2018 The Year Ahead

The horrific Hell year of 2017 is finally over!!!! Yay!!!!!!

So now using my Virgoan energies of analysis to try see if 2018 will be any better. That means analysing the planetary alignments of 2018.

The major influence of 2017 sealing my fate for a catastrophic 2017 were the Saturn Chiron squares. A "square" means the planets forms a 90 degree angle with the Earth at the centre, and the energies or squares, oppositions and conjunctions are very potent. So where Chiron is involved, it is always catastrophic for me, cos Chiron is in my Ascendant in my chart, and Chiron in a Piscean ascendant indicates instances of persecutions and martyrdom for religious/spiritual beliefs in other lifetimes. This flows through to other catastrophes in current lifetime.

In 2017, starting with December 2016, the time of the catastrophic bond fiasco, the $1000 repair job on my car, and instances of heartbreak, Saturn Chiron squares turned exact, meaning exactly 90 degrees, three times. Thankfully there will be no more exact Saturn Chiron squares in 2018, however in July the two planets will be just 2 degrees away from the exact square, meaning, getting as close as an 88 degrees angle. July is when the dreaded "The Three Weeks" falls stemming from the destruction of the Jewish Temples, catastrophes always happens to me during that time. So this combined with a near-exact Saturn Chiron square, July is destined to be a very catastrophic month.

August and September could be just as catastrophic with Saturn and Chiron moving to as close as 1 degrees from an exact square, meaning a 89 degrees angle from August 14 until September 3, and will remain within 2 degrees until September 28. So the three months from July to September seems destined to be very challenging months with catastrophes happening.

Chiron the Centaur

The other potentially catastrophic celestial event for 2018 is Chiron moving into Aries for the first time in 5 decades. The last time Chiron moved into Aries was back in 1968 marking the start of the 8 years of Hell, almost exactly coinciding with Chiron's 8 year transit of Aries.

Chiron moves into Aries on April 18. Chiron turns retrograde at 2 degrees Aries on July 5, and moves back into Pisces on September 28, turns direct at 27 degrees Pisces on December 9, before making a final exit from Pisces on February 19 2019 for its 8-year transit of Aries.

The last instance of Chiron move into Aries was back in 1968, the start of the 8 years of Hell, abuse and childhood poverty. Aries is my 2nd House which begins at 29 Pisces, this deals with Pleasure, Money, Possessions, etc. The opposite was the case during Chiron's transit 50 years ago, very little pleasure, and being in poverty with scant possessions, and what possessions I did have were often 2nd hand or hand-me-downs. We always had to improvise and make do with what we have. And then the physical abuse at the hands of a step-father, as well as witnessing abuse of my Mother.

Will there be another 8 years of Hell ahead for me? Our souls have evolved a fair bit since then, as well as collective awareness. Back in the 1960s and 70s, childhood abuse even with the stick or strap were seen as a normal part of child discipline, and the abuse of women partners (eg my Mother) were seen as a normal part of relationships. Nowadays of course, most thankfully, abuse in relationships are no longer seen as acceptable nor a normal part of relationships!!

As for prospects of another 8 years of poverty, any likelihoods of this stems from the predictions of a wide variety of groups including Christians and conspiracy theorists of a worldwide economic collapse to happen anytime soon. Indeed some are surprised it hasn't happened yet!! There has been economic collapses before, such as the 2008 event, but due to my employment in a govt job, I escaped the worst of the effects. Indeed unless the govt literally runs out of money and supply is blocked by opposition parties effectively preventing govt workers from being paid their salaries, any future economic collapses is unlikely to affect me personally. Of course societal collapse cannot be ruled out. Things are definitely changing on this planet, the status quo no longer applies.

Even if such scenarios does not eventuate in 2018/19, there are other dangers to my economic security. My car is not getting any younger, it will be 14 years old in 2018, and just last December I forked out over $1000 for the cooling system replacement. Perhaps 2018 could be the year of a choice between forking out $1000's worth of further repairs on the car, or simply choosing to enter life without a car. A car is currently necessary until I finish clearing out my storage unit, but thereafter I could live without a car should it become necessary due to economics.

