Ursi's Eso Garden

Learn how to get your precise horoscope, decipher astrological symbols, and benefit from the phases of the moon with Astrology for Dummies, Second Edition.

You’ll learn how to construct your birth chart, interpret its component parts, and use that information to gain insight into yourself and others. With easy-to-follow, hands-on guidance, you’ll discover how to: Identify the signs of the zodiac Understand the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the rising sign, and the 12 houses Discover the rulers of the signs Map your own horoscope (or a friend’s) Use astrology in daily life Capture the heart of each sign of the zodiac, and more!

Astrology for Dummies, Second Edition demystifies astrological charts and uses plain English to show you how you can take advantage of the wisdom of the stars. Whether you’re looking to assess relationships, examine your potential, or make some basic decisions — like, when to go on a first date — Astrology for Dummies, Second Edition helps you discover how understanding your position in the cosmos illuminates the secret corners of the self, provides a key to understanding others, and even offers a glimpse into the future.

Modern Magick: Astrology For Dummies, 2nd Edition by By Rae Orion
For Dummies, 2007 | 408 Pages | PDF | 5 MB

Each of the then known planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, together with the Sun and the Moon, which were also regarded as planets) were believed to rotate round the earth, each within their separate spheres. Beyond this was the sphere of fixed stars and then the outermost sphere. This outer sphere is mentioned several times in the manuscript as the darkest heaven or crystalline sphere. From the sphere of fixed stars we see, to the right, the constellation of Ursa Major. The stars are shown as golden dots. Nujum al-'Ulum (Stars of Sciences): Narrowband version Broadband version Non-Shockwave version

Each of the seven planets is accorded attributes - including zodiacal signs and lunar mansions - representing the rotation of the sun and the moon round the earth. (Called nakshatra in India, the lunar mansions are 28 divisions of the sky, presumably selected as approximate ’Moon stations’ on successive nights.) The Sun (regarded as a planet), portrayed as a human figure with four hands sitting cross-legged on a throne. His face is surrounded by two nimbi, penetrated by two layers of rays. The two lower hands, with their palms turned outwards, rest upon the heads of two lions sitting on either side of the throne. (The Sun is often painted with one or two lions, Leo being the zodiacal sign associated with the Sun.) The two upper hands of the Sun are raised. The right holds a shell and the left a mace, both symbols of authority.

One of the many treasures from the Wellcome Library’s celebrated Asian Collections is a rare example of an astrological work entitled Nujum al-'Ulum 'Stars of Sciences'. The Wellcome manuscript is a fragment copied from an earlier work (dated AD 1575), which was probably commissioned by ‘Ali’ Adil Shah II of Bijapur in India. Among the illustrations in this text are representations of planets, some of which are shown as personifications. The planet Mercury, for example, is represented as a scribe. Particularly striking are the tiny miniatures, encapsulated in medallions, representing the thirty degrees of each of the zodiacal signs. Illustrated texts – such as the ‘Stars of Sciences’ – were produced as manuals that set out the cosmological order of the heavens and explained their astrological significance.

Check your love compatibility by Birthday & Astrology with the The Love Calculator .
Smart and simple enough for anyone.

There is one thing to note - the results given are not always entirely true, because there are much more factors to human behavior and relationships, other than his birthday, so you should use that result only as a guideline and not rely on it completely.

Grab a telescope, binoculars or just a lawn chair and head out to the backyard for a night of cosmic sightseeing. Our monthly stargazing guide keeps you informed about constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and events. Tonight's Sky - highlights of the July sky 2008. Note: All shows take place from the vantage of the Northern Hemisphere. Jupiter nears Earth, showing off its many moons!

God, does this bring back memories !

This album (original 2LP pressing) is mainly the work of Rick Holmes who wrote the text about the different zodiac signs, each sign being represented in a different track with Rick Holmes narrating over a background of funky spaced out jazz, produced by Cannonball and David Axelrod, the music is by Nat Adderley's sextet. The album was released in 1972 on Capitol Records, digital released May 2008.

