Dear Friend and Reader:

The astrology of May is some of the most unusual of our lifetimes, and this time will stand apart in history from any we have known. It's also gentle arrangement, working primarily on the level of awareness rather than of physical events. Involved primarily are Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius, which have been building toward a conjunction for many years.

Eric, early in the 21st century.

Neptune arrived in Aquarius in 1998 and faster moving Chiron arrived in 2005. As Barbara Hand Clow explained, Chiron and Neptune work together like the opposite ends of a funnel; Neptune is the wide end, and Chiron is the narrow end. Chiron focuses the watery, misty and difficult to perceive energy of Neptune, and (as it so often does) makes the qualities of the outer planets useful and accessible. There are two sides to Chiron aspecting Neptune: one is seeing the rampant deception that we have been subjected to since Neptune entered the sign of the collective, Aquarius; and also seeing how far we have come as spiritual seekers.

There is a lot in this configuration about discovering how much we have learned, and taking in what our more perceptive senses have to say to us. Later in the month, this conjunction is joined by Jupiter. Chiron to Jupiter grounds the questing spirit of Jupiter in a focused, useful way. Part of Jupiter's problem is that it can be all promise and no action; Chiron becomes the working end of the equation, focusing the journey to knowledge, to truth and to love as a practical endeavor, ever mindful of the problems of idealism.

Allow the world to take on a transparent quality; see through the unnecessary, torturous maze of ego and remember that each of us is capable of expressing who we came here to be. Certainly you are feeling this potential, and it's more than spring in the air. We each get there differently. In the immortal words of the Grateful Dead, "Some rise, some fall and some climb to get to Terrapin."

Yours & truly,



Aries (March 20-April 19)
You're learning something special, which is how to embrace opposites at the same time. By that, I mean the opposites which comprise who you are. Few people would describe you as a person who strives for balance. Yet if you wonder why you spend so much time running in circles, consider that your left and right sides need to both do the work of living and traveling on our small planet, in harmony. The other message coming through abundantly is that despite Aries being the quintessential insecure soloist of the zodiac, you are not here alone; there is nothing solo about your life. However, the non-solo portion is less about the presence of a significant other or the dramas of relationship (interesting though they have been lately), and more about the presence of a community. Or rather, you recognizing your presence in the people, events and society that surround you. I suggest you specifically not wait for an engraved invitation; that you stand up and engage the world, and that you do so recognizing commitments that you have already made. And you have made a few; some in conscience; some unconsciously; and some with a mild sense of trepidation. The time has come to call yourself not just present, but accounted for.

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

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
You've had a look at your life as the transparent thing that it needs to be, and that it can easily be. You have begun to feel your head soften and your heart open. What will it take for you to recognize these as ongoing options rather than as a momentary awakening? Maybe pleasure will speak your name; it's the one thing that will usually get you to look up. There's nothing pleasurable or flattering about being hardheaded or stubborn, and you know it no longer suits your nature. Resistance is not a pleasurable experience for long. Persistent, devoted, dedicated -- all of these work for you. The key to staying open is to turn them toward yourself. What I am suggesting is that if you want to have the life you say you want, you need to be open to it, and being open to 'it' means being open in general. I suggest you be open to yourself about three things: one would be your fears. Keeping your fears secret is one of the best ways to shut down. Second would be your values. Remind yourself every day what is important to you, and take one documented action in support of what is important to you. The third would be 'fessing up to yourself about what risks you are actually willing to take, and then taking them.

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 may feel a strong temptation to be self-sacrificing for a partner or loved one. Generally, this is considered the height of nobility and heroism, indicative of the most exquisite degree of spiritual growth. However, beware of the supposed need to prove yourself, particularly if you're doing it to get a result, and especially if that result is from a person. You may feel that someone is holding out on you, like they have more to offer than you do. Alternately, you may be in a particularly competitive mood, only this is competitiveness with the odd psychological spin of giving something up. But life is not a game of Top Chef, or Bottom Chef for that matter. You will know you're in this loop because you're feeling frustration. That's your cue to make some decisions, and to look in another direction. Is it pleasure and passion that you want? These things have no feeling of either game or sacrifice. They are about openly sharing and receiving. You will know you're in the right place when you begin to feel your horizons open up, or rather when you notice how open they already are. If you open up and feel fear, give the fear a voice. It is fair to say that there are few circumstances on this planet that should result in your feeling prolonged fear. Most, however, would say the same thing about pleasure. The choice is yours.

