This Cannot Be Happening, But It Is

Dear Friend and Reader:

Tonight I'm going to do my best to explain the events in American politics in the first three days after the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, and the first week after a lunar eclipse. This is not a pleasant topic to write about, though if we have any hope of stopping any of it, that will come through our being informed and aware.

Researching this article has been a little like watching the World Trade Center come down in slow motion, only this time it's the government itself, not a symbol of American power.

	Smoke and haze from wildfires obscures the Sydney skyline in December 2019. The fires will likely continue for a few more months.

As I write, I'm aware that people in Australia can barely breathe. Smoke alarms are going off in buildings in cities far from the scene of massive bush fires there. Smoke is reaching as far as New Zealand, more than a thousand miles away. As of recently, the fire front was two and a half times the distance from New York to Los Angeles.

I have a client in that part of the world who cannot leave her house because the air quality is so bad. Fires have been burning for months, and the situation has been developing for years. Officials are estimating that a billion critters have been killed and that some will go extinct.

The government, under the control of fundamentalist Christians, is not properly funding the firefighting effort. One of them, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, took his family on a Hawaiian vacation in the midst of it all.

There are many other ways the world seems to be spinning off of its axis, or instances where the ground of known reality seems to be crumbling.

In the U.K., Brexit has given way to a kind of unraveling of the British monarchy, or at least of its decorum. Both situations describe the instability of the world and its institutions. And one of them is the United States government, which by my assessment has been taken over by the Russian mafia.

We are experiencing the Saturn-Pluto conjunction. We can look at this all in the context of the big astrology that is happening.
House Managers Deliver Articles of Impeachment

On Wednesday, prosecutors from the House of Representatives (called House Managers) delivered the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, and the trial begins today (Thursday, Jan. 16) with the swearing in of Chief Justice John Roberts. They walked across the Capitol in a solemn procession for only the third time in American history.

To sum up: Trump has been charged with extorting the Ukrainian president into spreading dirt on his political opponent Joe Biden. He did this by withholding congressionally approved military aid for Ukraine's struggle against Russia, which has conquered Crimea, a Ukrainian state. To keep things in proportion, Ukraine has lost more than 10,000 soldiers in this war -- more than the United States has lost in all its years in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is just one of many ways in which Trump's actions benefit Vladimir Putin, the Russian president.

The smears on Biden did not have to be true; it seems they were not. They just had to look bad and make it onto CNN, casting doubts on his character. Everything is image these days.

Then when he got caught -- remember the memo by the CIA whistleblower? -- Trump ordered his entire administration to remain silent and not cooperate with the House investigation, which resulted in a second charge of obstructing Congress.

Shadow Foreign Policy in Ukraine

But this is just the tip of a massive fecal iceberg. Trump was running a shadow foreign policy in Ukraine, with his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani running around making deals on behalf of his Godfather. Two of his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, were arrested in October on campaign finance charges.

	Devin Nunes is the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, which initiated the impeachment of Pres. Trump. He is also at the center of events involving the Ukraine scandal, according to Lev Parnas. Photo by Jonathan Ernst / Reuters.

As the Washington Post put it, they were charged for involvement in "a complex web of financial and political interactions linking diplomacy to alleged violations of campaign finance law."

I will say this another way. Soon after getting away with collaborating with Russia on 2016 election interference (i.e., Trump was not quite properly nailed by the Special Counsel's investigation), Trump was again caught inviting foreign interference -- this time extorting Ukraine's help in meddling with the 2020 election.

Then his lawyer's special operatives, Parnas and Fruman, were indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally funneling money into the campaigns of Republicans who supported their Ukraine policy.

The federal indictment, filed in New York, also said that the pair -- who worked daily with Giuliani -- "conspired to circumvent the federal laws against foreign influence by engaging in a scheme to funnel foreign money to candidates for federal and state office so that the defendants could buy potential influence with the candidates, campaigns, and the candidates' governments."

It turns out that Parnas knew his orders were coming from the president, and not only that, he met several times with U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee -- the very one that conducted the impeachment investigation against Trump for soliciting Ukrainian meddling. It now turns out that he is at the center of the scandal.

