Word and Thought Karma

Learning from the 10 of Swords Tarot Card

Listen to yourself talking with friends and familiars over a twenty-four hour period. Recognize your primary subject matter, tone and slant, because right now you are eating your words. Every sword in this picture is one of your own pronouncements, having comeback to you in the fullness of time. It's important to understand that what you speak, what you breathe life into, is what you harvest.

Remember, your subconscious hears and believes what you say and produces equivalent results. In this moment, you have a chance to become more conscious and start fresh. Learn to frame your thinking in terms of what you love, are inspired by and are striving toward -- rather than what you disagree with, are judging or rejecting.

There is nothing inherently wrong with having a setback. This is how we humans learn. The problem arises when you don't learn from your experience and fail to recover, rebound and move on.

Grand Trines by Barbara Watters

[Kepler's drawing of a Grand Trine]

Barbara Watters on Grand Trines ...

" … I haven’t missed out on the “fun” of the grand trine. I was born with 2 of them in my chart. I have only studied astrology for 43 years. I haven’t yet decided what I think of grand trines. I told you that the ancient and classical astrologers considered it evil.

"Marc Edmund Jones, when he was a missionary on the Bowery, found that the charts of the drunks and drifters who came to church to get warm abounded in multiple trines and sextiles and lacked hard aspects. I am not responsible for those observations or opinions. They are worthy of consideration because they are contrary to a commonly accepted view and because they were expressed by astrologers devoted to their art.

"Years ago I did a study of mental illness and found the grand trine so over-represented in the charts of schizophrenics and manic depressives that I had to end up naming it one of the signatures of psychosis.

"Now please don’t say I called you psychotic because you have a grand trine. I’m sure all but a few were and are depressingly sane. "Sex and the Outer Planets" a book she wrote] is not a statistical study of individual aberrancies. It is a historical study of social cruelty enforced by law and custom against individuals and the misery this causes.

"Please don’t take my word for anything like the prevalence of grand trines in alcoholics’ charts. I came to this conclusion during 30 years of active practice with many alcoholic clients - perhaps several hundred. It seemed to form a pattern. Perhaps after 30 years of practice with several thousand clients, you will come to a different conclusion, which would be fine. Astrology is an art, not a science. Rembrandt was a great painter, but that doesn’t make Van Gogh a liar."

Free Books Project Gutenberg

Did you know you can get tons of free books to download for free at Project Gutenberg? You can also help by proofreadiing in your spare time.

Leos are the Workaholics of the Zodiac!

Neith and Pat wrote this about me and my fellow Leos:

With the Sun and Venus in Leo, we decided to ask for your feedback on how you feel about Leos.

This is how you voted:

46.4% Lots of fire in my chart so I love them.

21.4% They irritate the heck out me, too loud and overbearing.

0.0% I have nothing in common with them so don’t know any.

32.1% Could they pay attention to someone other than themselves?


Well, it looks like the number of people who voted love Leos, a good sign for all you Leo types out there! Before you let all the adulation go to your head, note the second largest number of votes went to option number four. But don’t worry, we still love you.


There are a certain number of people, most likely Scorpio and Taurus folk, who find your typical Leo a teensy bit overbearing and loud. Now why would they think that? Could it be because they live in the apartment beneath your lordly realm and didn’t appreciate the wonderful party you threw that lasted into the wee hours? Who would have thought . . .

I guess those people with no Leos in their lives (the poor deprived souls) didn’t even bother to vote. Either that or there weren’t any, the more logical choice.

And just so you know this is all in fun . . . I voted for option number one!!

[end of qutoe]

Nancy's Note: I just have one urgent, burning question. Why does this myth of our party nature persist? Most Leos are the workaholics of the zodiac.

Don't believe me? Check it out.

My theory has long been that it's probably because so many have Mercury, Venus and/or Mars in Virgo [these personal planets can't get more than 45 degrees from the Sun] and their great big warm Leo Suns progress through Virgo for thirty years of their lives. I am thinking of my father, my twin, my best friend, my daughter and myself to name just five of the hardest working people I have ever known.

Joseph Murphy - The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

Introduction by Dr. Joseph Murphy

I have seen miracles happen to men and women in all walks of life all over the world. Miracles will happen to you, too—when you begin using the magic power of your subconscious mind. This book is designed to teach you that your habitual thinking and imagery mold, fashion, and create your destiny; for as a man thinketh in his subconscious mind, so is he.

Do you know the answers?

Why is one man sad and another man happy?

Why is one man joyous and prosperous and another man poor and miserable?

Why is one man fearful and anxious and another full of faith and confidence?

Why does one man have a beautiful, luxurious home while another man lives out a meager existence in a slum?

Why is one man a great success and another an abject failure?

Why is one speaker outstanding and immensely popular and another mediocre and unpopular?

Why is one man a genius in his work or profession while the other man toils and moils all his life without doing or accomplishing anything worthwhile?

Why is one man healed of a so-called incurable disease and another isn’t?

Why is it so many good, kind religious people suffer the tortures of the damned in their mind and body?

Why is it many immoral and irreligious people succeed and prosper and enjoy radiant health?

Why is one woman happily married and her sister very unhappy and frustrated?

Is there an answer to these questions in the workings of your conscious and subconscious minds? There most certainly is.

Reason for writing this book

It is for the express purpose of answering and clarifying the above questions and many others of a similar nature that motivated me to write this book. I have endeavored to explain the great fundamental truths of your mind in the simplest language possible. I believe that it is perfectly possible to explain the basic, foundational, and fundamental laws of life and of your mind in ordinary everyday language.

You will find that the language of this book is that used in your daily papers, current periodicals, in your business offices, in your home, and in the daily workshop.I urge you to study this book and apply the techniques outlined therein; and as you do, I feel absolutely convinced that you will lay hold of a miracle-working power that will lift you up from confusion, misery, melancholy, and failure, and guide you to your true place, solve your difficulties, sever you from emotional and physical bondage, and place you on the royal road to freedom, happiness, and peace of mind.

