Ottawa, June 16, 2006
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A Galactic Moment

EL SOUL is opposite Pluto and the Galactic Core, reaching across 25 through 27 degrees of Gemini between now and the weekend. This means our planet is currently positioned between the Sun and the core of the Milky Way galaxy -- our home. Observers most places on Earth can now see the galactic arms, appearing as cloudy white streaks, spread across the sky at night. The core is located in the sign Sagittarius (both tropical and sidereal). When the Sun is in Gemini as it now is, we look out in the direction of its opposite sign (Sagg) at night.

The precise opposition between the three points -- Sun, Earth, Galactic Core -- is Sunday, June 18 at 3:44 am EDT, 8:44 am BST. This opposition occurs once per year. Then, in the winter, the alignment happens the other way just before solstice, when the Sun conjoins the core, and we get all that strange "holiday season" pressure where time seems like it's going a million miles per hour. Notably, December 18, 2006, there is an unusual alignment of Jupiter, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Pluto and Sun in Sagittarius, joining in what seems like a huge party for the first arrival of Pluto exactly at the core.

But that's in six months. Right now we have our own kind of galactic intrigue associated with a Sun-Core alignment. For example, it happens at the precise moment of a Mars-Saturn conjunction, and with the North Node right on the Aries Point.

Here's wot it looks like:

http://planetwaves.net/chart.php?c=sun_opp_core

How do we interpret these alignments? Hmmm. It's high vibration stuff, for sure, and it's not particularly easy to comprehend intellectually. There's a New Age saying that "love brings up everything unlike itself," so if we wonder why the world is going insane as these alignments with the GC grow in intensity, we may be witnessing that very phenomenon.

We need to watch, study, and learn from the patterns, and create as we go. Every insane behavior we see exhibited in society, or unloving emotion we feel in ourselves, there exists an option for; none of them are mandatory, if we're willing to embrace the source of life. It seems strange to predict too much, much more appropriate to see the possibilities and consider our options. Sometimes the Galactic Core seems too overwhelming to understand -- scientists agree with that statement too, as relatively little is known about it. What can you really say about the center of a galaxy of 300 billion stars?

What is it like when you reach the core, as the stars cluster together and the night sky is as light as the daytime sky? How does time feel at the center, where everything is light? And are the people who live there wondering what it's like to be out on the far-flung edge, where we live, far from what may be our original home?

For the ancient Mayans, life emerged from something they called the Road to Xibalba, which is a dark streak across the center of the galaxy. Part of why 2012 is considered such an crucial date in the Mayan calendar system is because the winter solstice point or first degree of Capricorn comes into very close alignment with the dark band, which is true today even six years before the fact. Each time there's a Sun-Earth alignment with this point -- that is, at each change of seasons, such as right now -- we get a kind of holographic pre-play of what happens in 2012. If we work with this energy consciously, we can learn how to handle it, how to avoid catastrophe, and moreover, how to use it creatively.

Astrology has only recently begun to get acquainted with the GC, and an increasing number of astrologers are factoring it into their work, even if it's not well understood. Philip Sedgwick, a specialist in deep space astrology, proposes that those individuals with the Galactic Core prominent in their chart -- conjunct an inner planet (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Ceres) or an angle (ascendant, descendant, MC/IC) -- reveal a potential link "with whatever is behind all this."

All this, as in the appearance of reality; we all know there is a deeper world, and the prominence of the GC creates or allows access to the feeling of its existence on a personal level. According to Sedgwick, whose views have been summarized in the Astrology Encyclopedia, "When this transpersonal link is ignored, the individual can experience stress and confusion; when it is consciously appropriated, information can be grasped that the individual may seem to have no outward way of knowing."

That sounds like intuitive knowledge; knowledge from the core to which we must listen, in order to keep our bearings. We do have some kind of direct experience when the Sun makes its conjunction or opposition each year.

