Simple Pleasures Sundays - Being Sure (Astrologically)

I know it's been a while.  I don't really know where my mind has been.  Well, I do know that my body has been particularly busy.  So busy that I haven't had time to sit and write a blog post on Sundays!

I'm not really complaining, though.  But onto this Sunday's post!

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In the past week, people have been flipping out about their horoscopes.  At first, I thought it was another silly quiz on Facebook, but apparently it's because the news was blowing a story about astrology all out of proportion (No! The news never does that!).

I'm not really going to go into why people are so wrong.

Except to say that I don't know why the Earth's wobble is new.  Hasn't this been happening for, well, ever?

If you really want to understand what's happening, I really honestly suggest going to About.com's Astrology page.  She has interesting blog posts about what's happening in the world and in the stars, and breaks down the idea that there is a tropical zodiac (which follows the seasons) and the sidereal zodiac (which follows the star charts).

Again, why is this such a new idea?  There's the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese calendar, the Jewish calendar, the Muslim calendar, the Mayan calendar...I could go on, really.  All these ideas somehow are "understandable" to most people, and yet it would be ridiculous to think of there being variations on the zodiac.

Can you spot Ophiuchus?

Honestly, my favorite part about people who are freaking out is the fact that they barely believe in astrology in the first place, and yet they are extremely adamant that their sign isn't changing (for some silly made up reason, such as "it only affects people born after a certain year," or "I've been a [insert sign here] all my life! I'm not anything else!"

Sure, one can't claim that astrology is necessarily a science.  But then, I would feel wrong about discounting Traditional Chinese Medicine (which I've seen work better for some folks with strange ailments).

Now, I've been interested in astrology from a very early age (I'm going to blame that on my Aquarius Rising Sign).  So, I've done some reading and I've even know what my chart looks like (which, you should know what yours looks like as well! Click here to get it done for free!)

I've known that I'm on the Aries-Taurus Cusp, and I'm quite proud of that as is evident by my tattoo.

Tattoos are probably another reason why people freaked out!

I am not only proud, but I am not feeling any nervousness about being the "wrong" sign.  Sure, my chart my read differently if it were created through a sidereal perspective, and I would be a straight up Aries.  But, the sidereal perspective would probably interpret the signs in a different way as well.

And that doesn't change who I am and who I was as a person.

Our signs don't rule over us.  They can be for entertainment, and they can be some guidelines for understanding yourself a little bit more.

We all carry bits and pieces from the other signs, as we carry bits and pieces of our experiences with us.  There's more to it than just the Sun sign (which is what everyone is freaking out about).  There's a whole sky's worth of information about us that we've yet to discover.

But, it does help to have your feet on the ground and feel sure about your footing, especially while your mind is exploring the stars.

On the Fritz

So, is it only obvious to me that Mercury is SO in Retrograde?

It seems like there's been horrible disasters throughout the country, including (though definitely not the worst of them by far!) the water main break in Boston.  This lead to massive freak outs all over the city, resulting in lack of water bottles and showering during the extremely hot and humid days of the aquapolypse.

I'm currently typing to you from my boyfriends computer because my laptop's power isn't connecting to the charger.  So, I'm waiting for it to be fixed by the same people who fixed my boyfriend's laptop (because of the same problem) a couple of weeks ago.

As I was riding my bike today to my final errand destination, I heard a scraping, then a loud pop.  The back tire, which has consistently given me problems, exploded...again...for the umpteenth million time.  I believe I'll not to fixing it and just saving up for a new bike instead.

Upon entering my hallway, with all my bags in tow, my reusable shopping bag's handle broke.

The other day, my phone's batteries died on me before my long day was even over.

I believe earlier today, Gmail was actually down!

Oh ya...and my unemployment ran out without me knowing it.  Luckily, I knew someone in a similar situation, and she helped me figure out a roundabout way of getting an extension.

Now, I'm starting to get nervous about whether something will work against our trip to Greece.  But I'm trying not to think about that.

So, it seems that we have til the end of May to feel like things are relatively back to normal (according to this website).

In other news, I have a Toesies of the Month post and a Rear Window post in the wings!  I'm going to try to be patient about my computer, but hopefully it won't be too long!

