Tykes And Teens

MOON IN ARIES
The moon, planet of hidden emotion, is traveling through the youngest sign of the zodiac, Aries. A bout of childishness will emerge in many people, but in subtle ways. Keep an eye out for your own inner child and try to give him or her what she needs before he or she takes over and you find yourself watching unattractive children's theatre.

So, continuing with the lesson in child development (oh, stop it, you were fascinated by the last post), we discussed another theorist - Piaget - who has four stages of development. As my professor was discussing these stages, one thing became abundantly clear: adolescence is just a repeat of early childhood. I'll pause for the resounding, "Duh!" from all of the parents out there.

Let's examine the evidence.

The main quality that exemplifies the early child: they are egocentric. Well, of course they are; they have no concept of other people, except for the parents, who, if they're typical parents, dote on the child. I mean, come on, even if there are older siblings, the parents are going to show attention towards the younger child for awhile. Unless the child is taught to share, a young kid is going to focus completely on themselves and believe that everything revolves around them. No one could feel differently from them. The only rules that really apply are created by them. Everyone thinks exactly the same as they do.

Sounds like a lot of teenagers I know. Egocentric? Check. Name one teenager you know that doesn't think that the world revolves around them. Exactly. They believe they are invincible; they can do whatever they want at any time without repercussion because they knew best. They take this to the extreme. They are consumed with themselves. No one could possibly understand them.

Taking it a step further, I believe that age 15 is the equivalent of the terrible twos. Where a two-year old is "no"-it-all, a 15-year old is a know-it-all. It's the wonderful age that a teenager believes that they know everything and it starts almost the second that the 15th birthday occurs. Fortunately, eventually, that dissolves and the teenager regains a sense of humbleness.

...hopefully.

There Will Be Blood

1RST HALF
All of the planets, save Saturn, rest in the first houses of the zodiac, commonly ruled by Aries through Virgo. Currently, Capricorn through Gemini have usurped the usual rulers and taken over. The first half of the zodiac is commonly associated with the self, the individual's world. The 1rst House is especially self-associated. Yet, the planets in the first two houses are in retrograde. This would suggest that there's a warped sense of self going on and I can honestly say that I'm experiencing that today. Especially when it's the farther planet, Pluto, sitting in the 1rst House. Saturn, meanwhile, sits in the 8th House, the house of death, while traversing Virgo, the sign of health. An interesting combination. Perhaps that twist is what is affecting the introspection that accompanies a full first half.

Warning: Oddly dark thoughts ahead.

Blood. It's so powerful. So primal. So frightening. There is something about blood that is hypnotic and repulsive at the same time. The deep maroon river, coursing through our bodies to the heart current. It carries nutrients, drugs, disease, DNA. It oozes, pools, spurts, streams. It pulses and engorges. And it lightens to scarlet at the first taste of air. It is animalistic. Its presence may signify salvation or destruction.

Creatures are associated with blood: the hematophagytes. Leech, bat, mosquito. They feed on it. Vampire, of myth, is most easily identified as one who drinks blood. As Spike (vampire) says in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, "Blood is life [...] Why d'you think we eat it?"

It is the wine to accompany a carnivore's meal of choice.

Blood has religious significance. The Red Sea turned to blood. The transubstantiation of Jesus Christ. It has been used for decoration in Aboriginal rituals. It is a vital part of sacrifices from many religions.

The blood thundering in your ears. First blood of a fight. First blood of a maiden. Blood-ties. Blood-relatives. Signing a contract in blood. The significance of blood shows up in many ways throughout our lives.

I can't honestly say what prompted me to write this particular blog, unless one considers that I watched the season premiere of True Blood last evening and took a class examining child abuse and school violence this afternoon. There is so much hurting that happens in this world. People just seem so eager for it. Are we, at our basest natures, such fighters that when angered, we crave a way to affect the blood in someone else the way ours has been heated? To cause their blood to boil, to pool, and in extreme cases, to splatter. "Spilling blood" makes it sound like an accident, doesn't it? "Oops, I spilled your blood. Well, no use crying over spilled blood..." I wonder what it is within us that creates such an impulse. Is it instinct? Is it survival? I choose to think that we have evolved beyond that. Then why have we created such weaponry as to spill the blood of not just one person, but many within a very short time? There is such capacity for harm, for hurt, for hatred. Is this part of what it means to be human?

