Big Sky AstroBlog

Here's where the action is...

2006-07-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Transiting Uranus conjuncted my IC...

2006-07-12T15:43:00.001-07:00

... and all I moved was my blog. Join the party at:
www.bigskyastrology.com/bloggish!

Full Moon in Capricorn: The Business of Taking Care

2006-07-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

In time for Monday's Full Moon in Capricorn (8:02 pm PDT / 11:02 pm), I've posted a new article at my website entitled "The Business of Taking Care":

There is an old adage that "good fences make good neighbors." Like neighbors whose picket fence strikes a happy compromise between privacy and sociability, we all feel safer and more relaxed when we know where the boundaries are. Capricorn is a master surveyor, with a keen eye for fairness and a strong back for building a good fence. At this Full Moon in his sign, consider where you might benefit from enlisting his services.... (read full article at website)

Taking planets... personally.

2006-07-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

Heh. Jeff's cranky today! Rant on, astro-brother!

(Mercury decided to turn retrograde about fifty yards short of my natal Mercury - but I'm trying not to take it personally. Wait... what am I talking about? I take everything personally! Damn Mercury!)

Anyway, Jeff's entry got me thinking about my own relationship with day-to-day astrology. I confess: I like the "personal" planets, the Sun - Mars shades of the spectrum. Not that I ever use them in working with clients. No, they come for the Big Picture, and so Saturn through Pluto it is, with maybe a dash of Mars or Jupiter thrown in for timing or much-needed hope.

But man, down here on the ground, in my own little day-to-day world, I'm looking for ANYTHING that can distract me from that interminable transiting Saturn/Sun conjunction I've got happening, and that oppressively unsettling Uranus/MC/IC transit. Hell, I needed regular diversions from Pluto for TEN YEARS. I mean, it's just too bleak to spend every day examining the big picture when the big picture is an epic mural of suckage.

So, I use the lunations, and the aspects of the fast-moving planets, and whatever, as a sort of microcosmic lens to bring the big picture down into life-size, portable focus. Sort of like - and this is complete overkill, stick with me here - someone who's in prison serving a ten-year sentence, what's he gonna do, sit there meditating each day on the ten year sentence? "Another day down - 3,284 to go!" God, no. That way lies madness! So, he breaks the sentence down, compartmentalizes the experience. Looks at the next two and a half years; maybe he can finish school or write a book in that amount of time. He plans to achieve a certain definition to his muscular system over the next nine to ten months. And maybe, by next month, he'll be able to wittle a shiv out of a mousetrap or something.

No doubt about it, to go through this exercise on a regular basis is to risk losing the big picture. And, like the cereal commercials used to say, "Lucky Charms is part of this complete breakfast!" In other words, tasty though it may be, obsessing about day-to-day aspects to the exclusion of weightier outer-planet ones can lead to astrological malnutrition. So, not unlike the prisoner who goes before the parole board, we astrologers check in with a colleague every year or two, so he or she can rattle the slow-moving transits and progressions at us, help us chart our progress, and kick us in the pants as needed.

But I don't know - the fast-moving transits, for me, are the warp and woof of daily life; they let me take each day as a beautifully complete little micro-lesson, a meditation, an astrological prayer if I were the praying sort. On the days when I give up and let Saturn chase me under the blankets for a good sulk, thank God there's still a Venus kiss from the husband, or a lunar bowl of vanilla ice cream, or a mischievous, Mercurial cat ready to lure me out and provide a welcome respite.

And on that note, happy transits to all, and to all a good night!

I'm such a card.

2006-07-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

"You scored as The Lovers.

Active passion; for a person or possibly for an activity or interest - Choice in making a relationship - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - Issues of beauty, ugliness and the true nature of both - Passion and love.

These cards are from The Victorian Romantic Tarot. It's based on original Victorian engravings, some of which are now rare."

Which Victorian Romantic Tarot card are you? With pictures.
created with QuizFarm.com

Spike on wheels!

