Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for January 2019 (#1232)
There’s something within you that you urgently need to set free. This will inevitably call for you to let go of your concepts of what it means to be a proper adult, a well-behaved person or a responsible child. Those self-images and roles have come under some tension this year, as something else about you has been struggling to be born. You would serve yourself well to be a little less risk-averse. That means taking possession of your experiments; you will take your chances, or they will take you. The first thing to do is let your imagination run a little wild, and explore some of the possibilities. Then start bringing your body into the scene, and physically explore some of them: go somewhere unusual, do something you’ve never done, or have an encounter with a person you’re curious about, and take your time doing it. Every cell in your body is reaching for the child within you, who lives for how strange and interesting life is. As you do this, you will begin to shift your relationship to what you consider your responsibilities. You will recognize that you can let some of them go; others may seem to be taken from you — and it would be helpful if you gave them back from whence they issue, or delegate them to someone who likes them more than you do. One thing that the pressures of adult life do for you is to shield you from new experiences. This includes within your work, where you would benefit from boldly exploring aspects of your profession that you’ve never experienced before.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for February 2019 (#1236)
All sex is an experiment, and it often becomes an experiment in love or long-term relating. This is not so much out of idealism but rather because people tend to get attached, and place judgments on encounters that don’t last long (even though these happen all the time). Proceed in the spirit of gaining experience. This is a missing element in our relationships today; the notion of being an expert, somehow spared of the process of trial and error, of learning, of exploring, of that slow work of getting to understand a person. If this happens (and sometimes it does), it’s still not regarded as a virtue in itself. Yet it’s one that will help you immeasurably. Some of the experience you gain will be one-to-one; other facets will involve the dynamics of groups, and the way that they come to consensus and decision. If you’re alert and allow yourself to participate, you will also learn about the way you influence groups and can be influenced by them. Study all of this carefully, and make mental or written notes. You’re in an unusual position to see things that others cannot see, to notice what others miss, and to learn what others may not care so much about. One thing to keep in mind is that you’re more influential than you think, and you can therefore dial back the intensity of your effort. Notice the power that sharing one thought can have. Observe the way one thing leads to another.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for March 2019 (#1237)
You need to raise your standard for what constitutes "fun." You are cautious by nature, so it won’t take much; though actual fun always requires pushing some limit or taking a risk. There has to be an element of passion involved, and that has to come from you and not from the thing you’re doing. Often your point of discovery involves other people. They are endlessly fascinating, challenging and time-consuming. They can provide a forum for your self-discovery, they can be teachers, they can be inspirations, and they can be major distractions. It will be helpful if you enter some territory where others cannot go with you. You need some point of inner orientation that’s not subject to the opinions of others. You might be surprised to discover the extent to which your every thought feels subject to evaluation and even to judgment. If you struggle with guilt in any form, this is likely to be an element of it. The underlying question may be something like: within your life, what is really yours? What physical things, desires, feelings and spaces actually belong to you? And when you claim these things that are rightfully yours, how do you feel? If you feel any misgivings, one result could be that you condition yourself to be cautious, so you don’t step on anyone’s toes, get in the way or offend anyone. This is the thing that needs to change. You must be free to express yourself, take your chances and make your choices, without worrying about anyone’s fragile state of mind. This will take practice, though now is a good time to start.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for April 2019 (#1240)
There is only so much you can see and experience yourself in another person, and you happen to be rather good at it. One of the distinctions of Virgo is your ability to use your relationships as a highly focused means of self-discovery. I would suggest, though, that you’re moving on to another phase of your life, where your quest to discover who you are must be more independent of others. I say more, not entirely; we all exist in the world. We are all here, and there’s no getting away from our interdependency with others. It’s the details of those bonds that you’re now bringing to full awareness. There is one particular facet of relationships many find deeply troubling, but have usually not given a name. It’s that of building a whole identity on the basis of a relationship with another person. This is generally what people do — and it’s why jealousy and betrayal are so devastating. You are at a point where you must build your identity exclusively on your own terms, focused within yourself. You don’t need to end relationships to do this; you only need to set forth in this direction, and be open to what happens in your relationships. Either they can withstand you being you, or they cannot. This is the real test. As you go forward, experiment with your determination to be only who you are, sincerely, persistently, and boldly. Who you are is the one thing you cannot compromise.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for May 2019 (#1244)
