Why Astrology?

Now that I've finished with all my homework and can look forward to simply enjoying the last two sessions at FOTS...graduation/ordination included...I've begun traipsing down the astrology road again. Why astrology, you might ask? Well, it goes back to childhood. My Dad got two papers delivered to our home every day, "The Detroit News" and "The Detroit Free Press." Once in a while Dad would ask if I had read my horoscope for the day. Sometimes I had, and other times I had not. Dad always felt it quite important to do so when it was one's birthday. In fact, even after I was married he would clip out my horoscope on my birthday and save it for me. This became such a ritual, that when I moved away from Michigan, I would ask my Ma to send my clipped birthday horoscope to me. When the internet came into being, I would look up the Detroit News or Detroit Free Press and see what my horoscope had to say on my birthday...as if Detroit was the only place I could get such information...lol! Well, my actions were more sentimental than anything and always made me feel my Dad was a bit closer when I did so.

Despite this rather elementary early view of astrology, I somehow knew that there was MORE to do with it than just funky newspaper horoscopes. Over the years I've read a few books on the subject, and about two or three years ago made a concerted effort to settle in and delve farther. Alas, I was still writing my book, "Spinning Around," at the time and got caught up in all that had to be done to complete that project, so astrology was put on the back burner again. Then I began my wonderful, two-year program of schooling at Fellowships Of The Spirit - FOTS,, in Lily Dale, NY and assignments given to us took precedent over self-study of astrology.

But now is my time to jump right in and finally learn that which I somehow know has been waiting for me, and I it. I must admit I was more than a little worried about how I was going to successfully tackle the math that's involved in astrological study. Yes, nowadays one can get a computer program that whips out the answers to any astrology math problem you feed it. But I want to eventually become a certified astrologer, and all the places one can get such certification require that the astrologer be able to cast a natal chart and more from scratch. Besides, I rather like the challenge of learning such math, despite my math 'disability.' So, I have armed myself with a variety of used books and a few DVDs to  help the process of astrology-self-study along...

Here's what I'm reading and working with presently:
I'm reading "Astrology for Dummies," by Rae Orion. I love this book! The author is very knowledgeable, and funny, to boot! It's a great way of easing back into reading about astrology. Having natal charts of folks you know when reading any astrology book is helpful to learn what is being discussed. I got my charts for free from Astrodienst. This is a GREAT site, with all sorts of free stuff, including a daily horoscope that's not just based on your Sun sign (like in the newspapers), but instead on your actual birthdate, time of birth, and place of birth. I did purchase a few years ago their "AstroText Personal Portrait," based on my natal chart...highly recommended and very reasonably priced.

Astrology math-wise I'm working with Terry Lamb's,"Beginning Astrology - Just the Math! - On DVD. This comes with a math workbook, as well. This was just the hand-holding I needed, making learning astrology math rather fun. Also, I purchased a used copy of "Astrology Math Made Easy," by Kevin B. Burk, just in case I had further questions.

Chris, too, was wondering, "Why astrology?" I told him I'm a spiritual counselor and the best way I know to help people is via readings. In fact, my favorite way to serve humanity is to give pyschic mediumship and Tarot readings. I explained that astrology will be yet another tool that will help me to facilitate healing, loving, and compassionate readings.

Perhaps there are readers of this blog who are into astrology. I would love to hear of your favorite books, websites, etc. on the topic. I'll be sure to occasionally post about anything more that is helpful as I continue my self-study. Thanks! 

Recent Dreams

Every now and again I post about my dreams. I've been keeping a journal of my dreams for some time now and find it very enlightening to go back and re-read. It's amazing how the rich symbolism of my recorded dreams have provided helpful insight on many things I consciously ponder. Here's the latest installment of dreams:

6/20/11 (actually occurred whilst in meditation)
In morning meditation all was the same as usual EXCEPT, about three-quarters into the Sutras I found myself sitting at a 6 foot table with Rev. Elaine, one of my teachers at school. It was SO REAL. She was there. She told me all sorts of stuff which while I don't remember everything, I know I absorbed it somewhere in my being. Then she got all excited about the "magical number 9." She cut a metal staple (the kind one would use to staple papers together) and used a pliers to curl it into a spiraled number 9. From there I was brought back to the Sutras. I don't think I was quite ready for her info on 9...OR...it, too, got absorbed. Then I finished the Sutras, as per usual. At the end of the meditation, my guide, Ken, appeared and as we chatted I told him I missed meeting with my Dad, my dogs, and going places with him (Ken) in my meditations. Ken said that was as it should be; that I have progressed. He said that I know full well I can be with Dad and the dogs and any other loved one who has crossed over at any time. Ken said that when I was learning to meditate, Dad and the dogs came through to "keep me interested." Ken also said I can travel around with him whenever I wished. I argued a bit but in the end I knew he was right.

