Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Action in my Cat Blog
For the moment, there seems to be more action in my cat blog than in this one, but I promise to keep this one updated. You cat lovers out there might enjoy my companion blog called Life of 7 Cats (see link at sidebar.)
There you can read all about Teddy, Kirby, Roman, Becka, Earl, Smoky, Baby Smoky, and Tiger, our eight cats. All of them are strays or "cast-off" cats who needed a home and were sent our way. Over the past few years, we've been working hard at improving our ability to manifest abundance. Mostly, this abundance seems to be showing itself in the cat arena, but I suppose that's a starting place.
Life of 7 Cats, the blog, was started when there were only seven cats. Now it's more like Octopuss - Life of 8 Cats. Teddy, the latest addition, took refuge here in the subzero weather this winter and doesn't seem to be moving on. We've started looking for another home for him, as he was already neutered and obviously someone's indoor cat who ran off or got lost. So far, though, he's staying put here.
Even if you don't like cats and just want to gawk at how crazy cat people are, you might also get a kick out of the blog.
Check out our adventures in felinity.
lipstickmystic@comcast.net
For the moment, there seems to be more action in my cat blog than in this one, but I promise to keep this one updated. You cat lovers out there might enjoy my companion blog called Life of 7 Cats (see link at sidebar.)
There you can read all about Teddy, Kirby, Roman, Becka, Earl, Smoky, Baby Smoky, and Tiger, our eight cats. All of them are strays or "cast-off" cats who needed a home and were sent our way. Over the past few years, we've been working hard at improving our ability to manifest abundance. Mostly, this abundance seems to be showing itself in the cat arena, but I suppose that's a starting place.
Life of 7 Cats, the blog, was started when there were only seven cats. Now it's more like Octopuss - Life of 8 Cats. Teddy, the latest addition, took refuge here in the subzero weather this winter and doesn't seem to be moving on. We've started looking for another home for him, as he was already neutered and obviously someone's indoor cat who ran off or got lost. So far, though, he's staying put here.
Even if you don't like cats and just want to gawk at how crazy cat people are, you might also get a kick out of the blog.
Check out our adventures in felinity.
lipstickmystic@comcast.net
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
The Perils of Publishing
Many of my readers know by now that I publish a silly astrology column called The Cosmic Butt Kick. While I carefully base it on real astrology trends, I weave in ironic political comments, wacky stream-of-consciousness jokes, and gossip about pop cultural icons. If your love life is taking a beating and so is Ben Affleck's, I'll work Ben into your horoscope, crafting an analogy that relates your plight to his. (Although it sounds like he's doing pretty well these days, having left his Bennifer days behind him.)
My stuff isn't for everyone, I'm sure. Some people don't like my sense of humor. Others take issue with the very idea of an astrology writer even HAVING a sense of humor. That's one I don't get. It turns out that there is a surprisingly large segment of the population who, while interested in topics like spirituality, metaphysics, and psychology, feel that to handle these subjects with any sense of humor is somehow a hideous act. To them, somewhere along the line humor became divorced from spirituality, like oil and water.
For a while, a small arts weekly in Asheville, North Carolina, was running my column. The poor editor who had dared to run my column was besieged by complaints. One writer called my column "a crime against humanity." Shortly thereafter, they pulled my column.
So be it. Not everybody is going to like you, no matter what you try to do in this world. I can accept that. After that paper dropped the column, three other papers decided to run it. And they've been a great fit.
It's been a long road for me, trying to find the right "fit." I've spent a lot of years navigating the worlds of the arts, holistic health, metaphysics, and psychology. I was an intuitive spiritual counsellor for ten years, full-time, self-employed throughout.
I've spent the past five years or so working full-time as a writer, and also spend a lot of time doing healing work and pulling together cutting edge information about how to shift the negative energies within ourselves and within society towards the positive. Along the way, I've seen stuff that would make your hair curl, experienced horrors to rival those of the most seasoned veteran of war, and had to make constant, gut-wrenching choices about how to share my material with various audiences. Most of my past editors weren't interested in my writing about the real stuff. They wanted me to write for a fifth grade reading level, which is the reading level that most women's magazines are stranded at today. (And most books, for that matter, especially those in the self-help genre.)
The arts weeklies who are kind enough to run my sassy column produce material for a more sharper, more savvy readership. I love writing for them because of this. At last - a chance to utilize more than one brain cell when crafting a piece. This is bliss!
Still, astrology is a box, and it is a limiting one. The material I have to share, the experiences I've spent over 18 years carefully collecting, researching, and integrating, and the corresponding anecdotes that I've pulled in from thousands of others across the world make for a rich buffet of stuff. They encompass subjects ranging from angels to dreams to soulmates to self-healing.
Look for sharper, smarter food to be posted on my new website. I hope to have it up within the next month or two.
In the meantime, don't let anybody make you dumb yourself down. God was nice enough to give you a brain. Why on earth wouldn't you use it every day? We should all seek rewarding work, relationships, and past-times that will add to our mental fuel instead of inducing lethargy, depression, and fear.
www.lipstickmystic.com will tickle your brain cells when it's up. I promise.
Stay tuned.
lipstickmystic@comcast.net
Many of my readers know by now that I publish a silly astrology column called The Cosmic Butt Kick. While I carefully base it on real astrology trends, I weave in ironic political comments, wacky stream-of-consciousness jokes, and gossip about pop cultural icons. If your love life is taking a beating and so is Ben Affleck's, I'll work Ben into your horoscope, crafting an analogy that relates your plight to his. (Although it sounds like he's doing pretty well these days, having left his Bennifer days behind him.)
My stuff isn't for everyone, I'm sure. Some people don't like my sense of humor. Others take issue with the very idea of an astrology writer even HAVING a sense of humor. That's one I don't get. It turns out that there is a surprisingly large segment of the population who, while interested in topics like spirituality, metaphysics, and psychology, feel that to handle these subjects with any sense of humor is somehow a hideous act. To them, somewhere along the line humor became divorced from spirituality, like oil and water.
For a while, a small arts weekly in Asheville, North Carolina, was running my column. The poor editor who had dared to run my column was besieged by complaints. One writer called my column "a crime against humanity." Shortly thereafter, they pulled my column.
