tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38586953035986663402024-03-14T08:21:56.264-04:00Metaphysical MeanderingsJohn Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.comBlogger608125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-31853700727062515352022-07-08T22:44:00.000-04:002022-07-08T22:44:03.289-04:00A New Venue for Metaphysical Practitioners: Spiritual Classifieds<span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Hi everyone! I wanted to let you know about a new place where you can find my information. It's called <a href="#">spiritualclassifieds.org</a>. <br /><br />Honestly, I've always said I don't advertise much, but I really like this site. One of the things I like most about it is how it's set up. It's very easy to find the spiritual or metaphysical specialty you're looking for, anywhere in the States. <br /><br />On the back end, they ask you questions to stimulate interest in your practice. I had to really think about answering these questions, but I can see how it would drive people to me who are looking for exactly what I offer. <br /><br />I'd love it if you would take a look and <a href="#">tell me what you think</a>. <a href="#">Click here to take a look!</a> <br /><br />If you are a practitioner of the metaphysical yourself and want to advertise with them, their rates are extremely reasonable. Please let me know and I will give you my referral code! <br /><br />Of course, feel free to give out the link to anyone interested in my services!<br /><br />Thanks in advance for taking a gander. I look forward to seeing you soon!</span> <div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.spiritualclassifieds.org/john-marani?from=badge" target="_blank" title="Find me on spiritualclassifieds.org"><img border="0/" src="https://www.spiritualclassifieds.org/images/140116-recommended.png" /></a></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-11767600261997834532022-06-11T21:08:00.000-04:002022-06-11T21:08:20.211-04:00The Astrology Chart of Vladimir Putin<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Hi everyone! This article first appeared on the Soldier of Fortune Web site, but it was edited for an audience with no astrology background. I'm going to annotate it with the astrology for Vladimir Putin's chart in the notes and include the chart below as well.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRwhB3b6ZPHBnrY9uwiUXroyVwDJg71o3zfZ3vgfGAkWQGgaVVZcetsQr22DcPUrsr-XyIbvevF8IZxZEA9YQcryWGF0tsPHG2m8LvBlaQAIlHrkuWKmu0jieRQx0anSs_nY5C3IL4qUerEH-cp1FxNNdjwpt44BYOimm1VfJ7Y7t8WJSnciYc5yd7w/s1099/ValdimirPutinNatal.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRwhB3b6ZPHBnrY9uwiUXroyVwDJg71o3zfZ3vgfGAkWQGgaVVZcetsQr22DcPUrsr-XyIbvevF8IZxZEA9YQcryWGF0tsPHG2m8LvBlaQAIlHrkuWKmu0jieRQx0anSs_nY5C3IL4qUerEH-cp1FxNNdjwpt44BYOimm1VfJ7Y7t8WJSnciYc5yd7w/w430-h327/ValdimirPutinNatal.JPG" /></a></div><br />Born in St. Petersburg in the opening days of the Cold War, Vladimir Putin is a man who believes he’s been through a lot in his life, a man under pressure since birth. (1) In this chart, however, lies a burning desire to publicly exercise power, both in political and military spectrums. (2)<br /><br />Emotionally, Putin can distance himself from feeling much of anything. It may be very easy for him to “outthink” his emotions by choosing not to feel them, or at least believe it’s possible. Likely it’s a defense mechanism; information of all kinds makes him comfortable. From this angle, you can see he’s good at information and networking with others, making the right connections. (3)<br /><br />Now I know what you’re thinking. Putin was part of his country’s intelligence services since 1975. The previous paragraph is not much of a stretch for even the most casual observer of the daily news, right? Sure. But it goes a lot further than that. There’s very little emotional sensitivity here; it’s not who he is at all, even under the surface. This is not a man easily moved to tears, either of joy or sorrow. Logic-based decision making will usually win out over feelings for him. (3)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">That’s not to say that Putin lacks intuitive ability, because he doesn’t. My view is everyone is naturally intuitive, but some of us are encouraged to hone and appreciate that skill while many of us are not. Most people ignore it. As such, I’m guessing it was unlikely anyone would have supported a young Vladimir to trust it, considering the Soviet Union’s secular perspective on spiritual/metaphysical matters. Rather, when he does access it, he probably couches it as “logic” or “deduction” instead of assigning it any spiritual ability, but it’s likely he struggles often to choose between logic and intuition. (4)<br /><br />He’s much savvier about the big picture than the small one. The shows of force—the parades, the holidays, the fanfare—are the easy part for him because they can be tied to culture writ large. When the losses start to mount, he isn’t concerned because he feels he has a huge supply of war resources. (5)<br /><br />So where do we go from here?<br /><br />Prosecuting a full-scale war will not be an easy task for him. Shorter conflicts to achieve long-desired goals are more his style. (6) Even his choice of words indicates this: The “special operation” can indicate something a lot shorter than a “war,” which can go on for years. <br /><br />Despite his recent invasion of Ukraine, he’s much more comfortable responding to what his adversaries do than going on the offensive. He trusts only a select group of people to give him information, and when they told him Ukraine would be easy pickings, he chose to invade. (7) But his birth chart tells the tale of a man who might know the way to start, but not how to finish, a war. (8)<br /><br />Over the course of the next year, here’s what I would generally expect from him in this campaign:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Changing goals and objectives quickly, especially between the end of June and the end of October 2022. (9)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Continued struggles to achieve military objectives and project power in Ukraine, especially through mid-January of 2023. (10)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">If the war still is in progress in April-May of 2023, you’ll see more of the same, with a gradual but visible detachment between Putin and the reality of this conflict. (11)</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Sun conjunct Saturn</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Pluto at the Midheaven</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Moon in Gemini in the 8th with ruling Mercury in the 12th</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Mercury conjunct Neptune in the 12th</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Jupiter in Taurus angular ruling Mars in Sagittarius in the 2nd</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Mars in Sagittarius</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Jupiter in Taurus in the 7th and heavy Libra, including Mercury, in the 12th</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Mars in Sagittarius wants to do more but may bite off too much at once</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Transiting Uranus squaring his natal North Node in late July through almost the end of October 2022</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Transiting Mars retrograde beginning on October 20, 2022, through January 12, 2023, nearly opposing Putin's natal Mars</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Transiting Neptune squaring Putin's natal mars both in spring, and late summer/early fall 2023. </span></li></ol></span><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Droid Sans"; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 20px 15px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="font-size: 13px;"></li></ul></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-83880369982925181462021-12-31T12:43:00.000-05:002021-12-31T12:43:54.102-05:002022: Only For Now<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6Smhm4SULIlgDjbz1X1Xds4L8eu1s4MVxrmY6o9TUvBiGauRlVtXdGBQSkKLnLUa7Vplmv6vglsIlTMDQLCKv3GJqB5HlTEhm96ZyJMsm2_mgCMfniBkFtXyc3AcfnR2PRAnn8h3Ko57nENAUMznMF4EbezW1nW25Va5uQlrn_BY6TZbX4zR3P1bWVg=s3536" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="3536" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6Smhm4SULIlgDjbz1X1Xds4L8eu1s4MVxrmY6o9TUvBiGauRlVtXdGBQSkKLnLUa7Vplmv6vglsIlTMDQLCKv3GJqB5HlTEhm96ZyJMsm2_mgCMfniBkFtXyc3AcfnR2PRAnn8h3Ko57nENAUMznMF4EbezW1nW25Va5uQlrn_BY6TZbX4zR3P1bWVg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">50th Birthday in New Orleans!</span></p><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of my favorite musicals is Avenue Q. Over these past 18 months, there is one song in particular that goes through my head over and over, and it’s called “For Now.” If you’re not familiar with the show, I’ve included <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_cB9sSswpo">a link to a special version they made in 2020</a>. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Now to be fair, we all hoped that this whole COVID thing would blow over quickly, that we’d be back to our normal lives by like July of last year. Spoiler alert if you’ve been out of the loop: That didn’t happen, not at all. In some ways, the pandemic is worse, and we do what we have to, “for now.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">With that said, hopefully 2022 will be better for all of us. And I would be remiss if I did not thank all of you for helping me stay on an even keel in the past nearly two years. I’m an incredibly blessed person and I could not have made it through without you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I started off this past year away from home for three months for work. It was an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to meet some fantastic people, and as an outsider, they could have made the whole thing a lot more difficult. Yet they embraced me as one of their own and together we made shit happen. I missed home, but by the end, those people were home to me, and I hated leaving. I’m incredibly grateful to them for allowing a stranger to lead them and supporting my efforts the way they did. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In my metaphysical life, I have the opportunity to work one on one with a number of talented students and mentees. This year, a few of them finished their time with me and practice on their own. I’m honored to have worked with them and cherish the time we had; hopefully they won’t be strangers, because as I have learned, if you are a mentor who takes the job seriously, your former students always come back into your life. Congratulations and best wishes to you as you move forward! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">My clients mean the world to me. I’m honored you trust me with your questions and concerns, and thank you sincerely for your continued trust and confidence. While I see many of you via Zoom, I’m grateful for all of the new clients I have met working at my second home, <a href="http://sticksandstonescircle.com" target="_blank">Sticks and Stones</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Speaking of <a href="http://sticksandstonescircle.com" target="_blank">Sticks and Stones</a>, I’ll continue my beginner astrology class series in the new year on January 2 with my first of two classes on Venus. Please feel free to drop in for a class anytime…no need to wait until I start again! And who knows what other classes I might be teaching there this year? Stay tuned and find out! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Travel? Well, if you know me you have figured out I can’t stay still for long. While I don’t have anything on the books this year, you never know where I might end up. Even in these pandemic times and the weirdness that surrounded the entire experience, I still got around: Philadelphia, New Orleans, and even New York City. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And more blogs? Yes, more are planned. I’ve got a few new tarot decks here that are begging for a review: The Philly Tarot—one of the suits is “cheesesteaks”—and the Disney Villains Tarot, to name only two. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Another book? Yes, a serial killer astrology book is in the works, good people. More to come, but at the moment, “That’s all I have to say about that.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Also, I have not forgotten I owe you the continuation of the astrology interview series. As you can imagine, Saturn is particularly insistent, since he is next on my list. Over this past year or so I’m not really sure if he wants me to write to set some boundaries for me or so I can publish his interview. I’m not sure which it is, and I’m not sure it matters. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Finally, I will thank those closest to me: My wife, family and friends. It’s fair to say that I have been challenged in a much greater way than I expected, and I’m truly grateful they were there for me. There are too many of you to list individually; however, simply put, if I reached out to you and you answered, THANK YOU. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I’m a Saturn guy, and unfortunately, disappointments have a tendency to hit me hard; like many other people, there have been more than a few in my world over the past 18 months. But I’m hopeful 2022 will bring more success, joy, health, and prosperity to you and yours.</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">As the song says, “Everything in life is only for now.” Blessings to you and yours as you navigate the “now” and the year to come. </span>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-42835578536802846502021-09-02T08:00:00.001-04:002021-09-02T08:00:00.230-04:00Interview with Jupiter, Part 8<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Thanks so much for all your time educating us, Jupiter. I know my readers appreciate it! </span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You’re welcome! I’m always prepared to hold forth on pretty much any topic. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I sort of figured that one, Jupiter. [consults iPad] So there are some people who consider you the “Good Time Charlie” of the astrological planets. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Sure, a lot of people see me that way! People look forward to seeing me. I tend to bring lots of luck and personal freedom. Every 12 years I come around and help people to expand and move forward. Those 12 years intervals tend to bring good fortune! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Yes, that’s absolutely true. We know that every 12 years, you return to the place in our charts where you were at our birth. We know it as a “Jupiter return”. And I have a great personal example of that. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Oh I love these stories! Do tell! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: And I can speak to your blessings for certain. When I had my Jupiter return near my 24th birthday, you brought my wife to me. We were married within one month of that return in my personal chart! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [beams] Wow, that’s excellent! She was definitely a blessing. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Best thing that ever happened to me, for certain! But it doesn’t always work out that well for everyone, in spite of your influence. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [pause] I suspect it’s the return of Negative Ned… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: [holds a hand up] Your influence can be positive, and it would be great if that happened all the time, but maybe we can talk about how you manifested in someone’s life and it wasn’t the way you’d hoped? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Well, I mean…nobody’s perfect but I’d love an example, because nothing jumps immediately to mind...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: How about Marilyn Monroe?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Damn it all. You have to bring HER up? [sigh]</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: At her 3rd Jupiter return, your influence brought her a huge blessing: A starring role in a big movie. But there was something else that you didn’t intend: In addition to blessing Marilyn with this amazing opportunity, you also expanded her ego. She became a diva, and eventually, the studio fired her because she was impossible to work with. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [sigh] I guess you’re right. But I give it my best. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Clearly you did in Marilyn’s case. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [pause] Come on…that is beneath you, John. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: No, it isn’t. It’s a fair and balanced assessment of your influence, Jupiter. Nothing more and nothing else. But there’s no doubt that you can have a very positive, liberating influence on us as well. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I’m glad for that at least. Do I have time for one last moment to provide a takeaway for the audience? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I don’t know that I could stop you, Jupiter, but you have my permission to proceed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [gets up from his chair and bows to John] Good people, I’m a lot of fun to be around. Travel the world, learn new things, study and teach, and share your opinions widely. And remember…you only live once, so who cares about the consequences? YOLO, good people…which is a shortened form of one of my favorite sayings: You only live once! And hopefully soon you will be traveling again!</span></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-78075679643676822632021-08-26T08:00:00.001-04:002021-08-26T08:00:00.240-04:00Interview with Jupiter, Part 7<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: So go ahead…ask me about the other signs. Anyone who has read this series knows what will happen next!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Very true. So what signs cause you difficulty? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Capricorn is a tough one for me, I don’t mind telling you. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Well, why would you say that is? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and it’s tremendously limiting. As you have pointed out earlier, I don’t do well with limits. Anything dealing with the Old Man is a pain in the ass. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: No, you’re a planet who sees every option and yet wants the freedom to take them all. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Just like the Old Man. Why see limits when you can see possibilities? I’ve never really understood that. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: He’s next on my list of interview subjects, so I’ll have to ask him that. [writes note on iPad] What else makes Capricorn a challenging sign for you to inhabit? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Capricorn is a very strategic sign and I’m definitely more of a “you only live once so why the fuck not?” kind of planet. I know I’m going to make mistakes and they’ll get me toward my eventual destination. Saturn’s influence over a sign confers a…wariness, and as such I struggle with these two competing influences. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: That makes sense to me. So Capricorn is your “Fall” sign, but where are you in detriment? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Gemini. I mean, EW. I am NOT a fan. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Because of Mercury’s influence, no doubt? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes, absolutely. Too many details for me. I get pulled in too many different directions when I have to pay attention to that many balls in the air. Frankly, I have no idea how that brainiac keeps all that information straight in his brain, because I sure can’t. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: So Gemini is not a preferred sign for you. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Not at all!
John: What would you say about Virgo? Do you struggle there, too? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes, I do, because in the ancient world I used to rule Pisces, and the opposite sign is Virgo. Basically, Mercury do two different jobs and when his influence enters the mix, my job tends to get harder. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I understand now, and I think my readers will have a better idea of your role in the astrological planetary system. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I certainly hope so! I’m a pretty important planet overall. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: There are only ten of you, so as far as I’m concerned, you're all pretty influential. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I can get behind that idea.
</span></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-6539018275180092542021-08-19T08:00:00.005-04:002021-08-22T12:40:33.180-04:00Interview with Jupiter, Part 6<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPc/FOMWBGanMaU7GrhX9TlPz9Oo1VlWFPExACPcBGAYYCw/s326/Jupiter%2BImage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="326" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPc/FOMWBGanMaU7GrhX9TlPz9Oo1VlWFPExACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Jupiter%2BImage.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">John: Well, let’s move on to another topic. Could you tell me about what signs you work best in? </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Absolutely. Sagittarius is my favorite sign of the zodiac! Send those arrows flight straight and sharp toward whatever truth I need to expose. You know it because you have it yourself. You live it! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> John: Absolutely. I’m passionate about teaching, and there’s nothing that doesn’t deserve a good parody. Though I do try not to be too thoughtless…you can’t take one of those arrows back once you shoot it, right? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I agree, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have sent it out in the first place. I mean, if they can’t take a joke… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Remember how we were discussing the idea that everything is relative? Well, “joke” is one of those things. If you’re the target of one of the Sagittarius arrows, you might not find it so humorous. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You’re going into downer territory again, man. I don’t do it to be deliberately malicious. Who do you think I am? Mars or Pluto? And I’m not responsible for the emotions. Only the arrows. I don’t tread on Lady Moon’s territory. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Right, I remember. As I recall you had two signs, right? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yeah. Pisces used to be mine back in the day. They gave it over to Neptune, which definitely pissed me off when it first happened, but I came to the conclusion that it’s all about how you look at things. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Very true. [consults iPad] So we already mentioned your ability to teach and learn, especially those areas that develop the higher mind. When you’re in Sagittarius those abilities are highlighted, but also you tend to be opinionated. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Jupiter: Fair. And other planets in Sagittarius do tend to have that “opinionation”, to quote famous astrologer Noel Tyl. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: So your next best sign is when you’re sitting in Cancer, right? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes, that’s right. It’s more understated than when I’m in Sagittarius but I tend to bring the messages across a little more…smoothly. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Could you explain that for me, please? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Sagittarius is a sign that thrives on activity. So when I’m there I want to be talking, learning, teaching, listening and generally staying very active and engaged. By contrast, in Cancer, I can deliver messages in a more calm, understated way; there’s less running around and more background stability. Cancer also has an emotional overtone that Sagittarius lacks. No doubt, that’s the influence of Lady Moon. But make no mistake: I love the sign of Cancer, and I’m extremely comfortable and powerful there, too. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: In short, Cancer it takes out some of the more annoying parts of your overall influence. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [scoffs] There you go again, Negative Ned! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Jupiter, this blog is my truth. And you’re the one who said everyone’s is different, right? So suck it up…please. [smiles] </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I did tell you that I told the Sun I questioned the entire philosophy of doing these interviews, right? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: He agreed it was a good idea but heard your dissenting opinion regardless, one of the hallmarks of a great leader. So what I feel or don’t feel about your conversation with him is irrelevant. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: But if you think about it… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I did not request your opinion, Jupiter. Thank you.</span></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-70229126195018718332021-08-12T08:00:00.003-04:002021-08-15T21:33:27.934-04:00Interview with Jupiter, Part 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPc/FOMWBGanMaU7GrhX9TlPz9Oo1VlWFPExACPcBGAYYCw/s326/Jupiter%2BImage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="326" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPc/FOMWBGanMaU7GrhX9TlPz9Oo1VlWFPExACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Jupiter%2BImage.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">John: [checks iPad] Would you say that spirituality and religion are foreign? Is that way you’re involved in them? </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: No…that’s a different concept entirely. I deal with abstract concepts and the “higher mind”. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Could you explain what you mean by that term, “higher mind”? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Absolutely. I’m the guy who helps you grow to understand things in life that are not particularly obvious. Let’s use an example. If I ask you what an apple is, you can put an image in your head of an apple, right? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: [pause] Yeah, I can do that pretty simply. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Now, put an image in your head of truth. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Hmmmmmmmm. [thinks] That one is tougher. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Right. Here’s another question. Do you think your image of truth will be the same as other people? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I don’t see how it could be. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Right on. My job is to help you understand those more abstract concepts. Truth means something different to you than other people. And a part of what I do involves you seeking the truth—what you believe to be the truth, at any rate. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: If you do that with truth, what do you with<i> right </i>and <i>wrong</i>? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You’re joking, right? [laughs] We’d be here all day with those two terms. That totally depends on who you ask. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: So to you just about anything is relative? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: In a manner of speaking, yes. You remember one of the most important conversations of our times? Between Luke and Obi-Wan? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Which one? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Luke accused Obi-Wan of lying to him. “You said Vader betrayed and murdered my father!” And Obi-Wan had a long statement that ended with “So what I told you is true…from a certain point of view.” Greetings. I am that certain point of view! It can come in very handy! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Right…we all have different perspectives. But what do you do with facts? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Not my department. That’s Merc again. He’s too exact for me. What’s the point anyway? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Precision does have its advantages. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Honestly, the problem these days is that everyone thinks that their point of view or opinion is a fact. And even I, the King of Personal Opinion, know they are not one and the same. There are some things that are facts, but as I said, I’m not the guy to ask about it. That would be Mercury.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: So what <i>is</i> your relationship to facts, if Mercury is the one who provides the information?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Well, if you haven't figured that out yet, I'll state it plainly: I take them and give my <i>interpretation</i>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Almost like someone telling you what was said in a foreign language that you don't understand?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes! Exactly like that. My interpretation of the facts can change, but the facts themselves do not!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: So you are the guy who helps people determine the message that others were trying to convey, even it was written hundreds or thousands of years ago?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Whoa...that's a "gotcha" question if I ever heard it! You're not going to make me comment on any ancient texts today, right? That could get us BOTH into trouble. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: [hands up] No way! And no one needs to hear my personal interpretation of anything like that! But it does beg the question...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Come on...out with it!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Given what you just told us, wouldn’t that make you the zodiac’s propaganda minister? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [hands on hips] COME THE FUCK ON! You REALLY went there? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Dude, I like you, but you should know by now I’m not playing. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Well, if you want to get technical about it, I guess I could see that. But that word makes me sound way too negative. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: If everything is an opinion, no one knows what’s real. And in an environment like that, people can lose their way. We can create cults of personality and we can each sit in our own little bubble, right, not caring about what is real and what isn’t? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Dude, you're starting to scare me a little! I don’t know if you realize it, but people actually LIKE me. You’re not doing my image any favors, you know!</span></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-8792849786370902952021-08-05T08:00:00.002-04:002021-08-15T21:28:50.073-04:00Interview with Jupiter, Part 4<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPc/FOMWBGanMaU7GrhX9TlPz9Oo1VlWFPExACPcBGAYYCw/s326/Jupiter%2BImage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="326" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPc/FOMWBGanMaU7GrhX9TlPz9Oo1VlWFPExACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Jupiter%2BImage.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I’d like to dive into that a little deeper. You said that once something foreign becomes normal, you lose your influence over it. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes, absolutely. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Why is that? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I rule things that are foreign—cultures, people, customs, languages, et cetera—and once you are comfortable with them, that’s where my job stops. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I understand the words, but I’m not sure what that means. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You said earlier my job is expansion, and you’re right. People with strong Jupiter influences often are good at expansion. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Yes, and I need you to stop expanding my waistline. Could you do that? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Who doesn’t like a good meal? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I am NOT one of those people, sadly. I like a good meal too often. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Good for you! This is not a problem! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Until I go to the doctor’s office, right? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I avoid them like the plague. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Speaking of doctors, perhaps that's not the best expression to use right now?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Oh shit...I guess you guys are NOT as good at avoiding the plague as one might hope!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: [frowns] Moving on...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes, of course...doctors! They always tell people to stop doing this, stop doing that. What’s the point? I don’t think you need that kind of negativity in your life! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: [pause] Well, let’s agree to disagree about medical professionals, who have been working for nearly a year nonstop. But you were saying…? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Ah yes. I’m good at expansion. When you are learning new principles, cultures, languages and the like, you are expanding. Once you learn them, they are no longer “new and different” because you have assimilated them. So then they just become ordinary, routine things you’ve learned. That’s where Mercury takes over; it’s no longer exciting, but ordinary. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Would it be safe to say, then, that Mercury deals with local and repeated trips, and you deal with longer journeys away from home to new places? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes! If it’s exciting and adventurous, that’s all me. Boring? That’s someone else!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: So if I could summarize, even if a country is not your own--a "foreign" nation--it may not be in your purview after all if you're from there or have extensive experience with its people or culture. Is that fair?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [nods] Indeed. </span></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-77957300454219605372021-07-29T08:00:00.002-04:002021-07-31T09:31:45.137-04:00Interview with Jupiter, Part 3<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPc/FOMWBGanMaU7GrhX9TlPz9Oo1VlWFPExACPcBGAYYCw/s326/Jupiter%2BImage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="326" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPc/FOMWBGanMaU7GrhX9TlPz9Oo1VlWFPExACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Jupiter%2BImage.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Life is a great teacher. And you are too, apparently.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I am. And don’t think I haven’t done my research on you, good sir. <br /><br />John: I’m pretty much an open book, so what are you referring to? <br /><br />Jupiter: I am seriously strong in your chart, sir. Jupiter in Sagittarius, baby! That’s one of the reasons you’re such a fantastic teacher. <br /><br />John: I would agree. But this interview isn’t about me. For now, let’s focus on the idea that when it comes to both learning and teaching, you play a large role. <br /><br />Jupiter: For certain! But I’m different from Mercury, who has a piece of the puzzle, if you will, in the learning and teaching realm. <br /><br />John: Now we’re getting somewhere. Tell me how you’re different. <br /><br />Jupiter: Well, he gets caught up in the details! For him, they are the most important thing. Accuracy, figures, correctness, and facts. When you learn that the capital of Missouri is…[thinks] Shit! What is it? Do you happen to know? <br /><br />John: Jefferson City, as I recall. <br /><br />Jupiter: Good for you! It’s one of those cities in Missouri; there’s millions of ‘em! Anyway, the point is that I don’t care really about that sort of thing. I’m looking more for “How to people in the Midwest view life as a whole? What’s important to them? What are their values?” <br /><br />John: In other words, you take more of a global life view, rather than a specific one? <br /><br />Jupiter: That’s a great way of putting it. I want to know what’s behind what people believe. What principles guide them? How did they come to learn them? That sort of thing. <br /><br />John: It almost sounds like you’re talking about morality. <br /><br />Jupiter: That is a part of what I do for sure. And for many people, their idea of morality comes from their spiritual beliefs. My purview includes religion, spirituality, or whatever you want to call it. <br /><br />John: And in a more secular situation we could call that philosophy, right? <br /><br />Jupiter: Some people would for sure. So you can take the religious angle, or you can go the secular route. Different worldviews are good! That’s how we learn. Nothing wrong with agnostics or athiests! <br /><br />John: Speaking of worldviews, let’s talk about foreign lands. I know when I lived in France, I had a completely different view of the world than I do here in the United States. <br /><br />Jupiter: Absolutely! When you go someplace different, the culture—attitudes, ideas, values, and all that—affects you. And it’s the fact that it is not what you’re used to that makes it amazing. People grow overseas. I bet you did. <br /><br />John: Oh yeah. I went over there thinking “I’m not going to change like everyone says I will.” <br /><br />Jupiter: [laughter] And how did that work out for you? <br /><br />John: [smile] You know how it worked out. It’s a different culture. People there live differently. I saw things that I never expected. I came back a very different person, but a better one. <br /><br />Jupiter: Yes, they do have a different way of life. They value more of their family time than they do here. They’re not so work-focused. They take their vacations seriously. All those cultural points of difference…that’s all me. Until it becomes normal. How long did it take for you to get used to hearing French all around you? <br /><br />John: About three days. Then I settled in so well that when I went back home, hearing English was stressful for a few hours before I re-acclimated. <br /><br />Jupiter: Culture shock is a thing! So now when you go to France or deal with French-speaking people, you know what to expect? <br /><br />John: Yes. <br /><br />Jupiter: That’s where my influence ends. Once the shock wears off, once you know what to expect, it’s no longer “foreign” and the other planet takes over.</span></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-82337750623147725102021-07-22T08:00:00.004-04:002021-07-25T19:05:29.797-04:00Interview with Jupiter, Part 2<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPY/RSVYLvp9m6UtUd1Z-wrnGZgnYs-QPPeoACLcBGAsYHQ/s326/Jupiter%2BImage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="326" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkoxKAWzWsk/YP22GBHcebI/AAAAAAAAFPY/RSVYLvp9m6UtUd1Z-wrnGZgnYs-QPPeoACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jupiter%2BImage.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><span style="font-size: large;">John: If we return the idea of truth for a moment, Jupiter, your reputation also precedes you. </span></p></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I am fascinated. Do tell! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: My understanding is that as the planet of expansion, you tend to, well, expand things… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You catch on quickly! I don’t see a point here yet, though… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: If I could finish the statement, please. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: As you said, it’s your world. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Consequently, there is a distinct tendency for you to expand the truth. How do you respond to that? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You’re saying that I exaggerate, that I somehow make things bigger than they should be, that I intentionally increase… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I’m going to start calling you Monsieur Roget if you’re not careful. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Who’s that? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: The guy who wrote a famous thesaurus. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I love those! There can always be more ways of expressing the most glorious…[looks at John] You crossed your arms again. That can’t be good. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: To borrow a phrase, ‘you catch on quickly’. [pause] Would you care to answer my question? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Of course! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: “Of course”? Is that the answer to my question or a signal that you will eventually answer it? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You do NOT give up! But yes, I will absolutely answer it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Excellent. That’s what we’re all waiting for. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Then you shall have it. The short answer is yes, I do have a tendency to exaggerate things. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Everything or just some things? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Everything. If you’re going to exaggerate, you gotta do it big. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: That could almost be your motto! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: What? “Gotta do it big!”? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: That’s what I’m thinking. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Can’t deny it! Sounds good to me! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: I realize this is kind of a leading question, but here goes: Don’t you see any potential problems with making everything bigger? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: It’s what I do. It’s up to guys like you to figure out potential problems. But generally speaking, as I was saying earlier, people like having me around. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Well, I would posit that they like the IDEA of you about half as much as the actual you. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [mock frown] Wow, you went all Andy Rooney on me there. Kind of a downer, aren’t you? That’s why Saturn likes you so much! That old bastard brags on you all the time. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: In Jupiter-speak, that means he made a moderately favorable statement about me at one time. Correct? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [hands up] You got me! [smirks] Yeah…I don’t really pay attention to amounts or numbers. I mean, it’s the overall view of life, that’s what counts. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Just making sure. I’d like my readers to make sure they have an accurate picture of who you are. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Well, I mean, to be fair, accuracy has its place, but I need to be free to take some poetic license! The idea that words mean exactly what they’re supposed to is so…Mercury’s department. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Of course. [writes on iPad] So let’s see. Desperate need for freedom: check. Exaggeration of the truth: Check. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Now wait a second! What is truth? How can you say I exaggerate if we don’t talk about what that IS? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: As you may recall, I was attempting to get to that topic a little earlier. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [thinks for a moment] Ah yes! Of course you were! The truth is really about how I see the world, and that can change. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: So what you’re saying is that your “truth” evolves, based on the overall principles and situations I find myself in at a given point in my life? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Will you look at that! That’s EXACTLY what I’d have said.</span></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-72270827866768047472021-07-15T08:00:00.003-04:002021-07-15T22:56:30.798-04:00Interview with Jupiter, Part 1<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H8tapZM4dCA/YPD1U5MVZWI/AAAAAAAAFOs/KdHLuBIeqLkqr4ZsCpr48gR2HbsrFNQVwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="326" height="168" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H8tapZM4dCA/YPD1U5MVZWI/AAAAAAAAFOs/KdHLuBIeqLkqr4ZsCpr48gR2HbsrFNQVwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br />John: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to… </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [game show announcer voice] NOW INTRODUCING THE ASTROLOGICAL PLANET THAT REQUIRES NO INTRODUCTION! THE ONE AND ONLY JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPITERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! WHOOP WHOOP!!! [pumps fist repeatedly] </span></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: [glowers and crosses arms] I’ll wait. [pause] </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Oh, come on! You were going to introduce me the same way as everyone else? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: [pause and collects himself] You start off by doing an over-the-top introduction to say you don’t need an introduction?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [thinks] OH YEAH! I guess I did do that! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: You’re supposed to be the philosophical planet, right? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [smiles] The rumors are true! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Well, how about the philosophy of allowing the guy who writes the blog to introduce the guest? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: For the record, we’re more like FAMILY! I mean…this whole guest nonsense… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Semantics! You’re just trying to justify overstepping your bounds, Jupiter. I’m not prepared to continue until I receive an apology. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [contrite] I might have gotten a teensy bit carried away? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Quite. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: FINE. [pause] I am very sorry, dear sir, and declare that I will… </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: That’s more than enough, Jupiter. Thank you for that. I accept your apology. [picks up iPad] So why don’t you start by telling us about yourself? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Dude, are you kidding? Everybody knows Jupiter! Why should I need to? I am the most well-liked astrological planet, to be sure, and enjoy a wonderful reputation. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: You do have a wonderful reputation for many people. But this interview is for people who might not know you very well, so I ask you kindly to indulge us. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: It’s not hard being so popular, I’ll give you that! When you’re the greater benefic and all. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: But let me correct your earlier statement: You are <i>not</i> the most-liked planet. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Bullshit! No one is more enjoyed than I am. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Honestly, I’d say Venus is. Do you want me to ask Mercury to poll a few people and provide some hard data. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [hesitates] Well, I don’t think that’s strictly necessary, John. We all know the truth, right? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: It’s fascinating that you said that, Jupiter, because that’s exactly where I want to start. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Oooooooooooooooooooooh! Getting serious right out of the gate? Do I get Mike Wallace, Leslie Stahl, Barbara Walters, or Howard Stern? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">John: Worse. You get me. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Your reputation as a tough interviewer precedes you, John. At least that’s what I could get out of that planetary jock strap before he left on his retrograde vacation. Mostly what he kept repeating was about how you had all his favorite wing flavors, and I was confused but decided not to pursue that line of inquiry. But other than that he said, and I quote, “That dude fucking rocked my world, man!”
