Getting the word in: Hillary Rodham attending a student rally as an undergraduate at Wellesley College — a private women’s liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts — in the late 1960s. We originally said she was the speaker; she’s actually in the crowd somewhere. We’ll have a detailed correction in next Thursday’s edition.

“Laura had secrets and around those secrets she built the fortress that, well that in my six months with her, I was not able to penetrate and for which I consider myself an abject failure.”
— Dr. Jacoby, Twin Peaks, Season One, Episode Four

Dear Friend and Reader:

Amidst one of those hot and heavy discussions of politics that takes place on my Facebook page, one of my readers there asked why I thought Donald Trump was more likely to use nuclear weapons than Hillary Clinton. One of his hobbies is researching conspiracies on a Canadian website called Global Research. They are certain that Clinton is the second coming of Satan, being put in place to foment world war.

I paused to consider his question for a few days. The issue came up because recently, multiple news reports said that Trump, the Republican nominee for president, had repeatedly asked in a briefing with his potential military advisors why we don’t use all these nuclear weapons we have. After considering it for a while, I decided that, in my opinion anyway, Hillary Clinton understands the consequences of using nuclear bombs and would be far less likely to do so.

The 1964 film Dr. Strangelove suggested that it was pretty easy for a low-level general to start a nuclear war with the USSR. It turns out that was true. Above is Air Force Major T. J. “King” Kong, played by Slim Pickens.

Nothing is impossible. We have all grown up on a planet rigged with “mutually assured destruction.” Nine nuclear-armed countries possess more than 15,000 warheads in total, and have for the most part kept their cool (though a lot of nukes allegedly went missing at the time the USSR dissolved).

To this day, the Midwest is dotted with underground rocket silos with hydrogen-bomb warheads, manned with American military personnel, who are awaiting word from the commander-in-chief.

The United States and Russia maintain many of their weapons on high-alert status, ready to be launched in minutes. The American president has total discretion what to do with those weapons under U.S. control, most of them exponentially more powerful than the ones used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki 71 years ago this week. And apparently, the scenario described in the film Dr. Strangelove, where a low-level general launches a nuclear attack on the Soviets, was plausible, given the revelation of horrendous security protections around the American arsenal.

Let’s keep the nuclear question brewing in the background of reading Hillary Clinton’s astrology. It’s the right kind of question to be asking about any presidential or vice presidential candidate, in the current beyond-absurd political environment.

Hillary Clinton: The Birth Time Question

All professional astrologers are familiar with the birth time issue for Hillary Clinton. Unlike many presidential candidates of her vintage (whose birth times are often documented), there are at least two birth times circulating: 8:02 am and 8 pm. Naturally, 8 pm could be 8:02 pm (within which time the rising sign changes), so there are three potential times and widely differing charts.

Hillary Clinton’s natal chart. I am going with the 8:02 am chart. The two most prominent signs are Scorpio and Leo, which function like a battery. Mars and Pluto are the classical and traditional rulers of Scorpio — and they form a tight, power-packed conjunction in her 9th house (or is it her 10th house?). See her natal and progressed charts here.

Because of this, Clinton’s data gets a Rodden Rating of DD (dirty data). You can check the source notes here to see the nature of the data conflicts. But this is not so difficult to sort out.

I had always thought this dirty data thing was an expression of Clinton’s character. As someone who was a young adult in the 1960s and 1970s, when astrology was in vogue, and as a Scorpio, it always seemed like she preferred to have an aura of confusion around her natal chart.

In my imagination, she understands the power of astrology and what it might reveal about her. She’s not comfortable with people knowing much of anything, and in that case a haze of disinformation is better than nothing.

At the request of another Facebook reader, I looked into the question yet again a few weeks ago, which led to this lengthy discussion on Facebook in which many astrologers participated and gave many different rationales. It’s worth a look if you’re curious about how to rectify a chart informally. Formal rectification is much more work, comparing the person’s transits and progressions with events in their life.

