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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 12/11/2023: Sneak Peek at the Week; New Moon in Sagittarius; Mercury Goes Retrograde!
/in The ForecastHappy holidaze!
It’s another week of action, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Just as the fog from Neptune turning direct (last week) began to briefly subside of the weekend, another delirious wave is scheduled. Mercury is about to turn retrograde, challenging communication and supply chains. Sun squares Neptune at the end of the week — color it all rose.
We are still at the end of the lunar cycle, in the dark about what’s just around the corner. Feelings of listlessness or restlessness would not be uncommon. Mental processes may also be slowing down, as Mercury slows to its next virtual standstill and prepares to turn retrograde on Wednesday. BACK UP YOUR COMPUTERS NOW.
Highlights:
It goes like this:
A pause, while we discuss this New Moon, set in Washington, D.C.:
Observations:
Back to the forecast:
A pause, while we discuss how to handle this Mercury retrograde:
In the language of astrology, Mercury refers to how we need to think and communicate. It refers to all methods of transmitting information (letters, computers, speech, etc.), and transportation (postal routes, highways, etc.). In Roman times, Mercury was associated with commerce (mercantile, merchants, merchandise), and thus in the language of astrology, Mercury refers to the negotiation and signing of contracts.
Mercury turns retrograde at 2:09 AM ET on December 13th. It turns direct at 10:07 PM ET on January 1st, 2024.
When Mercury turns retrograde, it will appear to move backwards in the sky. It’s not really moving backwards, but that is how it looks from our perspective here on Spaceship Earth.
General coping strategies for Mercury retrogrades:
Mercury turns retrograde at 8 degrees of Capricorn, which is where it turned direct on January 18th! Sounds like the Sabian Symbol for this degree would be good to know about, as it is clearly demanding our focus twice in one year! It is “an angel carrying a harp.” Astrologer James Burgess opines that this Symbol calls our attention to being attuned. What channel are you listening to — or watching? A heavenly angel or a rapacious harpy? Who’s stringing us along, defining what’s what, hmm? Astrologer Blain Bovee advises us to be aware of the challenge of “innocently reaching into realms of powerful potentials; of discriminating between sublime messages and pointed barbs.”
Look back to what was going on around January 18, 2023, and see how themes of tuning in may be recalled now…and again around January 30, 2024 (when Mercury will be back at 8 Capricorn). You are more personally affected by this Mercury retrograde if you have planets or angles around 8 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn.
Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week is spot on for current planetary patterns: mystical, magical, intangible…hard to know what to believe…but driven — especially by the Moon in Capricorn midweek — to get to the top of the mountain…or tell it on the mountain, as it were.
To be continued….
Yes, the AstroCoins are still available…order them now, if you need them by Christmas!
Here’s the 411 on gift certificates and consultations.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Close up detail of gilded winged Mercury atop the Bastille Column in Paris France
Monday 12/4/2023: Sneak Peek at the Week; Neptune Turns Direct
/in The Forecast‘Tis the season, and there’s magic in the air…
Highlights for this week:
It goes like this:
A pause, while we discuss Neptune turning direct.
First, note that whenever a planet changes direction, it pulls focus in the headlines several days before and after. With Neptune, we expect an uptick in stories of music, drugs, oil, deception, oceans and spirits of all kinds. Here’s what was happening in the news on a past Neptune change of direction.
As Neptune begins to move forward, perhaps we begin to project our renewed ideals into the world…or give serious consideration to ideals projected by others. But we may need time to get back up to speed. Neptune often dissolves whatever it touches, including vim and verve. Neptune may refer to rizz, but it also refers to “meh,” as in this headline from today’s NYT”:
You’ll feel the effects of Neptune’s change of station more personally if you have a planet or angle at 24-27 degrees of Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, and Sagittarius. What kind of effects? Oh…perhaps you are feeling somewhat bewildered…or less inclined to be in Type A personality mode (if you are normally a Type A personality). You may find yourself needing to express your creativity — even if you have never thought of yourself as a “creative” person.
