A Little Leverage, Right When You Need It
Dear Friend and Reader:
Have you ever used a simple lever to move something more easily that was stuck? (Like maybe you've used a flat-head screwdriver to open a paint-can, or used a pole wedged against a heavy boulder to roll it along with less effort than simply pushing it.) Or have you ever felt backed into a metaphorical corner, yet feeling yourself there somehow enabled you to push back and regain your space?
Those are two examples of how square energy can feel and be used in astrology. And along with a variety of interesting aspects, squares seem prominent this week in the midst of this zone between eclipses.
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Nature-made sculpture on Zoni Beach, Culebra, Puerto Rico, in 2016; photo by Amanda Painter. |
People sometimes dread square aspects because they don't like the feeling of inner tension that squares represent. But that tension is incredibly useful: it generally incites us to take some kind of action to relieve it. And in the process, we put ourselves into a more comfortable position and have an opportunity to integrate what we're feeling and learning.
The main square of note this week is the last quarter Moon. This is the Moon making a square to the Sun -- normally not the most noteworthy aspect in the sky, but this one is special. It marks the midpoint between the total lunar eclipse (and Leo Full Moon) of last week and the partial solar eclipse (and Aquarius New Moon) of next week, which occurs on Feb. 15.
As the Scorpio Moon squares the Aquarius Sun this Wednesday, notice where you are with anything you set in motion with the eclipse, or any intentions you set. You might pay particular attention to things you need to wrap up: details that need to be finalized; anything that needs to be flushed, tossed or washed off/away (literally or metaphorically); feelings you need to express so you can stop holding onto them, and so on. What needs to be dived into or cut away so you can move on to what's coming next?
As mentioned, there are other squares in the air. Tomorrow (Monday) Mars in Sagittarius makes a square to Nessus in Pisces.
Where does your desire for sexual freedom (or personal philosophy about it) run up against old sexual patterns or hurts, or against a lack of clarity around emotional or sexual transgressions? (This can include your own ability to transgress the boundaries of others.) Do you need to do anything differently, or square your vision of yourself with the realities of your past?
Also tomorrow, Jupiter in Scorpio makes a square to Juno in Aquarius. Is any kind of relationship tension (whether sexual, financial or platonic) getting magnified for you? If so, is it due to a situation that feels 'stuck'? If you've been emotional about it, maybe it's time to take a more detached, intellectual approach. Or, if you've been playing it cool, perhaps it's time to express some emotion about it. The aim seems to be to find some forward movement for yourself while still keeping mutual benefit in view.
On Tuesday, we get an intriguing aspect pattern involving Ceres in Leo trine Vesta in Sagittarius and opposite Mercury in Aquarius, with Mercury sextile Vesta. Leaders of populations have long known that feeding the masses can bring them to support a cause. You might spend some time tending your own hearth (literal or figurative) and offering sustenance to another, or to many. See what revolutionary ideas emerge from a gathering of minds when the spirit is tended and hearts and bellies are cared for.
Finally, at the end of the week, we get another important square: the Aquarius Sun squares Jupiter in Scorpio. That happens about two minutes after Venus leaves Aquarius and enters Pisces. Venus in Pisces should add some welcome softness, sensitivity and creative inspiration to the remaining days between eclipses.
Meanwhile, a Sun-Jupiter square should be incredibly useful for moving your Eclipse Zone goals, desires and opportunities forward. You'll have to supply the discipline to go with it, and continue looking where you want to be. But if you've gotten any balls rolling (or boulders, or paint can lids), this week's astrology should help you cover some ground.
Yours & truly,
Amanda Painter
Growth Is Inevitable. Becoming Is an Art Form.
Dear Friend of Planet Waves:
Here's the thing: Life goes on. No matter how crazy the world is, we who are alive must keep on living. And that means we must keep growing and becoming.
The more chaotic the world becomes, the more we need a tool that can help us spot the patterns in the chaos -- and that would be astrology. I have long considered astrology just one resource among many potentially useful ones, though with each passing day, the gift of pattern recognition, and how these patterns relate to our lives, is a service that astrology is uniquely suited to provide.
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Me, at my music desk in The Place of the Way, my new studio. |
I'm now more than halfway through THE ART OF BECOMING, the 20th annual edition of Planet Waves. This letter will tell you more about the project.
My annual readings provide not only insight but spiritual and psychological leverage. I am not here to predict the future, but rather to help you design your future. The project began as an extended January monthly horoscope; it's now more like an astrological novel, written with the pacing and detail of well-crafted fiction writing.
My focus is on love and work: your relationship to yourself, followed by your relationship to others; your professional activities, financial matters and tapping your creativity.