At the end of the discussion, it was clear to me that the only viable chart for her was Scorpio rising — that is, 8:02 am — which is supported pretty well in the source notes. Why this is should be clear, from a real-world comparison of her and her chart. I rejected amateur-styled arguments like, “She has a Moon face and is therefore Cancer rising,” or “She changes her views and therefore has Gemini rising.”

Hillary as a kid.

The prominence of Scorpio in her chart fits many scenarios in her life, particularly as her rising sign. She also has her Sun in Scorpio, along with Chiron, Venus, Mercury and the Moon’s South Node. All but the node are in her 12th house — the house of enigmas, of secrets, of denial, of delusion and, per astrological lore, of self-unraveling.

Hillary Clinton lives in a world of secrets and a world of deception. That is natural enough for a person who was no ordinary young lawyer (she worked on the Watergate impeachment proceedings, and was privy to most if not all of those secrets).

She was no ordinary First Lady of Arkansas because her husband was no ordinary governor (their involvement with the Iran-Contra affair and the Bush family has long been speculated; I believe, credibly).

She was no ordinary First Lady because her husband was no ordinary president, and she even got to be involved in a second presidential impeachment.  She then served as senator and as secretary of state.

There are so many secrets packed around the Clintons that nobody knows where they begin or end. When there are so many secrets and so much secret information, I check Mercury, and I check the 12th house. Mercury is the data itself, and her mindset; and the 12th is where all that data is stashed away.

Hillary’s Mercury: Up Close and Personal

Her Mercury is pretty amazing. First of all, it’s rising, but it’s just tucked into the 12th house, that parallel world where we look for what is hidden, what is lost, what is denied, and what is secret.

It’s in the sign Scorpio, adding a level of intrigue and secrecy as sport. And it’s retrograde. That tucks it away further, and it also describes the peculiar way that Hillary marches to the beat of her own drum machine, and is also capable of some huge errors in judgment. She also has uncanny insight into the psychology of others. She may be able to evade you; once she tunes in, you cannot evade her.

Hillary’s Scorpio ascendant. Notice all the planets in her 12th house — the house of secrets, denial, delusion, confusion and that which has gone missing. It’s not easy for someone to know themselves well with all those planets in the 12th and Hillary struggles with this. She finds herself through her work, and when she has power.

The closest aspect that Mercury makes is a square to Saturn in Leo. In fact that’s the tightest aspect in her chart, and it’s applying (that is, it’s about to happen, at the time of her birth). Mercury is retrograding into an exact square with Saturn.

I think that this one square describes the essence of her whole chart. It’s one of many contacts between her Scorpio planets and her Leo planets. Notice how just about every relevant factor in her chart comes back to those two signs.

Mercury square Saturn tends to be a psychologically difficult aspect. It can manifest as the deep-thinking type, though it has a brooding tendency.

Checking a dependable reference, The Astrologer’s Handbook by Sakoian and Acker, the authors comment: “This square generates a condition of melancholia and unhappiness,” adding that its natives tend to have “a bleak view of life and lack emotional vitality. Very often they have a mother complex or some other inhibition stemming from early childhood experiences: they tend to be emotional prisoners of the past.”

When you couple that with Mercury’s presence in Scorpio (emotional and tending to be fixed or lacking viscosity) and with its conjunction to the South Node (the past, adding an additional fixed quality), you can really see this effect. Plus the whole pattern is right in her ascendant; it’s possible that she lives entirely in the past and cannot get her mind into the present. Her speech pattern, which is scratchy and feels disingenuous (especially when she raises her voice), reflects this aspect. It’s as if she lives inside a bottle.

The close square to Saturn calls her into her true vocation. (The closest conjunction, square or opposition in the natal chart can do that.) Top-secret government work feels good to her. She gets to stoke up her sense of importance (the square to Saturn) by dealing with important people and subject matter.

Here’s a subtle point: she has Virgo on the 10th house. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, and the 10th is the house of executive power. Mercury on the South Node says that she’s been at this a long time, by which I mean lifetimes. She is not new to any of this. If I met her I would probably recognize her from ancient Rome.

