Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 #930 | By Eric Francis
I suggest you take every opportunity to get out of your head. You are immersed in a world of ideas; some are friendly, some are creative, and some represent the darker shades of existence. ‘In your head’ means thinking and thinking with no sense of resolution. ‘Out of your head’ can mean a few things — one is out into the world, the 3D world of experience. It can also mean into some form of expression, which would be both exciting and therapeutic, and lead to other adventures. There is a lot to be said for the imagination. Arm-chair travel is a real thing. But to have some fine, exotic experiences, you actually don’t need to go far. In fact, some of what you want is coming in your direction even as you are heading toward it. There is a meeting place, and it’s not necessarily that far from where you’re sitting right now. Meanwhile, to the extent that you are using your mind, do so in a creative way. Use pictures. Use words. Use sound. Your mind contains the deep pool known as your imagination — a truly beautiful thing.

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

You seem to have made up your mind about yourself based on some poor treatment, negligence or abuse that happened to you in the past. This point of view may ‘inform’ you at certain points, especially when you want to take a chance on an intimate experience. The chance may seem extra risky due to the potential that someone would abuse your trust. Note also your possible concern about what might get out through a social network or some form of gossip. The question here is: are you trying to hide something? Are you trying to cover a perceived vulnerability, and in doing so, do you block off the kind of experience that you can only have by being vulnerable? Leaving the whole matter unresolved can become a kind of a hedge that you use, much like people use the excuse of having a partner to make sure they don’t meet anyone new — having nothing to do with their existing relationship. Be honest with yourself and get to the bottom of this. You will be much happier.

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

You seem to be making up your mind how you feel about yourself. It’s a complex matter, isn’t it? I assure you, despite war, famine and strife, this is one of the most challenging situations that humanity faces — how we feel about ourselves. It’s made more complex when everyone from your cousin to your mother to the Audi marketing department wants to get in on the game. Having misgivings about yourself makes you weak and susceptible to manipulation by any of those parties. Here is the thing: in getting strong and clear about this, you run the risk of being a little too harsh on yourself, or putting up a kind of emotional barricade to keep out certain people and to block yourself against feelings that don’t contribute to your happiness. If you do that, you might get the feeling that you’re trapped in a relationship with yourself. While it’s true that your relationship to yourself is the one affair you cannot leave, feeling trapped in there is no consolation. I suggest you open the door, just a little, and let in some light and sunshine.

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

Are you feeling confident, or afraid that the ground is going to drop out beneath you? Is it time to embrace the people in your life, or are you making more excuses to keep them at arm’s length? What you’re going through is certainly deep, and it’s stirring up some old questions, some fear and many of your old reasons to keep people at a distance. That said, I don’t think there is a time when we’re actually ‘ready’ to be close to others. Rather, I would say there may be a time when we understand that everyone is a work in progress. Part of that progress is the willingness to accept your insecurities, not as a permanent part of who you are but rather something you experience. To accept your insecurities implies revealing them in intimate situations, which in turn implies giving people power over you. Here’s the problem with this point of view: if you see your life as a power dynamic, you’re living in the world of politics rather than human emotions. Part of your Libra karma is to understand what one professor at my university called ‘the politics of love’, which includes the politics of your early-childhood environment. That may have been a rigid world, based more on expectations than on compassion. You have the awareness and determination to see the implications of the past on your life today, and to work them out. I would ask: what’s that inside your velvet glove? Is it an iron fist, or a warm, loving hand?

Planet Waves Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for December

The direction of your life and your love is into yourself. Yes, this raises many issues, from your investment in relationships, to your fear of abandonment, to your ongoing quest for self-esteem. Remember, this is subtle — it’s easy to forget, especially if you get distracted by projects or adventures. Try to maintain self-awareness of what you’re learning about yourself on the deepest levels, and bring this into everything you do. You have a truly unusual opportunity to build emotional confidence, as well as to experience yourself directly outside of the context of close personal relationships. Being your own person — emotionally, sexually, creatively and every other way you can imagine — takes practice, and it’s the kind of learning you must apply to every aspect of your life. There’s an irresistible pull drawing you inward. Honor that and anything is possible.

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

For Libra and Libra rising, I’ve been developing the theme of self-esteem in recent columns. This is because Saturn, the Sun, Mercury and a recent total solar eclipse have been dancing around the sign next to yours — your solar 2nd house, Scorpio. As a matter of psychic structure, Scorpio is the region of the zodiac that holds the keys to how you feel about yourself, which includes the ways you can learn to feel better about yourself. Because Scorpio is involved, you have the special karmic mission of ‘self-esteem’ translating to making peace with some of the deepest matters we encounter in a physical lifetime: the mysteries of sex and death; questions about our cosmic origins; and the often contradictory nature of the human emotional body. Because the questions go so deep, they are not your average matters of self-respect. Yet what this gives you is profound access to your humanity. Libra is one of the most creative and multifaceted energies on the wheel of life. There is a reason: you are drawing from a deep well.