In the end, I consider myself a motivational presenter. I see my job as helping you get excited about your own potential, and describing the specific ways you can manifest your desires into reality.
In the next section, I will describe some of the transits I'll be writing about in THE ART OF BECOMING. I present these events in human language, using technical terms only as necessary -- and explaining everything as I go. As a journalist, I write to be understood.
This is astrology written for humans, in human language, using concrete examples and images.
The Outer Planet Transits of 2018
Even by contemporary standards, 2018 is a distinctive year astrologically. We are still feeling the effects of the Uranus-Eris conjunction (the impact of the digital revolution on consciousness). But many, many more things are happening. They include slow-moving planets ingressing new signs. When several outer planets make moves at the same time, you know that everything will be in motion and a new world will arise.
These transits include:
Jupiter in Scorpio. That began earlier this month, and this one-year transit, ending in November 2018, in many ways sets the tone for the year: tapping the spiritual wisdom associated with matters of transformation, sexual awareness and experience, and the ability to have a deep conversation when it counts the most.
Saturn enters Capricorn. Saturn has joined Pluto in Capricorn, its first sign change since late 2014. This places Saturn square the Aries Point, the intersection of the individual and the collective.
Family material, our relationship to the government and the corporate spheres, and those entities themselves will come into focus. This is the beginning of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of 2020.
Chiron Enters Aries. Later this year, Chiron will change signs for the first time since 2010, when it entered Pisces. Chiron in Aries will focus the question of identity, in an age when many people are confused about who they are and why they are on Earth. Chiron has been my astrological specialty since beginning this work in 1994. I will give this beautiful transit the attention that it deserves.
Uranus Enters Taurus. For the past seven years, Uranus has been in Aries, making two significant alignments: the seven-part Uranus-Pluto square (the Occupy! movement, Arab Spring and the Wisconsin labor rebellion), and the Uranus-Eris conjunction (the impact of digital conditions on individuals and society). Now Uranus will move into Taurus, which you might describe as The Body Electric. This will focus attention on physical reality, recognizing the technological impact of Uranus.
Minor Planet Transits. Pholus (small cause, big effect; multigenerational addiction issues) and Quaoar (creation myth and family patterns) are among the important minor-planet sign changes of 2018. I take these into account, along with many other minor planet movements.
Product and Pricing Details
Each reading is chapter-length (about 5,000 words or longer) and takes about 12 hours to chart, compose and write. They are presented in web format, and two formats of printable PDF -- US Letter and A4 (European letter). I've just completed my seventh sign, with most of the others well begun.
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The 20th annual edition of Planet Waves corresponds to the Time-Space tarot card. This card is from the Voyager Tarot by Dr. James Wanless. Other decks call the card "Judgement." |
This reading is written for your Sun, Moon and rising signs. It's also designed to be read for significant others, business partners and children. We have a "one purchase per household" policy. If you're going to share with your kids and their housemates, please send a gift.
The current price is $111 for all 12 signs; this is really a bargain for 12 chapter-length readings, along with three videos and the extensive additional resources we're developing.
Individual sign sales started at $33.33 for the first sign and $22.22 for each subsequent one. Most people who purchase individual signs end up buying more. It pays to get this reading with all 12 signs. We will be increasing the price of the individual readings soon.
A Writing Adventure
Writing the annual is always an adventure. I bring all of my talent and experience to this work: my spiritual training, my astrological training, my therapy training and much else. Then -- I sit at my desk and weave the story of our lives.
Writing astrology is a special task, because of the profound power of suggestion that this kind of work has. Doing the writing, I immerse myself entirely in the archetypes of the signs and the planets. I use my Pisces shape-shifting power and I become the zodiac, and its inhabitants, and tell the story of our lives from the inside out.
The result will be something beautiful: a detailed guide to THE ART OF BECOMING.
It's good to be with you.
Lovingly,
PS -- If you want to order by phone, call (845) 481-5616. If you don't get through, please leave a message, and we will get back to you soon. If you are on a limited income and need to discuss some options, please write to cs@planetwaves.net.
