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I think you’ll find a lot of 6th house influence in my post which sums up the last 6 months of my life.  As I’ve watched everything unfold, I’m pretty happy about the way things turned out.  With Saturn in Virgo, the sign of adaptability, it sure has been some kind of ride, certainly not easy, but worthwhile.  My schedule changed, my health was influenced, and animals have become more significant in my life.  Saturn governs my 6th house of daily routines, health/diet, and pets.  Saturn is currently conjunct my progressed Ascendant and is the decan of my progressed Ascendant.    

Six months ago I found out I was hyperthyroid when the August eclipse was conjunct my natal Venus on my ascendant.  That not only caused the hormone imbalance, but the influence to Venus was the onset to rapid hair loss.  I met with a specialist in November and started my recommended medicine.  I knew right away that the meds were working as I felt a lot better, the hair loss stopped in early December.  I wrote about that in previous posts. 

I had a follow-up appointment in January and my blood work looked good so the doctor reduced my medicine as the plan is to wean me off in hopes that I would go into remission.  My bloods tests in February showed that my thyroid hormones dropped to low so my doctor called and asked me to stop all medicines.  By March he suggested I take a very low dose, just enough to keep me from dropping too low and enough to keep me out of hyperthyroidism.  Hopefully this will work, I’ll know in April after I have further blood tests.  With Saturn retrograde, this was no real surprise, my hair loss started again although it’s not as severe as it was in the fall.  

Besides the onset and months of health influences, I began working in Animal Rescue.  Rescue is something I have a lot of interest in, but never really knew much about it.  I am and always have been an animal advocate.  I started out as transport, driving rescued dogs to rescue homes until they find forever homes.  My first transport were the three Rat Terriers coming from a puppy mill, which you will find on this blog.   

The Universe kept dropping opportunities in my lap as Jupiter edged its away across my 6th house cusp.  This gave me something else to do and think about besides what was going on with my work and my health.  I’m not great at multi-tasking ( I tend to get stressed), but I also get bored doing the same thing too long so I usually have more on my plate than most people.   

My previous post mentions a Mommy Jack Russell and her puppies that I picked up from the pound and cared for a week before they went to Russell Rescue.  This was in January, when I had 4 planets transiting my 6th house and Mars crossed my 6th house cusp.  Mars governs my 10th house cusp of career and reputation.  Since then I have become known in the animal rescue community, locally and in my region.   

Mommy still needs a home, but the two puppies have been adopted!  I received an update with pictures and they are happy, healthy, and growing pups.   

Mina

 lil Ricky

That experience led me to think more about short term fostering dogs as well as getting my garage in shape so I would have an area for a couple of kennels if I needed them.  Interestingly, that work is almost complete and will be finished within a week.  All boxes have been relocated to the attic, the floors have been painted and sealed for super easy clean up and we have a lot more room and better organization now.  I had enough to furnish a small house in there!  

In February I received an email about a JRT terrier needing a ride to the Rescue Farm.  At the same time I heard of three little dogs that were listed as Urgent in a pound in Tennessee.  I was planning on getting those dogs to rescue a few days after I picked up the JRT so I decided he would sleep over a night or two and I would do everything in the same day.   I would be driving 4 hours just to pick up the TN. dogs so I knew it would be a long day.   

Meet Jack- Ride to Freedom

Once I had him home, he felt like he had a fever so I called my vet.  I’m glad I acted on my hunch as he had a fever of 104.  He had picked up kennel cough, a common respiratory infection that many dogs pick up at the pound.  I didn’t want him to go to rescue because he was sick and would have to be kept quarantined until he was well.  There were about 50 dogs there and they don’t need them to get sick.   Within a few days he started feeling better and by then I knew he would stay with us until we found a home for him.  And we did, 12 days later!  The new moon Feb. 25 was conjunct my natal Jupiter in the 8th house of regeneration and it fell in my progressed 6th house of pets.  I was counting on him being adopted.  He is currently getting spoiled in ways he could never imagine!  

I made the trip to pick up the little dogs at the pound in TN and take them on to Rescue.  Happily, one was adopted the day before!  The two JRTS were taken to a vet to be altered as I arranged to pick them up there.  I would have loved to bring the female home, but I have concerns about my dominant female JRT (Bonnie).  I did plan on bringing the male home, he would be my foster.  Gosh, what sweet, cute dogs these were!  It’s so hard to imagine that they didn’t have homes.  I dropped the female off with Russell Rescue and went by Arby’s to get this little guy something to eat before our long drive home.  I had dog food, but this was a special occasion.  I took him out for a potty break, poured a bowl of water, and gave him the meat off the sandwich.  I thought he was going to take my fingers off, but I don’t think he had any food for at least a day because he had surgery the night before.  This little guy rode home in the front seat of my car in a dog bed and it only took a day or two to realize he was going to be a Foster failure.  I told my husband that if he looked at me one more time with those big brown eyes I would keep him.  That’s exactly what he did!  This little guy is so needy and precious!  Jupiter, the planet that expands what it touches, now transiting my 6th house, meant another dog for us.  Toby made #4.  The moon was conjunct my 6th house cusp trine Saturn conjunct my progressed Ascendant.  I took responsibility for another dog that day. 

Toby’s ride to freedom

One night Toby was lying on my lap (he loves laps) I looked down and got all teary eyed.  I felt like his presence in my life meant I was on the right path, that God sent him as a gift to me.  I felt so blessed, five minutes with this love bug and you would understand.  Jupiter was sitting smack dab on top of natal Saturn in my 6th house and the new moon was conjunct natal Jupiter, I had a new beginning and a spiritual awakening.  I couldn’t believe that Toby didn’t have a home, that no-one wanted him, or that someone wasn’t looking for him. 

As fast as I was falling in love with this little guy, I decided to search lost ads just in case someone was looking for him.  I realize the first place they should have checked was the pound, they even held these dogs longer until I could get there. In my online search of ads I found this… 

Date: 2009-02-23, 9:14AM CST

I was picking up my kitty from the vet the other day, and in walked a woman with scrubs on. She was just getting to the vet office and turns out she was from animal control. Next thing I knew, she was bringing in two crates…each filled with a precious Jack Russell. Turns out that she was bringing them there so a rescue could pick them up after they got fixed. The first one that came in was sooo soo hyper in his little crate! He just seemed so happy. It filled my heart with joy–this little guy was no longer on death row.  And it seemed like he knew it too! Ya know, he was like “I’m free! I’m a free man!” It was so heartwarming. The next one that came in was a little more timid…like she was saying “ok I have no clue what’s going on…nervous..” I don’t know if it’s just me, but this really touched me. The jack russell rescue was taking in these little guys. You know most times, the rescues still have to pay the shelters to get an animal out…and they only care about the animals. So in my opinion rescues are a blessing! Thank you rescues everywhere for saving innocent little prisoned animals!!  

I wrote and ask this person if it was Anderson clinic and it turned out that the dogs and the rescuer she was writing about was us!  How odd that I found this ad!  I sent pictures of Toby, explained why Laurel went to Russell Rescue and thanked her for her kindness.

Again, the Universe speaks,  I’m doing exactly what I should be doing.

I did not write forecasts in February because my time and energy was wrapped up mostly in rescues.  There was something else going on, something that began last August as a result of an eclipse to Uranus in my 1st house.    One night in August I went to return some video rentals, it was late and I used the drop box.  To my surprise I saw a dog with its nose down roaming an empty grocery store parking lot, the dog was so skinny it made me want to cry.  Ashton, my daughter, drove from business to business but everything was closed while I stood out in the parking lot not wanting to lose sight of the dog.  Eventually we had to give up and go home without feeding her.    That dog stayed on my mind. In September I went to the grocery store just before closing time.  To my surprise the dog was there again looking for food.  I ran through the store grabbing food, water, and bowls.  I fed the dog by a tree at the edge of the parking lot and went back the next night to find her there again.  Beginning in September, less than a month after the eclipse, I began driving 6 miles every evening to feed this dog.  Rain or shine, I was there.  When I went out of town and ran late, my husband or daughter made sure she was fed for me.   My daily routine changed because of her and aspects to my 6th house. 

At times it was stressful, I would leave my husband to finish cooking dinner and there were times when I couldn’t eat my own dinner knowing she was there waiting!  More of Saturn’s influence.   It was also stressful because she crossed a major highway every night to eat!  I have heard many cars beep at her because she was running across rush hour traffic!  One time my headlights were hitting her back feet as I turned into the parking lot; her feet just hit the grass on that side.  I seriously use to have concerns about me being the one to hit her, it scared me!  More Saturn influence as Saturn governs caution and fear.   

By Christmas my family asked my intentions with this stray and I told them that I planned on keeping her alive with food through winter, after that it was in Gods hands.  Her name became Darlin because each night that I saw her I said, “Hello Darlin.”  

More details can be found here at petfinder if you’re interested. 

http://forums.petfinder.com/viewtopic.php?t=166951 

Jan. 26, 2009 Solar Eclipse in Aquarius, transiting Sun, Moon, Jupiter conjunct natal Saturn in my 6th house.  Within a few weeks I was fostering dogs and I realized it was time for change concerning my stray.   I could not continue driving to feed her every night.  My routines (6th house) were about to get a fresh start, and the change needed definitely had an Aquarian influence over me.   And it had the Saturn Uranus opposition written all over it, - breaking free, sudden breaks, breaking up existing conditions, freedom vs structure, sudden insights, and accepting responsibility and authority.  

