Christmas in Kolkata

When I got on the plane (during Mercury retrograde AND a super full Moon) to come to India in early December, I had pretty much accepted there would be no "Hark the Herald Angles Sing" for me. The Christmas season in the UK had just about started in earnest and to be honest, I really wasn't all that fussed about not seeing any reindeer. To me it just seemed like a small price to pay for the adventure of a lifetime! I could sing along with the Christmas carols on youtube.

Churi and I rocking around a Christmas Tree in Kolkata

But as Christmas loomed closer, I started to get little pangs of missing the ho ho hos, the excitement of the children and that two week break. It didn't last too long--we've been working very hard here and I just got into the swing of things to the point I kept forgetting the Western world was starting to shut down for the holiday. And then one evening, I noticed there WERE Christmas lights starting to appear. And Christmas trees!
On reflection, my surprise is pretty silly. We celebrate Diwali, Chinese New Year, Eid and Hanukkah in London so why would I think Christmas wouldn't be celebrated or at the very least acknowledged in India? I mean globalisation, right?
In my own defence, it is abundantly clear that East and West view the world in completely different ways. The biggest difference? The West looks at the East as its poorest relation I think. Westerners look at every day life here in India and feel a sense of pity because of the poverty.
Just hold that thought for a moment.
A sense of pity because of the poverty.

Churni, Gopal and I with a reindeer or two

My experiences in India have taught me that there are two kinds of poverty: a material one and a poverty of the spirit. It's like the West is trained to look at the outside and the East is trained to look past outward appearances. I see the Western perception of "poverty" here but I also see tremendous joy and gratitude. I love the way nothing is really broken and thrown away: anything can be fixed here. I like it that life is seen as inter-connected: astrology, palmistry, gemology and yoga are just branches of the same discipline. Life is "modern" here and I can't think of a single thing that I miss (other than people which something different altogether).

Of course with the conference coming up, it's all very hectic and as a first time organiser of such a major international event, it's a very steep learning curve. My laptop sure is getting a workout. I hope it lasts! So from me to you, the Merriest Solstice how ever you celebrate it!

More Christmas lights than Oxford Circus: Park Street, Kolkata

UPDATE: 21 February 2018
Oh great goddess, you mean I forgot to publish this! Busy times. . .Trying to catch up with my blog this week.

Saturn in Capricorn: The Hard Reign

A beautiful school in Kolkata

Saturn will soon be in Capricorn and everyone's talking out it. OK, the astrologers are talking about it.

It's big shift all right and usually some sort of symbolism makes its way to the front pages of the international newspapers when Saturn changes signs.  Remember "Je suis Charlie?" just as Saturn lurched back and forth over the cusp of Scorpio and Sagittarius at the end of 2014? Saturn in Sagittarius began with our need to speak our Truth and it will end with a lot of us wondering what the point of all that truth seeking was about. The planet is a mess, politics are mess, the internet is a mess. . .now what do we do with all this "truth"?

Articles about Saturn ingresses are plentiful and I sure do have my hands full here in India with our astrology conference coming up. So I hope no one minds that I don't rake over the usual stuff. Instead I want to write about something far more important: the educational system.

Most people come to me for astrological advice because they want something to change. No one comes to me to tell me how wonderful life is. For example:

1) My child won't behave. How can I get them to behave?
2) My classes are a nightmare. How do I get my pupils to behave?
3) My husband/wife is doing x. How do I get them to stop?

My answer, in short, is to turn those questions on their ear. Instead of looking to the other person, look to oneself. At the very least what a client comes up with are a few options, some of which will be far more reasonable than others. An astrologer will no doubt hear the client's Saturn speaking (always an amazing thing to behold). The client will soon realise that they are not as disempowered as they had assumed. There's work to be done!

And this really is what Saturn is all about: stepping up to the plate, eyeballing the pitch and then deciding how to play it. It's taking on the responsibility for one's own actions. Saturn isn't about making life cozy. It's looking at problems and deciding what to do about them.

