the big "4-O"

perhaps the coolest thing about a basic (or deep) understanding of astrology, is the ability to prepare for what's coming in life. because truth be told, we all experience the same energy, albeit manifests differently and uniquely for each of us. but, we have learned, thanks to things like game theory and quantum physics, that perhaps all things in life can reduced down to a mathematical equation.

so, knowing that, i play the numbers; i use the equations ... i learn by looking at the answer in the back of the book and let the equation work itself out to the desired result. energy and vibrations, as reflected in the symbols of astrology and numerology, are the symbols of my equations. in the lives of an individual, the "answer" is as varied as that which you can visualize as *your* reality or *your* desired result ... e.g., the answer to the question, "what do i want?"

"the mid-life crisis," as it has been called, is the time in life we all experience when the planet uranus opposes the position it took in the sky the morning you were born. uranus represents the "kapow" energy that was infused from the cosmos into the linear time existence of this solar system the moment you came into being.

uranus' transitional opposition is the next most powerful infusion of energy most human beings experience. so crisis? yes, it can be. if your life is not what you want, a crisis exists. the uranus opposition reminds us, through its reflecting of its original energy imprint, what our life is supposed to be.

uranus has little need to be nice about it either. it is pretty black and white, yes and no, but, most of all, it is in your face. uranus demands immediate results. uranus was, after all, the sky god -- everything that was beyond earth is in his realm. he was the power until, of course, gaia or earth, demanded equality. (a mighty planet against the entire cosmos!) the crisis existed because he had to have it his way and everyone else, including gaia, had to comply or there was hell to prove his control ... that is, until she (with their son's help) graciously freed him to be free of his need to control the earth.

this mid-life crisis, if it is that for you, exists because of the need to control the external. in the flow of life, if you are just living your life, the earth (or external) goes on about its way of making life happen for you. the deeper you are connected to your life, your true purpose, and the deeper you can live that life, the more the external things just happen. there is no need to lie, there is no hell to pay, there is no struggle ... life just happens if you give your life the liberty to pursue your happiness. sound familiar, perhaps our forefathers had it right after all.

life is embodied in your purpose and the living of that purpose on planet earth. if you are not doing that, there is a piece of you so deep that is not living. it can be buried in the death of the mundane obligations that so many put before the actual purpose of one's life. which leads us to ... "life without liberty is like a body without spirit" (kahlil gilbran).

liberty is the freedom to be; the freedom to expose that purpose and live your life the way you need to live in order to maximize your life in the universe. "liberty is the power that we have over ourselves" (hugo grotius). to the extent we give away our power to others to control ourselves, is to the extent we relinquish our liberty to live our own lives. the compromise of liberty in relationships is a constant flow of balance and communication so that the life your pursuing may bring you happiness. this is where the force of the uranus opposition strikes the hardest, and the houses of uranus' natal and transitional domicile reveal the areas in life where the force is felt.

the pursuit of "happiness" is what creates our path in life. there are many ways to craft a life of pursuing happiness. heck, there's even a book entitled "the pursuit of happiness." i'm a simple girl, so i just use the pleasure principle: if it feels good, do it. sometimes what is supposed to be a pleasure doesn't feel good, or it feels weird, or it feels forced, or it merely feels not right.

"so," you ask, "how do i use this energy?" after all, this feeling, this energy, this time has been given to you to use ... or not. there are so many stories of success coming out of the uranus opposition ... the "titanic" movie gets made. and there are so many stories of upheaval and disruption ... the divorces, the new careers, the deaths. recrafting your life with the energy leads to some amazing success stories of life shifts. ignoring it will allow the energy to do its thing resulting in a life that is going to prove to you that you were actually here to live your life and not someone else's. if you don't use the energy, the world around you will shift and expose you to the life you were here to live, and give you choice after choice after choice to make (or not), to be free or not.

choice is the breath of life, remember to breathe.

if you are in crisis, it is a time for you to step-up, this is your life.

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'

p.s., and yes, that is an "O" not a zero ... the uranus opposition does necessarily happen at 40, everyone's timing is different.

