Yearly Archives: 2012

Moon in a Grand Cross: An Edgy Tuesday

Dear Friend and Reader:

I’m here with a short note about today’s astrology. At the moment the Moon is in Cancer (sensitive, receptive, moody), making many aspects to planets you may be familiar with: the Uranus-Pluto square, which currently includes Mars in Libra. Mars, Uranus and Pluto are now in a very close alignment — and today the Moon is aspecting all of these planets at once.

This is emotionally edgy astrology. I would not be surprised if even the most level-headed person was feeling out of sorts, reactive, pissed off or sad today.

You can also harness this energy and focus it, though that will require some mental override, just as we’re at the beginning of a Mercury retrograde. It is an option, though it will take clarity and honoring the values that matter to you the most (signified by Mercury in Leo). Borrowing some common sense from A Course in Miracles, remember that what matters matters, and what doesn’t matter does not.

The aspects are peaking now and the sensation associated with them doesn’t start to cool down a bit until later today, though where the emotions are involved, the settling down period can be longer. Here are a couple of other elements in the sequence as it unfolds over the next day or so.

Soon after the Moon passes through the cardinal grand cross, it trines Chiron in Pisces (water sign to water sign). This provides an opening for healing. That might come in the form of figuring out what was really bothering you, making amends, opening up emotionally where you were previously responding by shutting down, or finding yourself in smoother waters. Do your best to pass that forward.

Chiron in Pisces is involved; music will help.

Also remember that the Moon is at the end of its monthly cycle — the New Moon is late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning in most of our readership areas (Thursday at 12:24 am EDT). This suggests that a cycle of experience is coming to a close. Work out your emotions, wrap up your business and get ready to invoke a new vision.

While you’re at it, make sure you get enough food, air, water and human contact. Spend some time at home; we’re talking about the Cancer New Moon here.

See you with a regular edition on Friday morning.

With love,

PS — don’t miss part 2 of my interview with Elisa Novick tonight on Planet Waves FM, available on Daily Astrology & Adventure.

Who Was Woody Guthrie?

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This week’s article includes an audio presentation on the life and music of Woody Guthrie. It includes an interview with Guthrie, plus 11 songs, with guest appearances by Bob Dylan, George Harrison, U2 and others. It’s downloadable and can be played on any kind of device. — efc

Dear Fellow Traveler:

Who was Woody Guthrie, really?

I ask this acknowledging how little we know about the human experience — where we come from, where we are, the true history of our planet, and what the purpose of our journey here is. One thing we can say for sure is that we experience considerable adversity here, and that there’s often a reluctance by many people to offer our support to those who are struggling.

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie.

We do a lot of turning the other way. We do a lot of pretending that this or that is not my problem, it’s your problem. We tend to see ourselves as separate from the people around us, preferring to emphasize what’s different rather than what we have in common — and we suffer for it.

For that reason, we need messengers, and from time to time, one shows up and we actually listen to what they have to say. Woody Guthrie, who would be 100 years old on Saturday, came to teach us something about our experience here, and how we can open our hearts and minds to the people we might not notice, or prefer not to notice. And amazingly, many people noticed. By the time of his premature death of a rare genetic disorder in 1967, he was a well-respected figure in American music, and considered the progenitor of American folk tradition, the inspiration for many musicians to write their own protest songs, and a source of encouragement for many activists to speak up against injustice.

In his human form, Woody was a poet, singer, songwriter and author who collected songs from the back alleys and backwoods of the United States traveling among freed slaves and their children, and farmers displaced from their land by foreclosure. He lived among Indians, hillbillies and city folk — all the while collecting songs and their endless variants.

It’s the soul of Woody Guthrie that does something a lot deeper, embodying an authenticity and selflessness that seems to be coming from just a bit deeper than the usual place, or maybe a bit beyond the world as we think of it.

Woody Guthrie in New York City, where he seemed to be very much at home — living in Brooklyn (right near the beach), Manhattan and Staten Island at different times.

Yet Woody was truly a man of this world and of the American experience. He was born in Okemah, Oklahoma on July 14, 1912 — on the day that the French Revolution is celebrated. In the spirit of that revolution, Guthrie understood the struggle against economic inequity and the way in which the game seems to be rigged against a fair outcome. Woody was an example of what it means to speak up for what is right, or simply what is true.

His travels took him to New York, where he lived in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island, and where he wrote his most famous song — ‘This Land is Your Land’ — in Pete Seeger’s kitchen, outside the town of Beacon, along the Hudson River.

Woody’s story is best told in music, and I’ve prepared a special edition of Planet Waves FM which includes some of his songs, a 1944 interview with Woody from BBC radio, versions of his music performed by contemporary artists, and my commentary. I also take a look at Woody’s astrology, giving a few other details than the ones I cover in this article. One theme of the audio presentation is how the folk tradition evolves from one generation to the next. To demonstrate this I play covers of Woody songs by such notables as Bruce Springsteen and U2.

I don’t think Woody would have been too surprised to see the way that the American experiment turned out. All of the issues he was writing about in the 1930s and 1940s are the same ones we’re facing today: economic struggle, banks running out of control, the profit motive driving everything, the stock market being little other than a casino where addicts gamble away the wealth of the country, people being foreclosed out of their homes, and one war after the next.

But he might be very surprised to see the way his music endured. His son Arlo once said that when his dad was in the late stages of Huntington’s disease, he taught him to play ‘This Land is Your Land,’ just to be sure that someone would remember it. Well, we all do.

“This Machine Kills Fascists” blazing off of Woody’s guitar, as ever. Photo courtesy of Woody Guthrie Archives.

As you’ll hear Bruce Springsteen explain in the audio presentation, ‘This Land’ was written as an angry song, a reply to Irving Berlin’s pompous ‘God Bless America’.

Of the many comments I’ve read about Woody Guthrie this week, Chris Hedges best sums him and his mission.

“Cultures that endure carve out a protected space for those who question and challenge national myths. Artists, writers, poets, activists, journalists, philosophers, dancers, musicians, actors, directors and renegades must be tolerated if a culture is to be pulled back from disaster. Members of this intellectual and artistic class, who are usually not welcome in the stultifying halls of academia where mediocrity is triumphant, serve as prophets.”

He continues, “They are dismissed, or labeled by the power elites as subversive, because they do not embrace collective self-worship. They force us to confront unexamined assumptions, ones that, if not challenged, lead to destruction. They expose the ruling elites as hollow and corrupt. They articulate the senselessness of a system built on the ideology of endless growth, ceaseless exploitation and constant expansion. They warn us about the poison of careerism and the futility of the search for happiness in the accumulation of wealth.”

And Chris concludes, “They make us face ourselves, from the bitter reality of slavery and Jim Crow to the genocidal slaughter of Native Americans to the repression of working-class movements to the atrocities carried out in imperial wars to the assault on the ecosystem. They make us unsure of our virtue. They challenge the easy clichés we use to describe the nation — the land of the free, the greatest country on earth, the beacon of liberty — to expose our darkness, crimes and ignorance. They offer the possibility of a life of meaning and the capacity for transformation.”

Where do we find this in Woody Guthrie’s chart? Let’s take a look. His birth time is not known; the chart we have is a proposed rectification, wherein I give him Sagittarius — the sign of the traveler — in the ascendant.

This is my proposed rectification of Woody Guthrie’s natal chart, giving him Sagittarius rising — a visionary, a teacher and a traveler. Woody’s strong Cancer signature mimics the United States Sibly chart, which also has many planets in Cancer in the 8th house of shared resources — “this land is my land, this land is your land.”

I’ve oriented the chart with Jupiter (the teacher and benefactor) rising, as well as Juno (a champion of social justice) in the ascendant as well. I’ve put Vesta, the keeper of the flame, as the most elevated planet (in the audio, you will hear what his daughter Nora has to say about coal holders, the members of the tribe who carry the burning ember to the next campsite).

Woody was born with many planets in the sign Cancer, the sign of home. You could say he was an idealist, with all of those planets, including the Sun, the Moon and Venus, clustered around Neptune. Or you could say that his passion for life and for humanity was driven by a kind of mysticism that was veiled by his plain talk and somewhat aloof personality.

Yet just beneath that somewhat scratchy, sleep-with-his-boots-on layer was the sustained passion that can only come with strong water placements. Those include Chiron in Pisces, which he has square Jupiter — one of the aspects that points to a quest for social justice. These social justice markers show up all over his chart — for example his square between Juno (usually associated with marriage, though also an indicator of social consciousness) conjunct Jupiter and square Chiron. Though Woody had three wives, his first love was standing up for humanity.

He has Mercury in Leo (which has returned for a long stay in that sign at the time of his 100th birthday) suggesting that his words are as good as gold — or perhaps an example of the only true gold. His Mars and Ceres in Leo propose that maybe the only other truly useful form of gold is food.

We need Woody Guthrie today. We need his perception, his sense of fairness and most of all his willingness to speak up against injustice. We need his example of how necessary it is for those who feel the calling to tell the truth.

Fortunately, nearly all of his words and music survive, though more than that, the thing they would speak to in the human spirit is alive within each of us. As his contemporary, novelist John Steinbeck said of him, “There is the will of a people to endure and fight against oppression. I think we call this the American spirit.”

In case you’re inclined to confuse the American spirit with Bain Capital, repealing ‘Obamacare’ or the local shopping mall, I suggest you investigate the Declaration of Independence and see what you find there. Or, you can listen to the magnificent words and music of Woody Guthrie, which I’ve put together in a 75-minute presentation. That page includes instructions for listening on any kind of device, including burning to CD.

It’s an honor to share this with you, and I’ve learned a lot diving into Woody’s music and legacy the past week putting it together.

Lovingly,

Mercury Stations Retrograde This Weekend

We’re about to begin the fourth inner planet retrograde of 2012 — Mercury stations retrograde in Leo at 10:16 pm EDT Saturday. This will be an eventful retrograde because Mercury will cover the early degrees of Leo, putting it into aspect with many planets — Venus, Chiron, Uranus, Pluto, Ceres, Jupiter, the lunar nodes and Neptune. Then on Aug. 8 it will turn around and aspect most of those planets again, moving in direct motion.

Composite image of Mercury by MESSENGER spacecraft in 2008. Yellow impact craters from asteroids show freshly ejected material; craters with blue show that fresh material was ejected from beneath the surface, indicating volcanoes. Photo: NASA.

This weekend we also have a lot of hot activity on the cardinal cross. The Sun in Cancer makes a conjunction to Varuna, square to Eris and square to Saturn. This may feel like figuring out you’re hemmed into a situation you want to get out of, but are not quite sure how to do it. The thing to remember is, this has gone on for a while, and even if you decide you want to take action, it would be better to avoid that the weekend Mercury is stationing; rather than lurch, spend the next few days sorting out the issues, and see where you stand by the middle of next week. Mercury stationing retrograde tends to shake out information, which you will then need to evaluate.

Additionally, Mars in Libra is now very close to a square to Pluto in Capricorn and opposition to Uranus in Aries. That will only add to the tension, and it could precipitate events prematurely — definitely keep your cool if the pressure is on. There is a path of correct action; let the astrology feed your courage and resolve while you use your mind to figure out what is best for you to do — and please, aim high.

Many aspects means many points of contact, and where Mercury is involved, plenty to think (and talk) about. With Mercury retrograde, the subject matter becomes inwardly focused and will tend to have an orientation on resolving the past. You may find yourself reviewing the past few months, reconsidering how you feel or what your opinion is, and making some decisions about what you want. The thing is, when deciding what you want, it helps to make that from among choices that you really want.

Leo is the sign of gold and the gold standard: the reference by which we measure material value, and by metaphor, spiritual value. In its conceptual form (as an astrological sign) it could represent both, and the retrograde could be a valuable time to sort out some of your material values in our time of profound change, and what we think of as economic crisis. It would be helpful if we acknowledged how much of that economic crisis really amounts to a crisis of values.

That’s to say: what’s really important to us, and do we do anything about it? Do we see our spending habits as a reflection of our values? Do we recognize that we exert power every time we direct our cash flow? Mercury will be trekking through the central aspect pattern that’s influencing all of us right now — the Uranus-Chiron-Neptune-Pluto configuration. Mercury influences our individual thought patterns, and now it’s in a long phase of contact with something much bigger than any individual. This is a fine opportunity to consider where we really stand and an invitation to change our minds about what we learn.

The Cancer New Moon is just past midnight EDT on Thursday, July 19.

Fukushima Children Get Lifetime Radiation Dose

A Japanese study has found some children who live near the Fukushima nuclear plant have received lifetime doses of radiation to their thyroid glands, one of the organs that’s most sensitive to radiation. Meanwhile, radiation continues to dump into the Pacific Ocean, many fish are migratory, and all the world’s oceans are interconnected.

Scientists from Japan’s Institute of Radiological Sciences used existing government data to measure the internal radiation exposure of more than 1,000 Fukushima children, who were exposed after the nuclear plants melted down after an earthquake and tsunami. The Japanese government has been claiming that more than half of the children had zero exposure, though the independent study found that on average they did receive thyroid gland doses of internal radiation. Several children were judged to have received an equivalent lifetime dose to the thyroid. But the government says it does not plan to notify the parents out of fear of creating anxiety.

Jill Stein: Green Party Candidate for President is Earthy Taurus

We’re used to elections being a choice between bad and worse — which is a good way to maintain cynicism and disinterest in the political system. The United States does have parties other than the Republicrats, though you rarely hear of them. One is the Green party, which for years was represented by Ralph Nader as its candidate for president. Nader is no longer running, and someone named Jill Stein is the presumptive nominee.

Jill Stein, a Green Party candidate for president, during her campaign for governor of Massachusetts in 2002. Photo by Michael Manning.

Stein was born in Chicago and is now a resident of Massachusetts, where she’s run for a number of different offices (including governor) but so far has only won a seat on the Lexington town board. Her platform includes the Green New Deal, which includes Americans having the right to a living wage and a clean environment. Stein would seem to have the astrology of a Green Party candidate — she has the Sun in Taurus in an exact conjunction to retrograde Mercury — she is someone who can think for herself. And she has Saturn, Juno and Mars in Virgo, suggesting an authentic motivation to care for the Earth. Like Woody Guthrie, she has Jupiter square Chiron, one mark of a true social crusader.

In an interview with the organization PR Watch, she said recently, “Of the trillion dollars we spend [on health care] every year, 75 percent of that is spent on chronic diseases that are preventable for half the cost. So I would just add as ancillaries to that; forgiving student debt and making public higher education free is a key part of this, and of course downsizing the military and bringing the troops home as well.”

A New York Times interview with Jill Stein in February 2012 stated her criticism of President Obama. When asked if the president is deserving of credit, Stein stated “As we found on issue after issue — the war, reappointing George Bush’s secretary of defense, sticking to George Bush’s timeline on Iraq, expanding the war, expanding the drone wars all over the place. And how about bringing Wall Street in, the guys who created the problem, among his first appointments. It was pretty clear right then that this was going to be business as usual on steroids. We’re certainly not more secure, more equitable, more healthy or safer internationally, with what Obama has brought.”

On July 11, 2012, Stein selected anti-poverty activist Cheri Honkala as her running mate for the Green vice-presidential nomination. Though it’s hard to think of this as being more than a token gesture, use your imagination and consider what would happen if these women had a voice on the national stage — even as candidates who are taken seriously.

Report on Penn State a Study in Enabling Behavior

One thing I’ve noticed working with many clients unraveling their childhood sex abuse is that there’s generally someone in the household who knows what’s going on. How is it possible that a stepfather can abuse a child in the house for years with the mother home, and the mother has no idea what’s going on? Well, there are a lot of ways this happens, and we found out about many of them with the release of the report on the Penn State scandal by Louis Freeh, a former federal judge and director of the FBI under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Minor planet search showing Hebe right in the mix of many planets in the mid-mutable signs, including Pholus and Ixion, which describe a legacy of conduct without the concern for consequences, or what you can think of as amorality — a sign of our times.

In a household, the person who serves as the enabler is just as responsible for what happens to the child as the perpetrator is. The world seems to agree that this is probably true in the case of Penn State as well, though the real test is whether those who helped out will be prosecuted.

I am still researching the report and the associated astrology, though in simple terms the document — released in Philadelphia at 9:00 am on Thursday, July 12, 2012 (according to the university’s website) — concluded that everyone knew, and did nothing out of concern about bad publicity for the university’s powerhouse football program. Last month Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse, most of which occurred in his home or in Penn State facilities.

When studying the chart of an abuse situation, one of the first points to check is asteroid Hebe, the cupbearer. Hebe’s glyph includes a triangle, which Martha Lang Wescott reminds astrologers to think of as the Karpman triangle when they draw the shape — the diagram that helps us understand abuse situations. Though the triangle technically covers victim-persecutor-rescuer, the third position can also include “let me help you” kind of enabling behavior. The helpers in this situation ranged from a top vice president of the university, the police, the director of the athletic program and the famed Joe Paterno, the football team’s coach. There was also a far-reaching conspiracy within the Happy Valley community to make sure that its main bread and butter, and source of its self image — college football — stayed in business. And Sandusky raped most of the kids at home, while his wife was in the house. She says she had no clue.

In the chart, we find Hebe square a troubling outer-planet aspect that’s been developing for years — Pholus (pressure release; addictive situations; multigenerational legacy) conjunct Ixion (amoral conduct; anyone is capable of anything), both in Sagittarius. This conjunction seems to be one of the hallmarks of our times, when we have to figure out again that there’s such a thing as right and wrong. Hebe shows up in aspect to other planets along the Sagittarius/Gemini axis that keep coming up (generally when the Sun passes through a mutable sign).

One thing to understand about abuse situations is that they seem to be fed by the energy of repression — that is, of secrecy, and of sexual energy having little in the way of healthy outlets. Then once the scandal comes out, it seems to open things up but in truth there is little that will hold down sexual energy or discussion of the incident as effectively as public disclosure, which can in turn feed future situations rather than move them in the direction of resolution. It might seem like there is no way out — but there is. We will have more on this issue around the time of the Leo New Moon next month.

About that Safe, Effective MMR Vaccine Everyone Gets

People who refuse to vaccinate their children are often considered a little freaky, as if they’re risking their health and that of every kid in school. But now two former employees of Merck Pharmaceutical, a British multinational, are accusing the drug company of using improper testing methods and falsifying data to make the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine appear highly effective when the opposite is true.

Workers make openings in chicken eggs in preparation for a measles vaccine.

Former Merck virologists Stephen Krahling and Joan Wlochowski say that they “witnessed firsthand the improper testing and data falsification in which Merck engaged to artificially inflate the vaccine’s efficacy findings,” according to Courthouse News Service. The allegations are contained in a 2010 lawsuit, which was confidential until late June. The case has not been decided yet.

In a second lawsuit, a federal anti-trust class action was filed by Chatom Primary Care. Again, according to the Courthouse News Service, “Merck has known for a decade that its mumps vaccine is ‘far less effective’ than it tells the government, and it falsified test results and sold millions of doses of ‘questionable efficacy’, flooding and monopolizing the market.” This is another way of saying that the vaccine ‘works’ as long as it drives in profits for the company (which is just the only definition of ‘works’ in the chemical or pharma industries).

