Beautiful & Fun Things

Ever Present Past

2008-06-18T12:49:00.005+03:00

Here it is again, Paul McCartney's birthday, 18 June. Looks like this is going to be an annual post at BFT BLOG, The Ever Present Past, especially for us Aging Boomers.

This year, let's let Paul, that is Sir Paul do the speaking, in song. Enjoy!

Many Years From Now Is Suddenly Now,

Onward & Upward,
Paula

An Andy Rooney Rap Session

2008-03-28T16:46:00.003+03:00

Do you know who Andy Rooney is? The wry, witty, fuss-budget octogenarian who's been appearing on CBS's 60 Minutes forever? Andy always has a gripe about something and vents his spleen without shame, all the while posing pointed questions about things that probably aggravate many of us. Could it be that this is the reason that Andy's lived to be an octogenarian and is still so with it? I've always identified with Andy. He tends to complain about many of the things that drive me nuts; and I suspect that I'm not the only one. However there's one issue I've never heard him mention.

Everybody's probably seen those Turning Numbers, Security Codes that many web sites for programs have. We all understand that they are a necessary aggravation these days because so many bad guys out there could automatically sign us up for programs that we have absolutely no interest or need for. But why the heck do the majority of them have to be illegible? Yes, many of them have a sound option, but we fuss-budgets prefer to go about our Web business with the speakers off, without unexpected messages blared out at us. From my experience, these turning numbers are graphic files, as opposed to text. One would assume that robots are scanning for text, and can't read any graphic file. So why the *#@ do the security codes have to look like something that a two year old wrote, then put out on the barn yard for the chickens to scratch Anybody know? One final gripe. While writing this post, I typed in andyrooney.com in the browser window only to be diverted to an apparently hard core porn site. On principle, as a strong feminist, I refuse to open such sites. And to add insult to injury, after a little web research, discovered that the owner of the domain name, "andyrooney.com" has rights until November 2010. Really burns me up and I'm sure that if Andy's aware of it, he's none to happy either!

Onward Through the Fog,
Paula

Has It Really Been Almost 40 Years?

2008-03-13T23:54:00.006+02:00

To Woodstock's 40th Anniversary 15 August 2009

Can you believe it? We're coming up on Woodstock's 40th Anniversary.
I sure can't believe it. Weren't we just laughing at our parents' reactions
to some of the songs, if they caught on at all? It was so obvious to us that
their generation had made a total mess of the world and couldn't possibly
understand such a phenomenal event of peace and love. What happened?
We're too young to be this old.

Where were you in August 1969? I was a minor, still in high school, too far
away and broke to have made it there. Even if I'd tried, my parents would have
sent the "Pigs" after me. None the less, had plenty of fun the next couple of
summers at the "Woodstock Spinoffs". But after all this time, can't help but
wonder what the Original Woodstock was like.

Were any of you there? Got any pics or stories to share about Woodstock itself or the era? Let's hear it! And here's a little added fun whether you were there, not yet born, still crawling around, too young or too old. Follow this link to take the Woodstock Trivia Quiz. And let it all hang out!

Peace & Love,
Paula

New Years, Web 2.0 and Business Social Networking

2008-01-29T19:00:00.000+02:00

Wishing all a belated Happy New Year and welcome back to BoomSpress Times. We've finally succeeded in standardizing all formats, making navigation easier for you and updating easier for us.

The New Years well under way, ushering in constant changes in the Web. Don't think I'll ever stop feeling like a newbie. Every time I open email or research an issue there's a new acronym for a new technology; social sites and multiplying like guppies. In any case, here's my take on the current situation.

The Web is well out of infancy now. It's at least middle age, long past the excitement of its adolescence. Since Google's "Slap", the crackdown on spam blogs and sites whose only purpose was to generate ad revenue, the Web must now function as a serious medium. Whether one needs to sell, shop, research or just hang out and rap with friends, we all want readily accessible information without a lot of junk and confusion.

Enter Web 2.0. What the heck is it? Well, after a few searches, the best definition that I've seen is "participatory architecture". Makes a lot of sense when you think about it. The medium is now so vast and ever-changing, people (especially marketers) need to be able to exchange information, that is, participate actively in the building of their goals. The real irony in all of this is the fact that in spite of all of the High Tech that we've developed in the past couple of decades, we're learning more and more by osmosis, constantly absorbing strategies and knowledge from millions of virtual contacts. Will wonders ever cease?

Paula Gaon

At Last, We Find Out What Really Happened At The Hallows

2007-07-19T21:40:00.000+03:00

If you are a Harry Potter Fan, this weekend will mark a monumental event! OK, maybe I exaggerate. But at long last we find out what really happened to Our Hero back in 1980, an event that started the whole chain of events that we Fans just can't get enough of. The seventh and final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows goes on sale this Saturday, 21 July 2007. After more than a few traumas in the past six years, including the loss of two beloved elders--as far as we know, Harry enters adulthood and begins his quest to find out what really happened when he was a babe in arms, an event that will possibly determine whether he lives or dies.

I've read all six books at least twice, and each time have discovered more and more depth to the story. J K Rowling, the author of the series, is truly a genius. She has tapped into the mythologies of world literature and written a timeless story of fantasy and magic that feels so real we can touch it, but still tells the universal, timeless and all too human story of Coming Of Age and Dealing With The Past. I for one plan to enjoy a refreshing break from the keyboard next week, and run with Harry to his final boyhood adventure. See you there!

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

Dance Tonight And Keep On Dancing...

2007-06-18T14:21:00.000+03:00

Well, here it is again, another Paul McCartney Birthday Post. This year, I thought for sure I'd give it up--really how much can you write about someone's birthday. But, in true McCartney fashion, make that Sir Paul McCartney, there's continuing renewal. Last year, that long-awaited 64th birthday arrived on a sad note with Paul & Heather's estrangement and pending divorce. But thank goodness, this year seems to be another story as the couple are to have a birthday date.

Happy Birthday, Paul
Keep On Doing What You Do Best,
Many, Many, Happy Returns,
And Of course, A Happy Reunion!

Many Year From Now Is Suddenly Now

It Is The Third Of June...

2007-06-03T17:34:00.000+03:00

Today's the Third of June, sleepy, dusty, I'm not in the Delta, how about you? Forty years ago today, singer Bobbie Gentry's fabled and famous Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Did anyone ever discover what they were throwing off the Tallahatchie Bridge?

The First of June marked the 40th anniversary of The Beatles' release of the Sgt. Peppers Album--the beginning of the Summer of Love.

What memories, hey? Wonder if GenX'ers will have these kinds of memories in 2047?

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

The Other First Lady

2007-05-16T21:26:00.000+03:00

Rob & Laura Get Married Again

In keeping with the spirit of "Who's Still Alive and With It" among those we Boomers remember from childhood, I've come across another shining example of a real pacesetter.

We Boomers who were in grade school in the Early 60's certainly remember the Kennedy Era- a young and growing family in the White House, an attractive, educated, fashionable, and spirited First Lady -remember the pics of Jackie Kennedy in a leg cast after a touch football scrimmage with the Kennedy Clan?

TV sitcoms were still the entertainment of the day, but they were already taking on a different character. TV couples were a lot more vivacious and starting to have challenges that Ward and June Cleaver never dreamed of! Just take a look at the above clip from The Dick Van Dyke Show, one of the most popular shows of the 60's. Rob & Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) Petrie are up against a real challenge here--having to get married all over again. But of course they come through with shining colors in true sitcom fashion.

How we did loved Laura, though! She was a perfect lady in Jackie Kennedy-styled tailored suit, pill box hat, pumps and all. She could get goofy, sing, dance, lose her temper, cry, however human she wanted to be, and never come across as a dizzy broad or a staid suburban housewife that was simply an appendage of her wise and wonderful husband. A few years later in the Early 70's, Mary Tyler Moore became the spirited, independent, single (not divorced from Rob, heaven forbid) professional, Mary Richards in her own show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Again, Mary was the Woman of the Day, facing life's challenges in an imperfect world that we were finally admitting is imperfect.

So what's The Other First Lady doing now? True to form, she's still active. In the past few years, Mary has been active in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Has testified before the Senate Committee of Governmental Affairs, coming out in favor of stem cell research. Mary herself put it best: "I'm not an actress who can create a character. I play me."

BRAVO! Mary, you know how to be a First Lady.

Mary Tyler Moore Show Reunion

Happy Birthday Kinsey!

2007-05-05T22:06:00.000+03:00

Happy Birthday, Kinsey Millhone!

For us feminist, murder mystery fans, today's a happy day. Sue Grafton's free-thinking, maverick, feminist, private investigator, Kinsey Millhone of the so-called Alphabet Series is celebrating a birthday today. Which one, I'm not quite sure--the series has progressed to 1987, but in reality we're in 2007. Since Kinsey was born in 1950, she's either 38, maybe 37 still, or 57. Frankly, I prefer to stay in the context of the series and keep Kinsey in her late 30's--with fresh memories of childhood traumas and the 70's counter culture. This way, I'm reasonably sure that all of the characters I've come to know and love, many who are well above the trustworthy age of 30, are still alive and well.

Kinsey's a woman after my own heart--she's learned the lessons of the swinging 70's and is coming to terms with the Yuppie ethos. But with all that, she has a mind of her own, and knows how to use it to her advantage--the gal's an inspiration. Just wish that I'd had her focus and determination back in the 80's...

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

Live It Up, Boomers; Live It Up!

2007-05-04T15:32:00.000+03:00

If you tried to give rock and roll another name,
you might call it Chuck Berry. ~John Lennon

For the past few years, all too often when we Boomers tune in the news, we learn that yet another symbol of our Generation has passed on. Come on, we made it through the Sanguine Sixties--political assassinations, Viet Nam, Kent State. Wasn't all this violence over and done with after John's murder in 1980? Guess again... Like previous generations, we're fated to witness the passing of the generation before us--yes the very one with whom we had that proverbial Gap--humm, interesting thought; so where does that leave us now?

In any case, for these past several years, I sometimes feel a little slump when the fact that my mental associates of youth are rapidly disappearing. Where'd the time go? Has it really been more than 40 years since the British Invasion? Has Hendrix been gone almost 37 years already--whew--it wasn't always an easy haul! Come on, really, I don't plan on spending the next 20+ years muddling along and wondering what happened.

So, to stave off Alzheimer's as well as give all us Boomers a lift, decided to surf around to find out who's still with us. And guess what--the man who started it all, even before Elvis was anybody is still with us and going strong--in spite of his 80 years. Chuck Berry gave a concert in Rome just a few days ago, and was in Istanbul back in March! Amazing, hey? The Prime Minister of Rock & Roll, the man who got it all rolling is still doing it--'till 120, Chuck, 'till 120.

Follow this link to read more...

Rock On, Boomers, Live It Up!
~Paula

What Goes Around Comes Around...

2007-04-10T18:39:00.000+03:00

My friends at Aging Hipsters have done it again--brought us BabyBoomers a real Warm Fuzzy--awsome; take a look and enjoy!

Big Brother & The Message Of Our Medium

2007-04-06T15:36:00.000+03:00

Remember the fears we Baby Boomers had back in the 60's and 70's about Big Brother's watching us? And how many of us had to read Marshall McLuhan's The Medium Is The Message during our college careers? Then Ralph Nader, American's toughest customer, came along to defend us against the evils and greed of cooperate America--remember Unsafe at Any Speed? My goodness, weren't we in a tither--guarding our privacy and lives as well as our precious psyches against the bombardment of subliminal messages and cooperate greed.

Enter the Internet, a medium well beyond Mr McLuhan's (1911-1980) imagination. What indeed is the message of this vast medium? One can do everything from surfing porno to getting religion. Great numbers of us Baby Boomers are involved in E commerce--some claiming fame and fortune others yelling bust.

But hold your virtual horses. Back in 2001, Mr Nader tossed his consumer watch dog hat into the e commerce ring. He went so far as to call for the formation of a new World Consumer Protection Organization (WCPO) whose functions would include guarding online privacy, intellectual property rights, and Internet governance. After a cursory Google search, I found no evidence that WCPO has become reality; and in my humble opinion, such an entity is not likely to ever exist. Really, if governments can't agree on what to do about major issues such as global warming, can we expect international regulation of the Internet? Granted, since 2001 laws have been passed against spam, the scourge of the Web; more and more e merchants are claiming to be hack proof; and most of us feel more secure about our "privacy"-i.e. it's close to impossible to steal credit card numbers during transactions. But let's face it, there'll always be a few bad guys ahead of the system.

Frankly, I've decided that the Internet is the New Industrial Revolution--And Beyond! Most of us agree that by and large, we benefited from the First Industrial Revolution--if only to be freed from backbreaking and tedious labor. Granted, we had to come to terms with protecting ourselves from poisons in our food and auto companies who calculated our lives against their quarterly profits, not to mention sometimes suffering the interference of heavy-handed government agencies.

As an aging Baby Boomer who in all likelihood has to worry about funding a decent retirement, and covering medical expenses, I'm prepared to give the Internet the relative freedom that businesses enjoyed during the First Industrial Revolution. Nobody's going to get crushed and burned during a computer crash, nor can one ingest or inhale toxins while engaging in E commerce. We Boomers who grew up with television and all the advertisements for those miracle products that would give dogs shiny coats and make everyone blond and beautiful should have enough sense not to believe in one-week millionaires--but, we can always hope... Can you imagine the nightmare of bureaucracy that one would have to suffer if world governments all got a hand in what one must or mustn't do just to open up an email account? I shutter at some of the possible scenarios--waiting in a virtual line for this number or that certification. No, no! For now, let's get used to using our heads, hooking up with others to get the score, making our own decisions and leave the Internet's relative unregulated state as is. For many of us Boomers, it's a last ditch chance at a measure of financial independence. So for now, please, Let It Be...

