Because No One Answered (Part Four)

Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are of the earth element. Earth Signs are supposed to blend easily with other Earth Signs but I can tell you from experience that this isn’t always the case. I had a relationship with a Taurus once that worked out about as well as two Bettas in the same tank.

Society has suffered some severe rude awakenings in the past few years and many people who struggle with their true identity in this life have a much harder time of it when confronted with changing times and changing cultural ideals. Their first response to kicks in their complacency is oftentimes an aggressive or angry one. The closer that you evolve toward becoming your true self in life the harder it is to blend with anyone who hasn’t attained something similar in their life as well. People that we thought we knew such as relatives and old friends aren’t necessarily evolving at the same speed. Keep this in mind as you look to find your counterparts in the promotion of change because the desire for revolution can easily spiral out of control when change comes slowly in a rapidly declining world. Know that it will take a balance between all kinds of people to create stability. Tolerance amid intolerance is badly needed. The family that you were born into did not come about by accident, so remember that those you find yourself around in this life were a gift to you to help you distinguish between those who can help and those who can harm. When you have to walk away do so without blame.

Taurus tends to be like petrified earth. Just like a rock. It is difficult to talk them into anything and if you try they usually will just dig their heels in deeper. They may look and act like you have been able to reason with them but at the last minute you might find that this isn’t the case.  Not an easy thing to deal with in a relationship of the heart. Speaking of the heart, do not set your heart on anything with them if they have been initially unaccepting because that is probably going to be what you will get in the end - no deal.  No matter how it may have looked between the start and the finish things can backfire on a dime. This is a darn good trait to have in a negotiator for a cause when you are in a nonnegotiable situation, but it is a gigantic pain in a romantic one.

Thinking of trying to establish a worker’s union where you are employed? Find the Taurus in your group to be your spokesperson. This is the Sun Sign of Karl Marx and he was immovable in his crusade for the working class. Tom Petty recorded a song called “I Won’t Back Down” some years ago and it could have been written for any Taurus who has made up their mind on anything.

Virgos are more mutable than Taurus but you need to have your logic on display up front or you will probably get nowhere with them either. Since Virgo may not even want to be the front person it will be easier to deal with them, usually. They aren’t likely to stay with your organization very long if your goals aren’t sound and reasonable, though. They might suddenly stop showing up for meetings with no explanation as to why. If you ask them why they left it would be smart to hear them out on their reason. Their criticism is most likely worth listening to because what they have to say will not have anything to do with their ego. It will come from pure analysis of the flaws that they have seen in your plan of action. This can be annoying as hell to the insecure or the lovers of themselves, though. Think of Dr. McCoy and Spock in Star Trek. Some of their disagreements were a huge pain for the doctor, but Captain Kirk, who was more sure of himself, always valued what Spock had to say about a situation because he knew that Spock was not taking a shot at him personally. Virgos rarely aspire to advance to the top unless the top person is inept at doing the job. If they aren’t outspoken Virgos the best place for them in an endeavor for change is most likely in an organizational position or in the accounting department. If they are with you at the beginning of your endeavor, they will be very good at planning and executing those plans in ways that include everyone in the group. They won’t let you run out of paper clips or pens and they can tell you where every dollar of your funds was spent. They are wonderful support people for those who cannot be bothered with details.

The Capricorn person is usually very respectable as far as being dedicated and efficient. Like most Earth Signs they are capable and quite independent requiring little if any supervision. They know their job and they get to it without complaint. The Capricorn is a great supervisor of others but they have little tolerance for slackers. Just try to sit back on your assets while everyone else is making the grade when Capricorn is in charge. You will be told only once that you aren’t holding up your end and then you may find yourself replaced. These people are excellent managers and they don’t “half-ass” anything. If they feel like the cause is worthwhile, they are super loyal and devoted. There is always a place for Capricorn if diligence and quiet confidence is required. They are simple and focused and the job is done right the first time.

