Life on this planet: Virgo Reality Check and The Catastrophic Month of Tammuz

Last Wednesday was our Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, what we Pagans call "Yule". After I light my candles and do my rituals on these Pagan holidays I always draw a card from my Pagan deck which covers the next six weeks until the next holiday. There are 8 holidays each year on the Pagan calendar which makes it every six weeks or so. First here is my Yule card draw that covers the next six weeks to Imbolc......

-21 - The Mountain - 8 of Clubs - A large obstacle in my pathway. A mountain blocking further progress. Figuring out the best way to deal with this mountain, to climb it, find a way around it, or simply turn back? Either seen as a challenge or a defeat.

This is likely referring to the catastrophic months of Tammuz and Av, or in particular "The Three Weeks" straddling the two months when calamities often befalls the Jews (or those who were Jews in past lives!!) coinciding with the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temples. This could throw a spanner into the works in regards to my plans for my Peru trip, or is likely to impede my spiritual progress by avoiding attending certain spiritual events such as ecstatic dancing. Jews traditionally does not engage in dancing during "The Three Weeks". Either way, these next few weeks to Imbolc will be challenging on many fronts.

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During Solstice my funds transfer into the one account for my trip has finally been cleared, so the next night I was busily working out logistics and considering all of my expenses. It is what Virgos do before making commitments. I already had the funds for the air ticket and the Lake Titicana tour, but not the Sacred Valley hike. So I realised I have only three months to save for this..... and all of the other expenses associated with trips. It was these "other expenses" that had given me a catastrophic reality check. With only three months to go, I will be on a tight margin. I could still do it..... as long as there are no more catastrophes. However with the month of Tammuz looming, the dreaded "The Three Weeks", and Mercury's retrograde, this anxious little Virgo decided it was way too risky. Therefore with much disappointment I decided I needed to rethink my Peru plans, indeed to cancel it until next year......

Then I got busy checking out the viability of my next option - Mexico - or more specifically the Yucatan area of Mexico where those famous Mayan pyramids are located, you know, the Pyramid of the Sun that you always see on documentaries and National Geographic. So I checked out air tickets to nearby Cancun on the Caribbean coast and found they were $800-$1000 cheaper than to Peru. That was the breathing space that I needed.

Then I did something this fiercely independent Virgo normally doesn't do. I sought help in planning my now revised trip to Cancun, my nephew who works at a travel agency. Well he did offer to help me with my next trip and to at least match the cheapest air ticket I could find if he couldn't find anything cheaper. Me being fiercely independent Virgo baulks at such offers, but this time, being rather shattered by this forced change of plans, I decided what there is to lose. I spent many weeks planning for my Peru trip and I had it all planned out, but aside from the fact there are several Mayan sites in the area of Yucatan I really have no idea of itineraries, lodgings and other planning for the trip. And well my nephew is paid to do things like this. So tomorrow he is going to get to work on this for me.

The air ticket to Peru is always going to be expensive because there are no direct flights between Australia and Peru. Depending on the airlines, you either have to fly all the way up to America via Sydney or Melbourne, then fly all the way back down to Peru from America..... or, going the other way you fly all the way to the Middle East, then up over Europe and down to Brazil then Peru. Either way it makes for very long flights with up to four legs, that is very long even by Perth's standards!!!! To get to Mexico you still have to fly all the way up to America, but Mexico is a lot closer to America than Peru. That is why Donald Trump wants to build a wall against Mexico but there is no mention of any walls against Peru!!!! So still a long flight to Mexico but not quite so long with only three legs, and up to $1000 cheaper - the amount of the bond that I SHOULD have gotten back.

It was the bond fiasco, more than catastrophic May, that cost me the Peru trip. I am not going to get my bond back, cos me being a Virgo I signed away the bond on that first fateful meeting thus essentially handing it to the landlord on a platter. I now realise in hindsight I should not have signed it but should have challenged his claims. As they say, hindsight is a good teacher but it doesn't come with a Tardis!!! But because I am such a Virgo, we Virgos are people pleasers, we don't like conflicts and we don't stand up for ourselves, we Virgos are like doormats!!! It was only down the track when the landlord started to add all these other claims that I was forced into challenging him and ironically it was because I thought it would cost me my Peru trip if I didn't challenge him then. And well it turned out I was not liable for these other issues, but it was too late for the bond, I already signed it away. The bond would have made up the difference between the air ticket to Mexico and Peru. Dang I hate being a Virgo!!! I wish I was born one week later then I would have been a Libra and would have stand up for myself more!!!! Arrrrrgh!!! Uh well...... such is the difficult life of a Virgo.

So now it will be Peru NEXT year..... and I should be able to save my pennies by then..... as long as there are no more catastrophes........

Now the focus is on Cancun..... and well the silver lining is I will be in the tropical Caribbean region, what most travellers dream of. The warm tropical climate, the white sandy beaches and associated sights..... though the primary reason for my intended trip to Cancun is to visit the ancient Mayan sites, the pyramids, Temple of the Sun, etc. Peru is not so tropical and would be cold up in the mountains.

