Dear Friend and Reader:
Before I get into this week’s astrology, I have a thought about the inner journey of which astrology is rightly a part.
The nature of the spiritual path is to question reality. That is, to question what seems to be reality, and to seek some underlying existence, some deeper truth. Once you make contact with that truth, you can live with it as an abstract concept, or you can bring it to the surface, and integrate it into your life.
Each one of these steps takes some courage, and what used to be called gumption: “common sense, shrewdness, acuteness of practical understanding.” It’s one thing to accept the principles of spirituality, and even to aspire to them. It’s another thing to put them to work in your actual existence, and to make your decisions on the basis of your training and practice.
The essence of all spiritual practice and training involves negotiating the relationship between love and fear. In what we think of as the “normal world,” fear prevails over just about everything. It’s the primary source of motivation. It’s the rationale for nearly all decisions. It is in itself the decision to pull in your awareness, to contract and to retreat.
To say “spiritual” means to address this very issue. To say “spiritual” means devotion to love. To say that decisions will have a loving basis means that the fear factor is kept in its place, and not given the opportunity to dominate the discussion, or one’s whole life. Fear, anger, and other “negative” emotions need a voice. But that is different than having them take over all of consciousness, and all sense of the future.
Mars stationing direct at the end of the week will help release a dam of seemingly blocked energy. It was blocked for a reason, or at least for a purpose, and you may find out what that was as you experience the change of directions.
We often think of self-confidence as derring-do, extraversion, flamboyance, or arrogance. I propose an alternative: it’s the courage to question your reality. It is curiosity.
Mars Retrograde in the Background of Everything
Mars stations direct on Friday, Nov. 13, after being retrograde since Sept. 9.
Since July, Mars has been in Aries, and since early September, Mars has been retrograde in Aries for the first time since 1988. While Mars is retrograde for about two months out of every two years, it doesn’t usually occur in Aries, so this is another rarity in a year of black swans and Antarctic garden gnomes.
The issue here is confidence. I learned something researching the infamous The War of the Worlds radio broadcast a few weeks ago — the one where a whole bunch of people from a wide diversity of educational backgrounds believed that New Jersey was being invaded by Martians. People who tended to believe the invasion was real lacked self-confidence.
We often think of self-confidence as derring-do, extraversion, flamboyance, or arrogance. I propose an alternative: it’s the courage to question your reality. It is the curiosity that leads to the question.
Reality includes your perceptions, your beliefs, your prejudices, and your agenda. You might think that such questioning kills confidence, though I would propose that it’s the basis of it. This is not questioning of the type where you wear yourself raw, but rather the kind where you make an honest assessment based on taking all of the facts into account.
Fear is the Measure of Understanding, or Misunderstanding
The ultimate measure of your level of understanding is your level of fear. If you are afraid and anxious, the first place to check is whether you are seeking a true understanding of your reality. Pay close attention to your anxiety level, including the measures you take in life that serve as evidence of fear. Study your behavior and ask yourself why you’re doing what you do.
You might say, “Well, my behavior makes sense if there is something to be afraid of.” I am suggesting this is the very thing that is coming up for question. The action taken in response to fear is not proof of anything. Someone can panic and pull a fire alarm, and the red trucks can show up, but that does not mean there is a fire.
The challenge of figuring out who and what you are is often covered over by labels. If you have labeled yourself in any way, that’s one of the presumptions to investigate.
Going Beyond Anxiety as a Way of Life
Be aware of the extent to which the personalities of a great many people (potentially, yourself included) are constructed around anxiety. It is a way of life in our society, and if you don’t get a handle on it, it will eat your soul.
One of the central concepts of this Mars direct in Aries is knowing what you want, and specifically, knowing who and what you want to be. Chiron in Aries is helping this along, though not everyone finds Chiron to be an inspiring influence. Rather, it has a way of shaking many people to their core.
Take that as a positive sign that you’re making progress. Growth is not always convenient. It’s not about getting a raise. It’s about rising to the challenges of life, and evolving in the process of doing so.
The challenge of figuring out who and what you are is often covered over by labels. If you have labeled yourself in any way, that’s one of the presumptions to investigate.
Jupiter Conjunct Pluto: Part 3
The year 2020 is bookended by two rare conjunctions. There was Saturn conjunct Pluto on Jan. 12 (last happened in 1982). At the end of the year, on Dec. 21, Jupiter is conjunct Saturn (last happened in 2000). There are long odds against these two conjunctions happening the same year.
In between, Jupiter has made a series of conjunctions to Pluto, the last of which happens Thursday. While this can be a spiritualizing aspect, describing devotion and connection to the affairs of the soul, it can also manifest as death obsession. This is particularly true in Capricorn, which historically has a touch of the Grim Reaper to it.
The people who accomplish the most, who live the way they want, and who have the most fulfilling lives live with an awareness of death but are not obsessed or driven by it.
