Category Archives: forecasting

When to Act? And How?

Astrologers are often called upon to advise on the coming planetary weather. When important life events are on the horizon, it’s helpful to know what to expect in the coming months and years. Clients will take our advice when they can. But we often see examples of people who, without the benefit of astrology, acted unwisely.

A neighbor had a dispute with his landlord. I happen to know his birthday. He has a lease, but rather stubbornly resisted any compromises offered. His progressed Sun was just past sextiling natal Uranus. In January, transiting Jupiter trined his Saturn. Then in March, Saturn sextiled his Uranus. These would’ve been good times to settle with the manager, as the Sun’s aspect might bring an innovative solution, Jupiter’s transit could stabilize legal issues, and Saturn’s bring about some change. We should always try to take advantage of helpful influences that the Universe provides for us!

In addition, though, the progressed Sun and Mercury will go on to approach a square to Neptune, creating a T-square with natal Venus opposite Neptune. And the neighbor also had Neptune squaring Neptune during this period, a long-term transit. He did seem to have illusions about the future of the relationship and what he could hope to achieve. An astrologer would advise clients not to hold out for something unrealistic. Though admittedly with Neptune, people find it hard to know what is unrealistic.

The months went on, with the landlord making concessions in hopes of avoiding a court case. The neighbor refused to budge. In April, Uranus squared his Sun and Jupiter squared both his Mercury, then Saturn. The Jupiter aspects might make one feel that they have “the law” on their side, but they add challenges to resolve any issues. And certainly with Uranus squaring the Sun, the situation might radically change. It did.

The landlord finally offered a deadline, which was missed. He then called a lawyer, and the neighbor will now have to take the time and trouble to go to court to resolve the matter. Neptune will exactly square the tenant’s Venus in July, and the hard transits from Jupiter repeat in September: things may not be resolved for some time. Jupiter will trine the neighbor’s Sun in November, when Saturn also sextiles his Uranus again. So things may ultimately be resolved to his satisfaction (five months away).

Evangeline Adams called working with the planets “intelligent non-resistance.” You can’t control everything. I’m a very Saturnine person who asks, why make things difficult? Life is hard enough. But without the help of astrology, many people can’t know when it’s best to be stubborn or when to take advantage of an offer or opportunity.

How to Handle Transits?

The transiting planets bring us situations that often seem to be coming from the outside world. With the heavier planets, we may feel pushed into situations where we must make important decisions – how do we respond?

A century ago, astrologer Evangeline Adams typically advised taking a back seat and waiting for difficult influences to pass. Under a Saturn transit, for example, she felt a person would not be as congenial or magnetic as she ordinarily might be. Things will not go her way. Adams told an anecdote of a husband under difficult influences, whose wife was becoming romantically interested in a young employee of his. She counseled him not to force the issue. The man invited the employee to his home, even leaving him alone with his wife. As she got to know the young man better, the woman realized she may have made a horrible mistake had her husband not been so patient and understanding.

So the advice is to wait things out. My mother, who studied and practiced in the 1970s, would have suggested the same thing. She was always cautious, advising that no one make any kind of important change during difficult planetary weather. When conditions clear up, you will see things more plainly.

Today, I think things have changed somewhat. Divorce is more common and people often admit the limitations of their relationships. And many also believe in limitless free will and the ability to personally change things.

With outer planet transits, though, sometimes we may have few choices about how to proceed. Heavy Uranus transits, for example, can bring sweeping changes that leave few options available. And it’s a regular occurrence to find career limitations on a transit of Saturn to your Sun.

We should do what we can to get through challenging periods. Astrology is not the best at forecasting outcomes, but is better able to describe the type of situation to expect and the timing and length of an influence. In addressing any transit, we also need to keep the birth chart in mind. For some, a transiting planet will bring great change; for another a passing development. These considerations will help put things in perspective.

Fertility Astrology

Astrologers can expect questions about conception and pregnancy from time to time. I’ve always been fascinated by this topic as the outcomes so often highlight the fine line between fate and free will, though helping clients facing heartbreaking infertility issues can be a challenge.

Nicola Smuts-Allsop, an astrologer from South Africa, has focused her practice on this area and shares her work with us in Fertility Astrology: A Modern Medieval Textbook. The subtitle is apt, as Nicola utilizes her own combination of both ancient and contemporary techniques for predictive and electional matters, along with mythology and psychology, to work with western medical fertility interventions such as in vitro fertilization.

Smuts-Allsop is an earnest and thorough astrologer, and she has developed a wide and unusual array of techniques to help her clients conceive. These include identifying an Almutem of Pregnancy as well as its triplicity rulers, which she assigns to the three phases of a woman’s reproductive life. Fertility myths can help in counseling. Fixed star parans may actually indicate different places in the world that can be more fertile. Profections, Solar Arcs, Solar Returns and transits will identify a person’s most fertile times. Ebertin’s mid-points help determine both medical issues and timing.

