"Is Where You Find It," by Via, 1999. Psycherotica Gallery

Copyright ©1999 by Planet Waves Digital Media, all rights reserved. Anyone interested in doing astrological process work with Eric in central Florida this month can take a look at: http://www.PlanetWaves.net/Florida.html.

 

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Aftershocks, afterthoughts

By Eric Francis

......I offer no congratulations to anyone who predicted earthquakes surrounding the Aug. 11, 1999 total solar eclipse, only my deepest regrets to those who lost loved ones in Turkey. On one level, the eclipse chart was a simple statement of disaster, with earthquakes clearly enough indicated by one method I'm familiar with (involving the presence of the Transneptunian Points, or TNPs, in the eclipse configuration). The challenge for astrologers and other people consciously living out the transits (and assorted prophecies) was to find a new interpretation and make it real. In all, I think we did very, very well.

......Cassini Space Probe, bearing enough plutonium fuel to induce lung cancer in 34 billion people, silently shot past our Earth overnight August 17th, before which NASA engineers had wisely doubled its extremely narrow flyby distance. The chances of Cassini re-entering the atmosphere were slim (although not really known), but that is no excuse for NASA to do eight more plutonium space shots now that the European Space Agency has developed excellent deep-space solar technology (details at Cassini Makes It, last week's special edition of Planet Waves).

......Most people I talked to moved through what was, by any standard, an extremely challenging astrological setup in relatively good, at times even excellent, shape. This is because they took the astrology's message on the level of growth and change rather than fate. Herein resides all the difference in the known Universe. Here is all of theology presented in one simple choice.

......Meanwhile, as the events of August peaked the morning of the 11th, throughout the Western world, millions of people were reflecting, praying and meditating -- which means, conscious, awake and aware of the idea of manifestation -- and it's easy to see how this can shape both consciousness and history, especially in such a very potent moment in space-time.

......That we did this without central organization (such as during the Harmonic Convergence of August 1987) shows we're making strides toward the group consciousness that will get us into the Aquarian Age alive and relatively free. We will need a lot more group consciousness for the rest of the trip, however, we are starting to get the idea, and to get hold of our technology, and this will help immensely. Remember each person with a personal computer has networking power far exceeding that of NBC twenty or even ten years ago; we just need to use what we have, and before that, to put our minds in the "om" position (I meant to type "on" position, but it's the same idea!). Technology is useless without creative ideas and a central vision guiding it. Let's shake it loose.

......As regards the Earth shaking and twisting beneath Turkey, there are disasters every hour of every day, but not in which 45,000 people are killed or buried alive in one moment. Yet far more than that number of people leave the planet on a daily basis; far more are born; it's usually of no consequence to us at all, as we live through the stream of hours worrying about whether our kids have someone to pick them up and whether our bosses are mad at us, and when (or how) to pay the car insurance. But the suddenness and centrality of the Turkey earthquake shows us just how close to the edge we really live.

......Yet in contemplating this disaster, notice how quickly it's possible to forget the devastation wrought on the Kosovars in the latest of America's splendid little wars, damage far more painful and, of course, more intentionally murderous than any earthquake -- and done not in a single moment, but rather in a constant, sustained and vicious attack by people on other living people, conducted in a spirit of greed and conquering. Not that biotech (turning fish into tomatoes, turning potatoes into pesticides which we then eat, etc.) is any less of a problem.

.....For you who call yourself spiritual, but mainly on the inside, why not get about the business of dealing with, or at least learning about, world problems? We need your help, and we need, as a culture, to view "spirituality" as more than merely an individual trip through the inner world of meditation, theory and worshipping astral entities, or "being better people." These kinds of devotion may be important, but living spirit strives to take action in what is largely a world of ignorance and indifference, but one filled with living creatures most of whom want to see tomorrow.

......And... what's so great about tomorrow, anyway? When life is merely about survival, not so much. To get from a life based on survival to a life based on community, love and creativity, we need a clear vision, which gives us something to grow into, and more important, something to share with those people struggling for a simple reason to live. ++

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Planet Waves Sign-by-Sign for September

By Eric Francis
Copyright ©1999 Planet Waves Digital Media

Sign dates in Sun-sign horoscopes are always approximate!

