Finally the Moon is in gear — as of 12:48AM Wednesday, when it entered Gemini. Alas, too late for the New York Rangers, who were apparently favored to win last night’s match against the Montreal Canadiens. The game took place during yesterday’s long Moon void, when efforts to move forward in a straight line are more likely to experience surprise twists. In sports matches, I’ve observed that when the Moon is wandering aimlessly (void), we often see upsets favoring the underdog.  The NY Rangers lost in a “wild” game. Oh well, there’s another game on Thursday, and today you might as well think positively about it, suggested by a harmonious connection between Mercury and Venus, exact at 9:58AM ET. How passionately witty, charming and entertaining can you be? Very much so, if the rosy glow of today’s exact challenge between the Sun and Neptune can also weigh in.

A New Moon offers us an opportunity to re-set  intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle. Today’s New Moon is exact at 2:40PM ET — at 8 degrees of Gemini. Around June 5th, on the First Quarter Moon, we can expect a challenge to those goals, with appropriate adjustments made. At the time of the Full Moon on June 13th , we can expect illumination on the success or failure of our goals for the cycle. If we succeeded, we can consciously release our success into our reality; if we failed, we let go of whatever did not work. After the Third Quarter Moon on June 19th, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready for another round with the New Moon on June 27th.

Gemini is an air sign, ruled by Mercury, which refers to the mindset, information and communication. Gemini is a double-bodied sign (it is represented by the Twins), and is thus capable of going either way — or more than one way simultaneously — in a situation. Gemini invented the phrase “…on the other hand” — and guess what? Gemini also rules the hands. It likes to have its hands in a lot of different pies.

It’s interesting to note how similar patterns are in this year’s New Moon in Gemini compared to last year’s, when we had plenty of pixie-dust potential suggested by a challenge between Mars, planet of action and rose-colored Neptune. This year we have the potential for even more prominent ideas and visions, suggested by a dynamic connection between the Sun-Moon conjunction and Neptune in soulful Pisces. The prominence comes courtesy of mental Mercury close to the Aries Point, which regular readers know is the very beginning of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Planets on these degrees seem to have a knack for attracting attention.  Example: Meryl Streep, born with the Sun and rebel, one-in-a-million Uranus at 0 degrees of Cancer (June 22nd of 1949). There is nobody else like her — and she is known for it. Right?

Also driving visionary thoughts and communication is an easy connection to the New Moon from action-hero Mars, now moving forward in diplomatic, airy Libra. We are building to a super-charged push around the Full Moon on the 14th, courtesy of a challenge between Mars and ruthless Pluto. We also have the “good for business” trine (easy connection) between expansive Jupiter and disciplined Saturn, which facilitates plans that can actually be structured.  And of course we can’t forget the never-ending square between rebel Uranus and ruthless Pluto, a.k.a. The Planetary Pattern Everyone Should Be Talking About, which is determined to disrupt the status quo — for better or for worse — in the name of freedom and all that.

So. Big visionary ideas, channeled with great effort and passion — striving to become real — based on a dream or delusion — ultimately seeking emancipation and empowerment. What might we see in the headlines in this lunar cycle? Let’s look at the Sabian Symbol. The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 8 Gemini is “an industrial strike,”  which Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee notes is:

“a situation wherein the locus of industry is surrounded by disgruntled workers. When the work stops, industry grinds to a halt. Energy is directed instead to issues of inequities, of worth, of brewing social awareness being stirred up in the work force…such issues become inflamed as the pressure builds between two distinct strata, moving in different directions.”

Fascinating. We’ve certainly had a ton of disruptive headlines about inequities of worth in recent months, especially in the aftermath of last month’s supercharged Cardinal Grand Cross. And I have not even mentioned that as of June 7th, Mercury will be turning retrograde until July 1st. And that strikes do tend to flare up during Mercury retrograde periods.  And also that ideas and communication — whether visionary or delusional — come up for review during these times.

Bovee also notes that “to strike” is to “deliver a blow with suddenness”.  Often one strikes out of protest. But one can also “strike a balance” — a mutually agreeable compromise. Or  one can  seize an opportunity and “strike while the iron is hot”.  Hmmmm…what kind of strikes will we see in June….

In your own personal world, if you have a planet or angle around 8 degrees of Gemini, Pisces, Sagittarius or Virgo, you’re more likely to be affected by the need for an empowering new vision that allows you to strike in a specific area of your life (consult your local astrologer for details). Same if you were born around the 28th of May, August, November and February.  For an intriguing take on why you might need an empowering new vision, check out Tarot expert Beth Owlsdaughter’s Card of the Week, which always seems to be in synch with planetary patterns.

That being said, the energy for implementing new projects is a bit stop-and-go over the next couple of days. Two planets — Venus and Mercury — will change signs, and our brains may need some time to adjust. With dreamy Neptune’s influence so strong, your creativity and intuition may be going gangbusters (write it all down!), but factual details may be blurry. Plus on Thursday, the Moon will be void of course for nearly 24 hours, starting at 5:59AM ET, which is not a time to launch an initiative you wish to be of consequence. Friday is another story.

And now, the news…because I promised I’d share some stories, even though this New Moon post is long.

You may recall from yesterday’s forecast that Mercury at the Aries Point suggested that ideas and communication — and here, I would be thinking about ideas regarding mindset and actual brainpower — would attract attention. How intriguing to note that the Supreme Court ruled “that Florida’s I.Q. score cutoff was too rigid to decide which mentally disabled individuals must be spared the death penalty,” as reported in the NYT.  In other news, here’s a story about why our metabolism is different from, say, that of a sloth (blame it on the brain). Meanwhile, rocket scientists as young as six years old showed off their stuff at the 4th Annual White House Science Fair.

Across the Pond, the good folks at The Guardian published the first installment of a series about America’s mental health crisis, as the media feasts on yet another mass murder perpetrated by a clearly delusional (transiting Neptune square a horny, perfection-seeking Venus-Mars conjunction) young man — this time in Isla Vista, CA. I’ve written down my thoughts on the event chart and the horoscope of the delusional young man in question — too much to include in this lengthy post — will wait until tomorrow. Last, but not least, Mercury (brainpower) at the Aries Point (prominence) was reflected in this story listing America’s 10 Smartest  — and Dumbest — States. No surprises about the 10 Smartest States…although given the latest dubious accomplishment by certain folks in Wyoming, I’m surprised it did not make the list of the Dumbest. Wyoming, in case you had not heard, became the first state to reject new national science standards that would require students to be informed about the impact humans have on climate change, as well as evolution. Why, oh why, Wyoming?

We’re now in the shadow of Mercury’s next retrograde, which begins on June 7th. Mercury retrogrades are excellent for RE-viewing your life with an astrologer.