Aries (March 20-April 19) — Pay attention to who you meet this week, and don’t be intimidated by the great and the mighty. There’s an alchemy to your relationships at the moment, something that’s been gradually coming into alignment for a long time, and it describes encounters with unusual creative potential that might seem to manifest spontaneously. This is where being in the moment and setting aside any form of being star-struck come in. Recognize that every human being on the planet is, in a sense, your peer. However, it will help if you proceed with genuine respect, being honored to meet everyone you meet, whomever they may be: the powerful, the seemingly meek, the young, the old. Know as well that your presence has an influence on the world around you, even if you never see the results. You bring something distinct to every encounter, including the ability to actually present yourself as who you are. That will work brilliantly, as long as you bring all of your listening skills to every meeting. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — The creative process is said to be more about perspiration than it is about inspiration. You start with an idea, and you work on it till you have a clue whether it does what you want it to do. Yet there are also moments of intervention: for example, an experience of contact with a teacher or mentor; a collision with a member of your audience who says something (whether positive or negative) that gets you thinking in a new way; or some discovery that you might make. This week is rich with such teaching moments. It may also be rich in people with whom you connect and cultivate relationships that last many years.

Here’s the one thing to be cautious of: don’t be repelled by the seemingly weird, eccentric or non-ordinary people you may meet. Talent, success and brilliance often come in forms you’re not expecting or have never heard of. People who have indeed made their way in the world have almost always done so by emphasizing aspects of their character that others may feel are off-putting. For maximum benefit, set your judgements aside. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Remember that you’re no longer a child in a world of almighty adults. You are a capable, intelligent and resourceful person who is not, in truth, at anyone’s mercy. Yet you may feel like that from time to time this week, and it’s essential that you pause, catch up with yourself, and respond to others with your full mind. You may have moments when you misjudge your own intelligence as being less than what you really possess. You can sidestep that by not making any judgements at all; stay in the moment, listen to your senses, and ask any questions that you may need to. If you think of life as a process of exploration rather than as a planned trip to a specific destination, you’ll have a lot more fun. You’ll be able to indulge the creative freedom that is your birthright. Do what you can to guide all relationships with collaborators or potential collaborators in any form into the most daring and adventurous territory you can. The chances are, they’ll welcome the opportunity. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The theme of writing has come up repeatedly in my readings for your sign, and we’re now at a peak of that energy. However you can do it, take time to yourself regularly, and sit with your notebook or a computer, preferably with your email and browser turned off. There are thoughts in your mind that you must get into language. This week, with an astounding three different opposition aspects happening (Mars opposite Neptune, Mercury opposite Chiron and Jupiter opposite Uranus), you have the perfect conditions for provoking your mind to action. The thing you may need to avoid are relationship dramas; remember that these are strictly optional. This will be good practice turning down the volume on the usual chatter that clutters up your creative bandwidth. It may help if you focus on a single project, develop that one idea, and drive it to completion, whether it involves the written word or some other form of personal expression. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo, Virgo Birthday Readings Complete

Dear Friend of Planet Waves:

If what we’re seeing in the wake of the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse is any indication of how influential it was, astrology is alive and kicking in your personal world. I want you to know that the Leo and Virgo birthday readings are available for immediate access.

They are also somewhat late, though this has been a work ethic issue: I don’t do this kind of sensitive reading when I’m in any way stressed, unrested, or distracted. That time finally arrived Friday and Saturday, and these readings are now available.

You may view the glyph key here.

We are in the midst of extraordinary astrology: we’re living in the wake of so much that’s happened, so much that is happening now, and so much coming up. You need all the information you can get.

Having access to sensitive and accurate astrological keys is a direct advantage. You know the psychic weather when you know the astrology. I work in both the personal and the transpersonal, describing certain inner developments in your life, as well as developments in the world around you — and then I describe where the two meet.

I work in human language, using astro-lingo only as necessary. My message is designed to be both positive and informative: while I’m a pretty good astrologer, I am an even better motivational speaker. I believe in your potential, and I am honored and happy to offer you the keys to realizing your personal gifts.

