Blog on the Lillypad
Saturday, August 23, 2003
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I spent almost the entire day working on a 13 and a half minute scene for the latest audio drama, "Two of a Kind," in which the Doctor accidentally loses Jo in a poker game to an alien. Talk about your moral stories! (See what happens when you gamble!) The story is intended to show that everybody can be "reached" (exploited) through their desires or fears. The Doctor only consents to gamble because he so badly wants what the card player offers, and he stupidly agrees to any wager. Enter Jo Grant, his somewhat hapless assistant. In fact, the story overall presents a network of fears and desires that every character has, except for the one guy who just loves poker. He's a used car dealer who UNIT brings in to help (because he's so expert at the game). When he realizes that a human being is at stake, he comments that poker is never really about poker, and that's really what the story is about. I won't give away the ending, and I'm afraid that the gimmick and stings of the story may detract from its overall meaning. |
But I had to cut a good eight minutes that depict all the usually rock solid fellows swindling a stubborn business man out of a jade necklace because that's the only thing the alien will allow in the betting to win back Jo. I really liked that scene. (It is not in the written version.) It shows how even the toughest man can be hoodwinked by his fears. And it's funny because it's the Brigadier and the Doctor tricking him. But the story ran to 37 minutes, so I had to cut that part out.
What it comes down to, is a used car dealer, a giant lizard, an alien humanoid, and an earth girl are sitting around a table, playing cards. Sounds like the beginning of a joke. Anyway, it was exhaustng to do because small scenes are harder that "big" scenes. It's a lot more intricate and difficult with sound effects to get a poker game right than it is to get a spacehip attack right.
"Two of a Kind" is scheduled to debut September 5, Lord willing. Check the Audio Subway page. I have STRANGE DARKNESS running right now in the Doctor Who category.
Such intense work on the audio stuff always prompts a few visits to the inversion table and then the massage chair. Once again, my back started popping as soon as I went upside down this morning, especially in the left lumbar area. I felt something unkink back there. Good! Just saved myself a chirpractor visit.
I finally checked my web stats and was amazed to see that this blog is getting about 30-35 hits per day.
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Frogs are hopping through my life right now. We have tiny little ones at work, and I love to see them. They are the smallest species of frog I have ever seen, and the locals call them grass frogs. The scientific name is Pseudacris ocularis, and the sound that they make is a light, tinkling cry that I recognized at once, but I had always thought it was from birds. The work site is under construction, and it is very dry and rocky, but the little frogs find small moist crevices under the sidewalk and near drainage pipes and come out occasionally. They come in all colors. I am usually not charmed by frogs, but these small, big eyed creatures with the beautiful call have helped me to see frogs in a new light. One of these days they will hop through a story of mine, I'm sure. |
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Yesterday afternoon the sky got as dark as night. I heard the wind push the door, hard. I turned on the local news channel, and there were warnings galore for a huge storm cell bearing down on us. So I moved a few things out of my biggest closet, brought the battery camp lantern into it, and retrieved the quilt from my bed. The lights flickered several times, and the wind pushed the door hard, like a hand shoving it against the lock. The lightning and the thunder were the most remarkable things. Those long thunder rolls that I have never heard so consistently as I have heard in the last few weeks, and nearly constant flashes of silver and white light. I sat in the dimness (alternating with the brilliant, steady flashes), waiting. It passed after about 35 minutes. It was an incredibly huge and slow moving cell. |
Meanwhile, yesterday morning I talked with my lead person about the instructional design job. She was doubtful, but by the end I had surprised her with my extent of experience in curriculum development. I made it very clear to her that I really want that job. I think this startled her too, as I have been diligent enough but not so openly keen even on the permanent tech writer slot she advised me to interview for.
The chiropractor has told me I can start lifting weights again, but I have to go slow: squats with no weights, lunges with no weights, chest presses with the lightest possible weights, and lateral raises with very little weights. Also, walking on a treadmill but no more than 1 -2 minutes of stair stepping as a finisher.
I am three hours away from ending my latest 24 hour fast. This one was very difficult to do, but once again I find that it seems to reduce the inflammation in my back.
