The Magickal Fishes pursue themselves across the star-studded skies from February 19th till March 21st, the Vernal Equinox. This intriguing constellation consists of two fish, one upright and the other facing left, and one band, linking them. Pisces most pronounced traits are real empathy, sustaining compassion, and emotional alchemy.

The ruling influences of Pisces are Jupiter the Supersizer and the font of Inspiration, Neptune.

The Supersizer is the Great Benefit in that is supersizes everything and anything. If one has a gift to share, the Supersizer turns those 5 fish into a meal for 5 thousand. If it happens to be a capacity for thieving, the Supersizer makes one a master thief, with a Robin Hood complex. In this light, the Piscean scope for drama, for any extreme, is understandable.

The Supersizer is connected with the sacrament of holy matrimony, hence 'lawful wedlock.' While in his own sign, this angelic influence will connect many soulmates and bind those who so desire to be bound. On the psychic level, finding ones' other half is a prerequisite to serious spiritual study in most disciplines.

Inspiration is coruler of Pisces, called the higher octave of Venus the Golden Girl. This can also effect us as Intoxication, Delusion, Addiction, and Debauchery. It depends on how the native will receive her that Inspiration gives her graces.

Any of the dually ruled signs is a complex one to navigate. The soul, naturally divided from the spirit, must first reconnect from within; then the integrated character must live an alchemical formula to successfully recombine the two seeming masters.

The Apostolic link to Pisces is Nathanial, Zebulon by the sea in the Hebrew Testament.

The natural scent of Pisces is citrus, ylang ylang, apricots and wisteria.

Pisces is associated with all gases, or any metal in a gaseous state. The amethyst, aquamarine, coral, or rose quartz are the traditional gems. Most modern of the Piscean associations is that of pink chalcedony, which is said to encourage compassion, heartfelt empathy, and emotional maturity. Diane Stein promotes this stone as one which is self blessing, enhances womens self image, and inspires awe at all that is sacred in life.

A Piscean fabric is acrylic.

Fish foods are citrus fruits, peaches, and all beverages but especially those which add alcohol.

These associations give the astute Christian Pisces a deeper insight into his nature and place in the world.

     The Sacred Tarot was used by the earliest Christians as a pictorial and mnemonic aid in absence of a cultured and ornate church. In the Rider Waite Tarot this is presented with clarity and precision. As such, the cards were never used for divination or game playing, but to explain, exhort, stimulate, and verify the life of the soul, chart its' progress through the shoals of life, and point is squarely and distinctly toward salvation through faith.
     Gradually, the various priesthoods came to the conclusion that anyone who could read, either the Scriptures or an artistic rendering, was a rival to their power. The cards came under a dark cloud.
     Today, we have come full circle in the realization that Truth does set us free, just as Christ Jesus promised it would. The ability to interpret the images is one akin to speaking in tongues; 'This rests entirely upon Nature; there is no accident. Every happening in the Universe is caused by pre:established laws.'
     It is therefore the gift of the Tarot 'to liberate us from the bonds of established doctrine...above all, they free faculties in us which are suppressed by conventions and daily routine.'
     No wonder the current church establishments will have nothing good to say of them!
     Many persons both in and out of the Christian fold read Tarot regularly, and we encourage you to give a second look to this method of communication with angelic and heavenly spirits.
     If you have an ear, hear.

     The cups court is one of the most inventive, colorful, and rewarding suit to know and explore. They are usually the most exasperating, as these are the folks who honestly say a thing one hour, with the tears shining in their eyes, and the next hour have completely reversed their way of looking at things. The cups folk feel rather than think, and intuit rather than reason; such methods have decided advantages and rewards, but can easily drive their friends and associates to murder. You may identify undinely inclined by their birthdates being in a water sign, or them having water rising in their natal chart. They will be very fair in coloring, or lean toward the cool shades in flowing layers in dress. You may have met them in the height of summer, by the seashore, at the lake, definitely in a large group of people having a good time; most likely on vacation.   You may also identify as water court people anyone you have met in the rain, while swimming, at a museum, poetry recital, at a musical, at the theater, or at the party afterward.  They may be therapists, hair stylists, make up artists, modistes, or cosmetic surgeons, artists, couturiers, hair dressers, pastors and priests, movies stars and swimming instructors, as the water court loves to create order and beauty.

