Are there Really 13 Signs in the Zodiac?
Response to the recent flap created by the Minnesota Astronomical Society stating astrology is wrong and that there are 13 signs: Western astrology is based on the Tropical Zodiac that is fixed in relation to the seasons so nothing has changed. As well, the information is not new. I have an 30 year old book on the subject and it is something that pops up every so often. All is well - you are still in tact and no one has to change their tattoos.
ANIMALS
It has been on the national news about animals being abandoned and given up due to economic changes. Isn’t that further reason to promote spay and neuter programs? It is ridiculous in these times for people to continue to breed and it is the ones who are doing it for money that are the ones who have added to the current crisis. Continue to promote an end to backyard breeders and puppy mills and do not tolerate those who are using their pets to make extra money. They will tell you that they love their pets and that they find good homes for them and that is not just a stupid excuse, but criminal. They should sell themselves which would at least be their choice – the pets don’t have a choice. Rescue groups and shelters are overrun and many are being euthanized daily now because they have no place for them. Animals including horses are being thrown out in forests and just everywhere. If you are too delicate to know about it please do not write me with your woes. I have no time to coddle and serve you. Someone recently told me that she just can’t see the stories because it is upsetting. Gee, she should try being the dog or cat that is going through the horror – that might be just a bit more upsetting. That sort of logic is not an expression of love for animals. One does not have to watch the horrors unfolding as most of us already know what is going on, but those who are living in such a cocooned world need to stay out of the way of the rest of us who are busy doing something. It cost nothing to sign a petition and it takes only moments. As well, one may sign most of them anonymously. So, what’s the excuse for not doing that?
Two links about Amish animal abuse:
Xin Nián Kuài Lè! Happy Chinese New Year!
February 3, 2011 – Chinese New Year of the Metal Rabbit
From Bangkok to New York's Chinatown, the Chinese New Year is the pinnacle celebration for billions of Chinese people around the world. The Chinese New Year is an important and elaborate holiday in Chinese culture. More than any other, the Chinese New Year stresses the significance of familial ties.
Chinese New Year 2011, the Year of the Metal Rabbit, begins on February 03rd and continues for 15 days until the full moon February 18.
Chinese Zodiac Animal Signs
The Chinese calendar is divided in a 12-year cycle of animal signs, which continually repeat themselves. These twelve signs are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram (Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar (Pig).
Each of the first seven days of the Chinese New Year is associated with the birthday of a specific animal.
The first day is the birthday of the chicken, the second is the birthday of the dog; the third is pig and the fourth is the sheep. The birthday of the ox and cattle is celebrated on the fifth day, while the horse's birthday is the sixth day. The seventh day is known as the birthday of man, on which all Chinese traditionally celebrate their birthday and become a year older.
Chinese New Year 2011, the Year of the Rabbit, begins on February 03rd and continues for 15 days, through the end of the full moon.
The biggest celebration during the two-week period is on the eve of the holiday. Much like New Year's Eve in the West, the Chinese celebrate their New Year with parties and fireworks displays. Communal feasts are held with a special place set at the table to honor the presence of ancestors. Their spirits, together with those still living, celebrate the New Year together as one community.
The color red is traditionally associated with luck and good fortune in the Chinese culture. In addition to the celebratory aspects of the holiday, the New Year is also a time for forgiving past hurts and reconciling with estranged friends or family members.
There are other significant holidays during the New Year period, including the Jie Cai Ceng, or Welcoming the Gods of Wealth and Prosperity. This special celebration falls on the fifth day of the New Year. Many people take vacations from the first through the fifth days and return to work after the conclusion of the Jie Cai Ceng. The last day of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration is known as Yuan Xiao Jie, or the Lantern Festival marked by parades, parties and displays of lanterns.
The origin of the Chinese New Year can be traced by to ancient legend about a mythical beast known as Nien – a large-mouthed beast that would attack villages in the dead of winter, devouring animals, crops and even children in a single bite. Villagers would flee to the mountains every year, to hide. One year, an old man -- or, in some versions of the legend, an old woman -- refused to run and hid. He stayed behind and prepared for the beast's arrival. When Nien came to his home, the old man set of loud, red firecrackers, scaring away the beast for good.
From then on, Chinese families hung red banners and set of fire crackers -- now fireworks -- to keep the Nien away. Interestingly, the Chinese word for 'year' is Nian, and these traditional defense strategies came to be known as the Passing of Nian.
