So here we are heading into summer and we’re still waiting for the new space to be ready.  We hope you’ve been following us on Facebook where we’re posting pictures of the progress.  If not here’s a brief look at how far we’ve come from and how close we are!

While we have some downtime, we’re getting things ready behind the scenes with a fresh new inventory upgrade, online stock availability, creative displays, Wild Iris merchandise, and signage created by our bad-ass interns, and new training modules for our amazing volunteers.  We’re as anxious as you are for the space to step into reality.

In the meantime, don’t forget that you can support us by shopping online at wildirisbooks.com – we’re still offering free domestic shipping on any order over $25, and we’ve got millions of print and e-books to choose from.  Find us in the social networking world you like the most, sign up for our newsletter and stay in touch.

As soon as we know something, trust me, you’ll know!  We miss you and we’re the counting the moments until we can be a daily part of your lives again.

Since we have a new space, we will be selling all new merchandise!

Check out these amazing bumper stickers we’ve designed! Decorate your car or bike with these cute, clever, and powerful statements. Not only will you be proudly stating your ideals, you’ll be supporting your favorite local feminist bookstore.

We will be shipping the bumper stickers the last week of April! So order now, before they’re all sold out. All you do have to do is click on the picture to go to the store!

Your Heart’s Desire

April picks up speed and is full of fiery energy. Use it to get yourself going in the direction you wish to head. By the end of the month we all will need to ground our passions in the dense material of reality, so use the momentum at the start of the month to push through resistances and land on solid ground. This month is very busy astrologically, so expect a lot of action – around you and within you. Stay anchored in yourself to keep your equilibrium!

April 6

Mercury leaves its shadow period. Communications become easier. That said, Mercury is still in Pisces, the sign of its detriment, which prefers visuals to words, so clarity can be a struggle. Lean on your metaphors and paint a picture in words.

April 10

New Moon in Aries.  This Aries new moon reels with passion and excitement, With the planets of love (Venus) and desire (Mars) joining it, it seems to ask, “What is your heart’s desire? If you could do anything without worrying about the impact it would have on others, what would it be?” Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, as such it represents pure life force, the desire to express one’s essentially self honestly and without apology. (And if it bothers someone, well, that’s his/her problem.) Where is it you need to be more of your unapologetic self? Grab some of this sassy, sexy energy and call on your courage to be more wholly yourself.

April 12

Pluto stations Retrograde.  Emotions might be a bit more turbulent and heavy the five days before and after the 12^th, as Pluto slows to a stop in the sky.  In particular, watch for power struggles and control issues to intensify or to resolve. As always when people around us are triggered, situations deescalate when we focus on our side of the interaction (internal response) rather than engaging in the turbulence (external reaction). Pluto spends about half the year retrograde. Think of this 10-day window as the time Hades retreats to the underworld after a venture into the light. It takes a few days for his eyes to adjust to the shadows.

April 15

Mercury enters Aries. Mercury has been mooring in the waters of Pisces since February 6^th, which is a long time for chatty Mercury to hang out in a mute sign, one that is more comfortable in nonlinear realms than in the less elastic materials of words and reason. Once Mercury moves into Aries, people have less trouble being direct and telling you what they want.  Words take on more of an edge and communication picks up speed. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing really depends on how comfortable you are with everyone laying their cards on the table.

April 16

Venus enters Taurus. Venus returns to her home sign Taurus in time to revel in the earthy goodness of spring. Make your favorite foods, surround yourself with flowers, luxuriate in freshly washed sheets. This is Venus at her most sensuous and pleasure-loving.

April 18 – 20

Mercury joins Uranus.  Starting April 18^th, mental processes speed up and unusual ideas and epiphanies abound. You may find yourself or others around you becoming less compromising. Make sure you remain open to unconventional wisdom and stay flexible.  This advice becomes particularly important as you head toward the 20^th and Pluto comes into play.

April 20 – 22

Mercury square Pluto & Venus oppose Saturn.  As we head into the lunar eclipse of the 25^th, watch that your point of view or opinions don’t become fixed. When communicating with others, try to keep an open mind and avoid obsessing on one idea or position. We have a tendency to want to force others to come around to our way of thinking, and people are not in a giving mood during this period. If you have relationships in which there are cracks, the pressure can lead to real breaks.

However, if you turn this energy inward, you may find treasure. That same fixed intensity opens up into psychological awareness that can lead to real change.  It’s also possible to clarify boundaries that perhaps have become muddy over the years or have teetered out of balance.

April 21

Mars enters Taurus. After enjoying the speed and directness of Aries, its own sign, Mars runs headlong into the density of material reality: Taurus. What was moving along at a clip must slow down and deal with the practical details. As Mars is a planet of action – not organic unfolding – he finds it a bit, uh, frustrating. Pulling at the roots doesn’t make the flower pop through the soil any faster, so the counsel is to call on your patience, tend to the tasks at hand, and trust that this slower pace is for the good. Sometimes we need to let things settle and remember that some of the fastest growth happens during gestation periods, when nothing looks to be happening.

April 25

Lunar eclipse in Scorpio. Again we have the planets of love (Venus) and desire (Mars) configured with the Sun, so passion and what we truly want come into play. As with any full moon, emotions run high, but with this moon in fixed signs, people are less willing to budge. In Taurus, the question might be, what is it I want badly enough that I’m willing to build it brick by brick?  Opposing this group are Saturn and the moon in Saturn, which point to hard realities and obstacles we need to face. What Saturn and Taurus share in common, though, is a focus on time and wanting to create something that can last.

In short, discipline and perseverance are every bit as important as the passion fueling us.  If we really want it, we need to be willing to work for it and we need to ensure that it can sustain itself.

Watch the stressors that crop up the week leading into this moon and the month following it. They provide clues as to the fears you need to face and realities you need to contend with to build a life worthy of your efforts. With the moon in Scorpio, also look for that which needs to be released to truly free up energy and transform the existing situation. What concern needs to be addressed, what secure or sure thing might need to be risked for you truly to feel alive again?

We are being asked to examine what is sustainable and what must be destroyed in order to build on firmer ground.

When in doubt, hold your dreams close and let them guide you. Neptune supports both the sun and moon this eclipse. Be willing to make sacrifices for the larger vision, for what could be— your heart of hearts—if you are willing to take the risk and build something lasting.

If you know your rising sign (also known as the ascendant) and moon signs, read those forecasts in addition to your birth sign. If you don’t know your rising sign and would like to find out, go to the bottom of this post for instructions.

As always, a forecast written for a general audience is a pale substitute for a consultation based on the moment of your birth. If you’d like to schedule a consultation, please feel free to visit my website.