And we will slowly find out more about this point as Pluto continues to work it over, between later this year and late 2007. We had a close but not exact alignment when Pluto stationed retrograde in late March (part of the 3/29 cluster). The exact, to-the-minute alignments between Pluto and the core are Dec. 29, 2006, July 16, 2007, and Oct. 27, 2007.

Then, it does not happen again until Jan. 24, 2253. And when was the last time? Throughout 1759, as the great revolutions of the 18th century (and the ideas that led to them) were brewing. Here is a link to the dates: http://snipurl.com/rthu

The Galactic Core
http://www.planetwaves.net/cainer/archive/001770.php

Wiki on the Milky Way
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way

Wiki on the Galactic Core
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_Center


Sagittarius Moonwalk

ASTROLOGY usually looks forward, but let's take a look back at the past extraordinary week in world history, when we had a Full Moon in the global sign Sagittarius, very close to Pluto and the Galactic Core, and at the same time experienced a grand cross involving Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Chiron. The grand cross repeats at the solstice June 22 when the Moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Chiron align; simultaneously with the Sun and the lunar nodes aligning on the Aries Point.

You could say the past week was an exercise in global dominance. Note the technology theme that keeps recurring, usually involving control -- that, along with war and more war. This is, of course, only the news that was reported in the mainstream media, and the same issues were largely echoed in the alternative media [blogs and Internet news sites]. We can be sure that many more things happened, but these are the collective issues that came to the attention of people in the western world.

Thursday, June 8 begins our timeline, with full momentum going into the Full Moon, which occurred Sunday, June 11. The grand cross, Venus in Taurus version, was June 8 and 9.

Net Neutrality Backers Suffer Defeat in Congress 08 June 2006 - Congressional Republicans dumped the idea of net neutrality. The rejection of the principle that all data is equal came during a debate on the wide-ranging Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act (Cope Act). Neutrality, the current system, means that all data on the Net travels with the same priority. Big business -- in particular, telecoms -- favor a ranked system where certain data have higher priority, kind of like how a private courier can get your package somewhere faster.

US Envoy John Bolton Threatens To Cut UN Funding 09 June 2006 - In what was perhaps an empty threat, John Bolton, the US envoy to the United Nations, threatened to cut US funding to the UN if a British official failed to apologize for remarks that Bolton said disparaged America. The United States currently owes over $250 million in back payments to the United Nations. John Bolton reportedly turns to a werewolf who gobbles up numerous puppies and kittens each Full Moon.

NSA Eyes Social Networking Sites 09 June 2006 - New Scientist magazine reports that the top secret National Security Agency, the NSA, is funding research on how to harvest information from social networking sites such as MySpace and add them to individual profiles mined from banking, shopping, property, phone and other records. Good thing they're busy fighting terrorism spying on teenagers. What will they spy on next? Oops, don't ask...

Appeals Judges Rule Internet Telecom Fair Game for Surveillance 09 June 2006 - A federal court of appeals ruled in favor of the FCC in a recent government wiretapping case when they determined that ISPs (Internet service providers), broadband providers, and university networks may be legally spied upon. Private research institutions and corporations were exempted in the ruling.

3 Guantanamo Bay Prisoners Commit Suicide 10 June 2006 - Three prisoners at Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba commit suicide by hanging themselves, according to the commander there. Navy Rear Adm. Harry Harris told reporters in a conference call from the US base in southeastern Cuba that the prisoners had "no regard for human life, neither ours nor their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation but an act of asymmetric warfare against us." He really said that.

Taliban Resurgent In Afghanistan 11 June 2006 - The Taliban are regrouping in Afghanistan to the point of claiming dominance in rural areas. Said members of American and Canadian soldiers now part of the NATO force there: "We're not winning against the Taliban." At least we'll have a good supply of poppy for our morning bagels for the next few hundred years.