It's a darkly brooding batch of funky jazz that shows a strong Miles Davis electric influence at points, thanks to Nat Adderley's spacey trumpet lines, Mike Deasy's trippy guitar, and George Duke's excellent keyboards! Other tracks are a bit more laidback, fitting the mood of their respective signs.

Really adventurous! Enjoy!

Rick Holmes, Narrator
Cannonball Adderley, Alto & Soprano sax
Nat Adderley, Cornet
Ernie Watts, Tenor sax, Flute, Tambourine
Mike Deasy, Guitar
George Duke, Fender electric piano
Walter Booker, String bass & Guitar
Roy Mac Curdy, Drums

Soul Zodiac: Introduction (03:01)
Soul Zodiac: Aries (04:54)
Soul Zodiac: Taurus Part 1 (06:41)
Soul Zodiac: Taurus Part 2 (07:01)
Soul Zodiac: Gemini (03:41)
Soul Zodiac: Cancer (02:44)
Soul Zodiac: Leo (02:57)
Soul Zodiac: Virgo (04:15)
Soul Zodiac: Libra (03:20)
Soul Zodiac: Scorpio (04:26)
Soul Zodiac: Sagittarius (05:17)
Soul Zodiac: Capricorn (06:10)
Soul Zodiac: Aquarius (07:54)
Soul Zodiac: Pisces (03:56)

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This excerpt from 'A Pale Blue Dot' was inspired by an image taken, at Sagan's suggestion, by Voyager 1 on February 14, 1990. As the spacecraft left our planetary neighborhood for the fringes of the solar system, engineers turned it around for one last look at its home planet. Voyager 1 was about 6.4 billion kilometers (4 billion miles) away, and approximately 32 degrees above the ecliptic plane, when it captured this portrait of our world.

Adapted from the Carl Sagan's book 'Pale Blue Dot: A vision of the human future in Space'.


What thoughts, what wonderful words by Carl Sagan!



"Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."

"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds."

"Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."

"The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand."

"It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

-- Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994


Want more? OK.

Some time before he died in 1996, Carl Sagan recorded a partial audio version of his 1994 book "Pale Blue Dot", often described as the "sequel" to Cosmos. This video is "episode one" of an unauthorized attempt at producing a series of videos based on Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot" audio book combined with a soundtrack and appropriate video and still images intended to recall the feel of the classic documentary series "Ascent of Man" and "Cosmos".

It's an unofficial film version of chapter one by Lang Kasranov. In his blog, he said last September: "I wanted to advise everyone that PBD Episode Two is indeed coming."
Well - hopefully soon ...

Let me say, it it is a fantastic documentary worthy of PBS and a moving and fitting tribute to Carl Sagan.

Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan - Episode 1: "Wanderers"
Runtime: 40 minutes




You may also like:
The Carl Sagan Portal

In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice the young Lorenzo woos his sweetheart with talk of the stars:

"There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st
But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it."

This is the music of the spheres - the idea that the stars and planets as they travel through space make beautiful music together.




The music of the spheres played out of the classical world, through the medieval period and into the Renaissance. It affords us a glimpse into minds for whom the universe was full of meaning, of strange correspondences and grand harmonies.

Melvyn Bragg considers the celestial harmonies of the planets, a Pythagorean concept which fascinated astrologists, artists and mathematicians for centuries.
He is joined by:

• Peter Forshaw, Postdoctoral Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London
  
• Jim Bennett, Director of the Museum of the History of Science at the University of Oxford
  
• Angela Voss, Director of the Cultural Study of Cosmology and Divination at the University of Kent, Canterbury

Listen to this programme in full here (42 minutes):



Broadcast was on 19 June 2008 at BBC 4, 'In Our Time'.
Also available for RealPlayer.


