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In the Stars Dear Planetary Citizen: The Quakers teach us to "walk lightly over the face of the Earth." This would be a good week to heed this suggestion, though while the astrology happens quickly and rather unexpectedly, there's still plenty of room for good times and good ideas. A great deal changes this week as several planets enter Virgo and Earth goes whipping past Mars. Each planet that enters Virgo opposes Uranus and Mars (both retrograde) in Pisces, Uranus being a planet of innovation, surprises, revelations and revolutions, and Mars firing us up to get the job done. The balance you may be seeking is between drama and reason; between illusion and revelation. The lines are thin right now. In order of experience: Friday morning, Venus went from Leo to Virgo. Friday afternoon, Pallas Athene, a politically-themed asteroid, stations retrograde in late Aries. Saturday morning, the sun enters Virgo, beginning the third and final month of summer (Virgo is a mutable sign and seasons always end with the sun in a mutable sign.) Sunday the Moon enters Leo. Monday, Vesta, an asteroid with themes of the Sacred Prostitute, enters Scorpio. Wednesday, Aug. 27 is the new moon. Both the moon and Jupiter enter Virgo at about the same time early Wednesday morning, opposing Uranus and Mars. This is the day that Earth and Mars are at their closest in 60,000 years, which is the subject of this week's essay. Pluto in Sagittarius stations direct on Thursday as Mercury stations retrograde in Virgo. All the usual Mercury retrograde notices apply: back up your computer extremely cautiously, conserve cash, read everything twice, have meetings in person rather than by phone or on email when possible, and beware of things that seem broken but are not. Often the "solution" in such a situation can be worse than the nonexistent problem. Mercury is the trickster, and the trickster is afoot. The Mars Effect With Mars approaching its closest contact point to the Earth in 60,000 years, we're seeing some of the effects you might expect from a planet traditionally assigned to rulership over aggression, anger and violence. Tuesday, August 19 seemed to be an epicenter. As most everyone knows, the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad was bombed, killing at least 20 people and threatening any shred of stability that may have existed there. Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN's top envoy to Iraq and probable successor as Secretary General, was murdered in the attack. The same day, another suicide bomber in Jerusalem set off a bomb on a crowded bus, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 100. Heavy heavy heavy. Have you had enough? Don't you have more creative and loving things to focus your energy on? I know I do. Both incidents, it would seem, entrench the world more deeply in its state of seemingly perpetual war. Mars is retrograde in Pisces, looming over the night skies worldwide, appearing far larger and brighter than normal. The retrograde plus Pisces component warns of an illusion: not the violence itself, but the need for it. The upshot of recent numerous disclosures of fraud by both United States and British leaders amounts to the war in Iraq being a manufactured and entirely unnecessary crisis. The war, the urgency surrounding it, and all the supposed reasons for going there, were a fabrication, in other words, pure lies. Yet now that it's been embarked upon, it seems impossible to simply turn back from. I don't know about you, but I knew they knew that. No one can predict the end, define "victory" or say what the limit on violence will be. If the boys wanted a real war, they would have begun with the sun in Aries. Instead they began with the sun in the infinitely strange last degree of Pisces. In addition to being about peace, mysticism and getting stoned, Pisces is about the marketplace. This Pisces war has opened up an endless market for munitions, military technology, chow for the troops, "reconstruction" and oil pipelines. A few weeks before the war began, I remember arriving at the Seattle Center Feb. 15th, the day people around the world joined together and protested the impending invasion of Iraq. I remember the feeling in my heart as I was escorted to the press platform and -- taken by complete surprise -- looking across the 20,000 or more people who had gathered in opposition to what was so obviously such a crime -- pure sweet free elation, like my whole life had led to that moment. The vision was stunning, the energy, the soft roar of the crowd, the sea of eyes and the completely new and unexpected experience, all defy description. Millions in London, Rome, Madrid, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and hundreds of other cities knew what was happening, knew what vicious lies were being told by "world leaders," saw the business interests at work and gathered to raise awareness, feel our strength, express our opposition and demonstrate our desire for peace. No matter how bad the situation in Iraq gets, though, I don't hear anyone in the "mainstream media" conceding the point -- you know, that maybe those annoying, freaky