Bodhisattva Astrology

As my last post was a little dour and / or fatalistic regarding this heavy aspect in the sky, I wanted to post something for the rest of you, who have cultivated more awareness and an altruistic heart.  When we start to refine our loving-kindness and compassion, opening our hearts appropriately and holding a noble intention within that vast open heart space…  we are less compelled by our stars.  Meaning, once we have the awareness to see and act beyond our lower self’s egoic needs, as we open to sharing, caring and giving to others responsibly and appropriately, then we have obviously moved beyond some of the more gross levels of karmic obscuration.  And since I think the astrology chart represents our karmic imprint, if we start to move beyond the gross karmas, then our astrology chart is more of a less-than-vital-tool rather than something we must desperately keep track of.  We can pick it up and peek at it if we wish, or we can continue loving and growing and giving to our community and benefiting sentient beings.

So what I am trying to say…  is that this heavy aspect configuration of the Grand Cross in the Cardinal signs will either be felt internally by you (especially if you have a personal planet – Sun, Moon, Mercury or Mars – around 12 degrees of a Cardinal sign); or if you fit the category described above – if the fatalistic astrology books do not make sense to you because your spiritual practice has started to bear fruit, then keep on doing what you know in your vast heart to be right conduct.  Continue sharing your bright soul with the world and bringing presence and skillful compassion wherever you go.

Know though, that there are many beings suffering a little bit more at this time due to this aspect.  This aspect is not easy for most people.  Especially if you are like me and you are just bouncing from karmic encounter to karmic encounter.  Being a ping-pong ball can be fun…  until you drift toward a major league slugger who is up to bat   🙂

Thanks for reading.  See my other posts on Spiritual Astrology for more.

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Cardinal Grand Cross, April 2014 (and stomach illnesses, self-care)

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore.  Reproduction without permission is prohibited.  Thank you for visiting and feel free to visit my website to support what I do.  www.mkirbymoore.com

Recently, as most of you might know (whether consciously knowing about the aspect, or from feeling its highly potent effects), there has been a potent astrological aspect forming in the sky.  And yes, I could have written about this sooner…  because it is about as strong as it is going to get right now.  As I write this!  What does this aspect involve?

Pluto is opposite Jupiter and Mars is opposite Uranus.  And they all square the others…  Meaning this is a Grand Cross, one of the strongest aspects that can happen – especially when movers and shakers like Pluto and Uranus get involved too!  It happens to fall in all of the Cardinal signs – Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus in Aries, Jupiter in Cancer and Mars in Libra.

There has been a lot written about this potent setup on various websites, but I want to focus on the Health implications of this dynamic and powerful configuration.  I have not seen much on this topic, and Medical (or Health) Astrology is one of my areas of focus.

Is it just me, or have there been a TON of stomach “viruses” going around for the past couple weeks.  And people can tell me that it is due to the changing weather until they are blue in the face, but I disagree.  Why?  Because it is becoming warmer and this is Spring time – the time of year everyone comes out of their shells, feels better and wants to get outside.  Now allergies (pollen) are a different story – that is normal.  For me, the majority of my family members had someone in their households come down with a stomach virus recently and numerous friends.  I’m wondering if there is more to this than just a virus.

Why would I think so?  Because the Vagus nerve is strongly implicated with the Cardinal signs.  And the Vagus nerve has a lot to do with our digestion and stomachs in general.  Here’s more info: Libra is associated with the kidneys (strong Vagus tie), Aries is associated with the forehead and the adrenals (also strong Vagus tie).  Then Capricorn has to do with the Gall Bladder and the Skin – both strongly tied into the Vagus system and finally the sign of Cancer is associated with the stomach and the skin (again major players in the Vagus system).

