The Forecast

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: Special Guest Appearance

September 12, 2013/in The Forecast

The only exact aspect today is the First Quarter Moon, a square between the Virgo Sun and Moon in Sagittarius, at around 1PM ET…..which then goes void of course with a sigh for the rest of the day…until just after 2AM on Friday. The First Quarter Moon suggests a challenge to the New Moon agenda you set a week ago — and the Moon void suggests a good time to let things percolate — but not necessarily take action.

You may recall yesterday I asked you, dear Reader, to share some Moon void stories; today my mailbox is flooded. And because I need to be focused on catching a plane today, I’m delighted to present Helen, in a special guest appearance, with her list of things she loves to do during void-of-course Moons. Plus today’s Sagittarius Moon needs to explore and experience an opinionated philosophical debate outside its usual comfort zone. Enjoy!

Some of the good things during moon voids – In general:

1. Easy-on-the-cook meals – things like chicken drums and fries in the oven instead of special sauces, adventurous cuisines or inventive dishes.

2. Depending on when they fall, some moon voids can be just right for that mid-week party night with a few more drinks than are allowable on normal weekdays. No consequences, right?

3. The To Do list is put aside, in favor of small pleasures like crafts or simply cracking nuts while listening to a radio show.

4. Moon void mornings are lazy mornings. : )

5. Harsh encounters seem less important.

6. I particularly enjoy when the high-and-mighty make sweeping announcements or launch their enterprises (that I disagree with) during voids. It gives me a secret smile.

7. I find following the moon in general creates a sort of breathing, give and take, ebb and flow to life, in contrast to our Western money driven training to always go, go, go, do, do, do, get, get, get – it replaces this pressure of continuous forward momentum with a rhythm and pattern of ebbs and flows, which is healthier for the mind and the soul.

8. It generates the sense that ideas and plans can be considered, put aside for a time, then taken up again, before final decisions are made. This decreases impulsiveness, creates awareness around activities and purchases, and ultimately, is a wiser method of approaching life’s questions, great and small.

I’m down with all of the above, though I believe that if you’re planning a mid-week party on a Moon void, the higher flake factor suggests more no-shows than non-void occasions. All hail, Helen — thank you for writing! And now, I really must fly….

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 9/11/2013: Lighten Up!

September 11, 2013/in The Forecast

Note your dreams upon waking, as today’s high-flying Sagittarius Moon is challenged by nebulous Neptune at 8:44AM ET, followed by a lovely connection to mental Mercury at 9:01AM ET — would you like to talk about it?

In Sagittarius, the Moon needs to expand horizons and express its righteous opinions to the entire Free World. Consider a gamble or a gambol, and enjoy the release of oh-so-much emotional tension of yesterday’s Moon in Scorpio. Today and Friday are days for shipping whatever is on your desk; Thursday the Moon goes void at 1:08PM ET for the rest of the business day.

President Obama’s big speech to the nation happened last night while the Moon was void — did you watch it? I meant to — but then, in typical Moon void fashion, completely forgot about it because I was at the polls just before 9PM, casting my vote for mayor of New York. From what I can deduce from the headlines, the speech might have been one big “NEVER MIND” — in so far as Obama has asked Congress not to vote on taking military action in Syria while a more diplomatic Plan B is explored. But that’s a good thing, right? Cue Emily Litella now, please…

Meanwhile, at the aforementioned polls in New York City, there were numerous void-of-course Moon snafus with voting machines. At the end of the day, upstart mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio got more votes than anyone, but it is still not clear if he will be the Democratic candidate on the ballot in November; there may be a run-off. And surprise, surprise — Christine Quinn, the candidate every newspaper endorsed, placed third. So if there is a run-off, it will be between two underdogs: Bill de Blasio and William Thompson, who placed second. Sounds very much in keeping with an election happening during a looooong void-of-course Moon, if you ask me. And yes, to the reader who asked if I would be interested in hearing some good stories about things that happened to her during Moon voids, bring ’em on, and if they’re doubleplus good, I’ll share them with you.

