Twisted

NEPTUNE IN AQUARIUS (RETROGRADE)
Planet of illusion, Neptune travels seemingly backwards through Aquarius, the sign of originality and eccentricity. Unusual experiences may occur in unexpected ways. Twists and turns of life shall surprise, sometimes delighting and sometimes depressing, but all surprise.

Illusion and twist is a fascinating part of human existence. We are fascinated by it. We crave it. We are seek it out: in books, in movies, in television. We are not always happy to see it in life, but we are conditioned to expect it. Things are not always what they seem. Humans rely on such and often are able to tell that something is up. It's called a sixth sense.

Speaking of sixth sense, I'm currently watching A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, starring Haley Joel Osment. I had never seen it before today. It's terribly frightening and the fascinating, not just because of the development of film-making progress used in this movie, but because of the study of human existence. Still, what captures me the most is how terrifying Haley Joel Osment's character is, though I don't believe he's meant to be. Let's face it, the kid was cute as a kid, though he has not aged well. There is nothing more disturbing than something that seems innocuous, but presents itself as much more in practice. Granted, the movie itself is supposed to be disturbing, but there is a further element in that this seeming child is, in actuality, a robot, and to see child-like reactions from a creature that is not a child strikes a minor chord in our brains.

We see this representation in numerous books and movies. The scariest enemy is the most innocent one. As I've always maintained, there is nothing that sets the searing rush of fear through my chest as a child singing a nursery rhyme in a darkened hall. Horror writers have used children for countless stories. Things associated with children have played major parts in such tales: dolls, clowns, toys. Stronger than a fear of the unknown, it is the finding of something unknown within the familiar. There is excitement and apprehension involved in the discovery of new information. We find it intoxicating. And so, no matter how many times it may hurt, there is always the possibility of it being something amazing. So we search again.

Just be ready for the twist.

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!

Rising Sign!

NEPTUNE/JUPITER CONJUNCTION IN THE 3rd HOUSE
Neptune, the planet of escape, and the Jupiter, planet of expansion, are together in the 3rd House, the house of communication and writing. People may be returning to reading and writing for entertainment. There may be a renewed dedication to blogging or maybe folks will pick up that book they haven't been able to get through.

Speaking of books, I have a bit of an announcement, if you'll forgive the shameless plug. My first novel, Rising Sign, is now available for purchase. If you're looking for that great summer read, this is a great choice, if I do say so myself (and I do).

"What's it about?" you ask. Well, imagine if the astrological signs were made human. What if they had special abilities on top of that? Now, throw in a deadly enemy and an child who can save the world. Sound interesting? If that doesn't sell you, head over to the Star Child Trilogy website and read the first two chapters. Here are a few of the reviews from folks who have read the novel:

"This novel kept me enthralled from start to finish."

"[...]it consumed my lunch, my train ride, and into the wee hours of the night."

"The development of each character in conjunction with his/her astrology is a remarkably intriguing twist on the sci-fi adventure epic[...]"

"This is a great book for both teens and adults who love adventures in the world of the supernatural."

So stop by and grab a copy today! :)

And now, back to your regularly scheduled blogging...

Up, Up, And Away

URANUS/NEPTUNE SUPPORT
These two planets are supporting each other by sitting in each others' signs. Uranus, the planet of eccentricity, rests in the sign of illusion, Pisces. Meanwhile, Neptune is Pisces's ruling planet and it drifts in Aquarius, the sign ruled by Uranus. When two planets are positioned in such a way, they make each other's influences stronger. Thus, originality will harmonize with illusion and the phrase "Dare to dream" leaps to mind.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing Disney Pixar's new movie, Up. Two friends of mine and I eagerly grabbed our 3D glasses and took a row for ourselves. As with every Pixar movie, there was a short film before the feature. I have seen numerous shorts by this point, and my favorite one is the one with the snowglobe. It's so fun. This short was no different from the others. Very cute, and quite enjoyable. Amazing how people think up movies that are quick and simple and yet give us a comprehensive story in a little amount of time. I adore them. They're soundbytes of the film world, but sometimes, that's all one might need to feel quite a range of human emotions.

Having been wonderfully warmed by the short film, my companions and I were ready for the full length feature. I was not prepared for the sweet, poingancy of the first 20 minutes of the movie. I never expected to tear up at a Pixar film. Oh, sure, Wall-E also caught me with its moments of tenderness, but Up just completely got to me and right off the bat. Not half an hour later, I was crying with laughter and before the movie ended, I was once again tearing up with empathy. For such a creative, fun movie, it certainly tugged at the heartstrings.

The Neptunian sense of dream combined with Uranus's originality certainly lends flight to the elderly main character in this wonderful film. I highly suggest that anyone who has ever dreamed of finding a new way to achieve a goal go and see this movie.

Dare to dream.

Imaginary Belonging

NEPTUNE IN AQUARIUS
Neptune, the planet of illusion, is sitting in Aquarius, sign of friends, in the 7th House, house of social interactions and partnerships. This combination will show an increase in the social world. People will be more open, idealistic, and presenting an image to those that they meet of friendliness.

Fantasy and illusion are powerful motivations in life (see: Fantasy vs. Reality). When it comes to friends, there is one friend that never seems to let you down: the imaginary friend. They're always there for you. They listen when you want them to. They give you advice when you need it. They allow escape for those who don't have other outlets.

For a society that praises individuality and originality, we certainly place strong emphasis on what we have in common with each other. Humans have a deep need to belong. When we don't have a group that makes us feel welcome, we tend to create one. It's a vital part of our survival, derived from our animalistic natures. Wolves run in packs, deer in herds, bees in hives, etc. Yes, we're animals; don't rip my throat out about it.

