Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 #930 | By Eric Francis
No matter how complex you are, or what you’ve been through, you’re in an excellent position to have true companionship. This may come in the form of new friends or openings with long-standing friends and/or lovers. You have the option to open nearly any conversation with anyone, and by that, I mean the discussion of real subject matter. There is only one little condition, which is that you be willing to be forthright and vulnerable. Your sincerity is the elixir that opens up the portals to a deeper place. Your willingness to investigate and question your values is what makes it safe for others to do so. And you do have questions, as far as I can see — questions about what is really important to you; questions about why you’re alive; questions about the nature of existence. It’s usually easy to gloss these questions over; it’s easy, most of the time, to pretend they don’t exist. But not now. The questions are there, they run deep, and you will benefit from going deep with others into their true nature; into your true nature.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 #929

To get out of the mental knot you seem to be caught in, you need to think beyond yourself. This may be difficult for a few days, because there is currently a kind of exaggeration effect in your astrology where changing your mind can feel like giving up everything. Or, you may have this idea that once you come to terms with one specific thing about yourself, or a particular fact of your life, there will be a cascade effect and one thing will lead to another as you gradually go out of control. You’re probably right about that. All it takes is one realization about yourself, one moment of truth, to get you to make a series of necessary changes that have in fact been long overdue. This particular psychological configuration is why so many people spend much of their time being ‘stuck’.

Planet Waves Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for December

You can afford to be generous with yourself — that is, generous offering who you are and what you have. Among the life lessons I would actually file under the category ‘spiritual’ is the one about not knowing how much you have until you share it, and this is what your charts have developed into as 2012 draws to a close. Challenge the feeling that you must withhold from others, or keep what you have to yourself. Listen to the voices of your parents instructing you in this particular way of life. You have many examples of how this does not work, though few dare to draw from the well of their soul and offer themselves to others in the spirit of something bigger than we think the world has to offer. This will teach you how abundant you are — and how much life has to offer you and everyone.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 #928

I can barely begin to imagine the ways the current astrology is manifesting for you, though the sense I have from your solar chart is that you’ve never felt stronger or more determined to participate in the world as a functional adult. That’s just fine, as long as you keep your sense of humor. That is your key to the humility that will remind you that you’re human, and keep your Scorpio water moist and humid rather than having it all evaporate. I suggest you spend as much time as possible on The Onion’s website and make sure you catch a few episodes of Stephen Colbert, someone capable of raising sarcasm to the level of inspiration. There is another side to humor, pointed out by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who notes that humor means taking things lightly rather than with a heavy heart. I think that these days, cultivating both forms would serve you well, particularly in writing. I always consider a bit of well-wrought comic relief, irony or a satirical eye evidence that the author was actually awake whilst typing.

Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for December | By Eric Francis
Standing in for Weekly Horoscope #927

The time has arrived to distinguish you from your ideas about yourself. You may not be the first kid on the block to succeed at this, so don’t expect a keg party in your honor. Yet what is likely to happen is that by experiencing yourself differently, you will see the world differently. This is most of the issue, right? The willingness to see, to envision and to experience the world as different (particularly, as different from the one that our parents imposed on us)? Yet to embark on this requires consciously embracing instability, uncertainty and the unknown — not the flavors of the month these days. Both your ‘ideas about yourself’ and ‘yourself’ are powerful concepts, though they are different kinds of concepts and need to be distinguished from one another. For some, this is about sorting out the appearance of something from the underlying reality — the press release from the contentious meeting where it was written, and where much else was said. For others, this is about distinguishing where you are now from where you want to be in the future. And for others, this is a question about how the past weighs on you, and may drag you back to a time and place that no longer exists. All of this would be much easier, were you willing to take the risk of rejection. That implies having little to no influence on what people think of you. Then, you could be honest with yourself, and proceed on that basis alone.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Nov. 16, 2012 #926

You may feel like you don’t understand yourself, or like you have so far to go before you do. If that’s what’s going on for you now, I suggest you take it as a reminder of how far you’ve come. Yes, your questions are real, and they may seem to lead to more questions rather than simple answers (or any answers at all). Yet while you’re doing this, some things are available to you that are not available to others who do not get so deeply involved with the mysteries. One thing is that your self-inquiry provides you with energy that will fuel your passion and your art. You are capable of being free from the kinds of judgments that ensnare so many people. Perhaps most significantly, you can groom this into curiosity that gives you a truly interesting life. If there’s a catch, here it is: this all becomes valuable and life-affirming to the extent that you put it to use. Guide these feelings into some tangible means of expression, thought or relating. For the next few weeks, writing may lead you to some deep spaces. Be generous with yourself.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 #925

Teasing is not a way of life — and if you find that you’re going in that direction, you might want to reconsider. By teasing, I mean offering anything to yourself (particularly an emotional or erotic experience) but not coming through; using your appeal to lead anyone on, for some ‘other purpose’; or any situation where your presentation and your intention do not align fully. I suggest you avoid teasing yourself with what you want, a kind of drama that reenacts a family situation (playing out in your own head) about what you’re ‘supposed to be’, versus what you actually want to do. You may be trying to lure yourself with promises, or with various benefits from a proposed compromise, all of which are likely to leave you just out of reach of fulfillment. I suggest you take a more straightforward approach to your desires, and those of others. If you set an ethical code, “Someone’s desire is not an opportunity for me to focus power,” you and the people you care about will be a lot happier. There’s another side to this — your desire is not an opportunity for someone else to focus their power over you.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Nov. 2, 2012 #924

