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"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!"
Unless otherwise stated, all data is rated A or AA from AstroDataBank
Recent NewsScope Articles
Jan. 5, 2015 - Will Hillary run? Bono's Chiron-Pluto opposition; Angelique Kidjo, Africa's premier diva.
Jan. 12, 2015 - Neptune's anxiety; France under attack; Pope Francis's exciting Venus return.
Jan. 19, 2015 - Court takes up gay marriage; Swiss Bank shocks system; Chris Kyle, American Sniper.
Jan. 26, 2015 - Deflategate: Tom Brady's footballs; February's top 5; Klay Thompson's best quarter.
Feb. 2, 2015 - Greece's Alexis Tsipras; Shake Shack's debut; Katy Perry at the Super Bowl.
Feb. 9, 2015 - Saturn in Sagittarius, Jill Stein's Green New Deal; Elvis meets Nixon.
Feb 16, 2015 - Jeff Jawer, astro-luminary; journalists in transition; Jeff and Scorpio Rising US chart.
Feb. 23, 2015 - Uranus enters the US sixth; Neonicotinoids and bees; Dr. Seuss is back!
March 2, 2015 - The Boris Nemtsov papers; March's top 5; David Tredinnick, the MP favoring astrology.
March 9, 2015 - Ceres into view, AAPL and solar energy; Chai Jing's "Under the Dome" goes viral.
March 16, 2015 - Britain's royal family under the Eclipse; Kate and William; Charles' progressed MC.
March 23, 2015 - Nuclear deal with Iran? April's top 5 astro-events; Krissi Brown remains in a coma.
March 30, 2015 - Andreas Lubitz, unfit for duty; Q&A - Richard III; Bas Lansdorp's Mars One mission.
April 6, 2015 - Obama and the Iran accord; NJ Senator Menendez indicted; Mad Men's Matthew Weiner.
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.
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.
re: Iran - What are the chances that the negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program will be successfully completed in June? Do the stars favor such an agreement between these two nations? The follow up question is what are the chances if the agreement getting through the Congress? I realized that any answer that you give is highly speculative, but I was just wondering if astrology was leaning towards a more favorable outcome to such an agreement or against it?
A. First, astrology is not a homogenous whole that favors one outcome or another. Astrology is made up of many individual astrologers who often have diametrically opposing views.Now in my opinion, this deal will go forward. Using the Scorpio Rising horoscope, transiting Uranus is exactly trine the Midheaven while transiting Neptune is exactly trine the Ascendant. If you ask those who favor a different chart for the U.S. you won't find these angular hits, and then you might get a totally different forecast.
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. And for your courage.
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.
NewsScope for April 13, 2015
By Michael Wolfstar
Hillary Clinton Makes it Official
Like Queen Elizabeth, who has Saturn conjunct her Midheaven, Hillary Clinton has Saturn near her Midheaven and placed in the regal sign of Leo. Saturn here confers a natural sense of authority, especially since it’s also closely squaring her Scorpio Ascendant. On Election Day, November 8, 2016, transiting Uranus will trine her Saturn (orb: 0º15’), making her coronation seem inevitable.
Among Democrat and Republican hopefuls alike, Hillary is the candidate to beat. However, as previously described, an abundance of Neptune factors (progressed Sun and Mercury square Neptune; transiting Neptune opposite progressed Mars) makes her vulnerable. Neptune is notoriously associated with scandals, and GOP investigators are already busy looking into secret emails, special favors, and foreign donations. Yet Neptune can have a positive side.
In Hillary’s case, Neptune resonates with her 12th house Sun and its over-arching goal of serving the collective through public service. Also, Neptune rules her 4th house of home and family, and is currently transiting through her 4th house. Neptune here tends to dissolve barriers between family members, so her decision to run is most likely due to a consensus reached with her husband Bill and her daughter Chelsea.
On Sunday when she declared her candidacy, transiting Jupiter had just turned direct, and formed a precise trine to her Part of Fortune located in the 5th house of children. Jupiter is also applying to a trine to Mars, the ruler of her 5th house. A third factor is Hillary’s progressed Ceres – representing the mother-daughter relationship – which is precisely (to-the-minute) sextile natal Uranus. These measurements indicate that Chelsea will be deeply involved in this campaign. Bill, as we know, has been onboard since Hillary wrote her memoir in 2003.
Bill Clinton’s Progressed Venus
Bill helps Hillary connect with voters. Astrologically, this can be seen in the placement of his Juno at 25º Libra. Juno symbolizes his wife, and its tight trine to the U.S. Moon (orb: 0º18’) makes Hillary a more viable candidate. Hillary’s closest link to the U.S. Moon is natal Uranus, which is a full 1/2º degree from a trine to the U.S. Moon.
One of the best possible indicators for success is a progressed Sun-Jupiter conjunction. This is what’s shaping up for Bill over the next several years: his progressed Sun is at 3º Scorpio and his progressed Jupiter is at 6º Scorpio. They will be conjunct in late 2019. Even more auspicious is that this combination is trine his Midheaven, an ideal combination for winning a national election.
Progressed Venus is a major factor in Bill’s horoscope because it rules his Libra Ascendant; it’s the ruler of his chart. On March 19, 2016, Bill’s progressed Venus turns retrograde, marking a major change in his life path. Since he has Saturn at 2º Leo, his progressed Venus is and will be in a prolonged trine to natal Saturn, a tremendously empowering combination.
In addition, Bill’s progressed Ascendant and his progressed Venus are both at 2º Sagittarius; they’re conjunct each other while trine natal Saturn. Three-planet combinations are rare and telling, and this one is a success story in the making. Of course, Bill’s chart has several significant challenges shaping up. Among them is the scandal-prone Neptune factor: transiting Neptune will be in a lengthy quincunx to his natal Mercury from this coming September through January 2016.
Coincidentally, just as Hillary announces her candidacy, Elle magazine’s April issue appears featuring an exclusive cover story on Chelsea Clinton. The editor gushes: “There is something innately regal about Chelsea – a kind of grace that doesn’t seem practiced or trotted out for public consumption. She … has a fierceness of conviction, and a calling to make the world a better place.”
Throughout the campaign season, transiting Neptune will be conjunct Chelsea’s Pisces Sun and quincunx her Leo Moon, which in its best sense, depicts the grace and regal glow of this American princess. As in her mother’s horoscope, transiting Neptune is in Chelsea’s 4th house. In the Elle interview, she talks passionately about motherhood and her famous parents. Neptune here has brought a strong sense of idealism around family values.
Chelsea’s chart has numerous tight connections to the U.S. horoscope, but the one that touches voters most directly is her natal Uranus, which squares the U.S. Moon. Hillary’s closest planetary link to the U.S. Moon is also Uranus, but hers is a trine, which contains a much less radical agenda. In Chelsea’s case, her Uranus squaring the U.S. Moon makes her an outspoken advocate for women’s rights.
Chelsea Clinton’s Progressed Mars
By secondary progression, Chelsea’s Mars is retrograde and at 25º Leo where it forms a tight square to her natal Uranus, activating it in a big way. Her progressed Mars is currently moving very slowly, and will turn direct in April 2018 while in her 10th house. From this measurement alone, we can expect that Chelsea’s public standing is reaching a turning point, and one that will cast her in a much more prominent national role over the next few years.
Curiously, just as Chelsea is stepping out (progressed Mars, co-ruler of her chart, turning direct), her father will begin retreating (progressed Venus, the ruler of his chart, turning retrograde). The torch of this political family is being passed to the next generation.