Ideally, a group or organization made up of Fire Signs, Water Signs, Air Signs, and Earth Signs would be capable of covering all the bases in a unified way when collectively promoting positive change but we don’t always get so lucky. It is no different from our nuclear families. We got what we got and that is that, but in assessing how strong we are when in crisis, it can be easier to get our individual jobs done if we focus on the best parts of the individual family members, we have with us. Everyone must be included and there will always be some who are completely incapable of keeping up, so to stay balanced we have to carry some and nudge others.

We have kicked the can down the road for too long. Life is kicking it back at us. Your best contributions are needed to change the future and they already exist in you.

The next installment in this series will post next Friday.  “Live long and prosper” in the New Year.       

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Because No One Answered (Part Three)

People born within the element of Air are Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini. They tend to be aloof and detached in their relationships with others but can be quite friendly and personable if they choose to be. For most of my life I have found myself in the company of fewer Air Signs than any other element division in the zodiac. Geminis have been the least familiar ones to me with Aquarius following that and Libra being more prevalent. I confess that I tend to feel somewhat uncomfortable with them strictly speaking, but that is possibly because they are a little more difficult to read. If I feel kinship with some signs more than others it is likely because I have had more experience in knowing them personally. So many things go in to who we can and cannot relate to well but in my own birthchart, varied as it is, there was only one planet in the constellation of Libra and none in Aquarius or Gemini when I arrived.

You may already be familiar with one of the most high-profile activists ever, singer/songwriter John Lennon of the Beatles who personified it. John was a Libra. Someone that you may not know much about but have most likely heard of was Groucho Marx. He was also a Libra. I won’t say that he was an activist so much as I would say that he knew in spades how to cut pretentiousness down to size with a biting wit. Groucho once said in an interview that everyone he knew became a Republican once they got money, and he was the only Democrat left in his circle of acquaintances. He was so good at calling out a phony that much of the time his victims did not realize that they were being called out until after they had some time to think about it. It is possible that they never figured out that they had been royally put in their place but it would have been apparent that something had been done to throw them off balance and the joke was truly on them whether they knew it or not. Libra cannot tolerate being thrown off balance themselves. The scales (the ancient kind for weighing things) represents Libra well because they must keep their balance and equilibrium or you will definitely hear about it. This makes them very good at speaking to the world about how unbalanced it is. That is, if they choose to vocalize it publicly. Some do not. They just brood and stay in a snit until they get back in balance.  But you will know that something has hit the fan with them even if they never utter a word about it. Best to leave the room and let them get past it before you come back because they can be impossible to be around until they do.

If you are a Libra know that an imbalance in government or in society needs to be called out as well as any personal one and acted upon or it is unlikely to right itself. You do have to pick your individual battles and use your own personal gifts to make your statements but Libra is usually quite creative in that.  Art, music, and writing are not out of reach for them in some form or another. John Lennon used all of those venues to make his points and they definitely got noticed. Even President Nixon felt the bite from John’s unvarnished truth telling and nearly got himself deported from the US for telling some truths that made our government very uncomfortable. Most of us are unlikely to garner such high-power attention but if you want to make a point, you have some inborn expertise in getting it across. If you are not a Libra but are friends with one, spend some time sounding them out on a particular subject that is a recognizable problem and see how well they can dissect it in a conversation with you. If you have been having trouble finding the right words to call out a troubling issue in the world grab a pen and paper once Libra gets started. They might not ever open their mouth in public about it, but you as their friend are likely to hear some of the best criticisms and pretty good solutions for the problem to put in your next speech about the injustice. Take them with you to the debate. Even if they don’t participate you can bet that they are taking mental notes on your opposition and after the meeting you will be treated to a new batch of comebacks for the next verbal swingfest.

An Aquarius person can be hard to pin down as far as their views on a civic issue. Many of them believe that everyone is very stupid and they see no reason to call that stupidity out unless a problem or injustice is right in front of their face in the moment. They might have to be very angry or offended to say anything about it but the best time to hear their views on anything will be as an issue is taking place. Their opinion will be direct, cutting, and very much to the point. Let them design the protest banners for showing a pointed criticism. If they won’t get directly involved in a protest, they are still likely to show up for your meetings because it might be fun. They do like socializing and while they are there, they might find the fight interesting enough to lend a hand. You will probably be very glad that they are there because their presence is a diversion that can be an indicator of when it is time to take a break and just hang out without being so serious all the time.

