The X Factor

 

February 25, 2005

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/feb25.html

 

Dear Readers:

 

The team at Planet Waves has just finished the second edition of Planet Waves Parenting, and I wanted to take a moment to tell you what we have on offer. Parent Waves is the world's first astrology journal dedicated to people taking care of kids. It's designed to provide a forum for information, and a place to express your views. The new edition is available for everyone to see -- not just subscribers.

 

The mission of Parent Waves is simple. We feel that taking care of kids and caregivers is tied for first place as the most important kind of activism. And we think -- we know -- that astrology can help, and we're determined to put that information together and make it available to you.

 

Our second issue has many fine features. First, we've interviewed parents around the world and asked them what it's like to be raising kids now. This is a magnificent, detailed piece of journalism, written by our readers -- perhaps you among them. You'll hear some of their deepest concerns about the times we live in, their most creative ideas, and read rare perspectives on how they feel about their children. Major points from the astrology of each writer is included, so you can get a window into how their charts fit into their ideas and experiences.

 

I've written a new piece called "Chiron in Your Child's Birth Chart," which is an easy, clear introduction into the subject of Chiron for everyone, but with a focus on kids. This is the first in a series on reading the charts of children. There's also a collection of essays by our columnists, including "Trust Your Children" and "Children and Freedom," as well as a new, raging column from Mad Mom. We provide a mix of astrological and non-astrological writing and, as I am sure you would guess, we're not afraid to take on challenging issues. Last, there is the monthly Cosmic Child horoscope -- a new horoscope column I've created to give parents insights into the astrology of their sons and daughters.

 

Please drop by -- if you like what you read, like our plans, and support our work, we invite you to be part of the Planet Waves Parenting community -- please click on the subscription link to sign up. See you there!

 

As for the latest news.

 

Chiron in Aquarius has come with a wave of togetherness, such as the chief executive of the USA meeting with the political leaders of Europe. There has been much talk of reform, allegiance and reunion; much polite applause and inspection of the troops. But Bush was visiting Europe as the Leo Moon approached the full, which suggests we were witnessing a bit of drama. In an astrology-meets-tennis moment, the prez arrived at the opposite end of the lunar cycle as did Condi Rice, his Secretary, of State, who was whisked across the continent during the recent Aquarius New Moon. The two visits are connected, both in diplomatic terms as well as in astrological ones. One was designed to lead the way for the other, to warm up the territory. There is clearly an agenda in operation; the timing points to something deliberate and calculated.

 

There are a few ways to look at a Full Moon. One is that it tends to break deadlocks and provide the space for disagreements to shift, so the timing was good in that respect (try this some time, but work the energy gently...you kind of just need to sit there and watch it happen). The other is that it tends to emphasize differences and contrasts, perhaps as a means of people agreeing to be different and, maybe, getting on with business. There were plenty of contrasts to emphasize this week, as the Moon, moving through a relatively empty part of the sky, made a series of six oppositions to planets concentrated in Aquarius and Pisces during the past 72 or so hours.

 

Interesting that even as Bush promised to help Europe, the dollar lost about 1.5 cents against the Euro during the European visit, as South Korea announced it was considering shifting its investments from the dollar to other currencies. The price of oil went up as a result, and indirectly, so did the price of all European goods. The one thing that Europe needs is an economic boost. The weak dollar is not helping, and with Saturn soon to be in Leo, we need to watch this issue. I heard no mention of what might be done to stem the tide. And there was no serious mention of what everyone knows is the real issue between the United States and Europe, the war in Iraq -- while two British soldiers were convicted in the prisoner abuse scandal.

 

Then there is the not-small matter of Europe selling weapons technology to the Chinese, something that the US -- which should be concerned about the Chinese -- is opposed to.

 

This same week, word has begun circulating widely that the US is likely to commence military action against Iran despite the claim that this is "ridiculous." At the same time, this trip to Europe is being sold as an effort to put aside differences over Iraq and get together on Iran, on diplomatic grounds. But diplomatic is a Greek word meaning two-faced; and I feel from the charts that what we're getting here is a show, something that will look good and be used as a ruse, or is now being used as a distraction. In some ways, the ceremonies felt more like an exposition of differences rather than points of alliance. There's a lot of Neptune in the charts now -- with so much going on in Aquarius and with the Leo Moon opposing Neptune this week, it seems that what we saw on television was just that -- television.

 

The Moon opposed many planets in Aquarius and Pisces both before and after the Full Moon, which was overnight Wednesday to Thursday. As the coming months progress, the Moon in the chart for this visit will do the same thing -- progress, one degree per month, toward the full, and thus re-emphasize the series of opposition aspects under which the visit occurred. The discussion will continue in some form or another, hopefully in words. None of the issues will go away. But something else is afoot, and I have a feeling that we're not being told what. These progressions will, at least, eventually bring out the issues, and make it clear what the real discussion (the one we're not hearing about now) is about.

 

There is, however, the X factor: Monday's ingress of Chiron to Aquarius, and the forthcoming Chiron-Nessus conjunction. To me, this development represents the thing that gets our attention, that awakens us to real information, and spurs the world to correct action -- and most of all that reminds us that we're all in this together. We are, cousins, brothers and sisters, whether we know it or not. So we might as well know it.

 

Here are a few of your questions for the week. More details on the ongoing manifestation known as astrology and life at Planet Waves, including a daily blog and lots of new photography.