Happy, happy, merry, merry….even if you are not preparing to celebrate a holiday tomorrow or Saturday. A pixie chatterbox Moon in Gemini has been driving the action since Tuesday at 9:22PM ET, and today it receives an expansive boost from jolly Jupiter at 12:16PM ET. Sweetening the deal is a cooperative connection between said Jolly Jupiter and Venus — which in astrology, does in fact, refer to sugar. How generous can you be to those on your shopping list, along with the rest of the Free World?

Get it done by 3:04PM ET and then prepare to roll with any twist or delay which may crop up in your efforts to move forward in a straight line. The Moon goes void on an easy connection to Mars, planet of action at that time, not to enter Cancer until 12:26AM ET on Friday, a.k.a. early Christmas Day — or late Christmas Eve, for those in time zones west of New York — at least in the Americas.

Remember that crises which crop up during Moon voids tend to be much ado about nothing. Also remember that the emotional tide is rising, as reflected by the Moon, which will be exactly full on Friday at 6:11AM ET.

A Cancer Moon is driven by a need for emotional security. Wherever you may be over the next few days, I hope it feels like a nourishing space where you feel at home. However it may feel, you may well receive a flash of soulful, yet practical insight, courtesy of the day’s other planetary patterns. First, a soulful connection between Moon and Neptune infuses the morning, exact at 1:20PM ET. Second, big ideas and ease of communicating them are suggested by an easy flow between Mercury and Jupiter at 3:19PM ET. Whatever thoughts are percolating now, they may return for a second and third review on January 14th and February 6th. Third — as noted in the last forecast, Uranus — the cosmic disruptor of the status quo — turns direct at 10:53PM ET. More on that in a minute.

The last time we had a Full Moon on Christmas was in 1977. Why is that important? I’m really not sure, but let’s note for the record that the asteroid Chiron was discovered in 1977. Chiron is known as the “wounded healer,” suggesting tremendous potential for awareness and empowerment — after no small measure of angst. Chiron is also seen as a bridge between what is old, material and visible (Saturn) and what is new, electric and unseen (Uranus — which is can’t be seen with the naked eye). Hmm. Star Wars was released in 1977, too — now that was a big cosmic awakener, hmm? Perhaps the biggest since the Uranus-Pluto conjunctions of 1965-66 were reflected by Star Trek.  Hmm, again.

You may feel the emotional depth of this Full Moon more personally if you have a planet or angle around 4 degrees of Cancer or Capricorn, and to a lesser extent, Aries and Libra. The Sabian Symbols for these degrees are as follows. For the Sun at 4 Capricorn: “a party entering a large canoe”.   For the Moon at 4 Cancer: “a cat arguing with a mouse”.  Inspired by Sabian Symbol guru Blaine Bovee’s masterful musings, our immediate response to these Symbols might be “why”?  Why would a cat argue with a mouse? What’s there to argue about? Cats are born to hunt mice — end of story, right? Why would a “party” enter a canoe? Canoes are, as Bovee notes, “notoriously unstable”. How dumb is that? What are we to make of these Symbols at this time?

First, I recommend you get Bovee’s wonderful book, so you can read his whole take. Briefly, he notes that a cat arguing with a mouse suggests an image of “the power differentials between instinct and reason”. A “party” in an (old, fast but unstable) canoe  could be a group of people on a festive outing, or it could be a group with a shared philosophical purpose, such as a  — huh — “political party”.  How interesting, given what is dominating headlines in the United States, though the U.S. is hardly the only nation experiencing unstable and/or shifting political climes.

Bovee suggests we apply these Symbols with a mind to the “challenge to find one’s place between the instinctive animal urges and the sublime natures of being human…calling for order while entering an unstable circumstance…rationalizations, especially those that smell fishy…sexual politics…hidden motives behind well-reasoned positions…rocking the boat…knowing when to pounce”. He offers more in his wonderful book.

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about “the challenge to find one’s place between the instinctive animal urges and the sublime natures of being human,” as well as “calling for order while entering an unstable circumstance”. That’s because I’m reading The Life of Pi. I’ve mentioned the movie in years past as an apt reflection of Neptune’s ingress into Pisces. So now I’m finally reading the book — beautifully written as it is. It’s a story about faith in God and what it takes to survive as a human being in the direst of situations. “Pi” is the name of the main character; it’s short for “Piscine,” the French word for swimming pool — and, as you can see, is related to Pisces.

Pi is Hindu, though his parents are more secular. His older brother is into sports. Pi is into God, and he sees the beauty in all religions. As a young boy, he becomes a practicing Christian and a practicing Muslim, in addition to being a practicing Hindu. The priest, the imam and the pandit at their respective houses of faith are moved by Pi’s pi-ety, until they discover — in Chapter 23 — that he has been practicing all three religions.  Pi’s faith is challenged, much as Neptune in Pisces is currently being challenged by controlling Saturn in righteously opinionated Sagittarius, (which also refers to dogma). Would that this book were required reading for all — hint, hint —  if you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea other than a gift certificate for a personal astrological consultation (I am able to send beautifully decorated gift certificates via email, FYI — it’s not too late)

Moving on to Saturday…

In the early AM, while most in the Americas are sleeping, the Moon will make its weekly clash with Pluto and Uranus. Given that the two planets are only a degree apart, and that Uranus will have just changed direction, we may wake up to startling headlines. We’ll see more drive late in the day, as the Moon opposes Mercury at 7:21PM ET, followed by a clash with assertive Mars at 9:57PM ET. A connection with Venus may help smooth things out around 10:36PM ET, as the Moon goes void for the rest of the night. Chill!

