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Astrology for News Junkies

This planetary commentary offers advance notice and analysis on the zeitgeist of the day, with an emphasis on what's happening in the headlines. It is presented as a public service for your information, education and enlightenment. If you have ever wondered "why is this happening NOW," these unique astro-logical insights will transform what you see and read in the news, adding new meaning and understanding. So if you're curious to know why the Impossible Burger is trending now...or why efforts to decriminalize marijuana have been so successful in recent years...or why "Woodrow Wilson, Stud Muffin" was a New York Times headline in December 2013, you will find it here. Use the SEARCH function to find your favorite public figure or world event in over a decade's worth of historical research and reporting. Sign up here to receive this forecast by email (with my compliments).

Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 8/23/2015: Sneak Peek at the Week; Saturn Square Sun in the News

Good Morning!

I don’t know about you, but I am so happy to see Friday’s heavy Saturn-Sun square in the rear view mirror. If you have a planet or angle around 28 degrees of Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius or Taurus, you will likely appreciate that sentiment. If you don’t know where your planets are, you can order an Astro-Basics Report for $18 — described here. That way you will know if a planet at a particular degree applies to your horoscope.

Anyhoo…

Friday’s heaviness continued through Saturday at 4:41PM ET, when the Moon finally left moody bastard Scorpio and soared into high-flying Sagittarius. That’s where it is today, cruising mostly unchecked until 6:04PM ET, when it clashes with Mercury in Virgo. That explains why  your Big Idea may be pressed for exacting details around that time. Chill and roll with any twists you may encounter between 6:04PM and 12:22AM ET Tuesday, as the Moon will be void-of-course.

Tuesday and Wednesday suggest business in a big way, driven by a Capricorn Moon. The “big” comes courtesy of Wednesday’s meet-up of the Sun and Jupiter, the former of which joined the latter in Virgo as of 6:38AM ET on Sunday. What will be big? Virgo matters, including details, neuroses, health, hygiene, food, service and labor.

Thursday and Friday we can expect a rise in emotional intensity as the Moon waxes to its fullness on Saturday afternoon. Mercury enters Libra on Thursday, where it will spend hours weighing pros and cons before making a decision. And whatever decisions are made between now and September 18th will be subject to review when Mercury turns RETROGRADE on that day — mark your calendars! Mercury will be retrograde until October 6th; it won’t get out of Libra until November 2nd, which is Election Day. Faaaascinating.

Keep on truckin’ this week, as there are no Moon voids to seriously interfere with your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Other than this evening’s six-hour void, there is one for 40 minutes in the middle of the night on Thursday — that’s it.

And now, the news.

Heavy, heavy and heavy — at least on Friday and Saturday — reflecting the intense Scorpio Moon; the restrictive ambition of Friday’s Saturn-Sun square — and not to mention warrior Mars running wild, along with the scam/wiggy potential of Jupiter’s approaching opposition to Neptune in September. Here we go:

July was the hottest month on record ever in the history of anything. How’s that snowball doing now, Senator Inhofe? Caitlyn Jenner may look fabulous, but she may yet face charges of manslaughter for her part in a fatal car crash earlier this year. Jimmy Carter will undergo treatment for brain cancer. The markets dropped and are still dropping today,  freaking out over China. The artist Banksy has created a “bemusement park” called Dismaland. It looks pretty…dismal.

Meanwhile, a new study suggests that women who underwent radiation treatment or a mastectomy after being diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer may not have needed to take such aggressive action. In Greece, Prime Minister Tsipras is resigning so new elections can be held next month.  Not surprising to see a change of status for Greece this fall — as noted earlier. Won’t be surprised to see another disruption next year. In the US, Matt Taibbi has reason to believe that Donald Trump’s continuing surge in the polls isn’t funny. From an astro-logical perspective, we are so lucky that the presidential election is not happening this November. With Venus currently retrograde, and Mercury going retrograde next month, we’d probably live to regret whatever candidate we elected, including Deez Nuts, a 15-year-old farm boy from Iowa, who’s currently polling at 9% in North Carolina.

In other news, the collective known as ISIS blew up an historic temple in Palmyra. Ashley Madison, the extramarital dating website whose humongous client list was dumped on the internet earlier this month, continues to reflect heavy Saturn-in-Scorpio/Venus retrograde consequences, including reports of client suicides in Canada. And in Moscow, the days of nude beach-going may be numbered.

But wait — there were a few silver linings. On a train in France, an armed would-be mass murderer was foiled by a few brave young men — absolutely awesome story, if you’ve been under a rock for the past few days. And researchers have returned from the scene of a horrific ecological disaster — a.k.a., the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — but confident that a plan dreamed up by another brave young man (he’s only 21!), can be implemented to start cleaning it up.

Whew. That’s a lot of news. Thank you for reading this forecast.

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 8/20/2015: Uncommon Women & Others…

Enough with the debate and theorizing of the Libra Moon. As of 5:24AM, Moon plunges into the heavy emotional depths of Scorpio, seeking to organize and consolidate resources and knowledge, for the sake of power and control.  It all may feel quite pleasant enough, as the Moon makes contact with a detail-focused Jupiter  (now in Virgo; hence the focus on details) at 9:22AM ET. Around 9:02PM ET, note the potential for a clash of stubborn and dramatic will, suggested by a challenge to the Moon from Mars in regal Leo. A need for an escape or some other rose-colored adventure tinges the late evening, as Moon harmonizes with Neptune at 10:54PM ET.

And now, the news.

