Getting Lunar: The Run-Up to This Month's Full Moon... Yours Truly... and *You*

ZZZZ...

So... It's another semi-sleepless predawn morning for yours truly, here in the (Raleighwood-version) run-up to this month's full moon, which happens at 5:21 a.m. (here in the Eastern Time Zone)... 

...when the Moon will be at 7 degrees 5 minutes Cancer (in the 2nd house--the house of resources--of my particular birth chart, I might add ;-) ) ... 

... and when the Sun will be at 7 degrees 5 minutes Capricorn (in my 8th house--the house of instincts). 


AND HOW ABOUT FOR YOU?

And how about for you, wherever in the world *you* are, at the moment?

Have you found yourself (at least semi- ?) "up and at 'em" sooner than usual, in recent hours?  

AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT

Which house of your birth chart will the Moon be in, when it's perfectly full, in two or three hours?

And which house will the Sun be in? 

NOTE: See above for the zodiacal positions of both the Moon and the Sun. 

YES, I REALLY MEAN IT

By the way, when I ask such questions like those that I've posed above, I truly would like to hear from you--from any or all of you who are reading this from somewhere out there in Cyberland)... I'm not being rhetorical.

So, as always when I post a new blog entry here, feel free to post your answers to any or all of the questions that I've posed... 

...other comments... 

...your own questions... 

...a great new joke-of-the-day that you've just read (or heard) elsewhere... 

...you name it. :-)

FOR YOUR POSTING PLEASURE: YOUR OPTIONS INCLUDE...

And as is often the case...

For your posting pleasure, your options include both:

(A) posting a comment here (below) 

and / or 

(B) posting same on Facebook

So feel free to double your pleasure (uh, double your posting)... and double your fun.

Save The Date! Mini-Readings in February in Raleigh

Overcome challenges and make the most of life's opportunities, with a little help from astrology and me!


Join me (professional astrologer Paul Habit) at the Body Mind Spirit Expo (BMSE) on Sat., Feb. 23 / Sun., Feb. 24 in Raleigh ...

... and get a mini-reading of your particular birth chart (based on your exact birth time and place).


For general info about BMSE: http://bit.ly/TibNav


I hope to see you there! :-)

Paul

Happy Hanukkah To All Who Celebrate It!

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO (LIKE ME)...

... are not all that familiar with Hanukkah... 

According to Wikipedia (at least), it is 

"an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. ...

"The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah [i.e., strictly speaking, a nine-branched candelabrum] or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. ...

"The dates of Hanukkah are determined by the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah begins at the 25th day of Kislev [i.e., the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar] and concludes on the 2nd or 3rd day of Tevet [i.e., the fourth month of the civil year and the tenth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar] (Kislev can have 29 or 30 days). The Jewish day begins at sunset, whereas the Gregorian calendar begins the day at midnight. Hanukkah begins on sunset of the date listed.

"December 8, 2012
November 27, 2013
December 16, 2014
December 6, 2015
December 24, 2016
December 12, 2017
December 2, 2018
December 22, 2019
December 10, 2020"

FOR MORE FROM WIKIPEDIA:

About Hanukkah itself: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

*About the Holy Temple: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_in_Jerusalem

*About the Maccabean Revolt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maccabean_Revolt

AND HERE'S A LINK TO ONE OF A GAZILLION ARTICLES... 

... available of the Web about the beginning of Hanukkah this year...

(Check out the part about the 100-year-old Holocaust survivor.... WOW.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/jews-around-the-world-start-hanukkah-holiday-with-candle-lighting-potato-pancakes-gifts/2012/12/08/9251e6a4-416b-11e2-8a5c-473797be602c_story.html

Helping a Suicidal Person: You Can Do It!

Whew! 

Earlier today, a friend of mine posted a message on Facebook, saying that a Facebook friend of his was probably considering suicide and asking for advice about how to respond. 