This is rather going to be the theme as we approach Saturn in Capricorn season.

However, as I see it, the Saturn in Capricorn ingress will bring with it huge changes in the educational system.

And it's about goddamn time.

Look around at social media. There goes a teacher complaining about workload (sorry), there goes a parent complaining that their child's learning needs aren't being met, there goes a politician complaining that they're not getting enough bang for their buck from teachers so it's time to change the curriculum (again), there goes a child complaining about bullying (in whatever form), boredom and homework whose voice falls on the deaf ears of parents, teachers and politicians who are too wrapped up in their own concerns to do something about it.

Let that last point be the one that bends your disbelieving knee to the call of Saturn.

Saturn is the co-ruler of Aquarius. I know our Aquarian friends like to boast about their Uranian qualities but for thousands of years before Uranus was discovered, they too were ruled by Saturn. Under their zaniness lies a deep fear (Saturn) that their contributions are not as useful as they would like them to be.

Here too is another key to understanding Saturn: the need for practicality.

As we approach 2020, the year of the next Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in Aquarius (ruled by BOTH Saturn and Uranus), I really do think there will be huge reforms in education. This structure we have upheld for hundreds of years cannot continue to stand as it is. And the changes will be profound. . .

1) Currently pupils suffer under the factory model school system originally meant for workers of the industrial revolution. We teach them that "being good" is about sitting down and shutting up. That we must all work at the same pace and reach the same objectives.
2) Currently parents are kept in the dark about their child's real progress. "Being involved" usually means coming to the school's Christmas concert or showing up at Parents' evening rather than understanding how the curriculum works and where their child's aptitude does or does not fit into it.
3) Currently teachers are expected to put up with outrageous working conditions. . .because it's the only system they know too!! The "standard" school teacher (under 30, female and for whatever reason deemed not suitable for management) manages 30 children at one time, dances to the tune Ousted* plays (oh don't get me started on Ofsted!) and has been conditioned to keep quiet about injustices.

Whispers of outrage have already begun and please dear Goddess let me have the strength to lead the astrological charge!! Hear my Saturn in Pisces speak??!! And I wasn't even trying. . .(haha).

To get more good teachers, we need to treat them better!! We need to ask why only 45% of them stay in the profession 5 years after qualifying. More teachers=smaller classrooms. More home-based (online) education= parents understanding their own child's learning needs. More lessons that truly cater to a child's learning needs= adults who become independent thinkers rather than drones who are punished for opening up about what they want!

Saturn in Capricorn urges you to get to grips with your own Saturn, to face up to your fears and know that they are not insurmountable. Saturn in Capricorn urges you to accept your limitations and to do something about them. Saturn in Capricorn looks at the current structures that we have always relied on and realises the foundations are showing signs of collapse.

It's time to come in like a wrecking ball!!

You have two choices: Get up and fight or roll over and die!

There will be no comfort as we fight the good fight. As the old (slightly modified) saying goes: you'll have al the comfort you want in the grave!

A hard reign's gonna fall but personally I can't wait for the flowers.

Alex Trenoweth
Copyright 2017

Got some questions? Want to step up to the plate? Drop by my new and improved website https://alextrenoweth.co.uk. . .or leave me a comment and tell me about how you would like to see the educational system improve!

* "Ousted" is a typo for "Ofsted" or the managing body of teaching inspectors. I was going to correct it then thought it was extremely fitting! Or maybe even wishful thinking!

Alex Trenoweth, Agent 144 of the Cosmic Intelligence Agency, is currently hard at work in India preparing for the IVC/KIA astrology conference. In addition to her astrological practice, she is also a fully qualified secondary school teacher campaigning for better working conditions for teachers thus bringing about a better learning environment for children. Alex is also the author the newly re-published "Growing Pains" about the astrology of education and the soon-to-be-released "The Wolf You Feed" about Saturn cycles (both titles by The Wessex Astrologer). When she isn't tearing around the globe speaking at astrology conferences, she enjoys the company of her cat Mr Bubbles, playing the trumpet and writing fiction.