And then some likelihood that my job will be cut, though it is currently safe for the foreseeable future. However this govt can't be trusted. Just two months ago there was no inkling that the govt would close certain schools, indeed promising not to close any schools, only to turn around and close a few schools last month!!

Either way, nowadays I should know better. To a certain extent we are masters of our destiny, and well it often comes down to the fact that we just have to trust the universe or whatever higher entities we choose to trust our lives with.

Another aspect of Chiron's entry into Pisces could come into play during 2018/19. My chart shows Chiron in Pisces my Ascendant sign, and the 50-year return to Pisces was marked by certain catastrophes. Chiron's entry into Pisces around 2010/11 was marked by Mother's death in January 2011. My Chiron return to it's exact point in my chart at 11 degrees was marked by the death of my wife and her funeral in April 2013. This makes me wonder what will happen on Chiron's exit from Pisces? Will there be another death in the family? 

Despite its detractors, Astrology is not about making such predictions, nevertheless, this is definitely something that will be on my mind as I watch for Chiron's initial exit from Pisces in April 2018, and the final exit in February 2019. Mother's death was a consequence of a terminal illness which sealed her fate, it would be just a matter of time before it claimed her life. My wife's death was the result of one of a multitude of health problems turning nasty on her, sealing her fate once it took hold. There is at least one other family member who is currently dealing with a terminal illness whose fate is similarly sealed.

It remains to be seen how things will pan out over the next few months.

2018 marks the first year of Saturn's 3-year transit of Capricorn.

First we had Saturn just moved into Capricorn during the last few days of 2017, though it won't actually reach my 11th house at 4 Capricorn until near the start of February. The 11th House deals with the Cosmic Overview of things, community and friends. The last time Saturn entered Capricorn around late 1988 I had made the biggest mistake of my life. There are no mistakes I had made that are bigger than the mistake I made near the start of Saturn's last transit into Capricorn 30 years ago!!! My then Cosmic Overview was utterly shattered, and I was cut off from both family, my friends, and the community I belonged to at the time - the church. Escaping from a Mother who didn't believe in me to cohabitate with a woman, which turned out to be a classic case of "out of the skillet and into the fire". I ended up moving back with Mother by the time Saturn moved on into Aquarius. Very hard lessons learned during those Hell times!!!!

Obviously things are very different 30 years hence. My Mother had since passed away. I am alone in my cosy little abode. Of course my Cosmic Overview of things has long since evolved from those days of Christianity, and I am at least broadly involved with the alternative spiritual community albeit mostly online at this time. I am hopeful of getting back into ecstatic dancing in 2018, and taking up Yoga but currently have no set plans. I am not in any romantic relationships nor do I plan to be in any romantic relationships.

Nevertheless the lessons from Saturn's last transit of Capricorn/11th House seems destined to prove valuable.  My pathway is mine alone. I will not self sacrifice myself for the sake of any other soul, any partnerships I may find myself in will be 50/50. Obviously no likelihood of any romance, but the lessons can apply to any kind of friendships and partnerships. I will not be with anyone whose main task is to "fix" me, I do not need to be "fixed". We all evolve as the universe leads.

As far as romance goes, I am indeed the Wandering Wolf, destined to be forever wandering alone, never to find a home, never a place to settle, never a soul to settle with......

The 9 weeks of no retrograding planets.

When Uranus turns direct on January 3, this will mark the start of 9 weeks of no retrograding planets, all planets will be in direct motion. This coincides with 9 weeks until my Mexico trip. Jupiter will mark the end of the 9 weeks when that planet will turn retrograde on March 9, just two days before I am due to depart for Mexico.

Thanks to the 2017 sting in the tail I did not receive the financial breaks I had hoped for. The small windfall and the December bonus payment were spent on bookings for hotels and internal flights between cities in Mexico. The backpay on my wage rise will have to be spent on my Passport renewal with my current Passport set to expire April 2018. Most countries including Mexico prohibits travel on a Passport within six months of expiry.

