A Weekend of Creativity and Love

There’s some pleasantly gentle and creative energy this weekend, thanks to beneficial connections between Venus, the planet of pleasure and affection, and Neptune, the planet of illusion, delusion, and spirituality.  Venus and Neptune together can promote creativity and a selfless love that is beautiful if it doesn’t degenerate to the martyr stage. 

          Friday is the perfect day to see a movie, attend a concert, or just to focus on your own creative endeavors.  I see more movies than most people should and okay popcorn is a big part of this, but on another level it’s the Neptune that draws me in.  Once the lights go down and the screen fills with images, it’s easy to get pulled into another world, one that has nothing to do with me.  I like that.  Anything nagging at me dissolves and I am immersed in another reality.  This is a process very like meditation, one of hyper focus and abandonment of the self.  Even a bad movie can be healing in that regard, although a very bad movie can generate anger and the desire to have those two hours refunded.  A great movie can provide a healing because of the sense that you have received a boost of pleasure.  There’s more to it than mere enjoyment, however, because creativity is the energy of the Gods.

 It’s easy to assume that anything you do that’s creative comes from you, and on some level it does, but in fact there are guides all around you sending out inspiration, and you, like the lightning rod you are, capture that energy, have your aha moment and think okay, I will paint the Sistine Chapel.  Giving into creativity is like giving into sex.  You’re riding a wave that is greater than just you alone.  You can receive this boost from participating in creativity (such as seeing a movie) or any form of art.  That’s why even when art is ugly, it’s also beautiful.  We absorb the vibration from spirit that first inspired the artist to create it.

There is much of this energy this weekend and it begins on Friday.  So make a plan to do something to acknowledge the spirit inside of you, even if you just dance around in your living room to some compelling music.  It will restore your spirit and open you up to express your own talents more completely.

Saturday is a nice but more intense day.  Emotions are more vivid and fervent.  There’s a sense that life could be better, should be a bit different, and far less bland.  Everyone wants to feel more, to give in more to passion and to express those intense feelings of adoration to the person who inspires them.  Well do most people have sex mainly on the weekend?  I don’t know but it’s a nice time to indulge on Saturday.  Venus is in passionate Scorpio, so give in and ride a few waves of your own.

This mood continues less intensely on Sunday as there isn’t much precise astrological energy happening. 

By Monday everyone is a little more driven, a bit more self-centered and focused on individual goals, plans and desires.  The sweet tenderness of the weekend begins to evaporate, so grab it now, while you can.

Psychic Cats And Other Seers

          There’s a guy in Santa Monica who sets up camp in the Promenade with his two sweater-wearing cats.  If you give him a buck, you can get a cat reading.  The cat will reach out and select a scroll, which you then read for the answer to your question.  Then he feeds the cat a spoonful of Fancy Feast as a reward.  I’ve done this now and then because I like supporting the efforts of kitty cats though it does feel a little like feline abuse to me.  Maybe I’m just jealous because my cats are chronically unemployed.

          Cat readings are rare, not the usual source of prognostication most people seek.  There are different types of readings, which you probably already know, but do you know the mechanics of how they work?  Here are the main ones:

          Clairvoyants are those who “see clearly.”  It’s the most seductive type of reading because if, after all, this person “sees” you doing something, then it must come true.  Sometimes it does.  But realize this, very often these readers are seeing something that represents a symbol rather than fact.  So if this psychic sees a car, it doesn’t always mean that there’s an issue with your car, that you will get a new car, or that a car will run you over.  It could mean movement, change, freedom.  What it means depends on the shorthand between the psychic and his or her guides.  Very often clairvoyants see things which do not materialize, either because they’re just wrong or because the symbols are being poorly translated.  Sometimes they get it right.  Mostly it depends on the communications skills of the reader, and that is always an essential ability.  Otherwise you will leave more confused than you arrived, something that is sadly not at all uncommon in a reading.

          Fewer people go to clairaudient readers—those who “hear clearly.”  They listen inside their heads and repeat messages from their guides for you.  It’s a similar process to what I do when channeling, which is to open up and listen to the inner hum of a person, living or dead, or the guides who’ve come to say something.

          Sometimes psychics will ask to hold something of yours, such as a ring, although not usually a watch, which has its own energy due to the quartz inside.  Holding this item, called psychometry, allows them to tune in more precisely to your vibration.  They could just hold your hand, but that could get sweaty.

          Trance channelers are very interesting.  They have the ability to—ok yes, go into a trance—but really they’re just floating out of their bodies as we sometimes do in a dream.  Then a spirit comes and sits in that body and speaks to a person or a group.  If the channeler is willing, your own guides could come and sit and speak to you.  It’s sort of like borrowing someone’s car.  The spirit inhabits the body for a while and gives a message.  Otherwise only those who can hear spirits could get that message.  I’ll talk more about the spirits around us in my next post.

