Aries (March 20-April 19) — Yours is the sign of ‘me’ and ‘I am’, but something else is in the air at the moment. I suggest you focus your orientation on both shared resources, and collective resources. Political and corporate rhetoric for the past 30 years has force-fed people with the idea that they themselves are all that matters, everyone else be damned. We need to recognize what an anti-social concept that is, since the whole notion of society is based on the sharing of resources that pay for things like streetlights, fire departments, storm drains, parks and even shopping malls. I suggest you think of everything in collective terms, and notice your connection to everyone with whom you transact even the most casual business. Notice how people depend on you and how you depend on them. Notice what energy (in any form) moves when that dependency is activated. You may pay someone to make your lunch, yet even so, are you grateful they did it for you?

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) — This weekend’s Full Moon across the Taurus-Scorpio axis is going to bring certain relationship matters to a head. If the air is clear, this could be great fun; the peak of energy would manifest as something erotic or passionate. If the air is not quite clear, small matters could become large ones, and that has the potential to do some damage. Therefore, I would suggest maintaining a policy of gentle clarity, and at the same time, maintaining a perspective on what really matters. You are in an unusual position to notice the feelings and viewpoint of others. If you can do that, you will have a realistic sense of scale. You will be less likely to overreact or over-compensate. I suggest you make sure that every relationship in your life is assigned a larger purpose. Some relationships take them on naturally; some need to be trained. From the look of the planets over the next week or so, I suggest you work both of those approaches.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Mercury in your sign is urging you to be discerning of what people in power say to you. You’re on notice to question all agendas, including your own, though especially those to which you’re subject. To avoid making a discovery too late, I suggest that you listen carefully to what people say — and strive to understand its implications. The thought processes of most people fall short of that step: what is the implied meaning of a statement or an action? Either that, or those implications are greatly overestimated and misunderstood. What you’re looking for is subtle, and there is likely to be some element of discernible truth or lack of truth in what you hear. Or there will be if you employ your reasoning skills, logic and gift of language. To put it simply, pay attention and think for yourself. Stop and notice when you discover that you’ve lapsed in those things. It would also be very helpful to take written notes, because aspects suggest you might discover and then forget the most important bits of information.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Sex is the word and the deed. The Moon is full in Scorpio this weekend, and for you that’s about an adventure. I recognize that for many people, sex is getting scarier, as what it tends to lead to is a form of intimacy. Remember that sex starts with you, and it comes back to you. There may be others along the circuit — lovers, friends or fantasy partners. If there are, remember that you have something to offer them. You’re a kind of erotic and creative reservoir. You can afford to be generous, and think in terms of the nourishment that you offer to people. Really focus on that, so you see it and understand it. At the same time, pay attention to what’s being asked and expected of you. Pay attention to what you’re being given. Notice how you feel before, during and after any sexual encounter, whether it’s alone or with someone else. It’s up to you to maintain balance in all of the equations of your life, especially this one.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Jupiter in your birth sign gets to ride the full energetic wave of this weekend’s Full Moon. You may experience this as the sensation of power, of strength, of safety or simply of belonging. Let that strength emerge from the inside rather than from the circumstances of your life. In fact you may feel like that’s your only option, as you may feel disconnected from certain external factors, or like you’re the only one who really understands. Your solar chart describes a situation where you can reach out to someone who feels that they’re the only one who understands — though they don’t feel nearly as strong or as confident as you do. You may need to inquire gently what’s going on. This person may be communicating by not speaking rather than saying something out loud. This person’s feelings are arranged in layers and there is likely to be a group dynamic involved. Follow the lines and you will learn a lot about your own current family pattern. One discovery will lead to another. It’s that kind of weekend.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You seem determined to assert your leadership and your message, though I suggest you listen first and speak later. You have a chance of being misunderstood, or worse, presumed to be wrong. Therefore pay attention to your surroundings. What you have to offer is something of lasting value, which is a balance against thinking you have to get it all out and get it right the first time. The natural point of intervention is a writing and rewriting process. For many people writing is pretty easy; it’s the revision part that slows them down, or they seem to lack confidence in their ability to do it. You might say that writing is about making up your mind, and revision is about changing your mind — and that’s what makes both thinking and writing relevant. Editing means there is no presumed perfection; rather, the message of the editing medium is that life is a work in progress, and ideas in particular benefit from exploration. What you are looking for is something that resonates more deeply as truth. To go in that direction, sometimes you must add, and other times you must subtract.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You seem to be uncertain about the flow of revenue associated with your profession. You might be asking whether what you have will last; that’s a matter of planning. It’s also about considering your alternatives carefully and not being caught in any one way of doing things. You can consider the entirely opposite approach. You can consider two approaches at once (a kind of A/B test). Mostly, as you are about to discover, your success is about being seen for who you are, which means embodying who you are with confidence. Remember that the only vocation you will find satisfying is one in which you are actively supporting, nourishing and nurturing others. By active, I mean that you get reasonably immediate results and your own efforts are not too far removed from the benefits that others receive. Others around you are willing to cooperate with that. In fact they seem to have, at least for the moment, found that space where they’re open to the concept of the greatest good for all concerned. Get it while it’s hot.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — This weekend’s Full Moon in your birth sign will stir up deep passions, needs and desires. True enough, that’s happening most of the time, though astrology like this arrives with depth and feeling and some mystery. So take that ride, with no expectation where it will lead you. One thing I suggest you focus on is your sense of mission. Not your career, not your ambitions, but rather your calling. Think of this in an integrated way. Your calling is not separate from who you are or what you do, but rather something that you express with every cell in your body. It’s also something that is expressed through your relationships and your contact with your environment. You may understand this in theory — that who you are is never separate from what you do — though now you get to experience that as visceral. This is the physical sensation that you are real. It may fill you up and seem to pass by, but really it’s not going anywhere. Remember the feeling and keep creating the conditions that lead you there.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — If a conversation with a friend or partner seems to hit a block or impasse, keep it light. This is definitely not a situation where if something is stuck, whack harder. In fact the opposite is true. There’s likely to be some external factor that is causing a distraction or distortion. In other words, there’s an element to the situation that is not true, but you believe that it is, and that’s the root of the problem. One thing that will help is giving things time, as in a few days. Several current factors suggest that it’s not easy to see viewpoints for what they are. Others indicate that there’s likely to be an emotional exaggeration (most likely on your part). Therefore to avoid needless complication, interpose a delay. Now is not the time to speak the truth at all costs, because you may not know what it is. Even if you verify certain facts, there are going to be more that come to light. Therefore take it light and take it easy. All opinions are subject to change.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You may be grasping for a strategy that you cannot wrap your hands around. In this and other ways, you may feel like you’re standing on ground that cannot really support you, either because it’s actually shaking or because you don’t trust it. You may feel like you have to put all your faith into something intangible. If I may reinterpret that: what you’re actually experiencing is the potential for change; the simple fact of movement and indeed progress. The expectation of a static universe, of situations and people not changing, is a formula for chaos. The more you expect things to stay the same, the more they will seem to be changing out of your control. The more you notice where you are now and notice the movement of energy, the more you’re likely to feel that you can guide your life and make decisions. The mere fact that decisions are possible speaks to the power of change. Add the factor of necessary risk and you have a formula for progress.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You may need to keep your balance in a relationship situation. If you’re finding that’s true, notice where you’ve been left out of the equation. You may have left yourself out, or there may be some setup that somehow includes the viewpoint or needs of everyone else but which omits you. Therefore, notice whether that’s true, and write yourself back into the script of your own life. There seems to be some question of public opinion involved in this whole topic, such as whether you fit in, whether your ideas are acceptable, or what people perceive as your image. I can offer you a clue. There’s something you are saying or doing that is in fact daring, and which as an indirect result calls out the lack of courage of others. It’s not that you’re trying to do this; it’s a matter of perception. It would be wise of you not to pay too much attention to the stuck viewpoints of others; rather stick to your idea or your message.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Security for you is a state of mind. We could say that’s true for most people, but you’re especially sensitive to the ways in which your mental state sets the scene for whether you feel safe in your home or on the planet. This is independent of whether you’re actually safe, or have reasons to feel that way. What is interesting about your solar chart is that you have two distinctly different viewpoints related to your own sense of belonging. Sometimes they conflict, sometimes they work in harmony, and sometimes they function independently of one another. One growth mission you have now and for the next month or two is charting this out. You will get to create a mind map, and this map will take you into the distant past. For now, I suggest you stay in the moment, and adopt as your mantra a question: Is that really true? Use that with everything you hear, what you say and what you think.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Take care of unfinished business. Make sure you’ve said what you have to say, and done what you have to do. I suggest you go back and do an inventory of what you have not completed and any promises you have not kept. Choose from your most important priorities and start with the top tier. You might also take care of a bunch of easy ones right up front so you build some momentum. We are approaching a New Moon in your birth sign, followed by the Sun changing signs. That means new opportunities, and more than that, new priorities. In preparation for that you will want to wipe your slate as clean and clear as you can, with little or nothing lingering from the past. And if you take up that issue you will see you really do have plenty of influence.

Taurus Birthday Reading Now Available for Pre-Order

Dear Friend and Taurus:

Speaking as someone with her Sun in Taurus, I know that sometimes we need a little more time to warm up to an idea before making a move. So to that end, Eric’s offering you the chance to pre-order your Taurus birthday reading for this year starting now — a full week-and-a-half before the Sun gets to your sign!

