Capricorn Eclipse: Feeling Out Saturn-Pluto

Dear Friend and Reader:

This Tuesday, July 16, is the Capricorn Full Moon and partial lunar eclipse. It's essentially direct-dialing into the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of January 2020 — no operator to transfer the call, no Skype interface, no going straight to voicemail. Whatever comes up for you this week with this eclipse is most likely to be what the Saturn-Pluto conjunction is about for you in January.

	Image by Lisa Ann Yount.

Is your reflexive response to reading that one of fear, or a desire to avoid it all? Are you at all curious? What are you feeling, and do you have any strategies to address it?

As was noted in the Thursday edition, all the biggest issues right now are Capricorn related: things like family, work responsibility, accountability in many other forms, and corporate and government power. Related to its Saturn rulership, sometimes events or natal chart placements in Capricorn can feel heavy or depressive.

Capricorn issues tend to feel very 'real' — as in: tangible, concrete, inescapable. Unlike, say, Pisces with its dreamy, ephemeral flow; or Sagittarius with its philosophical abstractions.

So not only does a Full Moon inherently imply a confrontation, but there's something about that idea carried by the sign Capricorn itself. There are times when we can think of confrontation as being like a dance: two partners facing each other, moving in synchrony with give and take, or with a clear lead and a responsive follow. It can be a negotiation process. Sometimes confrontation is more like mirroring: being met externally by something or someone that offers a view of our inner selves that would otherwise be hard to see and understand.

And then there are the kinds of confrontations that make people cower, panic, dive headlong into denial, slide into passive aggression, or actively strike out in preemptive fear. Emotional power struggles with authority figures (anyone from parents to partners and bosses, right on up the social hierarchy) may be the most common. Fistfights and wars may be among the most violent. Confronting oneself in therapy, or after having made hurtful decisions, can also cause an avoidance reaction; it's easier to pretend that it's not even a real confrontation, and therefore does not require your participation.

But that's the thing: all of these confrontation types, just like our current astrology, do require your participation. Yet before you can know what to do, you need to acknowledge, understand and articulate (if only to yourself) how you feel. At this time in history, society is being conditioned not to feel, and not to want to feel.

	Image by tommyvideo.

Some of that conditioning is occurring through fearful and destructive events: global warming makes it seem like the world is crashing down around us and nothing can be done — though this is not true.

Same with far too many political events and movements. This weekend, 2,000 Latino immigrants were scheduled to be rounded up and deported, as an intentional fear tactic for anyone brown — and, really, for everyone else too.

When you step back a little and scan the overall environment, it can seem like everything falls into one of two categories: maximum density and heaviness; or bubblegum superficiality and elasticity, where anything can be stretched into anything else. Where is the middle? Is there no room for heart, soul, joy, connection and introspection?

Those questions bring us to one that's even more fundamental: how human are you — and how do you know? How taken over by the Borg of digital life — of living externally online, of being conditioned to respond to every beep and ding, of buying into commercial ideals of status and beauty and 'necessity' — are you? If you want an astrological symbol for these questions, it comes in the form of Eris in Aries, exactly square the Capricorn Full Moon and eclipse. Eris is pushing these issues right now.

Have you confronted whoever represents the Saturn and Pluto influences in your life? You might start with anyone who seems to be standing in your way, is literally exerting their authority and power over you, or whom you are afraid may do so if you try to express your own will.

	Image by JIHALA.

From there, you may be able to trace your emotional responses or the structure of the interpersonal dynamic backward through your past. Do your feelings about the current situation remind you of your feelings about anyone from early in your life? Is that person's voice, disguised as your own, still speaking from the director's chair in your mind?

You have some ideas now to play with as you orient your kayak toward the eclipse rapids. If you've been reading Planet Waves for a while you're familiar with the advice to do some of what you love around eclipses, to help catalyze new patterns in the coming months. If you love how you feel after you've turned a key in one of the locks of your healing and growth process, you may be able to see the value of including some of this seemingly more serious material in your process the next few days.

