Audio above is a short edition podcast. The new music is by Yasa, my musical collaborator who also composed the theme for the 2012 Spring Report, which is now available.
Today is Monday, March 12. Mercury stations retrograde in fiery Aries at 3:48 am EDT (did the time change catch you off-guard this year, too?) The Sun is in late-Pisces for this event, which means we’re nearing the end of the zodiacal year and about to begin a new season. The Moon in Scorpio is giving a deep, emotional tone to today’s proceedings, so keep your finger on the pulse of those currents. There are a few planets giving us a little extra something to watch during this Mercury station, so your awareness of your emotions will serve you well.
First, some general housekeeping regarding how to handle a Mercury retrograde to best effect. Even if you’re familiar with the basics, a quick refresher can be just the thing to keep your day (or next few weeks) on an even keel. This is especially true because Mercury is stationing retrograde close to Uranus in early Aries, and will be passing by the Cosmic Light Socket again soon.
This could take shape in your life (that is, your mind — Mercury is the planet of mind) as a distraction of some sort. In fact, if you find yourself coming up with some surprisingly brilliant idea in the next few days, consider tucking it away for a few weeks – or perhaps try a smaller-scale version of it if you just can’t wait. The voltage could be a little high on the full-scale version now. If you read the Daily Astrology last week, you may recall the note that great ideas often come in layers with regard to Mercury conjunct Uranus, which will have three exact contacts by the end of the whole retrograde process. It’s a great opportunity to build on or fine-tune what you’ve come up with.
Beyond that, remember that communication – and your perception of communication – can be compromised in these weeks. Listen carefully; don’t assume someone got your email or that you’re interpreting the tone of another’s email accurately; be mindful and check in rather than assume anything.
Mercury also relates to travel. So, double-check your reservations, ticket dates and times, and your route before you leave the house. Give yourself a bigger cushion of time than usual to get anywhere, and be familiar with alternate routes before you actually need them. Chances are you won’t, but the peace of mind it gives can allow you to focus on what’s at hand.
If something seems broken, especially if it’s electronic, hold off on rushing out to fix or replace it. For one thing, it might not really be broken. For another, making large purchases, especially of the electronic variety, can often result in owning an object that doesn’t work how you’d like it to, or that you don’t really need or like, and subsequently never use. This is another area where the impulsiveness of Uranus in proximity to Mercury is something to keep an eye on: the impulse purchase.
Mercury is also square an asteroid (Ophelia) and opposite another (Pandora) at the time of its station today. Ophelia’s presence suggests being aware of overreaction; Pandora could mean unexpected consequences or getting ‘more than you bargained for’. You can see how these ideas relate to the Mercury-Uranus energy with its impulsive ideas, as well as the purchasing advice. On a more fundamental and widely applicable level, the message is to remember that you always have the choice to size up a situation and respond in a way that’s actually appropriate. It just means slowing your mind down enough to do the sizing up.
Oh, and just because you can hear the radio through your phone, it doesn’t mean the CIA is spying on you; or that you can only listen to the radio through your phone – or need to buy a new one. Just stay mindful of your reactions and ideas, and you’ll be fine.
Fe: Thank you for the time, acute perception and hard work you put into the disambiguation of HR347. The second link (from Eric) does contain a PDF of the actual text of the act. It’s only two pages and the second page is where the more debatable details are.
There is quite a bit of push back from the comments on that Daily Kos diary, and on others on the same topic. Here are comments from the other side of the law — mostly from the legal experts over at Daily Kos:
_______________________________________
“HR 347? – “Once signed, HR 347 will empower federal agents to arrest and bring felony criminal charges against citizens engaged in political protests anywhere in the USA.”
You neither link nor attribute that quotation; who wrote it?
I’ll tell you where that quote isn’t from: It’s not from the text of the bill itself, which only applies to people under Secret Service protection, the buildings they’re in, the White House and Naval Observatory, and other very narrowly-defined events.
Moreover, the bill doesn’t criminalize anything that you couldn’t already be arrested and charged for; it applies only to people who are knowingly in a place the Secret Service has cordoned off, who obstruct the entry or exit of Secret Service-protected people from a building, or who intentionally obstruct official government business. Exactly none of those things were legal before this bill was passed. The hyperventilation over this bill is absolutely ridiculous.
by JamesGG on Fri Mar 09, 2012 at 08:50:43 AM PST
_________________________________
Read the comments to this diary. That diary, too, blatantly overstated the effect of the law. Look at the old law, and the new law, and especially see the comments by Adam, Geek, and me.
The legislation just tightens up loopholes in prior law and streamlines language. Under this, JUST AS BEFORE, you can’t:
1. Knowingly breach security restricted areas (narrowly defined under the statute — like White House grounds) and knowingly stay after being asked to leave the security restricted areas;
2. Conduct gatherings around security restricted areas with the knowledge and intent of disrupting the orderly functioning of government; or
3. Block access to security-restricted areas with the knowledge and intent of disrupting the orderly functioning of government.
This is an amendment to prior law that makes the same kind of conduct illegal as was illegal before. This is what is illegal: (1) breaching security barriers; (2) intentionally trying to use a protest to stop the government from functioning. Same kind of conduct that was illegal before.
