TGIF — and here’s to a glorious holiday weekend!

Moon entered chatty Gemini at 7:44AM ET, where it will buzz through the day without interference. At 3:18PM ET, an easy alignment between Venus and Jupiter — the planets associated with good times and good fortune — adds its special brand of joy to social interactions. This may soften the brunt of any witchy-bitchiness you may have experienced last night, when Venus (women, social graces, money, beauty) was opposed by powerjunkie Pluto.

Wiggy and potentially harsh challenges to the Moon happen overnight in the Americas, as the Moon is opposed by stern Saturn at 2:03AM ET and squared by Neptune at 3:26AM ET. Take note of your dreams upon waking on SATURDAY. Expansion and exuberance are suggested around 12:15PM ET, as Moon is challenged by jolly Jupiter, perhaps influencing your Saturday shopping sprees. With no Moon void, you’re free to snap up bargains as you see fit.

Moon goes void at 11:43PM ET on Saturday and enters Cancer at 9:20AM ET on SUNDAY, a few hours before a harmonious alignment between the Cancer Sun and visionary Neptune. This alignment adds a rosy-glow to the whole weekend…and yea verily, to the seeds ye shall plant on the New Moon in Cancer, which will be exact on MONDAY.

Just remember that before we get to the New Moon, we’ll be in the balsamic phase of the lunar cycle — a time to wrap up projects and contemplate your list intentions you will set anew on Monday. You can also plan that secret meeting or rendezvous during the days when the Moon is dark. We may feel listless or restless, sensing that something is about to begin — but we don’t know what. But hey — it’s a weekend — and a holiday weekend for the US and Canada — so lazing around a bit shouldn’t cause too many problems, right?

The New Moon will be exact MONDAY at 7:01AM ET at 12 degrees of Cancer. Light a candle, make a list and set your intentions for the next lunar cycle.

The Moon functions well in Cancer, the sign it rules. Here it seeks to fulfill a need for emotional/homeland security Y’know, core foundation concerns. Are you standing on solid ground? Where is your home? Tell me about your family, your mother, your ancestors. How are you being nourished and nurtured? How are you nurturing others?

We are challenged this month to think creatively and deeply about these core foundation concerns.  Don’t like what you’re standing on — or standing for? Sending the wrong message, are you? Then use the penetrating perspective of this particular New Moon to act accordingly.

Patterns in the New Moon chart suggest strong potential for an amplified, empowering flow of feeling and action, involving personally idealistic/visionary ideas and a rebellious push for tolerance of unconventional social expressions/attractions. That’s how I’m translating those patterns into plain English: Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus together in Cancer; opposed by Pluto (amplification; resources) and trine to Neptune (vision); Venus trine Mars (action) and square Uranus (surprise upsets outside the “norm”).

Mars – now direct – is moving forward slowly and deliberately. Follow its lead; steady as you go. The steadiness can keep you grounded in the face of whatever upsets may challenge your agenda – and here I would be thinking of events around Wednesday and Thursday, when three of the most intense and disruptive patterns will be exact: Mercury and Sun opposed by Pluto; Venus squared by Uranus.  A gender-bender of some sort…and more.

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon is one we haven’t talked about since the Full Moon in July or 2012.  It is “one hand slightly flexed with a very prominent thumb.” Hmmm…an inflexible thumb suggests someone with a stubborn will; a slight flex suggests a bit of accommodation, but not much. Accentuating the thumb — with a ring, for example — is usually an indication of anger issues. We become angry when we perceive that our will is thwarted or otherwise blocked. Anger is a keyword related to Mars. So are  desire and action.

 Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee writes:  “Imagine a lecture coming to an end. This is a moment signaling a show or approval or dismay about what has been said: thumbs up or thumbs down.” And adds: “sticking your thumb out may be an attempt to hitch a ride…join in a crowd in a shared experience….It depends on your bent: thumbing your nose…or being under the thumb of a particular binding belief or opinion.” What an interesting Symbol for a month in which the two major political parties will finally host their respective conventions and formally nominate their presidential candidates. Thumbs up or thumbs down? Think it will be an easy call?

Bovee advises us “to be alert for a willful insistence regarding what counts as correct expression; proper speech; true belief. Look for characteristics of resolve, conviction, inner strength; or inflexibility; unyielding in one’s stance; fixed in one’s beliefs…(and) consider the spiritual significance of the opposable thumb.” Spiritual significance: only primates and humans, the allegedly most evolved species on Spaceship Earth, have an opposable thumb. I don’t know about being  “most evolved,” but the opposable thumb certainly gives humans a much greater range of potential when translating desire into action.

