Dear Friend and Leader:

Lately I am hearing the discussion about 2012 happen just about every day. The concept of this being an important year was introduced to popular culture by Jose Arguelles at the time of the Harmonic Convergence in 1987. His work is inspired by Mayan astrology, and in that system we experience a turnover in the calendar, which -- so far as I have been able to discern, from the best source I have -- reaches the date 13.0.0.0.0 on Dec. 21. 2012.

Part of Chichen Itza ruin complex in the Yucatan part of Mexico at the height of the Mayan civilization some 1500 years ago. Photo by Michel Mintaka.

That 13 at the front tells us that on the winter solstice of 2012, the 13th baktun will have ended. A baktun is 5,125 years and five of them represent a "great cycle" -- the precessional cycle of about 26,000 years. (Our scientists still cannot calculate an exact length of one precessional cycle.) This is one full wobble of the Earth's axis, which makes the backdrop of the cosmos seem to slide along and which causes the astrological ages to change.

When you hear about the "Age of Aquarius" that is a reference to precessional movement. There are no exact dates when the astrological ages begin and end (though it's pretty clear from the early Christian iconography that we were in the Age of Pisces at the time of the presumed birth of Jesus/Joshua). Generally when people talk about an astrological age, they are making reference to the position of the Sun on the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This will come about one day earlier every 70 years. However, a Mayan scholar and philosopher named John Major Jenkins has proposed that what we need to be looking at if we want to understand the Mayan system is not the first day of spring but rather the first day of winter -- the position of the Sun at the Winter Solstice. That would be the position of the Sun on the first day of Capricorn, which incidentally is where Pluto is hanging out lately.

When you look at that, you find that it aligns closely with the center of our galaxy, and this, he says, is where we need to be getting our information. Because of the Earth's wobble, that position is retrograding towards the Galactic Center and in particular the dark band at the center of the galaxy, which is known to some modern-day Mayan thinkers as the Road to Xibalba. It is the mythical opening to another dimension, the Mayan underworld; and the symbolism is distinctly yonic in nature. Cave systems in Belize and Guatemala have also been referred to as the entrance to Xibalba, though one physical expression referred to by K'iche' peoples is the dark rift which is visible in the Milky Way.

Jose Arguelles - Closing the Cycle Seminary, Rome - Italy. Photo by Frank DaSilva.

Let's set aside the Mayan symbolism for now and consider the Western astrology on the road to 2012. As of June 1, 2009 we are exactly 1,300 days from the winter solstice of 2012. During that time we experience many significant changes. For example, Uranus, Neptune and Chiron all change signs. We recently experienced the sign change of Pluto, which transited from Sagittarius to Capricorn (where it will remain until about 2023). As the other outer planets follow suit, our perception of the world will shift again and again with each of the transits.

Then there exist a wide diversity of aspects that tell the story. The most significant of which is occurring right now, as you read this: Chiron conjunct Neptune in Aquarius. Jupiter also happens to be in the mix and even through June these planets are within one degree. Through the month of June they remain in an exact conjunction. My sense is that this is astrology that will shape our time in history. More to the point, it is helping open up a new dimension of reality wherein we have increased creative authority over our lives. And we can, together, create a space where we can meet in psychic space and physical space and restructure our patterns of social interaction.

When we talk about the need for humanity to get free of its current moribund spiral descent into fear and self-repression, materialism and darkness, opening up such a living space, and recreating our relational patterns, is essential.

Aquarius, where this conjunction is taking place, is the sign of both mental and social patterns. Neptune, which has been there for a decade, has melted away the structure of our old patterns, though for many introducing a layer of pure fantasy, media haze and drug haze that makes it impossible to see reality. Chiron focuses Neptune energy, at once applying it precisely and providing an antidote, if necessary. Chiron is like a utility that helps us work with the energy of the outer planets.

Its conjunction to Neptune draws in and clarifies Neptune energy like a laser, which can be applied to awareness, to healing and to creative endeavors. Jupiter adds a wisdom factor, the quality of expansion and a global theme.

A group taking part in the "Harmonic Convergence" perform their sacred dance in the grounds of the ruined 14th century Chapel of St Michael. Credit: Topham Picturepoint.

This aspect is big, and it is rare that we actually get to live through astrology consciously as it shapes our generation. Such is one of the powers granted by the Internet, and I am certain that the Net is one of the most important platforms for the changes we are witnessing. Yet what I am really describing is an entirely natural network in consciousness that is opening up and that we can access. I described this recently as a phenomenon of 6th dimensional morphogenetic fields in my weekly magazine.

This aspect holds well into 2010 and is a threshold to what follows next, leading to the first full-on 2012 astrology, which occurs in June 2012: the Venus transit of the Sun, and Uranus square Pluto. The Venus event is a precise conjunction to the disk of the Sun, a rare event the Mayans revered. Uranus square Pluto is astrology that says liberation and revolution like nothing we have seen since the mid-1960s.

While there is a lot of noteworthy astrology on the way to 2012, that is the year that the really interesting movement begins. However, I can assure those who wish to participate in the strange, the new and the unworldly will find plenty of intrigue and growth opportunities as these aspects unfold on the road to Xibalba.

All in all, what we need to give up is our attachment to our fears, our defenses and inert fantasies. We don't need to give these things up all at once -- the place to start is with our commitment to them. What I am saying here is that the reason we tend to have so much negativity in our lives is because we're attached to it. That doesn't mean we want it, but it does mean we tend to cling to it like it was some precious thing to be proud of, rather than something to let go of and embrace the framework of the next phase of reality.

One other crucial quality we must embrace is the feminine side of our brains, meaning our body and our consciousness. I don't mean gender bending, but rather a true encounter and integration with the biophilic (sensitive to all of life) quality that is distinctly female. I would propose that this is something essential particularly for women; through this process they can bring in their natural healing gifts and allow them to flourish.

The following is an abbreviated list of events between now and 2012. More examples are available at PlanetWaves.net.

Chariklo square Chiron (2009-2012).

These are two very small, meaningful planets orbiting our Sun in the relatively new centaur class. They are currently in a square (90-degree) aspect. This aspect repeats in seven separate events between now and 2012, and as such is a constant companion along the way. The square is currently from Scorpio to Aquarius. It will gradually shift to an aspect between Sagittarius to Pisces.

The Milky Way near Cygnus showing the lane of the Dark Rift which the Maya called the Xibalba be or Black Road.

In mythology, Chiron and Chariklo were consorts; she was a nymph and the wife of the famous surgeon, healer and mentor. Their story contains none of the philandering, mockery and hubris that is so common to the Greek myths. Yet they endure the many pains of the world and endure the flaws of both humanity and the gods. Chiron is about healing processes that benefit from or demand the raising of awareness and a humble approach to life, as tempered by awareness of both mortality and immortality.

In a square aspect, they are here to help us work out a dynamic in our relationships that is held internally. Our issues with fear, abandonment, psychic pain, physical sickness, inferiority and jealousy are all internally mediated. Chariklo's presence is calling us to be present for our own healing process. She is holding devoted space for us to make peace with our dualistic human/animal nature, and to gradually integrate the two without judgment.

Saturn square Pluto (2009-2010).

An antiwar movement is emerging in Afghanistan. Photo by Shah Marai.

In November, Saturn transits from Virgo to Libra. Once there, it will begin a series of three squares to Pluto in Capricorn. This will take place in aspect to the Aries Point, that is, the first degree of Aries, which magnifies the connection between the personal and the political. When Saturn and Pluto get together, the results can range from violence to a conservative backlash against our inherent freedom as humans.

In 2001, we experienced the opposition of Saturn and Pluto and we all saw the results, which lasted for the ensuing decade and created damage we are still dealing with. Indeed, we will for a long time. We now have an opportunity to see how our own obsession with fear and suppressing our life force contributed to the catastrophic aftermath of the Sept. 11 incident.

