Chiron Meets Eris: Healing Crisis Erupts
This essay adds additional details about the forthcoming Chiron-Eris conjunction, how it describes the mental and physical effects of digital conditions, working with Chiron transits, the concept of a healing crisis, eight states of being associated with digital over-exposure, and what to do about this situation. It’s based on my work with clients since 1995 using a Chiron-centered astrology process.
Dear Friend and Subscriber:
Chiron is very active in all of our lives right now. Associated with healing, Chiron is also about the healing crisis: the eruption of events that indicate a problem, and which strive to call attention to the problem.
Specifically, we are in the peak of the rare Chiron-Eris conjunction. Last week I described the archetypal elements of this alignment, which happens every few generations. To sum up, ultra slow-mover Eris in Aries, which began in 1922, represents the destabilization of personhood associated with the electrical mass communication age.
This era spans from commercial radio in the early 1920s through iconic, scratchy-image television, high-definition TV and into digital age and the current GPT (generative A.I. or deep fake) stage. Living through this era has been profoundly destabilizing, and it has now reached a point of frenzy. It’s why the world is so insane right now — and why the madness arrives on a twice-daily basis.
Chiron, now meeting with Eris, represents an ordering principle. It represents a healing process that is guided by awareness. Individualistic and distinctive, those things identified with Chiron tend to stand out because they are aware, learning and growing.
Combining the two influences creates a lot of tension. It can feel like the struggle to awaken or the struggle to extinguish those who are awakening. It is not a comfortable inner state, or state of the world. It’s what we are experiencing personally and collectively right now.
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Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The Chiron-Eris conjunction reaches its first of three peaks this coming May. If I had to put words to this image, the first one that comes to mind is honesty, of a kind that is gradually becoming alien to people. Another involves seeing through the bright, shiny surface of the technology that surrounds us and considering what it’s doing to all of us, using a more complex approach. The facade is likely to come off. And with Chiron, there is a healing process involved, and if we connect that to Eris, it’s about doing what you can to consciously regain your wholeness. I know this is a lot to consider in one thought form. It’s not especially easy to interpret. But I would suggest that one of the best things you can do is to focus on the process of simplifying your life in thoughtful ways. There will be a distinct advantage to a “less is more” approach. By that I mean proceeding gently, being gentle on yourself and on your partners. Everyone is going through changes and experiencing things that they don’t understand. You may be in one of the best positions of anyone around you to actually process reality in a meaningful way. But as part of this, definitely take as much time listening to what others perceive as possible. Valuable clues will come from people you are close to.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Life may at times have a game-like quality, but it’s not a game. At its best, life is an adventure (some prefer a vacation, some say it’s a misadventure). Yet the astrology of our moment says we exist in a very serious time. Serious means for the world, and for you and your relations. Do not be distracted by the people partying on the Titanic. Listen to those who crow endlessly of doom at your own risk. Your assignment is to step up to the challenges of our moment, and make it your moment. That may mean active leadership, though my key words for your calling are “acting as if to hold the world together.” This is a special kind of leadership, unknown in capitalist society. Here, the game is every man and every woman for themselves. There is nearly no sense of cooperation for its own sake, or for the sake of the community. The usual question everyone expects everyone else to ask is, “What’s in it for me?” If someone says, “How can we all benefit?” that is allegedly Communism. But it’s not. It is community. It’s mutual support; it’s economy and efficiency of scale. Existence is so stacked against an individual human that the notion that any person does anything “alone” is ridiculous. You cannot make your own toilet paper; you do not have a cow. And your astrology this year is calling on you to rise to the calling of community leadership.
Somebody understands Scorpio. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
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The Chiron-Eris Connection
Dear Friend and Reader:
Most people want astrology to tell them when they’re going to get rich, when they’re going to get laid, and when they’re going to die. I’m sorry but I cannot help with any of those questions today; for an extra fee, catch me next week.
But today I can tell you something about the current conjunction of Chiron and Eris that it would seem has not broken the surface of mainstream or even alt astrology. I’m not surprised; this is not an easy event to read. It involves two slow-moving planets, small but meaningful, that are setting the tone of our time in history.