Is the killing instinct really an instinct anymore? Animals kill to survive. Humans rarely do. We kill for sport, for game, for fun. We kill in the name of our country, our god, our people. And the blood spills. To what end? What good is it to have the intelligence that we profess to have when it seems that animals cherish life far more than we do? I do not understand.

Perhaps the British phrase "Bloody Hell" is more literal than we thought.

The Dating Game

VENUS IN THE 4TH HOUSE
Venus is traveling through the 4th House, the house of belonging. Venus is the sign of sociability, and now is a period of figuring out where we fit in on a social level. Sometimes, it's not what we expected and this may be a connection to childhood because of the Arien influence.

Dating is such an odd world. It falls within the realm of love and that's never a logical area in life. It's all shaky ground. We do all we can to make the best impression possible. We watch what we say. We choose our outfits with utmost care. We check to see if someone has texted us. We ask all of our friends their opinions. We review the entire conversation in our head and we sit and analyze every word that was said. And heaven forbid we ever check the status on Facebook or Twitter. So much can be communicated without the intention to communicate. And then, on top of that, how long should we wait to contact them? Should we make the first move? So many questions.

Oh, wait. Is this just me? Did I just admit to complete neuroticism? Oh, come on, you must have known I was slightly crazy after reading all of the other posts. You have been reading the other posts, haven't you? Well, if I'm ever going to show true quirks, it's certainly in the dating world. I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets a little nuts about dating. It's such a murky part of life.

Let's add to this mass confusion the wonderful element of league. "S/He's out of my league," people say. Who created these leagues? What makes someone part of one league or another? Did we develop a dating caste system. Are there untouchables? Though I find it hard to believe that the lines are so strictly set, I've stated that someone was out of my league on more than one occasion only to have my friends turn around and smack me. "Oh, please. You're a catch." A catch for whom? How odd to equate dating with fishing. Then again, there are plenty of fish in the sea, right? And we talk about the man that got away. Perhaps the league that we're referring to is one of the 20,000.

The varieties among people are so vast and there are already odd strictures placed upon romantic entanglements, such as religion, race, age, sexual orientation. Must we place yet another restriction on love? League? Such a ludicrous notion to think that we can only work with someone on our "level," especially when there is no set definition of what that is. There are so many hierarchies already in place in life. Let the heart speak for what it wants.

If you think you're out of my league, go fish.

Fruity Foppery

VENUS IN ARIES
The sensual planet sits in the fiery sign of Aries. A powerful development of earthy and airy delights permeates our world as the loving planet drifts through the youngest sign of the zodiac.

Disclaimer: silliness ahead.

The apple is a pretty misunderstood fruit. Poor thing. It was there at the Garden of Eden and boy, did it get a horrid reputation for that little debacle! The snake didn't know how it forever damned the poor apple to evil association. Then again, the snake's kind of a big worm and they do have quite the affinity for apples.

And then there's Snow White. Wow. Talk about a messed up apple situation. Once again, though, not the apple's fault. After all, the witch had poison. You can't really mess with poison when you're a poor little piece of fruit.

Dorothy didn't have it much better. She got pelted by apples by anthropomorphic apple trees! You're not gonna develop a warm, fuzzy feeling for the fruit when you've been bruised by the fruit's home plant come to life.

And of course, doctors hate it cuz they can't go near anyone who has had an apple that day. Who came up with that saying? You know the apple didn't. It's never gonna get an decent HMO with that kind of statement floating around!

Newtown wasn't thrilled with the apple either. Oh, sure, it may have helped him discover gravity, but a clunk to the head might not have been the best way to do it and you know there was hidden resentment over that.

Still, I say, stand proud, little apple. After all, you've been around for quite awhile, you come in three colors, and hey, you're pretty versatile: apple juice, applesauce, apple pie, apple strudel, candied, etc.

...is anyone else hungry?