un-American protestors had a valid issue with what was about to go down. Neither do I hear those who opposed the war gloating. Perhaps people who know what a travesty this is don't want to say "I told you so." What's the point in doing that? My assessment was, and is, that people who supported this war were either deceived, in denial or wanting to feast at the table of the fruits of violence. That does not leave a lot of room for discussion. Everyone has their limits, though, and more than anything pain brings ignorance to its end. There are now plenty of military families who are worried sick and want to support our troops by bringing them home, and getting them out of the fog of depleted uranium. The F-15 protests occurred within hours of a full moon in Leo. The sun was conjunct Uranus in Aquarius; the moon opposed both. This was a brilliant chart, with several exact conjunctions and an exact Jupiter-Neptune opposition (it lives in 11" x 17" format on my refrigerator), with the full and combined expression of vibrant, dramatic Leo, the inventiveness of Uranus and the humanitarian calling associated with Aquarius coming together at once. Joined with this were the sun and moon, the masculine and feminine principles, meeting face to face. That chart's energy united the world for one peaceful day. As the Jerusalem bus bomb and the Baghdad truck bomb went off this week (and my instincts tell me these incidents are part of the same war, but it's going to take us a few years to see that), the sun had moved 179 degrees from its Feb. 15 position, approaching an exact opposition to the Uranus/sun/moon alignment in the protest chart. In other words, the two dates were separated by exactly half a year. Venus and Jupiter in late Leo joined the sun in extraordinarily direct contact with the protest chart: a real statement of cosmic reference. The alignment of Sol, Venus and Jupiter (rare enough by itself, and currently still in very close proximity) with the protest chart says the discussion is not over. No, there are not massive protests erupting, but many, many people are very upset about the way things are unfolding. The shock of the whole disaster of this war is still setting in, as is the sense of futility that now that this has been done, it's been done, and what on Earth can we do. Many other people will slowly awaken to the lies they were told, especially when they're pumping $4 gas into their 15 mile-per-gallon SUVs. Whatever may happen in the protest movements, and what ever may happen with the war, I want to propose a few of what I'll reluctantly call spiritual issues that this scenario points to, on the theme of Mars retrograde in Pisces and Mars being so close to us, so close we can see, feel and experience its energy. The old astrologers called Mars a malefic planet. The whole "god of war" thing is partly responsible for this, but it's not really that simple. In modern and psychologically-based astrology, Mars is viewed as a source of energy, a driving force in the personality and on the soul's journey. Wherever it goes, Mars accentuates dynamic relationship, polarizing people into relationship that's often in some way a confrontation (that is, a face-to-face encounter). It's the ruler of Aries and so it has fiery energy. It's also the original ruler of Scorpio and it comes with sexual, hormonal, and reproductive drive as well. Without this energy that I'm calling "Mars" because this is an astrology column (it has other names) neither the species nor our individual lives would move forward. On Earth progress is usually associated with the conquering spirit and overcoming adversity by sheer stamina, both of which are Mars functions. We might say, as when talking to kids, that some of this energy is appropriate, but too much is bad for everyone. And to really be effective, to create and not destroy, Mars needs to be balanced with Venus, which represents the emergence of the love principle through the power of the heart and mind. Have you wondered recently why some people (like many we see in the news) go beyond even ordinary greed and want all of everything, and will stop at nothing to get it? Have you wondered why they don't notice it's not possible to actually have all of everything, but still don't stop? Have you noticed how damned ugly they seem? There seems to be a sense of power -- a certain kind of power -- that comes with inflamed, aggravated and overly aggressive Mars, and Mars out of balance with Venus. For example, during the past 20 years we've seen the rise of one basic kind of computer system take over the world, clearly as a function of greed. As Earth approaches Mars, the Sobig.F virus is spreading so fast that it's slowing down the entire internet. The antivirus service I subscribe to trapped 1.8 million copies of the virus on Aug. 20 alone. We're also watching a perfectly ridiculous but somehow necessary struggle unfold involving Roy Moore, Alabama's chief justice, who is taking up the self-appointed role as God's spokesman on Earth. Moore is personally going to war with all eight of his colleagues on the court and the federal court system as well, which has ruled that he has to take his monument