Reflections from the Perfectly Imperfect

Dear Friend and Reader:

Have you ever looked at your reflection in the water with the Sun directly behind you? Your reflection ends up being mostly a silhouette that's gently distorted by the movement of the water; and though you can't see your own features very well, you can see all the color and detail of what's behind you -- it's just softer than if you turned and looked directly at where you are.

It occurred to me this might be one way to think of tonight's conjunction of the Sun with retrograde Mercury in Pisces.

Photo by Amanda Painter

Due to the compression of your perspective with the source of illumination, you may not be able to see yourself as others see you right now. Yet you might find a new, gentler appreciation for where you've been -- a view with softer edges but no less imagination-sparking (or growth-sparking) insight.

After all, Mercury retrogrades really are about slowing down and reassessing more than they're about everything getting glitchy and going to hell in a handbasket. As I saw suggested elsewhere, those hiccups are generally the result of us fallible humans refusing to slow down, pay closer attention, and retrace the steps that got us where we are now (or where we have been many times). It's trendy these days, even for people who scoff at astrology, to blame everything that goes wrong on Mercury being retrograde -- even when it isn't.

I wonder, however, how many of those same people are willing to take an introspective moment to consider what actions, oversights, attitudes, unnecessary urgency, distractions, and so on, might have actually contributed to whatever is going on? How often do any of us take the time to truly connect the dots between cause and effect when things go annoyingly wrong? Or are interested in tracing our habitual ways of reacting to SNAFUs to figure out if there's a more constructive or efficient mode of response we could adopt?

As always, this seems to be Mercury's mission during these thrice-yearly phases. Apparently we human beings need a lot of repetition in a variety of modes to learn our lessons.

In any case, the Sun and Mercury make their conjunction in late Pisces tonight at 9:47 pm EDT (1:47:24 UTC Friday). This marks the astrological midpoint of the retrograde (and, incidentally, the day of this phase said to be more okay for any business that cannot wait until Mercury stations direct on March 28).

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Mercury conjoins with the Sun about fifteen hours after today's first quarter Moon, with the Moon in Gemini. (The Moon enters Cancer later today at 5:49 pm EDT / 21:49:03 UTC.)

The whole retrograde Mercury / first quarter Moon pattern is also in aspect to Jupiter in late Sagittarius, Borasisi in Pisces, and the asteroid Chaos in Gemini.

One effect of this astrology could be a tendency to talk more than you listen -- especially about yourself (and perhaps your past). That's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you also listen to what you're sharing; in doing so, you could offer some valuable clues about yourself, and it would be a shame for you to miss them.

Whether or not the other person is paying attention or is preoccupied with their own agenda is another matter -- though with Pisces such a sensitive sign, I suspect we're all a little more primed to pick up on others' subtleties. Calibrate your inner sensors to alert you when you veer toward self-righteousness or arrogance, and conversations will likely at least stay energetically sound, even if it takes a few tries to communicate clearly.

Borasisi -- an object associated with belief -- looks like a reminder to give yourself a reality check. Are you sure you're being completely honest with yourself about a certain matter -- especially something about yourself, which you may be unknowingly expressing?

The object Chaos can relate to things spiraling out of control, but it was actually named for the primordial void state prior to the creation of the universe. There's always more than one side of the story of how we affect others, and of our origins. You may encounter fertile, multifaceted imaginative territory today, but it will be up to you to meet it constructively so that chaos does not reign.

Full chart for tonight's conjunction of the Sun and retrograde Mercury in Pisces. The Sun (yellow circle) and Mercury (green critter with horns) are on the lower right with a bold "24" next to them. Check out all the objects in the 22-27 range to see what's in contact with that conjunction. Juno-Ceres and Mars-Saturn are also in effect. View glyph key here.

All of that, of course, is in contact with the broad, expansive energy of Jupiter in Sagittarius. By all means, tap into any optimism you're feeling, particularly when it comes to long-range goals. Just be aware that with neither Jupiter nor retrograde Mercury very concerned with details, you'll be responsible for making the effort to check them. "Measure twice, cut once" is the name of the game, no matter what you're playing.

Jupiter here is also a reminder to stay flexible in your point of view. Now is not the time to assume you have all the answers. In fact, Mercury in its current state pretty much guarantees that you don't.

Luckily, Mercury (and the Sun, though that aspect is separating) is also in a sextile to Pluto in Capricorn: a perfect aspect for investigating mysteries -- the more psychological or oriented on the past, the better. That aspect will take some focused intention to use, and you may find you want to share the answers. Just double-check that you're sharing them with the person you intended (especially important if you're emailing or texting the info).

I mentioned that today marks the astrological midpoint of Mercury's retrograde; you might have also noticed that it stations direct on March 28. We're only about a week into this, and have another two weeks to go -- so you might as well settle in and take a long, slow, soft look at whatever is coming up for you, tripping you up, or causing you to run around in circles.

Any review of spiritual, emotional or creative growth is worth performing with compassion for all the ways you've screwed up, strayed from the path, or allowed pain to dictate your steps rather than letting joy and inspiration lead the way. Just like the planet Mercury orbiting the Sun, you're not actually moving backwards right now. You're just reinforcing what you've learned so you can flow more gracefully toward what's next.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. While I did not get a chance to work any news stories into tonight's issue, you may have heard about the massive college admissions scandal that is unraveling this week in the U.S. -- wherein wealthy parents paid millions of dollars in bribes to get their children into top schools beyond their merit. With Jupiter in Sagittarius relating to such themes as higher education, gambling and sports, this story makes for an intriguing illustration of the shadow side of Jupiter in a square to the Sun-Mercury retrograde conjunction in Pisces. The New York Times has put together an excellent overview of the scandal here. 
You Don't Have to Keep Squinting By Amanda Painter

Have your thoughts been a little blurry during this first week of Mercury's retrograde through Pisces? Are you sure you're seeing things as they really are? Cape Town-based artist Philip Barlow has just the art for you.

In this series of 29 hyper-realistic oil paintings featured on Bored Panda, Barlow has created pieces that convey how the world looks to those who have myopia or nearsightedness, the most common refractive error of the eye. (No, these are not poorly focused photographs, though they are based on them.) For anyone with that eye condition, this is more or less what the world looks like when they take off their glasses. What comes through has more to do with light and shadow, mood, color, and general relationships in space.

You might even be able to extrapolate the idea of intuition (a very Mercury-in-Pisces theme) from those concepts, and from these paintings. View more of Barlow's work at his website and via his Instagram feed, which includes photos of works in various stages progress. Planet Waves FM: The Sacred Space of Self

Eric will return with a brand new Planet Waves FM this Sunday. Thank you for listening. Check out our most recent shows here.

Dear Friend and Listener:

Thank you for your response to last week's request for membership. Many of you came through with one-time or monthly donations, which are now covering about half the costs of producing Planet Waves FM.

Let's go for 100% -- there are more of you than there are of me!

iMac selfie a little after finishing this week's program.

It's an honor to show up here faithfully each week and do the program. It's been a labor of love to develop the show over these years, to build the studio and to get us into the Pacifica Network.

If the program is a touchstone for you each week, if you come here to learn astrology, if you have caught onto my intention of creating a haven and a place of sanity on the wild and chilly internet, please consider helping us pay for the program. A little goes a long way -- and $10 a month means a lot more to us than it does to a massive organization.

All contributions are tax deductible through our nonprofit organization Chiron Return. If anyone considers themselves a philanthropist and wants to help us get to the next level of our work with our 10-year-running project, please contact me directly.

The most recent program covered the Pisces New Moon conjunct Neptune and Vesta; a remarkable Mercury retrograde; and Uranus in Taurus. You may listen here, on the Intelligence website.

Thanks for tuning in.

With love,

PS -- Don't miss our local homegrown music. Peter Gabriel fans will recognize the names Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta. Christian rock fans will recognize Phil Keaggy like Deadheads recognize "Garcia." This unusual supergroup was organized by the dad of Planet Waves musician Daniel Grimsland.
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.

The Future of News: Birthday Letter Part 3

Dear Friend and Reader:

In my previous letter, I mentioned that I had some thoughts about the future of news reporting. I can start with a bit of personal history.

My first encounter with Amy Goodman was in the Manhattan studio of WBAI-FM, where she was the longtime news director. I was representing a nonprofit organization focused on judicial corruption, and got us onto her program to talk about what we were doing (working on exciting issues like judicial cross-endorsement, a problem where judges are “elected” in phony elections). This was on Amy's show just before Democracy Now!

