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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 7/21/2014: Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastGood Morning!
The Taurus Moon is void of course between 10:13AM ET and 12:36PM ET, suggesting a slow start or twist in the early hours of the work week. You may feel a noticeable shift — a more engaged, focused energy — once the Moon enters pixie chatterbox Gemini after the void. A cooperative connection from enthusiastic Jupiter around 3PM ET suggests an afternoon ripe for expanding your network. Pick up the phone; send the email; make the pitch.
Lots of action this week, though not as intense as last week’s volatile Mars transits. First, two shifts in direction. Saturn turned direct on Sunday at 16 degrees of Scorpio; today, Uranus turns retrograde, appearing to move backwards in the sky until December 22nd, when it moves forward again. What does that mean? Saturn refers to structure, discipline, control and ambition. Generally speaking, Saturn’s move forward suggests that projects that were delayed during its retrograde period (i.e., since March 2nd) may also move forward. You are personally affected by Saturn’s shift if you have a planet between 16 and 23 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Aquarius or Scorpio, and between now and November 1st, you will experience the last of three hits of this no-nonsense energy. On the plus side, an ambitious reach or structure will have been materialized. Down sides to Saturn transits can include health issues when the areas of the horoscope related to health are involved. Consult your local astrologer for details.
Uranus turns retrograde at 16 degrees of Aries and will back up to 12 degrees by the end of the year. When a planet is retrograde, the energy it represents is best expressed by turning inward, instead of outward. When direct, Uranus tends to rebel against the status quo set by others. When retrograde, Uranus needs to set itself free from limits that are self-imposed. So if you have a planet between 12 and 16 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn, you can expect an intense second hit of issues you’ve recently experienced involving freedom, independence, being yourself without compromise and sudden upsets of the status quo. You’ll get a third hit in early 2015, when Uranus travels forward and hits 12 to 16 degrees again.
Over the next two weeks the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square will be triggered again. This week it’s Mercury, currently in emotional security-seeking Cancer, that will make contact with ruthless Pluto (tomorrow) and with rebel Uranus (Thursday). Note the potential for status quo-disrupting ideas, communication and travel in the headlines. In your own personal world, you may experience this more profoundly if you have a planet or angle between 12 and 16 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn. Next week, Venus (women, art, money, social expression), also in Cancer, makes contact with Pluto on the 28th and with Uranus on August 1st. Same degrees apply.
Also of note: tomorrow the Sun enters Leo, the sign it rules and hooks up with jovial Jupiter on Thursday, oh joy, oh joy! On the plus side, early Leos can hold out their Halloween trick-or-treat bags and more than likely receive an opportunity for recognition and expansion, and for some, a financial bonus. Thursday is a banner day in general for many reasons which will be discussed later in the week. On Friday, Mars (action!) finally leaves Libra and moves into Scorpio, where it is very strongly placed, for better or for worse. More on that later this week, too. On Saturday we’ll have a New Moon in Leo, a time to re-set our intentions for the following 30 days.
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Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 7/18/2014 & the Weekend: Mars in the Spotlight; MH17 and More
/in The ForecastAnother day with Moon charging through me-me-me Aries, a sign whose mantra might well be, says astrologer (and fellow Aries) Rick Levine, “Ready. Fire. Aim!” Moon entered this trigger-happy sign with an exuberant connection to Jupiter at 1:07AM ET on Thursday. It was then challenged by Mercury at 8:26AM ET, suggesting a conflict or glitch involving mindset, communication, followed by a power play or emotional catharsis 12 hours later, as Moon makes its weekly contact with ruthless Pluto.
Some may find themselves bolting out of bed in the wee hours this morning, courtesy of the Moon’s hook-up with disruptive Uranus at 4:37AM ET. I actually typed that on Thursday night, and here I am editing today’s forecast at 5:08AM ET. Go figure. If you’re not personally feeling the buzz, you may simply bear witness to the increased drive in others. This is intensified as we get closer to 10PM ET, when the 3rd Quarter Moon is opposed by action-oriented Mars. Around 2AM ET on Saturday, Sun and Mars form an exact square, suggesting an outburst of energy for better or for worse, as was advised in Monday’s forecast. Be mindful on the roads…and around people who may be looking to pick a fight.
Mars is especially powerful now for a few reasons which I will address later in this forecast. Better to apply the energy at the gym or other creative endeavor. Or consider a dreamy mental escape, suggested by an easy connection between Mercury and nebulous Neptune soon after midnight. In the words of those who blithely misquote the opening line of William Cosgreve’s The Mourning Bride, “Music has charms to soothe the savage beast”.
