| Mercury is retrograde. There are whole books and many articles written about how to deal with this thrice-yearly phenomenon, which one would think is the very basis of Murphy's Law. But all my astrological experience can sum it up in three ideas: slow down; take care of old business instead of starting new business; and communicate clearly. Then you will make the best use of this strange little phenomenon (in effect through about Feb. 10) instead of it driving you nuts. This seems to be an especially rich retrograde for fueling the imagination and being in touch with old friends, not to mention bungling the plans of the purveyors of global evil. Keep your opera glasses in-hand! That is not, however, the only thing going on in the sky. Capricorn continues to be something of a stunning example of the power of what some term 'minor planets', those which do not turn up in ordinary charts. Aquarius is the scene of the biggest alignment since early 1997. El Sol, Venus and Mars are in new signs, Aquarius, Aquarius and Aries, respectively. Those personal planet sign-shifts have the effect of creating a new climate of the mind and emotions, a new little era of reality. These days that counts for a lot. More at the monthly horoscope. | Sign dates below are approximate. They now overlap by one day. The date and time of the Sun's ingress to the new sign changes a little each year, so please check with an astrologer if you want the exact position of your Sun, and while you're at it, your rising sign -- this horoscope is written for both your sun and rising signs. Astrology Readings on CD by Eric Francis | | Aries (March 20-April 21) | | How you resolve a certain dilemma depends on how you define it. The first thing to do, though, is to decide whether you've been here before. If you have, in the past, made small compensations on the way to solving one particular problem, and then gone back to your routine and that has failed, then you need to learn a new method of adapting. That will require true flexibility on your part, rather than that of the world. But the most flexible substance is thought, so be sure to define your problems in a way that you can solve them. | | Taurus (April 21-May 20) | | The Sun is crossing the career angle of your chart, and you're in for a few major revelations as the next few weeks unfold. It has been said that "many are called, but few choose to respond." This is to say that responding to a calling is a choice, not a compulsion, and there is a crucial difference, specifically, that you remain free in the act of choosing. Freedom is difficult territory here on Terra (our planet) because it implies taking responsibility for your failures. But how else could you take responsibility for your success? | | Gemini (May 20-June 21) | | An immediate change in one particular situation, even if it's temporary, should provide you with enough insight to see an alternative to the way you are doing things. It seems like you get to this point over and over again and are somehow not getting the deeper meaning of the information that's presented to you. But you are currently in an unusually strong position for rethinking your old ways, which are older than you may think. | | Cancer (June 21-July 22) | | You may think you are being called upon to give it all up, when I reality you are being called upon to receive. You are inherently fair-minded, and your concepts of fairness and equality reach far deeper into your psyche than most people recognize. The fact that people around you may be exhibiting some kind of special need does not mean that you must give up anything, particularly your hard-earned clarity. But there's no point going there; you are being offered a gift, and have the option to receive it gracefully. | | Leo (July 22-Aug. 22) | | Your world seems to be changing every day, and it's likely to be rather unsettling. But what if the changes in the world were a reflection of many inner shifts working through your deepest mind? It is challenging for you to perceive life outside the direct context of what works personally for you. Being witness to a changing outer-world seems to be the universe's best way of making the point that you are not the center of the world, but rather, contain the world. And much more than that, I might add. | | Virgo (Aug. 22-Sep. 22) | | Is your compassion leading you in circles? This is not necessary, though it's abundantly clear that you need to do less for others and more for yourself. I don't mean abandon the world, I just mean refine the balance. It would appear that one particular romantic situation seems out-of reach, inappropriate for you, or too strange for words, though this is not the problem. What you may not recognize is that there is a long-forgotten raging child inside you who is demanding your attention. If you then give the attention away to other people, this kid will not let you rest. | | Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) | | With the Sun crossing one of the sweetest angles of your solar chart, you have the opportunity not to have a care in the world. Ah, but your whole issue is that you do care about the world, in which case, you have a lot on your mind. I propose that you seek a balance between caring and a certain ease of existence. If you make sure that you're contributing to the various situations you see in ways that actually draw from your personal gifts, this will remind you that you really do have them to give. I remind you that your ideas and sense of fairness are among your most precious assets. Be generous and you'll fell rich. | | Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) | | These are not the easiest years of your life to be building the foundations you now seek to create, and which you have been reminded recently are an extremely high priority for you. It's as if a far-away yearning to create something permanent has suddenly grown louder and closer and more immediate. Humans, of all their failings and virtues, have the singular gift of being the most adaptable creatures on the planet. So let me put it this way. If you want to build your city on water, you just have to do the engineering and get the materials, neither of which are especially emotional processes. | | Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) | | It would be difficult for you to say everything you need to say, but you can say some of it. It would help if you could sort out what you need to speak and write versus where you need to go; it's quite possible you could save yourself some steps. It would be worthwhile to economize, because there are some very nice places you can visit right now, and some beautiful words you can exchange, if you create the time and space, and make a few conscious choices. The best past is that, at the moment, you don't need to go far to do either of them. | | Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) | | If you look at a conventional astrology chart, there are no planets in Capricorn. If you look at one of the charts that I use, there is a party going on, attended by a variety of 'minor' planets, several of which have been discovered in the past decade or less: Chiron, Varuna, Nessus, Asbolus, Apollo, and Hildago. The corresponding psychic picture is complicated, but I can put it this way: your worst ideas about yourself are the ones with the greatest potential for healing. Your darkest fears contain, at their core, the root of true security and reassurance along what we all know is the strange and unfamilar experience of light and shadow, known as existence. | | Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) | | Since Mercury went retrograde in Aquarius, I've been having little problems with contained water: leaks, pH problems in my fish tank, spilling things, and so forth. It seems like the water bearer is reminding me of her existence. How are you doing in this regard? Are you sufficiently hydrated, both physically and emotionally? If you want to feel a lot better for relatively little work, drink more water than you think you need, get your body into water, and near a lot of water, if you can. Step two would be plugging any leaks that you've noticed on the emotional level, just by getting clear with the people around you -- a fine way to start the year, or better, to define it. | | Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20) | | The borders between you and the people closest to you are rather fuzzy at the moment, and going through redefinition. It's often possible to size up much of our collective human experience of perception with one word: projection. The fact that we are capable of projection, that is, ascribing our thoughts to the minds of others, means that perception needs to be handled with a definite mindfulness of caution. There are some also, however, people who are proponents of your highest evolutionary mission, whose message is not coming from your imagination, but rather speaking for your changeless soul. It would be good to listen. | Search | Horoscopes | What's New | Index | Updates | Consultations  Space graphic above from the Rosette Nebula in Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Sulfur.
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