Tag: full moon

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Saturday October 31, 2020 – Halloween – Full Moon

Saturday October 31, 2020

– Full Moon Phase –illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Taurus

– Retrograde Planets:  Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Mars, Mercury

– Black Moon Days – Oct 30 – Nov 1

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –  October 30th – Cut Firewood, Cut Hair to Increase Growth, Mow to Increase Growth, Dig Holes, Wax Floors, Paint, Get Married, Advertise to Sell, Ask for Loan, Buy Clothes

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –  October 30th – 31st – First day is fine for planting beans, peppers, cucumbers, melons, and other aboveground crops where climate permits. Second day is a good day for transplanting. Second day is also a good day for planting beets, carrots, onions, turnips, and other hardy root crops where climate is suitable.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Kali (The Destroyer of Time), Tara (Goddess who Guides Through Troubles) and Shodashi (Goddess who Fulfills our Highest Desire)

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Elias, God of the West, God of Transformation

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New Moon in Leo: “A third wing on the left side of a butterfly” (& An open window and a net curtain blowing into a cornucopia)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

SUN:  9 SCORPIO: A dentist at work

EARTH:  9 TAURUS: A Christmas tree decorated

Samhain

From History:

Samhain is a pagan religious festival originating from an ancient Celtic spiritual tradition. In modern times, Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “sow-win”) is usually celebrated from October 31 to November 1 to welcome in the harvest and usher in “the dark half of the year.” Celebrants believe that the barriers between the physical world and the spirit world break down during Samhain, allowing more interaction between humans and denizens of the Otherworld.

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Saturday-Sunday October 3-4, 2020

Saturday-Sunday October 3-4, 2020

– Full Moon Phase – illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Taurus

– Sun in Libra 

– Mars Reconjuncts Eris

– 10/4 Pluto Stations Direct 

– Retrograde Planets:  Pluto, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Mars

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –October 3rd – Mow to Slow Growth, Dig Post Holes, Jar Jams/Jellies, Paint, Advertise to Sell, Ask for Loan, Slaughter   October 4th – 5th – Mow to Slow Growth, Dig Post Holes, Jar Jams/Jellies, Paint, Advertise to Sell, Ask for Loan

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –  October3rd – 5th  – Good days for transplanting. Good days for planting beets, carrots, onions, turnips, and other hardy root crops where climate is suitable.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Shodashi (Goddess Who Fulfills Our Highest Desire) and Matangi

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Elias, God of the West, God of Transformation

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New Moon in Leo: “A boy with censer serves near the priest at the altar” (& A New Moon reveals that it’s time for people to go ahead with their different projects)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

October 4, 2020

SUN:  

11 LIBRA: a professor peering over his glasses at his students
12 LIBRA: miners are emerging from a deep coal mine

EARTH:  

11 ARIES: the ruler of a nation
12 ARIES: a flock of wild geese

Why Critical Race Theory Had to Be Stopped . . . And Why the Media and the Left Do Not Want You to Know About It

Last week, President Trump announced that he is signing an executive order to Stop all requirements for training in Critical Race Theory in the government and for all Contractors for the Government.

Liberal Heads Exploded.

WHY WHY WHY would this horrible racist President stop racial sensitivity training?

It became the first question asked at the Presidential Debate last week. Biden offered the correct liberal platitudes. Trump babbled like a hyena, missing a Golden Opportunity to explain how Socialist thought had invaded our education system and government.

The answer is simple, and complicated. The optics look bad (when presented by the mainstream media). It has not been explained well. And people without any knowledge are likely to believe the media trope that it is proof of Donald Trump’s OBVIOUS RACISM.

So . . . What is Critical Theory?

Over the past week, I have been offering information about propaganda and mind control. And Critical Theory is one of those forms of Mind Control. Let me start by offering the Wikipedia definition of Critical Theory:

Critical theory is a social philosophy pertaining to the reflective assessment and critique of society and culture in order to reveal and challenge power structures. With origins in sociology, as well as in literary criticism, it argues that social problems are influenced and created more by societal structures and cultural assumptions than by individual and psychological factors.

Now if your read this and understood any of this, then you get a balloon!

And it is why the Practice of this “Theory” is so effective. It is a classic “Dazzle them with Bullshit” trope.

