29 = Grace Under Pressure

Delilah Marvelle, Elizabeth Boyle, Laura Lee Guhrke, and T. J. Brown

The launch of T. J. Brown’s Summerset Abbey at Powells on Sunday was enough reason for my friend Elizabeth Boyle to come to Portland with her fellow historical romance novelist Laura Lee Guhrke. They joined T. J. (Teri Brown) and Delilah Marvelle for a panel discussion of historical trivia. They all became passionate when discussing the realities of the women’s lives in historical times, when even the gowns could be treacherous.

A woman who didn’t marry well had no life or rights at all. Yet these authors love showing how women were resilient and innovative and learned how to improve their lives for themselves and their daughters. This is why I enjoy historical romance novels because a good heroine improves her own life and the happy marriage boosts her stature and power in the social trials of the times.

My attendance at this event included some U-turns and since I was headed in the wrong direction more than twice, I know this is also a metaphor for other things in my life. I enjoy these games and it makes random and surprising events more fun for me. What could be more fun than hanging with some favorite author friends chatting books? Afterwards some of us went to the McMenamins for good food and more intimate conversations, including coming up with book titles.

When Laura mentioned she’s getting married on the 29th of June, I had a “not the 29th” reaction as the energy of this number is: Grace Under Pressure. The  karmic example of 29 is the Old Testament story of Job who was subjected to all kinds of trials until the ultimate Black Moment when he transformed from a victim to a hero. It’s the classic hero’s journey mythology and some version of this story arc shows up in every good movie and book. However, I’ve never felt 29 was a good karmic energy for a wedding anniversary even though  Ed and I will celebrate 33 years of marriage on August 29th.

The odd thing is my friends Paula and Elizabeth also celebrate their wedding anniversaries on the 29th. So what does it mean when four women randomly sitting next to each other, at an impromptu dinner, all share that 29 karma in our marriage? We may never know but I’m willing to bet that if we made lists we’d see more patterns than loving romance novels. We didn’t make lists. We just sort of sat there looking at each other repeating “the 29th” a few times – then we began a new conversation topic.

But it is the heroine that operates with grace while under pressure that appeals to me, in any time slot in history and the present. It’s also an honor to call these authors – my friends – because I know enough about them to state they are heroines who embody the concept of Grace Under Pressure in their own lives. You can read about Teri’s journey writing Somerset Abbey while in cancer treatments – on Jane Porter’s Blog.  And yes, Jane is also a resilient and innovative heroine.

Maybe the 29′s was a metaphor of my U-turns of the day. Maintaining and gaining Grace while Under Pressure is always a good reminder. But there’s also the happily-ever-after part of the story of Job. Everything he lost he regained, and more, and Job had a greater appreciation of his abundance.

And maybe “the 29th” is a good karmic energy for a marriage.

A 717 day

717 is our youngest daughter’s favorite number. She was born on 7-1-1989 and that’s her dirt bike in the picture. Her fiance is also “into” numbers though we’ve never really chatted about it, yet. They are getting married on 12.1.12.

For my in-process contemporary romance the hero and heroine characters are based on the astrological aspects of these two, and motorcycles play in the story.

Today I drove to the library and noticed the license plate on the car before me was 717DUB. So I immediately thought of this daughter and wondered about the d-u-b and if it meant “W” or something. It was just a game in my mind that I forgot about while at the library.

Then I decided to go to the local produce shop and pulled up behind a car at the light waiting to turn. License plate – 717EVC. Okay, that’s fun! So I pulled into the parking lot and immediately texted my daughter with a “What’s UP?” and shared these two 717 sightings.

Her response was, “Funny! I’ve just been looking at new cars. “ They like Suburu’s and even attend annual rally’s.

So I had to ask, “Were you looking at V W’s?”

“Actually I am!”

Now this story will be really fun if she buys one, and loves it.

For me, I returned home and got to work on my story as I’ve been distracted with other interests this week.

It happened on 11/11/11

It was a fun day for me! First, my Christmas Cactus bloomed.

Christmas Cactus

This is an event because the blossoms are awesome, vibrant, and it always blooms in early November.

