Aries (March 20-April 19) — Cooperate with people of power and influence in your life, even it if means temporarily setting aside your personal goals. Collaboration is the key to your success, and your astrology is suggesting strongly that you take a long-range perspective. This means investing your energy in demonstrating that you’re helpful and reliable to people more advanced in their professional activities than you are. These people become your professional network, which can serve you for the rest of your life. Developing such a network is not merely about knowing people’s names or collecting business cards. It’s about establishing common cause, and supporting the projects of others because you can. Many people these days are asking how they can make their living doing something they love. The answer to that is to start by learning skills and making yourself useful. Worry less about getting paid and more about getting established, and being good at what you do.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Opportunities of a social, creative and professional nature will come to you from odd angles where you may not have been looking, such as right next to you. Often people look for these things at a distance, or consider them far-off possibilities. Your chart suggests that people like neighbors, colleagues and existing partners will have something for you — such as ideas for how to make your life easier. For the next few weeks, easing the pressure on your mind and removing some of the purely repetitive work will be helpful. Yet there’s the question of where you’re going from here. Revisions and updates to your existing business or creative plan will serve you better than scrapping anything and starting over. There are facets of what you deal with that are simply annoying, or that you never seem to get right, and those are the ones to address first.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Set all of your commitments into pause-and-review mode. You seem to have various contracts, agreements or understandings with people that need a think-through. For some of these, the issue boils down to dollars and cents. The numbers simply must add up, or nothing else will work. For others, the question is one of willingness, particularly your own. You have time to consider this, and it will be better if you bring the question to the front of your mind rather than having it lurk and linger at the back. Can you deliver what you’ve promised? Do you want to? If the answers to both of those questions are yes, then you may have a third question that’s not so easy to articulate. Going forward with your plan will require you to change and deepen. You might feel like you have to give something up to gain something else. Yes, you will need to give up the past to gain the future.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Your relationships are a map, and they point you to an inner door. That door is guiding you to a level of psychic and emotional healing. If you remember that it’s not your relationships that you’re working on but rather your own growth and maturity, things will be a lot simpler. If you make your own growth about other people, you’ve entered a paradox that is difficult to get out of. Yet those other people hold clues, and you’ll gain significantly if you’re listening. Over the next few days you may notice that the lights are coming on, and you understand much better how you relate to people and what you can do to get along with them better. If you’re willing to ask honest questions and be open to answers, you will discover that you have plenty of common ground with those you care about. There will be points you don’t agree on as well, though these are not necessarily deal-breakers.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Focus your efforts. Rather than trying to get everything done at once or in time for the holidays, choose one project that simply needs to happen, and focus on that. It may be the one that nobody else wants to do, or that has resisted your best efforts. It may be something that’s been delayed a few times. Clearing up this one bit of stuck energy will help get things moving. Remember, though, if you feel like you’re working too hard, or like your effort is going nowhere, change your strategy. The chances are you’re missing some vital information. It might relate to some technical aspect of what you’re doing, or you may not understand why something has to happen. In fact, there’s a chance that it’s not necessary, or that there’s a workaround that solves the problem even better. Take the time to do some research, and ask for help if you need it.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You’re approaching a point of total honesty. You might feel you can go even closer, which is true. For now, though, you’ve revealed enough, and you will benefit from a deep review of what you’ve said, what you’ve heard, and how you feel about it all. With Mercury stationing retrograde today, you might take these next three weeks to consider your current developments. At the heart of the question is your sexual truth. You now understand that you are who you are. It’s not so much that you ‘cannot change’, but rather that you don’t want to. You seem to have gotten the hint that there’s great pleasure in actually being who you are. And there’s little point being anyone else, unless you feel like wasting years of your life trying. It’s true that others have the choice of whether to accept you or not. And like you, you can bet that they’re committed to being who they are as well.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The planets now emphasize family matters, yet you don’t have to get caught in the dramas of others. Where family is concerned, this can be difficult to discern. Someone can try to make their issues into yours, though that doesn’t make it so. You might take as proof the fact that your buttons can get pushed, or that people seem to have the power to upset you. This is the very thing you now have the opportunity to address. Consider that any family weirdness is like flakes of ancestral DNA bursting to life. People around you are living out facets of the past that are so distant in time, nobody actually remembers their origin. You have the option to see all of this for what it is, summon your maturity, and move on with your life. The controversy is that you’re betraying your family. Well, looked at that way, you have to betray either them or yourself. They’ll get over it.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — At a certain point, you’ll want to reveal your whole sexual reality. When that time comes, you might feel ready or you might have to take a leap. That means revealing who you are, what you’ve done, what’s happened to you, and what you want. It feels good to do this; that’s the nature of intimacy. However, you may fear that someone’s ego will be hurt by knowing the truth about you. Actually, it’s much more personal: this is about you. By going deep into your personal reality, you summon up old material for healing. That takes courage, and few people go here willingly. The result will be to release old pain or self-blame that you’ve been holding, and that feels good. Pleasure begets healing and love brings up everything unlike itself. So as you get realer and realer, you’re likely to have those moments of release, and of wanting to go deeper. This is about you, not anyone else.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Dream big to get big. Why size? Does size matter? Yes, for a Sagittarian it does. Or perhaps better said, your ideas need to find their correct proportion and their correct scale. And that is likely to mean scaling up. You may feel limited by issues around financing your ideas, though that is a matter of planning. It’s a matter of communication and of outreach. Meanwhile, there are many small steps you can take that utilize resources you already have, in the way of people, community and physical needs. One problem with the current world philosophy is the belief that everything can be solved with money. However, cash is useless without ideas about what to do with it, and it’s more often wasted than not. Think efficiently. Use what you have well. Get one or two intelligent people involved. Then figure out what you actually need, and you’ll get ideas how to fund the project.