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

How you feel about yourself, what you feel about yourself — this is the nature of your quest now. I say this knowing that you are experiencing dark and light spots, many questions and a quest for self-discovery. Everything in your life surrounds this investigation — and that’s what it is. On one level, you’re experimenting with your identity, and how you project yourself into the world. On another, there’s a kind of emotional vortex that’s opening up, where you can immerse yourself in some of the deepest questions about the meaning and value of your existence. Imagine you’re sailing around an island, looking for an alcove that’s difficult to spot, and that few people ever find. Then you see it, and then you go in, not knowing what you will discover. Go in gently, honoring the fact that some of what you find will be frightening, some will mystify you and other elements will embrace you passionately. This thing known as a ‘self’ is vastly complex, and you no longer need to deny or avoid that complexity; this is your moment to indulge in its beauty, which is the beauty that you contain within you.

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

If you’re the master of yourself, you will be able to negotiate and navigate your way through an interesting maze over the next week or so. Indeed, the situation seems like the perfect setup for you to rise to the occasion and demonstrate your self-confidence and faith in yourself. I suggest you worry less about how you are perceived and instead focus on bringing your true self into your encounters with others: that is, no facade, no masks, no white lies — and at the same time, be realistic about who others are. Guide yourself to treat others in kind, as they treat you, and appreciate these opportunities for a sincere exchange with unusual people. You have an opportunity to get to know yourself, and to be confident in the person who you normally keep a few layers in and who wants more than anything to be expressed in the world. Conducting yourself this way can come with moments of loneliness or isolation, though if you encounter them with an open heart, you will move through them into a space of clarity, strength and passion.

Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for November 2012 #923

You will need to be impeccable with money and resources for the rest of the year. This includes making no commitments you’re not sure you can keep, or that you even suspect you might not be able to keep. You’ll also need to preserve what you have as a conscious act. As you do this, a lot of information is going to come your way. There will be certain specific facts that prove to be useful, though the thing to look for is the overall pattern. This will take some time to develop, and you may find yourself wading through plenty of murky water before you arrive at several moments of clarity. Take these one at a time, and watch the pattern of what you learn from these developments as well. Any sense of needing to rush is entirely artificial. Rather than resisting the urge to push forward, devote your energy to learning, and in particular, learning about the way in which resources are as important as money, or more so. ‘Resources’ includes your skills, your reputation and your ability to relate to others. It would also include your relationships with resourceful people, and all those who care about you and have demonstrated over time that they are willing to lend support to your cause. The communication piece — listening, and learning to speak in a clear, focused way — may be the most significant of all. In a sense, it’s the key to everything else, and the most meaningful tool for establishing both your credibility, and your creativity.

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

Do you want a relationship, or do you want some opportunities to experiment and explore? Over the past couple of years, circumstances have guided or pushed you in the direction of the unknown. You may be feeling like you’re on an edge of some kind, and I would not be surprised if you’re feeling a little more fear than usual. If so, consider this. There seems to be some aspect of yourself that you’re reluctant to reveal to others, while at the same time you know this is the most meaningful thing about you. It’s also likely to be an attribute of yourself that would help you connect with others in a nourishing way, were you able to be open about it. Consider the last couple of days of the Sun transiting your sign to be a kind of incubation phase, while you make contact with whatever this element of yourself is. Get used to the fact that it’s there. Then once the Sun enters Scorpio on Monday, you will feel the beauty and value of what you possess.

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

Monday’s New Moon in your birth sign indicates not just a new chapter but also a new volume in your life. Yet you seem to be ready to move forward less trusting of intimate relationships than you have been in the past. This coincides with a commitment to get to know yourself better, including plumbing down into the shadowy world of self-esteem. One thing to remember about ‘relationships’ the way they are generally arranged is that they tend to be designed to help us avoid the deeper questions involving how you feel about yourself. Relationships even become a substitute for self-esteem, but you’re long past having another person in your life just to prop you up. Yet you will pay a price for that privilege, which is focused, steadfast devotion to the cause of who you are. That will involve admitting what you feel comfortable with about yourself, and what you don’t like as much. When you feel the strength of admitting your weaknesses (beginning with yourself), you will feel a lot better being authentic in the presence of others.