</span></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-36541950070647225702021-07-11T14:37:00.001-04:002021-07-11T22:59:17.424-04:00Beginner Astrology Starting August 1 at Sticks & Stones<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3tWFy63fDd8/YOuv8oMqc6I/AAAAAAAAFOE/5FxUE0d1dPwzFjYvz_xnpskoQNYW74_cgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1200" height="161" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3tWFy63fDd8/YOuv8oMqc6I/AAAAAAAAFOE/5FxUE0d1dPwzFjYvz_xnpskoQNYW74_cgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span>‘</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic;">The time
has come,’ the walrus said, ‘to talk of many things: Of shoes, and ships – and sealing
wax – and cabbages and kings.’ – Lewis Carroll</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">After long
last, good people, and your many requests, Beginner Astrology is going live! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It’s been many
years since I’ve offered an in-person class on astrology, much less a series.
But finally, everything came together! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’m teaching
beginner astrology in person at <a href="http://sticksandstonescircle.com" target="_blank">Sticks & Stones </a>in Fairfax, VA, on Sunday afternoons
from 4:30-6:30pm. “What is Astrology, Part 1” will happen on Sunday, August 1,
with other classes following approximately every two weeks. Each class is $40
and there are no pre-requisites. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’ll list
the schedule below; you’ll only see the first nine classes on the schedule at
the moment, but of course, others will follow. My general plan is to offer
basic classes on each planet, sign, and house eventually. As the name implies,
the class is for those new to astrology, but all are welcome!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">To register,
please contact Sticks & Stones via phone at 703-342-2343, or email them at <a href="mailto:sticksandstonescircle@gmail.com">sticksandstonescircle@gmail.com</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I look
forward to seeing many of you for what will be an excellent introduction to the
study of astrology!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday,
August 1—What is Astrology, Part 1<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday,
August 15—What is Astrology, Part 2<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday, September
19—The Astrological Sun, Part 1<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday,
October 3—The Astrological Sun, Part 2<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday, October
17—The Astrological Moon, Part 1<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday,
November 7—The Astrological Moon, Part 2<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday, November
21—Mercury and Retrogrades, Part 1<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday,
December 5—Mercury and Retrogrades, Part 2<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sunday, January
2, 2021—Venus, Planet of Love and Money, Part 1</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-22854221182882742402021-02-01T13:05:00.000-05:002021-02-01T13:05:27.178-05:00Shameless Marketing: Mercury and Jupiter Discuss Upcoming Schedule Changes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZdPAxrLLhQ/U6cSdIt_-EI/AAAAAAAABUk/cbmlkvKzdYQn0K77wjz9EydUwABAllSGwCPcBGAYYCw/s240/Mercury%2BRetrograde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZdPAxrLLhQ/U6cSdIt_-EI/AAAAAAAABUk/cbmlkvKzdYQn0K77wjz9EydUwABAllSGwCPcBGAYYCw/s0/Mercury%2BRetrograde.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Jupiter: Hello there, excellent people! As the designated shill of the astrological planetary committee, I am here to bring you up to speed on recent happenings involving our favorite blogger. And joining me in my task today is Mercury! </span></p></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mercury: Well, someone had to be here to make sure that there was actual information conveyed and not some exaggerated, overblown account of what is truly going on. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I resemble that remark, brainiac! We can’t all be as smart and articulate as you. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mercury: John’s reading schedule in northern Virginia will change for the next few months. A temporary work assignment will not allow for John to read at <a href="http://sticksandstonescircle.com" target="_blank">Sticks & Stones</a> as usual. Let me again stress the word <i><u>temporary</u></i>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: As in the "not permanent" kind of temporary!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mercury: [looks at Jupiter] I don't know of any other definition for that word, Jupiter. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [sigh] FINE. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Mercury: </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">From February 1 through early May, 2021, John will continue to do readings and charts, but via Zoom only. As soon as John’s official return date to the store is determined, we’ll inform you promptly. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Consider this only as a momentary disruption to his in-person services, good people! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mercury: Please contact John directly for any reading or chart inquiries via his email, hierophant@cox.net. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: And upon John’s triumphant return to duty at the region’s premier metaphysical mercantile, he will begin teaching a beginner astrology course of study! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Mercury: Correct. While John is designing the curriculum at present, the information we have is that it is designed for astrology beginners, and that it will be a series of courses starting with the astrological planets. We do not have an official start date, but you can generally expect them to start at some point during the summer months on Sunday afternoons at Sticks & Stones for $35 a student per class. The proposed time slot is 3:30-5:30pm, although again, that could shift. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Believe me when I tell you that you do not want to miss this opportunity to learn from an experienced instructor who knows how to teach adults! And who wouldn’t want to learn more about me? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mercury: You may have concerns about attending an in-person class during the COVID pandemic. We hope that many of you will be vaccinated by the time the class series has its debut, but it’s fair to say that the threat of COVID-19 will not dissipate immediately, and no vaccination is 100% effective. While John will be teaching the class at Sticks & Stones and you may attend in person, you may also choose to take the class via Zoom. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You only live once, good people, and who wouldn’t want to spend a great deal of time learning a 3000-year-old discipline from a born instructor who cares about long-term student information retention? You’ll feel a lot dumber than Mars if you miss out on this opportunity, and I mean have you MET him? There are boxes of rocks smarter than he is!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mercury: I don’t recall seeing that last remark in our prepared text, Jupiter, although I did recently go retrograde... </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You didn’t miss it, Merc…you are just not the type to…speak off the cuff. Haven’t you ever wanted to like, you know…jazz up your language a little bit? Have some fun with it? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mercury: As additional information becomes available, John will transmit it via appropriate channels. I believe we have conveyed the information, and it’s time to conclude. People can reach out to John directly for additional clarification if needed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [frowns] You know how to ruin a guy’s day, don’t you, Mr. Information Junkie? You know what? WHATEVER. YOLO, good people!</span></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-6635338356473501682020-12-19T16:31:00.000-05:002020-12-19T16:31:26.613-05:00The Great Conjunction of 2020<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Old man! Thanks for coming over! Come in!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: Certainly, Jupiter. Thanks for the invitation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [closes the door] Please have a seat…I brought out
that hard chair with the solid back that you like.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: My thanks. May I remove my mask?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Of course! Can I get you something? Perhaps some 20-year-old
Scotch?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: Generally, I would say no, Jupiter, but it is rather
old…just a touch of it, please.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [hands Saturn a double shot in a glass and
brandishes his own glass] Here’s to the solstice and 2021, and of course, to
our upcoming collaboration. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: Indeed. [takes a sip of the scotch] You gave me too
much, as usual.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [smiles] Give it your best shot!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: Fair enough. [puts his glass down] For the first
time in a long time, we’re coming together in an air sign.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes! I am so excited. We’ve been in earth signs for
200 years, and this Great Conjunction is in the innovative sign of Aquarius.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: [pauses] It’s not completely unknown to me; I used
to rule Aquarius after all before Urnie took it over.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I can tell you’re not particularly excited about
the change. Want to tell me why?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: I know intellectually things have to change, but I
keep going back to the idea that we have been doing things for a while a
certain way. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [laughs] I hear you, man. It’s going to challenge
both of us, I expect, but I’m feeling positive about it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: I wish I had your optimism. Structures that have
lasted for a long time will have to be broken down, and that’s not always easy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Oh, come on, Old Man! Most of those structures you’re
talking about are completely broken, anyway. You know how Urnie is; he only
breaks the things that aren’t working.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: [sigh] That’s always hard for me. I set those things
in place long ago. People count on them; in some cases, they live their lives
by them. What’s wrong with them that they don’t work anymore? I did the job
right the first time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Listen, you’re too black and white on this one, as
usual. You DID do your job right the first time but let me tell you something
about culture: It changes. Priorities shift and people want different things. What
worked 100 years ago doesn’t typically work today. Urnie knows when things need
an innovative push. That’s not your strength, and we both know it, so we leave
it to him now that we’re both in Aquarius. It’s not about the establishment
anymore; it’s about the collective. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: When you start changing things radically, people get
nervous, Jove. And Urnie has this streak toward anarchy that makes me
uncomfortable. We can’t live that way. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Maybe it would be better if you think of it as an
improvement of your existing structures? Urnie doesn’t want to re-invent the
wheel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: But again, that implies that what I did wasn’t good
enough.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: At some point we’ll need to talk about you seeing a
therapist. Old people often become depressed or have anxiety, you know…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: It’s just who I am, Jupiter! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean you have to
question your value or constantly tell people you’re not good enough, or just
plain old “not enough”. That’s not one of your strengths, and I am well aware
of the reason for it. But it does make you sort of a wet blanket. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: Delaying rewards just makes them sweeter. You are
the one who wants to hand out rewards for no reason!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I think we’re getting off topic, Saturn. [pause]
The point is that neither one of us has a choice. We’re being pushed into the New
Age, ready or not.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: Hmmmmph. [pauses] I can’t deny that, but that doesn’t
mean I have to like it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Hey we’ve got 200 years to run around together in
air signs, so I suspect you’ll get used to it, eventually. [takes a liberal swallow
from his glass] This shit is excellent, is it not?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: [takes another sip] Honestly it is lovely. [puts
down his glass] The question that always goes through my mind is if I did my
best; it fuels the idea that I’m never good enough.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: I can’t think of anyone else that I would have
trusted the structure building of the last 200 years to, Saturn. In earth
signs, it was physical structures, economics, and lots of resource management. Now,
we both will have to think differently. You know Aquarius much better than I
do, but the road to the future is through progressive thinking, technology,
innovation, and space travel. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: [chuckles] ‘To infinity and beyond?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: You knew it was bound to happen eventually. But it’s
not time to be disappointment or to judge yourself too harshly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: Humans are right about you: You’re an expansive,
freedom loving bastard, but you do know a thing or two. You have my thanks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [nods] We help each other out; if it wasn’t for you,
I’d have no limits whatsoever.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: Yes, but don’t you hate that?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: ABSOLUTELY. But I recognize that it is <i>necessary</i>.
