Word Of Mouth

PLUTO IN THE THIRD HOUSE
Pluto, planet of power, rests in the 3rd House, the house of communication and humanity. People will find great importance in what they and others say, write, and other media of conveyance. Pay close attention to what your friends are saying or telling you through their body language. You might find some hidden tidbits.

In the vein of communication (or lack thereof), I realize I am way overdue for a new blog post and I beg the forgiveness of my readers. However, with power rooted in communication, especially with the influence of Capricorn, there is great potential for growth, especially with regard to career and recently, there have been many developments in my literary world. Since that has been an enormous influence in my life, I can't help writing about it, so I am excited to make the following announcements.

Firstly, I have just been introduced to blogtalkradio, which is an online radio talk show website, where you can tune in to shows of varying topics. I've been exploring some of the shows and in fact, one of my newest friends just began a wonderful show, called "The Muse & You." His name is Mark David Gerson and he is an award winning author who helps people with their creativity. I have the pleasure to say that I will be his guest on August 20th at 1pm EST, talking about the writing process. Please feel free to tune in and check it out!

In other book news, Rising Sign was just entered into the Wake Up Celebrity Author Contest, where votes from all around the world count to rate it as far as cover, title, and summary are concerned. The more votes and the higher rating, the better the book does and the winner of the contest will be pushed to the top of the Barnes and Noble bestseller list; a coveted position among writers. As many of you are readers in your own right, I would be honored to have you stop by and cast your vote for Rising Sign.

Tell all friends. As Pluto in the 3rd House demonstrates, word of mouth can be a powerful influence.

Thank you to everyone who has been steadily reading for their continued support and I promise that the next blog will be much more entertaining.

Black And White

SUN IN CANCER/PLUTO IN CAPRICORN
The sun, planet of vitality and basic nature, is in Cancer, the sign of nurturing and home life. Pluto, the planet of power, is in Cancer's opposite, Capricorn, the sign of ambition and career life. This suggests that personal focus is going to be sensitivity and the hunt for belonging. The worldwide focus is going to be on economy and workforce. This combination may bring about a strong focus on job security and how the workforce will support or not support those in power.

As Cancer and Capricorn are opposite signs, there are many opposites with regards to interpretations of our world. We've heard the phrase "black and white" before. It shows up in many ways throughout our lives: good and bad, pro and con, either/or, this or that. Any situation can and is broken down into very simple choices. We know people who see the world in black and white. For them, choices are easy. They see everything as either on one side or the other.

I also know people who see the world only in black or only in white. They refuse to see any options other than the one before them. For these people, there is no choice. They can only work with the shade of life they choose to view. There other is always viewed as bad.

Of course, some people say, "That's ridiculous. Nothing is black and white. Everything has shades of gray." Many people I know agree with this and fit this category. There are so many sides to any situation. If you have thirty-five people that witness an event, you're going to get thirty-five different accounts of that same event. These shades of gray are myriad, but they are yet not enough.

I like to take the worldview a step further. The world can be seen in a veritable smorgasbord of color, each with a plethora of shades. Take the previous event into consideration. Now, not only will you have thirty-five accounts of the event, there are innumerable emotions intertwined with each moments of the event and those will change from day to day. People's experiences change their perspectives and of course, everyone prefers to offer an account that makes them look better. We are all individuals and as widely varied as there are frequencies of color and light, even beyond the human eye.

Think about it. Just not too long or your perception will change. :)

Happiness

EARTH TAKES OVER
Half of the major planets are sitting in Earth signs. Venus and Mars (love and strength) in Taurus (stubbornness), Moon and Saturn (hidden emotion and limitations) in Virgo (health), and Pluto (power, AND retrograde on top of it) in Capricorn (ambition). The one quality that all Earth signs share is practicality. They are the grounded signs, the ones who hold to stolid, steadfast logic.

Happiness is finding a pencil, knowing a secret, telling the time...

Happiness is fragile, isn't it? It drifts in and whispers in your ear and the corners of your mouth twitch. Your lips stretch into a smile; the quintessential sign that someone is happy. There are so many kinds of smiles, though. There are sad smiles, fake smiles, smug smiles, concealing smiles. There is so much meaning behind a smile and yet, we assume that when someone is smiling, it means that they are happy.