So be it. Not everybody is going to like you, no matter what you try to do in this world. I can accept that. After that paper dropped the column, three other papers decided to run it. And they've been a great fit.
It's been a long road for me, trying to find the right "fit." I've spent a lot of years navigating the worlds of the arts, holistic health, metaphysics, and psychology. I was an intuitive spiritual counsellor for ten years, full-time, self-employed throughout.
I've spent the past five years or so working full-time as a writer, and also spend a lot of time doing healing work and pulling together cutting edge information about how to shift the negative energies within ourselves and within society towards the positive. Along the way, I've seen stuff that would make your hair curl, experienced horrors to rival those of the most seasoned veteran of war, and had to make constant, gut-wrenching choices about how to share my material with various audiences. Most of my past editors weren't interested in my writing about the real stuff. They wanted me to write for a fifth grade reading level, which is the reading level that most women's magazines are stranded at today. (And most books, for that matter, especially those in the self-help genre.)
The arts weeklies who are kind enough to run my sassy column produce material for a more sharper, more savvy readership. I love writing for them because of this. At last - a chance to utilize more than one brain cell when crafting a piece. This is bliss!
Still, astrology is a box, and it is a limiting one. The material I have to share, the experiences I've spent over 18 years carefully collecting, researching, and integrating, and the corresponding anecdotes that I've pulled in from thousands of others across the world make for a rich buffet of stuff. They encompass subjects ranging from angels to dreams to soulmates to self-healing.
Look for sharper, smarter food to be posted on my new website. I hope to have it up within the next month or two.
In the meantime, don't let anybody make you dumb yourself down. God was nice enough to give you a brain. Why on earth wouldn't you use it every day? We should all seek rewarding work, relationships, and past-times that will add to our mental fuel instead of inducing lethargy, depression, and fear.
www.lipstickmystic.com will tickle your brain cells when it's up. I promise.
Stay tuned.
lipstickmystic@comcast.net
Thursday, March 25, 2004
The Significance of Sedna and Oops, Another New Planet
In Western astrology (compared to other styles like Vedic or Chinese astrology,) whenever a new planet is discovered, its energies are factored into the cosmic landscape. So the announcement about this strange, red planetoid at the outer reaches of our solar system was very exciting to those of us who follow astrology. (I know it gave me a rush last week. But then, I’ve been drinking too much coffee.)
In recent years, more and more astrologers have started working with the major asteroids in their chart calculations. These include Vesta, Juno, and Chiron (which everybody thought was an asteroid, but it turned out to be a comet.) I usually don’t bother much with the asteroids, as I don’t feel that they carry the same degree of energy that the planets do. I think some of the astrologers who obsess about the asteroids need a new hobby. They project way too much on these far-away bits of rock and need something else to focus their attention on. Macrame, anyone?
But I might have to give Sedna a serious look. An honest-to-goodness planet can pack a powerful wallop, energy-wise, so it needs to be considered.
Of course, there is some debate over whether Sedna should even be called a planet, since it is smaller than Pluto, and even Pluto’s classification as a planet has been hotly debated by astronomers. Many astronomers feel that Pluto is too small to be a planet. (Then again, they might just be suffering from a case of Venus envy. Should size really matter?)
Sedna’s name might be changed, because it still has to gain the official approval of astronomers. But in the meantime, let’s look at what her name signifies.
Sedna is an Inuit goddess of the sea, a moody lady who creates storms if her people step out of line. If you dishonor the land or harm other humans, Sedna kicks up chaotic energy. So it’s best to keep this lady happy. She can be seen as a vengeful goddess, but she is also a fierce, motherly protector. An odd choice for a planetary “deity,” but then, so was Quaoar.
What, you haven’t heard of Quaoar? The same team of astronomers who discovered Sedna found Quaoar in 2002. Quaoar is another smallish planetoid at the edge of our solar system who takes just 288 years to rotate around the Sun (compared to Sedna, who takes 10,500 years in its elliptical orbit.) Quaoar was named after a creation god honored in the North American Tongva tribe. This tribe was indigenous to the L.A. basin area.
You can read more interesting info about Quaoar here:
QUAOAR INFO
For info on Sedna, check out this link:
SEDNA INFO
Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Quaoar, and Sedna are viewed as transpersonal planets. Their impact is global, affecting entire generations instead of individuals. This is because they take their good old time ambling through the zodiac. Pluto takes about 192 years to progress through all of the signs, while the Moon only takes a month. The inner planets (the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) are the ones who fuel our daily soap operas, affecting emotional equilibrium, mental agility, and physical stamina. The outer planets oversee larger, longer cycles in our lives. They deal more with issues of “tribe,” i.e., our larger human family and the society we choose to interact with in this life.
If you’d like to see ephemerides for Quaoar and Sedna, the Swiss Ephemeris staff at Astrodienst has already posted them. Keep in mind that the data on Sedna is preliminary and may still be tweaked. But the dates for Quaoar should be solid.
Quaoar ephemeris:
QUAOAR EPHEMERIS
Just scroll down the list to find your date of birth. After it you’ll see an abbreviation like “Tau” for Taurus, “Gem, “for Gemini, etc. That means that the planet was in that sign on that date.
Sedna ephemeris:
SEDNA EPHEMERIS
I just found out that my Sedna is in Taurus. Since Sedna’s energies would appear to involve the aspects of ourselves that are protective, righteous, and fighting for just causes (with an occasional dose of bloody revenge thrown in for good measure,) my guess would be that having Sedna in Taurus makes me approach issues of injustice in a practical way. “What can I do to fix this?” is my mantra. This certainly would appear to apply to me. I’m a trouble-shooting, advice-giving, type of chick, always seeking the solutions to problems.
I think it’s quite likely that people born in the generations who have Sedna in Taurus signed on to roll up their sleeves and work on fixing the mess that we’ve gotten into here on Earth over the last 100 years. I hope that everyone who is drawn to that path will succeed! We sure could stand some fixin.’
Where is your Sedna?
lipstickmystic@comcast.net or astrologywriter@comcast.net
In Western astrology (compared to other styles like Vedic or Chinese astrology,) whenever a new planet is discovered, its energies are factored into the cosmic landscape. So the announcement about this strange, red planetoid at the outer reaches of our solar system was very exciting to those of us who follow astrology. (I know it gave me a rush last week. But then, I’ve been drinking too much coffee.)