You may feel like some big change is imminent, and very likely, you are correct. You can think of this as a test of your flexibility and resilience. By now you know the ways that you tend to get rigid, especially on the emotional level of your consciousness. However, your methods of trying to contain, control and suppress your feelings are getting old, and it’s time to question your motive for trying to do so. The more you’re able to flex, the better you will be able to make the transition you are by now facing. Meanwhile, you need to be extremely conscious with money — and that means honest. Look at self-serving tendencies with a skeptical eye; it’s not the virtue that it’s sometimes made out to be, and I suggest you be especially mindful if you find yourself rationalizing anything or diving into spendthrift tendencies. Your money has to be a spokesman for who you are and what you value. Consider every transaction a vote in support of what you want to create for yourself.

Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for November 2012 #923

On Nov. 13, there’s a total solar eclipse in your birth sign, the first in more than nine years. Though there are numerous other factors influencing you this month, this by far is the most significant. Eclipses are about shifts in continuity, sometimes subtle, sometimes radical. I would say they represent ‘change’, but these days that’s a meaningless word. It’s a special kind of change, involving things that have gone on so long you’ve taken them for granted. This could include emotional patterns, certain facts about your sexuality and most significantly, the ways you communicate with yourself and others. Your charts present an image of you passing through what would normally be a ‘veil of forgetfulness’, only this time, you remember who you are. Not only that, you remember the support, love and trust that surrounds you, much of it coming from far beyond the Earthly realm. Yet in the aspect of your life that’s located here on Earth, one implication is that you’re experiencing the drive to rebuild your integrity. It may be painful, at first, to consider the ways that your words and actions have not been in alignment — then after a while, you’ll figure out that every time you discover one of these fractures is an opportunity to make amends with yourself and by extension, with others. It will help if you come to terms with the fact that, for many years, not everything you’ve believed was true. And that, you will discover, is very good news.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Oct. 19, 2012 #922

Structure is no more an impediment to your dreams than a car prevents you from driving someplace. Yet to have the freedom that a car offers, it took focus, ingenuity and dedication on the part of inventors and engineers — and the driver had to get access in the form of buying or borrowing one. You’re in approximately the same place with your life right now: you cannot have the freedom of expression you dream of without some structure and discipline around your goals. Daydreaming may feel liberating, but it’s really a distraction, and a form of boredom. Yet it seems that the moment you get close to the point of embracing some firm path or pattern and applying it to what you desire, fear takes over the equation. You may change your point of view when the Sun ingresses your sign Monday. Notice how much you get done next week, and remember how good it feels.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Oct. 12, 2012 #921

You may be starting to figure out how isolated you’ve felt (and for how long), now that you are getting a little relief. At least you feel some substance to your presence in the world; for too long you existed like a ghost, even at times feeling unable to take up physical space, or willing to admit that you exist. You may also be feeling a new sense of responsibility to yourself, which involves rising to a level of authenticity that you’ve been uncomfortable with for quite some time. The question is, what exactly were you hiding, whether from yourself or from anyone else? My sense from your solar charts is that you’ve been holding a certain edge to protect you from getting in too deep. This makes any emotional risk feel like putting all your chips onto the table. But unlike in a poker game, you might want to ask yourself whether you have more to lose by holding back your feelings, or by expressing them. Often the laws of spirit run contrary to the laws of the material plane — and you are in just such a situation.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Oct. 5, 2012 #920

The question is not what others believe about you, or what you think they believe about you. As you’re figuring out, it’s what you believe about yourself. While it’s possible that you may be having your doubts about something, be mindful if you hear yourself protesting too much. Do you really have something to defend? Do you need to establish how different you are from someone else, or everyone else for that matter? One question your charts are sketching out is: how do you know when your perspective is narrow? Let’s say you feel broad-minded, though in truth you’re not quite there. How would you know that? One way would be to question nearly everything you say, think and feel, or at least subject it to some scrutiny. Ask yourself, “Is that really true?” And rather than taking the answer, notice how long it took you to come up with that answer. Assessing whether an idea or perception is valid can take a while. I suggest you hold off judgment for as long as you can, and let the information filter in.

Monthly horoscope for October 2012 standing in for Weekly Horoscope #919

You are approaching one of the boldest ‘get serious’ moments of your life, a process spanning nearly three years. When you get to the other side, you’ll have acquired additional self-knowledge, privileges and responsibilities of adulthood. This is about Saturn in your sign, which arrives on Oct. 5 and departs in early 2015. I’ve described Saturn in your Sun sign (or in your rising sign) as an extended phase of coming to terms with yourself. Said another way, this transit is about becoming your own inner authority, something that few people ever do — and which is much likelier with Saturn in your neighborhood. One sad story of our society is people refusing to grow up; other people continue to have authority over their choices and even their opinions. Saturn in your sign can feel like authority figures or seemingly more powerful people imposing themselves on you. This is a reminder to take authority over all of those aspects of your life, and many more where you anticipate this kind of involvement by others. There are structured and organized ways to do this. Many people have described therapy as a kind of ‘re-parenting’ process, at the end of which you’ve taken over the role previously delegated to them. This is what I’m talking about, in whatever form works for you. You have to answer to some authority — whether you provide it, or whether someone or something outside yourself shows up and imposes it on you. The choice is yours.

