"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
re: Alexis Tsipras - if Tsipras has natal Mercury-Saturn in the 2nd house, he's stuck with that sense of a financial burden for the rest if his life, isn't he?
A. It's being hit by transiting Uranus and Pluto, so a major concern now. The natal potential is apparent in every planet, but it manifests when progressions or transits come by. I didn't mention it, but Tsipras was born four days after Greece became a nation, so he in particular personifies today's Greece.
re: Klay Thompson - Thanks for your excellent analysis of Klay's excellent performance.
re: gay marriage - I think the Supreme Court will approve/support gay marriage across the nation, mainly because the North Node at 13 Libra Rx is conjunct the U.S. Saturn 14 Libra. I have noticed that Libra has played heavily in this issue.
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.
Reader feedback
re: the first NewsScope - Your obituary for Jeff Jawer mentioned starting the Weekly NewsScope in 1998. I dug around on my computer and found what I think is the very first NewsScope, from February 1997. It is attached. But it does seem that by January 1998 it had stabilized to its present form.
A. Maybe the first ones were in 1996 - I'm thinking August 1996 is when I started writing it for AOL's AstroNet. I do remember writing just one straight column for a while until I was informed that those who surf the net have short attention spans and three brief articles would be better than one long one. After AstroNet folded, it was syndicated to a few websites, including Astrogram and Astrologyzine, which has the earliest NewsScopes still posted on the net. They go back to December 1996. See http://www.astrologyzine.com
re: Jeff Jawer - I'm very sorry for the loss of your colleague, he will be missed by many. Jeff was the first professional astrologer I consulted, probably about 15 years ago, and his reading was very helpful at the time. I've been a regular StarIQ reader since then, and StarIQ is where I first read your articles.
re: Jeff Jawer - So sorry you and all of us have lost Jeff. The tribute in your column is a way to let so many people know he was here, gave a lot, and appears to be gone. Onward with appreciation
re: Jeff Jawer - Such a nice way of commemorating Jeff Jawer.
re: Jeff Jawer - I too (like so many readers) feel a deep gratitude for StarIQ.com. Your tribute to Jeff is lovely.
re: Brian Williams and Bob Simon - One unwillingly stepped out of the spotlight due to hubris ... while the other left the spotlight of life. Both of these television journalists had exceptional skills and experience. Why did it go so differently for them?
re: Brian Williams - Integrity goes a long way in the news business. It looks like transiting Pluto will oppose Williams' natal Mars over the next couple of years. Do you think he can recover from this self-inflicted crisis?
A. I doubt it. I'd be more confident of this if we had an exact birth time to work with.
re: Bobbi Christina Brown - it would be interesting to see the connections between Bobbi's chart, her mother Whitney Houston's chart, the date of Whitney's death and the recent biopic on Lifetime. What a sad, sad story for that little girl. Too much grown up emotions for her to handle.
NewsScope for March 16, 2015
By Michael Wolfstar
British Monarchy under the Eclipse
Something is afoot in the British royal family. The first clue is described in this month’s astro-event #5, namely, that the Solar Eclipse on March 20 is precisely conjunct the Pisces Moon in England’s founding horoscope (December 25, 1066; 12:00 pm; London). This chart - in contrast to the U.K. chart set for January 1, 1801 – establishes the monarchy as the head of government.
And there’s a lot going on in Queen Elizabeth’s horoscope (April 21, 1926; 2:40 am; London), including her progressed Sun trine her Midheaven (orb: 0º00’), her progressed Midheaven conjunct Mars (orb: 0º00’), and her progressed Jupiter square her Midheaven (orb: 0º01’). Three precise progressed aspects happening at one time is highly significant. And since they all involve her Midheaven, her public role as Queen is reaching a major transition point.
One can’t say that these progressions indicate her imminent demise, but they could represent a culmination of her career in some other form. Royal observers note that the Queen’s consort, Prince Philip, will most likely be the first to go, and he’s recently had serious health issues.