Aries: After a waterlogged few months, you’re back in your element. Find your groove, put the focus on you, and pay attention to your enthusiasms. They can lead you out of the dark months of winter into a more passionate, resonate spring. Think of this month as your new year and set the tone for the next twelve month. Do what you need to do to untether yourself from complications and move into the season feeling lighter. Toward the end of the month, get your financial house in order. Think of it as spring cleaning. Gemstone: Carnelian

Taurus: Attend to that nagging feeling or unresolved business at the start of the month, preferably before the 16^th when Venus, your ruling planet comes for a visit. Trust yourself; now is the time to confront anything weighing on you. Doing so will lighten your load, freeing up energy that has been tied up psychically if not physically and emotionally.  Then you can move into the full moon at the end of the month with all your resources at your disposal. Let yourself shine. Gemstone:  Jade

Gemini: With Jupiter in your sign since last summer, at this stage you may feel like you have plenty of plates spinning and your primary accomplishment is that none of them have crashed to the ground. Hang in there. It is an accomplishment.  Focus on your long-range goals: where do you want to be in a few years? (Yes, you actually need to focus, despite your already divided attention!) Suss out your fears and concerns. Tap into your creative drive. If you read between the lines, you’ll find the directives as to which plates you can just let drop. Gemstone: Snowflake Obsidian

Cancer: Are you feeling the build up? Spring fever has been percolating beneath the watery winter months. You are nearing a time when you must declare yourself. It’s scary stuff for sensitive Crabs, but you need to call on your inner daredevil. Right now, risk-taking is good for your soul and soon comes the summer where you will be asked to grow and change in ways you’ve not anticipated. (Don’t worry, it’s a good thing.) Tap into your vision for the future and let your intuition guide you on timing. Most of all, believe in yourself and your vision: you can do this. Gemstone: Amazonite

Leo: Finally, a little fiery energy is on its way. Ignite your philosophical and spiritual nature this month. What feeds your soul? What supports your integrity and aligns you to your truth? Make sure you keep these frameworks close as your touchstones. Should you find yourself thwacking up against a dense wall of obstacles toward month end, you’ll know exactly how to realign yourself so that your deepest passions are supported by your rock solid foundation of emotional clarity and maturity. Gemstone: Topaz

Virgo: Bring it to a close this month. Something you’ve been working towards – and it always feels like your working these days – needs to be blessed and released. What is truly of meaning to you? Make that – be it family, your creativity, your [insert personally fulfilling activity here] – your new priority. You need to reserve the time for that which you value. Avoid letting other pressing but less important responsibilities edge your priority out of the first position. Your industriousness can be your teacher or your nemesis. May it teach you mastery. Gemstone: Quartz

Libra: You may feel like everyone is confronting you. They’re not. They’re forcing you to decide: where do your desires lie? If you find yourself in battles rather than constructive negotiation, your energies will dissipate in a fruitless dance with your own shadow. On the other hand, if you rise to the challenges and insights that your interactions with others illuminate, you may find yourself clearer about your values, ready to let go of fear-based behaviors, and developing a whole new relationship with your work, health or daily routine. Lean into the learning.  Gemstone: Flourite

Scorpio: Restrictions are clues these days. Don’t ignore their telltale signs, especially around your health and your work. Taking things seriously and to heart works in your favor this month. You have the focused energy to make changes that reinvigorate these areas, so engage and trust your instincts. Ignoring potential problems or growing concerns won’t serve the restructuring going on in your life right now. You want to build something lasting, so keep an eye on the blueprints and create your solid foundation. Gemstone: Bloodstone

Sagittarius: Whom do you love? How can play inform work? Where are your enthusiasms directing you? Answer those questions and you’ll be off to a good start this spring. Let your native optimism reinvigorate your daily routines and your positive outlook lighten the load of those around you. Towards the end of the month, keep your inner resistances in check. Lean toward practical solutions that take the long view – rather than fast, short-term fixes – even if they don’t feel very sexy in the moment.  Gemstone: Aquamarine

Capricorn: April is a fine month to ensure that you’re nurturing yourself and feeling at home in your life. You are in the midst of renewing fundamental aspects of yourself. To foster this period of growth, you need to attend to your deepest needs. If you haven’t been taking care of yourself, now is the time to address it. You can’t climb Mount Everest if you don’t have a solid base camp, no matter how ambitious you are, so stock the proper supplies and make sure you have the right support team.  Then you’ll be ready to move steadily onward, toward the heights you’ve been craving. Gemstone: Moonstone

Aquarius: If you are willing to shift off of a fixed position, April presents an opportunity for a whole new way of seeing the familiar.  If your thinking has become entrenched or habituated – especially about home or family or some fundamental self-concept – step outside your intellectual comfort zone and entertain a new point of view. You might find yourself in completely new terrain, a land that is invigorating, freeing, and represents a fresh start. High-handed anger points to being stuck in the past. Epiphanies and honest self-disclosure are the pathways to courage, discovery, and shaking off past chains.  Gemstone: Labradorite

Pisces: If you feel a little overwhelmed and less than happy with yourself, April is the month to hit the restart button. One, remember that you’re fabulous. Two, don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself. (Besides, you can’t feel sorry for yourself once your remember you’re fabulous.) If you’ve been stuck, adjust your values so they aren’t contradictory or adjust your behaviors so they align with your values. One or the other is at odds, like two fishes swimming in opposite directions.  Own it, and then step into the current so you can move forward. Lastly, for good measure, remember that you’re fabulous. Gemstone: Malachite

TO FIND YOUR RISING SIGN (the Ascendant):

You’ll need the following information: date of birth, place of birth, and, most importantly, time of birth.  Go to the following webpage and select “Extended Chart Selection” at the bottom right section of the page.

• Select the bar which says “Click here to show the chart,” which is to the right and above the “Options” area of the page.
• You should find yourself at another page. Select “Click here to go directly to data entry page.”
• You’ll be taken to the data entry page. Enter your birth data and click on “Continue.”
• Your natal chart with the positions will appear.  At the upper left, look for the information in red text. Your rising sign appears after the word “Ascendant.”
• You can print the chart if you like, too.

Although we anticipated in February that our doors would be open by now, we’re still going to throw a party! At 8:30 p.m. we will be revealing our new logo created by our wonderful graphic design interns to coincide with Artwalk. Following our unveiling, at 9 p.m. we will release twenty-one floating paper lanterns. The twenty-one lanterns will represent the twenty years of Wild Iris’ doors being open and we will release an extra lantern for good luck in the coming years. The ceremony is going to be an amazing experience. So please, come join us and don’t miss out on this magical event!

Artwalk & Lantern Lighting Celebration

Friday, March 29, 7-10 pm

CMC/Courtyard/Wild Iris Books

22 SE 5th Ave, Gainesville

We have said over and over that it’s always been about more than the books and this transition period has reinforced that.  We can’t wait to be a part of your daily lives again. Be sure to keep up with our updates about the progress of construction and the official opening of our doors.

Well here we are…. we had hoped to be further along in the construction by now – but isn’t that how it always goes with new builds?  Here’s a photo from today and you can see it - the shape taking a life of its own and the vision geting closer and closer each day.

When we started to plan our Grand Opening Events – we knew we wanted to host something on the Equinox.  This journey from University to South Main has reminded of us of our legacy while testing all of our reserves.  Now we stand on the opposite side of winter, and we… are ready to bloom. 