Jai Ho!

I'm finally in India!

It's been a hectic but exhilarating week. I feel like I really belong and I'm doing something I've always wanted to do. No doubt this is because my Sun is conjunct my MC here in Kolkata: for the first time in my life, I have my own office, executive desk and a driver (!).  It's all been pretty intense with the conference just under two months away.

But that doesn't mean there isn't time for fun!

After 24 hours of travelling was I ever glad to see these guys!

I was greeted at the airport by my new office mates and taken to my new home. I'm happy to report that even though I travelled during Mercury Retrograde and a Super Full Moon, I had no problems whatsoever. So there!

Gopal Bhattacharjee and his lovely wife Churni (who I haven't seen in nearly two years) and I had a fabulous dinner and got caught up with all our news. It's amazing how Gopal and I have very similar views about bringing the two zodiacs together. Both of us passionately believe that the only way to address "the big question" in astrology is by talking about it. And the best way to talk about it is at an astrology conference!

As we were musing about this (at 3am!), we drove over a bridge and I suddenly got a bright idea.

"Stop!" I shouted. One of the many things Gopal and I agree about is that we are building bridges, not walls. We needed a photo of us on that bridge.

East meets West on a bridge at 3am!

We stopped and piled out and Gopal and I posed for this photo. So there you have it: East meeting West on a bridge (at 3am)!

One of my tasks here is to design a Western Astrology course for Jyotish students and boy, did Gopal ever do well with getting a professional teacher to do this task. I developed a curriculum, designed the prospectus, did the lesson plans, assembled the resources and delivered my very first class all in the first week. Super exciting times.

Being introduced to a new astrological perspective can be something that can be a little frightening. I clearly recall the moment I had my tropical chart converted to a sidereal one. I was at an Indian restaurant with a group of Jyotish astrologers and I walked through the door and into the meeting with a plate of food, declaring that I just couldn't possibly be a Taurus rising! These days I'm far more happy with my sidereal ascendant because it is in the Nakshatra of Rohini. In Indian lore, Rohini was the favourite wife of Soma (a Moon deity) whose other 26 wives got a little jealous. They conspired to have a curse put on Soma but changed their minds. The curse was pulled back but Soma did not escape completely so he now waxes and wanes. The star of Rohini Nakshatra is Aldebaran which is said to bring riches and honours. And one of its symbols is a Banyan tree! In the UK, it's kind of fashionable to name classes after trees and I have taught a few "Banyan Tree" classes! It just seems so synchronous!

The pupils of one of my classes

The ascendant of a horoscope is the starting point and to convert a tropical chart to a sidereal one means subtracting about 23 degrees off of the absolute longitude of every planet. So a lot of planets are likely to change signs and therefore rulers. My final exam question will ask my pupils to explain and justify which zodiac they think suits them. I can hardly wait to see what they have to say!

The best part of teaching is that I'm also learning alongside of my students. Oh and we don't wear shoes indoors! I couldn't resist taking a photo of our shoes:

I'm barefoot most of the time! These are the shoes of my pupils.

I usually get a little nervous teaching adults because they are so quiet, but these guys really are the creme de la creme. They are all preparing to compete for a place to speak at the conference--a tradition of Krishnamurti Institute of Astrology since it began nearly a Saturn cycle ago. I LOVE this idea of creating opportunities for new astrologers. There are also writing competitions for their magazine that is distributed to 20,000 people. Yes! 20,000 people!! It's a huge honour for them and it's no wonder so many prizes are given out each year.

Gopal, Churni and I also checked out the conference venue. I've been to this particular hotel before but I didn't realise it had so many lecture rooms. And by "lecture rooms" I mean HUGE lecture rooms! Check this out:

One of the "smaller" lecture rooms

This is one of the "smaller" rooms!! I keep telling Western astrologers to be prepared to speak to a huge crowd here in India. Even at the bigger conferences in the US, there is just no comparison to what it's like in India! And the luxury! It's just so mind blowing! And the food? I'm not much a sweets person but not even I can resist the Kolkata specialty Rasgulla! Like a lot of things, the outside appearance can be very deceiving: buildings that look like factories are so elegant and beautiful inside and desserts that look bland and uninteresting can explode with flavour.