This miracle-working power of your subconscious mind can heal you of your sickness; make you vital and strong again. In learning how to use your inner powers, you will open the prison door of fear and enter into a life described by Paul as the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

Releasing the miracle-working power

A personal healing will ever be the most convincing evidence of our subconscious powers. Over forty-two years ago I resolved a malignancy—in medical terminology it was called a sarcoma—by using the healing power of my subconscious mind, which created me and still maintains and governs all my vital functions.

The technique I applied is elaborated on in this book, and I feel sure that it will help others to trust the same Infinite Healing Presence lodged in the subconscious depths of all men.

Through the kindly offices of my doctor friend, I suddenly realized that it was natural to assume that the Creative Intelligence which made all my organs, fashioned my body, and started my heart, could heal its own handiwork. The ancient proverb says, “The doctor dresses the wound and God heals it.”

Wonders happen when you pray effectively

Scientific prayer is the harmonious interaction of the conscious and subconscious levels of mind scientifically directed for a specific purpose. This book will teach you the scientific way to tap the realm of infinite power within you enabling you to get what you really want in life. You desire a happier, fuller, and richer life. Begin to use this miracle-working power and smooth your way in daily affairs, solve business problems, and bring harmony in family relationships. Be sure that you read this book several times.

The many chapters will show you how this wonderful power works, and how you can draw out the hidden inspiration and wisdom that is within you. Learn the simple techniques of impressing the subconscious mind. Follow the new scientific way in tapping the infinite storehouse. Read this book carefully, earnestly, and lovingly. Prove to yourself the amazing way it can help you. It could be and I believe it will be the turning point of your life.

Everybody prays

Do you know how to pray effectively? How long is it since you prayed as part of your everyday activities? In an emergency, in time of danger or trouble, in illness, and when death lurks, prayers pour forth—your own and friends. Just read your daily newspaper. It is reported that prayers are being offered up all over the nation for a child stricken with a so-called incurable ailment, for peace among nations, for a group of miners trapped in a flooded mine.

Later it is reported that when rescued, the miners said that they prayed while waiting for rescue; an airplane pilot says that he prayed as he made a successful emergency landing. Certainly, prayer is an ever-present help in time of trouble; but you do not have to wait for trouble to make prayer an integral and constructive part of your life. The dramatic answers to prayer make headlines and are the subject of testimonies to the effectiveness of prayer.

What of the many humble prayers of children, the simple thanksgiving of grace at the table daily, the faithful devotions wherein the individual seeks only communion with God? My work with people has made it necessary for me to study the various approaches to prayer. I have experienced the power of prayer in my own life, and I have talked and worked with many people who also have enjoyed the help of prayer.

The problem usually is how to tell others how to pray. People who are in trouble have difficulty in thinking and acting reasonably. They need an easy formula to follow, an obviously workable pattern that is simple and specific. Often they must be led to approach the emergency.

Unique feature of this book

The unique feature of this book is its down-to-earth practicality. Here you are presented with simple, usable techniques and formulas, which you can easily apply in your workaday world. I have taught these simple processes to men and women all over the world, and recently over a thousand men and women of all religious affiliations attended a special class in Los Angeles where I presented the highlights of what is offered in the pages of this book.

Many came from distances of two hundred miles for each class lesson. The special features of this book will appeal to you because they show you why oftentimes you get the opposite of what you prayed for and reveal to you the reasons why. People have asked me in all parts of the world and thousands of times, “Why is it I have prayed and prayed and got no answer?” In this book you will find the reasons for this common complaint.

The many ways of impressing the subconscious mind and getting the right answers make this an extraordinarily valuable book and an ever-present help in time of trouble.What do you believe?It is not the thing believed in that brings an answer to man’s prayer; the answer to prayer results when the individual’s subconscious mind responds to the mental picture or thought in his mind. This law of belief is operating in all religions of the world and is the reason why they are psychologically true.

The Buddhist, the Christian, the Moslem, and the Hebrew all may get answers to their prayers, not because of the particular creed, religion, affiliation, ritual, ceremony, formula, liturgy, incantation, sacrifices, or offerings, but solely because of belief or mental acceptance and receptivity about that for which they pray. The law of life is the law of belief, and belief could be summed up briefly as a thought in your mind.

As a man thinks, feels, and believes, so is the condition of his mind, body, and circumstances. A technique, a methodology based on an understanding of what you are doing and why you are doing it will help you to bring about a subconscious embodiment of all the good things of life. Essentially, answered prayer is the realization of your heart’s desire.

Desire is prayer

Everyone desires health, happiness, security, peace of mind, true expression, but many fail to achieve clearly defined results. A university professor admitted to me recently, “I know that if I changed my mental pattern and redirected my emotional life, my ulcers would not recur, but I do not have any technique, process, or modus operandi.

My mind wanders back and forth on my many problems, and I feel frustrated, defeated, and unhappy.” This professor had a desire for perfect health; he needed knowledge of the way his mind worked which would enable him to fulfill his desire. By practicing the healing methods outlined in this book, he became whole and perfect.

There is one mind common to all individual men (Emerson)

The miracle-working powers of your subconscious mind existed before you and I were born, before any church or world existed. The great eternal truths and principles of life antedate all religions. It is with these thoughts in mind that I urge you in the following chapters to lay hold of this wonderful, magical, transforming power, which will bind up mental and physical wounds, proclaim liberty to the fear-ridden mind, and liberate you completely from the limitations of poverty, failure, misery, lack, and frustration.

All you have to do is unite mentally and emotionally with the good you wish to embody, and the creative powers of your subconscious will respond accordingly. Begin now, today, let wonders happen in your life! Keep on, keeping on until the day breaks and the shadows flee away.

I am giving away copies of this book to those in need as long as I'm able. Please check the date of this entry and write me if you want one and can't afford $9 to pay for it used on the internet.

Read Jeanne Avery's Books

I reconnected today with an old friend Jeanne Avery. She has written some of the best astrology books on the market.

The best book you will ever read on Rising Signs and the best book you will ever read on aspects.

Jeanne is now located in Austin, Texas. She did a brilliant reading for me about five years ago. It was amazing!

Our Fishing Trip

This adorable girl was on our fishing trip today to the kelp beds, fishing with her grandpa.

