Jude’s Threshold

Jingle Jingle and a Merry Christmas to All!

by Jude Cowell

Today’s Winter Solstice got me curious about an article in the History Today archive concerning the blend that created what millions of people now celebrate in America and across the globe as “Christmas” though “Christ’s Mass” is closer to the truth.

Through the centuries, nearly all Protestant churches have fallen in line with the Vatican over this pagan-Christian mixture of ancient rites, symbols, and cults such as Rome’s Mithraism, and modern man has turned the holiday into Big Business today by commercial interests, as our bank accounts annually attest.

Writer Alexander Murray’s Medieval Christmas puts a modern bow on an old topic which is on almost everyone’s minds this week, and btw–my favorite color is purple, in case you’re already making your gift list for next year!

Related posts include Winter Solstice 2011 showing the horoscope set for Washington DC, my overview of the Nov-Dec 2011 Solar and Lunar Eclipses, and a speculative natal chart for Jesus of Nazareth, timed by a Moon/Jupiter occultation!

'Behind the Zebra' collage by Jude Cowell

On this day marking the US withdrawal from pillaged Iraq, here is one of my paper collages which was created some years ago. As always with such visual combinations, it’s a Collage Mirage!

For some reason, every time I run across this particular collage I think of popcorn. Or kefir!

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In case you’re interested, Stars Over Washington has been updated today with a brief Political Astrology post regarding the end of our misbegotten Iraq War. Check out Iraq War Ends w US Saturn Uppermost if you wish.

And pass the lowfat blueberry kefir while you’re at it…

Well, apparently today the US Congress acted in time to avoid a shutdown of the US government tonight at midnight so that we the people can avoid being extinguished for a while longer–we survived our own ‘solar plunge’ in spite of the massives egos operating and battling for control on Capitol Hill.

The horoscope for that hour and date tonight set for DC shows US natal Neptune 22Vig25 rising, and as you know, Virgo is the sign of Work, Service (including military and police), and Health; plus, the stars of Virgo are very important to the cosmic founding of America and our Ceres-Venus-Columba-goddess archetypes and obsessions (ex: Statue of Liberty.)

Consider Fixed Star Denebola, now @ 22Virgo: keywords: ‘to go against society; against the mainstream’ which seems to me to be just what politicians are conspiring to do when they fiddle faddle around and neglect the creation of employment opportunities and programs that could put Americans back to work and which would help boost the US economy.

Instead we get such frothiness as light bulb efficiency regulations and reaffirmation of our national motto even though it was reaffirmed as recently as 2002.

Yes, it’s time and dime wasting on Capitol Hill! And of course, transit Neptune @ 28AQ is still within orb of US natal Moon (we-the-people) which brought us floods, fraud, and home foreclosures with the resulting homelessness, sense of rootlessness, and loss.

Besides, any chart with Neptune rising describes unstable and/or deceptive conditions so with a rising spiritual, idealistic, and inspired yet confused Neptune, planet of fraud, dissolution, oil-gas-water, and poisons, I hope the megabus bill passed today doesn’t have what’s called “poison pills” hidden secretly in Neptunian fashion within its 2,300 pages.

And with President Obama’s natal Mars (motivation; desire nature; energy ;action principle) veiled by US natal Neptune, can we depend on Mr. Obama to veto what the majority of us don’t want such as indefinite detention? Doubtful–also a Neptunian word.

Anyway, here’s a SpaceWeather News update for you about a comet that avoided being extinguished in spite of all the Sun could do:

Space Weather News Dec 16, 2011

SUNGRAZING COMET SURVIVES: Sungrazing Comet Lovejoy has confounded the experts and survived its close encounter with the sun. Last night, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded amazing movies of the comet entering and exiting the sun’s atmosphere.

Comet Lovejoy’s scorched remnant is now receding from the sun in full view of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Visit SpaceWeather.com for the latest movies and discussion.