People who fancy themselves 'conservative' will have a chance to see the fear that is at the core of that ideology. Those who fancy themselves 'liberal' will have an opportunity to apply structure and discipline to their lives in the way that is essential to existing in an actual state of freedom. Through this aspect we will all have a significant opportunity to assess our relationship to fear. We will get to bear personal witness to the idea that trust is the key to love.

Chiron and Neptune enter Pisces (2010-2012).

Photo by Frank Verro.

Both planets are now at the end of long passages through Aquarius, in a conjunction. As this conjunction separates, Chiron will lead the way into Pisces, beginning in 2010. Neptune will follow over the next two years (slow planets take a while to go into a new sign, usually retrograding back into the prior sign once.) In effect this is one transit and represents the full activation of Pisces energy.

We are accustomed to all the toxic forms of Pisces, from violent films to television advertising to wanton consumption of alcohol to every mood-altering pharmaceutical to spill out of corporate laboratories by the train carload. We obsess with status, fashion, appearance, glamour and living fantasy lives. Then to this we try to add a little sprinkling of 'spiritual' as if that would magically open the way to God.

Neptune is the modern ruler of Pisces. Its presence there will refresh the spiritual waters, flooding through both society and consciousness with revitalizing life. Chiron will make us aware of how toxic our ways of living and thinking are, and introduce -- often poignantly -- awareness of how we need to feel our emotions, our bodies and our souls.

Uranus enters Aries (2010-2011).

The mighty liberator Uranus, the planet of foresight, technological advance, innovation and revolution, will personally cross the Aries Point three times starting in 2010, ending up in Aries to stay for seven years in 2011. If we are looking for a tipping point where the signs of change are inevitable, and this odd thing known as 'the public' actually wakes up, this is the event. On the personal level, this aspect says we have to think of ourselves differently. The real evolution is not a news event but an awakening of who we think we are. But we don't need to wait around -- this awakening is happening right now, just when we least expect it.

Yours & truly,




By Judith Gayle | Political Waves

I've been thinking about thinking. Motivational speaker James Allen tells us, "You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." In times of upheaval, it's a sure bet that thoughts are zooming around in the ethers like birds startled out of their nest, flapping and dodging and making a din. Errant thoughts, most likely -- unpoliced, let loose in panic. I could wish we'd be more deliberate with our thought process, but, as Henry Ford put it, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason so few engage in it."

Thinking. Photo by Andrew Tansj.

This business of taking back our lives, making them work in collaboration and harmlessness while discovering and replacing the old patterns that held us in servitude (if not paralysis) will take generations to accomplish. We've made a few good steps this last week, overlaying a new template on some of what is outworn; and we've had a few sharp reminders of the mindless, emotional thought process we must rise above if we are to regain our national sanity.

Under the umbrella of the Chiron/Neptune/Jupiter mix, we saw a 'pro-life' zealot walk into a church and murder a doctor who provided late-term abortion for often desperate families. In the unenlightened soul, Jupiter has the capacity to puff us up in self-righteousness and God-delusion, fuel our confidence; Neptune provides the fantasy and Chiron the wounded disgruntlement. Given the limited consciousness of some Americans, the eventuality of this kind of incident was all but fated, driven by this combination of energies; only a matter of when and where. The where turned out to be a church vestibule on a Sunday morning in Wichita, Kansas.

Another example of this overblown energy came at the announcement of a new Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor appears, at first blush, to be the epitome of the prototype necessary to balance out a male-dominated court and a growingly diverse American population. She is a she, for starters, and a Latina, raised by her widowed mother in a South Bronx housing project. One would think that her early accomplishments -- high school valedictorian, graduating summa cum laude from Princeton University to become an editor of the Law Journal at Yale Law School; then on to become a judge, as well as work in public and private practice -- would be heralded by the Republicans who are constantly berating the little guys for not pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, which Sonia obviously did.

Coming Up in Daily Astrology and Adventure

Artist's rendition of the view from a hypothetical airless planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A. Picture from the Wikimedia Commons.

Somewhere out there in the galaxy is another planet suitable for human habitation. And two sets of scientists are racing to see if that planet might be found in the nearby Alpha Centauri system.

