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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.

Late Sneak Peek at a Surreal & Speedy Week
/in The ForecastAlllll-righty then! Apologies for the delayed post. All this Neptune fog has left me feeling holidazed over the past few days. I appreciate Tarot Diva Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Card of the Week, which encourages us to seek a balance.
I hope you had a dreamy weekend, inspired by the long Moon void in Leo on Saturday between 5:28 PM ET and 2:446 PM ET. The dreaminess was enhanced by the trine between Venus (who and how we need to love) and Neptune (romance, escape) at 11:54 PM ET. I found myself inspired to decorate my quirky palm tree — the perfect thing for someone with Venus in quirky Aquarius:
After 2:46 PM ET on Sunday, Moon went to work in Virgo, seeking to clean up the Leo Moon’s party confetti. Its perfection-seeking drive was working at warp speed for the rest of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, going void ever so briefly at 5:35 PM ET. As of 7:01 PM ET, Moon is in Libra — now focused on fairness and balance in relationship. The rest of the week looks like this:
And now…the news.
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And now…really…the news.
Here is a list of stories I compiled when I started writing this forecast last Saturday (before wandering off course in the Moon void). It’s just more of Neptune, Neptune, Neptune in the news: music, healing, viruses, wipeouts, refugees, floods, ships, oil, drugs, empathy, delusion, fantasy, escapes, spirits or all kinds.
I am fascinated by this story from New York magazine, “We had the Covid vaccine the whole time,” meaning — on January 13th — right after the January 10th, 2020 eclipse and the seed-planting of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction on January 12th. The announcement of the Moderna vaccine‘s promising applications came just days after the last Jupiter -Pluto conjunction on November 12th. Meanwhile, the first shipments of the Pfizer vaccine in the U.S. are scheduled to be delivered on December 15th, the day after the total solar eclipse. The mass immunization program against Covid officially began today in the UK, as a 90-year-old woman received the first official vaccine.
Meanwhile…
Gabriel Sterling, a Georgia election official and registered Republican, cut through the clutter in a December 1st press conference with a blunt and righteous plea for the threats of violence against election officials To. Stop. Period. The. End. Born on November 14, 1970 in Decatur, GA, Sterling is a Scorpio driven by Moon in Gemini. He needs to be a fountain of information. With transiting Mars opposing his “warrior for peace” Mars in Libra all last month, we can appreciate a slow burn on a very long fuse. But with Mercury activating his natal Mercury in Sagittarius’s need to tell you what it thinks, he just had to speak up on December 1st!
Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Avoid gatherings of unmasked people. Avoid large gatherings of any size. Take time to look up at the sky — Jupiter and Saturn haven’t been this close in 800 years!!!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/12/04/jupiter-saturn-double-planet/
Monday 11/30/2020: Sneak Peek at the Week & December; Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse
/in The ForecastHappy rainy Monday (here in New York) — happy last day of November (where does the time go?) — and happy Full Moon/lunar eclipse (what does it all mean).
Moon is in Gemini, driving the day with a need for information. A harmony between Mercury (in deep-thinking Scorpio) and Saturn (in no-nonsense Capricorn) suggests what is learned may be serious — but productive, as seen in this headline, “Biden to receive first intelligence briefing.” Moon travels without interference all day; go about your business and get it off your desk today if you can. Moon squares Neptune at 11:23 PM ET, supporting a fanciful escape — and then goes void (i.e., wanders without focus) until 10:23 PM ET on TUESDAY.
But before we get into that, let’s take a look at the lunar eclipse, which was exact at 4:30 AM ET today — here it is, set in Washington DC:
Random observations:
Back to The Forecast for the week.
Soooooo…..not a lot of action in the cosmos this week, but there will be plenty to process in the wake of this morning’s eclipse. Looking ahead to the rest of the December, we note:
And now, the news.
Neptune turning direct has been all over the headlines:
Might I add that in 2021 and 2022, patterns in the U.S. horoscope will facilitate more and more idealization of “freedom of religion” and “the right to bear arms,” as transiting Neptune activates the U.S. Mars-Neptune square.
