Author Archives: Eric Francis Coppolino

About Eric Francis Coppolino

Lives in Kingston, friend of critters, etc.

jan27-3-2019

A Bird Flew In

jan27-2-2019

Near the Ashokan Reservoir on Jan. 26, 2019. Photo by Lanvi Nguyen.

This week, both Venus and Mars begin to pass through outer-planet squares. Venus is currently in late Sagittarius, and Mars is in late Aries. While the aspects come into full focus early next week, around the time of the Feb. 4 Aquarius New Moon, we can use the look-ahead ability of astrology.

When inner planets pass through aspects involving outer planets, there can be deep and interesting effects. Outer planets, in this case ones such as Chiron, Pluto and Eris, tend to describe the longer processes of growth and individuation. Inner planets describe emotional states, feelings, desires and immediate motives.

jan27-3-2019

Photo by Lanvi Nguyen.

Both aspect patterns involve squares, which indicate that something wants to be expressed. Remember that. Pay attention to what you feel and what you want to say about it. We live in a moment when it only seems appropriate to address anger and pain, and then to use them as a means of seemingly gaining power.

Many other options are possible. This is the kind of thing you learn about in therapy: the many ways you have available to respond to the same situation, and the fact that you have the power to choose.

To me, the involvement of Venus and Mars looks like more discussion of gender, a topic over which our society is obsessed. However, gender (largely a construction) is a derivative of sex, which is biological. Gender might seem like the meaning we give to sex, though we might consider what would happen if we proceeded from the other direction.

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The Government Shutdown, and the Invisible Environment

Dear Friend and Reader:

We are now at the end of day 34 of the federal government shutdown. I am taking this too personally. It’s making me nervous. I feel like the character Tweak in a South Park episode from a couple of years ago, who was freaked out over the Korean nuclear missile thing between Trump and Kim Jong-un.

Craig, right, trying to console Tweak, who is having a hard time with the Korean missile situation. See clip here.

His friend Craig suggests he do something rather than just worry — like bake cupcakes and send them to the Korean leader. So he does, and Kim loves them, and Trump gets mad, and starts insulting and taunting Kim on Twitter, so Korea responds by testing missiles directly over Tweak’s house.

I’m not taking it that personally, but almost. I have Chiron in Pisces on the 10th house cusp and have taken a serious interest in government since Watergate, when I was nine years old. I am finding Trump’s conduct disgusting — beginning with all his bravado about wearing the mantle of the shutdown or whatever he said.

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Monday Morning Horoscope for Jan. 21, 2019

Aries

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Our society has come to the point where it’s impossible to do much of anything without imagining how it might be perceived by some vast public, or one’s idea of the public. Yet it’s essential now that you conduct your creative or sexual experiments in the sanctity of your inner space. While in one sense that means not broadcasting everything you think and do, there’s a deeper level to this challenge: setting aside your notions of what others might think or how they might perceive you. I don’t mean to present a “don’t think about chocolate cake” kind of Zen koan. Rather, I’m here to encourage you to stay within yourself, and to go as deep as you can without coming up for the air of social approval. This is not the kind of thing you can do all at once. It is in part a growth process, though it’s also about the cultivation of a working method that allows you to work with your inner alchemy, and to inhabit a space within where you’re unfamiliar even to yourself. Get your full Aries reading by Eric here.

Taurus

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You’re discovering that you’re more confident than you thought — if you can get past the occasional panic attacks. The two are related. Tapping into your inner power can stir up your deepest insecurities. When I say confident, I am not talking about being brassy, cocky or foolhardy. I’m talking about the willingness to dare, and a sense of urgency that you connect to the need to be sincere. This is not about impressing anyone; rather, it’s about connecting to a biological-level need to be vulnerable. Today’s eclipse in Leo may bring you right to that zone, where it might seem you have no choice but to take some kind of chance you don’t necessarily want to take, or which you’re not sure will succeed. That is the point: confidence means proceeding in the face of no external assurances, and perhaps without any precedent for having succeeded at such a thing. You’re being called to accomplish what you never have before, and it will help if you stay close to your edge. Get your full Taurus reading by Eric here.

