Monday 10/28/2024: Sneak Peek at the Week; New Moon in Scorpio; Mars-Mercury Retrograde alerts

PLUS: Why Now News endorses a candidate

Good morning from Cape Cod!

I am feeling like the luckiest woman in the world, as I am here via the generosity of an Avid Reader who, perhaps inspired by my recent adventures in Washington and Pepper the Cat's costly encounter with a bunch of Oriental lilies (highly toxic to cats, apparently), gifted me with a time share in Hyannis that she was unable to use this year. There are no words to express my depth of gratitude, and my joy at being hundreds of miles away from New York, site of Donald Trump's (the OMG -- Old Miserable Guy) homage to Hitler last night at Madison Square Garden. I took a train to Providence (heaven indeed!) and then rented a car for the trip to Hyannis, proving to myself that this car-less New York City resident has not forgotten how to drive.

Before I get to the forecast for the week, let's review a few things about current planetary patterns, and how they were anticipated months and months ago. Planetary patterns -- for some reason -- reflect events in the lives of individuals and in mundane affairs with astonishing accuracy. It is my hope that this astro-logical understanding will serve as an effective coping strategy in these all-too interesting times. Though I firmly believe we each have the power to freely and consciously choose how we respond in any given situation, the situations we encounter are not products of random chaos. I also believe that how we envision the future enables us to influence it.

So -- quick review of where we are, and how it was anticipated:

First, Pluto has been at 29 Capricorn since September 1st, when it retrograded back into the sign of the Established Hierarchical Order. On October 11th, Pluto turned direct, and it will remain at 29 degrees -- the very last degree -- until November 20th, President Biden's birthday. If you listened to Off the Charts: A Stellar Newscast early in 2023, you would have heard me note that with respect to politics, the summer of 2024 was likely to feel like we were on track to create a new world order that was Aquarian/humanitarian in scope, with more a Knights of the Round Table/networking approach to wielding  power (Pluto refers to power and resources) than Capricorn, which leans towards "I'm at the top of the mountain and earned the right to tell you what to do." When Pluto backed into Capricorn in September, we anticipated that the Established Hierarchical Order would be going to extremes to maintain and/or expand its position, reflecting the "crisis point" potential of a planet at the verrrrry end of a sign (the technical term is anaretic degree). It concerned me that the November election would be taking place whilst Pluto was at the end of Capricorn.

Second, we must be mindful that the rules of the playing field changed dramatically on December 21, 2020, the Great Mutation of Jupiter and Saturn,  conjunct at 0 degrees Aquarius. Read this article, if you don't know what I'm talking about. Basically, the Great Mutation marked the beginning of a 200-year-cycle of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions mostly in Air Signs, after 200 years of mostly being in Earth. The old paradigm is "whoever dies with the most toys, gathered by mining the Earth, wins." In Air, the success strategy is to control the airwaves, i.e., networks of information, especially in data and technology. Controlling the airwaves also means controlling the information we consume (via the media and in education), which entails controlling what we say and how we think. Technology in the possible extremes is suggested, given that Aquarius refers to technology.

Pluto at the verrry end of Capricorn is currently conjunct the Great Mutation, and reflects the push for control of the airwaves to extremes, for the benefit of a hierarchical order, and this order could indeed be a fascist one. Example: last week the owner of the Los Angeles Times, a South African biotech billionaire buddy of Elon Musk, refused to allow the paper's editors to publish an endorsement of Kamala Harris. The next day, executives at Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' phallic rocket ship company, took a meeting with the OMG, after which Bezos, who also owns Whole Foods, Amazon, and the Washington Post, told the latter's editors that they could not publish their endorsement of VP Kamala Harris.

This is what happens when authoritarians like Hungary's Viktor Orban and Russia's Putin seize power. The free press -- so near and dear and enshrined by law in the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment -- becomes a mouthpiece for the authoritarian. Businesses are told that if they don't kowtow to the authoritarian, bad things will happen to their bottom line, e.g., canceled government contracts, audits, etc.

The silver lining in these two censorship cases is that it sparked a backlash, with thousands of democracy-minded citizens canceling subscriptions to these two papers, as well as Amazon Prime. More importantly, the censorship served as a screaming alert to what will happen in the United States if the fascist OMG and his posse seize power in 2025. To their credit, as historican Heather Cox Richardson explains, the New York Times and some on CNN have been bold enough to sound the alarm. Fortunately they aren't the only ones doing so.