Lots of headlines on Wednesday reflecting the quirky and disruptive potential of yesterday’s trine between Venus and Uranus, coupled with the restrictive potential of Friday’s  Saturn-Sun square. First, what a bummer to note the passing of Yvonne Craig, she of Batgirl and Star Trek fame. Lots of XY types on Facebook are posting a still of her from Star Trek — in chains, scantily-clad and painted an alien (Venus trine Uranus) shade of green. I prefer to remember her as the superhero Batgirl who puts Batman and Robin on notice in this campy PSA in which she crusades for equal pay (also Venus trine Uranus).

Half-naked women and other weirdness is on the NYT home page, along with efforts to control (Saturn) the disruptive aspects of their continued presence in Times Square. Meanwhile, today’s story about Hillary Clinton focuses on her efforts to be seen as a crusader for civil rights.

Speaking of civil rights, here’s yet another as expected headline about a prominent activist (“Cornel West, the Fire of a New Generation), subheaded thusly:

Young protesters in Ferguson and beyond are rekindling the spirit of W.E.B. DuBois and the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and ’70s.

Uranus-Pluto conjunction: 1965-66. Uranus-Pluto square (the next step in the cycle): 2011-2016. Astrology is amazing.

Venus-Uranus can have a detached, no-strings-attached approach to its unconventional and/or risky relationships. It also had a technological spin. Lo and behold, hackers of the website Ashley Madison (motto: “life is short. have an affair”), apparently released skabillions of sensitive user data — i.e., name of people looking for connubial bliss with persons who were not their spouses. And one of those names released was Josh Duggar (former big guy at the Family Research Council), whose sexual exploits last came to light at the end of May, under another Venus-Uranus pattern. Fascinating.

There are other headlines hitting the wires that are especially cruel and cutting, as we might expect with Friday’s approaching challenge between Saturn and the Sun, but right now, with the Moon still in Libra, I’d like to keep it light. Hence I offer you stories about gender lines being blurred in fashion; an update on Atlas, a humanoid robot than can now apparently run through the woods; and finally, Josh Groban singing the tweets of Donald Trump (because it expresses the weird and wacky potential of Uranus with Venus).

Things may get more intense when that Scorpio Moon kicks in on Thursday morning….

Oh, but lookie! Josh Groban has Mercury and Venus in “I love you, but don’t take it personally” Aquarius…his Venus is squared by Uranus. Of course he’d have a wacky sense of humor. And, like Donald Trump, he has a Leo Ascendant and an opinionated Moon in Sagittarius. Coincidence or conspiracy?

 

 

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 8/19/2015: Friends Rule!

Moon continues its trek though Libra, seeking balance and harmony in relationship. Its quest might be rattled by a flash of insight or upset suggested by a challenge from rebel technogeek Uranus at 9:41AM ET.  The dust settles for the rest of the day, courtesy of communicative connections to the Moon from the Leo Sun and Venus.

There’s a higher than average tolerance for that which is unconventional and/or fringe, especially in matters of women, money, aesthetics and social expression. Be open to innovation and meetings with unusual people. Though Venus’s retrograde state is a caution against forming an instant permanent bond, your encounters today could be quite refreshing. Listen to your inner humanitarian. Leave the Krazy Glue at home. Practice being a really good friend. Wish Matthew Perry, f.k.a Chandler on Friends a happy 46th solar return, OMG. Looks like a significant change of status in home/professional arenas is up for him in 2016, glancing at his horoscope.

And now, the news.

A pill that increase female libido has just been approved by the FDA! Well, that puts an innovative, techno-spin on women and relationship concerns. Y’know, whatever works. And it also happens with Saturn at the end of Scorpio, which all about those nitty-gritty concerns about sexual energy we might prefer to not look at. Elsewhere, headlines announced the hiring of the first openly transgender employee at the White House. As for that video promoting  a mostly all-white sorority at the University of Alabama…sorry, but it’s been taken down, because it wasn’t diverse enough. Why is the story making headlines now, hmmm?

Factor in Friday’s controlling Saturn-Sun square and we find a front-page item about the challenges same-sex couples face when one spouse is transferred overseas. These patterns also reflect the current debate pulling focus over whether citizenship in the United States should be granted as a matter of course if one is born here. Thank Donald Trump for starting that one. He has so many opinions and his Sagittarius Moon NEEDS to tell all!

Elsewhere, it is argued that technology has created more jobs in the past 140 years than it has taken away.

Finally, a sneak peek at a building face-off between Jupiter and Neptune, which won’t be exact until September 17th. When these two planets clash, we can expect matters of grand faith to pull focus — and often with a scandal or two. Color it all rose!! Consider then this brilliant expose John Oliver aired last week — about the faith-based hucksterism he uncovered in the world of televangelism. Surely, as Saturn re-enters Sagittarius and Neptune continues its sojourn through Neptune, we will see some re-structuring in these matters over the next year or so.

What’s going on in your horoscope? Summer is almost over…what are your plans for fall? Here’s how to contact me to schedule a personal consultation.

Thank you for reading this forecast.

Astro-logical Forecast for Monday & Tuesday 8/17-18/2015: Sneak Peek at the Week; Get to Work!

Allllllll-righty then!

The work week begins with the Moon still in perfection-seeking Virgo, supporting your efforts to sort, analyze, organize and prioritize your to-do list. At 1:16PM ET, Moon goes void on a supportive connection with taskmaster Saturn, helping you consolidate your plans. What is a void-of-course Moon? Details are here. In today’s case, the Moon makes contact with Saturn and then drifts through Virgo without making contact with another planet. Then Moon enters Libra at 4:23PM ET, officially engaging in the new gear suggested by the new sign — and thus ending the void.

