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James Comey, former director of the FBI, testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday morning. He explained how he was pressured by Trump to drop the investigation into the Russians meddling in the 2016 election. Photo by Doug Mills / The New York Times.
Dear Friend and Reader:
Before I touch on Friday's Sagittarius Full Moon or today's testimony by James Comey, I want to review one issue.
Donald Trump is currently president of the United States, and he didn't win the election. He got 2,864,974 fewer votes than Hillary Clinton. Many presidents have won by a far smaller margin of victory, most notably John F. Kennedy, who beat Richard Nixon by just 112,827 votes -- a margin of just 0.17%.
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Donald Trump meeting with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian foreign minister, while James Comey was being fired. This photo was taken by TASS, the Russian (formerly Soviet) news agency. No members of the White House press pool (i.e. American reporters) were allowed into the room. |
This is the simple truth. Trump lost the election, and won this weird thing called the "electoral vote." I am aware that the Electoral College is in the federal constitution. So too is the idea that a black person is three-fifths of a person.
The actual issue of Trump losing the election but still taking office is not about the law; it's not about politics; it's a moral issue. The last time someone lost the "popular vote," which means the vote, we got George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and a series of disastrous wars that have yet to end.
We got the Sept. 11 incident, which the administration knew was about to happen. We got the PATRIOT Act. We got torture and "extraordinary rendition." We got uncontrolled surveillance of our telephones and internet accounts.
Someone losing the election and taking office is more than a bad omen. The person holding office has no moral allegiance to the country or to its people. Why would they?
They can satisfy themselves with the idea that their "victory" was constitutional, and technically lawful. That's not the same as knowing that a majority of the people support you, under a system of government where the majority opinion is the one our elections are supposed to be based on.
That alone, aside from everything else we know about Team Trump, was enough to predict a train wreck of a presidency. We now have many questions about where the loyalty of these people really resides. It's not with us. It's not with the Republic. We could even doubt whether they're especially loyal to themselves.
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Make America Great Again! Get rid of California (or its votes); it's the origin of such liberal sissies as Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Jerry Garcia! |
We know, from a tweet, this whole election thing deeply bothers the so-called president: "In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."
I've heard the excuses of his partisans, such as how he would have won the popular vote if you don't count California and he would have really cleaned up big time if you toss out New York.
Actually, we know that the Russians are involved, from the intel data, the meetings that nobody wanted to mention, the lavishing of praise and the chummy White House photo op documented only by the Kremlin.
These are serious issues, though they're mere symptoms of the problem. The real issue is the struggle over whether the truth matters at all, whether it carries any weight, and whether people can be moved by it. The subtext is whether there's such a thing as the truth, or whether just believing what you believe is adequate.
This, in turn, is part of a much wider situation, which is where the mind, and society, intersect with the very, very unusual media environment under which we're currently submerged. We call it all kinds of things: the internet, the smart phone, social media, or technology, though really, it's all the environment in which we live.
We're now seeing this environment pushed to its intellectual and conceptual limits. As Prof. Eric McLuhan has explained, "The body is everywhere assaulted by all of our new media, a state which has resulted in deep disorientation of intellect and destabilization of culture throughout the world. In the age of disembodied communication, the meaning and significance and experience of the body is utterly transformed and distorted."
And we think that in this environment, we're going to get to the truth of the matter. The Trump-Russia scenario, point for point, actually makes Watergate pale by comparison. It touches on every major issue, and adds the dimension of international espionage, repeated lying on security clearance applications and many other factors.
The real test here is how much people can put up with: how many lies, how much outrageous conduct, how much chaos, before they actually get angry enough to take action. And not merely that: angry enough to focus their power, to get together, and then take action. How are you doing with this? Can you stand it? How are you handling the people you know who insist that everything is just going beautifully?
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Why pay attention to one another, when you can just text? |
It remains to be seen whether seeking the truth, or getting angry, or taking action, are even possible, with all of the previously dependable reference points gone. Even when they were in place, it took more than two years after the Watergate break-in to get rid of Richard Nixon. That was back when there was such a thing as the truth, and such a thing as lying, which could be contrasted in a way that was meaningful.
James Comey, who till recently was head of the FBI, told the Senate Intelligence Committee today that he immediately took detailed notes because he was concerned that Trump might lie. Then Trump insinuated that he had tapes of their meetings. At Thursday's hearing, Comey said, "Look, I've seen the tweet about tapes. Lordy, I hope there are tapes."
That does not sound like someone afraid of the truth, or who thinks there's no such thing.
Here's my take on the Sagittarius Full Moon square Neptune.