Perusing the FFF, I was startled to find that Tom Neal's chuch, Berean Baptist Church in Orange Park, FL, is facing foreclosure. Tom Neal is the guy who has been sheltering Dave Hyles ever since events in Pinellas Park FL prompted Dave to get out of town. Tom Neal also is the prime detractor and rival to Jack Schaap, the heir to the Jack Hyles throne in Hammond Indiana. (If you want to get this entire story of chuch abuse, molestation of children, the death of Brent Stevens, and rampant adultery and fornication, listen to the PREYING FROM THE PULPIT series that is linked in the right hand frame of this blog.)
Of course the pro-Jacksters are gleeful. Well, so am I, but more because I hope this is the first of many of these IFB popedoms to go down. If Neal folds and the others stay, it's no great victory (as far as I can see), but if this is merely the first strike of the heavenly fist to end this corrupt movement, I am profoundly encouraged. Dave Hyles, meanwhile, has fled to Texas where his mother has retired.
Friday, August 22, 2003
Just got the following message in my guest book:
She didn’t leave a proper e-mail address, so I cannot write back to her. Young lady, if you are reading this, please drop me a line!
Saw Mars again today, somewhat diminished from cloudiness. I plan to get up before sunrise tomorrow and view it if the night is dark and clear.
G'day! Just finished both "Valkyries" books that I loved so much. I find reading a challenge, and it's a miracle I picked your book to read. I was really touched by it. To see that God truely loves and doesn't give up on us, was a marvel to me. I can't believe how much Tracey's anguish was also my own. Thru your book and our precious Lord, I now have a hope to move on from my shameful past. Thanks for your giveness to share your gift with me. I appreciate it so much.
She didn’t leave a proper e-mail address, so I cannot write back to her. Young lady, if you are reading this, please drop me a line!
Saw Mars again today, somewhat diminished from cloudiness. I plan to get up before sunrise tomorrow and view it if the night is dark and clear.
Yesterday at the trigger point massage session I had a lot more trigger points than last week, but none were as wickedly painful as previously experienced. All the points are along erector muscles on the right side of my back. After 40 minutes of treatment, I came home and hung upside on my inversion table. I had a lot of cracking and popping going on along my spinal column when I first tipped back. Good! Today my back feels a lot looser, but the muscles are sore. I have an appointment to see the chiropractor.
I have also discovered the stupidest post in the world. Stumbled onto it by accident. It was on the Fighting Fundamentalist Forums, but it requires some explanation for readers not acquainted with this particular branch of Fundamentalism. In one strata of this group, women wearing trousers has been forbidden since roughly the 1950's. This branch of the group tends to view gender identity as something tenuous. A person has to keep working to preserve his or her own gender identity. The idea that gender is a natural part of you that is going to stick like glue unless you really work to erase it doesn't occur to them. So they come up with a lot of exaggerated rules for hair and dress codes and even behavior.
Well, back to the stupidest post. In a discussion on women wearing trousers, a poster with the ironic screen name of "brain" wrote the following:
I thought of giving him a tremendous scolding for being so callous towards rape victims and just so all around ignorant about the horrible nature of all sexual assault, but then I did not. In a sense, it's better to preserve material like this. I mean, if this is what these people think, there ought to be a record kept. Sometimes, the best reasons to avoid a system of belief is provided by its own adherents.
I have also discovered the stupidest post in the world. Stumbled onto it by accident. It was on the Fighting Fundamentalist Forums, but it requires some explanation for readers not acquainted with this particular branch of Fundamentalism. In one strata of this group, women wearing trousers has been forbidden since roughly the 1950's. This branch of the group tends to view gender identity as something tenuous. A person has to keep working to preserve his or her own gender identity. The idea that gender is a natural part of you that is going to stick like glue unless you really work to erase it doesn't occur to them. So they come up with a lot of exaggerated rules for hair and dress codes and even behavior.
