Dear Friend and Reader:
Today we’re posting the September Eriscope, which is a sex-oriented horoscope that is published to subscribers as one of our “bonus horoscopes” one Tuesday per month.
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As some of you know, I was writing about sexuality long before I even thought of writing a horoscope. Eriscope contains some practical thoughts on applied eroticism; that is, how to think about your sexuality that is outside the usual box, but is also sane and compassionate (at least in my opinion). It is not a “say no” kind of piece of writing; it is definitely “say yes if you want, but think it through first.”
For new readers wondering what other kinds of horoscopes I write (four other columns actually — three other monthly horoscopes, and a weekly horoscope) here is a sample of Planet Waves Monthly, the October column that we published to our subscriber lists yesterday. (This particular column has run continuously since 1996). All subscribers who sign up today will receive horoscopes each Tuesday and Friday with your subscription. To sign up, please check this link.
Today Mercury stations retrograde. There is additional information below, and also at the top of Planet Waves Monthly for October (the one linked in the paragraph above).
Thanks for reading —
Aries (March 20-April 19)
Quite the tale of intrigue is showing up on the September radar, events that seem strange, beautiful and in some way fated. One theme is that for most people, love is based on need, and clearly you’re feeling that. Another is that what appears to be love may be one of several emotions that is not specifically love, but which you have the ability to take to another level. Last is that sex is going to guide you into yourself, into self-awareness of everything you need to feel, express and embrace about yourself. I imagine you’ve got your ear on someone who seems to speak deeply to who you are. Let that message go in and allow your emotions to soak into you until the full spectrum of their contradiction is revealed. You crave sex and you crave unabashed surrender. I assure you that what you truly crave is self-knowledge. Fortunately the way there is illuminated by heat.
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Cecilia from Book of Blue. Photo by Eric Francis.
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Taurus (April 19-May 20)
Vesta, the most misunderstood of the major asteroids, is in your sign. She is the creative fire of the psyche and you are the one who embodies her. She identifies as sexual and, at the same time, in full possession of her purity. This is not a paradox; it may be that the inner core of sex is the only purity, so closely is it connected with the existence of humanity. The work of Vesta is to hold us to the fire and purge us of all the shadowy emotions we associate with eroticism: shame, guilt or any other sense of wrongness. Then there is the loss of self-possession that sexual involvement so often seems to inflict. Finally there is the tendency to take sexual energy and either stuff it or subvert it into some other form of expression, rather than letting eroticism be the inspiration for expression. Right now these are the themes upon which your life is turning.
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
You may be inclined toward a lot more casual sex than usual this month. Oh, did I just imply that you’re normally accustomed to a good bit of such, and now it’s time for a good bit more? That was totally unconscious on my part! Anyway, pay attention to situations where you are triangulating into or out of a relationship. For you right now, sex is all about those three-sided shapes. If you get involved, don’t be surprised if you get more involved than you were expecting to, emotionally mingled up and connected by some unusual, hidden layer of karma that you make contact with as you plunge into the hot waters of the flesh. Drink from that water and let it be from the stream of remembering rather than forgetting. There is something about your past that you need to embrace and, I trust, give yourself permission to have experienced. The way is open.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Keep your home as the central focus of your erotic life this month. Set it up that way; go for the total love nest. Keep all your favorite libations on hand, wash your linens and maybe get some new ones and generally be prepared for sex to happen. I reckon that when it does, it will be interesting sex, and nourishing. The thing you need to be mindful of is insecurity. It would be great if we could get this out of the way at the beginning of the sexual conversation, and you may be able to do that. Rather than hide your misgivings about yourself, you can put them out into the open. You have no need to conceal the fact that you need love, fear abandonment or can get caught in contradictory situations if you’re not careful. One last thing: your loyalty does not guarantee that of someone else, nor does their commitment buy yours. These issues, too, must remain on the top level of awareness.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
I believe that having same-sex experiences are an important attribute of being a well-rounded lover. To some people this is intuitive; it’s as simple as “this is what I feel, so it’s part of who I am and something I need to express.” Others need some gentle coaxing, out of insecurities and those solidly clad self-images that society tends to attach to us. The value on same-sex experience is different for men and women, a point that deserves more comment than I have room for here. I feel that we need to support anyone we’re close to, to the greatest depth we can, in exploring the full spectrum of their eroticism — and be present for ourselves. If this is in your phantasies, let it be present. If you feel the craving to try an experience, find someone friendly and explore. I will say this — sometimes the first time is amazing; sometimes you get the feeling it would have been better left in your imagination. If that is the case, try it again till it’s really good. It may take a few times.