I had some fun with numbers on the clock today as I only looked at the time when something caught my attention.  Then I had to laugh because my attention was caught on something that compelled me to check the time… that began at 1:11 am, 11:55am, 2:55pm, 3:11pm and finally 11:11pm.

We attended our grandson’s birthday celebration this evening and it was a great party.

Devon 9th Birthday 055

You’ll notice this picture is # 55.

It was time to open presents and the kids gathered, while the adults watched. There had already been games played – Toss Across, Bingo – and a paper airplane competition.

The under 21 crowd

The over 21 crowd

Musical chairs were played by black-light and my camera flashes were like a strobe. First the kids played then the adults had a round…

Now, you’ve seen pictures taken from my camera.  If you follow my blog you know I believe laughter and fun times will attract orbs, whatever they are. No need to travel to specific points on the globe – or sacred caves. Just have a fun party and a boxing match…

Devon 9th Birthday 074

Devon 9th Birthday 077

Some of them orbs are bit frisky as they were on one daughters boob and another daughters belt buckle.

Them frisky orbs were in lots of pictures because that’s what I was asked to do, take lots of pictures so my eldest, who was hosting the party, would have a record of the event.

11×3

Have a great triple eleven day, especially when there will be five at 11:11 on 11/11/11.  There’s a fun pyramid of these numbers at synchrosecrets.

It is also Veteran’s Day in the USA and while I want to see the war machine put into museums or out to pasture, I totally honor the individual warriors involved for the cause of honor and freedom through history.

On Monday night, 11/14 the first story of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will air on TV and I’ll be watching because I agree with her mother who said, “I think Gabby’s got a message now that exceeds the political one. … Gabby is a warrior.”

I’ve posted about numbers a few times and there are numerous websites and books about numbers and numerology. My advice is read them or not. The only truth about numbers is they are one language that translates easily at the global level regarding music, money, and all measurements from cooking, to building, to aging.

Whether you mark the date for the triple elevens,  or the six ones, regardless what the skeptics say a lot of people see the day as cause for celebration and anything that creates a surge of happy energy is an awesome thing.

Lots of 9′s

9 = Finishing a project, looking beyond the immediate, setting your goals, reflection, expansion;  Sydney Omarr’s Day-to-Day Astrological Guide for Taurus 2012

The number 9 symbolizes Mars – Conflict – Man; Linda Goodman’s Star Signs.  9 is the number of originality and initiative… also the contradictory traits of vulnerability and naiveté.

999 = completion and 99% = the majority.

Today is 10/19/11 – the moon is in Cancer and my lunch dates today are both Cancer women. It is a water sign and we will savor my clam chowder and work on a mermaid tail for a masquerade party.

Another friend, a Taurus woman, is having surgery on her neck today to expand the path for her spine. I hope all the 1′s and the nurturing energy of Cancer will be good energy for her. My sister, an Aquarius woman, needs a new dishwasher today as the current one died last night after a week of glitches with the control panel. Lots of water energy and it’s a foggy day.

There’s been a lot of surprises, twists and news brought into my awareness and the advice in my horoscope today states: Practice what Ester and Jerry Hicks call “rampaging appreciation” so that you raise your own vibration and attract more of what makes you happy.

911 has been claiming my attention recently, and occasionally in the past few years. I thought it was a reminder of The Twin Towers disaster on 9/11/01 which impacted my personal life enough that I wrote a story about it. This novel was my return to the world of romance fiction and I got lots of good feedback from publishers for a year then it was suddenly considered ‘old news’.  Maybe I’ll rewrite it some day. 

This month I’ve had new insights into 911 as relating to the past nine years, and the initiating choice made eleven years ago. I hadn’t counted the years until recently, and it was after seeing 9:11 one day. These years have been full of drama, conflict, change and enlightenment. There’s been lots of learning and opportunities for growth.

double digits

On 8-8-11. We returned from a week of summer fun and I did the number-letter exercise. My name resonates to the number 8.

The Number 8 vibrates to the planet Saturn. It represents wisdom, learning through experience, stability, patience, and responsibility. 8 is also the number of financial security, caution, restriction, self-discipline and self-control. (Linda Goodman’s Star Signs p.190)

That doesn’t sound too fun but being practical and organized is one flavor of me that I enjoy. I took chapters of my memoir to edit and polish while on vacation. Some may applaud this discipline but I do it  because I love the books I am creating and I always have a quiet hour or two before others wake in the morn.

