Venus Visits The Sun: What does it mean?
This has been quite the month for astronomical and astrological phenomena: a solar eclipse two weeks ago with the new moon, a lunar eclipse two weeks later on Monday with the full moon, and now Venus will cross in front of the sun for the second and last time in this century. 
What might it mean–these three examples of what was easily viewed then obscured or blocked? What is revealed in the shadow?
Astrologically, an eclipse is a time of transition, of change, when something is revealed that has been obscured, when we can see what is in shadow.
But what about Venus, the planet of love, crossing in front of the all important sun? Here’s one person’s ideas on astrology.com:
The power of women is that sleeping force that is now awakening. Remember all bodies, including males enter the world only through the feminine. The transit of Venus plus the Full Moon eclipse on June 4 herald the love of women but more importantly women’s love and compassion for others, starting with the child and radiating outward. And should women remember their ability to love, the world would change.
What do you think?
Watch Venus pass in front of the sun live: here’s a list of places with online streaming. We like the one on Mauna Loa:
A Pair of 2012 Eclipses: Solar & Lunar
How did you experience the May 2012 annular solar eclipse? Or the June 2012 partial lunar eclipse?
My family and I joined The Ojai Mythological Roundtable seventh session: The Labyrinth the evneing of the solar eclipse. Guest speaker Kayleen Asbo, a cultural historian and professor at Sonoma State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, shared the historical, mythological, and psychological aspects of this phenomenon tracking its influence from Greece to Medieval France, and sharing slides to illustrate her points.
We also walked the labryinth at the Ojai Foundation during the eclipse, and we watched it progress thanks to a simple device someone shared. Before we went back in to learn more about labyrinths, I took this shot with my iPhone. I used no special filters but was able to catch the shape of the eclipsed sun thanks to the leaves.
Eclipses always come in pairs. The second in this pair of 2012 eclipses starts around 2am on Monday June 4. 
On Saturday, June 3, we backpacked to spend the night on North Dome in Yosemite and to take advantage of the lunar light. We set up our tent under two gnarled firs on the edge of the dome, cooked our dinner, made hot cocoa, and watched the nearly full moon rise over Half Dome. The granite surrounding us sparkled in the night. I had quite a few dreams, too. In one of them, I dug into the carpet of my house and struck sweet crude oil.
It’s nice to be home and clean after nine days of camping (a fuller report to follow!) but every night of our trip we enjoyed clear skies. I wish we were there on North Dome tonight so we could watch the moon eclipse over Yosemite Valley!
It’s too foggy to see it here, but if your skies are clear and you’re awake and on the Pacific coast, you will notice a change in the moon’s color at 145am, and you will see the shadow begin to eat the moon at 3am and continuing until 5am. And If you’re up when the sun rises, check out the 6am moonset for some cool color!
According to Astrology.com, during this lunar eclipse, “The Sagittarius Moon opposes the Gemini Sun. You’ll get a big reminder that, as important as the cerebral focus of last month’s Solar Eclipse was, you’d better not forget to tend to your emotional state as well! Adding fuel to the flames, Mars will directly oppose this eclipse, possibly resulting in some rather heated discussions. Fortunately, if you can channel your energies toward accomplishing important tasks, most of those argumentative energies will dissipate. Also on the 4th, Mercury and Saturn will work together to ensure that practical matters go off without a hitch and that serious conversations produce useful results.”
Today, Sunday May 20, something special is going on around the world: an annular eclipse of the sun by the moon. That’s where the new moon passes in front of the sun, blocking the light from getting to earth.
Some eclipses are “full” which means the moon blocks the light the most and produces an eery twilight during day time. An annular eclipse produces a “ring of fire” for those who are fortunate to be in its path. This is the first eclipse in six years to be visible from the United States–the next one that will be this spectacular will be in 2071 according to NASA.
