A trip to the Land of Enchantment, a strange experience, but no astrology.

Garrison Keillor remarked on his radio show this weekend that Spring Equinox inclines us all towards adventure, after a long, dark and cold winter....but, "Be careful", he added, "there'll be another storm coming!"

We set out on our own spring adventure last Monday morning, one with Aries Sun, born a day after solstice, and one Aries Moon with itchy feet, travelling west, hoping to avoid a wave of stormy weather hovering over this part of the U.S.A. With the anticipated destination of San Antonio postponed, we aimed even further west, eventually reaching Santa Fe in New Mexico. We did, indeed avoid the storms - until Friday. Heading back eastward, we ran into many waves of severe weather, culminating in a violent hailstorm in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Hail the size of marbles soon covered the highway to a depth of an inch or two, coming down with great force for about 20 minutes. Luckily we were able to shelter the car under the I-40 overpass. Thunderstorms followed us all the way to Hereford, Texas. We spent the night there, and the television weather channel warned of tornado watches and "rotations" (precurser of tornadoes) within 10 miles of Hereford. Eliza Doolittle said "In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire hurricanes hardly happen", but she hadn't been to Hereford, Texas! By Saturday morning all was well, blue skies were back, and by Saturday evening, so were we.

(Clicking on our photographs should produce a larger version).

On the journey out, last Monday, we came across a Bob Wills memorial monument in a little Texas town called Turkey, the birthplace of this legendary figure in country music history. Later, after we had crossed into New Mexico, we saw the Billy the Kid museum and his grave, at Fort Sumner.

On Tuesday afternoon we reached Santa Fe, and spent 3 nights there in a delightful "casita" (apartment). The city was as lovely as I remembered it from a brief visit in the summer of 2005. This time the weather was, thankfully, much cooler. The city's unique look and atmosphere stems from its pueblo style adobe architecture, all in an earthy pinkish brown colour . There's a complete lack of the usual skyscraper-style city buildings. Not for nothing is Santa Fe known as "The City Different" , and New Mexico as "Land of Enchantment".


We wandered the streets, drooled over expensive merchandise in the stores, and explored some of the artists' studios and galleries on Canyon Road. The altitude (over 7000ft above sea level) affected us both a little. When walking around we experienced a slightly 'woozy' feeling, not altogether unpleasant, rather like having had one drink too many and needing to take a nap.



On Thursday, 22nd March, the spotlight was on HeWhoKnows - it was the "big" birthday!

After a trip into the surrounding countryside, which proved reminiscent of some Georgia O'Keefe paintings, in the evening we propped up the bar of the La Fonda hotel in Santa Fe's famous plaza. Here I had a strange
experience.



We had wandered into the hotel lobby thinking it to be the entrance to an arcade of shops. We noticed a bar, still early evening quiet, and decided to have a birthday drink there. I considered taking the seat near the wall at the end of the old copper lined bar, but decided it looked rather dark. I pulled out the next stool along, then felt guilty for leaving a single stool empty, in case a couple might want seats later on - but still, it somehow didn't feel right moving to the end stool. Later in the evening, when some live entertainment was about to begin, it was announced that a well-loved regular in this bar, a lady well known in Santa Fe (ex-singer or musician, I think) had died of cancer on Monday. The seat at the end of the bar had been her usual place to sit. The barman brought her usual drink and placed it there, in her memory. The hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle !

A couple of hours later, as we walked back to the "casita", we came upon a street singer in the doorway of an elegant store. He was no ordinary street singer, however. He had guitar, fiddle and two accordians at his feet. A small crowd had gathered. Eventually, one by one they drifted away, and we got to chatting with him. I suspect that he is not as old as he appears at first glance. I'd have loved to know his date of birth! A charming fellow, fine musician, and a great personality was he, by name of Michael Combs. When he heard that it was my husband's birthday he sang a special birthday song for him, in Spanish, afterwards explaining its meaning. This rounded off the great day beautifully - leaving us with a magical memory. He then sang a Beatles song, in honour of my nationality! He asked how an American guy and an English "lady" had managed to meet. When we told him "on the internet" he laughed and said he has often thought about re-writing the pop song "On the Radio" as "On the Internet" - he sang us a few lines of the new version.

On the journey home, on Saturday, we stopped in a little town called Dimmit, Texas to get a shot of a mural depicting the town's history, painted on a long stretch of wall. At the far end of the mural was an inspired touch - the "Future Room", with packing cases outside the door. these labelled "Faith" "Hope" and "Charity". I guess we all will need little else, as we travel through that doorway to The Future.

Eclipse - bah humbug!! 'Bye for now.

According to yesterday's post we should be heading for San Antonio. All hotels in the area we wished to stay were reported full to overflowing when I tried to book on-line yesterday. The weather forecast was pretty grim too, thunderstorms expected most days this week. Once again that trip has been postponed. It wasn't 'third time lucky', after all.

Perhaps we're just not meant to go there. Or perhaps the eclipse had something to do with it? Dang!!! It was trine Scorpio (5th) in my chart, but within a degree of Mercury in my husband's, in 9th house. Sigh....I should've known.

We're still intending to head off somewhere - no idea where. If we have no plan maybe we can bamboozle the fates!

