US forecast September 2-29, 2017
Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:15 pm
If you are unfamiliar with the methods and interpretations of Sidereal mundane astrology, see my free book Sidereal Mundane Astrology. (A link to the current edition can always be found near the top of the Publications sub-forum.) For standard interpretations, see Chapter 7.
USA Mundane Forecast
for the four weeks beginning September 2, 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 opposite Jupiter. Sun squares MC and Jupiter.
JUPITER OPPOSITE URANUS brings ideological rebellion - both peaceful and violent forms, as diverse as Woodstock and the storming of the Bastille. Expect remapping of the larger social contract, pushing for wider horizons and expanded opportunities. Medical breakthroughs will accelerate, e.g., there is an excellent chance that the final crack in cancer's defenses will occur this year. Proponents of liberal social and political agendas raise their voices, demanding civil rights and social justice. At best, it brings collective optimism, inventiveness, new tech vision, and futurism.
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.
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 is a larger, more persistent presence in the typical American's life. As Sun is well aspected, this will be mostly a beneficent presence.
Cansolar Map 1 Map 2
Angular Jupiter reinforces the strong, mostly positive Jupiter trends of the Capsolar for three months (July 17-October 18), but with a twist: Jupiter now squares a foreground Pluto. In some ways this reiterates messages of the Capsolar's Jupiter-Uranus emphasis, especially regarding social rebellion and remapping the larger social contract (something we have seen in many ways over the last six months, but especially in the battle over health care). Jupiter-Pluto is political and ideological. It challenges existing value systems and the power systems that support them. We have seen this in recent years for terrorist attacks that target cultural values and attempt political destabilization. We also know that, while it can be a king-maker, it is even more likely to drag the uplifted from their pinnacles into stunning ruin. Anything represented by Jupiter is open to extremes and ruin (including meteorological events and the economy - though other current indications do not resemble patterns of serious economic falls, so manifestations more likely will be political).
A Moon-Mercury mundane square for Washington has a 0°00' orb. It is unclear how this pairs with Jupiter-Pluto. Since it joins a wide Moon-Uranus aspect, it surely refers to constant streams of information from discoveries and disclosures, innovations, and novelties. Given its precision for the U.S., this should be an especially good quarter to watch for Moon-Mercury effects. In a time when the news media saturates our awareness, I nonetheless predict it will be even more prevalent - that, in great measure, the news media itself will become the story. Otherwise, besides the celebrity and media element, expect situations (as in business) that involve voluminous paperwork or its digital equivalent, strategy, tactical moves, and news outlets gripping our attention as they rarely do - think of the OJ trial or the days of 9/11.
BRIDGE
From September 2-12, and again September 17-20, we have a JUPITER Zone as the heavy planet transits Capsolar IC. (This concentrates around September 10.) Among Jupiter’s manifestations are victories, diplomacy, and prosperity - economic expansion and a spirit of abundance. Events, if not purely political, economic, or aristocratic, often center on religion and other passionate beliefs. Its shadow side includes ideological conflict (rampant ideology and belief-driven politics) and excesses.
September 13-16 is a MARS-JUPITER Zone as Jupiter crosses Capsolar IC while Mars conjoins progressed Capsolar Moon for the whole world. (Conditions resemble August 30 to September 2, at last month's end.) Normally, these Mars transits represent a concentrated period of worldwide violence, fires, and other destruction, both natural and human-instigated, but the U.S. seems protected from that version of the aspect or, if involved, we come out a clear winner (as in competitions), with a rousing or renewal of national pride and patriotic evangelism.
Furthermore, in this country, expect different forms of economic aggression, including aggressive spending, driving trade and market forces, and economic expansion, including greater industry and productivity). Prices will spike on gasoline and numerous other categories of products consequent to the recent Hurricane Harvey impact. Concurrently, expect belief-driven enthusiasm and aggression. In nature, expect the further unleashed power of the storm, as a heightened probability of destruction mingles with unleashed rain and other natural forces.
LUNAR INGRESSES
Caplunar (Sep 2)
The Caplunar, covering September 2-29 (and especially to September 2-9), is a chart of conflict. Mercury and Mars are foreground and exactly conjunct, the same aspect that dominates President Trump's lunar returns this month. Besides anticipating harsh, combative speech, this mobilization of strategy and aggression is the most distinctive sign of war and abandoned diplomacy. (Other expressions include travel crises and other strategic deployments.)
