[PREVIEW] The Weekly Update: June Bugs

[PREVIEW] The Weekly Update: June Bugs

THE WEEKLY STARS FOR JUNE 1-7 Did you notice the shift last week? In your personal life, it might have felt subtle. Look back and review what happened in the topics related to Virgo and Pisces (and Gemini) in your personal chart. In the news, we saw many examples of turning points, including an extended ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. (In astro-perfect timing, the 60-day ceasefire ends in the middle of late July’s operatic astrology.) Last week’s shifts were correlated to the Sun squaring the Nodes, which marks the halfway point between eclipses. That shift will continue when Uranus squares the Nodes on June 12. This week is a moment in between those two turning points. It’s a period of time when everything is shifting but the details haven’t quite crystallized. Throughout June’s astrology and July’s historic alignment, the planet of communication and PR will be in Cancer the entire time. Mercury enters that sign today (Monday, June 1) and stays until Aug. 9. Mercury usually spends 2-3 weeks in a sign; this time it’s almost ten. The extra length is due to Mercury retrograding in Cancer from June 29 to July 23. If you have work to do and things to get done, push to finish them before mid-month. On June 12, Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow begins. Mercury in Cancer tends to speak indirectly and slowly in a world that is demanding directness and speed because of the new Aries era. The Aries energy may overcome Cancer, but we can still find ways to integrate both. Use this week to express your emotions, nurture your people, and find your grounding — all while pushing everything forward with Aries zeal. We have a stabilizing influence mid-week when the Sun sextiles Saturn. With intention, you can build some foundations to support yourself well into the summer. MONDAY MOON IN SAGITTARIUS. COMMUNICATE SOFTLY: MERCURY ENTERS CANCER UNTIL AUG. 9. Focus on house(s) containing Cancer for the next several weeks. A review is in order. Mercury will be in Cancer for an unusually long time as it will retrograde in this sign from June 29 to July 23. Notice June 12-29 when Mercury will enter its “shadow” period: events taking place then will be reviewed in July.  How to work with this astrology: Mercury in Cancer speaks indirectly and sometimes defensively in order to protect emotions, family, and community. Notice this background context while fighting the urge to be overly touchy. With Saturn and Neptune in Aries, we still need a direct approach, even if it ruffles feathers. TUESDAY MOON IN CAPRICORN. FOCUS ON STABILITY: SUN IN GEMINI SEXTILES SATURN IN ARIES. Focus on 11-13 degrees of fire and cardinal signs. This day is a short moment to highlight the structures you’re developing in the part of your chart containing Aries. Saturn is more flexible and a bit debilitated in Aries, but it still provides structure for the new reset you’re doing. The Sun will shine light on these changes, providing a helpful start to the month. How to work with this astrology: If you find certain containers missing or structures absent in your life, it might be the result of Saturn moving through Aries since Feb. 13. Use this astrology to build new containers or restructure old ones that still serve you. Use the Sun’s energy to shine a light on where discipline is missing in your life (or excessive). Slow down over the coming months even as the world increasingly makes us feel impatient. WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY MOON IN CAPRICORN. WEIRD WORDS: MERCURY IN CANCER SQUARES NEPTUNE IN ARIES. Focus on 3-5 degrees of cardinal signs. Despite a helpful Sun-Saturn sextile on Tuesday, the next day Mercury will square Neptune, which can be confusing. This influence is brief, however, and it happens twice a year. It can lead to illusory thoughts, strange conversations, and deceptive communications. While Mercury is not retrograde yet, be cautious about signing contracts and notice tech glitches Wednesday and Thursday.  How to work with this astrology: Find some alone time to marinate on the bold new dreams of 2026. If you feel a tension between your desire to speak softly and boldly shout your dreams, that’s right on time for this energy. With Neptune’s typical fog, wait a beat before releasing that press release or making an important decision. This influence will only last a day or so on either end. After Thursday, you have one more week until Mercury’s shadow period: use it wisely. FRIDAY-SATURDAY MOON IN AQUARIUS. THINK DIFFERENT (AND NOTICE POWER DYNAMICS). How to work with this astrology: No major astrology is happening until next week but the Moon’s monthly transit through Aquarius means it will conjoin Pluto on Friday. Notice what power dynamics, hidden agendas, and changes are happening in the part of your chart containing Aquarius. How are you being asked to evolve? How is the collective confronting an increasingly concentrated power structure? What about the rapidly changing technology landscape and AI advances? All these themes could be present, especially on Friday when the Moon is closest to Pluto. After Friday, use this time to take a break from 2026’s relentless pace of news, energy changes, and astrology aspects. Most importantly: think different. Aquarius is one of the most innovative signs. SUNDAY MOON IN PISCES. DREAM AGAIN. How to work with this astrology: Sunday is another day with only a Moon sign change. The Moon in Pisces likes to dissolve into the ocean, feel everything, connect with anyone, and be compassionate to all. On this day, Pisces will be especially amplified as the Moon crosses the North Node in Pisces for the second-to-last time. This will happen once more in July, and then not again for 18 years. If your schedule allows, perhaps use this day to lose yourself in a dream. One thing I’ve noticed with the heavy amount of Aries energy in 2026 is that we’ve lost the playful, dreamy side of Pisces while having to confront the more harsh, direct reality of Aries. Reality is important; it’s time to wake up. But don’t get so fired up that you forget to relax too. In Western cultures, Sunday is the perfect day to do nothing: a spell written by Pisces. ASTROMAPPING In this week’s podcast, I look at the potential global influence of the Sun-Saturn sextile on Tuesday by reviewing both geodetic maps and in mundo ones. More details in the attached podcast. GEODETIC MAPS SHOWING LONG-TERM IMPACT Much of the U.S. East Coast has Aries rising, so Saturn may be activated when the Sun sextiles it this week: Europe’s midheaven is Aries, so those regions could also be activated by Sun sextile Saturn in Aries: North Africa and the Middle East may see activations with Western and Central Africa having Aries on the midheaven and Mars slowly moving across the Arabian peninsula (Mars being the planetary ruler of Saturn in Aries): Many area of China and Southeast Asia have Aries on the descendant, showing a potential impact with neighbors, partnerships, and open enemies: IN MUNDO ZODIACAL MAPS SHOWING SHORTER-TERM IMPACT