Merck is the only manufacturer licensed by the FDA to sell the mumps vaccine in the United States, and if it could not show that the vaccine was 95 percent effective, it risked losing its lucrative monopoly. Chatom claims that Merck went to great lengths to prop up the bogus figures even though it knew that the attenuated virus from which it created the vaccine had been altered over the years during the manufacturing process, and that the quality of the vaccine had degraded as a result. An attenuated virus is a live virus that’s had its toxicity reduced.

Merck’s response is that none of the lawsuit’s allegations relate to the safety of its products, which avoids the issue of the deception about the product’s effectiveness. This is the same MMR vaccine that has been accused of causing autism, though those claims have not been fully documented. Numerous agencies and organizations have said that there is no relationship between the vaccine and autism — but bigger lies have survived such scrutiny.

Even if Merck’s MMR vaccine were to cause autism, the company is shielded from liability. Dr. Joe Mercola notes that, “Merck lost many billions when their drug, Vioxx, killed tens of thousands of people and was taken off the market in 2004. If any of their vaccines killed similar numbers, or even more, they would not be held liable in damages for a single cent because Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court have completely shielded big drug companies like Merck from civil liability for vaccine injuries and deaths.”

Planet Waves monthly horoscopes provide a broader perspective that surveys the themes of the coming month and often, the weeks that follow. The revised version of the Planet Waves July monthly horoscope (originally published Friday, June 22) was published Saturday June 23. Inner Space for July was published on Tuesday, June 26. The most recent Moonshine horoscope by Genevieve Hathaway (for July) was published on July 3. Please note a change in the publishing pattern. For a few months we were publishing the monthly horoscope on Wednesday evenings, but that was proving to be too confusing. We have shifted the monthly to be incorporated into the Friday issue after the Sun has entered a new sign; Inner Space still publishes on Tuesdays. — efc

Planet Waves FM: Conversation with Elisa Novick

This week Elisa Novick returns to Planet Waves FM. Elisa is a master healer who has a very interesting story to tell. The program begins with an overview of the current astrology, including Mercury stationing retrograde, Sun square Saturn and a few other points of interest. [Tech note to listeners: the interview is in stereo! If you can only hear one of us talking, connect your other speaker or figure out how to put your system into mono.]

Elisa Novick.

This week’s edition is part one of two is part one of two with Elisa — our whole conversation is about two hours and 15 minutes. In this first segment, we cover the vast topic of learning to listen to your inner spiritual guidance. This is something that nearly everyone seeks and for some reason relatively few people find. Our conversation might make it seem like a more practical matter.

We find out something about how Elisa started off in her spiritual practice and how she got to where she is today (when some of her best friends are what we would call plants!). This is an unusually candid discussion of how much it’s possible to learn, and why you might want to learn it.

As with all things spiritual or which we’re told are spiritual, I suggest you bring your discernment and your curiosity with you. The two work together: if you encounter an idea that you’re questioning, or have a response you’re wondering about, your curiosity and discernment can blend into a light that will allow you to see into places in yourself you haven’t necessarily encountered before.

We last heard from Elisa in an article from our Friday subscriber series, about Beltane — called In Praise of Trees. Don’t miss the really exciting PDF connected to this article. We will be back with part two of this week’s interview next week.

Elisa does private counseling, and she teaches some informative classes. If you can, get to the Hudson Valley for the next Tree Love workshop! You can reach her through her website Thriving Planet. If you’re curious to hear the interview we did back in October, here is the link.

Here is your program in the old player, where you’ll find the full archives of Planet Waves FM and a downloadable zip file. Here is another archive of recent programs (with descriptions).

Enjoy! And please share your thoughts, reflections and any questions you may have on the blog post connected to this edition.

Planet Waves

Friday, July 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #910 | Eric’s Zodiac Sign Descriptions

Cancer Birthdays: At the Crossroads of Taking Action

If you have a birthday in the vicinity, you’re at the point of taking action, including after a long delay — though as Mercury stations retrograde you may be feeling hesitant. Don’t let that get in the way of making your decisions about what you want, getting organized and then paying attention for the right moment to take action. There is considerable activity in the cardinal signs (all of them — Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn), which may be giving you the feeling of ‘life coming at you from all directions’ — or alternately, the sensation of getting the parts working together. Though it’s too much to describe in detail here, there are actually two different cardinal cross structures — one involving the Sun square Saturn and the other involving Mars square Pluto and opposite Uranus. Sun square Saturn is your ability to focus the emotional discipline that you need at this time in your life, and also comes with a reminder that the playing field is leveler than you think. You have to try out the game and see how you do. Second is Mars coming into the Uranus-Pluto square — that’s like a fire being lit under your ass, including the emotional strength to take action. This energy can be devoted to any aspect of your life. There are two keys: one is microfocus on your timing. Consider carefully what action you take at any given time. Second is that with so much Mars power, you don’t need to exert much energy — a little less than you think would be sufficient. Guide things more than direct them; focus your energy rather than pushing the river and you will get consistently surprising results through the next year of your life.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You may feel like you’re backed into an emotional corner, though I strongly suggest you not react that way. Instead, consider what your current circumstances are describing, and ask yourself: is it time to sweat this out, or is it time to make a change? There comes a point when persistent frustration can no longer be considered as something that will pass — especially if the years are passing faster than the situation. The deeper question is, what insecurities stand between you and making a decision? I suggest you be patient and carefully examine all the facts. Make a timeline and see how far back you can trace this. Then I suggest you design a plan that will take you through the end of August to implement. Timing is everything; the pressure you may be feeling now is likely to increase over the next week, and with Mercury stationing retrograde over the weekend, you really want make clear decisions with your mind rather than your emotions.

Hello Aries — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Over the next week you may get a taste of how complex an emotional situation is, though the outer circumstances are truly the superficial layer. When you start asking yourself the right questions, you will discover that the real subject involves your self-esteem. A central question is not how much someone else values you — rather, it’s how much do you value yourself, and are you able to live and breathe that value? As you move through the events of the next week, quietly ask yourself that question over and over again. You can also inquire whether you feel like you’re associating with people who really do honor the best things about you. While you’re doing that, it would be healthy to inquire whether you notice and appreciate the qualities that others offer you. Sincere and openly expressed gratitude is a remarkably accurate measure of self-esteem.

Hello Taurus — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed) If you would like to hear your Taurus birthday reading, please visit this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — It’s time you recognize the value of your words. Indeed, I suggest you consider that what you say and how you say it are your most precious assets. If you were to keep that firmly in mind, you might say less, and you would ensure that any promise you make is something you’re fully prepared to honor. While Mercury is retrograde for the next few weeks, I suggest you consider any commitments you have that you haven’t come through on yet, and make a plan for what to do about them. You can renegotiate rather than renege; the most vital thing is that you have a clear understanding with whomever you have an arrangement, or with anyone to whom you’ve made a promise. If you go through your life systematically and settle your affairs with people, you will proceed differently when making commitments in the future. And remember — everything you say is a kind of promise.

Hello Gemini — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed). Your Gemini birthday reading is ready! Click here for an hour of astrology plus a tarot reading by Eric.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You may be feeling hemmed in or backed into an emotional corner. If that’s true, it’s essential that you keep your cool and take stock of your situation before you react or even respond. What you may be perceiving as a negative situation could easily be an opportunity for cooperation, lending itself just as well to a creative response. That’s all a matter of perspective — and how confident you are. I would propose a litmus test for your own life: if you have options, you’re safe, and your situation is workable. If you don’t like the options you have, be creative and think of new ones. If nothing else, the astrology of the coming week or so is designed to spur you into action on some of your most meaningful goals. This can feel like having a fire lit under your ass, or it can feel like responding to the call of destiny; the choice is pretty much all yours.

Hello Cancer — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed). Your Cancer birthday reading is ready! It includes more than hour of astrology plus a tarot reading, and has been wildly popular (also great for Cancer rising people). Use this link to order.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Mercury has been in your sign since June 25, and it will be there through Aug 31 — longer than two months, owing to the fact that it’s about to be retrograde for the next 24 days. If I may suggest something bold, this is an excellent opportunity for you to use and develop your mind. You would be amazed how rarely this happens. If you are doing something and you encounter resistance, stop and use your mind. One thing to avoid right now is anything with the feeling of pushing a rock up a hill. If you want to accomplish something but you feel like you lack the confidence, stop and think. If you do, you’ll notice that you have more than enough experience to achieve what you want — if you remember to use what you know. The extent to which so many people forget or refuse to keep their mind in the ON position is astounding, and you will benefit handsomely from remembering.

Hello Leo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — One key to happiness is learning from your mistakes. This is a skill in itself, and indeed it may even qualify as a talent. The extent to which you master that skill reflects how serious you are about living your life fully. Learning is one of the best ways to save time. When you have a reason to learn something, do it well: truly get a grasp of the subject matter. At the moment, I suggest you slow down where a career or professional matter is concerned, pause making decisions, and study your relationship to authority. That means people who seem to have authority in your life (including benefactors) and situations where you’re personally responsible for something. The lesson? How not to be guided by your insecurities, or said another way, how not to be afraid of yourself, or your power to make decisions. If you make a mistake, figure out what went wrong, and start over.

Hello Virgo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — First of two thoughts: I suggest you consider the value of your image. It may actually be worth something, and more meaningfully, worth something to you. How you’re perceived actually has a bearing on your life. You may be involved in a series of adjustments to make sure that how you present yourself to others is consistent with who you actually are; your current solar chart is a study in sincerity. Being authentic saves energy — a lot of it, too. Second: this is the time to appreciate your friends, and let them know how much you care about them. Of all the things or circumstances in the world that have actual meaning, the people who have demonstrated that they’re there for you are at the top of the list. Count yourself among the most fortunate people on Earth if you understand the concept ‘trust’ and if you have even one person you know in your heart is a friend.

Hello Libra — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You can turn the mental or emotional pressure you’re feeling into a brainstorm. The psychic radar known as astrology looks like you might be stressed, even to the point of panic attacks. Don’t be fooled by the subject matter: remember that energy is energy, and the first skill of the Scorpio Jedi is directing all energy into a constructive, creative or healing force. By all energy, I mean everything from passion to anxiety, from desire to curiosity. The key is going to be remembering this when the energy manifests in some form you would not prefer — and keeping your head on. Meanwhile, I would maintain a good vibes posture. Walk away from arguments. Remind yourself how safe you are (and if you’re not, make a decision), and remember that the light you hold around yourself shines out into the world.

Hello Scorpio — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Your life would be a lot easier if you start from the premise that you don’t understand the changes someone else is going through. This will get your past perceptions, opinions and ideas about the relationship out of the way, and grant you the ability to do the one thing that rarely ever happens: to see someone else clearly in this moment. You may seem to be the one that’s changing, though a lot more is going on than that, no matter what anyone else may say or accuse you of. It’s way too easy to go into blame mode when it comes to intimate encounters with others, and you can do yourself a big favor by setting that aside, and noticing when others are doing it to you. In fact, you are changing, someone close to you is changing, and the whole relationship seems to be taking a step into the abyss. This will be less stressful than what you’ve been through recently.

Hello Sagittarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — There’s no debate that people are free: both you and the people close to you. This is true no matter how trapped anyone may feel, by whatever they think is trapping them. I suggest you take some time over the next few weeks and consider the agreements you have with others, or what Carolyn Myss calls ‘sacred contracts’. Those are all up for review now, which does not mean cancellation but rather a clear evaluation. Consider the commitments you have to others, the commitments they have to you, and where these promises intersect with your life path. You need to ask some basic questions, such as, does this agreement serve to benefit everyone involved? Under what circumstances was the agreement made? What was its purpose and does your arrangement still serve that purpose now? This is an approximately one-month review phase, so you actually have time to think — and to feel — your way through the questions.

Hello Capricorn — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — It would be just brilliant if you spent some time hanging out with the idea that sex is an experiment. That’s a way of saying it’s a direct experience, driven by curiosity, which tends to have an outcome that’s uncertain till you get there. Part of the experiment is how the experience changes any of the people involved. When sex is alive within an alive relationship, that state of change is going to be pretty much continuous, and you’re about to get a taste of that. Rather than responding with the famous ‘fixity’ of Aquarius, I suggest you adapt the flexibility of Gemini and the multiple viewpoint property of Mercury. Over the next few weeks you’ll have the ability to look back over the whole story of the relationship, and the potential to work through some of the unresolved material — though as with the rest, I suggest you proceed in the spirit of an experiment.

Hello Aquarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Take advantage of any factor you have available to make your work easier and more efficient. The place to pause is when you feel yourself exerting excess effort. The moment you get there, stop and rethink what you’re doing, and how you’re doing it. You may decide that something isn’t necessary; you may discover that you’ve already solved a problem; in some instances, changing the order in which you do a series of tasks will lead to considerably improved efficiency. There’s a deeper theme, though, which is the value of your work. If you really understood how useful what you do is, and how much what you do benefits others, you would think about it differently. You are due for a pay raise, though this isn’t the kind that’s coming from a boss or the accounting department; it’s coming from the recognition of your value, and making a series of adjustments honoring that fact.

Hello Pisces — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Pholus the Centaur: Small Cause, Big Effect

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Dear Friend and Reader:

In prior editions of this column I have mentioned Chiron, a planet orbiting our Sun that was discovered in 1977. Chiron, named for one of the wise (as opposed to rogue) centaurs of Greek mythology, addresses matters of holistic healing and is therefore directly related to homeopathy and all forms of alternative medicine. Around the time of Chiron’s discovery, many people were hearing of these modalities for the first time, and the trend has continued to the present day.

In 1992 a second small planet was discovered orbiting our Sun and assigned to the centaur class — called Pholus. Named for another of the wise centaurs, Pholus has different properties from Chiron. Its action is quicker. There is often a connection to curiosity as an emotional state related to this planet, which can seem to drive events forward in an unexpected way. And of all the centaurs, Pholus is the one with the most distinct multigenerational effect. Wherever you see it working, get out the family tree to figure out what’s really going on.

Pholus can address issues of intoxicants or toxins, ranging from the ones intentionally hidden in food (high fructose corn syrup) to the ones that sneak in through various side doors (synthetic hormones such as dioxin or mercury, or Prozac showing up in the municipal drinking water).

One of the astrologers to do early work on this point, my friend Robert von Heeren, came up with one of the most brilliant astrological key phrases I’ve ever worked with. He said that Pholus is the small cause with a big effect. For example, Pholus can represent seemingly minor turns of events that set off bigger developments. It represents the catalytic agent (something used in a trace amount, but indispensable to the reaction). Pholus is often involved when circumstances run out of control, like when pressurized reactions breach the containment structure. It’s also making an appearance as a healing agent in the News Corp scandal.

In the medical art of homeopathy, it seems to be the perfect metaphor. One of the criticisms that people have of homeopathy is that “there isn’t any of the actual stuff in the remedy.” Were you to analyze a potency of arnica, you would not be able to find the arnica. What you get in those little white pellets is the energy picture of arnica. Yes, doctors around the world are rolling their eyes in their heads. But speaking of heads, if they bumped theirs on something, we all know that arnica would help ease the pain and speed the healing process.

Samuel Hahnemann in 1841.

I think of homeopathy as being related to Pholus because it’s the perfect demonstration of the small cause with a big effect. True, that depends on the talent of the practitioner, but one nice thing about homeopathy is that generally the wrong remedy won’t hurt you because it’s not toxic. Samuel Hahnemann way back in the 18th century set out to invent a way to preserve the medicinal qualities of substances but without the negative effects. He was a German doctor who lived from 1775 to 1843.

Then as now, conventional medicine was toxic, and Hahnemann understood this. He considered it so harmful that he quit practicing medicine and supported his family of 11 children as a translator. At the time, he wrote:

My sense of duty would not easily allow me to treat the unknown pathological state of my suffering brethren with these unknown medicines. The thought of becoming in this way a murderer or malefactor towards the life of my fellow human beings was most terrible to me, so terrible and disturbing that I wholly gave up my practice in the first years of my married life and occupied myself solely with chemistry and writing.

Check that out — then as now, doctors were prescribing medicines with toxic effects that they had not studied, which were hurting the patients.

When he was working as a translator Hahnemann became curious about cases of poisoning. He wanted to know the specific symptoms of each case of toxicity he could find. His theory was that the substances that could cause the symptoms could also help resolve them. This was the root of homeopathy — the idea that like cures like. But for that to work safely, he had to invent potentization, which means liberating a substance from its toxic properties through the process of successive dilutions.

The result of this invention was a very small cause with a potentially fantastic effect: healing. When homeopathy works, it doesn’t just resolve the physical issue; the material can be resolved on the emotional and mental levels as well, something that ‘traditional’ medicine can barely conceive of. Yet if a medical theory doesn’t acknowledge the connections, how can it address them?

It turns out that Samuel Hahnemann has Chiron conjunct Pholus in his natal chart. This is a conjunction so rare that it only happens once every 110 years. This is in the sign Capricorn — one of the most dense and grounded signs there is (energetically speaking). It’s about the structure and nature of matter. It’s as if Hahnemann was tapping into the nature of matter itself in inventing his new branch of medicine. Capricorn is also about tradition. With Chiron and Pholus in this sign, you can be sure that he felt a calling to both honor tradition (like cures like is a very old concept) but that also he was in a position to directly alter the tradition of medicine.

This he did, and for that we who value homeopathic remedies are eternally grateful.

Yours lovingly,

PS — Here is a link to an old article of mine — Astrology as Homeopathy. Think of homeopathy as astrology projected onto the physical world, rather than the celestial spheres. They are similar systems working in parallel, and studying one can open your mind to how the other one works.

Cancer 2012

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Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 #930 | By Eric Francis
You have taken considerable territory in your professional life this year, and even if you don’t feel that way, I assure you that the space is open. The key is balancing being different, innovative and iconoclastic with sufficient grounding that you can count on yourself to get the job done well. Yet there is also something here about recognizing the power that you perceive others to have, and in particular, their power over you. Simply put, most of the time, they have that power because you think they do. The most important thing you can do to ensure your longterm success and happiness is see all the ways in which the world really is built on level ground. I know this can take some careful looking, though mainly it requires maturity. Emphasize the human dimension. All these people around you have one thing in common — they are people. This is the reason they are approachable; it’s why you can get over your habit of being intimidated by talent, reputation or power. You may not have the same potential as everyone you meet, but they can remind you that you have your own potential.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 #929

You can get a lot of work done this week — in fact, you may be able to wrap up everything you have planned for the rest of the year. However, I would encourage you to slow down, prioritize the top most important projects, and focus on quality. That translates to maintaining your intellectual and spiritual impeccability, in a moment when you may be in a minor crisis over doing just that. There’s no irony involved; moving through this territory carefully is the whole point of the astrology you’re under. I can sum it up fairly simply — when in doubt, get real. That is to say, get real about what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling and most of all, what you want. There is a chance that with a little reflection you will see that it has less to do with what you accomplish and more to do with existing with full awareness at the intersection where pleasure meets healing. This is a bold space, and the thing to be bold about is your imagination. Pleasure is healing, and you can allow this idea to soak into everything you touch.