Bush Drops In To Visit Iraqi Prime Minister 13 June 2006 - US President Bush made a top secret trip to the Green Zone in Baghdad on Tuesday. The meeting was so secret that new Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did not know until moments before the meeting that the US president had paid him a call. We can only wonder if Bush knew where that long flight in Air Force 1 was taking him, or if he thought he was in the White House.

US Teams Compete To Build The Next Nuclear Bomb 13 June 2006 - The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have been working around the clock to design the nation's first nuclear weapon in decades. Congress approved the new bomb with bipartisan support in 2005. A winning bomb will be selected later this year. Sounds like a beauty pageant.

Albert Just Makes It As First Hurricane Of The Season 13 June 2006 - The first hurricane of the 2006 season just barely made hurricane strength on Monday, clocking in at 66 MPH as it steamed toward the Gulf Coast of Florida. You can't really get a speeding ticket for being one mile per hour over the limit. But we have plenty of time for that.

US Opens New War Front in North Africa 14 June 2006 - The US has dubbed Somalia the next front in the "global war on terror," committing $500 million in an effort to counter Islamist factions in that state.  Some observers have predicted that the initiative will be very successful -- at creating more terrorism.

Huge NATO Offensive Against Afghan Insurgents To Start Thursday 14 June 2006 - 11,000 US, Canadian and British soldiers are set to launch the largest offensive since the war being in 2001 against insurgent Taliban fighters in the Southern provinces.  Their goal is not to kill or capture the fighters, but to drive them out of the South altogether.  Casualties on all sides are starting to trickle in.

ACLU Sues Pentagon Over Anti-War Group Monitoring 14 June 2006 - The American Civil Liberties Union sued the US Defense Department on Wednesday to demand information it says the government has collected on groups opposed to the war in Iraq. The group says the Pentagon has been monitoring anti-war groups and individuals and has compiled lists on people it sees as potential threats but who the ACLU says are exercising their free-speech rights.

...and almost as an afterthought:

Karl Rove Off The Hook? 13 June 2006 - Karl Rove's attorney announced on Tuesday that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald had written to say that he "does not anticipate seeking charges" against Karl Rove, leading many to state emphatically that Rove is now off the hook.  Patrick Fitzgerald's spokesman had no comment.


As For That Afterthought

Before I get to the astrology of this, let's set up the story in case anyone has not been following along. Understanding this story will get you an A in 'current events', and the chart is pretty darned interesting.

truthout.org, one of the most popular alternative news portals on the Internet, reported on May 13 that Karl Rove, "Bush's Brain," had been indicted for his role in exposing the identity of a deep cover CIA agent called Valerie Plame Wilson. Somebody high up in the Bush White House did expose her identity, and this was in retaliation for the agent's husband, Joseph Wilson, challenging Bush on whether Saddam Hussein was really developing nuclear weapons.

A special prosecutor was named to investigate and bring charges if necessary; his name is Patrick Fitzgerald. We've done his chart last November. Rove being charged would have been big news -- but truthout seemed to be the only place with the story. Here is what it looked like:

Karl Rove Indicted on Charges of Perjury, Lying to Investigators

    By Jason Leopold
    t r u t h o u t | Report

    Saturday 13 May 2006

    Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald spent more than half a day Friday at the offices of Patton Boggs, the law firm representing Karl Rove.

    During the course of that meeting, Fitzgerald served attorneys for former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove with an indictment charging the embattled White House official with perjury and lying to investigators related to his role in the CIA leak case, and instructed one of the attorneys to tell Rove that he has 24 business hours to get his affairs in order, high level sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said Saturday morning.

    Robert Luskin, Rove's attorney, did not return a call for comment. Sources said Fitzgerald was in Washington, DC, Friday and met with Luskin for about 15 hours to go over the charges against Rove, which include perjury and lying to investigators about how and when Rove discovered that Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert CIA operative and whether he shared that information with reporters, sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said.

    It was still unknown Saturday whether Fitzgerald charged Rove with a more serious obstruction of justice charge. Sources close to the case said Friday that it appeared very likely that an obstruction charge against Rove would be included with charges of perjury and lying to investigators.