Capricorn Birthdays 2017:

The Inner Vision Quest Continues

“In any event, Saturn in Sagittarius in your 12th [solar] house is the best image I can think of for inner vision quest. It’s about gaining insight. It’s about seeing into the dark. It’s about learning that you contain a vast inner space, and that space is not empty. But what is there, you can only discover by actually going there and not avoiding yourself.”

— Eric Francis in the 2016 annual Vision Quest reading for Capricorn

Dear Friend and Reader:

How has your quest to know your inner space been going this year? Are you feeling ready for a boost, for a new page to the map or for a reminder that you really, truly can travel the path unfolding before you?

Between the movements of Saturn and the upheaval associated with the Uranus-Eris conjunction, I suspect you’ve been on an accelerated path of adaptation and growth. Or perhaps you’ve been engaged in a rather consuming struggle, and could use a hand.

As the astrology of this past year flows, develops and morphs into 2017, your 2017 Capricorn Birthday Reading will offer the insight, perspective and inspiration you need to lead your life creatively. Perhaps even boldly.

“As you can see, everything you said in this reading was completely and absolutely spot-on for me. I have followed other astrologers, had readings done and still keep one in particular as my personal astrologer, but no one, even her, as much as I love her has been able to better articulate the past, present and future possibilities as clearly as you have. I am astounded by your passion and talent. You have a gift. Thank you for sharing it with me. It has been a tremendous help to me over these last few years of very difficult decisions and changes.”

— Debra MacFarlane, on last year’s Capricorn Birthday reading

For the discounted price of only $19.97, you can pre-order your Capricorn Birthday Reading today.

This price includes two segments of audio astrology (at least 30 minutes each), a tarot reading using the Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, and an extended sign description. You can access and replay the reading as many times as you wish. Note that the price will increase as publication nears.

Next week, the Sun enters Capricorn for the solstice. As you celebrate a new season, celebrate yourself, too, for making it through one heck of a year.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. This reading is designed to work for Capricorn Sun, Moon and rising, and makes a thoughtful gift.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — There’s a concept I learned in Hakomi Therapy training, which they call ‘efforting’. It describes a counseling room phenomenon where the therapist or the client is working too hard emotionally or intellectually to get a desired result. You know, the conversation that goes on too long, or that seems to get nowhere; the problem you keep banging your head on; the person who you cannot convince; the question you cannot answer; the habit you cannot let go of. Often this gets conflated with ‘having integrity’ or ‘working on yourself’. I suggest you be cautious about anything that’s draining your emotional or mental energy. The solution is unlikely to be doing more, but rather to stand back and do less. The mere acknowledgement that ‘this is harder than it’s supposed to be’ is an excellent start. There’s something you’re missing — information you need, or a shift of perspective. Start with the obvious. What do you really want?