Planet Waves Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for December

The year ends on a passionate note — with an aura of finality and transition. Use this energy to bring to a close what is ready to end, and to rise to the occasion of what you want to create. Once again the story of your life is finding your confidence in the presence of those who seem to outshine you, or have more power. Yet you possess something that is all your own, which is authentic sensitivity. Don’t hide this under any veils of denial — keep your feelings where you can access them. Remember above all that you’re driven by the desire to nourish and care for the world. In that same spirit, make room for others to take care of you. Receive their gifts graciously. Remain open and you will start to see all of the good things in store for you.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 #928

The recent eclipse in the most sensitive angle of your solar chart looks like it stirred up some, well, I was going to say energy, but what I really mean is information. Secrets do not stay secrets forever, and I suggest you celebrate this cosmic truth. The beauty held for you in things being revealed — within yourself, by others or to others — is about being a unified critter. Concealed information splits you into pieces. Divisions within your life and those of the people around you tend to pit you against yourself. In a time when relationships matter to you more than ever, you need to be your own best friend, which means operating with one agenda that is tuned to your own best interests. The eclipse comes with the lasting message that you cannot keep secrets from yourself. You cannot divide your character, and you cannot be anyone other than who you truly are. I think from now on, this learning agenda will be a lot easier.

Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for December | By Eric Francis
Standing in for Weekly Horoscope #927

The world is your mirror. It is therefore the place to extend any compassion or appreciation that you have discovered on your journey to wholeness. Selflove emerges from your center, though if it’s to be meaningful — indeed, if it exists at all — it will extend beyond you into the gentle embrace of the people around you. One indication that you’re doing this is that you find yourself treating people on equal terms. The usual hierarchies and pecking orders of life give way to the understanding that we are all on the same journey, that we all contribute to one another’s lives, that we all reflect one another. While I am not suggesting that there is absolute equality among all of your relationships, they are a lot less different from one another than you may imagine. And the one thing they all have in common is you. In this way, the compassion that you offer to yourself extends out to others the moment that you feel it — unless you feel threatened and choose to hold back. I suggest you notice if you’re doing that, because when you hold onto defensiveness, attachment, fear or guilt in ‘someone else’, you’re really holding onto it within yourself. They want to be free from their pain, and want to be close to others, just as much as you do. For anyone to feel secure in this world is as meaningful as your own need to. If you think you take risks, consider that others may take even greater risks. If you want the privilege of vulnerability, extend your hand. Take off your glove first.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Nov. 16, 2012 #926

Remember that sex is an experiment. It’s also an interesting morph of expressive, relational and introspective. It’s not always easy to get your partner onto this page, or to find someone who is — and it’s easy enough for you to forget. Yet right now this experiment is calling you in a profound way. It’s as if your fantasies are aching for exploration and expression, yet you are wavering in your balance between ‘external’ and ‘internal’ focus. This may manifest as questions about what you will and will not say — about what you want, need and want to do. I recognize the potential delicacy of this situation, and the edge you may be perched on. What I suggest is this: get clear with yourself in words, over a series of days. Describe to yourself what you want, preferably in writing or recorded, that is, in a form you can retrieve. Then take the leap and share it with someone you trust. This may or may not be the person you would prefer to explore with; the first step is to transcend your inhibition about sharing. If you notice fear or shame, work with these things consciously, and tap the erotic energy they contain.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 #925

Next week’s total solar eclipse is a reminder that you have a potent desire nature, and that it’s directly connected to your emotional body. For you this eclipse is a sexy chart, full of tension, curiosity and craving to explore. There’s also the theme of what you allow yourself to have, what you share with others, and the subtleties of the ways you withhold. Indeed, this chart is like an experiment in the differences between allowing and denying; offering and actually giving; wanting and receiving. I would caution you that this subtle discussion is often plastered over with various social rules (not wanting to be seen as a slut), culturally-acceptable motives and values that deny the emotional and sensory levels of experience (such as being turned on by money), and a general prohibition on curiosity. This is the day, the week and the season of your life when curiosity is your best friend. And if you have another best friend or two, you can create a space for, and share, that curiosity. It’s a force of nature — as are you.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Nov. 2, 2012 #924

Humans excel at keeping secrets from themselves; this is called denial. At the moment, all sorts of alarm bells may be going off, cautioning you to affirm your truth rather than ignore or minimize it. You will hear them if you are listening. They may manifest as fear, insecurity or even as panic episodes. You may also be speaking to yourself in physical symptoms (potentially relating to your lungs or thighs), or a sense of nervous restlessness. Any of this might be easy enough to push back under the surface of consciousness, though instead of doing that, I suggest you listen to what your mind and body may be saying to you. Stuffing the messages down will not help, while letting them out may be challenging or even painful at first — and then come with a great sense of relief. There seems to be some emotional issue that you’re struggling to face, but which is looming on the horizon as some destination you will inevitably reach. It’s not as bad as you think — and in truth, the actual confrontation is with yourself, not anyone else.

Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for November 2012 #923

If you find yourself going deeper than you feel safe in an erotic situation, remember one word: healing. That will help you focus, and it will give you a basis of both purpose and communication. You can pretty much assess everyone and everything on the basis of their affinity with this concept — including yourself. There’s the phase of this experience where pleasure itself is a kind of necessary balm. Yet the experience continues from there. The whole experience is a vehicle to take you deeper into a kind of hidden realm, which may involve dealing with certain matters that (for example) your parents did not address and which were passed on to you. Yet there is something deeper than your immediate lineage that you’re about to address, and that is part of the reason why you may be feeling out of your depth (particularly around the time of a total solar eclipse on Nov. 13). You seem to be dealing with something much larger than yourself, and if you know that, you will both not feel so overwhelmed and you’ll also have a line of approach to the territory. You seem to be involved with a situation that started with the intent for one thing, then in a series of steps you didn’t know you were taking, became something else, as if you encountered a kind of emotional or psychic undertow. To proceed from here, you will need to take one step at a time, making one decision at a time, based on the best available information you have.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Oct. 19, 2012 #922

It can take some perspective to figure out how much damage religion has done to you — especially if you don’t think it’s done much damage at all. In my view, the most serious problem with religion is the way that it takes control over the most sensitive matters of the human experience: for instance, sex, death, cosmology, values about money and who is allowed to relate to whom. This is all packaged up as God’s will. The question of the hour is, how would you have your life be, if all of those rules were suspended? What would you believe, if nobody told you what to believe, or tried to enforce your views with guilt? By the way: the presence of guilt in any area of life is clear evidence that religion has been through the territory. That any of these aspects of life could be made into a moral issue is evidence of the same thing. I’m aware it can feel destabilizing to challenge any of this, and often guilt is the first emotion to rush in. This time, however, I suggest you greet it with some healthy skepticism.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Oct. 12, 2012 #921

You would have no need to feel secure, were you not in some way feeling threatened. It’s a lot easier to figure out what will make you feel safe if you’ve addressed the nature of what you believe makes you unsafe; in fact you might decide that there’s no threat and that you need nothing at all. Reassess your situation sooner rather than later, because you’re investing a lot of energy into avoiding something that’s not actually a problem, and potentially creating a situation that could become one. Describing your solar chart another way, you seem to be obsessed with structure, as if you want to put a container around something that would otherwise be free. There is an alternative, which is to open up communication on the theme or topic that you think needs to be confined. These probably feel like opposing impulses within your psyche, and that may be causing you some conflict. Once you open up communication, first with yourself and then with anyone germane to the discussion, your sense of conflict will ease back.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Oct. 5, 2012 #920

Sex is one of the most powerful forces on Earth, and arguably the one used most recklessly. The time has arrived — and you may have felt it coming for a long time — to keep a handle on this power, to use it in a focused and mature way, no matter what anyone else in the world may be doing. Typically people jump between extremes of purism and thoughtless indulgence. You need more than a ‘middle way’. Rather, sex and sexuality offer us the most when they are experienced as natural, integrated into life in a holistic way. When sex becomes about the transaction of power rather than the expression of creativity, you can be sure things are out of balance. The solution to this would be waking up your imagination, though also understanding the ways you might be feeling insecure that would lead you to seek power in the first place. In relationships, I suggest you go for containment rather than commitment. That’s another way of saying that instead of making promises or holding anyone to theirs, explore within a space that you consciously share.

Monthly horoscope for October 2012 standing in for Weekly Horoscope #919

Heed early warnings, especially where sexual boundaries are concerned. This isn’t about saying no; it’s more like saying maybe, until you understand your environment and everyone’s involvement in your life. Then, do what’s appropriate based on your understanding of your situation. At first this may seem like you’re having a limit placed on your fun. Actually two other things are happening. One is a limit being placed on the new karma you incur based on choices you make. Whatever you encounter is sufficient for a moment of reflection, and to put you on notice where you need to be more vigilant. Second is that you are about to discover ways to channel your vital force in a more structured way. In a sense, you have to get organized about what you want, and make sure you are also aware of what you don’t want — then make your choices using this as your guide. The thing to bear in mind all the time is that whatever theory of relationships we may subscribe to, sex leads to something deeper. That depth could be love, and it could be a diversity of other means of human bonding, connection or entanglement. Saturn is the lord of time, and it’s essential that you use time to your benefit, in order to save time. Taking a little while to test the true nature of your relationship to another person, before you dive in, would be well advised in this moment and for the next couple of years.

Planet Waves Inner Space Horoscope for October 2012

Risk and reward — the time has come to balance these. This includes being willing to take risks for the rewards that you want, as well as being willing to delay gratification while you take the necessary steps to keep your life functional while you build what you want. What both of these have in common are the idea of a conscious, long-term goal. There’s the implication that you have a diversity of responsibilities, and that these must be taken into account simultaneously, when they seem to conflict. The ability to embrace contradiction and paradox is one mark of maturity, and this is a core theme of your life now. To do this, you can no longer assess things strictly based on how they feel; adding logic is what will actually get you from one place to the next.

Friday, September 21, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #918

You’re ready for some deep nourishment — which is different from your average, everyday kind of nourishment. The best way to have this need fulfilled is to admit you have it, and remain open and aware, rather than in a state of frustration. I know there’s a taboo against admitting need — whether we (as in we humans in Western society) fear being perceived as that dreaded thing ‘needy’, or whether we fear some compromise of our image as being fully satisfied. Forget your outer image, and I suggest you be mindful of the interplay of you and your self-image. It’s time, I believe, for you to acknowledge directly what you want, and what you know will nourish you, first to yourself and then to someone with whom you may share something so intimate. If you enter territory where there is shame, embarrassment or guilt, you know you’re in the right place. These things are almost always veils thrown over what is the most meaningful, what is the very hottest and ultimately, over who you know you are inside.

Friday, September 14, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #917

Focus your mind, and center yourself emotionally. I understand the challenges of doing so, given the current planetary setup. It’s as if you’re living underneath an invisible reservoir of things to do that keeps spilling its contents onto your head. What is not increasing is the time you have to accomplish all these things, so I suggest you ramp up your level of organization and basic maintenance. You’re wrapping up one phase of accomplishment (though it may not feel like that yet) and are about to take up a whole new agenda. Based on this information, I suggest you begin to set aside all new activities associated with the old agenda, focus on wrapping up what you’ve taken on, and then prepare to move on to a new phase of experience. Focusing your mind will work; criticizing yourself will not, and it’s vital that you not only know the difference, but act on it. Devote yourself to what must be done each day, and make sure you feed your spirit along the way.

Friday, September 7, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #916

Current aspects provide the perfect environment for making substantial progress on anything that involves thinking, organizing and problem solving. If there are any writing projects you’ve been wanting to do, this is the moment not just to start but to fully engage yourself. You have access to at least two distinct levels of your mind, that I suggest you consider individually. One involves what you can think of as ‘everyday’ material, perhaps related to business functions and creative writing you would have others see. Another level offers you access to some of your innermost secrets, and this is readily accessible right now. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to say that you could not, or that you’ve struggled to get clear, try again in earnest now. I suggest you explore this particular dimension with no thought of the censors, and with no concerns that it might be read by someone else. The point of this experience is an unfiltered, direct expression of who you are and what you have to say.

Inner Space Horoscopes for September 2012

You’re accessing a deeper level of feelings, whether they emerge from within you, or you consciously reach down into yourself to access them. This will start slowly and then reach a peak toward the end of the month. Remember that any fool can be intense. It takes a mature person to guide intensity into something beautiful and useful. If you can do that, you will access a deeper level of your potential, which will serve as an invitation to much deeper pleasures to come. Maturity involves making choices; those choices are best guided by priorities that are in turn guided by your values. This is a fancy way of saying do what is right for you. However, since most people find that impossible, I thought I would break it down into a few steps.

Friday, August 31, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #915

If there’s any tension between you and someone in a position of authority, check whether the playing field is level. Or rather, get an understanding of the ways in which it’s not level — in particular, noticing whether you slant things in a way that doesn’t work for you. You may not want to ‘play the game’, though does it really work to sacrifice your standing with people you perceive as being in a position of authority? How does that reflect on those who look up to you in any way? I suggest you consider carefully how your actions set you up for how you’re treated by others. Being rebellious is pointless at this time in your life; being inventive, innovative and most of all collaborative will work beautifully for you. One way to see how pointless top-down models of authority are is to see what it feels like when people rebel against you, then you recognize that you set that example. The way to be authentically powerful is to begin with respect: for people, for their feelings, for commitments, and most of all, for yourself.

Moonshine Horoscope by Genevieve Hathaway, standing in for Planet Waves Weekly 914 for Friday, August 17, 2012. Edited by Eric.

For all the care you provide for others, you desire the same in return. Well, you may not desire it so consciously but you know you need it. I suggest you begin the search for emotional sustenance and security where it matters most — from within. Taking over responsibility as your own primary emotional nurturer means assuming the role of mother, though in a friendly way. I suggest you not worry if you didn’t have the best role model of what a nurturing mother looked like growing up. You innately possess the instincts and natural understanding of how to love well. Love and affirmation are a feeling; a state of simply being which does not require you to ‘get it right’. These are organic processes that move you half way there just by attempting. Look first to yourself for acceptance and confirmation of worth, while reminding yourself you are precious and your vulnerability is beautiful. The idea here is not to push your self-sufficiency but rather to get you into receiving mode (from yourself first). Then as for your secondary support system, your tribe, consciously choose those individuals based on values that matter to you, not whether they are conveniently around. Determination of these people involves laying yourself bare to them in doses and seeing how they respond. Those to keep close are the ones who consistently walk with you through your emotional space, leaving their judgment at the door. — By Genevieve Hathaway

Friday, August 10, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #913

There is creativity and there is mature creativity; the difference is akin to that between infatuation and solid friendship. While you cannot fake or force maturity, you can access the parts of yourself that are the most centered, and where you’ve learned the most from experience. One clue that you’re there is that you will feel a focused sense of authority over yourself, rather than a push or quest to be someone or something. Another is that you will respond with sensitivity to the circumstances of others, no matter how difficult or painful they may be. That’s usually natural for you, though you might not want anything or anyone to harsh your mellow. The best way to do that is to transcend the source of drama within yourself. Returning to the theme of creativity: in a similar way, I suggest you draw from a deep spot, and resist any temptation to be casual or glib. The result will be something truly authentic that will change you and — perhaps just a little — change the world.

Friday, August 3, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #912

How are you feeling after this week’s Full Moon? There was, and still is, a theme of focusing your financial plans, and getting clear in any contractual or tax matters that you may be looking at. Taking action sooner rather than later will save you energy and effort. The interests of more than one person seem to be involved — check in with your relationship to a group, family or organization. Though you may be tempted to put the needs of others above those of yourself, this isn’t the week for that. I am not advocating unmitigated greed; I am suggesting that you keep your priorities in order, and make sure that your books are balanced and your financial house is tidy before you devote yourself to the needs of others. There would be one exception to this: you may be depending on the success of the whole group or organization for your own success, in which case I suggest you focus your priorities to that worthy objective.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for August 2012

Take this month and sort out your investments, your cash flow and your overall financial picture. Really get a handle on what you have in assets (including non-cash assets) and what you have to deal with in terms of debt and other liabilities. Look at the whole picture on one page or spreadsheet and see if it tells you anything new. You may not want to make actual changes till later in the month — at least not till after the New Moon of Aug. 17 — though if you do a thorough assessment and set some goals that require you to stretch, you’ll be able to improve your financial situation considerably. If there is one big message here, it’s about aligning your values, your activities and your ideas about money. Your values are the root concept.

Friday, July 20, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #911

Recent events have served to level the playing field of your life, giving you a more accurate perception of who has what power, and why. One result is that you’ve figured out you’re more influential than you think, which is a good thing because we’re talking about your existence. This would be a good time to consider any additional encumbrances that you have. It no longer serves you to be carrying around all of the unfinished business of the past — or to live with the feeling that you are. While you may not be able to resolve everything, all at once, there are one or two core issues that bind together nearly everything that troubles you. Over the next few days you will be able to recognize what these issues are and how they influence everything else. By focusing on what’s most important, you’ll be able to unravel what has seemed like a knot with no beginning or end. One clue I can offer is that this involves your sexual confidence. This question holds the key to your self-esteem, and your ability to see others at eye level.

Friday, July 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #910

You may be feeling hemmed in or backed into an emotional corner. If that’s true, it’s essential that you keep your cool and take stock of your situation before you react or even respond. What you may be perceiving as a negative situation could easily be an opportunity for cooperation, lending itself just as well to a creative response. That’s all a matter of perspective — and how confident you are. I would propose a litmus test for your own life: if you have options, you’re safe, and your situation is workable. If you don’t like the options you have, be creative and think of new ones. If nothing else, the astrology of the coming week or so is designed to spur you into action on some of your most meaningful goals. This can feel like having a fire lit under your ass, or it can feel like responding to the call of destiny; the choice is pretty much all yours.

Friday, July 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #909

Mars has changed signs into your solar 4th house — the one associated with your security base and living environment. This is an excellent time to get control over your physical spaces — though while you’re doing that, it’s also time to consider the issue of safety within your physical spaces. Let’s take that concept as a full-spectrum idea. This includes the emotional dimension and the quality of communication you have with anyone who so much as enters your private space. It includes doing a check for toxic substances: I recommend a purge of your garage, storage closets and under-sink areas. Every one of those products is more dangerous than you think. Mostly though I suggest you consider whether you are emotionally and sexually free. You may be feeling a push in this direction — and you may encounter some resistance, whether it’s from within yourself or whether it comes from a relationship partner. Follow your instincts, and understand what any resistance is really about.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for July 2012

You now get an extended opportunity to see what you’ve been missing. You’re used to keeping yourself entertained with certain stories about who you are and about the nature of your personality and certain deeper psychic levels. You’re about to discover that no matter how well you thought you knew yourself, you were missing approximately half of the story. What’s more interesting is that you’re likely to remember that you’ve actually thought of this all before; you just forgot that you noticed it or figured it out. Therefore, take a circumspect approach to everything. Check in with as many viewpoints as you can think of. Some of your best guidance is going to be coming from your dreams, which will be an effective way to look into your blind spots and dark corners.

Friday, June 29, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #908

The bigger the challenge the higher you will rise to meet it. This is a moment of full engagement for you, though notably it’s subtler than it is dramatic. Indeed, drama is the last thing you want right now, and the first thing to defuse. Once you’ve done that, go for the soul connection. This feels like a point of contact that goes deeper than what people say their goals are, transcends appearances and even ideologies, and reaches to a level of core understanding. Normally we preoccupy ourselves with every other dimension of relating to people. The planets are aligned such that you are positioned for a breakthrough on understanding what this whole business of soul relationships is about. I don’t exactly mean your soul ‘mate’ because you’re likely to have more than one. I mean a perspective on existence that is readily accessible to you right now, and which has the power to ease your way in life like nothing else can.

