Your Aries 2018-19 audio birthday reading by Eric is now available for pre-order. Don’t miss out on this invaluable guide to what promises to be a pivotal year — whether you’re Aries Sun, rising or Moon. Get your copy today and lock in the earliest price of just $33.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — The Sun is about to enter your sign, and take you on a most interesting journey through the physical world. You have had more than enough of fantasy and imagining. You’ve experienced the interior of your mind in some delightful ways, and now it’s time to bust free, into actual lived reality. Just be aware that this is a significant transition, from imaginary space into the imperfect physical dimension. Don’t expect one to fit neatly into the other. Let yourself squirm a little, and stretch into the glove of incarnation. Despite how it may seem at first, there’s more freedom in the physical world than there is in the imaginary world. One is a blueprint; the other is a space you can explore and live in. And like any new space, it can take some time to settle in. Appreciate the beauty of this journey. Softening your expectations and preconceptions helps.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You must be feeling restless, like you want to burst out of your own skin, or learn how to fly a small airplane and hop across the country 500 miles at a time. You may suddenly decide that something you were certain was true is now a thing of the past, replaced by a much more radical idea. How exactly you handle this astrology is, of course, up to you; though don’t be afraid to be rad and a little wild. Life is not a choreographed event. Life is an experiment, and you will certainly want to live that way. This may require some staying up past bedtime, trying absinthe, trying a threesome, or some other naughty thing that cracks open your idea of who you are and allows some more lavish expression of you to come out. And make no mistake: this really is a “coming out.” Out of that inner closet, out of the past, out into the beautiful daylight.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You must hold the vision for your life, and for who and what you want to become. This is the sacred flame that you carry. It’s more than about intention; or you might say, a special form of intention that you protect as if you’re a candle in the wind. Your soul’s purpose is stronger than that, but it’s the act of guarding and nurturing your own creativity that is what cultivates your growth. Yet the heat and light that you make are only relevant if you use them, so part of your role is to make sure you express yourself in some daring way. This will only strengthen you, even if you experience setbacks from time to time. Over the next few weeks, you will have many opportunities to experiment with who you are, with what you offer to the world, and with the message that you share. Be bold and loving about this.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The Sun is about to enter Aries, joining many other planets in the most ambitious, adventurous angle of your solar chart. Known as the 10th solar house, this region of the chart has two purposes. One is reputation. The other is taking responsibility. The two are inseparable; where there is one, there must be the other — though you would never know it in our world, where power is so often abused. You do not have that prerogative, but you have much better ones. You’re one of the guardians of our world, one of the nurturers, one whose empathy is nearly inexhaustible. For you, accomplishment specifically means making the world a better place in all that you do. In this sense, responsibility and reputation are the same thing, since all you need to be recognized for is the quality work that you do — which is a tangible form of love. Therefore, shine like the Sun at noon.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Currently, common wisdom extols the virtues of living in the moment, which is another way of saying living as if there is no tomorrow. Yet there is a tomorrow, and there is a yesterday, even if these things are a little too abstract (so far as we know) for most dogs to understand. You must use your imagination and see into the future. And equally, you must take everything you’ve learned in the past and put it to the very best use that you can. It’s true that obsession with either past or future is unhealthy; though there’s a way to apply them gently, and to be the builder of a bridge between the two, with your conscious power of choice and the miracle of mindfulness. Making a plan is not like laying railroad tracks. It’s more like a sketch, which you can erase, redraw, and finally paint to its full beauty.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — One of the most unusual properties of Virgo is the depth at which you identify with your relationships. You make some of the most valuable discoveries about yourself through investing yourself in others. There are many implications to this. For example, you can hold off on your growth by backing away from intimacy. Conversely, if you become over-invested in a person, you can hand them the keys to your independence. In this respect, you walk a narrow edge, where you must maintain self-awareness at all costs, without becoming self-obsessed. All of this is described in the sign Aries, your 8th solar house. Many planets are now there. The Sun is about to enter, and Chiron — perhaps the most important planet associated with Virgo — arrives in a few weeks. Be kind to yourself, and to the people who hold space for so much of your beautiful self-discovery.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — There exists a long, complex work of spiritual psychology called A Course in Miracles. One of its most potent ideas, though, can be summed up in three words: perception is projection. In other words, what we see, we have shined on the world like a movie projector. We see the contents of our own minds. Given that our minds are responsible for the whole experience of consciousness, is anything else possible? Well, yes — you might call that enlightenment. At first this comes in flashes, like a burst of light that illuminates what was hidden by the darkness. You’re about to get such a moment of awareness or awakening. As it happens, you may have the feeling of, “Aah! So this is how the world really is!” (Hint: it will be better than you thought.) Then it will be up to you to remember what you perceived: how people looked and felt, and the way forward that will be revealed, if only in a glimpse.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — This can be an amazingly productive few weeks for you, though you must work to preserve some sense of balance — especially at work. You seem to be involved with, or responsible for, quite a few people. The way to handle this is to keep communication open and clear. You can benefit from following one easy-to-remember rule, which is to understate your case, clearly. Then seek some confirmation that you are understood. Listen carefully to what is said back to you. But do all this in a tone slightly above a whisper. If you must correct someone, do so gently. If you find yourself being corrected, make sure you understand what you need to do. The power of all communications is magnified wildly in your chart right now. Small doses of the medicine known as language will go a long way. You will learn something about the nature of reality from these experiences.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Planets are storming into fire sign Aries, which is one of the most exciting angles of your solar chart. Mars has exited your sign, leaving just one major point in Sagittarius — an asteroid called Vesta. The glyph for this sign is a chevron, which is a container for fire. That suggests your role is to provide a space for your burning creativity. You can think of this as containing the power of your mind, and directing it to its specific purpose. Vesta is conjunct the Galactic Core, adding to the intrigue. It’s as if you’re standing between the universe and the Earth, guiding the flow of energy into some worldly form. This is what any creative person does, whether they think of themselves as an artist or not. With the subtlest movements, you can open up whole new realities. I know you may be sitting on the D Train or crosstown bus reading this, though as Jerry used to sing, you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — The big news of the week is that Mars is now in your sign, which is another way of saying you have all the motivation, strength, power and energy you could possibly need. Or, you do if you can get out of your own way. This will be the whole exercise of Mars in your sign, which lasts a good long time — until May 16. You will have many opportunities to stumble over yourself, and just as many to tiptoe around your inner obstacles; or better yet, to remove them from your path. One could go to therapy for five years only to learn that it’s better to clear the stumbling blocks than it is to throw them in your own way. Yet you can just figure this out for yourself, noticing all the times you choose to do one or the other. Here is an easy example: if you have plans to do something fun for the evening, don’t plan anything later that night, or the next morning. Give yourself the opportunity to go for the full experience.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — What’s the world’s most serious problem? There’s a good case to be made that fear is the one. You might say fear is the root of all evil, since just about all the mean things that happen are motivated or justified by this odd emotion. Yet the other effect of fear, anxiety or worry in any form is to convert creativity into something toxic, and to block nearly all constructive use of the mind. Anyone who can master these issues will be an influential person, in their own life and in the world around them. You have this opportunity right now, and will through much of the spring. Get in the habit of transforming all of your mental and emotional power into something positive. Understand what provokes you, and get a sense of why that is. As you go through this experience, you will be able to clear all kinds of baggage from your mind and your emotions. You will, in a real sense, claim your life — claim it back, or for the first time.

