Planet Waves :: Cardinal Grand Cross: To the Edge and Beyond

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Cardinal Grand Cross: To the Edge and Beyond

Dear Friend and Reader:

Beginning Tuesday and into Wednesday, Mars in Libra retrogrades into a square to Jupiter, an opposition to Uranus and a square to Pluto. This is the perfection of the cardinal grand cross, four planets in an exact X with the Earth in the middle.

As the cardinal grand cross takes shape, Russia and Ukraine are on the brink of war. Developments Thursday may signify that Russia is willing to de-escalate, but we have a lot of astrology about to happen. Video still from The Guardian shows a protest from December, when the grand cross -- a highly stressful aspect -- was within a few degrees.

That, in turn, is one of the big moments in the Uranus-Pluto square -- our era-defining aspect, the one that spans from 2012 through 2015 with several years tacked onto either side. Fast-moving, personality-driven planets like Mars getting mixed up with slow movers such as Uranus and Pluto can bring otherwise hidden events associated with the main aspect out to the front of awareness.

Additionally, the grand cross aligns exactly with the United States Sun, which is at 13+ Cancer. In some way the karma of the United States is involved in this event. The U.S. Sun is in its 8th house, so there is some material around commitments, shared resources and sex that is involved. Thankfully it's Jupiter that's conjunct the U.S. Sun rather than Mars, Uranus or Pluto, though one effect of Jupiter is to magnify things.

We are in a big moment, even counted on a scale of decades. The two most potent aspects I remember before this were the Saturn-Pluto opposition of 2001, and the fixed grand cross and total solar eclipse of 1999.

Speaking of eclipses, next week's astrology is amplified by the fact of a solar eclipse. That happens Tuesday, April 29. So the grand cross and whatever it signifies is vibrating between the lunar eclipse of earlier in the week and the solar eclipse at the New Moon a week from Tuesday. The New Moon event suggests that this time between the eclipses is a seed moment, not just for setting intentions but also for focusing your mind on accomplishing them.

Said yet another way: the planets are aligning in a get-serious pattern. The combination of squares, oppositions, a generational event and a series of eclipses is describing the urgency of our moment and also how much influence we can have if we want it.

The discovery of Chiron was the first time that a natal chart for a planet was taken seriously by astrologers. This chart has many amazing features, including the Galactic Core rising to the degree (left side of chart, 26+ Sagittarius). Chiron is positioned near the edge of the 5th house; it's the orange key with the number 3 next to it. That position is 3 Taurus and 9 arc minutes. Now check the Sun in the next chart.

Getting serious, however, is usually the thing we like to do the very least, here in our la-la land of adventure films, foamy sugar, iPods and iPhones and where even 'progressive' programs consist of one-third television commercials that verge on psychotic fantasies. Americans live in a country where adults are fed dietary fiber in gumdrops and 4.5 million guns are purchased every year.

In the United States there are 90 guns for every 100 people and no obvious connection between that and the more than 11,400 Americans killed by people using guns including homicide, suicide and accidental death in the first year after Newtown that were reported by the media. The actual number of people killed by guns was 33,173.

I've said a few times that one of the most serious problems of Western civilization is our seeming inability to connect cause and effect. Cause and effect is the Law of Karma, and the failure to make the connection can breed karma rapidly. And that is exactly -- exactly, precisely -- what our society does. We breed karma faster than it's possible to get out of it, by any normal means not requiring a profound spiritual connection or help from friendly extraterrestrials good at cleaning up nuclear waste.

Meanwhile, many people want to wake up, and try to do so diligently. Yet the first thing anyone on a path of awakening is likely to discover is just how twisted their society is, and how driven by dark motives. That fact is not exactly encouragement for becoming conscious. Anyone with a shred of intelligence knows that to approach any aspect of the global crisis, more is demanded than their personal purity; we have to do more than what we deem to be 'our part'.

Solving problems, whether personal or on a scale larger than one's own immediate situation, involves becoming aware of the nature of the issue. This alone seems to be an obstacle -- many global problems are extremely complex, or they seem that way. Meanwhile, one's personal circumstances can be more than enough to bear. For anyone sensitive who feels the pull toward considering what we must solve to protect future generations, the pressure can be overwhelming.

It's 2014 and people are still debating whether global warming is real. We might want to pay attention to who's paying them. Photo by Ray Strange.

