"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!"
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NewsScope has been published continually since 1997. Links to NewsScope articles from September 2015 through December 2020 can be found in the Menu. Back copies dating from 2009 through 2015 are at
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Recent NewsScopes
Jan. 6, 2020 - Iranian general Qasam Suleimani; Pluto and Global Warming; the U.S. Pluto Return
re: 20-year cycle - Thank you for your insightful NewsScope column. I am not aware of anything else quite like it. Regarding the 20-year American Presidential cycle, I noticed that George W. Bush, elected in 2000, did not die in office. However, during a critical astrological time period of this administration, when I expected the pattern to play out, former President Reagan passed away instead. Sort of a deferred prophecy. Keep up the good work!
re: Trump – You wrote "...the bottom line is that Trump’s days in office are coming to a close just before or, more likely, soon after this Solar Eclipse." This would make Trump's running mate President. Does Pence's chart reflect that? Or will another rabbit be pulled out of the hat? As always, thanks for sharing your passion and gift for interpretations.
re: crash - It has been a previlage to visit every Monday Morning early in the hours every week and has been nothing but an educational experience to read and read to digest what you write; I have to say at my old age your blog and your writings are GOD SENT and exceptionally great to read and learn from.
With that said, as every where now a days you read this coming Capricon stellium of outer planets that is going to happen in 2020 and it is going to crash financial markets and going into recession due to Saturn combining with Jupiter and so on; I realize that we are in the Biggest Bubble created by central banks around the world and it will burst some time. Will you please kindly write on this if and whenever you have to time to do it to see what is your take on economy and financial markets.
re: gender - Apart from whether or not the VP's inclinations extend beyond the normative male-female monogamy, are there astrological signals that may indicate different sexual or gender tendencies in any one particular chart? And with the prominence now of not only homosexuality but also all forms of gender non-conformity and fluidity, as well as transgender, coming to the fore, what are the broader astrological themes that show this cultural/generational change?
And does this tie into the #metoo movement, which calls down the male power privilege with respect to sexual exploitation?
re: astrology - It’s fascinating that astrology, something our present civilization views as fundamental to an individual’s character, is ignored by deeper analysis. Love your column. It’s my first thing to read on Mondays.
re: NewsScope - As always with many many many thanks for your kindness and keeping us interested in Astrology and writings.
re: Pluto Return - Thanks for all you write. Ever since you said Hillary would not be President (in spite of my most fervent wishes and all those polls saying she was ahead) I totally trust your political assessments. Your column on the Pluto return is sobering to be sure. But there is another strain of conservatism that might need to be recognized. That of the government institutions, and the press, which are still doing their jobs, for the most part. One thing for sure, the American Empire (not that I really love that term) is going into eclipse, if not by being outstripped by the likes of China, India, or Europe, but because we haven't gotten our own house in order, and have let our worst characteristics run amok.
re: Bitcoin - There seem to be multiple charts for "Bitcoin". Bitcoin has been around long enough now to see a pattern in its valuation: dramatic price drops of 70%, followed by dramatic price increases, followed by drops, etc. Is there a Bitcoin chart that fits this valuation pattern? Is Bitcoin set to become the first international non-state medium of exchange? Thanks for your interesting site.
A. I have written about bitcoin's chart in the distant past (see bitcoin), but it's certainly worth another look.
re: Trump - Your piece on Uranus transits to the US ascendant: It does point to radical change but not a great sign if you were the one currently in power, yes? And does Trump's chart ever show signs of incarceration? He'll likely skate any federal charges, but it seems NY jails are ready and open for his business...
re: Trump - Doesn't transiting North Node conjunct Trump's natal Sun in 2020 weigh heavily in favor of his re-election?
A. It certainly helps, as does transiting Saturn, Pluto, and Jupiter trine his MC. Note that by definition, the Lunar Nodes are aligned with the eclipsed planet. However, many other factors should be considered, especially how his opponent's chart looks. Basing any forecast or prediction on one indicator is a sure way to miss the boat. Favorable transits can be totally over-ruled by hard progressions, for example.
re: Trump - Anticipating Trump's visit to the UK, Theresa May's people were warned not to schedule meetings lasting longer than 30 minutes "because of problems with his concentration span.’. Officials were told that, when a meeting exceeds that time limit, Trump just just checks out and 'starts doodling’. There's also been a lot of speculation about his drug use--- Aderall in particular. In addition, hundreds of mental health professionals expressed their concerns, issuing an analysis and a warning to all of us. Plus, his increasingly bizarre behavior indicates major problems.
Would you please consider looking into Trump's mental health?
re: 2020 - I read with some real concern your probably correct analysis that the US 2020 election will be under very real stress from continued [Russian] sabotage. Unhappily, what you also need to consider is that Bernie Sanders’ “independent Democrat” candidacy and generous fund-raising may also be part of that sabotage plan. Sanders candidacy is a classic diversionary tactic to peel off and divide the more liberal voters away from the larger Democratic candidate. Whatever his own motives – and I am not questioning these by any means – his “further left” views make him an ideal candidate for generous funding from black sources and even covertly from the Republican party itself. The Repubs will never attack Sanders; just watch.
