Follow us on TwitterFind us on FacebookFind us on Tumblr

Get daily Astro-Logical forecasts delivered to you here.

"... an incredibly insightful and delightful astrologer! We met for a an Essential Consultation with a Lifeline review and it was so worth it! Everything that we went over was so on point -- I left the consultation feeling validated that I'm on the path I want to be on. In fact, I plan to consult with Elisabeth every year."
B.G.
New Jersey

I CAN'T WRITE THIS WITHOUT YOU : ) PLEASE support my time and efforts. CONTRIBUTE to my COSMIC TIP JAR using the gold button below. THANK YOU.


Astro-logical Forecast for Thurs 1/29-2/1/2015: Super Bowl Musings

Today, the fast-talking, quick-think Gemini Moon is sparked by several contacts from other planets, which helps keep balls in play. Tomorrow at 4:24AM ET, that Moon goes void-of-course, suggesting a higher potential for efforts that wander off course. So get it off your desk today if you can, and consider the possibility of an early start to the weekend tomorrow. The Moon won’t enter the next sign — Cancer — until 2:09AM ET on Saturday.

The wee hours on Friday have three exact aspects of note that we can expect to be reflected in the news and perhaps in your own personal world. First is a challenge between Venus in Pisces and taskmaster Saturn in Sagittarius. Pisces can refer to martyrs. A challenge between Venus and Saturn suggests chilly or controlled emotions and/or “women of steel” in the headlines. Here’s an example of past headlines under this aspect.

One story I’m watching is the hostage situation in which a Jordanian pilot and a Japanese journalist may be released in exchange for a female suicide bomber whose efforts did not succeed. Her prominence in the news at this time seems an apt reflection of planetary patterns, even though some media may be baffled. Consider also that Mercury is still retrograde, suggesting projects and people from the past may suddenly reappear.

Around 8:30AM ET on Friday we’ll have a meet-up between Mercury and Sun in Aquarius, suggesting a high level of idealism, likely with a revolutionary, technological or humanitarian bent. At the same time we’ll have an easy alignment between action hero Mars (in Pisces) and ruthless Pluto (Capricorn), suggesting potentially effective power dynamics. These patterns, combined with Sunday’s meet-up between Venus and Neptune could suggest a greater inclination for compassion and empathy. Certainly it’s a perfect time for an op-ed column in the NYT asking “how do we increase empathy”, along with one from Angelina Jolie about the refugee crisis in Syria and Iraq.

It’s this soulful Venus-Neptune meet-up that sets the tone for the weekend, once the Moon enters equally sensitive, nurturing Cancer at 2:09AM ET on Saturday. Healing on the home front? Moon in Cancer does favor energy invested in home, family, Mom, nourishment — whatever stokes your need for emotional security.

Take care of your weekend shopping on Saturday. On Sunday, Moon makes its weekly clash with the disruptive Uranus-Pluto square early in the morning. Then it goes void at 8:37AM ET for the rest of the day. No major shopping sprees! A void Moon suggests upsets, surprise twists and maybe a few spectacular communication snafus at the Super Bowl. Which team is the underdog? They’d be my pick…but — wait — a few days ago, there was no underdog in this match. Verrry interesting, but with a sports match on a day with Venus conjunct Neptune in Pisces, you might wish we could all just get along instead of fighting battle after battle.

I predict that the biggest winner in Sunday’s game will be the advertiser that airs the most sentimental, soulful commercial. It certainly won’t be GoDaddy. Their effort was deemed offensive by animal lovers everywhere and will not air during the game. But what else might we expect from a company whose CEO hunts big game animals in Africa for sport? GoDaddy is not the only web hosting and domain service provider in the marketplace. I use Host Duplex and Hover. Ask my wonderful webmaster for details.

Here’s another story in tune with planetary patterns. The “Friendship Nine”, refers to nine young men who dared to sit at the counter of a “whites only” South Carolina diner in 1961. They were arrested, convicted and served time for their “crime”. Their convictions were overturned this week, and here’s how Justice Antonin Scalia’s favorite paper covered the story. And here’s how the New York Times reported it (one of two articles).

I love how this story incorporates themes of Friendship (Aquarius) and forgiveness (Pisces) against the backdrop of Mercury retrograde (remembrance of things past) and the Uranus-Pluto square, whose conjunction in the mid-60s planted the seeds of the civil rights movement that is struggling to firmly take root today. Yes, struggling — in certain places. Did you hear that the Senate subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights has just dropped “civil rights” and “human rights” from its name?

In other news, a potential revelation on the heavy topic of depression, as a recent study has found a link between depression and inflammation of the brain. I remember reading a theory somewhere that depression was “anger turned inward.” How interesting that inflammation of the mind (reflecting tomorrow’s Sun-Mercury meet up!) would be observed…

That’s the brain dump for the next few days. Have a great weekend…thank you for reading this forecast, and don’t forget that…

Mercury retrograde is an excellent time to REview your life with your astrologer — and find out if your own Mercury is being supercharged.  Here’s the 411 on scheduling a personal consultation.

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 1/28/2015: Mind the Void

Patience, as you arise and go about your business. If you’re tuning in, you may feel as if the day is idling in neutral. Stick to routine tasks and roll with whatever detours and delays that crop up on Moon void and Mercury retrograde. How many times will you have to repeat yourself? I don’t know, but best to make sure what you said is what was heard.

Moon enters chatty Gemini at 5:36PM ET and is challenged by Venus in soulful Pisces at 8:57PM ET. Sounds like a backdrop for the “Madeleine Episode” of Remembrance of Things Past, presented here for your entertainment. Sleep on those fond memories before the potential wet blanket of a face-off between Moon and Saturn hits at 11:44pm ET…and sends you into a fit of restless melancholia.

And now, the news.