Now, her Mercury should make her the person who will take all her secrets to her grave. It’s in the 12th, retrograde, in Scorpio and square Saturn. But she’s having a little issue with her secrets coming out. Lately she seems like some kind of exploding character on South Park, who just cannot keep it in. There have been plenty of leaks over the years, and they have cost her and her husband dearly. However, the WikiLeaks email dump of the day is actually getting tiresome. What’s that about?

Hillary’s Pisces Moon

The one thing in Hillary’s chart that seems totally out of place is her Pisces Moon. That’s because of the laidback, compassionate, hippy-chick strumming a guitar while passing a joint quality that Moon might ordinarily have. However, she was the kind of hippy chick who considered herself a Goldwater Republican, which is funny and revealing. Barry Goldwater, at least, would have wanted nothing to do with the Moral Majority. He seemed to be an actual libertarian.

Here’s the girl with the Pisces Moon.

Her Moon is trine her ascendant to the degree (She’s 22+ Scorpio rising, and her Moon is at 22+ Pisces). That trine opens up a flow of feeling — she’s more emotional than she seems, and cannot understand why people don’t experience her that way. It also opens a downhill flow of data from that super-secret Mercury to her not-so-super-secret fishy Moon.

This trine reeks with “you lie and I’ll swear to it,” but she cannot keep a grip; that Moon describes her as permeable, leaky and reckless. I say reckless because being five signs from the ascendant, it counts as 5th house — the house of games, gambling, risks and flirting with whatever you like to flirt with.

The 5th is the house of fun and the Pisces Moon is pleasure-seeking. She likes to take chances. She knows she shouldn’t. She just can’t help herself. One of the things she takes chances with is veracity. My estimate is that she is of the belief, like many people on her level of existence, that what she says is the thing that’s true, because she said it.

This is particularly dangerous given what’s at stake, and because it’s not actually the way things are. Yet she seems like one of those people for whom the ideas “true” and “not true” have little meaning. For her, language is a matter of power and of convenience. Everyone around her knows this. When we get to her progressed horoscope, you’ll see this come out in a compelling way.

Mars conjunct Pluto in Leo: Her Real 10th House

There’s a technique in astrology called whole sign houses. Because Planet Waves is not designed for astro techno wonks, I usually spare you those discussions, but today’s a good day to mention it.

In this simplified chart presentation, you can see Hillary’s Scorpio rising on the left; with Mercury (in green) square Saturn (in yellow). Mars and Pluto are conjunct; they represent her Scorpio rising. They look like they are in the 9th house; however, if you use whole-sign houses, they also show up in the 10th (10 signs from the rising sign). This matter of, “is it the 9th or is it the 10th?” describes the tension and frustration of so often being behind the scenes but wanting to be the big boss. That Mars to Pluto conjunction is determined, ruthless and has a ‘stop at nothing’ feeling.

Modern charts are almost all cast with a house system of some kind (such as Koch or Placidus), that makes a pattern where houses usually stretch over two or more signs and vice versa. There’s another way to read houses, where you count the rising sign as the 1st house, the next sign as the 2nd house and so on. The whole sign is the whole house, nice and tidy: that’s why they’re called ‘whole sign houses’.

You’re accustomed to this if you follow my birthday readings or annual readings. It’s an old method (used by all newspaper astrologers) and it works really well — so well in fact that there is a retro contingent afoot that advocates abandoning all other methods of reading charts. I use both methods at once, and Hillary’s chart is a fine example of why.

If you count 10 signs from Hillary’s ascendant, you arrive at Leo, her 10th house by whole sign houses. And there you find all the interesting Leo things in her chart, such as Saturn in Leo, and even better, her Mars-Pluto conjunction in Leo.

Mars conjunct Pluto is hot, a little like putting jalapeno sauce on your habanero peppers, spiked with radioactivity. You can see it right on top of her chart, with both planets occupying degree 14+. That alone is interesting — but it’s even more so because she has Scorpio rising. With Scorpio rising, Mars and Pluto (the ancient and modern planets associated with Scorpio) are significators for Hillary herself. They are a place where she shows up in her own chart. They describe the place where she seeks and sometimes finds herself, or feels the most naturally herself, anyway.

She aspires to be among the high and the mighty. Till now it’s been a frustrated ambition, but one that’s no less real. We see the frustration a few ways, one of which involves how those planets are in her 9th house if we use a contemporary chart.

The power couple, as students, in the 1970s. This is my favorite photo of them — it tells you something of who they are under their current presidential garb.

The 9th has the flavor of international and exotic and aspirational, but it’s not the 10th: it doesn’t always connect. The 9th is like the back room of the 10th, and she’s spent a lot of time in that smoke-filled parlor, cussin’ and spittin’ with the men-folk (she’s probably smoked a good few cigars and I would reckon has a taste for bourbon when absinthe isn’t available).

Advanced astrology students might notice that Leo is intercepted in her 9th. That means that Leo does not touch a house cusp. The contents of her 9th feel trapped in there, as if they’re in a room within a room. They may be trapped by some psychological limits her mother put on her (the 9th can represent the hidden psychological legacy of mother), adding to the frustration of Mercury square Saturn (more mother complex).

However, it is a fact that Mars and Pluto are together in her whole-sign 10th, in Leo, and that’s another way to say ruthless. People who think of her as sociopathic, or as knowing no limits, or as obsessed with power, are picking up on this rather unusual placement.

She is all about power; she identifies with it and embodies it and wants as much as she can get. Yet till now, she’s had to content herself with being in the background, usually playing second or third fiddle to a man. I’m sure this has been extremely annoying to her; she must have figured out that being female is something she had to adapt to and use strategically.

Part of what makes her configuration unusual is that all those Leo placements are square her Scorpio ascendant and her Scorpio planets. She constantly comes close, but doesn’t seem to make contact. Now, however, she has her chance. And to make this chance real, she has to pull out every trick in the book. She is now playing the game to win, assuming (like many of my readers believe) that this whole game is not rigged.

This is from Hillary’s progressed chart. The Moon is the fastest-moving object, making one degree of progress per month. Her progressed Moon makes a conjunction to her progressed Neptune at the peak of the campaign, and could represent a revelation of some kind. Moon-Neptune is the ‘difficult to grasp’ and leaky security angle of the current Hillary; Mercury-Sun is the competent go-getter. She needs better IT people.

My friend Dominick Vanacore is convinced that Donald Trump is a creature of the Clintons. He keeps reminding me that there’s no way she could win, except against a singularly unappealing opponent who keeps blowing himself up.

Her rallies rarely have a full audience; people are not excited about her. Most people don’t trust her. But for the kind of person who’s read at least one book, she’s a lot more appealing than is her Republican counterpart.

Hillary’s Current Progressions

We met the progressed horoscope last week when we read Donald Trump’s chart. For the technical details of what progressions are, I suggest you read the top part of that article. To sum up, progressions are a method of moving the natal planets using a scale model of time, in this case, slowed down to one day per year.

Your current progressions take your whole life so far to develop. Checking Hillary’s progressions, we find out something interesting. There is a configuration involving the Moon conjunct Neptune, square Mercury conjunct the Sun. It’s two conjunctions happening 90-degrees apart from one another. This is rare enough to see — and it peaks during the peak of the presidential campaign. Said another way, this setup describes her making the final sprint to the presidency.

The first is the Moon conjunct Neptune. This just amplifies Hillary’s issues with veracity. It’s why Trump can blather on about “lying Hillary” or “corrupt Hillary” and you might be irritated but cannot take issue. However, it provides Hillary with some camouflage, and some ability to shape-shift, even as it further compromises her relationship to truth, or to the need for more secure computer servers. (My take on all this email security is, either they cannot be bothered, or they underestimate the risks. I reckon that will happen less going forward from here, but you never know.)

