Lunar New Year lucky plants

"With Lunar New Year fast approaching, people have begun decorating their homes with lucky flowers and bonsai to bring good fortune for the New Year, which makes flower markets extremely busy and crowded. Phalaenopsis orchids, scarlet sage, Pachira macrocarpa, kumquat trees and cattail willows are the plants most commonly used to spruce up the house. Let us introduce you to these symbols of good luck and happiness."

New Moon on Jan 29., 6:15 a.m. PST

It's the Lunar New Year, also.
Gong xi fa tsai!

"We've reached the midpoint between winter and spring* that marks increasing light, hope, and vision. Faith blossoms and great dreams can be born! Dream a dream of a free and peaceful world as the focus on your personal desires and goals gives way to a broader more humanitarian perspective.

"The work of the last cycle helped you clear the path for new ideas and ways of thinking, and the individual goals you targeted last month can now find expression and expansion within group efforts. Social interactions, friends, and group activities will be in the spotlight all month long. You'll find the assistance of others can be magical, as long as the needs of the team don't overtake the rights of any particular individual.

"If you keep the pathway open between your head and your heart, ask questions and are willing to think out of the box... you'll find real progress is possible."

via Moonsurfing

* It's considered springtime in Asia right now; the Lunar New Year is also referred to as the spring festival.

Additionally, from an astronomical standpoint, there are really just two seasons: winter and summer. From the time of the vernal equinox to the autumnal eqx. it's summer, and the opposite is winter: growing, warming, brightening and blooming, then withdrawing, darkening, restoring and re-emerging.

Full-spectrum flora

On the topic of spacetime

Jeff asked: "What's all this spacetime business?"
So here's my explanation:

"The fabric of spacetime" is the way that scientists talk about the cohesive force or conceptual "fabric" that keeps interstellar matter, planets and even light bound within a three-dimensional matrix (instead of just rocketing off into whatever direction at limitless speed). In order for planets to revolve around stars/ waves of gas and dust and plasma to arc around central stars in nebulae/ and galaxies to maintain their integrity, there would seem to have to be a cohesive force that regulates and gives shape to these behaviors.

Black holes, being so dense (materially) and heavy (gravitationally), would be able to warp this force by bending light and other electromagnetic emissions, and perhaps change the uniform flow or "texture" of spacetime. Sort of like pulling on nylon stockings with two fingers and then when you let go, there's a rumple or dimple that won't go away. Thus, the "dent" that is being referred to in this story... which I didn't write, of course; it's from a news service.

Dings in space

That's right: I'm riffing on The Muppet Show.

"A spinning black hole in the constellation Scorpius has created a stable dent in the fabric of spacetime, scientists say.

"The dent is the sort of thing predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. It affects the movement of matter falling into the black hole.

"The spacetime dent is invisible, but scientists deduced its existence after detecting two X-ray frequencies from the black hole that were identical to emissions noted nine years ago. The finding will allow scientists to calculate the black hole's spin, a crucial measurement necessary for describing the object's behavior."

Return of the 1000 Handsof Limitless Compassion

"Deaf Chinese dancers perform 'Thousand-Hand Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva', or 'Guan Yin,' a Chinese goddess, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong on January 24, 2006."

Tiny Tethys

"Tethys floats before the massive, golden-hued globe of Saturn in this natural color view. The thin, dark line of Saturn's rings appear at the top of the image."

Taipei 2.2

All the rest: nmazca.com/taipei

En route to Pluto/What's up w/ the space waste?

"The New Horizons spacecraft blasted off aboard an Atlas V rocket in a spectacular start to the $700 million mission. Though it is the fastest spacecraft ever launched, capable of reaching 36,000 mph, it will take 9 1/2 years to reach Pluto and the frozen, sunless reaches of the solar system.

"The probe, powered by 24 pounds of plutonium, will not land on Pluto but will photograph it, analyze its atmosphere and send data back across the solar system to Earth.

The launch went off without incident, to the relief of anti-nuclear activists who had feared an accident could scatter lethal radioactive material.

