The LEGO Tarot

I've been studying and working with Tarot for many years now, and have collected quite a few decks in that time. But how can any other deck compare to Chris Doyle's LEGO deck, which is unfortunately unpublished, but viewable online in full at this great site.

And if you're someone who gets a bit spooked by some of the heavy imagery associated with Tarot, the LEGO version might help ease nerves and put it all in perspective. Here are links to a couple of the traditionally more scary images, the Death card and 10 of Swords.

The rest of this site is great too, especially the Mini-Mizer, which I've found is a soothing antidote to the limbo of writers block :-)

The Weather Alternative

Here's an interesting blog for my friends in the US... the Weather Alternative is the weather forecast using astrology! How about that!

I have been wondering whether astrology could have any bearing on the weather since I noticed that just before a full moon, or at the time of solstices/equinoxes, it often gets windy. Now this might just be where I live, but it's something that got me thinking...

This is from the introduction to the site:

Johannes Kepler, the 17th century astronomer and discoverer of the planetary laws of motion, experimented with what today would be considered an alternative forecast method that made long-range weather forecasts possible. Kepler observed that the angular relationships among the planets coincided with the formation of weather systems here on Earth that, in turn, produced storms, droughts, floods, etc. His first brush with fame came not because of his breakthrough regarding the planetary laws of motion but because of his accurate long-range weather forecast of the severe winter that put Styermark, Germany on ice in 1593. Since the planets move in repetitive cycles that can be known beforehand, he reasoned, the weather induced by them can also be known beforehand.

Check out the astro weather forecast here

Eris - Spanner In The Works Or Catalyst For Creativity?

Planet 2003 UB313, also known as Xena, has been officially named Eris. In myth Eris was the goddess of strife and discord, and has been given this name because of the debate the discovery of this planet started, that led to the reclassification of the known solar system.

Goddess Eris was best known for starting the Trojan War, after she was so miffed not to be invited to a wedding that all the other goddesses were attending. She wasn't welcome because she was a troublemaker; however by trying to exclude her from the wedding party they made things a whole lot worse for themselves. Eris threw to Hera, Aphrodite and Athena the apple of discord , which had the inscription 'to the fairest one', and let nature take its course. After squabbling amongst themselves it was down to Paris to make the decision. His choice of Aphrodite had the domino effect of events that led to the Trojan War.

So this is a goddess that you ignore at your peril. She's no victim and won't be pushed aside. She doesn’t need Patrick Swayze to save her with a 'nobody puts baby in the corner' kind of line. It was the competitive instinct of the other girls that she capitalised on, so she's also clever and knows what makes people tick.

And she has also inspired her own religion. Discordianism, founded in the mid 20th century, believes that chaos is as necessary to the universe as harmony. Its sacred text, the Principia Discordia or How I Found The Goddess And What I Did To Her When I Found Her, is ‘dedicated to the prettiest one’, and begins:

We
are a tribe
of philosophers, theologians,
magicians, scientists,
artists, clowns,
and similar maniacs
who are intrigued
with
ERIS
GODDESS OF CONFUSION
and with
Her
Doings

Read more about Eris inspired Discordiansim here, and read the text online at this great site.
I have to admit this post is late because I lost myself for hours in there. I was utterly fascinated. Never been a one for religion of any sort, but I think the Principia Discordia has just what I've been looking for from a sacred text...

Eris moves slowly through the zodiac, and has been in the sign of Aries for decades (Hence the Xena warrior nickname was very apt), but you can find out the exact degree Eris occupied at the time of your birth with this wonderful online ephemeris here.


tecnorati: Astrology, Eris, Discordianism

Better Out Than In...

... so said 17 of Tony Blair’s own men as they tried to force the issue of his retirement as leader of the Labour party, by pushing him to set a date. This coincided with the lunar eclipse, an event that traditionally signifies important or ominous happenings to influential public figures.