Critical Theory was developed by a group of hardcore Marxists who came here to the US during the 1930’s. They developed a scientific, Marxist apology to all of society. It was a direct attack on Western Civilization – Capitalism is Bad, Socialism is Good. It relies heavily on theories of Hegel and the Hegelian Dialectic.

They applied their theories to the education system and implemented them through the Universities in the United States, where many of them found positions of authority. They eventually seeded their theories throughout the whole of the university system, until we have the ultra left wing system that we have today.

Critical Race Theory is simply and other name for Critical Theory, as Race is heavily integrated into most to the

So What is the Controversy Now?

Back in Barrack Obama’s first term, he signed an Executive Order requiring ALL federal employees and contractors to have Racial Sensitivity training – based on Critical Race Theory. So, in essence, he was requiring EVERY EMPLOYEE TO TAKE MARXISM CLASSES.It provided the money (Government Funding) to develop and implement this training.

On the outside, this looks like a positive thing. Everyone will be better trained about how to work together. We would all be trained to accept Racial Diversity. That is the Shinola.

The Shit was that is basically condemned the entirety of American society as horrible racist people, who should be ashamed of themselves. That the whole of our entire society is built on capitalist lies and all of it needs to go. We need to fundamentally restructure our way of life “in favor of the new matrix” (thanks to Dr Carol Marcus for that cute thought).

So, President Trump very simply reversed this and said that they will no longer require people to go through Marxist Sensitivity Trainings. Unfortunately he could have said it a lot better.

You Can Teach People to Be Racially Sensitive Without Falling Back on Karl Marx

What Trump failed to communicate in his actions was that we can work on the problems with understanding each other without teaching Socialism as well.

He could have very positively made the Statement:

I am removing the Training mandated by BHO because, upon review, it is teaching Anti American ideas of Marxism and Socialism. We are changing the curriculum to addresses Racial, Cultural and Gender differences in the workplace. It will no longer be an indoctrination program designed by the Left.

Of course, President Trump didn’t handle it this way. And sounded goofy. And ineffective.

Credit Where It’s Due

I give the left wing propagandists a lot of credit. They are Master Salespeople. They have developed highly effective messaging of their ideas. They are appealing. When their ideas are just messed up, they make them sound good. They get glitzy stars to say them. They present them through entertainment as popular.

They get the masses pumped up for all these revolutionary ideas, and kind of skip the downside . . . where it leaves us without all the rights and privileges guaranteed to us by our Constitution. They propose wonderful and revolutionary “Free Stuff” but leave off that they are raising all your taxes and then stealing money from the “filthy, rich, billionaires” to pay for it. They just do not mention that there are enough Billionaires to pay for the Trillions of dollars worth of stuff that they promised.

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Friday October 2, 2020

Friday October 2, 2020

– Full Moon Phase – illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Aries

– Sun in Libra 

– Black Moon Days – 30th – 2nd

– Retrograde Planets:  , Pluto, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Mars

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –October 1st – 2nd –  Dry Fruits and Vegetables, Cut Hair to Slow Growth, Mow to Slow Growth, Pick Apples and Pears, Quit Smoking, Perform Demolition, Wash Wooden Floors, Start Diet to Lose Weight, Slaughter, Kill Plant Pests

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –  October 1st – 2nd – Barren days, do no planting.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Shodashi (Goddess Who Fulfills Our Highest Desire) and Matangi

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Elias, God of the West, God of Transformation

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New moon in Leo: “A boy with censer serves near the priest at the altar” (& A New Moon reveals that it’s time for people to go ahead with their different projects)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

Virgo new moon Calendar

SUN:  10 LIBRA: A canoe approaching safety through dangerous waters

EARTH:  10 ARIES: A teacher gives new symbolic forms to traditional images

Today I am reminded of the reason we pay attention to the planetary transits that happen throughout the year. I mentioned back when I published the Virgo New Moon Calendar Download It Here  that I have three of my planetary transits this lunar month. And today for me is Saturn Day – or in my words, Bitch-Slap day. Add to that, The Black Moon in Conjunct the moon . . . in Aries (my natal Black Moon). Just a lot of heavy energy.

On the days of the year that your Saturn is activated, typically one can expect: hyper-criticism of self and others, feelings of failing in one’s responsibilities, potential health concerns, feeling that one does not “measure up,” issues with one’s work, heightened control issues (trying to control the uncontrollable through organizing and ordering), feeling burdened, and feeling judged.