Amy’s view toward the teleprompter, camera and her personal monitor, shortly after a program in October 2017. During this stage of the broadcast, she was recording radio promos for local Pacifica stations, so it did not matter if I was in the shot.

It was early morning in midtown Manhattan. The broadcast would go out from the top of the Empire State Building (the studio was not far away). From the moment I walked in, I felt a kind of power filling the space and emanating from her that is usually reserved for descriptions of supernatural events.

It was like visiting Athena's temple and finding the goddess at home (and on the air). I've never experienced anything like it before or since.

The second time I met Amy was about five years ago at an annual July 4 softball game and barbecue, held each summer by Karen, a Pacifica board member, for about 25 years. It was a more human encounter. I pulled into the driveway and parked, and I saw her nonchalantly standing off to the side of things. She was wearing dark sunglasses and a baseball cap, like a proper celebrity.

I walked up to her, to the edge of her personal space, looked at her quizzically, paused for a moment, and said, "Haven't I seen you on TV?"

She responded with a sly little smile, and said, NOPE!

Continue reading this letter here.

Instant Access to Your Pisces Reading, and a Gift

Dear Friend and Reader:

Eric recently completed Parts One and Two of your 2019 Pisces Astrology Studio reading -- just in time for the pretty astonishing New Moon we just experienced in your sign last week (right after Uranus enters Taurus). It could not come at a better time, in my opinion, just based on how many people I know who are struggling to stay centered in this wild world, and during this provocative astrology.

Here's some of what Eric wrote recently about the Pisces New Moon, and Mercury now retrograde in your sign:

The series of events now developing in Pisces all point to Neptune, and the question could be phrased: what did you believe in the past, that turned out not to be true?

What beliefs were later challenged by information that "came out"? Where was that information before it "came out"? Were you aware of any part of it?

Reviewing the past and making better decisions is not the same thing as being stuck in the past, or obsessed by the past. Rather, it's the lack of coherent reflection that leads to stuck and obsessed.

He adds:

Vesta maintains its own order, its own rules, its own ability to hold space for what people really need -- that is, space for a real exchange, or for one person to consciously help another.

If you'd appreciate more insights of this sort as you begin your new solar year under some highly unique astrology, I hope you'll order your 2019 Pisces Astrology Studio today. Even though both astrology segments are available for instant access, we're holding the current price -- just $44 -- for the time being. Once Eric publishes your Pisces 2019 tarot reading, we'll raise the price once more.

"No longer am I amazed that what you convey is spot on… it's just the way things are."

-- Rob Moore

Wishing you all the best this year,

Amanda Painter

P.S. If you're new to Eric's readings, or if you'd like to review your past 12 months, you're invited to listen to last year's Pisces Birthday Reading, as a gift from us.

P.P.S. If you have questions or prefer to order by phone, please give us a call at (845) 481-5616 during Eastern business hours and someone will get back to you shortly. Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

We published your extended monthly horoscopes for March on Thursday, Feb. 21. Your extended monthly horoscopes for February were published on Monday, Feb. 4. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign.

Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Be true to who you are, and remember that you're allowed to have flaws. Don't waste your valuable time chasing a fictional version of yourself who's stripped of all your quirks, peccadilloes and everything else that makes you actually human. Social approval is a fickle thing, of which it helps to remain independent: the more important question centers on your personal aspirations, and whether you're getting where you need to be, which includes right action. Only you and whatever divine principle you adhere to can hold yourself to account. No other opinions are ultimately relevant.

Get your full Aries INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- As the revelations continue about your place in the world at large, and new hopes and fears are emerging as a result, it's time to address any persistent self-doubts you may have. Whatever is troubling you is highly unlikely to resemble the real truth. If it helps, talk to people you trust and get a broader perspective on the matter; you will almost certainly begin looking at things very differently, and realize you were unaware of your true capabilities, or the influence you possess. Use this exercise to transform your way of thinking, and establish truth as the foundation.

Get your full Taurus INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Focus this week on the human element when it comes to your ambitions or vocation. Virtually all jobs contain opportunities to interact with customers or mingle with colleagues. Particularly if there's someone you see or hear from most days but feel you don't know too well, take the time to get acquainted. This isn't the same as networking, which is goal-oriented; this is more about establishing real connections with others who are a part of your life. Obviously be aware of politics and professional boundaries; though a simple friendly gesture or two may be all that's needed.