Jupiter turns direct on April 7 while conjunct the Queen’s 7th house Moon, and the Solar Eclipse is conjunct the Queen’s Uranus, the co-ruler of her 7th house. Both of these indicate concern over Philip.
Philip was born with Capricorn Rising (June 10, 1921; 9:46 pm; Corfu, Greece), which squares Chiron in Aries and opposes Mercury in Cancer. These three natal placements have all been hit by the transiting Uranus-Pluto square, accounting for Philip’s weakened physical condition. Back to QE2’s chart, she’s just completed her third Saturn Return, and now Saturn is stationing in her 10th house while trine her Mercury. This would indicate she’s currently planning and strategizing about things to come, and making important decisions.
Kate and William
One highly significant but expected event coming up for the royal family is the arrival of Kate’s second child in late April. The British tabloids have been feasting on a supposed feud between Kate and Queen Elizabeth based on the typical mother-in-law dynamics of the Queen being too demanding and controlling. Is the free-spirited Duchess of Cambridge not meeting the royal expectations?
Kate Middleton was born with her Capricorn Sun squaring Saturn and Pluto in Libra (January 9, 1982; Reading, UK; time unknown), a formidable configuration which has brought her to the pinnacle of power. Kate’s Sun conjoins Queen Elizabeth’s Capricorn Ascendant, which is generally considered to be a tight karmic bond, with Kate illuminating (Sun) the Queen’s elderly, protocol-driven royal duties (Capricorn).
However, Kate’s Sun is also exactly octile Uranus, giving her a wild, rebellious side. The tabloids have made the most of this by suggesting that Kate is defying the Queen’s wishes in a number of ways. For example, Kate has made only 76 public engagements over the last year while the Queen has made 375. These rumors have been overdone: Kate’s Saturn closely trines the Queen's Mars, a particularly constructive combination. Plus, their stylish Sun-Ascendant conjunction shows they’re on the same page.
Another factor is the polls continually showng that the public wants the Queen to bypass Charles and make William Britain’s next king. Kate’s radiant presence beside William only fuels these ideas. William’s chart (June 21, 1982; 9:03 pm; London) shows his Cancer Sun in the 7th house (manifested as a luminescent, maternal wife). His Sun trines Jupiter and, by secondary progression, Jupiter is steadily advancing to his Midheaven. This is a strong astrological indicator for a king in the making.
Prince Charles’ Progressed Midheaven
Will Charles be bypassed? Astrologers tracking the effects of the epic Uranus-Pluto square couldn’t find a more suitable family of charts to investigate than those of the Royal Family. Every player in this influential circle has major placements in the middle degrees of the cardinal signs, and this includes Prince Charles (November 14, 1948; 9:14 pm; London) with his Midheaven at 13º Aries.
Charles’ standing as the longest heir apparent in British history can be seen in the conditions surrounding his Midheaven and 10th house. His 10th house is occupied by his Moon, located at 0º Taurus, the same degree as his mother’s Taurus Sun. Charles’ Moon in the 10th house shows how his public career is dominated by Queen Elizabeth. Also, Neptune in the 4th house opposes his Midheaven, a clear signature for being in a state of professional limbo.
Yet changes to this status are in the wind. Transiting Uranus and Pluto continue to activate his Midheaven, transforming his status as the heir apparent. He’s already begun to take on more of the Queen’s duties. By secondary progression, his Moon is now at 12º Libra and only one month away from opposing his Midheaven. The progressed Moon here signifies the end of a major life cycle and the beginning of a new phase.
Most importantly, Charles’ progressed Midheaven is now at 20º Gemini where it opposes his 5th house Mars over the next few months. Mars is the ruler of his Aries Midheaven, so this unique progression is definitive when it comes to his potential succession to the throne. What makes the whole process fascinating is that Mars in the 5th house also symbolizes his son, William. Will he bow out in favor of his son? William has continued to decline the offer, and this bypass would cause constitutional chaos. Yet the only one with a chart activated by the critical Solar Eclipse is Queen Elizabeth. The decision is hers to make.
