The Scorpio Full Moon and the Fire Goddess

Dear Friend and Reader:

This week's astrology is building to a Full Moon in Scorpio on Sunday evening. We're approaching that event while riding on the energetic coattails of an aspect that has to do with the constructive and destructive uses of power. So if you feel like your week has been marked by things like interpersonal conflict, or situations where you're having to work hard to figure out the best ways to express yourself and take decisive action, this could be why.

Today's aspect, which has been coloring the week thus far, is the conjunction in Capricorn between Mars and Pluto. You can read a little more about that in this week's Monday Astrology Diary.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

One hallmark of this aspect is the need to be aware that you're thinking primarily about your own best interests -- in terms of changes that you want to make -- while figuring out how your interests and those of others are interdependent. Then you can do some heavy lifting to accomplish a lot.

Similarly, the chart for the Scorpio Full Moon on Sunday shows a need to take action. At 8:58 pm EDT (00:58 UTC Monday), the Moon in early Scorpio makes its exact opposition to the Sun in Taurus (the Full Moon). The Sun and Moon are also square the lunar nodes.

Put most simply, the lunar nodes are two hypothetical points related to the Moon's orbit. Having the Scorpio Moon and the Taurus Sun making right angles to the North Node in Leo and the South Node in Aquarius this Sunday means that we're approximately halfway between eclipse seasons. You might take some time to think about what decisions you made and what actions you took between late January and mid-February, when the last pair of eclipses occurred.

Did you get any special projects underway? Did you set your sights on a particular vision for the direction of your life? Could you feel yourself begin to shed or release something (such as an idea about yourself, or a habit or pattern of behavior) around that time?

If so, you might be able to see ways that you can move that process forward now. Notice whether the activities and goals you're currently investing the bulk of your energy in relate to choices you made in early February.

This Full Moon looks like an especially effective time to turn a corner in those realms of your life and the processes involved. With the Moon, Sun and lunar nodes arranged as they are, they're in a pattern called a grand cross in the fixed signs. (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius are the fixed signs.) All grand crosses are considered aspect patterns of strength, because they indicate obstacles that demand action. According to Isabel Hickey, a grand cross in fixed signs specifically needs an emotional outlet in some self-expressive way.

Full chart for the Scorpio Full Moon. Not shown: the relatively new object Lempo, which is only about 20 arc minutes (or one-third of a degree) from the Sun. You can see the Moon and Sun just a little below and above the dark horizontal line. Although not discussed in this essay, Nessus in Pisces is also in aspect to the Sun and Moon (sextile and trine, respectively), hinting at a layer of sexual healing or boundary awareness. Saturn in Capricorn trine the Sun and sextile the Moon lends stability. Also note the Juno-Chiron conjunction on the personal/political Aries Point (with the bold "00" near the bottom of the chart). View glyph key here.

To get some insight into what that self-expressive emotional outlet might look like, there are a few details we can look at. The Sabian symbols for 10 Taurus and 10 Scorpio (the locations of the Sun and Moon) offer clues. In Dane Rudhyar's version of this set of zodiac symbols, both of these degrees emphasize a connection to humanity, compassion and comradeship.

Heaven knows that we could use more of that in our highly polarized, digitally hypnotized, uber-political and hyper-reactive world. With the Sun in physical, emotional, sensual Taurus, and the Moon in deeply sensitive, incisive, transformative Scorpio, we have an image of what's required to be emotionally self-expressive in a way that is humane, compassionate, and connected to others: first, we need to feel connected within ourselves.

You have to be fully present in your body: attuned to its physical sensations and its presence in space, and aware of how it interacts with others. You also must be willing to feel your emotions rather than repress them, and let them inform your choices in healthy ways that allow you to process them, release them and then move on -- having been changed for the better.

Increasingly, this seems to be getting harder for people. I'm not sure it's ever been ‘easy', but the more we live our lives on digital media -- rather than with face-to-face or even voice-to-voice contact -- the more intimidating it can seem to be.

I think we find a symbol of assistance with this in the form of a newly named object called Lempo, which is closely conjunct the Sun in Taurus during the Full Moon. Lempo was named after a Finnish fertility and fire goddess whose importance and meaning got dragged through the mud by early Christianity. In this chart, Lempo seems to herald the approach of the Pagan cross-quarter day of Beltane in early May -- a celebration of the juiciest, most embodied thing associated with both Taurus and Scorpio: sex.

Yet Lempo also appears to have a Vesta-like quality to it, particularly in this chart. That is, both Lempo and the shape of the square made by the fixed grand cross speak to the idea of holding space for important -- even sacred -- action to take place. And that action needs to be centered on keeping your inner flame (of creativity, of sexuality, of your humanity itself) burning brightly. As the French might put it, expressing your joie de vivre (or 'joy of life').

Lempo is very new to our awareness in astrology, however. Which means that with it so closely involved with an event like a Full Moon (Lempo is only a fraction of a degree from the Sun), it's wise to watch for events that may bear its signature to fine-tune its interpretation. If it fires up your determination to live with embodied passion, compassion and connection to others, all the better.

With love,

Amanda Painter
Chiron in Aries: The Challenge of Individuating

Dear Friend and Reader:

Chiron is now in Aries, for the first time since 1977. This is about the quest for individuality in the most deeply personal way: the cultivation and growth of your soul. There are challenges associated with doing this, which I plan to address eloquently and in a way that you will find reassuring and helpful.

Eric Francis at his video desk, in Kingston, NY.

Chiron in Aries is good news for those who love learning about themselves, growing and living in a way that is fully committed to who you are. Following up on The Art of Becoming 2018 annual edition, I'm honored to offer you The Sacred Space of Self spring reading.

The Sacred Space of Self will come in the form of 12 video presentations, each approximately half an hour in length. These readings will apply to Sun sign, Moon sign and rising sign. They are offered as a package, and will interlink with and support one another. 

One topic I will focus on is the special challenge of growing and evolving when you're involved in an intimate relationship -- and your partner is not growing as fast as you are, or does not want to.

The Sacred Space of Self will cover Chiron's transition into Aries over the next nine months. I will also look back at Chiron in Pisces, which began in 2010. I will give a detailed reading of Mars retrograde in Aquarius (June 26-Aug. 27). And I will introduce Uranus entering Taurus. (NOTE: In the Midyear Reading over the summer, I'll further develop Uranus in Taurus, and give a detailed reading of Venus retrograde in Scorpio.)

Delivery is projected for the month of May. Given the complexity of the project, there's no way to give a better estimate, but May (as early as possible) seems doable.

Pricing Policy: Please Read Carefully

First, this is one purchase per household. You may share with your significant other and relatives. This reading will contain useful information for both adults and children.

Planet Waves products are introduced at the lowest price, and then we increase gradually. We are introducing all 12 signs of The Sacred Space of Self for $66, which is $5.50 per sign. Soon after, we will increase to $77, then $88, and then, right before publication, $99. Once we publish, the final price will be $111. If you want the best bargain (nearly half price), please purchase early!

Please order early if you would like the current best price. You will then get a delivery confirmation email, which would be good to print and keep in a safe place. 


You may pre-order The Sacred Space of Self here.

Thank you for your business, and for trusting me as your astrologer.

With love,

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About My Readings

My readings are warm, personal, and presented in plain talk, not astrological jargon. When I make an astrological point, I will show you using a clear illustration. In these readings, I draw upon my experience as an astrological counselor, a workshop presenter, plus extensive therapy training, and tantric work. 

More than anything, I strive to be motivational. 

Over the past 24 years of doing this work, I have developed the "solar chart" method of reading more effectively than it's ever been used before. The solar chart allows me to give readings close in detail to a personal reading, but without needing your birth data.

This allows me to bring you real astrology at a small fraction of the cost of a personal reading -- and often deliver observations and insights that might not make it into a one-on-one session.

Notably, this is the time of year when I can do a few individual readings, which you can learn more about here. Love Is At the Root of Everything

By Amanda Painter

Between the power issues of today's Mars-Pluto conjunction and the sense of energy building toward the Scorpio Full Moon this weekend, you might be noticing some tension in the air. Yet, the chart for the Full Moon puts the Sun and Moon in degrees that come with symbols dealing with the compassionate linking of all human beings, and also the value of comradeship.

