A Lunar Eclipse & Mercury Retrograde, One Heartbeat at a Time

Editor’s note: this is the full PW members’ edition, featuring your weekly horoscope by Amy Elliott for the eclipse, the Create feature, and more; Planet Waves FM is on a brief hiatus.

With the Sun in Leo as of Sunday, we’re in the midst of an eventful week — it’s possible you’ve been feeling some pressure, or a sense of uncertainty or restlessness. Earlier today, Mercury stationed retrograde in Leo; then, tomorrow (Friday), we get the second of three eclipses in a series. That will be a total eclipse of the Moon in Aquarius, conjunct retrograde Mars.

Leo and Aquarius eclipse image from Ritual Ritual.

The intensity has been visible in the news this week, and I encourage you to notice what emerges over the next two to three weeks, as well. Consider some of the following:

— Wildfires in Greece have killed at least 85 people and injured approximately 200; meanwhile wildfires in the western U.S. are also causing havoc, including the shutdown of Yosemite National Park.

— The Trump administration is pledging monetary aid to U.S. farmers hurt by its escalating trade war — at the same time that the administration attempts to gut the Endangered Species Act and open more public lands to oil and mining interests.

— Despite today’s court-ordered deadline to reunite the families of asylum seekers separated at the U.S. border, the government admits that at least 900 children have yet to be reunited, and some 463 separated parents have been deported — even as their children remain in U.S. detention centers — thanks to confusing or intentionally misleading forms they were coerced into signing.

And in Sweden, a student-activist named Elin Ersson prevented an Afghan asylum seeker from being deported when she delayed an airplane’s takeoff by refusing to sit down. Despite being confronted by a few other passengers and the plane’s cabin crew, she continued to live-stream her action (the video has since gone viral, and I highly recommend watching the whole thing), keeping her phone recording her own face for the privacy of others on the plane, until she received assurance that the Afghani man had been allowed to leave. He is reportedly now back in Swedish custody.

The Guardian has reported a fuller context of Ersson’s action, which was planned rather than spontaneous, and included warning many of the passengers beforehand.

Having done her homework, Ersson knew her rights and knew the policies for takeoff. And while it’s likely that the Afghani man in question will still eventually be deported, one has to wonder what might happen if more individuals took a similar, direct stand. Could momentum build enough to push for humane changes to deportation procedures in many countries?

Screen shots from 21-year-old Elin Ersson’s live Facebook video as she described what she was doing and why, and responded to other passengers and flight crew while preventing someone from being deported.

At the very least, it’s a stunning and stirring example of one way Mars retrograde in Aquarius can manifest: the one standing up to the peer pressure and crystallized social expectations of the many, bucking an ingrained social pattern, and receiving the support of others for a more humane outcome.

Yet not everyone will be feeling this astrology the same way, even on a more personal and less dramatic level.

For example, one friend of mine reported yesterday a series of “flip-flopped” events: things that would normally be upsetting or seemed on a track to get worse suddenly turned out okay or were actually blessings. I, on the other hand, got a little “stuck” in a train of thought that was emotionally and energetically depleting on Tuesday.

So bear in mind that your mileage may vary. One person’s “energizing” is another person’s “exhausting.” Whatever might be happening in your life, listen to your body, be willing to try something new to shift perspective, stay open to possibility, and keep your patience and senses of curiosity and humor at hand. They’re valuable tools all the time, but especially with astrology like we’re experiencing now.

The Sun and Moon are moving into opposition with each other across the Leo-Aquarius axis for the Aquarius Full Moon, exact at 4:20 pm EDT (20:20:15 UTC) on July 27. The lunar eclipse reaches totality about a minute-and-a-half later, and will be visible in these areas.

On Aug. 11, we’ll get the third and final eclipse in this series: a partial solar eclipse with the Leo New Moon. That final eclipse occurs in the same part of Leo as a major solar eclipse from August 1999.

As mentioned, Mercury stations retrograde in late Leo today, at 1:02 am EDT (5:02:18 UTC). It does so while in contact with other fire-sign planets (a possible image of the wildfires mentioned above). Mercury will station direct on Aug. 19.

