BY ERIC FRANCIS

Don’t miss Eric’s article An Eclipse in the Key of Aquarius on Planet Waves.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Many of the worst patterns that we pick up in childhood are dramatized not by our superiors (such as parents, teachers or bosses) but rather in our relationships with our peers. Those we call friends are capable of perpetuating some of the most negative and debilitating childhood dynamics, preventing us from being full adults. These include violations of trust, deception and misuse of power. Be vigilant for this conduct in anyone who you call a ‘friend’. Notice how you feel around people; notice who has a tendency to hold you to your past. These are among the patterns you’re trying to let go of. They may be embodied in one or more people you would prefer to let go of: and if so, the sooner the better.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
It’s been three months since Beltane, the May holiday that happens around the time of your birth. August is always a turning point for you, for this reason — but in what direction you turn remains an open question. A professional move is high on the astrology agenda: it involves recognizing the psychological hang-up you have about succeeding in your career. Have you considered the possibility that someone intentionally tried to hold you back? For example, the way in which your potential success may have threatened them? You may wonder what difference something makes that happened so long ago; but this awareness will make a difference and if you allow it to, it will do so now.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
Mercury in Virgo is here to remind you that you’re not a computer. There are days you feel that way, except for one little detail — feeling. I won’t deny a computer the potential of experiencing emotions; neither do I deny it to you. Lately you may be encountering some of what you came up against, walked into or otherwise encountered when you were a child. Those experiences taught you to respond a certain way, but unaware why you were doing it. That is part of what leaves you feeling like a robot sometimes, or like your life is following a script. There’s only one, which is awareness. If memories come flooding back, pay attention.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
This month’s lunar eclipse is compelling you to act in the highest integrity in your relationships, and it’s insisting that you demand that same integrity of others. In truth there is no difference between the two. You live in one environment, and that contains your ideas, your relationships, your feelings and your needs. The less dividing you do, the better. It’s good to be honest, but it violates your integrity if you allow someone to be dishonest to you, or in truth, someone you’re aware of. You may not think you volunteered for the role of upholding virtue in your personal world, but if not you, then who?

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
You are excellent at seeing the bright side of people, and making contact with their best qualities. Now would be a good time to bring out that technique, not just as something you quietly practice, but something you demonstrate as an open example for your peers. How we handle the black sheep in the family says everything about the family. How any social group handles uniqueness, a dissident or a rebel says everything about the social group. You have a very special gift: you know that the negative actions of others don’t reflect badly on you, and this is quite a powerful resource to possess. Among other things, you demonstrate that it’s even possible.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
You’re in a rare moment for aligning yourself with your greater mission in life — and I do mean this in the highest sense of your purpose. Well, highest? I would say: yes, so far. Now as an astrological counselor, I know that these highest purpose conversations tend to fall into two categories: the highest purpose related to a new pair of shoes or making more money; or an aspiration such as manifesting a creative or humanitarian vision. I’m talking about the second kind. And you’re probably talking about the second kind. You have worked considerably with your feeling as an idea. It is the feeling more than a concept that will lead you to take action.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 23)
Venus in Cancer is certainly about you putting your best facet out to the front, though you may not recognize that it’s all about love. Or perhaps you do but don’t grasp that this is a legitimate means of leadership or of creating success. I assure you, most of the alternatives are not friendly. Yes, it’s possible to abuse the power of beauty, of trust or of love; but you’re unlikely to do that. Rather, I suggest you employ these attributes of yourself and allow them the opportunity to shine into the world. When you need people to do what you want or what you need; or to help you in any way, they generally do it for one reason only: they want to.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
You may wish you could go back to an earlier phase of your life, though that’s not going to help. The stretch of time you long for involves your ability to orient on what is the most meaningful to you, whereas now you keep having opportunities to focus on what is the most meaningful to others. I suggest that, while the opportunity is present, you work at finding the intersection; the point of symbiosis. This is not only the most meaningful equation in your life right now, it’s the little piece of code, the metaconcept, that will save the world from its presumed downward spiral.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 22)
The human ego is capable of some truly profoundly dark thoughts. Those who understand that they are capable of anything that any other person is are onto something. Without overstating the case, this would be a good way for you to process any negativity that you feel in the coming weeks, such as fear or judgment. The larger point is that you can use those emotions to guide you to a creative space. In other words, the idea is that everything, every thought, feeling and personal encounter can be your teacher; or rather, it will be, one way or the other. You get to decide which way.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You don’t need proof of what is true. The details will eventually back you up — but you know. There are times when your belief system provides too fine of a filter, which strips out the essential nutrients of the ideas that want to take part in your consciousness. And I do mean take part: ideas have life, just like we do. The difference is that we are the ones who give the ideas expression; we give them a voice and an opportunity to have an effect. In this way, you’re a vessel for another living thing, something that exists apart from you, but with which you’re intimately involved. Now is a profound moment for evolving that relationship. Let it grow.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
You could make a long list of the people who have been unkind to you; who have abused your trust; who have acted in ways that affect you without concern about the consequences. This is called neglect. These events, some of which you didn’t notice, shaped your personality, primarily affecting the part of you known commonly as the inner child. The coming weeks present you with an opportunity, perhaps inner or perhaps in a relationship, to let go of some of that pain, which has, in a strange way, taken over your identity from below. In the scenario described in your charts, a veil lifts and reveals the source, which you will need to acknowledge for the healing to take place. Look directly; call it what it is; pause for a short while; and walk on.

The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
Keep your eye on what you don’t say about yourself. Pay close attention to your dreams, particularly any that seem difficult to remember. You’re on a hunt for something, something that’s been challenging and troubling you, and you’re about to get a handle on what it is. Problems are more difficult to resolve if we don’t know they exist, much less what they are or who they involve. There is a dark piece of your distant past that you’ve been carrying around that’s ready to give up its power — if you are wiling to have it give up its power. You have stalked this issue for years, at times to great frustration. You will be surprised when you make this discovery, but don’t be fascinated. Rather, be free. The Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition by Eric Francis is ready. Here is product and signup information. And we’ve reduced the price of Next World Stories, which is now just $24.95 for all 12 signs.

Dear Friend and Reader:

I am busy these days creating your Extended Midyear Horoscope, which (if all goes well) will be ready on Friday afternoon. As usual, it’s a tad behind schedule and coming out a bit longer than I planned, taking a focus on the July 21 total solar eclipse, and Saturn’s move into Libra. The astrology of the second half of the year is very different than what we’ve experienced for the past six months. Tune into the changes with this detailed astrological report.

Planet Waves Radio will be webcast tonight, Tuesday, June 30 at 10 PM ET on Blog Talk Radio. This program has been great fun and is evolving into one of the best-ever formats of Planet Waves.

The triple conjunction in Aquarius is still highly active. Today Mercury and the Moon trine the conjunction, while Venus and Mars move into a square. This is pretty wild activity, that is likely to create some turbulence with our minds going one way and our instincts or sexual feelings going another way. The question is which to believe. We are also heading into eclipse season, which will pick up the pace of existence, yes, even more. The floor is open to talk about all of this, with a focus on the power of eclipses.

Please tune in tonight at 10 pm ET. More details about the current astrology are on the Planet Waves blog this morning.

