Photo by Danielle Voirin

THE SKY is remarkable right now. As of yesterday, Mars has joined Pluto, Jupiter, the Sun and Venus in Sagittarius. As of a few hors ago, Mercury has joined the fray and we will experience a stunning triple conjunction of Jupiter, Mars and Mercury on Monday.

This conjunction occurs in the 4th degree of Sagittarius. Pluto crossed this region of space from early 1996 through early 1997. What you were developing in those years is now likely to be coming into the forefront of your experience. The Sabian symbol for 4th Sagittarius is: "A little child learning to walk with the encouragement of his parents."

This is surrounded by two interesting degrees, which may tell more of the story. The 3rd degree of Sagg has the symbol, "Two men playing chess. The transcendent ritualization of conflict." The 5th degree has the symbol, "An old owl sits alone on the branch of a large tree."

Perhaps these symbols will be evocative for you.

Or, consider this. The conjunction occurs close to Pholus, the second Centaur planet (discovered 1992), just one degree away in Sagittarius. It's also applying in a sextile to the Chiron-Nessus conjunction in early Aquarius. (Chiron is the first Centaur, discovered 1977; Nessus is the third Centaur, discovered 1993.) As I've described in earlier editions, this setup is part of the story of our generation (and indeed of every child born in the current generation, as the astrology appears in their natal charts). While Chiron, Nessus and Pholus are not well understood planets as far as most astrologers are concerned, that does not detract from their symbolic power or actual influence. The cycles of planets can be seen long before they are discovered, as confirmed in retrospect, by researching the events of history.

We are now in a moment when the long-standing generational astrology is being ignited, activated, summoned and/or brought to full awareness (as you prefer) by a series of inner-planet transits (Mercury, Sun, Venus, Mars), and also a transpersonal planet, Jupiter.

While there are many planets being discovered and named these days, we may pause to consider whether we are living through the age of the Centaur planet, with this group's emphasis on rising above pain and struggle, healing from the inside out, recognizing our common injuries, and most important, using the things that have hurt us in the past to help us advance ourselves in the present.

The Centaurs are about awareness, principally, self-awareness. They are utilities in the evolutionary process, which Centaur-styled is a journey of self-integration. With Centaur energy you run into a lot of contradictions, which seem to be peculiar to the human condition. Part of the Centaur journey is working them out consciously.

Planetary Cluster

The planets go through phases where they cluster, which has indeed been occurring since summer. This in part happens because Mercury and Venus never venture too far from the Sun. For example, from the viewpoint of the Earth, Mercury always stays within 28 degrees of the Sun (interestingly, an aspect close to a semi-sextile). Venus is never more than about 46 degrees from the Sun (sources vary by about two degrees, but it's close to a semi-square).

Then every now and then, Mars gets near the Sun and, as a result, is also near Mercury and Venus. That creates a quadruple cluster, which then grows if slow-movers are in the neighborhood. That's just what happened, and the result is a whole lot of intensity and a touch of divine madness.

When the planets, following the Sun, started to arrive in Scorpio earlier in the autumn, they joined slow-moving Jupiter there, and we simultaneously experienced a Mercury retrograde, which slowed down Mercury's progress through the signs for a while and prolonged the whole Scorpio effect.

Then something interesting happened: Jupiter, which has a 12-year orbit, moved signs along with all the other planets, returning to Sagittarius (which sign it is said to rule in traditional astrology) for the first time since the last cycle. More notably, everything showed up in Sagg just in time for Pluto, which has been there more than 12 years, to take its voyage over the Galactic Core.

Pluto in Sagittarius has meant many things to many people, but it would seem to have paved the way for something in all our lives. Sagittarius is the sign of beliefs, ideologies, world-view, large ideas, travel, and one's vision for oneself; it is the sign of what some call the 'higher self' and lots of things with the term 'higher' involved: higher education; the higher courts; and so on.

The Core and the Enlightenment

Pluto conjunct the Galactic Core is the main event of Pluto in Sagg; the defining moment of our era in history, and perhaps for a long time to come. The last time Pluto crossed the core, mind you, before the existence of either was known to science, we embarked on the period of revolutions (in particular, French and American), and something called 'the Enlightenment'.