Onward & Upward,

~Paula

Free Hugs

2007-02-18T09:30:00.000+02:00

A couple of months ago, a friend sent me the link to You Tube's Free Hugs clip. Of course as an aging Boomer, I quickly forgot it. But, like my friend at Aging Hipsters,
Free Hugs popped back into the conscious memory, and voila--here it is on BFT.

It's hard to believe in these days of lawsuits, Politically Correct, fear of sexual harassment and all the other complicated issues that scramble our aging Boomer brains, that such a blast from the past could really happen and even gain grassroots support. Can you believe it?

The more things change, the more they stay the same. I dare any Boomer who remembers the 70's to not choke up at this clip.

Dig this story? Then create your own custom apparel & gift items.

It's all the same...
~Paula

On With The Dream-February, Short & Sweet

2007-02-08T16:54:00.000+02:00

February's always been one of my favorite months, although nothing beats June and July. But think about it. Sun is in Aquarius most of the month, a nice, intellectual air sign, putting Sun at a very comfortable angle for us Libras and Geminis. All the holiday hype is definitely over. February's holidays are quiet and low key--Valentine's Day--a little chocolate, maybe some flowers. Presidents Day--we Baby Boomer kids cut out silhouettes of George and Honest Abe, read a few stories to instill a bit more patriotism; and in later years, Black History Month--more stories and history, but at least another diversion from the beaten path. And last but now least, Ground Hog's Day reminded us that Spring Break was just around the corner!

Most of us don't get a Spring Break anymore, but chocolate still tastes good in the February cold, and it's sort of fun thinking about wearing light weight clothing again--really they're making winter clothing heavier and heavier every year!

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

Be Who You Are And Say What You Feel, But Don't Mess With Dr Seuss's Lawyers!

2006-12-26T23:52:00.000+02:00

Many of us BabyBoomers grew up, learned to read, or read to our younger sibblings with Dr Suess's books. How we loved that rascal, The Cat In The Hat, and split out sides at the idea of eating Green Eggs and Ham. Even back then, I suspected that Dr Seuss was inciting a rebellious generation. After all, who else among the then Older Generation was telling us to "Be Who You Are & Say What You Feel..."?

But guess what! We Boomers who have a creative bent dare not try to use a Dr Suess's quote on any product that we intend to market--try it and you'll hear from a representative of the international law firm that represents our Hero's estate. These folks pull out some big guns--won't even discuss licensing possibilities! Sort of ironical, isn't it? But they do matter, without a doubt! Believe me, they meant what they said and they said what they meant!

A Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year To All,

~Paula

Rockin' Boomers

2006-12-21T15:52:00.000+02:00

We just don't give up, do we? Friends at Aging Hipsters recently ran an interesting article about us Boomers and our music tastes with an invitation to post comments on our most recent aquisitions. It's not surprising to learn that many of us are still rocking out--some with iPods, and some who don't like to close themselves off and listen preferring to rock out in the more traditional ways. High Tech, of course, has made an impact with the added ability to download tunes from the Web.

Take a look at the article, "Do Boomers Still Dig Rock & Roll Music? What's on Your iPod?" to get the scoop.

One of the most famous and perhaps infamous of our generation, Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, is making a comeback to the music scene. After converting to Islam in 1977, donating his guitars to charity, and walking away from the world of pop culture, Cat/Yusuf has returned to pop music. It's not at all surprising that his son was actually the catalyst--Remember Cat's Father & Son Song? Check out the interview that Cat recently gave to CBS. Whatever his alleged connections to terrorism may be, the Cat/Yusuf claims to be looking for that "middle ground, where we all live". Funny, all these years I've always had a feeling this day would come.

Do we dare hope for a reasonable balance of religious forces in the New Year?

Onward Through the Fog,
~Paula

Ain't LOVE Grand?

2006-11-26T11:01:00.000+02:00

Pics From LOVE's Opening Night

Ain't LOVE grand?!--and cyberspace too. Those of us who are lamenting the fact the we don't have the bread, time, or means to get to Vegas to see LOVE can at least enjoy something of this fantastic show! Follow the above link to see 10 great pics.

Peace,

~Paula

Return To Strawberry Fields With LOVE

2006-11-21T23:23:00.000+02:00

Here it is, finally!! That long awaited Beatles' Reunion. LOVE , even if it's not really all we aging Boomers need (The bread to see LOVE would be nice!) it's exactly what we need now! Cirque du Soleil's production and virtual Beatle "Reunion" has opened at Las Vegas' Mirage. Overwhelming! When the Fab Four first hit the American shores, the technonogy used to produce LOVE was still science fiction. And, those Gen Xers dancing around the stage weren't even a gleam in their fathers' eyes. It doesn't really matter. I still discover Beatle lyrics again and again and wonder how I loved them so much then and continue to rediscover their depth now. George Harrison must have had a small measure of prophecy when he said that the Beatles would exist without them!

See You Down The Long And Winding Road,

~Paula

Bread Cast Upon The Waters

2006-10-16T16:35:00.000+02:00

Many years ago (more than I like to think) I was an often times hungry graduate student in a church supported university. Every day, upon entering the beautifully hewn portals of the art complex, my eyes would slide across the Biblical quotation, "Cast your bread upon the waters…" The self-made millionaire who'd donated the money to build the complex, and of course whose name it bore claimed that living by this verse earned him millions. At the time, I had a hard time understanding the whole idea of throwing bread out at all! Sometimes a quarter would be the deciding factor between an afternoon sandwich or not.

However, as the years have passed and I've learned to think in much less literal terms, reached young adulthood at the beginning of the high tech era, and am approaching old age in its full flowering, I'm beginning to understand what the old guy meant. Many of us Baby Boomers who entered the job market in the early-mid 70's often found employment a challenge. Our large numbers made competition stiff for so many college-educated young people. Since many of us didn't get into what we intended, we've had checkered careers, jobs scattered here and there. On top of all that the rapid development of high tech made so many of our skills obsolete--ever notice how so many of Gen X can't spell and don't care; they have Spellchecker for goodness sake. So, what's happening now? We Boomers are casting our "bread" upon the "waters" of cyberspace in incredible numbers. High Tech has been transformed from
E-Commerce, to Net Marketing and List Building; you name it.
And who knows where it'll all end?

In any case, after thirty plus years, I finally looked up the entire verse: "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you shall find it in many days." Nice, hey, is that what we called Karma back then? So, as we cast our virtual bread upon the virtual waters, what can we expect to get in return? I find it hard to believe that we'll all end up dot com millionaires as all the marketing ads and schemes promise. The waters of cyberspace are often murky. At least once a day, I'm asking what's the product? What's the service? What am I supposed to do? And did I ever learn the hard way that some of these so-called free services take a dim view of a user with too much initiative; more about that later. But we continue to cast our bread, time, strength, creativity and energy out onto the waters of cyberspace. For what? Some of you out there have probably found your bread. Mine's still trickling in crumb by crumb. But, it's not over till it's over. Waters can be bitter or sweet; bread can be sweet, sour or bland. I have a feeling that returns will be mixed likewise.

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

We All Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends

2006-09-11T00:17:00.000+03:00

Are you familiar with the Blog, Aging Hipsters, one of the best on the Web--especially form us aging hipsters? But surely you Gen X folks must enjoy our Baby Boomer tales. In any case, the editors of Aging Hipsters were kind enough to give me a link on their Blog; and I've gotten more than a few referrals from them. Thanks, Guys--really appreciate it! These folks have an interesting story to tell; take a look.

Speaking of help and friends; today marks the fifth anniversary of 911--may we never know such tragedy again. None of us will ever forget the horror of those images on the TV screen. But hey, it made us realize the triviality of so much of our day to day lives, and how fleeting a nice and comfy situation can be.

May random acts of kindness abound,
~Paula

Gleanings...

2006-08-01T21:57:00.000+03:00

In this age of mega-mass media, information is constantly bombarding us. I sometimes wonder if we remembered more when we were exposed to less.

Recently, I've come across some priceless quotes; even managed to remember them long enough to commit them to writing:

"If you kill all of the predators, the weak will eat us alive."
~Mr. Cosey, character in Toni Morrison's novel, Love

Humm...how do we know who the predators are? Maybe all of them have already been killed.

"You can live with anything if you have what you can't live without."
~Mr Cosey, character in Toni Morrison's novel, Love

Could this really be true? Some things I thought I couldn't live without became quite disposable when a given situation became unbearable.

How does one tell the difference between hard work, diligence, persistence, consistency, and whipping a dead horse.
~This just popped into my head, but I know I've hear it somewhere.

Maybe quitters aren't really quitters--they just know when to go look for a viable horse--better not to hang around too long and get eaten by the weak or the predators.

I know this all ties in somehow; and the connection will hit me later.

'Till then, or something else,
~Paula

Lighten Up

2006-07-19T23:42:00.000+03:00

So lighten up, already... How many people are still mad at Herbert Hoover?

Traitors Among Us?

2006-07-18T14:19:00.000+03:00

Paul McCartney celebrated his 64th birthday in good time--not a lot of fanfare, but we Baby Boomers did take note. The whole thing was rather bittersweet. Paul is a true marker of our Generation, versatile, accomplished artist and highly successful to boot, but nonetheless a romantic. I heard a news report on Paul's birthday that he admitted feelings of sadness on his 64th birthday--not that I blame him. It is a cruel irony that such an accomplished person also falls victim to the nasty stuff that Life can hand out. As another great of our Generation said. "Everybody must get stoned"--and I don't mean the weed.

Another famous guy has also celebrated a birthday recently--none other than President Bush. George W. has turned 60, making him, by most opinions, a Baby Boomer. Interesting thing though, there are those of our Generation that don't want to include Baby Bush in our numbers. Weren't we the Generation that was going to make a big difference in the world, make it all better, bring justice to the world, etc.? Frankly, I don't trust any politician any farther than I can throw an elephant, or a donkey for that matter. As a Baby Boomer who's past the half century mark and closer to 60 than I'd like to admit, I've experienced, seen and done enough to have come to the conclusion that the average guy or gal (even more so) is more often than not kicked or stomped. We Boomers still find it painful to admit this fact; we so badly wanted to right the world and have one big happy family--guess again.

Below is a snippet from one of my favorite Blogs, Aging Hipsters. A recent post laments the fact that Baby Bush, by most counts, is one of our Generation (Follow link below, opens in new window, to read the entire post.)

"… No, not Bush, his 60th birthday. Confronted with the stark reality that this man is actually a member of the Baby Boomer Generation I shuddered, retched slightly…
Back then, we fought "The Man" and recognized "The Establishment" as the enemy. I guess we knew there were spies among us, but the battle front was drawn mostly along generational lines, so we ignored the rare exceptions. How foolish that was!
Thirty years later we have a generational Tory (and his right-wing Tory militia) running our country. Geeze, couldn't we have introduced George and Karl to Alice B. Toklas' brownie recipe back in 1969?"

I don't know about this. Wish that life had been and still were so simple. From my experience as a college student in the Southwest/Bible Belt, the lines were never that clear. Yes, we all looked and sounded much the same, but I soon learned that a scratch below the surface still revealed a lot more information. I'll never forget discovering that "Mr. Young Republican/Re-elect The President (Nixon)" was the biggest dealer on campus for whatever high one wanted. And many of those cool hippies that smoked, toked, got down and wolfed down Alice B. Toklas brownies were George Wallace supporters. Even back then I would have bet my last brownie that their white robes and pointed hoods were stashed away in their closets.

Baby Bush a Tory? I don't know about that. In my humble opinion, he's just being what he is. Our generation was not hallmarked by its fidelity. What was Free Love all about? From my experience, most of us couldn't deal with it anyway. It may not be pleasant for us to admit, but with all our noise and goings-on, we couldn't and still can't change human nature. Remember David Hapgood's 1974 book,The Screwing of the Average Man, how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? We Boomers are no more willing than members of the "Establishment" of our Generation to give up any measure of power or control. Think back to '73-'74: oil crisis, energy shortage, and slumping economy. How many of us well educated (better than any previous generation) were happy about being relegated to jobs way below our expectations? Didn't we see that as a loss of control and power--selling cosmetics at a drugstore counter instead of designing the labels? I would surmise that George Bush is not so different from the rest of our Generation or any generation. He just had the good fortune to have been born to money and power (Them that’s got the gold make the rules), and like most among us, is not giving up anything that he doesn't have to.

Onward & Upward,

~Paula

Many Years From Now is Suddenly Now...

2006-06-12T14:38:00.000+03:00

"When I get old and losing my hair many years from now..."
~Paul McCartney

Who can believe it? In less than a week, Paul McCartney celebrates his legendary and long awaited 64th birthday, 18 June 2006. (Now please don't ask which birthday I celebrate this year on 9 October, same birthday as John Lennon.)

It's been rough for Paul these past few years--brings back the heartbreak of Linda's loss--Paul's wife, companion and friend of 30 years. I'd always dreamed of them having a big party and Linda presenting Paul with that "Bottle of Wine", "Birthday Greeting", maybe even a "Valentine". Guess some of our dreams just aren't meant to come to true... In any case, Happy Birthday, Paul, many, many happy returns. Hope you come acoss my virtual "Birthday Greeting", "Bottle of Wine" & "Valentine" out there in CyberSpace, and totally enjoy.

Still Love You,
~Paula

Congratulations, Class of 2006

2006-05-29T15:19:00.000+03:00

Greetings, Cyber Friends,

How's it going? Summer's here for many of us. That means hot weather, maybe some vacation trips, at least a few jaunts to the beach or the lake. This time of year is characterized most by graduations from kindergarten to post grad. Makes one feel a bit nostalgic, doesn't it? It occurred to me the other day how much history has repeated itself in the past 30+ years. We Baby Boomers who graduated high school in the early 70's certainly remember the Anti-War movement of our time. Then, just as we got out of college, the Oil Embargo and soaring gas prices hit us--made getting those first jobs tough. Many of us were very disappointed after graduation. We'd grown up during the prosperity of the 60's, and had the virtues of higher education beat into our heads daily. However, so many of us young educated hit the job market at the same time, during an economic downturn on top of our numbers…It doesn't take a Rhodes' Scholar to get the picture. More than once I've regretted not just going for technical training or career military.