Yours & truly,

 

 

BY ERIC FRANCIS

The Sun is in Cancer and summer has begun, it’s starting to feel like it in some parts of the United States that have been rained on for the past month. (Many parts of the Northeast have felt more like the Pacific Northwest lately.) Venus and Mars, still clinging to one another in Taurus, are adding emotional and physical heat to the season. The two are about to form a square with the triple conjunction in Aquarius, which can stir up all kinds of interesting feelings, turbulence and fun over the next few says. That could be emotional in nature; be dependable in your dealings, be honest and if you feel yourself getting aggressive, back off while you have a chance. We begin the month with Mercury in Gemini, which is as curious and expressive as astrology gets; it’s time to put words to our experiences and make our words into physical reality. Extend yourself to others, emotionally and erotically: be generous with your positive wishes and be clear about what you want. Life is too short for games.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Make room in your mind for what you want. If you clear away old ideas, the clutter of the past and some of your less functional expectations, you will make room for an entirely new kind of experience. You will never know whether you’re free unless you try, and in this particular bargain, you cannot lose: either you take a real step toward your liberation and independence, or you recognize that you’re somehow prevented from doing so; which will provide incentive for you to open up emotionally and therefore break free many other ways. Even pain, in its moment, can be an effective teacher, as you may have observed by now.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
You may feel conflicted in your desires; you can just as easily find pleasure in resolving inner tension. In truth that is the only way to work it out, though this takes consciousness and a commitment to dialog. State your needs clearly; just two or three will suffice, to give the people who care about you something to aim for, on the assumption that they want to please you. In this way, simple statements about what you need can serve as focal points for another to have the satisfaction of giving to you. The process will work well in both directions, as at the moment you can offer your emotional nourishment from drawing from a rather deep well.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
Your charts currently reveal several different levels of awareness working at once: emotional, mental, physical — which add up to more than the sum of their parts. You have incredible potential for clarity at the moment, and to use your open quality as a means of supporting others in healthy ways. Beyond your immediate sensory and relationship experiences, the gift you are offering is on the collective level: many people are opening up right now and you are facilitating the process for some of them. Your main gift is to teach that ‘spiritual’ is not about being good, it’s about being real.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
At the moment of the solstice on June 21, the Sun was conjunct Vesta, the brightest asteroid and one that is deeply meaningful to our state of mind. She is the goddess of the hearth and yours is the sign of the hearth. The message is to tend your emotional, sexual and spiritual fire. If you make that the central organizing principle of your life, truly amazing things will happen. Remember, this is about devotion and that devotion comes from the inside out; if you maintain your core, your awareness and your sense of purpose, no matter how humble, the world will respond to you in ways that are unmistakable. Remember — people need you as much as you need them. Get the mutual generosity going.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
Creative is the key, and creative is potentially dangerous, uncertain, unstable — and when it works there is always a touch of the miraculous. We live in a time when we are conditioned on pain of execution from our careers if we mix sexual energy with our reputation, unless of course we’re some 20-minute MTV star. There is never a time when the people around you are not responding to your sexuality, your beauty, your appeal; this is true as the Sun right now. Own this fact, apply it gently and if someone or everyone wants to help you rise to the top because you’re red hot, that is their privilege.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
Get spiritual with your body. You have Taurus (the senses, the body, desire) in your 9th solar house — spirituality, knowledge, wisdom. There is no distinction in your mind, nor should there be. Venus and Mars are making a conjunction there. Judeo-Christianity is the only major branch of religion where the gods and goddesses don’t get it on — and look where it’s led our society: to a world of greed and war. Believe in passion, tap into your cosmic source, accept and embrace the transience of physical reality, and in short, be your brilliant self every chance you get. Your body knows. Your body loves. Become the passion you want to see.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 23)
There arrives a time when one must give oneself over to the process of existence; so many of us hold back. We are taught to cling to ourselves and ultimately this is useless. You will hear others say that the path to a concrete goal is to focus on that one thing. I would say the most direct route is to devote yourself to everything; to the experience of devotion itself. In order to avoid diffusing your energy, work from your core. The particular means of expression, the specific objective or the outcome of the work, is not the goal: your own inner orientation is the goal. But this is no longer a private experience. Your self-knowledge is a public thing. Let it out. Set yourself free.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
You are in a rare moment when others just might live up to your reputation as the local hormone fountain. Now you get to act on the requests that you have, or not. I suggest you set an acceptance threshold of something other than perfection. If you are in a bonded relationship of some kind, remember that these can exist anywhere along a wide spectrum, and we tend to stay at the cramped end. You are trying with all your vital force to make space for your own feelings; for your vision of what you want your emotional life to be — and that vision is bigger than what you currently have. Speak your truth and your world will grow larger.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 22)
One year setting up the annual edition of Planet Waves, my first webman, a (then) 17-year-old guy Jordan Laughlin, invented a new astrological sign: Sagittaurus. I have laughed about this every time I’ve thought of it, since 2002. Well, we are now in a truly Sagittaurean moment: the blend of the physical and the mystical is upon us; the divine and the mundane, seemingly different but not really different things, are reacting to one another with a kind of alchemy that is rare to find in any astrological setup. Nobody can explain this better than the poet Allan Ginsberg, by the way — check out his early poems for a taste of fire.

Coming Soon: the Next World Stories Midyear Horoscope Edition. Look for signup information Monday for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You have discovered a new aspect to your personality in recent months, and in a word we could call it potency. Not that you were a wimp, but on many occasions you have become lost in your own complexity, or divided your loyalty between the past (personal history, traditions) and the future (your goals) rather than focusing on the present at full strength. Now the present is focusing on you; the world is moving into an orientation where the deepest gifts you have to offer are obviously necessary; and where you see that you are in an environment where you have actual impact on the world around you. I think you’ll like it.

Coming Soon: the Next World Stories Midyear Horoscope Edition. Look for signup information Monday for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
Your psyche is constructed in layers. Some are more obvious than others; some you arrive at with a sense of freedom and others with a sense of constriction and even pain. Lately you have been working with all your strength to integrate the different sphere of your awareness, having come to some painful revelations about what happens when you relate to people with just part of your psyche, or forgetting who you truly are inside. Integration is about remembering; it is about bringing one level to another, bringing darkness to light and light to the world. Along the way to learning consistency you will find many inconsistent qualities, and discover some new strength from each of them.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
Your point of view is obvious to some people and requires some detective work for others, but it’s time you made it plain to yourself what you stand for and what your life is about. I would say that this has been happening, but the bulk of your energy may still be bound up in potential rather than in action. The Sun’s move into your empathic water sign Cancer — one of the most daring and dynamic angles of your solar chart — is saying that this moment, right now, is all about an experiment in taking chances. By this I mean putting your passion into the world, and making sure you create a space for yourself to do precisely that.

Coming Soon: the Planet Waves Midyear Horoscope Edition. Here is product and signup information for the midyear edition horoscope by Eric Francis. And if you haven’t read your Next World Stories annual edition, it’s still waiting for you! Sign up here.