Even trying to approach or resolve a relatively simple problem within a community can lead to total frustration. This is often connected to the personalities who are invested in the dysfunction, the underlying politics or encountering those who are committed to things staying the way they are -- often for reasons that are entirely opaque.

On a larger scale, a 10-minute discussion of an actual global problem or the motives driving it can be enough to have someone sobbing. For many, denial seems to be an essential survival tool. But denial doesn't do anything and its effectiveness as a hedge wears off quickly.

Considering the pressure of this astrology, the world seems to be in a fairly ordinary state. Sometimes precision of aspects can lend itself to solutions. I believe they can be used that way; if we are going to get astrology working in our service, it's necessary to use it as a map to connecting with collective energy and understanding trends that might otherwise defy understanding.

The astrology we're experiencing looks like it could push anyone to the edge. That might be a psychological or emotional edge; a limit on tolerance of a situation. This could also represent a trip to the edge of one's intelligence -- that is often productive, because the edge is where you can go beyond what you knew or thought of before. It's the place to take the leap.

Yet everything about the current astrology says this must be done with precision.

The Sun in the Chiron Discovery Degree

Speaking of precision, there is an unusual feature of the April 23 grand cross, which has not eluded the perception of Chiron-spotters in the audience. Chiron is a small planet orbiting our Sun that was discovered in 1977. My impression after watching the world go by is that Chiron has been the most influential planet in shaping the ethos of modern professional astrology.

Chart for the grand cross of April 23, tuned with the Sun in the discovery degree and minute of Chiron. That is, in this chart the Sun is in the exact position that Chiron was in when it was discovered in 1977, 3 degrees of Taurus and 9 arc minutes. You can trace the grand cross by following the planets with the number 13 next to them.

At the moment of the alignment, the Sun is in the degree where Chiron was discovered. In fact, Mars square Pluto happens in a near-perfect synchronicity with the Sun conjunct the degree and minute where Chiron was discovered -- 3 Taurus and 9 minutes of arc.

This is one of those connections that's so strange and interesting and vibrating with meaning that I keep looking at it wondering how it's even possible. We could translate this into, "Whatever the grand cross is about, it has something to do with the discovery of Chiron."

Chiron is the planet that represents holistic consciousness. One of the first modern holistic healers, D. D. Palmer, discovered 'chiropractic' and did the first adjustment in 1895, the year that the first photograph was (unwittingly) taken of Chiron. Called a pre-discovery photo, it sat in the files till astronomers dug it out in 1977 to confirm the orbit of the new object; its discoverer, Charles Kowal, named it Chiron after the famous healer of Greek mythology. Most astronomers don't believe in astrology but those who discover and name planets are often very good at it. Kowal gave Chirion its first keyword, maverick -- one who stands away from the crowd.

Chiron, the first centaur, was a half-man, half-horse, and was abandoned as a child and raised by the god Apollo, who taught him medicine and surgery. Chiron then passed his skills to Asclepius, who became the god of medicine. Chiron is a healer but also a teacher of those on the stature of a god; he was also mentor to a generation of Greek heroes, including Heracles, Jason and Achilles.

So with Chiron, we get the theme of holistic consciousness, healing and also the vital theme of mentorship. There are many ways to learn things: books, classes, seminars and YouTube videos among them. But for serious, grounded and careful learning, there may be no better way than mentorship.

Chiron itself is prominent in the grand cross chart, part of a grouping of objects in Pisces that includes Neptune, Venus and two other useful minor planets, Nessus (another centaur) and Borasisi (similar to Pluto but a bit further from the Sun). None of these are asteroids; later in Pisces there is a rather phenomenal grouping of those.

Yet Chiron's discovery degree, 3+ Taurus, can function in many ways like Chiron itself. It is a reminder that relates directly to the moment of discovery, and the era of discovery, when the new planet manifested.

Achilles and the Centaur Chiron painted by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787). Chiron was mentor to many of the most revered Greek heroes, teaching them archery and other battle skills, battlefield medicine, ethics and in this illustration, music.

The 1970s were an exciting time, a dawning of the era of hands-on healing, the early acceptance of naturopathic medicine, awareness of the mind-body connection and when actual therapy as opposed to meds was something that had respect.

Notably, chiropractors were entering the struggle for their existence, and did battle with the official medical establishment, which was trying to destroy their profession.