I am aware of a passage from A Course in Miracles, which I understand and also see the potential problems with. It's from a section called The Laws of Chaos, from the chapter The War Against Yourself.
The first chaotic law is that the truth is different for everyone. Like all these principles, this one maintains that each is separate and has a different set of thoughts which sets him off from others. This principle evolves from the belief there is a hierarchy of illusions; some are more valuable and therefore true. Each one establishes this for himself and makes it true by his attack on what another values. And this is justified because the values differ and those who hold them seem to be unlike and therefore enemies.
Think how this seems to interfere with the first principle of miracles. ["There is no order of difficulty of miracles. One is not 'harder' or 'bigger' than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal."] For this establishes degrees of truth among illusions, making it appear that some of them are harder to overcome than others. If it were realized that they are all the same and equally untrue, it would be easy, then, to understand that miracles apply to all of them. Errors of any kind can be corrected because they are untrue. When brought to truth instead of to each other, they merely disappear. No part of nothing can be more resistant to the truth than can another.
From a contemporary standpoint, we just LOVE the idea that "the truth is different for everyone." It's that thing that makes every person such a unique and special snowflake.
We might honor individuality by saying that everyone perceives the truth differently. Everyone has their distinct point of view. Twenty painters will all paint the same tree differently; none of the paintings are the tree itself. The tree is the truth; the paintings are the perception of the artist -- and any artist, which means honest artist, will tell you that. We can honor one another's point of view and still honor the fact that there is a truth.
I'm meekly informed enough about quantum physics to know, based on current scientific knowledge, that anything is possible, at any time; and that everything that happens is the function of a probability rather than a certainty. I am aware there are scientists who theorize that the universe is so vast that every permutation of reality as we know it must exist simultaneously.
Somewhere in the universe right now, I'm sitting in a hash bar in Amsterdam with Bjork, writing our next album together.
However, as a practical matter, we need reference points. And we know there's a problem with people making things up, and insisting that it's not only their truth, but your truth.
They can do that because we're so overwhelmed and disoriented by our environment, there seems to be no truth; and whoever yells the loudest, or who has the most Twitter followers, whoever people believe, is the one who's right.
From a deeply personal standpoint, we're so busy being special snowflakes that it's easy to lose the truth of who we are. It's as if the story we make up is the very thing that is right. Yet the mind seems to be so chaotic, and so full of voices, that there is no "truth of who we are."
There's also the problem of how challenging it is to reach the core of one's personal reality, or of some collective reality. It takes work. People tend to be lazy thinkers. It's easier to just believe something that's convenient and leave it at that.
That might serve for some purposes, but it won't help you cross the street, and it won't help organize a society into something that, you know, provides food, water and sewerage services for its inhabitants.
We have some reckoning to do.
with love,
Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday and Thursday evening in Kingston, New York, by Chiron Return, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Core Community membership: $197/year. Editor and Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Astrology Editor: Amanda Painter. Client Services: Amy Elliott. Eric's Assistant: Ellen Dockery. Astrology Fact Checker: Len Wallick. Special Project Designer: Lizanne Webb. Copy Editor and Fact Checker: Jessica Keet. Media Consultant: Andrew Ellis Marshall McLuhan. Music Director: Daniel Sternstein. Bass and Drums: Daniel Grimsland. Additional Research, Writing and Opinions: Amy Jacobs, Cindy Ragusa and Carol van Strum.
Sagittarius Full Moon: Recognizing Your Freedom to Care
By Amanda Painter
Have you thought much about the fact that you are just as free to care as you are free not to care? One reading of Friday's Sagittarius Full Moon suggests this theme, which might emerge through your interaction with someone particular in your life.
The question of being free to care or not care applies to everything: from personal relationships and interactions, to political or social justice issues, to the latest consumer and celebrity trends.
Whether you think of "caring" as giving your mental attention to something or as actively taking care of something (or someone), you always have that choice to care or not.
Look around -- at the state of the world, at the media's focus, at your social circles (both online and in your bricks-and-mortar community), at your own choices and habits -- and it's clear that not everything we care about is necessarily healthy. It's also clear that we often don't actively take care of the people, places and things (including ourselves) that might best support and nurture us in return.
Crowd mentality sets in, aided and abetted by media consumption, and off we go giving considerable energy and lip service to what everyone else seems to care about. Or we get so caught up in what we want and are not getting, that we forget to give -- to actively care for friends and loved ones, for our communities, for the planet itself.
Continue reading →
Access Your INVOLUTION Readings Now -- Plus Previews
"Thank you for this great reading, dear Eric. Always such a pleasure to have these readings on video -- where your great warmth, intelligence and spontaneity shine through.