In recent years, more and more astrologers have started working with the major asteroids in their chart calculations. These include Vesta, Juno, and Chiron (which everybody thought was an asteroid, but it turned out to be a comet.) I usually don’t bother much with the asteroids, as I don’t feel that they carry the same degree of energy that the planets do. I think some of the astrologers who obsess about the asteroids need a new hobby. They project way too much on these far-away bits of rock and need something else to focus their attention on. Macrame, anyone?
But I might have to give Sedna a serious look. An honest-to-goodness planet can pack a powerful wallop, energy-wise, so it needs to be considered.
Of course, there is some debate over whether Sedna should even be called a planet, since it is smaller than Pluto, and even Pluto’s classification as a planet has been hotly debated by astronomers. Many astronomers feel that Pluto is too small to be a planet. (Then again, they might just be suffering from a case of Venus envy. Should size really matter?)
Sedna’s name might be changed, because it still has to gain the official approval of astronomers. But in the meantime, let’s look at what her name signifies.
Sedna is an Inuit goddess of the sea, a moody lady who creates storms if her people step out of line. If you dishonor the land or harm other humans, Sedna kicks up chaotic energy. So it’s best to keep this lady happy. She can be seen as a vengeful goddess, but she is also a fierce, motherly protector. An odd choice for a planetary “deity,” but then, so was Quaoar.
What, you haven’t heard of Quaoar? The same team of astronomers who discovered Sedna found Quaoar in 2002. Quaoar is another smallish planetoid at the edge of our solar system who takes just 288 years to rotate around the Sun (compared to Sedna, who takes 10,500 years in its elliptical orbit.) Quaoar was named after a creation god honored in the North American Tongva tribe. This tribe was indigenous to the L.A. basin area.
You can read more interesting info about Quaoar here:
QUAOAR INFO
For info on Sedna, check out this link:
SEDNA INFO
Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Quaoar, and Sedna are viewed as transpersonal planets. Their impact is global, affecting entire generations instead of individuals. This is because they take their good old time ambling through the zodiac. Pluto takes about 192 years to progress through all of the signs, while the Moon only takes a month. The inner planets (the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) are the ones who fuel our daily soap operas, affecting emotional equilibrium, mental agility, and physical stamina. The outer planets oversee larger, longer cycles in our lives. They deal more with issues of “tribe,” i.e., our larger human family and the society we choose to interact with in this life.
If you’d like to see ephemerides for Quaoar and Sedna, the Swiss Ephemeris staff at Astrodienst has already posted them. Keep in mind that the data on Sedna is preliminary and may still be tweaked. But the dates for Quaoar should be solid.
Quaoar ephemeris:
QUAOAR EPHEMERIS
Just scroll down the list to find your date of birth. After it you’ll see an abbreviation like “Tau” for Taurus, “Gem, “for Gemini, etc. That means that the planet was in that sign on that date.
Sedna ephemeris:
SEDNA EPHEMERIS
I just found out that my Sedna is in Taurus. Since Sedna’s energies would appear to involve the aspects of ourselves that are protective, righteous, and fighting for just causes (with an occasional dose of bloody revenge thrown in for good measure,) my guess would be that having Sedna in Taurus makes me approach issues of injustice in a practical way. “What can I do to fix this?” is my mantra. This certainly would appear to apply to me. I’m a trouble-shooting, advice-giving, type of chick, always seeking the solutions to problems.
I think it’s quite likely that people born in the generations who have Sedna in Taurus signed on to roll up their sleeves and work on fixing the mess that we’ve gotten into here on Earth over the last 100 years. I hope that everyone who is drawn to that path will succeed! We sure could stand some fixin.’
Where is your Sedna?
lipstickmystic@comcast.net or astrologywriter@comcast.net
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Readings Now Available - Limited Time Only
For several months now, I've been receiving requests from people to do readings for them. If you're unfamiliar with me and my work, I was a full-time psychic counselor for ten years, working with people on trouble-shooting relationship, career, and spiritual issues. I used a blend of techniques which included tarot, direct intuitive "tune in," and astrology. You may have heard me on one of my appearances on North American radio. I used to do a ton of morning show spots, and I was even featured on a few TV shows (doing ghostbusting work - another one my weird areas of specialty!)
I'm in the process of putting up a website where I will have lots of interesting publications available for sale, including books, newsletters, and reports. At that time, I will be switching over my business and won't be able to offer readings anymore. But for the next month or two, I anticipate room in my schedule to be able to provide a limited number of readings.
These days, I do written readings via email, and these are paid for the old-fashioned way - by snail mail check or money order. I offer a short, mini-reading for $55 (which covers roughly three main questions or areas of your life.) This comes out to several pages of text when I write up your reading.
I also do an in depth reading that takes me a lot longer to do. This type of reading gets into the background issues and energies that are at play in your life, and it is a deeper type of reading that touches upon spiritual issues as well as "mundane" stuff (job, relationship, money.) The energy that we are using or misuing in our lives directly affects those day-today issues, and I love to help people to see the patterns that they have set up in their lives - so they can change the ones that aren't working. This reading takes me over an hour to do, and I first tune into your energies and then type up a written report of what I find. An in depth reading costs $95, and payment is by snail mail check or money order.
I like to give you a copy of your birth chart as part of this, just so that you can see some of the astrological influences that are at play in your life. I can send you your chart by snail mail or as a PDF file. To construct a birth chart, I need your full name, date, time, and location of birth (the town you were born in.) If you can't find out your time of birth, that's okay. Rising signs are only a minor part of the astrological equation, as far as my readings are concerned (although some astrologers swear by them. We all have our eccentricities in this field!)
I'm told my readings are unusual in their clarity. While I don't try to predict the future (because each day, you create your future based on the choices that you make,) I do work hard to pinpoint areas that you can change or improve so as to create a better future. I come at my readings with an approach that is a combination of holistic healing and spiritual counseling. For all the sassy jokes I like to make while writing some of my columns, I am actually a serious student of metaphysics who has been involved in this work for over 18 years. The humor is just a bonus! : )
Feel free to get in touch with me if you have more questions about me or my readings:
astrologywriter@comcast.net
For several months now, I've been receiving requests from people to do readings for them. If you're unfamiliar with me and my work, I was a full-time psychic counselor for ten years, working with people on trouble-shooting relationship, career, and spiritual issues. I used a blend of techniques which included tarot, direct intuitive "tune in," and astrology. You may have heard me on one of my appearances on North American radio. I used to do a ton of morning show spots, and I was even featured on a few TV shows (doing ghostbusting work - another one my weird areas of specialty!)