1/1/12
Our sons, David and Alexander, were younger and still living with us. They were diligently learning how to spit. Each was trying to outdo the other by seeing who could spit the farthest.

1/6/12
I was searching for my son, David's, pile of carrots. The dream went on and on and on, and even continued after I had gotten up and gone to the bathroom. The carrots were the small type that one might find in a home garden. I never did find David's pile of carrots.

1/7/12
I went to a party at friend, Maureen's, house. All sorts of people were there, including school mentor, Marie. Marie was growing a beard and mustache that was salt 'n pepper in color. Maureen was in a foul mood, engrossed in something very-non-party-like. I got insulted from something Maureen said or did and left on foot, trudging homeward in the snow. I left this way even though my home was decidedly far away, figuring someone nice would eventually give me a lift.

2/5/12
Chris and I were in New Orleans. We were taking on a job to be gypsies, employed by a small company. But later that day we ran into other people who wanted to pay us for being gypsies. Chris said "yes" to that second offer, as well. When I questioned him, he said the first company never has us sign any final papers. Also, I was dubious about the long, straight, black wig the first company wanted me to wear. I woke up before I found out which company we ended up working for, or not.

2/7/12
All night it seemed I dreamed about my friend, Loraine, in Florida. No details remembered.

2/18/12
Chris and I were watching a large movie screen that was more like an outdoor billboard. On the screen was Richard Nixon, before he became President of the U.S. He had a strange accent and was bobbing back and forth as he spoke. The screen panned to a crowd that was watching Nixon, and the whole crowd bobbed like Nixon was doing, as in fun mockery...like a wave at a stadium. In fact, the crowd looked like it was at a football stadium. Nixon was apologizing for his accent when the camera showed a Christian Orthodox procession of priests on the field, in old-fashioned black garb, all carrying religious icons and objects. The priests were from the same country Nixon was supposedly from - Russia or Eastern Europe. They were Christian but the camera showed documents about Jews. The narrator talked about how the Orthodox priests were in charge of material items, like cars and homes, and how this would make it easier to keep records and track of these items in the U.S. Even tho' this all took place before Nixon had become President, somehow I knew abut the Watergate scandal, etc.

2/21/12
Went back to sleep for an hour in the morning and had this dream: (Only remember the tail-end of the dream). A dog, a Golden Retriever, and a cat were playing in some family member's or friend's backyard, where there was a swing set. They were playfully chasing each other all over the place. Amused, I followed them. They ran to a large sand mound which turned out to be a beach by an ocean. I heard intense crying and looked up. The daughter of a friend was about 12, lying on a wooden bunk bed at the top with my friend's aunt. The aunt had black-ish hair, short and cropped, with short bangs. The aunt was trying to calm down my friend's daughter. The daughter blubbered that it was her mother's birthday and she won't be able to see her. The aunt replied, "There, there, it'll be OK. She (my friend) knows you're thinking of her."

2/24/12
All the things that could seemingly go wrong when teaching a spinning/dyeing class went wrong in this dream. It was held in a large school gymnasium. I forgot all my handspun, knitted pieces for display. I asked another spinning teacher, who was teaching in another room, if she'd take me home to get these pieces on break, but she was evasive and obviously did not want to help me. I found it hard to get control of the class. One student started a dyepot in disgust. I got mad at her and told her to pack up and leave the class. She looked like she was going to cry, turned off the burner, and went back to her seat in the class. Groups of elementary students from the school came into the gym to play basketball around us. I kept trying to get the class to introduce themselves to each other to no avail. There was some kind of sheep and wool fest held throughout the school. I ran into a fellow spinning friend. This friend was talking sternly to another person about it being unsafe to dye fiber in her kitchen. I told the person that my friend was talking to that she might do well to get my book. The two women snidely looked at each other, and my friend picked up her nose as if I was a snob. I told them I ordered three of my books recently and that I would even give one of the books to her. I asked her to at least promise that she would wear a face mask when dying.

