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"The reading was a partnership between the two of us; she did not simply recite planetary signs and meanings, but had a conversation with me, continually asking what I made of what she saw, and what I thought I could do to change the things I want to change.

When the names of other people in my life came up, she quickly looked up their charts on her computer and commented on their roles in my life -- painting a fuller picture of where I was, where I wanted to go, and how I could get there.

What was impressive was that Elisabeth took all the planets, people, and situations that made up my life and created a context for them all that was positive, hopeful, and exciting!

She has a lovely personality, a sharp wit, and a gift for astrological interpretation."

--Bill W.
New York

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Astro-logical Forecast for 3/14/2016: Sneak Peek at the Week

Happy Start of the Work Week!

Monday is driven by the Moon in Gemini, which can be quite the pixie chatterbox in its quest to keep you informed and entertained. Today the pixie-ness may be subdued by a challenge to mental Mercury from Saturn at 3:26PM ET. This suggests a need for gravitas in thought and communication, as well as a potential need to push through blocks and limitations if need be.

How receptive the other party is to your persuasion may be tempered by a charged aspect at 4:48PM ET between Venus (feeling quite sensitive in Pisces) and Mars (needing to push boundaries in Sagittarius). If you’ve noticed any tension between the sexes in your own personal world, you may have a planet or point in the very early part of Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius. Or you just might happen to be a divorce lawyer.

As the evening approaches, the Gemini Moon bounces off three planets in two hours: first by a potential chill or push forward by taskmaster Saturn at 8:54PM ET; second, by a challenge to Mercury in Pisces (striving to make verbal sense of how it feels about it) and third, by a challenge to Jupiter in Virgo (needing to expand on every little detail) at 10:51PM ET. Are things up or down, that is the question.

By the time you wake up on Tuesday, your mind may have a deeper understanding of whatever heavy matter landed on Monday’s plate. Gravitas may be replaced with an exuberant or excessive release as Mercury challenges Jupiter at 5:42AM ET.  It then hits 19 degrees of Pisces — triggering the degree of last week’s New Moon/Solar Eclipse. Who’s most likely to be affected by a potential release or realization? People with planets halfway through Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces.

For added clarity, consider the challenge you may receive to your New Moon agenda around 1:03PM ET on Tuesday, as the First Quarter Moon energizes the day and then goes void until 8:57PM ET. Roll with whatever twists may crop up in your efforts to move forward in a straight line; focus on routine concerns. Chill out over crises that may arise; a Moon void usually suggests it’s much ado about nothing. Use that note to put First Quarter Moon challenges in perspective.

There will be no other Moon voids during business hours for the rest of the work week. On Wednesday we’ll have the second of three easy alignments between Jupiter (expansion) and Pluto (power & resources), exact at 4:26PM ET. The first in this series happened on October 11th; the third will be on June 26th. We may see a re-think of issues that were up in October, along with more stories about power and resources, especially energy resources such as oil, gas and nuclear. Early last week, when the Sun made contact with Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter withing a two-day span, I noted a strong uptick in stories in that vein, especially the last one.

This is the last week of the Sun in Pisces, the end of the astrological year. On Sunday at 12:31AM ET, Sun enters Aries and it all begins anew. Pisces can wallow in endings, sometimes…forgetting that a new spark is just around the corner.

And now, the news.

Today’s Mercury-Saturn and Venus-Mars squares can be grumpy. I wouldn’t pick this day for a wedding, even with Venus shining so brightly in compassionate Pisces. Over at Facebook, there’s a whole Department of Compassion striving to make relationship break-ups and other endings less painful, reports the NYT. And look what I found when trying to retrieve that Facebook story. This headline: “Martin Sabo, Minnesota Congressman Known for Compassion During Era of Partisanship, Dies at 78” That story just hit the wires. Congressman Sabo was a Pisces — born February 28, 1936:

“I’ve always believed the fundamental problem with politics today are people who over-promise and overstate. I’ve tried to do the opposite,” Mr. Sabo said. “I’ve also tried to treat my colleagues with respect. I don’t recall ever making a public statement critical of my colleague, whether it’s Democrat or Republican.”

He was thought of as “understated,” which we could expect with his Pisces Sun conjunct sobering Saturn, both blurred somewhat by contact with Neptune.

