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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2016-17 Sagittarius Birthdays

Your Own Personal Journey, Sagittarius-Style

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

— Catherine Pape

Dear Friend and Reader:

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Sagittarius customer via email

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

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

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Planet Waves Astrology Editor

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

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

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

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