PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY
November 6th to 10th
MONDAY NOVEMBER 6
Bernard - Jupiter and the Hyades
The Thoughts for the Day this week were written by Bernard Fitzwalter - If you're going out this evening, have a look up at the sky. If it's not too cloudy, you should see a very bright star in the south-east - more south than east if you're out late. It's not a star at all, actually, but the planet Jupiter, and the group of stars which lie nearby are called the Hyades. They're part of the zodiac sign of Taurus. The point of all this is that throughout history the Hyades have been associated with rain, and especially in May and November. Jupiter, too, is said to be a bringer of rain in astrological lore. He only passes through the Hyades once every twelve years or so; the combination of the two, then, should bring doubly wet and stormy weather. It seems that the Ancient Greek stargazers knew a thing or two after all.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7
Bernard - Election day
The Thoughts for the Day this week were written by Bernard Fitzwalter - Astrologers are very keen on finding harmonious alignments in the heavens. One of the best, so the theory goes, comes from dividing the year into three; two dates four months apart will be in harmonious alignment, astrologically. Today is Election Day in the U.S., when Americans go to the polls to choose a new President. Election Day is always the first Tuesday in November - which means it will always be four months, give or take a day or two, from America's own birthday on the 4th of July. Thus, according to the theory, the new President will always be harmoniously aligned with the country he serves. Coincidence? Absolutely not: Election Day was intentionally fixed to ensure the astrological effect I have just described. So, the world's most technologically advanced nation still has an astrological timetable directing its politics. Odd, isn't it?
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 8
Bernard - Saturn
The Thoughts for the Day this week were written by Bernard Fitzwalter - On Monday we had a look at Jupiter. If you have another look tonight, in the south-east as before, you'll see that up a bit and to the right of him is another bright object - Saturn. Although Saturn appears to be leading, in fact they're going the other way, so Jupiter's in front. Astrologically, this is a good thing. As well as being a planet of rain, as we saw on Monday, Jupiter is the bringer of growth and good fortune. Saturn's influence, however, is duller and more restrictive, so when Jupiter is close to Saturn his natural optimism is suppressed. In mythology, Saturn is Jupiter's father, and you do tend to behave yourself when visiting your parents, don't you? Most astrologers say that 2001 will be better than 2000, because in a few months Jupiter will move away from Saturn, and return to his usual self. Watch the pair of them in the heavens this winter, and look at the distance between them - it's a visible sign of better times ahead.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 9
Bernard - Star watching
The Thoughts for the Day this week were written by Bernard Fitzwalter - Did you look at Jupiter and Saturn last night? Have another try tonight. Underneath Jupiter, but not quite so bright, there is an unmistakably red star. This is Aldebaran, otherwise known as the Bull's Eye. If you're a Taurus, you can stare your zodiac sign in the face! Aldebaran's red light has been noted for centuries. The Greek astrologer Ptolemy, in the second century, called it 'The Beacon', imagining it blazing away at a great distance. To the Persians it was one of the Royal Stars, four stars used to mark the beginnings and endings of the seasons. In that role it was known as 'Watcher of the East' - a fine title, don't you think? Babylonian astrologers called it 'star of stars', 'leader of the stars', and 'messenger of light'. In Indian astrology it is a red deer, to Arabic skywatchers 'the fat camel'. It has always been associated with power and authority, but it needs respect - just like a bull, in fact. People have been gazing in fascination at it for five millennia; it's a tradition worth continuing.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 10
Bernard - Venus' light
The Thoughts for the Day this week were written by Bernard Fitzwalter - If you're stuck in a traffic jam this evening at about half past five, just as the sun is going down, and you're facing in a westerly direction, you will notice a point of white light, not far up from the horizon, shining through the oranges and purples of the sunset. This is Venus, also known as Hesperus, the Evening Star, and she (astrologers always refer to Venus and the Moon as feminine) is there to light our way home. There is something soothing and reassuring about Venus' light, and it is mentioned in the poetry and literature of all ages and all cultures. Venus has always been regarded as a bringer of good fortune, and the sort of celestial power you could ask a favour from; when Jiminy Cricket tells us to 'wish upon a star' in 'Pinocchio', he is invoking a practice far older than he knows. For luck, and for love, Venus is the one to wish on.
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