Reminder: if you’re looking for a fun stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gelt, these zodiac coins, complete with a handcrafted 2024 Sun Sign Forecast are still available:
And now, the news…
…which I was not able to get to last night because another writing project required attention.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we had the sobering, militant discipline potential of Saturn square Sun-Mars, a status-quo preserving Taurus Moon and a potentially healing square between Mercury and Neptune. In Gaza, a temporary cease fire was negotiated:
Meanwhile…
Neptune turns direct at 24 Pisces. The Sabian Symbol is “a purging of the priesthood.” How interesting that Pope Francis made news last week for doing just that. Neptune has been on this degree since November 18, and will remain there until Christmas Day. Add its symbolism to the wake of last month’s Sun-Saturn square (always an alert for cuts and losses, especially involving leaders of state and business), and we see in the headlines the exits of several significant senior citizens who made an impact on the world, for better or for worse.
Not that old, but essentially purged:
In other news…
Let’s follow up on predictions made in last week’s forecast. Who made headlines, just as astrology anticipated?
Exhibit A: “Jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny faces news charges.”
Exhibit B: Liz Cheney is everywhere. Her horoscope is in an especially expansive phase, and though I didn’t know that she was writing a book, it’s no surprise that she did. It’s out this week — just in time for Jupiter to cross her Taurus Ascendant and square her Leo Sun (which it will do again in January), with sneak peeks and press junkets starting last week (as Mercury at the Aries Point activated her Moon and Saturn). Of particular interest: “‘Bait and switch’: Liz Cheney book tears into [MAGA] Mike Johnson over dishonest pro-TFG January 6 legal brief.” Remember, MAGA Mike was unanimously elected Speaker of the House by his fellow Republicans, and it’s too bad Cheney’s book wasn’t released before that happened.
Exhibit C: it is rumored that ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy may leave Congress altogether “in the coming weeks,” and if he does, it will be in sync with the third pass of transiting Saturn to his t-square among apex Saturn, Gemini Ascendant, and Sagittarius Moon. On his second Saturn return, we’d expect a new lease on life. Here is his horoscope.
Meanwhile…
Patterns driving the news over the weekend included a reality-based sextile between Mercury and Saturn, and a square between Venus and Pluto. The latter suggested extremes involving women, art, values, and money. Pluto refers to transformation and empowerment.
I’m not quite sure what sparked WaPo and the NYT to start taking the threat of a potential second TFG presidential term more seriously. Was it…
In any case, this op-ed by neoconservative RobertKagan was published in the Washington Post:
And over at the NYT, a pundit-packed podcast posits, “Are we all authoritarians at heart?”
Elsewhere…
These headlines are sponsored by Neptune’s dreamy, sometimes fabricated, escapes:
“The Isleworth Mona Lisa: have Leonardo da Vinci fans worshipped the wrong portrait for centuries?”
Wonka review – Timothée Chalamet’s Chocolate Factory prequel is a superbly sweet treat
So, like that.
Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Yes, gift certificates are available for all of your friends and relations….merry, merry…
Thank you for reading this forecast and sharing it with friends.
Neptune fountain in winter town park
Monday 11/27/2023: Sneak Peek at the Week; Full Moon in Gemini; Mercury-Venus Demand Focus
/in The ForecastAllllllrighty then!
First, a warm welcome to a slew of new Avid Readers who discovered and subscribed to this forecast over the holiday weekend, thanks to shout-outs made possible by Greg Olear (author of the most excellent Substack newsletter — PREVAIL), the Seven Sisters Alumnae Association, and Beth Owl’s Daughter, whose weekly Tarot Card is always in sync with planetary patterns.
I had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday, and I hope you did, too. In addition to the delightful shout-outs, I received a few unexpected invitations for speaking engagements, and that always makes my day.
