Oxfam: Ruining it for the rest

It is with great hesitation that I criticize a charitable organization publicly. However, after spending the past several YEARS trying to have my information removed from Oxfam’s mailing list, I must vent. With the kindest of intentions, I unsuspectingly bought a set of their holiday cards, 12 years ago, and have been subsequently subscribed to the official “Mailing List from HELL.”

No matter how often I protest their incessant mailings and repeatedly request removal from their list, yet another solicitation arrives, like today’s. This is exactly the irresponsible kind of behavior that utterly discourages charitable donations. I have moved clear across the United States and their mailings persist. I have phoned them. I have mailed them. No matter what, they don’t seem to give a damn about my wishes and insist on sending more unwanted mail.

Over the weekend I spoke to a friend who noted that she has so many mailing labels from charities and political organizations that she could wallpaper an entire wall with them. She gave to one animal rights organization who in turn shared her information with several others. Now she is inundated with mail from them all and feels overwhelmed. When I mentioned that I was considering sending money to one org, she warned me about the onslaught of unwanted and undesired mail that would be the inevitable consequence of my behavior. Why do charities and non-profits share a private donor’s information without consent in the first place?

In the wake of the Haitian earthquake, the overly aggressive and utterly inconsiderate actions of organizations like Oxfam only dissuade people from donating. You’re much safer anonymously chucking your change into those collection jars at Starbuck’s, so that you can’t be hounded eternally. I am now honestly considering, just sending cash in envelopes with no return address and hoping for the best.

That being said, giving is important. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to allocate 3% of my grossly monthly income to various causes. Since 2007 most of my giving has fortunately gone to U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, who thankfully, have never hit me up for another cent. They seem to understand and appreciate that I’m doing what I can, and I have fun shopping for items for them and making up the packages. Also, I gave to Heifer International at Xmas 2008. They have a place on their online form, if I recall correctly, where you can opt out of mailings. Unlike Oxfam, they have TOTALLY respected my wishes, so I would absolutely consider donating to them again, and in fact highly recommend them to the charity weary. It’s orgs like Oxfam who ruin it for orgs who respectfully and responsibly treat their donors. Let’s not even get into the unconscionable waste tens of thousands of trees and hundreds of pounds of pollution pumped into the air with the fuel used to deliver their unwanted solicitations. For the record, I am just as harsh on businesses who send unwanted catalogs. I never thought I’d say that I regret giving, but today’s envelope is the last straw with Oxfam. It’s time to apply do not mail/call laws to non-profits. I doubt this post will stop Oxfam’s mail. But if it steers even one person to a more responsible organization, then it’s worth posting.

Beating the Bank!

OK, I'll admit it; I've really got to let it go when it comes to this. I'm a Lightworker and I'm supposed to try to live according to my "spiritual values." But I LOVE beating the big banks! I really try not to hate things, but feelin' the love for them is simply impossible for me. I only use 0% interest credit cards for carrying any kind of balance, and embarrassingly RELISH stringing the repayments out to the exact end of the free credit period. I just wrote a $100 check for the card I put my $2K computer on for 18 months. For the past 15 months I've paid the loan back in small but consistent installments, and earned 3% interest on the $2K I kept in my savings account. Now $300 is all that I owe the credit card company. I have it in my checking account and could easily just pay it off in full.

Part of me thinks, just pay the damn thing off, you have the money, this is silly and extra administration, plus 44 cents in postage every month. Then the EVIL half kicks in and emphatically GLOATS about denying them their capital right up to the point where they would make a dime off of me. The postage, after all, reckons my dark side, goes to the Post Office, not the bank. So hit 'em and hit again. Get them back for every poor soul they put the screws to. You are one of those millions of CHUMP taxpayers who got hoodwinked into bailing their sorry arses out, and they surely didn't get rate-jacked at repayment time by the American public, for what reason I will never understand. So beat the bank, one more time and moreover, ENJOY it!!

