Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for January 2020 (#1271) | By Eric Francis
Aries (March 20-April 19) — It may seem your whole life is focused on your career and matters involving your family, which are related. This could be taking considerable time, effort and emotional energy at the moment. To suss out the relationship between family and profession, notice who at work is acting like whom in your family of origin. Notice the way the dramas unfold. Most of all, notice how you respond: do you feel weak and powerless? Do you feel like you have a voice? Can you stand in your strength? Do you have some influence over the flow of events? Use what you know, and remember your power of choice at all times. Whatever might seem to be going on now, your life is heading well beyond these situations that are consuming your time and energy. You are making your way to a whole new reality field, where you will find yourself on much more level ground. Your concept of power will evolve this year from a top-down model to a lateral model. You will still be able to use what you learned from negotiating your freedom and your destiny, though the rules will all be different. Bring your attention to the far wider social environment that surrounds you, and where you have much more influence. Notice the people around you. Treat everyone respectfully, as your equal, and establish yourself in your community as a person dedicated to service. This is leadership; it will take practice, and it will be worth it.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You cannot control how others see you. You cannot control what they think about you. You can only choose who you are, and how you express yourself. Integrity means staying close to your center and not being distracted by perceptions, opinions or the judgments of others. This includes the residue you may be carrying from how others have perceived you in the past, or the ways they’ve conditioned you to think about yourself. To sort this out takes more maturity and strength of character than would seem to be available now. And it’s certainly not in vogue to stand on your own and not be swayed from your inner truth. However, over the next four weeks, your commitment to yourself may be tested. Others may claim authority they do not have. People around you are likely to be driven by ideology that they consider the Holy Grail. I would suggest being wary of any ideology, and assessing the known facts, using your own power of reasoning. You are in a position of guiding others, and that places additional responsibility upon you to not believe what is not true. This means avoiding belief in any form. And it means avoiding what is known as “conviction” — absolute certainty about anything. These things are a kind of philosophical comfort food for many, and they tend to cloud or even paralyze the mind. Thankfully, your situation is much better than that of many people around you. You don’t need palliatives. You need to honor your truth, which means gradually finding out what it is.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You have been in so many situations where you’ve experienced your power being taken away, or giving it away, that you may have forgotten anything else is possible. This has gone on for years, and you are now at the crux point. You cannot go on in the same style you’ve considered acceptable for so long. The question is: why would you? Why have you? It’s time for a careful, thoughtful and honest look at the role of guilt in your life. Guilt is the toxin of social control, installed into us as a self-governing device for the convenience of those would dominate us. It is usually taken for granted. It is often used as a cudgel or a way of getting control of a person (when all else fails, there’s always a guilt trip). I would propose you want none of this: not the power you might gain, or that which you might lose. There are more and less responsible ways to attain this. We know that one problem sociopaths have is they lack guilt and remorse, and then give themselves permission to do anything. That is not what I’m referring to. The path out of this particular thicket calls for the highest degree of ethics, radical honesty, compassion for yourself, and learning how to clear your conscience. Over the next four weeks, you will have several once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to free yourself from a certain kind of oppression that is just pointless. So to my list of personal ingredients we can add courage. That is the most important one of all.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You have gone through so many changes in recent years, you’ve lost track of them. This goes back about 10 years. Something has been riveting your attention, whether you liked it or not: some compelling force of nature, or of your soul. And it’s pushed, pulled, stretched and dragged you many different places through many circumstances. You are now coming to closure on all that has happened in these years. The next month brings a true-to-life turning point, which I would describe as gaining the ability to meet the world on your own terms. However, you must bring focus, devotion and impeccability to the equation. What you’re experiencing is less like flying a kite and more like flying a jet plane. The stakes are higher; it’s more dangerous; a lot more can go wrong — and you can finally get where you want to go. The thing is, nobody is going to lure or lead you. You are now handling the controls; you are making the decisions. This is true even if that involves deciding what to do when you encounter circumstances seemingly outside of your control, or people who might seem to be more powerful than you. Challenge that illusion with your presence and your intelligence. Step into the position of being steadfast and self-directed. If you need information, ask for it — whether you’re asking of spirit or of a trusted source. Then listen; assess all incoming information carefully, and make your decisions consciously. This is the whole point. Don’t let anyone decide for you. Those days are over.