Earlier this year I wrote about the fantasy/reality challenge of a the approaching square between Neptune and Saturn. I noted that these two planets were in a challenging pattern around the time of the housing bubble/bust, and the internet bubble/bust of the late 90s, too. I wondered where we might see another bubble rising, and it seems there might be one in the wild, wacky world of auto loans — made to people who have no real means of paying them back. Deja vu all over again? Let’s watch how this story develops as we move into the Fall and 2016.

Quite a scandal in the NY State Assembly on Monday,  as the Speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, is alleged to have taken “millions in payoffs”.  He’s been Speaker for 20 years, and now he’s history. Just like that. Add it to the list of sudden disruptions of the status quo as planetary patterns reflect a pressing need for corruption to be exposed.

Meanwhile, in Greece, the new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras unveiled his new cabinet of “mavericks and visionaries,” just in time for today’s innovative connection between Mercury and Uranus (and discussed in yesterday’s forecast).

I must share this item posted on the last day of Venus in Aquarius, sign of unconventional attractions. Now that Venus is in empathetic Pisces, the warm and fuzzy quotient may be doubly appreciated. It’s a story about animal friendships — between dogs and donkeys; goats and rhinos; cats and pigs. With lots of pictures and videos. Melt my heart….and let the power of the potential for us humans sink in. If you can be like a rhino or a donkey and still see yourself reflected in the eyes of a goat or a dog, you’ve got the hang of Pisces, which understands deeply that we are all in this together…and if that dog or goat becomes your best friend in the world, you’ve got the hang of Aquarius, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal…

Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 1/27/2015: More Moooooon in Taurus; Venus in Pisces

More Moon in Taurus, sign of creature comforts, as the snow continues to fall here in New York. My pantry is stocked, and so long as there’s no power outage (which I am not anticipating), I’ll be happily engaged in a full day of appointments, with no need to leave the home office. Planetary patterns are mostly easygoing, save for a challenge between the status quo-preferring Moon and stubbornly revolutionary Mercury in Aquarius at 11:55AM ET. Which will prevail?

Look back to two weeks ago, when there was an easy connection between Mercury and Uranus. How were you thinking outside the box? Your innovative genius gets a second look just after midnight, as that Mercury-Uranus connection repeats itself. Adjust as required. Plans may be finalized around March 1st, when the pattern makes a third connection and concludes the cycle.

Also of note: Venus — which refers to love, attraction, values, women, money and art — enters Pisces today at 10AM ET. No more Venus in Aquarius social scientists who blithely proclaim “I love you, but don’t take it personally”. Venus in Pisces is soulful and compassionate. See if you notice the shift.

Get it off your desk if you can today; Moon goes void on an expansive connection with Jupiter in regal Leo, suggesting an indulgent evening…and doesn’t enter the next sign — Gemini — until 5:36PM ET on WEDNESDAY.

And now, the news.

Big blizzard on the East Coast. Happy Mercury retrograde travel delays! How about communication snafus? Sarah Palin experienced one on Saturday, when her teleprompter allegedly failed while she was making a speech. The result was a train wreck, apparently, according to numerous reviews by conservative commentators, including this one published in the Washington Examiner:

…her “long, rambling, and at times barely coherent speech left some wondering what role she should play in Republican politics”.

Don’t let this happen to you! If you’re giving a speech in the next two weeks, make sure your tech support folks have triple-checked everything. Also make sure you’ve got notes in your pocket as a back-up, if tech supports fails.

Meanwhile, I am still having trouble receiving emails sent from my website. So if you’d like to schedule a consultation, please either call me (what a novel concept) at this number — or send an email directly to eg at graceastrology dot com. Tech snafus aside, Mercury retrogrades are excellent times to review your life with your astrologer.

As the Uranus-Pluto square approaches its seventh hit, we are sure to see more and more incidents of shocks and explosive actions. One that happened yesterday also has a lesson to tell about Saturn (control, reality check) in Sagittarius (broadcast media, beliefs, righteousness). It involves a TV news promotions producer who committed suicide outside Fox headquarters here in New York. The promo producer was fired from his job at the Fox affiliate in Austin back in May. One can imagine that this man might have had significant mental health issues, as losing a job — however upsetting — does not mean the end of the world for most of us. But here’s the Saturn in Sagittarius lesson:

A promo producer’s job is to get your attention and convince you to watch the actual news broadcast. Back in February, you may remember a story about a pretty blonde college student who went jogging in Austin and was arrested for jay walking. Read the details here.  A photo of her in tears, on the ground and handcuffed, went viral. The promo producer put that photo on the Fox affiliate’s website, hoping it would get viewers to tune in.

Soon thereafter, the Austin police chief was asked at a press conference about the arresting officers’ seemingly overly aggressive tactics. The police chief reacted defensively and said something totally outrageous, for which he eventually apologized. The promo producer used a shot of the police chief at the press conference and placed it next to the photo of the woman jogger on the Fox website. It was a provocative contrast.

The Saturn in Sagittarius lesson here is that the police chief did not like the photo — so much that, according to the promo producer’s boss, he would not give the TV station any more one-on-one interviews. Restricted access (Saturn) for that TV station (Sagittarius). The boss was not happy. He thought the photo the promo producer used made the police chief look like “a buffoon,” if the recording of the conversation made by the promo producer is authentic. Does it look that much different from the one that ran in the New York Daily News? Why, when the police chief refused to grant the TV station any more interviews, didn’t the station make that a news story?

Welcome to the reality of news — if you weren’t already aware of it.  Check out what Meet the Press host Chuck Todd had to say when asked why reporters do not ask tough questions of certain interview subjects; this happened in late December, a few days after Saturn entered Sagittarius. Who really controls the news? The next couple of years will bring more awareness on this topic, I’m sure.