April 2026 Forecast

Welcome to April! Yes, it's April 8... This month's episode is late due to some force majeure events on my end. But I'm taking the opportunity to reflect on the month so far and contemplate how events might play out over the next few weeks. I also offer some brief insight into the rest of Q2: May and June are some of the best months of the year. As always, please let me know how the month is landing for you in the comments. In a recent weekly update, I posted the famous "Earthrise" photo taken on the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. We now have a set of contemporary, awe-inspiring Earthrise images from the Artemis II mission that launched on April 1. If you haven't checked out the photos, including a solar eclipse from space, dig in! [https://kottke.org/26/04/solar-eclipse-far-side-of-the-moon]

March 2026 Forecast

Ned Klein joins me again for the monthly forecast episode of The Weekly Stars. We ponder the major astrology of March 2026 and review key events from February. In classic Mercury retrograde fashion, we recorded this episode early Friday before news broke that the U.S. and Israel took military actions against Iran. The U.S. is, once again, at war. On Friday, Feb. 27, we were in the middle of volatile, angry energy after Mars squared Uranus earlier today. This weekend we build toward a Full Moon eclipse opposite Mars. That opposition (Moon vs. the planet of conflict) looks grim given the news breaking right now. Since we recorded this episode before the news broke, make sure to listen with that context in mind. My prayer for this new era is that we find a way to collectively stop this endless conflict. Enough!

