Heyo everyone.

Monday through Wednesday are my big writing days, so I have not had a chance to prepare a blog. But there will be lots going up on Planet Waves and Cainer.com over the next few days, and a new edition of Planet Waves Weekly going out Friday morning. I have been doing a science fiction series in the weekly, which I think you might really like.

For those who visit the site regularly and are not subscribers, remember that we are supported entirely by subscription fees from our readers. It works well, but like many sites, only about 3% of our total visitors are actually signed up.

Subscriptions are cheap and we have a very high satisfaction rate, with people often saying they get far more than they thought they paid for. For example, visit our reader feedback at this link:

http://planetwavesweekly.com/feedback.html

This WILL convince you. You can sign up from there, and support your friendly neighborhood astrologer.

See you soon.

    Eric Francis
    Paris




Written in the Stars | Monday, April 18, 2005

NOTE TO READERS: Today's entry is from the Planet Waves Weekly daily blog, on the subscriber homepage. It's usually a kind of astrological ledger that keeps tabs on current astrological events. For those interested in subscribing, you can find out more at this link:

http://planetwavesweekly.com/login.html

Venus, newly in Taurus, is closely square Chiron in Aquarius, an aspect associated with emotional highs and lows. This aspect can be a true roller coaster, though for this reason it can offer some unusual fun and/or unusual opportunities for awareness and healing. While Mars square Chiron can inhibit expression and create unworkable boundaries that are too tight, Venus square Chiron can have the opposite effect, releasing the emotions, potentially in an uncontainable way. The theme is to be aware of your limits, your basic guides for living, and know when you are exceeding them.

Because Chiron is now in an exact conjunction to Nessus (another centaur planet in its class), the result may be a kind of purge of old emotions, programming and the residue of abuse. Abuse includes what we were told about ourselves that is not true; guilt and shame that were put into our bodies; limitations we were, and still are, placed under by others, or that we agree to; and the psychological legacy of these things that may take many forms. Venus square Chiron and Nessus is interesting astrology for the papal conclave to begin, given the history of the church in recent years. In an odd way, it fits.

The Sun is also void of course in late Aries. The Sun is void of course when it reaches the last degrees of a sign and stops making aspects to other planets before it leaves its sign. There will be intervals when the Moon is making aspects to the Sun (such as today, when the Moon in Leo trines the Sun in Aries), and this may technically postpone the Sun's void phase (though very little is written about the technicalities). Strict rules aside, for the most part, when the Sun is in the last couple of degrees of a sign, that is, completing a phase of its cycle, we have a kind of opening for unusual feelings and events to come through, which may include a sense of instability, awareness of other possibilities, fear, or the sense that one may try one's luck on something daring and succeed. There really is no bottom line on a Sun void, and the condition is rarely noted by astrologers, as if it did not exist. However in my experience, the next 36 hours, until the Sun enters Taurus on Wednesday and stabilizes the situation somewhat, are a good time for caution, for delaying new commitments, and for evaluating information carefully.

As the Moon builds toward the full, we come increasingly under the effects of the lunar eclipse in Scorpio Sunday, and through the week things may seem to come to a head. It would be best to avoid confrontations, particularly the blow-for-blow kind, until the energy dissipates overnight Sunday and into Monday. In an odd way, the decks will seem to clear, but my take on this eclipse is that it's a very important time for evaluating commitments. Events will take their proper course, if we let them.



Brief update...April 17, 2005

We've got some new material on the front page of http://PlanetWaves.net/ , particularly a photo series called, "Wednesday Afternoon at the Bastille." It's coverage of Wednesday's student protest against budget cuts and curriculum changes in the French high schools. There's a short article at this link:

http://planetwaves.net/contents/bastilleprotest.html

...which leads into a photo essay series, lots of fun stuff there.

Also, a friend just emailed to remind me that this weekend is the 250th anniversary of Samuel Hahnemann, the creator of homeopathy. Here is a link to a BBC article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4423303.stm

And here (below) is an old piece called "Astrology as Homeopathy" from Planet Waves, that looks theoretically at astrology as a branch of this effective, non-toxic form of medicine. Homeopathy examines and utilizes rather subtle symptoms. You might be scratching your ear, or you might have a tendency to theorize (as I do). The homeopath would note both with equal importance in the selection of a remedy.

Here's the article (you can always tell the really old Planet Waves pieces because there's no file organization system in the URL):

http://www.planetwaves.net/homeopathy.html

I'm gonna call it a night. I've got a heck of a lot of horoscopes to write in the next couple of days, and it's been a fun weekend overall. I spent part of the day editing the first three chapters for my a non-fiction book project -- for which by the way I'm seeking a literary agent, if you happen to know one that you love. Then I walked out past the Louvre and took some photos of the glass pyramid, which those who have read The DaVinci Code will be familiar with.

Be well, and catch you tomorrow.

    e



April 15 -- I've had a few inquires about today's devastating fire in Paris, that killed a lot of adults and kids in a hotel. I was not at the scene this morning, but from other fires I can tell you that there's just a sense of hopelessness and grief and nobody can really say much. Meantime, I would not have heard about it unless I was online today. I'm in the 5th arrond. and the fire was in the 9th, across the river and to the north about three kilometers. I do feel compelled to go. I decided not to today, and instead worked on the photo essay from Wednesday's educational protests in the spirit of something more alive and uplifting. If I stop by the scene of the Paris-Opera hotel tonight or tomorrow I will let you know what I see and feel. Here is a link. This city has pretty hardcore emergency services and I am sure they did all they could, but I can tell you that smoke alarms are not required in apartment houses. Please check your smoke alarm batteries and unplug heaters you're not using.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/15/france.fire/index.html



Friday, April 15, 2005

Today's cover photo is the latest in the "digital photography saved my mind" series. Saved it from what, we will never know, and for what, we shall soon see. However, what photography has done has let me out of the box of always having to make sense. Does everyone realize that writing has to make at least some sense, at least the kind of writing you expect at Planet Waves? And that's what I do sitting here, from moment to moment, weaving thoughts into a kind of consistency that relates not just an idea but a feeling.

With photography, I can say, LOOK! Here's how I see the world. Nobody can say if it's right or wrong, accurate or not, and of course it's biased, a photograph is a totally subjective statement.

As well, I have long dreamed of a way of expressing myself that allowed me to go out and DO something, like play the bass or build a cabinet (neither of which I do). Photography has provided just such a thing to go out and do -- usually a couple of times a day. Paris is pretty photogenic, and so is Amsterdam.

The photo above is a totally subjective statement of the carnival that seems to show up in Dam Square, Amsterdam, right before I come to town. This was taken from the back of a moving taxi. That is the closest I came to going on a ride, though I spent a lot of time around the rides taking pictures both day and night.

I have quite a few shots in my collection (begun in January) which create a blur effect that is unique to digital photography (it looks different on film). However, I've been aiming for a kind of purity in the first few of my photos I've published. I'm not using Photoshop except to scale and crop (I do a lot of cropping, or trimming the edges -- but this one is full frame) and I will occasionally, use the 'sharpen' feature. Also, the photo of the pope on a billboard last week was run through the fresco filter for a washy-color 'memoir' effect. With this picture, the light-smear effect was so beautiful, combined with the way the composition seemed to randomly happen like that, that it was an obvious choice for the cover.

I get a few emails asking what kind of camera I'm using. It's a modest one, actually. I had no idea what I was doing when I went to FNAC, the big digital store in Paris, and picked one out; and I resolved that if I didn't like it, I would just learn what I needed from this one. It turned out to be a good choice. It's a Fujifilm 5500, plus an extra media card, a lot (a lot) of rechargeable batteries, and a heavy little tripod that is very, very helpful. I went for medium resolution (this camera is 4 megapixels) and has a good lens (10X optical) because I figured the more you can get with the glass, the less you need to stretch your resolution. What I like most about this camera, besides the fact that it's big enough to grab and hold onto, is that it gives you a choice of film type (I set it to slide film for saturated colors).

One way I get good results is to take hundreds and hundreds of photos. I've taken about 5,000 pictures this year and you've seen about 40 of them. I kind of think of this as cheating a bit, but I'm sure nobody will mind so much.

