bibliomancy for a capricorn-cancer full moon

d sinclair '06

"In the Florentine view the human body was a manifestation of the soul. It was possible to entertain a soulless notion of the body, but that was considered an aberration. Such a body was unnaturally split off from the soul. We might call it schizoid - lifeless, meaningless and without poetics. But an ensouled body takes its life from the world's body, as Ficino said, "the world lives and breathes, and we can draw its spirit into us" What we do to the world's body, we do to our own. We are not masters of this world, we participate in its life." (Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul, p 172)

..and for a peregrine bibliomancer...

self portrait d sinclair '07

"The first contact brings the sudden awareness that all is not 'right' but it is often difficult to discern which part of oneself or one's environment is inappropriate to the future. One begins to cast about, looking outside oneself for the cause of anxiety or turbulence"

(Erin Sullivan, Retrograde Planets, Traversing the Inner Landscape - Chapter 21, Transiting Uranus Retrograde, p367)

The word 'Peregrine' comes from the Latin for 'alien' or 'foreigner' (pereger = beyond the borders, ager = land, i.e., 'beyond one's own land'). In old English, to peregrinate means to wander far from home. In traditional and medieval astrology the term refers to a planet which has no 'level of rulership' or power in its current cosmic position - its a drifter, an immigrant and just passing through, buddy.

Now there are a few planets doing not much in particular at the moment, or so it feels to me - but perhaps its only that here in my house we're all home from school; mooching around wrapped in blankets, passing each other tissues and hot tea as we nurse runny noses and coughs; pottering between one creative project and the next; reading the same page over and over; generally not getting a whole lot done. The phone is off the hook, we're hunkered down, as they say in the movies (and probably in real life somewhere out there). At the same time is a feeling that we'll be leaving here soon, but as yet we have no place to aim for. I await the guidance of the Gods.

Jupiter, Uranus, Pluto, Chiron and Neptune - these boys are all in cosmic drift mode, otherwise known as 'retrograde'. Not actually going backwards, as the word suggests, but appearing to do so as the heavens continue to reel around them. Someone recently described this as akin to being driven along on one of those childhood road trips, lying down on the backseat and watching the trucks overtake - marvelling at how this really feels like travelling in reverse. Yeah, like that, remember?

While lying there on the backseat, watching the world go past, you might start to wonder about where you've been, which direction you're going in; you might question the nature of time and direction and you might imagine a whole lot of stuff. The inner world - soul - takes over. Those telegraph poles you can see out of the window become markers - proof that you are indeed still going somewhere. You can fly between them, leap from one to the next. Until your little sister decides to stick straws in your nostrils, and Mum in the front seat tells you to keep your feet inside the vehicle or for goodness' sake a passing truck will take them off.

Sorry, I got carried away there for a moment.

(See? I'm a wanderer in my own inner landscape right now, and in need of outer guidance - but my body is telling me to be still a while, let life get out of focus. Who am I to argue with the soul's wisdom?)

Bleuch, I'm going back to bed...

bibliomancy for venus in leo

'paradise chick' d sinclair '08

"We possess Beauty when we are true to our own being; ugliness is in going over to another order...Let the soul fall in with the Ugly and at once it shrinks within itself, denies the thing, turns away from it, out of tune, resenting it." (Plotinus: V.8.13)

bibliomancy for mars conjunct saturn in virgo

'weighting' d sinclair '06

"...'I'm not worth it', that lie lives in your mind because you believe it. You don't believe people who tell you how great you are, and you don't believe them because you believe the opposite. Your faith is already invested in a belief that is not the truth; its a lie, but your faith guides your actions... "

- Don Miguel Ruiz; The Voice of Knowledge, p 97

dream readings, personal bibliomancy

'magician' d sinclair 'o8

Got a dream that just doesn't make sense? Maybe you get the feeling that its important, but understanding eludes you?

Has a seemingly random event occured in your daily life that's too poignant to ignore - perhaps a series of recurring symbols keep appearing - yet for some reason you can't figure out what it all could mean?

Do you have a burning question about the future?

