You’ll have to excuse me for my eccentric views on the world, people, sports, food.
Life. Etcetera (Is it just me or is it just funny that when we drive our cars we are
controlled by traffic signals and signs on the road? I’m the type of guy who doesn’t
like to be under anybody’s control, much less under the command of an inanimate
object. And then we play games and try to manipulate them by going a different
speed than normal or taking an alternate route to avoid them altogether. See? We’re
under their control. And it’s funny).

United State of America - When It’s Convenient

Where is the unity this country had for three weeks after September 11, 2001? Do
you remember? We all flew our little American flags and sang patriotic songs
together. I saw signs that said “WE SHALL NOT FORGET - 9/11/01.” Everyone in our
town was our neighbor and no one dared mention anything concerning race
relations during that time. We were Americans. We had been violated and there was
no way we were going to come against each other once we saw there was a greater
enemy at hand. Again, maybe it’s just me - but has anything really changed? Seems
like we’ve forgotten.

Maybe it’s just me.

I like to come together with any given set of people on certain occasions and forget
about who I am for a little while. Is there any greater fun than talking with someone
who accepts you for you? No pressure to project any great image which, if I admit it,
is only great to myself anyway. Walls come down and we talk and laugh together
and tell stories and stupid jokes for hours before we realize we need to recompose
and settle back into ourselves. But then I can hardly wait to do it again. The
questions is, why wait? Can’t we all let our walls down everyday and quit acting like
we have something to protect? It’s a wonderful world we’ve been given and we all
have something extraordinary inside us to give back.

So, we’re all Americans. We live here, work here, play here, eat here. But not
necessarily together. We have our different social levels and some aren’t allowed
into our circle for various reasons. One has a defective leg or half an arm. Another
one is just too happy all the time. That one just doesn’t look right. We can’t hang
with that. Not by choice. We only find out in the wake of extreme events if who we
think we are is real. Whether you’re rich, poor, beautiful, honest, dishonest —
doesn’t matter. Katrina played no favorites. She came through with no respect
whatsoever to social class or communal goodness. If you were anywhere near her,
you and your stuff was submerged and/or destroyed beyond repair. Things change.
Sometimes too quickly. Sometimes our walls are torn down for us.

The Missing Ingredient

I’m not ashamed to say it - usually, I’m the last one to see how imperfect I am. I like
to think that I have no faults and that everyone should love me just because I’m me.
You know, I’m the only one who is me. I’m special, right? Of course I am.

I had something happen to me some time ago and it brings tears to my eyes when I
think of it. He caught me as I was waiting for a friend outside a sandwich shop. I
didn’t think much about it since other people were also passing by, but as he came
closer, I realized I was his target. I figured he was hungry and was about to ask me
for a taste of my fresh cuisine. I was wearing jeans with a maize and blue college
football jersey, emblazoned with the number 18. He was a young guy, crippled and
deformed with a bag strapped to his back. With a certain air of determination, he
walked up to me the best he could, smiling, with no regard to whether or not I
wanted to talk to him. I don’t know exactly what made him think he could just step
to me like that. But without a hint of disrespect, he said, “You’re too tall and skinny
to be a running back so you must be a wide receiver.” I just looked at him for a
second or two before I got caught up, then began laughing hysterically. “Oh, the
jersey!!! Kid, I don’t play football. This is just a jersey I wear because I like the
colors!”

Unfazed, he continued on with the conversation as though he’d been through
similar situations before. “Will you throw this football with me?” he asked.

I looked at him again and I noticed that he had no hands. I examined further and
saw he only had half a foot. I paused for a moment and moved on as if I hadn’t seen
his physical defects - and I was fooling myself if I thought he hadn’t seen that I saw
them. Even so, I said sheepishly, “I guess you have a football in your bag?”

“Yes, ” he answered. “I love football but I can’t find anyone who will play with me.”

Just about this time, my friend was arriving at the scene. “Listen, young fella,” I
replied. “I don’t have much time right now. I need to eat and he’s gotta go to work.”
Afraid that the boy was hip to the fact that I wanted nothing to do with him, I
attempted to show support through what I considered to be encouragement. “Hey,
you’ll find somebody to toss that ball around with.”

