Each Individually, All Together

Dear Friend and Reader:

We get a lot of energy building and changing tone in a short amount of time to begin this week. Kicking it all off is one of the most significant astrological events of the year: as of 4:08 am EST (9:07:11 UTC) Monday morning, Chiron will be in Aries.

Later on Monday, the Sun enters Pisces (6:04 pm EST / 23:03:49 UTC). And then on Tuesday we get the Virgo Full Moon, in the first degree of that sign (opposite the Sun in the first degree of Pisces).

Pyramid of rams by by Taiwanese artist Hung Yin in Manhattan. Photo by Amanda Painter.

Although Chiron and the Sun may feel like a release or settling of energy (after some rather edgy or pressurized aspects lately), Full Moons tend to increase the sense of pressure, or a sense of some situation coming to a head or not budging. Generally speaking, when there's a mix of dynamics like that, the best idea is to hang loose -- or as loose as you can -- and roll with what emerges.

Notice what you notice; that is, if something comes to your attention, register it as fully as you can. Consider its context: what happened just before and just after? What were you thinking in that moment? Why does it seem important to you? Try to document whatever is striking about anything that comes into your awareness in a meaningful way.

Bear in mind that Mercury is conjunct Neptune in mid Pisces. This is one reason why the idea of documentation matters (the other being that Chiron seems to have an affinity for documenting experience): it could be easy right now for your imagination to get a little carried away into illusion or delusion. Making notes about actual facts may help to keep their apparent significance in balance.

Yet Mercury-Neptune conjunctions are also great for artistic expression -- especially in Pisces. The Virgo-Pisces axis is an ideal facilitator for bringing creative ideas into tangible form. So if you're feeling the building Full Moon particularly acutely, how can you get what's whirling around in your head (or in the ethers) onto paper or canvas, or into musical or dramatic form? Who can you play with in that endeavor?

Consider that creative expression -- whether you consider yourself an 'artist' or not, or any good at it or not -- is ultimately an expression of self. Even if you're playing a character on a stage very unlike who you are in 'real' life, you're still imbuing that persona with some part of you; it is emerging through the channel of your psyche, body, voice and energetic signature. And it seems that if Chiron in Aries is going to help us to do anything, it will help us to be more fully ourselves. Even if that entails some kind of search and rescue mission.

Simplified chart section for the Virgo Full Moon, showing (counter-clockwise from top): Sun, Nessus, Vesta, Neptune and Mercury in Pisces; Chiron, Eris and Uranus in Aries; Mars in Taurus; Juno in Gemini; Virgo Moon not shown. View the Chiron ingress chart here and glyph key here.

As Barbara Hand Clow describes in her seminal book Chiron: Transforming Bridge Between the Inner & Outer Planets, the 'warrior energy' of Chiron is quite well attuned to Mars-ruled Aries, which can help it to break through the barriers of Saturn and harness the idealism of Uranus. However, that must still be balanced with the discipline of Saturn to be able to access the subtler teachings of Chiron.

Always, the aim is integration rather than abandoning one planetary archetype for another. This appears to be the journey we're embarking on, the ongoing process of self-actualization, though how it transpires remains to be seen.

As for tomorrow (and for the near future), you might also keep an eye out for any significant natural events, political events, and incidents that seem to combine the two realms -- particularly if they involve fire. Does that mean literal fire, spiritual fire, sexual sparks, warfare, political firepower or fired-up groups of activists?

I'm not sure. But as Eric's note beneath this piece reminds us, Chiron's entrance into Pisces brought the world's oceans to the main stage. We have a long way to go in mitigating the damage we're collectively causing to the seas, as evidenced in the interdependent systems governing sea health and overall climate temperature. The warmer the planet becomes, the warmer the oceans get; the warmer the oceans get, the further out of whack all kinds of global weather patterns get, and the higher sea level rises.

