Debra Basham

Living and Loving

Tag: astrology

  • Pluto

    Here is a new spiritual practice for you:
    don’t take your thoughts too seriously.

    ~ Stillness Speaks, by Eckhart Tolle

    Overall our co-housing continues to go well here in Port Charlotte. I am noticing a subtle communication pattern that feels a bit like argumentativeness or attachment to view. Note: I said a SUBTLE communication pattern.

    The content of the communication is irrelevant, other than there has to be something that reveals the pattern. We had fish for dinner. Fresh catch Sheepshead from Lon Maas.

    Dinner talk shifted from how good the fish was to a freshwater fish by that same name that Linda had become familiar with fishing Lake Erie. I mentioned my niece having caught a Sheepshead while she was visiting Pine Island about ten years ago and my first understanding that the salt-water Florida fish is Sheepshead (plural sheeps), while the freshwater fish is Sheephead (singular sheep). My niece had said, “I think I found Grandma Smith’s dentures!”

    Linda did a quick search and read aloud several tidbits, a couple of which were not at all what I thought I was remembering from the past. That was the end of our conversation. We went on with dinner and then played cards. But…. the following morning when I noticed my mind was still engaged, I did a quick search and opened to read:

    Sheepshead fish (Archosargus probatocephalus) are a species of ray-finned, predominantly marine fish commonly found along the eastern coastline of North America and South America. Sheepshead fish live in marine habitats and estuaries in the western Atlantic Ocean, from Nova Scotia in eastern Canada, down the eastern U.S. and Central American coastline, and as far south as southern Brazil. They are known for their front teeth, which can look uncannily like human teeth (opens in new tab). While sheepshead fish usually live in salt water and slightly salty brackish water, they are sometimes found in freshwater habitats in winter.

    Sheepshead fish should not be confused with a similarly named species of fish on North America’s western coastline called the California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher). While both fish species have teeth, they are not closely related and belong to different families.
    Sheepshead fish: Facts about the fish with ‘human’ teeth:

    Linda and I did talk about this some, specifically about how the browsers have a hand in shaping what information comes up in our searches. Years ago I was with three friends when we all put in the same key words using the same browser and totally different links came up for each of us. Whoa…

    An English professor wrote the words: “A woman without her man is nothing” on the chalkboard and asked the students to punctuate the sentence correctly.

    All of the males in the class wrote: “A woman, without her man, is nothing.”

    All of the females in the class wrote: “A woman: without her, man is nothing.”

    Punctuation is powerful. Words are powerful. Intention is powerful. Silence is powerful.

    The content of the next communication catalyst here in sunny Florida was palm oil. I will leave the conclusion to you: By the Way, Doctor, Is Palm Oil Good For You?, but after writing some in my journal about all of this, and talking to a friend who is fluent in all things metaphysical, I would note some of the current astrological influences written by Leah Whitehorse.

    February 16, 2023

      A strong karmic overtone is in the air. With Mercury’s square to the Nodes, we’re pressed to address a skipped step, a missed conversation or connection that is vital for our evolutionary journey. Independent thought, without rejection of the perspectives of others, is important now. Talk about your past, what you found difficult, what you overcame. Free your mind to move forwards.

      Today is the last time that the Sun will meet Saturn in Aquarius for almost 30 years. This then is the jewel in the crown of this transit, the illumination of ancient teachings, the foundation stone of innovative changes. Maybe we now understand the lesson, get a sense of a greater pattern or receive a glimpse of the future, a hint of things to come. Sitting at the feet of the Great Architect we learn that we have an integral part to play in the world. Step into your authority. Shoulder responsibilities with grace. Commit to your soul’s journey. You are capable. You are wise.

    On February 14, 2022, Leah wrote about the US Pluto Return:

      Pluto is a symbol for profound change, regeneration, cleansing. It is the phoenix born from the ashes, death and rebirth. As ruler of the underworld, Pluto rules all those things that are unseen. The unseen might be treasure – like diamonds and precious metals that form deep in the earth. Or the unseen might be crime, abuse, theft, the sleazy stuff that goes on behind closed doors.

    More from Stillness Speaks, by Eckhart Tolle:

      Throughout history humans have inflicted countless violent, cruel, and hurtful acts on each other, and continue to do so. Are they all to be condemned; are they all guilty? Or are those acts simply expressions of unconsciousness, an evolutionary stage that we are now growing out of?

      Jesus’ words, “Forgive them for they do not know what they do,” also apply to yourself.

      Silence is essential to remain loud and clear.

      My silence inspires me to find my own voice.

      Silence is the environment and atmosphere, the sacred vacuum into which God speaks.

      Silent people have the loudest hearts.

