I can imagine that there are still humans behind this influx of phishing emails, but their ability to flood the market seems suspect. I’ve spoken of telemarketing phone calls previously, here, but in recent times these robocalls have reduced. In fact, our telephone service provider will sometimes highlight some of those calls as suspicious.
Emails are a different kettle of fish: the trick is not to interact with, or even react to, them. And, for goodness’ sake, never click on any links.
I usually take a peek at who is sending the email, and invariably, it is someone who has no connection to the purported company on the headline. And the subject lines try to make it seem that you have to quickly respond or something won’t be delivered. That’s the trick: they want you to react before your logical thinking kicks in.
The most recent examples that I have had consistently over the last six months (since Christmas) has to do with shipments and, what surprised (and didn’t surprise) me was that they all seem to quote the same DHL shipment number. How dumb do they think I am?
Up until now, I’ve avoided this Netflix show, mainly because of the mind-bending way the storylines are developed. But, I watched this first episode from its newly released season six, on the advice of my daughter, Rosanna.
An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life – in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek.
Frankly, I’m surprised that Netflix would even air this parody of their streaming platform, namely as Streamberry, which is a nod to Apple, too.
The lesson here is to ensure that you read the fine print when you sign up for a streaming service, otherwise you could become the subject of an AI-generated television show, with or without your expressed permission.
Back after a four-year hiatus, the long-awaited sixth season of “Black Mirror” opens — fittingly — with “Joan is Awful,” an exploration of the dubious inner workings of a fictional streaming service called Streamberry.
Streamberry, which bears more than a passing resemblance to “Black Mirror’s” IRL producing partner Netflix, co-opts users’ lives to create AI-driven, CGI-rendered semi-fictional dramas without its subjects’ consent. Kind of like, say, “Inventing Anna” (which had the consent of the eponymous Anna Delvey, but not her erstwhile BFF Rachel Williams, who sued the streamer for defamation last year) or “The Crown” or “The Tinder Swindler” or “Narcos” or… you get the gist.
Sometimes, science fiction movies can help us to ‘see’ more clearly what will happen to humanity, if it doesn’t wake up. The Matrix is one of those films that definitely was a wake-up call to me.
In the early 21st century, a war broke out between humanity and intelligent machines. After humans blocked the machines’ access to solar energy, the machines responded by enslaving humankind and harvesting their bioelectric power while keeping their minds pacified in the Matrix, a shared simulated reality modeled on the world as it was in 1999. In the years following, the remaining free humans took refuge in the underground city of Zion.
Wikipedia
That paragraph is all you probably need to know, to understand the gravity of what we here on earth are facing. With climate change, planet Earth is going through a particularly painful process, well, painful for us, since the change in weather patterns has upset our peaceful coexistence in this world. (Sometimes, I use irony to speak my mind. In this case, we had been warned this could happen, but chose to put profits before people. Now we’re reaping the whirlwind.)
Morpheus: interesting name, meaning ‘the son of Somnus (god of sleep), the god of dreams and, in later writings, also god of sleep.’ Think ‘morphine’ and you’ll get the picture. Morpheus’ job was to wake people up from their sleep, so that they could join the rebellion against the Machines. Otherwise they will stay imprisoned in their cocoons.
Trinity, likewise has an interesting name: she represents the three parts of our spiritual heritage, but here in a bad, kick-ass form. Her role was to fall in love with the human, formerly known as Thomas Anderson, now known as “Neo”, the One.
Cypher: Mr. Nobody, the man who chooses to betray Morpheus, and the whole rebellion, in order to enjoy the trappings of wealth. Obviously based on Judas Iscariot, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Agent Smith: has it occurred to you that all Agents are actually Angels in disguise (otherwise known as Demons). Watching the film last night, I wondered how I could have missed such an obvious connection. They do the Machine’s bidding, without question. It seems that only Agent Smith wants to leave the Matrix, since its stench is so abhorrent to his sensibilities. He is no match for Neo.
And, finally, Neo: the One true messiah to lead his people from the darkness into the Light which is beginning to dawn on the whole world. Christ-like might be too good a word for what his role is in the story, but, if truth be told, everyone is waiting for a Superman-styled individual to save us from ourselves. But, as his birth name suggests, he is everyman, and that’s where the truth is hidden within.
