Tuesday 2/18/2025: News, News, News; Sun in Pisces; Mars Turns Direct
PLUS: Beth Owl's Daughter is back!
(Apologies for the late post — I was at my computer all day yesterday, hoping to craft something meaningful).
Hello to all -- and welcome to new Avid Readers of Why Now News! I hope you will always find these astro-logical insights informative and entertaining.
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Highlights of the week are:
Sun enters Pisces on Monday
Mercury squares Jupiter on Thursday
Mercury trines Mars on Sunday
Mars turns direct on Sunday
Water, water, water everywhere (especially emotions) this week -- and it goes like this:
MONDAY: Moon in Libra drives the day with a need for fairness and justice, preferably without direct confrontations. Those would be unpleasant, and any planet in Libra suggests a preference for social niceties, or at least the appearance of them. An apt example of a day driven by Moon in Libra was the "debate" between Governor Tim Walz and JD Vance last fall, where they were so nice to each other you wanted to just scream. The Libra Moon travels without much input from the other planets today, save for a balanced harmony with the Sun at 6:23 PM ET. By then, the Moon and the Sun will be at the verrrrry end of their respective signs, and in the case of the Sun in Aquarius, we may see a sense of urgency in Aquarius-ruled affairs (e.g., freedom, aviation, friendships, coalitions), involving leaders of state and business. [UPDATE: I wrote that last sentence around 11 AM ET; as of 3:56 PM ET, a Delta flight crashed upon landing in Toronto just minutes ago -- no fatalities, but...yikes. I think we're up to eight plane crashes in the U.S. now since the Sun-Pluto conjunction in Aquarius & Uranus turned direct...and today drumpf fired hundreds of FAA staff, including air traffic controllers, because insanity]. At 7:16 PM ET, Moon plunges into Scorpio, now seeking to be appreciated for its depth and substance...OR ELSE. This agenda may spark a catharsis or power play in the evening, as Moon squares Pluto at 12:33 AM ET on...
TUESDAY. The only lunar aspect today is a trine -- harmony - with Mercury, silently channeling insights in Pisces. Speaking of which, Sun enters Pisces, at 5:06 AM ET.
A pause, while we pay proper homage to the sign that has been called “the dustbin of the zodiac.” That's rude, of course, and people who say that just don't understand.
Pisces is a sensitive, intuitive energy that at its best expresses compassion and loving kindness for everyone and everything, in its understanding that we are all One. Pisces is a Water Sign, and Sun in Pisces offers the energy to feel and understand and sacrifice. Being such a sensitive soul is not always easy. Pisces has been known to wallow in suffering. It can go to extremes of surrender in order to escape life’s hard knocks, drowning its sorrows in the nearest rose-colored glass.
In modern astrology, Pisces is ruled by Neptune, a dreamy energy that can be challenging to integrate, but oh what sublime creative visions it can bring to life, when effectively channeled. Pisces appreciates that the individual and the collective are one and the same; that the illusion that we are separated from one another is just that: an illusion. Next month, as the Sun squares Jupiter and then meets up with Saturn, the North Node, and Neptune, we are likely to see (respectively) expansion, controls/losses, and ideals/wipe-outs, all related to themes of feelings, understanding, and sacrifice.
Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, and thus it represents endings. A concentration of planets in Pisces can feel like the end of the world. The challenge is to remember that time is not wholly linear; it is cyclical. Yes, we are at the end of a cycle...perhaps the end of a world, but not necessarily THE world. A new cycle -- represented by the Sun's ingress into Aries on March 20th -- is just around the corner. Please keep this in mind no matter what is wiped out next month. Seriously.
I've been thinking a lot about Pisces and endings, especially of the accompanying grief, loss and wipe-out. When Venus and the North Node were at the verrrry end of Pisces on February 4th (having just connected with Neptune and sitting on my ancient Jupiter), Musk and his sledgehammers of Mars Rx out-of-bounds "masculine maximalism" were getting up to speed. As a coping strategy, I was drawn to listen to a couple of songs from Jesus Christ Superstar.
FWIW, I first saw the movie in the cafeteria at my DoD middle school in Belgium, where U.S. military families posted at NATO would gather for community events, e.g., Movie Night. This was in 1973, and looking at notebooks from my 5th grade social studies class (I save everything), I see that we were learning about the history of immigration in America, what it means and what is required to become a U.S. citizen. Pasted in my notebook are mimeographed quizzes and bios of important people; e.g., Booker T. Washington, Sojourner Truth, Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman and Shirley Chisholm. Thanks to the education I received from my inspiring, civic-minded ex-pat teachers, I skipped a grade when I returned to the States.