My friend added that:

1.  he had set the permission on his post so that his friend couldn't see it, and 

2.  he himself would be indisposed for some unspecified number of hours, and he would be back online after that.

"Hmm...," I thought. "What to do?"

So I took a moment or two to collect my thoughts. 

I thought about everything that I learned from eight years of experience, (as first a volunteer and then as staff at a crisis hotline...

... and then I proceeded to share a fair bit of advice, information, etc.

... in a series of comments...

... comments which I posted, by the way, immediately after other comments which other people had already posted, in reply to my friend's question.

It Was Not, Mind You, Anything Close... 

... to my preferred means of communication about such matters. 

At any rate, what's posted is posted, and my friend replied that he appreciated the responses and found them helpful.

Now That At Least Some of My Mental Dust Has Settled...

I'm wondering:.

Has anyone ever communicated to you, whether in a roundabout way or in just those very words, "I'm thinking about killing myself"? 

If so, what did you do?

If a friend, or a relative, or someone else whom you knew, or even a stranger...

... said to you today (in effect)...

..."I'm thinking about killing myself." ...

... what do you think you'd do?

For Information About What You Can Do to Help a Suicidal Person

If and whenever someone says to you (in effect) "I'm thinking about killing myself," know that there are concrete steps that you can take to respond to that person.

There are specific steps that you can take that can both help that person and (not so unimportantly) help you feel more confident in your ability to help that person.    

To find out exactly what you can do to help a suicidal person:

1.  Go to http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html

2.  Scroll down toward the very bottom of the page. 

3.  Click on the heading "Helping a Suicidal Person"

Paul

What Are You Looking Forward To? What Concerns You?

What's Something...?

What's something that you're especially looking forward to in 2013?

And what's something that especially concerns you right now? 

One Thing That I'm Especially Looking Forward To in 2013...

... is traveling more! 

I really enjoy traveling, and I haven't done nearly as much in the past as I plan to do in the future. 

Whether it's traveling more here in central North Carolina, or to other parts of the Tar Heel State, or to other states or even other countries...

... and whether I do it for personal reasons, or professional reasons, or both..

... I'm looking forward to doing more of it in the new year. 

One Thing That Especially Concerns Me Right Now...

... is my parents' health. 

Like everyone else (except, I suppose, extremely accurately precognitive people, that is... and I don't think I'm one of them!)...

... I don't know what's going to happen in the future...

... and I want to do whatever I can to help my parents stay in as good health as possible, as long as possible.  

So How About You? 

What's something that you're looking forward to in the new year? 

And what's something that you're concerned about right now? 

I'd like to hear all about it: what you're looking forward to, what you're concerned about, you name it.  

Seriously. 

If You'd Like to Tell Me a Little ...

...about your hopes and joys, your worries and your woes, your whatever-the-case-may-be...

... and you'd like to do it privately...

... then you're welcome to email it to me (Paul Habit) at proudphoenix@pobox.com

And if you're okay with sharing such things in a way that is less private...

... though also in a way that affords an opportunity for you, me, and others to actually talk about it a little, as a group...

... then you're welcome to post a comment below. 

Get a Real Jump on Your Future!

Do monthly horoscopes make predictions or give you advice that simply do not jibe with your recent experiences or current realities?

Such "Sun-sign astrology" may be interesting. 

It may be amusing. 

And it's probably free. 

But how helpful is it?

(Remember, sometimes you get what you pay for... and that's if you're lucky!)

Don't settle for predictions or advice that fly in the face of what you know darn well is true.  

Get a one-, two-, or three-month astrological forecast that's based on your particular time, date, and place of birth...

... that does jibe with your recent experiences and your current realities...

.. and that is truly helpful...

... without breaking the bank.

Order a Personalized Forecast from me (professional astrologer Paul Habit)... 

... and get a real jump on your future!

Stay tuned for information about how to order your Personalized Forecast for January (or beyond).  

