Aries (March 20-April 19) — You need a new perspective, and it looks like you’re about to get one. You’ve been so consumed with your own changes and developments the past year that it’s been difficult to see much past that. Now you’re getting a view over the edge of your own horizons. This will give you some space to consider your possibilities without feeling pressured or cramped. The picture in your chart hints at a few other ideas. One is to go beyond seemingly concrete notions of right and wrong. There are many shades, hues and colors to explore. Another involves whether you want or need to consider the interests of a partner in your future. I suggest you question this especially if you’ve taken the answer for granted in the past. An example of this would be never traveling without a partner. Maybe it’s time to go somewhere on your own, with nobody else to answer to.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You’ve passed through a kind of initiation. In the process, you seem to have figured out something about ‘sin’ being a useless concept. Keep exploring and you’ll discover that it’s a ruse — it hides something deeper and more beautiful. That ‘something’ is direct experience, the kind that you own entirely and about which you get to make up your own mind. Another ‘something’ is gratitude. Take that with you, and give it out generously, as you continue to aspire to new adventures. Gratitude offered to your brothers, sisters, teachers and students is always appropriate. The more you give, the more you will have, and the more you’ll appreciate the abundance that you get to receive by the graces of others. This will make you a softer and more humane person. And in this particular moment when your leadership counts for everything, you will level the ground between you and those who assist you — and those who, with their power, open the way for you.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You will need to maintain inner discipline in your relationship transactions during the coming weeks and well into January. There is a double influence at work. One involves a kind of marriage impulse, and the other looks more like anarchy. Neither is especially trustworthy. Each contains deeper emotions or motives, and you would be wise to look for them. One thing I want to emphasize is not having relationship conversations when anyone is under the influence of any mind-altering substance, even a little alcohol. There’s room for some serious distortion. Therefore, conduct discussions of relationships and sexuality out of bed, such as at the kitchen table; and stone cold sober. You need to know what you’re saying, hear what’s being said to you, and fully trust the understandings and agreements you come to. There’s no wiggle room here. It’s essential that all parties state their true needs, and listen to those of the other. Beware of scorekeeping.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Take it as it comes. That’s the best approach to your relationships right now. Someone close to you has been through a particularly challenging transformation. You may have been involved, directly or indirectly. Here’s the thing to remember, at this juncture. People arrive in your life with what they have to offer: their integrity, their desire to share, their growth needs, their unfinished business, and whatever gratitude they might offer. You might take some time and space to observe what changes they’re experiencing, and how they’re making sense of their new self-perception. Remember that this is a kind of reflection for you. There’s information available that will shift your perception of yourself and of your relationships. This may turn out to be a profound life-lesson disguised as something ordinary. Your relationship orientation is likely to have been shifted by this event. Now, gently plot the way forward — that is, your way forward.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You might find yourself offering quite a lot of your personal resources to someone close to you; that would include the erotic and creative kind. You seem to know what others need, and you have plenty to offer. You can safely let this flow. Whether or not anyone expresses appreciation, you will find some happiness in the giving. One thing you’ll gain is experience you’re craving. It’s vital to honor that. You will receive good information that will help you sort out some puzzling issues related to partnership and marriage. These themes and questions can never be answered in theory; they must be explored through direct and conscious experience. Though this may sound strange, one way to look at your quest for independence and self-directed creativity is a social justice issue. You crave freedom, and so does everyone around you. Usually it’s a fantasy. Now you can take steps toward making it real.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Continue to tread consciously and carefully in your relationships. There are many layers to what is going on. What is happening on the surface is merely an invitation to look deeper, including into the dark corners. You will need to penetrate through the layers of confusion and deception to get to the real material. Over the next eight weeks, this will invariably lead you into family constellations that set up the current scenario of your life. Be mindful that no one discovery will explain everything. Along the way, though, there will be many revelations, each of which takes you to a deeper place. You will need to keep an open mind, and not cling to any one discovery as a ’cause’. To do this, it will help if you have a circumspect point of view: keep your senses moving, and alert, and pay as much attention to the background as you do to the figures in the foreground. Here’s one last clue: you will learn much from studying the relationships of your ancestors, from your parents back at least three generations.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You seem to be pushing loose from some lonely residue of your past. The longer story of your astrology, going back years, is about cultivating your emotional independence. Most people who know they want to possess this kind of self-containment never get there because one of the requisite steps is giving up what’s blocking you from doing so. And you will never want to release something that you feel is helping you, or that you cannot live without. Taking the first steps into the visceral level of that independence is almost always lonely. The old way of existing is dissolving while the new one has not grounded fully into your awareness. Yet you’re closer than you’ve ever been right now. Many seemingly separate circumstances of your life are conspiring to put you in a position where you must encounter yourself as the center of your existence. From that still point of the turning world, profound growth is possible.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The nature and meaning of your personal possessions and resources is now the front-and-center theme of your life. What do you have? What do you value? Who do you value? What about yourself is the most solidly and dependably your own? There’s a real question arising with the current astrology about what’s yours, and what is community property. Community may range from housemates to your colleagues to your family of origin. It’s any circumstance where you must fan out your personal resources into a group of any size, going back to the beginning of your life. If you are feeling anger in any form, you might want to consider what of yours is being treated like some kind of collective property. Once you get a handle on what that might be, you can begin to claim yourself back, step by step. The goal here is not to be covetous of what you have, but rather to claim it as your own, so that you may share it as you wish, with whom you wish — or not.

Travel Into the Future with Your Sagittarius Reading

“You are investing events with energy, vision and momentum, and that means infusing them with the power to travel into the future, to develop and to grow.”

— Eric in the Vision Quest reading for Sagittarius

Dear Friend and Reader:

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Amanda Painter

Planet Waves Astrology Editor

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Tomorrow’s New Moon in your birth sign says you must be your own partner, your own lover and your own best friend. All else flows from there. This can be a challenging thing to learn in the land where life is all about the other, or more accurately, about you being the other. When we talk about things like commitments and containers in relationships, that’s a projection — an extension outward — of the need to be contained within, and committed to, oneself. When you experiment with this, you might notice the kind of chaos it seems to stir up around you. Yes, there will be objections, some of them forceful, and they all have deep roots. I remember working with a client once, whose partner was having jealousy issues. His definition of monogamy included a prohibition on her going to community college. And I thought, wow, this is not what it seems to be. Push the edge, just a little, and see what you learn.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Steam, heat and flames are roiling and boiling inside of you. This is often true; these days it’s a bit more than the usual. There’s so much that you want to make sense, and so little that actually does. It’s as if you’re looking for yourself in the middle of a hurricane. Note that this may be under the guise of seeking the love of your life, or trying to figure out what happened (or is happening) in a relationship. However, it would seem that anything of any relevance is happening inside of you. If other people are involved, they’re more like supporting actors who briefly come onto the stage in the midst of your one-person show. If that’s true, there’s only one direction for you to look, which is within. You might have to forgive everyone and everything around you to get there; you will definitely need to forgive yourself, and journey inward. You may discover it’s not so dark or foggy after all.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Life never lives up to fantasies, but if that’s true, then what are they for? I would propose that one use of fantasy might be to get you to try something, and then be led to a different place or experience. You might not have gotten there otherwise, even if what you were imagining and what you discover are two different things entirely. As you do this, you may realize the difference between fantasy, which is essentially a passive state, and imagination, which is an assertive and creative state. The thing is, society — this place where you try your real-time experiments — is a major mess at the moment. So anything you do is likely to be transformed rapidly, and this may happen in a quick succession of create-recreate experiences. If you ride with this, and pay attention to your surroundings, you will notice that a pattern emerges, and that’s the thing you’re looking for.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — In the solar chart of a Pisces, Sagittarius is the sign of achievement, notoriety and success. Sagittarius is the sign of the hunter with his arrow pointed at its mark. Alternately, it’s the sign of Chiron the centaur, the morph of human and horse, whose distinction is to be the greatest teacher and mentor in all of Greek mythology. Once you tap into this fiery Sagittarian quality in yourself, you will connect with the experience of drive, intention and wholesome ambition like you’ve never felt it before. It’s funny, though; you never read about this in any description of Pisces; at least I never have. Tuesday there is a stunning New Moon in this area of your chart. This represents the beginning of a new cycle of achievement and success. Saturn, the planet of discipline and self-mastery, has been here for more than a year, opening the way. Keep your focus. Keep doing what you know to be right. Do not worry about what others are doing, or compare yourself to them. A revelation is at hand.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — To get what you want, turn up the passion. You don’t need the ordinary kind of desire; you need the instinctual, lusty kind. This is partly about wanting something enough, or wanting it more than others. It’s also about being so devoted to what you do that you draw others into your vortex and encourage them to take up your goals. This devotion starts with you, and your approach to your work and also to your existence. Right now your existence and your purpose must merge into one thing of beauty, that being you. This is one version of leadership by example. Never underestimate how important this is, even if nobody admits it out loud. Many people around you are struggling to care about anything; many strain to understand why anything matters at all. You get it; and your demonstration of commitment is essential proof of what’s possible.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Faith can move mountains. The history of anyone who has accomplished anything unlikely or seemingly impossible has demonstrated this. Faith ranges from quiet certainty to a deep emotional alignment with what is right and true. It’s the kind of knowingness you have in your body rather than in your mind. This same feeling makes a different kind of sexuality accessible. Erotic feelings that rise to the level of spiritual devotion are something you may have heard about, read about or imagined in your mind; such is a real thing in the world. Yet to go there requires deep inner focus and a kind of moral orientation that takes you beyond judgment. Ordinary ideas of right and wrong do not matter; what matters is your own affinity for your soul and how you want to express yourself, for your own sake and for the people with whom you choose to share energy.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Now is not a good time to make important decisions in your relationships. If you work through the current challenge, you will have another perspective more liberating and beautiful than you might be feeling now. It’s not your relationships that are holding you down; it’s an idea you have about them. You’re in a rare phase of your journey when you can clear those tendencies out of your life. First you must see them for what they are: relationships that are more about structure than about feeling; more about commitment than about devotion. The difference is nothing less than that between what you’re supposed to do, and what you want to do. If you consider this possibility and you feel the allure of freedom, and then you feel guilt, know that you’re moving in the right direction. Guilt is your confirmation of what you really want.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You have an unusual opportunity to connect with someone in an intimate way. Whether this happens in the context of an existing relationship, or a new encounter, the experience will lead you to a deeper place. You might even wonder why connecting with others cannot be like this all the time. It can be, if both parties are willing. It can be, if both parties have as their agenda human bonding rather than a corporate arrangement. Human bonding would tend to disregard the official rules and emphasize the rare and beautiful opportunity of the moment. It’s about what feels right because it is right, not because anyone is living up to a theory. The astrology I’m describing is about more than one encounter with one person. You are looking at the potential for how you can live your life: you might say in direct relationship to existence rather than to anyone’s expectations about it.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You might do what you love; you might also love what you do, whatever it may be. Both are necessary skills at different times in life. Both are possible for you now. Whatever you’re doing, do it with quality and attention. And when you’re done with that, then explore something that you want to do, or simply must do. This is one way to make the divide between “one’s work” and “one’s art” less daunting. Being an artist or craftsman means doing whatever you do with the intention of excellence. This is about you, not whomever you’re working for. It’s less about the product and more about how you feel while you’re engaged in your activity. If you do an unpleasant job with care and love, you will soon understand that you can do even better work, and feel worthy of it. Said another way, master one task and move on to the next.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You’re still susceptible to the manipulation and self-deception of others. There are people who would have you forget their past, or your own. There are people who would lure you into believing that there have been no consequences to their actions. You tend to fall for this because it seems easier than enduring your own self-criticism. With your tendency to service and healing, you might also think you can help people like this, though history tells us otherwise. You have options. There are people you can relate to who exist outside of your comfort zone. You will recognize them by their adherence to their own ethics. You will see a certain mirror in them, perhaps cast in a different light, but still, what seems like a true reflection. Yet to even notice their existence requires a change in perspective. Your life and your relationships would need to be devoted to learning something new about yourself, and choosing people in your life who are devoted to showing you how beautiful you are. That, and you must be willing to see.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — How would you live if you could be emotionally independent of your family, and of your history with them? This is so unusual as to seem impossible. Yet your growth process going back many years has been driving you in this one direction: into your own need to free yourself from your past, and in the process, develop genuine emotional independence. That means not letting your parents run your life, whether via Facebook or from “the other side.” In order to do this, you will need to face your own insecurities. You will need to see your past in context, realistically. You would have to recognize that the influences that shaped you then do not need to shape you now. And, knowing that, you would select influences that you consciously want to shape you now. Such a moment is upon you. Give yourself credit for how much you’ve accomplished, and get ready to take the next step.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You’re learning not just how to say what you feel, but how vital that is to your sanity. Yes, you may have been trained to suppress your own voice, your own needs, your own desires and intentions. And you know that you simply cannot live your own life if you keep doing that. Aspects this week invite you to open up to yourself, and feel the pulse of your own existence — and allow that to guide your voice. When you tune into that feeling, let your voice out, any time you’re inclined to use it. Feel the beauty of speaking or in any way vocalizing and of being seen and heard doing so. You need this affirmation — which is both self-affirmation and taking the risk of inviting others to say yes to you, to who you are and what you love. Follow your feeling of danger, embarrassment or reluctance rather than avoiding them. Let yourself out of your bindings and you will enter a new dimension.

We’ll Remember Your Birthday

Dear Friend and Reader:

People with birthdays around the holidays are often forgotten. Years ago my readers made it clear they want birthday readings, even though the annual edition comes out in December. We’re offering you early pre-order prices on your birthday audio readings. Sign up today and we’ll send you a notice when the reading is getting near, and when it’s ready.

Thanks for being part of Planet Waves.