Yet, happiness itself can be a lie. It is fleeting. Only a word or a gesture and the feeling is gone. And we fear that. Even the Funny Girl tells us, "Don't rain on my parade!"

Life is so harsh. It forces us to be practical, even negative at times. There's the fear that someone will burst your bubble. And it takes so little, doesn't it? It's very often with respect to love. New relationships bring so much happiness, but have the potential for so much heartache. It may be ourselves that brings about the fatal pinprick. There's a tendency to watch everything we say for fear of breaking the euphoric trance that we're in. Relationships can be like a drug; they bring incredible highs and tremendous lows and we struggle to find the right way to achieve the fix that we felt at the beginning. Is that possible? Was that true happiness? Or does true happiness lie within the latter parts of the relationship?

What is true happiness? And in finding it, does it contain within itself the seeds of its own destruction, usually manifesting in fear? Can we recognize it when we have it? Hey, everyone, if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands! Clap and you get to save a faerie, for when a baby laughs for the first time, it becomes a faerie. So says J M Barrie. Clapping has been tied to happiness since we were children.

It's so hard to find this elusive element of life and yet, when you find a small pocket, you want to stay in its warmth forever. This is not always tied to relationships. There are many areas of life that may bring incredible happiness. Sadly, even then, it is a breakable quality and it usually takes something to small to douse the flame. Some way to "bring someone back to reality" that forces the happiness out, which begs the question, is happiness diametrically opposed to reality? Is it unreal? Surreal? Insane? Is ignorance really bliss?

This was explored somewhat in the previous blog Reworking Rene, but where that was a study of mind vs. heart, I want to know why happiness is so hard to pin down. Does the practical element of Earth have its own measure and method? Is its stolid take on life a weight that prevents those who attempt to soar from achieving flight? Or does it protect us from the Icarian fate that awaits those who soar too far?

I don't know these answers, but I do know that I shall cling to that sliver of insanity, that attempt to soar. As is said in Jeffrey, "How dare you not lunge for any shred of happiness?"

So I lunge. Don't rain on my parade.

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.

Using Your Beans

PLUTO IN CAPRICORN
I know what you're thinking. "Honestly, how many times can Jared talk about Pluto in Capricorn? We got it. Power backing career and ambition. There's only so much of that we can take." Well, folks, I hate to break it to you, but Pluto will be traveling through Capricorn for the next 15 years. So, the influence is highly general, but it's still quite useful as support for varying topics.

Today's topic: Coffee.

I'm just gonna say it. I hate coffee. I hate the taste, I hate the smell, I hate the flavor, I hate the pretension that accompanies the product. Perhaps this is because I never grew up with coffee-drinkers. No one in my household drank coffee. Interestingly enough, my father and sister now drink coffee, but my mother and I still don't.

I suppose I shouldn't hate coffee. It's probably just a misunderstanding, but coffee has always seemed somewhat aloof. Still, it's better than the relatives: latte; espresso; the twins, cappuccino and frappuccino; and the cold side of the family, the iced coffees. I'm also not a fan of when it marries one of my favorite friends, chocolate, and produces little mochas. However, I do get along well with the family friends: milk, sugar, cream.

Ironically, I've worked in two coffee serving capacities. I worked as a barista for a week. Why would someone who hates coffee work for a barista, you ask? Well, iI didn't plan on that. I applied at a Barnes and Noble, thinking that I would be working with books. In a cruel twist of fate, I was assigned a post at the cafe. The pervasive smell of coffee clogged the air. It was then that I learned the difference between a latte and a cappuccino and what rubbish that is. Folks have said that it's very different in Italy where such things are authentic, but in my experience, the difference being mostly the amount of milk and whether the steamer is placed at the top or the bottom of the milk, I was annoyed to find that such widely diverse names indicated so little.

