US forecast Feb 23 to Mar 22, 2017

[Jim Eshelman]

USA Mundane Forecast
for the four weeks beginning February 23, 2017

LONG-TERM PATTERNS Map 1 Map 2
For the twelve months beginning January 14, the United States Year chart promotes greater optimism. It might be the best, most interesting year we've had in quite a while. Jupiter is most angular (IC, 0°56'). Uranus is on Midheaven (3°01') opposite Jupiter (1°41'). Sun squares MC (1°14') and Jupiter (2°37').

JUPITER OPPOSITE URANUS brings ideological rebellion - both peaceful and violent forms, as diverse as Woodstock and the storming of the Bastille. We expect a remapping of the larger social contract in a push for widening horizons and expanded opportunities. Proponents of liberal social and political agendas raise their voices, especially in demands for civil rights and social justice.

At its best, it brings collective optimism and a feeling that good changes are afoot. Inventiveness is strong, including new technology and tech vision, futurism, and “good science” that engages popular imagination. "Internet of Things" and virtual / augmented reality become more routine presences in our lives and homes. Medical breakthroughs will accelerate, e.g., there is an excellent chance that the final crack in cancer's defenses will occur this year.

Political and thought leaders show more insight and resourcefulness, more ability to understand and manage vast complexity for tackling scores of problems that sit before the White House and Congress. However, Sun-Jupiter promises plenty of self-serving, elitist "politics as usual" in the mix, motivated by a non-philanthropic tendency of people with money and power wanting more money and power. A shadow expression of Jupiter-Uranus historically has been a rise of radical nationalism, including totalitarian, suppressive elements at odds with the liberal, democratic, social-support wave of Jupiter-Uranus, though it is the drum beat of that wave's foes.

With Jupiter most angular, the year is overall optimistic. Expect victories (e.g., military victories and athletic wins), diplomacy and peace, and heightened prosperity, economic expansion, and a spirit of abundance, celebration, and national pride. With Sun angular, the authority of government - both its desirable contributions and undesirable shadow - is a larger, more persistent presence in the typical American's life. As Sun is well aspected, this will be mostly a beneficent presence.

BRIDGE
February 23-25 is a JUPITER-URANUS-PLUTO Zone. These planets emphasize ideological rebellion and remapping of the larger social contract. They are remodeling, anti-establishment, generally anti-government, and tend to dismantle icons of the current system. Jupiter drives this with ideological passion: Most negative events will arise from religious zealotry, ethnic and cultural divisions, highly divergent political polarization, and other ideology-fuelled anchors; e.g., a push for civil rights vs. forces of bigotry and suppression, with both sides certain they are right.

February 26 to March 3 is a MARS-JUPITER-URANUS-PLUTO Zone, opening with a Mars-Uranus conjunction on Washington's MC on the 26th that signals psychological (and maybe physical) bombshells. Trends of the prior (Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto) Bridge zone grow more aggressive, even violent. Adding fury and force, Mars puts Washington under broad stresses. Mars' transits are typical of diverse hurtful events, including fires, hurricanes, violent explosions and accidents, military escalations, and open political war. A general air of crisis and assault faces political leaders, and their adrenaline gets pumping. Anytime Mars, Pluto, and Jupiter are together, expect extreme events (including extreme, destructive weather) that are costly and financially destructive. Mars-Jupiter suggests economic crisis, heroic action, and evangelistic aggression. Mars-Pluto is a ferocious (psychological or occasionally physical) unleashing of force.

March 4-8 is another JUPITER-URANUS-PLUTO Zone, with the same basic import as above.

March 9-13 is a URANUS-PLUTO Zone. These few days emphasize destabilizing, revising, remapping, anti-establishment, anti-government trends that challenge current systems and claw at iconic structures.

March 14-20 is a MARS-URANUS-PLUTO Zone. The tone is forceful, aggressive, even explosive. Startling, threatening, and seemingly unpredictable, resulting events are highly destructive if physical, assaulting of the status quo if ideological, and stressing tolerance to the breaking point if psychological.