This seems to be the reason for label creation. While we all profess a hatred of labels, we cling to them because it allows us to belong to a group. Christian, gay, female, Asian-American, senior citizen, student, smart, etc. We are a society that loves to categorize and compartmentalize. It helps us sort out the chaos that is human interaction. We understand people better when we can put them into a box in our minds. Of course, we all belong to different boxes throughout our lives. They're even on the forms that we sign throughout our lives. And it started back in elementary school, didn't it? "Do you like me? Check a box." We love our labels. Else, why would people buy such hideous clothing at such horrendous prices? The label! (Okay, not all expensive clothing is horrible, but you must admit, there are some gauche pieces out there that are worn purely for the label.)

Labels are comforting. They tell us that we're not alone. Others have shared our experiences and have survived. So can we. They had similar concerns. They had similar hopes. Similar dreams. And we can learn from them. It's a powerful motivator for those who feel like they have nowhere else to turn. Of course, some never find their place of belonging and will always turn to the imaginary friend.

Remember: you're unique. Just like everyone else.

Creativity, Cabaret, and Country

JUPITER CONJUNCT NEPTUNE
Jupiter is within a degree of Neptune in Aquarius. This combination is going to lend a great deal of optimism and idealism, especially with regard to creative endeavors. This is a wonderful time to bring out those original ideas that you may have, explore them, and see where they go. You never know what they might lead to. Perhaps your idea is the new fad.

Fortunately, this weekend, I had the pleasure of not only participating in a creative event, but I got to see two wonderful creative endeavors. The first, a cabaret, was a fabulous romp through musical theatre songs. I had a great time and got to perform two of my favorite songs: Muddy Water (Big River) and I Can Do That (A Chorus Line). Being the critical alpha personality that I am, there are a few moments of nitpickiness but hey, perfection, I am not. For any and all that got to see the show, I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Last night, in a similar world, I attended a one-woman cabaret at The Duplex, an old stomping ground of mine. It was nice to be back there, and the show introduced me to many new songs. There were some beautiful pieces and I found myself wanting to write down lyrics. One of my favorite lyrics offered was (and I'm paraphrasing from memory): This beautiful mess we call life is a guess, so why try to obsess? Who knows? The power behind not knowing was a part of the theme of the cabaret. It's better to move on and work towards living than to concentrate on the destination and lose the moments along the way. My friend conveyed the message with love and great sincerity. I was thrilled to see her perform.

Yesterday afternoon, my mother and I celebrated Mother's Day with a trip to Broadway's production of 9 to 5. If you have the opportunity to see it, I recommend it. Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, and Stephanie J. Block have the challenge of are fabulous and Marc Kudisch is likably hatable as Franklin Hart. For those who are devoted to the movie, the musical keeps many of the most memorable lines and moments of the film, transporting them onto the stage. There are enough changes in the musical to make it fresh so that you're not expecting every line. This is one of the best translations of a film to stage that I have seen and I have a new appreciation for the lyrics of Dolly Parton.

I hope everyone's weekend was a fabulous one. Now it's back to working 9-5. Ugh, what a way to make a living.

Friend-Lies

NEPTUNE IN AQUARIUS
Planet of illusion in the sign of hopes and wishes. Now is a time to explore our ideals and aspirations. Applying the wishes our of lives to reality and making the different choices that will lead us past our illusions. This is a very hopeful time in our lives, something we definitely need with the harsh realities of today. It's also a time to explore the illusions surrounding our friendships and discovering why we became friends with certain people in the first place.

Born under the sign of Aquarius? Find out what that means here.

Before beginning today's discussion, I want to let everyone know that I have joined the May Blogathon, started by Michelle Rafter. I pledge to blog every day!

What draws us towards certain people vs others? Why do we seek out friendships with specific people? It seems that we look for people who have similar ideas and ideals to ours. We tend to measure intelligence this way. The more someone agrees with us, the more intelligent they seem to be in our eyes, right? It's interesting the way we make that a measure of intelligence. Not always, of course. There is an objective measure of intelligence, which we call an IQ test, but less and less faith is being placed in this test. Common interests and views play a large part in who we choose to associate with.

One of the major commonalities that may be an unconscious choice is birth order. There are numerous books on birth order, one of which is written by Kevin Leman. After reading this book, I looked around at most of my friends and guess what? Most of them are firstborns, just as I am. Did I unconsciously choose to associate with those who might have like-minded personalities? Who can say?

If we do find ourselves drawn to certain people, are first impressions really as important as they seem to be or is that an illusion? We try to be the best version of who we are when we first meet someone in a social context, at an interview, etc. Is this a lie? Have we presented ourselves as other than we are in order to make someone like us only to show our true colors later? A true friend is someone that you can be yourself around, bad and good, and you can say anything you like without repercussion. Wouldn't it be better to just show your true colors at the outset and save yourself the time and trouble? It's why some people say that you should live with someone in order to really get to know them. Perhaps this is because one simply cannot keep up the "first impression" persona 24/7. This happens in all relationships, when the mask begins to slip, and as most people would say, the honeymoon period is over.

As for me, I like moving past the honeymoon period. I'd rather have that first fight and know that the friendship can weather it. That which does not kill you makes you stronger and I believe that's true of friendships. As friends, we never take vows to see each other through sickness and health, through good times and bad, etc, but I think we create those bonds through our experiences. It's those moments that we share that strengthen our friendships and the fights and the bad times are part of it. Finding that elusive friendship that allows you to say anything you want and act as silly or as stupid as possible is a magical thing and no illusion.

Until then, perhaps the first impression is a necessary lie. Thank you, Neptune.