penandpatience

WRITERS WORDS: “Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” – Tom Stoppard

JANUARY 2018 MONTHLY MUSING

THE JANUARY “HORROR-SCOPE”— BLAH, BLAH, BLAHS!

It’s the New Year again -2018 this time around. The “FA-LA-LAs” of the holiday season are past leaving the great, good, bad and ugly of 2017 behind. Its winter time across our great country and depending on where you live, the weather temperatures have dropped, the days have grown shorter and the homebound work commute is often in darkness. Most residents residing in the Northern states bundle up against the biting cold, shovel endless snowfalls, and whisper “Hail Mary’s” when their vehicles slip and slide over treacherous highways (and yes, it sometimes snows in the Southern states: Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama had snowfalls this past December) These cold, bleak and often sunless days are what I call the January Blahs!

However, it is again a New Year, an opportunity for new beginnings, new inspirations, new plans and renewed hopes for our future as a people and a country. The other day while reading the morning newspaper, I tried desperately to avoid horrific headlines of murders, sexual harassment disclosures, states-wide hurricanes and windswept fire devastations, political unrest, mass-shootings of innocent people and, after reading the comics to boost my spirits, I flipped to the next page and noticed the daily Horoscope.

Although I occasionally read the Horoscope, more for a lark than anything else, I don’t put any credence in the Day’s rating: a 10 ranking being the easiest day and a 0 the most challenging. That particular day the nine astrological signs rankings ranged from 7-9. No easiest 10 day or 0 challenge days were noted. I wondered –What! No 1-6 rankings?  Here were a few statements regarding physical activities under the signs:

“Physical action provides satisfying results.”

“Physical activity is more fun together.”

“Energize your work and health through physical exercise for about six weeks.”

“Back up romantic words with physical efforts.”  ( Hmmm…)

“Pour physical energy into professional endeavors.”

Some other statements across the board:  “You’re making money.” “Make financial plans with your partner.” “Move forward boldly in your career.” “Cash flows with more intensity over the next six weeks” “Give in to romance.” “Clean closets, garages and attics”(!No Way) “Use your power for good.” “You’re growing stronger.” “Collaborate with someone interesting.” “Meditate in Nature.”

For readers who are astrology followers, there is a plethora of online and hard copy historical information available. Here is a very brief overview blurb:

“Astrology,(not to be confused with Astronomy) in its broadest sense, is the search for meaning in the sky. Early evidence for humans making conscious attempts to measure, record, and predict seasonal changes by reference to astronomical cycles, appears as markings on bones and cave walls, which show the lunar cycles were being noted as early as 25,000 years ago. This was a first step towards recording the Moon’s influence upon tides and rivers, and towards organizing a communal calendar.” (….) “Western astrology is founded on the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies such as the Sun, Moon and planets, which are analyzed by their movement through signs of the zodiac (twelve spatial divisions of the sky).  Western astrology is a form of divination based on the construction of a horoscope for an exact moment, such as a person’s birth. It uses the tropical zodiac, which is aligned to the equinoctial points.”  (Wikipedia-12/2017)

While researching astrological information for this Musing, I found it a welcome respite from reading printed traumas. It was pleasant to digress into an entertaining refuge for a brief period of time and laugh at nonsensical numbers advising me whether I should expect an easy or more difficult day. Perhaps it was also subconscious avoidance of facing the ongoing regurgitation of gruesome news that impelled me to seek the more enjoyable columns. Hopefully, the January “blahs” will soon pass and this New Year, 2018, will usher in renewed hope and generate the necessary improvements to put a “Humpty Dumpty” country back together again.

On a positive note, this writer, born in April under the astrological Aries sign, read some encouraging words the other day. “Winter changes provide creative inspiration. Get your message out.  AND “Get into action with writing, publishing and communication projects.”

What a way to begin the New Year…..despite the January BLAH, BLAH, BLAHs!

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR!