Escape to Green

While the sequoias are rumbling, art is rearing and whinnying, and spring is coming, I thought a walk in the gentle woods would be refreshing. A chance to get another cool deep breath.

Earth, water, and air ......
A threesome made in heaven.

Cascade in Dark Hollow, Shenandoah. David Muench.

Everland

Sometimes I wish I could get out of here
Take a trip and disappear
Got to think about it, got to stretch my mind
Imagine the place it's a tropical kind.
It's the place of my mind's desire
Deep in the heat, deep in the fire
Yes, it's mind over matter, a matter of mind
I can go there .... almost ... anytime.

In the jungle night
In the jungle night
In the heat of the jungle night
In the heat of the jungle night.

The spotted cat and the jackal too
The diamond back, comin' after you
You've got to watch where you step in the dark night
You've got to watch for the things that bite
There's always something trying to get a piece of you
No matter what you do.
You've got to have a will, yes I say
To keep the evil away

In the jungle night
In the jungle night
In the heat of the jungle night
In the jungle night.

This is part of a jazz-rap trance number, done in a wide variety of rhythms according to my mood. It forms a groove and can go on indefinitely, with lots of room for instrumental improvisation. This type of tune actually leaves people free to do what they want...dance, listen, talk. I kind of enjoy this since it also gives me freedom. I can make it the length I desire, and go just about anywhere.

It's in keeping with my philosophy of escape, when all else fails. Dreams and mind travel. My answer to a lot of life's moments. What to do with this contraption we live in. I'm thankful for that everentertaining mind that's in there with everything else. Some say even our innards have consciousness, but I haven't explored that far yet. But then where does intestinal fortitude come from?

Illustration: K.Y. Craft

I'm Dreaming Again

After a very long party with chips flying everywhere, littering the floors, and people racing around, a small group ended up sitting around a circular table. The discussion turned to artists taking charge of their finances and political influence. People got highly animated and excited. And focused. Plates of olives on little squares of what appeared to be white cheese, were passed around. The feelings were those of unity and pleasure, mixed with optimism and anticipation.

I like olives in moderation. They are rich and full of sensation. Probably nutritious too. There seems to be something special about them. Time to consult the vast resources.

Major Announcement!

I live in such a fantasy world, that I often can't determine what's real and what's not. Or what will become real. Earlier, when accused of disagreeing with their view, I asked others, "Is this reality? Seems more like psychosis to me." Yet I've always been impressed with their ability to drive fairly well and stay inside the lines.

So when I kicked off the Sequoia Adams Performance Project (SAPP), dedicated to the performing arts, I did so with no demands or expectations. A concept. A dream. A hope.

Well today the news came from Chrispito, one of the founders of the Project. She's just been accepted into art school.

On another note, I got accepted into art school today! Hoooooray! I'm really excited as the college I am going to is really affordable, and it has TONS of free material and equipment to use! I can't wait to melt down my copper mugs and make armour for the SAPP!

Then came the added news that the brilliant mythologist and artist Tseka, will be having a show of her bold and beautiful paintings in July at the Bellevue Art Museum, way out west, not exactly sure where, but we'll find out.
Could it be the Saturn-Neptune opposition bringing visions down to earth? Or the Uranus in Pisces in mutual reception with Neptune? Or the North Node in Pisces? Is the Sequoia Adams Performance Project real? So quickly?
I'm in suspense.

Congratulations Chrispito. And funny you should mention copper. More on that later. And congratulations to Tseka whose new works will be on her site shortly. Viva SAPP!

North Node in Piscesor the Twelfth House

It takes a while for Pisces to materialize, as you can see, and this is what the North Node represents. The world of imagination, the nonmaterial, the spiritual, if you like. Fantasy replaces practicality, as the body becomes a vehicle for passage into alternative dimensions. One thing is no longer connected to another in predictable pattern, as life unfolds in a spontaneous continuum, revealing sensations and mysteries hitherto inconceivable. The world is unlimited, and freedom ..... a person's right.

Clarity and peace of mind. While the SN in Virgo stuggled to clarify precisely all sense impressions, and string them together into an intellectual and understandable design, NN Pisceans are now content to let them find their own direction and form, bringing an end to the nervous anxiety and fear that all is not right. It is what it is, and part of an orchestration that these NNs can feel and hear as rhythm and music many others miss in their busy routines and mundane preoccupations.
When my NN Pisces girlfriend played my old upright piano, the squeaks in the ancient keys became sea gulls. "Don't you hear the sea gulls crying?" she asked. We were in the desert.
The Pisces NNs are ready to open up mental dimensions, allowing space to enter, time to become insignificant, and imagination to become part of everyday living.

