The Dawn Of A New Day
One of the main tenets of Tibetan Buddhism is to die before you die. In a culture that is obsessed with not only youth, but immortality, everything that is related to the organic process of vegetation, and dying is held at bay for as long as we can. Our fear of getting older and death has no doubt led to the arrested development of the species. But this post isn’t about the world at large—it’s about me.
Last week, I was, well, attacked on my radio show and while I have had flamers and defamers every now and then, this event was different. It was like a virus. It came in through the back door, which is what viruses do. They distract the corporeal form with some sort of viral noise, something that has to be attended to, then, while the virus is being addressed and dealt with, through the back door, something else is introduced. It’s a genetic sleight-of-hand that’s based on distraction. This is what happened to me last Monday.
I was at the end of what was a very successful show and I took a call with about ten minutes left. The caller came in, and asked me about doing a reading for him around the timing of following his life passion, which was opening a vinyl, record store. I should have known better. His story about being a trampoline repairman seemed odd, but I’ve had some strange jobs, so I soldiered on through the reading, doing my best to give sound advice based on the chart given to me and after I had delivered what I thought was logical council, he turned on me and told me that he had given me the chart of the producer of the Howard Stern Show, Gary Del Abate aka Baba Booey.
I told him that I read the chart and that I didn’t claim to be psychic and then he attacked, frothing, and cursing. There’s a reason why they call it cursing as I felt slightly paralyzed in the moments and days after the event. I began to question what I do and whether or not is/was valid. Was I just another pretender in Holden Caulfield’s parade of phonies? I was questioning my purpose, this in spite of the fact that I have been a very successful astrologer, having done close to over 1200 readings over the past eight years.
There’s been loons and goons that have called in and I’ve flushed them as easily as yesterdays news, why did this particular caller sting me? The answer was simple; my heart was open and my guard was down. When I go into the space of service I lay down my shields and open a channel to myself, and the other. This is what happened last Monday.
Since Jupiter is moving forward towards Uranus in my chart, in my 9th House, getting ready to trine my natal Jupiter in Sag in my first, I’ve been stretching, bending, widening the open heart space as I am convinced that this is the only place of refuge and paradoxically strength for the remaining humans on the planet. This commitment was obviously, seriously, tested. It also spoke to the individual power of the eclipse and the Pluto/Uranus square. Eclipse energies aren’t always felt in the immediate, the now, but days and even weeks after the event, the energies manifest and rise.
A PERSONAL LESSON
Zooming out a bit, well quite a bit from a much more objective space, transiting Mercury was on my South Node in Pisces, which BTW is also on my IC. My South Node and IC is where I do my Piscean work, which is right here in my home. The energy and transmission is broadcast through my NN in Virgo conjunct my MC, also at 15. It collided and colluded with transiting Chiron at 18 also conjunct my IC by three degrees. It was and is the most vulnerable area and time in my chart. While I was busy engaging the world through my Virgoan reach, the virus slipped through the backdoor and for a few days, hacked my faith. But it also did something even more important, it caused me to look at my work and re-assess it. Was I being as effective, dedicated and committed to what I have set out in the ziggurat of this mirrored matrix? Was I living up to my commitments with character and integrity. It was, as they say, a reality check.
Ironically enough, the birth date that the caller used was that of Gary Del’Abate more commonly known as “Baba Booey” producer of the Howard Stern show. Del’Abate is a Pisces, born 3/14/61, his Sun is at 23 degrees, the same degree as my mother’s Piscean Sun.
I’m not going to unwind this thing into some weird Oedipal trip, but there’s always been this sense that my mother wanted some other type of son, one that she could brag about in sound bites to her friends at church and the symphony club. What I do isn’t easy or that explainable to people on a casual level, especially relative strangers in the context of maiden America, keepers of the old dream. I can only imagine how this might be a real challenge for her.
In any case, there are no accidents, even a caller posing as a person in need, then opening cannon fire at close range (I had to drop the Piscean pirate metaphor in here).