In 1976, a year before Chiron's discovery, a chiropractor named Dr. Chester Wilk brought a federal antitrust lawsuit against the American Medical Association (AMA) and numerous other allopathic medical organizations. The federal court ruled that doctors had waged a "lengthy, systematic, successful and unlawful boycott" designed to restrict cooperation between MDs, all in an effort to eliminate the chiropractic profession as a competitor in the United States healthcare system.

More interesting, though they had repeatedly attacked chiropractic medicine through something called the "Committee on Quackery," testimony at the trial demonstrated that medical doctors leading the attack did not even know what chiropractic was or how it worked. After 14 years, Wilk and his attorney Mick Andrews won a substantial settlement that included direct admission of wrongdoing by the AMA and other organizations.

Who could persist this long against such injustice? Someone with Chiron on the midheaven, as Wilk has. The 10th is the house of professional achievement and reputation, as well as one's relationship to the established power structure. Chiron in that position describes a person who is fearless, and who will go up against the whole system if necessary.

Today we take for granted that chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, homeopathy and naturopathy are legal, legitimate and available in nearly any city and many smaller towns. It is true that the AMA and the drug companies attempt to crush anything that might compete with them, but it's worth noticing that they have not succeeded.

Dr. Chester Wilk, a chiropractor, led a federal antitrust lawsuit against the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the Illinois Medical Society and other allopathic organizations who he proved were conspiring to destroy chiropractic medicine. It took him 14 years, but he beat them. Dr. Wilk has Chiron on the midheaven, the most elevated planet in his chart. Photo from video interview.

It was not long ago that the word 'massage' meant going to a prostitute, and that people bandied around the term 'psychosomatic illness' as an insult, translating loosely to 'it's all in your head'.

The time of Chiron's discovery was a time of the roots of the holistic movement reaching deep into the culture. We might lament that the medical establishment and GMO foods and big pharma have way too much power -- but imagine a world with no alternatives, with no options.

Let's consider the relationship of the Sun conjunct the discovery degree. The Sun is the astrological equivalent of the healthy ego. You can describe it as the place people want to shine in life, and seek success and glory. It's one of the most powerful identity factors in astrology -- often, the seat of the idea 'I am'.

But the Sun can be a baby, seeking attention and wanting something for nothing. Other factors in the chart will describe how the person is willing to work or not work for their success (and potentially, glory); the person's ability to actually be an adult.

In this chart, the Sun is making contact with the emergence of Chiron as an idea and as a reality. It's as if the Sun has found its mentor, or connected to a source of higher knowledge.

The Chiron discovery degree shows up interesting places. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who died this week, has the discovery degree rising (see the 3 Taurus 47 on the lower left of the diagram). This comes up when his chart is cast according to his officially recorded birth time (the degree rising advances every four minutes).

To me this placement is symbolic of the kind of growing up that we will need to embark upon in order to participate in solving the global crisis. The first step in that is individuals paying attention to their own personal healing, working with role models and becoming functioning adults. We have seen, in the past, many problems with immature people ending up in positions of power -- we see the kinds of power games for which the world is so famous.

Grounded, healthy leadership requires individuals who are aware of themselves and of their relationship to their environment. It also requires people who have an actual spiritual connection, that is, whose perception does not end on the physical plane but who have the capacity to think and be sensitive on several layers of consciousness.

Yet this goes beyond the concept of 'self help' or being a better person. It goes entirely beyond the notion of what is self-serving, and beyond the idea of doing one's bit. Inherent in Chiron is the drive for service, a passion and devotion to humanity that you really can't fake.

There is one other thing. Chiron represents processing some of the darkest emotions and experiences that humans are capable of. Everyone has a little piece of this, and some people have quite a lot. On one level I'm talking about normal emotions but which can, if ignored, get blown out of proportion or acted out in extremely toxic ways. The denial of shadow material -- emotions associated with fear, shame, guilt, abandonment and aggression -- has led to more war and mayhem than perhaps any other factor, including greed (which is fed by all of the above). The holistic process described by Chiron demands honest awareness of these aspects of consciousness, if only so they can be brought to the light of healing.

Without the Sun in the Chiron discovery degree, this would be a frightening chart, indicative of all kinds of mayhem and violence with no way out. With a bold reminder of Chiron and what it represents, the scenario makes a lot more sense. We have a chart that reveals the problem, and it reveals the way to many potential solutions.