The conjunction takes place on Oct. 8, the second in a cluster of three (this is true of most outer-planet conjunctions). In this cluster, the first happened May 27 and the last one will be March 19, 2026. If you want to understand the crisis the planet is in, which is mostly a crisis of consciousness, this is the aspect to study.
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Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The Chiron-Eris connection is taking place in the angle of your chart where you meet the world face-to-face. It’s also what you see when you turn your head a little to the left, and little to the right. You may be looking around at upheaval and weird developments and wondering what in God’s name is happening to the world around you. This may involve deep and potentially justified concerns about people close by. And it’s also possible that you’re feeling alienated from a world that you just don’t understand and that is changing so fast you cannot keep up. Libra is the sign of both balance and dependable relationships, and these things are rare to find in our moment. But you’re unlikely to find them outside yourself and more likely to be a source of stability for others in your sphere. Given the prevailing state of chaos, it would help to have superpowers, and you have a few to work with. One is your gift for language. You have a significant advantage in a world that is degrading from the overuse of emojis and machine-written emails. Use your words, and use them wisely. Second, you have a sense of what a game everything has become. That should help you avoid the pointless ones and engage in those that have a purpose. Finally, you have the power to direct your energy in specific ways. Be sure to keep a conscious handle on this ability. It will be functional whether you’re in possession of it or not; it has the power to help as well as to harm. Therefore, every application of your mental power calls for a thoughtful decision process, including a risk assessment.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Your ruling planet Mars will be moving through your sign into early November, which will help you feel like yourself in a world where nothing much feels like anything. So you’ll be at a distinct advantage while many people around you are spinning, teetering, tottering or just plain old confused. Mars in your sign — for now — will help you maintain an inner orientation, which is the most important thing you can have right now. It will keep you focused on your instincts, and help inform you about what you want. Meanwhile, the most important developments in your life are happening with that thing you call work. This is taking place in another Mars-ruled sign, Aries. With Mars visiting you, you are likely to make the connection to an enhanced sense of purpose or calling or meaning. This will be coming from within you, not from outside. Yet the external factor implies some form of activity. Also implied is the notion of ‘right livelihood’, a term that has gone out of use lately. It’s an important concept: doing what is right for you, not just what you might profit from. We are all taught that jobs are a source of money and health insurance, not a forum for growth or personal evolution. Work is not supposed to be the place where you can be you, but as a Scorpio you must be in the right place doing the right thing for those 50 hours a week. You cannot work for money; you must work for love of the activity. One benefit of digital chaos is, you can in fact sort out a way to do this. You have many options and an affinity for navigating them. And a rare breakthrough of awareness is in progress. The right thing will not feel ‘easy’. That’s an important clue.
Somebody understands Scorpio. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Subscribers continue reading the horoscope here.
The Chiron-Eris Connection
Dear Friend and Reader:
Most people want astrology to tell them when they’re going to get rich, when they’re going to get laid, and when they’re going to die. I’m sorry but I cannot help with any of those questions today; for an extra fee, catch me next week.
But today I can tell you something about the current conjunction of Chiron and Eris that it would seem has not broken the surface of mainstream or even alt astrology. I’m not surprised; this is not an easy event to read. It involves two slow-moving planets, small but meaningful, that are setting the tone of our time in history.
The conjunction takes place on Oct. 8, the second in a cluster of three (this is true of most outer-planet conjunctions). In this cluster, the first happened May 27 and the last one will be March 19, 2026. If you want to understand the crisis the planet is in, which is mostly a crisis of consciousness, this is the aspect to study.
