The Zodiac Dispatch learnt over the weekend that ex-President Richard Nixon was an adherent of astrology. Forever living up to his unfortunate nickname, ‘Tricky Dick’, he was particularly prone to drop bad news to the press during what’s known as the ‘Void-of-Course Moon’. What’s that?
Because the moon is constantly hustling in relation to Earth, it passes through signs of the zodiac every few days. With each shift into a new sign, the moon goes through a ‘Void-of-Course’ phase that is kind of like flat cosmic time. As a sublunar example, think about waiting anxiously on a layover for a flight – that’s how the moon feels just before entering, say, Capricorn from Sagittarius.
In general, a Void-of-Course Moon (VOCM), which can last for a few minutes up to a day or so, is a lacuna where things go unnoticed or get confused or delayed (hence Nixon’s use of these lunar phases to announce bad news). People tend to space out during this moon, projects get stymied, decisions become unfocused, and our purpose goes directionless.
A VOCM is also probably one of the least auspicious times to get married, submit a resume, start a job or business, or throw a big party with lots of people. Endeavours inaugurated under this phase of the moon become riddled with resistance and frustration. Which brings us to Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration on 20 January. It occurs during, yep, a Void-of-Course Moon, which will last from around noon on 19 January until around 2pm on the day of Biden’s ascension to the presidency.
Does history offer any examples of other presidential inaugurations under the VOCM? Let’s see: Nixon, despite his likely forebodings, was also sworn in during one (he was impeached and resigned in ignominy). Then there was the VOCM during Franklin D Roosevelt’s inauguration in his final term of office (he perished within the year).
So far, not so good. Who else? Obama was inaugurated during a VOCM in 2008. With gusto, he pushed through landmark health care reform… only to lose control of Congress for the next 10 years as a result.
While these examples of VOCM inaugurations aren’t so heartening, The Zodiac Dispatch would like to interpret Biden’s Void-of-Course Moon as a silver lining in the dark, hyper-tense, political storm cloud over Washington, DC. In other words, The Void’s tendency to delay things might be exactly what we need and allows us to catch our collective breath after the accelerated events of late. And in a more positive star alignment, the much-discussed Grand Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius will be joined by the benevolent Sun on 20 January. That means a rare, positive, triple planetary conjunction in an air sign, which will particularly uplift trailblazing new Vice President Kamala Harris, who’s chart is popping with air elements (Libra Sun and Gemini Rising). Harris also entered what is known in astrology as a 10-year ‘power cycle’ in December.
A deep breath and let’s hope.