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You know that you have to love yourself, though this often exists as an idea rather than as a feeling. The idea is a starting place, though the feeling is what you want. Often something gets in the way of your positive regard of yourself: some inner voice, some doubt, some question that nags you. If you’re experiencing that, you need a strategy for how to handle it. The chances are that it’s coming from the distant past, which means something you were told in childhood, or memories passed down from parents and grandparents. You don’t have to take on their psychological burdens. You don’t need to take on the role of oppressor, standing in for people who said or did mean things to you or to your older relatives. You live in a different world, you’re a different person and you have more options open. One of them is to seek understanding rather than accepting your supposed lot in life.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Desire is controversial. Merely allowing yourself to explore the idea of freedom, by which I mean freedom to feel, can provoke others. Yet you’re reaching for this like a plant’s leaves reach for sunlight, and like its roots reach for water. There’s no changing this fact about you, certainly not now. And it’s not as easy a path as many people make it out to be, because the freedom to feel implies taking responsibility for what you feel. And that, in turn, implies making choices and taking responsibility for them. Only you can determine what is right for you, and in the end, others may have little say as you respond to the truth of your heart. Do not be deceived by those committed to deception. Just remind yourself that you’re on your own journey, which will take you deeper into your healing process, your self-awareness and your creative passion. Go boldly.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Belief is one of the most fragile ways to think. Yes, it’s convenient to take things without questioning them; though consider how often you’ve believed something that turned out not to be true. Your astrology this week is about questioning your own presumptions. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself boldly what’s really true. Then toss what does not check out, or what you prove to be wrong. Doing this will bring you closer to your personal truth: what you actually know about yourself, and have discovered to be correct. One potential obstacle is when you run into the deeply rooted ideas of your parents. Most of what you believe without questioning comes from them, and yet your loyalty to your family might make it seem impossible to make up your own mind. It’s not impossible, and you will be doing everyone a favor by thinking for yourself.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Refine your leadership style until it’s invisible. That is, take charge in subtle ways and devote yourself to making sure that the right thing happens. This will involve the coordination of people and the structuring of time. Measure your success by the overall success of the organization you’re involved with. This, by the way, is inherent in the nature of Taurus: a kind of highly-structured collectivism, which counts on collaboration. You might think that this conflicts with your highly individualistic tendencies, though I would say the opposite is true. Your ability to work independently and to take responsibility for your own outcome is precisely the kind of leadership by example that the world needs. You’re not in this life to be mom, dad or the government among your peers. The other options are artist and artisan, and they suit you much better.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You get a fresh start this week, though you are likely to be carrying over some business from last week. No worries: now you get to use the Full Moon Clear-The-Decks method of astrology. Tuesday’s Full Moon takes place in your sign, which will help you resolve any stuck issues, move any stuck energy, and motivate any creaky, squeaky people. Remember not to argue with anyone. Merely keep the discussion focused on action, and move things along. You have unusual persuasive power right now, and you also have certain points of leverage that will help you focus on your goals. Oh, that bit: be clear about what you want to get done. Check in with higher-ups to make sure that your goals are aligned with theirs; don’t run wrangle over anyone else’s agenda. You have the passion and the intelligence to make the outcome work for everyone.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Tomorrow’s Full Moon in Gemini will help you resolve some mysteries about yourself. I’m talking about the kind of situation where you might think one thing, and then feel like precisely the opposite thing is true at the same time. The resolution is not one way or the other; and it’s not morphing both sides of the debate. Rather, you’re being taken to a new level of thought, one where the seeming contradiction is irrelevant. This is truly a transformational experience, one that will take you through a series of discoveries during the next four or five days. You might think of this as getting to know yourself, yet really you’re becoming a somewhat different person as you go through this. All the different experiences you want, and the different people you seem to contain, do in fact add up to one thing, which is you. Most of what transforms itself is the illusion that you’re anything but 100% aligned with who you are.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You may need to look beyond the confines of committed relationships to get the contact you need. This may be in the form of an honest conversation, which is not actually in violation of monogamy but which may feel like it. This highlights the differences between — and the confusion between — intimacy and sex. Ideally, you would be able to say anything to anyone; and you would be open to hearing what anyone has to say to you. Yet here’s the discovery: communication and mutual understanding are sexy, and they lead to erotic feelings. In the world where appearance seems to count for everything, and listening seems to count for so little, who would have thought? Now you get to take the opportunity and the risk of being honest about who you are and what you want. The universe is listening. Are you?