Rasgulla. Have it! And register for the conference here

This seems a little trivial given all the other stuff that's happening but  have a new website. Check it out. It really is the BOMB!! And all the lovely testimonials from astrologers around the world about my re-published book (The Wessex Astrologer darling) are there too. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter so you can keep up with all these developments happening in India!
And there's LOTS to keep up with in India!

I'll sign off with the ad that's going to go in an awful lot of newspapers. We're so excited to be leading the call for astrologers to focus on what we have in common (a love of the sky) rather than how we a re different. There's so much to learn from each other! And thank the gods that be for a decent photo of yours truly!

By the way I'm learning to speak Bengali! In London, I have many, many pupils who speak Bengali and I'm looking forward to seeing their faces when I speak their language!

PS "Jai ho" is a Hindi phrase meaning "Let Victory prevail"

Fighting the Fight

I've been struggling astrologically. I don't mean I'm having hard transits or anything like that (although I do have a transiting waning Saturn square to its natal position coming up). I mean I've been wondering what the hell was the point of being a "practicing astrologer" when I seemed to be stuck on saying the same things over and over. Surely, I've said all I can possibly say on the topic of astrology and education?

And if I can't get the non astrologers to listen to me by now, maybe the time has come for me to shut up about the topic.

I was thinking perhaps it was time to take another course in astrology or to branch out into another field. Maybe I just needed to take time off and, oh I don't know, do some painting or something. Maybe I needed to take a pottery class.  I hate to admit it but I was feeling eclipsed by the eclipse. With the need to get the back-to-school message out, I was competing with what felt like every other astrologer in the world trying to get their two pence worth in about the damn eclipse. I even kind of tried to join in the fun. But I was defo feeling the frustration of it all.

And then, um, I got totally eclipsed by a boy (uh oh). Well that certainly took my mind off of astrology.

Except it totally didn't.

Do I tell the boy that I'm an astrologer or do I let him work it out for himself when I eventually wear my starry earrings? What if he hates astrology and comes to think I had tried to conceal the fact that I'm an astrologer from him?

I had found it so totally amusing to be mooning about (as it were) after some man I had met at the gym that I jokingly put my musings on Facebook. And like the Moon in Leo/Sun in Cancer I am, got a whole lot of attention I wasn't sure I wanted.

So much for being eclipsed by the eclipse. I never thought there would be so much interest in my love life!

But aside from hearing some very conflicting advice from astrology friends about what I should do about my predicament in love, I also had the opportunity to step away from the persona of Alex the Astrologer and just be Alex.

I mean, who am I if not an astrologer? I've spent that past 18 years focusing on becoming a professional astrologer and maybe I had forgotten who Alex the normal person was.

Yeah I'll just wait until you stop laughing about me being normal.

In fact, let me reveal that Mr Man (as I call him) thinks I am pretty together. He's even marginally impressed with my organisationals skills, fortitude and focus, believe it or not. For a few days this felt like such a cool manifestation of my natal Sun trine Saturn that it felt totally natural and not a little unlike I had been denying the Saturn in me all the time I was trying to embrace the Ura-- Oh forget it.

So fast forward (or at least it feels like a lot of time has passed since my hot date last weekend) to hopping on the plane to Edinburgh to speak to the Scottish Astrological Association on the topic of astrology in education. Of course, I love to travel. And I love this particular lecture (and its variations) but I was thinking I really needed to find something else to lecture about. I mean what is the point? I was thinking no non astrologer is ever going to get it. Nothing will ever change.

No one is ever going to listen to an astrologer.

I've said and written all I can say and write.

