Portals.....Chapter 2

Another entrance. Or is it an exit? Along with the age old symbol ..... the road. It's interesting to me that some people would sit at the window content to look out, contemplating the path and imagining where it leads, while others would immediately take to the road and follow it.
This brings to mind the big question I often ask. Should I attract my destiny or actively pursue it? Does the anticipation of what lies through the portal or down the road surpass the actuality? Maybe the spot I'm in is the place to be. It's the dilemma of expectation. These possibilities do seem to arouse our desire for decision making every time we encounter them. The body primes itself, the mind weighs and balances. Doors and roads. Stay or go? To be or not to be.

Exotic Imports

These weenies are fab, Dorothea!

I know, Vera. They're imported from Lapland, I believe. Quite rare.

A Moment Of Peace.

Now that World War III has been put on hold for a minute, and the planets are journeying through Libra, I'm taking a breather. I'm going for a walk through the park to absorb the smells and sounds and think about nothing much. Life will take care of itself. The future is everyone's.

An Astrological Event

A wise friend of mine, a Sagittarius, related the most wonderful news to me tonight. She had been struggling in one of the most difficult passages of her life, trying to end an eight year relationship that had been suffocating her. Uranus is the planet of liberation, and sure enough, two exact transits symbolized the right time. Uranus square her Sun, and Saturn conjunct her Uranus on the Ascendant. I am always thrilled, my love renewed, when I see astrology in action like this.
I'm reposting the thread on the rising sign so as to contemplate this important point further.

Horizons

As many Raging Universe readers know, I am of the opinion that the nodes of the moon are the most important part of the astrological chart. I've been doing research on these for a number of years and I'm looking forward to sharing my information with you as this fascinating discussion continues.

Second in importance, if not equal, is the point of the birth chart known as the Ascendant, or the rising sign. It's based on the exact birth time. When you look up in the sky there is a projected ring of zodiac signs based on original constellations. The sign exactly on the horizon at the moment of birth is the rising sign. It is precise and the defining factor in the individuality, influencing behavior often much more than the Sun sign. I see it as a gigantic roulette wheel. We jump in and take our chances as the wheel keeps spinning. It's just as it says...our future, what we are becoming, what is rising.

At birth, this sign is the entrance. The portal. And it is the doorway to every experience in our lives from then on. It filters what comes in and what we project. It describes our persona, the role we play, our mask of identity, and how all others see us. The characteristics of the sign are what serve us best as we survive and negotiate our paths through life. The point of greatest potential.

The odd thing about the Ascendant is that it precedes the individual. We are behind it, not in it, and we often act out traits that are not natural inner ones. This can create a lot of confusion, and this is where relationships come in. They reflect back what we are projecting and then we can see and get to know who we are, moreso as life goes on. We incarnate further and further into this role, ultimately to the point of mastery.

Because of this unique separation of inner and outer, we have the chance to mold and sculpt this element. It is malleable and responsive to the will. This, I think is one of its greatest attributes. We can create ourselves over and over in a cosmic dressing room.
Often the rising sign conflicts with other parts of our chart, but this costume is the winner as far as outer existence is concerned.

It's simple. Master the Ascendant, you master the life. It's the driver's seat. Our Ace.

As we go through the signs, we can use ourselves as examples of this. To backtrack a little, I'm going to Taurus, the sign discussed recently.

Casey and kj are Taurus Ascendants. The MO of a Taurus rising is centeredness in the self and the use of pleasurable sensory experience to survive. So no matter what crises are going around, the Taurus eventually masters the ability to find central calm and rootedness to the spot. Not jumping to every snap of the outer finger. They can choose what bone to jump for and what to ignore. They make their own decisions. And the pleasures of the senses are fundamental to relief and relaxation, be it food and drink, music, oils and scents, retreat to quiet, or even a long Zen jog. They don't have to respond to what they choose not to, no matter what others say or do. The selfish license is theirs, and is necessary to survival.

Casey is a Pisces who merges and flows, but Taurus stays firm and separate. So this is the challenge. To merge and flow and still be able to withdraw to the self at will for refreshing.
Kj is an Aries, excitable, intense, pushing forward, meeting conflict. So her challenge is to battle with life and still find rest and contentment all the way through the fray. In both cases, the ultimate winner is the contentment and satisfaction of personal desires.

The Art of Heart

Hmmmmmn......