11:11 . . .

yes, another 11.11 . . . what did you pay attention to today?

connecting us with our higher self, 1 = I am ... the repetition of 1, I am, I am, I am, I am ... on 4 concentric, evolutionary levels. reminding us who we are, why we are here. in a 2007:9 year ... what are you letting go of today that inhibits your 'I am" from being free to be?

"Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten"

- from the song "Unwritten"

because, if you don't feel it, you can't know it.

you are the keeper of your own happiness, enlightenment, present moment, joy, and reality. that is, if you choose to assume the responsibility of it. because, either you make your choices or others will make them for you ... usually based on the (un)consciousness of the collective. and, with so few people actually making conscious choices in their lives, those that make conscious choices, have and use much of the available power.

rest in peace dorothy. my eldest sister chose to die this week or else someone made the choice for her. i don't know which it is, but it is what it is. and it is all good. her life on earth was as tragic as it was beautiful ... as all good dramas in life usually are. she always wanted a "general hospital" life, and she lived it.

i am thankful for my family and friends.

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'

from my friend JKL ... he sent me this reminder of ...
Unlimited Vision
Everything Is In Divine Order

We can only see so much from where we sit in our particular bodies, in the midst of our particular lives, rooted as we are in the continuum of space and time. The divine, on the other hand, is not limited to the constructs of either space or time, and its wisdom and workings often elude us as we try to make sense of what is happening in our lives. This is why things are not always what they seem to be and even the best-laid plans are sometimes overturned. Even when we feel we have been guided by our intuition every step of the way, we may find ourselves facing unexpected loss and disappointment. At times like these, we can find some solace in trusting that no matter how bad or just plain inexplicable things look from our perspective, they are, in fact, in divine order.

Even as we take our places in this earthly realm, a part of us remains completely free of the confines we face here. Regardless of what is happening in our lives, this part of us remains infused with joy and gratitude, connected to the unbroken source from which we come. Our small self, on the other hand, who is caught up in our false identity as a being limited in space and time, regards happiness as the result of things going the way it wants them to go. It is this part of us that suffers the greatest confusion and upset when the logic of events does not compute. And it is to this self that we must extend unconditional love, forgiveness, and compassion. In order to do this, we tap into our inner divinity, holding the space of a tender authority, extending love and light to our ego as a mother extends her love to a troubled child.

There are many ways to access our inner divinity—meditation, prayer, chanting, channeling, and conscious breathing, to name a few. It is helpful to develop a regular practice that provides us access to this all-powerful, healing presence, as it can be difficult to reach once we are in a stressful position, if we have not already established a connection. The more connected we are with this part of ourselves, the more we share its unlimited vision and the secure, knowing that all the things of our life, no matter how they appear, are in a state of divine and perfect order.

its great to learn ...

knowledge is power.

knowledge informs perception.

perception creates reality.

the process of knowing is a balance
between what you know to be true
and what you are told is true.

the source of the knowledge
is to whom the power belongs.

to use another's knowledge
allows you to borrow their power
and co-create reality.

use your knowledge
and you generate power,
creating your own reality.

wisdom is omnipotence.

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'

Mars Retrograde or "Waiting on the World to Change"

"You can get so confused that you'll start into race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place . . . "

-- from Dr. Suess' "Oh the Places You'll Go!"


An impasse is a "position from which there is no escape" or a "deadlock." An impasse happens when there is no resolution and you are left with a "take it" option only. "Leave it" is not even an option. Impasses quite frequently happen with authority figures in one's life.

How do you identify when you are at an impasse?
Why are they there?
Why do we create impasses?

You will recognize an impasse when you realize you have to "deal with" an otherwise unacceptable situation. You believe one thing, the other person believes another thing. You cannot reach a resolution or mediation of those two things to find something mutually acceptable; one of you have an arbitrary authority over the other. Arbitrary authority is not actual authority, but authority that is based on something external (e.g., a position, a rank, a law, a standing). Hence, because "the regulations say I'm the decider, my way is THE way."

