Dear Friend and Reader:

In my Planet Waves daily diary all week I've been commenting about the conjunction of Chiron and Neptune that is now within one degree, in late Aquarius. This is a 'near-miss' rather than an exact conjunction but it's coming in at a nice strength. Neptune in Aquarius, which began in 1998 around when Bill Clinton was impeached, has been the perfect fodder for our whole "lie to me / why deal with it?" mentality that has been such fruitful soil for the Karl Roves and Dick Cheneys of the world to plant their fleurs de mal.

Rose window at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. I am not certain the orientation, but I believe this is the rose window facing northeasterly. Photo by Eric Francis.

When Chiron arrived in 2005, I was certain that there would be a gradual public awakening that would peak as Chiron made its exact conjunction to Neptune. The current one is a near miss, which is at its closest on May 31, to within one-quarter of a degree. Chiron will go retrograde before the conjunction perfects, and the exact meeting will take place Feb. 17, 2010. Of note, this is shortly after the one and only contact of Saturn in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn that occurs in late 2009. The two events are connected.

Finally, there is one last near miss of Chiron and Neptune, also within one-quarter of a degree, on Nov. 3, 2010. (Tracy Delaney in Wales programmed the ephemeris where I am getting this information.)

For the current near-miss, Jupiter is there, so the last week of May we have a very close triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune. This puts the two rulers of Pisces in a conjunction (Jupiter to Neptune, which happens about every 14 years). The prior cycle of Neptune to Chiron conjunctions was in 1879-1880, in Taurus. The next cycle starts in 2094, in Virgo. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and therefore it is astrology that will also define an era of history and mark the astrology of a sub-generation.

Usually we don't notice these events until it's over. However, as the Internet has begun to make information available to those who seek it, we can now work with transits like this while they are happening, and co-create their 'meaning' and explore their creative potential together.

Jupiter tends to magnify what is already there; and the conjunction of Neptune and Chiron is like putting a focusing ray to everything that Neptune represents -- from the delusional side to the direct access to creative and spiritual energy. Neptune can represent denial and all the things we deny; Chiron represents awareness, the process of becoming aware and the crisis of becoming aware. One shadow attribute of Chiron is the refusal to become aware of what is obvious. Jupiter will magnify this and also bring in a vast library of available wisdom.

Many feel that the keyword of Chiron is 'healing'. I prefer 'raising awareness'. So let's say that sums up as 'healing through raising awareness'. This is easier if you have a predisposition to being in affinity with the truth, in particular, your own truth. It is more difficult if your character is structured such that you get by in life by lying to yourself. This is something we need to sort out. Denial is one of the most destructive forces in the universe, and for some reason on our plane of reality it is one of the most accessible. Denial is destructive because our journey on Earth requires awareness, and denial is specifically the refusal to be aware or acknowledge what one's awareness is reporting in. Another word for this is ignorance. Ignorance is not about not knowing; it's about not paying attention to what one already knows or should know.

A lot of people are starting to ask about what's going to happen in 2012. It seems to be coming across in its usual apocalyptic colors, which I suggest we take a giant step beyond. What great enlightening thing happened to society as a result of the Sept. 11 incident? Even if we learned something, there are better, more efficient and entirely less painful ways to make progress.

The Chiron-Neptune conjunction is a warm-up, or rather, an exercise in paying attention to the fact that it is already happening. You could also call this a pre-2012 healer training program. Part of the training is in how to deal with extra potent doses of consciousness; part is processing and applying the healing gifts that many of us have been working toward for so long. Part is others who have delayed starting the process now, in earnest, and taking advantage of celestial speedup to make up for lost time. You can, if you are sincere and you bear in mind what you don't know.

Aquarius is involved directly. Therefore, the line we who are called upon to help will have to cross is some measure of going public. This does not mean being on Oprah. It does mean being known for who you are and what you do without fear, trepidation or egotism, and working with people who may not be directly familiar to you. That takes a special kind of trust. With Aquarius there is always public contact, and when we are in integrity that means a measure of public accountability.

Rear window from my apartment in Brussels, 2007. Photo by Eric Francis.

This is frightening to a lot of people because we tend to confuse our conditioned, convoluted sense of being sinners with actually being wrong. We were all taught to divide our psyches against ourselves, and those inconsistencies can feel terrifying if suddenly the spotlight touches our individual existence, our ideas, our work, and so forth. There is a lot to learn in being exposed, and one of the things you can learn is developing consistency.

Aquarius says that this is about all of us, and that it's about how each of us relates to the larger circle of society around us. Pisces is directly involved in this process because of the presence of Jupiter and Neptune, the traditional and modern rulers of that sign respectively. Sagittarius comes in via Jupiter and Chiron. And we have one last link -- Uranus in Pisces is in mutual reception with Neptune in Aquarius.