    In simple terms: Anything we did not totally clean up previously is getting stirred up. Everybody is going to be uneasy. We are going to experience anger. We can’t get out of it. Denial, projection, rationalization – none of the psychological defense mechanisms will protect us from Pluto. Because Pluto won’t let anything be hidden any more!

  • Lizzie’s Libra Luna

    Sacred Stories

    Nine years earlier they had said goodbye to their beloved daughter, Lizzie.

    About 5 am the next morning she woke up awash in moonlight shining through the skylight!

    Later that morning her astrology app dinged in that the moon would be full in Libra – Lizzie’s sign.

    This full moon is called the Pink Moon, named after the herb moss pink, also known as creeping phlox. This plant is native to eastern America and one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring in North America.

    Pink is Lizzie’s favorite color!

    (April 2022 Pink Moon Meaning)


  • Treasure this Day

    If what I say resonates with you,
    it’s because
    we are both branches of the same tree.

    ~ W. B. Yeats

    I’m not a “follower” of astrology, but MANY years ago something occurred that led me to respect the wisdom there.

    Decades ago now, driving home on a snowy day, the roads were glare ice. Less than a block from home, I was blinded by a cloud of snow by a person blowing out his driveway. I rear-ended the car stopped to make a left-hand turn onto a side street. I was not considered at fault due to the unusual conditions and I did not receive a citation. But when I opened the paper a bit later at home, still shaken, my horoscope for the day read: The highway will not be a happy place for you today. Be careful, even on short trips.

    And now a warning?

    Perhaps just a coincidence, or more likely something ancient and pure and worthy of being reported in the bible as announcing the coming of Jesus.

    Yesterday’s comment by a friend about the current astrological line-up led me to look up The Cosmic Tides by Leah Whitehorse. Here is an excerpt from April 9, 2022: It’s imperative to take time out to reconnect with the emotional body before direct action. That way, we can tune into our gut instinct which tells us where to best place our energy and effort. There will be time enough to conquer goals and fight the good fight. Be tender with yourself. Listen to your feelings. Know where you belong. Never doubt that you are strong enough. Nothing can extinguish your inner flame.

    We have snow again today!

    Thought for Today from Deep Spring Center for Meditation:

      It is valuable to sit in private meditation. It is lovely to walk in the woods or on a warm and sandy beach and enjoy that beauty and sense of connection. Your joy at those moments does offer light, does have real value. But at physical levels it does not touch the fundamental deprivation in the world. How can you allow that connection with spirit to begin to transform the world? This does not mean you should not take holidays, but your work is in the world. How do you bring joy and love back into the stressful situations? Would you worship a hollow god that stands above the world, superior to the world, that will not get its feet dirty? Would you strive to pull yourself up to those heights and leave the world to suffer with itself in the dark alleys? Or do you give your love to a loving God, a God willing to partake in pain through entering the human illusion?

      ~ Aaron

    A couple of days of hard work has rendered our tiny house clean and neat and ready for visitors. It is funny that our seasonal home on Bounty Lane is the larger space. Just as we squeeze back into 1,120 square feet, we continue to share one vehicle (writing all of our “times I need the car” on the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall).

    Already this morning I have done 45 minutes of chanting and some yoga. I will at some point go over to the community room and ride the stationary bike while John walks on the treadmill. We await warm weather that welcomes walking and biking in the beautiful Michigan outdoors.

    Treasure this day and treasure yourself.
    Truly, neither will ever happen again.

    ~ Ray Bradbury (Gratefulness.org “Word for the Day” April 9, 2022)

  • And Now A Warning!

    From the 1992 film, “Death Becomes Her”:

    [Lisle (Isabella Rossellini) hands Madeleine (Meryl Streep) the vial of potion.]

    Madeleine: “Bottoms up.”

    [She drinks the potion.]

    Lisle Von Rhuman: “Now a warning.”

    Madeleine: “NOW a warning?”

    This information may feel a lot like that. It has been an intense yet slow-moving past few months, with many of us feeling very out of sorts, even to the point of having difficult and painful experiences. But there’s a reason, according to the stars. The five outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) have ALL been retrograde. When a planet goes retrograde, everything related to that planet goes wonky.

    If everything related to all of these wasn’t enough, Mercury also went retrograde September 27 until October 18, with a “shadow period” that lasts a few weeks before and after the actual retrograde.

    Now a warning…. This will be a very intense time, as we are reflecting upon all the partnerships, relationships, and friendships in our lives to understand where we fit in. Is there balance and peace between us? Do we feel at home with these people?

    See: Why You Might Be Feeling Off Lately.

    I have certainly been experiencing this, as have the people in my life.


