As we head towards the darkest day of the year, we immerse ourselves in examining the ephemeral. The imagination is heightened to encompass the outrageous and enlightening. The holy days are all around us and we need to slow down to observe them.
​
Movement is always attractive as we can let the body take over the rhythms we need to individuate. Matching another’s rhythm is a tantric exercise. Integrating to become one, is a huge part of our human longing.

Comic book characters and science fiction are our new heroes. As early traditions had animal symbols and miracles, reality has always needed the counter balance of fantasy. Do you enjoy romance novels and or sports? Things that help the mind step outside itself, without consuming something. Puzzles or gin rummy are good. Competition can be ok if you allow your partner the awareness to perceive your need to win.

Peacocks, lollipops, and rattles encourage succumbing to silliness and tranquility. Let the gifts of generosity and understanding be prevalent. Remind yourself as you do others. When the dark fairy arrives, let her have her rant and rave. Let go of cause and effect. Merging is the operative word. Music is a necessity.

The dramatic changes happening everywhere will play themselves out. The end of the rainbow, or light at the end of the tunnel always appear when we are not looking. Practice seeing the bouncing lights of fairies and alternative reality. Why not?

To explore further, check out these interesting links:
The History of Cinderella
and
Sleeping Beauty and the Fates of Mythology

Row row row
Your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily merrily 
Life is but a dream.

Seemingly one of Ram Dass’ meditations. The language we are taught by our Mothers is the prevailing one.

As we head into the hibernation time of the year, we contemplate emotions and our senses to feather our dreams of new growth.

Hecate, the Goddess of boundaries was able to pass thru them. Magic and the underworld were her domaine. Borders, gates, doorways, the passages from one reality into another, were ideas she had the keys to. She also carried the lights. Perhaps like the Puritans she cultivated a dark prescience to give a greater appreciation to the light. In aiding Demeter in her search for Persephone, she displayed a compassion. Rather like the new version of the wicked witch in Oz, she is a combination of what came before her. Shakespeare and others described the terrifying aspects, but she also came into situations with kindness. In Greece, Anatolia, (Turkey), and Egypt she was revered. In manifesting the three sides of herself, she kept vigil as protection to the hearth and home. The mistress of the “in between” she recognized the illusion and reality of the poison that cures.

How do we make choices? Solitude and contemplation are necessary, but also discussion and observing the reactions of others. The in person connection cannot be dismissed. The five senses, including smell, touch and perhaps intuition come in the physical presence. The world of air and the internet cannot provide the instinctual chemistry of our mundane bodies. With Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius we just might see how to be like Hecate and exist in the in-between. Acceptance of a virtual world may be necessary but we cannot spare the connection to the other elements, earth, water, fire and ether.

As a Cancer, July 4, country, our deepest desire is security. The mother, the womb, the feeding of the world. And the meddling in world affairs. The essence of motherhood is to protect. As this is where our greatest wounds are as well, we often want to find solutions to incomprehensible disasters. But accidents and chaos are not linear and liminal spaces are disorienting. Feeling disoriented is one of our greatest fears. The facts and discussions of opposing forces are broader than ever. Try to remember we will change and mutate again as the Sun comes up.

​Isn’t it funny how things speed up in September? “La Rentrée”. The cycle of the earth is slowing down and we have to be busy to get reborn for the winter. All of our collective history has been about hibernating. Yes, we must collect supplies for our inactivity. But, the contemplation of our lives does not just come when we have aged. If we do it right, it is a muscle that we learn to use so that when we can’t move around as much, we use our time as well spent. The gossips or godmothers told wonderful stories reflecting the consistent sequences of time we live through.

Time is ruled by Saturn. The old man with the synth who ushers in the newborn, is his image. Hermès Trismegistus, another character that has Saturnine qualities wrote on the Emerald Tablet, The 7 truths, about accepting dualities. The principles of Mentalism, correspondence vibration, polarity, rhythm, cause and effect, gender are the contemplative ideas that hopefully grow and transform with age. It is often about the emotions that are difficult to perceive in the unconscious. Also the nervous system does transform into a slightly less peaceful place, with time. The accumulation of observing our feelings and thought processes can mutate into a love of ourselves. Most often we have trouble believing. I write to explore and express so I may be more patient with myself.