 

Greetings…I will be taking a week off from Planet Waves Radio tonight, and will resume at 10 pm next Tuesday night, June 9.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Have you begun to figure out that the world around you corresponds to your inner life? I will not, as many do, go so far as to say that you personally create your reality. I will say that you have a distinct, potent influence, and this has to do with maintaining a relationship between the seemingly inner and outer realities. Like any relationship, it benefits from attention, experience and a sense of conscious exploration. This, in turn, will feed a sense of inner exploration that is a beautiful attribute of your charts now. Here is a clue. You tend to be a competitive kind of spirit. But what exactly do you have to gain by competing with yourself?

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aries and Aries rising here.

 

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
If you are exploring your inner gender polarities, and their many attributes, I would say you’re right on time. Desire takes many forms; receiving the desire of others takes many forms. Often there are rules that are seemingly based specifically on whether we are male or female. Mars, soon to be followed by Venus, is making its way through your sign right now, and will soon form a conjunction there. This is a rare condition, suggesting a rare opportunity to find out that not only do you contain many potentials for exploring who you are, but also that you personally are heading for the discovery that you embody the best of all worlds.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Taurus and Taurus rising here.

 

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
Recently you came close to touching some of your deepest fears. That’s the place to go: not wantonly into them, but near enough to feel the heat, to be reminded they are there, and to have the choice to remain open or closed. The astrology involved suggests that you might actually forget this experience. You’re still quite close right now, so you have the opportunity to do things that will help you consciously remember. There’s likely to be something that came through in a dream, and it may have had the feeling of a release. One potential theme of that fear: being alone, because you are too good for others, or they are too good for you.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Gemini and Gemini rising here.

 

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
Be aware of how you define the space around you; and what you use to define the space within you. A fireplace or hearth would be the perfect metaphor. Imagine that your whole world is designed around a well-tended fire. The space of a controlled burning of fuel is the perfect inner metaphor: that fuel, endless in supply, is your own creative and sexual energy. If astrology means anything, this will be one of the most magnificent seasons of your life for aligning with your own inner source, and of claiming it as what feeds your life, and by extension, the network of people who surround you and help you define who you are. If the stars hold one revelation, it will be that you discover the ways in which you help them define who they are.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Cancer and Cancer rising here.

 

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
You may know by now that your vision of existence is taking hold in a much wider world than you ever imagined possible. If you have not figured this out, take a look around; and for reference, go back to the earliest possible time when you acknowledged any desire to have the world be a certain way. Think of the times, early in life, when you took your first steps to having the world be that particular way. One of the riddles inherent in this particular spiritual path is noticing progress that goes so slowly it would take a geologist to notice the changes. But they are suddenly catching up with you; all you need to do is open your eyes. One point of progress involves living in a world where men and women are equal.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Leo and Leo rising here.

 

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
It might be difficult for you to notice the central role you play in the lives of the people around you, but it is time you see that for what it is. A core aspect of this is the role you play in their spiritual lives, by embodying a practical approach to the cosmic mysteries. ‘Embody’ is the perfect word to describe the astrology of the next month and the coming season: your body is your temple and therefore the seat of both God and Goddess. Your carnal desires are as holy as the Ten Commandments themselves. Your beauty is an act of love by a generous and loving creator.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Virgo and Virgo rising here.

 

Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 23)
A few weeks ago my friend Fabienne, a Libra, was asking me about what I thought of the karmic relationship between Taurus and her (your) sign, which are related by an aspect called a quincunx. Taurus — where some truly spectacular astrology is unfolding this month — is the place where you seek your most urgent and beautiful surrender. It is at once frightening and necessary; a place where you become yourself and let go of yourself. When you meet that power all you can really do is let go. The paradox, if there is one, relates to how deeply Taurus can hold on, but as you will soon see, this astrology rather emphasizes the opposite point.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Libra and Libra rising here.

 

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
You may be searching the people close to you for some key aspect of yourself that you feel they hold. Rather than seeking this in one person, look for it in everyone you encounter, whether they are male or female; young or old; human or some other species. If you look, you will see yourself in everything; and you will see that which is opposite to yourself; and finally you may start to pick up that what you are witnessing is specifically yourself, as displayed in many different forms. Pay attention to the interplay of polarities, particularly how you morph into and out of what you consider to be different than you.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Scorpio and Scorpio rising here.

 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 22)
There is something beautiful in offering yourself as a sacrifice, and by that I don’t mean losing yourself or giving yourself up, but rather allowing yourself to be a sacred object, vessel or activating agent in a process of awakening. This is one of the most deeply nourishing aspects of your existence, both for you and for the people around you. Borrowing a bit from the New Testament, feel the power flow through you. Directly experience the way that when you open up, a point of cosmic contact becomes available to the people closest to you. There may be particularly transcendent moments of erotic contact as a result, and people may seek you out for precisely this purpose.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
It is up to you to be fair with the people around you. You have two different orientations: you are finding your power, and they are discovering the beauty of surrender. In this equation you can resolve a very old paradox: they are discovering the profound strength of letting go, and you are discovering the inherent weakness in exerting your human will. This could manifest in any relationship, and you will need to be vigilant and careful. Yet I suggest you look for people who are willing to experience this equation as a conscious gesture. Each of you holds a key to what the other needs, and they can only be exchanged mutually.

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
Who have you become? Are you aware of the new abilities you possess, or rather, the ancient ones that have been reawakened in you? Take this month and experiment cautiously with this gift. Start by trusting that you have at least partially resolved an old, difficult issue about the ethical use of your will. Then focus on something that you want to happen. The key is to have clear desire; and if you have any guilt about that, drop it away or ask that it be removed. That is the ‘clear’ part. Then take a series of steps to manifest what you want to create, one step at a time, and one desire at a time. I think the results will speak for themselves.

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

 

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
Your inner vision is at its clearest. You can trust that any conflict you see or experience around you can be quickly resolved by letting go of the hooks onto which that conflict grabs hold, within you. Use the Course in Miracles prayer, I am determined to see things differently — and you will see things differently. Life for you right now is all about how you look, and how you see, and this begins with how you choose to perceive yourself. You may not have power over much else, but on this one matter you have absolute control.

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Pisces and Pisces rising here.

 

BY ERIC FRANCIS

Aries (March 20-April 19)
You are standing before a door to the universe, and you hold the key to all worlds. You might well ask what one thing you would do or create, if you could do or create anything. Let this be a mental and hopefully emotional exercise that you do as consistently as you were doing The Artist’s Way. Visualize your highest ideals. Imagine how your circle of friends feels at its most beautiful. Consider what you have to offer the world, and what exactly you want to give. Imagine what you would consider the greatest rewards of a life well lived. Be clear with yourself. Revise your ideas. Visualize, visualize, visualize.

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aries and Aries rising here.

 

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
I have by now mentioned several times that this is the year you engage with your professional aspirations. In my fantasy universe, professional and creative can be different versions of the same idea; though it can take training and adaptation to get them in alignment. It is time to do what you want to do. If it’s been a while since that has happened, then consider it time to do what you need to do. Just remember: you’re not in this alone. Nobody accomplishes anything brilliant without considerable help. Notice who you vibe with. Notice who nourishes your spirit. Work with them consciously, and celebrate the truth.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Taurus and Taurus rising here.