I was playing with the Sabian Symbols as it related to this event and here is what I rose to the surface as I engaged with Lynda Hill’s handy, Sabian Symbol Oracle: AN EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE DRAWS A LARGE CROWD
”This degree shows the ability, and the necessity, of being able to rise up after difficulties in one’s life, somewhat like the Phoenix rising from the ashes. One needs to maintain hope and draw together with others who share a sense of faith in the future and in community and the goodness of life. There will be times of spiritual rebirth where you can rise above the failings of the past into new beginnings. Coming out of doubt and despair can lead to a new sense of love, faith and compassion. Join with others in a spirit of joy. There’s a need for unwavering faith in communal spiritual values. Performing deeds with reverence. Communal expressions of faith. Peace rallies. Revivals. The need for faith in a bright future. Devotion. Worship. The phoenix rising from the ashes. “
I thought it was pretty apropos in the context of what I had just experienced, especially as we approach Oestre and the season of re-birth, always one of my favorite times on the planet. What I got out of this was a re-dedication to my craft, art and service through not just astrology, but other channels as well. We’re at a time right now where we’re playing for keeps on Earth. Ever since 9/11/01 we have been inducted into an occult firmament of symbolic assault, proxy wars and the overall degradation of all life forms on this planet, not just the bi-peds who are convinced that they are at the top of the food chain. So instead of crawling back into my Cancerian shell protecting the entry of my 8th House, I did something quite different and relatively conscious which I will share later today on my show.
So thank you pirate caller, agent of chaos, the virus that crawled through the airwaves and became a worm in my Piscean sanctuary. Thank you. You’ve helped me dance with my shadow and emerge emboldened and ready for this next phase/seven-year-cycle which began back in 2008, the genesis of this blog and work. My dedication is even deeper.
For everyone that sent me emails, texts and Skype messages of support, thanks. It means a great deal.
14 thoughts on “When Rogue Vermin Become Spiritual Teachers And Rebirth In The Season Of The Ram”
Thanks for sharing, and as someone that received a reading from you, now nearly two years ago ( next week), as i was returning from Konya from a solar return map change, my pennies worth says -you pretty darn good astrologer, so use the intensity, as you seem to be doing already, to jump a level. ( Run-on sentences are a fault inherited from granpa, paternal side ).
Yup, it seems to be a dance on the way to a Tango, this keeping the Heart open and vulnerable as a path of growth and yet the Pericardium, which is the fascia sheath around the Heart active, so as to be non-fragile, vulnerable and non-fragile Tango. No doubt as most of the readers know, the meridian in chinese medicine for the pericardium ( also known as circulation/sex meridian ) runs from the middle finger of both hands, can be used as mudra, part of Buddha Palm practice, by connecting the fleshy part of the thumb to the base of finger-nail of middle finger, or in case of emergency, with Heart open, raising the fingers in the more western manner, as an invitation -to one’s self naturally- to enter the Heart-Pericardium Tango= Vulnerability/non-Fragility Tango.
Cheerful Love, Grizzlybear Hug, unuk
Thank you Baba.
Dear, dear Robert, Your open vulnerability was the true key to successfully meeting the viscous, dark, silly, hateful, fraudulent, dishonest, & fear ridden attack upon you. I read your astrological/spiritual reasoning as to how this has assisted you in your own growth and understanding. This is good and, perhaps he did assist you in facing ‘the outer’ manifestation of some inner promptings that have been growing within you. So, I agree that you used this hate-filled encounter for your own inner growth and that perhaps arrived in your life at the exact moment when you were able to grow through this encounter. None the less, you could have learned this in many ways & most likely, the ‘lesson’ was quietly murmuring to you & in you & you already knew what was true and required. So, let us not give this sad little man too much attention…sometimes a cigar is just a cigar & sometimes an ass is just an ass. The beauty is that you can be open to the hate that is so often just waiting to spew that which they can no longer bear to hold within them selves. You did him a great service of expressing vulnerability, non-aggression and accepting his hate filled message with little resistance. This is love. Perhaps, he learned that he is not what he ‘spewed’ in self hate, but is a loved & loving being. We send him our love…and I do love you, what you are doing, how you are growing, changing & accepting what ever LIFE requires…that damn Life Path thing, again! You have the courage that is required to find and teach the truth. Carry on, my dear man.
