Astrology Questions: Ask the Astrologer Four

Typical Astrology Questions from Ask the Astrologer, should be a series, alas, it’s not.

Part of the ongoing milieu in which we all live? Part of the backdrop is current astrological conditions. While I endeavor to cover this in the last weekly video, I sometimes get that feeling I fell short of my own expectations. Perhaps there’s another way to explain what’s happening — and how to deal with it most effectively — on a personal basis?

A week, two weeks back? I was winging in from Albuquerque, NM. There was a pop–up rain storm in Dallas, and the big airport — DFW — was closed due to lightening strikes, or rain, or maybe, just because some folks didn’t feel like working in wet summer heat. I don’t like to fish in the rain — I get it.

It’s North Texas — that’s just the way it is — weather–wise.

I picked a relatively light travel day for commercial air, and I had to be back in San Antonio so I could be in Austin at the rock shop on the following Tuesday —

Here’s the way this played out: left Santa Fe on time, checked in the rent car, shuttled to the airport, all good thus far. Waltzed through TSA with a voucher, and grabbed coffee in the departure area. Coffee and $5 bottle of water.

The dog–leg route was Albuquerque to Dallas then San Antonio. Warning one, was the weather delay originating in Dallas. Plane was a few minutes late arriving and a few minutes late for take–off, because of “Weather in Dallas.”

Landed at Dallas–Love on a dry runway, but by the time we taxied to the jetway, the skies opened up. Just a typical Texas squall — the jetway ramp was completely soaked because, “The rain was coming in sideways!” So I wasn’t worried, just a tad concerned as we had less than an hour to connect to the San Antonio flight. Looked at the boards, outside the gate areas: the next two flights to San Antonio glowed red — CANCELLED.

I’ve long maintained that the true measure of a person’s humanity is how one deals with adversity. A simple definition is when the Texas weather messes up flights — a rather common occurrence in my world.

The tales that unfolded included such tidbits as DFW was closed due to a super–cell thunderstorm, the connecting flights we were on had been diverted, one to Lubbock and another to Tulsa — neither location is really a good airport for spending hours drifting aimlessly amongst the news stands. Used to be I had some friends I could call up, but security protocols and such, not much point in wandering in and out of the TSA cordon.

The good news is that I was at the recently remodeled Dallas — Love Field, and they have two Starbucks, one at each end. Plus all manner of other convenience food.

The airport seats, while not comfortable, have built in phone and tablet chargers, with the added advantage there was a ton of stranded travelers, many of whom were traveling with children, and a contingent of Tibetan Monks in orange robes, and just another day of bad weather–travel in Texas. Would make for interesting people watching.

Supposedly, when getting bumped from one flight, like the next two connecting flights were diverted and then cancelled, supposedly, the airline will book us out on the next available flight. The 2 PM and the 3 Pm were cancelled, so the next one was 5:30, and it was already full, plus it was running late — weather delays in Texas — so we were guaranteed seats out on the 8:30, which was then scheduled for an 11 PM departure.

Don’t do the math — could’ve driven home in less time. As these were frequent flyer miles, as a “Non-Rev” (non–revenue passenger), doesn’t get priority booking.

When I travel commercial air, I learned — this is from my immediate family — to always carry reading material, and then, from my own experiences, always carry a charger for the electrical toys, be that laptop, tablet, or phone. There’s a similar tale about Mercury in Retrograde, which might explain why I travel like this: prepared.

Besides, the 5:30 flight was first pushed to 8:30 and then, 11 PM, then 11:30. The 8:30 was rescheduled for 10, so we were still on the flight leaving the soonest.

All of this plot, schedule, and untimely weather delays is about how a person chooses to act and react in this kind of a situation — “Act of God” — that’s the legal definition.

I was reading a very good book on my iPad. I had another book — on the iPad — that I was looking forward to reading. I had coffee, bottled water, wifi, clean restrooms, clear cell reception, all the modern inconveniences. The only part I was missing was sitting at home, doing laundry. Before I left for NM, I had packed my bag for a day in Austin. Good to go.

The 8:30 flight we were one eventually left around 10, maybe 10:30 PM. The 5:30 flight — last I heard? It didn’t leave until 11 that night. I was home, in bed, and asleep by midnight, good to go to Austin the next morning.

If the true measure of one’s humanity is how one deals with troubling situations, something like weather delays in Texas are a perfect test. I was on the ground in the Dallas airport for almost eight hours (8 hours). While, at one moment, I did feel my bile rising — a clear indication of righteous indignation — I let that anger wash over me and watched as the angst receded like an outgoing tide. After seven years of drought, extra rain is welcome. Weather delays are inevitable. How I chose to deal with it, calmly, rationally, peacefully?

One SWA desk clerk looked at us, “Oh honey, what you should do is head down to the (restaurant) and have some adult beverages. They make good margaritas and by the time you get home, you won’t care.”

The emphasis and added theatrics made his little speech that much more enjoyable. I passed on the idea of getting liquored up, but the sentiment was well–received.

In the face of mounting frustrations, delays, seeming ineptitude, or, as I might try to explain the situation, with Saturn and Neptune, Saturn square Neptune, exacerbated by Jupiter oppose Neptune? Mars in Retrograde?

It’s a tough time, astrologically.

I planned that trip carefully; due diligence was performed to insure there would be the fewest travel interruptions. I was prepared, with magazines, books on iPad, book in hand, two sets of reading glasses, chargers, cables, phone, toothbrush, yes, I was prepared. I was also ready to get up and in the face of a SWA gate agents because flights were cancelled or delayed due to weather, act of god, whatever, and that wouldn’t get me home any faster.

It’s a tough time, astrologically.

The message is about how we all choose to act and react to the pressures. So far, none of this travel experience was life–threatening, dangerous, uncomfortable, just, at the most, mildly inconvenient. That’s all.

With what’s going on in the world around us? Maybe not yelling at a gate agent and insisting on the earlier flight — which — recall — left later? Maybe just accepting the oddities and figuring the good luck has run its course for a little while.

It’s a tough time, astrologically.

Don’t make it worse.

And that’s what the Strawberry Full Moon on the Solstice means.