Nonjudgement. Coming from a history of discrimination, comparison, contrast, and exactness, NN Pisceans are ready to embrace acceptance, finding less need for judging the right and wrong of everything in pursuit of perfection that doesn't exist. The fatal flaw is just another thread in the fabric, easily absorbed and overlooked. Purity is inherent in experience, and excess criticism becomes unnecessary, as people are behaving according to nature, and things are blending in a perfect synthesis, easily perceived from a detached perspective.

Trust, surrender, and going with the flow. While the SN thinks if it can tweak and fiddle, it can get things to go in the right direction, Pisces NNs are ready to swim with the current and let themselves be carried with ease to new experiences, relinquishing resistance. Fear of turbulence becomes a joy ride in the upswings, dips, eddies, and tidal changes. The perception of a vast universal control frees them to pursue many interests that otherwise would be lost in the daily effort expended to align every passing detail. Formlessness, boundlessness, and willingness become newfound pleasures.

An unstructured life. While rituals and duties must always be performed to some extent, the less the better with these nodeholders. Free time is their gift to take, along with the path out of so-called reality that this kind of life provides. Spontaneity is the aim. Many say later, when the real work is done, they'll be able to pursue the visions they've always dreamed of, whim and fancy being their guidelines. But with each turn of the road, more pressing jobs appear, until they shake themselves free, and live the kind of existence only artists are supposed to enjoy. Many times, in fact, they have these kinds of talents and are meant to find fulfillment in an alternative lifestyle, no matter what the fearful voice says, or others demand.

Beauty. One of the most glorious characteristics of the NN in Pisces is the love of creativity and artistic human expression. Poetry and dance are often high on the list of favorites. The sublime grace of the body in harmonic movement and the complete spectrum of emotion felt in music, painting, poetry, drama, and all the other arts, are natural to them, whether they participate or observe. It's probably a good idea to try some of these, as hidden talents are often waiting to be developed, along with the feeling that they are finally doing what they really wanted to do all along.

Departure from reality. While this is frowned upon in many quarters, Pisces NNs are being invited into this realm, unconditionally, and with the promise of big reward. Guilt can hold them back, but once this is released, these natives can see the greater guilt of not living this destiny. Few are allowed to do this so freely, but Pisces have earned this through years of servitude and suffering. The world of illusion now is the contribution they can bring to others. Transcendence is their right.

Earth to water. The rigid forms and boundaries of earth are dissolving in the Pisces NN to create a permeable membrane that allows an easy in-and-out passage of experience. The merging of water is a great relief as defense is no longer needed, and fluid relaxation into sensation can develop.

Fantasies, myths, fairytales, and illusions. There are no more qualified people than the NN Pisceans to explore the world of dragons, fairies, princes, demons, and all assorted mythological creatures. The human need for storytelling and dream fulfillment is in their hands. While one person would call the piano repairman to remove the squeaks, the Piscean would allow the sea gulls to fly, giving full expression to alternative perceptions, no matter how mad or far out they appear. They know we can't live without the recognition of these dimensions. This makes them masters of psychological healing.

Psychic impressions. These natives are highly attuned to telepathic communication and messages from other worlds. Like a tuning fork of an unknown tone, they receive sensory input not perceived by the ordinary person, and can convey information needed by people, sometimes as directives at crucial times in their lives. The Pisces NNs are passing through the doors of perception.

Compassion, suffering, healing, and redemption. The Pisces NNs are spiritual allies. It's beyond personal sympathy, as their skills take in the whole spectrum of experience. They understand it all. These people have the knowledge of ancient struggles, and the mastery of purification and redemption through humble service and self-sacrifice. They know the guilts that plague humanity and the desire to rectify the wrongs that are committed. They known the dual nature of people, and recognize the potential goodness despite civilization's history of crime. Now they are ready to respond to all energy fields comfortably, without rushing to fix every small hurt, but letting time proceed, leading people to the right conclusions themselves. This time they no longer have to serve in an abject way, but serve simply by being.

Enligtenment. This is the node that knows all. And lives in the moment.

The Pisces NNs are taking their accumulated knowledge of human imperfection and rectification from the personal sphere, to a healing of the ills of the world at large, as they help others get closer to spiritual union. A fine task, indeed.

Illustrations from top:
Michael Forman. Manya Stojic. Alexa Brandenburg. K.Y.Craft.

