Mercury -- the changeable planet of communications, the intellect, calculating mind, skill and the nervous system -- has been weak and afflicted since it entered its fallen sign of Pisces March 2 -- what my quirky daughter used to call A long day ago.

Mercury normally spends about thirty days in a sign.  But its three week retrograde there from March 23 to April 15 more than doubled Mercury's confinement in that mental hole.

Considering that higher mind Jupiter, the other mental planet, has been weakly retrograde since March 8, the mind has been doubly weakened. Mental confusions became exhaustion during this over two month interval that has challenged us personally and sullied world events.

Mercury will finally escape Pisces and enter Aries about 9 AM tomorrow. Hurrah!

Lower mind Mercury will again be able to operate normally.   Jitters will calm. Mental clarity will seep back in.  Skillful activities will be successful again.

World Transit Chart May 9, 2018

Yet, don't begin to relax yet because in order to begin forward motion again Mercury must first slow down to stop and turn around -- like turning a car around on a highway.  This process, which takes about a day, is risky like the car maneuver but also makes Mercury temporarily very strong.

Look for even more weird, even bizarre, events the remainder of today and until mid morning tomorrow.

In that regard, recall the April 29 entry Hang In There, which addressed aggressive Mars shifting into his exalted sign of Capricorn May 3 -- last Thursday --

This is negative for both the U.S. and Trump. Natural disasters -- Tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes and heavy storms -- and man made ones like plane crashes, all resulted in Mars aspecting Cancer the home.  That's the U.S. chart's eighth house of turmoil.  And with Cancer being Trump's twelfth house of loss, politics and governing have been even crazier than usual!   Hello Rudy Guliani!

The rest of May can be calmer, or at least not as frenzied, as the last two months.  However, look at the above transit chart for today to see Mars approaching Ketu (Ke), and also thereby direct aspecting Rahu (Ra) across the chart in Cancer.  That begins to hit hard the end of May.  Mars Ketu and Mars Rahu is the combination for major disasters -- 9-11 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  It can also turn Trump's presidency on its head, upset the financial markets and bring major international events.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2018©
Doug Riemer

This entry is astrology-heavy by reciting several significant and harmful planetary dispositions this summer and fall.  There's little interpretation because just explaining these planetary afflictions is laborious.  As the calendar moves ahead, I'll be referring to this entry to interpret what each of these afflictions may mean and how they relate to each other.

Transit Mars entered Capricorn, its exalted sign, May 3.  The (above) May 8 Celestial Wheel entry Just One More Day Of An Infirm Mercury explained,

Mars began attacking immediately! On May 3, Volcano Erupts In Hawaii, Forcing Evacuations.   Also May 3 Reports: Tornadoes reported in Oklahoma, Kansas as powerful storms blast central US.  And on May 2, just as Mars was crossing the sign boundary between Sagittarius and Capricorn, Deadly military plane crash on Savannah, Georgia, road.  Of course there have been fireworks for Trump too.  These quick and devastating attacks are normal for Mars because he exerts his energy most strongly as soon as he enters a sign.  Note, the Hawaii volcano is easily seen, for Capricorn is an earth sign and explosive Mars is fiery.)

However, Mars will not spend his usual 1 1/2 months in Capricorn because he goes retrograde June 27 for two months until August 27.  This doubling back via retrograde will keep Mars in Capricorn until November 6 -- six long months of Mars' fury.  And the longer a planetary significance last, the stronger it becomes.

But this isn't all the global planetary karmas malefic Mars will bring. The May 8 entry also stated,

Because of the retrograde, Mars will cross Ketu three times -- late May/early June, mid to late July and finally mid to late September.  (I'm giving date ranges here because Mars gets in range of a planet 3 degrees or so before the exact conjunction and continues pummeling that planet through the exact conjunction.)  Recall the Rahu and Ketu are the eclipse points head and tail of a dragon -- Rahu the head is the future and Ketu the tail is the past.  (As Ketu is the past, it symbolizes gas and oil.)  Ketu doesn't do well in Saturn-ruled Capricorn, and Mars transiting there harms this eclipse point further.  So gas prices have been moving up and will likely continue to do so all summer.  See the June 2008 Celestial Wheel page showing Mars and Ketu in Cancer during the eclipse season when gas hit $4.11)

Here's the transit chart for today so that you can visualize these planetary movements. Note also that Mars throws and aspect (glance) across the chart to Cancer, Mars fallen sign. So both Capricorn and Cancer are Mars' targets. (We can expect the Hawaii volcano to continue to erupt, spill lava and even explode as Mars gets close to Ketu late this month and into early June.)