I did not receive any money for Xmas, and with the Saturn complex in my chart, my gifts of scratch lotto tickets failed to produce any significant winnings. Consequently I remain without a fridge, and I have just 9 weeks to save my pennies for the tours, bus trips/transfers, food and spending money.

The tours are the most expensive items though still relatively cheap in Mexico. The bus trips, even on luxury coaches, are relatively cheap. The food is very cheap. And well it will be great to have ample spending money in case I am led to acquire more Mayan artefacts.

As long as I stick to my Virgoan saving plans with some mild austerity measures I should be able to reach my savings goals in 9 weeks. But I will need for things to go my way with no spanners thrown into the works. Hopefully the lack of retrograding planets over these 9 weeks will help my cause. Retrograding planets often leads to spanners being thrown into the works.

Two planets, Jupiter and Pluto, are currently in the pre-shadow of their retrogrades. Saturn will join the pre-shadow on January 10, near the time I will receive my car license and insurance bill, the only major expense I will have to deal with during these 9 weeks, and Neptune will enter the pre-shadow on February 26. Mercury enters the pre-shadow on March 8, the same day as Jupiter's station retrograde, just 3 days before my departure for Mexico. Chiron enters pre-shadow on March 13, the day I arrive in Mexico.

Hopefully my storage unit will be cleared out before the end of the 9 weeks, leaving me with even more funds for Mexico and beyond, it will mean I will not have to deal with paying for the storage unit rental while in Mexico, giving me funds for at least two tours!!!

Despite these challenges, I am hopeful 2018 will be a better year. As it is said, forewarned is forearmed, and so if one is aware of these upcoming planetary alignments, one can to a certain extent mitigate against any potential catastrophes. It doesn't mean that the catastrophes won't happen, but we can take certain steps to lessen the impacts of these catastrophes.

My immediate plans revolves around my Mexico trip now just 9 weeks away. I am currently in the process of renewing my Passport, a necessary step for my trip as my current Passport is close to expiry. I already have acquired the photos and submitted my application details online. My next step, as soon as the Post Offices opens again after the New Year holidays, is to arrange for a meetup at a Post Office to complete my renewal application. Fortunately being a Passport Renewal application, I need only to bring my current Passport, the photographs, and $300 - most of the amount of my backpay after Australia's very high taxes. Then about three weeks later I should have my new Passport in  my hot little hands. Then apply for the transit Visa in the USA since I will once again stopping over in America.

The next 9 weeks will be devoted to saving my pennies for my trip, so still be without a fridge. However if I can get my storage unit cleared out before my Mexico trip then I should be able to FINALLY get a fridge soon after my trip. Two months rental on the storage unit would pay for a small but decent fridge. I need something bigger than a bar fridge due to the fact of doing my cooking on weekends then storing my meals in the freezer for the next fortnite or so. Somewhere in the 200-300 litre range would suit me perfectly. I know what I want, I have the space allocated in my kitchen for a fridge, so the trick is to just manifest a fridge, and realistically this won't be until after March, or after I manage to clear out my storage unit, the last legacy of my bower bird wife!!!!!

The storage unit represents one of the last major expenses impacting on my economic viability and ability to raise funds for my trips. On a slightly longer term basis, the last major expense is my car. It is due for a service, and it does have issues. My car reaches 14 years of age this year in 2018, thus like me, reaching the end of its life. I know I will need new brakes which will be expensive, and the heads are still cracked causing leaking in the cooling system. The leakage is currently relatively slight, needing a top-up in coolant fluid once per month, but over time the leak will grow worse.

So crunch time is coming, probably during the catastrophic months of July-September. It will come down to whether it be worth my while spending $1000s on my car, or to simply just live without a car. A car is currently necessary while I am clearing out my storage unit with my trailer, but after I finish clearing out my storage unit, a car won't be so necessary. I live within walking distance of a train station, I am also within walking distances of shops, convenience stores and supermarkets, and I have a Uber account which I currently use for getting to and from the airport.

