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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.
Monday 4/20/2020: New Moon in Taurus; Saturn Bites Sun; Pluto Turns Retrograde
/in The ForecastThe start of the work week is driven by the Moon in pioneering Aries, dying to get things started and structured. Other than a harmony (sextile) between the Moon and Saturn at 6:16 AM ET, its proactive needs are free and clear — to a certain extent. What cuts and harsh realities might it encounter between now and 3:00 AM ET on ….
Here is the chart for the New Moon in Taurus, exact at 10:26 PM ET — set in Washington, DC:
With its Sagittarius Ascendant, the chart is ruled by Jupiter — in a challenged state in Capricorn. Jupiter is sitting in the 2nd House, along with heavy hitters Saturn and Pluto. The 2nd House refers to money, so that’s the focus for the U.S. in this next lunar cycle. You’ll notice at the bottom of the chart sits Neptune, symbol of idealism, fog, vision, deception, oil and viruses. These symbols represent the ground underneath our collective American feet. Meanwhile, Avid Readers may recall from the weekend forecast that this is exactly where Neptune is in Joe Biden‘s horoscope; in fact, the angles of this New Moon chart in DC are only one degree off from Biden’s. This New Moon cycle is likely to be of special significance for him.
The ruler of the 10th in this chart represents the leader of the country. Once again it is Mercury (as it was last time), in marginally better shape now that it is in Aries, but squaring Pluto and Jupiter. The Pluto square to Mercury suggests extremes of thought and communication, and Pluto rules the chart’s 12th House — that which is operating behind the scenes and/or the self-undoing. Mercury’s square to Jupiter (the ruler of the chart) suggests that the leader of the country is likely to be more of a challenge than a help.
A New Moon in Taurus needs to establish and maintain material comfort and security. The keywords for Taurus are I HAVE. Moon in Taurus people are more likely than others to be tactile. Famous people with Moon in Taurus include: Adam Driver, Elizabeth Warren, Mick Jagger, Meryl Streep, Amma (the Hugging Saint)and of course, Joe Biden. The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is “the rainbow’s pot of gold,” and we last wrote about it on the Full Moon of October 2015. Blain Bovee notes that this Symbol is
It’s interesting that the New Moon falls in the 5th House of this chart set in Washington, as that House refers to entertainment, creative play and speculative ventures (such as the stock market). Bovee suggests we apply this Symbol “with a mind to the enthusiastic pursuit of reward,” but not being all that attached to getting it. Consider what riches you already carry within you, he seems to suggest. We are sure to see this Symbol played out in the headlines, as the country wrestles with the challenge of getting citizens the resources (rewards) they need — and dream of having — even perhaps at great risk. Given that the Moon and Sun will next meet up with Uranus, a surprise upset is likely in store, for better or for worse.
For added perspective, here’s Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week.
And now, the news.
While sirens of emergency vehicles continue to stream by my home here in New York City (a.k.a. COVID Central), in other parts of the country people are showing up in scores to protest the horrible burden of being confined to their homes, while protecting themselves and others from spreading a fatal disease scientists are still struggling to understand. Rather than challenge why their country — the wealthiest in the world — isn’t caring for its citizens as others have done — with health care and financial lifelines for all, the protesters want the right to go back to work, not now — but right now — and they’re not at all afraid to stand closely together without protective face masks and gloves.
If you know anything about the U.S. horoscope, you can appreciate this “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and get to work” attitude as an apt reflection of the U.S. Sun in Cancer being square to the U.S. Saturn. We all have the right to work hard for our daily bread, and someday we might own a bakery. That’s the American Dream. It’s interesting to see these protests breaking out as the current Taurus Sun is about to square Saturn in Aquarius.
Under the heavy potential of this Sun-Saturn square, it was helpful to read Heather Cox Richardson‘s latest post, a reality check explaining how these protests came to be so carefully orchestrated and publicized — and by what entities. These protests also aptly reflect one side of the potential for extremes of mindset suggested by the already stressed-out U.S. Mercury-Pluto opposition.
