Category Archives: News and Serious Stuff

What’s The Cosmic Message? Full Moon? Mercury Retrograde?

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Which gods could I possibly have offended?

I don’t know what crime I could have committed to justify this shingles pain in my leg, but I’m SORRY. The agony is unrelenting, which is making me delirious. It feels like being stabbed with a thousand cattle prods, not that I know what that feels like, of course.

In addition to the Full Strawberry Moon, we’re dong another Mercury Retrograde until July 23, this time in the emotional sign of Cancer, and because of that, the focus is largely on internal and emotional processing rather than just external tech and travel glitches (though those can still happen).

The powerful combination of the Strawberry Moon and Mercury Retrograde brings a period of reflection, emotional healing, and personal transformation.

The Strawberry Full Moon symbolizes abundance, sweetness, gratitude, and the harvest of early summer. From Indigenous traditions, the name honors the peak season for wild strawberries. Spiritually, it invites us to celebrate our hard work, savor the present, and release patterns that no longer serve.

I really wanted to delve into any other reasons for this debiliiating nerve issue…

Spiritually, shingles is widely viewed as a profound mind-body wake-up call, often signaling that your nervous system is deeply depleted and that you have been ignoring your body’s quieter warnings to slow down.

Shingles are indicated by their telltale blisters: angry, painful wounds rising from beneath the skin. It is something hidden deep within that is deciding, right now, to rise to the surface to be seen and felt.

Shingles often flare up after prolonged periods of intense stress, emotional exhaustion, or unresolved trauma. It represents internal turmoil—such as hidden grief, suppressed anger, or guilt—rising to the surface to be acknowledged.

So all of that led me to wonder why it was only on my right leg, and why that’s the side I injured when I fell UP…

In many holistic and metaphysical traditions, injuries on the right leg symbolize an imbalance related to taking action, moving forward in the world, or masculine (yang) energy. The right side of the body generally represents the “doing” side, while the left side is the “feeling” side .

Core Spiritual Themes of Right Leg Injuries:

Resistance to Moving Forward: Because the legs provide locomotion, repeated right leg injuries may suggest a subconscious hesitation to take the next step in your career, relationships, or life path. You may feel “stuck” in a specific situation.

Masculine Energy Imbalance: The right side is traditionally associated with “yang” or masculine energy, which governs drive, assertiveness, and logic. Injuries here might point to a struggle with assertiveness or conflict with male figures in your life .

Root Chakra Imbalance: The legs and hips are governed by the root chakra (Muladhara), which controls your sense of physical safety, stability, and grounding. Injuries here can indicate a deep-seated fear of instability or an inability to feel grounded in your daily life.

While all of that is interesting information, none of it helps to relieve this agony. I stupidly decided not to take an anti-viral medication because the potential side effects seemed scarier than anything. Instead, I’m using calamine lotion, witch hazel compresses. antihistamine cream, and Tylenol, which offer slight comfort.

I cannot wait for this torture to be OVER!

    Wolf Love: Yin and Yang

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    All things exist in a state of continuous flow and harmony.

    A female wolf will wrap herself around the neck of her mate because the neck is their most vulnerable part of the body.

    This is how she shows her unconditional love for her mate.

    Photo from Pinterest. Credit to the photographer.

    Wolves are apex predators and keystone species that shape entire ecosystems. They are extremely intelligent with complex social bonds and strong family loyalty.

    Wolves live in highly organized family units where they care for their young, mourn their lost, and protect injured members.

    Wolves are truly amazing. Humans really need to stop killing wolves and instead, we should learn from them and then we’d become better humans.

    Gentle Affirmations For Anxious Thoughts

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    Right now, Earth is a very stressful place for children. They inhabit a world with almost normalized school shootings, active shooter drills, distracted parents, and a lack of calm, positive structure.

    Their calendars are filled with sports, after school activities, and playdates — and I wonder why every child seems to have a backpack full of fidgets?

    Do you know what fidgets are? Fidget toys provide tactile stimulation supposed to help improve focus, increase attention span, and reduce anxiety or stress. These tools aid in self-regulation, providing a calming effect for children and adults.

