Stepping Up to the Blue Supermoon Eclipse
Dear Friend and Reader:
This week opens the first 'eclipse season' of 2018. On Wednesday, Jan. 31, we'll experience the Leo Full Moon, which is also total lunar eclipse -- meaning that we're entering a phase of a couple weeks when you might be able to advance your life in unexpected ways. (The corresponding partial solar eclipse will occur with a New Moon in Aquarius on Feb. 15.)
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Cropped time-lapse composite photo of the Sept. 27, 2015, supermoon eclipse taken over Shelburne Bay, Vermont. Photo by futuremar768 under CC 2.0. |
At 8:27 am EST (13:27 UTC) on Wednesday the Moon in Leo will align exactly with the Sun in Aquarius, with the Earth tucked precisely in between (the peak of the eclipse is a couple minutes later). If you live in the right parts of the world and have clear skies at the right time, you'll be able to see Earth's shadow gradually cover the Moon, making it look a reddish-brownish color.
But wait: isn't Wednesday's Full Moon a blue Moon? Yes, but that name does not actually refer to the Moon's color; it's simply the fanciful term given to the second Full Moon in one calendar month (if you recall, the Cancer Full Moon occurred on Jan. 1). They're rare, but not as rare as the colloquial saying would seem to suggest. The Jan. 31 Full Moon is also the third in a series of three straight 'supermoons'; that is, Full Moons that occur while the Moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, and therefore looks slightly larger than usual.
According to EarthSky.org, if you live in North America or the Hawaiian Islands, this lunar eclipse occurs (and will be visible, skies willing) before sunrise on Jan. 31. So if you live in that area and wait until the end of the day on Wednesday, you will have missed the spectacle (but can still enjoy the sight of a full-ish Moon rising). If you live in the Middle East, Asia, Indonesia, Australia or New Zealand, this lunar eclipse will happen for you in the evening hours after sunset on Jan. 31.
Whether you can see the eclipse or not, astrologically speaking you can still use its energy. Interestingly, no sign-ruling planets are making direct, major aspects to the Sun and Moon, other than the Sun and Moon themselves. However, several minor objects are in close aspect to the Full Moon and eclipse.
Sharing the Sun's degree, which is 12 Aquarius, is the asteroid Industria. At 14 Aquarius we have the asteroids Sappho and Phaethon, with the lunar South Node at 15 Aquarius.
Opposite that in Leo, the Moon at 12 Leo shares its degree with dwarf planet Ceres. The lunar North Node is at 15 Leo.
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Minor planets and points in close aspect to the Full Moon and lunar eclipse. Full listing at Serennu.com. |
Square all of the Aquarius and Leo planets, at 14 Scorpio, is the Uranian point Poseidon (a hypothetical).
Inner growth and development is often spurred when we step into roles and situations that we might not think we are ready for, but which we are in some way being called to. For example, how often have you had to assume a leadership role in a group without feeling like you're an official or experienced 'leader', yet in the process, you discovered some leadership skills you did not know you had?
Or maybe you've long dreamed of a certain opportunity, and then out of nowhere it appears -- even though you have not learned everything or done all of the preparation you assumed you would have to do to get that opportunity. If you went ahead and said yes to it, chances are you were more ready for it than you thought -- or you learned what you needed to 'on the job' so that you were able to make the most of it.
The presence of Phaethon in Aquarius suggests that sense of assuming responsibility before you think you're ready. And yet, with the North Node in Leo, we have an image of inherent leadership ability and the potential to step into your dharma or purpose, despite being faced with that fear or self-doubt. One interpretation of Ceres here could be that taking this kind of step into who you're becoming and what you're meant to do is an essential form of self-nourishment and nurturing.
Regarding the cluster in Aquarius, something about Industria in Aquarius -- and especially conjunct the South Node -- speaks strongly to me of the need to find our way out of the very crystallized pattern of our capitalistic patriarchy. Although we see people championing alternative models of business and industry more and more, the predominant model is still one of elite groups industriously perusing profit for themselves, and ignoring the waste and destruction of the natural world (including the degradation of non-elite human communities). This is the collective karma we've inherited as a culture, and many people are waking up to the need to release it and act in accordance with other values.
