This Valentine's Day as we celebrate love and romance, endure escalating terror alerts (with good astrological reason), and prepare for a 60’s style peace rally, New York’s Aquarian Mayor Mike marks his 61st birthday.

To honor hizzoner, eight of New York’s astrologers and tarot readers studied the mayor’s birth chart (Feb 14, 1942) and that of The City of New York (January 1, 1898) to see what the year will bring:

All good astrologers know that 2003 is a year of transition. Three outer planets change signs: Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter; and Mars, the planet of war will spend six months in Pisces (rhymes with crisis).

The last time Saturn was in Cancer (1974-76) the city was in dire financial straights.

Will history repeat itself?


Vanity Fair astrologer Michael Lutin thinks so: "Like every other Aquarius in the world Mike is trying to keep from going out of his mind and he’s doing pretty well. But with Uranus moving into his solar 2nd house he can expect a 7-year cycle of mishigas over money."

Brooklyn based astrologer Darcy Woodall agrees: "The main areas that will concern Mike this year will be the economic situation. He will be engaged in a lot of back room power struggles with financial institutions, as well as the state and local government."

"It is all about money, money, money for the Mayor as it was last year. This is about getting it for the City from the Feds who only talked a good game after 9/11 and have yet to deliver. They'll make him beg for the dollars", said astrologer Liane Thomas Wade, executive director of The Antiquarian Booksellers Association.

Washington DC math professor and Tarot expert Bob Cohen said: "feeling the need to balance the books will run the mayor into exhaustion as he robs Peter to pay Paul, and acts as everyone’s psychotherapist in the process. But in the 11th hour he will succeed at keeping the wolves at bay."

Some suggest that the $$ crisis won’t be fully apparent till after the summer.

Mark Seltman, astrologer and corporate advisor said. "September is the month to watch for when the common people will realize that NYC is still in serious fiscal crisis, rents have gone up, services have declined, and school kids are more confused than ever. Bloomberg's popularity will also decline."

Astrologer Stephanie Azaria isn’t so sure:
"2003 is another year in which the jury is out on how New Yorkers actually feel about Bloomberg, but his solid though not yet obvious vision will continue to restructure the city. Mike's fixed energies are just what New York City needs to move beyond 9/11, though his rigidity is hard to swallow and even harder to love." Azaria continued: "Municipal matters persist and are troublesome for the Mayor, but his no nonsense attitude, though difficult to warm up to, will resolve the problems of the city, one at a time. Mike's ability to move us into the future will be apparent by the time he leaves office."

But author of The Astrology Sourcebook, Shirley Soffer, feels that the mayor’s chart indicates it’s time for him to "open up": "Mayor Mike may now realize that he needs to connect emotionally with New Yorkers -- something that doesn't come easily to him. Astrologically, the time is ripe for him to combine his creative will with emotional understanding."

And connecting emotionally could bring romantic rewards this year:

Linda Joyce, author of The Day You Were Born and the upcoming The Star Within (both published by Kensington), agreed: "New York has both the flowers and Bloomberg blooming this spring when he reveals in early April a new plan for the city and a new woman by his side".

"He will be acutely tuned to quality of life issues, both in his personal life and in the city at large. Something should change in his own domestic situation", said Darcy Woodall.

Regarding the schools, Liane Thomas Wade said, "He continues pouring energy into his bold new educational system for the Borough's schools but it is an uphill battle."

And my take (Shelley): The solar eclipse on May 31 could very well have the mayor restructuring his own media empire, just in time for July, which will be hotter than ever for him both literally, and romantically. But safety in the subways and a water crisis could damper an otherwise sensational love affair.

Shelley Ackerman is a freelance journalist and heads The NY Affiliate of The American Federation of Astrologers. On Saturday, April 5, she will conduct a full day Creative Astrology Workshop: Your Chart as A Work of Art. On Sunday, May 18 at 3 PM, she’ll be speaking at The NY Theosophical Society 240 East 53rd St in Manhattan on the transit of Mars in Pisces. Call 212-758-5521 for details.