This Week: Full Moon, and Mars Square Neptune

Dear Friend and Reader:

Three nearly concurrent events drive the week's astrology.

In the background of everything is the Libra Full Moon. Exact Friday at 7:12 am EDT, the Moon opposes the Sun across the last degrees of Aries and Libra. That has an edgy feeling, and it may also serve as a release point of the Sun passing through the Saturn-Pluto-Eris square configuration on the lunar nodes. Squares are looking for some opportunity to express themselves, and an opposition is a good way to do that.

Soon after the Full Moon, both the Moon and the Sun enter new signs -- the Moon enters Scorpio, and the Sun enters Taurus.

Neptune as seen from Voyager 2. This week, Mars begins squaring Neptune.

That will be exciting: the Moon's first move is to oppose Uranus, the planet of surprises; the Sun's first move will be to form a conjunction. This will be a refreshing change from all of the tense square energy we've been living with the past few weeks, as the Sun has emphasized all the tension between Aries and Capricorn.

Second is that Mercury is joining the cluster in early Aries (apparently inescapable), so early Aries will look like this: Mercury, Chiron, Salacia and Vesta. Mercury will also square Quaoar and Pholus in Capricorn -- yet another way of highlighting the square between Aries and Capricorn.

Mercury's mode of release is to talk about things. Mercury might want to talk about what it encounters in the Chiron-Salacia square: all that unspoken material related to sexuality that is bound up in misgivings, secrets and denial. The missing element is family and its influence. It's likely that the way you feel about yourself, and the expectations you have, are mingled up in your family's opinions from the time when you were pre-verbal.

If you speak, you may find yourself articulating some interesting, helpful, healing thoughts this week. This would be the time to have the conversation you feel you cannot have, particularly with intimate partners, relatives and those serving you in a healing capacity.

Last, one other aspect that may be operating from the background: Mars square Neptune (it's exact April 27, but in effect now). As you'll read in the horoscope below, I take a cautious approach to this aspect. It calls for some impeccability and sincerity. This, in turn, may mean slowing down and figuring out what you really mean before you say anything. The "two sides to the story" of Mars in Gemini could become blurred by the square to Neptune in Pisces.

Leave yourself room to be wrong, and promptly correct yourself if you make any mistakes or misstatements. Double-check both your facts and your perceptions before you make any important decisions. You would be well advised to let the Full Moon pass before making promises or commitments. By Friday afternoon, you will have a clearer sense of what you really need, and what is possible.

With love,

INTELLIGENCE Available for Instant Access
Epic 2019-2020 Annual Edition of Planet Waves is Ready

Dear Planet Waves Friend and Reader:

Last week, I completed the last sign in the INTELLIGENCE readings, Taurus. First I want to thank those born under the last three signs I did, Cancer, Gemini and Taurus, for your patience. Faced with a lot of work and an approximately two-month delay, I decided to take my time and be thorough rather than to rush and just get it done.

Thank you to everyone who has already purchased this set of readings -- my first-ever covering two years (and really three, because the audio begins with a review of 2018, information that will remain relevant for years). We have now published the Taurus reading -- all 12 signs are available for instant access. You can view samples of the audio and written readings here.