Chart for tomorrow’s Full Moon and lunar eclipse in Aquarius, conjunct Mars. The Moon, Mars and the South Node (orange horse shoe) are in the lower-left; the Sun and North Node are in the upper right, along with Pallas and retrograde Mercury in Leo. View glyph key here.

Just one of those astrological events on its own would be news, involving a lot of energy needing to be channeled constructively. Together, they’re big news.

Probably the most important detail is that all of this is happening against the backdrop of Mars retrograding through Aquarius. In fact, the Moon at the time of Friday’s lunar eclipse will be conjunct Mars and the lunar South Node.

We therefore have a picture of the potential to release and reshuffle old social patterns. Aquarius is the sign of groups — especially elite groups — and also tends to hold patterns. When the Moon is conjunct its own South Node during an eclipse, that generally indicates a release point for something.

So we can put those ingredients together and see a recipe for something like opening the air valve on an inner tube (if you’ll excuse the mixed metaphor). You might not be able to float down the river the way you used to, but there are plenty of ways to repurpose that rubber. With a little ingenuity, it could even be made into something that benefits more than just one person at a time.

In other words, the energy it took for you to maintain some kind of pattern or social structure that isn’t working well becomes available for something that is better aligned with who you are. Note, however, that Mars retrograde continues for another month; and the next eclipse won’t happen for another two weeks. The release point represented by tomorrow’s lunar eclipse is not an end goal, but rather the beginning of a new phase of an ongoing process. The effects of the current eclipses could take a good six to twelve months to develop.

Social Patterns and Identity

It’s worth noting that this is the first time Mars has been retrograde in Aquarius since 1971 — 47 years ago. That was just three years or so after Chiron last entered Aries, the sign of identity, where it is right now. As Eric mentioned in a discussion recently, “we’re in the Chiron return of identity politics.”

That is, we’re not only facing the effects of the last 40-plus years of identity politics, it’s taking on new forms. On the one hand, we’re seeing new, overdue recognition of marginalized voices; on the other hand, we’re witnessing a fracturing of social dialogue so severe, that “How do we build, heal and grow from this?” is a daunting question.

Composite photo of the Jan. 31, 2018, lunar eclipse by Christian Gloor, used under Creative Commons 2.0.

You might pause to notice how much you do or do not buy into things like ‘hipster elitism’, ‘corporate/consumerist elitism’, ‘religious elitism’ — even ‘liberal elitism’ or ‘spiritual elitism’. Any kind of ideology that positions an ‘in group’ against ‘everyone else’ is up for questioning.

It could help to make like the Leo Sun itself: be social, be life affirming, and allow your warmth to emanate from your heart to those you’re interacting with. Things like facial expression, tone of voice and body language all convey warmth and humanity a billion times better than even the most sophisticated emoji.

Lately direct, face-to-face interpersonal contact feels more and more like a radical act of self-expression. In the grand scheme of human evolution, it was the norm just an eye-blink ago.

You don’t have to think of yourself as eccentric these days in order to count as an iconoclast in some circles, just for being open, friendly, and not glued to a smartphone screen every moment in public. Current cultural trends, shaped by our technology, make it all the more crucial to embody and celebrate the ways you’re unique during this eclipse, even as you strive to recognize how we’re all the same.

In the meantime, take it easy on the spending, contracts, fast driving and impulsive communication. As mentioned, Mercury stationed retrograde in Leo today. I suspect that anything to do with your ‘image’ in the Mercury-related categories just mentioned — or with your ability to control an outcome — could pose particular challenges and might not work out as envisioned.

Take your time with the details. Something might actually turn out better than you anticipated, even if it does not look that way at first. Remember that if you see rapids in your river during eclipse season, your best bet is usually to point your kayak in their direction so you can work with the current, not against it.

Note also that Mercury will station retrograde during the approach to Friday’s eclipse while in a grand fire trine with Eris in Aries and Vesta in Sagittarius. Do your best to stay focused on what matters most, no matter how chaotic things feel (and be gentle with yourself when you don’t). That’s how humanity wins out — one heart, one mind, one soul, one unique interaction at a time.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

A Brief Hiatus

Dear Friend and Reader:

We will not be running the daily horoscopes for a while. They will resume after Mars stations direct on Aug. 27. Eric has written the daily horoscope consistently since March 2017, and he is now taking a hard-earned break.