Here's a gallery of some of the images you've seen on the cover, with more coming soon.

http://planetwaves.net/gallery/

We'll soon be setting up a store; I've had enough requests to purchase prints. If someone knows of a good service that drop-ships prints, please let me know.

    e

PS - ah the title. The title of the cover photo comes from the Adrienne Rich poem "The Origins and History of Consciousness," from The Dream of a Common Language.

Here is the segment:

 It's simple now to wake from sleep with a stranger,
 dress, go out, drink coffee,
 enter a life again. It isn't simple
 to wake from sleep into the neighborhood
 of one neither strange nor familiar
 whom we have chosen to trust. Trusting, untrusting,
 we lowered ourselves into this, let ourselves
 downward hand over hand as on a rope that quivered
 over the unsearched....We did this. Conceived
 of each other, conceived each other in a darkness
 which I remember as drenched in light.
 I want to call this, life.

But I can't call it life until we start to move
 beyond this secret circle of fire
 where our bodies are giant shadows flung on a wall
 where the night becomes our inner darkness, and sleeps
 like a dumb beast, head on her paws, in the corner.

And the link:
http://www.supportalk.com/detail-8282532.html



April 14, continued

Emily writes...

Perhaps useful? excerpt Alternet (4-14-05) article: http://www.alternet.org/story/21753/

A new poll <http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/europe/040605/html/new_4_06_05.html> conducted by GlobeScan and the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) reveals that citizens in twenty out of twenty-three countries would like to see Europe become more influential than the United States in world affairs.

The most astonishing fact revealed by the new poll is that 34 percent of Americans agree that Europe should be running the show. Let me repeat this: one-third of Americans want Brussels, not Washington, to be calling the shots on the global arena. This trend is a good bit more significant than the six-fold increase in traffic to the Canadian immigration website immediately after the November elections. It buttresses the findings of previous polls that have shown clear majorities of Americans dissatisfied with U.S. unilateralism (and a much higher rate of disapproval of U.S. foreign policy in other countries).

emily



April 14, 2005 | Planet Waves

A few days ago I asked for comments on the political climate in the United States. I've received quite a few, and I'm going to begin with Greg, whose band is The Divided, http://thedivided.com/

I'll post more through the end of the week and the weekend. If you don't see your comment by Monday night, please send me a prompt -- it may have just sorted out into an odd place in my somewhat interestingly designed inbox. Thank you Greg.

"I don't know much about the political climate as I've been spending as much time as possible in the woods, but I can feel it in the ground, the trees, the air in and out of the city: there's a shitload of fear here in the states and most people are too drugged on TV to feel any of it consciously, muscular armor literally squeezing consciousness out of their bodies. The main thing my intuition seems to be telling me is that struggling to see the world as alive and aware of us without falling back on the habitual patterns of perception that brainwash us to think it's a dead, blind machine is the name of the game right now. She's awake and it's damn hard to hear her if you're watching too much TV or having your ears numbed by the unceasing growl, pound, screech, hiss, rumble of the cities. It's even hard to hear her if you go to the woods just to maintain your hallucinatory reality by making inane small talk with your buddies. Just being in the woods is not enough. Il faut écouter bien!"

-- greg



Hello readers. Today I'm passing the microphone to Philip Sedgwick, who always has something worth reading with the Galactic Times -- particularly about deep space astrology. To sign up for free, see the web link at the bottom of this article.

Jupiter - Cool and Close

The Galactic Times for April 12, 2005
By Philip Sedgwick
 
Jupiter makes an important pivot in its orbital path come Thursday the 14th. He backs as far away from the Sun as he can, reaching aphelion. This point marks his greatest distance from the Sun as well as the slowest rate of motion in the orbit.  This effect occurs once every Jupiter orbit or 11.86 years. Despite his distance from the Sun, he is unusually close to Earth, a mere 700 million kilometers away causing him to appear dazzling and brilliant.
 
A planet at aphelion symbolizes a retreat of sorts. The slow motion allows for a reconsideration of the planet's energy somewhat segregated from life's hustle. Given Jupiter, an awesome time appears for reviewing one's beliefs in life, installing processes of affirming good and positive things, and basic spiritual drills. Given Mercury's turn direct, protocols established, doctrines declared and regimes embraced start with a higher probability of success. It's a good blend of planetary energies to untangle philosophical balls of twine.
 
Questions to pose during Jupiter's aphelion are: What am I doing with my life? Am I aligned with my beliefs? Am I keeping myself fit in all ways? What do I believe in? Can I adhere to the beliefs I proclaim? This last consideration can offer up some interesting contradictions. If actions and beliefs do not align, consider the pure instinctive nature within. Can you prescribe to the impulses of instinct without self destructing? The intuitive centaur Asbolus hinges on the cusp of Aries about ready to launch a whole new campaign in life. The importance of securing beliefs prior to this next charge up your own personal hills of life dramatically increases. Common sense and consciousness must underscore all efforts.
 
If this isn't enough, several black hole systems and anomalistic pulsars in the vicinity of the Galactic Center have been notably active of late. Given Pluto's slowly increasing pressure on this point, the installation of new, progressive insights would be well considered. The unending reminder over the next few years states that rehashing old ideas at best provides dogmatic leftovers. The rapid changes in science, Universal Understanding and society demand that spiritual technologies grow in proportion to the physical effects of life. The use of the leading edge insights will minimize tactical blunders in the campaigns of consciousness. Above all, the Galactic Center emphasizes nonjudgmental evolution, open-ended belief systems and dramatic shifts in consciousness.
 
Add the Aquila factor. The X-ray source Aquila X-1, nudged by Chiron and Mars in Aquarius adds yet another dimension. The imagery of the eagle offers totemic insight. The eagle flies higher to the source than any other bird. With the vantage above and the keen eyesight, an eagle can see over the next horizon and report that the current path may be approached without fear and with courage. See all. Include all input. Selecting destinations after full consideration leads to choices that can be made with ultimate confidence and reduce second guessing. The essence of X-rays is to see the inner structure and not succumb to linear conclusions.
 
Wander out into the night this week. Take a look at Jupiter in the night sky. His brightness stands out. He's visually notable and awe inspiring. In that moment, see the sky and see what you can see.
 
Please check my website's newest features: Stars of the Diamond (new article on Thursday), and Centaurs, Sedna and More. To help understand the centaurs and other galactic phenomena, now you can purchase components of the Galactic Trilogy CD or the entire CD package (the best deal). Also, the final proof of my book Glimpses is on the press. It's time to order your prepublication discounted books. Please check the store for details and ordering.
 
Copyright, © 2005, Philip Sedgwick. All rights reserved.

To ask cosmic questions, get your weekly horoscope or get the latest galactic info visit my site. <http://www.philipsedgwick.com/>





Paris, Monday, April 11, 2005

Anyone wondering what the weird vibes in the air are -- it's Mercury stationing direct, which occurs overnight Monday to Tuesday in the states, early Tuesday in Europe, and Tuesday evening down under. This is an extremely interesting Mercury station as it occurs right on the Aries point, which I've been writing about in my Q & A column on Jonathan's site.

Also, the Sun is passing over the Moon's North Node, which is activating the eclipse; and Mars is coming up on Neptune, which is somewhat stranger than strange. There can be a sense of energy loss with this aspect; or a swan dive from the nearest sensible idea; or some powerful inspiration. I think that it will depend on your chart, how that one shapes up for you. It's exact through midweek, and all the more reason to play your hand one card at a time.

We've posed some new photos to the site, which if you've got this far down the front page, you've already seen. They follow the Masonic theme I inadvertently began over the weekend.

Speaking of, I've received quite a few letters on the Pope John Paul I information -- more than I expected. It seems quite a few people are onto the rather strange business of this thing called the Catholic Church, which is in truth the functioning remnant of the Holy Roman Empire. The Vatican is a country, and we witnessed the most massive, impressive funeral for a head of state, combined with a Pagan ritual -- the White Mass -- of unseen proportions in the past few days.

From what I'm hearing from my readers, it seems that people are actually paying attention.

I am wondering, and would love to hear back, what the political climate is in the states. I would ask you to mull over the following few things -- are you and your friends having political conversations? If so, what about? What is the level of frustration vs. action potential that people you know are feeling right now? How are people feeling about the future?

I may publish your responses -- short and succinct is best, about 100-300 words. Thanks for sending them to francis@planetwaves.net.

