Aquarius Full Moon August 1

August 1^st   11:27pm

Aquarius Full Moon

10 Aquarius 14

Do you need me to tell you that we are all feeling the pressure of Uranus Square Pluto this summer?

Doesn’t it feel like we are meat in a grinder and we’re not so sure what sausage we soon turn into?  Yeah, it is an interesting summer to say the least. But here is the good news.    Tomorrow’s Full Moon in Aquarius has lots of charm and I don’t think it is an accident.    While we work out the kinks in our systems as Uranus & Pluto get into it, we need some fresh air.    Something to enjoy.   Thus this Full Moon.

The Sun in Leo is coaxing our heart to tell the truth and more importantly be brave and BE OUR truth.  It makes a fabulous aspect to Uranus so we know changes are around us.    Uranus is also coaxing change from the Moon in Aquarius.  More accent on changing our social strata.   Who are our peeps?

At the same time the Moon in Aquarius is getting a beautiful aspect from Jupiter and the Sun is also getting a gift from Jupiter.

 Inspiration will come from all kinds of odd, strange (Aquarius) places but the inspiration is true to our heart (Leo).   Yes, it could be our friends but more to the point it is from like-minded individuals.    Perhaps some of us (while we are being grounded down the sausage maker) feel like we need new inspiration and perhaps new people to hang with ---and maybe we are not sure where to find them.  

This Full Moon could provide some insight, especially with the Sun & Moon  working hand in hand with Jupiter.   Jupiter is the bridge planet from our own inner sanctum to the great big yonder.    What is over that wall? What is around that corner?  Who is that person on the other side of the world that inspires me?  Great time for the Olympics by the way.    Really great time.

What are my goals?  How do I need to refocus?  Can the people in my world help me make my adjustments?   And if not…why not?   Why do I keep myself small and stuck?  Why does my ego fear (yucky part of Leo) let me play safe?    How can I brainstorm (Aquarius) and strategize a way to success (Leo)?     And you can deny it to everyone but at the end of the day when you are looking in the mirror you know how your fear is keeping you stuck and small.   Do you want to resent others or get off your duff and make the changes?

Take the next three days of the Full Moon phase to remember what is important to you and how to build upon it.   Be Brave.

The bravest person I know is afraid of the dark. She sleeps with a night lamp always, but if her friends are threatened? She suddenly thinks she's a bear twelve feet tall and attacks whoever scared her friends.”
― Tamora Pierce, Cold Fire

 

Tracy

Ray Merriman

I was curious to see what Ray Merriman had to say about August in particular Mars on Saturn. 

Mercury continues retrograde through August 8 as discussed at length in last week’s column. But for this coming week there are a slew of soft, harmonious aspects which are usually favorable in this type of market climate. However, there is also a full moon (Leo Sun, Aquarius Moon) August 2, and that can disrupt the evenness of this current rally.

Our sights are set more on the following two weeks, especially August 10-20 when Mars will conjunct Saturn (the astrological peak of the drought) in a point that is critical to the chart of the New York Stock Exchange (founded May 17, 1792). Mars will be at 22-27 degrees of Libra then. In the NYSE chart, Jupiter and Neptune are at 22-27 of Libra, and Saturn is in opposition at 26 degrees of Aries. This could be explosive, both in a mundane sense (for it pertains to military conflict and vehement disagreements) and financial markets. At its best, it is a time that can be favorable for organizing one’s life and getting a lot accomplished, if you are focused.

Go to this LINK for the whole weekly report.

Hello, Friends

I'm hoping the approaching Full Moon in Aquarius will pull on a bunch of you to help me with my donations for Tammy Duckworth. 

You know I don't normally bug you like this but I do need your help. 

To remind you:

In the first week of July,  8th District of Ill. Rep. Joe Walsh (NOT the guy from The Eagles)   said pretty pathetic things about Tammy Duckworth his opponent an Iraqi War Veteran who is a double amputee. 

Since I am interesting in mundane astrologer (news stuff of the world)  I thought back then when his absolutely unconscionable comments were flying through TV sets and cyber space at light speed, I thought I would put up a comment or two. But what happened as I poked around I got really mad. 