You gotta have Heart.....
All you really need is Heart
When the odds are sayin you'll never win
That's when the grin should start

You gotta have hope......
Musn't sit around and mope
Nothin's half as bad as it may appear
Wait til next year
And hope

You gotta have Heart
Miles and miles and miles of Heart
Oh it's fine to be a genius, of course
But keep that old horse
Before the cart.....

You gotta have Heart.

Even geniuses are susceptible.
Credit to Kadimiros for "The Art of Heart"

My Love Continues

A well-read tortoise. Just my type.

I agree with this.
But not the "but "part.

Uh-Oh

Trouble on the water
Evil in the wall
Heat on the ceiling
And danger in the hall

Bad luck come a-knockin, it's a bad sign
Comin' cross the floor, slippin up from behind
Better run
run
run
run
run......

Better run for cover.

Hmmmmmn...........
Danger on the Stairs:painting by Pierre Roy

Mornin Everyone!

Kadimiros is busy and can't cook breakfast for us all today, so I'm doin' it. I know, I know, but we gotta eat. I don't like peanut butter and I can't stand bananas, but a lot of people love 'em, and I thought you might too.
I do love peanuts, though, and bananas when they're mashed up and put into bread in an unrecognizable form. Flavor's OK.
Well, enjoy!! There's lox and bagels too, if you're with me on the bananas.

Hello?

Myrtle Rae's telephone.

The Whispering Wineglass

Here's to Tseka!

To Art and Commerce

And to success for us all.

A Warning.

Don't poke your nose into the painting or the smell will kill you.
Rembrandt

One Last Virgo Before the Equinox

This is my cousin Carolyn. She's a triple Virgo. Would you believe it? She's got a husband, five children, and three jobs. Her house is as neat as a pin. She's pretty nice too.

Fer Sale

Well, Howdy y'all!

Ah jus' happen to have this here little piglet fer sale atta bargain prahice. She's a darlin'. If any of y'all wanna purchase 'er, give me a holler!

A little blues tune in the key of E

Hmmmmmmn......

A man came home cause he felt kinda queer

Knocked on the front door, went to the rear

Went down, got up, the very next day

Somebody had took the back door away

But they got it fixed, ain't no doubt

Nobody knows what it's all about

Too bad that the news got out

But they got it fixed right on.

Hmmmmmm...

The Journey Begins

Have a fantastic adventure tseka!

Neith: A toast to talented women everywhere.

Tseka: I'll toast to that...to talented women everywhere and to talented men and our genius children and pets!

We'll get drunk on talent and creativity.

Bottoms up!!

A Virgo Tragedy

Aunt Hildegarde is a Virgo with several planets in Libra, and she enjoys dining out.

The other afternoon she was having a lovely luncheon with two of her lady friends, and just as she was about to take a bite of her strawberry shortcake, she noticed a large fly on her plate.

She will NEVER return to this establishment....La Porte Verte....and she has asked me to warn others not to set foot in this popular downtown eating spot.

For Our Fashion Lovers.

Elegant cyclist, Maurice Aron, shows off his costume that won him the first place wreath in the New York Evening Telegram's 1896 parade.

Very very nice, Maurice.

Clean And Neat

These handy items pictured above are a great help to modern man. They whirl, spin, and keep him clean. A great boon.

Well, not to a Neptune in the 6th House. To us, they are odd alien creatures. Very odd.
The 6th House is organization, maintenance, and repair.
Neptune is chaos.
Neptune in the 6th does not get the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Fortunately, the native can easily fall on her knees in worship. So if the cleaning device took on the persona of a saint or a goddess, perhaps the Neptune in the 6th could clean the house. There's always hope.

A Pair Of Penguins

Bruhs Mero and Gene Harwood had been together for sixty-four years before Bruhs passed away in 1995.

I met Bruhs in 1929. I remember that I was a little intimidated because he had a regular girlfriend, and it was just assumed that ultimately they were going to get married. But he and I spent a lot of time together, and eventually, whatever chemistry was at work, Bruhs realized that I meant more to him than the girl did.
I'm sure it was basically a physical attraction at the beginning, but there was a strange feeling of recognition that passed between us. A sense that we were really not strangers. And we both had the same ideal, which was that we didn't want to ever leave each other.