2/26/12
I was at an X-Games hill for a type of sliding/sledding, but folks could also go down the hill on a snowboard. David, my oldest son, was about 15 and was with a friend named John, though I had never seen John outside of this dream. I was worried but I knew I had to let David go down the hill, even though I had a fear of heights and speed. A teenage girl helped me maneuver better in the icy conditions and was holding my hand. I did not know her. I had the distinct feeling that I had to let David do this...let David live his life. I worried that John and David would not remember to rent helmets to wear. In the end, David did not have a helmet on, although John did. David stopped mid-way down the hill and the dream ended.

2/27/12
I was in the Bible Belt of Iowa. I was asked to "make better" and "touch up" some paintings that were going to be used in a play. I was to do this work with oil pastels. This worried me somewhat because I wasn't sure if my artistic skills could improve the paintings. In one street scene, it was pointed out by someone that I had painted over all the people, which was not such a good thing. All the paintings seemed very light in color and impressionistic. I took part in the play, using these fixed paintings, and all seemed to come off OK.

3/2/12
Chris and I were living in the building that was Regina High in Harper Woods, Michigan (where I went to high school in the 70's). There were apartments inside the building and we were resident assistants and teachers. The building was being evacuated permanently, and we had to get all our stuff out. It was as if we couldn't work fast enough. Every time we thought we were done there was more stuff, mostly things from our boys' childhood...wooden puzzles, Cabbage Patch dolls, etc. I said that we HAD to get it all because everything was important. As we were working, a Russian troupe of actors/singers/performers came through to entertain us. Children and adults were in the troupe dressed up in old-timey costumes and vaudevillian-like make-up. I woke up as I was listening to their favorite tune/number, all in Russian. Two older members of the troupe danced to the tune, arm in arm. (I was even able to hum the tune to Chris when I woke up. Chris said it sounded like something out of the 60's sitcoms, "F Troupe" or "McHale's Navy." This got me laughing and a little perturbed because what I witnessed in the dream was not a joke.) One new gal to the troupe was not Russian and could only somewhat participate. When asked by the director of the troupe to do more, she said she wasn't ready. I asked if I, too, could join the troupe and the director said, "Yes!"

3/4/12
Chris and I moved to a new location and were living in a small apartment. I decided to go out and check out the town on foot. I came upon a group of gathered women. I tried to befriend some of them and was somewhat successful. A group of these women formed a circle with their chairs and I joined them. A wooden chest was given to me and I opened it to find all sorts of treasures...crystals, beads, and rosaries. A lady near me was watching what I was doing and I told her to take what she liked and she took ALL of the crystals. I thought this rather unfair and greedy of her. This bothered me in the dream from then on. I found a type of "rosary" item from the 13th century. It was ivory and had two figures on it that looked like saints and/or martyrs. A sliding string came from the bottom of each figure with a little bead at the end of the strings. I wasn't sure how to use the piece but I figured it was quite valuable. I went to pocket some rosaries but it was as if they disappeared in front of me. I woke up feeling bad that I was mad/jealous that the other woman had taken all the crystals and acted like nothing was wrong at all.

3/5/12
Chris and I were sleeping and living in a house that's not the house we're living in now. As we slept we heard trucks that were spraying weed killer out in the alley, behind our backyard. Our windows were open and I could feel drops of weed killer on my skin. Horrified, we got up and realized that the weed poison had saturated things in the window...including my stuffed bear, Ronnie, from my childhood and Horace, a Cabbage Patch doll that belonged to our oldest son, David, when he was young. The poison got all over a baby cradle and other things that were in our bedroom. I gathered all the bedding to wash the poison out. This dream morphed into another dream that had me caring for folks who were dying.    

Silence

It occurred to me that silence can be thought of in many ways, some of which are seemingly opposites of each other. Contradictory. Which reminds me of a fave poem:

"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then
I contradict myself
I am large, I contain multitudes."
~ Walt Whitman

Silence is golden. Silence speaks louder than words. Deafening silence. Blissful silence. Heartbreaking silence. Restful silence. Screaming silence. Etc.

There's a bucketful of proverbs about silence:

"Silence is a fence around wisdom." ~ German Proverb

"Silence is medication for sorrow." ~ Arab Proverb

 "To silence another, first be silent yourself." ~ Latin Proverb 

 "Silence was never written down." ~ Italian Proverb 

 "We must have reasons for speech but we need none for silence." ~ Proverb 

 "Silence is also speech." ~ Proverb 

"When money speaks, the truth is silent." ~ Russian Proverb 

"A silent mouth is sweet to hear." ~ Irish Saying

And a plethora of quotes about silence:

"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content." ~ Helen Keller

"Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment." ~ Henry David Thoreau

"You will find that silence or very gentle words are the most exquisite revenge for insult." ~ Judge Hall

"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men." ~ Abraham Lincoln

"Silence is one of the great arts of conversation." ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

"The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak." ~ Baruch Spinoza 

"Silence is the wit of fools." ~ Anatole France 

"Let us be silent, that way we may hear the whispers of the gods." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Some days we just need to turn the quiet up." ~ Dr. SunWolf

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls." ~ Mother Teresa

And the beat goes on...

