11/25/09

Mercury, our most important planet for love

Mercury, brainy planet of thinking processes, communications, and the senses, is not often thought of as the most important planet in a natal chart. But it is.

Elsewhere I've referred to speedy Mercury as the 'tofu planet' since it tends to soak up the flavors of whatever planets it contacts in a chart.

Take Mercury conjunct Pluto, for instance. George W. Bush as a 1st house (Self) conjunction in Leo of Mercury and Pluto, a pair which together can indicate mental obsessions, cruel speech, and spying tendencies. One of the obsessions is, I suspect, tremendous mental focus (Mercury) on acquiring wealth and possessions (Pluto) and Pluto is god of the Underworld, thus he doesn't care how he attains his desires - or whom it beggars.

Well, W certainly demonstrated such things while he played president, but lack of intelligence wasn't actually one of his shortcomings in spite of how he was marketed and critiqued. Deep (Pluto) thinking (Mercury) is one of the signatures of Mercury/Pluto along with propaganda meant to sway the thinking of others; the conj posited in his natal 1st house shows that Mercury/Pluto was he.

On a lighter mercurial note, expert astrologer Beth Turnage says that Mercury is important for making love last in relationships, so check out Beth's excellent article, for if you've ever had a relationship where communication or its lack caused major problems, you already know the importance of mercurial compatibility in relationships.

And as they say, sexual attraction begins in the brain!

11/17/09

Interview with a Creative Yarn Spinner

~~
Now you may think this post's title refers to someone like Mark Twain or to that folksy storyteller you heard tall tales from at the last Aunt Granny Fanny Mountain Festival back in the holler. But...no.

And if you've read a post or two at 2 Hours before this moment you know that I often tout my daughter's new Etsy Shop of handspun and handpainted yarns which she then takes gorgeous photos of for online shoppers to view. Therefore, you won't be surprised that Maya and her spinning are featured in an interview which simply had to be shouted out by her mom. Right?

Patience Required!

There are an amazing number of steps in the spinning and dying processes in order to produce even one skein of squishy-soft yarn and have it look inviting, so please check out Maya's interview for more details about my knit-loving offspring's process and inspirations!

And here is a nostalgic photo of one of her dorm friends holding Maya's giraffe, Ayapap Ayam, who is mentioned in the interview above. Wonder if she'd get me if I told you her giraffe's name is 'Maya Papaya' spelled backwards? ;p



View more of Maya's photography at Springtree Road where November is always black'n'white photo month.

~:~

11/16/09

Dreamyfish Art Calendar 2010 is ready for you!

~~
If you read my last post, you'll know that Old wife, a lovely fish of Western Australia, has been on pins and needles waiting to learn if she was chosen to represent a Month in my new Dreamyfish Art 2010 Calendar.

Sad to say, Old wife is only a runner-up (see her portrait in previous post) because Slender weed whiting beat out her stripediness by a nose...a very long nose.

But it's all good, for you may wish to order a Dreamyfish Art Calendar soon because you know that 2010 is just around the Dec 31 corner. You'll find that botanical names of each fish are included making it possible for you to amaze your non-diving friends with your scientific knowledge of underwater denizens of Western Australia - 12 of them, at least!

And do check out Issue #32 of X-RAY MAG with a Jude Cowell Portfolio feature of my botanical fish drawings with artist interview - and the download is free!

Download Section V to snag my Dreamyfish Art Portfolio, or you may download the entire gorgeous magazine with its astounding underwater photography and articles about what's going on with our oceans and dwindling world fish population. And please, let's...

Save Our Oceans!

~:~