Full Moon Door: Your Pisces Reading is Ready

Dear Fellow Pisces, Pisces Rising or Pisces Lover:

It was crazy busy the week I finished The Art of Becoming, while also keeping up with horoscopes and playing investigative reporter — but I just had to do the Pisces birthday reading in time for the Virgo Full Moon.

From your fellow Pisces, Eric Francis.

That is now ready for instant access, for $44 (the final price will be $66).

My job is to provide encouragement, reassurance, and actual information about your transits. I do my best to provide just that.

This is a mellow but detailed reading, which starts with a long discussion of relationships and the need to be discerning. This is directly related to claiming your full value in the world, and feeling good about yourself: what some call self-esteem.

From there, I talk about the ingress of planets from water sign Pisces to fire sign Aries, which in the coming days will include Mercury and Venus, then Chiron. In the second segment I talk mainly about career, profession and community involvement — this is a discussion of Saturn moving from Sagittarius into Capricorn.

There is plenty more. You can get a personal reading from me lasting 75 minutes for $555 — or a reading I would be very happy to get, 75 minutes for $44. Get instant access now.

Thank you for your business, and for trusting me as your astrologer.

With love,

P.S. The Art of Becoming is now ready. This reading is a very detailed report on Chiron moving from Pisces to Aries, among other things. You can get individual signs here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — The week begins with the Sun in a close conjunction to Chiron — the last of many such events that takes place with Chiron in Pisces. While this aspect verges on too deep for words, much less a horoscope column, I will do my best. When existence is lived consciously, it can have a perilous, delicate, vulnerable feeling. Many people live feeling separated from Source or God, and spend their lives endlessly searching. Chiron’s eight years in Pisces have helped you tap into the strength of vulnerability, and focus your search inwardly. You’ve lived through many experiences that have given you reason to have faith in yourself, and in your wider experience of the world. Experience is the real teacher. Theory is good for a while; and then one really gets the point with the discovery that something is possible, or when that the notion of “impossible” vanishes like steam into the air.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — If there’s one solution to all problems, it is: proceed with irreverence. Make sure you notice the utterly ridiculous social conventions people are expected to follow, then do what you want. There may be some use (to others) in what seems useless (to you), and this may be about the ridiculous games people play. However, to break the rules, you must proceed in the right spirit, which would be irreverence in the spirit of reverence and respect. There’s a whole tradition devoted to this approach, in the Lakota culture called the Heyoka; and, in societies more familiar to us, the Trickster. Those are the people who can get away with anything and enlighten us in the process: the South Park guys, everyone at The Onion, Stephen Colbert — but, as Steve said, you can only pull it off when your material is good. Therefore, aspire to excellence.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may recognize that partners or someone you love is coming from a very high place: you know they are doing work as directed by the light. This is worthy of your respect and cooperation; but more than that, your participation. You may already be directly involved, in a supporting role, as a trusted friend, as a lover, or confidant. Your contribution is more important than you may imagine, though you don’t need to do more than recognize that you are indeed valued. Upcoming aspects may lead you to doubt that very fact. Don’t fall for it. Proceed without any reassurance if you must, motivated purely by faith, love and respect for existence. In the kind of process we’re talking about, there are not necessarily immediate rewards. But you can look around at the world and recognize that, mostly, it’s in a very different state compared to the sphere that you inhabit.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Your chart is the perfect blend of out and about, having fun, and the potential for serious business to come up. So, when you set foot out the door, be ready for anything. And when you’re home, be open to anything, because this setup describes an intimate situation that will help you get underneath your public persona and reveal more deeply who you are. There’s quite a bit of interplay between the public you and the private you. I once had a client claiming to have this situation in her life. She was a real estate broker whose face was on ads on shopping carts in all the local supermarkets. I did my best not to laugh. Your situation is more interesting than that, and much more fun. Get out into the neighborhood, ring some bells, push some buttons, and nudge your friends into having some actual fun in our all-too-stuck-up world.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You seem like you’re about to make contact on an important professional matter, after a good few near-hits and near-misses. Proceed slowly and carefully, checking your work as you go. Say what you mean, only considerably less. Stop and ask questions, and get whomever you’re talking with to draw themselves out. If you have to slow down the movie, follow the wisdom of Kasia Urbaniak: repeat the last thing the person said to you. Don’t interpret it; just repeat it, like that’s just the thing to do. Then, don’t make any commitment immediately. Read all the fine print in any written document, and give things a day or three. Remember: you’re the one with the talent. The other guys may have the building, the lights, the seats, the box office and the tickets, but it’s all useless without someone to look pretty and sing brilliantly on the stage, and that would be you.