View from Cave Observatory

On my Facebook wall you'll discover View from Cave Observatory which is one of the larger of my drawings from the 1995/96 period - the days of Timeless Path which you see at the top of the sidebar to your left. Timeless Path is one of two drawings accepted into a city exhibition during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA. Fun!

Be that as it was, check out a celestial scene by clicking the link above - and you don't have to climb the many stairs leading to Cave Observatory because I've put you, dear viewer, in place for the best peek already!

Astrology note: Pluto is the (dwarf) planet of caves, but you knew that!

All art images are copyrighted by artist; Use by express permission only. jc
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Mask of the Cosmos~Art & Astrology's mask

Mask of the Cosmos is my small art attempt at a drawing meant to represent the Ascendant which is the rising sign and degree, or the WHAT? Point of any horoscope.

Everything that is has a beginning, and so the Ascendant may describe the beginning of an event, a nation, a day, or an individual and tells us how the world is seen and how the world sees the entity the chart describes. It is a major point in Astrology which, along with Sun and Moon, are primary factors to consider.

And the Ascendant degree's Sabian Symbol fills out the picture as well.

As you know, with Astrology a horoscope may be drawn for any place or time on earth. A good example of the impersonal use of this concept is a sunrise chart (aka a solar chart) which tells the flavor or quality that will unfold through the rest of the day in that locality.

On my Political Astrology blog, Stars Over Washington, I have often used this method for 'taking the temperature' of certain days on Capitol Hill or for the White House, and find this technique especially useful in mundane work when one doesn't know the exact timing of an event's occurrence but wishes to see how things will 'get on' for a particular day.

The chart-ruler (planet ruling the sign of the Ascendant) may then be checked for applying aspects, if any, and clues garnered. No applying aspects most often means, 'no action' (although aspects to other charts' planets or points may have something to say about things, if applicable.)

Seeing planets as 'actors' helps, too - Sun is 'the leader', Moon is 'the public' or 'the people', Mars represents males between the ages of 25 and appr 35, Mercury = young people; of course, Mars is also military personnel, police officers, firefighters, etc, and Mercury is anyone associated with communications such as reporters, speech-writers and speakers, etc.

Yet the planets retain all their other astrological correspondances simultaneously (Mercury for trade, commerce, agreements, Mars for quarrels and fires, etc) for Astrology describes a complex world occurring on many levels all at once - inner, outer, and in between the cracks.

With the sunrise/solar chart set for a particular location we may view what the universe in any area of the globe is impersonally offering at that time. As Above, So Below, and 'the end is in the beginning' as Astrology teaches.

And thus on a personal level, a baby is born into earth's flux at a particular place and time in his/her uniqueness as a genetic flowering of generations...unless, of course, another woman was on top of or underneath our mothers having a baby at precisely the same moment! But even twin births can't do that for one child must precede the other.

And so each one of us is a unique individual with a natal or birth chart all our own, and the rising Ascendant in our charts tells us much about the masks we wear as we accept the mission for which we are born, and immediately after birth begin to learn how to 'speak through the mask' of the Ascendant.

In addition, planetary aspects in natal charts help to 'fix' us in space while the qualities of the chart's aspects give a frame of reference that aids in understanding our unique potential - especially if we study our charts or have them explained to us.

The Ascendant shows our meaningful contact with the environment so that we may express ourselves fully in our lives (if we choose to accept our missions!) through the doorway of our Ascendant...the 'door' we entered by!
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A few more days until Summer Solstice 2009!

Summer Solstice 2009 is almost upon us and for some reason, this one seems to be sneaking up on me too quickly especially with the 90+ degree weather we're already having in Georgia. This is obviously to prepare us for the extreme heat of July and - my least favorite month - the dreaded August.

Can tall glasses of iced tea with slices of lemon be on the menu? Oh yeah.

So click above for astrological info along with a few brief notes on the New Moon in Cancer the day after Solstice. This New Moon brings fresh beginnings relating to Cancerian themes such as mama, home, domestic scene, real estate, products used in the home, and security issues...even the crab-filled oceans may be involved.