Lovingly,

Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday and Friday morning in Kingston, New York by Planet Waves, Inc. Editor and Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Business Manager: Chelsea Bottinnelli. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Research, Writing and Editing: Planet Waves is produced by a team consisting of Hillary Conary, Elizabeth Michaud, Amy Silver, Carol van Strum, Len Wallick and Chad Woodward. Special thanks to the Fact Checkers List, which goes over each edition on Thursday night -- and to our main astrology fact-checker Alex Miller, and Amanda, who goes over all their suggestions. Our editions are also proofread and fact-checked by Jessica Keet.

Sun Enters Taurus, Meets 1992 QB1

When the Sun enters Taurus on Saturday at 11:55 pm EDT, it immediately makes a conjunction to a minor planet called 1992 QB1, which (after 22 years in Aries) is now in the first degree of Taurus. Well, a minor planet but not so minor. QB1 was the first object ever discovered orbiting our Sun beyond Pluto. As such, it counts as the discovery of the Kuiper Belt. [See related article here.]

Illustration of the Kuiper Belt by Don Dixon, which originally appeared in Scientific American in 2000. The outermost inner ring is the orbit of Neptune. The inclined orbit would be something like Pluto, though with a much longer orbit than Pluto actually has; in 2000 it would represent a possible discovery, though the shape and inclination are evocative of Eris. The Kuiper Belt is the cloud of small objects that surround the solar system. © by Don Dixon, all rights reserved.

I associate QB1 with the art of thresholding -- the conscious process of helping others get across mental and emotional barriers, including those associated with sex, emotional contact, self-awareness, death and dying, the birthing process and inaugurating new eras of their lives. In Taurus, we have an image of dissolving old patterns and personal customs as well as rigid and limiting self-concepts; there is an image of changing what seems impossible to change.

For more than 60 years, Pluto, a planet named for the Roman lord of death and the underworld, held the position of official furthest planet from the Sun. The furthest planet out sets a conceptual boundary, a kind of limit on what is considered possible. It seems to work as a container for existence that most people are not able to get beyond. [I explore this concept in an article called The Foggy New Edge of Neptune, written at the time that Eris was named.]

The discovery of QB1 initiated a time when we could, at least in theory, get beyond the "death works" school of thought -- that is, a psychological hangup wherein the threat of death or industrial-scale murder were the most impressive things going. As Dr. Wilhelm Reich pointed out, psychiatry and psychology became obsessed with death around this time, leaving behind their prior theory that sexuality was the core of human consciousness. Why did they do that? According to Reich, they were afraid that the Nazis would kill them. I believe this closed off a vast area of human potential.

The six decades after Pluto's discovery arrived with World War II, the bomb being dropped on Japan, the nuclear arms race, the Korean War, the Southeast Asian wars in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, genocide in East Timor, wars throughout Central America, a 10-year war between Iran and Iraq with both sides sponsored by the United States, then an outright massacre in Iraq initiated by the United States. In other words, it was one continuous, perpetual war from shortly after Pluto's discovery in 1930 until the discovery of QB1 in 1992.

Dr. Wilhelm Reich, a psychiatrist, was not afraid to challenge the prevailing view that death was a more important force in the psyche than sex.

During these same six decades, the chemical industry contaminated the entire planet with DDT, PCBs and dioxins, all of them hormonal toxins. The real problem is that all of this became so pervasive it seemed normal. Attempting to adapt to life in this kind of society, many people have the motto, "Well, something's gotta kill you."

Astrology desperately needed a concept beyond Pluto, so it could describe something beyond all of this agony. The problem is that astrologers didn't notice that one had been discovered. Yet after QB1 was noted and recorded by science, there followed a flood of other discoveries in what became known as the Kuiper Belt, some of which have been noticed by a few astrologers. Yet QB1 may be the least-often used scientifically significant planet in astrology, even by minor planet specialists.

That may be because the discoverers have chosen not to give it a name. Therefore it lacks an ego identity and mythological baggage. One thing it does not lack is meaning. The Sun's ingress into Taurus and conjunction to this point all weekend may be a time when the themes of QB1 will come to the surface -- if you're curious, pay attention.