    How about simplifying our lives so that children aren’t so anxious and stressed out?

    In my opinion, contributing to most of the stress initiated when mainstream internet seemed to take over our lives in the mid 1990s. It happened slowly, like a dripping faucet, until we actually can’t survive without it. Do you recall the AOL dial-up sound and how it tied up the home phone? Crazy. Kids have no idea.

    Listen:

    We can’t even make a doctor’s appointment or pay a bill without being connected along with yet another stupid password to forget. Every single business has a website. Do you know anyone who doesn’t have the internet and a smart phone? Do you freak out when there’s an outage? Have you ever tried to go completely off grid?

    Our grandchildren were born into a world that’s ruled by WiFi and social media and it’s changed childhood completely — and in my opinion, not for the better.

    Children seem incredibly anxious and focus-less. They don’t really play or socialize like they used to, they’re way too sophisticated, and I think that’s a tragedy. Don’t even get me started on the dangers of video games like the highly addictive Roblox, which I believe should be banned everywhere and forever.

    The internet exposes children to severe psychological dangers, including social media addiction, which can rewire the brain’s reward centers. Excessive use significantly increases risks of depression and anxiety, sleep deprivation, body dysmorphia, and exposure to cyberbullying or online predators.

    We don’t even read newspapers; we get all of our information from the internet, whether it’s true or not, whether it’s been properly researched or investigated — or not, and a blog like this is just another manifestation of our dependence on fiber optics and invisible radio waves.

    I don’t really have a viable solution, or one that acknowledges the benefits of the internet while limiting how much time it consumes from our daily lives, but here are some helpful affirmations for anxious kids (and for grownups, too)…

    P.S. Rant over, time to disconnect from the internet and spend some time in the garden.

    Pregnancy, Down Syndrome, and Reproductive Rights

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    Although I usually cloak myself in a filmy, gauzy haze of positivity, sometimes the real world slips through a crack or two.

    Did you hear about the YouTube influencers who documented every part of their pregnancy, up to and including their decision to end the pregnancy?

    Jesse Ridgway and his wife Ashley ended their pregnancy, and in a series of posts on the YouTuber’s Instagram Stories, Jesse said that they’d recently made the “difficult decision” to end Ashley’s pregnancy after receiving a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis.

    “This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21,” wrote Jesse. “The choice was not made lightly.”

    Down syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21.

    It’s usually associated with developmental delays, mild, moderate, or severe intellectual disability, and characteristic physical features.

    Since they town-cried their controversial decision, it stirred up a hornet’s nest of the most vicious attacks against them, as well as from those who support them. People are saying he posted publicly so he needs to deal with the hatred. He tried to get attention and make money off of his unborn child. (However, thousands upon thousands of others document their pregnancy too, and for the same reasons.)

    “Down Syndrome isn’t a ‘blessing,’ it is objectively s—ty from a health perspective,” Jesse claimed. “I didn’t realize just how rough it is for the child, let alone the family…more often than not, they would be fully dependent on others for the rest of their life.”

    After posting about the loss of their unborn child, the couple was flooded with vitriolic comments, with critics calling them “murderous” and “evil”. The Ridgways were sent a “tremendous amount of death threats” from people across various social media platforms who were outraged by their decision. The harassment became so severe that Jesse revealed he put extra security measures in place. In an interview on TMZ Live, he disclosed that the threats were taken so seriously that his wife had to leave their shared home.

    From Reddit: I don’t know why people feel the need to give their input on a situation that doesn’t concern them. People need to mind their own business. The commenters are on their high horse acting as if they have such a high moral compass,

    Here’s my opinion…

    First of all, this is a distraction from the hell that is going on in our country on so many levels, all due to that orange POS.

    Secondly...If Jesse and his wife had kept their decision to terminate PRIVATE (or their whole life private), none of this would have happened. I just don’t understand why so many people feel it’s necessary to put their lives on display for impressions, clicks, and income from YouTube and Instagram and all the other social media platforms.

