Aries (March 20-April 19) — Of all the people in the world, the only one you can truly control is yourself. Keep that in mind for the remainder of this year, and you have the key for making your closest relationships work as well as possible. This does not mean you should withdraw and focus on yourself. Instead, make yourself the focus as you interact with others by constantly asking yourself how to set the most authentic, instructional and inspiring example for the people who know you best. This may mean breaking with some of your older and less productive behavioral patterns. More likely, your path towards greater influence in your closest quarters will begin with making the greater good for all involved your biggest concern. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Your innate connection with intangible values is probably very strong at this time. For that reason, you can now afford to make your relationship with the palpable world a greater priority. This does not mean you should indulge your animal appetites with mindless abandon. Neither, however, should you neglect the importance of creature comforts. In order to keep yourself on the middle road between physical excess and dearth, focus first on taking care of your body’s most basic needs. As a next step, endeavor to spend less time getting information through electronic gear and more time gathering data through your corporeal senses. Finally, take whatever chance you have to share the joys you derive from your tangible possessions. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Keeping in touch with those you care about is always important. For the time being, however, it’s probably at least as important to keep in touch with yourself. To do so, dial back a bit on distractions. Try spending less time watching images on a screen and more time listening to your own thoughts. This does not necessarily mean you should spend your days in isolation or sensory deprivation. On the contrary, some quiet time outside walking under the sky and among trees would probably be one of the best ways for you to explore what’s going on inside your head. Don’t neglect sleep, either. If you are not feeling well rested, it’s unlikely you will have the stamina it takes to think about thinking and to be fully conscious of your awareness. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — If there are things you always wanted to do but never did, the time is right to reach for at least one of them over the next month or so. In all likelihood at least some of your unfulfilled ambitions represent an inner resource you can now draw upon to better get your needs met. Begin with the most attainable aspirations — those where lack of time has been the only reason for lack of manifestation. In order to create that temporal space, select which of your most cherished responsibilities you might be able to temporarily delegate to someone who has earned your trust. After all, there can be no doubt that you have earned a chance to explore and exploit the undiscovered possibilities you have always had the ability to live. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — There is family of birth, and there is family of choice. Right about now would be a good time to examine how you feel about all of those you have chosen to identify with thus far. This does not mean you should be critical of your discretionary circle. Rather, you should endeavor to better understand and appreciate just how your currently elective tribe came to be, so as to better know yourself. The reason for such an indirect self-examination may not be clear for you currently. Yet, you would be well advised to proceed with an abiding faith that you will soon be presented with a rare and formative chance to expand your voluntary sphere of shared influence. When that opportunity finally comes, you will want to be clear about what you want to make of it. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — In one of his more famous songs, Kris Kristofferson famously averred that freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose. That may have been true for him then. In all probability it is not true for you now. Indeed, it would appear that an enhanced sense of being at liberty would only bring you gain at this time. Of course, a lot of the outcome will depend on what (or who) you elect to free yourself from, and how you choose to do it. Your first and wisest choice would almost certainly be to liberate yourself from impatience. Unless you are forced to sever a bond for the sake of your (or somebody else’s) safety or wellbeing, it’s probably a good idea to be wary of impulsive or hasty actions when it comes to declaring your independence. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Desire and greed are not the same. On the whole (and in spite of what the fictional movie character Gordon Gekko famously insisted), greed almost never serves to support the greater good. Desire, on the other hand, is almost always among the greatest of good things. Without desire, you probably wouldn’t be alive. While you almost certainly are not one who conflates desire and avarice, you may still sometimes feel a bit guilty for wanting what you want. If ever there was a time to get past that guilt, it’s now. Since we are presently in the thick of what for many is a holiday season, you can begin by giving yourself the generous (yet inexpensive) gift of at least accepting your desires for what they are. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — If you are dealing with some challenges at this time, the best way to begin overcoming them would entail simply having faith in your ability to meet those provocations. Similarly, if you are now endeavoring to achieve something, faith in yourself would also be the essential first step towards an eventually successful attainment. Of course, the most efficacious forms of faith are not blind, but informed. By now you have had enough experience with life to understand that the most important piece of information you can possess is provided by your conscience. Regardless of what odds you face, and in spite of what opinions other people may have, so long as you know that you are doing the right thing, faith in yourself will be justified. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You have no doubt learned at least a few valuable lessons regarding relationships over the last year. Even though your learning curve is almost certainly not yet complete, the next year or so will represent a time to begin integrating what the experiences of 2016 have taught you. Given astrology’s current indicators, the relationship subject matter most worthy of your evaluation right now would have to do with the place and purpose of boundaries. When it comes to adjoining parcels of real estate, the most applicable aphorism is that good fences often make for good neighbors. For other types of alliance and association, appropriate guidelines are seldom so simple. Nonetheless, you might want to begin your next celestial semester by mending a few metaphorical fences that might have recently come down. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Even if you are doing everything you can to keep a low profile, it’s quite likely that you are getting some attention about now. Some are almost certainly looking up to you. Others are probably looking out for you. No doubt a significant number are observing you for reasons somewhere in between. To make the most of what one might call your circumstantial charisma, assume that you will nearly always be making an impression of one kind or another for at least the next month, if not longer. You could also safely assume that simply being your genuine and authentic self will make a good impression. If your life up to now has prepared you for anything, it’s scrutiny. Have fun with the spotlight, and rest assured that any criticism says more about the critics than it does about you. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — In proverbs of old, the “three Rs” were the essentials of public education: “reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmetic.” For you, however, the “three Rs” are more like what appear to be your three best options for the holiday season: rest, recreation and/or romance. The better you can combine the three, the jollier your turnover into 2017 will be. Should you be forced to choose, however, put rest first. After all is said and done, all play and no rest will make you just as dull as all work and no play (and just as likely to come down ill, too). Keeping a proper balance with your “three Rs” will probably come down to two things: First, be moderate with the food and drink. Next (and probably most important) take time away from anything with a glowing screen. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — The world, if not the cosmos itself, is just as or more likely to be your oyster, socially speaking, compared to nearly anybody else right now. To maximize the probability of being a favored child of the schmooze universe, you must first know when to call it a day as regards to your work. Busy though you may be, you have a metaphorical wave to catch — and you won’t be able to do that unless you first go to the allegorical beach. In your case, the beach will be anyplace people are gathered for purposes that have nothing to do with productivity, achievement or status. Therefore, after an appropriately attenuated day at the office, give yourself a temporary break from following up with another form of drudgery. Hang out and let the good times roll. — By Len Wallick. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.