Commitment

MAY 27, 6PM
The sun is in Gemini, as are the moon and Mercury. Venus and Mars share Taurus. Those of you who read charts are looking at the chart on this page and thinking, that's not right at all. The moon is in Cancer, Mercury's in Taurus, and Venus and Mars share Aries. I'm using a chart from thirty years ago. Saturn is back in Virgo in the 10th House, having returned.

Thirty years is quite a long time. I still haven't lived that long. However, it was on this day, thirty years ago, that my parents declared their love before friends and family. They committed themselves to each other and have remained committed for all these years.

Commit. Such an interesting and multifaceted word. Forgive the digression, but it must be explored for a moment. Interesting that we use the same word in reference to marriage as we do for battle (commit troops), insanity (commit to a mental institution), faith (commit to God), destruction (commit to the flames), politics (commit to an issue), and crime (commit murder).

Marriage is such a huge issue nowadays and has been for quite awhile now. Yesterday, California upheld Prop 8, a law that marginalizes a group of people and denies them the right to declare their love in a lawful ceremony. Perfect timing, California. Today is the thirtieth anniversary of the day Dan White was convicted for the assassination of Harvey Milk. Milk was committed to the cause of making sure that a group of people weren't marginalized for being who they are. Yet, today, the fight is still going on today. Strange to think that in thirty years, we haven't progressed as much as we might have thought. The battles that were being fought at the time are similar, if not the same as, the battles that are being fought today and on the same basis, one of which is religion.

It's been said that fashion goes through a thirty year cycle. Well, we can see that happening around us. Moving from flared jeans and peasant-y shirts to long, tunic-y shirts with wide belts around them in neon colors and skinny jeans? Oh, the 80's are back, dear friends. Is it the same with politics? Granted, it's pretty difficult to find an offense worse than skinny jeans, but I'd say that the marginalization of an entire group of people takes precedence. California, dear state, did any of you see Milk? Have you noticed the progression that has been made? Basic, human, unalienable rights. Does the right actually care about rights? We came here for freedoms and wouldn't the freedom to love be a basic, human, unalienable right? One would hope so. With the right trying to secure rights only for a select group of people, and the left fighting for who is left, then we're choosing security over freedom, and as Ben Franklin said, "Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither."

Thirty years ago, my parents made a decision to entwine their lives in public fashion, a decision that has kept them happily together for three decades. Marriage was an option open to them. Denial of choice to those whose lifestyle is not a choice seems inane to me. And before you argue that marriage is a sacred practice, let's look at some reasons that people get married. There are people who get married because the girl is pregnant. Some people do it for the benefits of law. Some to keep certain people in the country. Some are lonely. Some want to escape their parents. Some to have sex. There are so many reasons and not all of them adhere to the sacredness of this strictly sanctioned ceremony. For something that's held up on a pedestal, we seem to do a lot of chipping away in our attempt to reach it.

And of course, there's love. Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad.

Perhaps we should all be committed.

Memorial Day With A Twist

ARIES IN THE 4TH HOUSE
Aries, the sign of new beginnings sits in the 4th House, the house of home, of belonging. Time for spring cleaning, for making the home a place for you to live comfortably in again. It's time to revamp and get rid of the old. Packrats, beware!

This is a continuation of the previous post: Memories. After all, I did tell you that a cleanse was just around the corner.

Checking Facebook today (yes, I'm addicted...don't judge), I saw so many status updates about spring cleaning that I sat up and took notice (okay, i didn't actually sit up; it's a turn of phrase - if you keep interrupting, we're never going to get through this). I didn't actually get to do spring cleaning of my own, and believe me, I have quite a bit of cleaning to do. That's tomorrow's project. Still, if you're anything like me (and i certainly hope you're not), you're a packrat who keeps many things out of sentimentality. There's no practical purpose for them. The hard part of cleaning my room is that everything has a memory attached such that it takes forever to clean even the smallest corner of the room. I suspect that's what led to the rush of memory-oriented status updates on the old FB.