What do you think? The relevant chart data are included here for your amusement and speculation. Who will be Britain’s next king?
re: royal family - I don't believe the Kate v Queen stuff either. I think they are very much on the same page as you say, but I do think Kate will be the most powerful royal when the queen goes. She is a very strong woman. Kate is busy breeding right now. Most likely scenario: Phil dies or is too ill to go on, Queen abdicates, Charles crowned. Queen's Mum lived to be more than 100.
re: royal family - This is so significant. Most of the people on the planet have only known one British ruler. Talk about a long-standing institution. Whew. I know that it's all a bunch of pomp and circumstance, but lordy do they know how to do THAT. I also think that in today's society we don't recognize the importance of this kind of ceremony. In any case, We could see two more in our lifetimes. Charles is no spring chicken. If he does get the throne, I could see him dying and passing it along to his son in my lifetime. It's possible....
re: Prince Charles - I know the royal succession comes down to a popularity contest but I am well aware of Charles very deep concerns for the planetary environment and his efforts to promote sustainable practices in agriculture and a general appreciation for Mother Earth. He is under-estimated by many who really don't know him very well.
re: Hillary - According to your post last May, Hillary's Double Whammy, is it possible that:
1) T-Neptune at 8 Pisces squaring natal Uranus (USA chart) at 8 Gemini (communication, correspondence) made HC’s news conference at the UN a much bigger global story?
2) HC’s P2-Mars (in her 10th) opposing T-Neptune has now cast doubt that she may not be ready for prime time (waiting to respond over a week regarding lack of transparency)? Doesn't it highlighting her team as dysfunctional and not inspirational?
A. Yes, the Neptune influence is very clear in this email debacle. The Neptune transits to the U.S. chart being concurrent with events in HC's life are normal for national politicians. They wouldn't be on the national stage without close connections to the U.S. chart.
re: plagiarism - Did I ever tell you that a head honcho of our astrology association here in <deleted>, back about 4 or so years ago, when he was just coming here from <deleted>, wrote at length about some theme that I recognized as yours, with examples and all from your column… except that he turned the result around to fit his hypothesis -- and used all of that as his own material. Of course, I couldn't let that pass without bringing it up and, in the process, embarrassing him. Interestingly that I was then blackballed by "the good ol' guys" of the association. And presently, a bit of that kind of hypocrisy and nastiness is something I'm presently facing, having returned to <deleted> . After I had my say, I just decided to go off on my own.
A. Thank-you for sharing this.
Ceres and the environment - I had my doubts about the influence of dwarf planet Ceres. However, I had an incident on February 19, 2015 where transiting Uranus opposed my natal Neptune in my fourth house and transiting Ceres squared both planets. A falling tree knocked down an electrical transformer and spilled the insulating oil out of the transformer into my front yard. Neptune (oil) was afflicted by Uranus (electrical) and Ceres (environmental) and the local utility was concerned about possible toxins in the oil. Fortunately, a cleanup crew dug up the contaminated soil in part of my yard and restored power promptly. My limited experience would seem to verify the Ceres/environment connection!
re: transits to progressions - I notice that you often refer to transits to progressed planets. I’ve never really looked closely at these, and I wonder how powerful they are. Are they as significant as transits to the natal planets? Or more so?
A. Yes, they can be as significant as transits to natal planets or progressions to natal planets. This is especially true if the transits or progressions are hitting the progressed Sun, progressed angles, or the progressed ruling planet. Outer planet transits moving at relatively the same speed as the progressed moon while aspecting it can mean several months of a major life process unfolding. For example, the progressed Moon aligned with transiting Saturn can mean a lengthy bout of depression at its worst, but certainly a serious phase with deep thoughts. Outer planet transits to the progressed Sun is more about a change of identity.