UPDATE: on P45 — with respect to Pluto being stationary retrograde. This pattern activates two planets and two midpoints in his horoscope. The planets are his Venus-Saturn meet-up in Cancer, reflecting his chilly social expression and need to play the role of patriarch in his family. The midpoints (i.e., the halfway point between two planets) — and how they will be reflected in his behavior for the rest of the year are:
We see these midpoints activated every time he condescends and/or insults a reporter (usually female) at his daily televised blabathons. Yesterday P45 ordered CBS reporter Weijia Jiang to “relax” and “keep your voice down” when she asked him why he spent the month of February holding campaign rallies instead of warning people about COVID-19. If only he’d had the sense to look at planetary patterns on her birthdate: June 6, 1983!
Jiang is a Gemini with an exact meet-up between her Sun and Mars, driven by the Moon in Aries. This is a fearless warrior. She was born under the last Saturn-Pluto meet-up in Libra and is thus well-equipped to handle the toughest of assignments. This isn’t the first time Jiang has stood up to P45, as I learned in this report from 2018.
Other headlines reflecting the harsh reality of Sun square Saturn:
Add in the focus of Pluto slowing to a stop, and we have:
Yes, these planetary patterns are heavy — and so is the news. Is there anything constructive to report? How about:
Or this one:
And:
If you enjoyed this forecast, please support it, says Avid Reader Diane. Like Lady Gaga, her Venus in Aries makes Avid Reader Diane a fierce champion for noble causes everywhere — and I’m honored to have her in my corner, aikido black belt and all. Today I’m thinking it would be fun to have more than one Avid Reader with a Y chromosome step up to the plate and become a Faithful Monthly Subscriber. Dear Gentlemen who have been reading this forecast since forever or more recently: why should Avid Reader John be the only one? Why is there only one, one wonders. Don’t men like receiving thank you notes?
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Endangered sea turtle seeks
answers to rhetorical questions…
Saturday & Sunday 4/18-19/2020: Moon in Pisces Empathy; Power & Philanthropy
/in The ForecastThe weekend is brought to you by the Moon in Pisces, facilitating empathy, intuition and ideals. Wallowing in misery would be a downside potential of Pisces, as would drowning one’s sorrows as a means of escape. At 2:57 PM ET, the Pisces Moon squared Venus in Gemini. Suffering and fate, challenged by Gemini’s need for entertainment comes to mind, especially while watching unmasked humans protesting their state governors’ efforts to keep them and everyone else safe from Covid-19. A sextile (harmony) between Mars (walking) and Mercury (talking), exact at 11:55 PM ET is arguably being reflected in these “zombie” boots-a-marching over the past few days.
Saturday is the last full day of the Sun in Aries. On Sunday at 10:46 AM ET, Sun enters Taurus. If Aries is the spark that generates an idea, Taurus is the material that gives it form. What will we build over the next 30 days? Moon meets up with Neptune in the early AM — note your dreams. Count your blessings as Moon sextiles Jupiter and Pluto and 4:50 PM ET and 7:31 PM ET. Chill for the rest of the night, as the Pisces Moon will be void.
No sleeping in on Monday. At 3:01 AM ET, Moon charges into me-me-me Aries — and enters the balsamic phase of the lunar cycle. No, this is not a salad dressing; rather, we’re now in the dark side of the Moon. This is a time to wrap up projects from the last cycle and consider your intentions for the new one that begins on Wednesday. Meanwhile, remember that activities that happen when the Moon is dark are more likely to fly under the radar. Clandestine meetings that happen now are likely to be especially heavy, reflecting the streamlined authority of a challenge between the Sun and Saturn, exact at 3:00 AM ET on Tuesday. The last heavy Sun-Saturn pattern — a conjunction — happened on January 13th; the last Sun-Saturn square occurred in October — here’s what was happening then.
And now, the news.
Reflecting the hardcore reality check of the Sun-Saturn square, I offer you — and especially Avid Reader Helen — the entire NYT Sunday magazine:
I hope these first-hand accounts dispel any remaining doubts about the veracity of the harsh reality humans are experiencing in New York hospitals — and others, too — as a result of Covid-19. As I type, this story has caught my attention:
UPDATE: on Joe Biden. If his 8:30 AM birth time is exact to the minute, he will have the first of three exact contacts between Neptune and his Midheaven on Monday, April 20th. Many astrologers (myself included) have noted the downside potential of this particular pattern: feeling like you’re standing on quicksand; being victimized, wiped out or scandalized. But we must consider the potential upside, especially since Biden is now the presumptive Democratic nominee.