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 Feb. 5, 2018 | By Eric Francis Coppolino
Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Be courageous this week and speak up about what matters to you, no matter now secretive or sensitive the subject matter. You may feel fear around this, or tension, or some unnameable emotion, though you're also being drawn to express your truth. You don't need to do this in a public forum; it would be wise to keep the discussion to intimate spaces, with people you're close to. You might, however, have an occasion to open up some discussion in a group forum. The temptation these days is to go right to the internet. With so much happening in Aquarius right now, the lure is extra strong. When you have something important to say, say it in person. The risk might seem greater, though in truth, the electronic realm is free of any risk and offers very little reward or potential for healing. Vulnerability is what you need.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Mercury, the Sun and Venus are streaking across the 10th house of your solar chart, inviting you to achieve great things. You define the term "great," though the notion usually includes some kind of stretch beyond the ordinary. You're likely to be doing just that; though this week, a series of aspects is inviting you to fully engage your awareness and recognize what you're doing and why. You are tapping into a deep source of motivation and creativity, and you can bring that right to the surface of your mind -- right to full awareness. That inner source is directly connected to much of what is pushing, stretching and twisting the world right now, and you're dancing with it like it's your best friend, the great python. We are living in a time when the entire universe is vibrating with the message: WAKE UP. You're one of the people who is ringing that bell.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Your chart is lit right now. As an air sign, you're especially sensitive to air-sign energy. And there's a whole lot of that going on at this moment, with the Sun and many planets in Aquarius -- and an eclipse on the way. This is a fancy way of saying that you've got it going on. You may be concerned that your plans are taking too long to manifest, though that won't be a problem for long. In fact, it would be wise of you to gather your energy, focus your mind and get some rest before the pace of life picks up rapidly. One thing you can do is carefully size up whose fears (besides your own) have had a way of slowing you down. Do they belong to your mother, your father, both, or someone else? Who, if anyone, instilled a fear of achievement? Take the time to think that over, make some decisions, and clear your mind of what is not your burden. Or, said another way, clear the runway. You're about to take off.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Last week, there was an eclipse of the Moon in your house of money, self-esteem and personal resources. The eclipse was conjunct Ceres, which came with two messages, both ongoing. One involves separating your self-respect from any negative attachments or opinions of you that your mother may have (or had in the past). The second is: respect your own ability to feed yourself. Make a conscious, daily yoga of being grateful for "the roof over your head and the sandwich in your hand," as the old expression goes. On Feb. 15, there will be an eclipse in Aquarius, which is about shared resources and mutual respect. This is an invitation to up your game. You may feel like you need to proceed with extra caution; which is true, sure; eclipses are powerful. But you must also push the edge, be bold and be strong. Take the chance of standing your full height.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- Eclipses are back in town. It's likely that your life is still in some way reeling from the Great American Eclipse of last August -- the really famous one, which was in Leo. I know that because the whole world is still shaking and quaking and wondering what to do. Last week, there was a powerful eclipse of the Moon in your sign, which had the effect of equalizing the pressure caused by the event last August. You are working your way to a new kind of equilibrium. This process will go on throughout the year, peaking once again with another solar eclipse in your sign on Aug. 11. You are going through an initiation. You may feel pushed to the edge of your abilities, your energy, your strength, your courage, and maybe your will to live. Ride it out. Take the trip. Focus on your one and only life, and remind yourself why you're alive.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- Lots of interesting and potentially weird stuff is going on at work. It's all leading to something, which you'll know for sure around the time of the New Moon eclipse on Feb. 15. You're delivering efficiency and effectiveness. You are a well-oiled machine. You have great ideas. Now it's time to bring in some heart and soul. Your work-related house, where many events are developing, is Aquarius. That can be chilly or impersonal -- or it can be boldly humanitarian. You can do everything you do, as well as you do, and fully honor the necessities of the human realm. Put yourself in the place of others. Listen to what they're saying to you about their experiences. You know you're destined for great things, and you provide an amazing service to others. Yet, without heart and soul, it's all just wires, boxes and balance sheets.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Roll and sway with your environment, even as it changes, minute by minute. The world is chaotic and churning, everywhere from Washington DC to Washington Heights to the back hills of Washington State. Our environments are full of interruptions and intrusions. The only way to deal is to adapt consciously. That means learning how to ride the waves; a kind of psychic surfing that, while not entirely free from risk, is a much better option than getting churned in the chaos. Your creative energy is bursting right now. You have nearly every other advantage, including being curious and restless. Some of the best astrological advice I ever got was from a surfer, who was wearing a tee-shirt that said, "Look where you want to be." By that he meant that you steer with your eyes, by resting your gaze on your intended destination.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- You can take a detached view from any family or household dramas -- let yourself be drawn in by good vibes rather than chaos. People will figure out that's the reward for your being there, especially if you tell them. You don't need agitation; you will benefit from cooperation; you are just fine going on your own. Therefore, associate with people only when it serves your purpose or, alternately, when you know you can actually be of some tangible assistance. You are reassessing old patterns of relating that have their roots in your family. This is a rare opportunity to drop many of the dysfunctional ways of thinking and relating that no longer work. You want to listen for when people are acting in automatic mode, like robots. That's your cue to wake up and step back, or to disrupt the scene in some minor way, to shift the energy -- such as dropping a dish on the floor.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- Society is now pretending to be embroiled in all the conversations it's been avoiding since the last Women's Lib protest in 1975. The thing is, very few people want to get the discussion to the depth where something actually moves, grows or changes. That involves taking a personal risk, which remains unpopular. You, however, are walking along the edge of feeling your entire emotional history in a keen and palpable way. There will be moments when the whole past comes back to you, with all its corresponding vulnerability. Work that energy for all it's worth: like a performer on stage who is willing to bare all for the sake of an excellent performance, having no clue whether it's even working, suspended between exhilarated and terrified. That's the place where you can be real with yourself and with everyone around you. You will learn a lot about yourself, and everyone else.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Your sign is usually associated with doing things the old way rather than the new way, though at the moment you can bring the perfect blend of the two. In times of change, that's an essential combination, the hybrid of tradition and innovation. There are ways the human condition changes, or seems to change, rapidly, and there are ways that it does not change at all. Look around you and see the difference. People still have an emotional need for affirmation and contact. They have a need to socialize together. We need to express common values and long to fulfill common needs. You have an unusually vivid psychic opening into the collective mind right now. You share many priorities with the people around you. Use this ability -- it will serve you well, for any purpose you want. Remember that service to others moves spiritual energy much better than service to self.
