Follow us on TwitterFind us on FacebookFind us on Tumblr

Get daily Astro-Logical forecasts delivered to you here.

"Her ability to pinpoint exact years of major occurrences was uncanny. And her sensitive insight brought such clarity to the reading."
-- D.H.

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 Friday & Saturday 9/11-12/2015: Thoughts on Dead Moons; New Cycles & 9/11

I don’t know how this day has flown by so quickly, but I’ve had a lot on my mind and plate — too much to post a forecast. The Moon is now in Virgo, driven by a need for correctness, preferably delivered in the spirit of humble service, as opposed to neurotic nit-picking. It is the end of the lunar cycle, suggesting we may be feeling restless or listless, as we intuitively sense that a new cycle is about to begin, but we don’t know what it is. Plus, the New Moon is an eclipse. Plus, Mercury is slowing down — about to turn retrograde on the 17th. Plus, Jupiter (expansion) and Neptune (spirit, vision, blood, healing, fantasy, illusion, delusion, empathy, etc.), are almost exactly opposed — and this amplifies the potential for dreamy spacey wigginess, IMHO. See? Humble.

Today and Saturday are good for wrapping up old projects and contemplating what you want to REVIEW during the next lunar cycle. The review is brought to you by Mercury retrograde. So clear your desk, organize your files, clean up your diet and your house.

Meanwhile, it being September 11th, there are posts all over the web and images flooding the airwaves. Some posts are questioning the wisdom of approaching this day with a mindset of “Never Forget”. So I decided to re-post my forecast from September 12, 2012:

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 9/12/2012: Let It Shine

So yesterday was September 11th, and it was the 11th anniversary of an act of violence that stunned the world and resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. I couldn’t bring myself to acknowledge this in yesterday’s forecast because, frankly, I was living in New York on That Day. Then I noted someone on Facebook opining that on every September 11th since, all of America gets very patriotic, while New Yorkers just get somber and quiet. So I thought, “OK, I’ll post something.”  After all, the Moon was in Cancer (needing to focus on homeland/emotional security; America is a Cancer nation, etc.), and it was slowly approaching a square to serious Saturn, suggesting a need for gravitas.

Here’s what I wrote:

What I remember about That Day was how quiet the city became in the aftermath. We gathered at night in public places, needing the support of community. We gave up our defensive edges. We slowed down. Drivers did not honk their horns. With whomever we met in the course of the day, we would take the time to look into each others’ eyes and ask, with heartfelt sincerity, “how are you”?

We approached each other with such loving kindness — back then — perhaps because we were all so conscious of our collective shock and grief. Everyone seemed to know someone who knew someone who had died…or was at Ground Zero and escaped, covered in ash…or was supposed to be there, but Fate intervened, and they missed their train or their appointment in the city was canceled or whatever. Point is, we all had a story to tell…and a connection to this experience that connected us to each other. We were able to see ourselves in each other.

Time passes…it heals wounds…and we forget. And often, we forget the connection. Separation — which is an illusion — creeps back in. It’s us against them. We racing to get here, there, everywhere. We get impatient with each other and start honking our horns again…or worse. And yes, I do have a thing against people who honk their horns and I have a byline to prove it — in the New York Times, no less  — how cool is that? Point is, we are still sharing the same human experience — in a Big Picture, yet profoundly simple way. Even though we may forget.

These thoughts led me to decide as my tribute to 9/11,  I would pretend to be an exalted human being — and try to act accordingly — during the course of my errands in the city. That meant taking the time to consciously assess whomever I  engaged and imagining myself in their position before promoting my own agenda.

The employee behind the counter at Pret A Manger, for example, was a 20-something man with a wonderfully grounded, friendly intelligence. I thought about where he was at in his life — working behind a counter for probably not much more than minimum wage — and I wondered what his dreams might be at this nascent stage of his career. And as we were discussing the comparative merits of the caffeinated beverages offered at this fine establishment, I found myself telling him what a great job he was doing, and that I was certain his attitude and attentive presence would take him very far in life. I put my two dollars on the counter to pay for my coffee (decided not to spring for the cappuccino), and darned if he didn’t say, “It’s on the house”.