I believe impasses are created in your life to build-up energy and to help you make a choice only you can make. The time of the impasse is best used sourcing the energy that is building up within you. Individuals create many things, and impasses in life build up what you need to be doing most. The deeper your connection to the source of the energy -- which can be evidenced in feelings of frustration, anger, aggressiveness, misery, depression, helplessness -- the more effectively you can use the energy that is built-up during an impasse.

Why we create impasses is probably as individual as each of are, but in general, I believe we are given impasses to really focus our intention and life AND to make a choice to either do it or not. After all, when you are sitting at a dead end, no resolution can be found, and your choices to this point cannot be furthered, you are forced to face the question, "can I accept what is?"

There is only two answers to that question, both of which will lead you out of the impasse. And, sure, you can choose not to answer that question, but that choice would be a choice to stay in "The Waiting Place" and locked in the impasse.

"Yes, I can accept what is." This requires a release and deep acceptance to what is as being the highest for your life. I accept that this is my path and now I will continue down it. You may find that which you were "fighting for" wasn't really that important to you. So, the question, "why was I fighting?" is the question to contemplate as you step from the impasse to find a deeper understanding of your motivation and intentions in life.

"No, this is not acceptable." This requires an evolution of perception of the situation, and requires a plan of action to supplant the arbitrary authority with a true authority. Often, impasses that are found to be unacceptable, reveal that you were not dealing with the problem on the proper level. This is often when "up the chain of command" action is required, until you are able to find resolution. This is also when you will often have to go it alone.

Mars turns retrograde on 15 November 2K7 and will be retrograde until the end of January 2K8. Mars is the planet that represents action and only goes retrograde approximately once every 2.5 years (compared to Mercury that goes retrograde 3 times a year), so when Mars goes retrograde, impasses abound in many areas of life, especially the areas affected by Mars' natal house placement and the houses Mars happens to be transiting through its retrograde cycle.

During Mars retrograde you can expect to be a time when people come to a place where they are no longer willing to "budge" and resolution may be hard to find, often relying on arbitrary authority to bring about a "winner" in conflicts. Be reflective during this time, ask yourself the question, "is this acceptable?" Really contemplate the issue looking at it from as many levels as you can see the situation. Next, contemplate the question "why?" to your answer to the first question. If you spend the time to go through this process, you will come out of the Mars retrograde with such clarity and a whole lot of energy to imprint your "I am" on our universe.

This 2K7-2K8 Mars retrograde will play with the energies of Taurus, Gemini and Cancer. For most, your external experiences and those of the collective prevailing energy, will reflect Mars as it turns retrograde in the sign of Cancer, retreats back to Gemini before moving forward and finally progressing once again through Cancer. For those who are personally conscious of your internal processes and for the areas of your life where you are independent of the prevailing energy, the constellations that Mars is actually going to be playing with during this retrograde process, are Gemini and Taurus.

This will be a time to address issues of the collective family ... "what are family values?" is a question that can be raised at this time for a deeper discussion from a collective stand point. I know that most of us are SICK TO DEATH of that phrase "family values," and what have been defined as such. Well, this is a great opportunity to take back and redefine "family values" for ourselves and infuse the collective conscious and unconsciousness with our personal truth of what are "family values."

For those who are here to assist the transition, must realize that we have the responsibility to start the dialog at this time. Mars is actually in Gemini, and for those who are trying to create reality, communication and expression is where our action must be. When Mars moves back into Taurus, we then assert a fixed connection to the earth and hold tight to the truth of the "family of humanity." Consciously rooting our personal values deep in the sign of Taurus for those who we are able to engage in the dialog (as the prevailing energy operates the energy of the twins, giving "two points of view" for those living in the tropical world of Mars in Gemini), can help those still engulfed in the prevailing energy system to more fully realize the "family of humanity" when Mars moves forward again next January and re-enters Cancer (tropically) once again.

This period from 15 November - 30 January is a great time for teaching on true "motherhood," and that true family has space for all the individual parts to contribute equally in their own unique ways.

Join me to discuss this in great depth in the context of the energy of our collective and our personal lives next Saturday 10 November 2K7, at 6:00 p.m. in THE sideREAL world on Blog Talk Radio.

peace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'