We went out on a $1.1m boat called the Premier, through H & M Landing, the best in the San Diego fleet. It rides low in the water, has a huge galley, great food, comfortable seating and is perfectly designed for the fishianado.

We had a partly overcast day with nice breezes. The guys were catching yellowtail, senorita and mackerel. Nobody was lucky enough to catch a sea bass.

India, Russia and China

Quoted from the NYTimes: "Marathon talks in Geneva aimed at liberalising global trade have collapsed, the head of the World Trade Organisation has said.

"Pascal Lamy confirmed the failure, which officials have blamed on China, India and the US failing to agree on import rules."

As Pluto moves into Capricorn look for areas of concern shifting from the Middle East to China, Russia and India.

Astrology through the Ages

Astrology has evolved over the many centuries of its existence from a fatalistic, even superstitious ritual meant for "kings" and "rulers" to a viable "art form" incorporating recent changes in the development of our understanding of human nature.

Let's take a brief but loving journey through the history of astrology and look at some of the key players in the development of the field. After all, you have to know your players!

Astrology as we know it came into being in ancient Chaldea/Bablyon (roughly modern Iraq) around 1645 BC with the first "horoscope" dating around 410 BC. "Astrology as we know it" means the procedure of consulting the stars to pick favorable times for doing things, answering questions, forecasting mundane events and analyzing individual destiny by a horoscope. Interestingly, the Rising Sign was first used for predictions, though sometimes the Sun, Moon or Part of Fortune was used as well.

PTOLEMY
Astrological progress was also made in Egypt, Greece and Rome. Ptolemy (85-165 CE) in Greece was perhaps our first famous unique astrologer and of course he is known for many other things as well.

COPERNICUS AND GALILEO
Skipping ahead through the Dark Ages in Europe, there were two famous men who emerged during the Renaissance who practiced astrology, Copernicus (1473-1543) and Galileo (1564-1642). Both these men are famous in the scientific field, but at one time there was a comfortable and natural association between astronomy and astrology, the exoteric and the esoteric of things, if you will. In 1524 the credibility of astrology was severely and permanently affected when predictions about the "great conjunction" that year failed to come true.

THE ROYAL ROAD
Oddly, the resurgence of interest in astrology today can be dated to the birth of England's Princess Margaret in 1930. That year the "London Sunday Express" ran an astrological profile of the princess that was so popular, it peaked a general interest in astrology and from this developed your newspaper's "daily horoscope", not that daily horoscopes have much to recommend them.

This is a tidy bit of circular history (the more things change, the more they stay the same) because originally astrology was used only for royals. Serfs, slaves and peasants did not have much to their "fate" other than a life that was "nasty, brutish and short". But the fate of a nation hung on the destiny of its ruler and his or her horoscope was a critical interest to all.

EVANGELINE ADAMS
The first astrologer of modern interest is the very interesting, indeed, Evangeline Adams (1868?-1933). Adams, who lied about her birthdate, was considered the "Mother of Modern Astrology". She was a colorful figure who practiced in New York City during the first half of the 20th century. Adams became famous because she predicted a hotel would catch fire. When she was put on trial, she insisted that astrology itself be put on trial. Astrology won! Adams asked for the horoscope of the judge's son and told him things about his own son that convinced him of the veracity of this field. Adams' life is fascinating and there are many biographies and discussions about her in magazines like "The Mountain Astrologer" and online. Among her clients are reputed to have been John Pierpont Morgan and Enrico Caruso.

DANE RUDHYAR
Dane Rudhyar (1895-1985), considered by some to be the greatest astrologer who ever lived, was a tremendous force in the development of humanistic and spiritual astrology in the 60s and 70s, beginning the interface of astrology with psychology that so enriched our field. Rudhyar's essays and discussions are well worth reading today. Of particular interest in my opinion are his writings about the relationship between the Sun and the Moon. Rudhyar's book: "Lunation Cycle: Key to the Understanding of Personality" is a classic addition to any astrologer's library.

IVY GOLDSTEIN-JACOBSON
A unique and unforgettable force in the field of astrology of a very different nature was Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson (1893-1990). With her professional precision and purity, Goldstein-Jacobson restored the tools and techniques of modern astrology. Perhaps her most famous book is "Simplified Horary Astrology".

RHEINHOLD EBERTIN
Reinhold Ebertin (1901-1988), his mother Elsbeth and his son Baldur, have been a major force in both German and international astrology since the beginning of the century. Ebertin's work with midpoints has been influential in developing an understanding of transits and prediction. His book to read is "Combination of Stellar Influences".

ISABEL HICKEY
Isabel Hickey (1903-1980) made a last impression on our field during the first half of the 20th century as well. Ms. Hickey's most popular book is called "Astrology: A Cosmic Science". It was one of the first astrology textbooks to teach a spiritual rather than fatalistic approach to chart interpretation.

THE GAUQUELINS
Influential in other ways were two French psychologists Michel (1928-1991) and Francoise Gauquelin. The Gauquelins set out in the 50s to prove whether or not astrology was accurate. Although their results were not amazing, they did establish some correlations in favor of astrological predictability and perhaps more importantly, produced great amounts of statistical data which are still used by astrologers today to develop their theories of prediction.

LINDA GOODMAN
Although often downplayed within the professional astrology community, Linda Goodman (1925-1995) was a tremendous popular force in the revival of interest in astrology in the second half of the 20th century. Unsteady in her writing, Goodman's first books, "Sun Signs" and "Love Signs" were stupendous. Later books wandered far afield. Like many professional astrologers, my first exposure to the field was with these two books. I kept "Love Signs" by my bedside for many years, looking for the perfect Capricorn lover.

SYDNEY OMARR
Sydney Omarr (1926-2003) is mentioned because he is perhaps the best known of his genre, astrologer to the stars! Omarr was an outstanding nationally syndicated columnist during much of the 20th century. He wrote "My World of Astrology". His annual Sun Sign prediction books are popular sellers every year among his faithful followers.

