Missing: some red planetary rings.

My husband informed me just the other day that one of the planet's, he thinks it was Jupiter, has just done something unheard of: it has lost a band in one of it's rings! Not just any old band, but a band that has "always" been red! So...what can this mean? Why hasn't this been explored on the daily news, or if it was, why didn't I hear about it?

Since the world seems to be unconcerned that a planet has just, somehow, lost a piece of itself, or had a major part of itself "disappear", I would like to talk about planetary rings. Really, why not?

You may be thinking I'm a moron because everybody knows that Saturn is the only planet with rings, right? Well not so fast. Every large planet has them. We know more about Saturn's because they are seen more easily with a telescope. It's the largest planets that have them, because the sheer hugeness of their mass traps particles in thier orbit, from moons, to gasses, and other stuff. Probably Jupiter's rings are as big or bigger than Saturn's but they just seem smaller and somehow insignificant compared to the massiveness of Jupiter's size. Also Saturn's rings are made of ice and so, look brighter. Anyway this is the current scientific theory.I like to think there is more to it - an explanation of rings touched on the subject of "dark matter" being somehow involved in forming rings. Now this is interesting! If dark matter is involved in rings formation, it might be involved in their disappearance! That is exciting. But what exactly is "dark matter"? I think no one exactly knows...

Beginning of astrology lecture: I had heard that Saturn has the most rings because of Saturn's nature, the rings symbolising limits and containment and structure. So now that Jupiter's lost some, what can this mean, on a symbolic and global scale? And, a red ring, at that! Who knows?

The astrological world must certainly be abuzz with this news - sort of like they were when Pluto was voted against it's planetary "status". Overall this past blow to the astro community was dealt with in 1. disbelief and then 2. denial. It didn't change a thing! They all decided to take a vote. That didn't quite work. So basically it was determined that astrologers should act "as if" nothing had changed, and just press on, which we have been doing, like good little sheep. But it seems to me that by not coming to a clear verdict, a verdict was made none-the-less. Once again astrologers veer away from astronomers observations.

It is funny that Jupiter should lose a ring just as we start to leave the happy era of Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, and start to enter Capricorn's realm. Now what would be really amazing would be if Saturn suddenly gained another ring, and a red one at that!
Sort of losing the energy of the collective unconsciousness to be placed on the ring of another planet's. An idea to ponder.

Okay. Tiring of not really knowing what I'm talking about, I checked the news releases from the website pertaining to the Hubble telescope. There is nothing on there about it! I may have started my own elephant story here, and this is how gossip gets started. If anyone knows about missing planetary rings, please let me know! And please see this site: http://www.naturalnews.com/028797_Saturn_hexagon.html

The world's astro forecast

My ephemeris in light and shadow. It's like a ribcage, or a scaffold, perhaps indicative of holding everything together in a symbolic way.

I'm reluctant to give astrological forecasts for friends and family, but I've been thinking about something my mother taught me about astrology: the location of the planet Pluto is the indicator of world events and eras. My mother was an astrologer in addition to being a musician, and astrology paid our bills when we moved to CA, before she built her musical career in our new hometown.

When she was teaching me the astrological arts, and told me about Pluto's influence on the world's collective psyche, I tuned out, only interested in how the planets were going to influence ME. I was about 16 at the time. I suppose my selfish focus, was natural for my age. But now that I'm older, I realize that the world's problems are my own. All of humanity is influenced, whether you want it or not.

Checking my ephemeris (the table of the planets daily sign positions)I see that Pluto is now in Capricorn. Interesting on a personal level, since I'm a Capricorn with Capricorn rising. This sort of brings Pluto closer into focus, you could say. A force to be reckoned with. Now the world will be facing Capricorn issues too. I am not alone.

Capricorn issues often read like a list of an evil fairy-godmother's hexes, or at least, traits that don't get one voted as most likely to succeed. Contraction, pessimism, conservatism, withdrawal, taskmaster, discipline, work, loss, melancholy. Yuck. It seems as if the world has dove deep into Capricorn already. People are fond of saying, "when the economy recovers..." Bad news: astrologically speaking, I do not believe the economy will ever go back to the way it was! (But this is a Capricorn speaking...)At least not in our lifetimes. Pluto is a distant planet so it stays a long time in each sign. This influences, and creates an "era".