Whatever, (as Archie used to say) we Boomers have done our damage and the senior members of our generation are heading out to retirement. So with all that BFT wishes The Class of 2006 all the very best, success, prosperity, happiness, and all that groovy stuff. And take it from an "Old Timer", find your passion, and follow your own gut! There's always a price to pay no matter what you choose.

Onward & Upward,

~Paula

A Look at the "Undercurrents"

2006-05-16T14:34:00.000+03:00

Greetings Everyone,

Hope all's going well for you and yours. Keep on keeping on.

While doing an astrological reading for a friend's daughter a few weeks ago, an interesting thought flashed into my head. Nothing earth shattering, mind you, but I'm always struck when I come to these realizations.

This young woman was born in the 80's, a time when we were concerned with achievement, recognition and material success. (Those of us who were hitting our 30's then sure remember this era!) The planet Neptune, ruler of the sign Pisces was in Capricorn during the 80's. On the large scale, Neptune is associated with the "undercurrent", the sign of the times, even the general economic trends. On the other hand, Capricorn is the sign of achievement, recognition, materialism, and at its worst down right stinginess? Get the picture? The 80's were characterized by a general desire to achieve, be recognized and accumulate. Social consciousness was measured by the dollar; and one certainly didn't have to be so worried about being politically correct. As a matter of fact, I never heard the term until the late 90's, when Neptune had moved into the more altruistic Aquarius, where it will remain for about another 6 years.

It's interesting to note what we were reading and doing for entertainment during the 80's as opposed to now. Who out there in cyber space remembers the 80's bestseller, Truly Tasteless Jokes? In our current consciousness of politically correct, it's hard to believe that a book that told jokes about every ethnic group could have ever been a bestseller? Today, our big literary phenomenon is the Harry Potter Series, a magical, seven-part series of a poor, geeky, bullied English boy who discovers that he's not who he was always led to believe. The Harry Potter Series works great as a children's story, (Hey, kids got into reading again!) but many of us Baby Boomers have discovered that there's a lot more below the surface. J K Rowling, author of the series, has woven myths, histories, and traditions into a fabric of adventure and mystery that I can't get enough of. Those long forgotten and seemingly irrelevant humanities courses that we had to take in college back in the 70's have taken a new twist and rekindled the inspirations of youth for many of us aging Boomers--not so surprising since many of us Boomers have Neptune in Libra also an air sign, representing the intellect, like Aquarius. Will wonders ever cease?

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

Truthful Philosophers Who Dress to the Nines & Live Nine Lives

2006-05-04T15:52:00.000+03:00

Hello again,

By now, those who regularly read BFT know that I'm more than a little interested in Astrology, have an overactive imagination, and am constantly trying to tie it all together to make some kind of sense. If you're new to BFT, welcome! Your clicks are appreciated more than you'll ever know, and I hope that you'll visit again and often.

Now, after almost a year of posting this BLOG, I'm finally admitting another eccentricity. I'm a died in the woods "Kitty Person". I've been "owned" by more than a few of these furry, graceful, quiet stepping creatures; and will never cease to be fascinated by their antics. Cats" are thought by many to be self-centered and unfaithful. But let me tell you, this is not the case. They're completely tuned in to all that's going on--and I do mean all. They have internal pocket watches, knowing exactly what time their person needs to get up for work, are due home; and if one dares to run late, objections are voiced. Ever notice how cats behave before a thunderstorm or tremor?

Watch sometimes. You can't help but pick up their vibes. Cats are said to have nine lives. Frankly, I don't know the origin of this saying, but I've always figured that it refers to their ability to survive and rear their young with such skill that they too are completely ready for survival only a few months after birth and only nine weeks gestation.

Nine is said to be the number of truth. Multiply by 9 and the sum of the digits in your answer will always add up to nine. Even if you have to add more than once (as in 9x11=99, 9+9=18, 1+8=9), you'll eventually return to nine. Add a number to nine and the sum of the digits in your answer will equal the sum of the digits you added to nine.
For example: 9+12=21; 2+1 (digits of 21)=3 and 1+2 (digits of 12)=3. Amazing, isn't it! What goes around comes around.

Sagittarius, 9th sign of the Zodiac, is ruled by the planet Jupiter, the great judge of mythology. Characteristically, Sagittarius is idealistic, optimistic, freedom loving, philosophical, studious, farseeing, loyal, and restless--not tied down by convention, but independent enough to leap ahead in search of the truth. Like Nature (and kitty cats) Sagittarius can be harsh, insistent, and swift, but somewhere out there, all things pass for the good of all.

Now where the heck did the expression, "Dressed to the Nines" come from?

Onward and Upward,

~Paula

Finally, Back At Keyboard!

2006-04-24T16:40:00.000+03:00

Something for Kitty Lovers

Hello, hello,

Yes, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been away from keyboard for near record time. I can't say that I enjoy the absence, but obligations sometimes dictate other activities.

We've just celebrated spring holidays, and I have to admit that the older I get, the more holidays seem to interfere or cause an inordinate amount of stress. Why don't I feel the excitement and anticipation that I felt in youth rather than focusing on the stress of added expenses, interruption of my routine, and the drudgery of additional housekeeping? Only after the fact do I really take a deep breath and enjoy a holiday; "Gee, it really was nice to see so-and-so again", or "We haven't been there/done that in ages, it was so refreshing to get off the beaten path." Surely this reaction must be the reason that cultures and religions insist on kicking us out of our comfortable routines and proscribe other kinds of activities. A good friend recently pointed out the fact that our best memories often come through the celebration of holidays. After a few seconds of reflection, I realized that she was right on the mark! How many of us aging Baby boomers really take note of the day to day? Holidays do indeed force us off the beaten path, but think how many times these little "exits" have given us an unexpected new inspiration; if nothing else, cleared the brain to at least find new inspiration for coping with day to day life--something worth thinking about.

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

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

2006-03-27T14:05:00.000+02:00

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?

2006-03-19T13:26:00.000+02:00

Feminism! & International Women's Day

2006-03-05T14:18:00.000+02:00

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

All Things Must Pass

2006-02-23T17:17:00.000+02:00

Hello Everyone,

Here's another "Something for us Babyboomers. This Saturday, George Harrison, the quiet Beatle, would have celebrated his 63rd birthday--hard to believe he's been gone 5 years now. For many of us this is still a painful memory, so let's celebrate George's life remembering the, quiet, unassuming Beatle--the Pisces undercurrent of it all, the spiritual.

All Things Must Pass
~Paula

Far Out Man

2006-02-21T16:34:00.000+02:00

This is great!!

I love it!--Another Boomer who just can't let it go.

Read the above link, it opens in a new window. Now here's my memory:

After the Beatles Concert in Log Angeles in 1964, I slipped out of a side door in a total daze not realizing it was the fire escape. There was none other
than John Lennon, STILL the love of my life, sneaking a "fag", munching on a few "jelly babies", and getting some peace and quiet. Had a few fags with him and we talked into the night about the future of art and comics. What a blast!

Ah, the memories,

Old hippies never die, we just misplace our love beads.

~Paula

Happy Birthday, Pisces; Where It All Comes Together

2006-02-19T13:30:00.000+02:00

Greetings to all! Keeping warm? We're coming to the home stretch for winter--none too soon for me! Those of us who live in warmer climates are particularily enjoying the first signs of spring. Sun is moving into Pisces, the last sign of the Zodiac, the great matrix where it all comes together--the great undercurrent. Makes sense, doesn't it? The last sign of the Zodiac brings it all together; we're awaiting spring, taking a last look inward and getting ready to get out.

So in honor of the "New Year", all BFT Zodiac items have been drastically reduced. The current line will soon be discontinued, and you guessed it, a new line just in time for spring will very soon make the scene.

Don't miss this great Once a Year Sale.

Onward and Upward,

~Paula

Humm, I'm Not The Only One...

2006-02-06T17:28:00.000+02:00

Finally made some time to look at Asher's Blog again, Dreams Into Lightening, a fine in depth Blog. One of Asher's recent posts, The Trip Home really cut to the chase for some of us aging Boomers. This post is a must read; my posts along these lines pale after reading Asher's. Be sure to follow the link and read.

Carpe Diam,
~Paula

Another "Disengagement" + A Little Light on the Subject

2006-01-29T13:23:00.000+02:00

Hello again,

Well, another Big Name of the Boomer Generation has "disengaged" from this world. Wilson Pickett of Mustang Sally & Funky Broadway fame passed on the other day. What's happening this winter is anyone's guess, as well as why I always feel compelled to report such information. Whatever the case, I do feel that Wilson's passing deserves note. He was one of the pacesetters in what's now called Pop Culture--made the word "Funky" OK, and got all of us excited about Ford's Mustang--wonder if Ford every acknowledged Wilson's influence on the success of the Mustang? Surly "Mustang Sally" boosted Ford Motor Company's sales! Wilson was also instrumental in mainstreaming Motown Sounds. The strictly "Top 40 Crowd" woke up and realized that theirs wasn't the only kind of Pop Music and got into the groove with Wilson's music--- 'cause everybody wanted a Mustang of course. If my aging memory serves me right, Top 40 got more soul after Mustang Sally; White kids started dancing funky, and the good times of the 60's and 70's were launched into full swing.

Hearing one of Wilson's tunes still brings back the excitement and optimism of youthful vigor--let's not forget it! You gave us some of our best memories, Wilson; go on groovin', Bro down those Funky Golden Roads.

Valentine's Day is just under three weeks away. Ever wonder where this holiday came from? Valentines Day is a hangover from the fertility celebration of prehistoric Europe. When you think about it, it actually makes sense. By mid-February, days are noticeably longer. Our ancestors, who were a lot closer to Nature since they didn't have the benefit of electricity or motorized travel, noticed that animals were starting to mate. This fact brought hopes of Spring fertility--Food!

I used to always get the creeps whenever I read about our ancestors' ancient fertility rites. But think about it. What do we do at the first sign of longer daylight hours? Some universities have added an additional shorter winter break--the young folks start their frolicking. We've even figured out a way to save electricity with daylight saving time--giving ourselves the illusion of more daylight. All this makes me think that we're still closely connected to Nature--even those like yours truly who admit to not even liking picnics. Somewhere in our brains the need to celebrate Earth's reawakening lingers. We still need to throw off winter's sleep and solitude and start connecting to our fellow humans. So wake up! Let the sap rise and start planning for Valentines Day.

Onward and Upwards,

~Paula

The Winter of Our "Disengagement"

2006-01-19T16:25:00.000+02:00

19 January 2006

Hello again,

Hope all have settled into the New Year, and that things are moving along smoothly. Before we know it, we'll be swapping valentines.

I've warned readers many times, so here we go again with one of my favorite subjects:" Where does the time go?" But really, another year has just passed us by, so please bear with me--again.

Recently, while surfing the Web, came across notices of the passing of some of the "big names" from the 60's and 70's. Nipsey Russell, The Poet of Day Time & Prime Time TV died this past October at the age of 80. Nipsey, a fellow Libra, was one of my absolute favorites as a kid--even named one of my cats after this illustrious poet. The thing that I really admired about Nipsey was the fact that he was a Black (the politically correct term at the time) comedian who didn't make a big deal of the fact that he was Black. He never tried to cover it up, or gloss it over; being Black was just a given--part of who Nipsey was. He simply presented us with Nipsey, the funny poet who could point out everyone's foibles and make us laugh at ourselves as well as at him--true Libra charm. Wherever Nipsey is now, he's showing 'em how to lighten up--see things as they are but don't be afraid to share your thoughts and have a good laugh.

Another funny man also changed his address permanently in early December. Richard Pryor, the bold, gregarious, and totally irreverent Sagittarian flagrantly broke every convention of stand-up censorship in the early 70's. Even some of us liberal, progressive co-eds felt that he was a bit too vulgar, explicit was the term we used. For a long time, I found in strange that Richard had had a religious upbringing--at least as far as beliefs were concerned. But hey, Sagittarius is the sign of expansion, breaking boundaries; and he certainly did that! Yet, how many folks knew that Richard was an animal lover? When I heard of his passing, took a look at his official web site, and there it was--a PayPal for animal welfare contributions. I've decided that inside this rebel was a real moral spirit that just had to learn some things the hard way while flagrantly flinging back at us things we said among ourselves when we thought no one was listening--at least parents or profs. Wherever Richard is now, I'm sure he's letting 'em have it, but for sure they've made him clean up his act.

And yet again, I'm aware of how long it's really been, that we Boomers are now witnessing the passing of the "Big Guys" from our era, and approaching our own Winter. Wonder what the Bloggers will write about us?

Onward an Upward,

~Paula

BFT now has a new Sister Blog

2006-01-15T16:12:00.000+02:00

Hello, Everyone,

BFT now has a new Sister Blog, "MoonTrekking". From now on, all astrological posts will appear on MoonTrekking. BFT will of course continue in its normal esoteric style.

Visit often and enjoy!

Onward through the fog,
~Paula Gaon

The Beauty of A Virtual Sale

2006-01-09T14:39:00.000+02:00

Check out BFT's New Home Page

Final Clearence-2006 Calendars **** Winter Zodiac Shirts

Mythical&Magical Creatures **** Wayout Weird Stuff

Prints: Modern Inspirational

Astrology With Common Sense

Happy New Year!
Wishing all a happy, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful New Year.