'Bye 'bye....

The Alamo, garnished with astrology.

There's a proposed trip to San Antonio, Texas, on the cards this week . A trip that's been postponed twice already, from New Year's Eve, then from my birthday in late January. Perhaps it'll be 'third time lucky'. Jupiter has just reached natal Venus in my chart, and HeWhoKnows will celebrate a birthday later in the week - a couple of good omens! The Alamo and the Jim Cullum Jazz Band on Riverwalk are two highlights we hope to include.

Having read several accounts of the Battle of the Alamo and its background history, I'm beginning to realise that there's a lot more to it than could be gathered from that old film starring John Wayne! Movies almost always gloss over some historical aspects, and skip over others which might detract from a well-loved legend. It's hardly possible, anyway, in the 21st century to appreciate 19th century values, especially for a non-Texan and even more so for a 'furriner' like me ! But the courage those people showed is undeniable.

In a nutshell"The Battle of the Alamo commenced in February 1836, and lasted 13 days. The fact that the Texan defenders - who numbered just over 200 - withheld the Mexican Army troops of about 1,500 showcases just how dedicated to the defenders were to the concept of a free and republic Texas. While today the Alamo serves as a symbol of pride for many Texans, it is also a reminder to many around the world of the heroes that perished in the pursuit of freedom."


Looking at a chart of the sky for the fateful date of the fall of the Alamo, 6 March 1836, time 9am (it's said that the battle was over around then), I note that Neptune at 4 Aquarius was in exact square to Saturn (4 Scorpio). The Moon (27 Libra) and Saturn were both in degrees which form part of Via Combusta - thought in traditional astrology to be very unfortunate, especially for the Moon. North node of the Moon(23.32 Taurus) was within 2 degrees of fixed star Algol, also thought by ancient astrologers to be malefic. The sky was distinctly unfriendly!

I noted from many and various reports that the Alamo ruins are said to be haunted. Investigation or cameras within the site itself are not allowed, as it is a burial ground, of course, as well as an historical monument. I'm looking forward to the experience, whether or not there are ghostly apparitions to greet us.

Demotivating the Zodiac

Providing balance for the ever-growing motivation and self-help industry, one comapny has come up with a book entitled "The Art of Demotivation" and some related products, lithographs, mugs, etc. The illustrations with captions, below are from that company's website Despair Inc - there are many others other similar pictures there, in "demotivational" vein, I picked 12, because their titles whispered to me "astrology keywords" (not Sun signs ! )

I have to thank friend and relative Jeff for leading me to Despair Inc. via his column in last week's Sunday newspaper, written he claims, while wallowing in aimlessness.

So.....tongue firmly in cheek (of course!)

ARIES - RISK TAKING

TAURUS - UNCHANGING

GEMINI - COMMUNICATING

CANCER - CLINGING

LEO - LEADING

VIRGO - CONSCIENTIOUS

LIBRA - MAKING PEACE

SCORPIO - POWERFUL

SAGITTARIUS - OPTIMISM

CAPRICORN - MONEY MAKING

AQUARIUS - INQUIRING

PISCES - DREAMING

What Secret?

Watching Larry King interview someone in connection with"The Secret", the latest phenomenon in the self-help genre, set me thinking about the whole self-help industry. I took an instant dislike to the intviewee, who I thought came over as just another slickeroony out to fleece a gullible public, especially when a fee of over $900 was mentioned for a weekend seminar!

Because I didn't like the messenger does not mean the message isn't of value. It's an old message. It's not a "Secret" either - at least not to those of us of a certain age. When I mentioned to HeWhoKnows that I intended writing on this topic today, he wandered off into the garage, where he stores an obscenely large collection of LPs, and came back with "The Strangest Secret" an old 10-inch LP narrated by one Earl Nightingale (record sleeve above). I'd never heard of this gentleman, but apparently, in America he was one of the the motivational gurus of the 1950s.

The message contained in "The Strangest Secret" is the same as in countless other books, tapes, records, films, some from even before the 1950s, and many more since. For successive generations the message has been presented differently packaged in a variety of guises : Creative Visualisation, The Power of Positive Thinking, How to Make Friends and Influence People, Cosmic Ordering, and even in astrology we have New Moon Wish Lists. These are but a few examples which spring immediately to mind - and now we have "The Secret". A whole industry has sprung up, ostensibly advising people how to enjoy their lives more.

The message, or "secret", in all of the above can be distilled to two words "think positive!" For some of us this is sufficient, and a natural part of our makeup. Others need to be coaxed and given confidence, helped by anecdotes, examples and illustrations. Still others just need someone to "flick the switch" for them, and a dormant natural tendency will come to the fore.

I got to thinking that our natal chart might well incline us to one of the above groups. I feel certain that anyone whose chart is weighted towards cardinality, is unlikely to be at the front of the queue (line, in American) buying self help literature. Likewise for anyone with an abundance of planets or sensitive points in fire signs. Most of us, though, are not so clearly defined. I'm not a great fan of this type of product, as Danny Glover often says in the "Lethal Weapon" films, "I'm too old for this shit!" I've managed to positively think myself this far, I'll probably be able to negotiate the last lap.