Enough of the primordial stew of my chart.

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming . . . 

Continuing on the tirade I started yesterday about the Kafkatrap. I want to explore some other linguistic programming that is pervasive in our world today. So, from the article I cited yesterday, here is DOUBLESPEAK.

Doublespeak

“War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.” – George Orwell, 1984

Doublespeak is ambiguous language used to deceive and mislead you. It is the exact opposite of plain speaking.

“Doublespeak is language which pretends to communicate but doesn’t. It is language which makes the bad seem good, the negative seem positive, the unpleasant seem unattractive, or at least tolerable. It is language which avoids, shifts or denies responsibility; language which is at variance with its real or purported meaning. It is language which conceals or prevents thought.” – William Lutz, Doublespeak 

Doublespeak is commonly used throughout the corporate world, in banking and finance, the legal system (“legalese”), the military, and of course by politicians to avoid answering questions without directly stating that they’re ignoring the question.

Doublespeak is used by politicians and the military to make war sound less gruesome:

“I reminded the soldiers and their families that the war in Iraq is really about peace.” – US President George W. Bush, April 2003

In 2014 Israeli military commanders used Doublespeak when they described the massacre of 2,100 Palestinians, most of whom were civilians (including 500 children), in Gaza as “mowing the lawn”.

The four main categories of Doublespeak

There are four main categories of Doublespeak:

  • Deliberately ambiguous language used to deceive and mislead you
  • Euphemisms (words or expressions substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something offensive, unpleasant, or embarrassing)

Examples of Doublespeak euphemisms:

  • Adult entertainment = porn/sex shows/stripping
  • Creative accounting = dishonest accounting methods used to cheat the tax department by exploiting loopholes and presenting figures in a misleadingly favorable light
  • Downsizing/rightsizing = workers being laid off
  • Revenue enhancement = tax increase
  • Capital punishment = death penalty
  • Collateral damage = unintended deaths and injuries of civilians during war
  • Enhanced interrogation methods = torture
  • Ethnic cleansing = genocide
  • Freedom fighter = mercenaries and soldiers who are US allies fighting for US causes (if the same fighters were fighting for the other side they would be labelled “terrorists”)
  • Friendly fire = when someone is accidentally shot, killed, or injured by someone from their own army
  • Human trafficking = modern day slave trade (mostly women and child sex slaves)
  • Peacekeeper = nuclear bomb
  • Jargon When specialized language is used excessively by professionals (bankers, lawyers, politicians etc.) to confuse or obscure the subject matter to persons outside of the circle – such as clients, customers, voters etc. it becomes doublespeak
  • Gobbledygook/bureaucratese When meanings are made unintelligible by excessive use of technical terms in an attempt to overwhelm and confuse the intended audience

e.g. “It is a tricky problem to find the particular calibration in timing that would be appropriate to stem the acceleration in risk premiums created by falling incomes without prematurely aborting the decline in the inflation-generated risk premiums.” – Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman

The problem with Doublespeak as author William Lutz quite rightly points out:

“All who use language should be concerned whether statements and facts agree, whether language is, in Orwell’s words, “largely the defense of the indefensible” and whether language “is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” 

“Clear language is essential so that both parties understand what they are agreeing to. In any contract that you enter into, you have to understand what your obligations and rights are under the terms of that contract.”

“If a company writes a contract in such a way that consumers think they understand what their obligations are, but in reality don’t, they may agree to something they don’t understood, and ultimately cannot fulfill. When companies use anything other than straight-forward clear language to describe the terms of an offer, they’re not dealing honestly in the marketplace, they are setting up consumers to fail.”

How to deal with Doublespeak

If you hear someone being intentionally ambiguous and vague in their language, and/or if you feel that they’re using Doublespeak in order to deceive and mislead you, ask them to explain what they mean in clear and plain simple English.

Ask them to explain it to you as if you were a five year old.

Don’t let them hide behind $50 words and incomprehensible language.

 

At this point, I would ask everyone, by a raise of the hands, if you have read the book 1984 . . .

Now all of you who have not, please go read it. Read it twice. memorize it. This is a book that can be called Fiction, Science Fiction, horror, comedy, thriller and Documentary all in one.

