What A Difference A Year Makes!

SATURN IN LIBRA
Saturn, the time-keeping planet, is spending quality retrograde time in Libra, the planet of harmony and balance. This planet has a lot to do with maturity and lessons learned and in a social sign like Libra, one might see some growth with regard to relationships.

This is a perfect time to discuss the impact of time on the individual. I recently began a new job working with students at a high school level and I am constantly amazed by the differences between the students with regard to year. The freshman are much more immature than the sophomores who are less mature than the juniors who are, in turn (you guessed it, less mature than the seniors. Some people look at these groups and say, "Yes, well, it's the age." Well, naturally, it's the age, but to see how these things develop in packs, one must take a look at nurture (in this case, social aspects) versus the nature at work.

Children seem to learn things in groups. Of course they do; our society is built around this foundation. People do this as well, but it's not quite as formalized as when we are in school. There are milestones that we accomplish and it seems that the only instinctive knowledge handed to us is to learn from our own observations (especially of those around us). Sometimes, you get lucky and information is handed to you by a parent, a teacher, or (as is most common) a peer. For the most part, you learn the same things around the same time as your friends. After all, you're around the same age and usually you have the same interests, so it does seem fairly natural.

But what about maturity?

Are we learning to be more mature individuals by observing those around us? Is it something that people actually tell us? Or is it something subliminal; a signal that we pick up on when we develop the receptors for them? Young boys will often tease or hit girls they like. When they reach a certain age, they suddenly show their affections in other ways, although they're often just as clumsy at it. Sometimes, it's actually worded for us: "Stop being such a child!" Usually, this comes from an authority figure. Still, most people as teenagers are striving for the approval of their peers. They want to be socially accepted, so I can only infer that we pick up socially mature cues from our friends. Which means that SOMEONE in the group has to make the move first. Are they looking towards the people above them in the age bracket? Does it come from experience?

I remember coming home from my first year of college and heading back to my high school to say hi to friends and teachers (yes, I am that dork who was friends with teachers). I remember seeing the high school seniors and thinking, "Wow. They are so clueless and childish. They have no idea what's in for them." Did I gain this insight from my experience? From observing the other freshman at college? Where did I develop it? And looking back now, I can't even imagine the mindset that I had at 18 as I do now ten years later. The boy who lived then seems like an entirely different person. As does the same boy at age 8.

I am aware that there are a number of contributing factors to the development of the human being. As this is my first year at this school, I look forward to seeing how the current freshmen blossom into the mature seniors that I know they will be. I wonder what they will think when they look back and reflect on their freshman year in high school. Then again, one might say I'm in my freshman year as an educator. I wonder what I'll think four years from now. At least I have the comfort of knowing that I can't be called a senior for another 30-something years.

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!

Grab-Blog

DIRECT VS. RETROGRADE There is a split in the chart for today. Half of the planets are direct and in a row of houses while the other half are retrograde and in a row of opposite houses. What madness might occur from this, especially after yesterday's solar eclipse? This might be a great opportunity to try something you wouldn't normally explore.

A few friends of mine have subscribed to the madness that is the blogosphere. There is a great deal of joy to found in blogging and in reading blogs. I would like to introduce them to my readers.

If you love sweets, this first blog will whet your appetite. The Chocolate Swirl is a dessert company run by a friend of mine in New York. There are numerous confections that they offer, including truffles, cupcakes, cakes, brownie pops, and cookies. They ship throughout the country and will create specially designed desserts for numerous occasions. (I sound like an ad, don't I? I can't help it. I love The Chocolate Swirl.) When my mother graduated from college, I commissioned a cake that was made from two books and a graduating cap. It looked awesome; everyone commented on it. They just started a blog, complete with pictures and advice, one post of which is what you can do with leftover cupcakes. I would have never thought to use them the way The Chocolate Swirl does! Curious? Or hungry?

The second blog is a new blog by an author friend of mine. If you like the Star Child Trilogy, but feel that it's too old for your kids, you might want to check out The Wonky Witch. Author Becky Titelman has recently started a blog to track her endeavors with this fabulous series. Kids will find endless fun on the Wonky Witch website and book three is almost out! The adventures of Maude Sinks and her friends in Abracadabra Academy are wonderful for any age, but especially those who haven't quite reached Harry Potter or Star Child level yet. The adventures of Becky herself are a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in children's literature or enjoys writing themselves.

Whether your passion is sweets or books, be sure to check out these fabulous blogs!

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.

A Matter Of Trust

SUN AND GEMINI IN CANCER
As these two planets traverse the sign of nurturing and home (Cancer), we'll see a lot more communication with our "home" groups, whether that be family, friends, coworkers, etc. We turn especially to the mother figures in our lives to find a trusting soul who understand us.

