Aries (March 20-April 19) — There are two main aspects to this thing we call spiritual. One is the visible part, which involves bodies of ideas, teaching and learning those ideas in the world, the organizations people take part in to facilitate that, and more formal institutions and their various rules and laws. It’s in this area of life that someone may strive to be a better person, to accumulate knowledge, to attain purity, and so on. Then there is the invisible dimension — the one that lurks and lingers behind everything, occasionally finding its way to the front of awareness. It’s a parallel world, which can be visited through direct experiences: dreams, journeying, direct exploration of awareness, transcendent erotic experiences (such as through tantric practice), near-death experiences, and those vast moments of personal revelation that cannot be planned. It’s easy to see why Carl Jung said that religion (the first group of concepts) interferes with religious experience (the second). For you now, the conceptual and pre-programmed level of spiritual life is about to be dissolved into the direct, authentic experience. This will take some time — the next year or two — though it’s beginning now, as you read. Therefore emphasize your actual journey — what you feel, and who and what you experience. Put less into books and concepts and ‘practice’. The rehearsal is over. You are now the instrument, the musician and the audience.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — For any individual in possession of talent or desire to accomplish something, there is a phase of learning about how the quality of your work and the audience response are two different things. This could be said about any phase of life, though let’s focus on the work you do: the thing you want to be known for, and what you feel is your true gift. One reason people hold back developing their talents (we all have them and in my experience, just about all people are aware of that fact) is out of fear of how they will be received. I would remind you that some of the very greatest artists and thinkers have received initial responses verging on insulting. To give one hilarious example (which I will come back to soon): the Wright brothers were busy flying an early model of their airplane around a field in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio, but the local newspaper refused to send a reporter. I could rattle off dozens of these tales from memory. The message of the story is that your work must proceed regardless of what you think people will think, what they actually think or whatever the heck else. This includes your friends, your ‘friends’, your family and so on. Ultimately you must resonate with your own creative core. Be true to your vision, come what may.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Beware of anything that someone claims is both a moral and a medical issue. Said another way, how you feel is not a matter of some external opinion, and neither is how you seek your wellbeing. Gradually you’re breaking down your old, mostly inherited beliefs of right and wrong. An ethical person must be in command of their own understanding of their personal truth. You recognize that people do what they do, and you will do what you do. There’s actual freedom in that, because when you recognize that you have a choice in any matter, you’re more likely to exercise that choice honestly. So I could start this horoscope over by saying, beware of any situation where you seem not to have a choice, or where someone tries to convince you of that. Or: be aware of your options. If you seem to run out of them, ask yourself, what would I do if I didn’t feel some authority was breathing down my back? What would I do in a world where judgment and grudges were not such an issue? Incidentally, if you’re at some crossroads where the choice seems to be either relationship or career, you might start by asking yourself who set that up and why it is you would have to choose one over the other. There are potential reasons, though it may not be true.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The feeling of risk is not the same thing as actual risk. The notion that ‘this feels like I’m about to jump off of a cliff’ is not the same thing as standing at the edge of a mountain precipice with the wind blowing and condors gliding around. Make sure you understand the difference, because where your creative (and sexual) process is taking you is in the direction of a personal boundary. You might say that’s the place where you will decide to keep it real, or to choose some other alternative. Why would you do anything but be real? Well, you might feel out of practice. You might think it’s scary, mistaking a personal edge for an actual thing you can fall off of. This zone I’m talking about is the place where you can make contact with your vitality. I know this seems to spook or freak out those who are easily frightened. Many people think there’s such a thing as too real or too alive or too free or whatever. That simply must be their problem. You have reached a point in your development when nothing but actually being — and feeling — alive will suit you. This truth or necessity or bottom line (as you wish) resounds through all areas of your life, which are not really areas at all. Part of being alive is embracing how all of your existence is indeed your existence.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You must remember what you’ve learned and are still learning about how to handle your finances. First of all, I reckon you’ve gotten the message that the details matter. Second, it looks like you’ve figured out that the bigger scenario matters — and that these two things must align into a unified whole. However, there is deeper information in terms of understanding what your assets really are. Whenever you make or earn money, you are converting something into it. That might be your time, it might be your ideas, it might be your labor. Probably it’s a mix of all three. In terms of really understanding your assets, I suggest you consider what blend you’re currently using, and how you would like to change that in some way. Less time and labor requires having better ideas. Not caring so much about ideas means more effort over more time. The thing to remember is that you actually do have personal assets, a fact which may be asserting itself many ways at the moment. It would be wise of you to keep track of what you know about what you have to offer. Yet more significantly, it’s in the experience of actually offering your gifts that you make them real. Be generous. Measure with a cup and not a spoon. Measure by the week rather than by the hour. Or perhaps don’t measure at all.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You are learning how to get out of your own way. This is a lifelong theme for you, though recent developments have made this a necessity rather than some kind of luxury. Virgos are the experts at outsmarting themselves. That’s the first of many seeming skills that you will get to dismantle on the way to accessing your true purpose and gift. Another is the thing about trying to convince yourself of something, such as whether it’s true or false. You could more easily do an assessment, review the facts and make a decision based on what you actually observe. A third thing is the concept that you are less than anything or anyone. That’s something that seems to prove itself, though that’s why you really need to subject it to some scrutiny. Now, as for what is actually true — it’s very likely that at your core, you live to be in service. That can work against you. It will, unless you choose consciously to make it work for you — which directly implies a kind of plus-plus symbiosis with your environment. Getting out of your own way is about seeing the relationships you have with others. Mostly it’s about understanding that you exist both as an independent entity and also as one who is interdependent with others around you. That is a fact of existence, and it’s beyond reproach. Put it to good use.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Venus returns to your sign in a week or so. This happens about once a year, though it’s still a beautiful thing, coming right when you need it. It was only recently that Saturn (another planet that represents you) moved out of Scorpio, which signals a loosening up of your resources. If you have not noticed this, you can use the Venus principle to help get things moving. In a word, that’s about attraction. But attraction doesn’t mean standing around looking cute, seeing who offers you what. Libra and Venus in Libra are self-assertive. The image in the planets is about having the confidence to present yourself to the world in an open and accepting way. There’s a serious confidence issue in our society right now, crippling many people. Our obsession with spectating is a direct expression of lacking the courage to dare. You now get some direct relief from any such shortage. You still must present yourself to the world, start the conversation and practice the art of mingling with the human race. It’s just that you’re likely to be feeling better about yourself, as if you’ve somehow found yourself after having lost track of who you are. Thing is, your current experience of finding is likely to bring a real discovery. Keep your sense of wonder right where you can feel it.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — After sending an email query to all the Scorpios in my database, I got an earful one weekend in late October, hearing what many have been through during the past two years of Saturn in your sign (that ended in mid-September). Saturn is usually experienced as lessons learned or struggled with. The purpose of Saturn is to convey the authority principle, inviting you to make your own decisions, rather than having the rules imposed on you from the outside. You’re now in a delicate position of having to step up to this challenge. Look around and you’ll see that it’s clearly more than most people can handle, hence the extreme over-reliance on government, family and corporations. Saturn in Sagittarius presents similar, but subtler, challenges. Do you believe what you believe because you were told to, or did you actually determine that it was true? A rare aspect (Saturn square Neptune) describes some of your most cherished opinions being challenged. This in turn calls for a total reassessment of your reality. It’s not enough to believe something because you always believed it, or because someone presented it as the only option. Where this really comes home is your self-worth. Your opinion of yourself must be balanced and realistic, and usually that means recognizing that much of what you were told simply was not true. When you get there, it’s a profound and stunning revelation.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Saturn’s journey through your sign will have many plots and themes, and each will feel like a distinct phase of your personal history. A new one is about to begin. The immediately prior phase involved accountability (that was Saturn square Nessus). That was the message about how it’s easier to take responsibility than it is to blame. It’s better to have a personal code than be subject to the laws of others. Now we have the first of three Saturn square Neptune events, which extend through 2016. This describes the challenge of certainty, which so often seems nonexistent. You may have heard the term ‘moral relativism’, a fancy name for the idea that we decide what is right for us. That’s exactly what you must do, but the challenge is honoring the wider context in which you live. You can and must do what is right for yourself, though for that to work you need a fairly wide definition of self. What you will be exploring is the intersection between you and the connection you have with others, who to some degree are also part of your ‘self’. That’s not a fixed line. It’s barely visible. It will change based on context. Remember, there are no absolutes; there are no proscribed definitions. You must apply these ideas with each decision you make, and learn something from each experience.