Aries (March 20-April 19) — It’s time to set your own definition of success, and start working for it right now. The chances are, though, that you’ve already made considerable progress, and what you now need to do is to refine your methods, eliminate any goals that you don’t intend to pursue, and keep your focus. A matter of partnership is crucial; while the person may or may not be a sexual partner, there must be chemistry between you and whomever you work with — chemistry that is cellular, hormonal and pheromonal. By that I mean simpatico and sublime, where you work for the same goal in an intuitive way. In the absence of that, pursue your interests with gusto and see who shows up, wanting to play and participate, for its own sake, and for your sake. You’re working on something that can change the world in some way — if not the big, wide world, then the cosmos of whatever field you’re involved with. You’re onto something real.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — David Byrne, one of the mighty ones born under your sign, penned the lines, “Years ago who would believe it’s true? / Goes to show what a little faith can do.” The core lesson of this time in your life is having faith in yourself. Nobody would suspect you otherwise, though you know the truth of the matter. This goes deeper than self-confidence, to the core essence of your purpose for living. One key to this is to connect with your purpose in everything that you do. Purpose goes beyond any one activity, idea, or belief. You possess your core purpose at all times, in all places and with all people. That is useful: you can take it with you everywhere you go, and put it to work no matter what you do. If nothing special is ringing a bell, consider that this is about the life of your soul. Soul is not a thing; it’s a verb. It’s a process by which you integrate the spiritual essence of your being into the rest of your being. Do what feels right, and participate fully in your own existence.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You may feel like there’s so much going on around you, it’s impossible to keep track of it, much less exert any control. That’s one side of the story. The other side of the story is to remember that you’re bigger than all of it combined: you are more than the sum total of all the separate elements of your life, or any one of them. Matters of finance and business partnership are a top priority, though you can afford to stand back a little, and propose the ideas that you want to manifest. You can afford to observe, and intervene right when you think you need to. However, the one thing you must do is to be observant. You really have to pay attention to the details and to the positions of others, which means conversing with them throughout whatever process is going on. Your ability to shape the outcome is manifested not through power but through influence, which means ideas, a vision, and seeing the scenario from the widest, and highest, possible viewpoint.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — This week’s astonishing astrology — an alignment of Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Pluto — is all over the sex and relationship houses in your solar chart. You get a blend of teenage passion with the intensity of a commitment that is really working. This is fun and somewhat wild astrology, though it’s also deep, and it could be daunting. However, you can summon your courage, as if you’re on a diving board and you really want to jump into the water headfirst, and you know the water is deep enough, and you know you can dive, and you can swim, and it’s just a little much — and then you’re happy you did it because you really needed to. The thing you want to avoid is people you have actual conflict with: bad vibes, bad karma, a negative history or any need to deceive anyone. Those are exactly, precisely the people you don’t want to be involved with.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You are done planning and pondering; it’s time to start doing, by which I mean doing what you know you want and need to do. You have leverage right now, which will be helpful, though you don’t need much. Lean into the challenges you are facing just a little and you’ll see how much power the weight of your mind and your intentions carries. Efficiency is essential, which means placing your emphasis on ideas; and where labor is involved, using the concept of leverage. Be certain to balance your creative efforts with proper rest, recreation and nutrition. You don’t need to become a health guru; you only need to take care of yourself sufficiently well to stay in balance, and keep your stress level down. Where your work seems to conflict with relationships, make sure you consider both sides of the equation. What is the actual source of the seeming conflict?

