The July 29 The Bomb discussed Mercury's July 24 to August 8 transit through Cancer, This Mercury transit through deep, dark, watery and dangerous Cancer is The Bomb. ...Mercury has already signaled a virus Bomb starting July 24. -- infections skyrocketing through the country, and much of the globe too, since last weekend.

That forecast also incorrectly suggested, ...as Mercury approaches and crosses birth chart Rahu in the U.S. chart at 16:51 Cancer August 1, the virus infection karma will increase.  Following that, expect the virus may slow down a little -- until Mercury leaves Cancer August 8.  As the virus continues to surge, that was not reading the planets correctly but rather hopeful thinking.  On the other hand, that forecast further stated about predictions, As this is Rahu Dasa (planetary cycle) in the U.S. chart, it's critical to understand this serpent's harms can not be expected nor controlled.  It's tough being an astrologer during Rahu Dasa, when snakes pop up out of nowhere for no reason.

Another interesting Mercury signification, relating to it being the planet of communications, is Mercury is the reputation.  Transiting Cancer, the eighth house of calamity in the U.S. chart, it certainly brought some whopper scandals.  NY's Andrew Cuomo is at the top of the list, but Trump and Florida governor Desantis aren't far behind.  Another is Mike Lindell, the My Pillow Trump devotee who is suffocating on his own lies.  And then there's Tom Barrack, Trump's friend arrested July 20 for illegal lobbying.  Plus, there are lesser angels of disrepute, including Prince Andrew.....

Too, there was a suggestion about hurricanes and other disasters, August and the fall appear to be quiet -- so far. of course, Rahu is the unexpected.  That seems to be off the mark as forest fires across the globe, heavy storms in the U.S. and a budding hurricane in the Caribbean are all active.  Yet, here's another on the other hand, tropical storm Fred is not developing into a full hurricane as Else did in early July (When malefics Saturn and Mars were battling it out by aspect.)  And because the truly destructive malefic planets -- Saturn, Mars and Rahu/Ketu -- are not so bound up with each other, expect the typical peaking until mid fall of tropical storms won't develop into major hurricanes -- or at least hurricanes that strike the U.S.

Below is a transit chart for today, and yes it is Friday the thirteenth.  Notice that respiratory system Mercury is closing in on infectious Mars.  That alone stimulates the virus.  This is also the combination for liars, thieves and politicians! Too, Mars throws an aspect to weird Ketu -- the tail-of-the-dragon eclipse point in deadly Scorpio. These planetary karmas must boost the virus further. Also, the Mars aspect to Ketu can bring an extreme event combining their fire natures with Scorpio's water.

August 13, 2021

Mercury and Venus will be dancing a weird jig when Mercury joins Venus in Virgo August 26 to September 5.  Virgo is Venus's fallen (weak) sign and Mercury's exalted (strongest) sign.  This is a combination for charm, creativity, enjoyments, love affairs.... but with this strength imbalance, creativity can go off the rails, and rational thinking becomes foolishness and impulsive.  Addiction is a major issue, for Venus is enjoyments and Mercury is the nervous system.  People will tend to try to maneuver themselves into calm with drugs, alcohol, eating, sex....

Other than that, there's nothing remarkable or notable in the transiting planets -- where they are in today's skies.  This doesn't mean conditions improve.  There will still be tropical storms, the virus, fires and other challenges.  It means, rather, that major conflagrations are not likely for the next several weeks.  Late September into October, however, do appear disruptive, however, with the hot Sun joining hot Mars -- fighting.

Well, we all need a rest from the endless dramas and suffering, and some calm, even with foolishness, can better enable Biden to push through major legislation that will address Second Progressive Age issues of fairness and equity.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2020©
Doug Riemer

If you're in your golden years, you'll recall your parents were in the cocktail age -- Martinis, Manhattans, Daiquiris... These were created in the second half of the nineteenth century and after World War II and found a home in America's middle class..  If you still have some color in your hair, then it's your grandparents who used to slurp down those often blazingly potent mixed drinks.  These were before-dinner cocktails, better to slam an empty stomach than a full one.

For reasons we still don't fully understand, the martini was the torpedo of the post war era.  The combination of dry vermouth with gin, or occasionally, vodka, went straight to the brain, just like a submarine's torpedo made a huge hole that sunk ships.

As a real man -- women just as rarely drank Martinis as they smoked cigars then except in the really dark cocktail lounges -- you knocked down two -- "up" (no ice) and stirred (strained over ice), never shaken, despite what James Bond said.  An olive was good but an onion made the drink stink and lemon peel was for the effete -- yes the ones who polished their nails and read poetry books.  The first martini slid down smoothly, but beware, real men never let the jet fuel pucker your lips!  That beckoned a second. And just as Sky King couldn't fly with just one wing, a second Martini was de riguer.

By the time the bartender strained the drink into a fresh frosted glass, with a juicy pimento stuffed olive, waiting to be baptized, the drink had attacked your entire central nervous system with an alcohol anesthetic.

It's well known in music circles the composer of Flashdance's What A Feeling wrote the entire song while drinking a second martini. Really!

The ladies with their Daiquiris and male pretenders with their silly sweet Manhattans, sat blithely by, not having a clue they were merely getting smashed while you were on your way to oblivion.  In fact, they wouldn't even guess anything was amiss, even when you gargled down the second olive, looked the bartender and announced, Another my man, and don't load it up with vermouth this time. Just wave the vermouth bottle over the top of the cocktail shaker. That said with a glean in your eye, military upright in the bar stool and the bravado of a dockworker in a gay bar, your companions still didn't have a clue, though your wife may have checked her purse for cab money.

The second martini was even better than the first, and it actually steadied you on you bar stool -- all equipped btw with study backs and wrap-around arms.  You'll need that with martini #3, rocket fuel sending you over the boundary between a functioning mind and your reptilian brain.  It would only be your steel will that you could maintain, but maintain you could, and would!  There's a fourth martini to be had, but only if you're brave enough, and you can get it delivered before the missus gets back from the powder room, checking for a pay phone should she need to call a cab, again.

But let's stop here at three martinis, because just that number is enough for Tee Many Martoonis.

That is the world today.  In martini-time, Trump winning in 2016 was the first drink, four years of his insanity the second one, even though many of us chocked on the pimento.  The third martini is the collective consciousness gripped by a psychic psychosis -- hearing voices outside reality.  Of course, vaccinations are poisonous.  Of course, foreigners are nasty aliens coming to replace us.........

After over twenty years of writing The Celestial Wheel, carefully tracking the planets, applying dozens of weighting techniques, making predictions, verifying these with results....... I have no idea where this psychosis is leading America, and much of the rest of the globe.  As the August 13 Mercury Out Of Cancer stated,

One could claim Afghanistan's fall was inevitable, which is actually was.  One could also claim the Haiti earthquake was also preordained, for it does sit on a fault line.  Take these two major events out of the picture, and Covid plus hurricanes are remaining harms -- except our society is in the seemingly iron grip of a collective psychosis -- created and maintained by Trump.  He's trapped a large part of America in his dark and smokey cocktail lounge house of mirrors.  Reality will not return until we wake up, with a splitting martini headache and hangover-tortured guts.

Does that mean there will be a major price to pay for the mystical paranoia Trump awakened to bring this collective psychosis into the world?  Well, after the hangover, we'll pick ourselves up and take a look around at what the MAGA delusion has done to society.  It can't last anymore than a three martini drunk can sit on bar stool without a back and not topple over onto the floor.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2020©
Doug Riemer