The holidays are behind us; the fattening meals eaten and diets started. Crowds in the stores have thinned and those same stores are getting ready for physical inventory. If by chance you'd like to shop the department store sales, you're likely to find everything picked over, the only sizes that remain in winter clothing are either those track suits that would only fit one of the Munchkins or King Kong. In a few weeks, the stores will bring in Spring clothes, but hey, we've got at least a couple of more months of winter; and not many of us plan on hibernating, right?

Don't despair. BFT has the exact same fashion and designer items you saw during the holiday shopping madness on sale now. Track Suits, Hoodies, and Sweat Shirts have all been drastically reduced; in the same variety and choices as before the holidays.

Get your 2006 Calendars yet? No? Again, from my experience, what's left in the stores now are those saccharine designs that nobody wants, right? So, click on over to BFT for something really unique--and I promise, no saccharine whatsoever.

High Tech does indeed have its advantages; a missed opportunity isn't missed--you can come an hour late and a dollar short and still get exactly what you want!

Happy Shopping!

~Paula

A "Final" Note on Pluto--The Monthly Influences

2005-12-25T13:24:00.000+02:00

Check out BFT's New Home Page

Great Gift Ideas:

2006 Calendars **** Winter Zodiac Shirts

Mythical&Magical Creatures **** Wayout Weird Stuff

Prints: Modern Inspirational

Tribute to John Lennon **** Astrology With Common Sense

Special Hanukkah Gifts

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and whatever else...

OK, let's pick up this thread on Pluto again, the ominous, big time Karma Planet, good vs. evil. Pluto is the outermost of the planets commonly included in astrological calculations. Since it's so far from the Sun, and has such an irregular orbit, it can spend up to 30 years in a single Zodiac Sign. Remember, we'll be living with Pluto in Sagittarius until 2008, so take a deep breath before the New Year.

Before we start shaking in out boots, though, let's remember a couple of things:

I) Pluto stays in a sign so long that it's influence is generational. The generation born since Pluto entered Sagittarius in 1995 and until Pluto leaves the sign sometimes in 2008 may well be a generation characterized by its insistence on the highest of ideals. Many of us Baby Boomers were born when Pluto was in Leo, the ego sign. Remember the "Me Generation"?

2) Every month, Moon goes completely around the Zodiac. So, no matter which sign Pluto happens to be in, Moon aspects, make angles with, our ominous planet. However Moon travels so quickly on her orbit around the Zodiac, spending about 2-1/2 days in each sign, that influences are short-term, but remember they are cyclical and can nonetheless pack a wallop. Let's take a look.

Conjunction:

Every month, Moon will be in the same sign as Pluto, and for about 32 hours will be close enough to conjunct, combine energies with, The Planet of Power. This aspect encourages intense romantic feelings, idealistic, and sometimes possessive and demanding. Pluto's conjunction with Moon is a stressful aspect; every notice? I'll have to check and see where Moon will be on Valentine's Day.

Sextile:

Moon generally sextiles (about 60 degrees from) Pluto twice a month, each time for only about 10 hours. A Sextile between any two planets is considered an aspect of opportunity, a very desirable aspect. The sextile between Moon and Pluto can facilitate deep emotional understanding; yet emotions are controlled. This can be a great time to deal with teenagers.

Square

As we all know, the Stars are no bed of roses. Twice a month Moon squares (is about 90 degrees from) Pluto for about 28 hours each time. Square causes friction and hurdles; but can also give us the chance to grow and become more productive--OK, we have to be optimistic. A Square between Pluto and Moon garners the ability to look at the big picture, unique and/or important issues. Patience is short for petty or trivial details. Moon-Pluto squares could well be a good time for quietly considering serious long-range plans since sentimentality is low.

Trine

Ah, the trine, ease and comfort. Moon trines with (is about 120 degrees from) Pluto twice a month about 28 hours each time. This aspect strengthens emotions, helping us unclutter business as well domestic affairs. There's also plenty of well regulated, and controlled energy. Great time to really put the pedal to the metal!

Opposition

Sorry, but good things never last forever. Once a month (Thank G-d only once.) Moon opposes Pluto. Oppositions are just that, obstacles to overcome. Remember, Pluto's about power and Moon's about emotions. Get the picture? For about 28 hours every month this aspect garners a strong display of affections and sensitivity to any sign of rejection, jealousy, and impulsiveness. Best to keep a low profile when Moon opposes Pluto.

Since Moon rules Cancer and Pluto rules Scorpio, those born under these signs may feel particularily affected by these aspects. But don't feel along, the Stars have many stories to tell.

One final note. Since Moon does not start in the same sign at the beginning of each month, I can't give dates for her aspects. One has to look at each month. However, looking ahead at January, first month of the New Year, we'll be getting off to a good start. Moon will sextile Pluto on the 3rd. Just think, after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the stars are giving us a renewed strength to relate to family and friends. Before you get too comfortable though, within 46 hours or so we'll be facing a square. Whoever said we're living in a world of permanent change must have been an astrologist!

All the very best,
~Paula Gaon

Holidays & Home page

2005-12-18T15:12:00.000+02:00

Check out BFT's New Home Page

Great Gift Ideas:

2006 Calendars< >< > Winter Zodiac Shirts

Mythical&Magical Creatures < >< >Wayout Weird Stuff

Prints: Modern Inspirational

Tribute to John Lennon< >< >Astrology With Common Sense

Special Hanukkah Gifts

Greetings and a great week!

As I'm always saying, time does indeed march on. Before we know it, we'll be breaking out the champagne and ringing in the New Year.

Just a couple of tidbits this time around:

This year, Hanukkah and Christmas fall together. Even more interesting, Pluto and Moon will be at a very opportune aspect (angle) on 25 December. From Sunday morning through early Monday morning, 25-26 December Moon, in Libra, will be at a very comfortable angle with Pluto, in Sagittarius. The Sextile aspect, 60 degrees, like the Trine, 120 degrees, can occur twice monthly. The Sextile brings out the absolute best of any two stars involved giving us quite an easement. The Sextile between Moon and Pluto should facilitate innate ability to understand and respond to others. This is a particularily nice aspect for the Holidays, when things can get a bit stressed.

BFT has a brand new Home Page--at long last. So besides this Blog and the BFT Shop, you'll be able to see at a glance--more or less, what's happening. Be sure to check out the New Slide Show, Virtual Tour. And enjoy!

Onward and Upward,
~Paula Gaon

The Woes of Us Harry Potter Fans

2005-12-13T13:49:00.000+02:00

Hello again,

I'm sure that some of you out there in cyberspace are Harry Potter fans, like myself. As an artist, thinker, and general eccentric, I've found this so-called children's series to be one of the most imaginative, enjoyable and inspiring series in a long time. Thanks to this series, I've been able to conjure up a lot of creativity that I'd thought was gone. See, the mind does indeed need stimulation that refreshes and renews. Unfortunately, publishers and movie makers are afraid that we little folks will skim off their profits in a big way by infringing on their copyrights. So we have to be quite careful not to say or produce any image that they and their big guns have rights to, causing them to lose millions--G-d Forbid! In any case, no one can copyright imagination and inspiration. So, here are a couple of new images to enjoy, thanks to HP himself.

Remember in Goblet of Fire (Book 4), Harry's encounter with the Hungarian Horntail? I couldn't get that image out of my head for ages; finally decided to take a go at my own version: "The Black Transyvanian Spiked Dragon" Maybe you'll find a nice home for him. If you don't want the heat of a dragon on the walls, check out some other nice Mythical & Magical Creatures.

Book 6, The Half Blood Prince, next to the last in the series, came out last June. Harry's really grown up, for better or worse. And with great sadness, we had to say farewell to Dumbledore. Many of us expected as much, but none the less saddened. Naturally, I absolutely had to create something in his memory--DD Forever! --apparel and a couple of Mugs.

Hope you enjoyed this little tour. We'll talk more about Astrology soon. See you around.

Onward and Upward,
~Paula

Got Your 2006 Calendar Yet?

2005-12-12T14:14:00.000+02:00

12 December 2005

Hello everyone,

How's it going? I hope the holiday rush isn't making you absolutely nuts. Take a deep breath, slow and steady wins the race.

Folks really do appreciate calendars as gifts, and I just put up a big new selection of Wall Print Calendars--great for those on a budget or for those who are "socially obligated" to give a number of little gifts.

Yes, I know my humor can be a little irreverent sometimes, but never intentionally insulting. I'm the first to admit that "Persons of all races, colors, creeds and national origins equally get on my nerves"--grin and bear it.

Onward and Upward,
See you before the Holidays are over with some Astrological Updates for the New Year.
~Paula Gaon

Minding The Store, And Everything Else

2005-12-05T15:24:00.000+02:00

4 December 2005

Greetings, Everyone,

Here we are into the Holiday Season. This time of the year, we start to think about wrapping things up, aside from gifts, making that final push to finish whatever we'd like to have done by the New Year. Unfortunately, all these good intentions are right in the frenzy of the Holiday Season, when everybody and his uncle are running around getting that gift for so-and so; ("Oh boy, we've intended to call them all year, where does the time go?") and if we invite them over, we'll have to invite them. Or let's see if we can get those new drapes up or the hardwood floor polished by year's end. This may not be your situation exactly, but I think we all get the picture. That last minute push, those last good intentions, and of course those feelings of frustration and fear that we'll never get it all done.

Many years ago, the late Stanley Marcus, founder of Neiman Marcus, Texas' upscale, avant-garde fashion store, wrote a bestseller, Minding The Store. This autobiographical book was quite the thing to read in those days among the fashion conscious ladies. Of course, I perused a copy, loved it at the time, but can't remember a single quote today. However, something of the gist of this book has probably stuck in the subconscious. After all, I went to art school right in the shadow of Neiman Marcus, and like all art students, had the itch to have my own creations seen front and center.

Unfortunately, like so many of us artists discover, this is most often not the reality of the world. The need to make a living pushes us under the hands of jobs and bosses, a fate that I've always ranked up there with Chinese Water Torture. But the itch to "mind the store" so to speak has never really left--OK, I admit to being a bit egotistical and a control freak. But with all that nothing is as rewarding as forcing yourself into the discipline and routine of continuing to create and push your creations under everybody's nose. And in our era of High Tech, creating, minding, and stocking your own store can be right at your fingertips--if you don't mind spending hours in front of a computer and becoming a bit of the Geek--there's always a price to pay for one's passions.

Speaking of passion, one thing that does stick in the layers of this old brain from Mr. Marcus' book is the very need to have a passion. Motivation has to come from within, and the challenge is the game to be won, or at least a decent showing. No boss is standing there threatening your livelihood, but the constant struggle with your own imagination and desire to create with the perception and reality of what others will want to buy is a tyranny that can chase one day and night. No boss is standing over you yelling "Idiot!" but one's likely to yell it in the mirror when that wonderful idea that took a couple of hours to implement didn't get a single hit. On the other hand, it's a lot of fun playing with the strategy and statistics in your own head--figuring out the whims of cyberspace and surfers than having an irate customers or bosses calling you an idiot--not much rest for the eyes or the little gray cells. (Shades of Hercule Poirot?, Agatha Christie fans?)

So with all that said, kindly allow me to virtually push some of the latest BFT creations under your nose. Simply follow the links below; all links open in a new window. That way, when you close the window, you'll return to this Blog.

1) Gifts for the Season of Giving
A new section in BFT especially for the holidays. Among the sections in this gifts section is the 2006 Calendar Section. I've always noticed that people often buy or give as gifts special types of calendars. So here are a few designs that we hope you'll enjoy.

2) Way Out Weird Stuff
OK, I've admitted before that I'm an aging Boomer, and the taste for the weird stuff still comes out. Surely I'm not the only one! Why not put some of those absurdities that pop into the imagination on a few Tee's and Mugs?

3) BFT's latest Tees & Mugs
These sections of BFT are where it all hangs out. "Inspirations" from everywhere, old and new. Check it out.

4) A Tribute to John Lennon
I just can't seem to let this one go. 8 December will mark the 25th Anniversary of John Lennon's assassination--that's a whole generation now, and must admit I'm still stymied by the fact that he's gone. Were the 60's and 70's really that unique or was I just at that "Impressionable Age"? Maybe a bit of both; some who were still small children or not even born yet at the time of The Beatles, Flower Power, Anti-War Era feel a special connection to John. Maybe it's something in the Stars--more on that later. Whatever, do take some time, browse, take in a little nostalgia, and enjoy.

Finally, if you'd enjoy a few pic-prints/posters, be sure to check out Just Prints

Must run along now, but we'll be in touch.

We at BFT wish all a happy, healthy, peaceful Holiday Season,

Whichever holiday(s) you celebrate!

Onward and Upward,

~Paula Gaon

The More Things Change, The More They're the Same

2005-11-08T13:50:00.000+02:00

8 November 2005

Hello again,

Hope all is well. Our holidays passed in good time, a nice break from the day to day--generally. Unfortunately, there was an unexpected death, and a couple of acquaintances suffered heart attacks--one of whom is younger than I am. Gives one something to think about.

In spite of the fact that I'd worked very hard before the holidays to get everything caught up and updated, the Holiday Season is upon again, so I must make some fast tracks. The goals I've set for myself have not been realized, but have seen some progress, and in case I'm not around next year, would like to know that I did it. Unfortunately, resources are limited, and that always slows things down. Life can be frustrating! On the other hand, if I look on the bright side, things have been looking up--not to tempt the fates!

OK, so take a deep breath. You felt this way last year--frustrated with the limitations, the ever ticking of time and really wanting to get something done and a Catch 22 around every corner. Stop the panic, take it one step at a time, and you're not going to play another game of Solitaire until you've finished this, that and the other.