The Capricorn Full Moon is exact at 5:38 pm EDT (21:38:06 UTC) on Tuesday, though Serennu.com lists the peak of the partial lunar eclipse (which is the Earth coming between the Sun and the Moon) about eight and a half minutes earlier. The Saturn-Pluto conjunction is exact in almost precisely six months — the span of time you could normally expect to see how this eclipse ripples out and develops. If a veil seems to be drawn back Tuesday night, pay attention to what you see.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter Daily Birthday Readings from Planet Waves

Here are the next week's Birthday Readings; if it's your birthday this week, many happy returns to you. Please note you can also read these entries as daily posts on our Intelligence website. Sunday, July 14, 2019 (The Day of the Convincing Storyteller) Remember that relationships and collaborations of all kinds work best when everyone involved is honest and willing to do their share. Don't wait for others to set the example; make sure you're holding up your side of whatever agreements you've made. Even if you're not used to taking the lead, this is your moment to do precisely that, and show who you really are. This will help give those around you the space to do the same, to your mutual benefit and enhancement. Monday, July 15, 2019 (The Day of Material Inducers) You are entering a state in which it's near impossible to be conventional, or to please for the sake of pleasing. You're evolving as a person. This may generate some tension between you and others; it's possible to work with them through those moments. One way to defuse any conflict is to find the common ground. That said, you are not responsible for how those around you feel, and none of this should prevent you from your mission to live your dharma. Tuesday, July 16, 2019 (The Day of the Rising Tide) Today's lunar eclipse marks an unusually important year for you in terms of your personal growth, your maturity in relating to others, and your aspiration toward fulfilling your ideals. Tensions may play out in certain relationships, or within yourself, though this likely represents vital matters being brought to a head. As we change, so necessarily do our interactions and dynamics with others. Ultimately, you need honest people around you who'll have your back. Wednesday, July 17, 2019 (The Day of Career Concerns) You've worked hard to get where you are today, against some arguably formidable odds. Now it's time to follow through, and take full advantage of the space and the platform you've gained. You have a unique contribution to make in the world, and this is a great moment to offer it. Be bold, therefore, and exercise your powers of innovation and originality. It's impossible to please everyone, but that's always true, and the critics are not the ones who matter. Thursday, July 18, 2019 (The Day of Conviction) It's possible you're lately feeling stretched a little thin. If so, make a point of keeping in mind that your time, energy and funds are all precious and have their limits. Everyone needs to withdraw from the bustle of the outside world sometimes, even the most flamboyant of extraverts. You can be unapologetic about taking a little more space for yourself when you need it, and you can delegate where necessary. There'll still be more than enough to keep you busy. Friday, July 19, 2019 (The Day of Controlled Movement) Mercury returning to your sign on your birthday suggests that you potentially have an opportunity to go over old ground. Are there any particular aspirations or dreams you laid aside in the past that you might now be free to take up again? Or perhaps you feel inclined to restructure your daily life, so as to allow more time for what is most important to you. Either way, remember that only you ultimately have the power to determine where your energy is directed. Saturday, July 20, 2019 (The Day of Ups and Downs) You're coming to terms with many elements of your past, which will aid your endeavors to leave them firmly behind you. This phase is an important part of your development, which cannot be overlooked or rushed. Once it's over, you will find it much easier to move on to new and brighter adventures. For one thing, you'll likely have a better sense of your capabilities. Many people limit themselves unnecessarily; this process will help you remove any barriers you've placed in your own way. Sunday, July 21, 2019 (The Day of Tragicomic Controversy) It would seem you're becoming better aligned with yourself, perhaps more closely than ever before. Your mind is opening to wider dimensions, which previously would have been beyond the confines of your knowledge. You are discovering exciting new concepts and ways of being. Keep track of your progress, and record everything, including dreams if you remember them. So long as you're willing to dare, you can make this year an inspiring and profound adventure.