The Enlightenment is a buzzword for 'modern thought'; for example, science saving the world from ideas of hell and damnation that were being used to bully everyone around, keep women in their place, keep men in their place for that matter, and make sure you were basically living in fear all the time.

Unless you really study history, you really have no idea how powerful the Catholic Church was before science. Today, apart from its wealth, its covert influence in banking and troubling the conscience of many, the institution of the Church is a relic of its former self. In days of old, it dominated all forms of ideology in the Western world, it was well on the way to spreading its views to the whole world; it either served as, or dominated, government, massacring millions of people and determining what could and could not be thought.

The Church was the supreme center of worldly life in Europe. Then came the Enlightenment, where something called reason -- conscious intellectual process, including infant science -- began to take the place of unfounded belief, arbitrary edicts and people such as the Pope getting away with convincing everyone they were God or had a direct line to God. In those days, the Church-State could come and ransack your home in the name of the Universe.

Here is an example of Enlightenment thinking, from the Bill of Rights:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Or these, a few wise words from our old friend James Madison, who wrote the Bill of Rights: "The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries."

Yet right along with Pluto, we seem to have come full circle. Using the United States as an unfortunately good example, we have experienced a more or less free society becoming a theocratic one ruled by vicious dogma. Some societies with previously dogmatic ideologies have taken their whole trip over the top, for example, the tribal strife in Iraq. Today as we speak blood is spilled in the name of God every hour and is soaking the soil of the world. As predicted by many astrologers, an era of fundamentalism and ideology is rising to a peak. In the United States, we have an unelected president who depicts himself as the God-Emperor. (That is not a homemade Photoshop job, it's a news photo from 2004 that appeared around the world.)

Now Pluto is about to cross the Galactic Core for the first time since those dark and dreadful days before the American Revolution, or any of the revolutions of society or thought that followed. It is about to do so when both points are known to science and astrology, and when the main idea represented by Pluto, the evolution of the soul, is something that is widely accepted. You can be sure we're about to burn off some karma; pass through something of a test; and make a choice whether we prefer liberty or tyranny; indeed, whether we are mature enough for liberty.

Many of us live with the feeling that we came to the Earth to make progress in our cosmic journey of growth. Whether this is true or not, however, evolution and growth work brilliantly as long as you remember to have fun and be real about being part of nature.

It's just that we now need to start living up to our own philosophies like they matter. We need to get real about what we feel, claim as, think of as, wish were our 'beliefs'. In essence, our beliefs need to become far more than those flimsy, disposable things called beliefs; no matter how mighty the concept, it is time to challenge ourselves to be real, to light up the darkness we know we carry around, and to experience the strength of sharing our strength with others.

Sagittarius has a collective quality, as does Pluto, as does Jupiter. The Galactic Core represents the center of our community in space, what we could reasonably presume is the direction home. At least the symbolism works well; the heart of our island in space, and the place where there is never nighttime because the stars are so bright they illuminate the sky at all times.

The actual experience of a journey we are all on together is inherent in the experience of a wave of Sagittarius energy. Pluto going over the Galactic Core has the feeling of a planetary initiation, a threshold to another phase of human existence and our personal involvement with it.

Do you believe that? Who cares. Believing it doesn't make it so. Something else does.

Sagittarius Secrets Revealed

Centaurs on the Move

Photo by Danielle Voirin

MANY consider Sagittarius to be the sign that rules astrology. Perhaps, and in any event it's a great time to do astrology, which is a good thing considering how much astrology people are doing this time of year. Unless you are fully invested in the corporate world and had your 2007 year-ahead forecasts done and submitted back in July, if you're an astrologer, you're working your butt off these days.

Astrology is learned through a layering process. This is basically how I go through the astrology of a year prior to writing the annual forecasts. In the past I have started with charts that looked a little like this. I would draw up as many as 50 charts for the year and that was how I would get acquainted with the new territory.

This year, I began with a blank date book-type calendar and the 2007 Raphael's Ephemeris, and covered the major points of the landscape taking notes in the calendar. That was the first pass over the landscape, making note of the New and Full moons, eclipses, Mercury retrograde phases, and other landmark events.

In the second pass, I've been writing the month-by-month almanac, turning the whole thing into a story. So I am going through every day's aspects and then explaining them in as clear, accessible language as I can.

