#also they had one (1) romantic interaction and then are mates the next moon

[elementclangen]

Moon 143-Leaf-bare

Burrowpaw (9) is having a rough leaf-bare.  First she got cracked pads, then she slipped on some icy rocks and dislocated her leg, and now she’s caught yellowcough.  At this rate, her sisters will both have their full names before she does-and Sleepypaw’s (9) going to become a Healer!  She’s frustrated with how much cats have been babying her and insists that she doesn’t need anyone.  She’s just fine!  As some observers had guessed, Amethystdapple (70) and Fry (50) have become mates.  Even almost two years since the death of his kit, Cressfreckle (59) is still determined to bring Yuccastar (122) down.  He doesn’t feel like they even do anything useful.  Meanwhile, Moorleg (55) has been spending more time with Chiku (77).  The two of them were treed by a dog and, after spending a lot of time with together, realized how much they have in common.  In the medicine den, Steppemimic (26) has made up with Gladepatch (19).  She realized that she was too harsh in her judgment of him and that he really is a good Healer.

[thezodiaczone]

March Forecast for Virgo

And…you’re off! The month opens with a Virgo full moon on March 1, the only one in your sign this year. It’s a perfect moment to fertilize seeds planted near your birthday, which hands you the metaphorical microphone. Well, Virgo, what do you want to broadcast to the world? If you have a big ask to make or a message to share, you’ve got the floor—so take full advantage!

The action keeps going from there. March, just like January, is bookended by a rare two full moons. This double dose of illumination could cause events to rapidly transpire. You might actually be grateful that two planets (including your ruler Mercury) will turn retrograde in March, giving you the chance to slow down, process and digest all the new ideas and information. While retrogrades have their hiccups and signal-scrambling moments, they can also provide much-needed quiet moments to work through all the energy that’s gotten stirred up.

If you’ve been reeling from the eclipses of January 31 and February 15, you might finally start to make sense of it all now. The full moon in your sign offers an important chance to integrate all the soul-searching that was instigated by these potent lunations. You dealt with themes of control and surrender and had a few epiphanies about where you needed to let go or change. While there may have been a few teary-eyed moments, ultimately you released what no longer served you. Now the Virgo full moon on March 1 hosts a cosmic coming-out party for the lighter, brighter you that’s emerging from the shadows.

Which leads to the next question: Who will join you on this adventure? The Sun is moving through the most partnership-driven zones of your chart all month. It’s time to find your celestial squad—the handful of people (or that one special person) who can weather life’s ups and downs with you, and make both ends of the spectrum more enjoyable.

But careful who you give “kindred spirit” status to now, Virgo. Risk-taker Jupiter will be retrograde in Scorpio and your third house of communication, friends and interactions from March 8 to July 10. A person who seemed like your long-lost soul twin could actually turn out to be flaky or not quite as in-sync as you initially thought.

It’s okay, Virgo—you gave it a try. And taking risks in your social life has been good for you, no matter what the outcome. Expansive Jupiter is in Scorpio from October 10, 2017 to November 8, 2018, a 13-month cycle. You’ve learned a lot about yourself by expanding into your community, exploring new relationships or trying to be more vocal and visible. You might be on social (and social media) overload, and in need of some head-clearing downtime. Since retrogrades can bring back the past, you might reconnect with an old friend or crew over the next four months.

Until March 20, the Sun is in your opposite sign of Pisces, sounding a call for balance and harmony. Pisces rules your seventh house of commitments, and this month is prime time to take inventory of yours. If you’re in a relationship, in what ways could you be more present and connected? Do you or your mate feel unappreciated or neglected? For single Virgos, Pisces season helps you define what you’re looking for in a long-term mate (if you happen to be looking at all) or just how much you’re willing to allow other people into your life. Even the most self-contained Virgo still needs people. How can you make an effort to let the trusted few in a little closer?

The March 17 Pisces new moon kicks off a six-month chapter of growth and opportunities to partner up, whether that’s for business, love or a creative project. One person may rise above the competition now. And once the Sun moves into Aries and your eighth house of intimacy, joint ventures and shared resources for a month on March 20, you’ll be even more interested in “going all the way.”

