Category Archives: forecasting

Scalia and Saturn

Justice Antonin Scalia served on the Supreme Court for 29 years – the magic Saturn cycle number. So Saturn must have played a significant part in his experience. And he was a very Saturn character.

Saturn is known for its conservatism, and Scalia presented the conservative viewpoint in his decisions as well as in his life. He remained a staunch opponent of both abortion and gay marriage, and solidified individuals’ rights to own guns. Saturn typically protects the status quo and is not an innovator. Scalia took a historical view of what the Constitution meant when it was written, rather than seeing it as a living document, since Saturn rules both history and endurance.

And talk about job security – something every Saturn person wants. How many jobs have a lifetime guarantee? Scalia found one.

When we look at Justice Scalia’s horoscope, it’s no surprise to see he was born with Saturn conjunct his Sun. He respected authority and became an authority himself. (Of course there was much more to the man and his horoscope, though Saturn is a strong factor.)

Scalia was appointed by Ronald Regan and affirmed by the Senate on September 17, 1986. Saturn was at 5 Sagittarius and had recently stationed in trine to his Leo Midheaven, while Uranus, also in Sagittarius, was near the midpoint of a square to his Sun conjunct Saturn. When he died on February 13, 2016, just a month shy of his 80th birthday, transiting Saturn was again in Sagittarius and squared his Saturn.

Justice Antonin Scalia was born on March 11, 1936 at 8:55 pm in Trenton, New Jersey, according to his birth certificate and Astrodatabank.

The Second Saturn Return

As a strong Saturn person who became a professional astrologer on my first Saturn return, I’m always interested in the Saturn cycle. Al H. Morrison felt that the second Saturn return was quite significant. (He, too, had an important Saturn, with Saturn conjunct his Sun straddling the fourth house cusp.) Al saw the second Saturn return as further consolidating the career or life direction. The return at ages 58-59 has a Janus-like effect. With the perspective of time, you easily look back at your life history, seeing what you’ve experienced and accomplished. In harsh Saturnine terms, time has passed and we won’t be getting it back. What do you want that you haven’t had the opportunity to do? What have you done that you’d like to continue?

At the borderline of 60, we also more easily look ahead. How many years might we continue to be active? And what can be accomplished in that time? This hard look at reality makes us more focused, according to Al, which is a natural Saturn function. We no longer have time for things that aren’t important as we become more aware of the limitations of our time.

Here’s an example: A good friend experienced her second Saturn return last year. She’d been a writer for over 30 years though she earned more through teaching. But all her hard work in the previous cycle bore fruit at the return as she began finding better writing opportunities, and she left a regular teaching job as a result. Shortly after the return was past, she found what she once would have considered an ideal teaching position; but she ended up not applying for the job — it would interfere with her writing opportunities.

These career transitions can be typical of the Saturn return. We realize that we can’t do everything. And our changing opportunities and circumstances may lead us in different and even more rewarding directions.

Al H. Morrison was born on July 8, 1916 at 12:17 AM in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

For more from Al, see my book, The Best of Al H. Morrison.
Buy from Amazon.com: The Best of Al H. Morrison

Jupiter square Jupiter

I recently had transiting Jupiter square my natal Jupiter. This can be a time to stretch our boundaries and explore new vistas. During the transit, I had an odd dream that seemed to resonate with this symbolism.

I was leaving a high-rise building in Manhattan with my husband. The elevator arrived but it wasn’t clear if it was going up or down. I took a chance and got in: if it went up, it would be a short ride before it returned. My husband waited.

Once in the elevator, it was obvious that the ceiling was too low – I had to sit on the floor. Meanwhile, a technician was cleaning some mechanical parts in the other side of the cab, and I worried that something might be wrong. We did in fact go up and returned back down, when my husband got on and we got to the ground floor without any problems.

Obviously, I’d taken a risk in the dream, which is Jupiterian thing to do. I’d assumed my actions would simplify things, taking a “shortcut” in a way, but I’d made myself uncomfortable and perhaps wasted time. Still, the trade-off was experience, as it was not exactly what I expected and I had a minor adventure.

An elevator going up may symbolize a rise in consciousness, which Jupiter does, too. I expanded beyond my boundaries, but it wasn’t comfortable – which might be in keeping with the square aspect. Maybe the elevator car also represented the current limitations of my life that I needed to exceed. Though I did feel better returning to earth with my husband!