A lunar eclipse happens during the full moon, when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the zodiac. It’s a time when the cosmic energies stretch to their max between two points, and in the tradition of ‘as above, so below’, the events here on earth follow suit, along with a characteristic sense of tension and irritability.
Any full moon tends to push for the 'enough's enough' point, but mix it with an eclipse and you get a fed-up feeling that brings events to a head, with far-reaching implications and long-term impact.

This eclipse energy certainly pushed the Labour party to breaking point, with the resignation of 7 of the 17, followed by a photo of a grinning Gordon Brown that fuelled rumours he had orchestrated the whole thing in an effort to clear his path for a straight run at promotion to Prime Minister.
With Charles Clarke’s opinion about the Brown photo as being ‘a stupid, stupid thing’ to have done, it became clear that full moon madness had descended on the Labour party with gusto, and internal chaos publicly polarised the camp between Blair supporters and Brown supporters, mirroring the cosmic tension happening simultaneously in the skies above them.

An outward impression of peace fooled no-one today, with one journalist describing the situation as being ‘as calm and serene as a sackful of ferrets’.

Normally I have the attention span of a goldfish when it comes to politics, simply because I just can't tolerate the lies, spin and manipulation, but this has been a rare treat - not just because the whole affair has demonstrated the ‘as above so below’ theory of astrology with such precision – but because it was also a reality show peek into the clearly edgy relationship between Blair and Brown, that under lesser astrological conditions would no doubt have remained hidden by spin.

As usual, Blair the typical Taurean has refused to be pushed by anyone into anything, especially the issue of retirement, though he has mentioned June next year just to keep hounds at bay. This is the timing of the last Saturn/Neptune opposition, and is also just a few short weeks before the UK chart hits its Saturn return - the end of a 30 year astrological cycle and a key point of transition in any chart. It’s also the time when Saturn conjuncts Pluto in Blair’s chart for the final time, ending a yearlong transition of his own.

However Brown’s supporters would prefer to plan a Christmas leaving do. Brown is a Pisces with north node at 20 degrees of that sign. Currently the north node is at 25 degrees of Pisces, which means it reaches the 20 degree mark in December, so this date suggests a significant time Brown, being the beginning/end of an important 19 year cycle.
I always look to see what the rulers of the nodes are up to in a chart for more information on how this cycle will play out, and with Brown having north node in Pisces the ruler is Neptune; therefore it’s the Saturn/Neptune opposition that describes the manifestation of events connected to the future development of this cycle.

So whether it’s December or next June, it appears it’s the Saturn opposite Neptune symbolism all the way.


technorati astrology, politics, eclipse

Steve Irwin Dies

I am just so sad to hear about the death of Steve Irwin. He was an incredible personality, and I loved his utter devotion to the kind of creatures that would make most of us run a mile. His enthusiasm was infectious, and I laughed a lot and learnt a lot while watching his TV programmes. He made it all fun, which is the mark of a truly gifted teacher.

Have heard it said the accident on Monday was ironic in a sense because it wasn't involving a 'dangerous' creature, but I feel this isn't irony; it has a rightness to it, because his skill lay in handling those dangerous creatures; he understood them so well that an accident was never going to happen that way.

I had a look at his chart, and I noticed the Saturn/Neptune opposition at the degree of his North/South node in Leo/Aquarius. April Elliott Kent at Big Sky Astrology Blog also notes the heavy presence of Jupiter at the time, often a feature of charts involving time of death.

I became fiercely protective of Steve Irwin when that offensive gaggle of do-gooders complained about him holding his baby sort of near that crocodile. How typical of that type to take that stance. How dare they assume they knew better than his years of experience. But anyway, they arn't important now. I just want to remember him for making me smile with his exuberance and big personality, and for inspiring me with his passion for his subject.

Saturn Opposite Neptune Exact

This aspect has been building for some time and the two planets are now exactly 180 degrees from each other at opposite sides of the zodiac - Leo and Aquarius respectively.
It’s the first of 3 oppositions that these two make over the next 10 months. The second is the end of Feb 2007, with a final hit at the end of June next year; during that whole time both planets are weaving to and fro in around each other.

