How Not to Go Insane Dear Friend and Reader: Based on even a cursory reading of the news, or listening to anyone speak for more than five minutes, the mental health problem is now obviously at the pandemic scale. Random acts of violence, the lack of the obligation to make any sense, and a frantic feeling that seems to be soaking through society are just a few clues of its existence.
The political conventions have spun out nonstop gossip while the real issues -- among them, what is happening to the natural environment around us, and how many people are struggling to get through the day -- are largely ignored. I've noticed that it's not fashionable to talk about difficulty. Complaining is one thing; that's always popular. To actually open up about one's personal struggle seems to violate the "it's all good" rule. Opening up also necessitates vulnerability, and courage, and these things are in short supply at the moment. As a result, my sense from listening and observing is that many people are holding in a lot: of pain, of anger, of fear, of confusion. Many, many people struggle daily with depression, often without understanding it and having no idea what to do about it. What I've also noticed working as a personal astrologer for people in recent years is a struggle with purpose. Many people want to do something but don't know what to do. Many feel called to action but don't know what action to take. Part of that paralysis involves looking into the chaos of the planet and not seeing anywhere they can possibly make a difference, have an influence or make a living. Yet I think that most of it involves the inner relationship, which is a dangerous thing these days. I say that because many people fear they are holding in so much that to open up even a little would be to let it all out. Therefore, the supposed answer is to hold on and try to keep control. If you're wondering why things seem so anal these days, that's part of it (so too is humans trying to act like computers). What I'm describing is not affecting all people to the same degree. Obviously there are people who are doing well: who have a dry roof, food and a gig, and who feel pretty good most days. My purpose here is to speak to those who want to be doing better, by which I mean living a little more in balance, more connected, and living closer to a tangible healing process.
To sum up, the 'net is inducing a disembodied state of existence. Part of what is driving the confusion and indeed the violence is a lack of connection to the body and its purpose. I've quoted Eric McLuhan, the son of Marshall McLuhan, a few times lately, and I'll do it again today, because one of the problems we're having is remembering what happened yesterday. For reference to an ancient document from the remote and foggy past, here is an article on the topic from June 23. In that article, Prof. McLuhan said: "The body is everywhere assaulted by all of our new media, a state which has resulted in deep disorientation of intellect and destabilization of culture throughout the world. In the age of disembodied communication, the meaning and significance and experience of the body is utterly transformed and distorted." It may not be easy to see the connections here, though it makes more sense if you know even a little about how the impact of something like the typewriter or the telephone transformed both society and how people think of themselves. This issue goes back long before the internet, but it's now exploded to the degree where it's uncontainable. There is no turning back. There is only the potential to find some new form of meaning, some new relationship with the body, in the midst of the chaos that we have created. This is possible, though it's going to require many different learning curves, including discovering or remembering how to communicate with one another about things that matter. Most New Age religion emphasizes being out of body rather than in your body and in your circumstances. It's designed to be easy and to provide a sense of relief. Yoga fits this pattern in that as currently practiced most of the time, it seems to be devoid of its philosophical and spiritual content; it reaches all the way into the other side of the polarity, in its own way denying the need to integrate living and how we respond to it with our minds.
