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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 Saturday & Sunday 8/11-12/2012: Don’t Forget to Look Up
/in The ForecastOptimism is one likely manifestation of planetary patterns on Saturday, courtesy of a hook-up between Moon in chatterbox Gemini and expansive Jupiter, exact at 4:32PM ET. Big talk about big plans, perhaps? Or will you just wallow in Too Much Information? Gemini can gather information until the cows come home — all the better to avoid making one choice over another. Ask a Gemini Moon how it’s feeling and you may well hear, “Let me think about it”. Gemini likes to keep its options open.
Sunday is more proactive than Saturday. From big talk we may actually take action. There’s a lovely balance between the Leo Sun and the Gemini Moon to start off the day (9:01AM ET), followed by a dynamic flow of energy from assertive Mars at 2:55PM ET and needed focus from disciplined Saturn at 5:49PM ET. You can chill from that point on, as Moon will be void of course until 4:28AM ET on Monday.
Don’t forget to look up in the sky over the weekend. The Perseid meteor shower is back — and it should be quite a show.
Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 8/9/2012: Mercury Direct Fallout
/in The ForecastOMG…not only did I write yesterday’s forecast about the need to adjust to mental Mercury’s move forward (because of the lack of focus and communication snafus that often manifest), but I lived it…over and over again. How about you? Good thing I’m an astrologer and can appreciate why these things are more likely to happen with certain planetary patterns. August 21st is when Mercury will be back where it started its retrograde adventure (at 12 Leo on July 15th); that’s when we will really feel the push to move forward with what may have stalled since then. That’s when I’d buy that new computer or other mechanical gizmo you’ve been contemplating — give or take a day.
No exact planetary aspects until 2:55PM ET, when the quietly stubborn Taurus Moon squares the proudly Leo Sun before going void-of-course. That’s your last challenge to this lunar cycle, as we then begin the task of wrapping up the lunar agenda. Except that this challenge is followed by an almost day-long Moon void. Eh…challenges, schmallenges. Why make a mountain out of a molehill? See if you can soften your resistance enough to enjoy the ethereal sweetness of the easy trine between loving Venus in nurturing Cancer and Neptune in soulful Pisces, exact at 6:36PM ET– suggesting a sublime night for wine, women, song and what dreams may come.
If you’re on the East Coast and you can take Friday off, how lucky for you. The Moon doesn’t get into gear until 4:11PM ET, when it moves into Gemini. And that may be all I have to say about Friday, which will explain why you may not get another forecast until Saturday*
Last but not least, lovely to “emeet” so many dedicated readers over the past couple of days — those of you who were curious to find out more about your Ascendant and Midheaven, and how they might be affected by the potent Mother of All Squares between rebel Uranus and ruthless Pluto. I am delighted by your interest in astrology and these forecasts. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
*instead, I offer the third installment of Henri the Existentialist Cat — despite my dismay that the filmmaker, old WhatsHisName, once again has failed to credit the composer or artist who created the music.
Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 8/8/2012: Slow and Steady
/in The ForecastWriting this with the Moon void-of-course in Aries, looking for some good headlines to illustrate the confusion that often accompanies a day when Mercury (mind, communication) is at a standstill…about to turn direct (at 1:40AM ET). Here’s a fun one about miscommunication: would you hire this guy? Take it slow and steady, as our brains adjust to Mercury’s forward motion. As with yesterday, pay extra special attention in all areas of travel and communication.
Once the Moon enters Taurus at 3:28AM ET, the need of the day is to establish and/or preserve material security…probably in a dreamy-stuck-spacey kind of way. I say this because loving Venus, which rules Taurus is making an ethereal connection to nebulous Neptune, which will be exact on Thursday at 6:36PM ET. Get out your rose-colored glasses again, and you could enjoy a cotton candy-colored escape. This can be a productive few days for artists and healers…or anyone seeking seeking a sweet soulful connection (Venus -Neptune) you can actually wrap your arms around (Moon in sensual, material Taurus). An easy connection to Moon from “resistance is futile” Pluto adds emotional depth to the mix.
Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 8/7/2012: Mercury Turns Direct; Venus in Cancer
/in The ForecastAnother burst of energy to get you out of bed on the East Coast — but hopefully not the wrong side of the bed! Why? Rambunctious Moon in Aries is opposed by feisty Mars at 7:27AM ET. This brief — but sometimes brash connection could be expressed as a clash of wills. A more productive expression might be an impassioned pitch, or something physical, like a run around the block.
