Dear Friend of Planet Waves:
Many readers of Planet Waves are healing practitioners. This spans the full range, from clinical psychologists to medical, osteopathic and homeopathic doctors to massage therapists and yoga instructors. Everything I publish or broadcast via Planet Waves is written with you in mind. This is easy. My natal chart has Chiron as the most elevated planet, in Pisces, right on the midheaven.
We've drawn readers abundantly from among healers since the beginning, and for the past 10 years my work has been distributed via the Omega Institute newsletter, each month reaching nearly 100,000 spiritual students, teachers and presenters.
In yesterday's letter, I focused on the overall mission of Planet Waves, and the advent of both news astrology and a sane, loving approach to the horoscope column.
Today's letter is focused on those of you who work in service of others: that is, those who see the needs of others as directly related to your own. Thank you for your attentive reading and listening, and for passing our work on to your clients.
Making color studies is how I sometimes relax my restless mind. A Year at Miracle Manor
For a year after graduating university (1986-1987), I was a student at a place called Miracle Manor, a residential program for study of A Course in Miracles. This was located in an old convent along the Raritan River in Piscataway, NJ. In addition to work with the Course, we got to experience a wide diversity of spiritual traditions at the peak of the New Age movement, brought to our home by both residents and many presenters who came through once or twice a month.
It was a real experience. The Course itself is a focused path of healing, and a study in spiritual psychology. Yet the dynamics of the community were where the real intrigue could be found, and the Course lessons practiced.
One thing I observed was how narrow the conversation was, particularly involving actual current events (sometimes known as politics), the discussion of troubling emotions (what Jungians call shadow material) and, most of all, the complete absence of discussion about sex and sexuality.
The conversations were not exactly prohibited. It's just that there was no context for them, there was no common language available, and the Course specifically avoids any discussion of sex. (All the references to sex were removed by the editors between the original transcription and what was called the Hugh Lynn Casey draft, which resembles what you can now get in a bookstore.)
The situation at Miracle Manor -- the lack of language and framing for certain discussions, within a spiritual context -- continues to be something that troubles many spiritual communities and paths. Putting it bluntly, there's a belief that sex and politics are dirty business and should be left out of the spiritual discussion.
When I moved studios earlier this year, I greatly reduced the number of books, keeping just the bare essentials. The rest were moved to the Planet Waves business office, which we’ll meet in a future letter. Things Have Changed in 30 Years
We cannot do that today, however. Current events are bursting into our homes. The world is in crisis; gender relations are in crisis, and in transition. These might find their way into any discussion of spiritual matters, or therapy session, or healing session, or weekend workshop. People are not only concerned in some abstract sense; the material has become deeply personal.
For those who encounter people seeking help -- that is, healers any sense of the word -- there's a need for some example how to put this into words; how to describe the crisis of the world; and in the words of the Course, how to state the problem in a way that it can be solved.
Enter Planet Waves, which I began in 1995 and which took its current name in 1998. The concept behind what we're doing is to present an eclectic, open-minded and, most of all, timely publication that covers both world events and the priorities of personal growth. This would seem to be an impossible hybrid, though this invention earned me coverage this past weekend in The New York Times.
Here is one thing I can assure you: we're not afraid of any subject, no matter how taboo, unpopular or difficult to understand. Then we dispel the fear, brush away the taboo and strive for clarity of presentation.
Charts used since March 2017 in preparation of my horoscopes for Planet Waves, the Daily News, and other outlets we serve, including Chronogram and Omega Institute. Each daily gets one chart; each weekly and monthly get a chart set, including many extra planets researched at Serennu.
There's nothing esoteric about what we're doing. There's no scrim or veil or mysticism involved. When the time comes to describe the meaning and beauty of an astrological sign, or a newly discovered planet, that's what we cover.
When there is a mass shooting, that's what we cover. When there's a presidential race, that's what we devote our attention to. While we're not entirely hooked into the news cycle, we know that most of our readers are riding its waves, one way or another. We know that most of our readers would rather get the news from us than from CNN.
I'm an old hand at the news reporting. I started editing a social science journal at age 16, and have been doing serious investigative reporting since I was 19 (covering the Love Canal disaster in Niagara Falls, NY). I've covered everything from the Senate to Anheuser-Busch to the American Medical Association (AMA) to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Then I spent years covering public higher education, and finally, 25 years tracking the crimes of Monsanto, General Electric and Westinghouse.
