Tag Archives: June Monthly Horoscope

Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for June 2014

Aries (March 20-April 19) — It’s time to update your files on a relationship. All year long you’ve been in a phase of review or reconsideration of an important partnership. The question phase is over, and it’s time to apply the things you’ve learned. The core question that it’s time to answer is, what are you doing in this involvement? You may decide that it’s productive; you may decide it’s not working for you at all; you may decide that the situation is workable and that you’re still committed to it. However, you need to know where you stand, and anyone else involved must know that too. This meeting must be on level ground, with all parties agreeing that the situation is fair and mutually beneficial. This is likely to require some ongoing, careful thought on your part. For example, if you decide that the situation is not perfect but is workable, then the details have to be worked out. If you decide that it’s not worth going forward, then an exit strategy must be negotiated. And if you feel strongly about moving ahead with the relationship, you still have to do some careful review of the history of your involvement so that you don’t repeat any mistakes going forward. Whatever you do, it’s clear that you need to proceed with full information and a solid commitment. There are significant challenges ahead, and you have the ability to turn them all to your advantage.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Your relationships seem to throw you one opportunity after the next to rise above your own nature. The world is constantly demanding a higher level of maturity, attention and commitment. Such is the nature of Saturn in your opposite sign Scorpio. This transit won’t last forever, it’s indeed challenging and I promise you one thing: you will miss it when it’s over. Saturn presents challenges, and it also offers the circumstances that you need to meet them. In that sense, Saturn is eminently even-handed, though you may not see it that way. Speaking in the more immediate sense, but also related to Saturn, the theme of this month is a focus on money. It’s vital that you rethink some recent decisions, not waste your resources and make the most of the situations where you are compensated for your work. It’s essential that you find the meeting place between what you’re good at and its value to others, and maximize that relationship. Make sure you focus your efforts on what really matters to the person or organization that is paying you. Remember that you’re part of something larger than yourself, and that your role is to contribute energy and ideas. Reach for a whole-system approach — also known as a plus-plus symbiosis, or the greatest good for all concerned. That’s not the way of the world, but soon we’ll have no other choice.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — This month’s astrology illustrates an idea that’s dear to my heart: that self-esteem and one’s financial situation are closely related. I know that money supply is often blamed on the economy, and one’s place in life seems to be about how many credentials or connections one has. I think it’s much more obviously an emotional connection to feeling good about who you are, good enough to assert yourself to others and to excel at your work. This is one of the most basic measures of self-esteem — whether you feel you have a role in society. It also works the other way: the more you cultivate your talent and assert yourself as a gifted person, the more likely you are to develop those qualities. There are always ups and downs along the way, and dealing with them in a mature way is a significant part of personal growth. One aspect of this is being passionate about your talents, which means enough to take a risk on them. Then there’s one more bit. You may need to give up something in order to move forward doing what you’re best at. That might be your time, it might be some other interest, it might be a financial involvement or it might be an attachment to not succeeding. This is not really a sacrifice — in time, you’ll figure out that it was an exchange.

Hello Gemini! Your birthday reading will be ready Monday and is still available at the pre-order price of $24.95. Your reading now includes a live one-hour question and reply session with me, which is a chance to ask about your astrology. It also includes a tarot reading and access to last year’s reading as well, so you can check back and evaluate my work. On Monday the price goes up to $39.95. — efc

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Use a series of rare aspects this month to work out conflicts in your motives, the ‘mixed signal’ phenomenon and other unresolved material that will come to your awareness. You will be able to get underneath the surface of subject matter you’ve long puzzled over, and psychic material you’ve had a vague sense of but could never put your finger on. This will key directly into healing modalities that become available, plus mentors or practitioners you encounter, who actually understand something about the nature of what you’re experiencing, and can actually help. Perhaps the most significant thing you should know about your astrology, and that is not visible on the level of the ordinary planets, is what a profound time of healing and learning this is for you. On some level you suspect this intuitively, though I want to confirm it for you as an astrologer. And I want to let you know how big this really is. I’m not just talking about healing; I am talking about you tuning up your entire system to be able to receive rare and highly specific teachings, information and what you might think of as galactic data. I know this is a bit more New Agey than I usually get, though that is what the charts say. And the next four to six weeks will be a time of focusing your learning patterns and opening up to possibilities you never imagined.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You play a unique role in the culture, and this month your charts are describing that as a publicist for something weird, intriguing or that goes against the normal grain of society. It could be your project, it could involve someone close to you and it might also be that you’re going to be taken on a tour of all that dances to the tune of its own drummer. You’re likely to make some big scores or turn up a few gems in your process of exploring and experimenting with some aspect of culture. But you may not know what they are, so the idea is to be very observant and to treat everything as a potential gem. Doing this involves being more than a consumer or passive participant in the world around you. Think of yourself more as a cosmic talent scout, someone surveying new artistic or business territory, or going to unusual places and finding the most creative people. In these weeks you have the potential to cultivate or discover ways to increase your income, but there are two caveats. One is that you must be following your true calling. The second is that you need to be flexible enough to adjust and adapt to a continually changing environment. As it turns out, this aspect of life is one of your most adaptable, and where you have the most natural curiosity.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Examine carefully your values as they relate to the spiritual and financial aspects of your life. They’re not really separate; indeed, they are inseparable except for an idea, and that is the idea I’m suggesting you look at. This is not an easy idea to translate out of the charts, but here’s my best throw. It’s not necessary to give up success to have some form of spiritual growth, or not in the way that you think. Western religion is all over the map on this one — some say that wealth is a reward from God, some say that one must give it all up to get any respect from God. But what does God have to do with it? Who is this mysterious authority figure making bold, sweeping and seemingly contradictory statements about what must be so? And why do they apply to you? I suggest you examine carefully the concept of sacrifice — that which you must give up in order to make something sacred, or to win the favor of God. Your charts in my reading reveal a passionate drive for something that includes devotion, creative passion, a visionary quality and the potential for monetary success. There are, as you well know, two ways to read nearly anything; of the two this is the creative, life-affirming one, the one where you come out the winner, in harmony with existence.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Yours is known to be one of the most laid-back signs, but you know this is an act. In fact you are one of the most driven and determined individuals you know, once you make up your mind what you want — and as long as you don’t simmer in resentment and regret, uncertain whether you deserve something. Now, you always have the option to hook into that, but it’s old, and it’s the very thing you’re trying to let go of — so I suggest you cut your losses, give back what is not yours, and move on with a clear conscience. If you have to make amends to anyone, do so sincerely and move on. If you need to apologize to anyone, do so and get on with your life. And one other thing: if you have to forgive anyone, including yourself, then integrate that into everything else you’re doing as part of the move-on process. Forgiveness is not stuffing something, or forgetting something, or demanding that someone take the blame. It’s the opposite of all these things, and though nobody can really explain the process, it does exist and it seems to be easier if you ask for help in whatever spiritual language you speak. The most important thing nearly everyone agrees on about forgiveness is that in truth, it’s not about anyone but yourself.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — In most of my recent Scorpio commentaries, I’ve explored the concept of fear, and the way your charts are describing how you’re working it out. The sum total of this topic is that the most poignant, threatening subject of fear is oneself. This manifests many ways, including as fear associated with dropping the charade and being oneself. It’s always fear that keeps the game of being ‘someone else’ going. It manifests as fear of one’s potential. Or it can express itself as the quality of needing to hide behind a barricade, concerned what will happen if you come out. And one of the most common, and for you debilitating, ways it can manifest is fear of your sexuality. All of the pseudo-conservatism we are seeing in our current era of history, and false modesty and intentional ignorance of biology, are all expressions of fear of sex and sexuality. This is especially distressing and debilitating for you because your sign is all about sex: the sign that in ancient astrology rules the sex organs, and in modern astrology one’s hormones, desire and the nuances of attraction. Because life emerges from sex, the fear of sex, in any form, is fear of life. You who want to be alive need to align with your desire and your erotic power, as if it were the cosmic gift that it actually is.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Much that you could not talk about, or find anyone willing to discuss, is about to become a household topic. It will be up to you to make them a household topic, though you know it’s time for you and the people around you to speak in an open way about what is obvious. You can initiate the discussion gently, and you may be surprised to see that people respond. Seen one way, they are reflecting you and responding to your commitment to truth. Seen another way, they are tapping the underside of their own nature, and that particular aspect has more in common with who you are than it does with who they usually are, or think they are. Therefore, I would encourage you to have all the unusual, irreverent or taboo discussions that you’ve ever wanted to have. Get good at it. Find out how easy it is to lure people into revealing the truth of who they are, and use that information wisely. In one sense you will be looking into a mirror — but a mirror so clear, it will be entirely convincing that what you see is not a reflection. You don’t need to believe it’s a reflection — you can merely ask yourself how you would respond if what you were seeing reveal itself in others was, hypothetically, some aspect of yourself.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — This is your take-charge moment, though for the next few weeks as Mercury treks backwards through Gemini, I suggest you keep this fact concealed. Rather, work with people on their familiar level of the game, of the company or of society. Learn everything you can, about them and about what they do. There is a style of leadership (such as onboard a ship) where the captain must have mastered every single station, task and routine that any of his or her sailors must do. This is the approach that I suggest you take. As you do so, establish relationships with everyone you know who is doing those tasks and make sure they know you appreciate them. Once Mercury stations direct, you will then step into a coordinating role. Again, this will not be the ordinary kind of top-down leadership that our society seems to worship, leading to the $25 million CEO who cannot actually do anything. As time goes on, and you demonstrate your competence and skill by passing through a series of initiations or tests, you will earn the respect of those around you. Along the way, I suggest you think of everyone as your potential benefactor and supporter rather than as a competitor. This will be a refreshing change, and who knows, maybe other people around you will start to pick up on the idea.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You seem to be having doubts about your power or your influence, and at the same time you seem to be tamping yourself down intentionally. This may be the best approach for the next few weeks as you work out some ethical issues that seem to be bothering you. This may be stuff that has been hanging around for a while, but which you’ve just been able to focus into a coherent thought. The question relates to one or both of your parents, which is why you can go for so long working something out that you don’t even know exists; it showed up before you were born, and you thought it belonged there. This would be a good moment to question everything you’ve taken for granted, any words of self-defeating ‘wisdom’ that any parent, teacher, caregiver or other authority figure ever delivered to you. One way to find such material if it’s buried is to consider any self-defeating thoughts you have and ask yourself where you learned them. They came from somewhere, but they will have little influence without your support and willingness to play along. It will then be up to you to teach yourself what is right, and to follow that teaching and see how it works. It will help if you gather others around you who affirm what you both know is true. There’s strength in numbers, especially for an Aquarius.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — This is a rare and beautiful moment in your life — especially if you remember that the best thing you can do for yourself is to believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities and your goals. Know that you have the talent and the strength to accomplish what you set out to do. Trust that you have more than just enough; you have more than enough to make whatever happen. All you need is faith, and that is indeed a sign of strength. If you can’t muster that, then even the most basic modicum of trust in yourself will suffice. Tune into this on an emotional level, not just a mental one. Connect with the feeling of competence. If there are two sides to the argument, listen to both and choose carefully which one you believe. Most of all, allow yourself to feel desire and hunger for accomplishment. What you cannot do yourself you are capable of finding others who are loyal to you to do; be bold and ask for what you need. People will respond to your confidence, and this will create a cycle that feeds on itself. Your astrology portrays a time in your life when you possess unusual gifts, yet ones that are distinctly human. That is all you need to be, though I would add that most descriptions of what human means fall woefully short of what is possible — though the difference is almost always crossed by that distinctly human quality of faith in oneself.