Thanks for visiting. Back tomorrow --

    e



I don't normally stay up into the small hours on a Saturday night researching the Freemasons (in fact I've managed to ignore them quite well, and I'm happier that way), however, while I was doing so in connection with the assassination of Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I, I found this link on the Vatican web site, which I have snipped, as the original URL is long: http://snipurl.com/dx5e . It is the text, translation and reproduction of the third secret of Fatima. Have at it; some may even find it interesting.



Written in the Stars | Saturday, April 9, 2005

Did someone say something about the pope? God I'm glad that's over. Or at least over for now. Next, the mini-pontiffs get to mourn and politic for the next eight days, as Mercury stations direct, then hold an election leading into an eclipse on the 24th of April.

I still have clear memories of the last time there were papal elections, in the summer of 1978. Had the procedure not been repeated twice in as many months, I might have forgotten. Who knows what kind of world we would have experienced under Albino Luciani ('white light'), John Paul I, whose name I did not hear uttered once during many, many hours of watching pope coverage on BBC and CNN's international editions. Isn't that strange? Not once? Nor one mention in print? The namesake of the great man -- the first pope to ever bear two names, which were the names of his predecessors -- was completely ignored, like he never existed?

I liked the look of him at the time he was elected; I was 14. I still like it today. Here is his picture:

http://www.reformation.org/luciani.jpg

And here is a bio:

http://europeanhistory.about.com/library/readyref/blpersonpopejohnpaul.htm

He served 33 days and was found dead in bed. This bio makes no reference to a murder plot. But apparently some feel that's a sensible suspicion as most people in excellent health don't mysteriously die in their sleep and then don't have the benefit of an autopsy.

With this subject, we move into lunatic fringe territory. I've looked around a bit and found an interesting, well-presented conspiracy page that addresses some of the situations surrounding Luciani's death, and which includes three references to Nostradamus that I cannot promise you apply to Luciani but which are certainly interesting:

http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/johnpaul.htm

Here is another, more detailed:

http://www.crc-internet.org/oct84.htm

And one that I don't like as much, but which is still interesting:

http://www.libertytothecaptives.net/eberhart_pope_john_paul.html

The upshot of these pages is that Luciani had ordered an investigation in to the Vatican Bank, as well as a number of personnel changes in order to get corrupt men out of the way. The night he issued his orders, he died. I mean, this is Italy we're talking about, after all.

Perhaps look some of that data over, and see if maybe it doesn't make a little sense that Luciani was erased from consciousness during the most stunning media frenzy around a Catholic religion story in the history of history. I mean, the guy is famous enough that his birth data comes included free with my astrology program, Io Edition, in the World Leaders folder. You would think somebody would have done a sidebar on the last few popes, or a story on the last time a pope died.

With a little research, I was able to find that Luciani was found dead in his bed at 4:45 am the morning of Sept. 29, 1978 (Vatican City, Vatican). The time that a body is found is the crime scene chart and is an appropriate horary chart. Horary is the study of the astrology of the hour: be it the hour of an inquiry about a question, or the time something happened or was discovered.

My horary astrology mentor, Dave Roell (who sells astrology books -- http://astroamerica.com/ ) suggests that in the case of a "did he fall, or was he pushed?" chart, the thing to check first is the ruler of the 7th house. The 7th house and its ruler (traditionally partners and open enemies) would be the house representing the prospective killer, if one exists. If one does not, it should be clear from the significators involved.

The chart has Virgo on the ascendant, at which we must pause: Saturn is occupying the degree of the ascendant. Saturn represents all things official; it's also a universal significator for the death or the end; and it carries the authority of official sanction. With Saturn in Virgo, something official is going on; not, for instance, something amateur, accidental or random. There is certainly an air of finality to that Saturn rising.

With Virgo rising, Pisces is on the 7th house cusp. The only traditional point to occupy the 7th house is the South Node of the Moon (Ketu, the past, past karma, past associations, tradition, the old ways of doing things, and KARMA), which is also in Pisces, and close to the 8th house. We need to look to the rulers of Pisces for more information -- Jupiter first, then Neptune.

First ruler is Jupiter, which is in Leo, in the 11th house. The first thing I think of is money. It is also conjunct the part of fortune. The second thing I think of is money. In fact, gold. Read through those conspiracy links and you'll see a lot of references to the Vatican Bank, which has a lot of money in the form of gold -- perhaps the most gold anywhere in the world with the possible exception of Switzerland.

Leo has a ruling planet. That would be the Sun. We find the Sun in the 2nd house -- the official house of wealth, which supports the motive; it is conjunct Mercury, which is the ruler of the Virgo ascendant. Also -- the Sun and Mercury are in a perfect sextile aspect. They are in contact, which supports the case for contact between Luciani and someone involved with a potential crime.

Let's look at secondary rulers -- modern planets. Looking again at a ruler of Pisces, we find something I think is really interesting: Neptune is in the 4th house exactly conjunct Pallas Athene. While I would normally leave asteroids out of horary, this is too good to ignore. The 4th house can represent the papal household. Neptune is always often involved if there is a deception or conspiracy of some kind -- and in we find him in the 4th, conjunct the asteroid Pallas Athene -- the asteroid of government and politics. Now, in any event, we do have a political mystery; a head of state has died. But Neptune conjunct Pallas Athene puts the prospective murder in his space, and gives a political identity and a political motive. Neptune is also a good planet to look to for the presence of poison.

New house: the 8th house is also required reading in a death chart; it's the house of the nature and cause of death. Aries is on the cusp of the 8t (in fact, in the exact degree, near the Aries Point, where Mercury is about to station direct next week. Maybe we'll get some news from this dusty old case.) In any event, Aries is ruled by Mars, and we find Mars in Scorpio, which has spooky overtones: Mars could certainly represent a killer, and Mars also represents the blood. Mars falls in the 3rd house. The 3rd house is the house of one's brethren. Essentially, if you believe this chart, the nature and cause of death is his brethren. I was about to say this is interesting, but it's really starting to feel creepy.

As well, the 9th house is ruled by Mars, since the last degree of Aries reaches the 9th house -- the 9th being the house of religious institutions such as the church. So there is a double significator: the same planet represents the cause of death and also represents the church itself.

In fact, I've about had enough.

But I'll add one last thing. The Moon is the universal significator for the question itself, and it can also be the significator for the subject of the question. We find the Moon in Leo in the 12th house, void of course (in the last degree of Leo: Sabian symbol = "An unsealed letter"). The 12th is the final house and so it has to be involved in a death inquiry. It's kind of like 'heaven'. And here, we find the Moon, floating in the last degree of Leo, as if it has no direction, no strength of its own. It is true, the question has not persisted. But since it occupies the degree of "an unsealed letter" it would seem that the answer of this mystery is available for anyone to find and read any time they like.

My take based on this chart: Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I, was indeed murdered by his own corrupt and deceptive brethren as a result of his policies involving the Vatican Bank. Based on transits to this chart, I'm also going to make a prediction that the story surfaces in the midst of the coverage of the papal elections, if only because some media run out of things to write about.

We'll get this chart posted for you shortly. If you're really curious, drop me a note at francis@planetwaves.net and I'll send you one in .jpg format. Have a good weekend.

----

PS: Oh -- currently the Moon is in early Taurus and will remain in that sign for the rest of the weekend. The Sun is exactly square Saturn and will be all night and all of tomorrow. Mars is approaching a conjunction to Neptune, which will be in effect for the next week or so. I'm going to raise the Media Fraud Alert Level to orange, if nobody minds.




Anaserma

"It's a very old image called anaserma. It's an image of a person, it could be a man or woman, but we, these are primarily images of Aphrodite, where she is shown ritually lifting up her skirt -- and that's the anaserma, the lifting, the revealing of her sexual body, essentially. And if you recognize, acknowledge that she was a goddess, and the object of genuine, true religious worship, then you have to see this is as much a gesture of religious insight or feeling as, let's say, a Buddha gesture or  Jesus' blessing, or something like that. It's a ritual gesture. So I wanted to take a closer look at it and see what was going on. And you find all over the world, images of this revelation of the sexual body."

-- Thomas Moore, author of The Soul of Sex: Cultivating Life as an Act of Love, from a 1998 discussion on KLCC radio in Eugene, Oregon.