"Only human beings have come to a point where they no longer know why they exist. They don't use their brains, and they have forgotten the secret knowledge of their bodies, their senses, or their dreams. They don't use the knowledge the spirit has put into every one of them; they are not even aware of this, and so they stumble along blindly on the road to nowhere -- a paved highway which they themselves bulldoze and make smooth so that they can get faster to the big empty hole which they'll find at the end, waiting to swallow them up. It's a quick, comfortable superhighway, but I know where it leads to. I've seen it. I've been there in my vision, and it makes me shudder to think about it." I think that on one level, it's possible to "keep it positive" and not worry about this stuff -- you know, all of society and where it's headed and all of that. Actually starting the conversation involves taking a pause from the drug of our era, which is hope. The minute you look directly at the issues, it's easy to feel hopeless. That tension between hope and hopelessness is putting people under a lot of pressure, because there is no reconciling the two states of mind. Neither is either of them especially useful as a tool; they both lead away from tangible perception or decisions. Let's use astrology to get a few ideas about how to handle existing in this environment. Astrology gives clues to specific aspects of the background energy, so that you don't have to take it all at once. Those aspects can then be related to one another and a more complete picture formed. You might recognize some elements of your state of mind in these descriptions. Uranus conjunct Eris (2016-2017, with a very wide time orb, perhaps 2011-2020). This is the big aspect that's driving most of the current environmental conditions, particularly digital conditions. The most recent conjunction was in Aries in 1927-1928 at the dawn of the electronic media age. Such has now come full circle.
That was the unleashing of mayhem if anything was, complete with lots and lots of uranium. One of the properties of digital conditions is mass amnesia. It's a little like that scene in One Hundred Years of Solitude where everyone forgets the past and the town fortune teller has to remind everyone what has already happened, rather than predicting the future. This was Gabriel Garcia Marquez being ironic, though it's a poignant image now (particularly as an astrologer who often references history, reminding people of where they just were and why it matters). This amnesia also refers to self-knowledge, which people seem to be forgetting at a rapid pace. You might say that this aspect describes the relationship between self and self, and self and society under the influence of the internet. Through the early summer of 2016 we experienced Mars, at the end of its retrograde, making a long aspect to the conjunction, provoking all kinds of identity-seeking through violence. This aspect is quite literally behind everything we are experiencing, and it reaches well into the future; it's calling for fully conscious and mindful adaptation. It is not describing society as much as something about your state of mind as influenced by society. Uranus is about both technology and groups; the quest here is to maintain awareness of who you are in both of those contexts.
Chiron square Pholus (Pisces to Sagittarius, 2016-2019). Chiron and Pholus are the first two discovered centaur planets. Centaurs represent non-ordinary states of consciousness, and they describe healing processes. There are several points of tension between Chiron and Pholus in this equation. Pholus represents the uncontained release. Chiron represents a gradual process of development or healing. The square, seen one way, represents Chiron trying to get a grip on the out-of-control reaction of Pholus. You might think of Chiron as working to slow down the flow and deliver an appropriate dose of whatever Pholus is dispensing. This can be any medicine that is used properly, or abused. (Specifically, Pholus might represent the perfect homeopathic dose, or drunkenness with chaos ensuing. It all depends on the circumstances. But a substance is often involved.) What is interesting is that Pholus is conjunct the Galactic Core. The 'medicine' that's flowing through is galactic consciousness, whatever that means. My take is that the Galactic Core is the homing signal we pine for. It's a direct spiritual calling in the form of a feeling-tone or instinct. The problem with Pholus is that it may come across as an overwhelming longing, or as nothing at all. Pholus may represent a cause so subtle that nobody connects it to its effects. (The Galactic Core can work like this as well.) Chiron, square the Galactic Core, is a reminder that this energy is coming from inside of us, rather than from the outside or from some external thing.
One last thought. Chiron in Pisces is describing a kind of highly focused erotic sensation, and a calling for sexual healing, that's an answer to the mystical longing of Pholus in Sagittarius. This is another version of the need to integrate psychic experience (meaning mental and emotional) with physical experience. All the many forms of the seeming mind-body split are more perilous now than ever. How do you do this? Slowly and gently -- but steadily and dependably. You don't need to "take it all on." You merely need to leave your awareness open enough to have a sense of what's going on around you and within you. Chiron in particular rewards paying attention. Pholus rewards the conscious choice not to be reckless, and to use mind-altering substances appropriately. Saturn square Neptune, with Mars involved (August 24, 2016, with an orb of 2015-2017). This is a real mash-up, between three entirely distinct kinds of planetary energies. We see another example of the physical and the psychic acting on one another with the Saturn-Neptune square. Saturn is the planet of form and structure; Neptune is the planet that dissolves forms and structures. Saturn is about practical, tangible reality; Neptune is what you dream, imagine or hallucinate. When the two get together, old things dissolve and new ones are synthesized.