Year of the Rabbit People:
If you were born in 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999 you are a Rabbit and this is your year until 2012 to shine and feel the strongest energy.
Personality Traits of the Rabbit:
Rabbits are selfless, neat and tidy, and get along well with their brothers and sisters. Rabbits lead the good life and are the most fortunate of all animals. Rabbits live by the Golden Rule and wouldn't think of breaking it. You are well suited as a banker, lawyer, interior designer, or video-game player.
Famous People born in the Year of the Rabbit:
Famous Rabbits:
Albert Einstein, Orson Welles, Steven Segal, Lily Tomlin, John Dillinger, Brad Pitt, Jane Seymour, Cicely Tyson, Michael Keaton, Nicholas Cage, Michael Jordan, Fidel Castro, Vanessa Williams, Sting
Facts and lore about the Chinese New Year:
The Chinese New Year festivities are sometimes called the Lunar New Year.
The Chinese people age a year together. Tradition holds that on the seventh day of the New Year all people in China become a year older.
On the fifteenth and final day of the Chinese New Year celebrations, the Chinese Lantern Festival is observed. Almost all members of Chinese families walk the streets with lanterns marking the end of the festivities and eat traditional dishes.
The "tsujiura senbei" is a kind of fortune cookie associated with New Year festivities at Shinto Shrines. Its unique name comes from the fact that it contains a tsujiura (a writing that gives a fortune) inside a senbei (Japanese cracker). This Japanese food is centuries old.
During the Chinese New Year Festival only married couples give "Ang Pow" – red envelopes containing money to buy holiday treats to their children or relatives of their younger generations instead of giving presents. Money in red packets always total even numbered amount and never an odd numbered amount as the latter is usually associated with funeral money. The money should never add up to anything with the number 4 in it, because 4 in Chinese sounds like the word, death.
Every year, China Central Television (CCTV) holds a special on Lunar New Year's Eve featuring dances, songs, and short comedies.
In ancient China, bamboo stems filled with gunpowder were burnt to create small explosions in the belief that the loud sound drove away evil spirits. The burning of firecrackers in modern-day China still maintains this age-old custom.
JANUARY 2011 COMMENTARY
The year ahead can be spectacular! While many issues with the world at large will continue there are planetary placements that will open doors for those who elect to think independently and venture toward originality. What does independence mean to you? As quickly as you define that and accept it you will be ahead of the influences that generally affect everyone en mass. Thinking independently often does not lead anywhere other than to clarity of mind that in itself is a nice reward but in this era of just about everyone preaching the law of attraction, it’s obvious there is more confusion than ever before. It is a year that begins a long term cycle of striving for personal truth. I'll be writing more about this as we approach the date.
The very field that promotes such as the law of attraction the most is the one going through backlashes and serious conflict that’s to be expected and right on course in the scheme of any societal group’s evolution. The New Age movement was intended to liberate but has more so become its own religion with as many rules and shame-based, half-baked theories as all the dogmatic and literally translated religions throughout the ages.
The past century carried a romantic vision of what the world would be. Even as late as the 1960’s it was thought we would have colonized the moon and visited Mars by now. The real surprise is that technology has not gone in the direction expected. Advances in medicine and psychology/psychiatry took a left turn toward pharmaceuticals that slowed progress. It was anticipated people would be healthier and live much longer and be able to zip around the world at super speed. As corporate structures (medical, legal, and all the offshoots, etc) grew the world was sidelined back into complacency as the mundane took over shoving parapsychology and quantum physics into the background. That may not seem so since the New Age movement is commonplace but in the bigger scheme it barely runs neck-in-neck with corporate dominance. Spirituality is still an "option" versus the overtly professed ways needed to survive that still reigns.
However, with the years that Uranus transits Aries, beginning in 2011, much of what has beguiled and maligned can be changed somewhat. Some individuals will not want so much to live the illusion; there will always be the sheep factor and the comfortable path of least resistance but more than the usual 5% will wake-up. Hey, if you're reading this you're already awake!