     Your cups friends will always have a comforting word, a way of making you see the bright side of the worst day, can buoy you up when you face the Titanic; just don't count on them being there for more than an hour or so, because, as noted, they change it all around again.

     The water element noted here is pretty, but fragile, and transient. The water court has that sense of fragility, of being here today and gone tomorrow, like the flowers, like the waves. They give excellent advise about psychology, other people and their motives, and what you can do to help yourself; but they themselves can never follow it.

      By and large, you will consider them your flakiest, most airy fairy or air headed associates, the most fun and the kindest, whom you love and cherish, but must protect from running with scissors.

    An person born in any water sign being Scorpio, Cancer, or Pisces will show as a member of the water court.

      The water sign man is cheerful, with excellent taste in color, clothing, food and wine.  He is a fair weather partner, understanding parent, soulful friend, and great dancer!

     The woman of water is sweet natured and kind, and will never say anything distressing to you.  Her taste in music, food, and entertainment are excellent, as is her personal style.  She is a devoted mother, kind hearted friend, spiteful enemy, and usually sympathetic.

      Music, art, and psychoanalysis are all Water issues!

     An invitation to a gathering or getaway, a love letter, or a note to mom telling her you are thinking of her, are all Cups news.

or March 10th through the 20th...

your card is the 10 of cups. Your stars are those of Cepheus the King.

The 10 of cups reflects delight and abundance; the grandfather is playing with the grandchildren, who play with their dogs, all dancing with joy.

     Holy Scripture is full of warnings for us to take our dreams seriously; occasionally angels, or the Lord Himself, will speak to us in dreams. But all dreams are not the same.
     Most of our dreams are 'spiritual recycling' of our daily life and attitudes to wards it. This is how it should be! Frequently a minor flaw or petty problems will be presented along with perfect ready made solution in our nightly flights. 'God created sleep to this end only, that we should attain the insights we cannot comprehend when our soul is joined to the body,' quotes a wise rabbi of the old world.
     When the Lord speaks to us from heaven through our dreams, usually they have several things in common which are signals of His divine voice. 'My sheep know My voice,' He says, 'and they come when I call them.' One of these hallmarks is the sound of His voice, which some have likened to bells, chimes, the ocean, and the Music of the Spheres.
     Another sign is that the dream will appear in remarkable blazing color. Most ordinary dreams are strictly black and white.
     Religious figures, or archetypes, frequently appear in the Grand Dreams. It should come as no surprise for Moses to appear to devout Christians, of the Lord Himself to atheists. The Almighty once visited a client of a well known sage in Virginia dressed in a business suit and tie. The obvious message is that God is in charge, the real CEO.
     Suppose your dreams include being naked in public, is this a sign that you are secretly a lusty, Commandment-bending exhibitionist? No, more probably it indicates that you are anxious about appearing to be 'just like everyone else', or fear that you are lacking something important.
     Do you dream you are back in school, and either don't have your homework, or don't know the material for a test you are expected to take right then? Anxiety again, about not being prepared for life. The car you are in driving itself or driving wildly, a hill that keeps on getting steeper or higher, or water that rises higher or swifter, are all plain anxiety indicators.
     All this anxiety in our world is also the cause of much insomnia! If you are suffering from this lack of dreaming, first do try Valerian, hops, or skullcap, in capsules or tea. These are the most efficacious herbs, all-natural with no side effects, known. Chamomile or catnip tea before bed is soothing and calming to the nerves.
     Naturally, avoid caffeine and other stimulants, including exercise and exciting movies or activities, before bed.
     Most of all, make a regular habit of prayer, Psalm reading, and meditation at your bedside. Just keeping The Book on your nightstand can make you feel more at ease. Regular perusal and use of it can save your eternal life.

Send your dream to Danielle by emailing her at ChristianPsychics@hotmail.com, and write her name in the subject line. God Bless!

Saint Bartholomew was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus. Bartholomew (Greek: comes from the Aramaic bar-Tôlmay , meaning son of Tolmay (Ptolemy) or son of the furrows (perhaps a ploughman). Many have, based on this meaning, assumed it was not a given name, but a family name.

