Looking Back: Our Moment of 2019

Dear Friend and Reader:

For the next couple of Thursday editions, we're going to look back on the past four seasons.

I had a weird time warp the other day when I could not remember what year the Notre Dame fire happened. Usually, I remember years by the events in them; for a moment, I was disoriented and actually had to look it up.

	Photo by Veronique de Viguerie.

Time is doing strange things at the moment. We know it's moving quickly, which might be about us all getting older. Or it might be about how we're measuring it in nanoseconds, using the atomic clock, rather than the passing of the Sun in the sky and the Earth through the seasons. The past, in particular, seems distorted. Sometimes last week feels like a year ago, and a year ago feels like yesterday.

One of astrology's greatest gifts is that it's a time measurement tool. The planets have cycles (Saturn rounds the Sun every 29 years); and they make cycles together (Saturn is now approaching a conjunction to Pluto, which happens every 33 years or so, in our era).

There are many ways to describe “what time it is" in astrology, and today we have three of them for you. Our editors have selected articles that tell the story of the astrology of our moment. We will do something similar next Thursday.

I have written and you have read a lot about the approaching Saturn-Pluto conjunction. That occurs Jan. 12, 2020, amplifying the impact of the presidential impeachment in the United States (which, I assure my international readers, is a matter of global concern, meaning that it affects everyone in every country).

Looking back on 2019, the one aspect the impact of which I underestimated was Jupiter square Neptune. This was a little like hopes pushing against dreams, which only made waves. We saw many manifestations of life represented by this aspect, in personal and public life. The best example is how the report of the Special Counsel landed with a thud and sank to the bottom of the quicksand pond.

	Photo by Lanvi Nguyen.

Thankfully we are now in new territory, with Jupiter not only in Capricorn, but also making a square to Chiron. Note that this aspect is magnifying all kinds of material related to self-identity, self-actualization, sexuality and the influence of family. I'm currently working on the Capricorn edition of RESPECT and one message I am emphasizing is the need for context.

Family is not just mom and dad. Family is you, in the context of the lineages that led to your existence. Family in the big sense, tracked back to the origins of the tribe. That is for another essay.

For your horoscopes today, our editors have assembled all 12 monthly horoscopes for all 12 signs, and put them in chronological order. Each is approximately a 3,000 word read — about the same as one of my longer articles. We've never published something like this before.

Notably, at Planet Waves we are the only astrologers I know of who archive and preserve the horoscope column (21 years' worth, in fact!). Today, you have extended monthly editions from 2019.

Thanks for tuning in. I'll be remaining in lay-low mode as I finish RESPECT, the 2020 annual. Look for another letter about that soon.

With love,


2019: An Arc in Three Acts

Act I: Jupiter square Neptune

Jupiter, Neptune, and the Aquarius Full Moon -- Aug. 11, 2019

Jupiter stationed direct just 17 arc minutes (about a quarter of a degree) conjunct the Great Attractor, so this event is pointing to something a bit too large to see, at the moment.

Usually Jupiter direct in Sagittarius would be all systems go, let the arrow fly; however, Jupiter is about to make its third square to Neptune in Pisces. That is like shining a light into a thick fog. You may not be able to see where you're going. So this is about slowing down and proceeding consciously, and thoughtfully.

	Jupiter square Neptune made things a little foggy.

Any obstacle presented by Neptune is something you cannot see; something slippery rather than solid; an illusion rather than a reality; a factor of your imagination rather than the physical world. Under Neptune conditions, it's necessary to catch yourself making assumptions, and verify with facts: against the map, GPS, a landmark, the time of day -- any tangible reference points.

Jupiter in Sagittarius may represent your highest aspirations; it can, and we all need to aspire to something. Keep those ideals in mind, as you remember that Jupiter is approaching Capricorn (the scene of the ongoing Saturn-Pluto conjunction I reference at least once in every article).

That calls for another kind of realism: this time dealing with the practical world rather than flights of fancy. But one step at a time. Jupiter squares Neptune on Sept. 21, right before the equinox. Jupiter enters Capricorn on Dec. 2. Today's station-direct is part of that process, with some added momentum from the Aquarius Full Moon.

Interval of Possibility -- Sept. 26, 2019

Over the weekend, astrology did one of those handoffs from one era to the next. All year long, we've been under the influence of the Jupiter square Neptune aspect, what you might think of as a bubble of unreality. That aspect completed and began to separate on Sept. 21, meaning it was, in effect, finished as a mundane event.

