Mercury Stationing Direct, Mars Still Retrograde

Dear Friend and Reader:

Now that we've come through the third and final eclipse of this season, how are you feeling? Have you passed through a distinct phase, or sense that you're oriented differently? If you're still sorting out what you've been through, taking that process gently might best suit the movements of Mercury and Mars for a little while.

We're in the final week of the present Mercury retrograde, which has been almost concealed under the other unusual astrology surrounding it -- the eclipses, which are now over; and Mars retrograde, still in place until Aug. 27. Mercury will station direct on Sunday, Aug. 19, at 12:25 am EDT (4:24:38 UTC).

Mercury in false color based on photos from Messenger. Image by NASA / JHU Applied Physics Lab / Carnegie Inst. Washington.

The period when Mercury prepares to station direct is usually a time of revelations: of hidden truths emerging, and patterns coming together.

If this has been a productive and pleasant time for you, you'll likely see your way through into the next stage of development, including what might need altering. If you've experienced challenges or struggles, you may well find a key to overcoming them, or at least understanding them better.

One signal feature of retrograde phases is the necessity of slowing down in some way, and making sure there is sufficient room to relax and recuperate.

That may come in handy on Thursday of this week, as the Sun, Vesta and Eris form a closely aligned grand trine in the fire signs. The period during which this is exact is fairly brief; however, you may need to watch for any risk of over-stretching yourself, which could lead to a feeling of being burnt out, especially following the recent eclipses. Maintain as judicious a work-life balance as possible, and be prepared to ask for help if you need it.

Aside from this aspect pattern, the intensity of the past few weeks is likely to dissipate somewhat. When Mercury stations direct, it will be closely sextile Venus, which is nicely placed in its own sign Libra. That has the sense of a 'soft landing' after what will have seemed to many an especially turbulent, or at least exciting, journey.

Given that the sextile aspect indicates action, this is perhaps also a sign that you need to be gentle and patient with yourself as Mercury changes direction. It would certainly be worth continuing to put off any major decisions or purchases, if possible, until the end of the month. By that point Mars will have stationed direct, and we'll all be on somewhat more familiar ground.

With best wishes,

-- with Amanda Painter

New Tarot & Astrology Studio Readings from Eric Francis

Note: We have now provided links to pre-order your Virgo, Libra and Scorpio Astrology Studio and Tarot Studio readings in the list linked below.

Dear Friend and Reader:

We are all going through a lot with Mars and Mercury retrograde, and a series of eclipses. And I have some astrology and tarot for you, if you want it. Audio samples are included, so you can get a feeling for the vibe of the reading.

Prior to taking a month or so off, I've completed my backlog of overdue readings. I've done these through the past eight days or so, working very early in the morning, when the world is quiet. I want to get them to you, and I don't want to return to a backlog -- I plan to hit the ground running.

The readings are enhanced by the fact that I'm not doing any astrology writing at the moment, so I'm living a human schedule. I've cleared up some space in my mind, and I'm working rested, in a quiet place -- perfect for doing this kind of reading.

I've taken the opportunity to redesign my tarot readings, which are now called Tarot Studio. In the future, they will be included with your astrology reading with pre-order only; then the two sessions will be offered separately.

We got this response last week to one of the readings: "Absolutely amazing. Beyond words how pertinent this tarot reading is for my life right now. Even more powerful the second time. So much love and gratitude."

As ever, I think it's amazing that this stuff works at all, though it certainly seems to. I offer these readings in the spirit of helping you make the best decisions you can make.

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

With love,

PS -- You may access birthday readings for all the signs here. If you're having difficulty ordering on the internet, you may call us at (845) 481-5616. Give us one to two working days to get back to you, and make it easy for us to reach you! It'll probably be sooner. Thank you again for your business.

PPS -- We will re-mail this a few times, to make sure we catch everyone. Please check out the audio samples!

Read more...
The Sacred Space of Self The Perfect Video Readings for the Eclipse Zone

"You're the best! I love your readings and I appreciate this; share so much as a Cancer with Cap rising, especially. Lots of insight! Thank you so much."
-- L.J. Innes, on the Sacred Space of Self sampler video

Dear Friend and Reader:

I just wanted to be sure you've had a chance to watch the sample videos we have available for the Sacred Space of Self spring reading. If current events have you feeling overwhelmed or a little raw, you might find some solace and inspiration here to keep plugging away at whatever challenges you face now.

Currently all four of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) are compiled in one video. We're working on separating those into individual samples -- although, if you have one of those signs as your Sun or rising sign, you'll definitely get great insight from watching the whole compilation.

The fixed and mutable sign samples are available individually (each is linked from the sign name). The cardinal sign links go to where the sample for each sign begins in the compilation video.

