PLANET WAVES By ERIC FRANCIS
For Friday, April 9, 1999

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"The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labor. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking to the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent. Even when weapons of war are not actually destroyed, their manufacture is still a convenient way of expending labor power without producing anything that can be consumed. A Floating Fortress, for example, has locked up in it the labor that would build several hundred cargo ships. Ultimately it is scrapped as obsolete, never having brought any material benefit to anybody, and with further enormous effort, another Floating Fortress is built. In principle, the war effort is always so planned as to eat up any surplus that might exist after meeting the bare needs of the population."

-- George Orwell, 1984

ARIES (March 21-April 19)
One of my favorite physical objects on the planet is the Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island. Built along what was then the precious New York City beach-front, it's a high, narrow structure with tight curves and multi-level-tracks, and it's full of surprises. The first of these is that after a slow, clacking, rattling climb to the top of the main drop, all you can see is miles and miles of wide ocean. You are then treated to about fifty-five seconds of twisting, turning delight. The funny thing about the Cyclone is that while many people consider it scary, it's apparently quite safe. Built in 1927, there have been no customer fatalities in its history. And while experiencing an amusement park ride is not something most people would consider life-changing, the adventure your world seems poised to become is very likely to be quite profound.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
I learned recently that the root of the word "addiction" is the same as that for the word "dictator." By this logic, where an addiction is present, the real obsession is over control -- control over others, and over oneself, so that one day must be like the previous one, people must act predictably (same root, "dictare") and everything must fit neatly into a consistent structure. This is an excellent formula for neurosis, because life does not really work this way. Control is neither a substitute for freedom, nor a remedy for fear. In fact, the more control we try to exercise over what we fear, the more likely it is to control us -- drugs, alcohol, relationships and food included. Why not try making simple decisions one at a time, and see where they lead?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Some interesting astrology is approaching involving deep experiences and wild contrasts in your male and female aspects. Indeed, it's a year of contrasts of the fire-and-water variety, of givings and misgivings, and a particularly poignant moment of endings surging into beginnings. While you may want to allow in your plans for a few eruptions of what you might call "crisis of adventure," the moment you find anything is not going the way you plan, take the energy and sink it into something positive. Literally, if you're ever bored, do something fun. If you're ever feeling like a slug, get up and fix something or clean the toaster. You basically have the power to turn any hindrance into a totally productive situation. Groovy metaphysical hint of the week: Let endings be endings, and beginnings be beginnings."