I'm now offering dream readings, 'cledon' reading and bibliomancy in the privacy of your email inbox. Send your dream or query to me (danae@danaesinclair.com.au) - in whatever depth you feel necessary - use the paypal button below to send your payment of $33 AUD to receive your personal (not generated by a computer program!) reading within 24 hours.

bibliomancy for a new moon in cancer

inner trinity d sinclair 'o8

"The Orphan archetype teaches the inner child to survive difficulty. The Wanderer differentiates the adolescent from parents and others and promotes the sense of adventure we need to face the unknown. The Warrior activates the inner father so he can protect and provide for us. The Altruist supports the inner mother so she can nurture and comfort us."

- Carol S Pearson: The Hero Within, Six Archetypes We Live By, p 220

bibliomancy for mars in virgo

'jester' d sinclair '08

""Beauty and the Beast" suggests that we can transform not only ourselves but others by loving them just as they are - "naming" them as lovable, even with all their imperfections. "The Frog Prince," though is a different story. The frog takes advantage of the the princess; she is emotionally younger and not so wise as Beauty, not so able to love the frog as a frog."


- Carol S Pearson, PHD; The Hero Within, Six Archetypes We Live By, p201


Mars, planet and archetype of masculinity in its prime, of yang, initiating, outward-moving energy; our inner warrior, charioteer and all-round action figure - is changing sign again. Out of Leo, where the sun shines so bright its a wonder our guy doesn't fry inside that armour and into cooler, cleaner, analytical Virgo. Yes, what a relief.

A pause to re-group and have a good think about where things are at.

For we women folks, the men around us may begin to be a lot less hot-headed and perhaps cool off in other regions as well. I've heard a lot of stories lately about how the fellas are acting out like big Drama Kings, and in some good ways too. Leo rules romance, after all, and who doesn't like splashy, dramatic displays of emotion and affection?

Well, we'll see. I for one didn't experience much of the above anyway - Mars, for me, is creative energy which is best put to use on my various projects, one of which is this blog. Tapping into my inner warrior means going after what I want, not necessarily with a sword in my hand but with intent to succeed. Lately I've been so fired up about certain things that - no surprise - fire alarms keep going off in my presence. (this morning I burnt my favourite pan - a gorgeous red soup pot that I left on the stove top over long and is now ruined). Ideally, I'd like to tone it down by degrees and settle into 'active receptivity' mode. Let things fall into place of their own accord. Work more efficiently, with less energy expended.

As for the blokes - or should that be Beasts? - there may well be shift to cerebral emphasis in relations with them. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, and Mercury represents the mind. Then again, if it involves Mercury we're talking about that Trickster God so it may be wise to keep a sharp eye out for, well, tricks. It might also be helpful to be in tune with the healthier aspects of Virgo - good, positive self-care - the grounding kind. Hold fast to integrity, and be less easily influenced by flash, flowers and sleight of hand.


And don't, what ever you do, kiss the frog.

bibliomancy for the solstice

north star d sinclair '08

"Every person, in the course of his life, must build - starting with the natural territory of his own self - a work, an opus, into which something enters from all the elements of the earth. He makes his own soul throughout his earthly days; and at the same time he collaborates in another work, in another opus, which infinitely transcends, while at the same time it narrowly determines, the perspectives of his individual achievement; the completing of the world."

(Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Divine Milieu)

bibliomancy for mercury direct

'groom' d sinclair '08

"After a long rain, we joyously watch the heavens clear.

The sun and moon grow slowly brighter.

The gloomy days are over, so be happy and joyous.

You will bound through the Dragon Door in one leap."


You have found the hidden treasure. Open the spirit world and enjoy its riches.

(The Kuan Yin Oracle, 100 Poems of the Goddess, Karcher: 20)

Sitting here sipping fennel tea, which is said to have 22 separate healing qualities as well as being sacred to our Trickster friend, its a relief to be almost to the end of Mercury's retrograde phase.

Oh OK, it hasn't been too bad. There was costly work to be done on the car - just like last time the god of travellers went AWOL - and two computers went down (I won't bother getting them fixed until we are well out of the danger zone). There was plenty of miscommunication, double-crossed wires, forgotten appointments, late arrivals and more than one person laughed with me about having missed a plane. Over all, though, it has been a good time to go back over some old ground. In one situation where I'd previously had difficulties with billing I discovered money owed to me (it has been delayed in its return, but it must surely be on its way!).

Mercury sure does love to move things around. Today I heard someone say that the planet itself is a big chunk of iron - that would make it the most powerful magnet I've ever heard of.