Aries		Taurus		Gemini	Cancer		Leo		Virgo
Libra		Scorpio		Sagittarius	Capricorn		Aquarius		Pisces

Please note that those are only very short excerpts of the Sacred Space of Self readings! Each sign's complete video is a full 30-50 minutes long.

You can order individual signs of the Sacred Space of Self here. Or, go all-in for the complete 12-sign set, and you can watch the videos for your loved ones, too.

"I enjoyed these videos and all of them are surprisingly, completely in-depth. Well, not so surprisingly if you have heard Eric speak on other subjects."
-- Samantha Hampton, on the 2018 Sacred Space of Self readings

If you have any questions (including questions about arrangements for financial hardship), please email us at cs@planetwaves.net -- or, call us at (845) 481-5616.

Wishing you well,

Amanda Painter

---

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.

---

Our Gifts to You: A Little Something Extra

Dear Friend and Reader:

It took me a long time to figure out what kind of gift to offer for new and returning subscribers. Tee shirts seemed too complicated; you need at least six sizes to get started, and not everyone wants a shirt. Tote bags are useful but kind of boring.

So I thought: journals. I love notebooks, and just about everything I write starts scribbled down on paper. I know my readers are a little old-fashioned, so this seemed like the perfect thing.

Black smaller, pink larger, embossed with the Planet Waves logo. There are a few hand painted sketchbooks left, with heavy, acid-free paper.

Then...I researched embossed journals for about six months. That’s how long it took. I requested or purchased samples of the best that suppliers had, and all kinds of stuff came floating in the door. It was more challenging than I imagined to find a nice one, though finally I did.

Everything had to be right: the paper, the lines, and how the book feels in your hands.

However, the one I selected was being discontinued. I ordered as many as we could reasonably afford. We now have two main options: small black ones, and larger pink ones (these are new).

Together, they are the approximate color of Good & Plenty candy. I am one of these people who loves anything pink (sweatshirts, nail polish, headbands, a hot pink Squier guitar that I gave to Zosha a few years ago). We also have a few hand-painted notebooks left, which are acid-free sketchbooks.

You can get an embossed notebook with any monthly, quarterly or yearly membership to Planet Waves. If, by the way, there's a calling for hand-painted ones, I will make one more-or-less to your preferences (for those who sign up for a full-year Backstage Pass).

Continue reading this letter here.
Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscopes for August were published on Thursday, Aug. 9. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for July on Thursday, June 21. 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) -- Your ruler Mars is in the process of re-entering Capricorn for the final two weeks of its retrograde phase. It's likely that what you've been learning from these recent months has been woven into your consciousness gradually, one thread at a time. You may already be starting to see a pattern coalescing. Stay with it, and err on the side of seeking as much information as possible. This is a valuable opportunity to consider many things from an unusual perspective. When the tide turns around the end of the month, you'll probably be able to put this knowledge to swift and creative use. Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Nostalgia for the past is often accompanied by a hazy memory for certain details, usually the drawbacks of the era in question. Familiar things can feel safe, and you might be tempted to revisit a time when things were simpler. Yet there are reasons why you've moved forward, which you can call to mind if the present seems a little challenging. You've also changed within yourself, such that if you did somehow manage to return to the way things were, you would likely be chafing at the restraints. You've come far, and eventually you'll be able to see and measure that distance clearly. Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- You've been gifted recently with a certain eloquence that's unusual even for you. One of the ways you can make the most of that, this week, is by practicing expressing your deeper emotions as a form of sharing yourself. There are, of course, certain people in the world who would prefer not to discuss any such thing. However, there will surely be others very willing to listen; and at any rate you'll be setting an example for everyone. Genuine vulnerability seems to be avoided these days unless it can be exploited for reality TV. You can remind people what it actually means. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Whatever you might currently be aiming for or seeking to change, you have perhaps by now caught a glimpse of how achieving that would look. With two inner planet retrogrades still in the works, meaningful progress will probably take time; but keep a hold of your vision, and have patience, and you'll hopefully see a difference soon enough. One thing you could do in the meantime is to invest in others, whether in terms of energy, funds or moral support. There is a certain similarity between generosity in giving and openness to receiving; not that reward ought to be a motive. You can help anyway. Leo Birthdays 2018-19: Your 'Birthday Reading' Under a Whole New Name

"My Birthday Reading was expansive and mind-blowing, and absolutely on the money in everything. You helped me immeasurably as I change and change and grow, and change some more. What a time!"
-- Linsey

Dear Friend and Reader:

How have you been faring throughout the series of eclipses? Could you use a little more insight into what you've encountered and how to best navigate your options?

Eric has been using his relaxed schedule well, and recorded your annual Leo audio reading last week. He's calling it the Leo Astrology Studio -- and you still get more than an hour of audio astrology, plus custom-selected music.