Now the current pattern is the long-awaited, anticipated or feared conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, which takes place on Jan. 12. This three-time-per-century aspect (and others in its cycle) has a way of driving history forward, often with events that bring a contraction and conservative or fear-based uprising.

I challenge anyone to come up with two aspect patterns that reveal greater contrast. Dreamy, fluffy, hopeful, sweet-talking Jupiter, Neptune, Sagittarius and Pisces, as contrasted with gritty, hardcore Saturn and Pluto placed in earthy, rocky Capricorn. This is the shift of energy we experienced over the weekend and into this week.

Act II: Saturn conjunct Pluto and U.S. Pluto Return

In Grand Style: The United States Pluto Return -- May 9, 2019

As we can see, the U.S. Pluto return is in full force today, it's gaining momentum, and it will stretch out for many years to come. The last transit in the sequence, ultra-slow-moving Eris in Aries squaring the U.S. natal Pluto, will last until 2038.

	Composite of Pluto and its binary partner Charon, from New Horizons.

Important transits like this are what I call "threshold transits." They don't really end. In a human life, they are before and after moments, and the United States is currently positioning itself for this kind experience.

This is a get real moment, but the problem is that the people of the United States are having a hard time doing just that. There are many problems, though the main one I've identified is that the pervasiveness of the internet has, in the words of philosopher Eric McLuhan, resulted in a "deep disorientation of intellect and destabilization of culture throughout the world."

We need to take these words to heart, if we are going to get out of this mess.

This is another way of saying that people are having difficulty discerning right from wrong, and thinking that the distinction even matters. Everything we experience is a moment-to-moment distraction.

Act III: Preview of Jupiter in Capricorn, preparing for Saturn-Pluto

When Jupiter Meets Capricorn -- Nov. 27, 2019

The Jupiter in Capricorn metaphor is about the wisdom and spiritual elements of Jupiter entering the structured, practical world of Capricorn. Right now Capricorn is under the influence of what feels like raw power (one way to describe Saturn meeting Pluto). We sure could use some of the awareness that Jupiter can bring -- a visit from the friendly uncle who seems to know everything.

Jupiter in Sagittarius can have a soaring, optimistic feeling. That can be unrealistic and overly idealistic (and disappointing, if it's been square Neptune). Jupiter in Capricorn means getting down to business, and using what you know. This is not about hope; it's about a positive outlook based on doing your part, no matter how small -- and considering what else you might have to offer as well. Seeking without Hiding, to Stand on New Ground

By Amanda Painter

I completely missed Neptune's presence in aspect to the Sun (a square) when writing the daily Written in the Planets segments for the second half of this week. Neptune often has this property of slipping under the radar and evading notice, so it's not entirely surprising.

	Exploring the Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia last month. Photo by Amanda Painter.

Yet Neptune's an important factor to consider, not least of all because its little disappearing act in my awareness this week demonstrates part of why it matters: what we fail to notice can make a difference -- in what we choose to do, in what we think our options are, and in how we feel about all of it (and about ourselves).

Although the Sagittarius Sun does not exactly square Neptune in Pisces until Sunday, Neptune has a wide orb. In other words, its influence on consciousness has been part of the picture all week.

With this square happening right at the midpoint of the signs involved, there are two very interesting things to be aware of. One is that the Sun is conjunct a deep-space phenomenon called the Great Attractor. The Great Attractor (GA) is the focal point of a supercluster of about 100,000 galaxies stretched out over 520 million light years. Everything in our region of the universe seems to be contracting toward it (though overall, the universe is expanding).

The Sun -- emblem of conscious self-expression -- aligns with the GA exactly on Friday. I'm curious whether anyone has experimented in natal and event charts with the GA's orb of influence. Since it is an astronomical feature with far-reaching significance for a big chunk of the universe, I would expect that it might exhibit a wide orb.

In any case, the GA in astrology not only represents something very large and hard to grasp intellectually, it also tends to signify things like polarization (such as someone with a strong GA placement provoking strong reactions in others); a kind of 'untouchable' quality in those who are provocative; and a sense of being pulled along or compelled in some way.

My first response to seeing this aspect this week was to ask some questions: What goal, vision, or sense of faith and optimism is pulling you along currently? In what ways does it feel elusive, or like you’ll never finish chasing it?

Trying to express it, whether through actions or words, could provoke strong reactions from others. Yet those reactions will likely slide past you or spur you on, rather than ruffle or dissuade you.

Continue reading... How Big Is Space, Anyway?