This aspect pattern describes circumstances that call for careful handling, because it describes something that looks explosive. If there are any actual large explosions around this time, they are symbolic of the pressure we are under, and are trying to release. This is an aspect that says blow off as much steam as you can, in advance of its arrival. If you're facing an important decision, be mindful of that, and start to create options for yourself. Most of all, if you're in denial about something, open up that door before it's blown open for you. Mars-Saturn-Neptune can be brilliantly progressive if you use it consciously. And that contains one of the keys about how not to go insane: recognize your resources, and use them with awareness. Recognize how you feel, and respond appropriately. Lovingly,  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. Designer: Lizanne Webb. Finance: Victoria Pomante. Astrology Editor: Amanda Painter. Astrology Fact Checker: Len Wallick. Copy Editor and Fact Checker: Jessica Keet. Eric's Assistant: Cortney Britton. 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, Kelly Janes, Amanda Moreno and Carol van Strum.
 The Purple Party Bus, part of the UpToUs Caravan, on the road in Nebraska. Photo: Ethan Au Green.
UpToUs Caravan Heads to PhiladelphiaBy Amy E. Jacobs Amy Jacobs is currently driving from the western US toward the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. This is the second article in her series. You can read the first one here. At about 7:30pm on Tuesday, a school-bus sized purple RV pulled up outside the Boulder Theater in downtown Boulder, CO, to cheers from the small crowd outside. The orange "#UPTOUS" painted on the back window declared its affiliation. Parked on the streets were more cars with similar decorations, like "#SeeYouInPhilly" and "Make the Movement Move." In front of the theater doors, an impromptu performance was starting to go down: there was a violin, a guitar, a banjo, some dancing, and a catchy chant of "it's up to us!" that grew in volume for a few minutes before dissolving. It had rained earlier in the evening, and at one point a double rainbow appeared, framing the scene on the sidewalk in a brightly colored arch. Read more...  Sun in Leo: Keeping House in Your Heart By Amanda Painter "Let Love Rule" is a catchy slogan, and the title of an old Lenny Kravitz song. Yet putting it into actual practice belies its surface simplicity to reveal how much work and adjustment and self-awareness it can take.
Or we try to, but so much can get in our way, not least of all ourselves. As we head into the weekend, the astrology seems to suggest both that we let love rule, and that we do the requisite 'housecleaning' and adjustment to allow that to happen. We just experienced a beautiful Full Moon on Tuesday with the Sun in Cancer and the Moon in Capricorn, each late in their signs. So domestic cleaning/restructuring might already be in the works for you, though that might only be a metaphor. The Moon is currently in Aquarius, and on Friday at 4:35 am EDT (8:35 UTC), it ingresses Pisces -- a sign of deep emotion and sensitivity. Just less than an hour later, while the Moon is still in the first degree of Pisces, the Sun will enter Leo at 5:30 am EDT (9:30 UTC). This puts us in the heart of summer, the peak of the season. It's fitting, since Leo is said to rule the heart (this sign also relates to pride, drama, compassion, gold, courage, consciousness of self and leadership -- Leo is associated with kings -- among other things). Additionally, Leo is the only sign represented by a star: our Sun, the heart of our solar system. Yet the heart is not always as simple a place from which to live as we would like it to be -- or as straightforward as pop songs would lead us to believe. We often have to adjust our expectations around love and compassion when we deal with the wider world, and also within ourselves. How often have you felt like you've come up short in your ability to offer or receive gifts from the heart? How often have people you care about, or humanity as a whole, disappointed you in that regard? In Planet Waves FM this week, Eric Francis describes the Pisces Moon in conjunction to asteroid Pallas and centaur Nessus as shining a light on the way political dramas are reflecting our personal dramas. He suggests that we take care of our 'stuff' (that is, personal emotional baggage and abusive patterns) and then take care of each other.