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It gets so exaggerated, in fact, that there's a startlingly high incidence of perversion that has cropped up in these circles: pedophilia, child molesting, sodomy. It's the same phenomenon you see in Nazi culture or samurai culture. The idea of the perfect woman is so insipid, passive, and helpless that only a little girl can fulfill it, so little girls are picked out for affairs by some of the men who fall into these sins. Or, because women are so devalued, some of the men who fall into perversion go after little boys. Anyway, it's not that the majority fall into these sins, but the occurrence seems to be higher than you get even in mainstream secular society. The most notable culprit is Joe Combs, who adopted a little girl and started raping her when she was around 13. He told her it was God's will for her to be his concubine. You can look up Joe Combs on Google.com. He's in prison right now, as well as his wife, Evangeline, who abetted him and vented her own jealousy on the child. Hyles-Anderson College, of course, sent up a posse of men in suits to Joe's trial to speak on his behalf. They left rather sheepishly. As is typical of HAC/FBCH, they never expressed regret or concern for the young woman who suffered so much. |
Well, back to the stupidest post. In a discussion on women wearing trousers, a poster with the ironic screen name of "brain" wrote the following:
Statistics show that unless a man is real pervert he will not assault a woman in a modest dress.
I thought of giving him a tremendous scolding for being so callous towards rape victims and just so all around ignorant about the horrible nature of all sexual assault, but then I did not. In a sense, it's better to preserve material like this. I mean, if this is what these people think, there ought to be a record kept. Sometimes, the best reasons to avoid a system of belief is provided by its own adherents.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
I saw Mars this morning. Oddly enough, after days of travel by car to find a high hill from which to observe the sky, I picked him out right at my little brick house at 5:30 this morning. He is the brightest light in the sky, and my poor eyes discerned only a faint orange glow in the rim of him because his glory is so bright. How lovely and how terrible. I was arrested at the sight of him, because he is so incredibly bright. What does he portend? What does God mean to bring to pass?
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his
heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because
he delighteth in mercy.
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us;
he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all
their sins into the depths of the sea.
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The sky was clear and dark as velvet, with the moon almost due east, and Mars much closer to due south than I had thought he would be (unless my compass points are messed up). How bright and silent, like a Watcher called to behold us, yet brilliant with the heavenly light, as one we called to behold---a great and terrible reminder of wrath and justice. Only in God do we see both terror and beauty; wrath and grace, together. Whatever He ordains is right. I hope that between now and December I remember that God’s preference is always mercy. Yet His nature is holiness. |
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his
heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because
he delighteth in mercy.
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us;
he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all
their sins into the depths of the sea.
Hey-Ho! Up at 3:30 this morning in my quest to get a peep at Mars. First cup of coffee in 48 hours. Man is it good! I broke the fast yesterday at 1:00 in the afternoon but drink coffee only first thing in the morning, so this is the first since before I started the latest fast. A very welcome cup!
I was able to postpone yesterday's appointment with the chiropractor until Friday. This afternoon I have an appointment with the trigger point massage specialist. I have abandoned all previous-held notions that massage is pleasant. It hurts so much that one day I cussed because there was nothing else I could do. But I always have better range of motion after going. I have a rib that's been cracked twice in the front and dislocated twice in the back, and most of the muscular pain is focused around the ribhead where the dislocations occurred. Then there's radiatng pain out to the side of the rib cage. The chiropractor told me there's deformation in the rib cage on the right side. I expect that now that I am undergoing all this treatment and using an inversion table for traction, that the muscles have to readjust to the correction. Yet last night, after the fast, I had less pain and slept easily.
This correspondence with Frawley again reminds me of how insulated the evangelical/fundamentalist church has made itself. The fundies talk about soul winning, and they extract decisions from people who obliviously pass on their way. Yet to stop and listen to a persn's account of his own grappling with who Christ is, to respect that person's struggle, to evaluate where that person is, and to care about what happens to that person---it doesn't happen in the hearts of these stone-cold soulwinners. I have often seen on the FFF how they berate the lost and scold them---these, the people to whom we are sent as ministers of grace. In Fundy culture, nice people who tend to agree with you are the ones most likely to be saved and therefore the ones you ought to reach. And it's okay to mock those who hate the Gospel and don't comprehend it. As though there are degrees in the depravity of man. But I forget, the Hyles-ite fundies will congratulate themselves on their soulwinning and honestly think they are of greater account for their efforts.