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

If you find yourself facing a problem that can’t be solved, state the problem differently, until you’ve conceived of it in a way that’s more amenable to resolution. It’s true that there are very difficult problems, though what you seem to be facing is the loss of faith in yourself rather than some external situation to which you cannot adapt. Yet there are moments when it may be difficult to tell the difference. I suggest you focus on the faith aspect, understanding the ways that your perception, and your personal history, are influencing how you’re perceiving the world around you — and one person in particular. You may perceive their life one way and not understand how they might see it differently; the same is likely to be true for how they perceive you and your choices. Still, this is a situation where you fear you might get hurt, and where you can easily get caught in your worst expectations. You have learned how powerful it is to be honest with yourself — which is far more important than whether anyone is being honest with you.

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

There’s always a difference between theory and reality, and you’re about to find out what it is — in reality and not in theory. Through most of the month, your ruling planet Venus is trekking across Virgo, where you do lots of contemplating, ruminating and a very precise kind of fantasizing. Toward the end of the month, Venus emerges into your sign, where it starts making aspects to planets that have already been stirring a revolution in your life. You’re likely to see how little a real-time experiment has in common with all of your (admittedly) fascinating concepts and plans. You can expect the pace of events to pick up rapidly. You can expect to go deeper into questions that have been nagging you, though about which you have only skimmed the surface. And there is something about allowing your relationships to change you. I suspect this may be a sticking point for you, as one of your goals is stability and change happening only in a controlled environment, and only with your consent. That’s more for the laboratory, and you’ll be there for a little while longer; then comes an extended field experience. As you’re going through all of this, a new theme emerges in your life, which is: understanding the reasons you do and do not respect yourself. Most people know there is something called self-esteem, but what exactly is it made of? How does it express itself, in its positive and negative manifestations? In the long run, everything hinges on this — and I do mean everything.

Planet Waves Inner Space Horoscope for October 2012

This month’s New Moon in your birth sign opens up a new phase of your life and of your relationships. Yet there’s a specific focal point, which is moving forward remembering that you don’t have to make up for the emotional inadequacies of others, or tell them who they are, or provide stability when they act like they don’t know. The heart of the matter is a caution about ‘bringing out’ who another person is, or helping save them from their personality chaos. You have your hands full figuring out who you are, what you want and what your purpose is; doing this for anyone else right now would qualify as a significant distraction. Yet there’s a lot you can learn from the ways that people ‘search for’ themselves: in particular, what doesn’t work so well.

Friday, September 21, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #918

What do you identify with, within yourself? Your personal assets? Your problems? What you’ve accomplished? Your relationships? You’re bigger than all of these things combined. This can be a challenging lesson to learn, since one at a time these different elements of experience tend to take over consciousness and our sense of identity. Yet none of them are really you. Yes, they all give you clues, and those clues point to something deeper, bigger, vastly more significant than any transient experience. You can, however, use these experiences in interesting ways. One is to notice what they all have in common. Look for the underlying motive, need or desire that connects the many seemingly different experiences of your existence. Trust that there is a common thread, use your imagination and see if you can figure out what it is. You can also experiment with the sensation that everything is a mirror, or that consciousness itself is a reflection — and if that is true, what, exactly, is being reflected? You may wear a thousand masks, but someone is behind them all.

Friday, September 14, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #917

You may be wondering what’s brewing behind the scenes, though you could just as well look at what’s obvious. I know there seems to be a strange kind of pressure leaning on you. Various planetary factors describe a crisis of maturity. This makes sense given how that’s been the theme of your life for most of the time that Saturn has been in your sign — particularly now that this phase is coming to a close (Saturn leaves your sign on Oct. 5). Here is the thing to remember: You’re bigger than the parts of yourself that you don’t like. You’re bigger than your problems. You’re stronger than any disruptive influence that comes in through a relationship. It’s easy to lose sight of that. Yet keeping this in focus is a key element of this sometimes-elusive thing called growth. At the moment, however, you’re in a kind of blind spot, which gradually opens up over the next few days. Remember to take the issues one at a time, start slowly and build momentum.

Friday, September 7, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #916

One reason most people stay out of public view is insecurity. The mere thought of people being able to see them, or see the work they do, is enough to inspire nearly anyone to hide in the house. You don’t have that luxury now; you’ve stepped into a kind of spotlight, even if this is only among your closest friends and associates. You may be feeling some tension about what people find out about you, and how being noticed and observed will change who you are. When you’re making adjustments, I suggest that you err on the side of being a little more real. While cloaking yourself or retreating may seem to work to alleviate temporary discomfort, consider the longterm effects. Anything you choose to conceal now you may have to reveal later, and until you do, you’re likely to worry about it. Therefore, I suggest you be yourself — and get used to the feeling of gradually opening up and exposing yourself to the minds of others. You have more going for you than you think, though you have some progress to make developing your confidence in that fact.