The festival of St Bartholomew is celebrated on August 24 in the western Church and on June 11 in the Eastern churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church honours Saint Bartholomew, along with Saint Thaddeus as their patron saint. The Coptic Church remembers him on January 1. The festival in August has been a traditional occasion for markets and fairs; such a fair serves as the scene for Bartholomew Fair, a play by Ben Jonson.

Though Bartholomew is listed among the Twelve Apostles in the three Synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and also appears as one of the witnesses of the Ascension (Acts 1:4, 12, 13), each time named in the company of Philip, he is one of the apostles of whom no word is reported nor any individual action recorded in the New Testament.

Beginning in about the 9th century, he became associated with Nathanael, mentioned only in the Gospel according to John. In the Synoptic gospels, Philip and Bartholomew are always mentioned together, while Nathanael is never mentioned; in John's gospel, on the other hand, Philip and Nathanael are similarly mentioned together, but nothing is said of Bartholomew. Some Biblical scholars reject this identification, however.

In the Gospel of John (John 1:45-51), Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip. He is described as initially being skeptical about the Messiah coming from Nazareth, saying: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?", but nonetheless, follows Philip's invitation. Jesus immediately characterizes him as "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit". Some scholars hold that Jesus' quote "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you", is based on a Jewish figure of speech referring to studying the Torah. Nathanael recognizes Jesus as "the Son of God" and "the King of Israel". Nathanael reappears at the end of John's gospel (John 21:2) as one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after the Resurrection.

According to Syriac tradition, Bartholomew's original name was Jesus, which caused him to adopt another name.

Eusebius of Caesarea's Ecclesiastical History states that after the Ascension, Bartholomew went on a missionary tour to India, where he left behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. Other traditions record him as serving as a missionary in Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, and Lycaonia.

Along with his fellow Apostle Jude, Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Thus both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. There is also a local tradition that he was martyred at the site of the Maiden Tower in present-day Baku, Azerbaijan, at the time part of Caucasian Albania, by being flayed alive and then crucified head down. In the nineteenth century, an Orthodox chapel was build on the supposed site of Bartholomew's death in Baku, but in 1936 it was ordered destroyed by the Soviet government.

After his martyrdom in this country, his body is said to have been washed to Lipari (a small island off the coast of Sicily), where a large piece of his skin and many bones are kept in the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. Holy Roman Emperor Otto II brought his relics to Rome (at the basilica of San Bartolomeo all'Isola) in 983. In time, the church here inherited an old pagan medical center. This association with medicine in course caused his name to often be associated with medicine and hospitals. Some of his skull was transferred to Frankfurt, while an arm is venerated in Canterbury Cathedral today.

　

Of the many miracles performed by St. Bartholomew before and after his death, two very popular ones are known by the town-folk of the small island of Lipari. When St. Bartholomew's body was found off the shore, the Bishop of Lipari ordered many men to take the body to the Cathedral. When this failed due to its extreme weight, the Bishop then sent out the children. The children easily brought the body ashore.

Ever since his discovery on the island, the people of Lipari celebrated his feast day annually. The tradition of the people was to take the solid silver and gold statue from inside the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew and carry it through the town. When taking the statue down the hill towards the town, it suddenly got very heavy and had to be set down. When the men carrying the statue regained their strength they lifted it a second time. After another few seconds, it got even heavier. They set it down and attempted once more to pick it up. They managed to lift it but had to put it down one last time. Within seconds, the walls further downhill collapsed. If the statue had been able to be lifted, all of the townspeople would have been killed.

During World War II, the Fascist regime looked for ways to finance their activities. The order was given to take the silver statue of Saint Bartholomew and melt it down. The statue was weighed and it was found to be only several ounces. It was returned to its place in the Cathedral in Lipari. In reality, the statue is made from many pounds of silver and it is considered a miracle that it was not melted down.

St. Bartholomew is credited with many other miracles having to do with the weight of objects.

In works of art he is often represented with a large knife, or, as in Michelangelo's Last Judgment, with his own skin hanging over his arm. Tradition holds that in Armenia he was flayed alive and then crucified upside down. This fate has led to him being adopted as the patron saint of tanners.

Saint Bartholomew plays a part in Francis Bacon's Utopian tale The New Atlantis, about a mythical isolated land Bensalem populated by a people dedicated to reason and natural philosophy. Some twenty years after the ascension of Christ the people of Bensalem found the arc floating off their shore. The arc contained a letter as well as the books of the Old and New Testaments. The letter was from Bartholomew the Apostle and declared that an angel told him to set the arc and its contents afloat. Thus the scientists of Bensalem received the revelation of the Word of God.

