April 3, 2014

Howdy Everyone,

And welcome to Action Month 2014. This year, April reminds me of a Merle Haggard song. It’s actually a hopeful lyric, but it’s realistic too. Just substitute “April” for “December:”

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beazFnCT5KA

The next month and a half (April 6th through May 14th) will feature another Grand Cardinal Cross—plus two eclipses! If that doesn’t deserve an exclamation point, then surely nothing astrological should have one. A grand cross can be thought of as a lot of internal tension ready to explode into outward manifestation. Does that sound like a recipe for change or what? A grand cross is a combination of outer stimuli and inner dissatisfaction. Hence, change. (Repeat after me: “change is positive, it ultimately allows us to progress.”)

The eclipses will occur on April 15th (lunar; see chart), and April 29th (solar). Within a few weeks of these, look for unexpected news and lots of extra surprises and changes in direction. In the meantime, things will happen;  cardinal signs indicate action. As with all cardinal aspects, this is an opportunity to change our direction.

A Grand Cross is made up of a square outlining a cross, indicating tension all over the place. (At the time I’m typing these words and looking at this chart, the song “Wheel in the Sky” comes on my iTunes. Seriously. Yes, I put the song on the computer but I had no conscious idea it would play anytime tonight. Synchronicity Is!)

Planets create their effects by connecting geometrically to other planets, for good or for not so good. During the next few weeks, the most-connected planet (the one making the most angles to others) will be Jupiter—the Protector, meaning we ought to get out of this all right. Unless we want nothing to change. The second most-connected planet during this period is Pluto, which indicates deep transformation; change cannot be evaded now.

The United States in particular is going through a heck of a rough patch. Pluto is opposing the U.S.A.’s Sun in its “birth” chart right now, showing that the nation is grappling with opposition from pretty much the whole world, calling upon it to change. It’s a ginormous power struggle. Moreover, the U.S. is heavily involved in this Grand Cross, showing great opportunity but great tension. Jupiter, therefore, is right there too, serving as an overall protector for the U.S. But again, the nation will be opposed, and its role will change accordingly. Things cannot go on as they recently have been for the U.S.

(This is all connected to the Uranus/Pluto square you may’ve been hearing about. We are in the middle of this square’s duration: June 2012 until March 2015. This period will contain the beginnings of the most deep and fundamental changes we will see in decades. For a review of this biggest current happening in the sky and what it means for the world, see here:  https://transcendentalastrology.com/?p=104)

If we have been out of balance—especially if severely so—things often need to fall apart first, in order to clear a space for something better to follow. So it’s a blessing that during this next seven weeks, Mars will be in retrograde, meaning we will all have trouble acting out our difficult feelings aggressively. I don’t think there will be any real big, bad violence breaking out (i.e, wars), but we may have to wade through a lot of sabre-rattling and macho gesturing before higher values prevail. It’s a good time to protect yourself with a robe of white light. But then, that’s always good to do.

 I have the feeling we’re getting close to the global turning point; now is like December was for Merle. Something truly magical may be about to happen.

Let’s stay positive, as there may well be events around the world that will impose much stress upon us all. Be on the lookout for global financial changes very soon. Did you know that several nations are moving to step away from using the U.S. dollar for valuing their own currencies, in favor of China’s yuan? Did you know that there have been sizable anti-government protests in just the last month in Venezuela, Turkey, Taiwan and Thailand? Most Americans do not. (And yet we do know everything there is to know about that plane—you know, the one nobody can find.) The mass media quite simply is not covering a lot of important events.

Jennifer Hoffman puts it very clearly:

“From governments that engage in illegal and secret activities against their own citizens, to banks that destroy economies, media that doesn’t report the news, corporations that write laws for their benefit, a poisoned and toxic food supply, the strong that prey on the weak, and greed that blinds humanity to the simple truths of compassion, trust, and love. We have discovered, in the past few years, that we have let the fox have its run of the chicken house, something we allowed to happen in the belief that it was being done for our benefit and that we would be taken care of. And now we have to take our power back but that comes at a cost, in which we have to choose between convenience or empowerment.” http://enlighteninglife.com/energies-april-2014/

“You get what you settle for.”–Susan Sarandon as Louise Sawyer, in Thelma and Louise

The need for change has never been so clear, and it is all around us. We are waking up as a planet. Are we strong enough to let go of what we had grown so used to—without knowing yet what might replace it?

Nora Yolles-Young says:

“…we as a whole are in uncharted terrain. And this is a good thing! We now have the opportunity to participate and build the kind of world we all want to live in. There’s much energetic and collective support for the formulation, actualization and implementation of these new ways of being. The time is now. There’s no need for perfection. What’s needed is a simple desire to start reaching out with new ideas and connecting with people who are supportive, creative and inspired. Action will follow inspiration.” http://chrysalishealing.org/

So, seek out your vision for an almost unimaginably brighter future during the next six weeks. Sooner is better than later. If you’re not sure how to go about that, or even exactly what it is or how it might look—or feel—I urge you to “give it a deep think,” so you can begin taking steps toward your better future around the time of the grand cross/eclipse. That means getting away from dis-tractions [dis = against; traction = ability to move forward]. Go into nature, or to a quiet or peaceful spot. Take your time, let the deeper desires and ideas bubble up while they’re not being suppressed by the typical “more urgent” thoughts of our day-to-day civilized insanity. Take a note pad or a voice recorder.

What I did one recent morning was take a long walk to a favorite cafe, sit for a long while in a pleasant, natural-type patio setting with the best mocha in town and relaxing music, and sat and focused on four or five words I wanted to clear up my progress on, each of the major areas that need change: housing; work; vacation, etc. I focused on just these, and just one at a time. No electronic devices, no wandering thoughts. When I left over an hour later, I had a 3×5” card with a few specific action steps—something I could do to further the progress I want to see in each of the areas I had sat down with the intent of clarifying. Then I took a longish, meandering walk home. Three hours total. Can you find three peaceful hours for your future?

We have entered a very exciting time. To everything there is a season. Now is not the time for external calm, but please remember you can always create and carry with you an internal peace. You have a chance to use the considerable energy of this time positively. Holding a space for love and light will be very important. If you fail to act on pressure inside you, the Universe will supply you with an external force that behooves you to move. But if you take the initiative and use this opportunity to create a step toward positive change, then you can take much better charge of your destiny. Don’t let the decision be made for you. This too shall pass.

(Everyone is facing these factors in your unique way, based on your birth chart. If you would like more perspective on how what’s happening in the sky is affecting your life and how to better dance with it, please call or e-mail me for a reading.)

