The Mercury Retrograde Blizzard Olympics Dear Friend and Reader: Mercury storm and retrograde have arrived on the East Coast with what seems like the new version of the Winter Olympics -- how many winter storms can you cram into two weeks?
This has been complicated by poor judgment calls in at least two cities, one in Atlanta during an event on Jan. 28, resulting in a civil disaster. Thousands of people were stranded on highways for up to 18 hours. Many abandoned their cars and walked miles home in a scene that rivaled something from a Stephen King novel. Then on Thursday, New York City's decision to leave public schools open in the face of an approaching blizzard created a wave of chaos when the city closed schools midday, forcing many parents to leave work in the middle of the storm and retrieve their kids. This was likely the result of the city's new and inexperienced mayor, Bill DeBlasio, not quite knowing how to handle things. NBC's meteorologist Al Roker caused a fuss when he tweeted, "I knew this am @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCSchools would close schools. Talk about a bad prediction. Long range DiBlasio forecast: 1 term," managing to spell the mayor's name wrong. The mayor responded on TV by saying being a weather forecaster is not exactly running New York City; Roker responded on Twitter and this story became a focal point of the day. Now as the temperature creeps up above freezing throughout the region, many areas will face flooding.
While it may be difficult to make a causal connection between Mercury retrograde and these events, they are happening at the same time. That is astrology -- it's always about a combination of celestial factors and mundane ones, and their results -- in this case, disruptions to transportation and commerce, two Mercury-ruled areas of life. Meanwhile, the West Coast of the United States is still facing a serious drought. This goes back at least to last July and is just starting to be acknowledged outside the region in a meaningful way. Many cities are on water rationing and it's unclear how the Central Valley of California is going to keep producing so much of the food that the country depends on, if these conditions persist. There were some rainstorms in Northern California earlier this month, but not enough to make a difference. This is all part of a pattern of extreme weather events that are happening in many parts of the world, which technology has little power to solve. Metaphors of the Aquarius Age Tonight is the Leo Full Moon, and I have some thoughts about that. But first, while the Sun is still in Aquarius, a comment on the Age of Aquarius. No two astrologers will agree on when this begins (or began). But we are definitely at the cusp of the (prior) Pisces age and the (forthcoming) Aquarius age. Evidence of the Pisces age still having its effects is that belief trumps reason. Denial is still considered a viable way of life. If someone mentions the cost of this perspective, more denial is the supposed answer.
More evidence is that technology is creating our society faster than we create it, and faster than we can create ourselves. That too is a pattern. Apropos of Aquarius, this is reaching into our personal relationships and group dynamics. Whole generations of people are being raised who would rather text than talk, and who are too intimidated by other people to have a real conversation. One reason we have to watch this pattern-crystallization thing is that it can create situations that don't work, where the only solution is a collapse of some kind. This is why there's always talk of systems breakdown. The systems we create are generally not flexible enough to accommodate much change, so we naturally assume that they will build momentum and energy and collapse under their own weight. This includes mental systems -- thought patterns, habits and so on. And with the Full Moon in Leo opposing a cluster of planets in late Aquarius, many people are feeling this in some form now. It might be manifesting as the need to change; or as the sensation of imminent change; it might feel like a fear that you must change, but there's nothing you can do about it. Or you might have the feeling that if you change one thing, you will have to change everything else (that, by the way, is a vast culture-wide theme). Mercury, Sun, Nessus in Aquarius Mercury is retrograde. That started one week ago in early Pisces. Mercury has now retrograded back into Aquarius, where it's about to make a triple conjunction, with the Sun and with a centaur planet called Nessus. Nessus has been in Aquarius since 2005, and this is the year when it begins its transition into Pisces. For this Full Moon, however, we have Mercury and the Sun conjunct Nessus, opposed by the Moon.