Basically when it comes to a stage where it will cost more to repair my car than to go on my trips, that will be when I will finally preside over the burial of my car, sending my car into that garage in the sky, and is likely to take place between July and September 2018.

Now my quirky and sometimes dark sense of humour as I prepare for my return to the workforce on January 4 - this Thursday!!

In my childhood it would either be God, or Santa Claus, or that pesky little birdie..... nowadays it's the government!!!!!

True motivation !!!

My childhood plays with my Scorpio Mars and Pluto Chiron config in my chart kicking in......

Life with puddy cats our Siriun hybrid creatures

Meanwhile at a govt dept near you.....

When you get to know me......

Very regular church attendance hehe.....

Last but not least, the antics of my favourite girlfriend.....

Goodbye 2017 !!!!

Oh I am so glad to see the back of this horrid year from Hell. This has been one of the worst years of my life since the 8 years of Hell of my childhood.

The catastrophic bind fiasco when I would not get my bond back, setting the scene for an austere year. This and the $1000 repair job on my car cooling system, plus the heartbreak experienced, has really set me back on many counts. I stopped going out, I suffered anxiety attacks, and had endured a series of financial setbacks. This has been the year without a fridge, my longest time ever. I have been without a fridge before, such as, when my wife and I first moved into our apartment, then house, and when our fridge broke down, but it had been no more than a few weeks.

The only highlight of the year has been my Mexico trip in October, but I had to work hard to get there, making many sacrifices. Things didn't come easy like it did in 2016. There were also issues in 2016 but the universe seemed to be on my side then. In 2017 the universe was against me. I had to fight to get anywhere in 2017, dealing with heartbreak and anxiety along the way.

This has indeed been the year from Hell, and I am so glad to see the back of it......

Here's hopeful that 2018 will be at least slightly better.

I will post my thoughts for 2018 in the next couple of days..... watch this space.

Meanwhile my warped dark 2017 sense of humour.........


Here as I spend the end of 2017 alone.......

Virgo logic in making New Year resolutions

2017 summed up perfectly

The story of my life during 2017

The Journey Through The Underworld

Here tomorrow I am preparing for my journey through the underworld as depicted in ancient Egyptian mythology, where I will contend with hideous monsters, being subject to all kinds of pain and torments, being eaten alive and spat out again....... and if I survive, and my soul is weighed in my favour, I will earn a place in eternal paradise with Isis and Osiris....... I mean, I am preparing for Xmas lunch with the family tomorrow!!!!!

Oh yes we have the ancient Egyptians to thank for the Heaven and Hell/Purgatory doctrines of Christianity, and pretty well all other aspects of Christianity. The only difference between the Catholic and Protestant versions is the latter cut out the Purgatory bit. And now with Xmas upon us, much of Xmas traditions ultimately dates back to the Egyptians. We all know the tradition of the Xmas tree dates back to Germanic traditions in the middle ages, but in fact it goes way further back than that, back to the days of Isis and Osiris, when after the untimely death of Osiris, a sapling miraculously sprung up from a dead tree stump on the winter Solstice which happened to be Osiris' birthday. Isis thinking the sapling is Osiris, she placed gifts around the base of the tree stump with the sapling.

Meanwhile have some Carols by Candlelight going live stream on my tablet, yet another Pagan tradition, when we used to hold candles and sing to the Goddess aka the Sun to welcome her back from the darkness of the Solstice. Many of the carols has the Goddess theme, the Virgin Mary being the last of a long line of Goddesses in Paganism all giving birth to Gods by immaculate conceptions..... once again all the way back to the Egyptians.

Oh yes I do love my Goddesses, I have four of them at my altar. When I went to Bali last year, I saw the "Bali healer" who among other things had told me there are four spirits in my abode, and they hang about on the north side. He knew utterly nothing about my altar, located on the north side, and the four figurines representing my four Goddesses. I always known I have spirits in my abode, indeed I always have spirits around me, my Goddess guides. So putting two and two together, I deduced that the four spirits at my altar are my four Goddesses who are my spirit guides.

