PLANET WAVES By ERIC FRANCIS
For May 7, 1999Copywright ©1999, all rights reserved. America Online subscribers may go to keyword: MYSTIC for the monthly article, horoscope and other fun stuff.
Check out the all-new Telvisionary Oracle at Real Astrology STARZ. Venus enters Cancer May 8. Last quarter moon is also May 8, in Aquarius, exactly conjunct the lunar south node. With the Sun squre the nodes, this is a strange condition called moon-wobble, which many non-astrologers have noticed can be pretty important. Mercury enters Taurus May 9. God is alive. ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Of all the methods of analytical thinking we have access to in our culture, astrology stands out as especially suited to work with those strange contradictions and polarities that are such a part of life. For Aries, the planets now point to one situation in particular: sorting out the extent to which what you see in others is something about you, or whether it is something about them. There is an old Jewish proverb that says, "We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are." If you can think of a way to make this idea into a question, you might get some very interesting answers.TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Learning how to let people take care of us without any sense of guilt is a subtle process, because to do this, we must, in a sense, betray the people who failed to take care of us in the past. Learning how to really take care of ourselves can be challenging for the same reason. While it may seem like a silly thing to say to a Taurus, supporting and nurturing yourself in much more solid and substantial ways is an important agenda for you this year. Through this process, you will develop a new relationship with yourself; a relationship between the aspect of you that is giving care, and the aspect that's receiving it.GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Unofficial results are in from last week's masturbation survey; the gang that reads this horoscope is pretty much like everyone else -- we need to loosen up on the rather important cosmic matter of self loving. It's come to the point where members of the human race can no longer go on and on hating ourselves, judging ourselves, denying ourselves and forcing ourselves to do things we do not like. Or rather, we can, as long as we don't mind being alone, miserable, isolated and wanting. In these sensitive days, you will be compelled to face your life and to think deeply about who you really are. Please do it with love and compassion.CANCER (June 21-July 22)
With Venus entering your sign, the themes of your life may melt into such lovely subjects as comfort, abundance and soft sensuality. Gifts from the universe are surely possible, most of them of a feminine nature. But the question about Venus in Cancer is, how much of anything do we need to feel secure? To what extent do we need to feel we possess that which gives us happiness? For maximum benefit, I would suggest that the answer be as little as possible. Since there's nothing, and no one, you can hold for very long, do your holding in the moment it's really available; not tomorrow, and surely not yesterday.LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Envy has its function and its merits, but in your life it matters very little right now. There may have been many times when you've thought, "It could have been me," but I suggest you forget it, because, in fact, it actually can be you right now. Yet there's something you're looking straight at, but you're not quite seeing, and your view is being obscured either by the past, or by the efforts of someone else to hold you to to a pattern that keeps you trapped in what you once were or once believed. This is a new moment unlike any other; a certain element of confrontation is now called for.VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
We live in a polluted environment, both physically and mentally. This occurred to me (again) as I checked my email today; the level of spam is increasing by the hour. When I find an interesting Internet page that gives rather than takes, I am always pleasantly surprised. Television has long since been pure garbage, and writing for newspapers since high early school has taught me that 95% the mainstream commercial press is blatant bullshit. You are very sensitive to all of this right now. You will have a tendency to become your environment, so pay attention to what you think, breathe and where you put your feet.LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22)
While the situation in your personal relationships may be tense, it's not as tense as you think. In looking for resolution, the first place to explore is within yourself, and in looking to others, remember that they are likely to be edgy for the next few days, until they reach more solid ground on matters of life that do not necessarily involve you. With patience, you'll see the possibilities for improvement open up rather suddenly; but it's so important right now for you to seek understanding, and to notice opportunities for healing; and to remember that what's yours is yours, and what is someone else's very much belongs to them.SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Emotionally and psychologically, you've experienced some kind of shift recently that warrants careful observation. It has to do with the ways in which you relate to your fears, and the peculiar way in which that which is unknown is usually considered to be negative. Watch a tendency to expect everything you can't control to work out against you; it's not true. the best thing you can do for yourself right now is remember that you need not fear what you feared in the past, and know that new problems will require new solutions -- but only as the problems arise, not as you imagine them.SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Sagittarius is known for its undying optimism, and the ability to come up with philosophical answers to any problem. But some problems don't lend themselves well to spiritual or intellectual solutions, and one particular issue you're likely to be grappling with now is whether you have a right to exist at all. The problem may seem like something else, something much more mundane. But look to the roots; strip away all the window dressing and ornaments and the circumstances that seem to be dictating this particular situation. And then ask: "If I really had a right to exist on the planet, as me, how would this all be different?"CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
It's interesting to me how many religions of the worlds preach asceticism, which is a very fancy word that means having no fun as a path to finding God or true spirituality. I've also noticed this in many political philosophies. Is this really possible? How is it that certain individuals vested with strictly private power can dictate the meaning of life for the rest of us? From the looks of your solar chart, some spiritual revelation or nonviolent revolution is surely at hand, but it looks like if you want to get in on the action, start dancing.AQUARIUS (Jan. 19-Feb. 18)
As you may have read, on August 11, there is a big solar eclipse that I and many other astrologers expect to shake up the world. This eclipse will have a particularly profound effect on Aquarians, and in the coming days, you will get a dressed rehearsal in terms of what to expect, or rather, what not to expect. going through changes, it's better not to be dragging along a lot of baggage with you, and you will arrive at a very distinct dropping-off point for that which you do not need any longer. When the moment comes, let it go.PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)
Things may seem to have slowed to all-but-a-halt this week, and it happened while you were not looking. Change is upon you, but remember, while you cannot push the river, you can prepare the boat for the journey while the tide is out. There are times in life when simple faith is not only the most effective solution to a problem or situation, it's also the easiest way to go, and, at times, the only way. When forces bigger than you are working out the karma of the planet or the universe, it's a good time to take care of yourself.FOR THE FAITHFUL
This column is in transition. For writing to be fresh, it needs to be in motion, and to be different all the time. In the routine of a weekly horoscope column, this is challenging because there are so many formulas it's necessary to follow. Yet the planets never stop moving, and they never come back to the same place quite the same way twice. So I would like to enlist your support, and give you an opportunity to contribute to this column, which is sought out by so many people each week. Please tell me: What are your deepest concerns in life? Are you looking for advice, or are you looking for insight? And if you were the writer of this column, what would you do differently? Please e-mail your responses to eric@planetwaves.net, or mail to Eric Francis, PO Box 208, Woodstock, NY 12498. Thank you!Have you ever visited the main section of Planet Waves? Go to Main Menu, below.