Friday, June 15, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #907

You may be familiar with that edgy region of consciousness right between the dream state and ordinary awareness. You’re working that edge these days, as the Sun makes its way toward your sign, preceded early next week by a truly interesting New Moon in late Gemini. You are in fact between phases of your life, though the more exciting thing is how a crack between the worlds is opening up and inviting you to peer inside yourself. The message that’s coming through right now is that you’re connected to everything, and at the same time, you have your own unique role to play in the world. You’re likely to get some specific information about this over the next few days. Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem to be a ‘large’ role — you are in possession of specific information that will be useful to others. Bide your time and take careful notes: you are approaching a real discovery.

Friday, June 8, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #906

You have many opportunities for exchange open to you. Don’t worry if at first they don’t seem like the kind of plunge into the impassioned abyss that you’ve been longing for. When you’re wading out into shallow water, remember, it can get deeper suddenly and unexpectedly — and it’s likely to do so. Yet you won’t be out of your depth as long as you stay in communication with yourself and anyone with whom you’re closely involved. Communication begins with the prefix co, which means it should go both ways. Be responsive to what your own psyche is telling you. Be responsive to your environment. And notice what the people in your environment are telegraphing as individuals and as a group. The group dynamic is the one to watch with utmost attention — there’s a lot going on there, and you’re a more significant influence than you may think.

Friday, June 1, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #905

One of my Book of Blue model friends, an actor and artist named Heather Fae, and I made up a mantra during a photo session one day: Free Phantasy. We decreed that the realm of one’s erotic imagination is rightfully an anything-goes space. Anyone you want is subject to the whims of your imagination, as is anything you want, no matter how inappropriate or unavailable it may seem. Within the space of consciousness, we have an innate right to think and feel whatever we want. It helps if we dare to allow anyone to think or want anything they want about us. We don’t have to advertise this fact — only admit that it’s likely to happen and not waste energy resisting. When we allow the imagination to run wild, it’s inevitable that we’ll arrive places that violate various social morals or ethics. Most people spend enormous amounts of energy pulling back or censoring themselves, which in turn can lead to conflict and even paralysis and sickness. Anything goes means anything: darkness and shadow are part of our psychic experience on Earth, and can be sources of pleasure and authentic healing of a deep inner split that you no longer need — and that in truth no longer exists.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for June 2012

Going deeper into your relationships is starting to come naturally to you, depending on one basic approach: being more yourself. Gradually over time, this has worn down your resistance to expressing and receiving actual feelings, as well as what seemed like the resistance of others in their approach to you. Now something else is emerging: healing an inner split that you may be discovering, even as it resolves itself. Indeed, the discovery is the sign that you’re making the progress on healing, so you have no need to worry about it. The reunion of you with yourself will manifest most noticeably in your relationships, where old problems with attachment, dependency and over-use of structure will seem to melt away. Though this transition might not happen overnight, it has started already — and you’re close to the tipping point.

Friday, May 18, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #904

Sunday’s solar eclipse will help you let go of the negative expectations that have dragged you down for so long. I realize that life is not exactly a walk in the park these days, with all the stresses we face and far too much uncertainty, confusion and stupidity in the society of which we’re part. Yet you can support your own cause by allowing your fears and insecurities to be drained out of your psyche, as this eclipse suggests they can be. If you want to facilitate the process, do your best to relax. For now, all you need to do is allow. At least for the next few days, ease off on the pressure to achieve. If you have to do anything, do it in the most relaxed way possible, and when you can, gradually recognize that the things that have been sources of anxiety in the past don’t have to exist today. Practice being bigger than them, which should be easy, because you are.

Friday, May 11, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #903

This is the weekend to spend as much time as you can out of the house. Circulate and socialize. Be your natural, expressive and emotional self. Notice the people around you and notice who notices you. Take any opportunity to be around people you’ve never met before, and stand in your confidence as you make one discovery after the next, and open yourself up to being discovered. If you’re someone who digs the Internet, take at least two or three occasions and put out something vividly real about yourself — what you consider your best creative work, your true vision or your deeper feelings about the world and where it’s going. Share your talent for the pleasure of doing so. We are in the midst of some rare astrological conditions that will help you send a vividly clear signal to exactly the right people. And while you’re doing that, keep your ears on and listen for what comes back to you.

Friday, May 4, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #902

This weekend’s Scorpio Full Moon is an invitation to new adventures. The thing about adventures is that they’re not predictable, and there’s often a mix of experiences — though as you’ve learned in the past, it’s silly to let that stop you. It seems like one challenge you’re facing involves acknowledging what is past, and allowing it to be so. Any factor of ‘this cannot be’ or ‘I cannot have this’ is very likely the result of your reaching backwards, rather than embracing the future with an open heart and an open mind. There is also a fear factor involved, or rather what more accurately looks like the fear of fear. Said another way, negative expectations always work against you. While it’s a good idea to ground your positive expectations in something solid, the negative ones serve no useful purpose. They do reveal something useful about your relationship to history, or what may turn out to be ancient history.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for May 2012

Something special happens this month — the Scorpio Full Moon coincides with Beltane, to the day. The chart looks like you become a magnet for many things that exist outside you or your personal space, that you would like to invite into your life more closely. This is absolutely positively the time to stay visible and be social, and to approach anyone you’re attracted to with confidence. Not everyone is going to respond — but that leaves many other possibilities. Keep the conversation moving. There’s an old rule about cocktail parties, where you’re supposed to circulate and not speak to anyone for more than five minutes. This allows you to taste the energy of many different people, while keeping the social environment light and flexible. From these encounters you will notice who you want and who wants you. Go for mutual — really, truly mutual.

Friday, April 27, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #901

As the week progresses, spend time out of the house meeting new people. You are in a period of forming new bonds and connections with individuals, groups and the environment that contains them all. I understand the world is filled with a lot of groups whose purposes range from meaningless to having ideals and values that do not support yours. Yet you only need to discover what will actually serve you, which is relatively little in contrast to the whole. And, there is another process in motion — a subtle shift is bringing more individuals into contact with an idea you embody. You could say there’s a tribe bonding together around unhindered acceptance of each other’s true self as the thing of mutual value. Proceed from a place of seeing each new person you meet as a possibility for connecting with a larger group united by the idea of caring for one another. — by Genevieve Hathaway

Friday, April 20, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #900

This weekend’s Taurus New Moon describes how your financial opportunities are expanding. Taurus is situated in one of the houses in your chart most closely associated with sources of income, and this is an area of your life that has been flowering during the past year — or at least the potential is there. I am aware that money is a huge sticking point for many people, and it’s not any easier when every time you look at a news website there is more economic bad news. If you’re the exception to the rule, it won’t be because you’re lucky — rather, it will be because you know what you want, and you know an opportunity when you see one. When you do, I suggest you act promptly, make a commitment and take action. You have already thought this one through five ways from Friday. You have sorted out the details; you understand the risks; you know what’s required of you.

Friday, April 13, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #899

There’s no crisis — only a minor disturbance, and from that, you can learn a lot about how to use a challenge to create an invention. You seem to be working out some kind of mental puzzle — maybe several of them — which all point back to one basic idea: how you think. It’s special for an entity to be aware of its own awareness. It’s a kind of reflexiveness that distinguishes certain kinds of individuals, in particular, the ones capable of conscious change, because they are capable of being self-aware. An untrained mind is cumbersome. You are starting to learn some mental discipline, and you may have discovered that mostly means guiding rather than pushing yourself. As one born under such an intensely emotional sign, a significant element of discipline is the ability to detach a little, and not be carried so far, so fast, by your stream of feelings. Yet all of this is secondary to one truly useful discovery you’re about to make about yourself.

Friday, April 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #898

Consider yourself a torch-bearer — not in the symbolic sense, but rather in the sense of someone who is carrying both energy and a visible light in the world. You may not be certain in the ways you’re doing that, though I assure you not only that you are, but also that you can do it more effectively. The key concept here is devotion — the force that moves you from within, with beautiful dependability. You may have to clear a lot of things out of the way to do this; certain things you want to do may lose priority as a result. Yet you’re able to focus your efforts on something that matters to you and to many other people. I would propose you’re doing a better job of this than you think, and that you have the opening to devote some of your energy to the things you’ve set aside. Make sure that one of these is the thing that’s supposed to be the number one priority to a Cancerian — your home.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for April 2012

If you’ve ever wanted to advance your career, or launch a major new project, the time is approaching. Through April you have a series of gateways that are related to an idea or revelation you had in late March. This may not be a new idea, though what I see is that you’ve finally figured out how to put the pieces together into something that’s quite original for you. It’s crucial that you implement your plan in stages between now and late June. Don’t try to do it all at once; start with the basics, or with one solid core element, and gradually begin to refine and modify as you build. You can expedite matters by working within a small group, if that group is focused clearly on your goal, and understands it well enough to help with the refinements.

Friday, March 30, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #897

What are you the most devoted to? You can measure partly by way of noticing what you do every day — and by what you want to do every day. Both are dependable metrics. Yet I would put the question another way as well: what are you willing to give up everything for? For what activity, mission or purpose would you trade it all in? I mean this mainly as a thought exercise: if there is indeed something that would be so amazing, so much fun, so incredible, that you would ‘sacrifice’ everything in your known life, you should know about it. Then, once you know about it, you might want to find a way to get moving on that aspect of reality without having to give up everything — just what you don’t really want. You might want to make a list of what you would gladly give up just for its own sake. I recognize the time pressures we’re all under, and how inflexible life seems to be here at the dawn of the Age of Aquarius. Yet change happens. We do create goals and sometimes we even get there. Remember that.

Weekly Horoscope #896 for March 23, 2012 — by Priya Kale.

Professionally, you are breaking new ground, yet you may still have doubts about an opportunity that is being presented to you. Or it may be that others still have their doubts about the viability of an idea or your plan of action. Trust yourself and your power in a situation, rather than seeking acceptance or validation from others. You have what it takes to be real, and that is expressly what this task calls for — for you to be yourself. Also look closely at your mother’s ambitions for herself, and the things that held her back from achieving some of these. You are your own person and don’t need to give in to or subconsciously recreate the same power struggles that she did. You are a trailblazer and have a unique contribution to make to this world. As you stand in the prime space between the past and the future, you’re beginning to figure that out for yourself. In letting go of what you once thought success meant to you, you are freeing yourself to live your true potential. — by Priya Kale.

Friday, March 16, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #895

Success is an ongoing experiment — not a destination. Remember that this week, as the experiment proceeds in some interesting directions. To facilitate this, I suggest you stay vocal and visible. Announce your existence to anyone you want to make contact with, particularly people you look up to or admire. I suggest that the transition be a respectful approach to a colleague or potential collaborator rather than ‘fan mail’. Investigate organizations that you might want to be involved with — merely on the basis of the affinity that you share with them. If you look, you will see people, or networks of people, with whom you want to share your energy. None of this may get immediate results (but then it could very well). The one key is approaching from a place of openness and curiosity rather than attachment to an outcome; you’re in an environment of ‘expect the unexpected’, which actually means that the likeliest outcomes are not on your list. This one fact is good for at least half the fun.

Friday, March 9, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #894

In the current political debate over sex there is the underlying assumption that sex isn’t spiritual. Have you noticed that? Making pleasure a moral issue in any way denies not only that it has some inherent right to exist, but that you’re somehow questionable as well. That might be true were we to define ‘spiritual’ as ‘that which does not approve of sex’ (or the emotion of desire). But if we define spiritual as ‘all that’s natural and real’ and factor in the spirit of freedom that’s supposedly our guiding principle as a society, that would clearly point to other conclusions. You’re someone for whom these connections are inborn, intuitive and interesting — sex is so much better when the natural associations are allowed to be what they are. There are all kinds of control agendas afoot right now, and your role is to subvert their action within your own life. Whether you tap into the highest levels of ethics or the most elementary common sense, liberty means leaving one another be. It also means you’re free in the midst of any debate, and not merely free to be powerful; I mean free to choose your pleasure.

Friday, March 2, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #893

Be on the lookout for news about your professional life for the next few days and indeed the next few weeks. You’re in an extended phase of developing both your career aspirations and your reputation. And now the immediate astrology is making contact with the longterm astrology and there is a synergistic effect developing. I have a few suggestions for how to make the most of this. One is consider your goals a work in progress. Second, focus on what you’re the most devoted to. That may mean what you do the most of (that’s one way to tell what you’re the most devoted to) or it may mean shifting your priorities a little so that you give some of your energy to something you want to do or create, and be persistent about that for a while. This may be something you gave up at a certain point in the past, and now want to reconnect with or devote yourself to. I suggest you consider some of your most persistent desires and make sure that they are getting some of the energy they deserve. Keep the flame alive; add the fuel a little at a time, and tend the fire around the clock.

Inner Space Horoscope for March 2012

Achievement does not come easily to you; you care too much about your fellow humans to lie, steal and cheat — the usual ways people find ‘easy’ success. That said, you’re in a moment where something special is about to open up, and it looks a lot like some kind of vibrant, beautiful success at something that’s deeply personal to you. But I would add a few words of caution. It’s still possible for you to make mistakes, and small mistakes can go a long way toward taking the momentum out of much greater possibilities. Therefore, no matter how brilliantly you’re doing, pay attention to every step and every communication. I’m not saying be stilted; I am saying be aware, correct your errors promptly, and understate your achievements. Pride is unbecoming of true success, and the world is watching.

Planet Waves Weekly Horoscope # 892, for Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Pisces is the sign in your chart associated with faith and with long journeys. A New Moon in this house is setting your sails on a journey likely to take you across the oceans, be they metaphorical or literal oceans. This is a spiritual quest unlike few others in your lifetime, leading you to places you may only have dreamed of or that you didn’t even know existed. Whether this is literally or metaphorically, think of yourself as an explorer on a quest for a higher sublime truth. What you need to take with you now is an open mind, a sense of perspective and a philosophical approach on all that is emerging which will allow you to absorb a greater truth, elevating and expanding your consciousness; this will act as a beacon of light and wisdom leading your way forward. Enter this phase with the curiosity of a child without preconceived notions of what you might find. As long as you are willing to explore your ambitions, you will discover abilities within you that you didn’t even know you had. You can also trust you have and will make friends along the way, who are supportive of you and above all keep faith in a higher power that guides you. You are being liberated and if you could go anywhere, where would it be? This much freedom can be scary, but it is also empowering if you remember that ultimately your journey is your destination. — By Priya Kale for Planet Waves

Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #891

With the Sun about to enter your sympathetic water sign Pisces on Sunday, there is some relief on the way, though till then I suggest you keep your focus on partnership issues, particularly where a group or organization is concerned. You may have figured out that there are too many people in your life for your comfort, and too many of them have access to you and your resources. You cannot just walk away but you can get clear in every situation where there is a need to be clear. Once the Sun changes signs, that’s your clue to spend some time away from the reservation and see what’s going on somewhere else. This will provide a change of scenery and put you into contact with people more in harmony with your nature. One advantage I’ve discovered about getting near the ocean is that it’s possible to see out to the horizon. You can look at the water and in a glance, know the conditions of the atmosphere. Whether you do this metaphorically or physically amounts to the same basic thing.

Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #890

This week’s Full Moon may still have you feeling like you just got off an entire afternoon on the teacup ride. Clearly, you’ve taken a few steps to renegotiate some of the more sensitive situations in your life, yet you likely figured out how much more you have to change. One particular situation where push came to shove contains a lot of good information for you, and I suggest you do some data mining and make the most of what you learn. There is something fundamental you can discern about your own nature and that of someone close to you. We may be talking about your relationship to a group. The truly important thing to focus on is how to make sure that your values, opinions and sense of presence do not take second place, or get swallowed by, some entity seemingly larger than yourself. Yet the way to distinguish yourself is not with how ‘different’ you are, but with the power and beauty of your gradually awakening sense of self-worth.

Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #889

There is a difference between the mental sciences — reason, rationality and authentic intellectual creativity — and spiritual exploration. The two rarely work independently of one another. We all know this. Intellect without some inspiration will put an insomniac to sleep. Inspiration and even love without some grounding in cohesive thought can lead to huge struggles and misunderstandings. You may feel some inclination to experience these two elements of life as separate ‘things’. Yet since both are products or results of consciousness, they point to something deeper. What is that something? We’ve all heard the expression, “I think, therefore, I am” — though often without realizing how brilliant it is. We could add, “I feel connection, I experience beauty, I sense something larger than myself — therefore, I am alive.” Yet what is back there, deep in you, doing all this thinking and experiencing and feeling and noticing? It all points back to something, and that something is trying to get your attention.

Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #888

You may be concerned that if you want to renegotiate a partnership situation, you’ll be giving up the whole thing. Whether this is true, or whether it’s an idea you have, amounts to the same thing — a feeling you have that could influence how you make an important choice in a partnership. I suggest you look at your history and see if you can find parallel moments, or one parallel moment, where you encountered a loss because you wanted to make a change, that would be helpful. Yet there seems to be something else going on: your need to let the past go. That this is easier said than done is not news to anyone, but discovering why it’s so challenging would qualify as an actual breakthrough. Here is a clue: What we call letting the past go involves two parts: one is reckoning with what happened, and the second part is embarking on something else. Which is harder for you?

Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #887

A conversation this week is deepening your understanding of a relationship, revealing a sweeter reality than the one you’ve been clinging to. We tend to subconsciously base our expectations of relationships on the roles enacted in our childhood by caregivers, that is, until we get tired of running the same old dramas. What is the subconscious imprinting you need to let go of? You cannot control others, nor can you erase the past. But you can consciously let go of expectations, past resentments, anger, and fear and acknowledge your desires and needs to yourself first. Then you can be warm rather than scalding, and ask for what you need rather than demanding it and creating tension. You are in a process of building trust. Be less critical, keep an open dialogue and you can have the financial support, as well as the deep intimacy, trust and acceptance you need from a sexual partner and those to whom you are connected in flesh and spirit.

Friday, Jan. 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #886

Pay close attention to what aspects of a relationship or partnership situation are working, and which are not. You don’t want to wait around to find out what happens when you’ve got all the information that you need. Meanwhile, there are ways that you can contribute affirmatively toward a positive outcome. Much of what you’re dealing with in one particular involvement are your ‘hidden tendencies’ coming to the surface — tendencies which I would imagine you would let go of, if you could. The time has come to evaluate everything you say and everything you do on the basis of whether it adds or detracts from your quality of life and your quality of work. Many factors are compelling you to rise to the occasion of your life, as it is today — not how it was yesterday, or how you wanted it to be 10 years ago.

Working up to Sun Square Saturn; Venus square Chiron

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When I was a cub newspaper reporter who whose editor happened to be an astrologer, we were involuntarily instructed in the cosmic science. Flo Higgins, editor of the Echoes-Sentinel (infamous for moonlighting as an astrologer) would stamp around the office in her high heels, informing us of the impending astrology as we wrote our missives about the goings-on in various government agencies in central New Jersey.

Flo Higgins: Not taking any bullshit from Mercury.

Among her favorite aspects was what she called “Saturn square the Sun,” which she said was about Discipline! Discipline! And more Discipline! (Which translated to, keep typing! If you’re ever wondering how, where or why I learned to write five articles a day, now you know.)