Inner Space Horoscopes for September 2012

The Sun is about to enter your sign, which is the beginning of your solar year — and the next four seasons promise to be one of the more extraordinary times in your life. You will discover the ways in which you fit into the larger scheme of existence, and you’ll see how many of the decisions you’ve made leave you free to do just that. That larger scheme is a work in progress right now, so I would remind you that you don’t have to ‘be settled’ or ‘know what you’re doing with the rest of your life’ in order to increase your participation in what you discover is most meaningful to you. In fact, feeling slightly unsettled, and a bit daunted by your own possibilities, would be a much more adventurous, and practical, way to greet your new year.

Friday, August 31, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #915

I suggest you make a list of all your unfinished business with everyone in your life who truly matters to you. You’re drawing to the close of a major phase of your life, as Saturn gets ready to leave your sign and enter Scorpio. This phase dates back to 2009, when Saturn first entered your sign. I’ve described it in the past as a time of coming to terms with yourself. If you were born in the early 1980s or the mid-1950s, it also coincides with a life passage called your Saturn return (no matter what Sun sign you were born under). The themes of these Saturn events include embracing maturity, grounding your life in a purpose, setting boundaries and dealing with what are sometimes called ‘authority issues’. Yet as a Libran, part of coming to terms with yourself means coming to terms with your intimate partners, and your philosophy of relationship. Notice whether you’ve outgrown anything lately; that’s the feeling of not being able to fit the person you are into the idea of what a relationship is that, for a while anyway, served you well.

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

Relating and relationship are two essential ingredients for you to live what feels like an emotionally rewarding life. They are not the same thing. Relating is something you do with everyone; relationship implies some level of mutual commitment. It’s a connection to which you apply your need for balance and harmony. You bring these same principles to your working dynamic and reputation. Others’ perceptions carry an emotional component for you. Their approval is important; so is being liked and accepted. You may have concerns that others are questioning your reputation, though this seems to be unfounded. Your natural sense of fairness is widely respected even if those around you do not vocalize it. I would pose a question for consideration: if all eyes were on you, how would you use the opportunity, and what message would you communicate in terms of your most precious career goals? In essence, that is the situation you find yourself in. Notice how smoothly conversations, deals and proposals proceed when you are shining your most radiantly. Trust that in making moves to assert your agenda, you are not tipping the scale out of balance, rather moving everyone along with your vision to a place of greater harmony for all involved. — By Genevieve Hathaway

Friday, August 10, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #913

Venus, your ruling planet, has changed signs for the first time since April; this week, it ingressed the career, reputation and life mission angle of your chart, which is the sign Cancer. This is likely to be stoking up your ambitions, though I suggest that your boldest quest is going to be doing what you do with total commitment to creativity and passion. Remember that you have a professional life that runs in cycles: of interest, of dedication, of emotional contact with what you’re doing. Yet everything you want, reach for and accomplish has one thing in common: that would be you. I suggest that you get clear that your calling in life, and the work that you do, are not things separate from you; they are expressions of who you are — whatever you happen to be doing, or whatever you want to do. Over the next few days you may get some ideas how to take that journey deeper, and a clue about what you can accomplish using the miracle of collaboration.

Friday, August 3, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #912

You’re beginning to emerge from a challenging time in your life, when it’s seemed that you could get very little right. I suggest you set aside that feeling — whether it’s true or not — and consider the ways in which you have come through a kind of initiation phase. Imagine yourself looking back on this time in your life from a distance of 10 years. Consider the before-and-after factor; what was your life about before this year, and what did it become in the years after? Well, you get to decide that second piece, though remember that you’re at the fulcrum right now. It’s easier to point yourself in the direction you want to go now than it will be, say, in five years. The first step is getting a sense of that new direction. I suggest you consider this on the basis of what you would do if you had exclusive authority over your life, along with what you’d do if you really felt comfortable in your own skin.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for August 2012

This is not the month to push your luck, your relationships, or the patience of anyone in a position of authority in your life. It is most definitely the month to use your Libra talent for balance, which I suggest you do in the form of ultra-high consciousness of the balance factors in your relationships. Asking, giving and receiving need to be in proportion. You have a polite way of being demanding, and it’s time you notice that for what it is. One self-study project can be learning how to extend yourself above what you think is expected of you. You’re likely to go through a series of inner responses to the feeling of doing that, which will land you in the place of: the more you give, the more you’ll realize you have.

Friday, July 20, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #911

There is a difference between justice and revenge, and now is the time to sort that out. You seem to be angry at something or someone — perhaps a situation where a partner is playing it so cool that you can see your breath even in the afternoon heat. It’s important that you keep expressing your feelings, to someone you trust who is willing to listen and give honest feedback. You’re running the risk of your anger building up over the next few weeks, then bursting out suddenly — all in all, an unhealthy scenario. This isn’t necessary, if you can stay in contact with your feelings. Look for opportunities to vent pressure before you find yourself in a spot so tight you don’t know what to do with yourself. ‘Venting’ would include creative expression, sexual expression, some form of physical activity and — probably more important than anything — sharing how you feel in a safe place with someone you trust is objective and has no agenda for you.

