Dear Friend and Reader:

We have two main themes or modes at play in the astrology this week: a more mental and verbal track (represented by the activities of Mercury and Mars in Gemini), and a more emotional or impressionistic track (represented by the Moon and other planets in Pisces). You might notice that as the next two days progress, and depending on how it all interacts with your natal chart, your personal experience toggles back and forth between these realms.

Puerto Rican street art in San Juan; photo by Amanda Painter.

Eric will get into this astrology and more in today’s Planet Waves FM. He will describe the forthcoming Mercury retrograde and what he’s learned doing the Mercury retrograde reading. In addition he’ll describe the rather interesting aspects coming up this week — Vesta conjunct Chiron, Psyche conjunct QB1, Mars opposite Saturn and Sun conjunct Sedna.

That’s a week of deep psychology, especially with Mercury slowing down to a station in a square to Neptune.
Eric will also have a look at the chart of Paul David Hewson, a/k/a Bono, and have a listen to some of his music. On the website today (in a post open to all readers) Eric has written about the Moon’s conjunctions to Neptune and Nessus.

Also coming up tomorrow, the Moon will pass through the conjunction of asteroid Vesta and centaur object Chiron (exact Wednesday at 3:16 pm EDT / 7:16 pm UTC). The Moon’s presence will heighten your sensitivity to this aspect, making it more emotionally palpable and accessible.

Chiron wants to teach you something about your relationship to your creativity and passion; Vesta gives some clues about how that relationship might be described. Have you sacrificed your devotion to your creative spark ‘for the good of the collective’? That is, have the demands or expectations of your parents, the needs of a family you’re raising, or some sense that you’ve needed to serve humanity in some more ‘worthy’ or practical way always superseded tending your own inner flame?

Simplified chart section for Wednesday. Counter-clockwise from top: Nessus, Neptune, Vesta conjunct Chiron and the Moon all in Pisces; Sun in Taurus; Mars and Mercury in Gemini; Venus in Cancer.

On the flip side, have you sacrificed stability, domestic comforts or doing adulthood ‘the way everyone else does it’ in favor of pursuing art and passion? Have you long carried some thorn of guilt about the perceived ‘selfishness’ of your devotion?

As the Moon gets you feeling very deeply about these questions today and tomorrow, remember that Chiron, in its role as teacher, facilitates healing by making us aware of what needs our attention. That can be uncomfortable — but it’s part of a process. You get to move through it, just like the Moon does, taking new understanding with you.

Chiron rewards documentation. Usually we think of that as being writing, such as in a journal. But with all this Pisces action, and given Vesta’s message, you might just find yourself called to paint it out, sculpt it, put it into song (or keep a soundtrack running in the background of all you do) or photograph it.

This serves double purpose: not only do you honor Chiron’s request for documentation, but you actively engage in the creativity Vesta is indicating. Simply doing can itself be a very healing act, as you cross that threshold between you and what your passion would have you devote some facet of your life to. Speaking of passion: these questions might also involve your relationship to your sexual energy.

Holding space for this is Venus in Cancer, a nurturing, beautiful influence asking you to feel at home in yourself. The Sun in Taurus offers stability and opportunity through a sextile (earth to water): engage your body in the physical act of healing and devotion, and tangible results might just manifest.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. Eric is blazing away on the soon-to-be released Ultimate Mercury Retrograde Reading for this year! This product covers all 12 signs at one affordable price, and you can pre-order it now for only $29.97 (price will increase upon publication).

Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon in Kingston, New York by Planet Waves, Inc. Annual basic subscription rate: $97/year. Core community membership: $197/year. Editor and Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Office Manager: Lauren Gdovin. Client Services: Amy Elliott, Lisa Gatto. Astrology Editor: Amanda Painter. Astrology Fact Checker: Len Wallick. Copy Editor and Fact Checker: Jessica Keet. Research, Writing and Editing: In addition to those listed above, Planet Waves is produced by a team consisting of Fe Bongolan, Judith Gayle, Kelly Janes, Amanda Moreno, Casey Smith, Carol van Strum, Len Wallick, Lizanne Webb and Chad Woodward.