“We were all middle-class kids from the Midwest. Hotel California was our interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles.” — Don Henley.
The new edition of Planet Waves is on its way to our subscribers and Core Community members. It includes a detailed discussion of the Capricorn Full Moon and the transition it represents into 2014 2.0, as well as horoscopes for all 12 Sun, Moon and rising signs devoted to detailed coverage of the Full Moon. This is not a free product — it’s sent only to our paying members and subscribers, whose patronage pays for the ‘free’ Planet Waves services that you access here and on our audio channel, Planet Waves FM.
You can access the full issue through a single-issue purchase here. Or sign up for a free one-month trial membership here, and get our twice-weekly mailings until the next Full Moon.
Kate, 🙂 , I have learned, through adventure, the beauty of a ‘roof’. San Francisco, with all the people, is the most lonely place I’ve ever been. Santa Cruz has a bunch of gnarly street-cats,.. (basically knife you in the back folk) you have to dig for the diamonds. I’ve never been ‘forced’ into homelessness, I chose it. I’ve always had good folk who care about me, and places I ‘could’ go. My choice was to experiment.
With a little less listlessness, and a genuine concern and Love for my mom (I call her Jen, that’s her name, when I was 15 I gave up the ‘titles’ as a matter of equanimitous respect) I’ve settled, for now, with a garden, a dog, and a Jen. ….besides,.. who the fuck else will take care of these cats if I don’t?! 🙂
Love,
Jere
@jere: I remember when you posted on here all these years ago. Somewhat sporadically. Not sure if at times you even had a roof over your head, at least that was my impression. So glad you’re in a better place and still around, still contributing. Always enjoy your posts.
Ha ha! That’s lovely, Kate!
@Lizzy agree entirely. It’s like being at a very pleasant social get together, and watching with glee as the door opens, and more new people to get to know come in. We just need canapes…
Though the new system seems to be leading more people to take part in the comments – which is a great thing. xx
Jere – I really understand and respect where you’re coming from now. Having been in a a very dark place myself for some time (many years ago now), I know how that feels and how everything can seem too much. I think your concern for others is beautiful.
Registering to read websites is commonplace, Jere. And it takes 10 seconds and confers the privilege of being able to comment, which means to participate.
Couple of paragraphs and I’ll drop it. Without wry and brazen tongue in cheek humor.. my ONLY concern was that some folk don’t have the mental/emotional stability to take the time to register (let alone have an e-mail in the first place), which giving them half articles might turn them away (or, perhaps pull them out of their funk, I don’t know.). To be quite honest, when I first found this space I was on the verge of whacking myself, and a bunch of other folk. I’m blessed to have been able to explore affirmations from Loving Souls.
I respect, more than ANY other, the business sense and methodology of Planet Waves. I accept Eric’s decisions (whether I agree, understand, or not). (When Eric does put up drug or beer ads, I’ll personally fly to New York and slap him in the face with a glove… couldn’t help that one 😛 )
With Love and Peace,
Jere
Exactly! We have been working in phases — I knew to cool off for the retrograde, when we were doing a lot of development work that has fortunately come out very nice — in particular, a long-anticipated database integration process that I will explain another time. But the effect is that those product codes we use to sell memberships now push the information to the membership site, and cancel when the subscription expires. We found someone who could do this drama free and relatively efficiently (about $8,000 for this and some related peripheral features). It seems solid and we anticipate an easier experience for both our customers and our business team.
Eric,
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my comments, and thank you for the explanation of the Core Community. I look forward to exploring the newly launched members area.
You have my sympathy in having to deal with web development and other technical aspects, and you show your wisdom at breaking for the Merc Rx. Fortunately, the exiting echo ends Tuesday.
Thank you for your continued expertise, and remember to not try to do it all all at once.
JannKinz
Zerocity,
We all answer our phones and our email. So you can always write or call. One problem with putting explanations of things on the website is that they can never be obvious enough. I can out something front and center and people are still asking. We generally communicate by email.
To answer your question simply, Core Community is an enhanced level of an ordinary subscription/membership. Everything that is included under Core Community is included for you as an All Access Pass holder. We have expanded some services to include mailing of Daily Astrology, which you should be receiving each morning. There are also audio events that I began before Mercury retrograde and took a break from so that I could get some difficult tasks done without burning out.