March 21-22 (and continuing) is another URANUS-PLUTO Zone, with the same basic import as above.

LUNAR INGRESSES

Caplunar (February 23)
The Caplunar describes February 23 to March 22, and especially the first week (February 23 to March 1). Saturn rises. Moon squares Jupiter ecliptically and conjoins Pluto mundanely, Venus and Mars straddle IC.

The main message is of hardship, difficulty, separations, and loss. Specific problems are themed to Moon-Jupiter. Saturn stands out for events involving significant loss, whether of life or loot: economic hardship, scarcity, economic narrowing, and deprivation. Diverse natural disasters occur with angular Saturn, and I think we can especially expect more severe winter weather along the East Coast. Moon-Pluto intensifies the impact, bringing an intensity that stuns our sensibilities, with no exit back to the way things were before.

Moon-Jupiter themes should be familiar by now: With Saturn and Pluto leading, this Jupiter is not likely to bring diplomacy and dignity. Rather, from the poor to the rich, from one race to another, whether religious or secular, whether right or left, a theme of “my people first” motivates divisions, with fault-lines along family, cultural, ethnic, and religious lines in particular.

Finally, Venus/Mars suggests that international relationships are strained, and conflict stirred. Inflamed passions prevail over reason.

Arilunar (March 1)
The Arilunar covers March 1-15. Sun conjoins Neptune (0°08' and angular). Confusion is the rule of the day. We have seen closely angular Sun for most of the ingresses since inauguration day, and, indeed, the news has been primarily about the new administration and, in particular, about the president. This week hits a different theme. Sun-Neptune is most marked by chaotic, disorienting events, maelstrom-like and often ferocious. (And Sun-Neptune comes to CapQ angles just as this astrological week begins.)

Ferocity is clearly in the air, given Moon's aspects. Moon conjoins Mars (0°14') in mundo, meaning the closeness of the aspect is geographically specific. Moon also aspects (mundanely) a Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto T-square, with Jupiter opposite Uranus a mere 0°01' wide in the mundoscope, and Pluto joined them within half a degree.

From Moon-Mars, we can expect violence, blood, fire, and explosions, often culminating in lives lost, or at least clear forms of attack and other aggression. The Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto aspects have the feel of major uprisings of the people and populist fervor, especially in support of rights and liberty. The Sun-Neptune maelstrom may well be a swarming of Washington.

Beginning March 11, the Capsolar's Mars-Saturn square dominates quotidian angles for more than a week. (Sun triggers this March 11-13, approximately.) These will be the most severe days, with the most outright damage.

Canlunar (March 8)
The Canlunar for March 8 is dormant, so the Arilunar continues to lead for another week. However, the Canlunar has Moon-Pluto and Moon-Uranus aspects (mundane and ecliptic, respectively). These are disruptive and upending, and also continue the thread of populist activism and revolt. If this follows the patterns we have seen under this Capsolar, expect at least one substantial, media-grabbing protest event this week.

Liblunar (March 15)
The Liblunar for March 15-22 seems clearly to target the president personally. Saturn and Sun are each about 1° from angles, in mutual square. Most broadly, Sun-Saturn anticipates sad, difficult events. Even happy events occur under demanding conditions. Examples include limitation or constraint of national leaders, and government gridlock or other lockdown that involves suppressive, restrictive, controlling, or failing government. The main target of negative focus, though, is the president himself.

Moon's opposition to Uranus is stronger than her conjunction with Jupiter. Though Jupiter-Uranus themes (which dominate the Capsolar) prevail, the scales tip this week to sudden, eruptive, shifting conditions, including surprise attacks, characterized by their sudden and explosive nature. Life shows us that it still can surprise us beyond our expectations.

As the week begins, CapQ angles touch Saturn, Mars, and Sun. The earliest day or two of the Liblunar is, thus, most prone to Mars-Saturn events for Washington and the nation. (CanQ Eastpoint then touches ingress Mars for the remainder of the week, as a secondary signal; but I'd trust the CapQ first.)