I'll work on that forgiveness thing between now and next month's payment. But for now $100 is all they get back from me, SUCKERS!!!!!

With love,
E

Sun into Aquarious 2010: You Say You Want a Revolution, well...

“You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world”
John Lennon

In a seeming call to arms, the first volley of blaring, rapid fire electric guitar chords of the Beatles’ “Revolution” jolt us to attention. True to his brilliant Libra nature, John Lennon instantly dismisses the impulse for radical overthrow characteristic of his counter-culture era by thoughtfully weighing the pros and cons of the various arguments of his day. The 60’s icon’s lyric in fact seems to ultimately denounce extremist politics. The Sun moves into progressive, rebellious Aquarius on January 19th at 8:28pm PST where it is joined by Neptune, Chiron and Venus, also moving through the fixed air sign. That irrepressible Aquarius urge to change the status quo is in the air again. With Mars stirring things up close to the January 29th Leo full moon followed on January 31st by the next massive Saturn Pluto square, the energy to drastically alter things is certainly at our disposal. The song “Revolution” prompts us to both shake things up and to think them through. With the vast majority of planets spread across the winter axis of the zodiac, it might be a good time to take a page from the sagacious Beatle’s songbook.

“You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan”

On the one hand, Mercury, ruler of our thoughts, and Pluto, our core feelings, are hanging back in conservative, institutional Capricorn. Any “bright ideas” will have to pass the rigors of critical analysis and inner truth. On the other hand, expansive Jupiter has joined rule-breaking Uranus in dreamy, intuitive Pisces. We’ll want to green light projects that feel right. Capricorn is the cardinal or first sign of winter and mutable Pisces is the final sign of the season. Between the two Venus, Neptune, Chiron and the Sun move through innovative and visionary Aquarius. There are four fixed signs in astrology, each anchoring the energy of its respective seasons. Being one of the three air signs, Aquarius is a lightening rod for futuristic ideas. Nonetheless, it is firmly rooted in winter’s midst. It’s this fixed quality that gives Aquarius the stability to realize its visions. Susan B. Anthony, Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln were Aquarians. Visionaries of their times, their contributions to humankind are excellent examples of that Aquarius combination of brilliance and resolve. This winter has one other major player insisting on cautious progress and humming along to the Lennon classic, Mars.

“You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead”

The planet of War and desire went retrograde in fixed fire sign Leo on December 20th and will not be going direct until March 10th. He’ll just be getting into forward motion as the Spring Equinox arrives and we collectively spring forward. On January 26th Mars opposes Venus and on January 29th he opposes the Sun. What makes these oppositions a little more tense than usual is that they occur so close to the full moon in Leo on the 29th and against the backdrop of this cycle’s most formidable activity, the next Saturn square to Pluto. The two planetary heavyweights meet again on January 31st.

In its lower vibration Aquarius rebels for rebellion’s sake. It upsets the apple cart for the shock value. In this context, the quest to be different is self-defeating. As these planetary energies intensify, we may want to ask ourselves some of the following questions. To what end is our inner call for revolution? What machine are we raging against exactly? And why? Most importantly, how would we like to see things change? With the Sun, our Will, loving Venus, relationships, dreamy Neptune, our capacity for compassion, and healing Chiron, our chance to improve things, in electrifying Aquarius, this sign’s most lofty ambition and ultimate purpose, freedom, is within grasp.

The winter of 2009-10 has been delivered with one Cosmic foot on the gas and the other on the brakes. Aquarius asks us to look down the road and to ask ourselves where we want to go and what will give us the greatest sense of freedom in that not-so-distant place. With that destination mapped out internally, the directions and decisions on the path ahead become much clearer. Note the issues that arise around this full moon and Saturn Pluto square because similar energies will reappear on July 26th. In addition to Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus and Jupiter will have moved into Aries, thus forming some extremely provocative angles between large, outer planets. Major transformation is indeed possible in 2010. With Venus, Neptune, the Sun, Chiron and Mercury after February 10th in the sign of the future, now is the time to envision it. As Lennon sweetly assures us,

“Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right”



If you’d like some assistance aligning with the Cosmic cycle of 2010, please join me and 12Listen’s Chris Donovan for “A Mystical Journey Through the Celtic Wheel,” beginning on Monday, February 1st at 5pm PST 12Academy. We will be celebrating Imbolc, the first fire festival of the Celtic wheel and the midway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Chris will be leading a guided meditation which I will be accompanying live on the harp. We hope you will join us for this enchanting and enriching evening.

