Ramblings Aug 11, July 14
Friday August 11, 2006
Moon in Pisces
Moon in Pisces square Pluto in Sagittarius @ 4:01 p.m.
I just finished reading Eric Francis’ take (from Planet Waves) on the new ‘faux’ 9-11 circa-2006.
He site’s the current, and rare opposition between Saturn and Neptune, (the former, the planet of structure, the latter the planet of illusions and delusions), as the sort of aspect where you will likely find a plot of smoke and mirrors, arranged to rein in control over the population, so recently loosing ‘faith’ in the perpetual War of Choice of the Controlling Ones. Brilliant, Eric! That was my take on it, too!
I got a phone call yesterday morning from my friend Elaina who, along with her family, was in the middle of the muddle at San Francisco International Airport. Fate-fully, this was the morning that they were scheduled to fly to Oregon to visit relatives. She was all ‘shook up’; the airport personnel were collecting all bottles with any sort of liquid in them, and she had a drugstore’s worth of creams and potions (she works at a spa) and she had to ‘give it up’ and this stuff isn’t cheap! More disturbing, however, was the fact that Elaina isn’t a confident flyer, and all of the focus on fear had hit its mark with her.
When she called from the airport, as we talked, I was convinced (and said so) that it was all a game, hosted by the Neo-Cons with their love of the Con, and since they just ‘lost’ an election (Lieberman) they needed to ‘reel in’ any of the Mavericks that had begun to think for themselves (which we know is not allowed). Wally said I was just too ‘conspiracy theoried out’, but I am well aware that Rove and Co. will do anything to retain power, so that’s that. (By the way—saw this article in the news, and aHa, I’m not the only one that thinks its all about spin!)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/081106dnnatplotpol.1ae77a7.html
The thing is, Neptune is the spin planet of the Zodiac! It’s authentic self IS an actor—now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t is exactly what Neptune does, so it is being completely true to its nature to ‘fool’ us, and not for ‘evil’ purposes (we leave that to the Neo Con’s) but to keep us aware that the whole show is ‘run’ from our minds. Fear. A highly exciting and addictive commodity, we can be moved around quite easily with fear as the vehicle. Saturn, the sensible father-figure of the zodiac, oppose Neptune, is an aspect that will only occur every 35 years, and it will be exact on the 31st of August so keep your eye on the shell, cause the shell game will be in full swing and it will be played by experts! (By the way, Eric reminds us that the last time the opposition occured, it was eight weeks before the Watergate break in, a very Neptunian (ie deception--event!)
Well, it’s all great drama. When you are a nervous wreck because the lead actress/actor is heading ‘down into the cellar’, it’s important to remember two things: 1)If they are the star of the movie, they’ll avoid death at the hands of the monster, they are paid to make it to the end of the movie somehow, and 2) most importantly—it’s just a MOVIE! Relax and enjoy the show!
Have a great weekend! (Drive where you need to go, if you can)
Wednesday August 9, 2006
Daily Stars
Moon in Aquarius goes Void @ 3:58 p.m.
Moon in Aquarius oppose Saturn in Leo @ 1:16 a.m.
Moon in Aquarius oppose Sun in Leo @ 3:54 a.m. (Full Moon)
Moon in Aquarius conjunct Neptune in Aquarius @ 6:42 a.m.
Moon in Aquarius sextile Pluto in Sagittarius @ 3:58 p.m.
I am writing Dujour this morning in the wake of the Full Moon in Aquarius which occurred at 3:45 a.m.—and I wondered why I awoke ‘bolt’ upright at that time!
I woke up energized and anxious to get to my computer and see what the news had to say—there was a story that I was enthusiastically following!
Every now and then you get a great day, and yesterday was one of those days for me. It was for many reasons, but I have to admit that it was like Christmas to Google the headlines and find that the 'primaries' in Connecticut resulted in the election of Ted Lamont (vs. the incumbent, Joe Lieberman) for their Democratic candidate for the race for the Senate seat!
I was proud of my home town. Yup, I was born in Hartford, Ct., and it is great to see that my old stomping grounds hold a courageous and thinking group humans.