CANCER (June 21-July 22)
The crisis most people experience around this thing called "work" is a rather complicated set of social and spiritual issues, one of which is centered on the theme of individuality. Make no mistake -- in our highly conformist culture, expressing real selfhood is a kind of sinful act. Put in more political terms, quitting your job and becoming an artist, or refusing to work for crumbs, or even taking some initiative and doing your job your way are often considered acts of treason to our co-workers, friends and families. But here's some advice from the Astrology Department. The time has never been better to practice independence-for-pay. Not rugged individualism, but honest, authentic, creative common sense quality work, done to your standards, which is even recognized for what it is. Remember, a committee of one gets things done.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Often we get the perception that famous people just waltzed effortlessly into their success, without realizing they go through the same bullshit as the rest of us. I offer the following examples of Great Rejections in History from a fabulous book I just discovered called, The Experts Speak. Here goes. An MGM executive, commenting on Fred Astaire's screen test, said, "Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little." An omniscient MGM big shot also predicted that Gone with the Wind would flop because, "No Civil War picture ever made a nickel." Then there was the Universal Pictures exec who told Burt Reynolds, "You have no talent," and incredibly, in the same meeting, informed Clint Eastwood, "You have a chip on your tooth, your Adam's apple sticks out too far, and you talk too slow." Ah yes, thank God for the opinions of brilliant men. And thank God for chutzpah.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
Here's a little discourse on guilt about feeling power. The idea just came to me while reading William Pennell Rock's Performing Inside Out, though the concept was not in the text. it seemed to come from beyond the text. It just occurred to me that when I feel actual power, whether with people or in the creative spheres, I have a tendency to feel guilty about it. This is wild, and I suspect that I am not the only person who experiences this. Actually, it seems quite like a global reaction to the experience of power, giving a clue as to why so many revolutions collapse on themselves, why so many brilliant people don't get around to making their mark, and it may explain why there is so much guilt in, around and related to sex. I never thought of that.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22)
There are a lot of theories about love. Some people are sure it's a spiritual thing. Others say sex is of no importance to real love. Many people believe you can really only love one other person. Others believe that love is not love unless there is forgiveness included. Yet a few facts are clear to me. One is that the "trueness" of love has to do with one's own personal integrity, not how the other actually responds. The second is that whatever kind of love you love, whatever your "love style," there is something about surrender that is a key to the process. Surrender means letting go, specifically so that you can experience something far better than holding on.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Whether you become your own best friend or your own worst enemy in the coming stage of your life depends a lot on whether you have the capacity to remember important things, not the least of which is the purpose of your life. There are many tricks for remembering, but the best technique will be simple reflection, alone, for some hours each week. You have plenty to think about, so don't worry about drawing a blank when the time comes to ponder the direction of your existence. Whatever particular lines you choose to follow, make sure you check the map first. And whatever direction you walk, please make sure it's forward, looking where you are going. And in the coming days, your dreams are likely to have a lot to offer you. Jot them down, in a place you can find them.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
On the mythical world Dune, philosophers asked, "Who do you despise? By that you are truly known." There are many ways to explore and define reality, and exploring hated and anger are not usually considered the most spiritual of them. But they are not sins, and where deep emotions are stirred up, where concerns are exposed, and where anger is clearly seen, we have in available significant information. This information can be used for very positive purposes, to connect with your passions, and to teach you what you really value. Who do you despise? Know, and know yourself better.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
In modern English, we talk about "attitude" as a mental stance, and often with negative connotations, ala, "she's got a real attitude." In dance, attitude is a beautiful position in which a dancer is balanced on one leg with the other extending backward. In the art of consciousness, attitude is one's mental or emotional position with regard to a circumstance. Change your position just a little, and you can change your whole relationship to that circumstance. Stars for the coming days suggest rather strongly that the time has rarely been better for discovering just what stances in life work quite well, and which don't work at all. You may even win your current game of juggling security, seriousness and fun. Practice, and you'll discover a perfect attitude that balances all three.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 19-Feb. 18)
There is a line between thought and feeling, but it's usually not a very thick one. It's often sufficiently thin that what appear to be emotions can deny or betray our most important ideas. And it allows the mind to shut out the experience of our deepest sentiments and emotions using mere fleeting thought. You are walking this line right now, quite as though you have one foot on one side, and one on the other. When the line between the mind and the emotions widens, you may realize it's really a division between two worlds, and out of that split between the worlds comes pouring a lot of stuff you don't really need from the vast region known as the past. Heal the split, the power of the past vanishes, and your mind and your feelings will work (and play) as one.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)
I just want to check in on something with you -- of the revelations and realizations of recent past weeks, what have you put into action? What has gone from the idea stage to the on-paper stage, or from the drawing board to physical form? Of those things you have not put into action, to what extent has doubt been a factor in your choice? What about doubts expressed by others? One of the ego's tricks is to use the past to obscure the power of realizations we have in any given moment, and every moment becomes the past. Remember that power for what it was, and in reality, for what it is. Particularly if something seemed well worth doing in late March or early April, the chances are more than excellent that it is still worth doing today.

FOR THE FAITHFUL
In honor of the Masters of War and their latest foray into humanitarian violence, I will paraphrase the Berlin-based newspaper die Tageszitung, which reminded its readers in an editorial that there is no way to make peace with bombs. Pisces cousin Albert Einstein, whom we pretty much all agree was intelligent, suggested that you cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war. Not, of course, unless you're living under the watchful guidance and slurping in the lies of Big Brother, whose party slogans in George Orwell's visionary novel 1984 become more vivid in their meaning every day: "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."

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