A Glass-Bottomed Boat Reveals Undersea Wonders

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Dear Friend and Client:

In her 1951 cult classic Esoteric Astrology, Alice A. Bailey describes Gemini as one of the most important signs of the zodiac. If you took a survey, most people would probably not say this. It’s not Aquarius, of Age of Aquarius fame. It’s not Aries, of Aries Point fame. It’s not the ever-infamous Scorpio, and it’s not Capricorn, the Moon sign that Augustus Caesar proudly revealed about himself to assert how powerful he was, had stamped into coins, then tried to hide.

Not The Star, not The Sun, not The Lovers, not The Brothers, rather, two versions of The World card from the tarot decks of Jean-Pierre Payen (left) and Jean Dodal (right). Dodal’s card dates from sometime between 1701 and 1715; Payen’s from 1713. What is interesting is that the symbol of the twins appears many times in the history of the Tarot, visiting several different cards over the centuries. The tarot is a living document that changes over time as it is reinterpreted.

I think that AAB knew what she was talking about, and that it’s more relevant now than ever.

The astrological year begins at equinox, when the Sun enters Aries, represented by a ram. Aries is a high-initiative fire sign, which is a good way to get things started. Aries, ruled by Mars, describes the competitive nature of humanity, seemingly a necessity of survival.

The story continues when the Sun enters Taurus, represented by a cow or bull, which implies resources. Not so long ago, if you had a cow, you had an assured supply of food: you had milk and you could plow the fields. Taurus, ruled by Venus, also emphasizes the human obsession with beauty.

Then comes Gemini. It’s taken 60 days traveling through the zodiac before anything human shows up. And when it does, there’s not one person but two of them. They are not adults; they are kids. This is symbolism so rich I can barely write another word, but I will try.

The mythology of a civilization from which we’re descended says that the twins represent Castor and Pollux — the mortal son of Leda and the immortal son, respectively. Both were the brothers of Helen of Troy. Castor was the son of the king of Sparta, and Pollux the divine son of Zeus (who seduced Leda in the famous scenario where he manifested as a swan). These represent the (perhaps constructed, perhaps organic) notion that in each person, there is an ego with a transient life and there is a soul with an eternal life — or that all humans have a part of them that is immortal or divine.

Gemini, ruled by Mercury in traditional astrology, is the first sign associated with thought. I would propose that the first human image or concept in the zodiac is presented in a pair because it represents self-awareness. It is the human consciousness aware of itself as the other. If you talk to yourself, who is doing the talking and who is doing the listening? When you have the feeling of observing yourself, who exactly is doing that observing, if it’s you? There is a quality of reflexivity to the human mind, and that is Gemini.

Castor and Pollux, also called the Dioscuri or twin gods. In Greek mythology they were brothers of Helen of Troy, the ‘face that launched a thousand ships.’ They brought forth favorable winds for those who made sacrifice to them. In astrology, Gemini is an air sign.

It can manifest as self-consciousness, self-awareness, self-criticism and any number of other facets of relationship to oneself, including in modern terms the self and its shadow partner. Twin consciousness can also be a symbol of sentience.

But usually this quality is projected outward (for example, seeking validation of our existence from others). That outward projection is known as dualism — something that contains two essential parts, in this case ‘self’ and ‘other’.

We live with a lot of dualism in our dimension of existence. Just about everything we see bifurcates, or splits in two. The most significant splits are probably the divide between all that is human vs. all that is not human, and within humanity, male and female.

Yet these twins of Gemini are brothers. They’re both male. On one level, this is a reference to Castor and Pollux, who appear in the early versions of Trump VI of the tarot, which used to be called The Brothers.

According to Aleister Crowley, later occultists revised that card to The Lovers, depicting male and female humans, the pair-bonded couple and the most overt symbol of dualism. In most versions of The Lovers, there is a third and fourth party involved, usually cupid or an archangel, and a minister who is marrying them.
There are a number of ways to read this, including the idea that relationships don’t exist in a vacuum. As ‘sacred’ as many people want to make the ‘space’ of a relationship, it’s often a mob scene. Each lover or twin has a double; notably, one is ‘divine’ (the angel) and one is ‘mundane’ (the minister), echoing the theme of the mortal and immortal twins.

There is the usually denied potential for dyadic relationships to form a threesome (with Cupid, the angel or the minister — or someone having another lover; or with the birth of a child). There is the presence of ‘the relationship’ as a fictional third entity; the notion of the relationship being blessed (or cursed) by some non-physical entity; the idea that the church and God must somehow get involved in human intimacy (which looks like either advertising or more likely, a sly commentary); and a variety of other possibilities. Notably, those are from tarot representations, which are thousands of years newer than the much simpler zodiac representation of Gemini.

The essence of Gemini is dualism, and this property has a way of finding its way around. If the mind is dualistic, everything will seem that way. One thing that AAB notes is that many signs of the zodiac depict dualism. There are the two horns of the ram in Aries, the horns of the bull in Taurus (which doubles as the crescent Moon, the Moon being exalted in Taurus), there are the twins of Gemini, and the apparent yin-yang of Cancer. There are the scales of Libra, the double wavy lines of Aquarius and the two fish of Pisces.

The Lovers, from the Camoin-Jodorowsky tarot. This is a 1997 rendering of the 1761 Nicolas Conver deck, also called the Tarot de Marseilles. Though The Lovers corresponds to the sign Gemini, the twins, there are often four entities depicted in the card.

What she is suggesting is that at our time in history, the concept of Gemini is underlying all of these seemingly different forms or expressions of dualism.

If you study Esoteric Astrology, you quickly discover that a core idea of the philosophy is that all of astrology is about the resolution of seeming opposites. I am reluctant to call anything associated with astrology new, but I have not come across this idea in any version of ancient astrology that I’ve seen.

In classical astrology, the signs are generally considered independent working parts of the wheel, and the system is taken as a whole [note the existence of the Thema Mundi].

The signs are grouped in batches of three and four — triplicity being element (three each of fire, earth, air and water signs) or quadruplicity being type of sign (four each of cardinal, fixed or mutable signs). There are divisions like male and female signs. There are things that describe night and day emphasis (Saturn is associated with Capricorn at night, and Aquarius during the day).

But as far as I know (and I am open to being corrected on this), the first book where the idea that opposite signs contain one another appears is Esoteric Astrology. Said another way, opposite signs are not really opposite. They are part of the same idea or energy system; they contain one another. For this reason Patric Walker could quip, “Scratch a Pisces and you find a Virgo under their skin.”

The seemingly twin souls, or two people, or two aspects of humanity of Gemini seek resolution in Sagittarius, which is the sign of alchemical bonding. But in this, the cosmos has given us a little joke, or a clue. Sagittarius is the sign of the centaur, which is the morph of half-man, half-horse. Here we have an indication that the relationship of those twins is the animal aspect and the human aspect of who and what a person is.

Whatever the inner split may be, it’s a crucial part of the story of humanity, and we see it illustrated in Gemini. I have found that on a number of levels, the question to ask when strong Gemini is present is, do the twins get along? What is their relationship? Are they aware of one another? Does each of those hemispheres of consciousness know that the other one exists?

The Lovers from the Thoth Tarot, by Lady Frieda Harris and Aleister Crowley, drawn between 1938 and 1943, and finally published in 1969. The card is directly associated with Gemini and depicts a same-sex couple getting married or blessed; nearly every symbol appears with a counterpart. Including two women was both prescient and a throwback to The Brothers (the same sex parties of the older card).

In anyone with a strong Gemini element to their chart, be aware that they are likely to present one side to the world at a time, then the other. This depends, in part, on how integrated the personality of this person is. In situations where the personality is not that integrated, there may be a degree of unawareness of what one twin or the other has in some way presented to the world, say, for example, the night before.

So we have another image from Gemini — that of personality integration (or lack thereof). It’s been observed before that the human mind seems to have many people residing within it. There are many levels and facets of the psyche that are constantly seeking expression and are also in the process of integrating into one another.

Incidentally, that process is expanded upon and illustrated in Virgo, the other Mercury-ruled sign, and another sign on the mutable cross. [For those curious about the the Thema Mundi, note that when using this chart, the signs and houses shift by 90 degrees, creating an overlay between Gemini and Virgo. They are very closely related, and can function as aspects of one another.]

The Glossary of Idiosyncrasies

One of my favorite concepts out of Gemini is the idioglossia. This is the phenomenon of the secret language of twins. Not all twins do this, but many do — they develop an entire miniature language that only they understand.

If you’re trying to suss out the word idioglossia, think of it as an idiosyncratic glossary. I have read that they usually outgrow this at a certain point, like many things in childhood, but from the standpoint of symbolism and the occult, it’s magnificently rich.

It has to be pretty inspiriting to any linguists who are paying attention. For one thing, this points to the innate human capacity for language, a factor that is part of the story of Gemini, perhaps the chattiest of signs, and one of the funniest and most clever. The 3rd house, which in some astrology systems corresponds to Gemini, is the house of brethren, and as such, local matters, gossip, rumors and basic communications.

With the idioglossia, we have an image of the secret language of any two people — be they twins, sisters, brothers, lovers, co-conspirators, co-authors, co-inventors or any two people who are intimate.
This opens up space for a whole range of intimately shared observations, inside jokes and many, many adventures and facts of life known only to close siblings or twins — or people who emulate them. I love the line from the U2 song The Fly — “They say a secret is something you tell one other person.” But since Gemini is the sign of gossip, that telling one other person can spread pretty fast.

The Mercury Retrograde Phenomenon

Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury, a planet that does something that no other planet does — goes retrograde three times a year. That means Mercury switches directions six times a year (three times retrograde, three times direct).

Chateau de Avenieres Tarot mosaic at Cruseilles in France.

This is the essence of the Gemini quality of mutability, or changeability. Not only does Mercury change directions, it often changes signs when it goes retrograde and direct.

In this sense, Gemini can be a chameleon, constantly absorbing the energy of different signs, accentuated by the fact that it stops and changes direction many different places along the zodiac. Indeed, sometimes six signs per year are involved, as they are this year.

Having Mercury as the ruling planet makes being or hanging out with a Gemini an adventure. It’s impossible to be bored. Intrigued, entertained, puzzled or frustrated — but never bored. There is always some change on the horizon.

And that change can happen quickly. One of the interesting things about Mercury, as opposed to any other planet, is how quickly it comes back up to a fast daily motion once it’s stationed retrograde or direct. It stops and changes directions often, but it never takes long.

As regards mutability, one of the older definitions of that property is that a mutable sign can act like a cardinal sign (for example, Cancer) or a fixed sign (such as Taurus). So this is another way that Gemini and its associated planet can embody many different feeling tones in the zodiac.

In the upcoming Mercury retrograde (from June 7 through July 1), the process starts in Cancer, then retreats back into Gemini. When Mercury goes direct, it will then re-enter Cancer.

All three Mercury retrograde cycles this year bridge a water sign and an air sign in a similar way, indicating an integration process between emotions and thoughts, or between feelings and ideas.

That Glass-Bottomed Boat

There is a set of symbols, described in various books, that assign an image to each degree of the zodiac. The symbols were channeled in the 1920s by Elsie Wheeler and the Rev. Dr. Marc Edmund Jones, one of the founders of modern astrology. The original is charming, though my favorite version of the symbols is the revision published in 1973, written by Dane Rudhyar, called An Astrological Mandala.

The Lovers from the 1986 Voyager Tarot by Dr. James Wanless. This is the deck that I use in my tarot readings associated with the birthday reports. Gemini — this means you!

The symbols were channeled randomly. In other words, Wheeler, the clairvoyant, had no idea what sign or degree she was channeling for. Jones wrote the degree and sign of each of the 360 degrees onto an index card, shuffled them, and then without revealing the card, Wheeler would come up with an image.

The result is one of the most fun and intriguing developments of modern astrology, and the first borrowing from contemporary symbols.

I pay attention to the first and last degrees of any sign. The first degree of Gemini is “A glass-bottomed boat reveals undersea wonders.” Rudhyar explains the symbol in the context of psychology, saying it’s about “the revelation of unconscious energies submerged in psychic structures.”

