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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!"
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Recent NewsScope Articles
Sept. 28, 2015 - Xi and Obama agree; October's top 5 astro-events; Emissions scandal at Volkswagen.
Oct. 5, 2015 - Bernie Sanders and the Debate; the Oregon shooter; Richard Tarnas and Jupiter.
Oct. 12, 2015 - Paul Ryan, next House speaker? Bernie Sanders rectified; Matt Damon as The Martian.
Oct. 19, 2015 - Syria's proxy wars; verifying Hillary's birth time; Erin Andrews sues.
Oct. 26, 2015 - UN summit on climate change; November's top 5; Adele returns with "25".
Nov. 2, 2015 - Barack Obama's Mars Return, other celebrities' Mars Returns at 22º Virgo, Britney Spears.
Nov. 9, 2015 - Ben Carson under fire, Marco Rubio's tax plan, Supergirl star Melissa Benoist.
Nov. 16, 2015 - European Union in Crisis; Donald Trump's Iowa speech; Emma Thompson
Nov. 23, 2015 - Immigration and Saturn-Neptune; the ISIS horoscope; Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.
Nov. 30, 2015 - The insane violence configuration; Dec.'s top five; the Force Awakens the Millennials.
Dec 7, 2015 - Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik; Mark Zuckerberg's $45 billion donation.
Dec 14, 2015 - The Uranus-Eris cycle; Paul Ryan for president? Frank Sinatra centennial.
Dec 21, 2015 - UN forced into action; Martin Shkreli versus the FBI; Ronday Rousey"s UFC title.
Dec 28, 2015 - Russian economic surges; January's top 5; Daisy Ridley of The Force Awakens.
Jan. 4, 2016 - 2016 begins with Mercury retrograde; Bernie Sanders' celestial assets; Natalie Cole.
Jan.11, 2016 - The Lilith-Uranus-Pluto configuration activated; El Chapo captured; Beatlemania.
Jan. 18, 2016 - Hillary fading; Oil prices and Standard Oil; BML- paradoxical, clandestine.
Jan. 25, 2016 - Mike Bloomberg considers run; February's top five; Mike Brown and Planet 9.
Feb. 1, 2016 - Primaries begin and best astro indicators, progressed Part of Fortune; Eris Awakens.
Feb. 8, 2016 - Marco Rubio's momentum; Brazil's Zika epidemic; Steven Avery - guilty or innocent?
Feb. 15, 2016 - Volatile global stock markets, Bernie Sanders' birth time; Einstein and gravity.
Feb. 22, 2016 - Donald Trump and Mars; March's top 5 astro-events; Tim Cook vs. the FBI.
Feb. 29, 2016 - Marco Rubio, GOP's last hope? The 12th Amendment? AlphaGo v. Lee Sedol.
March 7, 2016 - The death of the GOP? the Saturn- Pluto cycle; Megyn Kelly, Fox moderator.
March 13, 2016 - Trump and Mussolini - the astro-parallels; Nancy Reagan's astrology; Marla Maples.
March 21, 2016 - Trump and the GOP convention; Election Day chaos; Mel- anie Trump, 1st Lady?
March 28, 2016 - Paul Ryan, the GOP nominee? April's top five; Bernie Sanders' celestial blessing.
April 4, 2016 - Ted Cruz aims to stop Trump; Uranus in the U.S. 6th house, Drew Barrymore and Juno.
April 11, 2016 - Panama Papers; Uranus-Eris in the presidential contest; Nyle Dimarco on DWTS.
April 18, 2016 - Hillary rising; Dilma Rousseff under fire; Modigliani - another penniless artist.
April 25, 2016 - Prince ruled by Pluto; May's top five; Shakespeare and the Stars - a paradigm buster.
May 2, 2016 - Lilith inspires Trump; Economic flashback to 1929; Audra McDonald stars in Shuffle Along.
May 9, 2016 - Why Trump, why now? To Brexit or not to Brexit; Taylor Swift - Queen of the Goddesses
May 16, 2016 - Brazil's epochal shifts; Amazon's disruptive technology; Miss Suzie Jones' longevity.
May 23, 2016 - Hillary v. Trump - who will win? the astrology of Flight MS108; Mars in the night sky.
May 30, 2016 - Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, June's top 5 and the Uranus-Eris conjunction.
June 6, 2016 - Hillary's new strategy; pain, fentanyl and Paul Janssen; Muhammad Ali, the Greatest.
June 13, 2016 - Hillary v.s Trump, Part 2; "Dump Trump" fueled by Mars; Christina Grimmie in FL.