I'm in the process of putting up a website where I will have lots of interesting publications available for sale, including books, newsletters, and reports. At that time, I will be switching over my business and won't be able to offer readings anymore. But for the next month or two, I anticipate room in my schedule to be able to provide a limited number of readings.
These days, I do written readings via email, and these are paid for the old-fashioned way - by snail mail check or money order. I offer a short, mini-reading for $55 (which covers roughly three main questions or areas of your life.) This comes out to several pages of text when I write up your reading.
I also do an in depth reading that takes me a lot longer to do. This type of reading gets into the background issues and energies that are at play in your life, and it is a deeper type of reading that touches upon spiritual issues as well as "mundane" stuff (job, relationship, money.) The energy that we are using or misuing in our lives directly affects those day-today issues, and I love to help people to see the patterns that they have set up in their lives - so they can change the ones that aren't working. This reading takes me over an hour to do, and I first tune into your energies and then type up a written report of what I find. An in depth reading costs $95, and payment is by snail mail check or money order.
I like to give you a copy of your birth chart as part of this, just so that you can see some of the astrological influences that are at play in your life. I can send you your chart by snail mail or as a PDF file. To construct a birth chart, I need your full name, date, time, and location of birth (the town you were born in.) If you can't find out your time of birth, that's okay. Rising signs are only a minor part of the astrological equation, as far as my readings are concerned (although some astrologers swear by them. We all have our eccentricities in this field!)
I'm told my readings are unusual in their clarity. While I don't try to predict the future (because each day, you create your future based on the choices that you make,) I do work hard to pinpoint areas that you can change or improve so as to create a better future. I come at my readings with an approach that is a combination of holistic healing and spiritual counseling. For all the sassy jokes I like to make while writing some of my columns, I am actually a serious student of metaphysics who has been involved in this work for over 18 years. The humor is just a bonus! : )
Feel free to get in touch with me if you have more questions about me or my readings:
astrologywriter@comcast.net
Friday, March 19, 2004
Happy Spring Equinox! - Time to Banish Fear
If you’re interested in pagan holidays, you probably already know that the spring equinox falls on March 19th this year. To be precise, the positive energy of the equinox kicks in at exactly 10:49 pm. EST tonight. But did you also realize that the Sun moves into the astrological sign of Aries the Ram at the same time? These two events happening together mark the start of the “pagan” New Year (also called the astrological New Year.) So get out your party hats, everyone!
In case you’re wondering, pagans aren’t really devil worshippers, and although many early pagans did the occasional odd thing (such as dancing naked around a maypole in celebration of the spring,) they were much maligned by the Catholic Church’s negative PR campaign. Pagans were said to practice animal (and even human!) sacrifice, although no archeological evidence has ever been found to support this theory. Pagan comes from the Latin word “paganni,” or “country dweller.” People who lived in the country were more in tune with the energies of the land, and they kept alive the ancient wisdom about the powerful equinox and solstice energies.
The Europeans pagans, especially the Celts, were very similar to the Native Americans in their religious practices. Central to their life philosophy was the belief that everything in creation possessed spiritual energy. This included the Earth, who was revered as a motherly protector, and all of her plant and animal creatures.
This reverence for all of life was reflected in the pagans’ sacred rituals. Their priest/astrologers knew that the Earth moved through four major cycles or seasons, and that each season began with a solstice/equinox, or time of balancing. The two solstices and two equinoxes were chosen as powerful times of year to hold religious festivals because the spiritual energies of the planet were said to be the strongest then.
The spring equinox was usually the time for the wildest, most unrestrained expressions of religious ecstasy. In contrast with our solemn Easter masses of today, the spring equinox inspired the pagans to sing at the top of their lungs and stomp their feet in frenetic dance (to help awaken the Earth from her winter slumber!) The vernal equinox marked a time of personal (and natural) renewal, a time for fresh starts, for reclaiming one’s lost hope and innocence.
Astrology also came into play in the springtime. Early astrologers (who functioned as the scientific astronomers as well as the mystical forecasters of their day) patterned their metaphysical science after the progression of the seasons. Symbolic representatives were chosen for each month of the year. Aries, the Ram, became both the patron of the astrological New Year and herald of the spring.
What an appropriate figurehead for spring! The Ram, or adult male sheep, is full of willful, bullying force. We all need a little of this aggressive energy to help us shake off our winter lethargy. The Ram’s energy is handy for motivating us to do spring housecleaning, our income taxes, and any other intimidating chores.
But the Ram has a softer side, too, in the form of his offspring. Early cultures also revered the lamb, the baby sheep, as a symbol for spring. The innocent, even helpless, energy of the lamb inspires us to get in touch with our own childlike purity. The early Christian Church adopted this image and spoke of Jesus as “the lamb of God.” Many scholars also believe this to be a coded astrological reference to the actual birth time of Christ, which may have occurred in the spring. If Jesus was an Aries baby, he would have been born somewhere between March 20th and April 21st, which is the range of time when the Sun graces the sign of Aries in the sky.
Astrology was respected throughout the ancient world as a tool for marking the passage of the seasons (an early calendar) and for guiding people in understanding spiritual energies. More distorted practices unfortunately developed later, causing astrology to degenerate into mere “fortunetelling” for profit. Once the spiritual side of astrology was excised, astrologers became the 1-900 psychics of their day! No wonder then, that certain passages of the Bible warned against this lower form of astrological practice. Anyone who puts on the guise of spiritual advisor without genuinely caring about your soul has ventured off the path of sincere metaphysical seeker and joined the ranks of “get rich quick” schemers.
True astrology has much to teach us about the cycles of life and the energies of nature. In a society that has become so disconnected from the natural world, remembering the practices of the ancients can be inspirational. Think about the sheer power of Aries the Ram as you face that dreaded spring cleaning. And don’t forget the image of the sweet little lamb as you start noticing the cute baby birds, squirrels, and other creatures making their appearance on the planet this spring.