Taurus is one of the most physically oriented signs. Yet for the past few years, your inner life has been transforming dramatically. This journey has been at times incredibly rewarding — and sometimes maddening.

Taking everything to a new level this year, your ruling planet, Venus, and its counterpart, Mars, dance their way into not one; not two; but three conjunctions (thanks to a retrograde by Venus). This is a pretty special (and rare) series of events, and Eric will be delving into what it (and the rest of your astrology) means for you in this year’s reading.

If you’re like me, getting true value for your money — in the form of something that’s beautiful or practical (preferably both) — is a high priority. And I know of no other astrological audio readings that deliver the same level of audio quality, attention to detail, longevity (this reading will serve you long past your birthday month) and sincere, soul-level insight you’ll actually use. Certainly not for this price: $24.95 for at least an hour of astrology in two segments, plus a third segment of astrology afterthoughts and a tarot reading.

You’ll also get access to last year’s reading for review, an extended sign description, the charts Eric used and photos of the tarot spread. Pre-order your Taurus birthday reading now for $24.95, and you won’t feel like you’re rushing to catch the discounted price when the reading is ready.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may feel like there is some mystery you’re not understanding, or like you’re under some pressure you have not given a name to. You may feel some relief with Saturday’s Sun-Moon conjunction, and certainly when the Sun enters your birth sign on Monday the 20th. Here is the thing: you’re actually working with quite a bit of information. You know more than you think you know. It’s the sensation of not knowing, or of wondering, that is causing the distraction. If you focus on what you know rather than what you think you don’t know, you will have something to build on. What you may discover is that you’re of two different opinions about something important. Your chart suggests considering the possibility that they’re both true. This is less about making a contradiction and more about resolving one.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Fritz Perls, one of the co-founders of gestalt therapy, once said “lose your mind and come to your senses.” What you perceive in your immediate environment, what you notice and what you feel, all take priority over what you think. You’ll know you’re there because you feel less anxiety and less confusion. There’s a connection between focusing on your senses and taking responsibility for your life. Said another way, one method of avoiding your life is by reducing things to concepts, rather than engaging with them directly as experiences. Therefore, speak directly to people and listen to them. Notice your environment and how you feel wherever you are. Most of all, focus on what you know is the most meaningful to you rather than what you ‘think you’re supposed to do’. That admission of personal meaning is a way of giving yourself permission to live your life your way.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You may be struggling to stabilize certain elements of your career or professional life. It would, however, help if you thought in terms of your vocation rather than your career. A career is based on a pre-established path that in theory has a distinct beginning, middle and end. A vocation is what you’re called to do, which you do because it’s the thing to do. That’s likely to include some element of confronting what has never been done before, where there are no prefabricated moves and few possibilities to have expectations. Said another way, you’re not a careerist; you’re a pioneer at something. You might want to begin with the possibility that you have a way of opening up new territory in whatever you do. That comes with special challenges. Recognize that and you’re most of the way to rising to the occasion.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — The theme of leadership not only persists in your life, it’s intensifying by the day. You know you have critical responsibilities, and that you’re being looked to as an example. When the Sun changes signs Monday this will become even more apparent, as you now enter the phase in the year when you’re at your most visible. If there’s a point of tension, it’s this: you’re restless. You crave freedom of a kind you have not had in a long time, and which you may have decided no longer existed. There may seem to be no easy point of resolve between these two states. That does not, however, mean that there’s no solution to the puzzle. But if there is one, it’s going to come from having an original idea, which influences both sides of the equation — the responsibility side and the restlessness side. By original idea I mean something other than doing the same things the same way.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You seem to have had your mind on various challenges and entanglements, which seem to involve where a sexual situation meets a financial situation. Or maybe you’ve just been wrapped up in what seems like the chaos of another person’s inner situation. That would not be possible if you were grounded in your own reality. Said another way, the only way another person’s ‘stuff’ can confuse you is if you’re already confused. Therefore I suggest you focus on yourself. That probably means setting aside the needs, the values and perhaps your involvement with someone else. That may feel daring, as this scenario seems to be fulfilling some deep need that you have even as it mixes you up. Yet I would propose that your need for grounding and stability is even more pressing, which you will discover once you get a taste how they feel.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — This is a positively crazy time to be a Libra, because all the usual things you need and crave seem to be unavailable. Let’s see; first there is stability. That seems like a distant memory. Your solar chart describes you as pushed to one extreme after the next. Your definition of security seems to be changing to something like, ‘When you’re in an earthquake zone, it’s best to live in a tent’. This is so contrary to the way you say you want to live that you could imagine that there’s some cosmic purpose. I can propose such a theme. How do you maintain your integrity in times of unpredictability and erratic change, under constant stress? The answer can be said in one word: devotion. This is where all roads, all paths and all purposes lead for you. Where there is true devotion there can be no compromises, but one thing is sure: you must be flexible.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Your chart is describing an interesting relationship scenario that may have a hint of polyamory. You seem to need some form of total focus in a relationship, while someone close to you has a lighter, breezier idea of what love is. You may think there’s no meeting point between their perspective and yours. I would remind you that you can only meet someone where they are. I would also remind you that ‘loving’ is loving a person for who they are and not who we would have them be. This is better news for you than you may think. You would surely benefit from loosening up your ideas about relating to others. You might be stunned to find that as you encounter different ideas, you discover that they turn you on. You might start with a conversation, not the ‘work it out’ but the ‘let’s have fun’ kind. Love is compersion: what turns you on turns me on.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — One topic consistently left out of astrology is the deeply emotional nature of those born under your sign. Astrology books talk about your derring-do, your globetrotting, your home that resembles an international youth hostel, and your need for space and for independence. Yet right now your charts are describing an emphasis on your inner reality, with the core quality being devotion. This is a special kind of devotion, centered on home and on your creative journey. I suggest you keep your focus inward, and if you bring other people into your space, make sure they are supportive, gentle and understanding. You are involved in coming to some deep realizations about who you are and what you feel called to do. And at the same time you’re ready to take a new risk expressing yourself based on what you’re now recognizing and accepting about yourself. There is no rush, not even for clarity — what you’re experiencing is beyond words.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — True confidence comes from the inside. It’s also a misunderstood concept, taken to mean certainty or cockiness. It’s no such thing. Confidence means ‘with fidelity’, which is another way of saying with faith, or with trust. Seen that way, it’s based in uncertainty rather than a sense of knowing, but that can lead to a sublime kind of boldness that you would very much appreciate now. I suggest you work with this gently. Remember that confidence is something you build with experience rather than wait for; it’s a process of slowly figuring it out. As part of that experience, it helps if you don’t try to talk yourself out of anything, or make matters more complicated than they are. It’s also clear that the talent or skill you think you’re the least capable of is the one where you have the greatest gift. But I cannot convince you of that; you can, however, discover it if you want.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You may have the feeling that the universe is expecting you to give and give, and get very little in return. If that’s true, it’s a testament to how much you have. Rather than cutting back, I suggest you keep making yourself available — but only where you’re appreciated, or where you understand that you’re providing something even where you’re not fully appreciated. Over the next few days, the strength of your position will become more apparent. The truth is, you are more grounded than nearly anyone around you. You understand the foundation you’ve built your life on. And you know it’s necessary to be able to stay close to the edge in order to actually participate in a process of change. Right now people need your reassurance more than you need theirs, so remind them that you’re paying attention and participating in their lives.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You’re at a state of your growth where you must engage with money and with the life of your soul as one thing. These two concepts are usually divided off and made to be not only different but antagonistic toward one another. You are now involved in a process of integrating them into one concept, one experience. The thing they have in common is that your money and your soul are both expressions of you. They are both manifestations of your energy. That is the way to think of whatever you make, touch, or change; that’s the way to think of any interaction. One of the most significant problems we have in a society that’s full of ‘money issues’ is the failure to see money as a direct extension of life force energy. While nearly everyone is busy amputating it or making it into some kind of abstraction, I suggest you focus and understand that in this world, use of financial resources is a core theme of evolution. Let that inform all your choices.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Relationships are not everything and everything is a relationship. Or as Thaddeus Golas once wrote in The Lazy Man’s Guide to Enlightenment, “We are equal beings and the universe is our relationships with one another.” What has recently developed with another person is likely to have shifted your orientation not just on that particular encounter, but on existence. You have seen through something, perhaps a belief you held about the world, or an appearance that you were taking for ultimate reality. What you’ve really experienced is the propensity of people and their circumstances to change. As a result of taking this on board, your own story is moving in some interesting directions. You are likely to be free in a way that you were not before, because you’re considering real data from your environment rather than something you wanted to be true. This will have a way of bringing you closer to yourself — and allowing you to be closer to others.

Taurus Birthday Reading Now Available for Pre-Order

Dear Friend and Taurus:

Speaking as someone with her Sun in Taurus, I know that sometimes we need a little more time to warm up to an idea before making a move. So to that end, Eric’s offering you the chance to pre-order your Taurus birthday reading for this year starting now — a full week-and-a-half before the Sun gets to your sign!

Taurus is one of the most physically oriented signs. Yet for the past few years, your inner life has been transforming dramatically. This journey has been at times incredibly rewarding — and sometimes maddening.