Gemini

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — It’s essential that you step fully into honesty being not just the best policy, but the only one. Your words have meaning, they have impact on others, and they will either strengthen or weaken you. If you could see how this looks energetically, you would be impressed: how the essence of your words lingers around you, and either nourishes or depletes your integrity. This is entirely dependent upon your sincerity, which means more than good intentions. Consider the words you say. Consider the promises you make, no matter how seemingly small or casual. Going forward, a wholesome guide would be to commit to nothing to which you’re not fully devoted. Don’t sign any contract you’re not able and willing to comply with; make sure you understand entirely what you’re committing to. And if you need to be released from an agreement, make sure that a negotiated settlement — or at least a sincere conversation — is involved. You are well past the point where it’s appropriate merely to walk away. Get your full Gemini reading by Eric here.

Cancer

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Pay special attention to your finances, and don’t be distracted by people who are not fully invested in whatever mutual cause or project you may share. The world is in a hyperbolic state of drama right now; you can find it around every turn. Take conscious steps to eliminate from your life those who are inclined to make scenes or cause distractions, which these days will be nearly everyone. Your business is your business; your success is about you and how you express your talent and your value to the world. Stay connected to your sense of mission, to your purpose and to your highest priorities. If you can do this, I suggest that at the same time you honor how rare this is, and how delicate. While on the one hand you must remain vigilant of people and their agendas, that only gets you part of the way home. You must be vigilant about holding to your sense of direction, to your choices, and to what you know to be right or true. Get your full Cancer reading by Eric here.

Leo

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Don’t let your personality get in the way of being who you really are. Your true being is not a collection of tendencies or traits, of likes and dislikes, or of your personal style. Rather, your deeper and innermost self is connected to what you’re doing on Earth. A series of eclipses in your sign (or rising sign) in the past two years has pushed this issue and stretched you in many new directions. Yet there remains the simple matter of getting out of your own way, and today’s eclipse of the Moon in your birth sign will help reveal how easy this can be. Let someone emerge from within you: someone perhaps unfamiliar, though one whom you will recognize when you feel their presence. Look at your relationships through fresh eyes, releasing what you believed yesterday about the people in your life. Invite new people into your world, to explore unfamiliar facts of yourself. This will challenge you to call forth the warmth and loyalty that are so close to the essence of your being. Yet there is one other thing you must summon and cultivate: courage. Get your full Leo reading by Eric here.

Virgo

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — If you’re filled with an ominous feeling of some kind, it’s just an eclipse in your 12th house. This is an invitation to pay attention to yourself, to your needs, to your innermost thoughts. The sense of the ominous is your own presence. One of your skills is the ability to keep secrets from yourself, and this is a moment where you will benefit from being totally open. For example, you want to know what you are dreaming, even if it’s weird. In truth, it’s the most direct method your inner mind uses to communicate with you. Integrating your dream life and all that it’s saying will help you be a whole person. There’s no need to blot it out or handle it with gloves and tongs. The same is true of your erotic reality. Go past any sense of embarrassment you may feel about your desires; brush it aside like a veil, and go right to your desires. You don’t need any barriers between you and yourself. And you don’t need to be who anyone expects you to be. Make peace with being in flux. Get your full Virgo reading by Eric here.

Libra

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You probably feel like you live in an earthquake zone, where nothing stays the same for even a day — particularly your feelings. You may feel insecure, and with that, feel like the appropriate response is to barricade yourself somewhere you feel safe. However, in earthquake zones, people tend to live in light structures that won’t hurt them if they fall down. Following that metaphor, a tent may provide a better place to retreat than a fortress — I mean this spiritually, and in some sense, physically. Experiment with being outside, even if it’s chilly where you live. This tends to be a time of year when people hunker down and go out unwillingly. Make sure you get outside every day, and if you already do, explore someplace new. That might mean getting off at a different subway stop, or driving home by a different route, or going into a store you’ve never been in. Stop unfamiliar places, get out and look around. And for the next few weeks, make a point of encountering people you’ve never met before. Get your full Libra reading by Eric here.

Scorpio

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You may need to make an important professional decision today, something that snuck up on you or that you had previously ruled out as impossible. Meet the confrontation with optimism and a sense of taking hold of your destiny. You have your options open. You have the freedom to choose new objectives for your life and, moreover, to choose who you want to be. This is not so easy for you, as one born under a fixed sign; so much seems so permanent, so intractable. Yet this is more about your ideas than anything else; in particular, your ideas about yourself. You might want to retreat to some place where you can hold onto some of those, because so much seems to be changing so fast. Yet that is the beauty of the moment, which you will perceive if you can step back from the over-loud discussions about nothing, and listen to what your inner voice is telling you. It’s not so complicated as it may seem. And you will know you want something because you keep coming back to wanting it over and over — then you must find out if you’re right. Get your full Scorpio reading by Eric here.

