Tag Archives: astrology

The Day of the Puzzling Purist: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 8
The Day of the Puzzling Purist | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

Imagine you’ve climbed a mountain (or at least a big hill) and are standing at the summit; you can see, clearly, vast swaths of land in all directions. Your concept of the size of the accessible world has changed; with so much of it under your gaze, you might well feel better able to travel farther. This is what you’re aiming for conceptually. If you feel somewhat hemmed in, that’s a sign you may benefit from a broader perspective, which encompasses the whole spectrum of possibilities.
— 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 will lay it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio.

Written in the Planets

Where are the lines between doing what you know you can do, pushing your usual limits in order reach a new goal, and simply taking on way too much? Today’s square between the Virgo Sun and Jupiter in Sagittarius describes some invigorating energy that could be used to move some part of your life ahead — if you can be disciplined about it. But it can also indicate going overboard and then falling short of your aim as a result. Neptune in the pattern suggests it could be a little harder to discern where those lines mentioned in the first sentence are located.

Here is one possible way for you to find the sweet spot of using this energy and tension usefully: think of some of your more productive and empowering habits; these are likely to prove even more beneficial if you focus on exercising them to a greater degree. Now think of some of your more self-sabotaging or frustrating habits; these could get exacerbated the more energy you give them (consciously or unconsciously). Of course, the trick may come in being honest with yourself about which tendencies truly help and which hinder. As the old cliché goes, live and learn.
— 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.
You may now pre-order individual signs here.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.

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The Day of Success Seekers: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 7
The Day of Success Seekers | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

Following the scent of your curiosity could very well be fruitful in the months ahead. Get yourself into a position where you can more easily access inspiration; read more, study people and scenery, listen to good music — whatever oils your creative wheels. Once you start to work on a specific idea, there’s a chance it may take off unexpectedly, or draw you in unusual and interesting directions. If you go along for the ride, it’s likely to turn out quite the adventure.
— 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 will lay it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio.

Written in the Planets

The Moon entering Capricorn today could help you to feel out some of the more practical steps or details to your grander dreams — as in, things you can start doing now. In one sense you have plenty of time; yet that’s mainly true if you figure out how best to use the time you have. That is, you are the one standing at the threshold of your dreams; you are the primary factor determining whether or not you manifest them.

Sure, there are other factors, some of which are out of your control; yes, the path that emerges might diverge from your original plan. But the point is to focus your conscious intention through some deliberate attention, since much has been swirling about this week in the mental, psychic/spiritual and emotional spheres. Focus and discipline have likely not been in abundance, as a result. Yet any plan you’re starting to form can still include a wide spectrum of possibilities.

That said, caution would still be wise around communication, as Mercury in Virgo exactly opposes Neptune in Pisces today. Interactions could be a little confusing or vague, so patience and asking lots of questions may be helpful. And if your intuition is sending up a red flag about someone — especially anyone you’re trying to negotiate an important deal with — heed it. Seek out more information; stall finalizing the details if you can, to see what else emerges that you need to know.
— 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.
You may now pre-order individual signs here.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.

In These Times graphic

The Day of Unpredictable Fate: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 6
The Day of Unpredictable Fate | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

As you explore new creative and imaginative territory, you may at times come across some mental or emotional barriers. These are often formed in our youth, possibly in the guise of safeguards or stabilizers. However, if they prevent you from understanding and exploring the full range of your potential, you no longer need them. Be gentle with yourself as you clear your path, though also be firm in your determination. You need to be free to run where you will.
— 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 will lay it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio.

Written in the Planets

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” You’ve probably heard these words by French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin — or a paraphrase of them — at least once in your life. But have you ever thought much about the inherent tension in this concept? To acknowledge that one is first a spiritual being is also to recognize how limiting the human experience can be: the density level; the literalness; the pain and separation. Yet there are also moments when we get a sense of how vast and full and connected we are, and we can infuse daily life with moments of that truth.

Today Mercury in Virgo squares Jupiter in Sagittarius (tomorrow it opposes Neptune). Also, the Sun is making these same aspects — along with a trine to Saturn in Capricorn, and a square to the Great Attractor in Sagittarius. There is a combination here of the tension and contrast of the literal, earthy, rational, limited experience and the imaginative, visionary, compelling, grand potentials that characterize the “human” and the “spiritual.”