In case you have not been following this story, Lieberman has been the Senator in Connecticut for 18 years now. He is ‘supposed’ to be a Democrat, but he has voted and agreed with the Republican agenda more and more frequently throughout the recent years, rather than standing for basic democratic ideals. It was his unwavering support for Bush’s war, however, that became the controversial issue that challenged his long held seat as Senator from Connecticut. He is devoted to this war, and he was challenged by Ted Lamont primarily on this issue, but also on many other democratic vs. republican policy differences—health care, public funded pre-school, minimum wage increase, etc. The wise voters of Ct. said, in essence, that they no longer wish to just rubber stamp WAR, and when they elect a Democrat, they would like him to vote democratically!
The fact that the Iraq War makes ‘no sense to no one’ is largely ignored by our government, and we have had very little to say about our participation in it. However, in this election it stood as the central issue, and ‘no more war’ has won—at least in the first round! In fact, the fact that ‘no more war’ is considered a controversial and dangerous thought just boggles my mind! I mean, do YOU settle all of your disagreements by going ‘next door’ and blowing the brains out of those you disagree with? Well, I think it is time that we ALL re-examine our willingness to allow this mass murder called war to go on—at all! It’s time has come and gone—we have far more interesting methods of genocide available to us these days—global warming, for example!
Anyway, I am sorry that I have been MIA lately, and, I must confess, I will probably be far more absent in the days to come. I have been sketching out a project and if I am going to actually DO it, I will need this ‘brain time’ in the morning (the only actual time I have left that is mine) to use. I do want to leave you Grasshoppers with SOME info, though, so here is wussup…..
There are two astrological ‘events’ occurring this week. See if you feel the ‘change in the wind’ that they bring.
Tomorrow, (the 10th of August) at 9:09 p.m. our littlest planet Mercury will return to Leo! Remember that he was 2 degrees of Leo when he ‘turned’ retro? Well, heee’s baaack! (Returning to the exact place of retro on 12th) and will stay in Leo until the 28th of this month. This gives our ‘minds’ a very solid, creative, (but tending toward) stubborn state of mind, and (for example) in the game of politics, there might tend to be (for a change, ha ha) grandstanding and unbudgability. We’ll see. For the rest of us, why not emphasize the creative? Great time to re-arrange the furniture or go clothes shopping!
The other event occurs on Saturday, when, at 1:21 p.m. our Goddess of loveliness herself, beautiful planet Venus, will also enter the regal domain of Leo. Here she preens, and adds much to the creative energy in the air. It might be prudent to wait until today, when Venus aligns with Mercury, to change that furniture around! Domestic tranquility and enhancement of fun and beauty are the goals of these aspects, the flaw is their unwillingness to compromise. Watch your own reactions, Grasshoppers. You make the choice.
The Daily Stars of the week will follow, but I thought you all would enjoy (as I did) the conclusion to our adventures with Mercury Retrograde, and Taia’s story of how she came to acquire her new laptop computer, and the merits of waiting for the best aspects!
“Thought you should hear the follow-up on my "should I wait till Mercury is direct before I get a replacement laptop?", so here goes.
It's a story of Mercury disguised as Jupiter (who, my brilliant teacher told me long ago, doesn't always give you what you want, but always gives you what you need), working in tandem with American Express.
I went to "visit" my chosen laptop the day before Mercury went direct, and it was on sale for $50 less than the price I'd been anticipating. Yet I didn't zoom in for the big purchase on Direct Day because I figured I would hold off for a couple more days before taking the electronic retail plunge-- waiting just until my AmEx bill closed for the month, which would give me until the end of September to pay for my new computer.
So, AmEx closing date several days behind me, I went again today to "visit" (waiting till tomorrow to purchase from the great salesperson who was so helpful when I did my original research), and lo and behold, the laptop is now $150 less than the original asking price!!! Should I wait till August 12th? Maybe they'll be giving them away by then??
After the pain in the ass that this most recent retrograde has wrought, I wanted to share with you how it actually served me in the long run, at least on the laptop issue.
Much love,
Your devoted friend and grasshopper
PS: By the way, many have been entertained by your "permission" to purchase laptop during the retrograde... "Sure go right ahead, you'll develop a nice relationship with the repair people" etc. After all. Why throw caution to the wind when it's practically guaranteed to blow sand in your face?
Hey, see what Astrology can give you? A savings of $150.00! Now that’s a useful tool!
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Daily Stars
Monday August 7, 2006
Moon in Capricorn goes Void @ 6:44 p.m.
Sun in Leo conjunct Saturn in Leo @ 4:54 a.m.
Moon in Capricorn oppose Venus in Cancer @ 2:54 p.m.
Moon in Capricorn oppose Mercury in Cancer @ 6:44 p.m.