Meanwhile, in near-Earth orbit:

"More than 9,000 pieces of space debris are orbiting the Earth, a hazard that can only be expected to get worse in the next few years. And currently there's no workable and economic way to clean up the mess.

"The pieces of space junk measuring 4 inches or more total some 5,500 tons, according to a report by NASA scientists J.-C. Liou and N. L. Johnson in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

"Even if space launches were halted now, the collection of debris would continue growing as items already in orbit collide and break into more pieces, Liou said in a telephone interview.

"'On the other hand, we are not claiming the sky is falling,' he said, 'We just need to understand what the risks are.'

"The most debris-crowded area is between 550 miles and 625 miles above the Earth, Liou said, meaning the risk is less for manned spaceflight. The International Space Station operates at about 250 miles altitude, and Space Shuttle flights tend to range between 250 miles and 375 miles, he said.

"But the junk can pose a risk to commercial and research flights and other space activities. Much of the debris results from explosions of satellites, especially old upper stages left in orbit with leftover fuel and high pressure fluids."

A Tree Grows in Zhongzheng

More images can be seen at nmazca.com/taipei.

Goin' straight to Hades

Pluto, that is. Eventually.

"NASA scrubbed its launch of an unmanned spacecraft to Pluto for the second day Wednesday, but this time weather in Maryland was to blame.

"A storm in Laurel, Md., knocked out power at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, which is managing operations of the New Horizons spacecraft.

"The launch of the New Horizons probe had been called off Tuesday afternoon when winds at the launch pad in Cape Canaveral exceeded the space agency's 38-mph flight restriction."

"NASA [was] prepared to launch an unmanned, piano-sized probe that will fly by Pluto, the solar system's last unexplored planet, and also study a mysterious zone of icy objects (the Kuiper Belt) that surrounds the frosty planet at the outer edges of the planetary system.

"The scheduled launch of the New Horizons spacecraft yesterday afternoon, and a successful nine-year journey to Pluto, would complete an exploration of the planets started by NASA in the early 1960s with unmanned missions to observe Mars, Mercury and Venus.

"Pluto is the only planet discovered by a U.S. citizen, though some astronomers dispute Pluto's right to be called a planet. It is an oddball icy dwarf unlike the rocky planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, and the gaseous planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune."

Lovely little Lichtenbergs

"A Lichtenberg Figure (sometimes called a Lichtenberg Tree, Lichtenberg Pattern, Electron Tree, or Spark Tree) can be formed by penetrating an acrylic block using high-speed electrons. Electrons are tiny, negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus of all atoms. A special machine, called a linear accelerator (or LINAC), is used to accelerate and focus free electrons into a tight, high-energy beam...

"An acrylic block is placed in the path of the electron beam. As the block is bombarded ('irradiated') by the beam, electrons are driven deep inside... As the acrylic is irradiated, huge numbers of electrons accumulate inside, creating a cloud-like layer of negative electrical charge called a space charge. Since acrylic is an excellent dielectric (an insulating material), most of the excess electrons cannot escape, and they temporarily become trapped. As they accumulate under continued irradiation, a huge negative space charge develops within the acrylic.

"As the space charge grows, the resulting electric field also increases. Eventually, the electric field overcomes the dielectric strength of the acrylic, and some of the chemical bonds that hold the acrylic molecules together are ripped apart, which strips away free electrons in a process called ionization. The newly-freed electrons are accelerated by the electric field, causing them to collide and ionize other acrylic molecules, creating additional free electrons.

"As the number of free electrons grows exponentially, they rapidly create electrically conductive pathways within the acrylic in a process called dielectric breakdown. As the previously trapped charge suddenly rushes out (accompanied by a loud bang!), the electrically conductive pathways form brilliant branching 'lightning bolts' within the acrylic."

via Fergus Murray

False-color clear-cutting

"In this composite satellite image from the Cascade Range in western Oregon, snow appears blue, forests are green, and clear-cut area are orange-pink. The magnitude of logging operations is quite obvious, appearing as a checkerboard pattern."