At the same time, her progressed Mercury and Sun are in a conjunction in Capricorn. That is an extraordinarily useful progression for a presidential candidate, and it’s happening right now.

The caveat is that her progressed Sun/Mercury are square Neptune, which can water things down a little. Still, when you put all these planets together, you’ll get traction even if it’s not especially efficient.

This is the bottom line of the U.S. presidency: all these thermonuclear missiles are under the command of one person. This missile is at Fort Greely, Alaska.

Overall, the problem with this chart is that we don’t really know who we’re getting. It’s true that Hillary is somewhat road-tested: she’s been a senator and secretary of state, but that doesn’t really tell us much.

We know that she’s extremely active behind the scenes and has managed to amass a significant fortune, working with her power-couple counterpart — former president Bill — the Clinton Foundation and her connections with Wall Street banksters.

It’s vitally important to understand that we don’t actually know who she is. That’s true of anyone with so many planets in the 12th house, combined with all these other factors.

The one thing I will say in her favor, besides the fact that she’s experienced in all this nonsense, is that she probably has the strength of character to stand up to anyone she wants, when she decides she’s right and they are wrong.

She might be the consummate yes man up to that point, but I believe there is a point where she would draw the line. I would not draw that line in the same place, but at least I think she has one. That is not intended as a compliment. She could display a lot more integrity than she does, though I think that all these years of being involved in power brokering, some of it extremely ugly, have bent her out of shape. I don’t think she’s the same person she started this life as. But she has some things in common with her child self.

To be the American president, you have to be made of tough stuff. It’s true that her Pisces Moon is her Achilles heel; it’s the one truly human side of her. Besides that, she’s the type to get her teeth drilled without Novocain, just because she likes it.

Lovingly,

Photo research: Amy Elliott, Amanda Painter.

Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday and Thursday evening in Kingston, New York, by Planet Waves, Inc. Core community membership: $197/year. Editor and Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Designer: Lizanne Webb. Finance: Victoria Pomante. Astrology Editor: Amanda Painter. Astrology Fact Checker: Len Wallick. Copy Editor and Fact Checker: Jessica Keet. Eric’s Assistant: Cortney Britton. Client Services: Amy Elliott. Media Consultant: Andrew Marshall McLuhan. Research, Writing and Editing: In addition to those listed above, Planet Waves is produced by a team consisting of Fe Bongolan, Kelly Janes, Amanda Moreno and Carol van Strum.

This Week on Planet Waves FM
Dear Hillary: Get Over Yourself!

Dear Friend and Listener:

In this week’s edition of Planet Waves FM [play episode here], I read the natal and progressed charts of Hillary Rodham Clinton. After some years of pondering and a lengthy discussion on Facebook with my friends and colleagues, I decided that the Scorpio rising chart was the only truly viable option.

Jerry Garcia shortly before he died in 1995. This portrait is called Birdsong, by friend of Planet Waves, Robbi Cohn.

You can see the chart set at this link. If you’re wondering why Hillary seems to be obsessed with power, that’s because she is; it’s all she knows, and like her rival Donald Trump, she’s not in a position to change her ways.

First, I cover the current astrology, including a solid introduction to Chiron, on the way to describing the Jupiter-Chiron opposition that happens later this week (and is in full effect right now).

This aspect, Barbara Hand Clow writes, “stimulates occult perception to the maximum.” People born with this aspect, she says, “know about the essence of matter [and] the physical laws of the universe, and their minds are like laser beams into life.”

In Virgo and Pisces, I describe the relationship between the left and right brains; between acoustic space (the primeval forest) and visual space (common-sense organized perception); between intuitive and rational approaches to life.

My musical guest is Jerry Garcia, who died 21 years ago Tuesday (his 74th birthday would have been Aug. 1). I play several pieces, including Reuben and Cerise, Stella Blue, Arabia and Days Between. I also read Garcia’s chart and his progressions at the time he died of heart failure while in rehab. You can see his charts here.