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You might be wondering what you’re pushing against, or what you’re running into. It’s something that’s there but which you can neither see nor feel easily. Trying to describe it to others is akin to describing the logic of a dream, which doesn’t even make sense to you when you try to consider it rationally. You must start this phase of your life being the only one who understands who you are or what you go through. Because so much is in motion, it would not be helpful to declare, “There, I get it!” Rather, I suggest seeking the kind of understanding that comes in layers. Remember, though, that we’re in the territory of dream logic. That implies a unique point of view, and at other times a state of isolation. When you find people who actually understand something you say or feel, spend some time with them. When you encounter someone who cares enough to listen, pay attention and share in any way that feels appropriate. You have one special responsibility right now, and it may be difficult: to be absolutely honest with yourself, even when you’re uncertain what the truth is. If all you know is that you don’t know, that’s a good place to start. Your other quest is doing something with fear. Running, hiding and avoidance have outlasted whatever use they had, which was not much to begin with.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — The Sun, and soon enough Mercury, will be in your 10th solar house of getting things done. Whether you use your solar chart (as I’m doing here) or your natal chart, it’s helpful to follow the Sun’s journey through the various seasons of your year. The 10th house is about visibility. It’s about being seen but, moreover, making sure you’re known for what you want to be known for. Reputations, properly established, take time to be built. The returns can seem minimal, even over long years. But you are starting to accrue some experience, and to make some progress on the issue of personal power and influence. Still, I suggest you seek to establish yourself with your good work rather than try to collect. The world is in an extremely confused state right now; the wars and violence seem never to stop, and we get very little in the way of pleasure that doesn’t come with corporate sponsorship or a high-priced admission ticket. Therefore, keep your focus on what is right. Remind yourself that you’ve cleared out enough psychological baggage from your internal space to have a clue who you actually are. Not everyone has made this investment; most people have kept filling their attic while you were busy cleaning up yours. You are therefore in a distinct position of leadership. You can actually see, feel and breathe.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You’re in a period of achievement — though it may not feel like that, or at least not every day. Such a phase is different in that it’s not so much about preparation as it is about the results of the work you’ve already done. Of course, you’re always still learning, and this is essential to maintain as a daily yoga. Your current project is about working on the perfect hybrid of what you do and who you are. (I originally typed that as ‘who you do and what you are’, also accurate.) We see a lot of problems arise in the world when people try to split their character. By that I mean they have a reputation for one thing, and then conduct themselves in a way that entirely contradicts that. For you, Saturn square Neptune is about being one with yourself, which you will get to do on a moment-to-moment basis. The more you do ‘out in the world’, the more you will need to reconcile that with who you are, and who you are becoming. This is saying a lot, given that the end of the year is the busiest time for your professional activities. The underlying theme is about never losing touch with your humanity. But it works the other way too — the closer you stay to your core truth, the more you will achieve.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You certainly have plenty to do and you’re motivated to get it done. What’s essential is that you bring your imagination to your work rather than just your time, effort and focus. There’s a purpose to what you’re doing, and the way to keep in contact with that purpose is to allow in the creative element all the time. This may run contrary to what colleagues and coworkers are doing; they seem to have ideas of their own, and they may seem obsessed with something that misses the mark. Therefore, you’re the person who must interject the element of that special something that keeps the project meaningful. Be subtle about this. There are ways to add the magic elixir that are not quite obvious, though you do have the advantage of understanding the original purpose of whatever you’re doing. That said, and collaborations aside for a moment, this can be an incredibly productive and, moreover, creative month for you. Make sure you leave yourself enough time and space to focus on your own individual priorities, both professional and creative. Don’t let work commitments siphon off all your energy, ideas and motivation; make sure you take a little something home every night after work, and that you focus on your own priorities. That means projects, but it also means people — especially after Mercury stations direct on the 9th.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Regarding your work-related endeavors, make sure you include the most important element: yourself. You seem to be involved in a project that leaves out some essential element of your talent. Only you can incorporate that; it’s the essence of professionalism in a field where you care about what you’re doing. It’s not up to bosses, editors, directors or colleagues to make that happen. Only you can show up with that one ingredient that only you can bring. Alternately, it may be that you’re seeking to add this element to your life and work, and now is an excellent time to do that — especially if you’re interested in getting paid for your creativity. Seen one way, your charts tell the story of ‘professionalizing’ your innate talents. Most people take the opposite approach — they sell out on what they really want to do, and put all their energy into what they think will support them financially. You cannot and must not compromise here, but that runs in two directions. The first is making sure that you consider what you love the most as a viable job. The other is making sure that you bring your most authentic creativity into whatever you do, as a day-to-day discipline. That means putting love, care and real ideas into whatever you touch. Purpose is inherent in who you are, and it can be inherent in everything that you do.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you’re looking for that brilliant idea that’s going to ring the bell, you’re heading in the right direction (though it may not seem that way). Proceed with mindfulness and take the approach of doing things one step at a time. Be meticulous. Do not skip steps, especially involving communication with collaborators. If you find something that needs fixing, get to it now, so that it’s not there to distract or delay you in the future. You may not believe it now, but you’re working toward something that’s on a larger scale than you’re accustomed to. You are doing something that has the ability to resonate with others, and you may have been working toward this for a long time. It may be a new project, or it may be an existing one (dating back up to 18 months or so) whose time has come. I suggest you experiment with both existing and new projects and see what resonates. That’s the concept to work with — resonance. This same astrology may involve a relationship, and if it does, the resonance I’m talking about is specifically creative-erotic. I am not saying romantic. I’m not saying soulmate. I’m not saying hookup. I’m saying that rare morph of adventurous, nourishing pleasure that is available to you just about everywhere and with more people than you might imagine. Though few will admit it, this is the good stuff. Really good.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The developing theme of your charts is about writing, which is great if you consider yourself a writer. Under that scenario, the next year of your life can be a bonanza of collecting on long-delayed ideas, stories you’ve been brewing, or projects that have needed that extra burst of energy or resources to make them happen. I would remind you that there is a confidence issue you’re working with — and it’s one that you’re finally in a position to work out. Seen one way, I’m talking about having faith in yourself. But there is a practical element involved. Confidence is the elusive state of mind where you align your motivation, your abilities and a specific idea that you want to express. The keyword is specific. Specific as opposed to generic, vague, foggy or uncertain. Work with focus and precision on the idea, or element of an idea, that you’re developing. Give it time and patience. Work with the past and not against it. I would remind you that, though you may not fancy yourself a writer or even an idea person, the digital environment has swallowed us all like high tide at the Bay of Fundy. We walk, breathe and swim in a universe of ideas, of words, of images and of communication. To be a massage therapist you must be your own publicist. Ride with that tide.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You have the opportunity over the next two months to reorganize and align your finances with your true purpose in life. This is sometimes called integrity. I would second that motion. Along the way to doing this, the details matter — and they matter quite a bit. If you pretend they’re not a factor or skip them over, you will get results in the short term but undermine yourself in the long run. What you now have is the potential to establish yourself financially as a well-rooted perennial plant, more like a tree and less like a marigold. As you do this, it’s essential that you be mindful of self-limiting ideas and habits. It’s true that you’re a Leo and that your planet is really the star at the center of the solar system. But you have a way of thinking in miniature. Miniature works just fine as long as it’s intended as a test, or as a scale model of something larger. So think in terms of scale, and how you might develop an idea into something that reaches farther and wider than you’re accustomed to working. One priority over the next year is going to be improving your income, and you seem strongly inclined to do this on the ‘right livelihood’ approach to existence. This is possible, though it takes a combination of intelligence, actual thought, courage and action.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Jupiter is now in your sign — joined by Venus and Mars. You have every reason to feel good about yourself, though it would seem that in recent weeks you’ve either had your doubts, or you’ve committed to letting go of them. What exactly is this about? One thing to keep an eye on is your concern about others disrupting your life, or the power of their personality dominating you. This can have a way of making you feel like less than who and what you are, which in turn can have a way of making you doubt yourself or your value in someone’s eyes. Here is the thing: the force of others’ personalities will be an increasing factor in your life for the foreseeable future. You will need to respond consciously — and you have options. The most important one is to learn how to engage people who intimidate you in conversation. I recognize that society is being swallowed by utter panic at the mere thought of going off-script, though this is an art you must master. Once you get good at engaging these high-energy personalities in a dialog, they will cease to be scary. The other bit is being comfortable with people who express desire for you. You have many options for how to respond; though among them, fear is neither useful, helpful nor empowering. Many better choices exist.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — One theme of the past couple of years that is worth considering is the way in which you’ve had to dismantle your ideas about relationships. Most people cling to their relational concepts with little or no thought; many circumstances have conspired to make that nearly impossible for you. The absence of predictability has compelled you to stay in the moment, seemingly as a matter of survival. We are all under enormous pressure to conform to rules of relating that few people have actually thought through and that most people violate. What’s vital is that you honor your actual tendencies in relationships. Not what you think you should do, or what others told you that you should do, but what you actually want and how you actually feel. If you’re paying attention you will see that this is an evolving set of values, and in truth every relationship is the result of an energy pattern you make with another person. Which brings us to a deeper question — your relationship to yourself. It’s now vital that you remember that how you treat yourself matters. It sets the tone for the rest of your life. There are facets of this understanding that have come with difficult lessons, ones that it’s not necessary to repeat, if you would remember them. They point to something much better — the joy of being your own person.