Aries (March 20-April 19) — You may be thinking one thing and feeling another. Which is correct? Time will tell, though if you’re in a hurry to make up your mind, you’ll want to go with what you feel rather than what you believe. Evidence of that might come with the experience that no matter how hard you try to convince yourself of something, you don’t believe it. The attempt at convincing rather than the not believing indicates what your real position is. You have other evidence; you have many clues; this is not as complicated as you may think, though there’s a reason why you may be having difficulty accepting what you know: it would challenge your larger belief system. For most people, human nature guides them to alter the facts, or choose from among the facts, to prevent a belief from being invalidated. Yet you’re at the point in your hard-won maturity where you must go beyond protecting false ideologies. It’s time to shed those like a husk and learn to invest your faith in the truth of what you know. You’re at a distinct advantage over most people: you have actual priorities and values, and you’re willing to speak up about them. You’re even willing to be unpopular if you need to. Be confident in your own intelligence, and daring enough to speak truth to power, including your own power. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Venus returns to your sign on June 6, after making some fancy moves in Pisces and Aries through much of the spring. You may decide you have no idea what all the fuss was about. After a long and mysterious journey, you’ve arrived in a familiar place. Yet what you went through was not only meaningful, it was an irreplaceable, once-in-a-lifetime sequence of events that provoked something rare for the human race these days: a desire to understand yourself. This, in turn, extends into your partnerships, whether business or personal. What you must always remember is that your inner life influences your relationships more than it does for others. Unlike many people you know, you cannot conceal your inner reality and still be happy in a relationship. It just feels awkward, as if you’re living a double life. What you learned through your many self-inquiries over the past few months is exactly what you’ll benefit from sharing with people around you. This will lead to real conversations, the kind where you don’t know where they’ll lead. You might say that, for the purposes of your growth, anything that’s predictable isn’t real; it’s a contrivance. That is, in part, because nothing is actually predictable; but moreover, the attempt to make it so merely subtracts from your potential rather than adding to it. Therefore, stay in unfamiliar territory as much as you possibly can. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini Birthdays, Gemini Rising:
Set Your New Moon Intentions with Your 2017 Reading

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

— Linsey

Dear Friend and Reader:

Earlier today was the Gemini New Moon: the Sun and Moon merging in your sign. It represents the ability to reconcile different forms of awareness, different viewpoints — even the ‘two different people’ you may feel that you are.

Do your inner twins usually get along? Or do you find yourself often at odds with yourself?

Finding that point of reconciliation is only one of the topics your 2017 Gemini Birthday Reading is designed to address. Eric understands that some very sensitive areas of your chart have some very powerful planets moving through them — and that you’re in a position to make the most of what is being offered to you.

Your reading is two 30-minute segments of studio-quality audio astrology, plus a separate tarot reading (video or audio) for your year ahead.

It’s like getting a chart reading and a life-coaching session all in one — for a fraction of the cost.

Eric offers these readings as a dependable resource you can listen to over and over throughout the year when you need a touchstone, a moment of guidance or just a steady presence to help you focus on your deepest needs and desires, and reorient on your highest potential.

“There is no way I can begin to describe how spot on you are with this reading concerning the place I have been finding myself in over the few years and in particular from last year onwards. Very astutely described! You say something I literally keep thinking whenever I find myself among people. You are actually quoting a very frequent thought of mine. This is stunning.”

— Alexandra Marx, Gemini

When you pre-order your 2017 Gemini Birthday Reading, not only do you lock in the lowest price we offer — you set the intention to begin your year with full, focused, integrated consciousness. With all that’s going on in the world around you, that’s a bold and empowering step.