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You must be naughty if you want to do the right thing. That means that in order to truly serve your happiness and your growth (personal, creative or whatever), you will need to break some rules, violate some taboos and do some things you think people will disapprove of. Negative emotions such as guilt, embarrassment, fear, or shame can serve as an invitation. Rather than assume they point to the ‘wrong thing’, try the assumption that they point the way to what will serve you the best. I’m not making this up, by the way — this is very old wisdom, though not exactly well understood or overplayed these days. Taboo is a veil over the truth; it’s a scrim thrown over your creativity; and it’s a social control device that serves no purpose in your life. You have a lot of mojo running right now. You don’t need any holy types of people, or holy voices in your mind, stopping your fun.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — This week you’re likely to discover just how much you have, or don’t have, in common with family members or those you share your household with. You are growing in your own direction, and you need to do your own thing. One of the overarching themes of a long phase of your life is cultivating bona fide emotional independence, or you could say, getting a life. It’s easy to go from one type of family system of control to another. It’s easy to transform being trapped in one kind of environment to being stuck in another. Your goal now is to shift that whole paradigm and set yourself free — free enough to make decisions without the meekest thought of needing to ask permission. Nobody should be walking into your private space without knocking, or anything of the kind. Borrowing from the nearly forgotten author Virginia Woolf, you need a room of your own.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Have you considered that fear stops you from doing what you want to do? I know that as a Scorpio, you’re supposed to be the first in line to walk on hot coals, the first out of the airplane door on the skydiving trip, or to suggest that the dentist hold the Novocain. But what’s your relationship to fear, really? Do you say what you need to say? Do you feel what you need to feel? Do you admit what you actually know? You’re well past the point of being able to hide who you are, and at the moment, you’ve probably figured out there’s no point trying. Now you might direct your efforts into the other direction: do exactly what might intimidate you. Say what you want to say, not what you think people want to hear. More than anything, admit what you know, and put your knowledge to work for your own benefit. You will have many such opportunities this week.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Recently a Sagittarius friend said she was interested in having a source of “passive income.” That’s the kind where the checks allegedly come rolling in like interest accrued on a trust fund. This, ostensibly, would be used to support her creative interests. It took me a couple of weeks pondering to see the problem with this theory. When you’re at your best, there’s nothing passive about you. You need passionate income. You need to be well paid for what you love to do, and/or what you do the very best (there’s a relationship between them; if not, it would be wise to develop one). You will succeed financially to the degree you’re wholly engaged with your values and your priorities. Rather than farm out the income aspect of work, it’s essential that you marry it to the creative aspect, generating a reaction that, once it gets going, is difficult to stop.

Capricorn Audio Birthday Reading is Ready!

Dear Friend and Reader:

Last week, I recorded your Capricorn birthday reading. It’s about 70 minutes in length, in two sessions. This is your birthday audio — an entirely different reading from The Art of Becoming, which will be ready in January.

You are living in extraordinary times, as a Capricorn or Cap rising. There’s been nothing quite like this in your sign since the early 1990s, when the Uranus-Neptune connection passed through town. That was a while ago — and what you’re now working with is just as significant.

At the moment, the Sun, Venus, Saturn and Pluto are in your sign, which is building to a series of major events that peak in 2020. That may seem like a long way off, though time marches on. The presence of Saturn, the ruling planet of Capricorn, is a reminder to tend to your growth, shore up your foundations, and take your place in the world.

Saturn in your sign is helping ground you in your real priorities.

In this reading, I focus on several key points of development, though none is as important as your relationship to your family, and your family history. For all you want to do in life, all the ways you want to succeed, and solidify your process of self-actualization: the family connection is essential.

This relates directly to your most intimate partnerships, because they’re based on an emotional foundation that was laid in childhood. I provide specific information about how to work with these elements, and how to engage in productive self-therapy (it’s not always so useful, but it can be).

Your reading includes access to last year’s recording, plus your 2017 written reading (from The Book of Your Life), and a tarot reading that will arrive in about a month (maybe more, maybe less).

You can get instant access when you order the reading here for just $44. We will increase the price further when the Tarot section is published.

This reading is also included with the Backstage Pass. If you’re not a BSP member, you can upgrade and extend your current subscription, and the Capricorn reading will be included.

Thank you for being a Planet Waves customer.