But guess what, life is really just a Big Old Game of Solitaire with a heck of a lot more than 52 cards and an infinite number of suites. Think about it:

1) You never know what you're going to turn up, but whatever it is, you have to make the best of it.

2) All too often, it's just more of the same old stuff that you already have and have absolutely no use for. But if you don't have that junk, you can't even play the game.

3) Occasionally, you do turn up exactly what you need--the key that opens the door to victory.

4) If you're bullheaded and persistent in playing the game, somewhere along the line you keep turning up all the cards you were dying for 2 or 3 games ago.

5) Remember the old adage, "Them that's got shall get"? It works like that in Life and Solitaire. The more you have out, ordered and secure, the more profitable everything you turn up is.

8) Of course one can always blow the whole game with one stupid oversight or mistake.

7) If you're really one to hang in there, eventually your strength goes your arms get tired and vision blurry.

8) And here's the real clincher. If you sit and figure the odds, the cards are always stacked against you, but if you don't play, what would you have been doing instead? Of course, one can always throw in the deck of cards and play another game altogether.

Onward and Upward,

'Till Next Time

~Paula Gaon

A Tribute to John Lennon, 9October1940-8December1980

2005-10-03T18:06:00.000+03:00

Jonn Lennon,
9 October 1940-8 December 1980
3 October 2005

Greetings,

Hope this post finds all well and happy. Still a bit pressured, almost keeping up--all things pass…

In any case, as stated in my profile, I am an aging Baby Boomer, scratching my head wondering where all the time has gone and at this stage find all sorts of stream of conscious thoughts swimming through my head. Another birthday is on the horizon; how can that really be my age, why haven't I …this that and the other… Know the feeling?

All during the young years, I had the distinction of sharing a birthday with John Lennon. In adolescence, this was a great source of pride. Even into young adulthood, the fact that I shared a birthday with one of our generation's greats gave some good vibes. Then, on 8 December 1980, as we were coming into real adulthood, getting to be grown-ups ourselves, some of us over 30 and therefore not trustworthy anymore, John was tragically murdered (John was 40 at the time, but that didn't matter, he was after all John Lennon!)

The moment I heard the news of John's death brought an instant internalization of the meaning of the word mortality. This is it, no more acerbic comments for the news. no hope of one last Beatles reunion/concert tour. I wasn't the only one. Instinctively, large numbers of "Our Generation" spontaneously congregated at parks, public places and the places we'd hung around 10 years before. I don't even remember driving to the "Hippies' Park", but somehow in a short time, I was among the crowd of wide-eyed, tearful Lennon fans--even ran into people that I hadn't seen much less thought about, since high school. Again, as if by magic, we ended up congregating at some friends' home who lived nearby, and discussing "The End of an Era". Several of us noted how we were now behaving like old folks after a funeral--what goes around comes around, talk about Instant Karma!

OK, so let's not get morbid here. I really want to talk about John's life. Again, the "Time Factor Thing" hit me the other day while talking to a young woman who was born in 1980. Boom, blind-sided again--a whole generation has been born, grown up and had kids of their own? "…Because the wind is high it blows my mind…" Whew! However, this young woman did know who John was and was familiar with his works. How many of us were into our parents' music?

Let's look at it and put it all into some sort of perspective. When the Fab Four hit the American shores, we were still in our naïve, post war world, high on our own issues and thankful for our high standard of living. "Long Haired Music" was what you had to listen to in music class at school--that's what came out of Europe. We've got Elvis and Motown--who needs it? Those people over there are still rebuilding after the War, in the shadow of the USSR, no less.

Guess again. "The Brits, they've got this new beat, The Beatles, and that hair, can you believe it?, and Paul, Ahhhhh, he's so cute, and that sweet voice! He and John write almost all their songs--and even songs for other Brits; but John's already married, he's really the leader, the tough one… Ringo's so cool with all those rings, and those baby blues, George is quiet, he plays lead guitar, he's sooooo talented bla, bla, bla…what else was there to talk about? The Beatles are touring the USA--gotta get tickets, who'd you see in line?, doesn't That Boy sort of look like John, Paul, George, Ringo? Oh, it seems like Yesterday…" It was indeed a phenomenon. The night The Fab Four appeared on Ed Sullivan, not a single crime was committed in New York City. Have we seen the likes since? Could any form of entertainment today excite our jaded psyches to such an extent?

But even back then time marched on. Those teenybopper melodies that The Fab Four sang on the American Tour with John usually in the limelight, (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah), some of which were even remakes ("Twist & Shout", "You Really Got a Hold On Me"--doesn't matter, The Beatles are singing it) soon started to take on a different character. Yes, the Brits had invaded again with Lennon and McCartney at the helm, John peering near-sightedly into the distant horizon and clear to India as we later discovered, but this time the Brits came to expand our world--for the next couple of generations. Within a few years of the Invasion, John had us listening to feedback and dogs barking ("I'm in Love With Her and I Feel Fine"); we called it music and reveled in the innovation. Need more innovation? What's this about a girl, Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds, no less? Must be drug related--LSD, get it? Nope, guess again. John was inspired by his little son's drawing--where'd he come up with such imagery--tangerine skis, kaleidoscope eyes? Uh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah is long gone, and now the music is taking on a strange Eastern twang. And what did John dare say about Jesus? No, no, you misunderstood; he said it about you and how important your religion is to you? Well, I never…

Twenty-five years later, after long ago passing John's age at the time of his death, I'm no less amazed by the phenomenon of a working class, orphaned, Liverpool boy's, rise to such accomplishment and fame. John was born with the ability to see into the deep layers of this thing we call life. Not only did he see, he spoke as well as took action, remember Amsterdam? John wasn't afraid to put his foot in his mouth, tweak our noses, and tell us we were a bunch of asses and include himself--"Nowhere man…isn't he a bit like you and me?" My fellow Libra could see the wrongs in the world and spit them out in such a succinct and jarring manner that we had to listen--"A working class hero…They hate you if you're clever and the despise a fool." Yet, he was never afraid of that tender Libra side that craves relationships--admitted in song, "I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round…"--doing the domestic thing, admit that he needs some sleep, rest to clear his head,--"No, don't wake me, please don't shake me…" not accomplishing anything right now the way you think I should, on to raging in California returning after a catharsis and admit to us "I don't believe in…I'm not the walrus, …I'm John" John played rhythm guitar and he accepted the rhythms of life and didn't know what it meant to be ashamed or let anyone force him to make excuses, after all, "Life is what happens while we're busy making plans.".

And before you get on your high horse, don't forget:
"Everybody's got one".

Imagine Still…
~Paula Gaon

A Sign of the Times?--A Few Notes on The Planet Pluto-Part 2

2005-09-22T13:16:00.000+03:00

Hello again!

Hope that everyone had a pleasant week, in spite of Pluto's heavy-handed influences I suppose that we just have to believe that it's all for the best. To continue with a little history of Pluto's influence during the course of history, let's take a look at a few examples of things that have happened when Pluto was in Sagittarius. Remember that Sagittarius is the sign of expansion and morality, higher education, philosophy/religion, long distance travel (physical and mental); and that Pluto is the planet of power, paying the piper (See last week's post, link in Archives on right.)

When Pluto was in Sagittarius from 1506-1520:

1) The Protestant Reformation was begun in Europe by Martin Luther in Germany and King Henry VIII in England.

2) The Catholic Church starts construction on St Peter's, quite a big undertaking at the time.

3) Copernicus goes against Catholic beliefs proclaiming that planets circle the Sun.

4) Magellan sets sail from Europe to circumnavigate the EarthCortez enters Mexico, has Montezuma, native leader murdered and takes off with his gold. To this day many still come up against "Montezuma's Revenge".

5) Roughly 200 years later, when Pluto was again in Sagittarius, was an era of global expansion, colonialism/mercantilism--the first example of Globalization. Interesting, hey?

OK, so much for history and the current geopolitical picture. On a personal level, many of us are feeling the effects of Pluto on our Natal Charts--some more so than others. Unfortunately, I can only present a very general picture here for those most affected by Pluto's current placement.
Pluto is at about 22 degrees in Sagittarius now, near the end of the sign. In spite of the fact that each sign is 30 degrees, since Pluto is such a slow mover and also goes into retrogrades (appears to be moving backwards), it will be in Sagittarius until 2008. So the following influences will be in effect for quite some time. In general, these effects will be strongest for those born in the last half of the following signs. Those born in the first half are not likely to experience them.

1) Sagittarius
Sagittarians may find moderation difficult. Likes and dislikes could become more intense. Watch out for your ego. It may come on a little strong. You could also find that you're more assertive and competitive. Your social conscious is likely to be very strong and you're likely to be very intolerant of injustice and unfairness of any kind. The next 2+ years could be very interesting for you.

2) Gemini
The next 2+ years may not be so pleasant for Gemini. Geminis may feel defensive find it difficult to get along with others.

3) Virgo and Pisces
Virgos and Pisces may experience a new revolutionary spirit! As pressures build up, you guys may just suddenly explode! Compromise may not come so easily either. Hum, this could be interesting…

4) Libra
The next 2+ years could be nice for Libras and Aquarians. Communication and leadership abilities could be greatly enhanced making it a lot easier to get what you really want. Enjoy!

5) Ariesand Leo
Concentration and will may be greatly enhanced. Aries and Leos may have significant easement in using innate talents. Perception and insights may also be sharpened. Could it be that an Aries or Leo will make a far-reaching, significant discovery or breakthrough during the next 2+ years?

Sorry, Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, and Capricorn, I'm not ignoring those of you born under these signs. It's just not possible to make any generalities based solely on your Sun Signs. In addition, please remember that the notes on the above signs are very general. No accurate readings can be made without one's entire natal chart. Let's just all remember to make the best of however the stars influence us!

A wise person knows the stars, a fool is ruled by them.

Have a good one,~Paula
Next Post: A Tribute to John Lennon, 9 October 1940-8 December 1980

A Sign of the Times?--A Few Notes on The Planet Pluto

2005-09-15T21:30:00.000+03:00

"The Phoenix"

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Ever wonder why the last few years have been so tumultuous? Think about it--natural disasters of the past few years--The huge Earthquakes in Istanbul, Turkey; Tzunami in Southeast Asia, Hurricane Katrina in the USA and Ophilia threatening further destruction. The political areana has been no less so. 1995 saw the first ever assasination of an Israeli prime minister. Israel has even retreated from her triumphant victory of the Six Day War and evacuated Gaza--a real turnaround in ideology. George Bush has had anything but an easy time in the US involvement in Iraqu. But the real shocker was, and will in all liklihood remain the big shocker at least for a generation the radical Islamic attack on the Twin Towers on 911--truly a day that will live in infamy.

When I think of the last few years, I can't help but point the finger at Pluto, the planet of power. As most of us know, Pluto is the farthest from the Sun, taking about 200 years to go around the Sun. But in astrological terms, it's anything but the cold dark planet that we learned about in fifth grade. In astrology, Pluto packs a puch. It's associated with crime, the underworld, viruses, obsessions, even terrorism and the will of the masses. Pluto forces us to look within and deal with what we'd probably rather keep buried--no running away from it. Absolutely nothing is gentle about Pluto.

So what's this got to do with all the craziness in the world today? Pluto moved into the sign of Sagittarius in November 1995 and will remain there until 2008. Now bear with me here. Sagittarius is the sign of expansion, long distance travel, physically and spiritually, religion/ philosophy (i.e. belief). Sagittarius is far-sighted, gregarious, bold. It's the sign associated with nature. If you're a kitty lover like me, you'll appreciate the fact that kitties (actually all animals) are considered to be Sagittarians. At it best Sagittarius is discerning; at its worst, moralistic, with a capital M! Starting to get the picture now? All this heavy duty power in an expansive, far-reaching, gregarious, fire sign, physical action. On top of that, religion figures into the picture; and Pluto doesn't know the expression, "Live and let live".

We're probably in for a lot more "action" on the world scene. Let's hope and pray for the best!

~Paula Gaon

Time, Relativity, Art, and a Little Astrology

2005-09-11T10:41:00.000+03:00

Happy Birthday Virgos!

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Hello hello,

Yes it's been awhile; no, I haven't forgotten about blogging--G-d forbid! Due to financial considerations, I've had to rearrange my schedule. Technically, this was no great feat, but practically it has scrambled my head a bit. By nature, I'm a Night Owl. Evening hours activate the creative juices and I can literally build up a momentum that lasts until the wee hours of the morning. Granted, this recent change of schedule is only a matter of two hours in the morning right here in the neighborhood. I don't have any kids to blame for distractions, and even live alone, so there are really no distractions in the house. So what's the excuse? Simply, a problem of "relativity". I feel like everything has been turned topsy-turvy. When the momentum gets going, suddenly realize that I'd better go to bed in the next hour or so, or getting up in the morning and being alert for those couple of hours will be a real challenge. Then of course, changes never present themselves in isolation. There's always that little something that you have to take care of as a result of the change, right? So, another hour or 2 out, then home and really must rest and eat something before getting involved in Art, Astrology, or Blog, right. Even the Stars are influencing my normally reclusive life-style to be more outgoing. OK, so all things have their times and cycles. I suppose Albert Einstein was right when he said, "G-d doesn't play dice."

In any case, through the years, believe it or not, I've found Einstein to be a great source of inspiration. He certainly taught us the implications of Relativity in this world. His discovery redefined our concept of what energy; light and mass are and for better or worse bequeathed us Baby boomers and generations to come with the reality of nuclear energy. We still think of that E=mc2 equation as the quintessential stroke of human genius of our era. But what's genius really? I've come to think that it's really more in making connections more than the ability to acquire knowledge--i.e.,-Imagination. Seeing things from a fresh and different angle, or connecting bits and pieces of knowledge that are usually thought to be unrelated. Let's look at it like this. Suppose an extraterrestrial power has developed the ability to see other planets all throughout the universe. Depending on their distance from Earth, if they are looking at us now, because of the great distance and speed of light, they could actually be observing the Middle Ages, the American Revolution, or even the nuclear blast at Hiroshima. If they actually decide to visit our fair planet, they could be in for some real surprises. So, with all their genius, they could decide that somehow, they failed to calibrate their instruments correctly, or that what they saw is no longer relative to real time. In my humble opinion, a real genius would be able to extrapolate reality (or the perception of it) from what was observed on the home planet. Now that would indeed be a challenge!