The link below is graphically erotic. I suggest you click it at home, not at work, unless you work someplace really cool..

http://planetwaves.net/home_anaserma.html




Written in the Stars | April 8, 2005

Today is certainly a day when all roads lead to Rome. The funeral service of Pope John Paul II has begun as of about half an hour ago. I imagine that anyone in North America up at this hour will be watching the service, which is really an enormous ritual of the White Mass. The service is rich in Pagan symbolism, including the use of smudge, the calling of the circle, and the use of the directions in space.

I had a look for the funeral earlier in the week, but tuning into my animated chart program, the first degree of Cancer appeared in the ascendant. The service actually began with Gemini rising and therefore Mercury retrograde, slow and powerful in Aries, being the ascendant ruler.

Remarkably, John Paul II was born the day of a solar eclipse, and he is being buried the day of a solar eclipse. He was also ordained as a priest close to a solar eclipse in late 1946, appropriately in the sign Sagittarius -- the sign of religion and spirituality.

Despite today's ritual being officiated by men and with official participation, with one exception, by men, today's eclipse is focused on the planet Venus, the planet of the Goddess and the patron of the Pagan system of natural religion. At this moment, just before 11 am in the Central European time zone where the service is taking place, the Moon is at 13 degrees of Aries and the Sun at 18 degrees. The current aspect is the Moon applying in a sextile (60-degree aspect) with Mars in Aquarius -- an appropriate enough symbol for the gathering of the tribes, with Aquarius so well supported. The Sun, as well, has recently completed an exact sextile with Neptune.

So we have a lot of harmonious spiritual imagery surrounding this gathering of pilgrims and world leaders, obviously a good idea, and very likely to have been planned at a time elected with the assistance of astrologers.

Personally, I am finding the whole thing extremely difficult to watch.



Planet Waves for April 6, 2005

This is re-published from my March 18 column on Jonathan's site, covering the astrology of this week.

The first degree of Aries, or the beginning of the whole story, is called the Aries Point. It's where we reckon the tropical horoscope and the sidereal horoscope -- that is, the backdrop of the stars. In other words, if you look at the Sun's position in space on the day of the Vernal Equinox, it falls in one of the actual constellations -- which happens to be Pisceus. So for the most part, the tropical zodiac and the sidereal zodiac are off by one sign (which factors into one of this week's questions below).

The Aries Point is a truly sensitive point -- often acting with greater potency than a planet or the lunar nodes. When the Sun or any other planet is in early Aries, or making a 90-degree or 180-degree aspect to early Aries, there can be distinct effects.

At such times, events can occur that involve a lot of people. An unfortunate example is the tsunami, which came at the same time as a Full Moon square the Aries Point. There are many, many examples in the history of astrology.

This quality of bringing in the masses seems to run counter to the highly individualized nature of Aries. But the Aries Point itself is almost always some kind of invitation to the mass of humanity to TRANSCEND INDIVIDUALITY and to think of itself as one.
...

Mars in this chart corresponds with an interesting story: on the brink of transformation, about to go into Aquarius and make a conjunction to Chiron. The Mars-Chiron conjunction, which occurs once every two years, is one of those major events that most astrologers miss. It's a real turning point and this is the first time it's occurred in Aquarius since the early 1960s.

All in all, the cosmos offers us a rather dramatic equinox season, this year full of surprises, developments and changes that will, with the full power of Aries, really get us to question who we are and maybe even find an answer or two. Let's add some detail to the discussion.

On the day of the Vernal Equinox, Mercury stations retrograde in the middle of Aries. So for the first three weeks of spring, Mercury appears to be moving backwards, which it does three times a year. This time around, Mercury retrogrades nearly the way back to the Aries point, to within one degree. If the history of the Bush administration and the Iraq war are any indicators, we are in for some big developments as this station-direct occurs in the days following the solar eclipse. In a distinct way, this Mercury retrograde and the associated Aries eclipse amplify the message, 'We're all in this together'.

The message is further amplified by an eclipse of the Sun in Aries on April 8. Eclipses have a similar way of bringing in the masses and stirring up individual experiences, in a way similar to the Aries Point itself. So it fits right in with the pattern, particularly given that this eclipse is in Aries with so much other activity.




April 5, 2005

While I'm catching up with horoscopes and taking astrology lessons from the Space Brothers, I thought I would post this piece on one of my favorite contemporary issues, written by a writer whose work I admire for its erudite qualities and scholarly research, Mr. Bill Maher.

Abstinence pledges suck -- literally

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/04/01/abstinence/print.html

As news spreads that teens who pledge chastity have lots more kinky sex, millions of aging boomers ask: Where was Bush when I was in high school?

By Bill Maher

April 1, 2005  |  New Rule: Abstinence pledges make you horny. A new eight-year study just released reveals that American teenagers who take "virginity" pledges of the sort so favored by the Bush administration wind up with just as many STDs as the other kids.

But that's not all -- taking the pledges also makes a teenage girl six times more likely to perform oral sex, and a boy four times more likely to get anal. Which leads me to an important question: where were these pledges when I was in high school?

Seriously, when I was a teenager, the only kids having anal intercourse were the ones who missed. My idea of lubrication was oiling my bike chain. If I had known I could have been getting porn star sex the same year I took Algebra II, simply by joining up withthe Christian right, I'd have been so down with Jesus they would have had to pry me out of the pew.

For a bunch of teens raised on creationism, these red state kids today are pretty evolved -- sexually, anyway, and for that they can thank all who joined forces to try and legislate away human nature, specifically the ineluctable urge of teenagers to hump.

Yes, the "What do we tell the children?" crowd apparently decided not to tell them anything. Because people who talk about pee-pees are potty-mouths. And so armed with limited knowledge, and believing regular, vaginal intercourse to be either immaculate or filthy dirty,
these kids did with their pledge what everybody does with contracts: they found loopholes. Two of them to be exact.

Is there any greater irony than the fact that the Christian Right actually got their precious little adolescent daughters to say to their freshly scrubbed boyfriends: "Please, I want to remain pure for my wedding night, so only in the ass. Then I'll blow you." Well, at least these kids are really thinking outside the box.

There's a lot worse things than teenagers having sex, namely, teenagers NOT having sex. Here's something you'll never hear: "That suicide bomber blew himself up because he was having too much sex. Sex, sex, sex, non-stop. All that crazy Arab ever had was sex, and look what happened."

Well, that's our story -- of how faith and the party of smaller government combined to turn your kids into a generation of super-freaks. Which shouldn't be surprising: Prohibition didn't work, "Just say no" didn't work, and I understand there's a host of Americans who illegally obtain and smoke marijuana. They're the ones who've been giggling every time I say anal sex.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

About the writer: Bill Maher is the host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher."




Written in the Stars | Amsterdam, Sunday, April 3, 2005

Dear Readers:

I am traveling at the moment, though also developing the article on the astrology of the Pope John Paul II. Factoring in a little more R & R mixed in with reporting and writing, I’ll have something up by this time Monday.

Please note that that PlanetWaves.net has been updated with four new horoscopes — Inner Space, Planet Waves, Cosmic Child and the extend spring forecasts. They are in the usual places.

Yours truly,

    e




Planet Waves for March 31, 2005

My old friend Lane is a geologist (professional, actually) and she offered to do a write up on what happened in Indonesia earlier this week. I will have a short astrological summary up on my Q and A column on Jonathan's late late tonight. Also -- we've posted the spring extended forecasts for everyone to read. Thanks so much for visiting.

Here's Lane!

There's been plenty of discussion about the recent earthquake in Indonesia.  Some are saying this is a rare and unusual event for there to be another quake in the same place so soon, a harbinger of the ‘end times’. Quite the contrary, it is quite common. This is not to demean the grace and power of our lovely Mother Earth, but rather the religious zealots and fear mongers.  
 