This New Moon cycle suggested the potential for big ideas with sweeping consequences. Today the Obama Administration announced its intention to “dramatically change how doctors are paid”.  I hope the plan also includes ways to dramatically change how some nursing homes are collecting their debts (a must-read for anyone planning to grow old someday). Elsewhere, the Koch brothers announced their intention to spend $900 million in the 2016 elections, as ad sales reps for media outlets across the nation surely cheered….

 

 

 

 

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 1/26/2015: It’s Greek to Me

So who noticed the decided shift in energy as of 8:31AM ET on Saturday, when the Moon charged into proactive Aries, after almost 24 hours of wandering Moon-voidness in dreamy Pisces all day Friday? I hope you accomplished much over the weekend in a Mercury retrograde vein: reorganizing, reconnection, reviewing, etc. — but with Aries gusto!

Speaking of Mercury retrograde, which continues until February 12th, there was an article about Mercury retrograde in the NYT Sunday Magazine a couple of weeks ago. I have been so preoccupied with workshops and seminars this month that I missed it. So thanks to reader Karen for sending it along.

It’s not the first article the NYT has published on this subject,  and I dare say it won’t be the last. What’s especially fascinating are the reader comments. There are only 23. That’s it. As if Times readers simply do not know how to process talk of astrology. So they do not respond at all. Fascinating.

I’ve been having my share of Mercury retrograde snafus, especially with the contact form on my website. Apparently I have a hyperactive spam filter which has been blocking some of the real emails sent by real clients. I am so grateful to those of you who figured out that I also have a telephone number (clearly posted on my website here), or who asked the friends who referred me to you for my email address. That address is eg at graceastrology dot com, and please write me or call me if you’d like to schedule a consultation and are wondering why I haven’t written you back. We will have a fine discussion together.

We’re starting the work week with a Moon void in Aries from 9:23AM – 11:37AM ET, suggesting a slow start or twist to your morning routine. Moon enters Taurus thereafter, intent on building material comfort and security. There are no exact aspects during business hours, but you may be starting to become aware of a challenge or a surge of energy regarding the New Moon agenda you set last week.

This challenge would be the First Quarter Moon at 11:48PM ET. Push through blocks with steady calm and patience, as the Taurus Moon continues fairly unimpeded through Tuesday, until it goes void at 9:18Pm ET…not to enter Gemini until 5:36PM ET on WEDNESDAY. Yes, if that monster blizzard really does materialize on the East Coast, planetary patterns will truly support chilling out, going with the flow and rolling with unexpected twists that may come up in your efforts to move forward in a straight line.

Pick up the pace again on Thursday. Note that the Moon will be void again all day on Friday: 4:24AM ET until 2:08AM ET. Plan accordingly. No major purchases. No launching important initiatives. No freaking out over crises that more often than not, are much ado about nothing.

And now, the news.

I am fascinated by recent headlines reflecting the potential of last week’s New Moon, and especially its Sabian Symbol:

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is “an old adobe mission,” or, as Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee describes it, “a sun-baked building erected for a specific cause in a foreign territory…imagine the burning fervor of someone whose deep beliefs motivate a journey to a foreign, even hostile place”.  Bovee suggests we apply this degree with a watchful eye toward “a willingness to go into hot spots; a willingness to take on hard cases.” In light of current events, I am particularly struck by this: “the quest to carry beliefs far afield exposes all concerned to the inadvertent spread of foreign disease; in this case, even a kindly message can have striking repercussions”. Watch for these themes in the headlines.

“Sun-baked” adobe, eh? As in this Tweet by Melissa Jamrock calling out the Pantone colors of Speaker John Boehner’s tan at the State of the Union? Why would such a thing go viral now?  Speaker Boehner also made headlines when he invited Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel’s Prime Minister), to address Congress, sparking a controversy. Will the PM’s kindly message also have striking repercussions? We’ll find out later than originally planned, as the February address has been rescheduled  for March. Sudden cancellations and a need to reschedule is typical of Mercury retrogrades.

Meanwhile, President Obama is in a foreign place — India — also with a kindly message with striking repercussions. On a heavier note, the image of two orange-clad Japanese hostages held captive in the desert also seems in sync with a symbol suggesting fervent beliefs, hot spots, foreign places and repercussions. Meanwhile in Greece, there’s been a overturning of the status quo, as the people decided they’d had enough of an anguishing transit of Pluto to Saturn. After Pluto moved on to make its third and final contact with the Ascendant of Greece’s horoscope,  suggesting a radical change of perspective about its identity, the anti-austerity Syriza party swept to a “stunning victory” in last week’s elections.  Greece has been under intense pressure for a few years, as Uranus and Pluto have made contact with five planets before hitting the Ascendant, usually a highly responsive point in the horoscope.

Read that last linked article and you may understand the potential for further disruptions of the status quo extending to the rest of Europe. Fun fact: Patti Smith’s anthem, “People Have the Power” has become “the unofficial anthem of the Greek populist movement“.  How very New Moon in Aquarius….

…against the backdrop of the ever-intensifying seventh and last hit of the Uranus-Pluto square on March 15th. So many other disruptions of the status quo recently: a new king in Saudi Arabia; Yemen’s government collapses.  Pay much attention to the Swiss franc lately? We live in such interesting times.

Here’s the video of Patti Smith’s People Have the Power, for those of you who do not have paid subscriptions to the New York Times. Of course one of Smith’s songs would become the anthem for a revolution right about now, with Uranus and Pluto making contact with her Capricorn Sun and Mars, and her Libra Midheaven (public status) and Neptune (music, vision).

Astrology is amazing, isn’t it? Thank you for reading this forecast and for sharing it with friends.

Onward!

 

 

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday-Friday 1/21-23/2015: Mercury Retrograde!

So the big news today is that Mercury turned retrograde at 10:54AM ET. Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to not freak out about it. Because you already backed up your computers, right?