The 8th House in an astrological chart represents -

Death and Inheritances, the Occult: Transformation of all kinds, regeneration, sexuality, taxes, death, psychic ability. (The Everything Astrology Book – Trish MacGregor c. 1999)

Some consider 8 as a hard number, and Saturn is referred to as the greater Malefic. Jokes about death and taxes have a helpless flavor. The lesson for those who vibrate to the energy of 8 (and Saturn) is to learn that the pursuit of happiness is not a sin.

8 is also the symbol of eternity, the snake eating its tail. Like the number 3, 8 has the mirror message of as-above-so-below. 3 has an open space for the flow of communication, creativity and compassion. The shape of 8 is continuous and contained.

Our cat Pele, named for the volcano goddess, symbolized my entry into the animal dimension. An outdoor cat, Pele perches on fence posts as a feral hunter. The rare times she is content to curl in a lap, her purring is like diesel engine.

Pele instantly bonded with our golden retriever, Amber, who made the move with us to Oregon. Pele teased and taunted our lab, Rainier. Pele herded the three ducks around our yard and pitied the rabbit kept in a hutch. Pele had conversations with the Arabian, Wildfire, because Pele had the job of clearing moles from the pasture and mice from the grain bin.

I expect Pele will be gone one day, with no fanfare. She’s already granted us 14 years of duty to our home and family.  But she has no jobs anymore or other animals to harass or protect. She will never be a pampered indoor cat because the essence of Pele is not as a quilt. She is a cat with a mission and sharpens her claws to complete it, she meows to come in to eat, then meows to return to her nature space.

Totally black without a spot of anything but dirt to mar her fur, Pele is the picture of an occult familiar and never ventures away from her home. If cats have 9 lives it means they do the regenerate exercise 8 times before they get it right.

When Pele didn’t appear when we returned from our vacation, and I noticed the date, I wondered if I’d associate the double 8 with her death, but no, shortly before midnight she returned, proclaiming loudly that she wanted to eat.

I’ve noticed a lot of 8′s recently and we have scheduled excursions with our 8-yr-old grandson the rest of this week. This grandparent-grandchild is the more important example of the dual image of 8 because it is a love relationship and the single point of connection is the parent in the middle.

the 3 thing

I’ve written 333 posts and decided that’s a significant number to note.   Except I noted it then went to bed and forgot about it.

On Tuesday, Mercury stationed to turn retrograde until the 26th, and the weather was gorgeous so I chose outdoor tasks of trimming and watering the flowers, washing my car and the lawn chairs. As I spruced up my yard I was thinking about one of the vignettes in my memoir that’s not working, and I was meal planning for upcoming events. Later I did errands; bought toner for my printer, returned library books, and purchased items for those meals.

On my way home, I stopped in the left turn lane (two lanes turn left) and there were two cars already waiting at the red light. I love to play the license plate game and have developed a personal shorthand for what the numbers mean and what the letters represent. The car in front of me had 733 on the license plate then I noticed the car in the next lane also had 733. I was stunned. I’ve never had identical numbers next to each other like that and I decided my shorthand interpretation of number messages may not be enough. There was nothing else, make, model or color, about the cars that was similar.

My favorite reference book about numbers is Linda Goodman’s Star Signs, Copyright 1987. This book also contains an alpha numeric key for what number is associated to a specific letter according to ancient Chaldean-Kabala system.

I plugged in the numbers for the letters that were also on those license plates and the three letters BND & CCX, both add to 11. So, the identical message was 733 11. This made it more fun to research and play with numbers and letters, and surreal as 33′s kept popping up. If anyone has insights or ideas about this double 733 11 – feel free to share.

Then I remembered the 333 blog posts and I checked a cheat sheet on the message behind triples.  333 = Decision number. Time to make a decision.

I have lots of decisions to make and every choice has layers which means a little decision I make could become a big deal. Or what seems like a big decision might really be a little step (or left turn) on the overall journey of my life.