But what's Sappho doing there? I tend to associate this asteroid with relationships between women (sexual and otherwise). However, astrologer Zane Stein writes on his website, "Sappho transits often (but not always) refer to a situation where sex or sexual overtones become the issue."
Consider the current awareness of how "sexual overtones" exist in the tremendously toxic shadow-side of "industry" -- in the form of harassment, abuse and dysfunctional power dynamics. Although we're still in the early stages of trying to address this culturally, the timing of this astrology is striking.
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Traditional chart for the Jan. 31 Leo Full Moon and eclipse. You can see the Sun, South Node, Venus and Juno in Aquarius on the left side; North Node, Moon and Ceres in Leo on the right side. Mercury (green critter with horns, upper left) has a bold "29" and smaller "59" next to it, indicating it's in the last arc minute of the last degree of Capricorn. View glyph key here. |
If you're not sure how you can actively release those sorts of things in your own life, perhaps simply be aware of persisting in old, crystallized social patterns. Even the seemingly 'new' patterns of social media and the disposability of digital technology have crystallized quickly, and bear close scrutiny.
Square it all is Poseidon in Scorpio: a hypothetical point relating to spiritual enlightenment, illumination, truth and -- tellingly -- propaganda and other media. By no means do I think this Full Moon and eclipse will grant anybody instant enlightenment. I do think that it represents the choice we get to make about what we're seeking and how we go about it: that we need to stay tuned in to our deepest emotions and transformational ability (Scorpio). We also must supply the embodied work (Taurus, the fourth leg of the fixed cross) being asked of us, as we release what's no longer needed to make room for the new.
Bottom line: as with all eclipse periods, the more you can focus on where you want to take your life, and do the things you love and want to cultivate, the better you'll orient yourself for the next few months. The idea is to set new patterns for yourself -- in my experience, even new patterns of attitude or mindset count, especially if you reinforce it with tangible action.
You can think of it like canoeing down rapids: point yourself in the direction you want to go -- downstream, with the current -- and then go with the flow. Doing something that brings your heart joy on Wednesday (and the couple days on either side) should help you get things moving in a useful direction.
It's worth noting that just 10-12 minutes after the Full Moon and eclipse, Mercury leaves Capricorn and enters Aquarius. This is said to be a keen, resourceful, intuitive placement for Mercury: a perfect frame of mind for the Eclipse Zone.
Yours & truly,
Amanda Painter
Sunday Afternoon Update: The Art of Becoming
Dear Friend of Planet Waves:
I've just submitted the Libra chapter for The Art of Becoming. Five signs done, seven to go, most of the rest well begun. Pisces is next on the docket for completion.
Thank you for your patience, and thank you Amy for sending out little updates. I want to take the time to fill you in on how the project is coming out, what it is and why I'm running a few weeks late.
The Art of Becoming is your 2018 annual reading. This is a written work, which is directed at the Sun sign and the rising sign of my readers. I also consider it ethical to read signs of partners and relatives for insight into what they may be experiencing, at least as I read their astrology. The chapters seem to round out to approximately 5,500 to 6,000 words.
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Silicone hand exercise balls, yoga and chiropractic adjustments are helping me stay limber as I write 4,000 words a day. |
I don't design them to be that long; that's just how they've come out the past five years or so. I considered making them shorter, but it just was not happening.
A Personalized Astrology Textbook
Every year, as I write these chapters, I figure out that what I'm doing is writing a personalized astrology textbook. I describe transits, though I also delineate the signs and the houses, and describe planets -- both well known and newly discovered.
These are in the context of something called the solar chart: the chart used by horoscope writers, though presented in unusual detail.
I take the solar chart almost as far as it can go (I have developed a special gift for this). I put more into these readings than I've EVER learned from a natal chart reading I've paid for from a professional astrologer, for hundreds of dollars.
Each of these chapters is a distinct work, which then dovetails into the other chapters for a complete picture. While they cannot be comprehensive (there is just so much to cover), I reach for a practical thoroughness, and I cover some interesting nuances.
Because I'm using planets and combinations of planets that no other writer is working with, you get something that breaks new ground and has no equivalent. As you're aware, I stick to human language rather than technical, and I define and describe any astrological points generously. My aim is to be understood.
Libra took about 12 hours of writing time. It will take the editors (Amanda Painter, Amy Elliott and Jessica Keet) several hours more to proofread and fact-check.
