The Martian landscape looks a lot like that of our home planet.

Dear Friend and Reader:

We end this remarkable year with Mars conjunct Chiron in Pisces. This is the last of five such aspects while Chiron has been in Pisces, since 2010. Chiron enters Aries to stay on Feb. 18, and remains through April 14, 2027 (spending more time in Aries than any other sign).

In many ways, Mars conjunct Chiron in Pisces is an aspect of our times. We have two masculine elements, Mars and Chiron, placed in the distinctly feminine, receptive, watery environment of Pisces.

This look back at a dune that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover drove across was taken by the rover’s mastcam during Sol 538, or Feb. 9, 2014. Take note, we are very, very curious about Mars. Full size image here.

This is an invitation to look a little more deeply at the question of what maleness is, what it means to be a man, and the nature of this endlessly fascinating thing we call the “warrior.” American culture in particular exalts the soldier, the police officer, the detective, and the firefighter, all of whom are either male or involved in what has been a traditionally male role.

We currently have a president who is fascinating in a grotesque way, and seem to often wonder what it is about him and his maleness that is so off. His festering wounds ooze for all to see and feel, as he thrashes and blames the universe for his own existence. It’s not enough to say that he’s just a dude; that’s insufficient. We want to know more. We want to know how he got to be that way — but we know it’s gonna be an ugly story, so maybe not after all. Many are actively waiting to see him explode, or to be carted off in handcuffs.

Women are often perceived as the more cryptic sex, mysterious and elusive and veiled. Yet I’ve noticed that there is considerable frustration and exasperation in trying to understand maleness, that comes through in poetic works, such as “Trying to Talk to a Man” by Adrienne Rich (1929-2012).

She writes:

Out here I feel more helpless

with you than without you

You mention the danger

and list the equipment

we talk of people caring for each other

in emergencies – laceration, thirst –

but you look at me like an emergency

Your dry heat feels like power

your eyes are stars of a different magnitude

they reflect lights that spell out: EXIT

when you get up and pace the floor

So here we are in 2018, in the age of transsexuality and gender bending and non-binary gender identification, and the divide between the sexes has never been greater — and with less reason to be so. I think this is, more than anything, about the lack of understanding of male pain, or what men go through in general. The problem is, we think we understand. We think we know why daddy is the way he is, or why the boss is the way he is, or why that asshole is the way he is.

Has anyone heard the ad on SiriusXM, where we find out that 52% of men (allegedly) have erectile dysfunction but zero percent want to talk about it? To me that says it all. For most of them, their “dysfunction” would go away if they felt safe opening up. They’re not being offered soft, loving contact and a friendly ear. They’re being offered a long-distance doctor and a pill.

Traveling south through the “Murray Buttes,” Curiosity captures the scenes as it heads through the valley studying the sights along the way. Besides the Moon, Mars is the only other terrestrial world humans have visited. And we keep going back, if only by robot.

Okay maybe dad / husband / boss / asshole / aggressor doesn’t say much about his feelings — though that means we don’t know him, especially if we don’t understand his silence. So to compensate for this (as we do with so many other things) we make up narratives, by which I mean stories: invented stories, which tend to be less historically accurate than works of fiction, and more dangerous, since we think they’re true.

Male pain, male frustration, male desire, male anger, male consciousness: it’s all very cryptic. Men hardly speak to one another about such things. Men don’t often keep journals or seek the help of astrologers or mystics.

Think of it this way. We all have some concept of the “sacred feminine.” But is there a sacred masculine? Let’s see, we have the patriarchy. I don’t think that counts. Instead, we have the male mystique, the shadowy figure, the stoic silent character, Deep Throat who meets with the courageous young reporters in a desolate parking garage, smoking cigarettes. We have the big star athlete, we have the pop star, we have Willy Loman. Every now and then, a Thom Yorke or a Neil Young comes along and spills his guts out, and we marvel. They seem like some kind of alien, visiting from another galaxy.