2006-06-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Spike takes a spin in his lovingly handcrafted "Chuck wagon" - named for the Charles Shaw wine (known around these parts as "Two-buck Chuck", 'cuz you can buy a bottle for $1.99) box that serves as the cab.

Wedding stuff

2006-06-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've got an article posted over at AOL Horoscopes about ... astrology and weddings and Venus' sign. There. I can't put it any more eloquently than that. (I've been struggling all morning to cut 500 words from a magazine piece that's due this afternoon. Apparently, I'm cutting words here so I don't have to cut them there.)

Plus, Sunday is the day! Jonny and I have spent the past several months developing a new report, a sort of astrological wedding planner called "Moonstruck," and it goes on sale Sunday. Consider ordering a fistful of subscriptions for all the rattled brides in your life....

Summer at Big Sky Astrology

2006-06-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

I've posted some of my old summer essays at my website, Big Sky Astrology, just to get you in that day-after-the-solstice spirit:

Slowing Down, Turning Around (2005) - "Just as the sun at the summer solstice appears to stand still in its movement across the horizon, then turn around and move the other way, that is our job at midyear: to stand still for a moment, look around, and take stock of where we are...."

Behind the Wheel (2004) - "Unlike when I was a small girl, I don't feel so safe out on the open highway, and I find reasons to stay put - work, cats, money. The truth is, everybody keeps leaving, and the more they leave, the more desperately I want to stay rooted in place...."

Tectonics (2001) - "As much as we seek security, our souls know we need movement in order to keep growing. Even the earth -- our home -- is not a given, not a solid platform we stand on. Like life, it's a relatively thin and fragile thing, broken into big pieces that bang together, drift apart, and graze each other in passing-- full of movement and change, designed to put us exactly where we need to be and to keep us wondering where, precisely, that is...."

True North (2000) - "Yesterday, as my aunt’s daughter, my sister, and I rushed around, providing food and comfort—a little clumsily, like children playing dress up—while waves of grieving men and children washed up against us, I thought, Good god, now we’re all that’s left. Our mothers left us their compass, hidden deep in our fourth houses like buried treasure; but we’ll have to learn to read it ourselves if we’re to bring this ship safely into harbor...."

Happy summer, y'all.

Ewww: a Mars/Saturn story.

2006-06-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

As a married couple with thirteen years of trandem entertaining under our belts, Jonny and I are fairly unflappable hosts. Spilled wine, broken dishes; inebriated or emotionally distraught guests, guests suffering from heat exhaustion or from canopies falling over on their heads; too much food, too little food, food allergies... we've seen it all.

Or so we thought. But Saturday night, a scant half-hour before our dinner guests were due to arrive - and just a few hours before the exactly conjunction of Mars and Saturn, representing blockages of all kinds - every drain in our house spontaneously... stopped draining. And for a moment, we froze like deer in the proverbial headlights.

But then the reflexes born of many years' experience kicked in, and we sprang into action. Within an hour, Jonny had gone to three home improvement stores and finally tracked down and rented an electric snake to clear the drain. Meanwhile, I held down the fort, finishing the cooking and entertaining guests with salty snacks and as little liquid as possible. Within 90 minutes, indoor plumbing had been restored and we were all sitting down to dinner and a dazzling array of cool beverages, which we enjoyed without restraint.

Teamwork and coordination, friends: thats the key to a marriage that works. That, and a 75-foot electric drain cleaner every few years.

Eclipse Midpoints: Kickin' up dust

2006-06-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Just when the dust had finally settled from last March's eclipses, along come this month's lunations to kick it up again.

On June 11, the Full Moon at 20.41 Sagittarius formed a feisty square to last March 14's lunar eclipse point (at 24 Virgo). And on June 25, the New Moon at 3.58 Cancer squares the solar eclipse point at (8 Aries) last March 29.