Namaste, Rich

P.S., since it’s been in the news and as an FYI, April 15th will see the first of four “Blood Moon” Lunar Eclipses to happen over the next year and a half (named because of their color, which is due to their exact positioning, only somewhat unusual, but four in a row is quite unusual). These have been tied by some to the Biblical prophecy of the return of Christ. Or will it be a Christ Consciousness? How would that manifest to us?

Uh-oh. 

Greetings! Hope you’re ready, ‘cause Mercury’s getting ready to go backwards again (starting today at 1:43 pm PST). But there’s nothing to be afraid of! Just be more careful with certain parts of your life, and practice letting go of expectations…..

Mercury goes retrograde three times a year on average, creating a three-week window of weirdness—with a few days leftover on either side to boot. Last time it happened, I noticed lots of things going snafu. Here are just four examples, to give you a sense of what sort of things can go on (or go off) during a Mercury retrograde:

1. (in sports:) THE GAME WAS DELAYED 17 MINUTES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SECOND INNING DUE TO A POWER OUTAGE.

2. (news headline:) Voting error could shake up results on next episode of ‘Dancing With the Stars’

3. (from my web host:) Our mail services are down due to critical hardware failure
Service Restoration ETA is Approximately 24 Hours.  At this time we are unable to accept calls or emails.

4. (news headline:)   Microsoft pulls Windows RT 8.1 update after reported problems on some computers – @AP

Sometimes the M. R. glitches are kinda bad, sometimes not so much. They’re typically all over the spectrum and pretty unpredictable. We’ll be better off  if we will expect delays and changes to our plans (but without worrying!). The information flow will become confused or diffused, here and there. It just will. Nothing we can do about most of it, especially when it involves other people. Why?

Because Mercury is the planet of the mind. My mind and your mind. And when a planet “goes backwards,” its energy turns inside and looks backward, instead of doing its normal forward motion and present-minded thinking. Mercury’s normal energies are less available now on the outside, but more available on the inside. And wow, do we have a big inside (which includes all our memories) !

This next three+ weeks are a great time to review and revise anything you’ve already done. Reminisce. Or analyze and do research. It’s not so good for starting a big new project, signing a contract or buying an important electronic device—with one caveat. (Well, I guess it would be an anti-caveat since we’re in retrograde mode.) If you’re feeling intrepid, you can proceed forward with anything—as long as you’re OK that something unexpected will come up with it, a twist or a turn, an unforeseen change in circumstance, a need for redirection or reorientation. It won’t end up as you had thought it would.

Put simply, if you’re willing to let go of the outcome and are prepared for things to go someplace you hadn’t considered they might or even could, then go for it. (Hmmm, maybe we should consider living that way all year long…..) But if you’re a bit attached to the outcome, do please check and double-check all the little details before pressing the “send” or “buy” buttons! Remember, your mind won’t be as fully there as it normally is. Give it a rest, get grounded, and unplug from the grid more often, for the next three weeks, so your mind can review and regenerate.

    Peace, Rich

 P.S., Why can’t Freddie and the GM cars be the only Mercuries we have to deal with for nine weeks out of every year?

Greetings Lovely Librans,

It’s time for you to learn more about how to balance the feminine and the masculine. These would be the same as the natures of Venus and Mars, whose energies are up for you now. However, they will be a bit inside-out compared to your usual experience of them.

Normally, Mars blows through each zodiac sign in about two months. But on December 8th, Mars moved into Libra. For. Seven. And. A. Half. Months. (Until late July.) This anomaly is happening because Mars will be spending all of its retrograde period in Libra, and that means your lives will be directly affected until then. Mars won’t spend anywhere near this much time in Libra again until 2029.

But Mars doesn’t like being in Libra; he always feels like there’s a court official watching his every move and he can’t act freely. You see, Mars is an agitator. A warrior. He creates action, even where none may be beneficial or desired by anyone but him. He is the ego. He stirs things up. But he also energizes us, and he knows how to move forward and get things done.

On the other hand, Venus—which rules Libra—rather likes things the way they are, if things are pleasant and beautiful and gracious, anyway. Even if they are not, she is a persuader, not a fighter. Venus is of a peaceful and loving nature, wishing to harmonize and create lasting social bonds. Forming connections with others is her job. But sometimes, she is lazy and materialistic and overly concerned with mollifying and pleasing others—to the detriment of her own needs.

Until late July, you and other Librans will feel stirred up, energized, and agitated by Martian energy. Wherever Mars is, there will be activity, so get used to extra action in your life. People will be magnetized toward you; you’ll have more ability to mobilize people, to motivate them, and to mesmerize them. You will be able to get a lot more done while Mars is in Libra. So take advantage of this period! It is like the Universe is giving you a seven-month-long green light. Just be careful how you go about it, because……

                   ……this is prime time for conflict with important people around you. The main danger with Mars in your sign is that you may be tempted to be overly aggressive or to inadvertently trample someone else’s fence in your rush to get something accomplished. Your lessons here will come through trying to apply healthy boundaries within all your relationships. Usually, you’re the one trying to adapt and cooperate, but now there is a danger that you will be too aggressive and forget to remember the needs and rights of others.

It’s very important to observe and honor the distinction between standing up for what you want and speaking your truth on the one hand, and breaching someone else’s space by aggressively pushing into it. The proper use of Mars is to assert, not to aggress; the difference being the honoring of healthy boundaries, even if the other person isn’t supplying any.

To complicate matters, Venus is retrograde—or not too effective—until January 31st. It might be beneficial if we think of Venus as drowsing until then, or at least having trouble being her normal, loving self. This may create situations in which you all are more aggressive and selfish than usual, so Mars may well try to have his way with your relationships until February.

But fear not. Remember this, when struggles threaten to overcome your resolve to love: after much thrashing about, Love will carry the day! Venus is the stronger of the two planets here. Think of it as practice standing up for yourself and what you believe in, while resisting the urge to push back others. As you well know, that will result in a pushback on you at some point.

So balance all that energy well. Balancing is a Libran’s job, after all, and you need to set a good example for the rest of us.

    Peace, Rich

                  

Happy Gratefulness Everyone,

In this season of celebration, we can afford to be a little more grateful for what we’ve been given. One big astrological thing for us to all be grateful for these days is that last year, Neptune began traveling through the sign of Pisces. Some of you may know that Neptune is the planetary ruler of Pisces.

In this time of confusion and uncertainty about the world’s direction, I’m going to offer you some comforting words, but they will come with a call to action. But first, about Neptune. Neptune represents THE COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE, at a feeling level.