The uplifting energy of the vernal equinox will give you a much-needed lift to help you shake off the fears and the depression of winter and to march into a dynamic spring. Use this cosmic gateway to access feelings of sovereignty and personal power, and make this a real season of joy. You deserve it!
Here’s a neat link that provides lots of info about the equinoxes and solstice times:
FUN INFO ON THE EQUINOXES AND SOLSTICES
astrologywriter@comcast.net
If you’re interested in pagan holidays, you probably already know that the spring equinox falls on March 19th this year. To be precise, the positive energy of the equinox kicks in at exactly 10:49 pm. EST tonight. But did you also realize that the Sun moves into the astrological sign of Aries the Ram at the same time? These two events happening together mark the start of the “pagan” New Year (also called the astrological New Year.) So get out your party hats, everyone!
In case you’re wondering, pagans aren’t really devil worshippers, and although many early pagans did the occasional odd thing (such as dancing naked around a maypole in celebration of the spring,) they were much maligned by the Catholic Church’s negative PR campaign. Pagans were said to practice animal (and even human!) sacrifice, although no archeological evidence has ever been found to support this theory. Pagan comes from the Latin word “paganni,” or “country dweller.” People who lived in the country were more in tune with the energies of the land, and they kept alive the ancient wisdom about the powerful equinox and solstice energies.
The Europeans pagans, especially the Celts, were very similar to the Native Americans in their religious practices. Central to their life philosophy was the belief that everything in creation possessed spiritual energy. This included the Earth, who was revered as a motherly protector, and all of her plant and animal creatures.
This reverence for all of life was reflected in the pagans’ sacred rituals. Their priest/astrologers knew that the Earth moved through four major cycles or seasons, and that each season began with a solstice/equinox, or time of balancing. The two solstices and two equinoxes were chosen as powerful times of year to hold religious festivals because the spiritual energies of the planet were said to be the strongest then.
The spring equinox was usually the time for the wildest, most unrestrained expressions of religious ecstasy. In contrast with our solemn Easter masses of today, the spring equinox inspired the pagans to sing at the top of their lungs and stomp their feet in frenetic dance (to help awaken the Earth from her winter slumber!) The vernal equinox marked a time of personal (and natural) renewal, a time for fresh starts, for reclaiming one’s lost hope and innocence.
Astrology also came into play in the springtime. Early astrologers (who functioned as the scientific astronomers as well as the mystical forecasters of their day) patterned their metaphysical science after the progression of the seasons. Symbolic representatives were chosen for each month of the year. Aries, the Ram, became both the patron of the astrological New Year and herald of the spring.
What an appropriate figurehead for spring! The Ram, or adult male sheep, is full of willful, bullying force. We all need a little of this aggressive energy to help us shake off our winter lethargy. The Ram’s energy is handy for motivating us to do spring housecleaning, our income taxes, and any other intimidating chores.
But the Ram has a softer side, too, in the form of his offspring. Early cultures also revered the lamb, the baby sheep, as a symbol for spring. The innocent, even helpless, energy of the lamb inspires us to get in touch with our own childlike purity. The early Christian Church adopted this image and spoke of Jesus as “the lamb of God.” Many scholars also believe this to be a coded astrological reference to the actual birth time of Christ, which may have occurred in the spring. If Jesus was an Aries baby, he would have been born somewhere between March 20th and April 21st, which is the range of time when the Sun graces the sign of Aries in the sky.
Astrology was respected throughout the ancient world as a tool for marking the passage of the seasons (an early calendar) and for guiding people in understanding spiritual energies. More distorted practices unfortunately developed later, causing astrology to degenerate into mere “fortunetelling” for profit. Once the spiritual side of astrology was excised, astrologers became the 1-900 psychics of their day! No wonder then, that certain passages of the Bible warned against this lower form of astrological practice. Anyone who puts on the guise of spiritual advisor without genuinely caring about your soul has ventured off the path of sincere metaphysical seeker and joined the ranks of “get rich quick” schemers.
True astrology has much to teach us about the cycles of life and the energies of nature. In a society that has become so disconnected from the natural world, remembering the practices of the ancients can be inspirational. Think about the sheer power of Aries the Ram as you face that dreaded spring cleaning. And don’t forget the image of the sweet little lamb as you start noticing the cute baby birds, squirrels, and other creatures making their appearance on the planet this spring.
The uplifting energy of the vernal equinox will give you a much-needed lift to help you shake off the fears and the depression of winter and to march into a dynamic spring. Use this cosmic gateway to access feelings of sovereignty and personal power, and make this a real season of joy. You deserve it!
Here’s a neat link that provides lots of info about the equinoxes and solstice times:
FUN INFO ON THE EQUINOXES AND SOLSTICES
astrologywriter@comcast.net
Friday, March 12, 2004
Psychopaths Running Amok
By now, you've probably heard about the bomb blasts on the commuter train in Madrid that are said to have killed some 200 people and injured many more. Today, over two million people took to the streets to protest this senseless act of violence. That's a lot of solidarity against an act of madness.
Whenever we can stand against the insanity of violence and just say, "No more," this is a good thing. However, such passion and pain can easily erupt into their own violent reaction, and you can never stop violence with more violence. I believe it was Ghandi who said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." And so it does.
The consciousness of violence is a tricky one in our culture. We have a war or two in each generation. If we're honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we have all experienced post-traumatic stress syndrome. There isn't a single age range among US citizens who hasn't felt the effects of violence played out in wars.
Maybe you didn't go to war, but your dad did, and the mental and physical wounds he suffered affected how he treated you when you were growing up. Maybe you didn't go to war, but your friend did. Remember the pal who was so happy and carefree in college? After joining the military and visiting Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, or perhaps even Iraq a second time, he wasn't so carefree anymore. He experienced soul loss, as all warriors do.
I've been reading a fascinating book by Dolores Cannon called The Convoluted Universe: Book One.
THE CONVOLUTED UNIVERSE: BOOK ONE
Cannon is a gifted hypnotherapist who has been conducting past life regressions for people throughout her long career. Along the way, her work has stumbled into some amazing territory besides reincarnation. In her books, she includes detailed spiritual "downloads" that her subjects were able to access through hypnosis. The information covers everything from the pre-history of humanity to the true nature of UFO's to the Earth changes that ended the civilization of Atlantis. She culls information from hundreds of different people.