It’s good to know when the Moon is void. You’re less likely to be thrown off kilter by any delays, twists or other “crises” that may crop up in your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Voids are good for chilling out and taking care of routine matters. Once the Moon enters Libra, see if you notice a more engaged focus, especially in the areas of diplomacy, cerebral debate, balance and fairness in relationships.  These are Libra concerns, and you may see them on your plate through Wednesday.

The only other Moon void during the work week begins on Wednesday at 10:56PM ET and ends at 5:24AM ET on Thursday. Plant those New Moon seeds!

Tomorrow (Tuesday), the morning is energized by an easy alignment between Moon and Mars.  This is a helpful alignment that may effectively channel the dramatic action potential of Mars in Leo, which has been running wild in the cosmos for the past few days. Mars in Leo can be explosive, fiery and dramatic,  “getting away with murder” and putting on quite a show. Around 7:30PM ET on Tuesday, note the potential for a power play or emotional catharsis, as the Moon is challenged by Pluto.

We have two patterns of note this week.  On Wednesday at 12:44PM ET, Venus (women, art, money, social expression) will trine Uranus. A trine is an easy connection between two planets. Uranus refers to friendship and that which is unconventional, innovative, humanitarian and independent — perhaps a little rebellious. Here’s a story reflecting Venus and Uranus, along with the idealized queenly potential of the weekend’s meet-up between Venus and the Sun — both in Leo (the king/queen): “The Village Where Men Are Banned”. As for the reasons why these women have established their own community, they are symbolized by Saturn at the end of its trek through Scorpio. Saturn leaves Scorpio on September 18th, hopefully driving people who think that 1o-year-old rape victims should be forced to give birth (as one did in Paraguay over the weekend), off the front page.

The other pattern of note is a square between Saturn (limits, structure, controls) and the life-giving Leo Sun. Here are some headlines from a prior Sun-Saturn square in 2014. Here’s a bit about Huma Abedin (who has a heavy Sun-Saturn pattern in her horoscope), and what happened in her life when Saturn made contact with her Sun by transit in 2013.

Finally — here’s an interesting piece reflecting the expansion of focus on work routines suggested by Jupiter’s recent ingress into Virgo: “Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas Inside a Bruising Workplace”. Shades of this week’s heavy, work-work-work Sun-Saturn square here, too. Would you be surprised to learn that the horoscope of the United States has a Sun-Saturn square?

Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has already responded to the unflattering expose. Here is his horoscope. You can see his all-business Capricorn Sun about to be disrupted by the break-out potential of transiting Uranus next year. A push for even greater independence and innovation would not be surprising. We also see the potential for a tight, disciplined and controlling social expression, suggested by Saturn and Venus together in his natal chart. In Aquarius, we can appreciate why he would need to be all things to all people. Venus in Aquarius needs to be everyone’s best friend — and they often are.

We do not have a birth time for Mr. Bezos, so we do not know his Ascendant, nor do we know for sure if his Moon is in high-flying Sagittarius or “make it happen” Capricorn. I’d have to do more research on his life, etc., etc. And why would I do that when I could spend time analyzing your horoscope, hmmm? If you have an important transit coming up, it will be helpful to know about it. Although if a friend of Mr. Bezos did happen to send him this forecast and he requested a personal consultation, I would be most happy to oblige….

Thank you for reading this forecast. It thrills me to no end that you are sharing it with your friends.

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 8/14/2015 & the Weekend: New Moon in Leo, China, Megyn Kelly & More

TGIF!

I’ve been working on this forecast since Thursday (yesterday), which you might have experienced as something like this:

“We are in the dark side of the Moon — the end of the lunar cycle, a.k.a. the balsamic phase. The New Moon (and new energy) officially kicks in at 10:53AM ET on Friday — in Leo, hear it roar! During this dark side, it is not unusual to feel listless or restless, sensing the shift that is just around the corner, but not being sure what. This is a good time to wrap up projects started a month ago…and/or contemplate your agenda for the next four weeks.

Thursday’s Leo Moon is sailing free and clear, seeking to fulfill its need for recognition, applause and a good party. There’s an easy alignment between the Sun and innovative Uranus for you to play with (exact at 6:27AM ET), so go hang out with your funkiest friends and come up with a way to reinvent the wheel.”

Well? Did you do that?

Which brings us up to today (Friday):

This innovative vibe continues on Friday, as the Moon is supported by Uranus at 8:38AM ET, meets up with the Sun and then hangs indulgently with Venus (love, money, art women) at 2:25PM ET. Not a bad way to end the work week. Happy hour at the office?

On Saturday, Moon goes void just after midnight for a few hours. Then it enters Virgo at 3:46AM ET, perhaps motivating a major sorting/analyzing/clean up around the house. Or some other project requiring refinement and exquisite detail. Mindset and communication is likely to lean toward the deep end, courtesy of an easy alignment between Mercury and perspicacious Pluto. Maybe you’ll uncover some dirt about a past social encounter of an idealized kind. And here I would be thinking about the addition of the Sun’s meet-up with Venus at 3:22PM ET on Saturday….and how the whole combination of planetary patterns reflects today’s item about President Warren G. Harding having a love child with his mistress, Nan Bratton, oh so many years ago. I’ve heard from more than one reader this week about running into a former flame during this Venus retrograde, which is not surprising.

Saturday night favors music and other intangible escapes, given nebulous Neptune’s rosy fog coloring the Virgo Moon’s need for perfection at 9:29PM ET. A deep conversation with an Other or your journal may be yours on Sunday AM, as the Moon makes contact with Mercury (yakkety yak) and Pluto (did I say “deep”?).

