Tag Archives: mundane astrology

Weekly Forecast September 23: Venus Trine Jupiter, Mercury Enters Scorpio

Signs of Fall. © Osk Ingad Alden, 2013.

If you feel like a wrung-out dishrag following last week’s tension, you’re not alone. Fortunately, we get a bit of a breather this week, and we might even witness a historic event that gives us some hope for humanity.

Given last week’s tense astrological aspects, the tragic shooting at the Washington Navy Yard wasn’t surprising, nor was it any wonder that investigators couldn’t find a motive. When someone cracks and goes off the deep end, they don’t have a “motive.” Perhaps the question investigators should be asking is why some people just quietly put a gun to their head, while others are driven to shoot randomly into a crowd.

I’ve written before about the mental health crisis in the United States (I can’t speak for other countries, but I imagine there are similar trends). The national suicide rate is increasing in the face of enormous stress. Much of it is financial. Homeless figures show that some people without homes actually have jobs, but their wages are so low that they can’t meet basic expenses. Readers outside the United States might be shocked to know that there is no state-sponsored healthcare here, many employers don’t provide health coverage, and the cost of medical care is prohibitive for those without insurance. The suicide rate is particularly high for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, who don’t receive adequate support. To add insult to injury, a recent study funded by the Defense Department says there is no link between combat and military suicides, but that soldiers who take their own lives were predisposed to mental health disorders.

Against that backdrop, the Republicans in Congress are threatening to shut down the government unless President Obama’s healthcare program is defunded, and they want to cut food stamps for the poor, too. It’s as though they’re itching for riots in the streets, which they’d no doubt respond to with police armed with tear gas and perhaps even lethal weapons. It’s possible this is just political theater, intended to divert public attention and divide people politically so they won’t start exercising their power. However, rioting in the streets is exactly the scenario astrologers have foreseen, given the Uranus-Pluto square and the various T-squares that form throughout the year. In fact, when last week’s shooting began, Mercury was conjunct the Ascendant, in a T-square with Uranus and Pluto. Mercury is the Messenger planet, and he’s in Libra, the sign of equality and justice. Mercury in Libra also represents mental balance.

The congressional budget fight will continue this week, and hopefully saner heads will prevail. Meanwhile, world leaders will gather at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday for a week-long debate on pressing global issues. Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, is scheduled to make his first speech, and he has declared his willingness to negotiate on Iran’s nuclear program. The United States and Israel have charged that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, and to counter the perceived threat, Israel receives billions of dollars in annual U.S. military aid. If that pretext no longer exists, dynamics in the Middle East will change. It isn’t yet clear whether President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Rouhani; in the past, the U.S. delegation has walked out of speeches by Iran’s leaders. If they do meet, it could be a worthy legacy for Obama, especially given his aggressive stance on U.S. military strikes in Syria. Some observers are comparing an Obama meeting with Rouhani to Nixon’s 1972 trip to China. Speaking of Syria, it also will be a hot topic at the U.N. meeting.

Mercury remains in Libra for the rest of this week, so this is a good time for negotiating. With Venus in secretive Scorpio, there’s bound to be plenty of backroom wheeling and dealing, but it could come out quite well, as Venus forms a favorable trine with Jupiter on Thursday. Venus and Jupiter are the two key financial planets, so there’s a good chance that congressional leaders could reach a favorable agreement this week, too. Don’t count on hearing about it in the mainstream media, though. We’ll have to look elsewhere to try to find out what really happened, and even then, there’s a good chance it will remain a secret.

Depending on where Venus and Libra fall in your chart, you could stand to gain, too. Financial issues are the most likely outcome, but Venus also is the planet of love, and Jupiter is the planet of luck, so romantic relationships may blossom at this time. Again, it depends on where these planets are transiting your natal chart. As I mentioned in my mid-week post, I decided to go ahead with the StarGuide Fall 2013 forecast. I received several e-mails asking about it, and I know that many people are interested in knowing what might be in store, with two eclipses, another round of the Uranus-Pluto square, and Mercury retrograde – all within a few weeks of one another. I’m trying a new format that gives me the flexibility to provide more personal information. Because I’m writing more material from scratch, I also raised the price a little. As I said, I’m going to have to see how this goes. It’s a lot of writing, and it will take me longer to produce one report, which means I won’t be able to fulfill orders rapidly. If you want to try one of these new reports, be sure to order right away. When I get your e-mail, I’ll give you an ETA. In case you’d like to see what it looks like before you decide, I created a sample using the chart for Edward Snowden (who has a challenging time ahead).

The good feelings of Venus and Jupiter begin wearing off over the weekend, when Venus squares Mars (exact on Saturday, September 28). Still, I think the good will generated earlier in the week will carry through. The Moon is in Cancer from Thursday through Sunday, and on Saturday, she conjoins Jupiter and trines Venus, carrying forward another wave of that positive vibe. And anyway, the Venus-Mars square, while edgy, does have some welcome manifestations, primarily in romantic relationships. Sex is more urgent, raw, and primal. If that’s how you like it, plan on hooking up next Friday or Saturday night (or both!).

On Sunday (September 29), Mercury enters Scorpio, which is the sign he’ll be in when he turns retrograde on October 21. He enters the pre-retrograde shadow period on October 1, so it’s important to spend next week wrapping up paperwork, sending important correspondence, and backing up your computer data. If you’re a writer working on a major project, spend the next four weeks producing a draft, and then edit and revise while Mercury is in reverse (what it looks like from our perspective on Earth).

Pumpkin Boy. © Osk Ingad Alden, 2013.

Some other activities are favored while Mercury is retrograde, especially when he’s in Scorpio. This is the marker for investigative research, digging into trash cans, old court cases, and other hidden places where important clues could be hiding. Back when I was a reporter in Washington, D.C., I had a reputation among government PR types as a conspiracy theorist. One wrote to my boss that I “never met a conspiracy I didn’t like.” That was mostly true, but I investigated every lead to confirm whether my theory was correct, and sometimes I found that it wasn’t – or that maybe it was, but I’d never find the proof, in which case we couldn’t go to press with it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t an astrologer back then and didn’t know that Mercury retrograde periods are great for going back over your information to find leads you might have missed. This will be all the more true with Mercury retrograde in Scorpio. It’s a good bet that we’ll discover more than one embarrassing government secret, and they could be whoppers.

Again, if you’d like to know where Mercury will be retrograde in your chart, you can find out in the new Fall 2013 edition of StarGuide.

That’s pretty much it for this week. Next week, we get another round of a cardinal T-square, so do make sure to take a bit of break this week and recharge your batteries for October.

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat

September 22: Sun Enters Libra, Autumn Equinox

Autumn on the Wenatchee. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

This is essentially “Part II” of this week’s forecast. I wanted to discuss the Libra ingress chart, but the post was already getting quite long.

Ingress is just a fancy astrological term meaning “entry.” It can apply to any planet entering a new sign. Studying the ingress chart for the Sun at the beginning of the seasons is a traditional method of forecasting events for a country. Of the four cardinal ingresses, Aries is the most significant, and the chart can apply to the entire year. The Libra ingress, the halfway point in the solar year, is the second most important, and the chart generally is interpreted as applying to the following six months.

The Sun enters Libra on September 22, at 4:44 p.m. EDT. The chart for Washington has just shy of 8 degrees Aquarius on the Ascendant. Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius, is found in the ninth house, which is associated with foreign countries, religion, and the law. Venus is in a separating conjunction with Saturn, which I interpret as the recent diplomatic effort to force Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to report and destroy his arsenal of chemical weapons. Venus is the planet of relationships and diplomacy, and with both Venus and Saturn is secretive Scorpio, the public doesn’t have all the facts. We don’t know what kind of horse-trading went on behind closed doors or what the U.S. government might have given away to get what it wanted. And we really don’t know what it wanted. The official line from the White House and Congress was that air strikes were needed to punish Assad for using chemical weapons, but the evidence that he did so isn’t conclusive, and any fifth-grader could tell you that the chemical “red line” was just an excuse for a war Washington has wanted for years.

