Taurus Sun and Mars-Pluto: Power and Grounding

Dear Friend and Reader:

We begin this week with the Sun in Taurus (as of late last Thursday). The more relaxed pace of solar Taurus should offer a counter-balance to some rather high-octane astrology that's brewing: Mars forming a conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn Thursday morning.

Lightning; photo by Dean Souglass.

Mars-Pluto conjunctions are all about energy and power. In its most productive form, that means having the get-up-and-go to make meaningful changes to your environment -- including changes that benefit those around you as well as yourself. In its more destructive form, that can mean things like power struggles with others, or using your power ruthlessly or even violently.

Remember: power in itself is not bad; it's all about how you use it. We might take our cue from martial arts theory, which teaches the concept of using an opponent's energy to block them; or, rather, redirecting their energy. That requires stepping back and viewing the situation from a place of detachment, as well as understanding where someone is really coming from -- which in part means doing the same for your own motives.

If you've ever been drawn in to an online comments-section battle, you may know the value of this skill. The first tool is usually time: when in doubt, pause and reflect before responding, and check any immediate impulses.

However, several factors are offering a way to ground the power of Mars-Pluto. First is the aforementioned Sun in Taurus. As of Tuesday night, we'll also have the Moon in Virgo (through Thursday night) to help. Both the Sun in Taurus and Moon in Virgo mix some sensible, moderating earth qualities into an otherwise electrically charged aspect.

This may also help you to adjust to Chiron, which is freshly in Aries (as of last Tuesday). The feeling is similar to beginning a new job, or changing homes. The overall theme is healing around identity: the way that plays out for each of us will show itself gradually, as we grow and stretch into the new environment.

In a Mars-ruled sign like Aries, that sometimes might mean discovering new layers of who you are through things like friction or confrontation with others. Or, taking a cue from Mars-Pluto, this might mean seeing more clearly your motivations for using your power, and how you go about it.

What is the difference between someone who is empowered and a bully? I might suggest that we need more people figuring out the answer.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter
-- with Amy Elliott

Chiron in Aries: The Challenge of Individuating

Dear Friend and Reader:

Chiron is now in Aries, for the first time since 1977. This is about the quest for individuality in the most deeply personal way: the cultivation and growth of your soul. There are challenges associated with doing this, which I plan to address eloquently and in a way that you will find reassuring and helpful.

Eric Francis at his video desk, in Kingston, NY.

Chiron in Aries is good news for those who love learning about themselves, growing and living in a way that is fully committed to who you are. Following up on The Art of Becoming 2018 annual edition, I'm honored to offer you The Sacred Space of Self spring reading.

The Sacred Space of Self will come in the form of 12 video presentations, each approximately half an hour in length. These readings will apply to Sun sign, Moon sign and rising sign. They are offered as a package, and will interlink with and support one another. 

One topic I will focus on is the special challenge of growing and evolving when you're involved in an intimate relationship -- and your partner is not growing as fast as you are, or does not want to.

The Sacred Space of Self will cover Chiron's transition into Aries over the next nine months. I will also look back at Chiron in Pisces, which began in 2010. I will give a detailed reading of Mars retrograde in Aquarius (June 26-Aug. 27). And I will introduce Uranus entering Taurus. (NOTE: In the Midyear Reading over the summer, I'll further develop Uranus in Taurus, and give a detailed reading of Venus retrograde in Scorpio.)

Delivery is projected for the month of May. Given the complexity of the project, there's no way to give a better estimate, but May (as early as possible) seems doable.

Pricing Policy: Please Read Carefully

First, this is one purchase per household. You may share with your significant other and relatives. This reading will contain useful information for both adults and children.

Planet Waves products are introduced at the lowest price, and then we increase gradually. We are introducing all 12 signs of The Sacred Space of Self for $66, which is $5.50 per sign. Soon after, we will increase to $77, then $88, and then, right before publication, $99. Once we publish, the final price will be $111. If you want the best bargain (nearly half price), please purchase early!

You may pre-order The Sacred Space of Self here.

Thank you for your business, and for trusting me as your astrologer.

With love,

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Listen to Vision Quest on Live Stream

Planet Waves has an in-house music ensemble, called Vision Quest. We have a 38-hour loop of our music, which you can listen to any time. Included are finished pieces, rehearsals, live concerts, drum grooves, and spoken word recordings. I consider it a kind of musical divination. Click in randomly at different times of day and see what you discover.