What is your dangerous idea?

"The history of science is replete with discoveries that were considered socially, morally, or emotionally dangerous in their time; the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions are the most obvious. What is your dangerous idea? An idea you think about (though not necessarily one that you originated) that is dangerous not because it is assumed to be false, but because it might be true?"

Galactic pebbles in the cosmic stream

"Most of the small satellite galaxies around the Milky Way's near-twin, Andromeda, are lined up in a single plane that slices through Andromeda's spiral disc, a new study reveals. The alignment suggests the satellites are either floating on a river of dark matter or are the remains of a larger galaxy Andromeda has already cannibalised.

"Astronomers have known for about 25 years that the Milky Way's dozen or so satellites line up along two planes that lie perpendicular to its disc. But how the structures formed is still not clear.

"So a team led by Eva Grebel of the University of Basel in Binningen, Switzerland, set out to discover whether similar planes exist around Andromeda. At a distance of 2.7 million light years, Andromeda is the nearest large, spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way.

"The researchers plotted the positions of Andromeda's 14 satellites using images from the Hubble Space Telescope and found that nine of them lay in a relatively thin plane about 52,000 light years wide.

"'It's unlikely such a plane would arise by chance,' Grebel says. The satellites in the plane also shared similar characteristics –- most were faint, low in mass, and had already stopped forming stars.

"The team believes the plane could have formed in several ways. In one scenario, the galaxies may have fallen towards Andromeda along an invisible filament of dark matter. Computer simulations show these filaments can form a cosmic 'web' along which galaxies flow.

"Distant observations show evidence for the filaments, since maps of the universe's large-scale structure reveal thousands of galaxies lining up along intersecting streams. But such filaments have not yet been detected near the Milky Way.

"Alternatively, the satellites may represent the remains of a more massive galaxy that was torn up and partly digested. When that galaxy began to interact with Andromeda, it would have broken up into smaller pieces, with some falling into the larger galaxy and others surviving, says Grebel.

"'If this is correct, we expect these should have maintained the orbit of the original galaxy from which they came and we should see something that moves along this plane,' she says. But current telescopes cannot measure such subtle motions at Andromeda's distance, so the final verdict may come with future star-mapping satellites, to be launched within a decade."

Nikon to pretty much end production of film cameras

Updated 1:50 a.m. CCT, 1.14

Now I suppose the silver lining in this is that one might be able to find deals on hardware soon... But still, I was in the shower just this morning (before I read this) thinking about how film format allows more versatility (the example in my mind being long-term exposure for stars and such).

"With film cameras accounting for an ever smaller percentage of Nikon's total sales volume*, the company has decided to concentrate its vast resources toward those business categories that continue to demonstrate the strongest growth. Consequently, as Nikon focuses more on the digital camera business, the company must adopt appropriate measures to ensure its continued success.

"With that, the Nikon film camera lineup will be reshaped, allowing more of Nikon's planning, engineering and manufacturing resources to be focused on the digital products that now drive our thriving industry. The measures that Nikon will adopt include discontinuing production of all large format Nikkor lenses and enlarging lenses, as well as several of our film camera bodies, manual focus Nikkor interchangeable lenses and related accessories. Sales of these products will cease as supplies are depleted.

"Importantly, Nikon's film camera business will continue with our flagship model F6(TM) and with the FM10(TM), allowing the Nikon brand to continue serving the two strongest segments of the 35mm film camera market. Both professionals and dedicated amateurs who continue to view film as their preferred format, along with students in need of an economical camera to learn the fundamentals of photography, will have ideal Nikon products from which to choose. Additionally, Nikon will continue to produce the manual focus 85mm f/2.8D PC Micro-Nikkor(R).

"With the interests of its customers in mind, Nikon will offer continued post-sale service for products whose production has ceased for a period of 10 (ten) years from Nikon Inc.'s last date of sale."

via Nippon Goro Goro

* See also, from June 2005: Kodak to discontinue b&w paper production, which was to be effective as of last month.

