A Once-in-a-Lifetime Shot of the Moon

Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a Fontana di Trevi, Roma

Chris Barber’s original (unedited) photograph, taken on March 19th during a recent trip to Italy

The image of the church’s cross is superimposed on the moon to create a shining light for Lent.

The cropped version

To me it shows that we are not alone, and that our constant companion is the Moon’s spirit.

The closeup reveals a Cosmic Cross ‘star’

Amen,

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Episode 8: “The Viscount Who Loved Me”

Bridgerton (Season 2)

Question: When is this Gentleman not a gentleman?

Answer: When he falls in love with the ‘wrong’ sister.

We started watching this season on Netflix last Friday night. We finished it yesterday. Where do I begin? The story line should be enough to excite the hearts and minds of women everywhere, but the plot has some glaring holes.

In season 1, Anthony caught his sister, Daphne, in a compromising situation with Simon, and immediately sought to get them married, before a scandal broke out. This time, Daphne catches Anthony in a similar situation with Kate and doesn’t say a word. Hmm.

It turns out that the book this season is based on is far more likely and enlightening. But that doesn’t help the viewer work out why things happened in a certain order, with a specific result that drives the narrative forward to the end.

Anachronisms

For whatever reasons, the producers of Bridgerton rely almost totally on modern songs translated into chamber music. Whereas that trick of the mind should help viewers understand the message of whatever scene is being played out, I found it distracting, as I was trying to hum along with the tunes and remember the words. Material Girl by Madonna, for example, played in the background while the debutantes were being presented to Queen Charlotte. The message was clear, but completely out of character.

The second thing was the vibrant use of colour (and I’m referring to the dresses, not the characters). We might as well have been in France at the Palace of Versailles during the time of Louis XIV. I’m not sure the Georgian period was so garish, but I could be wrong.

Finally, the story reminded me of several classic novels, plays and recent TV dramas. Pride and Prejudice, obviously; The Taming of the Shrew, by Shakespeare; and even Downton Abbey. Is there really nothing new under the sun?

Overall, an Enjoyable Feast

I enjoyed it, nevertheless. And, no doubt, this series could run and run, as there are many children to marry off. But, for now, I’m just happy that Anthony and Kate found the courage to join their lives together. Long may they run.

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A Short Discussion about One’s Own Chart Ruler

Jupiter in the 2nd House

Ellie Adams has done it again. Just yesterday, she posted a YouTube video about this very subject matter, one that I had not paid too much attention to before. The reason that I pay attention to most everything she says is that we both have Sagittarius Rising and what she says makes total sense to me.

I know that if I mention, “Aegon my face,” my daughter, Rosanna, will understand what I’m saying.

Now, I want you to see how the planetary transits are affecting me, today…

The transiting Sun is about to touch my ‘independent’ North Node in Aries. Transiting Mars is separating from my natal Jupiter (@ 15° Aquarius 45′), while transiting Venus conjunct Saturn are both separating from my natal Sun (@ 20° Aquarius 03′). The moment I raised the Transit chart, the transiting Ascendant is opposite my natal Mercury (@ 24° Capricorn 12′), and the transiting Midheaven is opposite my natal Midheaven @ 12° Libra 47′).

Jupiter is also conjunct my natal Sun

So, yes, the Universe is unfolding, as it should.

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Yesterday in History IX

Solidarity Strike! (March 27, 1981)

On this day in 1981: More than 12 million Poles go on strike for 4 hours as part of the Solidarity movement.

When you look back at historical moments like this, they can be very revealing about how a movement can change the world.

Solidarity (Polish: Solidarność, pronounced [sɔliˈdarnɔɕt͡ɕ]), full name Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity” (Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy „Solidarność”, abbreviated NSZZ „Solidarność” [ɲɛzaˈlɛʐnɨ samɔˈʐɔndnɨ ˈzvjɔ̃zɛɡ zavɔˈdɔvɨ sɔliˈdarnɔɕt͡ɕ]), is a Polish trade union founded in August 1980 at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland. Subsequently, it was the first independent trade union in a Warsaw Pact country to be recognised by the state. The union’s membership peaked at 10 million in September 1981, representing one-third of the country’s working-age population. Solidarity’s leader Lech Wałęsa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 and the union is widely recognized as having played a central role in the end of Communist rule in Poland.

In the 1980s, Solidarity was a broad anti-bureaucratic social movement, using methods of civil resistance to advance the causes of workers’ rights and social change. Government attempts in the early 1980s to destroy the union through the imposition of martial law in Poland and the use of political repression failed. Operating underground, with significant financial support from the Vatican and the United States, the union survived and by the later 1980s had entered into negotiations with the government.

The 1989 round table talks between the government and the Solidarity-led opposition produced agreement for the 1989 legislative elections, the country’s first pluralistic election since 1947. By the end of August, a Solidarity-led coalition government was formed and in December 1990, Wałęsa was elected President of Poland.

Following Poland’s transition to liberal capitalism in the 1990s and the extensive privatization of state assets, Solidarity’s membership declined significantly; by 2010, 30 years after being founded, the union had lost more than 90% of its original membership.

