Dear Friends:
Despite the joy brought by seeming birds of omen to an already exciting U.S. election process, the recent pair of eclipses has surely ruffled some feathers. Eclipses are anything but boring, and on the Aries Point they can be — to say the least — somewhat more edgy than usual.
Fortunately, the tide has begun once more to ebb, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief, dust off, shuffle our papers and get on with the adventure.
On Friday, Saturn helped begin this process by stationing retrograde in Sagittarius. Saturn is usually looked upon with some side-eye, as if cast as the mustache-twirling villain of astrology. Yet Saturn has a lot of benefits to offer if we choose to take them. In the present case, the planet of order and method bestows welcome stability, and gives you the opportunity to take this calm, peaceful energy within yourself.
In an ancient Egyptian prayer, the author describes hearing “the quiet, still voice of the gods.” This means being still and quiet enough to let the messages of the divine reach you.
Set aside a few minutes (at least) each day to embrace this gift of tranquillity; meditate, visualize or just sit in silence. This is a worthwhile exercise at any time; but at this moment it’s likely to prove an especially effective tool to help you get the most from your week.
With love,
Amy Elliott
Planet Waves Client Services
Aries (March 20-April 19) — You may feel ready to move on a plan that you thought would take much longer to enact. Take the first steps that lead toward your vision, though stay flexible as to the long-range timing. Whatever you have going on, you don’t want to over-plan. Indeed, a strategy of minimal strategizing will leave you open to adapting to unforeseen changes in your environment. You want to proceed more like a dancer than like a train running down the tracks. One essential ingredient is leaving yourself open-minded enough for intuitive hunches to enter your thought process. This means listening to yourself, and keeping your mind updated with the latest observations. Meeting long-term objectives always happens as a result of many smaller steps, and it is those steps that need your attention now. Keep your eyes open and facing the future. Keep your facts and your mind in order.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — How to leave the past behind is a mystery for most people, but it can be done. I suggest reducing an element of the past you want to move on from to a token or souvenir. In other words, remember a little to forget a lot. It’s a way of saying, “Been there, done that, bought the tee shirt,” which you wear every now and then as a reminder. Taking the process of moving forward consciously also helps you maintain perspective and some context. It’s important to honor where you’ve been and who you were as a means of being aware that you’re no longer that person, and you don’t need to be. There’s something especially meaningful here on the subject of how you feel you’re perceived by the public, whatever that word means to you. Stay a few steps ahead of the crowd rather than playing to the crowd.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Do you take your own neurosis as a given? This is a word we don’t hear much any more, though it’s a helpful concept that means conflicting mental scripts. For example, imagine someone likes to stay up late, needs to wake up early and also needs their beauty rest. Those instructions-to-self are in conflict, and something needs to give. Most of the time we live with these things for years, though it makes as much sense as walking around with your shoes tied together. Notice the ways you may have desires or intentions that conflict with one another, and then sort out the appropriate action to take. Often these conflicts are subtle, but sometimes they are glaring if only one would look. Once you solve one or two of these riddles, you will gain a sense of accomplishment, and feel like you have some power to improve your life. Three of them would be a worthy goal for the week.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Drink water; look at pictures of water; visit a lake, stream or ocean; take a bath; and don’t forget to water the plants. You have a lot of fire in your chart this week, and water will help keep you in balance. Fire is important right now: you are reaching for some ambitious goals, and it’s fire that’s going to get you there. It would not, however, be helpful to burn out or to overextend yourself. The more you’re reaching for, the more balanced you must be. If you’re aspiring to concrete ambitions, remember general ideas such as being generous and empathetic. Every action must be backed by a deeper spiritual or humanitarian value. Your goal is never merely to succeed; it’s to succeed in a way that serves the greater good for all concerned. This is not always 100% possible, but right now you can come close.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Dare to allow yourself to be driven by a creative idea. This may show up as an impulse of some kind, or daring yourself to do something you really want to do for the pleasure of doing it. You will know you’re in range of a real idea when you say to yourself, “I’m not sure how this is going to come out, but I really want to try it.” One emotion that’s taken a beating in the Internet Age is passion. This is the exact opposite of being powdered and rehearsed, cool and smooth. Passion means connecting feeling and action. I suspect you have an idea good enough to persist with once the initial rush of desire and intention fade to your usual level of ambition. If you like what transpires from your first attempt, then consider committing to a longer experiment and notice how it develops, say, over the next month.