Planet Waves Inner Space Horoscope for October 2012

Saturn’s ingress into your sign opens an extended phase of what one astrologer once described to me as ‘coming to terms with yourself’. That’s a kind of reconciliation, an understanding, and an exploration of your potential and your limits. Though they’re not usually considered compatible ideas, your potential and your limits are closely related; they’re aspects of the same thing. You might think that your limits are a description of your outermost potential, though I think that they show you what you can, and will, go beyond. Therefore I suggest you look at everything as an opportunity. When you reach a spot where you think you cannot go any further, that’s the place to reach beyond. Use your intelligence, use your determination, use your desire — use everything to your advantage.

Friday, September 21, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #918

Your charts describe the way in which you’re striving to be, or at least to experience, the opposite of what you are now. This looks like a healthy expression of your creative imagination. It’s also a viable way to explore the tension that you’re feeling, which is a kind of inner standoff between two different emotional realities. It’s as if you feel entirely like one of them in one moment, and entirely like the other in the next moment. Which is really you? How can they both feel so vividly true? Consider the possibility that you contain parallel realities. They can coexist like separate dimensions, each of which is valid when you’re in it. Rather than trying to reconcile them against one another, be fully in each of them as you experience it. This will feel a lot better than trying to compel yourself to reconcile them. Both are valid, even if one seems to exclude the other. Be fully where you are and what you’re feeling in every moment and understanding will come.

Friday, September 14, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #917

You have every advantage now — particularly if you know what you want, and focus on that. It seems that a high priority is making a particular relationship work, or getting that relationship started. My impression, however, is that you’re figuring out that your most important relationship is to yourself. That means living differently, especially given Scorpio’s famous desire for involvement with others. Though you’ve been here before, this is likely to feel like a radically new orientation for you, as you shift your identity away from ‘relationship partner’ and in the direction of ‘whole person’. If you’re doing this sincerely, then you will likely be experiencing some sensation of being in unfamiliar territory. However, this is not the time to say ‘I tried being myself, but it didn’t work, so I went back to whatever I was before’. Rather, it’s time to stick with the feeling that you need to stretch, and ultimately, to let go of something, in order to be 100% you.

Friday, September 7, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #916

Do you have this feeling that your life is balanced on one extremely delicate self-doubt? It could be anything, though I suggest you get out your microscope and see if you can find any traces of self-doubt that are influencing your life. I can name two potential (as in likely) categories: one is the lack of approval by a parent or parental figure (likely to be father), interfering with your sense of what you’re capable of, or whether you’re respectable. The second (and potentially more complex one) may involve doubts about whether you’re in fact ‘suitable relationship material’. If you’re working with that one, remember that it didn’t come from nowhere. You didn’t make up the criteria against which you’re attempting to reconcile your self-worth. However, you did take it on at some point, though if you want to let it go, it’ll be helpful to know where it came from, in part so that you can assess the credibility of the source. You’ve begun a phase of your life wherein you will be carefully considering your past tendencies in relationships, whether they serve you now and what to do about them. At the moment, some very telling information is available.

Inner Space Horoscopes for September 2012

This month and next, energy begins to collect in your sign. Mars has just arrived, which will be followed by the North Node, Saturn and then the Sun. These planets are conspiring to push you to a new level. This is not an extension of the metaphor of the frog in the pot of water that’s gradually being heated up. Because Mars is the first planet to make a move, the temperature is going to rise quickly, and will be joined by different shades of energy: the North Node’s intensely soulful quality; Saturn’s focus on commitment and structure; and the Sun’s gift of self-expression. Stay perky, keep busy with meaningful priorities and make sure you pay attention as you acquire each of these new tools. They are yours to work with. Rise to the occasion.

Friday, August 31, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #915

Make sure your emotional approach to others is gentle, and not an ambush. Be aware of the intensity that others may perceive in you, but which you may not have noticed in yourself. Yet you might also question why you are carrying this energy. Your astrology suggests that you might be feeling fragmented, or lacking focus — though not lacking at all for drive. That sense of fragmentation, if you’re feeling it, could lead you to overcompensate with push energy or raw desire. You don’t need to do this. Your supercharged state is noticeable and attractive to others; I suggest you work on focus. Get clear what you want to do, and refine your agenda as you become aware of it. This will help you groom subtle inner conflicts out of your psyche, which in turn will help others feel you as a unified being working with a clear purpose. As a result, you will know intuitively to be less aggressive. Assertive is all you need, such as saying hello and cordially introducing yourself to someone you want to meet.

Moonshine Horoscope by Genevieve Hathaway, standing in for Planet Waves Weekly 914 for Friday, August 17, 2012. Edited by Eric.