Eclipses tend to briefly grab our attention twice each year, at six month intervals, when the eclipses actually happen. But like all astrological events, eclipses are part of larger cycles and represent not just solitary moments in our lives, but ongoing processes. Eclipses themselves are ground zero of a pivotal turning point in your life; but the midpoints in the cycle, when the New and Full Moons reach the 90 degree mark between the year's eclipse points, are turning points within turning points.

The March eclipses fell in my 10th and 5th houses, and I certainly felt ambitious, determined to succeed, and full of creative zeal. This September's eclipses (at 15 Pisces and 29 Virgo) fall in my 4th and 10th houses. So it feels as if this year is the opening salvo in a critical career/domestic campaign that will unfold over the next couple of years, as the cycle of eclipses churns through this axis of my chart and I ruthlessly advance my goal of world domination! (Cue diabolical laughter.)

Eclipses are agents of change; who knows where I'll be living and working two years from now, when they are done with me and these parts of my life. But this month, with the New and Full Moons highlighting the more intimate, collaborative areas of my chart, I'm reminded that interpersonal relationships are an integral part of my story. The people close to me have needs and goals that - imagine! - sometimes have nothing to do with my own! So, I can proceed entirely according to my own timetables and objectives - some of the most successful people do. But time for myself, and energy for those closest to me, would be the casualties of that approach.

Well, that's where we are this month. Preoccupied with a couple of areas of life, to the possible detriment of a couple others. Integration and compromise would appear to be the keys to sanity and success. That, and a good dust mask.

Shameless plug: In honor of this month's eclipse midpoints, I'm offering a discount on my "Followed by a Moonshadow" eclipse reports through June 30, 2006. Read more here!

Eight Random Things About Me

2006-06-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

Yikes... just noticed that Barbara of Silverwheel Astrology tagged me for this game like, five days ago! Thanks Barbara - I feel all loved and included. And tardy.

Being in a particularly Saturnian frame of mind lately, I'm looking for rules here and find that, guess what! there aren't any. Random! Right. Okay. Here goes.

1. Margaritas: blended, no salt.

2. Extra-terrestrials: completely neutral. Maybe there are, maybe there aren't. Though the existence of same would certainly explain some of the people I went to high school with.

3. First record I ever bought: Steven Stills, "Love the One You're With." I was seven. I have no idea what that was all about.

4. My ride: a shitty 2000 Toyota Corolla.

5. Flavor: Vanilla, not chocolate.

6. Chocolate: Dark, not milk.

7. Guilty historical crush: William Tecumseh Sherman. Don't judge me: the heart has its reasons.

8. Funniest movie ever: I refuse to choose just one. Put me on a desert island with a DVD player and the following comedic offerings and I'll die a happy woman: Airplane!, Blazing Saddles, Clueless, and State and Main.

You're it!
ethereal one
tai
susie

The Shallow End of the Pool

2006-06-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

Hear ye, hear ye: my latest article, "The Shallow End of the Pool," has been posted at my website. The Full Moon in Sagittarius is not until Sunday at 11:03 am PDT - but why wait?

At this Full Moon in Sagittarius, with the Moon conjunct passionate Pluto, the undertow is pulling us inexorably toward the deep end of the ocean. In the middle of this bright and glittering Gemini season of light comedy, fleeting romance, and trashy novels indolently read on a crowded beach, we're reminded of the need to stand in our Sagittarian convictions and proudly embody them, without shame, guilt, or violence.... Don't be surprised to find yourself examining your own Sagittarian truths this month, and in the unlikeliest and cheeriest of settings.... (go to article)

full moon

Catching up.

2006-06-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

Treated myself to a small vacation last week. Didn't go all that far (unlike astrobarry - showoff!) or do all that much, which was just the way I wanted it. Read trashy novels. Took afternoon naps, which is normally something I just can't manage unless horribly sick. (I attribute this to my many natal planets in hard aspect to sleepy Neptune in the 12th house: I resist unconsciousness!) Had breakfast in the park. Drank numerous margaritas (because I don't resist unconsciousness all that hard). Watched mindless teevee. Celebrated my nephew's high school graduation. And didn't write anything, hardly so much as an email. Ahhhh. Relaxing!