With love,

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Your sign is somewhat famous for a priggish attitude toward sex. That’s funny, since you’re probably one of the more sexual people you know, even if you veil that with proper attire and an insistence on seeming prim, at nearly any cost (including resisting fun that might appear in any way untoward, or revealing your true desire). It’s time to throw that approach and all the theories that support it into a bonfire. It’s time to ask yourself who you were trying to impress, and then decide that you don’t care. More than that, it’s essential you recognize the ways in which people blame others for their own impulse to restrain themselves with morality; i.e., what would mother think? If you really want to go there, though, ask yourself that very question. If she had a porthole into your life, she might be shocked for a moment, and then have a very, very different reaction — as will you.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Are you experiencing fear, or desire? Something is definitely moving within you. You seem ready to release yourself from an old emotional bond of some kind, as if you discovered some beautiful aspect of yourself trapped in a dusty old cellar. What is that part of you, what’s this cellar, and who put you there? This is old material; you may be reversing something that was done to an ancestor many generations ago. This may have been repeated through the years, and inflicted directly on you — or not. Whatever the case, you’re ready to set something free from deep in that realm known as the unconscious. Step one in doing so is to make it conscious — to fully awaken to whatever this feeling, need, fear or desire is. The second is to give yourself a push, in the direction where you feel the most energy is contained. You need access to that energy, and to get it, you must go to it: it won’t just come to you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — If you’ve wanted to go public with something, this could be the week. There’s some genuine harmony between what you are thinking and feeling, and what has suddenly become publicly acceptable. What could this be about? The range of possibilities spans from sharing something with your friends that you’ve long kept secret (a kind of coming out) to revealing a project you’ve been working on for years. It might be a statement you need to make, something you’ve written that you want to share, or artwork nobody has seen. This could be anything that is currently something in your personal world that wants to find a home in some wider community — including you announcing your existence in some way. So, consider the possibilities. Don’t worry if what you do, or who you are, is good enough. Take the chance and let yourself be known, seen and recognized.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Over the past month, a series of planets moving into your career and success angle describes you waking up to your ambitions. Tomorrow’s Full Moon in the domestic angle of your chart is reminding you to pace yourself, and not push yourself so hard. Rather, slow, steady progress is what will work the best for you. This also means having an actual home life. You may do this; it’s certainly one of your innate personality features, to center your life around your home. However, as work commitments pick up, you may forget to do this. If you feel yourself going out of balance, the place to restore that balance is your kitchen or bathtub. So take the time to make these places extra appealing, and from the first day of 2018, make sure your life is structured in such a way that points you toward home on a regular basis. While you’re at it, make sure your bedroom is the perfect pleasure salon.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Everyone must have a code that they live by. With my abundant knowledge of those born under the sign Taurus, I would remind you to keep your code flexible, and subject to new discoveries. I’ll give you two examples. Attorneys talk about the letter of the law, and the spirit of the law. One is based on a strict reading, and the other is based on the purpose a law is supposed to serve. Another example is how your passport says you’re responsible for following both laws and customs in the countries you visit, which any experienced traveler will tell you is right on point. Some would even say that customs are more important than laws, since that’s what people really care about. This is a reminder to hang loose. You’re a person who really cares about your integrity. You actually grapple with matters of right and wrong; this is part of your psychic foundation. So, easy does it.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If nothing else this year, you will come to terms with any fears of commitment that you may have. There has been an interesting evolution in your astrology lately, which represents a significant shift from the past nine years. You’ve had a way of associating commitment with people holding power over you. In many instances, this has turned out to be true, though the deeper question involves the ways in which you give away your power. Now that Saturn, the Sun and other planets have moved into Capricorn, you can see commitment as a way to claim your power, and to use it consciously. You will need to monitor each and every transaction in your life, and notice how you handle negotiations of any kind. Do you read the contracts you sign? Do you have a rule against committing to anything you’re not sure you can do? And what about holding others to their promises to you? As you focus on these topics, the tables will gradually turn.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — It’s amazing how much can change in how little time. The sudden influx of many planets into Capricorn, your opposite sign, does two things, mainly. One is that it shifts the emphasis from Sagittarius, which is your work-related zone, and which was (to put it mildly) in a state of high pressure going back years. You may not have any less responsibility on your plate, though you’ll feel differently about it: better able to organize yourself, and feeling less like you must do everything at once. The second is that Saturn and other planets are now in your relationship house. This might feel like a missing piece showing up in your personal life. Saturn has a way of completing Capricorn, and will provide some solid substance into your social environment. Notably, from classical astrology, the association between Saturn and Capricorn is the strongest when it’s dark out. So get your work done and, as the old song goes, “Bring on the night.”