Sun into Capricorn - Quiet Passion

In Winter’s silence lies the voice of inner truth, beckoning us to calm down, sit still and be quiet long enough to glean its ageless wisdom. In Winter’s stillness lies a dormant world of possibility, one intent on embracing solitude, reflection and rest. The absent birds will return and the bare tree branches will again flourish, but not now. This is the time when energy operates on levels so subtle that they are barely perceptible. On December 21st at 9:47am PST the Sun moves into stoic, conservative yet ambitious Capricorn where Pluto, Mercury and the North node are already positioned. This solar cycle will see Venus voyage through this cardinal earth sign, a Mercury retrograde, two eclipses, the onset of a Saturn retrograde and Jupiter’s entrance into Pisces. It sounds action-packed and it is. The action however, is taking place beneath the surface. To those focusing on the external world, the inevitable delays inherent in retrograde periods (Mercury, Mars and Saturn) along with Capricorn’s cautious pace will feel frustrating and consternating. To those honoring this Universal offering of time for review and reinvention and the call for measured movement, this cycle will be illuminating and liberating. The key for unlocking this Capricorn cycle’s gifts is quiet passion.

Capricorn is a cardinal sign which means that its purpose is to initiate, to spur us onward. Capricorn is also the most conservative sign of the zodiac. The dance of taking action and remaining reserved is a intricate one. In it each step is carefully considered, deliberate and finally animated. This year five planets will come under pragmatic Capricorn’s influence simultaneously, along with the North node (our future direction), so a heavy dose of this impressive energy is at hand.

Venus joins the Sun, Mercury and Pluto in Capricorn on December 25th where she will be in residence until January 18th. Mercury will begin its retrograde on December 26th and will turn direct on January 15th. Mercury in grounded Capricorn can help us get ahold of our thoughts when we’re being overrun by them or allowing them to take us too far out there. It is also a tremendous aid for coming up with down to earth solutions and realistic plans for realizing our dreams. Also assuring us of reliable Guidance during this cycle will be Pluto in Capricorn.

Pluto above all else brings a deep abiding truth to all matters. Think about the energies of the recent Scorpio cycle to recall Pluto’s unrelenting intensity. Pluto in Capricorn offers us the chance to get real about our dreams and aspirations and the ability to completely transform our lives in very concrete, measurable ways. Capricorn offers us the drive and stamina to reach those goals. To attain that success, this duo demands that we dedicate ourselves to our desires by taking very practical, consistent steps toward them. Like no other sign Capricorn extolls the virtues and accomplishments of hard work. With Mars, ruler of passion, recently turning retrograde in Leo, the energies of ambition, drive and desire will only be amplified (see C.A. Brooks’ recent articles) during this cycle. Mars turned inward manifests as resentment, rage and bitterness. Mars combined with the honesty Pluto in sober Capricorn brings to our lives now can unravel the unpleasantness and get us back on track to enjoying life and reaping its richest rewards. We only need to follow the truth of heart’s desire and wisdom and act accordingly.

Like some sort of Cosmic check and balance, or conspiracy depending on your viewpoint, Saturn, Capricorn’s stern ruler, is sitting in Libra 90 degrees away from all things Capricorn. If we’re way off track or trying to get by with shortcuts, fuzzy math or excuses, the challenges will be formidable, disagreeable and unavoidable. If on the other hand, we are listening to and following our Guidance and doing the work required to achieve our objectives, Saturn’s waves will be favorable, supportive and encouraging. Doors will slowly open As if to underscore his point, the taskmaster will be begin his retrograde motion on January 13th.