I have known very few Geminis in my life but one thing that has always stood out to me when I have been around one is that they appear to not give a crap about much of anything or anybody. Of course, that isn’t true and you will realize it once they start talking to you. Much of the time if they speak to you, it will be after you have been in their presence for awhile. When they do pay attention to you, you will probably have the urge to look around you for the real person that they are talking to because you may feel like it could not be you. It is a “who came in?” moment. If you ever find that you are a person of interest to Gemini in a romantic way expect to see some incredibly written texts or emails or actual letters/notes of epic proportions. They might even remind you of a Shakespearian sonnet. Gemini can write! I am suprised that they all aren’t romance novelists or songwriters with emphasis on love songs. Paul McCartney is one of the more out there and prolific ones. Ask Gemini to write for your protest group’s newsletter or come up with a protest song. They will spare no words and will leave out no important details.

Many air signs prefer to just be “Blowin’ in the Wind”, which is the title of one of the most famous protest songs of all time and was written by Gemini Bob Dylan. They may not formally attach themselves to any issue of what is wrong with the world but do not discount them in your efforts because they can be a tremendous help and support in out of the ordinary ways that can soften the public perception of what you stand for and make it more appealing to the masses and keep you from just preaching your message to the choir.

The next installment in this series will post next Friday. Until then, have a safe and happy holiday.

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Because No One Answered (Part Two)

In part one of this series which I posted last week I spoke about the Fire Signs in the zodiac, Aries, Sagittarius, and Leo. Fire brings high energy and drive into their psychology. It makes them great advocates for change in the world. Many people do not realize what they can contribute to the betterment of humanity but we all have something if we are willing to use it. This time I will speak about the signs in the zodiac that represent the element of water; Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

Water signs are the most sensitive people in the zodiac. They feel things more acutely. Some people born in these signs may develop a hard-shell around themselves to prevent their emotional vulnerability from showing. Cancer is probably best at this because they represent the adolescent in the zodiac who is just beginning to learn that life can be very frightening and very tough once you get past childhood innocence. People can be mean and cruel and there is the true realization then that you are a separate entity from your mother. Many Cancer people are very good and efficient at cooking and keeping the home in order. They develop the skills associated with comfort and security.

Cancer is symbolized by the crab who lives in its shell but can poke its head out and walk around if it doesn’t feel threatened. When a threat is there, it is convenient to be carrying your shelter around with you. Because Cancer knows fear and insecurity very well it is easier for them to spot a threat to others before many of us do. They never forget what it is like to be a child and the fears associated with that no matter how old they are. Not all of them venture into child advocacy but they all have great empathy for hurt or abused children. There are always exceptions to this if the Cancer adult suffered abuse in childhood themselves or if elements in the rest of their birth chart have a heavy influence in key areas of their emotional make up but even then, the capacity for protecting others is still within them. They can be moved to tears or greatly angered pretty easily by injustice and will look for a way to intervene when children are threatened very quickly. If you were born in the sign of Cancer, you may deny your empathy to high heaven around others but if you can pull yourself out of your protective shell long enough to admit how you feel, you can bring out your innate understanding of the need to protect others and the will to actually provide that protection in many ways.

So much of the time Scorpio gets a bad rap and is misunderstood for having the ability to sting like hell when they are riled. Try to think of that as in the behavior of a skunk. That word is often used to denote a reprehensible person, but skunks are actually docile creatures unless they are afraid. The only defense that they have is the ability to spray. The sting of the scorpion need not be feared generally speaking if you haven’t offended them, so give Scorpio the benefit of the doubt before you brand them evil. As in most of the problems in this world our ability to help solve them has to come from a place where ego and selfishness need to be put aside. Scorpios are maybe a little better than other signs at setting aside ego because doing that is essential for people who are extremely affected with respect to how deeply they feel things. Pointing out how vulnerable they really are might get you on their bad side for sure if you are deliberately making light of it. I would not recommend messing about with their personal feelings on any subject that is dear to their heart. Look to find them involved in benevolent ventures that are going to maintain a status quo rather than shake up the ground. This might be boring for people who like to stir things up but still waters are important in holding a strong center base. Invite the Scorpio if you prefer peace, and be grateful that the center can hold with their presence.