Now get busy and make the most of this day with a Moon fully engaged in optimistic Sagittarius — and we’ll pretend that Venus, which refers to social expression, did not just enter moody bastard Scorpio while you were sleeping. More on that later — I have to post this and run…

Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 9/10/2013: A Moon in Scorpio Day

September 10, 2013/in The Forecast

As noted yesterday, today’s Scorpio Moon, needing depth and substance, along with knowledge for the sake of power and control, is void of course all day as of 5:21AM ET. Twists in your efforts to move forward in a straight line are suggested; sometimes this voidy energy feels like stick-shift car in neutral. Enjoy the wandering drift; do something restful if you can. Voids are not necessarily unproductive times; they can be used effectively to execute tasks that are considered routine. However, the flake factor is higher during voids — and this suggests a lower than expected turnout to today’s primary election in New York, and also the possibility of a surprising upset in favor of an underdog…though I seriously doubt that underdog would be Anthony Weiner.

With yesterday’s exact Mars-Saturn militant clash now behind us, planetary patterns for the rest of the week are relatively light. How fascinating to see last week’s call for a military strike in Syria now at least temporarily diffused by an apparent suggestion from Russia on what should be done about Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. Well, it was noted yesterday that Mercury’s move into Libra suggested a new idea gaining immediate prominence, and while I did not see this particular turn coming, Libra does refer to diplomacy — and keeping the peace. Also noted yesterday: breakthroughs or prominent news in the tech sector, and today Apple is making a Big Announcement about Something; CNBC is all over this story.

In other news, a few Moon in Scorpio-themed stories for your consideration involving knowledge used for the sake of power and control. First, an intriguing piece about how to remain secure in a surveillance state, given the latest news that the NSA apparently has the ability to crack any internet encryption or security measure on the planet. Second, a story that was published yesterday: “New Details in How the Feds Take Laptops at the Border”. And for no particular reason other than it’s a cool story about one farmer whose unique crop-growing strategy appears to preserve soil quality while severely reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, here is “One Weird Trick to Fix Farms Forever” — let’s hope this trick catches on.

Finally, as forecast, George Zimmerman makes headlines again — with more likely to follow in the next several months, as Pluto and Uranus put pressure on Sun at 11 degrees of Libra. If you have a planet between 9 and 13 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn, that’s a supercharged pressure point in your life, too. Make an appointment and we’ll talk about how to manage it.

Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 9/9/2013: Clash of the Titans

September 9, 2013/in The Forecast

…and we’re back. Apologies for the lapse in service. It was unintentional, though I confess I did flirt briefly with the idea of joining thousands of fast-food workers in their Labor Day strike for higher wages….until I remembered that I was self-employed.

Instead, I spent the Labor Day weekend laboring on an astrology talk I’ll be giving next week in Tokyo — how super cool is that? I’ll be in Japan until the 23rd…and then in Los Angeles until October 11th, and yes, I will be available for consultations in-person and by telephone — please email me if you would like to schedule an appointment, especially if you live in SoCal.

Be advised that we have some potentially moody, militant and cranky planetary patterns to deal with this morning. Moon entered the watery depths of Scorpio on Sunday night at 9:44PM ET, demanding depth, substance, power and control. Moon hooks up with the equally Scorpionic energy of patriarchal Saturn at 11:47AM ET, suggesting a wet blanket or an ambitious reach, met with potential fireworks minutes later as the need for control clashes with a royally entitled Mars (planet of action). But wait, there’s more: as you know, aggressive Mars is currently in Leo, a placement that delights in “getting away with murder”. And at 7:06AM ET, Mars challenges Saturn — often a highly militant pattern that was reflected all last week by the beating of drums, marching as to war in Syria. Coincidence or conspiracy?

Bottom line: in your own personal world, I recommend resisting the urge to engage with militant types. However, you may have to make a stubborn stand against some who are all too eager to pick a fight and/or push you around. If you can work on your own with discipline today, you could get a lot accomplished. And if you’re an athlete, you could be playing one heck of a game (apparently the games played on Sunday were riveting — and with some taking place during a void-of-course Moon, there were some stunning upsets and fumbles). You are most likely to be personally affected by the potentially militant Mars – Saturn square if you have a planet or angle at 6-8 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius…or if you were born around the 28th of April, July, October and January.

