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by Eric Francis
Aries (March 20-April 19)
What do you create in your relationships? That is, what exactly do you make with your partner? Do you make food? Do you make great sex? Do you make art or music? Do you make a work product of some kind? Do you make babies? Or do you make something a little less pleasant, such as jealousy or stress? Consider the idea that every partnership has a creative product of some kind. Usually, the thing or the feeling that is created is wholly intentional. It’s not an accident when something is made; it does not merely happen. As the Sun ingresses your opposite sign Libra, you are being invited to consider what, exactly, you want to create with the people around you — remembering that it’s going to be something. This is especially true if it’s a sexual relationship, which is a pairing powerful enough to create another life. Just remember that all sexual relationships are procreative.
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
You don’t need to try so hard. I don’t mean to suggest you not try at all, though there is something that you might call efforting, which is the sensation of putting out too much energy to get a particular thing done. What you’re doing wants to be done and will cooperate with you. Collaboration will help, though it must be the right collaboration, probably not a whole committee but rather one or two people you really trust to assist you with specific tasks, or with handling specific individuals. Meanwhile, monitor your involvement with the details. You don’t need to clean them all up at once. Go through your project in layers; make an improvement, move onto something else, then come back to what you were working on before. This will keep the work interesting and make sure you don’t burn out on any one aspect of what you’re doing.
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
You may be so connected to your creative source that you’re feeling overwhelmed. Please don’t let this stop you from exploring an idea, a creative project or a relationship experience. You don’t need to get it (or anything) absolutely right the first time; you only need to be sincere. You will get a few other opportunities to revise what you’re doing, and you’re unlikely to lose contact with your original inspiration for long. Give yourself the time and space for creative activities for the next month or two, and take a creative approach to everything you do. My definition of ‘creative’ means taking some risk, which you will feel in your body as well as your mind. You don’t need to strive for ‘pure originality’ but rather consciously approach everything from your own angle or point of view. Originality is grossly overrated and misunderstood. It often works very well to take something from one context and apply it to another, like the Yellow Submarine lunchbox.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Your genetic lineage contains many interesting things. You don’t know what they all are. You are aware of some, which you may think you understand. The existence of others has not been explained, and you may be living with them from day-to-day without noticing there’s something unusual in your environment or your emotional body. In fact these things may have been around so long and are such a dominant part of your landscape that they disappear into the background. They may include certain physical objects that ‘don’t belong’ in your environment or that you’re ‘not supposed to have’ — but which call for careful review and analysis, so that you can understand your own life and how you came to be the way you are. You are entitled to do this for one reason: you are under no obligations to keep any secrets from yourself, and anything you possess or live with can correctly be called part of you.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
Presentation counts for everything right now. The details matter less. You must be aware of them, but don’t bog down your message with too much information. You might be inclined to do this in the spirit of integrity, though your integrity will shine through. Therefore, focus on appeal, and on your ability to translate into a language that many people understand. Make sure you convey some excitement about what you’re creating, and your sense of adventure. Whether you’re involved in a business project or directing your energy into a personal relationship, the approach is the same. Know that any encounter or enterprise has the ability to take you to a depth that you’re not expecting. This could be depth of contact, commitment, or expressing your passion in a tangible way. If you encounter resistance, persist gently. Rather than sailing directly into the wind and current, take a diagonal route (in sailing terms, tack a few times) and keep your destination in mind as you do.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
Use your power of attraction; use it consciously, though at the moment this is your greatest advantage. If you usually try to maintain a neutral appearance or drop below the radar, I suggest you polarize consciously in the direction of beauty and allow yourself to be more visible than usual. You know that your ongoing self-critique is no longer working for you, if it ever did. This may be a difficult habit to break, however, you’re likely to figure out that it’s more toxic now than ever. In the past you could exist more or less peacefully in a state of not wholly approving of who you are. However, the circumstances of your life and of your evolutionary journey are such that you can no longer do this. Your entire purpose must surround your quest for self-respect, which you then extend into relationship to others, in the spirit of recognizing some aspect of yourself in everyone.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