Should you talk about making things official? Sure, but do it before March 22, when your ruling planet, mental Mercury, turns retrograde in Aries. You could get cold feet about diving in too deep when the quicksilver planet makes its U-turn, disrupting communication, technology and travel. Between now and April 15, address any doubts and concerns—but don’t necessarily act on them. Maybe you have legitimate reason to hesitate about signing on the dotted line. Get your questions answered!

Don’t just write those nagging feelings off as “trust issues,” Virgo. Mercury retrograde is YOUR chance to conduct due diligence. Note: This is NOT the same thing as snooping—although a sneaky streak could crop up. A complicated but compelling ex might resurface, and with a retrograde Mercury drawing you toward intensity, temptation could be hard to resist. Try to view destructive people as messengers: What are your craving more of in your life? If it’s excitement, risk or unpredictability, try to get it from a healthier source instead of walking back into that old trap.

Luckily, the month ends on a grounding note as the March 31 Libra full moon plants your feet on terra firma. Shining a spotlight on your second house of money, security and self-worth, la luna asks: What do YOU stand for, Virgo? When you root yourself in your personal values and priorities, your inner compass will always steer you right. This full moon can bring an exciting job offer, financial boost or clarity around your next money moves. Take a look at your daily routines and practices. Do they sustain you and support your bigger goals? If not, uplevel to new habits that do.

Love & Romance

Romantically speaking, the month opens on a high note, so listen up, Virgo! On March 1, a full moon in your sign—the only one of 2018—cranks up your charisma, drawing people to you almost magnetically. But wait, there’s more! That same day, love planet Venus forms a glowing trine to expansive Jupiter in your communication corner, handing you the talking stick. From flirty banter to soulful confessions to dropping the “L” bomb, this blissful hookup between the “benefics” (which these planets are called for their positive and helpful influence) brings everything into the open. So out with it!

Meanwhile, passionate Mars is marching through Sagittarius and your sentimental sector until March 17. Try as you might, being all “stiff-upper-lippy” isn’t going to work. Your emotions are amplified, and you might be fully forthright about your feelings. Sure, this could scare off some weaker types, but living authentically is always the best filter! Anyone who’s worthy of your time and attention can handle the truth (and the occasional moody moment this Mars cycle can instigate). Couples could naturally glide into their next step without a big discussion, so be prepared to meet the parents, make space in your closet for someone else’s wardrobe, and have some candid emotional discussions. Single? It might be hard to force yourself to get out and date, so be selective—yes, even more than usual. You don’t want to miss out on a suitable suitor on account of your Netflix queue!

Ah, but when amorous Venus parades into Aries and your sultry eighth house on March 6 for the rest of the month, you might put the spurs to your own sides and become a prominent figure on the dating scene. Nor will you have to exert much effort. Unleash your sizzling sensuality, and it’ll be like taking candy from a baby.

Be ready to pounce on March 11, when a transformative Mars-Uranus trine sparks strong emotions, surprising confessions and a mind-body-soul connection. You CAN have true love and lusty attraction with the same person. But you need to be honest about your emotional needs, Virgo—and courageous enough to test the waters of vulnerability. Not to get all Fifty Shades here, but you might even explore playing with consensual power roles and dynamics with someone you trust deeply.

Whatever your fancy, the Pisces new moon on March 17 in your partnership house can bring things to a head. You may have a big decision to make before March exits stage left like a lamb, so make time before then to take emotional inventory. This one is worth it!

Key Dates

March 13: Venus-Saturn Square Pump the brakes to make sure you’re on the same page and moving at the same pace. If you’ve merely assumed that your partner or amour du jour wants the same things out of the union that you do, you could be in for a rude awakening. Have a serious talk to see how in sync you really are. Better to find out now if you’re not than to invest even more time and emotional energy.

Money & Career

Bring on the dynamic duos! The Sun is visiting the most partnership-driven zones of your chart all month. Shouldering the burden alone can be exhausting, so why do it? As el Sol two-steps through Pisces and your balancing seventh house, some top-notch collaborators could enter your world. You may even field a few offers to team up, especially near the March 17 Pisces new moon.

But if you’re going to sign on the dotted line, do so before March 22: That day, Mercury goes retrograde, which is considered an unfavorable time for contracts since details can get lost in translation. Use the early part of the month to back up important data and files, create new, stronger passwords, and get everyone on the same page. Mercury will reverse through Aries and your eighth house of privacy, joint ventures and long-term finances. As the planet of information backspins, be extra careful with technology, especially when it comes to entering sensitive data into a device. Make sure you used secured sites—and networks—when you shop online, and don’t send anyone your credit card number by text or email. Encryption is your friend!