From Mr. Damon's Institute for Internetworked Studies: The case of the billow-cloud dream flag

"In San Francisco, photographer Mila Zinkova was admiring a Pacific sunset: 'There were huge waves on the ocean,' says Zinkova. 'Suddenly I saw a different wave at the sky. I've never seen such clouds before and they were just amazing.'


"These clouds, sometimes called 'billow clouds,' are produced by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability when horizontal layers of air brush by one another at different velocities."



Namkhyen Gyaldar: The Dream Flag of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. Translated, it means "victorious flag of the Buddha's wisdom."

"At the level of relative truth, the blue is the sky (heaven), symbolizing spiritual insight and vision, and the yellow is the earth, the actual world of our everyday experience. The symmetry of the wave pattern shows how we come to understand their interdependence when we practice the dharma." Also:

"The sky-blue colour represents the complete and profound wisdom of the inner realisation of the Buddha. The yellow colour on the flag represents the complete wisdom of limitless compassion, which bestows benefits on all sentient beings and phenomena. The wavy line and the joining of the yellow and blue colours signify the inseperability of these two wisdoms."

Pleiadean presence

Now this is what I'm talking aboutwhen I'm talking about Timbuktu

"Timbuktu (Tomboctou), Mali, is the legendary city founded as a commercial center in West Africa 900 years ago. Today, it is synonymous with the phrase 'utterly remote,' but this was not always so.

"Situated on the edge of the Sahara Desert, Timbuktu was famous among the merchants of the Mediterranean basin as a market for obtaining the goods and products of Africa south of the desert. For more than 600 years, Timbuktu was a significant religious, cultural, and commercial center whose residents traveled throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. Timbuktu was famous for educating important scholars who were well known throughout the Islamic world.

"The 'Ancient Manuscripts from the Desert Libraries of Timbuktu' exhibition covers every aspect of human endeavor. The manuscripts are indicative of the high level of civilization attained by West Africans during the Middle Ages and provide irrefutable proof of a powerful African literary tradition. Scholars in the fields of Islamic Studies and African Studies believe that analysis of these texts will cause Islamic, West African, and World History to be re-evaluated. These manuscripts, surviving from as long ago as the 14th century, are remarkable artifacts important to Malian and West African culture. The exhibited manuscripts date from the 14th to 18th centuries.

"The manuscripts on view are from the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library and the Library of Cheick Zayni Baye of Boujbeha, two of the most noteworthy institutions in the Timbuktu area. As part of its continuing effort to create a universal collection of recorded knowledge from all geographic areas and all historical eras, the Library of Congress is particularly proud to have the opportunity to exhibit these important cultural artifacts from Mali. The Library is also pleased that copies of these manuscripts will be deposited in its collections and will be available for use by researchers and scholars."

Via Moooon River;
and yes, of course you can "join the club."
I'd invite you to send links thru Blggr,
but I can't find your email address...

All creation nestled within a nebula

On many winter nights in northern New Mexico, I would stand over the eyepiece of the telescope, double-bundled in clothes but hands bare to adjust the dials, and I'd stare into the Trapezium and marvel at the sight of a stellar nursery that was light years in width.

"The Orion Nebula is a picture book of star formation, from the massive, young stars that are shaping the nebula to the pillars of dense gas that may be the homes of budding stars. More than 3,000 stars of various sizes appear in this image.

"The bright central region in this photo is the home of the four heftiest stars in the nebula. The stars are collectively called the Trapezium because they are arranged in a trapezoid pattern. Ultraviolet light unleashed by these stars is carving a cavity in the nebula and disrupting the growth of hundreds of smaller stars.

"Located near the Trapezium are stars still young enough to have disks of material encircling them. These disks are called protoplanetary disks, or 'proplyds,' and they are too small to see clearly in this image. These disks are the building blocks of solar systems."

The hubbub about Uranus' transit through Pisces aside, here's some other news about the seventh planet.