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Here in the age of extreme sports, exhibitionism and energy drinks, most people are caught in their own self-restraint. It’s as if the answer to everything interesting, unusual or challenging is automatically no. What’s that about? Well, engaging with new experiences, and new people, changes a person. That bit about not knowing what to expect is the moment where you open yourself up to your potential. And that’s the moment you’re now in. You seem to be luring yourself into responding to your own curiosity or desire. You seem to have something unusually intense on your mind, which feels like burning and craving. Often it’s easy to subvert those feelings, such as by denying them or delaying responding until the opportunity passes. Whatever option is now open seems way too good to pass up. And why would you? That’s a real question.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You’re starting to get a taste of what is possible. Your new life is much more exciting than it’s been many other times. You’re more independent, and you’re willing to stand up for that independence. It helps that others are in a similar place, needing their freedom as well. So if your relationships have not been ‘normal’ recently, there are good reasons why, and those reasons can work for you many ways. All the usual modes of relating seem to be changing rapidly. It’s possible to cling to the past, or to invent something that works for you. Clinging to the past won’t work so well these days; though considering what you actually want and need in your whole life, not just your partnerships, will work brilliantly. Start from scratch and consider what would make you happy — and be real about what freedom you would need to have that happen. The door is open.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You can afford to be more confident about money. You know enough to know that planning, structure and discipline go a long way. This is important whether your cash flow is a stream, a river or a waterfall. There’s another side to the equation, though, which is what you’re worth. I mean this in the pragmatic sense of how much you get paid. There are two ways to make significant money in Western society: one is to run a scam, and the other way is to make yourself useful. The more useful you make yourself, the more money you can make. This involves noticing needs in the world, and noticing what your skills and talents are. Putting them together is this thing called business or profession. Work this equation aggressively. Think it through from as many directions as you can. Define ‘useful’ for yourself and work with that definition consciously.

2016-17 Sagittarius Birthdays

Your Own Personal Journey, Sagittarius-Style

“Great audio as usual. Thank you for brightening my little attic rooms with your lights, Eric!”

— Catherine Pape

Dear Friend and Reader:

What potential does your next year hold? Are you starting to set your intentions and envision what you want, or are you feeling desperate for a sign that your life can get better?

Hubble Space Telescope image of the Lagoon Nebula, located in the Sagittarius constellation. Photo by NASA/ESA/J. Trauger/JPL

This has been quite a year. And while Eric will not exactly predict the future in the 2016-17 Sagittarius Birthday Reading, he does offer a useful framework that you can build on and explore — one full of tools, inspiration and reassurance for your relationships, your healing journey, your career and creativity questions, and more.

If you could use someone to shine some light in your life, look no further.

To remind yourself of just how heartening and empowering these readings are, you’re invited to listen to last year’s Sagittarius reading as a gift from us. Check Eric’s accuracy, and chart out just how far you’ve come this past year.

“About a week ago I went back and listened to last year’s Sag report and was blown away by how it seemed to describe my personal journey.”

— Sagittarius customer via email

The price for the new reading is only $24.97 for two segments of nuanced, yet accessible, audio astrology and a vibrant, intuitive tarot reading — but it will increase at least once more when it fully publishes.