Google his name and Tammy's and you'll find all the links you need to be informed.
My own Moon in Cancer rose up, like a mother crab out of the ocean. How many jokers like him will be in office 8 years from now when my son casts his first vote? I didn't care I didn't live in the 8th District in Illinois. Congress belongs to ALL Americans and I am going to do something to help Tammy Duckworth.

I have started a modest campaign on indiegogo.  Which you can find HERE.   

PLEASE contribute to my little campaign. I don't have a tip jar on this blog, it is my pleasure to offer up my astro insights gratis. But if you could send a few dollars to this campaign and repost it on your face book page and send emails I would be grateful.   

My campaign ends on August 24th.  We currently are at 25 days left and we have $252.  The goal is $500.   If 25 people will donate $10 we will reach the goal. The money will be given to support Tammy Duckworth's congressional campaign.

And more importantly it will send a message to Joe and his ilk  that "enough is enough".
Thank you
Tracy

Take a Peek at Mikey Lutin's world

When is the last time you peeked over at Michael Lutin's site?  A whole lotta of interesting good stuff going on (as always)----

To say that things have been a little screwed up lately is a colossal understatement. Believe it or not,
maybe the fog is beginning to clear. You have to understand that during a transition as huge as the one currently taking place in your life (another understatement), there is bound to be loads of chaos and anxiety, especially for anyone whose earlier life and childhood have been filled with disruption and uncertainty. That's one reason we have seen some individuals publicly acting bananas and going mental. They are actually portraying the zeitgeist--the pervasive feeling of the moment.

This week's Full Moon developments, although they may seem small and insignificant, will reveal the slow, and I mean slow, return to normalcy. Now wait one sec. Normalcy? Don't expect anything to go back the way things were.
THAT IS OVER.

Too much garbage has been dumped into the water that just passed under the bridge for things ever to go back to the way they were. But as you start sifting through the events of the last few months, you will see that no way can you just drive through a car wash......

Go to his site for the rest of the article.   He makes it very personal!  

Full Moon Via Ruby Slipper

Nadia over at Ruby Slipper has a nice write up for this week's Full Moon.  
Here's the beginning but go to Ruby Slipper for the whole write up.

The upcoming Full Moon (August 2nd) at 10 degrees Aquarius is about endings that push you forward. All endings do this, but Aquarius is the sign of the future. Liberate yourself, at light speed, from old conditioning. The momentum will be fierce.
How fortunate there’s an exact trine from Jupiter in Gemini hitting this Moon. Jupiter is also about the future, but he throws in hope and optimism. Jupiter tells you that everything is going to be ok. You’ll not only bounce back, you’ll bounce higher and faster. With style. And wings! Ok, Jupiter has been known to exaggerate.

Donna Cunningham: Astrologer you need to know

Today when I was working out at the gym (and aren't we all pushing ourselves a little harder with the Olympics going on?)  anyway, while I was on the treadmill I read my new Mountain Astrologer (August/September)  and there was a terrific article by Donna Cunningham entitled "Vesta:Driven toward the Sacred".  I've got a few asteroid books but they are feeling a bit dated these days and this article was quite fresh.   Cunningham points out that Vesta is really OCDish.   Wherever it is located it does push, push, push us to do, do, do.  Like everything else in a chart it is about the house and the sign.  Many years ago when I first realized my own Vesta was in Aries in my first house, I so related to her.   I have a huge lone wolf quality and I could see it all over Vesta.     
In her current article Cunningham used a lot of examples for example:

Bruce Springsteen's, a champion for those who don't have a voice has Vesta in visionary Sagittarious conjunct the Descendent.

Yep. I see that.   I gotta say outside of my own chart I never focused too much on it with other's charts but now I will have my eyes peeled for Vesta.

If you have not gotten the new Mountain Astrologer I would highly recommend it for no other reason than to read Cunningham's article (although I love all their articles).