Add to that the position as a waiter. Coffee became the bane of the morning. Everyone wanted coffee with its varying accoutrement. Gracious, there is no such drink that has quite as many conditions. If you must drink coffee, people, drink it black! That's how it comes. It's supposed to be bitter. If not, there's sugar on the table. And goodness, people are particular about their coffee! This is too hot. This is too cold. This is too sweet. This is this; this is that. I'm not Coffeelocks. Make it at home and get it just the way you want it. Don't drive me all over the diner for two Splendas and a Sweet N Low and heated milk, etc.

Like I said, perhaps coffee and I just haven't had the right conversation, but I don't think we will ever have the relationship that others seem to have and I think that's because it's just too high maintenance. It demands far too much of its partners.

Those are grounds for dismissal.

Selling Point

CAPRICORN RISING
Capricorn, the sign of ambition and tenacity, is on the horizon. People will be acting through a lens of upward mobility. Capricorns get a reputation for being cold, calculating, and shrewd, but there is more to the Sea-Goat than blind ambition. Still, we're going to be feeling those effects while the 10th Sign rests on the horizon.

Perhaps the bad rap the Capricorn gets is a necessary evil. I have no planet in Capricorn in my chart and I think that might be why I'm horrible at sales. Ironically, I've chosen two consecutive professions that require me to sell myself. No, not on the corner - I already blogged about that, remember? Acting, followed by writing. Two professions in which sales is one of the most, if not the most important aspect. Unfortunately, I haven't ever been very good at the sales aspect of life.

Even as a child, I dreaded the yearly candy sale. For those who never had the torture of this exercise, every child was given a catalogue of various types of candy. We were then encouraged to sell as many items as possible. The goal behind this was to make as much money for the school as possible. The goal for the child was to earn certain prizes. The more that you sold, the better the toy you could win. It was a huge source of pride for the child who sold the most items and I hated every second of it. I felt intrusive and demanding whenever I showed up on the doorstep of some poor, hapless victim who had to listen to me simply because of my cherubic demeanor. Yet, I never seemed to win the best prizes. A person who said no to me was respected and no more pushing was done. I simply find it difficult to press the issue.

Some don't, though. At my job, as a receptionist, I am bombarded by calls that insist upon sales. Hopeful, hapless, they ring the office, demanding attention like spoiled toddlers with a favorite toy. They press their suit, hoping that I'll take them up on their offer. I do my best to deter, but again, with Libra's sociability heavy in my chart, I have great difficulty in cutting them short. Today, I had a reversal of fortune. I spoke to a man who sounded bright and eager. I told him that unfortunately, we were not looking to change our service. His voice dropped into such despondency that I felt sorry for him. I guess his thick Capricorn skin was absent today. How strange that I should feel sorry for the very type of person who irritates the hell out of me. Perhaps it's because he was the type of salesperson that I was as a child - eager at the beginning, but lacking the ruthless tenacity that overtakes your sympathy for the poor soul on the other end of the line who may not want to listen to your pitch.

Not that sales are the anthithesis of the human condition, but if money truly is the root of all evil, then it seems that sales would be demonic.

Sometimes, it certainly seems that way.

Poker Face

MOON IN CAPRICORN
The emotional planet in the sign most known for it's aloof nature. Capricorn's calculating nature is going to show up in subtler ways. The moon is going to push some of Capricorn's hidden emotions to the surface, forcing the iceberg sign to reveal some of what's going on below. Trying to keep feelings buried is somewhat futile during this time, especially as this combination is taking place in the 1rst House, the house of self, of individuality.

Poker face. We've heard the term before, usually in reference to the card game. It's quite the asset in cards and is often considered to be an advantage in tense situations. It's also a theatrical convention known as deadpan. For a classic example of deadpan, look to Bea Arthur on any episode of Golden Girls (usually in response to Betty White's character).

For those of the Lie To Me contingent, there is great advantage to facial control. In the context of the show, they explore "microexpressions" that reveal certain emotions one may be trying to keep hidden. For those that wear their heart on their sleeve, this might not perturb them, but for those who are more secretive with their feelings (as a generalization, Earth signs), this may be a terrifying prospect.