Because this aspect takes place over a long period of time it’s going to be an important pattern of energy expressing through events, so how to recognise its expression on both a personal and collective level? An easy place to start is by identifying some keywords for each piece of the aspect, and see they how they mix and match with relevant themes in situations and events.


Some keywords to mix and match for Saturn in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius...

Saturn = limits and boundaries, structure and formation, permission and approval, denial and resistance, time and tradition, law, government, authority, responsibility, maturity, adulthood, blocks and obstacles, outcome, conclusion

In

Leo = individual, self-awareness, creativity, artist, performer, the heart of the matter, focus of attention, warmth, play, enjoyment, recreation, free child, recognition, acknowledgement.

Opposite = confrontation, conflict, seeking balance, seeking resolution.

Neptune = non-physical, imagination, illusion, deception, smokescreen, impressionability, passivity, surrendering to greater power (whether through spirituality or substance abuse, addictions, etc), blurred edges, lack of clarity, sleep and dreaminess.

In

Aquarius = lifestyle, freedom and liberty, human rights, collective consciousness, group purpose, networking and circulating thought and ideas, support structure and friendship, current trends and vision for the future.



So keeping the keywords in mind, we can now see this pattern at work in last weeks news about Pluto’s reclassification - Saturn, the planet of authority, boundaries, and conclusions, was embodied through the collective boffin debate that restructured our vision of solar system, by drawing the line at Pluto, concluding that Neptune is now the final member of the traditional group line-up.

There have also been a couple of stories peppered with the keywords, involving the smoking ban (Saturn/Neptune) recently introduced in Scotland. Both stories involve the Leo/Aquarius axis of individual/collective, through the associated theme of performer/crowd. The first involving time-served legend Keith Richards, who apparently smoked through the entire set of a stadium concert in Glasgow. The ripple of disapproval was only quelled when it was discovered the stadium was classified as open-air, and Richards escaped the 50 quid fine (phew!)

The second story involved actor Mel Smith, who was appearing as part of the Edinburgh festival, in a production about the life of Winston Churchill. Smith threatened to smoke the necessary cigar that Churchill was famous for, happy to risk arrest and a fine for the sake of his art. He was threatened right back with an overblown response by the powers that be, who said he wouldn’t be arrested, they would close the theatre down instead; rather sneakily relying on their rebel's social conscience to win their battle for them.

Follow this story through the thread of astrology symbols, and you reach down to a deeper dynamic, more relevant than the smoking issue. I am neither for or against smoking, I believe in individual choice, so I see this particular expression of Saturn in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius as being another manifestation of a law that denies the authority of the individual (Saturn in Leo) and their right to make a choice.

The issue of passive smoking (Neptune in Aquarius) is a perfect smokescreen to lose this deeper issue behind, because no- one disputes the effects on health. It’s a non-issue on the surface, something you can’t complain about and expect to be taken seriously. However, take the heat out of the issue, and look at the structure of that law. The introduction of the compliance officers to enforce the ban might be the anti-smokers best friend, but like the proposed UK ID card, it’s a reminder we're just another shiver down the spine away from Big Brother.

You see, as much as I would have liked to have called in the fashion police to swoop down and stop the madness I saw around me in the 1980’s, if I’m honest I’d prefer to see shoulder pads of Dynasty proportions any day than suffer a regiment of compliance officers enforcing fines for those indulging in legwarmer and lycra abuse. I just don’t want to collude with or condone a landscape of limited choice, whatever the price.

Surely there's room for both smoking and non-smoking buildings in the world? But more importantly surely it should be down to the individual to assess the risk of visiting a theatre where their health might be endangered by a cigar on the stage? I mentioned previously that I see Saturn in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius as describing a collective craving to reconnect with our true spiritual identity. But the more our power for individual choice is taken away, the further away from our unique selves we will end up.

As the scientists proved last week, it only takes 300 votes to reshape the vision of consensus reality, so let’s take a leaf from their new textbook and make it our responsibility to draw the line somewhere. It's time to reclaim the right to choose - our spiritual health requires it...


astrology, freedom, choice, free-will

Tagged For Trivia

I’ve been tagged! From Lynn Hayes at Astrological Musings!
I love these tag thingy’s, as you can follow links endlessly, reading interesting facts about your favourite bloggers, and maybe discovering some new favourite bloggers on the way. Ok here's my contribution...

