Dear Friend and Reader:

Today the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Aquarius -- the exact midpoint of that sign. This is called Imbolc, which means "in the belly" or "in the milk." This acknowledges that we are at the depths of winter; though today is a northern hemisphere holiday called Midwinter, the exact midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It's also called Candlemas (in the Catholic tradition). Imbolc literally means "in the belly" or "in the milk." At this time we are deep in the belly of winter, held in gestation for the coming spring at the vernal equinox around March 21. Imbolc is like the first movements of the fetus preparing for birth. I've written a longer web log about Imbolc today on Daily Astrology & Adventure, and I have an older piece from StarIQ.com called In the Belly of the Stars.

Yours and truly,

PS - Please check later in the week for a housekeeping email from me that will cover our new Member's Area, astrology apprenticeships, promoting Planet Waves, the Valentine's Day special edition and a bit besides. The subject header will say "Housekeeping Letter."


Aries (March 20-April 19)
Those you think fit into society so well either are the biggest misfits or have to work the hardest to maintain their role, which is in perpetual question. I would propose that they are not your role models; your real goal seems to be standing out and apart, such that you know you are one of a kind. This is your calling this year -- to overcome the reticence, that can even seize an Aries, to boldly be yourself. Remember, we're talking about the reality, not the appearance. It is easy to seem different, and truly challenging to actually be different.

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aries and Aries rising here.

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
Successful careers come in two main species: those that follow a series of promotions and slaps on the back (with occasional setbacks that we learn to make work for us); and the other kind. The other kind is where you take every step yourself. You don't climb a ladder to success, you invent one. You don't type a resume: you convince the world, one person at a time, that you are the one and only person capable of doing what you need to do, and then you make sure they let you try. You never reach the point of success: you aspire every day. It seems lately that only one of these options is open for you.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Taurus and Taurus rising here.

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
I hope you didn't already sign on the dotted line; if you did, you may be discovering that you need to find an exit clause, or a point of renegotiation. Here is a clue. There is something you can notice that offers an improvement to both parties, and this becomes the lever for renegotiating other aspects of the arrangement. The contract in question may be financial, it may be sexual and from the look of things, it may be both. In any event, please do not underestimate the wider world that will open up once you have the freedom that this rethinking process will offer you.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Gemini and Gemini rising here.

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
You may think you need a team of accountants, lawyers and negotiators to handle your affairs, but the truth is you need to handle them yourself. Yes, expert opinions count for a lot -- the right ones at the right time do, anyway. What you need to know is what, from the many options that the world is offering, you want for yourself. Then you need to put the power of your mind to work sorting through the potentials and looking for the one or two things that hit the mark. Finally, there is one partner who seems ready to come on board. Make sure there is an authentic meeting of the minds, otherwise go it alone. It will be easier.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Cancer and Cancer rising here.

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
Generally you handle the influx of information and experience so well that you can establish a social pattern, a working method or a relationship model and leave it in place for a long time. We all know that most cats like things just the way they are. Occasionally, such as lately, the energy rises to the point where you need things to be some other way; enough Friskies, it's time to catch a vole. This new way is going to involve a new kind of cooperation from the people around you, and probably speaking a new language with them. The key is that while the help may come from others, your brain is the one assigning their roles.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Leo and Leo rising here.

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
Every bell, timer, alarm clock and high-strung chihuahua in the universe are reminding you that you are not the person you always thought you were. Recent efforts to go back to being that person have only been met with more resistance from the people around you. However, I trust that with Mercury changing directions and the grip of winter about to break, you will discover something: your mind is bigger than you imagined. It's capable of more complex thought and more creative activity; and it works the best in the position known as wide open.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Virgo and Virgo rising here.

Libra (Sep. 22 - Oct. 23)
Your native planet Venus has made its way into your opposite sign, Aries, where it will stay (with one brief exception) for the next five months. This is calling for a close review of a relationship. How much of what you see in another person is you, projected onto that person? How much of who they are is them, completely and exclusively? Due to the nature of the current human operating system, there is always an overlap. Most people take some comfort here, in that it's easier to spend some of our time being what others need us to be. But what if you sorted this issue out altogether? You soon will.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Libra and libra rising here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
We all know you're an emotional person, but if that is true, why do you have Aquarius, the sign of logic, on the house most closely associated with your feelings? This is working out to be extremely useful now that there have been planets stacked so high we had to raise the roof of the solar system. For you this means so deep you need to open up a new level of feeling. It must take you beyond your opinions of what you are feeling, your judgments of the many others who now populate your world, and simply be about you, existing at the core of yourself.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Scorpio and Scorpio rising here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)
Your mind is clearly overwhelmed with both the possibilities and also with the amount of information you are processing. Relax. If the world can invent the Internet, you can invent a way to process everything you are perceiving; which really means, everything you are learning. You do need to use logic. You need to design a flexible, but sensible work method, which includes a way to prioritize both your ideas and your activities. Things will seem a lot simpler when you have a central organizing principle. Say those three words a few times and see if the meaning changes.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You are having to make many decisions about money and as so often happens, you are not the only person involved. However, rather than thinking about how many people you have to take care of, consider how many are contributing to your resources, in ways large and small. Since you can't take care of the whole world yourself, you may as well invent a system where the world around you takes care of itself. But more than this is about banking, commerce or business, it's actually about ethics.

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
Precision is what you want: precision of thought, and how you express yourself. You may decide that there is no such thing as an "identity" except what you have in your mind, and the words you use to express that psychic material you are working with. Your identity will change as fast as the thoughts you are thinking; but the focus that can remain is your locus of identity; the point where you draw your mind to clarity, look honestly and determine what is so. Nothing else matters. Nothing else has anything to do with you.

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
You have discovered the benefits of letting off pressure on a regular basis; but you have yet to discover the real gift, which is a kind of clarity that is rarely associated with having psychic abilities. Generally, information that is not strictly in the form of letters and numbers can seem nebulous. Your awareness is becoming an extremely advanced receiver of information: about yourself, about your circumstances, and in truth about the planetary condition. Trust what you are hearing. Document the information and put it to work right away. Don't save it up for 2012.

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Pisces and Pisces rising here.