As for stories of power and resources, some are more hopeful than others.  Hopeful: a father-daughter team proposes an innovative way to re-charge electric cars by having them drive on electric roads.   Not hopeful: North Korea saying it has the capacity to hit New York with a hydrogen bomb. North Korea has been making quite a bit of news in recent weeks. It declared its independence on September 9, 1948 — Sun at 16 Virgo square to Jupiter at 19 Sagittarius, suggesting a potentially bombastic, excessive need for ego aggrandizement. Transiting Jupiter is making contact with this square now for the second time, and both planets were affected by last week’s eclipse. Interesting to see that North Korea has a provocative square between Mars in potentially brutal Scorpio and Venus in drama king Leo, echoing the Mars-Venus square that is exact today. Not only that, but North Korea’s Mercury is conjunct visionary/delusional Neptune, another patterns we’ve experienced in recent days.

Astrologer Jamie Partridge has proposed a birth time for North Korea of  12:39PM in Pyongyang, which would give a Midheaven of 17 Virgo — conjunct the Sun and square Jupiter — thus exacerbating the need for aggrandizement. This would also give North Korea a Sagittarius Moon, just like Donald Trump. This suggests a need to push boundaries and — more important — have its opinion respected. Ya think?

Yesterday the NY Times ran a lengthy piece striving to analyze why Mr. Trump is the way he is and why he does what he does.  It concluded with this obvious-to-any-skilled-astrologer fact, adding that what was motivating Mr. Trump to run now was a “desire to be taken seriously”. Which is what was noted in detail in this forecast back in early August (and in less detail even earlier). Still, the chronology of events in the NYT article is a mesmerizing read. I was especially struck by this point:

In 2014, he cut a quarter-million dollar check to the Republican Governors Association, in response to a personal entreaty from the group’s chairman — Chris Christie.

I wonder if there’s any connection between that check and Governor Christie recent endorsement of Mr. Trump. I wonder if the media could forget about the zillions of dollars of revenue Trump has generated, and decide it has a moral obligation to give him as much attention as it gave…oh…Jim Webb, George Pataki, Lincoln Chafee or Jim Gilmore. What would happen then?

Meanwhile, reflecting the information junkie buzz of today’s Gemini Moon, along with other aforementioned provocative patterns, a reporter at Breitbart and her editor resigned from the conservative news outlet. Why? Because the reporter alleges she was assaulted by Mr. Trump’s campaign manager (witnessed by a reporter at the Washington Post). The reporter — Michelle Fields — felt her employer did not stand by her.

On a lighter note, today — 3/14/16 — is Pi Day. Here is a puzzle for you to solve, courtesy of The Guardian.

If the puzzle makes your head hurt, consider that while today may be Albert Einstein’s birthday, it is also DJ Rick Dees’s birthday. Quack if you remember his ’70s hit, “Disco Duck” .

Thank you for reading this forecast. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. We will have a most excellent discussion together.

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 10/5/2015: Sneak Peek at a Rollicking Week

Good Morning!

We’re off to the start of a dynamic week in terms of planetary patterns. At 7:04AM ET, the homeland security-seeking Cancer Moon is photobombed by disruptive Uranus. This suggests a jolt or twist to your morning routine, especially since the Moon goes void immediately thereafter for the rest of the day (here is one manifestation of that in the news: an accord has apparently been reached on the Trans-Pacific Partnerhip). The Moon won’t enter Leo – the next sign — until 4:31AM ET on Tuesday.

Moon voids — here’s the 411 if you are not familiar with the term — are awesome for taking care of routine matters and rolling with the twists and flakes that may derail efforts to move forward in a straight line. Chilling and not freaking out over crises that arise are excellent strategies, as said crises will usually prove to be much ado about nothing.

Today’s Moon void is complicated by three patterns that will be exact on Tuesday. Pattern #1 is a challenge between the Libra Sun and Pluto in Capricorn. This suggests a power play for sure on the world stage, as well as news from underground. Planetary patterns during the week of October 4th suggest volatility and no small amount of pixie-dust. If you were born around the 4th through 8th of April, July, October or January, you may be feeling more deeply provocative than most. If Pluto is active in your horoscope, resistance is futile. Here are some inspiring coping strategies from a prior forecast if Pluto is happening to you.

And here’s how to contact me to schedule a personal consultation about your horoscope. How long have you been reading this forecast? If longer than 90 days, you’re due for an appointment — unless you happen to be an astrologer yourself. In that case, I invite you to consider how much time and effort it takes to write this blog — for almost seven years now — as well as how helpful these musings have been in your studies and/or practice. If you would like to make a donation in appreciation, you would make my day. With gratitude and appreciation to my pal Diane, who told me last week, “You know, you really should be putting a notice like that much further up in your forecast. No one sees the link at the bottom of the page”.  A true friend will champion your worth to the ends of the Earth. Thanks, Diane.

Back to Pluto.

Count Vladimir Putin in that mix; his birthday is October 7th, and his horoscope (exact birth time unknown), was first discussed in this forecast here. With transiting Pluto in a close challenge to his Sun through the end of 2015 (along with other motivating transits to other planets in his horoscope), we can expect him to continue on a course of deeply provocative action. Next year should be even more interesting.

Here’s another one: George W. Bush, born on July 6th. Ten minutes after this thought hit me, an article hit the NYT about how some of Jeb Bush’s supporters are thinking he should be spending more time with his older brother on the campaign trail. Fascinating. Of course the US was born on July 4th, so it will have plenty of deeply provocative actions on its plate, for better or for worse — and with transiting Pluto also on the U.S. Saturn, we can expect a certain dose of anguish. Have you noticed the headlines lately?

Pattern #2 is the bewildering spin that builds to a crest when action hero Mars and visionary Neptune face off at 10:53PM ET, also on Tuesday. Mars-Neptune contacts can be oh-so-sexy and bedazzling. Just ask Bill Clinton who has ’em both sitting on his sweet-talking Libra Ascendant. But is he totally for real? In the best of times, Mars-Neptune can be sublime and visionary and healing and out-of-this world. Poet Maya Angelou had a Mars-Neptune opposition in her horoscope. So did William Moore McCulloch, who was credited with being the first Congressman to introduce legislation that would become the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He was a Republican. How times change.

Pattern #3: is a super-practical connection between retrograde Mercury and Saturn. This pattern will repeat on October 13th, once Mercury has turned direct. It’s excellent for structuring ideas into tangible form, though some of what you draft now may be revised once the retrograde is over. Still, you may be inspired by a grand and empowering vision, given what else is happening this week. You’ll be especially sensitive to the Mars-Neptune vision thing if you were born around the 26th of February or September.

But wait, there’s more! On October 8th, Venus leaves regal Leo — finally — for discerning Virgo. Mind your manner and get those details exact, if you please. Will Donald Trump’s stage-hogging social expression (and Leo Ascendant) suddenly fall out of fashion? It was so in vogue with Venus in Leo…

And if that wasn’t enough of an adjustment, note that Mercury will turn direct on October 9th at 10:58AM ET, so an extra dose of patience and focus will be required as the week draws to a close.  Your Moon voids — other than Monday’s are: Wednesday 5:10PM ET until 3:50PM ET on THURSDAY; Friday at 6:12PM ET until 4:26AM ET on SUNDAY. Yeah, that is one loong weekend break. It’ll be a dead Moon, too. The New Moon kicks in with a potential flash on relationships on Monday night.

And now, the news.

Last week happened as anticipated. With only lunar aspects (save one meet-up between the Sun and Mercury), it felt a lot like looking at landscape in Antarctica. Absolutely peaceful and solid, and then….boom! A huge chunk of ice shelf falls into the ocean. Or the headlines reel once again with yet another mass shooting at a school — this time, in Oregon.   Are we feeling enough anguished transiting Pluto square Saturn, United States? I can’t even.

President Obama is tired of the “thoughts and prayers” routine. He’d like to see some action. It will be interesting to see what ambitions he advances and how isolated he might be feeling as transiting Saturn, which has been basking at the top of his horoscope since the end of last year, now opposes his Moon for the third time between the 22th and 30th of this month. If we had time, we’d dig up what was going on for him back in January-February and April-May and see how those issues might be replayed now (perhaps the TPP was one of them). But we don’t have time…no sirree….

…which is why I’ll hold off on the rest of the news until tomorrow, so I can ship this out now. But hold that thought about people who don’t have enough time, mmkay?

Thank you for reading this forecast.

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday & Thursday 9/16-17/2015: CNN Republican Debates & Other Stuff

Allll-riiighty then!

Getting started during a Moon void can sometimes pose a challenge. Today I’m thinking about astronauts floating in space, and the way they look if pushed in a particular direction. During a void — a natural rest period — you may need that push to get moving. For more on Moon voids, look here. 