At the end of the program, I respond to a reader query: “Eric, I want to hear more about this idea of women needing men to initiate them as teachers of men. Hoping you will elaborate on this in the coming weeks/months.”

Thanks for listening and thank you to our Planet Waves members, subscribers and customers who make this program possible.

With love,

BALANCE: Your Midyear Readings, a Moment of Respite

One of our members recently described Eric’s horoscopes as being “filled with love and balance,” in a way that helps her to create the proper foundation for her life. In a year when so many of us have felt like our collective cultural foundations are in chaos, Planet Waves is offering you a way back to your sense of inner calm: BALANCE — the 2016 Midyear Readings.

“Because he’s so accurate, so spot on in his portrayal of my life right now, I know I can trust and be inspired by the guidance, the tools for living and growing he also offers as part of the reading — I see my life, and my available resources, with greater clarity.” — Elizabeth

Eric has begun work on the 12 video readings (one for each sign) that make up BALANCE. This means that you still have a chance to purchase the 12-sign package for the discounted pre-order price of $57.

“Hey Eric, just want you to know that the midyear readings are rocking my world. Listened to my Sun, Ascendant and Moon for clarity and each and every one was both inspiring and so on point!” — Bob Stevens, on the 2015 Midyear Reading

BALANCE will cover forthcoming astrology leading well into 2017. This includes Jupiter entering Libra, and the ongoing Saturn-Neptune square with Mars added in — which can be incendiary, and can also be introspective, igniting a new level of awakening.

Eric will also cover Chiron in Pisces square Pholus in Sagittarius. This puts the first two centaurs together with the Galactic Core, offering a unique kind of healing opportunity.

If you need to shore up your foundations (or create a new one), find some space within to hear yourself, or kick your life into the next gear with some new clarity, I invite you to pre-order the 2016 Midyear Readings now, so you can make the most of them as soon as Eric has completed them.

Venus-Saturn-Neptune: Are You Sure About That?

By Amanda Painter

Do you ever find yourself letting beliefs that were handed down to you (such as by your parents or religion) run away with your feelings about who you are in your relationships, or about what counts as ‘success’ in love? Do you sometimes let disappointments in love (and in your financial habits) dictate your beliefs about what can happen for you in those areas?

Watching the fog roll in at Pine Point, Scarborough, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

Both situations are common, and it’s absolutely possible to detangle yourself from those mental-emotional snares, especially with counseling.

Or, at the very least, one or more insightful friends who are not about to let you get away with self-flagellation, pessimism or blindly following what magazines say you need to do to land and keep the ‘perfect’ relationship.

Nobody really wants to fall into debilitating self-criticism or making rigid demands on others. Yet many of us do as we search for something to validate that we are worthy of love and abundance. Fear is rampant, including the fear that one might not deserve to be loved, or that one might be incapable of loving.

Without getting into all the various heartbreaking ways a person might come to believe such a thing about themselves, it’s enough to acknowledge how common this fearful belief is. Even people who normally are (or seem to be) functional, optimistic, easy-going people may experience moments (or entire years) of falling into this kind of thinking. Sometimes it operates so deep in the background that you might not even realize it’s running the show, until someone helps you to see a layer deeper.

Continue reading →

The battery that powers the clock on the wall is dead.
Why bother to replace it when we consider the words spoken
on NPR by Tom O’Brian, America’s official timekeeper,
“We can measure time much better than the weight of something
or an electrical current, but what time really is,
is a question that I can’t answer for you.”
Atomic clocks never agree, which introduces doubt.

“Abundance” by Charlie Lemay.

He seems to be implying the scientific “truth,” that measuring is the way
to prioritize all the qualities that we derive from observation.
Time is a variable that makes measurements possible, based on changes
that we postulate conclusions from, by comparing data over time.
No time… no way to measure height, width, depth or position.
Any measurement, whatsoever, in space can’t be made without time.
The more we measure, the harder it is to be enough for ourselves.