By Amanda Painter

Humanity in general tends to think it's a pretty big deal, what with our large brains (compared to other animals on Earth) and opposable thumbs. Yet in the grand scheme of the known universe, we might as well be single-celled bacteria. Or individual atoms. I don't actually know the appropriate comparison, but you get the idea.

You'll get an even clearer idea -- sort of -- when you play with Neal Agarwal's interactive Size of Space website. By swiping on your phone or clicking the arrows on your computer keyboard, you'll embark on a size-comparison tour of various representatives of objects in space. I say "sort of" clearer idea, only because some of the jumps in scale are significant, and it doesn't take long for the things we're relatively familiar with to get bumped out of view.

Agarwal begins with a human being, then traces size through human-made objects, bodies orbiting in our solar system, stars and black holes, nebulae and galaxies…all the way up to galaxy groups, superclusters and the known universe itself. Sagittarius A, the black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, is represented (in astrology we call it the Galactic Core, and it's located in the direction of late Sagittarius). So too the Laniakea supercluster, whose focal point is the Great Attractor (which, from our perspective, is located in mid-Sagittarius, and features prominently in this week's astrology).

If Size of Space does not inspire in you a sense of awe and perhaps even humility, I'm not sure what will. As these Northern Hemisphere nights continue to lengthen toward the Capricorn solstice in a couple weeks, I find it strangely comforting and delightful to know just how much the darkness can hold -- and how much light is making its way through to us. Respect is Underway. Recordings Will Include Transcripts!
Pre-order Pricing Still Available for 2020-2021 Readings

Dear Friend and Reader:

The Saturn-Pluto conjunction is upon us, just weeks away. While this event will happen two or three times in the lives of most people, this particular event is a moment of convergence and reckoning for the world and for us as individuals.

I'm now underway recording RESPECT, the 2020-2021 Planet Waves annual readings. This is my 22nd annual edition — a full-service astrology suite that I consider to be my very best work each year.

	Steps of Stackers by Lanvi Nguyen.

It is designed to be affordable, easy to understand and with the full depth of professional astrology. These readings are condensed astrology motivational consulting, designed to help you solve your problems and expand your mind. They are applicable to Sun sign and rising sign.

Transcripts of Recordings Are Included!

I am truly excited to announce that my annual edition audio will include a transcript. For years and years, people have been asking for this — and it's finally going to happen, thanks to my reincarnated master-scribe friend Joshua. The Aries experiment went well.

Additionally, with all current purchases, RESPECT also includes a written reading focusing on Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius, called "An Aquarian Age." This is the astrology of 2021, which will include a preview of Pluto in Aquarius (2023-2044 — yes, I just typed 2044! Wow).

An Aquarian Age is planned for release March 21, the day Saturn enters Aquarius for the first time. Please note, An Aquarian Age will be sold separately starting Jan. 1.

Presale Pricing Available!

Currently we're offering all 12 readings, both audio and written, for just $133. I will hold this price through Thanksgiving weekend. This includes 12 signs of RESPECT (audio and transcripts), and An Aquarian Age (12 written signs).

Soon the price goes up to $155.

For just $166, you can get RESPECT (2020-2021) and INTELLIGENCE (2020, with a separate 2019 review).

Gift purchases are available!

You would search long and far for better astrology covering these crucial years of our lives, and you would probably come up short. We have what you're looking for: astrology that is both practical and visionary, created to the highest standards of spiritual teaching and personal growth-related work.

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

With love,
PS — You may place your order by phone. If we don't answer, someone will get right back to you. Call (845) 481-5616, 10 am to 8 pm Eastern Time. Thank you again for your business.
Your 2019 Monthly Horoscopes by Eric Francis

In place of the Thursday horoscopes this week, we've compiled pages by sign, featuring all 12 of your 2019 monthly horoscopes by Eric. You can read them as a developing story, reflecting your past year. Here are the links for each sign:

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

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Everyday Secrets: Sagittarius Astrology Studio

Dear Friend and Reader:

For those born under the sign Sagittarius, this time of year can be tricky as everyone's attention turns to shopping and holiday plans. Why not treat yourself to some astrological self-care?

If you know and love a Sadge (or someone with Sadge rising) you can also give the reading as a gift.

Your Sagittarius Astrology Studio covers Jupiter's conjunction to the Galactic Core, a review of Jupiter in Sagittarius and a preview of Jupiter in Capricorn -- which began on Dec. 2. I focus on the Saturn-Pluto conjunction and many other exciting facets of your astrology. My readings are easygoing and easy to follow, and address real-life matters of life, work and relationships.

You may order here for $44 and get instant access. Gift purchases welcome.

Thank you for your business.

With love,

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