Much of your emotional-body experience is dictated by your personal philosophy. In other words, you feel what you think is true. This viewpoint ties back to childhood; attitudes adults dictated as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ were based on verbal and physical clues designed to make you feel a certain way. During your early life, you learned to hide your feelings as a result of negative responses from adults. Those emotions became buried deep, and now you only touch the tip of the iceberg when you connect to them. To go deeper, try to remember some of those experiences. You don’t need to work them out as much as you need some clue that there is a matter of depth involved, and that the depth may point you to the past. As you do this, it’s vital to remember that how others responded has more to do with them than you. But you didn’t know that at the time. Now, however, you’re getting help with shaking loose the conditioning which led to these buried and crystallized feelings. As this material becomes accessible, acknowledge how it does not dictate the manner in which your present emotions will be received by future partners. This will take some courage. You have not fully sat with these emotions for a long time. — By Genevieve Hathaway

Friday, August 10, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #913

Monitor your anxiety level carefully this weekend and for a week or so beyond. ‘Monitor’ means be aware of, and I say that because it may have a tendency to be operating in the background, where you are not noticing it. Fear that you experience may be projected onto a topic having nothing to do with your actual concerns. In light of this, I suggest you sort out what you’re really concerned about. When in doubt, apply the Course in Miracles lesson, “I am never upset for the reason I think.” This will be especially helpful if any anxiety reaches the level of paranoia. Whatever is showing up on the monitor display known as ‘consciousness’, behind the scenes, you are under some psychic pressure. It’s as if part of your mind is being squeezed, or perhaps more accurately, you’re trying to pass something through your psyche, and it’s encountering resistance. That resistance may feel like fear, which can show up in a diversity of forms. This process has two transition dates — Aug. 15, when Mars makes its conjunction to Saturn; and Aug. 23, when Mars enters your birth sign. Please remember those dates.

Friday, August 3, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #912

Are you really under as much pressure as you think? I suggest you get a handle on that question. At the moment you’re likely to be feeling an enhanced drive to succeed, or to stand out. Yet in your ambition you could easily make an error in judgment that will lead to anything but success. Therefore, over the next few days, it’s imperative that you choose your words carefully, and not make any moves prematurely. In other words, when in doubt, delay. You seem to be formulating a plan for a career move of some kind, which could work out brilliantly for you, if your timing is correct. Now is the time to clarify your plan, and the steps you need to take. Work on getting the language correct. There’s something about the enterprise I’m describing that feels like mixing oil and water — which may turn out to be metaphors for creativity and authority. Remember that seen one way, authority means authorship. And this brings us back to clear words and clear ideas, which must support your goals, or be set aside.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for August 2012

If I had to describe your phobia-du-jour, these days it seems to be that we don’t live in a fair world. Well, that’s true, though the thing to consider is how you can access justice. That word means fairness, and it has as its root the same concept as adjustment. Therefore, if you’re feeling fear, think in terms of what you can adjust. This will require you to see two or more sides of any situation that you’re in, and be able to reason each one through; said another way, it’s good to be able to argue both sides of the case. Yet then there’s the issue of these emotional spikes you may be having, which can seize you at odd moments. When you get to one of those places, stop and reflect. You can go a long way by being willing to change, and to accept change.

Friday, July 20, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #911

Your current situation is presenting you with a test of your leadership abilities. That translates to putting to work a skill set that includes communication, negotiation and psychology. The first step is going to be sorting out the motives of everyone involved (including your own). Then you need to go one level deeper and understand the insecurities of everyone involved (including yours). Basically, there’s a risk of those insecurities taking over the situation, unless someone can see through that and sort things out. That would be you. Now, you won’t be any good at understanding the motives and the insecurities of others unless you understand your own, so that’s the place to start. You also need to be the one who holds the overall goal clearly in mind. One last thing — for the foreseeable future, beware of the involvement of alcohol in the workplace, and among anyone in the company after work. Pay attention to this. Clarity is not optional.

Friday, July 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #910

You can turn the mental or emotional pressure you’re feeling into a brainstorm. The psychic radar known as astrology looks like you might be stressed, even to the point of panic attacks. Don’t be fooled by the subject matter: remember that energy is energy, and the first skill of the Scorpio Jedi is directing all energy into a constructive, creative or healing force. By all energy, I mean everything from passion to anxiety, from desire to curiosity. The key is going to be remembering this when the energy manifests in some form you would not prefer — and keeping your head on. Meanwhile, I would maintain a good vibes posture. Walk away from arguments. Remind yourself how safe you are (and if you’re not, make a decision), and remember that the light you hold around yourself shines out into the world.

Friday, July 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #909

The sky is the perfect setup for fantasy scenarios — that is, as long as they don’t involve Cinderella and Prince Charming. Recent changes in the astrology are opening the door for you to explore fantasies that transgress what you normally do, or deem acceptable. A partner, lover or friend may be considering the same kinds of experiments that have been running through your imagination. One question is: who should lead the way? I will say this: the astrology strongly suggests that women or those with a strong feminine orientation are feeling particularly bold, though not saying much about it. If that’s you, I suggest you speak up. If you’re in a position to influence someone else, set up the situation so they can state what they want openly. The free will factor is important, as conscious choice is going to be the basis of feeling safe and secure enough to act on some truly unusual and adventurous desires. The key through all experiments is keeping communication open.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for July 2012

You’re having an influence on a number of situations much larger than you, though at this point you might not see how that is working. The astrology suggests you have the ability to tip the scales on situations that are hanging in the balance. Yet there’s a larger matter at stake, which is your ability to maintain a sense of the interests of everyone involved. In a sense, you’re the guardian of justice, and I suggest you only devote energy and attention to outcomes that are authentically fair. You have the ability to sway things any way you want, though the karmic stakes are a little higher than you’re accustomed to. If you’re not fair with everyone in your life, you will discover how unfair people can be to you — which is silly, considering how much you both have to offer.