  

The Astrologer is In: Retrograde Planets In a Birth Chart

Here's another question that I was asked recently (today, in fact) by a young man, followed by my answer.

This question is about Mercury retrograde. 

***

Question: When a planet is in retrograde, that means it has the opposite effect of what it usually would do, right? I know whenever Mercury is in retrograde communications become difficult, while usually it promotes communication.

Answer: As I respond to your question, please bear in mind that different astrologers may interpret the same symbols (such as Mercury—or any other planet—retrograde) differently than each other. So my style (and my answers) will be like those of some astrologers and unlike those of some other astrologers. In other words, I'm not by any means representative of all of astrology-dom.

For example, people who practice “classical” astrology (astrology from, say, around 1900 or from centuries before then) often interpret the symbols in a relatively cut-and-dried way, in a way that seems to emphasize fate relative to free will. 

I, on the other hand, practice what might be considered “modern, humanistic” astrology (one type of astrology that became prominent in the past few decades). I interpret the symbols in a way that acknowledges that both fate and free will exist in this world (in different proportions, depending on the particular situation) while also emphasizing the choices that are (or the free will that is) available to each of us.

Now, having said all of that, when we’re talking about retrograde planets (Mercury being retrograde, say), I'm not sure from your question whether you are interested more in (A) talking about when Mercury is retrograde for all of us, at the same time, in real time (that is, "transiting" Mercury, such as during last month, during this coming February, etc.) or (B) talking about when Mercury is retrograde in an given person's birth chart. 

We can talk about both, but it's easier to talk about one or the other at a time. I'll hazard a guess here that you're more interested in the latter, so I'll talk about Mercury retrograde (MR) in terms of that. 

Let's suppose that you have MR in your birth chart.

In our birth charts, Mercury symbolizes our intellectual activity--the way that we take in stimuli from the world that surrounds us (i.e., sights, sounds, ideas, etc.), process it, and turn it out again in the form of information / ideas / opinions (among other things). That’s the gist of our “Mercury function.” 

With MR, the way that you "do Mercury" (your Mercury function) is turned inward.  It may be easier for you to think, and process such stimuli, and in ways that are relatively innovative, relatively independent, relatively imaginative, compared to what often tends to be the case with many other people. There’s a certain richness, or depth, or deep rootedness to your “Mercury function.” 

At the same time, you may also tend to find it difficult to express your ideas, opinions, or information through words / other media. 

Any other planet being retro in one's birth chart is analogous to MR there, though when it comes to UR, NE, or PL being retro, I wouldn't make too much of that (at least, not that alone, in the absence of any similar indications in a person's chart) because they're each retro almost half the time. 

NOTE: Visit my website for information (or a refresher) about what each of the planets in a birth chart symbolizes.  

(By the way, I tend to reduce everything to a 2-character abbreviation, but I figure those right there are pretty gimmes. ;-) ) 

The Sun and Moon are never retro. 

Also, typically a person has one or two planets retro (total) in his or her chart, so I consider it noteworthy if someone has three or more.

Now, for some people who were born with MR, their Mercury doesn't always stay retrograde---at least not according to one particular, commonly-used predictive technique. That technique is called secondary progressions (or just “progressions,” for short).

For some of us who were born with MR, at some point during our lives, Mercury, by progression, turns direct and then remains so for the rest of our lives. 

Now, this doesn't happen for everyone who was born with MR; but for those people for whom it does happen, after it happens, the manner(s) through which a person expresses his Mercury function often become much more straightforward in some senses than they were while Mercury was retrograde (again, using progressions).

Here's another point about MR “going direct by progression”... 

If and whenever someone’s progressed Mercury goes from being retro to being direct, that change of direction happens gradually over a number of years. During that period, especially during whichever days, weeks, and maybe even months surround the exact moment when Mercury changes direction, it’s not uncommon for that person to do especially striking or noteworthy things related to his Mercury and / or for that person to experience especially striking or noteworthy events related to it.   

