Dear Friend and Reader:
Every day, the American political crisis and the global crisis are pounding on our doors. Every locale has a different manifestation, or many of them; though I have not written about this yet, Europe and the United Kingdom are currently divided over the Brexit issue. Some places, environmental issues are more pressing than political and social ones.
Last week, I asked Planet Waves readers around the world to describe what they feel is their role in rising to the occasion. On some level, I recognize everyone is wondering about this. Some people stay up all night trying to figure it out; some make contact with the question occasionally; some are already on the job doing what they can.
Today we have your responses for you, presented in full. We’ve only made slight edits, correcting typing style and removing text such as “have a nice day.”
While you’re reading, and considering both the ideas of others and your own, I suggest you check in on a few levels. What kind of commitment is involved in the statement of action? What kinds of resources are being offered or allocated?
How much courage do the actions described require?
And I think most significantly, what is the modality of collaboration? In other words, which ideas involve working together? Is this through an organization, or through direct, tangible cooperation, on the ground, in a real place and time?
This is the beginning of a discussion that we need to have, ongoing — while we stay busy materializing our ideas.
Thanks to Amanda Painter and Jocelyn Allton for compiling and proofreading the text.
With love,
Thursday Night Weekly Horoscope for June 6, 2019 (#1249) | By Amy Elliott
Aries (March 20-April 19) — It would seem you’re gearing up for some kind of confrontation — whether with another person, or with yourself, or possibly both. Specific truths are making themselves felt and challenging your understanding on a particular point. The uncertainty you experience may be disquieting, though it’s perhaps better to sit with the feeling a while and not try to force a solution before its time. You will discover whatever is left to be found soon enough; then you’ll be ready to deal with the situation head-on. Doing this will likely give you a renewed sense of purpose and vigor: the ground beneath your feet should feel a lot more solid.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Self-love is the root from which all other love grows. By self-love, I mean genuine and just appreciation of your gifts, and treating yourself with respect, not just as a result of those gifts and the way you apply them, but as a daily practice. Without this, we tend to need approval from others to bolster our happiness, which creates a dependency that’s never quite satisfied. This is like Tantalus reaching for the fruit always out of his grasp. Vesta is about to enter your sign, which will help focus the question of where you place your energies; whether you need to divert more power, for example, to stoking your creative inner fire.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Your birthday season is likely to receive a nice boost as Venus enters your sign Saturday night ET. If you’re so inclined, this is an excellent time to head out, socialize and meet new people. You deserve to feel good about yourself and do what you love. This is also true on a deeper level, as you continue making leaps and bounds on your journey of healing and growth. We all have moments of doubt, though in general you can deal with any that arise by simply understanding how much you’ve achieved, and recognizing what it took to get there. Celebrate yourself and have some well-earned fun.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Amid some recent tensions and challenges, you may well be in the mood for chilling out and reconnecting with your inner life, especially if certain people around you are creating some turbulence or perhaps bringing up old issues. Get away from such conflicts where you can. Spend time in any particular space you consider a sanctuary or where you feel at home. It’s possible you feel under some pressure to take sides in an argument, though it would be worth refusing to bow to any attempt at boxing you in. Don’t commit to any ideas you are not fully prepared to endorse for their own sake.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — There is often a delicate line between evincing enough skepticism that you’re able to examine any position critically, and sufficient trust that you don’t dismiss anything you might encounter without due consideration. Just now you appear to be facing a decision on how far you might give a hearing to a specific concept. You could begin by resolving to keep an open mind for as long as there is uncertainty, and be careful to identify any preconceptions that may be hindering that; next, remember that research is your friend. Gather all the data you can that will help you make an informed choice.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You’re experiencing quite profound changes at present in terms of your aspirations, to the extent that you are in the process of removing some longstanding roadblocks and looking with new eyes at what is possible. Vesta entering your 9th house will open up your perception further, giving you perhaps a clearer idea than ever before of your capabilities. You’ll probably want to take it one step at a time, leaving plenty of space for reflection as well as action. That said, steady perseverance is also likely to be useful. Notice where your attitude has shifted decidedly from the past, which is a good measure of your progress.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You seem aware that a change is afoot; tension is crackling in the air, and you may have a sense of uncertainty. Yet there’s no need for any angst; the alteration is more than likely to show itself as a shift in your perspective, opening you up to new and interesting ideas. This is only frightening if you allow it to be, in the same way that learning anything from medieval history to paragliding can feel intimidating until you gradually gain confidence, and can look back on your early endeavors with pride in how far you’ve come. Think of this development as organic progress, and let it happen in its own time.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — When you enter into an agreement of any kind with someone, do you know where your red lines are? This week you may be called on to consider that deeply. No commitment can be made without a sacrifice or compromise of some sort. Is the concession you’re being asked for reasonable and worth offering, or would it encroach on your autonomy, freedom or ability to be true to yourself? You might also review your own requests in the same light. Gaining the upper hand needs to be the least of your concerns here; what you’re aiming for is a cooperative scenario in which everyone receives something they need. Otherwise, why bother?
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Your attention is being drawn to the way you respond to others when they act in less-than-perfect ways, whether loved ones or people you hear about. How often do you rush to judgment? Given the cultural pressure to do so, we all need to examine ourselves carefully on this subject. The first thing to remember is that none of us is a model of etiquette all the time. Secondly, you may not know all facets of the story. It’s a good idea to gather all necessary information before making any decisions, and to keep your critical thinking faculties sharply honed.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — As you almost certainly know by now, much of the big astrology of our era is focused on your sign, with the developing conjunction of Saturn and Pluto. At times, this may feel as if you’re carrying the weight of the world, or at least a significant proportion of it. You are not alone; many people are justly concerned by what is happening around them. Yet this too shall pass: astrological eras come and go, just as generations do, and human evolution proceeds along with them. All we can do, all we can ever do, is live our best lives, whatever that means for each of us. Be patient and kind to yourself.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Showing one’s ideas to others is an important step in the creative process. Until that moment, whatever you’ve made is exposed only to your own worldview; as the audience widens, even if only by one person, there’s a risk that some criticism (hopefully constructive) will follow. Yet this is something that has to be encountered on the way to completion. Cultivate your patience and remember that others do not always articulate their points well, or know what they’re talking about. However, you may well receive at least one interesting idea you can apply. Be courageous.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Notice any reluctance you might feel to let go of the threads of what is past, and to focus on the future. While things may not have turned out precisely as you planned, you currently have a pretty rare opportunity: to place your hand firmly on the shape at the potter’s wheel, and design it virtually exactly as you wish to do. At this point you are calling the shots in your life in a way you’ve not been able to do for a good while. Therefore, take the space to craft the life you envision in all its complexity and detail. It may involve one or two slips, though you’ll be learning all the time.