In the third pass, I will be editing the aspectarian that we've programmed to calculate the major events of the year. This is a detailed day-by-day calculation of events. It includes the Sun and Moon, the classical planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, Centaurs and a variety of Pluto-like planets beyond Neptune. The raw data looks like this, if you are curious.

Once you factor everything's relationship to everything else, it is clearly too much information for most purposes and must be sculpted down. And herein is the beauty of minor planet astrology. You might look at that and say, 'Wow, that's way too advanced for me'. The truth is it's way too advanced for anyone -- but a perfect place to begin learning. Minor planet astrology confronts astrologers with the reality that we don't know quite as much as we would like to; that we are really just sticking a spoon under the waterfall. New planets are discovered so fast, you basically have to just do your best and take quantum leaps to keep up.

When this is done, I will be writing the Spiral Door forecasts for the 12 signs. The trick to the annual forecasts is to sort of have the astrology memorized, so it doesn't get in the way of the words. The salient features of the year have taken their place; the details and flourishes are memorable; the themes come through clear strong. It is not a conscious process. It's all about doing the Virgo-Pisces dance: work with the technical side first, then the creative side second.

If you are wanting to learn how to do this, the trick is where you put that spoon, and what you're fishing for. And the trick to that is, it doesn't matter where -- you just have to start somewhere. You also need to not be discouraged by feeling a little overwhelmed..

I selected the list of planets in the aspectarian, in part based on my favorites, and in part based on my learning agenda. Planets are being discovered and named so fast, it's quite impossible to keep up. Learning about these new worlds does not just mean learning in theory, based on speculated, presumed or cogitated 'meanings'. Study and intuition are important. Yet there is always the necessary element of a demonstration of a planet's message, and that is gained through observation and experience.

There is only one way to get that: pay attention. That means, watch the worlds go by, watch the aspects, learn the game, just like you learn any other game, first by watching then by getting in and playing. No matter how much you study baseball, at a certain point you have to play the field, then go to the plate. You can't expect to hit a home run the first time at bat. At first you need to be happy you've made contact with the ball. Then, you keep going from there.

This year we are publishing our year-ahead materials in two parts: covering the territory of time (the almanac), which describes the landscapes, and then in the Spiral Door annual edition, covering the interpretations for individuals, including the sign-by-sign portion (included with current subscriptions).

Note, the Planet Waves 2007 Almanac, available for $9.95, now also includes a numerology report by Christine DeLorey.

 


As many of you know, I 'retired' my daily world affairs blog this summer (after two years of very intense world affairs), but we have recently introduced some new projects, including the daily Quote of the Day feature.

This is actually a daily commentary on the aspects of that day and the immediate vicinity, as well as a selected archive quote that has relevance now. This feature appears seven days a week on the Subscriber Homepage and on Page Two.

We are using the Quote of the Day project as an introductory class for our new writers and editors, to teach basic astrological literacy -- which we then pass along to our readers. It's also a good way to acquaint readers with our subscriber services, and to keep our minds on what has been published before.

In addition, I am doing periodic updates and occasional special series at my personal blog at EricFrancis.com. There is now a full archive of those projects, dating back two years (which also includes the full, two-year archives of the original daily world affairs blog).

We have many daily or near-daily features at Planet Waves. For example Steve Bergstein, our resident civil rights attorney, does a frequent blog called Psychsound. We also publish the Political Waves list, which has been in slow mode for a few weeks but is now coming back up to speed.

Our cover photo is daily, and pictures are kept in a cover gallery that goes back about two years.

Based on our new design scheme, all articles that appear on the Front Page are also put onto Page Two, where they will collect.

As regards the Astrology Secrets Revealed forum, we're putting this into hibernation until mid-January. Most of the ASR team is now working on the annual edition and almanac, so we thought it would be good to focus.

We also host public forums, where members may contribute. If you're interested in serving as a volunteer moderator in one of these forums, please call Chelsea at (206) 567-4455. Thank you.

 


The Centaurs are increasingly used by astrologers. One theme of Pholus, according to Robert von Heeren, the co-author of the first book on the subject, is "Small cause, big effect."