LOIS RODDEN
Lois Rodden (1928-2003) made a major contribution when she developed a system of rating sources for birth data which revolutionized our field. Rodden began a practice of citing sources (birth certificate, family Bible, hearsay, biography or autobiography, for example), giving a rating to each source as to its accuracy. Believe it or not, up to that time, astrologers didn't cite this information. Because of Rodden, many astrologers now routinely cite the source of their birth data when writing about famous people or historical figures and undoubtedly our field has more credibility because of this.

Major astrologers working in the 21st century are Rob Hand and Liz Greene. Both are available at http://www.astro.com/ .

ROB HAND
Rob Hand is an astrologer in Reston, Virginia specializing in a philosophical and classic approach to astrology. Hand has written a number of encyclopedic texts which are a must for your reference library, such as "Planets in Transit," "Planets in Youth" (one of my favorites), "Planets in Composite" and others. Hand is spearheading a project to translate ancient astrological texts from Latin, Green, Sanskrit and other languages in order to present information about astrology by translators who are sympathetic to its nature. Visit http://www.projecthindsight.com/ for more information.

Rob Hand was one of two prominent astrologers (Michael Lutin is another) who predicted 911. I believe that Hand's ability to do this particular thing is based on the 9th house influence in his astrology chart, his interest in history which is evident in everything he writes and says. There is nothing like knowing history (one's own, another's or the collective) to enhance one's abilities to see patterns and make connections for the future.

LIZ GREENE
Liz Greene is a British Jungian analyst/astrologer currently based in Switzerland. Greene brings in-depth Jungian psychological insights to the field of astrology, is a superb and prolific writer and has produced unsurpassed volumes on the nature of the outer planets Saturn, Neptune and Pluto as well as many other books of interest in psychological interpretating astrology. Anything Liz Greene writes is well worth reading.

Astrologers are an independent, eclectic, futuristic and dynamic group of people. We welcome all who are interested into our field. Most astrologers are self taught (it is our nature) but you will find small classes available wherever you live if you look carefully! In addition the Kepler College of Arts and Sciences was founded in 2000 in Lynwood, Washington. Kepler College is the only college in the western hemisphere authorized to issue BA degrees in Astrological Studies. The entire curriculum is based on astrology. If this is an approach you would like to take, try http://www.kepler.edu/ .

MARTIN SCHULMAN
Martin Schulman, a contemporary astrologer about whom I have found little biographical information, introduced the concept of karma into astrological interpretation with a series of books on the Moon's Nodes including "The Moon's Nodes and Reincarnation" and "Ascendant: Your Karmic Doorway". Schulman is in a class of his own.

If you would like some excellent books about classical astrology and its development through the ages, visit here.

Anybody Else Out There Irish?

An email from Ireland to all of their brethren in the States...a point to ponder despite your political affiliation:

'We, in Ireland, can't figure out why you people are even bothering to hold an election in the United States.

On one side, you had a pants wearing female lawyer, married to another lawyer who can't seem to keep his pants on, who just lost a long and heated primary against a lawyer, who goes to the wrong church, who is married to yet another lawyer, who doesn't even like the country her husband wants to run !!!

Now...On the other side, you have a nice old war hero whose name starts with the appropriate 'Mc' terminology, married to a good looking younger woman who owns a beer distributorship !!

What in God's name are ya lads thinkin over in the colonies ?!!!!

Fluffy and the Sunflower Plant

Little Baa Lambs, a Favorite Painting

A Cautionary Tale

A reader asks, "I’ve wondered if her emotional unhappiness was at the root of her physical decline because she seemed too afraid to leave my father."

Her mother was in an abusive marriage and died slowly over ten years of a mysterious and never fully diagnosed "nervous disorder".

The answer is "Yes. Absolutely." Terrified to stay, terrified to leave, she stood there and shook to death.

For some eye openers about healing and what your body may be trying to tell you:

• Thorwald Dethlefsen's, "The Healing Power of Illness" or "The Challenge of Fate" www.bestwebbuys.com/Thorwald_Dethlefsen-author.html?isrc=b-compare-author
  


• Arnie Mindell's "Dreambody" www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/1816708/used/Dreambody:%20The%20Body's%20Role%20in%20Revealing%20the%20Self

If you need to leave something or someone the universe opens up in full support between now and November. Sometimes -- and I say this with all the love in my heart -- it's do or die.

Second Saturn Return Chart Interpretations $325

I really don't think anyone does a better second Saturn Return reading than I do. I love doing them, making sense of the years 0-30, 30-60 and wrapping it all up for the true "golden years".

Here's what Bill said ...

"Hi Nancy,
I'm still familiarizing myself with the report. I gotta say that I've had a huge influx of energy and insight after reading the report the first time. I'm just letting it sink in before I go over it again and we can do the reading later. Good job.
Thanks,
Bill"

INFJ Tells Story

Hi! I just want to write a note of appreciation. God bless you for your website.


Here's my story ---

I am an off-the-Richter-Scale INFJ. Being a textbook INFJ, I'm warm, kind and friendly so most people like me; however, I'm also a quiet, serious loner, so, since my teens, I have often been criticized by family and friends and even my husband for not being "more normal" -- i.e., extroverted. I get drained when I spend too much time with people and for years secretly worried that I might be a highly-functioning maladaptive personality until I took the Myer-Briggs test. I often joke that my idea of Club Med is solitary confinement, but most of my extroverts look at me blankly when I say that. (I still don't know why solitary confinement is considered a punishment in our culture.) I long ago accepted that I am not annointed with the gift of extroversion and try to focus on the gifts I do have.

Or so I thought.

I recently became deeply hurt when a beloved boss -- someone I respect and work very hard to please -- told me he appreciated my hard work & standard of excellence but would frankly prefer I was more "outgoing & fun like other assistants." (Did I mention that this boss is outgoing and fun himself?) He then compared to me to my friend and co-worker whose workload is not nearly as intense as mine, telling me he liked her personality because she knows how to joke and kick back. My boss continued by saying that "people who work until midnight [like me?] are well and good, but someone who can crack a joke is appreciated more."

I understand my boss's preference. Hell, I often wish I was different! I also don't expect him to "get" me. It's not his job to "get" me. It's my job to "get" me and then find skillful ways to join with people while not compromising my own needs.

