Beyond Schadenfreude

FIERY SUN AND MOON
The sun has been in Leo for over a week now and the moon is currently in Sagittarius. Both are fire signs, and therefore very passionate, and Leo is a very dramatic sign, while Sagittarius is the sign of exploration. Our outer nature will be drawn to drama and bombastic adventures, while our inner self longs to travel.

Speaking of travel, I am coming to you from the road. That's right, folks, I'm in transit from New York to Philadelphia, and thanks to yet another element, water, what should have been a two hour jaunt has turned into a five hour excursion. Still, I can't blame it all on the rain. There is a fabulously obnoxious practice that will never fail to create traffic even under the best of weather conditions.

As we crawled under the dark, pendulous clouds with gray rain sheeting around us, I suddenly saw the light. No, I had no epiphany; it was the familiar blue and red lights of a squad car. Aha! There was an accident. Being on the other side of the bus, I could not see what unfortunate event had occurred, but I did note that no sooner had we passed by that our speed began to increase and traffic seemed to disperse.

What could have possibly caused this phenomenon? There is a term that is an apt description of the situation: rubbernecking. The act of twisting one's head in order to observe and event more easily. However, when driving, that act can be very dangerous; ergo, most people will slow down in order to perform this irritating action.

What is this fascination we have with accidents? We describe other things, such as someone's outfit, this way. "It was like a train wreck. I couldn't look away." The human race is infinitely fascinated with seeing people fail. It's incredible to me. Specifically with roadside trauma, unless you are a police officer, an EMT, or some other service member who is able to assist, keep moving! Besides, if it's a big enough issue, it'll be on the news later.

Which brings up another point: why must the news be inundated with accidents, deaths, rapes, shootings, killing, murder, etc? It's so rare to hear about a good thing. The television has been referred to as the "idiot box." Why? Because it enables escape. It's supposed to free our minds; hence it being mind-less. The news does just the opposite; it smacks us in the face with reality, forcing us to acknowledge such horrible aspects of our world with wild abandon that it's overwhelming at times. I am amazed by people who can sit and watch the news all day. I go to my television to escape reality.

Reality TV shows are no better. While they don't quite provide us with "reality" as they claim, it's certainly enough of it to make me cringe. Shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance are great shows in their own right, I suppose, especially when (and if) you get to the point where everyone is incredibly talented. However, they televise the auditions and I have many friends who are uninterested in the show once the auditions are over. They love to watch people get shot down. That is not fun for me at all. People who have dreams of performing get crushed on those shows. And folks argue, "But it's good for them. Someone has to tell them that they suck." Fine, go ahead. I don't want to watch someone's dreams destroyed. I'd rather watch the last episode when someone's dreams come true.

This is beyond schadenfreude ("happiness at the misfortune of others"). I admit that, when watching a movie, I want to see the bad guy get what's coming to him, but it's not exciting to me to see the the average human being harmed for the entertainment of others. And roadside accidents are certainly not for the entertainment of others, but people certainly seem to view it that way. If you're one of those people who has to watch to see what happened, fine, but pull over! Otherwise, drive on!

The drama of misfortune has its appeal, but I prefer to attend such an event when it's planned and brilliantly written, rather than accidental or shallow. Perhaps the sun in Leo will not let us get away with banal tragedy. Yet, Leo's sun is playful as well and as I finish this blog, I can see it winking at me from behind the clouds.

Here comes the sun.

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.

A Midsummer's Twelfth Night

NEPTUNE IN THE 1RST HOUSE
Identity confusion is going to be rampant while Neptune, the planet of illusion, traverses a retrograde path through the 1rst House, the house of self. There are always challenges when it comes to knowing oneself, and this is a difficult time for those who do not have a firm grasp on who they are. There may be a strong desire for escape from the self.

Nobody does identity confusion better than Shakespeare. Last night, I had the fortune to attend a production of Twelfth Night at the Delacorte in Central Park. This is the first show that I've ever seen at the Delacorte and the first thing that immediately hit the audience was the set. I do not always notice the set when I attend a show, but this set was beautifully constructed with faux grass and rolling hills. Trees dotted the landscape. It truly looked as I would have pictured Illyria to look. The advantage that the Delcorte offers a show like this is the natural outside environment.