What Flo meant was Sun square Saturn — when the Sun approaches Saturn at a 90-degree angle, the two form a square aspect. With the Sun in Cancer now aligning just that way with Saturn in Libra, Flo is probably expecting an extra-thorough article about the Borough of Watchung Planning Board. The aspect is exact Sunday, July 15. I am giving you extra advanced notice because it’s a good one to work with if you have any goals that seem out of the reach of your motivation.

You have more than a week to gather your energy and focus it into something meaningful. Organize the basement. Purge your files. Empty your storage shed. Do some other thing you might think is impossible.

Mercury goes retrograde the prior day, on Saturday July 14 (this was another of Flo’s favorites — she could get the entire publishing group of five newspapers worried about this one). As Mercury approaches its station retrograde (in Leo), you may have the feeling of building up to something: a goal, or a sense of urgency about time for something running out. It’s best not to take that too seriously with Mercury stationing retrograde; at a certain point you have to let the dice tumble.

This will be the next in a sequence of inner planet retrogrades whose energy has dominated nearly all of 2012. So far we’ve experienced Mars, Mercury and Venus retrograde — and now we get another ride on Mercury. When that resolves on Aug. 8, we will have a spell of no inner planet retrogrades for four whole months — which ends on Election Day in the United States (though I will come back to that).

Closer to the moment, as reported previously, Mars has entered Libra, a placement that will stir the pot in relationships. The possibilities include the burning desire to get in or out of a relationship, to establish your independence within one, and/or to see the extent your identity is invested in a partnership. it’s one thing to be invested; your identity is another matter.

At the same time, Saturday Venus forms a square to Chiron. This is more about sex and less about relationships, though it does involve the ruler of Libra, which is Venus. So there does seem to be a tipping point involved: are you making a decision of some kind? Are you making a commitment to yourself? Are you admitting what you really want? If so, you’re right on time, though the astrology doesn’t add up to a fairy-tale — more like an adventure where the author doesn’t know the outcome of the story.

Not Exactly Bringing Good Things to Life

A Japanese parliamentary panel has declared the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant a profoundly man-made disaster, in a report released this week. Both the government and the plant’s operator, Tepco, were cited with numerous deficiencies in their response to the disaster, which “could and should have been foreseen and prevented,” and its effects “mitigated by a more effective human response.”

More broadly, the report notes Japanese cultural conventions, including a reluctance to question authority, as contributing factors. Mariko Oi, giving analysis for the BBC, notes that, “The panel called the disaster Made in Japan, because the mindset that allowed the accident to happen can be found across the country.” Contrary to the previous official story, the panel stated that the plant may have been damaged by the earthquake preceding the tsunami (common sense would say inevitable, with a 9 on the Richter scale).

This raises concerns over the government’s recent authorization to restart two nuclear reactors in western Japan that also sit atop a fault line. The reactors at Fukushima were GE Mark 1 designs, used extensively around the world. This was among the problems that Kurt Vonnegut was warning about in his novel Cat’s Cradle, which popped up a week before the meltdowns.

WikiLeaks Releases Syria Files; Assange in Ecuador’s London Embassy

On Thursday whistle-blowing organization Wikileaks said that it has begun releasing “the Syria Files,” which comprise more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012.

Syria has been the site of brutal violence against protesters (plus massacres of non-protesting civilians) since the Syrian uprising began March 15, 2011 as part of the wider Arab Spring — one of our first clear signs of the Uranus-Pluto square heating up. Protesters are demanding the end to nearly five decades of Ba’ath Party rule, currently headed by President Bashar al-Assad. According to WikiLeaks, The Syria Files shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could not attend yesterday’s press conference announcing the release of the emails because he is still inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he has been since just before the Cancer solstice on June 19, attempting to avoid extradition to Sweden. Assange’s supporters fear his removal to Sweden would facilitate his extradition to the U.S., where he would be prosecuted for his work with WikiLeaks. Last week, Susan Benn of the Julian Assange Defence Fund said Assange will remain inside the Ecuadorean embassy while his application for asylum is processed, stating, “Under both international and domestic U.K. law, asylum assessments take priority over extradition claims.”

Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations observer mission in Syria says violence has reached an unprecedented level in the country. On Thursday, Major General Robert Mood again called for a ceasefire to allow hundreds of monitors stationed in Syria to resume their work.

Planet Waves FM: Full Moon, Mars in Libra, and Independence

Here is this week’s edition of Planet Waves FM. I posted it early to stay ahead of the holiday — and because the Full Moon was Tuesday.

Eric Francis.

For those interested in a detailed written account of the Full Moon, please see Monday’s edition.

In this week’s Planet Waves FM, I look at the details on Tuesday’s Moon-Pluto occultation, followed by the Mars ingress into Libra. These events were simultaneous, in theory separated by about 20 minutes but in truth part of the same experience. There’s something here about our concept of self and the patterns of our relationships. In the first segment I look at some of the possibilities.

After a song break, I go over the Full Moon chart — that was at 2:52 pm Tuesday. The Full Moon resonates with the Uranus-Pluto square, as well as rings bells throughout the sky. Venus, Chiron, Pallas Athene and Mercury (among other points) are involved in the aspect structure.

I also look at the Sibly chart — the main July 4th USA chart. If you would like to see the chart, you can browse this subscriber edition of Planet Waves (please note my misspelling of Sibly on the horoscope — there is no ‘e’ in the name). We are still in ‘going through changes’ mode as Pluto and Uranus make aspects to many planets in the USA chart, including the big ones — when Pluto opposes the USA Sun as Uranus squares it (that’s around 2014).

Last, I read the Declaration of Independence. It’s not that long — and it’s pretty darned interesting. In case you’re having a weekend July 4th party tomorrow, the recording is in a separate file so you can blast it from your iPhone’s PA system.

Here is your program in the old player, where you’ll find the full archives and a downloadable zip file.

Friday, July 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #909 | Eric’s Zodiac Sign Descriptions

Cancer Birthdays this Week (also valid for Cancer rising)

The essence of your life right now is about learning to trust the unseen. You may be asking, how can I do that, if I can’t see it? The answer to this question is spiritual development. There’s a psychological element to this, which is about developing an understanding of who you are, which involves discovering what you didn’t know before — and this is one element of the ‘unseen’. There’s an emotional element, which is about knowing what you feel and having some sense of why you feel that way. Then there’s a mystical element, which is about making friends with the vast cosmos you contain, and the many possibilities that hints at. Now, if you’re wondering what I could possibly mean by ‘vast cosmos’, I would propose you have little to lose by trusting that statement, and then pointing your attention inward to see what’s in there. You will find a mix of contradictions — and a marvelous way that they resolve themselves into something more beautiful.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — If you get the feeling that someone close to you feels like they’re in a burning building, don’t be so surprised. To them, you’ve felt restless and agitated for as long as they can remember. Therefore, I suggest you keep your mind open to what someone close to you needs or wants. Any consideration of equality or balance needs to be considered on a long-term basis: this story has a history. Meanwhile, even in your day-to-day contacts with people, you may notice that they are being more assertive with you. I suggest you keep your cool. As the next few weeks unfold, you may notice that the assertive or aggressive energy coming in your direction gradually ramps up. The only thing you can control is your response, and that will count for a lot; you have the power to defuse, diffuse or clear up any situation with the quality of your response and your state of mind. The less reactive you are, the less reactive others will be.

Hello Aries — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You now have access to a truly unusual quality of communication, where you can be direct without being pushy. That’s coming from a deeper place than your feelings or your mind; you have available a level of confidence that comes from taking ownership of what you’re learning. Let me say that another way. You’re starting to feel intelligent in a new way, like you have deeper knowledge available to you. That’s the direct product of self-knowledge. It’s also the product of getting some relief from your age-old conflict about what you want, and what is true for you. Now you can explore based on your increased depth of knowledge and confidence. The next few days offer you an experiment to explore what you want, regardless of any hesitation you may have felt in the past. You can go a little (or a lot) further out on a limb, particularly with what you open up and allow yourself to feel. As you do, keep your focus. You’re in an excellent position to use what you know — and you’ll benefit from doing so.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You’re at a peak of sexual power right now — which may be granting you some unusual charisma in every other area of your life. Your chart suggests you can have any fun you want, including access to people you might never have imagined possible. There’s just one caveat: impeccability with your words, and how they express your feelings. It’s not enough ‘to be honest’. What you want is to be precise. Your charts are so potent right now that you run the risk of not caring what other people might feel, how they might respond to you, or whether you will have exactly the influence you want. Yet if you honor the need for that precision, you will avoid most or all of the negative effects that can arrive when sexual energy is exchanged, or political power is used. Your longterm reputation is at stake, which is not a caution against having some serious fun; rather, it’s about making sure that fun is beneficial to everyone.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Mars has changed signs into your solar 4th house — the one associated with your security base and living environment. This is an excellent time to get control over your physical spaces — though while you’re doing that, it’s also time to consider the issue of safety within your physical spaces. Let’s take that concept as a full-spectrum idea. This includes the emotional dimension and the quality of communication you have with anyone who so much as enters your private space. It includes doing a check for toxic substances: I recommend a purge of your garage, storage closets and under-sink areas. Every one of those products is more dangerous than you think. Mostly though I suggest you consider whether you are emotionally and sexually free. You may be feeling a push in this direction — and you may encounter some resistance, whether it’s from within yourself or whether it comes from a relationship partner. Follow your instincts, and understand what any resistance is really about.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — The Sun is about to make one of its two annual square aspects to Saturn, and this is about focus and discipline. You don’t need to pour it on all at once; over the next week, gradually gather your energy and set a few clear goals. I suggest these goals be a little more ambitious than you think you can accomplish. I recognize you’ll be doing this at what is a pleasantly social time of your life, and you value the company of the people around you. That’s where discipline comes in — and not giving in to peer pressure (for example, someone randomly accusing you of ‘working too much’). In fact there is time for everything, if you keep your priorities in order. Meanwhile there are certain people in your environment who will be supportive and available to help, particularly with ideas they’ve thought through so well that you’ll both be surprised by how useful they are.

Hello Leo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — I trust that it comes as a relief that Mars has left your sign. If you’ve been wondering why you were going through what you were going through since November, this transit may not account for that though it vividly describes the feeling of having to question every dimension of your existence. You’ve had to examine every element of what you want and why you want it. Said another way, you’ve been through what I can describe as an integrity check, which has included stress testing, investigating your health, and most of all, figuring out that it’s correct for you to want what you want. Now, your mission is to trust what you’ve learned. You may be moving from a place of having gathered considerable confidence in yourself to one where you may be more ambivalent — though if you call your mind present and remember how hard you’ve worked to learn what you’ve learned, that ambivalence will be meaningless.

Hello Virgo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You may be noticing an exaggeration effect: of desire, need, restlessness or any other focused emotion. You may be feeling more independent than usual. If you do, be aware of your environment. You are surrounded by forces much larger than you are. It’s not that you cannot move, flow or dance with them — you just need to be conscious of what you’re doing, which includes what you’re thinking. You are an autonomous person, though currently this has some limits on it that are calling for a disciplined approach to life. If you start to experience resistance, tension or blowback from your environment, I suggest you rein yourself in a little and investigate why that might be happening. It’s true that certain people in your environment are the ones who seem reactive, though this is a dynamic response of two forces responding to one another. What is the cause and what is the effect? In your life, you’re the primary cause.

Hello Libra — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The sky is the perfect setup for fantasy scenarios — that is, as long as they don’t involve Cinderella and Prince Charming. Recent changes in the astrology are opening the door for you to explore fantasies that transgress what you normally do, or deem acceptable. A partner, lover or friend may be considering the same kinds of experiments that have been running through your imagination. One question is: who should lead the way? I will say this: the astrology strongly suggests that women or those with a strong feminine orientation are feeling particularly bold, though not saying much about it. If that’s you, I suggest you speak up. If you’re in a position to influence someone else, set up the situation so they can state what they want openly. The free will factor is important, as conscious choice is going to be the basis of feeling safe and secure enough to act on some truly unusual and adventurous desires. The key through all experiments is keeping communication open.

Hello Scorpio — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Others close to you may seem to have all the advantages, though you have a lot you can learn from them. You’re also seeing your own potential reflected in the choices they make and the ways which their lives are improving. I suggest that you guide your energy toward the healing needs you’ve been identifying and working with in recent years, using this moment to commit to going deeper into your most pressing life questions. You may find that certain close partners are both willing and knowledgeable enough to guide you through certain levels of yourself that you’re less than comfortable with. One pressing question is the way that family dynamics manifest in your life, particularly when you find yourself in a group of people. In a word, this is about trust. While you may have the idea that you can go it alone, that’s not really true, though everything depends on your ability to trust both yourself and others, in that order.

Hello Sagittarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Express your leadership skills in moderation. You will seem bossier to others than you feel within yourself. In your own mind, you’re just doing your job and fulfilling your mission. To others you may seem to be swaggering, arbitrary and even unfair. Therefore, make a habit of being diplomatic. If you’re making a decision that influences others, make sure that you get their input, and offer them some evidence that you’ve considered it carefully. The thing to emphasize is fairness, and remember that what’s fair in your mind may not be so in the perception of others. This is why you want a collaborative effort, even if you’re in a leadership position where you get to be the one who makes the final decision. You may have the upper hand today, but you will need allies in the not-so-distant future, during a phase of your life when your negotiation skills will count for a lot. So I suggest you make a point of refining them now.

Hello Capricorn — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Your faith in yourself seems to inflate and deflate like a balloon, though at the moment it’s building rapidly. I suggest you focus this through your work, and by that I mean the next phase of your work that’s unfolding. Now, ‘work’ may be the wrong word here; the feeling is more like an erotic craving to do or accomplish something, as if your happiness depends on it. So this isn’t work in the sense of effort, but rather connecting a deep desire to the focus you need in order to accomplish it. Don’t worry about whether you can do it; the thing your happiness actually depends upon is your willingness to take the chance. The conditions are such right now that you have the combination of raw desire, a good idea and the discipline to go at it every day. Try this for a while and see where you end up. Remember that creative impulses need a lot of guidance on this plane of reality, which includes deflecting any opinions contrary to what you want.

Hello Aquarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You can trust what you’re feeling, even (and especially) if it’s coming from below. A rare mix of factors is inviting you to feel not only safe, but free, in experiencing and expressing your deepest passions. I suggest that you use multiple outlets for what you’re thinking and feeling: for example, physical, visual and in words. Of the three, words are likely to be the most expressive and helpful. What’s happening to you is that an emotional element of self-acceptance is slipping into place. You know who you are, and who you’re becoming; now you’re feeling your state of peace with that. Part of this is reaching a deep sense of peace with how different you are. It’s one thing to be different and another to feel content and confident being so. Though certain elements of your inner reality and your outer one don’t necessarily seem to match up right now, that tension itself is presenting you with a truly interesting form of inner harmony.

Hello Pisces — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Moonshine Horoscope, Full Moon & Ind. (Day)

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Dear Friend and Reader:

Today we have the Moonshine horoscope by Genevieve Hathaway, written in Cairo. Moonshine is based on your Moon sign, which is a good thing to know if you find astrology helpful. It will open up a new dimension of your astrological consciousness (and there are many more after that). Though they’re written based on the qualities and properties of the Moon sign, I’ve found them useful for both the Sun and rising sign as well. Try them on and see what resonates with you.

Photo by Eric Francis.

If you’re curious what your Moon sign is, I suggest you go to Astro.com, get a free membership and enter your birth data. This will tell you what sign your Moon is in. Or you can go to Serennu.com and enter the data there (converting to Greenwich time) and check without having to get a membership.

I would call your attention to a few other recent features from Planet Waves. One is yesterday’s daily post on today’s Capricorn Full Moon. That happens at 2:52 pm EDT. This article includes Mars ingressing Libra (which just happened about two hours ago) and the Moon-Pluto occultation.

I’ve also posted Planet Waves FM early in honor of the Full Moon and staying ahead of the Independence Day holiday. This edition covers the week’s astrology from a different angle than yesterday’s daily, in more nuanced detail — particularly the Moon-Pluto event and Mars entering Libra. If you have the time, this edition of FM is an excellent, patient explanation of deeply sensitive astrology that influences your life personally.

I also look at the USA Sibly chart, then I wrap myself in the rainbow flag and read the Declaration of Independence, a tradition I started last year (though I didn’t read the whole thing). My reading of the Declaration is included as a separate file in case you’re a deejay in Mykonos and you want to mix it up with some fantastic dub step techno house or maybe even a little Lady Gaga.

On a schedule note, there will be no Daily Astrology tonight; that will resume overnight Wednesday to Thursday, and Friday’s subscriber edition will be a horoscope only.

If you’re in the United States, have a safe and sane holiday, and for all those elsewhere, a chill week in the midst of the heat and the hot astrology.

Lovingly,

Cancer Birthday Reading is Ready!

Hello Cancer Sun, Moon and rising folk — and happy birthday to Cancer Sun readers.

The Cancer 2012-2013 birthday report is now available. This is a detailed reading of transits as they influence your sign, with a focus on career and relationships — and a special focus on home and security base. It accounts for certain factors going out as far as 2014 that begin to have an influence starting in July.

Photo by Sarah.

This is an excellent astrological product covering the transits you’ve been reading about in Planet Waves, including the Uranus-Pluto square, the Saturn-Eris opposition, Mars changing signs and the conclusion of Venus retrograde.

I also include a reading with the Voyager Tarot by James Wanless — cross-checking the astrology with the Tarot with some surprising results. The product includes photos of the Tarot spread, the chart, and access to last year’s reading so you can both review and check its accuracy against the events of your life.

If you have never tried one of my birthday readings, we’re so confident it will be helpful that we offer a full guarantee of your purchase. My intention is to make this the most worthwhile $19.95 you’ve ever spent on an astrology product, and I put the best of my talent into the work.

Note, this report is substantially different from the 2012 annual (Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check.) written with six months’ extra perspective and covering many other themes.

Here is your link to order.

This report will be effective and timely for Cancer rising and Moon readers as well. For other signs, we have a page that lists all of my birthday products for the past year or so.

Thank you for your business. Please let me know how you like the reading. Here is what other readers have said about my birthday products — the response has been amazing.