Anyway, Frawley has been far more cordial with me than most fundies would be with him. He's brilliant, articulate, and courteous when you contact him one on one. But his book is delightfully sarcastic in the first two chapters. He does not spare New Age astrology. It was a joy to read. I reproached him via e-mail because he does not have a long white beard as any self respecting Rennaisance astrologer should have. He wrote back good naturedly to say he is working on it.
I was able to postpone yesterday's appointment with the chiropractor until Friday. This afternoon I have an appointment with the trigger point massage specialist. I have abandoned all previous-held notions that massage is pleasant. It hurts so much that one day I cussed because there was nothing else I could do. But I always have better range of motion after going. I have a rib that's been cracked twice in the front and dislocated twice in the back, and most of the muscular pain is focused around the ribhead where the dislocations occurred. Then there's radiatng pain out to the side of the rib cage. The chiropractor told me there's deformation in the rib cage on the right side. I expect that now that I am undergoing all this treatment and using an inversion table for traction, that the muscles have to readjust to the correction. Yet last night, after the fast, I had less pain and slept easily.
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I have been occassionally e-mailing John Frawley, author of THE REAL ASTROLOGY. Two days ago I sent him VALKYRIES. I don't know what he'll make of it, if he should read it at all. He cautioned me that he does not read novels very often, ad I told him it's okay. They make great coasters as well. But Frawley himself, with no prompting from me on the topic of Fomalhaut, commented that the full moon in my birth chart falls right on Fomalhaut, indicating my concern for making grace manifest on earth. So perhaps (as he recognizes that I have something to say about grace) he will be motivated to read the novel. He's interesting in that astrology prompted him to alter his views from a secular view to one of recognizing---not only that God has authored the heavens---but that Christ is the Son of God. The account of the Magi speaks volumes to him. Regrettably, Frawley came to the conclusion based ONLY on the precepts of astrology, which strongly support the idea that the material thing in front of us (ie, the physical stars) stand for the truth that is not material. This precept led him into Roman Catholicism. (Where the Eucharist indicates Christ and the statues indicate the saints and the hierarchy of the chuch indicates an order of heaven, etc., etc.) I want to point out to him that even this concept of the material vs. the real can be exaggerated and misconstrued, but as yet I have no real platform to address him so. So I hope that VALKYRIES, which depicts the Valkyry itself as the recurring symbol for the complete work of grace, will intrigue him. |
This correspondence with Frawley again reminds me of how insulated the evangelical/fundamentalist church has made itself. The fundies talk about soul winning, and they extract decisions from people who obliviously pass on their way. Yet to stop and listen to a persn's account of his own grappling with who Christ is, to respect that person's struggle, to evaluate where that person is, and to care about what happens to that person---it doesn't happen in the hearts of these stone-cold soulwinners. I have often seen on the FFF how they berate the lost and scold them---these, the people to whom we are sent as ministers of grace. In Fundy culture, nice people who tend to agree with you are the ones most likely to be saved and therefore the ones you ought to reach. And it's okay to mock those who hate the Gospel and don't comprehend it. As though there are degrees in the depravity of man. But I forget, the Hyles-ite fundies will congratulate themselves on their soulwinning and honestly think they are of greater account for their efforts.
Anyway, Frawley has been far more cordial with me than most fundies would be with him. He's brilliant, articulate, and courteous when you contact him one on one. But his book is delightfully sarcastic in the first two chapters. He does not spare New Age astrology. It was a joy to read. I reproached him via e-mail because he does not have a long white beard as any self respecting Rennaisance astrologer should have. He wrote back good naturedly to say he is working on it.
