Mary Jane... what's in a name?

Ok, so I'm sitting here thinking about how awesome it is that I'm a Scorpio, my ascending sign is Leo and my moon sign is Gemini. Makes for a multi-faceted, interesting personality. I am so cool. Now I'm realizing that my family is actually my legacy and I think that's what I'll share today.

My family is amazing. My namesake, Mary Jane, makes people think I'm a huge stoner (I MIGHT just be, but it goes beyond that).

Mary was my mother's mother. She met her husband, Art, while practicing as a nurse in New York City. My grandfather was a cardiologist - his brother, Bob, had had his appendix taken out and Mary was caring for him.

Sounds like a match made in heaven, but the emotional abuse my mother endured is enough to rip a family apart.

Mary and Art migrated to the London, ON area. They had two children, Frances and Henry. Imagine being a brilliant young woman and being COMPLETELY repressed (I have no idea what that's like).

I've always felt like I have a lot in common with my Uncle Henry. He taught high school math, acted, and currently, he is a judge of family law.

He got to go to university. My mother was born in 1943. Back then, the "boy" went to school, the "girl" didn't.

My mother fought her way through a teenage pregnancy, ridicule and humiliation to become an excellent lab technologist. She was published in a journal. To top it all off, she raised me, my sister Susie and my sister Maggie.

Ok, so I was going to get into the "Jane" part of my name... that's my dad's side. It's even cooler.

Keep dreaming,

The Blistered Foot Astrologer

Dust in the Wind...

I need to deter from my original topic to pay tribute to someone the world lost on November 14/15 (depending what part of the world you live in, I live in the part where time is relative).

Chris Zweerman was one of a kind. I've posted some of my favourite memories of this man in my facebook statuses, and as I sit here writing this, chuckling at the silliness, there is one memory that really sticks out for me.

In first year, Chris and I were joined at the hip. Went to class together, ate meals together and just hung out (sometimes Jonesy would come out and play). We were both dealing with long distance relationships at the time and I think found comfort in this (most high school relationships WILL WORK, right?). We found ourselves spending time together in the evenings, listening to music, watching movies, doing those (damn) microeconomics quizzes.

One night, I had a really awful cold. I lived in Johnston Hall in a triple room (ya know, the ones with the loft beds). Chris came in and played Dust in the Wind for me and my roommates to help me fall asleep (he was an amazing classical guitarist).

That's the memory, and yet it spawned so many. Dust in the Wind... he truly is, eh? Look at the number of connections that have been made in his memory.

Thank you, Chris, for the best lesson of all: Love something 'til it's gone.

Keep dreaming,

The Blistered Foot Astrologer

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius...

People tend to tune me out when I say this "age old" phrase (start singing the song, etc.). Today's post is going to expand on this concept of Ages in an astrological sense.

The ideas I will be discussing are SO OLD that many MANY people have been writing about it... and talking about it before writing existed in its modern form. Myself, being of a "sound, scientific mind", will always cite these ideas (where applicable) and suggest further reading.

This being said, I need to make it perfectly clear that I am by no means a professional astrologer. I am "only" a fascinated individual seeking to expand my mind. Feel free to email me with questions, but remember, I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL.

Ok, I think that's a great intro... I haven't even TOUCHED on the topic. But I have stuff to do. I promise I'll get to it.

Keep dreaming,

The Blistered Foot Astrologer

(If you know K'naan, you'll get the reference)

P.S. I need to give kudos to Nick Campion for being one of my many spiritual guides.