Friday, July 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #910

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.

Friday, July 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #909

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.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for July 2012

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.

Friday, June 29, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #908

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.

Friday, June 15, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #907

Putting up resistance to what seems like a chaotic relationship influence is not going to work. What will work is doing your best to stay in balance, which calls for flexibility and seeing your options. Resistance, that is, fighting something or tightening your grip, will have the opposite effect — that of knocking you off kilter. I am not suggesting that you condone anyone’s inconsiderate conduct, rather that you do something other than fight it, and you have options. With Venus, your primary planet, still moving in retrograde motion, it may take you a few more weeks to see what those choices are. One of them is to notice what it is about someone that you find challenging and then work out those same attributes in yourself. The thing that may be most irritating is when someone insists they don’t know who they are. Beneath any certainty you may feel about who you are, there are some questions that if asked sincerely will have rich rewards.

Friday, June 8, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #906

You have room in your life, and in your mind, only for what is authentic and valid for you. You could say that this is about believing only what is true, though in support of this, I suggest you consider the possibility that ‘belief’ is not actually a value. Rather, it’s more like a substitute for one. Base your viewpoints and opinions on what you observe and can document, and make sure you question those things on a regular basis. This is less about questioning your assumptions and more about figuring out when you’re making them at all. This will help you foster radical discernment, and inspire you to dismantle your illusions — neither of which are especially popular on iTunes. Yet as you devote yourself to these things, you will meet others who are dedicated to both the truth and their personal truth — which often comes with the character trait of being able to change one’s mind.

Friday, June 1, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #905

One (often unspoken) definition of ‘spiritual’ is asexual. This is particularly true in Christian culture, where Jesus, Joseph and Mary are all presumed to be virgins. Yet it extends into many other religious frameworks, where sex is the very thing that is suppressed in the name of holiness. Is there anyone who hasn’t noticed how weird this is? It is entirely backwards, a violation of natural cosmic law in support of imposed social organization. Yet you were created by sex, as was nearly all life on our planet. Religion then comes along, ascribes this all to God and charges fees for the privilege — then tries to inflict guilt if we appreciate nature for what it is. That, however, is what you seem to be doing. Your true nature is burning bright — the nature of your existence and of existence itself. You may feel like your beliefs (or those of your family) are being challenged, and if so, let the challenge begin. You don’t need beliefs because you have access to something direct. This may be shaking the structure of your mind, and if cracks form in the walls and ceiling, all the better for seeing the light shine through.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for June 2012

Conflicting beliefs are one of the world’s most toxic causes of anxiety. Conflicting belief systems make it even worse — such as if you try to follow the dictates of science, religion and your family all at the same time. Yet I would take it further — the notion of a belief is the thing that we need to question, and your astrology is putting this issue under a microscope. Deep beneath all of these beliefs, there is something that’s true for you. You might think of it as your true cosmic religion — your actual point of contact with existence, which is not about believing anything. Indeed, it transcends anything as flimsy as something anyone could be convinced of. At the core of this is your knowledge of who you are, which is the source of your strength and confidence. And some tangible, life-giving information from this core being is on its way.

Friday, May 18, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #904

A world of possibilities is about to open up to you, though you may be so involved in your current commitments that you can’t see any way of making those possibilities real. However, most of the truly spectacular astrology of the next month takes place in the angle of your chart that speaks about longterm plans, so I suggest you take the long view. That always starts with holding a vision. You will be amazed when you see how efficiently a vision translates into manifested reality. Keeping that in mind, this would be a great time to get clear about what you do not want, and gradually resolve each of those things one at a time. You might notice that as you do this, you will discover that some of those aspects of your life are nourishing you beautifully, and if that’s true, you can keep them.

Friday, May 11, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #903

I suggest you be open to receiving. There is plenty coming your way, though you have the choice whether to allow it in or not. One reason you might hesitate is because vulnerability means you would have to be open to any possibility, and while you sense many wholesome ones, there are a few of which you’re somewhat less trusting. You can still be open and use discernment. You can be aware without being suspicious. You can choose what you want from among the many options — though I suggest you choose what you truly desire. For that to happen, it will help if you make some decisions, or at least refine your ideas about what you want. Closer to the central point of your astrology, it will help if you’re open to the generosity of others. It’s true that there always may be better opportunities available, and nothing can stand in their way except for your own doubts.