Today is a Saturn/Sun conjunction—one of the most intense ‘working’ aspects of the Zodiac, and I am hard at work on a project! I hope to get back to Dujour by Wednesday, but until then I am taking advantage of the aspects.
Pick something you have been putting off but really DO want to accomplish, and get started--Saturn/Sun conjunctions just come once a year, now's your time to get that closet cleaned or article written! See you soon!
Thursday August 3, 2006
Moon in Scorpio goes Void @ 2:08 a.m. Enters Sagittarius @ 4:13 p.m.
Moon in Scorpio trine Mercury in Cancer @ 2:08 a.m.
Yeah, sure, all you have to do is look at the news and you see it—the aspects are intense! From Lebanon to Mel, everyone is in full tilt excess emotion, and when I looked at the chart of the “Times” I see that there is an aspect that indeed would produce this chaos—it is a Saturn/Uranus quincunx, all lit up with the Sun in Leo crossing over Saturn!
Okay, now in English. Ever since the Sun entered its home turf of Leo at the end of July, it has been gradually sliding towards a conjunction to Saturn, just about to make its second exact one since it began (the last Sun/Saturn conjunction in Leo occurred on July 23rd, 05). This time, Saturn is in the middle degrees of Leo—it has warmed up and is in full throttle expressing the qualities of the Leo personality.
Leo is King/Queen/Sovereign and at the head of all things. Leo needs to be Alpha in its world, and is not known for listening. Now, I am not talking about Leo people, you have all variety of Leos, many great listeners, but I’m talking about the ‘archetype’ and now we are in the time/space of that energy exerting itself. Leo is always ‘right’, and there’s no greater example seen than the conflict in the Middle East (except the example in Washington D.C.) and as Sovereign ruler, Leo demands absolute control!
Think of the monarchy—where tax and tithe and service from the serfs, are all expected! It is assumed in the monarchy that those serfs we’re born to serve The King (as an example of that, think of the latest new bill in Washington that ties a basic minimum wage increase to eliminating Paris Hilton & George Bush’s inheritance tax, which would be used to feed a LOT of people without cutting out one designer dress or even one toy nuclear bomb!)
Anyway, this aspect itself is a kicker, but when you add a Uranus quincunx, you really get a mess.
Uranus, remember, is the revolutionary. A quincunx, an aspect where two planets are traveling approximately 150 degrees from each other on the wheel, is an aspect where those two said planets have no way to link to each other. Saturn is in Leo, which is a fire sign. Uranus is in Pisces, and that is water. Saturn is in a fixed sign. Uranus is in a mutable sign. A quincunx is all about the ‘inability to communicate’ and if that ain’t it these days, what IS?
Anyway, I have seen all manor of situations being set off by this extreme aspect. It generates huge emotional swings. We all want love, respect and the illusion of security. This aspect is all about rebellion, disconnection, and insecurity, so it brings out the rage we feel when we are not understood and loved and received.
Advice?
First, realize it is ‘in the air’. DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY! As a collective whole, we are all in this cycle together and I can't tell you how many people are going through personal situations that express this aspect.
Second, don’t (and this is always true) believe what your mind tells you. It lies and it loves drama. If you sat down with ANYONE, even the fragile, simpleton GW, you would probably actually like him. You wouldn’t want him to run your country, but people without power are just made up of the same collection of feelings that we are, in a different proportion and order, of course—it’s just that they draw far different conclusions from the same situations, and of course choose different ways to act on those conclusions!
Anyway, we are living in Interesting Times. The answer is always the same: Compassion! For self and for our ‘enemies’. It doesn’t mean that the answer is easy. (Or that I can always do it!) I just have to remember to try.
Nameste.
Daily Stars
Wednesday August 2, 2006
Moon in Scorpio
Moon in Scorpio square Sun in Leo @ 1:46 a.m.
Moon in Scorpio conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio @ 1:59 a.m.
Sun in Leo square Jupiter in Scorpio @ 4:51 a.m.
Moon in Scorpio trine Uranus in Pisces @ 9:40 a.m.
Moon in Scorpio square Saturn in Leo @ 10:09 a.m.
Moon in Scorpio trine Venus in Cancer @ 5:29 p.m.
Moon in Scorpio square Neptune in Aquarius @ 6:40 p.m.
Well, it’s the first week in August, and you know what that means? The email that sez Mars is coming closest to the earth in 60,000 years is back again!