It seems that we all have access to this same "library" of information, but most of us can't maintain a deep level of trance while also retaining memory of this information in our conscious mind. So that's where Dolores, who directs the discussion with questions, and a tape recorder come in handy. She's been able to collect some amazing material from people who don't consider themselves to be psychic or in any way special.
She was working with one man, a Vietnam vet who experienced chronic, debilitating pain. These were physical symptoms without any "medical" cause. The doctors told him it was all psychosymatic and loaded him up on painkillers, telling him he would have to just learn to live with the pain.
In Cannon's work, she often discovers the true cause of a person's disease or discomfort. In her work with this man, she found that he was an extreme empath, a highly sensitive person, and that being in a war situation just completely overloaded his nervous system. He soaked it all up like a psychic sponge and could still feel the pain and suffering of others that he witnessed. It was like he recorded the energy of that pain in his own body and was still playing it back, over and over again, more than a decade after those things happened.
What most people don't realize is that we're all psychic sponges. We are all empathic and connected to the rest of humanity. Whenever somebody else is suffering, we feel it, and there are measurable effects in our bodies down to the DNA level. Some exciting scientific experiments have proven this - many of them, ironically enough, performed by the government. Just because someone is a "stranger" doesn't mean that we don't have a psychic link to him. In a spiritual sense, there is no such thing as a stranger.
Every generation who faces war experiences collective post-traumatic stress syndrome. And the soldiers on the front lines receive a more concentrated, spiritually deadly, dose.
The shamanic traditions of healing teach that "soul loss" occurs whenever we experience emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical trauma, and that bits of our energy become fragmented or separated from us. Until we reclaim these fragments, there will always be a piece of our essential self missing, caught up in reliving old pains.
Soul retrieval involves invoking a Higher Power's aid to reclaim and restore these fragments to you, asking that they first be cleansed of all negative emotions and illness. Then your spiritual guides, angelic helpers, and Higher Power work to restore this lost energy to you.
What's neat about soul retrieval is that it doesn't just relieve symptoms like sorrow, fatigue, or distraction. It cures them at a fundamental level.
Although working with a trained shaman is good, you can also invoke and pray for this on your own behalf and experience soul retrieval on your own. You can work with Jesus, Buddha, Krisha, Mother Mary, or any of the spiritual helpers you honor in your own personal spiritual practice. All of these wonderful beings are eager to help you to experience healing.
I will be writing more about shamanistic healing techniques on my new website and in future books.
Warriors are the ones in need of the most healing, because they have been through the worst types of trauma. But all those who love others and care about what happens to people halfway round the world also experience grief that causes pieces of their soul stuff to slip away.
It's time that we reclaim our energy from the violent people, situations, and mindsets that have stolen it away from us.
Let's permanently shift the consciousness that allows war to happen. There's no other way for us to become whole.
astrologywriter@comcast.net
By now, you've probably heard about the bomb blasts on the commuter train in Madrid that are said to have killed some 200 people and injured many more. Today, over two million people took to the streets to protest this senseless act of violence. That's a lot of solidarity against an act of madness.
Whenever we can stand against the insanity of violence and just say, "No more," this is a good thing. However, such passion and pain can easily erupt into their own violent reaction, and you can never stop violence with more violence. I believe it was Ghandi who said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." And so it does.
The consciousness of violence is a tricky one in our culture. We have a war or two in each generation. If we're honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we have all experienced post-traumatic stress syndrome. There isn't a single age range among US citizens who hasn't felt the effects of violence played out in wars.
Maybe you didn't go to war, but your dad did, and the mental and physical wounds he suffered affected how he treated you when you were growing up. Maybe you didn't go to war, but your friend did. Remember the pal who was so happy and carefree in college? After joining the military and visiting Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, or perhaps even Iraq a second time, he wasn't so carefree anymore. He experienced soul loss, as all warriors do.
I've been reading a fascinating book by Dolores Cannon called The Convoluted Universe: Book One.
THE CONVOLUTED UNIVERSE: BOOK ONE
Cannon is a gifted hypnotherapist who has been conducting past life regressions for people throughout her long career. Along the way, her work has stumbled into some amazing territory besides reincarnation. In her books, she includes detailed spiritual "downloads" that her subjects were able to access through hypnosis. The information covers everything from the pre-history of humanity to the true nature of UFO's to the Earth changes that ended the civilization of Atlantis. She culls information from hundreds of different people.
It seems that we all have access to this same "library" of information, but most of us can't maintain a deep level of trance while also retaining memory of this information in our conscious mind. So that's where Dolores, who directs the discussion with questions, and a tape recorder come in handy. She's been able to collect some amazing material from people who don't consider themselves to be psychic or in any way special.
She was working with one man, a Vietnam vet who experienced chronic, debilitating pain. These were physical symptoms without any "medical" cause. The doctors told him it was all psychosymatic and loaded him up on painkillers, telling him he would have to just learn to live with the pain.
In Cannon's work, she often discovers the true cause of a person's disease or discomfort. In her work with this man, she found that he was an extreme empath, a highly sensitive person, and that being in a war situation just completely overloaded his nervous system. He soaked it all up like a psychic sponge and could still feel the pain and suffering of others that he witnessed. It was like he recorded the energy of that pain in his own body and was still playing it back, over and over again, more than a decade after those things happened.
What most people don't realize is that we're all psychic sponges. We are all empathic and connected to the rest of humanity. Whenever somebody else is suffering, we feel it, and there are measurable effects in our bodies down to the DNA level. Some exciting scientific experiments have proven this - many of them, ironically enough, performed by the government. Just because someone is a "stranger" doesn't mean that we don't have a psychic link to him. In a spiritual sense, there is no such thing as a stranger.
Every generation who faces war experiences collective post-traumatic stress syndrome. And the soldiers on the front lines receive a more concentrated, spiritually deadly, dose.
The shamanic traditions of healing teach that "soul loss" occurs whenever we experience emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical trauma, and that bits of our energy become fragmented or separated from us. Until we reclaim these fragments, there will always be a piece of our essential self missing, caught up in reliving old pains.
Soul retrieval involves invoking a Higher Power's aid to reclaim and restore these fragments to you, asking that they first be cleansed of all negative emotions and illness. Then your spiritual guides, angelic helpers, and Higher Power work to restore this lost energy to you.