NewsScope for January 13, 2020
by Michael O’Reilly
Iran’s Horoscope Under Stress
A few readers have requested an update on Iran’s national horoscope. Of the several charts offered for the 1979 religious revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini’s April 1 radio announcement proclaiming the governmental structure works best. It’s set for 3:00 pm in Tehran, and further notes and commentary can be found here.
Last May, I wrote about the escalating, explosive tension after Trump broke off from the multi-nation nuclear accord that Iran signed. “Iran’s progressed Sun is at 20º Taurus, nearly exactly opposite natal Uranus. This alignment is creating tremendous domestic anxiety and, potentially, an explosive confrontation. Meanwhile, transiting Uranus is ominously heading toward Iran’s Chiron and Midheaven.”
Those measurements are still in play now, plus many more that activate the underlying stressful natal and progressed placements. The most obvious is the current Saturn-Pluto conjunction at 22º Capricorn. This epic nationalistic, authoritarian combination activates Iran’s natal Uranus at 20º Scorpio, its Neptune at 20º Sagittarius, as well as Black Moon Lilith near the Ascendant at 19º Leo.
In addition, Iran’s progressed Sun is at 20º Taurus, while its progressed Midheaven is at 20º Gemini, with these two opposing natal Uranus and Neptune. That’s a very tight seven-planet configuration involving Iran’s religious (Neptune), revolutionary (Uranus) leadership (progressed Sun) and its international status (progressed Midheaven).
There’s more. This Big Picture can be fine-tuned. In a national chart, generals and military affairs are associated with Mars. Iran’s Mars is at 25º Pisces where it conjoins Mercury and squares Neptune. The Pisces-Neptune combination is a doubled influence that indicates the religious or spiritual message that the Revolutionary Guard is forcefully advancing in the Middle East.
The Pentagon, on Trump’s orders, assassinated General Suleimani on January 3 when transiting Black Moon Lilith was right on Iran’s Mercury-Mars. The current high anxiety about Iran’s next move, or Trump’s next move can be seen in transiting Uranus’s passage. Uranus brings unexpected, surprising, even shocking developments. It’s now turning direct while conjunct Iran’s progressed Mercury at 2º Taurus. This is enough to make anyone jumpy, trigger-happy, and accident prone. And it’s behind the downing of a Ukrainian passenger flight last Wednesday that killed all 176 onboard.
Looking forward, transiting Uranus is heading to Iran’s Chiron and Midheaven, which undoubtedly spells more anxiety and potential trouble. More importantly, its progressed Mars is now at 27º Aries where it squares the U.S. Pluto at 27º Capricorn. This can be seen as Iran’s military challenging the U.S. powerhouse. This connection will be exact in September, at a time when Trump may decide to enhance his election prospects by further provoking Iran.
The U.S. Pluto Return
(This is the continued story from my feature article in this month’s Dell Horoscope magazine.)
Exploring the nature of the U.S. Pluto Return begins with understanding its meaning in the national horoscope. Although the exact birth time of the Declaration of Independence is unknown and much discussed, everyone agrees that Pluto was at 27º Capricorn at the time, that the Sun in Cancer was squaring Saturn in Libra, and that the Moon was in Aquarius. Much can be discerned about the American national psyche and system of government just from these four placements.
Pluto in Capricorn is about the accumulation of institutional, financial, and political power. The U.S. has historically been shaped by powerful individuals and institutions. And with the Sun in Cancer, family dynasties have been and continue to play central roles in shaping the social and geopolitical landscape. The Moon in egalitarian Aquarius acts as a counter-point to the tendency for the elites to have all the control. Popular opinion and regularly scheduled elections ensure that no unwanted politician stays in office.
Saturn in Libra squaring the Sun in Cancer may refer psychologically to the Oedipal Complex that influences the American psyche. It began when the thirteen colonies collectively realized that they’d be better off ruling themselves than being ruled by a distant and uncaring father-figure, King George III. The Sun-Saturn dynamic is about finding one’s own path in life, making one’s own way outside of the father’s domineering or, conversely, absent influence.
Undoubtedly, many Americans can claim that their success was based on this Freudian pattern. It’s another way of describing the American Dream, that no matter what harsh experiences you were born under, through hard work you have the opportunity to find success.
Saturn in Libra, the sign of balance, re-created a system of governance based on the balance of power. The framers of the Constitution installed three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. If any one of these branches became too dominant, one or the other branch had the power to intercede and restore balance.
Pluto naturally is motivated by an interest in power, and may work against the ideal of balanced power. Historically, the U.S. has reached its greatest achievements by harnessing power for the sake of the collective, and this is when Pluto is operating at its highest, most efficient level. During the Pluto Return, the tendency for the most powerful elements of society to want and get more power is in play. They can do so if the stated goals benefit the collective. The Manhattan Project, the building of Hoover Dam, and the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon are good examples.
