The Bluestar Space

Organic divination for the urban herd

This is the astrology blog of the Earth Elephant.

Organic divination for the urban herd.

Fixed Stars.

Does anyone here ever go out into the night and pick out a favourite, lucky star?

Want to bet that you end up with one of the deep red stars like Antares or Aldebaran? Good choices. But it is most likely that you choose the most wonderful star in the sky—Sirius. This is a large white diamond of a star; the glittering light of Sirius demands your gaze.

To be born under Sirius is to be blessed with a glorious, interesting life: “Well connected, it promises fame, honors and riches. On the Ascendant and with Mars combined, Sirius can be quite dangerous, pushing ahead with too much ambition is then seen, resulting in dangers by injuries or attempts on the native’s life. According to tradition, Sirius will give a famous death with honors beyond the grave, if positioned in the 8th house. In good aspect with Mars and Jupiter and close to the MC, promise is given of gaining extensive wealth, a lucky hand in commercial enterprise or matters of government. This star so placed is most excellent for military , lawyers and civil servants. Sirius in conjunction with the Sun and well placed in the chart will be found to be the case with numerous important and famous personalities. Possibly, the rise in station is made possible by protection from people of influence.” (Taken from Ebertin’s Fixed Stars book)

Sirius can be found rising with Orion—in the Southern Hemisphere she is located to the right of Orion and in the constellation Canis Major. In the Western Tropical zodiac, Sirius is currently around 16degrees 5 minutes Cancer. Check it out in your horoscope and let me know what you find. 

The Twisting Road.

The twisting path, illuminated.

Three strands twist. Do we end up where we were always going?

We all have occasions for regret. But is it fair to say that no matter which road we take, we all end up in the same place? Taking our own pace we continue along, following a common map, asking: “what’s it all for?”, then finding the most surprising conclusions. They say that in the last moment of life we see the whole journey—surely then our choices will become clear. But that knowledge doesn’t do us any good when we need it most—right now! Our birth horoscope is said to be a sort of screen grab of our entire life to come. I am not convinced. In my opinion it is impossible to see the sorts of things that astrologers generally claim are there to be discovered.  Nobody wants to hear that when they have spent years studying the subject! The usual response to this is that one needs more study, more study, and more study…choose different techniques or use the same techniques in a new way. Of course there are plenty of people around to run workshops and sell books on becoming better able to read the impossible. Le sigh. That’s the reason so many of us are turning to the ancient authors who had nothing to sell except their accuracy.

Pluto demoted.

Oh boy this is one for the (astrological) history books. Just when we were getting quite comfortable incorporating Pluto’s dark energy into the horoscope, it has been officially declassified as a planet. Cue pearl-clutching. Personally, I think this latest development suits Pluto’s character quite aptly—mysterious, hidden, undesirable, inimical to human expansionism—we don’t really want to think about the subjects that Pluto represents in astrology. It’s too late to get rid of Saturn; once Christiaan Huygens flashed up the telescope optics to pick out the beautiful rings of Saturn, we were stuck with death, depression, and all other forms of constriction. Perhaps in the war on drugs we can declassify Neptune. Or quell potential revolutions by blowing up Uranus. Wait. Weren’t there revolutions before the discovery of Uranus? Didn’t the Israelites rise up against the Roman occupiers? No offence, but where was their Uranus then? We are better off as astrologers to stick to the luminaries and 5 visible planets. There is one major reason why astrology is based on the 7 objects and not 10. Light. We can see all the planets from Mercury to Saturn with the naked eye. So it is and so it always has been. As John Frawley says: “Uranus is already in the zodiac as the whole thing—let there be Light, the potential for everything that could ever be, drawn down into realization by the planets, Saturn first who castrated Uranus and thus limited our potential in the world.”

Dodging Chiron’s arrows.

The Healer, making his daily rounds.