Meat Me in the Bean Patch

An interesting news item appeared in my paper today:

Sons born to women who ate a lot of beef during their pregnancies have a 25% below-normal sperm count and three times the normal risk of fertility problems. The problem might be due to anabolic steroids used in the US to fatten cattle. It could also be due to pesticides and other environmental contaminants. In daughters of the beef-eaters, those same hormones could alter the incidence of polycistic ovarian syndrome, the age of puberty, and the postnatal growth rate.
Six growth-producing hormones are routinely used in cattle production here and in canada. [All you Canadian beauties up there are out of luck too!] The hormones used are: estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol acetate.
Does not sound appetizing.

I have always been leery of these hormones. I became a vegetarian 25 years ago because of this and many other reasons. Food intake is of such great importance, and it does seem that more awareness is developing.
The only plus is the reduced population. There's always a silver lining, is there not?
Pass the peas and beans, please.

But does it think
the universe?
Then what about?
About us?
If not,

Must there be cause? In the universe?
must it have laws?

And what if the universe
is not about us?
Then what?

is it about?

And what?
about us?

From The Universe by May Swenson. 1919 - 1989.

The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens

William Carlos Williams. 1883 - 1963.

Aries!!!!!!!

It's that time of year again. My car collection is coming out, so I can enjoy the spring air, the budding trees, and the mountains the way I love best!

The above model is for my close-by jaunts on account of the gas usage. Purrs like a kitten though.


This one is my Neptune Sky Bird, perfect for the Neptune-Saturn opposition, and it runs on vapors. Very cost effective, and good for long trips, but the some of the relatives are reluctant to have it parked near their houses. The neighbors talk.

Here is one of my favs. It's a perfect round-the-town sporty little number, since convertibles on the open road whip my face too much. I don't like Harley's for this reason. This one has a big enough trunk to carry my books around, so it's convenient as well as comfortable. A beauty.



This ancient jewel is the one the family uses for picnics and Sunday outings. The children adore it, although the speed is nothing to get overexcited about. Keeps the face-whipping at a minimum, though.

Well, happy trails, and enjoy these fine spring days, yourselves. Let me know if you want me to cruise by and pick you up.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Ahhfternoon.

I'm delighted to be here.
Christopher Fowler

No people are uninteresting.
Their fate is like the chronicle of planets.

Nothing in them is not particular,
and planet is dissimilar from planet.

And if a man live in obscurity
making his friends in that obscurity
obscurity is not uninteresting.

To each his world is private,
and in that world one excellent minute.

And in that world one tragic minute.
These are private.

From "People" by Yevgeny Yevtushenko...b.1933

An Unusual Occurrence

It's precipitating in Colorado.

And it isn't even snow.
Illustration by Trina Schart Hyman

South Node in Virgo or the Sixth House

The South Node in Virgo brings excessive attention to order and detail, and an attempt to analyze, explain, and control every facet of experience. The finite vision and pattern breakup are now giving way to broad perspective, even a chaotic jumble at times, and the ability to let go and let circumstance unfold. Precise rationalization is no longer necessary, as poetic simplicity develops and flourishes, and a merging with mystical experience takes the lead.

Cleanliness, purity, and order. These SNs often find the constant maintenance and repair of daily life annoying, distracting, and burdensome. While the ancient mind remembers these tasks as being meditative, this time around, they interfere with the spiritual journey they desire. Spots are everywhere, but erasing them offers no lasting satisfaction. Keeping it clean and tidy is growing more and more nonsensical. Everything in its place, labeled, and glued down has become much less pleasurable, as the effort expended to keep it all under control could be used for other purposes, knowing it will all fall apart anyway.
The purity of the body is becoming less important, a perfect illustration being my SN Virgo friend, who cooked her strict vegetarian meals with a cigarette always dangling from her mouth. It made complete sense to her, as the mixed up character of existence was becoming clear, with its innate ability to process impurity successfully without extra effort.

Overanalysis. Virgo rules the process of digestion; breaking things down to their essential elements to be absorbed and utilized. Sometimes SNs overdo this process, feeling trapped, and unable to move on to other concepts and activities with ease. They lack trust in the natural ability to break down compounds without their constant surveillance. Once they enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together, but now they feel a growing urge to let it all remain whole or as is. The compulsion to understand and explain every little detail is ready to be abandoned. Answers that once came easily now have disappeared, bringing the knowledge that nothing can really be figured out. The puzzle remains. The whole now contains the essence rather than the tiniest part.

Anxiety and worry. A nervous irritability afflicts the Virgo SNs and no amount of physical effort seems to ameliorate it. While control of the material plane used to work wonders, the inability to let things take a course of their own has become an impediment. Precise action has turned to fidgeting and fussing with details to no avail. It's still not right, and the fear that things will never be right can prevail, thereby causing them to miss the value of the moment they're in.