Taking everything to a new level this year, your ruling planet, Venus, and its counterpart, Mars, dance their way into not one; not two; but three conjunctions (thanks to a retrograde by Venus). This is a pretty special (and rare) series of events, and Eric will be delving into what it (and the rest of your astrology) means for you in this year’s reading.

If you’re like me, getting true value for your money — in the form of something that’s beautiful or practical (preferably both) — is a high priority. And I know of no other astrological audio readings that deliver the same level of audio quality, attention to detail, longevity (this reading will serve you long past your birthday month) and sincere, soul-level insight you’ll actually use. Certainly not for this price: $24.95 for at least an hour of astrology in two segments, plus a third segment of astrology afterthoughts and a tarot reading.

You’ll also get access to last year’s reading for review, an extended sign description, the charts Eric used and photos of the tarot spread. Pre-order your Taurus birthday reading now for $24.95, and you won’t feel like you’re rushing to catch the discounted price when the reading is ready.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You contain a person or personality who is not concerned with the normal rules of social conduct. This is the truly free aspect of who you are. The thing is, most of the rest of who you are is deeply concerned with social conduct and appearances, and this can set up a struggle. It would help if you allowed the different facets of your inner existence to coexist. This would begin with acknowledging the many personalities you contain as you become aware of them. Yet there’s a risk in doing so, which is a risk to your self-image of propriety. I would say that’s a good thing to challenge, to gamble, to experiment with. You can only have self-respect if you see yourself for who you are (the word respect is about witnessing; it literally means ‘to see again’). Self-respect means looking at yourself over and over, and raising the level of your inner conversation to something you can hear and share with others. Do tell. We will all find it interesting.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Venus in your sign bestows a special kind of intelligence. Your sign is ruled by Mercury, and Venus and Mercury are neighbors, more similar than most astrologers recognize. Mercury bestows a quick-witted kind of mental intelligence. Venus, which arrives in your sign on Saturday, describes what I will call an aesthetic intelligence. In Gemini, you might say this is about beautiful and elegant thinking. It’s offering you more than a strictly logical approach to your circumstances. There is a new kind of information coming; it arrives with both a shift in your perception and your ability to simultaneously hold two points of view and have them not be in conflict with one another. When you’re evaluating something, try feeling what is true rather than ‘thinking’ about it. And notice whether an idea is beautiful and how that affirms its relative truth. Venus is another way of looking at the world, and she’s coming soon.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You’ve been making bold moves, experimenting with real decisions and in truth entering new territory in many areas of your life. You seem to be going deeper than ever — and reaching higher than ever. But this rarely goes as expected or planned, so I suggest you work without either expectations or plans. Rather, keep your mind on a vision, on something you’re aspiring to, and let it be something unusual. There is a theme of taking authority by subverting some custom or idea of culture. It’s as if you’re determined to do something your own way, and make it work in a way greater than anyone would expect. You can do this, though you have to be clever, and you have to pay attention to your environment. One of the operative factors is your reputation. This is a tool you can work with. The chances are you are known for something unusual, or you have some special achievements to your credit. Play them up and make sure you do everything you can to stand up and stand out.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — What you believe is more radical than you may know. You’ve been getting little clues about that here and there, though you’re about to get a big one. The clue seems to be related to changing your mind about something, or revising your plans. This is in service of some long-range goal. Yet I would remind you that in truth, the only such goal you have involves who you are becoming. Your external plans are representations of your inner reality. The challenge here is that you prefer to have a very stable inner sense of self, while there exist a diversity of factors that are making that unlikely or impossible. You want some stability; and your environment, inner and outer, seems to be handing you nothing but change, and a changing idea, of what is necessary. Over the next few days, the two sides of the equation will align: the side that wants consistency and the side that is demanding progress. There is a meeting place, and it will surprise you.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You must learn to speak the language of those you would seek to influence. To do that, you must know what they want. Yet what you want is just as valuable and necessary right now. Your chart suggests you can get past the illusion of separate interests, which also means getting past the notion of competing interests. There are aspects of your plan that will work for others and aspects of their plan that will work for you. You will be in the role of the person who is guiding things into the mix-and-match win-win situation (there’s a bestselling buzz phrase for you!). So start mixing, matching and winning. While you’re doing that you may have to clear up some misunderstandings that have emerged the past week or so, and I suggest the best way you do that is first by listening, and second, by acting only on information you have confirmed to be true.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The recent lunar eclipse may have shaken your confidence, or so it seemed for a moment. Really, you’ve been going through a kind of initiation. You are figuring out that you are the most solid ground on which you stand. You are your own home. No matter who you share your life with, you must be at the center of your existence if that sharing is to be meaningful. Some might say this makes you less vulnerable, by which I mean able to be open to the emotional presence of others in a deep way. Being centered and able to relate from your core is what makes vulnerability and therefore intimacy possible. Discovering this is part of the long journey you’ve been on since Pluto changed signs in 2008. It may have felt like your previously solid ground was crumbling beneath your feet. Yet what was really falling apart was an outdated idea of relationships that no longer worked.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You might notice that a relationship partner becomes more conversant with you about things that were previously taboo. I suggest you allow them the space to open up and speak, without asking. Leave your door open and make the environment safe by reminding them that you’re listening and that you care. I think you’ll hear something over the next few days, and if you don’t, gently bring up some topic you’ve been wondering about. You’re in a very good position to see things from the viewpoint of another person. One of the main shifts that a partner has been through is something similar, the ability to consider two seemingly competing possibilities at once. Yet those possibilities don’t really compete or negate one another. They actually support one another. The same is true for differing opinions the two of you may have. Honoring difference is essential, and making it work for you is a form of art.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You seem ready to burst through some creative barrier. That means making peace with being different, among other things. What I would suggest is an indirect approach. For example, someone might make a political statement through some form of serious writing; someone else might do it indirectly through art or music. I suggest you take the most subversive route to making your point, which will encourage you to keep whatever you’re doing creative, adventurous and risky. By risky I mean taking the chance to do something different, or in a different way, with each thing that you do. Really pause and consider your methods and your approaches to the puzzles and projects of your life. You may need to go out on limbs where you know you may be less than comfortable, or make others uncomfortable. That is one hint, not proof but a hint, that you’re taking creative risks.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You may be seeking security and finding a form of chaos. It’s as if the more security you seek the more chaos you will find. You might change approaches and dance with the fact of a kaleidoscopic world, a world where everything influences everything else. Because that is true, this thing known as ‘meaning’ must always be seen in context, and given room to grow. That’s a hint that there is no absolute meaning to anything, but rather information to be gathered from how any one circumstance influences you now, and how you influence it. Humans have a tendency to want fixed definitions and permanent states, though definitions morph constantly and the state of the world is in a constant state of change. Where does that leave you? A little like a dancer moving to the music rather than the choreography. This is to say your life is more like the Barefoot Boogie and less like Swan Lake.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — It looks to me like there is something you want to put in writing, though you may be running into some issues. One of them is the feeling that it’s not possible to say this thing, exactly, and mean what you say. Get used to that — it’s probably not possible to fit exact meaning into words, and have that same exact meaning appear in someone else’s mind. Therefore, do your best and express yourself sincerely. Go for the feeling as much as the facts. Second, it would seem that what you have to say could pop someone’s mind — that is, it might be controversial. That’s the direction to go in. I don’t mean intentionally stirring people up but rather, inwardly, moving in the direction of not being afraid to do so. In other words, be mindful of when your inner censor says, ‘Don’t say that! You’ll get in trouble!’ That’s the thing you most likely want, and need, to say.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You’re having to make a lot of decisions about money lately, and what you’re likely to be discovering along the way is what is truly important to you. In astrology, the same house — the 2nd, which in your chart happens to be Aries — covers your resources, your values and your self-esteem. Resources means money, equipment, supplies and most of all, talent. Values means your personal constitution, which by the way is getting amended regularly as you set new values based on new experiences. Self-esteem is the inherent respect you have for yourself. One message from that facet of your mind is that you’re figuring out how radical you are. Radical has two meanings: it’s commonly said to mean one who dares to challenge the status quo, such as a revolutionary. Semantically, the word means going to the roots of whatever is in question, in this case yourself. Upcoming aspects describe you going deep, and gaining confidence expressing yourself from your core.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — What is your concept of original? Something you haven’t heard of? That would be a good start, though you’ll probably need to go further than that. Your relationship circumstances are calling for a deeper approach than you might ordinarily take. Or said another way, something unusual is happening and you need to respond in a way that’s appropriate to your situation. It’s not exactly a new development. It’s more like a situation that’s been brewing for a long time is revealing something you hadn’t seen before. The surface of something is being drawn back, and you’re getting a look at some of the underlying tensions. Those, in turn, describe a level of necessity that it would help you immensely to consider honestly. You are in a “things are not what they seemed” moment — which means you get to see them as they are.

After the Eclipse: Planet Waves Has You Covered, Aries

Dear Friend and Reader:

In just a couple of days, we’ll all experience the April 4 lunar eclipse, featuring the Sun in Aries and the Moon in Libra. This event is especially significant for Aries and those who love them — making Eric’s soon-to-be-released Aries birthday reading a must-have gift.

By now, you’ve noticed what themes this eclipse season is stirring up for you. But do you know how to carry your insights beyond this event? Have you figured out the right questions to ask yourself, or the most constructive, creative, empowering perspective from which to consider them?

If not, don’t panic.

