Today (Friday) at 2:43 pm EST is the Capricorn New Moon. That's the alignment of the Sun and Moon in Capricorn and the start of a new lunar month. Capricorn is a reminder that the Sun is still square a tropic by the same name, and that here in the Northern Hemisphere we're in deep winter.

The Moon, with the limb of Earth near the bottom transitioning into the orange-colored troposphere, the lowest and most dense portion of the Earth's atmosphere. Photo by the Expedition 28 crew aboard the International Space Station / NASA.

Today's New Moon is intriguing because its closest aspect is to a newly discovered planet, Eris, the one that got Pluto 'demoted' back in 2006. The aspect is a square -- maximum tension. It's as if there's some energy lurking behind this New Moon, as if something is trying to burst out and crack through the world like an egg.

Mercury is in the picture; that's a suggestion to think consciously about what you're experiencing and to communicate it directly. However, with Eris in the picture, you might be inclined to push that a bit hard -- so do your best to apply a little diplomacy.

In addition to this tension, there's some wistfulness in the air. This New Moon is conjunct an asteroid called Requiem. There may be some longing for what might have been, what was lost or what went unexpressed. It may be possible to let that go; events or developments over the next few days may conspire to help you do that.

This New Moon has the sensation of an ending and a beginning. I think it needs to be handled carefully, in emotional terms as well as practical. Take it slow, and I suggest you let things develop for a while before taking action. There is plenty going on behind the scenes, and some of it starts to emerge Friday and into the weekend.

If things seem to get out of hand, that is, if there's chaos or crazy making in the environment, I do suggest that you step back and observe, till you actually understand what's going on.

One reason to slow down and process is that Venus, newly in Capricorn, is square Uranus in Aries (exact Jan. 12 at 11:12 pm EST). Venus square Uranus can bring surprises: surprising magnetism (which may or may not be reliable) and also sudden emotional upsets in relationships. In general, Venus in Capricorn offers a sense of strength and patience for working through fear and jealousy in love.

Simplified chart section showing the Capricorn New Moon (Sun and Moon conjunct), joined by Mercury nearby (green glyph with horns). Pluto (red golf tee) and Juno are conjunct in Cap; Venus (blue 'female' symbol) is square Uranus (blue 'H') in Aries. Eris (red oval with an arrow) in Aries is square the Sun and Moon.

That will be the end of this equation to work if a relationship experiences some volatility this weekend. Squares call us to take action, true; but it's also a form of action to devote yourself to getting a handle on your emotions and stabilizing them before reacting out of hand. Think of it as a 'time out' for your heart, one that keeps you in touch with the foundations of a relationship even if momentary decisions, words or actions feel inflammatory.

With Juno also in Capricorn and conjunct Pluto (exact Monday), the area of relationships is feeling some pressure from both sides of the Uranus-Pluto square. Note when the issue of jealousy arises in your relationships, and how you react to it.

What we think of as marriage (represented by Juno) is supposed to do something, which it does not do: provide a framework for commitment. So what is your framework for commitment? What actual agreements do you make, and why? What expectations do you have on marriage and marriage-like relationships? Are you living your parents' or grandparents' ideas of relationship more than your own? This happens a lot and I do mean a lot. How many people get married because it will make their parents and their grandparents feel better?

Do you know any examples of healthy, creative relationships personally? How many people can you name that have the kind of relationship you want -- people you know intimately?

All of this and more is up for consideration now. Venus square Uranus can provide the spark for change, but it may take a deeper level of emotional maturity and stability to use that spark constructively, rather than destructively. Juno conjunct Pluto is laying out the blueprints for where the renovations to the 'house of marriage' are most needed -- but getting caught up in a jealous pique won't contribute to efficient work. If you're going to rebuild a relationship with all this energy in Capricorn, you need to be able to see the past for what it is and let it go -- just take the time to measure twice before you pick up your saw.



Dear Annual Edition Customers:

This is my last weekend writing the 2013 annual. As of today, it looks like I will wrap up Sunday night and we will have your readings to you Monday night.

These readings include written reports about 3,500 words long (10 pages single spaced) as well as two 40-minute audio readings per sign. They work for your Sun sign and rising sign (I highly recommend getting both, or all 12, as you really get a more complete picture the more you read and listen to).