And now, more on the New Moon, exact Friday at 10:53AM — soon after this forecast lands in your inbox.

As I said, it’s in Leo, which refers to the heart. Hooked up with the Sun and Venus, it suggests love, applause and creative self-expression, with a dramatic dose of idealism. Connections with rebel Uranus suggest innovative insights about how to get it; a challenge to Saturn suggests a hard-nosed ambition driving it; Mars running wild in Leo suggests dramatic action taken for the sake of it — possibly getting away with murder as only Mars in Leo can. But y’know, with Venus retrograde, the suggestion is that efforts to get the love you need could be productively spent working on more a loving relationship with yourself. Whoa. That’s so…innovative…and deep.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon  at 22 degrees of Leo is “a carrier pigeon.” Sabian Symbol guru Blaine Bovee notes that this is a bird that can be trained to fly home, usually carrying a message. Note that we do not train pigeons to fly from New York to Nova Scotia, if the birds live on 57th Street in Manhattan. They only fly in one direction: home.

Wherever 22 Leo falls in your horoscope is the area of your life in which you may experience a homing instinct during this lunar cycle. If you have a planet or angle at 22 degrees of Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio and especially Leo, you are even more affected by the potential a new cycle can bring. Consult your local astrologer for details, or consider ordering an Astro-Basics Report so you can learn what degrees your planets are at. It’s described in the Services & FAQs section of my website.

Lately, Bovee has gotten me thinking about how Sabian Symbols work in pairs. Every degree has an opposing degree. The opposing degree of 22 Leo is 22 Aquarius. The Sabian Symbol for 22 Aquarius is “a rug placed on the floor for children to play”.   Bovee notes that the nature of play (Latin ludere) is “to go beyond bounds of normal containment”. Taken together, these two Symbols suggest a polarity between testing one’s limits and being aware of “the relative nature of rules and boundaries; issues of safety and security regarding the home and the world beyond; homing in on what really counts.”

In the last two lunar cycles I noticed a curious synchronicity between the opposing Sabian Symbol of the New Moon and the stories that made headlines. For June, the opposing Symbol was “a flag bearer”. For July, the Symbol was “a women entering a convent,” which Bovee suggests can reflects themes of confinement, including prison. Immediately after July’s New Moon, President Obama visited a prison, highlighting the condition of our penal system. Then Sandra Bland — the woman who allegedly committed suicide after a provocative police officer in Texas tossed her in jail after stopping her for a minor traffic violation— made headlines.  In June, one of the major stories of the cycle was the Confederate flag. Coincidence or conspiracy?

And now, the news…

…which I’ve been glancing at out of the corner of my eye this week, in between client consultations and the heart-centered books I mentioned in Tuesday’s forecast. More than one of you appreciated those book recommendations enough to write and tell me. Thank you so much — you made my day!

On that heart-centered theme, along with Wednesday’s musical Neptune-Mercury opposition and Thursday’s Sun (heart) – Uranus (innovation) trine, it was fun to see this item about a Beethoven symphony that some scientists say can also help your heart! It was not fun to read that Columbia House — the company that brought us those “8 CDs for one cent” offers that started my CD collection — filed for bankruptcy, thanks to competition from more modern technology. RIP sadface.

I’ve glanced at other newsmakers this week, including the aforementioned Warren G. Harding, Megyn Kelly and China. The latter of course is making big news in the markets, after devaluing its currency earlier this week. A quick look at its horoscope shows transiting Pluto (transformation, power plays, cutting dead wood) in hard aspect to nebulous Neptune and mental Mercury. The Neptune thing can be weird — and refers to matters involving China’s 2nd house (money, worth, values) and 10th house (status, reputation). The Mercury thing refers to matters of the 5th and 8th houses, e.g. relationships with other, self-expression and values relative to others.  The Pluto-Mercury thing can be quite forceful and persuasive. These patterns will be back for a final pass in October-December, accompanied by another measurement between Saturn (control, structure, limit) and Venus (money, values, social expression).  Hard aspects between Saturn and Venus can be experienced as isolating and streamlining. Let’s see what happens.

Megyn Kelly is a Scorpio with Moon in either Cancer or Leo — we do not have a birth time. A measurement between her Scorpio Sun and Uranus suggests this is a breakout period for her. We’d expect her to be uncompromising in matters of self-expression, and likely get away with it. Another measurement between her Mars (planet of action) and Uranus suggests a higher probability of taking action outside the box, with surprising results that clear the air. These measurement will be in effect for some time.  Wouldn’t you say that’s apt, given the unfettered independence she showed in her questioning of Donald Trump in last week’s debate? And the airwaves are still buzzing about it…

As for Warren G. Harding…when I first looked at his horoscope, I was irked. Given planetary patterns, he should have made the news a year ago. Well, guess what? He did make news a year ago — and I even wrote about it, as well as his horoscope!

Astrology is amazing. What’s going on in your horoscope? Why not find out in a personal consultation. I guarantee it will put your life into a perspective that will be practical, helpful and enlightening.

Thank you for reading this forecast and for sharing it with your friends and family. Referrals are the best!

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 8/11/2015: Jupiter in Virgo; Love Over All

Moon continues its sojourn through Cancer today. A face-off between the Moon and Pluto at 9:16AM ET suggests an added layer of intensity to the morning: a power play or an illuminating catharsis. Fortunately aspects to the Moon pass quickly; however, if you happened to be born at 9:16AM ET today, with that face-off permanently imprinted in your natal chart, I’m sorry to hear about the power struggle you’re likely to have with your mother — throughout your entire life.