We built a life together which supported who we were and what we cared about. I think the most fulfilling times were the dance and music work we did together. Bruhs and I created a little theater where we performed together.
I think that creating together strengthened our relationship. Ours might have gone the way of so many others without that creative cement to tie it together.

I feel that we are on this planet for a purpose, and that we must view our experience here as part of a gigantic classroom where we must learn our lessons in order to progress. Bruhs and I always felt that our life paths came together not by accident, but for a purpose, and that we will be reunited at a future time in another setting.
We are not alone.

Credit to Joe's penguins

The Girlie Gene

The subject came up in this madcap think tank of female beauty enhancement. No surprise as Mars, the planet of action crosses Libra, the sign of grace, manners, and social concepts of beauty. It was suggested that makeup, clothing, and adornments are a marvelous means of self expression and I agree. Women color the world and delight the eye.

I am glad I wasn't a lady here in the 19oo's.
When George Bernard Shaw was asked his opinion of American women in 1907, he said....

Every American woman explains that she is not like any other women. But they are all exactly the same. The only thing to be said for them is that they are usually very well dressed and extraordinarily good looking.

Well this sounds rather simplistic, but we do seem to have much more freedom nowadays to express our individual personalities. And I'm glad I wasn't around for that turn of the century contraption known as THE CORSET! Thank heavens I'm here now. I have a Mars square Uranus and I would have been in terrible trouble.

Credit to the "girlie gene" originator, Pat Paquette.

Now This...... Is Chicken Soup

Our renowned chef from the Big Apple, Kadimiros, has created a recipe combining cheerios and tomato juice. Now this might sound surprising to some, but you can't fail to recognize this cook's imagination. He is also conversant with the chicken.

I part ways, however, with this expert's recipe for chicken soup. He recommends chicken broth with egg noodles. I prefer the above Thai version with rice noodles and a variety of spores. Of course, our desires are completely our own.

I was curious as to the crowd's experience with chicken soup.

The Welcome Mat Gets Another footstep

I am delighted to welcome Jujupoison.

A Leo!!!!!!!!!!

It was one of those chance encounters in an art gallery. Juju and I could not stop talking and knew it would take several lifetimes to catch up. I leapt with joy when she knew so well one of my favorite writers, Alice Adams. There is always an unmistakable warmth when people like the same authors. This woman knows how to listen. A precious curiosity and knowledge to impart. Another great addition to our pantheon of wise ones.

Welcome, Juju. A tall and gorgeous Leo. The spinners and weavers here will love your fashion sense.

Taurus and the Human Race

The turtle is one of my favorite creatures on the earth and embodies the one characteristic I prize most about Taurus.... the slow and steady style. Frantic multitasking busyness is what most people seem to aspire to, and they appear to think this reveals importance. I feel the opposite. The person who takes his time and moves without being electrically prodded shows me real confidence. The person who does nothing, probably the most.

Turtles in general can be traced back over 200 million years to the first shelled vertebrae. Long ago they had teeth to chew with, but now all turtles have is a sharp beak to crush their food. The fact that these animals have been traced back two hundred million years is very impressive because birds, amphibians, and modern mammals have been traced back only 160 million years. Turtles have gone essentially unchanged since their early ancestors, with few to no changes in their anatomy.

Can't beat that. Unchanged and so uniquely successful. Good enough as is. Love that longevity.

I have a slow metabolism. For years people have asked me why I'm not famous. Why I don't 'go for it'. Well, what's to run after? I'll get there. Or there will get here. I have never seen the reason to rush. More than anything, I value the freedom to take my time. I believe my slow pace will bring me health and some of the turtle's famous longevity. And the ability to savor my experience. I'm not at all in a hurry to get to the end of my life.
I love the turtle. And I love my North Node in Taurus.

illustration by Joan Paley

Concentric Circles

Welcome NEO and KJ!

NEOBuckeye is a disenchanted Ohioan I met on a political astrology site. We had many wonderful relaxed late night chats about the future of our country. He is a great larger picture astrologer and I am happy to have him join us. Hopefully some enchantment will return after hanging out with this zany bunch of artists, mystics, philosophers, astrologers, mythologists, scientists, writers, and all around good people. Neo is a Taurus. He does have a Saturn in Leo which can cause shyness, but pay it no mind. He shines anyway.

