It seems you can take the astrologer off-line, but can’t stop her from thinking about astrology (and life, and synchronicity, and people) with any reasonable ease; so I’m back with a few odds and ends that have been rattling around in my brain, and this is where I want to thank everyone who sent me such wonderful good wishes for my cyber pseudo semi-retirement–your kind expressions, encouragment, and support give me excellent incentive to (eventually) return.

Last week my husband, John, and I were walking along a street in Seattle–and this is an especially cement-y and high rise-y street–and suddenly we spot a rabbit as it scoots across the sidewalk, out into traffic, and safely to the other side, where it disappears down an alley. John said, “Hey, there must be a glitch in the matrix,” meaning we’ve seen an inconguity that suggests there is a reality that is more ‘real’ than the one we’re experiencing, that there is a bleed through, a glimpse of what does not belong but, somehow, does; apparently it’s an Alice in Wonderland world, filled with bunnies. We laugh a little at this, a facetious, ‘oh yeah, we’ve just seen something we weren’t supposed to’ moment, when the pay phone just to my left rings. Now, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the movie ‘The Matrix,’ which is a story that proposes the world we are experiencing is simply a mental construct, as our true reality is that our bodies are sitting in a gelatinous soup, hooked to multiple obviously uncomfortable hoses, acting as human batteries for the evil . . .well, you get the picture. And the way the enlightened, freed people who are trying to free the rest of humanity from their liquid captivity move ‘between the worlds’ is by means of a ringing telephone which must be answered in order to facillitate the move from one consciousness to the other.

So here I am, after just seeing something totally out of place (and in the movie the implication is that incongruities and deja vu are indeed signs of glitches, which means you are being given a ‘hint’ toward consciousness) and there is a ringing pay phone, and no one else nearby, not even on this block. The first ring and we both stop in our tracks; the second and we look at each other; the third and I reach over and answer the phone. Somehow I assumed I should be the one to answer, either because I was closer to it, or because I’m an ego maniac who believes the Universe is always trying to communicate with me (which means I should probably ditch my aluminum foil hat).

I lift the receiver and put it to my ear; I’m really, strangely, excited, believing that I am going to get some kind of synchronicitous message. I don’t speak, and neither does the caller; then I say, “Hello?” and there is a very gentle but deliberate sound of hanging up. I’m disappointed; I was expecting a revelation of sorts–but maybe I got one after all, if I look at this episode in the context of the way I’ve been hearing the term ‘logos’ frequently–it seems to stand out in bold relief against the background of my life–and the unlikely synchronicity caught my attention, as I’m just not acquainted with a lot of Greek speakers or theologians. Whenever some idea, word, or phrase suddenly crops up in venues and conversations unrelated to one another, I look at it with the idea that there’s something for me to become aware of in the concept, something I need to think about, ruminate on, and sometimes write about, because I’m assuming that this idea contains a message from the Universe, a whisper that carries a world in a single word; and ‘logos’ does.

Typically translated as ‘the word,’ ‘logos’ carries a meaning both deeper and having a wider compass than does our concept of ‘the word,’ even when we use it to designate a creed, philosophy, or rule of law. If the intellect had a spirit, we might describe it as logos, as there is referenced in the term the concept of intelligence and reason applied to and embodied as a life energy. Logos is a living philosophy, and in some cases a philosophy of living. My attention, then, has been drawn to the very thought-fabric of life–an awfully big subject.

The ringing phone, though, may have narrowed the focus for me. I had a choice: ignore the call, or take it. And I took it, so perhaps the message, that revelation I was waiting for in words, is coming in logos: pick up (or maybe become) the receiver, be willing to hear the message, be open to life’s conversation. 