Thanks, Jill—you are the first this year to send it! You are right, too…! Jill writes, “With all of the warring going on, we hardly needed more Mars!”, and it got me thinking…(oh oh)….
Remember back in ’02 (or ‘3…I can’t remember!) when Mars actually WAS closest to the earth in 60,000 years, and we wondered just what would happen? Well………..!
No, it wasn’t obvious at the time (although that was right around the time that we DID invade Iraq, pre-emptively, for no known reason—er, except to those with a secret plan)—but we just didn’t see what carnage would come from this sort of venture. I mean, after all, WE’RE the GOOD guys, right? Yeah, things change.
The thing is, you really don’t know what sort of ‘plant’ will grow when you put those ‘seeds’ into the ground!
Mars has indeed influenced the population with it’s worst side: separation and fear! From this deadly combination, all sorts of problems are created. Now we must remember that Mars’ positive side is passion, bravery and positive action—we just need to conquer our addiction to fear!
Anyway, gotta go—Audrey will be here in 10 minutes—I still haven’t finished cleaning that desk! Have a great day (didja SEE all those aspects today? Let’s think of them as ‘little energy helpers’! We gotta use what we're given!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Moon in Libra goes Void @ 6:54 p.m.
Moon in Libra trine Neptune in Aquarius @ 7:28 a.m.
Moon in Libra square Mercury in Cancer @ 1:02 p.m.
Moon in Libra sextile Pluto in Sagittarius @ 6:54 p.m.
It’s the last day of a heckava month, hot and deadly for many, thrilling and exciting for others—such a versatile planet, n’est pas? Between the effects of global warming, bombings and weddings my mind and heart have been all over the map! The hardest part of it all is keeping the above said old mind from running roughshod during these dramatic times….gotta watch that ‘drawing conclusions’ stuff, it’s good to just say, “Well….we’ll see” because everything changes….
Anyway, even though this is all you get, oddly enough I have been writing all morning. I have been diligently answering emails and getting things cleared up—Audrey will be home soon—Wednesday—and that means I have to clean up my desk!
I have to dash (all that other stuff took the time away), but I will write before the week is out, and I wanted you all to know that Pam Burns-Clair has just given us a new entry—thanks Pam, insightful as always—turn to Special Features and go to As the Spirit Moves Me…!
Oh, and I was reading the Sun, a great little paper here in Sonoma, and I came across an article that a woman named Joan Huguenard writes called, “Just Joan” and I thought that her statistics were boggling! http://www.sonomasun.com/2006/July/27/home-072706.htm
Is the latest paper, go to Just Joan and read “So much attention to a little strip of land!
I will write soon….I miss you all!
Friday July 28, 2006
Moon in Virgo
Moon in Virgo sextile Jupiter in Scorpio @ 12:09 a.m.
Moon in Virgo sextile Venus in Cancer @ 3:18 a.m.
Moon in Virgo oppose Uranus in Pisces@ 9:10 a.m.
Mercury Stationary Direct @ 5:40 p.m.
Moon in Virgo sextile Mercury in Cancer @ 11:15 p.m.
Really and truly, Grasshoppers, I have written a Dujour every day this week. It is a sign of my devotion to you that I did not cloud your minds by posting them, they were on the er, shall we say, hysterical side. The Soothsayer was not IN, the Naysayer was. Maybe still is, but today was a day with an event of some pertinence, so I am printing the facts, nothing but the facts. Today at 5:40 p.m. our little Mercury is turning around and heading in a new direction. Mercury will be direct! I do not expect that the world will just ‘straighten out’ (or is it only my mind that needs to straighten out?) but we may all experience a bit of improved mental clarity in a week or two with Mercury’s resumed forward drive. Wouldn’t that be lovely?
Anyway, as with all days when any planet moves directions, you may feel like you are a bit on a tilt-a-whirl, so do work to keep your balance. I am clutching on to the old, ‘banister of life’ here, and I am diligently working on finding my source of faith and vision for the world, which I have been unable to access (hence my absence, my apologies) none-the-less “if you do not have anything nice to say…….”
Anyway, while in my desolation, some terrific advice was sent to me by Dujourian David:
---
Subject: Calmness
I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice
heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started and never finished."
So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates.
You have no idea how freaking good I feel.
Please pass this on to those you feel might be in need of inner peace.
(Okay, maybe not....) but anyway, be creative and take a break from old thinking patterns.... I am figuring out a non-caloric way to do it....and have a great Mercury Direct!