It was time for me to reclaim my freedom from a situation (and a relationship) that I had with an animal.  A situation I created because I fed her every night and I made the decision to continue for six months.  I had a revelation around that time and realized I had been training a dog to eat from a tree, but I was ready to take responsibility for her, my way, here at home.  We agreed that Darlin had been eating from The Real Giving Tree.  

Feb. 9 Lunar Eclipse in Leo, conjunct my progressed 1st house Sun.   I found out about having to stop my medication and I made the decision to do something about capturing my stray dog. Saturn, conjunct my progressed Ascendant was opposing Uranus, ruler of my marriage sector.  Talk about testing me and my relationship with my husband!  I was boiling inside, not happy at all with Allen concerning this stray dog!  What an emotional week that was for me!    Allen was fine about me trapping the dog, but he didn’t want me to bring her home.  At that time we had three dogs and we weren’t sure what we would be getting into.  I was overcome with sadness, cried at the drop of a hat, and worried about what I would do if I did catch her.  My heart was in it; I had been driving 6 miles every night and feeding her!  Heck, I felt like she was already my dog!  Darn lunar eclipses can be tough when they conjunct an important planet like the sun (the giver of life and the planet that rules my Ascendant).   I sent out pleas for help, to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah as well as local rescue groups.  Those that did reply didn’t hold out any hope for her, calling her feral and stating they were all full with dogs.  Best Friends did reply stating they were also at full capacity with feral dogs.  I forward the emails to my husband, at which time he said we could bring her home and try to socialize her.  Once she was comfortable around people, he said we could try and find her a home. 

After an emotional roller coaster ride that week I put my plans into action.  You’ll find that on Pet Finder.   

Feb. 25th new moon, Jack gets adopted less than a week later and the trapping started coming together.  To trap an animal takes some skill, knowledge, or research.  When you have an animal that is unsocialized and fearful of people like Darlin, the last thing you need is something to go wrong.  If it does, then she may never come back.   

March 10 full moon in Virgo.  Moon/Saturn conjunct my progressed Ascendant opposing the Sun/Uranus.  Animal Control brought me a large dog trap on the full moon and I was counting on that moon to help me find closure.  I drove up and down that highway several times that week and I did a lot of talking to God.  I had been listening to a song called Full Moon thinking about making a video of her in the future, using the still shots I have of her in the dark and the pictures I would take at home.   

March 11, the moon moved across my 3rd house cusp (neighborhood, local travel, my environment, and communications). Later that day the moon was conjunct my progressed Venus in Libra ( a relationship sign and ruler of my 11th house of hopes and wishes and friends).  I drove down that highway 5 times and was exhausted, but I kept talking to God, asking for his help and hoping it wouldn’t take months to catch her.    

I sent this note to a friend that I met online while researching traps for dogs.  With the help of friends, Lisa trapped a rescue dog that had been lost and roaming for three cold weeks in New Hampshire.  The day that I emailed her for the first time was coincidently her dog’s two-year trap-a-versary.  She doesn’t know anything about astrology, but I shared my thoughts.  

“Last nights full moon was so in line with what’s going on right now regarding trapping Darlin.  The full moon was in Virgo, the sign that rules the natural 6th house of health, food/diet, routines, and pets in the zodiac.  The moon was conjunct Saturn, the planet that restricts, but helps us make slow steady progress.  Gains are not easily made under that type of energy.  Last night I withheld Darlin’s food for the first time (Full moon conjunct Saturn in Virgo).  Emotions are heightened during any full moon as the moon governs our feelings.  I certainly felt more emotional the last two days.  The moon was opposing planet Uranus in Pisces.  Uranus governs sudden events and things that are unexpected.  Pisces governs the natural 12th house of confinement (that trap).  When I saw that opossum, I knew instantly that was the surprise promised by the full moon. ”   

This was Wednesday when I told her it looked like I could get her by Friday, but I was so hoping on the full moon.  

That night, just before dark, we trapped her! 

Friday was significant.  I drove my son to meet friends just as I do every Friday night.  As I passed the shopping center I looked up at the tree where I use to feed Darlin.  It was a weird feeling and such a relief not having to go back there.  On the way home I removed a sign I had posted on the tree a few days before.  A sign that asked people that might see her and feed her not to because I needed her to be hungry enough to go to the trap.  When I pulled the sign off and got in my car, that was it, she was home and I was ready for a fresh start.   

That Lunar Eclipse in February urged me to do something about my stray dog and promised me closure.  A month later and she has a new home. It’s been slow going this week as she has so much fear and anxiety, but I will take it one day at a time until she learns to trust the one that has been feeding her.  Saturn is retrograde until May 16th, I imagine I’ll learn a lot about gaining the trust of a fearful dog.  

Not long ago someone applauded me for helping to save 8 dogs since December.  Last night I was thinking about the dogs that I have rescued/fostered/re-homed and counted them in my head.  JR, Ali, Katrina, Mommy, lil Ricky, Mina, Jack, Skip, Laurel, Toby, and Darlin made #11. I had goose-bumps when I realized that!  The significance of a master number like 11 meant something very profound to me.  Then I remembered that I caught Darlin on March 11.  Spirit was talking to me as felt an overwhelming sense of being connected to God at that moment.   11:11,  I never look for that numbers significance in my life.  Usually when I see it on the clock I’m working and it’s just a time of day.  Now, it has taken on a whole new meaning for me.   

Spring is right around the corner.  I’m hoping it breathes new life into my relationship with Darlin.   

Darlin is home!

Blessings, Cornelia

Mama and JRT

They were very nice and put the dogs in my car because they smelled so bad.  The entire drive back the puppies cried as they scratched like crazy in their crate.  First order of business was a bath.  That’s when I knew something more than living in urine was wrong with these dogs. 

Mommy

Mommy had sores and a rash all over; the puppies were so thin and had the rash too.  They were all missing a lot of hair.  After they ate we sat with them in the garage as I have several chairs out there and we have heat.  Mommy jumped right in my lap and claimed me as her own!  These dogs were miserable scratching so I promised Mommy that she would get cortisone shot the next day.

Mina

When I said it was time to go potty Mommy ran straight out the door, the only one that really didn’t want to go out was the little girl.  She was skin and bones so we would carry her out.   They all were underfed and itching.  My husband, Allen, didn’t think she was going to make it.  They did not cry at all that night; they tucked into to Mommy and fell off to sleep.

Lil Ricky

I called my Vet and told them the situation and asked if I could get a discount since they were rescues, hoping maybe he would waive the office visit.  I make donations and I have been feeding a stray for several months.  I buy her food, chews and bowls so I need a little help when I can get it in order to help other dogs. 

DARLIN, the stray

It was surgery day so they asked me to drop the dogs off and they would work them in.  The dogs had Sarcoptic mange (something I knew nothing about), but I do now and it is contagious to other dogs and humans.  I think I had some on my side; I used tea tree oil which dried it up and stopped the itching.  The entire life cycle of this mite is 21 days and it cannot survive on a human, although you can keep getting it if you are in contact with it.  It’s gone and I’m fine.

The Vet did fecals to check for parasites, they were treated for mange, given an antibiotic for any secondary infection, the puppies had their first round of shots, and Mommy had her overgrown nails clipped.  They estimated their age to be about 9 weeks.  They were so happy to see me that afternoon!

Guess what happened with their vet bill?   My vet contacted an Animal Sanctuary that paid for everything except the donation I made on their bill!   I was overcome with emotion when they told me.  The Vet assistant (Terri) had tears in her eyes as she handed me her email address and asked me to let her know how they were.  I have.   We called the Mama “Mommy”, the little girl “Mina” (meaning Lil girl), and the boy, “Lil Ricky”.  I told him he was my lil bomber pilot.  I made sweaters from fuzzy socks to keep them warm while they enjoyed a little sunshine and the yard.

new sweater

Gosh, we fell in love with those dogs and they loved us right back!  Lil Ricky was using the puppy pads within a few hours and they used them in their kennel.  Not once did they mess up their bedding.  Mina had some food aggression, but I’m the same way - don’t put your fork on my plate without asking, that’s just rude!  Lil Ricky was the voice of the three, but only when he wanted to play and they wanted to sleep.  Mommy, she was a joy to have here!

We spent the next few days treating them as our own, in fact ours were a little neglected having to stay upstairs because of the mange being contagious.  Bonnie, my own JRT, wanted to be near more than my other two dogs so she spent most of the time lying on the couch in the den while these dogs would lie in our lap.  We sat in the recliner together and watched Animal Planet and Mommy snuggled so close you would have thought she lived with me her whole life.  We discovered right away that Mommy was a lap dog and housebroken!  I just can’t imagine how they ended up in such bad condition and not wanted. 

Playtime

Allen got up early Sunday morning and went downstairs to let them out for me.  When I came down with my coffee we could hardly speak, we just enjoyed our last hours with the dogs and didn’t talk much.  We both knew how hard it was going to be letting them go.

We stopped once for a potty break and the pups did great, Mommy was distracted by the leash and the smells.  Mary Ruth was there waiting when we arrived.  We bought dog food which we unloaded first as I told Mary Ruth about our week and their health.   I kissed Mommy and hugged her tight before I put her in Mary Ruth’s car.  I was crying like I had to give away my own dog!  I felt like I did!  Allen was touched too.