What a delightful surprise. What a lovely connection.

And what, pray tell, does this have to do with anything astro-logical?  How about this: with today’s Moon in playful, regal, sunny Leo, you are encouraged to let your light shine! Practice senseless acts of beauty and acts of random kindness. Remember, that was the challenge presented at the beginning of this lunar cycle — the New Moon was in Leo on Aug 17th, right? Show the world the results of your intention. Shine! You’ll be aided by lovely connections to the Moon from loving Venus and electric Uranus,  ’round about lunchtime on the East Coast. You’ll be helped even more by another lovely connection between Venus and Uranus, suggesting you expand your networks and allow yourself to be open to encounters that are delightfully unconventional and unusual…based on the simple premise that we are all on the same ride in the big scheme of things. That stranger on the bus could be your new best friend, even if it’s just for the few minutes you share until you arrive at your stop.

And look…here’s a song to inspire you…so many versions to choose from. Take your pick of Odetta, the Boss or the Templet Family Band. A tough choice, for sure.OMG, here’s Brenda Lee, too.  The Odetta version opens with a passage written by Marianne Williamson that may give you chills….and…oh wow. Apparently Odetta sang this song(with the Harlem Boys Choir) on the first Letterman show after 9/11. I did not know that…until now.

And for now I’ve made a note to act as if I am an exalted human being: kind, considerate, humble and service-oriented in my efforts to make things right — at least through these next couple of days driven by a Virgo Moon.

Thank you for reading this forecast.

candle

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 9/10/2015: Terry Gilliam, RIP — Coincidence or Conspiracy?

Another day of the drama queen Leo Moon, getting deader by the hour. We are at the end of the lunar cycle, a time to wrap up projects and contemplate the new agenda you can initiate on the next New Moon, which happens Sunday at 2:41AM ET.  Yes, it’s an eclipse. No, there is no reason to panic. Just take note — and find out how that eclipse might highlight a particular area of your horoscope. That is what astrologers are here to do, along with serving as clear-headed crisis counselors offering a grounding perspective when you call them because life has dumped so many challenges on your plate that you’re starting wonder if the whole world is conspiring against you.

Come to find out, your life events are simply reflecting the challenges we’d expect you to have in a particular planetary cycle. Yes, a CYCLE…meaning that you’ve been here before and may well be here again, so let’s look at how you navigated those rapids in the past — with apparent success, since you’re still here to talk about it, right? And now you feel so much better, because in a matter of minutes, the astrologer has validated your reality and helped you plan a strategy to navigate the rapids this time.

Where was I?

Ah yes, the Moon. At 1:20PM ET it makes an easy connection with Uranus, ruler of astrology, putting a potentially innovative, humanitarian spin on your approach to problem-solving this morning. Tensions may build to dramatic action or outburst around 3:59PM, when the Moon meets up with action hero Mars, “getting away with murder” in Leo.  After that and into the night, find some fun, a party or a stage. Leo Moons are grand for that, as well as grandstanding.

And now, the news.

Words as weaponry — with slice and dice edges. That’s was the potential of yesterday’s square between mental Mercury and Pluto, planet of annihilation. Donald Trump was only too happy to serve as poster child for this pattern, making headlines by trashing Carly Fiorina’s face. Yes, this is actually headline news. As you will read, Mr. Trump (and all other political types who routinely trash the copyright laws protecting songwriters), was subsequently eviscerated in a Tweet from R.E.M’s Michael Stipe for using “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” without permission.

Oh, this next one is absolutely fantastic. This astrological correlation deserves to be published in every newspaper in the world. Where is my Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting? My star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? How’s that for Moon in Leo grandstanding?  Do you have a clearer understanding of Moon in Leo needs — and its dramatic expression — now? Good. Have fun with it!

As you know, Saturn is now at the very end of Scorpio — at 29 degrees. Saturn refers to time, limits, control. Scorpio refers to those nitty-gritty matters of life — and death. If you have planets at 29 degrees of Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius, my money says you may be feeling that certain areas of your life are being mightily squeezed right now. Meanwhile, Neptune is at 8 degrees of Pisces. Whereas Saturn refers to the tangible and material world, Neptune refers to the intangible and the immaterial. Neptune dissolves whatever it touches, leaving those under a Neptune transit often feeling bewildered or wiped out. So if your horoscope has any planet at 8 degrees of Pisces, Virgo, Gemini or Sagittarius, that planet is under the spell of a rose-colored fog, and is bound to be reflected in your life according to what that planet —  its house, its rulership, etc. — symbolizes.