to the Ten Commandments out of the court's lobby. Doesn't that monolithic, um, work of art need a little touch of the goddess's hand, like maybe a vase of flowers set on top of it, or a dash of color? Moore should be put on trial before the Interior Design Tribunal for lousy taste in art. Mars is about desire, and desire is complicated. The Aries side of desire says "go for it" and defines the concept of self by what the self wants. The sign of the Ram can have violent implications; the locking of horns in battle, for example (as contrasted with the relatively placid cow or bull of Taurus). Here is the kind of guilt-free marauding spirit we often see with Mars, just bashing on in. The world, however, is so often so caught in its inertia that none of us would get anywhere without the Martian spirit, that cardinal sign zest of initiative. It gets the job started, if not done, and the jobs that take the longest are the ones that are never begun. The Scorpio side of Martian desire is about surrendering to desire with one's whole being -- and changing as a result. This can range from passion to impassioned creativity to a suicide bombing. Scorpio brings in the death aspect of desire, whether it be willingness to die trying or to kill for what you want, and the idea of irreversible consequences (such as reproduction or marriage as a consequence of sexual desire). Scorpio, in another of its several incarnations, is also about the resources of other people, which are always the coveted target of people who experience greed. When I hear the word "greed" I think of cheating death as its most important motive. We experience a lot of greed in this world, and you could say it's a Mars issue. The issue is desire that knows no bounds, that's never satisfied, and that's confused about something much deeper, a kind of existential horror concealed by having and taking. Such a belief structure will lead to an entirely different values system than any other motive, a values system that seems to make no sense but to which we must, for some reason, bow down and offer praise. After all, Bill Gates is such a great guy because he's so rich. Now, here's the real rip-off. Mars in its healthy expression certainly does address fundamental questions of life and death, questions we deserve to ask and participate in. The sex drive extends and creates life, Mars is the first lord of Scorpio, a sign which is about genetics, hormones, the deepest transitions and death in its most natural sense. Yet the sexual aspect of Mars, in our death-obsessed culture, is corrupted by being made immoral. This is such a ubiquitous aspect of life that we can barely see it for what it is. To many people it makes sense that Blockbuster Video bans all sexually explicit films because it's a family enterprise, but rents out images of every kind of violence imaginable. Expressing or even admitting to erotic desire is, we are taught, a perverted, guilty act. Few people even give themselves space to actually feel and acknowledge their real sexual desires (forget about acting on them). In this state of emotional denial and chaos we are highly susceptible to the drums of war, and tolerant of rage, murder and other forms of violence. Though it may sound awfully Freudian, it's just common sense -- and this is the scene of the crime. Mars retrograde in Pisces is giving us a microscope to peer deep into the dualism of our existence and untangle such mysteries. Pisces is an extremely dualistic sign, a sign of opposites, and Mars is the planet that energizes opposites and opposition. Alice A. Bailey, in her 1951 book Esoteric Astrology, suggests that the spiritual purpose of war is to teach us that we don't want war. Given the length and number of the wars we've witnessed over many recent decades and quite literally throughout most of our lives, you would think we'd be getting the point by now. One of the issues with Pisces, says Bailey (who I took to dinner tonight, looking for clues) is the need to do things over and over and over. She may be talking about a learning process that takes tens of thousands of years, or more. War is always based on lies. Many people question the morality of lying. Lately I've become interested in questioning the morality of believing lies. These days, the refusal to do so may be the shortest route to the most effective activism, and that hotly controversial state of mind called awareness. ++ Planet Waves by Eric Francis http://www.PlanetWaves.net/ Birthdays This Week The presence of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in Virgo with a new moon around the time of your birthday can only signify good things for you, even if you go through moments of indecision. I suggest it's important not to force decisions rather than make them poorly, particularly where your most intimate relationships are concerned. While you may have so much, on another level a certain person in your life may seem out of reach or beyond hope. How you handle that situation will have a significant bearing on your long-term well-being. For sure, handle it carefully, gently and using clarity rather than force. In assessing relationships, use just one criteria: Is this good