Me and a few of the Edinburgh crew

But as I was lecturing, I found myself consumed by the passion to make a difference. And over the cups of tea afterwards as I continued to answer questions about my research, I knew the fight wasn't over just yet. And when someone like Mark Cullen tells you that he respects your genuine and original research, you know the job isn't done. Maybe, I thought to myself, I'll come to the end of my research and someone else can carry the can for awhile.

This afternoon, as I tried to make a plan for my next steps, I came across this article. It's about children who have committed crimes when they are in their early teens and who will be imprisoned for the rest of their lives. I passionately believe that with a little astrology, a difference can be made to the lives of so-called lost children. I don't think I've tried hard enough to make the required changes, to call attention to the research or, for that matter, to finish what I've started.

In the middle of a busy cafe in the middle of Edinburgh, I felt white hot tears of frustrated anger spill over. And I just knew my job in astrology and education is far, far from being over. Somehow I have to keep pulling the rabbit out of the hat. I have to find someone who is in a position to listen to me.

So if you're tired of me rabbiting on about astrology and education, well just bugger off and go do some painting or something. Join a pottery class.

I got work to do.

Time to give up?

NB: This was written a few days after the eclipse in August 2017. I didn't post because I couldn't quite get to the point I was trying to make. After a bit of time and reflection, I think I finally got to it. So today, I finished this post off before moving on to a new one.

Eclipse blah blah blah eclipse blah blah blah eclipse. . .blah blah blah.

Eclipse. . .

My newsfeed had been (and still is actually) clogged full of predictions about whats-his-face in the big white house for weeks and the eclipse. I had been getting well sick of hearing about the damn eclipse. Even non astrologers (formerly "muggles") were making predictions about the bloody eclipse. And when the Mug--I mean the non astrologers--start making predictions about eclipses,  I rather think we've reached saturation point.

"Guys," I kept trying to tell non astrologers, "Nothing happens on the eclipse!"

I even did a little research on the eclipse just to show. . .nothing ever happens on the day of the eclipse (actually things do happen on the day of the eclipse but it tends not to be too exciting unless you count the wedding of Chuck and Di--which took place the day before the eclipse). I even asked astrologers for their verdict about events that happen on the day of eclipses in the same Saros cycle and Great Goddess I got some wild answers. I couldn't work out what went wrong.

"Arrgg," I thought as my inbox got jammed with astrologers sending me mile long lists. "I must be being eclipsed to be so misunderstood."

"Astro peeps," I tried again, "I said EVENTS ON THE DAY OF THE ECLIPSE,"

"BUT ALEX NOTHING EVER HAPPENS ON THE DAY OF THE ECLIPSE"

"YES I KNOW THAT!" I said over and over (at least it felt that way to me). "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?"

So I went back and re-read my blog like twenty times and tried to make things more clear. Yes of course I know nothing ever happens on the day of the eclipse. I'm just experimenting! 

Anyway, this someone else PM'd me to tell me that nothing ever happens on the day of the eclipse so I re-read my original post on Facebook. And I have to admit, it was a bit confusing. No wonder. I changed it to make it more clear.

Let's just blame Mercury retrograde (haha) for that one. Sorry astro peeps.

Anyway, I thought I was eclipsed right out.

So my intention on the day of the eclipse was just to watch a few minutes of the news coverage--but I ended up getting completely sucked in. I watched the whole thing with what felt like most of the world. I thought the experience of watching the live broadcast was an incredible one: without sarcasm, I felt at one with the other observers of this incredible event. I whooped with everyone as totality was reached and whooped again when the sliver of the sun reappeared from behind the moon. It was terrifically moving. Seriously I thought I felt a collective shift.

Yep that must be the effects of the eclipse. Subtle yet profound.

And so to my confession. . .

I've been feeling a little weird about things recently. I joke that I'm deep, deep, deep undercover as a teacher and after a hectic tour, one needs a break. But even being locked out of Facebook, I still felt oddly exposed. Maybe this is because my progressed Moon is in Cancer. I don't know. But I needed quiet and solitude in recent weeks--which for me is odd indeed. I always feel my life is lived in the midst of one kind of storm or another (I work with teenagers day in,  day out). However, the more I tried to hide away, the more creative people got with finding me. I thought surely this had to be an effect of having one's Moon on the upcoming eclipse.