Could Chiron in Aries be when we finally accept the role we play in the 'fire' of global warming? Perhaps. At any rate, it seems to be one area where we could use more disciplined warrior energy that's spiritually tuned in -- meaning ethical, empathetic and honest. Each person in their own time, in their own way, yet -- hopefully -- all together.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. In case you missed it, last Thursday's issue covered the Chiron-in-Aries theme of self-actualization, including links to a couple of key archive selections by Eric and an extended section of the Aries INTELLIGENCE written reading. Chiron Will be Back in Pisces in 2061

Sunday was the last full day of Chiron in Pisces for this cycle; it will be back on Feb 27, 2061. When Chiron entered Pisces in 2010, water became the front and center issue in the news, beginning with the Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion. At the time, I did a series of articles on the topic, including Tales From Topographic Oceans from May 2010, The Element: Water from June 2010, and In the Nature of Water from July 2010. In December, I wrote a piece that covered Uranus in Aries (now also ending) and Chiron in Pisces, called How to Cross an Ocean; How to Light a Fire. We have learned a lot about the oceans these past nine years, and have seen them do some strange things. Keep noticing.

-- Eric Francis



Cups, Bowls and Astrology

Dear Friend and Reader:

Have I ever mentioned my pottery collection? One of my hobbies is to collect handmade cup and bowl sets. I find them at farmer's markets and little shops I visit. Sometimes there's just one or the other. I love the different patterns that potters use. Each has the touch of its maker. I appreciate the stories they tell, about firing their pots, how they mix the clay, or their experiments with techniques. And I love love love the colors.

Mostly, I love eating and drinking out of objects made by people, each one of a kind. It's one of my indulgences in art, and a rebellion against things fabricated in China by machine. Many of the pieces remind me of where I found them -- that day I took a ride with Jonah; that potter at the market in Burlington; the one my friend in Germany bought for me.

Read more...

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Moving On with Chiron: Your Pisces Astrology Studio

"I loved the Pisces birthday reading -- I found it very concise, positive, enlightening and easy to understand; I love that he does not just give 'information', like what planets are coming and going, but also what that means for my sign, and how to make the best use of that transit or placement. Like having the issues that might be a challenge, and he offers insight on how best to work it for my highest good. Always informative! Presented with humor, and sensitivity!"
-- Laura Garrity, on a previous Pisces Astrology Studio

As the Sun prepares to enter your sign, Chiron is about to leave it and move on to your second place of resources and values. Eric has described Chiron as a 'master teacher of awareness'; during the next several years, you'll likely be finding ways to preserve and manifest its lessons, and use its gifts to you.

Your Pisces 2019-20 Astrology Studio (formerly known as the Birthday Reading) will cover this transition and more, and is now available for the earliest pre-order price of $33. This gets you two audio astrology sessions of 30 minutes or more each, plus a bonus Tarot segment. Note: this reading is not the same as INTELLIGENCE for Pisces; it's designed as a complementary addition, focusing more closely on the astrology most relevant to your solar year.

Eric pours his decades of astrological and therapeutic experience into these audio readings -- ensuring that you get the energized motivation, inspiration, practical tips and quiet reassurance you need to tackle whatever come your way -- and to thrive in the process. You may pre-order yours here.