This in no way, shape, or form “makes protests a felony.” That’s just wrong. As long as you don’t breach security areas, or try to shut down government, protest as loudly, as often, and as fervently as you like.
by coffeetalk on Fri Mar 09, 2012 at 08:54:57 AM PST
______________________________________________
Sorry, but this bill *is* pretty innocuous as suggested by the fact that only loonies like Justin Amash and Paul Broun joined Ron Paul in opposing it in the House.
I looked at it closely when the controversy first arose and addressed it here.
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2012/02/why-did-the-house-just-vote-399-3-to-ban-all-protest/
It’s a little disconcerting, but nowhere near what its critics suggest.
I don’t mind raising awareness in general, but given the big fights we do need to have about 1st Amendment rights, this seems like a distraction. (I don’t blame you for writing the diary; I realize that it’s all over the Internet right now.)
by Seneca Doane on Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 09:59:13 AM PST
______________________________________________
* [new] If (3+ / 0-)
you protest the Inauguration you can now be arrested.
Seems clear to me.
by Crazy like a fox on Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 08:06:24 AM PST
__________________
* [new] It’s not only not clear; that’s false. (5+ / 0-)
Read the bill:
Sec. 1752. Restricted building or grounds
`(a) Whoever–
`(1) knowingly enters or remains in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do so;
`(2) knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engages in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions;
`(3) knowingly, and with the intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, obstructs or impedes ingress or egress to or from any restricted building or grounds; or
`(4) knowingly engages in any act of physical violence against any person or property in any restricted building or grounds;
posted by AdamB
___________________________________________
* [new] Squishy language (10+ / 0-)
that can easily be abused and you know it, Adam. And it will be abused. Look at the f’ing timing of this. HR 347, however, scrapped the “willfully,” which essentially now renders it a crime to remain in a restricted area, even if you do not know that it’s illegal for you to be there.
http://www.salon.com/…
God, I hate when people use their so called authority to act as apologists for the erosion of our rights when they are fully aware of the abuses going right now.
Well, in every case that goes to court, there is a winning lawyer and a losing lawyer, so not all of them are right in their opinions and interpretations.
by joanneleon on Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 10:36:18 AM PST
___________________________________
* [new] Yes, let’s look at the timing (4+ / 0-)
The bill was introduced in January 2011 – months before OWS had ever been heard of.
http://thomas.loc.gov/…
Let’s perhaps consider that the timing may well be due to the fact this President has received a record breaking number of threats; and up until this bill it was no more than a local mis-demeanor to intrude into the White House grounds, the White House itself, or the VP’s residence.
by Catte Nappe on Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 11:03:41 AM PST
___________________________________
* [new] that was criminalized under the old statute… (5+ / 0-)
if they wanted to fix that, all they had to do was remove the section that said:
(d) None of the laws of the United States or of the several States and the District of Columbia shall be superseded by this section.
that would have fixed every one of the objections that you just raised (and indeed those raised by the author of the bill). there must have been some reason why they decided to perform a larger overhaul on the text.
by joe shikspack on Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 11:16:20 AM PST
____________________________________
* [new] As I understand it (0+ / 0-)
The main overhaul was to remove the “temporary”, enabling the same provisions to apply to the permanent residences.
where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting;
by Catte Nappe on Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 11:42:17 AM PST
____________________________
* [new] so then why not just excise that one word? (3+ / 0-)
why the wholesale overhaul of the language if excising that one word would have done the job?
by joe shikspack on Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 11:46:38 AM PST
_____________________________________
* [new] It wasn’t exactly “wholesale” (0+ / 0-)
“Willingly” got dropped. I’m not sure much else was altered at all. Has anybody set the two texts side by side and compared word for word, I wonder?
by Catte Nappe on Wed Mar 07, 2012 at 12:17:29 PM PST
Thank you also for showing a new generation what a Mercury dime looked like. They used to make such a delightful sound when they hit the floor of the candy store.
Thank you for the timely refresher on Mercury retrograde protocol.
Amanda and Eric: Special thanks for alert and links regarding HR 347 (with access to an actual copy of this insidious legislation). The weight on the collective chest is really getting heavy.
Here is the Nation of Change account of this —
http://www.nationofchange.org/hr-347-s-1794-aka-trespass-bill-2011-criminalizes-protest-1331140068
was this lost in the mercury storm?
this was published on Daily Kos on Friday:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/09/1072755/-Making-protesting-a-felony
And according to MetaFilter, Obama did in fact sign it into law:
http://www.metafilter.com/113767/President-Obama-signs-HR-347-AntiTrespass-bill
yesterday i picked up my old (as in, 12-14 years old) cordless digital phone (landline) and pressed the button… but no dial tone. every once in a while it will do this, and if i press the off & on buttons a couple times, it comes on and is find for many months again. yesterday, the dial tone never came, no matter how much button-pressing. today it happened again, then gave me a moment of dial tone, so i tried it again, and no more dial tone.
🙂
i have a second phone, so i’ll be waiting a few weeks to see if it comes back. i like the phone, and though i know they don’t last forever, i’m hoping this is just a temporary mercury-station glitch.
I do volunteer work driving people to appointments…
thanks for the heads up !