Norman Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007)
The original idea for this post was to explore the concept that Norman Mailer was the reincarnation of John Milton. But I rankled at the suggestion. I had previously concluded that William Blake was the reincarnation of John Milton, and I consider myself to be the reincarnation (or associate reincarnation) of Blake (perhaps as John Varley). Could I have overlooked something? It was staring me in the face the whole time: Norman Mailer was born the day after my mother.
As my daughter, Rosanna, reminded me today: “We are all one.”
I have purposely selected an image of Ram Dass that doesn’t have his characteristic beard showing. You’ll see why later. Here is the birth chart of a man who became yet another seeker after spiritual truth in India.
There is but one inconjunct, which, should the true birth time be any later than 10:40 am local time, would cease to exist. His birth time was gleaned from his biography.
Moon Inconjunct Mercury
As you grow older, you will have to learn to make your feelings and your reason work together. The problem is not so much that they come into conflict with each other, but that your reason and feelings represent two very different sides of your personality. When you are calm and collected and able to reflect carefully, you make decisions in one way. But when you are emotionally involved ina situation, you are likely to make up your mind very differently, which could cause you to seem inconsistent to others and make it difficult for them to understand you.
For the same reasons, it may be hard for you to put your feelings into words, because your emotions are so different from your intellect. Of course, there is nothing really strange about your feelings, but that pasrt of your mind is quite different from the reasoning part. In fact it would be very unfortunate if you decided to listen only to your reason, because your intuition and imagination, both of which are more related to the Moon, can be of great assistance to you. They can tell you much about the world that your reasoning mind cannot.
Ram Dass was known as a bi-sexual man. This seems to be something he brought forward from his previous life.
Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892)
Really? Aside from the white flowing beard, what have these men in common? The soul of a poet.
News flash: Both men have conjunct positions of their natal North Nodes, and Dass’ Mercury is conjunct Whitman’s natal Venus, while Dass’ Neptune is conjunct Whitman’s natal Moon. Hmm.
Ronald Reagan, American actor, film star and politician, 20th century. After his acting career, Reagan went on to serve as Governor of California and, from 1981-1989, as the 40th President of the United States. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)
Sure, we all know who Ronald Reagan was, but did you know that he was identified by Ahtun Re as a returned revolutionary? I’m not surprised, frankly, because American politics changed after his election.
This chart was already on my computer program. When compared with other online sites, they all have 4:16 am, and then marked as conflicting, unreliable. So I’ll go with this birth time of 3:43 am.
There are four inconjuncts, two of which form a Yod pointing at Neptune (that’s the actor in him).
Sun Inconjunct Neptune (definitely)
You are very sensitive to your environment and to the people around you. On one level of your being, you feel what is going on very acutely. Unfortunately your understanding often comes in terms that are very difficult to communicate to others, because their meaning is not clear in your own mind. Your greatest danger is in being exposed to negative people who are full of anger or depression or who act very harshly toward you and undermine your self-confidence. Your self-confidence has to be boosted at every conceivable opportunity, and it would be very destructive for you to be criticized sharply, unless the person has made it very clear that he or she loves you.
Moon Inconjunct Midheaven
Work very hard to develop an objective awareness of what you are doing and where you are going. You will need this understanding to guide your emotions, which might otherwise lead you astray and make it difficult for you to focus on your goals. Even though you won’t have to choose a career or a purpose in life for many years, you can learn now to have good perception, which will make it easier to choose later on. Learn to see others’ points of view, even if you cannot accept them. Learn to make logical decisions, and do not let passing moods color your attitudes about yourself and your life too much.
Uranus Inconjunct Pluto (definitely)
This aspect indicates changes in the world of the people who were born at these times, changes that were difficult to understand because they were very revolutionary but subtle in many ways. They reached maturity at the time of the Great Depression, an expression of the breakdown of the nineteenth-century world order that was dominated by Western Europe.