Events Surrounding the Grand Cross

Mars retrograde in Libra makes first contact with the grand cross on Tuesday, making a square to Jupiter at 3:27 pm EDT. Mars opposes Uranus Wednesday at 3:08 am EDT.

Mercury ingresses Taurus at 5:16 am EDT Wednesday, making a conjunction to 1992 QB1 shortly after. Mars then squares Pluto at 9:38 am EDT, which I consider to be the peak of energy. I would note that any one of these aspects would be significant -- Mars square Jupiter (in mundane astrology, the potential for believing what is not true, exaggeration, false wisdom), Mars opposite Uranus (aggression, accidents, conflicts, potential breakthroughs, potential violence), and Mars square Pluto (inner conflict, inner movement, coming up against an inner limit; this is a potentially violent aspect as well).

Together, however, they represent one thought, one idea that I suggest be considered and taken as a whole, even if you don't have words for it.

Detail of minor planets at the time of Mars square Pluto (or very close to it). Note that the only other planet exactly on the cross is Okyrhoe, a centaur planet with the shortest orbit of all the planets in its class. Discovered in 1998, it orbits our Sun in just over 24 years.

There's one centaur planet on the grand cross, called Okyrhoe, named for the child of Chiron and Chariklo. Okyrhoe is in an exact conjunction to Pluto at 13+ Capricorn. Mars makes a square to Okyrhoe Thursday, April 14 at 1:22 am EDT. It is interesting that (using my set of about 120 points) there are no other minor planets besides this one exactly on the cross -- no asteroids, no Kuiper objects, no other centaurs -- just four planets and Okyrhoe, who in mythology was known for her gift of prophesy. Given the retrograde status of Mars, this is one reason why I've been cautious of (and cautioning against) making predictions associated with this whole grand cross scenario.

Once it retrogrades past the exact degrees of the grand cross, the next thing Mars does is make an exact conjunction to Hybris. This is the root of the word hubris. Martha Lang-Wescott delineates Hybris: "Expectation, glass-ceilings, limits -- what one future-paces as their fate, their slot in life." That is, in astrology, it can translate into one's conditioned limitations.

Mars retrograde in Libra conjunct Hybris could take this whole discussion right into the realm of intimate relationships and our concepts of limitations that are associated with them (such as, "I cannot do this because I'm in a relationship" or "I cannot talk to you because I'm in a relationship," etc.).

With Mars conjunct Hybris, I would add that there's the obvious caution about good old-fashioned hubris as Shakespeare applied the concept (the tragic flaw, which is a form of unbridled ambition) and a more strict definition of the concept.

In other words, though the planets may be full of astrological testosterone, I suggest that the best approach is to be cool. Not pretend -- actually be cool.

Planet Waves

And How Does All of This Astrology Affect Me?

I never thought you would ask!

Earlier this month, after many months of research and prior writing (with The Mars Effect as my main warm-up), I recorded the 2014 Spring Reading, which looks at how the grand cross pattern influences your sign and rising sign. The package contains all 12 readings, which are 40 to 45 minutes each.

Photo by Jeff Bisti.

These readings are relevant now, but they will serve you for years. They will be helpful today. I predict that you will listen more than once and take notes. Play them in six months or in 2017 and they will still be relevant.

Each reading vibrates with a different message, looking at both the grand cross and then the specific astrology within your sign. For example (not including all the signs here), I cover Uranus in Aries for Aries, the eclipse in Taurus for Taurus, Jupiter in Cancer for Cancer, Mars retrograde in Libra for Libra, Saturn in Scorpio for Scorpio, Chiron and Neptune in Pisces for Pisces, and so on.

The readings are then cross-referenced -- I recommend what other signs will be helpful for you to listen to. This is an awesome astrology product.

These readings are easy to follow, spoken in plain English. They are passionate, alive, motivational and a fantastic use of astrology. In terms of my recorded readings, I believe this is my best work, so far.

If you're curious, there are three short recordings you can listen to for an idea of what I cover and the tone of the readings. You can listen to three samples from the readings as well as my welcome message to the project. You can also listen to my preview of the readings (recorded before I started). Those pages have other fun resources.

The full set of readings is $59. That is about what you will pay for many database-created reports on other websites. For that, you get 12 personal, friendly, extremely useful readings by me, which you can share with your household. Here is the link to purchase.

Please let me know how you like these readings. Thank you for doing your metaphysical shopping at Planet Waves.