One of the most frequent criticisms of "The Secret" is that it concentrates on, and creates a materialistic mindset. There's a downside to everything. Perhaps in today's climate, materialism is the only thing strong enough to attract the attention of a great number of people. I did buy Jonathan Cainer's "Cosmic Ordering" book which, I was pleased to find, proved to be based mainly on non-materialistic goals. It's an enjoyable read and does not cost a lot.

In "The Strangest Secret" the accent was somewhat different. Mr Nightingale's aim was to inspire listeners to form a "worthwhile goal", imprint it in their mind by writing it down and repeating it every morning. They were then advised to work day by day, without fail, towards that goal, and to keep the goal in mind in every small decision, every minor action, every day.

To my mind, "working every day towards that goal" is the key in this endeavour. If you don't follow through with THAT, nothing will happen - trust me ! It's in the small print of this, and every other "Secret".

The Rhythm of (Real) Life

In the April/May issue of Mountain Astrologer there's a re-print of a very good article by Bill Herbst "On Coincidence". He relates a real life event to planetary positions and transits in his natal chart. He warns "Don't presume that a certain combination of symbols means what you read in a textbook or hear from some hot-shot astrologer at a conference. Instead, file away the insight as a "possible" meaning and let your own real-life experience gradually confirm or deny that particular interpretive slant".

That is as good advice as I've ever read !

At the times of most pivotal events in my life I had no means of investigating their astrological connection - I was quite unaware which transits were occurring, although I did have a rough idea of some planetary positions in my natal chart. In a way this was a good thing, because it proves that I had no part in chosing dates or manipulating events to coincide with the planets' movements.

I've found, looking back on my life history, that there has been a distinct rhythm. At the times important turning points took place, the Moon's nodes were involved. Either the Taurus/Scorpio nodal axis had returned to its position at my birth, or to its inverse position, and/or a planet had conjoined one of the nodes. Perhaps this rhythm is governed by my Cancer ascendant, ruled by the Moon, intensified because Uranus (natal Sun's ruler) is conjunct natal South node. Another, intertwined, rhythm is connected with the vertex, which, if my birth time is correct, is conjunct natal Mars, also in Scorpio.

Scorpio/Taurus is definitely the 'b' of the beat in the rhythm of my life. Both my marriages, important career changes, and all the significant love-related first meetings have these connections.

Another important event - my only stay in hospital so far , also followed this rhythm.(I'm using only real celestial events, no progressions or directions.) In August 1985 I was admitted to hospital for, first, investigative procedures, then, in early September for a major operation (hysterectomy). The nodal axis was in the inverse natal position, exact when I entered hospital in August. On the day of surgery, in September, Jupiter was one degree away from my natal Sun (6.46 Aquarius). A couple of days after the operation the surgeon described me as his "star patient", because my recovery had been so much faster than that of other women who had the same operation on the same day! I was obviously under a benign sky! Transiting Saturn conjoined natal Mars, in Scorpio, a short time later , just as I returned to work, in November, good as new, after several very pleasant weeks off on full pay. Had I been in a position to look at my own chart in those days I'd have expected November to be the problematic time....you never can tell!

Another thought about 2012

Below is an extract from an almost 3-year old item by George Dvorsky on the BetterHumans website. The full article, entitled "Evolving towards telepathy" is well worth reading. I came across it accidentally and was intrigued. It does sound like science fiction, but it appears that something similar might be waiting in the wings for us. Astrologers and others have spoken a lot about an evolutionary step for mankind being likely in 2012, when one great cycle of time is due to end, might this be the step?

"As I thought further about this similarity it occurred to me that the technology required to create a technologically endowed form of telepathy is all but upon us. By combining Jorgensen's device and a cochlear implant with a radio transmitter and a fancy neural data conversion device, we could create a form of communication that bypasses the acoustic realm altogether.

I decided to contact Jorgensen and other researchers about the prospect of such "techlepathy." While I have always entertained the idea that we'll eventually develop telepathy-enabling technologies, the optimistic responses I received from these researchers startled me nonetheless. And as I suspected, the technologies and scientific insight required for such an achievement are rapidly coming into focus—an exciting prospect to be sure.

The dream of mind-to-mind communication and the desire to transcend one's own consciousness is as old as language itself. You could make a strong case that there's a near pathological craving for it, a tendency that manifests through the widespread belief in paranormal telepathy.

ESP aside, it seems that this craving will soon be satisfied. Several advances in communications technology and neuroscience are giving pause about the possibility of endowing us with techlepathy. As we continue to ride the wave of the communications revolution, and as the public demand for more sophisticated communications tools continues, it seems a veritable certainty that we are destined to become a species capable of mind-to-mind communication.

This prospect is as profound as it is exciting. Such a change to the species would signify a prominent development in the evolution of humanity—a change that would irrevocably alter the nature of virtually all human relations and interactions. "

YouTube and Astrology

I try to avoid YouTube, I find it irritating, I'm not sure why. However, led there yesterday via an astrologer's website, I watched several videos on the topic of astrology. Oh dear! So now there's another arena in which skeptics and astrologers will clash.

