A GLIMPSE INTO 1997

Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 12:31:36 -14:00
From: KramerW@aol.com
To: benbubba@aol.com
Subject: FIshing for Pisces in Austin

MUSTANG ISLAND, TEXAS:
"I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
And the touch of a world that is older...."

(Mexican Radio performed by Wall of Voodoo, written by Marc Moreland and Stanard Ridgeway, I.R.S. Records, 1982)

It's mid-November, a little before noon on the beach at Mustang Island State Park. AOL/AstroNet wants a "year in review" and I'm sitting in the early winter Texas sun worrying about the deadline.

The Aquarius Moon has brought a really choice high tide and on the rocky point, there's a surf contest - real waves, not Internet surfing - yes, Bubba, Texans can surf. In fact, the waves are really tasty today. I watched the usual assortment of surf punks show up, long hair, no hair, tattoos, girls in bikinis, and an old station wagon piled with boards.

I covered lots of back roads this last year, Bubba. Compare the lush surf today with the high desert of El Paso, the achingly stark openness of the Panhandle around Lubbock. The lush green hills of Arkansas come to mind, as well, which look like mountains when you're working in Midland, Texas.

Been a long year so far.

I've lugged my trusty old PowerBook back and forth doing readings and answering email from my far flung locations. Flying in from England, last January, I was writing a quick fax on my Newton, and the businessman sitting next to me started to ask questions. As soon as he found out I was a professional astrologer, he quickly shut up. But two more passengers started asking questions - and one of them was a regular reader on the Web. Small world, this electronic village.

Astrology: I lecture about it, teach it, do about a bazillion readings, and I write daily/weekly/monthly columns. There are days, though, I must confess, when I seriously doubt my craft. For a poet, this is "the long dark night of the soul." In the last year, however, I've gotten those "not too subtle" reminders that astrology, whether I believe it or not, works. One example comes from all the early degree Sagittarius clients {11/22 - 12/1}. They all seem to be feeling the transformation coming from Pluto, exacerbated by Uranus in Aquarius. My clients and faithful readers prove to me, time and again, this astrology stuff WORKS!

Saturn in Aries is also lending solid proof, too, as the business demands on my time increase. Saturn frequently seems to represent that ugly word "work." That's why I'm writing, here on the beach. Wish I had the time and a surf board today.

What's coming up for 1997? Astrologically? 1997 starts with Mercury retrograde, then Jupiter hits Neptune and the world sees dreams shattered. But shortly after that, Mercury goes direct and Jupiter lines up with Uranus. It may start slow, but by February, the promise of the New Year hits full stride. 1997 will rock your world, you can trust me on that one. This 1996 year was about getting ready--are you?

As I was getting ready to pull out of the park, I noticed a real ranch pickup truck, I could tell that it was from a working ranch by the racks and general condition of the vehicle (you don't live here without learning about trucks and recognizing hay bales and straw), and these two real cowboy ranch hands had surfboards sticking out the back of the truck bed. Better get used to it, 1997 is going to be year full of surprises.

Kramer Wetzel
Sent from a Newton via Aloha 2.3.4

back on the road