Tag Archives: Leo

The Day of Wonder: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is July 9
The Day of Wonder | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

Work is good, and you like the stuff, though be aware when you’re working too hard to meet a particular goal. By too hard, I mean pay attention to the potential for inefficiency, and notice when you feel like you’re over-efforting. The moment you notice, back off a little, and reconsider your plan. Work with a conscious strategy that you tune on a near-daily basis, if only by making micro adjustments. This will keep you conscious and alert — that’s what you need.
— by Eric Francis

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

Today’s first quarter Moon marks the halfway point between the July 2 solar eclipse and the corresponding lunar eclipse on July 16. It’s also the first full day of Mercury’s current retrograde. Did you notice anything unusual last night or this morning — such as unexpected information, in addition to any hiccups or glitches? And how is this Eclipse Zone developing for you? Are you finding it easy or difficult to keep your focus on where you want to go, and to make adjustments to your daily rhythms in service of your longer-range goals? This may be a useful day to re-set or re-orient, if needed.

The Cancer Sun makes oppositions to Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn this week — with the aspect to Saturn exact today. This could present itself a few ways. Socially speaking, it might crop up as some loneliness. We can never truly know other people beyond a certain point; and while this is always the case, it could come through with a heavier feeling under a Sun-Saturn opposition.

Mainly, though, this aspect is likely to describe awareness of your limitations — particularly those set by other people or wider circumstances. That may feel challenging if there’s something you need to express that’s in contradiction to those restrictions or to someone in authority. How can you find the balance between doing or saying what you need to, and taking care of your central responsibilities and obligations? Whatever the method, being honest — and requesting honesty from others — will be key.
— 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 Imaginative Revelations: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is July 7
The Day of Imaginative Revelations | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

Give the past its place, but not too much of one. Give it enough of a voice that you learn from your experiences. Be sure to claim the knowledge and wisdom you’ve gained. Check in with people you’ve known a long time, if you want to check whether something you’re thinking of, planning or about to do is realistic. And above all else, be strategic with money. You do not need to spend a lot to get the results you want, and it’s likely you could do with spending a whole lot less. As wise old Ben Franklin supposedly said, a penny saved is a penny earned.
— by Eric Francis

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

Mercury stations retrograde in Leo today at 7:14 pm EDT (23:14:20 UTC). It will appear to backtrack into Cancer on July 19, and then finally stations direct on July 31 (or Aug. 1, depending on your time zone). Mercury’s tone in these two signs — Leo and Cancer — suggests you may find yourself reviewing things like how your pride and emotional sensitivity can influence your thinking (or have done so in the past). And by “influence” I mean hijack, sometimes in grand style.

To have Mercury stationing retrograde in a conjunction with Mars in Leo heightens this potential, particularly where matters of ego, over-identification with ideas, and entitlement come into play. You might watch for whether any information or insight along these lines rings a bell right around the time of the exact station. Consider imposing a delay on any emails, text messages or phone calls that deal with sensitive, reactive or potentially inflammatory matters, especially for the next several days. Depending on how the retrograde unfolds for you, you may wish to keep that protocol for the entire process. As always, if you can avoid making any major purchases or repairs for the next three weeks or so, it could save you some hassle. Usually a workaround can be found.

Venus in aspect to some objects early in the cardinal signs appears to be pushing the issue of how you feel about certain matters of sex (notably the more secretive or supposedly scandalous), and how — or whether — you speak about them. Are you facing familial taboos and associated internalized judgment? Is this just a matter of becoming willing to stand out as an individual, or is there a genuine need to understand your situation logically and keep some balance? Notice particularly if you seem to be sentimentalizing sex or relationships at the expense of your true desires and turn-ons, or in contradiction of apparent facts. Why would you feel compelled to do that?

Partial Lunar Eclipse: Dec. 31, 2009. Photo by <a href=

Anthony Ayiomamitis.” width=”900″ height=”489″ /> 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 Showman: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is July 5
The Day of the Showman | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

You have not chosen an easy path, but you have chosen a meaningful one — or you surely want to. You have things you want to do, and you have the passion to accomplish them. Here is what I suggest you remember, and remember all the time: you are your most important asset. Not your money, not your friends, not your circumstances — you personally. That includes your talents, your knowledge, and your spiritual connection, which I suggest you focus on first and foremost. Any problems you may face are merely puzzles to be solved.
— by Eric Francis

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

Chances are you can trace many of your sensitivities, concerns, sense of security (or lack thereof) and emotional response habits to those of your immediate family members. They, in turn, can trace theirs back to the previous generation. And so on. As Venus opposes Quaoar in Capricorn today, notice whether you see any of that mirrored to you in any way.