What's neat about soul retrieval is that it doesn't just relieve symptoms like sorrow, fatigue, or distraction. It cures them at a fundamental level.
Although working with a trained shaman is good, you can also invoke and pray for this on your own behalf and experience soul retrieval on your own. You can work with Jesus, Buddha, Krisha, Mother Mary, or any of the spiritual helpers you honor in your own personal spiritual practice. All of these wonderful beings are eager to help you to experience healing.
I will be writing more about shamanistic healing techniques on my new website and in future books.
Warriors are the ones in need of the most healing, because they have been through the worst types of trauma. But all those who love others and care about what happens to people halfway round the world also experience grief that causes pieces of their soul stuff to slip away.
It's time that we reclaim our energy from the violent people, situations, and mindsets that have stolen it away from us.
Let's permanently shift the consciousness that allows war to happen. There's no other way for us to become whole.
astrologywriter@comcast.net
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Announcement - I'm Now Posting News Items at Rumor Mill News!
I'm excited that Rayelan Allen, the owner of alternative news site, Rumor Mill News, has accepted my application to become a "news agent" at her site. I will be posting links to articles about the paranormal, political stuff, and spirituality in general. I'll be posting under my nickname, Lipstick Mystic. Look for me to be expressing some strong opinions there, because after almost 20 years in the metaphysical community, I've seen a whole lot of stuff that would make your hair stand on end....and I'm ready to go public about it in a big way. (In case you're wondering, I'm 35, but I often feel like I'm 55!)
This blog will also be branching out in some new directions as I prepare to launch a website, www.lipstickmystic.com, later this spring. Check back here frequently, as I'll be making updates several times per week instead of only once in a while. And please send me your funky questions about the paranormal, which I'm happy to respond to in future blog posts.
The whole "Prime Directive" behind the Rumor Mills site is to help people shake off the brainwashing that the traditional, controlled media creates in readers. Did you know that a huge amount of stuff is happening in the world that our governments do not allow to appear in the mainstream press? Even Connie Chung was fired from her co-anchoring job on CBS in 1995 after someone asked her how they chose which news items to run and she said something like, “That’s easy. We run what Washington tells us to run.” She lost her position right after that. Sounds like she had been a bit too honest with her response.
That particular incident remained under the radar, but it is symptomatic of a much bigger problem, one that few of the "sleeping masses" are aware of - namely, the flow of information in this country is tightly controlled. It's really scandalous. There are a whole range of subjects that are considered taboo, and reporters risk their lives and their careers every day to deliver stories on them. These forbidden subjects include a lot of surprising holistic health data, blood-curdling facts about military shenanigans, and seemingly "far out" stuff like the proliferation of UFO sightings and amazing metaphysical discoveries being made in laboratory settings worldwide.
For instance, did you know that a Russian girl is currently being tested in England who possesses “X-ray” vision? She can actually see inside people’s bodies and describe what is going on there. She has accurately described blockages, old bone fractures, and other highly specific medical problems that people have had. But you’ll never hear about her on the nightly news. The miraculous powers of the mind are very threatening to the powers that be.
Rumor Mill News is a wild place. Scroll through some of the articles, and I guarantee that you'll find stuff that gets you mad, gets you thinking, or gets you daydreaming about the true scope of your potentials as a spiritually sovereign, infinitely powerful, being.
In many ways, we live on a prison planet, and the shackles are of our own creation. Rumor Mill News shines a light on what is really happening behind the scenes, if only we have courage enough to take a look.
Check out the site:
Rumor Mill News
(You can also click on the link in the sidebar to the right.) Go to their Reading Room area, and you’ll find amazing stuff posted there every day.
You can also check out a thread I started on scientists who have claimed to have found proof of the afterlife:
Scientist Discovers Evidence of Afterlife
I hope you'll join us over at the site. Our goal is to keep readers' minds stretched and open so that you can be taken to some new places!
Let's go for a ride.
astrologywriter@comcast.net
I'm excited that Rayelan Allen, the owner of alternative news site, Rumor Mill News, has accepted my application to become a "news agent" at her site. I will be posting links to articles about the paranormal, political stuff, and spirituality in general. I'll be posting under my nickname, Lipstick Mystic. Look for me to be expressing some strong opinions there, because after almost 20 years in the metaphysical community, I've seen a whole lot of stuff that would make your hair stand on end....and I'm ready to go public about it in a big way. (In case you're wondering, I'm 35, but I often feel like I'm 55!)
This blog will also be branching out in some new directions as I prepare to launch a website, www.lipstickmystic.com, later this spring. Check back here frequently, as I'll be making updates several times per week instead of only once in a while. And please send me your funky questions about the paranormal, which I'm happy to respond to in future blog posts.
The whole "Prime Directive" behind the Rumor Mills site is to help people shake off the brainwashing that the traditional, controlled media creates in readers. Did you know that a huge amount of stuff is happening in the world that our governments do not allow to appear in the mainstream press? Even Connie Chung was fired from her co-anchoring job on CBS in 1995 after someone asked her how they chose which news items to run and she said something like, “That’s easy. We run what Washington tells us to run.” She lost her position right after that. Sounds like she had been a bit too honest with her response.
That particular incident remained under the radar, but it is symptomatic of a much bigger problem, one that few of the "sleeping masses" are aware of - namely, the flow of information in this country is tightly controlled. It's really scandalous. There are a whole range of subjects that are considered taboo, and reporters risk their lives and their careers every day to deliver stories on them. These forbidden subjects include a lot of surprising holistic health data, blood-curdling facts about military shenanigans, and seemingly "far out" stuff like the proliferation of UFO sightings and amazing metaphysical discoveries being made in laboratory settings worldwide.
For instance, did you know that a Russian girl is currently being tested in England who possesses “X-ray” vision? She can actually see inside people’s bodies and describe what is going on there. She has accurately described blockages, old bone fractures, and other highly specific medical problems that people have had. But you’ll never hear about her on the nightly news. The miraculous powers of the mind are very threatening to the powers that be.
Rumor Mill News is a wild place. Scroll through some of the articles, and I guarantee that you'll find stuff that gets you mad, gets you thinking, or gets you daydreaming about the true scope of your potentials as a spiritually sovereign, infinitely powerful, being.