However, if the “sacred feminine” has any meaning whatsoever, then there must be a “sacred masculine.” Yet it would seem there’s barely room for the idea, much less the reality. That is what Mars conjunct Chiron is calling our attention to.

If men have power, much of it comes from having been hurt; from experiencing pain and loss; from experiencing the isolation that is endemic in Pisces, the last and most distant sign. The pain of men includes how it’s generally their role to kill, and we depend on them for this: whether as soldier, cop, slaughterhouse operator or executioner.

And we hate them for it: abuser, rapist, entitled person, con man, banker, corporate chief, president of the United States. All of these are male stereotypes. One of my closest male friends says that every time he confides in a woman that he’s been sexually abused, it’s held against him; that eventually, his partner will find a way to weaponize it.

Little boys have feelings as deep as little girls. Men have feelings as deep as women. In The Wall — describing what’s back there — Roger Waters pleads:

Mother will they put me in the firing line?

Is is Mars or is it Utah? Another view from Curiosity.

I can relate — that was one of my silent terrors as a child: being made to execute someone, or to be a soldier and forced to kill someone. At the age of 14, I chose to be Quaker.

At the age of 18, I decided I wasn’t going to war, period — whatever consequences might follow. Most men don’t have that courage, or don’t see the option.

There are, among us, millions of war veterans who didn’t want to serve; who killed and witnessed death and who were poisoned or made to poison others. They walk among us now, and are treated horribly.

There is no biographical reason I should have had the fear of being put into an execution squad. It must go a lot deeper than this lifetime, as it does for many men. Watching The Execution of Private Slovik at age 10 in 1974 was one of the most harrowing experiences of my childhood, though this terror was laced through me long before that film.

This planet and the institutions that arise here are tough on people. We also depend them for our safety, security, our food, our jobs, our computers and phones, our news reporting and everything else.

Many of us want a better world, as a fully conscious desire. If we’re going to have that better world, it’s going to be based on balance between the hemispheres of the brain (the imbalance being the source of all war, according to Marshall McLuhan). It’s going to come from honoring women and men equally as humans, and striving for the dignity of all people. If there are roles that are assigned to one sex or the other, whether by reason of biology or custom, we will find our personhood by honoring our own contribution and that of the other.

The mystery of what men are thinking and feeling is not really a mystery at all. It’s the fear that we won’t be able to handle what’s on the other side of the wall. It must be something great or terrible or very, very frightening. Or maybe just human.

It’s time to make space for that; it’s time to bring this all to the light.

With love,

Poem for Jesse Smith

Once you have pulled your trigger
Your words lie forever in the morgue.

They are never buried, and your name
Is written on the tag lashed to their chilly toe.

Once you have killed, you can never again
Take your conscience for granted.

You must pray not for forgiveness
But the vulnerability to receive

Even as your honor is stained, and your mind
Doubts that your words will again be believed.

You know what you’re capable of
And such is the slow acid you must endure.

When you have unleashed your fiery hails
Of metaphor, of story or of depleted uranium

And have pierced the thin armor of those
Who cannot shoot back, since you ambush
Wearing night vision, or they are
Red Cross, Reuters, human shield, grieving mother
Best man, maid of honor, dancing toddler

Or because you hold them down to dusty earth
Gagged and tied, and unleash your weary rage.

Nor can you compensate your pain
By drawing into such sunny scenes

Those who have neither murdered nor deceived
Whomever you may persuade.

efc
12/26/18

Getting Ready to Get Going

By Amanda Painter

Even though the calendar page will turn to a new year in a few days, the astrological year still has most of a season left to it. Yet the sense of one thing ending and something new beginning is still strong — and there is some major astrology on its way to support that sensation, even if the timing is not exact.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

For one thing, Uranus will station direct on Jan. 6. This means that ALL the sign-ruling planets will be in direct motion for a spell — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (the Sun and Moon are never retrograde).