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Being stuck is not an option, and freezing up and being unable to move or make a decision is not a sign of integrity. It would be better if you didn’t sell it to yourself as such, or use that as a cover; if you’re feeling blocked, say so. You contain all the building materials necessary to be a strong, balanced and integrated person, though flexibility is what makes any of this meaningful, or useful. That includes allowing your viewpoint to move, rather than thinking that you know something for sure. Be leery of certainty, or the feeling of absolute clarity. If you think you know for sure, set out to disprove your own theory, or at least to come up with two or more alternative possibilities. When an approach to a topic starts to feel dangerous, or like some comfort level is threatened, then you know you’re on the trail.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You may suddenly unravel a deep connection between your early family relationships and your adult intimate relationships. Everyone knows there’s a connection, though due to various blind spots, many of them induced by insecurity, it’s often difficult to see the association, much less do something with it. Here’s the main thing, following the themes of your solar chart: in truth, your family is far less important than you may think, both as an early influence and as a current one. Your origins go much deeper. Your connection to source is more relevant than the psychology and politics of any household. Once you have that message in your body, it will be much easier to address the concerns of your worldly emotional affairs. Your presence is a kind of collective reference point for everyone else feeling safe. But this is not really about you; it’s about something coming through you.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Discussions in the early part of the week may take on a serious cast, though you can remain positive, which also includes curious. You’ll give yourself an advantage if you take every opportunity to put yourself in the position of other people, and try to see the world from their point of view. You cannot do this 100%, as you cannot get into the mind and body of others; but you can, in a sense, sit in their seat, or walk a mile in their shoes. You can use your imagination and consider their concerns, feelings and complications. And you can imagine how they might see you. Just your willingness to do this will be helpful, because sometimes a little willingness is all it takes for the greater truth to come in. It always helps to listen, and in any conversation, to say, “This is what I hear you saying.” Then, listen and see if anyone thinks you got it right.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Jupiter has stationed retrograde in your sign, which will give you an opportunity to make some observations about the seemingly chaotic nature of your life. One thing to track is the fact that you’re in a state of discovery, and that can be disruptive to what you thought you previously knew. Given the makeup of your psyche, a little shaking and quaking of the status quo is one of the more dependable ways to get through to you. To keep your mind fresh, you must question your beliefs; and to do that, you need to know what they are, and notice their effects. This is where the ripples of Jupiter retrograde, and its current aspect to Eris, will come in handy. Notice when things get a little weird, and ask yourself how and why that happened. Be observant any time one of your presumptions is challenged; for example, any time you make an incorrect guess.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Mars in your sign is now conjunct the Galactic Core. It’s also square Chiron, for one of the grand and glorious Sagittarius alignments in recent memory. In my highest reading of this aspect, you can feel the edge-like nature of existence, and of your own presence in the world. It’s way too easy for us humans to troop across the city and take for granted the many unknowns about our experience here. With Mars, Chiron and the homing signal at the center of our spiral island in space all aligned, you can see and feel things that are seemingly impossible to perceive. Take slower, more careful steps. Breathe consciously, and feel, and listen. Imagine your body clinging delicately to the planet’s surface, held down only by gravity. Walk like you’re on a tightrope rather than on solid ground. Feel the vast expanse of space below our tiny planet. Notice where you are.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You may decide that it’s time to outgrow your insecurities. That would be a worthy goal, though it will help to understand where they come from. When you identify with something strongly, and invest your identity there, you give it power over you. It could be a relationship, it could be your family, it could be your social status. Then, if there is some change in that extrinsic thing, or if you feel like it’s not working out, or not fully accepting of you, that has a way of bouncing back onto you and making you question your worth. This is the thing that has to end. Fortunately, you’re now stronger within yourself, and you don’t have to fall for the illusion that your identity is in any way threatened. You might even retire from identifying with things (movements, brands, opinions) and exist as your own independent critter. You do not need a master.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — The only way to learn how to say difficult things is to say them, and listen back, or read them over, and make revisions, and try again. This could relate to anything, whether some deeply intimate matter, or writing a sales presentation, prospectus or pitch. You just keep doing it over till you get it right. Often, the feeling of being blocked or uncertain is the feeling to work with rather than to retreat from. If you plunge in and dare to say what you really mean, you have a chance of getting it right. Just remember: if the feeling is there, don’t edit yourself to death. Stay close to the original, and develop it a little — remembering that these days, brevity is gold. Remember this in your thought process with yourself. The truth of how you feel and what you want is usually pretty simple.