Smooth sailing during the rest of business hours; the potential for an upset of the status quo — for better or for worse — happens around 10:27PM ET, when the Moon is challenged by rebel rocket scientist Uranus.

Big news in the cosmos today is Jupiter — the planet of expansion — leaving regal, sunny, fiery, heart-focused Leo at 7:13AM ET. For the next year — until Sept 9th, 2016 — it will travel through earthy, service-oriented, mindful Virgo. What does that suggest? First, it suggests an expanded focus on all that Virgo symbolizes in astrology, for example: cooperation and cooperatives; diet, nutrition, health and healthcare; work forces and labor unions; food production systems. Virgo needs perfection — or at least to be perfecting, which it does through detailed analysis and critique, separating the wheat from the chaff. At its worst, Virgo can be overly-critical, fussy, neurotic: the micro-manager in your worst nightmare.

On the upside, Jupiter in Virgo suggests the potential for a jovial attitude and willingness to expand projects in the above-listed arenas. Big is out. Small is in. On the downside, Jupiter’s need to expand on every little detail can result in a plan of action that totally misses the Big Picture.

I’m interested to see what will hit the headlines when Jupiter is at 17-18 degrees of Virgo this November and next March and July. These were the degrees of the game-changing Uranus-Pluto conjunctions of 1965 and 1966. I expect we’ll see expanded progress on the seeds planted at that time, including, but not limited to: awareness of climate change and other ways human behavior is impacting ecological systems; awareness of subatomic particles, e.g. the Higgs boson; health care systems such as Medicare (which was created in the mid-60s). Read your history books and fill in the rest of the possibilities.

You are more personally affected by Jupiter’s expansive potential if you have planets and/or angles in Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius or Pisces….and especially if you have planets and/or angles at around 13 and 23 degrees of those signs. If you do not know where your points and angles are, consider spending $18 on an Astro-Basics Report, a.k.a, a ton of information for a ridiculously modest price. Send me your birth info — date, time and  place of birth. Make an $18 donation using the link at the bottom of this email (if you’re getting this forecast via email), or by clicking the big, gold button on the left side of the Daily Forecast page.

No news today…just a few interesting book recommendations that are in tune with planetary patterns. On a day with four planets in heart-centered Leo, challenged by lone-wolf Saturn in matters of life-and-death Scorpio…and the Moon in emotion-ruled Cancer, I found myself reading Broken Hearts: The Tangled History of Cardiac Care by David Jones and two books by James Lynch: The Broken Heart and A Cry Unheard: New Insights into the Medical Consequence of Loneliness. The first book is about the amazing technological advances that are being used to treat heart disease, especially stents and coronary artery bypass surgery, which seek to resolve blockages in the heart. What is interesting about this book is how much doctors do not understand about why some treatments work for some and not others…or even why certain people are more susceptible to blockages in the first place. And so now, when faced with a coronary health decision, the options can be overwhelming.

The second two books address the uncertainty of the first book by offering a new perspective. The author argues that people most likely to develop heart disease are those who suffer from lack of love…especially the kind of loving dialogue with a partner, family, friends and community that has been proven to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. The author feels that by looking at the heart — and all body parts — as merely parts of an organic machine, we are missing a critical understanding of what creates good health. In his opinion, what creates well-being is love – experienced as a meaningful, heart-centered connection with the rest of the world. As an example, he notes that if a patient in a coma is touched by a loved one, there will be a response observed in the machines monitoring the patient’s heart. There will be no response in the machines monitoring the brain.

Food for thought….

Thank you for reading this forecast.

 

 

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 8/10/2015: Sneak Peek at the Week

Good morning!

The Gemini Moon goes void at 7:45AM ET for just over 20 minutes — blink and you’ll miss it. Its ingress  into Cancer reflects the energy driving this day: sensitive, intuitive and seeking emotional security and stable (home/family) foundations. This drive is supported early this AM by boost from expansive Jupiter; at 6:10PM ET an easy flow between the Moon and mental Mercury may stimulate a sensitive conversation.

Significant planetary patterns this week are as follows: tomorrow at 7:13AM, Jupiter leaves Leo for Virgo, which should make everyone born with the Sun in Virgo happy, and those born with Virgo Midheavens even more so. Don’t know where your Midheaven is? Really? Ask your astrologer. When you know what’s going on with your Midheaven, you can anticipate developments in your career and other matters of status.

I will write more about Jupiter tomorrow; no time to do it now. Other patterns of note this week include a face-off between mental Mercury and nebulous Neptune on Wednesday; an easy alignment between the Sun and technogeek Uranus on Thursday, and a New Moon in Leo on Friday.

The first pattern may infuse thoughts and communication with a need for what is ideal. Downside: this need may manifest as a rose-colored fog. Upside: matters related to music, spirit, illusion, film, photography and other intangibles are likely to pull focus in the headlines. Working in tandem with the Thursday’s Sun-Uranus alignment, look for stories of innovation, humanitarianism, tolerance and eccentricity. Oh look — the NYT just posted a story about models and how they are using their influence in social media to promote humanitarian causes. Yes, of course that story would show up now. Watch and see how these themes show up in your own personal world.

Thank you for reading this forecast.

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Friday 8/7/2015 & the Weekend: Debate Fallout; Art Heist Breakthrough; Jon Stewart

Alllll-riiighty then!