Damn You, Catholic Guilt...

Another year, another Lent.

Truth be told, I'm not very religious. 

My family is Catholic (as is a HUGE part of the Philippines), and I attended church with my Lola every Sunday.  When I was younger, my Lola, my mom, and I would pray the rosary every night.  I complained about how it wasted 15 minutes of my day every day.  But that was as much as I was told to do.

My parents, who grew up attending Catholic school in the Philippines, never forced me into it.  Perhaps they remembered all too well the strict punishments of the nuns.  I didn't even get my First Communion until I was in high school (and only because I was taking Confirmation classes).  I have not been Confirmed, however.

Later on, I asked my parents why they did not make me go through my First Communion when I was younger.  They proceeded to tell me that I was their guinea pig - they wanted to see if I would still come out a good person regardless of being raised in the church.  I asked how I was doing so far, and they said they wouldn't tell me.

Interestingly, I don't remember practicing Lent when I was younger.  While we ate fish on Fridays, I don't remember any feeling of "giving something up."  Only in college did I ever really learn about Lent, from one of my awesome roomies, Keri.

So, I started really thinking about Lent, and saw it as more of a challenge at bettering myself as opposed to giving something up.

Then, when I started working as a social worker, one of my coworkers, Rebecca, introduced me to the idea of adding a good habit as well as removing something that doesn't benefit me.  I thought it was a great way to feel as though I was really gaining something. 

With that, here is another Lent, and yet another list of ways I'm attempting to improve myself and my 2010.

What I'm giving up:
Using any of my credit cards (really, it's just my Old Navy, Victoria's Secret, Best Buy, and Capital One cards...only....).  I've done it once, and I can do it again!!!  I realistically can't say that I won't purchase anything new, but I will not use my credit cards!

Fun website I stumbled on:  http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-card-horoscope-1273.php

What I'm taking on:

I talked a little bit about this in a previous post, but I will add one more days of movement.  With me being away in California for the past 2 weeks, I haven't really been able to devote any time to working out.  Not to mention that I really ate like I was on vacation (pho 2x, pupusas, Korean BBQ, Jack in the Box, In N Out, Filipino food.....ya.....).  Now that I'm back in Boston and hopefully back to a regular routine, it's time to up my cardio!
(pic from Hawaii 2007, Jumping Pictures in the Hotel)


Here's to success in the next 40 days!

My Mythological Dating Type

Today, this blessed first day of December, I finally received Wood Nymph Seeks Centaur:  A Mythological Dating Guide by Francesca Lia Block in the mail.

I have been waiting patiently for my Amazon.com package.  I would eagerly check the mail when I got home from work, checking all over the foyer for packages and even examining packages that don't have my name on it.

When I realized the package had finally arrived, I basically tore it open as I waited for the elevator.

So, after a bit of reading, re-reading, tallying, and re-tallying, I realized that I don't fit neatly into one category (when have I ever?).  I don't fit neatly into a simple combination either.

Inked: Loves and Ideas

Those with tattoos know that one thing is true:  It's very hard to stop at one.

At 18, I got my first one.  It was my birthday present.  I drew and designed it myself.  And I cried like a baby (seriously...my first one at the top of my spine?? It hurt like hell...). But I love it!

Cake and Tattoo

My Mermaid

For about two weeks, I was able to hide it from my parents.  Unfortunately, I traveled home two weeks after getting it to become a naturalized American citizen.  The interviewer asked me, with each parent on either side of me, "Do you have any birthmarks or tattoos that would help to identify you?"  Shit.

I started with my birthmark - a reddish blurb on the bottom of my left foot.  I hesitated, but I got nervous about being in a government building.  So, I confessed to the interviewer...and to my parents.  The interviewer was clearly apologetic about exposing me to my parents.  And my parents had never been so angry.  My mom did most of the yelling, and I was saddened that my dad seemed to not know what to say to me.

But it was hilarious, retrospectively of course.

On my 19th birthday, I wanted some more.  I wanted something more to represent who I was.  My ex-boyfriend drew an awesome version of the Aries and Taurus symbols combined - as I am born on the cusp of both.

Cuspy

Again, it hurt as it was on my spine.  And again, I hid this one from my parents as well.  But, my dad visited me one day while I was in college, and he caught a glimpse of it.  All he could say was that my mom would be so angry about it.