Yes, I feel the need to renew my sense of equilibrium, to get my polarities lined up.

It occurred to me last night after receiving a comment from a reader here that in spite of what others may expect me to project into the world - a stronger vision, a more realistic representation of my self, or what ever - that the swing between one way of being and another doesn't sit comfortably with me. What I'm saying is that I hope never to be one way or another but to be both.

There are situations in life that require a strong manner of speaking, but that doesn't mean that I am not also scared. Just because I accept the consequences of my past actions doesn't mean that I don't also feel wronged. I'm acutely aware that for every victim a bully is constellated, that heroes call foes into being - every archetypal pattern demands its counterpart be played out. I've found that the way through these mythical forces is simply to walk the path of non-resistance. Acknowledging the gods, if you like. Because they're alive and they will one way or another extract their dues.

Too much energy is wasted in denial - 'I'm not a victim' is something I've told myself over and over again. And so over and over again life has shown me that is exactly what I am. If you've been reading this blog for a while you know that there are things going on here that are challenging me, that sometimes I let these challenges send me plummeting. I go down alright, without fighting. I won't fight anymore.

Resistance just creates more of what isn't wanted.

So with that in mind, in these last moments of Mercury's 'time out', I reckon I'll just go with whatever is. If I'm down, I'll be resting; if I'm strong, I'm using it. And if someone wants to tell me I've failed, I'll listen - and accept that I can only do as I do.

Hm, and I'll have another cup of magical fennel tea. Want one?

bibliomancy for venus opposite pluto...

'talk is cheap' d sinclair '08

Honey Sweet Words
Beware of words sweet as honey that betray your love and care.
You once treated a thief like your own son.
You would be humiliated and endangered if you fall into that trap again.

(if you can free yourself from this web of sweet poisoned words, this can be a very fertile time)

(from the Kuan Yin Oracle, Karcher;
41)

and for a Neptunian weekend...

"confirmation is always available, if you're looking for it" (Paracelcus)

For some reason I feel as though I should be diarising like a voyager on a doomed mission - a kind of 'ship's log'; day 31, we're running out of food. The work of keeping the engine running is keeping me from going insane but I'm so tired, even in my dreams I lie down and sleep. I don't know how much longer I can go on. If anyone finds this please tell my children I love them, that I tried....

Yeah OK, I'm overdramatising things a bit. Everything's alright. I look around me now and can see plenty to feel happy about. The house is gorgeous and scrubbed clean; a minimalist paradise (all the clutter is boxed up in the garage, which looks anything but minimalist). With the exertions - scrubbing, shifting around and boxing-up - I've toned up somewhat, so I'm feeling simplified physically too. Not to mention the 'make over' cost not a cent, so my financial fitness is increasing, as well as having avoided that 'decorated all in one day' look that so many professionally styled homes have. I've lived my axiom 'I have everything I need' to the highest this week, and proved my own resourcefulness. Yep, its pretty good.

So what if the house is officially 'on the market'? In the meantime we live in it, we're here.

Psyche, of course, has something to say about it all. In contrast to my dreams last weekend, which wanted me to wake up, snap out of it, check out of denial; last night's nocturnal images had me lying down under a table where I'd been preparing a meal with the Rigger, unable to stay awake any longer. 'Morning sickness'; I'm pregnant and need to rest. It occurs to me, in daylight, that its more like mourning sickness that points me to the floor, toward less emphasis on being on top of things. Maybe take a time out... I guess I'll dwell on it a while - things aren't always what they seem.

James Hillman writes that the soul makes intelligent statements to our conscious selves all the time. We only have to pay attention to what's being shown and then resist the urge to substitute images for their literal counterparts. What I've found, apart from that the resistance he suggests is easier said than done, is that if I allow it, the message of a dream, image or event really will be understood.

I've written about this before, anyway, so this is revision.

I don't think I can rest yet - there's a lot to be done. There are things that've been calling me - finishing up my series of articles on parenting with soul, for one. I have more to say about soul mates, about dreams and cledons and divination in general, and I've a book to write. Birds land on my back fence, asking to be part of it all - to be drawn into the scene.

The cosmic climate is strange and brilliant and more than ordinarily tricky, just the way I like it. Expect the unexpected...and dream on...

bibliomancy for a long void of course moon (a post that went missing early in the week!)