Perfection and fault-finding. Where once critical analysis, and the movement toward physical perfection were great aids in their lives, they now threaten to ruin the joy of experience. The eye keeps traveling to the flaw, to the sacrifice of the overall grace and beauty in what they observe. Correction is desired but even that no longer works. Nitpicking creates a Gordian knot, while the unraveling waits in the wings.

Rigidity and routine. The stiffness of trying to stay in finite structures can cause many hardships for the Virgo SNs, as the body betrays their regimentation no matter how healthy their aims. A deep fear if disintegration keeps them attached to rituals that no longer keep body and mind together the way they would like. They cling to routines, but dramatic events always come along to cause major disruption. All they want is to return to the order, not always realizing that the chaos holds the real key to their happiness, and that a proper order will reappear by itself, once they let go of the need to impose it compulsively. Through the anxiety of the chaos comes real peace, as they find a new arrangement altogether.

Job dissatisfaction. One of the hardest things to overcome is the expectation that the perfect job will appear, and that the daily grind will magically become joyous. Work for the Virgo SNs is often tedious and dull, lacking in spontaneity, and full of stale rituals. Sometimes they are overskilled, sometimes they think more skill is needed, and often the task of learning new skills looms ahead as a chore they would like to avoid. These precision machinists have become master craftspeople, ready to loosen up and flow into inspired creative actions with all their mistakes and impossibilities. The oft repeated phrase, "I don't have enough time for that. I have too much work to do", is the SN Virgo lament. They are often prisoners of their work routines waiting for the day freedom arrives, sweeping them away to an unstructured life.

Soma versus spirit. Preoccupation with the body and its problems can be a SN Virgo habit. They breakdown the system into parts, as one segment fixed leads to another one coming apart. The psychological and spiritual roles in well-being are asking for attention, and even faith healing becomes a possibility. Attachment to form wants release in a recognition of the immaterial. Less control of the physical, allowing breakdowns to find alternative paths to repair, is what they are moving toward. They once had the cure for everything, but now everything, itself, is the cure.

Shyness and retreat. Overwhelmed with the demands of relationship, these nodeholders frequently back away from the pleasures of interaction in which the call of duty is not the prime motivation. Compelled to be useful, they sometimes forget the nonsense we all love to share, and meaningless activities pursued just for the joy of togetherness. Repeated relations in a role of servitude make them wary of getting involved at times, with the excessive work required to maintain the connection. Sometimes others are absent from their plans, causing misunderstandings, along with the correctional attitude that can mar the fun. Oversensitivity to energy patterns, fearing the chaos of the combinations, can also overwhelm.

Fear of leisure. Many SN Virgos have a morbid fear of idleness. They are compelled to stay busy, and as soon as the body is at rest, it sees another area to attack, clean, repair, or organize. Inside lurks a mystic who can stare at the mountain for three hours, then turn to contemplating the ash tree for another four. A day without accomplishment is usually an impossibility, yet the sum total of all the achievements add up to little in the end. They could have been enjoying the tree all along, progressing to the other dimensions they are destined to reach.

Guilt, duty, service, and sacrifice. The hardest part of the SN Virgo path is the abandonment of the need to help others at all times. Selfless service leaves them shortchanged, as the humility does not alleviate feelings of guilt. The perfect person, good at all costs, isn't the ideal anymore. They've done their good deeds for many lifetimes and now the sacrifice has worn thin. Many stay in bad situations thinking they can turn them around, or believing the humility, maybe even abuse, will redeem them. They automatically help others and always will, with no effort. They see that the slack will immediately be picked up if they no longer stay bonded in slavery. The focus can now shift to other dimensions, broader pursuits, and a fluid expansion of self into the universe.

The Virgo SNs are taking their experience with serving others to a larger entity and dispersing their talents to humanity as a whole, where a world of unlimited imagination awaits them at the North Node in Pisces. One of the best.

Photo of Dollar Brand by the Douglas Brothers.

Notification!

Dr. Francis Fartalk will be lecturing on the conundrums and vagaries of modern day society, tonight at the Cyberbellum Auditorium, 8:30 PM. Dr. Fartalk will be leading a discussion forum after the lecture.

Please come. This promises to be a very interesting evening.

Great Great Great Great News.Excellent.

I'm celebrating a turn of events in Colorado that I never expected. A bill was just obliterated in the legislature:

It has to be the dumbest, most transparent piece of legislation ever, and in Colorado, that's saying a lot, but Rob and Heidi Orio took on the system alone, and won.

