"Thank you very much, you answered all of my questions and offered me great insight into my life and any future issues as well as potential issues that may arise. Your reading was phenomenal!"
"The natal chart is like a seed and progressions are the unfolding in time of that into the plant it is to become. Transits, are like a daily weather report. In political astrology, these three factors have to be taken into account!"
Recent NewsScope Articles
Jan. 6, 2014 - Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio; Colorado legalizes marijuana; Sean Penn's love life.
Jan. 13, 2014 - Jeff Bezos and Chiron-Pluto; is Chris Christie a bully? West Virginia's eco-disaster
July 21, 2014 - Global hotspots heat up, is Malaysian Airlines cursed? the Planet of the Apes.
July 28, 2014 - Three air disasters is a coincidence? August's top five; is Charlize Theron engaged?
Aug 4, 2014 - Obama's 2014 solar return; Israel's Pluto; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets married.
Aug 11, 2014 - Mars activates Solar Eclipse; Russia's empire memory; Diamond Dallas Page Yoga.
Aug. 18, 2014 - Missouri militarizes police, Robin Williams and Lilith; Rachael Price, jazz vocalist.
Aug 25, 2014 - The Saturn-Uranus dilemma; Sept.'s top five; Piper Kerman's "Orange is the New Black".
Sept. 1, 2014 - NATO awakens, Angela Merkel at the frontiline, Jack Ma's Alibaba is coming.
Sept. 8, 2014 - Virginia's Bob McDonnell; Joan Rivers; Brangelina's wedding, good timing?
Sept. 15, 2014 - Chiron, how much weight? Nasdaq's top ten gainers; Teddy Roosevelt on PBS.
Sept. 22, 2014 - Alibaba, the biggest IPO ever; October's top five astro-events; FDR's blessing.
Sept. 29, 2014 - Neptune trines U.S. Ascendant; Eleanor Roosevelt; Derek Jeter, a class act.
re: Cuba - As of this week, we are revisiting our Cuban relationship with the USA. Do you believe this is tied to the Eclipse in the 60’s coming full circle (54 year eclipse cycle)? Does this also tie into the current T-Pluto opposition to the US-N-Sun – (bypassing Congress)?
A. I don't know about the eclipses, could be... But it's certainly related to transiting Pluto opposite the U.S. Sun. Obama's historic arrangement was expressed as an Executive Order. It remains up to Congress to lift the economic embargo that's been in place since the early 1960s.
re: Paul Revere - Thank you for your Paul Revere story in the 12/15 NewsScope. I have always wished I was there on 4/18/75, hey, maybe I was. Interesting, the 3/20/15 and 9/27/15 eclipses fall on his Mars and Moon, will keep watch on the news then.
re: Emancipation Proclamation - This week's Neptune Cafe is outstanding. Thank you for looking at the big picture for the rest of us. Having a way to understand and hold the intensity of the world is so valuable.
re: Emancipation Proclamation - I agree that race is the prime issue going on here however it's the issue of race plus police enforcement which is the main focus. Without analyzing that, you're still not getting to the heart of the problem. It seems to me that the role of the state police departments around America have been quite different from that of western European countries.
A. Yes, you're correct, the police have become militarized due to mega-funding of Homeland Security. I did allude to that in the first paragraph of the third article, but it could surely use a more in depth discussion as Pluto in Capricorn opposes the U.S. Sun.
re: Emancipation Proclamation - What I have learned about Black Moon Lilith is that it mainly has to do with a drive for freedom and human dignity. When I look at the EP chart for the date of Obama's election, I see that transiting Pluto exactly opposed the EP Black Moon Lilith. When I look at the current progressed EP chart, I see that progressed BML opposes the EP Mercury, which creates a dialog about how to treat black people.
If you look at Martin Luther King's natal chart, he has Jupiter sesquiquadrate (135d) to Black Moon (orb 0d 09m). The interpretation for anyone with this aspect is:
"You can be creative, versatile, brilliant, and prolific. You could excel at anything that requires a high level of mental functioning. You are probably more analytical and perceptive than are your peers. You like to keep changing, trying to do new things. Depending on your field, your ideas can be seen as radical or revolutionary. You function better as an individual than you do as part of a team, although you can be well complemented by more practical or business-oriented partners. You can be an inspiration or influential teacher to the younger generation."