Pisces represents the last of the 12 signs in the zodiac. It is said that their character reflects what one would be like after all of the lessons present in the previous 11 signs have been mastered or at least experienced. Theoretically one has learned to set aside ego, care selflessly for others, walk away cleanly from bad situations without looking back, and look to the spiritual instead of the physical to make choices in life. These are likely to be the people who truly mean it when they ask “What would Jesus do?” before making a decision. Now, forget every bit of what I just said about Pisces. All of those potentials are still there, but as soon as you expect them you are not likely to get them. In the endeavor to make the world a better place Pisces understands how badly unity and solidarity is needed. They probably will feel supportive about any cause that eases the suffering of people. They will serve coffee and listen to your plans for accomplishing all of your goals, but I doubt that they will support the cause as much as they will support the ones who are advocating for it. Pisces loyalty is with people. It is not with driving ideals. They will be there with you because they like you and believe in helping others but they don’t have to believe in what you are doing to stand by you. They only have to believe in you. Few things in life are as helpful as someone believing in us and believing that we have worth when we have trouble believing it ourselves sometimes. Even though he was a Sagittarius and not a Pisces, Friedrich Engels had a Pisces like faith in the way that he supported Karl Marx and stood with him to the end of Marx’s life and continued to carry on even after.

Whether or not we will actually be effective in what we wish to attain is difficult to predict, but with Pisces there to mirror belief in what we are doing back to us, we are more likely to charge onward with confidence. Pisces will not tell you to pack up and go home because your cause is a losing battle. They won’t tell you how full of holes your theories might be, but they are the crutches that you can hold yourself up with while you learn to stand tall. TV personality, Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was a Pisces and few people represent the kind of belief in and support for others that he showed children and adults alike. Pisces believes in magic and believes in dreams. This kind of care and support can also be found in people who do not have the Sun in Pisces at their birth but have it present in their natal chart such as having the Moon or Rising Sign there. It is highly likely that this was the case with Friedrich Engels, and Karl Marx had Saturn and Pluto in Pisces. It is a powerful element and can indicate the propensity for psychic ability if the fish swims in the chart in key places. It also can manifest as true belief in the best potential for others. It can be an unshakable belief if they can see behind the outward bluster of people and into their heart.  And most of the time they can.

Pisces wants no discord with those they are loyal to and will usually bend over backwards to keep the peace. Remember this when you are in conflict about something with your Pisces friend. They are genuinely there for you but the emotional pain of conflict is twice as difficult for them to get past. They will try to move mountains to avoid it, but conflict will leave a mark upon them. Pisces is extremely loyal to those they care about but too many chips at their emotion will eventually cause them to abandon you because their pain can be intolerable to them. If you don’t cross the Pisces tolerance limit, they can set it aside and devote themselves to you when they know that you need them, but do not pester them because they never really forget being badgered about anything.

We are incredibly lucky if we have a Pisces friend. Invite them along to your protest rallies because as long as you can see them in the crowd you can hold on to your belief in yourself.

The next installment in this series will post next Friday.

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Because No One Answered (Part One)

In 1967 singer Ed Ames recorded a song called “Who Will Answer?”. The lyrics tell about the many problems of the time that people were experiencing that seemingly had no answer to. The song looks for hope that someone (most likely he was telling us that only the creator was capable of answering, but it does not specifically say that) will come forward and save us from ourselves. More than 50 years later, no one has. Why is that? We still have the same problems that were pointed out in the song, and quite frankly they are much worse and there are more of them. No one knows how to save the world and even if someone did know how only a fraction of the population would be willing to accept that they did. Humans are full of insecurities and contradictions that make it very difficult for them to put those things aside and make a concerted effort to fix the problems that never go away. Another major complication is the fact that too many people are fine with the fact that we have them. So for those of us who still want to resolve the human conflicts that plague us it is necessary to go alone on that road to the solutions and hope that while you travel there others will join you in that commitment. Until they do, the problems are yours. How do you begin to make a difference?