w/love

Sagittarius	Capricorn	Aquarius

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — A relationship may seem to take a serious turn over the next few days; don’t take that so seriously. What someone close to you is looking for is an open ear and an open heart. They want you to be flexible in your views, and in your view of them. If you open up and offer yourself to this process, you will make some beautiful discoveries about how easy it is to relate to others, when you understand your own power. Borrowing a metaphor from something called Transactional Analysis, the current shape of the relationship might be that of a child trying to get a parent’s attention. If you can shift the discussion to that between two adults, leaving out all the parent-child dynamics, you will find that the conversation goes much more smoothly. You, however, are the one who must initiate this shift, as a fully conscious gesture. Be strong in who you are, and open up to mutual reception.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — There’s a kind of healing that can only happen through an honest conversation. Honest and healing begin with gentle, and emotionally grounded. That means close to the Earth, close to the center of your body, and tuned into your feelings. From there, you can tune into the feelings of those you’re intimate with. In any conversation of this kind, there may be references to the past, though be clear about what they are. Acknowledge what has happened and how you feel about it; ask your conversation partner their view on what happened and how they feel about it. Mostly, keep your focus on the present, facing the future, because that is the only direction you can travel. In any discussion, consider that you may begin with one idea about what matters most, or what you have to say, and through the discussion make a whole new discovery.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — It’s now necessary, even urgent, to consider your relationship to all this technology that surrounds you. This is particularly true if you’ve had any kind of mishap that you attribute to something like texting or email. Or you might be figuring out what being surrounded by the digital environment has done to you spiritually. Consider your life before all this tech took over all of known reality; how did you feel, and what kinds of relationships did you have? What did you want from life, and how did you feel about the future? The remedy to all these digital robots that engulf our lives is being human. You are an Aquarian, which means quirky and highly social. Get with people, in person. Take a chance and risk face-to-face encounters. Be yourself and remember who you are.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Put your wheels on the ground, sit down in the driver’s seat and point yourself in the direction you want to go. Take leadership of your life and make the decisions you need to make. Don’t talk about it: begin taking steps, and get it done. You must aim your sights high, though. Draw upon the objectives and goals that you hold most dear, and select three of them that support one another. Do not waste time wondering whether you’re taken seriously. You are. Do not waste time with others who do not take themselves seriously; they are not your problem. Of all the signs, Pisces is the one that has the greatest blessing of aspiration. You also have a wide perspective, which can sometimes get in your way, because you know that everything is possible and that on one level, all things are equal. Now, indulge yourself in the art of setting priorities, and aligning yourself with specific goals that you allow to be more relevant than others. Then give it everything you’ve got.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — The best sex is always a little chaotic, a bit messy and unpredictable. Never fold your clothes when you undress. Toss them off with abandon and just make sure nothing lands on a lit candle. This is the way to live your life right now. You are the seducing influence in every situation. Your presence will lead people to reveal themselves, and to get in contact with their desire. Yes, you may get some unwanted advances, though that’s part of being attractive — at least you have your options, and just about everyone has something to offer. Mostly, the thing to do with your portable disinhibited zone is to have fun. You’re free to flirt wildly with people and take pleasure in what they say to you and how they look at you. You may wonder how it is that you’re prompting everyone to reveal who they are without really doing anything, and the answer is Scorpio Power.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Venus in Capricorn might bring out your conservative streak, but let’s not forget the devilish quality of that sign. This would be conservatism in the style of the saucy one in the turtleneck with the modest skirt — and a steamy mind. There’s no such thing as pure or puritan. You’re an earthy person. You like being in your body and you like adventure. All week long, Venus is working its way toward Neptune, which will help you melt your inhibitions and stoke your imagination. It’s the blend of physical presence and fantasy that will make you happiest. Meanwhile, work is also calling you. You may be expected to take leadership and you would be wise to rise to the calling. Bring your passion, charm and charisma to your professional environment and you will be met with respect and recognition. People love who you are; that is, who you really are.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — All is not fair in love. It may be fair in war, but they’re not the same thing, and the competitive situations in your life are far from combat. As for love, you need to be guided by your personal code, and decide consciously when you choose to bend or amend it. In other words, when faced with something you consider a temptation, consider the consequences and make a conscious choice. It may be worth the risk — only you know. One question that will be floating around is: what is the meaning of marriage? If that one appears on your radar, ask the question honestly and from as many viewpoints as you can. It would be beautiful if there were not winners and losers in love, and in truth that is actually possible. Along the way, you have the strength to be kind to people, and honest with them. That will lay a strong foundation for the future.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Monday’s Full Moon will shine the light on you and what you’re doing. Worry less about what you’re wearing and more about keeping a smile on your face and your heart wide open. As I roam the world, I keep noticing how socially awkward people seem. It’s as if they have no sense of their own presence, or think they’re being judged by everyone. If you feel this way, remember it’s all in your imagination. Feeling good is a matter of choosing to do so. Being loving is a matter of summoning the love you’re capable of and letting it out. It’s not a finite substance; and you will feel less vulnerable, not more so, if you’re open, positive and affirming of the people you interact with. Said another way, you have only to gain by being positive and friendly with the people around you. This more than anything is what they will know you by and love you for.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You must be true to yourself. What are you waiting for, and why would you want any other option? Go straight to the point. This means acting with commitment. You could read your current solar chart a few different ways. One take is that a romantic adventure gets serious. The greater path is commitment to your art; that is, to creation along your own personal edge. Art is your spiritual path. It’s about staying connected to yourself, and disconnected from the madness of the world. It’s about making your own way in life, and making your life into what you want. This is often spoken of but rarely embarked upon with genuine sincerity — and you can do it. Yet this takes commitment to yourself. And in a sense this precludes commitment to others, but only of a certain kind: the neurotic kind.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You’ll get a look at a reflection over the next few days. Look gently and know that you can change what you see. Most of what you’re seeing is, in a sense, your own personal history. Yet it’ll be easy to think it’s something else. So, when you encounter a situation that you find challenging, perplexing or painful, ask yourself some questions. One might be: how would this conversation sound if I expressed my real needs? Ask yourself of whom and what the scenario reminds you. You have an opportunity in your hands to uncover, identify and reveal something that you have long wanted to heal. It’s about how your family background colors or taints your intimate relationships. Healing is possible anytime, though sometimes there is an alignment of circumstances with awareness; and this allows you to go deep and make some real progress resolving something — if you make the connections and use what you know. Step one is stop blaming people who are in your life now and recognize they are actors on the stage.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Insecurity is a drag. You don’t need to be ruled or even influenced by it. Yes, that may seem like a tall order, here in the land of the touchy, the shaky and those hanging by a thread over thin ice. The world is currently an uncertain place. I will let you in on two ancient secrets: one is, it always was uncertain. Two is, you don’t have to let your fears get in the way of anything, or stop you from doing anything, though that requires taking a risk. Here’s what that looks like: if you find yourself getting bogged down in any form of fear, worry or rumination, go into creative mode. Focus on the present, face toward the future and plot your way forward. Fear may seem like an affliction. Actually, it’s an attachment, or a kind of self-feeding addiction. Beyond everything you fear is an actual creative opportunity, though for that to be real, you must fully engage that idea — and you can.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Family: why are they so influential, so potent in our lives, so necessary? You don’t need to be an anthropologist to know that humans are tribal. We traveled through the wild in clans of about 20 for some three million years before gradually settling down on one patch of ground so we could cultivate our food. We could not survive without our clan; we would literally be eaten by wild animals. That is no longer true; yet much of the same power resides in families — granted, in phantom and psychological form. The thing about tribes and families is that by their inherent nature, they demand that you not be an individual. And all of your personal momentum is insisting that you be your own person. You will need to be bold, brave and independent — and not let anyone drag you back down. They cannot harm you and have no power over you that you do not personally hand them. Remember that.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You are your lover, your spouse and your domestic partner. You are your own best friend, and if you don’t feel that way, it’s time to make the commitment. This means focusing on your point of origin: your consciousness is the source of all that you experience. Right now, your consciousness is urging you to be self-aware and aligned with your own best interests. Doing this is often the single most relevant turning point in a person’s life, and the most challenging. Many other false loyalties must be questioned, put on hold, or severed (usually in that order). When you do this, confidence is easy; in fact you could say that the lack of confidence is caused by not aligning with your best interests. When you make this switch, when you choose to align with yourself, you can experience a seemingly miraculous boost in your sense of personal power.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Money is not a matter of luck. It’s not a matter of position. It’s a matter of wanting the stuff. If you want it, and you use your intelligence, you can get it. Problems arise when your desire for money puts you in the position of going against your moral code. That’s the place to start. If your ambition (or desire for wealth) exceeds your knowledge and your ethics, you can have a real problem on your hands. You would be wise to temper yourself until you’ve got that clear, and focus on doing the right thing. This means focusing on the task at hand, for its own sake. The question of the right thing to do is answered in what you would do, were you not getting paid. If you are doing anything for the money, especially if you consider it a lot of money, it’s time to reflect and meditate. If you’re in a rush, ask yourself what that’s about.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Now is the time to engage your plans. For a couple of months you’ve gradually attained a wider, brighter and more interesting concept of your own possibilities, and therefore, your own future. Dreaming, plotting and planning are one thing; taking action with your hands and feet is another, and it’s now time. You have an opening to connect productive action to your ideas about your future. This will last a little while, though it won’t last forever. The thing to do with these astrological windows is to initiate your choices by action. That’s a form of commitment, and it’s the kind that we move toward, and providence moves toward us. In other words, your chart is the meeting place of personal choice, action and what seems like some spiritual agency at work. Keep at it.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You are letting go of some old ideas about yourself, ideas that don’t work for you. Some could be called delusions, and others could be called illusions. Some were lies you were told about yourself and others are ones you made up. They’re all the same thing; pull the plug and drain the pool. A lot is said in supposed spiritual circles about how the past no longer exists and it’s an illusion and all that. If that’s true, how come the world is drowning in its own history? Why ever that may be, you can allow and cooperate with releasing your own history. Your desire and your willingness to do so are the catalysts. Then you must align yourself with the process at the same time you take concrete steps forward. You must be bold because this is a bold moment, and you are being summoned to leadership.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Success is a conspiracy. Work with your others to make it happen. There’s no abstract concept of fairness that you must adhere to, which leaves you free to get the help of people who believe in you and who support what you’re doing. It’s possible that you will be an asset to someone, and that would be another reason for them to facilitate your progress. What matters is sincerity, and your willingness (and ability) to come through with what you offer. One theme of the times we’re living through is an extreme form of everybody doing their thing. Understanding of the strength and pleasure of cooperation and collaboration is rapidly evaporating. But those qualities have the same value they always had. Define success for yourself, and then plan for it with others who have a similar idea as you do.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — The next few days are likely to take you through a stream of new, different and even strange feelings. You may experience everything but stability, though it’s clear that you’re held by a larger container than emotions and physical sensation. One way to read your astrology is that by letting go into the flume ride of your experiences, you will discover how wide and how deep your spiritual context really is. The fact that you can let go of control and still not have everything suddenly go out of control is some evidence that you’re working with your deeper intelligence. Said another way, you’re opening up and allowing that intelligence to flow through you, body and soul. Pleasure is meaningful, and it contains wisdom. There’s nothing more spiritual than feeling like you belong on the planet, and knowing you’re safe.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You’re in a good position to buy, sell or trade secrets. Your chart is the very picture of intrigue. Just remember, you would be playing with fire. Looked at another way, you have access to inside information for a reason. That would be to enhance your ability to succeed and to help others succeed. This is about gaining an advantage — but not an advantage over anyone. Use your information honestly and fairly. You must be mindful of a few things, one of which is making sure that your facts are correct. Proceed only with data that you’ve verified a few times. Get other viewpoints and assemble your own picture. Also, people are likely to reveal to you sensitive information that they might regret having said. Like a competent journalist, you must protect your sources. And it’s never good form to take any pleasure at all in the pain or struggles of others. Rather, help any way you can.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Where money is concerned, you want to get yourself onto level ground; that is, with people who are much more successful than you currently are. What New Agers call ‘poverty consciousness’ — that is, the idea that there’s not enough to go around — is a serious trap. There is plenty to go around, and it’s helpful to observe and learn from people who have figured that out for themselves. Central to this is addressing the idea of sacrifice. The people to rub yourself against are those who work with the concept of mutual benefit rather than win-lose. Neither you nor others have to sacrifice anything to have things turn out well. Yet this depends on your state of mind, which you can enhance greatly by sharing what you have. Yes, sometimes it’s necessary to offer to someone else something that you really need. Most of the time, though, you can offer from a place of excess, and you have plenty.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Your solar chart is a study in how to have fun without over-committing. Borrowing from that old joke, you don’t need to bring a U-Haul on the second date. The kind of pleasure you want, and can have, is based on your freedom of movement. Go from experience to experience if you want to keep the sense of adventure alive. The thing to be cautious of is jealousy. It’s easy to get caught in that loop if you feel like a playmate is having more fun than you are. Pay attention to your own experience and train yourself to take pleasure in the fun that other people have. This is one of the most enlightened states of mind; or rather it’s the door that opens up a realm of true liberation. Mostly what gets liberated is you. One positive experience leads to the next, and you get some freedom from negative fixations.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You are walking a fine line emotionally. You’ve been holding back and holding fast for a long time; now you’re feeling the inclination to cut loose. So far you’ve been able to manage that, but you might not be able to contain yourself. Therefore I suggest you plan a safe space to let yourself blow off some steam: emotional, creative, sexual, spiritual — it’s all the same, and you want it all. Your astrology is urging you not to judge yourself. One of the great quests of this time in your life is setting yourself free from the expectations of your parents, whether you consider them negative or positive. Most of the time these expectations are internalized: they have an origin somewhere else but they exist inside you. You are your own person with your own desires, living in your own time and place. Make room for that fact of your life.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You have a wider safety buffer than you may think. It’s true that you like to err on the side of caution (that is one likely explanation for the somewhat-famous challenge Librans have making decisions). However, you don’t need to take the safe route all the time. You would be well served to consider the possible implications of what you choose, though sometimes you must spin the wheel. You must be especially cautious under the influence of alcohol or substances, though. Those can mess with your sense of appropriateness. So if you can, consider what you want in a few different states of mind. That of course is not always practical. Sometimes you have to spin the wheel and do something because it’s the thing to do in the moment. Sometimes it’s necessary to break conventions and taboos.