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — It is now time to master the art and the craft of self-care. This goes beyond the mani/pedi and the spa treatment. It is an approach to existence where you place your life at the center of your world, and work your way outward. Though this will involve making many small changes, there is something structural about your life that you need to alter. You might think of this as the shape of your existence. There’s also something about “letting food be thy medicine.” You must eat what is right for you, and be in a continuous process of making adjustments. I know how challenging this can be, particularly in the midst of time crunches, and the constant temptation of prepared foods that are simply not wholesome. This message is coming through with such potency that you may be able to organize your whole existence around your food supply. Society is due for a reckoning here, but I’m not holding my breath. For you, step one is: if it aggravates, remove it. There are artificial toxins (glyphosate) and there are seemingly natural ones (soy, gluten, etc.). As a celiac person, I assure you that this can become a full-time vocation. You have to scrutinize every bite of food you eat. It’s one heck of a mindfulness exercise. Step two is: knowing what foods you need, and making sure you get them. This is more controversial, though you might start by remembering what your grandparents ate. Generally, nutrients come from food, not supplements. You may need guidance; three trusted human sources would be ideal, i.e., not the internet.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Much of the agony of Western civilization involves suppressing sexual feelings. This is flogged into us from a young age, and then treated with suspicion and derision throughout the life of anyone who does not take a personal stand. You will talk to many people who think this is a good thing. Well, it is, if your life goal is to stand at attention and recite the Pledge of Allegiance perfectly. If you want access to your curiosity and your passion; if you want to experience your senses; if you want to deepen your capacity to love and feel and share; well, then, the aperture you want to open is your erotic connection. This will be disruptive to all that is stuck and boring in your life. You may push people around you to wake up, whether they want to or not. You may need to make some new friends, who support your holistic approach to creativity and who may want to participate. Most of all, you will have to confront the feelings of guilt that have stalked you for much of your life, and which can act up whenever you strive to feel good. This is really the thing you want to resolve above all else, but such never comes in the form of deconstructing the negative. Yes, you do some of that, and learn about the subject. What really does the work is your vital force pushing through the barriers. This is most organically accessed through tapping your sexual feelings, which will in turn ignite your senses and your curiosity. Hang loose, relax and, above all, do not judge.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The whole world is on shaky ground at the moment. Due to the orientation of your chart, you feel this palpably, and you understand something about your environment. So for you, there is no denying the obvious — only dealing with it. That said, it would help if you tuned into how other people are experiencing this groundlessness. This is what’s behind the feeling of panic that is taking over the world. It’s also what’s underneath this strange idea that ‘there is no truth’ and/or ‘the truth does not matter’. It’s leading people to opt for what seem like easy and expedient solutions to problems that are either misdiagnosed or that do not exist. All of these situations grow out of two things: one is collective early conditions in the family; the other is the ground of reality shifting to the internet. You are in a position to benefit the most from these changes, and you’re also vulnerable to some of their worst effects. You must know the ground that you stand upon. It is not physical ground but spiritual. You have a life apart from all of the chaos in the world, and apart from the physical conditions of your life. The many tests you’ve been through (going back about 10 years) are about to culminate in your discovery of who you actually are, and what your most vital contribution is. This includes understanding that it’s not your job to facilitate the frantic insecurity of those around you. You have a much more important and positive role right now.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — We live in a time when the truth has never been easier to find, and when fewer people believe it exists. Then many people are absolutely certain they know what is true, without any basis at all for their beliefs. Yet ignorance (a concept based on the verb to ignore) is not bliss. The prevailing mental state is creating a truly dangerous situation for the world. You are in a process of maturing intellectually. Depending on who you are, this may feel painful and arduous, or it may feel liberating and beautiful. Here is a bit of ancient wisdom, to help you on your journey. You do not need to seek what is true. Rather, you must seek within yourself for what is false, and clear that out of the way. Then you will be much more inclined to see reality as it is. When you discover an untruth within yourself, move it out of the way and ask to be shown what is true. It’s best not to obsess over this exchange, but rather to take it in stride. Remember, though, that untruths exist for a reason. They might be justification for something; they might seem to block something painful from your awareness; you might believe something out of a sense of loyalty to someone, particularly your family. You might latch onto something because it’s trendy and socially acceptable. It will help to know your motive, and pay special attention when it shows up. Be aware of when you’re kidding yourself. You need conscious boundaries and limits where your mental faculties are concerned.