    Thirdly… Literally no one LIKES to have an abortion, it’s not like we women throw parties and do gender reveals, but it’s OUR body and our RIGHT to be pregnant or NOT be pregnant and everyone can stay out of my uterus.

    Finally...When I was in the teaching program at university, I started out thinking I wanted to major in special education but after doing some student teaching in Special Ed classes and experiencing their special and exhausting 24/7/365 needs, it’s not something I chose to do.

    It’s grueling for parents, siblings, teachers, and everyone else. I would not subject a child of mine to merely exist like that. What happens to them when their parents are gone? It’s not a pretty thought.

    I don’t think there was as much comprehensive genetic testing back when I was pregnant with my son as there is now, but if my tests revealed a severe genetic abnormality or birth defect, I’d have a lot of thinking to do, mainly about their quality of life–and mine.

    Final thought:
    Pearl clutchers and virtue signallers and everyone else with their fake martydom can do what they want with their own bodies, but keep their hands, laws, and opinions out of mine. It’s quite literally none of your business. #reproductiverights

    May’s Blue Moon

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    The Blue Moon arrives tonight in its full glory, bringing the rarest and most magical moon of the year. This is the second full moon we’ve had in May, and that’s pretty special, too.

    This is a time linked to wishes, turning points, meaningful communication, reconnections, and dreams moving closer to reality. Something that has felt distant may suddenly feel possible again.

    Over the next day or so, we may notice unexpected messages, chance encounters, powerful synchronicities, and moments that seem perfectly timed.

    Conversations can open doors, answers can arrive when least expected, and opportunities may appear from surprising places.

    The energy of this Blue Moon is about movement, momentum, and bringing something we have hoped for one step closer.

    There are many ways to recognize the powerful energies of a full moon, like charging crystals and water, writing letters, and meditating, but I think that these potent spiritual forces are present if we simply open our hearts.

    from empaths, old souls, and introverts
    art from world of love hearts

    Tragedy At The Islamic Center of San Diego

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    As much as I try to never take off my rose-colored glasses that block out bad/sad news, sometimes it’s not possible and reality sneaks in, like what happened yesterday in San Diego where two teenagers are suspected of shooting up the San Diego Islamic Center, killing three before taking their own lives.

    Law enforcement reported that several hours before the attack, one of the boys’ mothers told them he was suicidal, had taken multiple guns, and her car was missing. This set off a frantic search to find them using license plate reader technology.

    The two teenagers, Cain Clark (17) and Caleb Vazquez (18), attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego. They killed three men—including a heroic security guard (father of eight) who ushered others to safety—before being found dead a few blocks away in a car from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds

    Cops say they were interviewing the mother and searching for the teens when the first shots rang out Monday at San Diego’s largest mosque.

    According to local news reports, the teenagers met online and shared a “broad hatred” toward different religions and races, authorities said Tuesday during a press conference.
    The teen suspect whose mom called police was reportedly enrolled in a virtual learning program within the San Diego Unified School District … he did not participate in any on-campus activities this school year but was on track to graduate at the end of this semester.

    Three men were killed in the attack, including a security guard, father of eight children, whom officials credited with preventing a more deadly massacre at the mosque.

    The suspected shooters — including the woman’s son — were found dead in a car nearby, the police said.

    Hate speech was scrawled on one of the weapons, law enforcement officials told CNN. It was reported that a suicide note containing writings about racial pride was also found.

    On Monday, at a news conference only hours after the shooting in San Diego, Taha Hassane, an imam at the Islamic Center, spoke of his shock and grief:

    “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” he said. “People come to the Islamic center to pray, to celebrate, to learn, not only Muslims, but we have people from all walks of life.”

    According to Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office, “So far in this investigation, we’ve seized over thirty guns and a crossbow. We’re continuing to process the information from all the locations, and we will provide more information when we’re able to do so.”

    From Amy Reichert’s Twitter: The San Diego Police Department Northern Division is where the Islamic Center shooting happened and they were seven officers understaffed today for morning watch. The mother of one of the shooters called PD at 9am to report her son stole her car and the father’s guns and left a note about “shooting up a place.” The CALL HELD for 2 HOURS before an officer went to handle it. The active shooter came out while the unit was speaking with the mom. This whole thing could have been stopped if we had adequate staffing. The City of San Diego has failed us by supporting Defund the Police and not having a balanced budget.