The eclipse of May 20, 2012 starts at dawn on Monday May 21 in China, traces a line going north through Japan, arcs just below the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific where it will be midday and at its greatest, then crosses into north America near the border between Oregon and California. It passes through Redding on its way to Lake Tahoe, through Reno to Pyramid Lake where thousands gather on traditional Shoshone Pauite Land at Symbiosis, slides over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, descends toward Albuquerque New Mexico and finally sets in Lubbock Texas.
For those not directly in its path, the event is still potentially dramatic; the closer you are, the more apparent the eclipse. This eclipse favors people in the population dense west coast most of whom will see it from about 5pm until sunset between 7 and 8pm as it passes over or near many of the larger metropolitan regions of the west including Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. These cities will experience 80% or more coverage of the sun; at its greatest, the moon will cover 96% of the sun–leaving the “ring of fire.”
So what can you see? And how do you see it? And where should you go to see the eclipse?
Whatever you do, no matter how tempting it is, even if it is sunset, don’t look directly at the sun because that will damage your eyes. Instead,
1. Criss cross your fingers and you will be able to see the moon taking a bite out of the sun. You will achieve the effect in this photo by Stephan Heinsius from APOD.
2. You can also cut a hole in cardboard and see the moon eating the sun.
3. If you know any welders, borrow their #14 helmet–that’s sun safe.
4. Use a mirror to reflect the sun onto another surface to watch the moon pass in front of the sun.
5. If there’s an observatory nearby, go there or search for a gathering of amateur astronomers.
6. Watch the sun on water.
We had planned on being in the White Mountains near the ancient bristlecones and the Nevada border or perhaps hung out at hot springs in the region but it looks like we will be in our local mountains, possibly at Pine Mountain or the Ojai Foundation which is hosting a mythological round table discussion and labyrinth walk during the eclipse. It is foggy on the coast so we will NOT be at home even though I have heard that people will be gathering on the pier.
Regardless, you should be some place for the eclipse that feels sacred to you, and take a moment to honor the sacred, the divine that is around us, animating all life on this earth.
Eclipses come in pairs; that means on Monday June 4, there will be a lunar eclipse. For those of us on the west coast, it will start around 2am and last until the still colored moon sets around 6am.
Eclipses are a time of change, of a shift. What seemed to be clear is obscured, and what was obscured comes to light. Obstacles and opportunities appear where none had been.
According to Astrology.com, “On May 20, Gemini will take control of the cosmic reigns as the Sun floats out of Taurus and into Gemini, while the Moon, already in the sign of the twins, immediately moves in for a Solar Eclipse.” Gemini, ruled by Mercury, is the sign of communication which means that “how you relate to and associate with others will come to the forefront now. Gemini also likes to do and know as much as possible, without worrying too much about going very deep into any particular subject. That makes this an ideal time to multitask, but also to think outside the box, since you’ll have so many random ideas floating through your head at any given moment…A Solar Eclipse generally has some lesson it wants you to learn, and since the focus here is on Gemini, your life lesson will have something to do with the traits mentioned above. Pay special attention to areas of your life that involve communication, learning and trying new things.”
The time of the greatest shift is the 2-3 days before and after an eclipse. During this time, Hindus around the world pray to Ganesh, who leaves his home in Mount Kailash to walk the earth before and after each eclipse.
Read about Lord Ganesh’s home in Mount Kailash here.
On another occasion, a few years ago, I was at my wit’s end. We had tried everything to deal with our “unneighborly neighbors”–and so I turned to ritual on the night of a sunset lunar eclipse. We used out energy, set our intentions to protect my home and family and generate love, and by the next moon, the worst “unneighborly neighbor” was in escrow to move.
Read more about that eclipse and the rituals we performed here.
More about the top photo from APOD:
A Partial Eclipse Over Manila Bay
Credit & Copyright: Armando Lee (Astron. League Philippines), F. Naelga Jr., 100 Hours of Astronomy (IYA2009) Explanation: What’s happened to the setting Sun? An eclipse! In early 2009, the Moon eclipsed part of the Sun as visible from parts of Africa, Australia, and Asia. In particular the above image, taken from the Mall of Asia seawall, caught a partially eclipsed Sun setting over Manila Bay in the Philippines. Piers are visible in silhouette in the foreground. Eclipse chasers and well placed sky enthusiasts captured many other interesting and artistic images of the year’s only annular solar eclipse, including movies, eclipse shadow arrays, and rings of fire. Today parts of the Sun again will become briefly blocked by the Moon, again visible to some as a partial eclipse of a setting Sun. A small swath of Earth, however, will be exposed to the unusual ring of fire effect when the Moon is completely surrounded by the glowing light of the slightly larger Sun.