He describes how the conscious mind, so often opaque, has become translucent, or really, transparent; one can see what is going on below the surface, even if one cannot yet make direct contact with it. Yet he suggests that a “new dimension of reality is perceived by the earnest inquirer.”

The last symbol of Gemini is “A parade of bathing beauties before large beach crowds.” It’s as if the symbol of inward gazing has gone the whole distance and been projected outward. The inner quest is being projected as an external drama. The bathing beauties have an intuitive connection to Gemini through the sister of Castor and Pollux, Helen of Troy, and that infamous beauty pageant that started the Trojan War.

Rudhyar comments that this is about the setting of social standards through personal excellence and competition. While in many ways the human story is an inward one, mostly it seems to be about exploring the world, and that is a fact that we need to address. The inward split in humanity is resulting in a state of nearly constant strife. The split in the mind, unrecognized for what it is, results in projected differences that go so far as to lead to war.

In a somewhat ominous comment on this last degree of the zodiac before the [Northern Hemisphere] summer solstice, Rudhyar says, “The show is over. Now comes the hour of decision.”

Lovingly,

Additional research: Amanda Painter. Tarot cards researched by Hillary Ghee and Elizabeth Michaud.

Note from Planet Waves FM to Musicians and Recording Artists

Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday and Friday morning in Kingston, New York by Planet Waves, Inc. Annual basic subscription rate: $99/year. Core community membership: $149/year. Editor and Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Business Manager: Chelsea Bottinelli. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Copy Editor: Jessica Keet. Research, Writing and Editing: Planet Waves is produced by a team consisting of Hillary Ghee, Elizabeth Michaud, Amanda Painter, Amy Silver, Carol van Strum, Len Wallick and Chad Woodward. Special thanks to the Fact Checkers List, which goes over each edition on Thursday night — and to our main astrology fact-checker Alex Miller, and Amanda, who goes over all their suggestions.

Introduction to Reading a Natal Chart with Eric Francis

Using our newly discovered (and amazing) audio conferencing technology, I will be hosting a class introducing how to read a natal chart. In this two-hour, limited-enrollment class, I will take you through the basics of how to actually read your chart, or anyone’s chart. The class will be from 10 am to noon EDT on Saturday, May 31, 2014.

Photo by Danielle Voirin from Small World Stories.

The cost is $100 for the two-hour live program, including access to the archived recording. (Note, this is an introductory price for Planet Waves members; future classes may cost more.) You may call in via telephone or Skype, or listen and interact via live stream on the Web. Voice contact is preferable.

Once you have the basics as I will present them, it’s relatively easy to get useful information from a natal chart. I will cover a few of the core ancient rules you need to know, provide you with two essential tools, then move on to modern interpretation techniques using two example charts.

Students should, at least, be versed in the most basic level of astrology — for example, knowing the astrological glyphs and most elementary meanings of the major planets. In other words, this class is good for beginners but you will also benefit if you’re an intermediate or even advanced astrologer.

I have been teaching astrology internationally since 1998, including at major conferences and at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. I am excellent at conveying useful, memorable information that you can put to use immediately, without reading any additional books. In fact you will wonder why books make it seem so complicated.

Space is limited — please sign up here if you’re interested. I look forward to working with you.

Sun square Neptune: Dream Big, Check Your Work

Through the weekend and into the Gemini New Moon on Wednesday, May 28, the Sun is applying in a square to Neptune. Any Neptune aspects call for clarity, even the most impeccable trine. Yet when the Sun is applying in a square to Neptune, that’s an invitation to be honest with yourself — especially when the signs involved are Gemini and Pisces.

A long way from The Brothers — renderings of The Lovers from two editions of The Alchemical Tarot by Robert M. Place, a first edition of which is reputed to have sold for $2,000.

That’s because these are the two most dualistic signs of the zodiac, having two distinctly different sides. Toss Neptune into the mix and we can have a hot mess of denial. Of course, denial is useful. Nobody could eat a hamburger or chicken wings without it.

But denial of oneself, one’s true thoughts and of one’s understanding of ethics — that can be a problem, the more so if alcohol or substances are clouding one’s perception; fogging the mirror, as it were.

Yet the Sun leaning into Neptune, about to be met by the Moon in a perfect 90-degree right angle Moon-Sun aspect to Neptune on May 28, is saying dream big.

Give yourself a push, and visualize what you want to do; literally see a vision for yourself. This isn’t easy with all the advertisements in the way, and the priorities of others that you might be trying to live up to.

The Gemini factor here is about mental clarity. The Pisces factor is abundant creativity. The mutable factor of both signs says that the combinations are exponential. Take nothing for granted. Check every fact. Focus your awareness and make sure you really consult yourself. Keep cleaning the glass.

Translate your ideas into words, again and again, until you get them tuned to the point that you actually understand what you’re saying to yourself, or to others. It’s possible to have clarity under a Neptune square, though it takes the conscious choice to focus your mind.

While this is happening, Jupiter will make an exact trine to Saturn on Saturday, May 24. This is the last of the Jupiter-Saturn water trines, and the last stage of the grand water trine that protected us during the cardinal grand cross between January and April. The three main elements of the grand water trine — Jupiter, Saturn and Chiron — are within one degree, focusing the visioning power of Pisces with the passion of the other water signs.

The Sun is currently applying in a conjunction (the most powerful aspect) to a centaur called Asbolus — and that is one image of focus, in particular of intuition, in a way much more specific than Neptune. This is rare and exciting astrology, as long as you keep your ears on and your mind’s eye in focus.

A selfie — one of those ubiquitous photos people take of themselves with their phones and then post to social media — re-taken and re-contextualized by Lindsay Bottos, with anonymous criticism. Part of the series “Anonymous.” Photo by Lindsay Bottos.

Looking into that Gemini Mirror and Reshaping the Dialogue

The sign Gemini is famous for its use of words, as well as the idea of mirroring that its symbol, the twins, suggests. Lindsay Bottos, a photography major with a minor in gender studies who graduated this month from the Maryland Institute College of Art, has used one modern-day digital version of the mirror — the selfie — to create art with a message.

Detail from “Girl Work” By Lindsay Bottos.

After receiving hundreds of cruel, anonymous messages about her art and her selfies on her Tumblr account, she decided this winter to re-take several of the photos and paste one of the hateful comments over each one as part of a work-in-progress titled “Anonymous.”

Bottos says on her Tumblr site, “Some new stuff I’m working on, I get tons of anonymous messages like this every day and while this isn’t unique to women, the content of the messages and the frequency in which I get them are definitely related to my gender. I almost exclusively get them after I post selfies. The authority people feel they have to share their opinion on my appearance is something myself and many other girls online deal with daily.”

Responding to the suggestion that selfies are just a narcissistic cry for attention, she adds, “The act of women taking selfies is inherently feminist, especially in a society that tries so hard to tell women that our bodies are projects to be worked on and a society that profits off of the insecurities that it perpetuates. Selfies are like a ‘fuck you’ to all of that, they declare that ‘hey I look awesome today and I want to share that with everyone’ and that’s pretty revolutionary.”

Whether selfies are inherently feminist or revolutionary is debatable; what isapparently revolutionary is to look honestly into one’s own mirror, rather than projecting one’s insecurities through anonymous online bullying.

Mars Direct, Sun Enters Gemini, an Interview with Relationship Coach Blair Glaser and Hip-Hop Artist Upgrade

In this week’s edition of Planet Waves FM, I go over Mars stationing direct, the Sun ingressing Gemini and making a conjunction to Asbolus, and a square to Nessus — a very unusual entry of the Sun into Gemini (explained in greater detail in the Gemini reading preview above).

Relationship and organizational coach Blair Glaser.

I cover the Sun’s passage through these minor planets, leading up to the Gemini New Moon square Neptune on May 28.

Then I have an excellent in-studio guest — relationship and organizational coach Blair Glaser. We talk about the theme of leadership and relationships, that is, how it’s necessary to cultivate and apply leadership skills in your intimate partnerships.

One of the themes we cover is how relationships must be given a purpose, whether it’s growth, pleasure, creativity, professional expression — something that provides them with a focus so that neurotic tendencies have less space to slip in.

My musical guest is Upgrade, whose new CD, called Chemical Imbalance, came out this past Friday.

I think that some of the most socially conscious music is happening in hip-hop, and Upgrade excels at this, telling the story of his struggle with mental illness and how music saved his life.

I am honored to have his work on Planet Waves FM, and he’s agreed to be a guest on the program in the near future. Please visit his website, order his amazing CD and give him a shout-out from Planet Waves.

Your Monthly Horoscopes — and our Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscopes for June are published below in this issue. We published your extended monthly horoscope for May on Friday, April 25. Your Moonshine horoscopes for the Taurus New Moon published Tuesday, April 22. Moonshine horoscopes for the Scorpio Full Moon published Tuesday, May 13. We also published an Inner Space horoscope for April Tuesday, April 1. Please note, we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign.

Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for June 2014, #999 | By Eric Francis

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The Most Interesting Month Since the Ocean

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Dear Friend and Reader:

June will be a big month for the water signs. That’s good news for everyone, unless your only friend is a cactus (and they love water too, just not too much of it). Water is the most delicate element, essential to supporting life on our planet. It’s as basic as oxygen, and it’s drying out, being polluted and fracked out of existence. Yet when the astrology gets wet, I think that everyone is happier — and that’s what happens soon.

This April 2006 photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a second red, oval storm to the left of the original Red Spot. Dubbed “Red Spot Jr.,” it is about the same diameter as Earth and was formed when smaller, whitish oval-shaped storms merged and changed color. At the time, scientists speculated that Red Spot Jr. is evidence for climate change on Jupiter. Photo: NASA.

Among the main events of the next few weeks is Jupiter moving from Gemini to Cancer, completing a grand water trine with Saturn in Scorpio and both Chiron and Neptune in Pisces. The Sun and other planets will be passing through Cancer as well, filling up our spiritual reservoirs.

Let’s start in the current moment and take the story more or less in order (note, all dates are based on EDT).

Eclipses of spring end with the Sagittarius lunar eclipse that happens Saturday, May 25 at 12:25 am EDT. This will be the last of the eclipses along the Gemini/Sagittarius angle — the unusual third eclipse in the current cycle is a holdover from the prior (Gem/Sag) cycle. Through 2014 the Taurus/Scorpio axis will host eclipses (along with the Aries/Libra axis); the next Taurus/Scorpio eclipse heats up in November.

June 2013 emphasizes the water theme of this year — a theme of making contact with one’s feeling body without being overwhelmed by it. That’s always the thing about emotions; with the other thing being the extent to which they are being corrupted by advertising imagery, clearly among the top spiritual issues of our time in history. When astrology emphasizes the water signs, you will feel more, and more deeply, and then at the same time be subject to manipulation.

The realm of feeling, of emotion, of body sensation, is different from the realm of intellect, concept and mental control. Indeed what happens on the level of water can subvert or perhaps submerge what we experience in the mental environment. It doesn’t need to — emotions and ideas can coexist, and if the forthcoming astrology is any indication, we need to figure out how to do that.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Mercury enters Cancer on May 31, where it will perform its retrograde maneuver between June 26 and July 20. It’ll remain in Cancer through its second shadow phase and then finally enter Leo on Aug. 8.

That’s a long time for Mercury to be in any one sign, especially a water sign; yet it’s also the second of three times that Mercury will spend more than two months in a water sign this year (the first was in Pisces earlier in 2013 and the third will be when it’s in Scorpio later in the year).

On June 2, Venus enters Cancer — still in a loose conjunction with Mercury. That conjunction will come back into focus later in the month.

June 8 is the Gemini New Moon, exact at 11:56 am. That’s synchronous with a sparky aspect, Mercury square Uranus, happening just a few hours later.