Attention Scorpio: the audio segments of your 2016-17 Birthday Reading have now been published. Order today for instant access.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Watch your spending, and don’t let others spend your money. There’s something in your chart describing your boundaries as being a bit loose in these areas, so you’ll need to tidy up the edges and refrain from loaning anyone your debit card. That said, you’re in an unusually opportune moment to plan future business ventures. But keep your plans to yourself or limited to a carefully selected group of people. This is less about someone stealing your ideas and more a caution against scattering your energy by talking away your ideas. What you want now is a sense of containment, so that you can think clearly and seriously. Involve others on an as-needed basis. You don’t need to reveal your whole plan to any one person; you just need to know, develop and respect your ideas yourself. You set your own ethics, your own schedule and your choice of whom to involve.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Keep your mind on what you’re doing, not what others are doing, or expect of you. You’re in a rich creative moment. Once you tap that well, there will be no stopping you. Therefore, don’t get distracted, or dissuaded from painting, writing, practicing your new song or planning a trip you’ve been wanting to take. Don’t let anyone dampen your enthusiasm. If you discover that a commitment to another person is getting in the way of your self-expression, it may be time to question that commitment, or to look more closely at what’s going on. The first question to ask yourself is: what do you want or need to say that you haven’t yet said? Then the second: what do you fear would happen if you speak up? The thing you fear the most may be the right outcome.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — In a few days your plans and sense of the future are likely to open up. With that, you may start to get the feeling that you’re painted into a corner. You’ll feel fine as long as you don’t seriously entertain the idea of stretching your possibilities. You may feel boxed in the moment you want more or extend yourself into the future. You might think that this is about social acceptability, though that’s a trap. Whether you’ve got the approval of others is the last thing you need to worry about. That’s not because you have or do not have that approval, but because you don’t need it and don’t want it. You are the person who needs to approve of yourself. This is not about telling yourself something you don’t believe; it’s about going deep into your feelings and connecting with your commitment to your mission.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Whatever you do or say over the next few days could go viral. That could be by internet, rumor or reputation. You’ll want to choose what you say and to whom you say it. That means paying attention and making choices. Be cautious about what you say that’s motivated by fear, because your concerns will probably turn out not to be true. You might take advantage of the situation and promote your own cause: a project, your business or some social message. Keep spin control by selecting your words carefully. Yet more significant is choosing your feelings, or at least knowing where you’re coming from. You can understate your case; no need to push anything too hard. Your words and your ideas have influence, and even impact. Keep it positive. Look for solutions. Better yet, focus on your best ideas.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You have an opening to take charge and make some significant professional strides. There are two parts to this process: how you feel inwardly, and what you do externally, and the order in which you take them. Start from the feeling, and only do what you truly feel aligned with. Then make your moves carefully, one by one. Choose selectively, and pay attention to what you do first. Preparation is essential, while you have the chance. While you’re busy doing this, you may notice that things seem to happen unrelated to what you’re doing: that you get results on projects started long ago or investments of effort that you forgot you made. In fact, you would be wise to consider projects you started and made progress on, and dust some of them off. The time has come for at least one of them to come to fruition.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You need a new deal, and you can negotiate it. The time is perfect. However, that won’t mean much to you if you don’t grasp the concept of negotiation. It’s a conversation where people state their expectations and what they’re willing to offer or deliver. Then, with that information on the table, you reach an agreement. For you, the basis of the discussion is what you personally want, what you want to contribute, and whether what you’re being offered is acceptable. Most people balk at discussions this direct in the personal realm; I suggest you proceed with confidence and with clarity. You’re likely to underestimate your influence or power in the situation, though don’t make the mistake of overrating yourself, either. Recognize that everyone has needs and everyone has something to offer. The question is: can you work out something that’s mutually acceptable? Whether this is personal or professional, there’s no reason why not.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You need less of some things and more of others. You need less authority in your life, which means taking more authority for yourself. You’ve probably figured out by now that the more you keep your own ship, your own desk and your own mind in order, the less anyone has to do it for you. You need more conscious exchange with others, which for you really means being willing to offer yourself generously and to receive what others are offering. The two are intimately related. Giving and receiving work with the same spiritual muscle, which is the one you want to exercise. “I have something you might need” and “thank you” are in essence the same thing. Withholding and taking for granted have their own special muscle, and you can safely let that one atrophy. Lastly, you don’t need anyone telling you what their notion of god thinks is good for you. You can make up your own mind about that.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — There is a way through or around any obstacle or obstruction. You will need to decide whether someone in your life is being stubborn and intractable, or whether they have an interest in growing. If you repeatedly come up against their refusal to change, and if this has gone on for a year or so, you will need some kind of workaround. They are unlikely to be interested in changing. Yet you’re too well suited to adapting to discomfort for your own good. You need to put your survivalist tendencies to good use, rather than letting them be used against you. Anyway, the purpose of relationships is not to endure; it’s to be productive, share in the benefits of life and have fun. So if you find yourself making excellent use of your coping skills, you might back off a little bit, and find other ways either to adapt or to make a real decision.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Your solar chart this week is all about sex. Excellent sex; the kind where you can’t decide if it’s what you need, or what you want. This falls under the larger heading of creativity. You might count the benefits of pleasure and recreation in your assessment of what you have to accomplish; but then you probably already know about that. Take your well-earned knowledge to heart. Your primary goal needs to be feeling good, so that you can let your ideas and your sense of self flourish. It won’t be hard to find a playmate or two to help this process along, and there seems to be someone in your life of the sparky, irreverent sort. In our moment when time is in such high demand and everyone seems stressed to their limit, efficiency is the key. The most efficient thing you can do is lead an integrated life, where everything feeds everything else; where work and play serve the same purpose.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Not everything is an emotional drama, nor does it have to be made into one. The tendency to take everything personally, and to view anything in the world as a threat to your security, is one of the most wasteful plights of our time in history. You can take 10 years of therapy to figure this out, or you can just see that it’s true: without you feeding the drama, it would hardly exist. Therefore, you might consider withdrawing your energy from anything that’s negative, annoying or intrusive, and investing it in your own wellbeing. You are free to block the phone numbers, ignore the text messages and delete the voicemails of anyone who saps your strength or wastes your time. If you feel any guilt about it, presume it’s a toxin rather than a natural substance. This is a great time to bring certain emotional habits to an end, and teach yourself some new ones.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You may have recently made some observations about a person you live with, and you would be wise to act on them rather than put things off for a few more seasons, months or years. This really is a matter of confidence. If you trusted yourself, what would you do? That’s not only a question in this situation — it’s the theme of your life right now and for the foreseeable future. When you trust yourself you have access to your resources. When you don’t, the first thing to ask yourself is where your faith in yourself went, where you left it behind, or to whom you handed it over (any feelings of guilt will give you a clue as to who that is). My point being: it’s not only what you need, it’s the only thing you need, and you would be wise to devote yourself to this one purpose. It transcends all others.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The theme of your life is finding your independence, and this is true from at least two directions: financial and emotional. It’s difficult to have one without the other, so you may as well consider them one goal. They are so intimately related that they are functionally one thing. It’s likely that your relationship to one or both parents is involved. As you understand and work toward establishing your financial sovereignty, emotional issues will come up. As emotional material comes up, you will discover that much of it is inherently financial. Said another way, your emotional clarity and strength are directly related to how you relate to money. This is the dinosaur in the room, and everyone knows it. Just listen for the actual reasons people give for staying in toxic situations, including putting up with their family. Be strong about this, and be clear: anyone who lacks financial power over you has no power at all.