So I hypothesize that people are purifying a lot of negative karma right now as the energies of the planet and us individuals on this planet are heightened, and one of the main ways in which we are purifying that karma is through stomach and digestive issues.  Certainly the skin and adrenal issues could also come into play (see the list above).  By the way, I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  SO THIS INFORMATION IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT OR ABSTRACT HYPOTHETICAL PURPOSES ONLY.  Sorry about that.  I had to include that somewhere in my post…  Please do not act on any “medical” advice I might suggest as I haven’t the foggiest idea what I am recommending and I am not liable for your doing so!  🙂

Now, back to this thought.  Have you seen a lot of stomach issues recently?  Like more than normal for this time of year?  I have not checked, but I wonder what the CDC says about this time of year and stomach viruses…

Anyway.  What can you do to reduce the effects of this huge aspect?  Emergency self-care.  If you know your astrology chart well, go take a look at it now.  Yes, go take a peek.  Do you have any planets between 8 and 15 degrees of Cardinal signs (see the signs above)?  If you do, then you might want to practice some Emergency Self-Care.

What does this radical level of Self-Care look like?  Cancel anything on your docket that is not mandatory.  Spend more time outdoors.  SLOW DOWN.  BREATHE.  Did I mention slowing down?  One result of this potent aspect, involving Mars opposite Uranus is the tendency to speed up – especially when driving.  So consciously slow down.  Is your heart racing recently?  Then take some time to sit quietly and breathe.  Maybe some gentle yoga would be good.  Taking a bath might not hurt.  Do what you know nourishes and supports you.  Let go of anything and anyone that doesn’t.

AND TAKE A NAP.  Nothing slows us down like lying down – the kidneys and adrenals (and your whole endocrine system really), will thank you.  🙂

Thanks for reading!  Go to my website if you are interested in having your Astrology chart done – www.mkirbymoore.com

Attending Garchen Rinpoche, April 2014

A few things I learned after attending a full weekend empowerment with a sublime master…

I got to renew refuge and bodhisattva vows with Garchen Rinpoche, which is also so very precious.  There is a story that when Rinpoche left Tibet for the first time in 1980, when he was in the Dalai Lama’s presence, instead of requesting a high tantric initiation, all he wanted was to renew his Bodhisattva vows.  I think this shows his innate humility and desire to be of service.  He is not paying lip service at any time, even when his disciples aren’t around and (in case you did not notice) I think Garchen Rinpoche is the real deal in terms of being a spiritual master one can rely on to escape from this samsara existence of dissatisfaction and suffering.

First, I heard Garchen Rinpoche allude to the fact that he is going to pass away at some point.  Usually, when older Lamas start mentioning that, it is good to pay attention.  And this brought up a scary thought: most of my heart teachers are over the age of 65 – Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche and Garchen Rinpoche (yikes!).  And why stop there, the Dalai Lama is in his 70’s also…  Therefore it is time for me to get my butt in gear.  Back in 2006 / 2007, when I first met with precious Drikung Lamas, I practiced like my hair was on fire and I apparently earned some results.  However, due to many factors, over the past few years I feel like I have been half-assing my spiritual practice.  Sure my practice has shifted, but let’s be honest, getting into college basketball 100 % for a few weeks means whatever my spiritual practice is, it is suffering  😛

Second, in a similar vein to the above thought, I need to maintain my Tibetan language better.  There were opportunities galore to practice Tibetan and I puttered along like a tortoise at the Kentucky Derby…  Ugh!  Thankfully my new living situation puts me three blocks away from Tibetan vendors who WANT to chat with me in Tibetan.  What am I waiting for?

Third, politics are pervasive, even in a spiritual community.  I asked several board members of a spiritual organization (anonymity here is good) why they were flying in a Lama to teach in the DC area when another Lama, in the same lineage, lives nearby.  Why don’t they ask him to teach?  They could save some money on the plane tickets and they might save a little jet fuel at the same time.  But no, they said the Lama I suggested was not from one of Garchen’s monasteries.  Oh.  I guess that must matter enough.  I guess we should start splitting hairs and add yet another Kagyu sub-lineage (as if there were not enough of these already).