Writing for The Washington Post, reporter Joel Achenbach describes the efforts of the two groups -- one American, one European -- to be the first to confirm the existence, long suspected, of a planet in that system.

The American team is making 100,000 observations of the Centauri system and analyzing them to try and find a planet. Their European counterparts apparently have more sophisticated equipment, the article states. Both have their electronic eyes focused on our nearest stellar neighbor, a binary star system that is practically next door to our sun.

Of course, astronomically speaking, the distance to something "right next door" is still, well, astronomical. In the case of Alpha Centauri, more than four years of travel at the speed of light, if that ever proves possible. Or, as Achenbach puts it poignantly in his article: "The venerable robotic probe Voyager I, which has traveled farther from Earth than any manmade spacecraft, is racing away at nearly 11 miles per second and has already traveled 10 billion miles. It would need on the order of 80,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri were it traveling in that direction."

That, naturally, makes any manned mission (much less colonization) little more than water cooler talk for a long while yet. However, the scientific community is looking at new options for exploratory spacecraft. Among those is the idea to go small. As Achenbach relates in his article, the first vessels to cruise the reaches of interstellar space might be less Starship Enterprise than "Cellphone Enterprise: a small, speedy spacecraft, crammed with nanotechnology and capable of beaming snapshots back home."

And from the Trivial Coincidences Dept., in the mid-1990s science fiction show Babylon 5, when humans took to the stars the first society they encountered was the Centauri Republic. But those folks didn't live in the Alpha Centauri system, it turns out; the name was just a "translation error," it seems.

Front row, Commander Mark Polansky (right) and Pilot Doug Hurley. Back row (left to right), astronauts Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Canadian Space Agency's Julie Payette, Tom Marshburn and Tim Kopra, all mission specialists. Kopra is scheduled to join Expedition 20 as flight engineer after launching to the International Space Station with the STS-127 crew. Image credit: NASA.

A week from this Saturday, NASA will launch the Space Shuttle Endeavor with a seven-person crew on a mission to the International Space Station.

This follows hot on the heels of a tremendously successful mission last month to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. (Speaking of that trip, have you seen this great photo by Floridian George Fetter at SpaceWeather.com?)

On tap for this trip by Endeavor is construction and installation of the Kibo laboratory, built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which PhysOrg.com reports will "allow experiments to be exposed to space."

Kibo is the Japanese word for "hope." According to Wikipedia, the lab will be the largest single module on the International Space Station; the first two parts were delivered by earlier shuttle missions, and next week's launch includes the final section. Kibo has its own robot arm for moving experiments between the pressurized portion of the module and the exposed facility or "Terrace."

NASA has slated 16 days for this mission, which will include five space walks.

Wheel slippage during attempts to extricate NASA's Mars Rover Spirit from a patch of soft ground during the preceding two weeks had partially buried the wheels by the 1,899th Martian day, or sol, of the Spirit's mission on Mars (May 6, 2009). Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

When you're stuck in a rut, that's usually a good time for some introspection.

That's exactly what NASA had its Mars Rover Spirit do this week. The six-wheeled robot ran into soft soil back on May 1 and got stuck. The space agency has been trying to figure out a way to get it moving again since then, and this week they had an epiphany: Use Spirit's microscopic imaging camera to take pictures of its underside, so engineers can better see what they're working against.

The result is a patchwork of images stitched together into a panoramic view. It's a little fuzzy -- that camera is designed to take pictures from only about 2.4 inches away -- but "the mosaic is still very useful for helping to assess the rover's state," according to the website for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Frankly, few would blame NASA if it decided to let Spirit rest where it lies. The robotic explorer has exponentially exceeded expectations. Designed to operate for 90 sols, or Martian days, after landing on the red planet January 4, 2004, Spirit has now seen more than 1,800 sols of duty. However, NASA is still looking for a way to free Spirit from the sandy soil in the region now known as "Troy" so it can continue its mission.

So far, Spirit has encountered evidence of water ice on Mars, but no signs of life -- and certainly nothing like the mission's mascot.

