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| In the Deeps of Time Dear Friend and Client: The incredible exhilaration of last weekend's peace marches faded into a new low ebb in my concerns about the world situation. Last night while Google-diving, I found myself looking at a map of Iraq with the word "Mesopotamia" written across the screen above Baghdad, and the Tigris river running through the city. This was rather stunning. I remember the B-52s song ("there's a lot of ruins in Messa-pa-tay-me-ah") and concerns from 1991 about bombing the Cradle of Civilization. But the tragedy and grief that the lizard mutant tyrants posing as democratically elected leaders want to bomb those who now inhabit the place where writing was born, and where agriculture and the wheel are believed to have been developed, reached me with poignant symbolic clarity. Even if writing, agriculture and the wheel did not develop there, then these lands were home to the remnants of a far more ancient civilization that brought its wisdom with it, and may remain so today. To me, Saturday's mobs in the streets (and all the excellent dogs I met, I am the original dog slut) were most reassuring because they revealed that at least the people who showed up are not buying the official one-party line. To say that this is a war for oil sounds simplistic, but it's a bull's eye. There is more to it than that, of course. They want oil and its power, and its promise of their particular corporate fiefdom being cut in on the endgame of global hegemony as oil runs out. They, meaning the omnipresent Bush family, and its private military-aerospace investment bank, the Carlyle Group, and all its investors, want power. That they seem to take enjoyment in destroying what is good and beautiful, what is greater than they are, is the more horrifying truth. I can't escape the sense that part of the motivation for doing this, buried deep in the reptile brains of those who wake up each day and go to work planning a bombing campaign, is a disdain for all that they themselves lack the imaginative power, love and discipline to create. So we can take a lesson from these people, a lesson of respect and the prospect of learning once again that we need to honor that which is greater than we are, more delicate, older, and infinitely more mysterious. For we are that thing. Personally I consider this a good reminder to stay in contact with my motives, keep myself strong and be mindful of the fact that where some strive with all their hearts and souls to build and create, others strive to tear apart and destroy. This is an old story. We can find it in The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien's history of the world from before the dawn of time. Melkor (Sauron's teacher, and the mythical equivalent of Lucifer), caused a lot of problems, mainly out of jealousy. He wanted to be the one great God. "The Valar [creator gods] endeavored ever, in despite of Melkor, to rule the Earth and to prepare it for the coming of the Firstborn [the Elves]; and they built lands and Melkor destroyed them; valleys they delved and Melkor raised them up; mountains they carved and Melkor threw them down; seas they hollowed and Melkor spilled them; and naught might have peace or come to lasting growth, for as surely as the Valar began a labour so would Melkor undo or corrupt it. And yet their labour was not all in vain; and though nowhere and in no work was their will and purpose wholly fulfilled, and all things were in hue and shape other than what the Valar had intended, slowly nevertheless the Earth was fashioned and made firm. And thus was the habitation of the Children of Iluvatar established in the Deeps of Time and amidst the innumerable stars." Current Astrological Highlights The Sun is now in Pisces, the last sign of the astrological year, and the last of the three signs comprising the season of winter. Pisces is a mutable water sign, given to change, adaptation and achieving its ends by slow progress and long endurance. Water is the conducting medium of life and the emotions, and Pisces represents this element in both its most primal and evolved forms. The other water signs are Cancer and Scorpio, which represent different phases of the process of emotional integration. The other mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius, which represent the diffusion or release stages of their particular elements, air, earth and fire, respectively. It works out that during this year's solar transit of Pisces, Uranus, the first planet to be discovered by modern science, makes its first ingress into Pisces since it last left it on Jan. 13, 1928. Few living astrologers have ever experienced the direct energy of Uranus in Pisces, so any effort to explain it or predict its effects is somewhat speculative. We still can work with the charts of people with this placement, but that would include just about everyone born between 1920 and mid-January 1928. More on that in the coming weeks. Saturn stations direct on Friday in the 23rd degree of Gemini. Saturn now heads out of Gemini into Cancer, where it will remain from June 3, 2003 through July 16, 2005. Thus ends the Saturn Return era for the generation born between 1971 and mid-1973, with people born in early-to-mid 1973 about to experience the last pass of their Saturn return. More on this in the coming months. People born in the last week of Gemini will experience the transit of Saturn conjunct their natal Sun, suggesting a deep maturing process and what one colleague described as coming to terms with oneself. An old article is at http://www.planetwaves.net/GeminiSaturnReturn.html Last quarter Moon is in Sagittarius on Sunday, Feb. 23. (For those in Seattle I will be doing an astrology salon on Vashon Island that afternoon. Call (206) 264-7827 if you're interested.) The Moon is new in Pisces on March 2. Webcasting Comes to Planet Waves, or Vice Versa Every Wednesday at 8:45 a.m. PST or 11:45 a.m. EST, I do a live