I was very conscious about the location of my tattoos.  Both of them were meant to be concealed, so that I would be able to find a "respectable job."  But I was finding that I wanted to see my tattoos.  Now, I'm not as ballsy as getting a sleeve.  But I wanted something that I could display proudly when appropriate.

At around the time I was getting a third itch, I was getting to know my culture again.  I had enrolled in several Asian American Studies courses, one focusing on the Filipino-American culture.  I had known several people who got tattoos of Chinese and Japanese characters, and I knew that I could never do that as it did not represent my own culture.  After some research, I decided that I would get a tattoo of my name in Baybayin.

Baybayin, a pre-Filipino script, is a syllabary script. 

I considered the implications of getting my name, which has a Latin root, in a non-Western script.  In actuality, since Baybayin is a syllabary, the script shows how my name sounds:  "se-si-li-a."  Often, people would get a tattoo of a word or a phrase that they strongly feel for.  But at 21, I felt like all I could really stand for was who I was and am.  I'm still very proud of this tattoo.

As the years passed, I gathered a lot of interesting questions about my tattoos.  Most of the time, only a little section of my mermaid was visible, and people would come up with a variety of things that it could be.  People also asked if it was "finished," since most tattoos are full pictures or completely shaded in.  It's finished - though, more recently, I've thought of making her bigger.

People also like to believe that I'm crazy enough to get a tattoo representing a significant other and myself - as in the Aries-Taurus symbols represent a relationship of mine.  I'm personally one to believe that you are just asking for Murphy's Law to slap you in the face if you get a tattoo representing someone other than yourself, your parents, your children/pets, or someone who's passed.

My personal favorite comment is when people ask if the tattoo on my wrist says, "Bub-t.v."  I mean...what?  I guess I see where they're coming from...but, for seriously?  Interestingly, the tattoo artist who put this on me asked if I wanted it facing other people, as it was customary for arm tattoos to be easy for others to read.  I thought this was an interesting suggestion.  I wasn't getting the tattoo for anyone other than myself, so why should other people have an easier time reading it?

Regardless of the comments, this unfortunately hasn't been the end of my body art.

At 26, as my 4 year anniversary of living in Boston, I accepted that I am bicoastal.  At this point, I have grown to love living in Boston, though I know that I will eventually move back to the West Coast.  I thought long and hard about this tattoo, and it had gone through a variety of iterations before it happened.  I thought about east and west, sunrise and sunset.

I loved the way tattoos look on ankles and feet, but was told that it was not a recommended location as the skin sloughs off faster.  Valuing longevity, I opted for the ankles.  I couldn't convince anyone to draw it up for me, but I knew what I was going for:  Tattoos representing where I've been, helping me root myself.

Bicoastal with Philippine Sun Rising and Setting.

I'm still struggling with my itchy feet, so I feel that if I can acknowledge where I've been, it will feel less difficult to travel to new places.  Originally, I wanted the sunrise and sunsets to be over the ocean - naturally.  But, I was having a hard time finding major differences between the two phenomenons.  In Google searches, there was very little difference - except for their location.  I realized that foliage was a major part of the location, as it also related to the "rooting" of my feet.  And though I wanted to stay as natural as possible, when I saw the drawings of the cities, I couldn't say no.

This tattoo involved some travel.  At this point, I warned my parents ahead of time, and they couldn't do anything about it.  My west coast tattoo, featuring the palm tree and City of Angels in the background, was designed and done in Los Angeles.  My east coast tattoo, featuring the elm tree and City of Boston in the background, was designed and done in Allston.  I love them both.

With this one, I've also gotten comments about the geography and how other people view them.  "They're on the wrong legs," someone once said.  I got them based on if I were facing North, or if I was looking at a map.  My favorite comment was complimentary, stating, "It's like you're straddling the country."

I fear that this is not the end of my itch for tattoos, however.

I've been trying to convince my best friend to design a tattoo for me for years.  Preferably, I would like something representing my musical nature.  Though I'm out of practice, I still love the upright bass.  When I have more money and time, I'd love to take it up again.  I love the idea of getting the f-holes, but I feel like it's a standard thing musicians do.