In the same vein, while I was addressing wedding invitations (don't go getting excited; they're for a friend), I threw on an VHS tape with shows taped from the 1990's. Wow. Not only did I see Buffy episodes from season 3 (Faith rocks), but there were commercials that I'd forgotten existed. Like Sean Hayes in a Doritos commercial! So random. Granted, this has no sentimentality, but it certainly takes me back to a simpler time in life. No, wait - I was in senior year of high school. It was highly complicated. Why did I want to go back there?

Cleansing is a ritual of life and we need the routine cleaning in order to make a new space for our creation. In a way, we cause death within our own lives in order to bring about new life. It's extremely hard to throw out that old sweater that you wore on your first date back in middle school, but unless it still fits (and boy, i hope it doesn't), get rid of it so that someone else may wear it to their first majorly awkward date. Don't worry, there'll be other sweaters and other awkward first dates. The memory of that first date is going to far outlast the sweater anyway, and really, isn't that the point?

Tomorrow, I create a small death in my own life. I'm getting ready to move and I have to get rid of a number of items so that I move with more simplicity. I already know that as soon as I begin to pack, I'll shake my head in wonderment at the amount of crap that I've accumulated while I was in this apartment. You don't realize it until you have to put it all into boxes. Should be an interesting exercise.

And so the cleaning begins.

Love: Table For Two... Or More?

MARS/VENUS IN ARIES
The planets of love and passion in the driving sign of Aries are going to create a whirlwind on the relationship front. Add to that is the fact that these planets are in the 8th House, the house of regeneration, is going to create a lot of changes. We'll see numerous breakups and new connections forming. New chapters will open within established partnerships. Change is not necessarily a bad thing if it's taken constructively.

Relationships are a slippery slope. Last night, I met someone who brought up the topic of polyamory. He said he doesn't believe that there is one person for each person. It's an interesting concept. The idea that different people can fulfill different roles for us as far as love is concerned. He said it's not about sleeping around; it's about committed relationships with other people. It's consensual between multiple adults. I had never considered this concept before. The idea of being committed to different people on different levels such that the entire spectrum is covered is new to me.

I know it's natural for many people to scoff and say, "That's just being greedy." I've heard that said a great deal about the bisexual community as well. Before scoffing, I think it's important to take a look at the other aspects of our lives. We have polyamory in other forms. Our friendships alone are polyamorous. We turn to certain groups of friends in different circumstances. And it's totally accepted. There are such widely varied worlds that we circle through that it's hard to say one person would be able to fulfill the important roles in those worlds. Not to mention the minute, extra roles that we need on a daily basis.

Personally, I don't know that I could live a life of polyamory, but I think it's certainly an interesting concept to consider. When I asked him about marriage, he said that he believes that marriage should be afforded to all. Though marriage has crept more into politics than it probably was ever intended, he pointed out that many minorities are often clamoring for rights, but all of them have the right to marry. Politics has colored the world of marriage and the basic right to declare committed love has been warped by definitions required by law. Interesting that the term "love" has never needed to be defined by law. If love is truly the goal, then love in all of its forms is worth declaring.

Perhaps we'll see a number of changes with regards to perception of love while Venus and Mars sit in Aries together.

It's The Little Things

THREE IN THE FIFTH HOUSE
Moon, Venus, and Mars all sit in Aries in the 5th House, the house of creativity and children (what could be more creative that children?). We'll see a boost in creative endeavors, new projects, new relationships, high sex drives, and child-like enthusiasm. Not bad, huh?

Today will be a short post and I apologize for that, but it's finals week and I have to at least pretend that I'm studying!

As mentioned in the very first post, Aries is the sign of beginnings, and there is no bigger beginning for anyone than a child, be it your own birth or the birth of your child. I am intrigued by these small creatures which wander among us. It's fascinating to see them look at the world. If only one of them would write a blog! I would be very intrigued to see what catches their eye and what they would comment on. It's a world of discovery; everything is new. It first came across my attention when my mother and I wandered through the streets of Manhattan behind a mother and young child. The child pointed and laughed, while the mother listened attentively and commented with reinforcing, enthusiastic statements. I still do this to my mother. Whenever I go home, I have some new product or video or piece of information to share and she listens attentively and responds with appropriate enthusiasm (most of the time). Of course, now I'm at an age where it goes the other way!