Subscribers continue reading here
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The Chiron-Eris connection is taking place in the angle of your chart where you meet the world face-to-face. It’s also what you see when you turn your head a little to the left, and little to the right. You may be looking around at upheaval and weird developments and wondering what in God’s name is happening to the world around you. This may involve deep and potentially justified concerns about people close by. And it’s also possible that you’re feeling alienated from a world that you just don’t understand and that is changing so fast you cannot keep up. Libra is the sign of both balance and dependable relationships, and these things are rare to find in our moment. But you’re unlikely to find them outside yourself and more likely to be a source of stability for others in your sphere. Given the prevailing state of chaos, it would help to have superpowers, and you have a few to work with. One is your gift for language. You have a significant advantage in a world that is degrading from the overuse of emojis and machine-written emails. Use your words, and use them wisely. Second, you have a sense of what a game everything has become. That should help you avoid the pointless ones and engage in those that have a purpose. Finally, you have the power to direct your energy in specific ways. Be sure to keep a conscious handle on this ability. It will be functional whether you’re in possession of it or not; it has the power to help as well as to harm. Therefore, every application of your mental power calls for a thoughtful decision process, including a risk assessment.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Your ruling planet Mars will be moving through your sign into early November, which will help you feel like yourself in a world where nothing much feels like anything. So you’ll be at a distinct advantage while many people around you are spinning, teetering, tottering or just plain old confused. Mars in your sign — for now — will help you maintain an inner orientation, which is the most important thing you can have right now. It will keep you focused on your instincts, and help inform you about what you want. Meanwhile, the most important developments in your life are happening with that thing you call work. This is taking place in another Mars-ruled sign, Aries. With Mars visiting you, you are likely to make the connection to an enhanced sense of purpose or calling or meaning. This will be coming from within you, not from outside. Yet the external factor implies some form of activity. Also implied is the notion of ‘right livelihood’, a term that has gone out of use lately. It’s an important concept: doing what is right for you, not just what you might profit from. We are all taught that jobs are a source of money and health insurance, not a forum for growth or personal evolution. Work is not supposed to be the place where you can be you, but as a Scorpio you must be in the right place doing the right thing for those 50 hours a week. You cannot work for money; you must work for love of the activity. One benefit of digital chaos is, you can in fact sort out a way to do this. You have many options and an affinity for navigating them. And a rare breakthrough of awareness is in progress. The right thing will not feel ‘easy’. That’s an important clue.
Somebody understands Scorpio. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Subscribers continue reading the horoscope here.
The False Apocalypse
Dear Friend and Reader:
Last week while I was finishing an article about society-wide trauma bonding, another event was being served up: the claimed “assassination” of a conservative activist I had never heard of, Charlie Kirk. Did you know who he was?
Co-founder of Turning Point USA and a close ally of Donald Trump, Kirk was influential in rallying the youth (as in under 40) vote in 2024 and has been touring campuses since 2019 doing a routine where he argues with students called “Prove Me Wrong.” His chautauqua seems to have had a recurring theme of gay and trans.
Now, millions of people are newfound brothers and sisters in the claimed public sacrifice of a young man, who in the words of his widow “wears the glorious crown of the martyr.”
One message of my article last week was the need for discernment of what is presented to us on the internet, or anywhere in the media. Yet before anyone took a moment to think, sides were being drawn and anyone with an opinion was being polarized in the direction of others who held a similar view.
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Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — As your ruling planet Mercury aligns with the Sun in your birth sign, you may discover a diversity of new opportunities opening up for you. Some will come through other people, such as friends and longtime associates. Others will be the direct reward for your accomplishments. And this may distill down to one opening that has attributes of both. You are likely to know this when you see it. One distinction is that it looks like an opportunity without some kind of counter-offer or alternative option. Even if you’re someone who likes to choose between and among options, this may be an all-or-nothing offer. Is it up to your high standards? Or is it better to ask, have you ever had a chance like this, or even close?
Spiritually grounded astrology readings from Eric Francis. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Where there is a will, there is a way. In fact there are a lot of ways, and there is not a lot of will. Most people just get along; it’s easier, and less risky, and then they wonder what happened. It is time for you to assert yourself, and to be aware of all the potential excuses for not doing so. There are plenty of those. However, what you must (and I mean must) be cautious of is expressing your energy in a way that is not directed specifically and consciously. Be specific and focus your mind and your intention. It is easy to blur out, or to go forward in all directions — ill advised. Mars in your sign says to select a direction and go there. And it’s vital that you not overdo it. Get any thoughts of “overkill” or conquering out of your mind. You are closer to your goal than you think.
