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.