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Dear Friend and Reader:

Remember that in the background of everything else I’m saying in this letter is the last of seven Uranus-Pluto squares. After next week, the aspect of our era goes into separating phase, where a whole new set of effects will begin to emerge. If you missed last week’s edition about this topic please do have a look.

As a background factor, Uranus-Pluto dominates the environment, though it does so in a way that may fade to invisible. When people notice these aspects, it’s often in the form of observing a deeply rooted pattern of some kind, or perhaps some quality of existence that doesn’t seem to change.

Uranus-Pluto has been pushing everything and everyone for about seven years. When studied as part of historical patterns, each of these generational aspects seems to have about a 10-year orb of influence. We are now entering the last phase of that decade. I am reluctant to suggest how that will look and feel, though I am confident about saying it will at least be different — for those who notice.

For today I want to speak about two factors, both of them in Pisces. One is Mercury conjunct Nessus, exact Friday just before midnight EDT and therefore early in the morning Saturday in the UK and Europe. Mercury moves fast, which means pay attention.

The second is a total solar eclipse in the very last degree of Pisces. That happens in one week, at 5:36 am EDT (09:36 UTC) on Friday, March 20. I will have more to say about that next week, though I suggest you take the time to consider this extremely unusual event and what you’re going to do with it.

It’s an unusual eclipse specifically for being in the very last degree of the zodiac. That, in turn, is the degree right before the very first degree of the zodiac, which is the Aries Point — that meeting of the individual and collective.

Boulevard St. Germain, Paris.

Let’s start with Mercury conjunct Nessus. Mercury ingresses Pisces tonight at 11:52 pm EDT (Friday at 04:52 UTC). The next thing it does is make a conjunction to Nessus, which has just recently ingressed Pisces to stay for the next 18 years.

Nessus is a centaur planet. Centaurs all deal with the dark and shadowy material in the human psyche and correspondingly in civilization. As such they are agents of healing and wholeness.

I addressed the intricacies of Nessus in an edition published last June that is well worth a second look (Mercury, Weaving the Story of Nessus).  This article, based on a series of Mercury-Nessus trines, takes on the theme of the persecutor-victim-rescuer triangle of Transactional Analysis, which is a theme of Nessus under some conditions.

Enough time has passed since that series of aspects that you can get a sense about what Mercury-Nessus contacts mean for you personally. It’s very likely that whatever came to light late last spring and early summer will be making another appearance now. In true centaur style, this is an opportunity for gaining new clarity. You may or may not have resolved something around that time. Typically, whatever material centaurs represent are lifetime projects, though by using astrology it’s possible to bring the issues to full awareness and make significant progress.

To sum up, Nessus bears the message: DEAL. You might think of it as “the buck stops here,” that is, whoever gets the buckhorn deals the cards (that would be you). But what that really translates to is accountability. That is always a self-to-self matter in the first instance, and self-to-others matter in the second. So start with yourself.

Ask yourself about how you handle your responsibilities. Ask yourself about what you do when you find that you cannot. It’s essential to care — and to take action.

Skylight in the artists’ squat at 59 Rivoli, Paris.

As Lou Reed once said, it’s hard to give a shit these days. So one sub-theme here is whether you care, and at what stage you give yourself permission not to care. Remember, if you don’t somebody else might — such as someone higher on the food chain.

In the more immediate sense, Mercury conjunct Nessus in Pisces is a doorway to a real conversation about existence. Mercury will take on the color of what it touches, and it’s about to touch Pisces and then Nessus.

I would suggest that you not rely on telepathy, as so many people think is OK (usually, that’s just denial). The problem is that these ‘withholds’ can build up and lead to some serious problems over time. This is one of the most ordinary and debilitating aspects of the human condition. It’s also one of the easiest to resolve — if anyone is willing.

One theme of Nessus is about having grounded expectations. Another is addressing past resentment, not merely squishing it over. The two are related. Resentments tend to build when there are ungrounded expectations in a situation, or when someone evades responsibility. It’s not that expectations in themselves are a ‘bad thing’ — the question is, what is the basis of what you expect? Was there an overt promise, or just a kind of guess?

With Nessus prominent in a chart, there are always questions of accountability and integrity. And when that is true, someone has to take up that particular torch. Said another way, someone has to name the elephant in the room.