Bar owners can still use cigarette sales to get around a statewide smoking ban. Colorado's Clean Indoor Air Act says that if a bar gets 5% of its gross revenue from tobacco products, it can continue to allow smoking.

This was designed to help corporate profits....cigar bars. But the others have been figuring out ways to use it to stay in business, since they failed to specify what kind of tobacco. The corporate run casinos were also exempt. The whole scam has been aimed at putting the small businessman out of the game, and it's succeeded:

At least 60 establishments have gone out of business since the act went into effect last July.

Many of these are well-run businesses that have been around for generations providing a healthy release for society in a safe environment. What are they to do now? This law is also dangerously invasive, and I was disturbed by the trend. Very disturbed. Standards can be met, and licensing for revenue would do the trick. Colorado held out for a long time, but finally caved in last summer. Now they are smoking on the streets in front of the bars and restaurants. Same smoke. Still there.

This foolery has never once been about smoking, or even public health. From day one, it has been about inequality.

And the country has fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker. Colorado is a trend-setter in the nation, and I hope this means that our freedoms will still be intact as we head into the future ... fire and smoke be damned!
Hallelujah!

Where Have You Bean?

Now that my constant companion these days, Pluto, is making a four month stop on my 11th house ruler, Uranus, I got to thinking about this Aquarius thing. Well feeling it, actually. As Saturn in Leo now is toppling our current leadership, Aquarius is strengthening the humanitarian connection. It's a little too soon to see the results, but they will be forthcoming.
The dissolving of outworn structures in the rulership realm is just about over. It's changed my life, as I've cautiously joined with my fellows here in this new dimension, sharing my visions on a daily basis. And so, with all these newfound friends, and many more to come, I ask, "where have you bean all my life?"

The group reminds of these beans. Every one unique, yet similar in basic appearance. Together and apart.
They don't stand alone. Can you imagine one pinto on your plate?

Hot Wired & Ready!!

The first deal for the Sequoia Adams Performance Project has already arrived. A year ago, my friend wanted me to perform on her new patio .... an autumn party. We talked several times and it was forgotten. Tonight she approached me with the news that the concrete had just been poured and we're ready to go. A summer party under the stars. She has a million friends. Good exposure. And she's a TAURUS!!

Is there really something to this put it out into the universe thing?

The Sequoia Adams Performance Project is Born

We sing, we dance, we play, we work, we talk, we breathe, we weave ourselves together into the fabric of life.

We celebrate our births and deaths.
We create.

The Sequoia Project is dedicated to the majesty of the creative impulse in all people, to it's full development, and to the dissemination of its achievements into the world at large. It is comprised of performers with the highest standards - tall, strong, and invincible, like the great redwoods of our American forests, protecting the growth underneath, providing shelter and sustenance for their neighboring humans. Talent and potential are treasured no matter how long it takes the individual to bring imagination into form, adding to the natural beauty of the earth, and to the grace of human contribution.

Redwoods are the largest living things on earth.

As the project develops, performing artists can talk about influencing society successfully on their terms, remaining faithful to their visions, loyal to their individuality, and maybe even eating inside a proper shelter. Good pipes, a roof, a floor, respect, and some substantial personal gain. Blueprints seem like a possibility to me, and I know I could use some ideas on mapping.
Some of the most potent social and political movements originated with spontaneous discussions among artists, philosophers, writers, musicians, playwrights, historians, and all kinds of great thinkers and shapers of cultural history. The Sequoia Adams Project aims to continue this fine tradition, and provide a central resource for all artists developing and performing in the world today.

Painting: Rob Gonsalves. Poem: Sarah L. Thomson

imagine a night . . .

when the space between words
becomes like the space between trees:
wide enough
to wander in.

Best of fortune to the Sequoia Adams Performance Project!

A mighty thank you to Acousticgod for the name, and to Chrispito
for the practical plan.

For Neith

And her mother's continuing presence. Mother and daughter .... knit together. forever.

Rock Dwellers

Raspberries, man. From a bush?

They look like undersea creatures getting ready to dine.

Photo by Fred Marron

Cool, Calm, and Moist

Anybody in the mood for a quiet moment before the New Moon, the eclipse, and the coming week's excitement?

I'm going to take a deep breath, and continue to breathe deeply, fully, and rhythmically. Drink in the pleasure. Live.

Photo: Sequoia National park. Sonya Bullaty and Angelo Lomeo.

V.O. Neat With a Twist

Belly up to the bar ladies!