Discovered by Galileo (a Pisces) in 1612, Neptune is invisible to the naked eye from Earth. It takes 165 years to cycle through the zodiac once. It displays its purest energy while in Pisces, so we will all be receiving a boost of positive Neptunian energy from 2012 until 2025.

Neptune in Pisces reflects a need in us to re-experience the transcendent or divine. At the collective level, we are experiencing a need for spiritual renewal. Over the next decade, we will be called to liberate our spirits from the bondage that fantasy and delusion (also Neptunian themes) have held us in thrall to.

For the first few years of this passage, Neptune will be accompanied by Chiron, symbolic of a spiritual healing. We have a need for more magic and mystery—both Neptunian and therefore Piscean things. We also need to create and display more compassion for the downtrodden lower “classes” in society; compassionate service is Neptunian too.

Love can be directed to our inside (love of self) or to our outside (love of another). While Venus is the planet of Love, Neptune is known as the higher octave of Venus. Thus, Neptune is the planet of impersonal Love—selfless by nature.

We seem to be going through a transition period on Earth in which we don’t know what’s true and don’t know whom we can trust or believe. We’re looking for clarity and new directions in the face of unprecedented changes. This reflects the energy of Neptune, which dissolves the layer of what is before revealing the deeper layer of Truth below.

Psychic researcher David Wilcock said this week: “In time, much of the confusion and mystery of the events now unfolding will have cleared up—and we will have a remarkable new view of life on Earth.” So it is with Neptune. We never know quite where we’re headed until we’re there.

As a species, we’re headed into new and unknown territory. It’s Terra Incognita all over again. (Or, in the spirit of Neptune, Terra Infirma. Things get squishy and foggy with Neptune.) Yet, it will be required that we gather all our courage and set sail upon the open seas. Otherwise, we will not be able to reach a new and better world.

There are rumors that a “galactic rewrite” is underway, having begun around 12/21/12, manifesting as an awakening from illusion at many levels and emanating somehow or the other from the center of the Milky Way, or the Great Central Sun of our galaxy. Neptune rules sleep and dreams. Is it time for our collective to wake up? Some of us will be more ready for this than others, of course, so should we get our hopes up—that at this time, the human race is ready to take a quantum leap?

The answer is: maybe. (For more information on how this time is different, see my article on 12/21/12 here:) https://transcendentalastrology.com/?p=61

Could we be on the cusp of the redemption of humanity? According to astrologer Isabel Hickey, Neptune is “the obligation to give one’s self away;” “balance must be restored through giving, not receiving;” and ”willingness is the keyword for Neptune.” Through personal redemption, one at a time, can we all be saved?

With Neptune in Pisces we ought to see a resurgence of the arts. Also, deeper explorations of mysticism and other subjects that cannot easily be explained by rational (scientific) means. Neptune rules liquids and addictions. Over the next decade, our society will be focusing collectively on drugs of all kinds, the ocean, and liquids of all types. Water rights will be a big subject, as will our number one liquid addiction: oil. Discussions will be permeated with the concept of fairness for all—not just what’s fair for the corporations.

There will be a dissolving of boundaries too, but how far will this go, what kinds of boundaries will Neptune be changing? One thing’s for certain; after 2025, there will be less separation between us all. There will be a realization of our Universal oneness, our deepest connections. Will this create One World, and if so, will it be one born of selflessness—or one born of delusion?

In true Neptunian fashion, before we can get to the light, the old and no longer acceptable order must first begin to pass away. The transition is always apt to cause confusion and disorientation. How can we avoid this? By holding true to what we know, especially on the inner planes. Let us walk the road we know to be the highest and the best. Accept a Higher Love into our lives: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=524Tf0dNRNw

And when we slip off the road once in a while due to the foggy, slippery conditions we’re navigating through, let us realign our path according to our inward, moral compass.

Neptune advises us all to participate in the changes that are coming, since we will all be affected by them. And we must come from an attitude of service, which ideally comes from a place of Love. So after pausing to admire the beauty of this moment, let’s move ahead, ready to receive the blessings of any signs or information that has been trying to get our attention, subtly revealing the direction that it’s best for everyone that we take. Now’s not the time to be afraid, there’s work to be done.

“Love one another constantly.” —Saint Francis of Assisi.

Even though the waters will be running deeper than usual for awhile,

Happy Swimming!

Let there be Love, Rich          

P.S: If you’d like to know more about what area of your life Neptune is currently confusing and simultaneously transforming, please contact me!

 

Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call / Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall / For he who gets hurt will be he who has stole / There’s a battle outside and it’s ragin’ / It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls for the times they are a-changin‘              –Bob Dylan**

July 15, 2013

Happy Summer to Everyone,

Pardon me in advance for the length of this letter–I know you’re all busy and I do appreciate that you include these newsletters on your to-do lists. It’s certainly OK with me if you want to read it a bit at a time; in fact, I’d say it’s a good idea to. As with my Mayan Calendar/2012 Solstice letter*, there’s a lot of important information that I want to convey–and I hope it will help you to make sense out of all the stuff that’s going on, both in the world and in your life.

Since June 2010, Pluto and Uranus have been forming a square angle (90 degrees) in the heavens, with respect to the Earth. Squares are generally known as angles of tension. These two planets will be forming and re-forming this angle several times over a seven-year period, and we’re about in the middle of those seven years. This combination won’t happen again until 2045, and it is indicative of change in our world. Oh, sorry….I meant CHANGE, with a big–well, all the letters.

This planetary combination symbolizes pressure building from inside of us. We are feeling guided by higher energies to create vastly transformative and progressive changes to the structures around us. The sign that each planet is in is important to how the energy will manifest; Pluto is in Capricorn, meaning it is the structures of our society that are being pressured to change–governments especially, and corporations. The big, sturdy and seemingly timeless monoliths. And Uranus is in Aries, meaning it is a humanitarian focus for us all, through innovative ideas and technologies, that will be created now.

Among the other areas of life under Pluto’s purvey are intentionally-held secrets, the underworld, oligarchies, and the resources of the collective. Uranus rules revolutions and unexpected explosions, independence, advancement toward true brother- and sisterhood, and freedom in general. Pluto steals and hoards; Uranus won’t tolerate selfishness. Pluto is the concentration of wealth and power in a few hands; Uranus is free information for all, with everyone free to go their own way without restriction. You can see how the two might clash.

