Original Link for photo. This article appeared originally in Ambush Magazine.

You’re experiencing something you’ve never experienced before—forced social isolation. The cycles that have largely governed your life—going to work, visiting family, and hanging out with friends—are temporarily paused with no clear end in sight. As an astrologer, I’m being asked, “What do the heavens have to say about all this?” While it’s true that one can see events here on earth reflected in the sky—as above, so below—there is another way to use the tool of astrology, namely that the stars are a human expression of what is within us. This means that instead of understanding reality as something objective, we can understand it as an active relationship with the cosmos. This has profound implications and yields practical, applicable solutions, the most pressing of which concerns how you will approach your daily activities in light of an unexpected and cataclysmically disruptive event.

So what are you to do? Amor Towles through his novel A Gentleman in Moscow, which can be purchased below, gifts us a helpful maxim through the Grand Duke’s advice to the Count Rostov: when the Count’s parents succumbed to cholera…it was the Grand Duke who took the young Count aside and explained he must be strong…adversity presents itself in many forms; and that if a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them. Put another way, if you can master your circumstances, you can master your destiny. I was gifted that latter maxim from my friend and colleague Tracie Storey, a former DJ who now practices Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapy while also using a myriad of spiritual techniques. Read on to see how each astrology sign can best adapt to this trying situation.

A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel

By Towles, Amor

Buy on Amazon

Aries: March 21 - April 19

You are the first sign of the zodiac and the most viscerally powerful. This power exists on a physical level. You are going to need to release this energy through exercise, and you probably already know this. However, where the real adjustment comes in is combining your pioneering, individualistic spirit with the logic required to organize yourself in a practical, daily routine.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

You may relish this opportunity to be grounded at home as you are the most earthly sign and also concerned with immediate environments. Certainly enjoy this time, but make sure to take care of the most significant partner in your life. This will help you in your own daily activities and give you the gift of harmony. Love will emerge here as Venus oversees both of the signs involved.

Gemini: May 21- June 20

One of the struggles as the great communicator of the zodiac will be your lack of immediate ability to exchange ideas with those around you. A way you will need to shift your thinking is to focus on the business of things, and this means taking out the trash. Your flurry of thoughts turns into materials, too many, and this is a good time to purge. This will help your bottom line.

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

As the homebody of the zodiac you’re primed to settle into your natural habitat. One thing you will have to work on is the greater emphasis on the technology that will be surrounding you. If you put your mind to the future and how you must discipline yourself to get there, you will succeed mightily. You’ll be tempted to get distracted by all the screens so make sure to envision the devices around you as tools, not comfort food.

Leo: July 23 - August 22

Self-expression and dramatic flourishes are the natural in Leo. However, this quarantine is a symbolic message to tone things down. Setting up structure in your life that is more stoic and conservative will stand you in good stead. Giving yourself boundaries will allow you more freedom to do all things Leo that you love.

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

As the most heady sign of the zodiac, you’ll be the most at risk to go stir crazy. You’ll want to make sure everything around you is perfect, and you just might make it so. However, your best is to get outside. Virgo is the virgin who collects the bounty of the harvest, thus you have a unique relationship with nature. Enjoy the birds, flowers, and trees, and reap the rewards of your discriminating taste towards the outdoors.

Libra: September 23 - October 22

This is the time to get spiritual. Envision this situation as if you were trapped in a nunnery. You have one of the most formidable minds in the zodiac, living up to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ideal of being able to hold two opposing ideas at the same time. However, for you, daily ritual and meditative suspension of your cognitive faculties will help you deal with this pandemic.

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

This is not the time to sit back and furtively observe the fracas that is in the news and society at large. Lead yourself, daily, and cast off into projects that fulfill you on a selfish level. You are so easily bonded to others that you lose yourself in the lives of others. You forget that you have such treasures to offer, perhaps the most of the zodiac, so get to work and bring your jewels to the world that so desperately needs your help.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

As the most expansive sign of the zodiac, you’re going to want to go off into the ethers, literally or figuratively. But being grounded out, as the world and corona virus is demanding, is the way to go. Enjoying the simple pleasures that your immediate surrounding has to offer will sate your desire to go to the ends of the earth. You’ll find that once you acknowledge the part of your nature that wants to go far, and release it for now, you wake up and smell the flowers.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

You’re the most ambitious, serious sign of the zodiac, and thankfully so. Without Capricorns, we would not have the structures of society that hold us together. However, while you mind is on all of that, especially given the current predicament, you’re going to need to have fun. Games and the quick exchange of ideas will lighten the load you’re carrying right now.

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

You’re generally going to be happy at home, save for the social isolation. What I mean by that is you’ll naturally transition some of your outer world social activities to social media. However, there is a downside to this. Social media, though a good tool, can be a poor substitute for true, in person social interaction. The key will be turning to family, and then you’ll receive the emotional nurturance you need.

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

You run the risk of getting washed out at home, possibly drifting into a dream world of your own making. The best way to counteract this is to put these dreams into reality by engaging in expressive activities. These is a deep reservoir of creativity to which you uniquely have access. Don’t let these esoteric, intuitive materials go to waste.

Thanks for reading. I’m Dan Beck, #1 Astrologer in New Orleans. Contact me for readings at dan@innermakeup.net or by calling 504-313-8706. Visit http://www.innermakeup.net/contact-me

Original https://tinyurl.com/wtzm6sf wishingmoon.com This article was originally published in Ambush Magazine.