We get blind-sided by a blind spot leftover from our childhood (Leo is also the sign of children) and react harshly. And so on. Yet what I've just described also illustrates the relationship the Sun and Moon will have (if briefly) on Friday: one of adjustment, as the Moon continues to reflect a good deal of the Sun's light back to us. The Leo Sun and Pisces Moon will be quincunx each other; that is, one sign off from an opposition. It's a fairly useful aspect -- less about direct confrontation or intense internal pressure, and more about acknowledging what you learn and shifting accordingly. Additionally, in the first degree of Leo with the Sun is an asteroid named House. Taking its name at face value, you might consider what kind of housekeeping -- both literal and figurative -- is calling your heart this weekend. To borrow from Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, what brings your heart joy? Obviously the things, people, ideas and interactions that bring you joy are ones to keep and surround yourself with. But just as we all have material stuff we keep but don't really need, and which gets in the way of enjoying our living spaces fully, so too do we all have emotional patterns, baggage and blind-spots that clutter our hearts. They can be very difficult to recognize and release without help; and even harder to accept as part of the complex, whole selves that we are, deserving of love regardless. Sometimes letting love rule means admitting there are some corners of the 'house' that need to be put in order, and that will repeatedly ask you to shine a little more light on them. It's okay -- the Sun has plenty to spare, no matter what sign its in.   Orders of Magnitude Beyond the Perfidy of Nixon "There comes a time when you have to say, 'we have to wake up'. This could be like Germany in the early '30s, or Italy in the early '30s and the world cannot afford that again." -- Ken BurnsHistorian and filmmaker Ken Burns generally tries to remain neutral in his documentaries. But as he told CNN's Christiane Amanpour Tuesday night in an interview, even though he is not speaking out as 'a Democrat' but rather as an American citizen who loves his country, it is time simply to say no to the lies, proto-fascism and fear-mongering Donald Trump is employing and flaunting to incite hate and misguided hysteria in this country. Part of the problem is that the complexity of our country's problems -- and of the problem of Trump's candidacy -- cannot be solved through simple 'othering'; they must be addressed with thoughtful, complex solutions and a media willing to be responsible to facts and historical context. Yet the speed of the Internet is not helping us, as Eric has suggested and Burns reiterates: "Things that would occupy weeks of our conversation now are spoken and then forgotten in a day or so. And what happens is, we begin to accrue a sense that the truth doesn't matter anymore. We don't think that. "We're absolutely certain we know what the truth is. But when you hear somebody lie over and over again about almost every aspect of this campaign, it's really hard to keep up with it. And I think that's where the historians are taking a big time-out and saying, look, we have to look at this." The interview is only eight minutes long. Watch it here, and share it widely.   Artist Trina Merry writes, "Bodypaint is an ancient art form and the use of ochre on the skin dates back 425,000 years and has a deeper part in all of our cultures than people tend to realize. Painting on the body is a distinctly human experience; it creates a special connection to a person that other visual art forms have trouble accomplishing." Pictured: Leo from We Are All Made of Stars: Astrological Symbols.
Art with a Heartbeat By Amanda Painter Artist Trina Merry works as a body painter. And although people often think of the art form as purely decorative or done mainly for competitions, Merry appreciates its fleeting nature and the questions that provokes -- as well as the immediacy and intimacy (though it is not erotic for her) of working with the human body as a canvas: "This work has a heartbeat and a breath -- it is dynamically alive. The ephemeral nature of bodypaint forces focus and reflects on the reality of existence, which is an incredible thought that I find myself reflecting on frequently while working." Merry's series of astrological symbols -- created by painting on many bodies configured together (can you spot them all?) -- is what first caught the eye of my colleagues at Planet Waves. Yet her work includes commercial projects, personal commissions and series such as "Human Sculpture" and "Camouflage" that involve her exploration of meaningful locations around the world -- at the same time that she explores her inner world.  This Week on Planet Waves FM Capricorn Full Moon Festivities at the RNC Dear Friend and Listener: In this week's astrology-rich program [play episode here], I start with the Republican National Convention now developing in Cleveland. Were it not so serious, it would be funny -- well, on second thought, it's managing to do both at the same time.