What I wrote in that Full Moon forecast posted four years ago is worth repeating now:

Well, OK. What do you want? Can you articulate it clearly and precisely? I raise this question because it has been brought to my attention via more than one source in recent weeks, and with every source saying the same thing, I will share it with you. Somewhere, years ago — I read in Eckhardt Tolle’s book, The Power of Now…or maybe it was Conversations With God…or maybe it was Illusions, by Richard Bach (all great books about how the world is quick to respond to our words and thoughts,which is how we create our reality on this Big Blue Marble)…and what I read was this: the Universe — or whatever it is that turns our thoughts into reality has an odd way of agreeing with whatever you think or say. If you are thinking, “I am no good; I am not qualified to get that job,” the Universe will find ways to agree with you. If you are thinking horrible thoughts about someone, that person will be more likely to act horribly towards you. But if someone has a reputation for acting horribly and you begin thinking of them as “lovely and talented,” for example, you will be more likely to have a positive experience with them.

Eliminating negatives such as “don’t” and “can’t” are also key in manifesting desire.  Thinking, “oh, geez, I don’t want to be late,” when you are trapped in a stalled subway train on your way to an important meeting is less effective than thinking, “somehow I’ll get there on time.”  In fact, consider eliminating the word “want” from your list of wants, as in “I want to be earning more money” or “I want to attract my soulmate.” Why? Because the Universe is likely to agree with your statement…and leave you wanting! This is why affirmations are stated as an “active positive,” as in, “I am attracting my soulmate” or “I am generating more income,” so that the response may be a huge statement of YES, YOU ARE!

And now, the news.

ITEM  #1: Mars (cars) turns direct. Mercury (information) hits the Aries Point, suggesting prominence. Uranus and Mars are in an uneasy connection, suggesting explosive action and accidents. Thus it was revealed this week that on May 7th, a driver testing one of Tesla’s self-driving cars was killed when the car’s computer failed to distinguish a white 18-foot trailer truck against a “bright spring sky.”  I don’t know what time the crash occurred, but the Moon was void all morning, and in an approaching face-off with Mars when it entered Gemini at 12:34PM ET. The Moon was also combust — i.e., blinded by its close connection to the Sun, unable to reflect light (and greater visibility).

ITEM #2: Pluto (netherworld) opposes Venus (women, aesthetics). In the last forecast, the value of annual pelvic exams was questioned in a report making headlines. Hours after I posted it, the NYT ran a trendy piece informing us that more and more women are waxing their nether regions, for reasons that are “baffling” doctors. Planetary patterns at play — or is it simply bikini season? It is the fourth most-viewed article on the home page now.

Avoiding politics like the plague today. There will be plenty to talk about later this month. Let’s be expansive and dreamy, suggested by harmony among the Sun and Neptune, and Venus and Jupiter. On Monday, NASA’s Juno spacecraft arrives at Jupiter after a five-year journey. What do they hope to find?

And what would you hope to find in an equally stellar exploration — i.e., a discussion of your horoscope? Now that Mars is moving forward, what is your action plan? Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.

Thank you for reading this forecast.

Good Morning!

Afternoon!

The start of the work week is driven by a pioneering Moon in me-me-me Aries, fearlessly leading whatever crusade for the underdog you’re espousing. The Third Quarter Moon — a challenging square between the Moon and the sensitive, homeland security-focused Cancer Sun happens at 2:19PM ET. This energy boost may test whatever illumination you received from last week’s prominently opinionated Full Moon in Sagittarius. A steady connection between the Moon and Saturn at 10:37PM ET suggests an afternoon of productivity.

Coloring the morning is a healing/compassionate/forgiving alignment between Venus (women, money, art, social expression) in Cancer and Neptune in Pisces, exact at 9:53AM ET. Moments ago, the Supreme Court just  1) declared restrictions imposed on abortion clinics to be unconstitutional; and 2) upheld a federal law that allegedly makes it more difficult for domestic violence offenders to own a a gun and 3) overturned the conviction of ex-Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, who was found guilty of corruption back in 2014. Elsewhere, Turkey apologized to Russia for shooting down a plane — and Edward Snowden’s lawyer is pushing for a pardon, while his exiled client tours the U.S. with the help of modern technology.