In addition to the tension suggested by Mars, three planets will change sign or direction over the next few days. Some may feel a bit wobbly as they adjust to the new direction. On Friday (today), Venus enters watery Cancer, seeking emotional security in social expression. At 0 degrees of Cancer (the Aries Point), we thus expect Venusian concerns, (e.g., women, art, money) to be prominent. How interesting to see Edward Snowden, whose 29 degree Gemini Sun was conjoined by Venus yesterday, giving another interview in which the most prominent takeaway was a caution about social expression on the internet and what happens to nude photos that are intercepted by 20-something male surveillance types. Also making news: Pvt. Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning will reportedly begin gender treatment while in military custody; Airbnb’s new logo sparks a feverish debate in marketing circles on whether it looks like ladyparts; while in Japan, a woman artist is arrested for “distributing data that enables recipients to make 3D prints of her vagina.” Yea verily, and have you seen her kayak?
Moon goes void Friday at 10:18PM ET and enters stability-seeking Taurus at 4:43AM ET on Saturday. Perhaps the Moon void will take some of the edge off of the Sun-Mars square, which happens around 2AM ET. Once in Taurus, the Moon suggests a need to build or preserve material security, and an appreciation for these comforts is encouraged. Saturday evening is ripe for the arts, healing and more sweet music. Sunday has more gravitas, suggested by a stern face-off between Moon and Saturn around noon ET, which may manifest as a reach for ambition or an unwelcome control, courtesy of an authority. Saturn is the second planet changing sign or direction this weekend; it turns direct at 4:38PM ET. Uranus is the third planet; it turns retrograde on Monday.
OK. More news…and more about Mars.
Warrior Mars is especially potent now for a couple of reasons. First, as of yesterday it was at 26 degrees of Libra. That’s the same degree as the April 15th lunar eclipse. You may recall that eclipses create bottlenecks of energy that are subsequently released when transiting planets trigger the degree of the eclipse. For example, check out these two articles about what was going on in the Ukraine on April 15th and on April 16th, the day after the eclipse. Here’s what happened yesterday, as you must have seen in headlines everywhere: a Malaysian Airlines (!) plane is shot down by rebels using a surface-to-air missile. I can only imagine what is going on in the horoscope of Malaysian Airlines. For the record, Vladimir Putin (mentioned here back in March) was the subject of the NYT editorial on April 15th — and again today.
Back to Mars. When Mars squares the Sun on Saturday morning, the Sun will be at 27 degrees of Cancer. The Sabian Symbol for 27 Cancer is “a violent storm raging in a canyon filled with expensive homes”. 27 Cancer was the degree of the volatile New Moon on July 19, 2012, which you may recall was the night of the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shootings — astro-analysis here. Finally, Mars will reach 28 degrees of Libra on Sunday, which is where it was when it turned retrograde on March 1st — so this is also a sensitive point.
Back to MH17. Of course when news broke that the plane crashed, I immediately looked at the chart for the plane’s departure: 12:14PM in Amsterdam. Instantly noticed Mars at that very significant eclipse point in the 1st house; rising, and considered that an explosion or other volatile attack was a likely cause. It is absolutely fascinating to note the position of the Moon in the flight departure chart: right on the cusp of the 7th house — same as the chart for MH370! This Moon is at 3 degrees of warrior Aries, and in contact with the angles, it suggests an event that will make prominent impact on the public (Aries is symbolized by the Ram; in this case, perhaps, a sacrificial lamb). This prominence is echoed by the 2 Libra Ascendant and 3 Cancer Midheaven, as these degrees are close to the Aries Point. It is echoed again by its square to Mercury (information/communication), co-ruler of the 9th house (suggesting an international involvement and reach).
With Libra rising, the ruler of the chart is Venus, which also represents the plane. Venus is also prominent — in the 9th house and co-ruling the 9th — and also at the Aries Point and conjunct the Midheaven. Venus is in an extremely volatile and obsessive power struggle with ruthless Pluto, which sits at the bottom of the chart, in contact with the Midheaven. The 4th house refers to the “end of the matter” for the plane; its end was certainly Plutonian, as in totally annihilated. Compare this to MH370, which had Neptune in the 4th in Pisces, exactly squaring a Gemini Moon, suggesting an end involving water and/or suffocation…and mystery. The Libra Ascendant is impacted by two other obsessive contacts: one from Uranus (aviation, accidents, shock, technology) in the 7th house (public, open enemies) and another from Chiron, the wounded healer, in the 6th.