Take a few breaths, read your horoscope here, and remember why you were so excited to find Planet Waves in the first place. Then pre-order your Aries reading — still only $24.95 — so you can dive into it as soon as it’s ready.

You’ll get two half-hour segments of astrology, an additional audio file with a tarot reading and astrology afterthoughts, access to last year’s audio reading for Aries, an extended sign description, and images of the charts Eric uses and the tarot spread.

Once the reading is published, the price will increase. Once we move through Saturday’s eclipse, we’ll be in a new cycle of astrology — and of life. Give your Aries loved ones (or yourself) some extra spark as this season shifts into full gear.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Focus  your efforts, your energy and your intentions on specific goals; or perhaps even one of them. There is plenty going through your mind; many ideas, desires, visions. In fact you may be feeling a level of chaos brewing on that off-to-the-side level of awareness. At the same time, you have the ability to concentrate your strength and really get something done — as long as you don’t distract yourself with too much head-tripping. That will be easier said than done, till you actually step up to the challenge with some determination. Make a few decisions about what your top priorities are. Make sure you’re not neglecting anything that simply cannot wait. Then ride the wave of momentum connected to the Full Moon eclipse and notice how much you get done. As for the carnival of inner distractions, that is your power source. The specifics matter less than the energy that’s brewing.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You may feel pulled between being out and among friends, and secluded in your space making art, music or writing. I suggest you take care of your inner needs first, and then be amongst people and have that kind of more extraverted fun. You have real ideas simmering, and they need your protection and attention. You also have a limited window of opportunity act on certain factors (which I would say is Friday night into Saturday night), whereas the out-and-about kind of fun will still be there waiting for you. Right now your creative process is your most helpful therapy. It’s the place where you’ll be able to get insight into yourself, and find some answers to the questions you’ve been asking. But they are not likely to come in a tidy package. Rather, they’re likely to arrive as part of a discovery process, and you’ll know you’re really on that journey because you feel like you’re taking some unusual chances with what you say or express. That sense of risk is essential.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — What is your concept of home? What is your concept of secure? To the extent that involves a relationship, you may need to rethink your approach. In truth, safe is not what will help you feel safe and secure is not what will help you feel secure. It would seem that you’re challenging yourself to live outside of your past notions of what made you feel grounded. That, in turn, may be somewhat troubling because your sign is known for its needing grounding and security. But if you seek that in a relationship, you’re seeking in a place that is one of the least dependable, because relationships change so often. Which leads to this weekend’s eclipse. You just might benefit from exploring the aspects of relationship that are anything but secure in the conventional sense. Where you will feel the most natural and the most at home is in the realm of ‘forever changes’. It does indeed.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You cannot be clear with others if you’re not clear with yourself, and your chart is saying it’s time for both. There’s an inherent paradox in determining that you need clarity, though. It requires some clarity to notice that fact. This weekend’s eclipse describes some scenario in which you get at least that far. You might, for example, notice what you don’t have the words to say — and then you can figure out what those words should be. There is a pressing necessity, however. You have a lot of responsibility on your hands right now, and you’re accountable for the actions of others. Therefore your alertness and awareness (or lack thereof) will spread out into the world or into a community. You remain in the position of setting an example, though unlike in recent weeks, you’re now setting an active example rather than a passive one. This calls for more assertive leadership. And that demands clarity first and foremost.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Everything comes down to self-worth. By everything, I mean the state of our relationships, of the world and of existence. Reality is self-mediated. That is, it’s fairly obvious that how we experience the world is a product of our perceptions. The problem with that approach is that it’s often difficult to put it into practice. Or said another way, how you feel about yourself seems difficult to control. But really, that’s on the moment-to-moment basis. Self-esteem is best conducted as a long-term project. It would include a study of the past, in particular of influences that have impacted how you feel about yourself (positively and negatively) and a series of choices that you make on the level of your values. In essence, every value you hold is a reflection of how you feel about yourself. Once you begin to bring your values into line with what really works for you, your self-esteem will improve. Focus this issue and Saturday’s lunar eclipse will carry you light years in a few short days.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — A total eclipse of the Moon in your birth sign is taking you below the surface ideas you have about yourself. The thing is, you may have already thought you were aware of what was going on down there, and I don’t doubt you’ve made some helpful observations about yourself. Yet there is always deeper you can go, and you may surprise yourself as you make contact with what I can only describe as your real agenda. One thing that’s clear is that your attachment to the past is starting to fall away like so many autumn leaves, and something new is sprouting like so many springtime buds. You have also placed a high value on independence in your relationships. You’ve been willing to confront the factor of instability that’s often necessary on the way to making some space for yourself, though the real message of this weekend’s eclipse is that you are the most stable and dependable presence in your own life. Therefore, count on yourself.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You may fear you’ve taken the risk of letting others run your life, but not exactly. Actually, you and someone close to you have just about everything in common — except maybe a sense of familiarity with the territory. For you, unfamiliar is hot. Remind yourself that. It’s what you crave and what stokes your curiosity. For someone else, your encounter with the unfamiliar is a reminder of how good it can be. As you explore this territory, you will encounter places where your desires and seeming needs are grafted onto the past. Make sure you update your ideas about what you need, and especially about what you want. At this stage, desire is the name of your particular game. Needs, in truth, are few in number and you have many of them met. Desires are more complex; they can seem like a luxury; they may feel open to editing by others. Try wanting what you want, in the moment — especially when it’s right in front of you.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You are seeking a sense of higher justice — of fairness that really means something. For you, that also translates to having a vision for your own life that matches what you suspect your true talents to be. I want you to know there is an opening for you. By opening I mean a way through; a space in society where you can live and grow. Do not fall for the notion that the world is some kind of closed book. It’s true that opportunities seem few and far between, and many people cling to what they have with a kind of desperation. Pay no mind to that. Pay attention to what you’re doing. Stay focused on developing your talent, and more than that, putting it to productive use. Don’t hoard what you have — share what you have: your knowledge, your skills, your ideas and your talent. Keep an eye on possible paying gigs, or better paying gigs, but keep your heart and soul tuned to who you are, and what you actually do. Do that; be that.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Guide yourself not by instinct but by intuition. Instinct is generally made of old programming; intuition is immediately relevant information that comes in fresh from moment to moment. Your role in the world is changing, from moment to moment, and it would be wise of you to keep up with the news. By role, I mean your calling, and your choice of how to respond. Over the next few days you may notice that an old concept of what you’re ‘supposed to do’ is replaced by a much newer idea. The place where you make a subtle pivot is on the level of taking leadership more seriously. The thing about leadership is that it’s an unusually compelling and necessary calling, and yet at the same time, anyone who is called and who answers must confront a degree of isolation and solitude, at least at first. Consider that you’re aware of necessities others cannot or choose not to perceive. You are responding to what would make others uneasy and insecure. That will not stop you.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You’re still in a position where you must be strong for others, even if they don’t see it that way. To do this, you’re having to juggle and shuffle a diversity of self-interests, set them aside, get them out of the way or put them on hold. This is temporary, though you’re learning something interesting, which is how resilient you are. There’s always enough food to go around, enough resources, enough of you. Remember that. What you’re able to offer is largely the result of what you’ve been through over a very long stretch of your life where you seemed to experience everything there was to experience. So you know what others are going through. But more significantly, you have sufficient experience to give you confidence that you can handle anything. The energy you don’t waste worrying whether you can stand up to your current challenges, you’re able to invest in the world around you. Think of your life and all the people in it as a farm that you’re tending. Hard work — but worth it.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Keep your arrangements flexible, and make sure any agreements you enter are responsive to your immediate circumstances. You are in a rather significant moment wherein anything is up for renegotiation. Evaluate everything first on the basis of how it works for you, and then on the basis of how it works for others. You will need to meet both qualifications for something to be functional for you, though remember the order of operations. Most of all, stay in contact with your environment. Ultimately, that is your primary relationship, and your environment will give you nearly all the information you need about what to do, and how to do it. You probably already know that adaptability is your greatest strength. Put it to work now. Make any changes you need to make. Focus on being flexible, with everything from money to time to any arrangements you need to make to your physical body. Look at the world and be limber enough to look into it, and even through it. You will be told everything you need to know.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You’re about to discover the missing piece. Yet it will be more like a scrim is lifting and you can suddenly see the full scene for what it is. What you discover was missing will turn out to be very nearly everything. That everything is context. It is understanding something about your environment that was rather glaringly obvious that you somehow overlooked. Don’t feel too bad about that; the environment is the most difficult thing to see at all, much less observe keenly. Over the next few days you will make many discoveries about just how (and better still, why) you want to be fully aware of and engaged with your surroundings. Once you get the hang of that, you will never want to do anything else. Being able to see and feel everything around you, and see through it to the deeper layer, is the way to live.

Aries Birthday Reading Available For Pre-Order

Dear Aries:

It’s no wonder your sign marks the beginning of a new astrological year: to begin anything takes a spark of initiative — something those with strong Aries in their charts have in spades. Yet even the most fired-up ram can need a little encouragement, reassurance, deeper insight or a shift in perspective.

With a solar eclipse rolling us into the first degree of your sign on the day of the Aries equinox, your birthday month gets started in rare form.

Eric will dive into what this means for you — along with more than an hour of key insights about the rest of your year (plus a tarot reading!) — in your Aries birthday reading, available for pre-order now at just $24.95.That special pre-order price includes access to last year’s Aries reading for review, photos of the charts used and of the tarot spread, and more.