And this leads us to what is traditionally seen as a rough time for communication, the upcoming Mercury retrograde, on Monday 7 September at 9:45 PM PDT at 6 Libra 10. Almost immediately Merc will contact Vesta by sextile, suggesting that our mentality will be poised to consider what’s truly sacred to us, what we need, particularly companionship-wise (Libra) on the home front, and the sex life may be featured as well. We will become aware of what we want to change, transform, or perhaps destroy (square to Pluto), then Merc’s opposition to Juno makes us actually want to move forward, with the change from Air to Earth, and 29 degrees of Earth for Merc, at that–as we know, big decisions or the instigation of something important shouldn’t be undertaken during the retrograde (and this has only a few exceptions). We feel the urge to rearrange the material reality even more with the stress inherent to 29 degrees, and Juno at 29 of Pisces only serves to point out our ideal empowerment situation, likely making us feel we mustmake the considered changes; but no! Even with the trine to the North Node that follows, Mercury is still in retrograde, and so are our capacities for reasoning and judgment–and remember, in the early part of Merc’s retro period we are particularly clueless, cast adrift from our usual ways of processing and perceiving. This cautionary chain of events takes us through to the Inferior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury, which is a ‘seed’ time, perhaps literally with the conjunction falling in earth; in any case it will be one corner of a Mystic Rectangle that includes the Nodes and the Earth/ Juno conjunction. This may allow us a very special extended moment within the retrograde cycle, beginning in terms of inclusion of Mercury energies, on the 18th of September. The Mystic Rectangle can act as its own energy matrix, pulling energies together, and reconciling opposites, in a surprisingly harmonious mix. We all may get a tremendous boost in terms of material empowerment, and we’ll possibly see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding the direction we’re currently headed. Is there a chance we’ll have to course-correct, that everything won’t be rosy? Yes, there is, but the best thing about the Mystic Rectangle is that it musters the energies for our use; so the real question is, will you step up and take what’s revealed at this point under advisement, with an eye to improving your material situation, or will you pretend that destiny is already laid out, and you’re at the mercy of forces greater than yourself? Your choice.

For a while now I’ve wanted to address some issues with consultation as they play out for both astrologers and clients, and I’ll be doing it through a once-in-a-while feature called, ‘In Consultation.’ I used to wonder, when I’d look at astrological offerings on the Internet (this was back in the day, well before I had a presence here) at the way astrologers were very strict in their time allocations, and very adamant in saying, “You’re buying this, and that’s all.” I just didn’t have their problems; my clients were all co-operative, sessions were always face-to-face, no boundaries were ever crossed. Now I know what they’re talking about; there’s something about the nature of contact in cyberspace that can definitely cause some problems. My thought is this: if you value an astrologer’s advice, then you should be willing to pay for it–there is no such thing as “just a quick question”–and you must recognize boundaries. Would you waltz into your physician’s office and insist on a quick rundown of your symptoms “just because you’re curious”? No, you would regard this person as busy, with a schedule, and you would expect to have to make an appointment and to pay for his or her expertise and experience, which is reasonable considering you expect to benefit from it. All this applies to approaching an astrologer, as does the idea that you are contracting to receive specific services; asking for, pressuring for, or angling for more is a little like going out to dinner and asking them to throw in an extra entree, just because you want it–we love our jobs, but we expect to get paid for them like everyone else. Would you show up at work, do lots extra, and then be okay with only getting paid for some of it? I thought not.

As for astrolgers, we must remember that no matter how friendly we become with someone (and it’s true, we often develop friendships that flourish after consultation) we are the ones who have the responsibility to keep things professional any time we are in consultation–and everyone involved must make the distinction. And please, if your astrologer says, “No calls after 9 PM my time,” or “one question at a time,” don’t think you’re the exception! If rules are stated for the consultation, the expectation is that you are an adult and can follow them. Does that sound harsh? The tendency is for all of us to play a little fast and loose when we’re not seeing each other in person–and that means that some who wouldn’t think of being inappropriate in person feel safe doing so by computer. Long ago I had a client (not actually a paying client, but someone I volunteered to help with a situation) and this person, after receiving the promised material, wouldn’t stop asking for more–going on and on about “my gift.” When I pointed out to her that this was not a gift, but the result of years of hard work and study, she became angry–because she told me, if it was a gift, I was obligated to give it away for free to anyone who asked for it–and it was clear that if she were forced to recognize that it took work, then she would recognize she needed to pay, as she would for any other service. Both sides of the consultation should keep this in mind: the client needs to remember he or she is paying for expertise that took years to develop, and the astrologer should remember that too–we aren’t hooked in to some special ability that elevates us to guru, prophet, or cult leader, so we shouldn’t pretend we are–we’re just hard working professionals who want to be treated that way.

Now, back to my cave!

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