Sun opposes Neptune (close and foreground). This adds uncertainty, disorientation, and maelstrom-like chaotic conditions. Emotions run high and leaders' failings tend to be more visible. Angular midpoints binding the Mercury-Mars and Sun-Neptune themes together (Su/Me, Su/Ma, Ma/Ne) are volatile and threatening, combining surging adrenaline with heightened emotional chaos, and even panic or blood lust. An example of the energy: These same planets predominate in our collection of catastrophic explosions of docked commercial vehicle: Something of this emotional tone (perhaps watered down a great deal) will mark this month. Commerce will closely theme the main events.
Moon's squares to Uranus and Jupiter don't easily merge with Mercury-Mars and Sun-Neptune (other than the Moon-Uranus explosiveness). I think it most likely this will express more (and more passionate) culture-based political conflicts. The strongest Moon-Jupiter themes may be prosperity, but will not be diplomacy or dignity. Expect strong elements of national pride, patriotism, family, community, and standing first for those groups with which one most personally identifies. The surprising, eruptive, explosive Uranus will continue blind-siding us in a rapidly-shifting terrain requiring uninterrupted adaptation and reorientation, including civil instability, populist arousal, and reversals (probably inviting suppressive retaliation).
Quotidian angles start the week with transiting Mars and Neptune, drawing the worst expressions from this Caplunar. (For Venus-Neptune + Mars on 9/3-4, expect a high-profile murder - something shockingly common under these indications - or otherwise themes of betrayal, deception, and volatile emotional drama.) Extreme effects are probably spent by 9/6. The news media becomes its own best story around 9/5.
Arilunar (Sep 9)
The Arilunar covers September 9-16. Uranus culminates. Expect explosions (literal or metaphorical); sudden rupture or eruption, shock, surprise, and overflowing normal boundaries and limitations. Many of these events involve disclosures and revelations, and may have profound social impact.
Uranus' core themes generalize through several types of destructive events, e.g., bombs, quakes, floods, and building collapses, and events actively caused by people: surprise attacks, changes in foreign relations, and changes in leadership, or riots, revolts, uprisings, and their predictable suppression.
However, because Moon, Venus, and Jupiter join Uranus in the foreground, we expect the happier side of these possibilities more than the destructive ones. In a personal lunar return, these planets are most common for births and other causes for celebration. Additionally, matters on the forefront of the nation's culture wars will be downstage.
However, amidst this, CapQ angles touch Neptunes and Saturns all week. Many tragic themes emerge with Saturn-Neptune (the word "tragic" is not too strong), and those that most overlap with Jupiter-Uranus are flooding and similar weather-caused suffering.
Canlunar (Sep 15)
The Canlunar covers three weeks, September 15 to October 6 (due to the next three ingresses being dormant). Flipping from Uranus plus angular benefics (in the Arilunar) to Neptune with angular malefics, this week should be a sharp reversal of the main trends of last week.
Mercury-Mars, already dominating the Caplunar, appears as a partile foreground conjunction supported by Su/Me and Su/Ma midpoints on Midheaven. The harsh, combative speech, mobilization of strategy and aggression, and combative action in lieu of diplomacy that mark the entire month are increasingly likely for the two weeks the Canlunar and Caplunar overlap.
Angular Neptune always signals extreme excitement: insanity, whether of a major sporting event or of a mob: madness, confusion, uncertainty, disorientation, and a gripping sense of, “So, what happens now?” This disorientation marks these three weeks. The specific causes could be many (see SMA), but expect both mindless herd-torrents and waves of people driven by a shared vision: the politically-inflamed cultural wars continue.
We expect the worst, rather than the best, from this month: Besides the foreground Neptune and Mars, Saturn closely squares the foreground Sun. This anticipates sad events, though it especially puts strong negative pressure, and a negative spotlight, on the president (and, more generally, the government as a whole). The least we expect is gridlock: September is budget month, so expect threats of government shutdown and extreme polarization before a late-hour deal that keeps the lights on and mostly floats last year's budget forward for another year. (After all, there is a close Moon-Jupiter square in the mix to bring them through.)
The week begins with CapQ MC on Saturn and Ascendant on Mars. These will be harsh, challenging days - perhaps the most difficult of the year for those who run the country from Washington. The pressure doesn't lift until 9/20.
Liblunar (Sep 22)
The Liblunar is dormant. Last week's Canlunar flows through as if no new ingress occurred. (But see the "Other Locations" page below for localized impact.)
As the week begins, CapQ Descendant finally intersects transiting Sun. Focus concentrates on the president specifically, though no aspects to Sun detail what kind of attention this brings. By 9/25 (plus-minus two days) the magnifying lens of scrutiny is focused (see Mercury's involvement), and magnification always increases the heat. In the CanQ, the 9/28 Venus-Mars-Neptune T-square falls worrisomely close to the Q angles: Expect bloody, heart-gripping violence to lead the news more than usual.