By Eric Francis of Little Rock, AK

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, June 5, 2009, #769 - BY PRIYA KALE

Today Priya Kale is standing in for Eric Francis on the weekly horoscope. For more daily astrology, horoscopes and information on consultations please visit www.cosmicdiaries.com

Aries (March 20-April 19)
The heavens seem to be opening up their wisdom to you now and I suggest you do all you can to be receptive and listen to the messages coming through. There is an idea which can open your mind to a whole new world of very real possibilities. You've been perhaps disillusioned in the past and although painful this has only brought a priceless awakening to reality through the fog. The rewards for your courage are beginning to come through in spades and if you haven't seen tangible proof yet you won't have to wait too much longer. But whether love or success, remember it is quality and quantity that you are after. You are a person of impeccable taste, so why settle for anything less than pure gold?

Read your 2008 annual for Aries. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aries and Aries rising here.

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly..." Your life right now is truly an embodiment of this phrase. After recent life-and-death battles, you are now in a phase of resurrection and coming into your own. As you dare to venture out into this world, you may feel divided within yourself, but there is a truth staring you in the face regarding a deeply personal or financial situation that you would do well not to deny. Recent events may have brought you a deeper understanding of where your wounds lie, healing and releasing you from their grip. Be proud of who you are and what you have to offer. This is the story of your becoming -- but who you are and what you are made of may even surprise you, if you can let go of old beliefs that dare to limit your success.

Read your 2008 annual for Taurus. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Taurus and Taurus rising here.

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
Events this week bring you a moment of truth asking you to be honest with yourself how you feel about an important business or personal relationship. But more importantly this is asking you to be honest about who you truly are and what you identify with on the deepest, most core subconscious level. You are recognizing deeper desires that you haven't dared acknowledge before, but what is awakening now within you is so real that it is impossible to deny. It may be scary to let go of your inhibitions to the extent of having to deal with heavy emotions when your natural tendency is to keep things light. But I suggest now the deeper you are willing to go, the higher the peak [of ecstasy or success] you are likely to reach. Be true to yourself and all else will be revealed in the light of that.

Read your 2008 annual for Gemini. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Gemini and Gemini rising here.

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
You've been spending more time undercover and discovering there is another side to you that you often don't reveal to yourself, let alone others. But events now are asking you to come back out into the light of day to see how this affects your daily life and relationships. You've been searching for something to stabilize you but this will only come when you are ready to be honest with yourself above all of your deepest, sometimes divided, desires. You may fear that the truth is too much to handle but truly this is about letting go of the darker fears that control you and threaten to have you living a double life. Be willing to be honest within an important conversation without allowing yourself to feel judged. Your ability to confront your fears head on is more likely to bring you solid proof of what is real, and that this is nothing to be afraid of.

Read your 2008 annual for Cancer. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Cancer and Cancer rising here.

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
Whether you realize it or not you are making a huge shift this week, turning a corner toward recognizing the true depth of your worth. But this will only come when you can resolve your own criticism of yourself that stands a tall wall in between you and the dream in your heart. You may be trying to be rational about this, but don't forget every great dream that has ever manifested began with a leap of faith. If you can acknowledge your desire to be bold and take a chance on something you feel passionately about you are more than likely to see a way this can become a reality. You are entering a phase when the world is catching on to your gifts and what you have to offer. Perhaps it's time you woke up to this too.

Read your 2008 annual for Leo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Leo and Leo rising here.

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
Your professional life seems to be in focus right now and there may be an issue you feel deeply divided about. But I suggest you recognize your deeper need for emotional fulfillment to be recognized for being exactly who you are -- no pretenses. This will prevent any misplaced feelings of resentment or emotional anxiety that can arise for not having your needs met. If you can acknowledge your own insecurities you can move past them, releasing any feeing of being stuck regarding a difficult choice. You have more power than you give yourself credit for. But your true strength lies in your wisdom and ability to stay true to a greater selfless dream you've been working patiently to manifest. The rewards are not too far over the horizon as you will soon see.