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Four Winds Almanac Now Includes Daily Horoscope

Planet Waves publishes a nifty daily astrology newsletter called the Four Winds Report. Designed as a fast read arriving early in the morning, we're now trying an experiment -- we're including the daily horoscope for everyone.

Were it not for horoscopes, I wouldn't be an astrologer. It was the Patric Walker daily that convinced me there was actually something to astrology, and I got my basic education studying his column each day in the New York Post.

I pack a lot of energy into each sign's 50-word write up. Part of the value of astrology is the timing, and daily allows for precision, as well as chronicling a narrative day by day.

Your almanac also includes information about Mayan astrology (long count and short count dates), several formats of the current date (including Hebrew and Islamic), a daily birthday reading, and special discounts on products and services.

Best of all, we take no outside advertising.

Sign up free here.

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Planet Waves: Accessible Astrology You Can Trust



Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscopes for April were published on Thursday, March 29. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for March on Thursday, Feb. 22. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign. Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Having a new planet in your sign, especially a slow mover like Chiron, can have a similar feeling to starting a job, or breaking in a pair of shoes. It requires you to stretch and wiggle and flex and possibly make the occasional misstep while you adjust to the differences. Chiron will be hanging out for nine years or thereabouts, so it'll probably help to take things one day at a time, with frequent stops to look about and note what's changed. The Sun's recent move into Taurus should divert the glare of the spotlight a little, and help give you the space to make yourself at home. -- by Amy Elliott Taurus Birthdays 2018: Here Comes the Sun, Taurus!

"The Taurus horoscope is so perfect, it's poetic -- but that doesn't say much -- so many of yours are, Eric."
-- Dorothy Rodriguez

Dear Friend and Reader with Taurus Sun, Rising or Moon:

On Thursday, April 19, the Sun entered your sign. No matter how confusing, frustrating or surprising some of the recent astrology and events in your life have been, having the Sun in Taurus should help you to take things at your own pace and feel more like yourself -- even if you've been growing and changing in unexpected ways.

Of particular note is that when the Sun arrives in your sign, it will be in a beneficial aspect to Chiron, which just arrived in Aries earlier this week.

We have yet to get a sense of what Chiron in Aries is like, but this aspect looks like it's offering you a point of inner orientation to help you get your solar year started right.

Your upcoming 2018 Taurus Birthday Reading will flesh out the details. In the two astrology segments (at least 30 minutes each), Eric will also give you the lowdown on how to cultivate the flexibility, and openness to adventure, that Uranus -- which enters your sign in just a few weeks -- will call for.

In addition to the astrology segments, you'll receive access to an extended description of your sign and last year's Taurus Birthday Reading (which you can listen to here, as an early gift) -- all of it in pro-quality audio you can download and listen to on any device, at any time, as often as you wish.

"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

Even better, you'll get the best of Eric's decades of astrology experience, therapy training, and investigative curiosity -- all in accessible language. In other words, this is more than an hour of some of the most motivating, inspiring, practical, reassuring and perspective-broadening astrology coaching you can find on the internet -- personal resonance at a fraction of the cost of a personal consultation.

I hope you won't take your sweet, Taurean time in pre-ordering (I can say that because I'm a Taurus, too!). When you pre-order before the 2018 Taurus Reading is published, you secure the best value: an expert reading at its lowest price. The price increases the closer Eric gets to publishing the reading.

May the Sun shine on you and within you.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. Even though all the books say Taurus likes material things, any Taurus you care about would love to receive their 2018 Birthday Reading as a gift. Remember, you can always set up your order by phone: (877) 453-8265, or (206) 567-4455 if you're calling from outside the US.