Lovingly,

Taking time to smell the proverbial roses in one of Vyacheslav Mishchenko's photos from his snail series.

Life at a Snail’s Pace

Is the speed of life these days getting you down? Is the time-warp feeling of these weeks between eclipses, combined with all the energy ramping up for the cardinal grand cross, feeling a little overwhelming?

Luckily the Sun ingresses Taurus Saturday, taking on that sign’s more languid approach to time and a renewed contact with the earth to balance all the fire and air in the sky. But when it comes to slowing down, even bulls got nothing on snails -- a favorite subject of Ukrainian photographer Vyacheslav Mishchenko.

Mishchenko specializes in macro photography; that is, taking pictures with the camera very close to the subject, which is often very small. Some of his images are obviously staged (snails floating on cherries?) but that doesn’t diminish their otherworldliness, whimsy and beauty, or his clear appreciation for nature’s critters. Including those moving at a Taurean pace.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra: Polarity to the Max, and Back Again

In this week's edition of Planet Waves FM, I welcomed the total lunar eclipse in Libra. This was the most listened-to edition of Planet Waves FM, with more than 7,099 unique visits to the website beween April 14 and 17. I start the program with the Mercury-Uranus-Pluto aspect, then look closely at the two sides of the eclipse, Aries and Libra. You get detailed information about how all eclipses work, and especially this one. For additional resources, please see the full post. If you are using an iOS device, please use this link. We’ve just published the Spring Reading! Order all twelve signs for $59.95.

Planet Waves

Photo by Eric Francis.

Dan and Eric Have Plenty to Say About Chords

In this week's edition of Dan and Eric's Music Appreciation Hour, we review scales. Then we talk about harmonies, intervals and counterpoint (the elements of chords). Then we go into major chords, minor chords, suspended chords, and power chords (and then after a digression about Nirvana and power chords) we get into sixths, sevenths and other fancier (and slightly more dissonant) stuff. If you are using an iOS device, please use this link. We’ve just published! Order all twelve signs for $59.95.

Planet Waves

Your Monthly Horoscopes -- and our Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscopes for April were published Friday, March 21. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for March Friday, Feb. 21. Moonshine horoscopes for the Aries New Moon published Tuesday, March 25. Moonshine horoscopes for the Libra Full Moon were published Tuesday, April 8. We also published an Inner Space horoscope for April Tuesday, April 1. Please note, we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign.

Reader Feedback on my Recorded Readings

This is an excerpt of a letter that floated into my inbox this morning. It's from someone who just experienced The Mars Effect annual readings, and apparently a few others. The Aries birthday reading is available now.

"I'm highly grateful for the work you do. All of the readings I have gotten from you have touched my Soul the Core of its very essence. I just ordered a Gemini Reading for my Other Half, aka Soul Mate. We both listened to the reading together this morning and it had such a profound effect in more ways than one; with this knowledge we become closer in knowing that we have the power to create a life of abundance and purpose. I'm thankful to you for sharing your gifts with Hue Manity and yes I did say Hue Manity."

Planet Waves

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, April 18, 2014, #995 | By Eric Francis

Aries (March 20-April 19) -- In every area of your life, you must proceed with caution, especially where your relationships are concerned. Caution does not mean fear. Rather, it means awareness and proceeding with a commitment to having accurate information. Where human relationships are concerned, there are three sources of information: yourself, the person you're communicating with, and your environment. Because you must direct your own life based on your feelings, you are the most significant source of intelligence. Given that your primary mission in life is to define who you are on your own terms, that means it's crucial that you actually listen to yourself. Yet others will give you vital feedback, especially about what they want and what they intend to do, though you may need to ask directly. I suggest you be bold and direct about that. As for your environment, observe whether it's supporting you or not. What are the complexities and wrinkles in the situation? Who else is involved or influencing the flow of events? Where are you, and do you feel like you belong there? The more sincere your inquiries, the more sincere the answers will be.

