Book Review: Cosmic Navigator

Cosmic Navigator: Design Your Destiny With Astrology and Kabbalah by Gahl Eden Sasson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was the funnest, cheapest therapy I have had in a long time. I did not find Cosmic Navigator, it found me, and I am glad it did. The bulk of the book is the 12 chapters dedicated to a twelve-week process of giving one week to each of the twelve signs by embodying and acting out that sign.

At first this idea seemed very daunting. Twelve weeks! Acting?! I threw up a lot of resistance initially. I could not imagine staying in character for a whole week while attending to my job and other daily responsibilities. I am not an “actress” type. But that was just my initial doubt and resistance. Once I put away the idea of having to do it perfectly, and just began the journey, I found my own way and settled into what activities I could manage to do each week authentically without really feeling like “acting.”

Despite my initial doubts, I completed the twelve-week process of embodying each of the twelve signs of the zodiac. As weeks progressed I found myself fully engaged and looking forward to what each sign would reveal. I found the synchronicities totally fascinating. You just can’t make this stuff up! For example, on the week that I was in the sign of Sagittarius I took a motorcycle trip with my husband. (Sagittarius is associated with long distance travel and bit of risk-taking adventuring.) There is no way I could have planned that event to coincide when I started the book, it just happened to be on the same week. Additionally, we attended a star party while on the trip and for the first time I witnessed the constellation of Sagittarius which not normally visible where I live. In the week of Capricorn I had my annual performance review at work. (Capricorn is associated with Career/status and responsibility.) There were many more such synchronistic events that occurred for each sign that I experienced throughout this process. It was full of surprises and a lot of fun!

I highly recommend this book and Sasson’s process to anyone who is already at least a little familiar with their chart and astrology, but who also wants a deeper foray into the nuances of what it means to have a certain sign in a certain house. Like anything, you get out what you put in.

For each week/sign Sasson gives a menu of possible assignments, recommended activities you can do to help you connect to that sign, recommended movies, colors to wear, and more so that you can embody the sign and steep yourself in the archetype for that week. What I found is that you don’t have to do it all, just do what you want to and what you can. What resulted for me in doing this were some new revelations about what makes me tick and how to best honor and care for myself.

I have recommended this book to my astrology-fluent friends and they are also enjoying it immensely and reporting to me some of their synchronicity with it. I imagine keeping this book accessible to return to whenever I may need to reconnect with the archetypes of a particular sign, especially in regards to the lists of recommended activities or “homework.” These were particularly unique and helpful compilations to gain access points to self-awareness in that house.

This is a little like “where your attention goes, your energy flows,” it is invaluable in the sense that if you find you need to spend more time on a problematic area, you could just circle back to that list of activities and spend more time doing the exercises suggested to help you work through the issues related to that house/sign.

I highly recommend this book as a self-led workshop into understanding the your internal dynamics, and the dynamics of your chart.









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Venus Cycle

For some helpful information on the Venus Cycle, I recommend Nine of Wands.Com’s article on the Venus Cycle. This would apply to you if you have Venus conjunct anything in your natal chart, or if Venus figures prominently in your most critical aspects.

https://www.nineofwands.com/blog/venus-cycle-calculator

VENUS STAR POINT AND JOHN ADAMS AS LIBRA EXEMPLAR

Today’s, Oct. 22, 2022 Venus Cazimi in Libra is a powerful time for relationships. (Astroseek has a wonderful image for the Venus cycle. )

to find the Venus Star Point in your natal chart, look at the conjunction between the Sun and Venus that occurred before your birthday. Then, apply it to your chart (the aspects it makes to other planets and the house it falls in) to understand what your heart desires and yearns for.

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2022/10/11159065/venus-star-point-in-libra-2022-meaning

I was born 8-9 days before a new Venus cazimi, so I had to go back quite a ways, almost the full length of the Venus cycle to get to the previous Venus conjunction. The Sabian Symbol was for 9 Leo at that point

This Symbol shows the relief, joy and motivation that can come from going through cold and difficult times, even dark struggles, and waking up to things being “sunnier”, warmer and full of promise. This is a time when the “air” (the newly awakened mind) is crisp and the “ground” (the refreshed and renewed body) readies itself for a new round of activity. The rewards may be transitory, so enjoy the good times and salute the more difficult periods as times of testing and learning. The nights may seem very long but there is always the reward of dawn as the sun rises again on a brand new day.
Refreshment after ‘the long night of the soul’. Dawn meditations bringing inspiration. Awakening energies signaling new beginnings. Changing emotions. Counseling.

Not letting go of difficult situations. Persisting with problems that have been solved. Feeling that the worst is going to happen all the time. Depression

https://sabiansymbols.com/symbols/

My first thought was, “Well, this explains my fascination with getting up before sunrise and watching the light emerge.” (At first I looked to the inferior conjunction and then remembered that Venus has both an inferior and superior conjunction, so be careful that you are using the right conjunction if you are only using an ephemeris.) The inferior conjunction point had to do with “charming court life,” wealth and the finer things in life. This is not something that normally impresses me. I much prefer a simple life with ample reserve for the necessities, but I am not in favor of excess, which becomes its own prison.