This week, I began my class in Child Development. Stop groaning; it's actually fairly interesting, especially to me since I originally went to school for psychology. For those of you who were just tempted to stop reading, consider that each of you was a child at one point and this applies to you. I'm also highly intrigued by this subject because of the psychological aspect of astrology. From the first day of class, the comparison between these two subjects was setting off bells inside of my brain. The teacher, on the first day, asked us to think about the question, "Who am I?" as we read the eight stages of development by Erickson. (If you're unfamiliar with Erickson, do not fret.) Who am I? There are so many ways to answer that question, including, on an astrological level, Libra sun, Pisces moon, and Gemini rising. I'm also a firstborn and the only boy among four grandchildren.

However, this question was asked in specific respect to Erickson's article. Erickson defines the development of the human being as a series of crises. The first crisis (and I'm sure I will be working through each of them here over the course of the...well, course) occurs between a person's birth and 18 months of age. The crisis is called trust vs. mistrust. It's when we either learn to trust the world around us or we learn to to distrust it. Who is to blame for all of this? Why, our parents, of course. If they are inconsistent in their ministrations to us as babies, we do not develop that sense of trust that we so desperately need throughout life. Without this, we will be unable to to form relationships or even know that there are things we can depend upon.

That's an awful lot of pressure to put on a new parent! Fortunately, there are ways to overcome this crisis, should we fail to develop the proper sense of trust. Therapists love this, of course. Babies must feel that they will be taken care of. There is no better sign for this than the nurturing sign of Cancer, the sign of the mother. Additionally, it's probable that a strong Piscean influence will produce a desire to escape, which Erickson may say stems from the infant's learned mistrust. While I am fairly certain that my teacher will not accept a strong planet in Cancer as a compensation or a Piscean excuse, I have to admit to strong curiosity regarding these stages and what other influences may be involved, and not just the astrological ones.

My teacher, so far, seems pretty hardcore about the Ericksonian developments, but then, I suppose it's her job. I certainly enjoy having a professor who is passionate about her subject. I am not likely to broach the star route in class, but I will certainly be keeping track of any parallels between them.

On a personal note (as if there isn't a part of this blog that isn't personal), I do not think that trust vs. mistrust is a crisis that I have carried on. I believe my parents did a very nice job helping me to trust the world around me. I learned my mistrust later, but not from them (or maybe it's my moon in Pisces influence).

And so the Erickson blogs are in their infancy. You can trust me on that.

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.

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.

That Low-Down Fire

FIRE IN THE SKY
The moon, Venus, and Mars are all in fire signs right now. Passion, creativity, sexuality is going to be prevalent. We'll see a lot of initiative, especially on the romance front. Personal expression is going to show up throughout. This may be a wonderful thing, or it could be an onrush of hedonistic activity.

Are you a fire sign? Find out what that means here.

Fire is an apropos element to explore during this time as the Pagan festival of Beltane was yesterday. Beltane fires are lit throughout the world as a celebration of life and the beginning of summer. A Maypole is erected with ribbons attached and a dance occurs, which ends with the pole entwined with decorative ribbons. Beltane, as a celebration of life, is sexually oriented and the pole is an obvious phallic symbol.

I find it interesting that a ritual that celebrates life is so sexually oriented. Sex is everywhere: on tv, in movies, in music, in books, on the net, even in certain schools. Ironically, it may not always be discussed in homes. I can understand the reluctance of a parent to speak to their child about sex. There is something that suggests a loss of innocence once a child learns about sex. Yet, if sex is such a powerful part of life (in fact, it's life-giving), why do we avoid it when it comes to children? There are so many negative connotations regarding sex (especially with the focus on STDs), yet it's everywhere. After all, sex sells, doesn't it? Else, why would Abercrombie and Fitch have catalogues with naked models? Interesting that a place that sells clothing is advertising by using pictures of people without them.

Is sex the opposite of innocence? As the age old complaint of children goes, "why does everything that tastes or feels good have to be bad for you?" Sex isn't necessarily bad for you. And it certainly feels good. Whatever designed the human body certainly made sure of that. Let's be honest. It's not exactly the most attractive part of the human body, is it? If it didn't feel good, most people would never go near it. Still, is it at odds with innocence? We try to shield our children from sex, drugs, violence, and back in the day, rock and roll. Granted, we wouldn't want to hear of any children using guns or drugs and certainly, not having sex, but should they be aware of it? Does telling a child about sex negate a belief in Santa Claus?

Which begs the question - at what age is it okay to talk to a child about sex? There are numerous commercials that say talk to your kids before they come to you. Do you wait for puberty to set in? Oh, yeah, I broke out the big "p" word. I think most would agree that they don't want their children to come to them first, but many would want an open discourse with regards to sex. At least, they'd rather that than to find out that their children have been experimenting. Children and sex is a volatile combination of topics.

I don't think that sex, while a volatile topic, is necessarily bad. The constant exposure to it can be difficult to handle, but in today's society, it's available at almost every turn. In the spirit of Beltane, far from being purely life-giving, it's life-affirming. It's part of what it means to be alive. We should celebrate it.

Happy Beltane to all!