Take Monty Python’s  Terry Gilliam. At 6:27PM PT on Sep 8, 2015, Variety published his obituary. Awful news. Except — guess what — he is absolutely, positively not dead. Cue classic “Bring Out Your Dead” Monty Python bit now, please.

How could this howling error happen? Why would it happen to Terry Gilliam? Was it a totally random, freak occurrence? My money says it is being viewed as such. But where is the investigative reporter to look a little deeper? To determine if there might be a coherent pattern that could answer the question, “Why?” Not in the lamestream media, that’s for sure. And it’s really too bad — because guess what? How this freaky thing could happen is SCREAMINGLY OBVIOUS!!!!!!! in Mr. Gilliam’s HOROSCOPE and in the event chart for the moment the obituary was published!!!

Mr. Gilliam’s Sun is at 29 degrees 49 minutes of Scorpio. Transiting Saturn is at 29 degrees 30 minutes of Scorpio! Mr. Gilliam’s Midheaven is 8 degrees 19 minutes of Gemini. The Midheaven (MC) refers to career and public status. Transiting Neptune is at 8 degrees 8 minutes of Pisces, in an almost EXACT TO THE MINUTE SQUARE (90 degree relationship) to that MC!! So we have two HUGE patterns that do not happen every day, suggesting: squeeze, limits, end of time — and also: wipe out, fog and ILLUSION. Mr. Gilliam is decidedly not dead!

Looking at the event chart for the time the obit was published, we see Neptune rising in the First House, conjunct the Ascendant and square the Midheaven. This moment in time suggests the potential for conspicuous bewilderment, illusion and/or wipe out! The Ascendant is 1 degree of Pisces, suggesting it may be happening “too soon” (!!!).  Saturn is in the Ninth House, which refers to publishing and it is square the Ascendant!  Fascinatingly, the Moon is at 29 degrees of Cancer, exactly trine Saturn, just about to go void (one minute later) until 7:36PM PT. One can imagine the crisis that occurred when this obit hit the wires, which then turned out to be much ado about nothing.

There is much more to say about this event chart, but you get the idea. Suffice it to say that if Mr. Gilliam does not consult with an astrologer, he may marvel and wonder for the rest of his life as to why this surreal experience happened to him at this time. Or he could shrug it off as mere coincidence, missing a valuable learning opportunity!  However, if he does have a consulting astrologer on the payroll, he could benefit from the clarity of perspective and validation that astrology can provide. He could have a meaningful discussion about a need for vision — spiritually and/or creatively — or a feeling of wipe-out and/or bedazzlement in relationship and career that his current Neptune transit suggests.

We would also discuss the pressure he may also be feeling about a need to focus on core family and home  concerns. He’d be able to plan for a move along those lines in the last two months of this year and through February of 2016, when transiting Saturn and Neptune will exactly hit the Midheaven of his horoscope. We’d look ahead even further to June of 2016, when transiting Neptune will exactly oppose his Ascendant for the first of three passes going into 2017. No, I do not know how those needs are specifically manifesting in Mr. Gilliam’s life right now. I am not a psychic. I am an astrologer.

My best astrology teacher ever has a habit, after presenting a particularly compelling astrological case study, of summing it all up with, “I just can’t do any better than that”. He has Moon in Leo (so does Terry Gilliam), and has quite a dramatic stage presence. But on this Moon in Leo day, I can appreciate the sentiments behind my teacher’s closing statement, his grand finale.

Thank you for reading this forecast. Please share it with the rest of the Free World.

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 9/9/2015: News, News and More News

Recapping today’s planetary patterns from yesterday’s forecast:

Moon enters Leo at 10:36PM ET on Tuesday,  trading the emotional sensitivity of Cancer for emotional drama and need to shine, play and put on a show. The Moon will cruise through Leo without input from other planets all day on Wednesday, and pretty much all day on Thursday.