 Saint Joseph

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster-father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The chief sources of information on the life of St. Joseph are the first chapters of our first and third Gospels; they are practically also the only reliable sources, for, whilst, on the holy patriarch's life, as on many other points connected with the Saviour's history which are left untouched by the canonical writings, the apocryphal literature is full of details, the non-admittance of these works into the Canon of the Sacred Books casts a strong suspicion upon their contents; and, even granted that some of the facts recorded by them may be founded on trustworthy traditions, it is in most instances next to impossible to discern and sift these particles of true history from the fancies with which they are associated. Among these apocryphal productions dealing more or less extensively with some episodes of St. Joseph's life may be noted the so-called "Gospel of James", the "Pseudo-Matthew", the "Gospel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary", the "Story of Joseph the Carpenter", and the "Life of the Virgin and Death of Joseph".

Genealogy

St. Matthew (1:16) calls St. Joseph the son of Jacob; according to St. Luke (3:23), Heli was his father. This is not the place to recite the many and most various endeavours to solve the vexing questions arising from the divergences between both genealogies; nor is it necessary to point out the explanation which meets best all the requirements of the problem (see GENEALOGY OF CHRIST); suffice it to remind the reader that, contrary to what was once advocated, most modern writers readily admit that in both documents we possess the genealogy of Joseph, and that it is quite possible to reconcile their data.

Residence

At any rate, Bethlehem, the city of David and his descendants, appears to have been the birth-place of Joseph. When, however, the Gospel history opens, namely, a few months before the Annunciation, Joseph was settled at Nazareth. Why and when he forsook his home-place to betake himself to Galilee is not ascertained; some suppose — and the supposition is by no means improbable — that the then-moderate circumstances of the family and the necessity of earning a living may have brought about the change. St. Joseph, indeed, was a tekton, as we learn from Matthew 13:55, and Mark 6:3. The word means both mechanic in general and carpenter in particular; St. Justin vouches for the latter sense (Dialogue with Trypho 88), and tradition has accepted this interpretation, which is followed in the English Bible.

Marriage

It is probably at Nazareth that Joseph betrothed and married her who was to become the Mother of God. When the marriage took place, whether before or after the Incarnation, is no easy matter to settle, and on this point the masters of exegesis have at all times been at variance. Most modern commentators, following the footsteps of St. Thomas, understand that, at the epoch of the Annunciation, the Blessed Virgin was only affianced to Joseph; as St. Thomas notices, this interpretation suits better all the evangelical data.

It will not be without interest to recall here, unreliable though they are, the lengthy stories concerning St. Joseph's marriage contained in the apocryphal writings. When forty years of age, Joseph married a woman called Melcha or Escha by some, Salome by others; they lived forty-nine years together and had six children, two daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was James (the Less, "the Lord's brother"). A year after his wife's death, as the priests announced through Judea that they wished to find in the tribe of Juda a respectable man to espouse Mary, then twelve to fourteen years of age. Joseph, who was at the time ninety years old, went up to Jerusalem among the candidates; a miracle manifested the choice God had made of Joseph, and two years later the Annunciation took place. These dreams, as St. Jerome styles them, from which many a Christian artist has drawn his inspiration (see, for instance, Raphael's "Espousals of the Virgin"), are void of authority; they nevertheless acquired in the course of ages some popularity; in them some ecclesiastical writers sought the answer to the well-known difficulty arising from the mention in the Gospel of "the Lord's brothers"; from them also popular credulity has, contrary to all probability, as well as to the tradition witnessed by old works of art, retained the belief that St. Joseph was an old man at the time of marriage with the Mother of God.

The Incarnation

This marriage, true and complete, was, in the intention of the spouses, to be virgin marriage (cf. St. Augustine, "De cons. Evang.", II, i in P.L. XXXIV, 1071-72; "Cont. Julian.", V, xii, 45 in P.L. XLIV, 810; St. Thomas, III:28; III:29:2). But soon was the faith of Joseph in his spouse to be sorely tried: she was with child. However painful the discovery must have been for him, unaware as he was of the mystery of the Incarnation, his delicate feelings forbade him to defame his affianced, and he resolved "to put her away privately; but while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. . . And Joseph, rising from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife" (Matthew 1:19, 20, 24).