Moon voids are good for taking care of routine matters and going with the flow. They are also good for resting and/or spacing out, with sometimes delightfully surprising results. I’ve had plenty of Moon void creative impulses that came totally out of the blue.

One such impulse happened just after Thanksgiving a few years ago. Circumstances were such that I would not be able to travel to be with the rest of my family for the Christmas holiday, and I was in a funk about missing the celebration. Out of nowhere, I remembered that I had bought a half dozen Christmas ornaments on sale a few months earlier — for no particular reason, since I had never gotten my own big evergreen Christmas tree. I do have a giant silk palm tree in my living room, because a real one would surely die under my watch. Impulsively, I hung the ornaments on the palm tree. They looked fabulous! Which then inspired me to go to Walgreen’s — at midnight — to buy multicolored lights and a few more ornaments. And this was all going on during a wandering Moon void.

If you happen to be working on an initiative during a void, use your informed perspective constructively. This means not getting all worked up about a twist, flake or other detour that may impede your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Don’t panic! Just go with the flow and watch how your “crisis” likely will ebb once the Moon is back in gear.

Today the Libra Moon was void of course all morning, on the East Coast. It changed gear — and got focused — in Scorpio at 11:43AM ET. There it will cruise without interference, driven by its need for power, control, depth and substance. Scorpio is an emotional sign, even though it can be maddeningly silent about its feelings…and motivations. More likely it will keep its game plan close to the chest…and brood. If it’s trivial or deemed offensive to Scorpio’s personal code of honor, it’s likely to be tossed out. You can handle that cut, can’t you? Scorpio doesn’t mess around. How will this aid your quest for world domination today through Friday, hmmm?

Just bear in mind the big shifts that will be exact tomorrow: 1) Mercury turning retrograde (DID YOU BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER); 2) Saturn leaving Scorpio for Sagittarius; and 3) big, fat Jupiter facing off against Neptune, blowing up matters of compassion, faith, delusion, bewilderment, fantasy, etc., beyond the usual proportions. It is important to remain flexible during all these planetary shifts!

And now, the news.

With Saturn at the end of Scorpio — a sign concerned with matters of life and death, it seems tragically fitting that in Oklahoma, a man — Richard Glossip — is set to be executed in just a few hours, despite “mounting evidence that he is innocent”.  Meanwhile, how lucky Lewis Fogle must feel that he was not sentenced to death after being freed from prison after 34 years, when DNA testing concluded that he could not have committed the crime for which he served time. Have we learned anything in our 28 month Saturn in Scorpio journey? How fitting also that an op-ed in the NYT is called “The Rituals of Modern Death” — part on an ongoing series of op-eds in a section called “The End”. Would love to know for sure if the NYT started that series during this Saturn in Scorpio transit.

Meanwhile, more delusions are coming to light in advance of Jupiter opposing Neptune. Ever hear of a comic named Steven Rannazzisi? Me neither. But his delusional escape — from one of the towers in the WTC on 9/11, is front-page news. Turns out he lied. More delusions — OK, distortions — about U.S. intelligence on the organization known as the Islamic State — are also headline news today.

Neptune refers to oceans, and there are a few big news items to report. First, it’s bad news for tuna and mackerel, whose populations are down 74% in the last 40 years. File this also under Jupiter in Virgo, which suggests that food and food production will become an ever-expanding matter of focus.  Meanwhile, it’s good news for whales and other marine life, now that the U.S. Navy has agreed to limit its bewildering insistence on blasting the ocean with sonar and other explosives.

When astrologers who Study These Things consider what may happen over the next few years, we look at what happened under similar patterns. One big pattern we just had, of course, was the Uranus-Pluto square. And the last time we experienced Uranus square Pluto was in the early 30s, the decade that brought us the rise of Adolf Hitler and his insane ideas of one race being oh-so-superior over others. So it was very interesting to read op-eds (by the same author) in two newspapers over the weekend wondering if something like that could happen again. “Hitler’s World May Not Be So Far Away,” says one, while in the NYT you might have read “The Next Genocide”.

The author points out that one tactic that facilitated the insanity was propaganda about shortages of food and other resources. I can see how that theme could tie into escalating delusional fears about foreigners and borders, as Saturn (control) progresses through Sagittarius (foreigners) and squares Neptune in Pisces and Jupiter in Virgo now and into 2016. No, I am not suggesting we will have a repeat of the 1930s & 1940s. I am suggesting that I can appreciate why similar issues might be up for consideration over the next few years, given the repeat of planetary patterns.