Neptune Inconjunct Ascendant
This aspect can be a sign that you feel you must give way to others in order to get along with them. This can take two forms, both of which will be difficult to handle while you are young. The less positive form is simply yielding to all outside pressure and always giving in to others’ desires. This will produce unconscious feelings of resentment that you can’t express, but that make your relationships with others rather difficult. And as you get older, if you do not learn to stand up for your rights, the problem will get worse, because you express your unconscious resentment as a martyred attitude, which makes it impossible for others to appreciate or use anything they get from you. Thus the results of your sacrifice are totally negative, because you are not happy with giving and they are not happy with receiving.
But the other, more positive, way of dealing with this energy is by giving freely before others try to take it from you. In order to do this, you have to feel good about yourself and confident that you will always have enough for yourself and others. One side of you likes to help and take care of people and will not feel taken [advantage of] by others whom you give to. In the highest expression of this aspect, what you gain for yourself will not mean as much as what you gain for others, which is the effect you should work for.
So, Who Was Reagan in a Past Life?
Luther Martin (February 20, 1748 – July 10, 1826)
Who? Luther Martin was unknown to me, prior to reading about him in “Return of the Revolutionaries”. Even now, I question the relevance of his life on Ronald Reagan’s, but looking at their combined charts, I can see that they are karmically connected, astrologically.
Is it any wonder that Reagan’s wife, Nancy, insisted on consulting an astrologer before his taking any decisions or actions? She must have known something that the rest of us didn’t.
This book is the reason Niccolò Machiavelli is remembered to this day. Instinct tells me that it was written with his tongue firmly placed in his cheek, but subsequent generations have taken him at his word, including ex-President Donald J Trump.
After his death Machiavelli’s name came to evoke unscrupulous acts of the sort he advised most famously in his work, The Prince. He claimed that his experience and reading of history showed him that politics have always been played with deception, treachery, and crime. He also notably said that a ruler who is establishing a kingdom or a republic, and is criticized for his deeds, including violence, should be excused when the intention and the result are beneficial to him.
Machiavelli’s Prince has been surrounded by controversy since it was published. Some consider it to be a straightforward description of political reality. Others view the Prince as a manual, teaching would-be tyrants how they should seize and maintain power. Even into recent times, some scholars, such as Leo Strauss, have restated the traditional opinion that Machiavelli was a “teacher of evil”
Wikipedia
But is that title justified?
When I see the beginnings of an inverted five-pointed star in the middle of the chart, I am aware that all is not as it seems. The birth chart was already on my computer program, so I cannot comment on its veracity, but it ‘feels’ right. There are four inconjuncts, with three of them pointing a double Yod at Mercury.
Mercury Inconjunct Neptune
The challenge of this aspect is to make your thinking and communication with others more clear. Your rational mind is strongly influenced by your sensitivity, imagination and ideals, although you aren’t always sure how this happens. You tend to spend too much time in your own imaginary world that no one else can share, and this confuses your dealings with others. You will have to learn to face reality, so that you can at least communicate with people. Otherwise you will have a very lonely life.
Mercury Inconjunct Ascendant
You are likely to have some problems, but not serious ones, in communicating with others. The problem is that people’s first impression of you may not fit in with what you say or your manner of thinking and speaking. People tend to hear what they expect to hear, and they may not listen to you as carefully as they should. So you will have to be as clear as possible and insist that others listen to what you are really saying. If others do not understand you, it is up to you to set them straight.
Mercury Inconjunct Midheaven
It is very important that you develop your mind and your powers of thought, so that you can use them to attain whatever objectives you set for yourself. however, before you can accomplish this, you may have to solve certain problems, You may feel that there is a tension between your natural spontaneous views and what is taught by your parents and other adults. Even though their teachings seem perfectly reasonable, you want to think matters through for yourself.
It is very important that you remember not to speak impulsively. If you do, it is very likely that you will put your foot in your mouth. Consider what you are going to say and how your words can further your objectives.
Mars Inconjunct Uranus
You have a tendency to be rash and impulsive, which may get in your way. If matters proceed too slowly, you are likely to make a sudden move that upsets the whole situation and forces you to start over again. You must learn to be patient if you want to achieve your objectives.
This energy may also be expressed as a hot temper. especially when you have to endure restriction or limitation. You have a rebellious streak that needs to be disciplined, because everyone has to endure some restrictions, and it takes so little to trigger your temper.