Wikipedia

They say timing is everything, which is ironic, since I have purposely set the clock to 9 am local time in Warsaw. However, that one inconjunct, amongst all the stress-filled oppositions and squares, could be the key.

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 pain. 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. One way to accomplish this is by figuring out your own methods for doing your work.

(Or, in this case, NOT doing your work.)

Comparing this event with the Truckers’ Freedom Convoy shows the differences between truly organized ‘civil resistance’ and a minor (but extended) inconvenience.

Okay. I didn’t expect so many links to show between these two charts: Solidarity’s Uranus is conjunct the Convoy’s South Node; Solidarity’s South Node is conjunct the Convoy’s Sun; the Convoy’s Part of Fortune is conjunct Solidarity’s Midheaven. And their two Moons are almost exactly conjunct. Hmm.

On second thought, maybe the Truckers’ Freedom Convoy will also change Canada and the world forever. Stranger things have happened when people come together in Solidarity!

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Yesterday in History VIII

Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty (March 26, 1979)

On this day in 1979: Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin, and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C.

And a ‘cold peace’ broke out between those two nations.

The timing is randomized. If you look closely at the photograph (below), the sun appears to be marginally to the right (facing), so that means to me that it’s either slightly before noon or slightly after.

Since this ‘event’ happened on the South Lawn, I would definitely suggest that this is before noon.

At any rate, only the inconjunct pointing at the Midheaven would be suspect. The rest stand as is.

Moon Inconjunct Pluto (Israel)

This aspect means that your emotions are very intense and not always easy to deal with. Often your feelings make you want to do or say something without knowing why. Also you may have very intense moods in which you withdraw from those around you into a world of your own. This should not be a serious problem unless you have been brought up to have all sorts of fears and worries. In that case your actions will be driven by your fears, and you may behave quite strangely.

Venus Inconjunct Jupiter (Egypt)

This can be a positive aspect if you learn to control some of its negative possibilities. You are likely to lack energy and to be rather passive. You may wait for possibilities to come to you, rather than go after them. You may not have enough energy to pursue your ambitions, or you may not have much ambition. Or you may love your comfort so much that you are unwilling to make any effort or put up with any pain that could help you grow and develop. However, if there are any indications of energy in your chart, they should overcome the passivity.

Mars Inconjunct Pluto (USA)

You have a strong will and always to have your own way. But very often it seems as if tremendous forces are working to prevent you from getting what you want. If you have this problems, it is because of the way you go about trying to achieve your ends. If you put too much force into your desire to get something, you may unknowingly alienate people because your aggressive manner shows that you will let nothing stop you from getting what you want. Even if that isn’t the way you really feel about it, you should recognize that your forcefulness creates this impression.

Pluto Inconjunct Midheaven (Security Forces)

You may have trouble with older people who try to teach you how to actively take control of your life. Even while you are young, you may resent their control over you and resist everything they are trying to teach you. To a great extent, your path in life will be shaped by your early confrontations with authority figures. Your parents would be well advised to give you as much control as possible over your own affairs and as much self-determination as you can handle. They should not try to keep an extremely tight rein on you, for if they do, you will explode and become very difficult to handle. Also your self-esteem would be damaged. Your parents and teachers should be very straightforward with you, because if you feel that people are not being honest with you, you will not be honest with them. You are quite capable of acting behind people’s backs if you consider it necessary or if you feel that you never get your own way.

Hindsight

The whole point of looking back at historical events is to give us some perspective about the present and the potential future. Most of the Arab countries were outraged when this agreement was made. And the Palestinians felt betrayed by the Egyptians. But can you blame these leaders for wanting to limit the damage that war between them had caused?

Armageddon may be the result of this peace treaty. We shall have to wait and see.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Leader of the PLO
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Unbridled Light — the-well-spring.uk

26th March 2022 In between the forces of light is a sub-stratum which joins the infinite to matter. It pursues the ways of mass into form and is picked up by the human eye, but unrecognised by many. This is the force known as Unbridled Light. It is not the same as sunlight which is […]

Unbridled Light — the-well-spring.uk
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Ximena: The Role that Won My Heart in 1961

Sophia Loren (September 30, 1934)

This is going to seem weird: I watched an episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” a couple of days ago from 1962, which featured Vic Damone. The ‘reason’ he was going to be the star of The Alan Brady Show was that they had lost Sophia Loren, the scheduled star. “How can you lose Sophia Loren?”

Well, as sometimes happens, that reference to her stuck in my brain, and last night I was pondering her beauty while I was falling asleep. Then, this morning, I thought about “El Cid”.

Courtesy of IMDb

This movie was the followup role for Charlton Heston after winning the Oscar for “Ben-Hur”. It was also the second one starring him that I saw as a pre-teen in the early 1960s. My love for all things medieval stems from his portrayal of the Cid. And gave me my first indication of what love would look like in the time and setting. It stuck with me for 60 years.

