We will keep an eye on all this!

July 25 Birthday Horoscope

If Today is Your Birthday: July 25

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The Year Ahead Forecast for July 2009 to July 2010 The Sun trine Moon in your Solar Return chart is a fortunate aspect. It suggests that your domestic and career needs are not in competition with one another this year. Your inner needs tend to be mirrored by external events, and vice versa. This aspect is very powerful and rewarding. It suggests that you will be on top of your game this year, for the most part, and positive connections with others can be made rather easily. A comfortable level of personal popularity helps to keep conflict to a minimum. With the ability to handle your emotions successfully, there is less stress on both your mind and body. Your self-confidence and positive attitude will reward you. Mars squares Neptune at the time of your birthday this year, however, presenting a challenge for you in the year ahead. Your energy levels are likely to be quite variable this year--waxing and waning in a moody fashion. Inspiration comes from unusual sources, but you can have a hard time staying focused and organized. You may find that is too easy to waste your time and energy, perhaps due to occasional periods when you seem to lack drive and direction. You may also experience passive-aggressiveness in others, which impacts your life in frustrating ways, or you could find relationships with others confusing and hard to define. Although you may enjoy an increase in your intuitive capabilities, you can also be too open to influence so that fears or delusions impact your ability to see your life clearly. This could also be a year when you are more creative, yet not in a reliable or organized manner. The Sun forms a hard aspect to Uranus, and you may often be tempted to throw out practical or traditional considerations in favor of more exciting or stimulating plans. Unexpected changes in plans or events can test your patience. However, they could stimulate you to try new approaches and they certainly act to cut boredom. This influence could offer you the drive to do something new, but avoid making hasty major decisions for the time being. Your creativity is stimulated this year, but so is your excitability and your need for freedom. You are likely to be more outspoken than usual, perhaps even rebellious. Some creative aspects that help ease the tension of this square include Sun-Mars, Mars-Uranus, and Mars-Pluto. With the Sun in creative aspect to Mars, your desire nature is strong, and increased physical activity, including sexual, is likely. Independent work is favored. Competitive activities may also thrive this year. With Mars-Uranus, bursts of creativity and energy help you to further your goals. It is easier than usual to break free from habits that have previously held you back from going after what you want in life. Mars-Pluto adds determination and stimulates your ambition. Mercury trine the Moon's North Node and Uranus suggests making contact through learning, communicating, and mental pursuits. An intellectually stimulating year in which the exchange of ideas with others figures prominently is in store for you. There may be unexpected and pleasant news this year that enhances your life. You are able to find new insight into old problems, and your thinking processes during this period are likely to be especially original. This is a good year for projects involving technology or New Age topics. You may find more opportunities to attend meetings and other organized group activities, to communicate online, and to take part in activities involving computers, scientific projects, or metaphysics. Unexpected gains may be realized through such mediums. Your intuition is strong, and insights seem to come from "out of the blue". Original, creative ideas are easy to come by this year. Jupiter in creative aspect to Neptune suggests that making connections with others from a different background is likely to figure in the year ahead. Widening your mind through unusual or different experiences can be part of the picture. Generosity and compassion increases, and your faith is boosted. You more easily make personal sacrifices for what you believe to be the better good. The year ahead is strong for strengthening relationships, as well as for learning and expanding your horizons through contact with others. For the most part, you experience harmony between what's in your heart and what's in your head. Avoiding the tendency towards "pie in the sky" thinking and rebelliousness will be necessary in order to keep grounded. Impractical ventures may hold a strong lure for you, and it is best to avoid jumping into new endeavors without thinking things over first. 2009 is a Number Seven year for you. Ruled by Mercury. This is a year of exploration and freedom. It's a time when exploration and reaching out to others brings opportunities. It's a good time to advertise and sell. Surprises are in store, and the routine is broken. This is a year when exciting relationships can be formed, or, if you are already in a partnership, new life is breathed into the relationship. Advice - explore, look for adventure, keep your eyes open for opportunities, mingle. 2010 will be a Number Ten year for you. Ruled by Venus. This is a year of relative contentment. It is a time when love is the easiest to attract, and partnerships formed under this vibration have a better chance for longevity. You are able to attract others, and material things as well, this year. This is a good year for establishing harmony in the family and in the home. Advice - develop existing relationships, be positive and receptive because these kinds of energies help you to attract what you desire.

