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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 10/30/2023: Sneak Peek at the Week; Saturn Direct; Matthew Perry RIP
/in The ForecastAllllrighty then!
Every so often, an Avid Reader lets me know how she’s been paying attention and applying the information provided in this forecast. Yesterday, Avid Reader Dee emailed to say:
You’re welcome, and congratulations, Avid Reader Dee! Thank you for letting me know how you successfully used astrology to live life better.
Here are the highlights for the week:
It goes like this:
A pause, while we re-post thoughts about Saturn in Pisces, published in March:
As Saturn gets back up to its usual speed over the next few weeks, roadblocks are likely to give away and progress can be made wherever Saturn is traveling in your horoscope. Off the top of my head, those personally affected include Mitch McConnell, Bill Barr, Nicolas Maduro, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, and Chuck Schumer.
Beth Owl’s Daughter’s always-in-sync Tarot Card of the Week appears to focus on themes of authority suggested by Saturn turning direct. It may also reflect the potential of the Sun (leaders) opposing Jupiter (expansive). Can you think of any leaders currently seeking to expand their influence, who may be coming from a place of genuine generosity or overconfidence?
And now, the news.
As anticipated, and in sync with planetary patterns, on Friday, “Israel entered Gaza to fight Hamas,” (reports the NYT), and the headline yesterday was:
Avid Reader Nigeala asked if I had any thoughts on Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. I wrote about his horoscope back in 2015 — and here is a link to the chart (time unconfirmed, but many astrologers use it). As for recent patterns, when Mars squared Pluto earlier this month, that pattern made contact with his 27 Libra Sun. Over the next three weeks, Mars will square his natal Pluto and then square his Mars. So when he makes headlines for saying “it’s time for war,” we see the potential for provocative action in his horoscope.
Right now it is easier to write about Matthew Perry, who passed away on Saturday, apparently within minutes of the lunar eclipse at 6 degrees of Taurus, opposing the Sun at 6 Scorpio.
Perry’s horoscope has an opposition between the Moon at 7 Scorpio and Saturn at 8 Taurus. Both planets square his 10 Leo Ascendant. This pattern alerts us to potential melancholy, and the likelihood of a lack of nurturing in the early home. In fact, Perry’s parents divorced before his first birthday. This potential at this very young age is clearly articulated in the horoscope.
Perry’s 26 Leo Sun is square Neptune, suggesting sensitivity and potential bewilderment in matters of ego identity. In the language of astrology, Neptune dissolves whatever it touches, and refers to ideals, visions, drugs, and spirits of all kinds. Things may not be as they seem in horoscopes with strong Neptune patterns. Neptune is the only planet making a significant connection to Perry’s Sun, suggesting a lack of internal support for his (Leo) regal identity.
Perry’s 28 Libra Midheaven has been receiving a square from transiting Pluto in 2023. Translation: extreme pressure for transformation in matters of professional status/core personal foundation. This week, Perry’s t-square among Moon-Saturn and 10 Leo Ascendant were hit by three planets: Mercury-Mars in Scorpio, opposing Jupiter in Taurus. This is an expansive rush of energy, to somehow be absorbed and processed…and minutes later, eclipsed.
It is notable that a 911 call was received at 4:07 PM in Los Angeles. Neptune was on the Ascendant at that moment in time and place. It is an apt placement for the apparent nature of Perry’s passing — he is thought to have drowned in a hot tub…but they are still investigating. Neptune also refers to drugs and alcohol, and authorities are saying the cause of death will not be known for some weeks…or months. I can’t help but note the similarity to Perry’s passing and the death of Whitney Houston, who also accidentally drowned in a tub in 2012.
In a recent interview, Perry said, “When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want [helping people] to be the first thing that’s mentioned, and I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”
Perry’s book, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir” was published just a year ago — on November 1, 2022.
In other news…
Here are two headlines reflecting Saturn (aging) in Pisces (surrender, confinement,
And finally…big news in the car industry, reflecting the weekend’s Mercury (contracts) – Mars (cars) – Jupiter (big!) opposition:
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Thank you for reading — and sharing — this forecast.
Happy haunting…
Friday 10/27/2023 & the Weekend: Catching Up on the News…
/in The ForecastTGIF.
As anticipated, we’ve had a week of well-coordinated surges of action, for better or worse — and it’s not over yet. Please refer to Monday’s forecast for a look at this high-octane weekend, including an analysis of Saturday’s Full Moon in Taurus, which is also a lunar eclipse.