Third, Adolf Hilter's horoscope has been heating up since I started tracking it in 2015. That's when his name started cropping up  in the headlines, and I needed to understand what was going on. The horoscopes of dead people function as accurately as those of the living -- just google "the horoscope lives forever," and you can read an article I wrote on the subject some years ago. What I saw in 2015 was so disturbing I couldn't bring myself to write about it at first, and who in the mainstream world would pay any attention to an astrologer seeing such potential? However, I did begin posting about the developments in this forecast at the end of 2016, and I use it as an example in "So What If You're Dead?" a talk I'm happy to present to interested parties. 

Action in Hitler's horoscope has been on an especially expansive and empowering streak since 2022. It's been exceptionally lovey-dovey this fall, with that pattern peaking on October 17th. This current phase of empowerment culminates on December 23rd, with a likely resurgence in 2026 (so elections that year will be highly significant). Bottom line: the fact that Hitler's name is all over the news is no coincidence, given planetary cycles.

And now, the forecast for the week -- as much as I can write in an hour, because 1) I need to drop off the scores of postcards I wrote to voters in the Maine, encouraging them to participate in next Tuesday's election; and 2) it's sunny and I'm dying to drive to Provincetown and see where the Pilgrims landed.

Highlights for the week, which is driven by Mercury, so we'll have a truckload of information and revelations to process. The other pattern driving the action is the first of three oppositions between Mars -- planet of action, courage, assertion, and aggression -- and Pluto, power in the extremes. This is the pattern that had any sane and skilled astrologer noting the potential for violence in the days before the November 5th election.

• Mars trine Neptune on Monday

• Venus square Saturn on Monday

• Mercury opposing Uranus on Wednesday

• Mercury trine Neptune on Thursday

• New Moon in Scorpio on Friday

• Mercury trine Mars on Saturday

• Mercury sextiles Pluto on Saturday

• Mercury enters Sagittarius on Saturday

• Mars opposes Pluto on Sunday

• Venus opposes Jupiter on Sunday

It goes like this:

• MONDAY: Moon in Virgo needs to organize, discern, and perfect, in exacting detail. It's off to an expansive, exuberant start, squared by Jupiter at 5:36 AM ET. At 8:30 AM ET, the mystical, magical trine between Mars and Neptune is exact, which was aptly reflected over the weekend by the opening of Conclave, a movie about the death of a pope and the cabal of cardinals that chooses his successor. Mars-Neptune patterns are often found in the horoscopes of popes, as the macho energy of Mars is diffused through Neptune (sacrifice, faith, oil on troubled waters). Conclave is about a power play, and we see that reflected in the Mars-Pluto opposition. Another example of Mars trine Neptune is Greg Olear's Moon in Virgo analysis of Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen.  Astrology is amazing.

• MONDAY: Make the most of this Virgo Moon-driven day, supported by an easy flow from Mercury and Uranus at 9:15 AM ET and 4:23 PM ET. In between, the reality check of a square between Venus and Saturn (exact at 9:15 AM ET) may pierce the veil of any Mars-Neptune rose-colored fog. Chilly interactions in relationships and budget cuts are possibilities, but so are hard-headed, practical businesswomen. Watch the headlines. We may see some rosy residue from the Mars-Neptune trine in the evening, as Moon opposes Neptune and sextiles Mars at 7:31 pM ET and 7:54 PM ET. Best case scenario: visionary thinking, poetry, music, and dance. Depth is added by Moon's trine to Pluto, exact at 11:54 PM ET. You won't notice the 35-minute Moon void.

• TUESDAY: Moon enters Libra at 12:39 AM ET, now seeking fairness, balance, and diplomacy in relationships. It travels without interference all day, so talk, talk, talk -- from both sides -- may carry us away, with a buzz, buzz, buzz in the air.

• WEDNESDAY: Moon sextiles Venus at 7:38 AM ET -- how sweet it is. A surprise -- or shocking revelation -- involving information, transportation, innovation, aviation, and technology is suggested by Mercury's opposition to Uranus at 6:14 PM ET. Good cheer ensues, perhaps, as Moon trines Jupiter at 6:22 PM ET. But still keep in mind the two oppositions that are building to a climax this weekend: Mars-Pluto (action in the extreme) and Venus-Jupiter.