How careful you are with your expressions may reveal more about you than you want it to. Those who keep a cool, blank expression often earn a reputation for being uncaring. This may be unfair, but it is the hard view of a society which values openness and honesty. We're encouraged, especially in America, to express ourselves, and we can be very distrustful of those whose motives and feelings remain hidden from us.

Still, do these aloof creatures have the right idea? Usually, we give a great deal away from the simple lift of an eyebrow, a slight smile, a narrowing of the eyes. In the theatre, an extremely expressive world, it's not uncommon for one to have to wipe the slate. The phrase "check your face" is one that I've heard said to actors when another actor sings a wrong note. It's not a deliberate affront; just the world that we live in. In order to keep a colleague from being hurt, we must hide the feelings that would otherwise be clearly written across the face. Maybe we can learn something from those who are able to keep things inside. There's power in quietly kept emotion.

I've noticed, from working in various offices, that the business world is much more cautious with their feelings. They keep everything very even keel (unless they're screaming in anger). "Losing one's temper" is viewed as weak; sentimentality becomes vulnerability. The interesting part is that it becomes very jarring when a boss figure is suddenly demonstrative emotionally. Depending on the subordinate and how the emotion is portrayed, the authority could strengthen or weaken. For a culture that values expression of feelings, in certain situations (especially the business world), it can be seen as a loss of power. Keeping the poker face demonstrates; enables power.

I believe true power lies in effective expression. We may give away more than we desire, but who doesn't love a gift from the heart?

Sing Out Loud

PLUTO IN THE FIFTH HOUSE
That's right, folks. Pluto, planet of power, is sitting in Capricorn, the sign of career, in the 5th House, the house of creativity and drama. Add to that that the sun is sitting on the Midheaven. What do all these technical terms mean? Drama. Especially in the career world. We're going to see a lot of creativity, but with that creativity comes plenty of theatrics and passionate responses. We may also see a movement towards working with children - they are, after all, creations themselves.

What better day for the Tony Award nominations to come out? I actually had no idea (bad former actor!) until I saw a posting on Facebook (what would we do without it?) on my friend, Michael's, page. He has been nominated for a Tony for his costume work in the revival of Hair. This show was seen in the park last year and it was such a huge success that they took it Broadway where it is delighting audiences once again.

And I haven't seen it yet. (bad former actor!!)

The theatre has always been a powerful medium for the presentation of revolutionary ideas. There's something about seeing a performance live that's magical. It doesn't translate to the screen in the same way, either large or small. I think that's because it's never the same. Theatre is a living organism. It's why the last performance of a run is so sad, but if you think about it, they're all last performances. There will never be the same group of people sitting in the audience. You never know what lines are going to hit and get the laugh and which ones will flop because different people have different experiences.

And if you do the same show again, it's not with the same cast. The whole feel is different. The director has a different vision, there is different choreography, you may not have the same part. The same goes for attending a show. You are a member of that audience for 2-3 hours, depending on the show. You play a vital part just as any person on that stage. As Lily Tomlin says, "Without you, there'd be little point in me being here." It's a give and take between performer and audience. There's a lot of power on both sides and part of the magic is the relationship between them. Like most art, it's a subjective world.

So it always intrigues me how the Tony committee picks its nominees and its winners. People are already up in arms about one show or another, one actor or another: "Megan Hilty was robbed." Attending the theatre is like going on a date. Sometimes, you really enjoy yourself. Sometimes, you don't. Sometimes, you want to know more. Sometimes, it's just a fluffy evening that allows you to have a good time without really committing. And sometimes, you wish you'd had a drink beforehand. Still, it takes a great deal of courage to get up in front of people in any context.