The Sanskrit word “maya” describes the physical world as an illusion,
a waking dream we are indoctrinated into by our specific cultures.

It is a world that can be measured, seemingly coherent within itself.
Belief is the engine we use to create our experience in this world.
When we believe in nothing, all the doors are closed.
When we believe in everything, all the doors are open.
Belief in only one thing is death to all other possibilities.

The battery in the clock keeps the “right” time for all practical purposes.
When the battery dies, it’s still “right” twice a day, further enabling the illusion.
Science depends on objective observation and is only verified by repeatable results,
but if we have been paying attention at all, there can only be subjectivity
where an observer is involved, so objectivity is just another leap of faith.
We agree on a level of inquiry that we label objective and operate from there,
and we forget that our creation is only a single, imperfect model of the limitless.

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one,” Albert Einstein said.
He was speaking about the nature of the Quantum model of the Universe,
which describes relativity with time as a variable that is needed in the equations.
He went on to say, “To make apple pie, we must first invent a universe.”
His model shows that everything is swirling energy on the Quantum level
where we can’t really determine where we end and everything else begins.
Our life narratives are constructed from our perceptions of the indescribable.

Modern neuroscience, based on brain activity, attempts to map consciousness.
The takeaway from the data so far seems to suggest that we are making it all up.
The ideas we have in our brains, where we take credit for what we do,
or rationalize why we did it, are the very last things in the chain of events
and occur milliseconds later, after the brain areas involved complete their actions.
Without this information, we easily mistake outcomes for products of will.
What seems to start this process is an originating impulse science is at a loss to explain.

Could this be the intuition/inspiration/muse that artists learn to cultivate? I think so.
Measuring, strategizing, outer-referencing, imitating without understanding,
thinking that others know much better, is how we are trained by society to deny it.
We can wake ourselves up, put on our own oxygen mask first, then try to assist others,
but the other dreamers will resist being stirred and may lash out at us in response.
They are in a hunt within their dreams, ever seduced by the glamour of ultimate success.
The originating impulse can’t be pursued, only allowed to manifest on its own terms.

Zen philosophy says that everything is now… that it’s always now, only now,
no past, no future, just an ever present NOW, but that contradicts literal perceptions.
Behave as though is the advice, if we don’t understand, watch and wisdom will follow.
But how can we ever get ahead, or be able to get anything done if WE stop doing
and begin to question everything except Being, allowing whatever that might be?
Our egos are like a graphic interface that believes it is the operating system,
thriving on our insecurity and fear, banishing love and awareness from our lives.

Of course I’ll replace the battery in the clock on the wall if only because there is wisdom
in having multiple models of reality as my narrative, especially if I can hold
opposing views without contradiction, embrace doubt and notice when I am dreaming.
Living may be something our brains weren’t made to figure out, yet we persist in it.
Increased awareness is possible and may be the only way to transcend the need for time.
Unfortunately, there may be no way for us to make this personal transformation happen.
All we can ever do is allow it in the present, if we can just get our selves out of the way.

