Benefits of Membership

Dear Planet Waves Reader:

I’ve created this page to familiarize you with what you would receive as a Planet Waves member. Planet Waves offers a diversity of content, all designed to be personally relevant, and to give you the advantage of having a professional astrologer working for you.

Although astrology is not science, it seems to be something better: a space where the intuitive, the creative and the intellectual coexist as part of the same experience. I use my gift with the subject to bring it into clear focus and make the information actually useful to you.

Astrology thrives in a quiet and uncluttered space. As I offer it to you, astrology is about gaining clarity, perspective and a sense of timing. I don’t use it for predictive purposes, but rather for creative ones; meaning I give it to you for the purpose of your own self-creation.

What Goes In

I use a mix of astrology, news reporting, literary journalism and photography to create a service designed to help guide you through the confusing, challenging yet potentially rich times in which we’re living. My approach is to integrate the many seemingly separate aspects of life, and reveal the underlying connections. Astrology is the perfect way to do this, because it reveals so many of those contact points between people and events that we might never associate with each other otherwise.

In my astrology work I use both modern and traditional methods — the ancient rules, mingled with deep research into new discoveries, psychological astrology and a soul-centered growth process.

Astrology is an old tool; we are putting it into a modern context, in a form that can be easily understood and used. For many years, astrologers have tried to create something that is truly helpful and applicable to our lives without requiring a personal reading. The challenge is that astrology is difficult to translate into ordinary language, which is what we specialize in.

While you may not find ‘easy’ answers, you will find suggestions for how to look at yourself and the world around you. I specialize in synchronizing us with the times in which we’re living, and the special challenges we face being alive now. You will find practical ideas for how to use the current astrology to maximize your greatest potential.

Throughout my week, I am in communication with some of the astrologers and other deep-thinkers I respect the most, and my ideas are in a continuous process of evolving. My work is read by more than 1,000 professional astrologers around the world, and I have my ear out constantly for their feedback.

I have a lot to say about where I believe the astrology profession needs to go. When you have a moment, you’re invited to read my article Beyond Astrology.

What We Leave Out

One of the most beautiful things about Planet Waves is that we do not accept outside advertising. We are supported by you. This is our most basic philosophy of publishing. You are our client; we respond to your needs, not those of corporate sponsors.

Planet Waves uses modern astrology but is grounded in ancient tradition. I took this photo in the Grotto of Heracles on the Greek island of Delos — home of the gods and goddesses.

Ads are so pervasive (before the ‘net, we were inundated with 5,000 a day, and this has grown exponentially since then) that we expect to see them everywhere; they even lend credibility.

But advertising is a menace: it compromises editorial independence and integrity, pollutes your mind and is ugly. In a word, advertising is manipulative. I believe it’s impossible to absorb or enjoy something when you’re pelted with adverts every three inches or 10 minutes.

While we do have in-house promotions, they are exclusively for our own products, and they are always tasteful and understated. When I endorse the work of someone else, you can be sure I really mean it — and I will make sure it’s worth it for you.

Our choice to be ad-free necessitates an intimate relationship with our readers, who support our work through memberships and product purchases. While this costs money, you get something of actual value — and it’s a lot cheaper than buying something ridiculously expensive that you don’t need (which is what adverts are designed to get you to do). In our evolutionary or revolutionary concept of the media, outside advertising is unnecessary, and illuminated for what it really is.

We Come To You

As a Planet Waves member, you will receive our mailings every Monday morning, Tuesday evening and Thursday evening that we publish, plus on other occasions as needed. Our clients enjoy the convenience of email delivery, though everything is backed up here on our member website.

Planet Waves

Most weeks, we write the SKY section to keep you up to date on current aspects and their influence on you (when I cover current aspects extensively in my lead essays, we omit SKY). Short and focused, this section of each Thursday edition provides an overview of the week’s astrology that you can’t find anywhere else. It includes Full and New Moons, sign changes, movements of familiar major planets, and movements of newly discovered planets. Of its own, receiving the SKY section is worth the price of admission.

Planet Waves

Each week we select one super creative idea that we find on the Internet and send it your way. It’s the thing itself: a video, movie, illustration, song, map or other art — usually with some commentary linking it to the current astrology. The Internet may be the creatively richest place in history, and each week we share a sample of that wealth with you. You’re welcome to send your suggestions to our editors for inclusion in this section.

Planet Waves

Planet Waves FM is my weekly webcast, now in its fourth year. It’s an hour of innovative commentary, interviews and music. We include each edition of Planet Waves FM with your Tuesday and Thursday mailings so that you have direct access without looking for it on the Web.

We also send some mailings introducing new astrology readings and other useful astrology tools. There are many benefits of membership, all designed to bring astrology to life for you. Take a look and see what we have to offer.

Our Thursday night mailing is our main event of the week. I sum up the week that has passed in a lead article, and the week ahead in my astrology readings for the 12 signs and rising signs. These readings make advanced astrology accessible to you, in clear, understandable language. Written with 20 years of training, experience and study, they take numerous factors into account — not just your Sun sign.

They’re in the format of a “horoscope” but offer much more. They are detailed readings that apply to your Sun sign, your rising sign and your Moon sign. I suggest you look up your other two signs at Serennu.com, for which you’ll need your birth time (easily converted to GMT). You may get your chart from Astro.com.

The sign interpretations all contain something informative and helpful, even if they don’t apply directly to your sign. I believe that it’s ethical to read other people’s signs, to give you an idea of the climate and circumstances that may be influencing their lives. When reading for others, please use the information sensibly. For example, ask them what’s going on rather than telling them.

