Aries (March 20-April 19) — This month there is a call for you to sift through the complex layers of your emotions; moving through the layers of information contained in your body and your feelings to gain a new perspective on the themes you live with on a daily basis. A theme is a message to yourself; these govern your perspective, approach to choices, and motivations. Often much of this is inherited from parents, grandparents and back many generations, though at a certain point we have to take over. The current process you are moving through is one of questioning these themes you have been living and whether they serve you. The fundamental issue you are facing is a drive to heal what has continued to cause you emotional pain. Yours is a strong Moon that would rather wear its armor than sit in a therapist’s chair. But armor cannot offer you what you need. I suggest you not think of the vulnerability needed to heal as softness, a seemingly foreign concept for you that may feel hard to slip into. Instead, approach healing from a perspective of honesty, something you know a lot about. Sit with someone who can simply hold space and be with you. That means with no involvement in the story, no judgment and only minimal opinions. Feel what it’s like to be real in the presence of someone else, which can offer you a kind of confidence that’s difficult to get any other way. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — When you do what you love — what gives you pure pleasure or even a sense of authentic involvement with the world around you — it connects you with what some call your soul, or your higher self. This translates to ‘sense of belonging’. For you there’s a piece of healing that comes with being in line with what brings you the most joy. Or said another way, you restore your faith in yourself and in those around you when you make choices you know are nourishing. This calls for choosing priorities as a daily gesture to yourself, and sticking to them. Rather than viewing changes on this scale as a risk, view it as a re-orientation. Allow the people around you to support you in this process, rather than to get in your way (as we often expect they will). What brings you soul-based joy has a creative component. You have much to give back to the world in the form of what you introduce to your environment, emerging from directly inside of you. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Your connection into your own inner source has a ripple effect, improving the vibration in your environment. This in turn ripples out into the larger world. Use this time of increased support and inner stability to make changes so that what satisfies your soul is a fixture in every aspect of your life. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — An engaged mind is essential to your happiness. I propose that you let the idea sink in that you can be as engaged by ‘spiritual’ exploration as you can by ‘earthly’ experience. What exactly is the difference? Well, the sense of meaning you bring to what you’re doing, and taking life as an opportunity to learn about yourself. You are under a lot of tension at the moment, as though you are being pulled between feelings and details. It’s the same quest — an investigation into knowledge of your deep-rooted values and core self — just two different modes of exploration. One question you’re encountering is what information was kept from you, or that you did not see, which caused not just emotional wounding but also an exaggerated sense of inner complexity. Going beyond this means getting out of your head and seeing the world around you, or the larger pattern of your life as you actually live it. You may feel this will require methodical observation and analysis, but that’s the trap. That kind of mental labor can get in the way of living consciously, which means observing yourself as you exist in your environment. They’re not mutually exclusive, though it would help if you work them in tandem as you go to deeper layers of self-understanding. Allow your experiences to reveal your motivations and point to how you got them. You’ll make many discoveries as you learn to do this. I’m talking about a conscious nvestigation, in real-time. Through this, you’ll be able to discern what you were taught and what you learned on your own; you will notice what you’ve outgrown and what is outdated. Along the way, you’ll re-write the rules and values you live by. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — To fully embrace life on the physical plane we must recognize and accept what we’ve experienced and how we’ve lived — even the parts we would like to forget. Healing means going through the pain and discomfort and arriving somewhere else. It means accepting that we can’t change the past, but we can reinterpret it — and we can live differently in the present. Once there, it’s possible to meet the concept of ‘the future’ with an open heart and mind. This month you may face many stories or events from your past that involve partners or partnerships you would like to forget. New details will come to light that reveal information that was kept from you or that you did not consciously recognize. These events still play a part in who you are today. But you have a choice. You can grow from these past events to a better place, taking the lessons with you, or you can sweep them under the rug and try to pretend they never happened. Any doubt you have of your ability to acknowledge and grow beyond these events is unfounded. You are strong enough to face them and acknowledge how they affected you, yet not let them dictate your life going forward. Part of what this process is reminding you to do is to claim your space. You have the right to exist, never doubt that. And not just exist, but to flourish and feel secure. Security is an elusive concept these days, that’s for sure. One way you can build a foundation is to acknowledge what has shaped you, knowing that you have the power to use those influences any way you want. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Self-esteem is a significant challenge in our time in history, perhaps because so much seems demanded of us. I suggest that you not see this seemingly elusive state as either present or absent, but as something you always live in to a greater or lesser extent. Now would be a good time to size up how much or how little, as Mars retrograde ends very close to your Moon. This is focusing a process of self-discovery, where you’re noticing what is the most important to you. The question is, are you able to take action on this very thing? You might say that the ability to live your values consciously is precisely what would help you feel good about yourself. Take confidence from the fact that you are asking the most important questions, and don’t let the fact that you don’t have all the answers bring you down. Nobody has all the answers, and an honest person can live with questions. Meanwhile you have the freedom to love boldly and honestly — to love yourself and those around you and have this be a fully appropriate state of being. Once you make up your mind that guilt will not prevent you from loving, it gradually loses its power and influence. From there you will find your confidence. When you feel strong and secure, you will tap a well of happiness and emotional harmony. The chances are this will take longer than a day, which means cultivating patience as a way of life. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Introducing the Planet Waves 2012 Spring Report by Eric Francis

Spring 2012 is the wildest season I’ve ever seen in 18 years of doing around-the-clock astrology [listen to short audio preview here]. It fits the 2012 pattern of ‘everything, all at once’, even making that sound like an understatement. I am working on the report even as we edit this issue, and it’s coming out beautifully — every sign is coming through loud and clear and distinctive.

