The Case of the Capricorn Solstice
Dear Friend and Reader:
This could be the most interesting week in quite a while -- and that's saying a lot. I guess "interesting" is a charitable way to describe the rise of tyranny by ignorance, chaos and pixels, and events that seem outside our control -- but it's the holiday season.
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Trump and Putin in Vietnam earlier this year. Photo by Jorge Silva/AP. |
On Tuesday, Saturn enters Capricorn, making contact with the Aries Point and commencing the Saturn-Pluto conjunction that will shape and in some way define our lives for the next three years.
Then 36 hours later, the Sun reaches solstice, aligning with the Tropic of Capricorn, thereby entering the sign Capricorn and making a conjunction with Saturn; ramping up the Aries Point activation by an order of magnitude.
Then Friday, Mercury stations direct, releasing a dam of pent-up energy that's been collecting through these exceedingly eventful few weeks that it's been retrograde. Mercury is currently stationing direct in mid-Sagittarius, conjunct a deep-space point called Laniakea/Great Attractor, one of the most prodigious, mysterious and indeed massive elements in all of astronomy.
Combined with the approaching end of the year and, more notably, the political situation -- a wounded, cornered, angry and frightened animal as our president; the Special Counsel's investigation closing in on him and his family; most of the public against him; and many other details -- we have a setup for a rapid turn of events in just a few days. This is the week when something has to give.
Will Trump attempt to fire Robert Mueller III, the specially appointed federal prosecutor who is investigating him? Will Mueller's office reveal more indictments against members of Trump's in-group, including family members who are "advising" him? Will this absurd debt-financed, trillion-plus-dollar tax cut for the wealthiest few Americans sail through, or will someone have the guts to resist it? What else is brewing? (Clue: there is plenty, like those fomenting plans for a land invasion of North Korea.)
The current astrology's rapidly shifting emphasis from Sagittarius to Capricorn (which includes the Moon on Monday, and slow-moving outer planet Quaoar two weeks ago, and centaur planet Pholus on the way) all points to government and, more personally, the structure of our lives as impacted by society's institutions.
Note a potent conjunction between the Moon, Pholus and Saturn Monday in the pre-dawn hours of the United States, late morning in Europe. This aspect describes something emotional or related to the body that needs to release or be released.
Aries Point involvement makes this all intimately personal. The Aries Point is the first degree of the tropical zodiac (1 Aries), which is also sensitive to aspects, particularly those with a 45- or 90-degree structure.
This is coming in through extra channels, not just the first degree of Aries taking squares from Saturn and the Sun at the same time. The midpoints of the fixed signs also tap into the Aries Point; and currently the lunar nodes are in mid-Leo/Aquarius, and Jupiter and Vesta are square the nodes in mid-Scorpio.
This is about us. All that stuff out there, involving celebrities and powerful organizations and executives and senators, is really about us. We're at the point where a review of sexual conduct, government reform and corporate accountability must begin on the ground: in our homes, in our families, in our relationships, among our friends and in our actual work environments.
Hypocrisy in any form fragments and diffuses life energy. It's the root of much sickness. It may seem to work for a while, though it eventually collapses on itself. If we want the strength to improve our lives and the world we live in, that's going to come from the power concentrated in integrity.
Integrity also includes flow and flexibility. It includes a balance of the elements: earth, air, water and fire.
Though it's a form of blasphemy to say this, sexual healing comes not only from identifying and shaming perpetrators (to the extent that has any positive effect at all) but also from relaxing the intense armoring we've been packing around our personalities.
Under the assault of all this fear, shame and disgust -- going back many years, though particularly in recent ones -- many people have grown numb, rigid and averse to vulnerability.
Any healer will tell you there are two ways to work through that: one is to have it be cracked by some impact, and the other is a conscious, gentle and voluntary unraveling.
The choice is ours, though we must work together; this is much more than just a private, individual thing. Find your healing partners. Contact the people you trust being vulnerable around. Associate with people whose intent you're certain is centered on healing, creativity and love. Then get busy.
Tuesday on Planet Waves FM, I'll catch up with the astrology and world events as they develop, and then I'll have a two-hour interview with Rachel Marco-Havens, who you met in last week's edition.
Thanks for tuning in.
With love,
Navigating an "Interesting" Week
by Amanda Painter
Dear Friend and Reader:
We're leaving one astrologically busy and "interesting" week behind and entering another that looks like it will meet the bar, if not raise it. I'm witnessing a number of responses in people I know: everything from a kind of curious detachment to stressed-out overwhelm, full-on engagement, and attempts at escapism. And then there are those whose commitment to holiday traditions are like an unshakable fortress.