In the meantime if you are not familiar with Donna she is a prolific author and God knows I have many of her books (Healing Pluto Problems, Being a Lunar Type in a Solar world). But for more immediate understanding of her work check out her blog.  Sky Writer

I found this post very interesting:

I recently made the startling discovery that every single child born on the planet in 1989 had a triple conjunction of Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn in Capricorn. The conjunction was also in range during five months of 1988. During the winter months of both years, the Sun, Mercury, and Venus created stelliums of as many as six planets.
Astrologers, these young people in their 20s are starting to show up for sessions with questions about their perplexing career and relationship issues. With these tough planetary combinations, they’re very different from people you’ve worked with in the past. It’s important to get prepared for them

The week ahead

I dunno, I sort of liked the photo.   No real meaning behind it.



We begin the week with Gibbous Moon.

Focus on:    What are you neglecting that speaks to your education? Have you missed the ability to bridge people, places, ideas?  Where would something ‘foreign” help you as you process your feelings and emotions?

Then:

7/31: Sun/Uranus:  Changes are imminent when the life force is calling you.  What breakthroughs are talking to you?

7/31: Venus/Saturn: Accent on relationships that work and the working part of relationships.   Read that twice. 

 The Moon is Full August 1, 11:27pm EDT. 

10 Aquarius 15

Focus on:    What do your friends tell us about ourselves and our family?   What does it mean to hang out with like-minded people?   Are they more like family than perhaps real family?  How do we use our cool intellect to help support our emotions and feelings?  How would cool intellect support our position in family?

8/2: Sun/Jupiter: Creative, dynamic, moving out there in the world and not playing small.

The week ahead

On Sunday the 22nd, we move into a Crescent moon. 

Focus on:   What details are coming up and what are they telling you?  How do the details address your family as a whole?   What do the details tell you about your emotions and your feelings?   Have you neglected anything and how does it speak to your family/emotions/feelings?  What data are you hearing?

also on 7/22:

7/22: Mercury/Mars:  Fiery, fun, great communication.  Sparks ignite actions.

7/22: Sun enters Leo.   Make adjustments so your Leo friend feels special this year. They will give you hints.

On

7/24: Mercury/Jupiter: Big thoughts, big connects that inspire.   “Foreign” efforts help. 

7/25: Mercury/Uranus.  Yesterday’s big thoughts create big changes todays.  Thoughts & Breakthroughs.

 The first quarter Moon is on 7/26:

Focus on:   What actions are you taking that speak to death and rebirth?  What feelings are you releasing so you can find real empowerment?   How are releasing your family so you can find real empowerment?  What actions are you taking speak to your investments and loans?

And on 7/28: Sun/Mercury: What did you almost forget that speaks about your self-esteem? 

Colorado

The news out of Colorado yesterday was heartbreaking sad.   It was so sad that I took myself to the pool to swim it off of me.    I don't really feel like going into the astrology of the event much above stating the obvious about Mars Square Pluto Oppose Uranus.  Our attention was certainly focused now it is our hearts that have to do the work.  Luckily we have Cancer lunar cycle to help us.  

Cancer New Moon

Cancer New Moon is July 19 (super early in the morning Eastern Time) or late July 18 the other time zones.   

As always the entire article can be found on MargaretWendt sight.  Here is a snippet but go to link for full article.  It is going to be highly emotional cycle...but you probably already knew that didn't you?

CANCER  NEW MOON   

New Moon Phase

July 19, 12:24 am EDT

26 Cancer 54

LET IT FLOW

The Cancer lunar cycle is upon us.  Hurray!  Why do I say that?  Because the last 56 days has been nothing but intellectual Gemini lunar cycles.  They are great to get our brain on track and when we get our head screwed in correctly it can help us plan our next adventures.  But seriously, it is nice to stop thinking everything over and over and instead, just simply let things flow.  And as the first water sign of the zodiac, Cancer is all about flowing. 

Do you feel parched?   Does your brain just want to quiet down and let the feelings and intuition do the talking?  I see you nodding your head.   And to that, I say, “Me, too.”

Water is special, don’t take it for granted.  More wars have been fought over water than oil or whiskey.    Water is what makes Earth different, it is the only planet in our solar system to have it.  Earth is covered 80 percent by oceans, seas, lakes and rivers.    And what happens to those waters every day?  They are pulled by tidal surges.   Up they go and down they go, but the up waves do not judge the down drafts. They know that you can’t have one without the other.    They just have to go with the flow.