When asked about this last year, Nunes did the distinctive political soft-shoe hula routine, saying he would have to check his phone records as he talks to a lot of people and didn't quite recall a "Lev" or anyone like that, thanks, we will get back to you. (When you watch people lie like this, they often seem like they are wiggling as they speak. That is why it's called "doing the dance.") Then this week, he remembeered. "Oh! THAT Lev Parnas! How could I forget?"

Wednesday: Lev Parnas Document Dump and TV Tour

Tuesday night, on the eve of the Articles of Impeachment being sent to the Senate, Lev Parnas and his attorney uploaded a collection of their documents to the House Intelligence Committee's exhibit portal. They had to do this before the articles were conveyed to the Senate -- technically, while the investigation was still open.

	Nice boy! Lev Parnas on Rachel Maddow Wednesday night.

Remember that the current skirmish is whether the Senate will allow witnesses and exhibits in the impeachment trial, or just vote to throw out the charges. Top Republican senators have said they would prefer to have a sham trial and move on.

Then on Wednesday, the House of Representatives released some of the documents Parnas had uploaded, which included evidence that Trump, Giuliani and the rest of them were stalking Marie Yovanovitch, then the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and an enemy of Trump.

Text messages sent to and from Parnas indicate they had her phone and computer under electronic surveillance. Ambassadors are usually treated with the utmost respect for their privacy, and their diplomatic pouch cannot even be searched coming through customs. So it's a big deal to have agents of the president putting an ambassador into this situation.

Then, Parnas granted an interview with Rachel Maddow, aired Wednesday night on MSNBC. He said that Trump personally managed the Ukrainian escapades, and said that Attorney General William Barr was on the team. And his documents and comments also implicate Vice President Mike Pence, who is now eligible for impeachment himself.

Then Parnas granted an interview to The New York Times. "I am betting my whole life that Trump knew exactly everything that was going on that Rudy Giuliani was doing in Ukraine," Parnas said in today's editions.

Multiply This by a Thousand

Once a web of crime like this comes unraveled, it just keeps going. Everyone is involved, as Gordon Sunland, the current U.S. ambassador to the E.U., said during his testimony. He said repeatedly that the emails went to everyone in the group, which included him.

If this is the way business is conducted in the White House -- akin to negotiating trash-hauling contracts in Queens -- then it's fair to expect a lot more of this was going on. And with the attorney general "on the team," there is no law enforcement possible. At this stage, a Special Counsel should be appointed, as William Barr is in the center of events.

As for the Maddening Part

Which is also the most spiritually relevant part. How is this still persisting? How is it possible that nobody has resigned under public pressure from these developments?

	Republicans who impeached Bill Clinton for lying in a civil deposition about a sexual matter now claim that the impeachment of Donald Trump is politically motivated and partisan -- which means fake. Photo by Scott Applewhite.

The question involves impact. Can anything really have impact anymore? Or is it all just part of the blur? Most people are hearing about these events in 10-word form (as headlines blowing past their newsfeeds). Does information in that form change anything, or is it all just more tweets?

Then there is the endless rationalizing by supporters of the president -- many of whom were gung-ho on the impeachment of Bill Clinton for lying about sex. He was impeached for a personal weakness, not abuse of power, as the Founders required.

The argument goes, well, he lied when he was under oath, so that made it a crime. Trump just lies the rest of the time (as in over 15,000 times documented, during his presidency), so that's supposedly OK.

Does anyone really think that someone putting their hand on the Bible has some magical power? And that it's OK to deceive others and commit crimes as long as you don't mumble "I do"?

What people who are turning the other cheek to this insanity are concealing is their personal agenda. It is not possible to have an opinion that intractable, and that impervious to the facts, and that immune to basic morality, and not have some deep psychological hook.

This will range from unresolved family issues, to a religious obsession with banning abortion, to quietly being a white nationalist. Every time a Republican gets up to speak, they say something like, "This is pure partisanship by people who hate the president." What they mean is that it's personal and it's only about political party. This is a magnificent example of gaslighting -- someone persistently working to get you to doubt your sanity and ignore the available facts. Sometimes I wonder how it might feel to think this way, but not for too long.