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — What will it take for you to allow love into your life? It would help if you didn’t spend so much energy being angry at yourself, convincing yourself that you’re unworthy. That above all other factors makes it difficult for you to have the feeling that anyone cares about you or accepts you for who you are. While self-acceptance is a valuable exercise of its own, it’s important to understand the influences that shaped you to believe what you do about yourself. Only then can you decide that they were not accurate or true and have no part of your present-day self-assessment. There is also something about expectations showing up. Expectations are emotional habits that block and blind you to much greater possibilities. You will be happier if you allow people the space to be who they are, which will remind you to let yourself be who you are.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — If you put something in writing, you can say anything and not worry about the effects. That’s because you have the power to revise and edit. I suggest you put a 24-hour delay between what you want to express to someone and the moment you push the ‘send’ button. This will allow you to get in touch with your feelings; in particular, your anger. The thing to remember is that your anger belongs to you. If you have a grievance with someone, it’s preferable that you take ownership of your feelings. There is more to this picture than meets the eye, and it will take some thought and reflection to figure out just what that is. It will, however, be worth your effort, because as I read your charts there is a gift beneath all the layers — understanding something surprising about what you want, and why you want it.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You might think you need to make some important financial moves, and that is true. Much of the theme of 2016 for you is getting clear about your relationship to money. Remember, though, that money is an abstraction. It has no inherent value. It’s barely real, it’s a volatile form of energy, and way too much emphasis is placed on its supposed importance. The same astrology is reminding you to be true to who you are. Be true to your most deeply held values. You might feel uncertain about this, and it would be wise of you to consider your values as a question, riddle or mystery rather than something that’s set in stone. You are on an adventure of finding out what they are. I suggest you treat it that way, and honor the fact that you change as you grow, and different things become important to you. As Joni Mitchell said, “I’m not sure who I am but life is for learning.”
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Mars, the planet of motivation and desire, is doing something special in your chart: it’s about to be retrograde. This happens every two years, though rarely in Sagittarius. Yours is the sign of the spiritual quest. Often this is lived outwardly, as a passion for travel, curiosity about anything exotic and the love of all things mystical. But now your attention is being turned inward; your quest is about to become a true adventure into the mystery of who you are. Three themes are likely to arise. One is gaining an understanding of your desire nature. You will have the opportunity to make peace with what you really want. The second is getting clear about what you believe — or rather seeking a deep understanding of what is true for you. Finally, you will reach deep into your underlying motives, including discovering something about why you were born and why you chose to come to this particular planet.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Can you imagine life without fear? You do a lot of negotiating with that emotion, but really, it’s entirely non-negotiable. When fear seizes your mind, its grip is total, and it takes you out of control of your life. When you decide that fear is meaningless and is not going to influence you, you are powerful, which means free to make choices. I would propose a psychological exercise. If you feel paralyzed or as if you can’t decide something, trace that backwards into the fear that’s leading to your state of mind. There will always be a fear, but you will rarely articulate it — that’s why you have to go looking for it. Then do something bold: give your fear a voice. State what you’re afraid might happen in the worst-case scenario. Then ask yourself the chances of that really happening. You don’t have to be a slave to fear, though the only way out is clarity and courage.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — There is some irony in that you are born under the sign associated with groups, but you’re the person least concerned about whether you’re popular. Said another way, it’s natural for you to simply be who you are, and that has a way of getting results. The world could learn a few things from you about why, for example, it’s so ridiculous to be pretentious. Right now you’re at your individualistic best, though I see you on a mission. This is less about being you for its own sake and more about using your talent to get some important and lasting results. This process will go on through most of the year, so I suggest you take it slow and take the long view. Persistence will pay off, and — as I’ve been suggesting — your work really is about establishing something of lasting value. Here is a clue: figure out what people believe, and work with that rather than against it.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Venus is in your sign for another week or so, which means good times for Pisces. Take advantage of this astrology and go for what you want, without any delay. Be open with people. Allow your face to reflect your inner feelings. When you meet someone, proceed with the trust of a child. It’s true that there is plenty going on in your house of career and ambition, but let that take second place to the purely personal dimension. One thing your charts are suggesting strongly is that now is the time to claim what was yours in the past. Remember the gains you’ve made, remember who you’ve known and who you’ve loved, and even more importantly, remember what you’ve learned. Most of all, claim dominion over your own life. It is, after all, your life to live. Claim all of it as your own, which makes it yours to share, because that’s what you love to do.