    There are so many unanswered questions…

    Are you wondering, like I am, why the mom had “multiple” guns at her home? And like me, are you wondering how two families didn’t know what kind of hate rhetoric their children were involved in? Is this the family norm? How did all of this happen without parental knowledge, IF it happened without their knowledge?

    So many questions, so much sadness…

    I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of violence and racism and hatred. We need to be the light that shines into the darkness.

    If you’d like to support the victims, here’s a link to the victim-family fund:
    https://goodbricks.org/campaign/icsd.org/official-icsd-victim—family-support-fund

    Ancestral Acting: Josephine Victor

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    When I told my mom I wanted to become a famous actress, she said it was in my blood and shared a story about my grand-aunt, Josephine Victor, who WAS a well known performer, often in productions at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway.

    Josephine Victor

    Josephine Victor (born Josephina Gunczler/Ginzler; June 28, 1885 – 1963) was a Hungarian-born American stage actress and director active on Broadway from 1905 to 1939.

    Her father was a Hungarian vintner. The Ginzler family originated from the Tokay wine region, where viticulture played a central role in local economy and culture during the late 19th century.

    Josephine had several siblings, including a half-brother, my grandfather, Rabbi Arthur Ginzler.

    Known for her versatile performances in dramatic roles, Victor appeared in many Broadway productions, frequently as part of original casts in plays by prominent playwrights such as John Galsworthy and Elmer Rice.

    Her career highlights include leading roles like Zabette de Chauvalons in Martinique (1920), for which she received praise for delivering a powerful and tender performance in the play’s pivotal second-act scene, and Chloe in Galsworthy’s The Skin Game (1920).

    Later, she transitioned into directing, helming the Broadway production of Doctor X in 1931, and continued acting in sophisticated dramas such as Judgment Day (1934) as Lydia Kuman and Wise Tomorrow (1937) as Diana Ebury.

    She also ventured into vaudeville, debuting at New York City’s Palace Theatre in 1921 in the one-act play Juliet and Romeo by Harry Wagstaff Gribble, where she co-headlined alongside Adele Rowland.

    Victor’s personal life intersected with the theater world through her marriage to Francis E. Reid, a theatrical publicist and drama critic.

    Victor’s combined directing and playwriting output, though limited in major productions, bridged her acting with creative authorship, fostering narratives that amplified immigrant voices and familial tensions in early 20th-century drama. Her works contributed to the era’s exploration of social undercurrents, paving subtle paths for women in theatre leadership during a male-dominated field

    Widowed after Reid’s death in 1933, Victor’s contributions to American theater spanned acting and directing, cementing her legacy as a multifaceted figure in the era’s stage scene.

    In her post-retirement years, Victor maintained a low public profile.

    It’s interesting to observe that one sibling became a rabbi and another became an actress, as they are very different and also very similar careers, if you stop and think about it. Performing is performing, whether it’s for an audience or a congregation.

    She died in 1963, and I’m not sure that my mom ever met her, but wish I had so I could have asked her when she got the acting bug and maybe I could have picked up a few helpful acting tips from her, as I didn’t really win many auditions or perform regularly, so I gave up that dream…

    Earth Day 2026

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    In an alternate universe, I would wish everyone a Happy Earth Day, but today, there’s not a whole lot to celebrate.

    Mother Earth is at risk and we’re not doing enough to save her. Or us.

    The orange POS and his administration have been focused on reversing environmental regulations to boost domestic energy production, targeting over 460 environmental, climate, and public health safeguards for removal or weakening. Key initiatives include withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, rescinding the EPA’s Endangerment Finding to deregulate greenhouse gases and promoting “drill, baby, drill” fossil fuel policies.

    California is battling federal efforts to expand oil drilling off its coast, with lawsuits filed to block the restart of Sable Offshore Corp pipelines near Santa Barbara, which were shut down after a major 2015 spill. While new drilling in state waters is banned, federal plans propose lease sales for new offshore drilling between 2027-2030, raising risks of oil spills and environmental damage.