Still, delays and snafus involving communication and transportation devices (computers, cell phones, cars, trains, etc.) may be experienced. If 17 Aquarius is a significant degree in your horoscope, you’ll likely feel it more than most. President Obama, for example has an 18 degree Aquarius Ascendant, and with transiting Mercury so close to his Ascendant, we could expect matters of personal projection to be front and center now. Not a bad transit to have if you’re making a big speech; chances are what is said will make an impact. And in fact, just as I typed that sentence, a friend texted  that “everyone at the office is talking about Obama’s State of the Union speech”. Astrology is amazing.

Those who know just enough about astrology to make them dangerous often curse Mercury retrograde, and that’s a shame. It gets a bad rap because we are geared, in this crazy modern age, to always be thinking, doing, moving FORWARD. Ya know what that gets you? Burn out! We need our down times, and Mercury retrograde is a perfect time to give our minds a rest — and an opportunity to review our progress over the past few months. Why else would your computer, phone and/or car choose this time to malfunction? Because you are supposed to be slowing down.

Be prepared for travel delays, scheduling screw-ups,  computer crashes, having to repeat what you’ve just said, misunderstandings, people you haven’t seen in years showing up on your doorstep and having to repeat what you just said. Take advantage of this prime opportunity to review and rethink a project you may have abandoned. It’s probably worth a second look. Get out your Rolodex and reach out to people. Trust that they will be delighted to hear from you. Take a break from your routine. Take a vacation. Unplug your computer and cellphone.  Avoid signing contracts, making major purchases (especially mechanical ones) and losing patience. Make sure the restaurant you’re meeting at is still in business. Don’t believe everything you read in the papers and ignore the juicy gossip at the water cooler. Do plan on RElaxing, REviewing, REsearching, REorganizing, REgenerating, REconnecting and REcreating.

Yesterday I received an email from a man I met at a party years ago and never saw again. He was going to another party hosted by the same organization last night, and wondered if I might be going (no), and wouldn’t it be nice to catch up (unknown). Pay attention and you may be surprised by the number of “chance” reunions you’ll have over the next few weeks.

In Aquarius, Mercury can be stubborn, quirky, detached and downright wonky as it boldly explores topics some may find revolutionary and/or socially significant. Mercury turns direct on February 11th. Mercury retrogrades are a superb time to review your life in consultation with an astrologer, and I invite you to schedule an appointment.

Planetary patterns today are generally bright, bubbly and expansive. Go about your business — reach out to people — and work on your New Moon agenda. Chill out at 8:45PM ET, when the Moon goes void.

The Moon enters soulful Pisces at 7:48AM ET on Thursday, infusing the day with a need to manifest or communicate what is ideal, intangible, impressionable. A push forward or a wet blanket may be experienced around 12:19PM ET, as the vulnerable Moon is challenged by “get real” Saturn. Creative vision or misfired communication may ensue around 5:27PM ET, as the Moon meets up with dreamy Neptune. Steaming emotions or drive is suggested around 9:10PM ET, when the Moon moves on to action hero Mars.

Today and tomorrow, take advantage of the potential for effective communication of will, backed by practicality, as the Sun and Saturn make contact on just after midnight on Friday. Get it off your desk by EOD Thursday, as the Pisces Moon will be void of course all day Friday, as of 6:13AM ET. Go with the flow of whatever twists may detour your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Better yet, use that creative energy for review and routine, given that Mercury is retrograde.

And now, the news.

In astrology, we use our astrological symbols to represent just about every aspect of modern life. Take large farm animals, for example. They are naturally ruled by the 12th house in a horoscope, and the 12th house is naturally ruled by Pisces, which also refers to empathy and suffering. (Astrology is a complex language; the symbols are intensely interconnected, which is why it is so important that your astrologer be able to translate these symbols into plain English.) Combined with never-ending corruption-exposing Uranus-Pluto square, Monday’s intense meet-up between Mars and Neptune in Pisces could be seen in this NYT headline “U.S. Lab Lets Livestock Suffer in Quest For Profit”.

I don’t know about you, but after reading books like The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight by Thomas Hartman and The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, my consumption of meat and processed food plummeted. I feel lucky to live within walking distance of a greenmarket where I can buy organically-grown vegetables and other comestibles directly from the farmer. The NYT article is not for the faint-hearted. But if we do not make ourselves aware, how will things ever change?

Meanwhile, disruptive Uranus and Pluto, combined with a concentrated planetary focus in “out of this world” and/or “otherworldy” Aquarius and Neptune can be enjoyed in this item about a proposal to add the dwarf planets Ceres, Eris, Haumea and Makemake to the ten already Officially Approved Members of our solar system. If the proposal flies, we’ll need a new mnemonic, which the article linked above invites you  to create. In March, we can look forward to reports from Ceres (and later, Pluto), as a NASA spacecraft closes in…

Speaking of otherworldly, here is how the The Washington Times covered last night’s State of the Union speech. This is the only paper Justice Scalia says he reads, except for the Wall Street Journal. Here’s the Los Angeles Times with their take. And here’s The Guardian, pointing out one mind-blowing fact I had not seen elsewhere, which also shows how communication delays and “snafus” are being reflected in Obama’s horoscope, as noted earlier in this forecast.