— By Amy Elliott Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscope for July was published on Thursday, June 27. We published your extended monthly horoscope for June on Thursday, May 30. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign. Aries (March 20-April 19) — You might be ready for an answer to the eternal question: what will it take for you to set yourself free from certain overpowering conditions that seem to run your life? Be alert for an opportunity to see through the power that others appear to hold on you, and be eager to take back the reins. The first step in this process is always choosing to make your own decisions. The barrier to that step is sometimes invisible, sometimes veiled by denial, and more often blocked by guilt. To get yourself to that place of decision will take some special awareness and courage, particularly if you feel blocked by some sense of being wrong for wanting to make your own choices. Often that takes the form of worrying who you might hurt. For those who are serious about their growth and liberation, there's just one remedy for that, which is to be honest with people who are in any way impacted by your decisions. Taking the position that you don't have to explain yourself is usually a cop-out of some kind. Get your full Aries reading by Eric here.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — It's not just that most of what we deal with in life is family baggage; nearly everything turns out to be. Yet it takes countless shapes, with people showing up in a diversity of forms representing parents, their spouses, siblings, early caregivers, and so on. There seems to be a blind spot here, and I suggest you look right at it, till you can see it. This is not about ruminating on the past, but more like looking at the balls on a billiards table and deciding what is your best shot. By shot, I mean your best angle on living your life without having to be responsible for the burdens others have laid on you. Many situations trigger people into responding as if they are as powerless as a child. That is no longer true; you have options, you have feet that walk, and your happiness is the responsibility of nobody but yourself. Yet there is something about being a child that you must reclaim: your sense of wonder at life, your curiosity, and your faith in yourself. Remember: it's not about them, it's about you. Get your full Taurus reading by Eric here.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — What seems to be a confrontation over joint finances or sexual fidelity is a metaphor for something much deeper. Be honest about the status of trust in any situation where it might apply. Is it there? Do you suspect anyone of lying or concealing information from you? Is someone using their monetary or sexual power over you? More to the point, are you allowing them to? And if so, do you have any understanding of why that is? There is a degree of comfort that comes from being powerless, though I suggest that at this stage of your life, it's not the zone you want to be hanging out in. Getting entangled in the problems of others has a way of being a distraction from dealing with one's own situation. Try to look through that window and see the wider world around you. At the moment, your solar chart cautions against being caught in past thought forms or self-concepts, as if you're in a mental habit you cannot find your way out of. Now is the time. You owe this to yourself, and you're good for the debt. Get your full Gemini reading by Eric here.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — This week's eclipse of the Moon in your opposite sign Capricorn will help release you from any relationship situation that's not serving your greatest good. I am inclined to say "the greatest good for all concerned," though that might be a distraction from your necessity to actually take care of yourself. While there are certain relationship situations you absolutely must attend to, there are many, many others where you're best leaving people to their own devices and their own problems. Be especially mindful of any situation that is not rewarding, that is disruptive, or that is demanding too much from you. Notice in your life who is a taker, and who is a giver. If someone is on the line, it's fair to have one "come to Jesus" discussion where you give them the opportunity to wake up and participate in whatever your shared goals are. That, of course, would depend on having any. It's time to see things for what they are, and to see people for who they are. Get your full Cancer reading by Eric here.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Events this week will lift the veil on a situation where your health and wellbeing are impacted directly. That might also include the revelation of a solution, though that will depend upon having identified and stated the problem in an accurate way. This may seem convincingly to be a situation outside your control, though there is always a degree to which you have an influence. It's essential therefore that you identify your options and evaluate them carefully. This includes how you invest your time and energy, what you devote yourself to, and what you take on in the way of personal responsibilities. There can be no doubt that you are dealing with a situation calling for your full attention and all of your resources, and you must invest your energy where it's truly needed. The correct approach or solution may come when you feel like you have no other options. And with all of those false approaches out of the way, you will see your way through. Get your full Leo reading by Eric here.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You might feel that if you take a chance and express what you are feeling, or what you have to say, that you will explode in an unstoppable reaction. That fear is probably the thing stopping you from opening up and being real with yourself, in whatever context you want to take that. Whatever you may share with others (and you are under no obligation to), you must be honest with yourself. That is always the challenge, as denial is such a useful tool, until it becomes toxic and dangerous. You're in a position where you may be the last person to figure out something very basic about yourself, and that's simply not necessary. You know everything you need to know, if only you would be willing to admit that to yourself. Yet therein lies the rub. What would you do if you acknowledged the obvious? In any event, it's high time you mastered the lesson that you can only be who you truly are. Get your full Virgo reading by Eric here.