I heard the bad news today – REM is breaking up. While I haven’t bought their music in a while, hearing about my favorite college band breaking up is like hearing about Al and Tipper Gore calling it quits.

What is there left to believe in?

But it doesn’t surprise me that Michael Stipe, lead singer, is moving on. He has sun in Capricorn. Pluto is now transiting Capricorn which means this sign is next in line for transformation of the self (Pluto just finished razing the lives of Sagittarians).

Stipe has Mercury, Saturn and the sun in Capricorn. Pluto has already done the slam dance on his Mercury which means communication style will transform. As one who lives by the sound of his voice and the words of his choice, this is a big change.

After years of voicing his poetry to millions, who will listen to him now?

Pluto will then transit Saturn and the sun. I suspect that Stipe will move into serious, Capricorn pursuits. This serious Capricorn is already known for his social consciousness. My guess is that he will run for political office.

Saturn conjunct the sun makes one self-conscious, serious and reserved. In Capricorn, it lends to uber-seriousness. Stipe could handle the world of politics because, well, Capricorn is a hard-nosed sign that can be controlling and even mean.

Stipe’s moon is in late Pisces or early Aries. Those are very different energies. Stipe comes across more as an emotional, shy Pisces than an aggressive, frustrated Aries. Either sign, however, is being affected by Uranus’ current transit through end of Pisces, beginning of Aries.

Uranus on the moon represents sudden outbursts of the energy of the moon. Maybe Stipe’s moon is in Aries and the breakup was his sudden idea to set himself free.

Stipe has Mars and Jupiter is the fiery, wandering Sagittarius. Maybe if Stipe goes into politics he will be a foreign ambassador. Maybe Stipe can be the glue that holds the north and south together as one happy Union.

Saturn’s current transit through Libra is squaring Stipe’s natal Saturn in Capricorn. This is problems with the partner. Saturn on the sun, especially in Capricorn, can create a somewhat pessimistic view of life, one where the “rules” are paramount. Stipe doesn’t appear to follow the rules, per se, but the rules probably bother him more than he admits. That partner may have triggered this tension in some way.

Stipe’s current transits suggest he will get more serious about his life. Capricorn says you need to achieve something in this world. Stipe certainly has but maybe not what he meant to achieve.

Stipe for President. That would be cool.