MARCH 2009 Nick Newmont Newsletter

Dear Friends,
Welcome to another installment of my monthly newsletter designed to keep you abreast of upcoming events, classes, planetary alignments, products, crystals and a few words of inspiration to help you along. This month I begin an extended segment on the astrological sun signs of course with Aries, the first sign of the zodiac.

"Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried."

- From Shakespeare, Richard the Third
Act 1, scene1, 1-4

Richard, the future king, opens his play not by protesting his discontent, but by celebrating an upturn in his family's fortunes. His brother Edward IV—they're sons of the Duke of York—has wrested the English crown from Henry VI and the Lancastrian house. So those who simply quote "Now is the winter of our discontent" are doing these lines a disservice, since the "now" actually modifies "made glorious" (i.e. "The winter is now made glorious summer"). To translate more loosely: "The oppression of our family, which made life like a long winter, has been turned to a summery contentedness now that my brother is king." Edward's emblem is the sun, and the radiance of his glory has dispelled the clouds that "lowered" (frowned) on the House of York.

With spring upon us, has it been a winter of discontentment or have we been simply dormant new seeds waiting to sprout? A new king rules the USA, while Democrats have wrested the crown from the Republicans. There are many mythological metaphors for the seasonal changes. Most of them have to so with sadness (winter) and returning joy (spring). This is well represented in the myth of Persephone who was tricked by Hades to eat the forbidden pomegranate seeds. She spends a season in the underworld causing Demeter, her mother, to grieve and the Earth to be barren. Spring is renewal. We greet spring with renewed hope as we awaken from the gray of winter.

Astrology: The Sky in Aries - Almanac

The Sun moves into Aries on Friday March 20th @ 4:32 am PDT.  The New Moon is Thursday the 26th @ 9:05 am PDT. The Full Moon is Thursday April 9th @ 7:55am.

The Planets:

Venus and Saturn remain in retrograde motion. From April 11th to the 16th, there is a Mars- Uranus conjunction which makes people daring and restless. This alignment creates a headstrong need for freedom and independence. In the USA chart, the Uranus –Mars conjunction trines the 8th house retrograde Mercury. Since this is in the middle of the tax filing period we may see more people filing for extensions than ever. Or, we may see a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party.

With the Saturn retrograde sextile to the USA’s natal 8th house Sun, we have a great opportunity to re-evaluate investments- especially real estate. If you are one of those who is re-financing your home or doing a loan modification, now, through May 17th is the time to set it in motion. Transiting Saturn in the USA’s 9th house is forgiving in legal matters. This helps to explain the moratorium on foreclosures. I don’t usually look down the road too far, but in November of 2010 the USA has a Saturn return in the 10th house. This will be a global return to power for the US. Also, any US senatorial and congressional elections at that time will see incumbents re-elected.

The Sun in Aries - Rules the first house - Ruling Planet: Mars

When an individual speaks of their astrological sign, they are referring to the sign the Sun was in at the time of their birth. Other planetary positions obviously have an effect. For simplicity sake we will focus on the Sun position. The Sun is the center of the solar system. All life revolves around it. In the same way the ego is the center of the personality and the individual’s basic character. The Sun sign shows this basic character.

You are a person who thrives on challenge, and you often feel that you must battle your way through life, depending upon no one and nothing but your own strength, intelligence, and courage. You believe in being totally honest, true to oneself and one's own vision and convictions, even if that means standing alone. Honesty, integrity, personal honor, and authenticity are your gods, and you have no sympathy for weakness of character in others.

You crave the freedom to do things in your own way, and you work very well independently. Cooperating with others or carrying out another's will is not your style. You like to be the chief -or to go it alone.

You love action and if others are settling down into a nice, comfortable little rut, then you are always ready to stir things up, do something new, make changes, and bring in some fresh blood. Routine and sameness are like death to you. You are not afraid of trying something that's never been done before, and even though you may be seen as a fool sometimes, you also discover, invent, and initiate things that others will later emulate. Taking risks and following your own star are the breath of life for you, and you wilt (or get very frustrated and angry) if you cannot do this.

You are spontaneous, impulsive, direct, enthusiastic, and assertive. You believe in the power of positive thinking and positive action, and you think of yourself as a strong person - even invincible. You hate being ill or in any way in a position of dependency. Accepting your own human limitations and emotional needs is often difficult for you.

You are basically aggressive in your attitudes and have less facility in the receptive arts of relating to others, picking up subtle messages and nuances, listening, nurturing, and harmonizing. Often you are so fired up about your own projects or goals that you inadvertently run over or ignore other people's feelings and interests. Being receptive and appreciative of others' contributions, ideas, and feelings would go a long way in improving your relationships. Your impatience to get on with things causes you to be rather insensitive, and to therefore alienate others unnecessarily. You also frequently try to accomplish your ends by using anger or some version of a temper tantrum. You would gain much by learning to slow down, relax, and just let things be sometimes, but your energetic, restless nature rarely allows you to do this.

Next month-Taurus

Crystal of the Month: Growth Interference Quartz

Growth Interference quartz crystals are Russian and appear to be cut with a trim saw. The quartz has grown with paper-spar Calcite. The growth interference seems to have occurred near the end of the growth cycle of the long, thin quartz crystals. The Calcite developed at an angle to the lower prism faces of the quartz. The result is slightly indented lines carving the prismatic faces sometimes interfering with the growth of the rhomahedral formations.

Many of the Growth Interference crystals I have seen look like the old Necco Wafer candy for of those you remember; tightly stacked thin discs. The combination of the quartz and calcite growth, interrupted and growing again over millions of years explains the name of this formation. They are used to align the physical and etheric bodies and to assist in working on traumas. They remove blockages in the energy field and chakras as well as having a powerful effect on tumors. It is excellent for expediting post surgical healing and recovery from a disorder. They also help to remove and doubt and can reveal one’s destiny to give the individual a feeling of being in command of one’s own life.

Growth Interference crystals help to protect a child’s chakra openings during the development of the first three chakras-approximately from birth to age 14. (Click here for more information on Crystals)