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Friday, Sept. 1, 2006 | Astrology Questions & Answers IT IS Friday morning here in Brussels and my routine for this time of the week is to enter corrections into the new edition of Planet Waves that have come in from Rachael in LA, give the piece one last edit, write the birthday report and work with Anatoly in the Ukraine doing the layout -- and then get it out to our readers. So I'm going to keep my comments here short today, except for one thing. Because I read my mail and am generally an aware person, I know the role that Planet Waves plays in many people's lives. The letters that come in -- posted at our Feedback link above -- are so passionate and grateful that I am aware of a not only large, but deep and sincere base of support out in the world (no, I did not post the "who cares about Pluto" hate mail, we can only pity the fools). My impression why that energy comes back to us is because it's clear that Planet Waves is working for a better world, in a time when doing just that is so necessary. And it's clear that we're encouraging everyone else to do the same. Those of us involved with the project have somehow been spared the sour cynicism that grips both media and much of our society, and we feel, correctly or not, that we can make a difference. Before I introduce a new area of Planet Waves, really, the continuation of one of our most successful projects in a new and exciting format, I'm here to ask you to put your money where your love is and subscribe to Planet Waves. It's not like subscriptions cost a lot (they're free, if you need, and even a short-term subscription is just two dollars a week) -- and it's not like you don't get a lot back; you and everyone else, that is, because our subscribers support the whole project, including the open access side of the site. There's nobody working on this project, which is truly a global community service project, who holds back on the gifts they feel then can offer. Yes, sometimes I have to do a little encouraging that they really have something worth sharing, and usually it's obvious once they begin. I was talking last evening with someone named Nicola in Switzerland, who will be assisting with the 2007 annual edition, to which I will soon be devoting my attention. She's been a longtime subscriber; I did her chart a year ago; and now she's going to help coordinate the writing of those besides myself for the annual -- coordinating the work of some of my dearest friends. She recalled a recent conversation with a co-worker whom she had pointed to Planet Waves but who did not understand why she should subscribe, because so much is available free. "It's about integrity," was the answer she got. Good response, really. Integrity says you don't just take from an ecological system: you do your part to support it back. One thing I do all day is coordinate the efforts of kind and talented people, so that you will have the benefit of the work. So, while we think nothing of supporting the ecological systems of your personal world and the wider community, I am aware that these days that's a revolutionary idea. Integrity also means integration -- including yourself in something you care about, weaving together a stronger world with you as part of it, keeping loving ideas moving across the communication networks, and making help available where it's needed. For us, your subscription is only partly about the money -- because our scholarship program (comp subscriptions) is, in our minds, an important part of what we do: make sure that economic concerns don't break the fragile threads of communication. Making sure that everyone feels included who wants to be. This is our affirmation that people are worth more than their money. Trust me: if doing this were about the money, I would do something else. If it were about the money, I would plaster Planet Waves with ads. Or I would dump 2,000 of my articles into a database and sell them back to you. Then there was the person who said to me, in all sincerity, that she held off on subscribing because doing so would mean committing to her own personal truth -- and she was not ready to do that. She said it would mean giving up the last vestige of the lie she had been living, and she just did not have it in her, until, eventually, one day she clicked and signed up. She could read Planet Waves, but signing up meant she was really serious about the ideas here. My old therapist Joe Trussso once told me to treat everyone as if they were in a life or death struggle -- now I know what he meant. So there you have it. If you're a regular visitor to this site, please click on the subscribe link and sign up. Do your part, and then take another step and participate in the world of ideas you see here, even if just a little. Today, without my prompting, two to four people would sign up -- let's add you and make it three to five. If you don't have the cash, call our toll-free number and ask for a comp; it's simple. As for the new project: Astrology Secrets Revealed, the Q & A originally started on Cainer.com, has taken up residence of here, as a forum. Readers are invited to submit astrology questions and other concerns and there are five of us who will be responding: Chelsea, Paloma, Ursula, Deirdre and myself. Someone named Rachael (who also goes by Phred) will be proofreading the site (she'd worked on Astrology Secrets Revealed for almost its entire duration), so if you see name in "last edited by" -- that’s why. The page link is here and the email address is on the homepage. It's easy to remember the site: http://asr.planetwaves.net/ Skip the www and just use "asr." Note, our direct participation community forum, where anyone can discuss astrology or anything else, can be found at the bottom of the site index, on the main homepage. My friends -- we are here for you. Please do your little part and be here for us. Thank you. e From the Horoscope Archives | ||||||
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