Aquarius Birthdays 2018:
The Aquarius Eclipse Zone -- and a Gift from Us
"Today I was listening to last year's reading and I kept feeling that I needed to get this year's reading; I'm so glad I did. It answered everything, or at least helped me to realize I'm okay and actually very excited."
-- Rhonda Benson
Dear Friend and Reader:
You've just experienced a spectacular "supermoon" and total lunar eclipse in your opposite sign, Leo. Leo is your "relationship sign," and as such also holds information about other sorts of partnerships besides the romantic kind (including those that are not so amicable).
Not only that, but the corresponding partial solar eclipse will occur on Feb. 15 in Aquarius -- making these next couple of weeks a potentially very fertile time for you to shift your life in a new direction. What would you like to see more of in your life in the next 6-12 months? And in what ways can you aim yourself in that direction over the next couple weeks?
Eric will be taking up this auspicious astrology in your upcoming 2018 Aquarius Birthday Reading. He designs these audio meditations to be useful for the entire year, long past your birthday month -- which is perfect, considering that the eclipses take moths to unfold.
He'll also be covering the major-planet sign changes that mark this year, two of which involve your ruling planets (Saturn, which is newly in Capricorn; and Uranus, which enters fellow fixed sign Taurus in May) -- and much more.
You can lock in the lowest price we offer when you pre-order your Aquarius reading; that's two segments of astrology plus a tarot reading for the year for only $33. Note: the price will increase as Eric nears publication of your audio reading.
Why should you get both your Birthday Reading if you're already getting the Art of Becoming annual reading? Mainly because it covers your key astrology in a different, stand-alone format and has its own unique emphasis -- born of the moment when Eric records it, capitalizing on his more intuitive, improvisational skills.
May you celebrate your birthday eclipse season with a sense of potential and empowerment.
Yours & truly,
Amanda Painter
P.S. If you know and love an Aquarian, show them by giving the 2018 Aquarius Birthday Reading as a gift!
P.P.S. If you'd like to review your year and check Eric's accuracy as you head into The Eclipse Zone, please listen to last year's reading, as a gift from Planet Waves.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Planets are gathering in your sign, welcoming an eclipse of the Sun that takes place in about a week and a half. You have resources. You are moving energy. You are about to take a tremendous step in your growth and your maturity. It's essential that you set aside both naive views of the world, and cynical ones. Much of your purpose in life is the gaining of experience, which is the test of theory and, in fact, the ultimate test of reality. You're being compelled to change in ways you've long resisted, which includes seeing the patterns that you follow, and doing whatever you can to change them. Put your mind into manual mode. Stay awake for every waking hour. Pay attention to your environment and every bit of feedback it provides. Look for patterns in the chaos. They are calling your name.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Several unusual influences are simultaneously calling you deep into yourself, and at the same time calling you take action in the world. The order of operations would best be inner first, outer second. This of course necessitates your not getting lost in your inner reality like it's the only one there is. Important responsibilities are calling on you to participate in the world. Yet you have the distinct advantage of inner guidance. This is a gift you must learn to use, and to trust. It's not a plug-and-play kind of thing; it takes skill, more like piloting an airplane than sending a message on Twitter. You need to understand all the dynamics of your environment -- which means your inner world, the space and energy around you, and the delicate place where the two meet. If you make a mistake, correct it quickly, and move on. If you make a discovery, note it well.
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