To make a long story short, I never saw the kid again. But instead of him looking for
me, I’m looking for him this time. I’m looking for him because he has what I’m
missing. I’m the broken one. I’m the one who has the imperfections. He had no
hands but he knew his arms would work for him. He couldn’t run but that didn’t
stop him from trying to walk. He had pain in his heart but a smile on his face. He
was continually rejected but remained determined to do what he loved.

He was just a boy but he taught me a lesson I will always remember. Before I met
him I loved my clothes, my car, my music, my space, my time…all the gifts I gave
myself. But he taught me to love myself - truly love myself in spite of all my
weaknesses, disabilities and defects. I found, too, that the only difference between
us is that our infirmities are in opposite places - his on the outside, mine on the
inside. All that means is that I can hide for a little longer but eventually it all comes
to light.

©2005 MJStyle/warmCHiL WORLDWIDE

MJ
Louisville, KY

I believe we all have been given something to give to someone else. Whether
welcome or not, what we do and say affects others outside our own space. We need
to be sure that we do our best to make the effects positive.

My goal is to leave behind a legacy my family and friends will be able to be proud of
for many generations. I want them to hear the music I wrote, wear the clothes I
designed, enjoy the impact of my technological innovations and feel my love in all of
it. Life is a game and the object is to leave as large a piece of you here as possible.

Have you ever dreamed of a new house? Have you ever wished for the perfect mate? What about wanting that job that you’ve always dreamed of? Have you wished for a perfect day?

We all have dreams and desires, our own personal wishes and wants. What if…what if you could just have what you wanted and wished for? What would that house look like, feel like? How would you decorate it? Is it a condo, or on acres of land? Are there animals? Who are your neighbors? Do you have parties? What color is your house painted? How is it furnished? Who lives there with you?

Your perfect mate, is how tall, what color hair, what religion?
How did you meet? Are you married? Do you have children?

What is your dream job? What state are you living in? What are your hours?
What do you do? Whom do you work with?

What does your perfect day look like? What do you do, where do you go?
Whom are you with?

Think about what your wishes and dreams are. Think about what your wants and desires are. Then, write them down. Let yourself go. There are no limits, anything is possible. Enjoy. Everything and everyone you have ever wanted is yours. Then write as many questions as you can think of, about your dreams, your desires, wants and wishes. Make as many statements as you can think about. Live without any limits about what you want. Blue Sky.

Reread what you described. Then ask yourself why each listed item is important to you. Think about what you wanted and listed, and then think about why you wrote it down, then write that down. Remember that there is no right or wrong way of doing this journal exercise. Whatever is important to you is correct. Whatever you journaled is exactly the right answer.

You can use a blank book, a notebook, or a computer for this journal.

What can happen is that you can focus and clarify what is important to you and why. You may want to journal about the same topics from time to time, say every few years, using the same blank book. As time passes you can reread what was important and what is important.

Copyright 2002 Doreene Clement All rights Reserved Doreene Clement is the creator of The 5 year Journal, a journal where you can journal your life in one book, for 5 years. You can tour the book at http://www.the5yearjournal.com

dkcomni@aol.com 480.423.8095

Feel free to pass this along to your friends. If you want to see my column, About Journaling, to subscribe http://www.the5yearjournal.com

Of all the planets Mars is very difficult to understand. If you can predict the behaviour of Mars, you have mastered Astrology. It is because, Mars apart from his behavior according to his House, Aspects, association etc., he has got a special nature of provoking the other planets. He makes the other planets behave , which otherwise are less harmful. Mars causes Rahu to throw his Maya , Illusion and hallucinations. Mars causes Saturn to become more dreadful, than what actually he is. Mars makes Sun, Mercury ,Venus and even Jupiter malefics. Mars causes accident and injury. After that he leaves the balance of destruction to Saturn, Mercury, Rahu and Venus; depending upon the location and aspects of these planets in a horoscope.

The nature of Mars becomes dominant, with respect to relationship of marriage and family members of the natal, when positioned in houses,1,4 ,7, 8 and 12, which is called Kuja Dosha. This has to be interpreted carefully, since almost all the horoscopes have it in one way or the other. But house no.1 and 8 are more harmful. The position of Mars in a chart determines a person’s personality. It gives more dominant position , assertion, less reasoning, childish cry of getting the things and objectives, come what may. Such positioning of Mars in Dosha houses, causes conflict with spouses, frequent quarrels. makes the life of the spouse, miserable. But relationship will not be broken down. Since the Martians need association to get pleasure by harming. Martians get pleasure, as a cat would get in dealing with a mouse.