Daily Stars
Monday July 24, 2006
Moon in Cancer goes Void @ 2:07 a.m. Enters Leo @ 5:24 p.m.
Moon in Cancer conjunct Mercury in Cancer @ 2:07 a.m.
Moon in Cancer conjunct Sun in Cancer @ 9:31 p.m. (New Moon)
I was sitting here this morning trying so hard to write an upbeat little Dujour!
I’d write something astrologically pertinent, but then I couldn’t seem to keep myself to the topic. Off I would go, falling into a tirade about the crazy people running the world, using ours (& their) young to bomb the heck out of each other, money being spent on killing, not healing (Bush happy to shift the burden of scientific study, ie Stem Cells, to the ‘private sector’. He just doesn’t like to spend ‘taxpayer money’ on anything but weapons manufacturing!) and all the while my brain is being ‘cooked’ by 110 degree weather (balmy by soon-to-come global warming standards) and well, you get the picture—I wasn’t being uplifting AT ALL, so I wrote/delete; wrote/delete….you know the drill.
I wuz workin it out, though, all therapy-like, when Wally dashes into the room and says that Empire Waste (garbage pick-up) has fallen off our bridge, taking the bridge with it. Sigh. Mercury Retrograde is still at it and it is the aspect that trumps it all! Life is always personal! (While checking out our own little ‘Beirut’ in the back yard, I found that there was a slight exaggeration there; the bridge is still drive-able, it just took the side off.)
Anyway, it’s hot all ready. It has been just too hard to write or think, between the heat and the discouragement, not to mention Mars in a less than wonderful place in my chart, and Mercury retrograde being so, er, imaginative these days, my mind is gone.
Anyway, try, try again, I eventually found an upbeat message for this day: it’s the New Moon, folks. Tonight at 9:31 p.m., we start again! In spite of ourselves, the Universe gives us endless beginnings, and it’s our job to put vision to the new month. Join with me in a collective vision: Let’s go Cool!
Whether its visioning a 'cooling down' in Lebanon, or the weather cooling down in Sonoma, cool is the word….Mars in it’s earthy new home in Virgo has a bit more ‘cool’ than it did when it was in the fire sign Leo, so let’s hope that helps (slipped in on Saturday while my brain was melted)
I will write about our SUN moving into the fire sign Leo, soon….as soon as things cool down some! Speaking of the Sun….and the scope and power of The Universe, take a look at these pictures for fun and perspective…..my friend David sent me a great link, a little perspective for us all! http://www.rense.com/general72/size.htm
Wednesday July 19, 2006
Moon in Taurus goes Void @ 10:48 p.m.
Moon in Taurus square Neptune in Aquarius @ 6:03 a.m.
Moon in Taurus sextile Mercury in Cancer @ 3:43 p.m.
Moon in Taurus sextile Sun in Cancer @ 8:49 p.m.
Moon in Taurus square Mars in Leo @ 10:48 p.m.
While I was busy having a rant about self righteousness (and being self righteous about it!) Venus was busy slipping into a new sign. Sigh. I had my priorities mixed up, so sorry, Dujourians!
I am no political expert, and like all of you, I have been having my own, personal reaction to bombs falling all akimbo upon people’s heads. I imagine it must be affecting you, too? I mean, Tsunami’s, and heat waves and war…oh my!
Still, life is personal, and in a completely parallel reality, I got a phone call this morning from Audrey, who is off in upstate New York for her son’s soon-to-happen wedding! She said that it is so rural where she is, that there is no cell phone service (And if you know Audrey, she is One with her cell!) but I bet she is enjoying the peace. She is meeting two of her three new grandchildren; the newest one is due in January. So, bombs and waves and vetoed bills that could save the lives of so many (and GIVE QUALITY to existing lives) are irrelevant if you are in a parallel reality, where the biggest news is that in an up and coming community event, drummers will ‘play’ the local bridge in celebration of The Founding Fathers saving the area from the British! (Audrey was enchanted by this)
So, learning from my recent display of arrogance (in my defense, I have transiting Saturn on my Pluto, and transiting Mars on my Saturn—doesn’t that sound awful? IT IS!) I will just talk about Venus entering Cancer.
Venus (as you all know, I’m sure) is all about love, beauty, harmony and ideals. Of course, when any planet is ABOUT those things, the imbalance is the opposite of those things! All Venus (ever) wants is attention, and now that she’s in Cancer, she wants attention getting her NEEDS met!
