What's your sign? Descriptions by Eric Francis

Hi Critters, these sign descriptions are a quick look at what it means to have the Sun in any one of the zodiac signs. The Sun tells us how you express yourself in life. These descriptions will also work for the ascendant (or rising sign, same thing). All of my horoscopes are written for both Sun and rising sign. Think of your ascendant as how you present yourself to the world and the future self you're growing into. The Sun is tangible, hot, fiery and expressive; the ascendant is more about an approach to life, an angle from which you view the world. If you know your Moon sign, these will give a clue how you express that -- think of the Moon as being about your child-self and how you meet your basic needs. To look up your basic astrology stats, visit our friends at astro.com. -- efc

Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Self-assertive, sometimes bold, sometimes cloaking deep insecurity with that boldness, Aries is always up for an adventure. Your sign is all about beginnings; it's the key that starts the engine of the universe. There is something childlike about Aries, and its natives can accomplish great things because you don't stop to think about how whatever they're attempting is supposedly impossible. If you did, you might not try. You're constantly discovering new depths of your inner nature, surprised time and again that it's such a dominant part of your personality. Aries is associated with the planet Mars, which offers raw, unrefined energy and drive. You have desire, you have determination, you benefit the most from discipline and learning to be happy with gradual progress. Remember, you don't always have to be first and best. You can simply be you. And while dedication and drive are essential to financial prosperity, so too is enjoying what you have, using the attractive force drawing what you want to you. Aries is a fire sign, and because it's one of the signs that starts a season, it's also considered a cardinal sign. It's represented by the Ram, which is a very cool kind of sheep. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Aries, please go to this link.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Calm, collected and attractive on the outside, raging like a tempest in the inside, Taurus is the blacksmith shop of the soul. It's where we incarnate for the purpose of being shaped and tempered. While you are famous for your supposed stubbornness, few understand that you're trying to work out your inner complexities and don't want to make a move or a decision until you feel you're all sorted out. But there is always more to sort, and the one thing you have to come to terms with is that change is inevitable. There is very little you can cling to, but once you learn to surf along with experience your life becomes much more interesting. You must handle your possessive nature carefully so as not to alienate others. Part of that means trusting your attractiveness, and remembering that you crave strong, independent partners. Your sign is associated with the planet Venus, which is bright, beautiful -- and has an atmosphere of ammonia cooking at 900 degrees centigrade. It's healthy to let some of that fire and passion out into the open. It's a sign of the earth element, and is also a fixed sign, coming in the middle or peak of a season. If there is one sign associated with the Goddess, that would be yours. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Taurus, please go to this link.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Gemini is one of the three human signs, illustrated by a person rather than some other kind of critter. And when a human appears for the first time in the cycle of the zodiac, he/she appears in a pair. Isn't that interesting? It is a comment on the dualistic nature of humanity. This comes with a question: are the two sides of the Gemini nature about the immortal soul and the mortal ego? Are they about mind and body? Are they the good twin and the evil twin? Whatever the case, you need many modes of expression and you may have three computers. You need a diverse group of friends to stimulate the many sides of your mind. And you need to turn your nearly obsessive inner dialog into something creative. The challenge that most people feel knowing or being in love with a Gemini is that they 'don't know who they're talking to', since you are so multi-faceted. Therefore, be aware of this and do your best to bridge this perception gap -- or have fun keeping your friends guessing who you're going to be next. I consider Gemini the kinkiest sign. It's got to do with the whole twin thing. You know? Gemini is an air sign, and the first of the four mutable signs, which come at the end of a season. It is ruled by the planet Mercury — the mythical Hermes, the patron god of magic, highways and thieves. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Gemini, please go to this link.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Nurturing, loving, devoted, cuddly, milky and self-centered, Cancer has it all. On a bad day you can be cranky, but that doesn't mean you love anyone (including yourself) less. Your sign is not multi-faceted; rather, you change like the tides, and are a little different every single day. Less polite people call you moody. What, not everyone has moods? Why do they all take things so personally? Or is it you who takes others so personally? In any event, those born under your sign possess a certain desire for intimacy that is mingled with defensiveness. It is said that the crab walks sideways, and your most important learning in this life is to be direct about what you feel and what you want, without feeling guilty about it. Your inclination is to perceive relationships in a structured and predictable way; you would have more fun if you would be more flexible and open minded. Keep a Moon calendar on your desk and know the current phase all the time. Watch the trends. Be especially conscious when you hear that a lunar eclipse is coming; that suggests a turning point in your life. Cancer is one of the water signs, and is also a cardinal sign, being the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter south of the equator. Your ruling planet is not a planet at all — it's the Earth's one and only Moon. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Cancer, please go to this link.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- Despite being represented by the star at the center of our solar system, your sign has a selfless and hard-working quality. It's associated with the metal gold — the reference standard for all value. You can be generous with others and frugal with yourself; you strive for a kind of perfection that is impossible to attain. The less well-adapted natives of Leo can be incredibly egocentric and bossy, which can give the rest a bad name; for the most part those born under your sign take being 'at the center of things' as a responsibility rather than a privilege. Remember always that your sign is ruled by the Sun: the source of light and the energy that feeds all things, and the ball of fire that holds the solar system together. It's better to identify with this than with any psychological concept of 'ego' that doesn't really tell the story anyway. Your relationships are with humanity first and individual humans second. You understand how important it is to see humanity as a collective entity. Make sure everyone you care about knows how deeply you really feel. Leo is a fire sign, and is also known as a fixed sign, coming at the peak of a season. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Leo, please go to this link.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- Virgo is a mentally oriented, highly intelligent, nervous sign that needs to remember it's made of the element earth. That's another way of saying that your life is a constant process of translating from idea to reality and back. That can be challenging because ideas change so much faster than the often stuck dynamics of the physical world. You have a fast, inventive mind but may squander that on doubt, which is rooted in self-doubt. Of all the signs, Virgo needs to cultivate self-esteem as a primary life strategy. That doesn't mean you're better than others -- only that you are right to be you. This is one reason why so many Virgos opt for helping careers; it helps you to feel useful. You have a way of contradicting yourself and expecting others not to notice; it would help if you admit these contradictions so you don't leave everyone constantly wondering where they stand with you. Men born under this sign are advised to make good friends with their inner woman. Virgos can be extremely hard on themselves and need to learn how to replace the criticism with a balanced level of self-appreciation, and valuing the subtle things in life. The planet of Virgo is ever-changing Mercury, and the mysterious Chiron is a close cousin. Yours is a mutable sign, coming at the end of a season, leading into the next. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Virgo, please go to this link.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Your sign is about beauty in its many forms. No matter what a Libra does, it's got the intention of elegance. Libra holds space for an ideal that can only be emulated on this plane of reality. Nothing quite lives up to it; that may be the reason for the famous quality of 'indecision' behind this sign. I call Librans the 'human blowtorch', because you can be cool, calm and quiet, and then turn into creative powerhouses when you are motivated to turn up the gas. Libra is the sign associated with the concept of justice, which is the meaning of the scales. You have a sense of fairness and equanimity that is alien to many people around you. Yours is also one of the primary signs associated with relationships and relating, which are important priorities for you. You must remember not to get lost in your relationships — and remember how to find yourself again when you do. Libra is a cardinal sign, coming at the change of a season, though the initiative of this sign can take some time to come out. Libra is associated with the planet Venus, and Saturn is well-placed here as well. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Libra, please go to this link.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- Scorpio is an emotional, fiery water sign, usually represented by a creature of the desert -- the scorpion. Note the contradictions: fiery water, ruled by a land creature. Scorpio is an odd hybrid, and a product and instigator of evolution. You need water, literally and figuratively; as emotional as this sign is, it can be mentally fixated (usually, on the psychology of others) and can lack the ability to ground in the realm of feelings. But when you go there, you really go. Yet when Scorpios get detached from the feeling realm, that's when they can live up to their dangerous astrological reputation. It's vital that you not only think before you strike, but feel before you speak. This said, the passions of Scorpio are unparalleled, and people crave you as much as you crave them. Give them the space to desire you. Your sign is the one that rules over the sexual organs, deservedly so; it is also the sign associated with death and transformation. You love the idea and the experience of surrender perhaps a shade more than you love control. It's healthy for you to let go; pay attention and you will figure out that jealousy is your best teacher. Scorpio is a fixed sign, of the element water, traditionally ruled by Mars, and in modern times by the potent antiplanet Pluto. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Scorpio, please go to this link.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- At the gates of our galaxy stands a centaur, whose name is Chiron. Yours is the sign of the quest, the far-away and far-out, and success based on an odd chance. You possess in your soul the library of the zodiac. Your reputation for being a freewheeling devil-be-damned type is entirely true until we get to your rock-solid values, which can be traditional, cautious and even conservative. You live with this tension a little like a centaur is half-human, half-horse. As unusual as you are, it's good for you to understand that you have limits. If you try to be a perfectionist, you won't get anything done, but you also need to remember what you've learned about technique (there is a trick to everything), and how important those petty details can be. Remember that someone isn't necessarily crowding your space by trying to be close to you, but it's helpful if you're honest that you live your on your own terms. You're compelling enough that those who care about you will go along. Yours is a fire sign and is described as mutable because it's right before a season changes. It's ruled by the fat, happy planet Jupiter. Read articles about Chiron for additional guidance about the spiritual quest that is your life. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Sagittarius, please go to this link.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- The sign of tradition is also the sign of revolutionaries. The sign of reserve is the one associated with the impressive debauchery of the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Capricorn is the sign of all things old and ancient -- you may love to go to estate sales and visit antique shops, not because you like things but because you like to contemplate the way things were in different times in history. The past makes sense to you, and so do the reasons for leaving elements of it behind. Reputed to be an ambitious, hard worker, this is usually true, but the part about being ruthless is more of a myth than anything else. You prefer to get things done by agreement and arrangement rather than by force. Capricorn is crispy on the outside and deeply sensitive on the inside, a fact which most people may miss and which you would do well to inform them (by your actions), so they know. This is the sign of the winter solstice, associated with the dark days of impending cold; you love the security of the home fires burning. Capricorn is an earth sign, of a cardinal type; the planet that rules your sign is Saturn. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Capricorn, please go to this link.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Perhaps the most misunderstood sign of the zodiac, we can for sure say that the Aquarius personality values intelligence, ideas and loves a good theory. Yet there is a contradiction implied in the sign that is at once associated with constant changes, and is also considered a fixed sign; we could say that the only constant is change, and you resist that change as much as you invite it. Traditionally, Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, a fact that is nearly forgotten today; in modern astrology it's usually associated with the more wild, unpredictable and revolutionary planet Uranus. This embodies the paradox over which you must often stretch your body and your soul. You seek both individuality and group identification, but lean more toward the first, which is a good thing: only an individual can be part of a group. Yours is one of the human signs, and an air sign, represented by a woman holding an urn of water -- or a ruler to measure the depth of the Nile. Fill that urn with water, so you have plenty to share. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Aquarius, please go to this link.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- The last sign of the zodiac embodies the idea that the world is created by opposite energies that compliment and balance one another. Pisces is the living embodiment of yin and yang. Associated with the ocean, Pisces represents the primal waters to which the whole human experience eventually returns, and from which new ideas emerge. Your sign is associated with music, imagery and dreams. Life would be extremely boring without the release from the edgy world of the ego granted by Pisces. If you're born under this sign, you have to watch your boundaries, have realistic expectations and remember that the world is ruled by love and not by guilt. If you have self-esteem issues, figure that out and deal with them promptly; both you and everyone else will be happier, healthier and wealthier.Assert what you think is right and you will discover that many people agree with you. Yours is a sign of the element water, categorized as a mutable sign because it's at the end of the season and indeed the end of the astrological year. In traditional astrology it's ruled by Jupiter, and in modern times usually associated with the big blue planet Neptune. Venus is your close cousin. To order Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check., your full-length 2012 reading including written and audio segments for Pisces, please go to this link.