Having been invited by a friend, I had no prior knowledge of the cast and I was surprised to see that Raul Esparza would be playing Orsino, Audra McDonald as Olivia, and Anne Hathaway would be taking on the gender-bender, Viola/Cesario. Knowing the first two to be well-known for their voices and aware that Anne was also making more use of her singing experience, I wondered aloud if the show were a musical adaptation. I was assured that it was not. We took our seats in the section that provided closed captioning, something I had not experienced except for at the Metropolitan Opera. There was an electronic board in front of our section, not blocking the stage, of course, that would scroll with the lines. I think it highly enriched the show for me, as a bibliophile and a writer, I absolutely love words and there are very few people who achieve the same resplendent poeticism that Shakespeare does. There's something to be said for reading a play and watching it come to life before you.

And come to life it did. From the moment the actors entered the stage, we were transported to Illyria. There were fabulous integrations of music throughout the show and the musicians were not kept separate from the actors, often stepping from the musical world directly into the Illyrian landscape. From the depths of the stage emerged Viola and her seafaring comrades. I was expecting fabulous performances from the well known actors (at least to me), and I was delighted to find that that extended through the entire cast, from those loveable characters like Maria and Sirs Toby and Andrew to the soldiers who stood by, silently in character, and adding depth to the scenes. I was never taken out of the show.

As the sky pinked with sunset, a full moon (in Capricorn) rose high over the stage, sending beams down upon Belvedere Castle in the background. Even the elements seemed to sense the drama that was happening onstage and Nature herself appeared as a character. The air seemed to pick up whenever the drama increased onstage. It added an extra dimension to the show.

To see Shakespeare's work come to life is always a treat and a treasure. To get the opportunity to experience that in Central Park in an open air forum was truly magical. If you get the chance to see this production, I highly recommend that you take it.

If music be the food of love, play on!

Independence Day Fireworks

SUN IN CANCER/MOON IN SAGITTARIUS
Sun in Cancer, the sign of belonging and home is going to push people towards finding their own sense of unit. The moon in Sagittarius will color that with a great deal of wanderlust. People may travel in their journey to find a place that they call home.

That sense of belonging and home extends to the nation and the patriotism that naturally arises during Independence Day. It brings pride and comfort to know that you are celebrating with many others throughout a given nation. It's what draws us together during the Olympics. Well, that, and the sense of sport that churns the blood of many. The Olympics are a wonderful forum for nations to come together in healthy competition and for those of each country to show patriotic pride.

It seems that we love celebrate with ways that mimic that which frightens us the most: war. Some sports are highly war-like. Take a look at football, hockey, soccer, even capture the flag. Okay, that's not an official sport, but goodness, it certainly felt that way when I was playing. And don't even get me started on dodgeball. (Yes, I was picked last for everything; what of it?)

Moving on from that, all over America tonight, there were fireworks displays. People all over the country eagerly turned their eyes to the night sky to see "bombs bursting in air." Interestingly enough, fireworks predate the Independence Day celebration and were incorporated into the first Independence Day in 1777 (the war wasn't even won yet). Color wasn't even added until later.

When I was a child, I loved to see fireworks, but I was terrified of the loud noise that they made. Especially those that are most bomb-like. You know which ones I'm talking about; the ones that explode with a huge bang and a flash of white light and disappear immediately. Gosh, I hated those. I still do. What a pointless display. They're the bravado fireworks. It's like, geez, get over yourself. Look at the other fireworks. They have something to say. They have staying power and color and sometimes, sparkle. You are just loud. But then, so is war. So, I must acknowledge your right to be there.

As the night sky explodes throughout the country, I say, happy birthday, America.

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!

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.

All That Jazz

MOON IN PISCES
The moon, a planet of hidden emotion, just recently entered the sign of sensitivity, Pisces. This all takes place in the 11th House, the house of originality and eccentricity. A romanticized expression of emotion emerges while the moon traverses this sign. It will manifest in odd ways that might not be obvious at first. Exploration will reveal its path.