Here are some tipplers at the NYC Majestic Hotel, around the turn of last century, when women were enjoying their newfound freedom. Integration isn't easy judging from the looks of the male patron. Ah well. Liberation is worth it.

Faith, Enthusiasm, Pain, and Healing

A shocking and sad incident just occurred in Joe's life and he asked for sympathy, which was forthcoming. But with his South Node in Cancer, sympathy no longer works as well as it once did, and as much as it might for others. We said, "I'm sorry", but the pain remained. When Juno came and commented, however, with her reasoning and enthusiasm, as well as her South Node in Capricorn, the pain diminished.

Not only does this illuminate truth about the SN in Cancer, but it tells a lot about what Pluto in Sagittarius is leaving us with. The New Moon eclipse exactly square the stationing Pluto is a big big opportunity to absorb Jupiter's bounty.

There is no doubt that faith and enthusiasm are potent elixirs in the human healing mechanism. Encouragement, empowerment, and hope, are often much more effective than weakness and feelings of victimization. One of the problems with drug-laced, fear-inducing modern medicine. This is now in transition.

When a shocking event comes, and the bricks in the chest and gut hit with the thud, there is nothing we can do to reverse it. So onward we go, to cope the best way possible as the process ahead unfolds. I am of the opinion that all events are in a logical sequence. There are no accidents, as circumstance guides us on our paths, leaving us to learn how to manage in our individual ways. There is a magic combination of cries, tears, and moans with the uplifting realization that we are still alive, kicking, and progressing into the future. That we will deal with our misfortune adequately. Don't we usually?

So this is where Sagittarius and real enthusiasm for living can help us tremendously. We are participants, not victims.
Healing is as natural as birth and death. When I witnessed death close-up, I saw the bruises on the body heal until the last day. The process is always there to connect with at any time. As Pluto delivers the treasure of hope, I'm sure he is hoping that as many of us as possible will take the gift and use it to heal our wounds.....physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Thank you Pluto and Jupiter.

North Node in Aquarius or the Eleventh House

The North Node in Aquarius is taking flight and guiding humanity to a better future. Leaving behind the kingdoms that built empires and enslaved masses, they're now able to see the golden nugget in all people, all walks of life, and they want to aid in their progress, seeing to it that every individual gets a fair share of life's substance.

A new kind of love. Having learned fully everything there is to know about personal love and romance, the NN Aquarians are entering a new dimension of love in the mind, not based on the excitement others can provide, the sexual pleasures, the heartaches and swells, the dramatic goings and comings.... but on a more detached love of people in general, and concern for their well-being above all. The roller coaster thrills are over, and a steady, constant, genuine liking of others is on deck.


Friendship. When the dependent, sometimes cloying form of love is curtailed, The Aquarian NNs are delighted to find all kinds of people interested in many of the same things they are. The new distance developing and the mental intercourse emerging, allow growth of independence and an ability to offer freedom, without the feeling of rejection at partings. They know the coming together will always be ahead with someone. People are now being liked for who they are, and not what they can do for them. Many grow to enjoy the end of the one against another games, always being the main object of everyone's desires, and realize the pleasure of group cooperation. The demand for full and immediate attention can be relinquished. People doing their own separate things, even, but enjoying the company. No longer having to be the life of the party, they know now that life, itself, is the party.

Trust. These NN people are learning abdication of the Leo will and confidence in the flow of events, leaving the sequence to circumstance, knowing things will automatically work to their benefit, especially when others are included in the reward. They are coming to accept unexpected events as natural.

Wishes and the genie. Aquarius is the sign of fulfillment of wishes, and these natives are able not only to actualize these visions, but to help their fellows achieve their futuristic goals. It's interesting that the singular of "genie", the magic holder of the lamp of our desires, is "genius", a concept associated with Aquarius as well.

Intellect and brilliance. The natives with this Uranian spark are here to develop the full potential of their minds, being gifted with an exceptional intelligence and awareness, once the attachment to excessive passion and personal drama is released. In place of heated emotion and visceral entanglement, a detached perspective is developing and a pursuit of shared interests in the mental realm. The light bulb of insight is theirs to use forever when they trust their intellects and grow to love the power of the mind. They discover that these interests are far from boring and dry, people are fascinating from a slight distance, and a new kind of self-esteem is blossoming, based on self containment, observation, and objective reasoning. Genius is a possibility.

Fire to air. The NN Aquarians are coming from the heat and ecstatic involvement, sometimes self-immolation of fire, to the cooler, less emotional element of air. The urge to burn everything in the path gives way to a dissemination of ideas, and an interest in the use of breath to communicate, rather that fan the flames.

