Vibrating Strings

Saturn in Libra
A Marriage Between Science and Art

"Science has shown that song lies at the core of life."

So say the researchers in a very interesting documentary I just discovered called The Music Instinct - Science and Song. Brian Greene, a physicist at Columbia University has this to say:

"You can phrase a lot of interesting phenomena in the universe in terms of music. For instance, I work in a field called string theory which is an approach to describing the fundamental constituents of matter. It says that inside all particles of matter is a little tiny string that vibrates sort of like a violin string would vibrate and the equation that we use to explain this little string is very close in structure to the equation we use for the violin.

In a sense what we're saying is that, if string theory is correct, at the heart of matter is music.

The sounds of the universe are at too low a frequency to be picked up by the human ear. Even black holes have pitches. One is a b flat but it's 57 octaves below any b flat we could hear.
It's all a matter of the same underlying phenomenon -- vibration. And vibration is so apparent in the cosmos that you can perceive the underlying thread."

The film was fascinating, an in depth look at music from an unusual perspective and out of the ordinary lab experiments. The consensus of opinion at the conclusion was that music serves the purpose of building group cohesion to align people's brain states. To synchronize, for some reason not stated. It feels good, several mentioned. Or protects the species. I have my own theories about music's functions and it most assuredly is an interesting subject.

With Saturn in Libra for a couple of years I'm looking forward to some engaging exchanges along these lines. I'm a big fan of physics.

Electrochemical Explosions

Jupiter-Uranus in Aries
Hell Breaks Loose

"With the U.S .government and oil giant British Petroleum under fire for their handling of the more than two-month-old Gulf Coast oil spill disaster, environmental and community activists across the country are taking matters into their own hands.

'We're organising a broad resistance,' Larry Everest, a spokesperson for the committee from San Francisco, California, who traveled to the Gulf after the disaster, told IPS. 'The goal of the summit flowed from the call we put out, a recognition of the enormity of the catastrophe... and recognising that the disaster is out of control and spreading and BP and the government have shown they are unable and unwilling to stop the disaster and protect the environment or even tell the truth.' "
Matthew Cardinale: Gulf Spill Galvanizes Activist Community

I presume many of you have noticed the rising tide of anger in this country as I have. Well in the world, really. The fuse of Aries is even more explosive with Uranus playing a major role in the drama, but there are usually managerial factors and certainly Saturn will also be playing a big part. Aries is potential energy, the kick start of all action.

The oil expulsion has triggered an electromagnetic wave of concentrated energy in the world, unexpected and following odd Uranian pathways. It shot a bolt of distraction into the distractions and a double-take is finding people having difficulty with their ordinary disjointed frenzies and hackneyed shows.
People frequently underestimate the force of Aries -- the highly charged juice that enables life to take off and begin the struggle for survival. You probably have to be one to know what I'm talking about and I am .... Aries rising. I also have a tight Mars-Uranus square and I've been shocked at times, not only by the extent of my anger but by the fearlessness with which I express it. I've come to have a healthy respect for Mars combined with Uranus.
It often does seek control, fortunately. Potential energy is meant to be harnessed and utilized. And the harnessing of energy is part, if not most of the underlying theme in this story, another sequence in the whole story of civilization and its fuel requirements.

The idea is to take the Arian-Uranian anger emerging, consolidate it, confine it, and use its electrical power, not only to shake up a too rigid system, but to eventually set into motion the beginnings of real alternatives. In the beginning, it simply has to come out.

Something always seems to be dogging human society as a whole with so many people and so much desire trying to orchestrate itself on the planet. Life in all its forms contends with adversity. There's plenty of room for error and I assume that these quirks are part of the sequence from success to failure and back again in the continuous cycle. The irritation pushes us along.