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

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
You are only limited by your beliefs, and this is not an easy thing to live with. We know it's true, and we've all seen it work: believe in yourself and suddenly something is possible. Find your confidence and suddenly the world opens up. Feel beautiful rather than try to look beautiful and you get exactly the date you want. The problem is that beliefs and mental patterns have a way of being intractable, particularly beliefs about yourself. In your case they are closely intertwined with the beliefs, values and ideas of others: and this can extend to a very wide scale. Over the next few weeks, here is what may seem to happen: the world is suddenly changing its ways and catching up with what you've been thinking and feeling all along. You get a glimpse of how easy life is when people stop resisting and start cooperating. In fact, the opening is happening within you. This is an important distinction to make because if 'the world' subsequently seems to shut down, which it does on a fairly regular basis, the opening within you will still be open. And despite appearances, 'the world' will be every bit as accessible to you. I say this recognizing that it's usually not easy to take responsibility for transcending your own limits from the inside out. You're about to show the rest of us how it's done.

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

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
There is an extremely dangerous line where partnership becomes a vortex of commitment, or worse, of obligation. It is supposedly the thing we all crave. Yet I can assure you that it's not a value that we typically question, nor that we usually wish to question -- and I assure you that it's time to start asking. The key concept behind this theme is expectations, and I believe it was God, in Conversations with God, who reminded us that "expectations kill relationships." You don't need any such substitute for the spiritual, psychic or physical intimacy now. You are compelling, you are attractive, you have something to say for yourself and you have the capacity to be genuinely open. Those who try to push situations to a supposedly deeper or higher or better level are often filling in a gap where only love and authentic communication belong. You have no need to be defensive here; the reason being is that there is basically a triple dose of life-affirming mojo working the zone in your chart where these themes come up. Obligation and loyalty are different things. Far from needing to set dates, plan the course of events or guide things into a contractual structure, I would propose that you are at the perfect moment to let all of these things go and to trust the flow of events in the universe of your life.

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

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
Relationship is often temptationship. That is to say, what we call relationship is often a magnet that pulls us out of ourselves, or gives us an excuse to give up some aspect of our experience of living. It is possible that a relationship situation you're looking directly at, be it potential, existing or imminent, is a distraction from the deeper work you are doing now. It's also possible that you will have a collaborator. Assuming this applies to your life circumstances (and it is just as likely to apply to your concept of relationship or partnership as an existing situation), does the situation feel old or new? Would it involve progress, or regression? Since you cannot project into the whole future (which has many probable options) I suggest you read your emotions and see how you feel. I suggest you do a short-term experiment with anyone in your life who seems to have extra significance, and decide what direction they guide you: deeper onto your inner path, or taking you away from it. Our relationships are hand-in-glove with our spiritual growth; or rather, they need to be, if we are to get anywhere, and have any sense of satisfaction. Now is the time to make sure that the two are in alignment.

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 is a line in any astrological chart (the one that marks the border of the 5th and 6th houses) that stands between creativity and work; between play and healing; between what is considered a risk and what is considered safe and predictable. In my view, this is the place where we do the real inner work, and can most accessibly seek the deeper reconciliation with ourselves. It’s where we morph and blend creative process and healing process; and just as meaningfully, between fun and work; between playful sexuality and intentional eroticism. (In each case, I am describing a 5th house property and a 6th house property in that order.) This is the line in your chart that’s currently the scene of the most spectacular conjunction of our generation. You are not merely learning something or having an experience; you are becoming something, and that something has the strength and integrity to reach out into the world; indeed, to shape the world. Yes, it’s likely to come with something of a crisis, since when we express ourselves we can find out how held down we were; when we dare to feel alive we might have to admit how dead we felt. The most significant risk is the feeling of being misunderstood. Strive for being in harmony with yourself, and in this very moment, choose your friends well.

