.Life Lessons From John Lennon

For the week of October 6-12, 2010.

There are only two really important pieces of astrological information this week: (1) The tough planetary patterns persist, which means daily life continues to unfold with the same intensity; and (2) Venus begins a nearly six-week retrograde on October 8, which means that intensity includes a relationship retrospective, as well as a review related to values, financial as well as spiritual. There is one other important event: October 9 is John Lennon‘s seventieth birthday, and because Venus goes retrograde in an opposition to his Saturn/Jupiter conjunction, I’ve decided to write about him. (How’s that for a rationalization?) In times like these, I miss John Lennon. I wrote those words in this column in 1998, and, sadly, they are still true.

Recently, I sat with 5,000 people in Radio City listening to a Fab Faux tribute to John Lennon. For nearly three hours, all of us sang along to as many songs as the band could cram into the night, and our spirits soared as we were reminded of a time you could sing of love and not have to apologize for it. Since that night, I’ve been wondering what happened to us over the last forty-something years? When did we become a culture of hate, acting snide and cynical about the lives of our fellow humans? When exactly did we stop caring about each other? And if we haven’t stopped caring, when did we decide to become the quiet majority? Is it Prozac or forty years of smoking pot?

I know John Lennon would have noticed that we’ve gone quiet. “The fundamentalists have stolen God,” he would have shouted. And then he would have stolen God right back with exquisite poetry (Imagine there’s no heaven), or an angry diatribe (Expert textpert choking smokers), or simply goo goo g’joob.

What would he make of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq? Hate crimes? The slave trade? How would he deal with the degradation of women, especially through music? Would he remind us that we are all degraded by it? Would he weep for the loss of music as an expression of the soul? “I just had to let it go,” he wrote before we started worshipping dogmatically at the altar of celebrity.

Derek Taylor once said The Beatles engaged with the noblest part of the human spirit, the part that yearns for things to be better. And that’s why I continue to miss John Lennon, and miss him more than ever. His voice would cut through the Gordian knot of futility and confusion about how to heal our personal and planetary condition, and cut through with enough power to inspire others to do the same.

So many of us thought President Obama would deliver that kind of inspiration. I’m not willing to abandon President Obama or the hope that elected him. He isn’t John Lennon. And he doesn’t need to be. We do, though. We need to say “Yes” to positive solutions, engage the noblest part of our spirit, and not be afraid of being dreamers. Angry voices that only polarize are not the answer. I don’t want screamers making life and death decisions. I want dreamers making those choices, dreamers that can imagine a better world for all of us. Isn’t it time for the brokenhearted people living in the world to finally agree?

If you know your Ascendant and/or your Moon Sign, read that, too.

ARIES It has been a long and winding road, and while the journey isn’t over, you are gaining greater clarity. Continue to be patient, and allow the story to unfold.

TAURUS Yes, you are working eight days a week, but even though you’re tired, the positive benefits are likely to outweigh any negative consequences. Don’t worry … the breakneck pace won’t last forever.

GEMINI Don’t worry if you feel like the fool on the hill — it’s healthier for the heart to trust in a positive outcome than to constantly despair over all that could go wrong.

CANCER I know you’d give everything you’ve got for a little peace of mind, but all you have to do is give yourself permission to rest. Get under the covers and stay there until you’re revived.

LEO Let it be. I’m serious: Let it be, and don’t constantly pick at the situation. Eventually all the appropriate pieces of the puzzle will reveal themselves.

VIRGO Money can’t buy you love, but that doesn’t mean you need to experience emotional poverty. Allowing yourself to give and receive love will activate your natural abundance.

LIBRA You have to admit, it’s getting better, and even if your progress is not obvious to anyone but you, that’s okay. Remember, your first relationship is with yourself.

SCORPIO You can stop your mind from wandering by maintaining a positive attitude. Don’t worry about who’s right or wrong; simply concentrate on creating peace of mind.

SAGITTARIUS You do get by with a little help from your friends, and because you do, it’s important to take a moment to honor those who help you make it through the night.

CAPRICORN You can continue to carry that weight, or you can make an extra effort to figure out how to transform your burden. This isn’t about a quick fix, but about applying awareness to the situation.

AQUARIUS Turn off your mind, relax, and allow yourself to get in touch with what truly matters to you. This isn’t about being selfish; you’re simply acknowledging what will make you happy.

PISCES Life is very short and there isn’t a lot of time for fussing and fighting. Figuring out how mediate the situation without enduring a direct confrontation will only increase your strength.

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