Wishing you an excellent year,

Amanda Painter

P.S. You can also take advantage of the discounted price when you pre-order the 2017 Gemini Birthday Reading as a gift — for anyone with a Gemini Sun, rising sign or Moon.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — This month, in some form, family must be a priority. That doesn’t automatically imply your family of origin or blood relatives. Family, the original idea, involves the tribe, the extended family and the community. In contemporary terms, we call this ‘family of choice’. And too often, that family of choice includes only people we think we agree with 100% on every issue. You’re being called on to open up your belief systems, and to openly embrace people whose views you don’t share. Recent conflicts or disagreements have only served to underscore the necessity for being more open-minded. It’s not merely about being so tolerant. Rather, this is about being intelligent. You have a lot to learn from people whose views you don’t support, including (if nothing else) gaining clues about human nature. Yet there’s also something about your nature and the way in which you tend to contain both sides of every coin, even if you only look at one side or the other. A coin implies value, and yet such is worthless unless you present all of it rather than just half of it. Strive for a perspective that transcends the nasty oppositions that the world imposes on thought (mostly to the benefit of advertisers, who thrive on conflict). The word integrity is based on a deeper concept, which is integration; in this case, of yourself. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The Sun enters your sign this month, followed hours later by Mercury. The message: you’ll decide you really did know what you were talking about, and what you were doing, all along. Yes, you’ll encounter some reasons to doubt your thinking, though don’t take them too seriously. Rather, use doubt as an opportunity to shore up your plans, do additional research and refine your timing. Most of what you need to begin, or whatever major moves you want to make, should probably wait until after the solstice on the 21st — by which time you will have worked the bugs out of your plans, and decided you’re worthy of things actually working out in a way you’re happy with. So, endure the bumps; work through the grind and the possible sensation that you don’t really know which way is up; let yourself encounter your self-doubt; and then be prepared for a breakthrough. Let yourself be led by passion and curiosity rather than by reputation or any concerns about your image. Take pride in the fact that you’ve built your career defying expectations and throwing conventions to the four winds. To the extent that you succeed in this crazy world, that will be your formula for success, as long as you remember what you can do so well but sometimes forget: be polite to the people who are helping you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You face the challenge of working out the balance between giving, receiving and seeking what you need. This can be a delicate equilibrium to maintain, especially with so many people in such a depleted state, and you having so many responsibilities. You know that you must take care of yourself; and at the same time, you take the idea of dharma seriously. That means “acting as if to hold the world together,” or said another way, making every effort to actually participate meaningfully in the lives of the people around you. This is a bold and necessary philosophy, and every now and then it calls for a cold, clear re-evaluation. You might ask: when you invest your energy into someone, what are they doing with it? Are they, too, building the world, and passing the gesture forward? When you direct your time, thought and motivation into an organization, have you considered its motives? What is its purpose on Earth, and whom is it helping? Are your most intimate relationships nourishing or depleting? You need dependable sources of strength. It’s clear that one of them is leadership and serving a purpose. Yet this month and this summer, you must go deeper, and make contact with a source of energy that you draw from the Earth, such as better food, time in nature, your own creative projects, and love that both gives and receives. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — It’s time to take the bold step out into the open, where people can see you. The Sun’s transit across Gemini is a study in doing things right, doing them well, and being respected by those who are aware of you. That’s helpful, even if you have to tap into the competitive side of your nature. Then the next necessary step is meeting your audience. That’s the real challenge: the difference (for example) between writing a dissertation for an audience of three, and a book that could get into anyone’s hands. You’re ready for prime time. You’re ready to face the wider public, which also means to serve a larger audience. This may be professional; it may be social; it’s likely to be some degree of both. The thing to remember is that this is not ‘all about you’. It’s about a relationship between you and your human environment, which becomes the equivalent of a family. While Virgo is considered one of the quieter and more retreating signs of the zodiac, the cosmic map of your sign describes you as someone who thrives in any role where you’re relating to a group in an intimate way. This might include running the camp kitchen, organizing childcare for an activist movement, or figuring out how to host 25 visitors.  However, the real subject matter is more likely to involve your ideas. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Summer is when your career tends to thrive, and this summer will be a particularly bold example. However, for that to happen, you’re going to need to balance recreational time with productive time in an efficient equation. One is gong to feed the other, and it’ll be healthy of you to motivate yourself to work with both the promise and the reality of a life worth living. First, you must master the art of being able to set up and get work done anywhere — measured in productivity and tasks accomplished rather than in time spent doing things. That will mean being task-focused: keeping a schedule and making sure that you’re flexible enough to handle the usual bumps and wobbles of daily business. If you notice yourself fighting with any of your business equipment, upgrade it; time is precious and frustration is pointless. On the recreational side, you’ll need to do things like plan a late start on the day after you’re planning a late night out. Then see how that goes. One last detail: you will need to enlist others in supporting you. Most people have jobs that they can turn off and leave behind. You have some professional calling in which you’re deeply invested, and which is depending on you. Gently involve everyone in that process, whether this involves respecting your space and time, or assisting you directly. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You might focus less on the details of finance within a relationship and devote yourself to increasing your professional revenue. There seems to be a conversation that’s gone on too long and that does not appear especially productive, despite a recent breakthrough. Where joint finances of any kind are concerned, the question to ask is: what do you actually owe anyone, and what do they owe you? What is the actual dollar figure? It might be zero; it might be more; it might be less; but the thing to agree on is the amount, and then move on to something more interesting. If there’s some discussion in principle, it’s likely to be a veil thrown over a deeper emotional or sexual matter. If that’s true, do what you can to distill that to its essence so you can really decide what it means to you. And the deeper question in your relationships is one of mutual support. Do yourself a favor and hang out with people as generous as you are. From the look of your solar chart, they are right nearby. Meanwhile, back to business: it’s time to take a holistic view of where your money comes from, where it goes and why it goes there. You must become a master of two issues: connecting your talent to your revenue stream, and then managing your cash flow impeccably. One key to this is building up your savings. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — It’s challenging learning how to be easier on yourself and also more disciplined at the same time. Yet that’s the challenge you face at this stage, and fortunately it’s a riddle with a solution. However, you won’t be able to get around the need to pull out the stops and focus your efforts on something that may be difficult, and that requires a large investment of your energy. So the ‘going easier’ aspect of things may be about cultivating a state of mind where you settle in for the long haul and commit to both long days and a long growing season. This calls for a special mental outlook, where it may be necessary to disconnect from your desired outcome for a while, and invest yourself fully in the process. That will do two things: it’ll remove a distraction, and at the same time, open your mind to other possibilities for where you’re going, including something that appears to manifest randomly. The way the summer and autumn shape up, it looks like no matter how hard you work toward a specific outcome, success will come in an unexpected form, in an unexpected way. Therefore, you can use goal setting as a kind of guidepost, to keep you heading some general direction rather than going in circles. Just remember to focus on the quality and integrity of your work, rather than the goal. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You need a change in perspective and environment. This means shifting your emphasis away from things you must do, and people you must do things for. It means emphasizing what’s interesting over what’s boring; what’s new over what’s repetitive; what helps you relax rather than what’s hyper-focused. Fortunately there are activities and people calling you, and it would seem that you feel the resonance and are excited about having some fun. The question is, if you’re not ready to dive in, what’s holding you back? Is it a commitment to someone, which might carry an implied ‘threat’ to the relationship if you explore yourself in new ways? The nature of commitment, jealousy, and control in your relationships is a theme to consider carefully. You have the perfect opportunity to do that if you want to explore someone or something but feel like you can’t, you shouldn’t, or you mustn’t. Many people believe that these strictures are worth it, to get all the benefits of the relationship. It’s worth questioning carefully whether that’s really true, and what the real benefit to you is. There are commitments that yield freedom, and there are commitments whose primary benefit is constraining freedom and limiting one’s options. Yes, strangely, strictures are often experienced as a benefit, though this is rarely acknowledged. The question is: what life do you really want to lead? For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You might take this month and define your healing goals. Take these on two levels: the ones about repairing or unraveling what’s not going well, and determining what you need for an enhanced experience of wellbeing. Let’s consider part one, the repair side of the question. This might involve fulfilling a commitment to go to therapy, to reassess any medications you’re taking, and getting a handle on any physical issues that you want to address. They might include better diet, losing weight or more exercise. They might include addressing any persistent health matters that have been a distraction. Start with what’s easy and obvious, and focus on experiencing the benefits of commitment to the project. Don’t take it all on at once; you’re less likely to succeed. On the other side is what you need to live in a way that’s more compatible with who you are. One crucial thing is getting your work environment right. You spend a lot of your time there, and it has a profound influence on your state of mind. Think of your workspace as both home and healing space, where you must not only be productive, but supported in doing so. Take control of your environment. Remove what does not belong there, and add what you need (such as a reliable source of good food at work, and a place to rest). For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — This month has two distinct phases: the Sun’s transit through Gemini (your 4th solar house) until June 21; and then after the solstice, when the Sun is moving through your fellow water sign Cancer (your 5th solar house). For a Pisces, this is a necessary contrast to work with, as these two angles bring out different aspects of your nature. During the first phase, it’s essential that you pull in and retreat as much as you can. It’s a time to honor your limits, focus inwardly, and catch up with yourself, particularly after what has been a ridiculously busy spring. There may be a whole side of your nature that you’ve had to neglect for the past couple of months, and this is the one to acknowledge and reconnect with. Most likely, this will call upon you to spend as much quiet time as possible, dwelling within your inner reality. Once the Sun reaches solstice, the energy shifts and you tap into the power of cardinal (action-oriented) water sign Cancer. This will bring out the expressive, passionate and creative side of your nature, in a kind of reversal from the inner attention that you’ve needed to give yourself. The more you draw yourself into your inner universe, and map out your private reality, the more energy you’ll have when it comes time to open up and explore the world around you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You deserve to have more confidence than you currently do, where a relationship is concerned. What you’ve experienced recently has taken you deep into your self-awareness; now you must use what you know. The potential snag: people change, and relationships change. Sometimes that transformation makes it impossible to relate to someone on previous terms. When both partners are aware, flexible and willing to evolve, then and only then can the relationship grow. The only program you have to get with is that the universe and all of its people are in nonstop motion. One way or another, progress is inevitable. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may have to lose yourself before you find yourself. You seem to be swimming from one perspective to another, though don’t take this too seriously. You always know where you are; at the minimum, you’re alive and in your body. If you’re feeling even vaguely lost, come back to what your body needs: is it food, companionship, fresh air, rest, or a little time alone? These are not abstractions. The secret to being happy as a Taurus is to take care of the physical level first. If you drink water, eat nourishing food and sleep at night, your life tends to go well. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Mars in your sign is pushing you to take sides. Yet you seem to see one side as valid, then see the other as equally valid. Consider that both viewpoints complement one another, and that they work together. Take that a little further and see them as part of the same solution. Life is rarely a question of one side or the other being right. It’s almost always a question of being able to adapt and create a way of thinking, and of working, that actually serves you and your goals. Take a step back and look at the wider landscape. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You’re about to experience a breakthrough on a question involving your career or profession. Yet once you have this information, you’ll need to apply consistent discipline to make it useful. This is the obvious statement that we all need to write on the bathroom mirror. You have all the ambition and all the ideas that you need; you must play shepherd and sheepdog to yourself, and keep your herd of responsibilities grouped together and maintained on a daily and hourly basis. Then when the big idea arrives, you’ll have a system functioning that can help you bring it to fruition. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You may feel the need to be more honest with others about who you are, and that’s a healthy impulse. Consider all that you don’t talk about. Notice all that you have not mentioned to close partners and friends. You might question your motives for remaining silent. You can also simply be more forthright and let people into your desires, your thoughts and your feelings, and see what happens. Most people fear disaster would ensue if they told the truth about themselves, though the actual results are usually much more liberating and energizing. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — If you’ve got an idea for an investment or business enterprise, follow your instinct; though don’t gamble everything. Make sure you set enough cash and resources aside to have what you need to cover the basics, and then take a reasonable risk with the rest. If a partner is involved, ensure that the collaboration is balanced, and that both parties make comparable investments of commitment, time and money. Make sure that the terms of any agreement are clear, in writing, from the outset, especially where money is concerned. This is an important aspect of planning for success. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The conduct of a close partner may be perplexing to you, though if you look closely you will see the logic. You’ve gone through a rapid series of changes and a phase of, “Give me some room; I’ve got to figure this out.” At this stage of your life, you would be wise to live your relationships in the moment, rather than being distracted by past events or future plans. Is your experience fulfilling to you now? Are you growing and is your situation improving? If you’ve answered no to any of those questions, you need to think carefully about what you’re doing there — and what you really want. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Proceed with caution this month where financial matters are concerned. You could easily get caught up in your own excitement or wishful thinking and make a costly error. You may, however, feel like you’re proceeding with the utmost confidence that everything is excellent. You need to reality-check yourself regularly. It would help if you consult with someone who is intelligent and not directly involved in your plans, someone whom you actually respect, and run your financial plans past them at every stage of the game. Listen carefully to what they tell you. And overall, for the next few weeks, when in doubt ask for proof. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Your own insecurities may be getting the best of you. You need to get the best of them, first by recognizing how you actually feel. With Mars in your opposite sign Gemini all month, you may feel like others are pressuring you or are being verbally aggressive. You may be confident but you’re also sensitive. Certain comments may go right into you and not seem to come out. Recognizing that, you must hold your boundaries and choose your company carefully. Holding your boundaries means standing up for yourself, and learning to say, and mean, “This is not acceptable.” For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — While it may seem that a relationship is changing, what’s really evolving is your concept of what a relationship should be. Nearly all the prevailing notions of relationship lack clear expectations, and most lack dependable role models. It’s time to raise your awareness about these matters, and take a step in the direction that follows your other advances in maturity. The bottom line in any successful relationship is that people share the same spiritual goals, and agree how they plan to get there. Then, life happens — though at least you have those underlying principles as your foundation. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You’re going through a kind of initiation: the emergence from one distinct phase of your life to another, in the most positive sense. Initiation is a concept that’s all but missing from Western culture. Think of it as a graduation: emerging to a higher level of growth and challenge. Now you must be your own master: of ethics, of keeping the promises you make, and of focusing on the higher purpose of your life. Higher purpose means knowing why you’re doing something rather than just doing it. Opening up that topic might seem overwhelming, but it’s time to ask real questions, so you get real answers. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — The price one pays for success is responsibility. Once you accept that, success will be all the sweeter. It will push you to be a better person, more confident in yourself, more reliable and more honest with yourself and others. The image of doing well is rather different from the reality. We are constantly confronted by celebrities who seem not to have a care in the world. For you, three parts service to one part glory is the ideal formula. Wake up every morning and remind yourself that you have a job to do, so you may as well do the best job you can. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — The world cannot run on the basis of anarchy. There must be a guiding principle, and if it does not come from inside of us, it will be imposed (far less pleasantly) from outside. Saturn in Sagittarius conjunct the Galactic Core is reminding you, in ways large and small, that you must have and live by actual ethical principles. Sagittarius is your house of spirituality and what you might think of as ‘higher being’, and what this translates to is how you run your life, how you treat people, and the code you live by. The stakes are high, because what you work out now will lay the foundation for your future success when Saturn enters Capricorn, your house of responsibility and success, later in the year. Now is the time to do your cleanup work; to make amends for any past transgressions; and to practice using the power that you have in a fair-minded way. Your current astrology is exciting and bursting with innovation. It could have you in a freewheeling mood, especially where your use of words or your attitude toward work are concerned. Yet now is the time to be precise, to be clear in your reasoning, and to honor your promises. The next few weeks will challenge your commitment to truth and to impeccability. This is not a test. It’s real life, with consequences. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Venus was retrograde through much of the spring, and the process is still developing. The essence of this process, if we could call it that, is about determining where you begin and where the world ends. Normal human consciousness tends to exclude others. This thing we call the self perceives its being as the center of the universe, and to a point, that is true. Without your consciousness, the world would not exist, to you. Yet that’s a point of beginning, because were that all there is, life would be incredibly lonely — and it is, for many people. Venus retrograde, ending in a conjunction to Chiron in Pisces, brought some lesson about vulnerability and availability. To relate to others, you must be open and you must be vulnerable, or no exchange is possible. Now, Venus is back in Aries, pulling your focus back into yourself. The question is, can you center your awareness on yourself, and still be open to empathy, sharing and receiving what others offer you? You’ve had some practice shifting your point of view. That in itself contains information: your perspective must be mobile in order to serve you. Hang loose and constantly challenge yourself to see the world from the viewpoint of others. Ask, rather than imagine, where people are coming from. If you are the center of the universe, then declare it a friendly and loving one. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Mars in your sign is granting you powers of language, charisma and moxie. There’s nothing like the god of war visiting one’s sign to pluck up one’s courage, and this you have. Yet there’s an important word of caution, and a balancing factor. Mars will be square Neptune for much of the month. This suggests that people will believe anything you say, whether it’s true or not — and that you might believe anything you say, whether it’s true or not. In fact the more you believe what you say, the more others will. So the message of this transit, which peaks on May 11 and then trails off for weeks, is that honesty is the only policy. You may get a thrill when your words are taken on authority. You have excellent ideas, particularly with your ruling planet Mercury so close to the great conjunction of our era, Uranus conjunct Eris. You are, as the expression goes, in tune with the times. However, one bit of the zeitgeist is that there’s no such thing as true; and that deception is as good as honesty. You are being held to a higher standard than that. Measure your words carefully, and check your facts before you speak. If you discover that you’re in error, or have played a little fast and loose with the truth, make the corrections yourself before you’re called out. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Track your fear level carefully this month. That’s to say, before responding or reacting to any anxiety you may feel, notice that you’re feeling it. On our whole planet, the level of fear and aggression seems to be rising toward some nondescript boiling point. In a sense, it’s the essence of the times we’re living in, and an undisputable part of our environment. You have a useful periscope into this now, and what you learn about yourself and the methods that you develop can help you and many others. It would seem that this is part of your professional calling, which might mean that it’s an aspect of your current job, or something you want to do in the near future. In any such event, you seem to be a first-responder and on the front lines of making the world a better place. One thing to notice is that society is losing an important boundary, which is the difference between true and not-true. Even as we race ahead on advanced technology, we’re losing the one distinction that really matters, because implicit in it are all other boundaries. You might say that the whole message of your solar chart right now is about the cultivation of trust. You’re being called upon to live this lesson every day, all the time. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Of the many, many things it’s possible for you to do, you must narrow your possibilities down — so that you can do any of them. Right now your mind is teeming with ideas, which are not just about what you can do, but also who you want to be. You might focus on the relationship between doing and being: what do you do that inspires you to live the way you want to live? If you were exactly who you wanted to be, what would you do? You might want to narrow the possibilities by choosing the one thing that feels most intuitively right, and do that for a while. One clue that you’re conducting a valid experiment is that you may feel like you’re too narrowly focused. It’s a little like new shoes: you need enough room to wiggle your toes, but you don’t want them to be loose. You want them just a little snug, so they have some space to break in. From there, you can stretch and expand. You can branch out and open up. Many of the ‘great possibilities’ are a distraction and are based on image: that is, your concept of how you’re seen. That is The One Thing to forget. This is not about your image; you will build your reputation by the honest work of your heart, hands and mind. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Your life may be a maze of financial concerns, joint partnership issues, and you wanting to be free of the whole mess. Be assured that what is happening is indeed designed to liberate you from all that complexity, though this may take a radical solution of some kind. You simply must look at the numbers in an orderly way, such as in a spreadsheet that describes who is paying how much for what, and how often. Use your analytical mind to ascertain the most basic facts, and then you can decide how you feel and what you want to do. Your life is more solid than you may think, and any feeling of being on shaky ground is directly rooted in what information you’re lacking about your own reality. If things keep going a little crazy, who exactly is involved? There may be something in the relationship that you have to examine closely, first on the basis of truth, and second, on the basis of motive. Like a good reporter, you must be willing to question everything you see and hear, crosscheck everything, and get the facts and figures. Where none are forthcoming, then you know you have a suspect. As you do this, you’re likely to make a series of other discoveries that both enlighten you and lay out important tasks for the months ahead. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Society puts enormous pressure on people to be in a certain kind of relationship, without which one does not feel like a person. Think of this as a kind of predatory lending: for example, sending someone a credit card with a high limit, and ensnaring them in debt. Like advertising, this drive to be in a certain kind of relationship plays on people’s insecurities and their deepest needs, which it then purports to fulfill. You don’t need that kind of relationship; you need the real thing. Any disruption or shakeup of your current partnership life is designed to help you distinguish the difference, and guide you closer to what you actually need. When you do all the calculus on what society calls relating, much of it turns out to be projection. That’s to say, we’re largely relating to images and feelings that are shining out of our own mind, showing us something about who we are. It can take considerable growth and discipline to actually see another person for who they are rather than who we want them to be, or dream them to be. Your solar chart describes one very useful way to get there, which is to know yourself, as you are. You need to be real with yourself before you can be real with anyone else. This is neither easy nor convenient, but it’s worth the effort. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — This is good news for many Scorpios: the sex angles of your chart could power a major metropolitan area. The bad news is that in 2017, about half the population thinks that’s just a terrible thing; it’s just that sex is so real and challenging and makes you confront yourself and your feelings. And it’s risky and then things go crazy and nobody knows what to do. Two problems underlie all of this. Number one is, it verges on impossible for most people to speak honestly about desire. Number two is guilt. You have some beautiful potential open, for every kind of relating: emotional, erotic, experimental and whatever else you might call it, though it’ll be impossible to get there unless you can be honest about desire and understand that guilt is merely a social control tool that has nothing whatsoever to do with being wrong. You might know that intellectually, though you need to actually take the risk of hellfire and brimstone and check it out for yourself, if you want to make it real to yourself. This is not a matter of scientific theory. It’s about your happiness and wellbeing. It’s about making contact with your potential, since how you feel about your body and what you do with it is the thing that defines your creativity. You came to this planet to express yourself and for no other reason. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Saturn’s presence in your birth sign (or perhaps your Moon sign) describes this as one of the most important times in your life. This is the transit that’s about fundamentally coming to terms with yourself. It may seem like someone is imposing limits on you, but that’s the Saturn principle: what you don’t structure in your own life gets structured for you (i.e., criminals who cannot control themselves run the risk of prison, which is a rather structured life). Right now your chart is exploding with creativity and, thankfully, at the same time, Saturn is making itself known. These two things are not only happening conveniently at the right time: it’s a miracle of karma that they are; or rather, a perfectly paired combination of factors to cultivate you into a fully functioning artist, musician, writer, healer or whatever form of mature adult you want to be. Make no mistake: this is about maturity, something that’s in exceedingly short supply these days, and is not especially rewarded in our outlaw-loving culture. But this is not about them, it’s about you. ‘They’ can break all the rules they want; ‘they’ can lie, cheat and fake their way to the world record or a big income or stroll down the red carpet. You have another mission. You’re here to do things the real way, which may indeed be the hard way. So be it. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — From the look of your solar chart, family or household matters have recently come to a head — and you’re wondering what to do. The question is, whose business is this? Is it really yours? Or are you haplessly being drawn into someone else’s drama? And if this has happened before, how hapless can it be? I recognize that the notion of false security is alluring, especially if you think it’s the only security there is. Emotional independence may seem frightening. Closer to the point, though, is that craziness and chaos serves a purpose, which is to distract you from your purpose. Why would you want that? Well, to some, success is terrifying. After all, you can fail. But does that make any sense at all? You seem to be a hostage of a situation that’s nothing more than a distraction. Meanwhile, you have work to do. How do you feel when you do that work? Do you feel like you’re abandoning anyone? There’s fun you want to have. How do you feel when you aspire to recreation and pleasure? If the answer is guilty, it’s time to start snipping apron strings, and if they grow back, snip them again. If you need your own bed to sleep in, and your own fridge to eat from, then that’s the thing to do. Life, the real thing, is calling you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Your mind is on fire these days, and you might want to cool it off by a few degrees. Just a little air conditioning for the high-tech equipment that is your inner creative shop. Here’s the thing to remember: Your productivity and creativity are not actually mental. Or, rather, you would be more productive and creative if you diverted some of your energy into emotional intelligence. This has a distinction: it’s about listening and feeling rather than brainstorming. It’s a holistic and integrated approach to thought. It’s slower, it’s deeper and it works better. The Sun moving through Taurus is summoning you to do this: to get in contact with the inner ground of your own being and approach life from that perspective. It’s difficult to do while you’re plugged into a computer, phone or TV. You will think different thoughts and have different ideas when you’re sitting in the woods or even a park, or when you have a musical instrument or drawing pencils in your hand. If you’re trying to figure something out, put down the screen or the mouse, and try sketching or sculpting. You’re not a superficial person but under the current astrology, you run the risk of losing access to your deepest levels of talent and sensitivity — and you have just as much potential to cultivate a whole new kind of depth and sensitivity. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Planets are once again gathering in Aries, your house of resources, including fast-movers Mercury and Venus, along with mighty slow-movers Uranus and Eris. Then there’s Pallas Athene, the goddess of wisdom and strategy. This is the time to engineer your financial independence. You have everything you need: the talent, the motivation and the ideas. The astrology is describing you pushed to the point of having momentary flashes of actual genius. You merely need to pluck up some confidence in yourself, and do a bold assessment of your talents and what you can do with them. This will partly be based on a review and evaluation of what you’ve done in the past, mostly to remind yourself what’s possible. And it will mostly be based on an entirely new concept that sparks your imagination, and takes advantage of an opening where your preparation meets an opportunity that few other people are looking at. However, confidence: that’s the thing. If we look closely at the semantic roots of that word, it means, “firmly trusting, bold” or “to have full trust and reliance.” This is about faith in yourself. You’ll have a lot more of that if you discard your habit of talking yourself out of your own goals. And if you’re younger, the habit of believing there’s no future. There is a future, and it includes you, if you include yourself. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Stop worrying about ‘not going wild’. You’ve been aching to bust out of your shell for a long time, and suddenly it’s the obvious thing to do. You would not be acting out. Rather, in order to access the truth of the deeper discoveries that you’re making about yourself, you must actually experiment with some of what you’re thinking and feeling. As you stretch out to your true personality, you’ll find that growth and healing can only come through actual experiences. It’s time to change, to grow and to find out who you are without planning the outcome. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aries Birthdays 2017:
Discovery, Initiation, Beginning: A Reading for Your Year