• THURSDAY: A preview of the Mars-Pluto opposition's potential, perhaps, as the Libra Moon squares both at 10:56 AM ET and 12:57 PM ET, challenging its conflict-averse needs in the extreme. You won't notice the half-hour Moon void. Note that now we are in the dark of the Moon, and thus may feel restless or listless, with no light to guide us. Wrap up projects started on the New Moon if possible, and contemplate your to-do list for the next cycle. In the dark of the Moon, it's easier to fly under the radar, and you can bet your sweet bippy there are clandestine meetings underway, soon to be revealed.

• THURSDAY: Moon enters Scorpio at 1:29 PM ET, now seeking to consolidate knowledge for the sake of power and control. Vision, artistry, music, healing, and faith may be on the agenda, reflecting Mercury's trine to Neptune at 8:33 PM ET. Halloween costumes are likely to benefit from the extra dose of inspiration, with ghoulishness in the extreme courtesy of the approaching oppositions exact this weekend. Trick or Treat!!

• FRIDAY: New Moon in Scorpio is exact at 8:47 AM ET, and its potential is easily put into structured form, courtesy of a trine between Moon and Saturn at 3:19 PM ET.

Here is the chart for this New Moon, set in Washington, DC:

Observations -- briefly:

• This New Moon falls on the 9 Scorpio Moon in the 2017 Inauguration chart  -- coincidence or conspiracy? Its focus is the 12th -- hidden enemies, reaching out to the 9th -- to be of influence in collective thought, media, higher education, court opinions, and  international affairs.

• Uranus is opposing the Ascendant -- disruption in partnerships and open adversaries.

• The Mars-Pluto opposition is on the cusps of the 3rd and 9th houses -- thinking, data, information -- the whole Great Mutation paradigm -- and echoing the Scorpio Moon outreach to the 9th.

• Venus-Jupiter straddle the 2nd and 8th houses -- focused on values, money, joint ventures, debt, taxes, death...

• Chart ruler is Mars -- defending turf in the extreme at 29 Cancer, opposing Pluto...and  supported for better or worse by Mercury in 1st (which is at same degree as President Biden's Sun, which I'm taking as a positive sign that perhaps he has some intelligence that may be put to productive use).

• The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon is "fellowship supper," a quite collegial Symbol, according to Astrologer James Burgess.

• You are more personally affected by this New Moon if you have planets around 9 degrees of Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius...and off the top of my head, I can't think of a single example. But we'll know them when they start making news!

Back to the daily forecast:

• FRIDAY:  Walking the talk is supported by another trine -- between Mercury (talk) and Mars (walk), exact at 4:21 AM ET on...

• SATURDAY. Note that Mercury (how we need to think; information and communication) is engaging with Sunday's exact Mars-Pluto opposition, so pay attention to the news today, as we may be getting a sneak peek. Mercury sextiles Pluto at 11:03 AM ET, suggesting news from underground, persuasive arguments and a banner day for investigative journalists that aren't been censored by corporate owners bowing to would-be fascists. Any sense of urgency about consolidating knowledge for the sake of power is reflecting Mercury, which is at the verrrrry last degree of Scorpio. At 3:17 PM ET, it changes its expression when it enters Sagittarius, a sign not known for keeping its mouth shut. Good news for those looking for frank opinions, bearing in mind that opinions are not the same thing as facts. Mercury in Sagittarius thinks in big, broad terms, pushing boundaries of decorum and taste. Downside: thinking may be improvisational to the point of sloppiness. If you see the word "sloppy" in the headlines between now and January 8th, it's brought to you by Mercury in Sagittarius, as experience has shown. Take a look at wherever Sagittarius falls in your horoscope, as Mercury will be turning retrograde there on November 25th, and turning direct on December 15th. That suggests a review and a reconnect involving matters related to that house -- consult your local astrologer for details.

• SATURDAY:  Note the potential for disruption around 5:05 PM ET, as Moon opposes rebel Uranus. Moon-Uranus patterns suggest high energy, innovation, genetic mutations and revelations. Moon trines Neptune at 8:19 PM ET, offering a dreamy evening that may be wickedly indulgent and/or extreme, for better or worse. Either potential may take advantage of the easy flow of action suggested by the Scorpio Moon's trine to Mars and sextile to Pluto, exact at 12:39 AM ET and 12:51 AM ET on...