All This, and a Daily Horoscope
Usually the annual comes out around the second or third week of January. The reason I'm late this year involves a relatively new gig writing the horoscope for the New York Daily News. When I took the gig, I knew it would be challenging around annual time. [Sign up for your daily horoscopes here, no charge.]
Usually the way I handle a 70,000-word project dropped into the midst of a busy writing schedule is to keep coming back to it, when everything else is out of the way. That works well. However, now I have to finish everything else, then come back to the daily, then come back to the annual.
While I'm doing this, I want you to know I'm taking care of myself. I actually sleep (though I can keep odd hours), I play music daily, I read and I go to yoga. There's no point getting hurt to provide people with astrology readings. That said, I work as efficiently as possible.
Since Friday, I've been working on the Libra reading. I just submitted that to our copy team. I have one more letter to write, and I'll do some more work on Pisces, which is close to completion. I have several other signs started; I'm almost there.
This is a lot of writing, which means thinking and typing. I am not skimping on anyone or anything. The Daily News is getting a horoscope that is up to my quality standard, and you will get a reading that exceeds what you've had in the past.
These readings cover events that, at minimum, will be relevant for three years, and which in many ways reach into the next decade. Note -- this is true of all of my past annual readings.
While you're waiting, please check in with The Book of Your Life, which is open access, and the 2017 Midyear Reading, which introduces 2018 astrology (also open access).
You may pre-order The Art of Becoming: all 12 signs, or individual signs. We are offering all 12 for the cost of about three individual signs. We will be raising the price on individual signs tomorrow evening.
Thank you for being a customer and for trusting me as your astrologer.
With love,
'I've Read Your Stuff but I Haven't Heard Your Broadcasts'
Dear Friend of Planet Waves:
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Rachel Marco-Havens, tonight's guest on Planet Waves AM/FM on Radio Kingston. |
A friend just said to me today, "I've been reading your stuff for years, but I've never heard one of your broadcasts."
Tonight at 10 pm EST on Radio Kingston is a perfect opportunity. As you may have heard, I've begun a program on Radio Kingston, called Planet Waves AM/FM. This is actual, live radio: broadcast locally, and around the world on the internet.
Tonight my guest will be Rachel Marco-Havens, who you met on Planet Waves FM last year. I'll be reading samples of reader responses to my questions about the #MeToo movement, as well as taking your calls on the air. Please be courageous and call in! I'll announce the number on-air when we're ready to take calls.
The way to listen is, at the appointed hour, to go to RadioKingston.org and push the play button. That's it; no login, nothing. The show will be archived on Planet Waves FM.
Tonight's music will be provided by The Clash.
Next week, my guest will be Kasia Urbaniak, founder of The Academy training school for women.
With love,
Your Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes
Your extended monthly horoscopes for
February were published on Thursday, Jan. 25. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for January on Thursday, Dec. 21. 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 Jan. 29, 2018 | By Eric Francis Coppolino
Aries (March 20-April 19) -- There's a psychological aspect to everything; and if you're paying attention, you won't miss it. Better still, you'll benefit from the insight into what others around you are thinking and feeling; this will relate to what you are thinking and feeling. You need a concept of motivation that does not automatically involve suspicion. It's a modern mental crisis that many people assume everyone may be up to something sinister and that we are, at the same time, incapable of discerning what's really going on. Ponder that for a moment and it may start to seem like a knot that can never be untangled. The bottom line is that you need to trust yourself, which means trusting your observations and assessments of people. Cultivate a calibrated response: that is, dependable inner references that certain feelings and observations mean something, and that others mean something else. Then, leave yourself room to be wrong.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- If you remember that your intent is to serve as an agent of healing and service (said another way, love put into action), it will be obvious what decisions to make when the time comes. Once you understand the purpose of your presence, your role will be obvious. You could serve yourself and your situation well by pausing and considering just what that is. You have a role to play; perhaps an important one, which only you can do. You were called into your current situation for significant reasons; and as you connect with them, you're likely to call forth a stream of vivid memories and what might feel like past-life knowledge. You cannot put this onto your resume, though you can consider it in context. Some of your high-aptitude areas include organizing groups of people, coexisting peacefully with technology, and a rare form of emotional intelligence that's stable and dependable.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- You may become privy to sensitive information over the next few days. This could provide you with a financial advantage, or leverage over someone you know. Proceed with caution; think carefully how you use any such data, and don't hesitate to stash it in a folder in your mind. You can, however, safely use the information to guide your own decisions, and to inform your understanding of people, without saying anything. You may indeed have something at stake, though study the situation and you'll see you don't need to make an announcement. If you discover something that's directly related to the public interest, that's another matter entirely. If that is true, you need to proceed with special care, and get the advice of someone who has considerable experience handling such matters. Don't just blow the whistle. Understand all the potential implications first.