If that doesn’t sound like a cosmic green light to finally move important projects forward, I’m not sure what does. I don’t know about you, but after the continual feeling of limbo I experienced with this year’s inner-planet retrogrades, I’m really looking forward to a phase of momentum and traction, even if it’s brief.

For another thing, we have eclipses coming up very soon. The first will be a partial solar eclipse with the Capricorn New Moon on Jan. 5-6 (depending on your time zone). The second eclipse of the pair will be a total lunar eclipse with the Leo Full Moon on Jan. 20-21.

If you’ve been reading Planet Waves or studying astrology for a while, you know that the weeks between eclipses can be key times for releasing old patterns, setting new ones, and possibly moving your life into a very different phase of growth. Combine that with having all the sign-ruling planets in direct motion (along with the top few asteroids and centaurs used regularly at Planet Waves also direct: Juno, Pallas, Ceres, Vesta, Chiron, Pholus and Nessus), and it appears that forward progress is the name of the game. No wonder we were tasked with so much introspection, review, and sometimes confusion — or the illusion of stasis — in 2018: having this much forward influence requires a clear understanding of what has come before in our lives, and of just how much we carry within us to draw upon.

Continue reading…

Coming To You on Saturday Night
Envisioning Your Future: INTELLIGENCE 2019-2020

Dear Friend and Reader:

It’s difficult to see the future these days. I don’t mean to predict; I mean to see out to the horizon, and imagine something new.

iPhone selfie at my desk in The Place of the Way, where I’m recording and writing INTELLIGENCE.

There’s a lot in the way: the challenges we face every day, the sense of uncertainty that we live with, and the chaos churned up by the digital environment; let’s pause there for a second. This has thrown into chaos the “sense of self” that many people once possessed.

Add to that economic uncertainty and the sensation that the whole world is on the edge — it’s difficult to see the future these days. It seems risky to trust that things will be OK. It can feel impossible to imagine anything different from what we have now, much less something better.

Here is where astrology comes in. There is a future, and you are included. I use my gift as an astrologer to open up your perception of time, and give you access to time as a resource. This can be done with the power of human thought, if only we can get out of our own way.

INTELLIGENCE is your 2019-2020 reading, and it’s all about lighting up your mind, letting go of the past, and envisioning your future. Then, you will see some possible destinations begin to arise.

We are now in one of those “whole new reality” series of transits: Chiron in Aries. Uranus in Taurus. Many other long-range events that will shape our lives — and that we can use as points of orientation.

Astonishing Capricorn stellium on Jan. 12, 2020, featuring a five-way conjunction of Mercury, Saturn, Pluto, Ceres and the Sun.

There are two major factors on what I call the “event horizon” — Saturn conjunct Pluto on Jan. 12, 2020, and Jupiter conjunct Saturn on Dec. 21, 2020.

On their own, each these would be a significant development; but soon we will get them in the same year.

It is for this reason that I’m covering 2019 and 2020 in one project — next year in audio (for fast delivery) and then 2020 in writing (equally detailed, though writing takes longer).

This is carefully done, thoughtful, accessible astrology like nobody else can do it. Though I am reluctant to use the word, I am a master of the solar house system, allowing me to put more detail into your reading than most other astrologers can do with your natal chart. (The solar chart is the archetypal chart for your birth sign).

I am on track to have the RESET 2019 readings (INTELLIGENCE part one) ready for your ears on Monday, Dec. 31. These are 75- to 80-minute readings in four segments, divided by custom music that I’m writing for each sign.

I begin each reading by doing a review of the recent Venus and Mars retrogrades, which have up-ended the lives of many people, and shaken up a good few more.

Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on Dec. 21, 2020, a few hours after the winter solstice. The conjunction is in the first degree of Aquarius (marked by 00s), on the top left.

Then, orienting on late 2020, I take the audio readings out to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction 1/12/20.