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If you’re not overly wary of Political Astrology, you may wish to check out my freshly updated blog Stars Over Washington, or, for briefer posts and what could be groanworthy verses, I promise to tell nary a soul if you simply mosey on silent paws to Woolly Mammoth Chronicles while no one is looking!

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And from one blogger, here’s a very special message:

Welcome Home to All US Soldiers!

Though I’ve been blogging since 2005, there are no illusions here as to whether my years of blogging have magically turned me into a journalist (they haven’t–plus, no paycheck for blogging going on around here), and I want to spotlight this story about a Seattle District Judge who ruled against a blogger, Crystal Cox, and leveled a $2.5 million decision against her.

As the 99% would expect, the judgment was in favor of the corporate litigant and against an individual citizen who was spreading inconvenient info!

The question, Are bloggers journalists? has grown whiskers and gone gray around the muzzle but it’s still on the reptilian minds of big gorilla corporations–and the US government–so if you’re a blogger or care about one, you may want to snoop like a journalist into the rest of the story.

Additionally, there are the concepts of citizen journalism and user generated content made possible by the rise of the Internet.

Where do you stand on these issues? Get it off your chest by answering the poll (up to 3 choices) or add your opinion in a comment.

Oh, and…blog on, everyone!

Having just published my column on Winter Solstice 2011, I thought you might wish to join me in a consideration of its Sun Capricorn/Moon Scorpio blend of energies.

View the horoscope and read a few details here; be advised that the Winter Solstice 2011 chart is set for the White House so my text relates most directly to DC politics and American issues.

With Capricorn ruled by restrictive, conservative Saturn, and the Moon’s sign Scorpio ruled by Mars and Pluto, it’s not the easiest Solstice chart I’ve ever written about but it’s the one we’ve got to usher us into the watershed year of 2012.

(My sincere hope–prayer–is that the ongoing Fukushima Meltdown will not be what makes 2012 so…special and volatile. Sadly, you should know that the current news from Japan is not good at all.)

Sun Cap/Moon Sco is an Earth-Water combo–in a word, mud. As such it is a practical and supportive blend so let’s cheer for that, shall we?

This blend gives Winter Season 2011/2012 an aura of resilience and ambition with undertones of Mars-Pluto-Saturn, not a pleasant trio of planetary energies especially when times are already tough. Washington DC’s favorite Saturnian word of 2011–austerity–comes easily to mind, and if you view the above-linked horoscope, you’ll find it awash with financial issues along with some military implications.

Now Sun Cap/Moon Sco indicates dedication, strength of character, and loyalty so we’ll see where these traits manifest as winter goes forth. This blend is also known for its common sense, something which would be very welcome in US politics about now, agreed?

And since this blend favors traditional values, perhaps we-the-people’s desire to retain America as America will continue to be included in our public dialogue, thanks in large part to the ongoing efforts of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Compassion and moral integrity are also welcomed facets of the Sun Cap/Moon Sco combo.

Weaknesses of the Sun Cap/Moon Sco combination include an over-emphasis on austerity measures, a too-serious attitude, and a tendency to remain blind to one’s own prejudices (a prevalent trait found in DC politics.) Actually, most people are blind to their own prejudices for if they were not, they might have to let go of them!

Well, Sun Cap/Moon Sco is a very determined and tenacious combination of energies and perhaps its “Images for Integration” may apply. See what you think–the first image reminds me of Pvt. Bradley Manning’s detention for his possible WikiLeaks involvement–and his hearing is set for December 16, 2011, a date you’ll find mentioned in the Winter Solstice 2011 post for its ‘government shutdown’ potential:

“A prisoner in solitary confinement undergoes a conversion and becomes an indefatigable worker for the transformation and betterment of mankind…A priest turns his home into a shelter for the sick and homeless.”

(Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Charles & Suzi Harvey.)

Yes. The sick. The homeless. All over America, thanks to culpable politicians who serve as Big Banking handmaidens and paid-for shills–legislating against we-the-people who make up the 99%.