KJ is a poet seeker I met on a political site, with a nagging responsibility to the collective that drives her nuts! She laments the fact that she is driven to distraction from her mystical pursuits by the lower nature of man. This bunch will surely distract her from this lower nature and back to the metaphysical world we all love so much. She has a way with words and a mighty spirit if you can keep up with her. She is an Aries.

A hearty welcome again to my great friends.

Taurus

Taurus likes nature and loves to relax. And yes, they are bullies. If you think Aries is selfish, compared to Taurus he is a self immolating sacrificial lamb.

After man is thrust out into the world in Aries and stakes his territory, he is ready to fully incarnate in the earthly dimension, and to grasp and acquire. Taurus is the awakening of the five senses and the appreciation of life's pleasures. The urge to to put down roots, provide for needs, and accumulate possessions. He now decides upon the value of everything. A price is established. Taurus is about comfort with life on earth. He intends to enjoy it.

One main characteristic of Taurus is the centering of self within the body and full attention paid to satisfying desires. The taking of what the material world has to offer. Strength, stability, and endurance are prized. Practicality is natural.

A typical evening with my best Taurus friend includes plenty of wine in the garden, a pack of smokes, a great dinner, gorgeous music, slow conversation, and a walk-thru to smell the flowers and admire the vegetables, sometimes under the moon.

And cooks? The best. Another one is the best cook I know. He slow simmers pots of anything for hours and I have never tasted food more delicious. Pinto beans become a four star meal.

Not known for their sensitivity to others they can actually knock you out of the way if you're in their path. And I never, ever disagree with one. It's pointless.

My favorite Taurus........

Swami vish i nu

Gawd has spoken. After dinnerrr and sveetmeats ve vill sing our prraises too de lord. Den ve vill have tea vith honey and cardamon, also vith sherrbet and apples.

If you ever attend a ceremony led by Swami vish i nu you will experience the ultimate in Taurus. Beautiful scents fill the air, gentle bells ring, music soothes. Oil lamps and candles shimmer throughout room. Lots of pillows. It's very peaceful. You will be enchanted.

It's Official

Rutting season for the elk has started in Rocky Mountain National Park. Lest we forget in this human jungle the natural beauty and magnificence that still surround us. The creatures who keep us company and ask for nothing. The exhuberance of their calls and freedom in being their true selves remind me of the force of life, the rhythms, and the cycles that continue unharmed on the earth.
At 2 in the morning the other day they were bugling. It starts in September and goes through October, and the calves are born in late May or early June.
We have a calf born in our yard every year, and we had one born under our deck last year.
These creatures must like us.
Quote from Rocky Mt. News, September 13

Good morning everyone!!

The Terror celebration knocked me for a loop, but after a great night's sleep and a good swim I'm ready to move forward. Onward and upward too!

A Very Dangerous Card game

Veronica, the one on the left has a Moon, Mars, and Mercury in Aries. Hermione, in the center, is a Gemini with Mars and Uranus in Aries. Constance on the right IS an Aries.

Happy Terror Day One And All!!

O'er the lah-hand of the freeeeee

And the home

Of thuh-huh

Brave.

Credit for the inspiration to tseka's wise and wonderful son.

Hi. I'm Jerry and I'm a Fearaholic

Five years ago I was a nervous wreck, jumping all over the place, shaking constantly, waiting for a terrorist to bomb my house. At the advice of an astrologer I built an underground shelter and stocked it with enough Campbell's chicken noodle soup and Ronzoni pasta to last a lifetime. That should've been a clue. If I had been in my right mind, I would have picked vegetable.
Then it started to interfere with everything. I lost my job, my wife, and my sexual functioning. It finally got to the point where I was afraid of my own voice, and I was smoking four packs of Camels a day.
A friend told me about a great organization called TerrAnon. I joined and I was saved.

My life has turned around. I made a swimming pool out of the shelter, found a great new job, decided I didn't need a wife after all, and I've cut down to three packs a day.

Life is fantastic!

Credit to Joe for the inspiration and his great sense of humor.

Myrtle Rae Is On the Warpath!

GOD DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!

I'm so mad I can barely do my yoga!
I was refinishing an antique mirror and poked myself in the eye with a piece of sandpaper. The visit to the ophthalmologist cost me a fortune. I could have bought another priceless antique with that money.Then I got stopped for speeding. I refuse to pay one more penny to those goddamned insurance companies. I don't believe in insurance! I pay for everything I do, right or wrong, myself.
Fortunately the nice officer let me go when I told him I was singing and lost track of my speed. He replied, "You must have been singing a fast song!"
Frippin' insurance companies. Can't stand 'em!