I’ve struggled to integrate Chiron into my work. But the hypotheses of Chiron’s meaning remains, to me, unfulfilled. At the least it is puzzling. Chiron does not seem so benign. The “wounded healer” image is firmly set in our minds and is apt enough as it stands. Chiron the Centaur was wounded, could not heal himself in any way, yet continued to aid others until his plea for death was granted by Zeus. In sacrificing his immortality, he left an opening for Prometheus to be released from his everyday Hell and re-take his place amongst the Gods.
It is true that Chiron wasn’t like the other Centaurs. Why was that? Was he born with a soul that was mostly man and very little animal? An animal does not need to take weekend workshops on becoming its true self…it just gets on with being itself. Anything different just does not exist. But Chiron did not act like the other Centaurs. They were feared for their bestiality, the chaos they could bring to a gathering. Chiron did not participate in the chaos yet could not be separated from it—why was he so different? Why was he the teacher amongst his beastly peers? Why could he apply his skills to doctor to all but himself? “Physician, heal thyself” was a noble, bitter admonishment for Chiron. Not only did he have to endure an open unhealing wound, but the pain was said to be excruciating. To end his own suffering he had to give up and give into that very mortal part.
People are animals too. We can “just be” because that is the animal part of us which has remained. It is so easy for us to pretend that we are not part of the Animal Kingdom, or that somehow we have “transcended.” Perhaps Chiron represents that struggle against our animal nature, which has collectively taken us into the dizzying heights of philosophy and the depths of existential angst.
I sometimes call Chiron the “when bad things happen to good people” factor. But there is more to it than that (of course). Sometimes Chiron seems to act as “Mary Poppins” and help a spoonful of medicine go down with just enough sweetness. Sometimes Chiron is like “The Music Man” who gallops into town, sells a dream, causes disruption, and leaves everyone changed—maybe for the better, maybe not. If this sounds like a combination of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto to you then you’re not the only one. The outer planets represent strong themes in our society, and forces which we are unable to control. But there are always some fools who think they can rule the world. Since Chiron lies in the space between Saturn and Uranus, perhaps the comeuppance or schadenfreude due to all fools everywhere is due to the forces woven through the twin myths of ever-suffering Prometheus and Chiron. They exist to remind us we are human and only human; tarted-up monkeys who were lucky enough to be handed the Word via thrice-powerful-Hermes.

This one goes out to…

Can I just say how much I appreciate those on-line astrologers who dare to make their position clear? No fence-sitting for them. One case which comes to mind are the guys at Star IQ ( http://www.stariq.com/main.HTM ), who end their Planet Forecasts with the disclaimer “Astrology is not for entertainment purposes only.” Thank. You.
Another example is C.U.R.A.— University Centre for Astrological Research ( http://cura.free.fr/cura-en.html) who proudly proclaim:

“Astrology is born with history. It is alive in human consciousness. Its heyday is still to come.”

I keep this motto in mind. This is the Century of the Moronic Cynic and so it is hard to find something in which to place one’s faith.
I know that my profession is currently on a trend toward the lower end of the social appreciation level (some would say it has been all downhill since the so-called Enlightenment) but we can take comfort in an Age of Aquarius cliche. We are stardust, we are golden. The only thing we need to do is to get ourselves back to the Garden.

FIXED ARC of the Desperate Housewife.

Under the placid surface, lies a dangerous attitude. A typical phlegmatic temperament.

We begin by believing in our choices, that vast network of lines which crisscross our lives, making juncture at every moment.

Only fools follow the fickleness of Fate. Fools, or foreigners.

Backwater babies grow up to be exactly as their birth circumstances presage.
In the bright lights of big cities, though, a man or woman stands with eyes shielding the dazzling sunlight of choice. Our plans are like totems, tall and straight to the point. The richness of our Being is eclipsed only by the Future we could have. Could have, if work is hard and each juncture has been consulted and measured correctly by media far and wide…oh shit

“Where was I?” asked Virginia.
“What?”
“I was on a roll about Fate and Freewill being one and the same, mixed in parcels of particles…”
“What the hell?”
“Well I don’t know. Whenever I get on some subjects I just feel these statements welling up and wanting to burst out like the Wisdom of the Ages.”
“Oh, yeah. I know what you mean.”
“You do?”
“Yup.”
“Well what do you know? Just when you thought you knew a guy.”
“Still Waters Run Deep, as they say.”
“Laugh Out Loud, as they say. Who was that on the phone?”
“When?”
“When I was typing you took a call. Who was it?”
“Telemarketer.”
“Oh.” Virginia waited.