Fourth, whether or not my mundane family members understand the reason I must continually attend Dharma teachings or not, I go to them to recharge and rekindle a flame of inspiration and devotion.  I saw many friends who I had not seen in months and I got to spend time in Garchen Rinpoche’s precious mandala of energetic loving-kindness.  He would not have to say anything for me to be learning.  And I would still pay to bask in his gentle and loving presence!

Overall I am very happy to receive these blessings and I’m sure once I settle back down at home here that I will be even more grateful for the positive shifts I intend to effect in my life.  Yay!

Thanks for reading!

Series on Hatching: out of body, near death experience

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore.  Reproduction without permission is prohibited.  Thank you for visiting!  If you’d like to support Kirby’s blogging efforts, you can click on the ads below and you can visit www.mkirbymoore.com to see what Kirby offers.

I am planning to post several strands on here about how some connections have been coming together as of late.  I have not shared this information publicly in the past for a number of reasons but I think it is time I ‘fessed up to some experiences I have been blessed to encounter.

Back in 2002, I was attempting to be an ordinary young man (who happened to drive an ’84 Volvo 240 DL and was concerned about his diet).  Other than my concern with what I was taking in as far as food, I was not into many (any?) alternative subjects or topics.  Actually, come to think of it, 2002 was quite the turning point in my life.  So what changed, you ask?

For starters, I was enrolled in an Eastern Thinking philosophy class at the local community college, and it was in that class where I first connected with Buddhism (through Zen, along with learning about Taoism and Confucius).  It was during that class that I had a dream one night.  I had been playing poker with friends, and dare I mention this, I had a few drinks so I opted to sleep on their couch rather than trying to drive home in a questionable state…  And it was that night that I had a dream, and that dream told me explicitly that I had “appendicitis.”  I think I am pretty blessed to have a voice tell me that, but that is a whole other story.

So I was young and not terribly educated (at that time), and I had no clue what appendicitis was.  My mother is a nurse, so I called her and asked.  She was slightly concerned but after asking me about several of the symptoms, it seemed I was relatively fine.

Well that night, for no obvious reason (I was at home), I got sick briefly and inexplicably.  Then the following day I started to notice a discomfort in my belly, down on the right side a little (another symptom of appendicitis).  Therefore I started becoming worried – I mean that was the only dream of that type I had EVER experienced!

In spite of not feeling any pain – I discovered in high school with a couple of previous surgeries that my pain threshold was / is out of this world – and I went to the Emergency Room.  Well guess what – the doctor poked and prodded my belly and he told me very definitively that if I had appendicitis, I would not be able to stand that type of palpation.  As in, “why wasn’t I screaming in horrific agony?!”  Sorry doc – you apparently have not met a past life yogi.  As far as I was concerned, that dream was all I needed to validate my situation, not to mention the throwing up for no apparent reason and there was a little discomfort.

Finally I was persistent enough that they drew blood and sent it to the lab for testing, leaving me in a thin hospital gown in the chilly E.R. patient waiting area for the two hours or so that took.  But sure enough, the doctor came back about 2 – 3 hours later and said, “Uhh…  Your white blood cell count is off the charts, we should wheel you back to the O.R. now.  [For your “previously non-existent appendicitis”]”  Thanks doc, way to validate my fear of your misunderstanding me and my awareness of my body.

I was put under anesthesia and apparently I did and said some funny things that night as I was under the influence of morphine.  It was a laproscopic surgery which meant there were three small incisions (one for the camera, one for the cutting tool and the third for where they bagged the pieces of appendix and pulled them out).  In spite of being under the influence of that opiate, I learned something bizarre that following morning.

The surgeon came in and was talking me through the surgery.  He said several normal-sounding-things and then he dropped in, “And we had to stop your heart.”  Keep in mind I was seeing rainbows and dreaming of unicorns a moment earlier, but I’m sure my head dropped a little to the side in the classic “Mrrrwhat?!” expression.  I asked him a little about this considering I knew my heart was a good ways away from the appendix area and he mentioned that I started to have an arrhythmia and they were forced to reset my heart beat.  Aha!