for me in the long run? Think carefully. No matter what issues or problems you may identify that seem to be coming from outside yourself -- and they may be -- your interpretation of the problems is much more important than their reality. That's because to a very great degree the world appears as we interpret it. And you are making some truly monumental decisions about your interpretation of the world that will, as they unfold, revise your perception of everything and everyone around you. Yes, they are changing; yes, the world is changing; but you are changing faster and in more significant ways, in fact, to a degree that nothing outside you matters for now. Events close to your birthday will likely open your eyes to how little significance you have granted your own needs, and how much everyone around you benefits when you acknowledge those needs. Necessity and desire are more closely related and it would make an interesting debate over which is more honest. Certainly you're being put on notice that desire lacks some reliability and that working to fulfill your needs at least seems to save time and energy. Yet you know that old bit about not living on bread alone. The trick, if there is one, will be sorting out your desires from those of the people around you. You may notice that what anyone else wants is confusing to you, while what you want leads you on a fairly clear path. More than in many other past years, your current birthday comes with a sense of renewal, independence and possibility. These are not illusions or tricks of the mind. If you take your life seriously and speak to yourself from the heart, you will be truly impressed with the progress you make in the next four seasons. Aries (March 20-April 19) You may not be experiencing the benefits of your recent experiments and inner journeys, which may have you feeling more alone than standing among your peers. But a rare series of encounters is coming that offers a chance to bring some of your self-discoveries into fruition within the context of your relationships. We can think or feel we're anyone we want, but identity takes root in mutual experience. It also evolves through mutual experience, and that's more likely to come in the form of collaborative working relationships, healing relationships and opportunities to serve others, or to be assisted by others. Not, in other words, through romance, which is largely a vague illusion anyway. Taurus (April 19-May 20) It's a rare Taurus who sloughs off the seriousness of childhood and the practical urgency of the adult world and allows life to be a fun experience, an adventure or a mystical journey. But that day is approaching fast. You are in a time of changing and evolving priorities, and the upshot is you need to be a lot less mental and a lot more willing to take risks, particularly creative risks. A risk is anything with an uncertain outcome. Part of that uncertainty involves the possibility that things may go poorly and that you'll experience a loss. If you allow for that, only then do your choices have the possibility of bearing fruit. Gemini (May 20-June 21) Delays, complications and the sense that you're coming unstuck from your foundations may be overwhelming you, but in a few days time you'll see that you were not as unstable or as off-schedule as you thought. Meanwhile, be careful about the whole issue of appearances. It's a lot bigger emotional hang-up than you might recognize. Who you are and who you think people see you as being are entirely different things. You'll recognize soon enough that the only matter of any consequence is your safety, comfort and well-being, and that includes your mental health as first item on the agenda. Just take care of yourself and the rest will fall into place. Cancer (June 21-July 22) The approaching new moon on August 27 is one of the most spectacular astrological days of the year, and this has been a darned interesting year. As this aspects your solar chart, repeated message is about your rapidly evolving sense of who you are as opposed to who you are not. You have come to some very clear decisions recently, and now is the time to act on them. The other repeated message is about communication and publishing. The common theme is practicality. Put your ideas, beliefs and sense of the cosmic order to work. Airy-fairy is out. Upgrade your computer, clear your desk and deliver your message, clear and calm. You will like what you get back. Leo (July 22-Aug 23) How you see yourself is who you are. I mean this in the most active, direct and immediate ways. If you don't think it's who you are, you can be assured that how you see yourself is integral to the process of who you are becoming. Think of your whole being; make your inner rounds, assess all your priorities, search for abandoned goals, but more than anything, envision yourself as what you want and need to be. The resources to accomplish this are coming to you. But without the template, there will be noting to do with those resources, and you're more likely to be working from a scattered plan that's not really a plan. Don't forget to factor for growth -- lots of it. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) Take the opportunity this week to save someone a hassle. Perhaps dedicate the next couple of weeks to getting people out of trouble, whether you think they deserve that trouble or not. You can see your own problems clearly; solutions are likely to be opening up for you. It's time to start flexing the muscles of how good your life is, and how much power you have to effect positive changes, well in advance of these realities soaking into your heart and bones. You likely have no idea of what amazing developments are dawning on your life, but you can energetically prepare yourself to be open to them, and your acts of faith, hope and charity that you offer will help you make sure your eyes are open when the lights come on. Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) You are in for a revelation or a vision that solves the riddle you've been working so diligently to solve. You may not recognize it when you see it. Your dreams are going to be especially helpful, particularly after a healing session of some kind -- for example, massage therapy, acupuncture, Reiki, or some similar hands-on modality. Even if you do this once a year, let this be the week. The work will help you create an opening through which some truly awesome and, as you'll see, necessary information will enter your consciousness. Don't worry if you don't get the logic now -- it will become evident soon enough. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) Are you experiencing an unusual urge to have children? Are you wondering whether all the usual creative metaphors can stave off your desire to bring new life into the world? It's truly rare that the perfect opportunities for creating a child exist, and it often seems that 'whatever happens, happens'. But there is a child within you, the one whose pictures are floating around your photo album or old papers, who is longing to be born into the current life you're living. Make room for this sweet kid, feed him the food he or she likes to eat and ask his or her opinion at every turn. Get rid of anything that bores you, or at least make it interesting. That, and it's okay to be obsessed by who and what you love. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22) Be careful about getting lost in the details of your goals. Keep your heart and soul on the original vision. Now is a very good time to write down that core idea, or paint it, but you need to document it somehow so you can use it for reference because as the coming weeks unfold, you need to keep your highest objectives in mind. Attending to he details will help you bring those cherished goals to fruition against any odds. But your sense of personal necessity, and being mindful of what some call the big picture, represent 51% of the process. Philosophically you're a big picture person, but not, unfortunately, when it comes to the visioning process of your life goals. As Jupiter enters Virgo and crosses your solar midheaven, you need to find a balance, and you will. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) While repeated experiences and human encounters in the recent era of your life have put you in contact with your darker nature, by now you should be seeing that this is a necessary step in the process of accepting yourself as who you are, and of becoming a whole person. One of the problems with just about every form of spirituality, religion and therapy is that they are usually designed to make us nice, manageable and consistent people. I suggest you go for real, whole and unprocessed. The world is ready to meet you as who you are, but more accurately, you are ready to meet the world as who you are. By 'world' I'm speaking of something larger than you may be thinking. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You may think a certain offer is about to expire, but in fact it's about to become more tangible. What I'll describe as the exchange factor increases, however. You will need to make a greater emotional investment in the situation, which ought to align with what your intelligence feedback is telling you. Look closely at the patterns of the past month and the past year and use that as a basis for decision. Most of the older patterns of your life are irrelevant at this point. There comes a time when the history of the past is merely the history of the past, and that time is nigh unto you. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) For all its reputation as a dreamer, Pisces rarely balks at life's constant necessity to get the job done and get it done well. You can now take advantage of a rare political opportunity that will advance your cause and, by no coincidence, the cause of those around you. It may be subtle: an open door, a conversation that drops a bit of vital information in your lap, or an encounter with someone who knows just what kind of help you need. The connection point is serving the wider social vision which you are learning in no way detracts from your individual comfort and gain. Opportunities for efficient progress abound. 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. 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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