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Messages coming from your solar chart suggest you’re being called on some bold adventures. Yet you may be feeling some tension between your desire to create something beautiful and your fear of being judged or seen through, or the feeling that you’re faking something. The only way to get beyond that kind of paradox is to take a chance on yourself. At a certain point you will need to decide that who you are is beyond judgment and reproach, which is another way of saying that you’re not worried what people think about you or what you do. But you cannot have it both ways; you can’t transcend judgment and also respond to people as if they’re your parents. Therefore, if you’re going to create something, or feel something, you would need to give yourself enough space to feel and think and be, without stepping in as your own critic before you’re even finished. An example of this would be choosing not to do something because you know it won’t come out well. The way to take another path is to allow yourself to be guided by your own curiosity, without concerning yourself in advance with what you will find. Rather, take each discovery as it comes, and consider what it teaches you; consider its particular pleasure or invitation to something deeper. The art studio and the gallery are different things with different purposes.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Saturn is now in your sign, which in a word is about maturity. As you experience the effects, the benefits and the challenges of this transit (which will last until late 2017), remember something — the world is in a crisis of maturity. Perhaps in the past too much was made of the requirement to grow up and be an adult. Today too little is made of it. Particularly in the United States, and to a growing extent in other countries, we are encouraged to stay immature and to overlook anything that requires serious thought or self-reflection. This is a self-serving scenario — like frat boys encouraging one another to drink, the better to pretend it’s not a problem. There are ways in which Saturn will seem to limit you, to hamper your freedom and to rein in your choices. This will help you factor out what is not necessary. There is an essential benefit to the efficiency and focus that you will gain under this transit. The one truly valuable gift you can give yourself is to be your own authority. It may not seem so thrilling today, but in the end you will be grateful that you’ve stepped up to the honor of taking responsibility for your own choices, your own necessities, your own idea of who you are and what you want to become. If you let that guide you, you will do brilliantly. Remember: Saturn always gives more than it takes away.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Consider the concept of inner freedom — that is, the freedom to be honest about who you are and what you feel within the space of your own thoughts. This is typically the first freedom sacrificed to control-devices such as shame and guilt. Often these sacrifices are passed down the generations like some precious inheritance, only to leave people bound and hampered and barely able to move around the world. Saturn moving into Sagittarius, your solar 12th house, describes a phase of your life when you can and indeed must reclaim your inner freedom. By this I mean freedom from dysfunctional beliefs, denial, religiosity, guilt and false ideas of purity. I also mean freedom to think and feel what you want within the sanctity of your own mind, undaunted by the many expectations that have been put upon you, and that you’ve often internalized. I reckon that in learning to give yourself the freedom to actually be yourself, you will hold sacred the freedom of others to be themselves. In encountering such a profound inner confrontation, I reckon you will observe that the meeting places between different people are small, and delicate, and deserve to be honored. As you learn to honor your own distinction, your own difference from others, you will honor their difference from you and, in the process, finally recognize how much you have in common.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — There is a place for you in the world. There’s a place for everyone who wants one. The reason why is that the world is constantly changing, if for no other reason than people die and are born every day. What seems to remain consistent are the patterns of society, but even those change, if ever so slowly. Your role is to establish patterns that are consistent with your ideas and your approach to life, recognizing the imminent necessities of our moment — and to do this in the public forum known as the culture. As you proceed, there are two things to be mindful of. One is that the most essential patterns to observe and work with are in your own mind. The mind truly is a microcosm of family, of society and of the global condition, all of which are in upheaval now. Second is that rather than innovating something new, you’re more likely to be updating something traditional, something well-established or time-honored. You are taking something that has already existed and modifying it for a new context. Originality is not an actual value, since nearly everything is derivative. Yet the retrieval of something functional, something that works, in a new context, is original enough for anyone whose goal is to get the job done rather than to make a splash. There is work to do. Do it well, and work joyfully.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You have recently passed through one phase of an initiation, which had the effect of demonstrating your commitment to the truth. I don’t mean The Truth in some mystical sense, but rather your commitment to what you know. This initiation will last for a while, and proceed as you take on ever-greater challenges in the world. I suggest you consciously embrace and love every minute, day, week and month of it. As a Pisces you tend to take things on faith. This, however, creates some famously skeptical people, who are in reaction. I suggest you view the faith versus fact issue as an equation where both sides will eventually balance. If something is valid and authentic, it will probably stand up both to a test of faith and also to an examination of the data. Probably, but not definitely. There are times when a set of facts will point to an absurd conclusion, and times when faith will bear out a point of view that is otherwise not supported by known reality. You must therefore be gentle and avoid coming to quick conclusions. The beauty of your sign is that it grants the ability to be circumspect, which means to look around the whole circle of existence. Keep an open mind, and pay attention to what both your senses and your intuition tell you. In general, pay attention.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You may not make sense to others, and this is something that you’ll need to get used to. What you want, how you think of yourself, how you explain yourself — indeed, the essence of who you are — are all changing. This is happening while others may be expecting you to fit their idea of what is reasonable. It’s easy to fall for this. Being different, and going through a process of change that reaches to your roots, are vulnerable places to be. Often others who are intent on conforming and doing things the supposedly right way will try to make others hold the line. The key to doing this successfully will be choosing to not worry about what others think. Get accustomed to doing this now, and then get better at it — you’re going to need this skill the next few years. It’s not your job to live up to anyone else’s presumptions or expectations. You can go through five years of therapy or you can embrace this simple fact. This remains true no matter how much authority anyone exerts, or tries to claim. Look for any hint of religion or religiosity as the basis of the head-trip. Such rationales are almost always rooted in hypocrisy. Part of what you will learn over the next two years, beginning now, is to never, ever put up with that kind of bullshit.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Venus finally stations direct on Sept. 7, which signals that you will soon be seeking broader horizons — especially at home. On one level you need more emotional space. You need the space to change and grow; to stretch into different feelings than the ones you’re so accustomed to. To what extent does your domestic space, and your relationship space, allow you this? If you get a change of scenery, you will get a good basis for comparison. Yet this also extends into the aspect of life that you might think of as creative and expressive. You are ready to take greater chances in whatever you think of as your true art or craft. You may be finally giving yourself permission to embark on this at all, or for the first time in a very long time. Be aware of your tendency to be cautious. It’s one thing to exercise restraint when you’re driving through the rain on a dark highway. It’s another matter entirely to contain yourself when you’re encountering a blank page or canvas. You don’t need to overthink any of that; in truth, when you want to express yourself, the less thinking you do, the better. Trust what you’re feeling, and connect that to what you say and what you express. Being this real with yourself might make you nervous at first, but it’s also great fun.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Saturn enters your opposite sign Sagittarius — which reveals the quality of your relationships; it’ll be there, working the territory, for the next two years. This is an extended get-real, get-serious moment. Relationships that belong in your life will go through a series of transformations and become stronger. Those that do not will likely be cleared from your energy field. It’s in the nature of Saturn to favor action taken voluntarily, and honoring the boundaries of time. This is where you will need the maturity to know what’s appropriate for you and what is not, or said another way, to honor what you may have known for a long time. Every situation in your life must support your emotional growth and nourishment. Notice when you have an exchange with someone that leaves you feeling fulfilled. Notice when an encounter leaves you feeling depleted. These contrasts will encourage you to continually improve your situation.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Most people make the majority of their decisions on emotional grounds. They do what they think feels right; that allows for a diversity of unwholesome motives to enter the environment. It’s essential now that you do what is right, rather than what temporarily seems to feel right. Open your mind to embrace all of the facts, and the viewpoint of every person who has a stake in whatever decision you have to make. Ultimately you must do right by yourself, and you have the choice to ignore the interests of everyone else. I would propose, however, that it’s entirely in your interest to make sure you understand where everyone else is coming from. For one thing, their feelings are likely to reflect something that’s true for you, which you may not have considered. For another, there is a diversity of common interests involved, and you’re in a position to honor the greatest good for all concerned. There is actually such a thing, especially for you now, and the only way you’re going to get there is to observe the facts and take the known data into account. There is one situation underlying everything in your environment: the emotional needs that everyone has in common. On some level everyone is longing for their mother, perhaps the mother they never had. If you remember that, it will be easier to figure out what to do.