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
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I fasted for about 50 hours last weekend, and just by the end, I felt that better ability to focus that some of the long-time advocates of fasting talk about. I'm still not sure about this as a spiritual exercise. It seems like a good mental exercise. But then the next day I did seem to have better prayer time----more focused on the praying and less focused on the time that was passing. I'm still not sure that the unusual sense of focus was from the fasting or just a result of a quiet weekend spent by myself going over some things with the Lord. I keep looking for Mars in the pre-dawn sky, but I cannot see the red planet because it's always either storming and pouring down buckets or foggy. |
I ended a 24 hour fast today. The other odd thing about fasting is that it seems to ease the back pain I have been having for the last four months. One of the writers who advocates it for health commented that fasting can lower levels of inflammation.
Opportunity at work for a full time slot creating training materials. I see my boss on Friday.
NEWS FLASH: Olaf from Big Pharma has left the company. This doesn't mean anything unless you read my saga of the incredible workplace abuse I encountered at "Big Pharma". Olaf was the kingpin, though a tool of Cruella deVille (who was fired on my last day). Anyway, Olaf saved his own skin but was demoted, but according to a really brief e-mail from Robin sent at end of day, he has gone to work for an instrumentation company that is much smaller. I hope he's learned not to be horrible, but I doubt it. That instrumentation company is in for an unpleasant surprise. But Olaf knew he would never advance at Big Pharma. He destroyed an entire project and had his head people falsifying documents on FDA-related stuff. He knew his career was over there.
More High-jinks on the FFF. Check it out if you are a hardy soul and like the zoo!
Monday, August 18, 2003
MARS PERIHELION
From a Fundamentalist poster on the FFF: (to me)
Your thoughts?
My Answer:
I think the near approach to Mars matches the Biblical indication of a sign in the heavens. But astrology has lost a lot of definitions in the last ten centuries. Renaissance astrology (what many call Christian astrology after William Lilly's book by the same name) measures stars/planets by angles to each other and where they are in respect to light (ie, how much light each planet receives).
When a planet comes near to earth like this, I don't know enough to know how to measure its effect on the current geometric angles. Renaissance astrology is like evaluating angles on a page. Then in a case like this, one of the points comes right off the page and gets in your face. So you know it's significant. But I only know how to measure it on the page.
Mars is always malefic in world events. The current heatwave and drought in Europe and these ceaseless thunderstorms in the southeast are events that I would attribute to its growing nearness. But any main event from the Mars approach lies closer (I assume) to August 27-28.
I would guess that unusual and cataclysmic Mars-related events will occur. Mars is associated with war, heat, lightning and thunder, pox illnesses or other illnesses related to "heat", fire. Mars rules the blood, fevers, migraines, most skin eruptions, distemper, certain reproductive diseases in men, and shingles & other pox-related viruses.
I'm watching and waiting (and praying), for I am aware that if this approach by Mars is a harbinger of more tragedy for the nation and the world, that God is just. We have played with violence for a long time in this nation and even in Christianity and trifled with it, and I am afraid our pride will be brought down, but I don't know that it will. I'm just concerned about what will happen.
Sorry I couldn't be more definite! But as the amazing nearness of Mars is the first time in human history, there's not much data available.
From another poster on the FFF:
Interesting theories regarding the times we live in. I'm a little
lost on the ramifications of Mars' presence to the earth resulting
in more chaos. Perhaps since I'm not familiar enough with astrology
and stuff.
My Next answer:
The catastrophes of the last three years are attributed by astrologers to a significant eclipse that occurred right on the cardinal signs (0 degrees Capricorn and Cancer) in June 2001, the day of the summer solstice. No specific event occurred at the time, but it was viewed as the herald of great changes in the world. All eclipses are heralds of upcoming change, and they are evaluated according to their significance. But when you get one right on the cardinal signs at the summer solstice, you've got a big eclipse. The cardinal signs are the signs of change and upheaval. Even without eclipses, mundane astrologers always measure the heavens at each "solar ingress" (sun into a cardinal sign at a season change) to help determine events for the next three months.
In Ezekial 1, the four beasts that Ezekial sees were the four cardinal signs of his time: "As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man (Aquarius, the Water Bearer), and the face of a lion (Leo), on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox (Taurus) on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle (Scorpio)." This vision showed Ezekial that great changes were about to take place and showed that God is sovereign over all change, and the stars move at His bidding.
