Education

One of the most influential things I’ve read was a series of Silver Birch books. Silver Birch is an evolved spiritual being who returned to the world of matter in the guise of an American Indian Spirit. He channeled through an English trance medium (Maurice Barbenell), in England, for over 60 years.

There are some eight books that have been written by various authors that describe his teachings and philosophies from the world of Spirit. His message provides significant enlightenment for the individual who is ready to learn more about Spiritualism and the world beyond the third dimension. Of knowledge Silver Birch once said:

"Once we have knowledge, it is our responsibility to spread this to those willing to be receptive. Faith is then allowed to be built on such knowledge enabling us to give a rich service to a world of darkness. The resulting faith illuminates our pathway, enabling an understanding of our rightful place with the eternal, divine scheme of life."

I’ve often thought that the world would be a much better place when more people can realize that knowledge is responsibility and not power. It is unfortunate that we see so much abuse of this in relation to power. It is one reason why I try to share my knowledge with others.

When an individual appears to lack knowledge or education they are referred to as ignorant. The ignorance that exists impedes growth, induces fear, and creates conflict. Overcoming ignorance is the greatest battle for all mankind.

Ignorance, sorrow and poverty are the three great problems in this third dimension. These will endure until a greater knowledge and awareness is joined with politics and the children of this planet think and live by the new knowledge.

We inculcate our children with limited teaching, ignoring proper social development, personal awareness, and an understanding of relationships. While so called leaders play politics with education, the resultant ignorance and neglect simply impedes a child’s growth.

When children are taught with a greater knowledge that enables love, creativity, understanding and compassion, this world will take a major step forward in its evolution.

Global Impact of Population Growth

Growing up in the 60’s, I’d often hear the expression "The Rat Race". I was informed at the time that this was a reference to a boring, unfulfilled lifestyle of burden and chaos. I was also told that the term was derived from an experiment with rats, in which these animals were allowed to over-populate themselves in a confined area. The result was chaos, with rats becoming increasingly aggressive to the point of fatally injuring one another. I guess we are already experiencing this effect in ghetto-like areas around the world.
Another experiment carried out by H. F. Harlowe, involved placing infant monkeys in cages with surrogate mechanical mothers, one hard metal machine providing sustenance, and a soft terrycloth mother providing no sustenance. The monkeys unanimously sought the comfort of the soft mother. 
The point of mentioning this is that I’m particularly concerned about the societal effect of an ever burdening population and the resultant additional effect on global pollution. Have you noticed that there is little mention of population when talking about the political phrase of "Global Warming". Even if it is brought up, advocates of western change mention that Americans use 17 times as much as someone in a third world country. Of course they don’t take into account that someone in a third world country is cutting down trees and shrubs to exist and reducing the oxygen release.
By the way, I’ve planted a dozen trees on my tiny parcel here in Southern California, mainly fruit trees—even along the sidewalk!
I’m dismayed that religions encourage large families without the use of any birth control and wish that we could become more focused on how much we can save rather than how much we can earn, as well of course on becoming more spiritually aware without the dogma of misinterpreted biblical scripts.
I suppose you have to be a bohemian to escape the present rat race. A strong placement or aspect with the planet Uranus in one’s chart may depict this trait—which I have.
See also my original discussion on Global Warming.

Relationship Astrology

When Astrologer’s compare the charts of two people, this is known as Synastry. If a software program is used, not all of the interpretations are likely to be exact. Emotional and spiritual growth can circumvent some of the interpretations or one aspect may overwhelm another.
It is also quite important to consider what is called relationship qualification. This is an individual's capacity for a relationship. Here we are dealing with the level of self-esteem or self-love that a person has or reveals. Simply put, how can a person truly love another if there is no love and respect for the self. This is not the vain, narcissistic appreciation of the surface self, but the true love that is deep within and revealed outwardly--which is a spiritual love.
A very common lesson that many of us have during our physical lives is to learn self-love. To understand and learn this, we must often endure rejection. This is when we are subjected to teachers and parents who will verbally abuse us, put us down, state we are not capable, etc.
Once we learn self-love and the more spiritual we become, the more we can associate with others. To understand a person's primary relationship needs and desires, we need to first examine how the energies of the Moon, Venus, and Mars vibrate.
Chart Comparison, or synastry, is the result of placing one person's chart over the other. One simply places the charts so that the zodiac signs line up. Most software places the primary person (Person number 1) as the inner wheel, and the planets of the partner's chart (Person number 2) on the outer circle or wheel.
The Sun forms our conscious sense of being, which includes the ego. The Moon represents instincts and feelings. Women generally identify more with lunar qualities than men, who tend to be connected more to solar traits. A Moon with squares and oppositions may depict people with emotional karma and emotional problems, which can sometimes be quite erratic, especially if Uranus is involved. The Moon also represents balance from the mother. At times we may even act like our mothers without our knowing.
Stress on the Moon from the Sun can create restlessness and fluctuations in close relationships. Beneficial aspects induce balance and emotional stability. A Moon stressed by Mercury can produce nervous tension and excitability, whereas a benefic aspect can provide common sense and fluent communication. Clearly, examining the natal chart is just as important to gain a greater understanding when dealing with synastry.
Individuals who have Cancer planets, 4th house planets, Cancer rising, water Moon, Libra planets, 7th house planets, Libra rising, and Libra Moon, are more likely to be insecure and unclear. It is not surprising the rulers of these signs are the Moon and Venus, so aspects to these planets play an important role. Many of the more stressful aspects to the primary planets in a natal chart can reveal this loss of self-esteem, particularly where they have a relationship to Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto and the other outer planets.
Some of the first things to check in a synastry chart is the Ascendant, aspects to it, the descendant, and the seventh house. Look to those houses where your partner's planets fall. See how the interchange of energy is described by the planetary aspects, remembering that the wider the orb, the weaker the effect. If you have, for example, 7 degrees rising, you may notice that others with whom you feel comfortable often have the same degree of rising. It does not have to be the same zodiac sign and can indicate a spiritual bond. There may be conflicts in certain relationships with respect to lifestyle, but such conflicts are often lessened through this aspect. You may find that the conjunction, trine and sextile are the most powerful.
The sign on the seventh house cusp of your chart will indicate the type of person you are consciously looking for. If you have Cancer on the 7th house cusp, you will desire a nurturing, sensitive individual. Planets residing in the 7th house will modify this portrait. The seventh house is the area that most astrologer's focus on, as this is commonly known as the relationship house. While the sign on the cusp of the seventh house and planets in this house indicate what a person is looking for in a relationship, there may be karmic factors elsewhere in the chart that color this effect. We should not forget that the seventh house is opposite the first house which forms the personal axis. The first deals with our projected personality and the seventh with the personalities of close friends and partners. Aquarius on the seventh house cusp of a person's chart might indicate the need for a more open relationship, but not necessarily sexual. Saturn in the seventh house may show that a person is attracted to a Capricorn or it could indicate a seriousness in relationships and contracts.
Another important house is the fifth house because this is the house of entertainment, love affairs, role-play, and drama. The fifth/eleventh house axis is the social axis. The fifth deals with our personal enjoyment and responsibilities, and the eleventh deals with the larger social side (including social consciousness). The eleventh house tends to be important, especially if a partner's primary planets fall here. This tends to enhance friendliness and social activities.
As the planet Jupiter opens up opportunities, the transits of this planet through the first or fifth house are often periods when love affairs predominate. The first tends to be more creative, while the fifth is more playful. If there is a lot of fire in a person's chart, the fifth house can enhance the desire to conquer another.
The fifth and eighth houses are both related to sex--playful in the fifth and intense in the 8th (particularly if Scorpio is on the cusp and also if Mars and Pluto fall there). On a higher level, the eighth house can reveal the urge for a kundalini release in sex. For some, this energy can provide a healing role.
Other houses will obviously deal with the life initiating patterns they represent. The second house, for instance, concerns personal values. If a partner's Saturn falls in your second house, you may feel that your personal resources are either restricted or consolidated by this person. However, it may depend on how Saturn's vibrations are affected by both charts.