This is the kind of story you obviously do with confidential sources, and nobody else could track the story down. Further, truthout.org reported that it was what's a called a "sealed indictment" -- that is, a secret accusation that someone has committed a crime. An indictment or Rove would be a big turning point in the history of the Iraq war, as well as the Bush administration; and everyone it dragged along (England, Canada, Australia and many other countries who have been dragged into this karma).

Mainstream news pretty much ignored truthout's revelation -- however you can imagine that such a story made the big boys pretty nervous, in case they missed it; a lot of people read truthout, and the "legit" news portals did not have it. Nobody else had it. None of the blogs, not RawStory.com, and this created a quite a bit of tension. Instead, many leftie bloggers attacked Leopold for his supposed unreliability and demanded that he come out with his sources. The issue went nowhere till this week.

Then June 13, Luskin issued a statement saying it wasn't so; that Rove, his client, was off the hook.

"I can tell you this: Marc Ash, my editor, has spoken with all of my sources," Leopold wrote in an email to me yesterday. "What we know is this: something went on behind the scenes over the past four weeks as a result of my story that has caused this sudden change in Rove's status. I reported Rove's indictment based on what I was told by all of these sources. We believed it to be true because these sources have proven reliable in the past and have provided us with many of our scoops."

Right -- so what exactly did happen? Perhaps we'll find out. That's what the astrology rather boldly suggests. There are a few possibilities, and we don't know, at this point, whether Rove was in fact indicted at the time, or not. We don't know if he cut a deal with prosecutors. We're pretty much in the dark at this point.

On Wednesday night, truthout.org's editor Marc Ash responded on the site's official blog. Ash wisely took a non-confrontational approach, standing down on the matter, deferring to the mainstream press. However, he has put the matter back into the hands of the mainstream media and the 'blogosphere', which was so critical of the original article by Jason Leopold, several dependable sources for which said Rove had indeed been indicted.

Let's take a look at the chart and see what it says. Note, I originally did the chart for the time truthout anticipated it would post its statement; the actual time turned out to be 68 minutes earlier. I will use the "actual time" chart.

http://planetwaves.net/chart.php?c=truthout_corrected

Mars, the ruler of the ascendant, represents truthout.org. It's exactly conjunct the midheaven -- meaning that truthout.org is now on top of the game. Mars has what's called 'accidental dignity' in this chart. It's not just angular, it's smack splat on the midheaven, to the degree, within one-half degree.

We find Venus, representing Rove and friends, in Taurus, also angular, prominent and well placed in their sign, but square Neptune, meaning there is an integrity problem.

The position the news organization takes in its statement reflects this: essentially, they defer to the mainstream media but call on them to be transparent about their sources and the full text of whatever it is that Figzgerald said about his choice not to prosecute Rove.

This does two things: One, it puts everyone who, yesterday, was on the offensive, into a position where they have to defend the veracity of their story. Two, Marc Ash calls for something that other bloggers (many of whom have been very critical of truthout), have no choice but to sign onto: basically one thing that we can all agree on is that the mainstream media needs to do its job better, and part of that means being honest and using real documents, not just the quote of a lawyer on one side of the story.

One thing that we can all agree on is that we want the truth. So, let's get the truth out.

It is incredible, beyond incredible, really, that nobody in government corroborates the statement of Luskin, the very slickest of Republican lawyers, that his client, Karl Rove, has been cleared of culpability in this matter. The mainstream media is quite literally reporting one side of the story; there is nobody to quote on the other side; Fitzgerald has been silent. There are no documents that have been provided. It's just a lawyer's quote.

At least truthout.org used independent (though admittedly unidentified) sources, and multiple sources.

One last point re the statement of Marc Ash: as you'll read, truthout.org has committed to protecting its sources, no matter how they came to be wrong, no matter who may have put them up to it, no matter what.