There’s a difference. I mean, how many potstickers can one really eat?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: That’s a loaded question, Jove. I hear there’s a
Taurus woman who can give our esteemed blogger a run for his money on that
score.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: Yes, I’ve heard of her, too. Rumor has it she’s planning
her reign as overlord of the world. She’s the one who said, “You never wake up a
Taurus girl without food or sex!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saturn: [winces] Venusian wisdom at its finest. [raises
glass] Blessed Yule, Jupiter, to you and yours. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jupiter: [clinks glasses with Saturn] Blessed Yule, Old Man,
and I welcome the arrival of the sun into Capricorn. Longer and better days lie
ahead. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-7108088774656183112020-09-03T15:53:00.002-04:002020-09-03T15:53:48.180-04:00Planetary Meeting via Zoom: Mars Retrograde<p><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Sun: Good morning, everyone! It’s been a while so I figured
we should all get together…via Zoom. A special thanks to Mercury for setting all
this up so we could meet from home.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mercury: My pleasure, sir. Saturn, can we see you please?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Saturn: [annoyed] I can see myself! Why can’t you see me?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: We can see you, Saturn…but just the top of your head. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Saturn: [adjusts screen] Better?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: Thanks, Saturn. [pause] Lady Moon, could you go over
our agenda for us?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Moon: Certainly, sir. Today’s meeting is to talk about Mars’
upcoming retrograde, as well as Mercury’s, and the Great Conjunction in
December.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: Thanks, Lady Moon. Mars, are you packed?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: Yeah, boss. I’m packed, generally. Not ready for this,
but I’m packed. I leave next Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Moon: I’m sorry, Mars. I know this is not the best time for
you to have to go away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: Damn fucking right it isn’t. I mean, who the fuck
scheduled for me to be in retrograde in Aries and during a PANDEMIC? That’s just cruel!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Venus: We understand, Mars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Saturn: We all must do our duty, Mars. But you’ll go direct
soon enough I expect. Bear it well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jupiter: [imitating Saturn] 'Bear it well!' Look how I <i>inspire</i> you! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Saturn: Your feeble attempts at wit go unappreciated, you expansive cretin!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jupiter: <i>Ooooooh! Cretin!</i> Hurt me some more, you dirty old man! YOU KNOW I LOVE IT!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: I will happily mute you both. [pause] Mars, where </span><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">are you
planning to visit this time?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: Not sure yet. Someplace that actually has shit open,
so that means…pretty much anywhere except the US. Maybe Europe? They’re playing
sports at least.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Neptune: Who would have thought that so many people would
have embraced me in the last six months? I mean…if they’re not doing creative
projects, they’re drinking! I never thought I could be this happy!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: Neptune makes a point. People have started new workout
routines indoors, Mars, so take comfort that some people are improving themselves.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: Venus is in her glory! [looks at Venus] Yeah, some people are buying Peloton bikes, but do you know
how many calories people are consuming these days as they sit on their damn
couches?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Venus: You’re starting to get irritable. I can tell it’s
almost that time of your cycle. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: Oh, very cute, Venus, very fucking cute!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Venus: Seriously, though, I can’t blame people for wanting
to not do anything and be comfortable, can I?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Uranus: And most of them are at least surfing the world
online! It won’t burn calories, but…think of how much the world has been brought
together. It’s one giant collective! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: GIANT is the word, Urnie. People won’t walk afterward…they’ll
fucking waddle!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: Well, I hope you can try to embrace the positive as
you take a walk around, Mars. You will turn direct on November 13 and be home
before you know it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: I’ll try, boss, but I’ll be dealing with lots of very
out of shape, pent up, horny people who can’t fucking deal. How the fuck do you
handle THAT?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Saturn: Yes, even <i>you</i> can’t satisfy them all sexually,
although I don’t put it past you to try. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Venus: [mouth drops open] That was really mean, Old Man! Well it would have been if Mars was more perceptive. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: Agreed! That’s beneath you, Saturn! Seriously, though…good
listening skills would likely help you, Mars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mercury: His ability to be an active listener is somewhat
limited, boss. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: What did you say, Brainiac?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mercury: [holds a hand up] Let me try…”Dude, sit your ass
down and nod your head when people talk to you. Then look serious!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mars: Is THAT all it is? I can do THAT! Everyone makes it
sound so hard!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: [facepalm] Lady Moon, do you think we can table the
other two agenda items for today? I’m suddenly feeling unwell.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Moon: Certainly, sir.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: Any final remarks before we adjourn?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jupiter: Good luck, Mars. You’ll need it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Moon: We will keep you in our hearts, Mars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Venus: Yes, we sure will. Hang in there and I’ll see you
when you come back.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Neptune: Here’s some advice, Mars: Talk less. Smile more.
Don’t let them know that you think that they’re all whores.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pluto: Don’t die, Mars. I won’t miss you but other people
might. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: Let us know how you’re doing Mars. I look forward to
hearing from you!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[Mars leaves the Zoom call]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pluto: Heh. What a wimp.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Constantia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sun: You didn’t have any advice for Mars, Old Man? [pauses
and looks at screen] Oh that’s right…I muted him earlier. [pauses] Shit…I
should have muted myself. You can end the call now, Mercury. <o:p></o:p></span></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-38893707203972546742020-08-07T17:00:00.001-04:002020-08-07T17:00:00.401-04:00Deck Review: The Golden Girls Tarot Cards--A Look into Your Future from the Lanai<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-99j7v0Z6NTI/Xy17tp_dAtI/AAAAAAAAFEI/FtaTk2ofxGkWDF_MShHTB8AMwmlgCYvFACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7322%2B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1629" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-99j7v0Z6NTI/Xy17tp_dAtI/AAAAAAAAFEI/FtaTk2ofxGkWDF_MShHTB8AMwmlgCYvFACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7322%2B2.jpeg" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><i style="font-size: 14pt;"> </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The television series “The Golden Girls” appeared on our television screens for the first time nearly 40 years ago and ran from 1985-1992. It’s a sitcom about four women who live together in Miami. The show was known for its four amazing characters—Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Rose Nylund (Betty White), Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), and Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur). All are divorced or widowed and find themselves under the same roof and let me tell you from personal experience that the show is hilarious. While the comedy is great, the ladies manage to take on serious topics regularly as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><br />The show also won its share of awards. In seven short seasons it garnered a whopping 58 Emmy nominations, winning 11 times, as well as 88 Golden Globe nominations and 40 awards. All of the four main characters are comedy veterans with a pretty impressive list of credentials in their own right, but their on-screen chemistry is nothing short of magical.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">Needless to say, it’s become a cult classic, which I strongly suspect is the reason behind why we are seeing “The Golden Girls Tarot Cards” on our online shelves.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">With the introductions out of the way for anyone born after 1985, if you love bright pink and blue you will love the coloring of these cards. The back is a simple bright blue with an unobtrusive design and palm fronds, and the cards feel nice in your hand; they’re about the same size as the RWS standard.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The Golden Girls figure prominently in this deck, which isn’t really a surprise given its name, although there are a few appropriately placed men here and there for the Emperor and in the court cards. But that’s not who we’re here to celebrate.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The RWS imagery is all over this deck, and it’s basically a clone with a Golden Girl or three on each card. <span style="font-size: 14pt;">For the Major Arcana, all of the Girls have equal representation. The Chariot, for example, has Blanche in command of two good-looking male dancers; she was known for being the most romantically outgoing of the four and her sexual adventures were a common theme on the show. Sophia, who incidentally is Dorothy’s mother, makes an appearance as the angel on the Lovers, blessing her daughter and Dorothy’s ex-husband, both of whom stand apart in bathrobes; they got back together at one point. Rose’s positive attitude earns her the Sun, while Dorothy portrays the Grim Reaper on Death; she regularly killed with put-downs.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The Tower shows Shady Pines, the nursing home where Sophia lived after the stroke that caused brain damage to her verbal filter. Dorothy put Sophia in the home originally, but Sophia hated it and eventually came to live with Dorothy. For her part, Dorothy occasionally will say “Shady Pines, ma!” to try to keep her mom under control, with limited success. Interesting to note that Shady Pines never actually makes an appearance on the show, but it’s a great reference for the Tower!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">We have our four standard suits, but each Golden Girl gets her own. Wisecracking Sophia gets the Wands. Sensitive Rose is on the Cups. Quick-witted Dorothy’s owns the Swords, while libidinous Blanche earns the sensual Pentacles. Each Girl is on almost every one of the cards in her suit, except for the Knights and Kings; those are normally occupied by a lover or boyfriend.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><br />The Three of Swords shows Dorothy standing out on the lanai in the rain with palm fronds in the background, wearing a shirt with three swords through a heart, similar to the standard RWS imagery. The Two of Cups has Rose toasting with wine glasses with a boyfriend and it also mirrors the RWS.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><br />In a slight nod to the RWS imagery, the Five of Wands has all four girls decked out in their bowling uniforms, highlighting the “friendly competition” meaning that is one of the standards for the card. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">In a few cases, however, it seems like the designer ran out of steam; the Ten of Pentacles just has a tree with 10 pentacles growing on it. This is Blanche’s suit, but she’s not on this card at all, and in the RWS there are no trees except way in the back. I mean…it’s a pretty tree…but it didn’t do a lot for me intuitively. Maybe I’m missing a show reference? That’s always possible.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The bottom line: If you’re a fan of the show, or you love the colors of 1980’s Miami, then this deck is for you. But this is really a niche deck and may not appeal to many younger tarot devotees.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_onUo-54ew/Xy17r52WhOI/AAAAAAAAFD0/w49-u5U12U06Rb7bMAdLzzowjddU1DoOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7315%2B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1478" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_onUo-54ew/Xy17r52WhOI/AAAAAAAAFD0/w49-u5U12U06Rb7bMAdLzzowjddU1DoOgCLcBGAsYHQ/w231-h320/IMG_7315%2B2.jpeg" width="231" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-353xU8k0MTo/Xy17sIjzGWI/AAAAAAAAFD4/AqpbYwUyqcEE_fV2zx-jnPOEl5MSusPfACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7316%2B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1441" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-353xU8k0MTo/Xy17sIjzGWI/AAAAAAAAFD4/AqpbYwUyqcEE_fV2zx-jnPOEl5MSusPfACLcBGAsYHQ/w225-h320/IMG_7316%2B2.jpeg" width="225" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1465" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AO_cu1nwUZk/Xy17rwjfhGI/AAAAAAAAFD8/xxzup6DIxEgevNlIGEKvGhSbsRmZ4UjoACLcBGAsYHQ/w229-h320/IMG_7317%2B2.jpeg" width="229" /><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1513" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mgsqEFAo2eE/Xy17tBIoKAI/AAAAAAAAFEA/AcT9TYW2j6UO93lrrp5oMmiu2fhAZlTdgCLcBGAsYHQ/w237-h320/IMG_7320%2B2.jpeg" width="237" /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Om0zArJbvw/Xy17tsYNpYI/AAAAAAAAFEE/ZQ15rNYqDHQy0R2lIY1IZmtUuGF6EvnnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7321%2B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1506" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Om0zArJbvw/Xy17tsYNpYI/AAAAAAAAFEE/ZQ15rNYqDHQy0R2lIY1IZmtUuGF6EvnnwCLcBGAsYHQ/w236-h320/IMG_7321%2B2.jpeg" width="236" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><i>The Golden Girls Tarot Cards: A Look into Your Future from the Lanai<o:p></o:p></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><i>Smith Street Gift<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><i>$19.95, Amazon</i></p></div><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8jH-a27wFE/Xy1cpyGLWtI/AAAAAAAAFDo/m56BLFq1q-4eFvDzVbLenJhTmido2-bUACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Golden%2BGirls%2BTarot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><br /></a></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-75326633239200782652020-07-24T17:00:00.020-04:002020-07-24T17:00:17.011-04:00Deck Review: The Light-Seer's Tarot by Chris-Anne<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBWQ60LrlUU/XxrrIZJuVHI/AAAAAAAAFB4/f1a3hAsx0WcEIAYhhNN1pTC43ZioIWFAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Light%2BSeers%2BTarot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBWQ60LrlUU/XxrrIZJuVHI/AAAAAAAAFB4/f1a3hAsx0WcEIAYhhNN1pTC43ZioIWFAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Light%2BSeers%2BTarot.