It’s time to refine (and apply) your political skills, which are your social skills, though a special kind. By political I mean your ability to negotiate, as well as to work within an organizational structure, or within a power structure, to be helpful and also to get a positive result. This is no minor skill in a world where so much is decided on the basis of how well people get along, and who has the informal influence. Politics, properly understood, goes beyond the level of formal social roles. It’s all about how people relate to one another as people, establish the pecking order, exchange favors and exchange resources. Politics is about how people motivate one another and get something done. Other factors in your chart describe you as a bull in a china shop, for whom the notion of diplomacy might be entirely repugnant. Don’t go there — you will lose. Relate to people in a way that you both understand, and never count yourself out of the game.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
You know more than you think you know, though it would help immensely if you let go of your attachment to what you know is not true. That would be a long list of things, stories, behaviors, tendencies, goals you’re not really interested in — and the ways you can get dragged into the self-deception of others. The less emphasis you put on all that is untrue, the more energy you will have to focus on what is life-affirming and creative. This may have a daring quality, or the sensation that you’re ‘doing something wrong’ by doing what you want. Alternately, that list of what is untrue may feel comfortable and normal, and if you notice that, I suggest you think it through and ask yourself why exactly that is. There is a reason, and if you understand the reason you will go a long way toward liberating yourself from that whole dimension of drama.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
An interesting mix of energies in your solar chart casts you in two different roles — the agent provocateur, and the perfect diplomat. That adds up to subversive. Being a successful subversive is a skill, and you can go a long way to mastering that skill over the next few days. The thing to remember is that people trust you, and they look to you as an example. The less you say about certain topics the better you will be able to convey your real meaning. Listen for the ways in which people are already likely to agree with you, and take that as your lead. Tap into the ideas and motives of others. This will help you avoid evangelizing, or seeming like you have an agenda. In order to do this with any integrity, you must be clear about what you want to achieve and why. Be real with yourself. Do not make excuses.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
You have a moment when you can really shine — whether that means advancing in your profession, initiating a new business or project, or raising your public profile in some significant way. This window begins Monday night (at the equinox, which is Sept. 22 at 10:29 pm EDT), though you may be getting manifestations earlier. I suggest however that you not make any serious moves until the Sun ingresses Libra (that is the equinox). In fact, you would be wise to consider your options until the Moon ingresses Libra just before midnight (EDT) on the 23rd, and extend that window through the New Moon on the 24th. (The opening lasts a while after that, but the New Moon is the main threshold.) Remember that you will be more visible during this phase, and the best thing you can do is put yourself in the right place at the right time (rather than trying to be everywhere all at once). Visibility means accountability. Be alert.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
You seem to be seeking a way to get out of the feeling of so much responsibility. It seems like you can handle the pressure, if you get a little time away from it. I suggest the thing you need is a different philosophical approach. You can begin with the idea that you will do what you’re committed to, and at the same time remember that you have other goals. The way to avoid competition between them is to use time more consciously — in other words, remember your long-term objectives and make sure that you put at least a little energy into them on a regular basis, without delaying them to the future. And remember your immediate needs, making sure that you put some energy into them every day. There is one last layer — that which you want to do but are not prepared to act on yet. Keep that list handy, and attach an action date to commencing that is within 12 months from today.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You may be a source of controversy; you may step on a few toes; you may leave some people wondering; you may get some sincere accolades — and if you persist at whatever you are doing, you will succeed. As for the responses and reactions of others, remember how easy it is for people to talk shit. Critiques may be helpful — take them under advisement rather than eating them for a meal. Praise is cool, just don’t let it distract you. Stay on mission. Let nothing, and I mean nothing, eat at your confidence. Keep going. If you get fatigued (which is possible, given the late Virgo Sun, and Mars square Neptune this weekend) refresh yourself with music or time outside, and keep going. You may have many ideas pouring forth from your mind — just write them down and do not evaluate how you feel about them. Just keep going.
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