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Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Chiron has now taken up residence in the most mysterious house in your chart, kicking off a nine-year adventure into the depths of you. The Sun's recent entrance into your birth sign may offer a moment of valuable insight regarding what that journey might specifically mean for you. One suggestion arising from your charts is the concept that facing uncertainty head-on can eventually bolster your sense of identity, and strengthen your beliefs through refinement and challenges. This might be a good time to remember that flexibility is itself a form of power. -- by Amy Elliott Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- What is meant by the word 'community'? Recently it's often applied to a specific demographic, or a group that has a particular trait in common. This can help people find a sense of identity, belonging and common cause. Yet it also carries the risk of dampening our ability to see all of humanity, or all of life on Earth, as our neighborhood. Some esoteric lines of thought hold that there is an etheric web connecting everything to everything else, which strikes me as ringing profoundly true. Either way, you now have the opportunity for your concept of community to be broadened considerably. -- by Amy Elliott Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- The Sun in Taurus should bring a more relaxed atmosphere all round, which may come as something of a relief after the momentous astrology of the past few weeks. For now, I suggest you take a little time to relax where you can. Be especially kind to your physical body, and pay attention to any intuitive messages you receive. One lesson of Chiron's move into your 10th house is likely that you must be prepared to stand apart and be answerable only to yourself; do what you think you ought to, rather than what other people believe you should. Your conscience suffices as an authority. -- by Amy Elliott Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- The word 'ambition' tends to call to mind worldly successes: wealth, position and prestige. It would seem, however, you're now receiving a challenge to understand ambition in a broader sense; in particular, how it can be applied to spiritual and personal growth. Capitalism ensures it's possible to make big material gains without reference to these more ethereal matters. Whether one can be happy doing so is another question. I suspect you're already aware that path probably won't work for you, and that there are forms of success better worth your efforts. In these, you can aim high. -- by Amy Elliott Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- Despite the various manifestations of organized religion, spirituality is a deeply personal part of our lives. I suspect there are in fact as many creeds as there are people, and that belief is more often than not informed by hopes, fears, passions and experience as much as by doctrine. This has the advantage of allowing for changes of heart, and for our spiritual systems to grow with our growth. The ideals you hold dear should ultimately encourage this development as opposed to fencing you in. Over the next month, you will likely discover how much this can free you. -- by Amy Elliott Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- During the next month, you may discover some new ideas about commitment in relationships. In particular, you will perhaps come to understand why a tie that initially offers security can eventually become the sort that restricts, and makes us want to burst free and run off somewhere. This isn't inevitable -- it happens because people can be uncomfortable with their partners, relatives or employees growing and changing, and try to hold them back. You know, however, that the way you're developing is necessary and important. Do what you must, and don't let anyone hinder you. -- by Amy Elliott Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- With the Sun in your opposite sign for the next month, there should be at least a few opportunities to enjoy a bit of romance, as well as a focus on partnerships in general. One factor I suggest you look at is how you communicate your desires, and how well you hear others. Particularly while Mercury is still picking up speed, it's worth taking the time to be clear. In addition, you may need to be careful with time management. Plan ahead, and make sure as far as possible that it's in your power to get away from your desk when you intend to and, most importantly, when you've promised to. -- by Amy Elliott Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- A big theme of Chiron in Aries overall is standing out, irrespective of pressure from others; for you, this may well translate to standing out creatively. You likely have the innate gift of unique expression; to some degree you can't help but be honestly yourself. What could transpire over the next few years is a chance to bring something special into manifestation through that uniqueness. If you're not sure what that might be, consider first what you're passionate or curious about. With the Sun in practical Taurus, some possible first steps will no doubt soon present themselves. -- by Amy Elliott Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- It's necessary to review the past from time to time, if only to see how far you've come since and to deal with any lingering issues. Over the next few years, you'll have what looks like a kind of mini-project, the aim of which is to put some aspects of the past behind you once and for all. That doesn't mean you have to borrow a flux capacitor and head back there. On the contrary, it's imperative that you continue living your present life, developing and blossoming into the future. The whole point of this exercise is pretty much to ensure you can do precisely that. -- by Amy Elliott Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- This week you may go through a process of reviewing certain events and considering whether you're doing the right thing, or have done so previously. You might be tempted or pressured to do this publicly, though I suggest you don't yield to that. Speak with a confidant if you need to; but really this is much more about checking in with your internal compass, and adjusting your direction, if need be, for the road ahead. Remember that you are a whole person, deserving by that right alone of compassion and basic respect. You can give yourself at least that. -- by Amy Elliott Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- It would seem you have a message to disseminate -- an important one, which involves something fundamental relating to who you are. Yet you may still have some refining to do. It's likely that as Mercury picks up speed more information will appear. Pay attention to what's happening in your immediate environment, hour by hour, and to any instinctual feelings you receive. As you assemble the full image from these pieces of data, remember to keep in mind the purpose of your mission; and when the picture is complete, you will surely know from how the threads draw neatly together. -- by Amy Elliott

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