Meanwhile, what delusional fears might we see stoked in tonight’s Republican battle-to-the-death  — oh sorry — debate — on CNN? It’s not being promoted as a debate; it looks more like a tournament of gladiators — have you seen the promos?  It’s so depressing to see a media outlet take the low road…

Here are some random thoughts:

The debate chart — 8PM in Simi Valley, CA — has an Aries Ascendant, in contact with Uranus and Pluto. Instant power plays and upsets — oh  joy! We’re off to a pugnacious start. The chart is ruled by Mars in Leo — we’ll see a lot of regal pronouncements and creative self-expression. That Mars is sitting quite close to Donald Trump’s Leo Ascendant, so we can expect his naturally assertive self to be pumped. Saturn is also square his Ascendant, intensifying his need to be taken seriously, but may also be experienced as limiting.

Whereas the last debate featured a don’t-rock-the-boat Taurus Moon, tonight’s Scorpio Moon and other wild card aspects suggest moody intensity, with the potential for brutal stings and no small about of high-flying blather, more based on belief than actual fact (that’s the Mercury retrograde/Jupiter-Neptune component).  But a Scorpio Moon requires substance. Who might deliver?

Carly Fiorina’s chart may benefit from transiting Jupiter to her Virgo Sun; certainly her ego energies are expanded now. Scott Walker has Sun and Moon in Scorpio; plus he’s having a Jupiter return. Thus he’s likely to be feeling comfortable — but perhaps too comfortable to score major points. His horoscope is not nearly as active or potent as it was a few years ago, when his Koch brothers agenda first attracted national attention. Back then, he was unstoppable.

Ben Carson is a Virgo with (possibly) Moon in Taurus — we don’t have a birth time. Now you can understand why he’s comes across as so steady and calm. Transiting Jupiter is sitting right on top of his Mercury now, so you can appreciate why what comes out of his head has been getting more press. Look to his natal Jupiter-Uranus-Neptune T-square for the source of his grand faith and pioneering efforts in the world of neurosurgery. His Jupiter is in Aries, which rules the head. His Mars, like Donald Trump’s, is also in regal Leo. He’s likely feeling more assertive now, too — though perhaps less so than last week, when transiting Mars was sitting exactly on the one in his horoscope.

Jeb Bush? Tonight’s Virgo Sun is sitting right on his Virgo Ascendant — that suggests a spotlight on personal projection, for better or for worse. With transiting Mars square his natal Mars, I expect notable attacks from him or on him — we’ll see it live.  Ted Cruz? Capricorn with Sun at the Aries Point; Moon in sweet-talking Libra; Mercury square Uranus suggests ya never know what rocket scientist thought may spring from his lips, but transiting Saturn is sitting right on his Neptune, so the lines between real and imaginary are likely blurred. He has a pile-up of planets in Scorpio; he’s comfortable swimming in the deep, dark waters facilitated by tonight’s Scorpio Moon.

Marco Rubio? Meh. Unless his Moon is in Cancer (we do not have a birth time) and it is being supercharged by rebel Uranus, I do not expect much. If he does have a supercharged Cancer Moon, expect him to have all kinds of innovative ways to preserve emotional and homeland security, which is the reigning need of Cancer. Rand Paul? His Mars in Leo is also being pumped up by transiting Mars, like Jeb Bush and to some extent Ben Carson and Donald Trump. But Senator Paul’s righteously opinionated Venus at 1 Sagittarius is likely feeling isolated, courtesy of transiting Saturn. This outsider status may well encourage his assertiveness and ambition, but it might not earn him any hearts and flowers. But who needs hearts and flowers, when you have Moon in Gemini? Tell him you find him ever-so-informed, and he’ll be happy.

John Kasich? Sun in Taurus; Moon in enterprising Capricorn, quietly supported by the transiting Virgo Sun and Jupiter. No big waves, other than a shockingly sensible pragmatism, compared to everyone else on stage. His dreamy Neptune-Moon square suggests his spirituality and compassion, up to a point. Mike Huckabee? Another Virgo who’s gotten a boost — for better or worse — from transiting Jupiter to his Sun, though it is fast fading in the rear view mirror. Three planets in Leo, including Mars — are you noticing a pattern, here? Mars in Leo is sooooo regally entitled. Of course it makes sense that it would expect to stand on a pedestal. I expect a outburst of indignant assertion from Mr. Huckabee next week, when transiting Mars will exactly hit his natal Mars. Right now, we can appreciate his militant stances on anything, as transiting Saturn exerting its iron fist on his Mars and Venus (he and Senator Paul can commiserate about that). Huckabee has a Scorpio Moon.

