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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 Tues. & Wed. 7/1-2/2014: Hobby Lobby and More
/in The ForecastFOR TUESDAY: Chill, chill and don’t panic. Take care of routine. Double check all communications and travel plans. Mercury turns direct at 8:50AM ET; the regal Leo Moon goes void of course at 6AM ET, not to enter Virgo until 5:24PM ET. Avoid turning molehills of misunderstanding into mountains of Leo drama over wounded pride; when in doubt, ask for clarification of intentions. This evening, the Virgo Moon offers incentive to perfect, organize and clean up whatever mess may have been made when Mercury changed direction.
FOR WEDNESDAY: Note your dreams Wednesday morning, courtesy of a Moon challenge from mystical Neptune. Balance, indulgence and a potential emotional healing may be yours as the day progresses into the evening. The potential for major power plays can not be ignored as ruthless Pluto in Capricorn (the Establishment; corporations; patriarchy, mines, energy resources) approaches its next exact challenge to the Sun in Cancer (women, money, nurturing, emotional and homeland security) on Friday morning.
So the big news in the US yesterday (Monday) was the Supreme Court ruling on Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius, which we first discussed on April 2nd, along with Samuel Alito’s horoscope. Back in April, it was expected that Alito would gain greater prominence this year and next, and isn’t it interesting that his majority opinion in the Hobby Lobby case made headlines on a day when expansive Jupiter at 25 Cancer (women) squared his 25 degree Libra Midheaven, suggesting recognition in career and public status. Look for more action for Alito when Mars conjoins his Midheaven around July 16. Note also that his 25 Libra Midheaven was eclipsed on April 15th – we expect to see changes of public status in the months afterwards. And let’s not forget that Alito’s visionary/spiritual/idealistic/delusional (pick whichever applies) opposition between Mercury (mindset) in me-me-me Aries and Neptune in Libra is currently being supercharged by rebel Uranus. Quite a buzz going on in his mind that may be seen as disruptive, erratic, rebellious and/or genius.
The ruling in the Hobby Lobby case came as expected, supported by its release on a day with a heavy Moon (women) – Saturn (control, patriarchy) connection. I could have posted that in yesterday’s forecast, but why dampen your Monday morning, especially when the weather was so beautiful? And I’ve been thinking a lot about Saturn recently, given that it’s sitting at the same degree all month: 16 Scorpio (plus a few minutes, which means we read the Sabian Symbol for 17 Scorpio). What does that degree suggest? “A woman the father of her own child,” which I would love to interpret as , “hey you grumpy old men (and we know who you are), you’re on a fast track to becoming obsolete”. Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee has other useful insights.
For starters, “a woman the father of her own child” suggests “a spirited sense of self-fertilization and independence….[and also] bringing together masculine and feminine energies creatively for self-realization.” Oh and there’s more:
Whoa. Deep. And there’s still more:
So that’s the lesson Saturn has to share all this month — in areas involving structure, ambition, control and authority.
We also must consider the Hobby Lobby ruling against the backdrop of the current Uranus-Pluto square which — as noted before — is bringing up all sorts of revolutionary causes we thought we might have resolved in the mid-60s, when Uranus and Pluto were conjunct. Griswold v Connecticut was a 1965 Supreme Court case that declared it unconstitutional to prohibit married couples from using contraceptives; that right was extended to unmarried couples in 1972…followed by Roe v. Wade in 1973. The revolutionary agenda of the 60s is up for further development — and we can expect even more concrete action to be taken in the aftermath of the seven Uranus-Pluto squares in 2016 onward.
I don’t know if you, dear Reader, are old enough to remember how cool it was when the Equal Right Amendment, written in 1923 (!) was passed by Congress back in 1972. It never became law because not enough states would ratify it. This poignant ad campaign about what it means to “throw like a girl” shows how far we still need to go — and what needs to change, as argued in the accompanying article. Fortunately, planetary patterns suggest change is on the agenda for some years to come.
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 6/30/2014: Sneak Peek at the Week
/in The ForecastGood Morning!