          Tarot readers use a deck of cards imprinted with 78 unique images to translate symbols into information.  This is similar to astrology.  If you have questions like when will I get a job or will I ever lose weight, don’t consult the Tarot.  It’s not good at revealing timing.  And don’t ask the “will I ever” sort of question.  Ever is too indefinite a time frame.  When you’re ten years dead, you’ll surely be thinner.  Tarot is great for showing who’s around someone, such as your husband’s girlfriend.  Oh-oh!  Don’t jump to conclusions, though, because she could just be someone at work.  The key to gaining good information from the cards is the reader’s ability to synthesize the meanings of multiple symbols and extract pertinent and precise information from them.  And if you have no birth time, the Tarot is excellent at providing information that you can’t get from astrology without time of birth.  It’s also good for answering a variety of questions, of which there are as many as there are people asking them.

          Astrology is an intellectual pursuit.  There may be some dummies who are “into astrology” but if you encounter a dumb astrologer, run the other way.  There’s so much to learn and to juggle, it takes brains to do it.  And it takes wisdom to do it well.  A good reader should be able to give you the truth without making you suicidal.  Sometimes the news isn’t what you want to hear, but you should hear it anyway.  A reader who will say yes, you will be with that guy when she knows no way on earth is this happening, is just setting you up for greater unhappiness—and ultimately you will blame the reader.  Done well, astrology can provide more psychological information than therapy because there’s a tool—your horoscope—to reveal it.  A reader who can help you deal with issues can be far better than a therapist because the reader doesn’t have to wait for you to share the issues—she can disclose them to you.  Astrology is also excellent for timing.  It can reveal crappy periods you’re about to endure—and tell you when they’re ending.  This is good for your hair because it means you will be pulling less of it out.

          The key in having a good reading is having a conversation with someone who gets you and who can share information in a way you understand.  A reader should make as few pronouncements as possible and should share information in a way that is gentle.  Readers who take pride in being definite are doing a disservice to the client because if you believe it has to be true, you will do (whether consciously or unconsciously) something to make it true.  That would mean the reader is creating your future rather than predicting it.  Far better for a reader to offer potentials, choices, and possibilities about what can happen.  For any set of symbols, there are many potential delineations.  Nothing is set in stone.

          And that is the most important thing for you to realize.  A reading should give you insight into yourself and your life, but not be a precise snapshot of your future.  You are living your life and the choices you make today shape the future you live tomorrow.  Those are your choices to make, not your psychic’s.  Sometimes things will indeed “happen” but often it’s more about “do” than happen.  What you do makes something else happen and it’s better that way than if something is happening to you.  But if you know you’re in a good period, you can maximize on it by reaching for more opportunities.  If you know a bad period is coming, you can do what’s necessary to prepare for it.  And if you have a mate who baffles you, astrology can give you the insight into who and what this person really is.  Nothing is as good at psychological insights plus predictions for the future.

          The best thing about a reading is that it allows you to see intimately into yourself, from someone else’s informed perspective and to learn more about who you are and what your life is all about.

          Now it’s time for some lunch.  What should I eat?  Let me consult my trusty 8-ball.

Jupiter and Pluto Collaborate in October

Life is so funny.  Here I am about to look at the transits for the next little while and I pop up the chart for this very moment.  Here it is:

As I said in my first post, I had no precise plans to do a blog, just sat down today and did it.  I didn’t look at the planets at all.  And here is the chart of the very moment I’m writing this.  Jupiter is right on the ascendant.  And look, the chart itself is the flip side of my own Scorpio rising chart.  Of course I knew Jupiter was lurking at my seventh house cusp but it still seems funny to me, like when you look at a baby and see the image of Great Uncle Herb. 

At this very moment, Jupiter is moving retrograde (the illusion of moving backwards) toward a more precise trine (positive angle) with Pluto.  This is energy of success and accomplishment which will be most intense toward the end of the month.  Then it will wane for a bit and be even stronger next spring.  This is the time to work harder, and to reach for more of what you really want. 

Jupiter is in Taurus, the first earth (or practical) sign, and Pluto is in Capricorn and part of the reason for the global economic meltdown.  Capricorn is the final earth sign.  Virgo, the other earth sign, is looking pretty good right about now.  For those of you with planets in the early degrees of Virgo, this can bring a large boost of positive energy into your life.  It’s the time to focus on building up whatever elements in your life are defined by that particular Virgo planet.  You don’t have to have Virgo planets to enjoy this energy, however.  It’s also very good for Taurus planets and even Capricorn planets.  Pisces can also benefit.  In fact, there’s useful energy here for all the earth AND water sign planets being hit (Cancer and Scorpio too).  And just having this beneficial trine in the sky is good for the world in general.  We’ve had much strident energy lately between Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto, but right now that is transforming into a helpful, hopeful trine. Next summer Uranus and Pluto will be warring again, so make the most of the kinder, gentler energy we’re having at the moment.

 Jupiter and Pluto work well together and can produce a burst of intense energy that will bring about positive changes for the greater good.  Use them in your own life to generate more optimism and success.

My First Post!