So, the public doesn’t know a whole lot, and that really bothers us. In the ingress chart, the public is represented by the Moon. As you can see, the Moon is directly opposed to Venus and Saturn, and it’s in Taurus, the sign ruled by Venus. People are in favor of diplomacy, but we nevertheless demand to know what is being said and done in our name. The Moon in the ingress chart for Washington is in the third house of communications, including the Internet. People no longer rely on the mainstream media to tell them what to think, but freely share information across international boundaries. It’s no wonder that government surveillance has become so sinister. Whoever controls the information controls the power, and at least for now, information is uncontrollable.

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It’s interesting to note that the Moon is conjunct the lunar South Node, while Saturn is conjunct the North Node. The South Node has to do with the past, perhaps even with national “karma.” Historical accounts emerging out of the shadows clearly show that the United States and Britain have been making big-time mischief in the Middle East for decades, and mostly because of oil. As much as we like a plentiful supply of cheap gasoline, we don’t much care for the idea of sending our young men and women to die for it, especially not when oil and gas companies reap in obscene profits. The Moon makes an applying square to Mars, the planet of war, which is found in the seventh house of allies and open enemies. People will continue to protest U.S. military involvement, and perhaps we’ll even stall it for a while. However, Mars is the traditional ruler of Scorpio, which means he rules the ninth house, where all these backroom discussions are taking place. All of this tells me that there likely will be a war before next spring. Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East, is still eager to take out Assad. With Mars in the seventh house, it’s possible the United States will go to war on Israel’s behalf.

Pluto, the modern ruler of Scorpio and symbol of espionage, is within three degrees of the cusp of the twelfth house of secret enemies. I’m not the only observer concerned about a possible false-flag operation designed to sway public opinion in favor of a war that would benefit those with vast wealth and power (another trait of Pluto). However, in this chart, the Moon is separating from Pluto, so it looks like this action is in the past – unless something happens between now and Sunday. At first blush, it seems unlikely, because those who might attempt such an act of evil know that the whole world is watching. They’d have to be damn good – and damn confident of their efficiency – to pull it off under such close public scrutiny. This secretive, authoritarian power revealed in this chart also could represent government surveillance and the public outcry over the abuses of the National Security Agency.

The “good” side of Pluto is regeneration and rebirth. It’s possible that the trine from the Moon to Pluto represents a newfound sense of empowerment by a population that recently has succeeded in defeating an act of military aggression by its own government. Public opinion on Syria apparently has emboldened progressive members of Congress promoting a populist agenda, so this is another good outcome, a “right use” of power.

But where is our leader during this time? This usually is one of the first things we look for in an ingress chart, and indeed I did. I just had to explain all the other aspects first. The leader of a country is represented by the Sun, which we find in the eighth house. There are lots of scary things related to this sector, but it’s also the house of foreign finance. Obama, it seems, is working behind the scenes, probably regarding the foreign debt. I just looked up who “owns” us. Most people know that China is our biggest lender. Japan isn’t far behind. We owe them more than a trillion dollars each. The oil exporting countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, are holding more than $250 billion in Treasury securities. Brazil is pretty high on the list, too. Russia is eleventh.

The Sun is “receiving” from Mars in Leo (and transiting Mars has just passed Obama’s natal Sun at 12 degrees Leo). If the Sun in the eighth house represents private discussions about the foreign debt, then war is a significant factor in any negotiations that are taking place. I’m not enough of a financial expert to understand the possible scenarios, although the first thing that comes to mind is arms deals. In fact, the United States recently sealed a $10 billion deal with Saudi Arabia and Israel. Negotiations reportedly were quite delicate and have been going on in secret for a year. The ostensible motivation is to protect Israel from Iran.

National banks and the nation’s wealth are a function of the second house. This is quite interesting, because we find rebellious Uranus here, tightly square Pluto and inconjunct Saturn and Venus. Uranus is in Aries, the “me-first” sign. This may be a reference to the public outcry over spending billions abroad, whether to fight a war or for other reasons, when Congress says we can’t afford Obama’s healthcare plan, food stamps, job creation, rebuilding infrastructure, and other basic necessities. I suppose Uranus in this position also could represent some radical changes at the Federal Reserve. The current darling of the media for Fed chairman is Janet Yellen. If Obama appoints her and Congress approves, she will be the first woman ever to hold the job. Observers believe Yellen would do more than current Chairman Ben Bernanke to put the U.S. economy on a faster road to recovery.

The first house in an ingress chart represents the state of the country overall. Neptune and Chiron are the only planets here, and this is somewhat disconcerting. Like Pisces, the sign it rules, Neptune has a dual nature. On one hand, it represents idealism and a feeling of connectedness. On the other, it represents lies, deceit, confusion, and delusion. Neptune rules oil, chemical weapons, and contagious diseases and is associated with fear and paranoia, such as the ongoing fear of a terrorist attack. Fear can be manipulated by powerful groups with an agenda. I do worry a bit that as the public becomes more empowered with information and is harder to fool, those seeking total control will stop at nothing to convince people that the surveillance, suspension of constitutional rights, no-fly lists and other extreme measures are for their own protection.

Chiron in Pisces seeks to heal the collective psyche, so I’m also hopeful that we may find a way to heal as a nation and work together to solve the critical problems facing humanity and the health of the planet. It is possible.

With fall approaching, several of you have written to ask whether I’m going to offer a fall forecast. I’m happy to announce that I’ve done the prep work, and the StarGuide Fall 2013 report is now available. I’ve modified the format to provide more personal information – in other words, I’m writing more material from scratch based on your transit charts. I review a minimum of six charts (and often more) for each report, and with the old format, I was spending a lot of time trying to make my analysis fit into a pre-set space. The new format gives me the flexibility to write more about significant lunar cycles and less about those that I don’t think will affect you much, and I’ve allowed the space to write about transits that aren’t tied to the New Moon or Full Moon. I’ve raised the price slightly, but it’s still a bargain, considering all you get. I wrote a sample so you can see what it will look like, using Edward Snowden as my subject (looks like he’s going to have a very challenging autumn).

I’m still not feeling all the way back to normal, and these reports are longer, so plan on several days to get your forecast. Also, note that I’m not yet offering natal and compatibility reports. I need to see how it goes with the fall forecasts, and if I find that I can manage the load, I’ll start adding reports back to the menu. I appreciate your patience and understanding; this has been a long, hard struggle, and it’s not completely over yet.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast September 16: Full Moon in Pisces, Pluto Direct

A place of peace. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Well, we managed to avert a war, for the timing being. It’s hard to know how far the diplomatic solution will go, given the turbulent astrological weather coming up in the middle of October.

This week promises to bring dramatic events, with a powerful triple conjunction of Venus, Saturn, and the lunar North Node, all in a supportive sextile to Pluto, just as the Lord of Darkness comes out of retrograde. The Full Moon in Pisces will heighten the tension.

Mercury, planet of communications, remains in diplomatic Libra through the end of September. He squared Pluto on Saturday, September 14. On Monday, he opposes Uranus, and he squares Jupiter on Thursday. Although the formation isn’t super-close (you can’t see it in the Full Moon chart below, because I program my settings for tight orbs), there’s nevertheless a loose grand cross – similar to the one made by Venus in late August. The grand cross is inherently more stable that the T-square, and as long as it’s active, there’s a greater chance of averting a war through international diplomacy.

There’s still a threat of military action; there’s certainly big talk of it, with Mercury in a dynamic sextile to Mars. Mercury’s square with Jupiter in Cancer suggests that the talk will be inflamed with appeals to national pride and religion. The wild card seems to be the Syrian opposition, which is mightily pissed off that they didn’t get the military strikes they were promised. The combination of a Venus-Saturn conjunction in Scorpio plus Pluto in Capricorn does suggest that someone was thrown under the bus. I wouldn’t automatically assume it was the rebel coalition, but they’re one of the better candidates. Mercury in Libra makes nice talk for public consumption, while the real dealing is going on far outside of public view. And with the ruthless planetary configuration of Saturn and Pluto, reinforced by a vengeful Venus, black ops are well within the realm of possibility.

From an astrological perspective, it’s not surprising Putin provided a way out – or, at least, that he was the point man. As you’ll recall from previous forecasts, the current crisis spiraled out of control when Jupiter moved into a square with Uranus and opposition with Pluto. The T-square was exact between August 7 and August 21, the day of the horrific chemical weapons attack. To find the “way out” of a T-square, we look at what’s opposite the apex. As it turns out, Putin’s Sun at 13 degrees Libra is very close to that point, and it will stay close throughout the Uranus-Pluto square, which extends into 2015. Tumultuous events next April are going to be particularly rough for Putin, who will take heat from all sides. Obama’s current troubles will look mild in comparison. It’s almost better that Obama is getting slammed now. By next spring, some of the most difficult transits to his natal chart will have eased up.

One of the aspects I’ve been watching closely is the sextile between Saturn and Pluto, with the two planets in mutual reception. The third and final of three exact alignments in this cycle takes place On Saturday (September 21), the day after Pluto comes out of retrograde and with Saturn conjunct not only Venus, but the lunar North Node, a marker for destiny. This is huge. Among other things, it’s where I see the superpowers negotiating behind the scenes for interests that have little to do with chemical weapons and dying babies. It could take months, perhaps even years, before we know what went on behind triple-locked doors. There’s no question that energy resources are involved in the conflict – not so much oil, but natural gas. A recent deal between Russia and Israel – yes, you read that right – could change the entire geopolitical landscape in the Middle East, which would have ramifications for the entire world as we know it. Syria is literally caught in the middle. There’s even speculation that the country could be partitioned – a real possibility, given that Pluto is turning direct within half a degree of its Sun.

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The Full Moon on Thursday is at 26°41′ Pisces, with the Sun at 26°41′ Virgo. The Sun and Moon make no aspects to other planets, although it’s worth noting that the Moon is at its fullest a few minutes after sunrise in Washington, D.C. Once again, that puts the spotlight on the president and his decision, for whatever reason, to back off from an aggressive stance on Syria. Despite his insistence that the “polls” had nothing to do with it, I have to believe that he indeed heard the resounding voice of a vast majority of Americans. I can’t remember a time when so many people from all over the political spectrum agreed on anything. Moving forward against such overwhelming public opinion would have been sheer folly, and it would have weakened his presidency far more than the accusations flying around that he’s a wimp for not making good on a threat. If I were Obama’s astrologer, I would have advised him to do exactly what he did (eventually), and I’d advise him to continue to lie low until late November.

It’s also important to note that the co-rulers of Pisces, Jupiter and Neptune, both are in water signs, as are Venus and Saturn. I’m not well-versed in weather astrology, but I’m concerned about the possibility of more flooding at the Full Moon. Keep an eye on weather reports in your area. The National Weather Service issues special alerts for floods, high winds, and other major storm systems.

Personally, this Full Moon pits the ideal against what’s practical. I’m all for following your bliss – a very Piscean concept – but reality checks are necessary from time to time, especially for those prone to pipe dreams. Artists and musicians need to eat, and poets need to find a way to keep body and sensitive soul together. It’s a tough balance to maintain. As an astrologer and writer, I can well attest to that.

This Full Moon also pits addictive and escapist behavior against self-discipline and healthy habits. This is a good time for a detox regimen, even if it’s just for three days. The Full Moon is actually a better time to start a diet than the New Moon if your goal is to lose weight or eliminate a bad habit.

Next Sunday, September 22, is the autumn equinox, when the Sun enters Libra. I’ve started analyzing the Libra ingress, but rather than writing another book-length forecast, I’ll do a second post in a few days.

Before I wrap up, I’ll leave with you with my favorite links of the week. Thank you to those of you who e-mailed or posted links. It’s more important now than ever before that we stay informed. To do that, we have to look beyond the mainstream media and share what we find.

Syria and the emerging war over natural gas
(Headline says Cyprus, but keep reading)

Ridiculously sane reflection by an ex-CIA man on how war was averted despite war lobbyists’ best efforts

A “primer” on the civil war in Syria, in case (like me) you have trouble keeping all the players straight

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast September 9: Mars Square Saturn, Mercury Square Pluto

Second Battle of Homs, 1281.

What strange times we live in.

I never thought I’d see the day when Republicans oppose Democrats clamoring for war, or when a United States president says he can do whatever he wants regardless of disapproval by Congress and an overwhelming majority of the American public – ironically, in a bid to punish a dictator. It would be funny if it weren’t for the possibility it could lead to a world war.

So much for Hope and Change. Then again, you can be certain that big change is on the way. And while it may not be what you had in mind, there is no stopping global geopolitical cycles. Even the superpowers can’t control the outcome. Fortunately, astrology can help us understand the underlying forces at work.

The “Arab Spring” uprisings began in late 2010 and rapidly spread throughout the Arab world, including Syria, as Uranus approached a square to Pluto. By August 2011, the square was close to exact, but then Uranus turned retrograde. Uranus represents rebellion, so it was predictable that the protests quieted somewhat (to the extent that one can predict anything when Uranus is involved). In Syria, however, President Bashar al-Assad maintained that the protests were instigated by foreigners, and he took swift and ruthless action to crack down on the opposition – a classic manifestation of Pluto in Capricorn. In July 2012, not long after the first exact Uranus-Pluto square, the Red Cross declared that the Syrian uprising had escalated to a civil war. A few days later, opposition forces bombed the National Security headquarters in Damascus, killing several high-level officials. Assad’s brother reportedly lost his left leg and use of his left arm.

Assad’s claim that foreign interests instigated the protests is doubtful. There was legitimate protest against his government’s repressive policies. Still, it didn’t take long for the opposition to be hijacked by outside forces, so he wasn’t entirely wrong. It’s no secret that the CIA was involved, along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which is financing the rebel coalition and sending arms. We also know that there are more sinister groups fighting with the rebels, including al-Qaeda mercenaries. They are said to be far more effective than the army of the official opposition, due to their brutality. What we don’t know for sure is whether they, too, are supported by the CIA and the Saudis. The possible reasons for CIA involvement are complicated and beyond the scope of this article, but I’ll provide some links below (and, as usual, invite you all to add to the list).

We don’t know Assad’s birth time, but even without it, one clearly sees a Plutonian personality, complicated by a stubborn refusal to compromise, especially not with those who are a threat to his survival, real or imagined. In another bit of irony – uncanny, actually – Assad was seen as the Hope and Change president when he inherited the notoriously repressive government of his father in 2000. But the people were quickly disappointed when the new boss turned out to be not much different than the old boss.

What I find particularly interesting about Assad’s chart is how it fits into the current astrological pattern. He was born during the Uranus-Pluto conjunction of the mid-1960s (on September 11, no less). As I’ve noted several times, that was the beginning of the cycle that is now reaching a crisis point with the Uranus-Pluto square, which is exact seven times between 2012 and 2015. Not only does Assad have Uranus and Pluto conjunct, but both conjoin his Sun. A Sun-Pluto personality is controlling, to say the least. Assad’s militant anti-West, anti-imperialist stance can be attributed to this triple conjunction. Virgo is an astute political observer and gets his facts straight, but controlling information is part of Sun-Pluto’s power play.

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Opposite this grouping, we find a conjunction of Saturn, Chiron, and the Moon in Pisces (without a birth time, we don’t know the exact degree). There are many ways to interpret this, but the first thing that comes to my mind is his family heritage, with karmic wounds of being a persecuted religious minority. Although both groupings have an out in the Mars-Neptune conjunction, this is a somewhat dark aspect, possibly accounting for his paranoid need for secrecy and control of the media. He does have a nice trine from Venus in Libra to Jupiter in Gemini – a good bit of luck and perhaps the one ray of hope that he is willing and able to compromise. But it’s very clear, with a chart like this, that he will not even consider negotiating with the current opposition coalition, which is demanding that he step down as a precondition to attending peace talks in Geneva.

President Obama is overall more likely to compromise, but not now, given current transits to his natal chart. Obama is right in the thick of Monday’s Mars-Saturn square. As he prepares to make his case to the nation in a speech on Tuesday, Saturn is approaching a square with his Sun, a marker for obstacles and constraints, which is indeed what we’re seeing. Mars, meanwhile, is about to conjoin his Sun, and the Sun is conjunct his natal Mars at the same time – a double Sun-Mars conjunction. There’s no doubt that he’ll speak forcefully, but this is a hot-headed transit with an inflated sense of confidence. Saturn is transiting Obama’s ninth house, a favorable placement provided that one remains in learning mode and doesn’t assume he has all the answers before completing the curriculum. To do so can bring one’s downfall, and the ninth house has legal implications. Note also that Saturn and the lunar North Node are conjunct Obama’s natal Neptune. There is an opportunity here for him to return to his ideals. It is often the case that when we stray too far from our purpose in life, we run into roadblocks that force us to reset our inner compass, and usually not in a manner that is convenient or comfortable. A defeat in Congress could be the best thing to happen to Obama. It just might save him from himself.