And all this terror. Moose crap! I've had enough to fertilize my entire snap pea crop.

I hope you are all fantastic. I'll tell you in all honesty, creative projects are the best thing in life, and there sure is a lot of talent around here. I'm a potter myself, but lately I've taken up basket weaving.
To hell with all the jackasses making trouble for everyone!

And you probably guessed it. I'm an Aries!

Aries In Our Charts

In conjunction with the Aries thread I'm listing the houses ruled by Aries in our charts to get started. Shortly I'll describe the houses, but this previous post will give you the idea.

raging universe: A Dwarf in the House

Joe....12th house
Kadimiros....1st house
Neith....5th house
Casey....12th house
Tseka....2nd house
Jm...1st house
Juno.... 1oth house

Aries

One of the most elemental parts of understanding astrology is knowing the 12 archetypes not only intellectually, but with every part of the being. The mythology, the ruling planet, astrology texts, experience, and intuitive sense all combine to bring them to life. It's important to keep in mind that when embodied, the pure characteristics get colored by all the other parts of the map, and everyone will be a unique expression of the sign. So the archetypes aren't really meant to be a mold. Everyone is influenced by all the signs since one sector of the 12 parts of the chart will be ruled by each sign.

Aries is thrust. The force that moves us into life. Just ask a woman who has given birth. Just ask a seed that has sprouted and cracked the earth. Just ask a ram who has met another ram on the mountainside. You'll get an idea of the strength and power of Aries. It's life's kick start and it means business. All about me. Aggression and male sexuality. Every muscle primed for action. Always pushing and thrusting against resistance to build even more strength. Facing conflict. Batting things out of the way, leaving the pack. Seeking the self. Wanting autonomy. And moving into all experience with unrestrained enthusiasm, after conquest and victory. The champion. The Ace.

No wonder Aries is often associated with things not quite civilized and even could be called selfish!! Such as it is.
Aries is the personification of the young man full of vitality, keeping it up, pursuing the targets of his desires, and getting them.

The ram is the symbol of Aries and the planet Mars, its ruler. Wherever we find Mars in the chart we will have access to this force. It's where we initiate and go after what we want, and have unusual strength. The head represents this energy and Aries goes ahead. Sometimes, if they are not running off, it seems that they are here to agitate. But when push comes to shove, Aries can handle almost anything and is the cosmic EMT, warrior in defense of the state, and the one to make us get up and live. And we all have someplace in our charts where we can do this.

There are a million things to say about the sign of Aries, but I'll leave that to you. In my experience the insights from people unschooled in astrology have been as profound as those who are highly educated. I'm in for a treat. I'm an Aries rising, after all. But fear not. I'm harmless.

OMG! OMG!! Aunt Jenny Has Arisen!

Oh what joy! Oh what dreams I had!

Did I miss anything?

Aunt Jenny finally woke up from her Neptunian trance. She came down to the kitchen, got a big glass of raspberry ice Kool-aid and a chunk of blueberry pie, and started yakking nonstop. The household is jubilant.
Normally a great adventurer, Aunt Jenny is completely refreshed and ready to travel on full speed ahead.

Great to have you back Aunt Jenny!

1000 Fathoms Down

Under a beautiful September Pisces Full Moon, the world is immersed in the realm of Neptune. While the mundane clatter continues unabated, an undercurrent of something otherworldly and mystical beckons.
The oceans are still over 90% unexplored as we near the end of the Great Age of Pisces, and the visions of this subconscious dimension are still a complete mystery. Dissolution is occurring as this phase influenced by the great gods, Uranus and Neptune gets deeper and deeper. The grasp of reality is starting to slip away, and at the same time, long held illusions are disappearing. I often think that Neptune blinds temporarily in order to develop a new way of seeing. Uranus is in charge of neural connections and with Neptune, they are rerouting and forming new paths of perception. Incidents of mental telepathy are on the rise.

The synchronicity is magnificent. When Neptune was last in Aquarius, from 1834 to 1848, the telegraph was invented and communications took a huge leap forward as the collective nervous system was born. Messages that previously had been delivered by horse, stagecoach, and clipper ship could now be carried instantaneously across wires from station to station.
Enter the Internet, as Neptune transits Aquarius again. The modern day telegraph, the new step, speed and territory covered, once again leaping exponentially. And with it we have the visual component as windows to who knows where have opened worldwide. Territory never glimpsed before, as we once again type out our messages to infinity in the vast nervous system.