The Nativity and the flight to Egypt

A few months later, the time came for Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem, to be enrolled, according to the decree issued by Caesar Augustus: a new source of anxiety for Joseph, for "her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered", and "there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:1-7). What must have been the thoughts of the holy man at the birth of the Saviour, the coming of the shepherds and of the wise men, and at the events which occurred at the time of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, we can merely guess; St. Luke tells only that he was "wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him" (2:33). New trials were soon to follow. The news that a king of the Jews was born could not but kindle in the wicked heart of the old and bloody tyrant, Herod, the fire of jealousy. Again "an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee" (Matthew 2:13).

Return to Nazareth

The summons to go back to Palestine came only after a few years, and the Holy Family settled again at Nazareth. St. Joseph's was henceforth the simple and uneventful life of an humble Jew, supporting himself and his family by his work, and faithful to the religious practices commanded by the Law or observed by pious Israelites. The only noteworthy incident recorded by the Gospel is the loss of, and anxious quest for, Jesus, then twelve years old, when He had strayed during the yearly pilgrimage to the Holy City (Luke 2:42-51).

Death

This is the last we hear of St. Joseph in the sacred writings, and we may well suppose that Jesus's foster-father died before the beginning of Savior's public life. In several circumstances, indeed, the Gospels speak of the latter's mother and brothers (Matthew 12:46; Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19; John 7:3), but never do they speak of His father in connection with the rest of the family; they tell us only that Our Lord, during His public life, was referred to as the son of Joseph (John 1:45; 6:42; Luke 4:22) the carpenter (Matthew 13:55). Would Jesus, moreover, when about to die on the Cross, have entrusted His mother to John's care, had St. Joseph been still alive?

According to the apocryphal "Story of Joseph the Carpenter", the holy man reached his hundred and eleventh year when he died, on 20 July (A.D. 18 or 19). St. Epiphanius gives him ninety years of age at the time of his demise; and if we are to believe the Venerable Bede, he was buried in the Valley of Josaphat. In truth we do not know when St. Joseph died; it is most unlikely that he attained the ripe old age spoken of by the "Story of Joseph" and St. Epiphanius. The probability is that he died and was buried at Nazareth.

Devotion to Saint Joseph

Joseph was "a just man". This praise bestowed by the Holy Ghost, and the privilege of having been chosen by God to be the foster-father of Jesus and the spouse of the Virgin Mother, are the foundations of the honour paid to St. Joseph by the Church. So well-grounded are these foundations that it is not a little surprising that the cult of St. Joseph was so slow in winning recognition. Foremost among the causes of this is the fact that "during the first centuries of the Church's existence, it was only the martyrs who enjoyed veneration" (Kellner). Far from being ignored or passed over in silence during the early Christian ages, St. Joseph's prerogatives were occasionally descanted upon by the Fathers; even such eulogies as cannot be attributed to the writers among whose works they found admittance bear witness that the ideas and devotion therein expressed were familiar, not only to the theologians and preachers, and must have been readily welcomed by the people. The earliest traces of public recognition of the sanctity of St. Joseph are to be found in the East. His feast, if we may trust the assertions of Papebroch, was kept by the Copts as early as the beginning of the fourth century. Nicephorus Callistus tells likewise — on what authority we do not know — that in the great basilica erected at Bethlehem by St. Helena, there was a gorgeous oratory dedicated to the honour of our saint. Certain it is, at all events, that the feast of "Joseph the Carpenter" is entered, on 20 July, in one of the old Coptic Calendars in our possession, as also in a Synazarium of the eighth and nineth century published by Cardinal Mai (Script. Vet. Nova Coll., IV, 15 sqq.). Greek menologies of a later date at least mention St. Joseph on 25 or 26 December, and a twofold commemoration of him along with other saints was made on the two Sundays next before and after Christmas.