This reading works for Sagittarius Sun, Moon and rising folks, and makes an amazing gift. You may pre-order it here.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Planet Waves Astrology Editor

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You may feel as if the universe has trimmed back your plans. Yet it’s often necessary to reduce, minimize and conserve energy before you can experience a growth spurt or enter new territory. Take the long view here. Start to prepare for developments that can come to fruition in late January. By prepare, I mean really prepare: know your goals; have some idea how you’re planning to get there; and give yourself the basic things you need. And please don’t be deterred by the many people around you who have a full-time occupational commitment to being lost. You are not part of the dazed and confused generation. You are, rather, a serious person who is intent on your own success. Step into those shoes without delay. Bring your full professionalism to everything that you do; be the first into the office and the last out. Be willing to do whatever it takes to maximize your talent.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Years ago I learned something in Hakomi Therapy training that has served me well ever since. When addressing an intense emotion, approach it from the edge rather than diving into the middle. It’s a little like standing next to an open fire; you can feel the heat and smell the smoke at a safe distance. Now, some would say that this alone represents significant maturity: the ability to take some distance on your feelings. Yes, we can all get drawn in, and it’s pretty easy to lose control. However, you will be at a significant advantage if you keep a handle on yourself and notice what you’re feeling rather than giving into it entirely. Keep possession of your mind and you will have access to real ideas about how to manage your life. Lately this translates to managing change; which is to say, making peace with the fact that change happens. Stay one step ahead of yourself and it’ll be much more fun.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Don’t let anyone mess with your confidence. By that I mean you can safely ignore the critics and be flattered that they have anything at all to say. Yet whether someone thinks they approve of what you do, or thinks it should or should not be popular, is not the place to be getting your self-assurance. Most good ideas are by definition ahead of their times, and are not usually considered even vaguely worthwhile at the time someone comes up with them. You must have confidence in what you are creating, developing or building; that’s to say, to accomplish this, you need to foster your confidence in yourself. The best way to do this is not to talk yourself out of it. Proceed each day and remind yourself that you’re doing what you came here to do, and that you have every right to succeed. This is not a matter of opinion. It’s much closer to biology. You belong on this planet.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You must bring all of your assets to whatever you’re doing. This includes your skills and your talents; what you’ve learned from negative experiences; and what you consider weaknesses as well as your strengths. Making your way in the world depends on bringing all of who you are to the challenges of your life. The more honest with yourself you are, the more confident you will be. The more you try to hide, the less confident you will be. In this way, you can turn any seeming debility to your advantage. The very best way to handle insecurities is to challenge them directly. Do the thing you’re the most afraid of. Speak to the person who makes you nervous. Take charge in a situation that you know needs to be sorted out and made right. One step will lead to another. With each mistake, you will learn how to get it right, and how to spot similar issues in advance.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Belief is useful to the degree that it’s flexible. It’s even more useful if it’s acknowledged for what it is: a notion of what might be true. More often, belief is like a shield against truth, or the inconvenience of having to find out. This week, make no compromises in this regard; play no games with yourself or with others. You’re likely to encounter information that challenges what you believe, and this is an opportunity to make some adjustments. Be willing to discard what you discover not to be true. Be willing to embrace the new reality that you face. If it seems that precious ideas are being taken from you, or like your bubble is being burst, stand back from the process and open your mind to learning. You are growing much faster than your present beliefs can contain, and you therefore need to expand your mind to embrace who you are becoming.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You’re not being asked to make any unreasonable compromises. The more you resist, though, the less reasonable they will seem. At the same time, your astrology is all about your taking leadership. Your chart is unusual in that your idea of taking charge has a collective or group approach. You will still need to set a clear example, which is one of cooperation and of listening. Let other people provide you with their ideas and their input, and then craft an original response based on what you’ve learned — and on your own best judgment. In a real sense, whenever you’re in charge, you answer to ‘the people’, though the people don’t always understand the necessities you or your organization face. So keep the conversation going; keep the floor open to comments; and remember that nothing you decide will be popular with every last person. Take the word of naysayers with a sprinkle of salt.