However, I do feel intense insecurity for two reasons. First, I've disappointed my boss in a way I fundamentally cannot fix and am frustrated because I know I cannot change the one thing he finds disappointing in me -- ME. I suspect, too, that he believes I can change and am just not trying hard enough. He gets excited when I go out to lunch with a co-worker and has implied that I should be going out for lunch each day instead of brown-bagging at my desk and reading a book .... More importantly, I'm afraid his view of me might be shared by others on my litigation team. Shared agreement grows in strength, whether it's true or not. If the collective agreement is that I am not "good" because of my introversion standing in sharp contrast to the group's extroversion, it could possibly affect my job standing. (It's helpful to bear in mind the INFJ's are inclined toward parnoia as I write this ...)

I've never had to deal with this issue because, for the past 20 years, I've only been paired with two introverted bosses. They never once told me they wanted me to act differently-- probably because they never thought there was a problem with me! My present litigation team on this new job, however, is comprised of extraordinarily fun, loud, extroverted folk. I often feel like a deer in the headlights when they tease and joke with me -- or, as the Southern expression goes, "the turd in the punchbowl." I recently got a fantastic work review from this same team, but that was just months after I began the job. Now, a year on the job, I'm afraid they may have grown accustomed to my work ethic -- i.e., the honeymoon period is over -- and now they can relax and nit pick on what they consider to be the smaller nuances. My hope is that they will not hold the expectation that I must be more outgoing like them. If I fail to produce results in this area, it might disappoint them and ultimately affect my security at my new workplace.
I'm presently exploring ways I can try to change at work ....

I began surfing the net to see how I might handle this situation. That's how I stumbled upon your website. Your website has allowed me to feel less freakish. It's helpful reading your and other introverts' comments. I've laughed out loud in recognition!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking the time to contribute this healing spot for other introverts.

I've been called "odd" a few times in my life, which hurts. I've never aspired to be "different." I deeply want to belong. I also never intend to shut people out when I choose to be alone. I'm just recharging. On the other hand, I have had profound mystical experiences -- intensely beautiful brushes with Reality -- which may not have occurred had my personality been structured differently. Who knows?

In my next life, I'm asking God to give me a pair of nice, long legs * and * a fun personality.

In the meantime, I'll keep coming back to your website.

[a young woman from georgia]

Note from Nancy: My website she is referring to is www.theintrovertzcoach.com a public service website from this infp introvert. In fact, it's my Crusade to raise awareneess : introversion is a legitimate prsonality type.

Happy Birthday

The cake turned out great which I ate with H and my best friends.

Second Saturn Return

Are you between 58 and 60 years old? More people get divorced or married at that time than any other past thirty.

The second Saturn Return brings wonderful changes or a tightening noose of unmet needs and unaddressed issues, in that case likely to result in illness or early death.

For best resuts, get aware and make sure you use the energy between 28 and 58 consciously. Then for you as for so many of my clieints, 60 can be the new 40.

My sister turned 58 this year. She has five kids. Two are graduating highschool, two married and one gave birth within this year. That's typical of the kind of sweeping changes to expect with the second Saturn Return. It also depends on the house your Saturn is in.

I specialize in second Saturn Returns because both my parents died at theirs and it got me intersted in prevention. Especially if your health has been bad, consider making some constructive changes no matter how hard and let me help you with your decisions!

Happy Birthday with the Trebuchet

Whilst H makes my birthday cake -- I've requested white cake with chocolate frosting - I'm kicking back to enjoy a fantastic pbs show on medieval siege warfare and the trebuchet, Edward Longshank's (1200s) "war wolf".

The trebuchet ruled for about 200 years before being replaced by the precursor of the cannon.

[photo from wikipedia]

Medieval wars were won by tricking one's way into the castle or by siege and ultimate starvation. Jousting of knights had little to do with the process, lovely though they are!

And here's the start of my birthday cake. I am sooo much looking forward to it.

Rape? Identity Theft" How do they show in a chart?

I am resarching two events at the moment.


Have you ever been raped? Have you ever had your identity stolen?

We can learn from looking at your chart and the event if you don't mind sharing. I'll keep it anonymous.

Libra

Libra is the only glyph without a living creature on it. We have lions, goats, rams, twins, virgins, water bearers, etc. but Libra is the scales.

What do you think? Do you know any Librans?

Pluto enters Capricorn!

Have you noticed just about every body is out at the end of their leash, lunging and barking these days?

Give people a wide berth between now and November because it will get worse before it gets better. Then suddenly, the leash disappears but so does the hand holding the leash which can be disconcerting.

If you are conscious, though your friends may not be, remember the Greek admonition, "Be careful what you ask for for you may get it." Make wise wishes while you are straining at the end of your leash.

The Evil Eye

These are the two bracelets I wear everyday, a ruby and diamond bracelet which is my birth stone and an Evil Eye protection bracelet.

The Evil Eye has a long tradition in the Middle East, most notably Turkey and Greece. It is apotropaic, meant to ward off jealousy and envy of others.

The Pleasures of Mentoring

From a great guy I mentored briefly ...

"No matter what I will never forget the 6 months or so you spent with me, you showed me a lot about astrology and more importantly about life, what can i say! Astrology is not magic but it's probably as close as we will ever come in this world. It can be really beautiful at times and heartbreaking at others (omg it's a movie on lifetime..lol) but you know astrology is a way of life for people like you and me...."

Mentoring is the beautiful new love after the second Saturn Return. When you're planning for retirement, do the money but also do the inner work so you have something worthwhile to share with others. Develop interests that are easier with age, such as golf, opera, classical music, history and gardening. Pick some things you can share with young people of all ages.

By the way, knowing astrology makes you "of interest" in almost any group.

The Deck

This is the deck I've been busy staining for the past three weeks in my spare time. This isn't even the half of it!

Heath Ledger's Astrology Chart

Clearly this man was too sweet to stay here on earth. Those who work with various drug addicts call them heroine angels. It's a certain type of sweet soul attracted to ecstasy as contrasted with your regular cocaine freak, for example.