Well guess what?  Them stopping my heart apparently had vast psycho-spiritual implications as well – go figure.  At the time, I did not know it.  I’m assuming my green mental awareness and consciousness could not yet handle knowing that truth, so instead, I received dreams about the out-of-body, near-death experience which happened as they stopped my heart.

I was in Hawaii for a dynamic week of workshops, whale watching and dolphin swims when I started having the dreams and it was nearly three years to the date of having had the surgery (and I had studied several esoteric subjects by then).

See my next post detailing all of this.  Needless to say however that my life and lifestyle started to dramatically change during and after 2002.

Thanks for reading.

a Spiritual Master’s advice

I recently purchased Garchen Rinpoche’s biography, or Book One anyway.  I am slowly reading through it, and thoroughly enjoying it.  I just want to share some of Gar Rinpoche’s advice.  I should mention that I believe this is incredibly wise advise, but each individual is unique in our karmic predispositions, so I would recommend seeking a spiritual teacher you resonate with before taking major action (or inaction!) on these words.

From page 24, The Lama of Many Lifetimes, book one:

“If you are truly my student, … then you will not generate hatred and anger even toward a person who comes to kill me.  If you do, then I will have failed as your teacher!  If it is his karma to kill and my karma to die, so be it, but as Garchen Rinpoche’s student, you must not lose your Bodhicitta and must continue to develop love and compassion for this person.”

“If someone for whom you care as lovingly as your child ends up wronging you, harming you, hurting you, beating you or abusing you, it does not matter, you resolutely must not forsake your Bodhicitta!  Your body is what you will shed at the end of this life, but the equanimous love in your midstream is what you want to protect and bring with you throughout lifetimes.”

I’m not sure I would pass this test, as I see Garchen Rinpoche as such a precious being (yes, I might be attached to his living longer and spreading the Dharma).

Anywho, just passing along an incredible reminder from one of the Buddhist Saints.  Thank you for reading.

Goodbye my soul brother

 

 

A dear good friend of mine just passed away under difficult circumstances…

I got the news earlier today and my heart entered my throat.  Because today another friend of mine is/was under going open heart surgery, and in fact, I have yet to hear how he is doing…  So gasp.  Breathe.  Slowly…  take in air…

Not knowing what else to do, I filled the bath tub with hot water, dumped about a fourth of an ounce of the YoungLiving Essential Oil Blend of “Release” in the water, and I sat there.  At first, depressing, angry thoughts and words arose…  Why him?  Why didn’t I get to say goodbye in person?  Why why why!!!  But then beautiful, breezy, warming, electrifying sensations began to pulse through my body as I began to grieve.  I am not someone who cries easily or often.  Like I’m lucky if I tear up once or twice a year…  Fortunately I voiced what my heart was feeling and sobs began to arise, moans and groans and wails of anguish and loss.  I wonder if I’m the type of male who internalizes several little things and then requires a large event to rupture the dam of suppressed tears (I don’t do it consciously).

These are some parting words…

You were my older brother, you were my friend, you were my mentor and at times,

You were even a spiritual teacher, because I have only met one or two other Westerners

Who can articulate and fuse psycho-spiritual / emotional concepts

with a deep knowledge and awareness of consciousness.

Now, I wonder that I won’t be able to think of the Olympics again without thoughts of you,

I won’t be able to go to the Tea Bazaar without yearning for our edifying conversations,

And my memories of the Tree House are more shadowy and complex.

You taught me many things: don’t waste my time.  Impermanence is real.

In fact, it is almost as if your transition is one final teaching along this line.

You are still teaching me to never take a friend’s presence for granted…

You showed me that when an opportunity presents itself, no matter how cautious

I wanted to be, no matter how much doubt arose, go grab it!  Don’t hesitate!

At the same time you taught me to slow down, to enjoy the moment,

And most importantly, you asked me to trust my inner Guru.