There’s more, but you get the idea. Unlike MH370, the chart suggests that information about MH17’s fate will not be shrouded in mystery. Within hours, in fact, a transcript of an intercepted phone call allegedly between members of the rebel forces in Ukraine was published. They are talking about the plane. It seems one person is genuinely shocked to discover that it is a civilian aircraft and that the dead include women and children. You know how we’ve been talking all week about cognitive dissonance — currently symbolized by an uncomfortable tension between Saturn (old paradigm) and Uranus (new information)? In the last words of this transcript, the speaker — perhaps the authority (Saturn) figure in the conversation — can’t process the fact that it’s a civilian plane, and that the rebels made an undeniable, murderous error by destroying it. When his colleague wonders why the plane was in Ukrainian airspace, he bends the facts to suit his version of reality: “That means they were carrying spies. They shouldn’t be f…cking flying. There is a war going on.”
Cue Jack Nicholson now, please.
I’ll end on a hopeful note. As I am about to post, the NYT reports that Vladimir Putin has called for a cease-fire in the Ukraine…
Have a lovely weekend in pursuit of comforting Moon-in-Taurus pleasures of the senses. West Coasters can likely sleep in a bit on Monday, as the Moon will be void from 10:13AM until 12:36PM ET.
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 Wednesday 7/16/2014: Jupiter in Leo
/in The ForecastMore of the same intuitive, sensitive flow from yesterday, courtesy of the Moon in dreamy Pisces, which forms a harmonious alignment with the Cancer Sun around 2PM ET. An indulgent connection between the Moon and Venus at 8:57PM ET suggests the potential for an especially pleasurable evening.
Big news today is Jupiter, a.k.a. The Cosmic Sugar Daddy, ending its year-long stay in Cancer and moving into regal Leo at 6:30AM ET, where it has not been since August of 2002. It will remain in Leo until September of 2015. What does that mean? Well, Jupiter suggests expansion and enthusiasm, sometimes excessive and otherwise overblown. Keywords associated with Leo include the sun (solar power?), gold, kings and queens, leadership, drama, creative self-expression, pride, lions, the heart, love and adoration (lionizing), the need to shine (and help others shine, too).
If you’re a Leo — or have a significant planet or angle in Leo, this suggests an opportunity for you to expand your reach and/or receive recognition for being the magic that is you. Look back to what was going on for you in late 2002-2003. You can also look back to late 1990 – late 1991 and late 1978 through most of 1979. What happened?
Following up on the adjustment challenge of assimilating new information into old paradigms as reflected by planetary patterns and discussed yesterday, here’s an interesting article on how Miami is currently being impacted by climate change — dramatically so — and the equally dramatic response by the “powers that be”. Meanwhile, you’ve probably heard by now that 97% of the scientific community believes that climate change poses a dire threat to humanity. Here’s an article about one scientist who is in the 3% that believes otherwise.
Finally, here’s an intriguing article about how the Moon influences our mind and our sleep patterns…just because it is intriguing.
What’s going on in your horoscope? Make an appointment for a personal consultation and find out. Really, there’s too much going on in the cosmos, reflected in world events, to remain clueless about how it is all likely to impact YOU.
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 7/15/2014: Saturn at the Halfway Point
/in The ForecastAn ethereal Pisces Moon on a day with the Sun in Cancer can facilitate greater emotional sensitivity and compassion. Note your dreams upon waking — especially West Coasters, as the Moon meets up with nebulous Neptune at 10:25AM ET. What may be experienced as rose-colored fog or befuddlement for your analytical brain may also be experienced as a flash of insight channeled from some other plane. Further depth of insight and/or a potential healing or regenerative communication may be yours this evening, as the Moon makes an easy connection to potent Pluto.
Now, a little bit of news. Saturn now sits at a virtual standstill at 16 degrees of Scorpio, halfway through the 30 degrees it must travel to get to the next sign, Sagittarius. Regular readers of this forecast may recall that when Saturn first entered Scorpio in October of 2012, we anticipated that reproductive health issues and other consequences and controls (Saturn) of sexual energy (Scorpio) would be a major focus. For example, we’ve seen many efforts to control and restrict the ability of women to access contraceptives. Today, however — halfway through Scorpio — there is a notable push back against these controls, as the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on a new bill called the Women’s Health Protection Act, as explained in this NYT editorial. Does it have a snowball’s chance in hell of passing? Not with the current crop of members in the House of Representatives. But things change…
If you’ve been reading this forecast for the past five years, you may also recall that when Saturn entered Libra, I opined that fairness in relationships (Libra) under the law (Saturn) would become a major focus, and specifically, the issue of gay marriage. I projected that once Saturn got halfway through Libra, we would see the beginning of a clear shift against laws that banned gay marriage, and that’s what happened.