The results of the first three years of this collision are all around us. There have been sudden and ongoing exposures of deeply hidden secrets (Wikileaks, Snowden, LIBOR, TARP, News Corp phone hacking, sports doping and bribery, illegal offshore tax stashes–every day there’re more being uncovered). It is being revealed where money has been hidden–lots and lots of money. It is a time of great revealing of illicit secrets. Corruption is oozing from every overstretched seam of our threadbare overstructure. It’s in the news, if you know where to look, but not talked about too much in the American mainstream media. I think it’s fair to say this is an unprecedented amount of revealing in human history. It is the exposure of information via Uranian technology (the internet) and for Uranian purposes (fairness). So Uranus seems to be gaining the upper hand here–but Pluto’s real work is not to hide but to expose the truth, and that too is occurring now.

In response, however, there has been seemingly greater-than-ever backpressure from the powers-that-be, pushing ultra-hard for changes in their favor. I can’t remember any period in my life when the people at the top were pushing any harder (to get even more power and control). This reflects the current polarization of humanity. Any time someone espouses a definite opinion, it seems like someone else pops right up with the opposite viewpoint, and more often than not they’re in full attack mode. There is such venom out there for whatever seems to be the opposite of “our” point of view. This represents the end point of a fully-stretched rubber band; it must now go back the other direction although hopefully not too fast. The predicament we’re currently in is that, more and more, we’re realizing the extent of our global dilemma and the corresponding need for change. People are waking up, the world is waking up, and our collective unconscious is forcing things to the surface by default. Frustration, outrage, fear, disempowerment, and more are the current feelings we’re processing, and it’s coming to the surface on a scale we’ve never before seen.

The Arab Spring(s) and the Occupy movement are symptoms of humanity’s deep awareness of the need for change. With internet video access from webcams and smartphones, etc., it’s now much, much harder to hide anything. As a result, information is spreading and so is awareness, despite the best efforts of those who have been trying to hide more and more for their own purposes.

Those in power, currently seeing their sense of control and their interconnected power structures being eaten away (slowly or otherwise) are like the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, crying inwardly and helplessly, “I’m melting, I’m melting!” (Remember it was just water that made her dissolve–like the light of day shining on skeletons in a closet.)

What would be the quickest and easiest (Uranian) way to bring down the most structures in our current society with cool Plutonian effectiveness, you may wonder? It would be to expose the one thing that connects it all: the money, the finances, the economics. Money is the lynchpin holding together the power structures of the world. And the banks hold or control most or all of the money, or at least they claim to. We will find out just how much money there really is–and where it lies–over the next few years. I expect the amount of stolen wealth to be truly stunning, and the masses will not be happy that they were taken to the cleaners. Stay tuned to the economic news.

By revealing the hidden wealth, and the identity of the plutocrats who have squirreled it away, Uranus is changing the distribution of our collective resources. Already, procedures are being re-written to keep this theft from happening again. The banking system is signing on to major new rules, and new leaders are promising reform. What is unclear is how quickly the major changes will be implemented, and of course it remains to be seen how effective these will be. But the revolution is underway.

The keywords of this change process are “freedom and reform.” At its worst, this pair can augur class warfare; Uranus=the 99%, Pluto=the 1%. Those who have exercised great control over others (Pluto) will be exposed suddenly (Uranus). But every planet represents good things as well as limiting things. Pluto, for instance, indicates the elimination of outmoded attitudes, structures and behaviors; it breaks down psychological blocks that are standing in the way of our next evolutionary step. And Uranus can bring in erratic and unstable–even explosive–events that are quite disruptive. Another thing that can happen when these two planets collide is the deepening of scientific knowledge. Did you know the Kepler telescope has now found over 3000 planets outside our solar system? Revolutionary scientific evidence is now revealing the deep structure of the Universe (new instruments are constantly giving us new data, backing up theories of dark matter, dark energy and even multiple Universes–the Multi-Verse!).  Note the Plutonian and Uranian themes here as well.

My fellow astrologer Rich Humbert says, ‘this is a process in which the world is becoming unified and giving birth to a global consciousness.’ But that birth is proving to be a bit difficult right now.

Many of you have heard that ‘it’s a blessing to live in interesting times.’ Well, right about now is when it will start to get really interesting. In the 70’s or the 80’s, most of us had no inkling that anything like the current pace of change was headed our way. (Let alone in the seemingly slower 50‘s and 60‘s.) Back then, people seemed to have more time and greater attention spans. Now is the time called by some “the quickening.” The rapid speed of changes is affecting our bodies and our minds and our psyches. In a way, it’s a natural outgrowth of the increasing complexity of technology, but it may soon pass our human brain’s ability to cope. Our knowledge of the world is expanding exponentially. How can we keep up?

In addition to going faster, Time also seems to be telescoping. With the ability to access more history quicker via the internet, we can now “see” more of history at once, and younger people have more of a sense of the big picture of history than ever before. For older people, this time of breakneck change must be especially difficult. I don’t think it’s inappropriate to use the term “psychic whiplash” (if not psychic concussion) for what so many of us are experiencing due to the bombardment of new information, hidden secrets, newly revealed history, changes in society’s direction, DNA technology only dreamed of 40 years ago, and so on and on andon andonandon.

Something has to change. It must; we cannot go on this way. The two planets involved mirror processes deeply rooted in our subconscious–unless we actively bring them to light with our awareness. Pressure that we remain unconscious of all too often finds an unexpected escape route, taking the form of tragic events. But it doesn’t have to be that way if we become aware of it. You have the option to be mindful, and to create the change in your life that you know deep down inside needs to come out. If you don’t know what needs to change, then it’s time to sit down and take a good, quiet look inside.

Most of us older-sters were brought up being taken care of by social entities–like the government, the company and our family. We did not have to gather information ourselves, and much was given to us. But with the shift away from (or the collapse of) these entities, we are having to (but are able to) find information ourselves and choose whom we align ourselves with. The old support structures we knew are disappearing, or at least transforming. Perhaps this is some kind of call unto spiritual adulthood, where we have to really take responsibility for our own lives (eek!).

In an age of transformation, what isn’t working must either change or fall away. We have to be the agents of change, or else we will be used by another agent in the process of change. We can use this transformative energy consciously. Those of us who hold onto the old the most tightly will be those who have the most trouble. But we can choose to be delighted, or astonished, or frightened by the future as it unfolds before our very eyes. Perhaps it’s best to just step back occasionally and take it all in, marveling at the changes taking shape around us. Maybe this will lead us to acceptance, and then to taking part, one step at a time, in the creation of the new future–a future that will be built by the many, instead of by the few.

Will there be a revealing of our suppressed collective history? Of government knowledge of extraterrestrial visitations on Earth? Whichever secrets come out, can we face and accept them?