So what causes an earthquake?  Well, our beautiful planet Earth is quite alive, she is all warm inside with different layers (mantle and core) and the continents literally float around on the surface (the crust) as lightweight plates.  What causes them to move is hot magma coming up from near the core (like a lava lamp) and erupting along fissures in the sea floors.  This forms new sea floors, heavy dense plates, which get pushed away from the new stuff coming up, like sliding a piece of paper across a desk.  When the sea floor plate, which is heavy, bumps into a continental plate, which is much lighter, it gets slowly forced UNDER the continental plate, this is known as subduction.  As you can imagine this is a very slow and difficult process.  Near plate boundaries are what geologists called faults (the San Andreas fault in California is a very well known fault). Faults accommodate the pressures of such interactions by relieving the built up stress.   A fault starts releasing stress along a line, "unzipping" like a zipper (quakes are an expression of this release of stress- like cracking your back) stress released in one place (like the big one that caused the Tsunami in December) will result in stress likely being released along the fault, or in this case the subduction zone (in Indonesia one sea floor plate is being forced under another plate-that’s a LOT of stress).

If you look at a map of each successive quake in Indonesia lately, you can see that each one happens a bit southward of the previous one.  Click on Indonesia to zoom in to see this: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Maps/region/Australia.html <http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Maps/region/Australia.html>   
 
What causes a tsunami?  When there is a release of tension in the sea floor which results in a change in the bottom of the sea floor (suddenly becoming deeper or shallower along a fault that has popped up or down on one side) it causes really big waves, like dropping an ice cube into an glass of water, things slosh around until it all settles.  The quake on Monday caused some smaller tsunamis, but why was there no really big tsunami this time?  There is lots of speculation, but really, there is a lot we don’t know about how things work.  Earth scientists are still trying to figure it out to put more efficient tsunami warning systems in place.  These events will give folks more pieces of the puzzle to work with.
 
Three days later Indonesia is still experiencing aftershocks  http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/  and the earth is ringing inside like a great gong with the seismic waves bouncing around the inside of the globe.  I imagine that it feels good.   I like to think that the Earth is waking up and becoming a conscious being, stretching and yawning.  
 
Take a look at this really cool map:  http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/qed/    This shows the locations of every earthquake on earth for the last 8 to 30 days.  Notice how the earthquakes all happen along very defined lines, these are the plate boundaries. Also notice how many there are in 3 weeks!  This wonderful being, the planet we call Earth, is quite alive and doing her yoga daily to relieve stress.  Perhaps I should follow her example…
 
Namaste,
Lane
 
 




Written in the Stars by Eric Francis | Mon-Tues., March 28-29, 2005

(This is the daily astrology report for Planet Waves Weekly subscribers. NOTE: I HAVE JUST GOT NEWS OF THE EARTHQUAKE AT SUMATRA. I WILL BE GOING OVER THE CHARTS IN A MOMENT. Note however that it's about 90 days after the first quake, and that this takes place close to a Full Moon. Tsunami warnings have been issued for the whole Indonesian basin. This 8.5 magnitude occurred just to the south of the original quake and occurred at 11:09 pm local time. The event was about 126 miles south of where the Dec. 26 event occurred, and mathematical models prepared by the US Geological Survey in Seattle say the energy is moving in a southerly direction rather than northerly as last time. Warnings have been issued and according to BBC, evacuations are underway.)

So were were yes? Ah the Full Moon is somewhat behind us. The Moon is now in Scorpio, about to trine Saturn and square Neptune, but not in that order.

The astrology continues to have a rather vibrant feeling with a triple conjunction in Aries happening now: Sun, Mercury and Venus. This is sextile Mars-Chiron in Aquarius. It really doesn't get better. I am aware that people are coming in and out of intense personal crisis that fits the imagery of the Aries-Mercury retrograde situation: Mercury retrograde is turning the Aries energy into a reflective mode. There's quite a bit of soul searching to do, and I think kick-starting the process of individuation, of self-awareness, and also not having it be a huge trauma. Waking up is hard to do, to paraphrase Neil Sedaka. But it's not really that hard.

Looking at the Venus, Mercury, Sun conjunction conjunction, it brings together two inner planet retrograde cycles at once. Venus conjunct the Sun is in the 'superior' or 'exterior' conjunction -- that is, the Earth is between the Sun and Venus; Venus is on the outside, and therefore in direct motion, which is exact March 31 at 4:30 am London local time. This is the exact midpoint between two Venus-Sun 'inferior' or 'interior' conjunctions, the most recent of which was the June 12, 2004 Venus transit of the Sun. The next interior conjunction is Jan. 14, 2006, exactly in the middle of the Venus retrograde in Capricorn.

Meanwhile, Mercury retrograde is near its exact midpoint now as Mercury makes its interior or inferior conjunction to the Sun. So these cycles are synchronized, which we see again on Jan. 14, as Mercury is in Capricorn close to Venus and the Sun for the Venus-Sun conjunction.

But what am I getting at here? Hmm. I'm pointing out the synchronicity. But as I ask that question, it seems that Venus and Mercury are working to share some of the workload that Venus would normally take alone. As I've suggested, we have been in some difficult, challenging times for Venus. Beginning with the retrograde in Scorpio in late 2002, through the transit or occultation in June 2004, it's been a tricky time for the only female planet recognized by traditional astrology.

Mercury is a dominantly feminine energy. Its glyph is the symbol for Venus with the crescent Moon as a hat. While the traditional books give Mercury an androgynous gender, I'm going to suggest that she represents one of the lesser known feminine aspects of deity, something akin to what the Christians call the Holy Spirit -- identified by the Kabalists as Shekinah. "The majestic presence or manifestation of God which has descended to 'dwell' among men. This is a manifestation of God that is not anthropomorphic; it does not take the 'shape of a man' but rather is a divine presence that is the feminine quality of the Holy Trinity.

At other times Mercury has shown up in charts as the presence of the soul. What is the difference? Soul is generally thought of as more personally identified; it is like the 'permanent ego' that endures death (it's really much more complex than that). Holy Sprit is more like common ground we all share that can present itself in an individual way and often when it shows up, feels like who we are. The differences are subtle and in reality we are talking about aspects of the same thing.

Here is a bit on Shekinah from the Jewish Encyclopedia. It's a bit of a patriarchal definition, but that's religion for you.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=588&letter=S



Written in the Stars by Eric Francis | Mon-Tues., March 28-29, 2005

(This is the daily astrology report for Planet Waves Weekly subscribers. NOTE: I HAVE JUST GOT NEWS OF THE EARTHQUAKE AT SUMATRA. I WILL BE GOING OVER THE CHARTS IN A MOMENT. Note however that it's about 90 days after the first quake, and that this takes place close to a Full Moon. Tsunami warnings have been issued for the whole Indonesian basin. This 8.5 magnitude occurred just to the south of the original quake and occurred at 11:09 pm local time. Warnings have been issued and according to BBC, evacuations are underway.)

So were were yes? Ah the Full Moon is somewhat behind us. The Moon is now in Scorpio, about to trine Saturn and square Neptune, but not in that order.

The astrology continues to have a rather vibrant feeling with a triple conjunction in Aries happening now: Sun, Mercury and Venus. This is sextile Mars-Chiron in Aquarius. It really doesn't get better. I am aware that people are coming in and out of intense personal crisis that fits the imagery of the Aries-Mercury retrograde situation: Mercury retrograde is turning the Aries energy into a reflective mode. There's quite a bit of soul searching to do, and I think kick-starting the process of individuation, of self-awareness, and also not having it be a huge trauma. Waking up is hard to do, to paraphrase Neil Sedaka. But it's not really that hard.

Looking at the Venus, Mercury, Sun conjunction conjunction, it brings together two inner planet retrograde cycles at once. Venus conjunct the Sun is in the 'superior' or 'exterior' conjunction -- that is, the Earth is between the Sun and Venus; Venus is on the outside, and therefore in direct motion, which is exact March 31 at 4:30 am London local time. This is the exact midpoint between two Venus-Sun 'inferior' or 'interior' conjunctions, the most recent of which was the June 12, 2004 Venus transit of the Sun. The next interior conjunction is Jan. 14, 2006, exactly in the middle of the Venus retrograde in Capricorn.

Meanwhile, Mercury retrograde is near its exact midpoint now as Mercury makes its interior or inferior conjunction to the Sun. So these cycles are synchronized, which we see again on Jan. 14, as Mercury is in Capricorn close to Venus and the Sun for the Venus-Sun conjunction.

But what am I getting at here? Hmm. I'm pointing out the synchronicity. But as I ask that question, it seems that Venus and Mercury are working to share some of the workload that Venus would normally take alone. As I've suggested, we have been in some difficult, challenging times for Venus. Beginning with the retrograde in Scorpio in late 2002, through the transit or occultation in June 2004, it's been a tricky time for the only female planet recognized by traditional astrology.