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9/11 and Our Trauma-Bonded Society
Dear Friend and Reader:
Thursday, it’s been 24 years since we got the announcement that everything would now be different. In this article, I plan to review that deeply personal transformation and also take a new look at the astrology associated with it.
I propose that the wounds inflicted by the Sept. 11 incident have been left untended, and that neither as a society nor as individuals have we begun to process the grief it created. We just think we can move on, or that we have. Yet the suppressed grief of violent incident after incident is making people less stable, less trusting and leading to many mental, emotional and physical complications.
When we try to step ahead, it seems to be into experiences of collective grief, doubt, sacrifice and loss that are not acknowledged for what they are. Sept. 11 started as something special and immediately became the new normal.
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Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — As your ruling planet Mercury aligns with the Sun in your birth sign, you may discover a diversity of new opportunities opening up for you. Some will come through other people, such as friends and longtime associates. Others will be the direct reward for your accomplishments. And this may distill down to one opening that has attributes of both. You are likely to know this when you see it. One distinction is that it looks like an opportunity without some kind of counter-offer or alternative option. Even if you’re someone who likes to choose between and among options, this may be an all-or-nothing offer. Is it up to your high standards? Or is it better to ask, have you ever had a chance like this, or even close?
Spiritually grounded astrology readings from Eric Francis. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Where there is a will, there is a way. In fact there are a lot of ways, and there is not a lot of will. Most people just get along; it’s easier, and less risky, and then they wonder what happened. It is time for you to assert yourself, and to be aware of all the potential excuses for not doing so. There are plenty of those. However, what you must (and I mean must) be cautious of is expressing your energy in a way that is not directed specifically and consciously. Be specific and focus your mind and your intention. It is easy to blur out, or to go forward in all directions — ill advised. Mars in your sign says to select a direction and go there. And it’s vital that you not overdo it. Get any thoughts of “overkill” or conquering out of your mind. You are closer to your goal than you think.
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Total Lunar Eclipse in Pisces :: Pandor’s Box on Mental Illness
A pattern in Sunday’s lunar eclipse chart describes the opening of Pandora’s box of mental illness. What could that possibly be about? Well, I keep reading and seeing videos testifying about A.I. psychosis…and the claims look credible. All electrical and especially digital technology is disembodying and psychically destabilizing. Now add this newish thing called a Generative Pretrained Transformer and there is the illusion of “someone” speaking back to a person who may already be compromised, lonely, confused and challenged. This eclipse reveals a profound need for emotional and psychic healing.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Relationships are probably the single greatest challenge in the lives we live on Earth. Humans are variable and inconsistent; and there are so many of us. Saturn’s return to your opposite sign Pisces is suggesting that there is something from the past that you need to work out. This is accompanied by a lunar eclipse right nearby, also in Pisces. The reason that so little is resolved and that so much is left dangling and sore is that so few people make the effort to establish healing or reconciliation. The intent is not there — most of the time. Few people are willing to apologize and extend themselves to a place of vulnerability necessary for healing to take place. Most of the time. You are being summoned to a new place of responsibility for the destiny of your human bonds. You are free to rise to the occasion, or to decline. Each will have its own effects and results.
Spiritually grounded astrology readings from Eric Francis. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You may tend to exaggerate the potential for negative consequences, or their scale. As Lou Reed said, you can’t count on the worst always happening. But you may find yourself doing so, and if you do, it will help to match your thoughts with an equally positive potential outcome. This is not so much for balance as it is to remind yourself of other possibilities — to keep that door open in your mind. With Mars so prominent in your chart this week, the question rightly goes to what you want. What you’re likely feeling is desire-anxiety. The more you want something, the more nervous it’s likely to make you. So let that be an indicator of what is going on. And while you may fear the repercussions of negative actions, that’s an invitation to be impeccable in your conduct and make amends for any issues you’ve caused.