Right now with Pluto in Capricorn for the next 12 years everyone is seeing the toppling and crisis’ in governments and corporations. Once in a while someone rises up as a symbol of what is happening like the sacrificial lamb upon which to focus as the villain and the process itself, not the designated villain, blinds the majority to the whole. Bernie Maddof represents corporate corruption and Julian Assange is the symbol of total misalignment of government’s actions. At this time public assessment of Assange is not quite complete but the US government and Obama administration calling for him to be prosecuted for espionage is turning people in a negative direction that sifts objectivity and justice into a lynch mob mentality that leaves no room for truth or justice. It is like the time as WWII was breaking out – there was no one person who committed social and war crimes but many. Think of the imprisonment of Martha Stewart. It was a costly process for citizens to put her there and maintain her stay. She became a symbol, a scapegoat while others went free. Yet, thousands of missing children are never found. The list of misalignments is long but the point is, where is everyone focused? Where are you focused? It’s not about watching the news or being glued to the media but more about perspective, what you hear versus what you know. Intuition is the invaluable tool to sort through it all.
As people seek someone to vilify or in many scenarios of life it is important to think independently and not follow the crowd or take everything at face value. Uranus in Aries will help.
Jupiter and Uranus conjunct for the third time in the past year is causing a whiplash effect for what seems like a good thing or a new and innovative invention or major change for people. This conjunction occurs approximately every thirteen years that blends inventiveness, freedom and liberation with expansion and blessings. These together could represent the current changes with U.S. healthcare and numerous other changes throughout the world. With the Capricorn eclipse so close to Pluto and other planetary angles there may be more to contend with than is reasonable. It is not about politics or what should be done or changed but astrologically it is about what will work and what is birthed under difficult angles. As always, time will tell.
Within each persons chart the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction open doors and opportunity and brings inspiration based on where specifically it transits.
Jupiter inflates and improves on what already exists while Uranus shakes things up, breaks through restrictions and propels toward new directions. Together, these planets throw mankind into a new future. The impact can be for the good bringing great scientific breakthroughs but there's unpredictability about Uranus that can also bring catastrophes that defy Jupiter's more beneficial influence.
"Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve." Erich Fromm
Astrology Column published weekly at
Shirley MacLaine.com includes daily interpretations, affirmation, visualization and a weekly message for all 12 signs.
Intuitive Development classes on-going throughout the year.
Intuitive Development classes at 5:30 - 7:00 PM in Florida - the Davis Hall on Stevens St., Cassadaga. / $10 per
Each class is from 5:30 to 7:00 PM that includes a meditation for communication and attunement.
Learn about spirit communication, your spirit guides, other dimensions, various methods of psychic ability, how to interpret symbols and synchronicity, healing and much more. The Classes page will have more information.
If you plan to attend send an email or give me a call - I look forward to hearing from you.
A new schedule is being arranged - be sure to sign up for email notices. sandra@sandrahelton.com
July 01: Solar Eclipse in Cancer at 4:54 AM
July 15: Full Moon in Capricorn at 2:40 AM
July 30: New Moon in Leo at 2:40 AM / This is also a Black Moon
JULY 2011
June brought 2 eclipses, one solar and the other lunar in Gemini and Sagittarius which is now followed by a solar eclipse July 1 in Cancer. These events sensitize the area of ones chart where they are linked by degree and house so different effects occur for each.
In addition, there have been numerous solar flares that have sent bombardments of geomagnetic storms toward earth affecting communication satellites and equipment.
June was a record setting month as it brought to culmination a cardinal cross in the heavens which brought back issues everyone has struggled with during the past two years such as government conflict and economic concerns.
As always, detailed information is available in my weekly column at:
July 1: Solar Eclipse in Cancer at 4:54 AM effective for the next 2-3 months. Energy builds until the next full moon. Brings focus on family, home, matters of security and personal attachments and bonds. It’s time to realign with what matters most.
July 2: Mercury enters Leo for three weeks that sheds light on taking an overt stand through communication; initiating a stronger persona: more traveling even via daily ventures such as meeting with friends and being on the go.
July 4: Venus enters Cancer for several weeks enriching the energy of the eclipse with a compassionate heart. It instills greater interest in home décor and making it a place of comfort.
July 15: Full moon in Capricorn at 2:40 AM bringing to culmination the focus of home and career and how to balance them. As this time approaches you may meditate on the authenticity of your work or what you see and ideal in that area.
July 23: The Sun enters the sign of Leo for a month at 12:12 AM boosting interest in being more out there in the world and greater self-awareness.
July 28: Venus enters Leo for several weeks. A more gregarious sense of self comes out. Interest in personal gratification grows.
July 28: Mercury goes into Virgo for a few weeks creating energy to be more methodical and focused of duty and taking care of necessities. It is easier to complete routine tasks.