A. This letter is from astrologer John Halloran. Visit his website at www.halloran.com to find out more about Lilith in aspect to the planets. Yes, Lilith is all over the EP chart.
Regulus - In November's astro-event #5 you said that around November 22 there would be news about celebrities and royalty because Lilith was conjuncting the royal asteroid Regulus. I notice that Marilyn Monroe has her natal Lilith at 29 Leo and she has been in the news lately because of her letters being auctioned. So it was spot on in regards to Marilyn who is American royalty. And the news came out that William and Kate are heading to New York soon.
re: Bill Cosby - I would also add that transiting Saturn in Scorpio has passed over his Mars in Scorpio in the 7th and now transiting the 8th house has also brought all those 8th house hidden sexual/rape/criminal activities to light in a big KARMIC way.... I’ll leave black moon Lilith out of the equation because my ex-husband has Venus in Gemini, and I know just how much men with this placement think that the grass (the girl) is greener on the other side because they can’t make up their mind who they love or why until they’ve lost it! FICKLE FICKLE FICKLE! And remember what they say in Astrology: SATURN is KARMA.
re: Jessica Alba - She is most impressive. You didn't say anything about Ceres in her chart. I wonder if it's also relevant.
A. Ceres trines Uranus, which is angular and near the 4th house cusp. She's revolutionizing home life, with special attention to baby products.
re: Scott Walker - When doing Scott Walkers chart wouldn't you do a relocation chart from Colorado to Wisconsin instead?
A. It's certainly possible to look at a politician's chart relocated to his current residence, but that depends on having an accurate birth time. For Scott Walker, his birth time is unknown, so we don't know his Ascendant or Midheaven, and relocating the chart won't change that unknown.
re: Princess Charlotte - She has an interesting chart...I wonder, could this little one become a Legal Eagle or Judge one day!?! ;)
A. Yes, the strong, elevated Pluto and Libra planets do indicate that as a real possibility.
re: Stephen Collins - As an astrologer I have been watching the alleged fall from grace of actor Stephen Collins (10/1/1947). Is this something (child molestation) in his chart or is this part of the drama from his current divorce with wife Faye Grant (7/16/1957)? He's a fine actor and I'm sad to see this surface. Will this get resolved or change his reputation/life forever?
re: NCAA upsets - Should I just attribute all the NCAA football upsets on Saturday to Mercury turning retrograde? I don't remember ever seeing so many upsets happening together on one weekend like that. There must have been some general cosmic influence. Do you have a theory about that?
A. Ideally, one would check the NCAA chart, but the Lunar Eclipse aligned with the U.S. Sun-squ-Saturn which in itself can mean an upset of the status quo. Notice the simultaneous major upsets (extreme volatility) in the stock market as well.
re: Neptune - In your discussion of transiting Neptune and the U.S. Ceres, I was surprised you never discussed water and farming at all. I've heard that some in California want to break the state up into 4 states to govern water because of the drought.
A. Yes, you've spotted another manifestation of this dynamic, and there will certainly be more. Keep your eyes peeled and let me know what else you find.
Oct. 6, 2014 - U.S. security breaches; Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution; Princess Charlotte.
Oct. 13, 2014 - Ebola and Lilith; What happened to Kim Jong Un? Juno, Clooney and marriage.
Oct. 20, 2014 - Saturn urges Obama forward; the stock markets' wild gyrations; James Risen.
Oct. 27, 2014 - Barbara Boxer and global warming; Nov.'s top five astro-events; Gigamon surprises.
Nov. 3, 2014 - Tim Cook's historic declaration; remembering Joan Quigley; Renee Zellwegger.
Nov. 10, 2014 - Lamar Smith on the political frontline; re-thinking Lilith; DWTS Janel Parrish.
Nov. 17, 2014 - Neptune's station; Obama's executive action; Jessica Alba, CEO of The Honest Co.