Read more... Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscope for April was published on Thursday, March 28. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for March on Thursday, Feb. 21. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign. Aries (March 20-April 19) -- You don't need to push anyone or anything to resolution. You've made some difficult decisions and taken action. You have been through some challenging territory. You are self-aware, and growing more so. And you can now coast toward Friday's Full Moon, as long as you guide your vessel. The Moon-Sun opposition involving your sign will work as a solvent and help you address a situation or loggerheads that may seem intractable. Whatever may be true, let your mind be the flexible element in the equation. Know what you're willing to compromise, what you could live without, and what is non-negotiable. Make sure everything is in its correct category, and then see what develops. One factor to review is your interactions with those in any position of authority, and your experiences of being a person who may be in such a position. How is that going? Did you get your taxes done on time (if you file in the U.S.)? The "authority issue" will be one of the prevailing themes of the next year and a half; track it carefully. Get your full Aries reading by Eric here.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- By the time the Sun enters your sign Saturday, you'll be involved in some bold adventure. Remember, though, that this is not about the outer world; it's about discovering who you are, and setting yourself free to be that person. Surprise yourself. Get out of your routines. Take any opportunity to experience something or someplace new, unfamiliar or just interesting. The old thought forms that have kept your life in line for so long are dependably crumbling. As a result you are open to new influences, which is a great time to experiment. Yet the central theme of your life is gaining inner knowledge, not outer. Chiron moving through your adjoining sign Aries will invite you, entice you, encourage you, or take you kicking and screaming -- the choice is yours. Self-knowledge is controversial because it imparts deep responsibility, to make your choices and guide your healing process specifically in accord with what you know: as in, know about yourself. Get your full Taurus reading by Eric here.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Mars in your sign is urging you to assert yourself and to be cautious at the same time. The way to do both is to apply far less energy to any situation than you think you need to get a result. The upcoming square of Mars to Neptune cautions about two things: one is to check your judgment at every turn, and make sure your thinking is clear. The other is to verify the facts you accept as true, or state to others as true. The Mars in Gemini factor is urging you to be aware of when you are trying to hold two contradictory positions. You can do that, as long as you're honest about it -- which is the slippery point where the square to Neptune is concerned. Therefore, take nothing for granted. Slow down the movie, and be aware of your agenda. You have one: there are things you desire, changes you want to make, and a real degree of lust for life that you're experiencing. Yet before you open up the throttle and just go for it, you have to ask what is really worth any potential consequences, and what is not. Get your full Gemini reading by Eric here.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Keep your lights on. Stay alert and visible. Fear no person, and no situation, and maintain your integrity by being honest from the first words out of your mouth. It's now clear that you're the one who takes the initiative in your life: you set your agenda, and you take action to put it into motion. You are, therefore, on notice not to wait for the whims of fate or fortune to guide you, but rather to use your awareness and set your course in life. As you know, there are no guarantees that any plan or intention will come to fruition, though this is not about the result. Your life at present, and for the foreseeable future, is about how you make your choices in the moment. Having authority over your life does not mean that you rule your world. Rather, it means that you make your own decisions and take responsibility for the results that you get. There is no other form of "empowerment" on our planet. Your ability to choose is the origin and grounding of your freedom. Get your full Cancer reading by Eric here.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- It has been said many times that faith can move mountains, though when it happens, it always comes as a pleasant surprise. Faith means in yourself; said another way, we're talking about fidelity to your own purpose. With Chiron now traveling through your fellow fire sign Aries, your sense of orientation and meaning is stronger than ever. You have a sense of direction, or at minimum are feeling a tug along a new route. You can trust that, even if as an experiment. This counts even if you're having some kind of crisis of belief, which will only serve to help raise your awareness and get you thinking about what is and is not true for you. One benefit is keeping yourself alert to fixed beliefs. If you're questioning yourself, you will notice when you run into a conflict, and then you might decide to sort it out. Underneath all of this is something much simpler, though: a sense of what you need to do. That is something you can trust. Get your full Leo reading by Eric here.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- One of your most vital missions at this time in your life is to keep a wide perspective. Most of the time it seems easier to be myopic -- that is, to walk down the street with tunnel vision, looking only where you're headed. If you do that, you will miss most of the beauty around you, and you'll be working with limited information. Looking around, observing, and allowing in more sensory data is not on everyone's agenda. Some consider it inconvenient. You seem to be of two minds: one is guiding you to over-focus, and the other is compelling you to look around in all directions. Make sure you do at least one thing: stay up-to-date on where a close partner or loved one is coming from. Do what you can to make sure you understand their point of view. That means keeping a dialog open, which has three parts: listening, speaking and considering (reflecting on) what you've said and heard. Don't assume you understand what someone means simply because they explained it once. And don't assume someone understands you just because you told them something. Get your full Virgo reading by Eric here.