2016-17 Scorpio Birthday Reading

Unmask Your True Gifts

“I re-listened a few times for the deeper nuance and messaging — a good thing because I discovered so many ‘hidden gems’ throughout the reading! This was definitely a worthwhile investment in money and time. Thank you!”

— Dee McCroreyDear Friend and Reader:

Everyone knows the stereotypical ‘scary’ traits of ‘intense’ Scorpios. But there is so much more to this sign than that, and if you have your Sun, rising sign or Moon in Scorpio (or love someone who does), you know how truly devoted to a higher cause and transformation anyone born under this sign can be.

The true calling card of Scorpio is in fact that transformative ability: to bring shadow to the light, integrate it, and alchemize it into an expression of much higher vibration: creativity, passion, fearlessness, courage and the ability to heal deep wounds.

In a political season and general social context that desperately needs these life-affirming qualities, your 2016-17 Scorpio Birthday Reading will help you to zero in on your gifts — including personal power tools masquerading as ‘difficulties’.

You don’t have to wait until the day after Halloween to take your first step in removing the mask: if you pre-order your reading today, you’ll secure the best price we offer: just $19.97. When the two half-hour audio segments are ready, we’ll email you; when the video tarot reading is ready a little later, we’ll email you again. Along the way, the price will increase incrementally.

Sunday is the Scorpio New Moon, at 1:38 pm EDT (17:38 UTC). What will you discover in that richly introspective darkness? How will you bring it to the light and fearlessly transform it?

And if you have a Scorpio loved one, what will you give them for their birthday? This reading will not only let them know you get them, it will be clear you have their back as they travel along an unusual — yet fruitful and necessary — path.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Planet Waves Astrology Editor

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Sunday’s spectacular New Moon in your birth sign is a reminder that it’s time to enter a new phase of your life. Sometimes we do this as an act of will; sometimes the emotional landscape opens up and we walk into a new vista; sometimes both are happening at once, and that looks like what’s going on. Understand that you control many facets of your perception through your mental approach and attitude. Approach means how you ‘come at’ any situation, and ‘attitude’ is your position or posture. So pay attention to how you come at things, and what your posture is. You have infinite approaches to any situation you find yourself in, or any puzzle you face. Consider a few before you automatically choose the most habituated one. Every circumstance is, in fact, new — just like every person is different and every day is a new day.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You’re under less pressure than you think. You also have more resources to work with than you think, despite any recent setbacks. First, address the pressure. This is mostly psychological, though there’s an emotional dimension. What you seem to be craving is to live out some of your fantasies, whether they are of the rock star, sex diva or financial wizard variety (fill in with your own ideas). The thing to do is to make it real — whatever that might be, even if in a small way. That will help you relax and remove the annoying sense of how abstract and disconnected from reality everything (and everyone) seems to be these days. As for resources, the first thing you need is to know what you need. Be practical about this: make a list. You’ll be able to cross off about half of the items on that list because either you or someone close to you has direct access to that thing. The rest will be within reach, with some effort or negotiation.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Mars in your sign is pushing you to be at your best. But what is your best? Being a star, or doing quality work? The two motivations are mutually exclusive. For some people, in some times and some places, the drive for notoriety pushes them to actual accomplishments. For you that’s too risky; it would be too easy for your ego to dominate consciousness. That’s to say, what you do cannot be about you — it must be about the thing you’re doing, and the part that’s about you is the discipline and dedication necessary to make something happen. Be cautious about any inspiration that comes from praise or public attention. Be cautious about anything a detractor says. Consider them to have approximately the same value, which is less value than your own pressing need for integrity. That means listening with your whole mind, telling no lies whatsoever, and accounting for what you promise but do not deliver.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Monitor your fear level closely. It’s still a potentially serious distraction. Remember that there are two ways to approach any possibly fearful situation: you can ruminate over the past, or you can focus on solutions. The past might provide some helpful information; but that’s about all you need, and working with that information is not about dwelling on history, or fear. When I was in therapy school, I learned something helpful: Let the fear speak first. Rather than suppress it, or get sucked into it, listen to what your fear is saying. If you decide that it’s something valid, then translate that into a plan of action. You are being called to leadership, and the first and most important variety is self-leadership. Guide yourself forward. Take steps in the direction you’re trying to go — at least one per day, and then go for two per day, until you’re up to one per hour.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — With the New Moon in Scorpio and Jupiter in rare form, the world is leaning in your favor; the boughs with the fruit are reaching down to you. Now, you must reach back, by reaching for what you want and being willing to receive it. Some say that life is about fate; for you, life is about faith, though faith in the unseen must be met by your own choices and intention expressed as action. One thing that would help you significantly is to stop seeking approval. Rather, be a true artist and do what you are moved to do, because it’s the thing to do. Rather than those who approve of you, consider carefully with whom you might collaborate. Get the conversation going, and shift the discussion into some form of reality as soon as you can. This is not about pushing the river; rather, it’s about conducting real-time experiments and determining what works and what does not work. Needless to say, respond appropriately to that information.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — If you think friendly thoughts, you will see friends everywhere. If you’re thinking darker and more suspicious thoughts, you might see conspiracies around you. There are two things going on: one is that these days, your thoughts are powerful projectors of your reality. Experiment with this: as you change your thoughts, your reality will change. You might need to convince yourself to try this for the sake of the experiment. The other phenomenon is the sense that all people and events are somehow interconnected. This might manifest as making the discovery that people you meet already know people you’re connected to; you might experience other synchronicities that reveal the extent to which the world you see is the projection of your own mind. The beauty of this discovery is that it reveals how much influence you have over your own life.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may get the feeling that others are demanding more than you can give. But what are they really asking for? Seen one way, it’s a sacrifice of some kind; seen another way, you’re in a situation that’s calling for you to rise to the occasion of your own maturity. Growth presents challenges, and those are worth the effort if, on the other end, you collect the benefits. What you’re experiencing now is indeed about receiving the advantages of previous personal development projects. You merely need to be the best person you already are. This means seeing yourself as equal to any task, and worthy of the trust that people invest in you. If you see ‘authority figures’ as people from whom you can learn, and who facilitate your growth, you will take the pressure off of everyone and have more fun.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Mercury, your personal planet, is about to move into Scorpio. The psychological insight offered by this sign will help you make some sense out of people or situations that were previously not quite adding up. You’ll also have more tolerance of things being out of balance in that characteristically 21st-century way. The thing to remember is the human factor. People have egos, and they tend to be oversensitive, just like you get sometimes. When they’re in that condition, what they need is empathy. This might come as recognition for what they’ve accomplished, even though you might perceive this as excessive pride or childishness. Humor people. Tell them what great work they’re doing and they will be much more cooperative with the great work that you are doing.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Nearly all the energy coming at you involves sex in some form or another. That might include desire, love, lust, attachment or attraction. And, because many people have some issues around sex, a diversity of shadow emotions are possible — meaning the things that are difficult to acknowledge or understand, such as shame, guilt and repulsion. How you experience these things depends on your state of mind. We live in times when the seemingly logical first thing to do is to get offended (rather than to laugh at something). You have better options open than that. Given that laughing or taking offense is not necessarily appropriate, you might try talking with whomever else is involved, by which I mean speaking and listening alternately till you gain some understanding. You might make a discovery, such as what initially seemed weird or offensive turns you on like nothing before.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You need to find some level ground with the world, a place where people don’t seem to have all the advantages over you. I would propose that will come from taking care of yourself first. Center your life around your physical and emotional wellbeing, starting with rest, water and some time to yourself. This will help you settle into your body and your feelings, which will in turn give you more confidence. It’s true that you have many demands on your energy and much work to do. In order to be fully present and to offer yourself in service, you need to have all your resources available — to you. Over the next few days the logic of this will seem more apparent, and you’ll naturally go in that direction. Just remember, this is not at cross-purposes to all that you want to get done. Rather, it’s the essential ingredient.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — As Mercury makes its way into Scorpio, you may find it’s easier to talk about all those difficult-to-express things. I don’t just mean complaints and issues. I mean the deep secrets you want to express, and the desires you have not articulated. Begin with yourself, getting it out into essays or your journal. Then do the unthinkable: share your writing with others. You might even start there, and say exactly what you want to say to everyone you want to say it to. While you might use some discretion among people you work with (where there may be official policies in place), everyone else is open season. This does involve taking a risk, and that feeling of being on the edge is the same feeling as speaking your truth, with love.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You seem to be grappling with self-esteem, but really it looks more like self-judgment. Address the second and the first will take care of itself. You will feel better if you depend less on external influences for reassurance. You don’t need people to tell you that you’re great, and you don’t need to be better than anyone; take a break comparing yourself to others and you’ll feel more centered. It matters not whether anyone is ‘better’ or ‘worse’ in any way; the mere gesture of comparison puts you at a disadvantage. When you enter that state of mind, you lose. You are your own exemplar; set the example for yourself. It’s possible to accept yourself for who you are, and consciously engage in learning and growth at the same time.

