Happy Monday!

…in the aftermath of the Full Moon,  which was exact at 8:52AM ET. Moon is now void for the next 12 hours, suggesting a focus on routine matters in your Moon-in-Taurus  efforts to build and preserve material security. Once the Moon enters Gemini at 8:23PM ET, the focus will be on information and communication — real and unreal, as Moon makes challenging contacts with Neptune and Saturn TUESDAY at 10:53 AM ET and 9:34PM ET, respectively.

Moon will be void on WEDNESDAY at 5:57AM ET until 7:57PM ET, again suggesting a focus on routine matters. Impulse shopping expeditions are not advised. Whatever runaway buzz of a crisis that may dominate headlines on Wednesday is to be viewed cautiously, as crises which crop up during voids often prove to be much ado about nothing. Roll with whatever twists and flakes may deter your efforts to move forward in a straight line. Chill!!

Moon enters Cancer on Wednesday at 7:57PM ET, suggesting a focus on emotional/home/homeland security. Said security may be disrupted by an upset and/or power play as the Moon makes its weekly clash with Pluto and Uranus, at 9:39PM ET Thursday and 7:10AM ET on FRIDAY. Moon will be void between 5:02PM ET and 10:14PM ET. It then enters Leo for the rest of the weekend, carrying out its regally entitled agenda or partying like there’s no tomorrow. Which will it be for you?

Planetary aspects this week include a cooperative aspect between Mercury (thought, information) and Mars (action), facilitating initiative on your brilliant ideas. Said brilliance may be visionary. It may also be delusional, given that Mercury will be challenged by Neptune at 11:04AM ET on Friday, followed by an alignment between Venus and Neptune at 6:04PM ET on Saturday. Neptune aspects come with rose-colored glasses. Buyer beware — unless you’ve consciously signed up for a fantastic escape.

Not only that, but Neptune turns direct at 11:39PM ET on Saturday, ending a five month period of subtle focus on your own dreams and intuition for guidance. When a planet is retrograde, the suggestion is to turn inward on issues involving that planet, as opposed to looking outside the self.  You’ll feel the effects of Neptune’s change of station more personally if you were born 8-11 days into Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius…or if you have a planet or angle at 8-11 degrees of those signs. What kind of effects? Oh…perhaps you are feeling somewhat bewildered…or less inclined to be in Type A personality mode (if you are normally a Type A personality). You may find yourself needing to express your creativity — even if you have never thought of yourself as a “creative” person. You may also find being of service richly rewarding.

In the news this weekend,  watch for headlines involving Neptune concerns: oil, victims, suffering, forgiveness, music, drugs, scandal, lies, suicide, refugees, rarefied art, spiritual concerns, drinking — to name but a few.

Other planetary patterns to keep in mind as we continue through the year and into year. First, Saturn is now halfway through Sagittarius — at 15 degrees of that sign. Here’s an excerpt from a post dated 1/27/2015 — read the full post for the rest of the story.

The Saturn in Sagittarius lesson here is that the police chief did not like the photo — so much that, according to the promo producer’s boss, he would not give the TV station any more one-on-one interviews. Restricted access (Saturn) for that TV station (Sagittarius). The boss was not happy. He thought the photo the promo producer used made the police chief look like “a buffoon,” if the recording of the conversation made by the promo producer is authentic. Does it look that much different from the one that ran in the New York Daily News? Why, when the police chief refused to grant the TV station any more interviews, didn’t the station make that a news story?

Here’s a detailed post about what we can expect when planets travel through the back half of a sign. Briefly, with Saturn in the back half of Sagittarius through 2017, we see the potential for actions taken to control and incorporate (Saturn) Sagittarius concerns (publishing, collective beliefs, foreigners, travel, broad comedy, broadcasting, religious dogma, sports, opinions).

Consider also that Pluto is now at 15 Capricorn, ruthlessly moving forward on its power agenda of breaking down (Pluto) the Establishment (Capricorn). Consider also that Jupiter — which refers to expansion — has been triggering the series of disruptive Uranus-Pluto squares we experienced between 2012 and 2015. Jupiter is currently at 13 Libra; the squares are triggered when Jupiter hits 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14 and 15 degrees of Libra — which it will do several times now and through 2017. So we see the potential for expanded disruption of the status quo, for better or for worse. We live in interesting times.

What do these interesting times have in store for you?  Book  a personal consultation and move ahead with renewed clarity and confidence — here’s how to contact me.

And now, the news.