Before this dream—
The dream was of magical words.
If you spoke or knew the true word
they would burn themselves into the paper
and would be there forever or disappear
if they weren’t needed or heeded.
You could pick up a twig or a leaf
the message for you, to you would
inscribe itself into the object.
I don’t remember any of the messages
but when I knew the truth of words
and how they were inscribed,
I traveled to a getaway place
of eco-warrior scholars.
Having forgotten something,
before I could move on,
I return to my room
where others are dreaming.
I step over and through them
a river of humans, shifting, boulders of blankets.
On the stairs a waterfall of people
three across heads pointing downstream.
After that dream—
I climb a hill in the woods.
A young woman behind a fence
keeps sheep and shows me
how easy it is to escape “like this”–
she doesn’t because of family.
At the top of the hill, goats, and
a young woman there tells me her story
gives me a big burning kiss on the lips.
I return to my husband and say
“It’s always a good day
when you are kissed by a beautiful woman.”
He tells me those are true words.
With his kiss, they are transcribed
on my lips and I feel them.
2012 Dream Poems (April 10)
Tonight at 7:30pm I’m the featured reader at the San Buenaventura Artists Union Gallery, located on the Ventura Beach Promenade by the parking garage at 330 So. California Street–where “C St” meets the sea. An open mic follows and many of my college composition students will be sharing their writing from a class anthology; this is the poem I’m submitting.
In honor of Mother’s Day this coming Sunday, I’ll be reading mostly poems from my collection of 3:15 Experiment poetry, middle of the night poems from mother to daughter :: daughter to son which traces my journey from being a daughter to becoming a mother to losing my mother from the perspective of 3:15am August nights from 2002-2010.
Read sample poems and reviews of middle of the night poems from mother to daughter :: daughter to son. Mother’s Day specials on print and ebooks available from me or from the publisher en theos press: My book is also for sale at Bart’s in Ojai, Bank of Books in Ventura, Best of VC Marketplace in Santa Paula, and Mrs Figg’s in Camarillo.
Image above by C.G. Jung from page 1 of The Red Book.
Happy Star Wars Day!
It’s CycloMAYnia and National Bike Month is officially here in the US! With longer, milder days in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to recognize bicycling for the multitude of benefits it provides – improving our health, economy, and environment.
Here in Ventura, weather is a crapshoot. We’ve had rainy first Fridays every single month of the year–and 70 degree night rides too! Fortunately, for tonight’s Star Wars Day First Friday ArtRide “The Empire Bikes Back” the weather should be PERFECT.
So light your bike like your favorite Star Wars vessel, energize your light saber, find your robes, gather your buddies and meet us at 5:30pm tonight at the Artists Union Gallery or outside Aloha Steakhouse on the Ventura Beach Promenade for a ride to various galleries and art studios around downtown and the west side.
Because INVITED YOU ARE!
Here are three more ways to make the most of this…
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“Lights out tonight
Trouble in the heartland.”
–Bruce Springsteen
“Badlands” Darkness on the Edge of Town 1978
“Hold on. I’m Coming.”
–lyrics by Sam and Dave
“When the blue sky breaks
Feels like the world’s gonna change.”
–Bruce Springsteen
When Bruce Springsteen walks onto the Los Angeles Sports Arena stage with the E Street Band on Friday April 27th and lashes into “Badlands,” I can’t contain myself. A tidal wave of emotions washes over me like a sacred light of remembrance, and when he sings “there’s trouble in the heartland” (from “Badlands”) I break down and embrace 37 years of joy and heartache that this artist, my friends, my family and I have shared.