Aging requires more patience with our selves. When we get there, we are confounded as to how it happened. What is truly important is hopefully less emotionally charged. Saturn gives the gift of necessity. It personifies the cause and effect principle. Saturn is about seeing the childhood as formative, but not without recognizing the dilemmas of any trauma. Thankfully we may not have too many details of what it means to be a grown up, Peter Pan was a little bit right.

The most important feeling and thought we need is hope. In the need to save Venice we are also believing in the Renaissance. In the Middle Ages, there was a devastating plague. What came next was a rebirth of sorts. The discovery of concrete was one of many new projects. The embracing of perspective in art, observation and reasoning became a unique part of education.

Money and art started walking hand in hand. The beginnings of Protestantism are seen threw the humanist philosophy. The moralism of extremism is seen through the need to present a different kind of hierarchy. The complexity of a blend of science, art, logic and graciousness cannot expect perfection in the human condition.

A classical definition of a pure Democracy says there is almost limitless power over minorities, through the voting process. A Republic prohibits government from limiting or taking away inalienable rights. Of course, interpretation is provocative.

The Black Death increased the focus on the living and religion morphed. The common man’s life was enhanced by the monumental decrease in population. King Matthias Corvinas of Buda in Hungary, made his country, the second to embrace the ideas of humanism and the Renaissance in 1476 after his marriage to Beatrice of Naples.

​There are those who say the Renaissance was of a romantic perspective that drew a veil over reality at the same time it enhanced realism of perspective. Marxists comment that it only chose capitalism over feudalism. The Dutchman Erasmus encouraged all to think for themselves, perhaps the greatest gift of all.

But not necessarily in today’s world of instant communication.

Camera, the Italian word for bedroom. There is something so special about the illusory circumspection inherent in the photograph made by the camera. The intimacy of the bedroom is all-surrounding, a place for contemplation and privacy but the titillating expectation of another experience.

Showman or charlatan are words that describe the circus. The word comes from Latin the ring or circle. So much is described by the circle, our planet, the zodiac belt. In the beginning there was the wheel. We see in the ouroboros, the serpent or dragon, a definition of the human condition. We start at one end of the ring and swallow the tail. And then we are reborn. This is what the alchemists contemplated. Turning lead, dead matter, into gold.

Wouldn’t it be grand to be involved with the human interaction of live performers, animals, and scientific gadgets, i.e. the man shooting out of the cannon, that stimulate our senses. The electronic age we live in can be more about self-absorption. It does involve an acceptance of risk. What does the circus represent to you?

Merry-go-rounds with lights and music and spinning can be good for the soul. Costumes that have fantasy, glitter and mystery uplift the lighthearted nature in us. Clowns make us laugh and cry. A mustache: must ache, play on words. Another is a puppet, pup pet. Is an office, off ice? Silliness of a malapropism provides the inner chuckle to reassess a mood. I scream for ice cream.

“I Dream of Jeannie” had so many chuckles, the least of which, can you put the Genie back in the bottle. This symbolism contains all the hopes, wishes and desires, at a price.
If you consult the tarot, the runes, the I Ching, all you want is a validation of your wishes. And that validation will often provide the energy to go for it. Believe it will be a correct choice.

Parades, floats, mermaids, and chevaliers give us license to expand our imagination and sense of wonderment. This is what is meant by the child within.

Gallantry and virtue.

Perhaps the ancient way of being was a way to encourage feelings of love and friendship. The speedy monosyllabic vocabulary of today does not encourage the connection to other human beings. It’s good for making plans sometimes, but the amount of texts to set a time is infinite.