Friday, May 4, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #902

The thought process of someone close to you seems to be encountering you as an obstacle. Being an accommodating person, this is not an easy situation for you to be in, though you know that you have to hold a limit or set a boundary, and you’re conducting yourself in a way that is arguably mature and grounded. Remember, though, that you’re a work in progress — and just how much progress that implies is something you will discover soon enough. Meanwhile, when someone approaches you with an idea, please be open minded. You don’t have to respond like a parent talking to a child; you can take a more playful or experimental approach. Imagine that you live in a vastly larger world, among more people with whom you are truly in affinity. Imagine if you really lived the truth that anything is possible. Then, you might recognize that any idea could potentially be a brilliant idea.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for May 2012

An old expression goes, “You cannot be fully committed part of the time.” Therefore, allow yourself to be fully committed all of the time. Set aside the idea that life is full of contradictions and paradoxes, and recognize the ways that your different talents, ambitions and favorite activities support one another. Right now many people are living with the sensation of ‘so much to do, I don’t know where to start’. Therefore, the most meaningful thing you can do is start, and keep track of where you are with each item on your agenda. Gradual progress on each item on a daily or weekly basis will be enough — for now. There will be a time when you select certain projects or goals and really accomplish something, but that moment is still a few weeks off.

Friday, April 27, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #901

For an agreement to be mutually beneficial both sides entering into the exchange must give and receive. This doesn’t have to be an equal exchange, but more of an equivalent one, based on what’s possible for everyone involved. As long as everyone feels that the contributions are fair, then that is fair enough. You can think of jointly profitable contracts in terms of a word you know very well — balance. Your special sensitivity to this aspect of life (not everyone has it) is one of your resources you have to offer to your current situations. With a short break in personal planet retrogrades, now is a good time to consider any contracts or agreements you’ve been delaying. You’re in a unique position at the moment to see all angles of the issue, and help craft an agreement that benefits all parties. More importantly, you now possess all the knowledge you need to make a good decision. — by Genevieve Hathaway

Friday, April 20, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #900

What seems to be a block is really a question of seeing your options and alternatives for what they are. If you project into the long-term future, there seem to be two paths you can take, and at times you feel the pressure to commit to one of them even before you’re sure where it leads, or what you might be giving up. I don’t think you need to rush any decision that involves finding your true life path. The options you see today are not your real choices. The contradictions and paradoxes that are influencing you now, no matter how subtly, will be replaced by more satisfying questions as the season unfolds. Polarities that today seem to contradict one another will have a way of resolving into something entirely new, and this will shift the way you see yourself and the world. So if things don’t make perfect sense right now, don’t waste your energy stressing, or trying to put together pieces that don’t fit. You will soon see that the edges of reality are more flexible than they seem.

Friday, April 13, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #899

Do your beliefs help you feel any safer on the planet? You can test your theory by getting clear what you believe, where there is no evidence to support that belief. I know this is asking for a lot of self-reflection, and for intense honesty of a kind that’s pretty rare. Whether you feel safe is the question right now, which includes within the private confines of your mind, with the way you relate to someone close to you, and how you feel within your physical environment. You’re more likely to notice an unsupported belief by accident. For example, you encounter an ‘issue’ and you figure out that a series of assumptions got you there. Or you discover that you really were being dragged around by a religious value that you hadn’t identified as such previously. Or you find yourself acting in a way similar to much older relatives who you know are disconnected from reality. It’s easy to forget these discoveries when we make them. I’m suggesting you notice them, and remember them, and then go on a hunt for both their origins and their effects on your life. If the term ‘being your own person’ has any meaning at all, examining these themes would be included in its meaning.

Friday, April 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #898

You can afford to Be Here Now. Just because you’re being here now doesn’t mean that certain elements of the past or the future are not truly significant. To the contrary, you are committed to letting go of an old way of life, and you are finally figuring out that you can plot your own course and actually get somewhere. Yet the only way to do anything about the results of the past or your plans for what might happen next is to observe what is happening within your mind right now, and in your immediate environment. You may be obsessed with making things add up or make sense — I suggest you ease back on the approach using logic and focus on making your environment beautiful. For example, rather than organizing for its own sake, motivate yourself with the promise of a more pleasing space to work in. If you keep yourself busy with various beautifying projects, you will set a record for how much garbage you clear out of the way.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for April 2012

Venus begins its journey across Gemini this month — where we will all experience the Venus transit of the Sun in early June. That’s two months away, but it’s an event so rare that you’re likely to be feeling the energy rising now. The theme, for you, is healing a false split in your mind. At some point, what was considered ‘spiritual’ may have divided off from what is considered ‘unspiritual’. Usually this kind of moral divide involves love and sex, which is constantly cast in an aura of impurity. However you may have decided in the past that this is not true, you’re now at the point where you can embody the message fully, and then continue with your life from a new place of confidence. Affirm with the full power of your faith that love is all that matters, and proceed as if that alone is true.

