By Eric Francis

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Usually this is an outgoing time of year for you, though lately one eye seems to be turned inward. That's a good direction for it; there is no vision like inner vision. Be patient as you go through the deep experience of Venus moving backward through your sign and when it's over in a few weeks, you will have a lot better understanding of what you want out of a particular love affair.

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aries and Aries rising here.

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
There are times when success does in fact breed contempt, and successful people learn not to take it seriously. Or, they develop a political skill that allows them to convert the energy from negativity into something constructive. Be it with another or with yourself, this is a skill you need to work on every single day right now, as you bravely face the fears you cannot speak.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Taurus and Taurus rising here.

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
You must be feeling like you're in a burning building, drooling over travel magazines to places where there are ancient great temples or strange modern cities. You're not merely dreaming. This is the year to take a trip, but you need to make it to the one place you have absolutely wanted to go, above all others. Think carefully if there are even two on the list. There is a reason you need to visit one of them.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Gemini and Gemini rising here.

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
All your astrology is leading you to focus on the agreements you make. The idea of 'sacred contracts' is finally starting to get some respect. I suggest that at this point in your life, you consider every contract, agreement or understanding a sacred gesture. Fair to say that every encounter where love, money, erotic energy or intention is exchanged is worth honoring in the way we think of marriage.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Cancer and Cancer rising here.

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
This is no time for self-doubt. If anything, you're in a moment when you can confront your misgivings and resolve any lingering feeling that you're a stranger on a strange planet. People count on you specifically because you're the one who holds the light of who you are most brightly, though few see the shadow side of that strength. You have nothing to justify, nothing to explain. As these weeks progress, allow your quest for self-understanding to deepen into true confidence.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Leo and Leo rising here.

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
Lately, someone always seems to be pushing you to be more than you think you are. Now that someone is speaking in words similar to ones you've used before to encourage them to be bolder and braver, you owe it to yourself to listen. You are actually free to make even those choices that seem the most fearsome or complex today. Once you pluck up some courage, complications have a way of melting like castles of sand as the tide comes in.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Virgo and Virgo rising here.

Libra (Sep. 22 - Oct. 23)
There may be no telling what is up with a love interest lately; it's nearly impossible to actually understand another person. The feedback from your environment is offering you clear information about your feelings for yourself, and what role you think you deserve in the life of another person. I would propose that if anything, you're being invited to take a greater role rather than lesser; it's just that this month anyway, the time does not seem right. Be patient.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Libra and Libra rising here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
The time has arrived to stop thinking about your feelings and to start feeling them. The difference is sometimes subtle, but here is a clue. Thinking will lead you toward frustrated states of mind. The more you are feeling, the more expressive you will be; the more doors will open up, which may be creative, loving or sexual or all of the above. That's a pretty easy way to measure: in pleasure.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Scorpio and Scorpio rising here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)
You have so many ideas you don't know where to start. I can help with one thing, at least: trust that they are in fact excellent ideas. If you don't know where to begin, pick the one you feel the most passionate about. Don't think about your output; rather, work on about the inner process of developing a concept into reality, no matter how simple it may seem. This is the skill that sometimes goes by the name 'achievement'.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You may wonder whether you're feeling generosity or greed; don't take the question seriously. What I propose you need is, without any judgments or reservations, that you sort your finances and treat your life like a business. In fact you have a lot to offer others, and the world has plenty of wealth to offer you back. But if you cloak yourself in doubt, success will never see you.

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
Doing what is important to you feels different when it exists as an idea, and when it exists as an experiment. Ideas feel illuminating; experiments are often frustrating. But they are the only thing that leads to experience, and the only thing that can possibly lead to a breakthrough. Your theories are good; but you need to test them carefully, the sooner the better.

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
You may not feel like you can express all of your potential, but a little is more than you need to convert to reality. Basically, you just need enough success to demonstrate that success is possible. At the moment, I suggest you not measure whether you're doing the right thing in dollars. Rather, honor the intangibles: like that strange, beautiful sense that you actually know who you are.

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Pisces and Pisces rising here.