“Venus retrograding into Pisces is the most beautiful image of inviting someone into your inner sanctuary. This is indeed an initiation: a point of beginning. The discovery that you make in this process will shape the course of your relationships, which means a lot when you consider that everything, and everyone, to whom you relate is a relationship.”

— Eric Francis Coppolino, speaking to Aries at the beginning of this year

Dear Friend and Reader:

What do you define as your “inner sanctuary”? Who do you feel called to invite there, and are you willing to meet yourself there now that Venus has moved from your sign into Pisces?

If you are curious about the integration of your inner and outer selves, I hope you’ll check out Eric’s 2017 Aries Birthday Reading, which he’ll be recording for you soon. The reading comprises two segments of astrology (at least 30 minutes each), plus a tarot reading for the year and extended written sign description.

But what you’ll truly find in this reading is inspiration, motivation, support and perspective — just what you need to make this year dynamic and to take advantage of the growth opportunities that come your way.

“Your reading has given direction and meaning on how to proceed, to learn and move forward in these difficult, unsettling times and at the same time, inspiring me to tap into limitless creative gifts. Thank you, Eric; from my heart to your heart, I send you deep abiding gratitude for your penetrating insight and your deep caring concern, with which you carry out your mission for all of us!”

— Ann Cortese, B.S., M.P.S.

You can pre-order your 2017 Aries Birthday Reading here — suitable for Aries Sun, rising and Moon. Note that the price will increase when the reading publishes.

Wishing you another incredible trip around the Sun,

Amanda Painter

P.S. Stuck for a gift for your favorite Aries? Show them how much you care by giving them this reading.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — It’s natural to want to take care of people; and if you choose to, do it with passion. Leave no doubt about the love and commitment that you feel. Yes, you would be making a statement by your gestures of kindness, of the most sincere kind. To share in this way is all about what you’re offering, with no trace of holding back. A good place to start is with food you make with your own hands. Create exactly what someone likes best. And as aspects develop this month, sex can take on mystical and healing dimensions. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You have knowledge that someone close to you needs and will benefit from. However, be gentle about how you deliver this information; and find out everything you can, in the spirit of being helpful and doing no harm. Say what you know is the right thing to say, and let the person do what they will with the information. Be available for questions. You have amazing resources that you generally don’t clue other people in to. The time has come to put your skills and wisdom to full use. This is a truly important purpose of your life. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — If you’ve repeatedly tried the same approach to solving an emotional puzzle or problem, it’s time to try something new. This is not a question of personality or behavior. There’s something you’re reaching for that can only be accessed through a deeper approach, something that could genuinely be described as spiritual. Above all else, that means being loving and faithful, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. At minimum your kindness and encouragement will go a long way to provide reassurance. One of your great strengths is that you have faith in people; and when you express that, everyone benefits. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You may not consider yourself an inventor by nature or profession; however, your mind is poised for a creative breakthrough. Remind yourself every day that no problem is too complicated for you to solve, and that you can plot the course to any goal that you have. Practice on small things as a way of building your confidence. Originality is like a muscle that develops the more you use it, so be bold. This skill could become genuinely valuable on the work front, where the most important leaders are those who can both innovate and solve problems as they go. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — When others offer the gift of themselves, it’s up to you to receive it consciously — or not. Either way, you would be wise to make a conscious choice. What’s becoming available is so beautiful that you’ll need to bring your full awareness. What you learn from something shared by one who cares deeply about you can change the course of your life. It can represent a discovery so deep that you never see yourself or the world the same way again. These moments actually happen, and contain the rare beauty that keeps you falling in love with life. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — No matter how crazy or unstable the world around you may seem, you have the ability to stay in balance. The key to remember is that you don’t owe anyone anything. Yes, you are loyal, you are committed — and you make your own choices. Claim the freedom to do the important self-healing work that’s available this month. Take extra care of yourself, and note the connection between your emotional state and your physical health and stamina. For you, everything develops and proceeds from your feelings forward. Start there and you cannot go wrong. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Love in any form is nourishment. Offer it as such, and consciously receive it as such. On the human level, we all have specific needs: water, food, shelter, sunlight and affection among them. Let your relationships be the place where all of these things are welcome and shared freely. You can trust the abundance of your life, and set a goal of making sure that as many people around you as possible get what they need. While you’re at it, know what you need and receive it sincerely when it’s offered to you. Be generous with yourself and with gratitude toward others. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — If you keep your focus, you will make major progress pulling together some long-range goals over the next few weeks. Remember that you cannot have absolute control over the process or the outcome. That’s good news because the real progress occurs through happy accidents. Therefore, keep an open mind and pay attention to the fine points. You can plan and structure things all you want, and then when you’re least expecting it, you make an error or notice something subtle, and that opens up some vast new possibilities. Keep your experiments going, and take careful notes. You will need them. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Your feelings about relationships are starting to catch up with you. It would seem that you’ve experienced many moments of bold evolution. You’ve been growing at a pace that you can barely comprehend. Still, your ideas about relationships have yet to make the same progress. Be bold in asking yourself deep questions about what’s made you happy in the past. Do you really need so much structure? Do you really need to base your life on expectations, when you barely know what to expect of yourself? Relating to others is a dance. Feel for your natural rhythm, though you have little use for choreography. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Kindness is the highest human virtue. You know this, whereas others are more likely to forget. Therefore, remind them with your actions — particularly what you do in the public realm. The world in its current state has guided you closer to your core humanitarian values. More than ever, it’s obvious that your purpose on Earth is to do what you can to make things better here. This, in turn, makes your own life better. You can afford to be bold and generous no matter what self-serving ideas others may think of as virtuous. Integrity is your birthright. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — For many seasons, the theme of your life has been deep healing. Your journey has had its ups and downs, and times recently where you’ve wondered whether you’ve made any progress at all. Events of this month will reveal how much strength and power you have accumulated. Yet, this comes from your openness to your own feelings, and to living in a space of ongoing vulnerability. You are the safest when you are in full contact with the beauty, struggle and transient nature of life. Let yourself be as deep, as sensitive and as beautiful as you know you truly are. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — One thing that’s fast going missing here in the internet age is something known as an inner life. You can think of this as the sanctity of one’s thoughts; a private inner experience of the world; a relationship with the ‘you’ nobody knows. One reason for this loss is an unwholesome obsession with appearances and glamour: looking like something at the expense of being that thing. There’s another problem: the internet has blown our minds inside-out. We expose ourselves, and we’re invaded, tracked, stalked and photographed. Despite all of this, you have an inner life. Your being extends inward further than it expands outward. Aspects this month will guide you in this direction: toward yourself, into a world of feelings, a dimension of perceptions you may not be able to describe. This may have a ‘scary’ feeling as you step from one form of consciousness to another. If you peer into your mind and see shadow and darkness, give your eyes a moment to adjust. Allow your inner vision to receive rather than pursue what you might see. What you’re likely to discover is a world of light, of ideas, of memories and of unfamiliar desires. It will be worth stretching past any fear, discomfort or strangeness, and allowing yourself to get to know your own being, and discover your inner life. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aries Birthdays 2017:
A Reading From Someone Who Sees All of You

“You really understand the complexity hidden behind the often-talked-about Aries traits and speak about them in such a way that I can see myself as I am now, while also beginning to understand how I might be able to grow and change in order to one day proudly wear those ram horns in a positive manner!”

— Beth Reineke, on last year’s Aries Birthday Reading

Dear Friend and Reader:

If you have an Aries Sun, rising sign or Moon, the world needs your beautiful ability to take positive action more than ever. Thank you for being you, and for being willing to get things started — whether it’s a new level of deep personal inquiry, a physical activity, or some kind of art or social activism that connects your individual life to the people around you.

With Venus currently still retrograde in your sign (it will slide back into Pisces soon, then will visit you again), this is an ideal time to pre-order your 2017 Aries Birthday Reading.

Initially, you’ll receive two audio astrology segments (at least 30 minutes each) once Eric has recorded them. A little while after those have been released, we’ll let you know that the tarot segment is ready. You’ll also receive an extended written description of your sign. Note that you get the best price the earlier you pre-order.

“As always, thanks so much for your presence and your work. Your readings have been spot on for me and I have followed you for a long, long time.”