One of my favourite men, Carl Sagan, is shown denouncing my favourite subject, astrology. This wasn't new to me, I got the "Cosmos" DVD set for Christmas. Carl can do no wrong in my estimation - well, maybe just a little bit of wrong! We must not forget that this film was made many years ago. Perhaps, had Carl Sagan and some of the more enlightened astrologers of today (no names, no pack drill) ever had an opportunity to get together and discuss matters in depth, Carl might have had something slightly different to say on the subject. When feeling depressed about his views I return to his famous quote "We are star stuff contemplating the stars". For me that says it all. Carl just needed to reach the next chapter, but tragically he was not allowed to do so.

The other astrologers and skeptics on YouTube, so far, only serve to muddy the water even further in my opinion. It has all been said and written before, and the fact that we can look at the face of the presenter adds little to the proceedings.

As usual, Sun sign astrology bears the brunt of the criticism. Up to a point, this is warranted. The "astrology" column in our local newspaper, for instance, is a synicated and synthetic offering, completely meaningless, possibly written by a group of monkeys, after experimenting with the old idea that if you have enough monkeys banging randomly on typewriters, they will eventually type the works of William Shakespeare. This kind of thing obviously gives astrology a bad name. But a good Sun sign astrologer can be the catalyst who sends a proportion of his/her readers off to find out more, and perhaps even take up the profession themselves, eventually.

Imagine a world with no Sun sign columns, daily, weekly, monthly. No books of the "What's Your Sign?" variety. A world where only "real" astrologers lived, cloistered in their ivory towers, keeping mysterious secrets from the "great unwashed". Wouldn't that be a dreadful step backwards?

Astrology would have sunk without trace decades ago had it not been for the Sun sign astrologers. I look on them as flag-bearers, ensuring that astrology is kept in plain sight of all - whether they like it or not!

Toning the Blogging Muscle

Somewhat optimistically, I set myself a target of writing something here every day, mostly something astrology-related. It's akin to exercising each morning, I suppose. I'm strengthening my blogging muscle!

Some days I know immediately what to write about, on other days I stumble around searching for a topic. While waiting for the next idea to hit me, I often trawl the bloggy ocean via 'Next Blog'. Occasionally I'll find a hint of inspiration there. I have yet to reel in anything resembling an astrology blog, or even a new-agey one, which probably indicates how much in the minority we are.

When I do pull up a blog which appeals to me, after reading a little I click to the blogger's profile. It's interesting to see whether they have opted to omit the question on zodiac signs. If so, and many do omit this, I confess that, initially, I become wary, perhaps prejudiced would be a better word. I don't care which sign they have inserted, as long as they have inserted one. Oddly (or maybe not) I find that blogs written by Geminis and Aquarians appeal to me most often. I know well enough that a Sun sign is no proper guide, in real life, or in blogging, yet I suspect that in Gemini's case the Sun cannot help but shine through - this is Mercury's domain, after all. As for Aquarius, it's probably a case of "it takes one to know one". I enjoy that 'eureka!' experience, and I can often be heard to mutter "I knew it" as I trawl among the blogs.

"Knew what?" asks the husband, if in earshot.

"It's hard to explain, I don't think you'd understand", I reply.

Shrug of the shoulders, exit left.

So....I managed to reel in a brief blog entry after all. The blogging muscle is still in need of further toning, I think!

The Mystical Arts of Tibet -"Those Guys Really Meant It!"

Yesterday evening, 10 March 2007 we saw a performance of "The Mystical Arts of Tibet" at our local theatre. Coincidentally Saturday 10 March was the 48th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprisng. On 10 March 1959 Tibetan people in Lhasa rose up against China's occupation of Tibet and as a result tens of thousands of innocent Tibetan men, women and children were killed by the occupying Chinese forces. Since then Tibetans have waged a non-violent campaign for freedom from occupation. The Tibetan Monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery are masters of a performance tradition which dates back 2,500 years. Their performance features multiphonic singing, in which the monks simultaneously intone three notes at the same time, as well as traditional Tibetan instruments such as 10-foot long dungchen trumpets, and a variety of horns, drums, bells, and cymbals. Rich brocade costumes and masked dances, such as the Dance of the Sacred Snow Lion, add to the splendor. The Washington Post calls Sacred Music, Sacred Dance “A universal expression of the human subconscious " The Mystical Arts of Tibet tour has three basic purposes: to make a contribution to world peace and healing; to generate a greater awareness of the endangered Tibetan civilization; and to raise support for the Tibetan refugee community in India.

It was an extraordinary event for this small(ish) Oklahoma town. The theatre was almost full, for the event had attracted extra visitors from outside the local area. I was unsure what to expect, even though I'd read a lot of information on the internet, my western mind couldn't translate it sufficiently.

What we saw and heard was quite amazing. 9 monks made up the troupe of performers, with another acting as narrator. The monks had an aura of peace about them, their frequent smiles were genuine. Although we couldn't understand some of the narration, due to accent difficulties, we caught enought to get the gist of what was being presented, and how the symbolic dances related to life on Earth. Vocal performances were hypnotic, the monks' gentle voices blending , and descending so deeply it seemed impossible for those sounds to come from humans.

The instruments used were unknown in the west. Some are shown in my husband's photgraphs. You can click each thumbnail to see a larger version. The costumes worn by the dancers were quite beautiful.