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Star trails over the lighthouse at Cape Melagavi, Greece. Photo by astrophotographer and friend of Planet Waves Anthony Ayiomamitis. |
The thing is, we're not fortresses. We are made up of these amazingly interdependent and dynamic systems. Our physiology, our psychology, our energetic fields -- all of these things are in constant flux. Sometimes we can predict them; sometimes we get surprised. Always, our inner fluctuations and cycles interact with those of the people around us, and with our environments. Again, sometimes in ways we anticipate, and sometimes in ways that are mysterious or that open up a new option, a new way of being.
Something about the recent astrology and the events of this coming week speak to these ideas more than ever. Perhaps it's that so much activity is focused in the mutable sign Sagittarius, especially late in the sign where the inscrutable Galactic Center is. Maybe there's something about having Mercury retrograde so close to Saturn (lord of structure) changing signs, and so close to the solstice, that is especially disorienting in the face of trying to meet the demands of a season that's especially pregnant with traditions in Western culture.
Whatever it is, chances are good that hanging a little loose this week will be helpful -- at least, in terms of your general attitude and responses to specific hiccups. Obviously there are high-priority responsibilities that must be met (such as the ones that keep a roof over your head and food on your plate). In the case of those, careful scheduling and lists will likely be your friend -- as will be the protocol of double-checking all details as Mercury gets stormier as the week progresses.
Last week's Monday Astrology Diary in this space covered some themes of Saturn entering Capricorn pretty thoroughly (as does Eric's current Monday Astrology Diary, above), and this week's horoscopes below do the same. Here's a brief rundown of the other major events, including Monday's New Moon in Sagittarius:
Read more...
New Features Added:
Understanding Key Life Transits of Saturn, Chiron and Uranus
Dear Friend and Reader:
The Art of Becoming is your 2018 annual reading. This is my 20th time at the rodeo! And that's a good thing, because to write about the transits of the coming year will take experience. If you're new to the discussion of this project, I've linked a letter in the last paragraph.
I've added three new features to The Art of Becoming, for those who pre-order all 12 signs: videos that cover Chiron in Aries, and Aries Chiron returns; Uranus in Taurus, and Uranus oppositions; and Saturn in Capricorn, including those two Saturn return groups (first and second). These cover many age groups and sub-generations.
Particularly regarding Chiron, the astrological profession for a while was starting to figure out this planet, which was discovered 40 years ago this month. Now astrologers seem to be forgetting or losing interest. I have not.
I have been a student of Chiron every day since early 1995, and will share what I have learned both from study, and from reading the Chiron transits of countless hundreds of clients.
These videos are included if you pre-order all 12 signs. Then they will be spun off as separate products. They will not be included with post-publication orders, or single-sign orders. Each will be offered separately for $37.37 each.
I've wanted to do transit readings like this for years! One distinction about my astrological career is that rather than predicting transits, I've been listening to my clients tell me the stories of their transits for more than two decades.
The current pre-order price is $99, which includes written readings for all 12 signs, plus the Saturn, Chiron and Uranus video presentations. Those will be published before the written readings, by the way.
Delivery is expected in January. That's the time estimate, based on 20 years' experience doing this project. If you're curious to read more about The Art of Becoming, here's a detailed letter describing how I do the readings and what they contain.
And if you have not read your 2017 reading, you may do so here at no charge.
Sign up today. The next price increase will be soon!
Thank you for trusting me as your astrologer, and for participating in Planet Waves.
With love,
Your Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes
We published your extended monthly horoscopes for December on Wednesday, Nov. 22. Your extended monthly horoscopes for
November were published on Thursday, Oct. 26. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign.
Monday Morning Horoscope for Dec. 18, 2017 | By Eric Francis Coppolino
Aries (March 20-April 19) -- It's sad but true that the notion of a 'career' has been reduced to what you can make a lot of money at, really, really fast. However, while you may be famous for being a bit impatient, that's not your racket. And planetary movement is offering you something much better: potential for the long-term success of something you genuinely believe in. Under this ethic, you will take this thing that you're envisioning, and get it started in a small way. Then you'll refine what you're doing, and develop your concept, your working methods, your message and your presentation. Then, slowly, you build your reputation, based on the authentic value of what you're creating; by which I mean the value to the people who encounter your work. Set aside all thoughts of passive income, going viral, making a big splash, or working at arm's length from your clients. You will be directly involved, and work like a stonemason, fitting every piece of your success into the next.