    In the Tuesday, October 26, Dharma Path class we were guided to reflect on the following, with the guidance of realizing, “If we can’t hold ourselves in our hearts we can’t hold each other.”

  • Of what am I dismissive in myself?
  • What part/s of myself do I not hold in my heart?
  • What needs my loving attention?

    • I wrote in my journal:
    wounded sexuality
    left hip/knee/foot
    inner worrywart

    To begin this difficult process we were to reflect on a part of ourselves that we do embrace. That was easier. I love that I am a hearth-keeper, baking cookies, making meals, helping and supporting. I love being a nurturer.

    We were gently reminded, “These parts are real. When we are dismissive we can’t bring them into our heart. We have all lost something dear to us. We all have a community within us. It is time to invite ourselves back into our hearts.”

    We were instructed to look into the camera and really allow ourselves to see ourselves and to be seen through the eyes of unconditional love.

    It was powerful.

    At one point, the eyes literally became the eyes of my dad! I could see clearly how I had stepped in to the wounded sexuality when my dad’s indiscretion resulted in him passing syphilis to my mom while she was pregnant for me. Then my having been sexualized at a young age; my getting pregnant at 15, married at 16, at a time when females were not allowed to stay in school. Loss of libido and intimacy with the hysterectomy in 2012. Such loss…. Dismissive? Lord, yes.

    But suddenly I could see this all having come from conditions – this line of wounded sexuality did not begin with me!

    A flood of appreciation washed over my soul.

    I wrote in my journal:
    I have healed the line of wounded sexuality. I did not start it. I stepped into it.

    As I was working on this post, a friend sent the perfect “Inspiration” from a Network For Grateful Living Gratefulness.org:

    Place your hand on your heart. Feel what surfaces in the fullness of that space. Joy, sorrow, anger, contentment, sadness, delight, vulnerability. Perhaps an unnameable tone. Whatever you notice, allow it to simply be. Let it be okay. Let yourself soften.

    When we hold ourselves and others tenderly, we nurture the relationships that make life possible. Tending is the embodiment of tenderness and so a direct path to shared belonging. We stretch toward and from the heart, extending to others and ourselves expressions of humility, compassion, and care. As Trui Snyman says in the short film Tenderness: “People are hard on each other, people are hard on themselves.…We could all do with more tenderness.”

    In moments of difficulty, tenderness can serve as a starting place, offering fertile ground for the cultivation of gratefulness. Soften, and open up to the unending gifts of the great mystery in which you belong. Soften, and feel yourself fortified. Soften. Stretch toward and from your heart.

    Like the weather, moods change.

    Soften….

    And now another warning: Venus goes retrograde on December 19 until January 29, 2021.

  • Which Wolf Will Win?

    You do not have to be an expert in the stars to recognize that a lot of heavy emotions are being triggered right now. If you are curious, however, you might appreciate at least some awareness of what the planets are doing.

    According to Mars Retrograde Is About To Make Our Lives (& The Upcoming Election) A Chaotic Mess, Elizabeth Gulino says, “Worth mentioning: Mars will be retrograde during the 2020 election.”

    Want to know how close Mars really is? This photo was taken by my friend, Rich, in Colorado.

    Been experiencing mini (many) temper tantrums and meltdowns? Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for SunSigns.com says, “The truth is that it will take tons of self-care and anger management to deal with the impulsivity and fire coming from this retrograde. It’s also helpful to know that when facing obstacles, the more we push, the harder things will become.”

    This all brings to mind The Story of Two Wolves. The teaching story (Cherokee?) is about a grandfather who tells his grandson there is a fight between two wolves going on inside him. “One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

    Grandfather continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

    With wide-eyed wonder the boy pleads to know, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?”

    “The one you feed,” replied Grandfather.

    As I was preparing for meditation this morning, I listened to “Wrestling and Dreaming: Engaging Discussions on Judaism | Episode 16: A Good Name.” Rabbi Dobrusin reflects on the coming election from the perspective of a traditional Jewish text.

    It is possible to use many sacred texts to say different things or come to different conclusions, says Rabbi Dibrusin. However, this is not the case with sacred texts related to character. The Jewish text refers to “the crown of a good name” as the most valuable of all achievements one can possess. Your crown of a good name is “earned through your actions — the way you conduct yourself in the world, the way you speak about others, the way you respect others.”

    We don’t know what life will bring,
    so it is what we bring to life that matters.
    ~ Patricia Campbell Carlson
    (Gratefulness.org)

    Which wolf will win? The one you feed.

    Here is a link to Wrestling and Dreaming: Engaging Discussions on Judaism | Episode 16: A Good Name, Rabbi Dobrusin’s 7-minute podcast.