Moonshine Horoscope for July 2012 by Genevieve Hathaway

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Usually your words align with your desire; you possess a clear ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Said another way, you tend to speak and write from a place of honesty and authenticity, a refreshingly genuine trait. For a while, you’ve tried to communicate an idea regarding your emotional needs, specifically the need to create new structures that serve you rather than propagating the patterns of the past. What you wish to state has remained murky, bringing a feeling of frustration. This concept has been a bit slippery to orient on and relate in verbal and written terms. Traction to find the words you seek is becoming available, but involves a stretch. This is less about a physical reaching out, and more an expansion of your vision. Some well-placed curiosity about yourself can yield information that helps you bridge the clarity gap. This will allow you to translate what you’ve wanted to explain to those around you. Focus on open receptivity, and paying attention to what your senses tell you. This will help you to see the whole landscape, including the corners. What you are looking for will manifest on the fringes of your vision then move into the center, granting you access to it in detail. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Aries — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Internal patterns that do not serve you have hung around longer than you wished, stemming from a perceived feeling of comfort in knowing how to work with them. Put another way, you were operating from the philosophy that the problem you know is better than the problem you don’t know. This idea is one you were given in childhood, but actually it goes back generations. You can break this cycle of perpetuating these patterns that your family has lived with a long, long time. Acknowledgment that you want a different inner emotional space is the first step. From there it’s a matter of deciding how you want to feel, using your imagination as a guide. I propose you see this as a process of moving away from how you’ve felt in the past, and instead experiment with new emotional responses to familiar situations. Do not worry about getting it ‘right’. Rather, focus on simply experiencing existence differently from before. You are covering new territory. Some of the emotional patterns you try will work and some will not. How you spot a pattern to hold onto is if it makes you feel good about being you, good about existing. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Your relationship to your emotional framework is evolving. That’s another way of saying how you experience your feeling body has undergone changes. There are two things working here — what you feel, and how you respond to it — and you’re becoming conscious of the connection between the two. This shift has been building for some time. Growth can come with the sensation of a stretch, but where you are reaching to now is a place of deeper emotional balance. Think of this as a chance to imagine a different frame of mind through which you filter experience. This includes knowing your expectations, and changing them if you need to. Proceed actively, harnessing intention as the mechanism by which you make desired changes. Thought of another way, know where you want things to be different and align your choices and emotions with the new vision. Currently, those around you are holding space for you to experiment with new emotional models of receptivity and nurturing. They are more open than you think, which is to say, you have help not being fixated on the past. It’s always better to have cooperation with that one. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Our increasingly polluted planet is in a lot of pain — the trees, land animals, critters in the sea — and so is our own species. This influences all of our psychic and emotional bodies, though you are particularly sensitive. You feel this large-scale pain acutely and deeply; you instinctively take responsibility for healing much of the world’s suffering. At times you may not feel like you are making much of a dent in the suffering you see around you. Your intention does go a long way in making a difference. I propose a simple exercise — go hug a tree. I mean literally hug your favorite tree, transferring to it all the love you can muster. Then maybe sit with it and ask how it’s doing and if it has any information for you. The astrology is aligning in the section of your chart that will translate the love you give on a global scale. You stand between the business-as-usual way of living that has brought us nothing but a polluted planet and unhappy human race and, on the other side, love: the inner condition of beauty and harmony. Each loving act — toward your fellow man, animals, plants — tips the balance a little more in the favor of a loving, healthy world. Plus, trees are pretty smart. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Cancer — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed). Your Cancer birthday reading is ready! It includes more than hour of astrology plus a tarot reading, and has been getting awesome reviews from our readers. Use this link to order.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Over the next few weeks, reevaluate where you invest your emotional resources. In terms of what you give back to the world, your deepest needs are calling you to acknowledge and utilize your skills involving emotional nurturing. They are greater than you may recognize, and this is enhanced by the Sun’s forthcoming conjunction to your natal Moon. To feel emotionally satisfied in your soul, you need to be doing work that supports people. I’m not talking about helping your next-door neighbor, but rather participating in the world on a scale larger than you might imagine. I suggest you consider work that benefits women, possibly involving something international (though obviously there are plenty of opportunities to be of service close to home). Your chart at the present time is highlighting the positive influences you can have on what you might think of as the feminine cosmos, for whom some women are the representatives in human form. The key is to make the connection from something tangible to something much larger. Having a Leo Moon can mean you want to take care of everyone, everywhere. Remember that one of the deepest needs women have is companionship. Offering this is not a matter of effort; rather, it’s about attention. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Leo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Since early this year, you have worked through a series of journeys to the center of yourself. Each quest has had a different theme and a different feel, but took you to a similar place at your core, where your deepest passions are held. At times this process felt relentless, but served the purpose of driving home a point (and home may include a point about the house you live in). Being clear about what is right for you is actually a matter of alignment with your inner guidance, something most people deny. One reason you struggle with inner guidance is because there can be conflicts between the information you get, and what you think should be true. However, there came a few points where you realized you had no doubts whatsoever about what was in fact true, all doubts aside. You have been considering ideas about whether or not you were living your potential, but much still remained true only in theory. Now is the time to take action on your desires and your deepest values, putting all you have learned into practice. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Virgo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Your psychic body is increasing in sensitivity this month. And what, exactly is that? Think of that as the aspect of yourself where you simply know something is true, without needing external verification. This is particularly meaningful for informing you about the direction of your life and the choices you make. You have been deepening a connection to something about yourself that you know has always been true. Your intention and desire to act are condensing to the point where something solid can manifest. That, you might say, is the potential. Next, a form of action is required — in particular, consciously moving through emotional blockages belonging to your mother. Your emotional memory is filled with remnants of her attitudes she passed on to you, including her anger. How did she deal with that emotion? By trying to make everyone happy? What was the impact on her? Once you identify her tendencies, it will be easier to put them aside, and you will slip into a new, far more sensitive state of being without all that clutter in the way. Increased sensations of emotional balance, even when your external world is anything but harmonious, are indications you’ve reached this new space of existence. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Libra — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The exterior ‘you’ that you present to the world does not often reflect the acute sensitivity and feeling that goes on inside you. You work hard to build a strong shell to keep your soft side well protected, though it’s time to question the wisdom of this. It’s not that you don’t trust people; rather, you are more aware than most of the dark aspects of human nature, and it seems prudent to respond. Yet what is that about? You seem poised to find out. It goes back a long way, to the chilly way you were treated as a child, and being able to see through people and understand their motives. This is now coming to the surface for healing. Acknowledge the pain brought by any lack of demonstration of how precious you were as a child to the people around you. Mothers are only human; and most of them become mothers before they’ve built the skills to raise another human being. Insufficient emotional nourishment in the past does not mean that you cannot catch up now. Forgive your mother’s shortcomings and apparent failures. They were what they were — you’re in charge of your life now, including being in command of responding to your own needs. Yet the path from here to there likely involves coming out of your shell and being just a little more vulnerable. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Scorpio — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Dynamics in your relationships, especially those involving women who look to you as an authority figure or source of emotional support, may seem to get complicated this month. Yet I suggest you view new developments less as a complication and more as a learning experience. What is manifesting is actually coming from within you. It seems to be about changes occurring in your partners or your relationship to them, though that’s reversing cause and effect. Like shining a light through a crystal which produces all the colors contained within one light wave, your modes of relating are now filtering into their many components, which are then projected into the world. While you’re taking the time to look at the components, remember the source of energy that’s creating them, and remember that it’s you through whom they are being filtered. Knowing the flow of energy will serve you a lot better than picking through the details of what only seems to be true. This will help you have an honest conversation with the significant women in your life. Handled with thought, care, love and holding space for all parties to grow, you will create deeper and stronger relationships. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Sagittarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You are a natural leader, which has its roots in your strong personality. Like a massive old-growth tree, your inherent strength is attractive to those around you. Many view you as someone who is strong through even the most chaotic and difficult situations, thus making them instinctively defer to you. At times, this quiet authority you exude has led to power struggles with people who seek authoritative roles but are not good at working smoothly with other leaders (or who intend the opposite). This can and does influence you where you work. Tension between you and an individual involved in your daily work routine has adversely affected the emotional satisfaction of your job. In order to get past this, it will be essential for you to make contact with your sense of security, and to leave your insecurities at the door. You possess naturally what others are only faking. To access the solution, you must step outside your usual problem-solving method. Feeling able to expand as authentically ‘you’ into your space at work will have a ripple effect — bringing a sense of emotional satisfaction to all facets of your life. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Capricorn — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — For the past few months, creative energy has been building in you, pushing to be expressed through art. In July, images and ideas are flooding your brain looking for an outlet in the physical world. I suggest you start carrying a sketchpad or notebook — and using it. Inspiration will be coming at all sorts of times and you will be bursting to jot or draw this down. Tune into your inner guide for the kind of art, writing or music to create; you will instinctively know the best form to express what is burning inside of you. Ignore your doubts surrounding your skill level or creative ability. These doubts are not actually informing you of anything useful. You may never have worked with a particular medium, but if inclination is driving you there, follow it. This process is bringing you in touch with a lost part of yourself — one that was sucked into the ethers with the ongoing technology revolution the past 10 to 15 years (and I suggest looking back that far for forgotten goals and desires). You will claim this part of you back through the physical movements and emotional attunement involved in doing the one thing that the universe was made for — creation. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Aquarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Your inner world has gone through a series of expansions over the past year. At times this felt like your access to creativity was a never-ending well; other times it felt like you were way ahead of everyone else exploring a new frontier. Both were simultaneously true. Another expansion of your emotional plane occurs this month. It has the feeling of a door manifesting inside of you, inviting you to go through. This portal leads to a deeper well of emotional energy and a sense of the clear landscape of your soul. Opening this door requires a key, which comes in the form of knowledge. Seek information about what is best for you in terms of keeping your physical energy reserves full. Devote yourself completely to maintaining the health of your physical body. Eat well, drink plenty of water, get plenty of sleep, do not consume too much caffeine or alcohol, and get in touch with your physical self through movement. Make it a daily yoga to prioritize your physical health and wellbeing, and consciously drop any patterns that detract from your health and energy. — by Genevieve Hathaway.

Hello Pisces — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

With Love from the Heritage Foundation

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Dear Friend and Reader:

When a friend in her 20s had Hodgkin’s disease a few years ago, she spent part of her life puking into a bucket, part of it plugged into chemotherapy, and the rest of her time fighting her health insurance company, which was constantly trying to cancel her coverage.

Under his philosophy of “guns and butter,” Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare into law on July 30, 1965. This was the most recent successful attempt to expand health care for Americans, an effort that has gone back to the administration of FDR. White House photo.

She got well and then had a relapse — and then her insurance company tried to cancel her for having a “pre-existing condition.” They didn’t get away with it, and she has made a full recovery (and has managed to graduate nursing school).

This week, the Supreme Court, by a vote of 5 to 4, affirmed the legitimacy of a law that is intended to prevent just that kind of vicious conduct by insurers. What happened this week is a lot bigger than medicine or medical insurance, but let’s start there.

The state of health care and health insurance in the United States is an utter disgrace. It’s a national shame though in truth it’s a global shame, and I don’t use that word lightly. It is scandalous that people in the United States can lose their life savings in a week merely because they get sick — particularly when you consider how much profit how many companies are making specifically from poisoning us.

In the United States, we have a series of patchwork government health care systems, each of which covers a different constituency: veterans, the elderly, the poor, the disabled, those between jobs, and a few others. Yet many people fall between the cracks, especially if they’re self-employed or if their job doesn’t carry benefits through a private carrier.

We all know that reforms are needed, but it’s worth asking if they are even possible; if ‘health’ or ‘care’ can come from a system so invested in profits that there is very little room for any real ideas about what will help us. Most of the solutions to health issues involve prevention, which is not profitable to people selling $5,000 rides through the CT scan. GE makes many of those machines and is close to holding the world record for how many people one company has given cancer to.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the 2010 law that was the first attempt to overhaul how medical resources are distributed since the 1960s passage of Medicare in 1965, notably, during the Uranus-Pluto conjunction. The law was adopted in late 2009 (and signed by Pres. Obama in 2010) with a supermajority of the Senate voting in favor (a nearly-impossible 60 votes, on such a contentious issue). Does everyone remember Robert Byrd being wheeled into the chambers to cast his vote — one of the last of his long political life?

In 1993, Bill Clinton proposed that all Americans would have a Health Security Card, a form of universal health coverage. The initiative failed miserably and was not resurrected until the Obama administration got the ACA through congress in late 2009. Official photo.

Among other provisions, the law includes the requirement for insurers not to reject people on the basis of pre-existing conditions; that there be no cap on payouts; that children and young adults in the families of insured parents be included up to the age of 26. These provisions help straighten out some of the most serious issues of our health insurance system, which is a strictly for-profit enterprise.

In response, 26 states sued the federal government in an attempt to block the law. When any state is a party to litigation, the Constitution says that the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction, and that’s how the issue ended up there.

In its decision Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld nearly every key provision of the law, including the mandatory involvement of nearly all Americans in the insurance pool (called the ‘mandate’, or mandatory coverage provision). There are still some people who will be left out, though at this point I don’t understand how that would work. The net effect would be a massive broadening of the insurance pool, including about 30 million people who are currently left out of the system.

Before we get too excited about this, I would remind you of something. The law that passed, and that the Supreme Court upheld, is not the one that liberals wanted. It’s not the one that many aware and informed people wanted — that was something else, called single payer. That is the government, per se, serving as the insurance pool, as it does with Medicare. Medicare seems to work pretty well, and it could be expanded to cover everyone.

Many other countries have what is called a single-payer system, which many people, including some entities in the medical industry, have been advocating. These systems don’t work perfectly, but at least everyone can get into the system — not just the relatively wealthy, the poor or specific constituencies (as in the United States).

Leaning forward: Willard ‘Mitt’ Romney spoke of the ‘personal responsibility principle’ when advocating for mandatory involvement in the Massachusetts health care program, which is functionally identical to ‘Obamacare’. Now, he pretends he didn’t support the policy that works so well. But what choice does he have? Photo: Think Progress.

When we talk about universal coverage, this is something that actually fits the description. When I was a resident of France, overstaying my tourist visa on a regular basis, I was eligible for a government health care card, no questions asked. That is universal coverage.

What we got with the ACA was something that came from the lunatic fringe of the right wing. It was either formulated or advanced by the Heritage Foundation, the same think tank that gave us abstinence-only sexual indoctrination (instead of sex ed, teaching kids to just say no till you’re married — which doesn’t work). Heritage Foundation picked up the issue in response to Pres. Clinton proposing the Health Security system, under which everyone would have been covered.

The concept being pushed by the Heritage Foundation was to privatize the whole business: to keep it in the hands of corporations, that is, the insurance industry. The critique of ACA as something that seems designed to loot the public and enrich the insurance companies has a basis in truth and is therefore a valid critique. The money is going into a for-profit enterprise that has not demonstrated it has the interests of people at heart. Fortunately the law has some provisions that protect the insured.

However, even Noam Chomsky, the Papa Smurf of the American left, has said that mandatory coverage is an essential step in the direction of universal coverage, because the system has to be funded. The way this works is, if you don’t buy into the system, you have to pay a small tax. Mitt Romney himself advocated the mandatory buy-in when he was governor of Massachusetts, and an identical program was put in place under his leadership — something he avoids talking about. He called it the “personal responsibility principle.” He can argue against it now, but Romney does have that problem of never seeming to agree with himself.

And, that said, from what I am hearing, the ‘mandatory’ part of the buy-in has no teeth. If you don’t get health insurance, you’re taxed $95 (for not having insurance) the first year. As I understand it, there is not an enforcement provision to collect the tax if you don’t have insurance. I don’t know enough to fully sort this out, however, here is a basic look at the legal aspects of this issue from SCOTUS Blog.

Coming out from behind the conservative colors, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal bloc of the Supreme Court. Photo by Mark Wilson.

There’s a lot else to sort out, though whatever else may be going on, I am grateful there are now federal laws that prevent insurers from dumping their clients when they need coverage the most.

What is the most interesting is that a solidly conservative Supreme Court, the same one that gave us the Citizens United case that has turned our elections into a game of how much unregulated money can be heaped onto a candidate, sided with Obama and the then-Democratic majority of Congress. And it was Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed by George W. Bush in 2005, who provided the swing vote, siding with the liberal bloc of the court. (Usually Roberts votes with the conservatives and Anthony Kennedy provides the swing vote).

It’s not clear why he did this. Many are certain it was political maneuvering, to show that the court is not strictly partisan (and there is a caution in the astrology that what happened Thursday was a form of chicanery, which I will cover in that section).

Some are daring to consider the idea that he did what he thought was the right thing. This is part of why Supreme Court justices are appointed for lifetime terms: it’s supposed to insulate them from political manipulation and gives them a measure of independence. However this also preserves the legacy of presidents who get to appoint a lot of justices, no matter how bad it is.

Writing for the majority, Roberts said, “We do not consider whether the Act embodies sound policies. That judgment is entrusted to the Nation’s elected leaders. We ask only whether Congress has the power under the Constitution to enact the challenged provisions.” Well, any 5th grader who took civics could tell you that, though I am not sure that’s taught too many places any more.

This decision is, however, something that reshuffles the deck of American politics — particularly the divisive-for-its-own-sake kind of politics that we’ve seen since the fraudulent Clinton impeachment. As one of my friends who observes Washington politics from inside the Beltway wrote to me yesterday, “This was definitely unusual, unexpected, and out-of-the-ordinary.”

Our Moment of Astrology

Let’s take a look at the charts and see what they say. There are two to work with: one for the signing of the bill into law by Pres. Obama in 2010, and the other for the release of the Supreme Court’s decision Thursday morning. These are both what you can think of as hot charts — loaded with energy and describing something controversial.

Chart for the signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. Notice the Moon rising in the early degrees of Cancer — and the grand cardinal cross. For a larger version of the charts used in this article, use this link. Or use you can see grossly oversimplified charts that will help you see the aspects more clearly. Keep an eye on the cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn — which connect to the Aries Point and the Uranus-Pluto square.

Of necessity, this will be a slightly more technical discussion than you usually read here, though I will keep things as basic as possible and intersperse the astrology with interpretation.

The upshot is that there’s something a lot bigger going on than one law or one Supreme Court decision. As befits the astrology of the week (or is it the century?) — the Uranus-Pluto square, and Venus stationing direct after the extremely rare transit event earlier in the month — we’re talking about something with far-reaching effects, and which has tipped the balance of power in a way that absolutely nobody predicted. Wednesday night, most supporters of ACA thought they were going to lose, and most opponents thought they had victory locked up by a right-leaning Supreme Court.

That unpredictability factor is the Uranus piece of the Uranus-Pluto square. Whenever Uranus is in the equation, you can expect the unexpected. And whenever Uranus and Pluto are working together (which is not that often), that’s an indication of progress or at the very least significant change. Keep that in mind as part of the background. Also remember that Sunday’s exact contact of the Uranus-Pluto square was the first of seven of them that will happen through March 2015 — so this is only the beginning.

Interestingly, an asteroid associated with law and politics — Pallas Athene — is exactly conjunct Uranus right now, meaning that it’s functioning as part of the Uranus-Pluto square. Pallas plus Uranus = something unpredictable or even shocking in politics; square Pluto = an evolutionary moment of some kind. Recently in Daily Astrology, I wrote:

It requires awareness and foresight to work productively and positively with what Uranus brings, since the energy can throw you off center. With Pluto rumbling through the foundations of our lives (personal and cultural/institutional) and Uranus/Prometheus potentially hiding a little fire up its sleeve, where might Pallas Athene channel all that energy?

Well, a quest for justice. One sector to watch is the U.S. Supreme Court, which happens to have so many pending cases they are considering extending the current term by a few days.

The justices are due to release a number of decisions on high-profile cases fairly soon (June is one of their scheduled times to do that). Two of the best known are the Arizona immigration law and the 2010 health care plan derisively called “Obamacare” (which should be called Heritage Foundation Care, since it was invented by them and not by Obama) by those seeking to reinforce the negative connotations attached to Medicare — and bring the president down with both.

Now, it’s possible that the justices of SCOTUS could surprise us with their inventiveness. This does not necessarily mean their inventiveness will be progressive, however.

Inventiveness is precisely what we got, though in the form of what we’re being told is something progressive.

To learn more, let’s go back to the pivotal chart for this issue: the signing of the Affordable Care Act into law by Pres. Obama. That is the chart above; use this link for a larger version of the two charts used in this article. Here is the grossly oversimplified version. It will open in a new browser window.