Sagittarius

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — The imminent eclipse of the Moon takes place in a region of your chart associated with your long-term plans, and your beliefs about existence. You can think of those as being the same thing: you will project into the future based on what you believe is possible. What happens over the next few days will represent actual learning, which is about discovering something is possible rather than thinking it is so. And with that information in hand and in mind, you are free to adjust your trajectory, honoring your revelation of some deeper truth about yourself and about the world. To the extent that you reassess your plans, and act on your new ideas, you are investing faith in what you have learned. What I am suggesting here is that faith is an investment. It’s not a thing or a thought — it’s a long process of integrating yourself with existence, in a fully aware way. You are being called to do this, as a gesture in support of yourself; in support of what you want to be real. Get your full Sagittarius reading by Eric here.

Capricorn

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Now and for the long foreseeable future, your astrology describes you as being under considerable pressure. You may be living with the experience, coming from deep within your cells, that time is running out. Of course, this is true: for all living creatures, time is finite. The question is what to do with the time that you have, whether you choose to measure in hours, in days or in years. Recent events have focused you on using your time wisely and well — or at least you’ve been called to do so. At this stage of your life, it’s essential to draw some distinctions: such as between being busy and being productive; between agreeing to do something and being committed to it; between the appearance of being appropriate, and doing the right thing. The one clear direction your astrology is pointing you is toward your personal constitution, the code that you live by. Here in the age of image, you must understand what is truly right and wrong for you: what you do, and what you accept. Get your full Capricorn reading by Eric here.

Aquarius

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You’ve had more than enough changes in your life the past few years, and are no doubt ready for some stability. We could well ask whether this is even possible in the world right now, with everything seeming to be in flux, and worse, so many people seemingly committed to their antisocial ways. Well, they can all do their thing. If you want consistency in your life, focus on the people who are already doing that, and take them as your mentors and as your guides. Learn from those who don’t need to be ‘made’ to do anything, persuaded or pushed. People act of their own accord, and that’s what you’re interested in: those whose accord is in accord with your accord. You cannot motivate anyone; you cannot change anyone’s mind; it’s questionable whether it’s even possible to teach except by example. Even then it can take ten years for someone to ‘get’ the lesson. The forthcoming eclipse in your relationship house is advising you to observe your environment carefully. Notice any new openings. Notice who comes toward you and who moves away. Get your full Aquarius reading by Eric here.

Pisces

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Amidst all the turbulence of the world, and the over-abundance of aspects and the second of two eclipses happening overnight Sunday to Monday, you are under some distinct astrology: Jupiter square Neptune. This particular aspect occurs every six years, though this one stands out as Neptune is in your sign (the modern ‘ruling’ planet) and Jupiter is in Sagittarius (classical ruling sign, though Jupiter also rules Pisces). Both are well placed, meaning strong, effective and available (this all translates to resources). Sally Brompton, my colleague at the New York Post, called the tune on this aspect in a recent daily column for Pisces. She said simply: you’re making important decisions right now, and you must stick to them. There’s no way to say this better. Delineations of this aspect that you might read elsewhere may not be especially keen on it, as it can have a nebulous quality; but this is your territory. Pisces is connected to the Earth just as much as to the ethers. Your job is to give form to your ideas — and for certain, to stick to your decisions. Get your full Pisces reading by Eric here.

jan20-2019

Seeking Stability in the Time of Madness

The current eclipse of the Moon in Leo is another reminder that we need some grounding and stability in our lives. Yet it seems like every new development in society, whether social or political or technological, threatens to up-end everything.

jan20-2019

Total lunar eclipse in July 2018 over Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. Photo by Eddie Yip/Flickr.

I would note, again, that we are having to go through this without the usual social resources that make being human bearable. The majority of our social contact (all of it, for some people) is through the robot. No dog could tolerate this; humans are not made to. It would be nice to say that at this rate, we will go insane; however, it’s already happening.