In the next two segments of the program, I look at a series of medium-range aspects and events: forthcoming Mars conjunct Saturn in Sagittarius; Mars conjunct Saturn square Neptune (the full pattern, coming up in late August); Jupiter ingressing Libra in early September; the Chiron-Pholus square (2016-2019); and a new look at the Uranus-Eris era. My musical guest is the incomparable Wilco, who surprised their fans today by introducing a new song from their forthcoming album. I play that piece (called "If I Ever Was a Child") and a few others from their immediately prior CD, Star Wars. Remember to sign up for the best price on BALANCE, your 2016 midyear reading. Additional information is here, or below. Thank you to our members, subscribers and customers for keeping Planet Waves FM thriving and on the air. We have an ad-free format -- we rely on nobody but you for our sponsorship support. Here are your membership options. Thanks for tuning in! Happy Full Moon. The chart is featured on the Planet Waves FM page. With love, Planet Waves TV: Global Madness and the Cap Full Moon
In this edition I look back at the past two weeks of global insanity, and put it in the context of the current astrology. The first chart I look at is that for the Nice, France, incident. Then I look at the Capricorn Full Moon chart, an event exact Tuesday. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Balance: Everyone Needs a Mental Vacation In a few days I'm about to begin the process of doing 12 presentations, one for each of the Sun and rising signs, that covers the rest of 2016. One of the main events of late 2016 is that Jupiter enters Libra, so I'm calling this reading BALANCE.
These readings are designed as a moment of respite; and a moment to genuinely reflect on your own life -- with the added gift of astrology helping you tune in to the moment, and your inner environment. This is the gift of astrology: to provide a way into your inner realm, no matter what may be distracting you outside yourself; or no matter what may be on your mind from the past. We live in tumultuous times, but also exceedingly rich ones, for those who can see the potential. I am here to help you recognize the possibilities that a time of exceedingly fast change opens up, and help you find the inner resources to make the most of our moment. Another main aspect that I'll be covering is the Saturn-Neptune square, about which I have not said enough. This event peaks in late August with Mars passing through the territory; Mars will make a simultaneous conjunction to Saturn and square to Neptune. This can be incendiary; it can also be introspective, igniting a new level of awakening. For Chiron fans, I will look in particular at Chiron in Pisces square Pholus in Sagittarius. This puts the first two centaurs together with the Galactic Core, offering a unique kind of healing opportunity. Chiron in Pisces is our saving grace right now. And it has a special message about balance for us -- in particular about integrating containment and release.
My intention is to offer you ideas for getting in touch with yourself: ideas you may have already thought of but forgotten in the chaos and distraction of life, or ideas that may be new. I will build on themes introduced in previous readings, though taking them right into our strange, wild moment. I strongly suggest accessing all 12 signs, so that you get multiple perspectives (Sun, Moon, rising sign, and those of relationship partners). I'm planning to have these done by the second week of August. We will use our graduated price program, where the earliest purchasers get the best deal. The introductory price of $47 for all 12 will be valid through July 27, when we'll raise it to $57. The final price will be $77 once the readings publish -- and they will be well worth every penny of that. Thank you for taking advantage of the work that I do, and for doing your best to be spiritually aware and living in these very challenging times to be alive.  Natal chart of Marshall McLuhan (set for noon) has been hanging over my kitchen counter for a year, waiting for this day. McLuhan was a Cancer, so this is the perfect place for his chart to adorn.