Are you ready for a change? The astrology of this season offers a new opening to intimacy and trust in your relationships. Pre-order your Spring Report by Eric Francis now. You'll get all twelve signs for $59.95 if you order before the readings publish -- a significant value! Curious to know more? Listen to the free audio preview.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- In order to think outside a container, it's necessary to know its shape and its dimensions. Then it will be clear when you're within a previously defined boundary, and when you're outside. Once you're in a larger space, you have the challenge of defining something that is essentially infinite. At that point, constraints can seem appealing, but you also know you've outgrown the ones you've lived in for so long. But you don't need constraints; you need workable definitions and approaches to living, one of which would include flexibility. All of this starts with your mind and your imagination. You are accustomed to working not only with rigid concepts but also with limits on what you think is possible, what you're capable of and what you're willing to believe. If you start with the premise that anything is possible and some things are preferable, you will go light years toward accessing your deeper talent and sense of purpose. The intelligence source that you are currently tapping into (or that you can if you want) might feel like something 'other than yourself'. That's not really true, but if you have that feeling, you're accessing a source of vital information that you can trust.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- You currently have the ability to see around corners and deep into yourself, though I suggest you turn your head and look in all directions. Travel home by a different route than you went someplace. Make conscious decisions to alter your routines and to keep your perspective moving. If you can, go to a high place like a hilltop or a tall building and look down on your neighborhood or community. Extraordinary astrology in your 10th solar house, Pisces, is encouraging you to re-evaluate your goals and allow yourself to do so in a radical way. It's easy to consider what you want based on what you think is the right thing, or what you planned on doing in the past. Your astrology is describing a scenario where you take the chance of considering what you really want to accomplish. That would obviously involve a risk of some kind, engaging with the unknown and unpredictable. When you see the potential to fail as well as to succeed, you know you're in the right place.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- So many factors now are working in your favor, it would be difficult to list them all -- but they include an abundance of creativity, of passion and of curiosity. What you need to keep a handle on is your emotions. The challenge there is that your feelings may deceive you. So your first priority is sidestepping conflict, which is another way of saying recognizing what does not matter, and removing all emphasis from it. Others may try to engage you on that level; your job is to move on. Recognize what actually does mean something to you and place your emphasis there. It will help if you prioritize, especially on some basis other than what you were attached to in the past. That's one reason I'm suggesting that your own preference and immediate significance are vital to you now. They always were, but one fact of civilization involves all the efforts at conning people out of their true needs and desires. One other thing: Focus on quality work. In this world, you can do just about anything you want, as long as you do it well.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- You seem to be facing the ongoing challenge of mental clarity and organizing what may feel like an overwhelming workload. The key to simplifying your scenario is systems design. There are always simpler, more efficient and more effective ways to do things. Success often involves accomplishing more, so the methods you used when you were less successful (or had more modest plans) need rethinking and revision. Begin with a blank template and make an inventory of all you want to get done, all that's demanded of you by your situation and the resources you have to work with. You can include assets that you would like to be working with but don't have available yet; one of the most important concepts of the new design is flexibility, and another is the prerogative -- clearly stated and kept right in the front of your mind -- of creating options. If a system is to be flexible, it has to be designed as such from the beginning. Perceived limits need to be accounted for, and addressed directly as variables -- not as mandates. You're accustomed to being the most flexible aspect of any scenario. Now the time has come to bring everyone and everything else up to that same standard.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- The question, "What next?" is second only in importance to "What now?" One depends on the other. You get to the next place from where you are now. So start by evaluating your exact location and status at this moment. Then figure out how you got here. I suggest you use logical tools such as a chronology, a list of your prior goals, a list of your current goals, and who you are trying to please. It will be extremely helpful if you do an analysis of your financial situation, and study your assets and your liabilities. Note exactly where your money comes from and where it goes. Figure out what you could or would do if you had more money or less debt. I can give you a little vignette that may help make the point. When people say to me, "I would go to therapy but I can't afford it," I suggest that they go to the first session and say they want to work on why they don't have enough money for the things they need. If this moment in your life comes with one turning point, it's about taking a no-bullshit approach to your finances.