— Mary Hart, Aries

Eric creates these readings specifically to ease your concerns, point you in the direction of your highest potential and motivate you in the midst of these truly trying times. If you’d like to have access to a dependable resource you can listen to as many times as you wish throughout the year, I hope you’ll pre-order your upcoming Aries Birthday Reading while it’s still at the lowest price we offer.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You tend to be a private person, and this is understandable enough. You have a clear line between what is your business and what you would feel comfortable with others knowing. Most of who you are is inside that circle. Yet as the next few weeks progress, you will be drawn out of yourself as if by some cosmic or psychic force. You may notice that you’re revealing what you would never ordinarily let out; putting into words what you might never speak; allowing people into your feelings in new ways. Why would you do this? For one thing, what you’ve got going on inside is too compelling to contain. It’s not that you need validation, but rather, when you encounter the world on the level of your deepest truth, you take an extra step in its direction. There’s a confrontation involved, which necessitates a deeper level of both experience and claiming who you are in the context of others. This is not about them. It’s about you. To be fully confident in who you are, you need to be confident in your identity, which comes through a kind of confrontation with the world. The private space of ‘knowing something is true’ will get you part of the way there. Then it’s essential to connect: and that’s what you seem to be reaching for. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you want to attain the highest levels of professionalism and success, it’s necessary for you to be vulnerable in ways not usually associated with a career. Emotional investment, cultivation of your talent, and the willingness to serve rather than to be seen are all involved. Your work cannot be separate from who you are; which is to say, in whatever you do. You’re an artist, and that calls for total investment, and taking a hint from your Gemini cousin Bob Dylan that a poet alone can tell the truth. It’s possible that in recent months you’ve become wary or weary of the drive for superficial accomplishment. Your chart is cautioning against falling for appearances and popularity, to the point where you may be openly rebelling against these things. Rather than rebel, draw yourself closer to the very thing that distinguishes you. Be not afraid to stand out, that is; or to be authentically different in a way that challenges you. The thing that you may be concerned is your fatal flaw is the thing to work with. For you that may feel like a longing to hear the true message of the universe, or the drive to connect with others in a common language you feel you might never attain or master. If you pursue the impossible, or even the improbable, you’re heading in the right direction. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Sometimes you come up with a plan, and sometimes a plan reveals itself to you, and you must respond. This month you’ll be at the nexus of where the two meet. You have your ideas about what you must do with your existence, and life seems to have ideas of its own. If you’re not strictly the product of your environment, it’s also true that your environment is only partly the product of your efforts. In order to find the correct blend, you’ll need to experiment. For example, you can set an agenda with no concept of how you’ll accomplish it, and watch what happens. You can let your life unfold without planning things in advance, and use your skills of adaptation and invention to develop seemingly random events into something that really works for you. One thing that remains true regardless of what approach you take is to keep on friendly terms with people in power. They are your collaborators, your facilitators and, in essence, your sponsors. Being friendly with them, and finding the points of contact, is not about kissing ass. Rather, you do your best when you’re working on the human level among other humans. Be truthful about your desires and your motives, and notice who responds supportively. Powerful people are protecting you, and have an interest in your success. Get to know them. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — This month, you’ll need to take some time and resolve a prior emotional or sexual bond. If this is something that did not end well, you’re the one who will need to set aside your ego, extend the proverbial olive branch, and take the risk of vulnerability. This is a complex situation. All the people involved have brought an element of past injury to the scenario, which has little to do with those who are immediately involved. See the situation in that context and it’ll be easier to understand. You may have stepped away because it was just too complex, or because of some uncertainty about whether you were being told the truth. However, your personal truth is more important than some abstract notion of a valid point of view, and you’re now much more confident in who you are. In a similar way, ‘the situation’ is not what needs to be resolved: rather, you must come to terms with your own feelings and your own healing process. You may or may not get the full cooperation of others, though that does not matter. What counts is that you make yourself available for an exchange, without judgment. Then, as you do that, notice what happens: how people respond, what they say and, most of all, the contrast between what you remember and what you see now. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — If you find yourself strategizing how to get or keep a lover, take a step back. Using strategy is a sign of a closed heart, and what happens on the emotional plane cannot be planned or predicted. If you need a plan of action, try being real; which is to say, honest about your feelings. This is a matter of vulnerability. You might feel like it’s someone else who’s not quite open, though even if that were true, you could still respond by staying close to your feelings. If you discover that the past is in the way (such as resentment, guilt, or the feeling that you just cannot please someone), stick with those feelings, too. The real obstacle may be something from your own past entirely unrelated to what seems to be going on. Notice if you feel like you need to prove something to someone; notice if the discussion omits the emotional level; there would be reasons for these things. Ultimately, you will need to submit yourself to what actually means something to you: what matters, what makes a difference, or some motive you have for living and being, rather than being in a relationship. Any encounter between you and another person must be based on common ground, and your part in this is to know intimately the ground on which you stand. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Relationships need a purpose. That is to say, both parties to the encounter need a common reason for being there, otherwise the experience can degrade into something self-serving for people who are mutually using one another. Yet it’s astonishing how rare it is for people to work with a tangible shared purpose. Raising children and paying the mortgage can fill in for a while, though it needs to go deeper. You might ask yourself what the purpose of each of your relationships is — especially the thing you consider your primary relationship. If you don’t have one of those and are looking for one, you might ask yourself why that is. If the answer is companionship, what’s the nature of that? Is it about completing something missing within you, or is it the desire to co-create? Do you have some mutual purpose related to service? Do you have a healing agenda that you can share with a close partner? That would serve your purposes well. When we say love, we mean trust; and trust is about understanding that your presence in someone’s life is to make their life better, as is their presence in yours. As you orient on this, you’ll be taken to a deeper emotional level than you may be accustomed to going, especially in recent years. Hang in with this purpose, and with the people you care about. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Sex is underrated. Yes, it’s ridiculously hyped in some places, and thrown into the gutter in many others. Yet we might take a chance and admit that the source of life, the wellspring of existence itself, has a spiritual and creative purpose. Even so, between you and that state of consciousness are several obstacles. They all involve exploitation, from the most publicly displayed (selling everything from cars to drugs to vacations with some form of erotic bait) to the most private: all the injuries that we’ve suffered, many of them going back to childhood. I think there are two keys to tapping the power of sexuality: one is being open to it; the second is seeing it as the creative core from which all other forms of personal expression emanate. This is potentially controversial, though should it be? Embarrassment is no excuse. You would be well-served to open up to the nuances involved, starting with a careful review of your erotic liaisons the past two years. There’s something you seem to be urgently trying to let go of and to move beyond. Yet there’s something you’re wanting, needing and intending to turn toward. This is a point of inner contact that will melt away your fears and inhibitions and allow you to enter totally unfamiliar, perhaps frightening, strangely beautiful territory within yourself. That’s how you’ll know you’re making progress. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You’ve been on a creative roll lately. Art and passion (closely related in astrology) are always a gamble, though you seem to keep winning every time you throw the dice. Over the next month, the level of personal risk involved in your creative expression deepens. You’re swimming upstream within yourself, toward a destination. The kind of vulnerability and sensitivity you may experience is the kind that everyone born under your sign knows about, and very few care to admit. Plunge in and go for it. The water is not nearly as murky as it may seem, nor are the questions you’ll face as overwhelming as they may appear. Yet there’s no question: the circumstances of your life, and the aspirations you’re being called to reach for, are summoning you to a new level of introspection and emotional contact. To reach into this place will require facing old pain, legacy material from your fantasy, and those age-old questions of whether you really belong here, and what you’re actually doing here. These cannot be accessed merely by asking, wondering or enduring. Yet you can liberate yourself by exploring, in earnest, the roots of your emotional being. If you’re an artist, your art will get better, and if you’re a lover, your love will grow. As a born explorer, this is one of your ultimate quests. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You have a curious relationship to your spiritual life. It’s almost as if it hides from you, or you overlook it, while you’re busy pursuing it. This can have a number of effects, including a kind of detachment or separation between what you do in the world, and your sense of a profound truth you contain and cannot express. If integrity is important to you, and I reckon that it is, your inner life requires alignment with your outer activity. If you feel like there’s a gap between the two (by choice or by circumstance) that calls for some investigation. You might feel as if there are things you must do to ensure your worldly existence, which call for a compromise. That was never true, and it’s never been less true than it is today. What you hold as sacred, and what you know to be your ‘original instructions’, are the very thing that you’re summoned to live, to express and in a sense to enforce in your material and worldly life. If there seem to be levels of truth, that’s likely to be the result of the density associated with the various levels in your mind. As an inhabitant of this Earth, there are some things you cannot avoid; there are facts that are true on every level or dimension of existence. This is your starting point, not your destination. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Astrology teaches us something obvious that I’ve never seen in a self-help book or learned in therapy training: money and self-esteem are intimately related. We see this through the 2nd house in astrology, which classically is about cash on hand and available resources, and in psychological astrology is about your relationship to yourself. In your solar chart this is Pisces, which at the moment is populated by an interesting assortment of planets (most of them new discoveries since the 1970s). Now Venus is about to enter Pisces, and will conclude its retrograde journey mid-month with a conjunction to Chiron. This is about deciphering all the ways you hold back love and approval from yourself. Then you can learn a lot by answering those judgments in sane and humane ways. Nobody on our particular planet goes through life without some struggle over the right to exist. Aquarians in particular can grapple with a poignant sense of not fitting in. Yet as you figure out that this whole drama is moderated by your own state of self-acceptance, you will settle down and, in a sense, claim yourself. That means taking ownership of all your personal resources and talents; and that, in turn, is good for business and career. What you might offer to others must be yours to share, and that’s the essence of full ‘belonging’ in every sense of the word. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Your sign stands at the threshold of endings and beginnings. And that’s exactly where many of the planets stand at this moment — distributed between Pisces, the Omega zone, and Aries, the Alpha zone. Yet with Venus in retrograde motion, poised to track backwards from Aries into Pisces, there would seem to be something that you want to retrieve before you proceed forward. On many accounts, a new phase of your life has already begun. Rather than plunging forward without reflection, take a little time and consider what you simply must take with you. You may not be aware of what this is yet, though I reckon you’ll soon find out. I can describe in a vague way by saying that you’re ready to retrieve a memory of your true being and your true purpose. Yet in classical mystical fashion, this is the kind of thing you can become aware of with a sense of profound understanding, and then forget just as fast. Now, when you remember, the thing to do is to maintain that awareness as a central focus of your life. As this consciousness dawns on you, do what you can to acknowledge, record and express what you discover. Said another way, you’re about to rediscover who you are, and remember what you’ve known all along. Make this real by making it the basis of all your decisions. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Love this horoscope? Read all Planet Waves horoscopes by Eric Francis. You can sign up monthly or for the full year.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — There’s an old expression about not judging a person until you’ve walked a mile in their moccasins. You have the rare opportunity to do just that — experience the world from the viewpoint of a significant other. Part of that includes how they experience you. You might find that, as a result of this, you make some adjustments to your personality or to how you treat the people around you. Two changes would help: you can afford to listen more attentively, and you can afford to be more generous emotionally and financially. Open up and deepen your intimacy. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You’re in a time of deep self-discovery. The implication of that is doing something bold, which is standing in the face of the unknown. Leave yourself room for the mystery of yourself. You don’t have to rush in and answer every question you have about yourself. The more room you leave for the unknown, the more space you’ll have for discoveries as they come — and there will be many over the next few weeks. Admitting that you don’t know takes some courage, especially here in the age of quick, short, incorrect answers. You want the slower, longer, more meaningful ones. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If being popular is really a thing, you’ve got it going on now. Though you might consider the wisdom of the old esoteric teachers: beware of any false presentation of yourself. You are safer for being honest and real with the people around you. Amidst all the competing effort for attention in the world is a struggle with self-esteem. Someone close to you may need your attention; he or she may be reluctant to reveal their true feelings, so you will need to be perceptive and ask. You can offer them some extra space to be themselves. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — This is a stellar moment for you professionally, though the best results will come in ways you’re not expecting and cannot foresee. Be open to the possibilities, while keeping busy doing what you do so well. Your solar chart describes you as a person who must pour yourself into your work with total commitment. You identify with what you do and what you create. You need to be known for your accomplishments. This is an asset in a world of people who don’t often like going to work. You deserve your good reputation, as long as you live up to it every day. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You seem unsure whether to have total confidence in your abilities, or to doubt yourself with the same devotion. There’s plenty of territory in between. True self-assurance is often informed by insecurity. You need to keep checking whether you’re on the right track, and whether your predictions or projections about the future are accurate. For example, review the budget of any project against the actual expenses on a regular basis. Make sure the content and tone of any message are correct for what you’re doing. As long as you navigate consciously, you will get where you’re going in excellent style. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Who are all these people in your life? Where did they come from? You seem to go from feeling invisible to being a beacon. However, you would be wise to exercise discretion over who gets close to you. Get to know people before you invite them into your life, particularly on a romantic or financial level. That means giving people a chance. Try to spend seven hours with someone before making up your mind about whether to proceed. Rather than being skeptical, the idea is to keep an open mind and allow people to reveal themselves. Use what you learn. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — It’s often said that relationships are mirrors, though that doesn’t factor in the phenomenon of the ‘mirror image’ — the reverse reflection. Others don’t see you that way; it’s a visual illusion. Now, however, you get to look into your relationships as what you might think of as a true mirror: one that shows you who you are, through their eyes. The first surprise you might have is that you seem to others very different from how you seem to yourself. The second surprise is that you’re likely to truly love and adore that unusual person being reflected to you. It’s about time. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You may be wondering whether a workplace romance is a good idea. It might be under other circumstances, though you need to be cautious of any situation that’s not convenient to walk away from. In whatever aspect of your life you may be considering, your agreements must be easy in, easy out. Still, you’re dealing with powerful forces of attraction. Many people will be noticing you, and responding openly. This gives you the power of choice. Err on the side of simplicity rather than of potential drama. You will still have plenty of fun. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Focus on the art rather than the gallery opening; on the writing rather than the bestseller list; on the song rather than the concert. That is, substance is what matters most; how you present what you’ve created matters less, for now. Get the creative aspect of what you’re doing right. Put everything you’ve got into it. Fill it with your life energy. The presentation will come naturally once your project or idea has enough momentum of its own. When the time comes to go public, which seems inevitable, you’ll want to get it right the first time. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — When you get a moment of clarity, you’ll be surprised how much you were missing. Once you know, you’ll benefit from paying attention to the emotional details that really matter. Your insecurities will inform you of where you have healing work to do. You have a right to feel grounded and secure. You’ve worked for it. Yet in this world, it’s necessary to maintain your sense of safety and self-preservation with constant vigilance, a little bit every day. Go easy on doubting yourself. You’re usually right, as long as you leave space and freedom to be wrong. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You present a serious, competent image to the world. People look at you and assume you’re intelligent. Then they hear what you have to say, and their hunch is confirmed. Therefore, you don’t need to impress anyone. And you have a pass to suggest things that might be a little offbeat — a little unusual or inventive — and be trusted. This trust is precious. Do your part to maintain it. Meet your commitments on time or a little early. The more you work within the accepted rules of society, the more creative and daring you can be. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces Birthdays 2017:
After the Eclipse: What Are You Here To Do?

