TGIF!!

So. How did the past two days of a fast and furious Aries Moon, supercharged by power player Pluto and disruptive Uranus, treat you? Get much done? Shake things up? Well, there’s more of that raging fire until the late afternoon. Channel it into something positive — or take it out at the gym. The me-me-me Aries Moon goes void at 1:41PM ET and enters earthy Taurus at about a quarter past three,  seeking to fulfill its mission of building material comfort and security.

Oh, if the Taurus Moon agenda were only that easy. A weekend of fine wine, food, music and a snuggle with your sweetie in flannel sheets would be a Taurus dream, backed by a fat bank account. Go for it. But be aware that first we must get through the 1:41 AM ET meet-up of power maven Pluto and the Sun in Capricorn, the fallout of which will likely be felt through the weekend.

And then we must realize that Mercury is once again slowing to a dead stop, about to turn DIRECT on SUNDAY at 4:43AM ET. So triple check and triple check again all communication and travel plans. And remember that Mercury will be hovering at the very end of sloppy Sagittarius until the Full Moon on THURSDAY, bringing communication about all things foreign to prominence, along with boundary-pushing opinions and traffic and travel plans.

Finally we must keep in mind that the intense buzz of TUESDAY’S challenge between rebel Uranus and the Sun may be reflected in upsets and tension you could cut through with a knife. And that emotions are on the rise, given that aforementioned waxing Moon.

There is no Moon void to deter your comforting material purchases on SATURDAY. However, the Moon will be void as of 9:23PM ET — and won’t enter Gemini until SUNDAY at 5:06AM ET. Snuggle and enjoy the snow, if it’s falling near you. Take it slow on Sunday, given Mercury’s change of station. No sleeping in on MONDAY –but still, take it slow —  and note your dreams upon waking, given that the Moon will be activated by visionary Neptune. It’s gonna be some week.

And now, the news.

Fast and furious indeed over the past few days, with that “Ready! Fire! Aim!” quality of an Aries Moon (as astrologer Rick Levine likes to say).

Venus is in Pisces and this weekend, it meets up with a point many astrologers call the South Node. Venus in Pisces suggests compassion for all living things, secure in the wisdom that LOVE IS ALL and ALL ARE ONE. Venus also refers to the feminine. The South Node suggests destruction. Throw everything that is Venus in Pisces under the bus, and marvel at the latest unpresidented development: “In Break With Precedent, All Obama Envoys are Denied Extensions Past Inauguration Day” — and while we’re at it, let’s have the Speaker of the House announce that Planned Parenthood will be defunded (if he has anything to say about it), and let’s have a U.S. Senator (Mike Enzi) submit a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act without any replacement plan on the table. Venus in Pisces under the bus, supported by a falling-down-stairs-because-it’s-faster-than-walking Aries Moon — and underwritten by that power-mad Sun-Pluto in Capricorn, with a boundary-pushing macho thrust, courtesy of Uranus in Aries opposing Jupiter.

Meanwhile, you may have heard that Congressional leaders have said they are A-OK with funding the big fat wall on the U.S. – Mexican border — you know, the one Trump said he would make Mexico pay for. Who wants to buy my cool bridge in Brooklyn?

Compare the assault on Planned Parenthood to the status of women living in Nepal, where you’re considered impure if you are menstruating or have just given birth. Thus you must remove yourself to a freezing cold hut and hope you don’t die from exposure — or worse, as a story on the NYT home page currently reports. It may be too much for the delicate senses of a staffer in Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)’s office, who told a constituent caller that talking about menstruation in the context of a discussion about  defunding Planned Parenthood was “too graphic.” This  made news today, too. I wonder if Senator Toomey has a fainting couch in his office. I wonder if he thinks the U.S. is more advanced than Nepal.