Your astrology through late April and early May focuses what I consider to be the essential Virgo question of how much you see yourself in others. By that I mean identify so deeply that it’s possible to lose track of yourself. However, the series of jolts you may have recently experienced have called on you to awaken from just that situation. It is a kind of dream. It worked for you for a while; it may still work for some people, though it’s not an effective or valid path for you at this time. Within your relationships (of all kinds, from intimate to family to business), you have encountered a necessity to be yourself and express yourself. You can no longer use your encounters with others as a way of finding yourself. One distinction is that there will be a more even-handed distribution of responsibilities, including maintenance of awareness that is so vital to healthy exchanges. Leadership is a core necessity in any relationship, and this, too, must be divided if not equally then equitably. You need to know that you have some influence over the flow of events. When you feel like you don’t, the answer is not to accuse anyone of overpowering you before you make a list of everything you have not said out loud. The dialog in your mind does not count. Letting others guess what you need is irrelevant. Thinking you should have said something in the past does not count. Actually speaking for yourself is the only thing that matters. This takes some courage, because you can’t really plan the outcome. But you can stay present for the whole conversation, and the next one.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for June 2019 (#1248)
Your chart describes high aspirations this month, though you will need to remember your manners. It will be easy to get into conflicts with friends and allies, and this does not help your personal or professional aspirations. What I suggest is that through June, you spend as little time in public as possible, and as much time doing the work you do the best. Your astrology contradicts that idea; the surface level has you out in public, moving and shaking. There will definitely be occasions for which you will want to get out, though caution in those environments is essential. Your emotional impact is far greater than you can conceive. People will respond to things you say in ways you did not imagine. Therefore, staying close to your actual work — the creative substance of who you are and what you do — will make much more productive use of your time. You want your work to have the impact and the influence, and it can, as long as you stay one step detached from its effects in your community. This is an important step in the life of any artist, writer, or person of social influence: to let your work speak for you, rather than you speaking for it. And before your work can speak for you, you must dig in and work out what you are doing, which can only come through a process of experimentation, revision and more experimentation. This process will drive your evolution forward, and it will have an influence that you may not see and can surely trust.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for July 2019 (#1252)
The world you will see when you look around is a reflection of the one that you contain within you. This is almost always true; one spiritual aphorism I’ve often found helpful is that projection makes perception. However, at the moment, this message is taking a specific form. You are coming up against certain inner limits to your creativity, ones you would be happy if you transcended. There is a dichotomy described by activity in the two other earthy signs. Capricorn, which covers your most creative and dynamic house, is at maximum density, which may feel like you’re having an implosion of some kind. If you’re an artist in any sense of the word, this may be a challenging time for you, though I assure you that you’re capable of your best work now. You will need to go deep into yourself and take a risk with what you express, which means doing something where you feel like you’ve got something to lose. In Taurus, an alignment of Uranus, Vesta and Albion is pushing your horizons wider. You may be seeing tremendous potential — outside of yourself. That’s really a description of what you are personally capable of. It is, therefore, an excellent exercise to envision the world a better place; to recognize the excellent work of others; to imagine what is possible; to look all the way out to the horizon and be curious what’s beyond it. I would remind you that thanks to those little pocket computers, we tend to live hideously myopic lives. Stretch yourself out of this like it’s all that matters. You are not your IP address.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for August 2019 (#1254)
It’s vital that you remain loyal to those who have helped you, and who consider you a friend. There is an aspect to your personality that can exclude people or turn them off like a switch. In the past, you’ve given yourself permission to do this on the pretext of self-preservation, though those days are gone. Anyway, that was never really true. What you were, and still are, confronted with are your feelings about yourself, which have a way of being divided. There is no way to turn on someone else without turning on yourself, and this is what I suggest you question. Pause and consider any rebellious feelings you may direct at friends or your community. Honor the fact that you may change your mind or make a new decision, and that you can do this in a direct and honest way. You can also mitigate any fallout that may cascade onto others, if you want to. The thing to be most wary of is feeling right and righteous, no matter who it’s directed to: whether friend or ‘enemy’ or someone about whom you may have seemingly neutral feelings. There is an opportunity here, which is about connecting elements of your psyche that may be alienated, cast off or veiled in shadows. Be cautious of any notion of revenge or comeuppance. Be helpful and keep your promises, or at least gently bow out of them. It’s true that you’re learning to be generous with yourself, though for that to work, it does not imply a lack or loss for anyone else.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for September 2019 (#1259)