Today’s only exact pattern is mental Mercury squared by Pluto at 3:23PM ET, suggesting a sharp perspective that can either be cutting in ways some might find hurtful, or can be aces at digging up buried facts. Regardless, this pattern suggests no need to mince words. It facilitates persuasive efforts. Consider that drama king/queen Leo Moon and we could witness quite a show over the next two days.

And now, the news.

Yesterday’s alignment between Mars (action, war, athletics, crusades, assertion, aggression) and Uranus (aviation, innovation, technology, freedom, rebellion, eccentrics) occurred in two willful fire signs — Aries and Leo. How interesting to see two aviation stories making the headlines. First, there was a British Airways plane that caught fire during takeoff in Las Vegas. Yikes. Factor in today’s dirt-digging Mercury-Pluto square and the CEO of United Airlines resigns in a corruption scandal. Just how friendly were those skies, hmmm? Depends on what you could do for United, apparently. Elsewhere, no words were minced for the former publisher of the Los Angeles Times. He’s been fired, and it isn’t pretty.

Here’s an innovative action that happened underground: in Russia, two five-year-olds dug their way out of a nursery to buy a sports car. That’s what the headline says — amazing! Elsewhere, tech titan and self-described “eccentric millionaire” John McAfee announced he would be running for president under the banner of a new political party, the “Cyber Party”.

In Kentucky, crusading rebel and county clerk Kim Davis was set free. Will she now do her job as required by the law? Whatever happens, her husband loves her. Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz love her. Lots of people love her — and looking at her horoscope, patterns between the Sun and Venus — and possibly the Moon and Venus, too (we do not know her birth time), suggest that receiving love, love, love is a theme for her right now. However, the band Survivor does not love her,  since its copyrighted song, “Eye of the Tiger,” was played at her press conference. I’m seeing a pattern here….

…and I’m wondering if Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz also love Charee Stanley, a Muslim flight attendant who claims she was suspended because she refused to serve alcohol to passengers. We’ll be reading many more of these “my religion trumps your law” stories as Saturn moves back into Sagittarius and engages with Jupiter and Neptune this month and into 2016…..

Meanwhile, there was a killer tennis match at the U.S. Open between Serena Williams and Venus Williams.  Serena’s horoscope is driven by a perfectionist Virgo Moon at 20 degrees. That’s the degree of this Sunday’s eclipse. Her sister, Venus, has Saturn at 20 Virgo. In both horoscopes, these soon-to-be-eclipsed planets rule the Fourth House, which refers to the mother (in modern astrology) or the father (in traditional astrology), home and foundation. It will be interesting to see how this area of the Williams sisters’ lives is affected over the next several months, as 20 degrees of Virgo is triggered by transiting planets.

I could write paragraphs about the fascinating horoscopes of the Williams sisters, in my spare time between midnight and six AM. But I need to finish preparing the fascinating horoscopes for a multitude of client consultations so they will understand why things are happening now and how to plan a strategy to maximize likely opportunities in the future. Does that sound like an intriguing discussion? Then I invite you to schedule a personal consultation.

Thank you for reading this forecast.

Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 9/8/2015: Sneak Peek at the Week; Stephen Colbert, Briefly

Good Morning!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend — and perhaps you are still on holiday even as I type. The Moon is in Cancer, driving the energy of the day with a need for emotional security and a focus on home(land) concerns, Mom and apple pie. The Moon travels without conflict until 9:28PM ET, when it goes void for just over an hour on a stabilizing connection with Saturn.

Moon enters Leo at 10:36PM ET, trading the emotional sensitivity of Cancer for emotional drama and need to shine, play and put on a show. The Moon will cruise through Leo without input from other planets all day on Wednesday, and pretty much all day on Thursday. So is there anything of note happening in the cosmos this week? Sure!

Today at 3:53PM ET, action hero Mars (in Leo) makes an easy alignment with technogeek Uranus (in Aries), facilitating innovative action and perhaps militant/rebellious action, too. Mars refers to war and crusades; Uranus just has to break the mold. Tomorrow, mental Mercury is squared by Pluto at 3:23PM ET, suggesting a sharp perspective that can either be cutting in ways some might find hurtful, or can be aces at digging up buried facts. Regardless, this pattern suggests no need to mince words. It facilitates persuasive efforts.