Staying Power: Your Scorpio Birthday Reading

“A devoted follower of your work since 2008, and a supporting member now for more than a year, I feel your readings are spot on so I keep coming back.”

— Lesley (ScorpioX3)

Customers like Lesley have good reason to keep coming back. Eric’s insightful readings penetrate into ‘the good stuff’ — deeply enough yet accessibly and enjoyably enough that you can draw on them potentially for years into the future.

That’s why you’ll want to get your pincers round your 2016-17 Scorpio Birthday Reading now, while it’s still at the lowest pre-order price, and secure Eric’s gift to you — for the approaching solar year and beyond.

Mars and Pluto, your sign’s two rulers, are currently in a high-power conjunction in Capricorn. Can you feel it? Ready for some assistance in handling all that energy?

The reading is released in two stages: first comes about an hour of audio astrology in two parts; second, the video Tarot interpretation. All for only $19.97 for a limited time, and in a format you can access over and over — like an audio-video map into yourself.

Note:  The whole package will become available in two stages, and the price will increase incrementally along the way — early purchase gives you all of it for the best deal. Pre-order your current 2016-17 reading today, and see if you don’t want to stick around for more.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Take the slow, steady approach in business or professional affairs. Remember that the web of life is woven one relationship at a time. This spans from the seemingly most minor or trivial associations to the most profound and meaningful. There is less difference between them than you may think. For maximum benefit, treat them all the same: with the utmost respect. When you encounter people, remember that on some level everyone is dealing with pain, loss and disappointment. It’s not that you have to coddle people; rather, be as gentle as you can, and have the fewest expectations. This will cultivate natural humility: rich or poor, young or old, happy or sad, we’re all in the same boat. Slow down with each person until you can feel the common ground that you share. Listen and notice. You will make some unusually beautiful discoveries.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Remember, you have your options open. You might start to feel like you’re in a pinch, financially, emotionally or otherwise. Should that happen, stop and take a wider view of your life. Make a list of your possible choices for how to handle your situation. It’s likely that you’re missing something obvious. You might seek the input of someone who knows you well and can help you see some of the potentials that might elude you. They exist, and going through this exercise might result in your seeing some truly excellent possibilities you would have missed otherwise. At least one of them will involve working with a few other people, or seeking resources through your network of contacts. What you need already exists. It might even be in the same room as you are right now.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — People already notice you. You don’t have to go out of your way. They already know you do good work; you don’t have to impress them, and you don’t have to impress yourself. If you’re going to be proud of your achievements, make it the mild, laid-back kind of pride, like sitting in a chair and knowing you’re a good dancer. The key idea here is understatement. If you show off your skills or talents, that’s likely to backfire. Focus on getting the job done well and on time, and forget about recognition and even about the money. Put everything you have into quality and devotion to your work for its own sake. If you’re feeling insecure, this may be more of a challenge; though you have what it takes. Insecurity can be a fine inspiration to do what needs to be done. A measure of uncertainty will help you to be thorough and keep an eye out for your mistakes.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You’re being offered the help you need; are you open to receiving it? Consider that for a moment, and then let’s go a step further. If for some reason you’re not open to assistance, you might consider why that is, and whether it’s actually the correct position to take. You don’t really need that much help. You might need some companionship, though even that is minimal. Then consider the other possibility: that you would benefit from being more open to assistance. What you and those around you must know is that it’s not really going to benefit you if it’s not on your own terms. Be polite about this. Get an understanding of what’s being offered, and select the elements that you need. Then establish a clear understanding with whoever is involved. In your calmest, most relaxed mental posture, you must be the one who takes charge.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — While you’re taking care of day-to-day business, keep some focus on your medium- and long-range plans. If you don’t have plans, come up with some ideas. You need a vision that you can grow into — one that’s either not limited by your current commitments, or which extends them to a totally new place. Then, it’ll help if you act on your ideas as soon as possible. Take some tangible step in the direction that you want to go. If you experience any resistance, keep going, a little each day if necessary. One of the themes of your chart for the foreseeable future is leadership, and the most important form of that is self-leadership. Think of this as a series of commitments that you make to yourself, and then you fulfill them. And keep going.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You must keep a cool head. This is true in every facet of your life, though let’s start with personal situations. It would appear that a partner is in a space where they’re easily triggered. The only way to handle this is to keep yourself in balance, even if others are finding that a challenging state to maintain for themselves. As for the professional aspect of your life, you seem to be making progress toward a challenging goal that you’ve been working toward for a long time. However, you will need to work with the powers that be, rather than against them. This is not the time to be rebellious; it’s the time to be what’s known as politic: mind your manners, offer your opinion politely, and make sure you’ve listened for a while before you do that. The very worst thing you could do is to get pushy, as it’ll be interpreted as aggressive. Rather, focus your goals, work with your allies, and gently persist at what you want to accomplish.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may be in a tight spot emotionally, but you won’t be for long. The past few weeks have been an emotional time, though you have moved through the territory consciously. Do not be deterred if you seem to run up against one final challenge as you move into a new place. You don’t need to fight or defend yourself; just be yourself and do what is right for you. It would help if you admitted that you may want togetherness and you may love to be bonded, but you also want your freedom. This is a difficult position for many people to honor about themselves. Others would do it more willingly if you were to step up to that simple fact of your existence: you cannot be held down. You’re not only capable of profound commitment; you love it. Yet within that space of devotion you need room to move, to expand, and to explore new dimensions of your reality. Step one: keep your sense of humor handy.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You may be feeling scattered, but creatively you’re in rare form. To get the flow of ideas going requires a little chaos, and your life certainly qualifies at the moment. You’ll benefit from channeling your energy into productive activities (making art in any form, imbibing art in any form, passion, sex, etc.) rather than merely emoting, or talking about things. In fact it would make sense to skip the part about telling people what you’re planning to do, and instead get down to business. Meanwhile, your astrology suggests you pay special attention to anything involving shared finance or matters of taxation. Get second opinions, sleep a few nights on any question and, most of all, read before you sign.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Work for a negotiated settlement in any conflict you may be involved with. There is a matter of power involved; you have some, and other people have some. Yet you don’t want any situation to come to blows. Rather, everyone needs to respect where the other is coming from, and the resources that they have available; and you’re the person who is going to set that tone. By all means be strong and clear, and assert what you think is right. That, however, is different from being confrontational. Not everyone will agree with this philosophy, and some people may believe force is the best approach. In that case I recommend working between three options. One: delay. Do not engage, or do so only minimally. Two: be clever, exerting as little energy as possible. Rather, look for opportunities to strategically shift the situation. Three: do the thing you do best and keep things on the human level: kids, dogs, cats, football, lunch, etc. Take it slowly — this will blow over soon enough.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Don’t let anyone’s scrambled ideas about life scramble your mind, or your emotions for that matter. It will help if you recognize when this is happening. It may have been happening quite a bit over the weekend. The best thing you can do is to stop communicating with people who view their role as being to mess with you in some way. The other best thing you can do is to keep your sense of humor. Nearly everything has a funny side, and you’ll be at an advantage if you keep your mind there rather than on some other aspect. The truth has a way of coming through when humor is present. It’s as if seriousness blocks the sensitivity and perceptiveness needed to actually discern reality. Notice the way that your experience changes as your perception changes. The world you see is the one you contain in your mind. Knowing that, and using it, gives you extraordinary influence.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You have a perfectly gorgeous opportunity to let go of some creative and sexual inhibitions. That story in a moment; let’s go to the background first. That would be self-esteem, the foundation of psychic health. You are discovering that in new ways now. You have some added substance to work with, like a car that’s got clean oil and a fresh tank of gas. That gives you some extra mojo when it comes to expressing yourself in daring ways. Through the past five years or so, you’ve been gradually loosening up your previously inhibited approach to life. A series of jolts, moments of liberation and creative breakthroughs have led you to the understanding that there is more to life than you had imagined. Now you get to make some of that real. The way you will do this is by stepping out and asserting your desires. You may have help with that — and clearly people will be interested — but remember, this is about you, not them.