Follow up from yesterday: you may recall that there is an uncomfortably tense pattern between Saturn (old guard) and Uranus (avant garde) all month. This suggests challenges of adjustment and assimilation, as new information is presented that does not fit with old paradigms. It also supports the prominence of mindset and beliefs trumping established facts and laws that we’ve seen in the headlines over the past couple of months. Thus, yesterday I was delighted to see a number of Facebook posts reflecting this tension, especially this link about cognitive dissonance, Yes, exactly — cognitive dissonance — the challenge of assimilating new information that contradicts an old paradigm. Coincidence or conspiracy?
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 7/14/2014: Sneak Peek at the Week; A Lover Makes Headlines
/in The ForecastIdeas and communication in their airiest form — literally — are a likely focus today, given the Moon in (airy) Aquarius in harmonious aspect to Venus and Mars, in Gemini (air) and Libra (air), respectively. With Mercury (mindset/communication) at the Aries Point (a need for prominence), it’s a fine opportunity to “reach out and touch someone,” as this cornball commercial from 1979 suggests. Oh, were we really so innocent and sincere back then?
Get it done before 3:23PM ET, when the Moon goes void until 10:40PM ET. This is the only Moon void we’ll have during business hours in the Americas this week, suggesting fewer flakes and twists to derail your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Other voids are Wednesday 8:57PM ET until 12:07AM ET Thursday and Friday 10:18PM ET until 4:43AM ET on Saturday.
Highlights of the week include Jupiter changing signs on Wednesday, leaving nurturing Cancer for regal drama queen Leo — which is great news for anyone with a planet in Leo — but especially the Sun, Jupiter, Ascendant or Midheaven. Jupiter transits often coincide with opportunities for expansion, recognition and sometimes a boost in material resources. Yippee! It takes 12 years for Jupiter to travel through the horoscope, and it’s helpful to know where Jupiter is in yours at any given time. Consult your local astrologer for details or consider ordering the Astro-Basics Report, available here.
Other highlights include Venus happily moving into Cancer on Friday; Saturn grinding to a virtual standstill as it prepares to fiinnnnnally turn direct on Sunday; and rebel Uranus also slowing down, as it prepares to turn retrograde on Monday. There’s a tense aspect happening all month between these two planets, suggesting an enhanced tension and uncomfortable adjustment between the old guard (Saturn) and the avant garde (Uranus). You’re feeling it more personally if you have a planet or angle at 16-17 degrees of just about any sign.
Lots of news to report, most of which I’ll cover in Tuesday’s forecast. For now, please enjoy one of the most surprising reflections of Sunday’s exact trine between Venus in charming, double-talking Gemini and Mars in sweet-talking Libra, suggesting a potential harmony between sexes: the love letters of US President Warren G. Harding. The general consensus is that he was a lousy President, perhaps the worst ever. And he may have been a lousy husband, too — as these letters, which were excerpted in the NYT Sunday magazine, were written to his mistress. Still, he had a remarkable way with words.
So why are these letters being published now? It should surprise no one that in his horoscope, his natal Venus in Libra is opposed by his natal Neptune. That strongly suggests a dreamy romanticism, and this opposition has been and continues to be supercharged by the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square. Pluto is currently at 12 Capricorn, making the second of three hits to his Venus at 12 Libra. Looking at the solar arcs in the horoscope, we instantly see themes of empowered communication in a solar arc to Venus by Pluto, too, as well as a solar arc to Harding’s Ascendant by Venus, suggesting a need to be seen as especially pleasing — dare I say romantic — even though Harding has long since passed on! Also of note: transiting Saturn (gravitas) is right on Harding’s Mercury (communication) at 17 Scorpio.
I’m always fascinated to see how horoscopes continue to reflect “life events” for people who are no longer living. Margaret Thatcher made news over the weekend, and though it wasn’t pretty, it made sense in light of her horoscope. Ms. Thatcher was a Libra with a seriously controlling Saturn in Scorpio sitting right on her Scorpio Ascendant. Generally speaking, Libra detests conflict, and has been known to go to outrageous lengths to avoid it. Generally speaking, a Scorpio Ascendant needs to present an image of control…and this would include a need to maintain privacy more than other signs. So the news that came out was that she allegedly knew that one of her senior ministers had sexually abused young boys, and instead of holding him accountable, she covered it up. And right now transiting Saturn is sitting within one degree of Thatcher’s 15 degree Scorpio Ascendant, perhaps now holding her accountable for actions taken over thirty years ago. There are other significant transits in her horoscope now, but one in particular that coincides with the timing of this news report is Mars, planet of action, sitting right on top of Thatcher’s Mercury, triggering the release/outburst of communication published over the weekend.
Isn’t astrology amazing? 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!