Ever since its inception, astrology has been used to study the movement of the planets and their effect upon the Earth and those who dwell on it. To many people, it is a superstition or pseudoscience. To others, it is a map for their lives. To many more, including myself, it is an interesting method of learning about ourselves and others. Those who fall into this latter category don't live their lives according to the stars, they don't plan important events to align with planetary influences. But they do understand that there is something to the whole thing.

Of course the skeptics will laugh. That is certainly their right. But I would point them towards the work of people like Michel Gauquelin, Suitbert Ertel and Arno Müller. Gauquelin was a French mathematician whose studies of the planet Mars in the natal charts of athletes, physicians and writers showed a correlation of that planet to their professions. Recently, Ertel and Müller have replicated these studies. You can read more here if you are so inclined.

Barack Obama's natal chart (the positions of the planets at the time of his birth) and interpretation are offered in the spirit of curiosity, not as fact.

Welcome to the Friday Random 10, StreetProphet's weekly music discussion group. Grab a beverage of your choice from today's  Happy Hour thread, pull up a comfy chair, and start thumbing through the records, 8-tracks, tapes, CD's and mp3's lying around. If you're not into music, here's some noise-canceling earplugs- they'll filter out the music while you stay and chat with us about other stuff :-).

Memorial Day, the modern delineation of the start of Summer, is almost 2 weeks gone. So I think it's safe to say [glancing furtively at the weather]... it's Summer!!!!! School kids look forward to the last day so that they can begin their 3-month sabbatical. That this could be anything but a vacation for their parents never crosses their minds! We check our calenders for our vacation time; when we get to leave our cubicle, counter or desk for our break. Planning trips, packing, preparing the kids, the house, the animals... We breathe a collective sigh in anticipation of rest and relaxation.

My daughter has a very good friend who has a problem. Her family is ULTRA- Fundamentalist and she has begun to question this. She is nearly 17 years old and is in the midst of spiritual questing and questioning. This is, to say the least, frowned upon by her parents who force her to attend church and will brook no argument on the matter. Discussion is forbidden. Questions are blocked before they are even asked, opinions before they are uttered. This is distressing to my daughter (who has attended their church) who is accustomed to free discussion of any and all matters of religion and philosophy. What distresses her, does the same to me. I like this girl; she is strong and smart and talented. I hate to see her oppressed...

First of all, thanks to all the regulars for letting me stick a toe in here. I love music and the Friday Random 10 is something I look forward to all week long. I hope I do well enough that they will ask me back sometime.

I know it's Spring and things are being born and renewed and are all fresh and shiny. But we know that it won't be like this forever. The Wheel of the Year stops for none. I don't like to remind myself of this, who of us does? But The seed of death lies in every living thing. So, let's get it out of the way now...

Feb 1st marks the first of the Greater Sabbats according to the Wheel of the Year. It is a festival celebrating the rebirth of the land, the Maiden's coming status as Bride, the preparation for planting and the arrival of baby animals. It marks the center point of the dark half of the year. More below the fold...

Well, the yearly brouha-ha over the so-called "War on Christmas" is starting. I see from CoolOnion's diary CoolOnion's diary that the e-mails have already begun. Last year, I wrote a short piece for the op-ed section of our local newspaper. I'd like to share it with you below the fold...

Yes, I realize it's probably been done before. But people join SP every day and it can't hurt to have another article on Samhain. Especially the day before.

One of my childhood predilections was folklore. I pursued this interest as I grew older, along with mythology and history. The history of Halloween traditions has always been a big favorite of mine (along with Yule traditions - me & Tim Burton, eh?). Over the years, I've collected quite a bit of information on these traditions. This is an article I wrote for an online Interfaith magazine many years ago. What better time to...er... resurrect it?

What a delight to find a place where religion and politics can get along. Most often though, I find that my religion isn't included in the chumminess. I can't say that about SP... and hopefully never will.