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><i>The Light-Seer’s Tarot<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">Chris-Anne<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">Hay House Publishing<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">$24.99<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">I haven’t bought too many new tarot decks recently, but in this case, these gorgeous cards just showed up on my doorstep thanks to my student Ashley. It is always an honor to receive a deck as a gift, and I’m exceptionally grateful.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The Light-Seer’s Tarot is a 78-card Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) style deck that makes many nods to the original imagery, but does not take that duty too seriously. In other words, if you’ve worked with RWS, you’ll see many familiar things, but it’s not even close to a clone. They are about the same size as a standard RWS deck.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">This deck caught my eye immediately. The presentation is fantastic; it comes in a sturdy, alluring turquoise box with a guidebook. “Little white book” is far from the case here; it’s an excellent introduction for tarot beginners. It discusses the setup of the deck and gives an entry for each card, but it also provides some basic spreads and even discusses reversals.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">Entries in the book have a “light seer” and a “shadow seer” description for each card. I really like that idea; it gives the reader a place to start in either direction, positive or negative. Each card also has an affirmation, which is honestly a great way to remember the cards. For example, on the Two of Wands, the affirmation is, “The world is filled with opportunities for adventure, and I welcome them into my life with planned action.” I’m all for a positive message that helps you remember the card.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">I love the design on the back of the cards; it’s simple and powerful with muted colors and doesn’t distract from the images.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The images themselves provide a lot of depth for divination. There’s no scare factor here, though; many of the RWS images can seem too severe for readers, but there are none to be found anywhere in this deck. In a nod to equality, all races and genders are liberally mixed on the cards, and to my surprise and delight, there are more females on these cards than I have seen in a long time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The Seven of Wands, for example, shows a woman in prayer pose seated cross-legged on a mat with the seven wands pointed in her direction. Behind her is a landscape of a hill scene inside a crystal ball. Unlike the RWS, the woman isn’t holding a wand and there’s no visible conflict. Is she defiant because she chooses not to engage others and continues to pray? Certainly, that’s one of the many ideas to consider.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">I also liked the thematic development here. The Swords suit, for example, has birds on almost every card, a reminder of the element of air, of course. But on almost all of the Swords pips, there are ravens. The Eight of Swords is a great example; a woman looks in the mirror and in the reflected image, she sees four ravens tying her hands and blindfolding her. It’s a fantastic reminder of the idea that how we see ourselves does help determine our reality—are we really restricted, or is it just how we’re seeing it in our mind’s eye?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The Queen of Pentacles is one of the most beautiful images in the entire deck. A woman sits comfortably on a chair in the forest, a turquoise wrap covering her head with branches sticking out the sides. To me this was a nod to the Horned God. Her eyes are closed, and the turquoise eye shadow shows she’s resting or meditating, holding a large pentacle. I love the simple elegance of the design.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">On the majors, the Wheel of Fortune jumped out at me. A woman is standing on top of the wheel, which is very similar to the RWS wheel in many ways but without the Hebrew letters this time around. The woman looks elated and is in a modified tree yoga pose, arms out to welcome whatever comes next. I loved the little reminder of the “luck” idea of the card in the pair of dice attached to a string around her neck.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">The only negative I could really come up with was that the cards are a little slippery. That’s purely my personal taste; I always worry about the cards slipping out of my hand!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">I’d highly recommend this deck for anyone who enjoys bright, positive decks with amazing colors and some subtle RWS imagery. I’d also say this is a great first deck for children, as there is almost no nudity in it and the images are so welcoming. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in;">To me this deck is like your favorite movie, book, or video game: The first time you experienced it was magical, but each repeat shows you something new. The small touches and nods to the RWS make the Light-Seer’s Tarot absolutely worth putting on your wish list, and I can’t wait to use it with clients!</p></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYoPdXMNAKY/Xxrqkn9RqBI/AAAAAAAAFBc/zoN8osD5RfgXZV71cK8MXWnG81VdBqXMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7263.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYoPdXMNAKY/Xxrqkn9RqBI/AAAAAAAAFBc/zoN8osD5RfgXZV71cK8MXWnG81VdBqXMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7263.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcFQEizqm7Y/XxrqkhOorjI/AAAAAAAAFBU/albNNND5eocBG127XBmI1OfTCJ882qKUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7264.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Wheel of Fortune" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1170" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcFQEizqm7Y/XxrqkhOorjI/AAAAAAAAFBU/albNNND5eocBG127XBmI1OfTCJ882qKUQCLcBGAsYHQ/w114-h200/IMG_7264.jpeg" title="The Wheel of Fortune from The Light-Seer's Tarot" width="114" /></a><img alt="Queen of Pentacles" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1236" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a0jXK1M9rqI/XxrrqqnxXZI/AAAAAAAAFCE/P1KIiS-gdqMNIVPBx2LsCGU9cQqJBHbNQCLcBGAsYHQ/w121-h200/IMG_7268.jpeg" title="Queen of Pentacles from The Light-Seer's Tarot" width="121" /><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1303" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-znlU3klDJLE/XxrtUaO2WTI/AAAAAAAAFCg/P2nutsX40ZgRMGR0RTm9xgHSREBF0A-1QCLcBGAsYHQ/w127-h200/IMG_7266.jpeg" title="The Seven of Wands from the Light-Seer's Tarot" width="127" /><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1332" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Qb4gLW8qLA/XxrtTKV2fsI/AAAAAAAAFCY/A1F2UfLfW-0YhQgoJiN3zv3YribuPMwjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/IMG_7263.jpeg" title="The Eight of Swords from The Light-Seer's Tarot" width="130" /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYoPdXMNAKY/Xxrqkn9RqBI/AAAAAAAAFBc/zoN8osD5RfgXZV71cK8MXWnG81VdBqXMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7263.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1357" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G8sDBkUP19w/XxrqlkZZYKI/AAAAAAAAFBk/IytGZaewe5ITMU42ozGyINKv_zNvafmewCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/IMG_7267.jpeg" title="Card back from The Light-Seer's Tarot" width="133" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYoPdXMNAKY/Xxrqkn9RqBI/AAAAAAAAFBc/zoN8osD5RfgXZV71cK8MXWnG81VdBqXMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7263.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></a></div>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-3641900310684311192020-07-06T20:00:00.001-04:002020-07-06T20:00:14.047-04:00Interview with Mars, Part 9<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLz8ZQ_LiYk/XvgEL3nZzhI/AAAAAAAAE_I/VErH2yWhveAJFYeYa2fI0CLo8d_L04BagCK4BGAsYHg/s1200/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLz8ZQ_LiYk/XvgEL3nZzhI/AAAAAAAAE_I/VErH2yWhveAJFYeYa2fI0CLo8d_L04BagCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">John: Mars, I can’t thank you enough for all of your time and your exceptionally, um, candid answers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Sure, Mr. Flavorator. Got any more wings? I should be good after that…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [looks under table] I’ve got one more set left, Mars. Let me see…[picks it up] Barbeque ranch, I think? [hands it over]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Dude, you picked all my favorites today! How in the fuck did you do that? [opens container and begins eating a wing]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I always do research on anyone I’m going to interview, Mars, and those people I asked about you were very forthcoming.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Fuck yeah, dude! Well, let’s get it on! By the time people read this thing, I’ll be in Aries kickin’ ass and takin’ names!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: There are those who call you a “dumb jock.” What do you say?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: First of all, fuck them for sayin’ it that way. Thinkin’ is not my specialty, but what I do, I do it well. You want to fight? You don’t go to Jupiter, or the Old Man, or that pipsqueak Pluto. You come to me. When you’re up against it and your life is on the line, I’m your guy. If that makes me a dumb jock, well…at that point who needs a fuckin’ committee?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: But for many people, their lives aren’t on the line and yet you still have a powerful influence over us. What do you say to those people who would say you’re a bully?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Get to know me before you judge me! I can help you more than you know.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: How?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: You have choices every day. You work with me, you get to know me, and I can show you how to handle conflict. Yeah, not every fight is one for your life, but you’d be surprised how often I turn up in places that you thought would be more…what’s the word I want, egghead?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: “Civilized”, maybe?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [points at John and wing sauce flings onto John’s shirt] Dude, you got it in one! [looks at John’s shirt] Shit, dude, sorry about that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [picks up hand wipe and rips it open] No worries, Mars. [dabs at shirt]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Anyway, conflict isn’t always about bashin’ in someone’s face. Sometimes people want you to think they’re nice and they act mean. When they are, you have to stick up for yourself. I can help you do that without getting physical if you understand how I work. And if it does get physical, well…then I can help you end the fight quickly, so you don’t get your ass kicked too bad.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: What about what you were saying earlier about goals?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: If you want something, I’m your guy. Venus can tell you what or who you want, but she can do that from her couch without lifting a finger. I’m the one who has to go get it, and I will if you want it badly enough. And when you’re getting laid, you can thank me…I’ll even wait for the fuckin’ gratitude until after you’re done!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: That would probably be best. [closes iPad] Thanks for your time, Mars. You can take the rest of those with you. Anything else you want to leave us with?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Mars: Get your asses of the couch, good people, and get the shit done. Talk is fuckin’ cheap! Do your gym time. I don’t give a <i>tenth of a fuck</i> about anyone else but you. You’ve got a personal special operations team at your disposal, so don’t make me spend my life in the fuckin’ ready room! I want to be the warrior you call on. SO GET. IT. DONE. ALL I DO IS WIN WIN WIN NO MATTER WHAT!</span>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-62962459076554973802020-07-05T20:00:00.006-04:002020-07-05T20:00:14.415-04:00Interview with Mars, Part 8<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KoI7wnXDbPY/XvgENeMJXtI/AAAAAAAAE_U/eKzEaqobCpQmhgdUARPNkQKMSieG0hgIwCK4BGAsYHg/s1200/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2Bpart%2B8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KoI7wnXDbPY/XvgENeMJXtI/AAAAAAAAE_U/eKzEaqobCpQmhgdUARPNkQKMSieG0hgIwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2Bpart%2B8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">John: I want to make sure we hit everything, Mars, and you’ve got a big retrograde coming up soon!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Damn right I do! [pause] What’s next on the FLAVORATOR?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I am impressed and scared at the number of wings you have put away today, Mars. Is this some sort of record?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Dude, not even close. I once did 300 chicken nuggets!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: At one…time?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: FUCK YEAH! I was hurting the next day though!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [mouth drops open] No need to explain any further, Mars. I’ve seen you polish off 80 wings just today.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: So, you didn’t answer my question, egghead. what’s next?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [checks out container] Looks like…garlic parmesan? I think? [hands over container]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Another fuckin’ classic! [rips open container] So yeah, I’ve got a retrograde coming.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Before we get there, we need to step back. People don’t know how fast you move through the signs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: I’m not that fast, but I make up for it in PURE STAMINA!