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- This week's Full Moon in your sign (exact Friday) will be preceded by a series of developments that build on one another. And it's not over till it's over. Therefore, guide rather than push. Ride rather than drive. The events of your life have considerable momentum at this time, and you've made your investment in the outcome you're seeking. If there are obstacles in the way, give them a chance to re-adjust, move, tumble or crumble. If there are misunderstandings, give them an opportunity to shift. The Full Moon takes place in the last degree of Libra, which suggests that certain events that develop late in the process will be the most meaningful, and the most interesting. One word of caution from the Moon conjunct Eris: beware of the mirage of the internet. Have as many of your experiences in person as possible. Listen to people's tone of voice and watch their facial expression. Verify the facts, even the ones that seem obvious. Then, go with the flow. Get your full Libra reading by Eric here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- When the Sun enters your opposite sign Taurus next weekend, you will have a far better understanding of where you're at with a close partner. The past year has been perplexing; the past season, maybe even more so. Yet there is some sense and order to it all, which is having the main benefit of helping you get off the rails and onto the open road. Make friends with what is unfamiliar, including aspects of people you care about that you've never encountered before. Welcome anything new, any change of pace, whatever sets you free from what is familiar or what you think you know. It's likely that others will have a hand in helping guide you in this direction, and that environmental factors will play a role as well. One of the reasons the world is so boring right now is that just about everyone thinks they know everyone. There is exceedingly little sense of mystery. Everything just is the way that it is, and will always be that way. Except for one thing: that's never true. Get your full Scorpio reading by Eric here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- Jupiter has just stationed retrograde in your sign, so you get a phase of review. It's helpful to think of life in terms of advancing forward over new territory, then backtracking a little to consider where you've been and how you feel about it. Go back to your most recent birthday. Consider all the interesting ground you've covered since then, and what has changed as contrasted with your previous year on the planet. Another angle is considering what you've learned, and choosing what you can do with it. Your solar chart has become a creative vortex, and with Mercury joining a wild collection of planets in Aries, you are being invited to experiment with what you know. By experiment, I mean to gain experience. That comes from actually doing things, exceeding your abilities, pushing your limits and being willing to make mistakes. In order to get anything right, you have to get it wrong first. This is how just about everyone learns everything. There is another definition of learning that I love: discovering that something is possible. Get your full Sagittarius reading by Eric here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Friday's Full Moon is another peak of energy that seems designed to reveal where you are in life. How much progress have you made? How far do you have to go? The thing to track is your direction of movement, no matter how subtle. Pay attention to improvement, no matter how small. You don't need to be content with this, though it's essential that you be observant. This way, you will have some idea what serves your purposes, what gets a result, and what does not. Forces much greater than you may be aware of are moving the very ground you stand on. Cycles that reach back into previous generations are not only influencing your life in profound ways; your whole orientation on the past is changing. You're being compelled by your circumstances to resolve matters that your predecessors found to be utterly vexing, if they even noticed the issues. In a sense, you're being called upon to do the impossible, and the way to do that is a little at a time. Get your full Capricorn reading by Eric here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- If you have something to say, this is the time. If you have something to write, this is really the time. A rare alignment of energies is making it possible to express what would otherwise be difficult or even impossible. One thing you probably already know is that you find yourself through writing. Not only find: cultivate, develop, understand and grow. This goes deeper than intellectual interests, as you have the ability to access every layer of your being through a mental process, which is rare. Yet for that to actually happen, you must engage your full creativity, which is to say, push into the unknown by stating what you observe. Don't worry about how intelligent you think your ideas are; you may have a blind spot here, and underestimate this particular factor. Regardless, the thing to do is to write, and read, and write. This might feel like plowing furrows in your mind, and planting ideas. It's a physical sensation, associated with a deep inner experience that is changing you for the better. The more you invest, the more you will benefit. Get your full Aquarius reading by Eric here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You are soon to encounter a whole new perspective on yourself and on life. This is happening inwardly first, as the Sun passes through your solar 2nd house and you are awakening to your talent, your potential, and your many other resources. They are yours to use, enjoy and explore. This is the whole point of being alive. Note that it's your awareness that activates your potential. And your awareness may be provoked by confronting a problem that you need to solve, a personal challenge you face, or some seeming lack or absence. You don't know your value until you make contact with it in some tangible way. Therefore, strive to correct what you think is wrong, and to accomplish what you may have previously decided was impossible or above your abilities. Most significantly, don't count yourself out -- of any situation you want to be in, of any realm you want to create in, or what you know your life has to offer. Count yourself in. Participate directly in your own world. Get your full Pisces reading by Eric here.

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