Gallantry comes from gale, also regale. It describes pleasure, rejoicing and fun. A gallant man is flirtatious and chivalrous. Gallantry is courage in battle including the war of love. It is polite attention and respect towards women.

Virtue is a trait that describes the feminine in a relationship. In French there is a connection to truth. La vérité. As nature is a virtuous phenomenon it is connected by the color green. In French “verte”.

The feminine passivity throughout history has been the principled, the chaste, morality, integrity and discipline. The idea was to encourage nobility in the human spirit. As men with superior physical strength went to war and built structures, women supported the hearth. In today’s world of uncompromising equality, who looks after the contemplative nature of home?

We scientifically know more facts but do we integrate them with our psyche? Facts require proof. Our inner beings know that proof, trust and finite facts are malleable. Amenable requires flexibility to another point of view.

Relationships seem today to be based on the Freudian concepts of sex and how our primary, I.e. parental examples evolved. But, throughout history, romance and storytelling provided insight and encouragement to seek out virtue and gallantry. A hero requires a quest. Connecting is being a part of a journey together.

The beauty and her beast taught each other bravery and to seek the possibilities of love in the invisible courageous depths of life.

Today contracts rule the world. Chivalry and gallantry rely on trust.

How often have you felt the excitement of something new? Our lives are circular experiences that undulate our feelings. The trick is to ground the excitement in soft cushions of containment. 

If the deplorable despicable denigration of our individual freedoms can be relinquished for a while, just maybe we can put the slant towards a new veneer of possibilities.

What makes you happy? If we are to pursue it, we have to describe it. Pleasure comes from focusing on the pain-free part of your anatomy. Hearing harmonic music, seeing beautiful images, smelling luscious intangibles, tasting comforting or unusual morsels, touching the soft or hard plateaus that stimulate desire, these are the five senses to encourage exploration.

How to explain the ongoing fascination of Star Trek, the final frontier. We all love adventure, even if only in the mind.

The expansiveness of Jupiter in Pisces is encouraging the infinite boundaries of Neptune in Pisces.

The creatures of different planets have something to tell us. They know it is easier to stick to your own kind, but the fun to engage is truly special. The joy-fullness of interaction with a different point of view is the heart of all relationships. Sure, we may choose others that represent the dilemmas of the immediate family we grew up in, but, we can also turn it around if we can only see clearly.

As the major dramatics alter in politics, health, and finances, it is a good time to take polarizing opinions and resonate with the moment. Realize the news is only like a horror movie and we can use it as strictly entertainment. Archetypes are useful for insight. The heroes as well as the villains. Adrenaline is addictive.

Translation means so many things. Going to a foreign country to understand the culture without the required language. Can we intuit the communication in other ways? The imagination is strongly inclined to take over. We long for the force of our intuition to be substantial. 

To translate generally means to carry across. If you try to do this with meaning, it may become interpretative and insightful.

Throughout history the head has been seen as needing to be protected. Hats, chapeaux, yamaka, full head masks, or crowns, all preserve the psychic energy that resides in our minds. Today we mostly think of the weather or fashion as the need for coverings. Our early ancestors usually chose symbolism to translate the metaphysical powers. The reminder and reality to protect our emotional foibles is where head coverings come in.

The chapeau translates to circle or wreath of skin. To tip the chapeau is offering kudos, respect, to acknowledge a job well done. And of course, we mostly always cover our feet.

The circle of the zodiac starts with Aries, the head, and closes with Pisces, the feet. The sole of the foot and the soul of our beings are intertwined. Were Dorothy’s red shoes her passion, the color red, to discover her soul? 
​
Glinda’s crown displayed her reaching for the stars.

Our connection to the earth and the cosmos are displayed through the ouroboros of the beginning and endings. The top of the head has a soft spot when we are born to demonstrate the connection to the invisible. Over time it hardens as a kind of covering. We need to somehow open this entrance into our psyche to examine and be free of fears. But, have a hat handy to cover and protect.

​Love
Unconditional love
The lineup of Venus, Sun, Neptune in Pisces, this month is of the empathetic ephemeral nature.

