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.