I love the meme quote/joke saying that he meant 1984 as a Warning and not an Instruction Manual. And after reading 1984, and then comparing the dystopia he creates to the horror of life today. And worse that we have accepted it.

Government Surveillance

Linguistic Programming

Never-Ending War

Social Abolition of Religion and Spirituality

DoubleSpeak was at the heart of the programming shown in 1984. Go back and read the examples in the article above. Add a few others, like Politically Correct. Corporations that want to bolster their bottom line “downsize” and respected managers get “the golden handshake”. Someone who is unemployed is “between jobs” or “making a career change.” Secretaries and janitors have become “administrative assistants” and “sanitation engineers.”  Perhaps one day, “pedagogical mentors” will replace teachers.

This is the kind of stuff that scares the shit out of me with my kids. I can see it. Will they? Are my children being taught to be drones? Social Justice Warriors?

Pay attention to the doublespeak you hear everyday. Has the person using it simply picked up a bad linguistic habit (like you might pick up an STD)? Or are they actual predators seeking to advance an agenda?

 

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Thursday October 1, 2020

Thursday October 1, 2020

– Full Moon Phase (@5:05 PM) – illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Aries

– Sun in Libra 

– Black Moon Days – 30th – 2nd

– Retrograde Planets:  , Pluto, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Mars

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –October 1st – 2nd –  Dry Fruits and Vegetables, Cut Hair to Slow Growth, Mow to Slow Growth, Pick Apples and Pears, Quit Smoking, Perform Demolition, Wash Wooden Floors, Start Diet to Lose Weight, Slaughter, Kill Plant Pests

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –  October 1st – 2nd – Barren days, do no planting.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Shodashi (Goddess Who Fulfills Our Highest Desire) and Matangi

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Elias, God of the West, God of Transformation

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New moon in Leo: “A boy with censer serves near the priest at the altar” (& A New Moon reveals that it’s time for people to go ahead with their different projects)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

SUN:  09 LIBRA: Three old masters hanging in a special room in an art gallery

EARTH:  09 ARIES: A crystal gazer

Funny that the Crystal Gazer symbol should come up today. Just yesterday, I was reading Harry Potter (I am coming to the end of Prisoner of Azkaban). The “final exam” for their much maligned Divination class with Professor Trelawney was gazing into the Crystal Ball.

For those who read the book, Harry bluffed his way through the exam, but then witnesses the Crazed Professor having an actual Prophesy. She goes all stiff and weird and has a prediction about a Servant of the Dark Lord rejoining his master. The scene and prophesy are not was well done in the movie, but you get the point.

Crystal Balls seems to be in the air for me.

But that’s neither Here or there. Just kind of interesting.

Propaganda is in the Air

For me, the more interesting and more frightening issue that seems to have taken hold of my thoughts is the level of propaganda that is taking place. Funny thing is that it probably is not any better or any worse than last week, last month, or last year. But it is much more apparent in the political and social environment that we find ourselves in.

I have been talking about the rampant bias in the media at length. But exactly how they display this bias in public is up for debate. And speaking of debates, the US Presidential Debate showed how blatant it can be.

I was reading an article this morning, that opened my eyes to a new form of propaganda. Its actually more of a different definition. And it is less propaganda and more a way of manipulating speech in order to force opinions on other people and control the public narrative.

I have pasted an article I found about an insidious one called the Kafka trap. Everything about it you need to know is in the article. And I think this will be the first in a series of discussions about this.

And if you want to have some fun, think about the Kafkatrap and see if you can name at least 5 forms of it that were perpetrated during the Presidential Debate. And that does not even open the discussion about BLM, which in itself is one giant, ooozing puss-wound of a Kafkatrap.

Kafka trap
The Kafka trap might also be called the Social Justice Warrior trap.

Author Eric Raymond coined the term Kafkatrapping in his 2010 article in which he presented a style of argument that is common today with SJW’s, but has it’s origins in The Trial a book written in 1915 by Franz Kafka.

In The Trial the protagonist is arrested and accused of serious crimes which are never specified. He receives no explanation or description of the charges, and his refusal to acknowledge that he must be guilty is what makes him guilty. The only way to stop his abuse is to admit that he is guilty.