Spring Equinox Potluck and Celebration
Thursday, March 21, 6-8pm
CMC/Courtyard/Wild Iris Books
22 SE 5th Ave, Gainesville

We hope you can join us! Bring something delicious to share if you are able and don’t forget to wear your best springtime smile.

The doors may be open, they may not be.   But The Courtyard and The CMC WILL be open and full of Wild Iris friends embracing a new beginning.

We have said over and over that it’s always been about more than the books and this transition period has reinforced that.  We can’t wait to be a part of your daily lives again and we look forward to raising our glasses and hearts in celebration together on the first day of Spring.

The Invisible War is an investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military. The Invisible War brings to light rape within in the military through interviews with veterans from different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. These survivors recount the events surrounding their sexual assaults and the aftermath of their attacks.

Many of the veterans’ stories have similarities: the lack of justice due to an impartial system, blame of the survivors instead of perpetrators, the absence of much needed emotional and physical care for survivors, the advancement of the assaulter’s careers, and the forced dismissal of the survivors from service. The film is nominated for Best Documentary at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Wild Iris is hosting a viewing of this intense, real life documentary investigating rape within the military in order to raise awareness of the damaging consequences of rape culture, which blames victims rather than assaulters.

The survivors and advocates featured inThe Invisible War call for changes in the way the military handles sexual assault and so do we.

The film will be shown at the Civic Media Center at 7 p.m. on April 1st, 2013.

433 S. Main Street

Gainesville, FL 32601

http://www.civicmediacenter.org/

http://invisiblewarmovie.com/

Wild Iris Books

Step right up, step right up, and SIGN UP for the 4th annual VERY QUEER VARIETY SHOW, March 30 at The Courtyard

Of course we always need sensational performances, but we also really need volunteers to make it all happen! And of course, volunteers get to see the show for free!

We are looking for volunteers to help us with the following:

Door/Ticket/Raffle & T-shirt Sales: We need about 6 people to help out with this so that folks can take turns. That way no one has to “work” the entire show.

Backstage Tranager: Help set up the dressing room before the show. During the show, make sure that whoever is “up next” is prepared.

Stage Hand: Help people move their stuff off and on stage. Should be pretty simple most of the show.

Roustabouts: We’ll need lots of help during the day of the show (March 30) setting things up and decorating. We’ll also need help after the show is over to clean up.

Game Operators: We’d like to set up some carnival games for additional fundraising. We need loud-mouth, charismatic types to operate the games before the show and during intermission. You won’t be expected to operate your game during the performance.

Kissing Booth Wenches: self explanatory

“Cigarette Grrlz/Bois”: We need some fiercely dressed cuties to walk around selling concessions and handing out free condoms. We’ll make you a cute tray and hat!

Carnies & Freaks: jugglers, stilters, hoopers, clowns, magicians, tarot readers, living statues, face painters, etc. Anyone with ambient entertainment skills is encouraged to create a carnivalesque pre-show and intermission atmosphere

To sign up email msellendegenerate@gmail.com

Let me begin this month’s forecast with an apology. I won’t be able to write individual horoscopes this month, as I’m in the middle of selling a house and moving to another. (In astrology-speak, I have transiting Uranus hitting my career/home axis.)  So thanks for bearing with me, and we’ll get back to our regular scheduled programming in April!

This month’s highlights:

11 March 2013

New moon in Pisces. The new moon is literally the start of a new cycle, a beginning. However, with the sun and moon in the last sign of the zodiac (Pisces) and approaching Mars in the final degree (29) of that sign, we also need to take action on old business and tie up loose ends. The indication is we have come as far as we can go and we must let go to begin again.

Think of it as a speeding up of time. Things may unravel and we have to respond. A situation that has been around for a while may suddenly come to a head, so we finally make a decision, and bring it to a close. Old emotional material, illusions, and dreams may need to be acknowledged and, perhaps, relinquished. If you’ve been indecisive and delaying action, you may need to make something “real,” that is, take it out of the realm of daydream and put it into the realm of reality. Push may come to shove during this moon cycle, which doesn’t come to a close until the second week of April.

Take the plunge. Sometimes we need to be pushed to our limits to take the next step, to move us past our inertia. As the sun and moon join Venus this cycle, your next move should be toward that which brings more pleasure, peace, and beauty in your life and in your relationships. What do you value? What makes you happy?  How can you have more of that in your day?

17 March 2013

Mercury Retrograde Ends. And the crowd goes wild. Communication becomes easier, though it doesn’t get its groove back until mid-April when Mercury moves into Aries.

20 March 2013

The Spring Equinox marks the beginning of the tropical zodiac—the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere—when the sun crosses the intersection of celestial equator and the ecliptic, or another way to say the same thing, when the sun reaches zero degrees of Aries.  As such, it tells astrologers a lot about the energy of the upcoming solar year.  And this equinox is pretty raucous.

We have a stressful configuration called a T-Square between Pluto, moon, Mars, and Uranus. It’s rather explosive, intemperate energy that would rather blow things apart than negotiate a peace. It suggests the need to take whatever action one deems necessary to seek freedom and break away from past restrictions. We have a tendency to act rashly, perhaps unconsciously, against perceived power differences. The tricky part is to not project our shadow onto others or to blame and make others wrong. Better that we empower ourselves to break free of our limitations and leave others to deal with their own limitations.

Underneath the stress, though, lies a gift, a lovely grand trine in water between the moon, Saturn, Mercury and Neptune. Water is tied to our emotions, to the intrinsic, unfathomable ways we are connected to the people and world around us. Here, we have the possibility of aligning mind with emotion and body, of pairing discipline with vision. Mysticism, spirituality, creativity and imagination all come to mind. Remember, beneath the intensity lies a stable reservoir of emotional/mental control and inspired revelation. We simply need to access it and use its depths to guide us through any tempests that may arise.

Those of you who meditate and those of you who have always wanted to try, the days before the Spring Equinox are a great time to begin. Saturn provides discipline, Neptune allows you to tap into something larger than yourself, and moon and Mercury provide left-brain/right-brain integration.

This grand trine also ties into Pluto, creating what is known as a kite configuration, so ultimately the stress we feel from the T-square and the support underlying the grand trine all point to the regenerative powers of Pluto. Use this year to transform your life in creative, liberating and sustaining ways.  Break with the past but head toward a future that feeds you on a soul level, one that is emotionally rich and nurturing, and inspires you to new levels of growth.

27 March 2013

Full Moon in Libra. With the full moon across the Libra/Aries axis, we incorporate both the themes of our new moon and of the Spring Equinox. Libra yearns for peace, seeking harmony, beauty, and interpersonal connection. It aims to create balance. Aries, on the other hand, seeks excitement and autonomy and doesn’t mind if it ruffles a few feathers in the process. Like at the new moon, the sun and moon connect to Venus, the planet of love and money, and the sun is joined by our friends from the equinox, Uranus, and Mars. And for good measure, both sun and moon come into a stressful t-square with Pluto, the transformation agent.