-- Lizzy, commenting on INVOLUTION
"I just wanted to thank you for the soulful way you weave the threads of the story into a beautiful tapestry that allows the viewer to open their hearts and souls to new possibilities and perspectives of their lives."
-- Lynn Levine, responding to INVOLUTION
"This is superb Eric! And most helpful. You only get better at what you do. Thank you."
-- Cristine Delorey, internationally acclaimed numerologist, on INVOLUTION for Sagittarius
Dear Friend and Reader:
Your INVOLUTION video readings are recorded and ready; these cover the astrology from late spring through midsummer 2017. The year so far has been nothing short of shocking; as in, on an almost daily basis -- and I see things coming to a peak of some sort with the Aug. 21 eclipse in just three months.
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Go figure! A reading where you actually can understand what the astrologer is talking about. This preview is from the Taurus video. See video samples here for each of the signs. |
We have a free video preview of all 12 signs, and you can read a written preview (really, a reading) in the links right at the bottom of this letter.
Also, the readings are now available as audio-only, so you can listen offline, or get them into a device and play them while you're out of the house.
The astrology between now and the eclipse will affect every single one of us, albeit in slightly different ways. And so I've recorded the INVOLUTION readings from the perspective that while you obviously want to know how it affects you personally, it will also be helpful to you to know how those around you are experiencing it.
You may order all 12 signs here, or individual signs here.
I'm one of a very few astrologers who can do a reading without the natal chart data, using both ancient techniques and new ones that I've developed over the years. My clients are, sincerely, amazed at how helpful and personally applicable these readings so dependably are.
To give you a sense of where I've gone with these 12 video readings, I've prepared an individual written preview page for each one. You can read all of them at the links below:
ARIES Preview | TAURUS Preview | GEMINI Preview | CANCER Preview | LEO Preview
VIRGO Preview | LIBRA Preview | SCORPIO Preview | SAGITTARIUS Preview
CAPRICORN Preview | AQUARIUS Preview | PISCES Preview
One of the most helpful things in this reading is my first interpretation of the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017 -- which will streak across the entire United States from coast to coast. That eclipse will change life as we know it in the United States, and you'll want to have your surfboard positioned correctly when the wave comes in.
I'll have more in the full video readings, which are ready now. To get all 12 signs of INVOLUTION at a fantastic discount, please use this link -- you may share the readings with your family.
To purchase individual signs of INVOLUTION, please use this link.
Thank you for your business and for trusting me as your astrologer.
with love,
P.S. Here's more early feedback from INVOLUTION customers:
"I feel less alone in this universe from listening/viewing the reading."
-- Eileen
"Thank you Eric, So much depth to incorporate on so many levels! These past 10 years have brought more change and more insight into my life than I ever imagined was possible. I loved when you said that we might re-discover ourselves repeatedly. SO TRUE. The revelations about family issues, ties and generational connections are profound, to say the least. Thank you for addressing all these deep, personal, sometimes wrenching situations. I too wish to express my love and gratitude for the guidance and intensely personal gift you've given us."
-- Barb
"So deeply helpful and encouraging Eric; confirms my experiences recently and over the past 10 years. I'm so curious about what the 8/21 eclipse will bring/reveal. Saturn in Sagittarius moving to Capricorn this December marks my second Saturn return. I am at a very significant time in my life. Thanks so much for your care and guidance."
-- Lisa
 
My first thought when I saw this photo of two perfectly placed rhinos: "Ah! A beast whose two heads pointing in opposite directions mirrors our political situation." Then I realized that to be a truly accurate reflection, the rhino would need to have two derrieres rather than two heads. In addition to the 2016 finalists and the winners from 2015 and 2016 available on the competition's website, this site seems to have a few other worthy shots. Photo by George Balan via The Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards.
By Amanda Painter
As Eric has noted about former FBI director James Comey's testimony to Congress and the snap election in the UK today, timing can speak volumes when it comes to astrology. With two such major events occurring the day before the Sagittarius Full Moon, you know that whatever the outcomes may be, they will have impact -- thanks to that timing.
Same with photography: a split second can mean the difference between catching someone with their eyes open rather than closed; or capturing some sudden, serendipitous tableau as someone or something moves into the frame for an instant. Timing in photography can equal tremendous impact.
Enter the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards. As its founders write on their website, it was started to meet two factors: "Firstly, a need for a photography competition that was light-hearted, upbeat, possibly unpretentious and mainly about wildlife doing funny things. After its first year, these objectives seem to have been met. Secondly, and way more importantly, this competition is about conservation."
Anytime wildlife conservation can enter people's consciousness, that's a win. To do so using humor and artistic and technical skill is a bonus. To achieve all of that at a time when politics, industry and digital media seem intent on bringing constant chaos and despair into our daily lives -- and designed to make us forget about caring for the Earth -- well, the timing could not be better.