We have retrogrades of all three inner planets involved — Mercury, Venus and Mars. There is a rare Venus transit of the Sun — an exact conjunction of Venus and the Sun that you will be able to see if you have a clear view during daylight hours (you will need special equipment to protect your eyes). There are eclipses of the Sun and the Moon. And then, just four days after the Cancer solstice, we have the first exact square of Uranus and Pluto.

In honor of putting all this action to work for you, I’m preparing a special Spring Report for all 12 Sun signs and rising signs, as well as an introduction to the astrology that will be useful to everyone. This is a package of all 12 signs for one price. I’m designing it so that you can actually put many of the signs into use — for example, Virgo will be able to use the Gemini report as a career reading. Pisces can use Virgo’s report as a relationship reading, and so on. I give suggestions at the end of each sign, and will do a detailed description so you can get maximum use from this product.

All 12 signs are now available for $24.95. The report is getting rave reviews from people who pre-ordered, including these words from a customer named Donna: “OMG — thank you thank you thank you — just spent this morning listening to my [Spring Report] info, and am so blown away by the accuracy (and relief!) in this experience. Thanks so very much for your part in supporting this work and for showing up in the way that you do!”. Here is the link to order. Thank you, and enjoy.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Those around you may appear not to be acting in a way that makes sense to you, or progressing quickly enough for your taste. But it seems that you feel able to quickly solve your perceived problems with your usual efficiency and thoroughness. I would suggest that those around you may not be lacking and imperfect. Rather, they have a different approach to finding solutions and making their discoveries. You tend to attract people who listen to their intuition and let details become apparent over time and a solution to appear of its own accord. For you, who focus so much on the fine points, this method may seem very foreign or disorienting. You have an opportunity this month, no matter how uncomfortable it feels, to spend time in this other perspective. Details are important, but can’t provide an entire picture of the landscape. Your method is like watching a movie by studying each individual frame, rather than following the direction of the events. Intuition is about letting go into the flow, which is another way of saying trusting what you observe and experience as it happens. This will take a little extra trust, but you can indeed move with the flow of events, even if you cannot predict which way they will go. This will provide you with a greater appreciation for the partners in your life who approach problems from a technique that is different from the one you most often chose. You may learn enough to discover a valuable tool not just for solving problems but for guiding your life the way you want it to be. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — One of the keys to growth is recognizing the patterns of your life. These often emerge from this place that psychologists call ‘the unconscious’. Note that it is not unconscious — we are, and as the clues and messages emerge, you can see the patterns of how you think. There is indeed a method, a formula, which may not have been apparent to you before. This gap in information has affected your life story even if you didn’t know it. Often this material is hard to grasp and orient on. Yet at the moment, it’s speaking in its full voice, if you would recognize it. Your dreams make more sense than you might think. What instills fear has root causes you can begin to discern, and that information will help you make better choices. Eventually what seemed like a mist begins to dissipate, and then swells up again before you can fully see what was hidden there. Instead of trying to force your way into your subconscious through a door with no handle, go in through the windows I’ve been describing. They are open and large enough to let the light in, and anything you learn is yours to use. You will know you’re using this information when you notice that you’re making different decisions, and also making your choices using different methods and more functional logic. A sign of progress is when you know that fear is only one influence among many — not the dominant one. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You have many assets that will make the world a better place, and now is the time to get clear about what they are. What you offer is authentically yours, and that’s how you discover what you’re made of. You will feel richer inside for having shared yourself with others, and they are richer for your having done so. If doing this feels slightly risky or dangerous, note that feeling and keep going. You are in the process of healing any sense of guilt or shame that may have developed long ago from someone invalidating and devaluing your talents. Yet this may not seem like guilt in the way we normally think of it; for example you may experience it as the fear of criticism, or the sense that others don’t like you. What you think others think will provide you with a map of your own consciousness. What you think they want for you will tell you what you want for yourself — and if you don’t like what you learn, make a decision. It’s true that life can seem like a long story of others trying to deter you from being yourself, and to some extent this is true. But changing that fact does not involve changing them; it involves changing yourself. When you guide yourself through any feeling of danger, what you will be left with is a sense of rightness with yourself. You will feel at home with who you are and what you are doing because you are actually offering something authentic, something that actually represents you. By your gifts you will know yourself. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — When we are young we are like a sponge, soaking up our surroundings and taking what is said and done literally. A snide comment or piece of sarcasm can negatively impact our developing psyche. Most adults don’t appreciate and honor the great impact words and actions have on children. The process of ego formation when we’re young is complex and delicate. A healthy ego, which means a functioning personality, is important for you to feel sane and emotionally grounded. Much that we absorb in childhood affects us through most of our adult life — and few people ever address this fact. Lately you have no choice, which may be distinguishing you from many people around you. You notice them running in circles; you notice that they cannot deal with authority in a healthy way. One of your current projects is addressing the pain caused by your dominant parent or childhood authority figure. It stems less from outright neglect and more from denied or withheld information, which in turn blocked you from admitting some of your more meaningful goals. You are learning the lengths to which people will go to get what they want, no matter what the effects on others. Just imagine how this attitude in people you respected influenced you as a kid. Through this recognition and regaining information you are filling in gaps in your life where it seemed a mystery how you developed into the person you became. If you feel resentment or anger, you’re on the right path. Each time you do, notice the sensation, and replace it with a tangible goal or objective that is all your own. — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — As April unfolds, I suggest you get clear on what happiness means to you. As you do this you may be amazed that you haven’t consciously thought about it before — or at how long it’s been since you did. Let it be your guiding philosophy, that is, a perspective that helps you govern decisions that you make. Much of how we do this as adults is rooted in the approach our parents took, and growing into an independent person means taking steps beyond their ideas into your own. There is a special challenge, however: recognizing their hidden patterns. It’s difficult to see the patterns that are the most influential and are the most deeply ingrained in the next generation. These are often incongruent with your own mission in life, though the conflict is typically hidden. To find it, you’ll need to sift through the layers and determine what is truly your philosophy versus what was given to you by others. The challenge is that the two viewpoints may feel tightly interwoven. It’s your job to tease them apart. That will feel like a process of saying “this belongs to you, and this belongs to me.” There is just one little barb: learning to feel good about discarding the ideas that don’t work, rather than like you’re obligated to use them (no matter where they come from). — By Genevieve Hathaway.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You may be living with the feeling that there is a gap you have to leap to be accepted by those around you. In fact, it’s more of a crack you can step over than a canyon you have to vault Evel Knievel-style. There’s more support around you than it may feel like. Yours is a Moon that wants to be accepted for your uniqueness. You’re not merely a rebel: you’re original and you want to coexist with others as such. But this will only happen if you honestly and authentically show yourself to each person you meet. Any stress or uncertainty you feel around doing so is like an invitation to go past those feelings. To be 100% you in every moment is risky, that is true. Hence the fear of not being accepted is natural enough, and that is enough to scare plenty of people from being real. The problem is that facades may feel like walls that protect us from rejection, but they end up being like jail cells, locking us inside ourselves and away from the contact that we seek. Being authentic means showing your true colors, not showing just those that are ‘safe’ in that moment. Meet the feeling of risk or danger head-on and see what happens. The only way out of this conceptual prison is through an actual experiment, in real life (rather than in theory). This means making mistakes — but you may be pleasantly surprised how little most of them matter.
— By Genevieve Hathaway.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Your inner world is a bedroom, and most people are not invited in. Yet this is the world you live in every day. Deeper inside that is your closet, and only you know what’s in there. When you open your closet door, it’s like the armoire in the Narnia series: you step into another dimension that is more detailed and complex than your ‘normal’ reality. You think this is normal because you live with it all the time; yet many people around you just have a closet that opens to a small space filled with racks of clothes, shoes and accessories. Part of having this kind of depth means having a special kind of vulnerability. Through the next few weeks, you will have a particularly keen ability to help those around you access the depths and complexities of their inner space by translating your own into terms they can understand. You will do this based on the tactile, tangible reality most people live in. You have many tools in the form of language to share this. This will call for a mix of precision in what you say, and at the same time allowing for misunderstanding as others try to get clear. Clarify the grey areas in your own thinking, and know what you’re saying and feeling as you guide others. Don’t skip steps or leave out what you know is vital information — that could lead to unexpected consequences or miscommunication. You are explaining something that for you makes sense, but which for others is going to require them to stretch their understanding of existence. Proceed in small, concrete steps and you’ll make significant progress in growing closer to those you care the most about. — By Genevieve Hathaway.