It is one thing to acknowledge death as a facet of life. It is another thing to wrap one’s whole mind, emotions and physical existence around the fear of death. It is a step beyond to partake in a death cult, though those still go for a dollar a box. As a result, people are easily manipulated by fear, and society in many ways has become obsessed with the fear of mortality.
To challenge this can seem like the most audacious thing in the world. That may be true. The people who accomplish the most, who live the way they want, and who have the most fulfilling lives live with an awareness of death but are not obsessed or driven by it. In that driven or obsessed state, no love is possible. No freedom is possible.
Escaping from Freedom: A Way of Life for Many
The appeal of lack of freedom should make everyone a little nervous. That’s because other people can choose it for you, if you let them. If enough of your neighbors are sick of all this responsibility and would prefer to be constrained, you will likely get the effects of that.
Lack of freedom is appealing because it implies a lack of responsibility for oneself. Constrained options also seem to grant leave from concerns about failure. If you’re boxed in and have no choices, it might seem that you have nothing to worry about. If you don’t have any time to do what you want, you don’t have to worry about doing it ‘badly’.
However, this cannot honestly be called living. Trying to live risk-free comes at a tremendous cost, mainly for being inherently self-deceptive, and boring. Living requires and demands risk. Making choices implies you might make the ‘wrong’ choice. That is the price we pay for having options, and if you exercise them well, you will likely decide it was worth the fuss.
Check in with what your spiritual path has to say about these things. Are you encouraged by the teachers and teachings you imbibe to be obedient, or to be brave? Are you encouraged to be honest with yourself, or to live in denial?
Go to the text. Go deeper, to the source.
The aspects of our era in total represent one huge reality check.
With love,
Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Monday and Thursday evening in Kingston, New York, Planet Waves, Inc. Core Community membership: $197/year. Editor & Publisher: Eric F. Coppolino. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. News Editor: Spencer Stevens. Assistant Editor: Anna K. Ball, Joshua Halinen. Client Services: Amy Elliott and Victoria Emory. Illustrator: Lanvi Nguyen. Senior Finance Minister, First Cavalry of the Local Economy: Andrew Slater. Archivist: Morgan Francis. Video Editor: Cate Ryzhenko. Technical Consultant: Forest Hitchcock. Media Consultant: Andrew McLuhan. Bass and Drums: Daniel Grimsland. Additional Music: Zeljko. Additional Research, Writing and Opinions: Rachel Chaput, Loreen Costa, Robin Dann, Yuko Katori, Kirsti Melto, Cindy Tice Ragusa, Abby Rohrer, and Carol van Strum.
All of Us Here — Available for Preorder!
In honor of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius, the annual readings this year are called ALL OF US HERE. For the next few days, we will be offering all 12 signs of ALL OF US HERE for $88.These extended audio readings that will synchronize you with the astrology of the forthcoming year include a video introduction wherein I describe the charts — done by Dec. 21, the day of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. There is also a separate written reading called AN AQUARIAN ERA for $88, which covers 2021-2023 – is also available for preorder for all 12 signs.
Note, these readings are not part of the Backstage Pass. They are included with the Galaxy Pass, now available at a reduced price.
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Every week or so, I do a new edition of Planet Waves TV. Usually these focus an astrological topic or chart in detail. After initially being resistant to video, I now love doing these. The more people click on them the more I will do — and I am interested in your suggestions. The link to PlanetWaves.TV redirects to our YouTube channel for easy access. We also post to Facebook, to our front page, and include one with the weekly newsletter.
Going back to February, I’ve developed a portfolio of essays, investigative articles, videos and audio presentations on the Covid situation. These include articles about the astrology of the situation, hand sanitizer, holistic care, social critique and a wide diversity of other topics. We’ve recently added a selection of my satires, such as CDC guidance on blowing kisses. This is a truly comprehensive look at the issues, written from a worldly, nonpolitical standpoint. Here is the link.
Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes
Your extended monthly horoscope for November was published on Thursday, Oct. 29. We published your extended monthly horoscope for October on Thursday, Oct. 1. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign.