Read your 2008 annual for Virgo. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Virgo and Virgo rising here.

Libra (Sep. 22 - Oct. 23)
After months of learning yourself in the light of your relationships, you are being called upon to take a bold move into the unknown. Surprisingly or not so surprisingly this is actually about to show you just how much you have allowed past demons to control your current reality, which is nowhere near as shaky as you may feel. As scary as it seems, if you can let go of your emotional fear and be honest with yourself about a great hope you carry, you can gain the higher perspective you need regarding a deeply intimate or financial partnership. Recognize your core values and be willing to use your imagination. A partner is leading the way but if you can trust, this is leading to a meeting place of equals in the most real sense of the word.

Read your 2008 annual for Libra. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Libra and Libra rising here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
You've dared venture to the 'other' side and may feel torn about whether you are making the right choice, but ask yourself how much of these are your own worst fears. You are more grounded in reality than you've been in the recent past and stand on solid ground. A partner is coming into their own after a deep phase of introspection and is willing to offer you the stability you've been looking for. Indeed you may have to get over your own sense of mistrust in the situation and more importantly recognize your own infinite potential in the light of a deeply intimate or financial situation. In all conversations and communication speak from the heart and be willing to let go of old mental patterns. There is a divine truth revealing itself to you and what you have to offer. This is more real than any demons of past fears you could conjure up.

Read your 2008 annual for Scorpio. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Scorpio and Scorpio rising here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)
With a Full Moon in your sign, it seems you are learning an important truth about yourself in the light of a relationship. You may be feeling fairly disillusioned at this point that things could ever move forward within a partnership situation. But what you are learning is the need to stay true to yourself even in the face of changing reality. You have always been a step ahead of the rest when it comes to your vision, but please realize just how much your mind tends to play tricks on you, bringing you more pain than pleasure in the long run. Stay in the present and stay with what is real. If you can let go of your desire to control the outcome of a situation, it is more than likely to bring you more of the real harmony and pleasure you seek as a part of your daily life. Everything you do, be it work or play, if you do it with love -- the action itself will be your reward.

Read your 2008 annual for Sagittarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You've been working hard lately toward a long-time personal goal or ambition, but I suggest you find some quiet time now to pay attention to a deeper, wiser message coming through. If you feel like a slave to your routine, recognize these are usually your own high expectations rather than anyone else's judgement of you. Find a balance now within your daily life to accommodate your need for a sense of accomplishment as well as the need to follow your soul passion. Something has the potential to touch your heart deeply this week, but for that you may first have to take a leap of faith and live your truth wholly. You can be your own worst critic -- and you know what they say about all work and no play...

Read your 2008 annual for Capricorn. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Capricorn and Capricorn rising here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
A creative or sexual partnership reaches a crucial turning point this week. You may feel two ways about a situation that seems risky to begin with, without the added pressure of someone else's critical thinking, so don't fall into that trap. But remember you are known as the revolutionary of the zodiac because you have the rare combination of optimism and luck that allows you to take a risk on a dream and have it pay off. In an important conversation surrounding your security and your inner well-being, be honest and bold. You have not yet reached the bottom of the barrel and you are about to find out its real depth is as limitless as your soul. There is more comfort and security making its way to you if you are willing to speak up for what you know is true in your heart.

Read your 2008 annual for Aquarius. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Aquarius and Aquarius rising here.

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
It may have felt like you're talking around in circles in an endless debate and now you may feel like you've reached a fork in the road. But you turn a corner this week within a close personal situation. Partners have been slow to come around to recognizing your deep vision, but your honesty and truth has not gone unnoticed or unheard as you will soon see. Your imagination is your greatest gift. You are a visionary, who has the magical ability to manifest thought and word into tangible creations of untold value -- but this is because your dreams are rarely selfish. Wishful thinking may be a phrase for some; for you it is a very real way of life. Use your powers now and use them wisely...

Read your 2008 annual for Pisces. Order your Next World Stories 2009 annual for
Pisces and Pisces rising here.