Pholus was the second Centaur discovered. It was due to this discovery that the planetary class was defined (Chiron and Phlolus were then grouped into the new class), and indeed, the discoveries proceeded very rapidly from there -- consistent with the archetypal nature of Pholus.

In 1992, there was another significant "second discovery" within a class of planets: that of the first planet beyond the Pluto-Charon binary system -- the as yet unnamed (15760) 1992 QB1. In other words, this was the year of the discovery of the Kuiper Belt, a vast region of space where millions of small planets reside.

Prior to the discovery of QB1, the Kuiper Belt had only been theorized, but with a second discovery, there was finally tangible evidence. As of this writing, there are more than 20 named bodies in both classes (Chiron and Kuiper objects), which together constitute a completely different Solar System cosmos than the ones that any prior generations of astrologers have encountered or even pondered.

In a sense, Pholus offered a "vague precognition" to the discovery of these realms, other keywords given by von Heeren. But when Pholus is involved, such vague perception often leads to concrete and tangible results. Something starts like a wispy notion (Neptune-styled) and then rapidly takes on form (Saturn-styled).

Given that Pholus's orbit crosses the orbits of Uranus and Neptune, with their revolutionary changes and compelling spiritual processes, as well as that of Saturn, the most traditional planet, you can be sure it carries a lot of energy wherever it goes, and can wear many masks.

At other times, the energy of Pholus feels like a pressure release, akin to shaking up a bottle of Pepsi on a hot day, and promptly opening it. It's just that the stuff keeps coming out. A genie coming out of a bottle is perhaps a better metaphor, but that, too, comes with the sense of materialization.

Pholus has a quality of opening the door to the infinite. Depending on the door, that may or may not be helpful, or seem helpful, but it is what it is and when Pholus has become active, it's necessary to get out of denial and work with the energy consciously.

Pholus has the property of release from situations, thus opening to new possibilities, and emerging into new states of existence. It is the Centaur of fast-moving changes, or rapid transformations, typically initiated by one's own action. Something as simple as curiosity or a chance encounter may start the chain of events.

One quality of Pholus experience is, "I would never have done that if I knew what I was getting into," sometimes with the added idea, "but I'm glad I did." A small gesture that leads to something large, a minor project that becomes one's life work, an experiment that takes on a life of its own, leading to many developments, all are properties of Pholus.

Pholus, von Heeren adds, is "the catalyst and provider for a landslide-like change (in history for example) and turning points," adding, "Pholus exaggerates energies in their raw state. Pholus is an emphasizer."

In some cases, Pholus activity represents or instigates situations in which something gets out and you can't get it back in, such as when riots begin and the government cannot stop them, or you make one change and it cascades into a series of other developments. This same quality also gives Pholus experiences the quality of a leap to a new level.

Another quality of Pholus is anything involving three generations, which relates to its mythology. Pholus was the keeper of a cask of wine given to him by Dionysus, which he had kept three generations, and which was the collective property of all the Centaurs. Wherever there is a question within an astrology counseling situation that may be multigenerational, no matter what the subject, the position of Pholus in the natal chart or transits at the time can offer insight and assistance.

Look for the influence of ancestors, issues and gripes to be taken up with ancestors, and one's relationship to predecessors of any kind. Pholus, in this respect, addresses issues that belong to the entire tribe, collective psychological property, and group responses to situations.

Pholus has a relationship to addictions and the healing of addictions, as well as their causes and consequences, which often have multigenerational and group causes and effects that may or may not include the actual substance itself -- but rather the effects of being raised under its influence, attitudes toward the substance, or attitudes passed from a grandparent.

 

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, December 08, 2006, #640 - By ERIC FRANCIS

EVERY Sagittarius solar return chart this year is packed with energy. Many planets have been gradually gathering in your birth sign through the fall, but the experience peaks this week with a stunning series of events. We know you like it hot. We know you like to walk on the wild side. Now is your awesome chance.

This is not a temporary event, you know, a wave of energy that comes through town like the carnival. It will have some of that feeling, but this is in truth what I call a threshold event, a term I usually reserve for precise outer planet transits or 'key life transits', events that we experience and go through like we're walking through a portal.

Current solar returns have many added features: First, Venus is now crossing the Galactic core and Pluto.