Plus, FactMonster has some Solstice info if you're wanting more technical details about this annual solar event and its first cousin, the Winter Solstice.

So stay cool if you can get cool!

~:~

FactualTV site debuts

Just got a heads-up email about a new website which promises to be very informative and useful for research or for entertainment.

It's called FactualTV where 'Fascinating Television Topics' are available for viewing, with 70 to 80% of them free and share-able.

FactualTV has a Keyword Library along with a Category List of topics such as: Arts & Artists, Biographies, Biology & Health, Comedy, Wildlife, Environmental, Space, Sports, Interviews, Military and War...well, I can't give you the entire list here, you'll have to check it out for yourself.

These TV videos display with free flash streaming which works on all computers, plus, they've been legally licensed. Some Premium videos are available for purchase only via download but even then you'll have a free trailer for sampling first. Eventually all titles will be available on DVD.

Personally I can't wait to visit the site with my cup of Constant Comment Tea and stay quite awhile! But first I have a new Astrology book to review...more on that later!

Tehran Live daily photos: site link

Posting this link here as well as on Stars Over Washington: Tehran Live a site with daily photos from Tehran.

Follow the SO'W link to yesterday's post on Iran's natal chart with some pertinent transits now in play.

Stiglitz on America's Socialism for the Rich

America's Socialism For the Rich

By Joseph Stiglitz

The US has a huge corporate safety net, allowing the banks to gamble with impunity, but offers little to struggling individuals. #

Yes, the US Congress' legislations took care of that upsy-daisy decades ago.

And it's all-l-l working out as the power elite planned.

You know I tend to appreciate Mr. Stiglitz's articles and opinions but it does seem as if he should know about the NWO agenda (to crash the world economy and take over all governments) long before now, doesn't it? How could he not?

~:~

Here's some info on the Global Justice Movement.

Portrait of a Yellow-eyed surgeonfish in Art Slideshow

Ever met a Yellow-eyed surgeonfish?

Well, there's one wishing you'd check him out in a new Dreamyfish Art Slideshow of botanical fish portraits on display for your personal viewing now!

The whole point about Dreamyfish Art is Saturnian realism (botanical renderings) placed within their favorite imaginary locations - the 'dreamy' part.

Because fish dream, too. And because astrologically I have a Capricorn Sun with a Pisces Moon, that's why!

Sun Cap-Moon Pisces is a 'pragmatic dreamer' personality blend with these 'Images for Integration'...now if I can only integrate them!

'A child builds a sandcastle of reinforced concrete...Bilbo in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings...Bathers in a Landscape by Cezanne...Elvis Presley's Blue Suede Shoes...A wine collector uncorks a rare vintage to celebrate a success.' (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Chas & Suzi Harvey.)

Okay, let's see: the huge mud pie I built next to my parent's driveway during childhood finally dissolved in a rainstorm when I was 15 years old...read The Hobbit and began the rest of the Trilogy as soon as they were released in America - 1969?...for a friend years ago I drew my version of Bathers in a Landscape but knew nothing of these Images - plus, Paul Cezanne is on my Top Three Favorite Artists list; Elvis' song intrigued me when I was little but its magic didn't stay with me long - I preferred Brit Rock as soon as I heard it...don't drink, so my collection is full of whines instead...

~:~

And here are my Astrology notes published earlier today on Iran's natal chart with current transits of note if you're of a mind for Iranian politics and cloudy election outcomes.
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When will Al Franken become Senator?

Terry Lamb has published an excellent astrological analysis of the senatorial chances for Al Franken which Terry believes will work out in his favor, so we must keep a mercurial eye on June 14 regarding Mr. Franken's Senate bid.

Thanks, Terry, great work!

Gemini Sun conjunct Sisyphus: June 9/10, 2009

With asteroid Sisyphus now being highlighted by the Sun 19Gem+, a Wiki link to the myth of Sisyphus has been added in the sidebar to my growing list of Mythology of Astrology's smaller bodies...scroll down just a smidge to view the links list.

