Meteorite passes over Russia early Friday morning. The shockwave broke numerous windows, injuring 500 people -- four of them seriously. See photo gallery here.

Busy Sky: Meteorite, Asteroid and Sun Enters Pisces

The sky is a busy place right now. Early Friday morning, an approximately 11-ton meteorite entered the atmosphere 900 miles east of Moscow, injuring 500 people, most of them from broken glass, according to news reports. [Do not miss this astonishing video.] It's extremely rare that meteorites hurt people, and to my knowledge no human has ever been struck by one in recorded history. Most of the meteors you see streaking across the sky are the size of a grain of sand, or smaller.

This happened within a day of an asteroid, 2012 DA14, passing by the Earth at the hair's breadth distance of 17,200 miles (the two incidents may be related). That's a fraction of the Earth-Moon distance and is considered by astronomers to be an extremely close brush. Any asteroid that comes within 31 million miles is considered a near-Earth asteroid. This one is 1,800 times closer than that. It's probably a stray fragment of a larger body. Most asteroids orbit between Mars and Jupiter. Many others orbit with Jupiter.

Meteorites actually hitting where people are is extremely rare. Above, meteorite dealer Ray Meyer stands beside a red Chevy Malibu struck on Oct. 9, 1992. The car was owned by 18-year-old Michelle Knapp, who sold the car for 25 times the $400 she paid for it when buying it from her grandmother. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

"Thirty years ago, we would not have been able to find the thing," said Michael Busch, a planetary astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, N.M., quoted by The Washington Post. But it may happen every decade or two, he said.

It's not known for sure whether the meteorite that hit near Moscow and the asteroid are related. Many people have been asking for my interpretation of what this close brush means. Since we don't know the position in longitude, it's impossible to place in a chart. However, it suggests at least two things: one is some kind of a close call. The second is something that emphasizes our current moment in history.

In the most ordinary terms, it's a kind of memory anchor to have something like this happen, so make sure you connect it to any interesting, poignant or unusual events or passages in your life right now. And in the spirit of investigation, let's see what develops over the next few days.

The Sun enters Pisces Monday, joining four planets that are already there -- Neptune, Chiron, Mars and Mercury. That's a lot of Pisces -- more than we've ever had in recent years. Making things interesting is that the Sun changes signs in a conjunction with the asteroid Eros, which is about matters of the heart -- both emotional and biological.

Pisces is the sign of the imagination, of creativity and of a deep kind of faith that's not available through religion, a book or a workshop. Pisces is the faith that you're born with, and as such, it can represent the crisis of faith, of finding your passion and of making contact with your creativity.

Eros in an exact conjunction with the Sun as its Pisces journey begins is saying that creative power comes from the heart, which may be close to what people think of when they say 'soul' -- another Pisces element.

Neptune is right there, which is accentuating the same story. The difference between these two planets is that Neptune can act invisibly, in the background, until something brings its influence into focus.

Chiron's longterm presence in Pisces is accentuating the quest for your true passion, your deepest creativity and your faith both in yourself and something larger than yourself. Chiron is always looking for that connection point between micro and macro, between the element and the whole system; Chiron is always reading for the holistic level of existence.

Over the next few weeks or so, the Sun will make many aspects -- conjunctions to Neptune and Chiron, as well as aspects to Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn. This will provide a concentrated sequence of opportunities -- actual opportunities, though you will need to tune into that Pisces level of awareness: noticing inspiration, feeling your creative impulse, opening your inner eyes and seeing your vision.




Pope Meets the Centaurs

Pope Benedict XVI this week became the first person to resign the papacy in nearly 600 years. This happened during a week of centaur conjunctions (covered in detail in Tuesday's edition of Daily Astrology), which tend to bring shadow material to light. Benedict was directly implicated in the child rape coverup that has been shaking the church for more than 20 years, and which turns out to date to the 1950s, so this was an appropriate time for him to quit.

Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd after delivering his Christmas message "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 25. (CNS photo).

This is a complicated chart, reaching into the highest affairs of government and corporate power, and may speak to something much larger; some are proposing that the child rape version of the story is a coverup for another story -- a money laundering scandal in the Vatican bank.

