Online Again!

Four weeks after the move to the new apartment, fi-na-lly I'm back online... this also means the phone is connected!
We had to cancel the tranfer of our old number, as the company could/would not install the web/phone lines. Always different excuse.

In the end, we gave up, contacted a different company, that came and installed all the very next day after our call.
Enough enrolação, at least in this small area of life!

Quotes from Judith

From Judith Gayle, at Planetwaves:

Bengali poet, Rabindranath Tagore gives us a look at the inner workings of growing consciousness here:

Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers
but to be fearless in facing them.
Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain
but for the heart to conquer it.
Let me not look to allies in life's battlefield
but to my own strength.
Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved
but hope for patience to win my freedom.

...
And Tagore gave us a definition for faith, a lovely one, when he said,

"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart got right to the heart of it when he said,

"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius."

I'll leave you with a favorite from T. Golas; I think of it as the final prayer bead.

"Go beyond reason to love. It is safe. It is the only safety."

Emotions vs Feelings

For the purposes of this discussion, let's differentiate between emotions and feelings. Emotion is that highly charged state that comes upon us, described in the East as the restless tiger pacing the jungle of our minds; we are advised to simply watch it pass, uninterrupted. Feeling is more in tune with our intuitive capacity in that it sends a signal advising us of the energy we are dealing with.
Feelings are like signposts; they function to inform us of the terrain ahead. We cannot, in actuality, get our feelings hurt -- that's our ego that's yelping. But we can get painful feelings from another person who does not seek our well-being; more likely than not, they are more mindlessly focused on their own desires than on anything we might need from them.

(... have to find where I got this quote from!!!)

Ripples of Loving

In Beautiful Road Home: Living In The Knowledge That You Are Spirit, the channeled entity White Eagle writes:

"So, keep on keeping on living the life which your inner voice directs, kindly, lovingly: giving help wherever you can, giving love and sustenance to this great work of illuminating all life. Your life is like a pebble dropped into a pool of water, creating ripples endlessly. You do not know the end of a word, a thought, an action."

— Judith Gayle

Little house on the prairie

This little house on the prairie (well, maybe not the prairie?) was built by Cody. You can read her story here, or click on the image. The plan she used was the "20'x30' 1-story cottage plans".

These build-your-own little houses and cottages are from J. Show and CountryPlans.com

Leeetle House!

A itsy-bitsy leeeetle house/cottage. So cute.
I really would like to fit in one!
I think I would have to have several over some land.

This cutey from Ross Chapin Architects. On his site there several more, some a little larger... all delicious.

Blue Sky Cabin

from Ross Chapin Architects

Neptune Square Sun

Eric Francis:

I did not realize the Sun was square Neptune today till I checked the aspect list, but this isn’t the first time Neptune has disappeared from the chart; it does that sometimes. Given Neptune’s influence over anything psychic, spiritual or esoteric, it’s an interesting day to start the biggest astrology conference in the world (that I know of, anyway). A cautious astrologer would recommend (as with any square to Neptune) to be cautious what you believe. A square to Neptune is not time for blind faith, nor is it time for unsubstantiated belief. You know you’re under the influence of a Neptune square when appearances count more than discernment; when common sense ceases to be a factor. It is more like false faith and less like true faith, but the beauty of Neptune squares is that they can be the best teachers of impeccability.

StaIQ:
5/14/08—The laser-like focus of the critical Virgo Moon sharpens our senses and filters out unnecessary noise. Meanwhile, the Sun's dynamic square to nebulous Neptune fuzzes boundaries and amplifies our fantasies. The tension between these opposite forces can flip us back and forth between two contrary states of consciousness. By paying attention to the differences, though, we can learn a lot about how we process information to reach a conclusion.

Yasmin Boland:
Wednesday May 14 – Moon in Virgo
Hi All, The active astro-link we are all facing now is a tough one between the Sun and Neptune. This smells of confusion and weirdness, deception and illusion. If you’ve already started to suspect that someone’s not being totally honest with you, this is the day to watch out they don’t pull a swifty! It’s also not the ideal day for making long-term decisions you’ll have to stick to later, especially if you’re not really 100% sure of what you’re agreeing to. And the good side of it? You could be about to uncover an untruth – and that can be an amazingly powerful thing to do, non? PS The new Weekly Stars are up…

SAGITTARIUS The most powerful active link right now is between the Sun and Neptune. Neptune, of course, is the planet who causes mss befuddlement when he’s at odds with other planets (as he is now). And for you? He’s only in your Mind Zone! In other words, all of the signs, you’ve got a front row seat when it comes to having your head filled with confusing Neptunian hot air. You probably can’t even get what in Heaven’s name I’m talking about here! If you can possibly avoid making decisions which have to be practical and logical today, do so. You’ll be far better equipped to make them tomorrow!

(asc) LIBRA You’re about to enter a bit of a lovely purple patch as your ruler Venus prepares to make some luscious links to various other planets. That’s the good news. Life should be on the up and up. Except (yes, there is an except) expect if you know you’re letting someone walk all over you and generally treat you like a doormat. Don’t do it Libra! It’s not your style for one thing. And for another, if you keep taking their bad behaviour, well, do you really think they’re ever going to change of their own volition?