Finally, here’s Jon Stewart — for no particular reason — calling out likely presidential candidate Mike Huckabee about the different worlds we may live in and the blinders we may wear…

Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 1/20/2015: New Moon in Aquarius; the Surreal Fallout of Mars Conjunct Neptune

At 4:44 AM ET — an Angel Number suggesting “all is well” —  the Sun enters Aquarius. The Moon follows at 7:59 AM ET, and the Sun and Moon both meet up at 8:14 AM ET. Happy New Moon! This is our chance to re-set intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle.  Make a list; light a candle; plant those seeds. Around the 26th, on the First Quarter Moon, we can expect a challenge to those goals, with appropriate adjustments made. How are our seedlings doing?  Keep on nurturing them, and at the time of the Full Moon, they may flower. We will receive illumination on the success or failure of our goals for the cycle, either way. If we succeeded, we can consciously release our success into our reality; if we failed, we let go of whatever did not work. After the Third Quarter Moon on February 11th, we can harvest our achievements, then tie up loose ends, compost and get ready to begin another New Moon cycle on February 18th.

Aquarius is an airy (mental), fixed (organizing) energy. Keywords for Aquarius include innovation, eccentricity, friendship, humanitarian, unconventional, rocket scientist and/or mad genius. If you were born with the Sun in Aquarius, you have the energy to innovate and intellectualize with others. If your Moon is in Aquarius, you need to be socially significant — and dare I say appreciated for it. You probably need to be unusual, too. I learned these nifty, pithy expressions of solar energy and lunar needs from my mentor, Noel Tyl. “I love you, but don’t take it personally” is another nifty, pithy Aquarian  expression — and I came up with that one all by myself. If you have Venus in Aquarius, chances are you especially know what I’m talking about.

In the chart for this New Moon, the Sun and Moon are augmented by practical Saturn in high-flying Sagittarius. There’s a need for easy communication of humanitarian ideals and how they are to be achieved. Mercury and Venus, which refer to mindset and values — are also in airy, Aquarius, which is also the sign of “the people”.  Both are opposed by expansive Jupiter in kingly Leo. Hmmm. With Mercury at a near standstill and about to turn retrograde on Wednesday (BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER NOW), big ideas may be stalled and up for review before they can move forward.

Meanwhile, action hero Mars and visionary Neptune are together in soulful Pisces, adding pixie dust and considerations of sacrifice, empathy, idealism, surrealism or fanaticism to the mix.  Interesting that the Sun and Moon in humanitarian Aquarius are reaching out to Saturn; Mars and Neptune (and all that they represent) are moving away from Saturn, which refers to structure, ambition, etc.  Moving from vision to practical reality?

Last, but hardly least, the revolutionary Uranus-Pluto square is inching closer to its grand finale scheduled for March 15th. Isn’t this an interesting backdrop for President Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight, which is not happening during a Moon void, and thus may actually be of consequence? Tax breaks for the middle class — to be offset by an increase in taxes on the richer are allegedly on the agenda.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is “an old adobe mission,” or, as Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee describes it, “a sun-baked building erected for a specific cause in a foreign territory…imagine the burning fervor of someone whose deep beliefs motivate a journey to a foreign, even hostile place”.  Bovee suggests we apply this degree with a watchful eye toward “a willingness to go into hot spots; a willingness to take on hard cases.” In light of current events, I am particularly struck by this: “The quest to carry beliefs far afield exposes all concerned to the inadvertent spread of foreign disease; in this case, even a kindly message can have striking repercussions”. Watch for these themes in the headlines.

In your own personal world, if you were born around the 20th of January, April, July and October…or if you have a planet or angle around 1 degree of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and especially Aquarius, you will be more personally affected by this New Moon. Wherever it falls in your horoscope is where you can expect a fervent belief to spark a mission. Consult your local astrologer for details, especially since Mercury will turn retrograde on Wednesday. Mercury REtrogrades are excellent times to REview your life!

And now, the news.

It’s interesting to read the headlines of obituaries in the New York Times and marvel at how they reflect current planetary patterns, such as Monday’s charismatic, magical and/or surreal Mars-Neptune conjunction in Pisces. “Jane Wilson, Artist of the Ethereal, Dies at 90“. “Kim Fowley, Rock Producer and Svengali, Dies at 75“. “Yoko Nagae Ceschina, Countess and Fairy Godmother to the Arts, Dies at 82”. Fairy godmother? Ethereal? Svengali? Clearly the NYT reporters are under the influence. Yea verily, you may not believe in astrology, but astrology definitely believes in you.

Here’s a wiggy item in the world of sports (Mars),  in which the New England Patriots, who defeated the Baltimore Colts on Sunday, are now being investigated to determine if they cheated (Neptune) and used “deflated balls” in order to tip the odds in their favor. As this story broke during yesterday’s all-day Moon void, I’m inclined to think this is much ado about nothing. Meanwhile, in the world of film (Neptune), we have the surreal box office success of “American Sniper,” (Mars). It’s earned ten times more than “Selma,” a film about Martin Luther King, Jr and the civil rights movement. Here’s a how a few people who saw “Selma” reacted, while in Alabama, a school superintendent refused to allow a high school history club to see it, because of concerns that the language would be offensive. So they all saw “American Sniper” instead.

OK, I made that last line up. Point is, when Neptune is prominent, double check for accuracy. Especially in the news. That advice also applies to the next Mercury retrograde, which will continue through February 12th.

For example, elsewhere in the media (Neptune), Fox news issued an apology for repeatedly perpetuating the falsehood (Neptune) that parts of Paris and the UK were considered “no-go zones” for anyone who was not Muslim. Did you know that Jon Stewart has an equal in France? Here is a French version of “The Daily Show,” in which the Fox story is deconstructed and exposed. On a bien rigole!

Finally, here are a couple of “wake up and smell the coffee” items in the spirit of the Uranus-Pluto square. They’re about climate change and income inequality. First, a study released yesterday (on that expansive and indulgent Venus-Jupiter opposition), reported that the 1% now own 50% of all the wealth in the world. But true to the spirit of the Aquarius New Moon, this issue will allegedly be a hot topic at the world economic forum starting on Tuesday in Davos (and in the State of the Union speech, as noted earlier). Second, three more studies on climate change were released last week — in case you had not heard.