Meanwhile, I just have to share a bit of feedback received today from a client consultation I had earlier last week! It’s such a cool example of how astrology can be super-helpful in your own personal world.
My client has been job hunting, and she’s received one offer from a company that wants an answer ASAP. She’s much more interested in another opportunity, but for various reasons, wasn’t convinced she’d make it to the next step in the hiring process. Should she move forward on the one offer received? That was her dilemma.
Astrology can help with these issues in more than one way. First, I ran a chart for the time my client asked her question about taking the offer she had. This is called a horary question (a.k.a. a Burning Question), and it’s described in greater detail here on my website. In the chart for a horary question it is possible to discern an accurate assessment of circumstances surrounding the question, and a likely outcome.
The chart for the question made it obvious that my client was not in a clear state of mind, and truly not that invested in accepting the offer. The strategy was to wait, and this was affirmed when I then looked at patterns in her horoscope for the following week, and saw:
These patterns convinced me that she was likely to hear news — and probably good news, at the beginning of this week, and that’s what I told her.
Did I know with absolute certainty that it would be related to this particular work opportunity? Nothing is absolutely certain (except death and taxes), but if I had to bet on it, the odds for it being a job-related piece of good news was strong. And guess what? My wonderful client emailed me this morning (Nov 27) to say that she’d been called in for an interview — the hoped-for next step in the process.
I’ve been smiling about this all day. I don’t know why astrology works, but it does…and often, it feels like magic.
Right-o. The forecast for this week.
Highlights are:
Basically, Mercury (how we need to think and communicate) and Venus (who, what, and how we need to love) are the star players. The challenges reflected by patterns affecting both planets this week are beautifully represented in Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week, which is Temperance. Beth writes (words in italics are mine):
It goes like this:
A pause, while we discuss what it means when Mercury (or any other planet) is in its shadow phase.
A second pause, while we discuss today’s Full Moon in Gemini, set in Washington, D.C.:
Observations:
Back to the forecast for the week:
Normally, I would do a news round-up here, but because I do not wish to overwhelm new Avid Readers, my intention is to write a separate post that will go out tomorrow evening (fingers crossed). At least this is my intention — not a guarantee.
Meanwhile, I do want to share :
…before I close.
Here is the mind-boggling story, reflecting spacey Mercury square Neptune on steroids. Mercury was at 22 Sagittarius when it hit the wires, so let’s see if it comes back into focus when Mercury returns to 22 Sagittarius on January 1st…or perhaps even when Jupiter gets to 21/22 Gemini next year. We should also look to June 2025, when Uranus gets to 29 Taurus.
Photo #1:
…this is the collection of 2024 Sun Sign forecasts I was commissioned to create, as an accompaniment to these genuine Sun Sign coins. What a fun and informative stocking stuffer or holiday gift for everyone on your list, amiright? Please order them here — and please order them SOON, because Mercury goes retrograde on December 13th. Gift certificates for personal consultations are also available and can be delivered by email or snail mail. And speaking of personal consultations, here’s the 411.
Photo #2:
(see the caption below)
A perfect reflection of a Full Moon in witty Gemini, on a day with Mercury square fantastical Neptune. Ivan Royster says he is an “Expert in breaking news, and all things interesting. Inspiring and informing audiences worldwide 🌍“ If he has planets in Gemini, I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s a link to his Facebook page, which I am now following.
Thank you for reading this forecast — and sharing it with your friends.
Monday 11/20/2023: Sneak Peek at the Thanksgiving Week; Rosalynn Carter, RIP
/in The ForecastAllllllrighty then!
Before I get into the forecast, I am inspired to tell you what I created last week. I was commissioned to write a 2024 general forecast for each Sun Sign, to be packaged with a cool set of 10-shilling Sun Sign coins. My client was delighted, and they encouraged me to share them with Avid Readers who may be looking for unique stocking stuffers or other holiday gifts. You can see the collection on my website here – and yes, I’ll mention this again at the end of the forecast.