Conversations with Friends: Eclipsed Leaders & Royal Astro

My friend Gina joins the pod to discuss how Tuesday's Aquarius eclipse and tomorrow's Saturn-Neptune conjunction are playing out in the news. For new members, this podcast series is a simple phone recording when I'm in the middle of chatting astro with friends. It makes the pod informal and fun, but TW for any audiophiles new to my pod. We recorded a few days ago and well before former Prince Andrew was arrested this morning. Still, my friend Gina (a projector, of course) forecasted that this eclipse would have an impact on the British royals. So I did a deep dive below on Prince William and King Charles' chart. Check that out if you're interested! William is going through a cycle that suggests he will be elevated to the throne soon. And the Aug. 12 eclipse squares Charles' Sun, which is not a signature you want as king. GLOBAL IMPACT OF THE SATURN-NEPTUNE CONJUNCTION Gina and I jumped around while discussing India, the UK, U.S. politics, and the ongoing revelations in the Epstein Files. Gina offered a metaphor describing the files as a "supernova" with a global impact. I thought that name was brilliant because a supernova eventually implodes and implosion is a key signature of Saturn-Neptune conjunctions. (The USSR imploded from a broken economy and leadership vacuum shortly after the 1989 Saturn-Neptune conjunctions.) Plus, tomorrow's Saturn-Neptune conjunction is happening at the start of the entire zodiac, so we've been expecting a global impact. And as the day finally arrives, it's clear (in a soul-shivering, grotesque way) how much the Epstein Files, him as a person, and the elite are connected worldwide. Almost every country is impacted. Every industry from Hollywood to politics to crypto is affected. Even the heavily redacted files are showing us how everything, everywhere, is connected, all at once. We'll look back and see the Epstein Files as a key part of this rare Saturn-Neptune conjunction. ECLIPSE IN AQUARIUS As to Tuesday's eclipse, part of me is still waiting for more news, even though numerous leaders have stepped down, been forced out, or arrested (at least in Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's case). And that's exactly what we expected given that the eclipse happened in Aquarius, which is the sign of the collective, opposite Leo, the sign of leaders. Heads were going to roll (metaphorically, of course). We also saw multiple avalanches this week, which unfortunately makes sense given the eclipse was square to earth-rumbling Uranus in Taurus. Gina and I didn't get a chance to speak about these natural disasters, but it's such a clear connection to the eclipse, I can't ignore. Still, the planet of change and disruption likely has more in store. Maybe everyone in the astrosphere was expecting so much, Uranus is misdirecting. Or maybe major changes are happening behind-the-scenes and will be triggered later. My best guess for more news to drop: First, we have the Moon in Aries crossing Saturn and Neptune today right before the planets conjoin tomorrow. And then next week, Mars will square Uranus on Friday (Feb. 27) before crossing the eclipse point (28 degrees) on Saturday. Mars is often a trigger point for events like an eclipse. Lastly, the energy will only build toward a Full Moon lunar eclipse on March 3. Will the U.S. even have a State of the Union next week? Is a potential conflict between the U.S. and Iran happening? Is that conflict even related to the Epstein Files? All these questions have unclear answers, a signature of any Saturn-Neptune conjunction, but especially this powerful one at zero degrees Aries. I'll come back next week with more thoughts on how it's all playing out. DIVING INTO ROYAL CHARTS Since Gina and I discussed the royals, I'm including two charts below for fellow politicos. The first chart is for Prince William. He was born on a solar eclipse in Cancer. The Windsor monarchy has a consistent history with new beginnings and endings on eclipses: births and deaths; resignations and coronations. William has been dealing with the Nodes in his 10th whole sign house of career and fame and 4th house of family and father since early 2025. The past year has been a major transition for William and could culminate around the Full Moon eclipse in Virgo (March 3) or the Pisces eclipse on August 28, especially if that coincides with Charles' death or resignation (Pisces is connected to father in William's chart). Notice that William's MC (career point) is in Scorpio. It will be squared by Jupiter this summer. Perhaps that means an uncomfortable, expanded role is in store for William. Plus, when the Nodes change to Aquarius and Leo in late July, they will eventually square William's MC too. Something fundamental about his life's purpose and role as a monarch could change. Maybe even the monarchy itself. Lastly, emphasizing what a consequential year 2026 is for William, we note that Queen Elizabeth II was coronated in 1953 right in the middle of a series of Saturn-Neptune conjunctions. And as we all know now, Saturn and Neptune conjoin tomorrow too. Repeat cycles in astrology are one of the best ways to understand historical events. If Prince William is coronated this year, the Saturn-Neptune conjunction suggests his rulership has something in common with Elizabeth II. King Charles was also born on an eclipse (!) but a lunar one. Charles' chart shows that his 10th whole sign house (career) is Taurus, which Uranus has been moving through since 2018. The past 8 years have seen disruptions, surprises, and changes in his career, including his coronation. When Uranus leaves Taurus on April 25, will something about Charles' role as monarch fundamentally change? It could. Uranus can go out with a bang. Most importantly, the August 12, 2026, eclipse in Leo will square Charles' Sun in Scorpio within two degrees. Ancient astrologers studied the planets for the benefit of the kings, and eclipses at a hard angle to a ruler's Sun, Moon, or rising were moments of caution. There is even historical evidence that some cultures would remove the king during an eclipse and put a "fake king" on the throne for days. The Sun also represents kings and rulers in astrology, so to have August 12's eclipse square Charles' Sun is not an auspicious sign for his longevity, at least as figurehead. I'm not the only astrologer to look at the royals' charts, but it's quite clear that the UK British monarchy will have a transition in the next couple years. This summer could be it, given the close contact with Charles' Sun. Next year's eclipses in Aquarius and Leo will also square Charles' North Node (fate, long-term life plan) and Moon (body, among other things). Not a great signature for a King's health. Charles' actual MC (the specific career point and public perception) is in Aries, and Saturn will cross that point on June 14, which is another serious moment. The last time Saturn crossed Charles' midheaven was in April 1997, i.e., four months before Princess Diana's death. I call this Saturn transit the "up or out" moment at work. If you're about to go through this yourself, don't fret. It's different for everyone. Plus, if you put in the hard work, Saturn on your MC can be an incredibly powerful transit. You will be seen, granted authority, and find success. But just like academic tenure, Saturn on the MC usually either elevates people or shows them the door. Lastly, I note that Saturn has been moving through Charles' 8th whole sign house since 2023, and during that time he was diagnosed with cancer. The 8th house can correlate with death (although not always; there are many other aspects of this house). Also, the 8th house deals with inheritance, and Charles inherited the throne during a coronation that happened two months after Saturn entered Pisces.

Conversations with Friends: What actually is going on with the stars?

My friend Nika Burnett joined the pod for an in-depth discussion of the current astrology. So many planetary interactions are happening this month, and it was fun to dissect them one-by-one. We chatted about the big reset of Saturn-Neptune, the attendant confusion and fog of that conjunction, some potential surprises around next week's eclipse, and how the collective conversation on "AI" might change after February. We hit flow state toward the end, so don't sleep on this episode. Nika is an actor and filmmaker based in Los Angeles whose Susbtack Hand Fetish [https://nikaburnett.substack.com] is not to be missed.