I want my f-holes to be mermaids.  It would be somewhat artsy, but the foundation of it would be those f-holes.  I would also want them to be smaller and on my forearms instead of on my back or waist as many others do.  This obviously calls into question the whole idea of being inconspicuous.  I don't want to banish myself to long-sleeved shirts forever.  Nonetheless, it's something that's on my list of ideas.

Most recently, I've reignited my thoughts about getting lyrics with music notes.  My love for The Beatles has helped guide me in this idea.  Though I find it difficult to use others words or words in general, I feel like I've stumbled onto my next tattoo.

While there are some classic lyrics such as "All You Need is Love," I feel like that's not what represents me.  My favorite lyrics come from the last Beatles lyrics:

"The End"

I feel like this is the most true for me.  So, I did some research.  Again, I would like to see this tattoo - as a constant reminder of my personal truth.  I think it would be awesome to incorporate the music notes somehow, perhaps with the actual bars of phrasing as well.  I always thought it would be neat to have bars of music on my wrists, with the notes reflecting the treble and bass clefs on the right and left, respectively.

Then I remembered a specific mudra in yoga, the one I felt very connected with.  After some Googling, I found that it was actually two mudras often combined in many Buddha and Quan Yin statues.  The right hand faces forward with fingers upward in the abhaya mudra, which is meant to signify fearlessness.  The left hand also faces forward with fingers downward in the varada mudra, which is meant to signify fully giving of oneself.

Images from:  http://www.buddhanet.net/mudras.htm

It just seems appropriate to have "and in the end, the love you take" on the right and "is equal to the love you make" on the left.  Doesn't it?

Now, these are just ideas.  And I'm in no position to be spending money on tattoos right now.  But, I'm quite excited about this idea.  Maybe it's something I'll get for my 30th birthday - hopefully the end of my Return of Saturn phase.  Maybe it's something I'll get when a major change occurs.

But, as with all my current and future tattoos, I believe these things take time, thinking, and planning.  The beginning has come and gone...and now I'm just waiting for the end.

Mercury in Retrograde + Saturn's Return = ?@&*

I'm definitely interested in astrology.  Though I don't think it's the letter of the law - just like most systems of belief - I think it can be equally entertaining and insightful.

Aries-Taurus Cusp - that's my lower back and me!

When I started this blog, I talked about Saturn's Return, which I'm definitely swimming in right now.  But every so often, Mercury goes into Retrograde...and around this time in my life, I'm trying to count the blessings where they fall and keep positive as much as I can....Not so easy when things are failing around you.

So far, the result of this combination has been interesting. 

New Month...Old Goals...Saturn Returns.

Entering my late mid-twenties (disguised as my early late-twenties), my friend Joya clued me into "Saturn's Return." According to this astrological theory, this is the time when lots of changes occur - goals are attained, milestones are reached. Though it's not supposed to be about painful upheaval, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some of that thrown into the mix for the fun of it all.

Since April 23rd of 2009, I must say there have been a lot of things going on in this 27 year old's life. From the more personal part, I've had to make some decisions about how far I'm willing to stretch myself for other people. But, that's not necessarily something I'm ready to get into in the blogosphere (god, what a word I never thought I'd use...).


My day job has been under a lot of strain, being a non-profit in a "crumbling economy." Boston Public Schools don't necessarily have the funds to support a tiny organization, no matter the fact that we're in it for the best interest of the students. Nonetheless, we're still here...we're still fighting hard for his organization. After being scared of a multitude of things (losing this job because of finances, and just generally being a wuss), I decided it was high time that I take on a supervisory role. I had a chance to help in what little ways I could with the clinical social work interns, but I would LOVE a macro social work intern. So, I emailed the Field Education Department at Boston University, and requested that they think of me when placing their students. Let me tell you...it felt great to be acknowledged not only as a previous student but as someone who is ready and able to do the work. I hope that I get a *good* macro intern next year.

So, with all the changes during the daytime, I'm finding that there are many changes in other aspects of my life. Growing into my own, I decided to go ahead with this blog. It's probably going to be a random assortment of things I find fascinating, little projects I'm working on, and updates on what's going on in this mermaid's life.

I hope it's fun for some of you :)