Seduction Central features monthly alt-sex horoscopes by Eric Francis.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
We live in a time when you're not supposed to take chances, but I'm here to tell you that sex is risky no matter what. Feelings are involved, and not everyone tells the truth about that. Where bodies touch, health is involved, and we have some integrity issues here as well. Condoms break and pregnancy happens and we get into relationships we don't always understand so well. The only thing that can make a difference is how aware we are of the risk that we're taking. You could say that sex is one big adventure in consciousness. A total eclipse in the most dynamic house in your chart is calling you to be daring, creative and most of all alert to all the possibilities you create when you embark on an erotic adventure of any kind.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)
We all want the world to be safe, but not everyone wants it boring. For you, the two have a lot in common. The August 1 solar eclipse raises questions about your domestic situation: where you live, who you live with, and where you want to live. Your home is your creative and sexual base of operations (this is not true for everyone). It must express your individuality, and you must feel safe expressing your individuality there. So on the occasion of this brilliant astrology, I have a few questions for you: are you in the right place? If you live with someone, is it the right person? Are you free to be absolutely who you are in your private world? And in what way is your creative or erotic identity changing faster than your physical environment?

Gemini (May 20-June 21)
There ought to be nothing ambivalent about passion, but humans do a good job of scattering their energy on doubt. Now is the time for certainty, and that translates to certainty about desire. More to the point, it's the time for some daring experiments about what you might want. Everyone has fantasies they don't admit to, and you can start by admitting them to yourself -- which is another way of saying you're free to feel and think what you want. Then, begin the process of manifestation. Ask your partner or a close friend to help you make your desires into something real. Push the people around you out of their safe zone and into their daring pleasure zone. Trust me, they need it, and so do you.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Intuitively, most of us know that masturbation is the core of sex, but do we believe it? We know that whether we love ourselves is the basis of loving others, and whether we trust ourselves is the foundation of whether we trust others. Yet we are taught to think of sex as being completely about 'the other', or in the alternate, we use the other for some measure of self-connection or gratification. But we're never taught to nourish ourselves first so that we have something to share with others. A total eclipse of the Sun in your 2nd solar house (self-esteem, personal resources) is a reminder to make love to yourself before you make love to others. Really do it, and actually let your experiences be about love. You know you can.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
You are changing, and that can create instability in your sexual relationships. But it can also free you to create a sense of bold adventure in your life. You may feel uncertain whether someone close to you really wants to come along, or whether they are prepared to do so. I suggest you not worry, and rather lead the way. They may be a week or two behind you in theory, but I don't think they will be in reality. Meanwhile, a long-standing disagreement or point of contention has the ability to disappear, but if an erotic bond goes with it, I suggest you let it go and allow the next intriguing opportunity to come into your life. Just remember that if the relationship continues, it will do so on a new level of awareness.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
This is the time to indulge your hottest fantasies, and to get some new ones. By hot I mean deep, I mean soul-shaking and I do mean potentially frightening. Most of our erotic lives are lived in our minds. This is often true whether we have a partner at the time or not -- sexuality is often experienced most vividly in the theater of the imagination. Pump this aspect of who you are and in the process, discover who you are. This is an unusual opportunity, because you have the opportunity to remember something about yourself, and you have the ability to resolve and forget something you would let go of if you knew you were carrying it around.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