Last night, I had the experience of sitting through an improvisational jazz performance. I have to confess that although I would love to be the "artist" who is able to grasp the intricate complexities found within the lingering notes of a boisterous brass instrument, I was not a fan. I sat, assailed by the cacophony, attempting to discern the magic pattern behind the music, while dedicated patrons eagerly awaited the next blast. It was unfathomable to me. I could detect no given pattern, no rhyme or reason to the music. It appeared to me to be a series of solos wherein the given performer would demonstrate his prowess with his instrument. I saw nothing more than consecutive showing-off with no regard for the other performers onstage. Strangely enough, from what little I knew of jazz music, I assumed that musicians had to listen to each other to keep some sort of cohesive form. This is not to say that they weren't listening to each other, but it wasn't apparent to me.

In an attempt to understand, I turned to a companion of mine who not only enjoyed jazz music, but had participated in a few performances, and asked him whether the music before me was following a given routine or whether it was created on the spot. He responded that it was a little of both. The musicians, he informed me, were following a set of chord progressions, but within that construct, they had the freedom to improv. This made sense to me.

It does seem to be a metaphor for life. We work within a given construct, but we make decisions that help us standout. There are certain rules, whether they're set by family, society, religion, or by our own sense of personal duty, that we have to follow. Beyond that, we have the freedom to explore our own interpretations of the choices handed to us. Jazz seems to view music (and by my own interpretative extension, life) as a choose your own adventure. Remember those books? For those of you who have never experienced one of these books, at the end of certain pages in the story, you have a choice. "If you want to see Matt go through the door, go to page 52. If you'd rather see him take the stairs, skip to page 147." The story changes depending on the choices that are made, but if you're following the rules of the book, you have to make the choices given to you. You can't suddenly skip to page 204 if the page isn't offered. The story makes no sense.

I developed a different appreciation of jazz music in this light. Admittedly, the music that I heard last night is not that which I would naturally seek out, but the inherent constriction/freedom dichotomy within it is highly attractive. For those who study Kabbalah, the balancing elements of Chokma (expansion) and Binah (limitation) can be found in jazz music. Though my ears were reluctant to accept the sounds overtaking the room, my mind was fascinated by the varying meanings found within those sounds. They declared their own individuality within a world that requires certain acceptances.

I think that's part of why I write. It's my version of jazz.

So Over It

SUPER SAGITTARIUS
Sagittarius is rising, taking over the 1rst House, the house of self. Additionally, we just experienced a full moon in Sagittarius. There's going to be a strong desire to travel (perfect for vacation season) and explore.

Okay, so it's a little late in the year for senioritis, but seems like everyone has it right now. Yesterday, all of the status updates were frustrated messages that clearly stated, "I'm over it," and it was only Monday. I woke up feeling disgruntled and the morning proved to exacerbate the situation. I had a total MTA Fail morning. Every train seemed to be running as slowly as possible and was crowded as Hell (and I mean that literally) when and if it finally arrived. So, I opened the door to my office with a cinder block on my shoulder.

Then, I opened my numerous networking sites to find out that I wasn't the only one. Rounding out the "over it" crowd was my boss. She radiated apathy and annoyance (I didn't realize one could radiate synchronized elements of caring and not caring, but somehow, she managed it) from the moment I saw her. It was more contagious than swine flu.

A friend and I began talking and she expressed her desire to be elsewhere. She asked if there was anything astrologically that would indicate this feeling and, doing my research, I saw that Sagittarius had just experienced a full moon. At first, I couldn't understand it. Why would such a happy-go-lucky sign affect us in such a negative way? Ah, but then the desire to travel suddenly made sense. The wanderlust had taken over due to full moon influence and universal senioritis took over.

Fortunately, we're coming up on summer, when everybody loves to get away. Hopefully, we can all hold out until our vacations kick in. If we can do it through years of school, eagerly awaiting that moment when classes end and we cavort into the free days of summer (oh, admit it, you cavorted). Even though there's no end of the semester, we're still feeling those confining bonds of the routine. My advice? Do something that might change your routine, even if it's slight, and as soon as you can, grab a vacation to somewhere new.

Hang on to your sanity, kids. We can do this!

Boxing Rules

MOON/SATURN IN VIRGO
As the moon approaches a conjunction with Saturn in Virgo, we shall see more emotional limitations and restrictions, especially with regard to service. There may be some coldness on the emotional front for many people and it might be time to delve deeper into the details to find out the real source of the issue.