Meanwhile..... later this week is my payday, and it turns out that my wage rise has finally kicked in with my very much anticipated and needed backpay. Of course as per the Saturn influence in my chart, there is always something that any windfall has to be spent on, and it ain't a fridge!!! It is indeed my Passport renewal. My Passport is close to expiry so if I don't get it renewed then I will not be going anywhere near Mexico in March.

And then there is always something that takes away from my wage rise. The rent increase also kicks in this week. Fortunately the rent rise won't take all of the wage rise, I will still have a bit extra left over. Nevertheless, that Saturn influence in my chart always kicks in each time I get a windfall or make some other gains!! That has been the story of my life from as far back as I can remember.

Next blog will have an Astrological analysis of 2018, which hopefully will be a better year than 2017 since there won't be any exact hard aspects with Chiron and the outer planets, nevertheless, it will not be without its challenges. A brief preview - Saturn moves into Capricorn, and the last time this happened 30 years ago I made the biggest mistake in my whole life!!! Also Chiron moves into Aries, and the last time Chiron moved into Aries was back in 1968, the start of the 8 years of Hell which coincided almost exactly with Chiron's 8-year transit of Aries. I will go into more details next blog.

Nevertheless I am quite enjoying my Xmas vacation. I am not due back at work until January 4th. Not quite sure exactly how I will spend vacation, but as usual, it will involve tasks I need to do, such as continuing my project of clearing out my storage unit, legacy of my bower bird wife.

Now for some more of my dark Plutonian sense of humour.......

Firstly the antics of my favourite girlfriend.......

Isn't she just soooooo adorable!!!!! I love her so much!!!!!

Now some Xmas revelations........

Xmas eve dilemma.....

When a Virgo goes to see Santa Claus......

When Santa doesn't keep up with the times......

Now that's one Xmas tree I would have in my abode!!!!!!

Virgo reality check at Xmas time........

Plan B for Santa Claus.......

What Santa have to contend with in the 21st century!!!!

What this sceptical Virgo would ask...... but never quite gotten THIS answer!!!!

Fake news !!!! I was always awake on Xmas Eve until "Santa" filled my stocking with loot, and I knew it was actually my Mother who did so but I didn't let on that I already knew otherwise I would not have gotten all that loot!!!!

Mexico Trip Finalised

Now thanks to my December bonus payment albeit rather late due to the quirks of the 2017 calendar, I finally was able to complete my flights and hotel bookings for my Mexico trip in March.

Here's my itinerary......

After the very long flight from isolated little Perth, I arrive in Cancun on March 12 and spend two nights in Cancun.

Then on the 14th I fly to Villahermosa via Mexico City, then a 2 hour bus journey to the little settlement of Palenque where I will spent the next 5 nights.

Then on the 19th I fly up to Merida again via Mexico City, where I will spend the next 7 days before I head back to Cancun to finally head back on the very long journey back to isolated little Perth.

Now at least all my hotels and flights are now booked, these being the most expensive aspects of the trip. Now I have two months to save my pennies and decide which of the ancient Mayan sites to visit on my itinerary.

I pretty well spent all of my December bonus payment on the Merida leg of the trip. Although the flight to Merida is shorter than the flight to Villahermosa, it turned out to be more expensive. That is consequence of the late arrival of the December  bonus payment due to the quirks of the 2017 calendar, another sting in the tail of the catastrophic year that was 2017.

Now just waiting on the last of my windfalls, the wage rise and backpay that will hopefully come in January. That will pay for the renewal of my Passport. Without renewing of my Passport I will not be going anywhere. That plus Australia's very high taxes will account for this backpay. So looks like there will still be that empty spot in my kitchen for another few months yet, the spot reserved for my fridge. The revised plan for the fridge will now be after my Mexico trip, and with my expensive annual appointments with the Heart Specialist in May, it will be June at the earliest when I will finally have my fridge. So yet another summer without a fridge. The effects of the catastrophic year that was 2017 will persist well into 2018.

