My wife is a 1st generation Persian-American, meaning her parents didn’t grow up with Christmas movies and dramas. So she missed out on a lot of traditional Christmas movies like “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snow Man,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” and, one of my favorites, “The Bishop’s Wife.” Even though, as a Muslim, I’m no longer enchanted by Christmas anymore, it was nice to re-discover some of these movies through older eyes, since I hadn’t seen a few in decades. I realized that most of them had themes that related to what’s often associated with Capricorn. Only fitting since Christmas happens during Capricorn season. Some were more obvious than others.
“The Bishop’s Wife,” speaks to that on a more subtle level, considering the leads are two Capricorn actors, Cary Grant and Loretta Young, in the original film. In the 1996 remake, “The Preacher’s Wife,” Dudley the angel is again played by Capricorn Denzel Washington. (It’s also noteworthy that the Capricorn angel’s assignment and foil, the Bishop/Preacher, were both played by Pisceans—David Niven in the original and Courtney Vance in the remake.
Capricorn Cary Grant (Dudley), Pisces David Niven (The Bishop), Capricorn Loretta Young (The Bishop’s wife)
As for shared themes, let’s skip the most obvious one that they all talk about remembering that it’s Jesus birthday. Not all of them do it, but enough do.
Here are FOUR lessons:
1. Life is precious, so don’t waste it being angry. This is clear in “Rudolph,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Santa Claus is coming to town,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” and several others. Life can be long, as only Saturn, Capricorn’s planetary patron, can attest. Most of the things you could feel inclined to be pissed off about have changed, even if you haven’t. And if those things or people haven’t changed and you haven’t changed, then being pissed off hasn’t worked either. So you might as well let that go. I guess Christmastime is as good a time as any.
2. Appreciate yourself and your gifts as precious and unique. The messages in the stop-animation movies are continually that it’s okay to be different and unique. Now that may seem more an Aquarian theme, admittedly, but I think it works with Capricorn as they share a planetary patron, Saturn. I also think that the lesson isn’t so much about the gift, but having responsibility for that gift. That’s all Cappy, baby. You can and do something about the gift. You only have to find your place for it. And finding your place could come from hard work and breaking away from the pack like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, or it might find you, like one Christmas eve when Santa comes to ask if you’ll lead his sleigh that night. But time and patience will render the perfect opportunity for you to share your gifts with the world.
3. Don’t confuse the essence of who you are with the way you narrate your story. Every single one of these dramas mess with time and plot on some level, whether it’s a time-traveling all in one night like Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,” the alternate universe of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” or the memory erase of Dudley the Angel in “The Bishop’s Wife.” Even the more modern tale, “A Christmas Story,” has the lead narrate a childhood story without revealing his present. True to form, the planet Saturn, also named Chronos–Father Time–teaches that time is a matter of perception. In fact, Capricorn shows us a trick of perception with time. There are some Capricorns (and folks, in general) who feel that time is something that must be constantly managed and controlled to achieve their destiny. Not saying they’re wrong, because sometimes that happens—they manage their microseconds and achieve everything they want. Other kinds of folks and Capricorns, have to live long enough (and even that doesn’t always have to be long) for life to find them and unfurls their destiny and fame, like Dr. King or Zora Neale Hurston in due time. We can believe that we’re masters of time, but it’s more our perception that makes time seem like it’s our servant. What we’re really focusing on, as these Christmas dramas remind us, is that we live by our essence, not the tick-tock of the clock or how we see our lives in chronological order. However, you project your essence, whether it’s like Scrooge to think that time’s money or the sum total of useless, nonsensical moments because you’re suicidal, like George Bailey, is up to you. But that may not be the real you. You can change your story and order of it to match your essence.
4. Know what you want and be ready to hold on to it. Christmas/Capricorn season rolls around to remind us what’s important, especially since a lot of our true desires get buried through the years, not just the year. I was most intrigued by this lesson in “The Bishop’s Wife.” SPOILER ALERT!, in case you’re like my wife and haven’t seen it: The Bishop almost comes to blows with Dudley the Angel over his wife. Dudley smiles, saying his work is done, even though he had indeed fallen for the Bishop’s wife and thus had almost fallen as an angel. (I suppose Dudley even had a stirring of his own desire too. Dudley reminds the Bishop that he had prayed for guidance, thinking what he truly desired was a cathedral. Dudley came to guide him toward his real desire: the love of his wife. It’s interesting because Dudley does this for every character in the film, getting them to tap into their true and deepest buried desires. Like those characters, once that desire surfaces, then it can fly and become our destiny, if we let it. Christmas is a time to tap into that. A precious time to unwrap our real gifts that have been wrapped so lovingly by the Cosmos and to cherish who and what matters most as the best way to be present.
And here are some horoscopes to contemplate the season as well:
Aries [March 21st to April 19th]
Taurus [April 20th to May 21st]
Gemini [May 22nd to June 20th]
Cancer [June 21st to July 21st]
Leo [July 22nd to Aug 21st]
Virgo [Aug 22nd to Sept 21st]
Scorpio [Oct 22nd to Nov 21st]
Sagittarius [Nov 22nd to Dec 21st]
Capricorn [Dec 22nd to Jan 20th]
Aquarius [Jan 21st to Feb 18th]
Pisces [Feb 18th to March 20th]
Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/life/zodiac-lounge-your-horoscopes-this-week-1223-1229#ixzz2oPGQoFKS
Follow us: @EbonyMag on Twitter | EbonyMag on Facebook
Practicing Astrologer 
On the wings of desire for the Lunar Eclipse for 4/25
April 26, 2013 — return2thesourceToday while watching a movie that leans heavily on a lunar eclipse as part of the plot, I thought about the one happening today. (I definitely watched it with a full heart as the director was my 1st roommate in grad school and our meeting changed my life. It was a dream come true for him…and me.)