Highlights for this short Thanksgiving holiday week (here in the United States) are:
…and by the weekend, we’ll be under the rose-colored spell of Monday’s Mercury-Neptune square.
It goes like this:
And now, the news.
Planetary patterns aren’t only reflected in the headlines. They crop up in other media, too. For example, last week’s dominant pattern was Sun-Mars in Scorpio trine Neptune, suggesting forceful expression of leadership, infused with pixie-dust, scandal, intrigue, and the surreal. Thus on Friday, it was no surprise to see that writer Greg Olear chose to share three recently-read books in his latest Substack post:
See how they all reflect the week’s planetary patterns? Guns, spies and scandal. Astrology is amazing!
Meanwhile, I went to the theater on Saturday, and of course I saw Emergence, described as:
Did you know that the reason we perceive a yellow tulip as “yellow” is because when light hits the tulip, it absorbs all the other colors in the spectrum — except yellow? That color is not absorbed, and is thus reflected back to our eyes, and it is we — the observer — that perceives the tulip as yellow. Of this phenomenon Olson drily observed that it is interesting that the yellow tulip is perceived to be the thing it rejects. The tulip itself is colorless — like everything else on earth. It is an illusion…a projection…a hologram. But who creates it?
If I learned that tulip tidbit in high school, I forgot it. If you have a chance to see Emergence, don’t miss it. It is wonderfully thought-provoking.
In other news…
Looking ahead to this week’s square between Sun and Saturn, I expected sobering news involving heads of state. I sighed on Friday night, when former First Lady Rosalynn Carter entered hospice care, and passed away the next day. Here is her horoscope. Here are thoughts about her horoscope, posted a few months ago, and here are many photos and tributes posted on the Carter Center’s website.
Mrs. Carter was a Leo queen, driven by the Moon in Taurus. This is a potentially empowered organizer, gifted with confidence and dramatic flair. Her Virgo Ascendant echoes the earthy practicality of her Taurus Moon, adding exacting detail. It occurs to me that many people transition during patterns similar to ones in their natal chart. Mrs. Carter was born with Sun square Saturn and Mars sextile Pluto –– both in effect this week.
Jimmy Carter is a double Libra, driven by the Moon in Scorpio. This is a people-person, for sure — as my teacher Noel Tyl observed — happiest when caring for others, yet fiercely protective of their own privacy. It occurs to me that the former president’s Moon in Scorpio suggests tenacity and loyalty to a fault. He would never leave his beloved. And he didn’t. Here is his horoscope.
Thinking of their extraordinary love story and 77-year marriage made me remember another couple I wrote about in 2014 — married for 73 years. One was a Taurus; the other was a Scorpio. One had Moon in Taurus; the other had Moon in Leo. These fixed signs (the fourth one is Aquarius) play for keeps.
In other news…
A few stories broke just before I posted Friday’s news round-up. They are forceful and surreal. First, MAGA House Speaker Mike Johnson released 90 hours of security footage taken on January 6, 2021 — during the former guy’s attempted coup:
Point is, the fate of our country is in your hands. Yes, you are the hero! I’m not convinced the cavalry is coming. The power is with the people, as Pluto in Aquarius (coming soon!) would posit. Are you registered to vote? Are you sure? Please check here — and pass it on to your friends. If you’re in Virginia, you could be one of the thousands were “accidentally” purged from the roster.
Elsewhere…
It’s not just the U.S. that is facing authoritarianism — on the one hand, and democracy — on the other. Astrology has prepared anyone who’s been paying attention to planetary cycles over past fifteen years that this mind-boggling dilemma is one that plenty of other countries are facing, too. In Argentina, for example…
We do have a horoscope for Milei — with a possibly disputed time, but we can test and track events in his life next year after the April 8th eclipse. Why? Because his 18 Aries Midheaven will be eclipsed, that’s why — and this must affect his professional status, one way or the other. I invite you to read the linked article to learn about his priorities.