If you are wanting to flaunt what you've got, prepare to get a reaction from people. And that reaction may set up a sense of relationship to your community or circle of friends. It appears to be your role at this moment to push people to be sexually free by being sexually free yourself. Sexually free translates to about 10 different things, actually, including feeling safe to express your true personality rather than a scaled-down version of it. It means free enough that any existing romantic interest will need to do a little adapting, which in turn will require trust on both of your parts. Just remember, you didn't come into this world to not be beautiful. You came here to embody beauty itself.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Is sex sexy without power? Maybe if you're an earthworm. Sex is a direct form of power, though it is best thought of in terms of pleasure and the freedom to bestow it. Most people experience the eroticism of others as a force to be reckoned with -- especially you. It will help if you're aware that people associate your sexuality with specifically power. Then, you can choose to apply your power as you wish, which will indulge the distinctly submissive feelings that others approach you with; or you may gently stroke that submissiveness with others. Then there comes a day when you need someone far stronger than yourself to pin you to the bed and have their way with you. Make sure it's someone you've already decided you can trust.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
In recent years it's become vogue to associate sexuality and spirituality, but usually it's more about window dressing than it is about the soul. The connection between the two is creativity. We usually credit God with the creation of humanity, but actually it is people who have the power to create other people, and in case anyone missed it in biology class, we do this using sex. We can feel that creative power inherent in sex when we are exploring with another person or with ourselves. This may be a subtle recognition for most people, most of the time, but at the moment it's likely to be blazing out from your heart into the world. Now is the time to surrender any misgivings you have about sex being the full expression of your spiritual life. Don't fight with guilt -- plunge into it like a pool at the bottom of a quarry, and discover the water is warm, fresh and clear.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
When you have sex with someone, you make an agreement. You make an exchange. And you each take on a little of the other's character traits and soul essence. Now is the time to make that exchange fully conscious. You may discover you are swapping material (genetic and otherwise) that you would prefer not to. You may find yourself with someone you distinctly want to become like, and you can explore sexuality directly for this purpose. The thing to avoid is trying to find yourself in someone else without being aware of what you are doing. It is natural enough to dive into another human being in search of yourself. It may or may not work, but at least be open about what you're doing with yourself and whoever you are diving into.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
An extraordinary door is opening up for you not just in one relationship, but in your whole experience of relating to the world. The theme is not merely change; rather, it is a highly unusual type of metamorphosis that engulfs the person you're experiencing and, by extension, transforms you. The story is told by an eclipse in your opposite sign, Leo. It would be an understatement to say that you have reached a threshold point in your relationships, and as you go through that opening you will leave some key elements of the past behind you. What you are likely to discover is your ability not only to see yourself vividly in other people, but to do so in a way that is distinctly free from what you have experienced so many times before. And this will leave room for experiences you have only imagined at your most poetic.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
On some level we all feel that sex is dangerous; and that relationships are dangerous. We have all been hurt by both, particularly when the two arrive in the same experience. Yet we also know -- whether we deny this fact or not -- that sex and sexuality are vital to our wellbeing. They are certainly vital to yours, taking you to a core experience of yourself that allows you to tap into your deepest creative and healing fire. As you do this, the true identity of someone close to you seems ready to be revealed. You may have had a clue who you were looking at, and you may decide you had no idea at all. Yet their role as an erotic and creative healing partner will reveal itself as you commit to looking at the world through new eyes and an open heart.