When I was in college, I took an acting class (yes, i was a Theatre major; must you point out the obvious?). One of the exercises that we had to do was to sing. You could sing anything you liked, but you had to get up in front of the class and sing a capella. The professor said it was because singing in front of a group is one of the gutsiest things that you can do. It was a courage exercise. Having been in musical theatre since I was 12, I had no major issue. There was one girl, however, who was absolutely terrified. She got up to sing and had to sit back down because her nerves took over. The second time she got up to do it, she cried the entire way through the song, but she got through it. Now, you may be sitting there thinking, "Oh, come on. I do karaoke. It's not that hard." This was in a safe environment; we were all her peers. Karaoke is in front of strangers (some say that's better), there's a track backing you up, and of course, there's alcohol. Still, the nerve it takes to get up and sing in front of a group of people is enormous. To then do it well enough to land a job in a show, a Broadway show nonetheless, and then to be nominated for an award for it, is outstanding and not just a bit lucky. First, though, it takes pluck to even put yourself out there.

And as for karaoke, that's not always as easy for everyone. In fact, it can be a punishment for some. A friend missed a cabaret of mine for a meal and the consequence (let the punishment fit the crime) was that she had to sing a song of her choice the next time we all went out for karaoke. Being a great sport about it, she did it, but she definitely considered it a punishment. She got to choose the song, we were all there cheering her on, and she knew that most of us would end up singing as well, but it was still a hard thing for her. She did it, and though she never wants to do it again, I'm betting she's glad she did.

This is applicable on many levels, which we won't go into, but I think this is a challenge for everyone. Next time you're considering bungee jumping or cliff diving or some other crazy stunt that shows bravery and gets your heart racing, I suggest that you add "singing a capella in front of a group of friends" to the list. I think most people would rather bungee jump. I will say, though, that if you think bungee jumping gives you a high, try the applause when you finish singing. :)

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

Networking: The Modern Whore

PLUTO IN CAPRICORN
Yes, yes, I know. Pluto isn't a planet anymore astronomically, but astrologically, Pluto still has an influence. In fact, it's the planet of power and it's sitting in the sign of ambition and career: Capricorn. Due to Pluto's long term and widespread influence, we're not going to see its effects on such a personal level, but more worldwide. Its influence is going to show in a lot of drive and determination so keep an eye out for major power plays while Pluto transits Capricorn.

Learn more about Capricorn here.


Work. We all work. We differentiate between "job" and "career." "Oh, this is what I do for my job, but it's not my career." Okay, what is your career? Is your career your passion? Wait, no, that's a hobby. But can a hobby be a career as well? Why not? For someone who comes from the arts world, that's exactly what it seems to be. Acting, writing, dancing, singing, photography, painting - all of these seem to fit into the "hobby" world and yet, people make careers out of them and, in some cases, very lucratively successful careers.

So when does someone get to say that he's a professional? When can someone say that she's an "actor" or a "writer" or an "artist"? When does it move from hobby to career? And then, what are the jobs we do while we're pursuing our careers? And how do we get out of those jobs?

Networking. It's not what you do; it's who you know. Right?

There was an article in today's METRO that explored the world of networking. The basic premise of the article stated that networking is not about talking to strangers; it's about hitting up the people you know and working their angles. Interesting. With the advent of LinkedIn, I now have about 25 contacts that are friends that I can talk to on a professional level and see how they can help me out. Then again, I look at their contacts and some of them have over 100 or even 200 contacts. Obviously, they know how to network and they must be working their dream careers by now! Maybe in some cases, but not overall. There's obviously an element to putting yourself out there that eludes many of us. Else, we'd all be working our dream jobs.

Like the oldest profession, today, it's about selling yourself. Marketing schemes are the biggest they've ever been and strangely enough, a great deal of those are about ways to start a career or land a job. How to work your resume. How to interview. How to follow up an interview. Due to this fading economy, life-coaching and therapy are on the rise, it seems (for those that can afford it). If you can't sell yourself, it's time to find someone who can sell you. Prostitution may not be the most glamorous profession, but it's certainly an interesting model for our business world these days. Move from client to client, entice them with what you have to offer, and reap the benefits. If you are having trouble, find someone more powerful to back you and help you find the right clients. The difference is that in most professions, getting screwed is only a possibility.

Of course, this brings the reverse - what can you do for your friends? Are you a contact of influence? Perhaps it's time we look at ourselves as powerful contacts and market ourselves accordingly. Maybe then the contact that we're looking for - that elusive element - will end up coming to us.

Ambition is on the rise - ride the Capricornian wave.