From where you now sit in your little corner of the world, what are your strengths? Don’t think that you have any? You are wrong. As an advocate for Astrology, I would say to first look at your Sun Sign. Let’s say that you were born in the sign of Aries which is the first sign in the zodiac. I already know that you have the necessary drive and commitment to take on a challenge that is important to you but do you know it within yourself? I have studied it and have known many people born in that sign. Introduce yourself to what you were born with.

If Aries wants something it isn’t likely that they can be talked out of going for it. It usually doesn’t even occur to them that they aren’t capable of getting it. Aries represents the newborn baby in the zodiac. They haven’t learned that they can’t do something so they aren’t going to know that they can’t. Maybe sometime later if they fall on their butt several times they will rethink that but until they find themselves on their butt it isn’t an issue. This is the sign of the go-getters. The rest of us will watch them start a project and wonder why we didn’t know that you could do it. Want to move across the country but you see no way to do it? Aries can tell you how. Want to start a business or change careers? Tell this to an Aries and they have probably already done both at some time in their life. So, this is the go to person if you want to start a movement for change or take a stand for the betterment of people because they love a new challenge and will work hard to help set that change in motion.

Speaking of taking a stand, nobody knows how to do that better than Sagittarius. What issue is troubling you? Human rights? Animal rights? Women’s rights? Most likely all of them are if you have more than one planet in this constellation. My daughter has multiple planets in her Sun Sign Sagittarius and she has multiple opinions and beliefs on many issues and puts those beliefs into just about every aspect of her life. The issues closest to her heart are caring for and fostering cats - 22 of them in the past seven years, and in producing short films. Her films are always visually motivating even if you do not think that you care about her subjects because they are usually geared toward making you laugh, helping you see something that you might not notice otherwise, or scaring the hell out of you with monster makeup and special effects. Sagittarius can take feelings and emotions and turn them into art. They can also take a hungry and frightened animal and give it a place to come home to knowing that it is welcome and loved. I have seen her turn feral cats into caring and appreciative little animals capable of love and empathy. They can be vicious little creatures when they first show up and evolve into the most devoted of companions. Sagittarius has a way with animals and with people to encourage the best from them. They make great advocates for a cause and can persuade with just their example.

If you are a Leo, I won’t lie to you. This sign tends to be a crusader only if it actually affects them in some way either personally or affects someone that they love deeply. It isn’t that they don’t care or don’t see that something is broken, it is just that this sign represents the eternal teenager, and the teenager is busy learning what they want to do in life and just experiencing it. What is important comes later. They are in the right now and if the right now is unfair to them, they will definitely see it, but otherwise they will be focused on those things around them that look like a happy time. If they don’t see any happy times in the now, then you will see a very vocal and determined advocate for change.  Things are so bad at the moment that Leo is definitely paying attention because they cannot help but be affected. If this is your Sun Sign, we need you. No one is better than Leo at spotting an alternative to the crisis at hand and they will share it with you.  Most likely with humor. They may try distraction in such a way as to encourage you to step away for a moment from the problem long enough to gain a different perspective, but they are with you as long as they see the need to be. Leo’s are often the comedians who help us through by humorously trashing the perpetrators of our problems by way of poking fun at the way they look and talk and pointing out how utterly ridiculous they actually are. They will point out all of the reasons that you shouldn’t be intimidated by “big shots” because they are as flawed as anybody else and they will name off a list of those flaws for you.  No one is on a pedestal that Leo cannot knock down. They can keep you in stitches even at a funeral by telling you about all of the times the person who has passed was great fun to be around. They might not be able to do that if they were extremely close to the deceased but they can do it for you if there is at least some detachment for them. They know pain and grief but they want you to be able to survive it. You may not realize it but during the worst of times they are carrying you so you won’t fall.  This is a skill that is so valuable that I hope more of you Leos will get out there and let your sun shine in the darkness.

So do not tell me that you cannot be a person who can answer the call for help now when times are so dreadful. I have described only the Fire Signs here but we all have a unique gift to give. I hope that you will see yourself as an individual and integral part of the world family that is very much needed and has much to give to our time on Planet Earth when you embrace the best parts of the real you.