If you’re feeling at all frustrated in trying to express something huge, long-range and inspiring in very literal, detailed or earth-bound ways, this is the related astrology. Flesh out your vision for the future in broad, vivid strokes; see what practical parts of it you can organize. Maybe don’t jump in the deep end yet; but know that it is there, waiting for you — and that the water will likely only get clearer in the coming weeks.
— 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.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.

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The Day of the Fanciful Sovereign: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 5
The Day of the Fanciful Sovereign | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

This is likely to be a busy year for you, potentially involving lots of action. Any project you have particularly in mind could very well take off; things appear set up so that effort put in will yield proportional results. Just be mindful of your physical and emotional limits, however broad. Watch for burnout, and set some time aside to relax and to make contact with your deeper thoughts and feelings. We all need to wind down occasionally, and it helps keep your ideas fund in credit.
— 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 will lay it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio.

Written in the Planets

Mercury is in the process of making a series of aspects from Virgo, one of the two signs it rules. So there’s extra emphasis currently on thought processes, communication, and what you do with an idea once you’ve thought of it. Under normal circumstances, Mercury’s current trine to Saturn in Capricorn would describe an ability to organize the details of your environment methodically. Mercury’s square to Jupiter would suggest the optimism and broad vision needed to plan a long-range goal.

Those statements are still true; they just come with a twist right now. That twist is being provided by Neptune in Pisces. Is Neptune enhancing the idealism you need to achieve an important dream? Perhaps. Is Neptune obscuring certain details and truths that could impact your pursuit of that dream? Maybe.

Yet today Mercury is also making squares to the Great Attractor (a deep-space phenomenon in Sagittarius) and an object called Altjira (in Gemini). There’s something here, I think, about the need to think beyond simple polarities (yes/no, good/bad, black/white, possible/impossible); and also about understanding who stands at the gate of your dreams (hint: it’s you). You could certainly get caught in minutiae and easily forget to look up. But it might be just as easy today to push against the details of reality and let your mind expand toward a vision of what’s possible. It doesn’t matter if you never reach it; the point is to let its potential suggest new pathways forward from where you are now.
— 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.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.

In These Times graphic

Navigating an Impressionistic Sea

By Amanda Painter

Have you ever seen an image of an outrigger canoe? Attached to the main portion of the boat is a smaller hull (without seating) that sets out a ways from the primary hull. These boats were developed by early Austronesian-speaking peoples of the Southeast Asian islands for sea travel; the design — and its offshoots, such as catamarans — continue to be popular.

Photo by Amanda Painter

Fire engine abstract; photo by Amanda Painter

Something about this week’s astrology reminds me of an outrigger canoe.

Mainly, it’s that the Virgo planets opposing Neptune are receiving some stability from Saturn in Capricorn. The relationship from Virgo to Capricorn is a trine between earth signs: a relationship of harmony and support, but not great power.

In an outrigger canoe, all the power to move the boat comes from the people in the main hull, paddling. Nobody is paddling in the second hull; it has no seats for people. It’s strictly to help keep the boat balanced and afloat on ocean swells.

The outrigger part of the boat offers stability, but not a guarantee. As we know, the ocean is vast, deep and very, very powerful.

You could say the same about Neptune, particularly in Pisces. It might not be a ‘stormy’ placement. But it can describe a high probability of disorientation. Without landmarks or literal stars visible — such as on a dark, cloudy day — early ocean navigation (pre-compass and sextant) could be incredibly difficult.

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The Day of the Builder: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 4
The Day of the Builder The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

You may feel you want to pursue a particular set of goals, though unsure as to how some people might respond. Where possible, you could seek clarification; there’s certainly nothing wrong with taking other people’s viewpoints into account. However, ultimately you are the arbiter of your own life, and everyone else is in a peripheral role. Therefore, start by being clear within yourself, and prioritize what you feel and know to be right for you in any decision. — 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 will lay it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio.