"Even though the Voyager 2 spacecraft paid a close-up visit to Uranus in 1986, the distant planet continues to reveal surprises... Hubble's high sensitivity and sharp view has uncovered a pair of giant rings girdling the planet. The largest is twice the diameter of the plane's previously known ring system, first discovered in the late 1970s.

"Hubble also spied two small satellites, named Mab and Cupid. One of the satellites shares an orbit with the outermost of the new rings. The satellite is probably the source of fresh dust that keeps replenishing the ring with new material, which is likely knocked off from meteoroid impacts... Collectively, these new discoveries mean that Uranus has a youthful and dynamic system of rings and moons."

Iterative eye candy

Fractals by Deborah Balog

Let the sunshine in -- and win!

"SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) is pleased to announce that it is sponsoring a monthly art contest called 'SunWorks' for students and adults to enter. This is being held as a part of SOHO's 10th anniversary celebration, which occurred on Dec. 2, 2005.

"The theme will focus on the Sun, of course. The artwork must include the Sun as an important element in the submission, at least in concept, but does not have to be the only element. We want to encourage exploration of all kinds of thinking about the Sun.

"Subjects could include solar storms, the solar system, eclipses, sunspots, sunsets, sundials, fanciful suns, the Sun in ultraviolet light, etc., as long as the Sun is a significant part of the concept. Just about any medium from crayons to watercolors to whatever is acceptable...

"Each month (until the end of March 2006), a panel of SOHO staff will select a Winner and an Honorable Mention in the three categories of Grades 4-8, Grades 9-12, and, yes, even adults. The contest is open to everyone in the world.

"We will judge the entries based on creativity, quality of execution, use of color and design, and overall artistic impression. All entrants will receive a certificate of participation through e-mail (in PDF format) that they can print for themselves. The monthly Winner and Honorable Mentions with their names will be posted on the SOHO website at soho.nascom.nasa.gov/sunworks. Monthly winners will receive the 'SOHO: Exploring the Sun' CD [Ooh, I've got one of those; it's quite nice.], several motion postcards, and two different Sun posters.

"We started the contest on June 3... to run for ten months, so the last monthly entry period will end on March 31."

"Contest Guidelines:We would prefer that entries sent to us electronically if at all possible in JPG, TIF or PDF formats, no larger than 10" x 10". Entries could be scanned in, generated on a computer, or taken with a digital camera. Submit entries to sunworks[at]grace.nascom.nasa.gov. Files cannot be larger than 3 MB.

"If actual artwork is sent via mail, it should not be larger than 12" x 12". We will not be able to return submitted artwork. Please include your name, address, grade and e-mail address with your entry, or on the back of entries mailed to us. We ask that you limit your entry no more than one per month. If this is a classroom project, we ask that all entries be sent together.

"Creativity will be given the highest priority by the judges."

A little bit on 11:11 on 1.11.2006,the sum of which is... 11.

"About number 11: 11 is double digit and it is therefore considered a Master or Power Number. In Numerology, 11 represents impractical idealism, visionary ideation, refinement of ideals, intuition, revelation, artistic and inventive genius, the avant garde, androgynous qualities, film, fame, and refinement fulfilled when working with a practical partner...

"Many associate 11:11 with a wake-up code/alarm as they see it on digit clocks and watches. It can also be seen as a key to unlock the subconscious mind, our genetically encoded memories that we are spirits having a physical experience, not physical beings embarking on a spiritual experience.

"11:11 or derivatives of these numbers -- 111 and 11 -- are digits that repeat in time; thus, a metaphor for reality as patterns that repeat in time for us to experience. This can refer to the rise and fall of civilizations, our personal experiences and lessons, loops in time, whatever -- they are cycles of time that are created and recreated following the blueprint."

"Somebody, please tell what this is for."Well, now I know.

Thank you, Sloughfish; updated 11.1.2006

"MindTree Consulting today unveiled a new analog integrated circuit (IC) with intelligent charging capabilities for lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used in hand-held mobile devices. Developed for a leading Asian manufacturer of semiconductor devices for wireless products, the analog IC design further builds on MindTree's research and development capabilities in developing technologies in the analog design space for mobile communications."

