Tag Archives: Aries

The Day of the Breakthrough: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 23
The Day of the Breakthrough | Pre-order pre-order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Think in terms of what you want to birth into the world. In a little over a year, a major new cycle focused on your personal creativity clicks into gear. This impacts you directly and, if approached with intention, can propel you far — in terms of both vocation and self-identity. Prepare the ground by tending to old business relative to aspects of your past or your home. All creations need a space within which to grow. That process inevitably creates an internal pressure that may register as anxiety or fears on a subliminal level. Fortunately, you seem to have just the kind of nurturing guidance that you need, and closer than you may realize.
— by Victoria Emory

Do you have your Sun, Moon or rising sign in Libra? If so, your sign is directly aligned with the single most significant astrological event beginning 2020. Eric will walk you through the most effective ways to approach your year in the 2019-2020 Libra Astrology Studio, now available for pre-order.

Written in the Planets

Today is the Libra equinox: the start of Northern Hemisphere fall (spring below the equator). At 3:50 am EDT (7:50:02 UTC), the Sun entered Libra to herald the new season. You can think of each seasonal shift as a kind of natural check-in point throughout the year: a moment to consider what has developed over the previous three months (or six), where you seem to be headed now, and how you’d like to recalibrate your trajectory. The equinoxes in particular — and perhaps Libra especially — focus the question of balance: through the visible, palpable equality of day and night at this time.

In early Libra, the Sun meets up with an interesting cast of minor-planet characters: Bacchus, Hidalgo, and a galaxy called M87 in Libra; Quaoar in Capricorn; and waiting just inside Aries, Chiron and Salacia. One theme coming through this cluster is the idea of being some kind of ‘maverick’, or of setting yourself free in some way.

After a year partially shaped by the expansive, slippery natures of Jupiter and Neptune, where are you beginning to recognize a bubble in your life that only you can pop? Does it relate to sex and relationships, family patterns, career or vocational calling, creativity, some deeper sense of self? All equinoxes and solstices represent a tipping point: either toward more daylight or less. Yet even though today’s ingress of the Sun into Libra represents the solar balance tipping toward more night than daylight (in the Northern Hemisphere), there’s no reason — and few excuses — to stay in the dark about yourself.
— by Amanda Painter


My readings offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

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The Day of Perseverance: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 17
The Day of Perseverance | Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | You can also pre-order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Something fundamental would seem to be shifting within you, relating to the way you think about yourself, and about what is possible. You may be opening up to potential within you, of which you were unaware before. If pursuing this takes you outside your comfort zone, that could well be helpful. Dare to trust yourself; and if you have an aspiration you want to follow, especially one that feels unlikely, you might begin with the assumption that you can achieve it.
— by Amy Elliott

If your Sun, Moon or rising sign is Virgo, you are heading into a most unusual solar year, set up to do the thing Virgo is designed for: integrate the elements of your being, find your direction and purpose, and act on it. Eric lays it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio, now available for instant access.

Written in the Planets

The Moon moving through early Taurus today brings it into contact with Uranus — The Great Awakener. Something new or unexpected could emerge into your awareness today; for example, something that calls for a change to a routine. Your physical body, emotional body, and sense of what you value are all prime areas of focus for this, with the insight coming through subtle channels.

Yet, it’s hard to be receptive to new ideas and feelings if you hold a great deal of fear. The fear might not itself be related specifically to certain thoughts or emotions, but could be more generalized — such as fear about ‘change’ or ‘safety and security’ or about the state of the world. Many people harbor fears about sex in general and their own sexuality specifically — which can make it that much harder to allow and accept even the types of sexual energy you actually say you want. If you tend to fear change of all kinds, it’s going to be challenging to accept new insights about yourself — regardless whether those insights come through your own introspection, or through some kind of confrontation/mirroring with another person.

