1/21 :: Women’s Voices Heard Around the World

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Ericis busy writing the 2017 Planet Waves annual edition, The Book of Your Life. This 12-sign reading will be a thorough and useful guide, steering you through 2017 and beyond. You may now choose your individual signs here.

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Dear Friend and Listener:

I saw Amy Elliott’s headline about Nessus, below, and thought: well, that about sums it up. The buck stops now. We do have that opportunity now. You might say that Nessus includes all that stuff about misogyny and boundary issues and sexual transgression. Nessus is on the South Node, the release point of the zodiac.

And this weekend, women of the world spoke up. There was both an embrace and a vast letting go. This was not an angry protest. This was a loving protest, a statement of presence, an experiment in raising our collective voices.

Tonight’s edition of Planet Waves FM begins with a crowd sculpture, recorded by Amy Jacobs and edited together by me, and I get chills every time I play it. The very sound of women’s voices in unison, expressing what has long, long, long needed to be said out loud, to our world today, sends me spinning with joy.

In the first segment I offer a summary of what happened and what I think it means. In the second segment, Amy Jacobs and I speak for about half an hour about what we learned this weekend, and in the last segment I offer my views on why the supposed issue of “woman” is very much about sex and sexuality: about biology, and humanity, and consent, and claiming who one inherently is.

Planet Waves FM is offered free from commercial interruption. We are part of the Pacifica Radio Network. We are published by the nonprofit Chiron Return, Inc., and distributed by Planet Waves.

Please support our efforts and take advantage of our excellent work by becoming a member of Planet Waves.

Lovingly,
eric


Nessus on the Nodes: the buck stops now

The Sun is now a few degrees into Aquarius, cruising steadily toward the sign’s New Moon next week. Before we get there, however, an aspect takes place that got my attention: Tuesday at 10:25 am EST (17:24:45 UTC), the centaur Nessus will be exactly conjunct the lunar South Node.

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Statue in Rouen, France, of the abduction of Deianeira, wife of Hercules, by Nessus. Photo by Frederic Bisson.

This aspect has been a long time coming; its significance is lent mainly by the nature of the moment in which it happens.

I personally am quite partial to working with the lunar nodes, to some extent because they often represent the journey being undertaken in miniature form. The South Node is where you start from, and the North Node is where you’re going to. These two points by themselves can be rich with information.

Eric has written about Nessus many times, discussing its relationship with abuses of all kinds. Where Nessus is present, there’s some karma to be worked out, and usually some past transgression to bring to justice. Melanie Reinhart’s catchphrase for Nessus is “the buck stops here”; I suspect Nessus passing the South Node would be “the buck stops now.”

A line has been crossed, and denial is impossible; the only course remaining is the path toward acknowledgment, assertion and the enacting of justice. For some, this might involve a personal journey to let go of the negative programming of the past, and come into the full human measure of independence and freedom.

If that includes you, remember that the process is likely to be gradual and take it one step at a time. Give yourself the space and the patience you need; and safeguard your mental health in whatever ways work best for you. Your experiences are valid; listen to your instincts.

There would seem to be an air of necessity about this journey that is sometimes associated with Pluto transits. Learning must and will take place. How it happens is up to us.

–Amy Elliott


Monday Morning Horoscope for Jan. 23, 2017 | By Eric Francis Coppolino

Aries

Aries (March 20-April 19) — Some say it’s safer not turning your fantasies into reality. The wisdom of tantra would say that you’re only safe doing so, because the imagination is slippery and unwieldy until you focus your feelings on what’s solid and verifiable. True, one takes various risks doing anything physical, though it would seem that’s why we all incarnated in bodies. Why dream about art when you can make art? Why imagine how a photograph might look, when you can create that picture? Why pretend to know how good something might feel, when you can go explore the experience and find out? Well, there’s a good reason. Entering a space of physical emotion means that you open yourself up to the full spectrum of feelings, including the potential for pain and fear. Many prefer to avoid those possibilities, or become nervous when things get a little too real. Yet you want and need to be real.

Taurus

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Your wildest hopes and dreams are actually possible, though it helps if you know what they are. You’re finally starting to figure out that you don’t need to count on the worst happening. You see your own potential. Yet in order to dial in the deeper and bolder possibilities, you must allow yourself to be different, and to stand out from others around you. It’s one thing to know you’ve got something else going on; it’s another thing to step into your true identity no matter what others may think. When you’re really growing, that threshold of not caring what others think is a great place to arrive. You can feel like you finally have your priorities in order. You might also shock yourself with the recognition of how much energy you’ve invested in trying to conform to expectations that have absolutely nothing to do with you. The excellent news is: you no longer need to live that way.

Gemini

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Mercury’s current link to Neptune is bestowing you with a touch of clairvoyance. Listen to your hunches, particularly around matters of career and finance. You really can see around corners and peer through walls, if you will look, and use your subtle senses. What may surprise you is how much you care, and how deeply touched you are by what seemed to be something work-related. The depth of your feeling and your desire for the right thing to happen represent a calling for you. Your need to participate, and to offer your energy, are providing you direction. You’re getting to feel what it’s like to actually be needed and to have the opportunity to do something that’s both necessary and beautiful. Feel within yourself for confirmation that this is the right thing. Sit quietly for a few minutes and ask; consider carefully what you hear.