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- What is good for you will be good for others. It may take some experimentation to see that what's good for others is also probably helpful to you. At least you're in a position to help define some common ground, and then work to build agreements there. The current state of the world is that just about everyone is camped out in one camp or another, thinking they have nothing in common with any other faction. The most serious issue with this situation is that it's not based in truth. As humans living on the planet, we have nearly everything in common with one another. Not only do you know this; it means something to you. Once you're at that stage, it's relatively easy to act on it. It would be wonderful if humanity as a group could tap into its collective survival instinct. As a representative of the Divine Mother, you can help guide things that way.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- If you proceed with a clear plan for work this week, you will accomplish things that far exceeded what you thought were your abilities -- something likely to persist for many months. This will teach you not to trust your doubts so much. I know this can be a fine line, and certain factors of your chart suggest it's been difficult to muster up your full confidence. The issue, as it shows up in your solar chart, is that lately, you tend toward self-criticism, a little more than is helpful. You don't need to do this. It's not making you a "better person." You can try an experiment, though -- based on an aspect in your chart that's exact this week. When you want to do something courageous, and you take the first steps, what do you experience? Is your self-criticism a reaction connected to your desire to be bold, creative, sexual or adventurous? If so, you can let go of it.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- This week's total eclipse of the Moon takes place in the most mysterious angle of your solar chart, this unusual place called the 12th house. You might think of this as the secret room in your chart, where you keep all of your regrets, your secret desires, and your forgotten dreams. The eclipse will open a door for you, which will help you at once purge any dark emotions you may be holding on to, and also connect with your deepest vision for yourself. If you feel those emotions come up, do your best not to stuff them down. Acknowledge what you're experiencing, and call in the Inner Light to dispel the darkness. Say it just like that: "I call upon the inner light of my mind and offer my [fear, regret, guilt, whatever] back to the universe. I am sincere, I am clear and I am whole." Then stand back and allow.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- What you think others think about you says a lot about how you think of yourself. And once you know that, you can start asking questions. For example, where did you get those ideas? If you read them like tarot cards, what do they say about your thought process? How does your perception align, or conflict, with what you know from factual data -- for example, the gratitude that people express to you? One of the most dangerous facets of consciousness is projection. It's vital that you learn how to recognize this, and adjust your thinking. It's also not as hard as it seems, if you keep asking yourself what is real and what is not. Make it into a game. The people who love you really and truly love you. Yes, there are those who would instigate doubt, but once you know that, you can gently sidestep their influence.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- Your sign is one of those most obsessed with psychology, trying to ascertain people's motives, and to understand their responses. Your solar chart suggests this has been at a peak lately. You've probably been turning this onto yourself lately, and I have a couple of suggestions to make it easier, and to give you some objectivity. When you hear yourself speak, do you usually talk about the past, or the present? Seen one way, that's all the psychology and all the spirituality you need. If you vigilantly watch that one particular binary, you'll have a lot of information to work with. Second, what do you think is funny? Do you laugh at things said that are at someone else's expense? Here's a very short summary of the psychology of laughter: Bottom line, we laugh when we feel like some danger is gone. That never needs to be at the expense of another.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- Mars moving through your birth sign would normally be read as a selfish impulse. Mars is usually shamelessly self-serving. However, it's also approaching a conjunction to Vesta, an asteroid representing devotion and self-sacrifice. Under Mars-Vesta, your flame of love and kindness is burning bright. Allow yourself the freedom to be passionate. You can also turn that down a little, and focus on the task at hand. Just beware if you ever feel yourself getting cold; that's the one risk of Mars-Vesta. And if you notice that, pause, contemplate how you feel and reconnect with love, passion and devotion. On the other side of this, monitor your relationship to the idea of sacrifice. That's the most cautionary note of Vesta. Doing what's right, you may give something up -- though it won't feel like a sacrifice. It will feel more like a gesture of offering. Proceed in that spirit.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- It's been an interesting couple of weeks, with Mercury in your sign making aspects to the most powerful planets in the sky: Chiron, Uranus, Pluto and Eris, all within a few days. This is one way to say there's been a lot on your mind. You've probably made some important decisions, and you're wondering when and how to act on them. You can afford to coast a little on this; the operative fact is that you know what you want, what you need to do, and why. You don't want to act until you feel the direct inner guidance to do so, which will feel like momentum. It will feel like a wave rising within you, and that wave will carry your will, and whatever action you take will be easy. In the end, this is a matter of values. You know you're beyond investing yourself where your values are not in alignment -- and that where there is an alignment, that's the foundation of a sane, honest way of life.