“It wasn’t that European lady again?”
“Who?”
“Whatshername. The masseuse.”
“Dr. Verdinova. She’s a doctor in Russia.”
“So she says.”
“Why wouldn’t she be? She’s a professional. It’s respectful to use her professional name.”
“She’s a professional all right.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing.” Virginia paused. “Can’t you see a different masseuse? Like a man, for instance?”
“Oh please!”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I don’t want a man touching me, that’s all.”
“A man touching you…? It’s remedial. A man’s touch is going to get down into your muscles just as well and maybe even better.”
“Geez, sexual innuendo much?”
Silence.
“It’s just my preference. That’s it. Nothing more to it than that.”
Cameron reached for his phone and tucked his wallet into his back pocket.
“Hey, seeing as you are tip-tappy laptop happy this afternoon, I might head out to the hardware shop. Got to look at those dry vacs.”
“Yup. Ok.”
“You be here a while?”
“Probably.”
“Ok honey, be back soon. Have a nice …” He said something more but it was muffled by her hair as he bent to kiss her head. It sounded like “dime.” Have a nice dime. Go ahead and use the phone, it’s your dime. Massage therapists are a dime a dozen, dammit. Why did he have to see that slut?
Where exactly, Virginia mused, did the slut work?
She closed up her laptop and slipped into her orthopedic sandals.
She had one phone number and one friend up the street who owed her a favour. Digging out the slip of paper she had secreted in her cardigan, she walked for a hundred metres. Standing outside the iron-grilled door she considered how much to tell Ruth. It took a long time and a few rings of the bell before the door opened. Virginia noticed that Ruth didn’t look too happy to see her.
“Hi.”
“Hi Ruth. Is this a bad time to drop in?”
“Sort of.”
“I won’t take long, I promise.”
Ruth ran her fingers through her very short hair. “Leo’s back.”
“Oh!…well…how is he? Is he…”
“Going to jail? We don’t know yet. Probably not. Anyways, he’s not guilty, so why should he go to jail?”
“Oh! Yes! Of course not.”
Ruth seemed to relax. “Cup of tea?”
“Oh yes please.”
As soon as they had picked their way through the rubbish obstructing the hallway, Virginia cautiously said: “I have a favour to ask you.”
“What?”
“You can trace numbers can’t you? Phone numbers.”
“Yeah. But so can anyone. Reverse search. Start with the number and work backwards. They have books at the library.”
“Well, this isn’t a publicly available number. It’s not in any of the phone books I’ve checked. Can’t you find out where it’s located?”
“Is it a land line?”
“Yes.”
“Ok…I’ve got a shift tomorrow night so I’ll see what I can do. Whose number is it? Or is that a stupid question?”
“It’s not a stupid question, and I know who the number belongs to…Well…I don’t know her exactly, but I know approximately…”
“What’s that mean?”
“Ruth, do you mind if I don’t talk about this right now? It’s kind of personal and I don’t know where it might lead.”
“Sure. Ok.”
“Thank you. Really. Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.” Ruth turned to finish pouring the hot water over the tea bags. “But you’ll have to tell me eventually. I can’t do these things in the dark. It’s not fair.”
“Ruth…”
“No Virginia, I haven’t forgotten what happened with your Mom. You told me it would all be ok and it wasn’t ok. Remember? And then I had to live with the fall-out with Leo for months and months, and he wasn’t a happy camper let me tell you. Leo got fired and he says he hasn’t had a job that good since then. He still believes your Mom stole the money. I mean, who else could have done it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well it wasn’t Leo, no matter what anyone else says.”
“I never said he did!”
Ruth passed her a chipped mug brimming with watery tea. “Maybe not, but Cameron did.”
“Cameron! He’s an asshole.”
Ruth abruptly brought her tea cup down onto the dirty countertop. “Excuse me? Did I just hear you call your soulmate an asshole?”
“I didn’t mean asshole…he’s not a bad person…I’m just a little confused about him right now…”
“Confused? You mean he might be gay??”
“No! No.”
“Ah.”
“Ah?”
“Say no more. Wink wink. Nudge nudge.”
“Ruth…”
“Virginia, I’m not as stupid as I look. You come here looking to trace a secret number and then call your dear husband an asshole, then admit you’re confused. What’s not to know?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Oh yeah. Sure.”
“It isn’t!” Virginia tossed the rest of the horrible tea down the sink and turned to leave. “I’ll explain it all later. Really, it’s not that bad. I’m just…curious. That’s all. I’m curious.”
“Curious is the word for it. Oh boy, I really gotta know about this one.” She narrowed her eyes. “Your mother’s not involved, is she?”
“No. Not yet at least. Here’s hoping that she stays that way.” Virginia paused to look into the living room. My God it was messy. How could anyone live that way? “Mother has a gift for screwing things up.”
“She means well. I think.”
They both laughed. It wasn’t a soul-clearing laugh, but it was the best they could do. Virginia went back home, and Ruth stood at the window watching her. When Virginia reached the potted bamboo at the end of her driveway, she turned around to see Ruth’s bleak face, disembodied by the window’s reflection. Just time enough to make dinner before Cameron returned, she thought, and turned back to her own door.
 