March also presents a wonderful opportunity for a public image revamp. Are you presenting yourself in the most compelling way possible? From March 8 to July 10, outspoken Jupiter turns retrograde in Scorpio and your third house of information. Evaluate the way you’re “marketing” yourself, whether that’s with a business or just the public impression you make. This is a fruitful time for taking classes, working with a media or voice coach, or polishing up your writing skills. Even the best ideas can get lost in the shuffle if your visuals and copy aren’t up to snuff. Hire a pro to make you a logo or take fun new headshots that are glamorous but also capture your personality. Give your social media and other profiles a makeover, and ensure that everything is consistently of the highest quality.

With go-getter Mars in Sagittarius and your domestic fourth house until March 17, your home could be a hotbed of career inspiration. Set up a workspace or creation station where you can be productive. Sick of cubicle life or working for “the man”? Look into freelance options, home-based businesses or starting a cottage industry. (There’s in Etsy store in many a Virgo!)

Your creativity will be even more off the charts when Mars marches through Capricorn and your expressive fifth house from March 17 to May 16. Don’t hesitate to promote your talents or put your new media-savvy skills to work; the red-blooded planet in this spotlight-stealing zone could bring a hit of fame. Look at it this way: You’re not pushing yourself on people. You’re just sharing something you believe in with an open and generous heart. Who knows? Maybe your brilliant idea could change someone’s life for the better. Totally worth stepping out of your comfort zone for that!

Key Dates

March 2: Mercury-Jupiter Trine Under this golden alignment, you’ve got the trifecta: brilliant visionary ideas, motivation to see them through, and laser-like attention to details. Plan it, manifest it!

Love Days: 11, 17 Money Days: 23, 31 Luck Days: 20, 1 Off Days: 19, 27, 13

[rogeramir]

Family: A Poisonous Gift From The Ego

This post is not going to make me very popular, especially with those who hold very sweet, romantic concepts of one’s own ‘family’, but what to do. I’ve got to write what I’ve got to write. So, here goes…

What is family?

1 generation back, I had 2 ancestors.

2 generations back, I had 6 ancestors.

Going back 10 generations (roughly 250 yrs), I probably had 1,024 ancestors. I am not good with numbers, but you can do the math yourself. Maybe some of them were common ancestors, so the number could be less than 1,024.

Going back 30 generations (roughly 750 yrs), I probably had 1 billion ancestors.

Going back 40 generations (roughly 1,000 yrs), I could have had a trillion ancestors.

How many of these millions (at least) of actual family members do we choose to consider as our family? And how many other relatives did they have?

All the rest are discarded / disowned as ‘others’. Why? Forget about 40 generations back, we don’t even go back 5 generations. Why? Economic conditions? Family and individual incomes have gone down and people cannot afford to look after large groups of people? From large tribes to large joint families to smaller families to single family parents?

Or psychological reasons… we would feel overwhelmed to think about all these people? Is that why we have ignored all those wisdom teachers who taught us that family is not about all this. Its not about this shortlist of people that you carry around. Its not about your ‘blood’ and if it is about blood then the same blood flows through all of us. How can we not see that? How can we be stupid enough not to see that? It is unbelievable that we can land a man on the moon, explore farther and farther reaches of the universe and make so many incredible technological innovations, but we cannot see our innate oneness. To this extent, we are probably the dumbest of all species, not the smartest.

The great wisdom teachers told us to go beyond these concepts of family, religion, sexes, color, creed, caste and so on and so forth. But we were too blind to what they were saying. We are a spiritually blind specie. Just like some kinds of fish, shrimps, worms, beetles and other species are totally blind, we (99.999999% of us) are spiritually blind. We are just unable to see what we share with that person standing at the corner of the street or that co-worker or that person sitting in that car who is trying to overtake us and we say, ‘over my dead body’.

The wisdom teachers were telling us that we are all one family, we come from the same source. We all have the same father, the same source, the same creator.

I have written extensively on ‘ego’ before, so i’ll just extrapolate from that and keep it short. If interested, you can go back to my earlier posts and easily find what I have written earlier on this.