In the West the name of the foster-father of Our Lord (Nutritor Domini) appears in local martyrologies of the ninth and tenth centuries, and we find in 1129, for the first time, a church dedicated to his honour at Bologna. The devotion, then merely private, as it seems, gained a great impetus owing to the influence and zeal of such saintly persons as St. Bernard, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Gertrude (d. 1310), and St. Bridget of Sweden (d. 1373). According to Benedict XIV (De Serv. Dei beatif., I, iv, n. 11; xx, n. 17), "the general opinion of the learned is that the Fathers of Carmel were the first to import from the East into the West the laudable practice of giving the fullest cultus to St. Joseph". His feast, introduced towards the end shortly afterwards, into the Dominican Calendar, gradually gained a foothold in various dioceses of Western Europe. Among the most zealous promoters of the devotion at that epoch, St. Vincent Ferrer (d. 1419), Peter d'Ailly (d. 1420), St. Bernadine of Siena (d. 1444), and Jehan Charlier Gerson (d. 1429) deserve an especial mention. Gerson, who had, in 1400, composed an Office of the Espousals of Joseph particularly at the Council of Constance (1414), in promoting the public recognition of the cult of St. Joseph. Only under the pontificate of Sixtus IV (1471-84), were the efforts of these holy men rewarded by Roman Calendar (19 March). From that time the devotion acquired greater and greater popularity, the dignity of the feast keeping pace with this steady growth. At first only a festum simplex, it was soon elevated to a double rite by Innocent VIII (1484-92), declared by Gregory XV, in 1621, a festival of obligation, at the instance of the Emperors Ferdinand III and Leopold I and of King Charles II of Spain, and raised to the rank of a double of the second class by Clement XI (1700-21). Further, Benedict XIII, in 1726, inserted the name into the Litany of the Saints.

One festival in the year, however, was not deemed enough to satisfy the piety of the people. The feast of the Espousals of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, so strenuously advocated by Gerson, and permitted first by Paul III to the Franciscans, then to other religious orders and individual dioceses, was, in 1725, granted to all countries that solicited it, a proper Office, compiled by the Dominican Pierto Aurato, being assigned, and the day appointed being 23 January. Nor was this all, for the reformed Order of Carmelites, into which St. Teresa had infused her great devotion to the foster-father of Jesus, chose him, in 1621, for their patron, and in 1689, were allowed to celebrate the feast of his Patronage on the third Sunday after Easter. This feast, soon adopted throughout the Spanish Kingdom, was later on extended to all states and dioceses which asked for the privilege. No devotion, perhaps, has grown so universal, none seems to have appealed so forcibly to the heart of the Christian people, and particularly of the labouring classes, during the nineteenth century, as that of St. Joseph.

This wonderful and unprecedented increase of popularity called for a new lustre to be added to the cult of the saint. Accordingly, one of the first acts of the pontificate of Pius IX, himself singularly devoted to St. Joseph, was to extend to the whole Church the feast of the Patronage (1847), and in December, 1870, according to the wishes of the bishops and of all the faithful, he solemnly declared the Holy Patriarch Joseph, patron of the Catholic Church, and enjoined that his feast (19 March) should henceforth be celebrated as a double of the first class (but without octave, on account of Lent). Following the footsteps of their predecessor, Leo XIII and Pius X have shown an equal desire to add their own jewel to the crown of St. Joseph: the former, by permitting on certain days the reading of the votive Office of the saint; and the latter by approving, on 18 March, 1909, a litany in honour of him whose name he had received in baptism.

     The Lord God commanded us from Genesis on to have stewardship over the earth. He had us give each animal its own name.
We've been a little slipshod in our manners ever since!
     Please consider adopting a pet from the local Humane Society (HSUS.org or ASPCA.org), making a donation to Greenpeace (Greenpeace.com) or the Sea Shepherd Society (SeaShepherd.org), the National Geographic Society (NationalGeographic.com) or the Sierra Club (SierraClub.org).

     You can sponsor the pet of one of our soldiers overseas through Whisker City (WhiskerCity.com) or adopt a rescued pet from the Gulf storms through Noahs Wish (tinyurl.com). Our good deeds and charity adorn us as brides clothes in the eyes of God.

December 21, 2012.