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Venus retrograde in your sign for the past six weeks has been a bold reminder that it’s necessary to embody your purpose if you’re going to have one at all. Purpose is something you must eat like food that nourishes your blood, rather than wear like clothing or a mask. Yet this calls for a different kind of commitment than is currently fashionable. Most anything that’s worthwhile takes a long-range plan, and persisting through many ups and downs and unexpected twists in the plot. Your vision of ‘self’ must expand to embrace yourself and everything and everyone you influence. You must take on a higher level of responsibility, which means accountability; the buck stops with you. At the outset, and often for many years into the journey, you may question whether this process will be worth the effort, with no ready answer. Yet the reward is knowing that you are indeed engaging with this plane of reality on the level of what is meaningful to you, and what has relevance in the world around you. That, in truth, is the expression of the larger self-concept that means you’re a living part of the world and that it’s a living part of you. As I said, this is not in high fashion, though over the next year it will become an increasingly important value for you — and something you will want to honor. Begin — or continue — in earnest.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — What does it mean to truly embrace another person? That question could also translate to: what does it mean to be fully in the world, rather than observing or allowing it to act on you? You may have noticed a tendency that humans have, which is to cut themselves off from their surroundings, including physical places, people, the weather, how a room smells, or the sounds coming in through the window. Jupiter in your birth sign means that you will be far more sensitive to your environment; in a sense it describes you merging with everything you see, touch and become aware of. As this happens, you will feel numb places come back to life. You will ‘re-member’ in the sense of reattaching what you may have cut off, and allowing certain facts to percolate out of your memory and into full awareness. Given the prevailing chaos of the world, and the extent of the struggles that so many are facing, you might well question whether that’s the best approach to life. But there’s a bigger question, which is: can you do anything else, and still count yourself as alive? You came here to be involved with this dimension of reality: to allow it to change you, and for you to change it. You now have many new opportunities to do that in the most creative and constructive ways. It’s about time.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You must check your logic carefully, at every opportunity. In order to do this, you’ll have to slow down and observe your own thought process. If you do this, you might discover places you have not taken certain facts into account, or ways you’ve jumped to conclusions without taking steps you can retrace or explain to someone else. This will be especially meaningful if you find yourself exerting effort that’s not resulting in progress. Step away from the idea that things must be difficult for the sake of paying dues, or because ‘that’s the way things are’. To a real degree you get to choose the difficulty level of your life, which differs from other factors such as success and achievement. If you apply reasoning and intelligence, you will come up with another analysis. To this end, you need to be mindful of the logical steps you take toward any conclusion. Notice the way you collect observations of your environment to prove or disprove any theory you may have. While many people can get away with making assumptions or taking guesses most of the time, you need to do better. You’re accountable for what you know and for what you don’t know. You are responsible for how you assemble the facts into a theory or a conclusion. Take each step consciously, and take notes.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Saturn leaves your sign this month, after being with you from late 2012 through late 2014, and for three months this year. This is a good time for a review, which I can sum up in one question: have you discovered that there’s no point in being anything but real? It is, of course, easy to play things off, to pretend, to remain silent, to look the other way, to believe what’s convenient. Saturn has made that more difficult, and revealed this approach to existence as the folly that it is. In the process, you may have been squashed a few times, as if to squeeze out a few drops of truth. You may have run head-on into authority figures, and into your own resentment. When you finally did the emotional calculus, you’re likely to have discovered that this is the result of being something other than the master of your own affairs. If you got Saturn’s message, you came into your strength and committed to living with consciousness and awareness, mostly of who you are. This month Saturn enters Sagittarius, which is calling on you to be realistic rather than idealistic. This may seem to be a high price, though your Saturn journey continues into the phase of engaging with the world on the level of what you know is true, rather than what you wish was true. This will be easier and more productive, to be sure.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Have you ever had a splinter or shard of glass that took a few years to work through to the surface of your skin, and when it did, that little rip and removing the foreign object was delightful? That’s the feeling of your current astrology, only on the level of an emotional rebirth. Your recent astrology describes you embracing some dark elements of yourself — deep fears, feelings of alienation, and encountering a few moments of being totally lost. Now it’s as if all of that melts away like a dream, though one that you should write down so you remember what happened. The challenge of the coming two years will be to focus your identity and to merge that with a clear vision for your life, based in action. It’s as if who you are morphs into who you want to be, which is connected to a sense of mission unlike anything you’ve ever felt. Indeed, the combination of planetary forces influencing you has not aligned this way in your lifetime. You are in wholly new territory, though it will take you some time to get your bearings. To that end, the first thing you can do would be to take total ownership of everything in your life — and begin a deliberate, vital process of sorting what you want from what you don’t.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Your attention is now being drawn inward; you are on an inner quest, and you will be on this journey for the foreseeable future. Yet you clearly have plenty else going on; you won’t be living in a cave in India (though you may visit one). It is therefore essential that you harmonize your inner life and your supposedly outer one. The way you would do this is by making sure that you have the confidence of people who are tuned into your deeply personal journey. It’s true that not every aspect of this can be shared, or understood. There is plenty that will be yours alone to consider and experience. Yet it’s possible to engage with others who understand the concept of the introspective quest. The ones who do will honor your sensitive interior space. They may also offer some clue about the territory you’re entering, which is as much transpersonal as it is personal. In other words, this is about you, but it’s not strictly about you, because your deepest interior space is a collective one, where many people, places and ideas are connected. Most of all, though, you and the people around you must respect your solitude. Don’t be afraid to simply take the space you need, when you need it. Your true friends will understand and support you on that mission.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — There’s plenty of talk in the world about right livelihood, and even some that’s sincere. You’re now fully engaging the challenges of doing what is right for you, as a participant in society. The compromises of the past, and of past generations, are behind you. You can no longer divide your life or your character in half; you are deep into the work of integrating your entire reality. This can consume plenty of energy at first, as you’ve been seeing. You’re being compelled by your choices and your circumstances to stand fully in who you are, right now, rather than pretending that you’ll be something in the future. I suggest you do this gently, persistently and a little at a time. Small, steady steps count more than attempts at major changes. As you experience this process, remember how much of the world’s ideas are negotiated on the basis of belief. You have an idea what is true for you, though most others merely believe what they want to believe without regard for verification. You would be wise to avoid controversies that play into this difference. Work with what others believe, and don’t attempt to prove your point. Rather, demonstrate what’s true for you, and let that serve as a practical expression of what is possible. This is a universe apart from proof, and indeed sidesteps the whole issue rather neatly.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — By all indications (mostly, Jupiter and Saturn changing signs) it’s time to stretch your potential. By that I mean it’s time to widen your conduits for emotional exchange, for productivity and for relating to the world in all modes that involve love and work. Everything is in the right place; you will soon discover that the sometimes-meandering journey you’ve taken to get here led you to the right place at the right time. For you now, there is one thing you must do above all else: be yourself. This may seem like the most obvious idea in the world, and it is. But it’s also the idea most easily forsaken, or denied or resented. It’s typically seen as the thing that’s ‘impossible’ to do, because it’s seemingly so difficult, or because it will allegedly blow up on you. Here’s the thing: Nothing else will work. You cannot afford to veil yourself, or to compromise your actual reality in any way. That means: be true to your goals, to your feelings, to the necessities of your environment, to your ethics and most of all to what you want. Notice and track even minor compromises of your reality, and tidy up as you go. Truly great achievements are possible for you now and well into the foreseeable future. Give yourself every advantage.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You may have changed your mind about something in the past month, something that really matters. You may even rethink that same thing several times in the coming few weeks. And you may be wondering why you’re not able to get a clear fix on your real position, though you’ve learned a lot from working through the question so many times. What you’re about to discover is that what matters is not what you think but how you feel. Emotions are the real motivator for most people, if not for everyone. You can test this out by noticing how often the facts are ignored entirely and people respond only to their emotional impulses. You may find that in doing so, you harness a lot more of your authentic motivation. It will help immensely if you remember what you’ve learned in sorting out things like harboring two perfectly contradictory desires or opinions simultaneously. It can be really annoying while you’re working through that, then you start to get the benefits. One of them is seeing how what seems to conflict does not have to. Often opposites contain one another, and support one another more than they compete. The ability to hold contradictions cultivates profound strength. From there, when you make a decision, you align yourself with some deeper core reality of who you are and move forward with bold determination.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — The return of Saturn to your opposite sign Scorpio will slow down the movie and allow you to evaluate whether a new commitment is right for you. Evaluation does not imply that something is wrong, or that you need to step back; rather, it implies an experiment that will help you suss out what you really want. What you also get is a reminder of what your life was like going back a few years. If any old fears or sadness come to the surface, you can trust that they’re arising in your awareness so that you can see where you were and remember how you felt. This is for the purpose of gaining clarity and resolution. The resounding message of your charts, and the reminder going forward, is about keeping your commitments loose enough that you have room to move. As someone born under a fixed sign, you tend to think in terms of permanence. This can include the desire to honor tradition, or to maintain bonds with others for the sake of doing so. Those have a real value, which does not conflict with leaving some options open. Seen one way, what you seem to be doing is revising a time-honored tradition and making it suitable for your life (and the world) as they are now. That is progress.