Paul   

Industriousness Loves Company

NOTE: As she does every two or three days, the Moon changed signs today. Here are my comments about her latest sign change.


Well, La Luna, who's been staying at my (4th) house for a couple of days, is busily packing up her belongings.

For a good while there, we were enjoying ourselves here at chez moi. She was in just the right mood to have fun and to express herself with some drama, if not exactly perform on a stage...

... and, personally, I would've enjoyed continuing to scamper through the yard and through Leo with her today.

She, however, apparently has quite different designs for her day.

In the past hour or so, alone, she's changed her tone and her tune.

Now, she's gone all Lowe's hardware store ("Never Stop Improving") on me. She's acting all practical, like she's trying to get Somewhere Important.

I tried to tell her, "Honey, you are not not late!, late!, late!, for a very important date! That's the White Rabbit. For heaven's sake, you're the one and only Moon! (at least as far as Earth is concerned)."

Well, you can just imagine how far I got with that line of reasoning.

(And Neptune, by the way, also tried reaching her just now, telepathically sending a dreamy thought or two from Pisces; but the Moon just seemed to tune him out.)

Get this: La Luna said that she'll gladly help me with work that (she, at least, thinks) needs doing around the house over the next few hours; but at that point she's moving on.

She added that she might be up for relaxing over lunch with me in a few days, once she gets to Libra, but between now and then, she has lots of details to deal with and a million things on her mind.

(Really? A million things on her mind? If you ask me, she's suffering from a bit of a Leo drama-queen hangover.)

You know, I hate to admit it.

As much as I feel like resting today, I'm starting to wonder if that darn celestial body has started to rub off on me. I'm starting to think that maybe I should take of some business myself today.

Maybe.

In a few hours.

But first, this little astrologer is gonna occupy himself busily with the first coffee of the day (and, hopefully, a tad of ever-increasing consciousness).

So... If you wanna talk about your own designs for the day, I'm all ears (and eyes).

My dance card is open now, and it looks like the dance that I'll be doing is the Hustle (led along by La Luna, of course). In case you don't know, it is a line dance, so you're welcome to join me.

Misery (I mean, industriousness) loves company.

© Paul Habit - The Proud Phoenix, 2012 - All Rights Reserved

Are You Looking For an Astrologer...?

Are You Looking For an Astrologer...

 ... who has studied astrology for decades and has worked with clients for years? 

 ... who has experience in crisis intervention and case management?

 ... who has a master's degree in social work?

... who can meet with you in person in the Research Triangle Park area of central North Carolina? 

... who can work with you by Skype, telephone, or email, or mail while you are in the U.S. or in any other part of the world?

... who can work with you in Spanish, or English, or in both languages?

  

If Your Answer to Any (or All) of The Above Questions is "Yes"...

... then I may be the very astrologer that you are looking for.

  

My Biography, In Brief

For 35 years, I have studied astrology, including with Jodie Forrest, co-author of Skymates: Love, Sex and Evolutionary Astrology. As an astrologer, I have worked with clients for 10 years. Currently, I serve as the Education Co-Coordinator for the Network of Triangle Astrologers chapter of the National Council for Geocosmic Research. 

Since 2001, I have written and published articles about astrology on websites such as Delphi Forums and my own website, Proud Phoenix Astrology. In 2002, I translated “Love Handles: Practical Synastry in Action” by Steven Forrest from English to Spanish. 

I have eight years of experience in providing crisis intervention to the general public. I also have five years of experience in providing medical case management in English and Spanish to clients who have HIV. 

A member of the first graduating class of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, I have a Master of Social Work and a BA in International Studies and Spanish.

Would You Like to Talk About Exactly How I Might Help You?

I would be glad to discuss that with you. 