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Right. [consults iPad] Mercury told me that you move through a sign in about six weeks. Does that sound right?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Yup. The Brainiac would know for sure! I can’t even keep up with him. And Lady Moon? Forget it! That bitch is faster than all of us!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: That would mean that about every two years you return to the same place it was when a person was born.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Yup, if you count the retrograde.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Just one retrograde during that time?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Yeah, I don’t like to take too much time off, you know?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [consults iPad] Mercury said it’s 9.48% of the time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Dude, I don’t do math. If the smooth-talking little motherfucker said that’s what it is, who am I to say it isn’t?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Fair point, Mars. [pause] We were saying earlier that this entire retrograde will be in Aries for you. What are you normally like during a retrograde? Does your behavior change?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [pause] Yeah, sorta. I’m just not my usual self. I feel, well, more like I think Venus feels most of the time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Meaning…?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Meaning if shit doesn’t get done during my retrograde, I’m not as concerned. Less get up and go, more couch. I love to get shit done, but during the nearly three months I’m retrograde, I’m lazier. Don’t bother starting somethin’ new during that time. Not worth it!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Yup. She told me she feels like work is a four-letter word.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Well, the last time I checked it has four fuckin’ letters: W-O-R-K. And they all call ME the dumb jock? [snorts]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [shudders] But earlier you said by being in Aries so long, you’ll give people the opportunity to push forward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Yeah, man. I move into Aries in the next few days, so folks need to fuckin’ get on it ASAP; in September I go retro and I’m there until almost Thanksgiving. Thankfully I’ll be back home for the Holiday Party!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: So, if I can summarize…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: We don’t have any workout machines here, dumbass! Get to the gym to do that shit!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [facepalm] What I meant to say is that people should avoid starting stuff between early September and like, mid-November?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [shrugs] Huh. I guess so. My retrograde is not a happy time, man. Being on the road for that long really takes a toll on me, and I have to do two-a-day workouts to burn off all the takeout food once I get back.<o:p></o:p></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-37577855604179315472020-07-04T20:00:00.004-04:002020-07-04T20:00:18.485-04:00Interview with Mars, Part 7<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt06D6UvRmc/XvgELSruUYI/AAAAAAAAE_U/q06TZkn8gFM2gs-r0uRW9D_uzPhd-o-OQCK4BGAsYHg/s1200/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt06D6UvRmc/XvgELSruUYI/AAAAAAAAE_U/q06TZkn8gFM2gs-r0uRW9D_uzPhd-o-OQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">John: What about Mars in Libra? What can you say there?</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Not much TO say, man. I call ‘em “the linebacker in a tutu”!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: That’s an interesting turn of phrase!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Damn straight. When I’m in Libra, I’m so not like myself. It’s like I don’t want to fight at all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Well, Libra is a sign of harmony. Conflict is, as you would say, not that sign’s jam.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Fuck no. And honestly even if you tell them go fight somebody, they don’t wanna do it. “Linebacker in a tutu!” It’s that kum-ba-yah, let’s fuckin’ sit around the campfire and talk about your feelings sort of bullshit. Drives me NUTS!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I think I understand now. Libra is a sign of conflict avoidance, Mars. Of course you’re not comfortable there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [points at John] I know you egghead types! You’re gonna ask me to describe it!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: That would be awesome, Mars. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [points to his head and smiles] If you’ve ever worn a piece of clothing that is too tight or looks stupid on you because someone else asked you to, that’s Mars in Libra. You don’t want to fight so you put it on. Fuckin’ stupid but it happens.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Great that you said that, because it shows how uncomfortable you are in Libra.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />Mars: You could say the same thing in Taurus. When I’m stuck in one of those two signs, it’s like wearin’ one of those protective cups on your scrot so your nuts don’t get smashed playin’ sports…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Right…I think I get it…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: …but the jock strap is too tight or the cup’s too small and you want to take the fucker off…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Ummmm no need to go on, Mars…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: And then you’re adjusting it but there’s no fuckin’ point because it doesn’t help and everyone’s looking at you ‘cause you’re touchin’ your nads anyway! AMIRITE?!?!?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[pause]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I certainly understand. At the same time, I sense that your explanation, while filled with incredibly vivid locker room imagery, will not make its way into an astrology book anytime soon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: You’re writing a book?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: No, Mars, I’m not writing a book…it was just an expression.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: You authoring Mercury fuck! DUDE…if you write a BOOK, that shit needs to be in there, man!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: If I ever decide to write an astrology book, Mars, I promise I’ll think about it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Damn right you will!<o:p></o:p></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-63237679347264930072020-07-02T23:38:00.000-04:002020-07-02T23:38:40.653-04:00Interview with Mars, Part 6<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XgwAz1W6t9Q/XvgELJgBAyI/AAAAAAAAE_Q/4vyaCWcP4csHyO7xxJWW6oTGXjKh1tkOQCK4BGAsYHg/s1200/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XgwAz1W6t9Q/XvgELJgBAyI/AAAAAAAAE_Q/4vyaCWcP4csHyO7xxJWW6oTGXjKh1tkOQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">John: So we know where you’re strongest…</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: You know the drill, dude? What is next on the FLAVORATOR?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [looks at next container of wings] It’s smeared but I think it says…Carolina something? Something Carolina? [hands over the container]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: FUCK YEAH! That would be CAROLINA REAPER! [rips open container and bites into a wing] AWWWW YEAH! That is some FIRE!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: True to form, you are much braver than I am! [consults iPad] Tell me about what signs you struggle in.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [snarls] Cancer! Hard to get any traction there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [nods] Why?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Have you ever been threatened by a crab? Doubt it!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I’ve never felt threatened by a goat, either…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [laughs] OK man, true story, true story! Obvs I’ve never felt it from a goat. But Cancer wants comfort, not conflict. Unless it involves someone else bothering a family member or a close friend, and THEN I can kick ass and take names. All bets are off if you fuck with the family!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I believe I’ve heard that someplace. But what about the claws?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [chuckles] Well the claws are more for survival on the crab than attack. That’s why they have that outer shell. They want to play defense and skitter away…I don’t play that game! Running is NOT my jam; I embrace the fight!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Yes, I’d heard that Mars in Cancer folks tend to use your energy as a last resort, even when it comes to sticking up for themselves.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Yup. Not gettin’ far with the crab at all, dude.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [consults iPad] So if my math is right, there are two signs left we have to discuss.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [frowns] Not a fan of either of them. So let’s get it done!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I think it’s interesting that both of these signs are Venus-ruled.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: So I gotta say, that bitch is HAWT. H-A-W-T. Don’t tell anyone but I’ve even let her spend the night a few times! She’s my girl.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I assume we’re talking about Venus?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: No. The fuckin’ Moon! OF COURSE Venus, dick for brains!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: But Taurus and Libra…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Both are a pain in my ass! Neither one really want to work. Taurus is too busy sitting on the couch, eating bonbons and shit like that. Getting motivated in that sign is a bitch. But I will say this: Get them started and then get the fuck out of the way!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: So, you’re not motivated in Taurus or you are? Which is it?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Dude, get off my jock! I am GETTING THERE!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [eyeroll] My apologies. Go on. [gestures]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: It takes a lot to GET me moving in Taurus, but when I do get moving there’s no stopping me. Hard to stop a moving Bull! Especially if there’s cake involved! But don’t tell Venus I said that!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: You can count on my discretion. So a bull at rest tends to stay at rest, but a bull in motion tends to stay in motion?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: There you go again, egghead! ENGLISH PLEASE!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Right. [thinks for a moment] A bull will run you the fuck over if you try to slow it down, AMIRITE?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: See? How fucking hard was THAT?<o:p></o:p></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-51570259006777619272020-07-01T21:27:00.000-04:002020-07-01T21:27:38.441-04:00Interview with Mars, Part 5<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPAWWk2XNd0/XvgEKW1wlbI/AAAAAAAAE_E/7MTMiz5-mdUAOj86Kd8OPJWBPz1Y8E94QCK4BGAsYHg/s1200/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPAWWk2XNd0/XvgEKW1wlbI/AAAAAAAAE_E/7MTMiz5-mdUAOj86Kd8OPJWBPz1Y8E94QCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Mars: So what’s next?</span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I’d like to talk about what signs…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: No, dude! What is the next set of wings you bought?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [Looks at the scrawl on the container] Barbecue ranch? That’s what it looks like. [hands over container]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Fuck yeah dude! [rips open container] And do you have something to drink?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [hands Mars a 64-ounce Thermos] Here you go.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Dude you rock! [take a drink] So what were you sayin’?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I’d like to talk about what signs you work the best in for my readers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Oh yeah! ARIES ALL DAY BABY! That’s my best one ever.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Right, we got that part.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Who’s that woman you mentor who you call “Daughter of Mars”?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: As a matter of fact, I do have a mentee with that nickname. She’s quite a fan of yours. Her name is Ren.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: I love that bitch! She really jives with the signs that I rule, both of them!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Well, we’ve only talked about Aries so far. What’s the other one?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: When I’m in Scorpio, I’m also totally bangin’!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Now hold on…isn’t Pluto the ruler of Scorpio?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: There’s a fuckin’ story there! Scorpio used to be mine back in the day. Then you fuckin’ eggheads discovered Pluto back in like 19 fuckity-fuck...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: 1931 actually.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: What the fuck ever! Anyway, these <i>modern</i> astrology eggheads gave him to Pluto, without even fuckin’ asking me! Dicks. Totally fucked me over.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Academics aside, how do you behave when you’re in Scorpio?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Dude, I rock the house in Scorpio, but I’m less up front. More subtle and shit. I’m not so much rip your face off but I’m more of a slash your tires when you’re not looking type of thing. I’m more cool and calm about it, and I wait for my shot instead of the fuckin’ frontal assault. It’s more like ninja style, more strategery and hit and run. Scary but still way fuckin’ cool, dude. You’re a Scorpio sun, so you feel me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />John: [smirks] I do indeed feel you, Mars.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: And for the boot-knockin’ Mars in Scorpio is amazing. Mars in Aries may be a quick burst but Mars in Scorpio? Those fuckers can go all night like fuckin’ lumberjacks, man. SERIOUSLY!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [chuckles] Seriously. So you rule those two signs. I’ve told my readers about the exaltation, another excellent placement for a planet. Which sign does that job for you?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: I know it sounds weird, but Capricorn! I know…that’s a sign that doesn’t seem like me, but I gotta tell you, those bastards can really make shit happen over the long haul.