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You’re burning off some of your deepest insecurities. That’s a process that might make heat and smoke, meaning you might feel your fears in some raw form before you decide you don’t need them anymore. Therefore I suggest being prepared for some emotional intensity — which you would do best to be open about with people you share your living space with. If you’re going through something, tell them you are. This will serve as insurance against anyone taking anything personally when it’s not. You need some room to process your emotions. More than anything, in the grand scheme of things, you need room to feel what you feel. You need emotional independence. That’s good because by one reading, others are either ready to give you space, or you’re not interested in sharing too much space with them. You may learn a lot from people who grate on you a bit, and you’re entitled to take them in limited doses. In any event, you need a room of your own.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Yours is one of the most perceptive signs. I find it great fun to listen to the observation of the world from the Scorpio point of view, because it’s always seeking insight into subtle motives. Now is the time to understand your own motives. And it’s time to honor the power of your words, which is substantial. Your words have so much energy that they will penetrate deeper than you think, and have more impact than you may imagine. If you aspire to write, this is the time to have a breakthrough; that is, to have the feeling of actually, really writing and coming across. Reading will also benefit you now. If there is some subject you’re trying to get to the bottom of, now is the time. Just be clear, and gentle, and sit on things for a day or three before you publish or push ‘send’.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — This is an excellent time to expand your social network, whether for fun or to spread your influence in some way. In either case, your astrology says keep it friendly, and make your contacts with people in person as much as possible. You want them to see your eyes and your face; you want to see them as humans, and notice how they carry themselves and dress and what their voice sounds like. This whole business of everything happening on the internet is not really helping people. The real basis of trust is in-person relating; and if the association must be long distance, choose telephone rather than text message or email. You’re looking for actual connection, and you have the ability to create it. Let people feel who you are. Charm them with your friendly, positive approach to life, and look for the ways you may work and create.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — If you’re wondering what the right thing to do is, it’s the thing that brings people together rather than driving them apart. That means you, personally, being closer to people, rather than deeming anyone an enemy. Everyone you meet has the potential to help you grow, and you have the same potential for them. The current astrology is focused on your sign, and it is hot, it’s aggressive and it’s deep. That represents how you may be feeling: on the list of possibilities is anger coming to the surface, or some sense of loss, and a need to heal some wound and move beyond the past. What I suggest you remember is that when you clear all these other feelings out of the way, the underlying issue is connecting with yourself more deeply. That means being honest about who and what you want. It also means being honest about what you would do if you were to align your desire with your soul’s mission.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — There’s that old joke about the person buying the hotdog who says, “Make me one with everything,” then she asks for her change, and the vendor says, “Change comes from within.” Now, your current astrology might not be feeling so Buddhist. You might have thoughts and emotions surfacing associated with matters you thought were long past. You might be feeling some fear or panic. You might be having some unusually racy, deep or fiery erotic thoughts and desires. It’s all part of the same process, and though not all of this feels good (though some of it might), think of it as previously ‘unconscious’ material coming to the surface of your mind. In doing so, it relieves pressure. That, in turn, helps you clear your psychic and emotional bodies. Take the ride, be aware, and let yourself feel rather than stuffing your feelings down. From there, it’s a short hop to the joke about the hotdog vendor.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Your astrology continues to be high-impact; that is, your impact on the world around you. You have a lot of responsibility focused on you. It’s therefore vital that you maintain your spin control. You are visible, even if you’re not a public person. Your example is being taken as a form of leadership even if you don’t say a word. It may seem that with so much going on, you must neglect something — though I propose you take a different approach. Know your priorities, and invest in all of them, but give your top-ranked agenda items more energy. Make sure that among those items on top of your list include things that are for work, and things entirely for pleasure. Most importantly, make sure that every day you make some investment in the future. It might be jotting down a thought, expanding an idea, reading about something you want to do, or making contacts in a new field of interest. We live in wildly unbalanced times. Respond by maintaining a balance and, as the saying goes in the game Monopoly, building evenly.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — The big break in one’s career usually comes gradually. Years of effort eventually lead somewhere, though usually the rewards are collected more like interest on an investment and less like winning the lottery. Then there are times when you must focus and push toward a specific goal, and sometimes that can result in an acceleration of results. That’s the phase you’re in now. Over the next 10 days you’re coming under the influence of an aspect that will drive your ambition. However, I suggest you convert most of that power into productivity, pragmatism and service. If you allow yourself to get into the mode of conquering or even competition, it could backfire on you. Therefore, I suggest you be extremely cautious around the issue of power, and instead, strive to make yourself useful. That can include setting specific goals, though you will succeed based on cooperation rather than on competition. That includes cooperating with people in positions of authority, whether you like them or not.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You seem to be facing a question of commitment. The thing to remember is that commitment comes from the inside. No matter what contract you might sign or promise you make, you will do what you do because you want to. You can sign a contract for a fitness club, but actually working out is a matter of your own inner drive. This applies to every facet of your life, particularly a relationship situation. You cannot be held to anything; you can only decide that it’s the right thing to do. You might feel like you need to filter out your own emotional needs in order to make room for those of someone else, but the real solution to such a puzzle is to work from a place of mutual desires, and yes, needs. You might listen to what people are saying and ask yourself quietly and carefully whether it’s true, and for whom. There is a meeting point between your interests and those of everyone in your life, no matter how special they may or may not be; that’s why they’re in your life. Your role is to find, and work with, that common ground.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You can afford to come out of your shell. In fact, it would seem to be the very thing you want to do the most, and being responsive to that will benefit you. For a couple of months it would seem that you’ve been lost in your own sauce, more concerned with a kind of inner reflection than with expressing yourself. Maybe it felt productive; maybe it was frustrating; I reckon you learned something important about yourself in any case, particularly about your insecurities. Now you get to collect the results of that work, which will come in the form of expressing yourself. That means a form of freedom you haven’t had for a while. Freedom is something you take, not something you’re given. This will require courage, and shifting out of some old patterns — though you have help, and you have incentive. Still, you’re the one who must take the seeming risk of expressing yourself, which means opening yourself up to the potentially significant rewards.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — It’s time to have a party. Your home is where the fun is. You’re a private person by nature, but that inclines you to do your socializing in your own space and on your own terms. Yet the party does not need to be any more than you — that is, celebrating your physical space, caring for it, and making sure you feel at home there. The forthcoming Aries Full Moon is suggesting some unusual and exciting developments in your career, and one of my theories of life is that work goes better when one is more grounded and comfy in one’s home environment. Home is the true foundation of achievement in the world, and it’s the thing that holds the ship upright when a good wind is blowing and the currents are moving quickly. You will almost surely be investing your time in a kind of breakthrough project as these days and weeks unfold. And as that happens, you’ll be grateful that your home is in order and supports you spiritually, emotionally and, most of all, physically.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — As the Full Moon builds to a peak, I suggest you invest your energy three ways: one is listening, another is being articulate, and the third is listening. Your solar chart describes beautiful opportunities to relate to others. You also seem to have an emotional situation where you need to tune into a domestic partner or close relative. Take special care with this situation. Someone is feeling more than they are letting on, and they may have the feeling of being muted or unable to express their needs. This is why I suggest you listen for clues and bring subjects up delicately. To some extent this may describe you and your relationship to your feelings about someone you live with. No matter how questionable your emotions, all you really need is a dialog. Get the discussion going and all paths will lead to healing.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Pay close attention to money, in any form, particularly shared finances. There’s an unusual amount of energy moving through your chart and it’s just about all focused on the financial zones. This describes potential, and it describes risk. It’s up to you to balance the two of them. The thing to remember is that from the look of your solar chart, in any partnership, you’re likely to be the one with most of the wealth. So you would be taking most of the risk, but the rewards would be split evenly (since that’s your style). The prudent thing to do would be to limit what you invest into others, or into situations involving others. Preserve most of what you have, and take sensible risks when it comes to having more. The question in any financial or business partnership is: what are the parties bringing to the table? In some rare instances ideas are enough, but there’s little risk in that; and therefore, little reason to follow up the idea with work and focused intelligence.