For one thing this astrology is the perfect blend of three signs: Sagittarius, Aquarius and Pisces. We could say a lot about this alchemical mixture. For now I will leave it at this, an idea that popped out of the ethers late Friday night when I was on the phone with my friend Amanda; so her energy is in the mix here.

It would appear that we are opening up an accessible common space on one or more of the higher dimensions that is an actual meeting point. Kind of like the Internet appeared, we are defining and opening a space of psychic reality where can meet, facilitate our work, speed up our learning and enjoy some freedom for recreation and play (essential in any deep evolutionary and healing process). We have, with some restrictions, the ability to be more available to one another, aware of one another, and free to engage one another. By restrictions I mean that when you start to make direct contact with these levels of existence, there is only so much fear and polarization you can bring with you. It would be chaotic and potentially quite dangerous if you could, so basically you have to check a lot of baggage at the door.

If you are someone who maps out the planes, I think this is happening not on the astral or causal levels, the two most accessible to normal waking consciousness, and two of the most hotly polarized; but rather on what is commonly called mental plane. This is not mental in the sense of thoughts and ideas but rather mental in the sense of the psychic latticework that supports the commonly accessible ideas and thoughts we experience the rest of the time. Some call this level 6D. So far as I've mapped it out, it's like an engineering level where we develop the architecture of the succeeding planes of reality, that is, the causal, astral and physical. Really good astrology happens in 6D and what an astrologer does is gently transpose that information to the denser experiences of 4D (astral) and 5D (causal or intellectual).

6D has as one of its properties a distinct lack of the polarized, contentious, intellectualized stuff that we encounter so often. It is an extraordinarily wide space where concepts have great leverage and where there are no commercials.

Yours & truly,

PS, I'll be back at Daily Astrology & Adventure with coverage of today's Taurus New Moon.




By Judith Gayle | Political Waves

I continue to marvel at our new direction, orchestrated by the energies that influence us and the growing desire of the public to unearth what has long remained hidden, punctuated by news articles that are both welcome and disturbing. If you are one of those people who think that big things happen around you, to you, but you do not influence their occurrence in any way, then you are underestimating yourself. The news is relevant to your life because it's a reflection of our collective psycho/social mental structures, driven ahead by our fears and desires.

"How can that be?" you might ask. "Why should I take responsibility for what I have no power to change?" True, you aren't the Master of the Universe, able to control and direct everything around you with a flick of your hand or twitch of your nose. You have only so much free time to devote to the world and local situation, given your responsibilites and daily challenges; you can't keep up with everything. Besides, you might protest, this is the United States of America -- we have laws to take care of everything.

Yes, and some of them are very flawed. Those laws are determined by the very politics that we find so tedious and confusing, and while the high rhetoric and political drama may be a headache to follow, they are eventually winnowed down to great drafts of legalize that become Rule of Law. Any law struck by our nation should not only be thoroughly understood by its citizens, but thoughtfully and carefully designed. Having spent a bit of time in court this week, let me assure you that law is passionless, deaf and dumb to circumstances; once in place, law has no flex, and ignorance of the law, we're told, is no excuse. Much the same goes for the cause of our social ills; ignorance will not protect us from consequences.

We're influenced continually by public relations campaigns, and we should know by now that they are not limited to products we purchase but attempt to sway our every attitude and opinion; PR drives social and political movements as well. This is the equivalent of partisanship; you will hear the 'up' side while the 'down' will be diminished or dismissed completely. In essence, our society is driven by a loftier version of the pitchmen who hawk their junk at the county fair.

Coming Up in Daily Astrology and Adventure

When it comes to the search for extraterrestrial life, there are a few of the usual stellar subjects that get most of the scrutiny -- Mars and some moons of Jupiter and Saturn, for the most part. But the solar system is a pretty crowded place, really, so there are lots of options for seeking evidence of life. Astrobiology Magazine reports that the dwarf planet Ceres, which makes its home in the asteroid belt, might be the target of one such mission.

The launch of the Dawn spacecraft aboard a Delta 2 Heavy 7925H to the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. Photo: NASA.

The Ceres Polar Lander was envisioned by European satellite system manufacturer Thales Alenia Space. According to the article, "The idea is to build a low-cost mission using reliable existing technology to complement other larger missions, while benefiting from NASA's Dawn mission results. Assuming launch by a Soyuz rocket, the spacecraft would take around four years to reach Ceres."

Why Ceres? The solar system's smallest dwarf planet, it might have ice at its poles and a layer of water ice beneath a dusty crust. This makes it an attractive subject for study, as water is essential for life.