Speaking of catastrophes, the New Moon this weekend heralds the start of the catastrophic month of Tammuz, the month when the siege of Jerusalem took place which led to the destruction of the Temples the following month. Of course we have the dreaded "The Three Weeks" which begins on Tzom Tammuz, the day the Romans lay siege to Jerusalem leading to the destruction of the 2nd Temple in AD70. Tzom Tammuz falls on July 11 this year. However the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC which led to the destruction of the 1st Temple took place on Tammuz 9 which falls on July 3, just over a week away. Other catastrophic events happened to Jews over the years during Tammuz, especially during "The Three Weeks". You will certainly hear more about that. But today, Sunday, is the 1st day of Tammuz, and on the eve of Tammuz the Magpies did what they do best - LOSE!!!!!!!! Hopefully this time I will get to a blog on the catastrophic football results. Last week was intense hence why I missed doing a football blog, well it was catastrophic anyway with only TWO correct picks..... again!!!!! Hopefully will do slightly better this time, though I think I was foolish enough to pick the bloody Magpies!!!! NEVER AGAIN!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........ Not happy with you Magpies!!!!!!!!!

Now with these background information, let me share my cards draw for this week......

My cards for this new week the first week of Tammuz

-Ace of Pentacles - Resources - Gathering resources for a potentially successful venture. Having everything needed for a good start. Making good plan that will yield desired results. A good omen. What I desire will come to pass, all shall work out for good.

-6 of Pentacles - Gift - Sharing or giving a gift for the joy of giving without expecting anything in return. Receiving something gladly and gratefully. Gifts received must be reciprocated, the universe seeks a balance.

-King of Swords - Control - A person who knows how to put others at ease, will quickly decided whether to help or not. Cannot oppose the will of a decisive and influential person, but under his guidance the opportunity to achieve important objectives.

-30 - The Perfection Of Your Life - Despite the current chaos or the feeling of being stuck or held back, all things will work out for good. The goal will be achieved.

Summary - A very encouraging draw considering this is the first week of the normally catastrophic month of Tammuz. This is the week when it seems I will finally be able to make bookings for my trip, it is most likely this draw is referring to my trip. I do have the resources available to make a good start on finalising my plans for my trip, the air tickets, etc.

I wonder what form this gift will take, either literal or figuratively. Either way the universe does seek a balance, especially with the Saturn influence being current for all of this year.

The King of Swords could be referring to my nephew at the travel agency to whom I have given the task of planning for my trip.

The Oracle seems to sum up the situation, that despite the current chaos such as the damage done to my savings plans due to catastrophic May and now entering into the catastrophic month of Tammuz, all shall work out for good, and I will achieve my goal - my October trip.

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The other news of note..... I finally made a small but significant start to the humongous task of cleaning out my storage unit, much of it being the legacy of my bower bird wife who enjoyed the challenge of collecting and hoarding as much items as she humanely could!!!! So I am left with the task of UN-collecting her items and the other items therein. I am starting with the small items first, before working up to the larger furniture, appliances, etc. So I had already collected the first trunk load of items last week, I joined a free-cycle group and managed to give away some of them, then recycling the rest of them. Today I brought along my second trunk load of items. I am hoping to have the whole unit cleared out by October, if I can achieve that then the savings from the rental will be enough to pay for my PERU air ticket for 2018. So I will TRY to get it all cleaned out by October, or at the very least by the end of the year!!!

The balcony works at my apartment block..... well it has finally begun, and now the whole other side of the apartment block is now covered in scaffolding up to the top level. So hopefully this will give me time before I would have to move my plants. Well I moved some of them, but not the ones that serves as my privacy screen from the next door neighbour. Although there are spaces between the balconies, there are no privacy walls that goes all the way out to the edge, it only goes half way out. So I used some of my plants to effectively extend this privacy "wall". Not going to move those yet, though technically they advise us against using the balcony due to "safety fears" hence the works they are doing - but me with Uranus in my Sun sign doesn't always take instructions!! For some reason they have erected some scaffolding on one section on my side, MY section but only up to the 2nd level, still two levels below my apartment. So if they build it up to my level then I will have to move my plants, then will have to keep the doors and windows locked - well if the workmen can get up the scaffolding then ANYONE can get up there, if you know what I mean!!!!! Being four levels up you'd have to be a monkey to get up and inside, so I normally keep the door and windows open even at night, I close them only when I am out. But when the scaffolding goes up I will have to keep them closed the whole time. Then I will have to block them via curtains and furniture so no one would be able to look in and be tempted by the sight of my laptop and other electronics. By taking away such temptation one is less likely for a break in attempt. Yes we Virgos thinks of everything, and we are very security conscious creatures!!!

Now after such an intense week, needing some much needed comic relief..........

Here as I am still paying off my wife's medical debts.......