Planet Waves Monthly for February by Eric Francis

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You may passively observe the changes to your social environment, and you can also step into the scene and investigate directly. For many years, the world has been locked into certain patterns that seem to weave an ever-tighter mesh. Now, that is slowly starting to unravel, though few have noticed. At first it will seem to be an invisible thing, not easily noticed (nothing much is these days). Many apparent changes don’t work out, and are for that reason easy to overlook. However, if you recognize that you are the catalyst and the activating force, you will have much more fun and a much clearer perspective. The changes to you and within your sphere of experience are being driven by your personal awakening. If the influences seem to be coming from the outside in, beware of the illusion. You are entering one of the most intensive spiritual growth spurts of your life. You may be wondering how you can handle your feelings and the potency of your awareness, and the answer to that is, gently. No matter how fast you or “things” may seem to be moving, take it slow, and keep your senses open. They will tell you more than your mind.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — With the Sun and Pluto now working together at the top of your solar chart, you may have the idea that anything is possible. In pure theory, that is true. Yet much depends on a series of decisions you make about how to adapt to shifts in society that few people are noticing, much less understanding. Remember that to understand is not to make up a story. That is a counterfeit of knowledge. Start with observing what’s going on around you and what other people say is going on around them — particularly the ones you disagree with. Those with whom you have a difference of opinion, values or point of view are your most important allies and indeed bellwethers in this strange world we are now inhabiting. Those who “agree” with you or who affirm your viewpoint are something of a road hazard. If you’re in any form of leadership, you want advisors around you who disagree, and who are not afraid to disagree with you. I don’t mean out-and-out conflict; I mean genuine differences in perspective that you then take under advisement. Ultimately, your goal is to get the two hemispheres of your brain talking to one another — and to make your decisions consciously.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you live down in a valley, you have a different view on life than people who live on top of a mountain or at the shore. If you live in a city, you have a different orientation than if you live at the edge of a forest. Which best describes your perspective? What do you see when you look out your window? And along similar lines, what is the framework of your beliefs? You have a certain view when you look out the window of your mind, and that is largely determined by what you hold to be true. Often, that’s based on a collection of past notions and biases that have little value today, except maybe as reference points. Pluto in Aquarius is here to help you expand your horizons. One of your strengths is your flexibility, though it doesn’t always apply to all facets of your worldview. However, the time has come to adapt your ideas about life to what is actually happening in the world. This is about being more observant rather than doing anything that goes against your principles. And it’s about making sure that your principles are grounded in an honest dialog with yourself rather than your concept of what is acceptable to others. This should not be such a fine line, but it is.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You’re entering a period of achievement, long worked-for, hoped-for and perhaps even expected. Yet this will come with significant responsibility, and little that you can take for granted. While you tend to be someone willing and capable of thinking for many people, now is the time to remember that your life is about you. Your goals must align with the things you want to do, and your motives must align with what actually motivates you. The idea of “changing the world” is no longer a practical one, if it ever was. Regardless, you are growing into a sense of your personal mission. And the relationships you form with the people immediately around you are a much more useful concept of the universe than anything abstract or outside your immediate grasp. This is your moment to heal from the damaging effects of the digital environment, or to surrender your humanity to them. Healing in this case is not a passive process of “getting better.” Rather, it’s an active process of engaging with the world in ways that seem risky, out-of-character and mostly with an unknown outcome. Allow your curiosity about yourself and about life to lead you. Write it on your mirror: Curious = Awake.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Pluto in your opposite sign Aquarius is inviting you to explore the world with a new sense of adventure. You may be discovering that you have more room to move around, even if that comes in the form of little social openings you can squeeze yourself through. Emphasize the people and situations that you find genuinely interesting, or that challenge you. You may also be noticing that people have an influence on you unlike they have in the past, and there may be some compelling characters appearing in your line of view. Get to know people, and don’t be quick to judge them. Most will turn out to be unlike they seemed at first, and what you discover will amount to a social learning process like you have not experienced since you were dropped into the middle of a kindergarten class and were looking at 20 unfamiliar kids. Which brings me to the matter of familiarity — this is a thing of the past. Let yourself be drawn in the direction of what is unusual, strange, unpopular, and maybe even repelling. Allow the world to develop in new ways, humming a little tune of, “Things aren’t quite what they seem.”

