Tag Archives: Eris

The Day of the Charged Reactor: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 29
The Day of the Charged Reactor | Pre-order pre-order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

You’re well-positioned to tap your psychic reservoir, to activate the devotion necessary to further aspirations this year. You have direct access to both right and left brain intelligence, and the more you follow intuitive prompts, the easier you’ll navigate your way. A strong, yet subtle blend of rational strategy and spiritual commitment is a key resource now. Faith and discipline are necessary in equal measure. When in doubt, center your compass on the true north found in what can only be described as your heart. Therein lies wisdom. Your efforts have momentum behind them.
— 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

Your idea of diplomacy — or of what’s fair, balanced and ‘nice’ — could meet a challenge today. What is the other person really after, though? Are they itching for a fight (because other people’s reactions make them feel seen, heard and important)? Do they have needs you have not considered? Is it possible you just don’t know them as well as you thought you did?

Sometimes we all just need to have our egos stroked, or to know there really is space for us in the world just as we are. But if seemingly ‘crazy-making’ interactions are frequent with someone, it’s worth paying attention to the pattern. Track what it’s telling you about your energy, their power, and the feedback loop between the two. Also be sure to notice if this pattern is happening in reverse: that is, if you keep meeting someone’s carefully worded (perhaps excessively so) communications with reactivity, passive aggression, or some kind of ‘poor me’ routine. What is really bothering you? And what is the need you can’t seem to get filled, yet can’t seem to ask for directly?

Mercury in Libra opposing Eris in Aries is the aspect at play. With the Libra Sun conjunct Logos, you may get a boost in discerning the reasoning and logic behind what’s up; you might even be able to express what you’ve figured out. Tact matters. Yet so, too, the ability to just come right out and say what needs to be said. With the sky leaning more toward indecisiveness or a preference not to be confrontational, however, that might take extra determination.
— 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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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 the Human Portrait: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 31
The Day of the Human Portrait | The 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for pre-order | All Other Signs

Today’s powerful New Moon on your birthday signifies you coming more fully into your own — meaning your energy, your resilience, and your ability to make decisions. The year ahead is very likely to show how strong you can be. You can accomplish just about anything you wish to. All that’s required of you is to understand all this, and to keep going even if you have times when you’re not so confident. If someone tries to push against you, remember that only you can direct your life.
— 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

“Fasten your seatbelts,” warns Bette Davis’s character in All About Eve, “It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” That could describe today for you, though your mileage may vary. Quite possibly you’ll just keep flowing with the tides, doing what you do. But today’s astrology suggests that not only might you encounter some potholes or unexpected detours, but you might be the one creating them. Not as a matter of deviousness or malice — it’s more that acknowledging and speaking the truth about a problem, a need, a desire or an issue that has gone too long unsaid sometimes creates ripples, or meets with a lot of resistance and emotional reaction.

Here’s what’s up: the Moon enters Leo today at 9:18 am EDT (13:18:04 UTC), ahead of its rendezvous with the Sun for the New Moon tonight at 11:12 pm EDT (3:11:48 UTC Thursday). Then, just 46 minutes after the New Moon, Mercury stations direct in late Cancer (at 11:58 pm EDT tonight / 3:57:41 UTC Thursday).

So that mixes together the low-energy vibe of a New Moon with a high-energy, attention-loving sign (Leo), and adds the churning power and potential confusion of a Mercury station on top of it all. Can you tell whether you’re coming or going? Plus, Mercury is stationing direct square Eris in Aries, which amplifies the potential trickster effect. It also emphasizes the importance of doing what you can to express all of who you are — or to ‘get real’ — with a dose of humor if things get a little funky, or if unexpected info emerges. (You can read a little more about these themes here.)