What needs to change in your life that will liberate you and rejuvenate you? How does balance need to be restored – in your relationships? In your life?  With Venus so prominent this moon cycle, Venusian themes are underscored: what needs to change to bring more love, peace, pleasure, and beauty into your life?  What do you value? Issues of money and fair exchange also may be a focus.

This full moon is about making constructive changes that support your happiness, encourage balance, and take a great deal of courage to bring about. Again, the energy is tense, explosive even. Use it to shape shift and revision yourself. Intense encounters with others or with shadowy, less accepted aspects of yourself may act as catalysts: allowing you to see into where you need or want creative change to occur in your life.

Push for your desires, act from a place of self-love and love of others, advocate for more pleasure and joy in your life. Use the intensity or stresses you encounter to transform those aspects of yourself or your situation that limit your peace, your love, your creativity or happiness. Jupiter supports this full moon, so use your sense of possibility and optimism to move past resistance.

Employ this time creatively and wisely. Break through the chrysalis. Emerge.

Again, my apologies that I won’t have individual horoscopes this month, but I hope to be back to my normal column in April!

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month – we bring you this excerpt from an amazing life.  Marsha P. Johnson rules and we love her.

“I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I became a drag queen.  That’s what made me in New York, that’s what made me in New Jersey, that’s what made me in the world.” -Martha P. Johnson

• She was an American transgender rights activist from 1966 until her death in 1992. Marsha participated in fights with the police during the Stonewall Riots.
• In the early 1970s, Marsha became the co founder of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.). and became the “mother” of S.T.A.R. house, providing food and clothing to young trans women living in the house on the Lower East Side of New York.

We started off January with a super high powered, get-it-into-gear Capricorn new moon, so hopefully you started off your year focused on your big goals and taking a practical approach toward making them a reality.

January’s theme of self-sufficiency and self-reliance continue into February. The new moon on February 10^th at 21 degrees Aquarius asks us to stand apart and risk being seen as different or iconoclastic, maybe even contrary.

First, the new moon is unaspected, which means it’s unconnected to other celestial bodies. (For astrologers: I’m using a 10-degree orb.) It literally stands apart in the heavens.

Second, the new moon is at the north bendings, the northern most latitude on its journey around the earth. So it’s literally at an extreme, poised to change direction. In fact, the sun and moon are both at this highly sensitive place, and as a consequence, we’re at the kind of pivot point where we need to go it alone, trust our own sense of direction, even when everyone around us is telling us we’re crazy or reckless or wrong or….

Underscoring these themes is the new moon’s placement in Aquarius, a sign known for being futuristic, progressive, even if this means marching quirkily out of step with the rest of the world. It’s connected to groups and collectives, in particular sub-cultures, alliances of likeminded others that have a shared interest or perspective that is outside the mainstream.

So February represents a time in which you may need to take a stand or perhaps put forward a contrary position to retain or become your authentic self and to remain true to your dreams. With Saturn squaring Venus in the new moon chart, this can be a lonely place, but one also of integrity based on a fair assessment of one’s true value. Support comes from those who share your vision, rather than universal support.

With Saturn and Jupiter actively burnishing your dreams this month, lean more toward measured assessments than ungrounded optimism.

Those who can stand on their own and call upon their self-discipline, maturity, and integrity will fare better than those who spin big ideas and set events into motion without any real plan.  The former are likely to make serious headway on a few choice and focused goals, while the latter are likely to end up over-extended and spinning their wheels on pie-in-the-sky ideas.

On February 18^th Saturn, Lord of Time, turns retrograde at 11 degrees Scorpio, beginning a five-month period in which we work on interior mastery – shoring up our internal resources – so that we may be more effective masters of our world come the summer.

Then on February 23^rd, Mercury also turns retrograde at 20 degrees Pisces. Pisces is a nonlinear sign while Mercury revels in facts and information. Use this more internal period to bring head and heart more into alignment. Hermes (Mercury) was the guardian of thresholds and messenger for the gods. Listen carefully to the stirrings and whispers of intuition while it moves retrograde for the next ten weeks.

The need to unify what you think with what you intuit continues on the full moon on February 25^th, falling at 7 degrees Pisces/Virgo and opposing Neptune.  Reason cannot stand on its own, cold and separate from our heart’s deepest longings, nor can our dreams take off and soar if separated from reality.

If you have stayed true to yourself and focused your efforts on goals that matter – without sliding into hypersensitivity, ego, unrealistic expectations, or overextension – you will be positioned to achieve some ambition, or at least take a step toward it, by the month’s end.

So reach for the stars, my friends, but don’t lose sight of terra firma below. February brings real opportunity for thoughtful innovation. You simply need to be willing to err on the side of authenticity, to hold yourself accountable, and to keep aligning your dreams with the current realities of your life so each ultimately supports the other.

2013 February Forecast

If you know your rising sign (the sign on the ascendant at the time of your birth), read that description as well as your birth sign.  If you don’t know your rising sign and would like to find out, click here for instructions.

As always, a broad analysis such as this is no substitute for a personal astrological consultation based your full birth data.  If you are interested in setting up an appointment, please email me or call me at 800.604.0299.

ARIES              TAURUS           GEMINI                 CANCER                LEO                    VIRGO

LIBRA              SCORPIO         SAGITTARIUS        CAPRICORN          AQUARIUS        PISCES

ARIES

Gemstones: Aquamarine

Your friends are your greatest allies this month, Ram. When in doubt, bounce your ideas and aspirations off of them. They freshen your thinking and trigger insights. This month is a fine time for clean sweeps, literally (as in cleaning out closets) or metaphorically (as in bringing chapters of the past to a close).  Spend time alone, especially at month end, for respite and for creative regeneration.

TAURUS

Gemstones: Malachite

If relationships have been challenging as of late, some stocktaking may be in order. As the saying goes, we can’t change anyone but ourselves, so you will find more fruit for your labor if you do the work required on your end and leave others to do their own. Focusing on your career can pay long-term dividends, as can mapping out strategies to meet long-range goals.

GEMINI

Gemstones:  Leopard Jasper

Make February the month that your ideals and beliefs are put into action in your day-to-day world. For instance, if you’ve wanted to meditate regularly, get it on your schedule. Pragmatic, measured approaches to your daily health and work routines pay off right now, so push yourself to establish the habits you’d like to take root and flourish.

CANCER

Gemstones: Azurite

This month is the month of endings, closing one door to walk through to another. For some this will be as mundane as paying off a debt so you have the money available for something else. For others, it may have more esoteric implications, such as slipping into creative or meditative states that allow you to release one way of seeing for another. Open the portal.

LEO

Gemstones: Blue Agate

Get out of the house and circulate a bit this month, Lion. You’re likely to run into innovators who surprise and intrigue you. As you’re in a process of deep interior re-decorating (do I really need to keep that piece of psychic furniture?), fresh perspectives are just what you need. Voices that are more community-minded and egalitarian can help transform your vision.

VIRGO

Gemstones: Rhodonite

Try the unusual this month at work, shake up your normal routines, turn tradition on its head and see what happens. Fresh approaches result in new starts and directions that will stimulate you and your creativity. Relationships can be a bit tetchy, and misunderstandings can crop up.  Remember, your sensitivity is greatly heightened right now, so a breeze can hit you like a tsunami. Let it go and breathe.