We are, as well, living through extraordinarily trying times. It’s not easy to be alive right now, but if you can keep your awareness up, and stay a little bit above the fray, and look toward the future, these are indeed brilliant and challenging and amazing times to engage fully with life.

You may get your Leo reading here, or your Virgo reading here. These are especially poignant for your rising sign, as my emphasis is on the houses.

Both include original new music by Vision Quest. You may listen to our live stream here.

Speaking of, I mention in Virgo that I’ve recently published an article in The Mountain Astrologer called It’s All in the Houses. This is an informative, easy-to-follow article that will open up your astrological thinking. The way that I can do these readings for you so accurately is that I understand the houses, or at least I sincerely strive to. I explain how that works in the article, which is free to anyone. If you want to take this deeper, we do offer a class by the same name.

Thank you for being a customer of Planet Waves, and for doing your part to make the world a friendlier, warmer and more intelligent place.

With love, your astrologer,

P.S. If you missed In the Shadow of the Moon, you may access all 12 signs here, or single serving signs here.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Minor planet Ceres has entered your birth sign, which describes you taking a step up in the world. While Ceres (of ancient Roman fame) is usually considered in the context of food, she’s also associated with rising to a different social class. Don’t be in a rush to do this, however. Rather, notice the ways it’s already happened. When one transcends a limit of some kind, there’s not usually a pyrotechnics show. Rather, doors unlock and spaces open to which you did not previously have access. So, therefore, give them a try; reach out to people you’ve wanted to connect with; and do what you want until someone tries to tell you that you can’t. Your solar chart is set up such that accessing one place or group of people will open doors to the next and the next. You don’t need every opportunity, though. You only need the ones that you want the most, so it will help if you have an idea what your agenda is. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You’re rapidly approaching a series of transition points in your most important relationships, both personal and professional. You need to keep your wits about you, because Mars in your sign is now opposite Neptune. That’s suggesting you honor boundaries and limits, and remain sober (literally, avoid alcohol or mind-changing substances) when you expect to be in a serious conversation of any kind. You have a habit of underestimating your intelligence, then overcompensating later. You can avoid this by listening carefully and observing what’s happening in your environment at all times. Use the full faculties of your mind, and remember all that you’ve learned so recently, and much other knowledge that you’ve worked so hard to attain. One last: Try to set aside any tendency you might have to be passive, and take the initiative of getting the conversation going. Ask a question, express an opinion, introduce yourself. Say the one thing everyone else is afraid to utter. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Turn Up the Flame with Your Libra Birthday Reading

Awesome, so uplifting and so ‘IT’ — a wonderful birthday message. Eric, thank you. Your service has reached farther and deeper than you know. Turn up the flame on the human blow-torch, baby.

— Eryca Willinger

Dear Friend and Reader:

Your birthday season has begun, and this year it’s extra special. Just as the Sun is making its way through the early degrees of your sign, it forms a conjunction with the asteroid Vesta, which symbolizes devotion, the sacred flame and the hearth.

This distinctive conjunction offers you the opportunity to lend your energies to what you’re passionate about — what matters to you the very most.

Your 2017-18 Libra Birthday Reading by Eric Francis will give you on-point and accurate guidance to help you optimize your power and direct it where you need it to go.

Your forthcoming solar year will also see Saturn entering your fellow cardinal sign Capricorn; and Chiron entering your relationship sign Aries. Eric will discuss all this and more, in a friendly, accessible recording you can come back and listen to as often as you need.

The Libra birthday reading will contain two 30-minute segments of audio astrology, plus a tarot reading for your year (and an extended written description of your sign).

As always, your reading is spot on and validates what I am experiencing in life at this time. The sheer acknowledgment that as a Libra I need balance, beauty and aesthetics in my life to make me tick on, balanced, in my day-to-day endeavors and consequently some very huge endeavors for the year was just what I needed to keep going.

— Ginger Aarons

Pre-order your Libra birthday reading here for the earliest price of just $33. Note that once the reading is published, the price will increase — so you’ll want to get your copy very soon.

Thank you for your business. May the light of your hearth shine bright.