Normally, I feature the individual’s birth chart, but this time I will not. Sophia is still alive and well (at 87), so I don’t want to cause her any unintended upset. Today will be an homage to her role as the Cid’s wife, Ximena (sometimes written as Jimena).

I have a thing for hay, and rolling in it. Probably this image was the basis for that. This was their last night before the big battle in the movie. The Cid had been exiled by the King of Castile, but comes back to save Valencia from the Moors. The love story has a sad ending, but the hero became a legend anyway.

Doña Jimena Díaz (also spelled Ximena) (before July 1046–c.1116) was the wife of El Cid, whom she married between July 1074 and 12 May 1076, and her husband’s successor as ruler of Valencia from 1099 to 1102. The spelling Jimena is a modern Spanish one. In the documents of her time, her name was spelled Ximena and it was then pronounced like “Shimena.”

Wikipedia

Conclusion

The South of France, Catalonia, has a special place in my heart. No doubt I’ve lived there and died there.

But Spain takes a close second, and this story and their love live on inside me, too.

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PsyCards: Seeking Some Spiritual Clarity…

Kate: What Should I do about my Diabetes? (Today: 1:59 pm EDT)

This is an example of how one can get in touch with someone who has passed to the Other Side, one year before. The shorthand is clear to me: the Beast is the disease. It has consumed my waking (and sleeping) moments recently. Going to the left, it is a disease of the Body, which is acting like a Puzzle, especially where my life’s Work is involved. Going to the right, my Warrior card is featured next to Kate’s Beauty card. These two cards are completed by the Voyage card, a frequent ‘hint’ from the Universe. So, in reality, the message says that the conquering of this disease will take a lot of work, and the result will likely be a spiritual voyage of some kind.

Kate is a constant companion, now that she has transitioned. But I don’t often ask her for advice. The cards are telling me that she’s standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me on this leg of the Journey.

Thank you, Kate. Message received.

Wokingham Town Hall
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Health Update: I’ve Started Taking Insulin at Mealtime

Admelog (March 24, 2022)

It had to happen sooner or later, since up until now I only had a slow acting insulin (Levemir) taken just before bedtime. But why now?

As chance would have it, I watched a YouTube video by a fellow astrologer (Ellie Adams) yesterday, and she was explaining how transiting Chiron can effect a healing (after an initial and sometimes painful disruption) when it passes the major angles in the birth chart (Ascendant, Decendant, the IC and the Midheaven). This can be especially difficult if those major angles are conjunct a planet or one of the Moon’s Nodes. A light bulb went off in my head: of course… Chiron transiting my North Node in Aries, again.

Chiron does not show up on my charts. It is only listed as part of the asteroid placements (just below the chart on the right side). I’ve picked this day (February 18, 2022) because my blood sugar levels were ‘slightly’ elevated for three days prior to this date and for three days after, with this day being the calm in the eye of the hurricane. Within five weeks, these numbers went through the proverbial roof.

The reason I think it’s significant is that transiting Chiron (@ 10° Aries 01′) was about to touch my North Node, conjunct the IC, while opposing my Mars/South Node/Midheaven conjunction in Libra..

From 12andus.com:

Transiting Chiron Conjunct Natal True Lunar Node

This is a powerful time to learn, grow and expand in new directions. Past wounds and trauma may fuel a desire to seek greater wisdom or new perspective. There will be opportunities to gain clarity regarding your purpose and destiny as it relates to your past wounds as well [as] now.

Any frustrations or friction arising now is an indicator that you have strayed from your path as a healer or guide to others. Your unique purpose may stand out to you now and past hardships or difficulty accepting your unique journey will be understood in a new light.

You may be connected with others that need to learn from your experiences and wisdom now as well. Be open to sharing your path to healing with those your encounter.

Right. Well, that’s me told…

Conclusion?

It’s time to follow the lead of my children and take the pledge: to never drink alcohol, ever again. Amen.

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Canadian Journalist Decodes Mysterious Links

Malcolm Gladwell (September 3, 1963)

2008

Well, he’s actually British born, but raised and educated in Canada. Malcolm Gladwell is a mixed blessing to us all. He seems to be able to go behind the scenes and discover what makes us tick.

This chart is randomized, as no one knows what time he was born. Most astrology sites have opted for noon. This one is but 30 minutes later. The Scorpio Rising of 14° is conjunct Neptune there. Everything seems to pivot around the Moon @ 6° Pisces. This is fortuitous. There is one inconjunct.

Moon Inconjunct Mercury

As you grow older, you will learn to make your feelings and your reason work together. The problem is not so much that they come into conflict with each others, 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 in a situation, you are likely to make up your mind 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 part 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.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t allow your feelings to overrun your reason. The best thing to do whenever there seems to be a conflict between these two areas is to not make a decision immediately. Reflect and wait for further information that might help you make up your mind. As you get older, this problem should lessen considerably, and you should be able to make decisions more and more rapidly.

He wrote “The Tipping Point” when he was just 33. I have now finished reading the book. It provided me with many different clues about so many things. I’m grateful for the insights.

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