A favourite part of the performance, for the audience, was the Snow Lion dance. Two snow lions form part of the Tibetan Flag. (See above.) At the end of the dance the lion opened its mouth and a banner proclaiming 'WORLD PEACE' unfurled, to rapturous applause and cheers. The performance was certainly doing its work!!

It was something I'm very glad I had the opportunity to see. Later, in the foyer, the monks were selling a variety of goods in aid of Tibet. I smiled as I noticed some of the local men there in cowboy hats, some in dungarees and bib overalls - almost "straight from the fields" next to them were the Tibetan monks with shaved heads and wine coloured robes. East met West, indeed!

As the performance ended my husband turned to me and said "Those guys really meant it - they're not politicians !" Yes siree - they sure did!

The Week That Was

First, a thank you note to John and Susan Townley of Astro Cocktail for their article on "The Astro Blogosphere", and for including me in the list of blogs featured. I'm surprised to be there, among so many experts, but feel very happy to tag along.

Thank you!
........................................

This week's news left more questions than answers.

Is that really the tomb of Jesus?

Why is there a hole in the earth's crust in the middle of the Atlantic, and why do I keep thinking about Atlantis when I read about his?

Are the two items above linked by a common astrolgical factor ? Neptune (mysteries) and Uranus(discoveries) currently in each others sign of rulership, Neptune in Aquarius, Uranus in Pisces (known to astrologers as mutual reception).


What is a "mensch"? I discovered the answer to this question, which arose after reading Michael Winship's article "The Voyage of the Snark". Mensch is a Yiddish word, and according to Wikipedia it refers to a particularly good person, like "a stand-up guy," a person with the qualities one would hope for in a dear friend or trusted colleague. This excellent article comments on the level to which some journalists and other media people are sinking these days. Mr Winship awarded the title Mensch of the Year (thus far) to fellow Brit. Craig Ferguson, who hosts the Late Late Show here in the USA. Good!





It was sad to read that John Inman, British comedic actor died on Thursday, aged 71. He was always able to make me laugh. His humour was never hurtful to anyone - it's a great and rare talent to be able to make people laugh at nobody else's expense, John had this talent.
In his natal chart the Sun was in the kindly sign of Cancer, Mercury in lively Gemini, possibly the Moon there too, and Venus in Leo - the consummate showman. "An excellent fit, Sir", as Mr. Humphries would have said. He'll be missed.


Tonight we'll be going to the local theatre to see a group of Drepung Loseling Buddhist Monks perform Sacred Music and Dance for World Healing - "The Mystical Arts of Tibet". The Loseling Monks are renowned for their multiphonic chanting known as zokkay (complete chord). Each of the chantmasters simultaneously intones three notes, thus each individually creating a complete chord. The Tibetans are the only culture on earth that cultivates this most extraordinary vocal ability.

It should be a memorable experience. More on this tomorrow, no doubt.
..........................................................

PS: I obtained the instructions for converting my long list of labels (index) into a "Cloud" from phydeaux3 at THIS LINK. The instructions are clear and easy, even for a cyber-klutz like me!

Astrologically Embarrassed

One day this week I spent a couple of hours at the hairdresser's having "my roots done". A boring interlude under the hairdryer was put to use scribbling some astro-bloggy bits in an exercise book, where I keep my astrology notes.

HeWhoKnows arrived promptly at 3pm to collect me. After paying, I rushed off, inadvertantly leaving my exercise book behind. Halfway home I remembered, horrified! "What if they look inside? They'll think I'm a witch or something! I'll never dare show my grey roots there again!" We returned to the hairdresser's shop and I sheepishly rescued my book, which had been placed on a table under a cheese plant.

Why did I feel so embarrassed? I'm not sure why. It's something about Oklahoma. I didn't feel like this back in Yorkshire. Oklahoma is a beautiful state, its inhabitants are kindly, warm people who wave as you pass by in the car, even if you're a total stranger. Yet there's an overlay of Bible Belt and Red State mentality here too. This sends my astrological and socialist sides running for cover.

It helps to think not of present day Oklahoma, but earlier times, before the Land Rush, before oil and Halliburton, when the area was inhabited by Tribes of American Indians. Some of these actually wanted to live here, some were forced by the government to travel here along "The Trail of Tears". Those people would have understood my love of astrology. Their spirit is still here. Descendants of the Tribes are still around. They are hardly recognisable to a foreigner like me, but their vehicle licence plates declare them. Whenever I notice one of these, a wave of good feeling washes over me.

Detail from the Oklahoma state flag: The center shield is the battle shield of an Osage warrior. It is made of buffalo hide and decorated with eagle feathers. Two symbols of peace lie across the shield. One is the calumet, or peace pipe. The other is an olive branch. Crosses on the shield are Native American signs for stars, representing high ideals.

After 6 weeks have passed it'll be time for me to visit the hairdresser's shop again. Will they remember my exercise book? I think not, but HeWhoKnows is convinced that I shall be invited to be "saved".

Dennis Kucinich - Will Uranus come to the aid of the party?