Cancer the crab uses the waves to his advantage.  When the waves are big he dives down and nestles himself in a rock and hides in his shell.  Of course, not one to let an opportunity go by, if a fish happens to float near him, he will stick out his big claw and grab dinner.    And then when the tides pull back the crab will poke out of the water and scamper on the shore finding all kinds of treats to his liking.  Again, he knows how to go with the flow and always uses it to his advantage.    

For 28 days we need to be like the crab, make the most of our opportunities.  If we are in a retreat position then really retreat.  Relax, hide, pull the curtains and get lost on our laptops, or watch sentimental old movies on TV.   In the northern hemisphere we need to block out the harsh summer light with thick curtains. In the southern hemisphere we hide under a cozy blanket with a roaring fire nearby.      We need to use quiet time to recharge.  

Then when the tide pulls you out in the world, BE in the world.  Don’t phone it in.  Really show up and have all your senses turned on.   That does not mean you have to move head strong and act on all of them because remember the crab never runs straight forward.   The crab runs side to side.   So, for example, you leave a conversation with a friend and have a funny feeling about it.  Perhaps later when you are in a retreat mode you go back to that conversation and mull it over but like the crab not say directly what is on your mind, instead you poke near it, moving to the side until more data surfaces.   Then perhaps you may say something.  Or not.  It all depends on the flow.

The other aspect of Cancer is emotions.   Feelings are feelings, that thing you may not be able to put your finger on but emotions are strong ----go to link for the rest of article.

Ted Phillips Insights

 

Yesterday I got an email from astrologer Ted Phillips, whose link you find HERE and I asked him for permission to repost on my blog and he graciously said yes.  Thank you, Ted.  

At the New Moon I had told you we had two big retrogrades this week and I reminded you again earlier this week, but sometimes it is nice to get other point of views.    I think Teddy said some smart things here.      You can sign up for his newsletters through his website on the link.   Which I would suggest.  

 

Uranus turns Retrograde
Mercury turns Retrograde
Mars/Uranus/Pluto T-Square
Jupiter sextile Uranus
 

Greetings everyone,

On Friday, July 13th, the planet Uranus turns stationary retrograde at 08 degrees and 32 minutes in the sign of Aries. Uranus' retrograde cycle will last until November 13th. As Uranus remains in a close square to Pluto in Capricorn, this highlights the theme of change, letting go of the old ways of doing things, and moving forward in a new direction. There is a stronger urge for independence and expressing your individuality.

Around the New Moon on July 18th, the planet Mars in Libra forms a T-square configuration with Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. This occurs with Mars opposing Uranus and square Pluto at the same time. This is also referred to as a "cardinal T-square" because of the signs involved. The cardinal signs are action oriented, ambitious, and are driven to get things done and accomplished. This will be the theme for next week. It may also be a trigger for some changes to occur in your personal relationships. Remember to stay balanced and keep the peace in your relations with others.

On a mundane level, this planetary configuration will probably bring more geopolitical tensions with countries and could escalate disputes. It may cause situations to erupt and even potential military actions. It could be a trigger for unexpected surprises and bring increased volatility in financial markets.

On Saturday, July 14th, the planet Mercury turns stationary retrograde at 12 degrees of Leo. Mercury's retrograde will last until August 7th, when it turns direct. As usual, it usually best to postpone major decisions or agreements and avoid misunderstandings during Mercury's retrograde phase.

Mercury's transit through Leo which began on June 25th and lasts through Sept. 1st, brings more of a mental outlook towards having fun, recreation, romance, and expressing creativity. It can also increase the tendency to become too self absorbed. Remember to compromise and see other's point of view as you enjoy the Summer season.

On July 21st, Jupiter in Gemini will sextile Uranus in Aries. This is a favorable cycle of opportunity. New doors could open up for you. However, it's important to network, socialize, and communicate with others in your community to express the potential of this planetary cycle.
    