A strong Neptune transit can also feel like a dream come true, in every shade of rose. One could be seen as a savior, perhaps — and what happened last week to reflect that potential was that Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren all endorsed Biden. Here’s Obama’s video, in which he also gave a shout-out to Bernie Sanders. Bernie gave Biden his surprise blessing starting at around a minute in to this livestream from their respective homes. Warren released an elegant video, praising Biden’s sense of service, empathy and healing faculties. Well, that sounds like Neptune.
Biden’s horoscope is quite busy for the next four weeks, so we should see more of him in the headlines. The second Neptune-Midheaven hit happens at the end of August, just after the planned Democratic National Convention.
Meanwhile…
The Sun’s square to Pluto and Jupiter last week suggested stories of awesome power and resources. It was an apt time for the U.S. Treasury to send $1200 checks to millions — and it seems they got some of it right. Here’s the latest on why your share might not have been delivered.
My favorite power & resources story is this one: Captain Tom Moore, war veteran, “to help open new hospital” after raising $29 million for the UK’s National Health Service. Captain Tom will be 100 years old on April 30. On a lark, he launched a fund-raising drive, as a show of gratitude for the care he’s received from the most excellent NHS. He vowed to walk 100 laps around his garden and figured he’d raise a thousand pounds. The rest, obviously is history — and yes, his horoscope reflects this aptly-timed resource-generating potential. Here it is calculated for noon:
We see an empire-building earthy Taurus Sun in a supercharged square to a grandly philanthropic Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Leo. That conjunction is being activated by the rainmaker potential of a square from transiting Uranus, which is also presenting his Taurus Sun with a breakout opportunity to be his unique self, without compromise. His Venus (values, money, social expression) is at 22 Aries, supercharged in recent weeks by Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. His Mars (action, assertion) is at 27 Libra, also activated.
We don’t have a birth time, so we can’t tell how his Libra Moon is being activated now, but it must be extremely fulfilling for Captain Tom to be appreciated for being so people-pleasing at this time. Even more fun — for those Avid Readers who are familiar with midpoints: Captain Tom has the midpoint picture Venus = Jupiter/Pluto, suggesting potent creativity and flair. It’s so awesome — and aptly timed — that he has generated so much power and resources, reflecting patterns in his unique horoscope.
What’s going on in your horoscope? Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Meanwhile, much gratitude to Avid Readers, Fairy Godparents and Guardian Angels who pledged support of this forecast with Faithful Monthly Expressions of Appreciation. Avid Reader Diane says it’s about time I listened to her, and she insists I tell everyone about my Cosmic Tip Jar on a regular basis. And of course, with Avid Reader Diane’s Moon in Scorpio and black belt in aikido, resistance is futile.
It’s 7 PM in New York. Time to go to the window and cheer for all the health care professionals and essential workers who are putting their lives on the line in the battle against Covid-19.
Wear a mask and gloves. Wash your hands. Maintain social distance. This is not going away any time soon, so please be patient. We will get through it together. You know that saying, “all the problems you have are already resolved…you just haven’t gotten to that point in time yet.” One day at a time.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Elements furnished by NASA. Thanks, NASA!
Tuesday 4/14/2020: Late Sneak Peek at the Week; Sun Square Pluto-Jupiter(Power & Resources)
/in The ForecastAs you know, the start of the work-from-home week was driven by the enterprising needs of a Moon in Capricorn. However people and things may be used to make things happen, make it so. Networking among friends is facilitated by a trine (harmony) between the Moon and Uranus at 6:36 AM ET — and that’s it for the rest of the day.
The advantage of posting the Sneak Peek a little bit late is that I can now share Tarot Diva Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Card of the Week — and here it is.
Meanwhile…
I was struck by the image of a chrysalis, as it corresponds to the Sabian Symbol we encountered in early March, when Mercury turned direct.
And now, the news.
Here at the Home Office, Sunday’s travel-loving Sagittarius Moon inspired me to watch Roman Holiday, with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Then I made the pasta recipe I shared in the last forecast. Anyone else try it? Almost like being in Italy, though more than one significant news story reminded me that I was not.
