Thereby Hangs a Theme

 1940's Olivetti Telephone

 (photo credit: Kornelia and Hartmut Hafele)

…over our head, that is. That 'theme' is about us.

Shall I explain?

So I was sitting there, noodling away at a game of computer solitaire while waiting for my friend to react to what I had just told him. What had I just told him? 

“Think back…think back 19 years. What were you doing?”

“Being happily married.” Unaccustomed to having this think tank prodded by an astrologer, my friend (who we’ll just call Him and He) groaned that groan of exasperation every astrologer hears when they’ve not-so-subtly pointed out that life is full of cycles. 

Those we don’t learn, we repeat. Those we do learn, we get tested on periodically. If we still remember the lesson, we move on to a new, better and higher form of said lesson.

And yes, that bigger and better lesson comes with a bigger, better, even tastier carrot to lure us into giving life another go.

“No, seriously.” I tried to cajole him.

Nothing doing. “I AM being serious! This is me being serious! I was happily married!”

Again came the growl.

Hearing the sound of a panther collecting itself to pounce, I whipped out my best and most standard deflection. It works, trust me – simply because it’s true. Those who don’t like facts can growl all they want, a fact is still a fact.

“I don’t invent these rules, I just report on them,” I intoned semi-cheerfully, wondering where I had put my girl-on-the-street reporter gear. “This one is called the Metonic cycle. So what were you doing 19 years ago? Think of it in terms of themes, not specifics.”

We both started doing mental math. I do so much astrology for others that I often don’t do much of it as applied to myself. Besides – much as doctors are advised against treating their own family (too much connection spoils the prescription), astrology is hardest to do for those you know best.

No, it doesn’t mean we don’t try. But I have found that giving tough news to people I know takes me longer to live down. Like I say…I just report on this universe even if people seem to think I’m conjuring this stuff up out of pleasingly plump air.

I think that’s why I’m always so willing to discuss orbital inclinations and planetary revolutions and such. For whatever reason, you tell people that Jupiter – a planet whose mass is 317.8 times that of Earth – manages to have a day which is 9 hours and 55 minutes (plus 30 seconds) long (as compared to Earth’s 24 hours) and that tends to stop folks.

I like to think it’s all about Jupiter – our solar systemic metaphysical symbol of learning and conceptualization.

“Twenty years ago would be 1992…” My panther had started thinking. His pounce-meter was subsiding, slinking back towards zero.

“Nineteen years ago…1993…” Having not had the spiffiest 2012 as yet on record, I began trying to place what I was doing. “Oh yes! That was when I left studio work and production accounting and location work.” It was all coming back to me.

As for 2012, this year has served up one giant insurance hassle under glass, a seriously spicy fracas with a medical type, a side of souring financial strains to test my tensile strength at the corpuscle level and a passive-aggressive salad (unspoken but well tossed) to be shared by me and my brother.

. 

 A tossed green salad...I think I'm the tomato,

not sure about my brother.

 (photo credit: National Cancer Institute)

 

 

So what do they have in common? This is that ‘theme’ thing…and the common ground is this a change of life direction and focus. Back in 1993, I voluntarily changed what I was doing with my life. I took a decided ‘left turn’ by leaving the world of film locations et al in order to move into…and this is the real clue…tech writing.

And that ‘left turn’ turned out to be a right turn – the right turn for me to take at that time.

For me, 2012 is all about figuring out the steps to move 

from where I am into book publishing. (You may wish me luck and I shall thank you for your kind wishes!)

I’m also a Pisces person (if you read it with a Brooklyn or Queens, New York accent. it’s much more fun!). So I’m made to be tested through my own willingness to feel my feelings and my own ability to ‘see the dream and create an inspired and inspiring reality from that dream.’ May’s eclipse will square my Sun, so everything which is coming at me is meant to hassle me into a.) a financial corner and, b.) an emotional place where I want to do something to create calm water for myself.

Capiche?

This is how we look for trends. The square from an eclipse to my Sun is not about changing my ‘way of life’ (Sun = life, ability to sustain one’s life). It’s not about clashes with classic ‘Sun’ emblems like men or authority figures…or companies or corporations (my Sun is in the 11th and most ‘corporate’ house of the horoscope).

No, this square to my Sun is about my doing that which will care for my Sun. It’s about fulfilling my purpose – emotional and creative. And the square says 'new or different direction.' It says 'challenge yourself...or be challenged by life and others in your life.'

That’s the trend. That’s the abstract level at which we need to think about eclipses. You can weather the event which shows up when an eclipse smacks you in the face (or some other part of your body…). And absolutely – you probably need to prioritize that and deal with it effectively.

But while doing that, think back. Growl if you must, but think back. What were you doing in 1993? What ‘thematic’ pattern do you see between now and then?

And okay…so maybe this eclipse doesn’t have your name on it. But the next one…or the one after that will. And when that happens, Kimosabe, think back to this post. If you figure out the puzzle, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead in making good on your challenges of the moment – and fulfilling your purpose in life.

Ultimately, that ‘purpose’ thing looms large. One of my ‘pet’ questions as an astrologer is to ask people ‘if this was the last day of your life (and you knew it was the last day of your life) what would you regret not having done?’ Those are the things which are important – and why ‘money’ isn’t the answer to anything.

Okay…so you have money. What do you want to do with it? That’s the important thing. And if you figure out why that’s important to you, you may just disarm some eclipse bomb sitting inside your psyche.

My friend? He hasn’t quite figured His eclipse thing out yet. Or maybe he has and wants to contemplate the passing of an old cycle and the impending beginning of a new one.

He’ll get back to me, I’m sure. He’s like that.

Therefore, with all this said, now I have a question. I have already written one of those beauty essays on the actual eclipse itself: the whole eclipse and nothing but the eclipse. I currently have it scheduled to post on May 20th…not shockingly, the date of the eclipse.

Would you like to see it posted earlier? If you would, drop me a note…leave a comment…let me know. I know you're out there! Thousands of you! This is the moment - have your say!

Meanwhile, I hope we all make our 'right' turns in coming to 'right' terms with ourselves, too.

And yes, I won the solitaire game.