The only stopgap to the outbursts of physical and emotional energy reflecting the weekend’s oppositions among Mercury and Mars (in Scorpio) to Jupiter (in Taurus) is that the Moon is in Taurus…and the needs symbolized by a Taurus Moon are to preserve the status quo and keep things calm and comfortably secure. If you can afford the luxury, your coping strategy is to balance the need for physical action and emotional release with material comforts, e.g., a nourishing meal, a glass of wine, sweet music or the arts, a snuggle with your sweetie or the nearest tree (as a way of connecting with the element of Earth). In other words…ground yourself and…
Meanwhile, I’ve caught up on all the personalized eclipse insights (for the solar and the lunar one) requested by Avid Readers, and I’m happy to write up another batch upon request. These are handcrafted insights — not computer-generated — and they are yours for $65. Just please email me your birth data — time, place, and date — if you know I don’t already have it.
And now, the news…
…because as always, astrology is amazing, and the synchronicity among planetary patterns and the headlines is an eternal wonder.
First up…the new Speaker of the House. Note the journey of the Moon on Tuesday, and note that House Republicans announced their 4th nominee — Mike Johnson — in the early evening:
Looks like a potentially productive day, doesn’t it? And so then I looked at what we know of Johnson’s horoscope and thought, “Welp. He’s got a strong shot at this.” And he did. All Republicans present — 220 of them — voted to elect him Speaker the very next day.
Here is a fascinating article explaining how Johnson was able to make it all the way to Congress from Shreveport, LA — and why it makes sense that Johnson says he doesn’t believe in democracy (because he has a history of running unopposed). Here is Heather Cox Richardson explaining why the former guy calls the new Speaker “MAGA Mike Johnson.“ Not only did he vote against certifying the 2020 election, he led the charge to do so.
And here is Avid Reader Penny, who emailed her take on Johnson’s chart before I could write mine up — so take it away, Penny [with my notes in italics]:
My Avid Readers are so smart!! Great job, Penny!
I would add that Johnson’s Jupiter is in Sagittarius — strong in the sign it rules, and it is close enough to 0 Capricorn to be on the Aries Point, demanding our attention. Jupiter refers to collective beliefs (not facts), including religion (the dogma part, not so much the spiritual part, which is Neptune), and Johnson is known for his avowed Christianity. His Jupiter is square to Pluto in Libra — also on the Aries Point, so we see the potential for resources, power, and all that Jupiter symbolizes pushed to extremes — and which could make him famous.
Oh wait — there’s more. His Saturn is at 29 Taurus — the verrrry end of the sign that seeks its ambition and authority in an empire of material comfort and security — however things ought to be. A planet at the end of a sign is in a crisis point, needs to build something material before Saturn enters Gemini and has to face the facts (which are different from Jupiter-in-Sagittarius beliefs). Johnson’s Saturn is conjunct the Fixed Star Alcyone — which is not a happy placement. It suggests a person of blurred vision — who can’t accept the opinions of others. Elon Musk and Richard Nixon have this in their horoscopes.
Finally, we should note the basics. Johnson’s Sun is in Aquarius, driven by the Moon in Leo. If pushed out of balance, the energy for detached, intellectual innovation, driven by a commanding stage presencesand a need for the love love love, could create a potential king complex. Everything he does would be personal, potentially devoid of logic. Thus it was interesting when Alexandra Petri (WaPo’s resident humorist) took him to task for bemoaning the real problem in the recent AR-15 massacre in Maine. It wasn’t the gun; it was “the human heart.” –– oh, there’s just not enough love to go around. Petri’s op-ed is now the second most-read article on the WaPo site, after the live updates on Israel and Gaza.
In other news…
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) announced today that he is running against Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential race. No surprise here in what we can see of Phillips’ horoscope — January 20, 1969 in St. Paul, MN. Phillips could have Sun at 29 Capricorn or 0 Aquarius — we need a birth time to be sure. Either way, he joins Nikki Haley, Marianne Williamson, Pete Buttigieg, President Biden, and RFK, Jr. — who all have Sun or Moon between 28 Capricorn and 0 Aquarius, and are thus all empowered and potentially transformed by transiting PLUTO. Got that?