 

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
You know who you are, but you’re about to find out who you really are. Mercury will begin its retrograde on May 7 in your birth sign, and then gradually move into Taurus, the sign of your secret self. The relationships implied by this and other astrology will help you bridge the nonexistent gaps between spirit and matter; between faith and reason; between your prodigious mind and your sometimes forgotten physical needs. You may be feeling your body hunger for all the things that it’s wanted for so long. You may intuitively sense that deep healing is possible, if you will respond. Yes, this is always daring.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Gemini and Gemini rising here.

 

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
What exactly does it mean to be free? You need to be free from the obligations that prevent you from being who you are. You need to be free to express your potential in your own terms. You are free to be the visionary of your existence, and to embrace the truth that while we are all destined to be collaborators in this life, you have plenty of influence over whom you choose to co-create with. Get in the habit of exercising your prerogatives. Practice making decisions. Teach yourself that you are bound by nobody, and that coexistence is a privilege that is designed by nothing more or less than mutual consent.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Cancer and Cancer rising here.

 

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
If you look directly at something, it will appear one way. If you look at it with your head tilted, it will look another way. Keep gazing into the obvious until you can finally see what is appearing before you. Notice that someone, or something, is in a state of perpetual change. Here is the question: is your perception influencing what you see? Are you seeing things differently, or is your own witnessing actually influencing the course of events or the development of a person’s growth? If the second possibility is true, then that means love is a lot more powerful than we ever imagined. But I think you already knew that.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Leo and Leo rising here.

 

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
One of the most strongly emphasized concepts in A Course in Miracles is, “When I am healed, I am not healed alone.” There is no part of your healing journey that is separate from that of anyone else. The journey, however you consider it: the return to Shamballa, or a wild trek across the physical plane, is a journey that we all share. When you imagine yourself surrendering to the process that will align your life with what is healthy, beautiful and authentic, be sure to embrace that person or people you might be most likely to leave out. Healing energy comes in through one door and that door is open to all of us or none at all.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Virgo and Virgo rising here.

 

Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 23)
Liberty is an often-misunderstood concept. It begins with awareness, which reaches into the depths of the mind and out to the far reaches of the world. The meeting point that these have in common is you. Are you ‘at liberty’ to acknowledge what you see, what you feel, and what you want to express? How much does this change when you are in the context of different people in your life? The time has come to drop the fetters that have kept you bound to any idea but one that is truly and originally your own. You, indeed, are an original and the time to embrace and express that reality has arrived: none too soon, but not a moment too late.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Libra and Libra rising here.

 

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
Typically the binding of the past gets us on the emotional level. We might think it’s about our relationships, our ideas or the commitments we cannot get out of. Beneath it all is usually some kind of emotional hook. The opportunity you now feel is precisely the chance to unlatch something that has snagged you for a long time. It’s likely to feel like something is melting: something at once durable and fragile; something that wracked you in contradictions that, as these days and weeks pass, will gradually seem like they never mattered. There may come a time when you forget they ever existed; and if that time arrives, remember how much you struggled, just one last time.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Scorpio and Scorpio rising here.

 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 22)
Much as you would like to be, you cannot usually be everywhere at once. Yet as Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune come together in Aquarius, you may have this odd sense that you’re walking around inside a teleportation chamber. The vital thing to remember is to be absolutely where you are at all times. Remain in the present, in the present location. Make this into a game, or a yoga, or a journey, but don’t underestimate the seemingly strange power of showing up and aligning yourself with your circumstances. Everything is possible from right where you are. Indeed, nothing is possible from anywhere else.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You are beginning to see the value in things, and the world is beginning to see the value in you. Take this as far as you want. Go anywhere on the hierarchy of needs you want: from the basics of food, water and shelter, to your utmost value within your community. I suggest you be first suspicious and then forgiving of any situation where you feel isolated. Remember you are included by dint of the fact that you are human and alive. Look past the superficial social games people create to protect them from getting too close to one another. Honor yourself gently, remember why you’re here, and penetrate the world any way you want to.

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
Earlier in the year, the planets aligned in your sign; later this month, there is another Aquarius alignment, though this one is the real performance, not the chaotic, disorganized dress rehearsal. There is nearly no involvement of what we call ‘personality’, but instead everything that develops — for you, and for the rest of us — takes place on a dimension that can best be described as soul level. In a sense, everything changes, particularly because your relationship to existence changes. Even if it seems like the world is becoming a place where so much more is possible, remember: it’s you.

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

 

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
So much that’s been happening for you has been developing behind a veil. But in a way akin to the action of Chiron, the fact that so much is cloaked has given you extraordinary powers of perception. It is this that is fuelling your confidence in yourself, and if you remember, you may remember the key: that which seems slightly out of awareness or out of reach is an invitation to come closer; to direct your intention or to expand your awareness just a little more. As you do this, you will feel the world seem to come closer to you, indeed, there are moments when it will seem to become you.

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Pisces and Pisces rising here.

 

By Eric Francis

Aries (March 20-April 19)
You seem committed enough to moving forward, though in the background you appear to have your doubts. This is annoying, because you want to get things done; but the resistance you’re feeling has a purpose. The question really comes down to how you feel about yourself, and on a deeper level, how you conceive of yourself as being a self. Let the delay guide you to a deeper level — there is a purpose to what you’re experiencing. I can tell you that something that appears to be going slowly is moving a lot further ahead than you think; but you can’t measure that progress on a linear scale. Events of the next few weeks will give you an alternative.

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aries and Aries rising here.

 

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
Rare is it that we get a glimpse of the future, much less an opportunity to experience who we might be in the future. This is what I see in your charts now: a window into witnessing your own potential. You may get a look at this portal at the expense of frustration, self-inquiry and some backpedaling. You may go through substantial doubt before you arrive at a place of witnessing yourself. And you may need to burn through the floor of what you consider a self or an identity before you decide that what you are looking at involves a different concept of existence than something you choose with a “lifestyle.” I am talking about a discovery that will change the course of your life forever.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Taurus and Taurus rising here.

 

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
If you’re experiencing confusion between your image and the role you feel called to serve, part of what you’re experiencing is a journey toward reconciling the two. You may have invested a bit too much faith in linear thought and logical decision-making for the astrology you are under now, which is moving in several directions at once. It’s like you now know something on one level that you’re reluctant to accept as your purpose on another. That may be because you cannot “see yourself that way.” You will soon have all the basics in place; what I suggest you work on is the visioning part. Image is one thing; role is another; purpose is another yet. Work toward purpose: that is the template for your vision.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Gemini and Gemini rising here.

 

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
Achievement may not be coming as easily or in the form that you want, but something better is in store. It is difficult to both set goals and minimize expectations. It is difficult to hold a vision for what you want and at the same time not be attached to that vision. You are good at feeling, so I suggest you feel your way to a place beyond these seeming pairs of opposites. There is a place where you enter the fertile field of potential, where all potentials are real, and then you get to choose from a conscious place, in alignment with a deeper level of intention. As you explore toward this place, you are looking for the state of mind wherein you feel the most aware, and the least afraid.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Cancer and Cancer rising here.

 

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
Throughout history, the notion of the ego has often been conflated with that of God. Some religions say that God made us in his image; so far as I can tell, we make gods and goddesses in our own images. Events of the coming weeks will help you clarify this relationship, and as a result, certain religious concepts you’ve held for a long time. You seem to be asking one question, but you’re really asking another. The deeper aspect of your question will start to become obvious when you go beyond the notion of belief. You are not, so far as I can tell, searching for a spiritual identity as much as you’re seeking some real information about the nature of your existence. If that happens to be true, you are headed for a truly interesting month.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Leo and Leo rising here.