What is the kafka trap?
In the kafka trap you are accused of being a:

Racist
Sexist
Bigot
Facist
Homophobic
Transphobic
Islamophobic
Misogynist
Nazi
Hitler
etc.
…and any attempt to argue, deny or defend yourself is seen as proof of guilt.

Yep.

Denial is proof of guilt.

You’re guilty until proven innocent.

Any accusation of guilt is all that is needed to condemn you.

Eric Raymond laid out various models of kafkatraps in his 2010 article which I’ll share here.

Note: Kafkatrapping can be used against any perceived “ist” or “ism” (racism, sexism, homophobia etc.) however I’ll simply use the word racism here in the interests of space.

Model A
“Your refusal to acknowledge that you are guilty of racism, confirms that you are guilty of racism”

Model C
“Even if you do not feel yourself to be guilty of racism, you are guilty because you have benefited from the racist behavior of others in the system”

Model D
“The act of demanding a definition of racism that can be consequentially checked and falsified proves you are racist”

Model L
“Your insistence on applying rational skepticism in evaluating assertions of pervasive racism itself demonstrates that you are racist”

Model M
“The act of arguing against the theory of anti-racism demonstrates that you are either racist, or do not understand the theory of anti-racism, and your argument can therefore be dismissed as either corrupt or incompetent”

Model P
“Even if you do not feel yourself to be guilty of racism, you are guilty because you have a privileged position in the racist system”

Model S
“Skepticism about any particular anecdotal account of racism, or any attempt to deny that the particular anecdote implies a systemic problem in which you are one of the guilty parties, is itself sufficient to establish your guilt”

Model T
“Designated victims of racism who question any part of the theory of racism demonstrate by doing so that they are not authentic members of the victim class, so their experience can be discounted and their thoughts dismissed as internalized racism”

Men’s rights activist Adam Kostakis has defined a ninth model of the kafka trap, Model J:

Model J
“Even if your innocence is proven in a court of law, this not only confirms your guilt; it also confirms the guilt of the legal system that found you innocent”

In summary:

“You are now trapped in a circular and unfalsifiable argument; no one who is accused can be innocent because the structure of kafkatrapping precludes that possibility.” – Wendy McElroy

Just accept the ‘facts’:

All white people are racist
It’s impossible for a black person to be racist
“Believe women” – or you’re a rape apologist
Gender is a social construct
There are no biological differences between men and women
You have white privilege – regardless of your circumstances
“All lives matter” – is hate speech
“Having shown how manipulative and psychologically abusive the kafkatrap is, it may seem almost superfluous to observe that it is logically fallacious as well. The particular species of fallacy is sometimes called “panchreston”, an argument from which anything can be deduced because it is not falsifiable. Notably, if the model A kafkatrap is true, the world is divided into two kinds of people: (a) those who admit they are guilty of thoughtcrime, and (b) those who are guilty of thoughtcrime because they will not admit to being guilty of thoughtcrime. No one can ever be innocent. The subject must be prevented from noticing that this logic convicts and impeaches the operator of the kafkatrap!” – Eric Raymond

How to deal with a kafka trap
If presented with a kafka trap don’t try to argue or deny it because your words will be twisted and used against you.

In fact, any attempt to argue, deny or defend yourself will be seen as proof of guilt, and SJW’s and trolls might say things like:

“Deny, Deny, Deny”

“There’s no smoke without fire”

“Me thinks thou dost protest too much”

My advice: Ignore it, and if possible put the shoe on the other foot and reverse the accusation. See how they like it.

“The kafkatrap is a form of argument that is so fallacious and manipulative that those subjected to it are entitled to reject it based entirely on the form of the argument, without reference to whatever particular sin or thoughtcrime is being alleged” – Eric Raymond

 

https://lifelessons.co/critical-thinking/kafkatrapping/The rest of the article is here. I will be reviewing some of the linguistic tricks mentioned in the article in future articles.

