Two weeks ago, just before his 89th birthday, my father died. At three in the morning his sister heard him mutter “Christ!” It wasn’t until the next morning she discovered him on the floor of his bedroom unable to get up. He fell again that afternoon while opening a can of tuna. “Shit!” he moaned. Blood poured from his head. Death is one of those mysteries that hides behind a … [Read more...]
Each time the Sun entered Virgo during my schoolgirl years, I’d take out a clean sheet of paper. With a bold, optimistic hand, I'd write at the top: “The New Me.” Below it I would list all the wonderful qualities I was determined to adopt in the coming school year. (“Smile,” “Be helpful,” “Always say something nice.”) One year I read Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and … [Read more...]
Mercury is now retrograde, from August 20 through September 12. During the Messenger's retrogrades, I'm reminded of Pythia Peay's marvelous metaphor for this time--when we become like Odysseus, waylaid by monsters, upsets, and unexpected adventures while trying to sail a straight line home. During the Trojan War, wily Odysseus conceived of the Trojan Horse scheme, then bragged … [Read more...]
It's arrived. The Cardinal Cross astrologers have been talking about for years. First taste: the lunar eclipse in late June. Second taste: end of July/early August as warrior Mars entered Libra, quickly opposing Uranus, stomping on Saturn, and charging at Pluto. These aspects make astrologers shudder. At their best, they foster great determination and effort. At their … [Read more...]
Earlier this year, the people-who-have-nothing-better-to-do raised a ruckus about 4-year-old Shiloh Jolie-Pitt dressing like a boy. Apparently she likes short hair, boys' neckties, jackets and hats. Mon dieu! In a Vanity Fair article, mom Angelina Jolie admitted yes, her kid "dresses like a little dude," and later elaborated for Reuters: "I think she (Shiloh) is … [Read more...]