“Your work has moved me. It has helped me to begin to understand what I have been through during this lifetime, and what I have come here to do. Planet Waves is like a place I always knew existed but could never find. Until now. I have wanted to write to you for some time but didn’t know what to say; tonight I just want to thank you, sincerely, for what you do, because it has changed my life.”

— Anna B.

Dear Friend and Reader:

What have you discovered, and where are you within the shifting context of your life, now that two eclipses have come and gone? Are you feeling the fog of Sun-Neptune, or its optimism?

Pisces is currently chock-full of planets and points that are likely enhancing your awareness and urging you to do something with what you are learning. Your upcoming 2017 Pisces Birthday Reading will be an essential guide to sorting out your inner world and how it intersects with the rapidly changing world around you.

Your reading will include two audio segments of astrology (at least 30 minutes each), plus a tarot reading (either audio or video) and extended written description of your sign. You may download the audio portions and listen as many times as you like as the year progresses. Please note that the tarot portion may be ready after the astrology segments are released — and the reading’s price will increase when that happens.

If you have a Pisces Sun or ascendant (or would like to give a gift to someone who does), you can pre-order the 2017 Pisces Birthday Reading for the discounted pre-order price of $19.97.

In every audio birthday reading, Eric draws a clear connection between your present moment and environment, and long-term patterns that stretch into the past and into the future — and which influence your options. If you have a Pisces loved one, this audio reading will make a generous and inspiring gift.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. Your audio Pisces Birthday Reading is completely different from your written reading in the 2017 annual edition. Eric will record the Birthday Reading with the Sun in Pisces, giving a detailed, in-the-moment take on the most important parts of your astrology as they begin to unfold.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You will have some interesting financial opportunities this month. Yet be aware  that you may not be working with full information. Therefore, you will need to maintain a practice of due diligence. Check the bona fides of anyone you’re doing business with. Nothing is as good as it looks, and everything is subject to change. Even given these facts, you will find some business possibilities that are genuinely appealing. Choose the ones that you resonate with intuitively. Choose what is truly meaningful to you, and work with those whom you can relate to on the human level. For a Pisces, this matters more than anything. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Love this horoscope? Read all Planet Waves horoscopes by Eric Francis. You can sign up monthly or for the full year.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Venus retrograde in your sign is encouraging you to see the world from another point of view, such as that of a relationship partner. How often do you have one of those revelations where you suddenly get that you really understand another person’s perspective, or feel the world the way they feel it? Rarely enough that it’s a special occasion when you do. It’s also a reminder that your actual primary relationship is within yourself. Love in any form is inherently introspective: it comes from inside you, and involves your feelings. If you’re not grounded within yourself, intimacy can feel dangerous; and in many ways it is. Venus retrograde is your encouragement to find your inner lover, or what you might call your best friend within. This is different from being narcissistic, self-important or egotistical, so different in fact that it’s the polar opposite. Coming from a self-loving place brings a subtle form of confidence. When you get there, a kind of neediness dissolves and gives way to authentic generosity. You recognize and hold gently the fact that everyone is an individual with their own needs, their own spiritual quest and their own healing process. If you want to cultivate deeper contact, listen to what people close to you have to say. At the moment, it’s more important that you understand them than that they understand you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — It’s time to show others the real you. That means sharing your dreams, your desires, your feelings and your passion. We might pause and ask why you or anyone would hide these things. In the past there seemed to be good reasons: many people have a habit of talking others out of their dreams and desires, or using this knowledge against them. Yet you know there is only so long you can hide in your shell. There’s only so long you can put any energy at all into concealing your own beauty, or being afraid of yourself, or worrying about the judgments of others. These thoughts waste precious creative energy, and they don’t benefit you in any way. It would help if you accept that you’re more transparent to others than you think. It may be for this reason that you avoid being seen or recognized, though you might take the approach of assuming that everyone knows everything about you. There’s absolutely nothing to hide or to conceal. You can, therefore, give yourself much more room to say what you feel and to reveal your inner life. Yes, this seems radical; but does that make sense? It seems to make you vulnerable, but you might ask: vulnerable to what? There is only so far that self-protective efforts can actually protect you. Fear does not prevent danger; but thankfully awareness does. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — It’s necessary to take your relationships seriously, but what exactly does that mean? First, it means having the right people in your life, and making sure that people who don’t belong in your life are not there. Perhaps this sounds harsh, but Saturn in your opposite sign has been encouraging you to use your discernment for at least a year — and to act on what you observe. People who crowd your space, or who box you in to their idea of you, are not helpful. You need room to maneuver, and you need the freedom to make up your mind about who you are; this, your relationship partners must know and respect. Speaking affirmatively, the most significant qualification for anyone being in your life must be that you share similar spiritual goals. Now we’re getting deep: for that to happen, you need to have spiritual goals, as well as to understand them somewhat. Then you would need to select others who also have spiritual goals, and find a meeting space. All sex and intimacy lead to procreation, which means a lot more than making babies: there is an exchange, karma is created, and people become like one another. Therefore, choose carefully whom you relate to. Embrace people you respect and admire. This is a high standard, but no other will work for you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You’re at a high point in your visibility as a professional and as a contributor to society. People see you, and they are following your example. Therefore, you must live impeccably, as if you’re being followed around by a television crew or as if your calls are being followed by a live audience. There is indeed such a thing as a reputation, and you’re at the point where you can make genuine progress on establishing yours. In this moment, it’s essential that you know your goals. Remember that a true career ambition is both about accomplishing something and becoming someone. So think in terms of both what you do and who you are growing into. Don’t be deceived by the seeming chaos of the world. You are perfectly suited to be the person who both benefits from, and offers something useful in, this wild moment of history. Many, many people are confused about who they are, though you cannot afford that luxury. You have an advantage because you’ve been experimenting longer, you’ve made mistakes you’ve learned from and, most meaningfully, you’re willing to try things you haven’t tried before. You therefore need to persist in your experiment when necessary, and know when to change your plans so you can adapt to your environment and your personal needs. That said, be as consistent as you can be, and write the words “follow through” on your bathroom mirror. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Belief has become the new standard of proof. This is causing chaos in the world, and it will cause chaos in your life: with one exception only. You must believe in yourself, and have faith in yourself. To an extent, this must transcend the known facts. You cannot base your idea of the future on what you’ve accomplished in the past, or where your results have fallen short of your goals. You simply must see beyond your history, while taking with you everything you’ve learned. Then, you can embrace your potential as if it’s real, and keep that thought at the front of your mind. There’s one more step to this process, however, and it’s especially meaningful today. To get anywhere, you need discipline. That means focused effort, sustained over time. You are in the process of manifesting something, of turning an idea into a physical reality. While creation is the whole purpose of the human experiment, it’s not usually so easy. Things go wrong, life is busy, and plans have a way of being set aside. It’s time to go past these common human foibles. The kind of sustained and applied focus that gets things done is the factor that you need to work with the most often and the most consciously. Apply yourself with devotion and without expectations, and then note the results that you get. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — To keep your life manageable, pay attention to finances, to sex and, in particular, to the place where the two meet. This may be the single most complicated place in all of Western society, and you have a lot going on there now. There seem to be a good few people involved, and it would make sense to either focus on the ones who really have some influence, or clear out as many as you can. You simply do not need so many people involved in your business. Simplifying your life would make an excellent start. There’s one necessity that stands tall among all other goals: it’s up to you to make sure that people pay you what they owe you. To do this, either make polite requests, try friendly persuasion, or use insistence. Whichever, you must persist and make sure that you’re given your due. The main factor determining whether this is successful is your own commitment. You seem to be heavily invested in someone else’s affairs, and you must show some spine and demonstrate your independence. Ultimately, if someone balks at their obligation, treat the commitment as being in default, and move on. Nobody owns you, or holds a lease on you; you are not a commodity; and your value is not assessable in dollars and cents. You are your own person, and ideally that’s where true respect begins. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Most relationships are an exercise in seeking oneself in others. As part of that, they can become a hall of mirrors, with people projecting on one another and only a vague sense of who is who, and whose feelings belong to whom. If this seemed to work in the past, it didn’t work very well. You’re now experiencing a rare astrological condition: Venus, the planet associated with your sign, is in your opposite sign Aries. It’s about to go retrograde (March 4 through April 15). This looks like an unusual encounter, experience or confrontation involving another person. Yet you are the main actor. This is an opportunity to learn something about yourself, and to get a rare perspective on who you are. The first thing you’ll need to do is call in the projections you’ve put onto anyone else who seems to be involved. For the true message to come through, you’ll need to see yourself for who you really are, see a partner for who they really are, and be able to discern the difference. This is where most people get lost in relationships most of the time. And if you focus this experience, and go through it with your full attention, you will learn something that prevents this confusion from happening again. Then your relationships will take a giant, welcome step from the imaginary to the real. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Be mindful of the work-relationship boundary. Most people feel it’s out of the question to work with a partner. I have a different theory, which is that all relationships need jobs. They need some creative purpose, whether it’s raising children, building houses, hosting parties, making movies or feathering the nest. And in parallel to this, all jobs come with relationships: whether as part of a command structure, or as colleagues, comrades, collaborators or lovers. Often there is overlap among these, and you’re the one who must be mindful of the commitments and the feelings involved. Americans and people in many other cultures spend so much time at work, it’s often the only place they can meet and get to know one another. And each and every one of those people, whether you like them or not, counts for a relationship. Each one deserves your attention, because some measure of your success depends on that partnership being sane and productive. The coming two months will present you with many experiences that shine a light on where love, work, creativity and collaboration intersect. If you notice that you have any especially beautiful or productive relationships, do your best to nourish them. Let everyone emphasize their strongest attributes. Offer your devotion with love, and receive the devotion of others with love. I would propose that where business and friendship are mixed, commitment to work is the first priority. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Walt Whitman, the father of American poetry, wrote, “There was never any more inception than there is now, / Nor any more youth or age than there is now.” Translation: we’re always at the beginning of our lives; we’re as young and as old today as we’ll ever be. In recent years, you’ve been feeling the passage of time. And more lately, you’re starting to feel the benefits of time and of experience, which is a sign of maturity. Something in your astrology is leading you to take a wider perspective, and to see yourself as part of a much larger context than you ever have. Your growth process has brought you close to the inner core of your spirituality, and this is providing you with information about how to use your time wisely. Your current solar chart describes the meeting of your inner child with your inner parent. It’s time to reconcile the two, and to emerge into your life as an independent and autonomous adult. You are done parenting yourself. You don’t need to parent anyone who is not actually your own child, and even that has its limits. This means guiding yourself based on your own values and principles. It means making decisions based on what you know matters to you, rather than the influence others try to have on you. Commitment begins with honoring your promises to yourself. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — How much time do you spend thinking about your family of origin? And what do you think about? Next, how much time do you spend on your self-development? And for the real question: can you share all facets of your personal growth with your family? Do they know the nuances or even the broad strokes of how you live and grow, of your spiritual, emotional, relational and sexual quest? Where do you hold back? And what if you were to share everything with them? Your response to this question will reveal much about your inner relationship. Those ‘withholds’ — the things you don’t want certain people to know — are part of an inner reality that you’re experiencing through other people. There is actually something to be said for having no secrets, particularly on those things that are absolutely central to your existence. You would not be concerned that anyone would think you’re weird or inappropriate if you did not have any reservations of your own. Where you have those reservations are likely to be places you’re holding back from yourself, or not fully comfortable with who you are. Whatever you may choose to share with others, recognize that full acceptance of yourself means having no secrets from others, nor veiling your motives, or your desires. This is not nearly as radical as it may seem. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Most humans resist learning as if their lives depended on doing so. You must embrace learning as if your life depends on doing so. This is because the opportunities you have in this very moment are unlike any other, by which I mean once-in-a-lifetime potential for gaining knowledge that feeds your spiritual development. As a prerequisite of this, you must cultivate your flexibility. Mostly I mean mental flexibility (though physical flexibility is equally important), and learning how to stretch your mind so that you can encompass new ideas. You might begin with how little you know, rather than the usual Aquarian approach of how much you know. When you acquire real knowledge, it changes you. You become a different person as you adapt to what you’ve learned, and change your life to accommodate what you previously did not know. This is no small feat, particularly for contemporary people, who already think they’re the smartest people who ever walked the planet. Bring your humility to this equation. Bring your willingness to be shown what is true. Fritz Perls, the father of Gestalt therapy, once said that learning is the discovery that something is possible. If you take that as your guiding principle this month and this year, you will make many such discoveries: about yourself, about existence and about the place where the two meet. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces Birthdays 2017:
Catch the Eclipse Wave, Emerge Into Yourself