BLACK MOON
July 30: New Moon in Leo at 2:40 PM is the second new moon in July. Anytime there is a second new moon in a month it is called by some a black moon. In lore this is a mystical magical time when deep meditation and connecting to deepest beliefs and personal deity can produce profound results depending on your purpose. I think it is a time to embrace the shadow self and those secret thoughts and desires that are usually left behind the veil. What are the yearnings of your soul? What secrets do you want to bring forth to resolve, rebirth or manifest?
In addition to the weekly column my by-monthly column in Dynamic Living Magazine wherein I give an overview of two months in advance that may be read by clicking:
The magazine is fabulous and I am proud to be a part of it. There are great articles with a lot of information on alternative health care.
DOG DAYS
Dog Days are not exactly the commonly assumed “hottest days of summer” but are instead a time usually in July when Dates vary from country to country but the cycle is approximately July 3 to August 11.
The days derive their name from the Dog Star, Sirius – the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major and it is at this time of year the Sirius disappears into the Sun’s glow. Both the earths Sun and Sirius are closely aligned rising and setting at almost the same time and combined generate hotter weather. Sirius is actually hotter than our sun but far too far away to warm the planet.
In ancient times the Egyptians considered this time when the Nile flooded in correlation with the rising of Sirius as favorable because crops were nourished and abundance followed.
A DAY OUT OF TIME
July 25 is the last day of the galactic year in the Mayan and Galactic calendar that consists of thirteen moons. The calculation is – 13 moons of 28 days each = 364 days, creating July 25 as the extra day and so considered the Day Out of Time that is dedicated to meditation, prayer and ritual.
CLASSES
Intuitive Development classes are every Sunday at 5:30 PM in the Davis Hall in Cassadaga, Florida
Date in July: July 3; 10; 17; 24; 31
LECTURE - Mini-workshop
I’m presenting a free lecture half hour on astrology July 16 at 1:00 PM in the Sunshine Room in Cassadaga during the Gala Day event. It is entitled: What is Astrology? Not sure if it is free as they have been in the past or are for a niminal fee as a fund raiser.
Astrology classes begin in September - details on the way and also on the Classes Page. My teaching schedule for the remainder of 2011 and 2012 is being posted soon.
OCTOBER 2011
The Draconid Meteor Shower occurs October 8 as the earth passes through a network of filaments caused by Comet Giacobini-Zinner. The showers are expected to produce a few dozen to a thousand meteors per hour and will be visible over Europe, north Africa and the Middle East streaming from the constellation Draco - the derivation of the name.
This month the full moon in Aries on October 11 is part of a grand t-cross in the heavens that has been repeatedly forming since last year causing upheaval in governments and major corporations. The axis that is an opposition (180 degrees) of Uranus in Aries and Saturn in Libra with both those planets forming a 90 degree angle to Pluto in Capricorn is the powerful energy activated by the full moon in Aries.
October is a time cosmically when the solar system aligns to open awareness of our deepest desires and dreams. This full moon in Aries October 11 at 10:06 PM EDT peaks so these days until then are best used for visualizing how you may want to begin anew. Once in Scorpio October 23 the Sun joins Mercury and Venus along with the new moon in Scorpio October 26 launching another two week cycle of growth that further intensifies inner goals and adds significance to what is valued on the deepest level.
November Preview
November 11, 2011 is 11-11-11 creating synchronistic energy for anyone who wants to attune. You might elect to meditate at the same time of the number sequence of 11:11 AM and PM if you want to be precise or feel it will be significant to you. This date carries more interest due to theories and expectations though I anticipate it will come as go as any other day. In numerology 11 is a master number creating added awareness and psychic perception. If there is significance to the date then it will be for a sensitive person to tap in to see what is unfolding. But, there’s time to think about it. : )
The next number sequence will be December 12, 2012 (12-12-12) as it has been in years before such as October 10, 2010 and so on. There is no thirteenth month so what of 2013? Does it correlate with the Mayan calendar that ended in 2012? If that, too, is significant then maybe 11-11 is indeed significant as will be December 2012. I suggest meditating on it all and find the answers for yourself. If reality in individually created then it would be appropriate to do just that and utilize the information for ways to create the ideal.