Did you know that 17 of the Tweeter-in-Chief’s proposed cabinet picks have as much wealth among them as 43 million American households — the bottom third — of the “haves” barrel? It’s an apt reflection of one potential of “he who dies with the most toys wins” Pluto traveling through the back half of Capricorn.

Time for a more uplifting perspective: Tarot Diva Beth Owlsdaughter has posted a card reading — not for the week — but for the whole year. She writes so well!!

On Saturday, January 21st there will be marches all over the country, thanks to a Facebook post by one woman in Hawaii. Wow! Of course her name is Teresa Shook — as shaking up the status quo is so apt in these interesting times. Thank you, Uranus (shake ups) in Aries (individual), where one person can make a difference. So here’s a fun piece on the upcoming marches with input from Mercury retrograde:

At first I thought, “If only WaPo had consulted with an astrologer, she would have advised them to triple check everything before hitting ‘print.'” That’s the symbol for Mars/men, not Venus/women on that WaPo Express cover.  Oops. But now I think that WaPo should have said that the Mars symbol was intentional, because in astrology, Mars is the symbol for “action” and “courage,” and action and courage are what the women who are marching will be expressing! It’s not just a man thing, right?

Also apt for a Mercury retrograde: in France, workers now have a legal right to disconnect from office email after business hours.

UPDATE on Adolf Hitler: less than a month ago I noted that his horoscope suggested “electrifying thought and a fresh start” in matters of mindset and communication. Guess what book has become a bestseller in Germany –– or so we learned this week?  Mein Kampf! The horoscope lives forever — and you can read more on that subject in a piece I wrote for The Mountain Astrologer.

The story about the Russians — and specifically, Vladimir Putin — influencing the U.S. election continues to develop., with the declassification of an intelligence report this afternoon. Earlier today, Congress certified the Electoral College’s presidential vote — but let the record show that 11 members of Congress voiced challenges on grounds including Russian interference, electors not meeting requirements of their own state constitutions; Voting Rights Act violations and more. What more did they need? The support of one senator — and they didn’t have it.

A popular horoscope for modern Russia gives birth data as follows: 1:45PM on June 12, 1990 in Moscow. It’s fascinating to see its Sun at 21 degrees of Gemini, making it conjunct Trump’s 22 Gemini Sun and opposite his 21 Sagittarius Moon. Remember how 22 Gemini-Sagittarius was illuminated in last month’s Full Moon, and how many other current newsmakers have planets and angles at those 22 Mutable degrees?

Trump, President Obama (Virgo Mars), Hillary Clinton (Pisces Moon), Mitt Romney (Pisces Sun), the United States (Mars and Neptune), James Comey (Sun, Pluto), Mike Pence (Gemini Mercury and possibly Gemini Moon), Stephen Bannon (Gemini Jupiter). Everyone noted here will be experiencing the first of three sobering hits from transiting Saturn at 22 Sagittarius, starting in January….then again in June and October.

So now we add Russia’s horoscope to the mix — and note that Russia will also get it  from all angles when Saturn hits its 24 degree Gemini Midheaven and its 26 Virgo Ascendant three times in 2017. We also note that Russia has been on  a potent expansion of power and resources, with transiting Pluto opposing Jupiter, ruler of Russia’s 4th House — it’s territory — from 2014 — 2016.  So we see the potential for the expansion of territory! In April 2017, we see the third hit of  potentially surprising disruptions in territorial concerns, as transiting Uranus squares Saturn — the co-ruler of Russia’s 4th House. This pattern began last summer.  This third hit will coincide with a measurement suggesting significant communications and thinking about its status and image. Should be an interesting spring, for many more reasons I haven’t gotten around to listing here. Stay tuned!

Wouldn’t you like to know how current planetary patterns are creating opportunity for you in your own personal world? Or in the personal worlds of your children or your significant other? There are so many ways astrology can be used to help you live life better. Check out the types of consultations and reports I have to offer and let’s plan to talk soon. We will have a fine discussion together.

Thank you for reading this forecast.