With Mercury and Nessus, there exists a strictly introspective question of healing. Mercury-Nessus in Pisces is calling for an inner dialog about your relationship to any old injuries you may be carrying around. Because we’re talking Pisces, these may be submerged, they may be in the background, they may be papered over by denial or they may be lurking around as seemingly permanent features of your emotional landscape.

Mercury is saying, don’t take anything for granted. Ask the question, make the statement, check the seeming fact. Remember what is dangling in the background. Mercury is also on the move, about to make conjunctions to Neptune, Chiron and Borasisi over the next couple of weeks, which says there is some developing set of themes and an ongoing discussion that may take several forms. That says stay in the moment. Keep your awareness right with you. Keep your mind, your words, your mouth and your ears in alignment.

Rephotograph of the famous Doisneau image, Paris.

The more prevalent in-the-moment influence is the rapidly approaching total solar eclipse. These are always transition points. That this one happens in the last degree of the zodiac, that is, the very last degree of the very last sign, mere hours before equinox, adds emphasis to this event. It’s so unusual I really don’t know what to make of it.

One message that it vibrates out is about the passage of time. You might think of this as a time-check reality-check — particularly given the culmination of the Uranus-Pluto square that happens just four days before the eclipse. When you get a confluence of events like that, you know something original is brewing. And with the theme of ‘finality’ hinted at by the last of seven squares, and an eclipse in the last degree, there is an intuitive pull toward resolution.

This is a big moment. What I know from having some clue as to the social history of astrology is that big moments are either over-hyped or totally ignored. Because this eclipse is an event in Pisces, it may have a tendency to drop below the radar. I have heard very little comment about this eclipse — except from other astrologers at Planet Waves.

I’m planning to continue the conversation on all channels through the coming week. If you’re interested, keep an eye on Planet Waves FM, TV and our front page. I’m also planning a live edition for Planet Waves FM next Wednesday night — look for that announcement in your inbox.

Lovingly,

Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon in Kingston, New York by Planet Waves, Inc. Annual basic subscription rate: $97/year. Core community membership: $197/year. Editor and Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Business Manager: Chelsea Bottinelli. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Astrology Editor: Amanda Painter. Copy Editor: Jessica Keet. Research, Writing and Editing: Planet Waves is produced by a team consisting of Fe Bongolan, Brendan Merritt, Amy Elliott, Judith Gayle, Kelly Janes, Amanda Moreno, Casey Smith, Carol van Strum, Len Wallick, Lizanne Webb and Chad Woodward.

 

 

NOWHERE Is Everywhere; NOWHERE Is Each of Us

By Amanda Painter

If communicating through the expression of a water sign is not traditionally thought of as Mercury’s strong suit, that expression will at the very least be creative, emotionally evocative and likely profound. This is especially true in Pisces, where Mercury arrives today.

Perhaps emblematic of this placement is the central scene of “NOWHERE.” Conceived and choreographed in 2009 by Dimitris Papaioannou, the full dance piece inaugurated the renovated main stage of the Greek National Theatre in Athens. Papaioannou describes it as a “site-specific performance that can be presented nowhere else,” adding that it “explores the nature of the theatrical stage itself.”

In more visual terms, the seamlessly undulating waves of the dancers’ arms work together, swelling and falling as they alternate between undressing a female dancer and a male dancer. There is no music but rather the soft rustle of the dancer’s clothes mimicking the soft sounds of the sea, the dancers’ faces and bodies softly illuminated against the darkness. Dedicated to the memory of modern dance legend Pina Bausch, who died earlier that same year, the scene ends with the dancers fading back into the black nothingness around them, the bare man cradling the bare woman as they follow suit.

As one person commented on the Vimeo site, “I could see my soul there. I know nothing about choreography, dance or movement. But my soul was shaken when I saw this. It feels like the base of love, the heartbeat of the sea and the simplicity of human beings. I felt nature speaking through muscles and skin, through subtle touches.”