As you look at these charts, keep an eye on activity on the cardinal cross — Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. That’s the scene of the Uranus-Pluto square; it’s also the full-contact Aries Point: the cross in the horoscope that’s the intersection between the individual and the collective, or as I used to call it, the personal and the political.

When the Aries Point is hot, which means when there is anything significant happening on the first degree of Aries, in the early degrees of that sign or in the early cardinal signs, we see this kind of political development that influences something deeply personal. It can also manifest as the feeling of the world crashing into the living room. News events lose their abstract feeling and start to feel like they actually influence our lives.

If you look at the early degrees of the cardinal signs in the chart for the signing of the ACA, we find that they are ALL occupied, and angular: for the signing chart, the Moon in Cancer is rising (that’s the little gray crescent at the left side of the chart). Pluto in Capricorn is setting (the red golf tee to the far right of the chart). The Sun in Aries is highly elevated (right at the top of the chart), and Saturn is in early Libra (exactly opposite the Sun).

The cardinal grand cross would be plenty — though it has even more impact with the ascendant involved, which is ramping up the energy. The Cancer Moon is in an astonishingly close opposition to Pluto in Capricorn — take a look at the numbers.

Even the fast-moving Part of Fortune gets into the game, making a square to the Moon and Pluto. While some less imaginative astrologers would say this portends something bad, I would say it hints at something big that’s going to influence a lot of people. This is particularly true given that the Moon is an astrological significator for ‘the public’ and Pluto for ‘the masses’.

Simplified chart for the signing of the ACA (same chart data as above), emphasizing the cardinal grand cross (which aligns with the Moon on the far left of the chart). For a larger version of the charts used in this article, use this link. Or use you can see grossly oversimplified charts that will help you see the aspects more clearly. Jupiter is the orange 4-like symbol at the top of the chart, leaning slightly toward the right.

Yet because it is rising and involved with the early cardinal degrees (the Aries Point) this is the chart saying loud and clear, “It’s about you. And everyone — but it’s about you.” Remember that the Moon moves quickly (one degree in two hours) and the ascendant ticks along extremely fast — one degree every four to five minutes. So this is one of those charts that’s ALL about the exact time.

Just a couple of other points before we go to the next chart. Do you see that little orange ‘4’ high up in the full chart, toward the right side, next to the dark line? The dark line is the 10th house cusp. The 4 is Jupiter, which is in its rulership — Pisces.

You don’t need to do the calculations to know that this is the strongest planet in the chart, based on being in its rulership, in direct motion and so close to the 10th house cusp.

The Moon comes in a close second, in its rulership (Cancer) and right in the ascendant. This is a ridiculously potent chart, drawing on a lot of emotional energy for its impact. It presents the image that ‘the government is supposed to do good things’ (Jupiter in the 10th) and ‘take care of people’ (Moon in Cancer rising).

The 10th is the sign of the government and of big corporations. It’s also the house that includes the president personally. Jupiter here could mean one of two things: the government or the president did something beneficial; or something happened that was good for the government and corporations. Both could be true. I think that any time big companies benefit from government policy, the issue is worth watching carefully. We are, however, in a rare moment — part of the Uranus-Pluto cycle — one which historically is about a pushback against regressive policies.

One last thing. Just to the right of Jupiter is an orange key (which is Chiron) and a blue trident (which is Neptune). The two are close together — that’s a conjunction. This was the momentous Chiron-Neptune conjunction, in late Aquarius. That alone is significant; it’s is an extremely rare aspect. But look at the next chart and see where those degrees appear — right on the horizon line known as the descendent. We will come back to that in half a moment.

Here is the chart for the Supreme Court’s decision Thursday. We are fortunate to have a time for this; I’ve never seen another Supreme Court decision timed to the minute, but thanks to SCOTUS Blog, we have one, set for 10:07 am.

Chart for the ruling on the ACA by the Supreme Court. The late degree ascendant can be seen on the far left side of the chart, marked by the number 29. The Sun (yellow circle on upper left) is opposite Pluto (red golf tee) and square Uranus (blue H). This is a chart with a lot of energy — and it represents a large struggle behind the scenes, as well as the possibility for progress. For a larger version of the charts used in this article, use this link. Or use you can see grossly oversimplified charts that will help you see the aspects.

Let’s start at the beginning of the chart — the ascendant. Ascendant is the exact degree of the rising sign — and in this case it’s 29+ Leo — properly called the 30th degree: the end. We know from lots of experience that the last two degrees of a sign are the scene of the interesting, the strange and the unusual. What happened yesterday definitely qualifies as such. A late rising degree also indicates something that doesn’t fully have a grip in reality, though the ascendant being in fixed sign Leo helps compensate for that a bit.

Notice that there’s a point in the ascendant, right on the line — that hot pink circle with the slash through it. That’s called Transpluto. It’s a hypothetical point — it doesn’t exist except in the minds of astrologers and in astrology programs. It’s hypothetical but it’s real. It’s sometimes delineated as relating to narrowness, criticism and self-critique; I look at it as focus and specificity. Lynn Koiner associates it strongly with independence and self-sufficiency.

Transpluto moves extremely slowly and is not well understood by astrologers. Nearly everyone alive has it in Leo. It’s now in a three-year process of changing signs to Virgo, which I will get to in another story. For now, think of Transpluto as being in transition from a sign about self to a sign about collective responsibility.

This placement doesn’t warm my heart. It’s hardly the Moon in Cancer rising; Transpluto in Leo is all about the rugged individualism that Americans love to hallucinate about (often while on the way to the bank, cashing their government check). Transpluto here also feels like something was forced through a very small opening. Note, this chart is all of two minutes from being Virgo rising. But it’s still Leo rising. The Sabian symbol for that last degree of Leo is “an unsealed letter,” meaning that the truth cannot be concealed forever; eventually the envelope is opened. This is a cue to be on the lookout for the specifics of what is in that envelope.

Across the dial, we have the last degree of Aquarius on the 7th house cusp — the relationship angle, the environment, ‘the other’. The 7th cusp or the descendent is exactly aligned with Chiron/Neptune from the signing chart. In a sense, it’s describing the topic — which directly involves Chiron, significant in all aspects of healing.

Notice that both of these planets are now in Pisces, however. (In the last chart they were still in Aquarius, making their slow transition to the next sign.) Neptune on the 7th house of a mundane chart is a caution about fraud. It’s not a guarantee — though it suggests that plenty is going on behind the scenes here, that is, plenty that’s invisible and that you might need special glasses to see. Neptune often points to the obvious thing we’re looking right at but cannot see for what it is. It’s retrograde, making the issue even more slippery.

The Supreme Court is one branch of government that few people understand. Its inner processes are secretive, its members are appointed for life, and they wear black Masonic robes. Oh, and its decisions influence every American citizen to a surprising degree. This is the official portrait for 2012.

Chiron is standing guard right there. For a while, we have protection from some of the less savory influences of Neptune in Pisces due to Chiron’s presence there. Chiron’s message is always some version of Pay Attention. Chiron, for its part, is in a spotlight. The Sun — the ruler of the Leo ascendant — is about to trine Chiron, making it fully involved in this chart. (Centaur fans, also notice that Nessus is in Aquarius, lurking in very light blue right below the horizon — that’s an additional caution of mischief or a scheme at work.)

The Sun’s placement is where the chart gets really, really interesting. The Sun (as we’ve been writing about all week in Daily Astrology) is aligned with the revolutionary Uranus-Pluto square. In the decision chart, the Sun is square Uranus/Pallas and opposite Pluto. The Sun — especially powerful because it’s the ruler of the rising sign Leo — is all mixed up in the revolutionary nature of the moment. The Sun represents the president and leaders in general, and there’s a clue here that people in this role are succumbing to forces much larger than themselves.

The Sun opposite Pluto suggests, however, that there is a titanic battle going on behind the scenes. Health care and health insurance are only the surface. We have a lot of problems to solve in the United States and indeed the Land of the One World Government. I would note that neither the problem nor the solution is political, despite appearances. They are not economic. At essence they are spiritual issues.

One last point. The Moon in this chart is what’s called ‘void of course’. The Moon is making no more aspects to planets before it changes signs to Scorpio, which is a bit dark in a chart about health care. A void Moon is like the ball is out of play. That can mean several things, one of which is: what you just witnessed was a meaningless exercise, or was intended as such. Another is: be aware you have no idea the real outcome here. (The Moon was void in the chart for the Sept. 11 incident, and for Obama’s inauguration, to give two examples from recent history.)

That said, the political system moved today. The nation’s highest court — assailed for being hopelessly conservative — affirmed the constitutionality of a law passed by a congress that was then controlled by Democrats. In politics, anyway, that is a watershed moment.

As Pluto moves through Capricorn, taking a series of seven squares from Uranus, one question we have to ask is: what is the role of government? Is it to wage wars, or to help people? We have to decide that, and to influence the outcome however we can — principally by refusing to be ignorant, and second, by speaking up.

My take on this chart is that it’s about actual change, which could even be progress despite all the caution in these charts. The ‘progress insurance’ is the Uranus-Pluto square, which pretty dependably pushes events forward, at least for a while.

I recognize that we are accustomed to living in a world where everything always seems to get dependably worse — though that’s not really true. Moments of change are moments of opportunity to work with the energy of change, and that’s a conscious act, not something that ‘happens to us’. The dark overlords know that — it’s high time we figured it out too.

Lovingly,

PS — Subscribers please note a schedule update. Due to the July 4 holiday next week, Planet Waves will be on a reduced schedule. We will publish the Moonshine Horoscope on Tuesday morning, and a horoscope-only edition on Friday morning. Don’t miss my reading of the Declaration of Independence in Wednesday’s edition of Planet Waves FM.

Cancer Birthday Reading is Ready!

Hello Cancer Sun, Moon and rising folk — and happy birthday to Cancer Sun readers.

Photo by Sarah.

Note, this report is substantially different from the 2012 annual (Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check.) written with six months’ extra perspective and covering many other themes.

Here is your link to order.

This report will be effective and timely for Cancer rising and Moon readers as well. For other signs, we have a page that lists all of my birthday products for the past year or so.

Thank you for your business. Please let me know how you like the reading.

Lovingly,

Subscribers please note a schedule update. Due to the July 4 holiday next week, Planet Waves will be on a reduced schedule. We will publish the Moonshine Horoscope on Tuesday morning, and a horoscope-only edition on Friday morning. Don’t miss my reading of the Declaration of Independence in Wednesday’s edition of Planet Waves FM.

Capricorn Full Moon: Slather On the Aries Point Please!

The next big event in the sky is the Capricorn Full Moon. This is the Moon opposing the Cancer Sun, just in time for the July 4 holiday in the United States (which commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence). This occurs synchronously with a number of other events, all of which spark up the Uranus-Pluto square and keep the focus on the Aries Point. That’s another way of saying: count yourself into the story. Why be dragged along by the brutal, crushing movement of society when you can jump in and play the game? Or maybe you just want to jump out of the game — and it might actually be a good week for that.

You will need Aries Point lotion this week, with all the action on the cardinal cross. Note, please tell your dog not to do this — he or she will be considered a sex offender.

Anyway, this is quite the chart for the solar return of the United States, and it’s probably going to be a pretty interesting week. The Capricorn Full Moon is exact at 2:52 pm EDT on Tuesday, July 3. The Full Moon is still close enough to the Uranus-Pluto square (just four degrees away) to fire that up with full force.

It’s so close indeed that just a few hours before the Full Moon, we have the latest (fourth, I think) Moon-Pluto occultation, part of a series of events that are helping define our era. The last one was part of the Venus transit; it’s been a month since that happened. The occultation happens at 8:11 am EDT on Tuesday, July 3.

Then Mars ingresses Libra at 8:31 am EDT July 3. Mars has been in Virgo since November, including making a long retrograde in that sign over the winter. This is a shift in the energy — Mars moving from a slow, mentally oriented mutable sign into a faster vibration cardinal sign. Ingressing Libra, Mars opposes the Aries Point, and it opposes Uranus, and it squares Pluto — meaning a few things. One is that now Mars is activating the Uranus-Pluto square. Also this is a caution to beware of power struggles, especially in personal relationships.

All three of these are one synchronous event: Capricorn Moon occulting Pluto, Mars ingressing Libra and the Capricorn Full Moon.

However, before this happens, through the weekend we have the Moon spending most of its time in Scorpio. It will oppose Vesta and Sedna in Taurus. The Scorpio Moon can be lusty and passionate, though with Vesta and Sedna involved, there is an element of detachment. I suggest you make contact with people who are willing to go there with you, rather than trying to get that contact from people who are not interested.

Capricorn Full Moon on July 3, set for Washington, DC.

All of this is happening with Mars in the last degrees of Virgo, which may be setting off some of the most sensitive planets in your chart. Then Mars changes signs, leaving a whole phase of our lives behind. Remember what you learned about healing, and healing anger and desire in these months.

The Libra ingress will present a test of how well you did; you may need to re-focus on healing, as hidden material comes to the surface in relationships. The key here is balance, and seeing both sides of the story.

Mars in Libra tends to go one of two ways: flying off in anger, or easy-going and enthusiastic. With all the tension and rumbling energy in the air from Uranus-Pluto, plus the polarization of waxing Moon, this sounds like a good time to pause, weigh your options, use your inside voice, and try to notice not only when you’re feeling emotionally triggered, but to really check how deep/old the reaction’s roots are. I know this is asking a lot if you’re about to bite someone’s head off, but it will be worth pausing.

Meanwhile, that series of Moon-Pluto occultations is wearing away something, and Uranus-Pluto is shaking things up. With the Cancer Sun in opposition and square to these, there’s a lot of sensitivity that people might not know what to do with. The easy answer is to lash out at those closest to us, those in our homes — whether literal or figurative homes, material or cyber. It’s also easy to become obsessive, and to feel at the mercy of powers larger than yourself.

If you’re feeling anger, deal with it constructively, and make sure you direct it as gently as possible, in the right direction. Are you really lashing out at your mother when you yell at your roommate, Facebook friend, lover or boss? Perhaps you’d be better served by a good therapy session, some hands-on activism, or some really hot sex. Check which of these options is open to you.

Note: Mars making aspects to Uranus and Pluto is astrology associated with accidents. Make sure you drive gently, with intention, and most of all, in sober, alert condition. If your holiday plans are still open, I suggest that less driving is better next week, and if you must, be as conscious and professional behind the wheel as you want your airline pilot to be handling a 737.

More details starting Sunday night in Daily Astrology & Adventure.

Seafood, but Not Fish, Declared Safe; Forest of No Chirp

In a move seemingly designed to protect the local fishing industry from terminal collapse, Japanese authorities have today allowed the sale of octopus and whelk caught near the scene of last year’s nuclear meltdown following the tsunami which devastated Fukushima. Octopus and whelk, a marine snail, are invertebrate and showed no detectable amounts of radioactive substances. Fish such as sea bass and flounder, however, were not approved for sale due to contamination from radioactive caesium. Many people have bought the produce to show their support for the industry, according to an official in charge of sales at the fishing co-operative in Soma city. “I was filled with both uncertainty and hope today, but I was so happy when I found out the local supermarket had sold out by 3pm,” he told Associated Press.

Meanwhile, few swallows and few or no other summer birds such as Narcissus Flycatcher are being found in an area of Fukushima, according to Tweets by the Japan Wild Bird Association. Readings of radioactivity taken in a heron colony are also showing elevated levels of radiation, indicating its likely presence in the fresh water fish the herons eat and feed their young. As remarked in one of the Tweets, “It reminded me of Silent Spring by Rachel Louise Carson. Forest of no chirp.”

Germany Upholds Ban on Circumcision

An appeals court in Cologne, Germany, has ruled that circumcision of young boys on religious grounds infringes a child’s right to physical integrity. The verdict related to the case of a four-year-old Muslim boy who became seriously ill following the procedure. The court ruled that the individual rights of the child took legal precedent over the religious right of its parents. Germany’s Jewish and Muslim communities responded with outrage following the controversial ruling. Dieter Graumann, president of Germany’s Central Council of Jews, denounced the ruling as outrageous and insensitive. “It is an unprecedented and dramatic intervention in the right of religious communities to self-determination,” he said. Perhaps; maybe it’s about sex. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians states that the foreskin protects the glans, and that “the foreskin is a primary sensory part of the penis, containing some of the most sensitive areas of the penis.”

Murdoch’s Pholus Just Won’t Quit

Rupert Murdoch, demonstrating how tight News Corp used to be. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Rupert Murdoch, in an interview on FOX News Thursday morning, confirmed that News Corporation, his $54 billion media conglomerate, will proceed with a plan to divide the company in two — separating newspapers like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and The Times of London from the fast-growing entertainment unit. While some view the move as risky for the newspapers — which essentially relied on the entertainment arm of News Corp as a financial safety net, Murdoch proclaimed otherwise.

“In a memo to staff , Mr. Murdoch cited the company’s ‘spirit of innovation’ in the decision, which he viewed as an opportunity to free his beloved newspapers from their ugly stepchild status within the giant corporation,” reported the New York Times. “Our publishing businesses are greatly undervalued by the skeptics,” he wrote. “Through this transformation we will unleash their real potential, and be able to better articulate the true value they hold for shareholders.”

Some might argue that what has been “unleashed,” thanks to Pholus, is a big ol’ can of consequences for years of unethical tactics, such as hacking the voicemail of a dead little girl, leading her parents to think she was still alive. Even the FOX News anchor who interviewed Murdoch seemed to take his job seriously, pressing Murdoch for answers and prompting the bloggers at The Guardian U.K. to quip, “Murdoch seemed angry, annoyed with [Neil] Cavuto. His answers grew shorter and shorter and his smile grew tighter and tighter. Is Cavuto still employed?”

Holder Held in Contempt of Congress

For the first time in American history, the House of Representatives has held a sitting member of the president’s cabinet in contempt. Thursday, the House voted along party lines to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, after he refused to turn over some documents associated with something called Operation Fast and Furious. This seems to stem from the right wing conspiracy theory that Pres. Obama is trying to ake away some Americans’ most precious possession — their guns. Obama has actually been gun-friendly, so this has its basis only in paranoia. In fact it’s so paranoid that Obama is being accused of selling guns to Mexicans in order to have them create violent incidents in the United States, and then use this as a way to roll back gun rights. The New York Times reported Thursday that more than 100 Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader, quietly left the House chamber during the voting. They gathered in a circle on the lawn outside the Capitol for a news conference. “We are nonparticipants in what we believe to be a calamity,” said Representative Emanuel Cleaver II, Democrat of Missouri and chairman of the black caucus. “This is a terrible day for the House of Representatives. We did not want to participate in something that had some kind of a smell to it.”

This is what it really looks like on the Moon, unless you think that it’s a studio shot directed by a young Steven Spielberg. Photo is of Apollo 17, the last time humans visited the Moon.

Man Walks (or Walked) on Ruling Planet

NASA’s Astronomy Photo of the Day website has published a shot showing Harrison Schmitt, the only Cancerian among the 10 astronauts who have set foot on the Moon, on his astrological ruling planet. The photo shows him investigating Shorty Crater with fellow Apollo 17 crewman Eugene Cernan in 1972. Schmitt claims to have taken the iconic Blue Marble photo of the Earth, which is credited by NASA to the whole team. He is also the only person known to have fallen over while taking a moonwalk.

