Dear Friends:

This week we get the build-up to Mars stationing retrograde in Sagittarius, which happens next Sunday, April 17, at 8:14 am EDT (12:13:47 UTC). The retrograde period lasts two months, and this forms the basis of Eric’s 2016 Spring Reading, which we’re publishing soon.

The Mars Rover, doing what it does best. Where will your journey take you? Artist’s rendition from NASA/JPL-Caltech.

At around midnight on Thursday, the waxing half Moon will closely aspect Mars (that is: the Moon is square the Sun, and they both make an angle to Mars called a sesquiquadrate).

This might be regarded as a precursor to the actual station retrograde: a preparatory moment. The chart itself looks like an arrow is pointing at Mars, which is an astrological hint equivalent to waving the Red Planet in our faces with a huge klieg light saying “LOOK HERE.”

So what are you actually looking at? Well, that’s for you to decide. Here are some clues, though: What is your life calling? What is your deepest, most passionate desire? What really gives you enthusiasm and makes you get up and go? More to the point — what are you doing to get to that place you want to be?

A moment like this can be like an electric jolt, sending a surge of energy to wake up our brains. You might experience this as a sudden inspiration, a dream, an intuition, or simply a wish for something. Follow the trail of that inclination, and see where it leads. If it leads to you moving forward on your personal mission, you’re probably on the right track. (If it leads to you thoroughly enjoying life in all its beauty and glory, you’re definitely on the right track.)

Feel free to nudge your patron deities or guardian angels for advice — and pay careful attention to what they say. If you feel in a rut and tempted to remain there, you might like to have an honest conversation with yourself (and/or said beings) as to why. Obstacles can be good for you, but usually that’s in the context of getting them knocked down and building up your strength in the process.

Mars may be the god of war, but this week — as the purveyor of both desire and the energy to fulfill it — he can be the arrow that points you in the best possible direction.

Your weekly horoscopes by Eric are below.