June 20, 2016 - Orlando's confluence at 23º, Neptune, the decider? Meryl Streep and Elizabeth Warren.
June 27, 2016 - Brexit and globalization; July's top five; Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish independence.
July 4, 2016 - Bill Clinton - what was he thinking? Nepal's new ally, China; Scarlett Johansson.
July 11, 2016 - Racial tensions intensify; the 2017 Inauguration horoscope; Olivia De Havilland.
July 18, 2016 - Eris as "the Other"; Uranus and Eris de-stabilize Turkey; Trump's VP choice Mike Pence.
July 25, 2016 - Roger Ailes and the Mercury-Eris connection, August's top five; Hillary's VP Tim Kaine.
Aug 1, 2016 - U.S. Merc turns direct; Trump relocated to Moscow; Luke Aikens, skydiver.
Aug 8, 2016 - Trump driven by Merc-Pluto; does Hillary have Virgo Rising? Sumner Redstone clings to life.
Aug 15, 2016 - Can Serena Williams bounce back? Macy's reports, Simone Biles, the best gymnast.
Aug 22, 2016 - candidates pivot simultaneously; Kellyanne Conway; Usain Bolt, the fastest man alive.
Aug 29, 2016 - The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017; Sept's top 5; swimmer Ryan Lochte on DWTS.
NewsScope has been published continually since 1997. Back copies dating from 2009 through 2015 can be found at NewsScope archives.
For NewsScope blogs dating from October 25, 1999 through March 31, 2009, visit StarIQ/NewsScope.
re: Prince - If you haven't thought to do it, can you do a little tribute to Prince for Monday's column? Love him, would love to know more about his chart.
re: U.S. Gemini Rising chart - It would seem that this coming New Moon of June 5th~6th (along with its mid-degrees Mutable Grand Cross) might be telling then, whether or not the 9* Gemini Asc. chart may be the true chart.
A. And how will it do that? Perhaps you could make a forecast that will be unique to Gemini Rising and not apparent in Scorpio Rising or other US charts. If you say what will happen ahead of time, your chart makes sense. After there fact is not persuasive.
For example, I recently forecast workers strikes when T Uranus entered the US 6th house and conjoined Chiron while opposing Juno. The 6th house is associated with work, and Uranus brings strikes. Last week's strike by Verizon workers was the largest in five years. It's a straightforward interpretation using basic astrology principles. And it only works when Scorpio is Rising. Making accurate forecasts says more about a chart than any backward or retro look.
Of course you realize that the Gemini Rising chart was created by renowned astrologer Luke Broughton in 1861 based on the fact that it was a revolution, and the practice of the time was to put the planet associated with revolution on the Ascendant. In 1861, Uranus was known but not in 1776.
re: Tesla - I have been a fan of your blog; read every very Early Monday morning religiously. Would you kindly comment on Tesla motors; it hardly produces a couple of cars but wallstreet treats them like king while Ford, which produces millions of cars, sells for $15/share. why??
re: Mars retrograde - You mention in your March 28th piece that stationary Mars opposes the U.S. Uranus. I would have noted that it is exact to the minute of arc! I consider exactitude to be important in predictive work.
re: Election Day chaos - About placements on Nov 8: you would know but let me repeat. Neptune in its own sign on South node (let go of the past or confusion about past) and North node sign Virgo ruler Mercury at 23 Scorpio, dispositors Mars and Pluto. Mars last degree of Capricorn and Pluto 15 Capricorn connecting to Aries Point.
In my opinion, the real agenda is a new constitution and electoral system. Neptune South Node – can help dissolve attachment to past forms. North node Virgo, get to work on the details of new systems. Centralised power is alright if add in the necessary checks and balances.
re: Trump - I really enjoyed--if that's the right word--the May 2nd issue. The Lilith in Astro*Carto*Graphy for Trump is particularly unsettling. You may want to emphasize in future NewsScopes that in many ways the President's chart becomes the US chart during his/her term of office. Also, thanks for your piece on Audra McDonald, she is a wonderfully talented singer and actor who is far too under appreciated.
re: Clinton - If memory serves, Geo. W. Bush's Saturn was on his 1st house cusp, headed south, when he ran the second time and won. Of course, his second term is memorable for a host of bad reasons. Campaigns are battles. Governing is a war. It's possible Hillary wins the battle but struggles with the war, yes?