‘Ego’, the ‘I’, the personality that we develop, basically comes from two sources, i.e., firstly, our heredity, what we are born with, the genetic make-up that we bring with us as we come into this world and, secondly, the information that we acquire after birth, from our upbringing, our education, our interaction with people and what some call, our social programming.

The heredity or the genetic make-up is responsible for the functioning of our whole body up to maturation (puberty) and then also for mating and child bearing and keeping the new borns safe until their maturation. Once we have given birth and brought the young ones up safely, we are done. We have played our part in the cycle of life and we are now ready for the pasture. This is all that mother nature wanted us to do, i.e., to pass on the baton to the next generation (for their mating and parenting life) and then to retire. But, by the time that happens, we are so glued to this whole thing called life and to the social conditioning (which makes us greedy, clingy and unwilling to die) that we continue leading the same lives and thinking that life still needs us to keep doing the same thing, i.e., run after money and sex and everything else these two demand. We refuse to give up. And, from one point of view, rightly so. That is what life taught us to do. And now life wants us to get out of the line and take a side seat? No way! We are not going to give up what we have spent years in accumulating and learning.

So, anyway, that is the whole messy life that the ego, the ‘I’, wants us to live.

Back to the idea of ‘family’, the ego, the ‘I’, our social conditioning and programming makes us believe that our family is our parents, our spouses, our children and may be our siblings and their brothers and sisters. Very few people would include some others in that list. Most would like to keep the list of ‘family’ shorter, as short as possible.

That is how the ego works; the less the number of people we are responsible for, the better.

The concept of ‘family’ is one of the symptoms of the poison of ego that we have drunk. It is one of those social institutions, which, like money, like politics, like marriage, like private property, like religion, like nationality, like race, like ethnicity, divide us and create strife. All these are the poisonous effects of ego-based individual lives and societies.

Maybe one day, we will collectively wake up to these poisons!

I hope to write more on this further posts. In the meanwhile, start doing the maths on your forefathers, the previous generations and try to count how many family members you may have today even if you just count the last thousand or so years – keeping in mind that human history is thousands (if not millions) of years old.

Go on, spend some time on it… and it might give you a different perspective on the people you see on the road or in office tomorrow!

(Image by Pexels from Pixabay)

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1195

Monday, January 8, 2017

 I gave it the old college try but I was thwarted again from catching up on all the comic books that I wanted to read last week by life's little events. My Dad's 85th birthday meant an evening out with family. Spent most of one day off cleaning the whole house in the aftermath of Christmas being put away for another year. One extra loading and unloading of stuff to take to the monthly Capital Trade Show because I was flying solo for this one took part of another day. Penny came to help and keep me company yesterday at the beginning and the end of the trade show. Thanks to our neighbour vendor Chris for helping me load up after the show. This week has us dealing with our cars having to be serviced. Penny's Soul has to go in for a recall. The ever ominous "service engine soon" light came on the dashboard display of my X-Trail yesterday. The transmission didn't engage a couple of times but I managed to get it going by adjusting the stick shift. I hope it's just the extreme cold of the last week that's causing the problem. I hope I get a bit of alone time to read more this week. Here are comments of the few that I got to.

 Phoenix Resurrection #1 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Leinil Francis Yu (pencils) Gerry Alanguilan (inks) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). The gang's all here. I still read Astonishing X-Men so I recognised that team and I figure the other two teams are Blue and Gold. Correct me if I'm wrong. So they're bringing back Jean Grey/Phoenix again just in time for the spring release of the movie starring Sophie Turner better known as Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones. There's enough mystery here to keep me reading but I have issues with all-powerful beings and wonder if we need another super human on the racks right now. This 5-issue mini comes out weekly so I will be able to decide whether it's good enough to read the whole story very quickly.

 Batman and the Signal #1 - Scott Snyder & Tony Patrick (story) Tony Patrick (writer) Cully Hamner (art) Laura Martin (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). This 3-issue mini lets the Signal shine solo as he tries to figure out where his powers come from. I'm not familiar with Duke but I've seen him fight alongside Batman before. DC is probably hoping that his partnership with Batman will help sell this but here we have another young super hero fighting young super villains. I predict Signal will get into deep trouble and then find a way to win the day. The art would be the only reason that I would read the rest of this story.