What kind of life? Nothing particularly bizarre, Thales Alenia Space's Joel Poncy said in the article. Most likely microbes -- which, in and of themselves, would be an amazing discovery.

As for when a Ceres mission would be ready for liftoff, well, that could still take a while. But that's no deterrent to Poncy, who suggested it might fit in nicely with other upcoming missions, like those planned jointly by NASA and the European Space Agency to Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Titan, both candidates for harboring life. Those missions should begin sending data back about 2027 and last about seven years, Poncy told Astrobiology Magazine.

"We should be ready for that, and not plan on landing in 2060!" Poncy said in the article. "This is too what motivates us, combined with the opportunity to find something major at Ceres."

Weekly Horoscope for Friday, April 24, 2009, #763 - By ERIC FRANCIS

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Generally we take having a competitive spirit for granted. Or rather, you take it for granted. It does not make your relationships happier places. There are other options, such as cooperation, listening and sharing. The problem with those options is that like many things (alternative energy, sex, how much money your grandfather really has) they are kept as a carefully guarded secret. The way is open for you to direct your abundant energy into creating a model of consciousness where you support the world and it supports you; where you facilitate life for people who are working to weave the integrity of the world. There is a concept slowly working its way into mainstream language -- dharma. This is the opposite of karma, or the results of our actions. Dharma is acting as if to hold the world together. The little 'as if' part is included for skeptics who might not believe that honesty or granting the people you love freedom actually matter.

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

Taurus (April 19- May 20)
You have many secret desires; I would propose that you have a few that are secret even from yourself. Why you might not speak up about them could involve a matter of pride. So I will phrase this as a question: would you want to be known for who and what you desire the most? If not, what do you want to be known for, and how do you reconcile the difference? This means more than you may think: to your sanity, to your integrity and to the unity of your consciousness. It's easier to live as one person rather than as an entity cut into parts, worrying about who thinks what about you. The first step is to become completely familiar with who you are, and I mean becoming intimate and accepting of the new developments that are shaping your consciousness. Then I suggest you notice something unusual about our particular moment in history: you actually can be that without judgment -- but only if you step out.

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

Gemini (May 20- June 21)
Faith is the thing that you want. I would say it's the pearl of great price, but actually it is free. I would say that for as far back as it's practical to remember, you've been working on this one, or struggling with it, or responding to its attempts to get your attention. Faith means faith in people and it means faith in love. At the center of this discussion is that pesky thing known as ethics. You have more power than you know, but you will only set your influence into motion by striving for impeccability. If you catch yourself applying situation ethics, that is, something is 'right' under one circumstance but 'wrong' under a similar circumstance, I suggest you stop and question yourself. Right now you have visibility and a strong sense of presence in the world. This is to say, you are attractive, and your example counts for more than usual. You will get back exactly what you put out.

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

Cancer (June 21- July 22)
Most people on this planet would rather keep their sexual reality separate from their spiritual one. The old idea that sex is dirty and God is clean has stalked us clear through the first decade of the 21st century. You are currently standing in a place where your deepest spiritual values are intersecting with your sexual values. This involves healing a split that runs so deep in the human psyche the only thing that could possibly resolve it is a miracle. And that is what appears to be on order for you. Honor sex as the cosmic thing it is. Honor the creative force of the universe as expressing itself through living things as a sexual process. Do this in the spirit of making peace with existence; that is, with the fact that you exist and were created; and that you continue to create yourself.

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

Leo (July 22- Aug. 23)
Relationships involve agreements, be they relationships that last one year or a lifetime. It's interesting, and tragic, the extent to which so many agreements are not spoken and are based on misunderstandings. You are more clear than others in your expectations, and more generous than others in terms of what you are willing to give to any situation in order to have it work out for everyone. You now have a stunning opportunity to clear the air and the water for the future. There is something vital being arranged or negotiated now. The situation can work out equitably for everyone, if someone is willing to hold that vision; that someone would be you. In any situation involving a sexual relationship or multiple relationships, the psychic atmosphere is calling for two things: one is total transparency, and the other (related) is being clear and negotiable about what you want, and getting clear about what those around you want. That creates a platform for seeing common interests and for honest negotiation.

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

Virgo (Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
Saturn in your sign is a heavy influence, but it's teaching you to hold your ground and give your life some dependable shape. Part of that is learning how to work with time. Then it's meaningful to remember that there are things that transcend time and our ideas about the right order in which things are supposed to happen. You are living your life right in that zone where relationship experiences are healing experiences, which is a grand thing because most of the healing we need involves the kinds of trust issues that are open to the most positive influences in your life. You are going to be the one who takes the lead guiding your relationships in this direction, but you can trust one thing -- that even if your words seem to have fallen on deaf ears in the past, the people you care about and who care about you will likely be more open-hearted and clear of mind than you've ever known them to be.

