Welcome to the dog days of summer! Although canines do need to stay extra cool and hydrated at this languid time of year, the phrase actually refers to the rising of Sirius, the “Dog Star.” The star system Sirius (said to have  uncanny ties to Earth) disappears below the horizon in the spring. Then it reappears at dawn on July 23, bright ruby-red. This event, known as the … [Read more...]

A purpose is not something that you’re going to find. It’s something that will find you. And it will find you only when you’re ready and not before.” –Wayne Dyer The first time California-based Jeannine Schrantz set foot on African soil, she knew she had come home. Her partner, Alan, had convinced her to take a month-long road trip between Uganda and Rwanda in Dec. of 2009. … [Read more...]

Since Downton Abbey recently arrived on Netflix, I’ve been lost in early 20th Century England. Yes, I’m a bit late to the party – the saga of a highbrow household and its hardworking servants originally debuted in 2011 – but the sumptuous, superbly-written series  does serve as an apt reflection of the Sun’s shift into nostalgic Cancer at the June 20 Solstice. It’s a poignant … [Read more...]

What’s up with the sudden resurgence of interest in UFOs? Yes, of course it’s connected to the recent release of a long-awaited government assessment of the mysterious flying objects. But why now? The timing is interesting, as it falls not long after the dawn of the Age of Aquarius at the Dec. 21 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. And what could be more Aquarian than flying … [Read more...]

The 1896 Quadricycle was Henry Ford’s first attempt to build a gasoline-powered automobile. He patched together an iron frame, a leather belt, a chain drive, a buggy seat and a primitive ignition system. The result was sketchy, but it ran! Ford sold the Quadricycle for $200, then used the money to build his second car – which evolved, by 1908, into the best-selling Model T. And … [Read more...]