Today, owing to the precession of the equinox, the cardinal signs are Cancer-Capricorn and Libra-Aries. So when the eclipse in June 2001 occurred right on the Cancer-Capricorn axis, (followed by a year-long Saturn-Pluto Opposition in Mutable signs) many astrologers predicted great changes and shifts on the world scene for the next decade. Later, when Mars and the moon opposed each other on that same axis on Sept 11 2001, Tem Tariktar predicted a great event would happen in the morning that would be brief but would attract great notice. Another astrologer predicted a stock market crash for that day. Robert Hand, based on the upcoming ingress into Libra, missed the Sept 11 significance but predicted war for the end of September 2001 or the end of January 2002.
But all of these aspects occurred within the framework of standard astrological aspects: eclipses have occurred before, oppositions have occurred before, etc.
Braveheart, I don't know if you're asking for more info or just casually stating that you don't know enough to make a judgement, but Rennaisance astrology is based on figuring out angles and the focus of light. SO any time any planet gets a lot of light, the astrologer pays a lot of attention to that planet. With Mars being so plainly visible in the sky, we recognize that Mars is receiving a lot of light, but not by the normal astrological reckoning of angles to determine the share of light. Like I said, we figure it all out on a page, and now Mars has jumped off the page right into our faces.
Historically, Mars is malefic, meaning Mars indicates trouble---a time of judgement and reckoning for sinners. This is true about Mars in all classic astrologies---Chinese, Vedic, South American, Babylonian, Greek, etc. The rulership doesn't change much from one astrology to another, either. Mars is Mars where ever you find Mars.
With Mars coming so close and being so visible, it's like a big sign posted in the night sky that says DANGER. But while just about anybody can see this, it's less easy to figure out where the danger lies. I only know that when 9/11 happened, I believed (and still believe) that we were judged by God for our dependence on money, big business, and the strength of our army for help instead of trusting in God.
When those towers fell, and smoke was rising above the Pentagon, I believed that God was warning us of our folly. Mars was a significant player in those events, two. In direct opposition to the moon across the cardinal axis, we had what might be called "a full Mars". So I don't know what this sign in the heavens portends, but I know that God rules the stars; that they declare His righeousness and soveriegn rule without ceasing; and that all of His judgements are just and right. It's my role to wait on God and glorify Him. So as Mars approaches, I pray for God to be glorified, and I ask Him to have mercy upon His people and give us clear direction and understanding; and most of all, to forgive us and this nation for our sins.
From a Fundamentalist poster on the FFF: (to me)
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I am not attempting to get anything of conflict started with this post. I am simply wondering what your thoughts as one who knows "a bit" of astrology/astronomy on mars being so close to the earth. Next time this happens will be some 280 years from now. So, I figured in the considering the essence of time limits and that perhaps it is not providing enough measure of time till the next close encounter to discuss the ramifications completely, we might need to start now. |
Your thoughts?
My Answer:
I think the near approach to Mars matches the Biblical indication of a sign in the heavens. But astrology has lost a lot of definitions in the last ten centuries. Renaissance astrology (what many call Christian astrology after William Lilly's book by the same name) measures stars/planets by angles to each other and where they are in respect to light (ie, how much light each planet receives).
When a planet comes near to earth like this, I don't know enough to know how to measure its effect on the current geometric angles. Renaissance astrology is like evaluating angles on a page. Then in a case like this, one of the points comes right off the page and gets in your face. So you know it's significant. But I only know how to measure it on the page.
Mars is always malefic in world events. The current heatwave and drought in Europe and these ceaseless thunderstorms in the southeast are events that I would attribute to its growing nearness. But any main event from the Mars approach lies closer (I assume) to August 27-28.
I would guess that unusual and cataclysmic Mars-related events will occur. Mars is associated with war, heat, lightning and thunder, pox illnesses or other illnesses related to "heat", fire. Mars rules the blood, fevers, migraines, most skin eruptions, distemper, certain reproductive diseases in men, and shingles & other pox-related viruses.
