Tag Archives: self-awareness

The Day of the Grand Gesture: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Oct. 12
The Day of the Grand Gesture | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

You may find your one-to-one relationships gaining a touch of extra zing this year, whether that involves meeting exciting new people or getting some pep injected into current connections. Variety being known for its relish, visiting some unfamiliar places or trying a different hobby will almost certainly encourage a sense of freshness. The thing to remember is that any particular change you wish to foster can start within you; you can set an example for those around you to follow if they wish.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have your Sun, Moon or rising sign in Libra? If so, Eric has much to say about stabilizing your relationships in the chaos of the internet, getting some traction in your career, and most of all, how to frame your own reality. in the 2019-2020 Libra Astrology Studio, now available for instant access. Check out the video preview for the reading here.

Written in the Planets

With the Moon entering Aries in the wee hours this morning, the day could be marked by especially impulsive responses and behaviors — whether yours, or those of people you’re interacting with. Tomorrow’s Full Moon (opposite the Libra Sun) won’t be exact until that evening; but with Aries and Libra signifying ‘the individual’ and ‘relationships’, you can expect any situation to be amplified where those concepts are central.

This is on top of today’s opposition between Venus (love, emotions, relationships) in Scorpio and Uranus (surprises, upsets, awakening) in Taurus. Remember that encountering the unexpected in a relationship (especially one that’s set in its ways) can actually be refreshing, invigorating and conducive to rekindling passion. Of course, shocks to perceived stability can also exacerbate tensions and anxieties; more so if the people involved have been ignoring certain matters that have gotten stale, stuck or were left on autopilot for too long.

If you’re partnered, can you seek out some new stimulation together, and appreciate each other’s zest for life, curiosity and willingness to grow? Adventures that feed the individual soul also foster a greater sense of inner abundance; and this can be shared openly with others to mutual benefit.
— by Amanda Painter

My autumn readings, called In These Times, 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 Gracious Ease: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 11
The Day of Gracious Ease | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Regardless of how long it takes you to get there, what you are currently aiming for is within your power to achieve. You might think doing so will necessitate some deus ex machina, but you already contain all the resources you require, in terms of skill, knowledge, character and sheer guts. Even if this isn’t immediately clear to you now, certain tools tend to become visible as they become necessary. Take courage. You have everything you could possibly need to draw on, and then some.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Mercury enters its pre-retrograde ‘echo’ or ‘shadow’ phase in Scorpio this evening. The actual retrograde begins on Oct. 31, and could signal a few more Halloween/Samhain hijinks than usual. Between now and then, you may get a little taste of what this retrograde is about, beyond SNAFUs and confusion. With the planet of the mind in the deep-feeling sign of mystery and intensity, you might frame this as your chance to play Private Investigator in your own psyche. What truths are you ready to uncover, and then put to use in your process of becoming?

Note that with the Aries Full Moon approaching on Sunday and a Venus-Uranus opposition tomorrow, certain interpersonal situations could feel loaded — whether with challenging surprises and exciting new possibilities, or with an urge to make big changes, or both. You can roll with it, though a little flexibility, a sense of humor and curiosity will help. The more conscious you can be about how you direct your energy and creativity, the more empowered you’ll likely feel in the face of any pressures and worries that may be cropping up.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Day of Prudent Economy: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 10
The Day of Prudent Economy | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Were there not sufficient time for pauses and smelling the flowers, our lives would be rather dull. Society seems to place little value on such moments, but you know better; you’re aware that finding something in each day to enjoy is the summit of human experience. Make sure you keep that understanding in mind this year, especially during those times when you’re at your busiest. Let the child and the artist in you out to play often, in order to kindle and rekindle your love of the world and its many beauties.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

As we get closer to Sunday’s Full Moon in Aries, you may notice certain relationships are intensifying — along with any of your usual Full Moon effects such as sleep pattern shifts, changes in emotional responses, or needing to negotiate a situation that’s starting to feel a little stuck. Even though the Moon is not even in Aries yet, the Libra Sun is making contact with Pluto in Capricorn and Ceres and Jupiter in Sagittarius — all of which will be directly in aspect to the Full Moon.