The physical act of travel is very common when we have Jupiter transits, and for me, this was metaphoric rather than real. Some of the key words for Jupiter are expansion, raising status (in this case, figuratively) and speculation. All seem appropriate.

Forecasting Political Elections

We’re revving up for the U.S. Presidential race, though Election Day is over a year away – much too soon to make an astrological prediction. I’ve correctly forecast the outcomes of the last six presidential elections. Here’s what worked for me:

1. Wait for the final roster of candidates. Initial candidates can have life-changing aspects which may end up having little to do with the presidency.

2. Use every tool at your disposal. This takes time (another reason to wait for the final candidates!). I use nomination charts, transits, solar returns, progressed declination and solar arcs, as well as comparisons with the U.S. chart. I also try to look at the Vice Presidential candidates and the potential first ladies, too. Despite many excellent aspects in 2012, transiting Neptune squared Mitt Romney’s Ascendant; we might say he never truly caught fire. But V.P. candidate Paul Ryan also had Neptune opposing his Ascendant, emphasizing the possibility of loss for both men.

3. Don’t be too influenced by a single technique. Hillary Clinton’s progressed Moon was Out of Bounds in declination for the 2008 presidential election, giving her a very high profile. If we used that technique alone, we might erroneously conclude she’d win. Still, it was a break-out time for her: she garnered tremendous support and was soon appointed Secretary of State. Obama’s nomination chart that year had a Void of Course Moon. One needed to overlook the typical “nothing will come of it” interpretation (he’d been a de facto candidate well before his nomination).

4. Be aware of bias. Astrologers in the U.S. lean liberal, and seem to forecast more Democratic success. Understand your own bias and consciously take a step back.

5. Don’t be swayed by the media. We have to consider what commentators say. But stick to the astrology. The close, hotly contentious 2000 Bush-Gore presidential race needed a Supreme Court decision to resolve, though it was much more obvious astrologically that Bush would win.

6. Learn to weigh ambiguities. Evangeline Adams appeared to use transits of Saturn in her election forecasts, since Saturn can figure importantly in changes of status, position and fortune. But does Saturn point toward a low showing at the polls or accepting the weight of office? It can be challenging to sort through the range of interpretations, but only in-depth research and reasoned judgment will help.

After six correct forecasts, I worry about breaking my run of hits. So every four years I end up spending even more time with the analysis – it’s become a bit of an obligation to prove myself. But given a good skill set and enough time and attention, I believe that any astrologer can do it. After all, we have the same 50-50 chance of calling the outcome correctly that the commentators do!

Uranus in Gemini and the U.S.

Evangeline Adams was one of the few astrologers to forecast WWII astrologically. As early as the 1920s, she said that “the signs point to a war from three different angles: for religious, racial and political reasons, in 1942, 1943 and 1944.” For her forecast, Adams used a cycle of Uranus in the sign of Gemini that Luke D. Broughton had outlined for the U.S. decades earlier.

In his book, URANU.S.A, astrologer Nick Dagan Best takes an in-depth look at this same Uranus cycle, building a fractal-like case with a wealth of examples of Uranus stations, ingresses and transits to birth charts and solar returns of key individuals in U.S. history. The book has a fabulous design and clear diagrams on every page to help illuminate the Revolutionary War, Civil War and World War II eras. As good a historian as he is an astrologer, Best has also added irreverent picture captions just for fun. The book is most suitable for intermediate astrologers, but beginners interested in planetary cycles should learn much since all is clear and straightforward. For those interested in forecasting, it is absolutely fascinating. Purchase directly from the author.

Moon Void? Of Course!

Now that Saturn has entered Sagittarius to stay, we have an unusual phenomenon. The heavier planets are all below 20 degrees and even Jupiter and Mars are both in early degrees. What that means is that there’ll be a lot more Void of Course Moons.

The Moon is Void when it leaves its last major aspect before changing signs. With the Sun toward the middle degrees of Libra, it, too, cannot save the Moon from being Void of Course that much for the next week or two. So, for example, we’re left with the Moon being Void for most of Thursday, October 8, 2015, Saturday October 10, Tuesday October 13, Thursday October 15, etc. That’s a lot of void to fill!