Adding a little more fuel to this slow burning awakening of our passions will be two eclipses, one on December 31 with the full moon in Cancer and the other on January 14th when the moon will be in Capricorn. Saturn’s alignment squares both eclipses, and these eclipses will be in those provocative cardinal signs. To soften the blows or perhaps to enlighten us as to the spiritual reasons for what’s showing up, loving Jupiter enters mystic Pisces on January 18th. The unspoken language of creativity available throughout Jupiter’s sojourn through Pisces offers both retreat and intrinsic guidance. Delving into otherworldly Piscean realms through dance, music, writing and art may well be the master key to understanding the messages now being transmitted from the Cosmos. With that esoteric meaning found, the Capricorn conspiracy will help us put it to use and into form. Happy Winter Solstice!

Sun into Sagittarius 2009 - Keeping the Faith

On Saturday, the 21st, the Sun enters irrepressible, inspirational Sagittarius at 8:23pm PST. Like the gleaming dawn after a harrowing night, Sagittarius banishes Scorpio’s menacing phantoms and lingering shadows with a hopeful, adventurous outlook. Symbolized by the archer’s bow, ever aiming toward a new horizon, Sagittarius wants us to see beyond our current limits, to take chances and to believe that things will always work out for the best. Native Walt Disney was probably Sagittarius’ greatest ambassador. Every one of his stories sends the uplifting and comforting message that no matter what the odds or obstacles, for those who are nobel, everything will work out fine in the end. Ruled by expansive, exuberant Jupiter, this friendly mutable fire sign strives to renew that kind of faith in the future. A confluence of planets in fire signs will fuel Sagittarius’ excitement in 2009, while large planets in air signs will fan the enthusiastic flames. That Sagittarius sense of possibility is heightened even more by the final alignment of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in visionary Aquarius which will be exact from December 7-21st. Memo from the Universe: it’s officially time to lighten up.

In between the dark, intense waters of Scorpio and the conservative energies of Capricorn lies Sagittarius, an annual bright spot just waiting to energize and enliven us. In astrology the water and earth signs are said to exhibit a negative, inward or yin polarity while the air and fire signs are said to have a positive, outgoing or yang polarity. In the ebb and flow of the Cosmos the two polarities follow one another around the astrological wheel. When you think about the outgoing qualities of Aries, Gemini and Leo for example compared to their yin polarity counterparts Taurus, Cancer and Virgo, the positive and negative polarity concept makes sense. In 2009 the inward Scorpio cycle was more intense than usual due to that dramatic square between planetary heavyweights Saturn and Pluto on November 15th. During the upcoming yin Capricorn cycle Mars will have just turned retrograde in Leo on December 20th, Mercury will go retrograde in Capricorn on December 26th and 2009’s final solar eclipse will take place on December 31st with a lunar square to Saturn. Those challenging aspects on either side of this year’s (yang sign) Sagittarius cycle make it an even more important window of cosmic opportunity than usual. So let’s take a look at some specific highlights.

Mars is already in the willful fire sign of Leo heating up our motivation. With the Sun and Mercury now in warm, congenial Sagittarius, instead of brooding Scorpio, Mars’ drive finds the fuel its passionate fires demand and he finds that the harsh squares that were zapping him have given way to approving trines. Mercury in Sagittarius until December 5th brightens our thoughts and forms a harmonious sextile to benevolent Jupiter on November 29th. Sweet Venus joins the jubilation when she enters Sagittarius on December 1st, the same day when eccentric Uranus turns direct. All of this tees us up for a lively full moon in Gemini on December 2nd. In between Mars in Leo and the gathering of Mercury, Venus and the Sun in Sag sits Saturn in Libra. Hardly regarded as the Cosmos’ party goer, stuffy Saturn in this affable air sign sends favorable winds to the festivities. This cycle’s most exalted point however is likely to be the final lineup of generous Jupiter, dreamy Neptune and healing Chiron in the unifying air sign of Aquarius from December 7-21st. The energies generated by this trio are ideal for healing, finding deeper connections with Divine energies and aligning ourselves with greater inner peace. In short, this is a stellar time to meditate.