The Aries Moon continues through Tuesday, making its weekly clash with disruptive Pluto and Uranus at 7:14AM ET and 8:12PM ET, respectively. In the Americas, there are no Moon voids happening during business hours this week to thwart your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Moon will be void between 3:36AM and 6:03AM ET on WEDNESDAY. It will be void from 8:19PM ET on THURSDAY until 7:44AM ET on FRIDAY. Onward, then — with the following caveats:

Biggest planetary news this week happens at 7:38PM ET on WEDNESDAY, when Mars — planet of action, guns, yang energy and aggression — finally turns direct at 23 degrees of Scorpio. If you have a planet around or on that degree — or at 23 degrees of Aquarius, Leo or Taurus — this change of direction impacts you more than most, likely in the form of a surge of forward action or outburst. If you do not know where your planets are, I encourage you to find out! Schedule an appointment for a personal consultation — or order an Astro-Basics Report, both of which  you can find out about here.

Also on Wednesday: Mercury leaves Gemini for Cancer at 7:24PM ET, suggesting a need to focus thoughts and communication on matters of emotional and home(land) security. By then we’ll be seeing the reflection of Thursday’s Venus-Pluto opposition, exact at 11:29PM ET. Regular readers of this forecast will recall that supercharged contact between Venus (money, women, social expression, aesthetics) and Pluto (power, resources, transformation) suggests emotional intensity and power plays in matters of finance, relationship and values. The harsh edge of Venus-Pluto is softened somewhat by an easy connection between Venus and Jupiter called a sextile. Sweet — potentially and literally — as you can see in headlines when Venus sextiled Jupiter in the past.

General caveat for the week: Mars is still in an uneasy aspect — a quincunx —  with rebel Uranus, as noted last week. There is another celestial body involved — and this is Eris, named for the Goddess of Discord, discussed in the April 2016 New Moon forecast. In the language of astrology, one manifestation of Eris would be outrage expressed by those who do not feel they have a place at the table. It would be the “have-nots” rising up against the perceived “haves.”  Eris will be in a tight meet-up — a conjunction — with rebel Uranus into 2017. We can expect continued disruptions and challenges to the status quo.

Eris is portrayed as a destructive, volatile energy. File these stories under “Eris — in combination with Mars and Uranus”: a Singapore Airlines (Uranus) catches fire (Mars) in mid-flight; a gun-rights advocate in Texas kills her adult daughters and is then killed by police, witnessed by her husband; several are stabbed at a neo-Nazi rally in Sacramento. I would not want to meet Eris in a dark alley…

General caveat for the next few months: Saturn square Neptune — because it’s worth a review. Here’s an excerpt from a Really Useful Forecast written in January of 2015:

Pattern #2: Saturn in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces. Well, the beginning of a square, actually. The square between these two planets won’t be exact until 2016. What does that suggest?

Briefly, Saturn is reality. Neptune is fantasy. Put them together and what have you got? A bubble of optimistic faith. When will it burst?  A few months ago, when I was reading The Big Short — about the collapse of the housing bubble and the outrageous speculation going on in the financial markets that led to the fiscal crisis in 2008,  I noticed a challenging aspect between Saturn and Neptune as that bubble was building.  There was a similar aspect in 1999, coinciding with the internet bubble and everyone freaking out about Y2K, which proved to be much ado about nothing. What pixie dust-covered fantasy will captivate us now and into the next year?

The horoscope of the United States has been hit hard by Saturn and Neptune, as I’ve noted before. Donald Trump’s candidacy could arguably be filed under “pixie dust-covered fantasy.” He has an interesting pattern happening now — a solar arc between the Sun and his Leo Ascendant. This suggests recognition — usually to the upside — but it can also suggest, as astrologer Noel Tyl writes, “being seen for who one is.” Interesting to see how many recent headlines are finally calling him out for his arguably pathological pattern of lies – here — and here — and here — and anywhere else you choose to Google.

The pattern between Saturn and Neptune in 1999 was a square, corresponding to the energy of a First Quarter Moon. The pattern in 2008 — the big financial crisis/mortgage meltdown in the U.S. — was an opposition, corresponding to the illuminating energy of a Full Moon. The pattern we are in now is another square, corresponding to the energy of a Third Quarter Moon. This current Saturn-Neptune cycle began in 1989, with a conjunction in Capricorn, corresponding to the energy of a New Moon. So we see the potential in 1989 for seeds to be planted in ways that suggest an idealistic dissolution of structure/boundaries in matters related to corporate and government entities. Neptune also refers to deception, scandal, drugs, oil and toxins — so we could argue that those seeds were planted, too.