Turn On Your Mind With Your Gemini Birthday Reading

Dear Gemini (and their Friends):

Today, as the Sun enters the sign of the Twins, we are opening the doors to pre-order your 2015 birthday reading. The Sun joins two other high-profile planetary visitors to your sign: retrograde Mercury, and Mars.

If you have Mercury retrograde in such a sensitive area as your Sun sign or rising sign, you’ve noticed it by now. Maybe it has you feeling especially introspective, retrospective or less clear-headed than usual; perhaps you feel like you’re in a creative incubator. Then there’s Mars, bringing its assertive, outward push — and doing so while tangling with Neptune over in Pisces.

Looking up these aspects in an astrology ‘cookbook’ could leave you feeling uneasy, unsure of how to proceed. Eric understands there is no such thing as ‘bad’ astrology; it’s all about working with it from a place of grounded, creative potential — and keeping your eyes open and mind turned on.

With his usual lucid, compassionate, proactive approach, Eric will explain how you can do this consciously. He’ll empower you to take the driver’s seat as you head into your new solar year — looking ahead into well beyond this month.

The reading will include two sessions of astrology (at least 30 minutes each), a tarot reading using the Voyager Tarot deck by James Wanless, and an extended written description of your astrological sign. You also get access to last year’s reading to check Eric’s accuracy and review your progress.

You can pre-order your Gemini birthday reading for just $24.95 here — an incredible value for the level of personal insight offered. It’s an essential astrological booster for you or your favorite Gemini, and makes an easy and thoughtful gift.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. Here’s what Planet Waves customer Debra MacFarlane had to say about her birthday reading: “Everything you said in this reading was completely and absolutely spot-on for me…I am astounded by your passion and talent. You have a gift.” See for yourself: pre-order the Gemini reading now.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) —  You’re never one to keep silent for long, though you may be pushing things lately. Between Mars in your sign and Mercury retrograde there as well, you’re speaking with unusual boldness, though some may perceive you as arguing both sides of an issue. While I would never urge you to dial back your eloquent views, I suggest that you pay attention to the limits of others in your environment. This would include your intimate partners, business partners and those with whom you have a strong disagreement. You live the idea that dialog, debate and repartee are a friendly sport. Others not so enlightened have the potential to take offense. You may get a warning at some point this month to mind your politics, for example, those in the workplace, or when dealing with any legal or government authority. Make sure that how you express your views is appropriate to your situation. Please take extra care wherever and whenever alcohol is involved. That’s the time to avoid the whole ‘in vino, veritas’ thing and stick to less controversial matters. Let the presence of alcohol, in your environment or in your body, be a caution that you’re closer to the edge than usual. You may write some excellent stuff, though set a delay and publish after Mercury stations direct on the 11th or better still, after the Sun leaves your sign on the 21st.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Emphasize what works, especially where money is concerned. Over the past few seasons you’ve likely figured out where there are resources to be had, and where they are less likely to turn up. Those are not absolute truths, however. Leave yourself room to experiment. Most of all, make sure you invest most of your time and energy into what you’re the most devoted to. Current aspects so strongly support your finances that if you’re ever going to get a monetary reward from what you love to do the most, now is the time to take that chance. I say this knowing that you may be confronting some deep fears, including how you may have used up a ‘last chance’ of some kind. You may also be questioning your integrity and whether it’s possible to maintain it in your current environment. It’s worth noticing these thoughts going through your mind, in as detached a way as possible. When the Sun and Mars enter your sign later in the month, you’ll see that you were really experiencing a lack of confidence. It will be best to address this by moving forward, taking the most direct route that you can. Remember that confidence leads to success more effectively than success leads to confidence. This is a matter of faith in yourself, which ultimately requires no proof or even evidence of validity.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Self-improvement is a real distraction from growth. It’s like the theory as compared with the reality. Growth means change, and for you right now, change means expansion. The quest to ‘be a better person’ is questionable; to make the most of your life, and to use every experience as an opportunity to facilitate learning, is a mature approach. You’re in a phase of considering your many possibilities; you have not felt this kind of potential in a long time. You can safely ignore any mixed signals you seem to be getting from your environment, such as whether others think what you want to do is really a good idea. You don’t need to guide yourself by any form of public opinion. It looks like you’re being guided in the direction of an opportunity to put potential and opportunity together. This may seem like a stroke of pure luck until you figure out that you will have to make some adjustments to a current commitment in order to bring this to fruition. Yet I suggest you consider whatever impact any potential choice will have on a partnership as something working in your favor. You will raise issues such as the extent to which a certain connection affords you the freedom you need to make positive moves. You will get a look at what adjustments are necessary to facilitate this. Know what you want; remember that everything is negotiable.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — So much is happening behind the scenes that you’ll be amazed when it starts to emerge. At the moment it may seem like your most ambitious actions and your very best plans amount to little more than a windstorm. At least you aspire to greater things and you’re taking action. Yet it’s as if a whole other show is developing behind the one that’s currently apparent. Therefore, I suggest you use current events as more of a study than as a sure-fire course of action. Get to know people, particularly those with authority and influence. You are likely to be meeting them in droves, especially in informal contexts or places you least expect. Keep in contact with them and develop relationships that exist outside of any specific plans. This includes making sure that the people around you are organized and working effectively. Pay particular attention to work flow. Notice the ways in which technology helps, or gets in the way — and remember those vital discoveries. You don’t need to be the boss as much as you need to be a facilitator. If there is any troubleshooting to be done, make sure you do it yourself or are directly involved. The current timeframe into July is the time to set the stage for greater things to come.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Pay attention to how you think others perceive you. It may not be true, but your ideas will tell a story. Then you can check whether that story teaches you anything useful. The reality as I see it is that you have tremendous respect and admiration coming from your peers. You can turn that into support or creative opportunity. Yet secretly, you may have your doubts. You may be wondering whether you’re really worthy of anyone’s high opinion of you, or their recognition of your talent. The doubts you may be feeling very likely belong to someone else. I know they seem real, but consider the possibility that they are part of someone else’s legacy. Let’s take this a step further. Imagine for a moment the most frightening, negative things that you heard about religion as a child: the rules, the threats, the twisted logic. Did that in any way set limits on your bliss? Consider what your parents were told, and how that may have filtered through to you in language that was not obviously dressed in the garb of religion. Once you see these things for what they are, it will be easier to acknowledge them and make choices that are not covertly misinformed by them. The thing to hunt for are messages that somehow establish the validity of a negative self-image. Be bold about finding them — and laughing at them.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Saturn spent more than two years in your sign, and now it’s about to make one last visit to Scorpio before taking up residence in Sagittarius till late 2017. This is a reminder that an emotional growth phase is not quite over. You’ll also figure out how little you need to do, in order to reach a state of true resolution. In the end, I think you’ll discover that this was all about being at peace with who you are. Look for that one last little place you’re holding out; that one condition you’re holding against your self-acceptance. I am going to take an educated guess and say this has something to do with sex. You seem to be of two opinions about something or someone, and the more you focus on it, the more opinions you seem to have. You’re someone who prefers to know exactly where you stand, though the current scenario is really making you wonder if that’s even possible. Maybe it’s not. Maybe your viewpoint keeps changing and that’s natural. Maybe you’re aware that there are many potentials. Maybe it’s just fine if you contradict yourself from day to day. I would ask, though: do you talk about your desires and experiences, or do you tend to keep them to yourself? Opening up will help — a lot. Secrets are about power. This is about pleasure.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — If you added it up, you would be surprised how much time you spend solving the problems of others. By that I mean people you know are in your environment, and people who lived on Earth before you (parents and other ancestors). By problems, I mean their hang-ups; their anxieties; the things they didn’t resolve. Their regrets over the experiences they didn’t have. Right now life is offering you many people, places and things to explore. Some of them will approach you; others you must take a small chance and reach out to. You will also have to sort out which of them is friendly, or a positive influence. You may encounter a kind of ambiguity that will, in itself, be seductive. The thing you’re prepared to do that many people in the past could not handle is to embrace variables, unknowns and mixed signals, and not have your mind explode. Take a light approach and listen to what people say; notice how their story changes. Notice how they really feel underneath the story. As you do this you will make some interesting observations about yourself. For example, an overload of small talk may remind you that you really have some ambitious plans for what to do with your talent. You have no need to be deterred by the ways in which others fall short of their own potential.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You may be in the midst of a struggle about where you fit into society. This goes beyond what job you do, and what calling you follow. I’m talking about the most basic elements of establishing your unique place in the world. And that’s precisely the thing — unique means one of a kind, and this is very much about your individual place in a very complicated world. The situation seems to have reached the point where you gave up on the question for a while; in some ways the past few months have come with a sense of isolation that you could not quite understand or describe. I suggest you take up the question of your involvement in the world not as a theoretical thing but as something you experiment with actively. It’s true that this may disrupt certain established patterns. But the reward will be going beyond your expectations and theories and experiencing the results of an actual experiment. If you say you want to do something in the future, try doing it now. If you have an idea of who you are, step into the world as that person, today. This is not a time to be attached to stability for its own sake. All of your real potential is contained in your ability to shuffle the deck, adapt, explore and observe the results that you get.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You may be wondering what kind of crazy romantic karma you have going on. What, exactly, is the purpose of your involvements? Where are they leading you? They seem to start off as one thing and end up as another. The current mix of Mercury retrograde plus Mars is a reminder to everyone that life is a creative experiment. That includes every dimension of eroticism, of art, of pleasure-seeking and for you, of that place where minds meet and reveal to you something about yourself. Though I’m not certain of this, my current theory is that every encounter of this kind is designed as a self-revelation. Following that theory, you may be discovering that your relationship to yourself is presently the most complicated one in your life. Doubts about what you stand for, questions about your priorities, and a need to truly honor your healing process are swimming around your deepest feelings. The sensation of having no solid ground on which to stand is one of the most relevant themes of our time in history, and you can embody it fully. It would seem a scary place to be, except for the fact that it’s got so much to offer you. You might say that if life right now is governed by the uncertainty principle, then you are a master of the game.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — First, the question of the month is: how good do you think your life can be? Keep that in mind for a moment. Meanwhile, you may be going through a phase of insecurity beyond what’s normal for you. This has a great benefit — you’re asking questions about what makes you feel safe, which translate into questions about what you want. Insecurity is usually considered a bad thing. Raised to full consciousness, it’s one of the most productive feelings you can have. So I suggest you do the full consciousness thing and see what comes up. Your astrology is drawing two closely related pictures right now. One of them describes you working to resolve a seeming split in your emotional body. That could be two competing sets of feelings; the influences of radically different childhood family backgrounds; or some other inner division that you are currently exploring one side of, then the other side of. Over in another corner of your chart, your life is illustrated as something in a state of continual improvement. So potent is this developing event that you’re likely to get a taste of the life you want in a way you’ve never seen or felt it before. I suggest you remember that this is not so much a point of arrival as it is a demonstration of what is possible. Remember — this is actual proof.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Pull your mind into focus and set your priorities. This will give you a sense of direction. As you move through the next few weeks, you’re likely to revise your plans many times, or more likely, rework the language you use to describe them. I suggest you not get lost in the sauce of thinking that the words you pick to describe something are more important than whatever they are designed to illustrate. Focus on your central idea and you’ll find it a lot easier to be clear. Stay close to your subject matter. At the same time, keep shifting your viewpoint, so you get a fuller panorama. Notice when your perspective gets stuck. When it does, move around and look from another angle, or through a different lens. If you find yourself arguing, argue the other side of the case as well, and then weigh and balance what you learn. Language is always a matter of experimentation, of revision, and of getting the best approximate fit between a concept and how you sketch it out. Think in terms of improvement rather than perfection. Remember that good writing is not merely about clear words but rather about expressing clear ideas. And it can take some time to get there. If you consider that you’re describing something that already exists, this process will be much easier.