          Ok, wow!  Let’s say first off, I don’t know didly about blogging.  It took like six months for me to figure out how to leave a comment on friends’ blogs.  So what possessed me today to start this blog?  NO IDEA!  So far I’ve managed to put a band of green at the top of the blog and to get the title lined up.  And that took hours.  Oh-oh!

          My original plan was to do a video blog about transiting energy.  That could still happen.  If the stars—we are talking astrology here of course—align perfectly and one day I manage to have makeup on, the videocam works, and what’s behind me isn’t an eyesore, that could be THE day.  Then it would take maybe sixty hours for me to figure out how to post the vlog on the blog.  The energy could change by then.

          So maybe today let’s take it one step at a time and talk a little about astrology. Or I should say type a little about astrology.  There’s a moderately good chance I can upload this text to the blog.  What?  I could be writing it directly ON the blog?  Did Michelangelo carve directly on the marble?  Of course not.  He first carved into a very large slab of cream cheese or maybe it was ricotta salata.  So I’m scribbling this into Word, something I can use with a fair level of expertise.

          I can’t tell you the many times uninitiated heathens have said to me that astrology is nonsense.  “Look up at the sky,” they’d sneer, “It’s far far away.  No way a distant planet—or a super distant planet—could affect me at all.”  You know what?  I agree.  Venus isn’t out there sending little Venus beams at you.  Mars isn’t shooting a beam of lust at your sleeping genitals.  Jupiter isn’t blowing a winning lottery ticket into your pocket.  It doesn’t work that way.

          Once in response to just such a sneer, I calmly replied, yes, it’s like believing in cloning.  How absurd to think they could snatch a teeny little cell from your body and from it produce some other part of you.  C’mon, who believes that.  Well, the patient reply I got was that within the little is the message of the whole.  There’s a system of encodement.  Blah blah blah.

          But wait, could it be we’re onto something here?  That thing about the whole, that bears some thought.  If instead of thinking of yourself as a disconnected dot on a disconnected orb hurtling through an unconnected infinity, think of the whole.  Beyond our planet and beyond our galaxy is the whole—the infinite, the sum and total of all there is.  Ok well, wait a second, because astrology as it’s mostly practiced in the Western world takes into account mainly our solar system, which is smaller than all that is.  So let’s just move our focus inward a little bit.  Let’s reduce all that is to our solar system, which though pretty big is still a dot somewhere in the middle of all that really is.

          We are all part of this pulsating, breathing, moving, ever-changing whole.  And the movement of the planets is what I call a system of encodement for all the energy in the universe.  Each planet, while also a body made of rock and gases, is also a symbol of certain qualities.  Each planet can be defined as an essence, a vibration, a set of inclinations, and that creates the shorthand that is the basis for astrology.  If you think about a chess game, you have some sense of what I’m saying.  Each piece has its qualities, its unique shape, and can move in only certain directions.  They each have a role as part of the team and they interact in a certain way to produce success—or checkmate.  And yet they're also carved hunks of wood or stone.

          Once upon a time, on a wonderful day, at a propitious moment, you were born.  And if we took a snapshot of the sky at the moment of your birth, that would be your horoscope.  I’m not being fanciful here, for that is precisely what a horoscope is.  And when an astrologer looks at your horoscope and says gee, you have issues with Dad, you’re a good writer and you’re too attached to sugar, that reader is translating symbols into reality—your reality, the reality that adds up to the sum and total that is you.  Your horoscope shows the person you are, the challenges you will face throughout your life, and the talents you possess to meet the world head on.

          Challenges, did I say challenges?  That’s a word nobody wants to hear.  Challenges—or shall we say events and opportunities—come along in your life, and you deal with them.  I liken this to a tennis machine.  You set the machine (choose when to be born when you’re in spirit before incarnating) and then you stand opposite it and it lobs the balls at you.  Where you stand, the angle, and your own personal whacking abilities determine how well you manage to lob those balls back at the universe.  This is life, metaphor though it is.

          So where do all those hurtling balls flying at you come from?  From transiting energy.  Now I’m not saying Saturn is hurling nasty little time bombs at you.  I’m saying that as geometric connections are made in the sky between where planets were at the time of your birth to where they are right now, today, energy happens.  It is the breath of the universe.  As we are all part of a living, breathing, dynamic system, we feel the energy just as a cat’s head feels its tail flicking.  And the planetary action describes all the energy in the universe, including that which flicks your tail.

          Do you really have to know all this to believe in astrology?  I dunno.  It’s just a little piece of my philosophy.  A way to look at it all that makes more sense than that the planets are plaguing—or blessing—you. 

          In future posts I’ll look at the transiting energy and talk a little about what’s happening in the sky and how it will affect us all.  I’ll be translating symbols into reality.  And that’s the thing I like doing most of all because there are so many choices and it’s fun to imagine what could result from stellar combinations.  Astrology isn’t off in the distance, it’s right here, a secret code about everything going on all around us.  Except once you learn it, there’s more insight and fewer secrets.  Bring it on!