Planet Waves Weekly | August 08, 2005 | Jonathan Cainer Edition

Space has been big news lately. While American space explorers were dealing with technical problems aboard their Shuttle, NASA revealed its plans for a new generation of space vehicles. And astronomers announced the discovery of a planet in our solar system larger than Pluto. Whether this is really a planet is a debate that will go on for a while, but what's beyond question is that we live in an age when exploring the cosmos seems normal. We might ask whether this makes any difference at all to a farmer in rural China, or for that matter, to someone on their way to work in London. I'll look at that question tomorrow.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Invest a little effort today into solving what you've come to think of as impossible problems at work, and you'll make months of progress. You've had more than enough brilliant ideas the past couple of days; you really should be working on cracking the riddles of theoretical physics. What's different about today is that you'll have the diplomatic skills to share your wisdom in ways that people will appreciate. It's really simple -- they will be as patient with you as you are with them. The best approach is to ask their opinions and give them credit for your ideas. Just remember the goal, which is making life easier for everyone.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)
I trust you're feeling safe enough to admit what you want. What you want to achieve is another story; that's been one of the greatest challenges of recent years, and you may not be aware of just how vague the picture of what you're trying to accomplish really is. You may be inclined to start with desire, and to acknowledge what's most important to you -- the practical approach. I suggest something different. You really just need to dream a little. A vision for your life is more than the nuts and bolts that hold it together. You are human, and you have an imagination. It's alive and well today, and trying to show you something.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)
You're working out some ideas about who you are and what you need to be doing. Along the way, there have been moments of transcendent insight when anything at all seemed possible, followed by moments of confusion when everything seemed impossible. Depending on where you stand, either one can actually be true. Your current mission is to guide yourself away from the defeatist tendencies of the world, and to hold the vision for what you've seen and felt is possible. This is a process, and it doesn't happen in one day. Remember that blame of any kind, including self-blame, is essentially a sign that the creative process has stopped.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Put your insecurities in a box at the back of your closet and notice your feet standing firmly on solid ground. That you may feel your life is protected or blessed is not surely an illusion, but you have to accept that blessing for it to have its full effects. You're playing a unique role in the world, and offering the rest of us something that's rare to find. Over the next six months or so, you're going to make your mark and earn a reputation for both bravery and innovation. To do that, you need to feel secure in your heart, in your home, and in your relationships.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
Credibility is important to you, but the extent to which we must live on faith is really quite awesome. Someone is straining for your trust, or you're struggling to trust a situation that seems too good to be true. This is happening at a time when you want your life to be secure, solid and predictable, and when others need the same from you. For the next couple of days, existence may be anything but those things, but that passes as quietly as it revealed itself, still, you're in a position where it would help if you were more reassuring rather than less, and by that, I mean reminding people that you really trust them.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
You may have an uneasy feeling that with each passing day, you're moving further from your real goal. Given that you seemed so close over the weekend is not helping your peace of mind any. But you simply have to allow your process to work out, rather than trying to consciously making it work out. As a Virgo, your natural tendency is to do the research and the math until you get the answers you need. Presently, your entire psychological process has taken on an intuitive quality, and you cannot force that to be anything it's not. The rewards of easing back and allowing will be more than worth the risk of doing so.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
Thoughts have an effect. Even science is grudgingly conceding this point (after all, it sounds a lot like telepathy). Still, most people live as if what they think has no bearing at all on who and what shows up at their front door. Pay attention today and you'll notice an especially pleasant version of this law demonstrated for you. It's likely to come in this form: recent developments that seemed to limit your potential or your expression have actually done much more to grant you freedom, resources and energy. But the universe works in strange ways, so keep a good attitude and watch closely what happens next.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Certain individuals who have seemed determined to be giving you a dose of your own energy will soon enough find a more compassionate approach to being with you. Their current method is based mostly on self-doubt, and you may be able to relate to them with the idea that they're being extremely, even ridiculously critical of themselves. But you may be onto this long before they are, and I don't suggest you respond in any way other than kind and caring. You remain one of the most compelling forces for change, and the best way to do that now is to quietly persist until others figure out the truth for themselves.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
Two of your most impressive talents are now working in full force -- one is your ability to inspire others with your ideas. The other is your ability to take the efforts of many people and focus them into one concrete result. I would caution you to proceed a little more slowly than you're inclined to do over the next week or so, because one of the more important plans you're developing is not fully formed, and you're likely to change your mind fairly soon. For the moment, I suggest you not come off overly confident. You can inspire people, but you can also confuse them. For now, take one small step at a time.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
Capricorn has a reputation for two things, mainly: professional aspirations, and an affinity for old things. Over the next week, the two are merging in a perfect mix that may leave you with the feeling that there's nothing you can't achieve because you've done it all before. To keep your creative edge, strive to do something new, or to contribute something the world needs right now. Put yourself in a position to help as many people as possible, and you'll find that you have rather extraordinary cooperation from some rather influential individuals. Politics is not always a dirty game; but when it's the only game in town, you have to play it well.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Though you've spent much of your life as a logical and intellectually-based person, as time has passed you've become more open to spiritual influences. But one problem with living this way is that it's rare to find people who believe exactly what you do, or even those who can affirm what you've learned. Look around today and you'll encounter those who will assure you that you're on the right track. Faith, as many have pointed out, works much better when it's shared, and what you learn over the next few days is how safe and wise you are to be open about what you once feared nobody would ever understand.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
In this world, it's so difficult to sort out truth from lies that most people gave up a long time ago. But you can't afford to live in that kind of chaos. You'll go a long way toward establishing peace of mind by being honest with yourself, which is the root of all sanity. Being direct, clear and gentle with the people around you would make a good follow-up. Give them a chance to speak their piece, offer the benefit of the doubt, and then withhold judgment. There's no rush, and what you learn over the next few days will provide you with enormous insight into the course of your closest relationships.

Thought of the Day