 Rogue & Gambit #1 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Pere Perez (art) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This 5-issue mini takes the two off again romantic partners on a mission to save other mutants. The art is very nice and the last page got me good. I'm going to read the next issue to see what happens next.

 The Snagglepuss Chronicles #1 - Mark Russell (writer) Mike Feehan (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Paul Mounts (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). The art got me to pick this off the rack to read with it's mix of human and anthropomorphised animals walking around on two legs. The only thing I recall about the old Hanna Barbera cartoon was Snagglepuss's voice. It sounded snooty to me. The one in this 6-issue mini would sound snooty too since he's a big time playwright. The story takes place in the late 1940s when the government was going after communist sympathisers in the entertainment industry. There are a couple of surprise twists that make this worth reading even if you were never a fan of the cartoon character.

 Dark Nights: Hawkman Found #1 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Bryan Hitch (pencils) Kevin Nowlan (inks) Alex Sinclair & Jeremiah Skipper (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I thought that I was done reading any more Dark Night books but then I saw the creative team on this one-shot and had to see what's up with Hawkman these days. I really enjoyed reading this book. They captured the warrior spirit of Carter Hall very well. I was disappointed by the Groundhog Day twist at the end however. As a fan of Jeff, Bryan and Kevin, this book was a blast to read but it didn't make me want to reach for more Dark Night books.

 Jessica Jones #15 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Michael Gaydos (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The return of the Purple Man has a great twist that you don't want to miss. If you've watched the first season of the TV show you will get added enjoyment from having a deeper insight into the relationship between Jessica and Killgrave.

 Action Comics #994 - Dan Jurgens (writer & pencils) Art Thibert, Trevor Scott, Johnny Desjardins & Joe Prado (inks) Hi-Fi (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Ugh, I can't wait for Booster Gold's guest appearance in this book to be over. In order for this time travel snafu story to have any emotional impact Dan has to make Superman act in a stupid and selfish way. Any hero should know better than to mess with time, but no, Superman MUST find the answers he seeks. That bothers me a lot.

 Moon Knight #190 - Max Bemis (writer) Jacen Burrows (pencils) Guillermo Ortego (inks) Mat Lopes (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Crazy Runs in the Family part 3. I really like how Moon Knight's multiple personalities are interacting with each other in Marc's head. The reintroduction of an old supporting character and the surprise twist on the last page gave me that "what a great comic book" chuckle.

 Batman #38 - Tom King (writer) Travis Moore (pencils & inks) Giulia Brusco (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). This one is a mind bender. Batman flexes his detective's muscles as he solves a serial murder case. The fisherman in me loved all the red herrings.

 Invincible Iron Man #595 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Stefano Caselli & Alex Maleev (art) Marte Gracia & Alex Maleev (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The Search for Tony Stark part 3. We're getting closer to finding Tony but meanwhile the Infamous Iron Man has problems with the Hood and RiRi has problems with the board of directors of Stark Industries. It's all very entertaining.

 The Demon: Hell is Earth #2 - Andrew Constant (writer) Brad Walker (pencils) Andrew Hennessy (inks) Chris Sotomayor (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). Jeepers, this is awesome sauce. Not only is the art incredibly nice to look at but the writing is so much fun. I like this Etrigan and Jason Blood pairing. One of the things that made this evil demon character appealing to me was how Jason could control him somewhat. Things have changed between them now and it makes their relationship more interesting. I am definitely going to read the rest of this 6-issue mini.

 Punisher: The Platoon #4 - Garth Ennis (writer) Goran Parlov (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Rob Steen (letters). I know that Frank survives this story but I am also hoping the young Vietnamese guerrilla fighter makes it through the war alive too. She's a great character and I keep wondering when she and Frank will meet.

 Superman #38 - Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason (writers) Sergio Davila (pencils) Vicente Cifuentes (inks) Gabe Eltaeb (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Super Sons of Tomorrow part 4. I am assuming that future Tim Drake/Batman changes into a character named Savior in the Teen Titans tie-in. I don't care how that happened so I'm not going to read that tie-in. All I now is that he's bad and his team mates in the future Titans show up to help the kids and Jon's dad. I can't wait for this time travel story to conclude in Super Sons #12 which hits the racks January 17.