Spending way too much time this AM skimming the headlines in the wake of last night’s “debate” — did you watch? Not too much boat-rocking, I thought — overall, kinda meh — pretty much as anticipated in yesterday’s forecast (even the monthly Jobs Report released today was called “boring”).

Donald Trump pulled focus right from the start, as expected. Perhaps his most important statement — and true to the in-your-face potential of someone with Moon in opinionated Sagittarius, as well as a provocative Mars in Leo on the ASC —  was that he’d given money to almost every man on that stage (and other politicians offstage). He made it clear he felt he’d gotten a return on his investment.

As it turns out, Mr. Trump’s statement was an exaggeration, according to the fact-checkers at the Washington Post. Well, if you had transiting Jupiter sitting on your Ascendant, you’d probably project a larger-than-life image, too.  But this list and article published in the NYT earlier this week are not exaggerations at all.  The article begins:

Fewer than four hundred families are responsible for almost half the money raised in the 2016 presidential campaign, a concentration of political donors that is unprecedented in the modern era.

How does that make you feel? Part of the wake-up potential of the Uranus-Pluto square – especially as it impacts the US horoscope – is to understand how power and resources are concentrated in the world. Because the square happened in the action-oriented signs of Aries and Capricorn, there is a higher probability that action will be taken on that awareness.

Oh what a “coincidence”. Here’s a sneak peek at a Sunday NYT op-ed entitled “Capitalists, Arise: Why We Need to Deal with Income Inequality”. Or else. The author is writing a book on the death of the middle class.

Anyhoo….

About today and the weekend. Mercury leaves Leo for Virgo at 3:15PM ET, a most excellent place for Mercury to be. Mercury rules Virgo, and the sorting and analyzing needs of Virgo make for an efficient, earthy and detail-oriented mindset. If there is a downside, it is that Mercury in Virgo can be hypercritical under stress, and worry that is NEVER perfect. We can expect mindset and communication to reflect these qualities until August 28th.

Moon goes void for just one hour early Saturday (12:40AM ET) and then shifts gears into versatile chatterbox Gemini. There’s no Moon void to ruin your yard sales purchases, though luxury and aesthetic items may have a higher price tag, given that Venus is retrograde. Music and other soulful/spiritual rarefied escapes are favored Saturday night, as Mercury is challenged by nebulous Neptune. That’s good, because I just scored tix to a show!

Another shift Saturday is Mars, planet of action. It leaves Cancer for Leo at 7:33PM ET. This is viewed as an improvement by astrologers of the traditional persuasion, as the ego drive of Mars functions more effectively in drama king/queen Leo. We can expect the headlines to reflect a need for dramatic, show-stopping, regally entitled displays — boosting the Sun, Venus and Jupiter  — also in Leo.  That’s a lot of fire, too — with Uranus also in Aries, another Fire Sign. August is looking hot!

Mars will be in Leo until September 25th.

Sunday is quiet, as the Gemini buzz continues, aided by innovative input from Uranus. Feel free to think outside the box; gather with your most unconventional friends.

No sleeping in on Monday.

And now, more news and such.

First, a fun website that may help you with your review of your financial strategy — so perfect during Venus retrograde. Here’s an interesting way for your spare change to add up — have you heard of Acorns? Second, some helpful hints that may serve you well at networking events. Minding your manners is critical during Venus retrograde periods.

Here’s an interesting blast from the past involving art, another Venus matter. It concerns new information on the staggering and  as-yet-unsolved heist at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 25 years ago. The original NYT piece is here. We actually have an exact time for the moment the heist began: 1:24AM on March 18, 1990. If this were the horoscope for a person, we would immediately see the potential for revelations and a dramatic change of status. There are a number of significant arcs and transits to the angles of the horoscope, as well as several planets. We will see more on this story for sure.

gardner

Last night, Jon Stewart taped his final appearance as host of The Daily Show. His closing bit was steady and serious, reflecting the sobering, “get real” mindset of Saturn square Mercury (exact yesterday at 4:19PM ET). The Taurus Moon was reflected in a monologue on the subject of bulls**t, especially in the news. Taurus is the Sign of the Bull, and Saturn square Mercury suggests little tolerance for fluff and lies.

 “Did Jon Stewart Have a Serious Lesson for Journalists?” is the topic for today’s NYT feature Room For Debate. Earlier this week, the NYT put together a tribute to Mr. Stewart and a compilation of “9 Essential” Daily Show moments.

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 8/6/2015: It’s Debatable; Donald Trump; Mark Zuckerberg

Moon in Taurus continues its steady quest for material security and comfort today — and all through tomorrow, too. Hope you are enjoying a few pleasures in the realm of the senses. A sunny idealism permeates the day, but behind the shining stars (regal egos?) is a need for gravitas in mindset and communication. Thank you, Mercury conjunct Venus in Leo, square Saturn. That need to be taken seriously (exact at 4:19PM ET) will surely resonate with the seven Republican contenders exiled to the (Uncool) Kids’ Table, a.k.a. the Not Ready for Primetime Players  of tonight’s debate.

Around 8:44PM, an easy flow between the Moon and Pluto intensifies the potency of the need for things to be the Way They Ought to Be, setting the tone for the Primetime Portion Starring Donald Trump. Also setting the tone: a square between that stability-seeking Moon and the regal Leo Sun at 10:03PM ET. This might be the measurement for one of the contenders to go off the rails tonight; but really, with a change-averse Taurus Moon driving the bus, I do not expect shocks and upsets. Plus, Saturn is at the top of the chart of this event, suggesting a need to project executive authority, control and top form. But to confirm that speculation, I would need birth times for all of the candidates, which I do not have. If someone were having an exact Neptune (bewilderment) transit to the Ascendant, for example, we might see something like this.