I don’t like writing about eclipses in the general sense. Mostly because they never sound good, even when one attempts to spin them as good. I literally spent 5-10 minutes reading a colleague’s blog and thought why would anyone read this in his or her right mind unless s/he wanted to be scared shitless. Or worse, read it all just to think about the worst possible fiascos in what will most likely be distant lands. And then only have some remote smug satisfaction that an astrologer predicted wrack and ruin months ago based on eclipse. If that’s yay-worthy, I’ll pass.
Generally, eclipses sound much better when you talk about them in a specific chart, by a matter of degrees. Actually, they sound a lot better for individuals. When we apply them to nations, they can sound awesome or awful. And all that would really matter if more heads of state listened to astrologers…still. But as it stands, they don’t even listen to the scientists on their payrolls.
This lunar eclipse aligns with any astrological point, like your ascendant or midheaven, or a planet that’s close to 5-6 degrees of Scorpio or Taurus. You can think of an eclipse as an activation for all the issues, promises and problems for that particular point or planet. The “good” or “bad” of that point or planet depends on whether that point or planet is auspicious. (I know that’s not specific enough, but then again that’s the problem with writing about eclipses, as I said, right?) Truthfully, I can better deal with the implications for an eclipse in your own chart in a session. Please believe me though when I say I didn’t write this post to be a pitch for that. It’s the truth, nevertheless.
With this eclipse, my mind drifted with less interest about attempting to nail what particular events it might hold for the general public. Or Libras. Or even my sign, Scorpio. I thought a lot more about looser connections.
Having a lunar eclipse/full moon in Scorpio-Taurus, by virtue of those signs being ruled by Mars and Venus, respectively, highlights how we experience our desires. I think a lot about desire, if mostly because the word itself directly relates to my profession. Desire literally means de (of or from) + sidere (star). Or what comes from (or is of) a star.
Perhaps the old Romans were saying our desires come from or move us toward the stars. Take your pick. But there’s another way I wrap my head around this. Desire is certainly about what you want, but it’s also a lot about how you go about getting it. Desire stays afloat in our psyches with the wings of Mars & Venus and their flapping is what transports us to our own private heavens or hells. Desire is no small thing even when you desire something small. So that means that “power” isn’t the only thing that comes with responsibility. Your desires even requires more responsibility.
If you desire a Mercedes Benz, you can choose to steal one (if you know how) or you can buy one (if you have the means or a savings plan to do so). One way could land you in the hell of a jail cell and the other could put you in the vehicular heaven of smooth open highway without a care in the world or a cop car on your tail. It’s all about how you go about it.
It’s also about how you tap into where you desire comes from. If it comes a small place within yourself, then chances are this is the same small place you’re going to stay in until you find something larger or similarly small yet different. If it comes from something as bright and vast as your spirit, burning like a star within you, then your joy might burn just as bright and vast.
So, basically, I’m talking about how you experience heaven and hell on Earth, much like one of my favorite parables. But I’m also talking about being responsible for your desires, not only the way you go about them.
Every day I watch men look hard at women who pass them on the street with what looks like desire. Sometimes they say something. (Most times I wish they wouldn’t because it’s usually half-hearted and quickly becomes harassment.) Other times they just look. You know, the kind of lecherous look at the front and the back of a human being as if they’re appraising food. And I’m always struck by a question, “What does he really want in that moment?” I mean, it’s all “lust of the eyes” right there. But what’s being stoked in the heart, the classic seat of desire? Is it the habit of looking at “things” you’re never going to pursue? “Things” that you half-want, mostly couldn’t handle or keep up with if given a quarter of the chance? Is it all a nod to carnal desire to remind your body that it’s still alive? Or a pass to your ego to let you believe that you still are highly desirable because you looked, regardless of whether you really see or have been seen (in all your antiquated playa glory)? Or, to be fair, maybe these men are looking because they still have eyes and cherish the delight of flesh they see with them. Nonetheless, desire starts to flutter its wings and the question is still, “Where are you letting your desires take you?”
I’m still of the mind that if you’re in the habit of letting desire beat its wings willy-nilly and with no focus, you’ll find yourself nowhere or anywhere, like short stops at heaven or hell with no consistency. And for those women ogled by those men on the street, they have to beat off half-hearted angel-winged addresses that quickly turn batshit when not appreciated or well-received. So it’s amazing how so few men realize how they’ve made their desires flightless birds, without soar or spirit, by abusing them. Just the beating of inner wings and eyes with no heart fueling them. That’s one of the saddest parts.
But this isn’t a post about ending street harassment. Or to upbraid men. Maybe that’s another time. But let this eclipse be a reminder of how your desire is a portal to your own heaven or hell. Don’t abuse it. Treat your inner wings of desire with respect and responsibility. You can’t manifest anything of serious value without your wings of desire being strong and firm. When another flaps his or her wings your way recognize rightly the might or meekness of each flap. Treat it accordingly. If your own wings are stirred, then perhaps you will soar together. If not, keep beating your wings of desire from the heart, following your course, undeterred by those who can’t keep up. You have a heaven of your own choosing to reach.