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.

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!

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.

Pride

MOON IN LIBRA
The moon, an emotional planet, resides in Libra, the sign of harmony and equality. This combination makes for a strong inner sense of fairness. We may see some movements towards equality and a desire to avoid conflict. People may show more tact in their methods of communication.

One of the greatest demonstrations of the fight for equality is the gay pride parade which occurred today in NYC. In the four and a half years that I've been here in New York, have never had the opportunity to attend this illustrious event. Needless to say, I was eager and excited to go this year and I made arrangements with friends of mine to meet up. Prior to this, I had had the pleasure of attending Allentown Pride (oh, yeah, REAL exciting), and Philadelphia Pride (much more exciting). I couldn't imagine what NYC Pride had in store.

Friends of mine went to Love Ball last evening. And I use the term "evening" loosely. Cinderelal would not have been able to handle this ball. It went from 10pm until dawn. Now, let me go on record by saying that I am not the party gay boy and never have been. It's not a lifestyle to which I am accustomed, but I have nothing against it. I spent last night at home, enjoying roommate time. I arose this morning and dressed in my best regalia: tight little jeans and my Ja(Red) shirt. Leather bracelet, rainbow bracelet, and gay pride rings. I strapped on my rainbow shoulder bag and my boots and I was out the door, on my way to the parade.

I arrived at the parade at noon and immediately found that my friends were going to be late. I befriended a photographer and we chatted for a bit. She and I watched the opening of the parade. Dykes on bikes started it off. There is something so awesome (in the traditional sense of the word) about the pride parade. There are so many ways to show pride and so many different areas of life to be proud of, not just in the gay community, but even within the alternative lifestyles. It was incredible to me. I especially loved the PFlag groups. It actually brought tears to my eyes to see families marching together.

My friends and I met up eventually. I never realized how political it would be. There were innumerable politicians marching with stickers and buttons and signs, demonstrating their support. There were so many different elements of support. In fact, the sign that caught my eye the most was carried by a woman marching alone: "Straight Married Christian Supporting Gay Rights." There was so much love and screaming and clapping. It was incredible to be part of it.

It was an experience I will never forget and I am looking forward to next year. To all who are celebrating every day in their own way: happy pride!

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.

Celebrate the Mundane!

LIBRA'S SCALE
Strangely enough, the current news is more astronomical in nature than astrological. Scientists have discovered the possibility of two new life-sustaining planets. Where? In the constellation of Libra, the sign of balance and harmony. Granted, there are issues, but it gives hope for future discoveries. On an astrological note, however, there is speculation that there are still two undiscovered planets; right now, Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo, and Venus rules Taurus and Libra. Every other sign-planet relationship is a 1:1 ratio. Maybe one of those planets will be able to sustain life, but it's a delicate balance.

Is your sun in Libra? Learn more about it here.

Balance. With four planets in my birth chart sitting happily in Libra (one of which being the sun), I try to keep things in balance. Unfortunately, this can lead to indecision, but in general, I think this is a good thing. There isn't much in life that doesn't have some kind of equal and opposite. After all, it's a Newtonian law: "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." Then again, what's the equal and opposite reaction to gravity, Newt?

Most of us wish for only good things, and that's completely natural, but without the bad, what good are we? We need to see ourselves through bad times to know how strong we can be, to see the challenges we can overcome, to keep our minds from sinking into atrophied complacency. Beyond that, it would be near impossible to recognize the good without experiencing the bad. What about the neutral?

The irony of this equal and opposite world is that things aren't always black and white, and as such, how do we keep our lives in balance? And is balance always desired? Most people attempt to do more "good" than "bad" thereby striving for an imbalance, but this is considered a desirable imbalance. These terms are defined by society, helping us to understand and work towards developing our imbalanced lives so that by the end, we can say that we lived good lives. Everyday life is not usually classified as good or bad. It's everyday. We barely notice it. They're our routines. How much of our lives do we spend in routine? Brushing our teeth, taking the train or driving to work, and then there are work routines on top of that. It's only when something out of the ordinary happens that we sit up and take notice. And why not? We don't usually seek out books or movies about the ordinary unless they do something extraordinary to make themselves stand out. Why should we care?

Perhaps Stephen Sondheim had it right when he wrote the lyrics for Into the Woods: "Must it all be either less or more? Either plain or grand? Is it always or? Is it never and?" Perhaps that's the key to balance: finding the and and appreciating the or. And of course, this has its own opposite - to not find or appreciate. Even in negation, the or holds sway. So I suppose that all we can do is ride the or wave until the elusive and comes along and gives us a taste of more, so than when we return to or, we can appreciate it. Thus, a further lyric from Sondheim, "Just remembering you've had an and when you're back to or makes the or mean more than it did before."

I think the principle is sound. Most of life is a wave of ups and downs, but when it's calm and balanced, we have to appreciate that even keel; the everyday, the mundane, the routine, the ordinary. I just got over being sick and being able to brush my teeth or walk around my apartment without pain is a joy! Who knew such boring, mundane actions could feel good? Sure, it's by comparison. Perhaps, though, next time you're going through your routine, you might take a moment to find something new to notice about it. Make it your new routine!

After all, the very Earth we share has become pretty ordinary to most of us (unless we travel to a new place), but with all of the planets that science has explored, so far, there hasn't been an exact match and there aren't many near matches. I'd say that makes the "ordinary, balanced environment" we're used to pretty extraordinary.

Maybe I'm a biased Libran, but I say, "Yay, balance!"