So lets’s see…these two aspects, driven by the Moon in Leo tonight…sounds like a good time for quirky rebel geek Stephen Colbert to step into David Letterman’s shoes as the host of Late Night on CBS. More on Mr. Colbert in a minute.

By the time the Virgo Moon kicks in on Friday at 9:56AM, we will be well into the dark side of the Moon, a time to be wrapping up projects from this past cycle and preparing for the New Moon on Sunday at 2:41AM ET. As you may have heard, this New Moon is the first of two eclipses this month; the second will be on the Full Moon on September 27th.

I will write more about the particulars of Sunday’s eclipse later this week; for now, just know that an eclipse in Virgo is likely to add to Jupiter in Virgo’s expansive focus on Virgo concerns, including work routines, healthcare, service, diet, food production and labor in excruciating detail. Wherever 20 degrees of Virgo falls in your horoscope is the area of your life that will be affected. If you have a planet or angle at around 20 degrees of Virgo, the matters referring to that planet will be of exceptional significance, especially in the last week of October and November. Consult your local astrologer for details. Schedule a personal consultation. There is only so much that can be covered in a general forecast (even though I could go on for days and days about astrology…)

And now, the news.

Stephen Colbert. There was a big article about his Late Night debut last week in the New York Times. Two colleagues are quoted thusly:

…Mr. Dinello said. “Once he knows the game, there’s no stopping him.”

On their various projects, Ms. Sedaris said she also recognized in Mr. Colbert what she affectionately described as “the bully-bull-bull, the Taurus in him.”

“He takes charge, and you happily let him take charge,” she said.

How interesting to see a remark about Sun Signs casually quoted — as if of course everyone would understand what Ms. Sedaris was talking about — in the NYT. And someday maybe everyone will get the reference, when the practical insights astrology can provide are valued by more people.

Elsewhere in the piece, Mr. Colbert is described as

…quick-witted, acerbic and loquacious. He uses words like “catharsis” in casual conversation and can flawlessly pronounce the name of the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl.

Why was he tapped by CBS to replace Mr. Letterman?

 To CBS, Mr. Colbert evoked the best of Mr. Letterman, who Mr. Moonves said was “the smartest guy in the room — it was the thinking man’s thing, and the humor was something that soared.”

And by this point I’m thinking, “Mr. Colbert may well be a Taurus, but my money says his horoscope is driven by a Moon in Gemini”. And as it turns out, it is –(even without an exact birth time). His horoscope also has four planets in Taurus – Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Mars — and the last three are trine Uranus and Pluto, suggesting innovation and persuasion in matters of mindset and action — big time. Makes senses he’d be a huge fan of rocket science and science fiction. Break a leg, Mr. Colbert!

UPDATE: On the subject of “news from underground,” suggested by the Sun’s contact with Pluto over the weekend, rumor has it that the whereabouts of the mythical Nazi gold train we were tracking during last week’s equally mythic Sun-Neptune opposition have been determined — and have been sealed off by the Polish army.  Meanwhile, “archaelogy on steroids” made news near Stonehenge.

UPDATE: The murder of Cecil the Lion by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer made headlines days after Venus turned retrograde on July 25th. Palmer’s dental practice was closed for several weeks. Now that Venus is direct (as of Sunday), Palmer’s practice has re-opened for business…but no sign of Dr. Palmer yet…

Thank you for reading this forecast.

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 9/4/2015 & the Weekend: Venus Turns Direct; Mercury Retrograde Alert

TGIF!

Summer’s last hurrah — a long holiday weekend for those in the U.S. — kicks off with the Moon in chatty, versatile Gemini at 7:48AM ET. What’s there to talk about? Whatever wet blanket or authoritative advance happened while you were sleeping, suggested by a face-off between the Moon and Saturn at 6:20AM ET. As the day progresses, boundaries may be pushed as the Moon squares expansive Jupiter at 5:04PM ET…and perhaps dissolve altogether as the Moon next squares wiggy Neptune at 10:23PM ET. Some enchanted evening?