This aptly-timed investigative piece from the NYT is especially compelling: “He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump’s Failure on the Virus.” It includes a link to 80 pages of emails from public health officials wringing their hands watching Emperor Nero fiddle as Rome burned. (Sorry, but I can’t get Roman Holiday out of my head). I especially appreciated this March 12th email from Dr. James Lawler of the Global Center for Health Security. It was written right after Mercury turned direct, during the 12-day window of Mercury in Aquarius (thinking scientifically) that was sandwiched in the middle of two and half months of Mercury in Pisces (thinking based on feeling):
Another compelling read warns us of the extremely persuasive effort we can expect from the Powers That Be in their effort to take action on the go-go-go impulse of Mercury in Aries (mindset based on Getting Things Started — NOW). “Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting” opens with perhaps the most gorgeous Los Angeles skyline I have ever seen: crystal clear and blue. Before rushing back to “normal,” shouldn’t we pause and consider preserving some of the silver linings in this global shutdown? This is what the article’s author argues — with a stern caveat emptor against the aforementioned PTB. Their “happy talk” is sure to be out in full force this summer, reflecting Jupiter in Capricorn’s contact with Pluto (as we’ve been talking about in recent weeks), but also with Neptune (the inventor of magical thinking). Jupiter in Capricorn needs to reward those who have worked hard and earned it, and I can see how its easy contact with Neptune (three sextiles on Feb 20, Aug 27 and Oct 14) may reflect our rose-colored dreams of forgetting the realities that are staring us in the face.
Planetary patterns strongly suggest that what’s normal must be — and will be — forever changed over the next few years, especially in these United States. One astrological argument for such change is the U.S. Pluto Return that will be exact all through 2022 — but is in effect now. A Pluto Return happens roughly every 248 years. It suggests a potentially extreme gut renovation, and for the U.S. it is likely to be felt most keenly in our sense of self-worth, values and finances. Many astrologers saw this period as a potential breakdown of government, but not being psychic, they couldn’t imagine the exact circumstances of how this breakdown would occur. Thus it is fascinating to see how governors of the West Coast states (CA, OR and WA) and the North East (NY, DE, CT, NJ, PA, RI & MA) are now working together — separate from the federal government — to formulate a plan for COVID-19 healing and economic recovery on their own timeline, thank you very much.
How would we expect P45 to respond, given patterns in his horoscope? Today (4/14) he has transiting Mars opposing Pluto, so we expect him to aggressively assert himself in a power play. His Pluto sits in his natal 12th House, suggesting a need to whine about not being understood by the rest of the world, and that his power needs may be the source of his self-undoing. At his daily
televised campaign rallyWhite House press briefing yesterday (4/13), P45 declared that “The President of the United States calls the shots,” and that the governors couldn’t do anything without his approval, as his authority was “total.” For more on these false assertions of presidential power — and what else happened at the briefing, here’s Heather Cox Richardson.Looking back to the timeline on P45’s horoscope posted back in December, we note that Mars (the energy of action and aggression) will be all over his Midheaven, Mars and Ascendant on May 4, May 8 and May 12. This is when we can expect him to attack or provoke — or respond to attacks and provocation from others.
In other news, the email Avid Readers received yesterday included a write-up of Mitch McConnell’s horoscope, published last fall in Mountain Astrologer. It was fascinating to see that on the third exact square to his Venus (money, women) from transiting Uranus (upsets, revelations), the New Yorker published an in-depth expose by Jane Mayer (author of the must read Dark Money). The focus: Moscow Mitch‘s love of money and
his uncanny resemblance to Emperor Palpaltine, a.k.a. Darth Sidiousthe women in his life. His current wife — Elaine Chao — fulfilled his ambition of marrying rich. His first wife — Sherill Redmon — is a feminist scholar at Smith and mother of his three progressively-minded daughters, and is writing a tell-all memoir. Wow!Extremes of power and resources have certainly made themselves known in the Southeast, where tornadoes have downed trees, cut electricity and claimed lives. Dear Avid Readers in the Southeast, are you OK? Is the power back on?
