London's Burning

Image: London Burning

Day three of the London riots and there are 16,000 police officers on the streets of London tonight. To put that into perspective, there were 34,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan when President Obama took office.

While I do not support the London riots, the media and the government's treatment of the rebellion have been appalling. Mark Duggan's death was the spark that set the city on fire. The riots are about ongoing social and political inequalities in a failing global economy. Prejudices, the economic strain of worsening unemployment, and the Cameron government's spending cuts to social programs are affecting normal citizens (youth -- not criminals and thugs), who are young enough and connected enough (Facebook and Twitter) to act and plan their aggressions. Add to the mix violations of human rights, colour and race and what you're seeing is an extreme exercise of will in a failed democracy that could be any city.

The impact of social media on society is becoming increasingly remarkable. From organizing fiery destruction to restoring clean order, a crisis in the world today spreads like wildfire. And whoever believes youth today are apathetic and disengaged is clearly not paying attention. These are the times and we are the people. Humanity and instinct haven't changed. This is a time-old war between the haves and the have nots.

The citizens of London are raging against the current order in a lack of humanity for the people, by the people. A marked difference from the more peaceful protests that occurred in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia this spring where property was protected and looting prevented despite the large numbers.

Interestingly, London rioters were not just looting H&M and Foot Locker, they were trying things on first. Had they been buying staples: bread, milk, etc., they would invoke our sympathy. But because they loot designer bags and Tiffany's -- luxury items, we view them as selfish and superficial thieves. But this is a political issue. These young, intelligent Brits live in the ghetto and continually dispossess in a society rich with possessions. They are wannabe consumers. Luxury has become sliced bread.

This isn't what Mark Duggan's death should stand for. The senseless violence and outis taking media attention away from the real issues. It is our humanity that burns in London tonight.

"Hell is empty and all the devil's are here." Shakespeare

Saturn Return

Image: Amy Winehouse

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." - Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

Dedicated to Amy Winehouse
14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011

Whose retro soul changed the world.
Safe travels and new beginnings. Love.

Amy Winehouse did not die because of the "cursed" Saturn return.

In astrology, Saturn "returns" to every person between the ages 27-31. Pop culture's "27 Club" attributes a number of famous celebrity deaths to a misinterpreted (read: sensationalized) Saturn return.

Saturn return is the time it takes for the planet Saturn to orbit one time around the sun (approx 29.4 years). Astrologers believe the return of Saturn to the degree in orbit that occurred at the time of birth marks a rite of passage for a person to enter the next stage of their life. With the first return, a person is said to leave their youth behind and enter adulthood. With the second return, a person enters maturity. And with the third, a person enters wise old age.

Amy's death chart reveals she never had a Saturn return though she was nearing it. Her Saturn return would have taken place in early 2012. However, the transits (movement) of planets that occurred on July 23, 2011 would have affected her health:

- Jupiter (expansion into another great realm)
- Chiron (healing of a deep wound)
- Uranus (unexpected and impulsive surprise)
- Neptune (dissolving)
- Pluto (transforming)

These planets alone are not enough to "cause" death. Only the soul can choose when to end it's time on earth.

Contrary to popular belief, the return of Saturn does not imply death. Saturn (the task master planet Karma) returns to bring transformation and rebirth to a soul's life on earth. It is a difficult period of restructuring that brings about an opportunity for change and growth or endings and new beginnings (a sort of death).

Amy's birth chart reveals she was a Virgo born with Neptune near her natal moon which is often an affliction for drugs and alcohol, but also marks stunning creativity and talent. As a Virgo girl myself, I can attest that Virgo's have walked through fire these past few years and have been especially unlucky astrologically, facing constant cosmic tests in love, career, and health.

Amy's tempestuous relationship with on-again-off-again ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil was well documented. Their tragic love story signifies a deep soul connection. Blake (who is currently incarcerated and serving a 32-month sentence at Leeds Armley Jail) was interviewed following news of Amy's death and is in his own words,"beyond inconsolable." Allegedly, Blake has been placed on suicide watch in his cell. I don't envy the man, his soul, nor the burden he carries. There are better ways to love but perhaps that was their karma.

In life, Amy played a magnificent "Catherine" to Blake's "Heathcliffe." Their story played out eerily close to the gothic horror love story Wuthering Heights. May both their souls heal and find peace & love.

For more information and to see Amy's birth and death charts see Risa's Esoteric Astrology.

To find out when your Saturn return will occur, use this calculator. Mine takes place this October 2011.

Ask to See

A Buddhist priest prays for the souls of victims still not found in the rubble. Yamada, Japan.


A Lebanese protester whose relative is an inmate in a Beirut prison, challenges riot police guarding the main entrance. The riots were started by prisoners demanding better conditions.



Egyptians demonstrating their dissatisfaction with the Egyptian military in Tahrir Square on April 3, 2011.

Images: Kateopolis

The darkest places need the most light.

These images are stunning reminders of the human condition that needs to be dark so we can fill it with light. To see.