In the meantime, we will still send you the Daily Almanac content, including Written in the Planets, if you are signed up for out Four Winds Almanac (which you can sign up for here, for free).

We’ll also still send you your Thursday members’ issue with most of its usual features each week, although Eric is also taking a break from his involvement in those writing duties.

We would like to thank our readers for the many messages of support we have received. Eric appreciates this very much, and looks forward to returning to full speed once he is rested.

With best wishes,

Amy Elliott

The Sacred Space of Self
The Perfect Video Readings for the Eclipse Zone

“You’re the best! I love your readings and I appreciate this; share so much as a Cancer with Cap rising, especially. Lots of insight! Thank you so much.”

— L.J. Innes, on the Sacred Space of Self sampler video

Dear Friend and Reader:

I just wanted to be sure you’ve had a chance to watch the sample videos we have available for the Sacred Space of Self spring reading. If current events have you feeling overwhelmed or a little raw, you might find some solace and inspiration here to keep plugging away at whatever challenges you face now.

Currently all four of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) are compiled in one video. We’re working on separating those into individual samples — although, if you have one of those signs as your Sun or rising sign, you’ll definitely get great insight from watching the whole compilation.

The fixed and mutable sign samples are available individually (each is linked from the sign name). The cardinal sign links go to where the sample for each sign begins in the compilation video.

Aries		Taurus		Gemini	Cancer		Leo		Virgo
Libra		Scorpio		Sagittarius	Capricorn		Aquarius		Pisces

Please note that those are only very short excerpts of the Sacred Space of Self readings! Each sign’s complete video is a full 30-50 minutes long.

You can order individual signs of the Sacred Space of Self here. Or, go all-in for the complete 12-sign set, and you can watch the videos for your loved ones, too.

“I enjoyed these videos and all of them are surprisingly, completely in-depth. Well, not so surprisingly if you have heard Eric speak on other subjects.”

— Samantha Hampton, on the 2018 Sacred Space of Self readings

If you have any questions (including questions about arrangements for financial hardship), please email us at cs@planetwaves.net — or, call us at (845) 481-5616.

Wishing you well,

Amanda Painter

One Rainbow’s Gold

By Amanda Painter

Wait a minute — is that someone in a Handmaid’s Tale-style bonnet, standing in profile at a White House press address? (Check out those first couple seconds of the video.) No (whew!) — it’s just Randy Rainbow preparing to offer his latest send-up of He Who Must Not Be Named…to the tune of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic, “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.”

Cue up the pit orchestra for, “I am the Very Model of a Very Stable Gen-i-us” — a musical theatre parody perfect for this unusual Leo season.

Clearly Randy recorded this prior to Mercury’s station retrograde today, since he zips along flawlessly through the fast-paced syllables, inventive pronunciation and all. Don’t try this at home, kids; you might sprain your tongue. But do enjoy a chuckle amidst all the latest news reports. There’s a lot about life today that can get very overwhelming. Thank the heavens for the clowns, fools and comics who can point out our foibles with wit, so that we might see the world more clearly and rally to keep moving toward a more humane life for all.

Dear Faithful Listeners:

While Eric is taking his brief sabbatical from his usual grueling work schedule, he may or may not record Planet Waves FM programs. This week he was unable to put together a program, but you are invited to peruse other current astrological coverage on our website.

Thank you for your understanding and patience, and for your continued support.

Planet Waves FM is part of the nonprofit Pacifica Radio Network, and published by Chiron Return, a 501(c)(3) corporation. Thank you for your tax-deductible contributions. You are invited to help us pay our way with monthly or one-time donations. You help us keep the lights on and the new programs coming.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Listen to Vision Quest on Live Stream

Planet Waves has an in-house music ensemble, called Vision Quest. We have a 38-hour loop of our music, which you can listen to any time. Included are finished pieces, rehearsals, live concerts, drum grooves, and spoken word recordings. I consider it a kind of musical divination. Click in randomly at different times of day and see what you discover.

Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

We published your extended monthly horoscopes for July on Thursday, June 21. Your extended monthly horoscopes for June were published Thursday, May 24. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Thursday after the Sun has entered a new sign. That schedule is on hold while Eric takes his much-needed sabbatical; however, Monday’s horoscope by Amy Elliott was written with the month of August in mind.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Two of the most famous psychological studies have demonstrated the power of pressure from others on human behavior. In one, the pressure came from an authority figure; in the other, from apparent peers (really, actors). Both showed that the longing to be accepted and acceptable is a considerable force in human nature. Fitting in is safe. Expressing yourself honestly, no matter what the potential reaction of others, requires courage. Fortunately, nearly everyone has at least one subject or one artistic area in which it’s difficult not to stand out or speak with authority. If you need somewhere to begin being bold, start with your passion.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Everything has its cycle, and every long-term project includes phases when you have to retrace a certain number of steps — or at least pause — and check that your work is solid and that you’re still heading in the right direction. There are also moments when you can rebuild your inspiration by recollecting what spurred you on to get underway. It’s possible you even had influences that you didn’t understand at the time, but which are coming out now. You might consider the next few weeks something like an archaeological dig. It could well be an interesting adventure.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Mercury is pushing you to focus on your communication, a facet of life that’s usually bread-and-butter to your sign, and to look at it from a different perspective. That could mean, for example, trying out new methods: perhaps calling more people on the phone if you’re the type who prefers text and email, or working on your listening skills, or taking additional time over what you say if you’re the type who usually goes for improvisation. This is a matter of experimenting and noting how you feel, rather than seeking a specific result. Engage your curiosity.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Life isn’t so much like a box of chocolates as like having a bunch of raw ingredients in front of you, and an infinite number of recipes. It’s up to you what you study, and what you decide to make, and how far you’re willing to add your own unique twist. You may recognize that mastering any discipline requires application: it’s not easy to make a good souffle when you don’t know how many eggs you need. That said, if you wish to do something about that, there is nothing stopping you. You have no need, for example, to ask anyone’s permission.

Leo Birthdays 2018-19:
Eclipses, Retrogrades and You — Oh My!

“For what it’s worth: never heard anything so right on, dead on, aligned with what I am looking at, aware of, dealing with, leaning into — especially professionally and emotionally. I can’t even list them all — so many subtle angles and aspects that all resonate and add up. Affirming experiences, potentials, challenges. To a T. Wow. Will be getting these transcribed so I can read them over and over.”

— Robyn Landis, on a previous birthday reading

Dear Reader with Leo Sun, Rising or Moon:

Big things are happening in your sign right now. Can you sense it? Are you feeling energized and excited, on edge, perplexed, stuck, like you’re right in the sweet spot of your flow, or just plain curious?

Remember last year’s big eclipse in your sign? Smile — you have more coming! Photo by Amanda Painter on Aug. 21, 2017.

Any of those responses (and more) would make total sense: Mercury stationed retrograde in your sign early this morning. Then tomorrow, July 27, there’s a total lunar eclipse in your opposite sign (and relationship zone) Aquarius.

But that’s not all! In just two weeks, we’ll get a partial solar eclipse on Aug. 11 — in the same part of Leo where a storied eclipse took place in August of 1999.

Your solar year is getting off to a dynamic start — and the events and energy of these weeks will ripple out, develop and influence your life for the next six to twelve months. That’s why no matter when you listen to your upcoming 2018-19 Leo Birthday Reading, you’re sure to discover a wealth of helpful and inspiring insights you’ll be able to get to work with right away.

You should be aware that since Eric is taking a dearly needed and hard-earned sabbatical for a few weeks, your Leo Birthday reading will likely be delivered a little later than usual — so we thank you tremendously for your patience, and your faith in Eric’s ability to deliver a professional and spiritually clear reading as soon as he’s recharged.

As part of our gratitude to you, all purchasers of the 2018 Leo Birthday Reading will also receive the Leo chapter of the Art of Becoming, Eric’s stunning 2018 written annual readings.

If you’re new to Planet Waves and Eric’s audio readings, you’re invited to listen to last year’s reading as a gift. The 2017 Great American Eclipse occurred in your sign last year, and it has been reverberating ever since — so listening to your 2017 reading is sure to help you review your year and get oriented on what’s to come.