Mars is the son of Earth. Kuja or Bhumija means the son of earth. Mars represents the garbha or womb of mother earth. He carries the heat, blackness, energy, fire , red-hot lava, and exerts his nature causing destruction . Mars induces self-aggrandisement, selfishness. Causes us to think, others live for us. Mars is male son. Mars represents masculinity, virility, vitriolity and dominant sex. Whereas the Venus represents the contra. Mars causes impotence, weak mind, distortions, aberrations. When Mars causes impotence, the mind is diseased. The Moon and / or Rahu behave in tandem with Mars. The distinction between Mars and Rahu, in causing the disease of the mind is that the Rahu creates illusions or hallucinations. But Mars does not create illusions, but makes a person get attracted to the sex, perversity, abnormality.

A person may attract towards a lady who is more aged or young. A person is attracted to unscrupulous, ill-virtuous ladies. Here there is no illusion. In fact that lady is more attractive. She attracts by her looks, body, colour; and even by odor. This is infatuation. Mars makes a person to fall for such infatuation. Whereas a healthy mind only appreciates the thing of beauty, as Keats did. Mars makes a person to go for all that is attractive. He creates vibrations in the mind, which makes a person to loose money for getting things which may make other persons envious. Whether a thing is necessary or the spending is necessary or not, Mars creates such childishness in the mind, ultimately the person looses money and looses the thing also as waste.Mars in association with Mercury is the cause for Personality Disorers, such as Sigmund Freud’s id and Excess spending. There is nothing in this world that what a Mars can do or undo things , either by himself or through provocation of other planets.

Yet on a higher pedestal. Mars is an engineer. He is creative. Use of tools, utility, innovation, and a builder. He is a Yogi. Especially Hatha Yoga and Tantra which require strength, determination and concentration of mind and body. Mars is a Marshall- General. He will not go into the triviality of much thinking before acting. Act first. Aim victory, and nothing else will do. Alas! Mars is always victorious. The other things follow. Mars will not listen to others. He would not reason out things. Or he may not be patient enough . That is why the Mars people are very difficult to handle. They are usually ferocious and aggressive. One can see marks of wounds on the body of a Mars person.

For Cancer and Leo ascendants, he is Rajayoga Karaka. For Mars Capricorn is the sign of exaltaion and Cancer is the sign of debility. For Jupiter vice-versa. In the horoscope of Lord Rama, whose ascendant is Cancer, Mars is posited in 7th house of Capricorn. Even though Mars is not a separative planet [ Sun, Saturn Rahu, Ketu and Lord of 12th ], brought about separation of Rama with his wife Sita, augmenting the power of 7th house, whose Lord is Saturn, a separative planet. He got back his wife only through a war ( Mars content ). Mars being the Lord of 5th house,[Scorpio is the negative house of Mars ] which stands for issues and children, Lord Rama’s sons were separated from him and even fought a battle ( Mars content ) with their father. [ For in-depth analysis , see, This Author’s Book of Articles : Horoscope of Rama Avatar].

Regarding the Deity of Mars, there are three views. According to one view , the deity is Hanuman; According to another view, the deity is Muruga or Kartikeya, the Second son of Lord Shiva. One more view is that the deity is Lord Laksmi Narasimha.Mars is considered as Vishnu Avatarof Narasihma. Worship Lord Hanuman on a Saturday ; Or worship Lord Lakshmi Narasimha on a Tuesday. Definitely Mars will be pleased to bestow his grace . At least a person is bestowed, if that person is rid of the “Kapi Cheshta” ,by Mars. Worship of Skanda or his different forms - Muruga, Karthikeya, Subramanya is very difficult, since He is a strict disciplinarian. Like wise Lord Narasimha alone without Laksmi beside. But Hanuman is a different character.