The transiting moon was conjunct my natal 4th house cusp and square transiting Mercury/Jupiter conjunct Saturn in my 6th house of small animals.  My service was finished, it was time to separate and break away from that emotional bond I had formed with these dogs in my home.  I knew it was going to be tough, but by the next day when the Moon was conjunct natal Neptune I was sad and emotional all day.  It took me all week to get out of that funk I was feeling after having to let them go.  I wish I was born Aquarian so I could detach and let go!

Mary Ruth told me that she had a family interested in the little girl (Mina) which made us very happy.  She would have been 10 weeks old and she was closet to Mommy.  I actually thought lil Ricky would be the first adopted out as he had just the kind of markings I would want when and if I got another Jack Russell terrier.   But I couldn’t take one without the others, nor could I take a puppy and not Mommy after the way she fit in around here.

I do have concerns about two females living together since Bonnie is already a dominant female type.  We had one incident where Bonnie jumped up in the chair and laid down at my feet with her chew, and then Mommy wanted to smell what Bonnie brought over.  As soon as Bonnie growled we separated them.  Oh, and Allen was sitting in the chair with Bonnie when Mommy ran over and sat in his lap to get closer.  Bonnie immediately started growling so I called Mommy back to me and she listened and ran right back to her spot in my lap.   Other than those two incidents Bonnie played (or tried to) and got along fine with all of them.  It was so great seeing Mommy keep up with Bonnie as they ran around the back yard!

It’s typical for a JRT to claim someone in the house as they can be possessive of everything around them, especially their owners.  Bonnie is well socialized, but in her eyes she’s owned us for two years now.  She use to try and fight with our blue heeler when we first got her and she was 4 months old!  “Big dog in a little body” is the perfect description for this breed.

My Bonnie

I’m planning on visiting Russell Rescue in about a month, so it will be interesting to see if they have been adopted or how they have adjusted to their new environment.  The puppies are adorable, but Mommy having to wait for a forever home concerns me.  She is about 3 yrs old, housebroken, obedient, affectionate, and deserves a loving home.  She has probably been spayed by now. 

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We need homes - Puppies were adopted, Mommy needs a home.  I loved this girl!

This 6th house progressed moon in Capricorn is hard!!  But, I would do it all over again, now I know I can foster short term when necessary.  Until that time comes I will continue to support rescues in any way I can. 

Each month I will donate a Kundra bed to a random animal rescue, not breed specific because every animal deserves a soft place to rest.    If you haven’t tried a personal horoscope report, please consider one for yourself or a friend of astrology.  The Kundra beds are not cheap.  Or, use that money and buy a large bag of dog food and donate it to your local shelter.  I promise you; every small act of kindness will be rewarded.  I’ve seen it in my own life and I’m not talking specifically about animal rescues, I’m talking about helping anyone that is less fortunate than you are.  BTW, all reports get a free Lunar Return for the month ahead, and everyone gets a free birth chart…always have and always will.

Ashton just came home as I was writing this.   I told her how I was writing a blog post that covers the last month…my health, the floors, and the rescues.   We talked about how strong these Animal Rescuers are and how dedicated they are to their cause.  I wish I were that strong, to be able to do what they do.   But I have been told by several women, that if they don’t move on after saving a dog, then they can’t keep helping other dogs.  I’m sure it’s the same with any species.  Save and Rescue the ones we have, alter them to control the population (and how many are killed) - why doesn’t that make sense to so many people?

Ashton wants to be a High School English teacher.  Teaching kids is something I could never do.  I would sit home worrying about my students at night, and swear no-one could take better care of them than I could.  I would want to keep my students!  I’m sure there are teachers that can relate to this too!

This last series of eclipses that affected my health also influenced Ashton.  It’s been 18 years since her father died before she was two years old.  She has a few tattoos and told me several years ago about the tattoo she would get someday in memory of her dad.  She started it in December and said it was too painful to finish at the time.  Mercury stationed direct Sunday and she had the color added.  I’m not keen on the idea of my daughter having tattoos, but how could I ever get upset about this?

Tattoo

This is one she’ll be proud of.

Be blessed my friends.  I hope you all have a great month!

I had a new moon in your solar 6th house of pets last week and sure wasn’t expecting what developed.  Last Wednesday night I felt led to Craigslist.  I have only visited that site once before a couple of years ago.  I saw a couple of links on Google and one of them was the Pets link.  I’m an animal lover so that’s the first link that had my interest.  The first ad was a Rescue group looking for three people to help transport 3 Jack Russell terriers to their rescue home in Tennessee.  They were planning to break up the drive in three parts.   The ad stated these dogs were taken from a “Breeder that had learned the error of her ways.”   

Alley, age 3

The other ads were just as sad in other ways; people having to re-home animals, lost and found dogs needing a forever home and people asking for free dogs.  NEVER give your pet away unless it is a last resort!  Interview the person that would give your pet a home, go see where they will live if you can and if they can’t afford an adoption fee, then they probably can’t afford shots, health checks or food!  Animal abuse and neglect is nothing new, you can Google those words and what you see will break your heart.

I figured the ad was because of a Puppy Mill or someone breeding for profit with no concern for the animals living conditions or welfare.  I asked my husband if he wanted to make the drive with me, he agreed and I responded right away.  It just so happens that my grandmother doesn’t live far from where the dogs needed to go, but I would have taken them regardless.  Three dogs needing a ride to a Rescue home meant they would never live in confinement again! 

See, I know what it must be like to be born in a puppy mill because I was led to one the day I thought I was getting my own Jack Russell puppy from a reputable breeder.  Bonnie’s story will be coming soon.  She is every dog I have ever loved and lost and the love of my life for the last two years.  My apologies to friends and family, but I mean it!  And I’ve never owned a JRT in the past because I heard they were so high energy and not the dog for just anyone.  My Bonnie has proven every negative aspect of the breed wrong!  Unless digging is a negative, she does that well, but she is a dog!  So, no more backyard gardening for me, but I still have the front yard.   

Katrina, age 3

The Rescue Coordinator contacted me within 15 minutes and I was given the details about getting these dogs to their Rescue home.  The owner had to bring the dogs to me and we arranged a meeting place for Saturday, only I didn’t know she was actually the breeder until we spoke over the phone.  I told her that they were going to be safe and cared for.  She said, “Well that’s what they told me, but I could have sold them for $300 a piece.” 

I was told she had been breeding 35 dogs, which could be a small Puppy Mill by some standards.  Breeding dogs every time they go into heat for profit is not okay with me.  I have strong opinions about breeding, spaying and neutering, and the possibility of one life being used or neglected does not exist!  I will not go on because I could write a book and there is already a wealth of information on the internet about Puppy mills and Rescue animals of all types.  

JR, age 3

The owner sent her husband to deliver the dogs.  I knew as soon as I saw them that they were Rat Terries, not Jack Russell’s.  The breeds are similar; the Rat Terrier has pointed ears and the Jacks have cupped ears.  There were three dogs, 2 females and one male. They barked as I approached the car, I opened the car door and they stopped barking.  We moved them one at a time to our SUV.  They were so sweet I wished I could have taken them home.  I already have three dogs and have promised to take a Boston terrier if it ever comes down to it. 

Her husband handed me a piece of paper with their names on it, approximate ages and JR’s birthday.  He handed me JR and said he had never known anything except breeding.  Then he told me he lived nearby but the dogs were kept in a town an hour away!  The two females had unknown birthdays, but they are approximately 3 yrs. Old.  JR turned three in August. 

I saw JR’s birthday and knew that freedom was his destiny!  He just had an eclipse to his sun in August, a lunar eclipse, which suggested something was going to end and a relationship may be affected.  His lucky stars!!

The man also had three Pugs in a cage to drop off with someone; I suppose they were going to a Pug Rescue.  I shook his hand and thanked him for giving these dogs a new lease on life, although he had been ordered to.  We got in the car and I thanked God and welcomed these dogs to their first day of freedom with tears in my eyes and a knot in my throat.  I never heard another peep out of them for the rest of the day.  My husband reminded me that they had been living in cages so that’s probably why they didn’t bark or cry.  They didn’t really respond to my voice so I doubt they were ever called by name, or spoken to.  They were very sweet and gentle, just like in the pictures.

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 They were confused and probably frightened.  You can see it in the pictures with their ears down they were unsure about what was going on.  They smelled so bad, more like cow manure than anything although they looked clean.  Their nails were long, but they were of good body weight.  The male (JR) had to go potty as we were transferring vehicles in Tennessee, although I didn’t know it when I was taking his picture.    I could tell by his stool that he had not been eating a good quality pet food.  These dogs were fortunate little souls because some puppy mill dogs are in horrible shape when and IF they are rescued. 

Mary Ruth has taken them in at Russell Rescue in Columbia TN, not far from Franklin or Nashville.  Her farm currently provides shelter to 50 adoptable dogs needing homes.  Those dogs are not all puppy mill dogs, some were found, some needed to be re-homed.  While she is a Jack Russell terrier rescue, she has other breeds there as well.  You can find pictures of several of adoptable dogs at her site on Petfinder.com  http://www.petfinder.com/shelterSearch/shelterSearch.cgi?shelterid=TN270 .

Transportation may be arranged for an adopted pet through volunteers wanting these dogs to have a forever home and a better life.  All dogs going out of state will be altered first.  All dogs are altered after they have been rescued. 