On days when I read articles like these, Angel Numbers like “444” are doubly reassuring. Onward!

 

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Sunday-Monday 1/18-19-2015: Get Wiggy With It

Happy soggy Sunday! It’s been pouring rain on the East Coast. I hope you’ve been mindful while in transit, as planetary patterns are both ambitious and potentially wiggy, especially with mental Mercury slowing down and about to turn retrograde on Wednesday. No whingeing — just back up your computers and smart phones.

As of Thursday, I’ve been soaking up astrological insights at the absolute best astrology conference in the Universe. Heading home in a few hours. Much of this forecast was written on Friday — see if you experienced the past few days in sync with these planetary patterns.

Friday’s high-flying Sagittarius Moon was tempered at 7AM ET with a seriously focused hook-up with ambitious Saturn. Feeling especially purposeful that morning? As the day progressed, we could expect a noticeably lighter mood, tending toward the visionary or dreamy around lunchtime, courtesy of nebulous Neptune.

The rest of Friday was free and clear, giving you a green light to apply the practical energy of the Capricorn Sun, combined with the Moon in fiery Sag, to broaden your horizons, express your righteous opinions and entertain a gambol or a gamble, especially in areas of mass media, collective beliefs and foreign lands.

Moon went void of course Saturday at 2:25PM ET; hopefully you accomplished your weekend shopping done by then and chilled for the rest of the day. Wandering during the void and enjoying the unexpected twists that may have cropped up in your efforts to move forward in a straight line was encouraged. Sports matches happening during the void are more likely to experience upsets that favor the underdog — something to test if you’re plopped in front of TV. I’ve been away from the news — so you’ll have to let me know if said upsets did occur.

Sunday, which is now today — the energy is primed to take care of business, as the Moon enters Capricorn at 7:03AM ET.  How big and indulgent you may be with your agenda is tied to how you may respond to an expansive and/or expensive face-off between Venus and Jupiter on Monday afternoon.  Yea verily, this conference I’ve been attending has been on maximum overdrive.

You are strongly advised not to make a serious purchase on Monday, as the Moon will be void of course in Capricorn as of 5:51AM ET  — perfect for those who are observing Martin Luther King Day — a holiday in the U.S.  Planetary patterns could not be more cooperative for a day honoring the man who famously said, “I have a dream…”, given an exact hook-up between action hero Mars and visionary Neptune in empathic Pisces at 7:09AM ET.

Mars-Neptune aspects suggest a focused expression of pixie dust — actions based on the ideal or surreal. Magnetic attractions would be expected. Ooh, how everyone you meet may sparkle. You may enjoy being carried away on a wave of emotion, given that Mars and Neptune are together in Pisces, a water sign.  Spiritual and healing experience may be sublime. Same goes for music and the visual arts. The caveat is that things may not be as they seem, so do be cautious about signing on the dotted line. The pixie dust needs to settle before you can determine if it’s for real.

Monday is the last day of the current lunar cycle and the last full day with the Sun in Capricorn. The next New Moon happens Tuesday, as both the Sun and Moon meet up at 0 degrees of Aquarius.

Back with the news — and New Moon forecast — on Tuesday….be careful on the roads!

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday & Thursday 1/14-15/2015: the Moody Depths

Moon entered Scorpio at 6:44PM ET Tuesday night, ending a long wandering Moon void that took up most of yesterday. Hopefully you stuck to routine tasks and did not make mountains out of molehills. Now, we are focused on knowledge for the sake of power and control; a quest to be seen as having depth and substance – nothing casual here.

Note your dreams upon waking, as Neptune makes contact with the Moon at 5:52AM ET, thirty minutes after mental Mercury makes contact with innovative Uranus. Really, there could be a valuable idea in your early morning musings. Write it down. As evening falls, a debate may well intensify, with an opportunity for healing around 8-9PM ET, followed by indulgence in or a clash of aesthetics at 10:18PM ET. You decide.

More indulgence — of a regally entitled kind — may be yours Thursday morning, as the Moon is challenged by expansive Jupiter in Leo at 9:29AM ET. This carries through the rest of the day until 6:52PM ET, when the Moon loses steam and goes void until 3:01AM ET. Get it off your desk before 7PM ET and plan to chill for the rest of the night.

A dominant pattern today and tomorrow is action hero Mars, steaming in  soulful Pisces, and challenged by hard-headed Saturn in philosophical Sagittarius. What a perfect backdrop for the much-publicized  cover of this week’s Charlie Hebdo magazine. The New York Times would not publish it and called it “defiant”.  Yeah, well Mars together with Saturn can be experienced as “militant”.

Others might look at the cover and see sorrow, forgiveness, empathy, unity –all Piscean themes —  which is what the cartoonist who created it stated she wished to convey.   Certainly it has added more fuel to the fire of this ongoing debate over freedom of beliefs (Sagittarius) and boundaries (Saturn). You do remember I told you we’d be talking about this for a while…back in November, right?  This will be a hot topic for a couple of years.

In other news, an update on Senator Ted Cruz, whose horoscope was looked at here some time ago. Back in  September of 2013, predictions were made about the senator’s supercharged mindset and communication carrying him (away?)  through 2014 (and a little beyond). His natal Mercury-Uranus square has been under high tension, courtesy of Uranus and Pluto. Mercury-Uranus contacts suggest potential genius, erratic or “out there” thinking and plenty of nerve — or nervous energy.

For Ted Cruz, we’d expect those qualities to become prominent, persuasive and even more inventive in recent months — and they have. Mercury-Uranus suggests technology, space cadets and rocket scientists. Guess what Senator Cruz will be overseeing, now that the Republicans are running the Senate? The committee in charge of NASA.

Astrology is amazing, isn’t it?