Hopefully many of you enjoyed a bit of sweet, soulful inspiration over the weekend, brought to you by cotton candy-flavored contacts between Sun, artsy-loving Venus and visionary Neptune. Was it a dream or a rose-colored fog? It may take some time to sort it out, given that mental Mercury is now at a dead stop — about to turn direct on Tuesday at 8:50AM ET
The Moon is in Leo, seeking love and adulation, and possibly lording it over everyone in the process. People born with Moon in Leo need that kind of attention, and life for everyone else can be so much easier when their lovable drama king or queen is getting it. In return, they will inspire you to play and happily mentor you so that you can shine, too.
Exact aspects today are a mixed bag. There’s an innovative, tech-friendly connection to the Moon from rebel Uranus at 1:40PM ET, followed by a stern, possible wet blanket of a clash between the regal Leo Moon and Saturn in controlling Scorpio at 2:58PM ET. Work that conflict out at the gym later — or continue your crusade — when Moon is supported by physical Mars at 5:42PM ET.
Moon will be void from 6AM ET until 5:24PM ET tomorrow AND Mercury will turn direct at 8:50AM ET. Do I need to remind you to double check the facts before hitting send? Patience may be required in all communication and transportation endeavors. There are no other voids during business hours this week, but you can note Friday at 12:21 AM ET until 5:43AM ET if you like.
Other than Mercury’s change of direction, the other pattern of note is a volatile contact between the Sun in Cancer with Pluto on Friday, July 4th. Happy Birthday to the United States…and how would you like your powerful punch? Stay tuned for power plays, corruption exposed, energy resources in the headlines and news from underground. You’ll feel this power surge more personally if you were born on the 4th of July, October, January and April….or if you have a planet or angle around 12 to 16 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. And since you must know by now that we can’t have a Pluto contact without one to Uranus (thanks to the never-ending Planetary Pattern Everyone Should Be Talking About), note that the Sun will challenge rebel Uranus on July 8th.
And now, the news.
Nothing says “pride” like a Moon in Leo, and with the shimmering sparkle of Venus square Neptune, you might as well have a rainbow, too. How perfect for a day of gay pride parades all over the world, and the Boy Scouts joined in, too. Ah…but Neptune also refers to deception and Venus refers to social expression. Thus Facebook was outed for yet another deceptive practice, this time for manipulating our newsfeeds and toying with our emotions. Mark Zuckerberg, shame on you. As a public service, here’s how to opt out of Facebook’s next nefarious ambition: to snoop on your web browsing history so they can find even more ads to put in your newsfeed that you will never, ever click on.
There were and will be plenty of the usual Saturn in Scorpio news items involving sex, death and debt and its consequences. Here’s Gail Collins valiantly trying to make light of one pronouncement involving a unanimous Supreme Court ruling about free speech and abortion protesters, as well as a decision expected today about whether a company that invests in other companies that manufactures contraceptives AND sells merchandise made in China (which has strict family-planning policies) may refuse to provide its employees health insurance that would include coverage for contraceptives, on religious grounds. Got that?
Thus it was somewhat of a relief to find this bewildering (Neptune) yet somehow comforting article about the elusive Higgs boson, “which seems to prove that the Universe doesn’t exist.” Food for thought, with your morning coffee. Then, go out there and shine, shimmer and sparkle, like the being of pure light and love that you truly are.
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 6/27/2014 & the Weekend: New Moon in Cancer
/in The ForecastNote your dreams upon waking this morning.
The New Moon in Cancer officially began today at 4:08AM ET, offering us an opportunity to re-set intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle. Around July 5th, 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 12th, 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 18th, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon on the 26th.