• SUNDAY. No one will notice the 30-minute Moon void. At 1:19 AM ET, Moon soars into Sagittarius, now free to express itself however it pleases, ever so righteously. Get out of that box you've been thinking in; broaden your horizons. Exercise care in traffic and crowds, however, especially if you're out and about in the early morning hours -- and that goes for Saturday night, too. At 1:36 AM ET, Moon meets up with Mercury transmitting the big, broad message. At 6:37 AM ET, Mars opposes Pluto for the first of three times between now and April 26th. The second opposition happens on January 3, 2025 -- the beginning of the 119th Congress.

• SUNDAY: Another opposition -- between Venus and Jupiter -- is exact at 10:25 AM ET, and suggests wretched excess and reward, perhaps especially to those following Monty Python's Confuse-a-Cat playbook (transcript of the sketch is  here). Here are headlines from a past Venus-Jupiter opposition, colored by Neptune, not Mars-Pluto. Meanwhile, note that Mars is now in a state of crisis with respect to its expression in at the verrrry end of Cancer, which seeks emotional, family, home and homeland security. Cancer also refers to mothering -- we may see headline-grabbing action in that and other matriarchal concerns. At 11:09 PM ET, Mars changes signs and enters Leo, where action and assertion needs to be expressed as explosive, fiery and dramatic,  possibly “getting away with murder” -- or at least putting  on quite a show. Famous people with Mars in Leo include VP Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, the OMG, the MBS, Bibi Netanyahu, and your faithful reporter on the astonishing synchronicity of planetary patterns and the news. Mars will retrograde back into Cancer on January 6th, when the Electoral College votes will be certified by Congress. Are you noticing the astonishing synchronicity, dear Avid Readers? The ingress of Mars into Leo will immediately activate the horoscopes of President Biden, King Charles, and Nancy Pelosi, off the top of my head. Hopefully it is already sparking action with respect to preserving stability and calm, though I am mindful of the potential for outside provocation. Meanwhile, the Sagittarius Moon travels without interference for the rest of the day, building to an authoritative block, cut, or loss as it squares Saturn at 1:19 AM ET on MONDAY, November 4th.

Whew! OK, that took much longer than an hour -- a drive to Provincetown will have to wait for another day. But at least I can drive to the post office to drop off the scores of postcards sent to voters in Maine, encouraging them to participate in the Tuesday, November 5th election. The stakes could not be higher, and, unlike the MAGA-marinated meatheads among my otherwise-lovable family, friends and neighbors, I am not willing to fall in line behind the fascists who tell newspaper owners that they better not diss Dear Leader if they want to stay in business. What's heartbreaking to me is that the MAGA-marinated meatheads in my orbit really and most sincerely and truly believe that their vote for fascist Trump (and JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson, etc.) is a vote for the preservation of democracy.

If you are not clear on what "fascism" means -- and how to recognize it, I can understand. The media has done a poor job of defining its terms, assuming that everyone will know what they are talking about. Here, thanks to Heather Cox Richardson, is a pamphlet sent to U.S. Army personnel in Europe on March 24, 1945, designed  “to help [the personnel] become better-informed men and women and therefore better soldiers.” The topic of this pamphlet is “FASCISM!” -- I found it helpful.

If you plan to join hundreds of Republicans who served with Trump and have since pledged their votes to Kamala Harris, may I suggest that you:

• Check your voter registration status NOW -- and again before you go to the polls

• Cast your vote in-person, preferable early -- avoid the Election Day rush.

• Mailing voting or dropping ballots in drop-off boxes is risky, as we are already seeing those boxes vandalized in traditionally blue districts.

• Consider donating your time to help VP Kamala Harris the Democrats retain the White House and the Senate, and take back control of the House. Options for helping Harris are here.  

• Consider using a bit of intentional magic when thinking about the upcoming election. Talk about it as if it has already happened exactly the way you hoped it would. Literally speak it out loud.

By now Avid Readers may be thinking that I as publisher/sole reporter of Why Now News am endorsing VP Kamala Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota. Indeed I am, and stay tuned for the astro-logic soon.

THANK  YOU, THANK YOU to the generous Avid Readers who have recently upgraded their free subscription and become paying subscribers. THANK YOU to all Avid Readers for sharing, restacking, liking and commenting on these astro-logical musings.

Here is the 411 on personal consultations -- should you be interested in understanding what all of these planetary patterns mean to YOU.

Here is Beth Owl's Daughter's always-in-sync Tarot Card of the Week

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