For your own fun, here’s the letter-to-number association with the planetary vibration:

A I J Q Y – are # 1 – Sun

B K R – are # 2 – Moon

C G L S –  are # 3 – Jupiter

D M T – are # 4 – Uranus

E H N X – are # 5 – Mercury

U V W – are # 6 – Venus

O Z – are # 7 – Neptune

F P – are # 8 – Saturn

The number 9 is not used so the energy of Mars is not aligned to any letters. And, the ancients obviously knew that Pluto is not a planet.

Also note:  W W W  = 6 6 6  (World Wide Web = mark of the devil)

Memories in the making

Our Memorial Day traditions changed three years ago when we attended a barbecue hosted by friends at their family vacation spot. All the men are vets and proud to have served their country because life with their families, and the liberty to make a difference, is why they served.  Their pursuit of happiness revolves around aviation and is how we met. By the time we returned to our home that day, Ed and I were already negotiating the purchase of property to create our own family vacation spot a few lots down the road.

The property was raw and undeveloped. Water, power, and a septic system were installed thirty years prior but it remained vacant. The changes we made were substantial within three months of taking ownership of the land. Now, three years later, it’s got a lush lawn and a huge storage building for the toys of choice for our family. This past weekend, we attended two family pot luck meals with these friends, and brought three young boys to the event. It’s good to introduce a new generation to the benefits of pursuing happiness. Eventually these boys will appreciate the life and liberty concepts.

As a writer, I have studied how to use the power of three to show transformation within a character or along a story arc. Jessa Slade posted a simple 1-2-3 about how the good stories from our memories transform. My only issue with this post is Jessa’s reference to herself as a semi-professional storyteller. She is a Professional Storyteller and her muse is Monster Girl.

I love messages from numbers and for the number 3, I envision a three-legged stool which symbolizes the first stage of being grounded and able to balance. It’s a stable platform and the three legs of the stool represent concepts that all begin with the letter “C”, the 3rd letter in the alphabet. Communication. Creativity. Compassion. Those are the three truths I want on the legs of the stool where I sit, to write.

This weekend the “C” words were camping, cooking, and community. There were lots of memories shared and stories retold amid tons of laughter and good food. Many of my untold memories revealed three years as a time frame between a significant event that generated transformation on some areas of my life. The three years message was important because I am the type who wants to achieve the goal, yesterday.

Memorial Day used to be flavored with reflection on events and generations in our past. But now our family celebrates the new beginning. Our grandsons will not be able to say we personally fought for their freedom within a war machine. Instead they will remember happy adventures with the really cool toys from kayaks to airplanes.

wedding plan change

I’m still trying to process everything that happened this past weekend!

The date Friday was 4/22/2011 so that’s a lot of fours and dual digits. I’ve posted about 4 energy in dates before and it was Good Friday which has always been a significant day for personal reasons that would be too long to list here. The Sonata punch may have happened at 1:44 since I was in the parking lot at the hotel and called the insurance agent at 2:08. The room I was assigned for the weekend was #144.

My marketing partner and I finished some final details regarding our workshop for Saturday and went to dinner. While waiting for our food my cell phone rang and I could tell my bride-to-be daughter was upset but didn’t want to tell me why since I was busy. I got her to tell me…

Their wedding will be on 6/21, a Tuesday. The Bride & Groom wanted their wedding and the anniversary of their marriage to be on the summer solstice with the ceremony deep in the woods and the reception to have the flavor of a summer festival. For those of you who know Tolkien, the example is Bilbo Baggins 111st party.  The groom and groomsmen are wearing kilts.

We had heard there was a winter road/bridge mudslide/washout on Lolo Pass road but only got the news on Friday that no, the road will not be cleared in time for access to the chosen location. So a year’s worth of plans and arrangements must change and the bride was understandably upset but also relieved the invitations were not yet mailed.

I assured the bride this was a salvageable situation and I would give it my attention (I’m her wedding coordinator) on Monday and we’d have it solved and redo her handmade invitations before the end of the week.

She appreciated my assurances and sympathy so we ended the call before my lobster ravioli arrived. However, the point of this post is that her call to me on Friday was at 4:44.

I only noticed that today when I checked my cell phone log. !

events in threes

It’s common that big life events come in threes.  We did the new house, new car, new baby in one year – more than once.