I Can Be Reached As Follows: 

• Email: proudphoenix@pobox.com
• Telephone / Text Messages: 919.210.9697
• Messages / Voice Messages: 919.210.9697*
• Skype: Paul Brian Habit

*NOTE: Until further notice, please use 919.210.6736--instead of 919.210.9697--to leave a message or a voice message for me.

Thank you for your interest in my services!

Paul Habit

Free Time Management Tool

GET MY FREE TOOL FOR TIME MANAGEMENT

Get my free “cheat sheet” Time Management the Lunar Way, and join me in using the Moon’s sign to your advantage.

With this cheat sheet, you’ll have a set of three-to-four key words that you use for each Moon sign. As the Moon changes signs every two or three days, you can tailor your approach to it… and support whatever sorts of results you would like to achieve.

While you can use the cheat sheet in any of a number of various ways, I’ll share a couple of examples now of one particular way that you can use it.

IT’S NESTING TIME IN THE CITY (AND EVERYWHERE ELSE, TOO)

Today, for example, the Moon is gliding through sensitive, nostalgic Cancer for two or three days.

It’s one leg of the Moon’s never-ending roughly-28-day, 12-leg cycle through the 12 signs of the zodiac, in their natural order: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, …., Pisces.

While the Moon glides through Cancer, we're all hankering to be a bit more comfy, cozy, secure, & around familiar peeps… like any self-respecting Cancer might hanker to do. ;-)

Other things being equal, during this Cancer Moon time, I would encourage you to give priority to activities and tasks that somehow relate to the key words of “intimacy” / “comfort” / “security” in one or more senses of those words.

Doing that will tend to get you better results than acting willy-nilly will get.

BUT WHAT IF THERE'S NO NEST TO BE FOUND?

Now, let’s suppose that you will be doing something today that involves anything but intimacy / comfort / security.

For one reason or another, you're either not anywhere near a "nest" or it's just not appropriate to be "nesting."

If that's the case, then to increase your chances of getting whatever results you desire, aim to incorporate elements of intimacy / comfort / security into it.

If nothing else, today, while Moon in Cancer, allow for the fact that you, I, and everyone else is a bit more intimacy- / 

security- / comfort-seeking than usual.

For example, maybe you’ll be running a business meeting, or maybe you’ll be going to a party where you’ll know hardly anyone else at all.

TREADING (A BIT) GENTLY AT A BUSINESS MEETING

At the business meeting, you might include time (however brief) to acknowledge milestone personal events of people in the group (such as birthdays, weddings, births, or deaths).

You might tread a little more gently and gradually than usual when communicating, since the “group mood” and manner may be a bit more skittish or more reserved than usual.    

FINDING COMFORT AMONG STRANGERS

In the example of going to the party of strangers, seek out some part of the room, or house, or grounds that feels relatively familiar and comfortable to you. Cozy up in a chair and tune in to familiar music that’s playing. Look at memorabilia that’s familiar. Walk some terrain that harks back to a pleasant part of your past.

And give yourself (and others around you) a break. If you go home without exchanging many words with many people, consider the possibility that simply going to such an event and spending some time there, around strangers, and staying more or less calm may be quite an accomplishment.

OK, so maybe you don’t have any rollicking, wildly “good times” with anyone now… and maybe you will, another time, or maybe even at the same place, with one or more people whom you've met today (if doing such would be your pleasure).

GET YOUR FREE CHEAT SHEET

What I've been talking about here is just part of what I refer to as time management the lunar way--using the Moon's monthly cycle through the zodiac signs to support your goals and activities.

To get your free copy of my Time Management the Lunar Way cheat sheet, drop by www.proudphoenix.com (the upper part of the home page, to be more exact) and sign up for a free subscription to my astrology e-newsletter.

MORE UP MY SLEEVE, SO STICK AROUND

Time management the lunar way is just one of a gazillion ways of better living through astrology… 

…and I've got lots of other ways up my sleeve.

I hope that you’ll stick around and join me for more of them as we wind down 2012 and move into the new year.