USA Mundane Forecast
for the four weeks beginning September 2, 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 opposite Jupiter. Sun squares MC and Jupiter.
JUPITER OPPOSITE URANUS brings ideological rebellion - both peaceful and violent forms, as diverse as Woodstock and the storming of the Bastille. Expect remapping of the larger social contract, pushing for wider horizons and expanded opportunities. Medical breakthroughs will accelerate, e.g., there is an excellent chance that the final crack in cancer's defenses will occur this year. Proponents of liberal social and political agendas raise their voices, demanding civil rights and social justice. At best, it brings collective optimism, inventiveness, new tech vision, and futurism.
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.
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 is a larger, more persistent presence in the typical American's life. As Sun is well aspected, this will be mostly a beneficent presence.
Cansolar Map 1 Map 2
Angular Jupiter reinforces the strong, mostly positive Jupiter trends of the Capsolar for three months (July 17-October 18), but with a twist: Jupiter now squares a foreground Pluto. In some ways this reiterates messages of the Capsolar's Jupiter-Uranus emphasis, especially regarding social rebellion and remapping the larger social contract (something we have seen in many ways over the last six months, but especially in the battle over health care). Jupiter-Pluto is political and ideological. It challenges existing value systems and the power systems that support them. We have seen this in recent years for terrorist attacks that target cultural values and attempt political destabilization. We also know that, while it can be a king-maker, it is even more likely to drag the uplifted from their pinnacles into stunning ruin. Anything represented by Jupiter is open to extremes and ruin (including meteorological events and the economy - though other current indications do not resemble patterns of serious economic falls, so manifestations more likely will be political).
A Moon-Mercury mundane square for Washington has a 0°00' orb. It is unclear how this pairs with Jupiter-Pluto. Since it joins a wide Moon-Uranus aspect, it surely refers to constant streams of information from discoveries and disclosures, innovations, and novelties. Given its precision for the U.S., this should be an especially good quarter to watch for Moon-Mercury effects. In a time when the news media saturates our awareness, I nonetheless predict it will be even more prevalent - that, in great measure, the news media itself will become the story. Otherwise, besides the celebrity and media element, expect situations (as in business) that involve voluminous paperwork or its digital equivalent, strategy, tactical moves, and news outlets gripping our attention as they rarely do - think of the OJ trial or the days of 9/11.
BRIDGE
From September 2-12, and again September 17-20, we have a JUPITER Zone as the heavy planet transits Capsolar IC. (This concentrates around September 10.) Among Jupiter’s manifestations are victories, diplomacy, and prosperity - economic expansion and a spirit of abundance. Events, if not purely political, economic, or aristocratic, often center on religion and other passionate beliefs. Its shadow side includes ideological conflict (rampant ideology and belief-driven politics) and excesses.
September 13-16 is a MARS-JUPITER Zone as Jupiter crosses Capsolar IC while Mars conjoins progressed Capsolar Moon for the whole world. (Conditions resemble August 30 to September 2, at last month's end.) Normally, these Mars transits represent a concentrated period of worldwide violence, fires, and other destruction, both natural and human-instigated, but the U.S. seems protected from that version of the aspect or, if involved, we come out a clear winner (as in competitions), with a rousing or renewal of national pride and patriotic evangelism.
Furthermore, in this country, expect different forms of economic aggression, including aggressive spending, driving trade and market forces, and economic expansion, including greater industry and productivity). Prices will spike on gasoline and numerous other categories of products consequent to the recent Hurricane Harvey impact. Concurrently, expect belief-driven enthusiasm and aggression. In nature, expect the further unleashed power of the storm, as a heightened probability of destruction mingles with unleashed rain and other natural forces.
LUNAR INGRESSES
Caplunar (Sep 2)
The Caplunar, covering September 2-29 (and especially to September 2-9), is a chart of conflict. Mercury and Mars are foreground and exactly conjunct, the same aspect that dominates President Trump's lunar returns this month. Besides anticipating harsh, combative speech, this mobilization of strategy and aggression is the most distinctive sign of war and abandoned diplomacy. (Other expressions include travel crises and other strategic deployments.)
Sun opposes Neptune (close and foreground). This adds uncertainty, disorientation, and maelstrom-like chaotic conditions. Emotions run high and leaders' failings tend to be more visible. Angular midpoints binding the Mercury-Mars and Sun-Neptune themes together (Su/Me, Su/Ma, Ma/Ne) are volatile and threatening, combining surging adrenaline with heightened emotional chaos, and even panic or blood lust. An example of the energy: These same planets predominate in our collection of catastrophic explosions of docked commercial vehicle: Something of this emotional tone (perhaps watered down a great deal) will mark this month. Commerce will closely theme the main events.