I'm watching and waiting (and praying), for I am aware that if this approach by Mars is a harbinger of more tragedy for the nation and the world, that God is just. We have played with violence for a long time in this nation and even in Christianity and trifled with it, and I am afraid our pride will be brought down, but I don't know that it will. I'm just concerned about what will happen.
Sorry I couldn't be more definite! But as the amazing nearness of Mars is the first time in human history, there's not much data available.
From another poster on the FFF:
Interesting theories regarding the times we live in. I'm a little
lost on the ramifications of Mars' presence to the earth resulting
in more chaos. Perhaps since I'm not familiar enough with astrology
and stuff.
My Next answer:
The catastrophes of the last three years are attributed by astrologers to a significant eclipse that occurred right on the cardinal signs (0 degrees Capricorn and Cancer) in June 2001, the day of the summer solstice. No specific event occurred at the time, but it was viewed as the herald of great changes in the world. All eclipses are heralds of upcoming change, and they are evaluated according to their significance. But when you get one right on the cardinal signs at the summer solstice, you've got a big eclipse. The cardinal signs are the signs of change and upheaval. Even without eclipses, mundane astrologers always measure the heavens at each "solar ingress" (sun into a cardinal sign at a season change) to help determine events for the next three months.
In Ezekial 1, the four beasts that Ezekial sees were the four cardinal signs of his time: "As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man (Aquarius, the Water Bearer), and the face of a lion (Leo), on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox (Taurus) on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle (Scorpio)." This vision showed Ezekial that great changes were about to take place and showed that God is sovereign over all change, and the stars move at His bidding.
Today, owing to the precession of the equinox, the cardinal signs are Cancer-Capricorn and Libra-Aries. So when the eclipse in June 2001 occurred right on the Cancer-Capricorn axis, (followed by a year-long Saturn-Pluto Opposition in Mutable signs) many astrologers predicted great changes and shifts on the world scene for the next decade. Later, when Mars and the moon opposed each other on that same axis on Sept 11 2001, Tem Tariktar predicted a great event would happen in the morning that would be brief but would attract great notice. Another astrologer predicted a stock market crash for that day. Robert Hand, based on the upcoming ingress into Libra, missed the Sept 11 significance but predicted war for the end of September 2001 or the end of January 2002.
But all of these aspects occurred within the framework of standard astrological aspects: eclipses have occurred before, oppositions have occurred before, etc.
Braveheart, I don't know if you're asking for more info or just casually stating that you don't know enough to make a judgement, but Rennaisance astrology is based on figuring out angles and the focus of light. SO any time any planet gets a lot of light, the astrologer pays a lot of attention to that planet. With Mars being so plainly visible in the sky, we recognize that Mars is receiving a lot of light, but not by the normal astrological reckoning of angles to determine the share of light. Like I said, we figure it all out on a page, and now Mars has jumped off the page right into our faces.
Historically, Mars is malefic, meaning Mars indicates trouble---a time of judgement and reckoning for sinners. This is true about Mars in all classic astrologies---Chinese, Vedic, South American, Babylonian, Greek, etc. The rulership doesn't change much from one astrology to another, either. Mars is Mars where ever you find Mars.
With Mars coming so close and being so visible, it's like a big sign posted in the night sky that says DANGER. But while just about anybody can see this, it's less easy to figure out where the danger lies. I only know that when 9/11 happened, I believed (and still believe) that we were judged by God for our dependence on money, big business, and the strength of our army for help instead of trusting in God.
When those towers fell, and smoke was rising above the Pentagon, I believed that God was warning us of our folly. Mars was a significant player in those events, two. In direct opposition to the moon across the cardinal axis, we had what might be called "a full Mars". So I don't know what this sign in the heavens portends, but I know that God rules the stars; that they declare His righeousness and soveriegn rule without ceasing; and that all of His judgements are just and right. It's my role to wait on God and glorify Him. So as Mars approaches, I pray for God to be glorified, and I ask Him to have mercy upon His people and give us clear direction and understanding; and most of all, to forgive us and this nation for our sins.