Today, on the train, I observed a child in a stroller who was playing with the hood on the stroller. Who knew that would be such a fun toy? I marvelled at her ability to find joy in the simple yellow cloth that bent over her head. She giggled and squirmed, enjoying the noise that it made, the shade that it gave, and probably the feel of it in her hands. I can only imagine the pleasure of discovering something like that for the first time. Of course, there are many things I discover on a daily basis (not all of them pleasant), but the pure innocence of the babe in her stroller was something to behold.

I'd like to go back to that age.

Still Learning

SIGN/HOUSE REVERSAL
Right now, at least here in New York, every sign sits in the House that plays host to its opposite. If that was too confusing, I'll give an example. Libra, the 7th Sign and natural in the 7th House is in the 1rst House, while Aries, the 1rst Sign and natural in the 1rst House is in the 7th House. Make sense now? Everything's reversed. What does this mean for the world? Not much without the planets to give us some kind of direction. Then why bring it up? It's fun and quirky and, to those in the know, it looks odd.

College is over and college is gone.
I graduated and had to move on.
School was the base that I built dreams upon,
And I'm still learning...

It was six years ago today that I graduated from college. That's right: I'm old (stop nodding in agreement). This time, six years ago, I had just taken one of the biggest steps of my life into adulthood and I had absolutely no idea what to do next. I ended up performing in A Chorus Line, getting a job waiting tables in Center City Philadelphia, moved to Indiana for 9 months for a season of theatre, and then gave myself culture shock by moving to New York City a week after returning. That's where I've been for the past four and a half years.

College. It's such an influential time in our lives and it's been gone for six years now. Interestingly enough, I'm back in the scholastic environment, having started graduate school this semester and this week, I have finals. Five of them. Ah, the joys of academia. I have to admit, though, that I thrive in such a setting. I'll bitch and complain and moan about it, but on some level, I always enjoy the world. Granted, graduate school is not the same as undergraduate. I attended two different undergraduate schools - two years at Rider University to be followed by two years at Muhlenberg. I had a double major - English and Theatre (Unemployment and Lying) and I unofficially minored in Dance. This time, six years ago, I had two degrees, a bright-eyed outlook, and no clue as to what it meant to be an adult.

Six years later, I have a hint of a glimmer of a whisper of what it means to be an adult. Boy, it sucks. Princeton, Kate, and Nicky are right when they say, "I wish I could go back to college." Graduate school is not going back to college; it's going on to college. Again.

In the same theme of this blog, I just got notice of my high school's ten year reunion. Now, if I thought I didn't have a clue leaving college, I was truly lost leaving high school. I started as an Elementary Education/Psychology double major. That lasted until October of freshman year. And I changed schools soon after. (My parents LOVED me for both moves.) Now, I'm ten years out of high school, six years out of college, a semester into grad school, and what have I to show for all of this schooling? Not a whole heck of a lot. I had bigger dreams of what I would be when I hit 28 (I'm not quite there yet; don't rush me).

Still, I can't help but feel that all of this was laying the groundwork for the 30s. Everyone says that 30s are the new 20s. I'm actually looking forward to the 30s (again, don't rush me). By that time, I'll be 13 years out of high school, nearly ten years out of college, and just finished graduate school (if all goes according to plan). I have a novel in the works to be published (if you haven't checked out the site yet, go! it's linked on pretty much every post! no excuses!), two more in my head, an educational career in the works, years of theatrical and varying work/life experience, and pretty awesome support. Far from Romy and Michelle-ing, I am excited to go to my high school reunion. It'll be cool to see where people are in their lives. Let's be honest: none of us are really where we thought we'd be. I'm betting that's true of most people, regardless of age.

For now, I'm enjoying the odd reversal of astrological weather; it's quirky and interesting. Six years later, quirky and interesting is the best way I can describe my college experience.
...and my life.

Remembering Jen

THREE IN THE EIGHTH HOUSE
There are three planets (Venus, Mars, and Uranus) in the Eighth House, the house of regeneration and death. The Eighth House brings about change. It's the death of something old and opens a new chapter in life. This is especially focused in the relationship area due to the influence of Venus and Mars. Uranus lends a certain new angle to these changes. Shared by Pisces and Aries, we're especially seeing strong change as we end one chapter and begin a new one, possibly even a new book.