As they say, "Life is in the details." There is no better evidence of this than when you have to pack up and move. Believe me, it's not my favorite activity. I'd rather watch an elementary school production of Beckett than pack up my life into boxes. Yet, in the process, it made me think how vital a role boxes play throughout our lives.

Now, forgive the crude vernacular, but in one of its slang meanings, we all started by emerging from a "box." Without that anatomical requirement, we're missing one-half of the gift of life. How interesting that our first action in the outside world is emerging from a confined space, when, for the rest of our lives, we will move from box to box and, in many cases, take pleasure in the confinement.

After all, rooms are very similar to boxes. In fact, in American Sign Language, the sign for "room" is just the reverse action of the sign for "box." Room really is a misnomer isn't it? There isn't much room in most rooms. It's outside that has the room. In fact, it's the March Hare of Wonderland who states, "We are here in the great outdoors, and there are certainly no rooms here." In such a statement, it does make obvious the foolishness of calling a room such, for indeed, it is a box. Instead of the open room, humans have chosen to live inside various boxes.

Boxes played enormous significance in childhood. Leaning to draw boxes. Learning the third dimension from boxes. Learning whether someone liked you by their checking of a box. And we haven't stopped checking boxes yet! They're on almost every form imaginable. Especially with regard to age and folks dread entering that next age bracket. This is all symbolized by a box, and as Samantha of Sex and the City states, "Honey, welcome to my box." We check box after box, further confining ourselves. These boxes represent more ethereal boxes which label us by age, race, gender, and so on. We spend our lives within the various boxes.

Finally, depending on the decision of the person, a person may end up in a box. The coffin is yet another box that we humans have created for ourselves. We do not die and go straight into the earth. No, we choose to put our bodies into a box within the ground.

From box to box. That seems to be how we experience life. And our things are no different. I'm packing up all of my possessions and putting them into boxes. Big, tall, short, long, small, all different kinds of boxes. I'm then going to unpack these very same boxes and be "reborn" in a new room...excuse me, box. Boxes within boxes. No wonder we use boxes to explain dimensions. It's the most familiar example of layers and dimensions we can come across.

Ah well. Back to boxing...

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.

Reworking Rene

SUN IN GEMINI/MOON IN CANCER
The sun is in the 10th House, the house of ambition, in the sign of mental activity, Gemini. The moon is in the 11th House, the house of hopes, in the emotional sign of Cancer. Both are strong influences. When used in harmony, this combination can yield very positive outcomes. Else, there will be confusion and indecision.


Rene Descartes was a philosopher who considered the dichotomy between mind and body. This dualism in philosophy states that either one could exist without the other. Of course, the way that our world is currently perceived, this is a complete hypothetical. Unless, of course, we're in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, but that's more head/body separation...(digression alert! you really shouldn't let me get off track so easily.) Descartes's reason for separating these two important parts of the human condition were two-fold: religious and scientific.

With all due respect to 17th century philosophers, I propose that the more widely used dualism is actually mind/heart. This seems to be a powerful conflict among many people around me. Recently, I had two people, almost simultaneously, say to me, "I don't know whether to follow my head or my heart." When the head is filled ambition in a house naturally ruled by an earth sign, it forces the person to "face reality." Counteracting this is the heart in the house of hopes and wishes. Head is traditionally associated with logic and practicality while the heart much more commonly corresponds to desires. Are these two motivations always so diametrically opposed? Most of the time, I would say no. The hardest moments of life are when they disagree with each other. Aligning heart and mind is a difficult but rewarding exercise, and unfortunately, most of the time, it seems to b the heart that must succumb to the mind's practicality.

Why is this? Why must we give up our desires? There are many songs, movies, books that urge us to listen to our hearts and believe that they will never steer us wrong, whether the goal be romantic love or other desires. Such a strong conflict we set up for ourselves. Do we dare to dream of more than the harsh reality we accept is willing to offer us? And is reality always in the wrong? "Follow your heart" is just as easily rattled off as "Use your head." So which is the right advice? Both are malleable facets of life. After all, you can "change your mind" or you can have a "change of heart." Which one needs to change so that I can be happy? I mean, that's he goal, right? Happiness. We've been pursuing it here in America for more than 200 years.