Mercury is a dominantly feminine energy. Its glyph is the symbol for Venus with the crescent Moon as a hat. While the traditional books give Mercury an androgynous gender, I'm going to suggest that she represents one of the lesser known feminine aspects of deity, something akin to what the Christians call the Holy Spirit -- identified by the Kabalists as Shekinah. "The majestic presence or manifestation of God which has descended to 'dwell' among men. This is a manifestation of God that is not anthropomorphic; it does not take the 'shape of a man' but rather is a divine presence that is the feminine quality of the Holy Trinity.

At other times Mercury has shown up in charts as the presence of the soul. What is the difference? Soul is generally thought of as more personally identified; it is like the 'permanent ego' that endures death (it's really much more complex than that). Holy Sprit is more like common ground we all share that can present itself in an individual way and often when it shows up, feels like who we are. The differences are subtle and in reality we are talking about aspects of the same thing.

Here is a bit on Shekinah from the Jewish Encyclopedia. It's a bit of a patriarchal definition, but that's religion for you.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=588&letter=S




Hunting the Moon
I step into the snap chill of the April night
and before the motion-detectors see me and flood
the world with incandescent glare, I see
the Moon, in the clouds, in the trees, in the east.

Nothing could have prepared me for such a sudden breath:
Not spending the better part of three days studying
the energetics of planets, not the secret desire to be here,
not anything.  I look at her.  She looks at me,
low and still and large.  My mind interjects with a question:
What sign is it in?  Hmm.  I don’t know.  I do
know there was an eclipse this morning.
I have read that Saturn conjoining the Moon can thwart the
emotions, that Saturn square the Moon, unless redeemed,
can signify a lifetime of what some call affliction by karma.
She disappears into the clouds, and I am safe.  One step
and I am seen by the floodlights, which
burst in and erase the entire sky.
 
Minutes pass as I drive, and I stop at your house.
Smeagol is playing Beware of Dog.  I say hello
but he ignores me.  Now I step away from
the porch, closer to the night time, and
she is back, lighting up the world.  Alice Bailey
says she is dead.  Some say she is a lens
of consciousness.  I say she is silent
and listening: listening to the silence.

The buzz of a streetlight, some dogs barking,
an occasional engine passing on Main Street,
only make the silence louder.  She is listening to me
stand here with noting to say, struck
dumb, moon-struck, my boots solid
in my two footprints.  The Earth will turn and
she will seem to traverse the night,
and in the dark of morning she will set
against the shadow of the Catskills, and I will
watch from the ridge as we disappear.

-- Eric Francis
Rosendale, NY, circa April 15, 1995







Pluto's Pivot - Promising or Pernicious?
The Galactic Times for March 23, 2005
by Philip Sedgwick
 
Important GT note: To continue receiving the Galactic Times by e-mail after 20 April, you must sign up on my website. Please go to www.philipsedgwick.com <http://www.philipsedgwick.com> , click on Star Blogs, and follow the directions. You will be sent a confirming e-mail that you must answer for the address to be entered. Several of you have not responded to the confirming e-mail. The registration is not complete until you do. That done, back to the Cosmos!
 
This coming Saturday Pluto comes to his less than screeching halt and reverses direction in the sky from our relative point of view. Such motion on Pluto's part stands as more common than it does with the other planets. Pluto spends nearly 44 percent of the time retrograde. However, Pluto now inches his way toward the Galactic Center (26 Sag 55) and all it's progressive potential. Can we see it? Surely we can.
 
One of the potential conflicts of the GC (or Z) is that of the emotional ability to cope with the changes of technology. Consider the current fight of Schiavo family in Florida. They desperately strive to keep their daughter alive as medical technology promises to do despite her non-improving medical maladies. Part of the argument addresses quality of life. What is living? For certain, proxy legislation appears unavoidable. Because of science we can clone and reproduce human life without the need for intercourse. However, for those being old-fashioned in their desires, medicine guarantees you can have the quality reproductive experience, but at what cost? Efforts now exist to ban "ED" drug advertisements from prime time television.
 
Meanwhile, Richard Branson wants to fly you to the Moon, or at least a bit closer to it in a super-duper airplane. The GC figures prominently in commercial aviation as the Wright Brothers first flew their plane with the Sun and Uranus aligned with the GC. Presently, Airbus Industrie seeks to launch the heaviest, largest, greatest capacity commercial aircraft ever. A big hitch is to see if they can evacuate 800 people from the massive plane in 90 seconds. Based on my last flight and the behavior of deplaning passengers on it, I'm not getting on that plane.
 
Of course, when airplanes started flying people said, "If God had intended for people to fly, he would have given them wings." Slowly, we got over that. Such attitudes describe the emotional ability to cope with major "progressive" discoveries in technology and science. Recent discoveries in space defy previous understandings. The Galactic Center region has been blasting us with repeating gamma rays and spit out a star into unknown dimensions. Yikes.
 
Between now and 2007 Pluto does his dance with the Galactic Center. This precedes the next alignment of Venus and the Sun as well as the highly touted conclusion of the Mayan Calendar (visit Cosmic Questions on the website). This is good. We, individually and collectively, can choose what discoveries and innovations correctly lead our progress. Some may apply. Some may not. Consciousness is another matter. The discoveries and leading edge realizations require implementation without denial, rejection or fear. New understandings exist whether you listen to or accept them, or not. Not long ago I spoke with a bloke in a dinosaur-rock shop in Santa Fe. We talked about how these bones that exceed the age of biblically suggested creation of the Earth can exist at all. What a cosmic paradox!
 
Evolutionary evidence, and not in the ape vs. Adam and Eve kind, seeks to provide a super highway of insight, illumination and realization that sequentially propel us down a smooth road of life. All that is required is objective, non filtering reception. Yeah, that's all. Nothing to it, right? The Galactic Center, as do several of the black holes in Sagittarius, ask, "Why do you cling to beliefs that don't get you where you want to go?" Better yet, "Why retain dogmas that do not provide you with the soulfully sustaining quality of life you seek?"
 
The most common theme I hear as Pluto increasingly derives the benefit of the Galactic Center says something to the effect of, "I want a better quality of life." Great. Then include the innovations and inventions that contribute to that. More important, receive, comprehend and apply the energetic whispers of the Galactic Center and the rich core of insight near the center of our little galaxy. These simple steps ensure a quality of life that your spirit can tolerate. Any other way could potentially create a living hell. Pluto does not care. He does not seek to punish, nor blame. The Galactic Center operates in the same impersonal way. Therefore, when you hear the cosmic street barker promising treasure maps, it might be worth a look to see if these maps have the heavenly hologram of cosmic approval signifying their authenticity.
 
This way, you can actually read ahead in your cosmic text book past the chapter of the alleged end of time coming in 2012. You might end up becoming a cosmic tour guide, then directing traffic around portals of confusion and ill-founded realities, consensus or otherwise. One thing for sure, the uniform is very chic.
 
Next week there will be no Galactic Times. I have upcoming travels with family and will take a full week away in that retreat. The Weekly Wonders Whole Sky Horoscopes will post on the site on 3/27 and 4/3.
 
If you're interested in the Galactic Center and other enigmatic phenomena, please visit the store on my website for all the products and services. By the way, the galleys for my short story collection Glimpses have gone back to the publisher. It looks great! Good time to order in the pre-publication offer.
 
PLEASE NOTE: The Galactic Times will be sent through AOL only a few more times. You must opt in to receive it by e-mail as of April 20th. At that point, the GT will appear under Star Blogs on my site and sent only to those who entered their e-mail on my site (no addresses will be sold or exchanged).
 
Copyright, 2005, Philip Sedgwick, all rights reserved.
Philip Sedgwick
Astrologer/Writer
480.451.3070
galastro@aol.com
galactic@PhilipSedgwick.com

http://www.philipsedgwick.com/

To ask cosmic questions, get your weekly horoscope or get the latest galactic info visit my site. <http://www.philipsedgwick.com/>





Planet Waves by Eric Francis | Wednesday, March 23

Today is the exact day of the first Mars-Chiron conjunction in Aquarius in more than 40 years. With supporting aspects from Venus and the Sun, this is really some extraordinary astrology, and what I would call the initiation of a new cycle of awareness. Mars-Chiron conjunctions have long felt like significant events, meaningful as points of setting intention, raising consciousness and directing the energy of Mars into passion, creativity and pleasure.