"One gift you get from Pluto in Capricorn is the ability to align your goals with the rapidly changing conditions of the world. You are in an excellent position to take advantage of the shifting, quaking and shaking state of society. This of course requires being present and not being afraid when things get really real. You can and must look for the opportunities presented by change."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Your life has seemed far more complex than it really is; things are not really so out of hand as you might believe. In fact, as one development after the next (Saturn changing signs, the Sun changing signs, and Mercury going direct) happens over the next few days, you'll gradually discover that you've been keeping on top of things quite nicely. You have a few discoveries to make, particularly regarding shared finances or contractual matters, though that information will help you strengthen your position and put a partnership on more solid ground. Yet that's just the beginning. Saturn entering an earth sign will help ground you. The overload of energy in Sagittarius the past few months has been slightly more than you thought you could stand, though you've held up well. Saturn's move will help you focus your priorities. It will take some pressure off your most important relationships. You will figure out once again that you're a stable, ethical person.
"If you ever feel lost or misguided, come back to purpose, which you will know when you feel it. Experiment all you need to. The more you experiment with bringing purpose and meaning to the surface of your consciousness, and consider them carefully, the more strength you will have; the more persistence; and more motivation and energy."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Your life has been like Penn Station at rush hour for the past couple of months. Everyone and everything has been going this way and that. It's true that you like to keep busy, but this has taken 'on the go' to a whole new level. This week there will be several important shifts. Mercury stationing direct will help you work out a kink in communication, or some other misunderstanding, with a close partner. Saturn changing signs on Tuesday begins an extended phase of your life that will be defined by deepening commitment to your most important goals, particularly financial. In recent years, you've had a tense relationship to those who seem to hold power over you, though now that must come to an end. It will be your responsibility to manage your own affairs, to maintain your schedule, and to be your own authority. To the extent that people have any power over you, you must intervene and make sure that becomes a thing of the past.
"The dualism of Gemini is well known; you can live in a world of relative truth, which might work for you -- though consider how it works for those you influence. Pisces is the place in the zodiac where opposites are integrated and resolved, and for you this happens through your most meaningful work."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- This week, among many important developments, Saturn enters your opposite sign Capricorn -- your 7th solar house, or the zone of your solar chart that reveals information about your relationships -- commencing a phase of your life that lasts to the end of 2020. While this might get less-than-happy predictions from other astrologers, Saturn is the planet associated with Capricorn; which gives it what the old astrologers called dignity. This represents a homecoming for you in your relationships. If things have been one way for a long time, or a very long time, Saturn will present opportunities; not just for progress, but also for you to stabilize your associations with others. More on that soon. As for this week: keep a careful eye and a steady, guiding hand on all work-related matters. Evaluate your priorities carefully, and be prepared to make changes as needed. Amidst all the moving and shaking, there is one very important project you must begin in earnest, or bring to fruition.
"Living in peace with your desire is one commitment to make to yourself. As you do this, it will have an influence on your relationships. This is to say, as you raise your energy and commit to being real with what you want, others will take notice. Ultimately the result will be living in your body rather than in your head."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- Your solar chart is currently an orgy in an art studio in an airport being broadcast onto the internet with thousands of people watching the paint, passion and airplanes fly randomly, with nobody minding the control tower. By the end of the week, your solar chart looks like a calm but busy office, where everyone is productive, and where creative ideas are welcome and encouraged. The schedule becomes the most important structure, which keeps everything else organized. An aura of chaos will give way to calm order, and a priority being placed on wellbeing. You may not believe such a transformation is possible in just seven days. In truth it will take a little longer, though the groundwork -- the revelations, the obvious necessity, and the most basic decisions -- are likely to manifest in a very short time. There may be some turbulence in the process; though if you keep your priorities in order (mainly, your wellbeing and your productivity), that will not last long.
"If you consider yourself to be at the center of your social circle, or an integral part of your community, the changes you make in your own life constitute a form of leadership. You can count on the fact that the people who look up to you are waiting for your initiative."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- Certain household or family situations that have proven difficult to resolve will unravel this week, and you'll have much more information to work with. Some pressure comes off, difficult questions find insights if not answers, and it becomes clear that knowledge really is power. For you, personally, it will be helpful if you follow Saturn into your 5th house of art, pleasure and play, and do your thing. If you're an artist, lock yourself into your studio and paint. If you're a musician, tune up the thing and remember what it's for. If you're into wine, consider that a talent and try something interesting. Whatever you like to do the most, make that happen. Your responsibilities have taken front and center for many moons, and your little kid wants to come out and play. This will be both easier and more meaningful in the months and seasons ahead; and offering yourself to what you love will help you feel the love coming back in your direction. I know for many people, life has been so stressful that we can forget why we're alive. It's time to remember.