Now I've booked my next overseas trip.

Way back in Primary School during a show and tell session, one of my classmates was relating an experience during vacation time, and he mentioned that he has been overseas...... then adding that the overseas destination was Rottnest Island.

OK for those fortunate souls outside of Perth, Rottnest Island is a small island located about 12 miles off the coast from Perth.

And despite being located only 12 miles off the coast, I have only ever been to Rottnest just once in my life, way back in the dim dark past of my teen years. One of the reasons why I haven't been back since in nearly 40 years, aside from the fact that "life happens", is because ferry tickets to the island is so expensive - like everything else in Perth!!!

However when I saw that the ET energy line, the Merredin Line, pretty well straddles the island from end to end, well I decided I need to go there to check out energies and as a different location for my walks.

Then I discovered that as being a member of the RAC, we get discounts on the ferry tickets. So I have purchased one of these e-vouchers using my $100 Visa debit card that I gotten from my points program.

Sometimes in the New Year, around January or February, I will be going "overseas", a day trip to Rottnest Island.

In case you're wondering - the name Rottnest is a Dutch term for Rat's Nest, from when the early Dutch explorers came by here four centuries ago and explored the island where they saw it populated by Quokkas, one of our Marsupials critters. The Dutch not knowing any better thought those Quokkas were rats  hence Rat's Nest, and the name stuck ever since. There are still Quokkas there today.

Now for Xmas plans which for me it is the less the better, here on my last week at work before the short Xmas break. Xmas is the most overrate holiday, and second only to Valentine's Day as most despised holiday. It is the most stressful time of year, indeed Xmas stress is ranked among other stressors as divorce, moving house, and conflicts at work as being one of the most intense times of stress.

I work to minimise the stress as much as possible. I did my spot of Xmas shopping today, I just stick to boxes of chocolates or cookies. That way I get them all in one store plus something to wrap them in. I keep costs to a minimum where possible, indeed, my spending on Xmas is very scant compared to the norm. The average spend is I'm told about $1600. I spent not much more than $100, with $40 of it just for the greeting cards!! Some cards costs more than the bloody presents themselves!!!!

Also I get to the mall early, just after opening time. There were hardly anyone there, most come later in the day. So I literally beat the rush. I was able to park close to the door, and spent not much more than two hours at the mall, that includes the normal grocery shopping.

Social events are a nightmare for introverted me, especially at Xmas, so I keep them to a minimum as much as possible. But there are some I just can't get out of. Tomorrow is the Xmas lunch with my work colleagues. It's at Miss Mauds, and just happens to be across the road from where Mother used to work during the poverty years from Hell.

Then on Xmas Day itself is the usual Xmas lunch with the family, nothing much changes there, its the same every year. So when I survive that, it's the rest of the day to myself in recovery mode, looking forward to the week off work. I will be sure to check the planetary alignments for Xmas day, there is sure to be some intense aspect involving Chiron somewhere........

Meanwhile the alternative celebrations which I am much more happy with. We are currently celebrating Chanukah the Jewish festival of lights in commemoration of the miracle of the Menorah lights. In the 2nd century BC the Greeks were in control of the whole show including the Temple. However a ragged band of Jewish rebels managed to win back the Temple from those Greeks, and after cleaning out their relics of their rituals, they went to work setting up the Temple for rededication. There was however a slight snag. They could find only enough oil to keep the Menorah lights burning just one day. It takes 8 days to prepare a new batch of oil. They decided to light the Menorah anyway with just the one day's supply of oil...... and amazingly the Menorah lights remain lit for the whole 8 days until the new batch of oil was ready. The 8 days of Chanukah is in celebration of this miracle. And so on each night of Chanukah I have been lighting those candles, adding one candle per night. Tonight we're up to 6 candles, this being the 6th day of Chanukah.

Then on Friday we have the Solstice. Here it is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, so we celebrate the Pagan holiday called Litha. I have my shrines set up, with candles and the Goddesses, ready to celebrate Litha.

On this note I shall leave with some of my dark Xmas sense of humour........