We will all feel NEEDFUL these days, so let’s just admit it! What is it that YOU need?
I realized what I need is a little reassurance! So I sat down with myself and reminded myself of a few things:
1) We’ve been through this sort of crazy stuff before (wars, weather, etc….) in fact, it is THE human story!
2) None of it is real anyway (I keep forgetting)
and 3) “What is not real, never was and never will be…..what IS real, always was, and CAN NOT BE DESTROYED!” Bhagavad Gita…whether we are here or not, ‘we’ are all One, and ‘we’ are always somewhere. Not alone, not isolated, but always connected!
So, what do you need to do to calm, beautify, and balance your world? What is it that you NEED?
Do not forget the Big Truth: “The self is required to balance the self”……The Oracle at Delphi…..
Daily Stars
Monday July 17, 2006
Moon in Aries goes Void @ 6:33 p.m. Enters Taurus @ 8:44 p.m.
Moon in Aries sextile Neptune in Aquarius @ 1:55 a.m.
Moon in Aries trine Pluto in Sagittarius @ 11:30 a.m.
Moon in Moon in Aries square Sun in Cancer @ 12:13 p.m.
Moon in Aries square Mercury in Cancer @ 1:32 p.m.
Moon in Aries trine Mars in Leo @ 3:32 p.m.
Moon in Aries sextile Venus in Gemini @ 6:33 p.m.
Jupiter, the planet of ‘justice’ can be a very, very dangerous one. What is called justice is often merely ‘righteousness’ or righteous indignation, which often hangs out with it’s terrible cousin; revenge. As you know, when someone is righteously indignant, they are not likely to listen! Jupiter is at the very top of the chart of 9-11, and of course, it features heavily in the charts of many (maybe even ALL) ‘religious’ wars.
Jupiter, after its long retrograde, began to slowly move forward on July 6th, As it picked up momentum, it began to assert its energies. This inclines us all to feel whatever it is that we feel with intensity, and a one-sidedness, and we must be very careful at this time to not indulge ourselves in righteousness. It is always important to remember the very wise metaphysical warning: We Become What We Resist.
The big illustration of Jupiter’s terrible side is there for all to see in the ongoing violence and escalation of the war in The Middle East.
The Middle East always seems to surge or ebb when Jupiter is changing directions or is making a significant aspect to other planets during a transit. This week, the horrifying display of violence in the Middle East was accompanied by the ever-present one sided news reports; the story is skewed to place the blame totally upon the Palestinians. I must admit to being very, very confused by this.
Please correct me, if I am wrong. The story I heard is that at the end of WW2, the United Nations ‘gave’ Israel a country—Palestine! The confusing part to me is, how does the UN have the right to give a country (all ready occupied) to another group of people? The general consensus is that it’s because GOD said so. Humm.
Imagine if the Native Americans (who without question previously owned the USA) decided to re-claim this land due to a reputed message from God! You know how well that would go over!
Still, the rules are that the Palestinians are not allowed to ‘fight back’ because that is Terrorism, and Israeli’s fighting back are ‘justifiably defending themselves’. In fact, since Israel has a very HUGE artillery collection, (supplied by the US) and the Palestinians do not; their children are so desperate that they become suicide bombers. Then THEY are blamed for every act of violence that occurs, even though the Israeli army has a far, far greater record of ‘kills’. The latest occurrence, spawned by the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, (now dead) a terrible occurrence, absolutely, is in greater perspective if we realize that the number of Palestinians that have been kidnapped now number in the range of 9,000!!! Yeah, you heard me.
Baffled by it all (many years ago—and baffled still!) I was told about the origins of this struggle from my dear and close friend Nancy who bought a house and went to live in Israel in the late 1980’s. Nancy was truly proud of her Jewish heritage, and we enjoyed many a Seder dinner (and Sabbath Friday) at her home. Through her, we came to understand the ways of her religion, and experience the beauty of the wonderful customs and rituals. She always hated the violence, and
pointed out that her religion and this war were NOT one and the same.
Years ago, she explained the division of the Arabs vs. Jews as told in the Old Testament. For those of you who have not heard it recently (or ever) or are just rusty, here’s what she told me:
Once upon a time, there was Abraham. All of his life, Abraham lived with the burden of a prophesy: He was told that a great nation would rise from his progeny! From that nation would be born a King, and he would ‘save the world’. Groovy. Except for just one thing—his wife, Sarah, was barren.
