Tag Archives: Taurus

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…

In These Times graphic

The Day of Quixotic Exploits: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 25
The Day of Quixotic Exploits | The 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for pre-order | All Other Signs

Recent or current changes on the work front are opening up brand new possibilities for you, in areas you might previously have dismissed or not even considered. Careful appraisal could be useful in figuring out which option you wish to pursue, though be bold, even audacious. This is your chance to break through any walls with which you’ve hemmed yourself in before. You are capable of far more than you realize, and now is your chance to demonstrate that capacity.
— 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

It’s possible you’re starting to feel a little restless in some regard, and that sensation may build over the next few days. You might be able to get ahead of it a little, by looking for places where you can break up your routines. What’s due for some freshening up, or a new approach? Today’s trine between Mars in Leo and Jupiter in Sagittarius describes having the physical energy needed to make some changes, as well as the ability to see where you can best strive for growth right now.

Letting your lust for life guide the process is likely a wise choice. Chances are good that doing so will help to engender new creative ‘offspring’ — and this stands in clear contrast to the kinds of choices and behaviors that generally stem from a place of feeling disempowered or unseen. The more you can keep your words direct, clear, and free of any emotional manipulation — and keep your actions forthright (rather than secretive) — the more solid the ground you’ll be walking on. In turn, that makes it easier to see who’s truly standing with you, even if they seem to be coming from a different perspective. With Mercury still retrograde and a little squishy for another week, continue to strive for thoughtful precision in all communication.
— by Amanda Painter


COMING SOON FROM PLANET WAVES…

In These Times graphic

The Day of Passive-Active Duality: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 10
The Day of Passive-Active Duality | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

In anything you do, you may notice there is a difficult way, and an easier way. By difficult, I mean running into obstacles that make no sense. How do you handle them? Do you go back toward the obstacle, or do you go in another direction? Think of this as the difference between the past and the future. In any choice you make, which way are you headed? Here is the thing: there are certain elements in your life that you are really, truly done with. Know what they are, and be bold about choosing something else — something alive and fresh.
— 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

A few hours after the Moon enters Scorpio today at about 5:28 am EDT (9:28:29 UTC), it makes its way into a T-square formation with Mars in Leo and Uranus in Taurus. You may notice an extra edge (perhaps sexual) or depth of emotion this afternoon, possibly related to any restlessness you’re feeling this week. Mars aspects tend to be palpable on the approach (the square to Uranus is exact tomorrow), so you may already be experiencing it.

If you’re yearning for freedom in some form, see if you can channel that impulse away from outright rebellion and into a more deliberate process of ongoing creative change. Also keep tabs on perceived threats to your ego, since the potential for explosive reactions is higher with this aspect. With Mercury newly retrograde in Leo — and still in contact with Mars and Uranus — you’re on double alert to be careful and thoughtful with all forms of communication. It may be harder with real-time, in person conversations to press your internal pause button if needed. You’d be amazed, though, at the centering power of a couple deep breaths in such moments.
— 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 Dark Pragmatist: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 8
The Day of the Dark Pragmatist | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

You are edging closer to something you want, something genuinely important. Yet you need to watch your bearings. That’s a navigational term, which means know your position, your course and your speed. Check these regularly. You may be driven by financial motivation to a degree that does not work for you, and that’s one of the most important things to keep tabs on. Where money is concerned, know how much you need and why. Make sure the basics are taken care of first. And in all of your dealings, be impeccably honest. In the long run, it will pay.
— 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

Retrograde Mercury’s conjunction to Mars in Leo is exact today, though chances are you’ve noticed its influence already. That might be coming through as heightened mental and physical energy in its more constructive manifestation, such as the ability to focus on a project and persist until it’s done.

However, if you’ve been trying to navigate defensiveness, competitiveness, egos (yours or someone else’s) and similar, it may help to take step back from whatever’s firing you up. Continuing to push at someone is unlikely to bring an enjoyable outcome, though friendly debate could be extra spirited. That said, today’s Libra Moon offers a ‘make peace, not war’ vibe that may help to balance out hotter influences, as long as you stay honest in your efforts at diplomacy.

Venus in Cancer is making aspects to Chiron in Aries and Uranus in Taurus. Are you feeling inwardly conflicted about something or someone (including, but not limited to, who you are and how you love)? You might find that the more unusual, creative or unexpected option for how to deal with it offers you the best opportunity to move forward. It could also provide a more authentic sense of contact with your core values, even if it seems out of habit. Your most stimulating friends, lovers, and ‘not your typical Monday’ social situations are worth seeking out today — just do so knowing that transit and communication will require your full attention.
— 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 Magnetic Desire: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 6
The Day of Magnetic Desire | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

If you are trying to figure something out, write it down, the old fashioned way, on paper. Map out your thoughts in a visual way, so you can see them; and then scribble, erase, revise, rewrite, sketch and develop what you’re thinking. There is something a bit slow and ponderous about your charts right now, and you will benefit from the full use of your intelligence. This must be a deliberative operation. You will need to change your mind, change it again, and change it one more time. This is not about being indecisive. It’s about an actual decision process.
— 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

Be prepared to adjust or abandon your plan on the fly — particularly in the morning — though that does not mean you shouldn’t bother to have one. The Virgo Moon is a natural time for focusing on practical, precise and orderly tasks. However, early in the day the Moon makes trines to Uranus in Taurus and Pholus in Capricorn. Unexpected factors are likely to pop up.