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Nina from Book of Blue. Photo by
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Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
I think that we associate the choice to have sex with someone as much about lacking self-esteem as we connect it to having some of the stuff. You seem poised to enter a situation based on a sense of honoring your desire as a valid part of you, then deciding you have your regrets. I would note that the choice to express yourself erotically is biological in nature, while the experience of regret is psychological. It often masks for the more deeply concealed layers of shadow material that we try to hide from ourselves, most of which don’t have names. If you stick with what your body is telling you, you’ll have more accurate information to work with. You may need to make a conscious choice at a certain point not to succumb to negativity and indulge yourself in more pleasure, which would be a personal triumph; a recognition of your freedom; the admission that you can change your way of seeing, and of feeling.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
One of my readers is fond of reminding me that we are all many people stuffed inside of one meat puppet. This month it’s your turn to make an appearance in the Neighborhood of Make Believe. Don’t worry if you have no clue who you are, based on the diversity of either ideas you identify with, or things (including perhaps people) that you want. If your imagination is raging hot in all weird directions, get to know the inner entities that inhabit you. Note that they want different things, sometimes different things than you want. They have values you don’t necessarily agree with, and their thinking may tend in different directions than yours. Yet beneath all these different sub-personalities is an entity who is you. You can find this creature deep in your solitary space. Most of the time she functions as the observer, the one bearing witness to your many choices. Now let her bear witness to you.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Your fantasy life is likely to be a lot hotter than your supposedly real life for a while. This may be frustrating, because you of all people admit that you need the contact and confrontation of body-to-body sex. There are times when the erotic journey takes you inward, and a certain scenario is doing just that. I suggest you follow the thread of the story as far and as deep as you can. I can assure you almost total satisfaction if you do, and an added result of exploring a shade of independence from your need of the other. There is someone close to you now who will help you taste this need for both inner and outer freedom, which may come in one form as the ability to express thoughts about yourself that most people would classify as absolutely secret. This is not necessary, and the only thing you may crave more than knowing yourself is being known for so doing.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
One reason morality is so violently imposed on sex is because our erotic feelings are the ones that are the most likely to violate our own ethics. We do have a little integrity problem where sex is concerned, and I encourage you to go the opposite direction. Insist on having total integrity. You don’t need to bother with anyone else. Your commitment to your own truth would be more than enough to get you to a new and better place, and to catalyze those in your life to raise their awareness. You don’t need to call anyone a hypocrite as long as you refuse to be one. This is easier than it may seem, as long as you remember that what you or anyone says is (at any given time) not what you necessarily mean. Stay close to the meeting place of words and their meaning and work your way outward from there. We often wonder what will set us free, and we forget that it’s the truth. Remember.
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Daisy from Book of Blue. Photo by Eric Francis.
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Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
In many ways you are the ultimate survivor, but I’m sure you don’t want to think of yourself that way sexually. Your problem at the moment is one of abundance, and it’s one of visibility. In other words, your visibility is making you a focus of attraction, and it’s also preventing you from acting on certain of your attractions. I suggest you ask yourself if this is, you know, real. Do you really have a reputation to uphold, and if so, for what? Nobody would ever accuse you of being pure, just of wanting to convincingly appear that way from time to time. I would propose that your apparent reluctance or hesitation is driven by another factor, one that you would do well to acquaint yourself with and promptly subvert. Remember, you’re a goat. You may not be old but you are definitely horny, and that is perfectly legal.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Aquarius is the sign of groups and subtle contradictions. So subtle, indeed, they are often invisible. At the moment, you need contrast. I suggest you consider not only the viewpoints of those you admire, but also those who appear to be hypocrites. Find someone who has no morals at all; who does what they want and gets away with it. You seem to be in a space in life where you are penetrating through many layers of yourself looking for the one that is true; the one you can actually stand on like the solid Earth. Well, there is just one Earth and hopefully your feet are on it now. Neptune in your sign is here to remind you that everything you see and feel is an attribute of Maya or illusion. Chiron is here to remind you that everything you touch is real and can be documented. Oh, and that by your presence, dressed or naked, on top or on the bottom, you are one who heals as well as one who bestows pleasure consciously.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
There would seem to be nothing more exciting about someone than what we believe about them. And by the same virtue there is nothing more exciting about you than what people believe, so let the water flow. Allow people the space to imagine what they want about you. I say people, not person: there would appear to be more than one involved; there may be more than one set of more than one. Aspects this month promise nothing if not intrigue and opportunity. You will want to go deep with people and they will want to go deep with you. What you risk in this process is dependency; in other words, by offering yourself sexually and emotionally, attachments will form. The truth is, they always do. I suggest you allow the experience to be conscious. Conscious means honest, even though you will have plenty of opportunities not to be. Remember, the truth is simple, and it’s hot.
As one who tropes between the Water of my sun (Cancer), the Fire on the horizon and Air embracing the moon, your recommendation to adorn the home works – if we consider that all decorating is basically ‘interior.’
All of my sexual adventures, howsoever brutal or tender, have a nurturing effect. This has been noted (with a certain amount of confusion) by all my lovers, who have found themselves pulled into an image of power/beauty, but upon touching and being-touched, discovered that there is an almost illicit ‘mothering’ energy that flows from my body.
I think this is *the* gift that Cancerian women can bring to the Virgin/Mother/Whore trifurcation. Heal it! Or deepen and brighten the pathways between them!