When you think about compassion, connection, friends and neighbors, does Fred Rogers ever come to mind?

"Won't You Be My Neighbor?" a documentary about Mr. Rogers, is being released on June 8, after having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Including interviews with many of the people involved with the show (Rogers himself died in 2003) and voiceovers from past interviews with Rogers, the documentary might not be the most complex look at Fred Rogers and the show he lovingly created. But it does seem to emphasize the core of his mission and his legacy: compassion, healthy self-expression, curiosity, love for oneself and others, honest and gentle conversations about difficult topics, and the value of our shared experience as individuals.

In today's world, where everything -- including children's television programs -- seems to move at the speed of light; in which having a conversation can seem to be a dangerous, polarizing act; and when mob consciousness appears to leave little room for people to be "just the way they are," we seem to need someone like Mr. Rogers even more than ever. Maybe this documentary can rekindle some of the compassion and connection humanity needs so dearly now, by reminding us that we each possess the ability to uplift and empower others.
This Week on Planet Waves FM Chiron on the Aries Point

Dear Friend and Listener:

This week on Planet Waves FM [play episode here], I focus on Chiron's presence on the Aries Point, and all of the associated astrology involving Mars -- a conjunction to Pluto earlier this week, and a square to Eris next week.

This highlights the new aspect that is coming out of the background, into the foreground: Pluto square Eris. While it doesn't make its first of five exact contacts till January 2020 (when much else happens, to put it modestly), it's now within two degrees, and a planet like Mars passing through can call it into focus.

You might say that this is like two strains of evolution trying to reconcile with one another: seemingly independent chaos factors of Eris in Aries (mixing people up on the level of who they are, associated with technology) and Pluto in Capricorn (which is shaking the structure of society on a daily basis).

I'll also be looking at the chart for the Chernobyl nuclear accident from this time of year in 1986, and the corresponding Nuclear Axis chart -- the foundation of all astrology focused on the atomic issue.

I've got news about the spring reading, and a little something special for the Tantra section of the program.

Thanks for tuning in.

With love,


Charts for This week's Show

Mars conjunct Pluto
Chernobyl Disaster, 1986
Nuclear Axis, 1942

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Planet Waves: Accessible Astrology You Can Trust

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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.

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Four Winds Almanac Now Includes Daily Horoscope

Planet Waves publishes a nifty daily astrology newsletter called the Four Winds Report. Designed as a fast read arriving early in the morning, we're now trying an experiment -- we're including the daily horoscope for everyone.

Were it not for horoscopes, I wouldn't be an astrologer. It was the Patric Walker daily that convinced me there was actually something to astrology, and I got my basic education studying his column each day in the New York Post.

I pack a lot of energy into each sign's 50-word write-up. Part of the value of astrology is the timing, and daily allows for precision, as well as chronicling a narrative day by day.

Your almanac also includes information about Mayan astrology (long count and short count dates), several formats of the current date (including Hebrew and Islamic), a daily birthday reading, and special discounts on products and services.

Best of all, we take no outside advertising.

Sign up free here. Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

We've published your extended monthly horoscopes for May below in this issue. Your extended monthly horoscopes for April were published Thursday, March 29.  Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Thursday after the Sun has entered a new sign. Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Chiron in Aries (2018-2027) represents a maturing process for you. Chiron takes the slow approach, sifting through every grain of personal experience, and encouraging you to search yourself in every mirror. You have plenty of those, though the current place to look is in everything you do in the digital environment. How is your digital personality different from your in-person one? Have you accounted for the impact that participating in the digital realm has had on your overall state of mind, psychic health and productivity? The astrology most closely associated with the digital realm, Uranus conjunct Eris in your sign, represents all of society being pushed out of its body and taking up residence on what you might think of as an electronic astral plane. Chiron arrives with a focus on reality, observing and documenting what is so. To the extent that you've shifted your reality as a consequence of investing some portion of your life in the digital realm, Chiron is here to bring you back into your body and back into your self-awareness. Additionally, Uranus leaves your sign after seven years on May 15, and its shift into Taurus will come with some kind of prod or jolt that reminds you that the place you belong is in your body, paying attention to what your senses offer you. The rest is froth, fluff and nonexistent pixels.