Events within 24 hours of my life:  new home for daughter, new baby for niece, new client for me.   Wee Hee!

Home hysteria is over, let the moving chaos commence.

2011: What the Numbers Mean

Here’s the article I wrote that’s published in Sydney Omarr’s Astrological Guide for You in 2011.  Pick up your copy today. 

2011:  What The Numbers Mean By Terri Patrick

With each New Year, a new energy comes into flavor, from the shift of numbers.  Numerology melds beautifully with astrology.  The Tarot, The Kabala, I-Ching, and many other systems and philosophies, resonate with mirroring energies to each other. All of these, and more, are tools to help us on our journey, to living the life we choose to live.

Eleven is a master number that carries the energy of enlightenment and illumination.  This energy brings light to the shadows so all the nasty pests and rodents will scurry out of your path.  The number 11 is an image of equality and duality.  The number 11 may look like parallel 1’s, but the separation is an illusion.  The number one resonates to the energy of the Sun, which doubles the illumination of light this year. The action energy of the number one is – initiate.

The number two resonates to the energy of the Moon, and symbolizes partners, union, between dual energies.  Yin and Yang must be in balance to create a sphere.  The Moon governs our emotions.

The enlightenment energy of eleven, in union with the duality of the number two, urges us to bring balance to the creative oppositions in our humanity. Examples of creative oppositions are between black and white and male and female.  There’s a full rainbow of colors between black and white.  There’s a full spectrum of energies between the male and female of any species, whether plant, animal or insect.  We get an illuminating dark-light example of this every month with the new and full moon.  Keep your eye on the sky, and pay attention to when the moon is waxing or waning.

Twenty carries the energy of – Awakening!  Through the experience of events, while living life, we could have a powerful epiphany, which creates new purpose, plan, and ambition.  An epiphany gives us a feeling of being ready to transform the world, which is always possible.  Except, the challenge of the number 20 is the need for patience.  Our illuminating idea, today, we want to manifest into reality, yesterday.  The idea is a seed that needs to be planted and nurtured, and will grow at its own speed.  Plant those seeds.  Begin now!

All of these number energies resonate together, on a global scale, this year.  The power of this energy is enhanced, as we personally honor the message of 2011, in our daily lives.  The objective for this year is to watch the moon and know it is low tide here, high tide on other shores, and the tides always flow.

In Numerology, the numbers are always added together to achieve a single digit between 1 and 9.  The full date 2011 adds together to a single number, and primary energy of the year, the number 4.

An ancient school of thought says the number 4 resonates with Uranus, the planet of innovation, and unexpected events.  Another school of thought says the number 4 resonates with Earth, the planet of stability and endurance.  The action energy of the number 4 is associated with building foundations, and work.  Work is action with purpose.  Understanding the work that matters to us will promote personal happiness in our life.

In summary, the numerological message of 2011 is:  Our actions with purpose is to plant seed ideas and build foundations, to illuminate how our duality can be brought into balance personally.  This flows into the global energy and the various systems in society; economic, environmental, entertainment, etc., can be in balance.   Astrology and many other spiritual systems promote the soul opportunity for many life journeys.  Keep that in mind when living responsibly with Mother Earth this year, we want a healthy, beautiful world, now, and for our next journey.

2012 adds to 5.  Five is the number of change and resonates to the planet Mercury, (the trickster).  Illuminate the balance of duality during 2011, especially if the 2012 Doom Machine is getting too much attention.  Take my word for it, humans will be on this planet for many more centuries.

We have all chosen to live in the energy of the year 2011.  Celebrate!

Pick up a copy of Sydney Omarr’s Astrological Guide for You in 2011.

Correction:  Terri Patrick lives in Oregon.

new moon in Scorpio

The new moon is often forgotten because there’s no moon in the skies but this moon phase carries initiating energy.  Scorpio rules the 8th house of the zodiac and is often associated with death, transformation and regeneration.  If you’re feeling morbid for no reason don’t worry, it will pass.

Last night my brother-in-law celebrated the birth of his 4th grandson, then he got word that his brother died.  This is a pretty dramatic circle-of-life experience and I’m sure he’s having an emotional day.