You don't have to be a survivor in Japan, a protester in Lebanon, or a demonstrator in Egypt. Your life is spectacular. Every tragedy - personal and world scale - is an opportunity to create. To make what you'll take.

But caution! The lighter you try to live, the heavier you'll get to. Ask for strength and you'll carry burdens. Ask to see, and you'll be aware of the obstacles.

Weltschmerz vs. Tikkum Olam

Image: artemisdreaming

"A psychotic drowns in the same waters in which a mystic swims." - Joseph Campbell

Weltschmerz is a German word that means "world-weariness."
It denotes the feeling experienced by someone who understands that physical reality can never satisfy the idealistic demands of the mind. It is a depression, an apathy, a meloncholia often associated with the Romantics.

The cure to Weltschmerz is Tikkun olam.

Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world." In Judaism and in Kabbalah, the concept of tikkun olam calls for an ideal society. Similarly, it is what Ghandi meant when he said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

It has all been done before.

"I was here" is graffitied on downtown buildings and bathroom stalls everywhere, but it was also graffitied by ancients on the tombs and temples of Cleopatra's Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome. "I am" is the premise behind Facebook and social media which, are mere modern extensions of the ancient humanistic need for primitive expression of self.

Truthfully, nobody cares what you're having for dinner, if your flight was delayed, or what latest greatest cutesy thing your kid just did. Nobody cares to see pictures of the bathrooms, closets, and garage of your new house. (I hope) your life is more interesting than that.

Personal trivial details of your life are significant to the eye of the beholder. That is, your spouse, mother, and best friend who are sharing these experiences with you. To the rest of us, they become excess. Less is always more. And yet we are all guilty of overshare (Aster writes in her blog!!) and we are all weary because of it.

Instant gratification is unfulfilling. Instant status updates to your mobile device about the latest unremarkable happening to occur to you in your lifetime is a knee jerk reaction that quenches the abyssal appetite of your ego and runs counter to your own happiness.

We are what we think.

Instead of letting randomness occur to you, make great things happen. Be extraordinary. The idea that there is much wrong with the world is ancient. As ancient as its solution: Accept and be the change you want. Think, live, be change.

You make it happen

A single thought. A single word. A single action. Yours.
Affect the things you can change. Beginning with yourself.

Tikkun olam. Repair the world. Now.

Let's make good.

Hoax

Correction.

Your sign hasn't changed. My favourite astrologer (because she's so accurate), Susan Miller claims the new method
doesn't work. According to Miller, the planets - not the constellations are what matter.

There is no new 13th sign "Ophiuchus". And your sun sign is not changing.

Checkmate

Image: gorgeoustakethecity

"You could be the king but watch the queen conquer."
- Kanye West

In the game of chess, the king is the most important piece but he's also the weakest. Trap a king, win the game.

The queen is the most powerful piece. She roams free and does whatever the fuck she wants. My kinda girl.

Checkmate! The king is dead.

I totally love this game!

Humans on Loan

Image: Yonge Street Media

The Toronto Public Library hosted a Human Library Event this past November. The concept of a "human library" originated about a decade ago in Copenhagen as a way to encourage acceptance, deter prejudice, and bring people of different backgrounds together for one-on-one conversations.

Volunteers at the Toronto Public Library Event included a police officer, a sex-worker-turned-club-owner, a comedian, a model/cancer survivor, and a homeless person. 200 Torontonians checked out a human book.

What a novel idea! Storytelling is the oldest way to pass along wisdom. The Toronto Public Library is considering making the program long-term. Let's hope this catches on.

Sensible Advice

Images: adviceforallmychildren.tumblr.com

The thing about life is that it just keeps happening.
Not to you. For you.

The thing about people is that we're always looking for advice. When in truth, we already have the answers. Have the sense to listen to yourself.

My life is happening for me. And I know I have all the answers I need for today. Have a great and wonderful day. :)

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." - c.s. lewis.

smrt

Image: Montessorium.com

As a Montessori alumnus, I totally dig this new iphone/ipad app that breathes new life into the old school Montessori method. Montessorium.com offers iphone and ipad users new applications that teach young children their shapes, numbers, alphabet, etc.

If I had cute little smarties, they'd be all over this! Tap into the new old shool.

For parents for kids: Montessorium.com

Emotionally} Vague

Love


Anger


Fear


Sadness


Joy

Images: Emotionally} Vague

Emotionally} Vague is a research project about the body and emotion.

By gathering concepts of feeling by word, colour and line, Emotionally} Vague creates graphic visuals that shows how people feel love, anger, fear, sadness, and joy.

How do you feel?

Brave Heart

Image: National Geographic

A shaman once told me that the greatest distance I'd ever travel would be twelve inches: from my head to my heart. For the egoic head to live by what the authentic heart feels takes an entire army of courage, faith, and love. Or perhaps... it only requires a little bit of science and anatomy.

Scientists have recently discovered that the heart is a brain. The heart is a sophisticated organ that is made of the same neurons, neurotransmitters, proteins, and cells that are found in the brain. This means the heart is actually able to act independently of the brain -- to learn, remember, feel, sense, and relay this information to the brain... heart to head.