  Astrologically yours,

Ted

T.S. Phillips

Just a quick check in

So far we have $217 for Tammy Duckworth The goal is five hundred. Just to remind you I set up this fundraiser Because I hit overwhelm with Rep Joe Walsh and his outrageous comments about Tammy. I have been numb to Tea Bagger comments for awhile but not now. Please contribute as little as $10. It is the message that "enough is enough" danka. Here is the Link

Uranus Retrograde (More to read)

I already have discussed Uranus retrograde this week plus earlier in the month on the New Moon report. 
I really feel compelled to give you a bit more data... having looked around I like what ElsaElsa has to say.

Here is a snippet go to LINK for full report.

Uranus turns retrograde in Aries just after midnight (US) on July 13th. The planet opposes Mars in detriment (Libra) which is not a desirable situation. Textbook astrology tells us that when Mars and Uranus combine, people become accident-prone. This is because they act on impulse and are inclined to take a risk.
This can be a simple as trying to beat a red light or make an attempt to dart across lanes in traffic, when you know you shouldn’t. But it can be as unusual as the time I stuck my finger into a moving blender (Mars / metal) to check the consistency of contents which resulted in shredding my fingertip and tiny specks of blood (Mars) on the ceiling, the floor and all four walls of my kitchen which shocked me (Uranus).

Support Tammy Duckworth! Enough is Enough

As followers of this blog know, I weigh in on topical stories with an astrological point of view.  World events, celebrity nonensense, economies, weather and politics just to name a view.  

And at the end of last week after I watched the various clips of Rep. Walsh from the 8th District of Illinois say the pretty pathetic things he said about Tammy Duckworth his opponent an Iraqi War Veteran who is a double amputee, I THOUGHT I would probably bring up his chart and have a comment or two...but then something happened....something grew in me the more I read about him.    I didn't care he was a cheap Capricorn who didn't pay child support or he had moon in myopic Virgo and a Mars conjunct Sun and Venus (Cap) which god only knows is trouble for women.  And I think we all got a taste of it when we saw his interview with Ashleigh Banfield.     Lord,  I just had enough. 

Google his name and Tammy's and you'll find all the links you need to be informed. 
My own Moon in Cancer rose up, like a mother crab out of the ocean.   How many jokers like him will be in office 8 years from now when my son casts his first vote?    I didn't care I didn't live in the 8th District in Illinois.  Congress belongs to ALL Americans and I am going to do something to help Tammy Duckworth.  

I have started a campaign on indiegogo.   
PLEASE contribute to my little campaign.  I don't have a tip jar on this blog, it is my pleasure to offer up my astro insights gratis.  But if you could send a few dollars to this campaign and repost it on your face book page and send emails I would be grateful.   

HERE is the link to my Indiegogo campaign.  I have a modest goal of $500.  I hope I can get 50 people to donate $10.   My Aries Rising would be so grateful if we could send a message to the world that this type of nonsense must stop.  Thank you.   TracyC

Looking Ahead

Saturday the7th, Moon turns disseminating at 1:23am EDT

Focus on: What information are you sharing that speaks to your spirituality? Who is sharing their own spirituality practice with you and what can you learn? What does the power of prayer mean to you? How have you allowed spirit to speak to you?

Last Quarter Moon Phase

July 10 9:47pm

Last Quarter moon: Now we do the final adjustments to the seeds we planted on new. The final call, the final letters to send, we follow all the trails that came up that still make sense. And we let the other parts lay fallow. It is a time of action but wise action. It is a time for living “The serenity prayer”

God, grant me the Serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change Courage to change the
things I can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference.

Focus on: What actions are you taking that support you in breaking new ground? What breakthroughs can you find that support YOU. What seeds did you plant on new moon that support your vision?

At the end of the week we get big planetary action.

7/13 Uranus Retrograde

Uranus who spends nearly half the year in retrograde will begin his slog backwards until he turns direct again on December 13^th.   This turn takes place on the last quarter of the Gemini lunar cycle.   Our communication will definitely get a bolt of electricity on that day.    Uranus in Aries is teaching all of us the value of breaking free and going it alone.   For many people this is a hard lesson because they see being ‘alone’ as being ‘lonely’.  They are not the same.   This next five months people will learn the difference.    There will also be emphasis on forging new paths.  Take out your machete, go into the jungle and carve your path.   All of us on the planet are feeling it but in particular those of us with early degree Libra, Cancer, Capricorn and Aries planets.   Actually you don’t need me to tell you about your adventure.  You are already on the trip and can feel the power of jumping on your own vision.   There is no sitting back and waiting for others to hand you a road map.  You gotta do it yourselves.