1 - Things that scare me
House spiders. I don’t even like writing the word as it feels it’s got some sort of summoning power. I know it’s irrational and I know they are more scared of me, but I think that’s the problem actually, because they move so fast when frightened. It’s the mutual blind panic – we’re both running screaming at the sight of each other. But there are those fearless ones as well; the ones that sit in the middle of the wall at 3am and stare at you till you wake up and think ‘how long has that been there, and where was it before that?’. I can’t kill them, but I can’t go near them, which has caused great problems and sleepless nights in the past, but happily I have now bought a spider catcher; a nifty long-handled device which means we don't even have to cross auras. I just scoop them up and release them safely into my neighbour’s garden.

2 - People who make me laugh
People like Ricky Gervais and Eddie Izzard, Stephen Fry, The Marx Brothers. Too many to mention really, but at the moment my favourite is The Mighty Boosh. It's good for my soul, I find.

3 - Things I hate the most
People who think animals don’t deserve respect or appropriate care and attention. Food producers who neglect animal welfare...And I hate that I have to check ingredients all the time, to keep an eye on unscrupulous food producers who don’t care what is added or taken away... Bullies... Closed minds... Ignorant, ill-thought out belief systems that keep us all in the dark ages (...and breeeeeathe)

4 - Things I don’t understand
Maths. It’s utterly beyond me. I can’t even add up properly. The numbers seem to jumble around on the page or in my head. Don’t know if you can get number dyslexia, but if you can, I have it. Thank goodness for computers, because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be able to calculate a chart. It’s why I haven’t got a recognised qualification in astrology, as I couldn’t calculate a chart from scratch so couldn’t sit the exam.

5 - Things I’m doing right now
Apart from writing this, I am listening to an album by Jose Gonzalez, (bought for the song from the advert with the coloured balls bouncing down the street).
And am trying to build my new website from my ultra, easy-peasy website maker. And that’s something else I don’t understand – html, psp, and don’t get me started on rss.

6 - Things I want to do before I die
Hmmmm…. I would really like to lose my fear of death. That would be a weight off my mind.

7 - Things I can do
Astrology, Tarot, Spiritual/Aura healing. The healing bit comes most naturally, it was always there, but the rest involved lots and lots of hard work :-)

8 - Things I can’t do
Sing or play any instrument. Bizarre as it sounds, I’m frightened I spoil the wonder I experience if I learn the technicalities of music. I have never lost the childlike awe I have for music and musicians. It’s magic! I don’t want to know how David Blaine does it, I’m happy being spellbound.

9- Ways to describe my personality
A mix of Gemini, Virgo and a dash of Aries, with a strong Uranus/Neptune energy tying it all together. For those who don’t speak astro, that means I’m an optimistic, nervous, curious, chatterbox, who will tell you straight that she can see the universe in a grain of sand.

10 - Things I think you should listen to
Always your own heart. Whatever inspires you, even though it might not be what inspires others in any way at all. Also all your favourite tunes, as often as possible.

11 - Things you should never listen to
Well I’m not a fan of censorship, and I never say never; but it seems daft to listen to anything more than once that brings you down in anyway.

12 - Things I’d like to learn.
To not be so self-critical. I beat myself up for beating myself up.

13 - Favourite foods
Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate. Wow.

14 - Beverages I drink regularly
Tea. Lots of it, hot, strong and sweet. Also wine, especially red, especially with food.

15 - Shows I watched as a kid
The Clangers. Maybe this is where my fascination with the planets started :-) ‘White Horses’ (oh that theme tune!!!!), and ‘Champion the Wonder Horse’ - they were always on over the school holidays, and ‘Grange Hill’ of course.
Wonder Woman and Charlie's Angels. And I was jealous of my older sis who was allowed to watch all of The Rockford Files and Policewoman.



There you go, it's over to you...
April
Crazed Mom
Guru
Susan