I have personally related to silence in many of the above ways at various times in my life. Meditation is one of my favorite ways to partake in blissful silence. Walking and simply spending time in nature is another. 

But looking at silence in a way that's particularly poignant for me right now is the realization that just because I've been invited (even unto being goaded) to argue, debate, or join in on something that will result in nothing short of a negative confrontation does not mean I have to. I can choose to stay silent if that's presently the best route for me. I can even walk away. Kenny Rogers' tune has been ringing in my ears of late: "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run." Learning discernment is one of my many lessons I continue to learn about in this lifetime. Speaking only for myself, sometimes silence truly is the best way to react; the best answer. Silence gives me time to think things over. Silence gives me a chance to decide if silence is the best answer AFTER thinking things over. 

Rubbing Fingers And Toes

Of late I've been experiencing a weird symptom...my hands and feet go numb seemingly out of the blue, be it during sleep or when I'm awake. I put a post up about it on Facebook where friends and family kindly gave me their thoughts and ideas about what's going on.

Alexander, youngest son of mine, wrote that he recently saw on TV that a 90-ish year old man in Japan, where Alex lives, has been massaging his fingers and toes for 50 years. Such rubbing is supposed to help with overall circulation. Upon reading this, I thought that I had nothing to lose by trying.

I relayed to Chris what Alexander had written and he said that Om, mentioned in the past post, There Are No Mistakes, also exerts pressure on his fingers. Om recommends that one spend 7 seconds on each joint of of each digit.

So that is what I've begun to do. Additionally, I began doing light repetitions of three different exercises Chris showed me using 3 lb  hand weights, figuring that exercise of this sort can only help, as long as I'm not straining in any way.

I kid you not, I have already felt a BIG improvement. Talk about fast results! For one thing, the numbness has stopped altogether during the day. And at night, as long as I'm not sleeping on my arms, which I'm prone to do since I love to sleep on my stomach, all is well. I trust the positive progress will continue.

In the meantime, I've looked up what it said about hand and feet ailments in Louise Hay's, "Heal Your Body - The Mental Causes For Physical Illness And The Metaphysical Way To Overcome Them." For hands it listed the probable cause as: "Hold and handle. Clutch and grip. Grasping and letting go. Caressing. Pinching. All ways of dealing with experiences." The affirmation for hands is: "I choose to handle all my experiences with love and with joy and with ease." For feet the probable cause is listed as: "Represent our understanding - of ourselves, of life, of others." The affirmation for feet is: "My understanding is clear, and I am willing to change with the times. I am safe."

Hmmm. Perhaps the finger and toe massage PLUS the affirmations above will be the one-two-punch that's needed to find my way back to total health. I still plan to make an appointment with a holistic chiropractor, just in case. Have any readers of this blog suffered from such symptoms? And if you did, how did you find relief? Thanks!

Fences

Recently I had a chat with a friend who brought up the topic of fences. What she said has had me thinking a lot about fences ever since. She asked me to imagine myself in the middle of a yard totally surrounded by a fence. When thinking about my family, friends, and acquaintances, I was asked to consider who I would currently place inside the fence and who outside the fence. Also important was to decide how close in physical proximity were each of these people to me, whether they be inside or outside the fence. For instance, if someone was placed outside the fence, could I lean on the fence and talk to them, as one can do with neighbors who live next door? Or were they so far away from the fence that I would need a megaphone to speak to them? Or were they even farther away that they couldn't be spoken to without some sort of phone or electronic device? Maybe there are even some folks who are placed straddling the fence, simply because I'm not sure where they really are with regards to me and my life.  Interesting to think about.

Obviously, by thinking about how close these folks are physically to me in my imaginary yard with a fence all 'round, I'm deciding how close they are to me on other levels, as well. When we're talking fences are we not talking about boundaries decided upon and in place, at least temporarily?

This is a wonderful exercise which I have a feeling I will repeat every now and again, for with time, changes may occur with regards to where I place people, or for that matter, where people place me. In fact, some folks who are either inside our outside of my fence may end up not anywhere near even the outside of my fence, either by their own choice or mine...whereas others may, over time, end up within my fenced area if trust has been built between us.