ARIES (March 21-April 19)
If there are any compromises to be made, you'll be the one in charge of making sure that everything turns out fairly. This is because not only are you coming from a position of power, not only are you coming from a kind of philosophical high ground to which you are truly dedicated, but also because you see how important it is that the results of what is worked out are, in the end, fair for everyone. Few people comprehend the idea of common issues and shared necessities, and most of them usually let their values go on vacation at least half the time, so the world is always needing people who can maintain awareness of what is simply correct. And since you are approaching what could be termed a day of advent in all matters of love, now is a good time to stay confident in your power. It should not be difficult.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
When the total solar eclipse blacked out the Sun at midday over Europe, the constellations appeared, birds returned to their nests, and the great wandering star Venus shone brightly on the world. The Goddess of love illuminated humanity's gateway into the next world of consciousness, and pointed the way to your true inner home and your only peaceful resting place in this world. There are people who will challenge and inspire you with righteous ideas. There are men and women of great strength whose authority is based on pure power, and with these people you will need, on some level, to reckon. But your inner light is stronger than any promise, any cause, any threat or any "new hope for the future," and this gospel of love is written in your heart, and in the stars.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
If you are not getting the sex you want, stop making such a ritual about it. Obstacles we throw into the way include the acrobatic gyrations we put one another through in a kind of breakneck mating dance, as well as the belief in romantic love, not to mention eternal love, and not to mention an idea lingering in the back of our minds, endorsed by the Pope, that sex has negative spiritual consequences of some kind. The New Age's answer to this is "sacred sex," what you might call Kosher Copulation, and that's a concept best left in the hands of a Robin Williams or a Steve Martin. The only correct prayer before sex is, "Shall we undress?" and the only proper people are those who are certified hot and friendly, not Holy. This and nothing else is sexual healing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)
You'll have to decide whether it's your job to deal with darkness, or to shed light. Both options are available at all times, though habits and existing skills, plus the ever-present lure of conflict, tend to draw us into the cave of peoples' endless shadow-games. You cannot afford to waste precious time as you have quite a bit to accomplish, but attempting to meddle in the negative affairs of others -- especially if they beg you to -- can easily make you sick. Should this temptation find you, my advice is to walk out the door and keep going. Some amazingly wide horizons are calling, there are people who recognize your true worth and value, and you need to be ever-mindful of just how sensitive you really are. Let everyone else be big & bad.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
The only thing that ever wrecks passion is guilt. The only thing that ever messes up life is guilt. The only thing that ever obscures anything is guilt. In very immediate terms, the only thing that ever causes you pain or conceals who you are from yourself is guilt. The most important things to remember about this strange emotion are that it's insidious and masquerades as many things, including as "other people's' guilt." Guilt is not "guilt about," it's merely a generalized sense that you are wrong. Guilt always comes from the past, it is usually the result of having been attacked in the past by guilty people, and it's the basis of all fear, anger, greed and denial. These ideas may not make total sense to you sense now, and you may be feeling quite a bit of pride in who you are, but now is a good time to begin a program of vigilance about the only thing that can ever really hurt you, or obscure the great gifts you have to offer.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
My fire-breathing friend Alex just called me up raging about the state of her relationships. It seems that every guy she has good sex with wants to marry her, i.e., leave a toothbrush behind and watch the game Saturdays -- symbols of true love and alleged commitment. She was brilliantly irate, relating how, the other night, she asked one of her suitors why friendship, dinner and amazing sex weren't enough. "One third of the population goes to bed without dinner," she told him, "another third [I would say more than half] of the population goes to bed without sex, and the other third have this stupid fight. You have both sex and dinner. Why don't you appreciate it?" (And I'm sure it wasn't your ordinary dinner, either.) People don't appreciate it because they want mommy or daddy, not an equal partner. Or, they want security, which means somebody to control. Beware.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22)
We spend a lot of our cultural and individual energy considering ideas about interpersonal relationship, things like one-to-one bonding and friendship. But we don't spend nearly enough energy considering questions of community relationship, that is, the way an individual fits into his or her circle of peers, friends, associates and the public. I fear that we're really stuck somewhere between the 4th and 5th grades on this one (whoever wears Puma Clydes is cool, whoever don't is a jerk), and I suggest you locate and identify this kind of thinking, and call people on it, without hesitation. More to the point, there is a place for you that has opened up in this complicated world, a place you were long working to identify where you can express your actual gifts, and be appreciated for them. The necessity persists that you play your unique role as part of a one-of-a-kind configuration of people -- and assist in the process of bringing other people into this awareness as well.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