Just What You Need When You Need It: Your Libra Reading

Dear Friend and Reader:

Eric recently completed Part One of the 2016-17 Libra Birthday Reading: two lush segments of studio-quality audio astrology. He’ll be completing Part Two, the video tarot reading, in the near future.

We’re already getting fantastic feedback about this reading — including this email from longtime member Ginger Aarons:

Eric,

Adrestia, Greek Goddess of balance and just retribution, by Harisharamnath.

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.

I have been struggling for about four years now on the idea of safety and security within myself instead of in outside sources. This will be put to the test this year (as if it hasn’t already been tested!) and while I struggle to want some cohesive partnership, as most Libras do, it is elusive still. I wonder can I wait for a miracle?

The shifting of Jupiter into Libra was indeed an overnight event, and suddenly I am able to face the future full on.

I think to sum it up: the reminder that really what it gets down to is acting in integrity, and realizing that quality, respect and beauty equals wisdom to this Libra. And then perhaps we can change the world.

Soldiering on.

Thank you again, Eric. I think we are entering about 18 years of knowing each other. That’s a long time in today’s world. You’re a blessing. Thank you for your service!
— Ginger Aarons

If you know and love a Libra, you can let them know by giving them this reading. It’s ideal for those with Libra rising, too.

Note: the price will increase again when the tarot portion publishes. (Still not sure? Listen to last year’s Libra reading here, on us.)

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Planet Waves Astrology Editor

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You’re experiencing some of the most vibrant, alive astrology in many, many moons. One thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes even the very best aspects can get mixed results. So I’m here to tell you what’s available: a whole world of possibilities is right within reach. You’re likely to be attracting interesting, exciting people. Let them shake your tree a little. You don’t need to be conservative or withholding — you have plenty to go around, and the more you share the more you’ll realize you have. As for what dark streaks might be coming through, the thing to watch for is jealousy in any form. It’s most likely to be sexual or emotional, and it’s the thing you want to address first — if you happen to be feeling it. Be generous with people by reminding them they are free to pursue their lives, their interests and their pleasure. Those who come to you as part of that quest are the people you want to share your time and space with.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — A truly unusual mixture of energies simmers down your need to speak up for yourself. You are processing some deep feelings, and if you don’t express them, you’re likely to explode. That would not be productive. Yet if you’re able to say, ‘I think’, ‘I feel’, and ‘I want’, you will be a much happier person. By ‘say’, I mean, ‘say calmly but sincerely’. The problem with most emotional communication is that it happens close to the boiling point, where there’s a sensation of needs being neglected. Where this elusive thing called needs is concerned, though, it’s essential that they be as self-met as possible, and that relationships be more the purview of voluntary fulfillment. This reverses the usual logic. There are still actual needs in relationships, and to the extent that is true, you need to learn the language of emotions, and gain enough clarity to say what you mean and mean what you say.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — This is your week to be a star, or rather to become one. You have a positively gorgeous alignment of planets in the sweet spot in your chart, which is Libra. It’s your most social angle, and also the one that describes legitimate respect for what you do in the world, and the proceeds from business enterprises. All of these things are glowing with opportunity. What will add something to the equation is your willingness to take creative risks. Smash the mold and do what you think is shocking or stunning or unusual or weird. Whatever you do for art or pleasure, do it in a new way. Challenge yourself to come out of all your safe zones and formulas and let yourself stretch, burst or explode. This is how you’ll reach into yourself and make contact with that deeply original core you contain. This is not territory for the meek, mild or timid; thankfully you have nothing to worry about there.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — At the moment, there is an unusual conjunction happening in your sign: Mars, the planet of energy, drive and desire, is meeting up with Pluto, the planet of soul and transformation. This is happening after a long buildup — something that’s been developing all year. This is a description of you coming into a new level of your existence, a new idea about who you are, and what you might think of as an increase in your personal power. Yet you must handle this with care and caution. Your words count for three times the potency as usual. Your emotions are exponentially stronger. As this develops over the next week or so, you must practice consciousness and restraint, and be selective about how to express your energy in healthy ways. No doubt some of them will be sexual, because you’re finally making contact with what you want, and are willing to admit it. But be kind to people, and try not to burn anyone as they touch your gorgeous flame, or get touched by you.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Lately I’ve been reminding you to open your mind and consider the possibilities for your life. Clearly you need and want change. There are basically two ways for that to happen: some event occurs to you and you’re compelled to deal with it. Or, in the alternate, you unfurl your imagination and expand your vision and move into it. Right now your chart is perfectly suited for doing just that. The thing about a vision is that it must exceed who and what you currently are. That presents a real challenge for many people. For example, they might wonder how they’re going to make that thing they want to happen. That’s exactly what not to worry about right now. It doesn’t matter how you’ll get there or even whether you will. What matters is getting your ideas flowing and being real about what you want to do and become. Of note, certain aspects are doing their best to help you dig out of any old ideas you might have about yourself, or that you inherited from your elders. This is demolition work, but don’t let the noise frighten you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Pluck up every drop of your confidence and get ready to meet the world. The laid-back, ‘whatever happens’ attitude of Pisces is officially retired. You’re discovering that you’re a person of considerable determination and ambition. You’re discovering that you have ideas and plans and that it’s time to put them into action. That time is not in the future. It’s now. You must make friends with your own power, and with people you perceive to be powerful, without compromising your integrity. What that means is being a whole person, and being who you are, all the time, in every circumstance. Not everyone will like that, though it’s not actually your problem. If you cut through the fog and bullshit, which you seem to be doing brilliantly, you will connect with the people who want to work with you, who can help you and to whom you can be an asset and a resource. This is a moment of forming bonds and partnerships that can last a lifetime. Yet that comes from one quality only, which is being real.