Rails A Cafe at the Depot in Kerrville, Texas

This month I am facilitating a little study group with a Libra theme for friends who attended the New Astrology Emerging workshop in Boulder, CO at the StarHouse this past summer. There are about ten of us that have started meeting online once a month to keep our connection to this work growing.

In preparing for this study group, I am looking at the life of John Adams, our second President of the United States and one of the founding fathers of our country, who was a strong Libra born in October. (sidereal zodiac) Some sources say Oct 19, others Oct 30, 1735.

Not only did Adams have an incredible legal mind, he was masterful in keeping diplomatic relations with his wife, who kept him from sinking himself in public’s eye through her counsel and advice to him. John and Abigail had such an admirable, intellectual relationship for those times. He was not really cut out for the politics of the Presidency in the end, by many historians’ accounts, but he was instrumental in crafting the peace treaties that ended the revolutionary wars. Adams clearly respected his wife. His life was totally intertwined with the beginning of the revolution and he helped bring about its end. Interestingly, he was one of the only founding fathers of our country who never owned slaves. The transits to his natal chart during major historical events that occurred during his time in leadership are quite powerful and obvious.

Abigail Adams is a female figurehead every American should know about because I truly think that without her, Adams would not have risen to achieve the things that he did. This shows the power of Libra and relationships, whether marriage or diplomatic relations between countries and how a relationship can have a lasting impact on the whole world.

As astrologers discuss the Pluto return of the U.S., we can reap much inspiration from the biographies of these incredible people who lived through even more tumultuous times and achieved great things, people who truly had to endure difficult times, but who created new beginnings for generations of others that followed. Couldn’t we all use a little inspiration as we head into elections and the eclipses? Now go watch Hamilton or the series on John Adams’ life, or read their biographies and quitcherbitchin’about the state of the world!

Reading Joy

The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child, originally published in 2009, Donalyn Miller explains her philosophy of teaching, and how she creates a rich reading environment in her classroom with structures, practices and support for independent reading with her students. I appreciated her long-term view of the importance of developing students as readers for life, not just for a test. I respect that the author has endured the test-happy environment in the great state of Texas as a Language Arts teacher.

Miller shows an obvious interest in her students through her support of their interest-based reading. She challenges students to read 40 books in a school year. There is precious little talk of this kind from most pedagogues. It seems everywhere in education the dominant mindset is that students have to prove everything through skill-based activities and multiple choice tests and that we have to hold their hand and spoon-feed everything. Sadly, this is the lowest common denominator and has not improved society’s literacy at all. It’s as if, “If it ain’t on the test then it doesn’t exist.” Getting kids to love reading in this environment is rather like trying to get someone to savor the flavors, scents, and sights of a gourmet meal while the chef is quizzing them about their daily calorie intake.

I recognize that if I am to embrace this kind of approach, then my first step is to contend with my own life as a reader and step it up a few notches. I love non-fiction, and am a self-professed nerd when it comes to reading. I have my own “Miller Mountain” at home of books I want to read. I also like to write, blog and write songs. I primarily “read to learn,” read/write poetry, love philosophy, ancient mythology and stories that connect to the great mysteries of life. But mostly, I love to read non-fiction.


I love books like The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Malcolm Gladwell’s other books. I love Shannon Lee’s biography of her father, Bruce Lee, titled, Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee. It was a blend of philosophy, life wisdom, and biographical accounts.

I do want to connect my students with books they love too though, and in order to do that I need to be reading more of those books myself. I have to admit, she shamed me into reading more. My goal this year already was to read 25 books, which I think I will make this goal. But I set that goal before I read her book. To be a better language arts teacher, Donalyn convinced me I need to read more of the books my students will want to read, which I tend to avoid doing during my free time because it feels like “work.” So yesterday I pulled 4-5 titles from my classroom bookshelves that I want to read and who knows, I may make 40 books yet by December. I have convinced myself that it isn’t really “work” if I choose titles I am interested in. I hope I can convince my students of the same.



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Uranus and Mars conjunct North Node

I just ran across the work of Jessica Davidson while I was looking for good descriptions for Part of Fortune.  She has a wealth of great writing on her site at https://jessicadavidson.co.uk/.

I appreciate her insights and explanations on the current Uranus transit, which I am re-posting from her blog.

Jessica Davidson

Chaos is the theme for 2022 and it’s about to get even crazier as Uranus closes in on the north node over the coming weeks. They’ve been within orb since late April and Mars joins the party in July so we can expect a lot more volatility and churn. The disruption has been ongoing for a while but it builds in intensity into July and early August and then bubbles under for the rest of the year.

The conjunction between Uranus and the north node will become exact at 18° Taurus on 31 July and the Mars conjunction becomes exact on 1 August. These events may happen on the same day in your time zone. Mars will be conjunct Uranus and the north node by degree from 22 July to 15 August, while Uranus stays within a few degrees of the north node for the rest of the…

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