Because Chiron is so intensely aware and carries that awareness into every aspect, we're also likely to get a lot of information about the nature of conflict in the world. Watching CNN a moment ago, it occurred to me that all this stuff that happens does not 'just happen'. People make it happen. The same is true with everything in the world. The point being that we always have the option to make something different of the world, particularly if we're willing to start in small ways, and with ourselves.





Paris, March 18, 2005

Dear Readers: I'll be taking a few days off from writing, a rare treat. I have posted a lot about the Equinox and Mercury retrograde on my colleague Jonathan Cainer's site, at this link:

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/eric.html

And check the homepage here for more Equinox details, which will be posted shortly. Also a detailed blog is posted on the subscriber side of the site for Weekly subscribers. We have, by the way, completely redesigned the Weekly site and have introduced a one-month, non-recurring "Subscription for the Curious but Cautious." We have posted some excellent reader feedback, sample birthday reports, and lots of other fun stuff.

That is at http://PlanetWavesWeekly.com/

I'll catch you in a few days.

Happy Aries, whatever hemisphere you may be in, be it Spring or Autumn. Both are sweet seasons.

    e






Planet Waves | Paris, March 16, 2005

Dear Readers:

We have, I feel, reached a turning point in the Iraq war. I have never had this feeling more clearly, and it comes from listening to, and analyzing, news of the United States military's apparent ambush on the vehicle of freed hostage/journalist
Giuliana Sgrena. Nicola Calipari, the Italian intelligence officer who negotiated her freedom, was killed, stirring protest in Italy and turning public sentiments even more firmly against they war than they had been previously. Prior to the invasion of Iraq, there were massive protests in Italy -- as well as in many other world capitals, including New York, London, Paris, Seattle, and San Francisco, as well as throughout Spain.

Today, the Times of London reports: "Bowing to popular pressure, the Italian Government said last night that it would start pulling its more than 3,000 troops out of Iraq in September.

"The surprise announcement by Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, came less than two weeks after US troops shot dead Nicola Calipari, Italy’s top intelligence officer in Iraq, as he escorted a freed Italian hostage to safety."

Spain has already pulled out of the war, as has the Ukraine. Italy's withdrawal basically eliminates any significant remaining European support, and leaves the United States and the UK high and dry.

I'm reprinting an edition of Planet Waves Weekly from two years ago, just as the war began, for a bit of historical context. The attack commenced on the eve of Mars conjunct Chiron in Capricorn, an event that occurs in Chiron's current sign about once every two years. We are approaching the first Mars-Chiron conjunction since the one that began the war -- this time, in Aquarius.

This article is feeling like it was written long ago and far away. Really, it's just been 100 weeks.

Taking a Ride on Mars Conjunct Chiron

By ERIC FRANCIS
Planet Waves Weekly from March 28, 2003

 What do the worst disasters of the Vietnam War, the downfall of a hawk president and the resignation of his distinguished, long-time secretary of defense all have in common? The answer is Mars conjunct Chiron.

 The Mars-Chiron conjunction happens once every two years. On April 1, on the day of the Aries new moon, we will experience the first such conjunction since Chiron entered Capricorn 16 months ago. It is happening at a time when the United States is plunging toward the most serious on-the-ground battle in numerous generations, what will be preserved in history as the Battle for Baghdad.

 When considering astrology from a historical standpoint, or even a personal one, remember that while cycles repeat themselves, they always do it in different ways and in different contexts. As the years progress, conjunctions happen in different signs and thus express themselves different ways. Outer planets are moving, and defining themes of long cycles in history. The galaxy is swirling and nothing is really the same. The one true hope that astrology offers is that an evolutionary process is in motion, for each of us and for all of us. Certain people are going to try to repeat cycles in old ways, and others in new ways. The choice remains open.

 In the collective world, the Chiron in Capricorn era (which began in December 2001) has been marked by scandals in church, government and major corporations. We have seen numerous post 9-Eleven crackdowns on civil liberties, the Patriot Act and the proposed Patriot Act II. We've witnessed the conquering of Afghanistan, and the bombing and invasion of Iraq. We've also seen the emergence of vibrant global anti-war and pro-peace movements. While this may look like an even split between the good and the bad, remember that the United States is always bombing someone. Now there is vocal resistance, including from many foreign nations. And there are always ugly events going on down in the corporate bowels, and sick laws being passed by smiling tyrants. Now we're starting to find out about some of them.

 Chiron moving through any sign brings what's already there to light. Capricorn, in the collective sense, is the sign of corporations, government and religious institutions. Raising awareness is how most of its effect as an agent of healing is manifested. Chiron's presence makes the impersonal very personal, emphasizing our individual relationship with these institutions, which function as the rough equivalent of our parents in our adult lives. While it may not be clear quite yet, we're in the process of redefining our relationships to the parental institutions that dominate our lives. John Lennon said that we shouldn't blame the institution, we should free our minds instead. But if our minds are bound, they are bound in a relationship, and getting clear about that relationship is what Chiron in Capricorn is about.

 Within our private lives, we may also be seeing this theme appear as issues with our parents and partners that have reached an impasse, showdown or point of urgently demanding resolution. These needs may have existed for quite a while but which suddenly 'appear out of nowhere' or flare up due to the addition of Mars.

 As it works out, the coming Mars-Chiron conjunction falls the same day as the Aries new moon. Auspicious? Well, some people like their music loud. Some results of this conjunction, which happens once every two years, will show up immediately, and more of them will appear around the time of the next full moon, in Libra on April 16. The coming full moon is vibrating with the feeling of being a significant turning point in both personal and world history. Part of this turning point involves Governor Bush's natal chart, which is getting its rafters rattled on that full moon. And part of it involves what is perhaps the single most important chart presaging the Sept. 11 attacks, which is under transits eerily suggesting that we have not gotten to the bottom of that incident.

 But most disturbing is that this astrology coincides with the probable date range of the Battle for Baghdad, words that already ring with infamy.


Taking it Personally

 The cover story of Time magazine from Dec. 30, 2002 tells us something about the first year of Chiron in Capricorn: the Persons of the Year were Cynthia Cooper of Worldcom, Coleen Rowley of the FBI, and Sherron Watkins of Enron. All three women are what's known as whistle-blowers: people who decide that the truth is more important than their personal reputation or livelihood. They see something wrong, it affects them as a person, and they take action. Cooper and Watkins blew the whistle on financial scandals within their companies. Rowley is at the center of what's known for sure about the fact that the U.S. government was warned of 9-Eleven scenarios long before Sept. 11, 2001. What the government really knew in advance of Sept. 11 is critical because the events of that day opened the door of everything else that followed, including the war on Iraq.

 Consider these women, working their straight jobs and being part of the system and supporting their families working long-term career tracks -- all Capricorn enough themes.

 Now add Chiron, raising awareness within the system. "I feel at this point that I have to put my concerns in writing concerning the important topic of the FBI's response to evidence of terrorist activity in the United States prior to September 11th," Rowley wrote in her now famous memo to FBI Director Robert Mueller. "These issues are fundamentally ones of INTEGRITY and go to the heart of the FBI's law enforcement mission and mandate." She said it was of "absolute importance that an unbiased, completely accurate picture emerge of the FBI's current investigative and management strengths and failures."

 Rowley, personally embodying the maverick attitude so well demonstrated by all things Chiron, could have been writing a textbook entry on the planet. Integrity (which means integration), objectivity, accuracy, responsibility -- all documented in writing, via her memo -- are at the essence of Chiron's meaning and purpose. Acting as Chiron in Capricorn, she embodied the person who raises awareness within an institution. And then she felt the wrath of Capricorn come back at her. She was called a traitor, compared to a spy, and made an outcast. But the point was made: the FBI knew or should have known. It is now documented in history that the U.S. was warned.

 Add Mars to this equation and you get power, speed and a cutting edge. Mars adds drive, desire, and some kind of incident or event. Mars is a personal planet and makes the transit of Chiron very personal.