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You know you must live your life your way, though too often there are questions of circumstance that seem to prevent you from doing so. Frequently that involves the role of others who have a smaller vision for their existence than you do for yours. And, too frequently, their lives can complicate or be destructive to yours. Let’s take this in two parts. First, you have your motives, needs and values, which cannot be changed or modified by anyone else. Nor is it anyone’s responsibility to help you make those real or live them out. Then there is the influence of others, which tends to enter when you feel like you need someone to help complete you in some way. Yet it is that perception which distracts you and allows for the infiltration of influences and values counter to your own. It has a way of drawing you out of your center and, at times, depleting your resources. Which brings me to the point of money: you must become your own master, where your finances are concerned. This is the single most important issue of 2020, and it’s an issue that has been brewing for a while. It’s no great mystery how money works, on the basis of cash-in, cash-out. Where most people get into problems surrounds the issue of maturity. You need structure, and you need leadership, and those are going to come from you. It takes a certain amount of money to maintain your life; there is a way to bring that in, or lower your costs: it must be one or the other.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — The time has arrived for the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in your birth sign. Whatever is going on now is what this is about. Whatever you feel stands between you and the future is what this is about. In the days remaining between now and this once-per-lifetime event, you must ask yourself what you want to carry into the future and what you want to leave behind. Consider this as if it’s an actual question, with a time cutoff. Make a list of the most important factors in your life and choose what you want and what you don’t want, based on what helps you and what harms you. These can include everything from personal tendencies to relationships to roles that you play in life. Imagine you’re boarding a time ship to the future, but you have more stuff than you can take with you. So you have to determine what you want, and what you need, working within a limit. Since we are talking mostly about spiritual matters, you will need to set the boundary. Please do so carefully. You want as few useless or outmoded ties to the past as you can arrange. That means fewer attachments and obligations. Free up as much of your personal bandwidth as you can claim back. The future is upon you, and it will soon be arriving with more emphasis and intensity than it ever has.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You may be feeling some inner pressure that you cannot name. You may have the idea that something big has to change, but you’re not sure what. It would be better if you didn’t leap to any conclusions, or make any excuses. Rather, keep your attention focused inwardly and listen. You may not recognize it, though you’re in one of the most formative times of your life. Deep changes are taking place within you, many of which have been brewing for long years or decades. You are impressionable, and I would suggest you orient on people who set an example you want to follow. This involves two things, mainly. One is ethics. Much of civilization is currently being driven by the urge to attain raw power, and you’re not exempt from getting caught up in this trend. The other is the extent to which the tendencies and values of your family are still driving you. You’re likely experiencing this as being moved by “unconscious” feelings and motives. If that is true, it’s time to bring what is in the shadows into the full light of day. Evaluate what you’re feeling based on what you do, how you respond to people, and the responses you get from them. You are approaching the moment when there is no room for needless controversy, turmoil or upset in your life. You have neither time nor energy to waste. And you cannot have loyalties you don’t understand lurking around beneath the surface of your mind. Said another way, you must be totally real with yourself and take responsibility for all that you do.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — By now you have a sense of the territory you’re in. You know your surroundings, you can see the forces moving in the world around you, and you have a pretty good idea what you want. You know who you can trust. The time has arrived to go forward in one direction. Prioritize and focus on what stands out as the most important to you. This is likely to be more than one goal or project, though keep a tight grouping on what you commit to. It’s essential that you not over-extend yourself or your resources. Be realistic about time, and over-estimate how long things will take and how much they will cost. Keep up with your most important business and keep your plans close to you; do not talk about your business plans in public or on the internet. It’s also critical that you work with a communication strategy that includes the details of who you are in contact with and when, and how you approach any given transaction. For example, it matters whether something is discussed in person, on the phone, on paper, via email, or some other tool. Think this through carefully on a case-by-case basis: one size does not fit all. You are in a position to experience a series of professional breakthroughs, possibly leading to a major turning point in your life — though you must not take anything or anyone for granted. Keep up with all your important tasks. Be vigilant about staying ahead of schedule. Challenge any and all assumptions, and fact-check everything three times.