This New Moon occurs at 6 degrees of Cancer and the only connection it makes is a harmonious aspect with Neptune, the planet referring to vision, intuition, deception, delusion, spirits of all kinds, oil, oceans, drugs & other toxins, charity, suffering and martyrdom — just to name a few. Moon is generally very happy to be in Cancer, the sign it rules. In Cancer, the Moon seeks to fulfill a need for emotional/homeland security; this month we can expect that need to be met in rose-colored hues. Venus in this New Moon chart is also making contact with one other planet — and again that would be Neptune. This suggests idealism in social expression, as well as in issues concerning women, art and money. You may recall that Neptune and idealism were strong themes in last month’s New Moon, so we can expect more of the same — some of it magical; some of it mystical and some of it simply bewildering.
In the New Moon chart, mental Mercury is retrograde and running wild in Gemini, suggesting this month will be again notable for shifts in the way we think and communicate. Given that Mercury is retrograde, we can expect plenty of that thinking to be concerned with reviewing issues from the past (a positive potential of Mercury retrograde), or flat-out sloppy and misinformed (a downside potential of Mercury retrograde). Mercury turns direct on July 1st and reaches the Aries Point (o Cancer) on July 13th; watch the headlines for especially prominent mindshifts — some of involving women, now that I’m also noting Venus at the Aries Point (0 Cancer) on July 19th.
Mars, symbolizing our need for action, is still in Libra, but picking up speed for its entrance into Scorpio on July 26th. Huzzah! In this cycle we will continue to process the tension released this month by the warrior planet’s forceful contacts with the Uranus-Pluto square, which on the upside may be reflected in the supercharged World Cup soccer games. Go team! Jupiter and Saturn are also running wild, but with very different agendas. Jupiter is wrapping up its year-long stay in Cancer, seeking its reward in the expansion of emotional security/nourishment/home/family concerns, augmented by an obsession with power and resources. Jupiter enters Leo on July 16th.
Saturn remains in Scorpio, continuing its nitty-gritty reality check on the consequences of sex, death and money, i.e. debt — watch the headlines. It turns direct on July 21st, but will spend the entire month sitting at 16 degrees of Scorpio. So if you have a planet or an angle around that degree — or also around 16 degrees of Leo, Taurus or Aquarius, I can appreciate why you may be feeling squeezed by outside controls — or feeling pressured to act on your ambition all month long — and wondering why it also feels as if you’re not making any progress. Same applies if you were born around the 9th of August, November, February or May. President Obama is in this category; his Ascendant is 18 Aquarius.
Neptune is retrograde in Pisces, hanging out at 6-7 degrees all month. You’re feeling the fog and/or need for a more beautiful vision more personally if you were born 5-9 days into Pisces, Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius…or if you have a planet or angle at 5-9 degrees of those signs. Neptune in Pisces will continue to be reflected in the headlines with stories of oceans, fish, drugs (all pot all the time in the US) and the huddled masses, large and small. And let us not forget the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square challenging the status quo and exposing corruption in our hallowed institutions.
The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 6 Cancer is “game birds feathering their nest,” which I see echoed in the New Moon chart by Jupiter — as described above. The always-insightful Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee observes that this Symbol refers to refining home security concerns and prosperity accumulated by tending to one’s property or thoughts for future comfort. He offers the curious observation that “game birds” are the quarry of hunters, and that “anyone thought to be fit for ridicule or criticism is said to be ‘fair game'”. Hmmmm.
Bovee suggests we apply this Symbol with a mind to “an urgent sense of making progress; a sense of frustration with obstacles…considering [among other things] overrefinement of strategies; game natures clashing with ponderous delays.” (If you enjoy these Sabian Symbols, I recommend you get Bovee’s book so you can read his whole take on each Symbol). If you have a planet or angle around 6 degrees of Cancer, Capricorn, Aries or Libra, you will feel initiative (and perhaps the urgency) of this New Moon more than most.
General notes for the weekend: dreamy, courtesy of exact contacts between Sun and Venus with Neptune at 3:23AM ET and 3:31PM ET on Sunday, respectively. Vision, spirit, healing, music — all sorts of idealized beauty and rose-colored escapes are favored. Add a dramatic flair when Moon enters Leo at 4:43AM ET Sunday.