The written readings are scheduled for delivery about eight weeks later, in late February. These will begin with Jupiter conjunct Saturn on 12/21/20 and work their way backwards into the present.

The world will be facing many challenges during this time, though nothing that we cannot rise to meet — if we use our most valuable human gift: OUR INTELLIGENCE.

Single signs are now available! Includes audio and written from $33 per sign until Friday, Dec. 21; then from $44 until publication, when they will be $55.

Or, you may get all 12 signs of both RESET 2019 and INTELLIGENCE 2020 as a combined package for the pre-order price of $122, or RESET 2019 (all 12) as a stand-alone for $88.

Backstage Pass and Galaxy Pass holders (past and present) — please call us at (845) 481-5616 for the best price.

INTELLIGENCE is my 21st time doing the Planet Waves annual edition. You may read and listen to past editions here.

Thank you for trusting me as your astrologer.

With love,

PS — RESET 2019 comes with two resource areas — an audio resource, which will be short Q&A-type pieces, and a written resource, with what we consider essential reading and our best work from 2018.

Capricorn Birthdays and Rising 2018-19:
Get Instant Access to Part One of Your 2019 Astrology

“While I’m listening I shake my head and I’ve got a big smile on my face, because this year really has been an internal journey. Another amazing reading. Thank you!”

— A. Wilson

Dear Friend and Reader:

Eric has recorded the first segment of your 2019 Capricorn Astrology Studio (formerly called the Birthday Reading) — and plans to follow up with the second astrology section and the tarot reading as soon as he’s able. This means you can get instant access to the first segment — and that you have limited time to secure the current pre-order price before it increases again.

Eric Francis.

If you’re in the process of setting year-ahead intentions and goals for the New Year, you’ll want to have Eric’s freshest thoughts on your upcoming astrology at your fingertips.

With two of the most powerful change-makers in the solar system — Saturn and Pluto — in your sign and headed for a conjunction, the next couple years appear to hold a lot of potential for you, whether your Sun, rising sign or Moon is in Capricorn. Uranus and Chiron are also headed for sensitive areas of your chart (your house of creativity and risk, and your house of home and ’emotional environment’, respectively), bringing new surprises and calls for awareness.

Eric designs these readings to empower you to make the most of these developments, no matter what shape they take in your life.

“I have *really* been enjoying my Capricorn Sun sign Empathy reading, listening and re-listening. Like others have said, it feels personal to my life, even though you’ve interpreted the astrology off of a group chart. It’s awesome! I am going to add the purchase of my Scorpio rising sign also. Thank you for all that you do.”

— Chris D.

You can order here to get instant access to the first astrology segment and extended sign description (we’ll email you when the other parts are ready), or give it as a gift to a loved one.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

P.S. If you haven’t yet, check out last year’s Capricorn reading, as a gift from us, to review 2018 and check Eric’s accuracy.

Such a Sparkly Time of Year

By Amanda Painter

Did any gifts that you purchased online not arrive as they should have this week — despite the shipping company’s record of delivery? It’s apparently becoming more common for unscrupulous opportunists to swipe packages from people’s doorways. A man named Mark Rober, however, has devised an elaborate way to teach such people a lesson.

Rober hatched his plan after feeling violated by a couple he caught on his home security camera stealing from his doorstep, and after his local police said it just wasn’t worth their time trying to look into it. Using four iPhones, a pound of glitter, fart spray and a good deal of supporting technology, he came up with a dummy package that would not only cover the thief in glitter, but would also prompt the person to get rid of the package — and the package itself would catch it all on video.

Now, before you decide to try this at home, you should know that Rober is an engineer for NASA who has designed hardware that’s rolling around on another planet — so his know-how is truly in another league. I also think it’s worth noting that his “revenge package” does not cause any actual harm to anybody. Of course, the simple solution would be for people simply to respect others’ private property and belongings. It’s a shame ‘simple’ does not seem to be easy or popular.