A. Could be! Technically, transiting Saturn was in Bush's 12th house during the 2004 election and didn't reach his Ascendant until September 2005. But yes, it was downhill from there.
re: ACG maps - I'm a regular reader of your column, and having a question for you is an opportunity to say "thanks". My question concerns Lilith (whether oscillating or mean) and Astro*Carto*Graphy* maps. I've been consulting astrodienst's A*C*G* map service for years, but I've never seen an option to add bodies beyond the normal range of bodies and the north node, such as asteroids or Lilith. I'd really like to run a map for myself with Lilith (or the Liliths) included; possibly also to include the "big four" Goddess asteroids. What software or service did you use to obtain Donald Trump's Lilith lines?
A. I used the Solar Maps function in SolarFire to generate those maps. You can also get Lilith and the asteroids on ACG maps using Halloran's AstrolDeluxe software.
re: Trump - What software program told you that Lilith is angular on Donald Trump's IC when his chart is relocated to California?
A. My apologies, I made an error on this. What I was looking at was Trump’s progressed A*C*G* map, and on this one the progressed Lilith-IC runs just off the coast of California. I blame Mercury retrograde for this error.
re: Brazil - Sorry, but Nicholas Campion is right! A lot of Brazilian astrologers don´t even know secondary progressions. It´s incredible, but they work only with natal charts and transits! Accuracy, precision, systematization are not the strong points of Brazilian astrologers. They create a lot of fantasies that they call “interpretations”, with no connection with professional practices. And, I don´t guess why, they created a fallacious notion that Brazilian ascendant is in Aquarius! Brazilian mentality and inclinations have nothing to do with Aquarius and all to do with Pisces! This is the carnival paradise! After the carnival, it´s the end of the world, but no problem…Let´s wait for the next year carnival party! Do you follow me? Also, another point, I don´t see any reason to use LMT. Why not BZT +3?
A. Unfortunately, most "astrologers" are not using progressions yet. One doesn't have to be from Brazil to miss out on this valuable technique. To clarify Campion's position, independence was proclained somewhere between 4 and 5 pm LMT. He personally doesn't advocate 4:47 pm but states that many Brazilian astrologers do.
I'm sticking with 4:20 pm. Last week I was researching Petrobras to do a piece on it. President Vargas signed the act that created Petrobras on October 3, 1953 when transiting Pluto was at 24º Leo, precisely opposite the 4:20 pm Aquarius Ascendant. No such connection is evident with the 4:47 pm time.
As for the fantasy-oriented carnival, does not Neptune conjunct Brazil's ruling planet (Uranus) convey this? About LMT, time zones were established in 1884, so any time used before then had no systematic reference point except what the local clocks indicated.
re: Brazil - The progressed Sun+Mars on natal Pluto is a powerful combination never seen before. It seems that a transformation of the Brazil State is coming, or even a military action (due to Mars).
In the 80s there was much discussion about Brazil's Ascendent between astrologers. Through rectification the Aquarius rising became more habitual, though some still prefer the Pisces rising one. The Fixed signs are important when one studies historical events, especially 20º-24º Scorpio. The Discovery of Brazil chart in 1500 and Republic Proclamation in 1889 have important points in those signs and degrees.
Every time Saturn enters Scorpio there's some sort of political crisis in the country. In June 2013 we had massive protests in the streets (something unusual for Brazilians). Since then the country has been in turmoil, and every day the situation just worsens.
Most Brazilian astrologers use a Scorpio MC due to several military coups in Brazil's history and 2 deaths of presidents (one of them killed himself while in office). The most popular times are between 16:08 and 16:20, with Aquarius ascending.
re: Eris - Pertaining to the current Uranus/Eris conjunction, I've been wondering how this would affect me and decided to comment as it may provide insight to others going through a similar transit.
Transiting Uranus and Eris are currently making a conjunction to my natal third house Sun/Mercury conjunction, and squaring my ascendant. (Sun 23º50 Aries, Asc 24º20 Capricorn). I've been wondering how having Eris in the mix would manifest, and haven't been able to find much online to prepare. So far, what's been happening is that I've had to become a very goal-oriented, vocal, warrior advocate for my elderly mother in our broken healthcare system. Lately it seems that I am quite effective at it; it's like something powerful comes over me when I'm fighting for my mother's well-being, and all involved do as I say, and I've stopped caring what they think of me. I wonder if this is Eris' influence.
A. Yes, most astrologers aren't aware of Eris yet as a meaningful archetype since it was only discovered a few years ago. Sounds like you've got a handle on it though, doing what you're doing. It does have that warrior energy. Thank-you for your story.
re: Gary Johnson - Good article on Gary Johnson. I like him. He was Governor here in New Mexico. He did a good, solid job. There was no focus on legalizing drugs then. He only does that in his Presidential bids. He was a Republican back then who ran a successful business.
re: Flight MS804 - It occured to me when the Egyptian plane went down that perhaps it is somehow related to MH370. MH370 remains a mystery and it appears that no one has claimed responsibility for MS804 yet. Is this a long playing serial aviation terrorist?
re: U.S. progressed MC - In the September astro-events, #5 mentions what happened during the last two challenging aspects. So what happened when the progressed MC was conjunct Saturn? or semi-square Saturn?