Newsletter
Click Like on Facebook
Click to follow on Twitter
Valentine’s Day and the Planet Venus
From ancient Rome to Victorian England and still prominent today is Valentine’s Day named after St. Valentine whose actual identity is often confused with three saints recognized as heralding from Christian and ancient Roman times. As well, it is also theorized that the commemoration of one Saint Valentine’s death was changed to mid-February to coincide with the Pagan day of Lupercalia usually celebrated February 15 that was a fertility festival dedicated to the Roman God of agriculture, Faunus and also the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus who were nursed by a she-wolf. Over time Pagan festival days changed, outlawed or simply became unpopular but the idea of Valentine’s Day, representing love and romance, thrive in modern times. Common gifts of candy, flowers and jewelry are all related to the same planetary ruler as love which is Venus. Sweets that tantalize the pallet, love notes in the form of cards, fragrant flowers and jewelry all fall under the domain of the planet of love.
This year Venus on Valentine’s Day is in Aries creating a different type of romantic day in that there will be very original and even unusual gifts given and approaches to how couples celebrate. Aries is the sign of independence and a pioneering spirit and Venus in Aries sometimes causes the energy of love to bounce back and forth between hot and cold. In the current Age of Aquarius there will be emphasis on how each will find their own way and expectation of maintaining personal identity rather than blending into a “couple” exclusive of being two individuals sharing love. The moon on February 14 is on the Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio deepening convictions and commitments that will add intensity to proposals and close encounters of the intimate kind. During the day the moon moves into Sagittarius that will lighten moods and bring optimism and an easy going spirit. It will be important to maintain leeway due to the lunar angles to Neptune and Mercury that causes obscurity and lack of understanding. If you are anticipating clear firm commitments you will need to recheck the next day to be sure you have the facts right! It can be a highly romantic day with just the right atmosphere and allure though time to think about everything will benefit you as the day passes and the week moves on. All committed relationships become enriched and renewed with passion. With Mercury in Pisces expect some very poetic and intriguing conversation.
The most famous symbol for Valentine’s Day is the heart that dates back to ancient Egyptian times. As science progresses the idea of such a connection of love to the actual physical heart has become evident. Research has proven people can really become heartbroken with effects on the heart from a broken romance. Love is about many things including chemistry between two people and subconscious reasons for specific attractions that can be a wonderful experience or lead to complex circumstances and unpleasant endings. From the esoteric perspective it is auspicious for everyone to become acquainted with their own nature and desires and needs, appreciating that within and the true character which will attract the ideal partner and one who resonates positively and someone with whom all the good things are shared. By learning about your characteristics, the sun sign, your emotions and feelings, the moon sign, and the traits of your rising sign you will be able to project your strengths and true self. When I look at the charts of couples I always seem something that links one to another and recognize the pull of planetary alignments that brought them together. As you love specifics about yourself you will then also draw to you another who also loves the same thing and probably will also have those qualities within.
Happy Valentine's Day - February 14, 2012
Easter, Resurrection and Astrology
Easter symbols originate from paganism such as rabbits and eggs – both symbols of fertility. The resurrection of Jesus is the same as the story of the resurrection of Attis, the Phrygian God and there are many stories of resurrection throughout religions and lore all the way back to ancient Egypt, Assyria and Babylon.
It’s interesting that the timing of Easter is a combination of the astrological lunar and solar positions. It takes place on the first Sunday following the fourteenth day of the lunar month and following the Equinox.
Many religions that are not Christian have begun to celebrate it to accommodate the people who want to stay in a comfort mindset from their past and some non-Christian churches do it to bring in people which could be a deceptive act using the celebration as a commodity. You should choose what you sense is right for you. If you are unsure of your beliefs or about the resurrection you may still ponder the concept of renewal and rebirth as that it’s occurring all the time in this dimension. Everything changes from one thing to another, nothing dies but changes and renewal is constant. The Equinox and Easter may be times to dedicate for renewal in your own life and how you can turn over a new leaf to begin a new way of living. Always when the Sun is in Aries that is the zodiacal New Year you can start your life in a new direction with convictions you believe in.
The Full Moon in Libra April 6 and Easter April 8 are three days of high energy to tap into as humankind recognizes the process of transformation and transmutation. It would be ideal to take some private time to meditate, sit in prayer and visualize what you want to manifest and how you want to be as 2012 continues.
Easter is a Christian holiday linked to lunar cycles and the Spring Equinox that is the equal day and equal night for both the northern and southern hemispheres and is about balance and the Spring Equinox and Easter are about life beginning anew, resurrection and rebirth. Easter is from the Saxon goddess Ostara or Eostre, Astarte in Babylon and Ashtoreth in Israel.