If you need some help getting your meditation on or if you enjoy meditating with an advanced facilitator, mark December 6th on your calendar. On that night at 12Academy instructor Kristina Walsh will host a meditation specifically designed to help us integrate the energies of this Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron alignment into the Age of Aquarius. Whether you meditate with a group like this one or on your own, what this final alignment, unlike its 2009 predisecors, offers is Sagittarius’ buoyant, spirited and optimistic influence. This promising combination of planetary energy is bound to reawaken our sense of wonder and to point us toward our possibilities with a renewed sense of hope. But before setting out on that new course, notice what autumn business is still incomplete. Like all mutable signs, Sagittarius concludes one season and prepares us for the next. This is a good cycle for both tying up loose ends and allowing a vision of the future to form. On Winter Solstice Capricorn will arrive with the energies needed to give our new aspirations structure. For now, enjoy the warmth of the season and glean the insights in those magical Sagittarius dreams.

A Regular Post, what a concept

So, I usually write about astrology, for work. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy it immensely. I have a fabulous ritual in fact whereby each month I gather up my growing collection of astrology books, pile them onto my bed along with my ephemeris (astrology calendar) and soak up all I can as I make notes reading through the stack of them. Then over the next day or two I put it all together and then edit what becomes my monthly post. I also help my co-workers with marketing and have been encouraging them to blog to help promote our business. Ours is an online company, so it's up to us to get out there to promote it. But some days, sometimes, I just want to write about nothing important or weighty.

I've been feeling like this all week long. So I thought I'd start posting about regular stuff. We'll see how it goes. Right now it's getting cold outside, into the mid 30's. I'm planning on watching a movie with my cat Nicholas. He seems to want more attention lately. I can't figure out if it's the fact that his brother passed nearly a year ago, that we've moved across the country from California or if it's my frugal use of the heat. 68 degrees is my limit! It's practically a sin. I reason that I have lots of warm clothes and blankets and that he has a very thick coat. I hope one day to own a home in which I can set the temperature in each room individually. I can't believe how much energy goes to waste heating and cooling space that's not in use. I've heard that new smart houses allow you to moderate the various rooms from one point. Glad some scientist had the same thought I had ages ago and figured out how to do it. Technically speaking, I could get off of my butt and close and open the vents each day and night, but honestly, I'm just too lazy for that. This place is an old Victorian home with 10 feet high walls, so reaching the vents requires a ladder. It's so not going to happen. I'm content to send love, Light and sincere gratitude to everyone who works for the power company and their families. I'd be pretty screwed without them.

Earlier today Congress extended the tax credit for new home buyers. Even though I was approved for a loan this year, I just wasn't ready to take the plunge - way too much responsibility. But, with more time to save and this extension, we'll see. And it will definitely be an energy smart or green home.

Well, I guess that's it for tonight. Twitter felt too confining for my "inner-writer" and this has been nice. Let me know if you read this..lol.

Sun into Scorpio 2009 - It's a Plutonian Thing

A passionate solar cycle commences on October 22nd at 11:44pm PST when the Sun moves into the fixed water sign of Scorpio. Plutonium is the chemical element used to fuel nuclear reactors and the namesake of Scorpio’s ruling planet Pluto. Reputed for the death-defying intensity it brings to the Cosmic world, Scorpio puts us squarely in touch with our deepest, and sometimes darkest, desires. Its motive is transformation, the kind we can only achieve by accessing Scorpio’s extreme clarity. During this Scorpio cycle, square is the operative term, and the word fixed is another one to have handy. Communicative Mercury and lusty Venus will join the willful Sun in Scorpio, where at one point or another during this cycle they will each square with aggressive Mars in fiery Leo. Jupiter and Neptune in Aquarius will form a few squares of their own to the planets in Scorpio. And that is only the backdrop to this season’s main event, uncompromising Saturn moving into Libra where it will form an exact square to Pluto in Capricorn at the time of the new Scorpio moon.