It’s Your Birthday, Taurus!

Venus Retrograde, and Three Conjunctions to Mars

If you’re Taurus or Taurus rising, your astrology this year is sending a message about specific projects, goals or healing missions. Specific is the opposite of general. That means it’s time to refine and focus your agenda.

True-color rendition of Venus, a planet similar to Earth.

There is a crucial issue of how you handle self-criticism — particularly of your creative endeavors, and of yourself as a lover. The usual options in this world, which are blaming oneself for everything or letting oneself off the hook for everything, don’t count for much now.

What matters is that you recognize the extent to which you critique yourself unfairly, that you discover how that developed, and that you make some adjustments to your psychology.

This is all designed to give you an easier time living within your own mind (which you and I know is a very busy place). Taurus is one of the most mentally active signs of the zodiac. It’s just that, unlike Gemini, you don’t always express yourself.

This year’s Taurus astrology has several distinctions. I’ll go over these in some technical detail (not too much!) and then add additional interpretation.

Venus Retrograde from July 25 through Sept. 6

First, Venus, the planet associated with Taurus (its ‘ruling’ planet) will be retrograde between July 25 and Sept. 6. Venus is retrograde the least of all the planets. It happens for about six weeks every 18 months. For this reason, every Venus retrograde is always a significant turning point.

Venus of Willendorf, more than 25,000 years old, was discovered during excavation in Austria in 1908.

Venus will station retrograde in the very first degree of Virgo, then back up into Leo, where it will be for the duration of the retrograde. Venus will spend much of its current cycle in Leo — approximately five months, from June 6 though Oct. 8.

That puts a Leo emphasis on the next year and a half of your life. But in the midst of that, Venus will spend three weeks in Virgo. And it will be conjunct a slow-moving point that is about focus, overfocus and unfair self-evaluation.

So in the midst of a lot of Leo — seeing your beauty, taking pride in yourself and loving who you are and what you do — there is this three-week pause to reflect on the details. Notice them; see what you’ve been missing. This really is about observing the obvious.

Three Conjunctions of Venus and Mars

The other interesting factor for Taurus this year is three conjunctions of Venus and Mars. Mars is the planet symbolic of your relationship partners (whether you’re male or female).

One has already happened, in early January (in Aries). The next two are on Sept. 1 (in Leo) and Nov. 2 (in Virgo). This is the story of a relationship. It describes a series of phases that an encounter with someone is going through, on the way to arriving in a place of mutual understanding.

The relationship may go through ups and downs during that time. The thing to be cautious of is competition. Even beauty- and comfort-loving Taurus can be a fierce competitor. That would only complicate matters, where love and intimacy are concerned.

In many ways, doing something other than competition would answer just about any scenario or impasse you arrive at in a relationship. That could be on any level, such as scorekeeping, money, sex, sex appeal, success, whatever. Do your best to foster cooperation, and a sense of mutual assistance, not just with important partners but with everyone.

I will go over these and many other themes in the Taurus birthday reading, which is available now for pre-order.