The lawmakers even wrote it into the American Constitution: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The first is fairly easily defined. We know what's living and what's not. Although, quality of life muddies the water, but for now, let's stick to living and non-living (leave the undead out of this.). Liberty; we nail that down as freedom or independence (the whole reason we established the country.). Pursuit of happiness...ah, here's where it becomes tricky. What is happiness? I checked with dictonary.com:

hap⋅pi⋅ness

1.	the quality or state of being happy.

2.	good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

Great. Thanks, dictionary.com. Very helpful, there. That doesn't help me settle my mind/heart conflict. How am I going to have a happy ending if I don't even know what it is? If only I could define it and say, "Okay, in this instance, my mind has the right idea and that's going to end in happiness. Perfect." It's not quite so easy, is it? That's part of what makes life so interesting, and highly frustrating at times.

Since life is all about compromise, perhaps we need to reconcile ourselves to the fact that heart and mind must work together in order to achieve any shred of happiness, whatever that is. Until they come up with a mathematical formula for happiness, I guess we'll all have to struggle through with the advice from our friends and therapists.

I wonder how Descartes would handle this.

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.

True Belief

MOON IN AQUARIUS
Emotions and idealism. A combo that could be wonderful or troublesome. The energy of Aquarius works through the lens of our darker personalities, those secret selves that we keep hidden from the rest of the world. The line between hope and fear is so blurred and interconnected that it becomes difficult to separate the two. We'll see reactions that are rooted in the way we think things should be rather than the way things are.

A friend of mine, who I've always admired for his faith and spirituality, recently wrote a note regarding faith and religion that I found fascinating. He writes:

"Has anyone gotten the feeling of their religion isn't really holding up to what it promised you in life?? I've been like that recently. All of the politics, hierarchy, and bureaucracy within the church is very sickening to me. Plus, another thing, who want to worship in a religion where the priests, pastors, and ministers tell you that you HAVE to do this or you are going to hell, or you won't get to heaven very easily that way.? How can an all-Loving God damn a person to hell?? Its unthinkable-- unfathomable!! Has anyone noticed how God changed from the Old Testament as a wrathful and jealous God, to the New Testament as a peaceful and loving God?? Yet the Bible says that God is neverchanging. I don't know how to take this information... The Bible is almost a book of contradictions... so can you blame me for being confused??"

An excellent point and worthy of an idealistic view of life falling short. Many people look to religion to explain, to relive the confusion, and offer comfort. When the base of a religion is so contradictory, it can be difficult for followers to draw comfort. Often, it's the rigidity of religion, the rules, that enable the loyalty. After all, children seek structure and though the allusion is unflattering, people do turn to religion out of hope and fear.

There are some wonderful things that religions of varying degrees and cultures have to offer. If there weren't, they wouldn't survive as long as they have. Yet faith is a very personal thing. People who share religions may not share exactly the same faith. Life experiences change the views slightly. Life is subjective, and though religion is supposed to be objective, the faith that accompanies it is not. We view religion through our own lens, just as Aquarius is being filtered through the moon, the most intensely personal of all planets. We are each individuals and explore faith in widely varied ways.

My friend goes on to say,

"Variety is the spice of life, and what better way to explore other beliefs than to actually experience them yourself! Besides, Life is about exploring different possibilities. As some of my Christian friends told me, every religion has some truth to it-- its just some believe they have more of the real truth than the other. I am going to do some exploring and find other great truths that I can find."

What a great suggestion. I grew up with Jewish heritage, but do my ideals and beliefs really represent Judaism? I wanted to find out, so I sought out a quiz online. I found one test that would ask questions and based on the answers would show how closely the beliefs aligned with various religions. My answers were as follows:

1.	Neo-Pagan (100%)
2.	New Age (96%)
3.	Unitarian Universalism (93%)
4.	Mahayana Buddhism (88%)
5.	Theravada Buddhism (76%)
6.	Liberal Quakers (73%)
7.	New Thought (72%)
8.	Secular Humanism (69%)
9.	Scientology (69%)
10.	Taoism (66%)
11.	Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (64%)
12.	Hinduism (55%)
13.	Reform Judaism (55%)
14.	Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (54%)
15.	Nontheist (49%)
16.	Jainism (46%)
17.	Orthodox Quaker (45%)
18.	Sikhism (43%)
19.	Baha'i Faith (33%)
20.	Orthodox Judaism (30%)
21.	Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (21%)
22.	Islam (19%)
23.	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (16%)
24.	Seventh Day Adventist (15%)
25.	Eastern Orthodox (7%)
26.	Roman Catholic (7%)
27.	Jehovah's Witness (4%)

How interesting to find that my own beliefs did not align so easily with the traditions that I grew up with. Out of 27 choices, Judaism show up halfway down the list. While the test is hardly perfect, it certainly shows a fascinating interpretation of ideas. So as my friend suggests, perhaps it's time to look around and see what the world (not just religion) has to offer. We can develop more ideas. As Chris Rock says in Dogma, it's better to have ideas than beliefs.

