Cosmic Confidential :: Astrology for a World on the Edge

Astrology for a World on the Edge

New York, Monday, Jan. 25, 2010

Dear Friend and Reader:

It's never too late to begin the year over again; I am sure we could all use a new start to this one. In a few hours, we will release Cosmic Confidential, the 12th annual edition of Planet Waves. We're just waiting on the right chart -- for the Moon to reach the zenith.

Lookout tower, Black Rock City (Burning Man) 2009. Photo by Eric Francis.

It now exists, against some long odds: we've worked through Mercury retrograde, Mars retrograde, two eclipses and a lot of other astrology going off. Meanwhile, apropos of the moment, the news was a runaway train. It seemed like every time I would get settled back into writing, some other event was calling me to do the chart of God knows what and to be there for the Planet Waves blogging team, so we could fulfill our role as cosmic news desk and for some, psychic bomb shelter. But we did it. I worked through every weekend and every spare moment for four months, and your reading is done, and waiting for you.

Though Planet Waves is a news service, Cosmic Confidential is entirely about you. I have lavished attention on the individual sign readings this year, putting in at least double the time, energy and research as usual. My objective: how can I get as much high-quality astrological information into the hands of as many people as possible, for as little money as possible?

The readings are each about 4,500 words. Plus, each sign gets three pages of extra materials: generous selections from past annual editions, reader responses to my queries about how you're living out your astrology, and a page of resources and out-takes. For many of the signs, I cut large swaths of text, but I've preserved most of them in the out-takes section, which gives an alternative view or covers a topic not included in the main reading. The navigation for these pages is across the top of your sign.

Each sign includes substantial information about professional and creative activities, financial strategies, and thoughts about relationships and sex: and all of it is focused on the theme of not just keeping your sanity, but rising to the occasion of a world gone wild.

View of the interior of the temple of Hermes, the god of merchants, on the isle of Delos on the Aegean Sea. Archeological evidence suggests the building was probably also used as a fraternity or social club of some kind. Photo by Eric Francis.

That I can create this stuff without your birth date is a testament to what can be done with Sun sign astrology. I maintain that this kind of reading -- a long essay on your Sun sign -- is more effective and more useful than a "custom report" generated from a database. Even though you gave the database your birth date, no astrologer actually sees your chart; nobody takes up the whole matter of your reading holistically. Though I may neither talk to you nor see your chart, what you get from Cosmic Confidential is a whole reading of the planets as they really are, and as they affect you. The interpretations work with interwoven themes; the ideas build on one another; they refer to real events; they combine natal astrology and transits beautifully, in a fresh and engaging way.

Cosmic Confidential is designed as an interactive community. Each sign's reading is open for comments and questions. I will respond to as many of these as I can, so take a moment to participate there and share your thoughts, ideas and queries.

Your reading includes a section on Key Life Transits, which will be finished over the next few weeks. These cover the Saturn return, Uranian opposition, Pluto transits and Chiron transits. Then there are articles. My favorite is called Everything Old is New Again. There is a mini-series on Saturn. There's a generous excerpt from Cosmos and Psyche, courtesy of Richard Tarnas.

Once you read one sign, you're likely to want to read more. You will want to read the sign of your kids or significant other(s). I have a suggestion: it's better to start with all 12. The most economical option is to get all 12 while you initiate or extend your subscription to Planet Waves. The combined offer (Planet Waves plus all 12 signs) is truly the best deal, in a time when pennies, dimes and dollars count: but not as much as quality. And here is the link to order sign-by-sign, at the original price of $19.95. All 12 go for $73. Considering that people travel halfway around the world and pay me hundreds of dollars an hour to read their chart, I would say that this is a delightfully efficient and sustainable way to get you some wholesome astrology information you can really use.

Cosmic Confidential is designed to be a map to this moment, and a lasting resource: astrology for a world on the edge.

Updates daily at Planet Waves and Cosmic Confidential Diary.