POLITICAL SCENE by Maya del Mar Many of us hear great, racking sobs of pain from the earth, from her creatures, from our own hearts. Pass your hands over the produce in a supermarket. It feels dead. Pass your hands over produce from your own garden, at a farmers’ market, or in the organic food department. After a few passes you will begin to feel the differences in life, in vitality. But supermarket produce is still the norm in the United States. Our alienation from earth, our mother, from the food chain, which nourishes us, is on a grand scale. The environmentalists have their causes, and we hear piecemeal about a huge array of problems. But, we say, that’s life, full of problems. It has taken the concept of global warming, which is obviously happening worldwide and has obvious worldwide consequences, to grab our attention enough to really think about the world we have created. Global warming is a hook to do this. Time is running out, and rethinking our relationship to earth is urgent. Every 20 years Saturn and Jupiter meet to start a new cycle in how we deal with earthly affairs. They meet in the same element for about 200 years, and then shift to another element. In May they met in Taurus, the earthiest of the earth. They have met in earth signs for nearly 200 years, and this current meeting is the last hurrah in the earth element. It will be another 600 years before we return to earth. It is in Taurus that we can best connect with earth. We have 19 years left in this cycle, 19 years to clean up the death wave we have, in our ignorance, allowed to sweep through the earth. To change it to a wave of harmony, and support. To tend to our garden, which Taurus loves to do. The time is short, but we can do it. We can raise consciousness of our massive impact on earth, and that it matters. Noticing global warming is a means to do it. Saturn represents earthly law. On this plane we are bound by earthly law. Saturn also represents fate, destiny, and karma, which is simply the consequences of our actions. We now enter the last seven weeks of Saturn traveling through Taurus within this Taurus cycle. Saturn always asks us to pay attention. It always asks us to focus. It always asks us to take responsibility. Astrologically, this is our last best chance—perhaps for centuries—to focus on Earth herself, and what SHE needs. Right now California is a case in point (see February Daykeeper). There is a great and widespread environmental consciousness here, and in the midst of our energy crisis a change in policy would be possible NOW, and would have public support. The information is here. Many organizations are giving great teach-ins. Forces are coming together from many interests. It is difficult to make inroads on corporate power, but perhaps it is happening. California Governor Davis is very beholden to the energy corporations, but he’ll never be in office without the voters. For a vivid view into the future of a world where global warming proceeded, Read Hank Wesselman’s book, Medicinemaker, reviewed in this issue. He writes as both a scientist and a mystic. He does have hope that we can change. So do I. But our window in which to do it is closing fast. (California postscript: The British Columbia Power Authority has given a $200 rebate to each of its customers. These customers are the population of British Columbia, who are the shareholders as well, and this rebate was from money which BC made by selling power to California at inflated "free market" prices.) Back to top