Claesz early 17th century {{PD-Art}}

What the Universe is Made Of

This is what I wrote last week about this past Sunday:

“Just after noon of the 31st, the Moon trines the North Node–and at about the same time the Moon also forms a loose Fist of God with a Moon/ Sedna square apex Pluto. The entire picture is one of unanticipatable material events (Sedna in Taurus) that have emotional results–and, contrary to the usual, we do not need to work out the square before Pluto is accessed–this time, it just happens. A Plutonian event can be anything that involves an exercise of power–just keep that in mind. It’s not necessarily a trauma, destructive act, or experience of rage–it could as easily be a transformative event that feels like a major blessing–so be ready for anything.”

I had no way of knowing how very true this would be for me. I experienced an unanticipatable transformative event, through another’s generosity and kindness. I don’t have specific permission to write about this, so I’ll keep things vague; it concerns a subscriber, an artist, who came to Seattle and invited me to meet with her. I and my daughters have been fans of her work since long before I started the blog, but it so happens that she found me, in a synchronicity of the Universe; I went to the meeting (as she was here on business, I knew she would have her work with her) planning to (and excited to!) buy a piece. Her work has a balanced, resonant, living quality that is both vibrant and serene; it contains that juxtaposition in a careful blend of delicacy and proportion that has always spoken to me. Small pieces of hers were some of the first real Art I’d ever bought–and now I would get to meet the Artist, and she liked me, too–I was going into the meeting ‘pre-approved,’ so to speak! which mattered to me; I’m not terribly good at meeting others, my youthful ease in making friends now replaced in late middle age by some distress: do I look all right? What will I say? Despite my chatty nature online, I have difficulty with small talk in person; I’m a get-to-the-point-er, with little capacity for graceful, cogent exchanges. She greeted me warmly, accepting and open, and that was gift enough.

In the course of working as an astrologer, I’ve received a number of presents, lovely expressions of gratitude and generosity: flowers, spa products, hand decorated boxes, handmade cards, all easy to accept as we judge them as small, a gesture rather than a sacrifice. So it made it especially moving for me when the Artist offered me the very piece I’d spotted and fallen in love with the moment I looked around; I wanted to buy it, but she made this perfect, simple piece a gift–and it challenged all my ideas of who I am, what I could accept from another, and what I deserved. It was especially touching to me in that we had spoken briefly about the difficulty of making a living in these times; I wanted to offer her the support she had been offering to me–but she rose above material considerations and gave me an invaluable gift of spirit. Through her amazing generosity she signaled an absolute faith and trust in the Universe–a statement of fearlessness about her own situation that says to me she is on the Path to transforming her life in amazing ways, and that gave me a gift much larger than the one I held in my hands. It’s been several years since my own faith in the Universe was tested through stress and fear; it was a wonderful reminder of the kind of positive energy that things run on, after all.

Have you ever experienced a gift or interaction that served to transform you, or that reinforced your positive beliefs about the Universe? How did it change your life? I want to say ‘Thank You’ to the Artist–and you might want to thank the one who gave to you, too.

The Changing View of What’s Manly

An especially well-written and perceptive assessment of the way popular culture’s view of vampires may be muddying the manly waters, and why Don Draper of ‘Mad Men’ has the vampiric appeal that ‘boy’ vamps lack.

Follow Your Dreams

Here’s a great source of dream interpretation

And Here Are Your Instructions

Subscribers, of course, please check the protected page, and everyone, visit Ravenesque here

I hope your week is getting off to a great start; I’m making slow slow slow progress on the Vesta book–but someday!