Meanwhile, WaPo op-ed writer Eric Wemple was concerned by Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo’s apparent disconnect from reality over the weekend, as she did not seem to understand that Joe Biden won the state of Pennsylvania. He’s hoping Fox will have an explanation, but if Mr. Wemple happens to be reading this post, note that Bartiromo’s horoscope has been under the influence of foggy Neptune all year — and this will continue into 2021. Not only that, but her Venus sits exactly on P45’s 29 Leo Ascendant, so we can understand why she encourages his need to be seen as king.
In other news…
I watched Human Nature on Netflix over the weekend, as so many people were mentioning it on social media. It’s a documentary about a revolutionary gene-editing process known as CRISPR. Upside: it could be harnessed to cure diseases. Downside: plenty of ethical concerns, the kind you’d expect from this new 200-year cycle of development that begins with next month’s Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius. Dan Rather is one of the executive producers of this provocative film, and I can’t believe four years have passed since we last looked at his horoscope. We should all be as productive at 89, with a new book that became an instant best-seller.
Did you see historian Heather Cox Richardson‘s explanation of the origins of Thanksgiving? It’s not quite what I learned as a first-grader in Quaker school. Thanks to Avid Reader Roberta for tracking down an apparent birth date for HCR: October 8, 1962 — presumably somewhere in Maine. That makes her a Libra, driven by the Moon in Aquarius, with a Saturn return coming up in 2021. She is driven by a need for innovative social service, the higher-minded, the better. It’s remarkable how she’s managed to produce her Letters From an American every night for over a year. Then again, perhaps it’s not so remarkable when we consider that she was born with the inherent potential for militant discipline, which has been supported all through 2020 by transiting Saturn opposing her Mars. We see how she could burn the midnight oil. For more on what drives her, here’s an interview from 2018 –– recently updated.
I hope you had a safe and sound Thanksgiving. Please stay that way. Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Avoid large gatherings. Stay home as much as you can.
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This picture of Neptune was produced from the last whole planet images taken through the green and orange filters on the Voyager 2 narrow angle camera. The picture shows the Great Dark Spot and its companion bright smudge; on the west limb the fast moving bright feature called Scooter and the little dark spot are visible. Years later, when the Hubble telescope was focused on the planet, these atmospheric features had changed, indicating that Neptune’s atmosphere is dynamic. The Voyager Mission is conducted by JPL for NASA’s Office of Space Science and Applications, Washington, DC.
Late Sneak Peek at a Holiday Week; Neptune Direct
/in The ForecastHappy Tuesday!
Did you note your dreams this morning? Mine were wild — reflecting (IMHO) — last night’s trine between Mercury (how we need to think) and Neptune (our need for vision). Not only that, but the Pisces Moon was void between 5:45 AM and 10:04 AM ET, suggesting a slow start, twist or flake to your routine. Once the Moon shifts gear into Aries at 10:05 AM ET, see if you notice a newly-energized focus on getting things started — not now, but RIGHT NOW. This proactive drive chugs along all day today…and all day…
And now, the news.
Holy moly! Sun in high-flying Sagittarius trines Moon in go-go-go Aries, combined with a shake ’em up Venus-Uranus opposition and magical Neptune in focus…and the Dow breaks 30,000 for the first time (as I’m typing).
Joe Biden just had a series of little transits similar to what Edward Norton experienced a few days ago. The Sun met up with Biden’s Sun-Venus in Scorpio; today it crossed Biden’s Sagittarius Ascendant. When the Sun is travelling through the 1st house, ego energies are clearly seen (as opposed to working behind the scenes in the 12th). And so it was yesterday that P45 finally tweeted his recommendation that GSA administrator Emily Murphy (a.k.a. Smith College’s most embarrassing alum) finally ascertain that Joe Biden is the president-elect, so let’s get this show on the road, already.