Planet Waves birthday readings are as close as you can get to a live, in-person reading on the Internet. In fact, many of our clients feel like Eric’s been witnessing their entire year when they listen to his audio readings; he specializes in homing in on your story, leaving most of the technical details out of the way.

Pre-order your Aries birthday reading now, and you’ll be able to listen as soon as it’s ready — and then start making your next moves.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Venus has arrived in your sign, which is always a comforting experience for you. Venus in Taurus wants the best: of material things, which is totally legitimate by the way, and also of feelings and human contact and authentic understanding. These things are related on the dimension known as quality. Though this word is often abused by advertisers, there is such a thing, and you know it. In fact it’s so closely related to the core of who you are that you know very little else. I suggest that you recognize how much both within you and around you is the real thing. On that line of thought, I suggest you never doubt your validity. Never doubt how solid and real you are. And as a direct extension, you can have full confidence in what you create. It is as real and as wholesome as you are, infused with that all-too-rare thing known as practicality.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Yes, there is some odd tension in your life, and it’s been building for a while. Yet this is some truly useful tension; useful like a beam or any structure that supports weight and stress. It looks to me like something is testing your survival skills. However, this may not be survival in the sense of food and water but rather of identity. It’s as if you are in a situation where you have to define yourself in the context of some potentially fixed, stuck or oppressive force. You might like this not only because it’s testing your mettle, it’s also bringing out some of your grittiest, most driven personal qualities. This is a time in life when you absolutely must be who you are — and I suggest you love that fact, and be grateful for it all the time. Yet truly, you need to find a sense of ease in your life, despite this situation. You can, and you will, if you focus that thought, and allow yourself permission.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Friday’s total solar eclipse moves across the top of your solar chart like thunder, lightning and the drive for achievement. Take the ride. Appreciate the forces of nature with your heart and mind wide open. This is a moment when those forces are working in your favor, though I recognize this may feel a bit daunting. Yes, there’s a good reason for that. Any wind that can push a ship across the ocean can also do serious damage. Any feat of engineering that can loft an airplane or raise a structure can also fail or go out of control. That’s the chance you get to take, and it’s a privilege. It’s worth the reminder that achievement of any kind requires taking risks, and the more you want to accomplish the more risk you will need to take. But here is a clue: it will all feel more daunting than it is. Modest chances honestly taken can open up some far-reaching possibilities.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You must treat all your agreements as sacred. In making promises and offering your faith to others, you are invoking mighty forces. These are of two varieties: karmic and dharmic. These concepts work as one thing. Karma is the results of your past actions. Dharma is about acting now, as if to hold the world together. There is no separating one part of this process from the other, though they may seem to be different at times. One thing called for is awareness. The other thing called for is remembering that, “action is the fruit of knowledge.” Everyone knows that, by the way. It’s one reason why ignorance is so popular, and for you, it’s not an excuse. Far to the contrary, in fact, you are being looked to for leadership, and that leadership is based on your being a radiant example of emotionally grounded intelligence. You’re being expected to hold yourself to a high standard, for a good reason: you are the only one who can.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — The concept of commitment would be better understood (and less of a fuss) if everyone understood it’s something that comes from within. On some level many people do have a clue that this is true, though the outer layer often seems to trump the inner core that makes the commitment real. It’s for this reason that so many people renege on their promises. They were never actually promises in the first place. But you have a vision for an understanding with someone; this vision is being driven by potent internal motives that in recent days have all but overwhelmed you. Seen from another angle, you may be wondering what you’re getting yourself into. And if you are indeed wondering, do so in a bold way, and come up with an equally bold answer to whatever question you’re asking. You are striving to find yourself from the inside out, and you are very likely to succeed.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Keep a grip on your anxiety. Fear can be useful, though only to a point. If you’re concerned about your health, look closely enough at whatever issues you need to look at to have full confidence that you are healthy and strong. You may need to make some adjustments to your lifestyle so that you add the piece about moving in the right direction. Whatever direction that happens to be, you are in an excellent position to initiate positive, valuable, worthwhile changes. We all know how hard it is to get decisions to stick. Part of that is because real choices often require a sequence of other decisions in order to help them take root and keep their grip. As you make those choices, envision yourself drawing nourishment from the Earth, like a tree that is clasping some rocks and sinking its roots into the soil below. Yes, you have some real decisions to make — and yes, you will stick to them just fine. Or rather, they will stick to you.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — It’s rare enough to hear the terms ‘sexual’ and ‘healing’ in the same sentence, except of course for that saucy and seductive song. Many, many people are beginning to crave healing their sexuality. Many are figuring out that the breaches of trust and abuse we’ve suffered are subtler and more insidious than anything that ever made it onto Oprah. It’s not so much what was done to you but rather what was taken from you. You can now get that aspect of yourself back, if you can so much as sense or feel what it is. Your process of self-reclamation will not happen overnight, though you’re very likely to find progress as you devote yourself to a journey few ever dare to undertake. I would remind you of one thing. Sex is not about reproduction. It’s about the pleasure of existence and of human contact. Existence and contact can lead to procreation, which above all else is proactive creation. Are you following me here?

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You can afford to be more flexible, especially with your time and with your love. Clearly your ability to be strong and stable are providing you with something you haven’t had access to in a long time. Yet if you push strength and stability too far, you may find yourself feeling insecure. Many factors of your astrology suggest that the more flexible you are, the safer you will feel. In particular, flexibility with your feelings is the thing you want. That starts with inviting yourself to feel, whether gently or strongly, what you actually feel. At times you may feel your ideas and your needs so powerfully you begin to doubt yourself. That sensation of questioning is evidence you’re going in the right direction. The sensation that you don’t know and may never find out, if you follow it, will help lead you to the self-knowledge and confidence you are seeking. Someone close to you may be directly involved in helping you make one particular truly amazing discovery.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You may think there is no way you can put what you’re thinking into words. However, when that happens you will discover they are rather effective, rich and useful words, and that all the effort was worth it. Well, not so much effort; actually the opposite thereof. What would help the most is to let your ideas flow, which might mean doing something different from the organized and structured approach you usually take to projects. Your chart is all about letting the colors run into one another and moving from there to some gradually-developing vision for what you want to create. This looks likely to morph into an actual beginning; your chart says you are headed into an unusually bold creative space, toward the center of your being. This alone will provide a balm for the restlessness and insecurity you’ve been feeling for quite some time now.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You are an original. It’s true that Aquarius is the very emblem of ‘weird and proud of it’, though I am really talking about being innovative. This is as much the product of Aries in your chart as it is of anything else. Though you seem to have memorized all of tradition, you are rather determined to do something new with your mind and with your life. It’s not that the past is boring; it’s just that it’s the past, and we’ve done it all before. What has not been done grabs your sense of adventure and of the unknown, which at times can become an obsession for you. Now would be such a time, as the Sun gets ready to join a fiery group of planets in the idea zone of your chart. Just remember that ideas are made of imagination, and that’s something that has a life and a light of its own. That light is burning hot and bright at the moment, and you are a well of glowing stuff in every color.

A Letter from Stacy About Planet Waves

“I think I have listened to my reading maybe seven or eight times so far. I listen to you throughout my day, sometimes through headphones, sometimes out loud.”

Dear Eric:

I wanted to thank you so much for answering my question on the live edition of Planet Waves FM (Regarding Uranus conjunct the Galactic Core, squaring my Sun).

You are here! The Milky Way, our home, is a barred spiral galaxy. The Galactic Core, at the center, is a factor in Sagittarius and a key influence in astrology — if you look carefully. And we do.

I found your interpretation to be on point and felt your words resonate with a deeper part of me.

I have always been a very spiritual/sensitive person, in tune to the energies around us that many seem oblivious to. I have also always felt different and out of place.

Though I will admit I spent many years when I was younger trying to block out my sensitivity/spirituality and then another many years attempting to hide my weird — I am now, with the help of the Pisces reading, slowly coming to terms with the fact that it’s these very traits that make me ‘me’, and will lead me to where I am meant to go.

Since joining Planet Waves a few months ago I have heard many reviews others have given regarding your Birthday and Cosmophilia readings. I knew that when I ordered mine, that I was in store for something special. I think I have listened to my reading maybe seven or eight times so far. I listen to you throughout my day, sometimes through headphones, sometimes out loud.

The past few days your voice has guided me over and over again through these “meditations” of your readings. I didn’t realize that was what I was doing at first, meditating… but over the past few days, I have noticed my thought process changing and the “oomph” to be bold growing.

Your words have served as a sort of daily affirmation — yes, I can be bold. Yes, I can be assertive. Yes, I can do what I need to do for me. So many of the things that I doubt and struggle with at the core of my being have been addressed through the reading. And already I feel a change. Though it is small, I feel a sense of growth, and a sense of comfort that maybe, I am exactly who and where I am meant to be at this point in my life. I have begun to feel a deeper sense of understanding as to why I am where I am, and to see that though life may seem routine right now — I am on the path to something greater. All these mundane tasks serving as tools to get me to my goal.

Astrology is so beautiful in the way that it is able to bring us together, to understand that we are all connected. Though each of us struggles in our own way, perhaps our struggles are more similar than we acknowledge. To know that we are all part of the same cycle is comforting and helps me feel a bit more whole. I have always been drawn to astrology and the seemingly magical way that the planets and stars relate to both the human psyche and our experience/ environment on Earth.