Posted on

Friday September 4, 2020

Friday September 4, 2020

– Full Moon Phase  – illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Aries

– Sun in Virgo 

– Retrograde Planets:  Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus

– Black Moon conjunction with Eris and Mars

– Black Moon Days September 3 – 5

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – September 3rd -4th – Dry Fruits and Vegetables, Cut Hair to Slow Growth, Mow to Slow Growth, Pick Apples and Pears, Quit Smoking, Perform Demolition, Wash Wooden Floors, Start Diet to Lose Weight, Slaughter, Kill Plant Pests

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –  September 3rd – 5th – A poor time to plant.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): All goddesses on board

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Kathe, God of the South, God of Experience

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New moon in Leo: “Daybreak — the luminescence of dawn in the eastern sky” (& Earth An ancient pottery bowl filled with violets)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

SUN:  13 Virgo: A powerful statesman overcomes a state of political hysteria

EARTH:  13 Pisces: A sword used in many battles in a museum

 

Defense Against The Dark Arts – Choosing Your Teachers

Within the Harry Potter novels, we are introduced to a wide variety of teachers and instructors at Hogwarts School. And there are things about each of them that I love so much – (or at least I might love to hate them).

Some teachers we see throughout the series as a constant guiding and positive Force – like Professors McGonnigal, Flitwick and Sprout) – in charge of Transfiguration, Charms and Herbology). Snape (and later Slughorn) offer us Potions. Throughout the movies, there are not many others (Trelawney for Divination and Hagrid for Care of Magical Creatures). Nut the books offer us many more interesting and unique Characters.

But it is Defense Against the Dark Arts that give us the greatest variety of instruction.As you find, the job is cursed. And no instructor stays for more than a year. And for DADA at Hogwarts, We see the Good, the bad and the Evil.

For Good, we had Professors Lupin and Mad Eye Moody. Both tried and succeeded to teach the fundamentals of their subject (despite the fact that Mad Eye was an Evil imposter. And then, of course, there was harry taking over in The Order of the Phoenix (who Fred and George agreed had been their best DADA teacher)

For Bad, There was Snape, Quirrell, and Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart was just a self absorbed moron who knew and taught nothing. Quirrell, of course was Evil and possessed by Voldemort. But as a teacher was a bumbling fool – probably on purpose to cover his evilness. Snape I put as bad, because, as I will discuss another time, was just a bad teacher. Gifted and powerful wizard. But lousy teacher.

And then there were the Evil. I considered putting Snape here, but on the contrary, he seemed to teach the right things without holding back. But he was so full of his hatred for Harry that it clouded his ability to actually teach the subject. For true Evil, you had The Carrows. They actually taught how to perform the Dark Arts and perform curses on each other. And of Course, Professor Dolores Umbridge.

Unbridge is one of those characters who I will never forget. EVER! Evil. Nightmare evil. the kind like Pennywise the clown that I still have nightmares about. That is Umbridge.  Below its the scene for which she exposes her evil as a teacher. Because there is no subtlety to her evil. It’s right there. And in this

 

The Government (the ministry) is in Control – and you will do what you are told.

Dissent will not be tolerated.

In this speech, the book and the movie, while not exactly the same, were both on point. And from the movie, the line:

“It is the view of the ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all is what school is all about.”

This line always stuck with me after hearing it (I know that I saw this particular movie before reading the book).

This movie came out in 2007 – long before they implemented Common Core in US Education system. But the dumbing down of curriculum had begun long before. Soft sciences have become the norm over hard science. Much of the curriculum I see my kids learning now feels like the readers digest version of what I learned back in the 70’s and 80’s. And even back then,  I was always sure the writers left a hell of a lot out.

The Harry Potter series does a great job at making an example of this. And with the subject of The Dark Arts, this is readily apparent.

  • After Voldemort, The Curriculum changed from Teaching “Dark Arts” to a Defense against the Dark Arts.
  • Harry began his training in curses in order to help him with The Triwizard Tournament – but never taught directly by teachers.
  • When Umbridge would not teach even Defensive spells, Harry had to make an illegal class to teach those interested.
  • The highest levels of Government did their best to interfere with the actual education of the students.

Education in the Era of COVID

I am not personally a fan of Homeschooling. I am not a teacher – nor did I ever have aspirations to do so. While I hate the idea that my kids are being force fed the Common Core Curricula in public schools, I pay my taxes and they have a right to be there.

Now they are learning at home. And we must sit with the younger kids to make sure they understand what they are doing and supervise their progress. We are charged with understanding all of the ins and outs of each grade’s electronic devices.  We have  live action learning – where the kids are on Webex and Zoom meetings with the class. And then there is “Asynchronous learning.”

Here is where we get to the Advice in the age of Darkness

In our 2020 version of Defense Against the Dark Arts, we must have some advice about how to fight the misinformation and miseducation of our children.