Our perspective is far wider than you will find anyplace else. News reporting in the style of Planet Waves is also informed by many spiritual traditions, including the Course, the yoga path, Buddhist traditions, Gestalt therapy (principally the teachings of Fritz Perls), Hakomi therapy, gender studies, tantric practice and years spent as a sexuality presenter in the polyamorous and lifestyle communities.
Most recently, I've devoted myself to studying the work of the McLuhan family, and have had many breakthroughs in how to describe astrology by counting it as a branch of media study, or environmental study (they are basically the same thing).
Planet Waves FM and many of my articles are created in a studio called The Place of the Way, which also serves as headquarters for our house band, Vision Quest. Most of the time you can hear a live stream of our work (sometimes it stalls out -- email me or catch me on Facebook and I'll restart it).
The result is spirituality in the most practical sense: "news you can use," to borrow a phrase, and also presenting an integrated approach to observing reality. This is essential to therapy and healing, which seek to mend the many splits we experience in consciousness.
We design what we do to be a resource. If you are serving a clientele, we serve you several ways. One is simply in the ideas that we present, and how we cross all the categories and integrate our observations.
Another is that we present sample language for difficult-to-discuss subjects like intimate sexual relationships and how they relate to spiritual practice. In such conversations, just knowing what words to use, and the tone of voice to use, are a considerable help. Our "fear no feeling" mental posture is also useful.
Another is a fully accessible, plain-talk discussion of astrology. We have a focus on Chiron and utilize the newest discoveries, which represent the edge of where depth psychology meets astrology.
We regularly introduce carefully vetted people doing innovative work, particularly as guests on Planet Waves FM.
Were I running a therapy practice, a spiritual center, a New Age or retreat center or any other organization where I knew I needed to be informed, I would be subscribing to Planet Waves. There's simply nothing in the world even vaguely resembling what we're doing.
Henrietta Saint Francis (sometimes called Slurpy) is never far from me when I'm working; this is her perch under my broadcast desk. Her friend Jonah Kelly Francis is a quad Virgo with Sagittarius rising -- he prefers some space, until he wants to cuddle. They are adorable, and fierce, devoted watchdogs.
We Are Worth Every Penny
Because we keep our costs low, and benefit from a subscriber base and products, we can offer our services for an affordable price, whether you're an individual or part of an organization. If nothing else, the example we set by our work ethic and devotion to quality deserve your financial endorsement.
Please revive your Planet Waves subscription. If you've never had one, please sign up. If you are one of our subscribers, please get someone a subscription for a gift (especially if they call you up so you can read them my horoscopes on the phone).
There are three main choices: Horoscope Lover, which gets you all of my horoscopes and those by other writers; Core Community membership, which offers all of our article content as well; and Backstage Pass, which includes audio readings for all the signs, the Spring Reading and the Midyear Reading. Then there is the Galaxy Pass, which includes classes and a credit toward consulting time. You can access most of those options here. Or you can call us at (845) 481-5616 if you need help or want to make payment arrangements (for example, getting the Galaxy Pass quarterly).
Note, all service levels include mailing of my daily horoscope at 7 am ET each day.
Thank you for your membership support. If you want to talk about how you may redistribute our materials to a wider audience, please call me directly at (845) 331-0355 (avoiding Tuesdays and Thursdays).
In tomorrow's letter, I'll be describing the way we serve as a beacon on the internet for who I consider the most important Planet Waves reader: a frightened person up alone in the middle of the night, looking for someplace to turn for faith and comfort.
Thank you again.
With love,
PS -- We have a longstanding policy not to turn anyone away for lack of funds. I know this is not very capitalist; and if I had investors or shareholders besides myself, they would not like it much, but that's the deal. If you need help, call us at (845) 481-5616 and Ellen or Amy will he happy to help you. It may take a day or two to get back to you, though often we pick right up.
Chart for the winter solstice from my notebook, with wrapped tarot cards in the background. My astrology method is based in classical technique, to which I've added many newly discovered planets that fill in spiritual and psychological details. You won’t hear much about these planets anywhere but Planet Waves.
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