The damn life path thing . . . Thanks MK. <3
Yes, that wasn’t your fault, and it wasn’t fair. He didn’t give you his own chart and his own real problem or problems/questions. He wasn’t sincere or authentic. He wasn’t trying to learn anything. It was a trick. Maybe he was trying to justify his own preconceptions. Whatever it was, nothing you could have said would have been right, unless you knew the full situation.
And these occurrences are always traumatic – when we are ambushed, tricked, or betrayed. It is an encounter with evil, with a lie of some kind, a deception, and we are the victim of it. I can only imagine how heightened this is when the whole thing takes place on “live” radio — especially when you least expect it and have been hosting a wonderful show with many sincere people listening and calling in…
Thanks Catherine.
Thank you for sharing this huge but heart rending lesson. And for showing us a deeper truth so we can learn without having to also endure a rabbit punch (rabid punch?) to the solar plexus. The last time I inserted a comment was the story of your son playing baseball also a compassionate story and not without pathos.
Anyways this story made me realize now is the time to get a reading from you. Something I have been thinking about for some time.
I’m looking forward to that. I know I will be in good hands.
Best regards, Jim
I really don’t understand the problem. You responded based on the information he gave you which is all you can ever do when doing a phone chart reading. He was the fraud, not you, and he was using the sleazy tactics typical of HS to evoke a knee-jerk reaction from you. That’s no reason to make you question yourself or your work. Just another scumbag along the road. Rise above it and move on. You’re better than that.
Yup.
Hi, I’m only an occasional listener to your show but i was listening when “Steve who fixes trampolines” (lol you could think they could come up with a better fib than that!) attacked you on air. He wouldn’t even let you get a word in, he just wanted to yell. You handled it with calm and grace Robert, congratulations. As you so succinctly put it, astrologers are not psychics and you are just going by the information that was given to you.
If I may ask, what is your opinion of esoteric astrology as formulated by Alice Bailey? The varied signs and the stairstep initiations of evolving consciousness?? I know she was affiliated with the dark side but it appears this system of astrology is correct? A little research told me that this system of astrology goes back before her time, to the Hindu religion and gnostics. Mundane astrology is only part of the puzzle, as you know we need to engage the soul. :^)
What do they say in showbiz, any publicity is good publicity!!
Totally agree. LOL.
I’m sorry Robert – you must have been shaking inside yourself – you and your big heart out there in the world, so much courage is needed
Dear Robert, I understand how you may have lost your balance a bit with that caller. I would have too most likely as would most people when hit by a sucker punch . Similar situations have occurred in my life as an astrologer/tarot reader. OK. The guy was actually envious of you in some way, maybe you impressed him with some demonstration of your divining skill or astro synchronization so he decided to infringe upon your generosity of spirit, Sag rising self. Or something to that effect?
The type of person who play this game, in its many forms, are generally lacking or unaware of their own internal power source and thus tend to attack /provoke others to feel like a “winner” , an “alpha”. Its a form of psychic vamparism where the zombie is feeding himself on whatever negative emotions or responses his attacks create. Astrologically, I would say the guy is Mars /Pluto dysfunctional , probably both by sign and aspect . He’s the one who is abused by his boss, comes home and kicks his cat, or whatever!
But the good word is that YOU obviously have a super functioning Mars, the planet that rules physical and psychic defense.. And while you quickly recovered and were made stronger by the situation , the cat kicker is down in his mom’s basement wishing he had his own radio show a la Howard Stern.
Robert,
one of my biggest lessons in life also had to do with an open heart. At a peak in my experience I had a full blown open heart. It was great…everything was very synchronistic and I was highly intuitive. this feeling of an open heart felt like protection. it felt like I had a shield up and everything was all good. However in my experience having an open heart is vulnerability. I learned that I have to work on protecting the gift of my open heart. Robert….I see you, thanks for doing your work.