Princess of Wands from the Thoth Tarot Deck. Image source: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xF86j3374Ns/TABgObhHTkI/AAAAAAAAEuo/8854yr-6IbU/s1600/Princess_of_Wands.jpg

This song was written as a reminder, as a warning, and because I needed to create something today. The Moon was in Aries, sextile Neptune in Aquarius, trine Mercury in Sagittarius, and opposite Saturn in Libra. I wrote it after thinking about the Princess of Wands.

I never have a plan or a mapped destination
I wait for the signs to reveal my location
And when the compass breaks it’s only to help me
Learn a new route without hesitation

Living this way has its ups and its downs
Sometimes I know where to look to get found
Often I’m lost and believing in fate
To fall down upon me and turn me around

There’s a time and a place to give up control
A time and a place to follow your soul
A time and a place to take up the reigns
And set your own course and make your own name

I conjured a vision to light up my life
It lived in my mind through the bleakest of nights
And one day I dreamed of a way to achieve it
My thoughts were a fume about to ignite

I pushed and I pulled with the fear in my heart
A pressure so deep it could tear me apart
Defeated at first, I began to see through
My victim, my foe, my doubt in the dark

There’s a time and a place to put on the brakes
A time and a place to make your mistakes
A time and a place to face your destruction
And conquer the beast or suffer abduction

A black hole can suck all the wind from your sails
And sometimes there’s no one around when you fail
The world is a cycle of blossom and burn
You have to be ready to play on your turn
You have to be steady to stay on the ground
You have to be open to get closed down

There’s a time and a place to fight or be beaten
A time and a place to fall in with the seasons
A time and a place to believe or to question
And find your own place in this world or the next one

“Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world…”- Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, Eyes of the World

Image source: http://carlprox.theworldrace.org/blogphotos/theworldrace/carlprox/Eye_Of_The_World1.jpg

Have you ever felt like you were being assaulted by someones eyes? Have you been stalked by a gaze that made you blush or made you wonder if the owner of the gaze was plain crazy or utterly oblivious to their overt facial operations? If you know what I’m talking about, then chances are you had captured the attention of an Aries or Scorpio.

Traditionally, the war-god Mars was assigned as the ruler of both Aries and Scorpio, until Pluto was discovered in 1913. While the Mars influence is aggressive and brash, the Pluto influence is smoldering and penetrating. These energies—powerful and all-consuming—are difficult to conceal, which become very apparent in the eyes of Aries and Scorpio individuals.

With Aries, the eyes focus with a desire to engage or challenge you—”Notice me!” they say, “I am here, now!” Sometimes, you may notice that Aries isn’t quite looking at you—their eyes are fixated by a primal urge or thirst for action. It’s quite impersonal—I call it the “crazy eye.”

With Scorpio, the eyes focus with a desire to look into the depths of your being—they say, “What are you hiding? I seek truth. Reveal yourself!” This gaze is quite discomforting if you’re not prepared to stare back. A Scorpio will not flinch if caught staring this way at you. I call it the “knowing eye.”

There are many eyes of the world. How have you felt them?

Hope Rocks!

Many (myself included) are rejoicing in the fact that Mercury the scribe has completed its retrograde period, along with Uranus the rebel—two planets that reign supreme over my countenance of late. All that’s left is the direct motion of Jupiter, coming on Christmas Day! Hooray! Writings in the Sky has a nice rundown of all the exciting planetary activity, as well.

I had commented earlier on Jupiter’s role in lifting spirits, evoking optimism, and providing a foundation of hope. Lord (or whoever you wish to insert in the name of cosmic magnificence) knows, I ride on the pinwheel of positivity whenever I can. And sometimes, I wonder whether I’m mistaking the hopeful influence of Jupiter for the escapist influence of Neptune. I can’t deny the tendency to lose myself in music or daydreams in order to cope with a difficult situation. But then, I realize that there is a distinct difference between the two:

Jupiter = Belief; Neptune = Surrender

When I set forth to achieve something, I believe in its completion. When I listen to music, I surrender to its purpose.

So during these periods of retrograde, it’s not that I lose my beliefs—rather, I need to examine the basis of my beliefs to make sure that they are strong enough and valid enough to support me during a period of testing. Saturn has a nasty way of testing beliefs, especially when they are foolish or outdated. And when I’m ready, I turn to Neptune to lose myself in the Jupiterian safety net I’ve created.