Jupiter's reach can be touching

One day last week, I spent most of the day talking on the phone to relatives and friends in England. I do call occasionally, but talking to so many people is unusual for me. I decided to look at my transits for this particular day, and there it was "Transit Venus sextile natal Jupiter." In addition, transit Mercury was conjunct my natal Jupiter adding to the information flow.
As the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter is symbolically related to expansiveness, optimism, generosity, a love of freedom, and new experiences. The energies of this planet allow you to grow through impositions and challenges. It also provides a relationship with the universe in the form of religion and philosophy, and it provides a sense of legal justice--whether manmade or natural. Jupiter is considered to be the most benefic of all the planets and finds its attachment in the sign of Sagittarius.
The freedom and new experience side of Jupiter’s energy aligns this planet with foreign matters, either travel or interaction with foreign people. All this may seem a little mundane, but it provides additional information that Astrology does work.
Talking so much on the phone overseas is great for me because I have an Internet based phone from Vonage and it does not cost any additional amount as I pay a fixed monthly fee that includes free calls to Europe.

Another Journal

I've decided to set up another journal to focus on technical subjects, and thereby keep this one more astrological and philosphical. I'll try to update each journal every other week. The new journal is called Efficiency Tech.

 

Columbus Day

There has been a lot of talk this week about Columbus Day, whether we should have a public holiday and celebrate it, or denounce Columbus for being a greedy, exploiting adventurer.
So, one wonders what probable reality would exist for the American Indians if Columbus never sailed to America or if the USA never gained independence in 1776. The 1833 Abolition of Slavery Act in England would certainly have saved some African natives from being shipped over and killed, and perhaps a number of native Americans would have survived.
I sometimes wonder why we celebrate Columbus Day when it was the Vikings who discovered America. The story of the Viking exploration is contained in sagas passed down from one generation to another. Modern archeological evidence has substantiated much of the saga.
Even though the British have a lot to do with what is now the USA, the one thing that the British tried to do was separate themselves from the natives--it was a snobbish thing that actually left many cultures intact, apart from spreading diseases. The Spanish however, slashed their way through South America leaving very little intact.
What is also not commonly known about the British and their empire is that it did not really set out to become one--it set out to trade. Along the way the French tried to rought the British at every port or country, so it ended up sending in troops and taking control.
Certain countries like America were exceptions because individual groups set out to separate themselves from oppression, but trade eventually took over.
There is one thing I do know, and that is I’d much prefer to live in America than Britain these days, the chaos that exists in the UK is alarming.

Wacky Conspiracy Theories

One wonders what backy most of the wacky conspiracy theorist’s are smoking to come up with what are so many unfounded perceptions of significant events that are essentially myths. I'd like to examine some of the astrology charts of these whining conspiracy theorists, as I'm sure one will find some consistent answers there.
People with wacky perceptions would most likely have Neptune stressed in their chart yielding a senseless imagination and social convention. As a lower octave of Neptune, Venus could be included into the mix as well. In addition, such loveless individuals prefer to spread hatred of certain mainstream members of society, particularly those on the far left and right.
I figure that someone with Neptune square Venus would epitomize a loathing of others they disagree with, using conspiracy theories to further their aims. It’s a shame because they are avoiding the karmic debt of learning how to love, express this love, and not expect love in return.
There are many sites listing wacky conspiracy theories, and a good counter to these is:
The 9/11 Conspiracy Theories