A. I looked at the conjunction. It was in 1837 and for the first time the Senate had to select the Vice President. It was a major test of the constitution.
re: US progressed Mercury - thanks for the encouraging progressed Mercury station aspecting Juno. I'm more hopeful now that Hillary will win
A. In the U.S. chart Juno and Chiron oppose each other. That means progressed Mercury is also sextile Chiron. The Juno in Libra opposite Chiron in Aries represents the candidates' emphasis on "We're in this together " vs. "I'm the only one who can fix the system." Mercury stations right around the time the debates begin, offering a forum for these polarities to play out.
re: Tim Kaine - I have followed your work for many years and especially appreciate your sharing your views on the political scene. Tim Kaine was Virginia’s lieutenant governor and then governor and I have followed his political career for some time too, as I live in Virginia.
I am delighted that Tim is Hillary’s choice for her running mate. Although I don’t know him personally, I have met him and have heard him speak a few times. He is very much who he appears to be – a really nice guy and an excellent political strategist. You would never know that his Eris is conjunct his Ascendant in Aries!
re: MO v/c - Love your articles, always so insightful. Please keep going! With that said, here's another possible article topic for you to explore: How a moon void affects the nominating process of a political convention.
The moon was void on Tuesday 3:56-8:10pm exactly the time Trump was nominated. When he and Pence formally accept the nomination tomorrow night after 6:56pm PST, the moon will be void again.
I'm seeing this as an encouraging sign for us Hillary supporters/Trump despisers. Your thoughts? Inquiring minds want to know!
A. Trump accepted the nomination at 10:20 pm when the Moon was sextile UR and square Mars... In any case, I don't buy the MO v/c thing for event charts. That's a horary technique... Don't forget that Obama took the Oath of office during a MO v/c and he got Obamacare passed.
re: Hillary's Moon - In your May 23, 2016 issue of NewsScope you wrote: "To win the American people over, a candidate must have a strong connection with the U.S. Moon at 25º Aquarius. Hillary’s Uranus at 25º Gemini fits the bill, as does Trump’s Venus at 25º Cancer. Each of these planets describes where the candidate has exceptional influence over public opinion. For Hillary, Uranus describes her drive for equal rights. Trump’s Venus suggests his vast wealth, his economic plans, and his view on women in general." And "Both candidates have Mars in Leo which, historically, American voters have overwhelmingly favored."
Why no mention that Hillary has her Moon in Pisces? As you know, no U.S. President has had their Moon there. I believe the Election will be a lot stranger than you or any other American astrologer is now thinking.
A. Hillary is well aware of the vulnerability of her Pisces Moon, which is why she didn't open up emotionally during her nomination speech, as so many pundits thought she should to overcome the trust issue. And yes, this is a strange election. If terrorism increases dramatically over the next few months, that will certainly help Trump.
NewsScope for September 5, 2016
By Michael Wolfstar
War and the U.S. Progressed Venus
In recent years, the U.S. has become involved in numerous “low intensity conflicts”, a euphemism for small-scale wars. The need for the world’s dominant superpower to use restraint in its policing actions has kept the U.S. out of a major conflict since Bush (43) invaded Iraq in 2003. However, that seems likely to change next year due to a major war cycle kicking in.
Normally we consider Venus to symbolize diplomacy, peace accords, and living in harmony. However, uniquely in the U.S. Scorpio Rising chart, Venus is associated with a consistent war cycle. In my book Political Astrology (published in 2005), I outlined this war pattern: “When Scorpio is the Rising sign, Taurus is on the seventh house cusp of ‘open enemies’, and Libra is on the twelfth of ‘hidden enemies’.”
This makes Venus the ruler of America's enemies, both open and secret. Since the beginning of the 20th century when Teddy Roosevelt shaped the U.S. military into a global power, the U.S. progressed Venus aspects to natal Pluto have consistently corresponded to major wars. Whenever the U.S. progressed Venus is at 27º of any sign, it aspects the U.S. Pluto.
“Progressed Venus was semi-sextile Pluto on Aug 2, 1917 at the outset of the World War I, conjunct Pluto on Sept 2, 1941 (WWII), semi-sextile Pluto on the other side on March 3, 1966 (Vietnam) and sextile Pluto on March 25, 1991 for the Persian Gulf War. The next major progressed Venus-to-Pluto aspect will be the square, a truly difficult aspect, and this one will be exact in 2017.”