More soon, really!

I really will be writing again. I hope this weekend!
Tomorrow is my 53rd year on this planet. I told my family, only 2 years now until i can collect on my senior discounts!

Many more vacation photos to come

Eyes got opened again

What an incredible journey this past week has been. I received a call from one of my children last Thursday to let me know she was making what I initially felt was a sudden and very serious lifestyle change. It took me to my knees for many reasons that I initially did not understand. While child has spent the past week sorting through choices and awakenings, this old mom has been introspecting and trying hard to understand my own pain response to her challenges.
First issue I had to address was how much attention should I give and how much should I respect this 20-something's space. I am not good and never will be good at staying away from a child (no matter the age) in pain. I burned up the phone line, sent texts and generally made a pest of myself. I have never been able to let my children's suffering and/or pain roll off from me. Never have, and never will--I learned that this week. Subject to instant weepy spells and remorse I could only focus on the exquisiteness of the relationship that will be taking a hiatus while the individuals in it spend time on their separate issues.
Having spent 23 years madly loving and cheering my intensely sensitive and resilient child, I wanted to hold her close while the tears came and wipe the tears away (I still do). It took all my restraint to stay put and let the young adult life take its course; after all, two smart, loving and caring people were in it and it is theirs.
I asked my family and friends for prayers and advice.
The prayers were heard as child found her voice and focus increased.
The advice I received from family and friends was as diverse as the hearts of the writers were generous. Oh my word. I read each response (which is going into a collage for child) and sobbed at work, as I read them. I am crying as I write this. 53 years old and crying for the first time for days of my own, where I stumbled horribly, lost eons more than I gained emotionally, many decades ago.
During this past week I came to clearly understand how blessed I am to have a large and generous circle of friends and family. The responses to my request for auntly advice came right away and each one full of depth. Each one was carefully crafted and contained loving messages to me and my child. We are sooooo lucky, child and I to be covered by these friends and the loving power above us. The messages sometime came into my email box within seconds of each other and it quickly was clear, I am fortunate to walk this planet as part of a circle where these open-hearted friends and family reside.
I also clearly came to understand, I dont have to, like I chose to do when I was a young, confused girl in my 20s, walk through the painful parts of life all alone. My family and friends were at my ear, eye and finger tip, almost instantaneously, just for the asking.
I also this week came to understand that many of the hot and uncontrollable tears were 25 years stored and were just now, for reasons I still cant articulate, being released. During those early years of change, I felt I only had the end of the world to look forward to each day when I divorced my big kid's dad and started a new life.
Everything, every routine, every thought I had of a picket fenced life disappeared when I chose to live a life on my own, without alcohol. In the course of reclaiming my sanity and life, I initially lost custody of my big kids for a period of time. There was never nor will ever be, no deeper, unmovable sorrow than this one.
And through the long period where hate prevailed, friends of my ex-spouse spit on me, called me names in public and tried their best to keep me from finding peace, happiness and a better life, I never, during these two decades, cried...until this week.
I talked to oldest child whose insight always piques my brain. I was informed while I always mean well (and this was said with love and predictable candor) that I generally am only able to dispense advice based on my experiences that was sometimes not especially helpful and sometimes, not even pertinent.
That made me not only laugh and think--yep...that is all I got in my parental toolkit...ideas and wisdom based on my not so well lived (for a period of years) life. I laughed and laughed and also forced me to think and think.
The conclusion at this juncture, is I will always just react genuinely to my children, husband, family and friends. That is all I got. And what I lack in insight and finesse, I will fill in the gaps with all my love.
And this week I also found I can for the first time since I was in my early 20s, cry--long, loud, quietly, bitter and hot tears. This past week those tears came often, unexpectedly and concurrently. A gaggle of tears for my ages old losses and at the same time, tears for the deep emotional suffering of my child. The choices of child's life are not mine, but hers. But as she is growing, examining, questioning and moving out of the safe into an unknown zone, I can, and I will stand by. And I just might cry a bit while I am at it.