Then there is the level where this is all about us: where we, as a culture (and many as individuals) have handed over our power to care. One way to do that without doing it is to treat everything like it's a video game. Or like it's all too much. Or like you cannot make a difference anyway.

This really is on us, as individuals. It is up to us to care, to push back, to stand up and to speak up. It may be true that overexposure to the internet is destabilizing intellect, politics and culture throughout the world, but you are still in command of your awareness. What you do with your precious mind is always up to you.

We may live in decadent times, but the Dharma is not decadent.
The Constitution Is Functioning, but Is the Camera On?

One last thought. The fact that an impeachment is underway is evidence that the Constitution is still functioning. The fix may be in on witnesses and documents. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, may try to ban TV cameras from the trial, but so far the wheels are turning, and we are following instructions contained in The Law of the Land. That is good news.

Based on the speed of revelations, and the energy of the astrology, there remains the possibility that this will all blow sky high -- but not if you don't care, stand up and speak up. Not if you don't know what is happening. We need to provide the containment for the energy, if it's to move with any real power or force.

As for the trial not being televised: that is a nonstarter.

The mere notion of preventing the American people, and the Ukrainian people, and the rest of us, from seeing this trial, belies how urgent this is, and how much these toothless clods are hiding from us. If it's all a political game, then put it on TV and let's get a good look at how flimsy or nonexistent the evidence is.

And do remember, as Dylan said, patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings.

More commentary on Sunday's Planet Waves FM.

With love,
Government Watchdog Agency Says Trump 
Broke Law By Withholding Ukraine Aid

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration violated the law in withholding security assistance aid to Ukraine, a nonpartisan federal watchdog agency said, weighing in on a decision by President Trump that is at the heart of the impeachment case presented to the Senate on Thursday.

The agency, the Government Accountability Office, said the White House's Office of Management and Budget violated the Impoundment Control Act when it withheld nearly $400 million this summer for "a policy reason," even though the funds had been allocated by Congress.

Read more in The New York Times Harnessing Those Bright Ideas

By Amanda Painter

How are things shaking out now that we've concluded the eclipse period, and Saturn and Pluto have made their famous meeting in Capricorn? True, Saturn-Pluto is still working out, and Pluto is not at all done with Cap yet. But has anything shifted? Do you feel like you're in recovery? Are you facing a brave (or scary, or shiny, or intimidating) new world?

	Fire Engine Abstract #4. Photo by Amanda Painter.

It may take a good while yet to see the effects of choices you've made in the last two to three weeks. Chances are good, though, that you understand something about your world, and your personal agency in it, in a new way.

Right on cue, Mercury -- the planet of intellect -- is leaving the Capricorn herd and entering Aquarius at 1:31 pm EST today (18:30:42 UTC). Mercury is strong here, blending the steady persistence of Saturn (traditional ruler of Aquarius) with the intuitive inventiveness of Uranus (modern ruler of Aquarius).

Mercury in Aquarius also tends to be a communicative, friendly placing, likely related to the association Aquarius has with groups. It can be iconoclastic with its ideas, but there's also a reminder to beware of inflexible thinking once the brainstorm has offered its insights. Aquarius is, after all, a fixed sign, describing the repeated crystallization of new patterns after old ones have been interrupted.

With Venus now in Pisces as of Monday, and Mercury entering Aquarius, we get some personal-level softening and enlivening of all the serious, earthy Capricorn energy we've been living in. Mercury in Aquarius, in particular, suggests the ability to approach from a new angle whatever turning point or restructuring you are currently navigating.

You're about to get some help, in the form of inner restlessness or mental stimulation. Mercury is now square Uranus in Taurus (exact Saturday). And though both Taurus and Aquarius are fixed signs, this looks to me like a potentially inspiring few days.

Uranus represents the unexpected, the 'cosmic spark plug', the world's (and your own) revolutionary impulses. In contrast, Taurus likes to take an easy, steady pace with things. Mercury in a Uranus sign, making a tension-and-action aspect to Uranus itself, describes the mind moving quickly and unexpectedly. Yet you might find your thoughts are developing faster than you can act on them.