It would appear from the chart there is a development that occurs soon. The Moon, ruler of the 9th house (the judiciary) is about to oppose Mars. There appears to be something big brewing, and it manifests soon, very likely in writing. The ruler of the 8th house (the truth itself), Mercury, is occupying the 9th house; the ruler of the 9th, the Moon, is in the 3rd (writing, communication) about to oppose Mars (which represents truthout.org).

I don't know what we're about to learn -- but we're about to learn something, and it's my open prediction that far from this story this disappearing, we will indeed find out what happened, and it will be baaaaaaaaaaack in black and white.


Planet Waves by Eric Francis
for Friday, June 16, 2006- Weekly horoscope 615

Happy Birthday Gemini!

YOU CANNOT rule your mind with an iron will, but you can open up to the flow of creation. You were born at one time of year when the intuitive messages are pouring through the most vividly, as the Earth aligns with the Galactic Core, as it is in these very days. This is a week of pretty extraordinary astrology, and promises to be a correspondingly unusual year of your life.

But much of how things develop involves how you interact with your environment, and how you work your mental patterns. This is a time of enormous change if nothing else, though there remain many possibilities for how that comes into being -- and you get to choose from among them. What you need to remember, pretty much all the time, is that the mental environment is soft and flexible, and responds to gradually applied influences.

There is little you can take for granted, and you need as a result to keep a high level of awareness so that you see your options. it's also necessary that you engage with people in the most gentle and least confrontational way. This, too, will help you sense where you are and notice the possibilities that are open. There are many opportunities for change; it may seem as if the entire universe is conspiring to push you in some way, to compel you to grow, or to

As a Gemini, you need to study the properties of mind, matter and spirit carefully. Your consciousness, the point of focus of your awareness, is what mediates between those three factors, and you're at a stage of growth where you're learning to have a level of mastery in this area of your life. Gemini's are not famous for their ability to focus, particularly on one thing -- and nobody is insisting that you limit yourself. But what you will be acquiring is a certain degree of concentration, which will help you access the deeper layers of your creativity.

While you need to move in slow steps, there are times when it's necessary to make one decision, to let go of one habit, or break one pattern, and that can require direct intervention. Essentially, there comes a moment when it's time to draw the line. This may involve the place that you live, be it the space or the locale, which could be restrictive to you and which you may be wanting to adjust.

Among the more effective ways to shift a life pattern is to work with geography. I know that not everyone can move house or change cities, but anyone can work with physical location or space, and I recommend that you consider this possibility. If you can shift your relationship to your immediate physical environment in a significant way, you will go a long way to the new start that comes with this new year of your life.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
You seem to be under pressure to do something you're not sure you're up for. Where is it coming from? Most likely from inside you. This is why you may feel unable to resist the appeal and passion of this opportunity, even though you know it comes with some significant challenges. One of those is breaking through a creative block that you've been struggling with; some kind of resistance, fear or hesitation about embarking on a particular path of self-expression. Remember that certainty is for what has already happened. The future is unwritten, but the pen and paper of creation are the conscious choices we make each day.
 
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
Financial matters have been taking up too much of your time, and I hope that you've resolved not to worry about what you have no control over. Where you have considerable influence is over your peace of mind, and at the moment that has nearly nothing to do with external circumstances. Feeling safe is an art form, and it takes practice. The more you emanate a sense of safety, the safer the world will seem, both to you and the people around you. If living this way calls for you to walk a fine line, then do it.
 
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
There's wisdom in giving people the benefit of the doubt. Relationships are often based on a surprisingly large number of presumptions, though what you presume is up to you. The choice is essentially between faith and fear. In choosing faith, you thereby preserve the delicate balance that holds your relationships together. And you give yourself time to factor the emotional conditions of people close to you. Lately they've been more delicate than they seem on the outside. Thankfully, the edgy quality of the past few days has worn off and you can now attend to work-related matters you've been delaying.
  