This is Dory, a beautiful chocolate Cocker Spaniel.  She is 2-3 years old, 23 pounds, and very active.  She is not leashed trained and will jump on you so she will need some training.  Dory loves attention and to be petted.  She will roll on her belly for a rub.  She probably has always lived in a kennel.  This is the information I received from the woman providing rescue for her at this time.  She came from the same breeder as the Rat terriers earlier this week.  She needs a real home and family.  

I received an email last night about the Transportation Coordinator asking this Breeder for $100 to help with gas for the 13 dogs that are going to a Michigan Rescue this week.  Asking her to take some responsibility for these animals.  Apparently she said that she was already losing money by having to give them up.   I’m sure it was mentioned that of the Shitz Zu’s taken from her last week, one was half way to term with seven puppies when she went to be altered!  The Breeder didn’t tell the Rescue group, or didn’t even know.  

I am blessed and fortunate to help in some small way and I hope to help again.  Please do your part in putting Puppy Mills and pet stores out of business - never buy from one!  If you must have a dog with a pure bloodline and papers, there are many breeders that give their dogs real homes and want to preserve the integrity of the breed standards. 

If you or someone you know would like to give one of these little dogs a home, please contact me for more information, or check out the link at petfinder.  These dogs deserve to feel grass under their feet, the warmth of companship, and a soft place to sleep. 

Yesterday was pretty relaxed considering how anxious I’ve been to meet with the Endocrinologist.  Allen took off from work to take me to my appointment, which I was glad of by the time we arrived.  I’m still not familiar with a large part of this area and it turned out to be a pretty big hospital. 

I stayed in my robe all morning and goofed off on the internet.  I had my fill of coffee, did some writing, nothing much just waiting for the time to go by.   I can’t remember Allen and I speaking other than him asking if I wanted him to make me some breakfast about 7:30 and later me telling him I was ready to go about 12:30.  Couldn’t have been more perfect! lol

My affirmation for yesterday was – It’s time to let go of my old beliefs about how relationships are suppose to be – I Can Do It, desk calendar by Louise Hay . 

That affirmation made me think about how Allen tells me to let people do their jobs.  I’m one that likes to be on top of things, called bossy a few times when I was younger and not always patient with the Moon/Mars conjunction at the top of my chart.  I’m much more seasoned as I age, but I still want control over everything that’s important in my life.  I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t.  Lesson for yesterday – give up some control and allow the benefits of a relationship to come into my experience. 

We didn’t have to wait long and I was called back to the exam room.  I had given the nurse a two page history report of symptoms, beginning 4 years ago to present date.  Some may have been relevant, some not, but I asked her to put it in my file.   I had my vital signs taken and the doctor came in within a few minutes.  No waiting was a surprise! 

I liked his face as soon as I saw him.  A tall slender man with male pattern baldness, olive complexion, dark eyes and by his last name I forgot to ask if he was from Brazil.  When he came into the office he had a nice smile, shook our hands and asked how I found him.  I told him about the other doctor not having room to schedule me until 2009 so I found him on the internet. He questioned if it was through the American Thyroid Association, I nodded and he seemed pleased.  He took a seat and began reading my personal history which made me feel good because he was taking a few minutes to read and listen to what I had to say.  

He addressed several questions that I would have asked.  He was on top of every question I asked as well.  He talked about my symptoms in comparison to the reports and the scans.  There was too much of a difference in my blood work and the symptoms I have now, so he ordered new blood work.  My test reports are at least seven weeks old, my worst symptoms and accelerated hair loss began after the tests. 

He did talk to me about thyroid disease, what my options are and how he would rather try hormone replacement for a year before he would suggest surgery, or radioactive iodine ablation to kill the thyroid gland.  He said that would only result in me having to take medicine the rest of my life.  I’m glad I did a lot of reading about thyroid disease beforehand; it benefited me having a thorough understanding of what was going on.  I was also happy that he’s not a doctor that would immediately rush into surgery or ablation as both of those treatments have concerned me.

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He promised me he would not let me go bald.  He even ran his fingers through my hair!  It was a sign and I knew he really cared about what I was going through!  He did say that my hair felt just like hair that has been affected by the thyroid, thin and fine.  He also mentioned that if and when I go on hormone replacement that I could lose more hair for another month or two until we get my hormone levels to where they should be.  I hope not, but I will also take proactive measures nutritionally and through other areas of wellness from massage to meditation and visualizing myself with a healthy head of hair.    He promised that once my levels are stable that the hair will grow back. He did say that I’m also not allowed to blame him if I gain weight.  I already knew that hyperthyroid usually results in under active thyroid after treatment.  The only way to control it is to slow hormone production down; in doing so the metabolism slows too.   I’ll cross that bridge if I get there.

He seemed open to nutritional healing and alternative methods of wellness.  I had concerns about iodine in my diet and he said I could have some table salt but to stay away from kelp and supplements that contain high amounts of iodine. 

I forgot to ask about the nodule!   He said the reports state it’s a cold nodule which means it did not take up any iodine when I had the scans, but thyroid nodules usually do not cause symptoms.  Next appointment I will ask the size as I know when they are small most times they are watched.   From what I have read, cold nodules require biopsy so I will be sure to address this as well.  It does sound like I have two separate thyroid issues going on at once, or two findings.  Before any diagnosis he needs the new test results. 

Before the end of our visit I asked him about my eyes.  I told him that I had some recent pictures taken and my eyes looked different to me.  I saw that in pictures from my stepson’s wedding in early July and some photos taken in September which were worse.  My eyes looked so different in the pictures that I told my daughter she better not let me wear that eye shadow again!  It was a pale frost on the top lid, although it was subtle, it just seemed to make my eyes pop out.  I thought I should know better, at my age I should always wear a matte finish.  So when I mentioned this to the doctor he pointed at a chart on the wall and said, “Yes, you do have the appearance of Graves disease.”   Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.  Graves Ophthalmology is a condition associated with Graves disease, it may also called thyroid eye disease.  Graves disease and thyroid eye disease are related, but they are separate issues for the patient.  In order to determine whether someone has Graves disease, an antibody test is needed.  

Even though I’ve had to retake blood tests and have to wait another two weeks, I feel much better having this man on my side.  Jeannie, a website visitor and friend, wrote and asked about Jupiter transiting my 6th house.  She said she found a great doctor when Jupiter transited her 6th.  Yes, Jupiter officially entered my 6th house Oct. 10 and I do feel like this Endocrinologist was a God send from the Universe. 

So, no definite diagnosis or treatment plan at this time.  My next appointment is Nov. 17, the day after the sun squares the August 16 lunar eclipse.  The transiting moon will be at 29 Cancer in my natal 12th house of hospitals, something hidden, and the last house in my chart suggesting the end of something.  The symbol for the moon is “A Greek Muse weighing newborn twins in golden scales.”  This relates to weighing two issues, balance, comparisons and similarities, the pros and cons of more than one issue and decision making.  

I remain optimistic and I’m only washing my hair every three days now!

Special thanks to the people that reached out to me during this difficult time.  Jeannie,  Raquel, Judie, Arianna, Jen, Skye, Kathleen, Beth and Carleta.  While this thyroid issue and hair loss is not the worst thing that could happen to me, your emails meant a lot and your story and/or information you’ve shared have been appreciated.  I wish you all blessings and good health.  ~ Cornelia

My previous posting was a copy of the text from my August 2008 forecasts.  You may want to drop down and read that as a guide to what this eclipse season may hold for you.  In November there may be more activity related to the August eclipses as the sun squares the eclipse degree on Nov. 1 and Nov. 16.  The days surrounding these dates may bring developments for those whose charts were influenced by an August eclipse. 

I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you my own experience due to these recent eclipses to my own chart.  I’ll keep it simple, then I’ll break it down a little further if I can manage to keep my thoughts in check.  Yes, I have some difficulty with scattered thinking right now. 

When looking for the expression of an eclipse in your own chart, the first thing you would do is look at the birth chart to see if the eclipse is conjunct or in opposition to planets in your chart.  The orb, or distance between the eclipse and your natal planet should be kept tight, within 2 - 3 degrees for the most obvious influence. 

Some astrologers take the analysis further and look for the eclipse forming other major aspects such as the square, or may look to progressed chart if the natal chart isn’t influenced.  I have done this myself.  While this may help to define what areas or issues will be impacted, it may or may not be an accurate measure of predictability. 

All eclipses have the potential for bringing some sort of crisis whether lunar or solar.  A solar eclipse is a high powered new moon that will bring something to light that can not be avoided or ignored. 

The August solar eclipse at 10 Leo was conjunct my natal Venus (13 Leo) on my 14 Leo Ascendant and my 10 Leo north node.  The eclipse conjunct my Ascendant/Venus/north node opposed my natal Saturn/south node conjunction in my 6th house of work methods and health.

A solar eclipse on the Ascendant can bring issues of the physical body, the ego, identity and spirit to light. An eclipsed Venus can bring issues up surrounding beauty, pleasure, the ability to attract finances or gifts and can also concern Venus ruled body parts or health matters related to the neck or throat. 

The north and south node in our charts have to do with our soul lessons in this lifetime.  The north node carries the energy of Jupiter and is regarded as being good and helpful, whereas the south node carries the energy of Saturn, which we all know as a more weighted or challenging planet.   An eclipse to the north node or south nodes may seem fated.