World Transits May 15 2018

Beyond this, there are three eclipses this summer.  Notice I've included whether these are Rahu or Ketu eclipses.  Notice too that except for the first in Gemini, the last two are in the Mars' afflicted signs of Capricorn and Cancer.

Partial solar July 13 at 26:34 Gemini, Rahu

Total lunar July 27 at 10:38 Capricorn, Ketu

Partial solar August 11 at 24:34 Cancer, Rahu

Thereby, because Mars is conjoined Ketu this summer and fall, and also aspects Rahu across the zodiac, he is tied up in the eclipses.  Because they block and Sun and Moon, eclipses destabilize.  (Note, there is further zodiac weakness in the big planets, Jupiter and Saturn being retrograde until July 10 and September 6 respectively.)

As if these ills were not enough, notice in the above transit chart for today that the fast-moving inner planets (a month through a sign) -- Sun, Venus and Mercury -- are behind Cancer.  These will transit through Cancer this summer -- June through August.

And if things couldn't get worse, Mercury will do its three week retrograde in Cancer July 26 to August 19!

Now that everyone is underwhelmed, a list will be useful.

Mars in Capricorn, aspecting Cancer May 3 to November 6

Mars retrograde June 27 to August 27

Mars crosses Ketu late May/early June, mid to late July, mid to late September

Eclipses July 13 and 27 and August 11

Sun, Venus, Mercury transit Cancer June -- August

Mercury retrograde in Cancer July 26 to August 19

Jupiter and Saturn retrograde until July 10 and September 6

These planetary afflictions will naturally cause all kinds of havoc, but recall this is the U.S. chart's 18 year Rahu Dasa (planetary cycle).  The ravenous reptilian head of the dragon eclipse point is the destroyer of now and creator of tomorrow.  Trump is Rahu in this process that ushers in the Second Progressive Age.  First, Rahu/Trump destroys present society, as well as himself.  (Recall the Trump was born exactly during a total eclipse of the Moon.)  Then, the void is filled with a new beginning.  Astrologers say that Rahu is like Saturn, which makes sense since Saturn destroys that which is no longer necessary to make room for the new.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2018©
Doug Riemer

Mars Harms Persist & Strengthening

The (above )May 15 entry Mars In Capricorn gave an overview of the seven planetary afflictions this summer and fall -- led by Mars, the commander of the army.

While the upcoming eclipses, ongoing weak retrogrades of Saturn and Jupiter..... are of import, the main driver of Mars' viciousness is being entwined with the Moon's Nodes.  These are the eclipse points dragon halves called Rahu and Ketu.  Rahu head-of-the-dragon and Ketu tail-of-the-dragon are difficult to understand for being alien reptilian and bringing the unexpected.

Rahu, the future, thrusts societies forward.  Ketu, the past, dredges up earlier karmas requiring that we experience them, and hopefully learn, again.  Mars' aggressive and Pitta (fiery) energy both overstimulates Rahu/Ketu and is intensified by the eclipse points.  Rahu with Mars' anger combines for vengeful rage, and Ketu with Mars' bravery and logic gives seething anger.

And because of Mars' upcoming retrograde, they stay locked in battle in Capricorn and Cancer for six long months -- May 3 to November 6.

While little interpretation was done, the May 15 entry recited major violences immediately upon Mars moving into Capricorn -- volcano, tornado and plane crash.  It also suggested gas prices would continue to rise, which is not an event but rather a trend, like the Hawaii volcano continues to erupt. 

Also mentioned was this Mars with Rahu/Ketu is especially bad for the U.S. and Trump's chart.  The (above) May 8 entry first addressed this issue, repeated first in the May 15 entry and now again here. 

So, if the domestic news is worse than international, its because Mars and Rahu/Ketu afflict our leader and nation chart especially hard.  Thus, another school shooting rocks the nation, and the political seismograph needle is jumping more than the geographic one in Hawaii.

There is one further tidbit in the May 15 entry that is both useful to repeat and gives much broader and deeper insight into what is happening, and may occur in events and trends this summer and fall,  See the June 2008 Celestial Wheel page showing Mars and Ketu in Cancer during the eclipse season when gas hit $ 4.11.  Here's a transit chart for that summer using the natural zodiac (global karmas) beginning with Aries, flanked by the current transit chart,

Wow! There were eclipses in the Caner/Capricorn axis that summer too!