Once only dealt with by electrical engineers and science fiction authors, we are now all basically supervising complex systems, to the point where we require sophisticated computers to keep up with our correspondence and maintain our schedules. And many people experience lives so complex, they seem to be on the brink of a system collapse at any moment. Do you have that sensation of waiting for the one thing that will push the whole system too far? One thing about Nessus is that it addresses the theme of consequences. Nessus can be a study of causes and effects. In Aquarius, we have the theme of group dynamics. Nessus plus Aquarius can seem cold and impersonal -- and then all of a sudden, Mercury and the Moon get into the act. The message here -- if you are feeling overwhelmed, pause and examine your options. Get a sense of your time constraints (an Aquarius factor, accentuated by a square to Saturn) and work within them. Notice the ways in which you may be locked into thought patterns. If you're experiencing fear, then start to uncouple your thoughts from one another, break the issues down and take them one at a time. You want to get synergy on your side. That's the principle of "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." But sometimes you have to take the parts one by one and see what they're really about before you can see the whole scenario for what it is. And if you find yourself up in the middle of the night, do something creative with your technology. Lovingly,  Section Writing and Editing Credits: News items below are written and edited by a team consisting of Hillary Conary, Anne Craig, Eric Francis, Elizabeth Michaud, Amanda Painter, Susan Starr, Chad Woodward and Carol van Strum. Coordinating Editor: Elizabeth Michaud. Page assembled and coded by Anatoly Ryzhenko. Special thanks to the Fact Checkers List, which goes over each edition on Thursday night -- and to our main astrology fact-checker Alex Miller, and Amanda, who goes over all their suggestions. Our editions are also proofread and fact-checked by Jessica Keet. 
Remembering Three Pioneers Who Changed the WorldThe world lost three remarkable pioneers this week: Stuart Hall, 82; Shirley Temple Black, 85; and Sid Caesar, 91. Each made an indelible mark on our culture and will remain icons in their own individual ways.
Hall was one of the founders of the New Left, a term used to describe the activists and theorists of the 1960s and 1970s who demanded reform on social and class roles. His studies examined the links between cultural identity, race and ethnicity. Hall said in an interview, "We always supposed, really, something would give us a definition of who we really were; our class position, or our national position, or our geographic origins, or where our grandparents came from. And I don't think any one thing, any longer, will tell us who we are." Hall's Aquarius Sun is in exact conjunction with Mars, symbolizing a philosophical warrior fighting for equal rights. Aquarius is an intellectual air sign strongly attuned with individual freedom of expression. With his Sun and Mars working together for these strongly held values, he was a powerful figure for the ideals of democracy: brotherhood, fraternity and liberty. Read More... 
Another Rocky Week for RepublicansAfter struggling to unite Republicans on a demand they could attach to a debt ceiling increase bill, House Majority Leader John Boehner fell back on allowing a clean resolution to pass with the minimum required number of Republicans voting for it. In doing so, he averted a replay of last fall's fiscal showdown, going against the wishes of his own caucus, and abandoning the so-called 'Boehner Rule' that any debt limit increase be tied to equal spending cuts. Far-right voices redoubled their calls for his head on a platter.
Failure to pass a debt ceiling increase by the end of February could have put the U.S. in default, which most experts believe would wreak considerable havoc on financial markets both here and abroad. The nation will now be able to keep paying its bills through March 2015, and Tea Partiers -- and all Senate Republicans -- can continue to campaign on having opposed the increase. Read More... 
West Virginia's Chiron Return: Another SpillBarely one month after a Jan. 9 chemical spill rendered the water supply toxic for more than 300,000 residents of West Virginia, a second toxic spill (this time of coal slurry) has poisoned another creek in the same county. Apparently this is what it looks like when a state has its Chiron return with Chiron in Pisces, the zodiac's 'ocean' -- although as usual, the leaders of industry (and by extension, government) seem to be slow to awaken to the truth of this healing crisis.
That is minimal comfort given the "significant environmental impact" of the coal slurry spill. And that is on top of the continued presence of a licorice-like smell -- the telltale sign of the previous chemical spill -- in the drinking water for area residents. The local government may have lifted the ban on tap water use following last month's massive leak of the barely studied chemical MCHM into the Elk River, but more questions than answers persist in the minds of most residents. MCHM has barely been studied; plus it was revealed recently that a second chemical, propylene glycol phenyl ether (PPH), was also leaking at the same Freedom Industries storage facility in January. Read More... 