Dear Friend and Reader:With a partial solar eclipse and New Moon in Pisces this weekend, this is an especially potent time for anyone with strong placements in the sign of the fish. Eric has written quite a bit lately about the healing potential of this eclipse and the days leading up to it — and your upcoming 2017 Pisces Birthday Reading will be an essential guide for what develops next in your life.

“I am so grateful for you, Eric Francis…you have no idea. I wish I could meet you face-to-face, especially now, with all the crazy in the U.S. I love to imagine that you ‘know’ me already, in some ‘kindred spirit’ sort of way. And, yet, I also imagine that everyone who reads your work feels the same way.

“I am excited to acknowledge that the emerging you speak of so heavily, is happening. While frightening, I am beyond excited to reveal my Truth to those I love and those I have yet to meet. I am a healer, whatever that means. I will find my way to serve, to work for God, as you put it. Finally. I appreciate the love you put into these bigger projects and all your writings. Thank you, emphatically, for sharing your gifts with all of us. I am inspired by you to be true to myself. Namaste.”

— Kathleen Judd, Pisces

Your reading will include two audio segments of astrology (at least 30 minutes each), plus a tarot reading (either audio or video) and extended written description of your sign. You may download the audio portions and listen as many times as you like as the year progresses.

If you’re have a Pisces Sun or ascendant (or would like to give a gift to someone who does), you can pre-order the 2017 Pisces Birthday Reading for the discounted pre-order price of $19.97.

So much potential is available to you every minute of every day. Yet with so much distraction and cultural chaos, it’s essential to have someone help you clarify what matters most — and what you can do about it. In every audio birthday reading, Eric draws a clear connection between your present moment and environment, and long-term patterns that stretch into the past and into the future — and which influence your options.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. Your audio Pisces Birthday Reading is completely different from your written reading in the 2017 annual edition. Eric will record the Birthday Reading with the Sun in Pisces, giving a detailed, in-the-moment take on the most important parts of your astrology as they begin to unfold.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Your sense of self-worth is the only thing you need to concern yourself with. That’s because it’s the one thing that determines how you experience life, and by which you set your expectations. It’s easy to slough this off onto others: that is, to decide that how others feel about you (or how you think they feel about you) sets the limits on your potential. And in this one place you must wage a revolution. That means taking possession of yourself, your capabilities, your talents and, most of all, your precious time. As you do this, you will begin to find your confidence like you never have before. Count yourself into any game you want to play. Push your limits, and bring the very best of your talents to all that you do. Self-esteem is not such a great mystery once you stop sending yourself the messages that support it. Taking leadership within your own life is the order of the day. You will know you’re doing this when you take control of your schedule and the flow of your energy. You will have confirmation when you’re no longer seeking the approval of people in positions of power or authority. There’s something about your charts that describes you as divinely guided. Trust the information you’re receiving, and make your decisions from that informed and aware place. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