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Taurus Birthdays 2018: How Will You Dance with the Unexpected This Year, Taurus?

"Awesome, so uplifting and so 'IT' -- a wonderful birthday message."
-- Eryca Willinger

Dear Friend with Taurus Sun, Rising or Moon:

In just three weeks, Uranus will enter your sign. As Eric described in your Taurus annual reading for this year, "Uranus transits are exciting and a little nerve-wracking. There can be the sensation of a constant buzz running through your mind and your feelings, along with an ongoing dance with the unexpected."

Eric Francis.

He goes on to explain that, "the alchemy of Uranus and Taurus will create some interesting, exciting effects. If you allow it to, it will bring out the best in you. It seems that to do this effectively, with the least struggle and the most adventure, you need to identify as an agent of change rather than as one who resists changing."

As you might imagine, in your 2018 Taurus Birthday Reading Eric will be doing his best to get you prepared, limbered up and excited to meet Uranus on solid ground -- the kind of ground upon which you can move and think with agility, respond to the unexpected with grace, and initiate new adventures with confidence.

In two segments of astrology (at least 30 minutes each) you'll get the motivational coaching, insight, reassurance and practical tools you need to get this new phase of discovery and growth started on the right foot. You can download the audio to listen as many times as you like, and you'll also get an extended description of your sign.

"It's like Eric was talking directly to me. Everything he said is what has been happening. The last year has been a tremendous challenge in pretty much all areas of my life, but the birthday reading gives me hope that I really am on the right track. Thank you for such a great birthday reading Eric! Longtime Planet Waves fan."
-- S.R.

If you're new to Eric's audio readings or would like an in-depth review of your last year, please accept the gift of last year's Taurus Reading here.

Also, please note that when you pre-order your Taurus Reading early, you secure the lowest price we offer. The price will increase as publication nears -- and then again after it's published.

Wishing you the best in your role as an "agent of change,"

Amanda Painter

P.S. As always, the 2018 Taurus Birthday Reading makes a fantastic gift, sure to be valued by your favorite Taurus friends and family members.