"The universe is not usually embraced all at once, nor is your place in the universe. Rather, you engage with it in momentary interactions, and you make it with everything you make, everyone you speak to, everyone and everything you touch. Imagine that in each of those contacts, you weave existence, and give life to the world."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- When you dare to love yourself or appreciate yourself, that's crossing a boundary. We're trained to live to one side of an invisible line laid down by our predecessors. This is supposed to represent a limit on your bliss, your success, your curiosity or your willingness to try. Mars joining Jupiter in your neighboring sign Scorpio is a reminder that it's OK to want more, and to stretch and reach for it. Because we're talking about Mars, you may feel out of character, or like you're faking it. Don't worry about that. Part of the adventure is learning how to feel real about going for what you want. For a Libra, consciously experimenting with going out of balance is the way that you learn to tap your inner fire. One thing you can trust is that your foundations are strong. They're strong enough to build on, and strong enough to accommodate your desire to make changes. Practice not needing anyone's approval or permission. Don't file a flight plan; just fly.
"Trust yourself, and trust your body, if you embody what I call the thresholder. The thresholder is one whose role is to bring others to the edge. You can only take them to the edge; they must cross over themselves. Others can only take you to the edge; you must cross over it yourself, and see who welcomes you on the other side of the journey."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- You're on an inner quest, burning with the desire to discover yourself. This works two ways. Way one is that you go out of your way to seek and find. Way two is you raise your awareness level and notice what comes to you, or what's already available in your environment. I suggest you depend more on Way 2, because there's just so much right within reach, and much more coming. You just don't need to try that hard, or exert any extra effort, other than paying attention to what's within walking distance, right in the house, on your desk or in your notebook. There's so much abundance in your life, particularly spiritual and creative but also of resources, that you will surprise yourself with what you discover. Much of the struggle of life can be resolved by engaging yourself with life. Questions about your finances can be resolved by getting into the flow of productivity: not just what you do, but what you make.
"Make some peace with what you really feel beneath the surface tension of appearances. The reason that staying superficial is so popular is because it negates feeling. Yet every facet of your astrology is saying that it's essential to go deep -- and that depth is an essential element in feeling good about who you are, and discovering who you are."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- Most of this week's astrology is focused on your sign, and there's quite a bit. Three interesting points: Saturn leaves Sagittarius after nearly three years, Mercury stations direct, and there's a New Moon conjunct the Galactic Center. All of these symbols describe renewal, release, and expansion. It's as if you're being set free to experience a taste of your future. This will happen whether you plan it or not. It doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing; you will see evidence that your environment is changing. Notice who is around you. Notice the opportunities that emerge. Notice your impressions of the weather. Celebrate the most basic elements of your life and your surroundings. As Saturn changes signs, you may notice that a certain shaky, quaky feeling goes away and you discover that you're made of more solid stuff than you previously thought. This will help you focus your plans and place emphasis on keeping your commitments, whether to yourself or to others.
"You might think of Saturn as the one missing and necessary ingredient in Sagittarius. It's not an easy mix. It is, however, a imperative one, if you want to get anything done; if you want to claim your full personhood. To live free means to take up responsibility for your destiny."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Capricorn Birthdays 2018
How Will You Harness Saturn?
"I continue to believe that setting goals and boundaries combined with recognizing my limits, because I thought about how I could harness Saturn, has made this the most transformative time of my life. I felt a ton of Yes energy in your words, thank you!"
-- Jennifer N.
Dear Friend and Reader:
Do you tend to think of Saturn as representing the parent who stands in your way and says "No"? You can avoid that disempowering feeling by making friends with Saturn. That is, by taking on the role of authority and responsibility in your own life so that you can enjoy the benefits, growth and even freedom Saturn can grant.
If you're someone with a Capricorn Sun, rising sign or Moon, you have this opportunity on your doorstep: Saturn enters Capricorn on Dec. 19. Eric will be covering the opportunities, challenges and essential mission of Saturn in your sign for the next three years or so in your 2018 Capricorn Birthday Reading.
But that's not all: Chiron moving into Aries and Uranus moving into your fellow earth sign Taurus will also bring important shifts to your inner landscape and to the world around you. Yet those are only the major planetary sign changes that are happening soon; Eric also homes in on the subtler astrology you'll be navigating in the coming year.