Is that everybody? Hope so. Pass the popcorn. The first Democratic debate on October 13th will also be held on a night with Moon in Scorpio…

 

 

 

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Wednesday 10/24/2012: More Real and Unreal

Interesting patterns today. Moon is in Pisces, as of 7AM ET, where it soon met up with nebulous Neptune, suggesting a morning tinged with themes of fantasy, illusion, delusion, spirit and other soulful escapes. The Sun and stern Saturn are together in Scorpio, suggesting a serious focus, reach for ambition, consolidation or loss (note that the markets have dropped in recent days). Mercury and Venus are linked in a pattern that suggests a need for idealism; aggressive Mars is in opinionated Sagittarius, challenging bombastic Jupiter in information-junkie Gemini, suggesting actions that may push boundaries.  Looks like a memorable day — and in your own personal world, much can be accomplished if you are working consciously to give tangible form to a dream, especially if you can focus on what is essential. Do not be distracted by tangents.

As I type, Donald Trump is 45 minutes away from making a “big announcement”, allegedly about Barack Obama.Let the record show that  Trump is a Gemini with  Moon in Sagittarius, who therefore needs to tell you his opinion, projected to the public with all the regal entitlement that a Leo Ascendant can muster. His horoscope is currently influenced by nebulous Neptune opposing the Ascendant, suggesting potential bewilderment, confusion, fantasy or a “savior-victim” complex in matters of relationship and public outreach.

Meanwhile, The Boston Globe is allegedly asking for papers in a certain nasty divorce case to be unsealed, so it can investigate reports that Mitt Romney lied under oath about the value of certain assets, which were reportedly sold at a profit. If you’ve been reading these forecasts for a couple of months, you may recall a post noting that planetary patterns in the last few days leading up to the election are potentially “witchy-bitchy”, with plenty of dirt and elevated emotions for all. Let’s see how these stories develop over the next week…

And now, a positive story of healing accomplished when a man diagnosed with lung cancer focused on essentials. Instead of undergoing chemotherapy, he leaves the United States and goes back to his ancestral home, which just happens to be a Greek island. He does not have chemotherapy. He is fully prepared to die. But he doesn’t. And that was in 1976. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Given the real/unreal potential of a day with heavy themes of control (Saturn) and vision (Neptune), let’s work on manifesting stories like this — and leave the guttersniping to someone else.

 

Astro-logical Forecast for Thursday 4/28/2011: Obama Birth Certificate Drama

From the sublime to the ridiculous. That’s how this day may swing, with Moon wandering aimlessly through Pisces…all day, with no other exact planetary aspects. If your day involves driving on the road, or operating any form of heavy machinery, put your grounding cord down and pay extra special careful attention. Otherwise, go with the flow — and be prepared to adjust your agenda to any twists that come your way. Keep in mind that crises that spring up during Moon voids are often “much ado about nothing.” Don’t panic!

Wasn’t yesterday a trip? Might it be apt to label the Obama birth certificate drama a case of “emotional overkill,” as suggested by the challenge between obsessive Pluto and loving Venus? Donald Trump, whose chart I’ve discussed in prior forecasts, is apparently living his horoscope to infinity and beyond. Trump is a mercurial Gemini, driven by Moon in outrageous, opinionated Sagittarius. This gentleman needs to tell the world what he thinks, likely in the hopes in will attract the love he is terribly anxious about receiving. He has Leo rising, which conveys an image of regal confidence; some might find it pompous. His Mars, which refers to how he needs to get things done, sits simmering in his 12th house, near the rising sign (likely anger issues), also in the sign of Leo, a placement that astrologer Grant Lewi notes “gets away with murder.”  Right now nebulous Neptune is opposing Trump’s Ascendant (Leo rising), suggesting the potential for confusion, sacrifice and/or utter fantasy in areas of self-image and public image. And Neptune will be hanging over that point in Trump’s horoscope until 2012. Don’t go away folks; the show is just starting…

Astro-logical Forecast for Monday 4/11/11: Pluto square Mars; Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera, Glenn Beck & Donald Trump