Tonight is as good as it gets for Venus retrograde heartthrob Donald Trump, who reportedly released his birth certificate four years ago…and then refused to release it several weeks ago when another newspaper asked. Weird — and I’m at a loss to explain why the lamestream media — seems to have forgotten that they already published the birth certificate in question.  Did they make it up? What did I miss? If someone has a clue, let me know. Here is the horoscope based on that birth certificate, which appears to be functioning as designed.

Current transits include Venus, Mercury and Jupiter (expansion) clustered around The Donald’s regal 29 Leo Ascendant, in easy alignment to his blah blah blah entertaining Gemini Sun and righteously opinionated Sagittarius Moon. He needs to tell you what he thinks and know that what he says is respected. This need is his driving force! Rebel Uranus, which delights in its eccentricity, is conjunct Trump’s Sun and North Node and also opposes his Moon. Of course he needs to shake things up when it comes to partnerships and the general public. He thrives on excitement.

Oh, and there’s a pugnacious Mars in Leo on his Ascendant too, which astrologer Grant Lewi notes can easily “get away with murder” — also boosted by that cluster now in Leo.  Mr. Trump needs to act with drama and showmanship. And now, this is Mr. Trump’s  time to expand his projection of regal authority to the masses.

Yes, if the election were held today (and only Republicans could vote), he would likely win in a landslide…and voters would live to regret it after Venus turned direct.  Thank Goddess the election is not being held this November. But why is Trump’s regal authority suddenly being taken so seriously, in a real-life political arena as opposed to a fake TV reality show? Look to 1) transiting Saturn squaring his Ascendant, spurring ambition and 2) solar arc direct Saturn at the Aries Point, suggesting a need for executive authority becoming prominent.

Then look to other solar arc directions in the chart including a personally radiant arc between the Sun and the Ascendant; another between the nodal axis and Mars (which adds to the explanation of why people are now resonating with the anger Trump projects)’ and a third between Pluto (power) and Jupiter (expansion). These solar arcs will become exact between now and next year, which is a compelling argument for why he’s likely to have staying power. A transit between Uranus and Trump’s natal Jupiter sparks his innate need for risk and excitement. Given that Jupiter rules his 5th House, which refers to performance and creative ego expression, we can expect quite a dazzling show. And when astrologers are respected and valued by mainstream audiences and paid for their analyses in the same way that Trip Daniel is getting paid by the New York Times, it will then make sense to spend time writing in ever greater detail about Mr. Trump. With a planet in my 2nd house hit by this week’s Jupiter-Saturn square, matters of worth and value are much on my mind. Isn’t astrology amazing?

UPDATE: more on The Donald — from a later forecast posted Dec 8th 2015:

Mars in touch with Pluto — the major pattern of last weekend — suggests more than just guns. It suggests the potential for regeneration and also that which we consider masculine. The timing of this headline is epic, if you ask me: “Penis Transplants Being Planned to Help Wounded Troops”.  Astrology is amazing.

The Mars-Pluto pattern affected Donald Trump’s intrinsically macho horoscope. With his natal Mars in Leo and on his Leo Ascendant, we could expect a regal personal projection, driven by a seething sense of entitlement. The fixed star Capulus conjoins his 24 Taurus Midheaven, the point of career and public status. Capulus refers to “male sexual energy,” and this webpage offers a ton of observations from various sources on how it may be reflected in a horoscope. Transiting Mars, Pluto and Uranus are making contact with Mr. Trump’s natal Jupiter, suggesting a potential for expansive opportunity and resources.

Until yesterday, coverage of Mr. Trump’s campaign was relegated to the entertainment section of The Huffington Post. After his comments over the weekend that the US should ban all Muslims from entering the country, HuffPo decided to take him seriously — check out its editorial explaining why it is moving him to the politics section. Three other observations about Mr. Trump. First, he has Mercury square Neptune, suggesting no small amount of idealism and/or delusion and/or fantasy.

Second, he has Venus in Cancer conjunct Saturn. This suggests a need for social expression focused on creating home/family/emotional security (that the Venus in Cancer part). This need is tied to ambition and control by its contact with Saturn (which in the language of astrology, refers to discipline, limits and control). The Venus-Saturn combo can express itself in ways that seem stingy or mean-spirited. Others with this tough combo include: Ted Cruz, Senator James Inhofe, Rep. Peter King, Charles Koch, Governor Paul LePage, Megyn Kelly, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Governor Scott Walker. hi

Third, Mr. Trump’s horoscope continues to be quite strong from now into 2016 and beyond.

Here’s a post from June 2015, after he announced his run; here’s one from April 2011.

I do not believe we have a confirmed birth time for Mark Zuckerberg, but several times have been proposed. One proposal suggests a 20 Virgo Ascendant, and it has a boatload of solar arcs exact soon and into next year — among planets involved with the 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th houses. Solar arcs involving the Moon and Mars (action) at the IC (the angle referring to home & family), as well as between Jupiter, ruler of the IC  and Saturn, the ruler of the 5th house (children) reflect the potential for changes in his personal life.  Other arcs and transits involve Uranus, which refers to the spark required to start something new.

These arcs will be exact on various dates between now and April. Last week Mr. Zuckerberg and his wife announced they were expecting their first child after trying without success for several years. On September 13th, the 20 Virgo Ascendant will be eclipsed, suggesting a major change in life. This eclipse will be triggered by transiting Jupiter (expansion) on  November 29th  and again on February 16th.  The Zuckerbergs did not say when their baby girl was due. Let’s test this horoscope with its 20 Virgo ASC and see what happens. UPDATE: the birth of Baby Zuckerberg was announced on December 1st. The Zuckerbergs now have a daughter, Max, who was born “earlier that week”.