The more I read and listen to Planet Waves, the more inspired I am to pursue my studies in astrology — and the more realistic my goals have become of perhaps one day integrating it into my career.

Your incredible accuracy and practical use of astrology is an awesome, rare find and despite all of the books and websites that I have read, listening to you talk about astrology has been the best and most interesting form of education to understanding the codes in the sky. So again, thank you so much for what you do. I appreciate it immensely, and look forward to taking your class on the 21st and listening to Planet Waves for many years to come!

— Stacy Katz

You may purchase your Pisces reading for $29.97 here. It is suitable for Pisces rising and Pisces Moon in addition to those with their Sun in Pisces. — efc

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Friday’s total solar eclipse in your sign is suggesting that you’re being invited to take a step toward becoming yourself in a way irrespective of any other relationship. This experience or process will set you up to be closer to others, even though it may seem to be solitary and introspective. I would propose that the single most significant barrier affecting people’s ability to relate to others is their struggle relating to themselves — and this is something you’re ready to give up, in exchange for something much better. You do not need to struggle with self-esteem. You merely need to be yourself. You do not need to question your value; you only need to express yourself in a way that will demonstrate your value is beyond question. It’s so far beyond question that you will be rather pleasantly shocked.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — If you think you’re unstoppable, you probably are. But you have to be clever about it. In particular, use your mind first, rather than banging your head on anything. You have a number of tools at your disposal. The most important of which is your ability to conjure and invent. You’re also working with an abundance of energy. You have a gift for penetrating the veils of illusion with understanding. And finally you have charm going for you. That may be the most valuable of the bunch, and the easiest to use. You’ll get the most economy out of calm confidence and optimism. Be generous with how much you like people; you don’t always need to say it, but make sure you convey that through your approach to others. One last tool — you have a touch of clairvoyance going for you. Trust your hunches.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — I suggest you keep your focus off of yourself and on others for the next week or so, so that you don’t get lost in your own head. Keep the conversations going. Explore the world and challenge yourself with what is unfamiliar to you. If you’re one of those people who can do your job on your laptop, work in social environments where you can see others and they can see you. One interesting thing you might notice is for conversations in these settings to go unusually deep. You won’t even need to guide them that way. You just might find yourself talking about some taboo subject surrounded by people. My suggestion is to act as if this is perfectly normal and pay no mind to the fact that others might hear what you’re saying. In this simple gesture there is strength and integrity.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Go out of your way to take responsibility for what happens on your watch, whether you’re at fault or not. This is not about acting guilty, or feeling guilty. It’s about being willing to recognize issues for what they are and to take the steps to make things right. If you can do that, and make no excuses, you will find that your influence only increases. You might think you’re taking on what’s not yours, but when you’re in a position of leadership that concept changes considerably. In fact it can often reverse itself, where your role is to be accountable for the actions of both yourself and others. Anyone in a position of greater authority is going to be looking for your willingness to do that, and to act confidently, and to learn from your total environment. Said in a phrase, the name of the game is respect.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — This is certainly an ambitious and adventurous time in your life — one where many accomplishments seem not just possible but inevitable. So keep doing whatever you’re doing, and be bold about it. At the same time, a new level of depth and intrigue have entered both your erotic relationships and your creative expression. If you have not noticed that yet, you’re likely to soon. One thing I would remind you of is the power of Eros and art to transmute darkness and shadow. I don’t mean to say that this is possible but rather that it’s essential and necessary. I recognize that most people are deeply distrustful of their sexuality and their creativity. You don’t have that luxury. You have a magnificent opportunity to unravel that over the next few days, and it will begin with taking the risk of speaking from your heart and soul, which would start with speaking your mind.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — The Sun is the celestial body associated with your sign, and it’s now moving through the last seven degrees of the zodiac. That suggests the completion of a phase of your life, especially when you consider that on the Sun’s last day in Pisces it receives a total eclipse from the Moon. I suggest you make contact with everything and everyone you want to move on from. Be clear with yourself. By everything I mean tendency, pattern, habit or phase of your life. By everyone I mean that nobody is automatically off the list. Then there’s something more significant, which is your vision for yourself. There is an exchange happening, which is what you’re leaving behind and its relationship with what you’re beginning. So I suggest you have equally clear visions for both of those things. The feeling associated with this process is not casual or superficial. It should feel a little like being at the edge of a cliff, where you look over the edge and get a glimpse at yourself at around age 90.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Take the time to have the important conversation as soon as you can. Doing so will give you some influence over a situation that might otherwise be out of your hands. You know by now that influence does not mean control — it means shared awareness that can allow you to find some common ground, and present an idea or two. Such also includes listening and sharing your response. Without taking advantage of these accessible, ordinary human things, you might feel as if your whole life is being controlled by the winds of fate. There are indeed certain natural features in the cosmic landscape that are influencing you, in a profound way at the moment. Yet if that is true, it would make obvious your need to be aware of your environment so that you can be responsive in real time, not with a seven-second or seven-year delay.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Just when you decided that there is no telling what you’re going to do next, someone else has demonstrated what it’s like to live with that reality. That’s actually a pretty good way to live, as long as everyone agrees there is that  certain factor of unpredictability in the universe. So get that onto the table, while everyone agrees it’s true and has evidence proving that it’s true. This will allow you to get over any lingering belief that a relationship is a choreographed thing, or that there is a script and a musical score to go with it. You are in perhaps the best position of your entire life so far to engage with reality as it is now, and live your moment, as you are experiencing life now. Remind yourself that the universe is a dynamic place with every force acting on and responding to every other force. Nothing stays the same for long, and amen to that.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The question you seem to be confronting involves faith in yourself. You might think that means faith in something larger than yourself. I suggest you not split hairs, since in any event you would be the one allowing the process to happen. And as many mystics, great and small, have said, your faith, when expressed, will meet up with some larger kind of faith, though it’s you who must take the first step. When you do, you may encounter some thought form akin to, “But it’s all so dark,” or, “How am I possibly worthy?” or, “What am I going to do with all this karma?” or “My god, look at the state of the world!” Yes, yes, yes,  yes and yes. Then you can look through those things as if they suddenly turn into transparent images that let through the light that is behind them. It is there and there’s plenty of it.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You’re going through a catharsis that’s directly associated with your ability to express yourself sexually and creatively. I would point out, though, that in our particular age, most people don’t get the connection, and that it’s rather easy to get caught in the dark side of these seemingly different things. Let’s stick to art, since that’s less threatening, though only by a shade. Art involves more than expressing oneself. Often there is a transmuting of something fearful into something loving. That could be static nervous energy. It could be something truly terrifying. It could be going beyond the stuck futility and ‘why bother’ energy that seems to have swallowed much of our society at the moment. Imagine you’re going to look right at the root cause of that. Imagine that it’s the one essential ingredient in this process known as setting yourself free.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Whatever shook up your world over the past few days taught you something about the nature of your own insecurities. Play back that whole scenario day by day, scene by scene, and note what you believed on what day. Then notice how fast it all changed and became something else. It’s that process of ‘changing and becoming something else’ that I suggest you work with as a conscious process. It’s about to happen again in some provocative ways. There really is just one intervention, which is awareness. I know this is often proffered as the solution to everything, and so far nobody’s proven that it’s not true. The most effective awareness over the next few days will come in through your senses, particularly hearing. Reading and writing count for a lot right now as well. All factors seem poised to get you thinking and feeling on a level that most people avoid. Remember that if you get the opportunity to go there and then hesitate.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You will need to make an effort not to judge yourself over the next few days. That may prove to be more of a challenge than in the past, though the reward will be greater than usual. The problem with judgment is not that it’s wrong, but rather that it’s incorrect. The issue with that is that it can (and usually does) obscure the truth behind the illusion. If there is one theme associated with your quest for self-esteem, it involves what you’re really responsible for. In the most child-like terms, that translates to the question ‘what is your fault?’ In adult terms, it translates to ‘what are you responsible for changing?’ This kind of question needs to hang in the air for a while. There are many possible answers and not all of them are applicable to you. We could start by saying that you’re not responsible for changing other people, simply because you cannot. And that certainly narrows down the possibilities.

A Letter from Stacy About Planet Waves

“I think I have listened to my reading maybe seven or eight times so far. I listen to you throughout my day, sometimes through headphones, sometimes out loud.”

Dear Eric:

I wanted to thank you so much for answering my question on the live edition of Planet Waves FM (Regarding Uranus conjunct the Galactic Core, squaring my Sun).

You are here! The Milky Way, our home, is a barred spiral galaxy. The Galactic Core, at the center, is a a factor in Sagittarius and a key influence in astrology — if you look carefully. And we do.

I found your interpretation to be on point and felt your words resonate with a deeper part of me.

I have always been a very spiritual/sensitive person, in tune to the energies around us that many seem oblivious to. I have also always felt different and out of place.

Though I will admit I spent many years when I was younger trying to block out my sensitivity/spirituality and then another many years attempting to hide my weird — I am now, with the help of the Pisces reading, slowly coming to terms with the fact that its these very traits that make me ‘me’, and will lead me to where I am meant to go.

Since joining Planet Waves a few months ago I have heard many reviews others have given regarding your Birthday and Cosmophilia readings. I knew that when I ordered mine, that I was in store for something special. I think I have listened to my reading maybe seven or eight times so far. I listen to you throughout my day, sometimes through headphones, sometimes out loud.