"Your passion, deep care and love always shine through; and you have the gift of all great teachers, of making one feel that one is being personally addressed, respected and taken care of."
-- Liz Glanville
All of this is offered in a pro-quality audio-recording bundle: two segments of astrology (approximately 30 minutes each), and then a tarot reading for your year that will be ready a little later. When you pre-order your Capricorn reading, you secure the lowest price we offer: only $33 for the entire three-part reading. This price increases as we near publication, and then it increases again when it's ready.
You get some of the clearest, most nuanced and jargon-free personal astrology available on the internet. Eric crafts these readings with the best of his life-coaching, cheerleading and problem-solving skills; the sensitivity of his therapy training; his uncanny knack to help you see challenges from a more empowering perspective; and with the kind of everyday, practical inspiration you can use immediately.
How will you harness Saturn to make the coming year one of your most dynamic to date?
Yours & truly,
Amanda Painter
P.S. The 2018 Capricorn Birthday Reading is distinctly different from the Capricorn written reading available in the upcoming Art of Becoming annual project. It covers your key astrology in a different format and emphasis, capitalizing on Eric's more intuitive, improvisational skills. The Birthday Reading also makes a fantastic gift for a loved one!
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Saturn entering your birth sign on Tuesday is the moment you've been waiting for, though that will be easier to discern once it's happened. How this looks in the symbolism of astrology is that a hidden or missing aspect of yourself returns to you. Once you figure out that it's back, you realize it always was there; and you can't figure out how you missed it all this time. Saturn does have a way of pushing changes, though it also brings a sense of stability. The two work together: it helps to have a strong core when you want to rearrange your life. This will be in contrast to the kinds of changes you've experienced during the long, long spell that Pluto has been in your sign -- that feeling of having your growth and evolution pushed onto you, and seeming to be out of your control. Saturn brings that back into balance. Rather than push ahead, though, you might spend some time cleaning up some of the debris from the demolition process of Pluto, and sort out what you want to keep and what you want to toss.
"The thing is, your future self is not as easy to perceive as your past self. Every transit I've described adds up to you developing in ways that you simply cannot predict, and which therefore amount to a daunting unknown. In order to face who you are becoming, you must face that unknown."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Most contemporary astrologers use Uranus as the planet associated with Aquarius, without mentioning that the original planet, from the days of Aristotle, was Saturn. (If you understand Saturn, you will understand Aquarius and vice versa.) This week, Saturn changes signs, entering the other realm it's responsible for, your neighboring sign Capricorn. Also called your 12th solar house, this angle of your chart is about your interior world, and Saturn's entry here describes an extended phase of claiming your inner knowledge. There's also something here about negotiating a new relationship with the fears of your ancestors, and their psychological baggage. Most of the spiritual challenges you face predate you by generations. Your life will be easier if you sort out what is theirs from what is yours; this would include most of your fears and your anxieties; any guilt you may experience; and a certain rigid quality that you just don't need and don't want. As with yoga, rock climbing or physical therapy, this will require you to stretch, and you will get the benefits of flexibility.
"The fantasy is simple; you're in control. The reality is more complex; feelings are involved. I recommend trying anything that you're bringing out of fantasy at least three times before you make up your mind. Gradually work your way into it. Build your courage. Find the right people and persist in your experiment. Let curiosity drive you."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Events this week will remind you how much you've accomplished these past three years of Saturn moving across your solar 10th house: the one that's about career, reputation, responsibility and success. You cannot really go wrong with Saturn in the 10th, though the combination of Saturn and Sagittarius is not necessarily easy. This was not about having the Midas touch but rather that of a carpenter, architect or engineer. You owe it to yourself to recall carefully what your life was about in 2014 and early 2015: what you were doing, how you were doing it, what goals you set for yourself and how you thought you might accomplish them. Notice the differences between how you related to your work way back then, and how you relate to it now. While these three years may not have been an easy run, you succeeded at making something that's heavier than air fly through the air. And you've arrived at a new destination, and are standing on solid ground.
"There really is no mission, career or vocation: there is you, becoming who you are. I feel like I keep saying this, though this notion keeps coming up in your astrology. You're not really changing; rather, your inner essence is emerging in a way that is both unstoppable and undeniable. And this you can express as mission."
-- From your 2017 annual reading by Eric Francis, The Book of Your Life -- which you can read here. Eric's beginning work on the 2018 annual edition -- you may pre-order that here.
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