Follow us on TwitterFind us on FacebookFind us on Tumblr

Get daily Astro-Logical forecasts delivered to you here.

"All I know is that you... Miss Elisabeth Grace are AMAZING! The reading you gave me was so accurate that it still blows my mind 6 months later!!! I also love your daily astrology information!"
--Tim R.
Los Angeles

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.


Monday 8/20/2018: Sneak Peek at the Week & Other Stories

….and…we’re back.

The Sag Moon was void this morning until 11:59 AM. Actually, that’s totally untrue. But that’s what it says in my Jim Maynard Celestial Calendar. The Sag Moon is actually void between 7:47 PM and 11:59 PM ET tonight. Can you tell that Mercury just turned direct on Sunday at 12:25 AM ET? Hope you are taking it slow, double checking it thrice. Once the Moon is fully engaged in Capricorn, the drive is to take care of business — though at 5:53 AM ET on TUESDAY, that business may have more than the usual gravitas when it meets up with controlling/authoritative Saturn.  Moon continues in Capricorn until THURSDAY at 12:56 PM ET.

Adding to the proactive vibe is Mars, now moving back through Capricorn with high efficiency….if only it weren’t retrograde. That’s a caveat that whatever is accomplished with ease and innovation now may not satisfy once Mars turns direct, which it will do NEXT MONDAY.

Notable planetary patterns this week include:

  • Moon’s weekly contact with Pluto on WEDNESDAY at 2:45 PM ET, suggests power plays and catharses
  • Sun leaves Leo for Virgo on THURSDAY at 12:09 AM ET, replacing heat, drama and rigidity with cooler heads and discerning minds;
  • Moon will be void on THURSDAY between 10:19 AM and 12:56 PM ET before entering “who’s yer buddy?” Aquarius
  • Moon will be void nearly all day on SATURDAY — from 12:39 AM thru 1:32 AM ET on SUNDAY
  • As we get closer to the weekend, we will notice a rare synchronicity among the Sun (leaders, vitality), Saturn (structure, old guard) and Uranus (change, innovation). The Sun will trine Saturn and Uranus within hours of each other on SATURDAY; Saturn and Uranus will almost make an exact trine (harmonious connection)…but won’t. Why? Because Saturn will turn direct on September 6th, pulling away from Uranus. We had three exact Saturn-Uranus trines in 2017, and here’s what I wrote about that potential.  The fact that this trine comes oh-so-close….but just-not-quite makes me wonder if there might be some revelation of an unusual coalition that aims to unite on a critical concern…but is somehow thwarted. And here I would be thinking of the August 1st issue of the NYT Sunday magazine, which consisted of only one in-depth story, “The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change.”  My sense is that whatever is looking hunky-dory around now may be in for a rude awakening when Saturn and Uranus finally do make a connection: a series of super-charged squares starting in 2021. I’ve been thinking about this square for years, ever since I read The Big Short, by Michael Lewis. I wrote about it last August — and even earlier.  I thought about the square when I read George Will’s recent WaPo op-ed, “Another Epic Economic Collapse is Coming.”   Perhaps Mr. Will is on to something…and as I’m typing, the S&P is less than 1% away from a record high...
  • How wonderful to read Tarot Diva Beth Owl’s Daughter’s wonderful Card of the Week, having written the paragraph above – check it out!

Anyhoo…

  • By the time we get to the weekend, emotions are likely to be on the rise. SUNDAY we’ll have a Full Moon in Pisces, facilitating empathy (an upside), on a day when Venus (money, women, social expression, values) is super-charged by ruthless Pluto. A charged connection between Venus and Pluto facilitates emotional overkill (downside); depth and intensity (upside); and purges (depends on which side you’re on). On that day, Mars (energy, assertion, aggression) will be at a standstill — and thus in high focus — as it prepares to move forward (finally!) next MONDAY AM.

And now, the news.

UPDATE: on Kevin Spacey, whose horoscope was last discussed in November 2017. Back then, I anticipated that transiting Pluto’s square to his Aries Midheaven would likely reflect a dramatic change in public status, for better or for worse. That may have happened on August 11th. Not only that, but his Leo Sun and Ascendant were affected by July’s total lunar eclipse. Witness this headline, announcing the weekend box office for  his new film — Billionaire Boys’ Club. Total take: $618. Ouch.

UPDATE: on Jimmy Carter, who is feeling the love of transiting Jupiter on his Scorpio Moon — and last week, transiting Venus conjunct his Libra Sun…and transiting Sun conjunct his Leo Venus-Neptune. Here’s a total feel-good piece about modesty, humility and grace — all part of the simple life he and his wife Rosalyn enjoy in Plains, Georgia. He may be the richest ex-president ever.

UPDATE: speaking of ex-presidents, Barack Obama’s Mercury (how he needs to think and communicate) has been supercharged all summer, with exact hits from innovative Uranus and persuasive Pluto exact in July, August and September. Here’s his summer reading list, filled with “empathy, understanding and ‘factfulness'”.  Looks like he’s up for an expansive, active next few months.

UPDATE: “Elon Musk Details ‘Excruciating Personal Toll’ of Tesla Turmoil”  File that under “I told you so.”

