A big config jumps out at me this morning–let’s take note. It’s in effect for the week–I’d say through the 31st. It’s a Mystic Rectangle involving the Nodes and the Sun/ Earth axis–the Water component is the Sun and Venus, and the South Node, and the Earth component is the Earth and the North Node, Pluto, and Ceres. This suggests illumination (through both ‘shining a light’ and through memory) of the emotional facets of love, money, and values, along with a corresponding material facet involving transformation, destruction, or the intervention of Mother Nature (or just plain regular Mom), with the combination of the two influences converging and forming an elevated opportunity to change our situation both materially and emotionally, specifically in Venusian matters. It should unfold in stages through the week, so that there’s a transformation to both a material situation or two and your feelings about them. This may be directly connected to the Venus cycle, with subjects from 8 years ago coming forward for re-assessment, re-hashing, or outright re-doing. Look to your own Venus placements, aspects, and rulerships for clarity, along with where Venus is retro in your natal chart; I know that’s a little vague, so if you’re having trouble, I’ll be glad to give it a crack in the comments section, just fill me in on your situation.

Sun just into Scorpio, Moon in Gemini=some disparity between where our attention goes and our need to process info and emotions simultaneously, but if we talk out our feelings (really let it flow!) that emo water will seek its own level.

Here it comes–more ‘poor little me’ stories–if you have a sensitive constitution, now is the time to avert your eyes and go about your business! It’s a Gemini Moon–time to communicate! I actually thought I’d post yesterday, but I’ve had my time sucked by tons of correspondence (otherwise known as arguing) in attempts to protect my work from being stolen. Is my work so precious that others can’t keep their hands off it? Not at all–apparently this is happening to a number of people. Over the weekend I stumbled across a site that had taken not only my material right off these pages (without permission and without attribution–I only found it because I happened to see a referrer link to these site stats before it was scrubbed from the article), but also the work of several other astrologers. I’ve been told before when this happens to ask the poster first to remove it (and here I should mention, this isn’t a regular forum–it’s set up so that someone posts an article, and then others comment on it). I commented that it had been taken without permission and to please remove it–admin immediately deleted my remark and chastised me for trying to embarrass the poster and for having poor priorities–so I wrote back to admin and asked that it be removed, apologizing for any embarrassment–and I was then told in a series of emails that they were within their rights to print my article, that in fact they now held the rights! and that, in brief, I was a horrible human being, and to consider myself spanked. With blessings!

I retorted with some bile of my own (nothing so bad, just some incredulous remarks on how they could consider me, and not the thief, the problem, and how I found their pretenses of love and light phony)–and in the process they stated that I was out of line and that they were in complete compliance with copyright law. Oh really! I thought.

So I told a newly-formed group of Astrology Bloggers over on facebook, put together by Jeff Kishner (thanks Jeff!–and if you’re a blogger, dear reader, and haven’t yet joined, please do!) and I got some terrific support and advice, including a link from the great April Elliot Kent to report copyright infringement to this site’s masters–so we’ll see how it goes.

It’s just another reason why I feel like the only alternative to posting everything here is to make the more specific info available only by password–it’s certainly not the first time I’ve had something taken, and not the first time someone has argued about removing it–but I do hope to make it the last. And that, of course, is only among the pieces that I happen to find–you all know how I feel about taking another’s work (and if you don’t and are curious, see ‘Terms of Use’). I’m sure at some point I’ve in some way managed to trespass in my years on the internet (illustrations can be tricky sometimes, especially pre-wikimedia) but I’ve never knowingly violated a copyright–and protecting myself almost seems a losing battle, when I have to dedicate time I could be yammering with you in order to pursue bandits–it’s just not as glamorous as it sounds! 

The worst part of all this is that now I’m on their mailing list (as one can’t see the pages or contact the admin without signing up) and I’ve received about 15 emails since yesterday morning, most of which are trying to sell me something (I can bid on a magic wand! For a minimum of $80! to cover the sites “expenses” in offering it! And if I’m passing up a magic wand, what else am I missing in life? If someone offers me magic beans, I just might buy them!) So this is what I think this site is all about: they use their readers to provide cost-free content–not just what readers write themselves, but actively encouraging them to “share” other people’s work from across the web. Then these same readers are asked to give love offerings, to buy lots of paraphernalia, and so on. Obviously, I don’t have a problem with asking readers to buy something–but I do have a problem when someone uses their readers to provide their content, then turns to copyright holders with a “who us? that’s the poster’s doing, and she’s a wonderful, gentle person–how dare you accuse her of blah blah” Something is definitely rotten in this internet Denmark; I can only trust that as Horatio says in that great play, “Heaven will direct it.”

Look what I found! It references one of the suggestions for likable/ admirable individuals http://specials.msn.com/A-List/TV/Jane-Goodall-on-60-Minutes.aspx?cp-documentid=26083458