Saturday morning starts with the Third Quarter Moon at 5:54PM ET, offering another potential revelation on the agenda you set for yourself on last month’s New Moon. The rest of the day looks good for being a social butterfly, as the Gemini Moon makes contact with Venus and Mars, before going void with a sigh on a hit to rebel Uranus at 7:04PM ET. Take a loonnnnng chill, as the Moon won’t enter the next sign — Cancer — until 1:40PM ET on Sunday.

Not that there won’t be plenty going on in the cosmos. At 7:08PM ET  on Saturday the Sun aligns with Pluto. This is a potent and resourceful mix, quite different from the intangible vibe of the Sun-Neptune face-off that started the week. Meanwhile, at 4:29AM ET on Sunday, Venus finally turns direct — huzzah, huzzah! It will take until October 9th for it to reach 0 Virgo, the degree at which it turned retrograde on July 25th. How many summer flings will fizzle out between now and then?

Important Safety Tip: while Venus may soon be moving direct, mental Mercury will be turning retrograde on September 17th. Take this time now to BACK UP YOUR COMPUTERS and other gizmos…and NO WHINGEING about Mercury retrograde! There are plenty of productive things that can be accomplished during this necessary period of REview, and you can read about them here.

And now, the news.

Everywhere I look, I see fallout from last weekend’s bewildering Full Moon and Sun-Neptune face-off (fish, refugees, oceans, spirit, deception, etc.).

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension was overturned by a federal judge. This made me smile — not because I am fan of Tom Brady, but because my sense was that the Deflategate scandal was not likely to have serious consequences. Elsewhere, however, there have been serious consequences for the president of Guatemala, who resigned today in a swirl of scandal involving an alleged customs fraud. He was promptly jailed.

Around the world, the plight of refugees made disturbing headlines — in Turkey, Canada, Germany, Australia and Hungary.

Meanwhile, Kim Davis, the rebellious Kentucky county clerk who refused to follow an order from the Supreme Court to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, has been found in contempt and sent to jail. Since my last forecast, Wikipedia has published Ms. Davis’s birth date, and I appreciate the Avid Reader who let me know. Ms. Davis was born September 17, 1965. Service-oriented Virgo Sun square expansive Jupiter. Moon in Gemini, suggesting a need to be the smartest kid in the room. Even without an exact birth time, we can see how her mindset would be unconventional and intense, with her Mercury conjunct Uranus and Pluto — all in Virgo. And all three planets are opposed by a retrograde Saturn in Pisces, suggesting any number of necessary controls, a challenging relationship with the father and no small amount of soul-searching.

To understand her potential spiritual  zeal, charisma and/or proclivity for deception or scandal, look no further than a meet-up between Mars and Neptune in Scorpio. Yea verily, my head spins when reading about her complicated marital history. Her Venus is also in Scorpio, in a loose Grand Trine with Jupiter and Saturn. A Grand Trine is traditionally seen as a lucky pattern in a horoscope, but I learned from Noel Tyl that it  also suggests one who may see herself  as a “law unto oneself”. Ya think? There’s more….but you get the idea.

OK, I promised you fish. As in “An Ancient Fish is Running Out of Time,” as seen in today’s NYT op-ed pages. And this fish tale involving President Obama today in Alaska. Still at the top of his game, btw, as he now has enough support in Congress to move forward on the accord negotiated with Iran.

Thank you for reading this forecast and sharing it with the rest of the Free World. And thanks especially to Avid Reader Jerry, who was kind enough to make a $10 donation in support of my efforts to keep you entertained and informed on planetary patterns. Jerry, you made my day. This forecast was written especially for you.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday & Thursday 9/2-3/2015: Steady Freddie with Moooooon in Taurus

Today the Moon is in Taurus — as of 5:02AM ET, no doubt ready to methodically organize and consolidate the impassioned idealism or bewilderment that may have captured your attention during yesterday’s long Moon void. Whatever it takes to maintain a sense of comfort and security, have at it, as this sensual Taurus energy is well-supported by expansive Jupiter at 1:01PM ET (a luxurious lunch?), visionary Neptune at 6:54PM ET (catch a concert or a show?) and by the Sun at 10:06PM ET (a snuggle with your sweetie?).  Works for me.