And on 7/14 Mercury turns retrograde 10:09am.   Together we say, “Blech”.

Neptune in Pisces: Higgs boson

Back in February Neptune officially moved into Pisces where it will remain until 2025.  One of the expectations with Neptune in its home sign is breakthroughs in the arts, spiritually and science since all fall into the dreamy 'world-within-world' nature of Pisces.    This week a perfect example of one of those breakthroughs was announced in Switzerland.

 

Physicists Find Elusive Particle Seen as Key to Universe

By DENNIS OVERBYE

ASPEN, Colo. — Signaling a likely end to one of the longest, most expensive searches in the history of science, physicists said Wednesday that they had discovered a new subatomic particle that looks for all the world like the Higgs boson, a key to understanding why there is diversity and life in the universe.

Like Omar Sharif materializing out of the shimmering desert as a man on a camel in “Lawrence of Arabia,” the elusive boson has been coming slowly into view since last winter, as the first signals of its existence grew until they practically jumped off the chart.

“I think we have it,” said Rolf-Dieter Heuer, the director general of CERN, the multinational research center headquartered in Geneva. The agency is home to the Large Hadron Collider, the immense particle accelerator that produced the new data by colliding protons. The findings were announced by two separate teams. Dr. Heuer called the discovery “a historic milestone.”

He and others said that it was too soon to know for sure, however, whether the new particle is the one predicted by the Standard Model, the theory that has ruled physics for the last half-century. The particle is predicted to imbue elementary particles with mass. It may be an impostor as yet unknown to physics, perhaps the first of many particles yet to be discovered.

That possibility is particularly exciting to physicists, as it could point the way to new, deeper ideas, beyond the Standard Model, about the nature of reality.

LINK
This is just the beginning of the transit, a lot more to come in the next 13 years. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/science/cern-physicists-may-have-discovered-higgs-boson-particle.html?_r=1&ref=science

Happy Birthday USA!

You don't look a day over 135. 

Two hundred and thirty six years ago a bunch of guys in tights and white wigs were angry.  We know the story, taxes, crazy King George, no representation, expensive tea, blah, blah, blah...bottom line a lot people were pissed off from Boston to Virginia in particular the colorful group hanging out in Philadelphia.   Finally on July 4th after weeks of hammering out their list of complaints,  Hancock  and friends signed The Declaration of Independence.   This is where things get interesting.  From Lynn Hayes

There are three major charts used by astrologers and many more minor charts. One is the Sibley chart which uses the date of July 4 1776 (signing of the Declaration of Independence) and a time of 5:10 pm, with Sagittarius rising. There are also Gemini rising charts and a few adherents to a Scorpio ascendant that some say is based on the fact that the clocktower on the back of a $100 bill was set to 2:22 pm. But if you look carefully at the image you’ll see that it could also be read as 4:10 pm and in fact Wikipedia says that the Department of Bureau and Engraving says that the time is 4:10 pm (although I could find no corroborating evidence for this).
Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/astrologicalmusings/2011/07/the-real-astrology-chart-for-the-usa.html#ixzz1zfEUW7jL



Ebenezer Sibly a British astrologer contemporary to those times drafted the Sag rising chart for the USA and is probably used more regularly than any other draft and is referred as the Sibly chart.   You see it posted above.   

The Gemini chart which is below the Sibly chart is also used by many astrologers.   For many astrologers they take the major events of the United States history and see who they work against the Sag Rising vs the Gemini rising.   There are cases for both.  Of course in any of the charts there is one thing that does not change and that is the Moon in Aquarius.   How perfect that two events near each other make for perfect fodder for discussion on which chart is preferred.  The birth of the Internet and September 11.      Many astrologers used the events of 9/11 and how they line up for either chart and you can find tons of blogs in the world wide net explaining various opinions.    Here is one such discussion over at AstroTableTalk.