Religion is widespread, but faith is personal. Go exploring. You never know what you may discover.

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?

MOM

MOON TRINE VENUS
According to one of my favorite sites, www.alabe.com, the Moon Trine Venus suggests that "[i]nteractions with others, especially females, feel natural and balanced now. It's a time of warm feelings and affections, cooperation, and emotional comforts. Public events are positive." Could there be a more positive aspect for Mother's Day?

Okay, okay, I know everyone's going to blog about Mother's Day today and talk about how cool their mom is. My mom actually is cool (and I'm not saying that just because she follows my blog). Using the energy of the moon (a very feminine planet) in Sagittarius (travel), my mom made her way to to NYC to visit and see me perform in a cabaret (public events are positive). While waiting for the show to begin, she made friends with two gentlemen, who pronounced her "fierce" (see? there's proof that she's cool).

Mom had me when she was only 21, so there's only a double decade between us, which is not the widest expanse, especially when you work in the theatrical world. You develop friendships with people of all age groups, so it's only natural that Mom and I are good friends as well as parent and child. Don't worry; we haven't quite crossed the line to Gilmore Girls-land, but we're buds. Both of us are artistic, sensitive types, who have a slightly "out-there" view on the world, especially when compared with my more practical sister and father.

Having her attend the show was a honored treat, as she doesn't get to see me perform very often; admittedly, schedule and my lack of auditioning don't provide many opportunities. The fun part is that I'm betting a few of my creative genes come from her. She is an artist, a performer, and a teacher, and I seem to follow in those footsteps. Both of my parents have encouraged me to be myself and shown enormous support through my many projects and milestones in life.

However, in a treasured reversal of role, I had the opportunity to witness one of her greatest milestones: graduation from college. Having never matriculated, my mother took it upon herself to return to school at a slightly older age than most of the student body, determined to earn her Bachelor's degree. Last winter, I had the privilege of watching my mother parade down the aisle in full cap and gown to receive her degree in education. It was easily one of the proudest moments of my life, knowing the innumerable obstacles she overcame to get to that place. There are few moments in my life that are comparable to that one. Now, as a teacher, she watches over others the way she watched over me.

I could go on extolling her virtues and accomplishments, but I think you get the idea. My mom's pretty awesome. Forgive the somewhat sappy mentality, but of course, I'm still coming off of a moon-in-Scorpio, so it's only natural.

I hope that everyone who is out there reading this has a chance to thank a mother figure in their life whether she hears you or not. It's still good to feel the gratitude, knowing that someone's there for you. Who knows? Someday, you might get the opportunity to be a mother too.

This blog is for you, Mom. Stay fierce.

Memories...

SUN/MOON OPPOSITION
When the full moon rises, it rises in the sign opposite of the residence of the sun. In this case, the sun is in Taurus while the moon is in Scorpio. This opposition shows odd contrast between the two influences. The focus on money and possessions with intense emotionality. The sun, a traditionally masculine association, sitting in the 10th House, the house of ambition and career. The moon, a traditionally female association, resting in the 4th House, the house of belonging and home. Working hard for a living to earn those things that remind us of our own experiences.

Nostalgia, anyone? This combination of possessions of emotions brings about a sentimentality that's natural for any packrat. Keeping items of no value because they take us back to experiences that we enjoyed and want to remember. Why is it easier for some people to close the door and others cling to the familiar? I, myself, am a notorious packrat. I've had to do thorough cleansings often and what I consider thorough, many would say is average. Cards, stuffed animals (don't judge), clothing, papers, playbills (far too many of these), etc. There are so many items that remind me of wonderful moments. Scrapbooking is a pasttime that I took up at one point, but with Facebook and Photobucket, it seems to make this pasttime a thing of the past.

