Use this link if you’re listening on an iOS or mobile device. Download MP3.

CORRECTION: When recording I erroneously referred to the shooting victim as Lamar McDonald. His first name was in fact Laquan. I apologize for this error.

Here is today’s edition of Democracy Now!, featuring a report on the shooting of Laquan McDonald, mentioned below.

We have fun, healing and insightful astrology for you. Planet Waves FM is sponsored by…YOU. We are presented without commercial interruption. Become a Planet Waves Reader at $7.77 a month or a Core Community Member at $14.97 a month. Want more? Get our Backstage Pass. If you’re a Scorpio Sun or rising, you may order your 2015-16 birthday reading here. If you’re Sagittarius Sun or rising, you may pre-order your birthday reading here.

Dear Planet Waves Reader:

First, as mentioned last week, Planet Waves FM was accepted as an affiliate of Pacifica Radio, the inventors of community radio in the United States. That’s the same Pacifica that carries Democracy Now! and which owns KPFA in Berkeley, KPFK in Los Angeles and WBAI in New York City (among others).

Artist’s conception of a quasar — what is created when galaxies collide. Neptune in Pisces is currently conjunct a quasar. Many, many other unusual points are in the aspect pattern.

It is indeed an honor to be included as part of a network of 200 community stations that have done so much for the world. Today, the Pacifica Network published an article and interview with me welcoming Planet Waves FM into the fold.

Here’s a short sample of the interview: “One of the things I do is astrology of many major news events. It’s a way of getting behind the news. It’s a way of assessing the emotional and spiritual impact of events on people, and it provides a different dimension through which to look at the world.”

As part of this development, ownership of Planet Waves FM has been transferred to Planet Waves’ nonprofit arm, Chiron Return, Inc., an organization I founded last year that’s designed to teach media literacy and to train investigative reporters. More news on that when it’s available.

In tonight’s program, I cover the Gemini Full Moon, which is exact Wednesday at 5:44 pm EST (22:44 UTC). This is an unusual Full Moon in that it aligns with the Saturn-Neptune square (first exact contact is Thursday). That, in turn, aligns with several unusual planets — centaur Asbolus, Kuiper object Orcus, asteroid Tantalus and other points.

String Cheese Incident. Something definitely happened.

These in turn align with two black holes, a quasar and a maser — deep space points that crank up the energy and influence of these aspects significantly. Thanks to Alex Miller for helping me suss out those points.

In the second segment I look at the state of the world, covering three stories — the terrorism scare in Europe; the indictment of Jason Van Dyke for first degree murder. Van Dyke shot a 17-year-old back youth named Laquan McDonald 16 times a year ago. And I look at the impact of Turkey shooting down a Russian airplane.

Tonight’s music is by String Cheese Incident, one of the great jazz-rock fusion jam bands ever — another show where the music is worth the price of admission (which is free).

But it’s not free to produce Planet Waves FM. Please become a member, or renew your membership — you will feel good about doing so. Memberships come in many shapes and sizes and range from $7.77 a month to $1,111 a year — and lots in between.

I am planning to be back Thursday with my first in a series of audios introducing the astrology of 2016, part of the Vision Quest series of bulletins.

Catch you then.

With love,

PS — I mentioned that I would link to War Profit Litany — here is that link. But I forgot what else I said I would link to!

Chart for the Gemini Full Moon, which is conjunct a microwave emitting point called a maser; Neptune is conjunct a quasar; the Sun is conjunct a black hole; and there’s another black hole in early Virgo, to which Orcus is forming a conjunction. This is the Deep Space Gemini Full Moon.

Alignments Between Saturn, Neptune and Deep Space Points

Dear Planet Waves Reader:

In my most recent letter, I promised to discuss some of the deep space points involved in Saturn’s transit through Sagittarius. These will factor prominently into Vision Quest [learn more here]. I’ve consulted my colleague Alex Miller, one of the most trusted authorities on these points. First, a bit of housekeeping.

All 12 signs are still available at an excellent discount over the final price of $129. Purchasing all 12 allows you to have information about your Sun, Moon and rising signs, as well as those of your children, and significant others. Vision Quest is one purchase per household, so you may share it with them.

Artist’s conception of a quasar. There is one in Pisces, to which Neptune is currently forming a conjunction. Shown is quasar 3C 279.

My friends the Daniels (Grimsland and Sternstein) are coming over for regular recording sessions on the theme music for the project, largely done on drums and synth.

Those who purchase all 12 signs get the full complement of recordings, samples and experiments, which will be offered separately to everyone else.

These include meditation music, drum dialogs, grooves and some really good guitar and bass.

I am very happy with how the writing is coming out. Thanks to Amanda Painter and Len Wallick, who are covering for some of my other writing duties for a few weeks, I’m finally getting to relax and do this work at a slower pace in a low-stress environment. You will see and feel the results of this rather helpful advance.

As for deep space points. There is a lot more going on than I thought. I was planning to write about the Great Attractor and the Galactic Core, but then some other news came in. Here is the theme: our current astrology is not a passing trend. Rather, it will infuse and enmesh itself into consciousness, rather than seem to pass us by.