For about a month, I have been snowed under maintaining my content flow and working with four different web developers to get through a long, seemingly endless series of needed, long awaited programming innovations and also of bugs that are gradually being resolved, and we will be able to launch some new areas, especially http://members.planetwaves.net/ — which is for Core Community and All Access. Meanwhile archives continue to build in the existing archive area, and we will maintain both.
You would be astonished how long these developments take to get right, how many layers and how much testing. Please be patient. We are extremely consistent in what we do — your editions, podcasts and readings come on time. I am always close to my desk. We are responsive by telephone or by email.
Thanks for your business and your support.
efc
The required registration is just another change in a long series of changes that have occurred at PW in the last year or so, much of which happen without any prior announcement. I find that to be frustrating.
Generally, I used to check the website daily for posts and comments in Astro Daily which was
consistently posted at the same time each day. Astro Daily is now Daily Astrology, posted at different times, and is confusing as to which day’s astrology it is. (In addition to the automatic posting date, a “dateline” as to which day’s astrology would help.)
Features and contributors come and go, usually without notice or explanation, both in the “free” part and in the paid portions. Fortunately, Len’s posts and the comments are still consistently the great quality he has always presented, which is what drew me to PW in the first place. The same is true for Political Waves by Judith Gayle. Even if there is extraordinary quality to PW, it has become too time consuming to navigate the waves of changes, deletions, modifications – whatever. All of this and other factors mean that I no longer check the website daily when it was once a necessary part of my daily routine.
Recently, there has been the “Core Community Member” designation. I still don’t know how that is different from an “All Access Pass.” The website doesn’t describe these designations (and the “Benefits of Membership” description is outdated, from May of 2013, or unclear as to what is included in “membership”).
I am a paid All Access subscriber, and have been for several years. I want to continue to support PW, but find often find it confusing and frustrating to participate and be supportive.
I’m with Lizzy and Bette. I purchase the annual editions and the Scorpio editions, so I appreciate the opportunity to read and learn from a space that continues to have a lot of integrity. The emails I receive about subscriptions or other purchases don’t bother me in the slightest. So many times, Eric offers articles and past editions for free. PW’s continues to be a space for sharing of energy and love, and generosity.
Sincerely,
Daniel
P.S. “team of expert writers, editors, etc” – Chelsea, Anatoly (and others), please forgive the etc.!
Yes, there is nothing out there like PW – with its vast weekly output of free material, with a team of expert writers, editors, etc., and without using any advertising. I think that Eric has a business model that is ethical and sound and generous, and totally in sync with the way a part of the world is gradually shifting, in a better and more humane direction.
Re: the registration issue: after a few minutes of feeling helpless (I’m not exactly tech-savvy),
I managed to get the task done.
Eric, in my opinion that’s not a lot to ask of us who so greatly benefit from the wealth of free-of-charge astrological insight & perspective offered here, & the caring & intelligent discussions that follow.
I’m among those who are unable to renew my subscription until finances ease a bit, but in the meantime, I value the articles available to me, & appreciate the work all at PW do so well. I’m constantly learning about both the astrology & myself. Thank-you!
Outsider,
Nothing has changed around here, at the heart of what we do. Everyone who works for Planet Waves wakes up in the morning and tells the truth, and takes the risk of putting it out there.
I am committed to running this business free from advertising sponsorship. We offer a massive, excellent astrology magazine (this blog) in a world were most astrology websites are just ridiculous, on top of a pay service — in effect, I am competing with myself as a byproduct of offering so much on this blog — in that spirit of Aquarian open-access that Planet Waves is known for.
It’s impressively expensive to create and produce so much original and professionally edited content along with maintaining our whole publishing and broadcasting infrastructure — including overhead such as taxes, royalties, licensing fees, ISP fees, writing fees, designers, consultants, programmers, equipment and salaries — all without any advertisements. That is a miracle.
The day I put up a drug ad or a beer ad, then you can say something has changed at Planet Waves.
The day we avoid difficult topics so as not to offend someone, something has changed.