Damn shamans and their simple yet infinitely complex wisdom! I wish ancient wisdom came in bottles but divine power wouldn't be quite so divine if it were only that easy.

Today's message to myself and you is to tell the truth. Tell the truth. Tell the truth. Tell the truth! Your happiness depends on it. Be honest with yourself and others to establish authentic connections. It's the only way to see your heart clearly. And it's the only way to feel your freedom.

You are your best investment. Live with a brave heart. Be true.

Among Stars

Image: The Perseids meteor shower

I hope you catch diamonds scattering across the sky tonight. The Perseids meteor shower is happening tonight August 12 and tomorrow August 13.

The annual Perseids shower sparkles every August, when Earth passes through scattered pieces of rock and dirt left behind in the comet Swift-Tuttle's orbit around the Sun. As these particles collide with Earth's atmosphere, they burn-up as streaks of shimmering lights, scattered like floating diamonds in the dark night sky.

This year's Perseids are slated to be a spectacular show, with clear skies and a 2-day old sliver New Moon making for dim moonlight and optimal observing conditions.

If you're lucky enough to get away from bright city lights, you could see as many as 75-108 meteors an hour.

Brilliant.

Energy

A single lightening bolt has several hundred million volts. That's enough energy to light 150,000,000 light bulbs.

The human body is made up of approximately
100 trillion cells. And each cell has 1.17 volt capacity
(or 117 trillion volts). Which means, you have enough energy in your body to light up an entire city.

Eclipse

Image: Keep Calm and Put The Kettle On

The ancients believed that an eclipse upset the existing order of things. They feared them because they believed that earthquakes and volcanic activity often followed a lunar eclipse. While no modern day research study has been able to prove the connection, we have seen some substantial seismic activity recently with a 7.0 magnitude quake in Haiti on January 12, a 5.8 magnitude quake in Baja on December 30, 2 earthquakes in the Solomon Islands on January 4, a 6.5 magnitude quake in Northern California on January 9, and a 4.3 magnitude quake in Southern California on January 11. (see the moon wobbles chart for more). And we are still in the time frame of the December 31, 2009 lunation cycle until the new moon of January 15, 2010. Then what? I'm glad you asked.

When the sun is visible like a ring of fire, and the moon darkens its centre, we enter 25 degrees of Capricorn in a new moon annular solar eclipse. Sounds ominous, doesn't it? It gets better. The upcoming solar eclipse is no ordinary eclipse. Apparently, the January 15, 2010 solar eclipse is the longest annual eclipse of the third millennium. And there won't be another one to beat it until the year 3043. Astrologists are predicting it will pack a particularly potent energy punch. Great. If all this is true, we're all in for a real treat! Right?

Well, modern astrologists aren't quite as doomsday as the ancients. Modern astrologists believe eclipses bring about change. Which yes, upsets the order of things as the ancients feared. But they also believe change is necessary for growth and learning and all that positive happiness stuff. The upcoming solar eclipse apparently occurs in the areas of personal affairs and business deals. And since the eclipse takes place in the cardinal sign of Capricorn, these changes will be quick and abrupt.

I should also probably mention that Saturn and Pluto are entering a war. (Apparently there is hell of a lot going on cosmically right now). The two planets are also squaring off starting this month and for the rest of the year to challenge our relationships and personal growth. While Saturn will force us to examine our personal relationships and what we hold on to for the sake of familiarity and fear of the unknown, Pluto will force us to look inward to the self in search of our own hidden truths and those things that are just too difficult to accept.

So what do I believe? I've only recently started to really follow astrology. And I'm still not sure exactly what to make of it all. But I do believe in energy. I believe energy is all around us. I believe we are energy. So for me, the idea that big rocks floating around in space could impact the balance of universal energy seems almost logical to me. But I'm not a scientist. And I'm not an astrologist. I'm just a quirky female that has seen a lot of change in her life. Enough change to know that every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. So I don't believe in fearing change. I've learned change isn't scary, it's just unknown. And I think sometimes, the unknown can actually be pretty exciting. Since you never know what you're going to encounter next. So my astrological advice is to stay calm, live bravely, hope for the best, wish for the most, and don't be naive to the worst.

Oh and I read Susan Miller's Astrology Zone for your monthly horoscope.

Black Swan

Image: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

A Black Swan Event is a high-impact, hard to predict, rare event beyond the realm of normal expectation. Examples include WWI, 9/11, financial crises, scientific discoveries, and personal life events. In hindsight, Black Swan Events are always predictable. And the more dependent and integrated the person, place, or thing, the greater the likelihood that a Black Swan will occur.

The term comes from the historical presumption/metaphor held by 17th century Europeans that “all swans must be white” until the discovery of black swans in Western Australia in the 18th century. The discovery proved falsification, that a perceived impossibility may later for found to exist.

Black Swan Events and their impact always depend on the observer. Learn to expect the unexpected. Be independent. Identify areas of vulnerability in your own life. Turn your Black Swans, white. And make omelets with broken eggs.