In last week’s forecast, I mentioned that the New Moon chart for Washington indicated an animated debate among the public. That indeed has been the case. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to see record numbers of people calling and writing to their elected officials. For many, it’s a question of tending to our own pressing needs first. But many of us don’t want to cause further suffering for the Syrian people, and we don’t buy the twisted argument that bombing their country will advance the cause of freedom and democracy. People aren’t buying the same old lies anymore, and an astonishing number realize this is a proxy war. The backlash has been so furious that we may be heading for our own American Spring.

The national conversation continues, but with Mercury in Libra as of Monday. Facts and details will be less important than a sense of justice. Obama and his advisers have been seeking to convince the public that Assad should be punished for his crimes, but others are calling for a fair and impartial court to determine who used chemical weapons and what should be done about it. Mercury in Libra will cover every pro and con before weighing the evidence.

Venus, ruler of Libra, remains in her home sign until Wednesday and then enters Scorpio. Whatever we may be talking about publicly, there will be a lot of backroom deals being made – not that you need an astrologer to tell you that, but it bears repeating that those with ulterior motives are going to a whole lot of trouble to divert attention and keep the populace under control.

Mercury squares Pluto on Saturday and opposes Uranus on Sunday (September 14-15). Lies can be repeated over and over, and eventually people will believe them. But that’s not a given in this new, untested environment of an informed and irate public. People aren’t relying on the mainstream media anymore, either, because they know they’re being handed rewritten press releases. Searching for reliable information is taking us to some strange and unfamiliar places. Last week, for the first time, I visited the Russian Times website. I grew up in the Cold War, when we dove under the desk for air-raid drills. Everyone knew Pravda was the Soviet propaganda machine. How times have changed. Not that RT is any less biased than The Washington Post or Fox News, but it’s a place to read stories you won’t find in the Western media. Mercury in a T-square with Uranus and Pluto speaks truth to power. Under a trine from Mars in Leo to Uranus on Saturday, we can find the courage to speak up and do things we might never have imagined we were capable of.

Mars-Uranus connections also can signal unexpected developments, especially with Uranus in Mars-ruled Aries. And with Mars squaring Saturn, Uranus provides the “outlet,” so impulsive actions in response to being boxed in are possible. This could be the case for Obama, considering that his Sun is being transited by Mars, Saturn, and Uranus at the same time.

In our personal lives, the Mars-Saturn square could manifest as a certain amount of frustration. This will be particularly true if you’re being overpowered by someone else. Hauling off and telling the boss to go to hell probably isn’t a good idea. Mercury in Libra reminds us to stop, count to ten, and think the situation through. If you do need to address a slight or injustice, bring it up, but don’t push until next week. The same goes for personal relationships. Sometimes getting everything out of your system is a good strategy, but this week it’s not likely to get you anything but more heartache.

The only other aspect this week I haven’t mentioned is the trine from Venus to Neptune on Saturday, late Friday in Western time zones. This is a good aspect for sexual intimacy and breaking down the emotional boundaries that prevent spiritual bonding. Friendships can benefit, too. I can’t think of a better aspect for going out for drinks with a best friend and sharing your deepest secrets.

Looking ahead, we’re steadily moving toward the next Uranus-Pluto square, which is exact on November 1 – two days before a solar eclipse conjunct Saturn in Scorpio. Developments in Syria are a run-up to this turbulent time period. Whether or not Obama calls for air strikes on Syria, the next two months are likely to be nerve-wracking. I do believe that widespread public protests will change the course of history, but not necessarily by preventing our government from military aggression against a country that has not attacked us. That train has left the station, and it seems to me that the powers involved have too much at stake to just drop their toys and go home. From an astrologer’s perspective, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll sail through a Uranus-Pluto square without incident.

Comet ISON, April 10, 2013. NASA, ESA, J.-Y. Li (Planetary Science Institute)

There’s another interesting phenomenon coming up that could provide a hint of things to come. Comet ISON is now within view in the Northern Hemisphere. You need a telescope to see it, and early observers say it isn’t exhibiting any of the “comet of the century” dazzle they were hoping for. That might change, though, and it’s even possible ISON will be visible during the day in late November.

Ray Merriman made some interesting comments in his forecast this week about comets as harbingers of the fall of a leader or shift in power. We will see both if Assad is forced out, and I think it’s possible he will be, given the “signs in the sky.” ISON currently is close to Mars, planet of war. By the end of the month, they will be even closer as they move in unison into the constellation of Leo. Asad, also spelled Assad, means “lion” in Arabic. President Assad’s grandfather earned the nickname for his activities during the French occupation and adopted it as his family surname.

In October, ISON and Mars begin moving toward conjunction with Regulus, a bright star in Leo. Regulus, the “heart of the lion,” is one of the four royal stars of Persia and considered since ancient times to be a sign of the king. The conjunction is closest on October 17, the day before a lunar eclipse in Mars-ruled Aries. Even though ISON probably won’t be visible, an eclipse with a comet conjunct Mars and Regulus seems to be an overwhelming message that someone’s going down. I suppose it could Obama, who’s a Leo. ISON was discovered in Russia, home to the president’s nemesis Vladimir Putin. Still, I sense something bigger. Pluto currently is conjunct the Sun in Syria’s chart by exact degree, where it will come out of retrograde next week. A Pluto-Sun conjunction strongly suggests destruction in order to be transformed, and the Sun in a country chart represents the leader. It’s hard to imagine at this point how such a transformation could take place without a change of leadership.

Here are some of my favorite links for this week:

Consortium News
This site was started by a former Associated Press reporter who broke many Iran-Contra stories. There are several good stories on Syria. Take your pick.

Saudi intelligence chief with ties to CIA and Bush works to build support to topple Assad

Syrian officials worried more than a year ago that rebels would stage a chemical weapons attack and pin it on the government

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 12: Venus Enters Libra

Dew on Cattails. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2013.

In terms of astrological aspects, this week is fairly calm. But we remain in the period of a tumultuous T-square with Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto.

The only two major aspects this week are a harmonious trine from Mercury to Uranus and the entrance of Venus into her home sign of harmony loving Libra. Saner minds may prevail, however fleetingly.

Mercury in Leo trines Uranus in Aries on Wednesday (Thursday in Europe and points east). Mercury and Uranus have a natural affinity, as both rule air signs. Leo and Aries are fire signs, which are more visceral and act on gut instincts. This combination of Mercury and Uranus is conducive to intuitive thinking, maybe even a spark of genius, that can withstand rational analysis. The good news here is that Mercury provides a temporary “out” from the tension of the T-square. The pressure of the T-square has been bearing down on all of us, and those of you who are particularly sensitive have felt it even if there’s no noticeable manifestation in your lives. For you, there may be some small bit of relief this week.

In world events, the U.S. government continues to launch drone strikes on “suspected terrorists” in Yemen. In last week’s forecast, I commented that the astrological charts indeed showed some trouble, possibly radiating from the Middle East, and that it was connected somehow with the United States. When no terrorist attack materialized, I questioned my analysis … until I realized that what I was seeing was right; I just had the roles switched.

If I’m right about the astrological underpinnings of this trend, it’s not going to end anytime soon, and there may be an increase in the violence next week, when Jupiter squares Uranus. That said, this is a long-term astrological trend that continues on and off through next May. Outer planetary aspects can manifest at any time during their period of influence. I know I’m not the only person deeply disturbed by the notion that someone can be targeted and killed on suspicion of an unspecified crime that government authorities say might happen. I cringe when I read comments on news articles by people who support this measure as a way to prevent deadly terrorist attacks. Fortunately, there seem to be as many people who believe in the principle of innocence until proven guilty. What we’ll do about it is another question. Uranus in Aries can take to the streets in mass protest, but it’s not a good combination for follow-through. Complicating matters, it’s entirely possible (and some say likely) that drone strikes are increasing the possibility of retaliation against the United States. The T-square hasn’t had its final say yet.