Get your full Gemini INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- In the course of following your life's path, you will almost certainly at some stage distinguish yourself. This probably won't require any deliberate action on your part; it tends to happen organically, as a product of your endeavors to reach a specific goal. The more you integrate the aims that matter most to you into your everyday work and habits, the more you will find yourself naturally standing out from the crowd. While this may sound daunting, in truth this is part and parcel of living a truly honest existence, and doing what you need to do. Shine on, and be proud of your accomplishments.

Get your full Cancer INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- Don't underestimate the importance of fun in your journey of personal growth, especially as connected with your emotional wellbeing. If life seems too much like a series of dull repetitions, it's time to inject some color and variety. You might visit somewhere you've never been and always wanted to see, or meet some new people. Or perhaps get out crayons or paints and make a glorious Jackson Pollock-style mess on an unsuspecting blank page. The key going forward is to avoid relapsing into mechanical routines, and maintain a little splash of novelty on a regular basis.

Get your full Leo INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- Navigate with caution any form of confusion relating to where you end and a loved one begins. In fact, keep the boundary as distinct as possible. Approach the issue of your relationships on high alert, especially for any tendency you might have to project certain qualities onto partners or to lose yourself in them. At least while Mercury is retrograde, try to operate strictly on the basis of known facts, and avoid speculation of any kind. Put off making any big decisions or commitments for a few weeks yet; there may well be relevant information still to be uncovered.

Get your full Virgo INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Keep the focus on your healing and growth process, and pay close attention to what your body tells you, especially as concerns its needs. Study whether your daily routines are supportive of this, and be prepared to make some changes if you find otherwise. With all the present technology taking us out of our bodies, it's necessary to make a conscious effort to bring ourselves back. Also, don't neglect the importance of your emotional wellbeing. Take some time this week for the various relationships in your life, and actually get out to see loved ones in person if that's possible.

Get your full Libra INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- Consider the nature of your most deeply held principles, the ones you cannot abandon no matter the consequences. How are you expressing them? How far do they inform your personal development? If you suspect that certain tenets or practices you hold important are getting lost amid all the distractions, it's time for a careful review. This may well involve making more space in your life for meaningful acts; it might include withdrawing from any activities that are specifically hindering your cause. You need to ensure your life is ultimately built around serving your values.

Get your full Scorpio INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- Current events may be assisting you to view elements of the past in greater clarity, perhaps, than you've ever done before. It's as if you're able suddenly to strip away whatever emotional luggage you've accumulated, and see through any illusions or obstructions to the very essence. This could be profoundly beneficial for your healing process, provided you are willing to let go of outdated beliefs regarding yourself and others. This can be harder than it seems, even when the truth is shining before you; take all the time you need, though bear in mind facts are preferable to fiction.

Get your full Sagittarius INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Knowledge can only come your way if your mind is open to receiving it. You may be inclined sometimes to black-and-white thinking, though this can have the effect of narrowing your options. Try to entertain other points of view. You don't necessarily have to agree with them. Rather, the point is to recognize that everyone, including you, has limits on their perspectives. It's useful to at least listen to those with whom you differ. This keeps you from crystallizing, and helps you maintain a healthy level of humility, in acknowledging that you might not see the full picture without assistance.

Get your full Capricorn INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- You may have cause this week to reflect on how far your friendships and broader associations are helping you remain true to yourself and your ideals. Does anything need to change? Are your community, your environment and your personal connections all a good fit in terms of the life you're striving to lead? If something has to give, consider how you could best accomplish that. Don't be too afraid to put yourself first, or to exercise a higher level of discernment if that's what you feel is necessary. At any rate, there's nothing wrong with making some new acquaintances.

Get your full Aquarius INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- One of the most important things you can do at present is to hold firm the line between truth and lies. Among the fallacies pervading our modern era, one that really stands out is the confusion of social media personas with actual people; another is the concept that nothing can be trusted. This sort of thinking is eroding honesty, and causing many people simply to abandon integrity. Yet you know that is too high a price for keeping up appearances, or indeed for anything else. Stand solidly by your principles, place your faith in what is real, and aim consistently for clearer vision.

Get your full Pisces INTELLIGENCE reading by Eric here.