LIBRA

Traditional Gemstones: Peridot

Get out and have some fun with friends this month, Libra. Hopefully, one of your New Year’s resolutions was to put yourself on a budget, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself within the limits you’ve set. Toward the end of the month, spend some time by yourself in spiritual retreat or in service to others.

SCORPIO

Gemstones: Lepidolite

Hunker down at home with friends and loved ones for a bit of goofy fun this month, Scorpio. You’ll find it restorative and enlivening, especially if your energy has been low of late.  You continue to need to set boundaries and to set your own direction. As such, the weight of the world can feel as if it rests on your shoulders. Make time for fun, creativity and play to lighten your load.

SAGITTARIUS

Gemstones: Obsidian

It’s hard to turn off your mind this month, Centaur. Every time you turn around, you’re exposed to new ideas and new ways of thinking. You have something to say, too, so get out there and network. Remember to listen, too, as others will act as heralds, showing up with messages. Confusion, disquiet or uncertainty may crop up – perhaps around home or family but often just as an inner state.  Sit with it. What longings does this inner turmoil speak to?

CAPRICORN

Gemstones: Quartz

Take stock of your resources this month: financial, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Giving thanks for what you have allows you to deeply connect with what really matters. This becomes important later in the month when your dreams make subtle shifts, realigning you to your center. You may have fleeting glimpses of what is to be. Don’t worry if you can’t put it into words. Draw pictures, dream it.

AQUARIUS

Gemstones: Carnelian

The spotlight is on you, Waterbearer. What is it you want and how might you make it happen? How about asking for exactly what you desire rather than hanging back and expecting everyone to recognize your contributions? This month, don’t be afraid to promote yourself or your inventive ideas. Your financial situation or your relationship to money may also warrant innovative thinking.

PISCES

Gemstones: Sodalite

Sometimes the best way forward is taking a step back, especially if you feel stuck. You are primed to make a spiritual leap this month, but only if you are willing. Getting distance, spotting where you sabotage your efforts, and transcending an old pattern or behavior that limits you is possible now. It takes humility, a desire to change, and the insight that you are holding the key.  Set yourself free.

TO FIND YOUR RISING SIGN (the Ascendant):

You’ll need the following information: date of birth, place of birth, and, most importantly, time of birth.  Go to the following webpage and select “Extended Chart Selection” at the bottom right section of the page.

• Select the bar which says “Click here to show the chart,” which is to the right and above the “Options” area of the page.
• You should find yourself at another page. Select “Click here to go directly to data entry page.”
• You’ll be taken to the data entry page. Enter your birth data and click on “Continue.”
• Your natal chart with the positions will appear.  At the upper left, look for the information in red text. Your rising sign appears after the word “Ascendant.”

Michelle Gould is a practicing astrologer in Gainesville, Florida.  For more information on her services visit her website or call 800.604.0299.

Brace yourself for slippery descent into a world full of the darker side of sensuality and a study into what creates the sexual being inside of us.  Lightened by expertly placed comedic intervention – this play will have you blushing and laughing – and if you’d care to admit it – squirming slightly warm in your seat.

The blurry lines between control and submission, master and slave, hunter and prey flow and dissolve amidst the palpable sensual tension and you can’t help but to question where true power and sexiness live.

It was mesmerizing to watch Lauren Nordvig completely comfortable and beautiful in her skin, in charge of her sexuality and unapologetic with her standards.  Your hearts spiral with Tim Altmeyer wanting more and more as the play goes on to unpeel and understand him.  These are two actors who never disappoint and can add another stellar performance to their accomplishments.

It’s no secret that we here at Wild Iris Books are fond of strong female characters and Vanda’s character speaks straight to our hearts – stopping Thomas cold when he or the play steps into territory that is disrespectful to women.  And we must admit, some of the fun was glancing over the faces of audience members as they found themselves inadvertently smiling and shifting in their seats.

Once last thing - all you book club members out there, skip the 50 Shades selection and take your crew to see this play.  I promise you a more lively and erotic discussion, with a few perfectly placed laughs along the way.

Visit The Hipp online today to reserve your seats.

iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch

You can buy local and still read ebooks! To get started click here to create your account at the Wild Iris Books Kobo store. Once you have created your account, you can download the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch app and start reading ebooks.  Kobo has the largest free ebook library in the world.  Over 1 million free titles. Every time you purchase a book through your Wild Iris Books Kobo store, Wild Iris Books earns a profit from your purchase.  Your purchase benefits your local independent reseller just like your in store purchases.   You can read your Kobo eBooks on iOS devices by downloading the Kobo app from the App Store. Automatically syncs your library across all your devices. Share your Reading Life™ with friends by adding Kobo to your Facebook Timeline, and interact with millions of other Kobo readers through Kobo Pulse™. Customize your reading experience

Here we are, entering the uncharted waters of a new year, somewhere between the doldrums of the past and the depths of what will be. The energy that began in 2011 continues to swell beneath us, but our transformation will not be complete until 2015.  In 2013 we continue the journey. If we are wise, we will use our visions and dreams as a compass, yet remain open to exploration and discovery.

The past two years have been fiery in temperament, with lots of activity in Cardinal and fire signs. With the ongoing intensity of the Uranus-Pluto squares (mid-May and again in late October/early November), we feel a continued urgency to recreate ourselves and our world. That said, in 2013 we cross into the watery realms.

What we want and how we feel about the changes we propose can be very different. Water craves safety and connection, yet we remain in a period of dynamic change and growth requiring each of us to set our own course. This year is about minding that gap.

Points of reconciliation? Finding the people who push us toward greater authenticity despite our fear, acknowledging our greatest attachments and determining what we are willing to risk, accepting our vulnerabilities while remaining open and true to ourselves.

Listen to the whispering of longing.  These stirrings can help us tap into our deepest needs and clarify our goals. Used this way, they can become a touchstone to ensure our vision for the future is heart-centered and emotionally nurturing, as well as liberating and freeing.

All three Mercury retrograde periods (late February, late June, and late October) fall in water signs, steeping us in nonlinear ways of knowing and opening portals into interior spaces. If our ideas are in conflict with our emotions, these periods offer opportunities to bring them back into alignment.

Come summer, a grand trine in water between Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune brings a wellspring of creativity and the opportunity to launch our aspirations with real-world know-how.  And if in August and into the fall, we need to make a few course corrections, we’ll also have a clearer understanding of the waters in which we travel.

Safe journeys, my friends. May the winds fill your sails with glad tidings and carry you forward on a sea of blessings. May the healing waters of love wash over you and everyone you know and meet, until wave by wave, we awaken to the ocean of bliss that supports us all.

2013 Forecast

If you know your rising sign (the sign on the ascendant at the time of your birth), read that description as well as your birth sign.  If you don’t know your rising sign and would like to find out, click here for instructions.

As always, a broad analysis such as this is no substitute for a personal astrological consultation based your full birth data.  If you are interested in setting up an appointment, please email me or call me at 800.604.0299.