On Friday (Venus day), Venus enters Libra, the sign of balance and harmony, which is under her rulership. Libra is the sign of diplomacy, and I do think there’s hope that diplomacy can cool off some of the hot spots in the world. Venus in Libra also is going to transform the T-square between Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto into a grand cross starting at the end of next week and lasting until the end of the month. Now, this might sound ominous on the face of it, but T-squares are inherently unstable, and a fourth planet to “close” the loop can be grounding. The point opposite the apex can be a “out” for tense energies. In this case, I can’t think of a better out than diplomacy. We may have a situation in which the antagonists are unable to move forward but, temporarily at least, unable to do further damage. This could apply to weather, as well. NSA surveillance also comes to mind. President Obama said on Friday that he would order a review of government intelligence gathering. This week, he’ll have a chance to show whether he really means it.

Personally, the Mercury-Uranus trine may not show up in your life unless they are making close aspects to personal planets in your chart. In that case, you may see a short increase in communications, especially e-mail, and ideas may come to you in rapid succession. Write them down, because they may be so fleeting that you forget them.

It’s more likely we’ll feel Venus in Libra, and probably as a balancing, stabilizing influence, especially in close relationships. Conflict isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes you need it to clear the air and get out of a rut. But there are times for conflict and times for compromise. Venus in Libra favors the latter. Agree to put differences aside for now and just enjoy being together. Find ways to support one another. Create some happy memories to balance out the sad ones. If you’re single, make a point of noticing beauty in the people and places around you, or seek it out elsewhere. Focus on it, burn it into your memory.

Speaking of burning beauty, don’t forget that this week is the peak of the annual Perseids meteor shower. It has been too overcast the past two nights in the Seattle area (big surprise there), but I sat on my deck on Thursday night and saw a couple of spectacular fireballs. In between, I got to sit quietly under the stars and just listen.

Much love, beauty, and courage to you all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 5: New Moon in Leo, Jupiter Opposite Pluto

Normally I’d be the first one to dismiss the recent U.S. terror alert as a ploy to convince people that intrusive government surveillance is justified. But given this week’s astrology, I’m not so sure.

On Friday, the U.S. State Department announced it would close 22 embassies and consulates for a day and issued a warning to travelers. It didn’t explain the unprecedented move, other than to say there’s an imminent threat of an attack by al Qaeda, particularly in Yemen.

The timing certainly is suspicious. Two days earlier, a new report in the Guardian revealed the most damning evidence to date that the National Security Agency, despite its denials, maintains vast databases of detailed information on U.S. citizens that can be easily accessed without a warrant. Further, there’s growing support in Congress to limit NSA spying.

As if that’s not enough, reports are beginning to surface in the media that the attack on the consulate in Benghazi was related to illegal CIA activities and that conflicting stories by members of the Obama administration were attempts to protect the CIA. This isn’t new information; alternative news sources had the story long ago, but it’s finally going mainstream.

All in all, that would give the administration plenty of incentive to concoct a new crisis intended to instill fear and convince people that the heavy surveillance is for their own protection. Judging from the comments on news websites, a majority isn’t buying it. It just smells so obviously political.

Ironically, there just might be something to the warning – at least, from an astrological perspective. And who knows, maybe someone in government actually did consult an astrologer … um, OK, probably not. Astrologically, this is one of the most dangerous periods of the year, with Jupiter forming a T-square with Uranus and Pluto for most of August. Adding more weight to the possibility of a threat, Interpol also issued a warning, the reason being the alleged escape of allegedly hundreds of alleged terrorists from prisons in Libya, Pakistan, and Iraq. Absent confirmation by an independent source, I guess we have to take their word for it.

Click on image to enlarge

The Jupiter-Pluto opposition isn’t exact until Wednesday, but you can see it in the chart for Tuesday’s New Moon in Leo. Mars also is involved, although the influence began waning after his square with Uranus last Wednesday. As it so happens, the Jupiter-Pluto opposition is exact just as Jupiter is rising over Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, with Pluto on the Descendant. So it’s entirely plausible that violence could erupt in these locations or emanate from it. The line extends through Eastern Europe, as well.

The question is, “dangerous” for whom? It’s hardly a stretch to imagine increased violence in the Middle East or North Africa. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a terrorist attack. It could be another wave of deadly protests, financial collapse, more train or plane crashes, violent weather, or all of the above. Upon reading the State Department’s broad warning, I was struck by how much it’s like an astrological prediction. I’ve seen indications in clients’ charts of increased risk of accidents, but I sometimes hesitate to mention it to them – not because I worry it might be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but because it doesn’t do much good to tell someone, “Be careful, you might have an accident.” There’s a reason they’re called accidents. No matter how careful you are, you can’t foresee all possibilities, nor can you control the carelessness of others. Likewise, what good does it do to tell travelers to exercise caution for the next month? Should they not use public transportation anywhere in the world or visit popular tourist attractions? Avoid everyone wearing a backpack, especially if they look Middle Eastern? Not go to bars known to be terrorist hangouts? It’s hard to know the purpose of such an extensive warning but not hard to imagine ulterior motives.

Despite what I wrote above, I do believe it’s possible we’re being played. It would be a gamble, for sure. If the administration wins – if they manage to “foil” a major attack – they’ll have to jump through hoops to convince the public that the threat was real and even more hoops to prove that NSA spying caught the bad guys. If they lose and don’t stop a major attack, it’s even more of a risk. Then, it’s possible they don’t give a rat’s ass about public opinion but are attempting to keep Congress in line. I won’t discount the possibility that the biggest danger we face in the coming months – indeed for several years ahead – isn’t from terrorists but from our own government and its corporate sponsors.

I’ve been pondering whether the current planetary configuration indicates an attack (if indeed there is one) from a bona fide terrorist group or whether it looks more like an inside job. Obviously, the inside job would be more outrageous, but both are diabolical acts intended to kill people for political reasons. They both look the same on the outside, and I’m not sure how I’d tell the difference in a chart. Pluto’s involvement in the T-square suggests covert, shadowy operations, but that could refer to terrorist groups with or without links to the CIA and other Western intelligence agencies.

If and when an event occurs, the chart could provide more specifics, and I’ll try to post an analysis as quickly as possible. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the New Moon chart and aspects for the rest of the week.

The first thing you might notice in the New Moon chart is that Pluto is near the Ascendant in Washington – the mirror of the chart for the Jupiter-Pluto opposition in the Middle East. Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury all are in the seventh house, which in mundane astrology signifies open enemies as well as allies. The New Moon is in the eighth house, in a waning trine to Uranus in Aries in the third house. Uranus signifies protests, riots, and explosions. The third house is associated with local transportation – subways, commuter traffic, intercity railways, etc. – and communications, including Internet traffic. The eighth house is associated with Scorpio and death. It also rules loans to and from other countries. Jupiter rules national banks and the official state religion. Rather than speculating on all the possible scenarios, I’ll leave that to you.

I know that many of you want to know how the New Moon will affect you personally. As usual, that depends on where it falls in your natal chart, and that has little to do with your Sun sign. If you’re an early degree Rising Leo, then the New Moon will fall in your first house, a wild card you can use to advance any number of goals, particularly if they’re relationship-oriented. If you have planets near 14 degrees Leo or Sagittarius, they will be positively aspected by this New Moon. Planets near 14 degrees of Scorpio, Taurus, or Aquarius will be tensely aspected, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything negative. It could simply be an indication of new developments in a challenging situation of which you already aware. Also, think back to what was going on in your life near the solar eclipse on May 9. Eclipse events sometimes don’t unfold until three months later.

You’ll feel the Jupiter-Pluto opposition personally if you have a transit from Jupiter, Uranus, or Pluto to a personal planet in your chart. In that case, you’ll have a complicated multiple transit that is beyond this column to explore. I’m not doing written reports yet (I’ll have news about that in a few weeks), but I am available for a limited number of telephone consultations. Use the contact form in the sidebar to contact me if you’d like to schedule a reading. If you don’t have a transit to a personal planet but have an idea of how the Uranus-Pluto square has been playing out in your life, look for major developments this week at the New Moon. Although we’re in a tense period overall, it’s possible that individual breakthroughs could be quite positive. The biggest danger may be too much of a good thing. Take care not to bite off more than you can chew. It’s also possible that a change, however positive, could come at an inconvenient time or require major adjustments, some of which could be upsetting.