Friday, June 29, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #908

By now you’ve figured out that you feel better, and get along better with people, if you take a less critical attitude. You’re an analyzer by nature. There’s a way to do that gently, which includes keeping your sense of humor, and refusing to assume the worst. Yet there is something else I truly hope has come across, and it’s not too late. Where you see the need for improvement in the world, you can actually devote your energy, your love and your resources. Yes, this involves taking a chance, and it involves being willing to extend some extra focus. Yet the real ‘risk’ is shifting from a negative orientation on the state of the world to a positive one. You have little right to expect the world to become a better place (however you define that) unless you’re willing to put yourself into that project. It’s pretty easy to identify the ways that provide mutual benefit, and I suggest that you mediate on the concept, ‘the greatest good for all concerned.’

Friday, June 15, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #907

We’re now just weeks away from the Uranus-Pluto square — the 2012 aspect. As I’ve written, this is part of the cycle that set the theme of the 1960s (from approximately ’62 to ’74), and if you were born then, this is a special time in your life. One difference between then and now is that astrologically speaking, a lot more people know what’s happening. Another difference is that what to do is a heck of a lot less obvious today. We can no longer depend on a simplistic analysis of global problems or think that sticking daisies in the barrels of rifles is going to end the wars. You have a cosmic assignment: changing your mind about many things you’ve taken for granted nearly all of your life. Your old modes of thought no longer serve you, and the pressure has been mounting to make some long-overdue decisions about the course of your life. You may have a grandparent who was a better example than your parents or other authority figures. You, however, have more (and better) options than he or she did.

Friday, June 8, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #906

Precision is the key, particularly when you’re among friends, or in public, or projecting your thoughts into any public forum (the Internet included). I mean precision of thought, speech and action, which are directly related. What you say has impact, and it will be attributed personally to you — so be mindful of being even vaguely aggressive or critical. Instead, make a point of being helpful and constructive, pointing out what is good about the world and the works of humankind (such as your friends and colleagues). If you must point out anything wrong, save it for the calmest one-to-one discussions you can create. I suggest, however, that you do triple-diligence when it comes to collecting your facts and understanding the circumstances behind anything you perceive. Meanwhile, I truly suggest you put your energy into visioning what you want to create in your own life. That’s not about all those other people — it’s about you.

Friday, June 1, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #905

One of the most interesting things about the way that Scorpio’s solar chart is arranged is that the sign Gemini falls on the 8th house. Let’s take those concepts one at a time. The 8th is about surrender in all its forms: death, orgasm, deep commitment, the movement of wealth between people and generations, and many kinds of situations over which we seem to have no power. It’s also the place where some of the best things in life come into our sphere of reality — and now you have a truly rare, magnificent event there. This signifies an inheritance that is not the result of death but rather the result of life itself. One expression is about feeling what a profound gift your relationships are. Yet another is actually experiencing in a direct way how meaningful you are to others. On one level you know this — and on another you waste too much time on your doubts and your insecurities. You don’t need them; they are not real, and you have a much more valuable emotional asset that is making itself known to you.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for June 2012

You have two possible modes of action right now — quietly, from the background, and boldly, from within your ideas. Yet they have one thing in common: the less you assert yourself, the more influential you will be. Even when you’re directly offering an idea or explicit instructions, lay back a little and let people come to you; allow them to feel the effects of your presence. Another way to say this is, you don’t have to do much, or anything at all. Plenty is in motion around you. You’re having a profound influence on your environment from several different angles. They almost all involve processes you set in motion a long time ago. If you’re going to do one thing boldly, this is what I suggest: evaluate one particular contractual situation carefully, and make sure that everyone benefits.

Friday, May 18, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #904

You seem drawn into a situation where you will need to let go of some of your own priorities and work with those of someone else. There’s a way to do this without giving up your power, which is about working with the common interests you share with the people in this situation. There are plenty — and there is also the potential for everyone to benefit substantially based on those mutual interests. In actual fact, life is not a game of “every man for himself.” If it was, we would not build towns, cities, universities or farming cooperatives. But there is a commitment involved. In this case you may feel that you’re making that commitment to a certain person or maybe even to an idea, or a values system. In truth what you’re doing is committing to your relationship to existence. That’s a little like saying you’re reaffirming your promise to live your life fully, only it’s a lot bigger.