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Little Engines Inside the Brain: The Platinum Anniversary of A.I.
Dear Friend and Reader:
Sunday is the anniversary of the concept of “artificial intelligence.” Can you guess how long it’s been since this term was used (for the first time ever) in a proposal to the Rockefeller Foundation?
Twenty-five years? Thirty-five?
Maybe 50 years, a product of the groovy, freewheeling 1970s of grad students smoking weed, eating KFC and working barefoot in computer labs late on a summer night?
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Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — It’s time for you to have a good conversation with yourself in the presence of another person with whom you also need to have such a discussion. The idea here is not that you engage one another one-to-one but rather that you free-associate, essentially talking to yourself, in the presence of someone who deserves to know the truth about you. You might do this into a mirror to emphasize that this is between you and yourself; while at the same time admitting that there are times when an intimate partner should know what’s really on your mind. You excel at a kind of inscrutability that I credit to a chameleon-like quality that allows you to be anything to anyone — for a while. You know the ways that has been problematic in the past. You have always wanted to take off your mask and face the person you love.
Spiritually grounded astrology readings from Eric Francis. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You may find it easier to have a difficult conversation with a friend or partner; this window will last for a few days so take advantage of it while it’s there. Even if you ask a few indirect questions, you will hear a few things that clear up miscommunications of the past few weeks. However, it’s essential that you do this diplomatically and without the meekest insinuation that they were hiding something. The chances are they were not, but even if so, play it cool. The same astrology can help you get a better sense of what’s going on in any group situation, such as among friends or in an organization (not likely to be connected to your job). Just keep your ears peeled for openings; Mercury trine Chiron and Eris is going to blow by fast, it’s in range now, and it will come with important discoveries.
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Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You gain most of your strength and effectiveness through a steady approach to existence. This is becoming increasingly difficult in a world where people fly from trend to trend, and where ideas and structures seem to evaporate the moment they take shape. Right behind that endless drama is the truth that life changes in significant ways over time. The natural environment, including social relationships, changes and evolves. Yet there’s a difference between growth and things designed to be obsolete and transient, along with all that’s intentionally destructive. Your steadfast approach will be supported by noticing the broad strokes of environmental shift. Most notable is your relationship scenario. You’re now looking at the unstoppable force of Pluto all the time, gazing back at you from your opposite sign Aquarius. If you’re evaluating relationships of any kind — amorous, collaborative, formal partnerships, or confrontational, there’s a crucial factor to watch: in considering someone, what is their relationship to the group around them? Try to subtract yourself from the scene, and watch them relating to everyone else. What’s their approach? To conform, to lead, to challenge, to collapse, or to set themselves apart? When you relate to someone, you’re also engaging with the people they sweep into their environment. Do they relate to others as a distinct individual? Can they stand up for themselves when they’re under duress? This will reveal who they are, and describe where you may or may not belong in their life.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You will have the feeling over and over again this month that events are taking you by surprise. You might think there was no way you could have expected that when in truth it’s more likely that you planned and facilitated various outcomes. But why doesn’t it feel that way? Well, the planning came in the form of something akin to, “I know I’m in a new mental/professional environment, and I will need to adapt.” However, adapting is not merely a change in behavior or the words that you use. You have reached the point where you must change on some elemental level. This is not about appearances or language or lifestyle. Actual evolutionary movement pushes out from deep inside you, and there is little you can do about it. But there is plenty you can do with this movement. It’s a form of raw creativity that you can harness as a force to remove what you don’t want, and to create what you do. Yet there is one requirement, which is the product of Saturn and Neptune in your most sensitive chart angle. You must be truthful in all the ways you avoided being so before. Perhaps make a list of what those were — all the ways you skewed the perception of your reality; the ways you didn’t quite let on the terms of your agreements; all the times it was about you when you said it was about someone else. The time has come to stand uncompromisingly in your truth. It’s all you have.
Spiritually grounded astrology readings from Eric Francis. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
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That Looming Sense of Impending Everything
Sometimes it feels like sitting down on the couch will precipitate a disaster. Better to stand or be at your desk — that way it won’t happen, and if it does, you’ll be ready.