If your New Year’s resolutions include planning a successful strategy for 2015, here’s the 411 on astro-logical consultations. Even if you do not believe in astrology, (perhaps like Senator Ted Cruz),  rest assured that astrology believes in you. Imagine how helpful it will be to finally understand your personal game plan so you can fulfill your potential…

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Monday-Tuesday 1/12-13/2015: Sneak Peek at the Week; Mars in Focus (and Now in Pisces)

A surge of energy — rattling, perhaps — as the balance-seeking Libra Moon, which seeks makes contact with disruptive Uranus and Pluto between 8:40 and 10:20AM ET. While typing the forecast this morning, I have been on hold with the office of the NYC Public Advocate, calling on behalf of a friend whose housing status has been compromised in a stunning snafu. After an hour of waiting, the line went dead and so I had to call again.

Imagine you are on disability and have been homeless for a year, living in a city shelter. A non-profit agency that receives funding from the city tells you that they have found you an apartment. They move you and your belongings into the apartment on a Friday afternoon. Hours later, you meet the super of the building, who wants to know why you are there. He calls the landlord, and the landlord’s wife tells you that the former tenant was evicted because the agency did not pay rent on the apartment. She says you can not stay in the apartment. So where are you supposed to go, late on this Friday afternoon?

I hear stories like this and compare them to this item from Sunday’s NYT, entitled “New York’s Emptiest Co-ops and Condos”. I marvel at the world of extremes in which we live. Yea verily, this imbalance is not sustainable.

With the potential upsets of the morning now behind us, may we do our best to facilitate harmony, fairness and balance in relationships (and be appreciated for our social graces), in the spirit of the Libra Moon’s reigning need. Meanwhile, Rhode Island and Connecticut were rattled by an earthquake. Coincidence or conspiracy?

There are no other exact aspects for the rest of the day, and the Moon will be void tomorrow from 4:45AM until 6:44PM ET, so get it off your desk today, if you wish it to be of consequence.

At 5:21AM ET today,  action hero Mars left rebel Aquarius to wallow, with no small amount of steam, in watery Pisces. We can expect to note a plethora of actions driven by a need to identify or work with ideals in the next coming weeks. We can also note potential for passive-aggressive behavior, as Pisces is not the most direct sign when it comes to expressing itself. It feels; it empathizes; it suffers — but it is no fan of conflict. Mars will be in Pisces until March 20th.

Mars is also the driving force between two planetary patterns which are exact on Thursday and next Monday. The first is a challenge to hard-nosed Saturn, which for those having a planet or angle around 2 degrees of Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius, may be experienced as a brick wall, kick in the butt or other frustrated charge.

The latter is a pixiedust-laced, magical, mystical hook up between Mars and nebulous Neptune. This hook-up can be experienced as charismatic, sexy, scandalous, fanatical, showstopping or as an outright con. Bill Clinton has a Mars-Neptune hook-up in his horoscope — right on his Libra (charmer) Ascendant. Off the top of my head, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Newt Gingrich also have charged connections between Mars and Neptune.

Already in the headlines I’ve noticed a couple of lurid scandals brewing — one involving countless prominent figures and convicted billionaire sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. This one is re-brewing, actually…but look for more on this and other similarly lurid stories as we get closer to next Tuesday.

Also keep as eye out for significant stories involving the tech world and unconventional attractions in relationships, aesthetics and finances. Why? Because mental Mercury and loving Venus are in  harmonious connections to rebel Uranus, facilitating innovation in mindset, communication and socal expression. Those aspects are exact Tuesday and Wednesday and may be applied to all of your problem-solving for the next few days. Think outside the box.

In that tech-friendly vein — and noting that Uranus also refers to astrology and astronomy — check out this cool find from a Greek shipwreck that modern day scientists now realize was

designed to predict eclipses and calculate the positions of the sun, moon and planets as they swept across the sky.

And it’s only taken them 114 years to figure that out. Those ancient Greeks were masterful astrologers.

Also in a wonky, Venus in “I love you, but don’t take it personally” Aquaris vein: the “Modern Love” column in the Sunday NYT has attracted considerable attention for taking a rocket scientist approach to why and how we fall in love. Could you really fall in love with anyone? Arguably yes, if you ask the right questions. What a humanitarian Aquarian concept.

More harbingers of things to come with Saturn (structure, control, disclipline) now in Sagittarius (higher education, mass media, collective belief systems) include President Obama announcing a proposal to provide two years of community college eduction for “free,” i.e.,  to be financed with public funds, presumably the way we collectively finance our military, police and most highways. What do you think of that potential restructuring of our higher education system?
Your Moon voids for the week:  Tuesday — practically all day, as noted earlier. Thursday from 6:52pm ET until 3:01AM ET on Friday; Saturday 2:25PM ET until 7:04AM ET Sunday. Chill out and take care of routine tasks during Moon voids, which suggest twists and delays in efforts to move forward in a straight line.
Thank you for reading this forecast.
If your New Year’s resolutions include planning a successful strategy for 2015, here’s the 411 on personal astrological consultations. Even if you do not believe in astrology, rest assured that astrology believes in you. How helpful it will be to learn the game plan!

Astro-logical Forecast for Friday & the Weekend 1/9/2015: Thoughts on 2015 and Beyond

Clean-up time, as the Moon has been in Virgo as of 5:58PM ET Thursday, seeking to make things right. Organize, analyze, separate the wheat from the chaff, and cue John Lennon now.

Note your dreams upon waking, as the discerning Moon makes contact with visionary Neptune at 5:21AM ET. Go about your business unimpeded by other exact aspects, save for an easy connection between the Moon and Pluto at 9:20PM ET, which favors emotional depth and healing….a change in perspective, perhaps?

Forget impulse shopping on Saturday, as the Moon will be void from 10:45AM ET until 6:57AM ET on Sunday. Take care of routine Virgo-themed tasks as noted above, and chill.  On Sunday, the Moon will be in Libra, focused on social graces and rationality in relationship.