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Everything in your chart points back to taking care of yourself. This has three components. The first and most important is emotional. At your best, you’re in contact with your feelings, and you respond to what your body is telling you. Second is making sure that you follow health regimens and medication schedules, and do all the things you need to do in order to stay healthy. Finally, there’s the matter of keeping your work in balance. Work is therapy for many Leos. It’s a way that you connect with your purpose, stay productive and do your part to hold the world together. Yet your chart now indicates that you both need and have help doing this. Don’t take everything on all by yourself. Let there be a discussion of what really needs to happen and how you’re going to work with others to get it done. Obviously you’re not the type to shirk responsibility or sacrifice quality. So there has to be another way, and that way is collaboration.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Virgo may be the most risk-averse sign. You might have been the type of kid who read the inside of the chocolate box so you knew which one you were biting into, and could select your favorite in advance. Your chart now describes you not just wanting to taste every last piece of chocolate, and not just wanting to eat them all, but also suddenly having the mad, wild passion to be a chocolatier. You want to know how it’s done — and do it yourself. That would make a fantastic way to orient your life: hand-made, homemade, the old way, as traditional as possible. You might try things like: if you’re going to make your own corn muffins, try grinding the cornmeal yourself. It’s easy to make your own yogurt, kombucha, bread and many things we take for granted. For you, this is not about being cool and artisanal. It’s about getting down to the basics of what it takes to live. It’s about making sure that you get what you pay for, and it’s truly all your own.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You may feel like the Master of Ceremonies for the holiday, though do your bit and then get off the stage. You have more important matters to tend to, mostly involving family and household. Your leadership is needed, and it turns out you’re the one person many people with different opinions and viewpoints have in common as someone they respect. This is something meaningful to remember about yourself, and why you need, at least, to maintain the appearance of objectivity. There are relatively few people in the world who are trusted by those who disagree on major points of discussion, and you have that particular asset. So, you must always present yourself as objective, which means willing to hear people out, and then do your best to evaluate all situations equitably. However, indecision is not an option; you must always seek, and find, a compromise that works for everyone — if you remember that there’s such a thing as the right thing.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You may be feeling everything all at once, but you cannot say everything all at once. That may be complicated, because you also have a lot to say. You might start by shifting your speech to all that is friendly and loving. Emphasize the positive in everything. It’s easy to be a critic, and more challenging to see the one genuinely impressive thing about whatever anyone is doing. This same attitude will shine its light back onto you, as you notice what you’re doing right rather than what’s not going so well. You may feel it’s insincere to focus the discussion on the beautiful element of what otherwise might be lacking, though there’s a philosophical issue underneath that: in making improvements in anything, do you fix what’s wrong, or develop what works? There’s more to this question than is obvious. An extended real-time experiment is in order. Anyway, no matter how much one fixes or eliminates what’s wrong, that does not create a positive. Also, humans proceed most successfully on the basis of motivation.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — If you’re concerned that you might take things too far, go out of control, or lose your cool, you can test that out and push your limits — on every topic but one. That one thing would be alcohol, or any seriously mind-bending substance. This “weather advisory” will be in effect for months. It’s saying, essentially, err on the side of caution. That doesn’t mean go straight-edge; it means use your common sense. Respect the idea of moderation, and keep tomorrow in mind. You’re still early in a phase of your life where some heavy constraints have finally been lifted. You’re now off-leash, free-roaming and unregulated, except by yourself. So you need to dial the responsibility piece up by just a little, and make sure your actions are in accord with your values. Check that your values, in turn, are flexible enough to adapt to any new situation. The best place to do any potentially risky or adventurous experimentation is safely behind your front door.

Capricorn Audio Birthday Reading is Ready!

Dear Friend and Reader:

Friday, I recorded your Capricorn birthday reading. It’s about 70 minutes in length, in two sessions. This is your birthday audio — an entirely different reading from The Art of Becoming, which will be ready in January.

You are living in extraordinary times, as a Capricorn or Cap rising. There’s been nothing quite like this in your sign since the early 1990s, when the Uranus-Neptune connection passed through town. That was a while ago — and what you’re now working with is just as significant.

At the moment, the Sun, Venus, Saturn and Pluto are in your sign, which is building to a series of major events that peak in 2020. That may seem like a long way off, though time marches on. The presence of Saturn, the ruling planet of Capricorn, is a reminder to tend to your growth, shore up your foundations, and take your place in the world.

Saturn in your sign is helping to ground you in your real priorities.

In this reading, I focus on several key points of development, though none is as important as your relationship to your family, and your family history. For all you want to do in life, all the ways you want to succeed, and solidify your process of self-actualization: the family connection is essential.

This relates directly to your most intimate partnerships, because they’re based on an emotional foundation that was laid in childhood. I provide specific information about how to work with these elements, and how to engage in productive self-therapy (it’s not always so useful, but it can be).

Your reading includes access to last year’s recording, plus your 2017 written reading (from The Book of Your Life), and a tarot reading that will arrive in about a month (maybe more, maybe less).