Yet you might actually find this to be emotionally exciting, and it could stimulate some constructive change in your personal relationships or physical environment. Pholus in the picture indicates that it may not take much to surprise you (or those close to you), and that small adjustments made in response could develop into an unusual level of creative change. One key to that is remembering to keep sight of the bigger picture, rather than over-focusing on what would have been ‘perfect’ according to your original plan.

Last but not least: bear in mind that Mercury stations retrograde in Leo tomorrow afternoon (or evening, depending on your time zone). This is likely today’s most important descriptor of mental, interpersonal and mechanical/digital curveballs, as well as the need to meet them with an open mind and relaxed attitude. If you’re feeling confident about tackling problems, that’s great — just remember there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. A positive solution is one that takes everyone’s needs and desires into account, even if it can’t satisfy all of them equally. And right now, it could be harder to hear the details of others’ desires clearly if you don’t make the conscious effort to.
— by Amanda Painter


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.

Fireworks or Fireflies? Mercury Stations Retrograde

By Amanda Painter

Mercury stations retrograde in Leo this Sunday, July 7, at 7:14 pm EDT (23:14:20 UTC). This means that we’re now in the ‘storm’ phase: the two to three days on either side of Mercury stationing retrograde or direct. Given the astrological location and cultural timing of this event, you’ll want to approach the next several days with increased awareness.

LED hula hoop in lieu of fireworks; photo by Amanda Painter

LED hula hoop in lieu of fireworks; photo by Amanda Painter

Eric has dubbed this the “Anger Management” retrograde, thanks to Mercury stationing in a conjunction to Mars: a fiery planet in a fiery sign.

With Mars relating to such things as desire, ambition and aggression, and Leo often shining through as pride or drama (though it can also manifest as more heart-based leadership), you can probably start connecting the dots. Add in the mental level represented by Mercury — and the ways that our attempts to communicate and be understood often fall short — and frustration levels can spike quite easily in such an astrological environment. Our increasingly digital landscape adds another layer of disconnect — subtleties get lost; buttons get pushed; egos flare up.

Mercury-Mars conjunctions, when working at their best, can describe great mental and physical energy, especially in a fire sign. You can tap this to accomplish much if you have a goal in sight, or an obstacle you need to overcome.

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The Day of the Disconnected Unconscious: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is July 2
The Day of the Disconnected Unconscious | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

Today’s total solar eclipse in your birth sign is offering you the power to make the changes you need to create in your life. Do not be nervous. Do not be daunted. Rather, see what choices you have, and make some decisions. The most significant among these is the one about being wholly and entirely committed to your own cause. Nobody can do this for you. Yet it seems you are moving yourself from within. This is quite literally inner movement, a shift, a realignment that brings you closer to yourself than you’ve been in many, many moons.
— 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 is the Cancer New Moon and total solar eclipse. The New Moon is exact at 3:16 pm EDT (3:16:06 UTC); serennu.com lists the peak of the eclipse about seven minutes later. If you have not yet asked yourself what patterns you might like to shift over the next six to twelve months, this would be a good time to give that some thought. Better yet, what kind of energy can you put toward those intentions via some tangible action? The more you can frame your vision in positive terms — that is, what you’d like to cultivate more of, the gifts you’d like to offer the world, what you simply love doing — the better.

Note that this eclipse is occurring on the Cancer-Capricorn axis. This puts it into contact with the Saturn-Pluto conjunction that will be exact in January, and which we’re already experiencing. It’s possible that decisions and changes you undertake in the next couple of weeks may develop in particularly noticeable ways by then; for now, though, it’s likely that it is enough to be conscious of your present moment. Notice how the current is flowing in your particular bend of the river; this can make it easier for you to paddle with it rather than against it as you keep your eyes on your desired destination. (You can read more about the eclipse chart here and here.)

In today’s eclipse chart, the asteroid Vesta is in a conjunction in Taurus with an object named Albion (which used to be referred to as 1992 QB1 on Planet Waves). This suggests there’s some grounded persistence available that you can use to cross some kind of threshold — which may be sexual or body-related, or associated with your core values, or could also apply to your financial or material resources. Moving through this doorway may require you to actively make and hold space for it. Think in terms of a central point of orientation, rather than keeping it on the periphery.
— 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 Emotional Stimulation: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is June 28
The Day of Emotional Stimulation | Order Your 2019-20 Cancer Reading | All Other Signs

It would appear you’re fluctuating between two states of mind. In one, you really need to rouse yourself in order to push toward your goals; and in the other, you’re barrelling ahead at such a fast pace you’re liable to break the sound barrier. Finding a happy medium may seem like a challenge; the first thing to do is catch yourself when in either mode, and figure out what’s going on. Then plan out a pace that’s healthy and works for you. You don’t need to get it perfect every day; persistence is almost always a better friend than speed.

— 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

With the Moon in Taurus, your TGIF feelings could have you inclined to take the day at a leisurely pace. If your job allows for that, great. If not, it’s possible the Moon’s contact with Saturn in Capricorn will offer just the disciplined work ethic you need to keep plugging away until all the items on your task list are checked off. Some Neptunian influence could filter through in the form of especially imaginative or beautiful inspirations along the way.

Speaking of Neptune in Pisces: the ongoing square it’s receiving from Jupiter in Sagittarius remains a reminder to keep checking with reality as you formulate any dreams, schemes, or far-off, grand-scale plans. There is reason to be discerning in your dealings with others, particularly when your ideals are part of the conversation. Yet at the same time, the desire to help may be strong right now. You might feel tested — even thwarted — as you try to put your loftier convictions into tangible action, but that does not mean you’re wrong in doing so. It simply could signify that anything truly worth doing is worth making an effort to accomplish.

— 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.