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Confidence is the issue. On Earth it's always the issue, but for now, it's really, truly, the issue. Keep that in mind every moment, and ask what you would do, if only you had the confidence. Meanwhile, you need to keep in mind when you are reacting, when you're responding and when you're provoking. The difference may be sly and subtle; for example, you may be reacting to someone a certain way in order to provoke a response. You may resort to manipulation. In order to be confident, you have to know what you're doing. You must understand the politics of any given situation, including the most intimate, and proceed appropriately. Chances are that will involve a blend of being real and choosing your words carefully. Doing both will compel you to know your own mind, and to practice stating your desires and your intentions to others. Said simply, you have to stop bullshitting people about who you are and what you want. Withholding your true feelings is not getting you anywhere, and you know personally how many setbacks it's been responsible for. It's time to be real and only real.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- You may feel lost or powerless when the exact opposite is true. What you're experiencing now is a perfect example of the distinction between perception and reality. Of course, if you feel lost, you're likely to act that way, and that will be real to you. The main challenge you face is twofold. One is that you have an overwhelming sense of responsibility, to someone or something -- I suggest you direct it toward yourself. The other is denial. It's easy for you to pretend that what is, is not (in a diversity of forms.) Over the next 10 days, you will have a number of orientation points that will help you determine where you stand with yourself. Some of these may emerge in moments of conflict. If you are in a situation where you are triggered or where you strongly disagree with someone, that is a point of orientation. You will be able to see clearly what your opinion about anyone or anything really is -- and that is the very thing you want to navigate by. This means that all emotions, negative and positive and seemingly neutral, will be useful -- in truth, everything you feel and learn must go to productive use. That is the nature of your moment.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- This is not the time to make or break contracts -- you're under too much pressure, there are variables you don't know about, and it's essential that you figure out what you want before you commit to anything new. I suggest you hold to your current course as the grand cross and solar eclipse do their work, though obviously if you encounter something interesting to do, do it if you want, as long as you don't sign away any portion of your future longer than an evening or weekend adventure. The very most significant thing you can do is to see your options. This really is one of the great challenges facing humanity, even in this time of so many alleged choices. Most of the usual options don't apply to you; they are too trivial. Your astrology suggests this is a time of authentic, deep decisions for you, and to make such decisions you need some idea of what is available. Your fiery nature usually likes to jump into things headlong without considering what might develop. Your current astrology is saying you need to be a clear thinker, an analyst and a visionary to make the most out of your options, many of which you don't yet know exist.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- You know who you are and where you're going. You know -- but I don't suggest you say a word to anyone else. Rather, begin to slip into the life you're embarking on like a hand gently wiggling into a well-fitted glove. As I've suggested before, your astrology seems, on one level, to be pushing you into making radical decisions, particularly where your career or business is concerned. I am suggesting that you make subtle decisions, choices smaller than you may think matter. Most of them involve people and how you relate to them. In terms of your business life, everything you do right now comes down to the most intricate fabric of your human contacts, and the conscious cultivation of trust. Yet at the same time there is also a matter of appearance involved. You must be careful about ever using appearance to deceive. Rather, use the magic and power of presentation to convey the underlying truth of who you are. Present your real talents in the most elegant way, coming right from your soul. Most success is not built on this -- yours will be.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- You can feel everything that's happening, and it's essential that you do. Those who are close to you may have no idea the extent of your sensitivity or how tuned into your personal world or the larger world around you, you are. The information that's coming to you, and that will continue to come to you, is entering your awareness for a reason. I suggest you stay out of the fray; that you not leap into the center of the action, or involve yourself in anything that is only peripheral to your life -- it would be way too easy to get distracted. Part of the deeper purpose of what you're observing and -- by direct extension, learning -- involves an ongoing project in leadership training. One key to leadership is knowing when to get involved in a situation and when to back off. In this case, discretion is definitely the better part of valor. You seem to be in a grooming process for a very specific purpose, one that calls on you to have solid knowledge and many contacts, and that will make itself known when the time is right. Pay attention because the timing will be significant.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Remember, Chiron is in your sign. Given all the astrology that is surrounding us, if I had to tell you one thing, in one short sentence, I would say: Chiron is in your sign. Therefore, embody the healer. Be the place of sanctuary, the mind that is open to wisdom, the one who participates in the eternal chain of knowledge passed from teacher to student, one generation to the next. Tune your mind to the interconnectedness of all things. As you notice the connections, do your best to have patience with those who don't see them, or who seem committed to not noticing. Remember that you have not chosen the path of sacrifice. There may be certain circumstances and things that you must renounce, but that is for the purpose of being open and available to that which is exponentially better. Remember, finally, in any situation you may encounter, to 'seek not outside yourself'. Seek within for what you need -- be it knowledge, resources, strength or awareness. You are not the source, but at this time in your life, a deep connection within you is opening up to the source. Ask sincerely and be willing to receive.

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