Finally, a shout-out of appreciation to Avid Reader Lucy, who took the time to share this delightful news:

Hi Elisabeth, just wanted you to know I did the search for lost $$$.  It was wild to see my name listed.  Its only $20.00, but how fun to find it. I can’t even remember what it’s from.  Thank you again, Lucy

Followed by:

I checked my daughter’s name  and she had 2 refunds, one of them over 100.00… wow!

Isn’t that fabulous? Lucy is referring to unclaimed.org, which I’ve been linking here all week — and where you can search the treasuries of every state in which you’ve ever lived (under every name you’d ever had) to see if one is holding a check or two for you. It’s a perfect thing to investigate when Venus is retrograde. Lucy’s news is still making me smile. Thank you, Lucy, for sharing your joy with the rest of us!

Thank you for reading this forecast. And if you’d like to discuss what’s going on in your unique horoscope, here’s how to schedule a personal consultation.

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 8/5/2015: The Big Chill of Saturn Square Venus

Another charge-ahead day driven by the Moon in fiery, impulsive Aries….until it goes void at 7:29PM ET. Chill until 9:29PM ET, when the Moon enters stability-needing Taurus, seeking to keep things as they are for the rest of the work week.

Your early AM may have experienced a disruption of the status quo, courtesy of Uranus making contact with the Moon. A potential clash of wills or other energetic outburst is suggested around 6:07PM ET, as the Moon is challenged by Mars in verrry sensitive Cancer, but the rest of the evening looks good for a good time.

Meanwhile, how will the structuring, controlling and/or ambitious push of Saturn influence your world over the next two days? Today at 11:08AM ET it clashes with Venus (women, money, aesthetics, social expression). Tomorrow it makes an easy connection with Mars at 4:29AM ET, a positive aspect for long-term projects requiring discipline (so don’t waste it).

Thursday it clashes with Mercury (mindset, communication, travel) at 4:19PM ET, suggesting limits or a heavy focus in those areas — with a silver lining. And this would be the potential for reward and expansion suggested by Jupiter, as it connects with Mercury on Friday at 3:09AM ET. So if someone rains on your parade on Thursday, the sun may come out again by Friday.

To find out what’s going on in your own horoscope, here’s the 411 on personal consultations. If you know everything there is to know about your own horoscope, but still find this forecast valuable, here’s one way you could show your appreciation, with gratitude. Said appreciation will fund the new super-powered computer I’d like to have, so I can write this forecast without hardware and browser glitches. Clearly this is one experience of Saturn-Venus limitation, after yesterday’s Jupiter-Venus expansion and abundance. D’oh!

Meanwhile,  here’s the link to that nifty website — unclaimed.org — that I mentioned yesterday, but neglected to link directly. Use it to search the coffers of each state in which you’ve ever lived, to see if there’s a check or two waiting for you.

And now, the news.

Jeb Bush became a poster child for the severe and limiting potential of  Saturn (control) – Venus (women, money) square when he impulsively blurted, “…I’m not sure we need half a billion dollars on women’s health issues…”  With Saturn at the end of Scorpio (discussed yesterday), newswires are still humming with stories reflecting matters of life and death we might prefer to avoid.

In Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal walked the talk by cutting off funding Planned Parenthood was receiving through the state’s Medicaid program, perhaps because women who can’t afford health insurance premiums don’t have enough limitations in their lives. Let the record show that Governor Jindal was himself cut off…from the roster of Republican presidential candidates in tomorrow’s debate. Did your favorite make the list?

Meanwhile, on the NYT op-ed page, we see a hardcore counter to Mr. Bush’s opinion (since retracted, but not forgotten),  with this heavy statistic: that nearly one in three women will have had an abortion by the time she reaches menopause. Wow.

If talk of such matters of life and death makes you squeamish, be advised that on Monday, a federal judge ruled that Idaho’s ban on undercover footage capturing animal abuse in the agribusiness industry was unconstitutional. Thus, unsavory images of what happens to steak and chicken before they arrive in supermarkets can’t be suppressed. Meanwhile, as outrage against big game hunters reaches epic proportions, a writer who grew up in Zimbabwe offers another hardcore perspective, and there is nothing warm and fuzzy about it.

As I’ve been typing, it was reported that between 2007 and 2014, women made up just over 30% of all speaking roles in the top-grossing 100 films made in the United States. Harsh. Also harsh: Miss Piggy and Kermit announced yesterday that they were ending their romance after 40 years of togetherness; apparently Miss Piggy initiated the split. Note to Miss Piggy: splitting up when Venus is retrograde? Really? Whatever hot young thing has caught your attention now may not be so captivating once Venus turns direct…

This story I could not make up if I tried. Saturn refers to cold, control and business. Venus refers to women.  The 4th most popular article on the NYT home page reveals what women have long suspected: the reason it’s freezing cold at the office during the summer is because the thermostat has been set to accommodate the metabolism of men. Pass the Snuggie, please.

The most-viewed article on the NYT home page is about Natalia Molchanova, a champion free diver who is missing and presumed dead after plunging into the depths near Ibiza on Sunday. Harsh.

Finally, minutes after the Saturn-Venus square was exact, it is reported that the SEC voted to require publicly-traded companies to publicly disclose the ratio of pay between CEOs and its median workforce….

Astrology is amazing. What’s going on in your horoscope?