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Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscopes for February were published on Monday, Feb. 4. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for January on Thursday, Jan. 1. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign. Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Chiron's return to Aries on Monday might well be the first clear signal you've had that it really is a new year. A number of factors in your life that may have seemed stuck should now be easier to release, and you will probably feel a lot lighter, and more like yourself. Embrace your sense of freedom, and of joy in the beauty surrounding you. Chiron is here to help you understand that you are not a narrow being, but a great soul who can grow and expand, potentially into all the corners of the universe. Get your full Aries reading by Eric here.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Persons of a determinedly rational worldview can be knocked for six when inevitably finding that the heart and soul have ways of asserting themselves. The last seven years with Uranus barreling through the most delicate realm of your being may have had something of a similar effect. Chiron is a much gentler teacher, though it would certainly be wise to keep your recent lessons in mind; you will gradually be guided into a fully integrated relationship with the deepest and most profound parts of yourself. Get your full Taurus reading by Eric here.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Your understanding of what real friendship means is likely very different from what it was not so long ago; you are learning to invest your time and energy mainly in people who would honor the value of such gifts. Chiron will likely afford you the opportunity to refine your knowledge still further, through associating with a broader variety of people or an entirely different set. You can help this process along by venturing into unfamiliar spaces when the chance arises, with an open mind and a sense of curiosity. Get your full Gemini reading by Eric here.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Recently you may have been experimenting with potential changes to your career path, even if outwardly maintaining the status quo. Yet it would seem a quiet revolution has been building within you all this while, and you are ready to try something else. If you find your current course restrictive and especially if it's no longer stoking your passion, it's time to break for freedom. This could happen within your present role, but more likely either that will have to expand significantly, or you need to take on something altogether new. Get your full Cancer reading by Eric here.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- One of the challenges Western civilization faces at present is that former cultural tenets have been swept away with nothing much currently to replace them. While on a collective level we gradually forge new paradigms, individually and on a daily basis many people need help. During the next few years, you are likely to be (or become) someone others turn to for guidance, thanks to your insight and your grasp on certain issues. If you're prepared to listen and learn also, your wisdom could well prove useful on a much wider scale. Get your full Leo reading by Eric here.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- Remember as often as you can to hold space for yourself: your feelings, your desires, your needs. You are embarking on a phase of deep self-exploration, not necessarily in a contemplative way but more likely through specific encounters. Each of these has the potential to teach you something fundamental about who you are, and who you are becoming. Pay attention to the messages from your body and your emotions, and avoid judging them; instead, allow yourself just to be, without complication. Get your full Virgo reading by Eric here.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Even now, in our supposedly enlightened times, people enter and stay in relationships for all sorts of reasons other than love. Security, emotional or financial, is a major driver; as is social pressure to be part of a couple. As a result, much energy is spent on keeping the partnership together at all costs, and honesty -- with oneself and others -- is often compromised. Chiron's arrival in your opposite sign will likely strengthen your capacity to practice honesty with loved ones, and help you to foster healthy connections. Get your full Libra reading by Eric here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- You may have heard the argument that altruism is not really unselfish because it is beneficial to the giver as well as the receiver. Besides this missing the point, I would suggest that acts of kindness are no less salutary if performing them gives one a boost; at any rate, they are better for the world than acts of cruelty or indifference. Don't be afraid to show compassion, or to do anything helpful that also nourishes your soul. There is nothing wrong in making other people's paths through life a little smoother. Get your full Scorpio reading by Eric here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- If there's one factor in the human experience that's near-universal, it's that life rarely goes according to plan. We can have all kinds of noble and wonderful ideas about what we're going to do, or be, and then we hit snags or find that we need to do something entirely different. Often, though, this is the kind of event from which you can learn invaluable skills or lessons, and through which you come to know more about who you really are. You may well find your true capabilities are far greater than you believed. Get your full Sagittarius reading by Eric here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Restrictions stemming initially from parents and authority figures have a way of getting under one's skin from an early age, and can be tenacious in clinging on through the years. Chiron is now offering you a way to unhook some of the most challenging material that has plagued you, and embrace a potentially much more liberated life. Everything you were prevented from doing, through fear or guilt or stuffy people wagging their fingers, is within your grasp. Make a wish list and start with whichever item leaps at you hardest. Get your full Capricorn reading by Eric here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- What do you want to know? What gets your curiosity going? These are questions you may wish to consider now, because soon you'll have an opportunity to explore specific topics in depth for their own sake, in a way you previously might not have been able to. Your mental focus is about to become a force to be envied. Make sure you direct it in accordance with your higher aspirations, and not into a rabbit hole of questionable sources and disinformation. Your success will be in proportion to your efforts. Get your full Aquarius reading by Eric here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You may find yourself re-evaluating your relationship to material goods and resources, which up to now has arguably been somewhat uneasy in places. Perhaps you occasionally ask why you can't seem to make certain resources work for you, or why you never seem to be properly rewarded for your considerable efforts. Chiron is here to help you make some necessary changes in this area, which begin with certain adjustments to your internal landscape and to particular thought processes that do not currently 'spark joy'. Get your full Pisces reading by Eric here.

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