Yes, well, alright then. Back to the photo:

"An Indian model wears an analog integrated circuit (IC) with intelligent charging capabillities for lithium-ion batteries pasted on a bindi during a launch ceremony in Bangalore. (AFP)"

"It's very, very dangerous to lose contact with living nature."

"'In the big cities, there are people who have never seen living nature, all things are products of humans. The bigger the town, the less they see and understand nature.' And, yes, Albert Hofmann said, LSD, which he calls his 'problem child,' could help reconnect people to the universe."

That (though organic sources are better), or being silent and attentive when in a natural environment.

Passing the timeand chasing lightin Taipei

Just a bit of the little bit
at nmazca.com/taipei

Struggling to solve problems is often the problem.

"I don't know if you have ever noticed what sometimes happens when you have a problem, either mathematical or psychological. You think about it a great deal, you worry over it like a dog chewing on a bone, but you can't find an answer. Then you let it alone, you go away from it, you take a walk; and suddenly, out of that emptiness, comes the answer. This must have happened to many of us.

"Now, how does this take place? Your mind has been very active within its own limitations about that problem, but you have not found the answer, so you have put the problem aside. Then your mind becomes somewhat quiet, somewhat still, empty; and in that stillness, the problem is resolved.

"[This is] because the answer is in the problem, not away from the problem. I go through the searching, analysing, dissecting process in order to escape from the problem. But, if I do not escape from the problem and try to look at the problem without any fear or anxiety, if I merely look at the problem, mathematical, political, religious, or any other, and not look to an answer, then the problem will begin to tell me. Surely, this is what happens.

"We go through this process and eventually throw it aside because there is no way out of it. So, why can't we start right from the beginning; that is, not seek an answer to a problem -- which is extremely arduous, isn't it? -- because the more I understand the problem, the more significance there is in it. To understand it, I must approach it quietly, not impose on the problem my ideas, my feelings of like and dislike. Then the problem will reveal its significance.

"Why is it not possible to have tranquility of the mind right from the beginning? And there will be tranquility only when I am not seeking an answer, when I am not afraid of the problem."

-- J. Krishnamurti, Ojai, California, 1949
From "In the Light of Silence, All Problems are Dissolved"

Whether it's karma or that colic you had as a baby, the conditions of your reality are just that: conditional. So may the script be flipped.

"'There is little difference if you believe that your present life is caused by incidents in your early infancy or by past lives over which you equally feel you have no control. Your events, your lives, your experiences, are caused by your present beliefs. Change the beliefs and your life changes.'

"Said another way: change your truth, or what you believe is true, and you change your reality. Again, this is a reminder that our power to create our reality is based in the present moment and the conscious choices we are making right now...

"[The planetary gearshifting of January 2006] is likely to further challenge and expand our current perception of reality. The old structures are giving way to new concepts and ideas. The more we try to hang on to what has been, the more intense the events will be that will force us to let go.

"This change is happening because it is time. Letting go of all our preconceived ideas of reality and how things should or should not be helps to facilitate what is already in process. Inspired action (Mars) that is guided by our inner knowing (Neptune) helps to consciously and innovatively (Aquarius) co-create a newly expanded (Jupiter) reality (Saturn) beyond what we have previously imagined. This is a natural, pre-ordained process similar to what happens to the caterpillar when it is time for it to become a butterfly. Just as the caterpillar can't fully imagine what it is like to be a butterfly, neither can we fully comprehend or imagine what is shifting and changing, or where it is leading us.

"Ultimately, we could say 'resistance is futile,' because the process is natural. Just as the caterpillar cannot get out of becoming a butterfly, we cannot ultimately get out of the transformational process already underway. However, the process is a lot more fun when we surrender to the magic and mystery that is there for us to experience [as a part of] this pre-ordained unfolding."