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Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Yours may be the sign most resistant to change, and now you're about to have Uranus, the very agent of revolution, with you for the next seven years. This will shift your relationship to progress, movement and, most of all, your attachments to the past. What astrologers call "Uranian energy" has one outstanding property: it's unpredictable. So this transit means opening yourself up to more possibilities than you might normally consider, including the potential for discovering new things about who you are, and who you are becoming. Uranus is high-voltage, inventive, spontaneous and lacking in all morals. It has a way of provoking the best and the worst from the human spirit. To get the Taurus connection, we need to go deeper than conventional astrology, and check out the work of Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949). She goes beyond the cool, impeccable presentation of Taurus, and describes your sign as the "blacksmith shop of the soul" -- the dark and smoky place deep within, where growth actually happens. It would seem that this is the place to tap into your potential, and the place to focus your identity for a while: on your capacity to shape yourself, using the forces of nature and your own nature. The notion of stability takes on a different role, where you now may be relying on the people you love to create a safe container for your process. Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- It's good that you're so adaptable, because the conditions of your life, and of society, have called on you to use that gift. This is especially true in social situations, where you're at your best and tend to be a natural leader. Yet the social ground has been shifting beneath your feet. As versatile and as open to new modes of communication as you are, you've probably noticed the way in which necessary structures that would ordinarily hold a community together have been shifting rapidly. Were you to go back just five or 10 years, and actually remember the way people treated one another, communicated and got together, what is happening today would seem toxic and insane. You may be noticing this, seemingly all at once. When Uranus leaves your 11th house mid-month, you'll have a clearer view of your environment, and you'll be able to perceive things more clearly. And when you do, you will want to make some adjustments to the way you interact with the world. You may feel a strong need to pull in and focus on yourself rather than your outer environment. You may decide you need to be more selective about who you engage with, even on the most casual social level. You might need to set some limits on "social" media, and perhaps commission a thorough review of how it's changed not just your life but who you are. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Two rare transits are influencing the most public angles of your solar chart -- Chiron has entered the responsibility and reputation 10th house (Aries), and Uranus is about to enter your 11th house of social experiences (Taurus). Taken together, these represent a realignment of your public profile, most likely in ways that you were not expecting, and which are compelling you to take a close look at your life. Yet the initial results of these transits will be something quite apart from how they develop over time; and it's in the long run that you have the most influence over the course of events. For now, the thing to do is to move with the changes, and to pay attention to your environment, meaning your physical and social surroundings. It will help to keep your house in order, though this is likely to be something you already do. Chiron in the 10th house, in particular, has a way of putting a person under a spotlight, and subjecting them to greater scrutiny than may seem to be useful, practical or fair -- but you can take it. What you must remember is that while you have some ability to present yourself to the world, you cannot determine how other people respond. Mainly, you have the ability to document your own life, and to be fully accountable at all times -- to yourself. Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- New developments in your solar chart are calling on you to take authority. Yet you must do this in a way that's distinct from the world's top-down models of leadership, which seem to care little about right and wrong. In a world that's ruled by power, where people do things just because they can, there's a special necessity to suspend ethics. You, however, must make ethics your first -- and, in some cases only -- priority. Primarily, this means being in alignment with your own ideas about what is correct and true, and acting only in accordance with them. You have the power to do pretty much anything you want, regardless of whether it works for you or anyone. This is similar to driving a car. You make the choice of how fast you go, what side of the yellow lines you stay on, and your state of mind while operating your vehicle. You can do anything you want; and in what you do, you're guided by some principle -- for example, obeying the law, not wanting to harm anyone, or wanting to get home safely. The time has arrived to apply this kind of idea to your whole life. You need to know where you stand with yourself, and how that sets up the parameters of your choices and actions. The wide world is not watching: it's you. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- You've been maneuvering through some complex territory, both in your personal life and in your profession. And as the month develops, you'll start to get on top of your game. You've had the gift of brilliant strategy, though now you'll get to discover the power of charm and persuasion. You cannot be all warrior, manager or litigator. It's essential that you harness the power of informal leadership and authority rather than the more structured and official kinds. This will necessitate bringing your feminine side into what you're doing, which is easy enough for you to leave out these days. To feel, to receive, to express care in tangible ways, all leave you open and what some would describe as vulnerable. Yet if you want some love in the dream, this is where you'll need to go. You might make peace with one thing: nobody does anything for you because they have to. Those who serve you do so because they want to. You would be wise to set aside any pretense of 'power' and embrace the reality that humans are social beings. We share a strong impulse to take care of one another, to protect the brood, and to ensure that everyone has enough to eat. With those things covered, there's plenty of work to be done. And as one looked to for leadership, those are the only planks in your platform. Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Chiron has now moved into your 7th house of relationships; by mid-month Mars will be in your 5th house of pleasure, play, creativity and curiosity. Uranus is about to move into your 8th house, representing sexuality on the deep bonding level, and as a product of relationships with shared finances. For now, let's consider Chiron, the planet of healing, which will be in your relationship house for nine years. No matter which way we look at your charts, the story told is deepening intimacy, addressing the fears associated with doing so, and taking a more mature approach to your sexuality. Society remains obsessed with that which is salacious, which takes 7th grade emotional development and projects it out over the entire population. Though it may not be obvious now, the maturing and healing process (same thing, basically) will gradually bring this point into focus. It may take time; Chiron always taps on the door before it knocks and then thumps. In any discussion, whether about a private experience you may be having, or some public issue, I suggest you make room for healing, and the potential for any party to the subject to grow and mature. No matter who or what you're talking about, there is no "it" or "them." Your life, what you perceive, experience and believe, is all about you, and nobody else. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- Uranus taking up residence in your opposite sign will keep you on your feet, dancing the tango and the twist. Lasting seven years, this transit will present you with the kinds of situations you might like to avoid, yet which will be impossible merely to dodge or wish away. Such experiences may span from whatever is happening in society that will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls, to your most intimate ties that bind. Taken on the deepest personal level, one message of this transit is to make sure that you give your intimate partners space to change, to learn and to grow. This would also embrace creative and business partners; and it would describe your environment in general. You're being summoned to take a more daring, inventive and even revolutionary approach to art, to love and to life; and the more you resist, the higher the stakes will seem. Here's one way to consider the shift in dynamic: One of the ways you typically deal with change is to get others to do things your way; you use your considerable gravity to bend things in your direction. Uranus will have none of that. You will therefore need to master this energy, and do something we both know you're capable of: be flexible; and when challenged, come up with a better idea -- much better. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- There's about to be new emphasis on your work life: not your career or profession, but rather the actual work that you do. Those born under your sign tend to walk a narrow path between striving for total creative freedom, and wanting to monitor and control every detail. This is the source of tension for you, and it's time to burst that bubble. Ultimately what must count for you is your idea and its expression. You're also the steward of going from one to the other. You will need more room than you currently have, in your current workspace or mental field. You will need to be more experimental, and give yourself the liberty to make mistakes. There will be various gambles involved, where you will embark on projects and opportunities, consciously willing to take a loss. Those are really the only conditions under which you stand to grow in your work, and to profit from it. This process will push you up against your boundaries. First you will discover where they are, then you will evaluate whether they work for you, and finally, you'll have the opportunity to make adjustments. Yet you cannot plan any of this in advance, without the specific knowledge and experience you're presented with in any situation. You will need to play by ear, which means listening to the music, and adding your own individual statement. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- You're the kind of person who wants to do everything right, though too often this is about what you think others believe. Worse, you can be a slave to convenience, or to bend in the direction of what you might call the current administration. For you who want to grow into an actualized human being, relate to others from the heart, and perhaps make your mark on the world, those are not sustainable strategies. There may soon come a time when you're subservient only to your own creative impulses, your curiosity and your desire. Once you accept those factors as your guides, authority will lose its appeal, the opinions of your relatives will be laughable, and conforming for the sake of convenience will feel, rightly, as a form of cowardice. Your true strength will flow from connecting with how your body feels, who you love, and what your soul wants to make. Though you yearn for family connection, Chiron and other factors are calling you deeper than the tribal level, deeper than race or personal creed, and onto the level on which humanity exists as a distinctive entity. The human experience and all of its drama is a vast experiment. Can we take on the creative power of the cosmos? Can we honor and hold space for the distinct entity that each of us is? Do you admit that you exist? Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Be sure to keep your emotional responses proportional to reality. It will be possible to overreact, and equally possible to keep a handle on how you perceive your reality. Much of this will require that you focus on the present and the future, and use the past for context. Speaking of: the mystery of certain events that have transpired the past month or so will reveal themselves when Mars enters your sign on the 16th. Yet, despite what you learn, you must react slowly rather than quickly. Mars in your sign will make a square aspect to Uranus, which arrives in Taurus on May 15. That is a potential formula for radical misjudgment, so be sure you interpose a delay, and that you consult with the older and wiser people in your life. Any decisions you make must be well thought out, though the most significant theme of the summer will be figuring out what you want. That's mostly a process of being honest with yourself, because you know the truth of that, though sometimes you struggle to admit it. That, and you've been living much of your life in a blind spot. Suddenly, you'll be able to see, and to see what you want. Just be willing to listen, particularly to what you find the most irritating. There's valuable information contained in anti-social viewpoints. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Pay close attention to who your friends are. Your usual policy is to presume the best in people, then give them a chance to prove you right. I suggest you take the opposite approach for a while, which is to assume nothing, and give people a chance to fail. Rather than extending your trust, make sure people earn it, through their actions and not just their words. Then, take care that your actions and words are exemplary. Powerful forces are at work in your life, and it will be your ethics and commitment to truth that puts you on the correct side of nature. This month's sign change of Uranus from Aries to Taurus will help you stabilize certain aspects of your life, and radically reinvent others -- in particular, the message that you send to the world in everything you express. It's time to up your game, to reach inwardly for the very heart and soul of who you are, and to express only that. Don't be surprised if you shake things up a little bit; the seemingly simple act of telling the truth or describing reality as it is can cause an uproar. Yet it's your integrity that will protect you, and will help ensure that whatever you have to say is both received and understood, regardless of any position people may take.

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