PS, here is the Taurus reading for last year.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You seem determined to sort out the money issue, which is a good thing. Remember though that money is not usually something that comes to you. Rather, it’s something you go out and get. And if it does come to you, it’s often the result of long preparation. That’s actually good news, because there are likely to be several skills you’ve developed that qualify. In that light, I have two suggestions: One is to embark on a personal resources inventory. What do you know, or what skills do you have, that are of value to others? What do you currently get paid for that you can improve, so as to increase its value? Before you go striking things off your list for not being perfect, or well-developed enough, take it slow and consider carefully what you’re working with. Communicate with people who pay you and find out how you can snuggle tighter with the larger business plan. Second, you need to connect to your motivation. That’s another way of saying what drives you, and allow it to do so. Skip excuses like ‘money isn’t everything’ or ‘money doesn’t really matter that much’ and actually make contact with your need or desire to improve your life from a material standpoint. If you look carefully you’ll find many matches between your resources and your motivation to succeed.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Think of yourself as a weaver. You already know that fibers that are woven into fabric are much stronger, with more integrity, than a collection of loose threads. Therefore, collect the loose threads and, one at a time, gather them into the fabric of your life. Weaving is a conscious act. It’s based on an idea and an intention. You may at first need to trace the threads back to their origins, untangle them and place them where they belong. This is of course a mental process, and you may be sorting through some complex ideas about who you are, how you feel and how you feel about others. There would seem to be some scenario from the past that is calling for a careful review. You’re likely to notice interconnections between people and events that you might have missed, though you saw the clues many times before. You don’t need to look for the connections, merely to notice them. I also suggest you pause before you judge the intentions of others, especially on events in the past, because much information is going to come to the surface. The timing extends into mid-June, because Mercury is retrograde in your sign (beginning mid-May). Other chart factors say you may be in a rush to get to the bottom of things, or experiencing some other form of impatience. Give yourself time to untangle and weave what you learn into a coherent story.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — If you’ve ever wanted to reveal all your secrets to yourself, this is the time. With this I would include deep,
unspeakable desires, which you may find are more easily translated into words over the next few weeks. You may discover that you can see viewpoints that are opposite what you typically hold. This doesn’t mean you’re changing how you feel, but rather that you’re open to considering different perspectives. Notably, you don’t have to share this information with anyone yet. In fact you will be working out a diversity of inner contradictions, and you won’t know for a while where you really stand with yourself. It would probably be better if you kept what you’re working through to yourself, or perhaps only a trusted confidant, at least through the end of Mercury retrograde on June 11. The real gift seems to be getting to the bottom of your anger. This would be especially true if you feel you don’t have any. And it’ll be helpful if you’re aware that you struggle with forgiveness in any way, especially in a world that seems intent on doling out insults and injuries on a regular basis. There’s plenty you can do about this, at least in terms of cultivating your own peace of mind. Understanding really is the most significant precursor to compassion, and within a short time you will understand a lot more than you do today.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Many mysteries will reveal themselves over the next five or six weeks; that seems to be written in every corner of the sky. Your own personal discoveries are likely to surround your sexual history. The fact that sex is exploited, commercialized and joked about does not lessen its significance. In a clear and sober state of mind, just about everyone would agree with that statement. You now have a rare opportunity to focus on a dimension of your healing that you may have been trying to see clearly for years. There’s a factor you first encountered during childhood that may make itself known. The result of that event or experience seems to have been accelerated maturity, but you paid a price for that; you left behind an aspect of the child you once were. Information about this may come from any direction, though I suspect that a series of interactions you have with people in your community or circle of friends are going to help you figure out how you feel and what you need to do. Pay attention to any conflicts that arise, particularly with people you thought you trusted. Be aware when someone reveals another side of their personality, or when you notice that it’s there. Look for the other side of every story. This will guide you closer to the truth that you seek. Then take that information in and contemplate it quietly.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You seem to be fixating on the question of why you struggle with insecurity to the extent that you do. It’s a good question, though if you look around at the world and notice how much is teetering on the brink of disaster, you would feel better about yourself. We in the 21st century often think of ourselves as being so much better off than the pioneers or the settlers or assorted primitives who came before us. But is that really true? There’s so much more that can go wrong today. For you, though, the question is where you place your focus or, as may be the case, your over-focus. Because the things that concern you and consume your energy so rarely go wrong, you can read your own thoughts like a tarot spread. You don’t actually need to worry about what you tend to worry about, though it will tell you a lot. There really is a root cause to your worries, and from what I can see you’re in an excellent position to figure it out. I can give you a clue, which is that it’s likely to be a variant on something that troubled your parents and perhaps their parents but is no longer a factor in your environment. Once you understand that their problems are not your problems, you will feel so much better.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You now have the blessing of being seen, and even better, being seen for who you are. While it’s true that your focus is often on making sure that others are taken care of, you’re not always recognized for that. If you are who you are, it will be obvious who you are. Under this astrology, you have extra freedom to reach for goals that may have seemed distant or impossible, and actually get a result. Just make sure that you don’t talk yourself out of that possibility. Surround yourself with supportive people, and gather a few new ones. Make sure you take care of yourself and that you’re taken care of by others; your state of mind is nearly all that matters now. Therefore, if you have a crisis of faith, I suggest you speak with those who are in a position to help. You might even decide that it’s better to leave certain concerns to others whom you trust, so that you can keep your mind free to take care of other things. Under the current astrology the best thing you can do is be visible, show your face in public and stay on the radar of those you respect or want to work with. All of that, and remember your goals. Know what you want and don’t forget.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You certainly seem to be walking that fine line between fear and desire. Yet your fear, in some ways, seems the larger of the two, as you contemplate all that could potentially go wrong. That’s not really an issue, though if it is, ask yourself whether you’re using your power correctly. Consider carefully, and if the answer is yes, then move on. What really may be the thing making you nervous is the passion you’re feeling for someone, or that they feel for you. In that way, intense desire can come across as fear, though I would ask: fear of what? Aaah well, fear of the only thing that seems to get anyone’s attention, which is the potential for change. Change in this scenario means experiencing actual feelings, and meeting someone who has the potential to match or even exceed your energy. Remember the many ways you’ve invited this into your life. Remember that if someone seems to be just a bit difficult to understand, it would be helpful if you were to note the context in which you’re seeing and experiencing them. You may have a way of taking things very personally, which would be natural enough. Yet I suggest you pull back your vision and look with a wide perspective. See all the contexts that are involved. And then take every opportunity to share, and to feel, as fully as you can.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You don’t need to argue with your emotions, or block them, though you would be wise to notice them and treat them as real. You seem ready to step out of a corner that you somehow let yourself get backed into, and the issue appears to be whether you really can trust someone. Looked at more closely, though, the question is whether you can trust yourself. If you can manage that much, you will be able to make more sense of the potentially erratic thinking and/or conduct of someone you’re close to. I suggest you hold open plenty of space for them to go through their gyrations, and to express everything they want to express, including and especially their contradictions. As they do this, if you’re paying attention, you will have all the information you need to figure out exactly what’s going through their heart and soul. Just be aware this could take a little while. You may have reasons to change, radically shift or end the relationship; I would urge patience and forbearance. Act like you have all the time in the world. While you’re doing this, you’re going to learn a lot — and I do mean a lot — about some inner questions and issues you’ve been wondering about forever. The tolerance you offer to others is the same as what you offer yourself. The truth is organized in layers — therefore, patience really helps.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — It would help if you believe the information you’re given, especially if you recognize that it’s associated with your personal evolution. Your charts suggest you might not recognize as true something that is indeed true, even though you have evidence to support it. One hint is that you’ve figured this out before, and it didn’t quite register. Now the pattern is easy to see. You don’t need to make the same mistake again, especially if it involves a relationship and what you’re learning and exploring there. You have by this time figured out there is some internal issue that’s preventing you from fully trusting this situation, or in truth, many others. It’s as if you can see this scenario as it is only when you don’t look directly at it. Now, however, a constellation is aligning that is allowing you to enter a direct dialog with this issue. One theme is whether you feel you can accurately express yourself. This in turn has a way of
making you feel the only option is silence. But that’s not really a viable route; not now, anyway. The more
progressive way to go is to enter into a direct dialog with every taboo. Put the subject matter into words, whatever that takes. Strive for clarity day by day and please don’t be deterred by the small effort it can take to get there.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Keep scratching out your niche in the world, the one where you belong. If it often seems more difficult than necessary, remember that you’re doing something original. You may also be doing something that contradicts the many prevailing beliefs of our time. But what it doesn’t contradict are the prevailing needs of our time. Rather than focusing on beliefs or on what is supposedly acceptable (or not), stay close to the necessities you’re responding to. Know what they are, and when in doubt, come back to the egg. That’s the thing to speak to. Remember that people are hurting, that they often feel dispossessed of the world, and that they have less energy and often less ability to reason than you do. Plus, very often you’re willing to take chances they are not willing to take. Therefore, don’t try to convince anyone of anything. Rather, speak directly to their needs, and demonstrate what you can do for them. It’s true that this puts you in a nurturing role, though in truth that is what’s required for both your own progress and for that of the planet we all share. Remember too that the solution to any problem is most often born of creativity. That in turn requires an experiment, which is exactly how your chart is describing your life at the moment. So keep at it, one day at a time.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Consider all the possible combinations of work, wellbeing and healing, and experiment with them. I don’t mean the words, I mean what those words represent. This is where you can find benefit in your life, for yourself and for others. Many factors may seem to be unpredictable or unstable, at least for the moment. What is dependable is that there’s work to do, that you have some important healing processes going, and that wellbeing is the core theme of your life. Your greatest productivity and strongest relationships will come from the place where these things meet. Focus on those relationships and you will strengthen them, and come into a new state of balance. The world may be stressed out, and people may be struggling to find time to check all their devices. You have abundant energy, you have a clear agenda and a sense of what matters to you. You can trust your perceptions about these things. While you’re here, I suggest you focus on one longterm plan that you know is going to improve your life. If you must lean on others to create (or claim) the space and energy for this special project, that’s why they’re in your life. Allow yourself to be supported by your environment. If it helps, remember the abundant benefit people get from your presence. Take care of yourself and remember that your priorities actually matter.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — This month will be full of surprises, though mostly you will surprise yourself with your ability to come up with creative solutions to problems that others would dare not touch. The thing you must do, however, is take control of your money. Make sure that your approach to the various challenges of life uses money as the last line of resort. Correspondingly, you would be wise to turn your attention to generating and accumulating money, the better to secure your ability to fulfill your long-term plans. This is going to take determination, a measure of shrewdness and most of all, discipline. Steer as clear as you can of the burdens of others. It’s not that you don’t care; to the contrary, you do. The issue is that others will depend on you if they can, as if calling in old favors or compensation that exist entirely in their imagination. Follow this theme through the next few months — it’s essential that you establish yourself in your actual, present-moment here-and-now rather than being drawn backwards into the past. Point your mind, your senses and all of your intentions forward. Use your intelligence to know where you are headed at any time, and keep turning yourself in your chosen direction of travel — no matter how many times you must choose again.

Hello, Aries? Don’t Miss Your Birthday Reading!

Dear Friend and Aries:

The April 4 lunar eclipse will be impacting sensitive areas of your chart: both your Sun sign (or rising sign) and your relationship house (Libra). You and your relationships are at the epicenter of that event.

Eric will explain, in plain language, what this means for you — as well as the rest of your solar year’s key messages — in your soon-to-be released Aries birthday reading. You have an opportunity to pre-order your Aries reading now for only $24.95. After it publishes, the price increases.

Some would call recent Aries astrology brutal, others would say energizing; whatever your experience of it has been, Eric knows how to speak to you about it as though he’s been standing with you every step of the way.

In a sense, he has been.

Your Aries birthday reading brings you to the heart of your astrology. It will consist of two audio segments of astrology (approximately 30 minutes each), a tarot reading, images of the charts and tarot spread Eric uses, plus access to last year’s reading for Aries so you can review.