And Mercury and Mars have joined the discussion, and are about to form one of the most extraordinary quadruple conjunctions I've ever seen -- a precise alignment of Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Pholus (more of the technicalities explained in the article above). At the peak of energy on Dec. 10, there are a total of eight traditional planets in the fire signs, plus Pholus and other meaningful minor planets as well.

The Centaur planet Pholus serves as a kind of catalyst or accelerant -- a little like pumping the whole thing full of oxygen and striking a match. It is already a volatile setup, combining Mars, Mercury and Jupiter in a fire sign.

Where Pholus is present, there is often an acceleration of events and experiences. One by one, these planets will make conjunctions to Pholus -- soon, in the coming days, one at a time. This tells me that you (and to a real extent anyone with prominent Sagittarius) is going through a series of transformations that not only affect the 'form' of your being but also the substance. Just to repeat one point: I normally write birthday reports so that they have validity for anyone born under the sign involved, with a focus on the particular week.

However, what we have developing now is written into the life story of everyone with a Sagittarius Sun, Moon or ascendant; anyone with prominent Sagittarius in their chart; and indeed, for all the mutable signs. This alignment is so unusual, the events so rare and the combination so seemingly impossible, that it's truly collective astrology in every sense of the word.

If you are born this week, the effect will be tangible and irrevocable, and is likely to come with an enormous sense of relief in that you are finally in the right place at the right time. If, that is, you can keep the process under control. With Pholus, that is the challenge. And if you cannot keep things under control, well, moving in a constructive direction is definitely the key.

What you cannot underestimate is the size, the scale and the distance of the impact of your life. For these and other reasons, you are poised to reach far beyond your normal sphere of influence, movement and experience.

Part of keeping 'control', which is really the wrong word, in spirit, but part of that control is knowing your own agenda. It means knowing what you want to accomplish, by when, and why. It also means dealing with the shadow side of an agenda: the old plans still in action that need to be de-energized; any self-defeating tendencies; any conflicts that may still exist in the program.

Finally, there is something that may prove to be an extraordinary challenge: living through such a profound and brilliant time of progress and achievement with sensitivity to the people around you. No matter to what extent they are on your side, fully behind you, aware of the importance of the moment and truly faithful to you at this time in your life, being aware of, and responsive to the necessities of their lives is crucial to your relationships and thus to your happiness.

If there is a paradox here, it may be this. Many new horizons are opening to you. You are likely to be attractive on some level to everyone who looks at you or who hears your voice. In order to maintain your own creative integrity, you are likely to choose to accept some offers and pursue some possibilities that conflict with the agreements you have with people.

Here is where you need to be careful. It is likely that, if you are sensitive, if you listen and if it's clear that you care, people in your life will give you full leave to live your own way in your own time. If somehow you cut off on your ability to listen, for safety's sake, twice as much as you think you should, then the reaction could wind up being as destructive as it can be positive, creative and exciting.

It is one of the most basic lessons of life that we teach by example, and teach all the time. The world does indeed need to be taught the lesson that it's okay to really, truly live. But you now get to place the goalposts exactly where you want. You set the standard. You make the rules. Base them on love; and more than that, please remember that trust is the foundation of freedom.

Do it Yourself: A Key to the Sagittarius Alignment

Sagittarius falls in a different solar house for each sign of the zodiac. Here is a table to tell you where the event falls in your solar chart. Then, look up the meaning of the house in this article and put the two together. For example, if you are a Capricorn, the Sagittarius alignment is in your 12th solar house. So look up the 12th solar house and see what the house represents; then combine that with my various descriptions of the event in the articles above.

Aries - read 9th house	Libra - read 3rd house
Taurus - read 8th house	Scorpio - read 2nd house
Gemini - read 7th house	Sagittarius - read 1st house
Cancer - read 6th house	Capricorn - read 12th house
Leo - read 5th house	Aquarius - read 11th house
Virgo - read 4th house	Pisces - read 10th house

Once you are combining the themes of a planetary event with the themes of a sign and house, you are actually reading astrology, just like a professional astrologer. You will see, there is a creative or interpretive factor; that is where the art of astrology meets the more commonly recognized craft of astrology. You make up your own meaning. If it rings in your soul, it is true. If you are scared, address the fear first, then move onto the rest of your agenda.


