LEARNING CURVE ON THE ECLIPTIC: homes

Showing posts with label homes. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Once upon a time they dreamed.....

Hardly ever, when we've been out "on the road" has there been a time when we've not passed the skeleton or rotting corpse of someone's old American dream. Husband has taken numerous photographs of these - they have a perverse kind of beauty. I picked out three or four which show a kind of progression. The first has husband measuring the dimensions of someone's first American dream-home:

The Höglund Dugout, Lindsborg, Kansas:
One of the more unusual and unexpected sights in Kansas is the Höglund Dugout. Even though it is not readily apparent on the beaten path, the grave-like home dwelling is remarkable and worth searching out as one tries to imagine residing years in a rock reinforced 6ft x
12ft hole in the ground.

Dugouts were not uncommon in the Midwest during the 19th century. A lack of building supplies, the price of lumber from the East and sparse growth of trees contributed to the phenomenon. In addition, most homes built above ground were produced cheaply with no insulation. The lumber homes were hot and dusty in the summer and cold and drafty in the winter. In contrast, a dugout constructed with and in sod was relatively snug and kept the harsh elements to a minimum. Normally "Scandinavian" dugouts, as they were known, were built into the side of a hill. There are examples of dugouts in Sweden, so perhaps this is where Midwest Scandinavian immigrants conceived and developed the idea. However, the Höglund family lacked an incline on their chosen plot of land and therefore dug down.

Other American dreamers had homes like these:

A home such as this one was, perhaps, the height of the American dreamer's aspirations:

The photograph below appeared in my post a couple of weeks ago, after our trip to the edge of Colorado. Husband has since found a little more of its story - it fits well here.

Andrix, the town that ran away from home:

From website :Life Death Iron

Andrix was a tiny rural town in Las Animas County between Trinidad and Kim along Highway 160. Andrix served the needs of local farmers and ranchers, and once had a school, post office, church and a tiny store. A few scattered homes made up the rest of Andrix, and the population never amounted to much more than 50 or so. Andrix was typical of the many small rural communities found in Las Animas and Baca counties prior to the Dust Bowl years of the 1930âs.

Andrix struggled through the Dust Bowl and the depression, and the tiny general store was the center of activity in the town. A husband and wife ran the store starting in the late 1930âs. Barely eking out an existence, the couple remained faithful to the shrinking Andrix community, and kept a small inventory on hand to meet their needs.

The husband eventually passed away, his wife remaining in Andrix to run the store alone. In 1955 two locals robbed store and roughed up the poor widow (one of the robbers the widow had known since his birth) taking all the money she had to her name and stealing the few items left on her shelves. The thieves were apprehended down the road in Kim. The poor old widow never recovered from the shock of the robbery saying "The only place you are safe is heaven" although she remained faithful to her duty at the Andrix store, and was the last resident of the town in 1969.

The old Andrix store sits empty along Highway 160 today, a couple other structures, an abandoned car, and other refuse from the modern era mark the site. Someone, recently, has painted a memorial tribute to the Andrix community on the old storefront.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

"Home is where you hang your head"

Sun's in Cancer now. Cancer represents, among other things, home-loving, nurturing, all those warm Mom 'n' apple-pie feelings. Home.

The words of Groucho Marx in the post title could remind us that we do "hang our heads" in our homes, but in a way unintended by Groucho. We do so in the way we set the style of our home, in the mix of ingredients we need to feel comfortably, or stylishly, "at home".

I often visualise living in a house or apartment decorated and furnished in minimalist style....something along these lines, or even more minimalist:

Photograph from here.

Natal Neptune (dreams) in Virgo (perfectionist) in 4th house (home) could well be responsible for my constant craving. The years have proved my yen for minimalism to be one of Neptune's many illusions. An ever growing collection of paintings, prints and the usual decorative tid-bits ensures that our home is far from minimalist. Being married to a clutter-bug of the highest order excludes any hope of ever satisfying a recurring craving for purity of style.

I must attract clutter-bugs. My late partner was the type who'd go through the trash to reclaim just about anything I threw away because "we might need it one day - you'll be grateful then!" My husband is one step further along the road to clutterdom. He can often be seen picking stuff up off the street: shopping lists, buttons, coins (in his natal chart: Neptune in Virgo in 2nd house of possessions - what went wrong?)