So, back to the Relativity of my current reality, I'm having to learn to capture and recapture thoughts, impressions and intentions. One old fashioned trick I've had to rediscover is the plain old note pad. In this High Tech Era, we've tended to forget the power just scribbling something down, sketch, note, or idea, "To Do List". Our minds still retain ideas better when we write them down physically because the brain is neurologically connected to the motor controls, and physical activity can still facilitate thought.

Unfortunately, even I'm not old enough to really remember Einstein, but like many of us who were in college in the 70's, read the popular Life and Times book, which explained in fairly simple terms how he came to the Theory of Relativity. I remember at the time thinking that it was all a matter of making connections. Einstein was what is commonly known as dyslexic, but I prefer to think that he just had a very unconventional way of looking at things--a unique way of perceiving the world and making connections. Of course we can't travel at the speed of light, we're not light and by definition, the speed of light can only be attained by light. (Reminds me of when I was about 4 or 5. I kept expecting everyone in our car to get smaller and smaller as we traveled because when I stood in the front yard and people drove away, their car got smaller and smaller--now this is really getting wild!) When I look at pictures of Einstein, the depth that one sees in his eyes has always struck me. Always got the feeling that he wasn't looking at anything. Rather, he absorbed and processed--trying to understand of the mysteries, synthesis, and synergies of creation. He must have been a very spiritual and creative man. Hum, while I was typing this Blog, something my father (also an accomplished scientist), of blessed memory used to say popped into my head: "All of Nature is based on the mathematical number e, (i.e. growth curves, etc), except death itself. It must be division by 0 and undefined in this world as we know it."--Very spiritual and scientific…

Whatever, Nature has her frameworks, limitations and definitions and we must always find a way to perceive and cope with reality, whatever that is, to our own advantage.

For right now, the clock is ticking away in GMT +2, so I gotta get going!

Have a good one,

~Paula

Mercury's coming OUT of retrograde!--Whew!!!

2005-08-16T11:00:00.000+03:00

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Hello!

Mercury's coming out of retrograde Tuesday,16 August, but we'll feel the effects until week's end. I sure have. All that new work that I was going to do for my Just Prints Gallery has gotten stuck on the drawing board. The "Muses" were very uncooperative, co-ordination of everything was off, heat wave muddled this ever aging brain--you name it! I'd like to think of times like this as recharging the batteries, letting the sub-conscious take over--can be hard though when the subconscious is muddled by a Mercury retrograde, or plain old rest and relaxation. Whatever, like Jacob, of Biblical fame, sometimes we just have to lie on out backs and watch the angels go up and down the ladder. Is this what the shrinks call burnout?

But something very strange happened on the way to chalking up another day to confusion. After a cool shower and a nice fruit drink, this old head started to clear. Honestly, I don't know how it happened. Found myself drawing away; & what I couldn't accomplish in a week was done in an hour or so. Sometimes wonder if I suffer from temporary retardation. Strange how things sometimes fall into place when we cease to make an effort. Maybe my mother was right about holding your mouth right.

Satchel Page said it best: "Sometimes I sets and thinks and sometimes I just sets." Lot of wisdom in those words!

Have a great week!
~Paula Gaon

Harry Potter, Hype, & The Half Blood Prince

2005-08-07T15:47:00.000+03:00

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Hello, and greetings, Everyone!

Well, the Half Blood Prince has been out for about 3 weeks now, so I don't feel bad about writing a S-P-O-I-L-E-R. Scraped up my pennies and finally managed a copy. Lost a couple of nights sleep reading, and voila! I'm a bit disappointed. There's no other way to put it. The best of everything, literature, popular fiction, movies, art, you name it, seem to all fall pray to hype in the end. As an artist and web merchant, I can't criticize. If you don't stick some hype in there, nobody's going to notice, no matter how great the work. And, let's face it, nobody wants his/her hard work and sacrifice to produce a work of art that will be totally unrecognized.

But with all that said, I'd really hoped for a little more plot development in the series--at least a few explanations of some of the things that have been hanging us up all this time--like how do house elves apparate within Hogwarts? And, what the heck was some of that stuff in the Minestry of Magic. I was especially disappointed that Neville was hardly mentioned, not to speak of his parents, in HBP. Really expected some kind of revelation here.

From my astrological reading for Harry, I expected a significant influence from a woman, but who would have guessed that the spacey, Trelawney would be the one to reveal to Harry Snape's involvement in the death of his parents? Frankly I've never liked or trusted Snape; always felt that Dumbledore was really hoping against hope. But to have Snape turn into the cold blooded murder of the most "divine" character of the series...Wow! The only thing that I can figure is that JKR had to kill Dumbledore off to force Harry to become a real adult. But where does that leave our hero's blood protection spell, worked by DD? Now that DD is gone, is the spell still in force? Or, since Harry will turn 17 in just a few months at book's end, maybe this is a moot point.

It's clear enough HBP's end that Harry is no longer the poor, undernourished, bespecaled, victimized kid. He's on his way to manhood, understanding more fully the real nature of evil and the falacy of so-called prophesies. Ok, that's no small feat, but for goodness sake, we've read five substantial books with lots of information (leaving room for lots of speculation) that seems to have fallen by the wayside. Was most of it simply hype? How's JKR going to tie it all together? What's going to become of the Order of the Phoenix now that Snape's on the loose with so much info?

Well, like everybody else, I have no choice but to wait. But am certainly hoping for some real earth shattering developments in Book 7. And really hoping that our hero doesn't meet the same fate as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot!

That's it for now,

Have a great week!

~Paula Gaon

Happy Birthday, Leos!

2005-08-01T12:29:00.000+03:00

2 August 2005
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Greetings Everyone,

And a special Happy Birthday to all Leos.

Yes, it has been awhile since I posted, but warned you about the Mercury retrograde. Decided to take my own advice, rest, and regroup. Hope all is going well for everyone. I certainly have felt the effects of the retrograde, but one has to learn to change these astrological whamos into opportunities--a real challenge sometimes, right?

Here we are, starting another new month. The year is more than half over. Where does the time go? Let's all hope and pray for a calm and peaceful month. Sun has moved into Leo, and will be there until 23 August, when it moves into Virgo. But that's not all for you, Leos. Mercury will be in retrograde in Leo until 16 August 2005. Mercury rules all communications and short distance travel, so during Mercury retrograde things can simply go awry. This is not the time to bring things to a conclusion; best to concentrate on laying groundwork and plans--and be ready for unexpected "snafus". So dear Leo, before you go into one of your flamboyant acts, better consider carefully what you say and to whom you say it.

Mercury also rules Gemini and Virgo, so you guys may suffer some of the effects of this retrograde too. Since Mercury is at an uncomfortable angle with the Sun of those born early in the signs of Taurus, Scorpio, and Aquarius, those born in the first half of these signs should be a little more careful too. One final note, dear Leo, as if you don't have enough to worry about. Saturn has moved into Leo. Your self-esteem may take a beating, but do try to lighten up and not be so serious. Focus on your goals and you'll get the recognition you want.

Venus is in Virgo until about 16 August--not very conducive to romance. But in Libra, Venus' natural home, we'll see a different story; and remember that Mercury comes out of retrograde on the same date. The stars can be gracious. But, let's be careful of our romantic feelings. When Venus is in Libra, our romantic feelings can get out of hand. Venus and Jupiter will conjunct, combine energies, in Libra around the 26th. This conjunction can bring about generosity and optimism and a touch of laziness. We deserve it after the Mercury retrograde, don't you think?

Mars will be in Taurus all month, producing plenty of practical and emotional energy with a pretty flat physical side. Not so awful with everything else going on this month. Mars will square (be about 90 degrees from) Saturn in Leo for the first two weeks of the month. We may feel defensive in personal relationships and find it hard to be optimistic. But take heart, after the 16th, we should all feel the cloud lift! Have a great month.

Be sure to check MoonTrek often for Moon's latest influences.

Wishing all a peaceful and prosperous month,
~Paula

Mercury Retrograde & Inspiration

2005-07-21T12:18:00.000+03:00

21 July 2005
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Greetings Everyone,

The Grand Fire Trine is rapidly passing. Sun will move to Leo in a couple of days. And, Mercury will go into retrograde, appear to be going backwards, on the same day, until 16 August 2005. Whew! Lots of action Leos. But we shall prevail!

Mercury influences metal processes, communications, short rang travel--running around town. Gemini and Virgo are ruled by Mercury. So, you guys should be a bit more careful too. During a Mercury retrograde, it can be difficult to bring things to a conclusion. Expect "snafus" in communicating with others or when trying to make plans. Most importantly, don't go nuts trying to wrap things up. More than likely, it'll be better and healthier for all of us if we just take a deep breath and concentrate on planning, taking care of all those pesky little tasks that have to be done before completing any project.

I plan to take my own advice and set the groundwork for some new ideas. Lately, have needed to do a lot of "virtual running around" to encourage web traffic. There's no getting around it, can be interesting, but after awhile, some new blood's got to be infused. Frankly, the Retrograde may be a refreshing change of focus to see the big picture in a clearer light.

So, for the next few weeks, let's look at the bright side of what's normally seen as gumming up the works!

Have a great weekend!
~Paula Gaon

Fire, Fire Signs, & The Half Blood Prince, Latest of the Harry Potter Series

2005-07-17T10:38:00.000+03:00

Greetings all! Wishing everyone a peaceful, healthy, successful and happy week.

This week the operative word is fire. First of all, and unfortunately, the unrest and violence in the world, secondly The Grand Trine in the Fire Signs of the Zodiac, and last but not least, Saturday's release of the latest book in the Harry Potter series, Half Blood Prince. In case you're not a Harry Potter Fan, Harry's Sun Sign is Leo, the second of the three fire signs.

Fire, represents humanity's control over the environment, our ability to improve our quality of life by creating lasting and durable goods as well as control the quality of our health and diet by cooking and/or preserving food. In the ancient world, fire was considered an element. Today, we've further analyzed fire and no longer consider it a basic element, but the fact remains that the ability to use and control fire is one of the abilities that separates us Homo Sapiens from the rest of the Animal Kingdom. Mythologies throughout history relate to the importance of fire; and world literature abounds with stories about fire. The Ancient Greeks thought that fire originally belonged to the gods and was stolen by Man. The symbol of rebirth was the Phoenix; the mythical bird who was reborn from the ashes of fire that consumed it. Even in the Biblical Tradition fire holds a special place. No fire is mentioned in the Garden of Eden; everything was provided, meat was not eaten, why would Adam and Eve need fire? The Jewish Sages taught that G-d gave them fire upon their expulsion from the Garden of Eden because they were so afraid. And, no matter how High-Tech we get, fire and the ability to use and control fire will always be essential.

As I've said before, I'm not getting into discussions of the geopolitical situation. Frankly, I'll never understand it and have decided to restrict BFT's discussions to the higher ideals. (If you'd like to read a few of my political rambling, see LittleGreenFootballsBlog) What else can you expect from someone whose Natal Chart has Jupiter in the Ninth House, ruled by Sagittarius, a Fire Sign? More about that later.

Now, on to the current Astrological Map. A Grand Trine occurs when at least 3 different planets align at roughly the same angle, one in each of 3 signs, all signs the same element. In this case, Mars in Aries, Mercury and Venus conjuncting, combining energies, in Leo, and Pluto in Sagittarius. In addition, from Monday afternoon through Tuesday, Moon will conjunct with Pluto, in Sagittarius, giving Pluto's powerful aggressive nature a romantic intensity. Trines bring easement, to those them in the Natal Chart, as well as events. A Grand Trine even more so. Since this one involves so many planets, it should be very interesting. In case you haven't guessed, the 3 signs involved are the Fire Signs. And by the way, the last Grand Fire Trine was in September 1975. So we see what a special astrological event this is.

The Fire Signs are physical, authoritative, aggressive, farseeing, honorable and studious. They tend to project the self, the ego, will and creativity. They show how one is distinguished from others.

Again the planets involved in the Grand Trine, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Pluto, and Moon, for about 24 hours, let's discuss the influence of each Trine.

1) The trine between Mercury and Mars suggests an alertness and cleverness. There is a practical and positive approach to life. Reasoning powers and action are harmonized. Creative energy is facilitated as well as the ability to express it. The ability to be productive is linked to the success in controlling restlessness. There is almost immediate response to all mental stimuli. This aspect strengthens the mind.

2) The trine between Mercury and Pluto shows the ability to get to the roots of an issue in a mental sense. Concentration is intense. There is an easy understanding of logic, and of cause and effect.

3) The trine between Venus to Mars facilitates warmth, affection, and congeniality. Public relations are particularily enhanced. This placement often provides talent in music, art, or drama. And energy to bring such talent to expression.

4) The trine between Venus and Pluto shows an intense, well directed romance nature. Affections are not scattered or wasted. Integrity is solid and unshakable.

5) A trine between Mars and Pluto shows that assertiveness well aligned with the dedication to causes. Effectiveness in solving problems in society is facilitated because there is a deep understanding of those problems and their origins. Services are offered out of spiritual convictions. Romantic connections have deep meaning and interest. There is a caring nature that extends in several directions to transform others.

6) Moon's 24 hour presencein the Sunday through Thursday Grand Trine will give the Trine a dimension of emotional stability. Problem solving, especially for emotional and domestic problems, should be greatly enhanced. Imagination, psychic energy and intellectual powers should also be greatly enhanced. Simply, life can be more harmonious.

