Dear Readers Around the World

 

June 24, 3005

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/jun24.html

 

There was a lot of interesting, meaningful news this week coinciding with the solstice and the first of two Capricorn Full Moons. But rather than (so far) being surprising, intense or 'new', what we had was something of a history lesson, very much apropos of Capricorn.

 

We heard more about the now infamous Downing Street Memo, which suggests that members of Tony Blair's cabinet knew they would be acting illegally if they assisted the United States with the war in Iraq. Related to the war, the record of civil rights abuses at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba persisted as an issue.

 

But perhaps most important, one of the killers of J.E. Chaney, Andy Goodman and Mickey Schwerner, the three young voter registration workers killed during 'Freedom Summer' 41 years ago, was convicted of manslaughter in Mississippi. An 80-year-old preacher and KKK member named Edgar Ray Killen could serve three 20 year sentences for the crimes. This unusual conviction was a statement to the world that Mississippi is willing to look at its racial issues and its horrendous history. This is a genuine ray of healing in the United States.

 

In a lesser reported story, Italy convicted 10 former Nazi German soldiers, all now in their 80s, to life in prison for a wartime massacre in the Italian village of Tuscany, which occurred August 12, 1944.

 

The theme of all these top stories seems to be the world seeking closure on some level, a genuine sense of resolution of the past, so we can go on and face the challenges of the future. This is an excellent metaphor for the Capricorn Full Moon.

 

Remember, though, that since this was the first of two Cap Full Moons, and because it occurred exactly on the solstice, we are looking at astrology that will have effects through the month and through the season as well. But so far, the willingness of leaders, the press and people, to acknowledge the world's problems is truly encouraging.

 

We need to make a habit of this, as there's plenty of work to do. Fortunately, there are plenty of us to help out.

 

More discussion of Cancer and Capricorn in Planet Waves this week, and in our premium subscriber service, Planet Waves Weekly. Here are a few of your questions, which cover the Sabian Symbols, what it means to be having multiple transits, and some information about the asteroids. Thanks for tuning in.

Reporting in from Toronto, this is Eric Francis.