What is destined to occur on this auspicious date? Everyone is giving the Winter Solstice of 2012 unprecedented attention. Some are expecting the end of the world, while others are saying business as usual, all the while realizing business hasn't been as usual for some time now. Is this the day that Jesus will return? Let's consider the whole picture before jumping to conclusions.   First, Jesus told us clearly and repeatedly that the day of His return was asecret known only to His Father. Jesus didn't know, or evince any curiosity, as to when His encore would occur. He promised it would happen, told us to live every day as if it were our last, and not to worry about the rest. Did He give us acode to find, a riddle to solve, a way to figure the date out? Since He didn't know the date, He left no clue to any method of discovery.   He did leave the injunction that there would be signs in the heavens thatwould precede His return. He likened these signs to birth pangs.  Thus the creators of the Mayan Long Count and Short Count calender, whichconcludes on the Winter Solstice of 2012, become involved in our theme.   (These ancient people knew Jesus as Quetzalcoatl, and identified Him correctly with the Morning Star.) Their assiduous sky watching and recording of incidents witnessed is phenomenal. They call the Galactic Dark Rift 'xibalba' which manyinterpret as Hell; others point out is properly translated as Birth Canal. On the Winter Solstice, December 21 of 2012, our sun will rise conjunct thedark Galactic Birth Canal, just at the mouth of the star sign Sagittarius. This canbe said to be the time of the beginning of the birth pangs.He also said, before He left this terrestrial earth to join His Father in Heaven,'this generation shall not pass away before these things come to pass.' So wehave the outside time frame of at least a generation from the Winter Solstice of 2012 before we have to organize for Him coming back in force to establish anearthly kingdom, of which there will be no end. How long is a generation?

Between 25 and 30 years, thereabouts. We have time to finish the harvest.

Need your natal or transit chart done for this year? Email us atChristianPsychics@hotmail.com with your birth info, or see How To Order page.  God Bless!

    Action!

      You may meet the fire court in the spring, during a heat wave or a dry spell, in school, on a trip, on the Net,  at a sports event, especially a race; at a barbecue, a fire sale, in traffic, in transit, on the phone, or at a business meeting, or see their byline in a photojournal. They are clever and inventive and tell engaging stories, quick anecdotes, good bad jokes, and always have a smart comeback.

     You won't find more active, activating, inspiring, or tiring people than the court of fire. Their genius is expressed in acts of power or creations, inventions, strategies, polemics, formulas. They will never bore you, or consider your feelings or interests as opposed to theirs. Their intensity can be incandescent, beyond frightening, as can their loyalty to an underdog, an old friend, a fading ideal or tradition. A thwarted fire lover can go psycho most easily; he is also the one who will write the most moving spiritual poetry.

     Your fire friends will be the ones you instantly turn to in a crisis, the ones you can count on for courageous support, strong minded advise, and who will see you through an unpopular move or position. They are as ferociously honest as they are fiercely loyal, and will tell you the unpalatable truth without losing your respect or love. It is both dangerous and unwise to ignore or cross them.

     The fire folks are into travel and frequent changes of scene, love warm or outright hot weather, and don't mind flying, camping, roughing it. They are initiators, but may not stick around to see the thing through.

     In cases of physical description, the fire folks always look a little different; original, yes, but slightly foreign. Natural chameleons, they tend to disguise themselves to adapt to their surroundings, though their innate fire always shows through. Most fire sign women color their hair, even in youth; they are tastefully made up, but always so; the fire men are frequently too daring in their speech.

is competitive in work and play. She knows!  

This is the gal who can give you good advice in any situation.

     Wands issues revolve around communcation, its mediums and modes, the exchange of ideas of all kinds, invention, discovery and breakthrough, travel, world affairs, politics, liturature, everything current, including the latest fashion.

will always include quotations of those having their 15 minutes of fame now.
It may also come as a surprise.

    In many ways, the element of earth is the most important in any horoscope. At present, it is unpopular to be of earth, from earth, or remotely human; 'earth people!' will sneer the alien ET of movies or television, or astrologers, gurus, New Agers of all genres. Yet without a strong placement in the earth element, the natal horoscope of the most sensitive, spiritually gifted soul will flounder into madness. Earth people are strong, skeptical, rational, logical, handy and adaptable, sturdy survivors who can access other dimensions while cooking dinner in the forest for 22 girl scouts. They also wear name brands, are conscious of what you are driving, express greed as art form, and will not think twice about stealing your boyfriend, expecting you to thank them for exposing the cheap cheater to you. Earth, a bountiful, beautiful planet; earth, a rocky emptiness we long to leave behind. You will recognize earth people as the most plastic in Hollywood, who write the most moving scripts touching universal spiritual themes; those you meet in the late summer/early fall, harvest time, at a nursery for plants, at a utility or hardware shop, at a bank, or out doors, or just doing fun outdoor activities, hiking, camping, definitely spelunking. You meet them in the local Subway or at The Best Restaurant in Town. They are themselves excellent and inventive cooks, love to bake, organize, glam up and dress down, and call shabby chic 'somebody else's junk'; they may be thieves, but on a grand scale; they may drop names, but never tell a secret.