This year I’ve had news of many deaths as well as 4 new babies in our extended family.  (Another baby is due in January! *)

On Monday we’ll celebrate our oldest grandson’s 8th birthday.  In the months before he was born a few events threw my life into a transformation cycle and the past 8 years have included many deaths, accidents, illnesses, and also weddings, births, graduations, and other changes in our family dynamics.

This Scorpio moon was in the final waning degrees when it activated my natal moon before becoming “new”.  In my astrological chart this is in my 4th house, which represents my home, my emotions, and the foundations of my life.

So I’m in a weird moon phase of mind today.  I also see the collection of 8′s and 4′s as being a good sign that the transformation stage of my life is ending and new foundations are in place.

* That baby due in January will be the 5th in less than 12 months.  These are my sisters grand-babies. 

charmed three

The power of three is a plot device that begins with a surprise, repeats to deepen the drama, then, once more it seems the story is into a repeat but suddenly there’s a twist, change, transformation.  When not done well, the reader hits that third repeat with a groan and slides through the transformation with a, “Duh!”  When done well, the reader is so engaged they want to cheer and stamp their feet in triumph.

For stress relief, three cleansing breaths are the charm.  The first breath is acknowledging there is stress, the second is to release the stress, the third breath is to inhale peace.

If I am puzzled about a personal issue, I like to meditate and pray for a sign or message.  It is common for me to get the answer in three ways, something I read, hear and see.   This is now a personal practice for me, if I feel a decision needs to be made or a goal set.  I’m prone to enthusiasm, lots of things catch my attention and I feel it is something I want to do.  My method of requesting three signs or messages is how I choose where to put my energy.

Last week I had three yes and three no messages for a non-issue, non-goal, at the moment.  It made me wonder if this was a goal to consider.  It was so concentrated it was funny.  When I want to laugh about a message, it means I need to pay attention.  It’s also amusing I am not in a position to act on either the yes or no message, for a few months.

Which means I need to consider the potentials.  The choice will be mine.  Two sides of the same coin.  Both goals would require tons of work and bushels of enthusiasm, when the time is right.  Which isn’t today or even this month.  But…

I got my surprise.  I’m paying attention now and the drama is deepening.  I have to consider which will be the greater challenge.  That’s probably the route I’ll eventually take.  I love a challenge, the greater the challenge the sweeter the success.  When I make a choice it will be one where I will cheer and stamp my feet.

the shift: 2009-2010

I like numerology and the simple messages from numbers.  There’s a universal and artistic quality to numbers, like music.  Words can be changed in translations but holding up two fingers and pointing to an apple means the same thing in every country.

The year number 2010 has a fun and positive flavor to begin a new decade.  But today I want to review the recent energies of our year numbers.

When I look at  2, I see both a ? and a , with an _ for emphasis.  So the first message I get when I see a 2 is:  question, pause, think.  At a quantum level, the 2nd dimension is a flat piece of paper with straight lines.  If the lines are parallel they never meet but if perpendicular, they intersect.  This is why I think the number 2 is interpreted to mean both partnership and duality.

The duality aspect is a balanced opposition like positive and negative.  Or black and white; black as the absence of all color and white the blending of all color.  So I like considering the duality of 2 because of the space between.  The space between black and white is the presence of all colors in their individual vibration.  In a magnetic parallel, the space between is energy.  Everything is energy, even the molecules that make up a flat piece of paper.

When I look at  9, I see a full circle and the end of a parenthesis.  o)  This gives the flavor of completion, goals achieved, projects finished.   The end.  In 2009, I wrote “The End” on both a romance novel and a memoir project.  It’s significant to me that I made choices about these two projects in 2006.

Let’s consider 6 as – (o – the beginning parenthesis and a full circle.  In my numerology interpretations; 6=love, 7=spirituality, 8=transformation, 9=completion.  These same numbers with their planetary energies are; 6-Venus, 7-Neptune,  8-Saturn, 9-Mars.

Now 6 follows 5.  5 is a confusing graphic, with all sorts of pictorial possibilities.  5 is associated with change, conflict and choices.  5 vibrates to Mercury – the planet known as the trickster.  So for the purpose of this article, 5 is a cataclysmic event on a personal level that creates a choice.   If the choice is to step into love, we enter into the parentheses of  ( 6, 7, 8, 9 ).

