#450:: January Wrap-Up : : February What’s Up

In this post: a review of January and what to look forward to in February–on this blog, in the local lit scene, in the skies, and astrologically too!

For January 2009, my birth month, I set a goal of writing at least one post a day, getting over 50,000 page views, and having at least 50 subscribers.

How did I do? Well, I have published a total of 450 posts so far, and I published 35 posts this month, with at least one every day except on my birthday, and I want to thank you for helping me get there on the page views–as of this minute, on Feb 1, I’m at 50,800! I need a few more subscribers to get close to my goal–a BIG thank you to those of you who have subscribed!  If you’re not a subscriber yet, I hope you will click the little box in the upper right on the home page (click the banner image to get there) and not miss another word! I also achieved a google page rank of 5 (0-10, with 10 being one of 1,000 best sites on the web), a technorati rating of 45 and a rank of 126, 551 (that’s out of the millions of blogs out there…).

This month started off with a bang with a lot of interest in the New Year’s eve astronomy and astrology! That post has had almost 1,000 page views! I took you along to Joshua Tree National Park for New Year’s Eve weekend where I wrote 17 American Sentences, then to Macworld in SF where I wrote several posts (and picked up Guy Kawasaki’s book, and have a few more to come in February on people and products!) The following week I took you to the California Cultural Tourism Symposium (I have a few more posts up my sleeve on that too). I also wrote a series of posts along the theme of “Sing Songs, Heal the World” celebrating the Obama presidency; the blog To the Wire chose the one on Bruce Springsteen as a Top Blog post for the week which brought me many new readers. I ended the month with a posts about taking action and changing the world by riding bikes, and finished it with more music: Radiohead & Springsteen.

February will bring more global advocacy posts and updates on the bike rides we are planning in hopes you will join us or create your own! Also I plan a series of book reviews–that’s right, I have a collection of awesome, exciting, world changing books that I’m somewhere in and my goal in February is to spend some time soaking in the hot tub and reading and reviewing: The Puzzle Box by Paul Squires, Tribes by Seth Godin, Reality Check by Guy Kawasaki, Nowtopia: How Pirate Programmers, Outlaw Bicyclists, and Vacant-lot Gardeners are Inventing the Future Today by Chris Carlsson, author of Critical Mass: Bicycling’s Defiant Celebration from (AK Press), on recommendation of Danika Dinsmore, Pronoia by Rob Brezny and on the recommendation of the Burning Moms, Groundswell by new Burning Mom Charlene Li (and Josh Bernoff).

In fact, this month, look for more book reviews and less poetry..unless life intervenes to inspire, of course! Plus I have a series about ski vacations that I plan to put up this month! If you have books or wine or anything else you’d like me to review, send it along or direct me that way, and let the Art Predator have at it! If there’s something you’d like to see me take on, please let me know!

Also on the calendar: for this Wednesday 2/4:  Explodity: An Evening of Transrational Sound Poetry Contemporary sound poets Christian Bök and Steve McCaffery will be joined by scholar Oleg Minin for an evening of readings in conjunction with the exhibition “Tango with Cows: Book Art of the Russian Avant-Garde, 1910-1917.” Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. 7 p.m. Reservations required. (310) 440-7300…

Saturday 2/7: Chris Carlsson, the author of Nowtopia will present and sign his new book. Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110…

and another  trip to LA  for a Santa Lucia Highlands wine tasting Monday Feb. 9 and maybe to the Moonday poetry reading in Pacific Palisades to see Steve Williams and M with a stop in between for burgers at Fathers Office in Santa Monica..

and locally, Mary Kay Rummel at the Artists Union Feb 10, and Dian Sousa on the last Saturday of the month at Bell Arts Factory.

And what’s up from an ASTRONOMICAL perspective in February? Well in addition to this week’s smiling moon and winking Venus (the closest it’ll be for 3 years and visible at sunset for one month more only!), according to my 2009 Tidelog, the most interesting event in the sky is the full moon lunar eclipse February 9–which most of us in the US won’t even notice, but early birds on the west coast may see some rosiness in the morning’s setting moon (from about 615am-645am). If you’re up early, you’ll also see Jupiter.

And from an astrological perspective,  check into Rob Brezsny’s Free Will Astrology or read what astrology.com has to say:

The first month of 2009 is almost over and February is upon us. The cosmos signals that the times, they are a changin’, and we wish everyone the best in these tumultuous economic times.