As we approach the beginning of another corporate earnings season, we are hearing dire forecasts from more than one financial institution. Morgan Stanley thinks we will have “rolling lockdowns” that are COVID-19 related well into 2021. I would bet at least a dollar that more than one person at Morgan Stanley keeps tabs on the writings of financial astrologers. JPMorgan says its 1Q profits are down 70%, as it must set aside billions to cover expected loan defaults. Not to worry, though as it appears that the coronavirus relief package that was negotiated in the dark of the last New Moon contains a tax savings provision that benefits mostly millionaires — to the tune of $90 billion that won’t be collected by the IRS. To everyone else, your $1200 check is in the mail (or about to be deposited into your back account).
UPDATE: on the Wisconsin primary election that the US Supreme Court ruled could not be postponed, forcing voters to choose between exercising their right to vote and protecting their health. That election happened on a revolutionary square between Mars and Uranus, and the results have been deemed an upset, as Democratic candidate Jill Karofsky soundly defeated incumbent Daniel Kelly, who was appointed to his Wisconsin Supreme Court seat by then-Governor Scott Walker (R-WI). WaPo columnist Jennifer Rubin offers analysis and schadenfreude.
What in the world is going on in your horoscope? I deeply appreciate Avid Readers who have reached out for insights and helpful coping strategies. It is a joy to be of service. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations — and here’s a reminder from Avid Reader Diane that if you enjoy these forecasts, please support them by contributing to the Cosmic Tip Jar. Several options for doing that are available here.
Thank you for reading this forecast — and sharing it with your friends.
Pluto says hi.
Saturday & Sunday 4/11-12/2020: Catching Up on the News
/in The ForecastRumor has it that it may be Saturday. How are you faring in these interesting times? I made the most of Thursday and Friday’s Scorpio Moon with more than one profound client consultation. My reward: a screening of Harold and Maude, which seemed apt for the Scorpio Moon’s fixation on depth, transformation and control. I also purged my linen closet of cherished items that — alas — have frayed or otherwise broken down. I thanked them for their service and let them go. Purging is an appropriate task for a Scorpio Moon.
Today the Moon is in Sagittarius — and I am thinking of going for a walk in the bright sunshine, after being inside the house for the whole week. Maybe after I post this forecast — and yes, I will wear my mask and gloves and maintain appropriate Saturn in Aquarius social distancing. If my words have influenced your plans for the day, the Moon in Sagittarius has fulfilled its need to influence collective beliefs and broaden horizons however it can.
Meanwhile — as you may recall — at 12:48 AM, Mercury left Pisces for Aries (see Monday’s forecast for a discussion of the difference). At 7:58 PM ET, Mercury sextiles (harmonizes) with Saturn (control), helping you structure an inspiring new mindset or initiative. Do your online shopping today, as there is no Moon void. Chill out on Sunday, during the Sag Moon’s long void between 7:46 AM ET and 8:05 PM ET. Once the Moon shifts gears into Capricorn, it will drive the next couple of days with a need for achievement and making use of people and things.
No sleeping in on Monday. The dominant patterns of the week are the seriously high-functioning Aries Sun squaring Pluto on Tuesday morning, followed by a square to Jupiter on Wednesday morning. The last time the Sun made a tense pattern with Pluto was on January 13th, the day after the Lean Mean Meet-Up of Saturn and Pluto. The Sun refers to leaders, the heart and willpower; Pluto refers to power, breakdown, oil and news from underground. Here’s what was in the news back in October 2019 — on the last Pluto-Sun square. Note that the Full Moon of October 2019 was at 20 Aries-Libra, and thus activated by the April 2020 Full Moon at 18 Libra-Aries. How fascinating to see that the headlines in October included, Putin, Saudi Arabia, oil — and more than one story of corruption exposed. P45 spoke with Putin twice last week, because that’s what you do when your country is in the middle of a deadly pandemic; you talk about oil! Stay tuned for more of the same this week — only bigger, amplified by the expansive Sun-Jupiter square. Upside potential: extraordinary optimism and largesse.
And now, the news.
Lots of stories of upsets involving mavericks and other rebels, as Mars (action, men, aggression) squared Uranus (technology, mutations, freedom, disruption) just hours before Tuesday’s illuminating Full Supermoon:
Random headlines reflecting random patterns:
Uranus in Taurus, disrupting supply chains — especially with respect to food: “Dumped Milk, Smashed Eggs, Plowed Vegetables: the Food Waste of the Pandemic:
Uranus and Pluto refers to seismic activity and other news from underground: big fat volcano erupts in Indonesia.
