfort of my beloved but ailing 17-year-old kitty. I planned to write this forecast in the dead of the Moon, but as it turns out, I needed more rest. What time did I wake up — without an alarm? 10:13AM ET — to the minute. Coincidence or conspiracy? I offer this an example of how you can use the times provided in this forecast. If something notable happens in your own personal world, see if it’s in synch with an exact planetary pattern. If you know your horoscope well enough to know what degrees your angles and planets are at, you can really have fun with this exercise. If you don’t know where your planets are, there’s a little Astro-Basics Report you can order here that will clue you in.
The New Moon — i.e., the monthly meet-up of the Sun and Moon — happened at 2 degrees 19 minutes of Virgo. For those of you who like to look up the Sabian Symbols, read for 3 degrees of Virgo (always round up to the next number when using these Symbols). A New Moon offers us an opportunity to re-set intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle. Sometime today or tomorrow, light a candle and make a list. Around September 2nd, 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 the 8th, 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 15th, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon on September 24th.
Last month’s New Moon in Leo focused on creative self-expression. How do you express your bliss? Keywords for this month’s Virgo New Moon include perfection, discernment, work, service, integration, analysis. Whom or what does your creative self-expression serve? How does it function? How have you cooperated with and/or integrated it into your daily routine?
Virgo also rules the digestive tract, where it keeps busy instinctively separating the wheat from the chaff. It keeps elements that provide nourishment and eliminates those which do not. Some digestive systems work more efficiently than others, depending on what they are given to process. What is your process? Is it efficient? What does your gut tell you? Your instincts may well be functioning with laser beam intensity and accuracy in the wake of this New Moon — and I was delighted to see its potency reflected with the usual astonishing synchronicity in Beth Owlsdaughter’s Tarot Card of the Week.
So what’s so potent about this New Moon? First, a potentially ruthless application of penetrating energy, for better or for worse , suggested by today’s hook-up (at 3:30PM ET) between action hero Mars and stern Saturn in take-no-prisoners Scorpio. If you’re in a vengeful mood, you could do some damage. If you want to execute a meticulously detailed plan that might even have a humanitarian purpose, you could create something wonderfully helpful and healing. What will you choose? Aiding and abetting this meticulous plan or a genius germ of an idea is mental Mercury in Virgo, supporting the Mars and Saturn. This suggests exacting efficiency and ease of communication. Not a bad week to make a pitch — just avoid the Moon voids.
As for the humanitarian part, this morning at 5:38AM ET we had a lovely alignment between Venus (love, money, social expression) in drama queen Leo and Uranus in pioneering Aries. Venus-Uranus contacts suggests a willingness to go outside the box, and as long as you’re not a cat, that is usually a very good thing. Expressed with passion, this plan may well challenge the established order, suggested by a tense connection between Venus and the Mars-Saturn hook-up. In the past we’ve seen Venus-Saturn challenges reflected in “cutting” or “chilly” or “reality check” headlines…. and also by stories of “women of steel” (up side). This challenge is exact at 2:22PM ET on Tuesday. An example of an reality check just in: a report from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. An example of a “woman of steel” — see note on author and pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder in a few paragraphs.
Venus will challenge Mars on Wednesday at 11:46AM ET. We can expect combustion or fiery passion between the sexes, and the latter can be quite juicy. It seems to me that this Virgo New Moon, together with these challenges to Venus, is inviting us to consider how we can better integrate feminine archetypical expression (Venus) vs. masculine/patriarchal archetypical expression (Mars-Saturn) — perhaps with a spiritual perspective, suggested by an opposition between Moon and nebulous Neptune, exact today at 6:15PM ET. For those seeking a dreamy escape tonight, there’s your opportunity.
The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 3 Virgo is “two guardian angels”. Now this is a very comforting image. But why two? Perhaps one is masculine and the other is feminine — or some other duality? Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee writes that the angels suggest “divine stewardship”, and that we might consider this Symbol as with an eye open for “soft, imperceptible realities that stand guard” in the face of hard or otherwise unyielding structures, or new ways of thinking seeking to penetrate old forms.
You will be more personally influenced this New Moon if you have planets or points around 2 degrees of Virgo, Pisces, Gemini and Sagittarius. And this week, those of you with planets or points at around 16-19 degrees of Leo, Taurus, Scorpio or Aquarius may well experience a release of the conflict or ambitious call to action suggested by the tension among Venus, Mars and Saturn. For example, Barack Obama’s Ascendant is 18 Aquarius. Today he authorized “air surveillance flights of ISIS over Syria,” as a “potential precursor to actual airstrikes”.