Planet Waves will serve you whether you’re interested in following your astrology out of common sense and convenience, or whether you want to go deeper and get an understanding of the various spiritual forces that are shaping our lives. Astrology students will speed and deepen their studies considerably by studying Planet Waves.

Thursday Lead Articles

Most Thursdays I prepare a lead article. These come in several possible formats. Sometimes I will explore an astrological theme, covering the current planetary movements.

The Thursday lead is the ongoing invention of a new form of journalism. I use many classical reporting techniques, then present the information in a way that is accessible, useful and fills in your understanding of where you fit into the world.

I am specifically addressing the issue of the news being both irrelevant and alienating, showing the ways in which events are personally relevant and bringing you into the story. I frame that story in astrology, history and personal psychology. Many weeks I will look at group of events that has influenced the direction of our lives, perhaps in obvious ways, or in subtle ones. I specialize in putting these wide-scale developments into personal context — doing what I call ‘to tell the story of the world’.

The Caryatids gracing the Erechtheum (407 BC) atop the Acropolis in central Athens. Photo Anthony Ayiomamitis.

Lead articles can also take the form of thematic pieces that cover relationship subjects or historical events, or in-depth pieces on astrology — all of which are written in an accessible, personally relevant and easy to understand style.

Tuesday Letters

Each Tuesday we send a letter to members that includes the week’s Planet Waves FM broadcast, recorded that very day. Tuesday letters also point you to interesting content that has appeared on our blog, or elsewhere in the Planet Waves network.

We announce special readings, classes and also Planet Waves TV here as well.

We will highlight anything that we know is of possible interest to you, and also remind you of our publishing schedule status when necessary. Our Tuesday editions are designed to keep you in the loop, in short format.

Monday Morning Horoscope

I’ve designed these brief readings for all 12 signs to give you a snapshot of your week ahead. We mail them out around 7:00 am Eastern (New York time) each Monday, with a short summary of how the week’s main astrological events might feel for you — the peaks and patterns to watch for.

Also included Monday Morning is my weekly Planet Waves TV YouTube video, recorded during the weekend and available immediately on the website and on our YouTube channel.

Frequency of Publication

I will write a Thursday issue, and also weekly horoscopes, at least 44 times a year. On up to eight Thursdays each year, I will remove an issue from the schedule. Due to the nature of the work we do and its proximity to the news cycle, it’s impossible to know which issues too far in advance, except it’s safe to say that we will not publish during the winter holidays. I tend to slow down the schedule more during production of the annual edition.

Looking for Immediate Information? Ask the Oracle.

Planet Waves membership also includes access to one of the coolest inventions on our website: the Intelligent Archive and Oracle.

It does two things. First, you can type in a question and the Oracle will return a horoscope from the archive in response to what you’ve asked. The Oracle function does not use keywords. It’s based on the time of the question and then makes a random selection from 10,000 horoscopes that are in the database.

It’s like a metaphysical Magic Eight Ball. Simply type in a question, click the “Oracle” button and the Oracle randomly generates one of my thousands of horoscopes as an answer to your question. After signing up for membership, you may access it using the login and password we will send in your confirmation email. The Oracle is also accessible from the Planet Waves website.

It’s also a complete, searchable horoscope database going back to around 1997. Usually horoscopes are “throwaway” writing. We don’t feel that way at Planet Waves. Used as a database, the Oracle is responsive to searches by keywords, dates and signs.

For example, you can find any time I’ve mentioned Chiron in a horoscope, or any other particular planet. You can search through key phases of your life. This tool lets you find any horoscope going back nearly 15 years — the only such resource in the astrology business that we know of.

Archive and Back Issue Library

Every edition of Planet Waves is emailed to you, and also posted to our website. As a member, you will have access to 10 years of complete edition archives. It includes all member mailings and horoscopes dating back to early 2003. This library is organized chronologically.

This resource can be incredibly valuable for those engaging in deep personal growth work and counseling, as well as for astrology students researching a topic or time period. It’s also helpful if you’re looking for information about world events from a specific period of time.

To access the archives and the Oracle (described above), you will need to use the login and password we will send to you in your member confirmation email. You may change your password anytime.

Sounion, ancient temple to Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, near Athens, Greece. Photo by Anthony Ayiomamitis.

Our Daily Blog

Your premium membership service includes the work of our talented team of writers. We offer content by other writers in our collective, including frequent astrology updates. The blog is sponsored by our members, and available to those with Core Community, Backstage or Galaxy memberships.

You can read the work of our network of contributors, specializing in such topics as astrology, tarot, alternative relationships and spiritual healing. There are also spot news updates when necessary, and one selection from the Oracle every day.

Additional Member Benefits

Also, as a member, we strive to offer you the most personal service that we can. We’re happy to help our members locate past articles or issues, and we do our best to respond to your astrology questions.

We will always give you the first offers at the best price on new readings, such as the annual edition, birthday readings, and other astrology products offered throughout the year.

We’re glad you found us, and you’re invited to sign up for your membership today. If you have any questions about membership, email cs@planetwaves.net or call Client Services at (206) 567-4455. We love hearing from our readers and members, and we do reply.

This may be your opportunity to take part in an exciting, idealistic community that is all about now — all about these strange, challenging and beautiful times in which we are alive.

Lovingly,
Eric Francis

One thought on “Benefits of Membership

  1. Kila Lau

    Happy Birthday! Francis…Hau’oli la hanau!!!
    I’m not able at this time to up-grade, though I
    would love to… perhaps in the near future, I can
    $end more $. But, just enquiring since I am a
    core member, can I receiver you Planet Wave
    journal, in purple? Mahalo nui loa, kila

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