(moon) AQUARIUS Mars is now well and truly into your 7th House of Love … and Enemies. So watch out! And tell those around you to watch out as well! Mars in this part of your chart means you are now in a great position to act like a dog with a bone, regarding sorting things out with people which you feel can’t be allowed to be left unresolved any longer. And that’s all fab. However, today, with a Neptune crisis in the skies, you need to make sure you have all the fact before you charge on in there, guns blazing!

Where are the honeybees?

Plight of the HoneybeeIn the past two years, nearly one-third of America's honeybees have vanished. Here's how you can help.
In 2006, America's honeybees started mysteriously abandoning their hives, never to return. Farmers -- many of whom rely on the pollinator to help their crops grow (almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, cherries, and onions are just a few of the foods that require pollination) -- are understandably worried, as are scientists, who fear the honeybee may be a modern-day canary in a coal mine. Although the bee die-off, also known as colony collapse disorder, continues to alarm and puzzle scientists and beekeepers, experts hypothesize that the likely culprits are pesticides, dwindling food supply, and a new virus that appears to target the bees' immune system.
The flavor of honey depends on the flowers the bees visit. Pale golden honeys, such as those produced from alfalfa or clover, sell best in grocery stores. Darker honeys are savored like good wine by aficionados.The flavor of honey depends on the flowers the bees visit. Pale golden honeys, such as those produced from alfalfa or clover, sell best in grocery stores. Darker honeys are savored like good wine by aficionados.

Busy Bees
Every third bite of food we eat has been pollinated by an industrious honeybee. "The bees' survival depends on how we manage and protect our world," says Burt Shavitz, cofounder of Burt's Bees.

What You Can Do in Your Backyard
Replace some of your lawn with flower beds.
Plant native plant species, which are well-suited for local bee populations. A wealth of honeybee resources -- including a free Pollinator Garden Wheel and a poster depicting North American bee species -- are available at pollinator.org.
Reduce or eliminate pesticides and insecticides in the garden whenever possible. Visit organicgardening.com for eco-friendly alternatives.
Choose plants that flower at various stages in the growing season to provide a consistent source of food for pollinators. prop:For a free packet of bee-friendly flower seeds, visit burtsbees.com.

— from Country Living Magazine

Vida Clarice

"Há momentos na vida em que sentimos tanto a falta de alguém que o que mais queremos é tirar essa pessoa de nossos sonhos e abraçá-la. Sonhe com aquilo que voce quiser. Seja o que você quer ser, porque você possui esta vida e nela temos a chance de fazer aquilo que queremos. Tenha felicidade bastante para fazê-la doce. Dificuldades para fazê-la forte. Tristeza para fazê-la humana. E esperanca suficiente para fazê-la feliz.

As pessoas mais felizes não tem as melhores coisas. Elas sabem fazer o melhor das oportunidades que aparecem em seus caminhos. A felicidade aparece para aqueles que choram. Para aqueles que se machucam. Para aqueles que buscam e tentam sempre. E para aqueles que reconhecem a importância das pessoas que passam por suas vidas. O futuro mais brilhante é baseado num passado intensamente vivido. Você só terá sucesso na vida quando perdoar os erros e as decepções do passado. A vida é curta, mas as emoções que podemos deixar duram uma eternidade. A vida nao é de se brincar porque um belo dia se morre."

— Clarice Linspector

'Gifts of Life'

"... Read this dedication to gratitude ('Gifts of Life') by Majorie Montgomery.

I am glad I came into this world able to think and reason.
I am glad I came into this world able to feel sorrow and joy.
I am glad I came into this world able to respond to love and truth.
I am glad I came into this world able to feel and care for others.
I am glad I came into this world able to know my uniqueness.
I am glad I came into this world able to move toward completion."

— Anita Revel, goddess.com.au

The Castaway — Eris

In mythology, she [Eris] represents the castaway aspect of the feminine: the one who is not invited to "the party" (that is, life), and who wreaks havoc on the world as a result. That havoc, in the case of Eris, happened to be the Trojan Wars, which lasted 10 years some time around the 10th or 12th century B.C.E. Many of the great heroes of Greece perished and the city of Troy fell. Note, this was probably not a mythological war.

There is a connection here: the phenomenon of casting off part of oneself and the subsequent creation of havoc and turmoil was covered by Carl Jung in the 20th century. That which we do not accept about ourselves causes chaos, first in ourselves and then in the world.

— Eric Francis

Eric's illustration of Eris: © Alexandra V Bach

The Energies in April

The Energies in April

The New Moon will be on the 6th of April in Aries. Aries is a Fire sign, representing the Child and the Warrior. It is the First House of the astrological wheel. It signifies also new beginnings and new seeds planted, an ideal time to set the intention for a new spiral of creation.
Fire Moons are generally volatile, so you may need to focus on holding your balance in your Heart.

The Full Moon on the 20th is the Buddha or Wesak Moon. It is a time to celebrate the power of the Enlightened Masculine, or the New Divine Masculine energy of Earth. Remember also Kwan Yin as the archetype of the Divine Feminine energy of Enlightened Compassion.
The Moon is in Scorpio, a Water sign, and this is an ideal time for a Water Ceremony to assist in activating the Codes of Divine Abundance within the waters of the Planet.