Nov. 24, 2014 - Hillary Clinton's Ceres and the 2016 campaign; December's top five; Bill Cosby scandal.
Dec. 1, 2014 - National candidates and the U.S. Moon; Firestone's deal with Liberia; The Force Awakens
Dec. 8, 2014 - American angst over race, police tactics, tracked using the Emancipation Proclamation
Dec. 15, 2014 - Oil patch implosion! Amy Pascal targeted by hackers; Paul Revere returns.
Dec. 22, 2014 - Cuba awakens! Jeb Bush explores a run; Mehmet Oz's alternative medicine.
Dec. 29, 2014 - Jeb Bush and Saturn; January's top five astro-events; Alexander Gerst's Blue Dot Mission.
Jan. 5, 2015 - Will Hillary run? Bono's Chiron-Pluto opposition; Angelique Kidjo, Africa's premier diva.
re: US election - Though I've relocated for a bit over a year now to the other side of "the pond," the upcoming US presidential election continues to intrigue me, especially, as you've described transiting Saturn's placement in present contenders' charts! In this day and age, US leadership change is such an important barometer to the statues of EU. Thanks for your column that I follow religiously every Monday morning!
re: France - You said that the full moon would activate the Uranus Pluto square. I would guess that Uranus, discovered in 1781, represents Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, the national motto of France.
re: NewsScope - I am mailing you a $25 check for keeping me on your early NewsScope email list. You have me guessing about what events or people you will cover each week. For an amateur astrologer like me, it is educational indeed.
re: France - I haven't seen the cartoons but I am stuck and glad you called them distasteful and offensive. Not to mention this just isn't the right time to make fun of anyone's religion. Some of my closest friends are Muslims. But of course the fanatics are just creating more hate making things harder for Muslims. What a situation.
re: Hillary - Ultimately, don't you think that the Neptune influences softening that Mars-Pluto might actually help her? She can be scary....
A. Perhaps so. But the Neptune influences do lend some credibility to the tabloid stories about her excess drinking and that she may need a rehab program.
re: Angelique Kidjo - A prospective time of 5:27 AM puts her Moon-Lilith square right on the MC/Asc! Moon in Aries conjunct the Midheaven certainly describes her. Just a thought.
re: U.S. Plutocracy - I really enjoyed your article on the Uranus-Pluto Square and its effects on the US and globally. What interests me now is Saturn’s entrance into Sagittarius and the harsh aspects it will be making; first with the US Uranus in Gemini, Part of Fortune, and Mars in Gemini -- all in the 8th house of debt and other people’s money. Will we see a stock market crash and another Recession fall upon the economically beaten down masses? It almost seems inevitable that the Bankster and the Oligarchy may soon take a BIG HIT in their Wall Street wallets with US taxpayers again bailing them out since Frank/Dodd continues to be gutted by Congress and a Dino President.
re: Comet Lovejoy - I heard on the news the other night that we might be able to see a comet named "lovejoy" this week. They said it won't come around for another 8,000 years. Since you've said that the first week of January will have some dramatic events, I wonder if anything about the timing of this comet is perhaps part of the mix...
A. The ancient Romans saw comets as auspicious omens according to the constellation they appeared in and the constellation where they will exit. Other than that, I don't know how to interpret them. But "Lovejoy" seems favorable!
NewsScope for January 12, 2015
By Michael Wolfstar
Neptune’s Angst
Over the next three months, transiting Uranus and Pluto will be heading into their seventh and final square of this spectacular series. Last month Uranus and Pluto were at 12º Aries and Capricorn respectively, and by the end of March will be at 15º of these signs. This makes these degrees - 12º to 15º of the cardinal signs - especially sensitive and reactive.
The U.S. and other key countries have prominent natal planets in these degrees, making this an important three-month phase in world history. And regarding personal horoscopes, two generations have Neptune in this degree area, either in Libra or Capricorn. The activation of Neptune by these outer planets can usher in a round of depression, as one’s hopes, expectations and dreams dissolve under the harsh realities of life.