You can get instant access when you order the reading here for just $44. We will increase the price further when the Tarot section is published.

This reading is also included with the Backstage Pass. If you’re not a BSP member, you can upgrade and extend your current subscription, and the Capricorn reading will be included.

Thank you for being a Planet Waves customer.

With love,

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Stop yourself every time you notice yourself saying, “But what would my [mother/father/family] think?” This may be subtle; it may be below the level of tangible inner dialog, though the message will still come through. It might relate to any aspect of your personality from work-related choices to the fun you want to have to your most intimate relationships. One point of growth you’re experiencing is your desire to open up your sexual horizons, right when doing so might encounter the nagging voices of authority figures from the past. This could be such a seemingly natural part of your psychic makeup that you’ve just learned how to live with them. But now there’s a showdown: how long are you going to let yourself be caught in the spider web of taboo, especially if you know that web (and the spider) is in your own mind? On our planet, anyway, there’s no approach to self-actualization that does not involve fully claiming, owning and setting your own standards around sexuality. And having your own rules usually means breaking everyone else’s.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — One of the great themes of this era in your life is noticing the ways in which what seem to be your own choices, life patterns and personality traits are really a response to someone else’s needs and desires. Your chart describes you in a state of questioning and releasing those patterns, only to be taken deeper, so you can investigate their source. There’s no reason why, today, you should be walking around worrying about the same things that troubled your ancestors two or three generations back. There’s no actual reason why you should be stuck in their hang-ups, their political views, and their turf wars over what is true and what is not. If you are seeking independence, foster that first as your ability to see, and then question, the influence of the past on the present. Life is not about living up to anyone’s expectations, or expecting the world to live up to yours. It’s about something a lot better.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — On New Year’s Day, there’s a Full Moon in your fellow water sign, Cancer. This is a reminder, valid through the year, to emphasize having a good time. You have invested plenty of energy into your work, reputation and career, which seemed to reach a frenzy in the second half of 2017. I’m not suggesting that you slack off, but rather set yourself into cruise mode rather than climbing mode, and devote some of the excess energy to the pleasures of living. You are a Pisces. Pleasure-seeking is a form of spirituality to you, perhaps the most important one. There are plenty of influences guiding you to be pure and wholesome, to maintain a good image and to be grounded. Those need to be counteracted by your conscious choice to have fun. In this project, discipline will come in handy. Work before play is a useful ethic, as long as you remember to do both every day.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — It’s time for an early New Year’s resolution: you and only you will run your life. OK, you do this in cooperation with the universe; that’s a given. I’m talking about the influence of other people, to whom you might have deferred important decisions in the past. Or, people you might have acted toward in a certain way to avoid their disapproval, or because you felt guilty. It’s time to take over your concept of authority: set your own goals, keep your own schedule, organize your life and, most of all, define your notion of success. In order to do this well, you will need to work within the confines of existing circumstances; for example, if you have a job, you come to work at the agreed-upon time, until you renegotiate that and then keep the new agreement. Your ability to negotiate changes in existing agreements will be your most useful tool as you get accustomed to wanting and needing more freedom.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Devotion is stitched into your soul. Maybe you’ve had the occasion to read some classical poetry from earlier centuries, where it’s not immediately obvious whether the poet is speaking to someone they love, or to God. Then after some pondering, the difference seems negligible, because it’s the feeling that matters. Your chart is particularly beautiful this way now: your devotional quality can be addressed to anyone or everyone, to the work that you do, to the people you serve, or to those who serve you. This is an exalted state of being; it’s a rare form of privilege that you’ve earned through years of soul-searching and your quest for personal improvement. Said simply, integrity matters to you. The more influential you become, the easier it is to take that for granted. The easier it is to let yourself slip and slide. Yes, you must give yourself room to play, and remember that your personal truth is what matters the most.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Among many other changes of the past week, your ruling planet Mercury has stationed direct. That suggests you learned something important about a personal relationship, whether this was about your own feelings, someone else’s feelings, or some other factor. Now you get to use that information. You’re at the stage of development where you’re responsible for what you know; literally, your knowledge imbues you with responsibility. This may span from data about the weather, to a credible warning about a person’s character. It may come in the form of a contract that you must have reviewed professionally before you sign it; or having the presence of mind, and the courage, to ask a potential employer a difficult question. You might be facing a decision and know you need more information to make it properly. Once you get the hang of this, and get accustomed to it, you will see that it’s a key to your power as an individual, and also a key to your freedom.