Meanwhile, the amazing Avid Reader Chris did some digging through public records and has correctly ascertained that Murphy was born on December 27, 1973 in St. Louis. Here’s what that looks like:
Here we have a Capricorn who is driven by the needs of an Aquarius Moon. This Sun-Moon combo has awesome administrative potential and needs to be of social significance. How she thinks, as well as her need for authority and control are likely to be prominent, as suggested by Mercury and Saturn at the Aries Point. Her mother likely had a huge influence on her mindset; whereas the relationship with the father was likely remote in comparison. How interesting to learn that Murphy followed in her mother’s footsteps when she chose to go to law school.
FUN FACT: Since Uranus entered Taurus in 2019, I’m seeing more and more horoscopes with a predominance of fixed signs (i.e., planets in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) making headlines. This is quite a shift from the horoscopes with planets in Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Fixed signs will continue to dominate the news, as in 2021, we’ll have Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius, as well as Mars in Taurus.
In Murphy’s horoscope, Mars — the energy of action — is in Taurus. Translation: stubborn persistence or resistance; slow response. Taurus is not a fan of change! We don’t know how close her Aquarius Moon is to her Venus-Jupiter conjunction (also in Aquarius), but it’s a powerful statement of potential abundance. Neptune (faith) and Pluto (power) are connected to this abundant potential in a few significant midpoint pictures. She needs to be a believer.
Her Capricorn Sun and her Cancer Saturn were eclipsed last December and on the Summer Solstice, respectively. Her authority was bound to attract attention this year. Next year is likely to be a mixed bag of streamlining and gains — with the gains probably outweighing the losses. I’m chuckling as I type this, because this horoscope just needs needs needs to be BIG, and the chart I’ve attached as an example is bigger than the ones I usually use. It had to be!
Fun fact #2: Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), Stacey Abrams and Senator David Perdue (R-GA) all have Venus-Jupiter conjunctions in early Aquarius, too. Porter was born on 1/3/74; Abrams on 12/9/73 — both within days of Murphy, so there a number of similarities in their horoscopes. I wrote about both for the next issue of Mountain Astrologer. Watch for them in the headlines in early 2021.
In other news, president-elect Biden is releasing his list of Cabinet member and other appointees. They are a diverse bunch: educated, dedicated, experienced — and, notably — kind. Some are even artists — how refreshing is that? The whimsically-named nominee for Secretary of State — A. Blinken (say it out loud) — can be heard on Spotify.
With Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto still in Establishment Capricorn, we can appreciate why Biden’s nominees aren’t the disruptors that generated so much buzz in the past, e.g., Elizabeth Warren for Treasury Secretary or Susan Rice for Secretary of State. Biden’s “preserve the status-quo” Moon in Taurus may be a factor. The fate of the Senate is likely at play as well. A Republican-controlled Senate would have howled at — and likely blocked — a Warren Treasury appointment. We won’t know until after January 5th whether Democrats or Republicans will win the two Georgia runoffs. I’m intrigued by Jon Ossoff’s prospects — as noted in a prior forecast. Here’s a fun comparison on the asteroids in all four Georgia candidates’ horoscopes, penned by asteroid specialist Alex Miller.
So who did get the nod to become our next U.S. Secretary of the Treasury? A familiar face — former Fed Chair Janet Yellen, whom I wrote about in October 2013:
A Treasury Secretary with no planets in Earth signs might be apt, given the shift from Earth to Air that begins on December 21st. That’s when Jupiter and Saturn meet up at 0 degrees of Aquarius. The technical term for the start of this new cycle is Great Mutation — and here’s an article I wrote which explains its significance. Basically we are ending a 200 year cycle where success was defined by Earth — e.g., mining the Earth for resources; he who dies with the most toys wins. Over the next 200 years, success will be defined by Air — e.g., who has the data; who can connect us through the airwaves, etc. Brick and mortar is out; virtual is in.
Wherever you are, make a point to look up at the sky next month, as Jupiter and Saturn get closer and closer together. We haven’t seen this since 2000 — and we won’t see it again until 2040.