And of course, I can’t forget the gifts of belief and surrender: my “Hope” rock was a gift from a Jupiter-ruled Sagittarian, Zen Ben of the Neptunian Splintered Sunlight family.

“Everybody’s playin’ in the heart of gold band.”- Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Scarlet Begonias

The Circle Turner

“She dances in a ring of fire and throws off the challenge with a shrug.”- Jim Morrison, All the Poems

Every circle has a turn
Everyone!
has a fire to be burned like the sun
Every circle has a turn
Everyday!
has a night to lead the way to the sun

There ain’t a square that can’t fit a circle in its box of rain
There ain’t a moon that can’t shed a light upon your windowpane
There ain’t a song that’ll keep a dancer sitting on the side
There ain’t a dancer like the lady with a twirling in her eyes

Every circle has a turn
Everyone!
has a fire to be burned like the sun
Every circle has a turn
Everyday!
has a night to lead the way to the sun

There is a girl in the midnight floating on a cloud of sound
She is a wispy, waltzy wonder, glowing round and round
She paints a circle with her arms and paints a heart with care
Take your turn upon the dance floor, follow her spinning hair

And if you feel caught up, just get your feet unstuck and let your spirit lead the way
Forget about tomorrow and yesterday, just keep your focus on today
Join the circle dancer among the sparkling notes of the guitar
She’s a jewel-maker, sundrop nightshaker stirring up the stars

Every sunrise has a light
Everyday!
is a fight to keep the darkness away.
Every morning has a sun
Everyday!
is a reason to believe in everyone.

And every circle has a turn…

Image source: theastrologyplace.blogspot.com

Every morning. Every evening. Every Wednesday. Every month. Every year. Every Winter. Every Summer. Every other…

EVERY NEVER.

The Astrofix blog has a great post on the business of The 6th house: You better work it. It’s about skills, practice, routine, repetition, rigor—all things daily.

Now, being a Virgo—the sign of 6th house rulership—I should be disciplined in work routines, right? Pffft! Boring. Predictability is anathema to me. I enjoy twists and turns, wonderment and magic, surprising revelations—all the stuff of Uranus sitting in my 6th house of the mundane.

Now, I shouldn’t blame everything on Uranus—Mercury has its tricky little hands in this as well. The thirst for new ideas and trends; a curiosity that trumps all other considerations; the desire to outsmart and outmaneuver—I can’t possibly concentrate on one thing for too long. I might miss something amazing and be made to look unknowledgeable!

When I think about the things I do every single day, I’m left with only one thing: I READ. I read the news, I read astrology blogs, I analyze charts, I follow directions to learn new technologies, I look things up on google and wikipedia, I read facebook statuses, I scan twitter feeds, I skim emails, I find new websites, I re-read favorite book passages or entire books, I start new books, I read wine labels…and I also discover the synchronicity between subjects when I read. Hello Uranus!

The Challenge: Using Mercury and Uranus to put my 6th house to work while writing this blog and my novel. Urania Zed doesn’t wait!

The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.

Image Source: http://abyss.uoregon.edu

It got me thinking about the current Jupiter retrograde—set to go stationery direct on Christmas Day—and reminded me how strongly faith, hope, and other Jupiterian qualities are the foundation of my life.

My natal Jupiter sits at the base of my chart, conjunct the IC in Leo. It provides me with a wealth of hope, courage, and spirituality. Since its been retrograde, however, I have noticed it’s not as easy to tap into my usual optimism.

How ’bout you? How’s your Jupiter holding up? Have you lost hope? DON’T. It’s just a passing phase…

Regret: Just this morning, I made the horrible mistake of taking scissors to my bangs as I was rushing out of the house for work. The result? I chopped off 3 inches of hair in the front of my head from my already short hair which turned me into a female Friar Tuck! This Gemini Ascendant is NOT PLEASED.

Return: That hair travesty aside, I did edit my blog a bit—I added some of my songs and music articles—and have revisited the novel I began writing last winter. The Objectives of Urania Zed sprung out of the intense Uranus transits I’ve been experiencing: T Uranus opp N Mercury & Venus and conj P Midheaven; P Mercury conj N Uranus. I’m also the child of two highly Uranian parents.

Urania Zed, the heroine, is a senior in high school when the novel begins and she endures some pretty heavy events early on which drive her into a web of self-discovery, earthly and universal mysteries, and deathly adventures. My characters are all linked to astrology, tarot, and other spiritual references. I hope you’ll check it out and let me know what you think. Tell your friends too!

