Thursday, March 23, 2017

My Birth Day Twins



© 2017 by Joyce Mason



At least 20 years ago, when I used AOL as my internet provider, I searched the member directory to find other people who shared my exact date of birth. I wanted to do some experiential, personal research on my chart. I only ended up having a depth conversation with one of the handful of respondents, and our life parallels were interesting indeed. Since I was born late in the day on September 22, 1947, I have a Cap Moon and my “twin” was born enough earlier in the day to be a Sagi-Moon-ius. Seeing my chart acted out with the difference in lunar flavor was interesting indeed. While I can’t remember her name to save my soul, it was a bit unusual but not unheard of and started with a W. (No relation to former President W.) With her Sag Moon, love of travel and things foreign were more prominent in our otherwise near-identical charts. She was a diplomat who had been stationed over the years in several different countries overseas. I saw a lot of our shared Libran emphasis, too, in matters of justice and saving the tails of Americans abroad when they got into trouble.


Perhaps the most startling thing about our compared notes was this. She had married her first husband twice—divorced and remarried him later, just as I had. I almost felt eerie. On top of that, she outdid me! She married, divorced and remarried both of her husbands. Who knew that our particular Venus in Libra experienced coupling and mind-changing so seamlessly; we applied it to matrimonial do-overs.


My next encounter with a birthday twin was totally unexpected. I don’t have the most common day, much less day and year of birth. I’ve been attending an amazing class on Mindful Self-Compassion. I can remember joking beforehand that the class would have to be custom-made for a Virgo, much less a Radical Virgo. With Mercury as our Sun ruler (mind and mental emphasis) and self-deprecation one of our worst potholes on the road of life, I felt I was Home Sweet Home even before I even got to the first class.

There I met W2. (It’s tax season so I can’t help myself, but honestly, her first name begins with a W., too.) We were sitting next to each other in the first class and got to talking about how we were both turning 70 this year. I have long given up accosting people for their birth information on the first “date,” and I consciously chose not to take it further. We had an affinity, and that was warm and fuzzy enough. The biggest wow we discovered in our first encounter: I was given up for adoption and she had to give a baby up for adoption when she was quite young. We’d both had positive mother-and-child reunions.

The next time I saw W2, it came up again. I asked her what month she was turning 70, and she said September. When I asked her what day and she said the 22nd, I almost fell off my chair. “OMG, we’re birth twins!” You think I might have guessed by the fact that she had such a “similar story,” to quote her, and that she loves my former therapist, an author of an amazing book about the psychology and ramifications of adoption.

My friends may call me The Queen of Synchronicity, but I hadn’t had this level of meaningful coincidence in a long time. Conditions haven’t been right again until lately for me to be so in the flow of the Cosmic Tractor Beam. I’ve had way too much on my plate adjusting to being a caregiver and other life changes. The class is giving me tools that are bringing me back to my old self, which this “chance” encounter underscores. W2 is hunting down her birth certificate, but since she knows hers was an early morning birth to my evening, she’s surely a Sagi-moon-ius, too, like W1.


What is the value of finding a birth twin? Affirmation for one. W2 was sharing how hard it is for her to give her honest opinion, fearing push back and an inability to defend herself. She could have taken that sentence right out of my thought cloud where it frequently resides. 


There’s also the possibility of seeing new ways of “doing” your chart. Everyone plays the Astro-cards they’re dealt in slightly different ways, and I’m looking forward to seeing what I can learn from W2 in that regard—and vice versa, I’m sure.

We have a lot of tools for finding people nowadays. If you’re on social media, a simple post or tweet saying you’d like to do some astrological research on people who share your birthday. State the date and see who connects with you.

I would love to hear your experiences and what value you’ve found in getting to know your cosmic twin.

~~~

Photo Credit: Elena Scheweitzer - Fotolia



Saturday, March 18, 2017

Poem for Spring Equinox 2017: “Light Drawings”




 © 2017 by Joyce Mason




Thick autumn, winter
Swirling politics and fears
Emotional twisters.
My inner child screams,
“Lighten up!”

Spring Equinox
Growing light
When I’m frustrated
I draw daisies.
“There, there, Inner Child.”

Nature is drawing
Comfort
Hope
Flowers.

Rejoyce.

~~~

Photo Credit: © Gulsen Gunel – Fotolia.com

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Sacred America, Sacred World by Stephen Dinan






 

© 2017 by Joyce Mason


Recently I had the pleasure of hearing a presentation in Sacramento by Stephen Dinan, founder and CEO of The Shift Network, a leading global provider of online transformational courses and trainings. Stephen talked about the principles in his book, Sacred America, Sacred World. This book is an introduction to how spirituality and politics can merge to go beyond partisanship and benefit all. His vision is not just for the USA, but could trigger a divine domino effect of a better way across the globe.

To point out how Stephen is not just metaphysical but Astro-savvy, he quoted a humorous take he heard from astrologer Caroline Casey on the origin of the word protest (pro-testes, how Marsy) and ovation (same root as ovulation, the Venussy counterbalance for cheering instead of jeering). Like all dualities, these forces counterbalance each other. On the cusp of the return of the feminine, long overdue as a dominant rather than domineering force, the work of the conscious human is to evolve from winners and losers to winners all. Cooperation is the heart of the yin principle. If you don’t already know Caroline’s work (I was so tickled when he mentioned her), treat yourself to her expertise on how to weave astrology into this socio-political equation with plenty of humor and outrageousness.

I consider Sacred America, Sacred World a must-read introduction to the idea of transpartisanship and viewing the spiritual evolution of the USA. There has been no time more important than now to take a step back, put on your climbing gear and head up the mountain for an eagle’s eye view. We are currently so focused on outrage, fear and the line in the sand between left and right and red and blue; we forget that great quote from The Desiderata, “No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” Stephen’s work will give you hope and perspective that what we’re seeing is just a stage we have to pass through, leading to greater evolution.

To Stephen Dinan, “sacred is a term that recognizes the dignity, divinity and wholeness in literally everyone and everything.” Bringing sacred and America together is “a call to reach our highest destiny as a country.”

One of the major premises of the book—and I’ll leave you the joy of discovering the rest—is Stephen’s view of the USA “operating system.” From America’s founding in 1776-87 and the Articles of Confederation (America 1.0), we’ve passed through The Constitution/Bill of Rights (2.0), the abolishment of slavery (3.0), women’s voting rights (4.0), the New Deal expanding government’s role to provide safety nets (5.0), and the civil rights and women’s movements toward full inclusion of citizens (6.0). Since 2000,  we’ve been in operating system 7.0, a global era affecting Internet, trade, travel and financial movement.

This book is about what American is, as a nation, and what it has the potential to become. Stephen shares his own challenges with setting aside his biases and learning to see the central commonality between opposing views and how healing conversations between polarized people have to come about one person and step at a time. Of all the things America is and always has been, Stephen cites its pioneering spirit as perhaps its most central quality. That quality screams Aries, although the only Aries planet in the USA chart is Chiron. That makes so much sense! Give me your tired, your poor ... your oppressed, your wounded. How will Chiron's next Return in April 2024 affect the emerging operating system? Not to mention transiting Uranus now conjunct the USA's natal Chiron?

Meanwhile, planetary pioneers, hitch your wagons to being the change and Upward Ho. I rarely do reviews on The Radical Virgo, but I believe this book is so important; it deserves your attention as love radicals in action.

If you’ve already read it or when you do, I would love to hear your impressions in the Comments.

 ~~~