In other news, the autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of “Little House on the Prairie,” will be published this autumn for the first time. Yup, finally the real story of her life, not the fictionalized — albeit much-loved — version. Wilder’s horoscope has the Sun at 18 Aquarius and Mercury conjunct Jupiter at 15 Aquarius — a powerhouse combo for a writer. Also of note: her charismatic Mars-Neptune square has been supercharged by Uranus and Pluto for several months now. And the book publication will coincide with her fifth Saturn return, an event everyone experiences every 28-29 years. A Saturn return is a critical stage in life development, usually offering an opportunity for a new lease on life. Isn’t astrology amazing?
Keep your organizational focus going on Tuesday, as the Virgo Moon is well-supported during business hours. Get if off your desk if you can, as the Moon goes void at 10:29PM ET… until 5:54PM ET on WEDNESDAY. That should make for some interesting upsets at the U.S. Open. Go with the flow of whatever twists and delays may crop up in your efforts to more forward in a straight line; stick to routine and chill, chill, chill. Your other Moon void this week happens Friday at 12PM ET — until Saturday at 4:53AM ET. Sounds like an early start to the Labor Day weekend….
…which you might as well enjoy to the fullest, given the “bitter, frigid conditions” predicted this winter by the Farmer’s Almanac. This is the same publication that correctly predicted last winter’s polar vortex (modern meteorologists did not). How does the Farmer’s Almanac do it?
Of course it does.
Your donations never fail to make my day, with much gratitude to you for your appreciation. Gratitude also to those of you who share this forecast with friends. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Have a wonderful day!
Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 8/22/2014 & The Weekend: More on President Obama
/in The ForecastTGIF!
Lucky you if you’re starting the weekend early, continuing the natural cosmic break that began as of 3:34PM ET Thursday, when the Moon drifted into the void in Cancer, not to enter party-hearty Leo until 4:49PM ET today. Speaking of Leo, today is the last full day of the Sun in Leo. The Sun enters Virgo at 12:46AM ET on Saturday and starts taking names, numbers and otherwise offering the organizational energy that will be upfront and center once the New Moon kicks in Monday at 10:13AM ET with a vengeance.
Chill today…or continue to follow up and/or mull over whatever useful facts you dug up on Thursday. Have a very happy Happy Hour on Friday night, once the Moon enters Leo. If shopping is on your to-do list this weekend, do it Saturday, as the Moon will be void of course from 4:23AM ET Sunday until 5:33AM ET Monday. Around 10AM ET Saturday is when we can benefit from the lift suggested by the Moon’s hook-up with expansive Jupiter; around 10PM ET we’ll have another pleasant boost suggested by Moon together with Venus.
Conflicts and/or crankiness may hit those of us with planets around 17-18 degrees of Leo, Scorpio, Taurus and Aquarius, as the Moon clashes with warrior Mars and stern Saturn (both in ruthless Scorpio) in the wee hours on Sunday. Chill, chill, chill on Sunday — or wrap up projects you started at the beginning of the last New Moon. That listlessness or restlessness you may feel is typical of a “dead Moon” i.e., the end of the lunar cycle. Somehow we sense that new energy is just around the corner, but we don’t know what it is. No sleeping in on Monday.
And now, the news.
How interesting to see the stock markets on yet another roll, in light of Monday’s super-indulgent and expansive hook-up between Venus (money) and Jupiter (expansion). Elsewhere, I would love to get my hands on superstar pitcher Mo’ne Davis’s birthday — something more specific than “she turned 13 two months ago”. But didn’t her tour de force performance — pitching a shut-out game and landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated — lift our spirits, too? In other news, on yesterday’s easy but potent alignment between mental Mercury and investigative Pluto, here’s some new research on likely causes of autism, focusing on hyperactive synapses as a likely suspect. This is intriguing because in the horoscopes I have seen of people diagnosed with autism, I have noted planetary patterns suggesting overstimulated nerves, often reflected in stressful aspects between Mercury and Uranus, for example.
Meanwhile, how interesting to see NYT columnist Maureen Dowd’s latest take on President Obama, given the patterns currently active in his horoscope, as noted in prior forecasts. The column is called “Alone Again, Naturally” — and what have we been saying about the heavy, loner potential of Saturn, now at 17 Scorpio, where it has been challenging Obama’s 18 Aquarius Ascendant for over two months? According to Dowd, “The president who was elected because he was a hot commodity is now a wet blanket.”