Milei is a Libra, with Sun at the verrry end, so he is yet another poster child for the empowerment potential of Pluto squaring the Sun. His Moon is in Leo, squared by “man on a mission” Jupiter in Scorpio, so of course he needs to be an adored drama king, big time. If he really was born at 24:00 on October 22, 1970, he has a Cancer Ascendant — demanding prominence and a personal projection of family values and feeling. He has a Mars-Pluto conjunction at the Aries Point — forceful machismo can make him famous (does waving a chainsaw around whilst campaigning qualify?), and Mars-Pluto square his Ascendant. Isn’t interesting that he was elected on a weekend with Sun-Mars conjunct in Scorpio, sextile Pluto?
Meanwhile…
Finally…
Saturn refers to debt. Neptune refers to healing. As the Sun trines Neptune and squares Saturn, I offer these:
Today is President Biden’s 81st birthday. He has a busy week in his cosmic calendar. Over the weekend, he wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post.
And ooh — lookie! Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week is in…and it’s the Ten of Pentacles. Coins!! And always in sync with planetary patterns! Everyone should have someone as wise and wonderful as Beth in their life.
Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. Yes, of course I have gift certificates — delighted to be asked (as I was earlier today). This year, I also have shiny Sun Sign coins with a 2024 Sun Sign forecast — just in time for the holidaze!!
May you find yourself counting many blessings on this Thanksgiving. I count you among mine.
Yellow tulips presenting themselves as something they actually reject.
Insert deep-thinking emoji here.
Friday 11/17/2023 & the Weekend: Catching Up on the News
/in The ForecastTGIF!
And now, the news.
The US government did not shut down over the weekend, as Congress was able to cobble together a plan to keep essential services and wages paid until January 19 (for some stuff) and February 2 (for other stuff). Heather Cox Richardson has the details. I’m not surprised a deal was reached, even though a week ago Friday, Sen Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee called the staggered plan
But, hey — planetary patterns last week were generally weirdly conflict-avoidant, with the exception of notable outbursts of surreal aggressive threats. Thus, crazy-stupid was going to sell. Make a note of planetary patterns whenever you have a crazy-stupid agenda in mind.
I expect cuts, blocks, and losses around Thanksgiving, reflecting the squares between Sun-Mars and Saturn next Thursday and Saturday. If the deadline to avert a shutdown was at the end of next week, it would have been more likely to happen, I believe. And whatever does happen may well be heavy, so count your blessings this weekend. .
This week’s headlines reflected the rebellious potential of Monday’s Sun-Uranus opposition, coupled with the idealism potential of Mercury sextile Venus. Was it for real? Sun-Mars trine Neptune suggests the jury is still out, much as Sun-Mars in Scorpio is spoiling for a fight.
Ready?
This is a serious one…long overdue…but that’s how long it’s taken to have Sun-Mars in Scorpio trine Neptune for a cosmic prompt. The Washington Post published an interactive exclusive, “American Icon: Terror on Repeat,” and it is “photographs and videos taken during the immediate aftermaths of some of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings .” Right now it is the most-viewed article on the WaPo website. Maybe if enough people see it…something will change.
Meanwhile…
In other news…
Sun-Mars in Scorpio is a stubborn pattern, and remember Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week suggesting prominent themes of standing one’s ground (on the other hand), or taking the high road?” For the former, have you seen the former guy’s former lawyer Jenna Ellis explain on tape how White House staffer Dan Scavino told her last December that the former guy did not plan to leave office, and did not care what the laws required?
Sun-Mars in Scorpio is an apt pattern for the launch of a ginormous rocket.
Finally, Mars-Neptune can reflect miracles, as in the “miracle dog” who was found by her (sadly) deceased owner’s side after both went missing in Colorado mountains ten weeks ago. I wish that story had a happier ending, which is why I have posted adorable pandas below.
Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. We will have an enlightening discussion together.
Pandas enjoying their bamboo breakfast in Chengdu Research Base, China