Look at the world. Consider what people are going through. Glance at a news website and imagine that every one of those “news stories” affects many, many people; and events are spiraling out of control.

In the 1960s, Marshall McLuhan said we were living in a maelstrom of information. Today, one week’s news would have kept a newspaper busy for a year. Everything blurs by and we are left dizzy and disoriented and in disbelief. The lies, the developments, the sense of the bottom falling out, seem to increase exponentially.

And there is that constant, lingering feeling of some missing nutrient: like you’re eating all the right foods, but still hungry, as if there’s one trace mineral that you’re not getting, one vitamin that you’re overlooking. A craving but you’re not sure what it’s for.

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The Rev. Dr. King and the Lunar Eclipse in Leo

mlk

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968).

Use this link if you’re listening on an iOS or mobile device. Download MP3.

Dear Friend and Listener:

Overnight tonight is a total eclipse of the Moon in Leo, at 12:16 am EST. In tonight’s edition of Planet Waves FM, I describe some of the features of that eclipse. I also look at the chart of Martin Luther King, Jr. [view chart here]. Finally, in the third segment, Tantra Studio is an analysis of this satirical article in The Onion. When we consider why something is funny (or is supposed to be), we get a look at the underlying message of the joke.

Planet Waves FM is part of the Pacifica Radio Network. We are published by Chiron Return, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. We are sponsored by your contributions and memberships, and also by a portion of the revenue from INTELLIGENCE, the 2019-2020 annual edition of Planet Waves.

Thank you for your support, and for trusting us as your astrologers.

With love,
eric

They Are Losing It

Chris Cuomo looks incredulously at Rudy Giuliani when the former NYC mayor and current Trump TV lawyer denies that he denied that Team Trump colluded with the Russians. Once again, the Nessus-Neptune conjunction was in the picture — right on the horizon.

Dear Friend and Reader:

I was having breakfast with a friend in Woodstock this morning, notebook out, pencil in hand, trying to think of an appropriate title to tonight’s article. “They Must Be Fucking Kidding” kept coming to mind.

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Monday Morning Horoscope for Jan. 14, 2019

Aries

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Do not allow yourself to be led astray; at this stage in your life, there can be no such thing. If you find yourself making choices based on belief, or hope, pause and make them based on known facts. You do seem to have considerable responsibility on your shoulders at this time, though you are not alone. You can take on the weight of the world, or you can form bonds and associations with others that help you get the job done. That would seem to be your role more than doing all the work yourself, which will require cultivating the art of collaboration, engaging in negotiation processes, and sharing credit for any achievements. Yet you can still be a guiding force for any major work that needs to be done, whether in a professional context or that of your family. Even so, you also have the ability to mislead with “good intentions” or spiritual platitudes. Make sure that all actions are grounded in some practical necessity, and a confrontation with the facts. Get your full Aries reading by Eric here.

Taurus

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Keep your focus on the practical — what you need to get done, and why. Gradually, you will assemble the parts of a much larger picture. Use time to your benefit, and take the flexibility that you have. If you’re feeling squeezed, evaluate whether certain deadlines can be extended for a short time. Others may lend themselves to postponement. The moment you’re feeling stressed by deadlines, get out of your head, break down your schedule, and do a reality check with your colleagues and collaborators. It’s true there are certain pressing matters that must be attended to, including a few things you need to wipe off your slate. Be eager to resolve or dispense with any project or task that is toast, or that you’re ready to move on from. Greater accomplishments await you, and when the Sun changes signs to Aquarius in about a week, you will be engaging some bold new plans. Therefore, clear the stumbling blocks from your path. Get your full Taurus reading by Eric here.

Gemini

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You must count on yourself to attain the goals you’ve set for yourself. Any help that comes your way will be nice, though you must be the editor-in-chief, the reporter and the production manager. Only you understand not just the brass tacks of the situations, but also the many commitments that are involved. Beware of anyone who talks a big game, or who makes a claim without having specific facts and figures to back themselves up. Do not be afraid to ask the hard questions, and to size up in cold terms who is committed and who is not, based on their behavior, and whether they back up what they have promised. Your chart suggests you’re at a moment of truth, where you must confront the reality of a situation you might prefer to overlook. Be willing to face the bottom line, and to move on from anyone who has proven to be unreliable or has let you down. In our times, we’re supposed to run in circles, hoping people will wake up. Save your time and energy. Get your full Gemini reading by Eric here.