Mercury stations have a way of revealing facts or insights that you didn’t know were missing, so listen closely today and tomorrow. This should go without saying, but definitely drive the speed limit — literally when on the road, and figuratively in your communication with others.
— by Amanda Painter


COMING SOON FROM PLANET WAVES…

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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


COMING SOON FROM PLANET WAVES…

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The Day of the Decision Makers: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 27
The Day of the Decision Makers | The 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for pre-order | All Other Signs

Venus entering your sign on your birthday is likely to invest you with unusual charm. You could well have opportunities to enter into unfamiliar circles and meet different people. This has the potential to enliven and broaden your mind significantly, as well as introducing you to some new experiences, which is often a boon in itself, especially if it involves offline interactions. There are irreplaceable advantages in getting to know people as people, without the binary code filter.
— 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

How do you tend to react when you’re feeling left out, overlooked or like everyone else is having more fun than you are? You do have choices in situations like that, though be aware that the more stress you are under, the harder it can be to see all the options. Those are the times when we human beings are more likely to let old triggered emotions from the past put blinders on our thought process — to our own detriment, and to that of our relationships.

It can be challenging, therefore, to turn toward possibilities that create new ways of expressing ourselves constructively; but they do exist. Speaking about where you’re at before the pressure gets overwhelming might give those closest to you a better chance to help you help yourself.

With the Moon moving into Gemini today, it could be easier to see the multiple sides of whatever story you’re encountering, whether it’s an inner script or external circumstances. Note that since the Moon is waning (the New Moon is Wednesday night into Thursday) your sense of interior space may be a place of useful focus, if you can find a few peaceful moments to tune in to yourself.

Venus enters Leo tonight, heading for a square with Uranus in Taurus, which Venus rules; the Sun is making the same aspect currently. If you need to be unexpectedly frank about how you feel this weekend, try your best to do so in person, and with the understanding that the other person might not get your full point at first, and may need time to adjust even if they do. Mercury is almost at a standstill; this potentially describes a lot of mental-emotional churning for everybody right now. From now through Thursday (at least), keep watch for when your focus wanders, and guide yourself back to the task at hand gently but firmly.
— by Amanda Painter


COMING SOON FROM PLANET WAVES…

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Where We Are Now

By Amanda Painter

Tuesday evening the second of this season’s two eclipses came and went with the Capricorn Full Moon. On an immediate, practical level, I noticed this event arrived in a way that highlighted or seemed to exacerbate situations with a distinctly Mercury retrograde flavor. I’ve heard from a number of people in the last several days who’ve been wondering why they’ve felt a little ‘off’, down, thwarted or disempowered, and so on.

Seaweed pointing the way; photo by Amanda Painter.

Seaweed pointing the way; photo by Amanda Painter.

Does any of that describe your experience at all?

Collectively, we’ve been through a lot this year; Mars moving through Cancer and igniting a couple different aspect patterns — and the global events illustrating that astrology — was followed immediately by Mercury stationing retrograde. Add in these eclipses, and it has been a lot to handle.

Yet any astrology, no matter what in your life it describes or coincides with, is a reminder to notice consciously and integrate what you’re learning — particularly about yourself, but also about the people around you, your relationships with them, and your overall environment. So, regarding the last two weeks and the two eclipses bookending that span of time: what did you learn?

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The Day of the Rising Tide: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 16
The Day of the Rising Tide | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | The 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for pre-order | All Other Signs

Today’s lunar eclipse marks an unusually important year for you in terms of your personal growth, your maturity in relating to others, and your aspiration toward fulfilling your ideals. Tensions may play out in certain relationships, or within yourself, though this likely represents vital matters being brought to a head. As we change, so necessarily do our interactions and dynamics with others. Ultimately, you need honest people around you who’ll have your back.

Hear Eric describe the impressive eclipses involving your Sun sign or rising sign in your 2019-20 Cancer Astrology Studio Reading — now available for instant access.

Written in the Planets

Tonight’s Full Moon and partial lunar eclipse occurs in late Capricorn, opposite the Cancer Sun, at 5:38 pm EDT (21:38:06 UTC). This brings to a close the two-week zone between eclipses this season. However, whatever these events signify or describe in your life may be only beginning to take shape. So you might want to consider observing today carefully: your feelings and thoughts; your interactions with others; new information that arrives; things you realize have run their course. How consciously can you go about everything you do today? What are you giving your time, energy and attention, and does it match your greater intentions and priorities?

