Dear Friend and Reader:
This month is dominated by Aries and Libra — the polarity of ‘I am / we are’. This astrology peaks with the Aries Full Moon of Oct. 11. Inside of our relationship dramas, sagas and desires, our DNA and hormones are humming along, giving us instructions to reproduce the species. And at the same time, there is an epic political battle being waged between men and women involving who controls reproduction. ‘Anti-government’ and ‘anti-regulation’ activists make one exception: the uterus. This standoff is illustrated by two little-known planets that the Full Moon aligns with exactly: Aries Moon conjunct Bienor (the strong man of Greek mythology) and the Libra Sun conjunct Haumea, a Hawaiian fertility goddess. We could look at this another way: Who controls creativity? If you don’t take over the creative process within yourself, someone is going to do it for you.
Lovingly
Revised and Updated! Click for Eric’s Zodiac Sign Descriptions
Aries (March 20-April 19) — You might want to pause and ask yourself what you’re trying to prove. There is little you can accomplish by conquering anything or anyone, and plenty of damage you can do. While you seem to be past the emotional restrictions and frustrations that dominated your summer months, it would be unwise to overcompensate in the other direction. Therefore, I suggest you tamp down any competitive feelings and establish harmony with your environment. People around you will be eager to return the favor. If you push the limits in any situation, you’re likely to encounter a boundary of some kind; notice if that happens, and revise your approach. You might experiment with things like negotiation, using a more creative method (rather than confrontational) and understating rather than exaggerating.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may be feeling out of your element, but be gentle with others when you feel inclined to blame them for your feelings. There is an easy solution — that’s likely to be the one you think is too ‘easy’. But that’s the whole idea: there is a relatively simple and direct approach to what may seem like a complicated or exaggerated emotional situation. Meanwhile, I suggest you do what you can to keep your emotions in perspective. Ask yourself how important something really is before you make a big deal out of it. Don’t look for conflict where there is none to be found. If you look for the common ground you share with others, you’re likely to find it, and that in turn is likely to lead to some rewarding episodes of unexpected growth.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you have an intuitive feeling, follow it. It may be an idea, it may be a caution of some kind; if you think something is worth doing, it probably is. If you have an uneasy feeling about going somewhere, or doing something, I suggest you take that under advisement. You may run into a situation where the decision you want to make ruffles the feathers of someone because it’s based on no special information other than what your own inner senses are telling you. Then you’ll have to pause and determine whether you want to have the approval of someone for doing what is wrong for you — or whether you want to miss an opportunity that you know is right. You’ve been here before; you’ve already decided this one.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — This is an unusual time in your professional life, and aspects this month seem ready to demonstrate just how true that statement is. There are many open doors, and the world’s prevailing state of strangeness, confusion and even chaos can work entirely to your advantage. The one thing to be mindful for is false lack of confidence. There used to be a concept called false confidence, but that seems to be the prevailing state of affairs on the planet. It’s also possible to lack faith in yourself when it’s the most obvious thing you should have. The only way to find out if you’re really capable of something is to try and see if you can do it. This includes taking concrete steps to improve your income. You have the talent. You also have the guts.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You may encounter a mental block when trying to solve a problem, and if that happens, I suggest you take a more disciplined approach to your work. There is something to be said for applying yourself to a project every day, even perhaps several at the same time. Many have discovered the benefits of discipline in turning creative energy into something tangible and useful. Energy is the one thing you have right now. Focusing your efforts in a way that may seem businesslike or ‘un-artistic’ will help you bring in a new vision, one that you’ll be able to sustain yourself with for many years. That’s not going to happen automatically. You cannot catch lightning in a bottle, but you can definitely gather your thoughts and get yourself onto a new level of creative potential.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You know best what is good for your health — the key will be listening to yourself, and following your own advice. We all know how diligently people ignore precisely these things; I don’t suggest you do that. Remember that the most important dimension of health involves your mind. Meanwhile, you may be in a relationship situation that is causing an unnecessary stir in your life. That’s something to watch as well, making sure that you’re not engaging a tradeoff of sex for chaos. You have the potential for an extremely interesting sexual journey in these years of your life. It can be something that nourishes you, keeps you young and serves to liberate you. If something is demanding too much time, money or energy, I suggest you really ask yourself whether it’s worth it.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You’re likely to show up as the voice of reason and the example of maturity in a close personal situation. This is nothing new, but you may have the feeling that someone has an advantage over you based exclusively on brute strength. That may be true temporarily, but it’s not going to last long. You have the advantage of persistence, discipline and a sense of balance. Make sure you keep your flexibility. The one risk you run is backing yourself into a corner, closing off your options or taking too hard of a line. You can afford to take a mellow approach to existence, and give any situation a chance to play out in its own way. Remember, no matter how hot under the collar anyone may be, or is trying to make you, time is on your side.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The thing you think is bothering you isn’t — but something else is. You seem nervous with how visible you are, and how far out on a limb you have to go to hold things together. It’s as if the people who actually hold responsibility don’t want to back you up, even though you’ve been left to do their bidding. If you suspect you’ve been set up to take the heat for something, you’re probably correct about that. The question is, how can you shift responsibility back to where it belongs? The first step will be by taking no heroic measures to set things right. It will take some chutzpah to let things fall apart, but if you stick to your actual responsibilities and don’t take on anything extra, the truth will be obvious when the cookie crumbles.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You must not take a short-sighted approach to long-term plans. However, it would seem like something you’ve been wanting to do for a long time is ready to happen right now. Before you take action, make sure that this opportunity really does match up with the ambitions you’ve been stating for months or years. Once you set things into motion, they’re likely to stay that way, and take on a life of their own. And more people than you will be drawn into the process. It seems you’re on the brink of a decision, so be clear about what you need to know in order to make the choice that is right for you. Once you understand that, the next step is to take the leap — or to walk away from the matter entirely. Be sure that your choices are aligned with your motives. Hesitating will no longer work.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — I cannot explain your apparent lack of confidence on something that really should be simple — but maybe you can. What I can tell you is that the core issue is emotional (rather than practical). You may have this idea that your identity is not sufficiently stable to take on the kinds of challenges that are being presented to you. But what exactly do you think builds your sense of identity, your confidence or strength to stand up to the challenges and opportunities of existence? That would be direct experience. At a certain point it’s necessary to reach beyond what you’ve done in the past, so that you can do something new, or something that exceeds what you thought were your prior limitations. And when you do that, your ideas about ‘security’ must play second fiddle to the fact of being alive.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Life is not a matter of theory — but the great thing about theory is how manageable it is, compared to what actually happens. What actually happens is different than what you might fear happening (that, too, is a matter of theory). That all said, it seems to be time for you to spark up some actual movement in your life, and your next step should be according to some kind of structured plan. I don’t mean a 100-page business plan; five or six possible steps thought through carefully and written in your notebook would be adequate. Those are different than what will actually happen, but at this stage I suggest you work with a mix of about 10% theory, 85% action and a dash of faith that you’re doing the right thing.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — By several measures, you’re in a phase of re-evaluating the events of this very eventful year, and are considering your various plans for the future. That said, there is something that is demanding your attention now. While others are taking a by-the-books approach, presented with this opportunity, you seem more inclined to take a chance and do things your own way. Get used to the fact that there is no certainty, even though others around you are acting as if there is. It’s precisely the uncertainty factor that is working to your best advantage. You have the gift of flexibility as well, though I will suggest this: you don’t have to work as hard as you think to create one particular goal. You need to apply the right thought and the right effort, but no more.