You may also like:
Skyscript:
Kepler and the Music of the Spheres
Geometry in Art & Architecture, Unit 3 - Paul Calter:
Pythagoras & Music of the Spheres
Essay by Angela Voss on The Music of the Spheres:
Ficino and Renaissance Harmonia
Sacerd Texts:
The Pythagorean Theory of Music and Color
An astronomical approach to the Music of the Spheres by Greg Fox:
Carmen of the Spheres
Google Books:
The Music of the Spheres: Music, Science, and the Natural Order of the Universe by Jamie James.



Click the picture for a larger view

These are the duration in seconds of our star’s planets (and Pluto):
Mercury: 0.453028141, 0.906056282, 1.812112564, 3.624225128, 7.248450256, 14.49690051
Venus: 0.578586448, 1.157172895, 2.314345791, 4.628691582, 9.257383163, 18.51476633
Earth: 0.470244884, 0.940489769, 1.880979538, 3.761959076, 7.523918152, 15.0478363
Mars: 0.442216873, 0.884433746, 1.768867493, 3.537734985, 7.075469971, 14.15093994
Jupiter: 0.697366839, 1.394733678, 2.789467356, 5.578934712, 11.15786942, 22.31573885
Saturn: 0.432755629, 0.865511258, 1.731022516, 3.462045032, 6.924090064, 13.84818013
Uranus: 0.617729291, 1.235458581, 2.470917163, 4.941834326, 9.883668652, 19.7673373
Neptune: 0.605743574, 1.211487148, 2.422974297, 4.845948594, 9.691897187, 19.38379437
Pluto: 0.455707172, 0.911414343, 1.822828687, 3.645657373, 7.291314746, 14.58262949

And in hertz (cycles per second):
Mercury: 2260.345235, 1130.172618, 565.0863088, 282.5431544, 141.2715772, 70.6357886
Venus: 3539.6612, 1769.8306, 884.9153001, 442.45765, 221.228825, 110.6144125
Earth: 2177.588813, 1088.794407, 544.3972033, 272.1986017, 136.0993008, 68.04965042
Mars: 2315.605899, 1157.802949, 578.9014747, 289.4507373, 144.7253687, 72.36268433
Jupiter: 2936.761379, 1468.38069, 734.1903448, 367.0951724, 183.5475862, 91.7737931
Saturn: 2366.231498, 1183.115749, 591.5578744, 295.7789372, 147.8894686, 73.9447343
Uranus: 3315.368124, 1657.684062, 828.8420311, 414.4210156, 207.2105078, 103.6052539
Neptune: 3380.968593, 1690.484297, 845.2421483, 422.6210742, 211.3105371, 105.6552685
Pluto: 2247.057022, 1123.528511, 561.7642555, 280.8821277, 140.4410639, 70.22053193

In 2006, Greg Fox took the above orbital periods and divided them until their frequencies fell within the human acoustic range. This gave him six octaves of "planetary notes" for each planet. He called the resulting "music": "Carmen of the Spheres". It can be heard here or click the link above.

Greg Fox' "Carmen of the Spheres"
for nine sine waves totalling 64 minutes 12.246 seconds for stereo speakers.




The Mundane Monochord With Its Proportions And Intervals
from Fludd's De Musica Mundana:

Sometimes you just can't believe your eyes. Today is one of those days!

On Wednesday night, June 18th, step outside at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant form rising in the east. At first glance it looks like the full Moon. It has craters and seas and the face of a man, but this "moon" is strangely inflated. It's huge!

You've just experienced the Moon Illusion.

There's no better time to see it. The full Moon of June 18th is a "solstice moon", coming only two days before the beginning of northern summer. This is significant because the sun and full Moon are like kids on a see-saw; when one is high, the other is low. This week's high solstice sun gives us a low, horizon-hugging Moon and a strong Moon Illusion.



The full moon rising over Manchester, Maryland. Credit: Edmund E. Kasaitis.