First of all he has Venus in Pisces. That's hard enough because nobody else really knows how to love that way but then it is opposed by Saturn -- ugly, dirt-real, cynical, demanding and critical Saturn.

Heath was experiencing his first Saturn Return and I guess he just unfolded his wings and flew away rather than strapping on another 30 years in the chain gang. God bless his sweet, sweet soul.

Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww Siblings!!! And Christian Bale's Astrology Chart

Christian Bale, the "other" star of Dark Knight who plays Batman, has been detained for suspision of assaulting his mother (who is having her second Saturn Return) and 40 year old sister. It happened in a hotel room.

We don't have Bale's exact time of birth but here are the details available:

• Sun in Aquarius 10°13'
• Moon in Taurus 0°10'
• Mercury in Aquarius 24°28'
• Venus in Capricorn 29°39'R
• Mars in Taurus 15°20'
• Jupiter in Aquarius 21°11'
• Saturn in Gemini 28°32'R
• Uranus in Libra 27°46'S
• Neptune in Sagittarius 9°10'
• Pluto in Libra 6°40'R

Bale has Mars squaring Sun, Mercury and Jupiter natally, making him pugnacious especially toward his father and sister or because of rivalry with his father. But worst he has had Pluto transiting opposite his Saturn for the last year or so, "a whole new world order" resulting from a lot of pressure, as do all around his same age. Natally Saturn trines his Uranus so he may be pulled back into some family obligations (Venus retro in Cap). Apparently the altercation aas about money. For sure his relationship with his sister is the lifelong burr in his saddle.

I was right. I just read that she supposedly asked for $200,000 to help raise her children.

Happy Birthday @ The Cow Who Laughed

I love celebrating my birthday, being a Leo. It began with dinner at a La Vache (Qui Rie) and a Shakespeare play at the park last night with our lovely friend Charity.

We will have cake with friends here at the house Sunday evening (homemade white cake with chocolate frosting).

Finally, a halfday fishing trip on Tuesday -- some gorgeous waves and sunshine on the beautiful Pacific.

Nancy and Charity

2008

Who are you voting for in November?

Reaction to Saturn Return Report

Hi Nancy,
To let you know per your request, I was able to download the report and "whew". I need some time to digest, no pun intended. I guess I'll call you next week about the telephone appointment. Thank you for the well written "novella" type report. You are very talented in your art(s). I don't know if I can assess this wealth of information, but I'll do my best.
Thanks,
B [male]

Nancy's Note: Novella means creative, intuitive, poetic, inspiring, symbolic,evocative and healing.

What I like to hear!

She got a free mini Saturn Return reading:

I just had to tell you how spot on your reading was. I was only saying to my friend last night that I feel like im dealing with Karma that isn't just mine, then I got your email and it all made sense. How would I go about getting a full reading done, as I think it would be helpful to me right now.

To get a full reading, it's $325 through paypal or I do accept personal checks. You get a 30+ written report completely personalized that covers all issues and a one hour phone consult to follow up on concerns and questions. See what others have said here: www.bemyastrologer.cm/clients.html

Shy

What do you think makes people shy? Is it Cancer energy? Fear of rejection? Or?

Summertime!

It's messy to drink a fresh backerry smoothie but it's soooooooooooo good!

Let Yoourself Be Guided - These Famous Men Did

[Napoleon from wikipedia]

The Arabs say, "I know there is a God because when I want to go right, I go left."

Alan Greenspan's dream was to become a jazz musician. It turned out his talent was not top rate. Instead he became one of the most influential financiers in the world.

Jared Diamond wanted to be a bird watcher. Instead he became a sociologist whose reserach into "guns, germs and steel" influenced Bill and Marilyn Gates to target the eradication of malaria in Africa as their #1 initiative.

Napoleon Bonaparte and Eugene de Savoy begged to fight for their own countries (Corsica and France, respectively) but they were turned down. So Napoleon fought for the French (the rest is history) and Eugene de Savoy fought so successfully for the Hapsburgs that his palace Bellevedere in Vienna easily surpassed theirs in splendor.

Let yourself be guided in life. Don't always be so sure where you are going and how you are going to get there.

Is Your Uranus in Cancer? Born 1948 - 1956

Especially for You as Pluto Moves into Capricorn

This influence represents a period of massive changes, which you share with almost everyone of about the same age. Therefore the causes of these changes may be larger social forces that are outside of your personal sphere of life.

This combination of forces carries the symbolism of creative revolution; that is, you may be in revolt against many of the factors that have made your life routine and devoid of new challenge and interest. Many elements of your life will pass away suddenly and be gone with little or no warning, even elements that you have felt were a permanent part of your life. This can occur in just about any area of your life, but personal and professional relationships will be very strongly affected.

Your central problem during this time will be one of attitude. Obviously, the greater your psychological investment in having conditions remain exactly as they are now, the more you will suffer. The more flexible you are, the better off you will be. In fact, if you can look upon this influence as an opportunity to restructure your life creatively, you may be able to take considerable control of the process. If you fight these changes you will be a victim of them to some degree.

You have to understand that although these changes have emerged suddenly in your life, their origins are in the past, and the forces behind them have been at work for many years. And you must recognize that these forces are inherent in the way things have been! Preventing these changes is practically impossible and not even desirable.

You should learn to flow with the great changes that are happening to you now, and you should even make yourself an active agent in bringing them about. Throw away everything that has outlived its purpose in your life; seek changes in your relationships; find ways to make new starts in as many areas as possible. Above all, do not spend your time moping about and wishing for the "good old days." That will only put you out of touch with the world and less and less able to live in it.

[quote from Rob Hand astro.com]

Ode to Librans

Please visit Ode to Librans.

Even considering this is from 1940, before the world blew up again to pieces -- Libra preceeds Scorpio and knows nothing of that darkness. It is light, balance, engaged energy, polarity (male/female, yin/yang). Fred Astaire and his dancing partners Eleanor Powell amd Ginger Rogers seem to epitomize this place on the zodiac cycle.

Hudson River Dreamin'

I totally have my heart set on this cruise up (or down) the Hudson River. I want to see where the history of America began.

http://199.237.204.14/store.php?crn=253

Fear of Blackberry Smoothie Prep

Can you tell? I have to admit I love fresh blackberry smoothies with rice milk and Melaleuca's "Attain" but I am terrified of my blender.

