Dear Friend and Reader:

Wednesday morning we have an eclipse of the Moon. This follows, by two weeks, a recent eclipse of the Sun. If everything is feeling a little more manic than usual — if time seems to be whipping by, people are coming and going from your life or if you’re suddenly making big decisions — think: eclipse.

Partial lunar eclipse over Colorado. Photo by Steven Bratman.

Eclipses represent turning points, or what you might think of as threshold moments — where you may transition from one phase of your life to the next.

You might be swept up in events, or you may consciously invoke changes. The idea is to keep making conscious decisions and to correct any errors you make as soon as you can.

Eclipses come with moments of what used to be called quickening (in older New Age parlance), where the energy speeds up, the molecules of existence have a little more room between them, and there is the potential to mix, blend and balance the flavors of your life.

If you’ve been feeling stuck or as if you need to groove on something new, now is the moment to get your energy moving. We have been repeating the refrain “act on your intentions” — this is the time to vote for yourself with what you do rather than what you think. I’m saying that the inherent difference between thought and action is more meaningful right now.

I’m also suggesting we’ve done plenty of thinking and it’s time to shake it up. Full Moons of any variety are great tools for resolving situations that have come to an impasse, and we have an excellent one on its way.

Today’s horoscope is a reading of the lunar eclipse chart.

Lovingly,

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2016 Spring Reading by Eric Francis

Mars Retrograde in Sagittarius and Scorpio

Dear Friend and Reader:

I have an unusually exciting spring reading for you this year, something that feels like I’ve been waiting all my life to create.

Between April and June, Mars will be retrograde first in Sagittarius, and then in Scorpio. This brings together two signs that influence us all in profound ways. Mars represents desire, initiative, innovation and the drive to persist.

Valles Marineris on Mars, taken by Viking 1 in 1980.

Sagittarius describes our personal spiritual quest. It is the hunger to learn, to grow, to understand and to see the world from a perspective of meaning. Traveling in Sagittarius style is not tourism. It’s about a journey to the holy land, the promised land, the sacred ground.

As any such traveler knows, no matter where one goes, the quest is really about traversing an inner landscape. That’s the place in consciousness where we experiment with questions of faith, the higher self, and the quest for meaning and truth that is at the heart of any well-lived life.

It is fair to say that any conscious person has some true desire to experience Sagittarius in a real and direct way. It is the journey that we must take, no matter what. And with Mars, the most personal of planets, retrograde in that sign, this we will get to do — as an inner quest.

Mars will then make its way into the very first degrees of Sagittarius, and then it will enter Scorpio. This is one of the home signs of Mars, in its watery nocturnal expression.

Scorpio is the realm of the deepest human exchange. It’s the realm of bonding, of exchanging genetic material, of sexuality and of death and surrender. It’s also fair to say that any conscious (or even unconscious) person experiences Scorpio as a profound inner urgency — one that influences the most elemental aspects of life: relationships with others, with resources and with existence.

Read more…

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New Planet Waves TV: Aries Equinox and an Eclipse in Libra

 

 

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Aries (March 20-April 19) — You seem poised to make a discovery this week, but it’s something that you knew all along. So this is more about using your existing knowledge rather than gaining new knowledge. You might ask how or why it took you so long to figure out something that will seem so obvious, though the timing seems appropriate. One discovery appears to be about the value or condition of a relationship, which is likely to show its true colors. You may have had reasons not to acknowledge what you otherwise would have seen clearly. Another discovery may be an attachment, which can have way of blinding people to some deeper reality. Yet now you seem ready to see your life from a deeper place, and to acknowledge what is at the heart of the matter. Relationships rarely end; they just change forms, and you have plenty of influence in how the current transformation takes shape.

 

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — It may seem that your whole life is about service to others, when what you really want to be doing is having a good time with friends, or at least doing your own creative thing. Yet whatever assistance you provide to others will in turn inspire you to reach for something unusual or beautiful you might not have tried otherwise. You might consider that service really is the essence of life, and that everything flows from it. In any event, it’s a useful organizing principle to live by, because we need to learn how to help one another, and to be helped. The deeper message involves keeping in mind the idea of a win-win situation. These are often spoken of but rarely sought out or committed to. If you look for the point of mutual benefit in every transaction you have with another person, you are sure to find it.

 

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Are you somehow feeling left out of the action? Do you have this sensation that huge events are developing around you, and yet you can’t seem to connect? Have no fear. By which I mean that fear is a distraction from the perhaps-subtle information that’s coming, or from a point of contact that can immediately deal you into the game. Yet that point of contact may not necessarily come from someone who hands it to you; the greater lesson here seems to be about how you can make your own success. In that project you’re excellently situated because your words and ideas have extra influence right now. Therefore, I suggest you guide yourself out of survival mode, or any concept of existence that pits you against the world. Strive for communication, clear exchanges with others and, most of all, emphasizing a cooperative spirit in everything you do. More than anything, remember that your words and your ideas count.

 

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — With Mercury about to move in your favor, be on the lookout for significant news of a career development this week. Yet don’t act too soon, because one development will follow another and you’ll need to take the sequence of events as one story rather than as unrelated developments. It’s just as necessary that you base any decisions on how you feel as much as on what promise the situation seems to hold. Fame and fortune are not everything; indeed, they can be a distraction from the real work. The ability to enhance your reputation or get your message out can be productive. It will be, as long as you remember that how you experience something internally, intuitively and emotionally must be the deciding factor for you. Attending to your inner needs, and your family relationships, will influence your future success more than anything else.

