June Wrap Up : : July What’s Up

June 2009 has been and gone; another month’s worth of days and nights spent. And what did I do here on this blog? What was the big news here last month? What in the world did I write and did you read in 9, 370 page views in those 43 posts last month–one every day and then some–to total almost 100,000 page views since November 2007?

WordCamp SF 2009 (and getting my posts on it linked to Blog Herald and to WordPress’s Wordcamp SF post), First Friday ArtRides in June and July, Burning Man exploits and art as always, and last but not least, my application to be the Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent. The hit posts for last month and of all time are listed below.

Summer is a time for outdoor concerts, vacations, BBQs, bike rides, camping, growing gardens. Being close to LA means there are lots of great events going on 1-2 hours away from free concerts at many of the museums and public spaces like the Santa Monica Pier and Grand Performances downtown to Shakespeare and street fairs.

This weekend the country erupts in Fireworks and patriotic displays of affection. Around here, July 4 highlights are always the free show up in Santa Barbara off Stearns Wharf and the Rotary show at Ventura College which costs unless you find a spot outside the field.

If you go to Santa Barbara, be sure to drop by the grand opening of the new Fishnet store and gallery which my friend Jenessa is involved with–she’s been tie dying and sewingup a storm and I am sure her creations will be a hit! (Beware of traffic headed to Michael Jackson’s Neverland for the public viewing!)

Poetry-wise, I’ll be at the Artists Union Gallery for Robert Peake read July 14. As I get a chance to post about other literary and artistic events, you know I will!

We’re most excited about the Fossil Fuel Free Ride July 3; join us at 5:30pm as the moon rises on the Ventura Promenade for a 6pm ride around town with stops at various art spaces and followed by an after party! The moon will be bright and almost full for the ride. Other July astronomy highlights, according to my trusty Tidelog:

F July 3: Earth at Aphelion
T July 7: full moon; penumbral lunar eclipse (not much to notice)
T July 20: new moon; solar eclipse–umbral shadow lands in India, crosses, Nepal, Bhutan, Mynamar, China, southern Pacific Ocean

Astrology-wise, according to Astrology.com, “Uranus, the planet of rebellion, turns retrograde today July 1.

Uranus is the oddball of the solar system. For starters, it rolls along its side — on its equator — instead of spinning upright in its orbit the way planets typically do. Uranus is also in retrograde for more than half of the year. This means it is only direct for two weeks, and is retrograde for about five months out of every Earth year.

Astrologically, Uranus liberates you from the shackles of convention and applies pressure to change whatever is stagnant in your life. Uranus rules electromagnetic energy and is like a lightning storm that creates chaos as it cleans the air, revealing a fresh new world once the storm has cleared.

But when Uranus is retrograde, expect the unexpected. Wonderful and startling surprises are very possible. This retrograde may set your wild side free, or it could make a notoriously outgoing person uncharacteristically shy.

To know exactly what to expect, review the placement of Uranus in your birth chart. If Uranus is direct in a chart, intuitive and inventive impulses flow on a regular basis. However, when Uranus is retrograde in a birth chart, rebellious urges tend to bottle up and then burst forth, seemingly out of nowhere. A retrograde period seems to reawaken freedom urges within individuals, causing them to suddenly and unconsciously rebel against any ruts or confinement in life. Is Uranus retrograde in your birth chart? Should you be on guard against your own rebellious tendencies in the following months to come?

The Lunar eclipse Tuesday July 7 is in my sign, Capricorn, about which Astrology.com says:

The second lunar eclipse of 2009 takes place on July 7, signaling the beginning of a dramatic eclipse period. A solar eclipse occurs on July 21 and then another lunar eclipse happens on August 5. 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.

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! This won’t be a boring month and you’ll want to keep your eyes and ears open so that you can take full advantage of the opportunities and avoid the pitfalls. This is a time to stand back and assess your goals. Your career/work life gets a lot of attention now, and with Saturn making a helpful aspect, you just may get the support you’ve been hoping for! The Jupiter/Neptune conjunction in Aquarius, which will be exact on July 10, boosts your optimism. While the eclipse in practical Capricorn keeps your feet on the ground, this idealistic duo reminds you to dream big!

The solar eclipse July 21 is in cancer, and it’s in the same place as it was 19 years ago so to get a clue about what’s going on today, take a trip down memory lane about where YOU were 19 years ago and what you were facing. For me, 19 years ago was also my Saturn returns. That year was the start of a whole new direction in my life, the beginning of a huge upheaval.

What else does this eclipse have in store for you? According to astrology.com means:

Get ready for drama! A total eclipse of the Sun will occur in the sign of Cancer on July 21-22. Although this eclipse will only be visible in northern India, eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanmar, central China and the Pacific Ocean, this is the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the twenty-first century. This total eclipse will last for up to 6 minutes and 39 seconds; will not be surpassed in duration again until June 13, 2132!

A Solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is exactly between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the solar rays from reaching us. From ancient times to the modern-day world, solar eclipses have heralded spectacular events and drama! This eclipse occurs in the last degree of Cancer — and brings all the Cancerian energies of home, family, nurturing, caring, maternal instincts, emotions and sensitivity into focus.

Eclipses always occur in pairs. While a lunar eclipse brings the past into the present to see what works, a solar eclipse brings the future to present and triggers new potentials. Since Cancer rules family, home and vocation these areas will take center stage during this eclipse.

What does the eclipse mean for you? Since this eclipse occurs in the sign of Cancer, its impact will feel different depending on which House Cancer is positioned in your birth chart. Where the eclipse falls in the chart is significant, as the energies expressed by its house placement will show the areas of life that are affected by the new beginning that is implied.

If your Sun sign or Ascendant is Cancer, almost every part of your life will be affected. If Cancer is in your First or Seventh House, you will focus on yourself, your marriage or your relationship. If it is situated in the Second or Eight House, your earnings or joint finances will be impacted. If it is the Third or Ninth House, travel or educational pursuits are highlighted. In the Fourth or Tenth House, home and career will be front and center. Eclipses in the Fifth or Eleventh House put the spotlight on self-expression, children, groups and organizations. Finally, eclipses in the Sixth or Twelfth House put the focus on health, work and service. Wisdom holds that events that are triggered by an eclipse usually take six months to unfold, so you can expect this process of change to continue. The opportunity to break old patterns will present themselves as you make changes.

Do you know where Cancer is in your birth chart, and how it impacts your life?

Top 15 Posts for 30 days ending 2009-07-01:
9, 370 total page views

2009-06-01 to Today