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The ruler of that eclipse was transiting Mercury.  If the solar eclipse had no planets within the allowable distance of the sun and moon, the eclipse would have been ruled by the sun, ruler of the sign the eclipse was in - Leo.  Since transiting Mercury was also conjunct the solar eclipse, Mercury became ruler and Mercury’s influences would be felt. 

When Mercury is prominent as it was having rulership of the eclipse, one can expect news, documents, agreements, thinking and communications to become part of the experience as these are Mercury related themes.  One should also look to the birth chart for the sectors ruled by Mercury. 

Mercury rules my 2nd house of income, values and self worth, as well as my 3rd house of communications, news, and thinking and my 11th house of friends, groups and aspirations.  Each of these houses govern more than I’ve mentioned here.  I have listed these issues specifically as they are more relevant to my experience.

The August 2008 eclipses carry similar energy threads as the last eclipses in the series.  Both eclipses in August of 1990 impacted my chart in a big way so it’s not unusual to note some similarities now. 

While discussing the eclipses with friends I had mentioned that I had some concerns about my current husband’s health because he works long hours, often under stressful conditions.  I lost my first husband in September 1990; he was a victim of a random act of violence on his way home from work.  We had relocated just six months before his death due to a career change for him so his new job was very important at the time.  

I had no fear of something tragic happening this year, although I felt that my current husband’s career and health may be influenced.  I was right about his health and the career influences are still unfolding. 

Allen had recently changed jobs and while he’s still doing what he has always done, he’s in a new field so he’s spent this year learning a lot about this new industry.  He put on some weight this year which was hard to comprehend given his activity level, especially at work, and he hasn’t really changed what he eats.  He wasn’t recuperating as quickly as before, also having some muscles soreness and his knees started bothering him.  He has his progressed moon in Capricorn so it’s not unusual to feel health issues related to the sign - Capricorn rules the knees.  He had his annual check up in late August and found out his testosterone was low and he was hypothyroid.  Hypothyroidism is a common under active thyroid condition which can influence weight gain, low energy and muscle soreness and a long list of other symptoms that many people experience.  The doctor called after his test results were in and he was given medication for both issues and tells me he feels better now than he has in a long time. 

In discussing the eclipse with a few people I also mentioned that it could influence my work and my health. That statement was based solely on the eclipse conjunction to Venus opposing Saturn in my 6th house of health and work methods. 

My thoughts were that I may have some kind of disappointment with a female (Venus) related to work (Saturn).  I had the disappointments as anticipated although it did come as a surprise.   I set up my auto responder for the first time in two years and told the people that write frequently that I needed a break from email.  It’s not just friends met through the website that write, but I get several questions everyday.  I do free mini readings, full length consultations; I answer astrology questions, send free reports to people that are having financial difficulties and send free charts to those that have trouble determining their rising sign.  There are hundreds of people from all over the world that I have assisted in some manner because they asked a question or had a pressing concern.  And when a report order comes in, almost every order also gets a free report and a free birth chart.  So when I set the auto responder several women took it personally as though I had singled them out even though I tried to assure them that the responder was for me and not about them.  The responder was set after I was diagnosed hyperthyroid and in the first stages of feeling the symptoms. In order to answer the call to take care of my health it meant eliminating how much time I spend on the computer.  My concerns didn’t seem to matter to these people, they took my email all wrong so I was left disappointed in some long time relationships that I had established through the website.  It actually hurt my feelings as this was important to me and my circumstances which relate to my own health.  And guess when I set the auto responder and upset so many people?  Sept. 24, the day Mercury went retrograde, bringing misunderstandings and difficult communications.  And what does Mercury rule in my chart?  Friends, communications and my values.

I also thought finances (Venus) may be cut back with the opposition to Saturn and with Mercury ruling my second house and conjunct the eclipse so that also seemed likely.  I think everyone is feeling the financial influences in some area, either because business has slowed or because costs of daily living expenses are rising.   I feel it too, although it hasn’t become a concern at this point because I have more important things on my mind that money can’t buy. 

I also had my annual check up with blood work in September.

While at the doctors office my blood pressure was elevated.  Since the blood pressure cup squeezed my arm so tight, released the pressure and squeezed it again until my face turned red I figured no wonder it was so elevated!  The doctor comes in and hands me blood pressure medicine to which I almost laughed telling her, “Uh, I don’t have high blood pressure.”  It was such a surprise that I was in disbelief, especially since one reading would prompt her to put me on BP medicine.  What the heck?  She said, “Fine” and put the medicine back in her pocket.  I walked out of the office that day and thought to myself that this is typical eclipse in Leo, ruling the heart.  Next visit surely my blood pressure would be lower because this was merely one reading. 

I’ve always had some concern about diabetes because my mother had it bad.  I started a Low Carb diet in June as mentioned in the post about my son’s weight loss and lost quite a bit of weight myself.  I have never had more willpower and determination in my life when it comes to eating healthy which I believe it is Saturn’s influence in my chart.  My progressed moon is passing through Capricorn.  I recently I started feeling better than I have in the last four years as I continue to eliminate sugars and starches from my diet and plan on eating this way the rest of my life.  I started my low carb plan when my progressed moon moved into my 6th house of health.  Did I plan that?  No, it was the right time for me.   June 1st was a magic number for me as every other time I tried to stay on a healthy eating plan I always failed early on, or I would cheat and have something I shouldn’t have.  This always resulted in some weight loss and gaining it back or no success at all.

In August I started noticing hair loss, more than what was normal for me.  At the time I related it to being normal shedding.  There was a day I clearing remember standing in the bathroom brushing my hair and I thought, “Gosh, my hair hasn’t fallen out like this since Keith died.”  Ta-Da!  In the fall of 1990, after the last eclipse in this series when I lost a tremendous amount of hair after the stress of my first husbands death.  I wasn’t under any particular stress recently, other than overwork which is typical with Saturn in the natal 6th house so I figure it would resolve itself.

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Over a week passed and I didn’t receive a letter on my blood work nor did anyone call.  Mercury was retrograde now so I made the call and asked about my tests.  My first question was about my cholesterol levels as my last check up showed borderline high cholesterol.  The nurse told me that my levels were low and the doctor was really pleased.  “Ahh, my diet, good deal.”   Then she tells me that the doctor wants me to come back in, that they need to draw more blood because my tests show hyperthyroid.  I thought that sounded crazy, if anything I had an under active thyroid although I knew very little about the difference between hyper and hypo at the time.  I remember reading the symptoms of hypothyroid when I was feeling poorly in 2006 and asked my doctor in Illinois to check mine which she did and she told me it was fine.  The entire time I wondered why I felt so bad, but as time went on I did seem to regain my energy.  

The light goes off again!  This wasn’t a blood sugar issue; it was another Venus ruled issue, the thyroid gland! 

I really didn’t feel any different at the time, but I did go back to give more blood.  While I was there my blood pressure was still elevated so she came back with the blood pressure medicine and I accepted it.  She also told me that I needed to have thyroid scans to find out the cause of why my hormone levels were elevated.  She set me up for thyroid scans the first week of October and said she would have the report back within a few days. 

With Mercury still retrograde it was no big surprise that no-one called so again I made the call the next week.  The doctor gets on the phone and tells me I have a nodule so she’s faxed my report to an endocrinologist.  She said if they didn’t call me then I should give them a call and schedule an appointment.  ”Surely they will call, I have a nodule on my thyroid.” 

My hair started thinning rapidly by this time too which I discovered through Google searches is related to an under active or over active thyroid.  Only now it was falling out in the shower, falling out twice as much when I brushed, there was hair on my clothes all the time, hanging from my sleeves when I washed the dishes, in my bra when I changed clothes and sometimes down in my underwear! 

No-one called me during Mercury retrograde so I made the call and told the receptionist that I needed an appointment and that they have my scans and reports.  She put me through to an answering service and they were supposed to call me back with an appointment.  She told me that they would look at my scans and call, which I thought was rather strange, that’s the doctor’s job to look at my scans.  This went on a few days and on Oct. 16, the day after Mercury stationed direct I got through to a different person.  And it just so happened to be my lunar return, the day the transiting moon conjuncts my own natal moon.  Emotions usually run high this day or you may feel under the weather or possibly run down.  I told receptionist that I needed an appointment and I had been waiting for them to look at my scans and call.  Guess what she said?  She didn’t know who I spoke with but they didn’t have to look at my scans, then she went on to schedule me for 2009!  I told her I wouldn’t have any bangs left in 2009 and couldn’t they please fit me in?  She found one opening for late December with a different doctor…I was devastated!  I told her I would call back.  I got on the phone and called my doctor, I told the nurse I was losing my hair fast and needed to see someone else and the receptionist said, “We don’t know anyone else.”  I hung up the phone and put my head in my hands and cried… 

By now the hair loss was my greatest concern and no matter how much I tried not to think about my hair as it was all so consuming.   I was having other symptoms of hyperthyroid.  My thinking was scattered and I found it difficult to concentrate (Mercury influence).  I had that in September too, but it was getting worse as the weeks went by.  Looking back over Septembers forecasts I can’t ever remember saying “this new moon” six times in a single paragraph and they were extremely difficult for me to get on paper. 

I began having hand tremors and mouth tremors where my mouth trembled as though I was terribly frightened, more Mercury.  I thought I might be having heart palpations because my heart would jump in my chest, Leo rules the heart.  I started feeling as though I had extreme anxiety and I would awake in the morning with my jaws clenched tight and had been grinding my teeth in the night.  Transiting Uranus square my natal Mercury can rattle ones nerves.  I could live with all of it as long as my hair would just stop falling out!  Don’t mess with a Leo risings hair!