You can keep running until late afternoon — 4:04PM ET to be exact, when the me-me-me Aries Moon is opposed by restrictive Saturn and then goes void-of-course until 3:28AM ET. Whatever crises that appear toward the end of the day may well be much ado about nothing. Be flexible and go with the flow of any twists in your efforts to move purposefully in a straight line. Said twists may well involve mechanical, transportation and communication snafus, as Mercury turns direct at 1:40AM ET on Wednesday — not Tuesday, as I reported yesterday. Sorry for the confusion and let’s hope that’s all the Mercury stationary direct weirdness you encounter. Be especially mindful on the roads!
Venus leaves flirty Gemini and moves into Cancer at 9:43AM ET. Finally, we can discuss feelings and our need for emotional security in relationship — at least for the next few weeks. Swoon!
Regular readers of this forecast know that any planet at the beginning of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn (collectively known as the Aries Point), tends to attract prominence. So we may see significant news about Venus-related issues including, but not limited to women, beauty, art, social graces, finances and copper. With two personal planets (by “personal” I mean they are close to the Sun) changing signs and direction, give yourself a day or so to adjust to the shift…
And now, a couple of definitions for those who asked, as a follow up to yesterday’s forecast. I wrote that when rebel Uranus and ruthless Pluto make contact with the angles of the horoscope, especially the Ascendant and Midheaven, we can anticipate significant life changes. The Ascendant — or rising sign — is the sign and degree of the zodiac that was rising (ascending) on the eastern horizon at moment of your birth. The Ascendant refers to personal projection, self-image — the face we present to the world and the filter through which we perceive it. The Midheaven refers to parental, career and public status issues.
To calculate the Ascendant and Midheaven, you need to know your date, place and time of birth. If you’re curious to know if either of those two angles in your horoscope will soon be in contact with Uranus and Pluto, send me an email and I will tell you.
Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 8/6/2012: A RAM-bunctious Monday
/in The ForecastTyping this an hour away from the scheduled landing of Curiosity on Mars! Watching a live feed from Mission Control, a.k.a. the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, CA — streaming directly to my iMac with no commercial interruptions. Amazing!
Inspired by Curiosity, you can blast out of bed this morning, driven by the Moon still in pioneering Aries, supercharged by rebel Uranus and ruthless Pluto. Wasn’t last Monday a bit like this? Yes, it was, only with the Moon in “make it happen” Capricorn. Proactive energy still rules the day, only it’s more fiery, not so earthy and practical. So go set the world on fire, but be aware that others may be in the same fiery mode and not as aware of planetary patterns. If you encounter reckless words, actions and/or egos, temper your reactions accordingly. No need to engage, especially with the approaching hook-up between aggressive Mars and stern Saturn, exact on the 15th — but most definitely in effect now.
Moon voids for the week:
Tuesday 4:04PM ET – Wednesday 3:28AM ET
Thursday 2:55PM ET – Friday 4:11PM ET
Mercury turns direct on Wednesday at 1:40AM ET — alert the media.
Back to Curiosity: the chart for the scheduled landing shows Moon and technogeek Uranus together in pioneering Aries. The need to lead and inspire, breaking through boundaries is considerable, especially with both planets on the Aries Ascendant and trine the dramatic Leo Sun. Ruthless Pluto is exactly on the midheaven, a potentially huge statement of empowerment. Mars, ruler of the chart, is together with disciplined Saturn in Libra, suggesting a projection to the public of military precision. Areas of the horoscope referring to travel and communication (3rd and 9th houses) are well-supported by Jupiter, the cosmic sugar daddy, an especially prominent Venus and Mercury. Yes, Mercury is retrograde — but it is also well-aspected — and remember, Mercury retrograde is a REminder of a need for FOCUS.
A big pause…while I am glued to the feed from Mission Control. Oooh…a dramatic moment of tension in the room at 10:12PM PT — as disruptive Uranus and Pluto make exact contact with the Aries Ascendant….and then…everything’s OK. The landing will be a success! And it was. And there was much rejoicing…
…which means that writing about yesterday’s tragic and distressing shooting at a Sikh temple at around 10:25AM on 8/5/12 in Oak Creek, Wisconsin is..not so joyful. But let’s look at the astrology and learn something. What do we see on the angles of the chart? Why rebel Uranus and ruthless Pluto — same as the chart for the wildly successful Mars landing!! Only in the Wisconsin chart, Uranus opposes the Ascendant, in the 7th house of the public/relationships; Pluto opposes the Midheaven, in the 4th house of family/homeland security concerns.
What’s noteworthy here is that we have two “breaking news” events involving Uranus and Pluto on the angles of the chart for those moments in time. Experience shows that when Uranus and Pluto are on the angles of a chart, major life-changing events are more likely to happen. Whether they are constructive or destructive is usually up to the humans involved. What does this mean for you? It suggests that if you have an Ascendant or Midheaven between 6 and 13 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, opportunities for major life changes are happening now –and/or will be happening in 2013. Plan accordingly!