New program every Tuesday at 7 pm at PlanetWaves.FM.
This Week on Planet Waves FM
The Elements of Worldly and Spiritual Strength
Dear Friend and Listener:
It's often been said that when the student is ready, the teacher arrives -- and in that spirit, I'm here to introduce you to Kasia Urbaniak. A former dominatrix who was once paid $64,000 for a ten-minute session (her job while putting herself and her sister through university), Kasia now teaches women's empowerment workshops.
Not the precious kind. Not the socially appropriate kind. Not the political kind, or the politically correct kind.
Rather, she takes women through a process that addresses the elements of actual worldly and spiritual strength: being in your body and your voice, speaking your truth, standing boldly in your sexuality, taking command of money, and understanding the strength of your motivations and focused intention.
This week's edition of Planet Waves FM [play episode here] is a double-header, wherein two full segments are devoted to a conversation I had with Kasia Monday night. That segment begins at 1 hour and 40 minutes if you want to skip right to it.
Before we get there, I look at the current astrology, including three inner planets changing signs, and Friday's Full Moon in Sagittarius. That ties into the political event of the season: James Comey, who was recently fired as director of the FBI, testifying before congress Thursday morning, one day ahead of the Full Moon -- and that says impact.
I look at two other news events: Kathy Griffin holding up an effigy of the bloody head of Donald Trump, which I take as an invocation of Kali; and the recent attack in London, which I look at in terms of figure and background.
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Bob Dylan, left, with Robbie Robertson performing at Winterland, for The Last Waltz concert in 1976. |
The Galactic Core is rising in that chart, and what we have is the problem of something so wide, you can't get around it -- and something that's now so pervasive, it promises to disappear.
Our musical accompaniment on this adventure is Bob Dylan, who recently turned 76 years old, and who just this week released his lecture for the Nobel Prize for Literature.
In this week’s program, we meet Bob in his incarnation as rocker, experiencing some fantastic live moments; and as English professor, talking about the literary influences that shaped him as a lyricist. I've selected the portion where he talks about Moby Dick by Herman Melville.
Selections are from his older work, though with some ripping live performances, and two selections from the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
Planet Waves FM is commercial-free, nonprofit, listener-sponsored community internet radio. We are part of the Pacifica Radio Network.
How do you feel when you listen to Planet Waves FM? Why do you come back? That's why you want to be a member of Planet Waves, and take up the power to make what we do possible. Here is how to make a fully tax-deductible contribution, and here is how to subscribe to Planet Waves.
with love,
Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes
Your extended monthly horoscopes for June were published on Thursday, May 25. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for May on Thursday, April 20. Your Moonshine horoscopes for the Scorpio Full Moon were published on Thursday, May 11. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Thursday after the Sun has entered a new sign.
Don't forget to take advantage of this special gift: Eric's Daily Horoscope can arrive in your mailbox by 7 am ET, containing great astrological guidance for all 12 signs. You can sign up with our compliments, though we welcome donations.
Daily Horoscope for Friday, June 9, 2017 | By Eric Francis
Aries (March 20-April 19) -- If you find yourself believing something that's not true, consider changing your belief. This is rarely done; usually people expect the world to conform to what they think is true, which is partly why the world is in the state that it's in. Be a trendsetter and live for the truth. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- You have every resource you need, if you would only notice. That includes a certain kind of intelligence that allows you to navigate to the truth through a mix of feeling and thinking. Crosscheck one against the other, and feel the strength that this gives you. For your Eric Francis horoscope this week, please see this link.
Gemini Birthdays and Rising Sign 2017
Welcome Home, Mercury!
Attention Geminis: Your ruling planet, Mercury, has finally come home to your sign. Celebrate by listening to last year's Gemini reading, on us. Think of it as a 'welcome home' gift.
Once you've reviewed your last year and checked Eric's accuracy, you can then pre-order your 2017 Gemini Birthday Reading for the lowest price Planet Waves offers. Eric will be recording this reading -- two parts astrology, one part specialty tarot reading -- in the near future. Please note: Eric plans to raise the price soon, and it will increase once again upon publication.
Whether you're looking for greater focus and direction, a new perspective, some loving encouragement -- or you need someone to hold a mirror up to your relationships, career options, healing goals and soul's purpose -- you'll find that and more in this reading.
"Listening to an Eric Francis reading is very much like having an intimate conversation with a valued friend and mentor."
-- Nora Connaughton
Come home to your 2017 Planet Waves Gemini reading, and come home to yourself. (Note: this reading is not the same as the Involution spring reading.)
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