What is happening now will be clearer once the Moon opposes the Virgo Sun in about two weeks. However, we can begin with one idea: the events and developments in your world are about you, not about someone else. A good mantra for you now would be, “It’s not about him/her/them. It’s about me.” I am not suggesting that you be “selfish” as much as I am proposing that you center your experience on your own existence, and not use others as an excuse or foil. If you hear yourself placing a relationship as a major factor in a decision you’re making, pause and reflect. If you are worried about someone else’s feelings, take a step back and look at that carefully. These are likely to be excuses you are using to subvert your own power of decision. In that condition, you cannot be true to others, or take care of their needs — and to do so might be to avoid your own important agenda. Similarly, ensure you make everything in your life work for you. If you’re doing something out of a sense of duty or responsibility, learn how to do it better as a matter of self-improvement and experience. With Neptune in your opposite sign Pisces, you must proceed with caution in all matters where relationships are concerned. It’s not easy for you to see what is real and what is not. And you can no longer invest yourself in others as an “unconscious” means of finding out who you are.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for October 2019 (#1262)
Honor your words and your ideas. This is seemingly a great notion in a time of deception, where not only truth but the most basic value of meaning is being blurred, lost or intentionally destroyed. For your own sanity, you cannot participate in this, and further, you are someone whose leadership is needed to help us go beyond the current state of anarchy. This will require a careful review of your own point of view, your vocabulary and the way that you connect words and ideas to meaning. The most basic question to ask yourself is, "Is this true?" The second is, "How do you know?" Then there is another more sublime dimension: "What is the speaker’s (or writer’s) intended meaning or effect?" Words and letters are abstract symbols, and are inherently meaningless. We attach much to them, and then, ultimately, reading is what you might call an educated guess. Yet when you are the speaker or the writer, you must work with an element of precision, based on your understanding of what you’re saying. For most people, even the most artful professional writers, the quality of writing comes through the process of revision. Therefore, take the time to write, read, rewrite, and reread. Share your thoughts in progress selectively and ask other people what they think you mean. Then listen to what they say. You’re up against two disturbing trends in society. One is the prevalence of programs, scripts and robots. The other is the use of words as weapons. You are doing something else; you are conveying nuance and feeling. This is a purpose of its own.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for November 2019 (#1266)
Events in your fellow earth sign Capricorn continue to grind and thrash and compel you to let go of your inhibitions. This is the challenge of this time in your life. It’s where your particular moment intersects with our collective moment in history. We tend to delegate everything to authority, and therefore wait for authority to intervene. Civility is being delegated to rules that everyone is supposed to follow but nobody really understands. If you want to be an adult, with the freedom and responsibility of an adult, who is free to have all the fun you can afford, consider this. You do not need external authority telling you what is right and wrong. This includes both authoritarian concepts, and various (numerous) forms of pseudo-parents who tend to run and mess with our lives. The appealing quality of tyranny in any form is that it seems to absolve people from both vulnerability and the need to make difficult ethical choices. This only works for so long, because ultimately your evolving mind needs to wrestle with its own conscience and set itself free. Eventually, being protected and safe and secure becomes so tedious that, once you’ve experienced something else, you will never want to go back to it. One way to sum up your astrology is that your consciousness is moving from a political/parental orientation to a creative/exploratory one. This is the leap that so many people are afraid to take, mostly fearing they will be disapproved of. Therein lies the true Revolution.
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for December 2019 (#1270)
For those who don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, and for plenty who do, the central struggle of life is figuring out how to express themselves. Your chart embodies this entirely, as if you are a sculptor at work 18 hours a day bringing a piece of marble to life, or welding scraps of metal together into a bird that so convincingly wants to fly. Yet you are the marble, the metal and the bird. You want to shape yourself into those delicate flight feathers and talons, and into the person you’re becoming; you are the ideas you are making into a painting that you want to reveal to others. There is also something about your chart that describes you wanting to forget something: an experience or aspect of yourself, or perhaps a long phase of your history. However, I don’t think you can just let it go and have it be gone. Being human is not that simple. You’re not a device from which you can delete things. The purpose of your creative process is to move your experience through yourself and into a new form. In this way, art and evolution are related to one another. Talent does not matter; having something to say sort of matters. What counts is that you need to address something urgently, and you find an outlet for doing so. You don’t bury it, or go on a head-trip. You work it through in the process of recreating yourself.