As you’re reading this column your mind will be occupied by the goings on of the season. Religious rites coloring different times of the year find their footing in the seasons. For example the hopeful moment of the birth of Christ on the darkest day of the year finds expression in the cardinal turn of the winter solstice. Cardinal, turning points are the screws upon which the world and our lives spin. The Greek word tropos means turn and is the origin of the word tropical. Maybe you just need to get the hell out of town and go on a vacation! Western Astrology based on the tropical zodiac, the zodiac embodying the turning of the seasons, has something to say about this season and you might want to stick around. I believe the gift of this year is the gift of family. Regardless how far one wanders family ancestry is never far behind. Your deep emotional connection to past origins emerges and when you explore this terrain, you make gains. Family interactions bring up issues of identity because how you’re known to the world and how your aunt knows you are two very different things. You are likely to have more of a vested interest in the former. The trick is not to be stubborn about this. It is actually an opportune moment as tropos is also the root of the word opportune meaning this is where you can take bold action and triumph when the gift of family presents itself. This is not a material, conspicuous gift but a gift that gives personal gratification namely in the form of love and nurturance from irritating family members. Do not drink too much as you’ll find moderate sobriety provides the healing you’ve been seeking. When you’re given the chance to let go of your idealized self for the person your family knows you by, realize this is a gift in disguise even if it leads you straight into your grandmother pulling at your ear, gushing over just how much you’ve grown.

Aries: March 21 - April 19

More than any sign this season, you make gains with your family, especially your father or paternal-like energy. This is helpful for you but you have to let some past incidents go. You’ll find that by balancing some of the tension with family, the other sectors of your life light up.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Your family gets entangled with your romantic life and children. This is going to take a little bit of juggling as it’s ironically hard to find love amongst family drama and the needs of your kids. The “kids” can also be your creative projects or creative babies. Communication is key here and this is where you make gains. Protecting yourself regardless of the outcome and emphasizing your thoughts as opposed to deeply held beliefs.

Gemini: May 21- June 20

Don’t be afraid to look into the family finances this holiday season. Proceed with caution and diplomacy, but there are massive changes occurring in the structures of the wills being written. You’ll find that dealing with the demons of inheritances and family trusts provides you will some long term psychic relief while ultimately padding your own checkbook.

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

Siblings come to the fore for you this holiday season. You also make gains in relationships and friends, but you lose some partners along the way. This is surprising but choosing the company you keep allows you to progress personally.

Leo: July 23 - August 22

You’re feeling a bit snooty about your money. This is related to your mother and her past sacrifices she made to get you where you are. However, the psychological challenge is to let this attitude go and receive the gift you’ve been given. Money is only as good as the current along which you spend it. Spend it wisely and don’t worry about its literal worth.

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Out of all the signs, you yourself are most deeply connected with your family this season. This is very feminine, maternal, changeable energy that is related to your past. There are great gains to be made here amongst friends and family but only if you juggle these intense feelings and realize they are part of the larger picture as you move into the future. Let go of your criticisms and pretensions.

Libra: September 23 - October 22

The male head of the family is strong this holiday season, and you do best to go with him. A rich, dark son will seek to overthrow him, and might succeed in doing so, but stick with the elder. He will need your help even though he might not realize it. Help this modern King Lear pick the right child this time around.

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

You’re generally in a very powerful position through the end of the year into 2020 and then again in spring. Be careful though not to get in fights with coworkers or siblings during those respective times. You do best when you apply power judiciously. If you don’t, you end up scorching the path for all those around.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

You’re feeling very proud of your career, and so is your mother. However you believe in yourself so strongly that you don’t see the bigger picture of your finances. Glory is great, but cash is king. Make sure your thinking is clear about the realities of the money related to your work life or you might be headed for a wrong turn that grounds you out.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

For the next year, you’ll be juggling a lot of things as you bounce from one area of your life to the next, but this season, focus on the love that your family can give. This really provides something spiritually for you, and you might all even decide to take a trip together. If not, at least connect philosophy about what y’all believe and get to the core of who you really are as a family.

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

It’s critical that you take your time during this holiday season. We can’t escape the time in which we inhabit in this dimension, and as Aquarius your head is usually in the future. Your father or paternal energy is reemphasized this season, and you do best to ground yourself out a bit, coming down to earth and putting your futuristic visions on hold. You’ll be surprised what happens when you get your head out of the clouds.

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

This holiday season, you are able to make gains creatively, romantically, and with children. With friends, not so much. With things going so well, your partner feels a bit cocky. You do best not to get emotionally tied up with that feeling and let things going spiritually. When you let things go, magic happens.

Astrology was originally understood as omens, prophecies, and oracles. Whenever you go to a psychic, tarot reader, or astrologer like me, you’re engaging with the possibilities of the future. But modern astrology is also the alignment of the heavens at your moment of birth that serves as the signature of your personality. This combination of your star chart and sun sign—Aries, Taurus, etc.—and the usage of that tool to divine the future is here for your taking. Astrology offers the LGBTQ community a chance to reclaim a space lost to modern science and religion. Ancient pagan cultures venerated divination and celebrated what we now recognize as modern gay elements. These horoscopes are for your entertainment, so let’s start the party that will take us to the stars!