Perhaps it's exactly because life continued to be very hectic that I didn't notice that my entire approach to astrology was changing. And then I realised that the eclipse last month was the other bookend of an eclipse in 1999 (also at 28 degrees Leo). In August of 1999, hot on the heels of flunking my first astrology exam (oh there would be more flunking of exams to follow), I decided that yes indeed I did want to pursue my interest in astrology.

Eventually, I got my diploma a couple of years ago and can legitimately call myself a "professional" astrologer complete with the initials of DFAstrolS (don't knock it--lots of good astrologers gave up before they got there) after my name.

However, something's been bugging me and I haven't half been turning myself inside trying to work it out.

I sensed a need for clearing and clearance but damned if I could figure out what that meant for me and my astrology practice. Maybe, I thought somewhat pessimistically, it was time for me to step aside and find another interest.

I was eclipsed all right and it didn't half drive me nuts trying to work out what the hell was wrong.

Great American Eclipse 2017: Saros Cycle 145

Before there are any misunderstandings, a little disclaimer. . .I know that when we (astrologers) look at events around eclipses, we need to take into account bigger chunks of time rather than a specific day (and I think this article shows this). But I just wanted to do a little experiment by investigating events that happen on the actual day of the solar eclipse in a particular Saros cycle. I'm not trying to create new rules or anything, I'm just trying decide if I want to do more research.

I have to admit I have my hands so busy with other things that I don't get time (or the inclination) to research everything that catches my astrological fancy. But during my time off of Facebook, I've managed to clear some writing projects and as I woke up early on a Saturday morning, I thought I'd hit the laptop with some research on the upcoming eclipse. 

The first thing to catch my eye is that I know a lot of folks are hoping a certain someone is going to be eclipsed in a few days!

I have to admit to not doing too much of my own research into eclipses. I kind of take other people's word for it when it comes to eclipses--you know let them do the hard work so I can just quote them and get on with educating eager minds and doing my own thing with astrology and education.

But it seems like every astrologer I know is talking about the eclipse, about a certain someone in a big white house and even non astrologers are starting to get their hopes up. Pah, I thought. We can all live in hope (I'm a little off astrology predications since a little incident that happened in CA late last year).

There are lots of links to a variety of opinions on eclipses these days. And plenty more besides these.

And then there's this:

 

However, eclipses are components of bigger cycles and astrologers point out that events that happen near in time to them are related and over a long period of time, they sort of tell a story. Those cycles are called Saros cycles and here is the full, nerdy definition: A Saros is a period of approximately 223 synodic months (approximately 6585.3211 days, or 18 years, 11 days, 8 hours), that can be used to predict eclipses of the Sun and Moon. One Saros after an eclipse, the Sun, Earth and Moon turn to approximately the same relative geometry, a near straight line, and a nearly identical eclipse will occur, in what is referred to as an eclipse cycle. A sar is one half of a saros. A series of eclipses that are separated by one saros is called a saros series.
(from RH van Gent's "A Catalogue of Eclipses", pilfered from Wikipedia)

Saros series are numbered and the eclipse that is coming up, "The Great American Eclipse" is the 22nd one of Saros Series 145 (according to David or S.S. 19 South according to Bernadette Brady). So I was poking around one of David Cochrane's posts on Facebook and came across the charts he did from his astrology software that lists all the eclipses in this Saros cycle.

Now most astrologers I know are aware that Charles and Diana married on an eclipse but the upcoming eclipse is the same Saros cycle as the one the day after their wedding. And what should come up in my newsfeed? All the speculation that Prince Harry is about to pop the question to his girlfriend Megan Markle.

So that just made me more curious. And on this cloudy Saturday, I started looking at events that happen near to the day of the eclipses (even though astrologers usually consider a much longer period of time for the effect of the eclipse to kick in). There's another reason for my curiosity: the Saros cycle picks up a lot of my natal planets and the Great American Eclipse is bang on my natal Moon ("The Throne Room" for you Siderealists).