I'm wandering off on a tangent now because of this recent headline:
I can't even.
Anyhoo...the two Venus-Node-at-the-end-of-Pisces songs from Jesus Christ Superstar are Poor Jerusalem and Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say). In the first, Simon the Zealot has suggested, per Wikipedia, that "Jesus lead his mob in a war against Rome and gain absolute power," to which Jesus poignantly responds that absolutely no one... "understands what power is..."
Imagine seeking to convey a message that no one ever understands. Haunting, heartbreaking...though I suspect that end-of-the-world, intuitive -- albeit mute -- Pisces gets it.
In the second number, Jesus has an existential crisis. He knows Judas is about to betray him, and that his death is inevitable...but would still like God to tell him WHY, thank you very much. Is it really too much to ask? WHY? Not receiving an answer, he opts to surrender to his belief that it is God's will. "Surrender" is a keyword for Pisces. And we all know how the story goes. There is a terrible ending (Pisces), and then...who could believe it...there is a new beginning (Aries). Which is astro-logical, if you accept that time is cyclical, not linear.
In 2025, Pisces folks born at the very end of the Sign should chat with Fish born a few days earlier about how spacey life seemed in the past two years, as transiting Neptune met up with their Sun. Lots of potential for creativity and soulful questing, however. Then, talk to Pisces born in the middle of the sign about how they've been feeling squeezed and expanded in recent months. I’d say the same is true for Geminis, Sagittarians and Virgos born in that range. Could be time to check in with your local astrologer…
Famous Pisces include Kurt Cobain, Elizabeth Taylor, George Harrison and Mr. Rogers. All sensitive, soulful and sublime, in their own magical way. George Washington was also Pisces, and Heather Cox Richardson wrote about him yesterday.
Meanwhile...
Great news! Beth Owl's Daughter is on the mend and has pulled a Tarot Card of the Week that aptly reflects the Sun's ingress into Pisces, joining Saturn, Neptune -- and especially Mercury (how we need to think and communicate), as it squares Jupiter and trines Mars. Learn how the Three of Swords offers guidance on processing those heavy Saturn-Neptune in Pisces feelings, perhaps with input of Them Heavy People, too, (if you're familiar with the song by Kate Bush).
Back to the forecast.
WEDNESDAY: A day for disciplined action and authority, ending with a surprise. Scorpio Moon's quest for ultimate power and control is facilitated by a trine to Mars at 6:06 AM ET, and Saturn at 10:58 AM ET. The surprise hits around 6:47 PM ET, as Moon opposes rebel Uranus, and the news may be quite big, as you'll soon see.
THURSDAY: A fine day to note your dreams, as Moon trines Neptune at 5:05 AM ET and then goes void for three hours. If you sleep through your alarm, blame the Moon void, which seems to "coincide" with a higher than average number of twists and flakes. Chill, and don't make a mountain out of a molehill. At 7:54 AM ET, Moon ditches Scorpio for fiery Sagittarius, now seeking pie-in-the-sky possibilities with righteous enthusiasm. Moon's need to be respected for its opinions, however boundary-pushing, clashes with the more compassionate Pisces Sun at 12:32 PM ET, with added depth and power courtesy of Moon's sextile to Pluto at 1:11 PM ET.
THURSDAY (CONT): Humming in the background this week, and exact at 3:13 PM ET is a square between Mercury (in Pisces) and Jupiter (in Gemini). Big news -- perhaps about the news and/or court opinions and/or some kind of negotiated Big Deal (in foreign affairs?) Please note that in the language of astrology, whilst Mercury loves any planet in Gemini and Jupiter loves any planet in Pisces, each is currently performing effectively as a drunk stumbling down the street, with the only advantage being that these two drunks can lean on each other for support. Astrologer J. Lee Lehman, Ph.D. has dubbed this planetary condition "mutual deception" (and also came up with that analogy). So...be advised. You are more personally affected by this Mercury-Jupiter square if you have planets around 12 degrees of Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, and Pisces, e.g., Pete Hegseth, off the top of my head.
FRIDAY: Word gets out quickly overnight, perhaps, as Moon trines messenger Mercury at 2:28 AM ET. Expansion and/or bombast, later regretted may get us out of bed around 7:08 AM ET, as Moon opposes Jupiter. A message that may require adjustment around 9:53 AM ET, as Moon squares Mercury. The Friday night news dump is likely to be heavy yet again, this time as Moon squares Saturn at 10:50 PM ET.