I suspect there's a marked difference in natal charts of those who prefer, and achieve, a minimalist environment, who feel comfortably at home with starkness, and of those who need lots of homely comforting clutter, pretty flowery prints, pillows/cushions, ornaments etc. The following doesn't refer to Sun signs, though the zodiac sign in which the Sun was placed at the birth of an individual is important, it's only part of the picture. Moon, rising sign and planetary emphasis on other signs also have impact.

Taurus and Cancer, by nature the homeliest of the signs. A lot of emphasis on either in one's natal chart would tend to incline a body to crave comfort before style.

Virgo, whilst an Earth sign, could still cope with the starkness of minimalism, though the Earthy element of the sign would incline natives to prefer wood tones rather than the black and white usually associated with minmalism.

Capricorn and Aquarius (both traditionally ruled by Saturn) could easily deal with starkness, Saturn has starkness at its heart! Uranus, modern ruler of Aquarius, rules all that is different - minimalism is different.

Leo would embrace minimalism if considered as a status symbol. Usually, though, a person with lots of Leo hankers after luxury, opulence, designer labels.

Anyone with a strong showing of Sagittarius in their chart likes a lot (of everything)- comfort, clutter, whatever. Innate love of travel could mean they're able to feel at home almost anywhere in any environment - as long as the next trip is "on the books".

Prominent Libra enjoys beauty rather than utility or trendiness, so an artistic, well-designed yet comfortable style would be their first choice.

Gemini emphasised in a natal chart = a couldn't care less attitude to surroundings, as long as a bookshelf, a TV, CD player, phone and computer are around. They could live with minimalism, but wouldn't notice.

Pisces and Scorpio two emotional Water signs would, I think, go for imaginative and attractive styles, more likely leaning towards comfort rather than minimalism.

Aries: I'm not sure - someone with lots of Aries in their natal chart wouldn't care deeply about their surroundings, they're too restless and too busy doing stuff.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Home Style

Sometimes I visualise living in a house or apartment decorated and furnished in minimalist style. Maybe natal Neptune in Virgo in 4th house is responsible for this craving for neatness and purity of design. Actually, though, with an ever growing collection of paintings and prints and the usual decorative tid-bits around, our home is far from minimalist. Being married to a clutter-bug of the highest order adds to the scene. I must attract clutter-bugs. My late partner was the type who'd go through the trash to reclaim just about anything I threw away because "we might need it one day - you'll be grateful then!" HeWhoKnows is one step further along the road to clutterdom, he can often be seen picking stuff up off the street - shopping lists, buttons, coins (Neptune in Virgo in 2nd house of possessions - what went wrong?) Sigh.

I suspect that there's a marked difference in the natal charts of those who prefer and achieve a minimalist environment, who feel comfortable with starkness, and of those who need lots of homely comforting clutter, pretty flowery prints, pillows, ornaments etc.

By nature, Taurus and Cancer are the homeliest of the signs, a lot of either in one's chart would tend to incline a body to comfort - minimalism wouldn't appeal. Virgo, whilst an Earth sign, could probably still cope with the starkness of minimalism - though rather based on wood tones than black and white.Capricorn and Aquarius (traditionally ruled by Saturn) could probably deal with starkness too, as could Leo if they considered minimalism to be a status symbol! AnyonewithSagittarius prominent likes a lot, I guess they'd go for opulence, comfort and clutter. Prominent Libra enjoys beauty rather than utility or trendiness, so a homely, pretty style for them. Gemini could care less, as long as there's a bookshelf, a TV, CD player and computer around, they could live with minimalism, but they wouldn't notice. Pisces and Scorpio, two emotional Water signs would, I think, go for imaginative and attractive styles, more likely leaning towards comfort. Aries - I'm not sure - someone with lots of Aries in their natal chart wouldn't care deeply about their surroundings, they're too restless and too busy doing stuff.

Other cultures, past and present have, from necessity, lived with a type of minimalism - their only option. A prediction: in years to come people everywhere will return to a very much simpler way of life, a million miles from both the studied stylishness of today's minimalist decor and the opulence and clutter of traditional styles.

A short video, compiled by yours truly, illustrates a few "all or nothing at all" styles of living.