Full Moon Door: Your Pisces Reading is Ready

Dear Fellow Pisces, Pisces Rising or Pisces Lover:

It was crazy busy the week I finished The Art of Becoming, while also keeping up with horoscopes and playing investigative reporter — but I just had to do the Pisces birthday reading in time for the Virgo Full Moon.

From your fellow Pisces, Eric Francis.

That is now ready for instant access, at the pre-order price (till Friday evening, when it goes up to $44, and then stops at $66).

My job is to provide encouragement, reassurance, and actual information about your transits. I do my best to provide just that.

This is a mellow, but detailed, reading, which starts with a long discussion of relationships and the need to be discerning. This is directly related to claiming your full value in the world, and feeling good about yourself: what some call self-esteem.

I expound on two different interpretations of the Virgo Full Moon — one based on my own writeup in the Daily News, and for contrast, the other based on Sally Brompton’s interpretation in The New York Post.

From there, I talk about the ingress of planets from water sign Pisces to fire sign Aries, which in the coming days will include Mercury and Venus, then Chiron.

In the second segment I talk mainly about career, profession and community involvement — this is a discussion of Saturn from Sagittarius into Capricorn.

There is plenty more. You can get a personal reading from me lasting 75 minutes for $555 — or a reading I would be very happy to get, 75 minutes for $33. Get instant access now.

Thank you for your business, and for trusting me as your astrologer.

With love,

P.S. The Art of Becoming is now ready. This reading is a very detailed report on Chiron moving from Pisces to Aries, among other things. You can get individual signs here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — This week’s aspects will bring out the best in you. We are nearing the end of Chiron in Pisces, which has driven your growth, maturity and awareness for the past seven years. Saturn has successfully passed through your 10th house, demanding that you take total responsibility for your affairs. You are still learning; though you’ve learned a lot, and now is the time to put that experience to use. This week you’re likely to encounter a series of discussions about your professional advancement, which you must approach with modest confidence and a cool head. Know that you have something valuable to offer, and remember that you set your own goals. Prod the conversation along, and don’t fall for anyone bluffing you or feigning ignorance. You know who you are and what you’re capable of — and so does everyone else. Now, you must get everyone onto the same page.