But first — on Friday — a potential power play or deep emotional response around 5:39PM ET, when Moon is challenged by Pluto…followed by an upset or revelation around 1:16AM ET, when Moon is challenged by rebel Uranus. Be careful on the roads late Friday night and in the wee hours on Saturday.
No exact aspects during the day on Saturday until 9:03PM ET, when Moon hooks up with expansive, expensive Jupiter. Oh joy! Moon will be void until 4:43AM ET Sunday. No harm, no foul.
And no sleeping in on Monday.
And now, the news.
Interesting to note right after I posted yesterday’s forecast noting stern Saturn’s challenge to Obama’s Ascendant that the Supreme Court issued a control (Saturn!), ruling that certain recess appointments he made in 2012 were unconstitutional. On a lighter note, I wish I’d seen this fun Tweet from the coach of the US soccer team in time to share it with you before yesterday’s all-day void of course Moon. It’s a permission slip you could have given to your boss, excusing you from work so you could watch the US play Germany at the World Cup, and thousands did — as reported by WJLA in DC. What perfect timing!
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 Thursday 6/26/2014: In the Void; Mars-Uranus Fallout; Obama & Boehner
/in The ForecastChill time. Moon is still buzzing in Gemini, but as of 7:56AM ET, it’s void of course — all dressed up perhaps, but with no place to go. Take care of routine tasks. If you’re feeling listless or restless, chalk it up to the double whammy of a Moon that is void and also dead. This is last day of the lunar cycle, and many may sense there’s something new around the corner, but they can’t quite tell what it is.
At 5:06PM ET, Moon enters Cancer, shifting the focus to emotional and home/homeland security needs. The New Moon begins at 4:08AM ET on Friday…stay tuned.
Plenty of startling headlines on Wednesday, reflecting the disruptive potential of the Mars-Uranus opposition. First, a unanimous (!) decision from the Supreme Court, as the justices rule that police officers may not search a cell phone without a warrant. In another ruling regarding technology (Uranus), information and who may access it, TV broadcasters and copyrights prevailed over Aereo, a television streaming service with much lower fees than cable.
There have been numerous headlines about the use of drones; yesterday’s front page was notable because of an actual report published on the probable consequences we face if they continue to be employed. And in an apparent first, a woman in Seattle says two men used a drone to spy on her through the window of her apartment.
In Mississippi, another first, as “blacks turned out in record numbers” to vote for a Republican senator running against a Tea Party candidate, likely helping the Senator, Thad Cochran keep his Senate seat. NYT columnist Gail Collins presents her usual irreverent take on the story.
In other news, John Boehner says he intends to introduce legislation next week that would allow the House to sue President Obama for his alleged “unconstitutional overreach.” As noted before, the US horoscope has the Sun at 13 Cancer and Saturn at 14 Libra. Both of these planets were hit by April’s Cardinal Grand Cross, and continue to be supercharged by the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square. It’s the challenge to Saturn that suggests a particularly agonizing period of time in these United States. In Obama’s horoscope, stern Saturn hovering around 18 degrees of Scorpio has been making contact with his 18 degrees of Aquarius Ascendant. The Ascendant refers to personal projection and also is part of the health center of the horoscope. Saturn rules Obama’s 12th house, which refers to hidden enemies/self-undoing and also health issues. As projected, Obama is on a especially ambitious (Saturn) roll now, launching initiatives however he can without the full support of the House. We can expect this ambitious reach to continue, as Saturn approaches the top of his horoscope this fall and next summer. Other measurements suggest expansive action…I do not see him slowing down, despite other measurements that do suggest subversive efforts to thwart him.
Boehner’s horoscope (no exact birth time) is currently supercharged by the Uranus-Pluto square. His Venus is at 12 Capricorn, so we can expect his need for social expression to become more empowered (or ruthless); as well as emancipated (or reckless/rebellious). His Libra Moon may well be making contact with rebel Uranus, intensifying an independent streak. His Neptune at 16 Libra is also affected, suggesting an intensified need for vision (or delusion). Saturn is also active in Boehner’s horoscope, though he will not experience its full impact until this fall, when it meets up with his Scorpio Sun. Whatever ambitious reach or controls he experiences then may well be repeated in about a year and a half. Other measurements suggest relentless and resourceful action for the next couple of years. For more on his horoscope, look here.
