Aries (March 20-April 19) — This month’s edition is brought to you by Mars in Aries, which is now working its way through the degrees where it will soon be retrograde. Mars is not often retrograde in Aries; it tends to stick to the other side of the zodiac — tending more in the direction of Leo, Virgo and Libra. The most recent retrograde of Mars in your sign was in the summer of 1988, when Ronald Reagan was president and you either had a very different hair style or were not yet born. In astrology, anything rare will stir the pot a little more. What will come up may be hinted at or directly revealed by subtle developments between now and Sept. 9, as Mars moves through the territory, gradually slowing down. Pay attention to anything or anyone unusual. I don’t mean this in the sense of “signs and omens” but rather the properties of your environment: such as how you respond to people and how they respond to you. Notice echoes of the past. Most significantly, pay attention to your level of confidence in yourself. Perhaps look back through your photo albums, your old yearbooks, or consider the panorama of lovers and friends who have passed through your life. Consider the jobs you’ve had and the roles you’ve played in your community. In what ways did self-assurance influence your choices? What would you have done differently if you had felt just a little more brave? What would you say or do today if you could pluck up a little more courage?
The Journey of You and Chiron | A New Reading by Eric Francis
Anyone who has encountered it is curious about Chiron. Planet Waves provides one of the few dependable online sources of information on this unusual planet. For the 10th anniversary Astrology Studio reading, I will be covering Chiron in Aries — a momentous event for all those born under this sign, and of high interest to everyone else. Get instant access to this reading here.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — My whole theory of Taurus rising and Sun is based on the idea that you have Aries in the 12th place — as the sign right before yours. This is the house of cryptical envelopment, the parallel dimension, the deeper world than this, tugging at your hand. To have Aries there is an interesting and even provocative setup because it places the bold sign of I AM in a veiled place that many people have little access to, or even awareness that it exists. This can create the constant search for something elusive: your tangible sense of who you are. That includes an element of your drive and determination. In a way similar to how Chiron functions, though, the tension and the resulting quest can garner unusual abilities and sensitivities. It happens that Chiron is in Aries, which offers you an added advantage: Chiron grants vision, and in Aries, for you, that is inner vision, of a particularly bold kind. Your quest for self becomes the quest for understanding existence itself. Then there is Mars retrograde approaching, from Sept. 9 through Nov. 13, and gradually coming into focus now. Both Chiron and Mars retrograde can act as an irritant, like a strange sound or an odd smell in the air. They are calling your attention to a dimension of yourself that you may have never considered or experienced. This is an invitation inward, to discover yourself, and to find out who you are. This would of course all be premised on the idea that you have something to learn, or someone to discover.
Photo by Lanvi Nguyen.
You can now get instant access to your 2020-21 Taurus Astrology Studio here for just $44. This reading focuses on a professional breakthrough toward the end of the year, and preparing you for this development. Venus retrograde in the spring is preparation. Mars retrograde in the autumn is preparation.
Ultimately this is a spiritual development, yet in reality we are talking about aligning your purpose with action, with a calling, and with an opportunity. Elements of the reading go out to a series of power steps in 2021. Read more.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you remember that your goal is not to be the flavor of the month, you will be happier. Yes, social people such as yourself like to be popular, though at this stage I may assure you that being real is much more important. Being true to your values is far more relevant. Understanding yourself and your relationships to others requires some friction and some disagreement, and is essential to finding out who you are and where you stand. For those who constantly strive to lubricate their social lives with crowd pleasing and conformity are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to the one thing that matters in life: being who you actually are. This is not necessarily about being happy-go-lucky; it is a challenge. The human condition is a challenge pretty much anywhere you go. To be sincere often means to be pushed back against; it means having to assert yourself; it means facing adversity. And these days, there is a special challenge of social conformity that is creeping in from nearly every corner, which is pushing many people to go along with plans they do not like, and making others seem like social pariahs when they are no such thing. While it may seem ‘easier’ to go with the flow, that is only true if you are not interested in the challenges and the rewards of growth and self-discovery. You don’t need to cause friction or challenge people; you only need to embark on a course of doing what is right for you, noticing how people respond, and then choosing how you respond to them.