The great thing about such moments is that when we’re able to recognize what someone is showing us as our own ‘stuff’, we get an opportunity to choose a new approach if we don’t care for what we see. If you’re being shown a constructive or creative way of meeting the world (whether it’s your family’s typical approach or something new), you can be more conscious about modeling it for others.

The Moon continues through Leo with flair today, lending end-of-the-week activities an extra social vibe. Playing with kids could feel especially rewarding — and if you’re lucky enough to enjoy a four-day weekend, offers a great way to keep the energy moving, especially if adult interactions seem fraught with miscommunication or frustration. Mercury is very slow and powerful now as it prepares to station retrograde on Sunday, requiring extra focus with communication of all sorts. Easy does it.
— 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 Emancipation: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is July 1
The Day of Emancipation Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

It is a fact of your reality that you have little choice but to be exactly who you are. Yet in order to do that, you need to know what you are not, and drop it like ballast from a balloon. There is some old story that is clouding your perception, and some old commitment that is blocking your ability to move effectively in the world. With a little thought, you will be able to determine what this is. Whether you have the power to let go of negative attachments — well, that, you will see. That would be good, since much better possibilities await you.
— by Eric Francis

Hear Eric describe the impressive eclipses involving your Sun sign or rising sign in your 2019-20 Cancer Astrology Studio Reading

Written in the Planets

You might consider today how your closest bonds and pairings support your creativity, your mind, your emotional wellbeing and your sense of yourself as a whole and interdependent (but not codependent) being. There are many ways this can happen; usually we look for our relationships simply to make us feel good — and that’s an excellent sign. Sometimes, though, our most effective relationships — even if short-lived — are the ones that spur us to reconsider what we’re doing, or to realign with what matters most to us, or to grow. And often growth comes about in challenging ways.

However you think about it, you might have an encounter today that helps you to see things from this perspective, or similar. It’s possible you’ve already had such an experience sometime in the last few days, as Venus in Gemini has moved into an opposition with the Galactic Core and the centaur Ixion in Sagittarius. Notice in particular what people are showing you about your power to choose.

If you’re seeing something that looks like a ‘second chance’, how might you prefer to choose this time? What might feel like a truer, more authentic, or more holistic way of relating? If you find yourself sliding into frustration or critical self-talk about your choices and tendencies, consider that a hint to look for the grace in the situation, such as gratitude that you’re able to see it at all. As a spiritual being having a physical experience, a little self-forgiveness can go a long way toward learning the lessons we keep repeating.

Later this evening, Mars joins Mercury in Leo, which suggests getting fired up in spirit and body. Then the Moon enters Cancer (at 9:24 pm EDT), on its way to tomorrow’s New Moon and solar eclipse. What intentions would you like to set for your next 6-12 months, and what can you do in the next couple days to put energy toward them?
— 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.

Today is The Day of Stamina: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is June 26
The Day of Stamina | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

You seem impatient to reach a new phase in your professional life, though it would help to ensure you follow all the necessary steps. If you want to fit into a specific role but don’t yet have the qualifications needed, get the training, or apprentice yourself to someone who will teach you and answer your questions. You are never too old to learn new skills, and few prizes worth gaining require zero effort. Set aside any preconceptions you have of how things ‘should’ be, though your enthusiasm can serve as an excellent source of fuel to drive you onward.
— by Amy Elliott
Hear Eric describe the impressive eclipses involving your Sun sign or rising sign in your 2019-20 Cancer Astrology Studio Reading

Written in the Planets

Our current sky appears to be describing a particular idea a few ways: who we are in our sexual identity, how we express that, and the ways that such a personal matter has taken on out-sized political significance in Western culture. Astrologically, these ideas are described by the Cancer Sun (consciousness and self-expression) square Chiron (awareness, healing) and Salacia (sexual secrets and ‘scandalous’ material) in Aries, in a T-square with Eros in Libra (what turns you on, in any sense).

It’s worth bearing in mind that while the sign Cancer has that spark of initiative all the cardinal signs are known for, there can also be an element of indirectness to it. Think of the way crabs run sideways for an image of how that can work. Many people go to great pains in order to sidestep any kind of direct acknowledgement and overt embodiment of such topics as their most private sexual longings and leanings, their deepest wounds to identity, and even any kind of passionate excitement or curiosity (gotta be cool and ironic, right?). You can probably see the potential for tension here, even if you’re not feeling it yourself.

If you are feeling tension around these themes, communication — at least of the verbal sort — could feel less vulnerable after Mercury enters Leo later tonight, at 8:19 pm EDT / 00:19:17 UTC Thursday. You don’t need to be dramatic to claim your right to be who you are; even small experiments in self-expression could feel bold and get results.
— 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.