Cancer

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Recent events connected to the Capricorn solar eclipse may have shaken you up and altered some of your plans, though you have made a fast recovery. Now, you must keep nearly all of your focus on financial issues, and safeguarding your long-term security. In many ways, you’re at the point of making a clean break from the past, and clearing your accounts. That is the spirit in which to proceed. While you’re doing this, you will have an opportunity to focus your priorities and ensure that what you’re doing is in tune with your most deeply held values. Make this a high priority: now is the time to refine your life plan and pull yourself into alignment (or closer alignment) with what matters to you the most. There will be opportunities for collaboration, including potential contact with investors. The right people to work with are the ones who are the most deeply connected to, and impressed by, your adherence to a life code that you live by every day. Get your full Cancer reading by Eric here.

Leo

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You must balance a long-range approach to the important questions in your life with taking care of immediate needs. This may seem impossible, as you toggle between one and the other, trying to gain some balance, or to integrate these two levels of priorities. For a while it may seem like you have to emphasize one, and give up the other, then run back to the other and so on. Eventually you will integrate the two processes. But you can start now. Obviously, immediate concerns must take priority over long-term, yet there is a way to take care of your day-to-day responsibilities that involves consciously setting yourself up for the future. This is about being aware of how every step you take in the moment sets you further on your path, or serves as a digression. So the way out of the toggle is the mindfulness to focus each choice and each task in alignment with your greater plan and your greater good. Tune in to your guidance; tune in to your vision; you will find your direction. Get your full Leo reading by Eric here.

Virgo

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Make sure everything passes the sniff test, particularly offers or proposals from others. Try things in the short run to see whether they might work in the long run. Meanwhile, you need others far less than you might imagine. At this stage, you’re like an artist working diligently in your studio, who does not need an assistant. The dregs of yesterday’s coffee will suit you fine, if it means not being interrupted. Only you understand what you really need to do, why you need to do it, and how to do it correctly. At a certain point soon, you’ll want to work with others, but don’t rush it. You are onto something, and in order to accomplish what you need to do, you are, in a sense, the content of your own work. You are the sculpture, the poem, the book, the painting, the project that you’re working on. Allow yourself to be obsessed. Check the mail every day and make sure your electricity doesn’t get turned off because you forgot to write the check. Get your full Virgo reading by Eric here.

Libra

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Don’t allow yourself to be too distracted by family or partnership matters. Yes, that may be like saying “ignore the traffic jam on the Cross Bronx Expressway during the evening rush hour,” which you can in fact do if you break out a map and find your way around the bottleneck. Indeed, matters are not so urgent as they may seem, and the most helpful approach will be to keep your sense of humor handy. It will also help to take a natural approach to endings, and make a point of welcoming specific ones into your life. Certain situations have run their course, which you will soon see is a positive thing. However, these days it’s trendy to live in the past and cling to what you have. I would describe that as a bad habit, and one that blocks many other possibilities from your view. Thought of another way, clinging to the past gnaws away at your confidence. Keep your mind on the future and on your considerable potential and you will feel bold and assertive. Let things happen at their own pace. Get your full Libra reading by Eric here.

Scorpio

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Be careful to regulate your finances carefully over the next few weeks. Don’t overestimate your cash reserves, and don’t take chances speculating. You will want to spend on luxuries, but you can keep it down to a dull roar and still have fun. Yet you need to watch the numbers carefully, including short- and medium-range income, your bank balances, and the pace at which you spend. Use credit with extreme caution (zero interest rate preferred). But the real matter seems to be making sure your immediate priorities are in line with your long-term vision for yourself. If you’re going to make an investment, choose from a list of things you’ve had in mind for a long time — more than a year or two. Now is not the time to be spontaneous but it’s a good time to gradually engage your more important plans, particularly if they involve putting you in a better position to produce whatever it is you make. That said, there is a very good chance you already have everything you need — so check before you spend. Get your full Scorpio reading by Eric here.