The ongoing pressure of Pluto-square-Uranus will continue until early 2016. It’s important that we learn to let go because we really can’t stop this. But we can help guide the flow of energy. The Serenity Prayer applies.

What can you do to lessen the ongoing pressure in your life? Consciously and regularly disengage from your electronic devices, reconnect with quiet, with stillness, with silence, with nature. If we all recognize the need for this, it will become a priority to create more of it in the outer “noisy” world of our society. Feel once again what it’s like to be unavailable to others for even an hour. Give that time to yourself, to recharge and feed your spirit.

This pressure may be a call for us to lighten up on the material world and begin to place more importance on the finer things–like love and forgiveness and letting go of fear and stuff like that.

Do not be afraid of the changes. Think about all the things that could be better: in the US, the health care system, the homelessness, the political stalemate. In the world, the extremist religious views, the remaining wars, our addiction to unsustainable energy sources, the destruction of the oceans and the rainforests. We really, truly, deeply need changes, and not little ones. We can take part in them instead of shrinking back from them.

What is crucial is a willingness to change, and to be aware at almost every step along the way of what’s not working, both within us and around us. Uranus says: “if it’s hurting someone, it’s not working.” We have to open up our eyes, take off our blinders, and be willing to grow.

Can we humans look ourselves in the mirror and see the ugly part of the reality we have created? And not point the finger in blame or denial? We must learn to let our layer of compassionate caring for others hold sway over the selfish layer of me-first. And keep in mind the selfish layer isn’t just me-first; it’s my group first, my country first, my religion first–any extension of our egos to encompass what we identify with. Humans are generally wired to be afraid of change, that’s why we don’t change until a crisis presents itself. Well, THE CRISIS IS HERE. There’s only one way we can escape serious retribution: we can fix it, all of it. We are brilliant, loving and resourceful. Let’s do it, together, because that’s what time it is. It’s got to be all of us or none of us, that’s what Uranus is trying to instill in us–Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius, and therefore of the coming Aquarian Age. It will be here sooner than we can imagine.

(Everyone is facing this ongoing pressure in her or his unique way, based on your birth chart. If you would like more perspective on how what’s happening in the sky is affecting your life and how to better dance with it, please call or e-mail me for a reading.)

Happy CHANGEing.

Rich          

by Rich Moser, Transcendental Astrology 

rcycles@transcendentalastrology.com

      805.845.4805

*–if you missed it, this article is now on my website, @

https://transcendentalastrology.com/?p=61

**–here’s a nice remake of Dylan’s song by one of my favorite bands:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVRzs9TS_IQ

 

Happy Spring Everyone,

There are unusual things happening in the sky this month–things you can actually see–or at least you could, from some spots on Earth:

1. Lunar Eclipse, 4/25/13, 6 degrees Scorpio (12:57 PM PDT)

           2. Solar Eclipse, 5/9/13, 20 degrees Taurus (5:28 pm PDT)

                       3. Lunar Eclipse, 5/24/13, 4 degrees Sagittarius (9:25 PM PDT)

It is quite rare to find a cosmic sandwich of three eclipses happening so close together, and with the solar eclipse today, we are right in the middle of them.

Astrologically, the unexpected tends to occur near an eclipse. A missing puzzle piece may fall into your lap that brings clarity to a situation. There is a feeling of life moving rapidly, with great acceleration. Something ends and something else begins, often involving major events, like a door opening or closing. An eclipse usually brings something new for us to focus on.

Lunar eclipses’ effects are generally limited to within a month of the event, while a solar eclipse augurs larger and more widespread changes that can be spread over much of the next year. It’s better to listen and respond rather than trying to initiate something. If you act under an eclipse, the result will be an unexpected one.

With that, let’s look at what energies are coloring today’s solar eclipse. They will be sending ripples forward through the next many months, for us all. At the moment of this eclipse, there is a great deal of transformational energy available. This is good, because an eclipse will bring change, which is transformation–so we have the opportunity to use these energies to co-create the future we want.

This eclipse has an emphasis of Saturn and Pluto energies. Put these together and you get “changes in structure.” The structures of your life are: your job, your basic daily life, your family, and any patterns that have kept you feeling safe and supported over recent years. But changes don’t have to be bad. They can be good, as in building a new, better structure–and this may well be necessary for some of us over the coming year, as some old things will be falling apart. It’s best now to observe the cracks that are being exposed, and to act when you’re ready to fix them–or else change your direction to chart a new course.

Mars is also involved today, in a difficult way with Saturn. That’s the solar system’s way of saying we will be feeling anxious to move forward, but there will first be a need to chill, create a plan and move forward slowly. There are also four planets in Taurus, emphasizing our true values and money for up to a year going forward. (Watch for changes in global economics, it may be a year to remember.)

In esoteric astrology, there is a set of symbolic interpretations of each one of the 360 degrees of the zodiac wheel; together they are called the “Sabian Symbols.” They provide interesting and picturesque ways of getting a handle on the basic energies of each degree. Today’s solar eclipse is placed at 20 degrees of Taurus (both the Sun and the Moon will be there against the backdrop of the zodiac wheel). The Sabian Symbol for the 20th degree of Taurus is: “wisps of wing-like clouds streaming across the sky.” The original interpreter of the Sabian Symbols, astrologer Marc Edmund Jones, encapsulated this as “the awareness of spiritual forces at work.”

So after pausing to admire the beauty of this moment, let’s move ahead, ready to receive the blessings of any supernatural or celestial beings who are trying to get our attention, subtly revealing the direction that it’s best for everyone that we take.

(If you’d like to find out whether these eclipses will affect your particular chart, please contact me.)

                                                                   Happy Eclipsing.

                                                                                   Let there be Light, Rich          

P.S., If you’re into meditating and want to make a difference in world consciousness, try sitting and focusing within an hour either way of the exact eclipse times. These are considered by Hindu masters to be some of the best times to meditate.

by Rich Moser, Transcendental Astrology 

rcycles@transcendentalastrology.com

805.845.4805

 

April 10, 2013

Greetings, Self-Improvement Devotees:

Today’s new Moon is a particularly powerful one, so I want to urge you to take the next step toward your best and brightest future. Today, there are five planets in the sign of Aries–a rare occurrence–and this, together with the new Moon, means this is a great time to initiate steps toward change in your world. First, recognize within yourself what directional change you wish to make. Second, set a general goal that feels connected to this directional change. (You may have the goal in mind already, but need to realize that your current direction will not be likely to get you there. So either order works.) Third, take a step.