Death is a terrifying prospect to most people. Reading Tarot cards on a cruise ship (hey, don't judge), everyone said the same thing: "I just hope that I don't pull the Death card." Yet, the Death card does not signify physical death. It denotes the end of a section of life. Perhaps a new hobby will be taken up. Perhaps a move is in the works. There are many ways that life can change and that's what death is: a huge change.

Still, death is hard to deal with and for some reason, it seems to be everywhere. On a personal note, a year ago, my roommate was killed in an accident. There is nothing so surreal as getting a phone call that tells you that someone who has been a part of your life is no longer there in physical form. She was a beautiful spirit who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There are many times when I wonder why. What possible purpose could it be to have someone vanish from life? I think death is one of the major reasons that people search for answers and comfort. Religion is a powerful source of these for many people. Metaphysical studies are yet another. When something like this happens, though, it's hard to find anything that makes it make sense.

Since then, I've noticed death much more in my life, even in celebrity form. Bea Arthur, Dom Deluise...it seems that we lose more and more everyday. Yet, this is all a part of life. It's a change. Everything must die so that more can live. Doesn't always make it easier when it happens, but it's a hard truth. Change is necessary and death is one of the biggest changes that we go through.

There are many directions that I can take a post regarding death, but for today, I think it's best to say that you are dearly missed, Jen. You're still with us.

School's Not Just For Kids

SUN IN TAURUS
The sun enters Taurus at exactly 6:46pm today for the East Coast. We're leaving the wild initiative of Aries and heading into the steady, grounded energy of Taurus. Taurus is a stabilizing influence, very dependable, to the point of being stubborn. With the sun's energy behind it, this sign will push a focus on financial issues and working through projects.

Are you a Sun in Taurus? Find out what that means here.

Having just started graduate school for special education, I look forward to this kind of energy. I forgot that school is hard! My enthusiasm for school is still strong, but it has mellowed to the dedication towards schoolwork, a stubbornness that drives me towards high grades.

School has changed for me. Oh, sure the grades are there, and the tests are there, but the information seems ever more valuable because I realize that even in my general education classes are tidbits that will help me later in the career. I don't think I realized that the first time I went to college. It's an odd system that forces children of 16 and 17 to decide what they want to do for their careers. Those few that know what they want to do, that have that passion, are lucky. Many of us are stuck in limbo, trying to figure out varying career paths throughout our entire lives. I've traveled many paths myself and frankly, it's highly expensive to get educated! In an ideal world, higher education would be the norm, but education is a business and a commodity. The irony being that though every profession requires education of some kind, teachers are wildly underpaid and undervalued. I challenge anyone to think of a profession that does not require some kind of education. We are a society that values escape more than preparation. We want to watch TV, go to the movies, play video games, etc. Now, having come from the entertainment field, I'm not knocking this, but how can we expect children to value education when we don't?

For that matter, while calculus and physics are important to many professions, I could have definitely used a class on balancing my checkbook, basic tax laws, budgeting, nutrition, proper exercise, etc. We teach people how to make a living instead of teaching them how to live. I don't believe I've needed algebra nearly as much as I've needed budgeting skills. Perhaps, with better monetary skills, we would be better handling this economic crisis. Not necessarily a given, but who knows what could happen if we taught life skills in school? Then, those who would wish to go into professions that require calculus or physics can access those classes and maybe we wouldn't seek escape as much. But don't worry, entertainment will never go away. We will always have a need for it. Just as money is an integral part of our lives.

Which brings us back to Taurus, the sign of money. Hopefully, its dependable nature will help our world in this tumultuous time.

New Beginnings

SUN in ARIES
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, from March 21 to April 20th (approximately). It's a sign of youth, of initiative, of drive, of sexuality, of courage and it starts on the vernal equinox (beginning of spring). And the sun is a planet of vitality, of energy, of our basic natures. So Aries is roaring high with the Sun's support.

Are you an Aries? Learn more about having your Sun in Aries here!