— “Get Out of the Way,” written by Charlie Lemay

Your Monthly Horoscopes — and our Publishing Schedule Notes

We published your extended monthly horoscope for August on Thursday, July 28. Your extended monthly horoscope for July was published Thursday, June 23. We published your Moonshine horoscope  for the Capricorn Full Moon, by Len Wallick, on Thursday, July 14. Len’s Moonshine Horoscope for the Cancer New Moon was published Thursday, June 30. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — For a story to be interesting, it usually requires at least a little difficulty. If the hero immediately lays their hands on the prize, there’s nothing to tell. This reflects the idea that the best rewards are the ones worth a substantive effort. You now have the chance to get closer to something you’re seeking. Are you ready to be the protagonist of your own tale? If you are facing challenges, take heart — they’re just likely to make the victory sweeter, and the adventure more of a page-turner. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may find, this week, that you are in possession of considerable ability to persuade, influence and carry things through. Make sure you use it wisely and in the service of a principle you hold sincerely. Listen to people you trust, and don’t let self-doubt plague you; above all, be earnest in all your endeavors, and honest too. Hold yourself to the highest possible standard. Then enjoy the ride, because you’ll probably be moving faster than a rabbit at a dog show. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — On more than one occasion Eric has said, “space is intelligence.” If you have an idea on the brew, it’s possible that the first step to drawing it forth is to make sure your space is ready. Tidy up any clutter that’s preventing you from breathing freely. You may be surprised by how much clearer your head feels afterwards, and by the potentially multiplying effect on your creative skills. Then you can get on with the business of making a more vibrant and wonderful world. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — A particular issue or theme in your life right now may appear like a puzzle with several layers. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to keep digging until you find the solution. You will need to make use of logic, and also of skepticism — that is, recognize that the surface environment is probably not what it seems. If you seize instinctively on an apparently obvious answer, the chances are you’ll need to look again, and look deeper within yourself, for the gem of truth. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

“I love how you make each reading sound as if you are speaking directly to the individual listening.”
— Rachel

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Play has many useful purposes. In children, it fosters important social and emotional development as well as honing brain skills. We all need to play sometimes, even in adulthood when we’re expected to be all serious and grown-up. This week, be sure to indulge your sense of fun — not only would this have great healing potential, you could well find your creative wits becoming sharper. Respect others’ self-direction by all means, but don’t let anyone try to stifle or control yours. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — This could be a pivotal week for your aspirations, in terms of personal development, and for your relationships. If you’ve been pondering over the question of what you truly want, or where you want to be, you may receive a providential clue; possibly this could come from someone close. Notice what’s happening around you as well. Whatever happens, make the most of your time; be ambitious regarding the work you intend to accomplish, and then simply get going. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You can safely continue your preparations to emerge from the shadows and burst upon society, like the glorious being you are. There may be some who would like to keep you hidden, but by now you have a pretty good idea how to circumvent that. Your charm speaks for itself. Lay plans for the next few years, in well-ordered steps that you can follow easily; be determined to achieve your goals. Above all, maintain faith in yourself and practice self-kindness. You have good reason. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The phrase “count your blessings” is in some ways rightly considered a platitude. When someone really has a problem, this is the last thing they need to hear. Yet if you are feeling tempted by the allure of the grass in the next field, there might be some use in looking more carefully at the one you’re standing in before hopping the fence. You’ve recently been building on good solid ground, and you have some excellent resources at hand. Make sure you’re using them to their fullest capacity. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it.” Your particular universe seems to be expanding, and I have no doubt you’ll soon be making first contact with some exotic, previously undiscovered species. I am of course speaking metaphorically. Yet recent experiences might well feel as if you’d somehow landed on another planet. There may still be more revelations to come. Keep your eyes peeled; and if you have an interesting idea, put it out where others can see it. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — We earthy types have a reputation for not especially relishing sudden change; yet there’s a good chance you’ve grown somewhat used to the ground shifting. You know now that it’s part of existence. At present, changes seem to be occurring in the breadth of your horizons, which is to say you’re learning that certain things really are possible. It’s likely that someone specific is acting in the role of teacher. If so, notice that and pay attention. Their message will probably benefit you considerably. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Resist the temptation either to brood or to do anything that involves more risk than you know would be wise. There is more than enough variety of choice in between. You would probably do well to spend some time with friends, especially if you feel in need of support. In addition, you’re likely to continue developing your knowledge in an intriguing and fresh direction. Your mind seems to be unusually sharp and cohesive just now, and you can use that to your advantage. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — If you’re interested in developing your cultural or artistic knowledge, someone in your life may offer you an opportunity to do precisely that. It’s said we all have a touch of the divine within us. Notice who around you is expressing theirs particularly strongly, and follow where they lead; even if it’s down the rabbit hole, the destination will probably make the journey worthwhile. In fact, what you learn now could serve as an important foundation for future endeavors. — by Amy Elliott. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.