I'm puzzled as to why Dennis Kucinich, candidate for the Democratic party nomination in the presidential election 2008, gets so little coverage in the media and no support in opinion polls. He seems to be "the forgotten man". Why?

This is the one candiate who has opposed the Iraq war from the start, he supports all the issues which appear important to Americans now. He has no ties to the corporate health care giants, who continue to profit while tens of millions of Americans suffer from a failed health care system. What is the problem ? In the absence of Al Gore, Kucinich is what America needs. Why are Americans giving him the cold shoulder? Are they afraid of a little socialism creeping in ? Will they back away from the spoonful of medicine that is so needed by this ailing country? I guess so.

In one way it's good that Dennis is being ignored at this stage in the game. At least he's not being called names by Ann Coulter and similar venomous journalists. He's not involved in a fight for supremacy with Ms Clinton, and he's had no skeletons dragged from his closet. Perhaps he's happy to keep a low profile - for now.

Transiting Uranus will be hanging around his natal Moon at 20* Pisces, just as Pluto moves into Capricorn, in spring 2008 and again, later that year. Might this bring a change of atmosphere - could public opinion change around that time? At the moment it's hard to visualise. It seems to me that people are reaching for rhinestones and ignoring the diamond at their feet.

I found some comments, from 2004, about Dennis Kucinich's natal chart here at Astrodatabank. The latest of these, dated November 2005, is interesting.
The comment by Abe Tenley says, among other things:
"but his chart does seem to support a lot of success and recognition in November 2008 and in the two years following (2009 and 2010). His chart also shows success for a partner at that time, so perhaps he could gain a vice-presidential nomination and election. "

That'd be GREAT!

Chronic Panic

Much dreaded, and oft discussed Saturn Returns correlate with natural developments. It seems increasingly fashionable to stress over one's impending Saturn Return. This makes no sense !

Saturn was also known as Chronos/Kronos in ancient times. The word chronological derives from Chronos, as do chronic, and crone, all related to time.

From a vantage point behind two Saturn Returns, I can speak from my own experience. Both Saturn Returns led me to better life patterns. By the second return the previous pattern had run its course, and had to change. It's really no more than nature moving us along, time passing and circumstances adjusting. If we allow ourselves to dread the passage of time and its attendant changes - what is left ?

One's whole chart, as well as Saturn's position, must have a strong bearing on what occurs at Saturn Return time, thought to extend for 3 years. Is Saturn in a prominent position natally, on an angle? What other planets are close, are there any other strong transits ocurring in the chart around the same time, especially involving Pluto or Uranus?

These are all important considerations. It's not logical to expect that everyone will have a bad experience, and those who do are likely, eventually, to be glad of it because of where it led them. I recognise my first Saturn Return, on looking back, but at the time I was quite unaware of it - that's how bad it was!

Saturn Returns need the benefit of hindsight, not foresight, and certainly not fore-worry!

Rectification peregrination

I enjoyed the article featured in Astro News yesterday "Darning Your Threads" which had appeared in the Astro Cocktail website. It dealt with rectification of birth charts, and rang a few bells for me.

I had problems discovering my own birth time. The story of my birth, which occurred at home, as told by my father misled me somewhat. He said he thought I was born "around tea time" - in our world that would have been around 5pm. A birthtime of approximately 5pm gave me Leo rising. I struggled with that idea for many years. The only likeness I could see between me and Leo was a tendency to hanker after the most expensive version of anything I went out to buy. "Champagne taste, and beer money", my Mum was wont to say.

After a house move I found myself living quite close to Aunt Lil, my mother's sister who had been present at my birth. I visited her regularly and chatted about family and old times. She told me I was born around 2.30pm. Feeling unwilling to go against my Dad's estimate completely, I decided on a time of 3.30pm, splitting the difference. This gave me Cancer rising, and I felt it fit my personality better, especially the way I was in youth, and to some extent even now. My mother had no reliable memory of my birth time - not surprising because she suffered a hemorrhage and almost died. She did offer once "I think it might have been about 3 o'clock, but I'm not sure".

There must be thousands of people in the UK with no clear information on their times of birth. Unlike procedures in the USA, times of birth were not recorded, even for hospital births - maybe this is still the case. Americans are very lucky in this regard. My husband has birth time recorded on birth certificate as well as in a couple of "Baby Books", which also tell of his baby progress, first word uttered, first solid food... what a sweet little fellow...(chortle). "Baby Books" seem to be an American custom, I didn't ever see one in England.

It wasn't until I moved to live in America that I felt inclined to ask a professional astrologer to rectify my chart. After considering a list of some 10 to 12 events in my life so far, and looking at a time span of 2pm to 6pm, the astrologer came up with a birth time of 2.27pm. He said that although he was not as sure as he'd like to be about the exact degree, he was certain that my rising sign is Cancer. A slightly later time would shunt Sun from 8th to 7th house. I could argue for both.

Several key events in my life have fallen more closely into place astrologically now. This birth time is as near to accurate as I'm ever likely to get. The astrologer did a good job.

More thoughts on Via Combusta

Continuing the line of thought from Saturday's post, I've been doing more research regarding planets in the (supposed) Via Combusta degrees, specifically in charts of journalists, commentators and authors who regularly express highly critical views on politics and politicians. I've checked a few more natal charts and come up with the information below. These degrees certainly seem to contain some extra "fire", which could be utilised in many ways, I guess. The journalistic slant presented itself quite by accident.