Friday, May 11, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #903

One of the rules of our society involves what I will call mandatory exclusion. For example, imagine you’ve been single for a while, and you meet someone you like. Then the next day you meet someone else that you like. There would seem to be some unwritten law that says you can only choose one of those people, to the exclusion of the other. Into this mix is often added guilt and shame in a diversity of formulations. Now, let’s consider your here-and-now reality. You are curious, or so it looks from your solar charts. Your imagination is on fire. You may be so consumed with desire that you doubt your ability to think clearly, and thus to make a good decision. Here is an idea to consider: You have the right, and the ability, to experiment without making a ‘permanent’ commitment in the process. This is, however, less about the expectations of others and more about what you’re willing to allow yourself to experience and feel.

Friday, May 4, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #902

In order to be in a relationship with someone, it’s necessary to be at peace with who they are, which covers many levels of existence. It’s also necessary to be at peace with what their existence reveals about you, which is another way of saying being comfortable in your own skin. That said, I would propose that you be careful and aware in any situation where you have a long list of misgivings. The solution to everything is not to fix it or work it out or make it better. Sometimes the solution is to recognize that there’s an incompatibility, and use that as your new starting point. And, sometimes you will actually find yourself in a situation where you can know that there is a connection that can develop. Remember, though, that the first step is to get over your own insecurities, which I know is a tall order on this particular planet at this particular time. Yet events this weekend seem custom-designed to help you do just that — and then make a decision about where you really stand.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for May 2012

What has seemed like an impasse in your life the past few months is about to burst into more movement than you’ve experienced any time lately. You may feel like you’re exceeding your speed limit or some unspoken agreement that seems to limit your happiness. No such agreement is binding you today — though it may seem like one is, if you worry too much about how others perceive you. This is a message you’ve been getting over and over again — focus on people, not what you suspect their concepts might be. If you have a mission to accomplish or a role to play, the opinions of others matter not — the only thing that you need to concern yourself with is feeling confident you’re doing the right thing. You should know — you’ve thought about it long enough.

Friday, April 27, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #901

A close partnership is currently offering you much in the way of stability and nourishment. The challenge for you is slipping into a state of receptivity. Ask any therapist and they will tell you just how many people struggle with receiving, because receiving implies being open. I suggest you think of this less in terms of being vulnerable and more as allowing someone to walk with you. This is a simple idea. Your emotions are a complex layered web that often seem too murky and interwoven for you to be able to separate and explain. Don’t let this overwhelm you. Start small — your partner or someone you care about is not looking to see the entire web of your emotional sphere at once. Begin with the uppermost level, the piece you understand most clearly. This will provide you with the confidence you need to relinquish a measure of control over the outcome. — by Genevieve Hathaway

Friday, April 20, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #900

Do you want your relationships to be easy, or do you want them to be real? I suggest that you see things in terms of these two options, at least initially. By real I don’t mean difficult; challenges usually show up in the context of denial or resistance rather than by a conscious embrace of what is so. However, I suggest you notice the way that you tend to make other peoples’ issues into your own problems. Being real also means being real about knowing where the edge is between you and somewhere else, and knowing when it’s appropriate to cross over that line. Clearly you are being drawn into a deep situation of some kind, if only by your curiosity. The place where a warning should go off is when you find yourself adopting problems that simply are not your own, on the excuse that you love someone. The thing to focus on is creative purpose and a kind of calm, centered passion about life itself — not the relationship.

Friday, April 13, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #899

Expect people to treat you differently. That’s to say — you can release them from their past opinions of you, which is a burden that both they and you carry. The nature of the burden is that when people are locked into their old ideas of who a person is, that leaves no room for who they are in the present moment. We all know how much people seem to walk around with their minds made up about everything and everyone. You have the power, at least, to create a liberated zone where this is possible. Inside that space, you will notice that you have the freedom to set some new goals for yourself, and to admit some new desires, ones that in the past you feared might have conflicted with what others thought your life was supposed to be about. This is the liberation you need the most: to be able to define your purpose, irrespective of what all those people in the past might have thought, and shorn of any perceptions of others of who you’re supposed to be today. This may feel daring, but it’s not as dangerous as you think.

Friday, April 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #898

Your sexual desire nature these days is coming more from your femme side than your macho side, though it’s no less fierce for being receptive. Indeed, you may feel like the ocean that will never fill up. I think it’s fair to wonder what you’re supposed to do with all of this desire: what’s the point? What’s the purpose? The answer to that question would seem simpler were what we think of as ‘erotic’ not perceived as something separate from everything else. What you’ve been experiencing the past few weeks is curiosity about yourself; you have learned a lot, and what you can explore now is what it’s like to express yourself. Don’t worry — neither your life nor Western civilization will collapse if you venture into more daring territory. To test the waters, proceed with words and ideas first — spoken to other people, not just in your own mind.

Inner Space Monthly Horoscope for April 2012.

Mars — the oldest of the Scorpio planets — finally stations direct this month, and I trust that by now you’ve figured out who your friends are, and who they are not. You’ve had a few false hopes dashed, and have replaced them with some practical plans to do the things you want the most. If you haven’t arrived at that step, make a list of three things you’ve always wanted to do, and plan to do them this year. I suggest that you get to at least one of them by the time this month is over, and the other two by the end of June. Get some momentum going. The key to wish fulfillment for you is to be specific. Know what you want, in particular. Forget about why you want it — that may be the thing you discover last.