Dear Friend and Reader:
I’m sure you’ve noticed that looming sense of impending everything. There are times when making toast or stirring a pot of spaghetti feels like doom scrolling.
Sometimes I long for the olden days at the end of the Cold War when my friends and I would contemplate the potential for an accidental nuclear exchange precipitated by a flock of birds. It seemed philosophical compared to today’s form of anxiety that basically holds that anything can go wrong anywhere at any time.
Combine that with the feeling of there always being something important to do. Now the nine-by-five is the 24-by-7, when there is always some urgent, impending work-related task at 11:30 pm.
And today managing an ordinary household requires the help of an administrative assistant and general contractor. When did mere existence become this unmanageable? Do we all have to admit we’re at Step One and attend Life Anonymous meetings?
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Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — A turbulent, potentially difficult and confusing phase of your life is behind you, though you may still be feeling unsettled. Anger and resentment are especially dangerous right now, because conditions can allow them to take hold as prevailing emotional patterns. Your astrology could be summed up as advising ‘correct speech’, and not just diplomacy, but also seeing mutual interests. Worldview and state of mind are more important than the words that you say. Consciousness in our time is being reduced to a gigantic game where oneself is the only player and everyone else is in a nonparticipating role. That’s not companionship and it’s not intimacy. And beneath any churned-up emotions, conflict or unpredictable events is the desire to be closer. Just remember, this is a skill few people remember or value, and it can feel threatening.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Too often you’re self-limited by your sense of loss, even when you have plenty to share. There is just one way out of that, which is practicing generosity. This really should be much easier for you, but you get in your own way. That’s your competitive nature, which does not help you win. It only cuts you off from cooperation. Childhood factors are involved in this little knot. Yet people who were withheld from or treated unfairly sometimes turn out as those who do whatever they can to be especially fair and loving. Or, they can pass forward the teaching that the world is not an equitable or caring place. The most significant generosity you withhold is your personal truth. That would cost you nothing but you fear it would give others an advantage. All it does is block intimacy; consider whether that may be your goal.
Spiritually grounded astrology readings from Eric Francis. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
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These signs are all over upstate New York. The children referenced are now all grandparents, and have long since retired. I checked. Photo by Eric Francis.
In fact, you were lied to.
Dear Friend and Reader:
The seemingly hot new meme — the way to build audience and game the algos and rack up paying subscribers — is to tell people they were lied to. This is now big business — the modern version of P.T. Barnum’s big top.
I’ve been tracking this trend for several years. It started seeming absurd, but now it’s built to a frenzy. A feeding frenzy, and you’re being served for lunch. The latest emerging market: de-education. The lies came through education, so now you need to have all of that erased. Then we can enjoy the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.
Maybe you’ve heard some of this. Maybe you’re into it, staying up late at night following the clues, in hot pursuit of the truth.
Ohhhh! The Earth really isn’t a sphere. In the “corrected cosmology,” “outer space” does not exist. Gravity does not exist. Einstein was an idiot and a fraud. Nobody has ever “isolated” an atom, so there’s no such thing as an element. Biological cells do not exist; you’ve never seen one, have you?
Amazing. Audio-visual beautifully composed. Looking forward to delving in further and sharing with others.
Namaste from India,
I am Dinesh Sharma and I am a professional astrologer, practising in Vedic Astrology since last twenty six years ……… I am always looking for similar people and I always try to know new things ……. I am very happy to see your work here ….. Best wishes for more success and escalated heights ……..
Regards,
Dinesh Sharma
Eric – what is THE best way to communicate with you? The Leo reading cuts off with about 8 pages of the transcript left out of the recording – is this just the way it goes… ie; is there a limit to the recording length? On another topic, can I share your COVID info, which is SO rich and vital on social media? many thanks, in advance, for your answers, Karen
Hi Karen,
You can try the phone at Eric’s office: 845-481-5616
Also Eric’s email: efc@planetwaves.net
thank you!