Jupiter’s presence may be greasing the wheels of any potential power struggles (especially with authority figures) that you might be navigating currently. Normally a Sun-Jupiter sextile is considered ‘lucky’ and good for social interactions of all kinds, but Pluto’s a pretty serious heavyweight. So rather than leaning on Jupiter to push your luck in risky ways, perhaps think of it as just enough of a buffer from the full pressure of Pluto to allow you to do what needs to be done — with careful reflection on your plans. A close look at any attendant fears or other emotional issues could also offer significant benefit today and through the weekend.

With Ceres there, we get an image of how we can teach by example, and learn from the examples and mentorship of others. What new lessons are you learning now, both from your inner grappling and from your interactions with people — including those you might be in a position to guide? What feels like a bit of an adventure, or is otherwise nourishing to your spirit? Who might be looking up to you, taking notes on what you say and the choices you make? Who are you seeking guidance from, and in what form? The more actively you can engage these questions and processes, the more you’re likely to get out of them — and the more you’ll have to give in the balance.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Aries Full Moon and Friends

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By Amanda Painter

How’s your sleep this week? And your relationship to authority figures — the ‘real’ ones and the internalized ones? Where are your thoughts going, and how do you feel about it? What about your urges and responses in your more intimate relationships? How conscious are you about using your energy in a creative, focused way?

The 2015 Aries Full Moon; photo by Amanda Painter.

As we end this week, several planetary events are conspiring to drive questions like those. The headlining act is the Aries Full Moon on Sunday.

Before we get there, Mercury enters its pre-retrograde echo (or shadow) phase tomorrow. On Saturday, Venus opposes Uranus to add a little extra voltage. Let’s take them in chronological order.

Mercury entering its shadow/echo phase Friday evening is your heads up to prepare any and all things related to communication, its related technologies, spending, transit, and how you handle your frame of mind in general. As in: back up your computer, tie up any loose ends with contracts and major purchases, and begin to get back into habits that help to safeguard against sending emails that ought not to be sent.

Mercury won’t actually station retrograde until Oct. 31 (Trick or Treat!). But as you may know, things can sometimes get even funkier prior to the retrograde than during it. Mercury will station direct — still in Scorpio — on Nov. 20.

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The Day of the Penetrating Gaze: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 9
The Day of the Penetrating Gaze | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

A particular project has now reached a point where the goal is in sight. You may be feeling some impatience to get there and move on, though it will help you to make sure all of the ground is covered. Rushing may cause you to retrace some steps, and in fact you have plenty of time — enough to take the scenic route and enjoy each stage of the journey. It might even be argued that having something to delight in, at regular intervals, is as important and useful for you as completing your mission.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Is anything about yesterday or this morning feeling like someone’s confronting you with some facet of your sexuality that you tend not to show or express? Do you feel able to have the conversation? Or are you responding with defensiveness, or trying to glide over things without getting your hands dirty? With Mars in Libra opposing the minor planet Salacia (and Chiron) in Aries today, something along these lines could crop up.

Once the Moon enters Pisces just after noon EDT (16:05:04 UTC) you may find it’s easier to be introspective about things. Mercury’s making planetary contacts that suggest some complicated emotions could emerge into your awareness. Yet there also appears to be an opportunity to cross a threshold of some kind, in relation to these feelings and thoughts, if you’re willing to be present with them. That opportunity could come in the form of another person mirroring them back to you. The Pisces Moon suggests that art and music could be particularly useful in moving some of this energy in gentle, creative, and maybe even beautiful or soul-expanding ways — especially if you’re very specific about your intentions.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Day of High Romance: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 8
The Day of High Romance | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

You have something beautiful to bring into the world, and you need to do so boldly and without apology. There are ways to use diplomacy and tact that don’t involve compromising what is important to you, though in any case your needs, and not other people’s convenience, are paramount. Your determination and passion, along with a little chutzpah, will get you past any significant bumps in the road, and your progress will likely be accompanied by big strides in personal healing.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Venus enters Scorpio this afternoon. And though this placement of Venus signifies passionate emotions and at times greater inclination toward possessiveness and jealousy, the Aquarius Moon could offer some stabilization and a slightly detached mood to help balance things — at least, today and tomorrow. Midweek through the weekend could get a little less predictable, emotionally speaking.

For now, just be sure to notice how you’re feeling and why; the more willing you are to track these shifts to their roots, the better you’ll able to keep perspective. With a Full Moon approaching on Saturday, perspective will be useful.

