Making Travelers Annoyed

SUN IN 9TH HOUSE
The sun, planet of warmth and vitality, is drifting through the 9th House, the House of Exploration and Travel. Now may be a great time to find new places to venture. Folks may be taking more vacations or trying something new in their lives.

Speaking of new and travel, I've seen some fairly odd behavior on the transit system lately. Is there no transetiquette anymore? First of all, I don't understand how people A: shove straight through others when coming on the train and don't let people off, and B: don't move to the middle of the train so that people coming on the train have room to stand. It's amazing to me that people do not make room for others.

Then there are the people who listen to music on the train at volumes that can be heard at the other end of the train. Thank you for being so into your music that you want to share it with the rest of the world, but seriously, I have my own space and prefer to keep it that way. Plus, don't you know that you're destroying your hearing? Might as well start learning sign language now. You'll need it later.

Still, I can forgive all this in light of the event I witnessed the other night. It was a late night after work and I waited for awhile for the 4, 5, 6. I would have preferred to take the 4 or 5, but with infallible fallibility, the MTA let me down again and delivered the 6 after an annoyingly long wait. The upside was that I had a seat. A man was sitting in a smaller seat near the door. As I watched with incredulity, he slid open the door between cars, pulled out a cigarette, and proceeded to light up. He smoked from 125th street to 68th street. Just to be sure I wasn't crazy, I glanced up at the wall where the NO SMOKING sign rested, oblivious of the irony.

Anyone else see this kind of thing? It makes me want to drive...

...almost.

Detailing

MERCURY GOES DIRECT

Mercury, planet of communication, has just returned direct on its course as of yesterday, and today, drifts through Virgo, the sign of meticulousness and detail, as well as service. This implies a refocusing on the details of one's life and the possibility of "fall cleaning" as people attempt to get their lives back in order after the Merucry-in-retrograde period. As Virgo likes to say, a place for everything and everything in its place.

Revamping one's life to return to order is more easily said that done. There are so many aspects of life to keep straight and this writer, for one, is feeling a little overwhelmed. Whether you are dealing with school, work, projects, partners, friends, enemies or just quotidian minutiae, one might hope that the Mercury in Virgo will be there to support and benefit you. As they say, "Life is in the details," but then they also say, "You can't see the forest for the trees," and who are they anyway?!

Details become a huge part of human life. You never hear a cat saying, "I'm sorry; can you run that by me again? I missed the part where you feed me and I eat. What exactly do I do first?" True, details are a natural part of life. One only has to look at the intricacies in a spider web or the patterns of dots on a lily to see that detail is what helps create beauty. Yet being bogged down in detail is certainly a human construct, is it not? We try to keep things simple, but eventually, all of the little parts begin to speak and soon, it is a cacophony of clamoring slices of the whole. After all, that is where the word "detail" comes from: detailler, meaning to cut up into pieces.

This is not to say that those pieces are not important. Far from it. After all, a word is comprised of letters - at least in the romantic and germanic traditions. These letters are associated with sounds and the sounds are then put together to create blended sounds, which we then associate with meaning, thus creating a word. Words are then put together to create sentences and sentences to create stories, or blogs just like this one. So without the details, the story in question could not exist. And then you come back and say, "Well, a picture is worth a thousand words." Of course. Let's examine the millions of brush strokes or pencil marks, etc, that make up that picture. Or if it's a mental picture, then the millions of details that you might notice in creating that picture - the colors, the movement, the textures, the expressions - and that's just the visual sense. Everything here is comprised of detail, including a blog about detail.

Then, of course, teachers ask you, "What's the gist of the story?" Well, now, although the detail is vital, that's not what the teacher is after. In fact, most people don't want to hear the innumerable details when a story is being told. It rarely matters whether the incident happened on a Tuesday, at 2:56pm, outside on a day of 83 degrees...no. Many people would get fed up with such a story. Vital in a police report; boring in a tale. Therefore, they want the gist, the overall action. What happened? One has to eschew the many details to pick out the important themes. The whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. It's working through those parts to find the whole that makes it difficult, but once the whole is found, the parts don't seem to matter much anymore.

So go ahead and sweat the small stuff. Just don't let them take over.

Getting Reacquainted

SUN IN LIBRA
The sun has just entered the seventh sign of the zodiac, Libra, sign of balance, harmony, and relationships. Libra is currently sitting in the 7th House, the House of Partnerships. We should see a deliberate shift of focus from the quotidian minutae of Virgo to the more social, outgoing nature of our connection-centric selves.

It has been nigh a month since I last wrote and apologize for that. Things have been quite busy, not the least because of Mercury's decision to travel retrograde. Still, Libra brings relationships and balance to the forefront, so I return to connect with my readers.