And who couldn't use a little relaxation? Between Mars entering Leo on Saturday, Venus square Saturn yesterday, and Sun square Uranus today, things have been a little tense. Those of us with tons of planets in the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) are in for a rollicking time of it through July 21, what with Mars lighting the fuses of the ticking time bombs of our legendary tempers. And Mars in Leo ain't the passive aggressive shrinking violet of Mars in Cancer - Mars in Leo lets fly with the drama, complete with objects passionately hurled, invective lustily spewed.

Venus square Saturn was a moment to revisit the more irritating themes of the Venus/Saturn opposition back in March. The less said about that aspect, and this one, the better.

And Sun/Uranus aspects are always good for a bolt out of the blue. Around here, it's meant, as always, technological challenges. We upgraded my hard drive and operating system, which of course meant reinstalling a metric buttload of applications, including the exercise in aggravation that is transferring Outlook Express. I only use if for a client's mail list, I swear; I'm a Eudora gal myself, and this little exercise reminded me why. Basically, I didn't get much done on this, my first day back on the job.

Both my desk calendar and my Pocket Astrologer look a bit calmer tomorrow. Maybe I'll get caught up after all... on my napping.

Beatin' the Drum

2006-05-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

My friend Simone has just posted a wonderful essay for the Gemini New Moon:

"You could have 99 things going wrong in your life and one thing going right," says Abraham, "and if you would beat the drum of that one thing going right, the other 99 would either have to go away, or improve, because the Law of Attraction cannot abide in your vibration something that does not match."

According to Abraham, if you don't have something you want, it's because you aren't energetically aligned with it. Conversely, if you have something in your life you don't want, it's because you are in energetic alignment with it. Here's the formula for changing your attraction: 1st) Get clarity about what you want; 2nd) Align your energy with it, and 3rd) Commit to receiving it and it will be yours. (read the full article)

Ain't it the truth? Today, for instance, I was supposed to align my energy with an article I needed to finish. Instead, the Law of Attraction magnetized a visit from friends and a big bag of lime-flavored Tostitos, accompanied by a refreshing margarita. I'm pretty sure that's not the drum I was supposed to be beating, but now that I'm sitting at the computer, perhaps it will summon a very entertaining article.

Venus throws a hissy fit.

2006-05-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, Venus in feisty Aries gave a nasty little 90-degree square, "I'm the boss of you!" hip-check to Mars in Cancer. You know, just because it could, exactly like some bratty little girl bullying a shy boy on the playground. People were feeling a bit out of sorts, I guess, and the ensuing brouhaha spilled out all over my second-house Saturn in Capricorn - a planet that, I assure you, needs no assistance in its never-ending quest to make me feel crappy about myself. Thanks very much, Venus.

Speaking of Venus, the marvelous Dana Gerhardt works her usual magic with a really splendid article about Venus in the June/July issue of the Mountain Astrologer. Get your hands on it, 'cuz it's swell. In the same issue, get the splendid Pete Watson's take on the suddenly-all-over-the-news Paul McCartney, as that gentleman prepares (on his upcoming birthday) to answer the musical question, "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" Frankly, folks, it doesn't look good.

Last degree wonkiness

2006-05-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Was it just me, or did the past couple of days seem sort of Mercury retrograde-ish?

A series of technical difficulties too exhausting to recount here in detail (problems with my recording software, my printer in nervous collapse, errant report binding machine, etc., etc.) had me scurrying to my trusty Pocket Astrologer to figure out what was going on, and I found Mercury - along with the Sun - hovering in the last, painful degrees of Taurus. Mercury finally, mercifully, flipped over to Gemini this afternoon, 1:52 pm PDT-ish, after which the long, difficult week sailed smoothly into a weekend sunset. Against all odds, I finished the week caught up on all the work that was due today, got a kick-ass haircut, and still managed to whip up a truly awe-inspiring turkey meatloaf for dinner.

