Monthly Archives: June 2011

Between Two Worlds

Posted by Eric Francis

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We’re about to experience the last of three closely-related eclipses — a partial solar eclipse that occurs on Friday at 4:54 am EDT. This eclipse will be in Cancer, and is the first in a cycle of eclipses that span far into the future. Centuries from now, astrologers will look back at this event for information about the times they are in, and will use Friday’s chart as a reference point. They will also be curious what was going on in our phase of history, and if they are vaguely imaginative, they’ll wonder what it felt like to be alive now.

Clarence Clemons: Centaur of the Saxophone

Posted by Eric Francis

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As you may have heard, Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist for the E Street Band, died in Florida on Saturday. One of the most beloved figures in all of rock music, Clemons played beside Bruce Springsteen for four decades, providing an impassioned, soulful presence and giving the band much of its atmosphere. But the sax does much more than create a mood. It provides a voice without words, speaking in a language of feeling that goes beyond the intellect.

On the Solstice, Mars square Neptune, then Chiron

Posted by Eric Francis

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I’ve been describing the solstice and the eclipses that surround it for weeks on end. Click back through the prior issues linked on the top left and you can review some of what I’ve said — there’s plenty of new stuff that will emerge when you do. If astrology is a picture, it’s a Polaroid picture that develops gradually, no matter what form you take it in. Today is indeed the solstice — the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

Cardinal Cross, Revisited

Posted by Eric Francis

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For the past couple of years we have been living under the influence of an alignment in the cardinal signs — Pluto arriving in Capricorn in 2008, followed by Saturn and Uranus making their way into Libra and Aries. These three powerhouses have been dancing around the early cardinal cross — right around where the Sun is when it changes seasons — stirring up all kinds of mischief and adventure.

Honey Moon: Make Life, Not Death

Posted by Eric Francis

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Traditionally, the Full Moon of June is sometimes called the Mead or Honey Moon. This is because after the flowering of the Earth in May, the hives are now full of honey at this time of the year. The honey can be fermented and made into mead, a kind of wine. Traditionally, mead was taken after wedding ceremonies, and weddings were often held in the month of June because it is the month sacred to Juno — goddess of marriage and sacred contracts.

The Heart of the Matter

Posted by Eric Francis

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All week long, I’ve been watching pundits — particularly the women — impale themselves over the question, what would make Anthony Weiner, an influential congressman from New York City, have online relationships that could easily turn out to be so dangerous to his career? What is it about men?

Turning the Tide

Posted by Eric Francis

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When the Sun makes its way into the sign Cancer later in the month, it’s going to be in harmony with Chiron and Neptune in Pisces. That’s a water-to-water aspect — a trine. The way we would say this in astro-talk is, “Sun trine Neptune and Chiron.” Trines open up a flow, and where Neptune and the water signs are involved, that means the flow of emotions. Where Chiron is involved, that means emotional healing. And with Chiron, healing always begins with raising awareness.

Yearning for Dharma: An Epistle of the Eclipses

Posted by Eric Francis

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Wednesday, I got a fortune cookie that said, “Cleaning up the past will always clear up the future!” Who the heck writes these things, and how did I get one so perfectly describing a solar eclipse on the South Node, on the day of that eclipse? It’s a simple, elegant description of something we all know to be true, but often have so much difficulty with. After all, the past is so abundant, and it can be so problematic. The future seems to barely exist, if it exists at all; and it’s entirely uncertain.