Friday, March 30, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #897

Venus, the planet most often associated with your sign, is about to enter Gemini, where it’s going to become a star player in this thing we’ve been calling 2012. Speaking in broad terms, you’re in a transition phase that will take you through August, and which will have a peak in early June. There are many surprise encounters along the way, enough that it would be wise to not take any dilemmas you currently may face, or that you encounter, too seriously. Just notice them for what they are. At this point you cannot see the whole picture; it’s likely that you’re not defining the problem in a way that matches reality, hence my suggestion that you wait for further information. The resolution to any issue you may be dealing with will arrive in the form of a ‘third option’ that you haven’t identified yet, and this will open up a new dimension of what you believe is possible in the future. In the time between now and then, one growth project you can involve yourself with is making a note when you discover that you possess conflicting beliefs. Those are a lot more problematic when you don’t know about them; once you spot them, they lose most of their power. Yet you might want to figure out where these differing viewpoints came from.

Weekly Horoscope # 896 for March 23, 2012

Just when you think you know someone well enough, they do something completely out of character that has you re-thinking a situation. This may be unnerving, but ask yourself this: what do you have to lose? You don’t have to rush to make a decision, but something you once thought was impossible is now opening its doors to you. Consciously let go of attachments to the past or the way things have been, or expectations of what form something might take. As long as you are being honest with yourself about what you most value in your relationships, you don’t need to fear being manipulated or taken advantage of. Your relationships, as unpredictable as they may be, are taking you far into the future. The less you cling and the more freedom, trust and acceptance you can offer others or another, the easier it will be to form the kind of relationships that offer you the emotional and tangible security and commitment you seek. — by Priya Kale.

Friday, March 16, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #895

If you’ve ever been in therapy, maybe you got to this point once or twice: you realize that the complicated psychology of other people is too much to deal with, and it’s not your problem anyway. As an antithesis to the games people play, both with themselves and with others, you merely have to notice how people treat you, including whether they mean what they say. You can cut all the games short by using these basic criteria. It helps a lot if you stop trying to understand the seemingly complex and sometimes self-defeating motives of others, and focus exclusively on what drives you. As you grow to understand yourself better, others will become increasingly transparent. Some people are motivated by the desire for communication and community. Others spend their lives avoiding this. While it’s never really possible to sort humanity into two distinct camps, people tend to lean one way or the other. Now, think of this as the one question you have for yourself: Which is your preference, and how do you express it?

Friday, March 9, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #894

Recent losses, episodes of stress and various disruptions may now be revealing themselves for the gifts they contain. Yet you may not quite be trusting yet, so take your time and listen carefully. It’s true that one or perhaps many aspects of your relationship situations is a work in progress. Yet beneath that is a stable foundation you can build on, and depend on. Make sure you notice this, because it’s the real gift of your involvements with others — the ways that are a demonstration of your common ground and the common values that you share. If you have one reason to feel safe despite the looming sense that one change after the next is acting on you, this is the one. Be confident that your addition to the environment is wholly positive, and is perceived that way by the people you care about. Simply put, you can ignore your doubts and treat your fears merely as psychological or spiritual subject matter to work through and learn from. Whether you’re accepting the gifts that come to you or viewing any changes as an adventure, there’s neither room nor need for fear in your life.

Friday, March 2, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #893

This is a complex time in your life and in particular, your relationships, though I would remind you that you’re the one in control. I say this because, sooner or later, everything you accept into your life comes down to a decision, and while you will definitely arrive at a series of decision points, I suggest you take them up on the soon side. That is to say, don’t wait until you think that something has gone too far. Run every circumstance through the filter of your actual boundaries whenever that situation arises, and make your adjustments incrementally rather than all at once, at the ‘end’. The key to avoiding being stressed out is never letting anything get too far. This will require you to stand up for yourself, which I assure you won’t tarnish your image as a reasonable person. To the contrary, certain people in your environment will feel reassured that you’re asserting yourself and your needs when you actually need to.

Inner Space Horoscope for March 2012

In the coming months there will be a lot going on in your relationships, though despite the many surface-level changes and some jarring events, you can depend on a level of structural stability. That’s the thing to count on when the momentum starts to pick up and you wonder where your life is going all at once. You’re not really going anywhere other than where you put your feet. Motion is not the real issue, anyway — your astonishing sensitivity is. Therefore, if you find yourself responding strongly to things that loved ones say to you, or to the events that seem to skate out of your control, I suggest that you ground in yourself, pause and filter out some of the external factors. If others cannot feel you quite so well, you can at least start by feeling yourself and gradually putting those feelings into words someone else can understand.