I've noticed this before, how late-degree planets can stir up a certain cosmic wonkiness just before they flip into the next sign. Tomorrow the Sun follows suit, slipping into Gemini at 9:32 pm. One wonders what daft solar hijinks will ensue tomorrow. Take notes for me, will ya? Think I'll sleep in.

Bowling for Calamine

2006-05-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

So last night I added another to the long list of physical activities at which I am hopelessly incompetent.

It seems I really, really suck at bowling.

Awhile back, our friends decided that each month we would choose some wacky new activity to enjoy together. We're a bunch of middle-aged people with failing backs and poor eyesight, so we expect a certain amount of hapless flailing to be part of the entertainment value of these experiences. Last month we went to a roller skating rink, where I actually distinguished myself by remaining upright all evening - but then, roller skating was one of the few physical activities I enjoyed as a kid. The 44-year-old flesh was weak, but the muscle memory was willing, and it all more or less came back to me. Good fun.

But man, I cannot bowl. I was sort of getting the hang of it, and even managed a strike at the top of the second game, but it all went horribly awry from there. To make matters worse, several of my friends - even my own husband! - demonstrated their natural athletic abilities by picking up on the rudiments of the game fairly quickly, steadily improving as the night progressed. Whereas I... didn't. At all.

I blame the rented shoes, which looked like a carnival geek threw up on them - sort of neon orange and green. Really awful. I was psychologically diminished by these shoes. And I developed a small rash on my thumb. Yeah, that's it - the shoes and rash. That's why I sucked.

Oh, wait - I just thought of something else to blame: astrology! Today, still demoralized by my poor showing at the alleys (a mood not improved by Jonny's tactful reassurance that "you have...an interesting style"), I thumbed through my well-worn copy of Rex Bills' Rulership Book, which identifies physical coordination as a function of Mercury and ... Taurus. Aha! Unlike my husband, with his Taurus Moon, and my friends with their sundry Venuses and Marses and Mercuries in Taurus, I was born with Mercury in a fire sign and nothing at all in Taurus.

I suppose this explains why, although I've always been a fairly good mimic when it comes to anything mental, I simply can't watch someone do something physical and then replicate it. I have always been hopeless at dance, aerobics, volleyball, baseball, and basically any and all pursuits requiring motor skill and coordination. I can ride a bike and drive a car, and that's about it. Little did I know of my profound astrological disadvantage, the sad disconnect between my Mercury and the physical world.

But that's okay. At least I've got decent taste in shoes.

New Article: In the Belly of a Duck

2006-05-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hot off the presses, well in advance of Friday night's Full Moon in Scorpio, I've posted a new article over at my website called "In the Belly of the Duck:"

At this Full Moon in Scorpio, the sign of magical, unseen forces and the power of universal support, I find myself dazzled by such a generous display of cosmic goodwill. It's illuminating to contemplate that among the Gods of mythology, Pluto/Hades - ruler of Scorpio - was known as "The Rich One." In astrology, Scorpio, Pluto, and the 8th house have come to symbolize the world's riches - "other people's money," inheritance and loans, mysterious windfalls. It makes sense to consider that what we put forward from Venus and the second house must eventually find a response from Pluto and the eighth house. And yet, it's very hard for some of us to rely upon Scorpio's cosmic trust fund, the enormous stockpile of goods, services, and enlightenment that sits waiting for us to draw checks against it....(read the full article here)

Alert readers of this blog will recognize snippets from recent entries woven into the article... busted! One of the great joys of keeping this blog has been the periodic capture of little idea nuggets as they float downstream. Some of them grow up to be Big Ideas later on; a robust few mature into full-fledged articles. Still others, of course, skulk away into well-deserved obscurity.

Anyway, the Full Moon in Scorpio is on Saturday, May 13 at 2:51 am EDT; here on the left coast, it's more like Friday, May 12 at 11:51 pm. So enjoy that, ya'll.

Yikes! and, counting my blessings.

