If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget it. This is real astrology. See the section above. And if you need help deciphering the astrological glyphs in the graphics accompanying this article, see Astroglyphs: Astrological Symbols Guide. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT).
We are the echo of the future.
-- W. S. Merwin
 

Severe storms, powerful earthquakes, devastating floods and awesome volcanic eruptions: it all comes together to make June look like the latest "bad science" Hollywood disaster epic. Ironic how life imitates art, isn't it? Pull out your checkbook and roll up your sleeve, because the Red Cross needs donations of money and blood this month. Opening up with the first and strongest SuperMoon of 2004 (the full moon on the 3rd), and closing in the build-up to another SuperMoon full moon on July 2nd, June has way too much geocosmic energy not to be replete with the kind of seismic, meteorological and hydrographic turbulence that makes headlines. Mother Nature in an uproar is far from the only story this month, but it's a major theme for sure.

Venus, as it was last month, continues to be a celestial trendsetter in June. Paramount in this respect is of course the June 8 Venus transit across the face of the Sun, the first of its kind since 1882. If you miss this one, you'll get one last chance in 2012 - after that, there won't be another one 'til 2117. The best seats for this year's historic Venus transit are in Europe, Asia and Africa; while those of us in western North America will miss the show entirely if we stay at home. (Remember never to look directly at the Sun: use a filter or a pinhole projector, rather than risk blindness.) This is Venus, so love and sex and money are a focus of world attention this month: count on it, these will be the big stories in June, in addition to the geophysical upheaval theme mentioned earlier.

And then there's the lingering wake of a couple of line-ups from last month. For one thing, there's the Jupiter-Uranus opposition, stubbornly refusing to fade away due in part to these planets remaining within a few degrees of exact alignment until Uranus turns retrograde on the 10th; and also because the full moon on the 3rd makes a grand cross of Jupiter's opposition to Uranus. (Likewise, Mercury sets up a T-square to this pair between the 9th and 10th.) As I mentioned in my 2004 World Forecast Highlights, the Jupiter-Uranus opposition points to ideological extremism; which is a euphemism for self-righteous bigotry, no matter how you slice it. So regrettably we'll have another month of murderous hypocrites killing innocents in the name of Allah, to make the world safe for democracy, or what-have-you. And that's just the half of it, because disease rides right alongside holy war as a scourge of humanity when Jupiter aligns with Uranus. About the only thing worse than having these two trends operating separately would be a connection between them, such as a terrorist or military attack using weaponry that makes a lot of people sick. I'm not saying that we've got such an ugly prospect to look forward to this month, but I can't rule it out either.

Those are the major themes for the month, which starts out with storm clouds roiling the sky and seismic waves rumbling the ground from day one through the 6th, under the aegis of a full moon SuperMoon alignment on the 3rd and Luna reaching maximum declination south of the celestial equator on the 4th. It's as if the late May outburst of destructive storms, earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions not only continues into June, but actually increases in power. This will be the Moon's closest approach (perigee) to Earth all year, although the July and December SuperMoons aren't far behind. It's a time of intense storms with high winds, dangerous lighting and heavy precipitation, of high tides and flooding; not to mention an upsurge in moderate to severe (Richter 5 and up) earthquakes as well as volcanic eruptions. Keep a weather eye on the sky, and if your plans include travel or other outdoor activity then be prepared for weather-related disruptions. Check your emergency kit: batteries, water, candles and canned goods, etc. Most of us won't actually need 'em, but those who do will thank their foresight. This one's going to hurt the insurance companies, that's for sure - and it might be due to more than weather and other geophysical factors.

Astro-locality mapping suggests a few zones which are possibly more vulnerable than most during the SuperMoon period in early June. One of these lies along a north-south line through San Juan, Puerto Rico; another north-south line halfway 'round the world matches this one, running from Shanghai down through Perth. Shifted slightly east of this pair is another couple of risk zones, running from the easternmost Brazilian coast up through Greenland in the west and from Melbourne and Sydney northward through Port Moresby and beyond in the east. Also in the crosshairs are the US-Canadian Pacific Northest and the Great Plains states. But these are only some of the higher risk areas: in reality, severe weather can strike practically anywhere at a moment's notice, and people in seismically active regions everywhere should be watchful during this period.

Venus aligning with the Sun at 18 Gemini on the 8th is one of the major keynotes for the month, as mentioned earlier. It's also one of two periods during the month that look rather rough for major equity markets; the other being the Venus direct station on the 29th. Otherwise the economic news looks good over-all, even if not hugely convincing. Give or take a few days of both dates, it would be nice to be in cash. The thing is, the outlook for the world economy is largely positive - but vulnerable to disruption around the 3rd, 8th and 29th (give or take a few days of these dates). The trend is up, in other words - but it's a fragile trend. (Uranus turning stationary retrograde on the 10th - and being within a degree of that point all month - points to ideological extremists and public health scares being important not only in their own right, but also in terms of their disturbing effect on world finance.) Still, with so strong a Venus cycle in effect, bad news tends to be mitigated and there's a surprising amount of inertia for success and prosperity. It may be fragile and subject to temporary disruption, but it won't be derailed this month.

A brief upsurge in storms and seismic disturbances appears likely a day either side of the 11th, as the Moon crosses the celestial equator southward. This is followed by a more prolonged bout of geophysical upheaval starting around the 14th, and continuing through the 20th. If you live in or plan to visit a seismically active locale, these are times to be on the alert, to have your evacuation or "shelter in place" plans ready just in case. This is also a good time to pay heed to storm warnings, particularly if you're going to be in a flood-prone area. (The 17th and 18th look like the riskiest dates during this period.) Look for the risk of such natural calamities to subside to normal after the 20th, except for a brief up-tick around the 25th. The next really notable storm and seismic potential sets in starting on the 29th, in advance of the July 2 SuperMoon alignment.

SPECIAL FEATURE: This month's birthdays of the famous and infamous (with astrological birth charts)