A focus on relationships doesn't necessarily mean romance. And with Mercury in retrograde, there's high possibility for miscommunication and misunderstandings. Still, in examining our relationships, it's important to take a look at what benefits each of us in our connections with others, be they friends, family, or even foe. Yes, believe it or not, you have a strong relationships with your enemies too; consider the emotion involved. It's the acquaintances you have to examine in depth, since they are the ones you don't have such a deep emotional involvement with!

Sun-in-Libra is an special time for me because my natal sun is in Libra, meaning my birthday is coming up. Yes, I am a Libra; I admit it! I am charming, shallow, vain, and relationship conscious. We just can't help it. One of the hardest things for most Libras to deal with (besides making a decision) is handling the anger or depression of others with regard to them. Libras are a balance-oriented breed and the thought that someone could be upset with us is highly disturbing. We don't like to fight or argue and unless there's a strong water or earth streak in the chart, we don't hold grudges very well. The only time a Libra will come out swinging is if there is a question of fairness. We are sticklers for fair treatment - it comes from being able to see both sides of the story, which is a curse and a blessing.

Recent events have brought to my awareness the way that different people deal with issues of injustice, unfairness, and hurt. I have many friends who are able to close a door. Some of them slam it shut. Do not get on their bad side for you will never recover from it. They encourage others to do the same, seeing former friends who have hurt them as a cancerous element of society that they prefer to cut out. With the power of "defriending" someone on Facebook, there's an added way to make the point.

Others are more willing to forgive. My parents taught me that in every relationship, you start out with 100% trust. Once that trust is broken, you go down to 0% and you have to work your way back up. I've adopted this theory because I like to believe that people are basically good. They have their faults, of course. Everyone has their baggage. It's whether we can handle the baggage that matters. I want to be a forgiving person who understands that people make mistakes, but there comes a point where you have to recognize that no matter how much you may understand their side of the story, you still ended up hurt. Self-preservation has to play a part at some point, doesn't it?

One of my friends subscribes to the adage, "Forgive, but don't forget." This is becoming increasingly sensible as I watch the events around me. I'm studying to be an educator, after all. Understand that people make mistakes. Know that they will. Expect it. Students are encouraged to try and not be afraid of failure. Intention should count for something, even though the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Still, if something is not meant to be malicious, I can usually understand it. Even so, learn from it. Don't forget. Forgetting dooms the victim to repetition. Learn and be guarded next time. Go into things with eyes open. "Forgive, but don't forget," seems to embody the balance required by a Libran Sun. We must remember that people are not always out to get us, that they might see things in a different way and it can be misconstrued, that they are acting on their behalf - then so must we. Learn from the situation, and move forward.

The sun continues to shine and there are more relationships to be explored.

Happy Equinox!

Child Care

MARS IN CANCER
The combination of the most passionate planet, Mars, in the nurturing sign of Cancer is going to show an increase in mothering instincts and critical natures. This may seem like a contradiction, but looking to our own mothers, they were probably the most nurturing and critical influences in our lives. Keep in mind that people are looking out for your best interest and not intending to shoot you down.

I've noticed an odd trend through my nights at work. As I work until midnight or 1am, I end up taking the bus across town, no easy feat when the bus tends to take forever just to arrive. That being said, while I stand there awaiting the bus, I notice an unbelievable amount of children, especially ages six and younger. They're on the street and on the bus. Okay, they're not random children wandering the streets of New York; this is hardly a production of Oliver! or anything. They're usually accompanied by an adult, but still, what in the world are children doing out in New York until 1am? I'm watching them fall asleep on the bus. They have to be carried off the bus and taken home.

There was even an incident at my place of work where, during a performance, the sister-in-law of one of the performers showed up with a gaggle of children. While he was onstage, she dropped them off, said they were his responsibility and left. We had a number of young children with nowhere to go and no one to look after them. Who does that?

Honestly, do we care about our children anymore? As my mother always said, "You didn't come with an instruction manual." Still, aren't there certain ideas that just seem like common sense? I realize that there are extenuating circumstances that might require one to bend things for children every so often, but they shouldn't be the norm.

I believe the children are our future. Teach them well, but don't let them lead the way because if they have their way, they'll stay up late!

Radio Debut!

MARS IN GEMINI
Gemini, the sign of communication, is playing host to Mars, planet of ambition. People will be developing a stronger and more passionate method of communication. Arguments may develop (Mars was the Roman god of war), so be careful.