With first-rate research, the book is densely packed with information, and Nicola shares her background and sources. She has chosen not to make this a “cookbook,” but rest assured that the final third of the book includes an overview of her techniques, fertility signatures and a glossary.

This is a sophisticated book for practicing astrologers with a particular interest in astrological fertility. I’ve read about and studied most of the methods presented, but even so, this engrossing work is one that demands much attention from the reader. Fertility Astrology includes in-depth analyses of five would-be parents’ horoscopes and four shorter ones, most of whom eventually conceived. You’re sure to pick up a new technique (or several) to help your clients.

Buy at Amazon.com: Fertility Astrology: A Modern Medieval Textbook

Fertility Doctor Lawsuit

Dr. Gerald Mortimer, an ob/gyn and fertility doctor, was sued on 3/30/18 by a family accusing him of using his own sperm, rather than that of an anonymous young donor. His biological daughter discovered the connection through DNA testing; the doctor must have subscribed to the same service. More revelations from the transit of Jupiter in Scorpio.

Mortimer’s Sun in Cancer squares Neptune, a challenging aspect. A positive outlet would be through supporting others in a helping profession. Yet he also grossly deceived the family. He is being sued for fraud.

Jupiter is exalted in the sign of Cancer, and may indicate success with education, home and family matters. Exaltation can magnify a planet’s strength, and Jupiter may go too far. Neptune closely sextile Jupiter also suggests great expansion; my guess is that more patients were involved.

The doctor’s Jupiter conjoins Pluto, the planet most associated with reproduction. Pluto in the sign of Leo adds the potential elements of arrogance and willfulness to Jupiter’s influence. In addition, Pluto is placed Out of Bounds in declination. While Pluto was OOB, on and off, for around 15 years, it also closely parallels the Sun in Cancer in Mortimer’s chart, another challenging Sun to outer-planet combination. Pluto may also be involved in healing, but its darker side can include control and manipulation.

In animal husbandry, Mars is important for insemination. The doctor’s Mars is strong in its ruling sign of Aries. In trine to Venus in Leo, it gave him an easy rapport with his female patients and facilitated his actions.

While we don’t have a time of birth for Gerald Mortimer, transiting Uranus was approaching a square to natal Jupiter at the time the lawsuit was filed, making for a startling discovery. It may also have been conjoining the doctor’s Moon in Aries. Pluto, which can eventually reveal what it once concealed, was stationing in square to the doctor’s Mars. The progressed Sun is approaching a square to his Saturn, planet of authority and parenthood. These themes are reiterated in transiting Saturn’s station opposite the doctor’s Sun. Saturn will exactly oppose his Sun again in July and October of 2018. The lawsuit will likely move forward to its inevitable conclusion.

Mortimer’s birthdate is listed in numerous public records on Ancestry.com. I’m confident of the date as several listings include “Dr.” with his name.

More on the story from CNN.

New York City: Mars Out of Bounds

New York City commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 1993 World Trade Center bombings on February 26. Mars, the planet we most associate with weapons and violent crime, was accentuated: it was both rising and Out of Bounds in declination at that time. Six people were killed and over 1,000 injured as a rental van exploded in an underground parking garage.

When planets are Out of Bounds, they fall outside the Sun’s path and may present situations above and beyond the norm. Mars goes Out of Bounds in declination about once a year, often for a month or more at a time. This usually happens when it’s in the equinoctial signs of Cancer and Capricorn or their adjoining signs of Gemini and Sagittarius.

Mars was in Cancer and OOB (26 N 26 in declination) for the 1993 bombing. The 9/11/2001 airplane attacks also had Mars OOB (26 S 47), this time placed in the sign of Capricorn. New York City has its natal Mars in late Sagittarius, also OOB at 24 S 03, though not as far from the ecliptic edge of 23 N/S 26.

Another downtown Manhattan terrorist attack, the Wall Street bomb of 9/16/1920 (12:01 PM) also had Mars rising (in Sagittarius this time) but just a day shy of being OOB in declination (about to step outside the ecliptic).

Evangeline Adams talked about late degrees of Cancer being common to fires in New York City in the late 19th century. She noted that the great Windsor Hotel fire of 1899, which killed over 60 people, had Mars at 21 Cancer 22. At the time of the fire, the Moon and Mars were both OOB (at 24 N 11 and 24 N 49 respectively).

These are unusual coincidences, but many things are ruled by an OOB Mars. In the horoscope of New York City, Mars OOB in Sagittarius in the 3rd house may also represent transit, traffic, pedestrians, accidents, languages, education, trade and candid speech. Much more research is needed to establish how often Mars coincides with notable violence and destruction in New York.

The terrorist attack on February 26, 1993 occurred at 12:18 PM according to numerous news stories.

For more on the 1993 and 2001 charts, see Michelle Young’s analysis.

The Twin Towers attacks chart is here.

I also looked at the New York City chart in an earlier post.