Sky watchers have known for thousands of years that low-hanging moons look unnaturally big. At first, astronomers thought the atmosphere must be magnifying the Moon near the horizon, but cameras showed that is not the case. Moons on film are the same size regardless of elevation. Apparently, only human beings see giant moons.

Are we crazy?

After all these years, scientists still aren't sure. When you look at the Moon, rays of moonlight converge and form an image about 0.15 mm wide on the retina in the back of your eye. High moons and low moons make the same sized spot, yet the brain insists one is bigger than the other. Go figure.

A similar illusion was discovered in 1913 by Mario Ponzo, who drew two identical bars across a pair of converging lines, like the railroad tracks pictured right. The upper yellow bar looks wider because it spans a greater apparent distance between the rails. This is the "Ponzo Illusion" (picture right).

Some researchers believe that the Moon Illusion is Ponzo's Illusion, with trees and houses playing the role of Ponzo's converging lines. Foreground objects trick your brain into thinking the Moon is bigger than it really is.

But there's a problem: Airline pilots flying at very high altitudes sometimes experience the Moon Illusion without any objects in the foreground. What tricks their eyes?

Maybe it's the shape of the sky. Humans perceive the sky as a flattened dome, with the zenith nearby and the horizon far away. It makes sense; birds flying overhead are closer than birds on the horizon. When the moon is near the horizon, your brain, trained by watching birds (and clouds and airplanes), miscalculates the Moon's true distance and size.

There are other explanations, too. It doesn't matter which is correct, though, if all you want to do is see a big beautiful Moon. The best time to look is around moonrise, when the Moon is peeking through trees and houses or over mountain ridges. The table below (scroll down) lists rise times for selected US cities.

A fun activity: Look at the Moon directly and then through a narrow opening of some kind. For example, 'pinch' the moon between your thumb and forefinger or view it through a cardboard tube, which hides the foreground terrain. Can you make the optical illusion vanish?

Stop that! You won't want to miss the Moon Illusion.


See also:

The Moon Illusion Explained
The Moon Illusion is caused by oculomotor micropsia/macropsia.
The Moon Illusion: An Unsolved Mystery
A nice overview of the Moon Illusion and its possible causes.
Experiment in Perception: The Ponzo Illusion and the Moon.
Explaining the moon illusion
From the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


Source: Science@NASA by Dr. Tony Phillips.

"In constructing their system of nature, the ancient Astronomers constituted it of the Earth, the Firmament, the Planets, the Constellations and the Zodiac, and we will refer to them in the order named."

Description: Primary religion, which is popularly known as Paganism, was founded in the worship of personified nature; that, according special homage to the imaginary genii of the stars, and inculcating supreme adoration to the divinity supposed to reside in the sun, it was anciently known by the general name of Astrolatry, and by the more specific one of solar worship; and that its founders, arrogating to themselves the title of Astrologers, gave to its dogmatic element the name of Astrology.

Astral Worship by J.H. Hill
Nuvision Publications, 2007 (original 1895) | PDF | 75 pages | 1.0 MB

Also available at Project Gutenberg.

Eye Candy!

Choose "full" at the lower right corner and ENJOY!
Go back with "esc".

Grab a telescope, binoculars or just a lawn chair and head out to the backyard for a night of cosmic sightseeing. Our monthly stargazing guide keeps you informed about constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and events. Tonight's Sky - highlights of the June sky 2008. The Summer Solstice heralds the change in seasons.

Explore your own special universe of style by scoping out your best fashion looks by sign. With a little help from the stars you can gain insight into your fashion consciousness and get a better understanding of just what suits you.



Aries: A child in your fashion heart, you are drawn to and look outstanding in primary colors - especially red. Not one to like to dress up, you'll catch someone's eye in lean but comfy jean styles and athletic inspired tops. Run with the season's most colorful sneakers - collect them for constant compliments!