I am afraid the top will fly off and spin my drink all over the kitchen.

Must be a past life thing! Completely irrational :-)

It is very stressful for me to make smoothies.

What Else is in a Name?

"Alpengleuhen"

These little hydrangea varieties from WaysideGardens.com are called Alpengluhen, translated by the seed catalguer as "amber glow" but I knew there was more.

There's soo much more in the name....

[from wikipedia] Alpenglow (from German: Alpenglühen) is an optical phenomenon. When the Sun sets, a hoizontal red glowing band can sometimes be observed to the east.

This reminds me of the Irrlichts on the Brocken, Germany's most famous magical mountain (Harz Mountains) and setting for Walpurgisnacht. "Follow the Irrlichts! Follow the Irrlichts" is a famous line from Goethe's Faust.

Irrlichts are will-of-the-wisps. According to amidst.com, "Will-o'-the-wisps are lambent flames seen flickering over marshes and fens, recorded for centuries in many different cultures under many different synonyms, often explained as ignited marsh gas...."

[irrlichts]

Ask yourself what names mean. They carry our evolution within them.

That's what the Emperor does in the Tarot Deck to gain dominion.

What's in a Name?

Names really mean something. It's deeper metaphysics to find out what your own name "means" because you didn't get it by chance.

I used to wo rk with Mr. Metzger and Mr. Schaeffer, Mr. Butcher and Mr. Shepherd. Wowee!

I named my beautiful daughter Hadley, which means meadow.

I was thinking about Las Vegas and wondered what Las Vegas meant so I asked my multilingual sister ... her reply ...

"Vega in Spanish is like fertile lowland (vegas is pl). I guess that's what they originally named Las Vegas, for that reason.

"But in Mexican is means more a crop plantation, i.e., with cash crops. My boss and I had a case with that ... and hectare is their land-measure, not acre

"AND ... Vega is a star! And from Arabic, means "falling eagle". "

At one time Spain was overtaken by the Arabs. So much history is hidden in language.

Later my sister added:

vegetation : vega :: plantation : plant

Saturn in Scorpio

Sent to me by the guy with Saturn in Scorpio. Need I say more?

Madonna Has a Virgo Ascendant

Madonna Ciccone's Birth Chart

Madonna has been in the news lately with a hot new romance. A-Rod is her soul mate! She is also dealing with a nasty new book by her bro and a very stressful adoption was finally concluded this year.

As is that weren't enough, according to a recent article in "The Sun" online, "The Queen Of Pop has sacked two dancers and her tour manager is threatening to walk out over her spectacular moods. And for the first time, despite her incredible fitness regime, her health has started to suffer. Doctors discovered [she] is anaemic, a surefire sign she is overdoing it, and she also suffered a painful knee injury."

According to wikipedia, Madonna has been critically regarded as "one of the greatest pop acts of all time" and dubbed "The Queen of Pop" by the media. She is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America as the best-selling female rock artist of the twentieth century and the second top-selling female artist in the US with 63 million albums. Guinness World Records list her as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time and the top-earning female singer in the world with an estimated net worth of over US $400 million, having sold over 200 million records worldwide. On March 10, 2008 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Yet, it seems Madonna's life is falling apart and this is exactly what one would expect with Saturn crossing her Ascendant. More accurately, it is falling together in a new way.

When Saturn crosses your Ascendant, it's time to take on a whole new personality! This is the beginning of a brand new 30-year cycle and Madonna is right on schedule with her changes. Her career will change in the next two to four years as well, no matter what you think now!

Do you know when Saturn crossed)(s) your Ascendant? If you'd like to know and have your birth data email me @ nancy@bemyguide.net




[photo from wikipedia]

Who's Saturn Afraid Of?

Someone wrote a really good question today.

"Which planet do you think Saturn is most afraid of, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto?

Afraid Uranus is gonna turn it upside down, Neptune is gonna dissolve it and Pluto is gonna vaporize it?"

What do you think? I'll answer later after I read the comments.

Dewberries and Saskatoons

My friend Mo is a fabulous vegan cook so I want to get all her good recipes. She passed along one for "blueberry or saskatoon" pie. I had never heard of saskatooons so here is what they look like, a close cousin to the blueberry. She said they taste like a floral blueberry and are just delicious.

It reminded me of a berry we used to get at my grandmother's house in Texas, the likes of which I have never found again. They are called dewberries and she made mouth watering dewberry cobblers in the summer.

Obviously they are a close cousin to the blackberry (and raspberry) but sooooo much sweeter!!!

Visit Mo's Jazz Goddess blog and catch the jazz scene in Canada.

Live It Love It

Some people would go insane if they weren't creative and artistic. It isn't a choice. What kinds of charts do they have? The most predominant energies are Cancer for painters and writers and Gemini for composers. Who knew?

Here's the original "Renaissance Man", Leonardo da Vinci.

"Renaissance people" usually have a lot of Sagittarian or 9th house energy. Please read my article www.bemyastrologer.com/the_9th_house_person.html -- talent to burn!!

Gemini is the dilletante, jack of all trades and master of none. Sagittarius is the master of all (or many) trades, usually excelling equally at sports, music, academics, leadership, popularity and so forth.

Do you know some Sagittarians? Are they fun and multi-talented?

Are you an artist? Do you feel you had a choice? Does it keep you sane?

Tools of the Trade or My Desk Top

ISIS

ISIS

Most of the names of gods and goddesses and figures in early myths really meant "male" or "female" in their original languages such as the great German hero, Herrmann (Mister Man).

My very favorite for its purity is ISIS. This is pure binary. There are straight marks and curved marks. They alternate. It is like the number 2. It just means "the other" reiterated. Wouldn't you say?

Is Astrology Fate?

Is Astrology Fate?

Liz Greene: "Any understanding of the language of astrology must commence with a realisation of what the birth horoscope can and cannot tell us. ... the birth map does not plot the fate of the individual in a predestined way. Rather, it symbolises the basic lines of his character's potential development.