Of course, only you can know what that better future for you is. If you’re not sure, but just aren’t satisfied with where you’re at, then take a step in the direction you think you might like to go–you’ll get feedback from the Universe, one way or another. But the key is to take a step, to move, to participate in the flow of energy such that you can create a reaction that comes back to you. This is the only way we can affect change in the world. Prayers and intentions are great, but they have the tendency to only create results when followed by specific actions. (The Universe is an interactive place, it seems!)

The nature of today’s energies is such that three planets are emphasized: Mars (ruler of Aries), Saturn, and Pluto. Put them together, you get “transformational steps forward,” with a dose of “changing the structure of your very life.” Mars wants to go–now! Saturn says, wait–we need a structure to move into first. Pluto says, it’s time to deeply transform our lives. These are the archetypes we can profitably play with over the next two weeks.

Ideally, your first (or next) step will be taken over the next 14 days. If you act soon, you may even see some tangible results by the full Moon. However, it’s more likely you’ll need to take a long-term approach, because we ideally are talking about a major shift in your lives. Which we can support each other in taking. As I will discuss in a detailed letter next month, the changes we’re all going through now may require our mutual support–and that may be why they will take a while to manifest.

Change is more possible now than at anytime in our history. You don’t need to be able to wrap your head around that to make a small–but definite–step, in a better direction, for your future life. Be courageous; you owe it to Mars. But do it before noon on the 25th!

    Peace, Rich

rcycles@transcendentalastrology.com

    805.845.4805

 

Well, we seem to have survived the “end” of the Mayan calendar. Although many people are saying they felt a shift on that day, and since. As if we’ve turned some kind of corner toward a lighter, healthier Earth. Can you contribute to that brighter future? I’d say you can, by fulfilling your own highest future visions.

This week–through February 13th–is the week to advance toward your dreams, with a positive, definite, committed step. What needs to grow in your life?

Many of us have been holding back on pursuing our dreams and better futures for many months now. We may have been making excuses, like “what if the world ends on 12/21/12, what’s the point?” Even more of us have been simply depressed by the general economic and world climates–pun intended, though I don’t mean to make light of our present state. Many people are suffering in the throes of social and environmental change. Almost everyone seems overwhelmed and near their wit’s end. We are certainly in the midst of cultural and technological change at a breakneck pace, the likes of which humanity has never seen. (I’ll have more to say about that in my upcoming letter about the Uranus/Pluto square that is ongoing.)

But this week, you can move forward, take that next step, create change in your life. Learn more, grow, pursue a new field, start your research, make a commitment to a new path. You can be more than you used to think you could be. And there couldn’t be a better moment than the next week or so to begin.

Last Wednesday, Jupiter turned direct (meaning it ceased retrograde motion), giving us a renewed opportunity to make positive growth and advancement a reality in our lives, both at the individual and the social level. For the last four months or so, during Jupiter’s reverse period, we were turning inward, looking for ideas and ways to grow into the future. That future begins now.

Just after Jupiter went direct, it formed a beautiful and rare grand triangle in the sky with the Sun and the Moon; that’s a powerful harbinger of growth and blessings.

(What needs to grow in your life?)

But in order to get the best of this energy, we need to make it clear to the Universe that we are willing to do our part to manifest our dreams in the world. Now is the time to actualize those inner visions with a positive, substantial step toward creating them in the outer, material world of your life.

 Even if you can’t take that important initiating step (or with a stalled project or direction, a resuming step) in the next seven days, you will have the energy of Jupiter at your back–until November 7th. But this week is far and away the best time to begin. Why? Because Saturn will then turn retrograde on the 18th, for four months, and that means delays and adjustments. Personally, I’ll take delays and adjustments if I know I’m on the path I want to be on to create the future I want to be a part of, wouldn’t you? Saturn will only delay us in the sense that it will help us to see what’s going to work better, so we can succeed long-term. Jupiter is telling us now is the time to start to grow.

There’s also a Mercury retrograde period coming up, on the 23rd, for three weeks. Which means snafus and glitches, but this too shall pass, leaving you well on the track to success, if you take action this week–and are prepared to stay the course and make adjustments. There may be a better future out there for us than we have dared imagine.

Take a step in your desired direction and start exploring; the Universe will help correct your course as you move along. If you have a really big starting step to take, try to wait until after the new Moon on Saturday night (the 9th); the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday look particularly good for beginnings!

You can’t get to where you want to go if you’re not willing to leave where you are now.

I’d be happy to learn of your progress, send me a note with your achievements or tell me your goals.

    Om Shanti, Rich

by Rich Moser, Transcendental Astrology 

rcycles@transcendentalastrology.com

        805.845.4805

 

 

 

Hello Truth Seekers,

What is waiting for us at the end of 2012? Will it be the end of the world? Or will humanity start writing a new chapter and make a quantum leap spiritually? There’s been much hand wringing and consternation over the multitude of “what ifs,” and so many theories and ideas about what might happen, some of which are truly far out. I’d like to address the significance of 2012 as briefly but as rationally as I can, while still including a broad perspective of possibilities.

There are five sections to this letter:

A.Actual Things Happening in 2012

B.The Mayan Factor

C.Other Opinions

D.Rampant Speculations

E.Moving Forward

1. ACTUAL EVENTS IN 2012.

The internet seems to be filled with a ton of contradictory predictions, and many of them are fear-based. There are, however, some things that we can say are definitely happening this year. Many rare events are coinciding and colliding in, or very near to, 2012:

  1. Venus Transits.  A pair of Venus transits, which happen only every century and a half, completed itself in June of this year. The Mayans and Aztecs believed this pair of events to be the harbinger of the return of their God. Astrologically, Venus transits have been associated with major expansions of human knowledge as well as physical explorations that ended up changing the world forever.

2. The ongoing series of Pluto/Uranus squares, beginning last year and continuing through 2016. This is part of a cycle of difficult angles between these two planets that occurs every 35-45 years or so. How their interaction will manifest depends upon which signs these two powerful planets are in. This time, it’s Pluto in Capricorn (social structure and monetary systems, and corporations) versus Uranus in Aries (new breakthroughs in technology and humanitarian leaders). This represents the sudden and unforeseen breakup of old power structures and plutocratic money distribution systems. After this period, the money ought to be redistributed from the 1% to the 99%. Say goodbye to the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the unseen few, and say hello to what will be the first concrete steps toward the more egalitarian “Aquarian Age.”