The markets were bewildered on Tuesday. Efforts to maintain material security would no doubt be appreciated today.

Overnight, a depth of senses is intensified by an alignment between the Moon and Pluto at 2:50AM ET. If you’re working out some power play or catharsis in your dreams, you may notice a bit of crankiness on Thursday morning, as the immovable Taurus Moon is challenged by the double drama queen potential of Venus and Mars in Leo, at 5:19AM and 8:24AM ET.  Those born with planets around 14 degrees of Leo, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius are more likely to be subjected to that display. For the rest of Thursday, the Moon cruises without impediment in a sign especially designed for practical application of constructive energy. Use it well between now and Friday!

And now, the news.

From the sublime to the ridiculous — as expected, under the influence of Monday’s face-off between Neptune and the Virgo Sun. Neptune suggests bewilderment, rose-colored glasses, vision, healing, spaciness, delusion, refuge and refugees. Throw in yesterday’s hook-up between in-your-face Venus retrograde and Mars in regal Leo, and we could have some surreal drama. Or a major heart-centered (Leo) act of forgiveness (Neptune).

In the case of the latter, Pope Francis instructed priests to forgive women who expressed regret over having an abortion. With this story, we need to consider the added energy of karma cop Saturn, now at the last degree of Scorpio (sex, death, money) until September 17th.

In the case of the former, consider the impassioned woman of faith (Neptune) who has absolutely, positively refused to issue marriage licenses (Venus conjunct Mars) to same-sex couples in Kentucky, despite being expressly ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court to do so. This woman has been married four times — twice to the same man. It’s bewildering, isn’t it? She has been ordered to appear in court on Thursday, with her entire staff. All I know about her is that she is 49 — and thus was born with the revolutionary Uranus-Pluto conjunction in her horoscope. Well, she certainly is a rebel. This case may well be the first of many more challenges we’ll see over the next 12 months of getting real and/or surreal about faith and its role in the law, brought to you by Saturn in (opinionated dogma) Sagittarius (square Neptune and Jupiter).

Neptune refers to fish — including gefilte fish. An email about said stinky fish was one of the biggest highlights in a truckload of emails released this week from Hillary Clinton’s secret stash. Mrs. Clinton is such a Secret Squirrel that we do not even have a confirmed birth time so as to calculate her complete horoscope, but still we can see that the Venus-Mars conjunction at 14 Leo is sitting right on top of her Leo Mars-Pluto conjunction and square her Venus in Scorpio. So we could expect some action in areas related to social expression, provocation and perhaps the exposure of things previously kept under wraps.

Meanwhile, with transiting Saturn still at the top of his horoscope, President Obama is still at the top of his game, as anticipated years ago. Renaming a mountain, declaring climate change an urgent priority and moving in on the Arctic are just a few of the items on his To-Do List this week, as he builds his legacy.   How fascinating that “Denali” means “The Great One”.

Elsewhere, Dick Cheney — who is currently experiencing transiting Saturn at the bottom of his chart — is getting press for his new book. Saturn at the bottom of the horoscope suggests a need to shore up one’s foundation. “Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America,” is the title of Mr. Cheney’s opus, in which he “makes the case for a strong national defense”. Or so the book is presented  in The Washington Times, one of Justice Antonin Scalia’s two favorite newspapers (the other is the Wall Street Journal). But if you read The Guardian, you’ll be informed that the foundation being shored up is the justification for the use of torture. Which reality do you live in? Where do you get your news?

Let’s see…oh this headline is also in synch with Jupiter in Virgo (workers, union) opposing Neptune (betrayal) mixed with party-hearty Venus-Mars in Leo: Union Accused of Betraying Migrant Carnival Workers.  Finally, a carnival of the musical and surreal kind will hit Broadway next year in Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical. With songs by David Bowie, Steven Tyler and Cyndi Lauper — just for starters. I like to end on stories that might make you smile.

Thank you for reading this forecast. Should you wish to express appreciation for the time and energy I put into to making this missive a delight to read, there is a big gold DONATE button on the left hand side of this page, the use of which will help me maintain my stock of midnight oil — yippee!