It's not happenstance the transit chart now shows that since 2008 Rahu/Ketu have completed 1/2 their 18/5 year rotation through the zodiac -- as you can easily see in the below transit chart for May 15.  This means that Ketu is now where Rahu was in Capricorn, and Rahu is now where Ketu was in Cancer.  Happenstance means something happens because of chance, and karma for a reason -- action and reaction.  This is karma, heavy karma, a reaction to the past, which has been unfair to so many and beneficial to just a few.

Because Mars is exalted in Capricorn, he is strong there.  But he is not weak in Cancer, his fallen sign, as expected because Cancer is ruled by the all-important Moon (the primary planet in Vedic Astrology.)   So, it doesn't make a huge different in his energy whether Mrs is in Cancer aspecting Capricorn or in Capricorn aspecting Cancer.  Mars in both cases afflicts Rahu/Ketu and is afflicted by the dragon head and tail.

Upcoming Celestial Wheel entries will trace back events and trends during the summer and fall of 2008 by reviewing entries during that period to add some detail to predictions for this year.  Although it's true that history repeats but not exactly, it seems the rising levels of turbulence in many areas, plus the repeat of gas price increase signal congruence.  Further, there was a major and long term volcanic eruption that summer, Chaiten in Chili.  Mount St. Helens also came back to life briefly.

In closing for today note the May 15 entry did give an early and impending caution about Mars' destructiveness (emphasis added),

We can see in the above May 15, 2018 transit chart Mars was just under 9 degrees away from Ketu that day.   With Mars still moving forward and Ketu in its natural retrograde motion, they approach either other more quickly.   Here's the transit chart for today. Mars and Ketu are now just 7 degrees apart.

Transits May 20, 2018

Yesterday's horrific school shooting in Texas was likely a result of the emotional Moon dim and with Rahu, which brings paranoia.  Mars adds weapons and violence.  However, its an early warning that trials and tribulations of the summer/fall of 2018 have begun. Let's just hope losses and suffering are manageable and mitigated by helping hands -- and that the impending transformation will bring positive, increasing and durable results.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2018©
Doug Riemer

The (above) May 20 Celestial Wheel Mars Harms Persist & Strengthening explained heavy summer/fall karmas from many transit afflictions mainly result from Mars with the Moon's Nodes,

Thereby, although the seven planetary afflictions listed in the May 15 entry Mars In Capricorn occur during the entire summer and into the early fall, Mars conjoining Ketu now is both the first of these traumatic events and very powerful.  Given the turmoil already occurring all over the globe, let's take a closer look at the Mars/Ketu conjunction.  The (above) May 15 entry offered timing,

Here are the charts for May 15 and 20 showing the Mars/Ketu conjunction approaching,

The May 20 entry explained,

This chart for today shows their separation has shrunken to 5 degrees.

World Transits May 25, 2018

Mars will be within 3 degrees of Ketu in just a few days -- May 28.  This is obviously important for world events that have a duration -- a process -- the Hawaii volcano and the tropical depression headed toward the upper Gulf Of Mexico.  The first can blow and the second can strike.

Notice in the chart for today the all-important Moon is in Virgo.  On May 31, it will have reached Sagitarius, where Saturn lurks.  And during the next 5 days, the Moon will finish traveling through Sagitarius and then go through Capricorn -- where Mars/Ketu now reside.  This suggests the volcano and tropical storm are most likely to create problems from May 31 through June 4.

Note that the discussion here is solely about planets in signs, generally describing global karma.  As discussed previously and repeatedly, this is more negative for the U.S. and Trump.  (A birth chart adds houses to the sign chart.)

Here are those charts side by side with the transit chart for today.  First, let's look at Trump,

By overlaying today's chart onto Trump's you can easily see Mars/Ketu is in his sixth house of open enemies and foreigners. And Mars aspects Rahu in his twelfth house of hidden enemies and far and distant places.  While this explains why Trump is wrapped up in fights at home and abroad, it doesn't show why he's been so adamant and furious.  Mars in the sixth house is strong for fighting enemies.  Mercury in the ninth is great for communications.  The Sun in the tenth is potent for career and the public.  Venus is the eleventh brings luck-filled opportunities. These temporary influences have made Trump believe he's the king.