Even though He is a celibate, His detachment of worldly life will not come in the way of understanding the difficulties of this Samsara. He comes to the rescue of those who are in distress, easily.Lord Hanuman represents or causes the blessings of the following deities :Saturn through Shiva & Parvathi, Mercury through Rama & Sita, Mars through Lakshmi-Narasihma,Venus through Lakshmi or Parvathi. Worship one deity and get four others free.
Hint : Those who are in share market, follow Mars. Follow aspect by Jupiter on Mars. Follow the timings of events, such as Mars in Aries, Reliance alliance, Boom in Indian share market, which will continue up to February 2006.

About Mars, is the first article on Mars. There are other articles which are published Ezine Articles as Blame it on Mars, There is a Mars in my kitchen. Readers are requested to read all the articles and have prosperity , since Mars is the karaka of energy and prowess, who is easy to please. Reading and knowing about Mars is also a way of worship.

Sreenivasamurthy Kubatoor, is an advocate by profession, Study and research in various subjects, including Science, Medical,Philosophy.Wait for his series of Articles on “Horoscope of Rama Avatar”, “Max Planc,Madhvacharya and Duality Concept” and other thought provoking writings. Experienced and skilled in Remedial Astrology through worship.Finds pleasure in helping those who seek service, since it is also a way of worship.Those in distress, contact Author through EzineArticles.com

Astrology is a science, which, together with the knowledge gained in astronomy, observes and records how celestial bodies and zodiacal influences affect life on our planet. Generally it is related to the effects upon humans, but also takes into account mineral life, vegetable life and animal life. The influences from the planets and beyond form complex patterns, much like weather conditions, and also indicate calm or turbulent atmospheres-but these are beyond the visible range of influence.

The science is based upon the fact that at any particular point in time, a chart may be drawn up which records and focuses upon all the different incoming influences and energies upon the particular life concerned, and in this case, we consider an individual person. These vibrations which could be seen to correspond to different instruments in an orchestra, establish a co-operative and harmonious invisible climate to which that individual life has opportunity to respond, or, in the case of clashing energies, adverse conditions which the individual must learn to deal with.

All energy, although invisible, is a power. The sun’s light we can see and its power we can feel as we can to a lesser degree, the moon’s energy. But that of the other planets, although it exists, is not obvious to the average person. However, since early history, we have acknowledged their subtle power and even named them as gods named in our days of the week.

Regarding the influence of the other far galaxies and celestial energies, we must rely upon what the science of Astrology gives us as a basis to understand how human beings react to them. There is no better place to start our observations, but with ourselves, at the moment of our birth.

At that very moment, there were astronomically calculated positions of the sun, moon and all the planets. The other planets were in particular location according to the system which designates different areas of the sky and to which have been given names of the zodiacal signs. And according to the hour of your birth, there was one of these twelve signs rising above the horizon. This is placed in your Astrological Chart as your Rising Sign and it is just as important as your well known Sun sign which we determine by the day and the month of birth. In the middle of all these influences we take our first breath by which we assert the beginning of our life.

The influences which existed at the time of our birth however, are very strong and affect our personality, our basic temperament, early family life, and determine a great deal of our instinctive attitudes in thought and feeling, beyond those that develop through our environment. However, regarding human life it must be understood that each person by their free will, can react positively or negatively in any situation as we do under changing weather conditions. These initial influences will pervade much of our life as we live to capitalize on our good fortune and learn to cope with the difficulties in our circumstances.

Although a professionally drawn up horoscope is seen as a set pattern, it should be understood to have certain flexibility. It is like a blueprint which the individual by use of free will, modify, utilize or alter the inherent tendencies and pattern of his life.

Any experienced astrologer will confirm however, that the fundamental ingredients in the make up of a personality will not change quickly or easily. This allows certain confidence in analysing character and in predicting future circumstances.

Astrological science can be applied in many ways - including personal health, psychology, relationships, analysing national conditions or in matters regarding world trends and events. Once the principles are known there is opportunity to apply the knowledge in the avenue of your personal interest in consultation with a professional astrologer.

To quote Astrologer Dayne Rudhyar: “The young people…hope to find in astrology not only answers to poignant personal problems, but even more, some sort of inner security. Many of them…refusing to participate in a culture increasingly dominated by a de-humanized and de-natured approach to knowledge, long to discover their place and function in a more-than-human, universal or cosmic order.”

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Astrology