I wish!!!!! I do NOT miss the chaotic crowds!!!!!

Changing economic times.......

The Xmas holiday blitz snares an unexpected victim

Xmas wish list........

I can relate !!!!!!

Hear! Hear!!!!

Me........

Valid cases !!!

Good question !!!!!

Next year's December bonus if the government had its way......

Very regular church attendance......

Chanukah and The Next Step To Mexico

A very busy week ahead!!! This week Chanukah begins, the Jewish festival of light, often given as "Hannukah" but the correct spelling is "Chanukah". This year Chanukah begins sundown this Tuesday evening, this being the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. The festival runs for 8 days over the Sagittarius New Moon period until the 2nd day of Tevet.

Chanukah was the first Jewish festival my wife and I kept back in 2004, and I've kept the festival every year since, even through the horrific years of dealing with my wife's sickness and her full time care. Last year being the exception, Chanukah fell during my Bali trip, the airline prohibiting matches from being taken on board the aircraft hence impacting on the viability of lighting the candles while in Bali, and being in such a foreign country, I chose to immerse myself in the culture of that country.

This year however I will be back to keeping Chanukah. This will be my first celebration of Chanukah in my new abode. The central tradition being the lighting of the candles, lighting one candle on the first day, increasing by one each day the candles to be lit, until we reach all eight candles on the final day. The candles are lit outside the front door especially in Israel, or at the least lit in front of a window most visible to the public. The idea is to proclaim to the world the message of Chanukah.

So in my abode on the 4th level I have a couple of options. I could either light the candles outside on my balcony or by one of my two windows to the balcony. There are no other windows in my apartment. The first option won't be viable due to the wind factor and the fact I have no wind shield for my candles. So either of the windows options it will be. My plants are in the way of the bedroom window blocking the view. So the kitchen window actually part of the glass sliding doors to the balcony will be the location of choice for my candles. The kitchen bench stretches out to infront of the fixed glass part of the sliding door. There are no plants in front. So at least the birds will be witness to this event!!!

Chanukah commemorates the time of the Maccabean revolution when the Jews took back control of the Temple from the Greek rulers who were occupying Israel in the 2nd century BCE. It turned out I was in fact there, where I spent one of my other lifetimes, hence my connection with all that is Jewish. This is why Chanukah was the first holiday I kept as part of my 2004 Hebrew awakening, and is the holiday I am most closely connected with. After winning control of the Temple and cleaning it up, the Cohen (Priest - me during this other lifetime) needed to rededicate the Temple by means of lighting of the Menorah. However no olive oil could be found except for a single bottle which would last for only one day. It would take eight days to prepare a new batch of oil. So you can see the dilemna. The Menorah lights needed to be kept alight 24/7, there is only one day's supply of oil available so seemed destined to run out of oil seven days before a new batch would be ready.

So what do we do? We do what Jews in the past have done. Step out in faith and do the thing anyway!!! We decided to go ahead and light the Menorah anyway!!! This we did on Kislev 25. It turned out the Menorah remain alight for the full eight days on just one day's supply of oil!! How did this happen?? Some transmutation of the oil? Multidimensional manipulation of time and space?? Whatever, it is counted as a miracle!! And so this is why we have been celebrating Chanukah ever since. The word Chanukah means Dedication, referring to the rededication of the Temple. We celebrate Chanukah to commemorate the miracle of the Menorah remaining lit for the full eight days on one day's supply of oil while we were busy preparing the new batch of oil.

Another much appreciated tradition of Chanukah is the eating of donuts. We eat foods cooked in oil referring to the miracle of the oil for the Menorah. Donuts are usually the food of choice for this. Another common treat for Chanukah are the Latkes, basically the Jewish version of Hash Browns.

