Happy Crazy New Year!

Tonight, I'm out in the cold taking pictures of stars, because I am either too lazy or too broke to go down into Philly for New Year's Eve. Call me the hybrid Brazy. Or call me pathetic. And, did I mention it's cold with the lion wind roaring in from from ... oh ... Pluto (more about that demi-planet later). So, yes. The Stars. I decide that I can certainly hold my camera still enough to take pictures of stars. It's cold, but I have had wine. Balance in all things.

Can you see the star?

No? OK.

What if I blow it up? Does that look like a star? Maybe it looks like Pluto?

I'm thinking of Pluto, because, on the radio tonight (yes, I am ancient, and still listen to the radio) a correspondent for NPR's Marketplace show interviewed Astrologers in an effort to forecast our economic health for 2009. OK, let me repeat that: a reported for NPR's sassy, yet respectable show about the financial markets was interviewing ASTROLOGERS to try to snatch a glimpse of what the banks, brokers and purses will look like in 2009. Now, I was raised around astrologers, tarot card readers, psychics and other sundry paranormal creatures, and even I was saying, "WTF?" We're just throwing up our hands at this point.

"Madame Izzy, will Apple recover?"

Well, apparently, the driving heavenly force is Pluto, and apparently, she's pissed. he demo-planetoid has crossed over from expansive, glowing, everything's-gonna-be-allllight Sagittarius into dour, lay-it-on-the-line-and-don't-try-to-feed-me-any-bullshit Capricorn. No more carting around 17 maxed out credit cards because we can. No more "Hey, if we eat noodles for the first five years, we can afford this mansion!" No more riding high in the Hummer on gas fumes. Pluto is under the influence of Capricorn, and she isn't playing anymore. Pay your bills. Save your money. Stop buying crap. Call your mother. In the immortal words of Reverend Wright (don't tell my Mom I'm quoting him) "The chickens are coming home to roost!"

Anyone else thinking maybe we should not have demoted her from planet-status?

And, just to provide perspective, to let us know what we are dealing with, one astrologer mentioned that the last time Pluto was in Capricorn, it was 1776. Yes, the American- Revolutionary-1776. What the hell does that mean? She was forecasting an "enlightened" revolution. In our own crazy time. Given the War of Independence reference, I am thinking smells-like-victory saddled with massive debt. Mmmm. More debt. Yea.

So, let's just breathe in those fading Sagittarian fumes of optimism. Let's look to the distant star light. Let's celebrate the light and joy that exists in this world, whether the Capricornian dominatrix is banging on the door, or still sleeping off her hang-over. She'll be here for a while. Let us always remember that life is like that star in the sky; no matter how distant and cold it appears, it is the first thing you look for when the daylight fades.

Happiest of New Years to you and yours.