-- From Carolyn Brent's
Dec/Jan Shamanic Astrology timings

Furthermore*, let the Sun shine in(and through, around and above)

"[Jan. 4, 2006] marks the Earth's annual, closest approach to the Sun: perihelion. It might be worthwhile to consciously attune to the Sun, the source of light and life for our planet, and see what comes through.

"Today's perihelion is influenced by the Sun's sextile aspect to Jupiter, which amplifies the life-force energy of the Earth and those who are attuned it. This is a time for noting opportunities that are available, and acting on the ones that induce the greatest feelings of aliveness and passion."

* - Refer to the "karma or colic" post.

Venus' retrograde rainbow

Venus went into retrograde motion on the 24th of December.
This image came from Spaceweather.com
An overview of Venus' phases can be found at APOD.

"Family, old friends, and familiar situations will come into our lives during this retrograde Venus time. We will rethink our priorities, and we will explore our deeper values, and perhaps reclaim them. Venus turns direct on February 3."

The dark side of the Moon

I could have sworn that I recently posted a photo from the far side... but oh well.

Pluto channels some black hole energy this year, which might not be as ominous as it sounds.

"This winter, Pluto moves into conjunction with the Galactic Center for the first time in almost 250 years. This quarter-millennial summit between the outer planetary ambassador of our system and the very heart of the spiral galaxy of which we are a part always heralds important transformations in our cultural attitudes and the ways in which we interpret and incorporate ideas of religion, literature and science, or higher knowledge.

"Pluto will be making two important stations conjunct the super-massive black hole that powers our galaxy, and which lies at its center, and will activate this point for more than 18 months, until the autumn of 2007. Periods of peak activation coincide with Pluto's passage of the 26th degree of Sagittarius from February 5 through May 24, 2006 (station retrograde on March 29), December 5 through 31, 2006 (including a triple conjunction of Sun, Pluto and the Galactic Center on December 19), and July 15 through October 29, 2007 (station direct on September 7). At these times, the seeds of the next great cultural revolutions are planted, souls with particularly strong attunement to these energies are incarnated or disincarnate, and metaphors emerge in current events that provide insights into the upcoming changes.

"Historically, Pluto's contact with the Galactic Center has evoked important developments in humanity's relationship with literature and the arts, abstract thought, education and reasoning, the dissemination, codification or collation of scientific or legalistic knowledge, and important spiritual movements...

"What will this passage of Pluto over the Galactic Center evoke? We can only wait and see. Some things will be clear as they emerge in the current events of the next two years, but the fruits of the seeds that are planted, the children born now, will not be apparent for a generation.

"In the USA, expect a more serious, if bitter, debate over the Constitution and the relative powers of the three branches of government, with a special emphasis on the judiciary, and the role of religion in government. The PATRIOT Act will be an important test of the changes that will be made in the law during Pluto's time here; it is interesting that the House of Representative's recent one-month prolonging of the current Act is set to expire precisely as Pluto moves to the degree of the Galactic Center. Will we choose 'safety' over freedom, and will the government’s powers to observe and direct our lives be increased, or will 'liberty' trump fear?"

How will astrology apply to peoplewho are not born on Earth?

Last year, a friend of mine asked me how (or if, really) Earth-based astrological systems will be used for people born off-planet. I'd been compiling information about some people's charts on my flight to SF, where he lives, and I'd been talking about the importance-of-the-Moon-this and the influence-of-the-ascendant-that for awhile before he put forth his question.

While it might be fair to say he's not really sold on astrology in general, he was quite sincerely interested in knowing how it could apply when (and it is just a question of when) humans are born in some extraterrestrial colony. From an information systems standpoint, he was very interested to know whether this system would still be applicable.

I thought about it and said, "Yeah, the variables would have to change." What archetype and associations would be given to Earth if one was born on the Moon? Or, if one was born on Mars, then how would its two moons relate to someone's birth? And so on and on.

My friend said that when he'd put this question to people he knew who were into astrology, they'd just get pissed or think that he was just putting astrology down. I think it's a very important consideration, and I wanted to know what anyone else thought. I don't know much about the heliocentric method, but perhaps the answer is connected to that system.