Taurus: You tend to pass up a trendy look for something much more down to earth. Vintage inspired or classic separates in fashion's latest shades of brown and green look stellar on you. Generally one to wait for sales, this year's most helpful fashion tip for you may be, "If you like it, buy it - now!"

Gemini: It's hard to pin you down to one characteristic look, except that you're noticeably big on variety and hip to trends. Matched outfits make you squirm as Gemini's are typically born with good fashion instincts that allow for lots of mixing and matching. Oh, and lets talk about how soft yellows, blues and greens look absolutely yummy on you.

Cancer: You tend to let your clothes speak for your soft, sensitive inner nature. You work hard to find just the right pieces that match how you feel on the inside with how you look on the outside. Shell and pearly shades of white, gray and silvery blue do wonders for you. And with that Cancer bod that just doesn't quit, show it off, at least occasionally, with soft, clingy or body skimming things.

Leo: Like the sun, you're brighter and hotter than anyone else in your orbit. That charisma means you can wear daring, flashy and shiny, sexy things that would look desperate on any other sign but yours. There's usually room for gold - even if it's just your watch - with almost every outfit. Yellow, orange, red and green bring out the be(a)st in you.

Virgo: Where there's a mirror, there's a Virgo. Always well-dressed and perfectly pulled together, you're constantly catching your reflection, to make sure every thing is still in its place. You tend to dress in classic monochromatics with a hint of retro detail. You feel silly in anything too trendy or bright, but do try to wake up your outfits by adding a hint of yellow-y green or something that's pastel.

Libra: You have a knack for knowing just what to wear anywhere. You'll shop till you drop to find the best outfit - that's safe - to avoid any fashion mistakes. You're happiest when the whole look is by the same designer or label, because you know it's a match. Get a little more daring with bold, compelling accessories - to balance out the "safeness" of your looks.

Scorpio: You're the zodiac's hot prospect, few possess your magnetism and your quest for power even when it comes down to what you wear. Tailored and powerful, or mysteriously sexy and boyish is the look you like best. There's something so magical about deep burgundy or maroon on a Scorpio - it plays up your intensity.

Sagittarius: Always in a rush, look for clothes that are no-fuss. Not just anything will do for you - you've got high standards - even if you do tend to under dress for every occasion. And no-fuss is probably the best look for you, as no matter how together you are when you walk out the door, by the end of the day you're always comfortably askew. Wear blues, purple or white.

Capricorn: You'll easily resist clothes that are inexpensive and trendy in favor of dollar-heavy, label conscious pieces you can wear for years. You like to dress rich and smart, with a sort of "Royal Family" look - cashmere's, khakis with valuable hand-me-down heirloom accessories. Take your wardrobe up a notch by buying into at least one new trend, in one of those deep rich tones you look so good in.

Aquarius: You have the most original sense of style in the zodiac. You just seem to draw whatever's hot, quirky and fun to wear into your eclectic wardrobe without a second thought. Just be careful that you don't end up the fashion victim by overdoing the trends. Whatever you wear, you'll look out-of-this-world in sky blue, electric blue and turquoise.

Pisces: Glamour, romance and a touch of sentimental drama are your preferred sense of style. You like to dress to fit your mood and are easiest to spot, and usually at your best, in baby blues, barely there pinks and greens, in soft or flowy fabrics. Stay away from attention-grabbing shoes and choose comfort over style, if your feet are typically sensitive and Pisces-sized!


Source: California Psychics

... may WE all be inspired to walk gently in this world
with passion and permission to shine ...

Grab a telescope, binoculars or just a lawn chair and head out to the backyard for a night of cosmic sightseeing. Our monthly stargazing guide keeps you informed about constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and events. Tonight's Sky - highlights of the May sky 2008. The Virgo Cluster of galaxies makes its spring appearance.

Eye Candy!

From Aries to Pisces: Click the picture below to see all the Zodiac Signs.




Source: Zodiac series by Aleksandr.