June 19 is also a special day — the Sun is conjunct Jupiter in Gemini. That won’t happen again till 2036. Yes, it should happen again in 12 years, but the Sun-Jupiter conjunction skips Gemini the next time Jupiter is in that sign. This is also our farewell to Jupiter in Gemini for this cycle.

On June 21, the Sun enters Cancer, which is the solstice. This is an Aries Point event; the Sun is square the first degree of the zodiac (i.e., the Aries Point), which means that we’ll all be standing at the intersection of the personal and the collective. That’s what this degree does, and it’s very sensitive. So sensitive in fact that the ingresses of Mercury and Venus earlier in the month may have a similar effect.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Because this is happening in the style of a water sign, experiences and events will have a deeper emotional influence than usual, and in addition to describing the emotional realm, water sign energy also reaches into what we think of as psychic — that is, behind-the-scenes communication.
It’s also good for empathy and understanding what others are going through by feeling it rather than needing to have it explained.

On June 25, Jupiter enters Cancer. This is yet another Aries Point event, as Jupiter will be square the first degree of the zodiac. This happens with the Cancer Sun trine Neptune in Pisces, and Mercury very close to stationing retrograde in Cancer.

Jupiter will remain in Cancer until it ingresses Leo on July 16, 2014. Plenty of water passes under the bridge between now and then, and fortunately we will have happy, old Jupiter to keep us company the whole time.

On June 26, Mercury stations retrograde, which will last through July 20, and as mentioned, Mercury ingresses Leo on Aug. 8.

This is a lot of water for one year, and a whole lot of water for one month.

Lovingly,

Editor’s Note: News briefs below are researched and written by a team consisting of me, Liam Carey, Amanda Painter, Susan Scheck and Carol van Strum. — efc

What Do You Believe In? Or Do You?

Saturday there’s an eclipse of the Moon in Sagittarius, the sign of faith. This is the Sagittarius Full Moon, and the sensation of the event building is a little like an approaching thunderstorm. The air is heavy with some odd psychic vibe, which it might be with a Full Moon but which is especially palpable when there’s an eclipse.

This photo of a partial lunar eclipse is striking, but it is not the type of eclipse we’re getting Friday night into Saturday; that will be a barely perceptible penumbral eclipse. Photo by Anthony Ayiomamitis.

The Sagittarius part of the story describes a question, in particular a question about a belief. If you’re the deep type, it can take you to the level of what you have faith in.

This is the last of three eclipses of our current season — and the last of the eclipses across the Gemini-Sagittarius axis that date back about two years. We’ve just had two eclipses along Taurus-Scorpio, which is the new axis; this is the encore of Gemini-Sagittarius.

As such it may relate to an old question that’s coming up again. To me that question is: what do you believe in? The answer to this question has more influence than you might think. In many ways our beliefs are the filter through which we perceive very nearly everything.

The problem with beliefs is that they are often driven by security needs rather than by what we perceive as real, or as necessary. If you eat meat, you have to believe that eating meat is OK. If your husband is a staunch conservative, you may need to believe in conservative values in order to meet an emotional or environmental need.

My take on this eclipse is that it (that is, the circumstances it describes) may prompt you to question something you thought was true, or that you thought mattered to you. You may find yourself unable to believe in what you know is not true for you. If you follow that in (as they say in some kinds of therapy) you may find yourself with an actual question on your hands — a question of faith.

Chart section showing the conjunction of Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in Gemini during the eclipse. Also shown (l-r): south lunar node, Mars and Pallas Athene in Taurus; Sun in Gemini; and far right, Black Moon Lilith. View the full chart here.

There’s a new idea on the horizon — in fact many of them, depicted by the triple conjunction of Venus, Mercury and Jupiter at the time of this eclipse. This conjunction gives some relief from the persistent questioning that’s been leading up to the Full Moon eclipse.

Yes it’s in Gemini, although clarity (Mercury), substance (Venus) and wisdom (Jupiter) are all available there in varying combinations.

One subject described by the chart involves what we do with persistent fear. That’s a fact of the times we’re living in, where What to Be Scared Of is being broadcast on every channel. Anyone who watches TV or follows news on the ‘Net was treated this week to a constant vision of a town shredded by a tornado.

With or without a topic to graft onto, many people are caught in some form of persistent anxiety, fear or panic, and spend a lot of their time dealing with it. Much of this fear stems from various efforts to control — the ones exerted on us, and the ones that we exert on the world, often out of necessity. When that control spins out of control, one approach is to escape, or to try to — and that’s exactly the pattern that Saturday’s eclipse is here to awaken us to.

C’mon People Now: Another Fine Week in the Anti-Sixties

The IRS vs. Tea Party debacle reached a new point of absurdity (three heads have rolled so far, and IRS officials are taking the 5th) the same week we learned that U.S. drones had killed four American citizens and that a FOX News reporter was charged under the Espionage Act for saying something about North Korea — shortly after a tornado took out 1,200 homes, three schools and killed 24 people in Moore, Oklahoma — which was the same week that a British military officer was killed by cleaver-wielding, allegedly pro-Muslim ‘activists’ in London, and Pres. Obama took to the airwaves, saying it was getting on time to consider ending the War on Terror.

Medea Benjamin, founder of Code Pink, speaks to Obama from the press area during his speech Thursday at National Defense University.

Just to refresh your memory about this week’s astrology, Uranus and Pluto on Monday made their third of seven squares. This is the ongoing 2012-era aspect, which lasts through 2015 (and in reality has effects spanning between approximately 2008 and 2018 or so).

This aspect is part of the same cycle of astrology that sparked off what we think of as the Sixties — that was the Uranus-Pluto conjunction. If you ever wondered how The Beatles got from “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” to “I Am The Walrus” in just three short years, that would be Uranus-Pluto.

Nearly 50 years later, those same two planets are now at first quarter phase, which can spark up change, progress and chaos similar to the conjunction. Similar, but different — the conjunction happened in Virgo, the sign of ‘I want to be the best nurse ever, squish my toes in the mud and adopt all the homeless kittens’.

The current square is happening from Aries to Capricorn — more assertive signs that (at least in public life, and sometimes in natal charts) are associated with ambition, aggression and at times, militancy.

Speaking of: Obama spoke Thursday at National Defense University (NDU), which I bet you’ve never heard of. It’s a Defense Department-operated college for conquerers. Its students and faculty must have taken it hard when Obama told them, “America is at a crossroads. We must define the nature and scope of this struggle [the War on Terror], or else it will define us. We have to be mindful of James Madison’s warning that, ‘No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare’.”

Medea Benjamin of Code Pink being ushered out of National Defense University after heckling President Obama.

He said it was time to close Guantanamo and lamented that inmates on hunger strike were being force fed (on his orders, which he didn’t mention). He spoke of our freedom and our liberty and lots of other beautiful things.

This speech is being hailed as historic, and Obama’s message was presumably sweet music to the ears of anyone who is opposed to the state of continual warfare that, depending on how you measure, goes back to 2001 or 1991 or 1964 or 1941 or 1492. But just as the nation was being lulled to sleep by the president’s honey-tongue promise to consider the possibility of potentially ending the permanent state of war, the voice of Code Pink founder Medea Benjamin intruded on the dream.

“Excuse me, will you speak out about the innocents killed by the United States? What about the hundreds of innocent people we are killing with our drone strikes in Pakistan and in Yemen and Somalia? I speak out on behalf of those innocent victims,” she asked.

Benjamin got into the room on the press list, and at least on three separate occasions interrupted the president.

Here’s a partial transcript, though for the full effect it’s really better to watch the video.

MEDEA BENJAMIN: Excuse me, President Obama —

OBAMA: So — let me finish, ma’am. So today, once again —

MEDEA BENJAMIN: There are 102 people on a hunger strike. These are desperate people.

OBAMA: I’m about to address it, ma’am, but you’ve got to let me speak. I’m about to address it.

MEDEA BENJAMIN: You’re our Commander-In-Chief —

OBAMA: Let me address it.

Two things about this chart — first, the 10th house cusp is quite close to the mysterious next-to-last degree of Gemini, which strings together many of the strange events of the past 12 years. That’s the government angle — and the point occupying 28+ Gemini is the Black Moon Lilith, a kind of radical feminine energy that represents Medea Benjamin. Also, note the aspect between Jupiter and Eris. Jupiter is at 22+ Gemini and Eris is at 22+ Aries. That’s the steady, articulate, don’t miss one word, throw your body into the machine presentation that the world saw. But the key energy is Eris — the one-woman protest. Sometimes it works — she definitely got her message across.

MEDEA BENJAMIN: — you can close Guantanamo Bay.

OBAMA: Why don’t you let me address it, ma’am.

MEDEA BENJAMIN: There’s still prisoners —

OBAMA: Why don’t you sit down and I will tell you exactly what I’m going to do.

MEDEA BENJAMIN: That includes 57 Yemenis.

[Obama continued for a while, then she interrupted him again.]

MEDEA BENJAMIN: How about Abdulmutallab — locking up a 16-year-old — is that the way we treat a 16-year old? [Inaudible] — can you take the drones out of the hands of the CIA? Can you stop the signature strikes killing people on the basis of suspicious activities?

OBAMA: We’re addressing that, ma’am.

[By this time she’s being dragged out of the room by security, but she keeps speaking clearly.]

MEDEA BENJAMIN: — Will you apologize to the thousands of Muslims that got killed — will you compensate the innocent families? — that will make us safer here at home. I love my country. I love the rule of law. You are making us less safe. Keeping people in indefinite detention in Guantanamo is making us less safe. Abide by the rule of law. You’re a constitutional lawyer.”

If you’re wondering why I call our era the Anti-Sixties, it’s because Medea Benjamin staged a one-woman protest; otherwise there would have been no protest. Nobody else in the room spoke up. Nobody stood up. Granted, it was at National Defense University, not U.C. Berkeley, but we see a lot of these one-man or one-woman protests, while everyone just watches.

What’s interesting is that I would imagine that everyone knew exactly what she was talking about. I felt like I was hearing my own voice in the room, speaking truth to power.

It’s getting a little late to do the chart, but I would like to include it just so you can see it, and I will cover it soon. It’s a beautiful chart. I would point out one thing — the very top of the chart has the MC (10th house cusp) spearing right through that mysterious zone in the horoscope, very late Gemini, where we see the charts of many, many things that should not really be related but somehow are: Sept. 11, the Dec. 26, 2004 quake and tsunami, Wikileaks, Fukushima and a diversity of other events that I covered in the article Here At the Edge of the World. It’s the degree of the conspirators and the whisetleblowers as well.

Occupy the 8th House!

Sometimes the themes covered by the 8th house in astrology can feel strangely diverse, now that western culture no longer practices giving brides dowries and women are allowed to own property. But a pair of stories this week illustrate just how cozy sex, money and banking really are — and just how hypocritical we are as a culture.

Wouldn’t you give Chanel Preston a loan? Look at that sweet face! PR photo by Glenn Francis.

Over at DodsonandRoss.com, Carlin Ross — business partner of self-sex revolutionary Betty Dodson — shone some light into a new corner of banking industry bullshit. It seems that sometimes people working in the porn industry — which is legal — get turned down for basic banking services like business loans on ‘moral’ grounds.

“Chanel Preston went public when her bank opened an account in her company’s name then closed it the next day when she admitted working in the adult industry. You so know that someone in the bank pulled up her web cam site and they spent all afternoon watching clips before revoking her account,” writes Ross.

Ross also points out that banks are happy to do business with Fortune 100 companies like GE that have holdings in the adult entertainment industry, but choose only to go after the immediate producers. These same people somehow find nothing ‘morally’ wrong with corporations that pollute the environment or train people to kill.