Pisces is often thought of as compassionate, loving, and even weak and long suffering, but the mythology indicates otherwise. Neptune was one of the most powerful gods in the pantheon and was easily aroused to anger. He was a fearsome god, physically equal to even the king Jupiter. When offended or ignored he struck the ground with his trident and caused chaotic springs, earthquakes, drownings, and shipwrecks. He also liked to surprise nymphs with monsters, and concocted the octopus, the blowfish, and the seapolyp for their entertainment. I think there is a side to Pisces yet to be understood as the force of these collective changes takes hold.

As Neptune and Uranus unite to influence humanity, memories of the future come to us in a timeless sea of myth, stories, poems, songs, words, visions, delusions, sorrows, joys, and laughs along with the ever present flow of knowledge.

Let that big round Pisces Moon shine!

I'm goin down now on a Midnite Cruise

down

down

down........

To the bottom of the world.

Psyche......Continued

Psyche is a king's daughter so beautiful that people abandon the worship of Venus in favor of her. This infuriates Venus, who instructs her son, Cupid(Eros) to punish Psyche by making her fall in love with the ugliest creature in the world. 
When Cupid sees her, however, he falls in love with her himself. He arranges for an oracle to instruct her father to stand her on a mountain peak in wedding clothes, where she will be carried off by a spirit. In much sorrow the king obeys, but Psyche is wafted off to a palace in a secret valley, where she is joined in bed at night by an invisible Cupid.

He promises her that they will be happy forever as long as she doesn't try to see him or discover who he is. But one night, at the prodding of her jealous sisters, she lights a candle to look at him, her hands shaking so much that a drop of candle wax falls and wakes him. He vanishes.

Psyche is desolate and looks throughout the world for her lost lover, but Ceres will not help her because she has offended Venus. Eventually she comes to Venus's palace where she is put to work on impossible tasks, such as sorting grain in a roomful of ants.
Finally Venus tells her to bring a flask of water of youth from the queen of the underworld. Knowing she must die, Psyche climbs a tower to throw herself off, but the tower speaks to her and tells her how to achieve her quest, warning her on no account to open the flask. But longing overcomes her on the way, and she falls into a deathlike trance.

Cupid is miserable and tells Jupiter, begging him to be allowed to make her his wife. Jupiter agrees, and Cupid wakes Psyche with the tip of his arrow. She is reconciled with Venus and all the gods attend the wedding, Jupiter himself giving her the nectar of immortality.

Psyche means soul, and the journey of the goddess Psyche is seen as an allegory for the journey of the human soul through life. It's believed to be a part of the mind it seems in modern times.
This fascinates me. I wonder why the soul of man is associated with a woman of such stunning and superior beauty. The soul has such a deep and distant sense about it. A greatness. I understand the longing, the journey through loneliness, and the descent into hellish experiences to achieve the desired goal. But what exactly is this soul/psyche? And in a group of beings that frequently come to a bad end, why does this entity meet with such a fortunate destiny? I can't help but wonder why she is in everyone's good graces. What this is saying about man's soul.

I have yet to completely understand the relationship between the psyche and the soul.

As this conversation has gone on, I have learned more and more. I find myself wanting to pursue this line of discussion further, possibly ad infinitum.
Painting by Spencer Stanhope.

The Cooks

Gwennhilda, do you think there's enough salt in the pilaf?

Deerdra, I do think there is.

Celebration of Labor

In Grapes of Wrath, the great writer, John Steinbeck, depicted the plight of American migrant workers in the west during the Depression. The novel details the nearly hopeless situation of the downtrodden farmer in those years, and emphasizes cooperative solutions to the social problems brought about by industrialization. In response to the exploitation of laborers, the workers began to join trade unions. The rich history of the organized labor movement in this country is full of drama...violence, tragedy, dedication, courage, joy, sorrow, failure, and success.

The observance of Labor Day as a national holiday began over 100 years ago under the Presidency of Grover Cleveland.
Online NewsHour: Origins of Labor Day -- September 2, 1996 PBS

It's interesting that our entrance into life is also classified as labor. The word originally implied toil and stress, and this seems to be different from the concept of work. But no doubt, the exploitation of working men by industries has been historical fact, and one wonders if there can ever be an equitable relationship between this vital work force and its employers. 