Of Bullies and Underdogs

 Dale O'Brien is a Eugene, Oregon-based astrologer who has studied Chiron in the charts of 2,500 individuals, and has lectured and taught about the new planet since the early 1980s. He offered Planet Waves readers his take on the Mars-Chiron combination.

 "A significant issue would be being a bully, or being bullied. Psychologists have done these studies in which the abused tends to become the abuser. So whenever I see Mars-Chiron in any aspect, I look for that as a potential issue."

 He likened it to the story of the Karate Kid in which someone who was threatened by bullies takes up a means of acquiring power and discipline and learns how to take care of himself. He takes the martial power of Mars and adds the precision and artistry of Chiron.

 "With Mars-Chiron, one does not win by overwhelming force. It is not like Mars-Pluto or Mars-Saturn. It's associated with what would be called guerilla warfare. During the American revolution, the British and the other European soldiers would go out marching in a square. They would stand in a square and shoot at each other in a square, like Saturn. And what happened in the American revolution is that the Americans would stand on the edge of the woods and from behind trees and stand at the British standing in their red coats. And they would say, 'That's not fair'.

 "They weren't behaving like human beings in war, they were using their animal instincts." Chiron, as a Centaur, is half-human and half-animal; he is fully connected to his animal side. As such, Chiron and all the Centaurs represent something that is, in a sense, super-human: we're animals. We may speak and play musical instruments and do surgery on one another, but we're animals, too. Is it any wonder that Centaur planets are not especially welcome in the cerebral, Greek-dominated world of astrology?

 Under the influence of Mars-Chiron, says O'Brien, "The advantage is often for the underdog. He explained that the U.S. recently dropped numerous pamphlets in Iraq about how to surrender. And then what happened is that the Iraqis read the pamphlets and in an incident last week, came out looking like they were surrendering, and caught the American military off guard. 'Oh, we figured you were either fighting or surrendering'. And now the Americans are saying, 'This is totally unfair, you guys are not fighting fair'. The American position is that they're just supposed to stand there in their underwhelming numbers and their underarmed capacity and get the snot beaten out of them. So that issue is up, big time."

 O'Brien said there's a sense that America was bullied by 9-Eleven, taking the mentality, "You hurt us, so we're going to hurt you back. You and I know and the rest of the world outside the United States knows that it wasn't Iraq that did 9-Eleven. But nonetheless, on a raw psyche level, the masculine psyche of the country has been wounded."

 He said the aspect could be likened to "Underestimating one's enemy militarily." He encouraged me to dig up the history of the peak years of the Vietnam war as told by Mars-Chiron conjunctions. The three dates that came up were Feb. 13, 1968, Jan. 29, 1972, and July 24, 1973.

 There's a LOT of history in those dates. As a point of background, at that point the Vietnam war had become the longest running war in the history of this country, and over 30,000 Americans had died. Lynden B. Johnson, a Democrat, was president, and it was pretty much his war. He had inherited it from Eisenhower and Kennedy, but Kennedy was in the process of withdrawing troops at the time of his death. Under Johnson, the war escalated greatly. But the Americans were bogged down in what was clearly becoming a no-win situation where everyone was losing.


Mars-Chiron Conjunction and the Tet Offensive

 The weeks surrounding the Mars-Chiron conjunction of Feb. 13, 1968 (in Aries) saw something called the Tet Offensive. This was a campaign by the North Vietnamese waged during the time of Tet, the New Year, which is normally a time of truce.

 Some references below come from a timeline at: http://www.landscaper.net/timelin.htm

 "Communist plans called for violent, widespread, simultaneous military actions in rural and urban areas throughout the South -- a general offensive. But as always, military action was subordinate to a larger political goal. By focusing attacks on South Vietnamese units and facilities, Hanoi [the Communist capital] sought to undermine the morale and will of Saigon's forces [the southern capital, and purported US ally]. Through a collapse of military resistance, the North Vietnamese hoped to subvert public confidence in the government's ability to provide security, triggering a crescendo of popular protest to halt the fighting and force a political accommodation. In short, they aimed at a general uprising by the South Vietnamese."

 The offensive didn't work so well. While those days of January and February 1968 saw some of the most intense combat of the whole 25-year Vietnam experience, the rebellions were put down in a few days. But there was a twist: it was a shocking PR victory for the North Vietnamese. The north lost in military terms, but won in PR terms.

 "Americans at home saw a different picture. Dramatic images of the Viet Cong storming the American Embassy in the heart of Saigon and the North Vietnamese Army clinging tenaciously to [the city of] Hue obscured the assertion that the enemy had been defeated. With almost a half-million U.S. troops already in Vietnam, doubts on the conduct of the war prompted a reassessment of American policy and strategy." To say the least.

 The Defense Department called for deployment of nearly 60,000 more troops, reservists and former servicemen, which Johnson put into perpetual "government study" mode.

 On February 8, 1968, three college students involved in a civil rights protest against a whites-only bowling alley were killed in confrontation with highway patrolmen in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

 Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy said that the U.S. could not win the Vietnam War. February 18, 1968. 10,000 in West Berlin demonstrate against the war.

 On February 29, 1968, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, one of the great hawks of his day -- comparable to Donald Rumsfeld -- resigned after concluding that the U.S. could not win the Vietnam War.

 This was followed by the My Lai incident of March 16, 1968, which involved the infamous Charlie Company raping and massacring women and children in a Vietnamese village while superior officers hovered overhead in helicopters. This incident was later exposed by investigative journalist Seymour Hersch, and became one of the great symbols of the atrocity of the war.

 More about this incident is at: http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/mylai.htm

 On March 31, 1968. President Johnson announced a virtual halt to all bombing of North Vietnam in a unilateral gesture of peace; discusses Vietnam in a speech for nearly 40 minutes, then announces "I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president."

 But there was a backlash. The year 1968 also brought the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, both dedicated to ending the Vietnam War. And then there was the Democratic National Convention of August 1968, where the Chicago 7 protest organizers were charged with inciting riots. Protestors rioted in the face of 12,000 police, 7,500 Army troops and 6,000 National Guardsmen. They were later cleared of most of the charges after a stunning, hilarious fiasco of a federal trial.


Bombing of Cambodia: Tin Soldiers and Nixons Coming

 On January 29, 1970, there was a Mars-Chiron conjunction in Aries. This was two full years after the disaster of Tet, and the downfall of McNamara and Johnson over the war. Vietnam had been inherited by President Nixon, who decided to drag it out as long as possible, and expand it into other parts of southeast Asia. Nixon at this time was secretly bombing Cambodia. While the effects of the conjunction did not play themselves out on the world stage until about 14 weeks later, it heralded yet another of the most important turning points in the history of the war and the social history of the era.

 In Late April, Nixon got on television and announced that he had been secretly bombing Cambodia, Vietnam's neighbor. (This was the beginning of a campaign of genocide against the Cambodian people that lasted through the 1970s, initiated by the U.S. and continued by the Khmer Rouge, one of the most vicious regimes in world history in terms of the sheer number of people exterminated. This is copiously documented in the video Manufacturing Consent.)

 Instantly, the anti-war movement reacted in a national uprising. The protests were so fierce that fully one-third of the campuses in the U.S. were closed before finals, or the administration seriously considered doing so. It was in this week that National Guardsmen shot four by-passers at Kent State University in Ohio, and students were shot at and/or killed at other campuses as well, including Jackson State and the State University of New York at Buffalo. In Buffalo, the campus was shut down by the president and students were sent home without academic penalty.


Mars-Chiron Conjunction of January 1972

 After the Mars-Chiron conjunction of early 1972, the North Vietnamese Easter offensive began. According to Landscapper.net's timeline, "Total U.S. military strength in South Vietnam was about 95,000, of which only 6,000 were combat troops, and the task of countering the offensive on the ground fell almost exclusively to the South Vietnamese. Attacking on three fronts, the North Vietnamese Army poured across the demilitarized zone and out of Laos to capture Quang Tri, South Vietnam's northernmost province. In the Central Highlands, enemy units moved into Kontum Province."

 Hubert Humphrey went on the offensive against Nixon, "saying that it was taking longer for President Nixon to withdraw U.S. troops from Vietnam than it did to defeat Hitler," according to Landscaper.net's timeline.

 "Humphrey called for an immediate end to the war, declaring: 'Had I been elected, we would now be out of that war'." ++




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