Bernadette Brady, from The Eagle and the Lark, says: "This is a family of eclipses that brings with it the element of surprise. Sudden happiness, a joyful event, the lucky break, the lucky win. The events can be believed and can positively change the person's life."

Well yes please then.

Bernadette has recently done a podcast with Chris Brennan which can he found here.

But to be honest, it doesn't really look like too many nice things happen on the days of the Saros Series 145 eclipses.

Here's a BRIEF summary. Before we get too excited, let me just say this is just a LITTLE test run before I decide if I want to take on another full scale research project (especially when I really do have enough nerdery on my plate at the moment).

11 August 1999

9 August 1999: Boris Yeltsin dismisses his Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin as well as his entire cabinet (for the 4th time)
10 August: A Pakistani Navy plane is shot down in India, sparking tensions between the two countries.
August 19 1999  In Belgrade, tens of thousands of Serbians rally to demand the resignation of Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. (a little far away from being exact to the day but I thought it was interesting).

30 July 1981

29 July 1981 wedding of Charles and Diana

On 30 July 1981, Dawda Jawara, the president of the Gambia is deposed in a coup whilst a guest at the royal wedding in the UK

19 July 1963
Colonel Jassem Alwan of the Syrian army leads an attempt to overthrow the government in Syria. Hundreds of people were killed in the battle that followed.

8 July 1945
Allied forces celebrate victory in Berlin (6 July 1945)
Norway declares war on Japan (6 July 1945)
Kalagong massacre by Japanese soldiers in Burma (7 July 1945)
Australian troops land in Borneo (8 July 1945)
Utah prisoner of war massacre (8 July 1945)

Funeral of John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia (9 July 1945)

28 June 1927
Japanese leaders meet to discuss long range strategy for the conquest of China and possibly the world (27 June 1927)

16 June 1909
Alfonso Pena dies on 14 June and a replacement is sworn in on 15 June 1909

5 June 1891
John MacDonald, Canadian Prime Minister dies

25 May 1873
President Thiers resigns and the right-wing monarchist candidate Marshal Marie Edme MacMahon is elected president (24 May 1873)

14 May 1855
The Italian revolutionary Pianori is executed in Paris for attempting to assassinate Napoleon III

3 May 1837
Panic of 1837: A financial crisis in the US that led to banks stopping redemption of paper currency to its full value in 10 May 1837

23 April 1819
(haven't found anything significant yet)

11April 1801
(haven't found anything significant yet)

31 March 1783
(haven't found anything significant yet)

20 March 1765
(haven't found anything significant yet)

9 March 1747
(haven't found anything significant yet)

26 February 1729
(haven't found anything significant yet)

16 February 1711
(haven't found anything significant yet)

3 February 1693
(haven't found anything significant yet)

24 January 1675
(haven't found anything significant yet)

13 January 1657
(haven't found anything significant yet)

2 January 1639
(haven't found anything significant yet)

So obviously A LOT of holes in the research that need to be filled. But it also needs to be said those holes don't mean nothing happened either. We all know news travels much, much faster these days. I also have to say, I didn't find eclipses to have a significant result in my research on adolescent behaviour and lunar phase. However, this was a bit of fun on a Saturday but I don't think I have the time or energy to check into bigger stretches of time. BUT I'm happy to collaborate if anyone wants to help.

Any takers?

In other news, I'm gearing up for my UK tour, including the Scottish Astrological Association. And I'm over the Moon to be a bridesmaid in Ana Carrapichano and Nick Dagan Best's wedding in Cape Town in early 2018. I couldn't be happier for them, for me (!) and for all the other family, friends and tribesmen who will be gathering to help them celebrate. Astrological wedding of the century! I've never been a bridesmaid before so I'm doubly excited.