I've been comparing what seem to be the 2 main astrological charts used for the USA -the Gemini Rising Chart and the Sibly Chart (which has Sagittarius Rising). They both seem to work well in different ways, particularly by transit. The classic example was the Saturn-Pluto opposition which was occurring in Gemini-Sag on 11th Sept 2001, and was aligned with the ASC-DESC axis of both USA charts. Pluto in Sag - fundamentalist terrorism. Saturn in Gemini - the twin (Gemini) buildings (Saturn) representative of America's achievements (Saturn). Isn't astrology eerily literal sometimes?

Go to LINK for full article.

I tend to use the Sibly chart but having said that I find all the other discussions very compelling.

This week when the horrible heat wave across most of the United States has been in the news I do wonder what the weather was like back in 1776?  Was it so hot it helped fray nerves and tempers?  Or was it cooler and they had more energy to write and rewrite and write and rewrite into the nights.  One has to wonder if Benjamin Franklin had invented an air conditioner they may never have finished the document.  

In honor of Cancer, An Old Cook's kitchen

 

As we know, Cancer rules cooking and kitchens.    A few days ago, with of course the Sun in Cancer archaeologists announced that they found remnants of the world's oldest pottery ---for a kitchen.   Talk about a deconstructionist dish.    Now, if they can find a recipe in the pile that would make an interesting dish for for Padma to judge.    Where is Bravo when you need them?

Remnants of an Ancient Kitchen Are Found in China

By SINDYA N. BHANOO

Fragments of ancient pottery found in southern China turn out to date back 20,000 years, making them the world’s oldest known pottery — 2,000 to 3,000 years older than examples found in East Asia and elsewhere.

The ceramics probably consisted of simple concave vessels that were likely used for cooking food, said Ofer Bar-Yosef, an archaeologist at Harvard and an author of the study, which appears in the journal Science.

“What it seems is that in China, the making of pottery started 20,000 years ago and never stopped,” he said. “The Chinese kitchen was always based on cooking and steaming; they never made, as in other parts of Asia, breads.”

The crockery, found in Xianrendong Cave in Jiangxi Province, belonged to a group of mobile foragers, Dr. Bar-Yosef said. They were a hunting and gathering community; plant cultivation and agriculture probably did not arrive until about 10,000 years later.

On the other hand, plant cultivation in the Middle East arrived about 1,000 years before it did in China. Still, pottery was not used in the Middle East until much later, Dr. Bar-Yosef said.

“The kitchen of the Middle East was probably based on barbecues and pita breads,” he said. “For pita breads, you don’t have to have pottery — you can grind the seeds and mix it with water, and make it over the fire.”

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: June 29, 2012

An earlier version of this post described incorrectly the origins of pottery in the Middle East. Pottery was not used in the Middle East until much later than it was used in China, but Middle Eastern pottery developed more than 8,000 years ago — not “about 2,000 to 2,500 years ago.”

Michael Lutin on Election Day

If you haven't been over to Michael Lutin's sight (Love him!) recently, I encourage you to poke around.  As always, he is humorous and so insightful.   Besides the funny and heavy stuff he says about our current melodrama with Uranus and Pluto, he put up an interesting post about November's General Election.     Here is a snippet:   Go HERE for the whole write up.

There's one thing we can predict with certainty: No final predictions
should be made. November 6, 2012 will turn out to be one of the craziest and most surprising moments the United States has seen in a long, long time. And we have had some wacky ones. Nixon's aberrant antics, Clinton's little boy- I-did-not-have-sex, Bush's "mission accomplished" boobery,
and even Obama's inspiring gibberish.

But the biggest one yet is to come on Election Day 2012.
By now most lay people have heard about the celestial phenomenon known as Mercury retrograde. Occurring three times a year, Mercury appears to be moving backwards through the heavens, due to its relative position to he Sun from the Earth's point of view. Like everything else in life, it's just another illusion, but it has some astrology aficionados trembling in their booties.
They refuse to sign documents, make major purchases,
and sometimes even closing their doors till it's over.
It's not difficult to understand why. There's a lot of truth in it.
Mercury retrograde is a perfect time to bring people from the past back into your life, even temporarily. It gives you a chance to renew old contacts and associations,
review all contracts and proposals, and dig around to get as much
information as you can before making any life-changing decisions.

