TGIF!

Moon in Scorpio goes void at 9:52AM ET on a provocative meet-up with Mars. Back away from that double espresso and chill. Take care of routine matters; roll with the twists and flakes that may interfere with your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Delay signing on the bottom line; avoid the malls; wrap up the day early if you can.

At 3:39PM ET Venus enters Cancer, facilitating efforts at beautification and nurturing until July 11th. At 11:23PM ET the boundary-dissolving, reality-bending square between Saturn in Sagittarius (structure, control, borders, foreigners, opinions, media, etc.) and Neptune in Pisces (intangibles, opiates, refugees and other keywords noted in prior forecasts) will finally be exact.  File any “oh what’s the use?” feelings you may have in the folder labelled “Saturn vs. Neptune.” If you were born about halfway through Pisces, Gemini, Sagittarius or Virgo, you are more personally affected. A consultation with your local astrologer would be productive.

Relief shows up around 9:34PM ET, when the void ends and the Moon enters high-flying Sagittarius. Up for a gambol or a gamble this weekend? How can you broaden your mind, expand your horizons and/or push boundaries in a way that is constructive?

On Saturday, note your mood around 9PM ET, as the Moon makes contact with that Saturn-Neptune square.  Emotions are on the rise, one way or the other, as the Moon waxes to its fullness in Sagittarius Monday at 7:02AM ET. This Full Moon has an especially trippy potential, felt a few days beforehand, perhaps recalling whatever was on your plate at the beginning of the month. The trippiness is reflected by Mercury — planet of mindset and communication — as it makes exact contact with Saturn and Neptune on Monday at 10:56AM ET and 1:11 PM ET, respectively. Mercury-Saturn contacts suggest a need for serious focus and controls. Downside: potential depression. Mercury-Neptune contacts suggest a need for creativity and vision. Downside: potential illusion/delusion. We’ll see a mix of all potentials in the headlines, I’m sure.

Exact patterns are light on Sunday, and the Sag Moon favors a round of golf or romp in nature.  Be aware of the potentially wiggy Mercury-Saturn-Neptune thing and have a happy Fathers’ Day.

And now, the news.

Here’s the song by the Sex Pistols. And here’s the story behind it.

First, from yet another pit of Saturn-Neptune despair (provoked by retrograde Mars running wild), comes the senseless killing of British MP Jo Cox . I can’t possibly fathom a silver lining at this time.  Her assailant reportedly shouted “Britain first!” during the attack. This is a reference to Brexit, a referendum on whether Britain should stay in the European Union.   The vote happens on June 23rd. While columnists and editors at the NYT clearly feel an exit would be folly, what does Britain’s horoscope say?

Alas, under the influence of the ambition-killing Saturn-Neptune square, I can’t muster up the energy to look it up.  But off the top of my head, I do recall the Queen’s horoscope having the first of three transits of rebel Uranus to her Ascendant last month –and the third one won’t happen until next year.  In addition to reflecting her choice of a fabulous electric green birthday suit last week, Uranus-Ascendant patterns suggest a need for greater freedom and independence — often felt  in relationship, potentially leading to a break-up, move or other disruption of the status quo. Uranus transits can be surprising and often shocking. Uranus co-rules the Queen’s First House. The other co-ruler is Saturn, which rules her Capricorn Ascendant. The Ascendant refers to the way she — and by extension, Britain — needs to be seen by others.

You see, once upon a time, only kings and queens consulted with astrologers, as it was in the horoscope of the ruler that the fate of a nation could be divined. We shall see if this theory of synchronicity holds true in more modern times.

Let’s continue.

We also see transiting Mars conjunct — i.e., on top of —  the Queen’s Midheaven and Saturn.  Mars transits to the Midheaven suggest action — any form of assertive/aggressive energy, whether acted out or acted upon. This includes the potential for attacks and accidents — and I’d argue that the assassination of Labour MP Jo Cox reflects that potential for attack. Mars rules Her Majesty’s Second House, referring to matters of money, values and self worth.

We also see the Queen’s Venus at 13 Pisces in her natal Second House,  currently under pressure from transiting Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter and Mercury. Venus refers to enjoyment and money, among other concerns. Transiting Jupiter to Venus suggests a jolly (90th birthday) good time, but transiting Saturn to Venus can be experienced as isolating and streamlining, in financial as well as social arenas.

UPDATE (as of June 24th): On June 23rd,  UK voters elected to leave the European Union. The world is shocked. Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned. The British pound has plummeted. I took a closer look at the Queen’s horoscope and noted two important measurements coloring the first half of 2016, both of which were exact in May. One is a solar arc  between Saturn and Mars, referring to the Queen’s/Britain’s identity and self-worth/assets. Astrologer Noel Tyl describes the potential as follows:

Putting a damper on things; ups and downs; indecision; failing

The second solar arc involves Neptune and the Midheaven. Neptune co-rules the Queen’s Second House (along with Mars). Quoting Noel Tyl again, we see the potential for:

Accentuation of creativity on the job; disruption in the home life; being pushed around; feeling lost; “losing it.”

Let the record show that the Washington Post  offers this headline, “The British are frantically Googling ‘EU’ Hours After Voting to Leave It.”  Losing it, perhaps? Said one British voter:

“Even though I voted to leave, this morning I woke up and I just — the reality did actually hit me,” one woman told the news channel ITV News. “If I’d had the opportunity to vote again, it would be to stay.”

Coincidence or conspiracy? God Save the Queen!

UPDATE: Bernie Sanders, who will have the third hit of expansive Jupiter to his Virgo Sun on Saturday, did not end his campaign yesterday. However, he did vow to work together with Hillary Clinton to defeat what’s-his-face.  Planetary patterns in his chart for the rest of the summer and into fall suggest a need for a zealous application of emotional energy. At the end of the year we see a Sun-Uranus measurement suggesting greater freedom and independence. Talk of him establishing a third political party does not seem unreasonable, especially as he will continue to experience transiting Uranus to Mars and Venus into 2017 as well. Translation: walking his talk, generating an intense buzz.

Best Saturn (control) -Neptune (drugs) proposal I’ve read all day: Congresswoman Gwen Moore is sick of poor people being stigmatized. She’s proposing that anyone who itemizes more than $150,000 in tax deductions must submit to a drug test in order to claim the tax break.

Finally, a bit of delight from NPR for people who believe the world would be a much happier place if “please” and “thank you” were used more often.

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