SATURDAY: Moon in Sagittarius travels without interference until mid-afternoon, when a dreamy, potentially deceptive square to Neptune hits at 3:38 PM ET. Chill during the two and a half hour Moon void. Once Moon enters Capricorn at 6:08 PM ET, the need is to Make Things Happen. Humming in the background today -- and arguably for this whole week is Mars, slowing to a virtual standstill in Cancer as it prepares to turn direct on Sunday, meaning that actions, anger and other assertions impacting women, family, home and homeland security are going to demand focus -- like a driver leaning on their horn.
SUNDAY: But first, a bit of balance between the Capricorn Moon and the Pisces Sun, as the two form a sextile (cooperative contact) at 3:26 AM ET. Elections will be held in Germany today, and I hope their Moon in (patriarchal, hierarchical) Capricorn works out better than our last one did. On the other hand, ours started with a flaky Moon void (after a spacey Neptune square). Walking one's talk seems easy enough this morning, as Mercury trines Mars at 11:57 AM ET...though as with the Mercury-Jupiter square, Mercury is still in lousy shape and Mars is no better, even though it is powerful at its virtual stop. I just hope the Mars retrograde doesn't reflect yet another major effort to ram something awful through the system. Moon squares Venus at 12:51 PM ET, suggesting fiery me-me-me adjustments in the climb to the mountaintop.
SUNDAY (CONT). At 8:59 PM ET, Mars turns direct at 17 degrees of Cancer. Wherever this degree falls in your horoscope is where things may have been frustrated since December 6th. Now, after focusing on that blocked burning desire, hopefully you have a strategy for how to move forward. The Sabian Symbol for this Mars -- in focus all last week, this week and next -- is "a hen scratching for her chicks." This is an image of survival instincts, and the effort that must be expended in order to find sustenance. Note that we are not the chicks receiving the goodies in this image; we are the mother hen -- the responsible one. This seems important. You are more personally affected by this Mars turnaround if you have planets around 17-18 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and/or Capricorn. Off the top of my head that includes drumpf, Tulsi Gabbard, and enterprises that were launched in May 1992,
MONDAY: No sleeping in, as the Capricorn Moon will not be void. The next exact aspect -- in effect today -- is the streamlining, hard-headed mindset suggested by Mercury's meet-up with Saturn on TUESDAY.
And now, the news.
Right on cue, here is David Rothkopf (author of Need to Know on Substack), writing about the nature of sacrifice, and how "We hold America's fate in our hands". This posted late late night (Monday), and you're receiving in on Tuesday, the first day of the Sun in Pisces.
Meanwhile...
I told you we weren't likely to see any giant hearts on the White House lawn on Valentines' Day this year, as lean, mean Saturn opposed the Moon that morning:
Astrology is amazing.
We expected disruption and collapse, suggested by a square between Sun-Mercury and Uranus. This was the backdrop for the illumination of the Full Moon in regal Leo, which directly affected drumpf, for one. A stretch of several days with no exact aspects among the planets (except for the Moon) followed the Full Moon; that stretch breaks on Thursday -- to me, this suggests events on the scale of an ice shelf crumbling into the ocean. Just like that.
Special thanks to Avid Reader Enn, who made sure I didn't miss these stories:
Plus:
"JD Vance Munich speech laid bare the collapse of the transatlantic alliance" Oh, and he also insulted Greta Thunberg and told them to stop being mean to the Nazis in Germany because free speech or something. More on his horoscope in a minute.
OK. So.
Surprise! Last Wednesday (on the Full Moon), drumpf's day started with a phone call with Vladimir Putin. Now the US and Russia are set to negotiate terms for ending the Russian assault on Ukraine, but only the US and Russia are invited to the table. Right-o. Sounds like a Mars retrograde ram-through. Patterns in President Zelensky's horoscope are quite bewildering through April 12th, and then quite provocative through May, as Mars -- by then direct in Leo -- will connect with multiple planets in his horoscope for the third time in this long Mars retrograde drama.
Surprise! After his call with Putin, drumpf hosted a "bizarre" press conference in the Oval Office, (reports Heather Cox Richardson), announcing a new executive order...
...essentially putting (Elon) Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) in charge of the U.S. government.