When you pre-order your 2018-19 Leo Birthday Reading, you’ll receive access to two audio segments of astrology (at least 30 minutes each) and an extended description of your sign when the reading publishes — all for just $33 (the price will increase when the reading is ready).

“Planet Waves has been crucial for me lately as I navigate this topsy-turvy landscape; life is in transition on so many levels and it’s been an incredible resource in my life, especially now.”

— Ronny K.

Thank you again for your patience, faith, and for being a valued Planet Waves customer in these wild times.

Wishing you an excellent eclipse season,

Amanda Painter

P.S. If you have any questions or prefer to order by phone, please call us at (845) 481-5616; you can also email us at cs@planetwaves.net. And don’t forget: the 2018-19 Leo Birthday Reading makes a fantastic gift.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Tomorrow’s lunar eclipse will be followed in two weeks by its solar counterpart, which will also be the last of this cycle with the North Node in your sign. What have you learned in the past year or so about your path through life, and in what ways have you progressed along it? This may also in some ways feel like the culmination of a longer journey beginning in the summer of 1999. Reflecting on all the changes through these years may well be of use in helping you determine what’s next in the cards. You have a lot of options: give yourself the freedom to consider them all.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Dealing with confidence issues can sometimes feel like looking into the belly of the beast: there’s often a need to dig into old material that you’d rather leave well alone. Particularly if you’re the type who tends to put others’ needs before your own, you’re likely wondering how it could possibly be helpful to tread over so much ground you may have thought was in the past and forgotten. Think of it as a way of unlocking even more of your energies, which you can then use as you please: whether as a gift to the universe, to yourself, or to the people you love — or all three at once.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — There was a time in the not-too-distant past when one’s obligation to family, however unpleasant it might be to associate with certain members, was cast in stone. These days the rules are a good deal more flexible, and we now have the “family of choice” — that is, people who are brought together by shared values and mutual appreciation rather than by blood. Right now you’re being drawn to consider who forms part of your personal collective, and why. Are there any changes you’d like to make? Do you need to widen or refine your perspective?

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — There are certain novels that contain so much layered information, packed together so well, that you can discover something new in them on the hundredth read. Likewise, performing a similar set of tasks can, if there is even slight room for maneuver, produce entirely different outcomes. If you’re finding that now is not the time to pursue your grander ambitions, spend a little time in the world of the small. Take an interest in the people around you; observe all the variations that you see. Slow down and chill for a while. You’ll be on the move again soon enough.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — The “small cause, big effect” concept behind the centaur Pholus could be considered a synonym for ritual magic and Hermetic theory; so too the idea from A Course in Miracles that if you bring the small willingness, God (or the universe) will supply the unlimited power you need to grow. Consider your mind as a miniature of everything that surrounds you, all the way out into the vast dimensions of space. That’s basically a fancy way of saying: if you want to accomplish something, however much time and effort might be needed to get there, start with intention.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Most of us keep secrets from ourselves. That is, we refuse to admit certain truths, push them aside and/or bury them under a pile of cat videos. Part of that is about wanting to convince ourselves and others that we’re appropriately alive to all the ‘right’ social issues, or fully paid up members of the church, or whatever. The fact is, we all have flaws. Accepting that is one of the hallmarks of psychological maturity. Your idea of who you are is undergoing something of a refining process: all that’s obscured from view is slowly opening to the light. Go with it, and take complete honesty as your motto.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) —
Your perspective on relationships is changing fundamentally. Recent events have helped open up new (or possibly restore old) ideas about what you want from a partner, who can best support you, and what sort of interactions to avoid. Eventually you will reach the point where your understanding of your desires and needs is clearer than perhaps it’s ever been. We tend to get in the way of ourselves here, by settling for less. You don’t need to bother with that, and in any case you’re getting past the point where you can cope with it. Consider that a good thing.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — What’s the best possible scenario in terms of your daily routine? What would your perfect day job look like? True, you have to feed yourself; and you probably have other commitments too. But still, visualize that optimal situation. Write it down. Edit it as new thoughts make themselves known, so long as you’re not trying to curb yourself in favor of realism. Once you have a clear picture in your mind and on paper, let it brew. You may notice a plan starting to form. See, that phrase “nothing is impossible” is actually true. It also makes a damn good mantra.