In many ways, we live on a prison planet, and the shackles are of our own creation. Rumor Mill News shines a light on what is really happening behind the scenes, if only we have courage enough to take a look.
Check out the site:
Rumor Mill News
(You can also click on the link in the sidebar to the right.) Go to their Reading Room area, and you’ll find amazing stuff posted there every day.
You can also check out a thread I started on scientists who have claimed to have found proof of the afterlife:
Scientist Discovers Evidence of Afterlife
I hope you'll join us over at the site. Our goal is to keep readers' minds stretched and open so that you can be taken to some new places!
Let's go for a ride.
astrologywriter@comcast.net
Thursday, March 04, 2004
Saturn Goes Direct on Sunday, March 7 (Yippee!)
Of all the planets, Saturn is the task master, a stern, frequently grumpy dude who is always putting us through our paces. He ensures that we finish our homework on time (or, if we don't, we pay the consequences.) He gets us to follow the "rules" and to accept restrictions and responsibilities. He's not a Fun Friend, but he is a wise teacher. Basically, Saturn is in charge of making sure that we move ahead in an orderly, disciplined fashion, doing our best to live sensible lives.
Saturn has been retrograde since November, but this planet goes direct on Sunday, March 7th. During this period, many of us have experienced setbacks in our fortunes. We've had to work harder but have seemingly gotten nowhere. We've put in more hours, energy, and effort, only to receive little in the way of visible returns. Call this a period of character building. (Yeah, I know. Yuck!)
Annoying though it has been, you have to admit that you've probably learned a thing or two throughout this time. This is what happens when Saturn is in retrograde. You tend to acquire knowledge through adversity. So if you've been trying to improve a relationship with someone and things have only gotten harder, that's a symptom of Saturn having been in retrograde. Or if you had grand plans to increase your financial flow or get a better job, this has probably been delayed. You expected your situation to improve, but it's taken much longer than you expected. That's a common side effect of Saturn being in retrograde. (The rat bastard. Ahem.)
Saturn forces us to learn spiritual lessons, those difficult subjects like patience, fortitude, and unconditional love. Let's face it. We don't really practice those things, most of the time, unless we're pushed. So, while Saturn's retrograde motion can make things feel harder, you're actually growing MORE throughout these times. After all, nothing significant is ever accomplished when things are too easy!
The good news is that, as Saturn goes direct on Sunday, you'll start to see real results from all of that effort you have diligently been putting in since November. Suddenly, just when you'd given up hope on salvaging your romantic relationship, things will feel brighter, happier, and easier with that person. It could be time to buy His and Her Jack Russell terriers or elope to Vegas. Or after months of job searching, a great opportunity will finally present itself. You'll have the opportunity to sign up for a welding class, complete with job placement assistance. Look for some signs of improvement.
Things will continue to flow better over the next two months. They'll REALLY start to feel nicer around May 4th, when Jupiter goes direct. Jupiter has been in retrograde since January, which has also held back some of those feelings of ease and signs of progress. But, as we coast into spring, the planets will release their strangehold on our spirits and gradually lighten us up.
If you're planning a big party, schedule it for May 5th - or shortly thereafter. You'll want to socialize, flirt, and have mindless fun by then. (These days, you're probably too busy working on new frown lines to be in the mood for play.)
Overall, things will feel a lot lighter throughout the rest of March, and they'll just get better and better through April and May. Make note of situations that suddenly start to feel easier, nicer, calmer. And thank Saturn, stern father figure, for finally cutting you some slack. (It's about @#$%ing time, right? :)
Of all the planets, Saturn is the task master, a stern, frequently grumpy dude who is always putting us through our paces. He ensures that we finish our homework on time (or, if we don't, we pay the consequences.) He gets us to follow the "rules" and to accept restrictions and responsibilities. He's not a Fun Friend, but he is a wise teacher. Basically, Saturn is in charge of making sure that we move ahead in an orderly, disciplined fashion, doing our best to live sensible lives.
Saturn has been retrograde since November, but this planet goes direct on Sunday, March 7th. During this period, many of us have experienced setbacks in our fortunes. We've had to work harder but have seemingly gotten nowhere. We've put in more hours, energy, and effort, only to receive little in the way of visible returns. Call this a period of character building. (Yeah, I know. Yuck!)
Annoying though it has been, you have to admit that you've probably learned a thing or two throughout this time. This is what happens when Saturn is in retrograde. You tend to acquire knowledge through adversity. So if you've been trying to improve a relationship with someone and things have only gotten harder, that's a symptom of Saturn having been in retrograde. Or if you had grand plans to increase your financial flow or get a better job, this has probably been delayed. You expected your situation to improve, but it's taken much longer than you expected. That's a common side effect of Saturn being in retrograde. (The rat bastard. Ahem.)
Saturn forces us to learn spiritual lessons, those difficult subjects like patience, fortitude, and unconditional love. Let's face it. We don't really practice those things, most of the time, unless we're pushed. So, while Saturn's retrograde motion can make things feel harder, you're actually growing MORE throughout these times. After all, nothing significant is ever accomplished when things are too easy!
The good news is that, as Saturn goes direct on Sunday, you'll start to see real results from all of that effort you have diligently been putting in since November. Suddenly, just when you'd given up hope on salvaging your romantic relationship, things will feel brighter, happier, and easier with that person. It could be time to buy His and Her Jack Russell terriers or elope to Vegas. Or after months of job searching, a great opportunity will finally present itself. You'll have the opportunity to sign up for a welding class, complete with job placement assistance. Look for some signs of improvement.
Things will continue to flow better over the next two months. They'll REALLY start to feel nicer around May 4th, when Jupiter goes direct. Jupiter has been in retrograde since January, which has also held back some of those feelings of ease and signs of progress. But, as we coast into spring, the planets will release their strangehold on our spirits and gradually lighten us up.
If you're planning a big party, schedule it for May 5th - or shortly thereafter. You'll want to socialize, flirt, and have mindless fun by then. (These days, you're probably too busy working on new frown lines to be in the mood for play.)
Overall, things will feel a lot lighter throughout the rest of March, and they'll just get better and better through April and May. Make note of situations that suddenly start to feel easier, nicer, calmer. And thank Saturn, stern father figure, for finally cutting you some slack. (It's about @#$%ing time, right? :)