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Saturn has arrived in your opposite sign Capricorn, where we look for information about relationships, partnerships and the environment in which you move around. For nearly a decade, the main presence in this angle of your chart has been Pluto. That’s an influence that brings enforced changes, intense reactions from others that don’t quite rise to the level of intimacy, and even a sense of isolation. Saturn will do two things. One is that it will help you establish the kinds of relationships you need. Second is that it will help you get out of the kinds of relationships that don’t serve you (and there are plenty). While Saturn helps us set boundaries, many astrologers perceive that as only meaning limits. Boundaries are useful; they include time, agreements, purpose, and respect. You might decide that you want your own room, which in turn gives you the freedom to invite someone over as your guest. Therefore, you’re likely to find this transit helpful.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Mercury has just changed to direct motion in the angle of your chart connected to creativity, pleasure and play. So the question here is: what are you doing for fun? There’s plenty of emphasis on work these days, and a new phase of your life opening up that’s based on getting the job done well. Yet you need to do that Leo thing and express the thing you love to do the very most, and in a big way. If you’re fortunate enough to have some time off for the holidays, do the thing you want to do rather than what anyone else might think you should do. You may need to coax yourself into this, given that there’s so much important business to attend to. You will have time for that; and, going forward, you will need to make a special effort to pace yourself, strive for efficiency and, most of all, prioritize.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — It’s time to get serious about what you love to do, and to confront all the obstacles that have stopped you in the past. Start by not taking them personally. Read the story of anyone who actually accomplished something and you’ll notice that, at first, it seemed impossible. What else is worth attempting? Yet the tasks, talent development or ideas before you are not really so daunting. Success is as much about the process of learning your craft as it is about what you finally get done. You have time, and you need to use it well. Don’t be deterred by any setbacks at the beginning of a new phase of your life; keep a lab notebook and learn equally from every modest success, seeming failure or breakthrough. Let everyone and everything be your teacher. Marvel at the beauty of chewing gum packaging and great architecture with equal respect and appreciation.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — There’s no place like home. We now live in a culture that facilitates doing nearly everything out of the house, especially eating and socializing and, for most people, working. Your solar chart is suggesting that you do everything you can at home. Conserve energy, save money, keep things intimate, and use the beautiful space you’ve created for yourself. This will be an important emphasis of your life for the foreseeable future, and you will be in tune with the times. We’re entering a phase of history when genuine, bona fide community will be essential, and that will begin with small cells of people who actually know one another. This, in turn, relates to the ways you will be called to serve your country in a time of mounting national crisis. Defining your home as your boundary will make you more selective about whom you spend time with, and more likely to use that time meaningfully.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Though much has changed in the sky during the past week, the elements in your birth sign have remained steady: Mars and Jupiter are working their way into a conjunction (exact on Jan. 6), which looks like some blend of discovery, revelation and orgasm. You’re in a phase of life when you have the full freedom to push this whole seemingly elusive quest for being yourself. Other aspects will gently guide you back to your center if you take things to excess. You’ll have a lot of fun if you use alcohol in moderation (assuming you’re not in recovery; but face it, being drunk is neither creative nor sexy) and if you make conscious and informed decisions (rare enough in humans). That said, whatever you love to do, whatever you’re good at, whatever your passion is, will gradually go from a simmer to a full boil. Use this conjunction well. Cultivate love and forgiveness in your heart, and be impeccably kind to partners, who will be feeling this aspect and whatever it represents manifesting for you.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Saturn has departed from your sign, and moved on to Capricorn. This concludes a distinct three-year phase of your life, one that had the power of the mythic Saturn return. Over these next few weeks, take it slowly and get used to your new environment. You’re not under the same kinds of restrictions as you were, nor do you have the same boundaries to keep you contained. This means you have more freedom, though it’s worth remembering that most people find actual freedom to be distasteful, frightening and not worth the effort. This is why, over and over again, both individuals and societies drift into situations where they have less and less of the stuff (something currently happening in the United States). By this time, you’ve learned a lot about being your own most important authority. You know that you have to run your own life, and not let circumstances dictate your choices. Take some time and test out your new way of being.