As an astrologer, one of the most common life questions I work with my clients on is how to bring their creative talents into line with their professional activities; in other words, how to make money doing what they love. This is frequently viewed as a kind of incidental issue in life that deserves some attention, or a long-term, 'best-case scenario' goal. I'd propose that, for you, it represents the most fundamental evolutionary struggle, particularly at this moment, when you are feeling so much of who and what you are, and so much potential at the same time. The question, as I see it, really boils down to: Do you have a right to BE who you are, and, being who you are, do you have a right to survive on the planet? Sweethearts, this ain't a career issue.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Please be gentle this month. It's important, and it may not be easy. One of the paradoxes of Sagittarius are those eruptions of what some people call bitchiness in what are typically visionary and helpful people. I don't blame you; I have my moments when I want to bite off peoples' heads with righteous delight. However, at the moment, you have more power than you know, and far more than you're accustomed to working with. Ideas you've been involved with for several years are turning from conceptual understandings to thunderbolts, and at the same time, you have more than the usual dose of anger in your body. So please deal with your anger and the people who rely on you separately, and if you're pissed off, just say the words, nice and simple. You can accomplish amazing things this month if you remember that this world does not masters; it needs people who shed light.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
I want to offer a brief meditation on the nature of fear, and ask that you carry the project through the month. I also suggest you have a look at the Leo horoscope, because it will provide information that may become relevant. Looking at fear as a phenomenon, you could say that there are two kinds of the stuff -- fear of the known, and fear of the unknown. Fear of the known we can usually deal with straightforwardly. Fear of the unknown is very often fear of the imagined, but it masquerades as fear of a "possibility," paranoia about the conduct of a secret enemy, repercussions of a past deed, or some such thing troubling your mind. It is possible to reason your way out of this kind of mental twist, but only if you really pay attention, patiently evaluate the content of your mind and forgive yourself for your temporary insanity. For you, the problem with fear is, at the moment, that it will obscure and distort what should rightfully be an awesome sense of vision (as in visionary) coming in through your most subtle channels. But in our crazy world, we often feel very apprehensive about having higher visions for life and love, about knowing how much is possible. For more info, see Leo.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 19-Feb. 18)
Looking at the world through Aquarian eyes, I see this interesting, eccentric, eclectic menagerie of people around you. They are, without exception, powerful, self-aware and highly individualistic people, and were it not for your ability to just look at life and give it a shot of that uniquely Aquarian tolerance and let people be, it would surely be frustrating. But these days, tolerance is not enough -- not for you. Tolerance isn't really an embrace, it's more like a casual tip of the hat, or a near-miss of hostility. What I find fascinating is the configuration of people around you, the peculiar variety, and what they all have in common. They are an intense bunch, no doubt, and you have a lot to learn from getting inside each of their minds and discovering just what it is that makes them tick. You may have to listen for twice as long as you'd think it would take, in any situation you find yourself, including professional and semi-public settings. Far from threatening you, their ideas are likely to make you stronger, wiser and wealthier.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)
You can now make up for what may feel like substantial lost ground this month in your professional life. But the first prerequisite to using these opportunities well is not viewing any of your time as lost time. Your process of soul development, so central to your work, is on a slow, steady track, and Pisces has a very different relationship to the past than anyone else; Pisces relies upon the past to draw nutrients from all of history and the whole diversity of the human family, which very directly feed who and what you are. In these coming weeks, it's important that you do several things well. One is maintain your vision; literally, look all around you all the time, and have a sense of mission as well. Trust your power; you don't need to do much, and this month are likely to be cloaked in a glowing mantle of authority. Next is aim your trajectory. Have a sense of where you are going and how high you need to aim to get there, and whether it's best to undershoot or overshoot in any given moment. Easy does it. Finally, stick to your values. You are the keeper of a vision, and this is why you're here at all. ++

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