Thankfully, many ways to examine fear, specific or generalized, exist; usually this kind of process is great for work with a therapist or someone in a similar role who can hold a safe space for your exploration and reflections. Tools such as Byron Katie’s “Four Questions” can be useful for solo work or in dialogue with someone to examine thoughts and beliefs.

Today, perhaps just notice if anything provokes you, intrigues you, or seems to arrive in answer to a question you’ve had about yourself. Then trace whether any particular emotions come flooding in around it, clouding your ability to sit with it. Venus in Libra opposes Salacia and Chiron in Aries today. Stay alert for inconvenient teachers — either in the form of someone else, or your own responses. It would seem that something is being brought into focus for you this week.
— by Amanda Painter


My readings offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

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The Day of Spirited Energies: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 16
The Day of Spirited Energies | Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

You have an opportunity to commit to a particular path of growth, healing and self-discovery. This is in part based on work you’ve already done, which has perhaps bolstered your sense of personal freedom to stand out and make ripples. Your next step will likely be to consolidate what you’ve gained; there may be moments when you have the chance to express yourself more openly, or to take a discerning viewpoint in contrast with the crowd. All of this contributes to honoring who you are.
— by Amy Elliott

If your Sun, Moon or rising sign is Virgo, you are heading into a most unusual solar year, set up to do the thing Virgo is designed for: integrate the elements of your being, find your direction and purpose, and act on it. Eric lays it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio, now available for instant access.

Written in the Planets

Few planetary influences seem to be much of a match for the fog-and-illusion-spinning Neptune, especially when it’s in watery, dreamy Pisces. But the focusing influence of Chiron might be one of them. Today’s opposition between Mercury in Libra and Chiron in Aries suggests you might encounter someone who’s able to help you home in on some facet of yourself or a relationship — or may provoke you into seeing it in a new way.

With the minor planet Salacia in a long-running conjunction to Chiron, there could be a theme of sexual energy or sexual identity underscoring this particular interaction. The more secretive, allegedly controversial or ‘salacious’ side of sex could be central. Is there something about yourself you’ve been trying to ignore, and which it might be time to claim more fully? The Virgo Sun today makes aspects that highlight themes of belief and survival. No matter what illusions and lies you’ve been fed about yourself, know this: you presence here at this time is proof of your resilience. You are a survivor, and you can draw strength from that no matter what you are facing.
— by Amanda Painter


My readings offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

Now available for instant access!

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The Day of Mastery: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 15
The Day of Mastery | Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

As you were growing up, it’s highly likely your caregivers or family had some expectations on who you were to become, and how you should live your life. As an adult, you have a free choice on how far you will stick to that narrative, though depending on the pressure this isn’t always easy. This year, you have an opportunity to strike out on your individual path more decisively, regardless of anyone else’s preconceived ideas or wishes. Follow your desires, and don’t worry about going off-script.
— by Amy Elliott

If your Sun, Moon or rising sign is Virgo, you are heading into a most unusual solar year, set up to do the thing Virgo is designed for: integrate the elements of your being, find your direction and purpose, and act on it. Eric lays it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio, now available for instant access.

Written in the Planets

Mercury and Venus are now in the early degrees of Libra, beginning to renew emphasis on slow-moving planets early in the cardinal signs. (Though King Neptune’s fluidity is still diffusing everyone’s impressions.) Keep your antennae tuned for certain echoes of events and themes from a few months ago, and of familial material.

For example, today watch for the ways your emotional life and approach to relationships might be at odds with multi-generational family patterns. What roles have these issues played in your sense of identity? The Moon moving through early Aries in the wee hours of the morning may heighten less conscious feelings along these themes. Dreams, if you can remember them, could offer a layer of insight.