The U.S. has its Sun at 13º Cancer and Saturn at 14º Libra, and we already have a clear sense of the chaos that transiting Uranus and Pluto are bringing through the fruitless bickering and posturing going on in Washington. Many Americans have Neptune in this twilight zone (those born between 1989-91 and 1947-49), and can expect heightened moodiness and even the kind of depression felt by Russians. On the positive side, Neptune’s activation tunes us into our interconnectedness, and our individual contributions to co-creating the existing order.
Russia’s horoscope has Neptune at 13º Capricorn and is an example of an entire nation that is becoming depressed by the transiting Uranus-Pluto square. The nominal cause is Neptune’s rulership over oil, and the collapsing oil prices that sustain Russia’s economy. Russia is entering an economic recession, and many of its citizens may prefer to call it a depression. In the same way, individuals with Neptune in this degree area may fall victim to societal pressures.
France’s Multiculturalism under Attack
Of course, France’s modern horoscope (October 6, 1958; 6:30 pm; Paris) has a Sun-Mercury conjunction in Libra in the critical degrees. As the terrorist attack on the satirical publication Charlie Hebdo began, transiting Uranus opposed France’s Sun with an orb of only 0º17’, while transiting Pluto was closely squaring France’s Mercury (orb: 0º29’). But let’s look deeper to see what else is going on….
As French astrologer André Barbault has described, France’s historical development and its national incarnations closely follow the Jupiter-Neptune cycle. Jupiter and Neptune were conjunct when the First Republic was established on September 21, 1792, and Jupiter and Neptune are also conjunct in France’s modern chart. This idealistic combination promotes a cosmopolitan society with a high tolerance for diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.
Yet France’s multiple placements in polite, aristocratic Libra oppose its Aries Ascendant and Black Moon Lilith, setting up a nation-state filled with unsettling resentments and repressed anger. Mars, the ruling planet, is placed in Gemini, where it aggressively asserts its right to freedom of speech. Mars squares Pluto, intensifying political and cultural debate, and making room for the distasteful and offensive cartoons in Charlie Hebdo.
Transiting Saturn is currently opposing France’s Mars from Sagittarius, initiating a wide-scale philosophical debate over freedom of speech, religious divides, and who and what to blame for this terrorist act. Saturn’s retrograde cycle will continue to activate this dangerous dynamic through October 2015. France’s experience is a warning to all western nations about the balance between freedom of speech and national security needs,* something the U.S. has been grappling with since 9/11.
* Perhaps the most insightful comments about this incident can be found at Salon.
Pope Francis’s Exciting
Venus Return
Pope Francis is on track for revolutionizing the Vatican’s image with his humble ways, international interests, and devotion to the world’s poor. He’s also attempting to move women more into the mainstream of Catholic thinking, although his words often sound condescending, even if well intentioned.* He tried again last week when he met with Angelina Jolie following a private screening of her film “Unbroken”.
Astrologically, the meeting between the two looks more important than the brief stories carried by the media. As described in NewsScope March 25, 2013, Pope Francis is experiencing a powerful three-planet configuration between his progressed Venus, Mars and Pluto which forces him into dealing with sexual issues of all kinds. Most significantly, progressed Venus is at 27º Aries and near his Midheaven, where it symbolizes powerful women.
Angelina Jolie’s Venus-Ascendant conjunction is at 28º Cancer, right on Pope Francis’s natal Pluto. As she said in a recent interview, he’s like a wise father figure. And the Pope is equally impressed by her: transiting Pluto was exactly opposite his Vesta as they met. Vesta in his chart is associated with his calling and his celibacy. Vesta was certainly challenged by Pluto’s presence in the form of the intense sexuality of Angelina Jolie.
The faster-moving transits of Venus and Mars, the love planets, were also evident. Transiting Mars was exactly sextile his progressed Venus and squaring his progressed Mars. Transiting Venus was conjunct natal Venus in Aquarius, as the Pope’s interest in promoting social equality for women manifested as the lovely, multi-talented film director. While the Pope was undoubtedly mesmerized, Angelina’s payoff is in getting papal recognition for the film that was inexplicably snubbed by the Golden Globes.
* Read “Seven Pope Francis Quotes that Make Women Wince” at HuffPo.