© 2007-8 Celia Fenn and Starchild Global

As Energias em AbrilA Lua Nova estará no dia 6 de Abril em Áries. Áries é um signo do Fogo, representando a Criança e o Guerreiro. É a Primeira Casa da roda astrológica. Isto também significa novos inícios e novas sementes plantadas, um tempo ideal para determinar a intenção pra uma nova espiral da criação.
As Luas de Fogo são geralmente voláteis, assim vocês podem precisar se focar em manter o equilíbrio em seu Coração.

A Lua Cheia no dia 20 é a Lua do Buda ou de Wesak. É um momento para celebrar o poder do Masculino Iluminado, ou a Nova energia do Masculino Divino da Terra. Lembrem-se também de Quan Yin, como o arquétipo da energia do Feminino Divino da Compaixão Iluminada.
A Lua está em Escorpião, um signo da Água, e este é um momento ideal para uma Cerimônia da Água para auxiliar na ativação dos Códigos da Abundância Divina dentro das águas do Planeta.

Tradução: Regina Drumond

Knowledge of the Heart

"Eckhart Tolle tells a story in his book, A New Earth, about spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti asking an enraptured audience of devotees, "Do you want to know my secret?" Imagine a holy man telling you that he's got The Secret, and he's going to tell you what it is! The controlling part of us would give just about anything for that information. Here was his answer: "This is my secret: I don't mind what happens."

Not many of us have come to that state of grace, witness to the flow of life and able to deal with our circumstance having a larger picture on life and death, joy and suffering. Obviously, the faith behind a statement like that suggests an understanding that surpasses the logic of the mind and moves into the knowledge of the heart. But even as our daily lives present us changes that challenge us and the news cycles never seem to give us good news, we can enter in to that portion of ourselves that knows peace if we try, the part that is authentic as both the witness and loving co-author of our experience. That's the real change that's happening — the decline of fear and ego, the rise of consciousness, the journey towards peaceful coexistence and cooperation. The birth pangs are uncomfortable and frightening, yet we must not forget what awaits us at the end of the process. If we want peace, we must be peace, and to get from here to there we must take that journey into our hearts. Yeah, I know. Nobody said it would be easy, just worth it."

— Judith Gayle, Planetwaves, "The Witness"

Relatives: Good Medicine!

Dec 03, 2004 Virgo - Weekly

Relatives have a way of not just pushing our buttons but also of enticing us to regress to the people they are more comfortable knowing and manipulating. If you find yourself bogged down in such a state unable to defend yourself or even speak your mind just remember to say Hmmm, this really sucks. Then add Wow, I wonder what it felt like to be a little kid in this very position. Then throw in But I’m not a kid. I’m a grownup with car keys in my pocket and an actual life of my own. Then wait 30 seconds for the remedy to take effect.

— Eric Francis , Planetwaves

Pluto... today

Pluto is the tiny anti-planet that so many people love to hate. Despite the recent discovery and naming of Eris, Pluto remains the final arbiter in the current scheme of the cosmic psyche, the bottom line relating to sex, death, money and power. When we break through this rather congested, tumultuous dimension of reality, we can can come out somewhere known as The Self.

— Eric Francis

O Tempo de Paulinho

"O tempo vive em mim. Não tenho saudade do passado, nem persigo o futuro"

--- Paulinho da Viola (Revista Época, 15 Out 2007, p 124)

que completou 65 anos no dia 12 Nov 2007

Hobbity

My sister-in-law asked me to design a Hobbit hole, or house, for her.
Wow!
Yippee!

But nooooo...
not exactly a house, but a house logo, for her medicinal herb business.

After the let down...  
Yiiippee! I get to draw some hobbity-bitty houses!

Off to googleland I went for images to refresh my memory...

One of the absolutely delicious things I found was this:

Simon Dale's site is full of scrumptious photos of the building of his hobbity-ish home.
Below are a few...

And he even has some hobbitesesss to go with the house!

 

 (Just too cute! 'Ware Frodo!)
All images © Simon Dale

Pluto: distant and dark, but powerful

Dear Jonathan,
Some astrologers believe that, because Pluto is practically beyond the reach of sunlight, it has no influence. It is, they say, 'in a cave'. Would you agree?
Adil

Dear Adil,
Pluto's governs whatever people put 'in a dark place'. As individuals (and as nations) we have fears, resentments, obsessions and compulsive behaviour patterns. These are things that we simply cannot fully recognise in ourselves, far less be objective about. Yet the contents of our 'cave' can have an enormous influence on our lives. Pluto may be small dark and distant but it is a very powerful force.
Jonathan

 

Vista del Misti por encima de las nubes by Mariví Jiménez

The Girl is Back!!!

Xaron is back!!!
A week at the spa, but still with a few bugs. Buaaaa...

Now, once again, is this endless cybernetic déjà-vu, re-install my programsssss...

Note to newcomers: 
Xaron Eistone is my computer — blond, beautiful AND intelligent!