Your 2020-21 Gemini Astrology Studio, The Sacred Space of Self, is now available for instant access. The reading covers Venus retrograde in your sign, Vesta in your sign, Saturn in Aquarius, and the momentous astrology at the end of the year.Thank you for your business and your trust.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Your professional life has been a long and winding road the past decade, with many twists and turns, many ups and downs, many surprise changes. It is a reasonable statement that you’ve been through everything, even if you’ve skipped a few things. You have had a representative sample of the possibilities, and a bit too much of certain experiences. The benefit here is that you have gained experience and adaptability. You have learned how to work with people and to some extent lead them, even when they are erratic (which these days can be often). Now Chiron has taken its place in your 10th solar house of career and reputation. Mars has recently joined it and will be there through the end of the year and a bit beyond. You can not only handle this: you have prepared for it. Here is the essence of Mars retrograde: In your professional life, you must strive to do what you want to do. There are many ways to conceptualize this: as a calling, as desire, as drive, as will, as intention or as a deep need to be true to yourself. Ultimately this is what Mars retrograde is about: learning how to be true not just to who you are but also to the purpose you know you are meant to serve. You may not have the “knowingness” that makes correct action all at once. This may require a series of discoveries, adjustments and decisions. Pay attention at each interval of heightened awareness or decision. You have already begun.
Your 2020-21 Cancer Astrology Studio is available for instant access. This year, the time of Cancer began with an eclipse on the solstice, as well as Mercury retrograde in your sign. This is astrology that points to you in a personal way, describing a transition you may not feel ready to make but have been preparing for over long years. Chiron in Aries is also a prominent factor, pointing to some pioneering developments in your professional life. I cover these aspects, and much more.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You must follow your intuition. It may tell you things you don’t understand. That’s because it’s not reason. There is no logic to the process of intuition; it just is, and it’s either listened to or not, received or not. Maybe you’ve read those articles by debunkers that attempt to dissect hunches and instincts and show that they are really logical processes that can be explained. They can claim this to their heart’s content: I am talking about something else, which includes (and this is crucial) deep respect for the mystery of existence, and of your existence. If there is one feeling to tune into, that is the one. Most people do not respect mystery; they have no use for it. It’s usually considered an annoyance. I would propose it’s your best friend. By this I mean acknowledging the unknown, and having respect for it. It’s your access point to the “all that there is,” which has different names in different traditions, but is akin to the cosmic ocean of all possibility. You tap this not by solving a riddle but rather by practicing a certain kind of openness that is an extreme irritant to the ego. Ultimately you are the unknown you seek, and the small, busy part of the mind tends to obsess over making sure that you’re distracted: by fear, by fake answers, by supposedly easy solutions, by religion, by magical thinking. You draw your true power and strength from the unknown. Therefore, stand face to face with it, until you can feel it, and stay there. Much will you learn.