But is he a Cap with Moon in Aquarius, a double Aquarius, or an Aquarius with Moon in Pisces? I don’t know, but given his family businesses (liquor and gelato), and that Dear Abby was his step-grandmother, Neptune should factor prominently, if a birth time is ever disclosed. Guess where Phillips has his Mars? 11 Scorpio, which means that transiting Mercury and Mars (walking and talking) are sitting on it, and it is being opposed by Jupiter right NOW. Of COURSE he would take action and declare his candidacy NOW.
Guess who else has planets at 28 Capricorn? Confederate General Robert E. Lee, that’s who, with Sun and Chiron. This week it was announced that a bronze statue of him has been melted down, and will be — get this — “transformed” into another piece of public art, one that is more inclusive. The horoscope lives forever, doncha’ know. Here is what we know of Lee’s horoscope.
Meanwhile…
We knew on Monday that we were likely to be processing heartbreaking headlines, right? Beth Owl’s Daughter tipped us off, and this week’s planetary patterns suggest forceful, ruthless action, yes? Thus, in the Middle East, Israel is reportedly “stepping up its operations in Gaza,” even though members of the UN overwhelmingly voted for a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire (the U.S. voted against it).
Here in America, as noted earlier, a man with an AR-15 killed 18 people and injured another 13 people in two locations — a bowling alley and a bar — in Lewiston, Maine. Lewiston is a place like Lahaina, Maui — where you’d least expect something massively brutal and tragic to happen.
The perpetrator — Robert Card — is still on the run, though I suspect they will soon catch up with him.. He had complained of “hearing voices” after getting new hearing aids this July, and the Army reservist’s behavior was so erratic while on tour with his unit at West Point that he was sent to a psych ward (in New York) for two weeks. [UPDATE: he was found dead on Friday night and is presumed to have shot himself, as anticipated].
Observation: in the language of astrology, Saturn refers to deafness, and as Saturn slows to a virtual standstill now, as it prepares to turn direct next week, Saturn-ruled issues should demand focus. With Saturn in Pisces, themes of compassion, empathy, and a lack of boundaries should be involved. It’s notable that Robert Card was hard of hearing, and that some of his targets were deaf.
Times like these, I wish astrologers could be called upon to offer insights on how likely a person is to act on destructive impulses. It’s so clear in what we can see of Card’s horoscope — 4/4/1983 in Lewiston, ME — that given his mental state, extreme care should have been taken to keep him from harming himself and others in 2023. Planetary patterns in October and November suggested strong potential for reckless outbursts. However, whether the law in Maine and other states would permit such preventive measures is debatable, according to this article in the Bangor Daily News.
Speaking of the law, Jared Golden (7/25/82), a Lewiston native who represents Maine’s 2nd district in the US Congress, issued an apology to constituents for his past opposition to legislation that would ban semi-assault rifles. Going forward, he says he is committed to getting gun control legislation “done, in the time he has left in Congress.” And with transiting Pluto soon to square his natal Jupiter in Scorpio AND oppose his natal Sun-Mercury conjunction in Leo, he may well become empowered enough to fulfill his mission.
In other news…
... the economy is going gangbusters, as in:
…and in the spirit of this weekend’s Mercury-Mars conjunction in Scorpio, which demands deep, penetrating communication that cuts through the fluff, here is Heather Cox Richardson seeking to shed light on why so many Americans believe our economy is worse than it actually is.
Three of the former guy’s attorneys (Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Ken Chesebro) and one other defendant (whatshisname) in the Georgia election case will plead guilty and testify for the prosecution…
Mark Meadows (Cassidy Hutchinson’s former boss) has been granted immunity in the DC and will presumably testify against his former boss…
A 14-year-old — Heman Bekele — was named “America’s top young scientist” and won a prize after developing a soap that can help treat skin cancer. In the language of astrology, Saturn refers to skin.
Stephen Colbert has recovered from Covid and is back in the studio, helping us laugh at things that might otherwise make us cry. Here, he introduces the new speaker, MAGA Mike…
…and finally, in Santa Cruz, 841, the mischievous sea otter who would not be subdued this summer, is now 841 +1.
Always good to end on a upbeat note.
Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Thank you for reading — and sharing — this forecast.
‘Tis the season…
Monday 10/23/2023: Sneak Peek at the Week; Full Moon in Taurus/Lunar Eclipse
/in The ForecastGood morning from New York!
One eclipse down; one more to go — in another action-packed week. Highlights are:
So…what appears to be an easy flow of authoritative energy at the beginning of the week, builds to a big, big release of energy over the weekend, likely possessive/territorial in nature.