Monday Evening Horoscope #252 for November 9, 2020
By Eric Francis Coppolino
Aries (March 20-April 19) — If ever there was a time when you were reborn, this is it. This is a real thing; it happens at times in life, though it’s more often mocked. You are not pretending; what is happening to you is real. The full effects do not happen overnight. They tend to build gradually, and sometimes there are breakthroughs. However, there is a turning point — the moment when the tide changes directions, an unforeseen event that shifts your trajectory, a person you meet, or a decision you make. That’s where you stand right now, on one of the most important frontiers of your life: the most significant of them being who you are. The necessary orientation is acceptance without judgment. I know this can get twisted, as there’s always an argument to be made for what someone is not supposed to tolerate in themselves. Yet even what you want to change begins with accepting your situation for what it is. What you think of as your flaws can become your greatest gifts. This is why self-acceptance is so important. Everything you have is a resource that can serve you and the greater good.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — The confounding behavior of partners or close colleagues may not seem so strange if you suddenly realize that you understand it. Think back to childhood, when the incomprehensible quality of the world made everything seem opaque and out of reach. Simple things like lighting the stove, using a washing machine, reading a long book, or driving a car in traffic could seem confounding or impossible. We don’t think this feeling translates into adulthood, though it does, in a veiled form that usually shows up as conflict, frustration, resistance, anger, or resentment. These are often variations on simply not understanding. Sometimes they can represent the lack of common ground, or common language. It’s worth working for these things. It’s worth crossing some of the distance and doing some of the work to gain your own understanding, particularly if you care about someone. Yet ultimately, this does not end up being about someone else. They are only a kind of facilitator, of what you might think of as a forum to resolve something residing primarily within your own consciousness.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You may be sick of people seeming to have so much power over you, though you would be wise to ask yourself how things got that way. Who are these people who seem to hold so much influence? What is your history with them? And what are the common connections between and among these relationships? When looking for a solution to this kind of situation, the first action to take is to stop giving away what power you have. Stop saying yes. Stop saying no. Let the answer be maybe for a while. Take your time. Train yourself not to be pressured by the thoughts or influences of others, which you do by pausing. Then you can consider all of your options, with time to think about them carefully. You need to determine how you really feel, and moreover, what you want. Your own desire has to drive the course of your life. Yes, you must live in harmony with others, but this does not mean surrendering your individuality or power of choice. Others must accommodate your will just as much as you accommodate theirs. There is room in this world for you and what you want.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You must continue to bide your time where critical career matters are concerned. You may feel the impulse to make decisions, or to state your plans, or to assert your position in some way. Yet for this to work, you must have your timing right, and that means finding out what forthcoming aspects have to offer. These include news about a professional relationship likely to arrive with the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction of Nov. 12, and the lifting of some professional restriction soon after, when Mars stations direct in your 10th solar house. You need to proceed with full knowledge and confidence, and both of those points are likely to be met around that time. This will happen in ways that you cannot foresee right now, though you must be mindful of clues when you get them. You will be able to see some glimpse of the future if you read the tea leaves and listen to the wind. Ease back a little on your competitive nature, and engage the world in the most harmonious forms of collaboration you can muster.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You do not need to push or reach for an answer, or for understanding. It is gradually coming toward you. Your state of mind is shifting, and you’re experiencing knowledge that comes from within rather than asserted from outside of yourself. This is happening as surely as a comet that has reached its maximum distance from the Sun gradually makes its way back toward its source of heat and light. It’s not an immediately obvious change, though it’s real and observable. The ‘making its way back’ piece describes movement in your understanding and acceptance of who you are. Have the courage to make contact with the underlying perfection of your existence. Set aside your judgments and even your ambitions, and take a moment to feel the potential that you have. Notice the options that you have available to you. Notice who is in your life. If you set aside your anxiety, you may notice your vulnerability. That is nothing less than the feeling of being open to existence.
Tailored for Virgo Sun and rising, this new audio reading by Eric Francis introduces you to your astrology through the autumn of 2021. We will take maximum advantage of the power you are drawing from the Earth signs at the time of your solar return: Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, as well as Uranus in Taurus. This is a grand earth trine, and the thing to do is gather momentum in the direction you want to go, and then point yourself there. Eric describes the influence of Jupiter and Saturn ingressing Aquarius later this year. The reading looks closely at Chiron in Aries, accompanied by Mars retrograde in Aries — your most important relationship house. Now with full transcript. Order now for instant access. This reading is included with the Backstage Pass.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — One of the fundamental struggles of your life likely involves the quest to be who you are when you’re in the midst of an intimate partnership of some kind. You allow your boundaries to dissolve not only to feel the other person but also to experience and discover yourself. This is a powerful tropism, like a plant reaching for light. Yet that can only go on for so long, if you lose contact with the core elements of your identity: of what makes you personally you. You are now at the part of the cycle where you wake up inside the intimate situation and remember or discover something about yourself. You don’t need to fight your way out of a situation to have that something about you be real. Rather, it would seem that the necessary part of the journey is existing as you are within the situation, and exploring the relationship from that perspective. Relationship is not about total merging or alternately, confrontation. Hold some tension in your awareness, long enough to relax into it.