 

 

Two Hot Conjunctions and Secrets of Locational Astrology

This week’s program is co-hosted with my music mentor Daniel Sternstein. We talk about the current “hot conjunctions” now taking place. There are actually four of them: Sun conjunct Chiron, Venus conjunct Eris, Mars conjunct Uranus and Mercury conjunct Nessus. That’s a lot of conjunctions — especially between fast-moving personal planets (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars) and slow-moving outer planets (Chiron, Uranus, Nessus and Eris). Learn more from this podcast.

 

 

Your Monthly Horoscopes — and our Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscopes for March published Thursday, Feb. 19. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for February  Thursday, Jan. 22. Inner Space horoscopes for February published Tuesday, Jan. 27. Moonshine horoscopes  for the Virgo Full Moon  published Tuesday, March 3. Please note, we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign.

 

 

Weekly Horoscope for Thursday, March 12, 2015 #1040 | By Eric Francis

Aries (March 20-April 19) — If you think you’re unstoppable, you probably are. But you have to be clever about it. In particular, use your mind first, rather than banging your head on anything. You have a number of tools at your disposal. The most important of which is your ability to conjure and invent. You’re also working with an abundance of energy. You have a gift for penetrating the veils of illusion with understanding. And finally you have charm going for you. That may be the most valuable of the bunch, and the easiest to use. You’ll get the most economy out of calm confidence and optimism. Be generous with how much you like people; you don’t always need to say it, but make sure you convey that through your approach to others. One last tool — you have a touch of clairvoyance going for you. Trust your hunches.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — I suggest you keep your focus off of yourself and on others for the next week or so, so that you don’t get lost in your own head. Keep the conversations going. Explore the world and challenge yourself with what is unfamiliar to you. If you’re one of those people who can do your job on your laptop, work in social environments where you can see others and they can see you. One interesting thing you might notice is for conversations in these settings to go unusually deep. You won’t even need to guide them that way. You just might find yourself talking about some taboo subject surrounded by people. My suggestion is to act as if this is perfectly normal and pay no mind to the fact that others might hear what you’re saying. In this simple gesture there is strength and integrity.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Go out of your way to take responsibility for what happens on your watch, whether you’re at fault or not. This is not about acting guilty, or feeling guilty. It’s about being willing to recognize issues for what they are and to take the steps to make things right. If you can do that, and make no excuses, you will find that your influence only increases. You might think you’re taking on what’s not yours, but when you’re in a position of leadership that concept changes considerably. In fact it can often reverse itself, where your role is to be accountable for the actions of both yourself and others. Anyone in a position of greater authority is going to be looking for your willingness to do that, and to act confidently, and to learn from your total environment. Said in a phrase, the name of the game is respect.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — This is certainly an ambitious and adventurous time in your life — one where many accomplishments seem not just possible but inevitable. So keep doing whatever you’re doing, and be bold about it. At the same time, a new level of depth and intrigue have entered both your erotic relationships and your creative expression. If you have not noticed that yet, you’re likely to soon. One thing I would remind you of is the power of Eros and art to transmute darkness and shadow. I don’t mean to say that this is possible but rather that it’s essential and necessary. I recognize that most people are deeply distrustful of their sexuality and their creativity. You don’t have that luxury. You have a magnificent opportunity to unravel that over the next few days, and it will begin with taking the risk of speaking from your heart and soul, which would start with speaking your mind.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — The Sun is the celestial body associated with your sign, and it’s now moving through the last seven degrees of the zodiac. That suggests the completion of a phase of your life, especially when you consider that on the Sun’s last day in Pisces it receives a total eclipse from the Moon. I suggest you make contact with everything and everyone you want to move on from. Be clear with yourself. By everything I mean tendency, pattern, habit or phase of your life. By everyone I mean that nobody is automatically off the list. Then there’s something more significant, which is your vision for yourself. There is an exchange happening, which is what you’re leaving behind and its relationship with what you’re beginning. So I suggest you have equally clear visions for both of those things. The feeling associated with this process is not casual or superficial. It should feel a little like being at the edge of a cliff, where you look over the edge and get a glimpse at yourself at around age 90.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Take the time to have the important conversation as soon as you can. Doing so will give you some influence over a situation that might otherwise be out of your hands. You know by now that influence does not mean control — it means shared awareness that can allow you to find some common ground, and present an idea or two. Such also includes listening and sharing your response. Without taking advantage of these accessible, ordinary human things, you might feel as if your whole life is being controlled by the winds of fate. There are indeed certain natural features in the cosmic landscape that are influencing you, in a profound way at the moment. Yet if that is true, it would make obvious your need to be aware of your environment so that you can be responsive in real time, not with a seven-second or seven-year delay.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Just when you decided that there is no telling what you’re going to do next, someone else has demonstrated what it’s like to live with that reality. That’s actually a pretty good way to live, as long as everyone agrees there is that  certain factor of unpredictability in the universe. So get that onto the table, while everyone agrees it’s true and has evidence proving that it’s true. This will allow you to get over any lingering belief that a relationship is a choreographed thing, or that there is a script and a musical score to go with it. You are in perhaps the best position of your entire life so far to engage with reality as it is now, and live your moment, as you are experiencing life now. Remind yourself that the universe is a dynamic place with every force acting on and responding to every other force. Nothing stays the same for long, and amen to that.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The question you seem to be confronting involves faith in yourself. You might think that means faith in something larger than yourself. I suggest you not split hairs, since in any event you would be the one allowing the process to happen. And as many mystics, great and small, have said, your faith, when expressed, will meet up with some larger kind of faith, though it’s you who must take the first step. When you do, you may encounter some thought form akin to, “But it’s all so dark,” or, “How am I possibly worthy?” or, “What am I going to do with all this karma?” or “My god, look at the state of the world!” Yes, yes, yes,  yes and yes. Then you can look through those things as if they suddenly turn into transparent images that let through the light that is behind them. It is there and there’s plenty of it.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You’re going through a catharsis that’s directly associated with your ability to express yourself sexually and creatively. I would point out, though, that in our particular age, most people don’t get the connection, and that it’s rather easy to get caught in the dark side of these seemingly different things. Let’s stick to art, since that’s less threatening, though only by a shade. Art involves more than expressing oneself. Often there is a transmuting of something fearful into something loving. That could be static nervous energy. It could be something truly terrifying. It could be going beyond the stuck futility and ‘why bother’ energy that seems to have swallowed much of our society at the moment. Imagine you’re going to look right at the root cause of that. Imagine that it’s the one essential ingredient in this process known as setting yourself free.