You may know that Saturn and Neptune are about to make their first of three exact squares Thursday. When they do, they will be (and are currently) aligned with a black hole in early Sagittarius, a quasar in early Pisces, a maser (microwave emitting point) in early Gemini and another black hole in early Virgo.

Artist’s conception of a black hole.

As Alex wrote to me Friday, “It’s the quasar in the mix on Neptune which grants permanency and high visibility — something you can’t miss, can’t avoid, and it’s entrenched and here to stay.” Quasars emit a LOT of energy. And there is one right behind Neptune, pumping energy into Pisces.

He continued, “As a conjunction, this is inescapable — there’s no place to turn your face away; it’s part and parcel of the new reality. But the associated black hole in Virgo shows something else coming in from left field, something unexpected, disruptive, precedent-setting, record-breaking.”

Said another way, the world is indeed changing, and changing fast and in unexpected ways. Each of these mini-eras we live through is an energy threshold; a turn in the story; or as the current astrology describes, an entirely new evolution of both consciousness and world events — at the same time.

My job as an astrologer is to help you align your aura, and your intentions, with the prevailing opportunities and elements of the environment. Astrology is about environmental studies and making the discoveries of those studies relevant to you, as you make your decisions, right now.

That is the theme of Vision Quest.

In my next letter, I will introduce you to Eris, and the Uranus-Eris conjunction that peaks through 2016 and 2017.

Catch you soon.

W/love

Gemini Full Moon, Your Moonshine Horoscopes, and More

Dear Friend and Reader:

It’s a busy, fascinating week astrologically: in addition to the Gemini Full Moon on Wednesday, Thursday has the first exact contact of the Saturn-Neptune square (in fact, the two events are essentially part of the same pattern). Saturn-Neptune is the aspect Eric has designated as the one calling the tune for 2016.

Light house, dark house, Gemini Moon: duality is in the air. Photo by Amanda Painter.

I’ve covered the astrology for the first part of this week (with a nod to the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S.) in this week’s Monday Astrology Diary. Even if you’re not traveling to see family, the sky is on the move.

Len Wallick has interpreted the Gemini Full Moon in this month’s Moonshine Horoscopes, available here. That page includes a link to the Full Moon chart, as well as a link to find out your Moon sign if you do not know it (though these horoscopes can still be read for your Sun and rising signs, if you like).

Also, if you have any Sagittarius Sun, Moon or Rising friends, you’ll want to pre-order Eric’s Sagittarius Birthday Reading for them now. Wouldn’t want their birthday to get lost in the shuffle, would you?

Elsewhere on the Planet Waves website, Fe Bongolan counters Donald Trump’s cynical, xenophobic assertion that “We need a big and beautiful wall” (to keep out Syrian refugees) the best way she knows how: by coming together with people of various backgrounds to create beautiful, passionate, multi-cultural music together.

Judith Gayle ponders why we seem compelled (collectively) to retreat from our better angels in times of peril; and reminds us that it is by staying present in the here and now (and practicing on ‘neutral’ days), that we can stay centered enough to see fear for what it is, and extend kindness instead.

In this week’s relationships-themed post, relationship coach Blair Glaser describes what begins as a tale of love for a challenging puppy, but actually offers crucial insights about seeing clearly, and embracing, our own limits — and those of others. Just in time for Saturn square Neptune.

Speaking of limits: Amanda Moreno explores the intense disconnect between world events and her own existence, leading her to ask questions: Is this just avoidance behavior? Is it narcissistic? Is she simply embodying her purpose here on Earth? Is it okay if she rubs the heart-space on your back between your shoulder blades?

Pre-order the 2015-16 Sagittarius Birthday Reading here, for yourself or as a gift — only $24.95 until after the reading publishes.

In this week’s tarot reading, Sarah Taylor draws your attention to something that is emerging as a result of a fearless act of inquiry and adventure on your part. This is a baptism of fire, and it’s what a part of you has been searching for.
Can you follow its direction?

Len Wallick had to set aside his usual Tuesday column in order to get your Moonshine horoscopes finished this week, but he’ll be back on the Planet Waves website Thursday as usual, as will I.

(Eric has written your December monthly horoscopes and a great lead essay for the subscriber issue this week.)

Also, look for Madame Zolonga’s final reader-letter column tomorrow on the website at noon. Due to a significant new project on her plate, she will not be able to continue writing for Planet Waves; I expect her holiday-week column to be one you won’t want to miss.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter

Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday and Thursday evening in Kingston, New York, by Planet Waves, Inc. Core community membership: $197/year. Editor and Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Office Manager: Lauren Gdovin. Astrology Editor: Amanda Painter. Astrology Fact Checker: Len Wallick. Copy Editor and Fact Checker: Jessica Keet. Client Services: Amy Elliott. Media Consultant: Andrew Marshall McLuhan. Research, Writing and Editing: In addition to those listed above, Planet Waves is produced by a team consisting of Fe Bongolan, Judith Gayle, Kelly Janes, Amanda Moreno, Carol van Strum, Len Wallick, Lizanne Webb.