What’s going on in your horoscope? Mercury retrogrades are excellent times for reviewing your life with an astrologer. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 6/25/2014: Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson
/in The ForecastThe Moon continues its chatty buzz through information-junkie Gemini, fueled by the release of volatile energy suggested by a Mars-Uranus face-off at 4:25AM ET. The latest headline on the NYT homepage is an apt reflection: “Iran Said to Be Sending Drones and Military Aid to Iraq”. Why? Mars (warrior) is in Libra, a sign that dislikes conflict, and sometimes goes to extremes to avoid it. Uranus (rebel) is in Aries, also a warrior. Uranus is also technology, as in robots…or in this case, drones. A robot warrior! In today’s modern society, you can fight a war without ever having to actually show up in person to fight it. How’s that for a extreme avoidance of conflict?
Libra is also a rational sign, so it was interesting to see the US release its legal rationalization for killing an American in a targeted drone strike without due process: here’s the 411 and editorial about it from the NYT, along with a spirited debate among its readers.
Tech buzz and innovation of a more positive nature are favored as the day progresses, especially around 2PM ET, when the Moon will be in harmony with Uranus (sudden insight) and Mars (action). If you must ship within the next 24 hours, definitely get it off your desk today, as the Moon will be void tomorrow from 7:56AM ET until 5:06PM ET. We are at the end of the lunar cycle — a good time to wrap up old projects and get ready for the New Moon on Friday at 4:08AM ET.
Also in the news: a startling verdict in that seemingly never-ending phone hacker trial in the UK. Y’know, where it was revealed that journalists working for a Rupert Murdoch-owned publication were hacking the private voicemail messages of hundreds of famous people because that kind of information sells papers. Andy Coulson (former communications director for UK Prime Minister David Cameron and former editor of News of the World) and Rebekah Brooks (his predecessor at the tabloid) worked together and oftimes were literally in bed together, learned their fates yesterday. Coulson was found guilty and Brooks was cleared of all charges. Startling, right?
Of course I’m immediately wondering what’s going on in their horoscopes, and I wasn’t the only one! “Was It in Their Horoscopes?” blares a headline in the International Business Times. The paper reports:
(Did you read that, New York Times? Hire an astrologer if you’d like to increase your circulation and your revenue. What a concept…)
Anyhoo…
The article lists a number of daily horoscopes for Gemini (Brooks) and Aquarius (Coulson), and most of what was published is general gobbledygook. What they do allude to, however, is that Venus (love, social expression) moved into Gemini on Monday, suggesting that Geminis might feel a boost in popularity as Venus travels through that sign, making contact with the Sun in all Gemini horoscopes. Brooks has her Sun at 6 Gemini — and thus likely feeling the love sooner than someone with the Sun at 27 Gemini, but what’s more important is that just before ingressing into Gemini, Venus was exactly conjunct Brooks’ natal Venus at 29 degrees of Taurus. Other patterns in her unique horoscope suggest a potential liberation — definitely not applicable to all Geminis on the planet.
In Coulson’s case, while Venus was making a lovely aspect to his Sun at 0 Aquarius, other patterns are much heavier. Stern Saturn is challenging his Mercury (mindset), suggesting a need for focus, discipline or an episode of depression. His Moon in Libra (exact degree unknown, as we do not have a birth time) is likely being supercharged by the Uranus-Pluto square and by Mars, suggesting potential disruptions of the status quo.
There’s more…but I need to post this forecast now. Point is, a general daily forecast by Sun Sign is only going to cover a small fraction of an individual’s horoscope. If you really want to know about your horoscope, get to know more than just your Sun Sign. Do you know where your Moon is, for example? This drives the whole persona, and when you first learn about the Moon, it can be like turning a floodlight on in a dark room. Your horoscope is the sum of a lot of moving parts.
Thank you for reading this forecast.