In other news, a Mars retrograde cautionary tale. On November 8th, with the Moon in party-hearty Leo, and retrograde Mars in selfish-AF-Aries opposing Venus in Libra, 7000 revelers attended a secret wedding in Brooklyn. No, they weren’t wearing masks. When were they busted and fined $15,000? When Mars turned direct and returned to where it was on the date of the wedding.
Please don’t go to reckless gatherings. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Stay safe and count your blessings virtually, wherever you are. I will count you among mine! You could also ponder the significance of this mysterious monolith — just discovered — that looks like something from 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s sooooooo Neptune!
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving pixie dust brought to you by Neptune turning direct
Saturday & Sunday 11/21/2020: Mind the Looooooong Moon Void; Dolly Parton & Edward Norton Make Waves
/in The ForecastTGIF!!
Here’s the recap of The Forecast for the weekend:
No sleeping in on Monday — much can be accomplished, with a well-supported Pisces Moon going with the intuitive flow all day. Keep an eye on your dreams, as the Moon meets up with Neptune in the early morning. At 11:40 PM ET, Mercury (how we need to think and communicate) trines Neptune. Inspiration, vision, healing are possibilities — as are rigid fantasies seeking power and control. Mercury is still in Scorpio, doncha’ know, hence the need for depth. This Mercury-Neptune thing is in effect all weekend, infusing your world with various shades of rose.
And now, the news.
But first, an announcement. I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by Avid Reader Whitney for an episode of her series, docu-mental. We spoke for well over an hour about the astonishing synchronicity of planetary patterns and world events — and not once did Whitney ask me what color nail polish a Taurus should wear in the winter, or how to seduce a Sagittarius. I mentioned Whitney’s work (you can find it here on Substack) in a post a few months ago, and if you’re one of the Avid Readers who joined her community, my money says your IQ has increased by 10 points. And if not your IQ , then certainly your consciousness. Whitney is just that darned smart and profound — and quite courageous, frankly, to present an astrologer’s viewpoint to a mostly Muggles audience. Much gratitude to Whitney for the fun opportunity to connect. You can see and hear our lively conversation via the link above.
Meanwhile…
Mercury is now officially out of its shadow stage, meaning that it has returned to where it was when it turned retrograde on October 13th. As anticipated, the election results have been sorted out, with all the states being called by the media, affirming Biden’s 306 Electoral College votes — the same number as P45 collected in 2016. Sixteen states have certified their results. Joe Biden is our president-elect, period.
BUT…also as anticipated, P45 persists in trying to maintain his position by underhanded means, enabled by loyalists willing to destroy our democratic process. Lindsey Graham was reportedly happy to call the Secretary of State of Georgia, wondering if the S.O.S. could toss out a bunch of ballots he didn’t like. The S.O.S., Republican Brad Raffensperger, declined. Let’s watch for more boundary-pushing action from Graham December 2 through December 14. Jupiter (expansion) will be activating his potentially reckless Mars-Uranus conjunction. Wish we had a birth time for him.
Reflecting the disruptive communication potential of the week’s shocking Mercury-Uranus opposition and the lean, mean potential of Venus square Saturn, we have:
Not all women of steel are mean. Dolly Parton has a Venus-Saturn opposition in her horoscope, and it’s also square to Jupiter. She can be all business — in ways that are simply grand. Her militantly disciplined Mars-Saturn conjunction in Cancer was eclipsed on January 10th…and darned if its triggers didn’t coincide with her giving $1 million to the Covid research fund (in April) that produced Moderna’s promising vaccine! Her horoscope is lit up like a pinball machine this month and next. The fabulous press she’s getting reflects Mars (action! crusades!) activating her Mercury, which rules her Gemini Midheaven (professional status) and her Virgo Ascendant (how she needs to be seen) all through November!! Of COURSE we’re going to hear about her now — and if we’d been looking at her horoscope in January, we could have made a note to watch for awesome news. Astrology is amazing!