Al H. Morrison, who studied the Void Moon quite a bit, felt that decisions and actions could prove fruitless at these times, bearing unexpected consequences. If you force things through, you may regret it, as unintended results are more common. We’re not in charge of the outcome.

On the other hand, Al thought the VOC Moon was good for routine things like chores and entertainment, as well as therapy. He believed the VOC Moon heightened intuition and awareness and could provide inner revelations. Since the Moon rules our moods, emotions and needs, I suppose being Void places the emphasis more on our authentic inner selves than on connecting with the outer world.

I feel we’ll all have a little more “down time” in the coming weeks. It’s almost like enforced astrological relaxation. As Al so succinctly said, “Feed your soul until the time shown for entering the next sign. Then, go back into business!”

There’s more on Al H. Morrison and his thoughts on the Void of Course Moon in my book, The Best of Al H. Morrison.

The Retrograde Diaries — Episode 6

It’s not just you! I admit I can be a little absent-minded. But absent-mindedness doesn’t explain the confusion I experience under Mercury retrograde. We’re in it again from September 18 to October 9, 2015. Here are some recent incidents:

An agency sent me a PDF attachment to print and sign. I did not receive it. They tried three times, and it was not in the usual Spam folder they expected. Lost somewhere in cyberspace! They finally faxed it to me, and it looked so bad I needed to retype the whole form. Neither of us knew what happened. Re-try and re-do are Mercury retrograde keywords, but it’s always a little annoying.

I’d written to the U.S. Immigration Service for my grandmother’s records: I requested a search, they found her file and told me the number. I then paid for the records they’d found. I finally received a form letter from them saying there were no records! A typical Mercury retrograde mix-up. I followed-up with an e-mail and actually got a phone call in return, which I missed. The woman had left me a voice message with her phone number, but her name was garbled. I called back and left a message but have not heard from her since. A woman from the National Archives who’d recently been helpful confirmed that the file did exist and suggested I write a manager.

My e-mail said it was temporarily not recognized by my sister’s server. I sent the note to another address but she got both of them anyway.

On the plus side: I put a $10 bill into the machine to pump up my library card account. It read it as $20! In this Pluto in Capricorn world, dealing with all the bureaucracy has become extremely complicated. I would’ve tried to correct it, but it’s just too much trouble. Not under Mercury retrograde.

I just heard an NPR article on the science of mis-communication! Wonderful timing. Their answer is that we all make unwarranted assumptions. But obviously Mercury retrograde has something to do with it. Be forewarned!

Pope Francis in New York

Pope Francis visits New York City on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Can we evaluate his connection to New York astrologically? Why here and why now? Both a compatibility analysis and the synastry of progressions tell the story.

Conjunctions are the most powerful connections between horoscopes and show shared experiences in life. The Pope’s stellium of the North Node, Sun, Jupiter and Mercury in late Sagittarius and early Capricorn falls right on New York’s Mars, Venus, Sun and IC. His Moon and Venus in Aquarius also closely trine NY’s Ascendant and Jupiter in Libra.

Notable connections exist and Pope Francis is important to many New Yorkers. But what brings him here in September? We can see this in aspects of the two progressed charts. The Pope’s progressed Moon will be at 1 Capricorn on 9/24, closely conjoining NYC’s Mars and Venus and of course his own natal Jupiter since it’s activating both natal stelliums.

New York City’s progressed Moon in Leo falls in the Pope’s 1st house and closely opposes his natal Venus at the time of the visit. We want to spoil and indulge him, flatter him and make a big Leonine fuss. He’ll accept the royal treatment, but since his Venus is in Aquarius, he prefers sharing his humanitarian mission and ideals.

New York City’s progressed Venus in Taurus falls in the Pope’s eleventh house of community interaction and goals. It’s exactly inconjunct his Sun and sextiles Pluto in his 1st house. The City wants to ply him with Taurean food, luxurious surroundings and creature comforts. But Pope Francis’ 6th house Sun in Sagittarius is all about spirituality and service. He may drink our wine, but he won’t be phased by all the pomp and circumstance.

Pope Francis I was born on December 17, 1936 at 9:00 pm in Buenos Aires, Argentina, rated AA on Astrodatabank.

Greater New York was created on January 1, 1898 at 12:01 AM according to news sources.