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — It’s not always easy gaining clarity. It’s not easy seeing what you missed, or correcting views and opinions that not only were wrong, but that you used to make important decisions. Many things are shifting and changing in your world and in the world. This is calling for a total reevaluation of matters you thought were long settled. Saturn in your opposite sign Pisces is providing you with a kind of corrective lens. It will correct in the direction of what is realistic and necessary. It’s also helping you filter out people and things that are based in mere fantasy. Pragmatism is no way to run a creative and fruitful life, but we all need a little, and you now have some available just when you need it the most. Events of the next few months are going to hold out possibilities and potentials that you’re likely to find extremely enticing. But not all of them are for you, despite being the product of your mind. A little discipline will help you sort out your options. You are in a situation where less is definitely a reliable form of more, and where quality is the best form of quantity. If you’re seeking a new form of success (and you most likely are), start by microdosing modest achievements.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — I have often described Libra as the human blow torch. Turn it down and you barely notice the flame. A little higher and you can make a nice crème brûlée, baked Alaska or indoor s’mores. Turn it all the way up and you can cut steel. With Pluto now in Aquarius, you are set to express maximum, concentrated heat, and to take the kinds of creative risks that change you, and might change the world. Yet this calls for some guts. You may feel way out of character sustaining this kind of energy for any length of time — but you can do it. It’s not that you want to. It’s time. Way past time. You might say that the only true freedoms are the ability to love who you want to, and to be creatively daring. In many instances, this translates to breaking consensus: doing what is not usually approved of, that which has not been done before, or is seemingly inappropriate. Those are the hedges that many experience a tremendous struggle stepping over. What will [the neighbors/my mother/my spouse/my children/my friends] think? A good definition of art is when you do it anyway. It’s not merely beauty. It’s the truth emanating from yourself that must be expressed, no matter what.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The time has arrived for you to either take charge of a family or household situation, or separate yourself from it. Yet more than this is about other people, you’re being called to summon a level of internal emotional mastery. Such will feed your sense of belonging on the planet and in your personal environment no matter what others may think. As a child, it’s never safe to go against the adults. They could leave you in a basket outside the orphanage. However, today, that’s not possible, especially if you have your own bed and your own supply of food. Yet the anxiety of rejection by the tribe stalks most people to the last days of their lives. The essence of Pluto in Aquarius is moving beyond this fear. It’s at the heart of the matter of your emotional independence, which translates to your personal liberty. You are no longer a child — which most adults need to remind themselves of every day. Yet the maturity to confront what is not right, or what does not work for you, does not always come easily. It may feel dangerous and you may experience a backlash of inner guilt. Pluto and other factors reveal that you have the strength to stand in your truth, and the strength to keep growing.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Persist in working on whatever you’re doing — the thing that’s for your own purposes, which you are into because it’s the thing to do. Minimize responsibilities to others, or keep them in their proper place as you serve your own purposes and your own goals. You are in an extremely rare moment where a tangible, focused breakthrough is not only possible but verges on inevitable. This seems to be an invention, reinvention, major development, or shift in the direction of your life’s work. You are, in many ways, a traditionalist, and you have the ability to sustain your devotion to a project or purpose for a long time. But then come the points of mutation, where you depart from what you know and explode your personal tradition — to great effect. You don’t need to be a rebel; you don’t need to try too hard. All you need to do is keep going, and be open to new ideas when they arrive. I strongly suggest you not concern yourself with the end results, but rather that you just keep doing what is interesting and provides you with a focus of activity: a purpose, in the moment, somewhat related to what you were doing yesterday.

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Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — The thing often lacking from the whole idea of Capricorn (and many of its people) is doing things for the pleasure of the experience. Where one has Capricorn in one’s chart (and for you, it’s your point of orientation), the subject matter of that house takes on an air of responsibility, duty and obligation. The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia happened when the Sun was in your sign (look it up, it was a trip). Yet to me that seems more like a pressure release than the actual savoring of existence and the exploration of life’s nuances. In order to do that, you would need to make a conscious effort — to set aside business, and responsibilities to others, and get yourself to a place you want to be. That might be your studio or workshop, it might be Easter island, it might be working in your garden for several days running. Whatever reminds you of the pleasure of existence. It’s true that an element of productive activity is a helpful diversion. However, you might want to find the nearest pinball machine (or your favorite arcade game), or your favorite poet, and indulge yourself for a while — just to remind yourself what it feels like to do something for no special purpose.

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The Solstice Point — 2024 Astrology Studio for Capricorn — is a special edition helping you put the pieces of Pluto in Capricorn together. I look forward, but this is mostly a review and debriefing of your experience since 2008. I will highlight key dates and take a close look at what this transit has meant. I will include a review of Chiron in Aries as well as new factors now in Capricorn that will be present well into the next decade. This is a distinct reading covering different material than Somewhere In Between for Capricorn.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Pluto arrived in your sign two weeks ago, and is about to take a conjunction from Mars. This is an activating event, something that will tell you about this new stage of your life in a way you were not expecting. Pluto often works on a deep level, poised for an aspect from a nearby inner planet. That personalizes it, brings it close, and makes it real. Mars calls for action. It’s likely that you’ve come to a realization, long in the making, that is waiting for you to make a decision and put it into motion. You may sense what that is about now; you may feel like you don’t have enough information to make a decision. Therefore, it would be unwise to rush, or to pre-empt your natural process of discovery. Reliable information is likely to be the specific thing you’re missing. Hunches are not enough; I am talking about actionable data and an understanding of your situation. Meanwhile, the thing to do now is to be sure you know what you want. You are motivated to move mountains when you experience actual focused desire. There will be two parts to this: Mars enters your sign first, followed by Venus. Mars is concerned with fast action, and Venus with correct action. Remember.

Astrology Studio for Aquarius is available for instant access.

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Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Keep your options open; the very best of them has yet to make itself known. And as Mars joins Pluto in the most sensitive area of your chart mid-month, it will help if you manage your anxiety carefully. Your fears will seem larger than life under this astrology. So whatever techniques you’ve learned over the years, dust them off, and put them to good use. You have more important things to do than fret or worry. One of them is to work with those you know are your friends toward the improvement of your life circumstances — whatever the field of life may be. Friends are the people with a demonstrated commitment to you over time. Friends are the people whose words match their actions. Ultimately, you possess responsibility for your choices. Each one is part of your maturing process; each demonstrates your commitment to yourself and to who you are. Yet in our time, perhaps worse than many others, there is a lack not just of loyalty but also the lack of understanding what loyalty is and why it’s so important for both the giver and the receiver. This is part of the fundamental chaos of our times, and the fraying and fragmenting of humanity. In all you do, act as if to hold the world together.

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