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — It will help if you confront directly something that you've been inclined to "process" or "work through" in a subtler way. You may feel like your options are limited, or that some force outside your control has you feeling like you simply cannot be safe on the planet — much less explore your passion or your curiosity. You must be aware that something is eating at your self-confidence, yet you may not be aware how old this feeling, or condition is. It's being brought to the surface by aspects developing in Capricorn, including the earthshaking Saturn-Pluto conjunction and an eclipse of the Moon right near it. If your confidence has come from some sense of belonging with your family of origin, or any kind of conformity to the past, you're likely to be feeling like you cannot find solid ground. Yet this same location in your chart (the solar 4th house) also represents endings. One interpretation is that you must complete or conclude something before you can begin something else. That is the order in which to take things. Get your full Libra reading by Eric here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — It's not easy for you to change your mind, even when there are compelling reasons to do so. We could say this of the human race in total, though Scorpio being an emotionally rooted fixed sign brings out this quality in an especially strong way for you. Yet there are now tectonic forces moving you to re-evaluate not just your opinion on certain key matters, but your entire orientation or point of view. At the moment, one of the main things standing in the way is pride. Some feel it's not easy to admit that they were wrong about something, or did not understand something, or did not accept what was looking right at them. It does not help that one of the current ways of the world is to double down and power through any situation you don't agree with. Yet that will not serve you, and it never has. When you make your life a matter of power, it turns out there is always going to be someone more powerful than you are. Truth works differently. Get your full Scorpio reading by Eric here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Current aspects are working on two levels. One is financial, where your circumstances are insisting you take a more realistic view of your financial resources and what you do with them. The other involves self-respect, which is a persistently challenging topic for you. The difficulty comes from how this issue is internally mediated: the reference points must be internal, which makes it difficult to have sufficient orientation, metrics or basis to evaluate where you really stand with yourself. Yet I can assure you that any issue troubling you at the moment, whether involving finances, professional matters or your relationships, directly coincides with the level of respect that you have for yourself. That you are generally a positive person who can get through anything does not matter in this situation. We are not talking about survival here; we are talking about your growth and evolution. We are talking about attaining a new depth of self-awareness. Get your full Sagittarius reading by Eric here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — This week's eclipse of the Moon in your birth sign seems custom tailored to give you a window into what someone else is feeling or experiencing now. Your circumstances are such that you must devote considerable energy and focus to your own inner reality, and your challenges often seem so daunting you don't know how you will ever resolve them. If you want to, you will. Yet let this week be about the people you care about. Seek both contact and understanding. Allow yourself to be a little more vulnerable than usual, and let them into your reality, and take their feelings on board. One of the current head-trips of our culture is that the only way to live is "every man for himself." That might work on a reality TV show, where alliances last as long as it takes for personal survival to kick in, but that's not about intimacy. It's not about caring, and it's not about love — but you are. Get your full Capricorn reading by Eric here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You've been wrestling with inner demons for some time, and this has been exhausting. Yet do you have any better sense of the challenges you face, for all of the squirming around in the dust and the dirt? There is something fundamental you need to grasp about how you feel and what you're going through at the moment. You can take heart that with Saturn, Pluto and an eclipse in your 12th solar house, you're facing some of the most challenging astrology of your lifetime. Yet that means you need to truly bring your awareness to the matter, and stop acting as if everything involves something or someone outside yourself. There are definitely external factors, though they are minimal at the moment. Your whole being is calling on you to grow, to change, and to evolve into who you know you can be. And if you don't know, you're surely in a position to make a significant discovery this week. Get your full Aquarius reading by Eric here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — No current fad or fashion reflects who you are. At the moment, it may seem like your whole life is what Marshall McLuhan called "anti-environment" — that which not only does not fit in, but which challenges prevailing norms. The special challenge, though, is that those norms are often invisible or unreachable by standard perception. To see them, one must draw inferences from careful observation. There's no obvious "this is the way it is," and therefore, there is no easy solution for how to respond. Bear in mind many factors in the prevailing environment are changing fast, and by the time you figure out that attitudes and values have changed, they are already changing into something else. This week's lunar eclipse will give you a glimpse of where the trend lines are going. Or perhaps a glimpse combined with an intuitive sense of where you need to position yourself to ride the wave to a better next destination than where you are placed right now. Get your full Pisces reading by Eric here.

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