Looking at the rest of the week, Mercury enters Leo on Thursday after spending an unusually long stay in Cancer. The Messenger typically blows through a sign in two weeks, but he spent two months in Cancer due to his retrograde cycle. As long as Jupiter and Mars remain in emotionally driven Cancer, decisions based on feelings will continue to rule the day. We may notice a small difference with Mercury in Leo, although reason may not be restored until Mercury and the Sun enter Virgo later this month. By then, Venus will be in her own sign of Libra, which also should help restore some balance, especially if events in the next week or two cause widespread fear and panic.

On Sunday (August 11), Mercury squares Saturn, a challenging aspect that nonetheless is conducive for heavy mental lifting and reasoning through problems. Sometimes looking out for Number One requires tough self-discipline, but it will pay off in the long run.

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast July 22: Sun Enters Leo, Full Moon in Aquarius

Creatures of the Sun. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Creations of the Sun. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

In contemplating what to write this week, I’m at a loss to come up with anything new.

The news gets more and more depressing. The Obama administration has given itself a free pass to keep spying on the world, U.S. citizens included, while Edward Snowden is trapped at the Moscow airport, and Bradley Manning faces life in prison. Did you see the photos of him leaving the courtroom at Fort Meade? Why does such a little guy need to be surrounded by beefy, gun-toting guards? Obviously, he scares the bejeesus out of some powerful people.

News headlines get multiplied by orders of magnitude on the social media. I have to tell you, I’m burned out on the constant stream of posts screaming, “Oh my god, have you heard what they’ve done now?” I get it! Everyone with a brain connected to a heart gets it. Those without that connection aren’t going to get it, no matter how many times the message is repeated on Facebook or how loud it’s shouted. Really, it’s not much different than trying to convert someone to your religion.

OK, so we know it’s bad. The police state is so far advanced that it’s too late to fight without risking life and limb. Even more frightening, many of the 99 percent defend it. Yet, every now and then, between the predictable comments on news articles, an intelligent voice in the wilderness asks, “OK, but what can we do about it? Venting in comments and on the social media does nothing.”

So here we are, looking over a deep chasm, the bridge collapsed and rusting, and no way across. Which brings me back to where I started. I’ve been saying all of this for so long that I feel like a broken record, and I don’t have any new answers. All I can do is look at planetary movements and form some kind of an educated guess about how long the current situation will last. Unfortunately, the news isn’t good. We’re in for several more years of turmoil, and things are going to get worse before they get better. You don’t need to be an astrologer to know that. In the meantime, we need to get our priorities straight, examine our values, revise our goals, and work within our communities – not necessarily in that order.

Of all those strategies, finding your community is the hardest, especially if you’re a free thinker. The trick is to maintain your individual voice while working for the common good. Humans are social animals, and most of us do care about our fellows. I’d venture that a good majority are even willing to give more than they get back – provided, of course, that they feel they’re giving to a worthy endeavor. But we don’t like being just another cog in the wheel, especially when that wheel powers a destructive machine.

This is precisely the message of Aquarius, sign of Monday’s Full Moon. Aquarians (of which I am one) tend to be freethinking individuals who don’t go along with the groupthink, and yet this is the sign of humanitarian causes, community action, and our human “family.” Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. I’ll talk more about the Full Moon, but first let’s have a look at the general lay of the land.

This week we’re in the in-between zone of last week’s dreamy grand trine and a tense cardinal T-square. In both configurations, Jupiter and Mars play a key role, and we start right out on Monday with an exact conjunction of this dynamic pair. Indeed, Monday is the biggest day of the week. Right after the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter, Venus enters Virgo, then the Sun enters Leo, and just over two hours later, we have our first Full Moon in Aquarius of the summer. Yes, there will be another on August 20.

Mars and Jupiter are conjunct not only by latitude but also in declination. In other words, they will be extremely close to each other in the sky, which isn’t always true of conjunctions. This makes the aspect all the more powerful. In earlier times, this combination in the birth chart of a prince was considered a good sign that he would be a strong king, bringing the country wealth and military might. I’m not a big fan of European royalty, but I can’t help notice that Queen Elizabeth has a close conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in Aquarius. If Baby Cambridge is born in the next few days, she (I’m hoping) also will have this signature. Incidentally, if Kate has the baby right before the Full Moon, it could still be a Cancer. That was my bet, but we’ll see. (Tomorrow’s Full Moon was my third choice.)

Click on image to enlarge

Mars and Jupiter conjoin at 6 degrees Cancer, which is still quite close to trining Saturn at 5 degrees Scorpio and Neptune at 4 degrees Pisces. The trine continues through the first week in August, so there’s still time to work with these flowing energies to find solutions to tough problems before the window starts to close. Indeed, the Full Moon might add some urgency. The chart to the right is kind of messy, but if you look closely, you can see a faint red triangle from the Sun and Moon to Saturn. That’s a square, and while we’d normally consider a Full Moon squaring Saturn to indicate trouble, any crisis that might arrive could come with a brilliant solution, perhaps not short of a miracle. Remember, Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius (before Uranus was discovered in 1781), and he represents structure. Now, with Saturn in Scorpio and in mutual reception with Pluto, any structures we build these days are subject to immediate collapse. However, a sound, workable plan initiated since late June could put a strong foundation under your project.

The closer a planet is to the Sun, the faster it appears to move in the sky. While Jupiter is pulling away from the grand trine slowly, Mars is quickly heading for his next connection, which is a cardinal T-square with Uranus and Pluto. Mercury currently is closest to the third leg of the T-square, so we’re getting a glimpse of what’s ahead. Later this week, Mars opposes Pluto, and we descend into the belly of the beast. Mars squares Uranus next week, and then Jupiter comes along in early August. This is one of the stormiest astrological periods of the year, second only to early November. The one consolation I can provide is that you probably already know how the Uranus-Pluto square is manifesting for you personally – if it is, which isn’t a given – so whatever comes at you, while it may seem out of the blue, likely will be part of a ongoing crisis and not an entirely new situation.

Right before the Full Moon on Monday, the Sun enters Leo, sign of individualism and will. Leo has a reputation, not undeserved, as “self-oriented,” but the Full Moon in Aquarius reminds us that individuals form communities, and successful groups value the creativity and individuality of all their members. When the group itself becomes more important than the individuals in it, it’s a slippery slope to forced allegiance and tyranny. It’s interesting that we get a Full Moon both at the first degree of Aquarius and again near the last. That’s nearly a month to contemplate the concept of communities made up of empowered individuals.

Turning to Venus, she’s not at her best in Virgo, and on Friday, she opposes Neptune. The conventional interpretation of Venus opposite Neptune is delusions in love (on a date night, no less). Again, however, we’ve got a mitigating circumstance via a sextile to Saturn that makes it possible to see clearly and make sound decisions. That could be anything from recognizing a one-night stand for what it is and enjoying it while it lasts, to realizing that the guy or gal of your dreams has been sitting under your nose all along, and you were too scared, proud, or downright stupid to notice. On Sunday, Venus sextiles Jupiter, another fine day for settling into a realistic partnership. Positive Venus-Jupiter combinations also can be terrific for your finances, depending on where they’re transiting your chart.

To sum up, we’ve got our work cut out for us for the next few weeks, but we’re not without the resources to get it done.

I leave you with a stunning video that could change how you think of Saturn forever. And this is just the trailer:

In Saturn’s Rings

Wishing you all much love and lion-hearted courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast July 8: Saturn Direct, New Moon in Cancer

A Water Baby, by Herbert James Draper, 1900.

To anyone familiar with astrology, recent events, however shocking, make perfect sense.

A couple of days ago, I read an essay on Counterpunch by Israeli writer and peace activist Uri Avnery on the situation in Egypt. Avnery starts out by declaring the 1968 cultural revolution in Paris as the forerunner of events all over the world today. He goes on to ask, “Why now? Why in so many totally different countries? Why in Brazil, Turkey and Egypt at the same time?” He considers the possibility that it’s something in the Zeitgeist – the spirit of the age – but concludes that it’s more likely a result of instant communications via television and the social media.

It’s really too bad that academics dismiss astrology. Otherwise they’d understand the outer planetary cycles underneath the dramatic events taking place in our time, which we indeed can trace back to the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the mid-1960s.

I’ve been thinking a lot about these outer cycles, especially as they pertain to repeating patterns in history. I’ve been working under a theory that the “apocalypse” is a lifting of the veil, and that the “veil” is the mechanism in our brains that limits our perception to this particular place in space and time (which we call “reality”). As our perception broadens to include other dimensions of reality, it’s as though the actions of our past are a legion of demons escaping from hell. I can’t think of anything happening today that doesn’t have a parallel in human history – our collective past.