See? Now it's official, though few corporate media outlets seem to be expressly stating what is obvious. This is from The Guardian, which is not owned by a corporation:
"This is a coup.' Trump and Musk's purge is cutting more than costs, say experts" "Purge" reflects the Sun-Pluto conjunction in the horoscope of the 2025 Inauguration, discussed in detail in the January Zoom Q & A for patron subscribers. Pluto = purges.
Speaking of The Guardian, I urge you to read Carole Cadwalladyr's latest Substack post, "U.S. Coup Gains Speed." She argues that this is the headline that should be blaring on all U.S. corporate media front pages, instead of sanewashed variations given as much weight as headlines about what to make for breakfast, which is how the coup is currently being covered. I am not making this up.
I also urge you to follow Rebecca Solnit, who has just launched Meditations on an Emergency -- a blog of Really Useful Thoughts. We must find independent sources of information, because one of the top rules for would-be authoritarians is to take control of the media, thus controlling what the masses can and can not read, think, and speak. Did you know that the Washington Post refused to run a full-page ad that called for Elon Musk to be fired? You can see that ad here.
Surprise! After drumpf's EO putting "DOGE" in charge, Musk took questions from reporters whilst standing by the Resolute Desk. As he prattled on about the unscheduled disassembly of our country (reported here by the wonderfully astute Paul Krugman, who left the NYT last month and now writes on Substack), four-year-old X, one of Musk's 13 or 14 children, picked his nose and became a viral internet sensation amongst conspiracy theorists for what he seemed to say to drumpf.
Surprise! Sec Def Pete Hegseth (whose horoscope is on an expansive tear, as you may recall) sparked this story after speaking to our probably soon-to-be former NATO allies:
Surprise! JD Vance, whose horoscope continues to spark action that is reckless (transiting Uranus square Venus-Ascendant) and ornery (transiting Mars square his Libra Moon) made a Saturn in Pisces statement about not helping the less fortunate, which prompted Pope Francis to correct JD's impudent lack of understanding. With Saturn (control) in Pisces (empathy), we appreciate why some would be pleading poverty when it comes to charity right now.
Fun fact: Pope Francis' Mars is right smack on JD's sanctimonious Moon, so no wonder His Holiness was quick to smack him down. Pope Francis has since been hospitalized with a "complex infection," and we can see the squeeze on his vitality in several patterns in his horoscope this year, including the classic square of transiting Saturn to his Sagittarius Sun.
Surprise! Speaking of free speech, the Associated Press was banned from the White House because they won't refer to the Gulf of Mexico -- an international body of water -- as the Gulf of America, because they refuse to play the role of "shrewish" Kate to a gaslighting, dominating Petruchio.
Surprise!
"A great shock. Julianne Moore's children's book under review by the Trump administration." It will not surprise Avid Readers that transiting Mars is right on Moore's natal Mars, suggesting an attack; controlling Saturn is squaring her Gemini Moon. Here is her horoscope. With transiting Jupiter (expansion) opposing her Sagittarius Sun, it's not a coincidence that this is the most-read story on the Guardian homepage right now (or was, when I included here late Monday night).
Surprise!
"Trump 'officials' fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country's weapons stockpile, sources say."
Surprise! The only Republican to vote against confirming RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, and Pete Hegseth for their respective Cabinet positions was...Mitch McConnell...who could have prevailed in these matters had he supported drumpf's impeachment four years ago. Now he’s writing op-eds warning his Kentucky constituents that drumpf’s tariffs are going to raise prices. Wow. Add McConnell's horoscope to the many others likely to be disrupted at the end of April/first week in May.
Surprise! Drumpf's DOJ ordered federal criminal charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams to be dropped, and it's clear that this is a corrupt quid pro quo. Several (known conservative) attorneys for the Southern District of New York resigned in protest.
Surprise! But not really that surprising, as we've been expecting drumpf to adopt a l'etat c'est moi approach to governing, given the reckless extremes in his horoscope, set against the backdrop of current mundane patterns.
So, to be clear. It's a coup.
We will get through this.
For entertainment and sweet nostalgia in seemingly-simpler times, here are clips from the 50th Anniversary episode of Saturday Night Live.
To schedule a personal consultation, here's the 411. Your life continues in these all-too interesting times, and astrology can help you chart a practical course.
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Wow!!! And that is meant in the best way possible. Thought about suggestions for the call, and IDK? Something related to that stumbling drunk situation, and leaning on each other for support.
Great update. I can't make the meet up this week but I"ll watch on replay. <3