  • Keep Hope Alive

    Yesterday at meditation we had some lively conversation. On the drive home, a Katey and I mentioned something we had both previously learned from Brugh Joy: Release the need to understand.

    That idea is shared in his book, Joy’s Way: A Map for the Transformational Journey. An Introduction to the Potentials for Healing with Body Energies. In the third chapter of the book, Brugh describes a cosmic experience of a woman who came to talk with him about her challenges in life. A few months earlier, she had been walking along a beach, saw an iridescent light, and heard a booming voice deliver three injunctions. She thought she was going mad. The voice said, slowly and repetitively, “‘There are three injunctions for you. Pay attention to them. Make no comparisons; make no comparisons. Make no judgments; make no judgments. Delete your need to understand; delete your need to understand.’” (p. 59)

    Our daughter, Stacey, and her husband, Doug, have the Lady Gail at a marina in the high rent district in Key West. She is asking for divine guidance about their next steps on this adventure. I reminded her they are right where they need to be—today and at least through January 3 when granddaughter, Courtney, flies back to Tennessee after spending Christmas and New Years with them.

    This morning I received an article from Joel about the mental health benefits of tarot and astrology. Reading the article sent me on a walk down memory lane!

    Years ago I was giving a talk on alternative medicine to a packed room at our local hospital. I had a 3-page handout with brief descriptions of each of the modalities offered by the members of our Holistic Alliance. The list was alphabetized, so it began with acupressure and acupuncture. Third on the list was astrology.

    I was given a glowing introduction by Brenda Layne, a celebrity and friend from the radio station, a woman in the audience raised her hand. Thinking she may be saying that she couldn’t hear her that the lighting was bad or something, I acknowledged the woman.

    Voice dripping with sarcasm she said, “How could you imply that astrology could be a valid medical treatment?”

    You could have heard a pin drop in the room.

    After taking a deep breath, I replied, “From the tone of your question, obviously it wouldn’t be a viable option for you.”

    Then I continued….

    “However, if someone going through something major like cancer believed in astrology (even a small belief) and that person had an astrological reading that provided information like this, ‘I can see here that you have just come through your Saturn return and it’s likely been a very difficult past six months, but hold on, because Venus is rising and before the first of the year everything will turn around for you,’ that is a valid medical intervention because it restores hope.”

    It is vital to notice what restores hope for you in times of stress or distress.

    Eight of Cups was the featured card in the article about the mental health benefits of tarot and astrology, so I sent the information along to Stacey:


    Eight of Cups

    People who get what they truly want in life know how to walk away when something is good, but not good enough. Mind the parts of you that feel flattered, lucky and scared you can’t do better. It’s okay to have those feelings, but do not let them dictate your decisions.

    Barbara Brodsky tells of an experience she had years ago. She was hospitalized with a very serious cellulitis in her leg. Nothing was working and the infection had moved up above her knee and was spreading to her thigh. The doctors started her on another antibiotic saying, “We will give this 36 hours. If it does not stop the spread, the leg will have to be amputated to keep the infection from getting into organs.”

    The next morning there was no improvement.

    Barbara was in excruciating pain and despair—so afraid, so angry. “Why me?”

    Late that night Barbara got a roommate. Through a narrow opening in the curtain that separated the two beds, she saw that the woman had obviously had a leg amputated. The woman’s other leg was just a stump from a previous amputation.

    Compassion rose up in Barbara. Others came to mind who had lost a leg due to war or an accident or an illness.

    Suddenly Barbara’s heart was open. This was no longer about her fear and pain and suffering. It was about ALL pain and suffering. After doing Metta (lovingkindess meditation) for a few hours, somewhere before dawn, Barbara fell asleep. When she was awoken a couple of hours later, her fever had broken. The antibiotic was working!

    Barbara was not pretending to have compassion. Genuine compassion was there for the woman, for others, for Barbara.

    From my journal 12-14-19:
    Releasing Negative Charge

    Today takes on a charge. Each day does this.

    The idea of lovingkindness being an active “taking in” of the day and allowing the charge to be released is relevant to all now.

    You were dreaming about the environment when you woke up this morning. You saw your friend’s email about the beach in Michigan being eroded. Some would just point fingers and blame. This only amplifies the negative charge.

    As you bring loving awareness to the situation — not denial, not ignorance, not sticking your head in the sand — you are allowing the transmutation, which is natural, to work for the benefit of all.

    Thoughts today of Jessica in Texas going through an experimental chemotherapy.

    Thoughts of Jane Foster and all she has gone through.

    I don’t know what their astrology chart might show, but the message of the Eight of Cups is relevant to both of them today, and to all of us.

    And not just at Christmas, but every day of the year.

    Keep Hope Alive