At the end of his article, Avnery broadens the idea of Arab Spring and asks if there’s not a “Human Spring.” I believe there is and that we’ll see it happen over the next five to ten years. By the time Pluto enters Aquarius in 2024, the world is going to be a very different place. (Actually, he dips into Aquarius in 2023 but then turns retrograde and returns to Capricorn until January 2024.)

With so much violence and unrest in the world, it’s hard to believe that the positive aspects on the way over the next few weeks will have much of an effect, especially since they are relatively short compared with the astrological signature behind the upheavals. Not to sound like a Pollyanna, but I do believe that the approaching grand water trine heralds some strongly positive developments to counterbalance all the chaos. And while it’s true that the trine will start dissipating by late July, giving way to an even stronger conflicting configuration, I nevertheless believe that it can have some far-reaching effects, both globally and individually. That’s why it’s so important to take advantage of this short window, which also includes Monday’s New Moon in Cancer.

Before I discuss this week’s aspects, I want to mention one important factor in the chaotic events of the past week. In last week’s forecast, I mentioned that the T-square formed by the Sun, Uranus, and Pluto would provide a glimpse of events during the more energetic T-square with Jupiter in mid-August. It’s a pretty safe bet that the violence is going to escalate. However, Saturn’s station retrograde gave the past week a powerful punch that will be waning by August. Unfortunately, Saturn’s station will be felt for another week or so, as he returns direct on Monday.

Saturn’s return direct can coincide with dramatic events, especially the destruction of infrastructure. But it can apply to societal structures as well. As I wrote last week, Saturn in Scorpio can represent structures that are rotten and ready to break down. Given the mutual reception between Saturn and Pluto, Saturn’s station feeds a blast of energy into the Uranus-Pluto square, which last week was temporarily a T-square. Nowhere was that more evident than in the ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Mercury retrograde can account for some of the false news reports and communications difficulties among competing factions, but I attribute the overall failure to install the kind of democratic government demanded by the Egyptian people to this strange combination of Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn. It’s as if a new structure is torn down almost as soon as it is built.

The good news there is that there is plenty of room for experimentation. Using Egypt as an example, a popular uprising resulted in the resignation of Mubarak in February 2011 and the creation of a new government that in theory was supposed to replace a dictatorship with a democracy. It didn’t quite work out that way, and rather than waiting for elections, millions of people took to the streets declaring that the experiment had failed and that they needed to start over. Although attempts to form a new government are faltering, I see the grand trine as a ray of hope that they might succeed.

Likewise, we have a short window to find creative solutions to longstanding conflicts in our personal lives. You do need to put some effort into it, and you need to be clear about your overall goals.

Click on image to enlarge

Saturn returns direct just two hours before Monday’s New Moon in Cancer. You can easily see the grand water trine becoming more exact (the blue triangle), even as Jupiter approaches an exact square with Uranus and Pluto (the red triangle). I read this as a clear and straightforward message: Through conflict and breaking down what is no longer working, opportunities arise for new ways to live and interact with each other in a spirit of community and cooperation. Connecting to the natural world is part of the equation.

At the New Moon, Mercury is conjunct the Sun by two degrees (exact on Tuesday), and he’s exactly halfway through his retrograde cycle. This is often when we start feeling the retrograde the most, so do take extra care this week, especially at home. Back up your computer data, and if you’re running extra air conditioning, be sure you don’t overload the circuits. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good advice for how not to blow an emotional fuse. Be clear in your communications. To do that, you need to be clear with yourself about how you feel. If you’re confused or unsure, postpone discussions until after Mercury returns direct on July 20. That’s a long wait, so do let others know you need more time rather than just staying silent. It’s a sure bet that someone will misunderstand your silence for lack of concern or worse.

On Saturday, Mars enters Cancer and approaches conjunction with Jupiter. Although Mars isn’t at his best in the sign of the Crab, he’ll give some extra energy to the Jupiter leg of the grand trine. This is mostly good news, but I do hold out a bit of concern that the grand water trine could coincide with severe storms and flooding.

With so much upsetting news in the headlines, it may seem frivolous to pay any attention to celebrity news, but I do want to mention that we’re getting close to the birth of the first child of the William and Kate. The official due date for Baby Cambridge is July 13, but reporters already are staking out their ground and taking absurd measures to make sure they don’t miss any detail of the story. I wouldn’t assign much significance to this event if it weren’t for the extraordinary chart this child will have – a chart that all children born around this time will share. These water babies will reach maturity in the 2030s and will leave a very distinct mark on the world. Baby Cambridge likely will have a major impact on the UK government.

Lastly, I’d just like to give a quick update to those who are still waiting for reports. I have started writing again, but the going is very slow. At my best, I was able to do two reports a day. It’s now taking me two days each. I’ll try to e-mail everyone this week with an ETA. I can’t apologize enough, but there was little I could do. Even astrologers go through long transformational periods, and having some idea they’re coming doesn’t soften the impact. In the meantime, if you’d like a transit report, I’m offering a three-month forecast for $19. (Click here to go to the order page or here to see a sample for President Obama.)

Wishing you all infinite love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast July 1: Sun Opposes Pluto, Squares Uranus

The United States is taking a lot of heat this week, literally and figuratively.

Record-breaking temperatures are baking much of the Western U.S. (To my readers in California and Arizona, I hope you are staying cool indoors.) The political heat is on, as well, just in time for the U.S. solar return – depending, of course, on which natal chart you use for the United States.

There are plenty of valid arguments for dates other than July 4, but this is the date on the Declaration of Independence, which we more or less consider our country’s birth certificate. It’s also the date in the collective consciousness, and so I’ll follow the people on this one. We were, after all, supposed to be a democracy. The exact time is debated as well, but according to Thomas Jefferson’s account, the debate was concluded in the evening. One of the best articles I’ve found discussing the U.S. birth chart was written by Dane Rudhyar in 1971. Rudhyar made a case for the popular “Sibly” chart, rectified by about four minutes.

I won’t do a complete analysis of the U.S. solar return chart, but I have a couple of comments to share. First, it is laid out similarly to the Cancer ingress chart I discussed in my June 17 forecast. In both charts, the Sun is in the fourth house, with the Uranus-Pluto square in the first and tenth. People are in a rebellious mood, and what transpires over the summer will continue to reverberate for an entire year. In both charts, Jupiter is sitting right on the fourth-house cusp, reinforcing the potential for devastating storms. There are a few major differences between the two charts, and of the two, I judge the solar return chart to be the most troublesome, which leads me to the conclusion that the summer’s political and weather-related activities will be a warm-up act for the rest of this year into mid-2014.

The two big astrological events of the summer are the grand water trine with Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, and the cardinal T-square with Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto. Last week, the Sun formed a grand trine with Saturn and Neptune, giving us a taste of what’s to come under the more-powerful configuration, which peaks in mid-July. This week, the Sun forms the T-square, and so we’ll get a glimpse of what’s coming with the difficult Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto configuration in mid-August. I know, it’s all so confusing. And Mercury is retrograde, which doesn’t help with clarity or confidence.

Last week I watched The Prestige, with Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as stage magicians in a death match to outdo one another’s illusions. David Bowie makes an appearance as real-life scientist Nikola Tesla, who is best known for his work with electricity. The plot jumps back and forth through time in a way I found confusing, but the nonlinear narrative was quite effective as a dramatic device, and it all made sense in the end. It seems as though current events are unfolding in a strange sort of discontinuous time, like in the film.

As this week begins, the cardinal T-square is already in effect, and it will remain in play through the weekend. The Sun forms an exact opposition to Pluto on Monday, and then squares Uranus on Thursday (late Wednesday in western time zones). Egypt is the latest hotbed of protest, and it looks like clashes are about to get violent as opponents of the current president call for his resignation.

Also on Monday, Venus squares Saturn, an astrological wet blanket if ever there was one. In Texas, Governor Rick Perry has called for a special legislative session to begin on Monday to readdress an abortion bill blocked last week after a filibuster by state Sen. Wendy Davis. Ceres is closely conjunct Venus and squares Saturn on Wednesday. It doesn’t look good for Davis and her supporters in the near term. If the legislative session drags on into the following week, the outlook is better for women’s rights advocates, as Venus will form a lovely trine to Uranus, planet of rebellion and change (the aspect is exact on July 7).