Friday, March 30, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #897

One key theme of your life right now involves what you believe, and why you believe it. You seem to be figuring out that many people live inside a cage of their own assumptions, which you have discovered in the process of gradually escaping from such a place. Yet the process of freeing yourself is ongoing, one illusion at a time; one belief at a time. Today’s subject is glamour, or the art of appearances. Or rather, the art of false appearances, which are rooted in false beliefs. And: what are they? Have you been figuring out how they influence you? Yet there’s a much better question with a deeper answer. What is false is generally designed to conceal what is true, and what’s true is your friend. As you peer through the mists and wash away the layers of what is starting to look obviously, ridiculously untrue, you’re discovering something about yourself. It’s starting as an idea — and it’s about to evolve into a decision and ultimately into action. Yet while you’re here, I suggest you look for the motives for the cover-up.

Weekly Horoscope # 896 for March 23, 2012 — by Priya Kale

A situation in your life or at work is pushing your boundaries, or it may be your health that is a concern right now. You may fear you’re going to run into trouble, but the fears in your head are often far worse than the reality of a situation. You can either chase your passion or let your fears chase you. You can theorize something forever and drive yourself crazy about the best way forward. But at some point you will have to learn through experience. What is unfolding now is asking you to let go of expectations (especially negative ones) as you move toward your most optimistic vision. There is a solution staring you in the face, but it may not be what you expected. To recognize and seize it, let go of your beliefs or thinking you know how things work. Be curious, open minded and willing to learn and experiment a little. As alone as you may feel at times in your experience, you are not. There are loyal partners and people on hand willing to help and support you. Trust a process of change as you consciously reach for solutions, and you can make great progress. This is your lesson in learning to take each day as it comes and live life on its own terms. — by Priya Kale.

Friday, March 16, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #895

You must be thinking: there has got to be some kind of conspiracy. You keep meeting the same kind of person, who has the same basic problems. The world of demented relationships, denial, pills and attempted glamour stretches from the trailer parks to the suburbs of every city to Hollywood, in an unbroken line of connection — unbroken, that is, except for your need to break free. There is a force deeper and more powerful than the prevailing sickness of our culture that is drawing you deeper into your core. You might think of this as a quest for your inner healer, the aspect of your psyche that knows you so well, and that knows how to turn struggle into strength. I’m not sure you’ve heard it in those words, but I think that this is the essence of healing. There’s a reason so many spiritual texts say that all things work together for good; I would propose that they must be worked, together, for good — and that what serves your healing will ultimately serve the healing of the people around you. We see every day how humans can be an adverse influence on one another; it’s time to consider how we can build a community of mutual witness and positive example.

Friday, March 9, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #894

The thing to go for is not acceptance or approval — it’s the full indulgence in your creative process. There is no audience, or you don’t need one; what will serve you best is the spirit of experimentation. Imbibe experience as if it’s a form of nourishment. Embrace your mistakes as turning points that can send you in new directions you never would have noticed otherwise. While you’re exploring, you may notice there’s a critical voice in your mind, that seems to be shining on you like a projector, complete with soundtrack. However, I would propose that if you notice the critics in your mind, remember that’s exactly where they are. You cannot necessarily silence them, but what you can do is make a conscious choice what voices you listen to. Meanwhile, others around you are available to offer their full support — not as an audience but as peers and potentially as collaborators. Their perception of you is more likely to be the accurate one. I doubt you could think of any ulterior motive they could have, other than to endorse your happiness and affirm your existence.

Friday, March 2, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #893

I suggest you not push the health campaign, workout routines or dieting right now. What you need is balance. At the moment there’s no escaping the amount of work you have, but at least you’re into projects that you can use to bring out the best in you. At the moment to balance that you need the right amount of the right food, and just enough physical activity to let off any mental or physical tension you may be carrying. However, I suggest you not stretch too far in that direction; the pull will be too much for now. Rather, listen to the signs that your body is sending you; pay attention to the foods it’s asking you to eat and make sure that your physical space is clean and orderly. That will save a lot of energy and help your efficiency. I also suggest that you invest plenty of energy getting the opinions of others — and that you not take too much credit for what you get done. Point out the contributions of everyone else. Work in a spirit of service, and thank everyone for their shared effort and influence.

Inner Space Horoscope for March 2012

This can be a really interesting, as in gorgeous, month for sex — though it will help if you remember the difference between giving and receiving. Yes, they are closely related and some people ‘get’ pleasure from that of others, but there are still differences in the energy flow when you offer and when you open up and receive. The difference can resemble that between inviting yourself to someone’s house, or extending a gracious invitation. It can be as daring as being available to explore someone’s fantasy with them, setting aside your own scenario and playing the role that is the most fun for them. As for receiving — there is a certain generosity in truly embracing what another offers you, and that is something I suggest you cultivate. For you, in a similar light, there is no such thing as ‘too generous’.