The Stradivarius and the Nodes

On August 6, 2015, a stolen Stradivarius belonging to concert violinist Roman Totenberg was presented to his family at the U.S. Attorney’s office in NYC. His story shows the importance of the cycles of the Moon’s Nodes.

Roman Totenberg was born on January 1, 1911 in Warsaw Poland according to Wikipedia. He had the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Uranus in Capricorn, all opposed by Neptune in Cancer. This is striking symbolism for someone with a career in classical music, whose expertise demanded both skill and feeling.

Totenberg’s North Node in Taurus closely trined his Venus in Capricorn, bringing up the themes of talent, possessions and value in his life. His prized possession was his Stradivarius, bought in 1943. It was stolen in 1980, a period of 37 years, twice the lunar nodal cycle of 18.6 years.

In 1943, the year Totenberg bought the violin, both the transiting North Node and Jupiter were in Leo, and squared his natal Nodes. When the violin was stolen in May of 1980, the North Node was at 24 Leo, still within orb of squaring his Nodes, and exactly quincunx his natal Uranus in Capricorn. Transiting Pluto in Libra was also within a degree of squaring Totenberg’s Venus and formed a quincunx aspect with his North Node. There was a suspect but not enough evidence to prosecute him.

At the time of the violin’s recovery in June of 1980, transiting Jupiter in Leo was once again in square to Totenberg’s Nodes and quincunx his Venus. The family plans to have the instrument restored and to sell it to a performer, perfect symbolism for transiting Pluto closely approaching Totenberg’s Venus in 2016. By the time Pluto exactly conjoins the violinist’s Venus in early 2017, it will probably have passed to a new owner.

The South Node was in Taurus in 1734, the year the violin had been made by Antonio Stradivari in Italy, giving it lasting value.

The dealer who appraised the violin and alerted the FBI was born on October 10, 1952. His Jupiter is at 19-1/2 Taurus, closely conjunct Totenberg’s North Node and trine his Venus. The man suspected of stealing the violin, Philip S. Johnson, who predeceased Roman Totenberg, was born on January 27, 1953, not long after the dealer. Both men had Pluto at about 22-1/2 Leo, squaring Roman’s Nodes. The transiting North Node was closely conjunct Johnson’s Pluto at the time of the theft.

Wikipedia provides Totenberg’s birth date as well as other key dates in his story.

Candidate Trump’s Horoscope

Donald Trump is at the top of polls among more than a dozen Republican presidential candidates for 2016, despite his divisive comments about illegal immigrants, Senator John McCain’s war record and other issues. With Mars rising in Leo in sextile to his Sun in the 10th house, his arrogance and aggressiveness have gotten him ahead; people also appear to be attracted to his candor.

Jupiter in Leo conjoins Trump’s Mars toward the end of July and conjoins his Ascendant in early August, keeping him center stage and giving him ample opportunity to create drama and attract attention.

Trump also has Mercury in Cancer in his horoscope, closely squaring his Neptune. This makes for someone who thinks emotionally and may misunderstand things. His rhetoric has made him popular on reality TV and his gut instincts have earns him billions. Yet as several of his sponsors have now agreed, his judgment is flawed. But Neptune is a transcendental planet, and its aspects can create a resonance with the mass mind. Transiting Neptune through Trump’s 7th house exactly trines his Mercury in August, so he should continue to be heard by a wide audience.

Donald Trump’s natal Jupiter conjoins his 3rd house cusp and trines his Sun and Uranus, giving him an ease of expression and easy success. But Saturn in his 11th house also squares his Jupiter, limiting the extent to which people will ultimately choose to listen. Saturn traditionally rules his Aquarius 7th house, and Jupiter is the co-ruler since the sign of Pisces makes up most of his 7th. So both 7th house rulers square one another. We have seen this dynamic play out in his personal relationships (he’s been married three times and divorced twice).

But the 7th house also rules public opinion. As transiting Saturn stations in square to Trump’s Ascendant from late July to early August, he will need to adjust his message to the realities of the situation. Saturn will exactly square his Ascendant and 7th house cusp in September, focusing his energies but also limiting his success with spontaneous one-liners. He will have to learn to temper his speech if he wants to stick to his presidential goals.

Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946 at 10:54 AM in Jamaica, Queens, according to his Birth Certificate and rated AA Astrodatabank.