ARIES        TAURUS          GEMINI               CANCER            LEO                 VIRGO

LIBRA       SCORPIO         SAGITTARIUS     CAPRICORN     AQUARIUS      PISCES

ARIES

Traditional gemstones: Red coral, Carnelian, Diamond, Bloodstone

If you’ve been doing your work over the past few years, 2012 brought a few seismic shifts in your self-awareness and freed you to move through the world feeling less encumbered and more wholly yourself. The cost for this more fully-embodied you has come at the price of change, some planned, some wholly surprising. The center could not hold, so you created a new center, one more aligned to your authentic self. You can expect 2013 to bring continued shifts in your path and public persona, so roll with the aftershocks that attend this powerful emergence: now isn’t the time for routine but for experiment. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

Hopefully, over the course of the past few years, you’ve restructured relationships so that those in your life truly are in your life, on your team, and cheering on your growth. Changes in career or direction occur because you are coming into your power. Be a leader who empowers others, and resist the temptation to control your environment. Consider how you can facilitate the transformation of the world around you by sharing power with others or channeling it for the good of those around you.

On a more mundane level, be sure to take care of any outstanding debt you may have. Through 2015, you can whittle down debts by taking a disciplined, structured approach. The same goes for old fears and doubts: tackle them one by one and they’ll soon be gone. Starting in July, look for opportunity to come knocking. Positive changes at home, within your family, and opportunities for growth, both personally and on the job, are possible.  You may even find your new tribe. It’s a good time to be you.

TAURUS

Traditional gemstones: Diamond, White Coral, Zircon, Emerald, Amber

Life could become interesting this year, Bull ─ so pay attention, especially to the people in your life.  Who consistently shows up? Who weighs you down or lowers your energy? You’ll find that romances built on solid ground will deepen, become more serious, and turn into full-fledged commitments. Conversely, friendships and partnerships that aren’t built on terra firma may begin leaving your life, sometimes on your request, at other times by their choice. Your responsibility to others only increases over the next few years, so your close relationships need to go through a critical period of review. You want to make sure that those who receive your time and energy warrant it.  And you want to make sure that you keep up your end of the bargain, too: show up for those you’re committed to, even if it gets hard.

Travel, spiritual contemplation, and big picture ideas and values continue to be a place of transformation for you, so use these pathways to discover new aspects of yourself. Let a journey become a vision quest, or a book upend your existing worldview. As much as you appreciate continuity, you will find you enjoy and are inspired by new frames of reference right now. Take advantage of these points of departure, especially if you feel stale or stuck in a rut.

A place of benefit for you this year is your community. If you’ve been staying too close to home, consider branching out, especially beginning mid-summer.  You won’t have to go far to meet people who stimulate your thinking and have interesting stories to share.  You may find you have more to say as well. Opportunities come in the guise of everyday interactions with others, so circulate and expand your circle of acquaintances.  More importantly, connecting with your community will shake you free of old assumptions and beliefs and expose you to new ways of seeing that will be positively healing – for you and those around you.

GEMINI

Traditional Gemstones:  Emerald, Peridot, Jade, Sapphire

You’re in a period of transition, which will continue for several years. Your dreams for the future may take surprising turns, as friends and associates bring illuminating new ideas and prospects into your field of vision. Always quick to bore, you may find yourself itching for new horizons to explore, but which horizon might be less clear right now.

Rely a bit more on your gut and intuition this year, especially when uncertainty arises, and use your values to test tentative ideas or destinations. What do you believe, where do you find meaning, what taps into your highest ideals, where does your longing lie? Use these questions as weather vanes to point you in the right direction.  If you approach your life from straight reason – what makes sense – rather than tapping into the inspiration of your dreams and idealism, you may miss your turn for a much more interesting and satisfying journey.

As the second half of the year approaches, opportunities for increased income and a greater sense of wellbeing arise. Lighten your load: by releasing the unnecessary or bringing old aspects of your life to an end, you can free up energy and create space in your life for new bounty. You may want to tackle old debt or transform your approach to money. Focusing on how you give and receive – the rates of exchange in your life – can be enlightening as well.

In 2013, you’re asked to show up and be more present, especially in your day-to-day routines. This can manifest in a various ways, such as a more committed approach to your health, increased responsibility on the job, or more active attention to those around you who need your support.  Balance is important, as is a disciplined, mature, methodical approach to the details of your daily life. Don’t let yourself off the hook. Ultimately the payoffs will be worth the perseverance.

CANCER

Traditional Gemstones: Natural Pearl, Moonstone, Ruby

You may have found 2012 a demanding year, especially at work and in relationships.  As empathic as you are, you often find it difficult to stay centered in what you want, losing sight of yourself amid the clamor of your environment or the competing needs of others. But sometimes life’s stresses provoke clarity, steel our resolve, and provide the right juxtaposition – showing us what we don’t want in order to get us into gear.

The focus of this year is growth: in your identity, your sense of place in the world, your self-expression. Any area of your life which feels thwarted or withered deserves scrutiny, and you need to worry less about fitting in and more about full expression of your whole self. Come out of your shell, take risks, and reinvent yourself.

In 2013, you have a window of opportunity to make sudden shifts that land you in new places – both physically and metaphorically. You are ready for a spiritual/artistic transformation, one that frees you to put the focus on living more soulfully and authentically. Situations and environments in which you’re discouraged to be your full self or in which you encounter resistance may simply be urging you to move on.

This year sweeps brings unprecedented luck, good timing, and optimism, so push for the results you want. Use the first half of the year to get your proverbial ducks in a row, so when things begin to pick up mid-year you can take advantage of the opportunities as they arrive.

Relationships this year can be intense and transporting – deeply, deeply impacting you – so be discriminating and intentional in your approach. Situations which feel less than mutually empowering need to be scrutinized, as your current cycle of growth hinges on your ability to become a freer, more autonomous and creative you. Look to those friends and partners who support your longings, gifts and growing sense of excitement, and with whom you can partner in a mature, steady manner.

LEO

Traditional Gemstones: Ruby, Red Spinel, Rhodolite, Peridot, Golden Topaz

Over the past few years, your ideology and beliefs have been going through a process of revitalization. Epiphanies and radical new ideals may have shaken you free of some of your more limited self-concepts and opened new vantage points from which to see the world – or perhaps provided you a wide-angle lens through which new vistas magically appeared.  This has impacted your day-to-day world, jumpstarting a transformation of your routines and even the daily work you do. What matters in the long run is shifting, and so is the focus of your daily attention.

Expect 2013 to bring more of the same, as the reorganizing going on in your life begins hitting you where you live. Your innermost home and personal life will require restructuring. It could mean creating a suitable place in the home in which to work, remodeling the house, or it could be more esoteric, looking inward and paying attention to the places within your core that don’t feel “at home” and need to be healed. You must strengthen your foundation so that it is strong enough to support the life you’re building, and those foundational elements are your relationships, your career, your creativity, and your identity.