Especially since this is the perfect time for spring cleaning, how do we decide which are the items that must be disposed of? While sentimentality is a vital part of life, at some point, you have to draw the line (unless you have unlimited storage space). Does this apply to other aspects of our lives? Is it time to clean out your buddy list and get rid of the people that you don't talk to? What about all the Facebook "friends" that are there to boost numbers?

Perhaps now is the time to go back over the things that make us remember the good times in our lives. Indulge your nostalgia. Just remember that there's always a cleanse just around the corner.

For now, happy memories.

Sarcastic Sting

FULL MOON IN SCORPIO
The moon is waxing full in the intense sign of Scorpio. Talk about a strong emotional time. Hidden sides are going to be very vulnerable right now and there's going to be an insistence upon being right. With such ferocity of emotions running rampant, it may be good to pull back a bit and examine intentions instead of merely reacting. Otherwise, we're going see a lot of sulking and brooding going on.

Arguments happen. We're not really going to go through life with everything harmonious all the time. There's always gonna be someone who comes along to screw it up. Strangely, that person may be the person we need in our lives to shake things up. After all, if no one every shook things up, we'd still believe the Earth was flat and the center of the universe. It's important to challenge, but when does the argument become unhealthy? We have words for healthy arguments: debates. It's a vital part of the American culture; it's integral to the election process. People form a lot of opinions based on presidential and vice-presidential debates. The ability to take your opponent's words and throw them back in his teeth. What a joy that is!

In our everyday lives, however, there's not a moderator sitting there telling us how much time we have left or whether something is out of line. Depending on the person you're "debating" with, certain things may be more permissible than others. A friend said to me the other day about a work situation, "I can't believe you backed down from that. The Jared I know would never have done that." Yes, but I was in my place of employment. I wouldn't argue with my supervisors in the same way that I would argue with my friends, of course. I try to respectful in all of my conversations (see Tact: A Lost Art), but sometimes, you get so heated, you just want to lash out. And people do this in different ways.

Some people choose to scream and yell, choosing volume to make their point. This is a common use of power. Louder=stronger. However, others choose to get very quiet and you have to strain to hear them. There is also incredible power in this because if forces the other person to pay attention if they want to have a decent rebuttal. I've taken classes with boisterous teachers and the moment they got quiet, you knew you were in danger. Some people choose to walk away, cool off, and return when they feel they can control themselves. Others snap into robotic-like logic. These people can be extremely frustrating for the emotional types because they want the other person to get upset and there's no reaction.

One particular favorite of many is sarcasm. While tact may be a lost art, sarcasm seems to be new Rosetta Stone for communication. I see it everywhere,; it restaurants, in classrooms, at work, in the home, in the media, etc. Swine flu should sit up and take a lesson if it wants to be a pandemic. And there seem to be so many different kinds: the zinger, the dry wit, the jokester, the apologetic, the comfort (yup, I've seen it). It's all in the tone and depends on the personality of the person or persons involved. Call it a stereotype, but I believe that the gay male is the most accepted user of sarcasm because I believe that people have come to expect it. A straight male using it is an asshole and a woman is a bitch. For some reason, gay men are expected to be pithy.

When I worked as a waiter, I heard many comments out of the mouths of other waiters to the customers and some of them were borderline rude. They never emerged from the mouths of the females, but they didn't have to. The girls flirted outrageously. And who could blame them? Their male counterparts were also excellent flirts, but many of the gay males were quick to combine flirting with witty humor that undercut their charm. The difference in tips was nil. It was amazing to hear someone slice down a customer only to receive a 20% tip. Why? I believe it's because sarcasm is expected in our society and especially from gay men. They're portrayed as such on TV and of course life mirrors art (or is it the other way around?).

Still, the sarcastic sting is best used in moderation, especially now. A relationship purely built on this kind of interchange becomes mired in that miasmic routine. It's important to have those fun, lighter moments. Fluffy as they are, without the care bear moments, that's a very hard relationship to build upon. And building is half the fun.

Take small breaks from the sarcasm. You'll be fully glad you did.

Can You Stomach It?