Edward Norton also has the Muggles scratching their heads. Today he “came out of nowhere” (said the Muggles pundits and journalists) and posted a “poker-style analysis of P45 we never expected” (said the LA Times). As with Dolly Parton, had we been looking at Norton’s horoscope before today, we could have anticipated an expansive broadcast at this time — with more to come between now and early December. Patterns exact today include the Scorpio Sun (which rules the area of his life related to broadcasting), crossing his Scorpio Ascendant (which explains why the pundits are so surprised by his usual need to present an image of mystery and control). Venus (which rules the area of his life referring to the public) is right on his Libra Moon (an apt pattern for action that is well-received). What else do you see?
In other news…
Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Stay away from gatherings of people, large and small. If that doesn’t convince you, maybe Rachel Maddow’s recent revelation will.
Meanwhile…enjoy this long Moon void in Aquarius. Roll with the twists and flakes, such as the totally bonkers press conference Rudy Giuliani had during Thursday’s Moon void — in which he literally melted down. Remember that crises which crop up are usually much ado about nothing.
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Monday 11/16/2020: Sneak Peek at the Week; Sun in Sagittarius; Order in the Court & More
/in The ForecastUp and at ’em. Mars — planet of action — is finally moving forward, and it’s getting along swimmingly with the Moon in Sagittarius. A Sag Moon needs to push boundaries, usually with righteous enthusiasm and opinions. Get out of the usual box; take in a foreign film or walk in the woods. Go for a gamble or a gambol. Things may get rosy or fuzzy around 4:07 PM ET, as Moon squares Neptune. Take whatever is said with a grain of salt. Meanwhile, there’s a buzz in the air, as at 3:07 AM ET on …
And now…about the New Moon in Scorpio, exact at 12:07 AM ET on Sunday 11/15. Here’s what it looked like from Washington, DC:
Highlights include:
And now, the news.
The weekend’s squares among Venus and Pluto-Jupiter suggested stories of extremes in matters of women and worth. From the NYT Sunday Week In Review:
Also reflecting extremes of wealth and power:
In other Venus-Pluto-Jupiter-Saturn news, three GOP senators have expressed opposition to P45’s controversial nominee — Judy Shelton — to the Federal Reserve,.
Meanwhile…
Venus in Libra is a lovely placement. As it has traveled between 20 and 22 Libra, it has triggered the anguished conjunctions between Jupiter-Pluto and Saturn-Pluto, whose cycles are in sync with the development of the Covid pandemic. One potentially bright spot today is the announcement of a second vaccine trial that appears to have tested as well — or better — than the one announced by Pfizer last week. The key word is “appears.” Time will tell.
In other news…
I thought it would be fun to look back on the predictions made when Neptune first entered Pisces over eight years ago. Here is a forecast from 2/2/2012. We’re just over halfway through this period of development, and what I’ve noticed is that when a slow-moving planet gets past the halfway point, the potentials manifest like a kettle of popcorn that’s finally reached the appropriate temperature. One of the predictions was that the use of recreational drugs would be decriminalized — and we see this in the Nov 3 election results. The halfway point for Neptune happened in January 2020. Coincidence or conspiracy?
Fun fact #1: “Lockdown” was declared the Word of the Year for 2020, according to the good folks at Collins Dictionary. I suspect we will have more lockdowns as Mars gets up to speed and squares Jupiter-Saturn and Pluto between now and the Winter Solstice.
Fun fact #2: Saturn rules the skeleton. Jupiter refers to BIG. Pluto makes it all macabre. Is it any surprise that big ginormous skeletons as decorations were so popular this Halloween?
Fun fact #3: the Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight. Look up!
Astrology is amazing. And so are Avid Readers Deborah, Lois, Esther, Denise, Alison, Stephanie, Julie, Elizabeth, Ruth and Wendy, whose Joyful Random and Faithful Monthly Expressions of Appreciation made my day! Please check your spam folders for a personal thank-you notes from yours truly. For Avid Readers who may have missed it, in my last post I wrote:
Thank you for reading this forecast.