With best wishes,

Amy Elliott

P.S. This reading makes an excellent and lasting gift for the Libra you know and love — and is also incredibly well-suited for anyone with Libra rising or a Libra Moon.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The astrology this week is so interesting, with so many things happening, that it’s difficult to describe or even suss out. Yet the Sun newly placed in your sign is conjunct a meaningful asteroid called Vesta. That gives you clear direction: hold the space around you open, and observe what happens. You don’t have to do much, or say much, or be anyone other than who you are. Your mere presence in any environment has an influence, and is a privilege that presents you with specific opportunities you would not have somewhere else. That’s a cue to take advantage of any and every place and time in which you find yourself, and to work quietly with the assumption that you belong everywhere that you happen to be. You don’t need to worry about final outcomes. At the moment the astrology is like a six-way cloverleaf with traffic moving in every direction. You can take the ride and see where you end up in a few days from now. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Never judge your own performance. Any musician will tell you there are nights when you feel like you just cannot play, and you crushed it. There are other nights when you feel like a master of the world, and didn’t really pull it off. And all of these experiences are added to your repertoire and contribute to your skill. All you can really do this week is the best work you can, without any need to evaluate it. The one thing you can focus, though, is your sincerity. That’s your most important boundary in an environment where everything is in rapid motion, where opinions are flying, and where there’s no actual way to control the outcome. Your sincerity will guide you, and it will be a cue to others that you’re on the level. Correct any mistakes you might make. Quickly make amends if you hurt anyone. And plunge into life, with whatever creative tools you might use, and express yourself boldly. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — This week, Jupiter in Libra and Uranus in Aries align in a rare opposition aspect. For a Sagittarian, this is pure inspiration, as if you could compose a symphony based on the clattering of pipes or write a brilliant drama from a few moments of dialog you overheard on the subway. There’s so much action in the sky this week that to tap in anywhere will be like trying to capture a waterfall with a spoon, though you have a distinct advantage: Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter — the star of the show — is a large sign, associated with the very largest planet. You contain a cosmos of your own. If anyone can handle this energy, and make the most of it, it’s you. Yet you need to focus your awareness and be attentive. There are many factors in the environment that insist on both mindfulness and a spirit of participation, rather than merely observing. Of course, it will be interesting to watch, and there will be plenty to stoke your sense of humor. Much more is available. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — We’re just on the heels of the Libra equinox, and the Sun has entered the angle of your chart associated with accountability, authority and public recognition. It’s also conjunct Vesta, one of the great goddesses of Roman times, associated with the stability of the established order. It’s as if you’re standing guard over something of vital importance, holding space for the right thing to happen. While you’re doing this, there’s every kind of movement, madness and a kaleidoscopic dance of the energies. Yet everything is involved with everything else. All the seemingly different bits are part of the same grand pattern. You don’t need to control any outcomes. Rather, be willing to take responsibility for your own destiny and your own choices. Practice the art of respect, and of self-respect, and allow yourself to become part of anything you want, or anything that seems available. Even things that seem out of reach, though, are only a wormhole away. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — The one thing that could block your experience of this week’s rare and brilliant astrology is a too-serious attitude. Therefore, hang loose, and keep your sense of humor. Let go of some of your formality and adherence to protocol. You have plenty to spare, and can do with far less. Let yourself approach the world more like a child than an adult, which means allowing yourself to be impressed and amazed by things without analyzing or categorizing them. This will free your mind and open your heart to the magic that’s in the air. You may also notice the extent to which you judge yourself, and get a glimpse of how good your life can be when you suspend that habit. You don’t need to explain everything. You don’t even need to understand everything. Most of the very best things in life defy both explanation and understanding, and don’t need a theory to back them up. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Despite the prevailing madness of the world, you may find that people’s idealism is running at an all-time peak this week. And not only that, you’ll be able to make contact with it in meaningful ways. So stay positive, and resolve to have fun doing what you do, being who you are, taking the opportunities that arise. There’s a special theme in your charts related to money. You’re a person with great ideas, and others have resources. This week represents many potential connection points between you and them. Now is the time to focus your business plan, even if in short form, and talk to potential investors, donors, contributors or collaborators. If you’re looking for the perfect timing of a fundraising letter of some sort, this is it. If you’re seeking help organizing your finances, now is the time. There’s a spirit of generosity in the air, and a rare moment when people may feel that the truth has the possibility of prevailing over deception. Be bold, be open, and be sincere. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — As Mercury changes direction this week, you will be guided to put the emphasis of your life on work-related projects. Yet you’ll benefit from leaving the window open to the creative zone of your mind, drawing from the same pool of ideas you would to do your most exciting personal projects. Said another way, to work effectively, the formula is to blend work and play. That means being more daring, and breaking the mold on certain stuck or boring thought patterns. You may encounter a situation where there’s a temptation to do things the same old way, though the more you try to do that, the more you will revolt. Your mind may become a kind of incendiary device; these get most of their power not from the explosive itself but from the tightness of the container. When you experience a real idea, you’ll know it from the way the walls and windows rattle. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You’re ready to expand into a whole new direction, though you may encounter some resistance in the form of your usual, seemingly inescapable self-critique. You in particular will always tend to be your harshest critic, which is in part a product of conditioning you can unravel. In case I haven’t done so lately, I’ll pass along an idea given to me by a wise old Taurus in my life, which is to never judge your own performance. Rather, do your best work, and let others decide how they feel about it. While some things, such as writing or photos, seem subject to self-critique, this is not as dependable as it seems. You miss the impact of what you create on minds and emotional bodies other than your own. You can’t really assess what you’re producing unless you experience it for the first time, in that moment, which you cannot do. Therefore, do not judge yourself; just keep experimenting. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Mercury stationing direct on Tuesday morning, after a nearly four-week retrograde phase, will give you a boost of confidence. Yet at the same time, other factors look like they could undermine your self-assurance. Once there was a spiritual teacher named Alan Watts. He wrote, “The desire for security and the feeling of insecurity are the same thing. To hold your breath is to lose your breath. A society based on the quest for security is nothing but a breath-retention contest in which everyone is as taut as a drum and as purple as a beet.” Wow, that sounds like it was written yesterday, though it’s from the mid-20th century. The remedy to this emotional mind is, in part, not to take yourself, or your feeling of supposed security, all that seriously. Keep your sense of humor. Remember that all things have a beginning, a middle and an end; track where you are in that process. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — This has been an interesting few weeks for you in two seemingly unrelated aspects of life: your finances and your self-esteem. Yet astrology strongly suggests that they are closely related, if not one and the same thing. If you study the relationship, you’ll notice interesting things. People tend to feel more confident when they have money in their pocket, though they often miss that their economic situation is related to their confidence. While there are exceptions, you will learn a great deal from seeking an understanding of this relationship, particularly over the next six months. As you build one, you will strengthen the other, with the seeming side result of cultivating maturity. This should be more meaningful to you than popularity or being entertained. Go for the deeper material and the longer-lasting values. Know what is truly important to you, and find strength in pursuing that as a life mission or calling. What you gain, you will never lose. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — What you’ve learned the past few weeks has provided you with gems of wisdom that you will be able to bank on for a lifetime. In long hindsight, once some time passes and you have some perspective, August 2017 will be a before-and-after turning point on which your whole life seemed to pivot. What happens over the next few days will remind you what you learned and reinforce the teachings that have been offered to you. You may have missed a few subtle points or ideas for how to proceed, and you may also be making a few final decisions for how you’re going to advance in the short term. Make sure those decisions are based on new information, which is likely to be flowing in abundance. The point of gaining knowledge is to use it, rather than merely collect it. The only way to confirm whether a theory or approach is valid is to do an extended real-time test. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — In anything you may do, ask yourself whom you’re serving. What is the cause that you’re supporting? To what is your energy devoted? To be happy as a Virgo, what you do must transcend yourself. Yet Mars in your birth sign is strongly suggesting that you have to act in certain self-serving ways. You’re approaching a point of maturity that’s requiring you to find approaches to life that sustain your own cause and that serve the greater good. What you do must work for everyone on some level. There are times when you’ll be called upon to make a sacrifice or to offer yourself in truly selfless service, though when you’re in tune, this will always come back to you in the form of learning, knowledge or the opportunity for further participation. Don’t be deterred by people who are in denial or committed to being lost; that’s just a game, and it’s one that you don’t want or need to play. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — There’s only so much progress you can make when your primary devotion is to making sure your life is carefully planned and organized. Most real advances come through some form of disruption. This might include an unexpected turn in the story line, plans that don’t work out and which then need to be revised, or realizing you’re confused and need to snap out of it. Therefore, hang loose, and don’t cling to what you think is supposed to happen. Rather, let the momentum of the next few days carry you, and then see where you end up. Events over the next 24 hours, as the Full Moon stretches across the most sensitive angle of your solar chart, will reveal that things are not as they seem. As the fog gradually clears, you’re likely to discover that you’ve accomplished far more than you may think, despite any plans to do something different. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Popularity is not everything. Seeming proper and acceptable are worth even less. These things are so empty that you’d be well served to toss any worries about what you think people think, and to experience yourself with no concern about how you’re perceived. This is a stretch, though it’ll set you free to think, feel and do things that violate the rules in some way, or which may be appealing to you but frightening to those who are less bold and curious. That’s the place to hang out; that’s where the action is. The fact that something you want might seem inappropriate, embarrassing or risqué is exactly the reason to experiment with it; this in turn will require you to go against protocol in some way. That’s one clue you’re doing something real, and relevant to your growth. To be who you are, you must be willing to challenge who you are. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — All the emphasis of your solar chart is now shifting to your 10th house of reputation and achievement. That also means accountability. You might, however, be over-emphasizing the responsibility aspect of things, which could hinder your ability to get things done. If you proceed with foresight rather than merely worrying about the impact of what you do, you’ll make a lot more progress. Consider what you intend, and be mindful about unintended consequences. Said another way, at the moment, there’s a limit to how impeccable you can be and still get anything done. One helpful key is to notice when your own concerns seem like those of your parents. For example, you know you can succeed at what they might never have dared to try. You might bend a rule that they would never even consider messing with. Most of all, you’re far likelier to strive to achieve something difficult even if you’re uncertain or insecure. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — One theme of the post-eclipse phase of your life is ethics. You can think of this as the careful evaluation of what is right or wrong, based on your personal values. You can drive yourself crazy splitting hairs, and sometimes that’s necessary and relevant. There’s another side to what we call ethics, which is a related concept: ethos. You can think of that as the spirit of the law, rather than the letter of the law. That’s what you want. The truth, or what is correct, is rarely quantifiable, though you can feel it — and you can feel when that elusive thing is not there. For your purposes, there is such a thing as true and valid, though you will be able to sense it more than you can prove it. Therefore, be sensitive to what you’re feeling, including a certain kind of resistance that you know hints you’re investing your energy where it does not belong. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Regarding a financial matter, you will need to study the exact figures before you have a sense of what’s going on. Be bold about going to the numbers, and looking at the various sub-totals and the bottom line. This is not an area with any room for guessing, and what you think might be true is likely to turn out to be different from what is actually true. You cannot be too accurate; you should get the same result whether you add the column from top to bottom or bottom to top. Once you have the data, you’ll be on much more solid ground, and you’ll feel more confident as a result. In fact, you’re likely to discover that not knowing the bottom line eats confidence like a caterpillar eats leaves. You’ll also have enough information to establish the best MO for what you want to do, which should rightfully include a budget that you stick to, more or less. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Many changes filter through the astrology this week, which will settle the accounts on what has occurred during this most eventful month or two of your life. You’ve lived with considerable uncertainty and resistance, which you’ve endured so persistently that you got used to it. Allow things to settle down without any special need to stir them up again. Take some time and do what you want to do, rather than what you seemingly have to do. Most of all, allow and invite what you want to come to you, rather than thinking that you always must go to it. The Pisces Full Moon takes place Wednesday morning, and is just elegant in both its mysteries and what it reveals. Keep in mind that from the viewpoint of others, you’re not so easy to understand or pin down to one point of view, though you can trust yourself, and people will trust you, for many other reasons. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.