We did not always agree and you had the courage to tell me

that you could only stand to be around some people for 90 minutes tops.

It seemed that even I could fall into that category at times.

I am so happy you showed me your courage,

you showed me that even gentle men could bare their teeth,

And you showed me that compassion takes many different forms.

And from here on out, I am making an effort to connect with juicy friends and supportive colleagues.

I have at least a couple of gifts to offer, even if my light has dimmed a bit due to health concerns.

I choose life, I choose supportive good company, I choose health and I choose faith in a lineage of healing wisdom.

A supplement to Venus Retrograde: Venus’ shadow

This material is copyrighted by M. Kirby Moore.  Reproduction without permission is prohibited.  Thank you for visiting!  If you would like to support Kirby’s blogging efforts or would like to receive a Spiritual Astrology interpretation, you can visit his website at www.mkirbymoore.com for contact info, etc.

To be clear regarding this topic, in psychological astrology we can talk about the “shadow of Gemini” or “Scorpio’s shadow.”  And if I were talking in that regard, I would be referring to the way in which those signs can work against ourselves – shadowy, unconscious material as it were.  In this case though, I am referring to an actual “thing.”  And yes, “thing” is a technical term.  🙂

When a planet goes retrograde, the point at which it seems to “pause” in the sky is known as its shadow.  For instance, (because we are talking about this planet) Venus went retrograde back in December at 29 degrees of Capricorn.  That is the furthest forward it had gotten before turning retrograde.  Following me so far?  So Venus’ shadow is presently at 29 degrees of Capricorn, considering as I write this, Venus is completing its retrograde cycle at 13 degrees Capricorn.

Here is the thing which any non-astrologer (and probably some astrologers may not either) does not know.  When Venus (or any planet for that matter) goes direct, the shadow will still be “in effect” for a short period of time thereafter.  This is why one of my astrology teachers used to preach that the retrograde cycle lasts at least two weeks after the planet starts moving forward (and I’m beginning to think he knew what he was talking about!)   🙂

So when does the shadow stop being in effect?  When the planet crosses its shadow.  So for Venus, it will officially be out of retrograde (meaning it is stationing direct and moving forward for the next 18 months or so) after January 31st.  But on that day, it will be at 13 degrees of Capricorn.  It will still have four plus weeks before it will cross its shadow.  Meaning, and I will say more, if 29 degrees of Capricorn is significant in your chart (and you would know this fact already because Venus stationed retrograde at that point, and that shadow point has been in effect since December 20th, 2013), that you may not be completely in the clear until February 28th or so.  Sorry if I’m bursting any bubbles…

If you want to know the exact day, Venus will not cross 29 degrees of Capricorn until March 5th.  So that is a good long time to slowly start to creep forward and finally it will start moving at a decent clip in the middle of February, and it will cross its shadow officially ending this retrograde cycle for 2014 (for Venus).

Here are some examples, just to be more clear.  Let us say that you have Mars at 29 degrees of Libra in your Natal Chart.  Normally, when Venus is moving at its usual, quick pace, Venus would transit your Natal Mars in two or three days tops.  It would be at 27 degrees of a Cardinal sign one day, at 29 degrees the next and then it would be moving on into the next Fixed sign.  And you would feel the reflected emotional intensity for only two to threes (normally!).  But here, the retrograde cycle would draw that out for at least six weeks, and maybe longer.

Continuing where I left off, that means that around December 20th of this past year, Venus paused at the point squaring your Mars (29 Capricorn) for a solid two to three weeks due to the retrograde process.  So you may have had a hot and steamy holidays there (or you may have wished you had someone to have a hot and steamy celebration with when those two planets meet up!).  AND…  due to Venus’ shadow sitting at the square point to your Mars, guess what?  There would be a subtle hint of that intense attraction and magnetic sexual energy off and on over the past month or so – even when Venus itself backed up away from the square point.  Does that make sense?  I hope so.  Venus and Mars, when a square happens, can be touchy bedfellows – generally speaking when Venus transits Natal Mars, it is easier, but sometimes arguments and emotionality can arise.  There will be some heightened erotic energy, but at times it can be a little juvenile – meaning, “I want what I want damn it and why can’t I have that!!!”  So hopefully if this is happening to you, you and your partner will be on similar pages and then you can have a healthy outlet for this energy!