Plus, Trump's Dasas, (the planetary cycles which are the underlying karma in Vedic Astrology) have been strong with his powerful Sun (kingship) active as the third level steering current Dasa planet April 11 to May 20.  Adding this kingship to the above described transits, Trump has been omnipotent in his own eyes.  However, Trump's crazy fallen Moon (afflicted by Ketu and an aspect from Mars) is obviously a bad planet for him.  Coming into the Dasa lineup May 20 the Moon takes the wind out of his sails.  It also makes him oversensitive (like Mars/Ketu also does) and prone to irrational impulse and fears.  He dreamed up Spygate, which fell on its face.  He bolted from the North Korean summit, but then backed down to invite the meeting again.

And now to the U.S. chart. You can easily see here that transit Mars/Ketu in Capricorn sits on birth chart Ketu in Capricorn. Similarly, transit Rahu (aspected by Mars) sits on birth chart Rahu.  (You can also see the U.S. birth chart also has Mercury in Cancer.)  When transiting planets come to their birth chart location, the astrology term is return.  Obviously this doubles up the energy, which is why returns are impactive.

Capricorn is the second house of domestic harmony, income and communications.  All are naturally harmed.  Cancer is the eighth house of calamity -- a deep and dark house where secrets are hidden that, when surface, cause all kinds of problems.  These include disasters and scandals.

U.S. Dasas (planetary cycles) begin with Rahu/Rahu -- the beginning of the 18 year Rahu Dasa.  The third level steering current planet has been Moon -- is a bad planet in this chart for ruling the eighth house of calamity.  It was the Moon Dasa from 1998 to 2008 that brought stock market and economic collapses and wars.  Mars taking over mid June until August 16 will really rile up the waters - pun intended.  Expect a heavy hurricane season among the disasters coming -- along with public disgust. Remember, the second house is domestic harmony.

The May 20 entry promised a review of the summer of 2008, when Rahu/Keu also afflicted Capricorn and Cancer.  That's still coming.  Today's entry took a lot of time.  But, its absolutely necessary to begin analysis and predictions for this summer of Mars and Rahu/Ketu.

Also, thank you to subscribers ML in Maryland and CL in Colorado for generously responding to my subscription/donation request on May 21.  Recall the deadline is May 30 to maintain business viability.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2018©
Doug Riemer

The (above) May 15 Celestial Wheel entry Mars In Capricorn introduced the comparison between this summer and the terrible summer of 2008 -- at which both times Mars conjoins the eclipse points -- Rahu and Ketu,

The (above) May 20 entry Mars Harms Persist & Strengthening continued the discussion, first explaining why Mars with Rahu/Ketu is the dominant karma,

That entry also touched again on 2008, when Mars was last previously with Rahu/Ketu in the Capricorn/Cancer axis,

When I mentioned this to a couple of neighbors, they were nonplussed, even when I pointed out the economy began collapsing that September. However, when I mentioned the $4.11 gas price peak in July of that year, they said, Oh yeah.  That was a problem. Is it happening again.?  It's always interesting to witness how minds and memories work.

That entry continued,

To add comparative detail, here are the world transit charts (where the planets are in current skies) in 2008 and now. Mars was conjoined Ketu in Cancer from May 3, 2008 to June 21. This year, Mars conjoins with Ketu May 3 to November 6.

Pay attention to four key details.  First, Mars is with mystical and dissolving Ketu both times.  Second, because Rahu/Ketu are always 180 degrees apart, and Mars throws an aspect (glance) directly across the chart. Mars also afflicts Rahu in both cases.  (I didn't include the red arrows for aspects in previous charts about this topic.)  Third, the axis of Cancer and Capricorn is sensitive to this Mars/Ketu and Mars/Rahu energy -- Cancer being the fourth house of the home and Capricorn the tenth house of the public and government officials, ruled by Saturn, the planet of death.  Fourth, the summer/fall of 2008 were challenging when Mars conjoined with Ketu for seven weeks.  This year's Mars/Ketu conjunction of over six months must be more destructive for the longer interval.

Here's the comparison between some major events in the spring through fall of 2008 with events and predictions for 2018.   Predictions for this year were made in earlier Celestial Wheel entries.  I researched both Celestial Wheel entries in 2008 and the web for specifics.

(*This is a new prediction. Note that Ebola virus is spreading in Africa again.)

On another note, Mars turns retrograde when he's closest to the earth, as he is now.  See Mars brighter in 2018 than since 2003. Many Vedic Astrologers believe this close proximity increases Mars' influence. I don't know this is true, but certainly it fits with the Mars' harms this summer/fall.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2018©
Doug Riemer