 

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
One phase of your life has finally yielded to another. I don’t think you were comfortable with the kinds of commitments that were being asked of you, or that you felt compelled to offer. I don’t think you’re uncomfortable with commitment, but rather with being expected to conform to a larger agenda in order to have your offer seen for what it is. You keep your promises if they are really about you and the people you care about, but if you think you’re being asked to compromise your integrity, you are much more inclined to resist. Now that you have stood up and insisted that you be counted, take this to the next step and only work with others who are willing to do the same thing. I am thinking of one person in particular.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Virgo and Virgo rising here.

 

Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 23)
We often talk about relationships being a mirror, but rarely has this been so true for you as it is now. You can safely assume that anything someone says to you is a representation of your own thoughts. This may not be literally true; but it’s a good metaphor, and a means of inquiry. Ask yourself: what would it mean if you were making these statements to yourself, or raising these questions? To what extent do you identify with your partner, or someone you want? Note that they may not be attuned to the same process when perceiving you, but you can get the game going. No doubt you have embarked on an extraordinarily interesting phase of your relationship journey, and if deeper is what you want, deeper is what’s on tap.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Libra and Libra rising here.

 

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
You may think it would be really great if you had some insight into the thoughts and feelings of a close partner; you might be taking a special interest in their healing needs, and wishing you could offer them more. Bide your time, observe their movements from day to day and enjoy the odd states of mind they are going through. I don’t suggest you push or prod, but rather listen and be available; you will discover he or she is closer to you if you take a somewhat more passive approach, for now. What you are observing is a person on the way to seeking their healing through discovering their autonomy, that is, their sense of existence as an individual.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Scorpio and Scorpio rising here.

 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 22)
You don’t need to convince anyone of how valid your ideas are, but it would help if you noticed that they are noticing. As I have said a number of times, your mind is hot right now, and getting hotter; you have many invitations to get involved in the world around you; and the two properties are related. That being said, you may need to ask people their opinions rather than expecting them to speak up. I propose that you will get thoughtful answers worth listening to, and worth taking under advisement. You will benefit from what is a conservative viewpoint that will nicely compliment your current radical level of brain activity.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
Watch the habits you form now, because they will stick. Choose the habits you want; work your way out of the ones you don’t want; you will get some unusual results. Mercury and Saturn in Earth signs are helping you shape this aspect of your consciousness, and I suggest you proceed with full awareness. Part of what I suggest you be aware of are your emotional patterns; the day-to-day feelings that inform you of who you are. For you, identity is emotional more than it is mental, and too often it’s based on your concept of personal safety. The question is not whether you should or should not feel secure when you think you’re safe; rather, why you feel that way.

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
Gradually, clarity is gaining on you. This promises to be a significant change on your life pattern. You have become so accustomed to living from one crisis to the next, from one peak experience to the next and from one burning question to the next that you’ve probably lost contact with the experience of receiving information. Most of this information will come through your senses. You have a gift for abstract thinking and you are gaining a gift for intuition. Trust what your senses are telling you: everything from what color something is, to how someone smells, to how something feels against your skin. As Fritz Perls said, “Lose your mind and come to your senses.”

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

 

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
Most of the world is going deeper into fear. You seem to be liberating yourself from an old, silent anxiety that has held you in check for years. It may be that you’re finally letting go of your mistrust in yourself. You may be. It is true that anxiety becomes a kind of psychic shelter, as if fear of certain things is protecting you from even worse things happening. This whole policy, so prevalent in the world, is misguided. As you let go of inner sources of fear (they are almost all internal), you are liberating your creative will. If this doesn’t reveal that you have the world in your hand, you will feel a lot better about being in its hand.

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Pisces and Pisces rising here.

 

Dear Friend and Reader:

Tonight the Virgo Full Moon is exact at 10:37 pm EDT. At the Full Moon, the Moon is opposite the Sun, always in opposing signs; in this case, that occurs from Virgo to Pisces. This event is particularly strong because it happens close to another opposition already standing in Virgo and Pisces, the Saturn-Uranus opposition that stretches from 2008 to 2010. So we have a double opposition: Moon/Saturn opposite Sun/Uranus. When the Sun and Moon together aspect an existing aspect of slow-moving planets, the effect can be to precipitate events that fit the energy of the aspect pattern.

Arc of Mirror by Eric Francis / Book of Blue.

Moon-Saturn in Virgo is about professionalism and maturity. Economic conditions have compelled many people to be conscious and efficient about what we do rather than frivolous. One effect of this will be to drive, inspire or flog many people who have never set conscious intentions to do precisely that, the perfect image of Moon-Saturn. On the other side of the dial, Sun-Uranus in Pisces is about using your imagination and following through on breakthroughs of thought that you have; the follow-up always takes longer than the flash of an idea, but this is how the world is built and grows when things are going well. In fact, they are going better than we think. It would be an interesting experiment to see how people responded to the state of the world right now if the prevailing psychology were not dominated by fear, erotic repression and psychological depression. It is difficult to feel good and be creative in that kind of psychic weather.

There is a lot in this aspect about parents and children; and about the patterns of the past coming into contact with the changes of the present. All change involves moving beyond what occurred in the past; what beliefs were honored in times before; what necessities no longer exist and need to be adapted. You cannot both have change and cling to the past; but why we would want something that no longer serves or no longer exists is another issue.

An asteroid called Pallas Athene in Gemini is square all four planets involved in the Full Moon opposition. So too is the centaur Pholus in Gemini. Again we have points with multigenerational themes: Pallas, born from the head of Kronos, is about daddy-pleasing (and connected with politics, which turns demented parental relationships into a spectator sport) and Pholus is about anything involving three generations. Watch for developments, seemingly at the hand of fate but more accurately, spurred by unconscious curiosity) that have far-reaching effects. If you tune your intuition, which should be easy with Mercury in Pisces sextile Pluto in Capricorn, you will be able to tap into the wisdom of the deep past more than its karma, issues or complications. Most times we choose between these sets of options.

Yours & truly,

 

 

By ERIC FRANCIS

Aries (March 20-April 19)
If you want to feel safe and secure on the planet, go to bat for your friends. I wish I could write that 12 times, but it applies to Aries first, and since your sign is at the top of the page maybe everyone will read it. Take care of your community. Step up to the challenge; act on what you say you believe, on behalf of those you say you love. Your intuition is impeccable right now, so you will know what to do. Just remember it’s always easier, safer and more sensible to work on behalf of those who work for themselves. Those who do not have another problem.

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aries and Aries rising here.

 

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
Personally and professionally, this will be one of the most satisfying months of your life — if you can keep your focus on yourself as opposed to your goal. The goal part you can take care of with a clear statement to yourself, made in language that you remember. As you involve yourself in the external world, you may find it far more challenging to remain self-aware. Please make it your business. Over the next two months, the planets are set to take you on a tour of some of your most sensitive inner reaches, providing many opportunities to resolve the identity chaos that has gripped your life in recent years. Goddess be praised.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Taurus and Taurus rising here.