TomKat Stuff

Despite the fall out of the supreme court judgments last week and the ongoing oppressive heat wave along with devastating fires in Colorado--all huge stories, the story of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes continues to consume oxygen.     I'm not versed in either of them but over at Astrology & Love there is a little astro write up on the Cruise/Holmes marriage/divorce etc

The Week Ahead

Our week starts out with a big ol' move by Mars.  Since last fall we have been dealing with Mars in snarky Virgo.  Oh, lordy what a tooth drill that has been for all of us.   Finding a big vision and moving on it has been a  difficult task for Mars while he has been in micromanaging Virgo.   Virgo is incapable of seeing  the forest from the trees and Mars the warrior has been pissed off royaly at anyone talking about the big picture.

Now he is finally free to move off micromanaging and deal with relationships.  Wait? Is that a good thing?  It might get a little bumpy in the first couple of weeks but by the time it leaves Libra in the end of August we'll be ready for Scorpio.   Listen anything is better than eight months of Mars in one sign!

7/3: Mars enters Libra  Hurray?  http://astrology.about.com/od/mars/p/MarsLibra.htm

Later in the day on 7/3 we get our full moon (see previous post). 

7/4: Mercury/Uranus : Creative, dynamic, brilliant solutions and new ideas.

7/4: Venus/Uranus : creativity about values and resources

 7/7: Disseminating Moon.  

Focus on:      What information are you sharing that speaks to your spirituality?  Who is sharing their own spirituality practice with you and what can you learn?  What does the power of prayer mean to you?  How have you allowed spirit to speak to you?  

Capricorn Full Moon Tuesday July 3, 2012

Capricorn Full Moon

July 3, 2012 – 2:51PM (EDT)

12 Capricorn 13

I love Capricorn full moons.   There I said it.   Capricorn is practical, prudent and conservative.  I’m not talking politics although it does tend to skew more to the right, but conservative in that it feels a need to ‘conserve’.     At the same time, Capricorn is a natural leader not because it is loud and noisy but because it knows how to organize from small groups of people to large businesses and in fact Capricorn rules corporations and government.      When it is processed Moon in Capricorn can connect the right people to the right people and up productivity out anyone he or she touches.   When it is unprocessed Moon in Capricorn is highly competitive, keeps up with The Joneses, pretentious and takes two lumps of snobbery with its morning coffee.        

This year the Capricorn full moon and its companion Sun in Cancer is smack in the middle of last week’s first square between Uranus & Pluto on June 24^th.   The tension is high as we all feel a desire to break out and move in a new direction (Uranus) but at the same time there are psychological stumbling blocks (Pluto) that hold us back and keep us small.   On the Full Moon, the Cancer Sun brings out our feelings and emotions while the Moon sitting next to Pluto in Capricorn is trying to have a practical handle on those feelings.  And Uranus is squaring both of them!   A lot of our feelings will be focused on those stumbling   blocks that are keeping us from the changes we want to make.   We want something new, we want a change but we feel trapped.   Ah, there is that word again, ‘feel’.    And perhaps we are trapped.  But with Uranus and Pluto in the mix there are guilty feelings that some of the traps may be by our own hands.  In the dark of the night what little message do we tell ourselves that keeps us small?   What pattern did we grow up with that engrained hurdles to keep us from good?  Or perhaps we did grow up small but we used our ego to break free and moved upwards but still at our core there is a belief that we have to do stuff alone because no one is really there for us.   That belief in particular is SO Uranus in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn!     

We will also feel strongly about our families and our careers.  Both will be pulling on us.  When we hang out with family and indulge we are concerned we are neglecting career and business and when we hang out in matters of work we feel we are neglecting family.  Find the balance point on that teeter totter.  And if you don’t have it-- why not?  What changes do you need to make to flesh out a solution?

Take the three days of between Full Moon and Disseminating Moon on July 7 to ferret out those stumbling blocks that are holding you back you back from changes of good.   As much as you may think it will involve a bunch of tears, remember Capricorn is pretty cold so you may be surprised how you can rationally approach those hurdles.   The results may not happen overnight but given we are still in a Gemini lunar cycle we can program our brain and intellect with the solutions that could have long term results.  

You can do it!