Unearthing Whatever's Been Gnawing at Your Gut (Or Letting It All Hang Out, Again!)

A few days ago, I was doing an astrological reading for a fellow Baby Boomer friend and noticed a very interesting phenomenon that's influencing those of us who were born during the 50's. This influence involves Pluto, the planet of power, obsessions-Ultimate Karma. For about the next 2 years, Pluto, now in Sagittarius will be at an "optimum" aspect for many of us. That's right; optimum is in quotes because we can't exactly expect fun and games from this aspect. However, we can expect transformation, changes in our lives, giving up and getting--Karma--just what we talked so much about in the 70's. Things that have possibly been eating at our gut for a decade or more are likely to come out, maybe not always in a pleasant manner, but a lot more smoothly than if the aspect were stressful--we've been through that already.

Personally, I've already experienced this influence. Not always pleasant, but believe me, at this stage in life I've felt strength, resilience, and determination that I never knew existed. There's been some "giving up", but when I look back on these experiences were in reality casting off some excess baggage!--Whew!



We Boomers who were born in the 50's know what it means to pay the piper, but now's the time we can let it hang out and realize our Karma. We've shaken up The Establishment once; now we are The Establishment--believe it or not. So let's Keep on Trucking!



All Things Must Pass,

~Paula

So What's Normal?

Feminism! & International Women's Day

Hello Everyone,

Hope all is going well; spring is indeed springing--enjoy every minute of it!


This Wednesday, 8 March 2006 is International Women's Day. I've never been sure of the significance of designating a day for women, but it is significant that there's no International Men's Day. I would assume that such a day is designated to remind the world that the plight of women throughout the world still leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, we've come a long way, but in my humble opinion, still have a long way to go. Yes, I'm one of those kids of the 70's that looks back sometimes with pride and sometimes with embarrassment at out shenanigans--but we did get the ball rolling--again. Let's take a look at some of the history of Feminism and where we are now.



If I'm not mistaken the first Feminists in the US were known as suffragists, those women who fought for the right of women to vote. It's still inconceivable to me that when my grandmothers were born, women had no say essentially in American politics. But on a personal level, for most of history, women haven't been masters, rather mistresses, of our own lives, time, or bodies. The economic and social fabric of the world degreed marriage (or the nunnery for some) on women as a means of economic security. Women did not own property, establish credit, or consent to their own medical treatment until very recent history. I was appalled a few years ago when a friend of mine told me the whole story of having her father declare her "A Femme Sole", an independent woman, after her divorce back in the 50's. Can you believe it, less than a century ago, women in some states were still considered perpetual minors.



Moving on to the present, there are still some serious contradictions for us Sisters. Have any of you ever experienced those "backdoor questions" at job interviews regarding you marriage and family status. Of course an interviewer cannot legally ask, but I could always recognize what they were getting at. Back in the days when I was seriously interviewing, seeking a career track, I always told them up front that my immediate concern was career, marriage and family were no where in the near future. Boy, you should have seen a couple of the looks I got. After the interview, I always had to go check the mirror and make sure I wasn't some kind of monster with two heads! But let's face it. Men know what they're doing. Statistically married men and single women are the happiest people. Makes sense, doesn't it? Married men and single women hold down only one job; married women all too often are holding down two. Single guys can have a tough time taking care of their "biological needs"--always having to look for it you understand, so it behooves a young male to get his permanently at home. Get the picture? As long as men who control money and power (Actually, most money in the US is in the hands of widows, but guess who's controlling it.) in any country can keep women's self-determination and decision making curtailed, they continue to enjoy the benefits of status quo--self determination and higher salaries.




One other point of interest:: After the Supreme Court's ruling on Freedom of Choice over 30 years ago, there are still those up in arms to reverse the decision; and the New Right has certainly hobbled poor women's Freedom of Choice. I'd be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but when one weights into the equation the fact that a significant percentage of women and their underage children can not afford medical care, and have no major medical coverage whatsoever, is the Right To Life really the issue or are insurance companies' right to maximum profits the real concern? Something to think about…



Finally, rest assured that I'm not putting down Sisters who choose to be homemakers and mothers. Remember the perfume commercial back in the 80's, with the woman executive coming home and singing, "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan, and never ever let you forget you're a man?"
(Could a man ever, ever forget this fact anyway?) That ad made me absolutely want to shoot the TV screen out. Why did/do some Sisters feel that we have to prove everything to everybody?! It doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to see that rearing a family and running a household is a job. But let's face it, in some ways biology is destiny. Only women can give birth and all too often, fathers flake out on that egalitarian thing in the household or refuse all together. But why does Mom all too often have to pick up the slack? A woman rearing the next generation shouldn't have to justify her existence to her partner by "bringing home the bacon". How would he feel if she sang instead, "Honey, I've brought home the bacon, taken care of the kids, now I'm going out with the girls 'cause my mood's on the skids…"



OK, that's my soap box for today. Notice I didn't give any advice or offer any solutions? You're right. I simply don't have one. I just hope that Sisters of the younger continue to insist on their own self-determination in whichever way they see it, make up their own minds about what's important, and sharpen their antennae to pick up on when someone's giving them the mushroom treatment--keeping them in the dark and feeding them you know what.



Onward and Upward,

~Paula