webcast at http://www.voiceofvashon.org/ hosted by Susan McCabe. Please spread the word. Bird Dog Program If a new subscriber to Planet Waves Weekly mentions your name, we will extend your subscription by three months. So please feel free to forward the newsletter out to your friends with a note to contact us and tell us who sent them. We will also give a gratis subscription and return link to the owner of any web page that links to us. We are seeking professionals with experience in marketing online media businesses to assist in the development of this project. Please contact chelsea@planetwaves.net if you would like to help out, or if you have an idea. Planet Waves by Eric Francis http://www.PlanetWaves.net/ Early Pisces Birthdays Events of the distant past -- particularly the weeks before your birth, and possibly past life experiences -- play an important role in your development process this year. There are at least three approaches to this question. One involves researching the cultural changes that unfolded during the month prior to your birth. The second involves interviewing parents and family members about disruptions to your home life in the weeks and days prior to your birth. A third calls for tracking the lines of contact between you and the people you connect with in the next 12 months. There is the sense of regrouping or realigning with past colleagues, allies and co-creators, including 'soul groups' and individuals who have incarnated to fulfill certain missions at this time. As you encounter these people, you may consider the meetings and the work processes you are in as a kind of next-level spiritual initiation. The sense of congestion that has filled your home begins to loosen up in the next couple of months. This will be replaced fairly seamlessly with a get-serious attitude that will serve as an excellent container for the total revolution in awareness, thought and a sense of mission that is sure to enter your life as the mighty planet Uranus approaches or repeatedly crosses your natal Sun. Change of a kind you've never seen before is in the air, so remember to breathe. Aries (March 20-April 19) This is a time of gathering energy and clarifying key issues rather than taking immediate action. You will have adequate notice of when to shift into high gear; contemplation, considering the views of others, and getting the widest possible internal panorama are in order now. You might say this is a time of receiving inspiration, and there will be plenty to take in as the next two weeks develop -- more, in fact, than you now recognize. It is fair to say that recent years of your life have been somewhat consumed with the question of where you fit into the culture. And you have cast yourself as someone who is unpredictable in one sense but predictably brilliant and inspiring in another. But now forces much larger than yourself are poised to illuminate your mysteries and fire up your dreams. Taurus (April 19-May 20) You will need to make your message clear at work, which may prove challenging given that lately it's not emerging from your usual brass-tacks line of thought. It would appear that your mind is on a distinctly spiritual wavelength, which is another way of saying you're surrendering logic to is higher source. But let's keep it simple. You're trying to teach people to see beyond their individual 'ego needs'. You are trying to get them to see the group perspective, the larger mission, the greater ideal. It would work well if you just felt that and emanated it, then made concrete decisions based on that perspective. This is less about talking and more about action. Less, but not entirely. Gemini (May 20-June 21) Saturn stations direct in your sign Friday, heading for its last pass through Gemini on its way into Cancer. This is the final phase of a significant period of growing up that we could say began in late 2000, when so much changed so fast. I would sum up the theme of these years as such: it's a time of seeing past your judgments of yourself and making your self-assessments on a more accurate basis. This will be easier when you realize that most of your judgments about yourself are not yours; they belong to various authority figures who left them behind. I know these issues don't resolve quickly. But life is easier when you know what they are. As Saturn holds its exact position for a quite a few days, you may see something that you missed many times before. Cancer (June 21-July 22) You may be feeling the approach of some new responsibility, like a vibe has shifted. The change, subtle though it is, has come in your closest relationships. There exist not merely the ancient questions of commitment and structure that are now becoming quite tangible; there is also the issue of biology and the inevitability of connecting. In our culture we are trained to see relating to another person as some special prize for playing the game right, having a certain something, or getting lucky. In more modern times, we see it as a reward for becoming 'healed'. What we don't acknowledge is that relationship is as inevitable as breathing, if we're actually alive, and you're soon to see just how alive you really are. Leo (July 22-Aug 23) This is the time to test the veracity of your commitments. Words are easily spoken and not so easily backed up by actions. Sometimes your actions go unnoticed. Loyalty is one of your greatest virtues, though others may not recognize just how powerful this strength is in you. On the other side of this rather complicated equation, you may not fully recognize just how appreciated you are. It's often quite difficult for people to express their appreciation for the smallest things in life, much less for the deeply human gift that you offer. This would be a fine time to put some words into the mix of what are typically unspoken commitments. The truth will not change, but everyone will feel better with a little clarity. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) For some reason your career is now able to move in what feels like a meaningful direction. But there is the matter of that great mystery, the greater issue of what you want to be known for in this life. No matter how humble and lovable we may be, there remains the question of one's lasting legacy. And that question, too, is on the move. There is an aspect of your emotional wounding that prohibits the serous contemplation of that particular matter. It seems that to have a role powerful enough to create a legacy, you really need to be independent of the fears that were imparted to you by your family. In other words, one's reputation is built on security. Lately you may be feeling how shaky your foundation is. But you have done more to shore it up than you may yet realize. Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) There comes a time in everyone's life when they take over the process of living in a genuine way, and this development often comes with an enhanced feeling of safety being on the planet. It does not matter which comes first, the taking over, or the safety. You are learning to see yourself through a bit less narrow of an opening. And you are, as well, learning to respond to others with love rather than with sympathy. This is the direct result of a growing awareness of how your own life was shaped by one condition: many of the people you counted on for care and nurturing responded in ways that can best be described as cold. The more you understand the impact of this treatment, the safer you will feel, and the more able to relate to others from a space of emotional safety. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) For such a daring person, you typically live rather cautiously, as if you're always being watched by some spiritual entity that is weighing the karmic implications of your every move. However, key cosmic messengers have decreed that you must now throw caution to the four winds. I speak mainly of caution in the emotional region of your life, which is where you will be seeking your greatest freedom for the foreseeable future. And that freedom will come at the price of simply daring. You may have noticed that, for some reason you have not identified, you feel a little more solid and confident in who you are these days, like a new era of personal history has begun. It is true; but take small steps and first acknowledge that you are on your feet. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22) You knew that one particular relationship wasn't really going nowhere, it just seemed that way. Now you will start getting some results from the long-term partnership cleanup process that has been underway. I would describe this as a reconciliation of values between you and this person. This is often a process that can proceed alternately with great friction or glacial advances, but there is a strong suggestion that bringing together the worldviews of two very different people has actually succeeded. The test will come during the next three months, when things slowly go to another level and deeper commitments are made possible by the clarity you've earned. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) Events of recent years have confronted you with the reality of wildly opposing forces within yourself. It's a good thing that opposites attract, or you would be in at least two large pieces right now. Your current laboratory is your work space, that is, your job or its equivalent in your life. This growth stage is close to having served its purpose, and it's getting a bit tired. There is more to live for than necessity and responsibility. There are greater horizons calling you, both personal and professional. But first there remains one last project in your current mental space or environment. You are still attempting to reconcile two halves of something that want to be expressed as one whole something else. But the two halves just got a lot closer. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) As you are no doubt aware, one of the main challenges of being born under the sign Aquarius is emoting in a way that other people are able to contact, and making contact with the feelings of those closest to you. Both parties need to close the gap, but before that happens, they need to be mindful of its existence. It is not simply 'your fault' that things are a certain way, though of course the wide variety of people whose crude powers of analysis summed it up this way did not help you any. In reality you have given something up in order to gain something else, and that something else is often of quite a bit of good use to those who want you to be different. But you are in the process of claiming back that which was taken away. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) With the Sun now in your birth sign, by rights the world should feel like a more familiar place. But first it must be what it is. And that would be a work in progress. You are getting your last glimpses of what might be called your old reality in the coming few weeks; with each passing day, you approach a threshold of consciousness that is likely to change everything. But this is not haphazard or random change, rather, it is about a long-overdue raising of awareness and application of ingenious energy to the various situations with which you've contended with for a long time. The earliest ripples of that energy can now be felt in your home. One's home must be a comfort zone. Check out the ways yours is not. How do newspaper horoscopes work? Planet Waves Weekly and PlanetWaves.net are edited by Eric Francis, with help from Chelsea Bottinelli and the Vision List. This newsletter is $49.95 per year and published 52 times per year plus the monthly horoscope. We encourage our readers to contribute their artwork and writing to the Planet Waves project and to cultivate themselves as creative forces in the unusual and socially formative times in which we live. |
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