Consulting Ingress Charts

Mundane astrology predicts world events, cultural trends and collective phenomena. A principal tool of mundane astrology is the use of ingress charts, cast for the moment a planet or luminary (Sun or Moon) enters a sign. The important ones are cast for the moment the Sun enters one of the cardinal signs — Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn — as these are the moments the seasons change. The theory is that the planetary configurations within that chart will reveal what the season will bring.

The 2014 Cancer Ingress chart, set for Washington, DC, has the Sun in Cancer with the Moon in Aries and Cancer on the eastern horizon, the Rising sign. In Mundane astrology the Sun represents the head of state. Here the Sun is posited in the 12th house of secrets, which means behind-the-scenes manipulation, hostage situations and issues of human rights. No, the President is not going to be held hostage, but he will have a lot of closed doors meetings. Mercury is retrograde and near the Sun. Here Mercury, rules the voice of the people, youth, the media, traffic, transportation and treaties. We can expect transportation snafus, miscommunication and some rampant rumors and wild speculation. The Moon in Aries in the very, very public 10th house rules the population as a whole and public opinion. Moon, moving away from a conjunction with rabble rousing Uranus toward an agitating square with Jupiter in Cancer speaks to a very vocal public.

We are still under the influence of the Grand Cardinal Cross that was exact in April. This configuration was slow to form and slow to dissolve. The headlines reflect the symbolism of the four planets, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto, involved in this powerful dynamic. There has been flood, drought, tornado, fires, threats of war, kidnapped school girls and assorted fanatics and weirdos coming out of the woodwork; this summer does not look like it will bring any relief.

Venus, which attracts, moves into Gemini on June 23rd. Geminis should take advantage of the ramped up social life and money earning opportunities while Venus moves through their sign. Libra and Taurus, ruled by Venus, respond to the change with Libra taking off on the social and romantic front. Taurus benefits in a more material manner. Money and stuff so dear to the Taurus heart comes rolling in.

Mars in the ingress chart is ready for battle. He is in an explosive combination with Uranus and Pluto. Be wary of folks prone to violence around June 25. Something military is going on as well as earthquakes or other violent upheavals of nature.

Mercury goes direct on July 1st. Gemini and Virgo, the signs Mercury rules, feel the shift more than the rest of us, but we all benefit when new information surfaces and communication clears up.

Fourth of July weekend, the usual time for fireworks, may bring more than we bargained for. The Moon that weekend is in Libra, which is generally good for social gatherings as our herding instinct is aroused.  When the Moon shifts into intense, emotional Scorpio on Sunday afternoon, treat folks gently as offense may be taken where none was meant. Mercury changes gears on July 13, entering Cancer. Emotions and feelings motivate our speech. We say what we feel often by blurting out our innermost thoughts. Venus follows on the 18th, bringing that magnetic influence into Cancer. Cancer’s social life picks up. When it comes to loving with Venus in Cancer, we are all looking for the cuddly, touchy-feely kind. In relationships and investments, we want to feel safe.

On the 15th, Jupiter enters Leo. This is a big event and starts a 12-year cycle for Leo. Jupiter brings expansion and opens people up to new ideas and new philosophies. The world is Leo’s oyster this year.

The week of July 20th is a shifty, changey period. Some things begin to move forward while others are put on hold. The Monday and Tuesday commute that week should be interesting. By the end of that week, people are ready for action when on July 25th Mars moves out of harmony-loving Libra and enters home turf, Scorpio. In Libra, where he has been moving back and forth since last December, he was like a bull in a china closet. Here he flexes his muscle and starts to behave like a warrior or athlete should. The gloves are off and he’s ready to settle some old scores. Scorpios are pumped with Aries never far behind. When a planet is in the sign it rules, the function of that planet operates at optimal level. Here the key word is action.

Sun moves into Leo on the 22nd, tickling our fun-loving bone. Leo shines, moving center stage to bask in the spotlight. We’re all looking for a little fun now.

On July 31st, quick little Mercury moves into Leo. Voices will be heard and speech becomes very dramatic, setting the stage for an August opening with a lot of discussion, negotiating and tossing around of ideas. World events reflect a spirit of cooperation. But the usual diplomacy is not effective and old methods of warfare don’t work anymore. Creative thinking is needed on a global level as well as a personal one. Think out of the box. Venus joins the Leo party on August 12, bringing some showy diplomatic skills to the table. Love affairs get dramatic and oh-so-romantic. On the 16th, when Mercury slides home to Virgo, we see a lot of hammering out the details. World leaders may hammer out treaties, but regular folks purge their files, closets and junk drawers.

The Last Quarter Moon in August on the 17th brings some shaking up of the status quo. Money, finances and the economy are topics of discussion as stock markets around the world bubble and bounce. The 23rd sees Sun entering Virgo and at the New Moon that follows on August 25, a lot of fresh details surface. Some make a preemptive strike on fall cleaning.

As September begins, the door is open for renewed negotiations. This is the time to have that conversation. No accusations or recriminations — just a chat about what is. Venus in Virgo on the 5th of September is all about the facts. Not as prim as one would like to think — Virgo is an earth sign after all. The Harvest Moon in Pisces on September 8th is a time of opening to the spiritual, healing and forgiveness, which is tough to do sometimes. Mars leaves intense Scorpio and strides into Sagittarius. Here he is more sporting in nature and looking for adventure, not revenge.

This summer will bring the unexpected, the unusual and some startling events. While it is not time to head for the bunker, prepare for some shockers. Some weeks the weather will be as crazy as the people. And there will be crazies out there. We live in a volatile period. Broad social change is occurring in many parts of the world. Some wish to maintain the status quo while others push for change. Growth and evolution are never easy and this summer, the shifting planetary dynamic pushes a lot of buttons on a lot of people. Best advice? Stay cool.