Wonder if America's 'Sun' - President Obama - is feeling Sisyphusian about now what with Gitmo detainees having nowehere to go, health care reform being voraciously fought (as we knew it would be), his Supreme Court pick, Sonia Sotomayer, under the GOP's 'racist' magnifying glass, amd more obstacles to make him look ineffectual...?

And don't forget that today, June 10, is the day Japan's Kaguya craft is to impact the Moon - kerboom!...see SpaceWeather.com for details and photos (after the event - the Southern Hemisphere should gave a good view for photographers!)

Astrologically today the Moon is in hard-to-budge Capricorn so Luna may not appreciate the impact!

image: Comet Skies, from my Secret Moon Art gallery of drawings.

All images copyright 2009 and beyond.

6,000-year-old tombs found near Stonehenge

Neo-lithic tombs, plus mounds with top-layer soil that may have pollen of the era intact, have been aerially located in Hampshire, England, 15 miles from Stonehenge.

If any of my English ancestors are involved from way-back-when, perhaps I can figure out why I've always been so allergic to certain flower, tree, and grass pollens, eh?

Ahh-choo and fond congratulations to the hard-working archaelogical community!

June 8, 2009: 200th anniversary of Thomas Paine's death

Thomas Paine's natal chart had an interesting double transit in May 2006: his natal Sun was conjoined by transiting Chiron as the Sun simultaneously highlighted his natal Chiron!

In fact, it's so exact by degree and quite rare to have reciprocating transits like that when I noticed it in 2006 I thought that perhaps the 'conflicting/unverified' time of birth in *Paine's Rodden Rating (DD = dirty data) had his correct birth time after all.

Now it's true that Mr. Paine and the rest of the Freemasons, Rosicrucians, and Illuminati who set up this nation were unaware of Chiron, the Wounded Healer and Christ archetype in an Astrology chart since Chiron was discovered in November 1977...201 years after the Declaration of Independence.

But follow the link above which takes you my Political Astrology blog Stars Over Washington where Tom Paine is liable to be mentioned at any moment...you'll find an extra link or two along with quotes from the man full of Common Sense.

America could use large doses of common sense and common good these days, imo.

Then Truthdig reminds us that today is the 200th anniversary of Thomas Paine's death with a photo of Paine's monument in New Rochelle, New York, and a few words from the BBC on internationally best-selling author Thomas Paine, the only Brit mentioned in President Obama's 2009 Inaugural Address.

Plus, Truthdig adds a link to Common Sense in case you'd like to brush up on a literary masterpiece.

You know that both Toms - Paine and Jefferson - died in debt and penury, right? Which shows that a dearth of money at the end of life is no marker for how well one has served the world during one's lifetime. I'm just sayin'.

~:~

*Thomas Paine: Jan 29, 1737 (NS), 11:30 am LMT, Thetford, England; Sun 9AQ43, Moon 23Cap36; died in his sleep following a stroke, June 8, 1809 in New Rochelle, New York. RIP.

Summer Solstice 2009 and New Moon 1Can30

Just a heads-up that I've placed a link to a just-published post on the Summer Solstice 2009 chart-with-details in the sidebar just under the quote from George Washington. (Freemason George wouldn't mind especially since he used Astrology himself. He elected - used astrological principles - to decide the precise time for Cornwallis' Surrender, you know.)

Warning: my interpretation emphasis is, as usual, on Politics, that 'organized system of hatreds.'

This year, the Sun reaches 00Cancer00 on June 21 (1:45 am edt), and on June 22, there's a New Moon 1Can30, a degree which harkens back to the attacks of 9/11/01. But this circumstance is not covered in my Solstice post for there's plenty coming up this summer for this reluctant astrologer to grump about without mentioning 9/11, watershed moment in the current financial revolution as it may be.

Well, the summer season will be upon us before we know it, so please check out my Summer Solstice 2009's chart-and-details with a mere click, and leave a comment or question at Stars Over Washington or on this blog, if you desire!