I have the distinct honor and privilege of being Mark David Gerson's guest on his blogtalkradio show: The Muse and You. Details are as follows:

Show time: 12 Central (1pm ET / 10am PT)

Call-in #: 646-595-4478

All friends are welcome to call in (same number as you'll be using) with questions. If you have a blogtalk radio account, you can also log in and ask questions through the chat room. Listeners can also tweet their questions (@markdavidgerson.com); he will be monitoring his feed throughout the show.

Information on Mark David:

Mark David Gerson is an internationally recognized author, speaker, mentor and coach whose inspirational writings are read in more than two dozen countries.

Through more than 15 years of classes, workshops, coaching and consulting, Mark David has guided groups and individuals to connect with their innate wisdom, open to their creative power and express themselves with ease.

Poets and playwrights, novelists and educators, amateurs and professionals, people who don't believe they can write and people with a compelling call to write — all have benefited from working with him, as have nonwriters seeking to move through life's challenges and awaken to their highest potential.

Mark David is author of the award-winning novel, The MoonQuest: A True Fantasy, and of The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write, a book and companion 2-CD set of writing inspiration, instruction and practice.

He recently completed a screenplay adaptation of The MoonQuest and is at work on the first of two projected sequels to the book.

Hope you tune in! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Revival

URANUS IN PISCES
Uranus, planet of eccentricity, appears to be going backwards (retrograde) through the sign of illusion and spirituality: Pisces. We may see a revival of faith in a unique way. With faith as such a personal aspect of life, it may not be revealed so overtly, but a chance conversation may open unusual doors.

Speaking of unusual doors, I slipping behind one last night into another world. I was present at what turned into a full gospel revival. For those who have read previous posts, you may be asking yourself, "Why would you attend such an event?" Well, I was actually working the event as a server, so I wasn't quite there as a guest. However, I wish I had had a notebook for the night. There were so many moments that I lost due to lack of note-taking.

Growing up in the Jewish religion, and not incredibly observant, I have had rare religious experiences that approach the level of last night. There was one instance in Indiana where I went with friends to their church. They were so excited about it that I couldn't resist. It was fascinating and somewhat uncomfortable. I have to admit that it felt a little cult-esque.

Last night, however, was a truly new experience. The stage was set for all kinds of performances and they appeared. There was an opening benediction and a few prayers that went with that. Everything was blessed in the name of Jesus and every song was dedicated to the Lord. There were Jesus songs, Jesus poems, Jesus comedy. People everywhere were praying, laughing, dancing, stomping, singing, crying. The entire room was filled with "a joyful noise," a cacophony I had never witnessed. My customers were in various stages of zeal. I saw a man dressed completely in pink pajamas dancing across from a 6'5, 350 lb. man, stomping and clapping.

It was complete immersion into another culture. I felt like Alice in Wonderland, where all of the rules are different, and you're trying to find your way. Everything made sense to those who knew the rules. It was incredible to see the bond people have with each other, almost tangible faith.

Definitely a night to open the mind and take a walk in someone else's shoes...or on water.

Twisted

NEPTUNE IN AQUARIUS (RETROGRADE)
Planet of illusion, Neptune travels seemingly backwards through Aquarius, the sign of originality and eccentricity. Unusual experiences may occur in unexpected ways. Twists and turns of life shall surprise, sometimes delighting and sometimes depressing, but all surprise.

Illusion and twist is a fascinating part of human existence. We are fascinated by it. We crave it. We are seek it out: in books, in movies, in television. We are not always happy to see it in life, but we are conditioned to expect it. Things are not always what they seem. Humans rely on such and often are able to tell that something is up. It's called a sixth sense.

Speaking of sixth sense, I'm currently watching A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, starring Haley Joel Osment. I had never seen it before today. It's terribly frightening and the fascinating, not just because of the development of film-making progress used in this movie, but because of the study of human existence. Still, what captures me the most is how terrifying Haley Joel Osment's character is, though I don't believe he's meant to be. Let's face it, the kid was cute as a kid, though he has not aged well. There is nothing more disturbing than something that seems innocuous, but presents itself as much more in practice. Granted, the movie itself is supposed to be disturbing, but there is a further element in that this seeming child is, in actuality, a robot, and to see child-like reactions from a creature that is not a child strikes a minor chord in our brains.

We see this representation in numerous books and movies. The scariest enemy is the most innocent one. As I've always maintained, there is nothing that sets the searing rush of fear through my chest as a child singing a nursery rhyme in a darkened hall. Horror writers have used children for countless stories. Things associated with children have played major parts in such tales: dolls, clowns, toys. Stronger than a fear of the unknown, it is the finding of something unknown within the familiar. There is excitement and apprehension involved in the discovery of new information. We find it intoxicating. And so, no matter how many times it may hurt, there is always the possibility of it being something amazing. So we search again.

Just be ready for the twist.