For those new to astrology, a square is when two planets form a hard right angle to one another, and a squaring off or push comes to shove effect is produced. What makes 2009’s solar journey through Scorpio so gripping is that most of the planets squaring (and opposing) one another will be in fixed signs. To review, there are only three modalities for all twelve signs: cardinal, fixed and mutable. Cardinal signs are the initiators who literally kick off each of the four seasons, and mutable signs close out each of those seasons. Fixed signs fall between the two, they sustain the energies underway and they are infamous for their no budging stances. This year agitating Mars in fixed fire sign Leo will square the Sun on October 29th, Mercury on November 1st and Venus on November 19th. Jupiter and Neptune are in fixed air sign Aquarius. Jupiter will square Mercury on November 8th and the Sun on November 10th, and Neptune will square Mercury on the 11th and the Sun on November 15th. Notice what conflicts arise around you on these dates, remembering that Scorpio’s waters are ultimately for healing the issues involved.

Other points of intensity in this cycle concern the planet most influential upon our emotions and moods, the moon. The full moon of November 2nd comes on the heals of both Saturn’s movement into Libra on the 29th and the first two Mars squares, and it falls in the fixed earth sign Taurus. All of the fixed signs get into the act this cycle. The new Scorpio moon of November 16th occurs under the influence of the Sun’s square to Neptune and more significantly Saturn’s square to Pluto.

 

The last time Saturn traveled through the sign of Libra while Pluto was in the sign of Capricorn was from September 27, 1774 through December 6, 1776. For those born outside of the United States, that might not ring any bells. But Americans will instantly recognize the historic significance of those dates. “The shot heard ‘round the world” was fired on April 19, 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. On October 29th of this year Saturn will move into Libra where it will stay until October 5, 2012. For the first time since the 18th Century, Pluto is once again in Capricorn. What makes 2009’s lineup all the more interesting is that the two astrological heavyweights immediately move into an exact square on November 15th. This is the first of three exact squares, the next two occurring on January 31st and August 21st of 2010. Saturn and Pluto last squared while in Libra and Capricorn respectively in late 1776, very close to the time when a then beleaguered General Washington initiated the audacious Battle of Trenton, and turned the momentum of the Revolutionary War irrevocably in America’s favor. Saturn tests the soundness of our structures and is renowned for its unyielding nature, while Pluto’s purpose is evolution, even if the cost is destruction. Now on a 15-year journey through Capricorn, Pluto’s influence is effecting our major institutions such as government and business. A few of the ways the impending square with Saturn could manifest in our outer world are a major H1N1 flu outbreak, an international incident involving nuclear weaponry or an all out national meltdown over healthcare reform. The key to navigating whatever happens globally or personally is staying in touch with our instincts and intuition and following our emotional guidance vigilantly.

With so much fixed energy clashing around us this year and the battle royal of Saturn and Pluto at hand, this should as the saying goes, be one for the books. So now is the time to truthfully check in with “our story” and to come to terms with what we really want. That is not a decision the intellect can make. Scorpio brings emotional honesty to the table, and it implores us to process our true feelings, especially the unpleasant ones lurking in the shadows of our subconscious. Getting in touch with our deepest desires is the critical step to healing whatever ales us, clearing away obstacles and having what we want. The Sun will move into optimistic, mutable fire sign Sagittarius on November 22nd. Spending some quality time in the Cosmic Underworld between now and then will go a long way toward enabling us to really “let the sun shine in” when the skies lighten up.

 

Happy Birthday to 12Listen and 12Angel

Our websites are having their birthdays in November. 12Listen will turn three and 12Angel will turn two. And while I truly don't know all of the details yet, I predict that we'll be giving you some very special reasons to celebrate with us. Thank you so very, very much for your support and patronage during this most remarkable couple of years.