Basically what I am trying to say is this: look at your Natal Chart.  Do you have any planets in the 27 – 30 degree mark of Cardinal signs AND / OR do you have any planets in the 1 – 3 degree point of Fixed signs?  Cardinals are Aries, Libra, Cancer, Capricorn and Fixed signs are Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius.  These planets would all be affected by Venus’ shadow sitting at its present location, AND that might explain the up and down Venusian energy you have been feeling over the past month despite the fact that you don’t actually see much happening in your chart.  That’s because the shadow in a inferred point (there is no shadow in the sky where the planet went retrograde)   🙂

Now this same thing is true for any other planet.  If you have Neptune at 29 degrees of Aries, then lookout – you have probably had rose-colored glasses on for the past few weeks  🙂   And there could be a disillusionment heading your way!  If you have Uranus at 29 degrees of Cancer, this could also throw a fun, exciting, but not-long-lasting wrench in the relationship works especially if  you are starting a new relationship since December 10th or more recently (because then you’d have Venus in opposition to Uranus influencing your desires for six to eight weeks).  And the same is also true for Jupiter at 29 degrees of a Cardinal sign, Pluto and Saturn.  And yes, I did just throw Jupiter in that mix.

Even the great Benefic Jupiter can bring difficulty (imagine too much abundance, too much indulgence and / or too much hedonism – then you are getting close to what might be arising here).  You will definitely enjoy the time with Venus in continuous or shadowy aspect to Jupiter for eight weeks, but afterward you might say to yourself, “Well shucks, that was fun, but I may have wasted some time there…”   🙂

So good luck deciphering this and hopefully it brings a touch more clarity to the subject of Venus retrograde.  I have been noticing it myself as I have a planet at 29 degrees of a Cardinal sign.  So I stand behind these words.  I would love to hear your comments.  And thank you for reading.

Looking for a “good man” or a “good woman?” Look to Saturn.

I am writing this post because I continue to see a trend.  That trend is that people (men or women) with a strong Saturn in their astrology chart often have many fine qualities.  It is almost as if the planet Saturn (among other factors) is indicative of having an abundance of positive karma.

What are some of these Saturnian traits?  (By naming these, you can decide whether or not you want someone of a Saturnian nature in your life.)

Groundedness.  Practicality.  Humility.  Down-to-earth.  Hard working.  Reliable.  Responsible.  Dedicated.  Thoughtful.  Rational.  Logical.  Ambitious.  Conscientious.  Leading-by-example.  Someone-Not-Afraid-To-Get-Their-Hands-Dirty.

Keep in mind you may not find all of these traits in the same person (discovering someone who is fiercely ambitious AND humble AND conscientious is probably going to be difficult!  However, once someone has done a lot of their personal growth work (or, if they have bunches of solid, positive karma to start with), then if they have a strong Saturn in their chart, they should acquire most of these traits.  And keep in mind we surface many different “parts of ourselves” when it is skillful to do so – finding someone who exhibits all of these traits all the time would be a little bizarre.

You could argue that Saturn by itself can be boring.  Because you do not see the keywords: “creative,” or “exciting,” or “dynamic,” or “fiery,” up there.  No you don’t, but that is the beauty of human being-ness.  You will rarely ever find someone who is ONLY a strong Saturnian and nothing else from the other planets.  For instance, if someone has a strong Saturn in addition to having Uranus in aspect to their Sun and Venus, then you would find Creativity, Magnetism, a Quick Intelligent Mind, etc in their list of qualities, ALONG with some of those Saturnian traits above.