Notes to Myself is Ready | Astrology Studio for Libra
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Late this week, Mars stations direct in your opposite sign Aries. This has presented some unusual challenges through the second half of the year. Yet you might notice that each and every one of them has taught you a little about how to handle yourself, how to negotiate, how to establish mutually beneficial relationships with people. If I may propose a takeaway from the many events of this year: people are only open to what they want. Even if someone says they don’t want something, observe the choices they make. If you can tap into the power of what others desire for themselves, you will have a lot easier time relating to them, and working with them. Listen for statements of affirmative desire. Observe their choices. Find the ways they are open to being supported, and to offering their support. This does not need to feel like a dental exam and cleaning. Take a step back and notice what is in the environment to notice. If someone likes to dance, you will go a long way together by dancing, even if it’s not necessarily your thing.
The Scorpio File: Astrology Studio 2020
What’s in the Scorpio file? Does anyone really know? This year for your solar return, Mercury is retrograde in your sign. Adding to the mystery, Mars, your classical ruling planet, is retrograde in Aries, about to station direct. Then Jupiter forms a conjunction with Pluto, which takes the story to the level of your soul’s mission on Earth. In this 76-minute astrology reading, Eric Francis unravels the secrets of your sign, and helps you guide yourself through this strange new time we are living in. Price is $44. Original music by Vision Quest. Get instant access here!
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Your traditional ruling planet Mars stations direct this week, which represents a release point of some kind. It’s as if an energy well of some kind has been blocked, or perhaps you have turned things down so that you could take care of some personal maintenance. Now that flow is about to return, first slowly, then gradually, then finally up to full capacity. This is about many things: working well, taking care of yourself, and making sure that you have a wholesome environment for the part of the day devoted to business. As that happens, Jupiter makes a conjunction to your modern ruling planet Pluto. This is a reminder that the ideas of the past, and particularly of your childhood family, have served their purpose. You need a more creative approach to existence than those old folks ever had. You need more passion. And you will benefit from allowing curiosity to lead you rather than preconceived ideas. You will recognize curiosity by the delightful sense of not knowing, rather than the one that feels intimidating.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You have what you need. If the events of this week tell you nothing more, that is the gift, that is the lesson, that is the state of being that is available. Therefore, you don’t need to be driven by what you feel you don’t have, but rather by who you are and what you want to create. Ideally, for you, life is a journey from one creative experience to the next, that is, where you make yourself and make your world. Yet to do this requires a reservoir of energy and a modicum of stability. You have this now; you’ve been working toward this for a while. For comparison, think back two years and remember where you were at. It’s easy to forget about all the progress you’ve made as you strive for the next objective, or some new concept of perfection. However, I suggest you stop exactly where you are, and as you are, and hang out with how far you’ve come in the past 100 to 150 weeks or so. Remember some of what has happened. Mark that phase of time as one long transition. You are about to go through another, and the portal is right here, right now.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You’ve experienced a diversity of mental and emotional experiences this year, not all of which can properly be called wholesome. You’ve been down a few dark roads, and have experienced confrontations with facts that seem difficult to accept. Through this, have you felt your deeper connection to existence? The weather is only turbulent on the surface. When you turn inward toward yourself, you may notice that your experience is calmer and you feel more stable. Normally, it’s important to gather a lot of information from your environment. At the moment, however, the pearls of wisdom and understanding are scattered in your inner world, and that is the place to focus. You have plenty going on, and it will be too easy to project this into relationship situations or circumstances where it does not really exist. It’s important for you to learn the difference between fear and insecurity. Most of what you experience as fear is really uncertainty about yourself. That is pretty easy to resolve.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Over the next six weeks, there is much that will be revealed to you, though the events of this week in particular are crucial. The essence is being honest with yourself. To do that, you must tune in and pay attention to your full thoughts, feelings, emotions and the calm, quiet voice that is your inner authority. One of the huge dramas of 2020 is people by the millions surrendering any semblance of their power and handing it over to external circumstances. It is critical that you establish something coming from outside of you as true before you accept it as such. There is vast room for error here, and mistakes made now are more costly than usual, particularly if they are based on false information. Therefore, you must learn to listen to yourself, and trust yourself. This includes verifying the results of your observations against experience. This is the part that calls for the deepest honesty. Your life is not about what people think of you, or believe about you. Your life is what you discover to be true about you, through a long process of experimentation, discovery, and elimination.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You are a force for change in this world. That, if nothing else, is the revelation of your ruling planet Jupiter, and the deep and meaningful planet Pluto. Your change comes from influence rather than physical power or manipulation. That is to say, you draw your ability to affect your environment from a more sublime space than the usual lying, cheating, and brute force. Remember this, and be not envious of those who conquer. Your true power is radiance, which is an attractive force — like a beacon. The world has already changed in many ways that have made room for what you have to offer. There is space for what you know. It may feel like water flowing through cracks and crevices at first, though that is your specialty. Additionally, this week Mars stations direct in the financial angle of your solar chart, Aries. The key to this house is being true to your values, in pursuit of your financial goals. This is the place to center your intentions and your effort right now. You are about to make the connection.