On Sunday at 5:31AM ET, Moon roars into fiery Leo, seeking applause, playtime, creative self-expression or regal drama. If you’re working on Monday, no sleeping in. The Moon will still be in Leo, and it will still be engaged.  Consider ways to shine — and help others shine, too.

And now, the news.

This week I’ve been tracking stories relating to 1) PROMINENCE, suggested by the Winter Solstice and the Capricorn Sun at the Aries Point; 2) the disruptive insight suggested by Mercury meet-up with Pluto and  challenge from Uranus last weekend; and 3) Uranus in me-me-me pioneering Aries, as it sloooooooows down to a standstill (relatively speaking) and prepares to change direction late Friday night.

FYI — the flashes of insight we experienced related to the Mercury-Uranus-Pluto engagement may be up for review again Jan 20-Jan 22nd, as well as Jan 30-31st.  More FYI: Mercury refers to writing, communication, travel. Uranus refers to aviation, freedom, rebels, eccentrics, technology and…astrology.

Exhibit A: “U.S. Says Hacker Stole IDs and Unreleased Scripts from Host of Celebrities”.  “Start-Up Personalizes Books for Children, With Robot as Co-Author”  Technology. Fame. Innovation. Me-me-me! Meanwhile, Elon Musk “hailed a revolutionary moment” when his company successfully “launched and returned a rocket to Earth, landing it in an upright position”.   So awesome, and Mr. Musk continues to dazzle, as anticipated here two years ago.  This did not stop him from being labelled a “Luddite” by some who believe his concerns about AI are unwarranted. Hmmm…

Exhibit B: unbeknownst to most, the TSA announced a change in its opt-out policy for passengers who would rather undergo a pat-down than walk through the full-body scanning whizbang machine. As of Friday, some passengers may not be allowed to opt-out, and it is not clear whom. A lawsuit challenging the policy change has been filed. Aviation. Technology. Personal freedom….

…so where’s the astrology? Again in the New York Times, following up on the “Modern Love” essay noted here last week. This week, its “Room For Debate” section asks, “What is the Appeal of Astrology?”:

A recent essay in n+1 examines the appeal of astrology, even among those who say they don’t believe in it. Are horoscopes fundamentally irrational, or are there reasons to read to them? Why are so many of us drawn to them?

And by “horoscopes,” they are referring to those fluffy Sun Sign blurbs you might find in the comics section of your local paper, which may or may not have been written by an astrologer with professional credentials (and most likely not).  What’s clear from reading the opinions of all of the panelists is that none have the faintest idea of what astrology is and isn’t. What’s fascinating is that if the NYT were writing about any other subject, my money says they would have found a few people with legitimate understanding of the subject. In this case, it is as if they wanted to have a debate on the merits of believing in sonograms, and asked a flight attendant, a welder, a cake-decorator, a U.S. Congressperson and a lumberjack to weigh in.  Can you imagine if they neglected to include a radiologist in such a discussion?

It should not surprise you to learn that no professional astrologers were invited to the debate.  Instead, they asked a historian, a psychology professor, a therapist, an editorial assistant and  a fiction writer who also pens fake horoscopes. But hey…it’s a start….it’s a start, and perfectly timed, even if the Paper of Record won’t win a Pulitzer for it.

If you do happen to read the debate, don’t miss the reader comments.

As for an answer to the question the NYT posed, before you read a horoscope such as one you might find in the comics section, you should do what you would do with anyone from whom you might seek a professional opinion. Check the writer’s references. Where did she go to school? Is she a professional credentialed astrologer? And then, let’s clearly define our terms. If by “horoscope” we mean to say “fluffy blurb in comics section, designed to apply to general Sun Signs,” take what is written with a grain of salt. It’s general information. If by “horoscope” we mean to say “unique planetary patterns at the moment of your birth” and you’ve checked the credentials and references of the astrologer you’ve hired to interpret the chart, then congratulations, you are going to learn a lot.

A wise astrologer was once asked by a reporter, “When did you start believing in astrology?”

“I don’t believe in astrology,” the wise astrologer replied.

There was an uncomfortable pause, as that wasn’t the response the startled reporter expected.

“Astrology isn’t something to believe in,” the wise astrologer continued. “It is something to know about”.

Funny thing, though. Regardless of your belief in astrology, astrology believes in you. Not sure why it works, but it does.

And now, an adorable baby otter.

Thank you for reading this forecast.  Thank you for sharing it with others. Here’s how to contact me to schedule a personal consultation.