Yours is the sign of action, one known to take a chance and leap ahead with your entire being. Yet it is said that chance favors the prepared mind. Join Eric in your Aries birthday reading, and you’ll be prepared for this year in the ways that truly matter.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — What’s happening in a relationship is an expression of a process within you — one over which you might seem to have little control. That, however, is not true. To establish your dominion over your own mind, the first step to take is to observe yourself carefully. In particular, keep an eye on what most would call ‘unconscious’ processes, feelings, ideas and expectations. Those have power over you to the extent that you withdraw awareness. You will have power over them to the extent that you raise your awareness. Once you start paying attention, you’re likely to notice there are specific ways you’re seeking freedom from a certain kind of confinement that has grown old for you. I would define confinement as a need to remain stable in a certain element of your identity, seemingly for its own sake. But now you are changing in ways you cannot contain in any previous personality construct. You are waking up; you are finding yourself; you have tasted a measure of freedom, and you want more. You may be wondering if you can have all of this without up-ending your life as you know it. That is a question you can only answer through experience, though it’s clear that certain long-standing factors of your existence could use a little friendly shaking up and shaking loose.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — It’s time for you to establish a conscious relationship to the protective forces in your life. You have been through plenty, and most of the situations you were certain were the most dangerous or threatening have turned out to be reasonably easy to handle. This is a demonstration of many factors that are basic to your existence. You might call them luck, but actually your sense of adventure provides you with a certain inoculation against danger. Your conscious willingness to take risks has this odd quality of clearing the way for you. Your charts are describing an invitation to involve yourself in some kind of unusual creative or romantic endeavor. You might feel that this is way over your head, or a bit too dangerous. Really, you seem to be perfectly well sustained and supported by your environment; there are forces standing guard over your life. As part of that, you are being reminded how far is too far, should you ever need to know. Within your chosen range, you have plenty of emotional and artistic territory to explore, and you can do it with gusto. The feeling you want is precisely the one where you sense yourself close to some inner edge; close to a breakthrough; willing to say something you’ve never said in a way you never imagined you would.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Your professional life is going through an accelerator that you have long suspected was going to kick in at some point, and you may be surprised at how far beyond your own expectations developments in your life take you this month. You will need to influence the flow of your life with some care and subtlety, by applying a conscious strategy. While you’re doing this, the place to invest your energy is into your home. Your home is your grounding; it’s your source of strength and the place where you seek inner harmony. Take advantage of this gift that you have. Keep your living space clean and spend as much time there as you can. Take some tangible measures to improve or beautify your environment. If you find yourself in an unusually ambitious phase, this will help you keep your life in balance. Get enough rest. Nurture yourself to the point where your old insecurities start to seem trivial. This kind of emotional self-care will foster better decisions, but more than that, the appreciation of your success. It’s true that you may feel, at times, like you’re playing a fast game or traveling above the speed limit. It’s vital that you take many conscious moments each day and remind yourself that you have created a life that is well worth living — and live.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You may need to carefully balance long- and short-term plans, and make sure that your actions and choices support both as consciously as you can. You are finally starting to figure out that you have more potential, and that there is more to life, than what you’ve had in the past. That’s another way of saying you’ve figured out that you have a future; your own curiosity is making that a kind of irresistible destination. There are other factors in your solar chart that are calling for stability, and a reminder that you remain an example to many people who seek your guidance and your leadership. That calls for focusing on the day-to-day elements of your life; of attending to practical matters with devotion; and of acting in accordance with your values with each decision you make. No matter how far you want to go, or to what exotic or interesting destinations you may feel called, you will get there one step at a time. Your freedom is something you will be able to access in direct proportion to your integrity. One paradox you may be experiencing is how freedom can feel a little strange when all eyes seem to be on you. It’s true that you’re being scrutinized, though not in the ways you may think. In sum, what you accomplish is what matters the most.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Resist the illusion that others have more going for them than you have going for you. Your charts describe a scenario where you may feel like you’re lacking in some essential ingredients for success. You may have the sensation that you’re looking down a tunnel at some personal qualities you wish you had. But you seem to be holding the binoculars the wrong way. You might even put them down and size up your environment with your bare eyes. If you do, you will see that you have far more in common with the people around you than you imagined, including the fact that they are looking to you for creative inspiration. Then there is the question of money. It seems that the best success can be had by pooling resources or accessing shared resources. From the look of your solar chart, there is no shortage of wealth or abundance around you. You merely face the question of how you’re going to access those resources, which seems to be through one route only — your trusting relationship with others who share a common mission, values and intentions. It would help, in that case, if you drop any prejudices you might have and get busy having real conversations with those you can partner with on your most valued goals. This will work well for everyone.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — It is impossible to lose yourself in a relationship, though it’s questionable whether you can find yourself in one either. But you can remember, and you can forget, and your relationships can prompt you to do either. It turns out there are elements of your life that you’re eager to leave behind, which would be another way of saying forget. But that forgetting will have the sensation of clearing something out of the way, as if you’re brushing back a veil, or silencing some persistent background hum that you didn’t realize was clouding your hearing. At that point, you may discover that you’re in an entirely different situation than you thought you were. You may wonder how it is that you missed how solid and stable your life has become, which is something you can prove to yourself if you do so little as tell yourself the story of the past five years in a paragraph or two. The sensation looks like the discovery that you are where you belong, as long as you don’t have any distractions that would skew your perception otherwise. That, and you are in the company of your peers — or rather, one peer in particular. Work with this feeling. Work with the sensation of change as the experience of clarification.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Take care of your health, and make no assumptions or snap decisions. Remember that your body has truly amazing resilience. Know that anything that can possibly ail a person has been cured or resolved, and that a great many issues are the direct result of mental or emotional stress. Your chart is in fact bursting with wellbeing, abundant energy and the quest to do some bold and creative things. Yet you have so much energy that if you go out of balance you might feel like your life is taking its toll on your body rather than supporting your body. Therefore, aspire to balance in the midst of so much rapidly moving energy and so much activity in your environment. Part of balance is aligning yourself with an onslaught of creativity. Imagine that you’re an airplane wing and that if you position yourself correctly, you will experience a sudden lift and gain altitude. Of course, if you’re not quite aligned in that way, you may feel blown around, held down or paralyzed. So make a series of adjustments and even microadjustments until you feel yourself aligning with the energy both within you and around you. Notice your drive to live in a daring way. Give yourself permission to unravel old, nonproductive patterns and establish new ways of being that light up your whole mind.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Take a step back and give people the opportunity to take responsibility for their own existence. You grew tired of your own hard luck stories long ago, and it’s time to be finished with those of others. I’m not, however, saying don’t be helpful when you feel moved to do so. Rather, I’m suggesting that the best help you can offer others is not being distracted by their problems. Rather, focus on your own abundant creativity and allow your existence to shock others to their senses. Celebrate the fact of your energy and the simple fact that nothing will stop you. If you are involved in some kind of professional artistic pursuits, or doing anything that depends on your originality, I suggest you forget your ideas of what people might think. Instead, work in a way that is only in service of your impulse to create. Every artist, lover or adventurer goes through some trepidation about what others might think. You tend to be among the most immune to such thoughts, though you may be having them now, and now is the time to vanquish them. Your real friends are the people who see how brilliant you are, and who treat you like the treasure that you are to them.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Have no illusions about the nature of the responsibility that is demanded of you. What is expected, mainly because you’re wanting it, is nothing other than drive, passion and a creative approach to existence. To do this, it’s essential that you motivate yourself every day and at all times. If you find someone around you saying, ‘let’s get going’, that means wake up and remember to stay three steps ahead of the game. You don’t need stability right now, even though you may crave that because it seems in such short supply. You need, I would propose, the excitement of connecting your entire existence to the purposes you aspire to. More than that, it’s essential that you connect all activity, every last thing that you do, to those same purposes. At your stage of development, nothing can be outside your core mission. Everything must be brought in, connected with, and understood as an element of the same thing, which is you. You still tend to think in the limited terms of security rather than the bold terms of how good your life would be if you dared and succeeded. But nobody else can, in truth, lead you to this place where you know you belong. Others can set examples — and then you can pick up on the rhythm and then take the lead.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Keep grounded, by which I mean stay focused and eat good food. If you were to bounce between concentrated work and keeping your kitchen a productive place, you would feel excellent, and you would nurture the explosion of ideas that seems to be an ongoing phenomenon within you. To say food is another way of saying respecting yourself as a biological entity. The weather is finally getting warmer and you can take advantage of that by getting involved in some physical activity that may have been impossible through the long, dark winter. Your charts are favoring something aggressive, like martial arts or pounding balls in a batting range. Anything you do to this effect will help get you out of your head, which must be an extremely busy place. By relieving that pressure, you will become more productive and better able to focus your ideas into the concentrated form that they want to take. Just remember that while you’re in a body, your mind is in a close relationship to your biology, which brings me back to the topic of food. I suggest you plan a dinner party or other food-based event this month, and re-integrate the idea of nourishment with the idea of a social experience. This relationship needs some cultivation in our current era of history, and you’re just the person to make that happen.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — With Chiron in your sign, it’s easy to feel like despite all you’re doing, you’re not getting anywhere. That’s an illusion distinct to Chiron. Really, the truth is quite the opposite. It’s your long, slow persistence that has got you much further toward some specific goals than you think. One by one, every facet of your life has come up for questioning; every system has been (or will be) subject to maintenance; every agreement will be revised and improved; and in the process, you will get to know yourself as you never have before. If you feel like you’re in an ongoing and endless challenge, I suggest you remind yourself that you’re really living your life. You are situated in a society and in a time of history where there is very little offered easily, to anyone. Even those who exploit others are under the constant assault of paranoia about their particular house of cards falling down. At the same time, you are driven by your ideals and your faith in yourself, and you may wonder if you’ve taken on more than you can handle. You may have — and when you discover that you can, in fact, handle it just fine, you will discover that you’ve stretched your capacities beyond what you imagined possible. Therefore, stand up straight, keep your eyes wide open and do what you are called to do every day.