But all that said, it's good to know that...

"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." 

~ Maya Angelou 

The Serenity Prayer

I've recently come back from a session at school, Fellowships Of The Spirit - FOTS, and almost immediately began reading a book I purchased whilst at school. Sometimes, no matter what I'm reading at the time, a book comes into my life that insists it get read then and there. Such was the case with, "twenty-five words - How the Serenity Prayer Can Save Your Life," by Barb Rogers. It's a little book that packs a positive punch. Once I began reading I could hardly put it down, finishing it within a few hours.

The reason this book jumped out at me was because one of my classmates, when giving a healing over the weekend, said that I might want to focus in on the Serenity Prayer. I've always liked the Serenity Prayer's simplicity and wise message:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." ~ Attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr

When someone I respect recommends anything for me to look into, I tend to pay attention. I always know that there will be something personal for me to learn and perhaps for me to recommend to a client, friends, and/or family. It's amazing how many times I am reading a book or have just read a book, only to find out that it's just the book that would help someone who has come to me for a reading session right at this very time.

I love this little book by Barb Rogers because of the honesty with which it is written. It's not full of flowery words or sugar-coating, but it does include moving narrative about the author's earlier, very difficult life and how this prayer provided a needed way towards the Light, literally offering a new way to conduct her life. I believe that no matter who reads this book, no matter what the state their life is in, they will find help and answers to move forward positively. Highly recommended!

And do consider checking out Barb Rogers' website. She's written several other books and offers interesting services.

I'll end with a little update on some of what I did at school this past weekend. We learned about ceremonies of all types that can be officiated by reverends such as ourselves: weddings, funerals, seasonal celebrations, commitment ceremonies, and so much more. We were given homework to write a ceremony of our choosing. I am planning to focus in on the fiber arts. I want to celebrate the diversity of those people who practice the fiber arts and the wide variety of ways they express themselves, such as through spinning, dyeing, knitting, weaving, rug hooking, embroidery, crochet, etc. Already I've found poems, songs, stories, and passages from various cultures and backgrounds that will be useful in creating this uplifting ceremony. Fun! AND healing for me, personally, in more ways than one.

My classmates and I were also instructed on what to do when clients come to us for readings but clearly need to be referred to other professionals who will be able to further help them in specific ways. Situations that were discussed included mental health issues, alcoholism and addictions of all types, abuse, and more. Our instructor was Rev. Dorothy McCarthy, an RN whose healing ministry has been in Mental Health Counseling for 39 years.  Each of us were instructed to make a binder with important phone numbers and addresses of various organizations to recommend to clients should they be needed.

Regular readers of this blog may have noted that I've been writing none-too-frequently of late. Ever since my pneumonia of last October, my immune system has been compromised and I've been dealing with fighting a variety of viruses and infections. I'm feeling better but I can truly say that I've never been more fatigued on a regular basis in my life. May this soon pass, not only for me but for anyone else experiencing health challenges. Your good vibes and prayers are always appreciated. Thank you!

Here Comes The Sun

Imbolc, also known as St. Brigid's Day: A Celtic celebration of the 'hearth and home,' said to mark the beginning of spring, that promises lengthening days and therefore, eventually more Light than darkness (after the Vernal Equinox). Not that darkness is bad, especially if one looks at darkness as a time to rest and regain energy.  But nature has a way of balancing all things out, and now it's the Light's turn to pick up momentum. Nice.

Most calenders I've seen mark the beginning of spring to officially begin at the March or Vernal Equinox. But I like it, if only for psychological reasons, that the Celts felt it began earlier. This somehow makes it easier for me to get through the last of winter. So perhaps Imbolc can best be seen as a 'promise' of spring...but no matter what, it makes me happy. 

When I was younger, winter didn't bother me so much. Now, however, the cold literally causes me to hunch over, as if I'm protecting my innards. I find my sensitive spinal cord area becomes extremely uncomfortable when the temperature dips low. Not good. Chris has never been much of a cold weather person, but good man that he is, knew that for years my interest was working with sheep's wool and that cold weather was just the thing to inspire that creative work. Not that I've given up being a spinner or anything, I just don't feel the need to live anymore in areas that subject us to weather that's not the best for our bodies. So chances are, our next move down the line will be to where there's an abundance of warm weather filled with Light, with perhaps a milder, or at least shorter, winter than what we've been used to.

Beautiful composition by the incomparable, mystic/prophet of the 12th century, Blessed Hildegard von Bingen. Enjoy!