Responsibilities around home and family may increase, and the need to parent – your children, aging parents, but more importantly yourself – increases. At the same time look carefully at the areas of your life that could be simplified. If you are managing everything and everyone, it’s time to take stock. What is essential? What obligations have you taken on simply because you’re prone to take charge? What situations can be turned over to others or to a higher power?

Opportunities come in the guise of solitude and service. Spending time alone in contemplation brings both spiritual gifts and creative insights. Community and connection can come from reaching out and assisting those around you who are less fortunate. In fact, in 2013, acts of service and compassion can be positively transformative for you. Let the reorganization going on deep within you spill outwards and become seeds of transcendence for those in need

VIRGO

Traditional Gemstones: Emerald, Peridot, Jade, Sapphire

You have embarked on a healing journey through the realm of relationships. Diligent and hardworking, you can be counted on to show up for others, be they bosses, children, friends or lovers. However, seeds of bitterness and resistance can be planted if you feel you carry too much burden, even if it’s your native helpfulness that’s setting up this dynamic. These seeds of self-imposed martyrdom may proliferate if you surround yourself with people in chronic need of repair.

The call here is to transform your sense of fun and creativity, to renew your sense of magic in relationships, and to restore the vital balance between work and play. You’re due for a creative flowering, which will feed and inform how you interact with others.  It’s true that you enjoy improving the world around you. But you must first face your wound: what part of you feels you must offer a service, must do something to be of value?  Try to unbind your natural proclivity to help from the deep-seated fear that your deservingness hinges on being useful rather than being you.

This rebalancing is critical, as over the next few years you will be called upon to by others who genuinely need you. Your ability to act from a place of compassion, rather than obligation or duty, will allow you to become a healer of the first magnitude and truly of service.

First step: Schedule several hours each week—this is non-negotiable—to do something you love: play guitar, quilt, write, create art, go dancing. Whatever it is, it should feed you and your gifts. Second step: cultivate gratitude. Spend a bit of time, say, five minutes before going to sleep, consciously appreciating what you have – be it what went right that day, something that made you laugh, the people you love, your health. Gratitude is generative for you: the more you actively give thanks, the more you have to give thanks for.  Last step: pay attention to the people and ideas that uplift you and help you tap into what’s possible. Part of your rewiring has to do with finding ways to say “Yes” more often, to giving your curiosity freer reign, rather than performing risk assessments all the time. Place yourself in environments that support a more inspired you.

LIBRA

Traditional Gemstones: Diamond, White Coral, Zircon, Opal, Peridot

If you’ve been doing your work, the past few years have been about learning to say no to others, putting boundaries in place, and standing on your own two feet.  The coming few years are about learning to say no to yourself, especially with regards to your finances. Belt-tightening, budgeting, restructuring your relationship to money, and saving for the future are good practices for the immediate future.

The changes keep coming in 2013, and relationships and home continue to be areas of challenge, with interactions with others often rocking your stability. Underlying the difficulties is your uneasy relationship to power, often stemming from power dynamics in your early home environment. Your desire for parity makes you suspicious of power; yet your fear of power often means your expression of it is subversive and indirect, making it hard for others to understand your priorities or meet you on your own terms.  It is time to work with your fears, stop hiding, and put your cards on the table.

Insights stem from examining the conflicts in your life and how they might echo dynamics from your early life. Who is speaking power to whom? If you are in the position of authority, how can you move past your fears and empower your subordinates?  (Clue: When you were younger or feeling upset and unheard, what approach would have staunched your concerns?) If your conflict is with someone who has authority over you, how can you move past your fears and stand up for yourself? You are a powerful person and you are in control, whether you see yourself that way or not. If you don’t acknowledge this truth, you may be tempted to use power unconsciously to selfishly serve your own ends.

Given the nonstop pace of the coming year, take care of your sensitive nervous system with restorative, spiritual health routines—qigong, yoga, thai chi—and regular contemplative practices. Own your power but be gentle with yourself.

SCORPIO

Traditional Gemstones: Red Coral, Carnelian, Citrine, Obsidian

Finally, 2013 is here and you can get started. Energy is beginning to move, and important decisions must be made. It’s time to declare yourself, to shape your identity in this emerging world.

For the next two years, you will be redefining who you are. This is not an abstract exercise but painstaking work, and you may find yourself busier than ever before. Pay attention and keep your focus on essentials. This is not the time to scatter your energies but to consolidate. The people, activities and situations that arise now will  have continued influence for the next 29 years of your life.

If you have wanted to revamp your work life or reinvent your health routine, you may find that change can happen rapidly. Fun, innovative and unusual approaches to old problems – whether they be health or work-related – can lead to breakthroughs, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Shifts in technology or surprises in the workplace may also abound. Though you are normally not a huge fan of change, this time try rolling with it. You may even discover the disruptions to be freeing.

You need space and time to explore your growing need for spirit and new ideologies to replace older, more limited ways of understanding your world. This need increases as the year unfolds. Plan a trip that feeds your spirit as well as your need for retreat. Travel can unlock opportunities, expose you to new ideas, soften fossilized opinions, and provide insights into your unfolding development.

SAGITTARIUS

Traditional Gemstones: Yellow Sapphire, Topaz, Citrine, Ruby

Because you love forward motion, the faster the better, you may find this year’s pace agonizing: you can feel things shift, you can see what could be, but nothing seems to be happening.

Take. Big. Deep. Breaths.

Trust your sense of what could be and keep your faith close. This year, patience is the virtue you must cultivate. Acting too soon will quickly and unequivocally show you just how unstable your foundation is, so sit tight. The ground beneath you is not quite solid, and blind optimism can’t force a garden to take root in the muck.

So, what to do while you’re in limbo? Get your financial house in order. I know, I know, visionaries such as yourself shouldn’t have to be troubled with these details, but put it on your to-do list anyhow. Everything you will do starting in 2016 requires that you be on a better financial footing than you are now. Slip off your wizard’s cap and put on your hard hat. You need to build something, foundation to roof, brick by brick. Guess what? If you’re patient, you’ll still end up living in the penthouse.

Over the next couple of years, you need to clean up old business. What have you avoided, delayed, put off, or need to finish? Focus on that. Get the kids through high school, finish your memoir, complete those home repairs. Whatever you have started, bring it to a close in preparation for the next phase of your life, which will undoubtedly come – sooner than you realize, though slower than you’d like. In short, put one foot after the other, clear your plate, and make room for the future.

CAPRICORN

Traditional Gemstones: Blue sapphire, Amethyst, Tanzanite, Garnet, Black Onyx

The changes of the past few years will continue, fast and furious, so remain open to possibilities and ready to roll with whatever comes your way.  What’s on your long-term agenda? Personal transformation that helps you feel more at home with yourself and which empowers you to influence the world around you.

But this is not a DIY project. This year life sweeps in new people who can speed up your growth by introducing you to new ideas and helping you tap into your dreams. Collaboration, exchange and collective efforts take you farther than going it alone this year, so look for allies and projects that allow for a co-creative approach. In the reflective gaze of another, you can see yourself more clearly. Not everything reflected back will make you happy, but it will give you the information you need to keep working to become the person you yearn to be.