You can now get instant access to your 2020-21 Leo Astrology Studio, Notes on Love and Courage. The two giants of the solar system meet up at the end of this year in your opposite sign Aquarius. In this extended audio reading, Eric explores what this seminal conjunction means for you, and much more. Get your copy here for just $44. The reading is ready! Transcript is ready! Original music by Vision Quest.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Don’t add to your own pressures. Rather, seek to defuse stressful situations, which includes addressing the things you worry about silently. The challenge here is noticing the invisible. Pay attention to what nags you, wake up to it and address it as promptly as you can. One factor you may be encountering is not wanting to address an issue because you think it’s bigger than it is. It’s the feeling of not wanting to open Pandora’s box, so you don’t go near it. I suggest you take the opposite approach and start unpacking things: boxes, drawers, closets, corners, attics and basements. Start with one, do some sorting out, and figure out how good it feels. Notice what you learn. Cleaning out a private space is intimate and introspective work. You will discover things from the past, and may tune into how you feel about them. This is an important form of self-therapy, so take it slowly and consciously. Notice what you want to throw out and set it aside rather than parting with it; you will want to come back for a second review. Then there is the public aspect of your life — how you present yourself to the world. Assume for the sake of discussion that this is unrelated to what you have in your dresser drawers or attic trunk. You may be experiencing some sense of limitation, some form of ‘I’ve had enough’, where being a public persona is concerned. This is a healthy sensation in a world where everyone has turned into their own publicist. You don’t need to do any of that; remember you are private person, not a public figure.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — For the time being, I suggest you only stand out as much as you need to for professional purposes. In other words, say and do the bare minimum; commit to the least you can, and leave an aura of the unknown around yourself. To the extent you have the ethos of full transparency, dial that back and offer only what is necessary, such as, “I’ll get back to you next week.” There are times when you need to be inscrutable, and this is one of them. You have plenty to think about and to do, and next to none of it involves people other than those with whom you are directly connected or involved. You do not need to establish a position of any kind, such as one that you may be held to in the future. This all goes contrary to our inside-out world: a world where many cannot eat a plate of food that they don’t post to Instagram. This is about more serious matters of your personal integrity: the sanctity of your being. There are elements of yourself that must never be available for public consumption, and I suggest you put a much wider perimeter around yourself than you think is necessary. And remember that your guiding principle is what you need to say and do specifically for the advancement of your professional aspirations. If you keep coming back to that, you will know what to do and, eventually, it will make sense. Invest some work into your CV, résumé and/or your LinkedIn (or whatever you use). Refine, refine, refine. Get input from those you trust.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Be impeccable in your use of technology, ranging from email to custom programming to downloading an app, or use of any device, gizmo or gadget that you may work with. Pay attention to the law of unintended consequences, mainly by remembering that it exists. The less you do, the fewer unexpected effects you will experience. You might do a review and consider some of the unplanned results of the past. These of course seem normal and even unavoidable in our time of history. Yet notice some of the consequences that have impacted people’s reputations unnecessarily; the violations of privacy; the security breaches. You might consider conducting yourself with the discretion of an earlier time, insisting on the integrity of both truth and confidentiality in each and every encounter. Take notes on paper and remember the joke among lawyers that email stands for ‘evidence mail’. Therefore, document only what you need to, and preferably offline. Keep a close eye on your devices and your security protocols, such as password key files. With Mars moving slowly through Aries, where you focus your work efforts (all-important to your sense of purpose), stick to important business at all times. Sometimes that’s the last thing that seems to happen at work, so attend to what is necessary, and pay attention to your schedule. When you’re out of work, feed your soul and do what is fun for you, particularly in these soul-crushing times. Your life may seem to be in a holding pattern now, though much greater things are coming. So that means live for the day and live well, and take one step at a time to the future.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — First, get the pieces of your plan together. Don’t worry about how they all fit, or whether each is perfectly coherent with the others. Do a basic first sort and start to gather resources, ideas and make notes about which people might serve that particular element. You will do the assembling later, and you will be happy you’ve done this preparatory phase because it will save you much energy and time at the end, when things are more compressed. Meanwhile, in the interpersonal realm, there is something else going on. Get clear about the details of an arrangement you have with a close partner before you move onto the future, with them or without them. For this to work, a common meeting place will be necessary — that means a large overlap of what works for both or all of the parties involved. You might say, we agree on these things, and we can proceed despite other differences. Or you might say, we do not agree on these certain matters and therefore we cannot proceed in the way we have planned. Therefore we will need to choose some other option. This is not so much about what you feel as it is reckoning with what you feel and making decisions based on it. You are not in a situation where you can expect people to just compromise. And it’s a scenario where the unknowns and the hidden variables must be honored and seen for what they are. The world is moving fast right now, and your work is soon to move a lot faster. It is up to you to ensure that change really is progress, and progress you can abide.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You may be wondering when all this pressure will subside. If we use astrology, which is why we’re meeting up in an astrology column, there are two answers. In November, Jupiter makes its last conjunction to Pluto in your sign (there have been two priors this year, in April and June). This series of conjunctions is putting you through the paces of a spiritual transformation that needs your total attention. Any worldly matters are merely a metaphor for something much deeper, closer to the core of your being: a soul connection with yourself you’re being driven to acknowledge. Then in December, both Jupiter and Saturn leave your sign, and then form a conjunction the day the Sun enters it. That is the main turning point, when you start to assemble everything you’ve been collecting for many seasons on end. This is when you can evaluate your progress and get a sense of what you’ve accomplished and what you’re working with. All of this will contribute to a sense of release and resolve, though one that you will have worked for. So don’t be in a rush, and don’t do the superficial thing. Your chart describes matters of a most intimate and life-altering spiritual nature. Then there is the short answer to your question. You have yourself under a lot of needless pressure. You don’t need to struggle for acceptance or for your sense of identity. You don’t need to struggle with your notion of who you think your family thinks you are. Be who you are. By that, I mean be who you are and skip the guilt trip. You exist, and may do so on your own terms.