On Monday — on the New Moon at 2 Virgo — Mars, which is currently ruthlessly and effectively placed in Scorpio, for better or for worse, will catch up with Saturn at 17 degrees of Scorpio, as both planets square Obama’s Ascendant. In traditional astrology, Mars and Saturn have an unsavory reputation; in modern astrology, they certainly have their strengths, but they can also be difficult to manage. With the two of them together we see the potential for an ambitious outburst of expression, for better or for worse. Sometimes if the energy of the transit is not expressed by the person, it is acted upon that person. In the case of Mars, it can be reflected as an accident or an angry attack. In the case of Saturn, it may be experienced as a loss — sometimes as a death or illness in the extended family — or a health issue for the person concerned. Let’s watch and see how this potent pattern will be expressed in Obama’s reality over the weekend and during the next New Moon cycle. In the news this week, I would argue that it has been reflected in horrifically efficient acts of aggression too awful to mention overseas, and also in the United States — caught on tape.
Cue Gilbert O’Sullivan now, please.
Your donations never fail to make my day, with much gratitude to you for your appreciation. Gratitude also to those of you who share this forecast with friends. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Have a wonderful day!
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday-Thursday 8/18-21/2014: Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastGood afternoon!
A busy buzz kicked in last night (Sunday) at 6:41PM ET, with the Moon’s ingress into information junkie Gemini. It will stay in gear until 10:54PM ET Tuesday and then go void-of-course until 4:45AM ET Wednesday. Make your calls and pitches, the more creatively self-expressive and inspired, the better. You’ll be supported by a dramatic, playful and generous (upside) hook-up between loving Venus and expansive Jupiter in regal Leo, exact this morning at 1:21AM ET. The downside? A potentially unsavory display of royal edicts and tantrums of entitlement. If you’re seeing the latter in your personal world, chances are that little drama king or queen is not getting the love it sorely needs, especially if the affected planet of said king or queen is also in Leo. You might be one of them if you have a planet or point around 7 degrees of Leo (and perhaps Scorpio, Taurus and Aquarius).
Another pattern exact today is a face-off between mental Mercury, operating at maximum efficiency in detail-oriented Virgo, and empathetic, inspiring Neptune, also well-placed in compassionate Pisces. Visionary communication perhaps involving work (Virgo) is suggested — that is the plus side. On the down side, perhaps a bit of confusion around 11:42PM ET tonight, when the face-off will be exact.
Add this pattern to the aforementioned drama potential of Venus (social expression, arts) and Jupiter (over-the-top), and it is interesting to see that the Metropolitan Opera (Leo) and its unions (Virgo) have reached a tentative deal after an all-night bargaining session. I also find it interesting that an over-the-top dramatic campaign for a charity (Neptune) was all over the news this weekend. Have you heard about the Ice Bucket Challenge? Watch Lady Gaga, a master at dramatic self-expression, take a one for the team. Coincidence or conspiracy?
On Wednesday, when the Moon enters Cancer at 4:45AM ET, the focus shifts to emotional security: family, home/homeland and nurturing. Patterns on Wednesday are relatively light, save for an easy alignment between mental Mercury and potent Pluto that is exact on Thursday at 3:15PM ET. This connection facilitates investigative reporting and deep, potentially healing communication, and we are likely to see plenty in the headlines that day, as the Moon makes its weekly contact with the disruptive Uranus-Pluto square.
The only Moon void of note in the Americas — i.e., one that could disrupt your efforts to move forward in a straight line during business hours this week — is on Thursday at 3:34PM ET, when the Moon drifts off into Cancer on an easy but disciplined connection to sober Saturn. Go with the flow of whatever twists that may arise and stick to routine. Moon won’t get into gear until Friday at 4:49PM ET; how lucky for you if you’re taking Friday off.
And now, some other news reflecting planetary patterns.
In the category of the wretched excess suggested by Venus conjunct Jupiter in Leo, it was reported yesterday that the young unarmed man who was killed by a police officer in Ferguson after apparently being stopped for jaywalking was shot six times. Here’s John Oliver with his righteous take on the situation. In other news, did you know that in medical astrology, Venus refers to the kidneys? How interesting to see a front-page article about brokers who will connect those who need a kidney transplant with potential donors…for a hefty (Jupiter) price.
I’m taking a few days off. Will be back on Friday. Have a most excellent week, and thank you for reading this forecast.
Your donations never fail to make my day, with much gratitude to you for your appreciation. Gratitude also to those of you who share this forecast with friends. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Have a wonderful day!
Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 8/15/2014 & The Weekend: De-Luxe
/in The ForecastTGIF, but there’s plenty to accomplish before you head out of town for the weekend…
An easy flow of communication this morning, as mental Mercury and the zippy Aries Moon form a harmonious connection at 11:50AM ET, after which the Moon goes void for exactly eight minutes — blink and you’ll miss it!. From noon ET onwards, the pace slows down…dare I say even calms down, as the Moon enters placid Taurus and sets about organizing its surroundings in an effort to build or maintain material security.