"A lot of people are frightened of astrology because they believe it claims to predict fate. Once upon a time, during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, it claimed to do precisely that. But astrology has evolved since then, just as medicine has. We in the West - unlike India - don't like to think that there's any factor shaping our lives except ourselves and the tax collector. ..."

Learn more @ http://bemyastrologer.com/what.html - What is Astrology?

and

http://bemyastrologer.com/russian_astrologer.html - How Astrologers Think

Age 28? Your Saturn Return is Here!

I stopped playing the piano when I was 28. I also had a kid, got a divorce and changed careers After all, it was my Saturn Return. But what a drastic thing for me to stop playing the piano.

Let me explain why. First of all, piano playing runs in my family. Everyone was nearly concert level. I BEGGED to start lessons at 6 years old and was a model student. I spent two hours a day or more at the piano for the rest of my life. it was entirely voluntary, I absolutely loved playing the piano. I loved Bach. I loved Chopin. I loved Rachmaninoff. I tried to play "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gerscwin and songs by Franz Liszt, virtuoso hands! I played duets with my sister and a clarinet player.

We eventually had two pianos in our house so everyone that wanted to could play.

Piano and sports got me, the infp introvert, through the hell that was high school.

I also stopped photography (back before digital), sewing and gourmet cooking, always intending to but never quite pickng them up again.

There can be drastic changes at the Saturn Return. Keith Ledger died at 28. Simon Cowell wound up BK back at home with his parents. Angelina Jolie met Brad Pitt during her Saturn Return.

What's going to happen to you? What did happen to you? Please comment if you're willing to share and please visit www.bemyastrologer.com/saturnreturun.html for more information.

Axiom of Maria - A Little Alchemy

[Drawing from Rosarium philosophorum]. It depicts the son or king in the form of an hermaphrodite. He/She acts as the mediator uniting the one with the three (the Axiom of Maria). In the background a pelican is opening its breast to feed its young. Standing on a writhing serpent that has three heads, the hermaphrodite rises out of the triadic (3) process of emergence as He/She unites the four (4) in a way whereby the four are joined as the union of persons.

The Axiom of Maria [from wikipedia]:.

A precept in alchemy: "One becomes two, two becomes three, and out of the third comes the one as the fourth."

Jung used the axiom of Maria as a metaphor for the whole process of individuation. One is the original state of unconscious wholeness; two signifies the conflict between opposites; three points to a potential resolution; the third is the transcendent function; and the one as the fourth is a transformed state of consciousness, relatively whole and at peace.

Learn more about Jungian terms: www.bemyastrologer.com/anima_meets_animus.html

Learn more about mystic numbers: http://cerrado-art.com/the_quality_of_numbers_in_a_tetrad.htm

Fluffy

Fluffy, our rescue cat, eyes the striped stuffed tiger Mostafa won at the Del Mar Fair July 4th weekend.

The Myth of Helios and Phaet(h)on

[painting in the public domain]

Myths teach us so much about "real" reality. Fairy tales are the down low version of myths (the people versus the aristocrats). And that's why I think they should stay grim like the Brueder Grimm and not get all cleaned up like Disney.

For example, I heard an interview recently on public radio where the guy was talking about the good old days. His dad, something of a character, put him in the bed of the pick up to ride. His job was to make sure the lawnmower didn't fall out the back. The flap was down and it was pretty bumpy. Finally they went over a bump so big it knocked both him and the lawnmower out the back and a Cadillac that was speeding by missed his head by six inches. (The lawnmower was ok.)

Granted this was back in the time before safety seats but what was that guy thinking?

Then I remembered the myth of Phaeton and Helios. From wikipedia.org

In the version of the myth told by Ovid in the Metamorphoses, Phaeton bragged to his friends that his father was the sun-god. One of his friends, who was rumored to be a son of Zeus, refused to believe him and said his mother was lying. So Phaeton went to his father Helios, who swore by the river Styx to give Phaeton anything he should ask for in order to prove his divine paternity. Phaeton wanted to drive his chariot (the sun) for a day. Though Helios tried to talk him out of it, Phaeton was adamant. When the day came, Phaeton panicked and lost control of the mean horses that drew the chariot. First it veered too high, so that the earth grew chill. Then it dipped too close, and the vegetation dried and burned. He accidentally turned most of Africa into desert; burning the skin of the Ethiopians black. Eventually, Zeus was forced to intervene by striking the runaway chariot with a lightning bolt to stop it, and Phaëthon plunged into the river Eridanos. His sisters the Heliades grieved so much that they were turned into poplar trees that weep golden amber.

In some versions Helios strikes his own son down. What was Helios doing, letting that kid in the chariot?

And then I remembered the myth of Icarus and Daedalus. Also from wikipedia.org

Icarus' father, Daedalus who was a talented artist attempted to escape from his exile in Crete, where he and his son were imprisoned at the hands of King Minos, the king for whom he had built the Labyrinth. Daedalus, the master craftsman, was exiled because he gave Minos' Daughter, Ariadne, a clew of string in order to help Theseus survive the Labyrinth.

Daedalus fashioned a pair of wax wings for himself and his son. Before they took off from the island, Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun, nor too close to the sea. Overcome by the sublime feeling that flying gave him, Icarus soared through the sky joyfully, but in the process he came too close to the sun, which melted his wings. Icarus kept flapping his wings but soon realized that he had no feathers left and that he was only flapping his bare arms. And so, Icarus fell into the sea in the area which bears his name, the Icarian Sea near Icaria, an island
southwest of Samos.[1]

Two extremely talented, powerful, well meaning fathers .... fathers close to the very source of power ....

In real life I knew a family of two boys. The father took the kids out on the golf course in an open cart. They drove under an electric wire and the father and older boy forgot to tell the younger boy to duck. The accident was fatal. Grisly, tragic, but true.

Interesting that both myths involve the sun. Fathers like this show up in charts of Sun-ruled Leo boys or Saturn in Leo. Somehow the father is very , very jealous at a deep unconscious level. He absolutely cannot bear to share the limelight and destroys his own son "somehow".

Myths prepare us beautifully for some realities when we don't even know it.