3. Neptune has moved into Pisces, here in 2012. This occurs only every 160 years or so. It’s auspicious because Pisces is the home sign of Neptune; among all the signs of the zodiac, it is most harmonious here. When a planet is in its most harmonious sign, it can most freely and easily express its highest and most progressive qualities. Neptune is the planet of connection to the unseen realms of the divine mystery. It also connects us to the underlying, less tangible and unmeasurable levels of reality that we have had so much trouble accepting here in our left-brain-dominated Western society for the last oh-so-many decades (the time of society’s domination by science).

Neptune rules art and music and inwardly-directed spirituality. It selflessly serves the downtrodden, the helpless and the bedridden, via putting aside the notion of helping one’s self in favor of the notion of helping others–just what our ego-driven society needs right about now.

4.  Uranus moved into Aries this year. This happens only every 84 years, for seven years at a time. Of course, Uranus always has to be in some sign, but in Aries it gives us all extra energy to courageously pursue the new and progressive, even the unthinkably new and progressive. This seven year window is the best time to create new humanitarian directions that will benefit the collective.

5. There is a solar activity cycle peaking, from late in 2012 through 2013. Solar activity cycles are about 22 years in length, and at the high point there is a much greater chance of sunspots, auroras, magnetic interference and other solar disruptions of conditions on Earth.

6. There’s a rare total eclipse of the Sun coming up on November 13th. This is interestingly close to the Winter Solstice on 12/21/12. Total solar eclipses occur only  every year or two, and astrologically they indicate major developments, either something appearing or disappearing unexpectedly. This one is located in Scorpio, which rules the possessions of the collective–in other words, world money and especially the money held by the ultra-rich.

7. This year’s winter solstice will occur at 11:12 am GMT, the time zone used to calibrate the entire world’s clocks. Upon closer inspection, the solstice occurs just 37 seconds after 11:11:11–a time being talked about by many groups as being indicative of the transformation of human consciousness and the next step in our collective evolution. Numerologists take note.

B. THE MAYAN PERSPECTIVE.

The ancient Mayans seemed to like making calendars that extended well into the future–like over a thousand years into the future. As far as we can tell from their records, the Mayans chose to stop their future calendar at December 21, 2012. Everyone wants to know, why did they stop it then? Is something going to happen then?

12/21/12 will be the Winter Solstice, as usual; many ancient civilizations used this day as their new year. It’s the point at which the days stop getting shorter; there is a visible promise that spring and good weather will eventually return and the world will not be plunged into an icy state of perpetual darkness. So this would be a natural day to end any calendar. But why the year 2012?

The Mayans not only made calendars far into the future, they also created big calendars, as in large pieces of time. Their Great Year is 25,770 years long, and it begins when the Sun, the ecliptic and the galactic center all line up, and this will next occur on 12/21/2012.

The amount of time it takes for our Sun (along with the rest of our solar system) to rotate once around the center of our Milky Way Galaxy is called a precessional cycle by astronomers. This period of time is about 25,920 years. Pretty close to the Mayan Great Year.

The Mayans also recorded time in 400-year chunks called baktuns. On 12/21/12, a cycle of 13 baktuns will be complete. It is also the end of their 5,125 year cycle, called a “long count” calendar. Five long counts make a great year. The fact that the Mayans chose to end their long count on 12/21/12, along with the Great Year correlation, are the reasons the date is being so closely scrutinized.

In Mayan lore, the “world tree” is the intersection of the galactic central rift (a dark area in the center of our galaxy) and the ecliptic (the path the Sun follows against the backdrop of the constellations). The world tree’s trunk is the rift and its main branches are the Sun and its planets, creating a cross shape that the Mayans connected mythologically to the birth of the world. The cross represents the light intersecting with the dark, causing the birth of the world, of duality. On 12/21/12, this cross will form in the heavens and will include the visible planets Mercury, Mars & Venus nearby, in the form of a tree or cross.

The Galactic Center, which moves very slowly against the zodiac, is currently located at about 27 degrees of Sagittarius. Astrologically, the historic meaning of the Galactic Center is motivation, aspiration, expansion and a source of great energy. This is where the Mayan World Tree will appear this winter equinox. (One thing that is clear astronomically is that the galactic center is indeed a source of many types of high-energy radiation, at least occasionally).

At 10:05 am on 12/21/12, directly above the center of the Mayan world in southern Mexico, the Sun will be directly over the center of the Milky Way, forming the World Tree. This was known by the Mayans as the “sacred triple rebirth of the Sun.” (It is also close to this point on the days surrounding this day, but not as close as on the Solstice.) The father (Sun) merges with (covers) the mother and her birth canal (the center of the dark rift of the Milky Way) to create a birth. A birth of what? According to the Mayans, the birth of a new age on Earth.

Perhaps the Mayans were looking deep into the future in order to find the day of greatest significance to their culture and beliefs, and once they had found it, they stopped advancing their calendar.

Astrologers divide each planetary cycle into an outgoing phase and a returning phase, an expansion and a contraction, a lightening and a darkening. The point in between the beginning and the end is the point of greatest stress, polarity and opposition. It also marks the beginning of the planet’s return path. Could it be that the Mayan Great Year was thought of in the same way, akin to a day and a night, and that we are emerging from 12,000-plus years of darkness and heading back into the light?

C. OTHER OPINIONS.

Even among researchers who agree that this is an auspicious time in the history of humanity, there is great disagreement on the most important date, or even which decade. Many predictions and interpretations hold that whatever we’re experiencing or are going to experience, it will extend well beyond 2012.

1. Astrologers trying to determine the beginning of the Age of Aquarius vary wildly over a few hundreds of years with their estimates, generally centering around our 21st century.

2. Based on the calculations of astronomer Jean Muess, the 26,000-year Galactic Alignment we are currently experiencing began when we entered to within one degree of this zone in 1926. We will leave the one degree zone in 2070. He calculated the exact center point of this alignment to be May, 1998.

3. Prominent Mayan researcher John Major Jenkins noticed that at the precise moment of the winter solstice, the center of the disk of the sun was closest to the galactic equator in 1998. This lineup of the earth, the sun and the galactic equator occurs repeatedly in the years around 1998, with only slight variation from one year to the next. Because of this, Jenkins decided to pick a range of 36 years (1980-2016) centering around 1998, as the “alignment zone” or “era-2012.”