The day we ask you for your email address, we are doing the right thing and honoring our own business model.
Thanks Jere for sharing your thoughts on the new process of registration. I also feel this way & Well here’s my two cents worth – I was really disappointed to see that registration is now required to “read” more or comment. Additionally This statement “This is not a free product — it’s sent only to our paying members and subscribers, whose patronage pays for the ‘free’ Planet Waves services that you access here and on our audio channel, Planet Waves FM.” Also made me “bristle” a little too after seeing that registration is now required. Then I thought why does this bother me so much? The answer is this, PW used to be friendly and an open community for all. It doesn’t feel this way to me any more. I get it that money is required to pay for things especially all the great stuff here but now for a lot of us (me included) who are out of work for years & we don’t have enough for paid subscriptions etc even though we would love too, having to register to read a little more is a bit of a kick in the guts. I know we still get a few little free things but to have read the comment above and also have to register so you can send us stuff about paid subscriptions etc that I can’t afford AND with no end in sight to my financial difficulties, well, I don’t feel that is real friendly like it used to be here on PW. Things have changed in so many ways on PW. Good luck to you with yr business approach but goodbye from me now. It’s all just getting a bit too much, too complicated and doesn’t feel right for me anymore. No offence meant and all the very best to the wonderful people who are involved with PW. Hope it all works out the way you would like it too. PS. Please delete my current registration, thanks. Goodbye xx
..Hey man, Eric, not trying to be a dick here (I don’t try, just do) but, the whole ‘sign in’ scheisse is slightly inconvenient. I feel/think that it’s alienating, in a way, to newcomers who might want to just glance through. Perhaps it’s for organizational purposes, perhaps for statistics, perhaps just to close off the system.. don’t know. But, ..maybe, and slap me down if I’m incorrect, the ‘openness’ seems to be shifting. I’m not exactly fond of the development. I came here ten years ago because I was WAY beyond fucked up.. this site was inviting.. I felt it was ‘safe’, and ‘open’ for me to be here. The whole ‘register’ to “READ” kinda throws me a bit. I’ve been a proponent of the business aspects from day one.. and I’m ecstatic to support this venture… just, the nature of this project, I feel, should be of opening doors,.. not having to pick locks, stocks, or barrels.. OR register….
Like I said man, don’t know your reasons, but.. consideration on this matter (coming from someone who really does give a fuck about us all) might be worth further investigation?
Sincerely,
Your Soul Friend,
Jere
this TED talk relates perfectly to the “Uranus in Aries as technology distraction” idea eric mentions in this issue:
http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together
Turkle says much that most PWers are already aware of, regarding the alienating “connection” our digital devices are fostering, but she also brings some points into focus in a way i have not head articulated in quite the same way.
Up bright and early this morning, so had time to read this amazing edition – magical way to start the day. And thank you for this “and not living like you owe some debt to the past five generations. If you owe them anything, it’s being happy in ways that they could not or did not consider possible”. Didn’t realise it till I read it. thank you Eric.
“I tell ya man, Linda Ronstadt had a decent back up band, them-thar Eagles. As she said,.. Love is a Rose..”
😉
..Here’s to creativity, Love, and the Love of creativity.. (Let it grow!)
Jere
Thanks for yet another spot-on piece. My understanding grows by leaps and bounds (and almost as quickly as my confusion!) every week when I tune in to what’s going on in Planet Waves Land.
The Libra weekly horoscope in this edition… is amazing. It’s as if you looked in my kitchen window and described a situation that’s happening in my life right now. You made an incredibly incisive observation about the nature of my customary response to such situations, and gave advice that could not possibly be more right for resolving the dilemma. Thank you.
What Sara Victoria said! Good as gold, Eric! You take us to where no other astrologer can. Many thanks to Eric, Amanda, Elizabeth and the other Planet Waves stalwarts who put this must-have edition together!
A brilliant article. Just. Love take on Uranus in Aries & techno-narcissism! My God, but Creation is a mind blower. The whole piece is filled with “Oh, Right! Oh, Shit! How could I not have seen that?” Entirely spot on and, as ever, a very special treat, Mr. Dreams.