Moon's squares to Uranus and Jupiter don't easily merge with Mercury-Mars and Sun-Neptune (other than the Moon-Uranus explosiveness). I think it most likely this will express more (and more passionate) culture-based political conflicts. The strongest Moon-Jupiter themes may be prosperity, but will not be diplomacy or dignity. Expect strong elements of national pride, patriotism, family, community, and standing first for those groups with which one most personally identifies. The surprising, eruptive, explosive Uranus will continue blind-siding us in a rapidly-shifting terrain requiring uninterrupted adaptation and reorientation, including civil instability, populist arousal, and reversals (probably inviting suppressive retaliation).
Quotidian angles start the week with transiting Mars and Neptune, drawing the worst expressions from this Caplunar. (For Venus-Neptune + Mars on 9/3-4, expect a high-profile murder - something shockingly common under these indications - or otherwise themes of betrayal, deception, and volatile emotional drama.) Extreme effects are probably spent by 9/6. The news media becomes its own best story around 9/5.
Arilunar (Sep 9)
The Arilunar covers September 9-16. Uranus culminates. Expect explosions (literal or metaphorical); sudden rupture or eruption, shock, surprise, and overflowing normal boundaries and limitations. Many of these events involve disclosures and revelations, and may have profound social impact.
Uranus' core themes generalize through several types of destructive events, e.g., bombs, quakes, floods, and building collapses, and events actively caused by people: surprise attacks, changes in foreign relations, and changes in leadership, or riots, revolts, uprisings, and their predictable suppression.
However, because Moon, Venus, and Jupiter join Uranus in the foreground, we expect the happier side of these possibilities more than the destructive ones. In a personal lunar return, these planets are most common for births and other causes for celebration. Additionally, matters on the forefront of the nation's culture wars will be downstage.
However, amidst this, CapQ angles touch Neptunes and Saturns all week. Many tragic themes emerge with Saturn-Neptune (the word "tragic" is not too strong), and those that most overlap with Jupiter-Uranus are flooding and similar weather-caused suffering.
Canlunar (Sep 15)
The Canlunar covers three weeks, September 15 to October 6 (due to the next three ingresses being dormant). Flipping from Uranus plus angular benefics (in the Arilunar) to Neptune with angular malefics, this week should be a sharp reversal of the main trends of last week.
Mercury-Mars, already dominating the Caplunar, appears as a partile foreground conjunction supported by Su/Me and Su/Ma midpoints on Midheaven. The harsh, combative speech, mobilization of strategy and aggression, and combative action in lieu of diplomacy that mark the entire month are increasingly likely for the two weeks the Canlunar and Caplunar overlap.
Angular Neptune always signals extreme excitement: insanity, whether of a major sporting event or of a mob: madness, confusion, uncertainty, disorientation, and a gripping sense of, “So, what happens now?” This disorientation marks these three weeks. The specific causes could be many (see SMA), but expect both mindless herd-torrents and waves of people driven by a shared vision: the politically-inflamed cultural wars continue.
We expect the worst, rather than the best, from this month: Besides the foreground Neptune and Mars, Saturn closely squares the foreground Sun. This anticipates sad events, though it especially puts strong negative pressure, and a negative spotlight, on the president (and, more generally, the government as a whole). The least we expect is gridlock: September is budget month, so expect threats of government shutdown and extreme polarization before a late-hour deal that keeps the lights on and mostly floats last year's budget forward for another year. (After all, there is a close Moon-Jupiter square in the mix to bring them through.)
The week begins with CapQ MC on Saturn and Ascendant on Mars. These will be harsh, challenging days - perhaps the most difficult of the year for those who run the country from Washington. The pressure doesn't lift until 9/20.
Liblunar (Sep 22)
The Liblunar is dormant. Last week's Canlunar flows through as if no new ingress occurred. (But see the "Other Locations" page below for localized impact.)
As the week begins, CapQ Descendant finally intersects transiting Sun. Focus concentrates on the president specifically, though no aspects to Sun detail what kind of attention this brings. By 9/25 (plus-minus two days) the magnifying lens of scrutiny is focused (see Mercury's involvement), and magnification always increases the heat. In the CanQ, the 9/28 Venus-Mars-Neptune T-square falls worrisomely close to the Q angles: Expect bloody, heart-gripping violence to lead the news more than usual.