2006-05-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was that Venus/Pluto square on Sunday, but man, the woe that has befallen my friends! Since Saturday, I've heard from one friend who was injured in a car accident; another who got terrible news about a family member's health; one who lost a beloved pet over the weekend; and yet another who is on the verge of emotional collapse over a failed relationship.

My life ain't perfect, but I feel pretty lucky at the moment, I can tell you.

In fact, the past few days have been particuarly pleasant in Aprilworld. Caught up with an old student and friend from my Los Angeles days on Saturday, then had a great Thai dinner downtown with another pal. Sang with my trio at a friend's church on Sunday evening, then cut out to catch David Wilcox in concert at the church where I rent my office. God, that guy is amazing; an insightful lyricist and amazing guitarist, with a marvelous, smokey voice. I've adored his music since I first heard his song "Language of the Heart" on KTWV in Los Angeles, a lifetime ago.

Now, that's a guy with a splendid career. He travels the country in an Airstream trailer with his wife and son, playing in intimate venues before crowds of incredibly devoted fans. It's the kind of career I might have aspired to myself, years ago, before I largely gave up music. Watching Wilcox perform the other night gave me the first twinge of anything approaching regret that I've ever had about giving up that particular path. Not serious regrets - I love writing and astrology - but a twinge of melancholy, perhaps.

But it would be completely unseemly for me to feel melancholy this week, wouldn't it, with lots of fun work on my desk, a dear spouse, great cats, a cozy house, and good health. The path not taken could have been marvelous, but the one I'm on looks pretty damn good right now. Consider my blessings duly counted.

Cosmic muffin

2006-04-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Taurus New Moon - and ever hopeful of increased prosperity and other cosmic bon-bons - I decided to perform the Venus Santeria ritual that Dana wrote about this month. It sounded so simple; a piece of bread, a smallish candle, a running body of water. But it took me a bit of running around yesterday to collect the right size candle, the right shape roll. Finally, I had everything. My thought was to actually perform the ritual today, Friday, which is Venus' day.

So just before lunchtime I wrote out my wish list and prepared my little roll (although just as I'm writing this, I realize I left out the nickel - dammit!), and lit the candle. And it took forever to burn down, so I had a good lunch and then changed my guitar strings, which seemed kind of Venusy. Finally the candle burned itself out, and we were ready to - well, roll, so to speak. The question was, where to release my Venusian offering into the wild? I had been thinking of taking it over to Coronado and tossing it into the ocean, but then I reread Dana's article and realized salt water was out of the question.

Finally we remembered a spot down in the Valley where we might be able to get close enough to the bank of the San Diego River to surrender my cosmic muffin therein. We parked in a nearby lot, trundled down the street a piece, and found a likely - if rocky - spot. We picked our way cautiously a few feet down, where I perched on a rock and hurled the bun. At first, I was dismayed; the roll fell just at the edge of a kind of breakwater thing and just sat there for a minute. And then I noticed that the wind was blowing the water toward the breakwater, and despaired of my little offering to Venus getting very far at all.

Then, I was rescued: a group of four ducks descended on the roll, pushed it into the river, and began eating it. "That's... good, right?" I asked Jonny. "I mean, nature participating in the ritual, and all." "Well, think of it this way," he pointed out. "That roll is going to get a lot further down the river in the stomach of that duck than it would have on its own."

Now that I think about it, I guess maybe it's a good thing I forgot that nickel.

No costume, dance or song.

2006-04-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

The New Moon today was exact at 12:44 pm PDT, at 7.24 Taurus - the Sun and Moon square Saturn in Leo. Which sounds about right. Because when you're all up in your own petty dramas, strutting and fretting your hour upon the stage - Leo-style - Taurus is the big old hook that suddenly appears from the wings to drag you away before you can really make an ass of yourself.