On a related note, Juno in Virgo, Ceres in Sagittarius and the centaur Nessus in Pisces are all in strong contact with each other. You may be noticing tension between specific relationship needs (including material around jealousy), your sense of nourishing others and what makes your own spirit feel fed, and old emotional patterns whose time is up (possibly around sexual or energetic boundaries). If you were to hold yourself to the highest standards of intellectual and psychic hygiene, what might that look like? Even if it seems like there are two or more ways you could go, chances are you can identify the option that leaves you feeling clear. If someone is pushing your buttons, that’s a good clue that your own reactions and expectations around the energy you’ve been giving them could use a closer look.


My readings offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

Now available for instant access!

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The Day of the Cryptic Secret: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Aug. 20
The Day of the Cryptic Secret | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for instant access | All Other Signs

Your need to express your uniqueness is a fundamental part of your being, as it is for everyone. It’ll help immensely if you give yourself the room to do so, and refuse to confine yourself to the narrow expectations of conventional society. You’d have trouble fitting into that particular box, anyway, and would soon be compelled to burst out and do your own thing. Don’t be afraid of causing a little turbulence here and there; you might consider it a service to the perpetually sleepy.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have a Leo Sun, rising sign or Moon? Your last couple years may have left you reeling trying to figure out which path forward is best. Hear Eric’s thoughts on expediting your post-eclipse process in your 2019-2020 Leo Astrology Studio reading.

Written in the Planets

A little is likely to go a long way today, in terms of demonstrating your affections (and in seeking such from others). Venus — still close to the Sun and Juno in Leo — has arrived in the last degree of its sign. That alone can have a sort of itchy, edgy or impatient quality. But Venus is also making a trine aspect to Pholus in Sagittarius. Trines are aspects of harmony, which may help soften things a tad — but Pholus is the object of ‘small cause, big effect’. So this looks like a reminder to keep the generosity of selfless giving — rather than what would boost your ego — at the heart of what’s lighting your fire.

The Leo Sun trine the Galactic Core in Sagittarius could help you to channel a broader ‘highest good for all concerned’ type of love into all the ways you express yourself today, though it will help if you set that intention consciously. The Aries Moon swings through to complete a brief grand fire trine tonight with the Sun and Galactic Core (and then does the same with Venus and Pholus). Do you feel inspired toward warmth and illumination, or are you feeling burned out by your impulses? Notice first, and then choose how to proceed.
— by Amanda Painter


It is difficult to feel good these days; it’s challenging to focus on your growth and self-care, or even to relax. We are pulled out of ourselves constantly, and often distracted from our core purposes. IN THESE TIMES, the Planet Waves autumn reading, will help.

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Photo by Amanda Painter.

Three Leo Aspects and Mercury Direct in Cancer

By Amanda Painter

Mercury stationed direct last night in late Cancer, just after the Leo New Moon. It will take a few days for Mercury to sort itself out, though, and it’ll be another couple of weeks before it clears where it was retrograde. So your patience and sense of humor could still be handy companions for a while yet.

Frisbee players and a wee onlooker at Higgins Beach, Scarborough, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

Three Frisbee players and a wee onlooker at Higgins Beach, Scarborough, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

Partly this is because Mercury will stay in the same degree where it stationed for a few days — it takes a while to get back up to its typical apparent speed — which means it’s in extended contact with Eris in Aries and Haumea in Libra, forming a T-square.

Another factor in the overall astrological environment is a square between Venus in Leo and Uranus in Taurus, exact tomorrow, and a couple of other Leo aspects. I’ll get to those in a moment.

For now, has anything of particular interest emerged for you yesterday or today? As in, did you discover or realize something about yourself, or did someone tell you a key piece of new information, or did your intuition about a situation get confirmed or contradicted?

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The Day Of Cultural Assessment: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 29
The Day of Cultural Assessment | The 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for pre-order | All Other Signs

If you’re feeling restless, look for the root of the matter in emotions or needs you may have ignored or denied. You’ll almost certainly benefit from bringing them into the light and addressing them. One person’s security can be another’s dull stagnation, and if it becomes such, that’s the moment to shake things up. You may find there are certain aspects of yourself that you can no longer conceal. This is a sign of progress and an opportunity for you to live freely and openly.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have a Leo Sun, rising sign or Moon? Your last couple years may have left you reeling trying to figure out which path forward is best. Hear Eric’s thoughts on expediting your post-eclipse process in your 2019-2020 Leo Astrology Studio reading.