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: How do they do that?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Cappie is something that I’m not: An organized planner and not a scrappy grunt! Mars in Aries will win you a battle, but Mars in Capricorn will win the whole fuckin’ WAR!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: The whole war?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: You’re doing it again, dude! You seriously need a hearing aid. [smile] Anyway, Capricorn wins the battle before they fight. Some guy name Sunny said something about that back in the day, amirite?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [consults iPad] I think you’re talking about Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”: “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Mars: Yeah, that’s EXACTLY what I was thinking! So yeah…when I’m in Capricorn I thrive!</span>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-60603046603831973412020-06-30T21:11:00.000-04:002020-06-30T21:11:46.057-04:00Interview with Mars, Part 4<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-56vUXzpsHV4/XvgEKovzgeI/AAAAAAAAE_I/3QHOO41fsl4SEuQfYgBLR-CPOFHJZrzmwCK4BGAsYHg/s1200/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-56vUXzpsHV4/XvgEKovzgeI/AAAAAAAAE_I/3QHOO41fsl4SEuQfYgBLR-CPOFHJZrzmwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">John: Looks like you’re done with that box. Maybe teriyaki next? [hands Aries another container of wings]</span> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Keep this shit up, man, and I’ll talk about my bad self all fuckin’ day!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Quite. [consults iPad] You talked about Venus a little earlier. You get done what Venus sends you to do, right?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [rips open container] Yeah, so?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Can you talk about your role in romantic relationships?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Romance is Venus’ thing, man. But once we get to it, I’m your man.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Could you explain “get to it” for us?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: You’re how old and I gotta explain this to you? Gettin’ it on! Bangin’! Boot knockin’! Makin’ the beast with two backs! I mean you are married…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Mars, do not even <i>think</i> about saying whatever it was you were going to say after that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [confused] I missed all that but I’m guessing you were getting pissed off. You get what I’m saying, amirite?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Yes, you’re referring to physical intimacy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Fuck yeah! DUH. Goin’ all the way! And don’t get offended…don’t you know an Aries person who said that the only reason to get married was regular sex?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Yes, that’s very true. That’s a perfect Aries statement, too. [consults iPad] So she’s in charge of the love department and you’re in charge of sex. Does that sound right?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Yup! I don’t try to do her job and she doesn’t try to do mine. We work together, that’s all!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: There are people who don’t understand the difference. Can you give us your perspective?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [pause] I guess. What do you mean?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: In your opinion, what’s the difference between your work and Venus’ in relationships?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [pauses to think] If you still like actually the person when you’re taking a break between rounds of sweaty between the sheets action, then that’s probably Venus. If you’re more concerned with getting them or yourself an Uber after it’s done, then it’s probably me you’re dealing with.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: To summarize, you’re more of the animal instinct to mate and Venus is more of the emotional intimacy. Do you think that’s fair?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Sounds right, I guess. Why humans can’t figure it out is beyond me!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Venus is the relationship planet, but can you be the one to start a relationship?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Sure! I get things done! Venus usually is in charge of that but if it’s purely…testosterone then likely the “relationship” won’t last too long. But I do know some folks who have purely sexual relationships to meet their needs, and I’m good with that. Just don’t expect them to go anyplace or stick around for the long-haul!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Thanks. Need some more napkins? [picks up the pile of napkins]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Fuck yeah! And some wet wipes!<o:p></o:p></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-11544482324424271022020-06-29T20:00:00.002-04:002020-06-29T20:00:04.358-04:00Interview with Mars, Part 3<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FaTr6oyh92w/XvgEM_bgunI/AAAAAAAAE_Q/Gat7co4Jkl8U4HlE2hDWjJCTRk6PiW_qwCK4BGAsYHg/s1200/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2Bpart%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FaTr6oyh92w/XvgEM_bgunI/AAAAAAAAE_Q/Gat7co4Jkl8U4HlE2hDWjJCTRk6PiW_qwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2Bpart%2B3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">John: So you mentioned how much you love being in Aries. What sign are you in now?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Fuckin’ Pisces. Those fish don’t do me any favors, let me tell ya.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: They ‘don’t do you any favors’?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: You got a hearing problem or somethin’? You’re always repeating shit back to me. Seriously dude, that’s annoying as fuck.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: It’s a specific technique used to elicit…you know what? Doesn’t fuckin’ matter. Tell me about the fish.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: They’re too fuckin' lazy and dreamy. When I’m there I’m more underhanded and not up front about things. I’m aggressive but I don’t show it…more like what they call…ummm…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Passive-aggressive?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [points with a parmesean peppercorn drenched index finger] That’s the fucker right there! But here’s the great news: I WON’T BE THERE FOR LONG AND THEN IT’S GAME. FUCKING. ON!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: You must be referring to you entering Aries soon?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: JUNE 29 IS THE DAY! Can’t fucking wait!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: So you move into Aries. That’s a pretty normal thing…happens once every two years and you’re in a sign for about six weeks, right? [Consults iPad] Oh shit. Not this time, though.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: NOT THIS TIME. SIX MONTHS IN ARIES!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Damn. This could get…interesting. My ephemeris says you’re in Aries until early January.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: AMERICA FUCK YEAH!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: There are some folks who are a little bit scared about that fact, Mars.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: I get it, I get it. People are sheep normally. But in Aries can bring people courage, make them brave!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [gestures] Go on.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Let’s say you know this hot girl and you’ve wanted to get in her pants but you haven’t had the stones to do it. A little shove from your buddy Mars might help you out! Want a raise but couldn’t ask before now? I help you step up to the plate!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: So, if I understand you correctly, you might help people find the courage to address endemic problems in their lives?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [confused] Dude you’re doing it again! SPEAK ENGLISH FOR FUCK’S SAKE!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: OK. I’ll try. With your help, people…step up and handle their shit?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: What’s so fucking hard about that? If you tried you could talk that way all the time!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [eyeroll] Well, it certainly would be an attainable goal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Dude!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Never mind, Mars, never mind. [consults iPad] My readers worry that you might bring a lot of conflict over that period of time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Yeah, I probably will! But that doesn’t mean it’s going to suck. If you want to get shit started, I’m your man. If you want to have courage, I’m your man. I can give you the stones to do what you need to get done and I’m giving that energy to you for six months!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Very true. But aren’t also you the planet of violence and accidents?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Yeah, true story! But conflict is conflict. It isn’t always supposed to be a fight…because when it is…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [pauses]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: I’m happy and proud of who I am, but I know what I’m not. I know I’m not smart like Mercury…I say things without thinkin’ and I act without even worryin’ about shit. I know how cool I am, but that’s not always a good thing. And when I’m in conflict, I’m flight or fight only, and I’m not worried about thinkin’, just survivin’ and winnin’. That’s my job.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: You’re right. People need to be careful and try to use your energy productively. Is that a fair statement?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [nods] What you said, egghead! [Pause] Hey that rhymed! Merc would LOVE THAT SHIT!<o:p></o:p></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858695303598666340.post-52322512435492837982020-06-28T20:00:00.001-04:002020-06-28T20:00:34.935-04:00Interview with Mars, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LvQumlKlg6E/XvgEKW-8oaI/AAAAAAAAE_E/-mwgkizbYi8wpcD8AMO_sfwDK_eHb0MgQCK4BGAsYHg/s1200/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LvQumlKlg6E/XvgEKW-8oaI/AAAAAAAAE_E/-mwgkizbYi8wpcD8AMO_sfwDK_eHb0MgQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/Interview%2Bwith%2BMars%2BPart%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [consults iPad] It says here you also rule physical activity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: HELL TO THE YEAH BOYYYYYYEEEEEE! I love getting hot and sweaty! And what the fuck is with all your gyms being closed? You haven’t gone in months! Don’t think I can’t see it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Well, the coronavirus has us all cooped up and a lot of us, me included, aren’t ready to go back to the gym, even if we can. That doesn’t mean I haven’t…dude, this interview isn’t about me!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: A good workout is healthy, man, seriously. And it keeps your energy levels sky high for your everyday bullshit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: So let’s dive into the “everyday bullshit” you’re referring to. [grabs a container of wings and a pile of napkins from under a nearby table]. Why don’t you start with these? And about 27 napkins?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Awwwww shit dude! WINGS! That’s what I’m talkin’ about! [sniffs and looks at John] Parmesean peppercorn? AMIRITE?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [to self] Whoa.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: What?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [recovering] America fuck yeah!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Awesome! Bone-in, right?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Yup. Go to town. [sits back]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [rips open container and settles in] Fuck yeah man. [starts eating] So let’s get it on!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Let’s go back to high energy levels and stress.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [through a mouthful of wings] OK! Exercise is my jam. Makes life a lot easier. You deal with everyday bullshit like problems at work, idiots on the road, fuckheads in your social life. With me, I help you cope, and I show you how to fight.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I want to make sure I understand. You show us how to fight?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Fuck yeah! There are 12 signs of the zodiac, right? Think of them as 12 different styles of martial arts. Depends on which one you are.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Can you tell me, like, how that works?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: FUCK YEAH. If you’ve got Mars in Aries…then I’m a hotheaded, let’s get to it, throw down the gloves and rip your face off right fucking now, MMA [mixed martial arts] scrappy, whatever you want to do as long as you fuck them up kind of style. I love being in Aries…it’s my total jam. It’s in your face, go fuck yourself, you’ll regret fucking with me kind of energy!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: That sounds…dangerous.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: Oh yeah! But it usually doesn’t last too long. One strong burst usually scares people off or ends the fight. If it goes on too long…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Wait a second. If what goes on too long?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: If people use me all the time like that, they might have a problem because no one will want to be around them. Sometimes it’s like being on a hair trigger if you’re always ready to knock someone’s block off, amirite?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Makes sense. Mars in Aries is in rulership, so the energy flows easily. I suspect that’s what you’re trying to say.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: You don’t need to be a dick about it! But Mercury’s right dude. You talk good. You want to impress me? Go back to the gym and stop reading books!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: [looks over] Have you eaten all those wings?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: About half, dude. You got more?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: I had to ask the Sun for a loan to cover the number of wings I bought for you today, Mars. He said he’d pay half and it was still an exorbitant bill.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mars: [confused] Is that a yes? Damn well better be.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Constantia, serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">John: Yes, Mars. There are plenty left [points to boxes under the table]<o:p></o:p></p>John Maranihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693036002340841543noreply@blogger.com0