Once I had my emotions in check I went online looking for another endocrinologist in my area.  Living in a city where the University Hospital is widely known, I would go there if I have too and who knows, I may end up there anyway.  I found a doctor and made the call.  They were able to schedule me for Nov. 3rd - the day I had marked on my calendar already for news related to any health issue I might experience!  The same day the transiting moon conjuncts Jupiter in my health house and trines Saturn conjunct my progressed ascendant.  There are some challenging aspects that day involving Venus and Saturn to name two, but I am hopeful that this doctor will help me.

My progressed moon is currently passing through my 6th house Capricorn.   The progressed moon is the fasted moving luminary, moving through each sign in the progressed chart an average of 12 degrees each year and spending approximately 2 ½ years on average in each sign.  This particular moon phase couldn’t go by fast enough for me!  This has been one of the most notable progressed moon phases I can remember in a long time. 

When your moon moves through Capricorn you can bet you’ll feel Saturn’s influence.  Since my progressed moon moved into Capricorn I’ve been much more cautious, a little more reserved than a typical Leo rising and I have been more concerned with my health and well being, the influence of it’s recent passage into my 6th house. 

While a Capricorn progressed moon brings with it determination to make career progress, added emphasizes on efficiency, productivity and structure, for me it has been more health oriented with Capricorn ruling my health house.  No matter where the moon is in your progressed chart right now, you will feel the expression of the sign and house it is in.

Saturn is currently transiting over my progressed Ascendant as I write this post and Saturn is the decanate (secondary ruler) of my progressed Ascendant.  So I’m feeling Saturn on my progressed Ascendant, in regards to my progressed moon and concerning my health and work methods because Saturn has rulership of this area of my birth chart.  I have had experiences in other areas due to my progressions, but that’s another post entirely, as is progressed moon phases and the nodes in the birth chart.   One thing I will say is that Saturn tends to bring fear, and it has done a fair job of bringing that to my experience as well.  That said, I remain hopeful that the endocrinologist came help me resolve this thyroid issue and in doing so will stop the hair loss.

I’ve recently found out something else that could have contributed to my rapid hair loss.  Those radioactive iodine thyroid scans that I had the first of October can also trigger or worse hyperthyroid symptoms!  I was told to have the scans, but no-one mentioned worsening of the symptoms.  I’ll have to attribute this lack of communication to Mercury retrograde because this whole ordeal has left me angry with my medical doctor and the health care system. 

I give thanks for early diagnosis.  At least I didn’t go to the doctor complaining of hair loss and the doctor chalked it up to stress.  This has happened to thousands of women.

What am I doing now as I wait for my appointment to see the Endocrinologist?  Well, I’ve done quite a bit of research on thyroid disease so that I’m better informed.  I’ve been in contact with Elaine Moore, author of seven books on thyroid and autoimmune disease.  She also thinks my suspicions about being hypothyroid in 2006 are probably correct.  If a person is hypothyroid long enough and goes undiagnosed they will become hyper. 

I’m taking additional supplements to help with the hair loss.  I take a whole foods multi-vitamin, Evening Primrose oil, Biotin, CoQ10, B-complex, and I’m drinking Camilla tea, high in anti-oxidants. The best diet for any thyroid condition is a low carb diet, eliminating refined sugar and processed foods.  This has been my diet since June. 

I’ve started weekly therapeutic massage.  My sessions include sound healing through tuning forks and singing bowls as well as Reiki.  This is by far the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.  Next week I have a 1 ½ hour session which I’m really looking forward to.  

This post was difficult to write, mostly due to symptoms that I have related to anxiety and brain fog or scattered thinking.  Once I start feeling myself again I hope to write a post on how to pinpoint autoimmune disease in a chart as well as a progressed moon article.  Until then I will update this blog after my appointment on Nov. 3, 2008. 

I’ve lost 50% of my hair at this point.  For someone who always had thick hair it’s been a devastating experience.  I’m thankful that I have long hair and bangs that I can pull forward to camouflage the balding scalp.  When I look directly at the front of my hair I can now see my scalp half way back on my head.

The pictures below were taken a few days ago.  I’ve lost more hair since, but as you can see I have obvious hair loss. 

I’d like to add something about Mercury retrograde during my wait for the results and my appointment.  A friend said she thinks I was meant to go to the doctor I found.  Yes,  I mentioned this exact comment to my family.  After the weeks of delays, once I found the doctor that could see me in November I believed that the reason I was delayed was because this was the only way to direct me to this person.  For everything that happens there is a reason. 

 My sister said this recent picture of Evan made her cry because she hasn’t seen this boy smile since he was little.  I get that.

A dear reader wrote and asked how Evan was doing.  I wanted to update those of you that have seen the picture of my son and read the post about him going off to weight loss camp. 

It’s been over a year and a lot happened since last summer.  My husband changed jobs and we relocated during Evan’s first year in high school.  He did lose 16 lbs at camp but put the weight right back on plus 20 lbs.  He didn’t complain about bullying in the new school, but there were a few incidents that he mentioned where someone said something that hurt his feelings. 

By the time school was out for summer I was really concerned that he would never take the weight off and his weight would continue to climb.  He went out of town in late May to visit his Dad and spend time with an old friend from his pre-school years.  Evan and Charles are still friends after 10 years and a separation of 3 ½ years with 650 miles between them.  I find that amazing sometimes!

I had lost 10-15 lbs during our relocation, but by Spring I felt it creeping back on.  The weight loss was not from dieting, it was mostly stress related due to a number of issues I had at the time.  I started a low carb diet on June 1st and lost 15 pounds within the first two weeks and you could really see it in my face.  My daughter made the trip to pick up Evan and bring him home about the third week of June and she told him on the drive home about my success.  She and her boyfriend really played up how well I was doing because they knew when he saw me that perhaps that would help him make the decision to start a low carb lifestyle as well. 

He walked in the house, gave me a hug and I asked if he was ready to do this with me and he agreed.  I assured him he would not feel deprived or hungry as I would do the cooking and I was experimenting with low carb recipes.  We were going to limit our starch and sugar, but we would eat well.  First up, “try these low carb cream cheese muffins I made.”

Evan has lost more than 40 lbs as of today.  I’m not sure of the exact number as I write this.  He is a new and improved version of himself and I couldn’t be happier for him!  No mother wants to see her child feel bad about themselves and be bullied at school because of their weight; it was painful to go through for both of us. 

He use to walk with his shoulders slumped and his head down, often kind of dragging his feet.  No matter how many times I asked him to stand up straight and hold his head up, the bigger issue was self esteem.  He didn’t smile much, especially around other people, most likely from not wanting to draw attention to himself.  Now he laughs and smiles daily.  He has the best sense of humor and a mind like a sponge so you can bet if he watches the comedy channel he’ll share every joke with you.  He admitted a few days ago that he hasn’t been this happy since he was 7 or 8 years old, about the time he started gaining weight. 

He has a myspace and has been posting pictures daily of his new friends – a group of five or six kids he hangs around with at school.  I can’t ever remember him having more than one friend at school and it was usually the other kid that was also picked on.  He has over 200 anime videos on youtube and was #79 most viewed in Japan a couple of weeks ago.  People were leaving very nice comments and he told me it made him feel important.  We all need to feel important.  Evans life has changed because of his weight loss; he’s happy and more confident in his own skin.  The best thing I ever did for Evan was start living a low carb lifestyle for myself.  

The picture you see is of my two children taken in late May when my daughter graduated from high school. 

This story is about my son Evan and transiting Saturn.   Evan has childhood asthma and has been taking steroids since he was 2 years old.  He was a very thin child until he was about 8 years old at which time is face started filling out.  When I look back at the pictures of him he looks like he was sick because he was so skinny and he had the classic dark circles under his eyes that so many asthmatics have.  Although at the time all I could see was my precious little boy.  He walked early and was very active, another reason he didn’t have any baby fat.  When he did start gaining weight I remember taking him to visit my Mom who was very ill at the time.  She looked over at him and said, “Every time I see you, you get prettier and prettier.”  I knew she meant that his cheeks were getting round.  My mom was German so round cheeks meant a healthy child in her eyes.   

Evan was born with one kidney in his abdomen and has been unable to participate in sports programs and he has to be careful of any falls or blows to the abdominal area.  We had our share of emergency room visits early on, which is how we discovered the kidney problem in the first place at around the age of two.  By the time he reached adolescence he was overweight.  Some of the weight gain may have been the result of taking steroids… so the doctor suggested.  We moved long distance from family and childhood friends when he was 11, so most of the weight came from emotional eating and an inactive lifestyle over the last 3 years.  Then there was the bullying in the school, not only did they have a new kid to pick on, but he was also overweight which gave these bullies more ammunition for name calling.  I promise you this issue was addressed at school and with Evan often.  It got so bad that I wrote Dr. Phil and he called and invited us on the show.  This is another long story so I will stop here.  No kid that finds comfort in food is going to loose weight under the kind of pressure he had to endure.   This all happened his first year in school here when transiting Saturn was conjunct his sun. 