New Zealanders Seek Court Action on GM Pine TreesNew Zealand's Environment Court upheld last week the Bay of Plenty government's right to include precautionary wording against genetic modification in its regional policy statement. The regional government, along with NZ environmental groups, brought the action due to concern over outdoor experiments using GM pine trees. The Bay of Plenty is a region on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.
Scion originated in 1947 as part of the New Zealand Forest Service, and changed its name in 2005. The institute conducts research and science and technology development in the areas of forestry, wood products, wood-derived materials and other biomaterials. The BOPRC cited serious risks of transgenic pollution from Scion's GE pine tree experiments, in which pine pollen can spread hundreds of miles even at moderate wind speeds. Environmental organizations in New Zealand contend that the central government has failed to correct serious deficiencies in the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act and therefore regional policy statements such as this one provide an additional layer of regulation against outdoor use of GMOs. 
No Flu Shot? Just Pucker Up!
Are we naturally attracted to kissing people with 'opposing' immune systems, to balance out what we lack? That is possible according to some scientists. And kissing benefits our immune systems in some other fun ways, according to a blog post by Kate Bartolotta.
Feel like getting even more cerebral about it? Researcher Sheril Kirshenbaum says that we engage five out of our twelve sets of cranial nerves when we kiss -- partly a result of all the nerve endings in our super-sensitive (and sensuous) lips, and their proximity to other sense organs (nose, tongue). All those electrical impulses trigger a release of dopamine. That's part of the 'natural high' so many people crave with love and sex, but minus the crash that comes with cocaine (which also triggers dopamine production). Besides, kissing is way cheaper.   "How does that one feel?" "Yeah, it's good…real comfortable." Image: video still.
As Seen on Australian TV: Sex is More Fun NakedCan you imagine if sex really was so accepted as normal that your neighborhood pharmacist could help you fit a condom? Or that you might tell your mom while you were in the midst of it? Hopefully this Australian commercial for Naked condoms, written and directed by Gary Eck, is showing us the not-too-distant future. Happy Valentine’s Day -- whether you’ll be using a condom, riding bareback or flying solo tonight.  This Week on Planet Waves FM: Tantra, The Beatles and the Internet We have three presentations on Planet Waves FM this week. Eric Francis and Dan Sternstein explain The Beatles on Dan and Eric's Music Hour, featuring the music of George Harrison. In Eric's regular Tuesday edition of Planet Waves FM, the topic is The Day We Fight Back, a direct action that took place Tuesday, as well as the chart of Aaron Swartz, who died one year ago. Eric also looks at the Leo Full Moon and Mercury retrograde. In a special edition posted Thursday night, Mark Michaels and Patricia Johnson return to the program, for an extended discussion about tantra, intimacy and sex. Mark and Patricia are promoting their new book Partners in Passion: A guide to Emotional Intimacy and Longterm Love. Note, this is a 90-minute interview presented in one segment.  Have you ordered your 2014 readings by Eric Francis yet? The Mars Effect (our 16th annual edition!) has just published, and includes in-depth audio and written readings for your Sun, Moon and rising signs. We always receive a flood of positive feedback for these readings, and it shows just how meaningful they are. One customer wrote, "Every minute of Eric's reading is worth gold." We're offering you a special package price of $79 for all twelve signs, available only to current Planet Waves members. Or you may purchase individual signs for $29.95.  Your Monthly Horoscopes -- and our Publishing Schedule Notes We published your extended monthly horoscopes for February on Friday, Jan. 24. Your extended monthly horoscopes for January were published Friday, Jan. 3. Moonshine horoscopes for the Aquarius New Moon published Tuesday, Jan. 28. We published Moonshine horoscopes for the Leo Full Moon Tuesday, Feb. 11. Please note, we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign.   Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here. 
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
 Looking for an in-depth astrology reading? Order THE MARS EFFECT, your 2014 annual readings, for a special rate of $79 for all twelve signs. It's a great package of audio and written readings that gives you access to your Sun, rising and Moon signs (and those of your loved ones). You may also order individual signs for $29.95 here.
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