I confess I had never heard of John Prine, who lost his battle against COVID-19 this week. Prine, according to his obituary in Rolling Stone,
While I was not hip to “folk music’s Mark Twain,” (check his top seven songs out here), it seems everyone else in my social media community most certainly was — so much so, that I figured all this prominence had to be seen in his horoscope at this time. The Full Moon fell on his Libra Sun — and probably on his Aries Moon, too. But we also see a strong potential for prominence in the solar arc (another way astrologers measure time) of his Sun, which is now at almost 1 degree of Capricorn — the Aries Point!
I found it interesting that Prine wrote many of his songs while working as a postal carrier in Maywood, Illinois. The postal service itself was in the news this week — apparently on the brink of collapse — and specifically excluded from financial assistance by P45 and his enablers. It boggles the mind — and perhaps we see the efforts to destroy the People’s Messenger Service as a reflection of transiting Pluto (the destroyer) on the U.S. Mercury (messengers). Without the USPS, it would be impossible to vote by mail.
Other messengers in peril: your local newspaper –– no matter how big or small. Please support your favorite media outlets (including this one, says Avid Reader Diane), so they can continue to keep you informed. As WaPo says, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”
Meanwhile…wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Wear a mask outside. Be kind, be kind, be kind. Drop me a line and let me know how you’re doing — even if we’ve never spoken about your horoscope. We are all in this together — and that’s how we’re going to get through it.
I leave you with this elegant yet easy recipe for your favorite pasta and a humble can of white beans.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Monday 4/6/2020: Sneak Peek at the Week; Full Moon in Libra
/in The ForecastRumor has it that it may be Monday, and if so, it is driven by the Moon in Virgo, seeking an expansive push for correction and perfection in matters of power and resources, as it harmonizes (trines) Jupiter and Pluto. The rest of the day is a bust, as the Moon goes void at 9:29 AM ET, not to enter the next sign — Libra — until 5:16 PM ET — which apparently is when this forecast will finally be written and shipped. .
Once the Moon enters Libra at 5:16 PM ET, the focus is on relationships, fairness and balance. Practical structures involving women, art, money and social expression may be initiated as the Moon trines Venus and Saturn in the evening, as well as action hero Mars at 1:20 AM ET on…
Meanwhile, also reflecting the militantly macho controls suggested by Mars-Saturn, some states wasted no time declaring that abortion — an especially time-sensitive procedure — was not an essential one for women patients and was therefore prohibited for the during of the coronavirus pandemic. In the words of a Texas physician, published in WaPo:
Current planetary patterns are simply less than empathetic — at least as applied in the state of Texas — and perhaps also in the Philippines, where authoritarian President Rodrigo Duterte says he’s ordered soldiers to shoot anyone resisting its national lockdown.
There is another way of applying the militant potential of Mars-Saturn in Aquarius, as demonstrated by those in service industries who have been deemed “essential” and are putting their lives on the line as they work for minimum wage. Workers are striking at McDonalds, Instacart, Whole Foods and Amazon. We will see more of those uprisings with Saturn in Aquarius over the next three years.
In other news, we had plenty of headlines reflecting Friday’s exact meet-up between Mercury and Neptune in Pisces. Upside: intuition, vision, music, healing. Downside: lies, scandal, victims, delusion. Neptune refers to all things nautical, too. Exhibit A: an overwhelming number of deaths in the music industry: Ellis Marsalis (father of Wynton and Branford) Bill Withers (hear his glorious voice here) and others the NYT has gathered into a special obituary section of those whom COVID-19 has claimed.
Exhibit B would be the big fuss made about the deployment of two U.S. Navy hospital ships — the Comfort and Mercy, which P45 had said would arrive the week of March 23rd. What’s happened since has been surreal. While crowds cheered the arrival of the 1000-bed Comfort on the 30th in New York, by the end of the week the ship had only 20 patients. It was mired in too much red tape to be of actual assistance to the heroic medical staff in my neighborhood. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, a train engineer (and apparent conspiracy theorist) intentionally ran his locomotive at full speed toward the Mercy, derailing the train.