Planet Waves Weekly Horoscope # 892, for Friday, Feb. 24, 2012 | By PRIYA KALE

A New Moon in your 5th solar house — the house connected with taking chances, and with pleasure — is asking you to dive into your heart to discover the magic lurking in there. This may feel like a huge risk, but neither love nor creativity ever came without its risks. And in truth you have more to gain than anything you fear losing. Creatively, sexually and romantically this is a renaissance, allowing you to rediscover yourself like no other time in your life. A partner is with you every step of the way and the more you can let go of your fantasies or illusions of love, the more you are likely to discover this is indeed the real thing. A relationship has more to teach you about yourself and life in general than you realize. And the more you are able to dissolve your fears, the more you will see the relationships that you can trust and have time and again proven their worth to you. Be honest with yourself and you can emerge refreshed, renewed and healed, ready to face a new day, creating your experiences of life daily. You may not be able to bottle something up and hold on to it forever. Life was meant to be lived and in truth — all you have is now. If you can surrender to how you feel in the moment — this is the kind of sublime experience that will last for eternity. As the Beatles sang, “In the end the love you take, is equal to the love you make.” Dare to dive deep. — By Priya Kale for Planet Waves

Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #891

Your life has presented you with many ideas and possibilities lately, though often falling short of the best possibilities actually materializing. That said, your imagination has been venturing into some daring territory and you seem to allow yourself to consider some of the saucier possibilities, at least in theory. As the Sun enters your fellow water sign Pisces over the weekend, you’ll either have opportunities to go beyond merely thinking or imagining, or you’ll feel more compelled to actually experiment. You’ve yet to discover whether what you feel in potential and what you can actually manifest will have much in common. There’s always a difference — we’re talking about two different realms, one of which is a lot more dense than the other, and where there are actual consequences of action. Just as with your imagination, it’s a good idea to open up to what you’re not expecting. That’s the one significant contact point between ‘fantasy’ and reality.

Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #890

One theme of this season is discerning what you think from what is true. Thoughts are powerful in that they have the power to subsume the mind. Whether you believe in ‘manifestation’, thoughts are creative, and they can also be destructive. It’s not a coincidence that the most destructive ones are those that are not true, by which I mean, the ones that are based on fear, attack or have no basis in verifiable reality. Yet one challenge you face is discerning those thoughts from what is real for you. The easiest way to tell the difference is going to be by the results. What leads to a creative outcome was a creative thought; what leads to conflict was a destructive or deceptive thought. To use this method of discernment you’ll need to track your mental process, through the actions it leads to, and then observe what happens. Think of this as observing yourself, which is a vital skill any time, but especially with Mars traveling retrograde for the next few months.

Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #889

Many have noted the difference between the sexual experience we have in a fantasy and the one we have in reality. What happens in actual 3-D reality is different than what happens in fantasy mainly because more than your intent is involved, and there can be physical effects, influences or consequences of the actions taken — much less likely in the imagination. That said, most people don’t even bother to try their fantasies, and then on the rare occasion when they might, there can be a setup for disappointment if it does not live up. This is one reason why I suggest trying every fantasy at least three times (three-way sex, same-sex experience, s/m experience, etc.). Once is not enough to get the feeling; things can go wrong, and you or someone else might be nervous. Everything takes practice and acclimation. I mention this now because Neptune in Pisces is about to stoke your fantasies big-time, and Chiron in Pisces is saying that this comes down to experience — real experience based on real curiosity.

Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #888

You think people are a lot harsher toward you than they actually are. I mean, I’m not there; I’m just reading your astrology, and I’ve known a few Scorpios here and there. It seems that you might project a certain ‘critical factor’ onto your friends, assuming that you’re being judged or scrutinized when this is not true. I suggest you test the theory in a somewhat oblique way, which is to be encouraging of everyone around you. Affirm what they want, what they do and what they accomplish. You don’t have to be sugary about this — saying yes, and taking opportunities to lend your actual, physical, material support, will teach you a lot. I am suggesting that you personally take action to reverse the dynamic that you may perceive in your environment. Notice when you give support or affirmation and when you withhold it. Notice the role that jealousy plays in your interactions with others. Most of all, notice how good it feels to say yes.

Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #887

What do you believe? And why do you believe this? And what are the ideas surrounding success and failure you need to let go of? You’ve been obsessing about something, and the time has come for you to pull your head out of the sand and face the truth. This may scare you, but in truth reality is a lot sweeter than you think or fear. Financially as well as within a domestic relationship or situation, you have more support than you realize. Consciously let go of expectations and assumptions, especially the negative ones. If you speak for what you know to be true, you can reclaim your power in a situation, freeing you from a worry, bringing you the security you’ve yearned for. Hint: that sense of security originates with you. As you feel safer, you will experience the world as a safer place, where love feels more natural. You will be more likely to notice what you want rather than what you don’t want.

Friday, Jan. 6, 2012. Weekly Horoscope #886

You may be noticing an odd sensation in your life, as your ruling planet Mars slows down to a retrograde. This may feel like the soundtrack is out of alignment with the frames of the movie, or like the air (or your mind) is getting a little thick. I suggest you take the cue and slow down. This is not the time to blaze forward, but rather, for a careful reassessment. Mars retrograde lasts between Jan. 23 and April 13 — which will give you a chance to look back on the past two years, and moreover, to prepare for the astonishing events of mid-2012. Take this opportunity to work out any hangups, disagreements or conflict over the most important thing you can do with your mind — deciding what you want. Remember, you don’t have to make all your decisions at once. You have some time, and I suggest you use it consciously.