Since connecting with the internet is not as easy in Europe as it would be in America, I am sending my first discussion as a text. I also realize that using DimDim.com will be more complicated so, when I am the only one speaking, I will use e-mail.
What I will discuss now is how I choose the date to start a trip. These are the same rules that I use for selecting the date for my annual picnic, The Greatest Astrological Picnic in the Known Universe.
First, I NEVER calculate a chart for starting the trip. I only use the Moon’s aspects before it leaves the sign. I learned many years ago (I have been a professional astrologer since June 1969— I am that old) that to see the wheel will somehow energize everything in that chart— including any bad aspects. So, I never look at the chart until I return home from the trip.
To give an example: Years ago, a friend wanted me to select a starting chart for a business (she was relocating her book store, after losing her lease). I gave her several charts but the best horoscope was one that came with a warning— do not pay a lot of rent! The chart was fantastic for the success of the business but it did show high rental costs that would eat into the profits. I urged her to find a shop with moderate rent. She selected this chart for the business but, as soon as she chose this chart, the only properties that were shown to her had extremely high rental costs— so she decided against re-opening.
When I choose a date to leave the house to begin my journey to the airport, I make sure that the Moon only makes favorable aspects— and I always include parallels as favorable aspects. For November 4, the Moon was in Libra and the aspects it made after I left the house were— parallel Neptune, trine Neptune and parallel Sun. I try to choose good social signs such as Gemini or Libra.
This year Venus is Retrograde, Venus ruling the Moon’s sign of Libra. This has been a particularly annoying Venus Retrograde. People are much more grouchy and confrontational— I even got into a dispute with a policeman at the farmer’s market. He called his supervisor to talk with me. He said I was cussing— my car windows were up as well as the policeman’s windows so how would he know. I was only shaking my head in disgust that he would block the entrance to the market with his car. I have too many Mutable and Air signs to get into any confrontations. Other friends were complaining of the same type of behavior— feeling grouchy and confrontational.
I have also observed with this Venus Retrograde that I made a lot of Mercury Retrograde types of errors and mistakes— misplacing things, forgetting things and losing things… just like Mercury retrograde. I can only surmise that this may be because Venus is Retrograde in my 3rd House, a House that has Libra on the cusp.
While I have wonderful aspects for this trip, Venus Retrograde did show itself in little ways: airport security removed the pulling strap from my suitcase. I have no idea why they did this but it was gone when I arrived in Berlin. This is a type of suitcase on 6 wheels and I pull it with a strap like a wagon. I discovered that my travel clock stopped working and that I picked up the wrong tube of hair conditioner, one that was almost empty. However, my trip has good aspects and Wool Worth is the travelers’ friend— a found everything that I needed and very cheap, even for a weak American Dollar. For my suitcase, I found a dog leash for only 2.49 Euros, perfect for pulling the suitcase.
With the Moon being strongly connected to the Neptune for this trip, I always feel that this indicates that my Spirit Guides will be active in guiding me through this trip. But, this has always been the way on these trips to Europe, trips that started when the Berlin Wall was coming down. I will write more about this in Mittenwald, my spiritual home in Bavaria. I always receive channeled messages to myself on the Mountain, Karlwendel. Last year, I was told to begin teaching in the form of Global Gatherings. Of course, Spirit misjudges my abilities with the computer. They need to be very active to help me.
I do not like to start my trip to Europe with Mercury retrograde— too many glitches, even though all will turn out fine. It was OK when I was younger on these trips but I am too old to be so adapting. About 4 years ago, I had to start the trip with Mercury Retrograde but the Moon was making wonderful aspects to other planets. All went perfectly on this trip— until I was leaving Prague. My friends Zdenek Bohuslav and Jindra Johanisova came to the train station with me, as I was returning for a party in Berlin that night. First, they stayed too long on the train saying good-bye and the train started before they got off. No problem— I would pay for their return trip from Usti, 2 hours away.
It was a blessing that they were stuck on the train as I discovered that my passport, ticket and $8 in Czech money had been stolen! Because they were with me, they could translate. The police met us in Usti to make a report. They carried my “luggage from hell” graciously to the station. What happened next was worth the experience— the policeman pulled out of bottle of vodka, poured it in a glass and said to drink it because it would help me to relax! Only in a small country in a tiny town could this happen. This all went smoothly because my friends could translate. If they had not been there, I would have had to wait in the station for a translator to be brought in for me. I needed the report to obtain another passport in Prague. Since Jindra used to work for an Embassy, she knew what to do. I have learned to be very careful in train stations and to follow my intuition regarding feelings of possible danger. Of course, my friends in Berlin had to have the party without me!
Lastly, I will add my technique for selecting the date for my annual picnic. I learned from Gilbert Navarro in the 1980s that, if good weather was important to an event (such as a picnic), the Moon in an Air sign would affect the weather. If the Moon in an Air sign made a favorable aspect to Venus, you would have perfect weather. Indeed, this technique works but I cannot always get this Moon sign on a weekend. So, I use the same rules— the Moon will only be making favorable aspects at the time of the picnic. Because Libra is always rising for the picnic, I like Venus to be in a good House, such as the 10th or 11th House but never the 12th.
The one year that Venus was Retrograde, I predicted that this would be a great day for shy people and for meeting people whom you have not seen in a long time. Shy people took notice and came to the picnic just because of this statement and, indeed, everyone did connect with people whom they had not seen in years. One year, when Venus was in the 9th House, it was a very culturally diverse picnic with people from many different cultural backgrounds.
Another year there was a bad Mars-Jupiter affliction and one astrologer predicted that a terribnle thunder storm would cancel the picnic at 2:30pm when these planets aligned on the Ascendant/Descendant axis. Yes, there was a thunder storm and we could all hear the thunder but the storm never came to Silver Spring. My picnic was not affected.
In the next Global Gatherings, you will be sent a link to DimDim.com for a public broadcast on a medical topic. I would like to discuss Leaky Gut Syndrome and I will have a health practitioner with me. She also uses NAET (an allergy elimination technique) in her practice.
My Web Genius, Molly Cliborne of Ramette Designs, will find a way to post everything on Facebook and my website.
Until our next Gathering…Lynn Koiner