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

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
How exactly can you shift the dynamic of your life? We spend a lot of time doing emotional work, relationship work, spiritual work and every other kind of work. Yet this rarely is the thing that makes the actual shift; more often it is what prepares the ground (and sometimes digs us deeper). You are being pulled, and I mean powerfully, in the direction of casting of your ideas about life away, and being drawn in the process of life as one vast experiment. You are still oriented on the emotional side of the equation; the side that is concerned with security, and at the same time, dealing with the patterns that have taken root in your life. But what you don’t necessarily see is how much inner territory you have covered, and how thoroughly. And you may not be aware how close to a whole new set of destinations you are. Be aware that what we call emotional work can have an obsessive quality to it, and the process of breaking patterns can have a pattern all its own. Now it’s time to let yourself be pulled in the direction of what is less predictable, and more about experience that is simply not possible to describe or categorize. In sum, your deepest release will come from allowing yourself to be drawn into your passion, your talent, your erotic core. Yes, I know about the rules; and it’s time for new ones.

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

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)
Our world teaches us to focus on the physical and mental trappings of life and all but disregard the matter of soul. Of course, soul is controversial in nature; the true structure of the human psyche is only known in theory and from limited experience, and is not proven. Even if we acknowledge the existence of this quality of being, you cannot teach soul in a classroom or lecture hall; very few practitioners can make contact with it in a workshop; it does not lend itself well to being written about or illustrated. Hence, since it doesn’t come as a song lasting under three minutes, it can’t get the airplay that it deserves. At this moment, your very existence is broadcasting the essence of your soul energy, and by that I mean the people around you (both locally and energetically) can feel this happening. The connection you are developing is to your sense of purpose, your sense of place and most of all, deciphering your original instructions for this incarnation. You may be manifesting this as feeling like your mind is glowing with blue light; you may feel like you’re walking on clouds; you may wonder why you’re feeling so strange. Yes, in this world, beautiful can be a little weird but we both know that’s how you like it.

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

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
What are the stories you tell yourself over and over again? In particular, what stories about who you are in the world, and what your purpose is? These are the ones that are the most likely to come true, whether they are 'true' or not. And what is truth? In the course of a human life, it's something we experience in context, and looking at your charts for this month, here is what that involves. Do you make your choices in accord with your own values? Said another way, do you act on what is true for you? The unusual quality of the moment is that you not only see what is true for you, you see its value, its beauty and its reality. As A Course in Miracles so aptly stated the point, "Every decision you make stems from what you think you are." In a sense, this is the ultimate value: your definition of yourself. I am here to tell you that far from being a fixed entity, your definition is something that is entirely flexible, subject to change and asking to be rewritten based on the deepest contact you can attain with yourself. Contact sounds a little like contract, and what you are doing is precisely renegotiating and acting on the contract you have with yourself. If you have made any promises to yourself that you're overdue in keeping, now would be the opportune moment to pay up.

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

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
It's taken you a long time to figure out what you're about to discover. Like many inventions or developments, be they spiritual or technical, the breakthroughs are preceded by a long, seemingly endless process of trial and error that doesn't really get underway until we are completely at home with the experiment. From that place of equilibrium, the results can be surprising, and it would seem an understatement to say this is the direction you're headed. The main thing I see beginning to work itself out for you is a feeling of doubt that has nagged you for years. Years of Neptune in your birth sign has been relentlessly eroding your confidence, and taking you through many strange spaces where you seemingly had to deny who you are. Chiron arrived more recently (in the mid-2000s) and that pushed the issue in another direction entirely: you could say, a crisis of overfocus, and of pushing the questions of identity to the surface faster than anyone but you would be comfortable dealing with them. In the coming weeks and indeed through this season, the story begins to make a lot more sense. Your past begins to make sense. Your future takes on an odd new dimension: as something real.

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

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
Yes, everything seems to happen at once. Perhaps it would be awesome if the benefits of life arrived when we felt like we needed them the most, but what comes to you this month is quite literally coming home to you. The emotional and psychological place you discover within yourself looks like finding the seat of your soul; your true inner orientation. What shows up as the most beautiful discovery is how the most exalted states of mind, and the true clarity of your awareness, is just one thin veil beyond normal consciousness; one thought away. As you begin to find your place in the world, you may begin to realize the extent to which you've been crimped and hobbled by a lurking sense of insecurity and isolation. What you are seeing is a contrast, and that quality of thought or vision can be one of the most useful tools we have, while we need it. I suggest, though, that you begin to take stock of all that your anxiety and insecurity have taught you. This amounts to more than you may think. I would also propose that whatever may have transpired in the outer world in recent years, you have grown to know yourself to a depth that is truly unusual for this world. As the once-in-a-lifetime events of this spring unfold, I trust you will recognize this is the gem you sought, and the one you found.

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