'naked babbler' d sinclair '08

"When you dream about something, it is always a match to the thoughts that you have been thinking. And so, since each of your dreams is, in fact, your creation, it is not possible for you to dream about anything that you have not created through your thoughts. The fact that it has now manifested in your dream state means that you have given it a significant amount of thought."

(Abraham Hicks, Ask And It Is Given)

Have you ever had a night where your dreams keep waking you up so you can check that you are in fact still here - where your dreams seem to be yelling at you for some reason?

I had one of those last night. I woke up twice, wondering why I was clutching a rose quartz crystal heart to my chest, and with a strong sense that I'm somehow sending the wrong message to the world. I don't know how the crystal got into my hand, but I do know that lately all the wrong words seem to come from my mouth as well as flying too fast from my mind onto the page.

There's nothing worse than wanting to communicate one thing, but actually saying something else entirely...

bibliomancy for chiron conjunct the north node of the moon

"we're not together you know" d sinclair '08

"...In the years that I've known Tabra, which add up to a lot, my friend has been sick, disillusioned, poor, and with a thousand problems, but I have seen her despair only once: when her father died. She cried for months over that man she adored and for other losses in the past, and I could not console her. In the period of her financial travails her demeanor never changed. With humour and courage she prepared to travel from the beginning the road she'd traveled in her youth, convinced that if she had done it at twenty she could do it again at fifty..."

(Isabel Allende, The Sum of Our Days)

...and for another full moon in scorpio

'a higher order of phoenix' d sinclair all rights reserved '08

"I have known true alchemists," the alchemist continued.
"They locked themselves in their laboratories, and tried to evolve, as gold had. And they found the Philosopher's Stone, because they understood that when something evolves everything around that thing evolves as well.
"Others stumbled upon the stone by accident. They already had the gift, and their souls were readier for such things than the souls of others. But they don't count. They're quite rare.
"And then there were others, who were only interested in gold. They never found the secret. They forgot that lead, copper, and iron have their own Personal Legends to fulfill. And anyone who interferes with the Personal Legend of another thing never will discover his own."

-Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

bibliomancy for mars in leo

'I hope he does' d sinclair all rights reserved '08

"...we need ethical behaviour, or social life becomes untenable. It does matter what we do, how we treat others; it is important to challenge corruption, to make a stand. It is not good enough to put it all down to fate and turn away. But at the same time, we have to understand the deep ground of oneness out of which we and others arise...." (Diana Durham, The Return of King Arthur, p 178)

bibliomancy for a new moon in taurus

"liar lyre pants on fire" d sinclair all rights reserved 08

"..where do I wander? Down what draughty tunnels? Where the eyeless wind blows? And there grows nothing for the eye. No rose. To issue where? In some harvestless dim field where no evening lets fall her mantle; nor sun rises. All's equal there. Unblowing, ungrowing are the roses there."

(Virginia Woolf, Between the Acts, 1941)

bibliomancy for venus-neptune

'ducks spoon' d sinclair '08 all rights reserved

"...Love is a kind of madness, Plato said, a divine madness. Today we talk about love as though it were primarily an aspect of relationship and also, to a great degree, as if it were something within our control. We're concerned about how to do it right, how to make it successful, how to overcome its problems and how to survive its failures.."

(Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul)

and for a jupiter-mars-venus tangle

'will those birds just shut up?!' d sinclair all rights reserved '08

"King Mark's refusal to marry is an ominous symbol. In myth or dream the king's failure to take a queen and produce an heir symbolises a refusal of wholeness, a refusal to grow, a refusal of the destiny that comes in the form of a new child."

(Robert A Johnson on the myth of Tristan and Iseult, The Psychology of Romantic Love)

Bibliomancy for a scorpio full moon

'all things are as they should be' all rights reserved 08

"It is frightening to see how many people seek help for human expressions of aliveness, such as grief reactions to loss, overt expressions of anger, feelings of jealousy or frustration or stress. And it is especially frightening because I know that many therapists would give medication or even hospitalize these healthy people when an intensive period of attention and being listened to would accomplish much more." - Deldon Anne McNeely (Mercury Rising p.101)

bibliomancy for mercury sextile chiron

'you look more like a magpie these days' all rights reserved d sinclair 2008

"As long as you think you're white, I have to think I'm black" - James Baldwin

bibliomancy for venus in aries

'twin souls' all rights reserved d sinclair 2008

"...it is worth going to a little trouble to make a dinner a ritual by attending to the symbolic suggestiveness of the food and the way it is presented and eaten. Without this added dimension, which requires some thought, it may seem that life goes on smoothly, but slowly soul is weakened and can make its presence known only in symptoms."

- Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul


I have to admit I'm impatient. Not just 'won't suffer fools' huffy impatient, but the 'really in a big hurry so move it will you' bratty kind. I'm told this is partly due to being born while Venus was in Aries.

So I'm the type that pursues. Especially in love, yeah - but I'll lose interest if the man of the moment gives too much too soon.

I also can't abide sappiness, I like my men with balls and attitude. 'Just leave the poetry to me' is what I have to say to a guy who talks about 'feelings'.

In fact I'd rather not talk at all.

Lets take a ride on a motor bike, race me in your car. Thrill me if you can. Make me blush with rude jokes and never ask permission to kiss me. Just do it.

Aries is the domain of Mars , the celestial action man. It rules the head but not the mind (which is under Mercury), its symbol is the Ram - so my kind of Venus is drawn to strong faces, thick woolly hair, and, er - horns. Or maybe that's swords? You get what I mean.

I'm sure its Venus in Aries that causes me to swoon over men with tools - the more powerful the better. Don't get me started on the particular effects of a uniform.

As my dear friend Simone once said about how my preferences look, 'big, dumb and beautiful'.

Well, maybe not dumb. After all, the battle is no fun if one's opponent is mismatched. If a man can't raise a laugh then he has no chance of disarming me, and humour takes brain. Having said that, I don't do well under siege.

Venus in Aries may prefer martial and gutsy, but she's still a woman and she wants what she needs. Fiercely passionate and determined as a woman can be - remember this - Aries is the infant of the zodiac, the first sign. Those needs are primal instincts; give me, care for me, protect me.

OK. Venus has gotta eat too but in Aries a girl has no time for a leisurely meal. Just grab it and let's go - inhale it, attack each mouthful, finish victorious and get on with the next task. Food has its purpose, and slow pleasures be damned.

Not exactly the stuff of romance, eh?

For me, having a family has taught the value of becoming still, laying a table and sharing a meal with others. As the children grow it becomes a necessity to draw out any opportunity to talk and listen. Every word they say is a gift, even if they need a gentle reminder to finish their mouthful first.

With as many kids as I have its a logistical challenge to get it together - and far easier to lapse into kitchen eating and snacking at desks. Our dinners are events we work together to achieve, and so we appreciate them all the more.

At the end of a day the little things matter to us - care and attention to details - colour, texture, smell, sound. A thrown together and thrown down meal does happen every now and then, but its never really good for us as a family, or as people.

Food becomes part of our bodies, its value is not just counted in recommended daily units of vitamins and minerals. We all know it by now. 'You Are What You Eat' may be about not 'junking' our bodies -but on another level its about not trashing our lives.

And so, how much of our relationships with each other and the world can be healed - recovered from the trash - through ritual activities like meals?

Now that Venus has moved into Aries, perhaps its time to examine how beauty and pleasure take shape in our daily routines - in all the small ways they can.

Maybe there's room for more courage; some daring new colour or taste or smell that expresses something of - and energises - the soul?

Where there's been impatience there can be a move toward enthusiasm; taking notice of our responses to the efforts of others to please us. Appreciating what is given in love, prepared and made with care.

I for one welcome the idea of putting down weapons and lighting a candle for real intimacy.

As long as I still get that motorbike ride.

the most important thing you need to learn about soul mate love part 2

'kookaburras' all rights reserved d sinclair 2008

"The voice within is what I'm married to. All marriage is a metaphor for that marriage. My lover is the place inside me where an honest yes or no comes from. That's my true partner. Its always there. And to tell you yes when my integrity says no is to divorce that partner." (Byron Katie)

bibliomancy for the equinox, the libra full moon and a celebration of death and rebirth

The journey from cloud coo-koo land to reality lasted a long time. In my case the pilgrim's progress consisted in my having to climb down a thousand ladders until I could reach out my hand to the little clod of earth that I am.