That's okay. Take notes -- whether on paper, verbally on your phone, or as texts and emails to someone (or to yourself). Get it all down so you don't lose it. You can assess the strength of the ideas and the integrity of your plans after a few days, when you can pause and focus.

Continue reading... Everything Counts

By Amanda Painter

With overwhelming environmental tragedies like the Australia bush fires, and potential pivot-point events like Trump's impeachment, it can feel like the planet itself is hanging in the balance. It is. But before you freak out and hide, watch this short video.

In it, environmental activists Greta Thunberg and George Monbiot lay out the critical moment we're in -- and then they spell out three simple concepts we can use to guide our way forward. Describing natural climate solutions (the ways nature can repair itself, and how we can support it), versus the lopsided money -- your tax money -- governments keep sinking into fossil fuels, Thunberg and Monbiot couldn't put it more plainly: PROTECT, RESTORE, FUND.

Implementing their plan will take effort and commitment by all of us, or at least a much larger proportion of us than is currently active. We don't need superheroes; we just need enough thinking individuals to care enough to vote for those who hold these values, to speak up, to protest, to plant trees, and so on.

As Thunberg reminds us in the video, "Everything counts. What you do counts." It is, in a word, Dharma. Or, as Eric likes to put it, choosing to "act as if to hold the world together." In terms of climate change, we literally will be.
Planet Waves FM At the Epicenter

Dear Friend and Listener:

As we pass through the epicenter of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, I'm a little pensive and reflective in this week's Planet Waves FM.

Thanks for tuning in, and for your continued support.

With love,
Respect 2020-2021 Readings Are Now Published

Dear Friend and Reader:

We're delighted to announce that the audio segments of our brand new annual edition, RESPECT 2020-2021, are now available for instant access. You may listen to the introductory recording on our website.

Each reading includes a high-quality audio recording of approximately 90 minutes by Eric Francis, plus a PDF of all the charts used, along with other resources. You'll also have access to An Aquarian Age, Eric's written reading focusing on 2021, which is due out in the spring.

Here are your purchasing options:

-- All 12 signs for $144 | Order here

-- Individual signs starting at $44 (additional signs discounted) | Order here

-- All signs of both RESPECT and our 2020 part one (extended written readings), INTELLIGENCE, for $177 | Order here

-- Individual signs of INTELLIGENCE only, starting at $44 (additional signs discounted) | Order here

Thank you for your business, and for trusting us as your astrological news service.

With best wishes,

P.S. If you prefer to order by phone, please call (845) 481-5616 during Eastern office hours. If we don't pick up right away, someone will get back to you very soon.

P.P.S. You can read for your Sun, Moon and rising signs, and may share these readings with your household. Anyone interested in how astrology works will benefit from getting all 12 signs. If you need assistance, have questions or would like alternative options, please write to cs@planetwaves.net.

Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscope for January was published on Friday, Dec. 27. We published your extended monthly horoscope for December on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign. Aries (March 20-April 19) -- Confidence is easier discussed than obtained; yet your current astrology suggests that trust is an excellent watchword for the moment. Giving people the benefit of the doubt is likely to prove fruitful. In particular, note that the people surrounding you in your present life are not the same as those from the past. Learning to have faith in this concept is a vehicle for your healing and growth. It includes recognizing your own agency, your capability for taking charge of your life and your equality with everyone else, as an adult in possession of sense, desire and resilience. -- By Amy Elliott Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- There have been times recently when you've wondered if you're returning back to square one, questioning your progress and current choices. The first part of that may be true, after a fashion -- at times, we do return to a similar point in a cycle, albeit with more experience and wisdom. That can make all the difference. Yet even when you're retracing your steps after an apparent wrong turn, it still constitutes a lesson. So long as you remain open to new ideas, listening out for the song of the universe, you will be traveling in the right direction. So long as you're determined to grow, nothing can prevent you. -- By Amy Elliott Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Your ruler Mercury has just entered your fellow air sign Aquarius, and is about to form a square to Uranus in Taurus. This describes an incredible moment of potential for ditching particular beliefs that may have been holding you back, and for an innovative spirit to inspire you. Something that has been a sticking point should suddenly appear easy to move out of the way, leaving you free to find out what's beyond that point. Engage your courage and curiosity, and say yes to opportunities. Explore a few different spaces. Let the flow of the cosmos be your guide. -- By Amy Elliott Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Now is your moment to stand up and stand out. You already shine brightly against the backdrop of countless people who unite perfectly in meaningless formation. The world has seen enough of soulless ambition and mundane functionality. People are craving an example of what it means to be really alive, and you can supply it. All you need to do is keep being yourself, in public. Some have probably already noticed. What's wonderful is that anyone who sees you is also seeing their own potential. Honest and transparent self-expression contains an immeasurable potency. -- By Amy Elliott Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- A specific challenge emerging in your professional arena may benefit from an unusual solution. It's likely there is more information to be discovered, potentially something fundamental about the matter that is hidden, or easy to overlook. Make sure the obvious and basic elements are covered before examining the more complicated factors. Listening to what others have to say could also be of invaluable assistance; this is the sort of situation where someone can unknowingly drop a clue in conversation, which then turns out to be the key to the entire mystery. -- By Amy Elliott Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- Rather than focusing on your limitations and doubts, try shifting the spotlight and instead notice what you can do, and what you are doing. Remember that comparing yourself to others rarely if ever leads along a useful path of thought. You are not here to be a copy of someone else (unless you're in the celebrity impersonation industry, perhaps). You exist in order to express what nobody else effectively can -- your unique character. And you're doing a better job than you realize. To others your gifts are visible and clear; it's time for you also to acknowledge them. -- By Amy Elliott Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Reflecting on the past has a number of uses. It's a good measure of how far you've come, and what you got through to arrive here. It can also be a helpful reminder not to repeat certain mistakes, or of which approaches tend to meet with success. Where things can get tricky is if you assume nothing has changed, or consider a former error as an irretrievable loss of respectability, whether in you or in someone else. Contrary to certain popular trends, in reality the human world requires more flexible modes of thought. Keep a door open for yourself to move on. -- By Amy Elliott Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- The future is not fixed. It is a mass of probabilities and possibilities. Okay, if you drop a cup of coffee you can safely predict it making contact with the ground in a second or two, but that's about it. Unless, that is, you have a specific matter in your full control; then you get to decide. At any rate, you don't need to assume anything is certainly going to happen until it does, especially where you are personally involved. You have more clout and more options in these situations than you realize. Make sure you're aware of all the avenues that are available to you. -- By Amy Elliott
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- British comedian Stewart Lee recently said he'd told an audience member who complained of not enjoying his show: "I don't know what you expect me to do about it. You just paid to see me, and I am me." Humor aside, this is a rather fitting example for the astrology of your present moment. It's natural in some ways to seek acceptance from others; yet you cannot possibly please everyone, nor can you control how your fellow humans respond to you. What does lie within your power is being yourself, and acting in ways you can approve. That's really all that matters. -- By Amy Elliott

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Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Though the Saturn-Pluto conjunction has passed exactness, it is still in effect. You are on the threshold between all that has come before, and all that is now possible. It is essential that you move slowly and consciously, and take in whatever information you're receiving. Pay close attention to your state of mind and body, as frequently as you can, and be scrupulously honest with yourself. This is a deeply significant moment, during which you can steer your life in almost any direction. Your task is to ensure you see your way clearly, and aim true. -- By Amy Elliott Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- A heavy emphasis on the astrological 12th house tends to feel challenging for most people. If you've been through the mill recently, and especially if you're still feeling squeezed, be extra kind to yourself. This could also be a good time to describe your experiences in some form of art. Keeping track of your emotional journey would be a useful way to help you process your sensations in the present. Remember that while major achievements may not appear as such while they're happening or in their immediate aftermath, it will eventually become clear just how much you've accomplished lately. -- By Amy Elliott Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- People are not gods, and you have recently learned the importance of recognizing this. You don't owe anyone worship, or even eternal fealty. You don't owe anyone idealization, or ignorance of their weaknesses. Rather, you're free to understand them for who they are, and to choose how you respond. This knowledge will help protect you from unnecessary conflicts, as well. You've discovered that life is too short to spend time pacifying bad faith actors or serving the whims of frenemies. Surround yourself instead with people who care -- about the truth, and about you. -- By Amy Elliott

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