6=love but at the beginning of the journey it’s really more a strong “like”.  A Venus flavor to savor a favorite food, like chocolate, a fun activity, or that passionate thrill of a new romance.   6 is a feminine energy current that flows nicely into the spiritual energy of 7.

Now 7 makes us feel like we are standing under a protective umbrella while not realizing our feet are sliding out from beneath us.  This is the watery Neptune illusion and delusion duality.  My favorite example of this is the science vs. religion debates through the centuries.  Mystery and sympathy play equal roles as we wade through dreams to understand the role spirit plays in the miracle of our life.  It’s easy to get lost in this realm but with love and luck, we’ll find two round and dry islands for our feet to stand on and enter the portal of 8.

8 represents infinity, the serpent eating its tail.  It is the mirror of above and below.  We can stand in the full sun or in the moon light of transformation.  8 vibrates to Saturn, which represents responsibility and lessons through experience.  Saturn slows things down and throws up caution signs.  Saturn has many rings and each one could spiral us back to relearn something about 7, or 6, or 5, before we can step onto the next ring of lesson about discipline and self-control.

One question to ask Teacher Saturn is – can I make this life journey more fun?  The rings of Saturn include wisdom about love, joy and happiness.  Those caution flags are often to release drama, worry and fear.

To get off the Saturn spiral of lessons, we need the Mars energy of 9.  Completing the full circle of 9 (which mirrors the initial full circle of 6) requires courage, originality and personal power.  Mars masculine warrior energy is the first step and can complete the wisdom and responsibility circle of 9  – humility and joy will create the final arc.

We stepped through the initial arc of compassion and challenge when we chose the circle of 6 love energy.  The full journey is framed in an embrace of both feminine and masculine energy.   ( 6, 7, 8, 9 )   With this example 9 is also a higher circle of love energy that now holds wisdom and responsibility.  With wisdom comes joy and humility is part of being a truly responsible human.

Now as this year 2010 begins, consider 1 represents initiating energy.  It vibrates to the Sun and encourages original action and individuality.  1 is firmly planted, straight and tall.  1 is creative and benevolent energy.

So my message is, as we step into the vibration of 2010, take the time to consider the duality and partnership of the space between represented by the 2 which vibrates to the moon.  Honor the completion energy of 2009, and the journey of the years before, and choose joy for 2010.

Celebrate!

Numbers

Today I played the License Plate game.  It was a bit different from the way I played it as a child, because I was alone in the car, and, I’ve been brushing up on my numerology.  Each number, one through nine, has a certain energetic vibration and, over the years I’ve simplified what each one means to me personally.

My “number” all my life, is 713.  No reason, just liked it.  Since learning numerology, I know this is a message to remember daily.  7 13  means – spirit and self in balance.  It might mean something else, to someone else, but that’s what it means to me.  I also like noticing the words to the songs on the radio.   Many times I’ve been focused on a specific issue, or question, or concern, and suddenly notice the words of the song on the radio are giving me the answer.   It’s really fun!

So back to the license plate game.  I found a new flavor to this, 12 years ago, in 1997.   We lived in New Jersey and were intent on moving to Oregon, homeless, jobless, with 4 kids and a dog.  Insane!  It was a bad day, and I was feeling, this dream/goal/objective – truly was insane.  On my way home from work ( a really good job it was insane to give up) my request from God/source/spirit was for a sign that this was the right choice.

I learned this in my childhood, from Mom and Dad.  Prayers are answered, and God lets us know, but we have to pay attention.  So I pay attention to all kinds of things!

That day, I was asking for a sign, it was a few weeks before all hell broke loose.  Long story, I’ll put it in a book.  So I’m driving home from work, in bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Surrounded by New Jersey license plates.  Then the car in front of me changed lanes, and I closed the space on – an Oregon license plate.  Three numbers on one side, three letters on the other, tall tree in the middle.  In New Jersey?  I laughed!

Of course, two days later, I saw two more Oregon license plates, because that’s my personal rule.  If it is an important message from spirit, I want 3 signs.  And I got them, in 3 days.  Without that affirmation I wouldn’t have been able to hold true, to the signs, with what my family endured, in the following weeks.  Our family move to Oregon took place on 7-17 that year.  I didn’t understand why it wasn’t on 7-13, then.