Contrast Chanel Preston’s story with the rally outside the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on Monday to protest the government’s failure to prosecute big banks for screwing millions of homeowners and basically causing a recession five years ago from which many people have yet to recover.

“A group of demonstrators with underwater mortgages helped barricade the Justice Department building’s front doors,” reported Democracy Now! “At least 17 demonstrators were arrested, but some managed to spend the night outside to continue their protest today.”

The 8th house is also the house of secrets, power, contracts and jealousy. How much more of this do we need to go through before we collectively figure out that sex is not a secret; banking should be about ethical exchange, not moral control; denying loans for porn stars is more about jealousy and repressed desire than any kind of high ground; and — most importantly — people have, and need to exercise, their power.

It’s time to Occupy the 8th House — and set it in order.

March, and Be the Change You Wish to See

Tomorrow, a worldwide March Against Monsanto will take place to protest the biotech giant’s stranglehold on the worldwide food supply. More than 200,000 activists will gather in about 50 countries, with 400 global marches planned, according to marchagainstmonsanto.com.

The reasons to march are numerous, compelling, and quite literally life or death. March organizers cite the fact that Monsanto’s genetically modified foods can lead to serious health conditions such as the development of cancer tumors, infertility and birth defects, and that they are extremely harmful to the environment. Neocotinoids — an ingredient in “pesticide cocktails” used on corn and other crops from which bees gather nectar — are widely believed to have caused the decline of the worldwide bee population. (Bees pollinate one-third of the worldwide food supply and are a critical link in the ecological food chain.)

Despite this, Monsanto is a favorite of the U.S. Congress and President Obama. They collectively passed the nicknamed “Monsanto Protection Act” that, among other things, bans courts from halting the sale of Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds. The company also benefits from corporate subsidies that organic and small farmers do not, and enjoys exclusive patenting rights over seeds and genetic makeup — in effect controlling the reproductive processes of nature.

“The rules of change, of activism, of consciousness, and of helping people are being rewritten by you and me, one connection at a time. The new revolution of good is coming from the grass-roots and making its way upward; this bottom-up effect is exactly what those who would like to see us silent are afraid of,” said Nick Bernabe of TheAnti-Media.org, one of the sponsors of the march.

If you want to be on the right side of history — and save the Earth and its creatures — you can find out where your local march is here.

GMO Labeling Bill Clears Connecticut State Senate

A bill that would require food made with genetically modified organisms to carry labels cleared the Connecticut state Senate late Tuesday night, 35-1. Its prospects in the House of Representatives are unclear.

“I’m concerned about our state going out on its own on this and the potential economic disadvantage that could cause,” House Speaker Brendan Sharkey said. “I would like to see us be part of a compact with some other states, which would hopefully include one of the bigger states such as New York.”

If the bill passes the House and is signed into law by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, it would not take effect until at least three other states pass similar legislation. GMO labeling legislation is pending in more than a dozen states.

Although the federal government and food and biotech industries claim GMO foods are safe, there’s ample evidence in studies of long-term health issues to say they aren’t.

“This is a public health issue,” Senate President Donald Williams said during the debate. “The step that we are requesting, the mere labeling of food, is a very modest step … but it is a very important one so consumers can take action to protect their health and the health of their children.”

Not At All the Way Your Mother Used to Make It

One part seaweed, two parts grass, half a portion of algae, and a handful of lupine seeds; set laser to layer, and press ‘print now’. Wait 30 seconds, remove each layer as it’s printed, fold into desired shape, and eat. Is this the way you’ll make pizza in the future? Possibly, if a NASA-backed project by mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor makes it through.

3-D printer food made from mealworms. Photo: TNO Research.

Contractor’s company, System’s & Materials Research Corp, is designing a prototype 3-D printer that will produce edible ‘food’ products using carbohydrates, proteins and sugars.

The project was commissioned by NASA to explore ways to feed astronauts on long journeys through space.

Contractor also sees a utopian potential for this type of production: ending world hunger. He believes that food will become increasingly more expensive and that most of the world will need to change their concept of what food is.

“I think, and many economists think, that current food systems can’t supply 12 billion people sufficiently, so we eventually have to change our perception of what we see as food,” says Contractor.

What are the side effects of eating 3-D food produced by a printer? This is unknown. Since there is no prototype (Contractor is planning to produce this), there is no way to determine the ultimate benefits or detriments to human (or ecological) health.

This news reminded Planet Waves researcher Carol Van Strum of a fictional satire originally published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1961 called, “The Voice of the Dolphins,” by Leo Szilard. In this story a think tank of dolphins comes up with a process in which algae can be grown anywhere and ends world hunger. The only problem with this development is an unintended side effect: it prevents conception in women. A moral debate ensues over the sin of contraception vs. the need to sustain life, with the Pope ultimately weighing in.

Just some food for thought before a project like this sinks its teeth into the collective.

If you like gathering friends for a ‘game night’, have school-age kids or teach, you can purchase your own Co-opoly board game here. The Toolbox for Education and Social Action offers a sliding scale for payment, in an effort to make the game accessible to everyone while still being able to pay their worker-owners. It also lets you determine how much you value the resource.

Winner Takes All? No — It Takes All to Be Winners

Mercury (money) and Venus (possessions and value) are conjunct in Gemini for this weekend’s eclipse, and close by is Jupiter, the planet of expansion. You could say there’s an undercurrent of ‘share the wealth’ in the air.

Enter the game Co-opoly, created by the Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) in Northampton, Massachusetts. TESA is a worker-owned cooperative that builds educational resources for social, economic and environmental change movements.

Co-opoly is a genuinely fun board game (Charades! Drawing!) that doubles as a financial literacy tool and an introduction to how small-scale democracy actually works in a co-op to make sure everyone’s needs are met.

“One of the interesting things about Monopoly is that people often promote it as a good way to teach about financial literacy, even though the way you win is by obliterating all of your opponents and leaving them in economic ruin,” says Brian Van Slyke, a worker-owner at TESA, in an interview on Truthout. “The original version was called The Landlord’s Game, and it was used in the Great Depression as an underground game and organizing tool to teach tenants about how they were being ripped off.”

Slyke adds, “In Co-opoly, players come to understand that their interests and needs will not always align — but that they have to work together to survive.”

Oklahoma Tornado and The Doors’ Ray Manzarek

In this week’s edition of Planet Waves FM I look at the chart for the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma, Monday night, developing some thoughts I introduced in a Planet Waves post I published that day. The chart is at that post.

I also look at the chart of Ray Manzarek of The Doors, who died Monday. Ray was an Aquarius with Sagittarius rising; Jim Morrison was a Sagittarius with Aquarius rising, and that can create a strong bond — they were clearly the nucleus of The Doors. Ray was a few years older than the other guys, and brought some grounded wisdom and maturity into the group.

I mention that Saturday, the day of a lunar eclipse, is the March Against Monsanto. Monsanto’s chart data is not published, though I’ve been working on an investigative feature since December and I am familiar with this chart and how it works. The eclipse falls opposite Monsanto’s Sun and right along its MC/IC axis — the meridian, an extremely sensitive point in the chart. So this is a great day for a protest against these scoundrels.

Your Monthly Horoscopes — and our Publishing Schedule Notes

The June monthly extended horoscopes are published below in this issue. Inner Space horoscopes for May were published Tuesday, April 30. I recommend reviewing the previous month’s horoscope at the end of the month; you can see May’s monthly horoscope here. We published the Moonshine horoscopes for the Taurus New Moon on Tuesday, May 7. On Tuesday May 21, we published the Moonshine horoscopes for the Sagittarius Full Moon. Note that the longer monthly horoscope is being incorporated into the Friday issue after the Sun has entered a new sign; a new Inner Space is generally emailed on the following Tuesday.

Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for June 2013, #951 | By Eric Francis

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Most of what we experience in life is shaped by how safe we feel. Those who feel safe also feel confident. They consume less energy on fear, and as a result have more to invest in creativity, productive work and loving experiences. What is interesting about experiencing safety and confidence is that it improves with practice rather than with external reasons or rationales to feel a certain way. It’s worth practicing, especially now that the planets are moving one by one into a position that makes it easier than it’s been in quite a while. When you tune your emotional body to a space of harmony and empathy, you get different results than if you are practicing competition or fear as your daily yoga. Events this month can take you on a journey into a grounded, confident space, and give you a model for how to feel stable there. With each passing event, you can go a little deeper into the calm assurance that you belong in your home, your community and in the world at this time. This is something you can commit to as a conscious choice, then gradually teach yourself and improve your skill, learning what thoughts, communication patterns and ways of connecting emotionally foster your sense of safety. If questions arise, they are most likely to focus on identifying and letting go of emotional thought forms that no longer serve you. Let them go and you will liberate space and energy for what is beautiful, good and true.

Order your 2013 reading from Eric Francis now, in LISTEN, the 2013 annual edition of Planet Waves. As a subscriber you can still get all 12 signs for the price of three. This is a detailed written and audio reading that you will love. You can also purchase signs one at a time (including audio and written, prior to our splitting those two products).

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Seen one way, the focus of your life is on communicating your feelings, and slipping into a way of being where that comes more easily than you might expect. By ‘feelings’ I mean your point of view, your desires and the sensation of what it’s like to be alive. By ‘communicate’ I mean with others, though more significantly, with yourself. While I would not want to deny anyone consciousness, it often seems like we live in a world where many people have no idea what they feel, and I would say that most humans would be a lot better off if they did. You may, at first, experience the transits this month as magnification or exaggeration. If so, that’s an invitation to pay closer attention to the nuances and the cycles that seem to run your emotional experience. You still seem to have a disagreement with yourself over something, a potential grudge, judgment or inner dilemma where there may indeed be two sides of the story. If so, I suggest you get those two sides into a discussion, perhaps even a negotiation. Do your best to understand both points of view. Neither is strictly true; neither is incorrect; the two added together don’t tally up to the truth. Yet a new depth of understanding can emerge from an extended inner dialog, particularly if it’s gentle and emotionally grounded. This is as much about what is true as it is how you feel about it. Listen to your mind and your body.

Gemini solar return reading is now ready

Dear Gemini Reader:

On Thursday, I recorded your birthday reading for 2013-2014. In this reading, I bring to life the truly beautiful astrology that you’ll be experiencing over the next four seasons. I begin with a discussion of what every Gemini should know about his or her sign, and then I cover a diversity of transits that you’ve read about elsewhere but may not have put into the context of your life.

Eric and his astrology assistant Jonah, who has Virgo Sun and Moon.

These include the presence of Jupiter in your sign now, and then Jupiter’s move into Cancer later in the month. I describe what it means to have Mercury retrograde three times in water signs — covering seven months of the year.

I talk about Pluto going through your 8th house, which is raising all kinds of questions about the role that structure plays in your relationships — and your desire to burst free and express yourself. I cover Saturday’s eclipse of the Moon in Sagittarius, your relationship sign.

I have created my 2013 Gemini reading specifically to help you tap into the very unique energy coming your way — energy with the potential to transform how you feel, think and relate.

The reading will be accurate, informative and fun for Gemini rising and Moon as well. You can listen to a short audio preview here.

Your reading is now ready. If you’ve already purchased or are an all-access member, you should receive an email shortly. We will leave the pre-order price of $19.95 available till Saturday morning, and then raise the price to $29.95.

I know you’ll love this reading. Please do check it out.