This past May Evan had his annual check-up and had gained more weight over the last year.  He will start high school soon and while I have been told by his sister (Ashton) that the hitting may stop due to increased security, the name calling only gets worse.  One evening shortly after Evan’s physical I expressed concern to Ashton about his weight.  We talked about how loosing weight would help his self esteem and might just help him hold his head higher this year.  It hurt me to see him walk into school holding his head down as though it would shield him from the terrible things the kids would say, or perhaps no one would notice him because he wouldn’t look them in the eyes.    Ashton suggested that I send him to a weight loss camp for kids which totally freaked me out!  After getting over my initial shock of her suggestion, thinking she was referring to some type of boot camp for kids, she told me that there are fun camps for kids that also address health and weight issues.  We did an online search and found one close to our area.  I did some research and had Evan look over the website.  He said he would like to go as long as it didn’t interfere with a trip he had planned in June, so we signed him up for the July session which would last for a full month. 

School was out the last week of May in our area.  He spent a couple of weeks home and took a trip to visit his dad and spend time in our old neighborhood with friends.  I’ve always said that you can’t go back to where you’ve already been, but Evan has been able to maintain friendships from his early childhood regardless of the 600 miles that separates them.  He loves going back because they still do the things they always did together even though they have grown up so much in the last few years.  And he stays active the entire time swimming, jumping on the trampoline, playing Dance Dance Revolution and spending hours on roller skates at the all night skate center.   He came home from his trip having only 3 days for last minute shopping and packing for the month long camp.  The director told me not to worry about him getting homesick because most of the kids that miss home are the same kids that don’t want to leave.  He seemed very excited to go and thought it was ridiculous that I would send him with stationary and stamps to write home during their no call periods.  Once he was unpacked and his bunk was made I could see that he was ready to meet the new kids in his cabin and it was time for me to leave.   The first week was no call week and to my surprise I did receive a letter which I have copied below.

Hi Mom  The camp is alright, but a couple of the kids are assholes.  I wanted to know if my skates came in.  How is Ashton, Allen, the animals and you?  I would be a lot happier in my own room.  I miss you all.  There wasn’t enough time in between Alabama and camp.  Love Evan 

I cried!  By the time I received the letter the kids were given their cell phones in the evening to make calls.  He said he had a boy in his cabin that was picking on him.  When I told him to tell his counselor he told me that he did, but the counselor told him to handle his own problems.  My husband and daughter told me not to worry about it, that Evan needs to learn to get along with everyone and he needs to learn to stand up for himself.  I assure you that although I worry I don’t baby him nor do I interfere or try to fix his problems for him.  I am his mother; I do talk to him about finding a solution to his problems.  I sure didn’t expect him to have to live with boys that were going to be a pick on him; especially since I was reassured that such behavior wasn’t tolerated at all.  There were many more phone calls, some days were better than others, but the one thing that stayed constant was his telling me that I didn’t know what it was like living with a bunch of strangers.  He was right, I didn’t know and I wouldn’t want to know because I like my own space, I always have.    Three days before graduation he called crying, almost begging me to come get him.  He said he just wanted to come home.  I tried to console him, but he wouldn’t have it.  I even mentioned that he just had a full moon which was why he was so emotional.  He told me to “knock it off.”    The full moon fell in his 12th house of isolation and opposed his natal sun.  I finally told him to talk to the camp director and tell her he wanted to leave.  Once he did this she could call me to come pick him up…I figured she was better at handling the situation from her end.  As soon as we hung up the phone Ashton and Allen quickly told me that I better not go get him, that he can stick it out 3 more days.  They were telling me that this experience was good for Evan, how much he was going to learn and how this was going to make something out of him.  I snapped back defending my child of course, reminding them about how many young men think they are ready for the military until they get there and they call home crying for someone to come get them!  I’ve known several in my life.  Why does a 14 year old have to be as strong?  He turned 14 just a week before at camp, the first birthday he was ever away from home.  I knew that he must have felt so alone in the world when I hung up the phone that day, it really hurt me deeply.  I knew that full moon had a lot to do with his emotions and I just wanted those last three days to fly by so he could come home.  I never heard from the camp director and the next 2 days were no call dates because they were preparing for graduation.   

The night before graduation I couldn’t sleep because I was so excited to see him.  I also wanted to find some dates to share with my husband and my daughter so they could better understand that Evan didn’t bring what was happening on himself, but that this was part of an astrological aspect that we all go through.    You may already know how difficult a Saturn return can be when it conjuncts your sun at around the age of 29 - 30, but how many of us remember transiting Saturn square natal Saturn at age 7 and the opposition to our natal Saturn at age 14?  It’s easy to forget those years by the time you reach adulthood. These years do vary a little because of Saturn’s retrograde motion, but they always carry the theme of having to grow up.   

Evan had transiting Saturn square his natal Saturn in the spring of 2001, just before he turned 8 years old.  My mother, his nearest and closest grandparent died from cancer at that time.   As Saturn was approaching the square my Mom spent a lot of time in our home as my sister and I tried to share in the responsibility of taking care of her.  Mom stayed in Evan’s room and he was very worried that she would die in his bed.  She was very sick at the time.  Saturn rules over our fears too as well as his 12th house of hospitals and confinement.  It’s easy to see how hard this first square would have been so frightening to a 7 year old.  I was scared too!  I was very close to my mother. I never imagined having to watch her decline, nor did I ever imagine having to live my life without her in it and I was an adult. 

 It was just over a week ago that Evan called from camp wanting to come home.  I gathered that the kids were really stressed by some of what Evan told me.  After all they were nearing the end of their session and some of those children had been away from home for 8 weeks as they were there for 2 sessions.  They did participate in several fun activities, but there was the mile runs uphill in the heat everyday.  They were all trying to beat their record time and their successes were recorded on a daily bases.  And there were the exercise and nutrition classes.  Their friends back home were sleeping late and not having to follow a strict regime.  They were all there for the same reason…to loose weight and learn to make better choices in their life.   I was certain the newness and excitement had worn off and the pressure was building.  It was pretty clear when Evan said that I don’t understand how some of the kids make it so hard for other kids to go on. 

Transiting Saturn in Evans 7th house of relationships with other people was opposing his natal Saturn in his 1st house of identity.  This is the “me verses you” aspect, the “I am verses you are” aspect and in Evans case, the “you are reflecting what I am not, so stop and be like me.”  The novice astrologer can interpret this however they wish.  Transiting Saturn in the 7th house always brings lessons about cooperation with others no matter what the age. 

Remember those dates I found for my husband and my daughter?  The dates were when they each had the last transiting Saturn opposition to their natal Saturn.  I gave them these dates to think on as we made the drive to graduation.  I knew that my family didn’t have to understand any astrology whatsoever as long as I had those dates and they would see what Evan was going through in a whole new light.  You should have seen their faces!   For my husband it was when he divorced after 27 years of marriage and he went through what he calls a “dark period”.  For my daughter it was the month that we announced we were getting married and moving 600 miles away from her friends.  The months that followed were a time of packing her belongings, relocating and starting a new school in her 10th grade year. 

Great news!  He lost 16 pounds and is doing fantastic at home!  I’m watching fat and counting calories too!  If I ever needed a reason to eat right, I have one now!  I had hoped that my progressed moon in the 5th house would help my creativity, but it became clear while Evan was away that this will be a time of greater responsibility to my children.  Graduation day hosted a grand trine in fire signs so Evan was in his element that day.  Nevertheless he didn’t waste anytime saying his good byes and putting his stuff in the car!    

The picture was taken with his sister at graduation August 4.   

It has been a long time since I added a post.  It seems that most of my sites readers write me directly, which makes it easier to stay away.  Maybe I should just backtrack to October when I quit writing horoscopes for a while. 

On Friday, Oct. 13th of all days, I woke up feeling a little better after having had a virus.  I went to the bathroom and as I passed the mirror I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.  Now, I’m not as cute as I use to be, but that particular morning, all I could say to myself was, “You look like hell.”  So, I continued on with my usual routine of letting my dogs outside and pouring myself a cup of coffee.  Most mornings I wouldn’t take a sip until I went downstairs to check my email.  As I put the cup to my mouth something didn’t seem right.  I went to take my first drink and the coffee seemed to run off of the side of my mouth and down my chin.  I knew that it was not clumsiness, but my mouth!  I headed for the bathroom mirror and understood immediately why I looked so bad; the entire right side of my face was paralyzed!  Ok…now I’m wondering what the heck is going on?  I headed for the bedroom, sat down on the side of my bed and thought about calling my husband at work.  No!  I couldn’t do that yet, not until I call my doctor.  So, now I’m really worried. What if I had a stroke?  People of all ages have strokes.  What if I had one in the night?  Why didn’t I wake up?  Should I have woken up if I had a stroke?  Two minutes later I’m on the phone trying to get in to see my doctor.  The nurse asked what was wrong, and I replied, “I don’t know, my face is paralyzed.”  Needless to say, they saw me right away.

So, I told my doctor about having the virus and that I had begun to feel better.  That on Wednesday I actually felt so good that I was cleaning my house like crazy.  I felt so good about what I had accomplished Wed. that Thursday I decided to clean my sons room, wash his windows, his bedding and curtains.  By Thursday afternoon I had a nagging sharp pain behind my ear.  That night I sat on the couch and tried to watch TV, but that pain turned into what felt like something sharp poking me behind the ear.  Other than that, I was fine.  I went to bed and woke up with my face paralyzed. 