MIAA

The morning after being locked out of Facebook. . .note smile

So for the past month I've been MIAA (missing in astrological action) because I was locked out of Facebook. I wasn't really out of action because I do have a website but comically, with T Uranus square my Sun I was also locked out of this at one point (all resolved)!

I didn't realise what a problem all this was going to be until my return to London when my email inbox was FLOODED with demands to know where I was. I was scolded by quite a few lurkers for not being more on the ball in letting folks know I had landed safely (guys, I'm not Buddy Holly!). How was I to know so many people follow my adventures when they don't like or comment on my posts? Fortunately, there's good old blogger and it kind of took the pressure off of having to answer so many emails just to be able to post that I really had landed safely.

But back to Facebook. . .

It was a bit of a bummer to get locked out of Facebook. I tried not to make a big deal out of of it but I realised what a problem it was when it dawned on me what a lot of work it was to respond to individual emails or to pick up the phone to actually talk to people.

And here's where we get to the source of the problem: my hearing ain't so good. I can't hear on phones unless I have earbuds in--and what a drag it is to know the phone is vibrating but not being able to get the buds out in time to answer the phone. And then to have to hear the message (and lately I get an awful lot of JUNK messages). Anyway, I decided that if folks want to talk to me, they could do it via written messages so I ditched the phone (actually the battery blew and I couldn't be bothered to replace it). I didn't bother to update the cell phone number stored on Facebook because wtf, why would I need to do that?

Anyhoo. . .with all the travelling, I guess Facebook wanted to make sure my account was safe and secure by sending codes to this old cell phone number (which I no longer had access to). And as there seem to be no humans one can reach on Facebook, I just had to be patient. As Tom Petty once said "The Waiting is the Hardest Part"!

I even went through the 5 stages of grief:

1) Denial: I kept compulsively trying to log in and then checking to see if I really was locked out

2) Anger: I try not to swear because as a teacher that is definitely not a habit I need to cultivate. But I did a lot of swearing in Facebook's direction

3) Bargaining: Well, I told myself, if I can't access my old account, I can always start from scratch (actually I couldn't because when I gave in and tried to start a new account. . .Facebook sent more codes to the old number!!). That was a bummer of a day.

4) Depression: Kubler-Ross herself said that the stages of grief didn't always follow the same order nor did they necessarily happen at all. I wasn't depressed but I was pretty frustrated.

5) Acceptance: Of course eventually, I just let it all go. I reckoned I played on Facebook far too often and I just focused on my work. And good goddess, I had a PILE of stuff to get on with. And I finished most of it before Facebook sent me an email with a link to help me.

Almost straightaway, I got access to my account again. I was delighted to see so many of my friends had been campaigning for my return! Gosh! Thank you!

Tea at the Queen's house (yes I do have permission to use their photos!)

So to update on what I'm doing now. . .I am deep, deep, deep undercover as a teacher of English as a foreign language. A lot of teachers are too knackered to work over the summer (and they get paid anyway) but as a working job teacher, I'm both lucky enough and experienced enough to be able to walk into any school and just get on with it. I've got a good gig going on in an ultra plush school in a VERY nice part of London. I've seen a West End show ("School of Rock" thank you very much!), went to Harry Potter World, Arsenal Football stadium (this experience is for another post!), every museum in town and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I even had tea with the Queen (OK maybe I pushed it a bit there--I did the tour of Buckingham Palace and had tea in the garden with all the other tourists including my pupils).

Oh and I have to give a MASSIVE shout out to Chris Renstrom!!! I've been using his daily horoscopes to teach English idioms and new vocabulary!! Astrologers always ask me how I squeeze astrology into education and when one has 20+ teenagers reading out their daily horoscopes, the only option is to stand back and admire the beauty of the heavens in the classroom! And I could not have wished for a better astrologer than Chris. Thanks buddy and I can't wait to see you in INDIA!!

I have to keep reminding myself that I'm in the quiet before the storm. The KIA/IVC conference in India is like 5 months away and very shortly, I'm going to be BURIED in academic papers. Good job I'm a teacher, eh?

More news on our great connections a bit later. . .