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

Libra (Sep. 22 - Oct. 23)
An important relationship has withstood an important test: an adjustment of some kind, some strange complication or a series of reconciliations with the past. This has all pointed to one thing: the challenge of coming up with a new vision. Now is the time for this vision to demonstrate itself in practical terms, that is, in real ways that lead to the happiness of everyone involved. While this is happening, you are in an important exercise of your own, which is about making sure you live your life fully despite what anyone may think. By living I mean expressing your creative volition in a way that you never have before. Here is the test. If you are free, you are free to take some unusual chance on yourself. Ideally this would challenge the people around you to adapt to your new vision of yourself, which in turn will bring your relationships onto a level where they actually work for you.

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

Scorpio (Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
You need to live through the end of the matter before you can get to the beginning of the next one; and you are very close. You're not close if you think in short spans of time, such as last week or even last year. But you're very close if you think in long spans of time, for example, the past 10 years. Basically, consider your emotional history as far back as you can remember, then imagine that what you are resolving, setting yourself free from and working to recreate about yourself goes back that far. I would add one last point. The transition from old to new does not usually come with a ribbon cutting. In the midst of working out the details on one phase of your life, the new one can draw you in like the time vortex that it is. Things that were delayed in being resolved, or resisting, or which seemed impossible, can suddenly be irrelevant.

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

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)
Words are important. They are a crucial aspect of commitment. At the moment, that commitment involves manifesting something that does not currently exist. Speak only the words that you mean, and make sure you mean precisely what you want to say. Images are meaningful, perhaps more meaningful, but they can have an ambiguous property and thus lack precision; but they make up for it in impact. In your personal healing process, or creative process or both, I suggest you work with both, using one to support the other. One is probably going to turn out to be more influential than the other -- but not without the integration of the two. There will be a product of this sacred union: an idea. There is something visionary about your sign, and at the moment both of your guiding planets -- Chiron and Jupiter -- are perfectly integrated with Aquarius, the sign of ideas. Not just any ideas: when these two signs get together, ideas are born that change the course of history.

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

Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You are under enormous pressure to change; to let go not only of old personality patterns and behaviors, but also to bring all your files up to date. Pluto in your sign is about renewal, it's about passion, and it's about letting go of the dull expectations that others have projected onto you most of your life. We often get trapped in the visions that others have for us, and the reason those visions exist is that many people before you were also trapped. At the moment there is nothing that can withstand the forces of growth that have taken over your nature. The truth is this. You are neither as conservative nor as narrow as others have made you out to be, or that you have made yourself out to be as a means of giving yourself a little security in the world. At the moment your safety is not going to come from wearing blinders, acting politically or being cautious. You will feel the safest when you let yourself be a new person every day and judge nothing on the criteria you have used in the past. Not, that is, if you want to truly live in the present.

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

Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
You are taking on the attributes of many other signs of the zodiac right now. There is no simple interpretation of this, except to say that you have many currents of energy to draw upon. And because the truly unusual astrology of this month takes place in your sign, that means you have many resources that are not normally available. The question is: how are you going to use them? I suggest you create something that is built to last; designed to grow; and where the conclusion is open-ended. The best and most important movements of the planets are what I call threshold transits. They happen to us, but they do not end, per se; rather, when they are 'over', we are like a different person. Right now you are standing in that threshold. You are involved in one of the deepest processes that a human can experience, which is focusing on the notion of 'who you are' to what you value and are ready to live for. You are indeed ready. You feel the winds of change and see the lights on the horizons of your mind. Let them carry you and guide you to where you have long wanted and needed to be, and please let no compromise of truth mar the beauty of the moment.

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

Pisces (Feb. 19- March 20)
You are under the influence of forces that you cannot see and would not necessarily understand if you could. Then again, you do have a mind that spins in odd enough directions to comprehend the incomprehensible. Yet consider that understanding only gets a person so far, only counts for so much, and can get in the way. This is partly because the facts and factors that lead to that understanding are constantly changing, and you need to reassess the available data from moment to moment. That is a fancy way of saying what you can be certain of is that you are being held safely in the gentle hands of the cosmos. Listen for your spiritual guidance: the still, small voice within. It may speak first; it may speak second; it may speak in your dreams. You will recognize its advice by its simplicity, its clarity and how well it fits your circumstances. Though much of what you are currently experiencing is going on behind the scenes of your life, and will not fully manifest until 2010-2011, what you do and create now is a vivid harbinger of the future, and of your future self.

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