The weekend’s third trine between Jupiter (expansive) and Neptune (faith, scandal, oceans, healing, et.al.) was reflected in these big headlines:

And now, a few words about the situation that landed on my plate two weeks ago, demanding attention at the expense of all else — including writing this forecast and other articles;: reminding cherished clients that they’re due for an annual check-up; revamping my outdated website; drafting outlines for the classes I plan to teach; thanking an Avid Reader for her generous contribution to my Cosmic Tip Jar (a thank you note will arrive soon), yadda yadda yadda.

It’s about trees.

And as I mentioned last week, it’s a microcosm of the macrocosm we live in. I’ll start by sharing my Facebook post from August 7th (written during a Moon void, while hoping that the crisis would fizzle out):

Oh dear FB friends….you know how much I am in love with the beautiful six-story tall elm tree outside my window. It was well below eye-level when I bought this apt years ago, and has been for the last several years a daily blessing in every season. From every window in my apt, I look out into cool, soothing green in spring and summer. Brilliant hues of red and orange in fall….snow-covered branches in the winter. Crows camp at eye level when the temperature drops below freezing. It has been humbling to watch their daily routines, as they return year after year. There are squirrels and sparrows…and other birds you rarely see on the ground: cardinals, red finches, blue jays, woodpeckers…sometimes a red-tailed hawk and often, mourning doves. Yesterday I was captivated by a dragonfly — a first. The tree offers shade, beauty and privacy. Instead of looking into the windows of neighbors in the harsh, sterile red brick building across the street, I am surrounded by lush greenery. Every day I give thanks for the bounty of these twin elm trees — and as far as I know, they are safe.

Now then.

There is ANOTHER courtyard in our building — an interior one, sorely in need of TLC. Once there was a grand fountain with multi-level pools cascading down a slope. That has been filled in with dirt — years ago. Still, there are at least a dozen soaring maple trees — touching the sky above the roof of the building. It is like a rain forest canopy — not much sunlight, but the shade is soothing — and squirrels and more birds make their homes in the branches. It has been my wish that our building would take the initiative to clean up the courtyard — put in some plants that can thrive with little sunlight — maybe cover the ground with moss, like you see in gardens in Japan. Add some benches; repair the crumbling walls in the back; cover the chainlink fence with bamboo. Let it be a cherished nature refuge all residents may enjoy. Right now residents “aren’t allowed” in the courtyard.

So guess what “management” is doing instead? They are planning to “renovate” the courtyard, though it is not clear if the plan includes access for residents (!). The plan — kept only to themselves — is to destroy most of the maple trees. They have marked them with splotches of red paint. — for death — supposedly the execution happens on Monday. I found this out last night — and have been sick to my stomach and sick at heart ever since.

I am weary weary weary of reading every day in the papers about how the P45 administration is trashing the environment — and feeling so powerless to do anything about it.

This hurts even more because it is literally happening in my backyard — a place I like to think of as “safe.” What foolish, wishful thinking — and what a teachable moment, hmm? No place is safe — especially if we (and in this case, specifically me) are not vigilant. Our coop board is as transparent as Scott Pruitt’s $43K soundproof booth — and that’s way they like it. It seems to be easier to maintain power and control, than any other alternative (e.g., soliciting input from the other 148 owners in this 155-unit building) — so can you blame them?

Shareholders/Residents have not been told the specifics of the plan….only a mention that “some trees” in the courtyard would be removed at the shareholders meeting in May (which I could not attend because I was out of town — my total bad). NOTHING has been sent to shareholders in writing. Our board does not send out minutes from shareholder meetings…they run as a slate year after year, unchallenged. To effect a change would require energy and focus that I have been pouring into Other Obvious Things (like work — both professional and volunteer) — and even if I had the energy, I could not effect change all by myself.

Now I am beating myself up for not making the effort years ago…and feeling already beaten down by the insanity of destroying a dozen healthy, towering, decades-old, irreplaceable maple trees (along with every other horrific headline on today’s front page). Surely there must be another way to “renovate” a courtyard in ways that are less destructive.

I have considered the possibility that I may be overreacting…and may not be aware of all of the facts that would require consideration, but this seems to me an unconscionable plan. This is the courtyard now — stripped of shrubbery — with the maple trees now on death row. Also pictured: the “offending” towering canopy.

In other news, don’t let this happen to you! Have you checked your voter registration status lately? If you do not vote in every election, do not assume you are still on the roster. Check your status and/or register here https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/ We must be resolved to have a say in the process!

This concludes my longest-ever Facebook rant — on a moon-void and a Mercury retrograde (why I consider the possibility that I may be missing a few key facts). Thanks for “listening.” I just feel so sad about these beautiful trees…and the birds and other creatures who will be displaced by their senseless destruction. Not to mention courtyard residents who will miss the shade as the seasons get hotter and hotter in the coming years. Cue Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” now, please… 

Facebook can be a wonderful sounding board, and within an hour I received validation and empathy from caring souls. I also received encouragement: “Call the management company!” “Rally your neighbors!” “Sign a petition!” Which is frankly what I would advise any other friend or client facing a similar challenge. But it’s daunting…y’know…especially when it feels like you have to do it alone.