Ooooh goody…a weekend with Moon in Taurus. This facilitates the enjoyment of sensual pleasures: food, wine, song — a snuggle, massage or roll in the hay. Friday night’s indulgence is further aided and abetted by a luxe-loving challenge between Venus and the Moon at 7:57PM ET, followed by an easy alignment with Neptune at 11:35PM ET. Still more indulgence may be yours as the Moon squares expansive Jupiter just after midnight on Saturday. Not to mention a potentially over-the-top connection between sugar-sweet Venus and cosmic sugar daddy Jupiter soon after midnight on Monday morning. This aspect will be in effect all weekend, and let’s just say that if you are shopping for sweets or luxury items this weekend, do it on Saturday, because the Moon will be void-of-course from 8:26AM ET to 6:41PMET on Sunday. Whatever impulse shopping you do is likely to be ultimately of little use and it will cost more than you wanted to spend.
Tough, but thankfully brief aspects this weekend include a feisty/combative face-off between the stubborn Taurus Moon and equally stubborn Mars in Scorpio at 9:28AM ET on Sunday….followed by another stubborn face off between control freak authority figure Saturn and the Moon at 6:56PMET…let’s watch the headlines. The 3rd Quarter Moon offers a challenge to the illumination you may have received on last weekend’s Full Moon. That happens at 8:26AM ET Sunday before drifting away into a Moon void. At 6:41PM ET on Sunday, Moon enters chatty Gemini, seeking to inform and be informed…and that is how we will begin the start of the next work week.
One other planetary shift of note: mental Mercury leaves regal Leo for nitpicky but much more humble Virgo on Friday at 12:44PM ET. This bodes well for rational analysis and a willingness to hammer out details over the next few weeks.
OK, so…Ferguson. This headline says most of it: “Images of Unrest Evoke Civil Rights Era” — which should be no surprise to anyone who’s been following this forecast for the past three years — or anyone who’s learned on their own that The Planetary Pattern Everyone Should Be Talking About, i.e. the current square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, is a critical “next step” of the conjunction between Uranus and Pluto that happened in the mid-1960s. Astrologers have been writing for years that the hot-button issues of the 1960s would return with greater urgency and upheaval now.
As for the militarization of US police forces, thanks to all that nifty weaponry the military has given away, now that its sort of out of Iraq and Afghanistan, we again see that symbolized by Uranus (technology) in Aries (warrior) and Pluto (empowerment) in Capricorn (establishment). Recall that Uranus was last in Aries in the early 1930s, which coincided with the militarization of certain other law enforcement entities overseas, which led to World War II. Aiding and abetting the somewhat sneaky consolidation of power in Establishment entities (e.g., law enforcement and also Capricorn-ruled corporations) is Saturn in Scorpio. Why? Because Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn are in a relationship called “mutual reception”. I’ve written about how this mutual reception can be used constructively. Here it is again:
So why is it “somewhat sneaky”? Because we are talking about Scorpio,which keeps its cards close to the vest, and Pluto, which rules Scorpio. And now many people are shocked — just shocked — at all the masks and tanks and body armor menacingly on display….but they really just haven’t been paying attention. This post written in June links an article about all that surplus gear being given to local police departments. An op-ed in today’s NYT informs us that the law that allowed this giveaway went into effect is 1997. Hmmm…a look at planetary patterns back then would be interesting; we’d likely see connections then that relate to current patterns.
As for the “sneaky” accumulations of power by other corporate entities, a study released this week by two political science professors concludes that the average American has “virtually no impact” on the making of policy in this country. So there’s another wake-up call….planning to vote in the November mid-term elections? We have two more exact squares between Uranus and Pluto left in this very long cosmic wake-up call: on December 15th and on March 17th, 2015.
Here’s a wake-up call that seems to be leading to an uplifting ending. The Uranus-Pluto square also suggests upheaval and insecurity in employment matters. It may be a great time to strike out on your own (Uranus in Aries) as an entrepreneur, but if that’s not an option for you, that can be tough. Yesterday’s NYT featured a heartbreaking story about a single mom struggling mightily to survive as a Starbucks barista, despite a three-hour commute and insanely unpredictable hours. Well, gosh darn it, someone at Starbucks reads the New York Times, and the company announced plans to change its insane scheduling method, hopefully right away. Huzzah.
Last, but not least — another example of the Uranus-Pluto cycle in action. From The Guardian, this profile of Ellen Gerber and Pearl Berlin, who are “the lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging [North Carolina’s] voter-approved constitutional amendment banning legal recognition of same-sex relationships. Gerber and Berlin committed to one another in mid-1966, when Uranus and Pluto were conjunct. Now, on the Uranus-Pluto square, that commitment is being taken to a whole new level of awareness.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Your donations never fail to make my day, with much gratitude to you for your appreciation. Gratitude also to those of you who share this forecast with friends. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Have a wonderful day!