Fast forward, 12 years, and tons of transitions, to today.  A good day in Oregon.   Driving to the monthly meeting, workshop, with my romance writers group.  A rainy Saturday morning.  Just driving.  A glance at the license plate of a car.  My mind automatically assesses the numbers and letters of a license plate.  No big deal, simple message of the numbers and the letters sort of have the flavor of a word.   Cute.

But then, every car, every license plate, was doing the same thing.  3 random numbers, 3 random letters, noticed in a quick glance, had cute messages.  Nothing earth shattering, just fun.  But, every car?  Finally I was on my own in a misty fog and laughing, wondering.   Staying back from being able to see the numbers and letters on the car ahead.  Except one passed on the left and I automatically glanced, saw a number and word message.  I laughed again!  It was so fun!

So I asked out loud, alone in my car, “who’s playing with me?”

A car went by with the license plate – ZTV 902.

The message I got was, Zenith TV, Sept 2nd.  Daddy was a TV repairman, his birthday Sept. 2nd.

How cool is that?  Daddy and I were playing the license game.  Then a van, with donuts and coffee decals in colorful splendor, drove by.  The license plate was:

A7134U.

Then Elton John’s voice crooned through the radio speakers, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, and the words, “Should have listened to my old man…”

I stopped at the vending machine, before I went into the romance writers meeting.  Got a “Payday.”   Nuts and carmel.  The story of my life.  Gotta love it!

Credit History

In 1979, I completed a year long course to become a Certified Bookkeeper.  This was before the days of Excel, and Databases were new things.  I wanted to be a bank teller and loved working in a Credit Union.

Today we are in a “credit crisis”, and lots of people I know have recently been through, or are going through, tough financial times.  I’ve been there too, but fortunately it was in the 1980′s, when people were still processing billing statements, and entering payments.  Now we have computer phone calls for missed payments.

My daughter has a car loan.  Her daddy co-signed.  She mailed her check over a week ago.  They called yesterday, and again today, that they haven’t gotten the payment.  Two other checks she wrote on the same day have already cleared.  My words were useless, because I am not my husband, or my daughter.  I am a non-entity, even though they called my home, and I answered their questions.  No notation can be made to the account.

A few months ago, a fellow chapter member in my writing group was concerned.  She got two envelopes in her newsletter envelope, that were obviously bill payments, that must have slipped into the envelope, since the flap was tucked, not sealed.  This was an issue because the member lives in Canada and the bills only had US postage.   Fortunately, she was planning to cross the border within the week, and would drop these bills in a US mail box.

I’ll never know if those payments reached their destination.   The original sender may have gotten calls about missed payments, checks that hadn’t cleared, with no knowledge that the checks went to Canada first.   So I wonder where my daughter’s check may have journeyed, and how many times we’ll get a call, because they didn’t arrive by the due date.

Until recently, if a payment was missed, the company would bill us for the two months, on our next statement.  Only after 90 days, with no payment, would a call be made.    Now they are made on day 31, and every day after, until the payment is received.    I’m amused at this panic to get a $200 payment, because the creditor calling for my daughter’s missing check, is Chrysler Financial.

A few hours later, today, I got a call that I had an overdue payment.  MCI was calling to let me know I hadn’t sent my $39.90 for last months long distance service.  Could I make an electronic payment over the phone?  Not likely!

They can wait for my check, and if they cut our service, there are other companies to consider.

I could add a whole bunch of stories on this theme.  The point is, no matter how horrible the creditor makes it sound, if you miss a payment or your check arrives a week late, it’s not the end of the world.  You might have to pay a fee, it might not be your fault.

The credit crisis, for many today, is high drama, being created,because the human factor of doing business with people, by people, for people, is no longer professional.  It’s a computer generated oddity.

But the lesson on my part, since I was the one that mailed the newsletters, and tucked the flap instead of sealing it…

I seal the flaps.

The US post office deals with enough.  My fellow Americans don’t need their bill payments getting sent to Canada first.

I can only do my part, a tiny ripple in the pond.