Your 2020-21 Aquarius Astrology Studio is available for instant access. This coming winter, your sign hosts a major conjunction: Jupiter conjunct Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius. That event is exact on Dec. 21, 2020. Eric also covers Saturn moving into your sign from Capricorn during the year, in this not-to-be-missed reading. Order your copy here.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You may only be dimly aware of what continents are drifting inside your world, grinding against one another, and forming new mountain ranges and canyons. The Earth within you is moving and it is quaking and so much that stood as eternal mental structure is recombining into something else. Yet this is going on as if in a dream or a parallel world — though it’s happening in truth. The tremendous advantage you have is that true change always comes from the inside of our being, which is why superficial changes of habit so rarely make a difference. The catch is that actual growth is a process so powerful that to resist it is to court disaster. Therefore, go with the flow of events, while at the same time you tap the power of changes to apply your influence toward guiding potential outcomes. This is not control as much as it is working with nature rather than against it. There is an art to this, which is the ability to see your options when you have them. Far from being backed against a wall, you are being shown your potential. You can see and feel it arise in the space where so much that did not serve you once occupied. It is the overwhelming tendency of humans to think that the future will be just like the past; and more than that, to make it so because they cannot imagine what else might be possible. While you have all this power moving inside of you, your job is to envision that for yourself.
Astrology Studio for Pisces | A New Reading by Eric Francis
This is a momentous time in collective history, and a turning point in your life. As the year develops, most of the movement — including Pisces’ ruling planet Jupiter, and the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction — will be pointing into Aquarius, the most sensitive and innermost angle of your chart. I will also cover the retrogrades of Venus and Mars, and the forthcoming Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in your friendship sign Capricorn. Mostly, I will help you orient on your profound journey, and offer guidance how to harmonize with the world at this unusual time. Get instant access to this reading here.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Be careful what you want, because it is what you’re quite likely to get. This might seem like good news, though most people have not learned the power of desire. For the majority, it’s a source of frustration, as it so rarely seems to be meaningful, much less worthy of respect. And in our moment now, with so much turbulence, unpredictability and loss, it’s even worse for many people, for whom what they really want is the last thing on their mind. You, on the other hand, are in a position to demolish the realm of false necessity. You are in a position to let go of the obligations you’ve felt to conform to what others expected of you, or what you thought they did. This whole aspect of your life has been so persistent and so challenging that you may have thought it would never change. Yet it is changing. For a diversity of reasons, past expectations from others have never been less influential. Those who may have doubted you have proven themselves wrong, or revealed their biases or their jealousy, or their resistance to progress. You, on the other hand, have persisted and your ideas have stood the test of time. Now you need to take the step of fully engaging your visioning power. That means seeing what does not yet exist, and seeing what does exist in a different form. And you need a long-term approach, particularly if your ideas are the kind of things that take people years to develop. Here is where you have a profound advantage: society is changing, and you can see that with remarkable clarity. This will allow you to tailor your vision to specific possibilities that you observe. Yet start with admitting what you want first, plain and simple, uninfluenced by external factors.