Written in the Planets

Retrograde Mercury is in its ‘storm’ phase prior to stationing direct Wednesday night into Thursday, and today it’s exactly square Eris in Aries. You’ll want to stay extra-alert to when you might be operating without all the info you need, as well as when your mind wanders. Communication, thought processes and travel could be a little squirrelly for the next few days, which means a gentle pace can help you avoid more serious kinds of trouble, and a sense of humor should help you ride the waves of the littler things that go off track.

One thing Eris in Aries describes is the fragmentation of self. But you are one person. Yes, we all have facets and ‘sides’ to ourselves; yet they all need to integrate into one whole. Remembering this could prove useful if you find yourself in a situation where you realize you’ve been holding back the truth about something — particularly if you’ve been hiding it from yourself. That’s called ‘being in denial’, and it can really trip us up. See if you can try on this perspective: it’s kind of ridiculous to think you can truly hide from yourself what you already know, so can you tap into your sense of humor about it? As in, “Wow — it’s so funny that I was trying to ignore [X]; now that I’m acknowledging it, I can actually do something about it, and that feels so much better!”

If holding back some part of yourself has become routine, then shaking up that habit would fit quite well with today’s square between the Leo Sun and Uranus in Taurus. Change your tack, let any restlessness you feel inspire you to be more real, and see what you discover about yourself. If doing so stirs up some deep feelings, perhaps consider them just one more area of fascinating exploration that you can share. Everyone has them, after all.
— by Amanda Painter


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The Day of Uncertainty Resolvers: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 23
The Day of Uncertainty Resolvers | The 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for pre-order | All Other Signs

Keep your mind turned toward the wide and open horizon of your ideal visions. Some may find this freedom of thought disconcerting, and try to confine you within convenient boundaries. Yet your power lies in this capacity you possess for bold exploration, and the ability to see what’s real, without the filters of social or authoritarian pressure. Don’t let anyone, especially you, box you in. You’re beginning to understand just how far your mind can fly.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have a Leo Sun, rising sign or Moon? Your last couple years may have left you reeling trying to figure out which path forward is best. Hear Eric’s thoughts on expediting your post-eclipse process in your 2019-2020 Leo Astrology Studio reading.

Written in the Planets

The Sun entered the sign Leo overnight, signaling the core of the Northern Hemisphere summer. Leo is ruled by the Sun, offering an important reminder that just as solar light and power can create and warm life or damage and destroy it, so can our own light and power. What makes the difference is whether your heart or your ego is directing those forces.

Venus passes through last week’s eclipse degree via Cancer today, ringing the bells of Haumea in Libra and Eris in Aries. Given the recent contact Venus just had with Pluto (and the centaur Chariklo), you may want to keep tabs on how your emotions — particularly feelings of love, sexual desire, a need for attention or to feel ‘helpful’ — are influencing your choices. If you notice a need to be needed by someone, what’s that really about? Holding space for someone in a helpful or healing capacity ideally is not about what you will get out of the experience.

That agenda is something else, and probably signals that it’s time for a frank heart-to-heart with yourself about what you might be projecting onto a situation that you could (and probably should) be finding and recognizing within yourself. You appear to have a choice right now: birthing new ways of relating that are well-balanced, even if they seem to come from unusual places; or resorting to game-playing — however subtle and seemingly innocuous — to get the emotional response you crave. The Leo Sun’s trine to Ceres in Sagittarius reinforces the abundance of nourishment available to your heart and soul right now. All you need to do is let it shine in.
— by Amanda Painter


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