Subscribers still may purchase all 12 for the price of three; or you can purchase the signs individually for $19.95. Each of these signs takes me about 10 hours to complete, and my research goes back to July. That's a lot of astrology for twenty bucks. You will love it, but do let me know if you do.

Lovingly,




Don't Miss This!
Lead Levels Associated with Violent Crime

First, let's claim a victory -- by whatever miracle, the United States banned lead in gasoline and most industrial products. I don't know the story, but common sense and science prevailed. Second, a new retrospective has been published that associates peaks of lead pollution with peaks in violent crime.

The perfect metal; the perfect poison.

The retrospective looks at several countries and many cities and has concluded that violent crime peaks 20 years after lead levels peak -- suggesting strongly that exposure to lead as an infant leads to violent criminal behavior. This is not merely one study; it's a review of many studies, their results and their methods, which attempts to disprove the results but ultimately finds them to be true.

I've been ranting for years about the potential behavioral and emotional effects of environmental pollutants. I even got an article in The Ecologist about how hormonally active PCB and dioxin levels were messing with sexual instincts, behaviors and even anatomy.

As the world goes increasingly insane, we need to question the role that the brew of supertoxins in which we are soaking is playing in that. The political crisis, the economic crisis, the inability of countless millions of people to get a grip on their lives or to have any workable boundaries: all of this can be influenced by hormone pollution.

This new retrospective says, we need to look closer -- and remember, lead WAS banned from most uses in the United States. There is no longer lead paint (in homes and businesses), plaster or gasoline. Now it's time for a chlorine ban. Repeat, now it's time to get rid of chlorine. That one move will solve a lot of our problems.




What Are Those Stars Saying?

Listen up, and listen closely: this webpage for NASA's Kepler mission to look for habitable planets around stars other than our Sun is not that exciting to look at, admittedly. But it offers a chance to hear the sounds of distant stars.

More accurately, the page features links to sound files that are the "sonification of light curves" of some of the 100,000 stars being observed by the Kepler spacecraft. According to NASA, “The light curves contain certain frequencies of brightness variation that are akin to sound waves, but the frequencies are not audible to the human ear.”

In the sonification process, those frequencies are scaled to a range that we can hear. Get out your headphones, and check out the funky sounds made by stars 'winking' at us as a sister-planet passes by.




Cap New Moon, Old Dick Nixon

In this week's edition of Planet Waves FM, I go over the Capricorn New Moon chart as well as commemorate the 100th birthday of Richard M. Nixon. If you'd like to see Nixon's chart, here's the page in Astrodatabank.




Your Monthly Horoscopes -- and our Publishing Schedule Notes

The January monthly horoscope was published Friday, Dec. 21. Inner Space for January was published Friday, Dec. 28. The December Moonshine Horoscope was published Tuesday, Dec. 18. I recommend reviewing the monthly horoscope at the end of the month. Please note that the longer monthly horoscope is being incorporated into the Friday issue after the Sun has entered a new sign; a new Inner Space is still emailed on the following Tuesday.




Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 #933 | By Eric Francis

Our new zodiac glyphs are by Neisha Hirsch.

Capricorn Birthdays This Week (for Cap rising as well)

A New Moon in your birth sign this week is a reminder that it's time to leave the past behind, though you may still be processing some sadness or regrets about things that have happened before -- including in the distant past. Rather than pressuring yourself to feel or not to feel a certain way, I suggest you stay with yourself and inquire within about what it will take to be ready to move on. Be open to what comes back; take the steps that you get in reply to your inner query. Meanwhile, you really do seem to be ready to take a leap forward, and this is all about confidence. That is the thing to study, to observe and most of all to practice. I know that confidence can seem like some kind of innate gift that's bestowed only on the rare few. It's like any other skill; it can be broken down into steps, understood in a clear way and most of all, improved through a course of repeated, realtime experiments. After a while you will see your faith in yourself was much stronger than you imagined. So you may as well take advantage of that now. NOTE -- there will be a Capricorn birthday report, substantially different from LISTEN, the annual reading. It will take me another week or so to record that. -- efc

Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Remember to mind your politics. You are in rare form in many other ways -- unafraid to stand out, bold about expressing your ideas and willing to take charge. Yet what you need is to employ your political skill. That means politeness, following basic policy and applying a little polish to your presentation. You are in a visible position of leadership, though I suggest you focus your efforts on fostering cooperation. You will have to take some initiative but if you remember to do all those things beginning with 'pol' you will find that your charm and positive attitude get you further than letting anyone know who is boss. One other not-so-subtle point -- be aware of emotions like envy, jealousy and the desire for control. Leave that to other people and be aware that these emotions are in the environment. What they all have in common is a competitive edge; that is the thing to identify in any form that it arrives, to let go of and to find viable options for.


Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- What we think of as marriage is a religious concept. Then by some miracle it ended up a civil instrument, influencing taxes and under the jurisdiction of the state courts. I am aware that there are ways of thinking of partnership and even marriage unrelated to any of these venerated institutions. I would ask what role any have in the exchange of human emotions or organizing a household. You're in a phase of questioning many other values that have percolated through to you via religion, though you may never have recognized them as such. It is time. They all have one thing in common: controlling behavior and concentrating wealth in the hands of the church, in both cases using guilt as the lever. The matter can be reduced to one short inquiry: what would you do in a world where guilt held no value? Would you need in some way to be reined in? Or would you conduct yourself ethically anyway, and still have a good time?


Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Now is the time to renegotiate certain contracts and agreements that no longer serve their purpose. Therefore, I suggest you go over every agreement that you're currently subject to, assess its reason for existing and see if that reason is being fulfilled. Some of these may be pretty old, you may have forgotten others, and some, you may not even be aware you're subject to. Here is a clue: is something or someone 'driving you crazy'? Is there a source of chaos in your life? Something putting pressure on you that you seem unable to get out of? See if you can trace this back to some kind of commitment or agreement that you made. Go back to the moment of that transaction and look at the exact language, whether in writing or what you recall having said. Research or remember what was said to you, in terms of what promises were made. Did you hold up your end of the bargain? What about the other person or organization? Once you have that information, you will have plenty to work with. The concept of a relationship is taken too seriously, and the reality of a relationship not seriously enough.


Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- You are in extraordinarily rich relationship territory; your bonds with others are deepening and the potential exists for one particular person to join you in entering unusually deep caverns within yourself. I suggest, however, that you embrace these developments with a spirit of welcoming change rather than courting permanence. It's not that the people you encounter now will not last; to the contrary, one or more may prove to be around for quite a while. I suggest that you stay in the present and keep the energy moving, allowing the elements in the environment to form new compounds, and the sensations in your body to lead to a new depth of emotional sharing and contact. Your concept of a partner or lover is changing, as is your desire for language to describe the experience and to share your feelings with others. These are matters more practical than mystical, particularly the language piece. Listen carefully, say what you mean and get your conversation partner to propose what they think you mean. Certainty of understanding is rare; you can come close now.


Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- It's time for some deeply ingrained patterns to change, particularly involving the work you do. You have a leverage point right now; key elements of the system within which you operate are at maximum stress. As designed, the system cannot take the pressure it's being subjected to. But don't wait for things to 'get better' to make the changes that you need to make; the whole point is to redesign things to accommodate -- or better yet, eliminate -- the kinds of tension that you've been experiencing lately. Several factors are involved, including communication, how resources are allocated and understanding the nature of commitment as it exists within your environment. Speaking personally, you have to get out of two modes: one is "this is how it's going to be because this is how it always was" and "we need a rigid structure or set of rules to solve this problem." In truth what you need is flexibility -- on everyone's part, though you're in the leadership role when it comes to setting that particular example.

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Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- Loosen up a little and you will be a lot happier. You need a more playful outlook; I think naughty is the word. I suggest you stop asking if you're 'in integrity' and realize there is only so much that can go wrong, under your present plan; the world will not end if you have more fun. Yet you may have to consciously set aside attachment to the fun you didn't get to have, that you opted out of or that ended way too early. I know it's difficult not to have some feelings for what you sincerely regret, though it's likely to get in the way of what you can experience now -- and there is plenty being offered to you. What all those opportunities for fun have in common is the need to take some kind of chance. I don't mean walking along the ledge of a skyscraper, though it may feel that way sometimes; I mean an emotional risk, such as entering a vulnerable situation where you have the potential to get hurt. Yes, it could happen, but it's less likely if you're conscious of your environment. It's the vulnerability that will allow in the sense of contact and pleasure.


Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- I suggest you stay close to home the next week or so, close to a place where you can pull in and retreat. You seem to be processing some unusually deep feelings, though they're coming through with the approximate ease that water moves through the bedrock of an aquifer: dependably, though slowly, requiring time and patience. The material includes a review of your as-yet unmet emotional and relational needs; there is something about the past that's holding you close and about which you may have some regrets, including regrets about how you treated someone when you were feeling neglected. At the same time, you may notice that your curiosity is going in new directions. You may think that it's your brain acting up, though I would propose that this is an actual physical inquisitiveness that is calling you to explore. You may not feel ready now, though if you're patient with yourself and don't try to escape from the past, you'll discover renewed freedom to try some truly interesting experiences.


Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- Something is much simpler than it seems. But to see that, you must think it through for yourself and not be swayed by the opinions of others. I suggest that you skip the part about analyzing everyone's motives and see what the situation looks like in its most elemental form. If you had to script it into a play for shadow puppets, how would it look and sound? Who would the characters be? I think, probably, it would look like some family scene that you decided you were tired of long ago. You seem to perceive yourself as an irritant in a group environment, as the one who stands out or is different, and a) gets hassled for such and b) always feels like you're the one who might have to go, so that everyone can settle down. That's the scenario to let go of; it's no longer true and seems to be entirely a replay of old tapes. In reality, under the current astrology you seem to be the one wanting to be the adult in the room, which is a good thing -- as long as you recognize the difference between adult and parent.


Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- You may feel under pressure to make some big decisions, particularly of a financial nature. I suggest, however, that you wait until the end of the month (when Jupiter stations direct) before finalizing anything, particularly involving an investment or banking matter. You have more to learn about where partners or significant others are coming from, and what you learn will influence your decision. Meanwhile, it would help if you turned your sense of pressure into a sense of opportunity: in this case, you need to restructure your affairs in some way, which will have a benefit over time. There is an intimate connection between money and the structures that surround it, which takes many forms (including relationships). I suggest you make a commitment to have no guilt about doing what you need to do in order to make your affairs run more smoothly. And, though I will mention it again, take the next few weeks and see if you can deduce what close partners or associates really have on their mind.


Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Accept the past in its current form and recognize that there is little you can do to change it, or to mitigate its effects. Yet if you take an attitude of 'let it be', you may find that more peace of mind comes to you than you could ever have if you try to rewrite history, pretend certain things didn't happen or get stuck on your regrets. If you allow it to be so, the past will start to make sense in a way you had not considered before. You stand at a new moment in your life, though you will recognize this in a more palpable way if you embrace what is present for you now, and notice that you have many new options for how to live. This calls for shifting your perspective, along two orientations. One is your relationship to attachment. It's no longer possible for you to be stuck in the way things were in the past, or to use epoxy and jealousy to graft yourself onto anyone. Second is your relationship to stating your basic emotional needs. Resolve to speak up and state them clearly, in language that another mortal can understand without the help of a detective.


Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Your mission is to foster cooperation without worrying about your popularity, and without going out of your way to make enemies. In other words, the people around you are not going to work together so well because they like you so much; and they are not going to work together because they hate you so much. They're going to do it because it's the right thing to do and because everyone's life will be easier. Therefore, you have to be gentle in your approach to leadership, and recognize that you have a real measure of authority before you ever open your mouth. However, I suggest you tune into certain facts of the underlying psychology -- both your own and that of the circumstances around you. It seems to be driving everything, and you may be the only person in the environment who has the ability to perceive what's going on, including being able to suss out the sexual politics that are involved and are, as usual, significantly influential.


Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You may or may not consider yourself 'marriage material' though I would propose (pardon the pun) that this is an excellent few weeks to explore your partnership potential. You have your own ideas about what a relationship is, and you may think that few others share those ideas. There are people in your circle of friends who are starting to catch up with you; these may include former partners and those you know through some aspect of work. Anyway, my point is: for the next month, experiment with the idea that your ideas about relationships are right for you and that other people have been learning from your example. There is a kind of collective transformation in progress right now, and it's likely to manifest in your life as opportunities for contact that you thought were unlikely or impossible before. The challenge for you will be to leave behind the pain of what has not worked; any past struggle with rejection; and any prejudices you still may hold about what other people think about how you live. There is a lot that others have not been saying. Love, listen and learn.