People are out of work and saddled with debt. Medical costs are rising 9% next year. We're swimming in gas and the current alternatives are just as destructive. The rich are on another spending spree and are broadcasting their superior position blatantly. The commoners don't know where to turn for assistance and are beginning to feel that the previously trusted specimens are actually causing some of the harm. The federal government is alternating between playing dead and continuing the criminal heist, pretending to do an infinitesimal something for the citizens as a coverup for political positioning and maintenance of the established order. I'm not sure that the increasing frustration has anywhere to go but through hostile channels at first. If the citizens were to get results then the harnessing could proceed, but Jupiter and Uranus are only in Aries briefly now and there's a conclusion to make in Pisces before action gets a foothold.

Energy. It's all about energy. When Mars contacts Uranus it bursts past the usual circuits in a way designed to open up new paths that wouldn't appear otherwise. Alternate routes sometimes are necessary. Detours and what-not. Route 66 to the zillionth cosmic degree. Gaskets are blown, gears are stripped, and barricades are busted through as the Martian impulse pushes into new territory. Everything about this moment is new and it's playing out minute to minute from an unpredictable expulsion still not sure where to settle. The Uranian circuitry functions on a different frequency and takes some adjustment. Awakening and revitalizing are the aims and people are already exhausted trying to escape the shocks and stay asleep, or at least get plenty of breaks in the midst of the elevated excitement. Some people are afraid that the path is leading to some grand horror but aren't we already in one? Could it get worse? Of course. Will it? I'm not an expert in probabilities, so I can't say. Whatever unfolds, protective gear is always available.

I do trust Uranus, however, because I've had to given my personal situation. I have learned. And I'm not surprised when I'm surprised. Anger can be channeled well as a potent way to build strength and immunity and keep illness at bay. It can translate into bravery, release of potentially harmful pressure, and protection of others. But I will admit that even as an Aries, I'm still too afraid to slam a racquetball hard against the wall. I kick chair legs, though. Unintentionally.

Some people are opposed to anger and I can fully understand that. But look at your babies and children. It's a natural part of their emotional expression and they often do well with it. Why should we take the other sensations with us into adulthood and not include one of the main ones? A pillar. So this first step into Aries has lit the fuse of a ferocious energy that can eventually be contained and controlled by Saturn and Pluto. It might light up the environment even more than compact florescent bulbs.

Some people are afraid and that's OK. Surely there will be those who react badly to the energies and wander into dangerous terrain. No one says that you have to participate and go against your natural expressions if you are the peaceful and contented type. In fact, the more you stay that way the more you can care for the battle weary in your cool and scared gardens. But still, respect for their struggles is wise considering the electrochemical situation. And who knows that you might not turn out to be beneficiaries of this massive blowout when the new paths are defined?

The pressure mounts until breakouts can no longer be contained, and that's the motivating factor behind the tense cardinal squares and the increasingly confining outer circumstance. It can't be stopped until the consolidation of resistance is created. There's been loads of talk about the rebellious radical nature of Uranus so it should not be so surprising after all, especially if the crowd truly intends to smash up the status quo or otherwise obliterate it, as is so often stated.

Uranus is going retrograde now and maybe things will ease up as we wait and see what the well does and get ready to tackle the results. The timid and frightened, as unwilling as they are to join the fray, must realize that those in the vanguard should not and won't be pulled back by the undertow of fear. Pressures like weather patterns determine the mode of operation appropriate for the circumstance and there is collective agreement on some level that will be adhered to.

Cancer holds back or hides in the fear, Capricorn does what must be done, and Aries forges ahead valiantly. Libra is around, too, and recharging moments of peace will be available and highly appreciated, without a doubt. As a whole, we love the combustion engine with its sparking plugs more than anything in life, it seems. The collective is sparking and combusting now, as is the earth, and there probably won't be anything to halt this vehicle's progress. Jams are created to get out of. Things ratchet up in increments and as far as I've seen, there's reason to the rhyme. We invented the wheel for a purpose, although progress might not always be strictly linear. We've got a wreck on our hands. Somebody's got to take care of it. I think.