A pause, while we look at the chart for this Full Moon/lunar eclipse, set in Washington, D.C.:
Observations:
And yes, there’s still time to request a few paragraphs of personalized insights on how this eclipse may be reflected in your life experience. I’ll tell you when it will be triggered, and you may plan accordingly. You can order these eclipse insights using the handy PayPal button on this page.
Back to the weekly forecast:
Meanwhile…
Beth Owl’s Daughter’s always-in-sync Tarot Card of the Week last appeared in August — during the week of the devastating fires on Maui. It’s a sorrowful card, but as I’ve noted before about the Nine of Swords, there is a literal comforter in it, crafted with patterns of beauty and hope. Beth offers helpful coping strategies…and these recent articles may help, too:
And now, the news.
On my two-week whirlwind European tour I was more focused on walking, walking, walking — through cities I’d never before seen, and less interested in following the news. But I flew to Dublin on the day Hamas breached the walls surrounding Gaza, and their horrific attack was on my mind.
With only several hours to spend in Ireland, I couldn’t stop to linger at Trinity College (and see the Book of Kells), for example. But if I’d had the luxury, I probably would have headed to the National Museum of Ireland first, to see the bog bodies I’d read about in my travel guide. They are ancient — and believed to be victims in rituals of human sacrifice, which had got me thinking about how humans have a long, long track record of deliberate cruelty and violence against each other. I thought about this again when I walked by Rome’s Coliseum, where humans were routinely thrown to lions as a spectator sport.
Current events might make one wonder if we as a species have evolved much at all over the millennia. Even in Iceland, an eco-conscious country where bankers were actually held accountable for crashing their economy several years ago, women — including the prime minister — are going on strike (tomorrow!) in protest of pay inequity — and gender-based violence.
On the other hand…putting the news aside…my two-week whirlwind tour was pretty much non-stop beauty and human kindness, for which I thank my lucky stars.
In other news…
The flow of events as reported by Heather Cox Richardson were utterly in sync with the planetary patterns outlined in last week’s forecast. Sun and Mercury at the verrrry end of Libra suggested more talk about the rule of law, and there was President Biden giving a speech in Israel about upholding just that, as well as seeking peace. Later in the week, he gave another speech — this time from the Oval Office — along the same themes. Over the weekend, on the trine between Venus and Jupiter, which suggested an easy flow of fortune, “a convoy of trucks crossed into Gaza from Egypt,” for the purpose of delivering humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile…
As anticipated, Jim Jordan did not have the votes to become Speaker of the House, but he did play a major part in Saturday Night Live’s cold open (with thanks to Avid Reader Michael for making sure I didn’t miss it).
Also as anticipated: VP Kamala Harris was on the cover of the NYT Magazine. The story hit the stands on October 9th, the day after transiting Mars opposed her Aries Moon and was conjunct her Libra Sun. Not surprisingly, it’s a provocative piece — hardly warm and fuzzy. The reporter unknowingly addresses the challenges of being clearly seen when transiting Neptune is squaring your Ascendant and your North and South Nodes, especially when Neptune (which dissolves whatever it touches) rules your Midheaven — career! Patterns through the end of 2023 are more expansive…here is her horoscope.
Closing with a random tidbit about what it’s like to constantly look at the world through the lens of astrology…
I was listening to a Suzanne Vega album for the first time in years, and thinking — upon hearing the lyrics to this song — “I’ll eat my hat if there are no screaming Scorpio/Pluto placements in her horoscope.” As it turns out, Vega has Venus exactly conjunct Pluto in Virgo (emotional overkill); Mars in drama queen Leo square Jupiter in — Scorpio (!) — with added shock value suggested by Mercury exactly conjunct Uranus (!!!) in Leo. Astrology is amazing.
For another take on an astrologer’s point of view, Avid Reader Julia recommends Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, by the Nobel Prize-winning author Olga Torkarczuk. It’s a murder-mystery with a philosophical bent — and the protagonist is an astrologer. It’s just right for this time with Mercury, Mars, and Sun in Scorpio.
Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. We will have a fine discussion together.
And yes, if you are ordering my handcrafted (not computer-generated) eclipse insights, I do need your birth data — time, place and date — if I don’t already have it. Please send it via email, after making payment via the handy PayPal Eclipse Insights button on this page, with gratitude.