Mercury turns direct on January 31 (or February 1 depending on your time zone like here on the West Coast), and the first Mercury retrograde of 2009 is now officially over. Let the misunderstandings, confusions and fuzzy thinking end and new conversations begin anew!

Mercury turns direct in pragmatic Capricorn (my sun sign), so it’s time to get a stable plan together. Finish projects that may have been on hold during Mercury retrograde. Whether it was due a muddy mind, unforeseen delays, someone’s non-committal behavior or any other confusion, the barriers should lift now and give way to progress.

The gates have been lifted, encouraging you to charge forward. Whether you want to move ahead with a new job, fresh business venture, creative project, relationship, you name it (or all of the above!)  — get going! Cosmically speaking, there’s nothing stopping you! Mercury’s trine to serious Saturn indicates that the support you need is there for you. However, Mercury’s wide conjunction to feisty Mars, and a square to the impetuous Aries Moon, caution you to not overreact to anything. As you move forward, let things develop at a sensible pace!

February begins with feisty energy as Venus enters the pioneering sign Aries on February 2, and active Mars enters independent Aquarius on February 4. Yet, in the midst of these themes, Saturn and Uranus oppose each other again on February 5 when they return to the same tug-of-war (change vs. experience) that was in play last November 4.

Saturn and Uranus will be exactly opposite each other on Thursday February 5, forming what is known as an ‘opposition’ in astrology — two planets positioned 180 degrees apart. This is the second of five such oppositions that started on November 4, 2008, and it will continue until July 26, 2010. These oppositions always come in a cycle, and happen approximately every 45 years. The last time these two planets formed oppositions was 1965 to 1967, and before that from 1918 to 1920.

Saturn is the planet of authority and experience, and represents the tough and conservative disciplinarian, while Uranus is wild and unconventional — the maverick planet of change.

Saturn and Uranus are mortal enemies in mythology, and their combined energies in astrology signal tension and transformation. Issues that have been festering beneath the surface emerge, and the rules of the game shift. Uranus energy brings innovation through instability. Sudden and unexpected events shake our foundations and force us to look at things in a new way.

Drama, destiny and new ideas come together for an exciting second week that ends on Valentine’s Day weekend. The lunar eclipse of February 9 brings a culmination to the energy of the solar eclipse of January 26.

The first lunar eclipse of 2009 takes place on February 9. A lunar eclipse always occurs during a full Moon, when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the Moon. Eclipses also come in pairs, and this eclipse follows the solar eclipse of January 25-26.

We tend to be more emotionally expressive during a full Moon, and this time around, that bright orb in the night sky is no exception! Meaningful change is upon us. This eclipse in Leo emphasizes emotional reactions, and psychic sensitivity, spiritual instincts and emotional connectedness will all be heightened during this period. There will be feelings of freedom as blockages melt away. Let go of beliefs that don’t correspond with your current reality and you’ll be able to see the present in a new light. You’re free to redefine your personality and your image. A new hairdo or new clothes would do you a world of good!

A old phase ends and a new one begins. Whatever part of your life is not in sync with your true life’s purpose will be the most affected This is revealed by where this eclipse falls in your personal chart.

Teamwork is the message as Jupiter and the north node conjunct on February 13. Then Mercury enters Aquarius on February 14, encouraging independent thinking and new ideas for a memorable and romantic Valentine’s Day!

Altruistic Aquarian themes continue the week of February 15 as Mars, the north node and Jupiter travel together in this humanitarian sign. First, energetic Mars conjuncts the north node on February 16, when you are encouraged to turn your attention to your future. Then, your desires and actions are amplified with Jupiter conjunct Mars on February 17. The Sun’s entrance into spiritual Pisces on February 18 reminds you to spend quiet time for reflection.

Think before you speak the week of February 22, as communicative Mercury, active Mars and outgoing Jupiter travel together in inventive Aquarius. First, Mercury conjuncts Jupiter on February 23, when you and everybody else will have a lot to say! Then the dialog heats up when Mercury conjuncts Mars on March 1. In the middle of this, it’s time to start something with the new Moon in sensitive Pisces on February 24. The Mars quincunx Saturn on February 28 causes you to adjust your plans.

So what did you read here last month? Here’s the Top 11 posts from December 31-January 31:

And in case you’re curious, (and since I haven’t done this since September!) here’s Art Predator’s Top 12 highest page views of all time (November 4, 2007-Jan. 31, 2009):