 

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
The question is not what you believe, but why you believe it. Most of our beliefs are attached to motives. Because the motives are usually veiled, the corresponding beliefs need to be questioned, and the curtain pulled back on the whole reasoning process. Look for how you’re attempting to keep control rather than dance with the truth. At first, nobody likes to hear this; we would much rather pretend than confront ourselves. You’re one of the great compartmentalizers of the zodiac, able to maintain two realities at once — at a great personal cost. Self-deception is nobody’s virtue. The false escape is to call it something else.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Gemini and Gemini rising here.

 

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
What exactly is an agreement? What you experience over the next few weeks will help you see, first, that there really is such a thing. Second, you will see how many levels that contact of accord must reach in order to be valid, or sustainable. You need three points of alignment, just like it takes three points to define a plane. The first two will be obvious. The third point will be the one that takes the work, and where your worst doubts will surface; but if your solar chart means anything at all, it will be worth the work, and worth holding your ground on the not so minor but usually overlooked issue of integrity.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Cancer and Cancer rising here.

 

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
Be mindful that you’re being influenced by people and circumstances now, which will factor into a decision you make later in the month. You need to be aware of the current influences, so that you know what is guiding your choices. One influence is more obvious than the other; and you may think it a “bad thing.” The other influence is invisible, potentially based on some form of deception, denial or foggy thinking, and if you do notice the influence, it may seem like a “good thing.” Beware if you find yourself making a sudden choice without substantiation, or based on facts you don’t really understand.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Leo and Leo rising here.

 

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
You seem willing to leave to fate what you would be much wiser to devote to awareness. You want certain developments to proceed in a more straightforward way than is currently happening. More to the point, you seem to want to know the truth about something that seems annoyingly elusive. I suggest you carefully account for the known facts. List them, one at a time. Use the most meticulous methods of documentation you’re capable of. Understand your motives. Consider the implications of acting, or failing to act. This situation is perfectly within your power to not only manage, but — to use a word one would not typically attribute to Virgo — conquer.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Virgo and Virgo rising here.

 

Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 23)
It’s time to go full throttle on this issue of your creative voice, your vision and an idea you know intuitively is correct. What the world calls “creativity” is the admixture of a vision and the process of manifesting it. At least 90% of the work is behind the scenes, or relates to some aspect of preparation. It takes less time to play a rock concert than to learn how to play the guitar. Remember that fact when it comes time to price your work — but also as you progress toward the level of mastery that you want to reach. Above all, treat your talent with the utmost respect, and devote yourself to it daily, even for an hour or a minute.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Libra and Libra rising here.

 

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
Despite the many allegations that you are an emotional creature, resolve for you usually arrives first on the intellectual level. Then it shows up on the emotional level. I suggest you reverse the order, study how you feel, and allow this to influence your decisions more than anything else. Your mind is likely to get in the way, and you may tell yourself that you’re wrong a few times. Environmental factors may seem to dominate your awareness, and you need to factor those out carefully; what you are trying to connect with is your authentic will, and your core level of intentions. The results will be different than you’re expecting.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Scorpio and Scorpio rising here.

 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 22)
Reasoning implies reasons; reasons imply intention. This is a matter of what, and also of who. Your complex mental process is being driven by something, and you need to be mindful of what that is all the time. This will take work, but it will be well worth it. You’re also being influenced by a key person in your life, and you need to know their intention, which may be more difficult to discern. Be aware that their ideas are entering your mind through a weakness or vulnerability. Be aware that the motives of others are difficult and even dangerous to discern, and can usually be dismissed on the grounds that they simply do not belong to you.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
How are you going to make a crucial financial decision? That involves your finances? Maybe it has nothing to do with money; maybe it has everything to do with focusing on what is better for you. There is a big difference; though it warrants saying that generally we think that what offers more money is better. I suggest that you reach for the most meaningful level of ethics that you can reach, and that you keep the issue of what is actually right or wrong in the front of your consciousness all the time. Certain values you hold, or think you hold, are not what you believe they are. The truth is what matters, and if you call to it, it will come to you.

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
One part of you is choosing who you are; another part of you knows you have no power over this decision whatsoever. Then what about this whole matter of choice? Is it an illusion, having no more influence over your life than a movie on a screen? I think that true choice involves the decision to align with a deeper purpose than the one we typically think we have. It’s less about options, and more about whether to embrace or resist some core element of your reality. Most people would feel that this inner reality is somehow at odds with what they really want; and this is the cause of much pain in the world.

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

 

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
Most Pisces would say that to sell themselves, that is, to consciously participate in the marketplace, is the most difficult thing they face. Yet your ability to do precisely this may be the most valuable talent you possess. The struggle you face at this point in history — and I am speaking of reincarnation, on a long, long cycle — is that you can quickly encounter chaos when you offer yourself to the world. You are embarking on a stretch of time wherein the theme is resolving precisely that confusion. The newly-begun Venus retrograde, to my thinking, is about making an agreement with yourself about what you truly want, and honoring that accord. For a while this will seem to be an inner journey without end. But only for a while.

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Pisces and Pisces rising here.

Dear Friend and Reader:

Today the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Aquarius — the exact midpoint of that sign. This is called Imbolc, which means “in the belly” or “in the milk.” This acknowledges that we are at the depths of winter; though today is a northern hemisphere holiday called Midwinter, the exact midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s also called Candlemas (in the Catholic tradition). Imbolc  literally means “in the belly” or “in the milk.” At this time we are deep in the belly of winter, held in gestation for the coming spring at the vernal equinox around March 21. Imbolc is like the first movements of the fetus preparing for birth. I’ve written a longer web log about Imbolc today on Daily Astrology & Adventure, and I have an older piece from StarIQ.com called In the Belly of the Stars.

Yours and truly,

PS – Please check later in the week for a housekeeping email from me that will cover astrology apprenticeships, promoting Planet Waves, the Valentine’s Day special edition and a bit besides. The subject header will say “Housekeeping Letter.”

 

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Those you think fit into society so well either are the biggest misfits or have to work the hardest to maintain their role, which is in perpetual question. I would propose that they are not your role models; your real goal seems to be standing out and apart, such that you know you are one of a kind. This is your calling this year — to overcome the reticence, that can even seize an Aries, to boldly be yourself. Remember, we’re talking about the reality, not the appearance. It is easy to seem different, and truly challenging to actually be different.

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aries and Aries rising here.

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
Successful careers come in two main species: those that follow a series of promotions and slaps on the back (with occasional setbacks that we learn to make work for us); and the other kind. The other kind is where you take every step yourself. You don’t climb a ladder to success, you invent one. You don’t type a resume: you convince the world, one person at a time, that you are the one and only person capable of doing what you need to do, and then you make sure they let you try. You never reach the point of success: you aspire every day. It seems lately that only one of these options is open for you.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Taurus and Taurus rising here.

 

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
I hope you didn’t already sign on the dotted line; if you did, you may be discovering that you need to find an exit clause, or a point of renegotiation. Here is a clue. There is something you can notice that offers an improvement to both parties, and this becomes the lever for renegotiating other aspects of the arrangement. The contract in question may be financial, it may be sexual and from the look of things, it may be both. In any event, please do not underestimate the wider world that will open up once you have the freedom that this rethinking process will offer you.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Gemini and Gemini rising here.