A year ago we saw the end of the era of Pluto in Sagittarius. This may have been unusual for Sagittarians as life must have seemed "fated" or that "destiny" had intervened into their lives, never to be the same. Where Pluto's influence was most felt would be the house ruled by Sagittarius in your natal chart, or its opposing house, Gemini, respectively.

For the world, it went true to form for Sagittarius. All the upbeat Jupiter (ruling Sagittarius) buzzwords would apply: unparalleled growth, optimism, speculation, bigness, brightness, luck, expansion. Good stuff. They are the opposite of Capricorn's (ruled by Saturn) traits. The world had it good for a while. We may go down in history as the most runaway optimistic, richest, generation since the golden age of Egypt.

Now the world needs to get its bearings. It will probably take a while, and it certainly feels uncomfortable. Collectively the world needs to act like a Capricorn. Be cautious, patient, parsimonious, see if you can thrive on less, scale down, be disciplined, tighten our belts, downsize. Feels so different than our last era. What one could remember is that, Yogananda was a Capricorn, Howard Hughs, Elvis, maybe Jesus too. So its not all bad. Only if you want to live irresponsibly and like there is no tomorrow. Get it? Find what works and invest yourself heart and soul into seeing it through in a disciplined yogic way. Shopping sprees should go the way of the model-T or Thunderbird.

What is next for the world from Pluto's perspective? Aquarius: Revolution and overturning of the powers that be. To be followed by the Pisces era: universal love or the end of it all. Hopefully, as the world turns, the cycle will all start over when Pluto enters Aries: the pioneer and new beginnings.

Consider the past: before our big Saggitarian era, was the Scorpio era - the sexual revolution! No one has been the same since. These are not just bumps in the road but new turning points, a new direction. Exciting but scary. Change always is.

These are just thoughts to ponder...yet it sort of makes sense. Mom always is right.

astrology facts

I'm back, I couldn't stay away for a whole day - writing here can be addictive or obsessive or well...just plain fun! As long as I leave time for the things that need to be done, like the grocery store. Today writing seems like a more pressing need.

I want to talk about something as equally off-putting to all my potential new friends out there in blogger land, as speaking of religion might be, and that is astrology. Fads come and go, and it seems astrology is now out-of-style. Ha. I wonder what a planet would say about that? But if you are not "into" astrology please come back tomorrow for I promise to talk about something else. Okay? I think it best to cover all the heavy, offensive details before making small-talk don't you? I was never any good at small talk anyway.

I won't debate about astrology being dumb or true or whatever. I just think that if the process works: use it! My mother was an astrologer and she taught me alot of the basics. It seems to me that there is an overwhelming lot of stuff to learn about the art, and it is very interesting to ponder. Often astrology is helpful, but it can also be damaging: self-fulfilling prophecies and all that. Being told of bad stuff in one's personal chart might not seem like a danger but we humans are a highly suggestible bunch. It's the subconscious. What goes in, stays in. A person can't just decide what information their subconcious will retain, and "believe", or what it will forget or discount. That's why I absolutely hate violent movies and books - why subject oneself to damaging images? That's also why I am leery of making pronouncements on any one's chart; yet knowing certain influences can be very helpful, especially the good influences. When I do charts I focus on the good stuff, like when I teach my students how to play the harp (more on that soon.) Let the good stuff become a self-fulfilling prophesy! There's a happy thought.


There is a new branch of astrology called "evolutionary astrology" and in this, one's chart is seen more as a map of one's current growth. Thus even "bad things that happen to good people" can be spun, or interpreted, into a good thing for one's soul that one will ultimately learn and evolve from. A great astrologer with this approach is named Steven Forrest some of his books rekindled my waning interest in astrology.

But let me expand on some of the details that my chart shows that I am dealing with this time around. Not from a fortunetelling angle or good and bad - just the facts.

My sun is in the 12th house, my moon is in the 1st house. My sun squares my mars. The moon exactly squares my midheaven and north node. I have a mutual reception between Venus in Sag, and Jupiter in Libra. My mercury is on the ascendant going retrograde. Those are the high and low points of my chart. Did I forget anything? Oh yeah, Neptune is the most elevated planet near my midheaven. Uranus is in the 7th and Saturn in the 11th. I think my moon may be the problem with my health issues - it also opposes Pluto and is the ruler of my 6th house. There I go - calling the moon my "problem"! How presumptuous. Please forgive these digressions - it's stuff I like talking about.

Later, more news about ms and the burning bush - maybe tomorrow! Also ways in which ones life can become a self-fulfilling prophesy for good fortune!