Now, Sarah (of course) was rather pressured by this prediction—and had more than her share of guilt that she could not bear Abraham a son. Her solution was to ask her beloved handmaiden, Hagar, to ‘go to Abraham’ and that was when it all went south.
It worked, and Hagar became pregnant with Ishmael. Fine, except Sarah flipped out! Oh, did I mention that Sarah was over 80 years old? I read that she lived for 127 years! Who knows? Anyway, when Ishmael was 6, Sarah BECAME PREGANT! True! She had a son that she named Isaac, which means, ‘she laughed’ because if YOU were 86 years old when you got pregnant, you would laugh too.
So there Abraham was with his two wives and two sons, and they just hated each other. Not a moment’s peace did he have, they both complained and competed for his attention relentlessly, but he truly loved his wife Sarah very much, so when she said KILL THEM, he said, ‘sure’.
Except he just couldn’t. This was his son, his first born, and Hagar had been only sweet and compliant to him, so he did the next best thing—he sent them off into the dessert with little provisions on a very hot, sunny day. (Cool dude)
They went as far as they could, traveling over hot dessert sand and broiling sun with very little water and food, and finally they came to the end of the line. They collapsed, unconscious on the dessert floor. This is when God said, “Hey, this doesn’t seem right’ and He caused a fountain of water to spring from the dessert sands creating a life-saving Oasis (atop land that was full of oil!).
From Ishmael, a great nation was born: Palestine! From Isaac, a great nation was born: Israel! These nations are both descended from Abraham, they are brothers, and our battle in the Middle East started as a battle for Abraham’s love and a birth right!
It’s always personal!
I was always amazed by this story. How could it all have gone so wrong?
Nancy’s daughter Melissa came to visit the US after Nancy died (from cancer, not the war) and we had a chance to talk. She had married an Israeli man that she met when she was in there visiting her mother. She didn’t like living there, the violence is (you can imagine) quite counter productive to raising small children. She was afraid even then (before 2001) to go out to a restaurant, or do any normal things, but they needed to stay there because her husband had been married before and he had a child that he could not leave. She told me that his family had owned their home there for over 120 years, and the ‘recent occupation’ had changed everything! So many of the Jewish occupants who have lived there for years and years, are just as depressed about the situation as the Palestinians who have had their lands confiscated.
Who is causing this? Who is profiting? What is going on?
You know, if soldiers were not willing to pull the trigger, who would die? Hitler never shot any one himself. Neither has Bush or Rumsfeld (not too sure about Cheney) it’s up to us to JUST SAY NO!
I was watching the news and an Israeli reporter (a woman) said that they wanted to ‘wipe Hamas (a political party of the Palestinians who not only have been mainline in the Resistance, and as such very violent, but they have also built schools, provided food, they are very religious and very militant) off the face of the earth, till they are ALL GONE’…now, just WHO does that remind you of? (Hint: ‘Totally eradicate’, ‘pure blood lines’, let’s all goose step towards those ovens, etc…)
Proof positive that the old metaphysical saying is true:
We Become What We Resist.
Daily Stars
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Friday July 14, 2006
Furthur Chronicles of Mercury Retrograde…..
Glancing over from my desk, I have a direct view at my kitchen, and specifically at my stove. And now, specifically at my shinny, brand new Kitchen Aid range, with its ‘duel carburetor heating unit ’ that goes from zero to broil in mere seconds! BUT the point is, why am I looking at a stove that is two days old, when Mercury has been retrograde for a little over a week? Well…funny you should ask….
Yesterday, as ususal, I came into the house to regroup between readings. This time, I entered the chaos of a Desperate Housewives episode, with the darling Wally, in a not-so-happy-to-see-me situation! He was up to his eyeballs in soggy towels and squishy carpets, battling with our brand new washing machine (purchased two Mercury retrogrades ago). It had popped open (front loading) and water was gushing forth on the laundry room floor… “You left something stuck in the doorway!” came flying at me, but I personally know that I didn’t…the water pressure broke the seal, and then the machine, like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, just kept filling up and filling up!
And, of course, there’s my wonderful hair, recently dyed (repeatedly) under a void Moon/Merc retro—(what was I thinking?) Glowing luminescent (described by my nephew as a fiber optic light fixture) and is not washing out as the package promised.
NOW, of course you know I am telling you my tales of Mercury Retrograde. I could add
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