I ran across the work of a writer named Kevin Annett, who explained this position. I thought I would check his theories against the chart and they do seem to hold water, if not holy water. In astrology, the themes of power, sex and money are related through the 2nd and 8th houses, and it turns out that this chart is all about those houses -- with other implications taking it to the top of the world management team. The chart for the resignation announcement is below; here is a zip file of all the charts I've used.

I also reference my coverage of Ratzinger's election as pope in 2005 -- I covered that at the time for Jonathan Cainer's website in an article called "Pope Signals."

Our musical guest is Sinead O'Connor; I play a live recording of a song called Whomsoever Dwells, which you can watch on her website here, or purchase the full compilation.




Your Monthly Horoscopes -- and our Publishing Schedule Notes

The March monthly extended horoscopes will be published on Friday, Feb. 22. The February monthly horoscope was published Friday, Jan. 25. Inner Space for February was published Tuesday, Jan. 29. We published the Moonshine Horoscope for the Aquarius New Moon on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Please note that Moonshine horoscopes by Genevieve will now occur twice per month, for each Full and New Moon. I recommend reviewing the monthly horoscope at the end of the month. Also 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.




Pisces Birthdays: A Moment of Confidence

Hello Pisces! The Sun is about to enter your sign, which will add a source of heat, light and energy to what is already a once-in-a-lifetime scene in your chart. Well, once if you were born after the 1960s; this may be the second time if you were born in or before the '60s, though in any event this is a rare and spectacular moment of potential for you.

The message is one of confidence and trust. Have faith in your talent, your drive and your creativity. Mostly, have faith in yourself. You may hear many different opinions; you may have doubts from time to time. Yet if there was ever a moment when you could set your fears aside and proceed forward in the way you know you're called to do, now is the time.

This year will bring many points of contact with others, their ideas and their enterprises. You have your options open, though I suggest that you keep your main focus on what you know to be your primary mission. You won't have to think long to remember what this is, but I will remind you of one thing.

What you thought was difficult, impossible or out of reach in the past is now accessible, available and eminently possible. Remember that at every step, and have faith in it. Note to Pisces and Pisces rising: I will have your 2013 birthday report next week. Watch this space or your inbox for more information.

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 #938 | By Eric Francis
Aries (March 20-April 19) -- You may feel like the world is alive with experience and intrigue, but it's all going on in some secret room that you don't have access to. The thing is, you do have access, though it's unlikely to be through the front entrance or the box office. This is more like being given a backstage pass and let in through the side door. Anyway, the real theater is in your mind, and you will access it by going to those places you cannot go with ordinary consciousness. The action is focused in Pisces, which almost always represents the inner reality (as opposed to Aries, which usually represents the outer reality). Therefore, use those paths which are likely to take you inside: creative exploration (rather than social contact) in nearly any form will do that, such as music, painting, photography or writing. The idea is to do a lot of something that draws you into yourself rather than out of yourself (a distinction not described often enough). Spend time alone. Get past the restless feeling to the sensation of entering an inner space. Notice where you are and how you feel.


Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- You seem to be in a lean moment, described more accurately by fulfilling your responsibilities than by pleasure seeking, though that's likely to shift as the Sun ingresses Pisces Monday. The responsibility piece is still there; you're in a kind of leadership training program now. Whether we're talking business or pleasure, you need a social emphasis on what you're doing -- working with groups, finding social experiences that are driven by a purpose in which you can participate, and other spontaneous forms of collaboration. The thing to remember is that whatever you're doing, you're not doing it alone. You will have strength in the power of groups, as long as you remember who you are. You don't need to rebel or assert yourself in any unusual way, just remember who you are (and what you want) as you take part in experiences with others. This is not always easy and for some people that remembering is persistently difficult. What you're experiencing now is part of the learning process -- that is, learning about yourself.


Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Mercury is moving into position to be retrograde, in an angle of your chart that addresses your career. There are also other planets gathering here, putting your personal emphasis on your sense of mission. Your task now is to sort out fantasy from reality. Living in a fantasy is different than having a vision and taking incremental steps to get there. Your chart shows both potentials at the moment, so I suggest that step one is to distinguish fantasy from vision. Yes, they are related, through the imagination. Many architectural masterpieces have started as sketches on napkins. You might say that it's the sketch that turns something from a fantasy to a vision -- the distillation, the act of making an idea tangible, and taking actual steps toward materializing it. There are two currents in your astrology that seem to be pulling you in opposite directions: reconsidering what you've thought of in the past, and wanting to push ahead and do something interesting and vital right now. You will need to proceed patiently for the next six weeks, though I would propose one thing -- the review and the new vision are closely related and will enhance rather than invalidate one another.


Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Your solar chart is likely to be calling you far and wide right now -- to distant places, bigger plans and better ideas. There's also a deep impulse to learn, about yourself and about the world. You may have the sense that there's no limit to what you can accomplish, or where you can travel or who you can meet. And finally, the truly extraordinary activity now unfolding in Pisces is summoning you deep into your sense of yourself and your presence not just in the world, but within yourself. I think that all of the seemingly big stuff, such as ideas for travel, and all that you want to create, will flow more easily if you focus on your sense of presence. I mean this in the physical and emotional sense of you actually being here, on the planet, right now. That sensation ought to be pretty accessible at the moment, the feeling that your mind and soul are seated in a body, and that your body occupies actual space and time. You can get anywhere from here -- as long as you start right where you are, and that's what I'm suggesting that you do.


Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- From the look of your solar chart, this is one of the most interesting sexual moments you've experienced in a long time. And, in case anyone hasn't noticed, erotic feelings and experiences lead to intimacy. You now have the opportunity to go deep, and to have a real exchange with someone (or ones) who mean a lot to you. Yet there's an aspect of this to be aware of, which is the odd way that love brings up anything unlike itself. If I were to design a class in sex education, which is really about preparation for relationships, I might even start with this theme. The basic message would be: when you go deep, you will find the things that are buried deeply within you. Whoever you are with is likely to have some similar experience. We need to be aware that this will happen, and be prepared for it. Deep, passionate experiences change us irrevocably, and we need to be prepared for that change within ourselves, as well as with the people we share with. The relationship agreements we make need to accommodate that fact, and they can, if we create them consciously.


Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- You're in one of the most interesting times for relationships that you've been in for a long time, though I have a suggestion: make sure you drop the capital R from that word, and maybe leave the 'ship' behind. Your life is now about relating, a verb, an action, which means making contact with others, and exploring that contact. I know that many, many people are on the hunt for the soulmate and/or the life partner and/or the perfect match as a thing or an endpoint. I suggest you let that go, if it describes you in any way -- and relate to everyone more or less the same way, as you. I know this is not easy for anyone, like the guy who once stood up at a workshop given by one of my teachers who said, "I tried being myself, but it was too hard, so I went back to the old way." But that was a while ago; we have all evolved, and I would add one point. It's going to be easier for you to be yourself than anything else. It's more fun. And there is no going back to the old way.


Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- I suggest you not obsess over your health. This is also not the time to be 'in balance'. It is the time to immerse yourself in whatever you're passionate about and to bring passion into whatever you're doing. The distinction between creativity, work and play no longer exists, at least not at the moment. There are no 'special' activities -- your whole existence is being infused with an unusual, truly brilliant vitality and sense of potential. You can pour love, energy and creativity into everything you touch, everything you do, and this potency is enhanced by being applied to everything. That said, if you have some preference for what you want, something you've been trying to create for a long time, you have the opportunity to do that now. The key is to follow your curiosity and then invest yourself in what you're doing. If you work a day job, then make sure you can explore in some open-ended span of time, such as when you're free to stay up all night, take a nap and keep going. Anyway, work is more of a variable than you may think right now.


Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- Scorpio is the sign with the reputation for sex, though as I've probably written before, one of the ways you get there is because Pisces is so strong in your chart. And Pisces is really, really hot right now -- with the potential result for your imagination to run wild, and allowing yourself to openly crave the kinds of experiences that you want. Remember, all sex isn't equal. One lover is not like another. I see your current energy state as suggesting that you focus on creating what you want. This may take some planning in our less-than-spontaneous world -- creating experiences requires intimacy and trust. Remember to give any new experience more than one try -- make up your mind if you like something after three experiences. And there's one other thing: It'll help a lot if you open up to the magnificent diversity of what makes you and other people feel good. There are many, many more possibilities than you've considered, and you now possess a kind of psychic and empathic mobility to help you explore these possibilities with an open heart and an open mind.


Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- Waves of energy coming through Pisces, about to be joined by the Sun, are giving you the opportunity to see many things about yourself that are usually invisible. It's as if some deep inner container is being opened and you're experiencing the full spectrum of your emotions, including the ones that may frighten you; your craving for vulnerability, which also may be a little scary; your need for contact in a secure environment (which I am here to validate for you). Now as for getting these needs/desires met -- they will involve taking a risk. You may feel that risk is like jumping off of a cliff. It's actually more like slipping into a hot tub that's just a little too warm for your comfort -- at first. The heat will call you into the presence of your physical body, which is where you're safest in the midst of a profound emotional healing/awakening of the kind you're having now. To facilitate this, I suggest you design times and spaces where you know you'll be free from interruption -- by phones, kids, critters and anyone not part of your particular experience.


Note to Capricorn and Capricorn rising readers: Your birthday reading is ready. It's a whole new thing, separate from LISTEN, covering different subject matter. It includes two sessions of astrology, a tarot reading, an extended description of your astrological sign, the charts and spreads used in the creation of the work, as well as access to last year's reading so you can check for accuracy. You can order that here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- You need to focus. Your emotions may be overwhelming you, so the first thing I suggest you do is go for some high ground. That could be as simple as an idea or a song -- anything to help you focus your mind. If you're so inclined, this is the time to write, and by that I mean THE time to use writing as a process to help get clear what you're thinking and feeling. If you're familiar with a process called morning pages, I would recommend doing that -- writing three pages every morning, freestyle writing, without reading them for a few months. Just write for the sake of moving your thoughts along, and giving them some tangible form on paper. As you write, notice what you hear yourself saying. Make a note of your dreams, and how you feel upon awakening. This will help you step out of that 'too much happening' feeling, and help you restore some clarity. Right behind any confusion you may be feeling is a wealth of passion and commitment, and I think you'll be very happy to tap some of that for yourself.


Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- This may be one of the most intense times in your life. And yet you may feel curiously like you're left out. That's just a feeling -- you are most certainly the central figure in what is happening, and the sense of being left out is really about many areas of your psyche opening up and becoming available -- and you have not quite claimed those spaces as yourself. Said another way, your interior mindspace is expanding, and you're realizing how much of who you are is unexplored territory, much of it long left vacant or uninhabited: hence, the sensation that you're 'not there.' Walking into these spaces is not like walking into a hotel room; it's more like an empty, unfinished loft space, which will seem empty at first. Go in, and claim a corner of the space. Hang out long enough to get some sense of where you are, and ask yourself not just why you're there, but what you want to do with the space. You don't have to invite anyone in -- you cannot, really, at this stage. As you tune into your surroundings, you'll get over the awkward feeling -- and you'll likely discover that the space is anything but empty.

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Note to Aquarius and Aquarius rising readers: Your birthday reading is ready. I cover entirely new territory from what I did in LISTEN, the 2013 annual edition. I review the ways in which Aquarius itself has been changing and evolving. I describe your process of discovering your sense of mission; of opening up your inner life; and relationships based on creative exploration first and 'commitment' second. It's two sessions of astrology plus tarot, with an extended description of your sign coming soon -- and access to last year's reading so that you can verify my accuracy. You can get instant access here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Planets are collecting in Pisces -- as of this writing, Neptune, Chiron, Mars and Mercury, plus some lesser-known ones such as the beautifully Piscean Borasisi (a planet about the power of belief, located a bit beyond Pluto). Now the Sun is about to arrive, and this will feel like the lights suddenly coming on, both in your mind and on the stage where you're standing. The simplest way to describe this is: this is your moment. This is one of the most magnificent opportunities you've ever had to create your life. Therefore: know what you want, and act on it now. Meanwhile, do your best to let go of commitments that are not working for you, drop anything and anyone that wastes your time, and focus your emotional resources on what you want to create. Over the next few days, you may find yourself in circumstances and situations where you are making contact with people. I would point out that due to the presence of Mars, you can afford to be soft-spoken and understated. But you must be clear, direct and honest -- and let love guide you: love for yourself, for what you do, for the world, for humanity. Then, with persistence and efficiency, put your plan into action.