    This appalling administration is actively expanding oil drilling in Alaska, reversing Biden-era restrictions on millions of acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and initiating lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Projects like ConocoPhillips’ Willow and new auctions highlight a push for increased development amid lawsuits from environmental groups and support from state leaders.

    Like I said, not much to celebrate. It’d be more accurate to say that we are in mourning…

    I attended the very first Earth Day celebration in 1970 at Balboa Park in San Diego with a crowd of about 70,000 people. The weather was beautiful, about 68 degrees, and I must have skipped school that Wednesday.

    I can’t remember who I went with or how I got there but I do recall walking from booth to booth looking for free stuff and having an unpleasant encounter with a San Diego cop, probably about being truant.

    There is a vague recollection that I swore at him and he got all puffed up and intimidating, threatened to call my dad until I told him to go ahead, my dad was an attorney…and then he walked away. Miss you, Daddy, and thank you!

    Video from San Diego’s first Earth Day April 22, 1970

    Gaia, known as the mother goddess, was the personification of Earth. She’s described as a caring and nurturing mother figure to all of her children, plants, and other living creatures on this planet.

    We’re all children of Gaia, Earth Mother, no matter where we live, and if we take care of Mother Earth, she’ll take care of us.

    With this reckless administration of chaos and darkness, they seem determined to destroy as much of our environmental and animal protections as they’re doing to democracy and the constitution, so it’s not such a happy day, after all.

    The Impossible Flower

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    With news of ships blown up during an illegal faux war to manipulate financial markets, a deranged fraud of a prez, skyrocketing prices, future uncertainty, there’s sanity in the simplicity of a flower that persists against all odds.

    When I first noticed it, I tried to gently pry up this volunteer zinnia from between the crack in my driveway to plant in a better location, but I would have destroyed it, so there was nothing else to do but leave it where it grew. The roots are strong, much more so than I thought.

    Photo by Enchanted Seashells

    I’ve watered it, watching and waiting, and it just bloomed, one single, brave flower.

    My plan is to wait until the flower dies and forms seeds so I’ll continue to plant resilience, grit, tenacity, and determination.

    I think there’s a lesson here, somewhere…

    Cosmic Talk: Rare Four Planet Parade

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    I haven’t posted any planetary news for awhile but this seems significant and share-worthy.

    A rare planetary parade is lighting up the pre-dawn sky this weekend, and if you wake early enough, you can witness Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune gathered together on the eastern horizon just before sunrise.

    These four planets are clustering into a patch of sky so compact you could cover them all with your thumb held at arm’s length. Although they appear close together from where we stand, they are actually separated by enormous distances in space, each following its own orbit around the Sun at entirely different speeds. Yet for a few magical mornings in April, the geometry of their orbits creates the illusion that they are traveling side by side.

    The best time to look is between April 18 and April 20. Head outside about thirty to sixty minutes before sunrise and find a spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon. Mercury will be the easiest to spot, shining brightly low in the sky. Mars and Saturn are also visible without equipment if conditions are clear.

    Each planet carries its own unique energy. Mercury governs communication and ideas. Mars represents action, courage, and forward movement. Saturn brings discipline, structure, and long-term rewards. Neptune connects us to dreams, intuition, and spiritual guidance.

    Together, these four planets are delivering a unified message: think clearly, act boldly, build wisely, and trust the invisible forces guiding you forward.

    This is the weekend to take action on something you have been contemplating. The cosmic support is here. Curated from Galactic Council Of Lightworkers  

    More exciting news!

    April 19 brings a powerful shift as the crescent Moon aligns with Venus and Uranus. This is an energy of love meeting the unexpected, where something can arrive suddenly and feel completely aligned at the same time.

    Venus brings connection, attraction, and desire, while Uranus introduces change, surprise, and moments that were never planned but feel right.

    This alignment can bring a message or a meeting, Something that felt distant can move closer. Something unclear can become easy to understand. The energy supports movement in ways that feel natural and meant to happen.

    Look up!