The Day of Ecstatic Appeal: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is June 20
The Day of Ecstatic Appeal | Order Your 2019-20 Gemini Reading | All Other Signs

You can earn money by selling your time, your labor or your ideas. Which of these do you prefer, or in what combination? In any event, remind yourself regularly that you must take the initiative on your own success, and that means daily effort, aspiration and refinement of your approach. There is no one solution — in fact there may be many solutions even to simple equations, situations or problems. Use your full intelligence, and be aware that the chance encounter or mental disruption can lead to the most brilliant approach.
— by Eric Francis Coppolino
Hear Eric speak about your year in-depth in your 2019-20 Gemini Astrology Studio Reading.

Written in the Planets

Mercury enters its pre-retrograde ‘shadow’ or ‘echo’ phase today; it will station retrograde in Leo on July 7, and stations direct in late Cancer on July 31. This lets you know a couple of things. One is that this would be a good time to tie up loose ends prior to the retrograde proper. The other is that since Mercury will station direct in aspect to Pluto and Eris — just like it is now — you may wish to make note of the key themes most prominent in your awareness currently. You might be revisiting this mental landscape in late July.

Also today Juno enters Leo, moving into a trine with Ceres in Sagittarius. As much as you may desire a partner or prospect to shine on you like the Sun, keep in mind that generosity of spirit nourishes the giver as much as the receiver — so why not offer some to others? No need to get offended if you don’t feel like you’re getting the attention you desire. The Sun will rise on you again soon enough; in the meantime, what you share will likely keep your spirit lit.

Tomorrow the Sun enters Cancer for the solstice. While it travels the last degree of Gemini today, things could feel a little edgy, or mentally agitated. Anytime you feel about to race ahead of yourself, consider slowing back down and re-focusing on what’s actually at hand. All seasons turn in their own time, and that time is imminent.
— by Amanda Painter

Did you know that Eric Francis has recorded new 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.

The Day of the Visionary: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is June 6
The Day of the Visionary | Order Your 2019-20 Gemini Reading | All Other Signs

You may feel like you’re being tested at every turn — though the only real question is whether you’re being honest with yourself. There are times when self-doubt is debilitating and even toxic. There are times when, if used with focus, it can be the best tool you’ve got. So keep asking yourself: am I being real with myself about this? Then go to, why or why not? Be open to ideas that contradict what you believe. If you have a defensive reaction to something, pause and ask yourself why. You will find this empowering.
— by Eric Francis Coppolino
Hear Eric speak about your year in-depth in your 2019-20 Gemini Astrology Studio Reading.

Written in the Planets

Today’s Cancer Moon could keep moods changeable, and domestic or caring-related activities at the top of your to-do list for the first part of the day. Mercury in Cancer continues to make contact with other cardinal-sign objects, emphasizing how you play out family patterns (especially in how you perceive certain things). You may feel a little more compelled today to investigate or speak about how you came to your current situation or worldview.

As the Moon enters Leo later in the day (3:16 pm EDT), notice if anyone around you seems compelled to dramatize whatever thoughts and feelings Mercury’s been stirring up. Remember that just because you’re in touch with your own inner child does not mean you need to let that little one act out for attention; you can use this same energy to get creative and playful, or to generously offer someone else whatever it is they seem to need.
— by Amanda Painter

Did you know that Eric Francis has recorded new 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.

Leo New Moon: Bridge to the Eclipse

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By Amanda Painter

The sky is illustrating an interesting dynamic currently. On the one hand, the Moon is waning toward a New Moon in Leo on Sunday; waning Moon phases tend to feel lower-energy. On the other hand, accompanying aspects and planetary sign changes suggest an increase of energy. You might be experiencing this as tension or as feeling a little out of balance in some way.

Looking across the Two Cent Bridge over the Kennebec River at Waterville, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

Looking across the Two Cent Bridge over the Kennebec River at Waterville, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

All of it relates to how you express yourself. And it all feeds directly into the Great American Eclipse on Aug. 21.

How conscious are you of the ways that you express yourself? That is to say, not only the words you use and the actions you take, but also how much energy is beaming through you at any given time, even when you’re not doing or saying anything? I’m referring to a variety of interrelated types of energy: emotional, mental, physical and sexual, as well ‘subtler’ forms (such as what you might tune into during meditation, reiki or t’ai chi, for example).

As Planet Waves reader Sue Edwards mentioned this week, even when you’re not speaking, some people are going to be quite sensitive to how you’re expressing yourself energetically. Think of it like the Sun itself: sometimes the Sun releases large amounts of plasma and electromagnetic radiation in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME); these events create direct and measurable disturbances in Earth’s atmosphere. Yet we don’t need that dramatic display to experience and notice the Sun’s expression of energy: it is constantly lighting and warming the Earth, both fostering life and (if we’re not careful) burning us.

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