The past few days your voice has guided me over and over again through these “meditations” of your readings. I didn’t realize that was what I was doing at first, meditating… but over the past few days, I have noticed my thought process changing and the “oomph” to be bold growing.

Your words have served as a sort of daily affirmation — yes, I can be bold. Yes, I can be assertive. Yes, I can do what I need to do for me. So many of the things that I doubt and struggle with at the core of my being have been addressed through the reading. And already- I feel a change. Though it is small, I feel a sense of growth, and a sense of comfort that maybe, I am exactly who and where I am meant to be at this point in my life. I have begun to feel a deeper sense of understanding as to why I am where I am, and to see that though life may seem routine right now — I am on the path to something greater. All these mundane tasks serving as tools to get me to my goal.

Astrology is so beautiful in the way that it is able to bring us together, to understand that we are all connected. Though each of us struggles in our own way, perhaps our struggles are more similar than we acknowledge. To know that we are all part of the same cycle is comforting and helps me feel a bit more whole. I have always been drawn to astrology and the seemingly magical way that the planets and stars relate to both the human psyche and our experience/ environment on Earth.

The more I read and listen to Planet Waves, the more inspired I am to pursue my studies in astrology — and the more realistic my goals have become of perhaps one day integrating it into my career.

Your incredible accuracy and practical use of astrology is an awesome, rare find and despite all of the books and websites that I have read, listening to you talk about astrology has been the best and most interesting form of education to understanding the codes in the sky. So again, thank you so much for what you do. I appreciate it immensely, and look forward to taking your class on the 21st and listening to Planet Waves for many years to come!

— Stacy Katz

You may purchase your Pisces reading for $29.97 here. It is suitable for Pisces rising and Pisces Moon in addition to those with their Sun in Pisces. — efc

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Pisces is the sign that, by definition, contains all the potentials of humanity, in a way similar to how more than 100 elements are contained in ordinary seawater. You may need to make contact with, and peace with, the seemingly darker shades of your nature. That runs directly contrary to the ‘love and light equals enlightenment’ spiritual school. And it remains true that love is the only force in the universe that can guide a person out of the darkness, be it their own or imposed on them. Sometimes this is as simple as just loving, and sometimes it’s necessary to be bold about discovering what the other possibilities are. There is a common psychological move: ‘I don’t want to be that way so I’m not going to admit that I contain that potential’. The thing is, you want to contain that potential, whatever it is, because to exist in your full strength, you need every resource available to you. And that’s what you have.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — It’s step-up time for everybody in general, but most of all you. What is required is not beyond what you have to offer. Indeed, the frictionless ease with which celestial lights appear to move should provide you with an example to follow and a way to know you are on the path that suits your own progress best. It is not so much the path of least resistance for you as it is less resistance from you. Instead of struggling to sustain what is no longer appropriate, you will know your personal evolution is proceeding apace if life gets easier and getting along is less work. You might want to start on this path by ascertaining where others would like you to take more responsibility, then acting to do so while avoiding any temptation to claim greater credit. — by Len Wallick

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Going off is no way to go. Not for you, not now. You have it in you to convince the multitudes simply by being soft spoken. Neither is there any need to brandish a big stick to get what you want. In a loud world, your whisper will not only be heard, it will be welcomed. In a violent world, your ability to gently and instructively persuade will move others to further your ends — even as they pursue the simple rewards dealing with you has to offer. Rather than rigidly defending boundaries from real or imagined slights, give offense no place to enter by not responding in kind. Instead of protesting apparent or illusory assaults on your pride, decline to dignify that which does not become you. In that way you will better become what others want to be. — by Len Wallick

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you feel freer, it is because you are receiving astrology’s message loud and clear. If you are feeling confined, it is probably because you are listening to an old tape recording made by influences that have either relaxed or moved on. The way is open to ascend to what you have always been. It is no longer necessary for you to stoop to what was never truly you. Let the dynamic potential of actually being abundance in the flesh encourage you. Decline to let unworthy notions of scarcity deter you from growing into a more fecund manifestation of charismatic creativity. There are so many relationships you have yet to engage with. There are too many lost memories you need to recall. For you, being more is simply refusing to be less. — by Len Wallick

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You have no doubt grown in the eyes of at least some others this year. Your sphere of influence has almost certainly expanded in proportion to how you have manifested yourself. To continue on what appears to be a fast track toward evolutionary leaps and bounds, you must first eschew any practice that would subtly sabotage the solid steps you have made not to be taken for granted any longer. Be present to the fact that no longer taking yourself for granted is the foundation upon which you can build not only a better reputation, but also a better life than any previously imagined. Also, please appreciate those who not only express their appreciation, but also look up to you in order to better understand betterment. — by Len Wallick

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Patience really is a virtue. It is rarely appropriate to move faster than the lights in the sky. If you are going to be moving ahead of the ambient light, you had better be a light yourself. Even if you should choose to illuminate the way, you would still need to proceed so that the less enlightened can keep up with you. For it does nobody any good if you leap forward only to be alone. The drive for recognition that so often motivates you would be wasted if you did not serve to lead. Leading implicitly means moving as part of something rather than simply moving apart. The best lead horses don’t need blinders, only focus. Expand your discipline, and your horizons will expand in due course. It’s not necessary to force matters to forge ahead. — by Len Wallick

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Being a good witness to and for another is among the highest callings to service. Holding space for others is perhaps the most dignified way to live. Astrology right now indicates that both offering service and exemplifying dignity are crucial to your own best interests at this time. Therefore, it is important to recognize which perceptions now serve nothing and what responses are in fact undignified and unworthy of who you now are. After all, an ounce of proactive self-affirmation is worth a pound of reactive self-criticism. Let your every perception be more clear by asking yourself whether you are witnessing what is present instead of allowing the here-and-now to trigger what you witnessed in the past. Let your response be healthier by holding no space for grudges. — by Len Wallick

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — While you tend to show your love very well, it’s possible you could do a better job inspiring others to love you. Making yourself lovable means more than just buying drinks for your circle. Being lovable includes being seen by everybody as the person without whom the circle would not be complete. Providing more for others to love does not entail gaining weight; it requires not throwing your weight around. You cannot trade money for affection, but you can endear yourself to others by increasing your capacity to produce other forms of support without expense to yourself. You cannot conjure up a spell to inspire affection, but you can receive appreciation in return for nourishing aspirations and creating conditions wherever you go that will cultivate creative ways of attaining those aspirations. — by Len Wallick

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Your imagination can be your greatest strength only so long as you do not allow it to be your greatest weakness. Those of your astrological persuasion are among the select few who harbor the greatest potential to exercise control over imagination rather than have it exert control over you. It’s not a talent you are given wholly formed. Instead, it is a skill you must develop. It means going deep — both into yourself, and into the uniquely human capacity to first conceive of something from out of who-knows-where and then achieve it here. To avoid being betrayed by your own conceptions you must release attachment to the personal story you have cultivated. It means going back to the beginning, and even before that to a source your intuition knows is worthy of your wounded trust. — by Len Wallick

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Even as advanced as your consciousness is, the checks and balances of your instinct has never been more important than it is now. As rare and wonderful as sentience is, self-awareness alone will not serve to make or keep you solidly connected with the universe. In order to maintain that connection, awareness must be not lie fallow; it must be owned and acted upon with integrity. Only the advanced form of instinct we call conscience is sufficient to prevent you (or any of us) from proving that anybody is capable of the most dismal delusions fueling the most heinous behaviors. Just in case you and your conscience have been out of touch lately, you might want to re-establish contact soon. The rest of us may need you to know better for us all. — by Len Wallick

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — It is probably not apparent that the cosmos is grooming you for higher office. It’s about time you knew. All that you have persisted through is about more than just the survival you have salvaged. All that you’ve achieved transcends a need to dig yourself out of a hole or else. The progress you have made in not messing up has served more than just to keep you from getting dressed down. All those who have loved and supported you have in fact been serving the world. It’s been a tough climb for you, but you must admit you are now much stronger. You will need to get stronger yet, but to do so (and as strange as it may seem) you must lighten your load. In the event you are not doing so already, take an inventory of what you need to shed. — by Len Wallick

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You might be tempted to think that your best days are behind you. You could feel as though it’s time to pass the torch. It is not so. In fact, a very old torch is on its way into your hands. It is nearly extinguished, but still holds a spark so vital as to defy description. To become the proper custodian of that spark you must first rekindle and nurture the inner fire you know and, frankly, love. It won’t be simple. Indeed, the rest of this year may very well either hold setbacks or show your best efforts only to break even. So long as you are not broken, however, the fire you love will ultimately reward you with love received in return. — by Len Wallick

Get Your Pisces Astrology and Tarot Reading Now!

“Think of Chiron as the process of turning inspiration into art and spiritual yearning into healing.”

Dear Friend and Pisces:

As you probably know, Neptune and Chiron are in your sign. Your Pisces reading is available now (this is your last chance to take advantage of the pre-order price) and I’ve focused on these two planets and more. This is an important time for you to understand your astrology — and take advantage of what it’s offering.

You might think of Pisces as the most sensitive sign and one closely involved with transitions of all kinds.

If you’re looking for a full-treatment astrology service, we have a Pisces package that includes a six-month Core Community Pass and your Pisces reading for just $97.