Cancer

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — A close partner is likely to provide you with information that you are looking for. You’re more inclined to trust only what you personally discover, though what you learn is close enough to count as such. What you discern from any source, you still must consider and assimilate. You seem determined to take your life in a new direction. You seem obsessed by your need for trust rather than fear to direct you, and that’s the way you’re being guided. One result will be a new sensation of emotional freedom, like you have your options open and have space available to stretch out and explore. Let that need, rather than attachment, guide you. As you open up, you’ll be called in the direction of your deepest passion. Give yourself permission to follow: to be in love with life, in love with your potential and in love with yourself.

Leo

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — The Sun is now in your opposite sign Aquarius, which looks like it’s taking some pressure off of you. It’s also reminding you to ask for the help you need, and to remember that many hands make light work. People love you, and they’re willing to provide support to make your life better and easier. Ease is the very thing you need the most. Taking a relaxed, calm approach to your affairs will remind you that you’re safe, and help you to notice how many caring people are around you. If you allow your energy to flow, everything and everyone in your environment will seem more relaxed and open. You may find yourself deeply moved by the feeling that people care, and that life does not need to be such an uphill struggle. So, be honest about what you need, and take any opportunity to share something you have, or to share yourself.

Virgo

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Most people accept that if you’ve been hurt in the past, you should be more cautious in the present. If opening up creates vulnerability (that same logic goes), maybe it’s better not to open up. Yet you know better than that. Your current situation is inviting you to let go of those things that have happened which you don’t want to happen again. It’s not necessary for them to be repeated, and you can choose to let go of painful situations without shutting down or closing yourself off to the love and affection of those near you. Support others in being the best people they can be, by holding space open for their most positive potential. From that space of being open and suspending judgment, it will be easier to feel whether you belong in any situation. Just remember: you don’t need to run toward someone, or run away. Genuine emotions are involved. You’re in a deep place; move gently and intentionally.

Libra

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You have all the confidence you need. You don’t need anyone to give you permission. You don’t need to know any more than you do; you merely must use your abundant knowledge and experience. If anything, the real lesson of what develops over the next few days involves you figuring out just how much wisdom you possess. Remember that whatever may have happened in the past, every new situation is unprecedented. Using even the most refined skills is a creative act, because you must respond in the moment to what is new about that occasion. You are in a quantum healing zone. Keep your mind fresh and alert to everything and everyone in your environment. You’re approaching a moment of deep exchange, where you discover you have what someone needs, and they have what you need. Be generous and open up to receiving sincerely what you’re offered.

Scorpio

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The challenge you face is nothing more or less than stating your needs honestly. That’s all that stands between you, your deeper pleasure, and honest commitment. You need to defend your point of view or what you want; you don’t need to be demanding. You merely need to be real. That may be challenging enough because you must work your way through some denial or emotional fog. You may need to override your concern that being honest did not work well in the past. I would propose that the real sticking point is guilt: that if some negativity enters the equation, it’s because you feel bad about making your needs known. That guilt has a way of messing up the vibes. It’s not necessary; though stepping beyond it can take some courage, and learning how not to feel guilty about not feeling guilty. Keep it simple; love will guide you past all of that.

Sagittarius

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You remain well-supported, grounded and strong. You’re also unusually sensitive, and may find yourself reacting spontaneously to influences in your environment. Remember that the crisis of any family member or living partner is not necessarily your crisis. Pay attention to that boundary. You may feel inclined to be of assistance. You may have just the healing balm or reassurance that someone needs, though you would be wise to keep some emotional distance. Not a lot, just a little: just enough to remember that you’re in a facilitating role. One thing you can do is advocate for justice where you notice that advocacy is needed. Your voice will matter. Your opinion can make an actual difference. This will be all the more meaningful if you get no personal benefit from the outcome.

Capricorn

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Trust what you say. Trust that your words are helpful and meaningful, even if you didn’t plan to say quite that thing. This is not always easy, especially if you have a tendency to be confident in the moment when you open your mouth, and then regret what you said a little while later. The challenge you face is to trust all the way through: when you feel moved to speak, and after you’ve said your piece. This is what it means to have actual faith in yourself. How do you get there? If you practice being moved by love every time you take action, you can fall back on that. If this is your habit, you’ll know that what you say is motivated by healing. Therefore, be gentle, and be real, and listen to how others respond to you without judging those responses. Be available to take part in any conversation that you start.

Aquarius

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You know what your priorities are. Most people do. You have the strength and independence of spirit to act on what’s important to you, without making a big drama about it. The potential point of conflict is what you must give up to gain something that you want. You might ask yourself if this is really a sacrifice, or whether, in the alternate, you would be shorn of something you really don’t want. This, too, is a matter of your priorities, which have changed in recent years. You can make today’s decisions based on what was important in the past, or what is important today. Getting clear about this can represent a genuine moment of clarity. Why is it worth being alive, today? What values have remained consistent through your entire life? Just recognizing this will be a revelation.

Pisces

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — You have the option to stay open — perhaps more open than you’ve ever been. You have it in you to increase your sensitivity and your passion, and therefore to live more fully. You’re keenly aware that life has pain, loss and strife, and that many people are in pain. It’s not possible to be open to some of life; to be open at all, you must be open to everything, and you know that intuitively. You have the option to be a true artist, to remain sensitive and alive and stretch into life more fully as you do. You would do this out of respect for your own existence: live more fully and celebrate all of life. Extend yourself and be a friend to everyone. Remember above all that your example is vitally important to the people around you. What you say matters, though how you respond to life and how fully you offer yourself to existence matter more.

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