Credit. By far, one of the best traits of these nodal natives, is the ability to bring out the talent and creativity of others. No longer needing to grasp all the credit, they now desire gold stars for all involved in the success of endeavors, especially when they loosen the need to dominate, and wholeheartedly encourage the use of everyone's abilities. They know the best result will come from this group participation. Having already mastered the lessons of self confidence, they leap at seeing the potential in others, and want to facilitate its development.

Idealism, altruism, freedom, and evolution. Aquarian NNs are here to lead people into better political relationships with one another, whether they are formally active in government and social services or not. Their understanding of group dynamics serves this goal on any level. They know the ideal of unselfish interaction, and instinctively recognize the need for personal freedom and autonomy for all citizens. Love of people and society, and a true desire for their welfare, are the most developed of all planetary placements, in the Aquarius North Node.

The Aquarius NNs are bringing their royal experience and self significance to the world, without judgement or prejudice, imparting confidence to each member of society no matter how large or small the circle. Revealing to all the solar centers within themselves.

Top illustration by Linda Saport.

Give Us This Day

I love the dignity and reverence of this scene. Professor Albert W. Rankin and family enjoying a summer supper on the porch of their Wright County, Minnesota farm, in 1908.

I had a house once, with a kitchen table overlooking my garden, and I loved to eat while watching my vegetables develop and thrive, especially my green peppers. This is a great way to synchronize with natural growth cycles. Sometimes it's hard to know our own personal growth cycles, but they're in there. Observing the crops and the stars are fine ways to get in tune.

Photo from the Minnesota Historical Society

All Right!!

Who really done it!!!!!!!!!!!

I Have a Theory

When the last great Tsunami occurred, the earth's axis shifted slightly, and time was altered a tiny fraction. I think the Saturn-Neptune opposition we're experiencing now is a manifestion of this alteration. Even the clocks changed. It's permanent, at the moment. We're in a new time.

Time Travel, Other Galaxies, and Inner Dimensions

You can go away if you want to
You are completely free
You can stay right where you are
Or you can come with me

Far out to another world
Away from here
Another galaxy
Another time, another year.

These are two stanzas from I song I sang for my sister last week. I started crying and I tried to figure out why. It's a haunting beautiful song, and it has a particular power for me. The music before had a rhythm and when I started this one, I stopped the rhythm and everything stood still. So I concluded that the stopping of forward motion brought the feelings to the surface. A moment when longings can find a space to emerge. When the fun and frivolity halt for a brief interlude. And the question of togetherness and aloneness come into play as we seek our fortunes and the objects of our desires.

Last night I had a dream, and in it I was singing this song to my brother-in-law. He loved it without reservations. Exceptional enthusiasm from a usually contained person. I then went on to my funky tunes with the customary pleasure. This is a dream I will not forget.

I have a lot of Neptune and Uranus in my character, and as anyone can tell, I long for a dream world of exquisite beauty. My life is about bringing fantasy into reality. A neccessity. Sometimes I despair at the distance, but other times, I can almost touch it.

The clocks changed early to Daylight Savings Time this year, not surprising with time being altered in the Saturn/Neptune opposition. Maybe there is some connection to the original War Time. The North Node in Pisces, ruler of the realm of dreams, is now meeting Uranus, midway in the transit. All of this leads me to the view that the collective is getting a glimpse into alternative dimensions.

A strange standstill has occurred, with no news, and nothing to talk about in the usual way. WWIII has been put on hold again, and confusion about direction is dominant. Neptune's job is to fracture linear time, blind us temporarily, and lead us to new pathways. The North Node working with the Saturn/Neptune opposition is teaching us to find perceptions in synchronization with our spiritual longings. This is a pivotal week, as the nodes and Uranus cross paths.

At the same time, Pluto is stationing and will turn retrograde shortly to pass once more through the Galactic core of our galaxy. This is an opening into new dimensions, both personally and collectively.

Soon we will be in Aries going enthusiastically into the future, but for the moment, time is suspended, and space opens up, as we learn about the universe, ideals, visions, and freedom. For the moment, they are real.

Photo. Arizona. David Meunch.

Peas, Brother

Time for another peas post.

There are a lot of iPods in the world now, but I don't possess one. I'm old-fashioned. My pods have peas in them.

In fact, just this evening, I ran across a lively gal whose iPod was on the fritz. Wouldn't stop on any tune. She decided, "to hell with it", and got into a conversation with me instead. Really lively thing. She said I was just like the "Energizer Bunny". I'm glad her iPod was broken. I got a new identity!