Capricorn Birthdays 2018

A Blessing from the Cosmos

“The Capricorn 2017 Birthday Reading was expansive and mind-blowing, and absolutely on the money in everything. You helped me immeasurably as I change and change and grow, and change some more. What a time!”

— Linsey

Dear Friend and Reader: Last week, your ruling planet Saturn entered your sign — and is now joined by the Sun, Venus and some lesser-known bodies. Some people fear Saturn; but for you its arrival so close to the solstice is a blessing from the cosmos. If you’re someone with a Capricorn Sun, rising sign or Moon, Saturn in your sign the next three years is a reminder that if you set a goal and are willing to work toward it, nothing is out of reach. It can be hard to feel that way in this day and age, but now you have a powerful ally in your corner.

One of your most meaningful tasks for the coming four seasons is defining yourself in a way that’s not dependent upon tribal identity. How exactly do you do that?

Eric will be covering that — along with the opportunities, challenges and essential mission of Saturn in your sign — in your 2018 Capricorn Birthday Reading. He’ll also cover 2018’s other major planetary sign changes in your reading (Uranus into Taurus, your zone of play and creative risk-taking; and Chiron into Aries, your zone of home and the emotional landscape) — plus additional aspects throughout (and beyond) the year that add nuance and offer creative opportunity.

Eric crafts these readings with the best of his life-coaching, cheerleading and problem-solving skills; the sensitivity of his therapy training; his uncanny knack to help you see challenges from a more empowering perspective; and with the kind of everyday, practical inspiration you can use immediately.

“Your work has always offered me food for thought, options to consider and clarity when needed. Thank you very much for what you do and how you present it.”

— Victoria Bouet

You get two 30-minute astrology segments and a separate tarot reading for your year. When you pre-order your Capricorn reading, you secure the lowest price we offer: only $33. This price increases as we near publication, and then it increases again when it’s ready.

Happy Birthday, Capricorn!

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. The 2018 Capricorn Birthday Reading is distinctly different from the Capricorn written reading available in the upcoming Art of Becoming annual project. It covers your key astrology in a different format and emphasis, capitalizing on Eric’s more intuitive, improvisational skills. The Birthday Reading also makes a fantastic gift for a loved one!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — On Monday Venus joins the Sun, Saturn, Pluto and an unusual point called Quaoar (associated with family patterns and personal creation myths) in your birth sign. You might say this represents the formation of a brand new you, with a whole new mission. At this point of commencement, some basic information will help. First, your mission is to be accountable to yourself. You are responsible for keeping the promises you make to yourself, and you reap the results of your choices. Next, it would be wise of you to keep a close watch on the influence of your family over your choices, your thoughts and your relationships. This influence, of course, is mostly internal, though there are plenty of people still bossed around by their elder relatives well into their 50s and 60s (helicopter parents are nothing new). If that’s happening, it’s time to get a grip, even if you’re much younger. Tribes (of friends) can be just as oppressive. Your life is not about them. It’s about you.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Many planets have, nearly in unison, entered your most mysterious house in all of astrology: the 12th, which for you is the sign Capricorn. The 12th is so mysterious because it’s like the hidden dimension of the psyche — the secret room behind the bookshelf, the basement below the trapdoor covered by a rug, or the abandoned wing of a massive hotel. More accurately, it’s akin to the commonplace dream of the extra room in one’s home, which, when entered, turns out to be endless. Notably, you’ve had Pluto moving through this realm for nearly a decade, which has been challenging and a little scary. Now, more substantial, directly helpful planets have entered. The result is to grant you a kind of Shamanic quest: not magical powers but rather the necessity to bridge your inner world with your outer one; and to allow your life to be guided by the dreamtime. First and foremost, pay attention to your dreams. Everything else will start to make sense.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — These weeks mark a meaningful, even important, time of transition in your vocation or profession. You have reached a destination, though obviously not a final one, but a real one. It will be necessary to take a few months and evaluate what you’ve accomplished, which means: what you’ve actually changed in your work patterns, your standing in the world, and your talent development. It’s essential that you not take a rapid or slipshod approach to this. You might start with rewriting your resume from scratch, so that you have a list of your accomplishments and can see a story arc. Meanwhile, it’s essential that you look for ways to take some pressure off your need to achieve new things, which I know is a comment you’ll never hear another astrologer make to a Pisces. Rather than coast, hold your ground, work the projects you’ve already begun, and make the most of what you currently have. As you do this, you’ll set some new and very different goals.