As in most things astrological, there is no single theory about Via Combusta - where it is/was, why it has/had an unfortunate connotation. Some sources explain that the Via Combusta's reputation stems from the allegedly malefic, or unfortunate, fixed stars in the same area. But...there's the problem of precession. Is Via Combusta still where it used to be? I think that depends on whether the effects observed by the ancients stemmed directly from fixed stars, or from some other "cause". I prefer to think that there is something special about that section of space, and its relation to Earth. In ancient times the area was identified by the fixed stars lying within it - perhaps now it is just space.

In Skyscript's Glossary of Terms we are told that :

Al Biruni wrote of it: "The combust way is the last part of Libra and the first of Scorpio. These two signs are not congenial to the Sun and the Moon on account of the obscurity and ill-luck connected with them and because each of them is the fall of one of the luminaries. They also contain the two malefics, the one by exaltation (Libra, Saturn) the other by house (Scorpio, Mars)." This may be a very ancient aphorism, originating from the period when 15 Libra corresponded with the autumn equinox.

Whatever the reasons for the bad reputation of this stretch of our zodiac, I shall keep an eye on it in future. If the area has special significance for the Sun and Moon in horary astrology, then I'd conclude that there has to be something special about it in general. Could it be simply that these degrees carry a more concentrated version of accepted Scorpio traits ?

I don't see the common thread, observed in the named individuals, and in the three females discussed in Saturday's blog entry, as exactly unfortunate, or malefic. A tendency towards maliciousness, perhaps. An overly passionate desire to get points across, deeply held opinions with a need to express them in exaggerated fashion - yes! Unfortunate only for the objects of their commentary.

For much of 1925 Saturn hung around the Via Combusta degrees of Scorpio, it was a fertile time for the birth of acerbic journalists ! (Assuming that Via Combusta (The Burning Road) stretches from 15* Libra to 15* Scorpio.

Gore Vidal

Born 3 Oct. 1925. West Point, New York. (SATURN 12*SCORPIO)

Art Buchwald

Born 20 Oct. 1925. Mount Vernon, New York. (SUN 26* LIBRA, MERCURY 5* SCORPIO. SATURN 14* SCORPIO)

Nat Hentoff

Born 10 June 1925, Boston, Mass. (SATURN 8* SCORPIO)

William F. Buckley

Born 24 Nov. 1925. New York City. (MARS 7* SCORPIO)

Pat Buchannan

Born 2 Nov. 1938, Washington DC. (SUN 9* SCORPIO)

Bill O'Reilly

Born 10 Sep 1949 New York City. (VENUS 25*LIBRA)

Rush Limbaugh

Born 12 Jan. 1951, Cape Girardeau MO. (NEPTUNE 19* LIBRA)

Michelle Malkin

Born 20 Oct 1970 Philadelphia PA. (MERCURY 22* AND SUN 26* LIBRA, JUPITER 12* SCORPIO)

Others, who are not journalists:

Martin Gardner (well-known skeptic and author) Born 21 Oct. 1914, Tulsa, Oklahoma (SUN 27* LIBRA, MARS 15* SCORPIO)

Dennis Kucinich (presidential candidate) - 8 Oct 1946, Cleveland, Ohio. SUN, MERCURY, JUPITER AND MARS ALL IN VIA COMBUSTA.

Other presidential candidates -Hillary Clinton has Venus and Mercury there, Barrack Obama has Neptune there, John Edwards has Neptune and Saturn there.

There are no planets in the "burning" degrees of my own natal chart, but the North node of the Moon is there. What, if anything, that signifies is anybody's guess!

(The illustration at the top of this post (from a book cover) is a Jack Davis cartoon of Art Buchwald, who died in January this year.)

Pic and Poem

This is what we saw yesterday evening in Oklahoma as the Moon rose directly behind our backyard. Later, after the eclipse, the Moon shone brighter than I've ever seen it, as though making up for the indignity of being hidden.

************ *********************** **************

A poem for all astrology buffs:

Friends of Mine by Richard Herbert Mann

The stars are friends of mine.
To lofty height, When falls the sombre canopy of night
Upon a slumb'ring world, my spirit flies
And treads with them the highway of the skies.
We stride from world to world, while they rehearse
The mighty chorus of the universe.
We wander into fields of azure blue
Sprinkled with diamonds of varied hue,
Seek the lost Pleiad through skies aflame,
And learn from her the secret of her shame.
They mark the ways of men and shake with mirth
At all the customs of this lowly Earth.
Great wisdom and great mysteries they know.
They tell the story of the Long Ago
Ere Time was born, when Chaos had its sway,
And Darkness held its mantle over Day.
Why should I prize the boasted things of Earth
When I can walk with stars and share their mirth,
Their wisdom and their mysteries divine?
I'd rather walk with stars.

They're friends of mine.

Is Via Combusta Scorching Politicians ?

Yesterday I stumbled upon "Separated at birth: Maureen Dowd & Arianna Huffington" ,written by "Luk". It isn't meant to be taken seriously, but it did set me on the track of a new blog entry.