-C. G. Jung

Here we are at another seasonal equinox, another turn of the wheel. The sun has passed the beginning point of the zodiac - zero Aries - and we're calling it a new solar year.


Mysteriously enough the heatwave finally passed away without any kind of weather dramatics - no storm, no rain, not even a strong wind. The temperature just cooled in the course of a day, lifting the heavy, dry breathlessness and glare, and by night we were all comfortable and at rest.

Such a relief.


Life in such extreme heat as we've had, the drought and the restrictions imposed might be far removed from reality for those of you reading this from cooler or greener parts of Earth. This is the Vernal (Spring) Equinox, remember, and there's plenty of new life to celebrate everywhere.


But looking around here it seems we have the opposite. Street after street of brown lawn and curling shrivelled foliage where gardeners have planted anything but natives.

Yep. Envy has found a new colour in this city of roses where the neighbours are watching every drop. Now and then a front yard in full bloom is justified with a hand painted sign; bore water in use.


It does amaze me that the planet is more than 70% water and we still don't seem to have enough of it. We're told there isn't enough, and we believe it. OK, so most of the water available to us in its current state is not potable, but the technology is.

Why is it that with all the wonderful things we can do a simple thing like managing the resources of this planet is beyond us?


It says something, doesn't it? Our bodies have the same problem. Too much water over here, a drought over there. Pollution gets the better of us at times - we have a land-fill crisis, holes in our O-zone and some other zones; de-forestation is taking its toll.

Do we know how to live in our bodies - how to nourish and care for them?

This is one of the first things our mothers teach us isn't it?

Perhaps not.


But I'm not going to come on all political and preach about the state of the environment, about how much we ask of Mother Earth, about how we're raising our offspring to be in this world, or go on about the mythology behind all of it (and I could, easily).

No - the microcosm and the macrocosm are the same, as the alchemists say. If we take care of the small things the large will follow. That's all I have to say about that.

And never mind the ideology behind this holiday - the cult of the hero, what I call our 'crucify and ressurect mentality' which says we must overcome; we have to have something to overcome, so we can be heroic. If we don't have anything to overcome, well, we soon will.

Our primary image of this, a man bleeding and nailed to a cross - doesn't do much to promote the love of our bodies. Flesh is temporary, right? Spirit first. Matter doesn't matter.

But I digress.

What I want to say, if anyone is following, is that all of these things make me feel like a child - or rather it reminds me that we really are children in this cosmos.

We are young. As a race, and in the bigger scheme of things; we're still learning so we can be forgiven for so much fear, so many mistakes - for our confusion.

We can start over and we can recognise the beauty in every moment if we so choose - any time - however things are.

Now that's really something to celebrate.

bibliomancy for a festival

"I termed this the forepleasure principle. This refers to laughter in anticipation of joking, laughter that there is a joke going on or laughter just for its own sake." (Hillman, Cookbook, p80)

Its so darn hot outside that even all the festivities going on in town won't move me from my cool quiet cave.

Writer's Week - meh. Who needs it, I can read all about it in the next newsletter - its an outdoor event for lawd's sake. The Fringe Festival - even that Garden of Unearthly Delights, as tempting as sitting in a gigantic tent (read; heat trap) full of sweating, smelly humanity. Ick.

Oh what a downer, Dan.

Well, OK - we just had that lovely new moon which in other times and places was a celebration of Bacchus or Dionysus, that dastardly son of Zeus and God of all earthly pleasures. It kinda calls for a more indulgent and joyous tone, doesn't it? At least a little dirtier and sweatier - in a good way?

It occurs to me that Bacchanalia never took place during a heat wave. But its easy enough to imagine that honouring the divine patron of bad behaviour could take place around, say, a log fire, involve plenty of good wine (perhaps warmed up, accompanied by good cheese) and lewd gossip.

A bit like a typical girls night in? In fact the festival was just for women, and held in secret - and considering Bacchus' (or Dionysus, if you prefer) phallic nature, no doubt it was always an occasion for mirth, although not very 'spiritual'.

Which brings us back to the business at hand. Humour, wit and laughter.

Perhaps with the sun in Pisces and Jupiter ruling the sky its time to turn to all things, er Jovial - but this week I've found myself explaining my need to laugh at most inappropriate things.

And I do - during sex, for one thing. Not entirely conducive to successful intercourse, but dammit its so funny. Manly parts are comedic, adorably so, and all that bouncing around, well you get the picture.