     The earth character is just paradoxical; angels wearing animal skins, PETA fanatics who would bash your brains out for wearing fur, and lobby for freedom of enterprise. What a people! What a place!

     Physically, they look indigenous to the region, or are natives. They have a typical Yankee face, or a local Yorkshire look, or, like successful homicidal maniacs, they look like everybody else.

     The Earth man is considerate of other peoples resources and their time.  His taste is sophisticated in public, his manner reserved, he is all about  business, and is always a devoted dad.  He can be a most formidable foe!  Don't provoke his anger unless you can play hard ball.   

is the woman wearing name brand designer clothes, driving the latest model SUV, who recylces everything and works two jobs plus is a full time mom. She can sense others needs, is warm hearted and kind, and frequently grants wishes!

Global warming, the environmental movement, and the sales at Lowes are all earth issues, which revolve around the archtype.

The children of earth are more likely to share their curds and whey with the spider than to run away from it. Most earth sign folks are deeply attached to the local fauna!

The Air court can be known by their panache, their flair for the original, and by the drama that they inspire in those around them. If you have a hidden fear, secret shame, guilty conscience, or extra toe, be sure an Air folk will find thee out! And they will tell everyone, as they talk incessantly. Curious, judgmental, adroit of intellect and body, graceful, elegant, malicious, criminal and just. The air court is always restless, having a sense of recklessness about them, and seldom do they count the consequences. Swords people speak incisively, display excellent judgment, and share keen insights.  By nature they are active, competitive, go-getters, achievers, and award winners. 

The trees here noted are sad cypress; the birds are black, the cherubs stone, and the butterflies are ideals only. Swords folks are sad as only realists can be sad. They deal with sorrow efficiently, but it has left its mark on their souls.

You may know the air court by having met them in the winter months, the rainy season, on a windy day, in an airplane, in the open air, at the airport, in court, at a sports event, or have seen them on TV.

By occupation they are most frequently in the military or police; often they may be 'on the air' or in show business, in computer software design, or any occupation which deals in the abstract; decision makers or arbitrators, judges or butchers or surgeons; they love to work with tools and the women are always on the cell phone, blackberry or iPod.

In cases of physical description, be guided by the imagery in your chosen deck and your intuitive capacities. Usually swords people are red to auburn haired, with medium coloring, with hazel or light eyed; this applied equally to Vikings and Africans.

     Any man born in an air sign is a King of Swords.
     He may also be someone who loves sailing, or who flies airplanes for fun, as these are a Swords orientations. 

      A king of Swords could be a man you met in the open air, at a sports arena or field, at a balloon exhibition, or an airport.
      His occupation may be that of surgeon, lawyer, or salesman.  He will display keen judgment of others capacities, be shrewd of speech, and look sharp.
     His temper could quickly and easily flare.

     The Queens of Swords are energetic, high maintenance friends, who are always on the phone, texting you a thousand messages, all of them full of fun and gossip.

     When you have a problem, they know ten other people who had the same thing happen, and can tell exactly what each person did that was different and which was the same.

     Swords women are fair weather friends, who show you exactly which way the wind blows.

     All air sign people tend to travel frequently.  They may be travel agents or pilots or stewardesses, or just be on the move a lot, or change jobs every two years. 

     They may be journalists, in the broadcast industry, or in politics.  They are always well groomed and dressed for the occasion, and can articulate well. 

     They negotiate.  Principle seldom gets in the way of the bottom line. 

     Air signs are risk takers.

     Geminis in particular are inquisitive, almost to the point of being nosy!

     The Page of Swords always brings news, especially news from far away places, and a change of scene.

     Physical activity is an air sign trait!                       

     Some think that air signs make the best spys and investigators.  Some also think Geminis are psychotic, but this is unfair.