Saturn, meanwhile, is stationed to return direct next Monday. A planet is said to station when it appears to stop in the sky before changing direction. Stopped in Scorpio, Saturn will be stubborn as a mule. In general, I’d say that Saturn represents the “establishment,” but Saturn in Scorpio is a strange animal. Structures are ready to rot and break down, and with Uranus at the apex of a T-square, there’s no telling how events could defy even the surest of expectations.

Speaking of Uranus, T-squares, and rebellion, what better time could there be for reading the Declaration of Independence? If you haven’t done so in a while, I strongly suggest revisiting it. Our Founding Fathers – who surely would have been branded “terrorists” according to the current government definition – laid out quite a brilliant argument for abolishing a government that no longer serves the people. I have a feeling we could come up with a list of grievances as long as the colonists sent to King George.

The other aspect worth remarking on this week is the Moon’s entry into Cancer on Saturday. Normally, lunar movements are too fast to signify much more than fleeting events and moods. However, this will be the first conjunction of the Moon with Jupiter in Cancer. The Moon moves forward to conjoin Saturn and Neptune on Sunday. Again, we may get a quick glimpse of things to come as Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune approach an exact trine on July 17. That’s only a couple of weeks away, and it’s the most exciting, positive aspect we’ll experience all year.

Next week starts out with the New Moon in Cancer, so over the weekend start thinking about what projects you’d like to initiate. I just wish I could help you out in that regard with a StarGuide report, but that project is still on hold. Do keep in mind, though, that if you’d like a three-month transit report, you can order one for $19 (click here to see a sample).

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast June 10: Saturn Trines Neptune, Venus Opposes Pluto

The Boston Massacre. Detail of an engraving by Paul Revere, March 1770.

In my down state, I’ve been watching a lot of movies, borrowed from our terrific local library. Last week, I found the seven-part miniseries John Adams, which first aired on HBO in March 2008.

Despite historical inaccuracies typical in Hollywood productions, the miniseries is a decidedly unromanticized version of history and rightly won several awards. Based on the biography by David McCullough, it’s an excellent portrayal of the conflicts among colonial leaders, not all of whom were ready to take up arms and fight for their rights. There were those who strongly preferred negotiations to war and who feared that uprisings in Massachusetts would subject all of the colonies to a deadly crackdown by the British.

The first episode begins with the Boston Massacre, in which a crowd agitated by the growing tyranny of England provokes British soldiers into opening fire. The soldiers are charged with murder, and the only lawyer who will defend them is John Adams, who goes against his countrymen on the principle that everyone deserves the right to a fair trial.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know where I’m going with this, yes?

The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, with Pluto in Capricorn. The Uranus-Pluto square had occurred more than a decade earlier, in late Pisces and Sagittarius. Incidentally, the square in March 1758 occurred with Pluto conjunct the Galactic Center – just a bit of interesting astro-trivia there. I mentioned the Boston incident in a post in August 2011 that actually was about a Michael Lutin presentation at the National Press Club in 2008. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

The HBO miniseries was broadcast less than two months after Pluto’s entry into Capricorn in January 2008. Talk about synchronicities. Michael Lutin’s Press Club speech (which you can watch in my August 2011 post) followed an article he wrote for Vanity Fair magazine about the implications for the United States of Pluto in Capricorn. What I remember most from his speech – which has reverberated in my mind many times over – were his words, “You’re all under surveillance.”

Well, well, well.

Mikey predicted it would all go down in 2011. He was off by a couple of years, but so what? His predictions ring uncannily true, including his opinion that it didn’t matter who won the White House in 2008. Of course, we already were under heavy surveillance when he gave that presentation, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist or even an astrologer to know it. The bomb dropped by The Guardian on Wednesday, followed by even bigger ones, wasn’t really news to anyone who’s been paying attention.

As I type, the whistleblower has come forward. Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old employee of a contractor for the National Security Agency, is inevitably being compared to Private Bradley Manning, who is on trial for leaking classified information on the war in Iraq. Rather than being hanged for treason – the punishment of choice in colonial America – Manning has been imprisoned for three years awaiting trial and, by all accounts, tortured by cruel and inhuman means. We have, after all, progressed toward a more civilized society, especially here in the United States, land of the free and home of the brave.

Back to John Adams, he eventually became the new nation’s first vice president and second president, although history sort of seems to have forgotten him in favor of more classic heroes such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and even his own cousin, Samuel Adams. John Adams was by all measures conservative. Yet, he called a spade a spade, and he was one of the most vociferous supporters of fighting for independence, once it became apparent that negotiating with the British would solve nothing – and he figured that out early on. That, I believe, is the critical lesson for us now.

In an interview with The Guardian, Snowden said he would have gone to the media sooner, but he was waiting to see whether President Obama would curb some of the abuses of the NSA. When he not only failed to do so but expanded the program, Snowden made his move. To an astrologer, it’s no coincidence that the revelation came with Uranus in a close square to Pluto. The big question now is how the American public will react. Very clearly, this isn’t an abuse that can be remedied by voting out one political party in favor of another – a point, by the way, that I made several years ago and for which I was soundly flamed by Obama supporters.

I don’t know precisely where this is all going to lead, but I do know that we have more explosive times ahead. As I’ve remarked before, the influence of the Uranus-Pluto square will last for another five years at least. After that, we’ll march steadily toward the Pluto return of the United States in 2022. In the meantime, we’ll also experience a conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in 2020, and in 2026, Saturn and Neptune conjoin in Aries. I have extensive thoughts on what these transits will entail, but I’ll save them for another time.

Surveillance of the citizenry is very definitely a signature for Pluto in Capricorn, and it’s interesting to note that publication of the extent of the abuse occurred with Mercury in opposition to Pluto and square Uranus. Also, warrior Mars in Gemini made a square to Neptune, planet of fog and deception. Note, too, that Mercury was approaching conjunction with the United States Sun, and the Uranus-Pluto square isn’t far from making contact with the U.S. Sun (exact in April 2014). From an astrological perspective, it makes perfect sense that the news broke last week. I confess that I couldn’t have predicted it exactly (especially in my current condition), but I did note in last week’s forecast that we’d likely have some shocking headlines:

Collectively, I think we’ll see more jarring headlines – not that anything could shock us anymore, but the extent to which we’ve been deceived and lied to could be a revelation to many.

Looking at the week ahead, Venus follows on the heels of Mercury by opposing Pluto (Tuesday) and squaring Uranus (Wednesday). Venus in Cancer is a soft influence, and yet in a T-square with Pluto, she can’t be expected to do much to soften the recent blow. If anything, the powers responsible for this gross invasion of privacy may try to further defend the program on the grounds of national security: “We’re keeping you safe from terrorists,” etc. Internet companies such as Google and Facebook also may try to reassure their users. We’ll see how many people buy it, and how well the government will be able to persuade its citizenry to fight among themselves instead of aiming their anger where it rightly belongs.

The other big aspect of this week is the trine of Saturn and Neptune, second of a three-part transit. The first occurred in October 2012, and the third and final pass will fall on July 19 as part of the grand trine with Jupiter. Trines in general are highly favorable, and grand trines even more so. My only worry is that storms involving precipitation and flooding could be exaggerated; after all, nature doesn’t share our subjective notions of “good” and “bad.” An unimpeded path for us also can be an unimpeded path for a hurricane. But do make what you can of it, starting now. Don’t wait until July to decide how you want to use this rare gift of cosmic energy.

Speaking of energy, mine is still low, but the good news is that I feel like I finally bottomed out this past week. It’s been a very hard place to be, and I don’t feel like I’m out of the woods yet. The demons are following me out of hell and nipping at my heels. Short walks, doing little tasks in my apartment, and lying on the couch watching movies have been my best strategies. Chocolate is nice, too, but unfortunately, all this lying around has exacerbated my weight and blood pressure – issues I’ll need to address once I have the strength to get out more. If you recently ordered a report and have not heard from me, expect an e-mail in the next day or two. My deepest apologies, and my heartfelt appreciation for those of you who have been so patient, understanding, and concerned for my well-being.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

RealAstrologers

The astrology of world affairs, human evolution, the future, and the state of the universe.

Tag Archives: mundane astrology

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