To touch on the thought that Saturn might be a touch boring or predictable, wouldn’t you rather have someone who comes home when they say they will?  (Responsibility, Reliability, someone with a Strong Sense of Duty)  Personally I would rather be with a Saturnian than with a deceptive, mystical, creative, disembodied, (and / or) romantic Neptunian.  Sure, the Neptunian would be fun for a time…  but goodness me!  I can only stand someone who is disembodied for a short period of time.  I want to be with someone whose word means a lot – if they say they will do something, then you can take that to the bank.  Yes!  (Now if you merge the compassionate spirituality of Neptune with the grounded, step-by-step qualities of Saturn, then you have something beautiful to behold for sure!)

Keep in mind, I am painting a rather one-sided picture of Saturn.  There are some Saturnian traits which only the individual who is suffering from them can peel apart – Skepticism.  Cynicism.  Pessimism.  The-I-Will-Puncture-Your-Lofty-Dreams-Dose-Of-Reality (which can also be a great gift.)  This is why it is good that our personalities typically come with more than just a One-Planet dominated astrology chart.  For instance, having a strong Jupiter will add some healthy optimism, broad-mindedness and dreaminess.  Having a strong Sun will add charisma and fire and a natural tendency to lead (especially when combined with Saturn).  A strong Mars might add some ambition and fiery competition and a desire to move the body.

As you can see, this is not an easy one-size-fits-all kind of subject.  Astrology is a very complex topic, just as psychology is a complex subject.  Often we see many only-children being spoiled, however we can also see many only-children being grounded and practical and incredibly in touch with reality.  Likewise, Saturn comes in many shapes and sizes and in many flavors.  Our personal frequency (or karma) determines what we do with the energies of our charts.  However, the chart will always be a good benchmark or a good place to start investigating someone’s inner essence.

Good luck!

Kirby Moore offers Spiritual Astrology interpretations.  He specializes in working with individuals and with couples for Relationship Astrology, the Timing Aspects in Astrology and Natal Astrology.  You can contact him for an interpretation at (434) 465. 0603 or you can visit his website for further information: www.mkirbymoore.com

School mode

I have started taking Microbiology at the community college as I take pre-requisites for nursing school.  It is an interesting class.  You can tell this is a pre-med or pre-nursing type class though.  We will learn how bacteria and other microbes function, learn about their structures and it seems like we are learning how to “fight” them when / if necessary.  I wonder if there could be a different approach?  See more below.

In addition, with school mode comes a natural discipline.  There are many assignments due, and I have not seen how thorough an exam is, so I intend to get an “A” by studying long and hard.  I think this will be good prep for nursing school.

Plus it is nice to start being settled, as I have had a busy past couple months (moving to and then from Florida, seeking jobs down there, and now getting moved into a place in Charlottesville).  I am finally feeling like I have a breath of fresh air, hence the opportunity to blog a little.

Regarding Microbiology, I wonder what it would be like to learn about the bio-flora in the gut and how to keep / make them happy.  I hope to do some extracurricular study about this as a couple of my friends have asked about this topic.

It seems that people who are more “alternative” occasionally have a strong distrust of the medical system, and I think that explains the weird responses I get from people when I tell them what I am studying.  But it just so happens that Nurses are the most trusted group of professionals – more than firemen or police or doctors.  I think that has to do with the way in which nurses are taught to empirical science – if you can show that a treatment works over a series of trials, then that means it probably works for a broad population.  And on top of the empirical science, obviously nurses do manipulative medicine (hands on healing, or healing presence, or massage, or other modalities they might learn on the side) and they have some of the best bed side manners (they also are given time to spend with patients).

So again, I am content with the way things are unfolding at present.  I am slowly getting back in the groove of doing school.  I think the nerves are wearing off – I do need an “A” but I might be fine if I continue to study a bunch.  And perhaps I will have to do a little bit of studying on the side to learn about what I really care about, but who knows, that might make me a better nurse down the road as well.

Thanks for reading!