I also find the subject of death lacking in gravity (where does this comes from?) as well as giving birth. Yes, I did crack up during labour all five times and I have witnesses.

I laugh so hard at the Rigger's dumb filthy jokes I'm left dizzy. When my sister and I get together we're known to collapse in a single pile over nothing - limbs weak to the point we can't get up and braying uncontrollably for minutes beyond the joke. Then we laugh some more because we're such a sight.

My mother and I wheeze and hold our sides in supermarkets over her batty misuse of language, trying not to make a sound, heaving even harder standing there with legs crossed in front of the incontinence products.

Upon news of small misfortunes and minor tragedies I attempt to keep a straight face, knowing as I do that I'm expected to at least chuckle - and of course the pressure to maintain seriousness is usually cause enough for you know what.

See? Not funny, any of it. Not intelligent either.

It seems that there's another humour not dependent on wit or words - about something more than the mind and making connections. It comes from a different place entirely. And its Not Allowed.

There are, of course, officially sanctioned occasions for community practice of transgressive humour, within bounds. There are days for mischief and upsetting the order of things - to mock life and death; festivals, carnivals, Mardi Gras. We have gross humour movies, television and such.

We can watch, we can enjoy other's enactment. One doesn't see huge wooden statues of Priapus these days though - the dirtier fun side of life doesn't belong in daily ritual. We prefer things clean, antibacterial and white.

Perhaps a soulful existence - one that is not polytheistic and honours all our parts (and when I use the word honour I'm really talking about acceptance and love) means letting ourselves be inappropriate and disorderly every day. Maybe its a deep human need to get base, grotty, gross and stupid from time to time - intoxicated? I think so.

Alright, pass me that bottle of red.

bibliomancy, spam and mars opposite pluto

"Owls, bats, and crickets are designed by nature to be awake in the dark of night."

(spam, seriously)

I've been meaning to write about the story of money - how our deeply ingrained ideas regarding finances, financial success and abundance inform and create our current state of affairs.

There was a lot to say about it yesterday as Mars moved into the sign of Cancer - ruler of all things domestic, including the household budget and our ability to feed and nurture ourselves.

The masculine principle of mars - coagulating, creating and outwardly manifesting soul's desires - moving into the realm of the triple-face of femininity speaks to me about Making Things Happen. And woman's intuition speaks back about allowing Things to Come Together.

Yeah, I decided not to write some awful essay about The Story of Money after all. I took a look around me and saw that its one of those lessons in life we either get or we don't. For the most part I don't.

And I like that I don't get it.

Part of Pluto-nature (and lets not forget the appelation means 'Riches') is to dwell in darkness. There's comfort in that - when deprived of one sense we're more accutely attuned to others. We can align with the deeper rythym that underpins all life - the ebb and flow of energy and matter; the pulse of our cosmos, inner and outer.

So rather than falling into a fearful state when it comes to scarcity - panic - scrambling around blindly attempting to do something about this forgawdsake - stay cool, accept the lack of light and information. Resist the urge to 'ascend' or heroically overcome anything.

Oh, I know I bang on about 'heroics' a lot - to my mind there's something about the solar nature of our world that has gone all out of balance with the way things actually are. Only half the world experiences daytime at once, after all.

Our predominant global myth is in denial of an essential side.

Well, when I say 'denial' I only mean that our current dichotomy assumes that the failure lies in terrible darkness and that the Light is the Only Way.

We demonise, we fear - we go marching two by two but one of us has to be weaker. Our victims make some of us Victors. Our Gods and Goods depend upon Devils and death.

So we have this urge built in - to get what we can get before it all runs out. To win. Be right, be on the side of the good guys. To judge those who don't also follow these urges as belonging to The Other Side.

Mars out of whack wants to 'go out there and fight for it, take over, colonise and win' - Pluto at best goes 'Whoa. Be calm - its OK, yes there's death but there's also enough of everything to go around. '

Yeah, Pluto regenerates, Mars creates. If we stop 'doing' for long enough - step into the shade for a moment - and sit without value judgements, we may begin to actively receive in harmony with our own true Selves.

Maybe I'm just an idealist, I want to believe that we'll all see that life is and/and and not and/or.

In other words, its not one or the other - its both.