Chiron won’t be back in Pisces until February of 2061, so get it while it’s hot.

I’ve been working with Chiron since 1994, and have refined my ideas in many discussions with Chiron pioneers Melanie Reinhart, Barbara Hand Clow, Zane Stein and Dale O’Brien — that is, the best of the best.

Even Rob Hand, the Papa Smurf of astrology, has given me some excellent keys to Chiron.

In many ways, Pisces is a natural home of Chiron. Chiron in Pisces is the perfect description of the spiritual quest or crisis of your sign; Chiron is the perfect focusing lens for the subtle, even sublime energy of Pisces.

Think of Chiron as the process of turning inspiration into art and spiritual yearning into healing.
Indeed, Chiron is the patron saint of healing. His archetype emerged at a time when the holistic movement was just getting going — when homeopathy, chiropractic, naturopathic medicine and herbalism were just starting to be accepted as serious modalities. I will relate all of this to your reading.

Neptune presents certain challenges as well, but also offers an abundance of inspiration. That is balanced by Saturn in Sagittarius, crossing the angle of success and ambition in your chart.

Truly, this is the perfect combination of influences. Neptune is adding contact with something seemingly beyond this world, and Saturn is ensuring that you will make use of that inspiration in a useful and tangible way.

For instant access, you may order your reading here.

Lovingly,

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — As absurd as it may seem, your lot is to be envied by all beings without exception. To live as a Pisces now is to receive a challenge divine beings would kneel and beg to face. Though you be mortal, uncounted are the immortals who would be overjoyed to trade places with you. Even if it seems your valiant wit and heroic labors are for naught, your efforts are not leading you into an abyss. Everything you are and all you are doing is amounting to something beyond profound. You need not fear the void. In fact, it’s fair to say the void fears you because only you and others like you possess what even galaxies do not: the ability to bring the deepest darkness into the fullest light. To do so you need not sustain belief. You must allow belief to sustain you. — by Len Wallick

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You go, Aries. You have every reason to be confident. What you have right now is all that’s required to plunge ahead with your most cherished ambitions. Who you currently are is more than enough to excel. To further assure that you are the complete package of efficacious energy, all you have to bring to the table is a sure and certain knowledge of what you want, along with a disciplined focus on getting it. All you need to watch out for has to do with your feet. First off, watch where you step. After that, please try to be careful that you always step up, not on. Don’t be a heel. Stay on your toes. — by Len Wallick

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Your native authenticity is the one thing you should indulge to the max going into next month. Other forms of indulgence may also be beneficial so long as your mind is engaged like an easygoing gatekeeper following a simple protocol. There may be times when you feel as though you are walking a very fine line between excessive inhibition and just plain excess. In fact, there is no need to put yourself on a tightrope. Just be true to yourself. At every sensible opportunity, touch yourself in some way, somehow. The sense of grounding that results will likely preclude nearly any possible error. — by Len Wallick

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you have been listening carefully since the first of the year, a pattern should be developing in what you hear from others. If your listening skills have not been employed to their maximum potential thus far in 2015, it’s not too late to tune in. Either way, pay special attention to messages that would be repetitive but for the fact that the same sentiment is coming in to you from different sources. Even if you have felt disconnected, you are still online. The world is actually flowing right up to your doors of perception. Simply keep those doors open and your appropriate responses will be obvious and easy. — by Len Wallick

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You may have either experienced or exemplified extreme ends of a broad spectrum in recent months. If that’s true for you, the most useful takeaway is probably a hard-earned wisdom that the truth and/or best consequences are usually to be found somewhere in between. On the other hand, if you have kept to the middle road for a while, it just might be time to get your freak on somehow. Should you choose to accept what might seem like an impossible mission to explore the edge, try getting started by picking one of your boundaries and pushing it. Who knows? You might realize an impossible dream. — by Len Wallick

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Granted, catching a fire in the Rastafarian sense may or may not be your style. If it isn’t, now would be a good time to begin thinking about what your style of ignition is. This is not about lighting a fire under yourself, nor about work in any conventional sense — you appear to have all that covered. What we have here is more likely a need to better spark and stoke communications, with yourself and with others. Try addressing that need by regularly taking long walks during which you have short talks, both alone and in good company. Then, allow the walks to gradually grow shorter and the talks longer. — by Len Wallick

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You and other members of your solar tribe are in a position both to see more clearly and to feel more deeply over the next few weeks. Maybe longer. This could do you a lot of good. More to the point, the powerful perspective astrology seems to be allowing you could do a lot of good for others. Especially those you love. First, however, look and feel for new ways to love yourself. Accept yourself just as you are regularly. Please yourself somehow daily. Honor your enhanced self-awareness by owning it proudly. Then, act so as to be one with what is uniquely you and essentially yours. — by Len Wallick

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Oh yeah, you got it going on. The balance you so often seek is now almost certainly seeking you. Let it find you. More specifically, something you boldly initiated during the first half of last year now appears to require only one last innovation on your part to result in a triumph. This could be something that, as recently as December, looked as though it would never come to fruition. In order to git ‘er done consider eschewing both perspiration and the “tried and true” in favor of inspiration and innovation. Doing something you have never done before is probably just what the doctor ordered to make and make well. — by Len Wallick

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — It seems as though you have always known when to hold ’em, and when to fold ’em. Evidently, showing your hand is where you get hung up. Yet you know good and well that everybody must periodically reveal what they have held close to the vest just to keep both personal and social relationships moving. So happens the current astrology has you well placed to address your most poignant secrets. You can further your own cause by simply seeking to lie down with somebody as often as possible. Even if it’s just to cuddle, getting horizontal with a good buddy will probably release untold wonders. — by Len Wallick

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Even if you are not a motherless child, you can easily be excused for feeling as though you are every once in a while. It goes with having been born while the Sun walked on mutable fire. Right now, however, should not be one of those times. If it is, examine your habits, especially those newly acquired this year. Could be at least one of your recent routines has taken you out of a flow of affinity that comes naturally, and is so vital for you. If you have unplugged you might want to reconnect more often to recharge your batteries. If you are not getting the juice you need, seek a better outlet. — by Len Wallick

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Consider if you will how the quality of your life would improve if there were nothing to rage against. Allow yourself at least to imagine that there is no such thing as a dying of the light. Envision how surrender might conceivably be an authentic and genuine act of will. You have your reasons, all of which are worthy of respect. Even so, those same reasons are also worthy of examination. It’s not necessary to sustain adversaries, or darkness, or struggle. You have options. You have not come this far to deny yourself choices. Give yourself a chance to win, and you probably will. — by Len Wallick

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Some tough-guy types might tell you trying is lying. Don’t believe them. In your heart, you know every earnest effort makes a difference. Every exertion also makes you better. So, why not avail yourself of the chance astrology apparently now affords you to rehearse? First, think about how to practice without risk. For instance, instead of asking your boss for a raise, begin by asking for more time when you need it. That way, you can practice stating your needs without being so shy. As you get better at stating your needs, you can go on to either higher stakes or subtly honing another skill. — by Len Wallick

A Gift for Pisces: Many Planets in the Sea

Dear Friend and Reader:

The Sun has moved into Pisces, beginning a new astrological year for this sign. As the zodiac’s last sign, Pisces is both the headwaters of the zodiac and the Delta of Venus — the beginning and the end of the River of Night. You might think of Pisces as the most complete sign, the most sensitive and one closely involved with transitions of all kinds.

And now is a time of transition — making an astrology reading one of the best gift options for helping the Pisces in your life move with confidence through the changes that are coming.

I am about to record the Pisces reading for 2015, which covers birthdays between Feb. 18 and March 20, as well as everyone with Pisces Moon or rising. We are offering that reading at the lowest pre-order price now.

 

Here is one of the reasons, in addition to current activity, this year’s reading will be a particularly important resource for those with strong Pisces in their chart:

In one month there will be a spectacular total solar eclipse in Pisces. This is the time for Pisces to understand their astrology — and take advantage of what it’s offering. You are being encouraged to shore up your confidence, to aim high and commit yourself fully to your goals — and your happiness. I also have plenty to say about relationships.

As for the reading: I present two audio segments of astrology, each about 35 minutes long. In the third section, I cover astrology afterthoughts and then a tarot reading.

Overall, it’s easygoing and designed to offer encouragement and help you expand your vision for your life. I’ll include last year’s reading as well, and a live conference call where you can ask me any questions you may have.

You can purchase the Pisces reading at the pre-order price of $24.95.  We offer the best prices for those who get on board sooner. I plan to have this reading done by the evening of Monday, Feb. 23, so the pre-order period will be relatively short.

Thanks for tuning in, and thank you for trusting me as your astrologer.

Lovingly,

P.S. Remember, my birthday readings make excellent gifts, and this reading is for you if you have Pisces rising or the Moon there. If you are born under a different sign, please visit the reading store.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Throw a party. If you are not a party animal, send out invitations for an afternoon tea. Should tea not be your style, sponsor a game night. Perhaps you are not a night-owl. In that case, ask neighbors over for a weekend brunch. However you do it, it’s high time to have some sort of soiree where you live. If you have roommates, negotiate. Make this your chance to finally clean up if your place is a mess. No matter what, somehow hosting a social gathering of some type holds a dual promise of both living it up and living better long after your last guest has gone home. — by Len Wallick