Skip to main content

Plants and planets

SIFT out politics, shift to serene gardening for those readings of signs in the heavens—so we set out to do just that.

Two days before a new moon-- perfect time for sowing seeds. The moon grows in size, so does the lunar tug on bodies of water. That includes a pull on water content of seeds and the gray matter, nearly 75% water as a child’s body is. Call it lunacy, maybe a subtle passage of inner tides that touch off monthly flow in women, a bit of fattening in crabs, attempts at moonlighting to augment lousy take-home pay or Malacañang minions turning jumpy and jittery. Why, the gag order of sorts on media including the invocation for a state of national emergency was plied when there wasn’t any wee whit of a moon above—actions that could be touched off by PMS, or post menopausal syndrome.

Call it whatever but a waxing moon sure effects a subtle pull on anything that packs water, including spittle to expend on policy pronouncements and bladder. From gray matter to groin matters. Or as the sacred texts put it: “As above, so below.”

The new moon showed up at 10th degree of the sign Pisces—the degree which bears the symbol of an aviator flying through the clouds. Yes, aviator on a light plane, not a manananggal or self-segmenter out to sow mayhem and maybe. With nothing visible to see around, navigational instruments or sheer intuition guides the flyer. Clouds can impede sight so one has to rely on insight. The odd pattern suggests that we need to look through over and beyond the swelter of cloudy information that pulls wool over our eyes.

The new moon is aligned with Uranus, discovered in 1781 when three revolutions were under way—the French Revolution, the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, humanity awakening to new possibilities including freedom as a way of life. Uranus drizzles down shake-off, shake-up energies toward transformation.

The online skyreader I’m subscribed to adds an interesting point: “Uranus acts suddenly to shake up the status quo...it's his job. (While the moon’s) Pisces (placement) reveals to us the crack between worlds - places where realities intersect like the surface of the sea. So expect to gain a sudden insight that causes a re-evaluation, new knowledge, something hidden coming to light.”

Uranus energies foment change, eccentricity, avant-garde ways, craziness, even destruction of patterns imposed by father figures. Uranus opens up new ideas.

Umm, with Uranus taking a prominent place in the moon’s growth phase, gardeners can work wonders with rare tropical plants including cycads, orchids, aphrodisiac plants and similar exotica. I’ve done some bit of tilling and soil-mixing prior to this quaint heavenly pattern. I’ve sown some leeks and plain pechay that usually goes well with nilagang bulalo.

Umm, pronouncements left and right flying fast and thick in the last few days found their way into print that left me wondering if such could be infused into the soil as top-grade night soil.

By March 3, fast-moving Mercury, the planet of communication begins a backward move by appearing to stand still in the sky. The stand-still location is at a right angle to Pluto, lord of secrets, passion, and hidden pyschic powers—thank God for blessing me with a powerfully placed Pluto in my birth chart, whew… Pluto’s powers would see those leeks I’ve sown growing robust and flavorful. Those powers would be opportune for growing medicinal herbs and plants with magical uses.

Mercury’s hard-angled placement with Pluto refers to dug up hidden deals, growing distrust and cynicism. Points out my online stargazer: “This square angle inclines us to look for the underlying motivation and hidden agenda behind events and statements. It's a detective's energy and during this retrograde period all of us will be asking for the facts, ma'am.”

A pullback move by Mercury tugs us to focus on communication and travel—which will likely go awry.

By Sunday, it’s Jupiter’s turn to begin his pullback move and would seem to stand still. The backward move lasts four months. And we’d get cross-eyed and befuddled trying to divine such heavy patterns up there. Mercury squared to Pluto, Jupiter at a hard right angle to Neptune: tensions come to a peak… And could end in a paroxysm of orgasms, haah!

By Jove, there goes our jocose mood. Malacañang denizens won't be jovial as usual whether Jupiter's on a roll or a pullback. As Jupiter rules finances, we could expect the peso to shrink on the dollar. Jupiter's four-month retreat ought to work the wonders of a garrotte on strained household budgets.

I’d have to do a lot more tilling as seedlings sown sprout up for the light and their place in the sun.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Cal y canto con camote

FENG shui (literally, wind water flow) lore has it root crops embody a hidden store of treasures. Say, a local food conglomerate needs yearly 35,000 metric tons of cassava for livestock feed-- the available local supply falls short of 13,000 tons. Cassava granules sell for around P9 a kilo. Demand for the same root crop to be used in liquor manufacturing is hitting above the roof. Why, raising cassava is a no-brainer task— this is one tough crop that can grow in the most hostile patches of earth, providing sustenance for ages to dwellers in sub-Saharan parts of Africa. While the hardy cassava is nearly pure starch, the lowly sweet potato or kamote is considered by nutritionists as a super food, the most nutritious of all vegetables— kamote levels of Vitamin A are “off the charts, rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.” A fist-sized kamote can supply a day’s dose of glucose to fuel the brain, muscles, and organs, so they claim. Count the country lucky...

Hardin at basura

ni Abraham Arjuna G. de los Reyes May hardin kami sa loob ng bakuran. Meron din sa labas sa bakanteng lote na tapat ng tindahan na konti lang ang layo. Yung hardin namin sa loob ay malago at kumpulan ang mga halaman. Wala na kaming matataniman sa loob. Laging basa ang mga halaman dahil lagi sa amin umuulan. Kapag walang ulan, dinidilig. Sa kinatatayuan ng mga halaman ay mga pasong basag. Mabato ang daanan sa hardin. May mga kalat na shell ng oysters. Dito gumagala ang mga alaga naming pagong, manok, aso, palaka saka mga gagamba. Sa hardin namin sa labas na tapat ng isang tindahan ay malupa. Tabi ng hugis bundok na tambakan ng basura na mabaho at malansa ang amoy. Mataas ang lupa kaya ginawa namin na lang na parang terraces na tawag sa Tagalog ay “payaw”. Ang pagpapayaw ay madaling gawin. Kumukuha kami ng asarol o “mattock” sa English. Ito ay isang metal na walang matulis na talim sa dulo at ito ay nakasuksok sa dulo ng hawakan. Ginagam...

ALAMAT NG TAHONG

SAKBIBI ng agam-agam sa kalagayan ng butihing kabiyak-- at kabiyakan, opo-- na nakaratay sa karamdaman, ang pumalaot na mangingisda ay napagawi sa paanan ng dambuhalang Waczim-- isang bathala na nagkakaloob sa sinuman anumang ibulwak ng bibig mula sa bukal ng dibdib. Pangangailangan sa salapi na pambili ng gamot ng kapilas-pusong maysakit ang nakasaklot sa puso ng matandang mangingisda. 'Di kaginsa-ginsa'y bumundol ang kanyang bangka sa paanan ng Waczim. Kagy at umigkas ang katagang kimkim noon sa kanyang dibdib: "Salapi!" Bumuhos ng salapi-- mga butil at gilit ng ginto-- mula papawirin. At halos umapaw sa ginto ang bangka ng nagulantang na mangingisda, walang pagsidlan ang galak, at walang humpay ang pasasalamat sa mga bathala. Nanumbalik ang kalusugan ng kabiyak ng mangingisda. At lumago ang kabuhayan, naging mariwasa ang magkapilas-puso na dating maralita. Nilasing ng kanyang mga dating kalapit-bahay ang mangingisda-- na hindi ikina...