PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY May 19 2014 to May 25 2014 Monday May 19 Portal for the Day Dear Jonathan, You recently wrote about the Grand Cross alignment, explaining that it 'surrounds the earth so, while you're looking at the bit above your head, the other half is below your feet.' I found that helpful. I imagined the whole planet passing through a doorway in the sky. Bhikshuni Dear Bhikshuni, That is, indeed, how many mystics see such celestial symbols; as portals or opportunities for the entire human race to cross a psychological threshold together. And though there aren't yet many other signs of the world beginning a bright new era, I'm inclined to remain hopeful! Tuesday May 20 Date Debate Dear Jonathan, You recently counselled a reader to trust the birth certificate of her 97-year-old mother, instead of the birthday she'd been celebrating all her life. My family also noticed a discrepancy between the birthday we'd been celebrating for me and the one on my birth certificate. Because my parents remembered the day of the week we were able to deduce that the certificate was wrong. I know others who have had errors too. Sometimes, mother does know best. Deborah Dear Deborah, Perhaps I was wrong. I've had several letters like this. I'll share more tomorrow. Wednesday May 21 Birth Cert Not Dead Cert Dear Jonathan, My French mother-in-law was born at home. Her father was travelling but wanted the honour of registering the birth. There was a legal time frame to satisfy, so they fudged the date. The family always celebrated the real birthday. Ute Dear Jonathan, My mother's birth certificate erroneously said November 1 when it was actually September 27. Antonio Dear Jonathan, My father was born in 1914. His father was supposed to register his birth. But when his mother realised he had forgotten, she registered the wrong date to avoid a fine. Jen Dear All, I stand corrected. Thursday May 22 Whoopso Facto As we now know after the letters I have shared over the past few days, we may be misguided to assume that birth certificates invariably contain reliable information. Like all official documents, they reflect only what the people who filled in the forms believed, or wanted to believe... or wanted someone else to believe. And as many genealogists will confirm, names can be equally misleading. Sometimes only the spellings change. Sometimes, for various reasons, people deliberately give themselves names that will help them or dissociate themselves from problematic histories. We who read meaning into such information should take heed! Friday May 23 Self Certification This week we've been talking about the extent to which birth certificates can be trusted. My initial position was that, for an astrologer to do their job properly, they must work with what's on the official paperwork. I've since seen letters from readers pointing out misinformation on their own or their parents' certificates. I've also heard stories about previous centuries when immigration officials were careless (even wildly inventive) when spelling people's names on their documents. Perhaps they were fanciful with the birthdays too. I now think where there's doubt, family tales should be believed and instincts should be heeded. Saturday May 24 Your Week Ahead Last week, Mars reached the end of its retrograde phase. So far, the change has been all but imperceptible. This week, many may notice a quickening of pace and, with it, pressure. We are probably wrong though, to define stress as being busy and short of time. It's possible to thrive on a sense of involvement and engagement as long as it is based on enthusiasm. It is only when we resent a situation or we feel as if we are too fearful to trust that problems set in. This week, potentially, we can all find something to inspire us. Sunday May 25 Your Week Ahead - Love Focus Remember, your Love Forecast today doesn't just cover romance. A love forecast may also have something to say about your family life, your closest friendships and even some of your most important working relationships. Back to Index   Click here for Jonathan Cainer's Daily Zodiac Forecasts