Newspaper headlines are expressing concern that the current president-elect’s administration will usher in restrictions on press freedoms. This would be in sync with patterns noted above. Other headlines express concern about surveillance, another way of controlling opinions and publishing. When Melania Trump announced she would campaign against bullying on social media, we see another potential control on freedom of speech/opinion/publishing, for better or for worse.

Meanwhile, media maven Stephen K. Bannon has been named to a special post in the president-elect’s administration. No birth time is available. Born Nov 27 1953.  Sun in Sagittarius; I’d argue Moon in Leo — where it would be aligned with his boss’s Leo Mars and Ascendant — but it could be early Virgo, too — and still aligned with his boss. The Moon would be conjoined with Pluto, suggesting added emotional intensity to a regal need for ego recognition (if the Moon is Leo) — or a need to be seen as right (if it is Virgo). Further thought and research is required. What’s hot in what we can see of his horoscope now is transiting Pluto squaring his Mars, suggesting he’s been on a major action plan for empowerment all year and into 2017. His natal Pluto will be eclipsed in August — and possibly his Moon, too — we’d need a birth time to be sure.

UPDATE: I no longer believe Mr. Bannon’s Moon is in Leo — though still likely aligned with his boss’s Ascendant.

Washington insider  Reince Priebus has been named White House Chief of Staff. He is a Pisces with the Sun at the Aries Point,  destined to attracted prominence and power. His Sun at 28 Pisces is opposed by Pluto at 0 Libra — also the Aries Point. Both are involved with Scheat, a Fixed Star known for its association with intellectuals and shipwrecks. This is likely a sensitive soul who may have felt suppressed in his early home life. His Taurus Moon suggests  a need to establish material comfort and security however he may feel things “ought to be.” His naturally buzzing me-me-me Aries mindset is opposed by Uranus, and that’s being supercharged now by transiting Pluto — adding power and persuasion to potentially disruptive ideas.

Also of interest: his Mars at 24 Taurus, just illuminated by today’s Full Moon. His Mars is on his boss’s 23 Taurus Midheaven. 23-24 Taurus corresponds to the Fixed Star Capulus. You will recall that Capulus refers to “male sexual energy” — and we’ve seen in the horoscope of Roger Ailes Donald Trump, Gretchen Carlson, Mick Jagger and David Crosby. Hillary Clinton has her North Node at 24 Taurus.

Really — Gretchen Carlson? Yes — and here is her NYT op-Ed on sexual harassment — published under the illumination of the Full Moon conjunct Capulus. Astrology is amazing.

Meanwhile, in Donald Trump’s horoscope, we see the first of three hits to his Moon, Sun and relationship point from transiting Saturn on 12/30, 1/6 and 1/14, respectively. Thus begins an ambitious agenda (upside) or a feeling of restrictive focus, control or loss. This pattern hits again in July, September and October. The Moon is only exactly hit once, but will still be under pressure in July. The restrictive influence of Saturn suggests he will not be able to have everything he wants — bringing to life the reality of the song he kept playing at rallies, despite objections from the artists.

These limitations are countered by expansion — in the form of three hits of transiting Jupiter to his Jupiter, ruler of the area of his horoscope which refers to creative self-expression, children and speculative ventures. Saturn co-rules that area of his horoscope, so it may be six of one; half dozen of the other. Expansion of power and resources is suggested by an extraordinary double whammy of  Pluto — also to his Jupiter — now and through 2017.

A need for innovation and excitement that disrupts his mindset, communication and professional status is also at work in 2017, suggested by transiting Uranus squaring his Venus. When I think of Venus with Uranus, I think “I love you, but don’t take it personally.” I think of unconventional attractions and surprises involving women, values, money and aesthetics. OMG I am just realizing that Venus will be retrograde in brash Aries from March 4 through April 15th. What an inauspicious time to be redecorating the White House.

Back to the president-elect…

Chiron the Wounded Healer is still in play now and next year, continuing to expose toxic patterns and relationships going back years. This week, a month from now and January-February are active for Chiron, as are June, July and August. Of special interest: the total eclipse that will fall across all of the continental United States on August 21st. This hits two points in Trump’s horoscope: Mars and his Leo Ascendant, at a time when Mars (action, aggression) will be more easily provoked. The eclipse will be triggered on September 3rd (this applies to anyone with a point or planet at 29 Leo, Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio). Mitt Romney’s Ascendant was eclipsed in May of 2012. Jeb Bush’s Ascendant was eclipsed in September of 2015. Mark your calendars.

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