Listen to Vision Quest on Live Stream

Planet Waves has an in-house music ensemble, called Vision Quest. We have a 38-hour loop of our music, which you can listen to any time. Included are finished pieces, rehearsals, live concerts, drum grooves, and spoken word recordings. I consider it a kind of musical divination. Click in randomly at different times of day and see what you discover.

Our Gifts to You: A Little Something Extra

Dear Friend and Reader:

It took me a long time to figure out what kind of gift to offer for new and returning subscribers. Tee shirts seemed too complicated; you need at least six sizes to get started, and not everyone wants a shirt. Tote bags are useful but kind of boring.

So I thought: journals. I love notebooks, and just about everything I write starts scribbled down on paper. I know my readers are a little old-fashioned, so this seemed like the perfect thing.

Black smaller, pink larger, embossed with the Planet Waves logo. There are a few hand painted sketchbooks left, with heavy, acid-free paper.

Then…I researched embossed journals for about six months. That’s how long it took. I requested or purchased samples of the best that suppliers had, and all kinds of stuff came floating in the door. It was more challenging than I imagined to find a nice one, though finally I did.

Everything had to be right: the paper, the lines, and how the book feels in your hands.

However, the one I selected was being discontinued. I ordered as many as we could reasonably afford. We now have two main options: small black ones, and larger pink ones (these are new).

Together, they are the approximate color of Good & Plenty candy. I am one of these people who loves anything pink (sweatshirts, nail polish, headbands, a hot pink Squier guitar that I gave to Zosha a few years ago). We also have a few hand-painted notebooks left, which are acid-free sketchbooks.

You can get an embossed notebook with any monthly, quarterly or yearly membership to Planet Waves. If, by the way, there’s a calling for hand-painted ones, I will make one more-or-less to your preferences (for those who sign up for a full-year Backstage Pass).

Continue reading this letter here.

Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscopes for December were published on Thursday, Dec. 6. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for November on Thursday, Nov. 8.
Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign.