Lovingly,

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Jupiter leaves your sign this month, though it lands somewhere just as influential for you. You’re living through a phase where you have beautiful, idealistic goals, though turning them into concrete results may be challenging. You may be feeling restlessness in your current work because you crave doing something more meaningful. Jupiter in Cancer will help you establish your understanding of the value of what you do. That, in turn, will help you create or see the circumstances that will make it seem more practical, worthwhile and easier to share. If you live confidently in your understanding that you really do have a gift, that will be compelling to others. Yet what’s more significant is that you focus your vision. It’s one thing to have an ideal or a dream. It’s another to refine that into something specific, and to analyze it into a few beginning steps. You may feel that to do so weighs down the idealism angle, burdening it with practicality. But what we’re describing here is accomplishing something, not wishing you could do so. Therefore, I suggest you put at least one long-held goal or desire to the test of reality this month. I suggest you persist with your plans for 90 days; say, through the end of August, which will take you well past the end of the Mercury retrograde that starts June 26. If what you dream of and want to do is really worth doing, you will have a clue by then.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Jupiter arrives in your sign this month and until it does (on June 25), you may have the sensation that your life is dangling by a string. If you feel that way, trust that it’s made of nice strong fibers and that you’ll have enough of what you need to get you through to the next phase of your life. Jupiter in your sign is an authentic turning point, and it’s one you’ve been waiting for, potentially without realizing it was even coming. You could interpret this as your luck improving, though I think of it more as connecting to yourself, your community and your emotional resources. You might have the experience of seeing the obvious — solutions to problems that have persisted for too long, the strength to make decisions that will improve your life, and most of all, your presence in the world. You would think that walking around in a body would be more than enough to give you a clue you exist, but really this is about resonance with people who surround you. This same astrology will offer you some instruction on how important relationships are to you. That will come into focus as you start to see how much you mean to people and how much mutual benefit is possible. This is a reminder to focus on people to whom you have a real value and with whom you want to share. What you’re seeking is a real meeting. Where the depths of intimacy are concerned, almost doesn’t count.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Everyone needs a guardian angel, and you have a few. Who are they? People or spiritual entities? You’ll know better as you establish a relationship to them. What you may discover is that they’re sources of intelligence within yourself — what you may think of as your superconscious awareness. Some call this intuition; that’s close enough, though what you have developing now would be a particularly vivid form of it. As the month develops, you may find that this source of knowledge has more to offer you — far more than asking the opinions of others, for example, or watching public trends. Those external sources come with way more uncertainty than you need, and may be a distraction from admitting and acting on what you know to be true. One thing to remember is that your body speaks to you. The feeling you have thinking a thought is as meaningful or more meaningful than the thought itself; that’s your confirmation that you are onto something. This may guide you to trust countercurrents that may seem to violate prevailing (supposed) popular wisdom. These same aspects will help ease much of the anxiety you may be feeling, and provide you with a sense of confidence you don’t fully understand. That’s okay, and you don’t need to question it; just appreciate its presence. Whether these are actual angels, mentors or the ‘better angels of your nature’, the thing to do is listen to them, speak to them and thank them for their assistance. And don’t forget to ask when you need help.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Mercury, perhaps the most influential planet for Virgo, stations retrograde later in the month. As it moves in reverse (from our point of view on Earth) it will gradually form a perfect trine to Chiron in your opposite sign Pisces. In this we see an aspect that points to the bridge between friends and lovers. This reminds me of one of my favorite true jokes — when someone says they don’t have sex with their friends, I ask if they prefer to have sex with their enemies. Yet the intimacy suggested in this aspect applies to other facets of relating, perhaps highlighting what distinguishes a friend: in my view, the commitment to healing. I know there are many other definitions going around, and I would propose that this is not a word to use casually, but rather, to use thoughtfully. Your circle of friends is your circle of light. The people you call your friends are the ones with whom you share mutual support, and willingness to heal and grow. They are the people willing and openly offering to support one another. It may take you some time to apply this definition to the people around you and see who stands up to the test, though events this month will make it clear who qualifies. What will be more abundantly clear is that you do have friends, and one friend in particular who transcends all of the usual boundaries and is your companion on every level.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Though this is not necessarily the easiest time for Libras, it’s certainly a meaningful one, and you’re likely to experience a series of breakthroughs on some of your longest-delayed projects or goals. As these happen, leave room to re-evaluate your goals. Question why you have a goal, not just what it is. When you get to the level of your motives, you could shift your point of view with one thought. What’s changed in recent years is that the appearance of doing something, or being known for it, has less importance than ever. That’s a big help, an authentic step on the way to sincerity. Go deeper into who you are and what your real purpose is. Many encounters you have with others are provoking you to do just this: to assert yourself, sometimes in the face of what blatantly contradicts your ideas. What you may discover as you do this is that everyone has something to teach you, or some gift for you, even if the transaction seemed confrontational. Keep your sense of humor, and you will spend your days collecting useful ideas like a bee collects pollen and in the process feeds the world. As you rise in your success — and make no mistake, your star is rising, despite any dubious quests and struggles you’ve been through, or what any other astrologer claims — have fun discovering how much you don’t know, and therefore, how much you have to learn. This is a core element of leadership.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Religion seems to have taken over both national and international politics, if one could go so far as to describe the crude ideological stampeding as religious. The resulting controversies are seemingly endless. Yet the need to express one’s faith is inherent in humanity, and it will always take some form, whether healthy or not. You may be feeling this calling now. From the look of your astrology, my observation is that it’s coming from a visceral level, not the level of ideas. You are beginning to feel your inherent truth, or to go deeper into a journey already begun, perhaps around 2001. Where this matter is concerned, the first question is who and what you serve. Bob Dylan was right: we all serve someone. It’s merely a question of whom, and for what motive. Your faith has the power to nourish others, something you’ve no doubt seen at work many times. Notice your ability to draw from a deep inner source, to allow yourself to be filled up, and then to offer what you have to the people around you. There is another way this could play out, though — by experiencing your generosity, you deduce that you have something to give, and in doing so, recognize that you’re in contact with the source of whatever that is. An image borrowed from Aquarius comes to mind — you’re now a kind of water bearer, though the urn is self-filling. Offer what you have to those who are thirsty. There are few better ways to learn compassion and humility.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — How you use your resources, or the ones to which you have access, says nearly everything about you. It’s the essence of how you relate to others, and what you might think of as your civic role. You instinctively know that humans only gain by putting together what they have, to benefit families, tribes, companies and nations. We need one another — and that is one of the most meaningful foundations of your understanding of life. Where the intent is to share and to be mutually supportive, it usually works well. I suspect that it pains you to see such waste, selfishness and the willingness of people to take advantage of what has been collectively accomplished. You may not be able to stop corporate crime, but you can be the person in your immediate environment who makes sure that resources are accounted for, kept safe and used wisely. Your chart looks like you’re about to be nominated quartermaster in chief for those you know; by one reading you could be coming into a windfall or an inheritance. By another reading you’re inheriting something from yourself, which may be measurable in money or observable as wisdom. In any event, you’re the steward of something that belongs not only to you but also to others around you. You’re being looked up to for your ethics and your ability to allocate this wealth wisely. You’ve been carefully ordering your priorities for years now. You know the right thing to do, and you have every reason to trust yourself.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You’ve probably had enough of going it alone, or being willing to. Something seems to have stunned you to the awareness that it’s time to invite people into your life, and to be part of something larger. Yet the extended time you’ve spent in introspection has taught you a few things. You’ve learned so much about who you are, and moreover, you’ve learned how important it is to have that knowledge. Have you ever wondered how you lived without it? Really, you didn’t, but it was hiding on a deep level that would inform you in indirect ways. Now you’ve claimed what you know as direct self-knowledge, and this is offering you the confidence to meet the world on your own terms. There’s often a little gap that one has to cross over before doing that — perhaps something about the guilt of asserting yourself, perhaps about being seen as ‘selfish’, maybe the vulnerability associated with daring to encounter the world with what is true rather than a facade. I think you’ll find that your new approach is much easier, and more dependable. Who you are is something you don’t have to worry about, or think much about; who you are not is much more complicated, and consumes a lot of energy. Therefore, stick to who you are and what you want to share with others. Remember, this is more fun if you let go of jealousy, which means honoring the fun and pleasure others feel rather than trying to control it.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — If work has been less-than-perfect lately, I think you’ll be happy with what you create over the next few weeks, and how you approach the puzzle of your work environment. For you, what you do is just as important as where and how you do it. You could have the ideal job but if the working environment were not suitable for you, it would just not work. Now you can consider your plans with your environment as the first step in your thought process. Notice how where you work influences your ideas — the quality of light, the space around you and how your body feels. Regarding work, there’s one astrological detail that no Aquarius should be without. You need human contact and a real sense of whom you’re helping. Whatever field this may be in, the way you support others, and relate to others, needs to be more like how an ideal family would relate than what we find in the average workplace. You need real confirmation that your work is nourishing others who actually need you. This is an extension of the ‘humanitarian’ idea of Aquarius, though what I’m reading is Cancer on the 6th house — where Jupiter is about to take up residence. You have a lot to offer and the more you give, the more you’ll discover that you have. For your own peace of mind and encouragement, make sure that you’re offering your gifts where they are appreciated. You have options.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — I know it may sound silly to those who read old astrology books to suggest that Pisces people seek pleasure as their primary avocation; that’s what, in theory anyway, you do naturally. Yet that’s not my particular prejudice about Pisces; I tend to think of the last sign as signifying devotion to causes, to situations larger than yourself and to existence. When you offer your assistance, that’s not about feeling good for its own sake. Indeed, there are few signs that can persist through discomfort and delayed gratification like Pisces can. With your ‘ruling’ planet Jupiter changing signs this month to Cancer, your solar 5th house, you’re getting a clue that what gives you pleasure is the thing to focus on, at least for a full year till you get the habit down. This in turn will stoke your creativity, allowing you space to go in wholly new directions. If you want human companionship of the friendly erotic kind, that too is Jupiter in the 5th. In your chart that’s the story of something that feeds and strengthens most people — Pisces is the sign for whom sex is an inherently spiritual experience. Focus on the beautification of your home, starting from the kitchen out, and the food you prepare there. The way your chart is set up, everything you do along these lines will feed everything else, and you can get some energy cycling that feeds you and the people you love.

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Transit of Venus: Embracing the Solar Feminine

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Photos of the 2004 Venus transit of the Sun by Anthony Ayiomamitis.

Dear Friend and Reader:

“As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”
— Sulamitis, from the Song of Solomon

On June 5 (June 6 in some time zones) Venus and the Sun form a precise conjunction, called a transit of Venus. Venus and the Sun align about once a year — though this one is different due to the fact that Venus will not pass above or below the Sun but rather directly cross its path. This is called a transit of Venus. Considered one of the most rare predictable astronomical events, transits of Venus arrive in pairs separated by eight years; the pairs themselves are divided by more than a century.

Events in astrology gain influence by being unusual — though this one will also be spectacular. If you can see the Sun during the event and use a special viewing filter, you will be able to watch Venus cross the disk of the Sun. (Beginning at 6:04 pm EDT, viewers in New York can watch until sunset.) We most recently experienced a transit of Venus in 2004. The June 5 event may be related to something that you experienced or a phase of your life that began eight years ago.

Melissa by Eric Francis — Book of Blue, New York.

The world will not experience another transit of Venus until 2117, 105 years from now. It’s a bit ominous that, barring some life-extending genetic therapy, nobody who sees this one will be alive to see the next one.

Speaking of omens, this kind of rare event indicates a check-in point with the state of humanity. It’s the single most distinct astrology element of 2012, a year that may break the record for how much prophecy has hung on its back. Yet we do stand in a moment when one logical use of celestial divination would be trying to figure out what’s going to happen to civilization on our planet.

By any objective measure, we are in trouble. It’s not that our national and global problems don’t have solutions. It’s not that there are insufficient resources. The crisis involves lack of leadership and ethics. Anyone trying for a solution must outsmart what amounts to a cabal of heavily armed thieves who are holding the planet hostage.

We face numerous hotly polarized situations of ‘us and them’, many of which come from a prevailing condition of inner division that has a grip on the human psyche. Which brings me to why it’s so excellent that this event is happening in Gemini. I believe that the political mess we face is a reflection of the deeper elements of our consciousness. Many of these are based on what I will broadly term gender issues.