Also today, Mars in Libra opposes Chiron in Aries. With both Mars and Chiron representing a form of warrior energy, consider two things: one, how you tend to handle confrontations; two, how you would like to handle confrontations. Not everything has to be a blowup or have a ‘winner’ and a ‘loser’; at the other end of the spectrum, trying to avoid all confrontation rarely achieves that outcome in the long run.

There is a middle path: determining what you want and how you feel, and then asking whoever else is involved what they want and how they feel. From there, it’s possible to have a conversation to reach a solution. It’s deceptively simple, yet many people get stuck before they even begin, usually out of fear (of an argument, of consequences, of being told “no”). It’s this fear that amps up the tension. So if you’re feeling afraid of addressing an issue directly with someone, what’s that really about? If you can see it for what it is, chances are you can stop it from running the show — and then work some actual diplomacy.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Day of Defiance: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 7
The Day of Defiance | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Creative work often requires walking a fine line between rational thought and flights of imagination, while drawing on the strengths of both. There will be days when you can blissfully float into wonderful fantasy worlds, and others when you’re happier managing logical matters; and still others when you want nothing more than to clean house or go for a run. The key is almost always diligence and perseverance. So long as you keep your eye on the goal, getting there is all but certain.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

What does it take to convert impatience with restrictions into the self-discipline needed to eventually transcend them? This seems to be one of those questions that need to be faced on a regular basis, since it’s a cornerstone of maturing and learning how to take authority in one’s life. It’s also a question you’re likely to encounter today, as the Libra Sun squares Saturn in Capricorn. In fact, you’ve probably been dealing with whatever issue this aspect represents for the last few days.

Possibly this dynamic has resulted in focusing all (or most) of your attention on some authority figure who either is in fact limiting you, or whom you fear and assume has that power. Have you actually tried to discuss the matter, though? You might discover you have more leeway to pursue preferred activities, or to break out of a rut, than you thought. Without actually having the conversation, however, your assumptions could be making life feel more difficult than it really is — and that can sap energy you could really use on a Monday.

Luckily, there are aspects to the Sun and Saturn that suggest such potentials as: breakthroughs in understanding, an ability to express yourself (in a mature way) with minimal actual consequences, and access to the kind of mentorship that feeds your soul and keeps you pointed toward your goal. Those potentials will require some action to access them, though. You may even find that in seeking your own personal balance between self-gratification and responsibility, liberation becomes less about running wild, and more about the inner work you do.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Day of the Good Life: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 6
The Day of the Good Life | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

A major new stage in your life is beginning, and it’s time to shake off any lingering doubts or fears regarding how ready you are, or how capable. You’ve proven countless times that you are both, and then some; and once you’ve taken those first few crucial steps, you’ll probably be surprised at just how well and easily you’re adapting. True, in any situation there are challenges, though facing them is how we learn and develop. Gather your courage and take this opportunity with both hands. You’ll be glad you did.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Monday might begin the ‘real’ workweek for you, but today’s Capricorn Moon suggests getting down to business with your personal priorities. That could mean inner emotional stuff you need to address, or it might describe taking practical steps with external resources, projects and long-term goals.

Note, however, that with Mercury’s opposition to Uranus in Taurus exact, you may need to take an unorthodox approach to things, or prefer to spend short bursts of time on several tasks. Even then, dealing with the underlying facets of what you’re working on could prove more satisfying than just touching on surface levels. Working with some kind of method (perhaps a new one) could help prevent errors, especially if new insights emerge quickly.

Others may challenge your thinking (and you may find yourself unexpectedly challenging others), which could result in particularly blunt or sharp responses. Sometimes that is exactly what’s needed to move ideas and relationships to the next level. Yet this works best if nobody’s being confrontational simply for the sake of it, and if neither party stays attached to their emotions and preconceived notions.

Also, notice if a need for certain things to be ‘just so’ is working at cross-purposes with a broader vision for what makes a fulfilling partnership. These differences could play out with another person (as in, one of you taking one approach, and the second person taking the other), or might manifest as a purely internal tension. If focusing on the details is not leading to a sense of ease, perhaps leaning toward a philosophy of shared purpose will help reframe specific expectations. We all have our bottom-line non-negotiables, but nothing is perfect.
— by Amanda Painter