Read Chapter 1: The Terms of the Espiri

Earth Goddesses

There’s a woman I know, who comes and goes
She’s a gun filled with roses
She runs on the fuel from a beating heart drum.

With a fold of her arms she can shut your face down
With the gold of her heart there’s enough to go ‘round.

Oh, Capricorn lady! Maybe we can build you a home.
Let’s gather the stones of the plans you’ve delayed.
Let’s build you a home with the love that you’ve paid.
From above you were made.

I remember a time, I had fled from a lie
There was no place for hiding
I was dying in slow-motion, watching through fog.

Then I met such a lady, her spirit carefree
I was swept up in laughter when the lady swept me.

Oh, Capricorn lady! Maybe we can plant you a tree.
Let’s gather the seeds of the dreams you have shared.
Let’s plant you a tree with the hope you’ve repaired.
From strength you have dared.

In the traveling winds and the rising of Suns, there is always a keeper of words.
In a dark night of questions and mornings of ash, the Capricorn lady plows through, unabashed.

There’s a lesson I know, it comes and goes
It’s a play on the senses
It stays on my mind like a scorching hot brand.

With time I will learn it and teach it to you
With rhyme I can weave it so you can teach too.

Oh, Capricorn lady! Maybe, oh, maybe.
Oh, Capricorn lady you won’t wait for maybe.
Oh, Capricorn lady, you’ve made it already.
Oh, Capricorn lady, keep shining on, baby!

Inside the Splintered Sunlight temple. Image source: Splintered Sunlight

He takes the chance; first to dance
in time with Mason’s Children.
We are swaying; we are pilgrims.
We have traveled from the hills to hear our songs.

He makes the rounds and hears the sounds
the beat cannot escape him.
We are family; we are kindred.
We belong amongst the wind and sun and fire.

Our friend Ben’s an early riser.
Our friend Ben’s a soul advisor.
Every morning he reminds us
that our lives are here to drive us to the sea.
The sea of peace.

We want so much but what’s the rush?
Our time is now unfolding.
We have wheels and we are rolling.
We have wealth inside the gold of our embrace.

Our friend Ben, he is a seeker.
Our friend Ben is a believer.
Every morning he reminds us
that the life we live’s a gift and we are free.
Free to believe.

Come now, children, let’s assemble in the Splintered Sunlight temple.
Bring your lights and bring your flowers; bring your power to the tower of the night.
It’s alright if you feel lonely, in the crowd you’ll find the only friend you need.
And Ben will lead the way, indeed.

Our friend Ben’s an early riser.
Our friend Ben’s a soul advisor.
Every morning he reminds us
that our friends are there to guide us to the sea.
The sea of peace.

Butchy the Muse. Image source: Splintered Sunlight

Out on the dusky rails of road
The sun was setting up the show
I saw a woman in the sky
She was a cloudy firefly

I shifted gears into the air
My wheels-a-turnin’ up the stairs
Upon the heavenly highway
I gotta meet my woman there

When the muses meet
(When the muses meet)
Won’t you move your feet
(Why don’t you move your feet)
To the sound of love
(Yea, the sound of love)
To Mother Nature’s beat
(Oh, Mother Nature’s beat)

Across the silky strands of night
Her hair a raven-winged delight
My woman shook her locks for me
They wrapped around my heart so tight

We sailed among the leaves of rain
And washed our souls of earthly pain
I love my woman, she loves me
Oh, won’t you play our lovin’ game?

When the muses meet
(When the muses meet)
Won’t you move your feet
(Why don’t you move your feet)
To the sound of love
(Yea, the sound of love)
To Mother Nature’s beat
(Oh, Mother Nature’s beat)

There ain’t a storm or hurricane that’ll blow away our home
We got an angel on our fence and our love is garden-grown
You may be wonderin’, my friend, how to find your lovin’ land.
Me and my woman can show you—come and play with our Lovin’ Band!

Well, well, when the muses meet
(Oh, when the muses meet)
You gotta move your feet
(Why don’t you move your feet)
To the sound of love
(Yea, the sound of love)
To Mother Nature’s beat
(Oh, Mother Nature’s beat)

Yeah, yeah, when the muses meet
(Oh, when the muses meet)
Your soul will be complete
(Yeah, it’ll be complete)
You can dance in love
(Yea, you can dance in love)
To Mother Nature’s beat
(Oh, Mother Nature’s beat)