Announcements : Big Sky AstroBlog

Jul

28

leaving First things first. My friend Robert McDowell has just released his new book Poetry as Spiritual Practice. I don’t know much about poetry, and what I do know, I mostly don’t like; but Robert’s a wonderful soul and a soulful writer who has made a believer out of even a poetry curmudgeon like me - so join me in celebrating his achievement. And if you buy a copy of his book online from Amazon or B&N, you can participate in his special promotion and gain access to fab bonus gifts from participating partners such as moi-self. More here.

Secondly. Lisa Finander, the fine soul who, as an acquisitions editor, helped me midwife my book and get it to the publisher, has launched her new website. If you’re struggling with a writing project and looking for an enthusiastic coach to help you bring it all together, Lisa’s your gal.

And finally, yes: I’m finally leaving for vacation. But naturally enough (because yes, the upcoming eclipse falls in my 9th house - quel delight!), the road to good intentions has been paved with hell. Getting ready to go on vacation is always so ghastly that it makes one doubt the veracity of the entire premise. Irony alert: Nervous traveler that I am, I chose Qantas for our flight because of their excellent safety record. And of course on Friday… this happened. And today, this. Thanks, guys. Helpful. (As if I weren’t nervous enough about that transiting Uranus opposition to my natal Mars.)

But you’ll never hear an unkind word from me about the Passport Office.

Last week I realized that my passport - which would not actually expire until two weeks after we’re due to return from our trip - needed to be recharged, since New Zealand (and most countries, apparently; who knew?) insisted I have at least three months left on my passport after my intended date of return. My nerves already on edge about this trip (did I mention that I really hate to fly?), this put me into a tailspin. A couple of hours later I determined that I could in fact trek to the regional passport office in Los Angeles and do the renewal in person, and actually be able to make this trip.

So off we schlepped to LA the following day, and everything at the passport office went amazingly well. The lovely little Lisa Loopner look-alike who processed my application looked at my departure date, then at my San Diego address, and then at me. “Well, I want to get this processed for you today.” And bless her, she did: by 1:20, after killing several hours in Westwood, I picked up my fresh new passport.

In any event, tomorrow is given over to packing and last minute madness, and on Wednesday we finally leave. So tonight the auto responders go on my emails, and the next time y’all hear from me I’ll probably be writing with a New Zealand accent. Send good energy and safe wishes my way! And if you should find yourself in Auckland on August 3 (a lecture) or 10 (a workshop), you can catch up with me through these nice folks.

July 28, 2008 | 5 Comments

May

24

I’ve been fighting off a really nasty cold/semi-flu thing that tackled me on Wednesday… ghastly. Fortunately it hit me during a relatively light week, work-wise, so I’ve spent the past few days on the couch, watching episodes of Bob Newhart and Arrested Development at Hulu.com. Presumably planetary stuff has been going on too, while I was laid out. The Sun entered Gemini, I think, and squared Saturn (which would traditionally herald my back going out for a few days, but since I’ve been flat on said back thanks to the cold, all is well in that area), and maybe Venus did something similar at some point. I dunno. I’ll get back to you on that.

There is definitely some kind of disturbance in whatever portion of the sky rules highly infectious viral diseases, because it seems half the people I’ve spoken with in the past week have got some variation of what my mom used to call “the creepin’ crud.” Rest up and force fluids, people.

May 24, 2008 | 1 Comment

May

3

I’ve been sorting through marriage surveys for a few weeks now, running transits, secondary progressions, and solar arc directions for each birth chart for the date of marriage and scrutinizing them against a long checklist. Basically, I was curious to see how all the things I’ve ever learned/read/told other people about finding marriage in the birth chart stacks up against reality. Not too many surprises, really. Turns out that most of the things that are important in a wedding electional chart seem to be pretty important in showing marriage in the natal chart - various configurations of the Sun and Moon, Venus and Mars, and the Ascendant and Descendant; dramatic eclipses; a dash of Saturn.

I promise to prepare an article soon with all the juicy deets. For now, I’m pushing to put together a lecture on the topic that I will humbly lay before the San Diego Astrological Society next Friday, May 9 for their amazement, amusement, and edification. For added pizzazz I will invite the lovely and talented Australian astrologer and writer Kelly Surtees - visiting en route to UAC - to the lectern to add two or three cents on the topic. I may even invite this guy:

May 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Mar

7

goldfish New Moon greetings to you all (9:14 am PST) - here’s a little something from my archives to mark the occasion. And don’t forget to set your clocks forward before you go to bed Saturday night. Daylight Savings Time… the “springing forward,” she is so very cruel.

I’ve launched a site just for book stuff, so anyone who is interested in that can bookmark it. I’ll be posting reviews, events, and astrowedding-related articles over there.

I’m also stealthily developing a wedding astrology website that’s not just about pimping the book - so look for that by June at weddingastrology.com. For now, that URL just redirects to Big Sky.

March 7, 2008 | 5 Comments

keep looking »

Sign of Pisces

Moon conjuncts Uranus at
5:54 am on Oct.12, 2008

Moon trines Venus at
11:27 am on Oct.12, 2008

Moon squares Pluto at
10:02 pm on Oct.12, 2008

Moon goes void of course at
10:02 pm on Oct.12, 2008

Moon enters Aries at
12:07 am on Oct.13, 2008