As you'd expect, Eric does a careful reading of the series of three eclipses we've been experiencing including the solar eclipse in Cancer, the lunar eclipse in Aquarius, and the Aug. 11 solar eclipse in your birth sign. He works with the whole pattern together, and with the events individually, and also demystifies several of the other major planetary transits affecting your sign.

"Astounding. My Leo Sun, Aquarius Moon, Chiron in Pisces...Reeling!"
-- Barbara

Best of all: if you order your reading now, you'll also get Eric's signature tarot reading for your sign, when it's available. At a later date, the astrology segments and the tarot segments will be separated and sold individually; so it's to your advantage to order sooner rather than later.

Plus, now that the astrology portions are published, we'll be raising the price shortly.

If you're new to Eric's audio readings (or you're just curious), you can listen to a brief sample of the reading here. Remember, it's not too late to show your favorite Leo you care by giving them their Leo Astrology Studio as a birthday gift! They'll get instant access when you place your order.

Wishing you well,

Amanda Painter

P.S. Since the first eclipse of the series was in Cancer, you might find some additional useful perspective in the Cancer Astrology Studio reading. We're offering Leo+Cancer at a special combo rate of $66.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- You're experiencing the opportunity to see yourself as the center of your own universe. This is an important sensation for everyone to undergo, especially given the common tendency to place someone else in that seat -- whether consciously or not. That is rather like handing another person your car keys and asking them to drive you wherever they want. Ultimately, putting yourself in the driver’s seat is about your freedom to express your natural gifts and character, particularly in art and spirituality, and to live honestly. The powerful light of your soul cannot in reality be hidden from the world for very long. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- In the past few weeks you've been in company with some profound ideas, which seem to be shedding light on a rather knotty issue you're tackling. Even if your efforts have dredged up material you'd prefer to be rid of, this is a sign of progress. At this stage you'll want to keep going and trust that soon you'll reach the other side. As first Mercury, then Mars, station direct, what you've accomplished should begin to piece together and form a picture. Be patient as you wait for the image to become recognizable. When it does, you'll likely see that the uncertainty was worthwhile. Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- It would appear you're undergoing a process of simplifying your social life. Perhaps you're moving it away from the nebulous faux astral plane of the internet, back into the real world of phone calls and in-person meetings. You may be choosing to spend more time with honest, kindly people who are not too cool to show their appreciation of you. Either change must be to your benefit. You have no truck with fakery or illusion these days, and quite right, too. Seek out genuine, sincere people whose friendship with you has deepened, or promises to, over time. Very little else means anything. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- Our culture is such as to encourage people, at least some of the time, to worry more about their self-image than actually developing or rectifying mistakes. True, it can be embarrassing to admit one is a flawed human creature after all, rather than a paragon of virtue -- especially since the absolutism of the present age quite happily excoriates people for their imperfections. Yet admitting that there's room for improvement in all of us is part of honest living. Admitting it to yourself, at least, means you can focus on the growth most crucial to you, without reference to anyone else. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- You seem to be approaching the concluding stages of a project that involves significant changes in your spiritual world. As Mercury and Mars turn direct in the coming weeks, you'll likely find you have a deeper understanding of certain truths about the cosmos, for example, or a fresh perspective on your roots. A part of all this would appear to include the existence of love as a fundamental force. The chances are you can find a practical use for at least some of this wisdom, even if that means simply passing it on to others, or expressing it in kindness or a form of service. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- The sky in astrology, like the human species, is in a state of constant evolution. It's rare that any situation remains the same for very long, and certainly not eternally. Likewise, how people feel within themselves tends to change over time also. All of this said, if you find yourself in circumstances that seem to be either longterm or consistently repeating, recognize the power you have either to make the best of things, or to make alterations that increase your comfort. If there seems to be a pattern of some kind, gather information on it. What emerges could well help you look at things differently. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Since our culture and media are packed to the rafters with romantic stories and tropes, it's perfectly natural for us in a sense to project wishes and desires onto our prospective partners. When the person in question isn't the same as the fantasy being we created, we can experience disillusionment and disappointment. Understanding that we do this is a part of our maturing process. Breaking that habit, or at least recognizing its existence, is a way of taking back the power of our own self-fulfillment. You're discovering this strength within you now. Keep that knowledge in mind. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- There are some concepts we cannot, at least as yet, prove the truth of, such as the existence (or non-existence) of deities. When it comes to belief, therefore, there is a lot of flexibility on such matters. Other ideas, though, have real-world applicability, which means that what you believe can affect how you might treat others, or how you go about your daily life. It helps if your approach to such matters is therefore discerning, practical and sensible. This is especially the case regarding your wellbeing and your concept of service. Know when you need to back off from daily cares, and make sure you can.

---