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — In the realm of sexuality, too much emphasis is placed on power and pain. Too little is placed on communication, pleasure and healing. You have the ability to shift the conversation toward loving, creative ideas. You can set the agenda; though if I may give you a clue, here’s how it will feel when you do: like you’re venturing into taboo territory — and that’s because you are. It’s perfectly acceptable to cast relationships and sexuality in terms of victimization. Where people tend to panic is when things get sensitive, and where the only valid path involves honesty. You get to lead the way. In any discussion requiring two or more people to open up, be the one to speak your heart and soul. Take the risk of vulnerability. Admit your desire. Admit what you need. Offer your assistance in any form that you can give it. One such place would be your willingness to let go of jealousy as a form of gospel truth.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Lately you’re in the role of getting people together. This is the proverbial herding of cats; of building consensus; of getting people to agree that there is such a thing as the common good. Hey, someone has to do it. Remember, the idea that we all might share some common needs is not agreeable to everyone. Sometimes one person will try to block a plan that benefits many others, for no good reason. Here is where you’ll need to be a master politician. The chances are, anyone who objects to a plan wants more input. Therefore, listen and incorporate their ideas, but only as relevant. Focus on the positive; keep your emphasis on listening; make sure you know what is truly necessary, and gently guide the outcome in that direction. Remember that you can always use power where persuasion won’t work, though it would be better to avoid that. Coffee and sandwiches work better.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — If you want to have fun, then you must be willing to push your boundaries and take some personal risks. Don’t worry about your dignity. Go out with your hair a mess and notice how warmly people respond to you. You don’t always have to be seen as someone who has everything together all the time. Your astrology is suggesting that you hang a little loose, and give yourself permission to do what might not please the abundant parental figures that populate the world. Speaking of: who is playing that role in your life? Who, in your mind, might be concerned if you have ‘too much’ fun, or get friskier than usual? Check your relationship agreements carefully. Remember that if you have to ask permission, you’re not relating to other people as adults, nor are they to you. The deeper theme of your project of having more fun than usual is about establishing level ground with the people who surround you.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You have an opportunity to have one of those delicious conversations wherein you bare all and discover who you are in the process. In the midst of such an experience, the inner game is: don’t hold back. Go toward what you might be reluctant to say; rather than running from what might be embarrassing, try going toward it. The deeper truths and the greater pleasures are concealed right behind that veil. There is unusual satisfaction in standing in your truth. I don’t mean the truth of being right, but rather that of being who you are; of owning what you feel. Those close to you will either respond in kind, or they will be frightened. On the long journey to personhood, you will be dealing with those two options fairly regularly. You are, in truth, doing people a service by opening up and being real, as this is a powerful example to set. But don’t do it for them — do it for yourself.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You may find it challenging to say what you want to say. A few things may be happening, one of which is that you’re having some difficulty putting your message into words. You might feel it’s too large or encompassing to communicate accurately or meaningfully. Consider that you won’t ever get it ‘perfect’, and that you don’t need to. You mainly need to capture the spirit of what you feel and relay it as best you can. Then guide the conversation onward, even if it takes several days or a week to get there. You’re working your way through some layers, down toward something that resembles a core truth. Rather than being some concept or abstract idea, this is about you discovering who you are in the process of trying to describe who you are. Follow your feelings toward that core inner truth rather than your words. It’s true that words count, but not as much as what you’re feeling.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — It will help if you take a diplomatic approach to family or household issues. You’ll save yourself grief, time and effort if you sidestep any contention or controversy, and avoid provoking it as best you can. The fuss leads nowhere, and you have it in you to take a clear-headed approach to the question. The thing to remember is that you’re not a child. This is something that it would help all people to remember all the time, as most negative reactions come from the perspective of being powerless (like a child). Remember that people value your presence in their lives for a reason. Keep that reason in mind, and quietly, subtly, use it as leverage. If you’re going to explain to anyone why something is in their best interests, only do that once. Anyone who doesn’t get it the first time needs to be approached differently.