VIRGO HANDLE
If you look at a chart for today, all of the planets, except for two, are lined up from Capricorn to Gemini, from the 5th House to the 10th, skipping the 7th. Interestingly enough, directly opposite the empty 7th House, you'll find our miscreant planets, the moon and Saturn, chilling in the 1rst House in Virgo. The picture appears to be a basket with Virgo as the handle. With Saturn in retrograde (see Retro-Virus), and the moon's influence, this is a very detail oriented time, where most of us will get bogged down in minutiae. Keep an eye out for the forests, people, and try not to let the trees get in the way. We may see an onset of anal-retentiveness as well as a focus upon health and cleanliness. Spring cleaning, get going!

Information about Virgo can be found here.

Virgo rules the stomach. Makes sense for a sign that's health concerned, no? Since we're getting a handle on Virgo, I got to thinking about the number of things that we ingest on a daily basis and what effect that can have on our bodies. I never really considered the reactions that I would have as a result of food or drink (except for alcohol, of course, but that's an obvious reaction). I'd heard the word caffeine bandied about, especially in connection to coffee and more recently, soda, but I never stopped to think about what caffeine would actually do to my body. Does it really wake you up? Is it really that bad for you? I mean, I jumped on the diet soda kick, but mainly because it seemed like everyone else knew what was going on. I know, jeep + cliff. Guess I answered that question, huh?

Recently, a friend mentioned to me that she takes green tea supplements because it curbs her hunger. Is that natural? Should we be staving off hunger? I mean, there are a million diets out there and hunger even has a face nowadays, according to Weight Watchers. There are also numerous food plans that are supposed to help you not "diet," but eat healthy. Yet, everyone I talk to keeps telling me something different. Carbs are bad. No, carbs are good as long as you're eating good carbs. Fruit is a good source of carbs, but man, they're high in sugar. Sugar is good for you for energy, but you don't want too much of it. Cereals are good sugar, but then you're back to carbs. And where are you getting your protein? You should be eating a fistful of protein at every meal. That's only if you're exercising. If you're exercising, you should be eating more. It depends on how many calories you've eaten that day. The number of calories you eat depends on how big you are and how much weight you want to lose. Weight is just a number; it's all about being healthy.

STOP! Everyone is different, but if everyone is different, how can we eat healthily for ourselves? Isn't there SOME kind of master plan that would teach us the basics of correct eating? I'm sure McDonald's has a great one and it's being instituted with their McCafe. For a country that's dealing with an obesity epidemic, you'd think it might behoove us to learn a little bit more about the foods we're eating. Like what those labels on the back of the foods mean. My yogurt today is 90 calories. Is that enough for a meal? Should I be eating more? Should it just be a snack? And some fat is good fat, I've been told. How much good fat should I have? Without a nutritionist, I haven't a clue what these numbers mean. What about organic? Are organic foods better for us?

Now is the perfect time for developing the right eating habits. After all, summer's coming up. Bathing suit season, folks. I have friends who are worried if they have a piece of pizza. Others claim sushi is the healthiest thing as long as you don't eat the rice. Still others say that you should eat only 2/3 of your meal, never the whole thing. Perhaps, but I want to be able to enjoy pizza without the guilt. I want to have my sushi and eat the rice too! What is eating healthy?

Far from being a nutritionist myself, I decided to do a little bit of research and I see that many sites recommend eating in moderation and eating often. They also suggest eating a wide variety of foods. Rainbow takes on yet another meaning. You want to eat as many colors as possible in a given day. Apparently, around 2000 calories is a healthy intake (guess I'm gonna need more than that yogurt). Carbs, protein, and fats are all needed, but in certain amounts - don't overdo it. Drink lots of water. One of my favorites was to slow down and enjoy the food more. Eating is a pleasure. I think the Taurean sun will help us with that. Obviously, these are basic guidelines, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.

These are all great rules, but I think the most important one that I found was listen to your body. Something that I haven't done for 27 years. Most of the time, it seems to know what it wants and I say if my body's craving chocolate, I'll give it chocolate - in moderation. In a lot of ways, our bodies have an intelligence all their own and they speak up often. It's a matter of listening and attuning. In addition to the quotidian blog, I plan to work on listening more to my own body and seeing what it wants. Maybe I'll get a better feel for what I should be eating (within the parameters of the general rules).

Time to get a better handle on food. Virgo, lead the way.

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!