Love
Spelled backwards and add an ev.
To evolve means to grow gradually. Definitely a component of loving.

The light inside our atoms, which comes from star dust or angel dust, or fairy dust, will remind us, if we let it, of our infinite capacity to refine the myriad forms of love.

The Bible has several kinds of love
Eros is the erotic sexual form
Philia describes our affectionate nature
Storge love of Family 
Agape is unconditional love and a sense of perfection
Praga love is enduring Thru time
Philautia or love of self enables the awareness of others.
Lucas is the childlike playful love of impromptu

These words and ideas are probably pre Christian. Like Platonic love. Plato loved to discuss all the possibilities. His asexual love allowed for disagreement and controversy. With the understanding that all emotion was/is fleeting.

Most of us move too fast. As if the need to get it right is in keeping with speed. The flush and energy that comes from having the wind blow past is intoxicating.

Pisces ruled by Neptune is the most passionate, loving and understanding of selfless love. The extremism of the opposite is there too. Jealousy and hate. We seem to always have polarity as a part of us. The endlessness of the ocean, represented by Neptune, give us the rolling waves and dreaded undercurrents.

The ancient calendar ended with Pisces and started with Aries. The spring reminds us of the end of being without boundaries, Pisces, to start again with focus, Aries/Mars.

Do you think Helen of Troy enjoyed being the object of desire of the Trojan War? The envy of Venus made her the involuntary winner of Paris’ affection. The passion of competition and jealousy cannot be under estimated. Why is it the gifts of a feminine nature, like beauty and enjoyment of estrogen demonized? Does testosterone need to denigrate what provides him passion? 

Perhaps nightmares, which guide us to our evolved perceptions of being, encourages self-knowledge which, in turn produces true self love.

​Will the strength of the ox overcome the power of illusion?

The time of Aquarius is partially about the internet, the intangible highway of words, information and opinion. How to know if the truth is real?

Is the blood of the bull what we need to ground ourselves? We need a reminder of the joy of living. The flow of blood allows us to feel and see the continuity of the life force, in a very poignant way.

Scorpio/Taurus polarity has something to do with ritualized death. Matador means ‘bringer of death’. The bull represents Taurus, the matador Scorpio. The matador puts himself in the bulls jurisdiction, he invades his space.

The planet Uranus is now in the sign of Taurus. Uranus is raw energy. It is not grounding.

From 4300-1580 BC the constellation Taurus was the beginning of the year as the spring equinox happened then.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in the 18th century BCE, from the country of Mesopotamia and in the Sumerian language, Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s best friend and alter ego fights with Gilgamesh to destroy the Bull of Heaven.

The story was Inanna/Ishtar was infatuated with Gilgamesh, but he was not interested. Ishtar was capable of unleashing the dead to consume the living. She demanded her father give her the sacred bull to kill Gilgamesh or she would release the dead. Gilgamesh and Enkidu put the sword through the bull’s neck and castrated him. This saved the peoples of the earth from his fearsome strength and earthquakes. Like the story of Saturn castrating Uranus, his power was taken away, but used to save or create life.

Jupiter in his erotic desire of the lady Europa, transformed himself into a white bull. White for purity and death.

In today’s world the power of testicles does not have the same emphasis. The emotional preference is not recognizing the continuity of life.

Of all the sports in the world the bullfight is the most impressive of mythological intention. The spilling of the sacred blood is reminiscent of the sacrament. The animals life is a reminder of the Martyrs purpose.

The age of Taurus had the Sun in the constellation at the Vernal equinox. The symbolism of the bull is one of the oldest that is known today. The beginnings of agriculture and the domestication of animals started at this time.

The first letter of Hebrew alphabet is Aleph, which literally translates to Ox. An Ox is a bull of formidable strength that has been castrated. Aleph also relates to the Fool in the Tarot. He is the number 0. He carries his potency in the bag over his shoulder.

The Chinese year of the Metal Ox starts February 12, 2021