A Gift for You — and Your 2016-17 Sagittarius Reading

“It’s like Eric was talking directly to me. Everything he said is what has been happening. The last year has been a tremendous challenge in pretty much all areas of my life, but the birthday reading gives me hope that I really am on the right track. Thank you for such a great birthday reading Eric! Longtime Planet Waves fan.”

— S.R.

Dear Friend and Reader:

As we enter the last month of 2016, it would be understandable if you feel like you’ve been put through the wringer. It’s been quite a year on the global stage. Hopefully you’ve had some satisfying accomplishments, points of growth and personal joys to celebrate and learn from along the way.

To help you take stock of your individual journey these last 12 months, I’m inviting you to listen (or re-listen) to your birthday reading from last year, as a gift from Planet Waves.

Check Eric’s accuracy, refresh your memory and position yourself to fine-tune your trajectory. Then pre-order your 2016-17 Sagittarius Birthday Reading.

The current price is still only $19.97 for two segments of nuanced, yet accessible, audio astrology and a vibrant, intuitive tarot reading — but it will be increasing.

“I’m looking forward to the Sag birthday reading as well as the annual. I always appreciate your advice and unique point of view.”

— Josh

Note that as Josh indicates in his comment above, Eric strives to make the birthday readings and the Planet Waves annual edition distinctly different readings. This means that people with birthdays or rising signs this time of year get experiences of a breadth and depth equal to that of the signs in other seasons.

This reading works for Sagittarius Sun, Moon and rising folks, and makes an amazing gift. You may pre-order it here.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Planet Waves Astrology Editor

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Be conscious of where you direct your energy. Your words and your ideas have more impact than you may imagine. Resist the temptation to argue on your own behalf, especially if you know you’re right. In that case, let the power of truth do the work for you. You might say, “I don’t think you’re correct,” or, “Let’s take a deeper look at the facts,” though that’s not quite arguing. Stay in control at all times. Your vibes are more persuasive and have more impact than your words or your ideas at this particular point, and that’s very persuasive indeed. Given that, you might take up the causes of those who don’t have your voice or your power. This can include in your intimate relationships, where you recognize subtle (or not-so-subtle) injustices and speak up on behalf of the underdog. Take the occasion to notice any way you might be being unfair to others and correct that first.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You would be wise to address the notion that you must be pure, or perceived as pure. You know you’re not; everyone else knows you’re not; and there’s no such thing as purity except maybe in an air-locked laboratory or in the mind of the pope. But purity is different from integrity. And someone as intense as you are, with opinions as strong as yours are, needs integrity. But what is that? I think of it as having the various parts of yourself in agreement with one another. It’s about noticing when you contradict yourself. There’s the bit about having the same expectations for others that you have for yourself. And it’s about letting your deeper truth out into the room rather than having to stuff it down into the dark. There seems to be something you absolutely must reveal about yourself, and it will prove that you might not be ‘pure’, but you possess genuine integrity.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — It’s probably not worth fighting with others, though it’s a temptation. Instead, proceed with your agenda. You are your own master, as long as you maintain the standard of basic responsibility to others. That’s different from doing what they want, or even thinking you have to stop and think about it for too long. It’s also different from trampling over anyone. You must carefully find the middle way, and then proceed with confidence. Part of that confidence is trusting yourself. That seems to be a sticking point lately. Confidence is based on understanding your motives. This one theme is perhaps the most challenging aspect of your current astrology, and the issue isn’t going anywhere soon. However, you will respond to a process of seeking an understanding of why you do what you do, and making peace with that reality. Self-deception is toxic in any form. Once you get clear on what’s driving you, you will be more compelling to everyone around you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You must make your definition of success. Once you do, you’ll know what you must do to get there. Make sure you have a definition that encompasses not just financial success (which is actually the easiest kind to attain), but things like peace of mind, and your ability to bring your true being into your work. Until you get there, I suggest you define success as covering the basic necessities of life, of art and of business. Do you have space to live and work? Do you have food to eat, and to feed your kids and critters? Do you have water for washing, drinking and tea? Do you have an internet connection? Can you get through the day? If you answered yes to these questions, you’ve made the top 10% of the human condition. Now, play your advantages. Use your ideas, your wits, your commitment and, most of all, your time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Planet Waves Astrology Editor

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

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

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

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