A Note About Our Spiritual Grandfather
Mystic, Inventor: The Natal Chart of Marshall McLuhanToday would be the 105th birthday of Marshall McLuhan, professor of English and philosopher of media. I've been writing lots and lots about McLuhan's ideas the past couple of years, as he's the one philosopher who provided enough information to understand both astrology and the internet.
He was a thinker, but more than that, he was a feeler. That is to say, much of his intellectual power came from what is now called emotional intelligence. We see this many ways, including his Venus in Virgo. One of the most striking things about Grandpa's chart is that his natal Sun is exactly to the degree opposite Uranus. The planet that arrived with the age of electrical technology, Uranus is famous for standing out in the charts and lives of inventors and inventions from the light bulb to the airplane. He did indeed invent something, which is a conscious analysis of the impact of media. It's also famous for sparking revolt: he was a revolutionary indeed. His natal Sun is also conjunct Neptune (though somewhat loosely; but a six-degree conjunction to Neptune is certainly enough to give you plenty of affinity for the mystical realm). Reading McLuhan is like a primer in metaphysics, even though he's often writing about advertisements, typewriters and television sets. Truly, he leaves most self-styled occult writers in the shade. McLuhan was a bona fide mystic, and a devout Roman Catholic, reading from the Bible in multiple languages every morning to get warmed up.
His writing may seem circumspect until you bring your own mind, your own questions and your own answers to the table. Then, his work feels as practical and grounded as Saturn in Taurus. But to get the benefit, you have to do the work. He provides the tools. He was a traditionalist: he went from the explication of Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce and Ezra Pound, to the analysis of contemporary forms of communication and their resulting environments -- though using the same basic analytical techniques. Using these techniques, he seemed prescient. He once wrote that some day, a computer will track everything that happens to a stick of gum. He might as well have been describing Amazon Prime or the tactics of Google. His work is, in my view, one of the greatest intellectual accomplishments I've ever had the pleasure of encountering or benefitting from. Thanks to Grandpa, I now consider astrology to be a form of environmental study. The environment is invisible until you tune in and notice it; a perfect description of astrology, and this is the overarching theme of his work. Happy birthday Grandpa! Thanks for all the beautiful, useful ideas you gave us. We might be totally lost in this digital haze if not for you. -- Eric Francis Coppolino  Your Monthly Horoscopes -- and our Publishing Schedule Notes Your extended monthly horoscope for July was published Thursday, June 23. We published your extended monthly horoscope for June on Thursday, May 26. We published your Moonshine horoscope for the Capricorn Full Moon, by Len Wallick, on Thursday, July 14. Len's Moonshine Horoscope for the Cancer New Moon was published Thursday, June 30. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign.  EDITOR'S NOTE -- Amy Elliott, one of our editors and ship's mates, has recently emerged as a horoscope writer. She's both genuinely literate and a student at the Faculty of Astrological Studies (alma mater of Jonathan Cainer) -- and I absolutely love her interpretations (which factored prominently into Vision Quest, the 2016 annual edition). She's written the weekly horoscope for this week. -- Eric Francis Weekly Horoscope for July 21, 2016, #1109 | By Amy Elliott
     Photo by Greg Willis.
Best of the best. Very deep and thought provoking material. He always hits a deep chord. -- Kristy Pokorny Any work produced by Eric Francis is almost invariably followed by a comment like Kristy's -- words that show just how powerfully his unique and perceptive ideas inspire our readers.
Eric's 2016-17 Leo Birthday Reading is your opportunity to use some of that insight to kick-start your solar year. Mars will soon re-enter Sagittarius, your house of creativity and doing what you love. If you're looking for that spark of motivation, or just want to discover the potential in the year ahead, this reading in audio and video could be just what you need. Pre-order your birthday reading by tomorrow (July 22) to lock in the bargain price of just $19.97.        
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