Makes me think about new beginnings, especially since I'm starting this blog. Why not? This year has been a year of new projects and it's only April. There are so many things I feel that I can write about with a generalized topic like beginnings, but this blog is probably the best focus for a first entry. And not just blogging, but expression in general.

Who knew that blogging would become such a trend? I used to have a blog back when we called them LiveJournals. I was doing a 9 month gig at Amish Acres, a national historic site in a one-light town in Indiana. I would write all about the adventures I was having so that people back home could see what I was up to without having to constantly call each person and update them. Needless to say, I didn't have a great deal to write about, but hey, the family liked it.

Nowadays, it seems like everyone has a blog. Whether it's on Facebook, Myspace, IMVU, or here on Blogger, blogging is the new black. With everything that's going on in the world, it seems like a lot of people are able to express themselves; a vital outlet for frustrations, excitement, and opinions. Journaling has been taken to a new level. The difference is that many of these are public and if you're entertaining enough, you develop a following. People rely on you for entertainment. Some people have a gimmick, like Aaron Karo's RUMINATIONS or pinkisthenewblog.com. Others are able to offer advice or insight to those who might be searching for information on certain subjects, such as Kristin Nelson's PUB RANTS. Some people just want to express themselves, and I think it's a great idea.

For those who prefer something more immediate (and let's face it, in today's society, who doesn't want immediacy), we've got Facebook, Twitter, Myspace (if people still remember Myspace), and, going back to the Jurassic period, Friendster. It started back at Friendster as a networking tool. That moved to Myspace where we added backgrounds and the like. Twitter is a new site for me. I'm "following" a few people on there with their "tweets" but I still don't understand the importance of learning that my friend is showering or eating eggs or dancing around their room naked. I don't really need the constant updates on the lives of my friends, but I can't help reading them.

Facebook opened a whole new world and now that they've updated, you can not only find out the status of your friends, but you can find out what Musical they are, what their inner Animal is, even what their power Color is and what that means. I'll admit that I enjoy the quizzes, even though they clog my live feed, but when I found out what type of BACON my friend was, that was almost enough to make me quit cold turkey. On top of that, Facebook has a million apps, complete with those that cost money. Then there are the Notes with surveys. It's a full time job to keep up with Facebook. A few weeks ago, a friend asked me if I was attending her birthday party and I asked her if she had emailed me about it. Scandalized, she responded, "No, I Facebooked you!" This is what life has become. If you're not on Facebook, you might as well not exist. And yet, somehow, my sister managers to work and have a social life and a healthy relationship without a FB account. I admire that. I don't know that I have the strength to give it up. Besides, there are so many wonderful addictions to play with on FB. Similar to Twitter, FB offers the status update, though people tend to post slightly more abstract ideas instead of what they are doing at that moment. Depending on the post, each status update my be a Rorschach Test of your friend's emotions based on your interpretation and how well you know them. But of course, you know every one of your FB friends intimately, yes?

Recently, I discovered LinkedIn, a networking site for professionals. I've worked in two major fields - Writing and Theatre. Both rely on who you know, so sistes such as this are essential for my professions. I don't know of many fields that don't consider networking a vital tool. Perhaps taxidermy, but then, not many animals are Twittering about their deaths. I'm still discovering the secrets of LinkedIn, but I have to admit that there's an excitement to see my network grow.

IMVU takes it one step further. You have a profile there, but it's for a virtual self that can then explore a virtual world and chat with other people. You create an avatar and shop and earn badges. It's Myspace or Facebook meets SecondLife. Definitely takes profiling, blogging, and networking to a new level.

Now, with the iPhone and its colleagues, we can stay in touch at all times. There are many benefits to these connections - our world is getting smaller by the day - but I remember the days when you had to wait until you got home before you heard a message from someone. And then, there's AIM, the precursor to the FB status, with its away messages. It's still there, but I don't see as many friends there anymore. As more and more networking systems emerge, we leap to keep up. It's exciting and frustrating and addicting.

And as Aquarius is the sign of innovation and technology, one might say that we are truly experiencing the Age of Aquarius. :)

Stop back to check out what's happening in the stars and what that might bring up for discussion!