Note to Horoscope Readers: Through December, we will be publishing an alternate edition of my horoscope, which I write for the British magazine Woman. It's a little shorter and more concise. We will return to the more circumspect, longer edition once the Spiral Door annual edition and the 2007 almanac (see above) are out of the way. Thank you for understanding.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
You have a powerful vision for what you want to achieve and who you want to be. You will be rewarded for having a practical plan for getting there. And you must always remember the human factor: most of the time, when good things happen in your life, they happen because someone cares about you, or because you care about them. Family Focus: Self-respect is always easier when loved ones demonstrate their respect.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)
By this time you're probably sick of so many people wanting dibs on your destiny. You're aching for some power of your own. Venus in Capricorn says keep your cool and don't argue with fools. You're more powerful than you think, but you must have a tangible plan and clear goals -- or others will impose their plans and goals on you. Family Focus: Some people think marriage is a business. Remind them it's more properly considered a matter of soul.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)
"Ask not the sparrow, how the eagle soars." So the ancient wisdom of A Course in Miracles reminds us. Your destiny is to achieve great things, and you need to learn from worthy teachers. These are being sent to you; and one who has arrived recently will prove to be deeply influential in your life for the foreseeable future. Family Focus: Children reveal wisdom that rivals the sages, or for that matter, much older relatives. Listen to them!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
To make the right decision over a crucial financial matter, you need to think bigger, not smaller. Try shifting your sense of scale. Money is about the flow of energy, creativity and ideas -- all are plentiful now. It's also about matching needs with resources, a process by which everyone profits. You have quite a lot to offer: pay attention to who needs you. Family Focus: Celebrate a new love interest, or new passion coming into a relationship.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
You've been working miracles lately, but more to the point, you've been willing to take risks even a lion would never have dreamed of before. What's truly stunning is the creative talent you possess, and the way you've blended spiritual growth and the highest level of ethics with the feeling of celebration and hope. Rest assured, this will get results. Family Focus: Usually you support your family. They are now your true source of strength.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
You may have the feeling you need to build an addition to your house to fit everyone with whom you want to spend time. Recent developments have given you new hope for the future, but the truth is, you're feeling safe and secure in the present moment. When you're really alive now, there's no future, and it does not matter. Family Focus: See everyone you want to see these holidays, especially if they've traveled far.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
You need to set something right in your community. You know what it is, and you know how important this is not only to you, but also for everyone's wellbeing. If you delay, you'll lose your momentum. I suggest you address the situation now, while it's fresh in your mind, and in everyone else's mind as well. Family Focus: What we think of today as 'extended family' was, not long ago, all there was.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Have you ever felt better about yourself? Have you ever felt more faith in yourself, or more optimism for the future? If not, a change of mind is only one thought away. If so, remember that the most daunting limit on human bliss is human doubt. Throw your doubts away. You don't need them and they don't need you. Family Focus: You're a source of inspiration and strength to everyone. And you're free to enjoy this fact fully.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
Astrologer Rob Brezsny invented the term 'pronoia' to describe a universe that's one vast conspiracy in our favor. It would take an American to come up with that, but from the look of your charts, it's not a theory, it's the gospel truth. You enjoy the virtues of freedom, luck and wisdom right now. Put them to the best use. Family Focus: What is good for you is good for everyone. Your life is an example of having faith in yourself.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
The approach to the Sun's journey through your sign always comes with the sense that time is speeding up -- sometimes wildly. But you would benefit from as many moments of gentle contemplation as you can fit into your schedule. Telephones still have 'off' switches, and somewhere is a soft patch of earth and trees where you can breathe for a few hours. Family Focus: You more than anyone have the rare gift of seeing the big picture and the long term.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Count on your friends now, and make sure you show your face in your community. Untold benefit will come to everyone as you work your miracles, connecting people who need to know one another, matching up problems and solutions, and raising awareness that this is one of life's rare moments of celebration. People rarely recognize good times when they come -- please, remind us. Family Focus: Your most important family is your family of choice. And they love you too.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Stunning developments in your professional life lately have been long in coming, and they will be long in duration. Remember that what you're building is not so much a matter of achievement or success, but rather of reputation, honor and authentic leadership. It's about shining your light on others, and them shining their light on you. Family Focus: A close family friendship could soon develop into something much more.