Evangeline Adams Update

Half a Saturn cycle after my 2002 biography of Evangeline Adams, I’m updating it. And with many collections now online, I’m finding a lot of new information.

I’d never been able to find proprietor Warren F. Leland’s report of Evangeline’s accurate 1899 forecast of disaster for the Windsor Hotel. But now I’ve discovered an article in which he advises a reporter what Adams told him in advance.

I wasn’t sure about Evangeline’s maternal grandfather. But with several of her distant relations posting Family Trees online, I’ve now definitely identified him. He was a machinist with nine children and a suicide! This says something significant about Adams’ mother and grandmother, as they were obviously survivors. Evangeline was, too.

In her autobiography, Evangeline Adams talks about her engagement to her employer, a Mr. Lord. The relationship was facilitated by her aunt. I’d searched for Mr. Lord years ago but with no first name it was difficult to go further. I’ve now found him in newspaper databases through the company name that Adams provided. And it turns out that Luther S. Lord was thirty years older than Evangeline Adams. It was more common in the 19th century for women to marry much older men. But thank goodness she didn’t! She was only eighteen or nineteen at the time.

I’m excited to search for more about other people and events in Evangeline’s life in the coming months and expect to share these in the update of Foreseeing the Future: Evangeline Adams and Astrology in America.

My Most Important Birth Twin

One of the first guys I dated as a teen had the same birthday as my sister.  What are the odds?  Their personalities were similar but their lives couldn’t have been more different.  And he ended up, in an odd way, leading me to astrology. 

They both had the Sun in Aries square Jupiter, along with Mercury, Venus and the Moon in Pisces trine Neptune.  The guy seemed to be much more impulsive than my sister, who has an angular Saturn.  He had an untamed spirit, and despite coming from a nice family, he dropped out of school at 16.  My sister went on to finish college.

Years later, when the two were experiencing their Saturn returns, my sister was working full-time while completing a Master’s degree.  My former flame was married and his wife was eight months pregnant.  One night he sat in a bar with friends (remember all the Pisces and Neptune) and said, “I’m so depressed I feel like putting a bullet in my head.”  And he did.

The story is so disturbing and dramatic that it’s a shame I’ve never had his birth time.  I’ve wondered if he had Pluto rising, which would put his Aries Sun in the 8th house squaring Jupiter in the 5th.  The Sun’s ruler, Mars, would be widely opposite Uranus in his 12th house, relating to unconscious impulses.  (True to the Martian archetype, my sister went on to a career requiring a firearm, but she always used it with care. )

Though my sister has remained consistent in my life, at 15, my relationship, predictably, hadn’t lasted long.  I had transiting Uranus squaring my Sun, showing excitement and spontaneity, but also the short-term nature of our connection.  Transiting Saturn opposed my Saturn then, too.  And I was upset.  My mom had already been studying astrology for a number of years, and brought out one of her cookbooks, turning to the page for Uranus squaring the Sun.  The description so exactly described my situation that despite being a skeptic before, I was now completely fascinated.  Uranus awakened astrology for me through a person who didn’t remain in my life.  And Saturn put me on a path that would remain constant long after many relationships had run their natural course.

Eclipse Weddings

We’re all looking forward to August’s eclipses, so I posted an article I wrote on Eclipse Weddings.

Prince Charles and Paul McCartney both had two marriages near eclipses! I also consider J.K. Rowling, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger and some regular folks’ weddings near eclipses.

This piece was originally published in the Spring 2016 NY NCGR’s Ingress newsletter. Thanks to Tracy Allen and the NY NCGR for including it.

Donald Trump, Jr.

Capricorn Donald Trump, Jr. is busy with his father’s business, but has admitted he met with a Russian lawyer during the campaign to scope out dirt on Hillary Clinton. The New York Times says he’s already changed his story. With Mercury conjoining Neptune in his birth chart, are we getting the truth?

Trump, Jr.’s Mercury-Neptune mirrors his father’s Mercury square Neptune. Donald Jr.’s Mercury is further emphasized by being at its station – moving from retrograde to direct, and also falls right on his father’s Sun-Node-Moon opposition (Sr.’s natal eclipse).

Transiting Saturn will station right on Donald Jr.’s Mercury in August as it also conjoins his father’s Moon at the same time. They share any transits to this point and some of the experiences that Saturn is bringing up. There may be substance to this story and we should hear more over the next few months.

Transiting Jupiter in Libra conjoins Jr.’s Pluto this month, suggesting that the truth will come out. But Jupiter will also sextile Mercury by the end of August, and go on to trine his Jupiter and sextile his Saturn and Venus in the fall. These are favorable aspects that should facilitate things for him.

We have no birth time for Donald, Jr. Transiting Neptune may be opposing his Moon, further confusing the situation. Transiting Pluto might also be trining his Moon, which could help him, through powerful family members, avoid any culpability. Pluto, when it trines his Moon, should dredge up his family’s past in many ways. Without a birth time, though, it’s difficult to tell which influence will predominate this year.