Waking up Monday to the challenge of the First Quarter Moon, exact at 8:05AM EDT. Where has your willful heart taken you over the past eight days? Hopefully it has been your heart leading you — not your big, fat ego, which is always a possibility with so much me-me-me Aries energy flying around. Need to make an adjustment? Your big ideas for the next step in your strategy may not have quite the impact today because just as you realize the challenge to your agenda (that’s how First Quarter Moons function), the Moon goes void for the rest of the business day — until 11:37PM EDT. And don’t forget that Mercury is still retrograde, suggesting brilliant ideas that occur to you now may not be so brilliant upon review once Mercury turns direct. Not that the day won’t have its share of excitement and drama, though you are well-advised not to engage in ego spats and power plays. First of all, perceived slights are likely “sound and fury, signifying nothing.” But that doesn’t mean they won’t have an especially brutal charge. That’s the flavor of the potent challenge between ruthless Pluto and trigger-happy Mars I wrote about last week, exact today at 4:39PM EDT.

When Mars and Pluto square off, the effects are usually felt a few days before. Bloody, violent, explosive, brutality, news from underground — these are likely elements to be anticipated in the headlines. And over the past few days, we’ve seen violence in the most unlikely places:  a deadly explosion of fireworks stored in an underground facility in Hawaii, a shooting rampage at a mall in the Netherlands that left seven people dead http://english.cri.cn/6966/2011/04/11/2724s631272.htm …even the subject of the theater review published in today’s NY Times was entitled, “We’re Gonna Die” — also reviewed in the New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/notebook/2011/04/11/110411gonb_GOAT_notebook_als  More evidence of cosmic black humor: China fights back and releases its assessment of human rights violations — in the US http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-04/10/c_13822179.htm  Brutal! On the other hand, if you’re…say…a professional athlete, you can use this intensely physical energy to your advantage…

OK, a quick look at some departing media figures, as requested by a dear Reader. Will we see a pattern here? Remember the astrological rule; if they’re making headlines, the horoscope is “hot”. For Katie Couric, soon to be leaving CBS (Jan 7, 1957 Arlington VA, time unknown): disruptive Uranus at the attention-demanding (and getting!) Aries Point making exact contact with Jupiter, ruling expansion — this suggests a big break. Connections from Saturn (structure) to Uranus (disruption) suggest change, as does a connection from nebulous Neptune (rules television, film) to Pluto (resistance is futile). Matt Lauer (12/30/57 in NY, NY) is planning to leave the TODAY show when his contract expires in December 2012 — which is perfect timing, Matt! By then ruthless Pluto will be sitting right on top your Capricorn Sun, squared by disruptive Uranus. You’ll be oh-so-ready for a big change; in fact, it’s likely you will not have a choice — so plan for it now! It’ll be interesting to compare where Matt and Meredith Viera (also born 12/30 — but in 1953 in East Providence, RI) are in 2013, because they both have their Sun at 8 degrees of Capricorn and will be experiencing those intense Pluto-Uranus transits at the same time! Why might Meredith be leaving in September of 2011 instead of 2012? How about disruptive Uranus bringing excitement and change to Meredith’s life by challenging her Mercury and Venus (two important planets in the horoscope of a TV journalist/presenter) at that attention-demanding Aries Point? And finally, Glenn Beck — also leaving his TV home — born Feb 10 1964 in Everett, WA. Would you believe: transiting Uranus challenging his Venus at the Aries Point, similar to Meredith’s horoscope; that was exact in March, when I believe Beck’s departure was first announced. 

As for Donald Trump, a media figure who is not departing anytime soon: born Jun 14, 1946 at 10:54AM in Queens, NY — and acting a bit strange lately, if you follow the headlines. He’s got nebulous Neptune exactly opposing his Leo rising sign right now (you knew it was Leo, didn’t you)  – suggesting puzzling behavior and confusion over one’s identity. We can look forward to more of the same from Mr. Trump all through 2011.

What’s going on in your horoscope?

P.S. — As of Feb 10, 2012, Matt Lauer is in negotiations to extend his contract. He’s now willing to stay on at Today for $30 million a year — up from his current salary of $17 million — and transiting Pluto has just conjoined his Capricorn Sun — suggesting empowerment. Transiting Uranus (sudden change based on a pressing need to assert one’s individuality) joins the pattern in June.  Will NBC pony up the dough to keep the one and only Matt Lauer?