 

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You may feel unsure whether to worry yourself sick, or to declare that your life is headed in the best possible direction. When you have seemingly opposing or contradictory thoughts, it can help to let them stand face to face for a while. You have no need to resolve the seeming paradox, and you will learn plenty this week that helps you sort out the approach you want to be taking. If your source of anxiety involves a relationship, you might ask yourself whether your level of dependency is healthy or appropriate. You might also consider whether certain factors that seem to be set in stone really are negotiable. Yet you must be the one who sees the highest possible potential and actively seeks a solution that works for everyone. This is a creative act and, in your life, you are the source of that creativity. Therefore, be bold and take leadership.

 

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — If you’re wondering what is the ‘thing of value’ in your current situation, particularly if it involves some contractual arrangement, consider that it is you. If you’re the goose that lays the golden eggs, it’s not the eggs that count. You don’t have to announce this to anyone you’re negotiating with, though it will help considerably if you know it in your heart and soul. Holding this knowledge close to you and with full awareness will help you see the whole scenario as it really is, which means acknowledging your influential role. It’s understandable enough if you have some anxiety attacks, though those look more like they are being driven by an abundance of emotional or creative energy rather than a shortage. You have what you need, and it will help if you remember that there is a trick to confidence: acting like you have it. You have the goods to back it up.

 

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You may seem subject to many forces beyond your control. Yet life is rarely about control, and much more often about influence — and of that you have plenty. Remember this, should you find yourself in an edgy state of mind, or fretting over some perceived uncertainty. In any situation, ask yourself where you have some role to play, or somewhere you might interject an idea. Closer to the point, remember that the power of decision is your most important freedom in this world. You will feel better if you give yourself more choices, particularly where you saw only one before. The way you do that is by pausing, looking at the situation and asking yourself clearly, “what are my options here?” Then start listing things off, beginning with “do nothing,” and including every other possibility from the most sensible to the most outrageous. From among that selection you will see some clearly viable possibilities.

 

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — There is plenty going on in the world and in your world, and you can think of lots of reasons to worry. Yet sometimes that’s the very best time to focus on the pleasures of life. I don’t mean mindless diversion. I mean emphasizing what you love the very most; what you’re the most passionate about; the experiences that lead you to feel the most complete. This would qualify as a way of keeping things positive, but there is more than that. Times of instability and uncertainty can be converted into the most productive, the most creatively lavish, and those where you experience the greatest breakthroughs. You need to keep your energy flowing in a constructive and creative direction, and everyone around you will benefit from your doing so. Your personal growth projects are all about sticking to what is the most important to you, and I would propose that this qualifies.

 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Do not be intimidated by the seeming complexity of your life. Emotionally you may feel like you have a few too many fish swimming around your inner aquarium, and you can’t keep their names straight; plus, they all have so much to say. However, there is a clear line of thought that will serve to guide you to where you want to be. There are priorities that stand out high above many other smaller concerns, and I suggest you identify those and focus on them. You have set some significant goals for yourself, and it’s clear that in order to accomplish them it will help to set aside less important activities. Be honest with yourself about what’s the most important to you, and about what you know you’ve set out to accomplish. Then don’t allow anyone or anything to get in the way. Focus, prioritize, achieve.

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Whatever scenario or drama is unfolding in your professional life, you might consider it in the context of your early childhood. It seems like you may be confusing the power relationships you have with people today, with events when you were much younger and had far less influence over the course of your life. It’s easy to get caught in situations where people appear to have the power of your mother and father, but really they’re just your fellow humans. From the look of your chart, plenty of changes are in motion, and you might consider that there is no development that you cannot put to positive or creative use. But you have to see your opening and call the shot, and not wait for someone or something to act on you. You have the integrity and the foresight to stay several steps ahead of the game, and right now that counts for a lot.

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — These days it may seem like you have so much to offer that you don’t know where to begin, nor have a clue what will be most acceptable or useful to others. You might consider doing less, with greater emphasis on quality. Ultimately you will bring all your talents into the work that you do, though you don’t need to emphasize or even mention them. You seem to have one special project that you’re working to get recognized or even get a foothold with. You are closer to that than you may think, and if you look carefully at what you’re doing, you will see signs of success. While you’re doing that, an unexpected event may point you in the direction of a method or pathway you had no idea existed. Yet it does exist, and the best thing you can do for yourself is keep your eyes open, focusing on the environment around you as you are focusing on your own idea.

 

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Events around the time of the solar eclipse in your sign two weeks ago are now starting to show results. Things are building to a crescendo, but one thing is clear: your life is moving, and it’s moving in some interesting directions. Even though the Sun is now in Aries, there are many planets remaining in your sign. These represent personal resources that you can use for anything you want. You have every reason to be self-confident now; so, therefore, you can take those chances and opportunities that require self-esteem. Having faith in yourself does not mean you have a perfect life or are a ‘better’ person. What it means is that you have the courage to face the challenges that arise and to take the opportunities that you see. One topic that’s opening up now involves money. The planets are encouraging you to be as self-sufficient as possible. You don’t have to depend on others. You have what you need, or you can get it.