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

As much as it may have been your experience lately — life need not be an endless struggle swimming upstream. Although you may have your doubts about something, there is no reason for you to project them on everyone you meet. Keep a healthy frame of mind and you can be blessed with intuitive insights. Then you can find fresh solutions to any situation at work or in your life that have gotten a little stagnant. Although change may have been slow in coming, you can trust this is the solid kind of change you’ve been hoping for. You have more support than you currently realize and even a relationship that once left you feeling high and dry has greater potential to offer you. Look for opportunities and you will find them. The possibilities are truly endless. A New Moon in your 6th solar house is bringing you closer to living the kind of life you’ve always dreamed of. But this will require your active participation in life and its process. Where there is doubt, dip your toes in life and test the waters, then you can decide the direction you would like to turn in. What matters is that you live a life that is deep and fulfills from your soul, right down to your toes. — By Priya Kale for Planet Waves

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

You’ve been through a tense few weeks, and you may not be feeling any more confident or like things are heading in any better of a direction. I promise you, however, that you will be able to pull back from the edge and that you’re not being pushed into anything you cannot handle. And events over the next few days will do a lot to reassure you that you’re not as close to the edge as you thought. You’ll feel more assured once you know that, and you’ll also feel less alone. There have been several moments the past week where you felt like you didn’t quite belong on the planet, but now even in the midst of similar circumstances, you seem to be aligning more closely with a source of nourishment. Also I would remind you — and you soon may discover — that you’re not alone in any way. But this will be more obvious over the next few days, as the Sun finishes its run through Aquarius and opens a few doors for you. One thing to keep in mind is that not only is there no rush; you’re in an important time of completions. Take those one at a time.

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

Mars retrograde (now through April 13) is about you turning a corner in your relationship to fear. The thing about fear is that it seems so real, yet it so rarely works out to be true. Have you ever noticed that? Here is the thing about fear that is true, in my experience: it points to an energy source. What could be creative potential is converted into something, heavily tinged by the negative elements of the imagination, and something ‘unreal’ is created. The objective your charts seem to be describing is learning how to convert fear back into something creative. This would start first with feeling the fear or inner tension, acknowledging the inherently neutral nature of energy. Then notice how you color it one way or the other; how you make it into whatever it is. Though it’s emotionally difficult, stay with the feeling a little longer than you might otherwise, so you can get to the good stuff.

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

You may be feeling like you’ve gone all the way out to the edge, though with an unusual feeling. It’s like you’re having a dream of walking along a narrow walkway much higher up than you’re used to being, yet you’re not scared. If this were a dream, the meaning would in part come from the experience of the altitude but mostly from the feeling of not having any of the usual fear of altitude that you might have in such a delicate situation. If you tune in you may discover that most of your fears are operating in reverse. The things that might normally make you nervous are making you bolder. You know you live on the edge of time, but you’re somehow not concerned about time running out. This is a healthy way to approach your fears and your perceived limitations — as things that might be there but which don’t particularly bother you, or which are optional.

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

It’s time to notice the relationship between vulnerability and anxiety. For many people who strive to be whole, loving and authentic, this is the very thing they stumble over. Currently the planets are arranged in such a way to illustrate a certain point — that point being that anxiety is one thing and vulnerability is another. They seem to be more closely related than they are, and if there is a relationship, it’s not cause and effect. More often it’s circumstantial: fear and openness happen in similar times and places, though for different reasons. Try to see each of these things as its own entity. You will learn about your fear if you consider the nature and causes of that emotion; you will learn about how to be open, and how to handle yourself when you’re vulnerable, by exploring that sensation. If you confuse them or think of them as one experience, you’re likely to miss learning benefits — and the pleasure that comes with a bit of emotional freedom.

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

Events this week are asking you to confront the past and let go of your attachment to it. What this really means is letting go of an idea you have about someone. This may not be easy, but relax long enough to stay in the present and you will see your strength in the light of all you’ve been through. As you more consciously confront the shadows cast on your early life, you can reclaim it and your authority to live your life by your rules. Use this opportunity — and the space you’re clearing — to create a more colorful reality with this newfound power. You may be making up your mind to trust a situation even though you have no real proof of why you feel this way. As long as you are being honest with yourself and are in no denial of the lessons you’ve learned, you can trust your judgment and be guided by the love you feel. Give your shadows their place, and then freely dive into the soulful pleasures stirring in your heart.

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

How far will you go for love? You may be inclined to think that you’ll go too far — however, the dream you’re following will soon lead you to a new feeling, emotional experience or depth of healing. This may feel a little like going down the rabbit hole, but unlike the one that Alice discovered, the dimension you’re entering makes a lot more sense and is better suited to your nature than the brainy abstraction (or odd psychological tension) of the past few days or weeks. The theme of your life shifts clearly and somewhat boldly in the direction of healing, though what you may have forgotten is the extent to which that, for you, involves imagination and creativity, rather than some kind of technique. Both you — and your relationships — need space to move in, space that is reflective, sensual and creative, rather than adorned with too many ideas or chilly intellect.