Elsewhere, U.S. Navy Captain Brett Crozier made headlines for making it known that some of the nearly 5000 sailors under his command of the aircraft carrier Roosevelt had covid-19. A letter he wrote to higher-ups asking for assistance was published in a local paper. Crozier was relieved of his command, but hailed as a savior by his crew. Days later, he tested positive for the virus and was lambasted by the Acting Secretary of the Navy, whose provocative remarks to the Roosevelt’s crew were secretly recorded and can be heard here. You’re probably wondering if we would have anticipated this intense time by looking at his horoscope. Ya think?
Crozier was born on February 24, 1970 in Santa Rosa, CA — time unknown. He has a Pisces Sun driven by a people-pleasing Libra Moon. His need to be seen as popular and fair may be intensified in rebellious/innovative ways by a close connection with Uranus…or it may be aggravated by an especially effective and daring Mars in Aries. We don’t know which applies without a birth time. However, we note IMMEDIATELY that his Mars (the energy of action, attack and assertion) is at 22 Aries — and thus was eclipsed in January and triggered in mid-March. We know there is huge potential for assertion that — once acted upon — will leave Captain Crozier forever changed. We see the potential for a health issue to crop up, too Well? UPDATE: the Acting Secretary of the Navy is now apologizing for his “unhinged”remarks…stay tuned.
Ya know who else’s horoscope was eclipsed in January — and also in July 2019 (as was noted)? Jared Kushner. He was born on January 10, 1981 in NYC — no birth time known. Capricorn Sun, driven by Moon in Pisces, just like J. Edgar Hoover, Elvis Presley, John Denver and Martin Luther King. We see ambition driven by the need to work with an ideal, in the spirit of helpful adaptability — and maybe a humanitarian cause. Perhaps the adaptability reflects why his father-in-law keep putting him in charge of whatever big thing needs to get done that day: peace in the Middle East, saving America from COVID-19, whatever.
With Kushner’s Neptune at 23 Sagittarius, right on P45’s Moon and opposite P45’s Sun, we can see how P45 could put so much faith in him, as NYT columnist Maureen Dowd explains. And now — all of a sudden (it seems) — Kushner is running the show on COVID-19, invading the turf formerly occupied by dedicated civil servants with his own team from the private sector, described by one official as “a ‘frat party’ that descended from a U.F.O.” As sudden as this power surge seems to be, the timing is what we would anticipate in the wake of an eclipse.
Kushner’s Sun is conjunct Mercury, a marker for a practical mindset that may be blinded by its own light. Both are square to Pluto, a suggestion of being suppressed in his early home life. Making up for lost time now, perhaps — with so many outer planets activating that power pattern since his move to DC in 2017. Kushner seems to have seized the reins in March, right when Jupiter and Mars would have triggered his eclipsed Sun, presenting opportunities for him to expand on his ruthlessly persuasive mindset. At the White House podium last week, he referred to federal stockpiles of PPE and other equipment as “ours, not for the states” — and immediately, words on official U.S. government websites were changed to reflect Kushner’s declaration. How’s that for persuasive?
What’s going on in your horoscope? When are you likely to be eclipsed? Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
I suppose the sudden obsession with the Netflix series, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” also reflects current planetary patterns. Tigers are ruled by Jupiter (according to astrologer William Lilly), and Jupiter is amplified now by its conjunction with Pluto. It must be true, as how else would we also hear this week that tigers at the Bronx Zoo have tested positive for the virus — though at present, all are expected to recover.
Finally, two rounds of applause — first, to New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, who assured her constituents during today’s perfection-seeking Virgo Moon that the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny are absolutely, positively considered essential workers in New Zealand. Second, to Her Majesty The Queen, for delivering a noble and inspiring speech that was absolutely, positively perfect. Here it is, if you missed it.
Here’s how to make a coronavirus face mask — you need to wear this in public — no sewing required. And here is a reminder that Avid Reader Diane insists I post on every forecast: if you read it, please support it — by becoming a Faithful Monthly Avid Reader, Fairy Godparent — or even a Biggest Fan. Here’s the link to the Cosmic Tip Jar, with gratitude.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
The Tyger by William Blake
with an analysis provided here