Mind your peas.

The green pea is an ancient legume -- a venerable vegetable. Archaeological evidence suggests that it may have been cultivated nearly 12,000 years ago in such disparate places as Switzerland and Thailand, and later in India and the Middle east. The ancient Greeks and Romans ate peas. Ninon de Lenclos, a notorious French courtesan, considered them an aphrodisiac and ate them pureed -- sometimes spiked with sherry.

I love them. Dried, wet, whole, split, green, yellow, pink, sugared, or black-eyed. Slow simmered or frozen fresh. Any way at all.

Photo:Anita Calero

Dromedairy..... Tale of a Desert South Node

In an attempt to funnel income to nomadic herders in the Middle East, the United Nations is trying to create demand for camel's milk on the global market. The organization hopes consumers will seek it out for nutritional reasons -- it's rich in iron and vitamins B and C, with antibodies to help fight disease.
How does it taste? It's sweeter than cow's milk and a little salty.

This desert dweller is a perfect example of a Leo South Node. Serving humanity with a spitting, kicking, haughty attitude.

Humph!

South Node in Leo or the Fifth House

The South Node in Leo is a preoccupation with superiority, elitist isolationism, and entitlement, if not in circumstance, then in attitude. Their well-developed egos, which once protected them, are now impediments to group belonging and the democratic participation with the collective they've grown to desire. They are abdicating the throne to find friendship and comraderie among the people.

Arrogance and contempt. For a long time these natives enjoyed their superiority and the warmth of adoration by the group, but now they are tired of the performance and their love often turns to contempt for those who grovel at their feet. They are so used to adulation, that when it's not forthcoming, arrogance takes over and they refuse to accept the rejection of their greatness. They sometimes express bitterness towards those with wealth and power, finding it difficult to walk away from the game.

Ego and the spotlight. Used to having their egos stroked continually, SN Leos have great difficulty leaving the spotlight to others, even when their acts have become tattered, worn, and unfulfilling. The greasepaint is caked and dry, and the effort to remove it has become burdensome, along with the costumes that no longer fit the persona.

Luxury, servants, superiority and privilege. The age old memory of luxury grips the Leo SNs, even when the actual circumstances are humble. They still think they're to be waited on, that their superior positions do not need to be earned, and that all they desire can be obtained at a moment's notice. Many will vehemently deny any sort of privileged attitude, but the royal heritage underlies the behavior no matter how common they wish to appear.

Melodrama. Days of Our Lives, the Secret Storm, As the World Turns.... you name it. A day in the life of a SN Leo quite frequently is packed with these theatrical, overemotional twists and turns. They demand an audience for the latest intrigues, hearing who did what to whom, and sometimes a sneeze can be a nuclear bomb being detonated. Never a dull moment, but sometimes others want one.

Love lost. The Leo SNs are notorious for bad love affairs. They can't imagine how the lucky ones to receive their affection can cast it off without paralyzing regret. Emotional danger is their need, with all the attendant thrills, and they always seem to make the worst choices. The soaring and falling of the heart in the latest infatuation has become exhausting and unfulfilling, as now they find a budding desire for plain friendship, even free of the complaints of what the latest lover did wrong. Perhaps a discussion of quadratic equations.

Letting it all hang out. The natives with this node have performed, sometimes uproariously, for audiences from time immemorial, giving all they have to satisfy the need for adoration. The swaggers, dramatic gestures, upturned chins, and superior postures are now a barrier, as they are ready to step over the footlights and into the crowd. The applause have become hollow and now they might even want some self control, intellectual distance, demure behavior, and possibly to go slightly unnoticed at times, in advanced nodeholders.

Children and disappointment. Unless there are intervening circumstances, you would be hard-pressed to go 30 seconds into a conversation with a SN Leo mother that doesn't mention the children and stay on that topic. Of course, there are exceptions, as always, but this will be the case more often than not. No matter how charming, talented, or successful they are, following every turn of their offspring's dramatic lives leaves the SNs feeling as if they are missing something. One of the hardest habits to break, fearing they'll lose the heightened emotion if away from them, not realizing that they won't really be that far away at all. If they decide to join a chess club, requiring full concentration, they can call the children as soon as they get home.

Having loved and learned, The Leo SNs are taking their accumulated warmth and self confidence to a larger circle, where they can impart their knowledge to society in a new kind of humanitarian affection than brings out the talent and expressive light in others. The many equal solar sytems of the North Node in Aquarius -- coming next.

Top: Keith Graves. 2nd: David Roberts. Bottom: Lisbeth Zwerger