Aries (March 20-April 19) — It seems you have some specific decisions to make in terms of where you will focus your energies. To some extent virtually the whole of the past year has been preparing you for this moment, through your experiences and through the information you’ve picked up, so that by now you pretty much know where you’re at. The remaining analysis may be about how far you’re willing to head in the direction of growth and healing, despite possible temptation to do otherwise. Yet if you listen to your inner guide, you’ll understand perfectly what these choices actually mean. Get your full Aries reading by Eric here.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Comparing oneself to others is among the quickest routes to discontent. Yet we often do this, driven either by envy or — perhaps more commonly — by self-doubt and fear that we are not quite up to the mark. If thought out clearly, however, it’s possible to see how absurd these comparisons are. We are each unique, with our own qualities, flaws, joys and sorrows. You have an opportunity this week to really absorb this understanding; doing so may cause you to notice some unaddressed deep feelings, which you can then analyze and make the initial steps toward healing. Get your full Taurus reading by Eric here.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Try to keep an unrushed pace for the next few days, at least, and allow developments to take their course rather than playing an overly active hand. The astrology of the past couple of weeks has been somewhat fraught for many, and there are a lot of frayed nerves about. You would probably do well for now to refrain from committing to any particular course of action, remembering that what is said and done cannot afterwards be unsaid or undone. Instead, stay aware of your feelings as they arise, and do your best to be transparent and honest with yourself, if not with others. Get your full Gemini reading by Eric here.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — All relationships tend to contain moments when we’re not happy with a particular circumstance or recognize that an ongoing arrangement needs to be altered. For example, you might feel as if you’re doing too much, and need more support in a certain situation. If something’s bothering you, try to bring it up in an honest discussion — no need to go in with both barrels, but likewise don’t be a martyr and pretend everything is halcyon. That won’t make the issue disappear. In any ostensibly equal partnership you need to be able to communicate truthfully and like adults, rather than parents or children. Get your full Cancer reading by Eric here.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Just at present, you might well be fired up with enthusiasm, and wanting to move mountains in your current cause. This is undoubtedly wonderful to behold, yet try to remember that you are only human after all, with finite (if considerable) time, resources and strength. You can honor your limits and your need for occasional rest, and yet still accomplish so much that everyone else’s eyes water just looking at you; especially if you organize your time well and wisely. Your passion is evident, in any case; and it will almost certainly inspire others to emulation within their own lives. Get your full Leo reading by Eric here.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — There comes a point when one simply has to take a leap of faith, and move forward from theory into practice. Caution is frequently reasonable and, more often than not, a little pause for analysis can be beneficial. However, it would seem you’ve done all the thinking out that you possibly can on one specific issue. The next phase is experimentation. This is not likely to be a circumstance where dipping your toe in the water inevitably leads to being in deeper than feels comfortable; in any case, stepping outside your comfort zone is a necessary part of growth. I suggest you wade in courageously. Get your full Virgo reading by Eric here.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — If you’re puzzling over where to go from your current position, or feel as if you’re stuck where you are, there may be help available in the form of certain memories. For example, you might recall specific childhood dreams or ambitions, which perhaps formerly you dismissed as impractical, but are now freer to dust off and re-examine. What did you want to do before, that you possibly now have time to fulfill? Remember that one is never too old to learn new things, and that the world contains an abundance of information; more than enough to discover in one lifespan. So discover away. Get your full Libra reading by Eric here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You appear to be learning that sincere love has to begin with yourself. This seems counterintuitive in our society, but ultimately it makes sense. After all, love is arguably more complete when there is no need for approval or a return attached to it; and if we don’t love ourselves, more often than not we end up relying on others to do it for us. If you find this something of a stumbling block, which most of us do at times, make it a project of an almost academic nature. There are methods that can help you circumvent self-doubt, and treat yourself with the justice and kindness you merit. Get your full Scorpio reading by Eric here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — One of the ways we express self-respect is in the way we treat other people, which means how often we tell the truth, keep our word, help out when it’s needed, and so on. This includes taking responsibility for carrying out our principles and standing by them, or being open to change when we learn something new. Doing all this requires a kind of self-trust, and the more you feed that on a regular basis, the more naturally it comes. It’s also important to recognize whenever you’ve done something you can be proud of to any degree; this helps build confidence. Get your full Sagittarius reading by Eric here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — We’re in a time when our individual differences are being emphasized, often at the expense of understanding what we all have in common. Love and respect that apply universally are decidedly not in fashion. Yet, while it’s true that we each have a responsibility for how we live, there is surely also a place for compassion that regards only the fact that we exist, we’re alive and we’re human. When you feel sure that you can draw a decisive line (or, perhaps, build a wall) between you and someone else, it may be a useful exercise for you to look more closely at what links you together. Get your full Capricorn reading by Eric here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — On the one hand, critical thinking is an invaluable skill. When you experience an intuitive idea it can make a lot of sense to investigate further, ask yourself questions, or put it somehow to the test where possible. On the other hand, as with all things, taking skepticism to extremes will tend to distort it: you might end up dismissing anything and everything, or come up with a potentially baseless theory to satisfy a general sense of distrust. The golden mean usually involves keeping an open mind, and being willing to sit with a little uncertainty until more information can be had. Get your full Aquarius reading by Eric here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Gradually, your social milieu seems to be transforming into one that you find more congenial, more supportive, and more reflective of you as a person. Part of this may be down to a realization that you simply don’t have to associate with anyone who makes your life more difficult. I don’t mean in the sense of challenging you when necessary; rather, getting in the way of needed development and healing. Recent experience has taught you that where your principles or integrity are at stake, at no time can there be any compromise in favor of someone else’s convenience. Get your full Pisces reading by Eric here.