In recent years, the political machinery has been using gender and sexual orientation — and sex in general — as some of its most effective wedges. Yet with the atmosphere heating up, with fracking consuming the United States and headed to Europe, with the economy in an extremely fragile state and our genetic code under assault from supertoxins-for-profit, worrying about who has the right to marry seems like a distraction.

Trying to blast reproductive rights back to the 1950s (as evidenced by the movement to repeal not just Roe v. Wade, which preserves the right to abortion, and also Griswold v. Connecticut, which preserves the right to contraception) is often described as throwing red meat to the conservative base. It’s typically analyzed as a political ploy that skews the discussion away from real problems and also preserves the jobs of politicians.

We all know there’s a severe imbalance on the planet, and there are many spiritual theories going around as to why that might be. Instead of treating the sex and gender issue as a symptom, I would propose that it might be a lot closer to the cause. People in political leadership are not known for their powers of deep introspection or their sexual integrity. Often they are in conflict and project that conflict outward as attack, attempted control and manipulation of people’s private sexual lives. People not in positions of public trust drive one another insane with this stuff as well.

Not a pinhole camera — gear used by Anthony Ayiomamitis to photograph the 2004 Venus transit of the Sun. Those images are shown at the top of the page. Many prior transit events were recorded only by illustration. Some examples of those drawings are below. Photo provided by Anthony.

This inner turmoil manifests many other ways, including lack of sensitivity for the Earth (the consequence of which is often accurately described as rape). Nearly all of the most potent toxins of industry attack the female reproductive system first, though we’re all soaking in an ocean of hormone-disruptive chemicals and all feeling the effects to some degree.

The transit of Venus presents us with a compelling metaphor and also a palpable moment of transition. It’s a junction (literally, a conjunction) where we can make a conscious choice. Think of this as starting within, where most (some would say all) of our conflict originates. Think of it as an inner reunion between the masculine and feminine elements of ourselves, appropriately happening in the sign of the interplay of opposites — Gemini.

Venus is a feminine symbol and the Sun a masculine one. When Venus intersects with the disk of the Sun, it’s a little like the Sun is being penetrated by potent feminine energy. Both will change in the process. My astrology colleague Adam Gainsburg (Soulsign.com) has been describing this as the emergence of what he calls the solar feminine.

“Despite the dominance of solar gods at the root of western civilization, the metaphor of light is actually more akin to the feminine principle than to the masculine. Light shines, radiates, illuminates. But from our viewpoint on Earth, the Sun also sets and takes the light with it each evening. This ebb and flow of light is precisely what the feminine is: the flow, the dance, the ever-changing pattern of light into dark and back again.”

With the transit of Venus, he said, “What becomes illuminated is how your feminine aspect self-radiates into the world — what you uniquely have to give to the improvement of our planet.” He adds, “The solar feminine is, literally, our ‘light body’. She’s the one inside each of us who leaves nothing uncovered, nothing unfelt. We experience the full range of our actual feelings as her body.” Yet the Sun is expressive, so this is about being moved to take creative action.

“The Solar feminine is a confrontational idea for many religions because her very existence fundamentally challenges the fragmentary, long-held assumption of masculine spiritual superiority. By re-acknowledging her, we begin to re-empower her. The solar feminine shines not just through the success and expression of women, but through the power of a man’s emotions received in his heart.”

I think what Adam may be describing is a process of men becoming more receptive and women becoming more expressive. That would help balance things out — and at least it gives us a clear idea of what to reach for. While there’s been plenty of ways in which our culture has slipped backwards in gender relations (especially when you factor in politicians), I believe there is a gradual balancing out of masculine and feminine energies within many individuals and in many relationships. With this eclipse-like event, we have an opportunity to deepen and accelerate that process.

Illustration of the 1874 transit of Venus at the point of ingress, seen at Sydney, New South Wales, and drawn by H. C. Russells.

The story of transits of Venus over the past few centuries gives us another metaphor to work with. Last year a book was published, called Transit of Venus: 1631 to the Present, by Nick Lomb (The Experiment, paperback, $24.95). Lomb describes the progression of how each successive event was seen by human eyes — and some of the implications. The following history is drawn from Lomb’s research.

No one is known to have seen the 1631 Venus transit — it was night in Europe. Johannes Kepler, who figured out the 1631 event, missed that there would be a second transit of Venus eight years later. Two people are known to have seen the 1639 transit: Jeremiah Horrocks and his friend William Crabtree, viewing separately from England. Amazingly, Horrocks figured out there would likely be a second Venus transit that century only about one month before it occurred. He began observing the day before his prediction indicated, just in case he had made an error in his calculations.

Edmond Halley (of Halley’s Comet fame) expected a Venus transit in 1761. He urged astronomers who would be alive at the time to observe the event. His calculations were off, but other astronomers worked out the correct timing. This was the first global scientific event, with 176 astronomers watching from 117 far-flung locations.

Eight years later, in 1769, there was another transit — the second of that pair. Up to 400 different calculations were presented to the Royal Society in London and similar elite European scholarly societies for the 1769 transit. The desirability of observing the transit in the South Pacific led to the founding of New South Wales, in what is now Australia; the British crown saw the need for calculations from the South Pacific as the perfect political cover story for its mission of seeking islands to expand to. In other words, modern Australia owes its existence to a celestial event. This adds the geopolitical expansion to the process.

More people observed the 1874 transit than any other previous one, reflecting the expansion of technology, science, education, industry, trade and population. It was also the first one documented in photographs.

Drawings of the 1769 transit by Capt. James Cook and Charles Green.

The corresponding transit eight years later in 1882 was widely observed and better documented in photos. The U.S. sent out eight teams, including to South Africa and San Antonio, TX. They made 1,380 measurable photographic plates (four times as many as in 1874).

The 1882 transit was visible throughout the U.S. for almost the whole event. Amateur astronomers set up telescopes in parks and on sidewalks of New York City, collecting dimes from those who wished to look. In Meriden, Conn., a fire alarm bell was rung when it started, and people went to a local man’s house where he’d set up seven telescopes so people could look. Some 6,000 people observed the transit form that yard.

That takes us up to the 2004 transit, the most recent one. For the first time, we were able to observe the transit from space, with much vaster knowledge of Venus and the solar system. Not only could the general public observe, but hundreds of amateur astronomers could produce their own stunning photographs (three from the 2004 transit, taken by Anthony Ayiomamitis, appear at the top of this article).

For the 2012 event, many more people will be aware of what is happening, and due to that knowledge, and the availability of inexpensive viewing equipment and the proliferation of information on the Internet, this will be the most-viewed Venus transit of the Sun in history. Nearly everyone in the world will be able to see live video or photos minutes after it happens.

There is something in this rare event that’s about the exponential expansion of awareness. If (at least from an astrological viewpoint) we understand that awareness to involve the balancing of male and female energies, we can cooperate by spreading that energy in an exponential way.

There is one other beautiful message from this event that I picked up while researching the chart for the Venus transit. I cast the cart with 1,000 asteroids and newly discovered bodies, and noticed there is a minor planet precisely conjunct both Venus and the Sun when the transit happens. It won’t be visible — but it will be there. The planet, really an asteroid, is called Sulamitis. It’s a fast-mover (less than four-year orbit) so its presence is something to take note of.

I did a little research and discovered that Sulamitis is the female character in the Song of Solomon, a book from the Bible that stands out in that it’s not about laying down the law or describing the anguish of some tribe. Rather, it’s a passionate love poem presented as a dialog between a man and a woman.

The story has many twists and turns, but ultimately its theme is devotion and what it means to be in love, with a comment on how authentic balance between male and female energy feels. With this event happening in Gemini, the first place to seek and find that balance is inside ourselves. I could not think of a more beautiful visitor to stand guard over this rare event, at this vital opportunity for rebalancing our hearts, souls and our relationship to the Earth.

Lovingly,

UAC Coverage Begins This Week

Greetings!

I’ve arrived in New Orleans and the United Astrology Conference (UAC) is getting under way. I taught my class on Astrology Storytelling earlier today and as I write I’m recording Donna Woodwell’s class on Weaving the Web. These are the first projects that we will produce.

If you’re looking for coverage of the conference, I suggest you check in Thursday afternoon. Coverage will be two places — it will be on the main Planet Waves blog, Daily Astrology & Adventure, located near the top of page. It will also appear
on Planet Waves FM. There will be clear instructions for how to access the coverage, most of which will be in radio format.

If you’re at the conference, please stop by the Planet Waves table.

Lovingly,

Monthly Horoscope for June 2012 | Eric’s Zodiac Sign Descriptions

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Within the context of the rare, beautiful astrological events of this month, your job is to devote yourself to the quality of your work. You may feel a drive to innovation, leadership, invention or otherwise stirring the pot — though what your chart suggests is that you work calmly and steadily on specific, focused projects. Said another way, ground yourself in your goals, processes and methods. Focus on the details. You will have the occasion to work through certain blockages or obstacles, which may seem to be in your environment. I recognize that I’m not describing a glorious role, despite the fact that all eyes will be on the Sun, an object closely related to your sign. Your influence will come from your awareness and your ability to remain calm and go deep. That is the kind of leadership that you’re being called to. It’s the kind that involves intelligence, persistence, tenacity and foresight. There is a measure of self-direction that you’re being called to initiate, and you may be the one who gets to solve a problem that is too annoying or seemingly intractable for anyone else to work out. You’re doing this all the better if you feel invisible through the experience. The point is that this is not about you. You have a role, and by all indications it’s an integral one. Yet you can only accomplish this properly if you drop back and work with the full presence of your mind with no interference from your ego.

Hello Aries — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed). We will have the Gemini birthday reading for you as soon as possible! Please check this space, and look in your email from us.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Has there ever been a time when the human psyche was more fragmented? Have we ever been pulled in more directions, injected with competing self-images or struggled with conflicting values systems? These conflicts and struggles used to be called neurosis (a term now abandoned by modern psychology) — including confusion, compromised sense of self-worth, obsession, perfectionism, habitual fantasizing and many other seemingly small problems that eat human bandwidth. Meanwhile, many external factors are competing for your attention — be they advertising, social opportunities or the demands of work. You’re aware of this situation, both within you and around you. You may be waking up to the desire to bring your whole consciousness together and to focus your mind. Events this month offer a special opportunity for healing, which is likely to arrive as unusual clarity around what your priorities are, and an opportunity to focus on a clear agenda. Consider how much of your past struggle has involved deciding what you ‘should’ be doing versus what you really love, and how to balance this out. Your astrology suggests you may get a taste of what life is like without this tension. Yet if that feeling vanishes, you may not recognize it as the presence of something else. Indeed, you could overlook it just because you feel good. Therefore, pay attention. Feel the inner alignment that allows you to make the decisions based on what works for you. Once you open that space, you will be able to return dependably — as long as you remember that it exists.

Hello Taurus — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed) If you would like to hear your Taurus birthday reading, please visit this link.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — The whole is not only greater than the sum of the parts — it’s a lot more fun, and useful, and interesting. Yet there’s another level to this — what you actually do with all this potential. A car is greater than a garage full of parts, but then — where do you go? This month’s precise Sun-Venus conjunction in your sign is a clear demarcation point between the past and the future. Wherever you are going, it’s somewhere other than you’ve been, and I reckon, other than where you expected to go. This will require you to summon flexibility that’s unusual even for you, and to facilitate that you are about to release many old tendencies that have kept you stuck in certain patterns and at a certain depth within yourself. Or rather, your relationship to yourself. It’s true that you relate to yourself in a way that many people you know do not — consciously, aware of your ‘inner other’. Over the next few weeks, it looks as if you discover that your inner other is actually your soulmate. You don’t need anyone else to play this role for you; your friends, lovers and companions have different roles to play. Your experience of them, and of anything seemingly outside yourself, is rooted in your experience with yourself — and your relationship to yourself. If the planets in their courses say anything about you right now, it’s that you are recognizing that your relationship to yourself is something to honor and treasure every day.