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You can work miracles marshalling the resources you need to make your life work. Yet it's vital that you remember how well you've always done in this area, lest you forget that you're not attempting anything strange, new or different -- just working on a larger scale, with more at stake. At any new stage of growth, there are challenges particular to that zone of reality, and it's clear that the planets are calling on you to grow up and take on your role of creator. Remember, your confidence with money is a reflection of how you feel about yourself. Let it be your mirror.
 
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
You know your intentions are pure. No matter what anyone may say or think, you're in touch with your sense of commitment and the underlying feelings that motivate you. And motivating you is exactly what they're doing. But you may be a bit self-protective at times, and ready to defend your territory. If anyone should question you, I suggest you find out more about how they're feeling and why, rather than respond defensively. Just that alone will be an enormous help, ease any tensions and provide you with both insights and creative fuel.
 
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
Think of it this way: when you succeed at your most precious goals, what do you want to take with you? Do you want to bring the concerns, fears and self-judgments that may have troubled you at an earlier phase of your life? Or do you want to bring the creative passion you used to envision your future? This is not such a difficult question to answer, if you ask it. But to ask means facing a whole level of fear that is, itself, often an obstacle. Remember, the dark corner of your mind is not as dark as you may imagine. If you look, you will see.
 
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
Moving as quickly as you are, driven by the passion that's pushing you, you're vulnerable to being deceived. It's not that anyone in particular is being less than honest, but you need to be careful that you're not seeing the world you want, rather than the world that is. Don't guess. Get the facts, and think carefully about what people say to you -- and what you say to them. The next few weeks will make it clear who your friends are and who they are not, but if you consider carefully today, that will be obvious -- and at the moment, it's important information.
 
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
You now have an amazing opportunity to resolve an old issue that's held you back for a long time, perhaps for years. It involves being fixated on a goal or concept of yourself in the 'real world'. What you may not have considered is the extent to which this involves gaining someone else's approval for goals and objectives that are rightfully yours and yours alone. You might not recognize it as such. I suggest you look carefully at any relationship where power is a factor, and notice how you respond. This counts for those 'above' and 'below' you. Even if everyone is not strictly equal, everyone deserves respect, and you get to set the example by respecting yourself.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
You may feel alone with a particular point of view, like you're the only person who could possibly understand. Don't let that thought go too far. You're surrounded by sympathetic people. It's just that you may not recognize who they are, which is another way of saying you need to find out. Make no assumptions -- listen closely to the words people say, and the tone in which they speak, and you will know what they feel and to a great extent, who they are in your life. At the moment, you need people around you who wholeheartedly support your faith in yourself. Keep them close by, and keep any spoilers well at bay.
 
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
The heat and intensity seems to be rising on a business arrangement or financial situation, and I suggest you delay any decision as long as possible. You're under too much pressure to make a clear decision, and from what I can see, you're missing large parts of the picture. Opinions don't count for data at this point. The longer you wait, the more you'll know -- and the less urgent action will seem. Remember, if you can: time is on your side, and you can use that time to clear up old business and tie up any loose ends you could trip over in the future.
 
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
You seem to understand intuitively that what's happening now requires a soft touch and a receptive ear. This will help soothe the energies and turn a potentially tense moment into one where those involved have an opportunity to learn something about themselves and one another, and to earn one another's respect. There are times when your ability to work well with a group comes in handy, as does your experience as a negotiator. This is one of them. Just make sure that while you're facilitating life around you that you have the help and support you need, which mainly means a good listener to help you sort things out.
 
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You've arrived at the end of a long cycle of work and commitment, and it's very nearly time for a change. I think you've felt this intuitively; it seems like so many factors have you at a balancing point, a place of reviewing your commitments, and of re-balancing your life. A whole new phase of creative experience is around the corner. It's just that at the moment you may not be able to see quite what that is. So I suggest you be patient, pace yourself, and look for those transcendent windows in the here and now that take you through from one phase of your creative life to the next.