It is no coincidence that bookings for my Mexico trip in March 2018. My December bonus payment is set to come with my payday this week, and once transferred to the appropriate account set aside for Mexico, I will be able to complete my bookings. Up until now I booked my hotel in Cancun for two nights after I arrive from my very long trip from very isolated Perth. Then the flights from Cancun to Villahermosa via Mexico City has been booked. Then my five nights in Palenque, a two-hour bus trip from Villahermosa has been booked. And that is about as far as I have gotten..... So once I get my bonus payment this week, I will then be able to book the flight from Villahermosa to Merida, and then my hotel in Merida for the next six nights, before heading back to Cancun...... and back to very isolated Perth.

Last week I gotten my $100 prepaid Visa card from the points I have earned over all these months scanning my groceries. Such things really do pay off!! I didn't think I'd have enough points for a $100 card considering I had been in this program for only a few months. So not bad for what has long since been my almost effortless habit - scanning the barcodes of my groceries using my phone as soon as I bring them home. Just what I will use my $100 on will depend on how much I will get with my December bonus, and how much I end up spending on my Merida bookings.

So the next step is to find out how much I be getting in my December bonus payment, or more specifically, how much of it will be remaining after the rats aka the ATO have done its work on it. Australia's very high taxes are even higher for lump sum payments, so basically it will be what meagre amount I will have remaining after the ATO rats have made a meal of it. My pay advice are normally available online the Monday prior to payday, so tomorrow I will find out what I will be getting in my bonus payment.

Then by the weekend I should be able to make the rest of my bookings, then will see how much I will have remaining. That will go towards my Passport renewal which I will have to do first thing into the New Year. I realise in January it will be only two months before my trip. According to the Passports website it takes about three weeks to get a new Passport, but being of Virgoan energies, I don't like to leave it to the last minute. Being a Passport renewal saves me the bother of having to supply the barrow load of ID documents and selling my soul for dissection!! I will only need to get the photographs which is done at the Post Office, which is why I be waiting until AFTER Xmas. The Post Offices will be utter chaos during the Xmas rush with queues out the door and the last thing on anyone's mind would be Passport photos. So will wait until the New Year when things are quieter before obtaining the photos. Then front up at the Post Office with photos, current near-to-expired Passport, and $277. So what ever is left after booking the rest of my trip will probably be devoted to paying for my Passport renewal, the fee is the same regardless of whether it is a new application or a renewal. I'd thought it be cheaper to renew, but then we ARE talking about GOVERNMENT!!!!!

Now some significant progress in another of my money saving projects - clearing out my storage unit legacy of my bower bird wife. All of the small items are now out, so last week began the task of moving out the larger items via my trailer whose indicator lights are now working. So it will take me to the end of the year to move out the larger items, being mainly storage furniture such as cupboards and drawers. Then I decide which ones to keep for my abode and which ones to give away.

And I've finally brought back my wife's ashes which had been kept in storage for security reasons, did not feel secure in my old abode. But now being in a gated complex, security is no longer a concern. So am currently making up something of a shrine for my wife with her dolls and other craft items, etc, and her ashes.

Then to deal with the remaining items...... a queen size bed and mattress, way too damaged legacy of my wife's health problems. Am currently breaking them down so to better fit into my trailer, then will have to be disposed of. There's a washing machine and dryer, have no use for either so they will be donated or given away. And a 50 inch TV, way too big for my abode, also to be given away. There's a couple of old metal frames that used to be tables, they be delivered for scrap metal recycling. Last but not least, an antique glass cabinet which mother gave to us, used to be own by the grand parents, had been kept in storage for security reasons, but being now in a gated complex, security is no longer a concern.

So it may be February before I finally get the storage unit cleared out, but hopefully before my Mexico trip anyway. Another chapter in my life closed.

Now my quirky and often dark sense of humour..... 

This is my thought on Xmas.....

My Xmas ghosts are more like demons !!!!!

How 3D people and the Australian govt deal with environmental issues

The Saturn Chiron squares manifests in 2017....

Timely warning......

Another day in the dating life of a Virgo......

Magpies supporters......

Some people have OCD, others are just Virgos......

When dating a Virgo.....

Santa motivations........

One of the great unsolved mysteries of the universe......

Last but not least...... me coming to visit my girlfriend and her mother......