Newsletter

Perfect Together -Astrology, Karma and You" will be published this summer by SterlingHouse Publisher, under their PAJA Books imprint

From last fall's newsletter: "In May the interested publisher asked me if I would be willing to make revisions to the manuscript because it was too long. I did the work and resubmitted it in late June. Still no contract, but I'm thinking 'no news is good news.' I'll keep you posted."

Well, no news turned out to be GREAT news! Just days after the newsletter arrived in your mailbox, a book contract arrived in mine.

More often than not, it still doesn't really register that all this is happening. But I do know this: all the while I was immersed in the writing of "Perfect Together" and right up to this present moment, I've never doubted for a split-second that working on the book in some way was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

During these past four years, I've had a card tacked up in my office, with a quote from writer and cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien:

• Show Up.
• Pay Attention.
• Work Hard.
• Detach From The Outcome.

I tried hard to follow this exemplary advice, but I have to confess that I never did let go of the hope that "Perfect Together" would find its place in the world. And it did!

Look for an invitation to the "book launch" party coming to your mailbox later this year. I hope you'll be able to join the celebration.

On October 23rd and 24th of last year, the Sun, Mars and Venus entered the sign of Scorpio, joining up with Mercury and Jupiter and the Moon, which were already there. That put six out of the ten (let's leave the Pluto controversy out of this) planets in one single, hugely powerful, sign. Late on the 24 th the Moon moved into the sign of Sagittarius, but the other five planets would remain in Scorpio through November 16th. During this period-October 23 through November 16, 2006 - one powerful set of spirits were born, little babies who, for the moment, are happily gurgling and smiling and bouncing in their onesies, delighting their parents and everyone else who has the good fortune to spend time with them. Some of them, if they were born near 6 AM, have Scorpio as their Rising Sign, or Ascendant, as well.

So, what does this dramatic convergence of planetary energy mean? Let's take a look at that powerful water sign to get some insight. Scorpio is associated with Pluto, the planet representing the power to transform at deep, intense levels: to transform disease to wholeness; chaos to calm; pain to comfort and ease. People with a lot of Scorpio energy are strong and intense and courageous. When they get sick or hurt, they heal quickly. They're magnetic, and charismatic, and passionate. And they are powerful. Very, very powerful. When they show up on the scene, things start to happen.

Now let's take a look at the world around us: War raging. New threats emerging almost every day. The disparity been the "haves" and the "have-nots" growing at warp speed. The environment at risk. Debt escalating at both governmental and personal levels. And, at the same time, a dramatic growth in spiritual consciousness - in the awareness that there's more to this life than what we can see and touch and experience through our mortal five senses. It seems to me that we could use some powerful presences to help our world transition from the first set of conditions to the second. We need people who have the courage to look at what's wrong and who won't take "no" for an answer when healing and wholeness and spiritual growth are at stake. People with five or more planets in the sign of Scorpio are just those kinds of people.

Where and how they will make their contributions depends on where this dramatic power point of energy is located and how it is linked into the rest of their birth charts. For some, it will be in the public arena, for others in more personal environments and relationships. For some, there may be prominence; others will work behind the scenes. If they use this amazing energy at its highest expression, together they can do much to transform this world for the better.

But right now, they are happily gurgling and smiling and bouncing in their onesies, delighting their parents and everyone else who has the good fortune to spend time with them. Let's leave it at that...it's more than enough.

Last year I wrote about the discovery of what was expected to be designated a new planet. Just as a reminder, here's a snippet from that article:

Meet "Xena." This is the nickname given to a large round object discovered last year (i.e. 2005) at the outer fringes of our solar system, 100 times farther away than the distance between the Earth and the Sun. Xena is about 20% bigger than Pluto, currently the outermost "official" planet in our solar system, and even has its own dim and frosty-looking moon. In other words, 2003UB313, to use its technical name, has all the makings of a true planet.

Well, a lot has happened in relation to this new kid on the block during the past year. For one thing, despite her size and moon, the International Astronomical Union has consigned 2003UB313 to the "dwarf planet" category, where she is in the very good and powerful company of her demoted cohort, Pluto. For another, she-and her moon-have been officially named, and those names are engendering as much controversy in the astrological and astronomical communities as their "dwarf planet" status.

Update your planetary address books: Xena is now Eris. She's been named in honor of the Greek goddess of warfare and strife, a real trouble-maker if ever there was one, known in the mythological pantheon for her ability to stir jealousy and anger and discord at the drop of a hat. For example, she was the one who started the quarrel among a group of goddesses over a certain golden apple, the legendary tiff that set off the epic Trojan War. And it was Eris' children who were the miseries (Toil, Pain, Ruin, Lies, etc.) that were released when Pandora opened her infamous box. One of Eris' daughters, Dysnomia , represented Lawlessness. I suppose, given the theme that was developing, that it made some kind of sense to someone to choose that name for Eris' moon.

There is precedent for naming new planets to reflect current events at the time of their discovery. For example, Uranus, the planet representing freedom, was discovered in 1781, just after the French and American revolutions. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that a planet discovered in the year the Iraq war raged on, and the situation the Middle East reached new heights of unrest, and the greatest number of recorded hurricane-including Katrina-occurred, would be named for a goddess of chaos and strife. But I'm a true believer in the "think positive" idea, the concept that you bring into your life what you expect to encounter, so I join with those who are disappointed and disturbed by the choice.

This is important: Eris did have one good child who was also in Pandora's box: Her name was Elpis , or Hope .

On November 6, 2006 at 10:38 AM in Brooklyn, New York, my niece Amanda Ansorge and her husband Gregor Clark welcomed 9 pound 13 ounce Guthrie, our family's proud contribution to the "Scorpio Stampede." He's adorable, and now weighs in at 19 pounds!

Don't Count Out The "Lord of the Underworld" Just Yet. The American Dialect Society, which concerns itself with things like grammar and syntax and the evolution of language, designated " Plutoed " as their 2006 "Word of the Year". Definition: "To demote or devalue something." It seems that astrologers aren't the only ones not willing to let Pluto fade into the sunset (or, rather, the world of the "dwarf planets.") Bravo!

Mercury Retrograde Dates. You know the drill: When Mercury is retrograde it's important to be very mindful of all communication - what's coming in and what's going out. The planet of communication and logical thinking is retrograde during the following times in the next twelve months (All Eastern Time):

Karmic Readings. Karmic readings deepen, enrich and personalize life purpose and karmic history information by linking it to the energies of your own totally unique birth chart. They explore answers to questions like: What is it that I have to experience and accomplish so that at the end of this lifetime's day I can know that I released all the potential of my life and my chart? What karmic wounds can be healed? How can I best learn what I need to learn so that I can get the job done? How do the energies of this lifetime's birth chart support the effort? How do they challenge it? What might some of my past life experiences been like? What can I learn from them? What's happening energetically in my chart now that affects my life purpose efforts?

• Karmic readings are only available to those who have already had a full natal chart interpretation with me .

"Perfect Together" Karmic Profile .
Due to copyright considerations related to the upcoming publication of the book, I can no longer offer this item.

What Can I Say, Book Angel? The Book Angel, aka Helen Shields, has been flying overtime these last months, staying one step ahead of the seemingly endless minutia and countless editorial changes that were needed to get "Perfect Together" all shined up and ready for the publisher. Once that was done, we moved on to this newsletter, which once again thanks to her efforts, looks simply terrific. "Thank you" doesn't even begin to say it, BA.

Don't FORGET to look out for the "Perfect Together" book launch party invitation later this year. If you can't wait you can go to the Sterling House Bookstore or order by phone: 888-542-BOOK