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Whatever shook up your world over the past few days taught you something about the nature of your own insecurities. Play back that whole scenario day by day, scene by scene, and note what you believed on what day. Then notice how fast it all changed and became something else. It’s that process of ‘changing and becoming something else’ that I suggest you work with as a conscious process. It’s about to happen again in some provocative ways. There really is just one intervention, which is awareness. I know this is often proffered as the solution to everything, and so far nobody’s proven that it’s not true. The most effective awareness over the next few days will come in through your senses, particularly hearing. Reading and writing count for a lot right now as well. All factors seem poised to get you thinking and feeling on a level that most people avoid. Remember that if you get the opportunity to go there and then hesitate.

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You will need to make an effort not to judge yourself over the next few days. That may prove to be more of a challenge than in the past, though the reward will be greater than usual. The problem with judgment is not that it’s wrong, but rather that it’s incorrect. The issue with that is that it can (and usually does) obscure the truth behind the illusion. If there is one theme associated with your quest for self-esteem, it involves what you’re really responsible for. In the most child-like terms, that translates to the question ‘what is your fault?’ In adult terms, it translates to ‘what are you responsible for changing?’ This kind of question needs to hang in the air for a while. There are many possible answers and not all of them are applicable to you. We could start by saying that you’re not responsible for changing other people, simply because you cannot. And that certainly narrows down the possibilities.

 

 

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Pisces is the sign that, by definition, contains all the potentials of humanity, in a way similar to how more than 100 elements are contained in ordinary seawater. You may need to make contact with, and peace with, the seemingly darker shades of your nature. That runs directly contrary to the ‘love and light equals enlightenment’ spiritual school. And it remains true that love is the only force in the universe that can guide a person out of the darkness, be it their own or imposed on them. Sometimes this is as simple as just loving, and sometimes it’s necessary to be bold about discovering what the other possibilities are. There is a common psychological move: ‘I don’t want to be that way so I’m not going to admit that I contain that potential’. The thing is, you want to contain that potential, whatever it is, because to exist in your full strength, you need every resource available to you. And that’s what you have.