Hello Gemini — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — This month’s transit of Venus is about healing seeming divisions and splits within the psyche. For you, there is a special theme — resolving something you’ve been unable to observe closely or give a name to, perhaps until recently. You’ve lived with the effects all of your life, which may have manifested in what I call the ‘hemisphere effect’ — the potential to experience yourself, or anything, two entirely different ways. They may have nothing in common and one point of view may be entirely exclusive of the other. I would consider this as a potential source of misgivings about yourself, as well as an ambivalence that has followed you through some of your most important relationships. Consider that at some of the most challenging points in your life, you’ve been experiencing the effects of something inside you projected outward. It’s difficult to see the actual process because you’ve only been seeing the outer manifestation — like studying the projection on a screen rather than considering the film or the projector. The coming weeks contain a moment of profound alchemy, wherein the mirage of an inner split resolves itself seemingly spontaneously — and then you notice a corresponding change in your relationships. You will not be able to predict what happens; challenges or unresolved situations you’re currently involved with may work themselves out any number of ways. From the strength and integrity of the current astrology, you can trust that what develops will serve your growth and your longterm happiness beautifully.

Hello Cancer — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — I suggest you take a bold step beyond considering your image or your appearance and fully immerse yourself into your relationship with the world. By that, I mean the world as you think of it: the constellation of everyone and everything in your life. You may be familiar with the Lakota prayer Mitakuye Oyasin, which translates loosely to “all are related.” It is an expression of the idea that all people and all things are interconnected. They may be related by being part of our sphere of consciousness, or looking a bit deeper, by the truth that we are part of something larger than ourselves. This of course violates Western concepts of separateness, division and privacy, ideas that lead to quite a bit of chaos and conflict — which are all based on a violation of natural law. The extraordinary astrology that is now unfolding is a reminder that you are part of holistic existence. Everything you do, and everything you think, influences the totality of your environment. This isn’t a theory but rather a property of existence that may boldly reveal itself to you during the next few weeks. Such an experience would shift how you experience yourself in the midst of your reality. Imagine if you could live that interconnectedness all the time. What would change? What would come into your life? What conflict would disappear into the deeper truth that you are related to everything from earth to sky to all members of the human family? Imagine.

Hello Leo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Spring Checkpoint: Individual Signs Now Available

We will soon figure out that it’s actually 2012. The recent retrogrades of Mars and Mercury seemed to create a delay, but really this winter and early spring has been a phase of gestation. Over the next four weeks, the energy starts to pick up pace dramatically, and we will discover where we are and that something unusual, and beautiful, is happening.

Even as we approach the truly beautiful potential of the astrology that’s developing, many people are struggling with their day-to-day lives. There are more questions than answers; the economic and political situations seem hopeless; the pace of existence is going so fast that there seems to be nowhere to get in a little meaning, or seek some peace of mind.

Here is where astrology can help. Astrology looks at the longer cycles, and the deeper themes — and can help you see your life in context of the present moment, no matter how chaotic it may be. Context means a sense of where you fit in that will help you see your potential and make better choices.

For years, I’ve been helping my clients prepare for making the most of the astrology of the 2012 era. Based on this experience, and many years of study, I’ve prepared a set of readings for all 12 signs (and rising signs, and Moon signs) that guides you through this astrology, step by step. I cover the most challenging and energized developments of this spring, which includes eclipses, Venus retrograde, the Venus transit of the Sun, and then a few days after the Sun ingresses Cancer, the Uranus-Pluto square.

Each sign gets a half-hour discussion. These came through loud and clear, with strength and meaning. I spent a week designing and recording them, and I am grateful to be able to offer them to you as a tool to help you guide your decisions, as you seek deeper meaning along your journey.

Spring 2012 is a kind of checkpoint along the way to wherever you are going. But really it’s a calling into the adventure of existence, a bold invitation to go beyond your past limits and explore something truly new about yourself.

Signs are now available individually for an amazingly low price, cheaper than the paper shopping bag costs at Jimmy Choo — order your reading here. The report is getting rave reviews from people who are currently working with it, including these words from a customer named Donna: “OMG — thank you thank you thank you — just spent this morning listening to my [Spring Report] info, and am so blown away by the accuracy (and relief!) in this experience. Thanks so very much for your part in supporting this work and for showing up in the way that you do!”. Here is the link to order.

Please drop us a note if you have any questions.

Lovingly,

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — During your long search for a purpose, a mission, a calling, have you noticed how many others are on a similar quest? This search for meaning and purpose influences far more people than those who seem to have not accomplished much. Many brilliantly successful people are seeking contact with this feeling, having not found it in the midst of all of their achievement. You seem to face another kind of issue. It’s sometimes framed itself as the question, which of your two greatest talents is the one to pursue as your true path? What about how they seem to compete with one another, for time, attention and resources? Here is the message from your astrology: First, your purpose goes beyond any specific activity, job or role. Each face of what you do is an expression of something deeper, and this is one moment in your life when you make contact with that inherent quality. When you feel this, you’ll know because the sensation will shift your perspective. Second, your diversity of skills, and your choice to develop multiple gifts, has only strengthened you, widened your vision and given you the opportunity to cross-reference from several fields of knowledge. Finally, I suggest you cultivate a special reverence for language, and the language skills you possess. They will always serve you, the more so for investing in them and using them regularly. This is called being an integrated human being. You have always been well on the way — you’re about to go to a whole new level.

Hello Virgo — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Balancing fear with love does not work. It only turns love into a defense, which reinforces fear. It may work to bring some light into the darkness, though for true healing to happen, all that is dark, existing beneath the surface or cloaked by denial must be brought to the light. If you work with these basic principles, you will be able not only to solve any problem, you will unfold a new vision for your life. The Venus transit of the Sun involves the planet associated with your sign and this takes place in one of the most visionary houses — the 9th. This rare event culminates with an opening for you to let go of an outdated vision of yourself. You would be amazed how such things can block new energy and ideas from entering your life. You will soon reach the point where the past is, in fact and in your experience, over. Many ideas you’ve had about the future up until this point will melt away. What is approaching is more exciting and beautiful than nearly anything you’ve conceived of before. You may need to go back over the things you were thinking in childhood to find certain sticking points, romantic ideals, and most of all, concepts about God that were inflicted on you. Consider these things carefully, and without sentimental attachment. Be willing to let go of everything you were told, or that you believed, was wrong, and in doing so open up space for the truth about yourself.

Hello Libra — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Every story in your life right now seems to be about commitment. And, despite being associated with attachment and bonding, one of the places you seem to hold the most self-doubt involves commitment to others. That is where to draw the line: it’s easy for you to confuse your investment in a relationship with an investment in your own life. Yes, there is a fine line, though the people who care about you the most understand that they provide a forum for you to self-actualize. Look carefully at the relationships in your life and make sure that you know which ones fit this description; that you understand who exists in your world for the purpose of consciously (as in willingly) holding space for you to get to know yourself. I recognize that this may seem ‘one sided’, though I would offer the idea that when your deepest relationships have this as their primary element, you are more available to others, not less. So, far from being self-centered for its own sake, I am talking about being self-aware and fully involved with your own growth, so that you are able to participate with greater depth and involvement in your relationships. You only run into trouble when you make some kind of significant compromise of your personal truth, which means you can only be half-present — and that’s as useful as not being present at all. Forget the fact that some people insist that’s what you do. There are others who want you uncompromised and at full strength.

Hello Scorpio — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — It’s not a relationship that’s changing — it’s your whole orientation on relationships. You’re enough of a philosopher to know what I mean when I say that everything is a relationship. In truth, what is coming to life is a new contact point with existence. You might glimpse something that hints to you that something is possible — remember that you’re seeing what’s possible all the time. Experiences you never dreamed could happen are right within your reach. All you have to do is take that step and go toward people you like rather than having them come to you. This is a significant shift in orientation for you, though it’s long overdue. Your independence will not be compromised; part of your reorientation is understanding how to share space with others in a way that leaves space for you. In doing this, you’re on the leading edge of a revolution that many people are eagerly awaiting, and you get to be there mainly because of your courage. As this unfolds, notice who you are attracted to and who is attracted to you. Be sensitive to the energy you share. For sure, your existing relationships are going through a transformation of some kind, and you may get the feeling that this is outside of your control. That’s true, to a point. You have the option to notice what is actually working and what is not. You have the option to suspend any efforts to fix things — and then size up what is so, and respond appropriately.

Hello Sagittarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Pay attention to the speed and grace with which thoughts progress into concept and then into full manifestation. Though there are many steps to the process, the most significant is the one where you change and embrace the new pattern of your life. That feels like yielding to a force more powerful than yourself, though it usually has a pleasant sensation of release and embrace rather than the sensation of being pushed. In truth that force is within you, and it’s been building for a long time. You know that you’ve consciously initiated many deep changes the past few years of your life, and you’ve been wondering when some of them are finally going to bear fruit in the form of actual progress. That time has arrived. One of the key lessons in all of this is that of confidence. The world is a profoundly different place for those who proceed with confidence, which means with faith in themselves, and those who are ruled by their insecurities. You have no time to waste on such folly, and you’ve experienced many moments recently when you know you’ve found your true center. Yet you’re also being challenged to be certain of who you are in a time when that has never seemed to change faster. Consider yourself a being in motion, a work in progress, and define your sense of ‘self’ based on that sense of movement and development. Invest your trust there and you will have handsome rewards.

Hello Capricorn — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — What is the difference between a creative person and an ‘uncreative’ one? There definitely seems to be a distinction — and by early adulthood most of us have typecast ourselves as one or the other. It may not be possible to teach creativity, but what interferes with the process can be identified and moved out of the way. What would that be? I can name two things offhand: rigid patterns and fear. Those things that move creative energy can be encouraged, such as curiosity and the spirit that the whole world, and everyone in it, is there to feed your process. I would say the distinction that a ‘creative’ person has is guts — they are willing to dare. That alone does not bestow talent, but it sure can help you get there. By daring I don’t mean the bungee-jumping or gamble-a-lot-of-money kind of daring; I mean the willingness of a child to experiment with what turns you on, coupled with the adult commitment to follow through once you get the energy going. For you, the risk factor includes exploring the very ideas you think are the most dangerous, taboo or unacceptable. It means daring to speak the message that you know is true but that you’re afraid others will find to be somehow offensive. This is the spot where nearly all good ideas either fizzle out before they go anywhere, or the spot where they go past and emerge into consciousness as something fun and maybe beautiful.

Hello Aquarius — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — I am sure you’ve read lots of those annoying little statements in self-help books and ‘sacred’ texts that inform you that when you change yourself from within, the world around you responds. That’s exactly what’s happening to you right now. Your psychic, psychological and emotional innards (all part of the same spectrum) are coming into alignment. It’s as if you’re settling into yourself, and as you do, the world is becoming a different place. If you’re feeling any inner divisions, that will soon yield to the palpable sensation of those fissures closing and healing. Much of what has troubled you in the past goes back a long way; in a sense it was built into your childhood, and it has roots into your genetic lineage. That’s one reason why it’s been so persistent. Another reason is because it’s often difficult to accurately perceive our relationship to our environment — and we’re taught that manipulating the outer world works better than working to nourish and strengthen ourselves in the spirit of healing. What happens over the next few weeks will help you finish the repairs to your foundation that you have likely already begun. What seemed like irreversible damage from the past will reveal itself as being subject to healing and growth. You are not the only one who will benefit; the repairs will extend back through the generations. Observe the changes in your perspective as you experience being united with yourself and your environment. There is a word for this — integrity.

Hello Pisces — Eric has written a new description for your sign that you have access to from this link (no password needed).