 

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
You may think you need a team of accountants, lawyers and negotiators to handle your affairs, but the truth is you need to handle them yourself. Yes, expert opinions count for a lot — the right ones at the right time do, anyway. What you need to know is what, from the many options that the world is offering, you want for yourself. Then you need to put the power of your mind to work sorting through the potentials and looking for the one or two things that hit the mark. Finally, there is one partner who seems ready to come on board. Make sure there is an authentic meeting of the minds, otherwise go it alone. It will be easier.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Cancer and Cancer rising here.

 

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
Generally you handle the influx of information and experience so well that you can establish a social pattern, a working method or a relationship model and leave it in place for a long time. We all know that most cats like things just the way they are. Occasionally, such as lately, the energy rises to the point where you need things to be some other way; enough Friskies, it’s time to catch a vole. This new way is going to involve a new kind of cooperation from the people around you, and probably speaking a new language with them. The key is that while the help may come from others, your brain is the one assigning their roles.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Leo and Leo rising here.

 

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
Every bell, timer, alarm clock and high-strung chihuahua in the universe are reminding you that you are not the person you always thought you were. Recent efforts to go back to being that person have only been met with more resistance from the people around you. However, I trust that with Mercury changing directions and the grip of winter about to break, you will discover something: your mind is bigger than you imagined. It’s capable of more complex thought and more creative activity; and it works the best in the position known as wide open.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Virgo and Virgo rising here.

 

Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 23)
Your native planet Venus has made its way into your opposite sign, Aries, where it will stay (with one brief exception) for the next five months. This is calling for a close review of a relationship. How much of what you see in another person is you, projected onto that person? How much of who they are is them, completely and exclusively? Due to the nature of the current human operating system, there is always an overlap. Most people take some comfort here, in that it’s easier to spend some of our time being what others need us to be. But what if you sorted this issue out altogether? You soon will.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Libra and libra rising here.

 

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
We all know you’re an emotional person, but if that is true, why do you have Aquarius, the sign of logic, on the house most closely associated with your feelings? This is working out to be extremely useful now that there have been planets stacked so high we had to raise the roof of the solar system. For you this means so deep you need to open up a new level of feeling. It must take you beyond your opinions of what you are feeling, your judgments of the many others who now populate your world, and simply be about you, existing at the core of yourself.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Scorpio and Scorpio rising here.

 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 22)
Your mind is clearly overwhelmed with both the possibilities and also with the amount of information you are processing. Relax. If the world can invent the Internet, you can invent a way to process everything you are perceiving; which really means, everything you are learning. You do need to use logic. You need to design a flexible, but sensible work method, which includes a way to prioritize both your ideas and your activities. Things will seem a lot simpler when you have a central organizing principle. Say those three words a few times and see if the meaning changes.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You are having to make many decisions about money and as so often happens, you are not the only person involved. However, rather than thinking about how many people you have to take care of, consider how many are contributing to your resources, in ways large and small. Since you can’t take care of the whole world yourself, you may as well invent a system where the world around you takes care of itself. But more than this is about banking, commerce or business, it’s actually about ethics.

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
Precision is what you want: precision of thought, and how you express yourself. You may decide that there is no such thing as an “identity” except what you have in your mind, and the words you use to express that psychic material you are working with. Your identity will change as fast as the thoughts you are thinking; but the focus that can remain is your locus of identity; the point where you draw your mind to clarity, look honestly and determine what is so. Nothing else matters. Nothing else has anything to do with you.

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

 

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
You have discovered the benefits of letting off pressure on a regular basis; but you have yet to discover the real gift, which is a kind of clarity that is rarely associated with having psychic abilities. Generally, information that is not strictly in the form of letters and numbers can seem nebulous. Your awareness is becoming an extremely advanced receiver of information: about yourself, about your circumstances, and in truth about the planetary condition. Trust what you are hearing. Document the information and put it to work right away. Don’t save it up for 2012.

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Pisces and Pisces rising here.

 

Dear Friend and Reader:

Publication date of Next World Stories is less than a week away. We have been designing this project since the summer, and it is starting to rise above its foundations. The project is in five sections: a current events area, which includes coverage of the fragile astrology (and the state of the world) as Barack Obama takes office, plus numerology; a minor planet area that will give descriptions of both asteroids and newly discovered planets, excellent for astrology lovers, astrology students and professionals; a fantasy section, with news from the future; a resource area, with dozens of astrological charts, descriptions of the houses, a tarot card generator and much else; and of course, the extended-length annual horoscopes.

Take a look at the contents page. Each of the sections is interactive and has an area for reader participation, discussion, and Q&A.

It’s true, one of the deepest concerns about astrology based only on the Sun is that usually it’s too general. And generally, this is true. It takes a special gift to make Sun sign astrology even vaguely relevant, but it also takes technique. The readings for the 12 signs, each about the length of a 12-page term paper, are anything but general. They include insights into your relationships, your values about money and resources, your professional life and creative goals and the one thing that you depend on astrology for the most, your spiritual development. And yes, I do have a little to say about sex as well.

It’s fair to ask how I can do this. It’s partly a gift for translating what I see in the planets into the English language. Writing astrology is more than translation, however: it’s about having a keen eye for symbolic meaning and personal relevance; and it’s about bringing a creative approach to the work.

I rely heavily on two techniques. One is the minor planets, which provide in-depth information about psychological and spiritual process. I am working with Eris, Chiron, Nessus, Pholus, Varuna, Sedna and a diversity of asteroids in this edition. The most significant event of the year involves Chiron, a planet that is still poorly understood in most quarters, but about which there is no shortage of curiosity.

The other is the solar house system, that is, the chart based only on the position of the Sun. This was the house system I was introduced to when I discovered the unworldly beauty of astrology in the Patric Walker horoscope in the early 1990s. As Patric himself said, “It’s all about the houses.”

Through this system, we get a window into human nature, because for each sign the other 11 signs — crucial to understanding your own — are placed differently. In my experience, the solar houses, or the Houses of the Sun as I call them, are one of the most potent tools for self-understanding, every bit as valid as one’s natal chart and in many ways simpler and more elegant. Yes, an exact chart helps a lot. There are certain things that call for extra precision. But so much is possible with the solar houses that you don’t even need to print a chart on paper. You can look at it with your mind’s eye and watch the story unfold.

I am confident that these are the most useful year-ahead horoscopes available. My private clients wait up to two years and pay a respectable fee to have me work with their chart. If you would even vaguely consider doing that, consider what I’m offering here: more than a decade of experience, hours of research and writing, affordably priced — covering some truly outstanding astrology that includes a lot of Chiron, which is my specialty.

You are going to want to read more than one sign. If you haven’t purchased, I suggest you use the combined offer for current subscribers to Astrology News: renew early and get all 12 signs for a steep discount. If you only purchased one sign before today and want to read others, there will be an upgrade path offered within the publication.

We do our best to have absolutely fair business policies at Planet Waves, and this includes fair to us as well. Our competitors are asking nearly double what a one-year membership to Next World Stories is going for now ($12.95 for one sign, less per sign if you sign up for more of them). On Jan. 1 we will be raising the prices to the average going rate for year-ahead forecasts, about $20 for a single sign (the same discount will apply for multiple signs). I recognize these other products ask for your exact birthdate and promise a “personal reading,” which is simply not true.