There’s no void Moon on Monday, so no sleeping in.

And now, a few thoughts on some major patterns happening in 2015.

Pattern #1: the seventh and last of the disruptive squares between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, exact on March 15th at 15 degrees of those signs. What does this portend? Will this intense period of disruption be over, asked a reader? Oh heavens, we are just getting started.

Think about boxes, tables and other structures where the integrity of that structure is maintained by the tension of parts at 90 degree angles to each other. Remember your high school geometry? A 90 degree aspect is a square.  Without those square relationships — of four table legs to a table top, for instance — what happens to the structure when the tension is released? The table loses its functional form. A collapse, you might say. Without form, there is potential chaos….out of which a new form will eventually emerge.

Think about the mid-60s. The Uranus-Pluto conjunction ended in 1966, with continued upheaval through the next few years. The early 70s brought key legislative resolutions born out of that revolutionary awareness: e.g., the EPA, the Clean Water Act, legal access to contraception, Roe v. Wade.

While the square relationship between Uranus and Pluto is close — through 2015 and into part of 2016 — we can expect more action  and revelation on themes already brought to consciousness over the past few years in matters of energy resources, climate change, civil rights, corruption in our hallowed institutions and fights for freedom.  Look back to the mid-60s for examples of the seeds of change that were planted, as we blasted into space.  Didn’t we deal with them all back then? No, we did not. Consider the radically different priorities of that hippie-dippie generation compared to, say, the yuppie-preppie folk of the 80s. We wandered away from those planted seeds.

So now, with the Uranus-Pluto square, we have the opportunity to bring the seeds planted in the 60s to flower, as issues that were hot then are hot again now.  Because #blacklivesmatter, for example. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were status quo-disrupting steps, but clearly the spirit of that legislation has not fully materialized. There is still work to be done.

Either we bring these seeds to flower in the next year or so….or we’re really going to have a problem at the next stage of the Uranus-Pluto cycle, which is in 2047. That’s when these flowers should bear fruit, if we’ve tended them well. This is especially true as we face the challenges of climate change and sustainable energy resources, which necessitate the end of our use of fossil fuels. As I’ve mentioned before,  scientists are now saying that 2047-ish is a drop-dead deadline if we are to keep this planet as a home that comfortably sustains us.

Fifteen degrees is the halfway point of any zodiac sign. As Uranus and Pluto make their way through the back half of Aries and Capricorn, we’ll have a clearer sense of what structures and paradigm shifts will materialize as old perspectives fall away. Resistance is futile.

And, just to make sure we’ll have space for something new to emerge, the cosmos has arranged for two important eclipses within weeks of the seventh square. On the Vernal Equinox (one week later), we’ll have a New Moon and solar eclipse at 29 Pisces, which is related to the prominent Aries Point. The last degree of Pisces suggests endings; a New Moon suggests beginnings. The beginning of an end, perhaps…but don’t despair.

On April 4th, we’ll have a lunar eclipse at 15 Aries-Libra, on the same degrees as the potent eclipse we had in October, in aspect to last week’s Full Moon at 15 Cancer and also in aspect to the seventh square. Do you have a planet or angle around 15 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn? What major changes are happening in your life, I wonder.

Pattern #2: Saturn in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces. Well, the beginning of a square, actually. The square between these two planets won’t be exact until 2016. What does that suggest?

Briefly, Saturn is reality. Neptune is fantasy. Put them together and what have you got? A bubble of optimistic faith. When will it burst?  A few months ago, when I was reading The Big Short — about the collapse of the housing bubble and the outrageous speculation going on in the financial markets that led to the fiscal crisis in 2008,  I noticed a challenging aspect between Saturn and Neptune as that bubble was building.  There was a similar aspect in 1999, coinciding with the internet bubble and everyone freaking out about Y2K, which proved to be much ado about nothing. What pixie dust-covered fantasy will captivate us now and into the next year?

Random thought about Saturn in Sagittarius,  as the world reacts to Wednesday’s attack at the offices of the French satire magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Sagittarius refers to broad comedy, in addition to other keywords noted in prior forecasts. I think of Sagittarius as “the philosopher clown,” presenting the wisdom of the ages while tripping over its feet. Entertaining, but brutally blunt, as court jesters have always been to the powers that be.

Consider  Jon Stewart and Ann Coulter, who both have Sun and Moon in Sagittarius.  They need to tell you their righteous opinions (I love how this SNL parody of Ms. Coulter ends with the word “righteous”), even as they push the limits. Speaking of Coulter, she is mentioned in this timely  op-ed from NYT columnist David Brooks. Here, he offers philosophical musings on some hardcore realities (Saturn) about free speech (Sagittarius) in allegedly civilized societies. (Brooks is not a Sag. He’s a regal double Leo, and it’s no surprise that his critics blast him for having a “privileged” perspective).

Random headline:  a new study announced that you’ll be happier in your marriage if you marry someone who is also your best friend. How perfectly timed, given that Venus and Mercury  are currently conjunct in Aquarius, which understands the value of…friendship! Of course friendship would be seen as the ideal (Mercury conjunct Venus suggests idealism).

And all that concern about the surge in divorce rates that happened in the 70s? Just a phase, apparently…but what would you expect, given that Pluto (breakdown and transformation) was in Libra (marriage) during that era? We needed a new paradigm. Wait ’til you see what happens as Pluto now travels through the back half of Capricorn (governments, banks, corporations).

Random forecast update: back in April, I wrote that Supreme Court Justice Samual Alito was on a roll for the next couple of years, sure to be winning friends and influencing people (in certain circles). Here’s an op-ed from today’s NYT confirming that prediction — he’s quite the rock star now.

Have a great weekend.