His lunar excursion may have tripped him in other ways, too. He retired from NASA in 1975 and ran as a Republican in New Mexico for the U.S. Senate. He won, but lost a second-term bid to state Attorney General Jeff Bingaman who ran under the slogan “What on Earth has he done for you lately?” He later became a global-warming denier, claiming the environmental movement was a Communist conspiracy of activists who had nowhere else to go after the demise of the Soviet Union. It might be worth keeping an eye on any Aries or Scorpios who make it back from Mars one day. They might take Martial arts to a whole new political level.

This week on Planet Waves FM: Introduction to Civics

Here in this week’s edition of Planet Waves FM, I am joined by the mayor of Kingston, NY — Shayne Gallo. This is not your hard-hitting kind of interview; rather, it’s a conversation about civics: being involved in society.

Kingston Mayor Shayne Gallo, Tuesday during the interview.

We start with a formal definition of what that means, the one you may have read in the Boy Scout Handbook, and then start to account for how weird the world is right now, and how much counts for involvement, and why it’s so important right now for both individuals and society. Note — the interview is in stereo, so if you cannot hear one channel, make sure you have both speakers plugged in or put your system onto mono.

I introduce the program with Venus stationing direct, which was Wednesday at 11:06 am EDT. This has been the most eventful Venus retrograde since the dinosaurs were around. It’s included two eclipses, the transit of Venus, Uranus square Pluto, Saturn opposite Eris, Jupiter square Neptune (all slow moving aspects), along with the solstice and a good bit else. All of that, contained within the time structure of Venus retrograde.

On Wednesday that energy released, and now we get to see what else was behind the veil. One thing that was coming down the pike at the time of this recording was the decision on the health care reform act of late 2010. It is an historic decision with many implications and a real test of the functioning of our government.

We go without a music break this week however — I am looking for a music editor to help coordinate that part of the program, and to evolve a spinoff indie music hour. Write to me if that turns you on.

Friday, June 29, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #908 | Eric’s Zodiac Sign Descriptions

Cancer Birthdays: Sun Meets Uranus-Pluto Square

If you have a birthday anywhere in the vicinity, get ready for a very exciting year — perhaps the most exciting of your life. Uranus and Pluto are making their square in aspect to your natal Sun — and that means progress. It might not feel like progress every day, and you may find that you’re dealing with forces much larger than yourself. Yet there is just one way to handle that: full commitment. You’re being drawn into your circumstances in a way that may be deeper than you ever have. There are elements of your environment that are provoking you to grow, to reconsider all of your thinking and most of all, to get in tune with the times. I suggest you face the moment with an open mind, remembering that you are no longer in the past and that the future is approaching quickly. This means making specific changes to your self-concept, your point of view and your relationships. Consider your encounters with others to be an aspect of your life that must evolve as quickly as you are, though your growth comes first. It may seem exhausting to keep pace with so many influences — whether internal or external — though if you make even the slightest effort, you will be carried by the momentum of the moment into a time of true achievement.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Going forward for the foreseeable future, there are two keys to success that are right in your hand. One is communication. This is as close to the thing that will solve every problem as you’ve got — particularly when you use it among people who are avoiding that very thing. When met with anyone’s intense energy, establish contact and you will both defuse negativity and get things moving in a creative direction. Take the time to listen (before you speak) and figure out what people are trying to say. The second is to know what you want. This will help you keep your focus, in general and when you encounter pushy people who think they know what they want — and don’t hesitate to push it on you. It doesn’t matter how enthusiastic or aggressive someone is; you’re in a lot stronger position if you know your own agenda and can therefore stick to it.

Hello Aries — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Your ruling planet Venus has stationed direct in Gemini, which is another way of saying that information is forthcoming about what in life is most important to you. That, in turn, will lead to your ability to make better decisions about what to do about that significance; to use what you know. One characteristic of the recent Venus retrograde phase has been an experiment in values. By this I mean that you’ve been able to explore aspects of life that may in some way go against your usual ethics, habits or morals. Seen one way, these parallel values systems are equally valid. Seen another way, you cannot be sure what is important to you unless you experience something different, in physical reality. It’s crucial to be able to experiment without the looming threat of failure or disaster, and you’ve come a long way in setting your worst fears aside. That alone has been worth the experiment, though you’ve gained a lot more than that.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You can now receive the benefits of something that you’ve been in possession of for a while. It may not be a thing, however — it more resembles a value that you hold close to your heart, a promise you’ve made to yourself or an idea about existence, which you’ve now decided to take seriously. You have every reason to be positive about whatever you’re committing to, or embracing your commitment to. It’s true that you have not fully let go of certain old tendencies, and you’re being reminded of certain qualities you possess that involve your ties to your parents. However, the center of gravity is leaning in your direction, and the faith that you possess is the thing that will get you past any of your doubts or perceived weaknesses. Therefore, you’re correct: this is the time to make all the progress you can, which by the way is more than you think.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The bigger the challenge the higher you will rise to meet it. This is a moment of full engagement for you, though notably it’s subtler than it is dramatic. Indeed, drama is the last thing you want right now, and the first thing to defuse. Once you’ve done that, go for the soul connection. This feels like a point of contact that goes deeper than what people say their goals are, transcends appearances and even ideologies, and reaches to a level of core understanding. Normally we preoccupy ourselves with every other dimension of relating to people. The planets are aligned such that you are positioned for a breakthrough on understanding what this whole business of soul relationships is about. I don’t exactly mean your soul ‘mate’ because you’re likely to have more than one. I mean a perspective on existence that is readily accessible to you right now, and which has the power to ease your way in life like nothing else can.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Have you ever been on one of those scales in a science museum that tells you how much you would weigh on the surface of another planet? Now imagine a more elaborate version of that same display that would allow you to feel what it’s like on another world. That’s what your astrology is giving you right now. Check for several distinct properties — there is less gravity. There is an unusual blend between dreamtime and what you previously thought of as reality. As a result, the energy field is less dense — which includes the realms of human psychology and your physical surroundings. Changes are easier to make; you have the ability to peer into and even through things that previously seemed opaque. The whole experience may pass by you as if it’s a dream; it’s up to you to pay attention and remember what you experience, which is in truth a demonstration of what is possible and indeed available all the time, if you tune your mind to the right perspective.

Hello Leo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — I am here with another reminder that Mars is about to leave your sign; that happens July 3. Mars has been in your sign since Nov. 11, 2011 — almost nine months running. This transit has made you aware of the infamous Virgo self-criticism thing; there were many times when you actually grasped that if you didn’t do something about it right then, you would lose your mind. In essence, you’ve learned to temper your aggression toward yourself, and have been participating in the world’s most effective anger management program. In truth we’re talking about energy management, and now that you’ve figured out how to stop fighting with yourself, you have a lot more energy available to take on the challenges of the world — and you have some beautiful ones awaiting you, especially as you step into the next phase of your life’s work. This is not about your career; it’s about going beyond your career.

Hello Virgo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — This week’s planetary activity includes several changes that influence your sign: your ruling planet Venus stationed direct; Saturn stationed direct in your sign; and Mars is ingressing your sign. All together, this looks like the release of stuck energy combined with a lot of new motivation. You may want to leap forward all at once, though I suggest taking things one step at a time and proceeding methodically. The energy and motivation provided by Mars don’t come with guaranteed good judgment; that’s something you have to provide for yourself. It will require some reflection and adaptation to your new emotional environment. As priority one, I would suggest keeping your focus on balance. Make sure those scales of yours are equally weighted, and notice how little energy it takes to tip things in one direction or another. Take the time to observe how little energy it takes to get the job done.

Hello Libra — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — By now you’ve figured out that you feel better, and get along better with people, if you take a less critical attitude. You’re an analyzer by nature. There’s a way to do that gently, which includes keeping your sense of humor, and refusing to assume the worst. Yet there is something else I truly hope has come across, and it’s not too late. Where you see the need for improvement in the world, you can actually devote your energy, your love and your resources. Yes, this involves taking a chance, and it involves being willing to extend some extra focus. Yet the real ‘risk’ is shifting from a negative orientation on the state of the world to a positive one. You have little right to expect the world to become a better place (however you define that) unless you’re willing to put yourself into that project. It’s pretty easy to identify the ways that provide mutual benefit, and I suggest that you mediate on the concept, ‘the greatest good for all concerned.’

Hello Scorpio — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — The funny thing about many of the old descriptions of your sign is that they say you like to skip over the details, yet there’s that side of you that obsesses over them. I suggest you refine this down to a short list with fewer than five items, then go back to the thing you’re so good at — envisioning the whole scene. It’s time to develop the talent of knowing when you’re in which mode, detailed close-up focus versus wide-angle view. The wide-angle means sketching out a vision that takes you out at least one year from today, with direct continuity from the present moment. Think in terms of your broad goals, and certain focused goals. The idea is to consider these things in principle, rather than in terms of specifics, or proof of what you can accomplish. Also — with Mars still in your 10th house for a few days, I suggest you solve three persistent problems at the rate of one per day for the next three days.

Hello Sagittarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — There are those times in life when you actually feel met, and this is one of them. Pay attention to who you encounter and stay sensitive to your environment. You’re in a position where you can be noticed, by which I mean seen clearly and recognized for who you are. A diversity of factors are conspiring to make this one of the most interesting weeks of the year. This is not a passing trend but rather a threshold through which you’re moving. Look at the world every day through new eyes. Be present in every moment; get yourself out of automatic mode and guide yourself consciously from moment to moment. Without expectations, assume that every encounter is a meaningful encounter — this includes people you pass in the elevator, the TSA agents at the airport or meeting a dog. Then apply that to everyone else you meet; listen to what they say. Honor the unknown, and call yourself fully present from moment to moment.

Hello Capricorn — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Events the next few days are likely to shine the light in such a way that you see your life from a new point of view. It will be like looking at a scene from your future that you cannot enter yet, because it hasn’t fully manifested. Yet at the same time your ability to envision yourself in a new way, in different circumstances, will feed your strength. In order to get from the place you are now to your vision for the future, you will need a combination of discipline, strategy and intuition in equal measure. There will be times when you have to defer to one or the other, though most of the time the three facets of thought will provide you with useful references to cross-check. You may be surprised to see the ways in which they confirm rather than contradict one another. One thing to keep in mind is the way that you use structure. I mean this as a concept by which you guide your thinking, and also as a real thing, which you might apply as the use of space, legal devices such as a corporation, and the way you use your time.

Hello Aquarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You have just spent the past nine months with Mars in your relationship angle, the sign Virgo. Far from being a regular occurrence, this is pretty rare, and nothing like it is going to happen again till around 2027. You’ve been through your share of conflicts, though more to the point, you’ve learned how to handle disagreement effectively and without losing your cool. This involves standing up for yourself when you need to, and arguing the specifics rather than the generalities. This and other factors suggest you can proceed with actual confidence in yourself. That’s a Latin word that means with fidelity. You’ve come a long way on your old problem of constantly being at odds with yourself. In fact, the theme that you’ve set during the past nine months is being in harmony with yourself, and more than any one thing this will be the secret to your success and happiness. Remember what you’ve learned and what you’ve been through; they are lessons of a lifetime.

Hello Pisces — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for July 2012

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Abandoned quarry office and scale monitoring room gradually returns to the Earth, near Stony Kill in Ulster County, New York State. Photo by Eric Francis.

Dear Friend and Reader:

Venus stations direct Wednesday, ending its six week retrograde in Gemini. [I am covering this in two parts in PW Daily — part one is here.] We’ve experienced lots of unusual astrology during these weeks, including the Venus transit of the Sun, an event so rare that a child born this spring would have to live to be 108 in order to see the next one.

There are numerous indicators in the charts this month that family life is under stress. We know this — it’s not news; relatively few kids have parents who are able to be fully present for them. Yet astrology in the immediate vicinity is saying specifically to be cautious of decisions and incidents that impact children, which can span from how you respond to seemingly ordinary problems to domestic politics to monitoring their exposure to acts of war on television.

The Sun in Cancer (which began June 20) is a reminder to keep your energy focused at home as a high priority. There is a potent Full Moon in Capricorn on Tuesday, July 3, and the New Moon in Cancer on July 19. Mercury will turn retrograde in Leo on July 14 and stations direct in Leo on Aug. 8. This will be the fourth inner planet retrograde of the year — count on us for full coverage. If you would like some back story on what I’m calling the ‘solstice cluster’ of events, check this post.

Lovingly,

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for July 2012 | Eric’s Zodiac Sign Descriptions

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Material that’s been below the surface is likely to come bubbling into your relationships over the next few weeks. You know that none of what you’re addressing is actually new, and if you have not figured that out, that’s what I’m here to remind you. The questions to ask yourself are things like: What are my limits? What is acceptable conduct toward me? What constitutes a violation of trust? What agendas do people have? Up to a point, it’s fair to say that people are acting on you, though if you don’t honor your own boundaries, you will be the one who must take full responsibility for what happens to you. If you start coming from that position and refuse to be a victim, you will be able to keep hold of your own power and make healthy decisions a lot sooner.

Hello Aries — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Focus your financial priorities. Even if you’re in a state of relative abundance, now is the time to plan carefully for the future. I suggest you take two lines of approach. One is to get clear about what’s important. There are a lot of ways your money could be directed, and some are clearly more important than others. Some of the most expensive things are entirely meaningless, particularly if you have them only for show. Second is I suggest you look for (and work with) non-cash forms of resources. This includes everything from ideas to people willing to help you to repurposing what you already have. Be bold about asking for what people don’t seem to need; bartering and other forms of exchange will be mutually profitable.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Jupiter is now in your sign for the next year — and that suggests some bold adventures are coming your way. The key idea to work with is different. If you have a choice between options for what to do, try the unfamiliar one. If you want to read, try an author you’ve never experienced. Stretch the bounds of your mind, approaching problems from new points of view. You have a lot to learn from older people who are not your parents; they have different information, a different agenda and no power over you except for what feels authentic and persuasive. Yet the thing to remember is that all roads lead to a spiritual question. That question involves the nature of your existence and the extent to which it’s possible for others to dictate who you are. You no longer need that kind of influence, correct?

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You now get an extended opportunity to see what you’ve been missing. You’re used to keeping yourself entertained with certain stories about who you are and about the nature of your personality and certain deeper psychic levels. You’re about to discover that no matter how well you thought you knew yourself, you were missing approximately half of the story. What’s more interesting is that you’re likely to remember that you’ve actually thought of this all before; you just forgot that you noticed it or figured it out. Therefore, take a circumspect approach to everything. Check in with as many viewpoints as you can think of. Some of your best guidance is going to be coming from your dreams, which will be an effective way to look into your blind spots and dark corners.

Hello Cancer — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed). Your Cancer birthday reading is almost ready. It will include more than hour of astrology plus a tarot reading. Check your email later today or early tomorrow for access.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Get it in writing and put it in writing. You would be amazed how much trouble this can save. Jot down the promises you make and those that are made to you. Where money or other property is changing hands, make sure there is a written agreement. Get contracts in employment or freelance situations, and make sure that everyone sticks to them. We will assume that the truth is on your side, and that therefore, documentation in any form will favor you, or favor everyone involved in the circumstances of your life. Remember that what is fair is fair. You won’t have to fight for it though you might have to assert your position with some emphasis — and if it ever comes time to do that, you want something to keep in your folder just in case you ever need it.

Hello Leo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Early this month Mars leaves your sign after more than eight months, including a long retrograde. Mars moves forward carrying the fussy precision of Virgo. Though the more significant development is that you have learned to be more assertive about what matters to you the most. Not only that, you’re likely to have figured out what that actually is, and to have taken some chances on making sure that it’s a priority for you. The challenge you face going forward is about continuing to take the leading role in your own life. You’re vulnerable to the influences and persuasions of others, and you may not be in the mood to stand up for yourself like you’ve been with Mars visiting you. Just remember what you’ve learned about how easy it is, and how well it works.

Hello Virgo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Now you’ll get to see if everything you’ve been worrying about for so long was actually real. At least when you look at the very short list of things that actually turn out to be problems, you’ll have the determination to resolve the issues. However, avoid ‘solving’ things in such a way that causes you to go out of balance, thus creating more issues and the need for more effort. Assert yourself gently. Keep your mind on the whole-system known as your life. Rather than putting energy fast and furious into the small elements of what seems wrong, consider ways you can make many improvements with a few focused decisions. The key word is focus — a solid understanding of what you want to do and how you plan to do it, rather than committing to pouring out your energy.

Hello Libra — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You’re having an influence on a number of situations much larger than you, though at this point you might not see how that is working. The astrology suggests you have the ability to tip the scales on situations that are hanging in the balance. Yet there’s a larger matter at stake, which is your ability to maintain a sense of the interests of everyone involved. In a sense, you’re the guardian of justice, and I suggest you only devote energy and attention to outcomes that are authentically fair. You have the ability to sway things any way you want, though the karmic stakes are a little higher than you’re accustomed to. If you’re not fair with everyone in your life, you will discover how unfair people can be to you — which is silly, considering how much you both have to offer.

Hello Scorpio — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You may feel like you live in a glass house, but it’s more like the hall of mirrors. You will be here for a while, so I suggest you get acquainted with what you’re looking at. Or rather, notice that what you project outward will account for most of what you see in front of you. This is usually true, though it’s particularly vivid now. If there’s a message underneath the surface, it’s focus on yourself if you want to change your life. Though there’s no point trying to change others, few people actually remember this. However, the results you get will speak for themselves. If you change your mind or your point of view, the reflection you’re looking at will change — though like when you’re looking in a mirror, it may be in the opposite direction.

Hello Sagittarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Avoid the temptation to base your relationships on your attachment to the past, or to the way you think things were. It would only be a distraction, and you don’t have time for that now. You have many significant responsibilities to attend to, and setting things right won’t necessarily be a simple or fast process. I suggest you embrace that complexity, and make sure you focus on one agenda item at a time, starting with what you decide is the most important. If you do this with some persistence, you will build your confidence and gradually bring a sense of order to what may seem entirely out of control right now. One potential distraction is unhealthy emotional attachment. Do your best to keep your focus right now, and stand back from those who obsess over the way things were.

Hello Capricorn — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You seem to be pouring more and more energy into an effort to get yourself unstuck in a creative or relationship situation — perhaps both — though it would help if you did one little thing: think differently. That’s another way of saying ‘not the same’ or ‘new approach’ or ‘reconsider everything’ or ‘take a chance you would not normally take’. This is something that has to come from the inside rather than from trying to change your circumstances. A thousand colors of paint doesn’t make someone a painter, nor does being naked make someone a lover. What matters is making contact with the spark of passion inside yourself, then having faith in it long enough to do something creative. It’ll also help if you name your fear of loss for what it is; that’s blocking a lot of energy.

Hello Aquarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You may not feel especially popular, though you’re having an impact on the people around you even if they’re not letting on. Yet the planets are suggesting that you shift your emphasis to your personal space and your inner world, and put some boundaries between you and groups of any kind. Being so available to so many people is not helping you, and it’s not the thing that’s making a difference in the lives of those around you right now. There are relatively few people with whom you want to exchange energy, and I suggest you keep your emphasis focused at home and on keeping your life interesting rather than large. Emphasize the quality of your personal exchange rather than expansion, and for now I suggest you put your emotional and financial resources into your home rather than business or work. A plant grows from the roots, and so do you.

Hello Pisces — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).