These two women do have similar career records. Journalists, authors, and bloggers, they comment and report in critical and outspoken fashion mainly about politics in the USA. From their natal charts though, I'd say they have little in common personality-wise. There's only one similarity obvious to me, apart from sign positions of the three generational planets.

Maureen Dowd (right) born 14 January 1952 Washington DC
Arianna Huffington (left) born 15 July 1950 Athens, Greece

Both women have personal planets around the middle degrees of Libra. In traditional astrology I understand that the degrees between 15 Libra and 15 Scorpio are known as "Via Combusta" = Fiery Road, or Burning Road. This area of the chart was thought in ancient times to be unlucky or malefic, especially for Sun or Moon to be found there, in horary astrology. If valid in horary astrology, surely there must be something special about those degrees which might be applied also in natal astrology?

Dowd has Saturn at the gate of the Burning Road 14.53* Libra, Mars at 27.29* Libra, and Neptune at 21.41* Libra, several steps into "the fire"
Huffington's Mars is at 15.10* Libra and Neptune at 14.40* Libra, near the start of the Burning Road.

Perhaps these placements are significant in the women's similar desires to speak out so frankly, passionately, and not often kindly. I note that the personal planets involved, Mars and Saturn, are traditionally classed as "malefics".

Trying to remain objective and unbiassed is difficult. Maureen Dowd's style does not appeal to me, I find it cruel. Arianna Huffington's chart (4 planets in Cancer, Jupiter in Pisces) reveals a kinder, softer personality, as does her work, but she retains the ability to be sharply critical. Dowd's Capricorn Sun and Mercury with Jupiter in Aries, are bound to give her a harder edge.

Additionally, I took a quick look at the natal chart of Ann Coulter. She's younger (8 December 1961 New York City), but her career and style follow a similar pattern to Dowd's and Huffington's. Neptune is at 12.18* Scorpio - at the other end of The Burning Road in her natal chart, but no personal planets are there. Even so, could there be some significance here ?

Does Air Make Neptune Jazzy ?

I've noticed in recent years a discernable trend towards a jazzy style in popular music. This started with Nora Jones, then Michael Buble, Jamie Cullum, Josh Stone, and later, Madeleine Peyroux, Claire Teal, and others. It occurred, of course, against a backdrop of concurrent fads such as Rap, Hip-hop, etc.

Watching American Idol in the last few weeks I've noticed the trend again. Many of the contestants are singing older songs with a distinctly jazzy/bluesy flavour. Midnight Train to Georgia, I'm feelin' Good, My Funny Valentine, Steppin' Out with My Baby, are a few we heard just this week.

I got to wondering whether generational and communal astrological influences are at work here. Or is there another reason? Perhaps in the case of American Idol the singers are advised to sing these songs to avoid royalties on more modern songs ? Yet they are sung so well, and the style seems to come naturally to the contestants, so I doubt that's the reason.

What about astrological influences? Back between the mid-1940s and mid-1950s Neptune, which I'd guess has musical connections, was in the Air sign of Libra. Jazz and swing flourished then. Neptune left Libra around the time Bill Haley and a succession of others burst upon the scene with Rock and Roll. The next time Neptune hit Air was in 1999 when it entered Aquarius. Wasn't this roughly when the young jazz-influenced singers started arriving? Perhaps Neptune in Air brings the right kind of atmosphere for this style to flourish - just a thought!

Post-It Notes

Some brief thoughts scribbled on Post-It Note memos.

(I borrowed this idea from friend and relative Jeff, editor of one Oklahoma local newspaper and columnist in another.)

Wouldn't you have guessed that the right-wing, oil industry-supporting faction in the United States would jump at every opportunity to discredit Al Gore and his efforts. Is there any wonder he isn't keen to get back into the filthy fray that is politics? Do those people honestly suppose that a man like him, highly intelligent, a seasoned politician, would leave himself wide open to the kind of criticism they are now trying to aim at him? They must be either naive or stupid. Saturn/Neptune opposition, perhaps?

The US TV drama "Medium" is bringing more intriguing plot-lines in its new series. The cast and script are excellent. It's based on a book by real life medium Allison DuBois, after whom the main TV character is named. Some information on the real life Allison HERE. Her birth date is 24 January 1972, Phoenix, Arizona. I'm not sure what to look for in a psychic's chart. I spotted Sun sextile Neptune and trine Pluto - that might help.

I criticised an article from the UK's Daily Telegraph not long ago. To be fair, I have to say that this one, in a recent edition, dealing with the differences between life in America and life in Britain, gets it spot-on!
Last sentence "Expatriates should not underestimate the challenges of moving to an English-speaking country, but the rewards tend to outweigh the obstacles". (I agree....on good days!)

I wonder what transiting Jupiter will bring when he visits my natal Venus from mid-March through April, and again later this year? Travel is a possibility. A long promised trip to San Antonio, Texas, might be on the cards. I might get to see the real life Alamo, at last!

and finally -

Although it may be a little premature for some locations, the vernal equinox is still three weeks away, this has been apt hereabouts recently. (Who said the devil has all the best songs?)

"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape, give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."
from The Song of Solomon (Bible)