If you have to ship, then ship today, as the Moon goes void tomorrow at 5:21AM ET…until 2:36AM ET on Wednesday. So much for President Obama’s big sales pitch — er — speech at 9PM tomorrow night, in which he allegedly will present a case to the public on why we should take action in Syria.

Other Moon voids for the week: Thursday 1:08PM ET until Friday 5:56AM ET…and Saturday 7:17pm ET until 8:05AM ET Sunday. No shopping sprees; no contract signings; just roll with whatever twists may hamper your efforts to move forward in a straight line and remember that crises that crop up are often much ado about nothing. Chill, draft, drift, brainstorm…

Also happening today: Mercury leaves Virgo at 3:07AM ET, where it has been oh-so-happy perfecting details. By the time you read this, Mercury will be in Libra, and — for at least today and tomorrow — suggesting that weighing and balancing ideas and communication may attract prominence. As we get closer to the weekend, when Mercury connects with the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square, some of these ideas and communication may be quite disruptive. This aspect has positive potential, too — keep an eye out for news in the tech sector and the cosmos.

OK. So a little bit about last week’s New Moon in Virgo now…and tomorrow I will attempt to fill you in on the stories I’ve been following: e.g., Dennis Rodman’s perfectly-timed trip to North Korea, George Zimmerman’s divorce (told ya he’d be in for some major status quo disruptions) and what the heck is going on in President Obama’s horoscope. But first, the New Moon:

The New Moon in Virgo officially began on September 5th at 7:36AM ET, offering us an opportunity to re-set intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle. Around the 12th, 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 19th, 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 26th, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin anew on October 4th.

This New Moon occurred at 14 degrees of Virgo, and its corresponding Sabian Symbol is “a family tree”. Now even before I consult Blain Bovee’s marvelous book on the Symbols, I am thinking about that militant Mars-Saturn square pulling so much focus on this month’s lunar cycle…and how impossible it seems for many people to get along, even– and especially – within their own family. The Symbol “a family tree” thus would seem to suggest that we focus more on our common heritage than on our individualistic needs in meeting this month’s challenges. Even if you do not feel that you belong, act as if…

In the chart for this New Moon we find Mercury (communication) and Venus (social expression) both running wild, demanding attention — and yet both planets are well-placed in signs they rule (Virgo and Libra, respectively). I happened to run this month’s New Moon chart for Washington DC, and I was fascinated to see the superbly placed Mercury sitting exactly on the Ascendant, and Venus in an exact harmonious connection with the Midheaven! Translation: Washington would likely at the very least put on a mask of sensible critical thinking this month — and a public projection of manners, negotiation and decorum. And indeed, on the 7th, President Obama made the startling announcement that his apparently militant belief that we should take military action in Syria would be debated and decided on by…Congress. Gosh, that sure looks like a rational, sensible thing to do, huh? Intelligent debate, weighing of facts and social graces…oh, wait. Ruthless and potentially destructive Pluto is in an obsessive aspect with the Midheaven, too — add that to things that are likely to be publicly projected…sigh…and here’s the latest public opinion poll.

You’ll feel the effects of this New Moon — and its potential for critical analysis and refinement, driven by a dramatic resolve to take action — if you were born around the 5th of September, December, March or June.

To be continued…

Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday: Watchin’ the Wheels…

August 29, 2013/in The Forecast

As of 12:44AM ET, the Gemini Moon is void-of-course, suggesting a slow start to a day marked by twists in your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Roll with whatever flakes, fits and starts crop up, and remember that if what crops up is a crisis, chances are good that it is much ado about nothing. Chill out, rest if you can — or put yourself in a meditative state to do whatever you must do today, which is hopefully something routine.

Moon void or not void, mental wheels focused on practical ambitions are likely still spinning, courtesy of two excellent communicative aspects among mental Mercury and Jupiter, on the one hand — and Sun and Saturn on the other. Brainstorming and hammering out details — fine — but conventional astrological wisdom suggests not shipping anything you wish to be of consequence until the Moon is fully engaged in the next sign — after 7:33AM ET on Friday. And definitely no impulsive shopping sprees, as chances are that whatever strikes your fancy now will not prove to be of service later.

And for some reason, when thinking about wheels spinning on a voidy Moon in Gemini day, this song came to mind. Cue John Lennon now, please….

THE FORECAST

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