Today in my local newspaper an interesting article appeared. A Harris Interactive survey called Working in America:what employees want states that soon workers might indeed get everything they want as a potential labor shortage turns the financial tables on employers.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the domestic labor force will be 10 million bodies short by 2010 as the baby boomers retire. This is noteworthy, as it coincides with the astrological alignment, Uranus in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn, indicating changes ahead in government and business.
In this mass exodus from the workplace, companies will have to be more generous, including restoring medical benefits, so the study shows.

This evening as I flipped to my local radio station, another interesting factor came up in discussion......robots. They are on the way and the effect on our labor force is a wild and woolly mystery at this point, but I suspect it will be great. Whatever the future holds I know that the life of abundance I enjoy in this country, with all the goods and services I desire so readily available, I attribute to the working man of the world.

Out Of A Worm's Ass

Out of the silk worm's posterior orifice comes one of the most treasured items of mankind. Silk thread. It's woven into fabrics and carpets coveted by royalty and desired by the common man.
It's so prized that an ancient trade route to the Orient was built to transport this precious commodity. The famous Silk Road.

Out of a politician's ass comes nothing of value. Due to an anatomical mix-up, the mouth is located here, and what is spun out is waste. Interestingly...... these extrusions are up for votes. It's astonishing to see them consumed.

I thank my lucky stars that this spot in the universe is populated by spinners, weavers, and lovers of fine thread. I'm a rayon satin fan myself. Silk is all right too.

The Neptune Transit Deepens

I tried to wake Aunt Jenny, but I couldn't budge her. She's been talking a bit but I can't quite understand the words. And now the rest of the household has fallen into a trance. Well, maybe after the Pisces Full Moon, things will perk up around here.

Portals

If you counted the number of times a person goes through a doorway in his lifetime it would boggle the mind. I got to thinking about this little invention and what it means to the human creature.
Of course, to the early Homo sapien it meant safety, warmth, and comfort. It still does, but the uses have expanded exponentially. I think we literally worship the door and I've come up with some uses and symbolism of this universal passageway.

These portals provide entrance into another dimension each time we pass through. I think they stimulate imagination as we envision someplace more desirable than where we are. The framing and separation create a picture that we long to enter. Hopes and dreams beckon. Promise is offered.
They also provide exit, so they offer promised release. People often locate the exit sign first in a large room. A room is a sort of entrapment so the doors provide an escape we always want.

Doors symbolize transition, and extend to mental and spiritual realms as well.

They are a means of self expression and communication with others. Doors can be closed or left open to deliver the message, and even the amount left ajar states our case. Intimacy is established, anger demonstrated, and isolation determined, with sounds accompanying to make the point clear. Just think of the variety of slams we hear, or the gentle squeaks and opening. The language of doors.

Then comes the added factor....the lock and key. We can be imprisoned by doors or protected . When we turn this device ourselves we are in control. The joy of turning the key, opening the door, and entering a familiar place is known to all.

The door is the portal to one of the world's greatest pleasures......the refrigerator. The kitchen cupboards are a close second.

So the passage through the common door is a magnificent experience in sum total. I once saw a movie about a monastery in the middle of a lake. There was a door standing alone out in shallow water not connected to anything, where a person passed through on the way to the temple. So oddly reverent and intriguing. 

In astrology, the 12 houses of the birth chart are separated by an invisible doorway and when major planets pass from one to another, I feel the transition in my life, and the new opportunity that comes with it.
So I thought as we go in and out of doors backward and forward, are we really progressing? We do have to get to the end of our lives, so that implies movement of some kind. Are the doors leading us somewhere overall? Or do we just go back and forth among dimensions until we gain admittance to the final portal? 
 Photo by Al Petteway

A little Friday Afternoon Happy Hour Blues Tune

When you're high up on the mountain, King of the Hill
Pickin and choosin..... livin where you will
Remember while I'm down here, singin the blues
That the high and the mighty, got the most to loohoohoohoose

La la la....Yeah, yeah, hmmmm....la la la la la......

Have a great weekend all my friends! We got a fency schmency Capricorn Moon comin up. I'll be in, out, and about. Drop on by. Got raspberry juice in the fridge.