For me, classes being at home make this easier. We get to see first hand what they are trying to do. And have the opportunity to undue that which is bad and reeducate where we can shed light on darkness.

So

  1. There are Good Teachers out there – We need to get to know who is teaching our children. Having this much close contact helps to identify what is going well. We need to pay attention to them.
  2. There are also some pretty bad ones – Paying attention is important here too. Are they lazy? Are they simply drones teaching straight out of a book. Are they evil? All relevant questions.
  3. “Never Trust Anything that can think for itself if you can;t see where it keeps its brain.” – This is n admonishment from Arthur Weasley to Ginny after he hears that she had been writing in Riddle’s Diary in The Chamber of Secrets. This speaks directly to my Asynchronous Learning problem. The teachers have been tasked with sending the kids to online courses. These courses are a combination of videos with probing questions afterwards. This is the Anything Without a Brain that we have to watch for. It is history and science lessons, all prepared carefully to offer a very specific frame of reference about its subjects. Consider it like Wikipedia. Everyone says to not trust it, as anyone can change what is there. All you really have to do is read any political issue or person and you will see the artwork of propaganda in motion. If you want to have some fun, look up The Clinton Foundation or Global Warming on Wikipedia.

 

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Wednesday August 5, 2020

Wednesday August 5, 2020

– Full Moon Phase – illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Pisces

– Sun in Leo 

– Mars is Square Jupiter

– Retrograde Planets:  Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune, Chiron

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – August 4th – 5th  – Can Fruits and Vegetables, Mow to Slow Growth, Castrate Farm Animals, Wean, Go Hunting, Potty Train, Brew Beer, Slaughter

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –August 4th – 6th – Excellent for any vine crops such as beans, peas, and cucumbers. Good days for transplanting. Favorable days for planting root crops.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Dhumavati (The Goddess Who Winnows) –

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Kathe, God of the South, God of Experience

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – 1st New moon in Cancer: “On a ship, sailors lower an old flag and raise a new one” (& Earth An Indian chief claims power from the assembled tribe)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – 2nd New moon in Cancer: “a Greek muse weighing newborn twins in golden scales” (& Earth – “a woman reading tea leaves”)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

SUN:  14 LEO: Cherub-like, a human soul whispers, seeking to manifest

EARTH:  14 AQUARIUS: A train entering a tunnel

 

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Happy Monday! August 3, 2020

Happy Monday! August 3, 2020

– Full Moon Phase (@11:58 AM) – illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Aquarius

– Sun in Leo 

– Planetary Alignments – Mercury – Earth – Saturn

– The Black Moon is Conjunct the Eris Point – 21 Aries – “A Boxer Enters the Ring” through August 3

– Retrograde Planets:  Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune, Chiron

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – August 3rd –  Cut Hair to Slow Growth, Mow to Slow Growth, Castrate Farm Animals, Dig Post Holes, Wean, Quit Smoking, Potty Train, Jar Jams/Jellies, Wash Wooden Floors, Paint, Start Diet to Lose Weight, Host a Party, Slaughter, Kill Plant Pests

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –August 2nd – 3rd – Barren days, fine for killing plant pests.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Dhumavati (The Goddess Who Winnows) –

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Kathe, God of the South, God of Experience

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – 1st New moon in Cancer: “On a ship, sailors lower an old flag and raise a new one” (& Earth An Indian chief claims power from the assembled tribe)
– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – 2nd New moon in Cancer: “a Greek muse weighing newborn twins in golden scales” (& Earth – “a woman reading tea leaves”)
– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”
SUN: 12 LEO: An evening lawn party of adults
EARTH: 12 AQUARIUS: People on a vast staircase graduated upwards

Happy Monday! Get ready to level up. Mentally. Emotionally. Financially. Spiritually. Energetically. It’s all coming.