Written in the Planets

Thinking, communicating and feeling could all feel rather fuzzy today, and for a good several days more. Venus is exactly opposite Neptune, and Mercury is moving into the same position. This is classic ‘wait and see’ astrology. As in, wait and see if the person turns out to be who you think they are; or, wait to make permanent decisions and commitments based on your current perceptions.

This does not mean you must cease all activity and cocoon yourself. More like, go about your business and relationships, and appreciate everything about them, but with the understanding that you might need to adapt to further information down the road. The Scorpio Moon could be intensifying emotions, making them especially compelling. This Moon could also describe greater ability to read between the lines. Even so, you might consider holding in confidence what you think you’re intuiting until late in the month.
— 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.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.

In These Times graphic

The Day of the Mold Breaker: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 3
The Day of the Mold Breaker | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

Perhaps more than anything else, the truth of your word is the foundation of your honor and character. This year’s astrology seems to be calling on you not merely to practice honesty, but to keep it at the forefront of all you say and do. Be especially wary when you feel absolute certainty on any point that isn’t as obvious as 1+1=2. That’s a signal you may need to slow down and examine your understanding. In many cases there’s more to a situation than what we think we know.
— 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 will lay it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio.

Written in the Planets

Today’s sky describes a high degree of mental energy. It will be up to you to direct it toward productive tasks, constructive communication, and other ways of expressing the ideas that are most important to you, and with which you identify most strongly. We’re currently experiencing a triple conjunction in Virgo of the Sun, Mercury and Mars. This could bode very well for engaging any kind of intellectual work that requires stamina or confidence.

Yet you’ll want to give all this energy a clear job to do, ideally in the service of some larger good (that is, not just for your own satisfaction, or to prove to someone that you were right after all). This could also be a good time to fulfill any outstanding promises you’ve made to others. Without these kinds of clear focus, it’s possible to take yourself and what you have to say a tad too seriously. If you feel like debating for fun, choose your sparring partners carefully — for example, someone who’s already used to playing with this side of you.

Also, notice if you begin feeling like your very existence is on the line, or a similarly high-stakes level of urgency. Step away, literally or figuratively. See if you can get some perspective on what — if anything — you really need to defend here.

With these Virgo planets opposite Neptune and the centaur planet Nessus, there may be a degree of mirage or displaced emotion involved. That is, you might not be arguing about what you think you are; or your emotions might relate to a situation or person from your past more than to the person at hand. If you feel like you’re on the receiving end of someone’s defensiveness, see if you can draw them out with questions to help clarify what’s up. Chances are that process will benefit all involved.
— 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.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.

In These Times graphic

The Day of the Businesslike Attitude: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 2
The Day of the Businesslike Attitude | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

You have the determination and energy to succeed, regardless of any obstacles you perceive to be in your path. You know what you want to attain, and that perseverance is key to getting past any moments of self-doubt. This is a gradual but steady growth process that begins with you planting the seed of desire, and then gently nurturing it as it matures, strengthens and blossoms. Yet notice how that requires your action. The courage to seek for what you want is a crucial ingredient.
— 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 will lay it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio.

Written in the Planets

If you’re at work today, you may at least encounter a congenial atmosphere with coworkers. That may be especially true in the later part of the day, though self-discipline is likely to be hard to come by, thanks to a square between Venus in Virgo and Jupiter in Sagittarius. This aspect could also describe overindulging, such as at a holiday cookout or sale.

With Neptune in the picture, don’t be surprised if daydreams are hard to shake — just take off the rose-colored glasses when it comes to romance and financial transactions. Both of those could be especially slippery this week. Are your head and your heart really in the same place, or are you trying to rationalize your dreams?

Note also that the Sun and Mars in Virgo are opposite the centaur Nessus in Pisces today. Pay attention to any power dynamics showing up in your relationships, particularly (but not only) when it comes to sex. Can you relate any interpersonal patterns you’re seeing now to past inner emotional patterns (such as around being desired and who you desire), or to certain old thought patterns from earlier phases of your life? If you can locate where a particular feeling and train of thought comes from in your past, it may be easier to separate your personal ancient history from present events and people.
— 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.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.

In These Times graphic