Thomas Canfield
Forty-six years ago on August 16, Elvis Presley passed away. He was only 42 years old, and though he had put on a lot of weight, he still had plenty of fans who wanted to come out to his concerts. This year, his passing is marked with a New Moon in Leo, but what makes this New Moon so difficult is that it is trine Eris. This might mark a time of greater discord, and an upheaval in values as shown by Eris conjunct the North Node. (Is Elvis really dead, or did he want you to think that?)
Adding to the upheaval of the New Moon is a square from Uranus in Taurus. Sudden shocks in the business world may be upsetting the public. This may be emphasized by Jupiter squaring Venus and the Ascendant. Some shock waves in the stock market? Fortunately, Jupiter is trine Pallas and Mercury, and common sense and wisdom may keep people from facing a panic. (Are old vinyl Elvis albums a good investment?)
Uranus trine Mars might bring a successful military resolution. Mars is opposing Neptune, and Uranus is sextile Neptune. There could be a major shattering of illusions. (Can Russians win the war against Ukraine when they spend more on Elvis souvenirs than they do on weapons?) Eris is the warmonger planet, but this time she is quincunx Mars, the war planet. All of the war slogans won’t matter if the battlefield is full of Russian bodies (and Elvis Nesting Dolls.)
Eris retrograde is making a slight contact with Pluto retrograde. We might see an increase in the vaccine misinformation that appeared during the Eris-Pluto square during the pandemic. (How does RFK Jr. hope to win votes if his supporters are dying faster than Elvis?) Juno, the asteroid of marriage and politics, is in an out-of-sign opposition to Pluto. There may be more political references to the pandemic, and worries about resurgence. Most of it may be just political posturing, and with Juno squaring the Midheaven, the headline may be worse than the real story. (“Covid victims say the ghost of Elvis told them to get the vaccine.”)
Vesta, asteroid of hearth and home, may see some activity in the month ahead. At the time of the New Moon, Vesta is just out of orb with a sextile to Eris, but it will be making a sextile contact in the days ahead. Vesta is sextile Venus and the New Moon, and that will put more of a spotlight on family matters. Vesta will be squaring Pallas, Mercury, and Mars. “Family values” may return to being the anti-Gay buzz-word that it started to be. There has been talk about Gays “grooming” teenagers to do what they want. (Was Elvis “grooming” Priscilla before their marriage?)
However, with Vesta trine Ceres, some families may be standing up against the families that want to take away rights. Church groups protesting Planned Parenthood centers are finding they are being counter-protested by church groups that approve of Planned Parenthood. Families that oppose Gay families are being opposed by families who support Gay families. The latest shockwave from Florida is an attempt to do away with lifetime alimony, meaning that women who leave their husbands can only be supported for a short time, and then they might be reduced to poverty. People may start asking, is no alimony a sign of family values? (Would Priscilla Presley have been happier if she got alimony instead of taking charge of the Elvis Trust?)
Ceres is sextile Venus and the New Moon. It is a good time to focus on strong women, and realize they are not to be ignored. Not all of the strong women are quoting Hitler and banning books. The image they will need to present is being able to stand up against those who want to limit their rights. Silence only gives aid and comfort to those who take away rights. This big fight, with Eris trine the New Moon may be over who gets the most media attention and mentions from the talking heads. (Can talking heads be distracted by “Blue Suede Shoes?”)
Saturn is not making any aspects to other planets. However, Saturn is sextile the Midheaven of the New Moon chart. As we face the anniversary of the passing of Elvis, we might want to think of his music as a calming influence. In Greek mythology, discord could be dispelled by the music of Orpheus, the greatest of all musicians, who could even charm the rulers of the underworld. Perhaps listening to the work of the American Orpheus, might help calm down matters. A few bars of “Love me tender, love me sweet” may be all that is needed for relaxation. Saturn can be restrictive, but it can also be nostalgic, and tuning in to the Golden Oldies may help with relaxation and avoiding the tension that discord might bring. (If you are a hound dog, should you be listening to “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog?”)