4. There is a super-massive object at the center of our galaxy (a black hole perhaps), and we now know that it becomes more active periodically. During its active period, this galactic core sends out a large pulse of cosmic rays, called galactic superwaves. Physicist Paul LaViolette has evidence that such major galactic core explosions occur about every 13,000 – 26,000 years (sound familiar?), and even more frequently for lesser pulses. Today, tomorrow, next week, next year. . . sometime in the coming decades. . .our planet could be hit by an intense volley of Galactic cosmic rays. It will be hidden from us, until it strikes. This could cause a global communications blackout by creating radio static and may permanently damage many of our electronics. In addition, there is the danger that a superwave could bring outlying cosmic dust into our solar system, which could affect the Earth’s climate and possibly trigger an ice age (or worse).

Something of this nature would have the power to push humanity’s reset button, in other words we might be pushed back several centuries in our development, or further. But the main thing is that, coming as it would without warning, it would be as if the hand of G-d reached out, it would be as good as fate or destiny or the Grand Plan. I don’t think it’s wise to put any energy into worrying about something like this as at this point, it’s completely beyond our control.

5. We don’t really know just what’s out there in the Universe, with recent discoveries suggesting that there is a great deal of “dark matter” or “dark energy” that holds the Universe together, but that we can’t detect yet. But can such things affect us? If we gradually entered a more highly-energetically-charged area of the galaxy, it might increase the energy levels of electrons sufficiently (and often enough) that the very shape and behavior of our biological molecules might be altered, and in fact the entire planet would be moved to some sort of higher vibrational state. What changes might this cause? And what if it had an effect on our consciousness as well?

Here is one such idea, though it’s currently hard to find evidence to back it up: In 1961 a “photon belt” was supposedly discovered encircling the Pleiades, and in 1962 we entered the sphere of influence of this place in space. The year of our entry into its mainstream is said to be 2011. The energy of the photon belt is said to be of an etheric and spiritual nature, not physical, but it interacts with and affects the physical.

D. RAMPANT SPECULATIONS/VIEWS FROM ABOVE.

If you are at all familiar with surfing the internet, you know how many alternative ideas there are out there in the world. About everything, and they’re all more accessible now to everyone. Maybe there have always been this many, but now we can survey them quickly and get a sense for their diversity. And there is great diversity over the meaning of 2012. Many ideas are what many might call “off center,” but that doesn’t mean they’re wrong. They’re just outside the mainstream. (And in fact, the mainstream is becoming narrower.) It seems that every source out there has a different timeline and concept of how (or even what) will go on during this time of transition. And for every theory there are true believers as well as fervent debunkers. Here are some prominent samples:

1. The 26,000 year cycle is said to be indicative of a time during which a “mass Ascension” may occur. And just what is Ascension? There is currently great debate amongst many alternative spiritual seekers over the meaning of this term, but they generally seem to be in agreement that it is an evolutionary step in human consciousness, and that this would be a good thing. People may, or may not, leave their bodies, or perceive time differently. This is often talked about as being a shift from our 3rd dimensional world into whatever would constitute the 4th and/or 5th dimensions. (It’s just a coincidence that the hit song “Aquarius” from the 60’s was sung by a group called “the Fifth Dimension,” right? Or is this really “the dawning of the age of Aquarius?”)

2. Another alternative theory holds that upon Ascension, the Earth will separate into two planets, one of a higher vibration and the other, which will remain denser and, well, Earthly. And/or that the Earth herself is an evolving consciousness (Gaia) that is about to take the next step in her evolution.

3. Many alternative thinkers believe there is about to be a mass revelation that beings from other planets have been interacting with some humans and governments for many decades–you know, UFOs. And that they are much like us, are good as opposed to bad, and are here to help us avoid self-destruction and take the next step in our evolution, or ascension, or something. It’s being called “disclosure.” (I won’t go into crop circles here, except to say that I find them completely fascinating and likely tied in with much of this stuff.)

4. You probably know that there is no shortage of doomsayers who claim that 2012 is our last year on Earth. Let’s assume they might be right for a minute. What known things might cause the end of the world? There’s always the possibility of nuclear war as long as we still have so many warheads aimed at each other. How about a sudden epidemic? Genetic engineering of dangerous viruses is ongoing and is used by some nations to develop biological weapons. A very large CME (coronal mass ejection) from our Sun might unexpectedly erupt during a period of increased activity and essentially wipe out our electronic infrastructure, or even possibly damage our atmosphere so that it cannot withstand the normal bombardment of radiation from space.

And it is certainly possible for an asteroid to hit our planet and create a huge tidal wave somewhere, perhaps triggering an ice age by throwing up a lot of weather-changing dust particles upon impact. But this becomes more and more unlikely as we get closer to the end of the 2012. There are lots of asteroid watchers out there now and you’d think somebody would see such an incoming threat well before then.

There are even more “out there” theories out there, such as a sudden pole shift–perhaps caused by a rapid movement of the earth’s crust over its core–creating massive earthquakes and tidal waves. And then there’s Planet X, a.k.a. Nibiru, which is supposedly a brown dwarf star that orbits eccentrically, is populated by a ten-foot tall hostile race, and is visible only every lots and lots of thousands of years but which could come close enough to the Earth to pull it out of our own orbit and send us spinning off into cold, cold space. This is also becoming less and less possible as we get closer to 12/21/12 and no one has seen this alleged but very large object.

If you’re into conspiracy theories, you may ask, could all the governments hide Planet X’s existence to keep people from panicking? Are the global Elite building underground bases to escape the disaster and leave the rest of us to our destruction from any or all of these disasters?

E. MOVING FORWARD.

So what’s next if we survive 2012? Well, nothing major, really–nothing that remotely resembles the current collision of events. The next Venus transit is over 100 years away, and the next major long count of the Mayans is 400 years away, if we extend their calendar. There isn’t even a nice round number to worry whether we’ll make it past until the year 3000 rolls around. There are major astrological cycles that will be ongoing, but part of the reason there is such a frenzy of interest in the Mayan calendar’s end is that nothing comes after that. At least it didn’t for them.

For decades, scandal sheets like the Weekly World News–as well as prophets associated with various religious sects–have been regularly predicting doom. Evidently the approach of the year 1000 caused even more of an end-of-the-world scare than did the coming of the year 2000. And you all remember the Y2K scare, and what happened then? Almost nothing of importance, as we were able to prepare adequately for it.

Yet we are ensconsed deeply in a period of incontrovertible change. The next few months may well bring another quantum leap of change, instead of a “time-out” or resting period that so many of us might be longing for. When considering the effects on the Earth of any of the options mentioned in this letter, I recommend dwelling on the positive possibilities, while still preparing for any possible opportunities to help each other if the need should arise. As with all things, your attitude will be the key to how you experience whatever comes down the pike. We can’t always choose what happens to us, but we can always choose our attitude.

    Om Shanti, Rich