Sagittarius

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Check at every turn that you’re not deceiving yourself, whether consciously or ‘unconsciously’. The deception could be sly: such as feeling like you have more confidence than is appropriate, or like something is undermining your confidence. The one thing you must not do is set your expectations too high, whether for the amount of a return on effort, or the timeframe involved. The place to invest your energy is in the willingness to do the nuts and bolts work of getting your result. Do not expect anything to happen by itself, as if by magic. You know this from long experience, though you might be especially inclined to forget this week. Stick to a core set of priorities and focus on them. The current exact square between your ruler Jupiter and its close cousin Neptune requires you to be realistic about everything, particularly matters of scale. Get a small thing working well, then expand it. This is preferable to starting huge and having to cut back. Get your full Sagittarius reading by Eric here.

Capricorn

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You have a lot going on in your life, as if some process more complicated than you anticipated has been set in motion by the recent solar eclipse in your birth sign. The thing that’s essential to remember and put into practice is that this is about inner work. You may be inclined to focus on your image, which means how you present yourself or some facet of your appearance. This would be guiding your intentions and your focus in the wrong direction; the correct direction is toward your challenges. Yet there may be so much going on that it seems helpful to have a diversion of some kind. You have your options open socially, though I suggest you place yourself in environments where you can “come as you are,” with no changes to your appearance, no thought of impressing anyone, and a thoughtful atmosphere rather than one connected to partying. Yet this is still secondary. Right now it is your inner world that counts, not your outer one. Get your full Capricorn reading by Eric here.

Aquarius

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You may feel like your mind, and your desk, is a very busy airport, where the traffic controllers are being expected to come to work for free. You will benefit from putting your feelings and your plans into writing. This will help you clear your mind and maintain your focus. You feel like you’re under more pressure than you really are. This is particularly true if certain fears seem to get your attention more than your potential does. You will benefit from staying on-task. This is an approach that seems to have fallen by the wayside of modern digital life: knowing the difference between being busy and being productive. For you, productive means maintaining your focus on what you need to do next, based on what project is due the soonest. However, for the more complex, long-range tasks, you will benefit from setting up the project well in advance, so that when you come to it, you will not be looking at a blank page. So take a look ahead at what is due over the next three months, and set up your workbench or your work files sooner rather than later. Get your full Aquarius reading by Eric here.

Pisces

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — This week’s contact between Jupiter and Neptune may be challenging for some, though for you, it’s providing remarkable assistance in focusing your vision. You will know when something is the right thing to do, or a particular direction is the right one to take. If it is, you will seem to be drawn in its direction, and if it’s not, you’ll feel like you’re bumping into an invisible barrier that’s preventing you from moving forward. Meanwhile, Venus joining Jupiter in the bold Sagittarius midheaven angle of your chart is reminding you to keep the human touch. It is you and not your accomplishments or goals that will speak the most credibly. Present yourself as you are. Stay positive, stay visible, and be bold about your vision for your life and for the world. It’s true that we are in some very strange times at the moment, though you are uniquely situated to be able to handle the weirdness, deftly and elegantly. Fear no one. Let them be a little intimidated by you, then reveal how friendly you are. Get your full Pisces reading by Eric here.

jan13-43-2019

In the Nature of a Square

The prevailing aspect of our moment is the square. Long misunderstood, this is an aspect of high integrity, of durable structure, and of action — though admittedly, it can be a little stressful. Like, especially if you’re a federal employee who didn’t get paid on Friday.

jan13-2019

I was doing some research in the vast Planet Waves library this morning (I am well into the writing of a book, and I’ll have news about that soon), and pulled A Handbook for the Humanistic Astrologer off of my shelf. This is a classic work by Michael Meyer, which has all kinds of bits that will take you out of astrology’s dark ages. Many astrologers are trained to treat squares like a case of the measles.

Of the square, he says that it’s about “the exteriorization and actualization of relationship. The giving of concrete form. Crisis and the need to take clear-cut action. Confrontations and their results. Creative tension. Solid power.”

Wow, I bet you’ve never read anything like that before. OK, maybe you have. Some astrologers are onto the advantages of squares (Robert Hand and Barbara Hand Clow, to mention two hands clapping).

Presently, the main superstructure that surrounds the Earth is a compound square from Aries to Capricorn. Take a look at it — anyone can see it. All those red lines are individual square contacts between planets. In Aries, we currently have, in order, Mars, the Moon, Eris and Uranus. Lurking right around the Aries Point is the Kuiper object Salacia.

In Capricorn we presently have Saturn, Mercury, Pluto, the Sun and the South Node. Lurking right around the Aries Point (its Capricorn leg) is the centaur Pholus.

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