Though you are usually a fine, pragmatic thinker—grounding your reasoning in your experiential wisdom—this year asks you to listen more to the whisper of intuition. Straight logic can only take you so far when the lay of the land is shifting beneath your feet. Stay attuned to what feels right.

If unattached, you may find yourself in the presence of someone you met in the past few years who becomes significant to you this year. Clue: this person should be a champion, someone who supports your dreams and aspirations, and whose vision for his/her own life is in alignment with yours. More importantly, this person will hold you accountable to what you say you want, making it more likely you land where you want to be.

As has been true for the past few years, physical moves are possible. If you need to relocate, know that every move frees up emotional energy that fuels the breakneck growth you’ve been experiencing, which will paradoxically make that leavetaking a homecoming—to your true self.

AQUARIUS

Traditional Gemstones: Blue Sapphire, Amethyst, Tanzanite, Moss Agate

Over the past few years you’ve gone through a philosophical shift that pointed out the need for more balance and peace in your life. Hardened stances may have softened or been reevaluated, and you may be rethinking your direction. In 2013, work, income, career and self-definition are all works in progress. If you are happy with your current direction, now is the time to reap the rewards of your past effort.  If you are less than satisfied, then the next few years will require you to make serious adjustments.

Preparation matters: if you’ve been building the world you want, you are positioned for gain. If you have been taking shortcuts or shirking hard work, you may find the next few years difficult. In short, you’re coming into the harvest; whether the crops are fruitful or barren very much depends your past efforts. If you worked hard, the second half of 2013 could be one of enormous growth, assuming you take advantage of the opportunities coming your way.

If the harvest isn’t bountiful, acknowledge what isn’t working for you and do something about it in 2013. If you feel stuck, the onus is on you. What practical action needs to happen to turn your life and direction around? Discipline, effort and perseverance pay off right now. Inaction and entrenched positions don’t. You are better off if you rise to the challenge and adopt a mature approach—accepting responsibility and plowing through difficulties.

Right now your mind is alive with innovative ideas that can shake up old material and revitalize your life and your community. Write, speak, share your inspirations—let your genius shine. In the process you can liberate yourself and those around you from outworn and limited ways of thinking. Let this be a two-way street: let yourself be shaken awake by the fresh insights of others as well.

PISCES

Traditional Gemstones: Yellow Sapphire, Topaz, Citrine, Aquamarine, Rock Crystal

The world may look a little topsy-turvy at present, but 2013 may provide opportunities for you to express yourself more wholly and to restructure your values so that they genuinely support the person you wish to be.

If not already in transition, your dreams and goals are due for an overhaul, as are the allies who can help you arrive at your destination. What brings meaning to your life and who around you has the focus and can provide the impetus to foster change?  This year, especially the latter half, will provide opportunities for you to ground your ideals in reality. Though you excel at holistic visions and seeing the connective fabric of what could be, you’re well aware that you can struggle with translating your ideals into brass-tack plans. You need people around you who energize you and inspire you to take action rather than spin dreams.

If your finances continue to be a source of instability, you need to examine your relationship to money. Are you paying too high a price for security and certainty? Are you hoping others will swoop in to handle things rather than taking control and creating order for yourself? How might you liberate yourself from old ideas about money that keep you victimized? Use your creativity and invention to turn your thinking on its head; entertain fresh approaches.

Your sense of identity and of value is shifting. Be open, playful, and imaginative in your approach to life and your approach to yourself. Let your sensitivity be a source of strength, the lift that allows you to ride the winds of change. Experiment with who you think you may be. Try on things for size: the thing you said you’d never be or do? Maybe it’s just right for the emerging you.

TO FIND YOUR RISING SIGN (the Ascendant):

You’ll need the following information: date of birth, place of birth, and, most importantly, time of birth.  Go to the following webpage and select “Extended Chart Selection” at the bottom right section of the page.

• Select the bar which says “Click here to show the chart,” which is to the right and above the “Options” area of the page.
• You should find yourself at another page. Select “Click here to go directly to data entry page.”
• You’ll be taken to the data entry page. Enter your birth data and click on “Continue.”
• Your natal chart with the positions will appear.  At the upper left, look for the information in red text. Your rising sign appears after the word “Ascendant.”
• You can print the chart if you like, too.

We’re excited to launch our newest collaboration to connect you with local authors.  Booktalk Nation was created to give readers and independent stores a chance to connect in a new fresh way and bring authors across the nation together for insightful and moving conversations.

You can sign up for any event on the Booktalk Nation website and listen to your favorite authors discuss their latest book, buy signed personalized copies, and best of all you will be supporting your local independent bookstore with every purchase—all from the comfort of your own living room.  These talks are free* and last no more than 30 minutes. You can submit questions before the talk at the Booktalk Nation website or, for some calls, during the live talk.

Wild Iris Books is proud to be the independent bookstore supporting local author Lauren Groff on Wednesday, February 6th, at 7pm EST.  Groff will be discussing her latest novel Arcadia with Emma Straub joining as the interviewer.  Sign up on Booktalk Nation now to get the access code to join the conversation!

While you’re registering for the talk and submitting your questions for Lauren - place your order for Arcadia online and Wild Iris Books will place your order, get your personalized autographed copy and have it delivered to your door.  What better way to celebrate and support local writers and bookstores?

About ARCADIA

In the fields of western New York State in the 1970s, a few dozen idealists set out to live off the land, founding a commune centered on the grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House. Arcadia follows this romantic utopian dream from its hopeful start through its heyday. Arcadia’s inhabitants include Handy, the charismatic leader; his wife, Astrid, a midwife; Abe, a master carpenter; Hannah, a baker and historian; and Abe and Hannah’s only child, Bit. While Arcadia rises and falls, Bit, too, ages and changes. He falls in love with Helle, Handy’s lovely, troubled daughter. And eventually he must face the world beyond Arcadia.

About LAUREN GROFF

Lauren Groff was born in 1978 in Cooperstown, N.Y. She graduated from Amherst College and has an MFA in fiction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Her short stories have appeared in a number of journals, including the New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, One Story, and Subtropics, and in the anthologies Best American Short Stories 2007 and Best American Short Stories 2010, Pushcart Prize XXXII, and Best New American Voices 2008. A story will be included in the 2012 edition of PEN/ O. Henry Prize Stories.

She was awarded the Axton Fellowship in Fiction at the University of Louisville, and has had residencies and fellowships at Yaddo, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Vermont Studio Center and Ragdale.

Lauren’s first novel, The Monsters of Templeton, published in February 2008, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection and bestseller and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers. Her second book, Delicate Edible Birds, is a collection of stories. Her second novel, Arcadia, will be published on March 13, 2012.

She lives in Gainesville, Florida with her husband and two sons.

About EMMA STRAUB

Emma Straub is from New York City. Her fiction and non-fiction have been published by Tin House, The Paris Review Daily, Time, Slate, and The New York Times, and she is a staff writer for Rookie. Straub lives with her husband in Brooklyn, where she also works as a bookseller.

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