Of all the venues, over all those years, I am standing in that one special arena, the LA Sports Arena, in which I have attended every show but one.I see Roy Orbison sitting in the risers while Bruce praises him from the stage. I see the Halloween shows in which Bruce enters from a coffin, smiles, and launches into “Haunted House.”I see my brother at the Vietnam vets show watching his first Springsteen concert, and I see my mother and father dancing during a Tunnel of Love concert.
As he ends “My City of Ruins” with its gospel chorus of “with these hands,” I see the day my father died and I watched as the life slowly left his body.I see my friend Dan laughing during his only Bruce show and then years later having his wife call me and tell me that my much younger co-worker suddenly passed away when his heart quit beating forever.I see Cheryl outside the Sports Arena at 2 AM during The River Tour waiting for Bruce to come out and we talk about movies, songs, and her getting her nursing degree, not knowing that Cheryl will soon find out she has MS and thus have to quit seeing Bruce many years ago as it eventually grew so bad that she couldn’t even walk.
When Bruce asks if we’re missing anybody, my answer, like his, is in the affirmative.
In 1981, my husband went to his first Bruce Springsteen show at the LA Sports Arena for The River.
In April 1987, a friend took this photo of him and The Boss after the Tunnel of Love show at the LA Sports Arena.
On April 16, 2009, after a 20 year quest, Bruce signed the photo after the Working on a Dream show at the LA Sports Arena.
During the past 32 years, Marsh has been to countless shows, well over 100, including last night’s in LA. He came home late, exhausted, still moved by the tribute to Clarence Clemons, hoarse from singing, feet hurting from his black converse All-Stars. Like Bruce, my husband is now in the “AARP” demographic and long, late nights pose a different set of challenges than they once did.
Last night he brought his coaching buddy to his first show. Marsh and Scott have coached several seasons of soccer and are into their second season of coaching Little League. Scott wanted to hear “Hungry Heart” and other tunes from back in the day; Marsh bet him $1000 Bruce wouldn’t play that song. Scott was incredulous, but after the show he remarked that he didn’t even miss it because Bruce has such an amazing selection of songs to choose from.
Tonight my husband’s returning to the LA Sports Arena, home to so many amazing memories, and he’s bringing our 8 year old red-headed son to see his first Bruce Springsteen show. I am not sure who is more excited–the boy or his dad.
Problem is, they don’t have tickets. They’re going to go down there anyway, as soon as school gets out, and they’ll wait at the Box Office, “Working on A Dream” and singing songs from “Wrecking Ball” which they both have memorized after playing it almost continuously since its March release. Read Ron Wells thoughtful and thorough review of Wrecking Ball here.
If you can help them out with tickets, I am sure you will recognize them! Marsh is planning to wear his t-shirt from the 1990 Chrystic Institute t-shirt. He’ll be the one standing around with other long time fans like Christine and Ron Wells, sharing stories, and waiting for the magic ticket drop that will get them into one more show.
Will these shows make his Top 10 list of all-time best Bruce Springsteen shows? We’ll see!
“Well, it seems like I’m caught up in your trap again
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band hit the road to share his latest release, The Wrecking Ball; tonight and tomorrow he’ll be in Los Angeles. From all accounts, the shows are as great as ever, even though everyone is missing Clarence Clemons. Tuesdays night show in San Jose went for over 3 hours; not bad for an AARP member!
Stay tuned for reviews of the LA shows; my husband is going to night with a friend and tomorrow he’s taking our 8 year old son. In the short time that the album has been out, both have memorized the songs and they take great joy in belting them out around the house and in the car. During the recent Record Store Day, he scored the collectible pictured of “Rocky Ground.” 
In the meantime, here’s a review of The Wrecking Ball by guest blogger Ron Wells who has attended more shows than you can imagine (well over 100, possibly closer to 150 in his many years of being a fan).
If you haven’t bought the album yet, I hope this inspires you to do so, and to sit and listen to it all the way through in one sitting. If you are a Springsteen fan, and you’ve listened to the album many times, I hope Ron’s review will get you to think about it anew. And if you like this post, please say so!