Aquarius Birthdays 2018:
Pointing Yourself into the Eclipses
"Thank you. I've been a fan for a few years and always feel nourished by every reading -- my own and others. This particular reading hit home and felt like a swoop of fresh air pointing me home. Thank you again."
-- Elaine Sonne
Dear Aquarius Sun or Aquarius Rising Reader:
Some of the most noteworthy astrological events of this year relate directly to your sign. Whether this is exciting to you or slightly intimidating, you can consider yourself fortunate: Eric will be covering the unique opportunities and challenges these events may bring you in his usual grounded, reassuring, inspiring and perspective-shifting way in your 2018 Aquarius Birthday Reading.
Among the events influencing your year are both of your ruling planets in new signs: Saturn entered Capricorn -- the 'hidden area' of your chart -- in December; and Uranus moves into fellow fixed sign Taurus in May.
As your inner landscape and outer environment take on a new flavor, Eric will be guiding through it all. Also of particular note: in just a few days we get the first of two eclipses involving your sign.
The Jan. 31 Leo Full Moon will oppose the Aquarius Sun for a lunar eclipse; then on Feb. 15, the Aquarius New Moon will also be a partial solar eclipse. Translation: your solar year is getting off to a potentially potent start, the effects of which will ripple out for months to come. Using his signature blend of astrological experience, therapy training, life coaching, and motivational speaking, Eric will cover these major changes to the sky (along with subtler points) in your upcoming reading.
When you pre-order your 2018 Aquarius Birthday Reading, you'll lock in the lowest price we offer on two segments of astrology (each at least 30 minutes long) plus a tarot reading for 2018. You can listen to this reading as many times as you like throughout the year -- to check your progress, or to receive a little extra encouragement, insight and empowerment to tackle whatever's come your way.
"I am listening to it again now, and there are so many more gems coming to me. Profound, deep and so thought provoking...inspired!"
-- Rhonda Benson
Please note that the price increases as Eric nears publication, and then increases again.
Yours & truly,
Amanda Painter
P.S. The 2018 Aquarius Birthday Reading is distinctly different from the Aquarius 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!
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- This week, there's a Full Moon eclipse in your opposite sign Leo. Think of this as a tune-up of your relationships, particularly on the emotional level. It might feel like a pressure release, as if two spaces with different atmospheric pressures are being equalized. This will help you catch your breath and ease some of the stress that's been silently building, much of which is described by the eclipse. Two weeks later, the Moon comes back around and forms a conjunction to the Sun, in your sign -- that's an eclipse in your sign. At that point, you'll have an opportunity for a personal reckoning of some kind: an assessment of what you're doing and why you're doing it. Let this inner discussion encompass every aspect of your life. However, there's no rush at the moment; when eclipses are in the vicinity, the thing to do is to steer your craft gently downstream, flowing with the current.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- This week's eclipse of the Moon will remind you that you need to invest your creative energy in endeavors that fully support you back. You tend to give everything to what you commit yourself to and, as a Pisces, sometimes you forget to send an invoice. Think of this in terms of food. The effort you put into tilling the ground, and the seeds you plant, must ultimately feed you, and leave you enough to plan for the future. It's one thing to let your talent shine out, and that's one of your specialties. You will do that no matter what endeavor you choose. Now you must hold your own on making sure the refrigerator is full, that the bills are paid and, most of all, that you stay healthy in the process. The health piece is essential; without that, you have very little. Therefore, support your own strength. Support your growth. This is really possible.
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