A major event this week could have real historical significance. Who wouldn't like to see the focusing of the Grand Trine's energies towards a major breakthrough in getting to the roots of and solving at least some of the world's problems?

Children born during this Grand Trine could turn out to be very special leaders of the next generation. The emotional and intellectual balance, the right kind of assertiveness, the psychic energy, along with the intellect and cleverness of the Grand Fire Trine could produce some leaders of very special talents. I for one hope to be around to see them in action! I'd even be happy to see what those born in 1975 in action!

All the very best,

~Paula Gaon

Subject: Harry's Astrological Reading
At the Beginning of Year Six

Hello Everyone,

Yes, it's been a long time since I've posted; have been lurking, but now like everyone else, am waiting with baited breath for Half Blood Prince.

The one thing that really sticks in my mind was the end of Order of the Phoenix. Remember the end, when Ron mentions a couple of times that they saw Uranus. Can't help but think that this is JKR giving us a bit of foreshadowing. Uranus is associated with sudden, swift and unexpected changes, progressiveness--it's the wildcard of all the planets. So I did a little looking into my astrological charts, figured out Harry's chart and looked up the position of the planets at the beginning of the school year in Book 6. I posted a few months ago Harry's chart, so this time, thought it would be fun to look at the influences our hero will be facing at the beginning of the school year.

To review a little, Harry's a Leo Sun, and Pisces Moon. This combination is likely to be a very serious person with motives that are usually the highest. Pisces is considered by most to be the most psychic of Moons. (Harry's pretty close to a Grand Trine in water signs, too, but that's another story.) So the confidence and majesty of Leo combined with the more regressive, psychic Pisces Moon give us out kind hearted, tuned in Harry. Harry's natal Mercury is in Cancer, hence the intuitive and emotional mind that we know and love. Venus is in Gemini, generating the need for a variety of experiences and curiosity about people, as well as the need for intelligent company--Harry/Hermione Shippers love this one. Unfortunately our hero may have a fatal flaw. Moon and Saturn are opposing, possibly restricting the spontaneous flow of ideas and generating a bit of pessimism. Remember that Moon also rules home, family and family traditions. Harry has certainly known restrictions on this front!

On to the astrological influences at the beginning of the school year: The first thing that stands out is the fact that Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are all in retrograde, appear to be going backwards--not exactly calming influences. At the beginning of Harry's sixth year, Uranus, the wildcard and up setter, was in the area of home, family, roots. Could a major cataclysm be about to take place at the Dursleys? Wouldn't it be a scream if Aunt Petunia decided she's had enough of her fat and fussy husband? Or, better still, what if we were to find out that both Auntie and Dudley have been hiding magical powers all this time and that Dudley's such a bad boy due to Vernon's constant raging? I really have a strong gut feeling that JKR is likely to give us a real surprise on the home front. In addition, transit Uranus is very favorably aspected with Pluto, planet of power, possibly giving Harry surprising and sudden easement and lasting strength in several areas--love, higher studies, and possibly some good times without the chaos that Uranus can bring on. Uranus' angle with Venus in Harry's natal chart could cause us to see a side of our hero that we've never seen before--can't wait!

Taking a look at transit Neptune, we see some interesting possibilities. Neptune is the chameleon of the planets--rules dreams, wishes, hopes as well as illusions. And in retrograde, logic can completely fall by the wayside. However, creativity can get a real boost. Neptune is at a very favorable angle with Harry's natal Moon; there's a strong possibility that he could be influenced strongly by a woman. Normally, we'd be afraid of some sort of illusion here, but Neptune is also at a favorable angle with Harry's natal Saturn, which will have a very sobering effect on any possible illusions.

Finally, let's take a look at the transit influences on Harry's Sun, the essential star in any birth chart. Again, Uranus is figuring into the equation in a major way! It's opposing (about 180 degrees from) Harry's natal Sun. This is a very stressful aspect, and likely to produce far-reaching changes. Let's hope our hero makes them slowly and carefully because this aspect is also associated with accidents. Transiting Saturn, in retrograde indicate that Harry should keep a close eye on his wider circle of associates--an existing problem is likely to surface here and will have to be dealt with. Could the Malfoy family have a dirty trick up their sleeves? Or can we expect a betrayal of some sort?

Harry's under some pretty complicated and intense influences at the beginning of his sixth year. I'm sure we're all anxious and maybe a little worried. But take heart. JKR has created our hero with the natal chart of one who's likely to emerge a strong, authoritative, and benevolent leader, not the least bit afraid to fight if there's no choice--watch out "He Who Must Not Be Named", you've met your match!. Harry may well emerge a successful politician. Anyone suspect that Harry's on the fast track to step into DD's shoes when the time comes?

See Harry's Natal Chart at:
http://www.astrologywithcommonsense.bravehost.com/harry.html

More HP Astrology http://www.bft.blogspot.com/

See the Mythical & Magical Creatures: http://www.cafepress.com/bft/311601

Subject: The latest Harry Potter Book + A Little Astrology

Click here to view Harry's Natal Chart in a new window.

In a little more than a week, the latest Harry Potter book will go on sale. I'm beside myself waiting and am desperately trying to scrape together a little extra money to buy a copy of Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince. Have already read the first five of this seven book series--each one two or three times and still can't get enough. In my humble opinion, J K Rowling's HP series of an English schoolboy who discovers he's a wizard and goes off to study at a special school for wizards and witches for the next 7 years is the most exciting, mentally stimulating and just plain fun cultural phenomenon to come out in many years. Her depth and breath of knowledge in so many fields, world mythologies, human psychology and behavior, even Biblical Tradition, to name a few, combined with such creative and imaginative storytelling never cease to amaze. I'm looking forward to more than a few hours riveted to the pages of the next book.

Book Five, Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix, like any self-respecting serial novel, left us hanging. For the past two years, I've been mulling over where the last big scene would lead. In the end, I decided that there must be an astrological slant to the whole thing. So I've done a little "research" and am sharing a few ideas.

At the end of Order of the Phoenix Ron, Harry best friend, mentions a couple of times that they saw Uranus. JKR is a great plot developer, and I'm almost willing to bet that she's giving us a bit of foreshadowing. Uranus is associated with sudden, swift and unexpected changes, progressiveness--it's the wildcard of all the planets. After studying Harry's astrological chart and the position of the planets at the beginning of his school year in Book 6, I'm daring to post at least a couple of articles here with a few theories. Enjoy!

Harry's a Leo Sun, and Pisces Moon. This combination is likely to be a very serious person, as we know Harry to be, with motives that are usually the highest. Pisces is considered by most to be the most psychic of Moons. So the confidence and majesty of Leo combined with the more regressive, psychic Pisces Moon give us a kind hearted, tuned in Harry. Harry's natal Mercury is in Cancer, hence the intuitive and emotional mind that HP fans know and love. Venus is in Gemini, generating the need for a variety of experiences and curiosity about people, as well as the need for intelligent company--Hermione fans love this one. Unfortunately our hero may have a fatal flaw. Moon and Saturn are opposing, possibly restricting the spontaneous flow of ideas and generating pessimism and difficulties relating to others and expressing ideas. Moon also rules home, family and family traditions. Those who've read any of the books know this score.

If we go with the more liberal method of calculating aspects, angles between planets, Harry has what's known as a Grand Water Trine. This simply means that there is at least one planet in each of the water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, and each planet is 120 degrees from the other two. Remember the Zodiac is a circle. A Grand Trine isn't so common, and is considered an incredible easement. Harry's Grand Trine: Mercury in Cancer, Uranus in Scorpio, and Moon in Pisces. The trine formed between the Moon and Mercury indicates a shrewd, careful, and common sense mind. A Moon/Uranus Trine shows one who's not exactly a rebel to authority, but would never hesitate to challenge anyone who assumes power irresponsibly. Those of you who've read the series certainly recognize this trait. The trine formed between Mercury and Uranus grants a special type of mental ability associated with the intuition. Flashes of intuitive insight are amazingly accurate. Again, HP fans will identify these traits immediately.

When I did Harry's "reading" for the first day of the new school year, Uranus, the wildcard and up setter, is indeed transiting, moving through, Harry's natal chart at a very critical point. We can expect some swift, unexpected and very surprising changes and/or revelations in Harry's home life. At least, that's my gut feeling, and I have Jupiter in Pisces--big-time expansive psychic abilities.

So, in the next post, will discuss a few theories for Book 7.

~Paula

So What's BFT All About?Which are you, mouse, cheese or cat?

2005-07-12T13:09:00.000+03:00

Which are you, mouse, cheese, or cat?

12July 2005

Hello Everyone,

Hope all is well and we can enjoy a little peace in this world. Frankly, the news headlines around the world never cease to shock. I find it harder and harder to even listen; so much is simply beyond comprehension--explosions in London, then Cesme, Turkey. I was lucky enough to live in Izmir, Turkey for 2 years, very near Cesme--one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The only question that has always and still comes to mind is "What do terrorists want and what do they really have to gain?" It's beyond me; and time spent listening to news is directly proportioned to my blood pressure reading--the more news, the higher the reading. But, BFT is not a blog for geopolitical issues. I'll post those on "Little Green Footballs".

So what's BFT really about? To answer that question, I'll have to tell you a little about me, the Blogger. First and foremost, I'm an artist, in spite of the fact that for many years I've wished that I'd been born just a normal person who could hold down a regular soul-sucking job. All of us have to earn our daily bread. Secondly, I'm just the type of person who's slated to be a life long learner and work more efficiently and creatively when working independently in the peace and quiet if my own home. If you're into astrology, you'll recognize the syndrome of Jupiter in the 9th house, plus Sun/Saturn conjunction. An interesting aside here, Sun is squaring, about 90 degrees from, Mars for most of the month. This aspect is known for encouraging agressive behaviour--take a deep breath.

With all of the above said, BFT is simply my stream of conscious thoughts and ramblings about the creative process and the sharing of images and thoughts. I'm convinced that none of us is totally unique; there has to be a common thread of consciousness; somebody somewhere's bound to enjoy each of our ramblings. In addition to that, it would be nice to knock out some of the pessimism that's built up over the years:

"They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool."

~John Lennon

No one is doomed to be the cheese all his/her life and just sit there!

Happy Trails,

~Paula Gaon

Thoughts on the World& A Little More Harry Potter

2005-07-10T10:53:00.000+03:00

Be sure to visit the HP Convention Cities

Click here to view Harry's Natal Chart in a new window.

Hello Everyone,

Here's wishing you a good week--a safe, quiet and peaceful week where ever you are on this ever shrinking planet. The attact in London has us all bummed out. Back in the 70's when I was just a goofy college student, London was THE PLACE to go and wander around at all hours from place to place with no worries of security. Unfortunately, those days are gone for now--it's hard to imagine. Let's all hope and pray that they will return soon.

OK, on to a happier note. It's less than a week before the newest Harry Potter book, Half Blood Prince. I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit that I'm besides myself with anticipation. Even an old lady like me needs a little fantasy. The imagination has to stay alive. In honor of the upcoming event, yes maybe this is going off on the deep end, have added an "astrological prediction page" to my astrology site for fellow HP fans.

Check it out, enjoy, have a few laughs. We can all use them!

See ya round,
~Paula Gaon

The Latest Harry Potter Book + A Little Astrology

2005-07-07T11:01:00.000+03:00

Be sure to visit the HP Convention Cities

Click here to view Harry's Natal Chart in a new window.

In a little more than a week, the latest Harry Potter book will go on sale. I'm beside myself waiting and am desperately trying to scrape together a little extra money to buy a copy of Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince. Have already read the first five of this seven book series--each one two or three times and still can't get enough. In my humble opinion, J K Rowling's HP series of an English schoolboy who discovers he's a wizard and goes off to study at a special school for wizards and witches for the next 7 years is the most exciting, mentally stimulating and just plain fun cultural phenomenon to come out in many years. Her depth and breath of knowledge in so many fields, world mythologies, human psychology and behavior, even Biblical Tradition, to name a few, combined with such creative and imaginative storytelling never cease to amaze. I'm looking forward to more than a few hours riveted to the pages of the next book.

Book Five, Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix, like any self-respecting serial novel, left us hanging. For the past two years, I've been mulling over where the last big scene would lead. In the end, I decided that there must be an astrological slant to the whole thing. So I've done a little "research" and am sharing a few ideas.

At the end of Order of the Phoenix Ron, Harry best friend, mentions a couple of times that they saw Uranus. JKR is a great plot developer, and I'm almost willing to bet that she's giving us a bit of foreshadowing. Uranus is associated with sudden, swift and unexpected changes, progressiveness--it's the wildcard of all the planets. After studying Harry's astrological chart and the position of the planets at the beginning of his school year in Book 6, I'm daring to post at least a couple of articles here with a few theories. Enjoy!

Harry's a Leo Sun, and Pisces Moon. This combination is likely to be a very serious person, as we know Harry to be, with motives that are usually the highest. Pisces is considered by most to be the most psychic of Moons. So the confidence and majesty of Leo combined with the more regressive, psychic Pisces Moon give us a kind hearted, tuned in Harry. Harry's natal Mercury is in Cancer, hence the intuitive and emotional mind that HP fans know and love. Venus is in Gemini, generating the need for a variety of experiences and curiosity about people, as well as the need for intelligent company--Hermione fans love this one. Unfortunately our hero may have a fatal flaw. Moon and Saturn are opposing, possibly restricting the spontaneous flow of ideas and generating pessimism and difficulties relating to others and expressing ideas. Moon also rules home, family and family traditions. Those who've read any of the books know this score.