Vesak. Buddha’s Birthday.

Covering a few bases, so to speak.

Friday

Many Happy Returns to Buddha today. Sun opposed Jupiter, Moon waxes in First Quarter (Leo), and Mercury enters Taurus.
The forces of grandiosity, loyalty, steadiness of purpose, sumptuousness, and appreciation permeated any celebration or ritual in Buddha’s name.

Skeptics: Do they really exist?

A world without astrology lacks the full spectrum of light.

Tuesday

I’d have to say No. Other than the various Skeptic’s journals (which admittedly abound, but could have been written by anyone) there isn’t convincing proof, and the meta-analysis is inadequate. People posing as skeptics can be identified by the blue tinge in their cheeks as they splutter the usual phrases (usually involving “logic” or “facts”). The only response to this harrowing display? “Well, astrology works for me!”  I find that gentles the most agitated questioner.

Those money-grubbing fortune-tellers and their silly superstitions.

Ludum Dare. One event, many experiences.

One event, many experiences.Saturday

Ok, there is no doubt that some of us who practice astrology are guilty of using bad astronomy to justify a particular conclusion about a chart. We talk about Pluto conjuncting the Galactic Centre (26 degrees Sagittarius is deemed the current centre of our galaxy) and welcome the discovery of each new centaur/planet/planetoid with enthusiasm for investigating their metaphysical meaning. We may be misguided, ill-informed, and ignorant, but dammit, at least we are interested in what astronomers are discovering. The vast majority of people on this planet couldn’t care less about what is going on Up There. Unless it pertains directly to them, the average person finds it hard to appreciate how much has been learned about the Universe in the last 20 years. As a group, astrologers pay attention to the celestial movements. This is why I find it strange that astronomers take such a harsh line toward those who practice astrology. We care, man. We really do.
Here’s my rant for today:
Science cannot explain how astrology’s ideas are supposed to work.
Perhaps that is a failure of science. Perhaps a social science, such as psychology, has better tools to explain why we made the connections in the first place, between planets, luminaries, and events on Earth. Now there’s a good question: why did we even start the process of matching astronomical observations to our Earthly realm? It seems perfectly natural that we would do that…why is it natural?
Astrology has a legacy of centuries of human behaviour models. We know that when the Moon mixes with Saturn, the result would never be described as Mardi Gras time.
According to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle (yes that old saw), science cannot predict the actual position of an electron in an atom at any time. Science uses probabilities to predict. This is what we do in astrology. Based on our models we predict what is “likely” to happen.
Philosophy has value. Science has value. Religion has value. History has value. Astrology combines elements of all these and so has value. It is also a language which human beings can learn and use. Whether its correspondences make sense or not, the tendencies of one’s life can be mapped out fairly accurately. It is a subject which can be studied over a lifetime without ever revealing the whole of its knowledge.
This is reasonable, given that its basis lies in the human experience of the cosmos. Not purely scientific interpretation, its observations are on quite a different branch than science. More like a completely different fricking tree. There really is no comparison.
Science cannot make a soul (or mind) visible, nor identify all their components. This is because science cannot speak the language. Astrology can speak this language of metaphors, and so can come closer to understanding what the soul is trying to communicate to us.
So go ahead. Call it a pseudoscience. Whatever. Over enthusiasm for rationalism leads to scenarios like that described in “1984.” I will always advocate balance for the good of society; I am willing to endure hysterical scientists (or those in their camp) who malign my chosen profession and accuse us astrologers of throwing our critical thinking out the window. Does anyone ever maintain a 100% critical thinking mass? If they do—-boring!!! (this is the “touche!” part of my argument—insert applause here)
Jimi Hendrix asked—Are You Experienced? (Not, Do You Know the Answer to Everything?)

Do you really want to answer, er, no thanks, I don’t believe in that experience thing…?