With love,

Amy Elliott

Planet Waves Client Services

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You seem to be going through a transformation process that is calling on you to have some help birthing your new self. You will still do most of the work, and all of the growth; whoever is assisting you is more in the role of midwife. Please don’t be too proud to accept assistance, however great or modest it may be. You’re under the influence of potent aspects, which could manifest several ways. One is an extreme sense of confusion. Another is going from that feeling to resolving inner conflicts that have stalked you for a while. You have the potential to make astonishing progress in the coming seasons of your life, though taking the ‘go it alone’ point of view is more likely to slow you down than it is to ease your way. Give credit where it’s due, to collaborators and even to those who help you in some passing way.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Keep a pulse on yourself. You have so much going on, including important concerns in a personal partnership, that you could lose track of your priorities. It will help if you express yourself in words, if only in a notebook, so that you have some idea what you’re thinking as you think it. Yet it also would be beneficial if you maintain contact with someone close to you, by which I mean updating one another on your daily progress. Communication is essential, and if you persist gently and steadily, you will figure out what an important turning point this is for you. The thing to remember is that you and a partner are going through different kinds of evolutionary steps; yet there is some important common ground, which you will need to discover. When you need it most, that shared space will come in handy.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You have the mojo working to make quite an impression on the people around you, so I would recommend practicing the art of understatement. You don’t need to push your point, or any ideas; you merely need to speak in a normal tone of voice, and people will hear you loud and clear. It’s essential that you not underestimate the impact of your words or your example. I know that in the current version of the world, it’s possible to feel as if you’re never really heard or appreciated. Whatever anyone’s reaction may seem to be, you are, at least, serving as a catalyst. Therefore, choose your words carefully, and think more slowly than you usually do. Consider that there may be several ways to interpret anything you say, and do your best to account for that. More than anything, delicately sidestep direct confrontations. If you must fight, keep it subtle.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — When you look back on this time in your life, you will be impressed how much progress you made in professional development. Yet now you are living in this moment, and you still have the chance to make the very most of it. I would recommend a few things. One is to be assertive. Rather than waiting for anyone or anything to come to you, go to it. Make your presence known. You may have an aversion to being your own pitch-man, but that’s how life is these days: you have to be your own best promoter. Throw off any self-consciousness you may have about doing this; or modesty, whether true or false. Just forget it and tell people what you have to offer them, with full confidence in your talent. Be articulate and just a little pushy. If you’re going to talk to anyone, make it the head honcho.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Your long-term vision may not be what you thought it was; be glad of that fact. Indeed, this week you may have a series of revelations not just about what you want, but also about who you are. The two are integrally related, and as you explore that relationship, you will make many bold discoveries. The key to success is not limiting your imagination. People are often inclined not to think about something, or not to want it, because it seems impossible or unlikely. Yet I suggest that you consider those very things. Get over the first obstacle, which is yourself. Be ready to be persistent, and to take the long view, by which I mean what you want to accomplish before your next birthday. You don’t need to probe centuries ahead of yourself; you just need to see yourself substantially beyond where you are now, and remember that anything is possible if you have faith in yourself.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Recent developments are giving you the hint that your relationships are all about you. Yes, this contradicts the supposed otherness of romance, the supposed focus on the beloved. Yet you tend to do most of your best self-discovery through others. And that aspect of your personal journey is under excellent aspects now. I suggest you be honest about this with the people you care about. Tell them that you’re learning about yourself and you want their help doing so. Focus on your own desires in an open way rather than a covert way. You may find that people exceed your expectations when it comes to meeting you right there. The exchange in this equation is your gratitude, your appreciation and your unabashed enthusiasm for life. It actually makes other people happy to see and feel you happy. So let yourself shine.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — People in your life are presenting you with a powerful reflection. It’s almost a magnifying mirror, where you can see your tendencies enlarged before your eyes. This will give you the option to choose what you want and what you don’t want. While you’re doing that, I suggest you go gently on yourself. It’s good to do that anyway, but remember that you’re in a kind of echo chamber, where things seem much louder and more vivid to you than they do to the people around you. As you look, listen and feel, you will begin to find new points of contact with your intimate partners. The key here is new — a conversation that has never happened before, a desire that you’ve never expressed and want to experiment with, or something that you want to offer to someone because you care about them. One excellent result of self-discovery is the ability to share yourself.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You seem to be concerned about money, and would benefit from taking an approach on the structural level rather than the level of acquiring the stuff. By structural, I mean things like knowing your fixed expenses, considering how to best handle debt (such as whether to refinance) and having solid methods for tracking income and outcome (that is, the results you get). Yet there’s something deeper going on, which is a series of reminders that your methods of acquiring money must be in tune with your actual values — which is to say, what you actually hold true and dear. Current aspects leave you little room to say or do things you don’t believe in, only for pay. And you’re being guided solidly in the direction of accomplishing something you’ve long desired: connecting who you are with how you earn your money. “It’s just a job” is a thing of the past, especially your past.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You are learning how to focus your intention. If you don’t feel that way, you might give it a try, because it’s likely to be easier than ever. The precursor to this, however, is knowing what you want. You may be hesitating, since it’s possible to invest in what you want, and then to change your mind and not want it anymore. This is all part of a process of figuring out authentic desire. There is no way to do this other than to experiment. This includes with people. We’re living through another one of those ages wherein people treat one another as disposable or as married from the first date. There’s a lot of territory between those two not-so-useful polarities. For the next few months, your experiments in desire will take you closer to your core. There are a few surprises waiting for you there, too.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — My therapist Joe once asked me: if you can’t be naked in your own home, where can you be? Translation: can you be yourself where you live? Can you say what’s on your mind? Can you actually be transparent with the people you share your space with, or who come into your space? If the answer is no, it’s worth asking yourself why you’re there. You’re outgrowing needing people around you to set limits on what is appropriate. In fact you’re shedding all kinds of skins that previously held you in your place. It’s true — that will leave you in a vulnerable position, which is entirely the point. Weaving yourself into a cocoon is getting old, and you seem to want people to actually know and understand who you are. That will involve taking a chance, or deciding you have no other viable choice.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — In the phrase, “Think globally, act locally,” the first operative element is thinking, and the second is acting. That is what your chart is about right now, in a glorious way. You’re naturally an ideas person, but you and everyone else would benefit from trusting your ideas and putting them to work. This means getting out of the realm of theory and into the realm of trying something that you think might work. There’s a debate in astrology about whether Aquarius really is a humanitarian sign. I will say this — you have actual potential to develop that aspect of yourself, and it’s burning bright right now. You play an important role in your community, and you have the ability to focus that into some truly positive contributions, better than you’ve ever done before. Think of yourself as an inventor on a mission to solve something both vexing and obviously needing attention.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — One of the deeper (and prevalent) struggles associated with your sign is self-esteem. And you have the opportunity to blow that apart right now, and to be born into the world with rare confidence. Yet this is not some transient phase; you are finally figuring out that there’s no reason at all not to feel entirely faithful in yourself, your abilities and your place in the world. This comes down to two things: valuing yourself and what you have to offer, and your natural leadership ability. The two are closely related. Honoring the gift that you have to offer is a form of leadership, but there’s something more happening right now. When it’s time to take charge of something, do so with clarity and with focus. Learn the trick of self-respect and you will master the art of respect in all other forms. And that will get you far.