About the Author
Eric Francis is the creator of Planet Waves and author of Book of Blue. He has worked as a professional astrologer and internationally published horoscope columnist since the mid-1990s, specializing in minor planets. He has presented sexuality workshops and written for such publications as the Journal of Bisexuality, Sexuality.org and Loving More magazine. He writes his astrology columns in his fine art photography studio in Kingston, New York.

Photo of Eric Francis taken in spring 2008 in Chicago by Danielle Voirin.

Labels: monthly horoscope

Seduction Central now features monthly alt-sex horoscopes by Eric Francis, a popular horoscope writer and expert on sex and astrology. For a further taste of his writings, check out It's not about sex. It's about Self.(Accompanying photos are not safe for work.)

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Your mother seems to be hanging around your bedroom. I don't mean literally, I mean in spirit, in emotional presence, in effigy. Have you started collecting pictures of her lately? She seems to be competing for your lover's or love interest's attention; or you and she are competing for that attention. Why compete when you can cooperate? The most run-of-the-mill erotic play has many metaphors for a mother's love, for example, how much attention is given to breasts (at least on a good day). I suggest you go for kinkier than that.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)
You may fear that you've entered a sexless phase of your life. In the normal sense of office hanky panky this may be true, but something much more interesting is developing. I would propose that offering yourself in sexual service is the way to make the best use of this astrology. Nearly everyone wants to get sex; very few people want to give the stuff away. Even fewer would recognize this on the level of a spiritual gift. And yes, if you want, you do have the option of voluntarily doing no sex at all. At least it will be easy.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)
Be direct in your communication. Don't leave people guessing, whether by silence or by your subtle reminders that something else is always just as true. Nobody could ever accuse you of being a religious fanatic, but you have been just as influenced by the ravages of the cross as anyone around you. You happen to have one particular gift, which is the ability to say what you think despite what you are supposed to think. If you wait a few more days, you're likely to burst.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You seem to be hatching an idea for a scene, that is, a way to make a particular fantasy come true. This has been going on for weeks, if the astrology I'm looking at means anything at all. You've played it out in your mind again and again. Make it happen. Figure out who you need, what you need, prepare your space and then invite some people you trust to help your project. Setting up any erotic scene, you need yourself and at least one other person fully dedicated to making it happen. It really is as simple as that.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
What is the sex of your dreams? Does it involve a trapeze act, or is it friendly, homey and nourishing? It's probably a little of both, but these days leaning toward the cozy side of the spectrum. But I sense that a bit of the spirit of adventure that characterized an earlier time in your life has recently returned, and you may be feeling that deep itch for something besides milk and cookies. Stretch your imagination and yes, get out the trapeze. I don't think you'll have any problem finding company.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
Mars and Saturn in Virgo suggest that you are craving some extreme form of erotic expression; something that pushes you to stretch, bend, flex, or be tied to the wall. You finally seem ready to throw your "innocence" into the fire and watch it burn. You even seem ready to endure a little pain, which is usually not your style. Make sure the person on the other side of that equation knows what they're doing. Start with something simple, like using clothespins as sex toys. Then work your way up from there.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
Everyone has fantasies of being a prostitute. Okay, I should just speak for myself. Anyway, there is something distinctly professional about your erotic life at the moment. Perhaps a bisexual encounter with the vice president of your division? A fling with Barack Obama? Producing your own series of high-quality pornos? Actually I like that option the best. Keith Olbermann once said you should never, ever, ever videotape yourself having sex. I say always, always, always videotape yourself having sex.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Yours is the sign of sex. Even someone who has never heard of astrology hears the word "Scorpio" and thinks of someone's pelvis wiggling. However, Mars is now in Virgo, and it's conjunct Saturn. Among other things, that makes you a kind of sex symbol among your friends. You may be saying, what else is new? But at the moment, you seem determined to inflict damage on the prevailing social norm of everyone trying to act like a priest or a nun. Call them out on that one.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
Take charge and go for who and what you want. I recognize that you're usually too spiritual for this kind of thing; too feminine; too nice of a person. Forget it. The planets are saying that you want what you want and you need what you need and you know exactly who has what you want. So don't be shy, but definitely put your most confident side first. And remember, use charm rather than force. Save the truly aggressive side of yourself for after they say yes, or at least after they undress.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
If you ask me, there is nobody -- not even a Capricorn -- who is immune from the impact of religion on their sexuality. I suggest you follow in a very old tradition of European art and eroticize religious scenes. For example, priest and nun outfits would go a long way. Write your own version of the 10 Commandments, which begin with, "Thou shalt do and think what you want, and bear the results or consequences." Now that is a religion I can get with.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
There are two main factors driving your sexuality right now: fantasy, and the profound need for erotic healing. Where the two intersect is in that elusive place known as awareness. Fantasies can put you to sleep, or they can wake you up to what is going on in the recesses of your mind. Pay attention to them. Notice anything that surfaces when you're in an expanded or altered state. Notice the sexual injuries that surface over and over again. You will notice a relationship between all of these things, if you pay attention.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You seem to be going through one of your conservative sexual phases. There would seem to be no shortage of opportunities, but you want the right opportunities, and not only that, you need them. The Sun and Venus in Cancer suggest that you look for long-term solutions rather than quick fixes. Consider people at a distance, and watch the direction of their movement. Be a visionary and apply your full creativity to your erotic life. Make sure you focus on the sex you want, not just the sex you need. And for that matter -- the love you want.

About the Author
Eric Francis is the creator of Planet Waves and author of Book of Blue. He has worked as a professional astrologer and internationally published horoscope columnist since the mid-1990s, specializing in minor planets. He has presented sexuality workshops and written for such publications as the Journal of Bisexuality, Sexuality.org and Loving More magazine. He writes his astrology columns in his fine art photography studio in Kingston, New York.

Photo of Eric Francis taken in spring 2008 in Chicago by Danielle Voirin.

Labels: monthly horoscope