She knew right away by my symptoms that I had Bells Palsy.  I had never heard of it before then.  Oh, I did call my husband on the way to the doctors office.  I told him what was going on and he said he knew what it was, but couldn’t think of the name.  He asked that I call as soon as I left the doctors office, which I did.  I was standing outside of the hospital on my cell phone telling him that she told me that I could look like that for 6 months or longer.  That she was most concerned about my right eye because it was half open…the eye can be a big problem if it starts drying out.  She offered to patch it for me!  When he and I hung up the phone he said that he had a guy from work standing in front of his desk waiting to speak with him.  He said that the first words out of that guys mouth were, “Bells Palsy?”  My husband asked how he knew and he said his wife had it for over a month at that point!  How weird! 

Like a Mercury in Gemini, I immediately started doing some research on Bells Palsy.  That virus caused trauma to the 7th cranial nerve that runs from the back of my head, up behind my ear, over the ear, and paralyzed all of the facial nerves running to the right side of my face. 
I looked like I hit a windshield at some point in my life without scars.  The eye was a big problem.  For someone that hates to put anything in her eyes, I was using eye gel because the moisture lasted longer.  It really didn’t matter what I thought about the gel, I certainly didn’t blink.  My husband picked me up an eye patch which helped to keep it from drying out.  His only request was that when I put it on that I say, “arrrrgh.”  Can you believe that? lol  My daughter, the sweet caring soul that she is, bought me one too.  Only hers was a silver chain and the eye patch was metal filled with clear rhinestones!  She said that if I had to wear a patch, it might as well be some bling. lol  Gotta love um for thinking of me.  lol

I read some articles about eliminating stress, so I opted for purchasing the reprint rights to monthly horoscopes.  I’m a little obsessive about keeping the site running smoothly.  The truth is that I have Saturn in my 6th house.  Saturn will see to it that I work relentlessly at something, God forbid I hit a barrier or I will work all night.  So, I took care of not having to worry about my forecasts.  Then I decided to add some feng shui elements to my environment.  Our current home doesn’t have the same space as we use to have, so a lot of those things are in storage.  I pulled out my amethyst geode and placed it near my desk, added a fountain and some lucky bamboo.  I also bought a 25ct amethyst ring.  I figured if I was going to wear amethyst for it’s healing properties, I might as well get the most energy out of it.  In addition, I started back on my whole food supplements.  Saturn has been conjunct my ascendant for some time and it has taken its toll on my health over the past 18 months.  First my foot, then one cold or virus after another.  I wrote about some of this in January’s horoscopes concerning the Saturn/Neptune opposition and Saturns retrograde in 2007.  Ok…so I’m listening to the Universe!  And last, but not least, I began to believe in my healing.  My friend Judie had mentioned the movie “The Secret” a few times, but I was just too busy to check it out.  Since I had time off due to health reasons, I watched it online.  There it was, my feng shui beliefs,  something I have encouraged my friends to do in their own homes.  There was also my long held belief that I deserved perfect health and blessings of abundance.  So, now I was watching a film that helped to lift my spirits because much of what I heard was what I had always believed myself.  I took all of this…the vitamins, the feng shui, the amethyst ring, the time off from work, and the movie - The Secret, put it all together and believed without a shadow of a doubt that I was healed.  Guess what?  In one month, I had no signs of ever having Bells Palsy.  I had to see my doctor every week and at my one month visit, on Nov 13th., she released me from further check-ups calling me a walking miracle.  She also told me that day, that when I first came to see her, she honestly didn’t expect a complete recovery inside of 7 months.

There are thousands of people each year stricken with Bells Palsy.  I’m nor certain of the number, but its something like one in every 5000, and there are a number of individuals that have had it more than once, or even twice.  My story is merely one person’s experience.  Just because I was healed so quickly doesn’t mean that my method will work for anyone else.  It’s very difficult for those suffering through it.  It’s hard to eat because you can’t open your mouth on one side, your eye dries out, and you can’t close your eye at night.  In my experience, I had a difficult time watching TV and spending time on the computer.  When I took a shower, I had to literally hold the lid of my eye closed so I wouldn’t get shampoo in it.  Besides all of that, I felt awful about the way I looked. 

Finally, a few friends asked, “Well, didn’t you see this in your chart?”  Uhh, no.  I wasn’t looking for it either.  I knew I had the health aspects, I figured something else could show its ugly head, but I wasn’t about to dwell on it and make it a self fulfilling prophecy.  And, considering the fact that I am looking at 100+ charts each month, I barely find the time to look at my own aspects.  Thank goodness I have my chart and current aspects memorized.  Besides the fact that transiting Saturn was conjunct my progressed sun and square my natal mars - hard on health and vitality, I knew there must be something else at work.  Well I did check my chart after I returned from my first doctors visit.  It just so happened that on Oct 13th, my progressed moon was within orb of opposing progressed Mars.  There were more factors as well, but my Sun does trine Jupiter and my Sun sextiles Pluto, giving me endurance and strength.  It’s all good now.  I still have that darn Saturn/Neptune opposition coming around once more, but I’ll take it as it comes. 

So, there you have it.  The reason why I didn’t post my own forecasts for Nov. and Dec.  It sure was hard getting back in the swing of things, but I had a good time writing the January forecasts… even though it was like pulling teeth trying to come up with a creative way to write such a long horoscope. Actually, I don’t “try” to write a long horoscope, that’s how I write because I have Mercury – the communicator - in my social house.  I’m an astrologer, not so much a writer, but I do the best I can and hope you’ll appreciate the time and effort I put into your horoscope.  I’m still working on the creative process as well, so they may change some over time.

If you are here because of this Bells Palsy post, may you be blessed and recover quickly.  Happy navigating through January!

The picture is the statue in my front yard here in Missouri.  We had 13″ of snow which began the evening of Nov. 30, 2006.  It stayed on the ground for 13 days.  Unfortunately, a lot of people in the St. Louis and surrounding areas were without power.  Sorry, I’m not having much luck with this image plug in.

When Mercury transits your chart, don’t expect it to be a typical month at all. 

July was filled with day trips for me as Mercury the planet of transportation backtracked through my first house and into my 12th house.  I was busy making and keeping several appointments with my doctors.  I spent a great deal of time having my records transferred to my new doctor, getting exams and having them faxed to another hospital, having blood work and getting that faxed to the hospital where I will have a procedure on my foot. 

Between my husband and myself, we spent too much time trying to work with the insurance company and following procedure so that they would pay for my foot surgery.  At one point I had to ask if he was getting names because every time he got on the phone he got a different answer from the person on the other end.  

The results of all of our hard work during this last retrograde was that neither insurance will cover the procedure.  That call came in while I was having my pre-op exam!  When I told my family Doctor, he told me he could let me go and not charge for the appointment.  I advised him to finish the exam as I really wasn’t certain what would happen now.

Well, 30 minutes later my husband called and said he had gotten a nice bonus check and a letter from his company commending him for his work.  He also told me that the company that provides the hospital the equipment was going  to wave their fee and my podiatrist had reduced her charges by less than half because she really wants me to have it done. 

So, tomorrow I hope that this new procedure helps get my foot on a road to recovery.  It may take up to 3 months for me to start to see real results, but that shouldn’t be a problem as I have been limping around with pain for 18 months already.  BTW, looking back at my blog entry, I forecasted the right day that I would have it done…although there were a few times I wondered if something would happen to change that date. 

I read the July horoscopes that I wrote for my sun sign to my husband and the details I gave for Mars in Virgo fit my life exactly.  I also read him parts of my rising sign horoscope to him and the New Moon was right on as well.  His response was, “No fair, you cheat, you write those things”. lol

Well, I wrote his too…lol.  I’m not a psychic and I didn’t know I was going through all of this and buy a car for my daughter within a week of the new moon.  When life gets too predictable for me as an Astrologer, the Universe throws me a monkey wrench…or two! 

Further developments related to the full moon in Capricorn led me to read my Leo forecast. Honestly, it is hard to remember exactly what I have written for each sign from month to month as I write about 25,000 words each month as well as working with other clients. 

I recently cut back on some of the examples I provide readers for the full moon in hopes that my readers would look at the houses and planets in their own charts and it also allowed me a little more time to complete my horoscopes and have them posted by the first of the month.  I read my July horoscope for my rising sign and don’t you know I talked about an ending to a health issue.  I also mentioned that the full moon could relate to the feet as the 12th house governs the feet.  Go figure…I played into the hands of the universe.  My husband said it’s eerie, although I think it just proves that the planets tell us what issues will come up and what needs work in our lives. I’m an Astrologer, so there is nothing eerie about it.

Well, the full moon in Capricorn relates not only to my 6th house of health, but also domestic pets. Today, just one day after the full moon, my dog Chloe (small American Eskimo) starts coughing.  She coughed on and off for about 5 hours. I checked her throat and couldn’t find any blockage, so I called the Vet and took her in.  He took x-rays and found that Chloe has a collapsing trachea…sometimes common in small dogs or in her case, possibly caused from something else.  Last week there was a day that Chloe acted as though she was having an asthma attack with very labored breathing.  My son has asthma and I have seen him do the same thing during an attack.  It passed as quickly as it came on with no further side effects…until today when the coughing started.

So, it appears that the full moon has not only touched me as far as my foot and a prior health issue is concerned, but also has brought a health issue that Chloe has out in the open.  She received a shot and will get 3 days worth of prednisone in hopes that this will help. I sure hope so!  My little girl is also a Leo, born on July 26th. She turns 3 years old this month and thanks to the universe, I can keep a good eye on her and hopefully she will recover quickly.