Three Indicators for War in 2017
Last week, we looked at two major astro-events indicating that the U.S. is heading into turbulent times: the U.S. progressed Midheaven opposite natal Saturn, and the Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017. Then, the U.S. progressed Venus squaring natal Pluto on July 11, 2017 suggests that the next major war is on the horizon. Collectively, these three astro-events raise a huge red flag.
Transiting Pluto and the U.S. progressed Mars are additional factors to consider when looking at a timeframe for a potential war scenario. Progressed Mars in the U.S. horoscope has been in the 12th house since the Reagan years, and has brought increases in terrorism, insane mass killings, and secret or “low intensity conflicts”. Major outer planet transits to this progressed Mars (currently at 18º Libra) activate these kinds of headline news events.
The lack of central control of the WWW has led to the proliferation of hackers. During last week’s Solar Eclipse at 9º Virgo, reports emerged that Russian hackers could invade U.S. elections systems and tip the results. The Eclipse opposed Neptune at 10º Pisces and also the WWW’s progressed Midheaven at 9º Pisces. On Election Day, transiting Neptune will be exactly conjunct the WWW’s progressed Midheaven. At the same time, the transiting Uranus-Eris conjunction will be squaring the WWW’s Uranus-Neptune conjunction, creating plenty of opportunity for major disruptions.
A speculative time of 8:20 am is used to place 16º Gemini on the Ascendant – the same degree as Berners-Lee’s Gemini Sun. Mercury becomes this chart’s ruling planet and it’s placed in the pioneering sign of Aries where it squares the epic Uranus-Neptune conjunction. Berner-Lee’s humanitarian idea that the internet shouldn’t come under the control of corporate interests is shown by the elevated Vesta-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius.
However, innovative corporations quickly learned how to take advantage of the WWW, which led to the dot-com boom in the late 1990s. The tech-heavy NASDAQ reached its historic high on March 11, 2000 when transiting Uranus conjoined the WWW’s Midheaven at the same time that the progressed Sun squared the Midheaven. The NASDAQ didn’t hit bottom until October 9, 2002 when transiting Uranus was precisely conjunct natal Vesta and also conjunct the progressed Midheaven.
The WWW and the U.S. Election
Humanity experienced a kind of collective awakening when the internet became widely available in the early 1990s. Astrologically, we associate this momentous evolutionary leap with the Uranus-Neptune conjunction of that era. One might pinpoint the actual date of the birth of the internet. On April 30, 1993 CERN administrators allowed Tim Berners-Lee’s WWW software to be available free of charge to the general public.*
* For the background story, see scientificamerican
Astrologers generally look for three indicators to confirm a forecast. Looking ahead to 2017, we have at least three pointing to a major war. In addition to the progressed Venus war cycle and transiting Pluto squaring the U.S. progressed Mars, transiting Uranus in the 6th house of military service will be squaring the U.S. Pluto in 2017. The conjunction of transiting Uranus and progressed Venus as they both square the U.S. Pluto will take place on June 11, 2017 -- an explosive combination that will likely determine the shape of this war scenario.
Transiting Pluto is entering into a square with the U.S. progressed Mars, with the first exact hit coming on February 1, just after the next president is inaugurated. The second and third occasions of this astro-event will be on July 16, 2017 and December 4, 2017, but because Pluto moves so slowly, we can consider that the potential for extreme violence, terrorism, and major military operations will be in effect through all of 2017.
re: 2017 war - Always enjoy your insights. The recent article on the forecast of war in 2017 is unsettling. Do any of the indicators point to where the conflict will originate, and then [mostly] take place? Is there a safe space to "hide out" during the conflict? And how long will the war last?
A. Sorry, I don't know the answers to any of your questions.
re: 2017 war - As always I'm appreciative of your regular column. This time, against all logic, I hope you are wrong about war in 2017. Let us pray that we all (collectively) have too much sense and practicality to do this.
A. I hope I'm wrong too.
re: 2017 war - Dear Lord, this has really upset me. I've never been to your country but I owe it and its people a lot. One has received so much from the Americans.
re: 2017 war - Speaking of explosive war indicators, were there explosive indicators occuring around December 7th, 1941?
A. Yes, the progressed Venus cycle was in full play at that time, being conjunct not only Pluto but the progressed Ascendant. Also, progressed mars was making a rare octile to the Midheaven. A transiting Saturn-Uranus conjunction in the U.S. 7th house of "open enemies" was squaring the U.S. Moon. Transiting Mars kicked this configuration off by opposing the U.S. Saturn.