In 1999, one way we could see those seeds tested was in the adoption of the Euro, a shared currency transcending borders. Other tests were the aforementioned internet bubble and Y2K. The third hit in this current serious of challenging Saturn-Neptune patterns will be on September 10th.  Here’s an example of a test from the front page of Sunday’s NYT: an expose on how emergency services delivered by companies owned by private equity firms are failing. Well, it sounded like a great idea at the time….let big business (Saturn in Capricorn) handle prisons, hospitals and other social services (Neptune). What could go wrong?

Not intending to get into a long history analysis here – just pointing out that each pair of planets operates in a relationship cycle not unlike the cycle we see repeated every month between the Sun and the Moon. Use this awareness of planetary cycles when considering the confusing meltdown happening here, in Europe and many other places. That goes for stocks falling and worth vaporizing, too. Did anyone really believe this bubble would last forever? We have all been here before. The next Saturn-Neptune cycle will begin with a conjunction in Aries in 2025. Idealization of me-me-me expression and pioneering with no bounds? Where will the self/ego begin and end? Perhaps we will all become intangible. Or pioneer ourselves on a boldly-going rocket into space.

Final note: so often I’ve seen that people who pass away under a particular planetary pattern either evoke — or actually have — that pattern in their own horoscope. In the shadow of today’s Venus trine Neptune (photography, beauty, fashion), beloved NYT fashion photographer Bill Cunningham passed away. His obituary was published on the NYT front page. RIP.

Thank you for reading this forecast.

Into the emotional depths of Scorpio the Moon shall plunge, starting at 9:18AM ET. There it shall go about its business of seeking substance, as opposed to any airy-fairy Moon in Libra “but on the other hand….”  Let’s just get to the bottom of it, shall we? Can we handle the truth?

There are no serious challenges to the Moon today or tomorrow, suggesting greater receptivity and flow in your own personal world. Matters related to Venus (money, value, social expression, aesthetics) are likely to become more prominent through Saturday — for reasons noted in Monday’s forecast.

Mars is also pulling focus. All week it has not made a major aspect with any planet (save for brief encounters with the Moon every couple of days). It has also been the focal point of a minor but potent pattern called a yod, a.k.a. a “Finger of God.” The other planets involved are the Sun, Venus and Uranus. One possible translation/manifestation: an extreme focus on macho/assertive/aggressive qualities of Mars in sexual Scorpio struggling to adjust to the uncomfortable, potentially irreconcilable 1) idealistic demands of the “happy together” Sun and Venus; and 2) the need for freedom and independence, however unconventional, in me-me-me Uranus in Aries.

Does that sound like any major news story dominating the week? Especially now that it is being reported that Omar Mateen, the perpetrator of Sunday’s mind-numbing outburst of violence in Orlando, had a profile on a gay dating app and had been seen drinking at the club on several occasions. Is it possible to see potential sexuality identity struggles in a horoscope? Yes. Is there any silver lining to be found in the aftermath of this tragedy? Maybe.

A gay friend of mine with a humanitarian Moon in Aquarius said to me the other day that of course Mr. Mateen was responsible for his actions, but also clearly troubled. If we were to view him with compassion, argued Moon-in-Aquarius, we might have an opportunity to “help men and women in Muslim communities who are gay understand that each has self worth. Let humanity grow from this tragedy so it never happens again,” said Moon-in-Aquarius.  I wondered if we were ready to consider Moon-in-Aquarius’s proposal. But as if on cue, today’s Guardian has “What’s It Like To Be Queer and Muslim?” — featuring the work of Samra Habib, “a queer Muslim photographer, who has been traveling through North America and Europe to take the portraits of LBGT Muslims willing to share their life stories and desire for connection.”

Compassion vs. despair. That’s one choice we can make under the influence of this Friday’s second exact square between controlling/fearful reality check Saturn and surreal/soulful/suffering/empath Neptune.  “Despair is a victory for hate,” said Stephen Colbert on Monday, responding to the awfulness of Orlando. Other late-night talk show hosts also weighed in, as seen here. And here.

Among a sea of other headlines of random violence, including a toddler at a Disney resort being dragged into a lake by an alligator, today the NYT offers this “Reminder of What’s Good in the World.” A man fell onto the subway tracks — and three other men jumped down and saved him — captured on tape.

There really is more good in the world than evil. Each of us has the power to prove it.

Thank you for reading this forecast.