But those trees! And the pain I was certain my neighbors would feel if they were cut down….

I took a deep breath…and called a neighbor who is on our co-op board. Thankfully she is also a friend. Later, in her apartment I asked her why the trees were being cut down. “Because nothing will grow back there!”  she said, with utmost sincerity.

I do not recall replying that the 60-year-old trees apparently did not receive that memo — but certainly I was thinking it.

To be continued…

Thank you for reading this forecast. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.

 

 

 

Tuesday 8/14/2018: Late Sneak Peek at Another “Anything Goes” Week

Yes, it’s another late start to the sneak peek at the week, as I am still preoccupied with the special project I absolutely, positively had to deal with — stay tuned.

Guess what kind of week this is? A week with no exact aspects among the planets except to the Moon. Not until SATURDAY morning will we have an exact aspect among any other planet — a harmony between Mercury and Venus, which suggests a need for rose-colored glasses, especially since it is followed by the pattern I wrote about in the last forecast: SUNDAY’s third and final harmony between expansive Jupiter and — dare I say it — soulful Neptune. And here I would be thinking about the sad news that Aretha Franklin, “Queen of Soul,” is “gravely ill,” and that a prayer vigil is planned for her on Wednesday.

Sigh.

I’ve found that these planetary lulls are often deceptive. Like I said back in July, it’s like looking at a giant ice shelf on the most sparkling sunny day ever…and then, for no apparent reason, half the shelf crumbles into the ocean. Or you wake up to the news that a motorway bridge in Genoa has suddenly collapsed. So if an “other shoe” drops in the headlines, e.g.,FBI agent Peter Strzok is suddenly fired, despite the “bureau’s Office of Professional Responsibility [recommending] that Mr. Strzok should be suspended for 60 days and demoted,” I will not be surprised, and neither should you.

However, I also sense that more than a few surprises we witness in the next two weeks will be happy ones. It’s not always doom and gloom, and we ourselves can create plenty of simple joys in our daily lives. Let’s do it!

Yesterday’s Moon was in perfection-seeking Virgo, facilitating a need for practical analysis. After a 20-minute void no one noticed, the Moon entered Libra at 12:57 AM ET, driving the next two days with a need for people-pleasing, fairness, balance and perhaps a few airy-fairy ideas. Note the potential for a power play or emotional catharsis around 10 AM ET on WEDNESDAY, as the Moon squares Pluto.

The wee hours on THURSDAY feature another Moon void, but this one happens on a potentially assertive/combative square between the Moon and Mars at 3:56 AM ET. Moon enters depth and power-seeking Scorpio at 4:54 AM ET, perhaps presenting you with a surprise or air-clearing revelation upon waking, as the Moon is opposed by rebel Uranus at 9:27 AM ET. Work it all out on Thursday and FRIDAY, as the Moon traverses the sky without too many bumps.

SATURDAY begins with the First Quarter Moon at 3:48 AM ET, offering a challenge or an advance to your New Moon agenda. After a brief Moon void between 11:07 AM and 12:45 PM ET (no impulse shopping!), Moon soars into Sagittarius, pushing boundaries and lifting spirits (probably all the way to Heaven). On SUNDAY, note that MERCURY WILL TURN DIRECT — so please adjust your travel plans accordingly — and no whinging about potential delays, as it says right here in this aptly-timed article from last Sunday’s NYT, “Don’t Let Trip Advisor Kill Adventure.”

Meanwhile…

I am hearing plenty of reports that “this Mercury retrograde” feels especially cranky. Well, yes…reflecting the fact that Mars (action, anger, assertion) is also retrograde, suggesting a potential for frustrated energy to feel a need to blow off steam. Plus, as Avid Readers know, Mars has been in a tense pattern with disruptive Uranus since April, increasing the potential for volatility.

Avid Readers also know that an apt way of handling Mars retrogrades is to get a handle on the anger/demons that spring from within, as opposed to striking out at others. Last week my Facebook friend Nancy Tierney posted a useful video on this very subject, aptly arguing that when we feel angry it is because we are saying “NO” to our heart’s desire (“desire” is another Mars keyword). Therefore, use the rest of this month, when Mars and Mercury are REtrograde to REview the blocks you may be imposing on yourself, and be REsolved to REmove them. We’re not talking about a major launch of a project — e.g., suddenly quitting your job, running off with the cute accountant you just met in a bar, etc. — at this time. We’re talking about a heart-centered REview of what you truly desire — and making a practical plan to align yourself with your heart’s desire, as opposed to the alternative.

Can’t get to the rest of the news just yet — have consultations to joyfully prepare. Would you like to have a discussion about your horoscope that leaves you feeling confident that your life is not a random series of events? That when you become aware of the cycles to which all living things respond, you will have greater understanding and make more fulfilling choices? Then why not seize the day so we can have that discussion about why you are the way you are, why things happen when they do, and what you need in order to be happy, as suggested by your horoscope. Here is how to contact me.

Thank you for reading this forecast.