If we go with the more liberal method of calculating aspects, angles between planets, Harry has what's known as a Grand Water Trine. This simply means that there is at least one planet in each of the water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, and each planet is 120 degrees from the other two. Remember the Zodiac is a circle. A Grand Trine isn't so common, and is considered an incredible easement. Harry's Grand Trine: Mercury in Cancer, Uranus in Scorpio, and Moon in Pisces. The trine formed between the Moon and Mercury indicates a shrewd, careful, and common sense mind. A Moon/Uranus Trine shows one who's not exactly a rebel to authority, but would never hesitate to challenge anyone who assumes power irresponsibly. Those of you who've read the series certainly recognize this trait. The trine formed between Mercury and Uranus grants a special type of mental ability associated with the intuition. Flashes of intuitive insight are amazingly accurate. Again, HP fans will identify these traits immediately.

When I did Harry's "reading" for the first day of the new school year, Uranus, the wildcard and up setter, is indeed transiting, moving through, Harry's natal chart at a very critical point. We can expect some swift, unexpected and very surprising changes and/or revelations in Harry's home life. At least, that's my gut feeling, and I have Jupiter in Pisces--big-time expansive psychic abilities.

So, in the next post, will discuss a few theories for Book 7.
Happy Flying,

~Paula Gaon

Happy Birthday, Ringo Starr!

2005-07-05T10:34:00.000+03:00

5 July 2005

Happy Birthday, Ringo Starr

7 July 1940

Happy Birthday, Ringo! Yes, I'm at it again wishing another Beatle a happy birthday. Ringo's birthday is only 19 days after Paul's, but he has a couple of real distinctions of his own. First of all, Ringo is the oldest Beatle, born 3 months before John Lennon. Secondly, he's the only blue-eyed member of the Fab Four. Eye color may sound a bit trite, but take it from one who remembers well, the sight of Ringo's baby blues brought more than a few to an old fashioned Victorian swoon. How many of you remember the breathlessness many of us teenyboppers experienced at the sight of Ringo's sweet innocent look, while wandering around to his theme, "That Boy" in "Hard Day's Night"? We couldn't see the color; "Hard Day's Night" was in black and white, nonetheless we certainly thought we could! Ahhhhh, such innocence!

I've already admitted that John was and always will be my favorite. But, Ringo deserves his due. No one could ever claim that he was a real looker; even back then we made fun of his nose. Nor, did he seem to have the intensity, drive and ego of Lennon and McCartney, or possess George's deep mystic understanding. But the few tunes that Ringo sang when he was with the Beatles (Remember "Honey Don't" and "They Gonna Put Me In The Movies"?) had a very distinctive style of their own. When the Beatles split, we really saw Ringo's jovial, Western, Bluesy, style in full flower--no heavy stuff or deep messages, just some real feel good tunes. I have to admit that in spite of the "sophistication" of my youth, I really enjoyed them. However, Ringo's real coup, in my humble opinion, was "No, no, no…". Many of you probably thought the Reagans came up with "Just Say No". But Ringo said it all in a nutshell a decade earlier: "No thank you please, it only make me sneeze; and then it makes it hard to find the door."

Seems like Ringo was trying to warn us back then--"been there done that, it's time to move on". Thanks a lot Ringo! Personally, I feel more and more that you were trying to tell us to find the door, go out and "Act Naturally". John Lennon probably summed it up best: "Ringo is Ringo, that's all there is to it. And he's every bloody bit as warm, unassuming, funny, and kind as he seems. He was quite simply the heart of the Beatles."

Wishing you a fantastic, wonderful, happy birthday, and many, many happy returns!

Health, and Good Fortune to my Fave Moon Child,
Always,
~Paula Gaon

For a little trip down Memory Lane...

This Month In The Stars

2005-07-01T18:20:00.000+03:00

See Planet Positions This Month

Happy Birthday Moon Children

1-31 July 2005

July should be a very interesting month for us--full of energy, action, and no small amount of tension.

Sun will be in Cancer until 23 July, when it moves on to Leo. For the first week of the month, Sun will square, be about 90 degrees from Jupiter, in Libra. This aspect could lead to a lot of expansiveness and tendencies towards being a wheeler-dealer. Let's not get carried away and wear ourselves out. In addition, Sun will square Mars, in Aries. This is a high-energy aspect also. Expect to see a lot of energy and ambition this month.

From the 14th through month's end, Sun will conjunct with, be near the same angle as Saturn, in Cancer. Moon Children born near the end of the sign should particularily enjoy a new strength and resolve of will, to the point of being a bit of a loner. Good time to really go about what you intend to do, Moon Child.

Mercury and Venus will conjunct in Leo for most of the first 3 weeks of the month. This could be a nice social time for you, Leo. Others may well enjoy your company and you should get along with everyone, maybe a good time to close any pending business deals. But watch out! Mercury goes into retrograde, will appear to be going backwards, on the 23rd; and will remain so until 16 August. Leo, and all of us, be careful in all forms of communication and short-range trips, especially during the first week of the retrograde. In a word, let's not expect to bring much of anything to conclusion. Mercury retrogrades are usually best spent straightening up and planning--i.e., the more laid back the better.

Finally, before we get into a panic about Mercury. Let's not forget that the stars can be gracious. 16 July could be a very special day. We will experience a Grand Trine in the Fire Signs, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. In general, a Grand Trine occurs when at least 3 different planets align at roughly the same angle, one in each of the 3 signs. In this case, Mars in Aries, Mercury and Venus together in Leo, and Pluto in Sagittarius. Trines tend to bring on easement; and in this case we may see some effective solving of problems in society. If not on this day, a child born today could grow up to be an outstanding leader in the next generation. Wouldn't that be great!!

Have a great month,

~Paula

See MoonTrek to keep track of Moon's ever changing influences.

Them That's Got Shall Get...

2005-06-30T12:21:00.000+03:00

My old friend Asher just posted to his blog a subject that never ceases to amaze me: How them that's got can put us little folks through such hoops and mazes lest we dare cheat them aou to one red cent. Yes, this is the way of the world and it's certainly not going to change in the near future, but do take a look at the article:

Update

A few weeks ago, my father's insurance company - which had previously sworn up and down that there was no money in his life insurance account - sent me a letter asking me to fill out some forms so I could collect his life insurance payment. Well, okay, I said. First I had to write a letter saying I was the only living child of my parents and get a friend to sign it; my apartment manager refused to do this, so I went to the apartment manager from my old building and he was happy to help. A few weeks ago, my father's insurance company - which had previously sworn up and down that there was no money in his life insurance account - sent me a letter asking me to fill out some forms so I could collect his life insurance payment. Well, okay, I said. First I had to write a letter saying I was the only living child of my parents and get a friend to sign it; my apartment manager refused to do this, so I went to the apartment manager from my old building and he was happy to help. ...Continue reading at "dreams into lightening"

And don't you dare give the world something, they'll hate you forever. See Asher's post,
Judaism On Trial
..."(Ustinov) calling the Jewish religion "anti-Christian and inhumane" and demanding that the Shulhan Arukh be banned. ..." Continue reading at "dreams into lightening" How the world has hated the Jews for giving them the basis of the New Testament.

Thanks, Asher for keeping these things before us and keeping us on our toes!

~Paula Gaon

A Different Perspective

2005-06-27T10:55:00.000+03:00

27June2005

Paul McCartney has celebrated his 63rd birthday in a good hour, and I wish him until 120. It's amazing to see that he's still on the concert tour and seems to be enjoying his work. He's truly an artist with a passion. I had the privledge of being Paul's "neighbor" in Tucson, AZ many years ago. We didn't actually live in the same neighborhood, but on the same side of town and both of us lived close enough to the big supermarket on the east side of town so that it wasn't unusual to see Paul on a Sunday morning with a carton of milk in the express line. Even back then he was enough of a legend that the younger people didn't recognize him, and those of us who remembered the Fab Four in their heyday were probably still too much in awe or simply wanted to respect his privacy. I have to admit that I fell into both of the latter categories. Seeing Paul in line, even in my early 30's, still brought back the feeling of wonder and magic of the early 60's--wish we could bottle the euphoria of those times!

I wonder though. Did we really witness and take part in a cultural phenomenon when the Beatles hit the American scene in the early 60's? Or do I Iook back on this time with such incredible excitement simply because I was the right age at the right time? Of course the world has completely turned topsy turvey since the early 60's. England was "a lot farther away" back then than it is now. When news of Kennedy's assassination reached England in "only 30 minutes", everyone was amazed. Now that I've been living overseas for almost 15 years, this fact has really struck me. It's not unusual to get an email from someone back home asking me about news over here that I haven't even heard yet. So, putting things into this perspective makes one understand how four long haired fellows from England's appearance on Ed Sullivan one Sunday evening was indeed the beginning of an era, so to speak.

With all that said, on to the future--which is now our present. John Lennon is still my favorite Beatle. In spite of the fact that he's been gone almost 25 years, the sadness of his brutal murder and untimely death occasionally pops up into my consciousness. Does anyone else out there in cyber space ever experience flashbacks of his sometimes snide and outrageous remarks as well as his super idealistic and all too often misunderstood ones? Remember all the uproar from his song "Imagine"?--"…Imagine there's no religion…" Boy, did that line ever set some folks on fire! I didn't realize that a lot of people hadn't read between the lines, and naively mentioned to someone what a neat song "Imagine" was--almost got myself lynched. And of course there was the "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" fiasco. John's beautiful imagery of his son's imagination (Tangerine Trees, Marmelade Skys, Kaleidescope Eyes...) was seen by so many as a plug for the drug culture--really sad. But the real sleeper of it all is John's song, "Working Class Hero". As far as I can remember, there was never any comment or controversy whatsoever on this one. If there were, I completely missed it or was still too naïve to understand. Whichever the case, all of us Lennon fans have experienced enough by now to appreciate the line,

"They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool."
Ever try to tactfully tell your boss he's wrong?

And the line that really gets me,

" And you think you're so clever and class less and free
But you're still f@#*%ng peasants as far as I can see ".

What's globalization if not global feudalism?

How did one of the most successful young men in recent history so succinctly express the facts of life for so many working people--throughout the world's history? Yes, forty seems frightfully young to me now. And when I think of the depth of John's work during his short time on this earth, well, maybe that's why he didn't need a long life.

~Paula Gaon

Happy Birthday Paul McCartney

2005-06-19T11:40:00.000+03:00

19June2005

Good week to all!

Can you believe it? Paul McCartney turned 63 yesterday! If John were still alive, he'd be 65 in October. Even the Fab Four is getting old, but still can't imagine any of them as pensioners.

This week Moon is on a pretty interesting trek. During the course of the week: Moon starts out in Scorpio; Monday-Tuesday in Sagittarius; Wednesday-Thursday in Capricorn; Friday-Saturday in Aquarius.

But Thursday could be a very pressured and uncomfortable day. Moon will oppose Mercury, Venus and Saturn, all in Cancer. May be challenging for everyone in intellectual matters, including sensitive communications as well as relationships. Thursday should be a good day to keep a low profile.

However, by Saturday, the stars will indeed be more gracious. Moon will be at an optimum angle with Pluto, in Sagittarius--good day to take care of emotional matters and family and household interests.
The stars indeed givith and taketh away. No wonder we're sometimes naughty, sometimes nice.

Have a great week!
~Paula

Artists and Life

2005-06-16T14:00:00.000+03:00

16June2005

"Lucy In The Sky"

Hello Everyone,

First of all, my thanks to Asher for anouncing this Blog on LittleGreenFootballs. It was a big help!

Asher's Blog:"Dreams Into Lightning, "http://asher813.blogspot.com

is well worth visiting. I have to admit that Asher is one of those people who "knew me when".

On to a little talk about art. Let's not go into the whole story of my interests and doing art. Hopefully the story will unfold as time goes on. In any case, I'll continue to add the pic/links from time to time.

Art and Astrology do have a strong link though. As I've matured, have seen and understood the evidence of this link more and more.

Anyone have comments, opinions on this matter. Come on, let's get the ball rolling! I promise some MoonTrek News on Sunday.

See you,
Have a great week-end,
~Paula

A little bit of this, a little bit of that...

2005-06-14T00:30:00.000+03:00

"Lucy In The Sky"

Blogging is an interesting new innovation in our world. It's a great way to get out all the thoughts that have been swimming around in one's head. Unfortunately, the thoughts don't always come out in such an organized way--at least not linear.

Before I forget, thanks to my old friend, Asher Abrams for giving me a little blurb on LGF! It was a big help. Oh dear, Asher, please, send me your Blog URL again.

In any case, here are a few thoughts to share.

Moon's Trek Around the Zodiac

I've always found Astrology an interesting subject, as you've probably guessed. The Moon is especially interesting because it's always making it's way around the Zodiac wheel, moving about 12 degrees every 24 hours. So, no matter what your Sun sign, Moon's constantly influencing some area of your Zodiac Map. In addition, Moon's constantly making angles with each of the other planets--yet another influence! Always changing--could this be why we call a person who's always changing "luney"?

Today, Tuesday and tomorrow, we may find it difficult to reconcile intellectual and emotional matters. By Wednesday, tension will be even greater because of Moon's uncomfortable angles with Pluto and Sun. Best not to start new relationships on Wednesday, or get caught up in any emotional issues or arguments.

For more info on Moon's trekking, click the MoonTrek link on the left.

OK, that's it for now.
See you rouns,
~Paula

An "Old" Newbie

2005-05-31T22:30:00.000+03:00

Greetings all,

Nice to meet you, at least look forward to meeting some new folks. Glad to see that there are others with the same interests and look forward to sharing ideas, memories, images, etc.

Please take a stroll through my virtual shop at http://www.cafepress.com/bft. And while you're at it, enjoy a little Astrology at http://astrology.lab.co.il If for whatever reason the links don't work, just copy and paste.

See you in the Blog,
Happy Trails and Smiles,
~Paula