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Aries (March 20-April 19) — The great adventure has begun. The times, they are a-changin’. And who are you really? That’s the journey, and that’s what you are ready to discover. You have so many possibilities, and yet you so often approach life the same way. You’re under some intense pressure to set yourself free. But free of what? An idea about who you are, which seems to dictate how you relate to the world. This looks like a search for gender identity. Your feminine side is calling you; she’s trying to get your attention, though she’s having some challenges expressing herself. It’s as if you’re hearing but not listening. Let yourself be drawn into your inner life, and if you feel resistance, remember that this is one of the most fearsome things a person can do. Many pressures you’re under are designed to draw you outside yourself. Yet your inner awareness, your imagination, your ability to feel who you are rather than tell yourself who you are — all of this is calling you. You’re being invited into your own inner sanctum. Don’t fall for the glam, the commercial or what your social media accounts claim about you. Turn toward the unknown and take your time getting there. In those moments when you feel the least comfortable in your skin, when you feel restless, when you doubt yourself: that’s your invitation, easy to miss. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You are a catalyst in a group initiation of some kind. By this I mean that the evolutionary steps you’re taking are having an influence on the people around you. As you grow into yourself, you’re opening the way for other people to do so as well. As you become more confident, people around you are finding their confidence. As you develop your skills and deepen your commitment level, those who depend on you are becoming stronger in their mission. This truly is “leadership for the new age,” in that your example seems to be what is leading others. Yet it goes much deeper than this. There’s something in the spiritual chemistry of how you mix with others that’s having the deepest effect. It’s not what you’re doing but rather who you’re becoming that is influencing others. Therefore, you can take bigger risks being yourself. Yes, in times past, you may have threatened people by being bold and real, and by expressing your true competence. Now your ability to do so sets an energy pattern that others can follow, including certain members of your family. Now, if your existence gives people permission to be who they are, you’re the one who gives yourself consent to be who you are. Once you get the hang of this, you’ll be wondering what all the fuss and resistance was about. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — New ideas about relationships are calling you, though existing situations in your life need your attention. Humans tend to have a difficult time coming up with a clear yes or a clear no. They also have challenges with a clear hello and goodbye. Taken together, these four values comprise the most important boundaries you can have. They are the gas, brakes and steering of your life. Saturn in your opposite sign Sagittarius is saying that it’s time to put your hands on the controls of your life and master these basic concepts. It’s true that you have the question of what to do with your existing commitments. The real question is: whom and what are you truly invested in? Be clear with yourself about this. There’s no point wasting anyone’s time with the appearance of commitment when your soul is not really there. Nobody really wants to pretend, or wants you to pretend. One clue that may seem materialistic (but is actually more metaphysical) is to notice when and on whom you like spending money. This is a good indicator of love, specifically, noticing where your energy flows easily. Time will give you similar clues. Around whom do you not feel rushed? Who do you always have time for, no matter how busy you are? Alternately, if you feel guilt, you’re getting a message that a situation is bad karma. Trust yourself. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You’re in an excellent position to transform your financial situation: to get some new clients or gigs, and to renegotiate some existing ones. Yet the basis of this is a discovery that you make about yourself, which establishes in your own heart the value of your work. There’s a parallel discovery about offering yourself rather than sacrificing yourself. When you give yourself sincerely, it will feel as if you gain rather than lose something. You will feel the actual experience of how ideas increase when they are given away. Your solar chart also describes a scenario you should be aware of. There’s some situation that’s easy to see and that’s getting your attention. There’s some other object on the radar — whether it’s an idea, an offer or an opportunity to work with someone — that’s subtler and easier to overlook. Therefore, take some time to turn your attention from what you’re focused on, and from what seems the most important, and look around for what seems (at first) to be less significant. Look and listen carefully. This might involve someone considerably younger than you are, whose thoughts would be easy enough to dismiss. Or the value of your own idea might not be obvious at first. In truth, this is likely to be the most interesting thing you have going on, and it will develop nicely. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — This month’s Full Moon in your birth sign (exact Feb. 10) is inviting you to break consensus and do what you want. It would seem that there’s a committee of some kind saying you must live the way you supposedly agreed to, and that if you don’t, bad things will happen. Whether this is implied or being stated outright, I would encourage you to question this notion long enough to walk through an open door and try something new. You don’t have to live your life by consensus. The thing is, Leo is both an individualistic sign, and also one sensitive to the needs of the group or the tribe. Once you understand this about yourself, it will be easier for you to have some balance in your life. However, at first, you may feel like you’re stealing. But you cannot steal yourself. Your life is your life — it’s really that simple, and anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is playing a game that can only happen with your consent. What is the actual nature of your commitments to others? What exactly did you promise them? And what was your promise to yourself, before they even met you? That’s the true promise you must keep. As you do that, as you reaffirm your commitment to yourself, certain partners are likely to rise to the occasion with you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You’re making some excellent strides establishing your emotional independence. You can use your circumstances to help you. For example, physical space is one of the most helpful tools in the quest to assert who you are. You need space to yourself, and plenty of it. Take the initiative and create that for yourself, whether you have to ask everyone to go out for the afternoon, find a place to hide for a day or two, or get a room of your own somewhere. There is one question that your solar chart is presenting, though: to what extent do you link sex with marriage? This might be in the most literal sense, of thinking that sex is only appropriate in wedlock (this idea somehow persists, even if meekly), but it’s more likely to take the form of an erotic encounter being an implied contract of some kind (a boldly persistent idea). This is the hook. Whatever you may choose, you must set the terms of the agreement where an intimate experience is concerned. Take leadership; state your terms and your expectations. Ask for these things from anyone you share yourself with. You have just enough detachment right now to see through the fog and come up with some original ideas. You’re much more adventurous than you let on; society has invented all kinds of devices to deal with people like you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You are big enough to handle anyone’s erratic behavior. You are broad-minded enough to handle the self-centered way that many people act. But how much do you want to endure? Notice when your patience is on half-empty rather than when it’s running all the way out. Notice who consumes the most of your resources. And most of all, notice who notices you — that you’re a person with feelings, desires and needs. Those are the people you want in your life: individuals capable of taking care of themselves and who offer a measure of mutuality. You would probably say that’s tops on your list of qualifications for partner or friend, though how often does it work out that way? At the moment, it’s easy for you to get drawn into the service-to-others thing in a way that can go out of control. This calls for conscious decision-making. Be aware of the commitments you’ve made to others and the extent to which they are expecting or demanding more than what you’ve offered. You might also notice when someone is mirroring back to you one of your own tendencies that you want to let go of. The more you work on yourself, the less tolerant you will be of people who do anything less than honor your full personhood. You must treat yourself well first, and others will follow suit. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Remember that experiments are just that: the exploration of experience, and of your awareness. You have a few of these going on in both your personal life and your less-personal work life. Notice the overlaps and the connections between them. People are people, no matter what supposed role they play. The whole issue of appropriateness is over-rated, as you know, and you may find yourself crossing various lines this month. The one thing to be careful of is where sex meets money. The one place that calls for a boundary is where your financial life meets your amorous life. This is less about spending money and more about who controls it. Keep a grip on your business affairs, make your own decisions and then be as generous as you want. Nothing you say or do implies that you’re anyone else’s property. If anyone gets that idea, you’ll want to notice, so listen for the subtle clues. Your life is a kind of gift economy, wherein people have the opportunity to share with one another. Yes, this goes against the grain of our whole economic system and the prevailing theory of relationship. You have the strength and the integrity to stand up to this in your own life. You are your own person, and everyone will be happier for recognizing that basic fact. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Saturn is in your sign, and that may describe certain emotional challenges you’re facing. It might seem as if these challenges are coming from outside you. Yet your inner life is where the energy is flowing, which includes your emotions and also how you respond to events in your environment. You’ll make more progress on the kinds of maturity that Saturn is here to teach if you keep your locus of awareness internal. Spend as much time alone as you can, and really feel what amounts to a world that you contain. You’re integrating certain experiences from your distant past, on the way to finding your way to the present. This will continue through the late winter and into the spring. Yes, it’s more typical for the Sagittarian quest to be an adventure in the world. It’s bolder and more daring to take your desire to unravel the mysteries of the planet into your own heart and soul. As you do this, your relationships will change. You will be more sensitive to how you feel about people, and you’re more likely to notice the subtle influence they have on you. And when you branch out into the world, you’ll notice different things and feel more connected to your inner core; more receptive and approaching a more harmonious state with the people around you. Go in before you go out. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Pluto in your sign is still pushing, pulling and stretching you, though I also hope you’re getting the message to aspire to bolder and more interesting things. That means having an idea of what’s bold and interesting to you, and reaching beyond your current circumstances, particularly in your profession. Make sure you aspire to what you really want, just in case you get it. That’s the whole thing with success: it’s demanding. Once attained, it often feels like you must earn it again every day. If you claim to have some knowledge, one of the first things you’re likely to discover is how much you need to learn; and something must motivate that process of education. Let that be love: not the love of image, or of appearance, or of the idea of something, but the actual thing itself. Have as few illusions as you can, lest you become disillusioned; and if you do, be grateful when illusions are replaced by something closer to reality. It’s a delicate balance, between reaching to exceed your grasp, and taking on too much responsibility — and there may not actually be a point of equilibrium. The one thing you can do, over and over again, every single day, is resolve to be true to yourself, and make each choice consciously. Then verify again and again that you’re actually faithful to yourself. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Trusting Your Power of Choice

“I suggest you proceed with trust in whatever you’re doing, that you’ve chosen to do. Choice is an essential element here. To the extent that you may feel trapped in the world, the power of decision is your one remaining freedom, and it’s the only one you need. You may notice that many people around you are in the state they’re in, precisely out of a refusal to actually make their own decisions.”

— Eric Francis in the 2016 Aquarius annual reading

Dear Friend and Reader:

If you have an Aquarius Sun, Moon or rising sign, you know that it’s associated with ‘group consciousness’. But a group is made up of individuals, all making their own decisions as they relate to one another.

In two segments of audio astrology and a tarot reading using the Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, Eric will guide you through the major themes and subtler points of your next 12 months in your 2017 Aquarius Birthday Reading. Your reading also includes an extended description of your sign.

This understanding seems to be even more crucial now than it has been in recent years. If you recognize that, you might want to consider celebrating the Aquarius New Moon this Friday by recommitting to your power of choice perhaps by pre-ordering your 2017 Aquarius Birthday Reading to help you focus your trajectory.

In two segments of audio astrology (at least 30 minutes each) and a tarot reading using the Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, Eric will guide you through the major themes and subtler points of your next 12 months.

“Your reports are always so comprehensive and illuminating. Thank you for your wisdom and insight.”

— Rochelle Leal

You’ll be able to use this audio intensive to explore choices around you self-esteem, your sexuality and relationships, your career, your spiritual health and healing, and more.

Secure the lowest discount price Planet Waves offers (only $19.97) by pre-ordering your 2017 Aquarius Birthday Reading here, and proceed with trust in your deepest choices.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter
Planet Waves Astrology Editor

P.S. Your audio Birthday Reading makes a perfect compliment to the written readings of the 2017 annual edition — in fact, Eric approaches the two types of readings very differently — and it makes an amazing gift.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Take the time to put your feelings into words, and share them. Size is not everything, though I suggest this be longer than a tweet. Reach into some of the unusual depths that you’ve been feeling, and that may be daunting. It is, however, the expression and sharing that will help you validate your experiences, and keep your exploration going. If you keep silent, you won’t hear yourself as clearly. If you don’t write down your thoughts, you’re less likely to remember what ground you’re covering. It’s not just your arrival to a new place that counts (and such is inevitable). Rather, it’s how you got there that matters. Remember that this is a spiritual journey, and its most interesting places are symbols and ideas — and these are easy to forget. Treat each event or episode in your life as an initiation, which teaches you something, changes you slightly and significantly, and leads you to another place. As you do this, you’re closing gaps and spaces inside yourself, rather than trying to fill them up with something less fulfilling. You’re healing cracks in your psyche and openings in your emotional body. Your overall direction of travel is toward being a more solid, dependable and grounded person. And this is all preparation for something else, for experiences vastly different from what you’ve ever had before. Therefore, make friends with the unfamiliar. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Practice feeling good about yourself. It’s a skill that you’ll learn over time, though you’re being helped significantly by a factor you might not have expected. The one issue that you’ve been affected by the most deeply, the one you thought you could never resolve, the one that’s vexed you for years, is finally giving way. Part of what you’re doing is establishing a correct relationship to the past. You know that you cannot just stow it away. You know you cannot drag it around with you. You know that you cannot hold every relationship to the standard of what’s happened in the past. You’re releasing the toxic effects of what you’ve been carrying, and at the same time, you’re learning to claim the most positive lessons from what you went through. This conversion process is the essence of emotional and spiritual healing. Claiming the knowledge and experience you’ve gained, and allowing it to change you, is far more than positive thinking; you might think of it as positive becoming. One image from your solar chart is about embracing the different opposites that you contain within you. Those polarities might be your inner male and female aspects, or any seemingly competing desires or values that you observe. Part of the maturity you’re growing into involves allowing yourself to expand, and embracing those oppositions rather than fighting them. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.