I am confident that my work stands up to any “custom report” in terms of astrological skill, spiritual relevance and the writing itself.

Plus you get numerous extras that will be updated weekly throughout the year. You get to indulge and share in the talent of a dozen of our best writers and artists. And you get to build and participate in the intellectual and astrological community trust known as Planet Waves.

Below is your Inner Space horoscope for January 2009. And here’s a link to your January monthly Planet Waves, in case you missed that.

Peace & passion,

 

 

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Yours is the sign of beginnings, and you certainly seem to be doing plenty of that. You have a mission in the world, but there is a deeper emotional or spiritual lesson, which is to keep your focus on your feelings as you strive to conquer the world. It is easy to cut ourselves off from our inner environment and the sensitive, even fragile world of our sensibilities. You can shorten the conversation by checking in about whether you feel safe, and whether the people around you feel safe. I mean this in the most direct ways: trusting of the environment, and trusting of the human environment. Listen for a long time before you speak. Others may not know what’s bothering them.

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Aries
and Aries rising here.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)
You must be impeccable about how you present yourself in professional situations. You could, at the moment, convince anyone that you have anything. Yet then you would have to demonstrate your skills and be seen for who you are. The point is this: at the moment, you believe in yourself, and you can see that you really do have a long-range plan that is finally starting to seem plausible, and like its time has arrived. Be bold about your intentions and your aspirations, and I don’t suggest you hide them from people you look up to. You have credibility and an enormous wealth of goodwill to draw upon. Now is the time to trust yourself; you’ve waited long enough.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Taurus
and Taurus rising here.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)
Faith is a beautiful thing. Don’t confuse it with hope, or with arrogance, or with expectation. Faith is simply a silent understanding that you will rise to any occasion you are called upon to meet. It is a subtle form of trust, in existence, rather than in any one person or thing. It would appear in certain areas of your life that you are in way over your head, encountering forces beyond your control or too aggressive for your affable nature. Stay friendly. Negotiate with everyone, from your boss to the parking meter attendant. Never meet aggression with aggression. That certain individuals may feel that their word is the next best thing to what Moses delivered will melt under the gentle graces of your humanity.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Gemini
and Gemini rising here.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You wanted attention, and you’re getting it, to what may be an overwhelming degree. There seems to be no easy way to deflect it; no way to tell who is coming at you with what agenda. However, if you spend five minutes out of every hour thinking (rather than reacting, responding, panicking, or whatever you might choose to do) you will see that your situation is manageable and that it can, with a shade of foresight, be turned to great benefit for everyone involved. You have to do something a little unusual, which is harness the power of the people around you, rather than being their engine. This will require the utmost clarity — including a clear conscience. Don’t worry — people are acting in accord with their free will.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Cancer
and Cancer rising here.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
Clearly, you need to do the most difficult thing for a Leo — delegate. To delegate means to let go of; to entrust others with a task that you would normally only trust yourself with. I assure you that things will go better, not worse. Recognize the fact that you have drawn people to you who share your sense of integrity and self-respect. However, they also have something you lack, which is a sense of perspective outside your own headspace. There are several key things that you are assuming will be difficult when the truth is, for the right person, they are easy and will be fun to do. You will be the one who gets the credit for the success; be gracious about it.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Leo
and Leo rising here.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
If you’re wondering what that feeling is, it’s your creative impulse coming on fast and furious: the life force. If you turn and look directly at it, your entire awareness will shift and this magnificent cosmic fire will consume you and most of your petty plans. This is obviously at odds with your sense of control, and being the absolute master of your schedule. The other option you have is to run from your own strength, feeling its flames lapping at your heels. Yet have you spent your whole life growing and struggling for awareness only to try to escape when it finally stirs to life? Think about this one carefully before you answer.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Virgo
and Virgo rising here.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
It is a continuing source of amazement to me that anyone feels safe on this planet; secure with one another or in their surroundings. I wonder if the concept of safety as we experience it is entirely an intellectual notion. Think of those times you check three times if your door is locked, and those other times when you leave it open all night and nothing happens. This being said, there are psychological obstacles to your sense of safety, and you are beginning to work through them, perhaps faster than you imagined you would. Let’s put it this way: anything you worship becomes a religion, including and in particular fear.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Libra
and libra rising here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
It looks to me like your mind is on fire, like you have so many ideas you will never get them all done. First slow down; there is a weird kind of illusion that you’re under and it’s pushing you to go faster than you need. Second, try to think in some terms other than strictly linear. Look for one good idea and go with it: I mean the real gem. You may need to express some of your ideas on paper, so you can see what you’ve got to work with. It will be easier to evaluate them that way. Once you find the special pearl, many of your other concepts, plans and schemes will find a home. What you need is that one, very strong organizing principle to have some perspective. And you will.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Scorpio
and Scorpio rising here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
What I see in your chart is the image of someone who is, after purchasing the mineral rights to a vast swath of land that everyone thought was a waste, starting to extract significant wealth. This is just the beginning; take your time, and go for steady rather than fast (there is a difference, often overlooked). Begin with the most conventional methods, and take notes on what works and what does not, which will save you from trying to force something when something else would be perfectly feasible. It’s imperative that you think in the long run: not about how you’re going to pay this month’s rent, but about cultivating something very lucrative that will support you for 10 or 20 years. You have already begun.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
I don’t think you’ve ever felt like this before. That’s partly because I’ve never seen a chart like this before, and partly because I just know. I see a sense of boundless potential mingled with a kind of irresistible urge to take action; to shape the world; to make things right. Yes, yes, yes, but the place to begin is with your perception of yourself. The place to continue is with your ongoing relationship with yourself. Perhaps it seems too subtle to mean much; you want to feed Africa or reorganize the Federal Reserve. Start with understanding yourself, which is another way of saying understand your motives. You would do well to initiate a process of taking care of yourself. You have some long years of neglect to make up for, and you will feel very good with each small step you take.

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
You seem to be living in two worlds: that of your deepest fears and another of your greatest hopes. Trade in both for something else, which is a sense of your authentic self-assurance. From one point of view, the world (and your own mind) is so vastly complicated that there is no sorting it out, no finding a place of clear awareness. On the other, your ideals seem so perfect as to be unattainable, or too fragile for the brutality of unsupportive circumstances. Confidence will help you thread the needle. And the question is: where do you find that? Chiron gives a clue: work from what you feel is your worst flaw, your most glaring imperfection. Rather than push it under awareness, tap into it as a source of awareness and strength. Take the first step and it will take the next.

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You have the absolute support of your friends; learn that now and forever. Get it in your body. The world and most romantic types such as yourself tend to emphasize one-on-one loving relationships, and the word ‘friend’ is a kind of lesser status. The lessons and experiences of life do not bear this out, though you must be careful who you call a friend, and why. Another concept is expanding in your world at the moment, and that is community. This is a concept that has been lost in our era of supposed individualism, but there has never been a time when community mattered more, or mattered more to you. Open your heart, open your soul, and open your life and observe who shows up at the threshold of your days.

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Pre-order your Next World Stores 2009 annual for Pisces
and Pisces rising here.

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