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Tuesday July 7, 2020

Tuesday July 7, 2020

– Full Moon Phase – illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Aquarius

– Sun in Cancer 

– Retrograde Planets: Mercury,  Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune 

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – July 6th – 7th Cut Hair to Slow Growth, Mow to Slow Growth, Castrate Farm Animals, Dig Post Holes, Wean, Quit Smoking, Potty Train, Jar Jams/Jellies, Wash Wooden Floors, Paint, Start Diet to Lose Weight, Host a Party, Slaughter, Kill Plant Pests

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –July 6th – 7th – Good days for killing weeds, briars, and other plant pests. Poor for planting.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Dhumavati (The Goddess Who Winnows) –

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Kathe, God of the South, God of Experience

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month: “On a ship, sailors lower an old flag and raise a new one” (& Earth An Indian chief claims power from the assembled tribe)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

SUN:  16 CANCER: A man studying a mandala in front of him with the help of a very ancient book

EARTH:  16 CAPRICORN: School grounds filled with boys and girls in gymnasium suits

 

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Saturday June 6, 2020

Saturday June 6, 2020

– Full Moon Phase: illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Sagittarius – Void of Course 12:10 AM – 3:44

– Sun in Gemini 

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – June 6th  –Mow to Slow Growth, Castrate Farm Animals, Prune Trees, Wean, Potty Train, Slaughter

– Gardening tips  (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – June 6th – 7th –Plant late beets, potatoes, onions, carrots, and other root crops.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Bagalamukhi (The Storm-Calmer) – All are on Duty this month but Bagalamukhi is taking the lead.

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Ian, God of the East, God of Wisdom

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month: “The garden of the Tuileries in Paris” (& Two men playing Chess)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

SUN: 17 GEMINI – The head of a robust youth changes into that of a mature thinker

EARTH: 17 SAGITTARIUS –An Easter sunrise service

June 6 – A Day that lives in Infamy!

I have always had trouble with this date. But that is from my own personal experience – and specifically from that night in the 1970’s when a friend stayed the night and we watched the movie The Omen. It was schlock horror to many. But to an impressionable 12 year old, it scared the piss out of me!

Especially about the fact that this evil little Devil Child was born on June 6, 1966, and had the mark of the beast 6 6 6 imprinted on his scalp. That night, as we had all the lights out in the house, no one was home and we were sure the world was coming to an evil end, was a teachable moment. Maybe R Ratings were there for a reason. Some movies might just be a little too much for impressionable young minds to deal with.

I remember quite a few of those movies during the late 70’s and early 80’s when we could stay up late and turn on the cable box when Mom and Dad were not paying attention. Movies like The Exorcist, Animal House, One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, Blazing Saddles, Fame, Stripes, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Barbarella. All deserving of their R ratings. All probably not made for 12 year olds. But definitely part of my emotional maturity. I was always more into Roller Coasters than Merry Go Rounds. The faster and wilder, the better. Such was the same for entertainment.

So add The Omen to D-Day on June 6th and you have a pretty emotionally charged Date. And while astrologically, the date is no more important than others, the energetics can sometimes join together to make a crazy day anyway.

As for today, I am not seeing too much to worry about. Full Moon? Yes. Sun Squaring  Mars and Neptune can add some fun. But I do not see the coming of the 4 horses of the apocalypse.

 

 

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Thursday May 7, 2020

Thursday May 7, 2020

– Full Moon Phase (6:45 AM): illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Scorpio

– Sun in Taurus

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – Can Fruits and Vegetables, Mow to Slow Growth, Prune Trees, Go Hunting, Jar Jams/Jellies

– Gardening tips May 6-7 (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –Plant seedbeds. First day is excellent for planting above ground crops, and planting leafy vegetables. Second day is a good day for transplanting. Second day is also when to plant carrots, beets, onions, turnips, and other root crops. Also good for leafy vegetables

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Tara – Goddess Who Guides

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Ian, God of the East, God of Wisdom

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month: “The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: “A Triangle with Wings”

SUN: 18 TAURUS – A woman airing an old bag through a sunny window

EARTH: 18 SCORPIO – a path through woods rich in autumn coloring

It’s Full Moon Fever again! Why do I always hear the song Runnin’ Down a Dream at the Full Moon? Its hard driving and in your face. Much like the energy of the Full moon, that’s for sure.

The moon does so while also opposing Mercury. Communication – especially feelings are affected. Be wary of scrambled or polarized thinking, not just in yourselves, but in others. Full Moon energy brings this out in people already. The Mercury addition can make it intense.

This is the final Supermoon of the year – having 3 of them this Spring. This is known as the Flower Moon in the Almanac, so called by Native Americans due to the abundance of flowers in the month of May.