Taurus is the tenth sign from Leo, and so is a sort of natural parent to our most flamboyant and self-celebratory urges. The down-to-earth mentor who let you know - hopefully without crushing your spirit - that even though you were indeed funny and talented, you might be getting just a little too big for your britches. The snarky but affectionate friend who never let you get away with your pretensions, because she infinitely preferred the real you. The loving mother who praised your talents but reminded you that there was more to you, too, if you would only buckle down and do the work that was necessary to uncover it, and then relax and enjoy it. And who assured you that, no matter what a glorious thing you made of yourself, you would never be any more beautiful than you were on the day you were born - perfect, unspoiled, equisitely unexceptional as the good earth itself.

Salt of the earth, Taurus. Rock of Gibraltar. Tender spring grass, verdant hills, and all the most luxurious treasures of the planet, unadorned and useful and utterly ravishing. No, we can never be anything better than that; no costume, dance, or song is the rival of earth in bloom.

Does anybody really know what time it is?

2006-04-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Mercury is careening enthusiastically, if not always consciously, through Aries. Perhaps this explains a recent spate of rather retrograde-ish scheduling bloopers around here. It goes like this.

We had planned a small dinner party for Saturday night with a few friends. On Friday evening, one of the invited rings us up. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he apologizes. "I'm running a little late." My husband informs him that he is, in fact, running about 23 hours and 30 minutes early. We all have a good chuckle and go about our business.

Saturday morning. The spouse and I leap from our bed at a thoroughly unacceptable hour, lash up some coffee and a couple of bagels for the road, and head over to a friend's house to lend support for his yard sale. We arrive to find only a yard. Puzzled, we skulk home, where a closer review of his email reveals that the sale is, in fact, next Saturday.

Saturday evening, 5:30. I'm in the boudoir performing pre-party ablutions when the spouse pops his head in to let me know a guest has arrived. "But we said 6:30!" I whine, mid-coif. Except, as the friends who show up a half-hour later remind us, we actually said 6:00.

But who's keeping track.

MMMmmmm

2006-04-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm happy to report that the Pluto Monologues went over pretty well; I truly had no way of guessing which way it would go, since it was kind of an unusual talk. But my friends and colleagues at SDAS were, as always, warm and welcoming, and endured my 90 minutes of hyperpersonal yammering with aplomb. Thanks, guys!

In any event, what a relief that it's over with. Now I'm working my way through the mountain of work that's been stacking up on my desk in the past couple of weeks, when all other activity more or less ground to a halt while I worried my lecture to death.

Meanwhile, Venus and Uranus engaged in an illicit tryst early this morning, 2:42ish PDT. Venus and Uranus often present as the irreconcilable tension between affection (Venus) and independence (Uranus); sometimes, though, they join forces and manifest as fabulous friends who bring delicious treats from foreign lands. Exhibit: decadent Easter bunnies from our neighbors, who just returned from Switzerland:

Passion and Prudence

2006-04-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

In honor of tomorrow's Full Moon in Libra, I've posted a new essay at my website entitled "Passion and Prudence":

Each year at the Aries New Moon, I imagine the great mass of humanity bursting out of the starting gate like the bulls running in Pamplona – highly charged with vim and vitality, impatient to get on with the business of … what, exactly? At the New Moon, we’re not exactly sure. We’re long on energy, but short on perspective. And Aries, of all the signs, exemplifies this New Moon spirit. At the Libra Full Moon, our task is to cast the cool eye of appraisal over the ideas and ventures that were initiated at the Aries New Moon. Two weeks down the road, do they seem revolutionary and creative, or merely impetuous - even reckless?.... (read the article)

The Pluto Monologues

2006-04-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

If you're in San Diego and would like to listen to me blather in person, drop by the San Diego Astrological Society's monthly meeting this Friday, April 14 at 7:30 pm. My lecture, on Pluto transits and ethnographic astrology, is cunningly entitled "The Pluto Monologues." God knows how the thing will turn out, since I'm still writing it. Given the topic, though, I'm sort of tickled to note that the Moon will be Scorpio that night and that it's Good Friday... fits the death and resurrection motif pretty well, doesn't it?