You can read a little more about this event here, and you can refer also to yesterday’s Written in the Planets. Bear in mind also that typical Full Moon tensions could be afoot, particularly in situations that feel stuck or locked down, or where emotions are complex. Even though the effects of eclipses can take months to manifest, once the Full Moon begins separating, some room might open up in which movement toward resolution of the immediate circumstances can begin.

It’s also worth noting that the Moon and Sun are square Eris in Aries and the object Haumea in Libra. This could describe needing to make a choice between self-serving actions that may cause chaos (for yourself and for others), and acts of creation that could bring some balance to your relationships. If you’re noticing these themes in your life, can you honestly assess which way you’re leaning? Mars in Leo making an aspect to the minor planet Albion in Taurus appears to describe the courage to cross a threshold, if you’re willing to take the steps necessary.
— by Amanda Painter


Partial Lunar Eclipse: Dec. 31, 2009. Photo by Anthony Ayiomamitis.

Partial Lunar Eclipse: Dec. 31, 2009. Photo by Anthony Ayiomamitis.

New in the Special Readings Series
Magnum Opus on Eclipses, Now Through Late 2020

Eric’s new 90-minute discussion of all things related to eclipses, in any sign — with a focus on Cancer and Capricorn eclipses, from the current pair through 2020 — is available now for instant access. Part audio reading, part astrology class, it offers you a lot of help processing the solar eclipse on July 2 and the lunar eclipse on July 16, and features original music. Hear it as part of the 2019-2020 Astrology Studio for Cancer, or purchase the Eclipses Reading separately for only $33.

The Day of the Sensitive Receptor: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is June 25
The Day of the Sensitive Receptor Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

What might seem like a challenging or stressful situation in terms of your career path has the potential to serve as a spur that drives your development. You’ll need to engage with it actively: take that course, seek out the promotion, start your own venture — and make it your own. If you’re bored, irritable or restless, check whether you’re angry. You might not need more stimulus; you might need to address a situation you have not considered before. Though the idea may seem scary, it’s a necessary step toward acknowledging your true capability and sense of purpose.
— by Amy Elliott
Hear Eric describe the impressive eclipses involving your Sun sign or rising sign in your 2019-20 Cancer Astrology Studio ReadingWritten in the Planets

Written in the Planets

Today’s the last quarter Moon: a square between the Moon in early Aries — conjunct Chiron — and the Sun in early Cancer. This indicates at least a couple of things. One is that you may notice an emotional or intuitive sense of some Sun-Chiron themes.

Included could be such things as: the ways your self-expression has in the past been damaged or stunted; issues around your father, particularly how well he was or was not able to be fully himself; other struggles around expressing your identity, including but not limited to your sexuality; how you balance your emotional/receptive and physical/active sides. Other minor objects in the aspect pattern suggest some possible tension between how you feel compelled to express yourself now and the prevailing story you tell about how your relationships came to be the way they are. Is it possible that leaning into the expressive side could actually help you to integrate the rest of it?

The other thing to know about this last quarter Moon is that it’s the final Moon phase on the way to next week’s Cancer New Moon and total solar eclipse. That happens on Tuesday, July 2, and is the first of a pair of eclipses this summer on the Cancer-Capricorn axis. I’ll have more about the solar eclipse chart in the coming days.

In the meantime, continue to keep a finger on the pulse of your frustration, anger, resentment and desire, as Mars in Cancer is still in a square to Eris in Aries. Have you been able to express those emotions constructively? Or is it proving difficult to own your reactions and be direct with the other people involved? Being honest with yourself about this first may make it easier to communicate more effectively with others.
— by Amanda Painter

Did you know that Eric Francis recorded insight-rich videos for all 12 signs, specifically investigating Mars interacting with some of astrology’s most influential planets this season? His Call the Astrologer readings are available individually or as a 12-sign set to share with your loved ones. Check out samples here and here.