“No one wins, unless everyone wins.”–Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen has said the above quote more than once in concert. He is not naive enough to believe that everyone can win, but that’s still the goal. That’s the hope. But that wish, that dream, is now under attack. The winners are few and far between. Those not among that group ask, “Where is the promise in the promised land?”
With faith eroding and anger rising, Bruce Springsteen lets forth a fury of frustration and rage in Wrecking Ball seeking some form of salvation for everyone in these cruel, seemingly godforsaken times.
Wine Blogging Weds #76: Barossa Boomerang?
This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday invites participants to revisit wines from the Barossa region in Australia. In response, I wrote about The Grateful Palate Imports which did a lot to call attention to Australian wines, especially those from the Barossa which is winemaker Chris Ringland’s favorite place to grow and make wine.
Within the Barossa, he is especially fond of the Ebenezer Road area, and in 2008, when Grateful Palate founder Dan Philips and winemaker Chris Ringland produced and released a 2006 shiraz for R wines, I was one of the first to get a sample bottle and to review it. 
For Wine Blogging Wednesday #76 –the Barossa Boomerang, I revisited this wine and the story about how I almost came to work for Grateful Palate. I also taste and review R wine’s 2005 Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Read all about the R wines from the Barossa and the foods (ummn, duck wrapped in bacon?) we paired them with in this post over at Wine Predator.
PS BTW, I did not get an invitation to go with Problogger Darren Rowse to Queensland Australia (I hear the wine isn’t as good as in Barossa anyway…). My schedule is open if you want to invite me somewhere on an adventure– to travel, to taste wine, and to write between May 18 and June 18, 2012!
As an Art Predator, Wine Predator, Bikergogal, and Compassionate Rebel, I prowl the world for the aesthetic (that which engages the whole soul according to Coleridge) to publish exciting wine, food, and travel adventures to inspire readers and subscribers to leave the sidelines to become involved participants in all the wonderful challenges and experiences life offers.
Sometime in the next few hours, I will find out whether I will be joining Darren Rowse of Problogger fame and nine other bloggers in Queensland Australia for an amazing five days exploring the rain forest and the Great Barrier Reef, meeting the native plants and animals (and possibly some poets and cyclists!), and taking two blogging workshops with one of THE names in blogging. They are supposed to post the winners sometime Monday, April 23…eastern Australian time which is quite a bit ahead of Pacific Standard Time. UPDATE: They now plan to post the winners on Tuesday, April 24 AUS time.
My WordPress stats say my highest readership was 18,533 page views Sept. 2011 on my Art Predator blog when I was posting photos, news, stories and poems live from the 2011 Burning Man Festival in the Nevada Desert. I average over 15,000 or more page views a month on my various blogs; my readers come from all over the world, with most of them from English speaking countries.
The contest closed to submissions less than a week ago, Tuesday August 17, and according to a tweet from Darren Rowse, some 800 people applied to go on this itinerary. In another tweet, he said he was looking through the applications and he seemed impressed with how stiff the competition was. We were asked to provide some information about our blogs, our audience, our social media use, links to sample content, and to write 150 words about how we would approach the project.
Thoreau: “In Wildness is the preservation of the world.”
As an ecopsychologist, college writing teacher, and blogger, I know stories create meaning and turn “spaces” on the planet into “places” in someone’s imagination, places to bring family, explore, preserve.
I will enthusiastically use my social media “Klout” to share stories about rainforest and Great Barrier Reef biodiversity, artists and poets like Oodgeroo Noonuccal, efforts to be green, and cutting-edge cuisine. Discovering Queensland’s growing wine industry and opportunities for hiking, camping, and other family friendly adventures are also topics of great excitement to me.
With my MA in writing and BA in environmental studies, I write with knowledge and flair about land and people developing stories that “engage the soul” and inspire readers to make their own stories, to discover their own wildness…in Queensland!
As a bonus, I learn to be a better blogger! Read more…
art predator 