Thank you for reading this forecast — and sharing it with friends.
Happy Birthday to all the Scorpios. Resistance is futile.
Monday 10/16/2023: Sneak Peek at the Week; Pluto Again…
/in The ForecastAllrighty then!
After shipping yesterday’s post about the New Moon/solar eclipse, I noticed this op-ed in WaPo, which speaks more eloquently to the guidance of the New Moon’s Sabian Symbol. It was a nurturing image of treating others with an open-hearted – albeit perhaps naive – generosity. If you’re not familiar with Sabian Symbols and/or how astrologers use them in their interpretation of planetary patterns, you can read about their origin here.
Highlights for this week are:
It goes like this:
Here is Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week. The birthing potential of the Page of Cups is reflected in this weekend’s trines. Note that the Page is the youngest court card of the Cups — and isn’t it interesting that in this card, the cup contains a fish – the symbol of Pisces? That’s where Saturn is right now — Pisces — and it is now back at the very beginning of that sign — 0 degrees. A childlike state — in a way — if you ask me.
I’ll have more to say about that in the next forecast.
Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. I’ll be back in the home office this weekend.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
Where in the world will I be on Thursday?
Saturday 10/14/2023: New Moon in Libra, Eclipsed
/in The ForecastAllllrighty then!
There’s an eclipse underway that is visible in the Americas. You can see its path and watch it online here. Here in Rome, it’s just another beautiful sunset.
And here is a recap of patterns driving the action through this weekend:
Here is what the New Moon in Libra looks like, from the perspective of Washington, D.C.:
Observations:
Back to the weekend forecast:
And now, the news.
Photos of the eclipse — a ring of fire — can be found here.
Meanwhile…
Mars at the verrry end of Libra last week activated April’s solar eclipse at 29 Aries. The rush of assertive energy expressed over the past few days may be tied to things that were percolating — but hiding in plain sight — back then.
I mentioned on Monday that Mars at the end of Libra suggested an urgency in matters related to being a warrior for peace. That urgency was expressed by President Biden in a phone with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (as historian Heather Cox Richardson reports), in which Biden said they discussed,
Mars refers to war. Libra refers to the law.
On Friday, when Mars entered Scorpio — no longer interested in law, but in honor, power, and control — it trined a fearfully focused Saturn (authority) in Pisces (refugees, victims). Israel ordered 1.1 million people in the northern part of Gaza to evacuate, in preparation for its planned ground attack. Just like that. It boggles the mind, but Mars in Scorpio is determined and capable, and it is supported by the strategic ambition symbolized by Saturn.
President Biden — and anyone else with planets at 0 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius — is personally impacted by Mars entering Scorpio, as it opposes his 0 degree Taurus Moon. Translation: his need to preserve the status quo; to build and maintain material comfort and security would be energized, for better or worse. As Mars continues through Scorpio, it will square his Pluto and meet up with his Mars, Mercury, Sun, and Venus — with the first two of those happening on October 22 and 30. Humming in the background — and serving to expand his resourceful action plan — is Jupiter, moving back to oppose his Mars on the 18th, and square Pluto at the end of November. Meanwhile, a disruptive/innovative/daring mindset is suggested by transiting Uranus opposing his Mercury on November 2nd.
In other news, House Republicans did not put forth a viable candidate to become the next Speaker. Steve Scalise (the reportedly self-proclaimed “David Duke without the baggage”) did not prevail, and in what we know of his horoscope, this is no surprise. Next up: insurrectionist Jim Jordan (per Liz Cheney) is going to make a go of it this week, and I wish we had a birth time for him (though in what we can see of his horoscope, prospects do not seem glowing).
Meanwhile, given what we know, the horoscopes of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Speaker pro temp Patrick McHenry continue to receive the empowering potential of transiting Pluto (to Jupiter and Sun, respectively). All 212 Democrats will back Jeffries’ nomination; there is talk of finding a way to allow McHenry to do more than bang a gavel, and so far, there are not five Republican members of the House (not yet, anyway) willing to form a bipartisan coalition so that this elected body of representatives can actually do something.
To be continued…
Here is the 411 on personal consultations. Email me and I’ll send a link to my nifty new scheduling software, and you can choose a time that works best for you. I’ll be back in the home office on October 22nd.
Thank you for reading this forecast — and sharing it with your friends.
Who needs Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel when you have Raffaello’s spectacular Villa Farnesina?
How many astrological representations do you see?