(It’s quite telling that “The Prince” was published posthumously, which means he couldn’t defend how it was received.)
By the Time of His Death, These Tensions were Resolved
Of course, we do not know his exact time of death, so I have chosen 12 noon. There are no inconjuncts.
Before we get to whom J.K. Rowling is a reincarnation, let’s look at her birth chart.
This chart has been rectified from an approximate time. There is a double inconjunct from Uranus and Pluto to the Ascendant. Hmm. A little bit of astrological prestidigitation?
Uranus Inconjunct Ascendant
Your need to be free and do what you want is often in conflict with what others require of you and even with what you feel you ought to do. Sometimes this conflict can cause considerable physical and emotional tension. The task you face is to organize your life in a disciplined way that will enable you to satisfy your need for freedom through your everyday activities.
Your need for freedom may also interfere with your close relationships. When you are with others, even those you like, you feel very restless but you can’t get up and leave because you want to be with them. This is typical of the ambiguity that comes with this transit. Certainly, the more others try to restrict your freedom of movement, the more you try to get away.
Pluto Inconjunct Ascendant
This can be an indication that through experiences with others, you will be forced to undergo many significant changes in life. At times the crises may be quite unpleasant, but for the most part the results will be very positive, although for some people, they may be less constructive. But you must be very careful about the you get involved with. Choose your friends with great care and try to find people who have a healthy outlook on life and who seem reasonably well balanced. People who are driven to extreme behavior or who act compulsively, as if they could not plan anything in advance, are not very good for you. This will get you into difficult situations that you do not need.
(Why do these descriptions sound more fitting for Harry Potter?)
So, who is she the reincarnation of? Surprise, surprise (not):
Charles Dickens (February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870)
Charles Dickens was a prolific writer. His story has been told and retold many times. I don’t remember featuring his birth and death charts before, but I’ve combined them with Rowling’s birth chart here.
By now, if you’ve been following my karmic astrology posts, you can recognize the planetary aspects that link these two individuals. Do you doubt Ahtun Re’s suggestions? This one seems apt, for sure.
The other past-life case that emerged, in relation to Norm Shealy, involves Charles Dickens, who was noted to be a good friend of John Elliotson. In a session with Kevin Ryerson, I asked Ahtun Re whether Dickens was incarnate today, and I was told that he is. I was surprised to learn who Dickens is in contemporary times, though on further reflection, it made perfect sense. Charles Dickens has reincarnated as J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. Ahtun Re pointed out that in this lifetime, as in the last, Dickens/Rowling is bringing magic into children’s lives through written works. The physical resemblance between Dickens and Rowling is impressive.
Semkiw, Walter. Return of the Revolutionaries (pp. 510-511). Hampton Roads Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Turns out this legal activist was the man who told Donald Trump that he could fight the DoJ and keep his precious documents. Was that good advice? Not particularly, since Trump is now in legal jeopardy.
This chart is totally randomized. So, I cannot rely on anything that is time-dependent. However, there is one Yod which is independent from a correct time of birth. That Yod points at Saturn.
Saturn Inconjunct Neptune
This aspect is strongest when either of these planets is also conjunct or opposition the Ascendant or Midheaven. It can have a variety of effects, one of which may be difficulty in relating fantasy and imagination, on one hand, to reality, duty, obligation and work, on the other. Your imaginative side tends to be transformed into nervousness, fear and irrational anxieties. The most negative manifestation of this aspect is a feeling that you have to keep a tight lid on yourself and that if you look inside yourself too closely, you will find only emptiness and disintegration. It is difficult for you to realize that this is not the truth about your inner self.
Saturn Inconjunct Pluto
If either of these planets is close to conjunction or opposition with the Ascendant or Midheaven, its effects can be quite strong. It signifies a feeling that you must work extremely hard to keep your life running smoothly on a day-to-day level. Often this aspect is associated with quite a bit of tension, especially in your muscles, but also in your emotional approach to life. You need to learn that the world is not always a place of struggle and that occasionally it is good to let go and relax.
Even under favorable circumstances, this aspect usually means that you are resistant to change, that you hold on to any situation, no matter how bad, until it is totally intolerable. Then when change does take place, it has to create a revolution and a total breakdown of everything that came before it.
cdsmiller17 