A few days ago a friend of mine confided that she did not have a raise in 10 years, and now her company is cutting her hours.
My friend is a physical therapist.
I am an owner of a tiny business in a completely different field. My income is neither wages nor salary. It is the net profit from my business. Yet I have the same predicament. My income remained flat for 12 years.
When I was single, living in a posh building in a posh part of town and paying $900 in monthly rent, which included utilities, that was a pretty good income, and I was certainly a middle class girl.
Moreover, my income increased steadily through the nineties, and I was certain of a decent future for myself.
I was so certain, in fact, that I did not bother to save for a rainy day.
I did whole a lot of traveling, skiing, and other fun things.
Then I got married, had a kid, moved to a cheaper part of town where I got an apartment twice as big for monthly rent just a bit higher than my previous digs.
My income remained the same because my subcontractors kept raising their rates but my clients began to cheapen out. Excuses were understandable: we did have a recession in 2000, then in 2001 (“9/11″), then in 2003, etc.
I probably could get out of my shell and get more clients to increase my income, but my kid and failing marriage kept me busy.
Then in the fall of 2007 I finally became a single mom, and 2 months later the FINANCIAL CRISIS hit me (my business is closely related to the insurance industry so I’ve experienced the crisis long before the rest of America did).
In 2008, my income went down significantly. So now I had no choice and got out of my shell, and got myself many more clients. I have also reduced rates of my subcontractors.
Yet my income did not jump. It simply went back to the pre-crisis level, because I had to cut my rates also. Everyone is in the bind.
I am not even talking about payment time-table that is now 4 times as long. Before the crisis, if a company took 2 months or longer to pay, I was on their case already. Now I don’t even bother with inquiries till 4 months past due.
It is my flat income that gets me, because my life is twice as expensive now. My rent now is $1510/mo, plus utilities that are twice what they used to be in 2000. My ground phone line that I use for fax only is also twice of what it used to be in 2000. So is my transportation expense, internet, my cell phones, etc.
My monthly grocery bill has grown now more than twice, even though my son and I eat much less than my ex (it used to be that half of my monthly grocery budget went to his propitiation).
In other words, it takes now twice the amount of dollars to cover living expenses, and they say there is no inflation.
There is no inflation, because our incomes have deflated.
It used to be that incomes would grow almost at the same rate as inflation of overall prices. It was called inflation, and was supposed to be a bad thing for economy.
Now I miss inflation. Because the value of my dollar has shrank 50% or more, but I don’t have more paper in my wallet to make up the lost value. My paper income remains flat, but the real income has shrank.
I am no longer a middle class girl, I am a working poor one, and my future looks pretty bleak. I have no extra dollar to save, I have no pension coming, and as an entrepreneur I have no other safety nets like unemployment benefits, which my ex is enjoying now.
Instead, I am working 3 times as much as I used to, and spend so much more just to get the same shrinking dollar.
I would not be writing about it, if it was just my predicament. I am writing about it, because 90% of Americans are in this shrinking boat.
Even the super-rich (like Warren Buffet or Bill Gates) have lost some dollar value thanks to real estate and stock market deflation. I am sure though that they are offsetting their rising living expense by paying less those who work for them or do business with them.
The simply rich (like Donald Trump) may actually feel much poorer because they lost just as much on stock market, real estate, Bernie Madoff and their leverage in reducing cost of business / living is not as great.
The upper middle class is now, for most part, is what middle class used to be, for the same reason.
Middle class… What middle class? Unless you are a civil servant, you would no longer fit that category. I bet your 401K keeps you awake at night.
There are so many things that went wrong for the dollar that there are not enough fingers on a hand to point them all out: derivatives, run-away credit, the cost of oil, global labor market…
Honestly, it is the global labor market that is the main culprit in stagnation of American income. But that is 10,000lbs gorilla in the room that no one is talking about. Trust me, immigration is the least of our problem. It is competition with the guys safely in their native third world countries that is doing us in. No one is talking about it on CNN, because business is happy with reduced labor costs. Except that most businesspeople don’t realize yet that spending their dollars in China or Africa shrinks consumption in America, which, inevitably, leads to their profit remaining flat too despite the reduced labor costs.
Simple economy101: wealth is produced where goods are produced.
The great minds who decided to open the labor market in 1990s must have thought as follows:
As other countries get richer, there are going to be more markets for American goods, so America would get richer too.
They did not take in consideration, however, that American production would not be able to compete with cheaper labor costs elsewhere and would shut down, impoverishing our country for the sake of China, Uganda and so on.
The only reason we did not feel the pinch right away was the inflated real estate market that was still producing local wealth. With wind taken out of real estate, we are finally facing reality.
And, since Obama Administration was not able to push through another emergency unemployment benefits bill, we soon are going to see the third world reality right here at home.
These changes cannot really be amended anymore. With the advent of the internet, Jinny of American wealth has completely left the bottle and cannot be re-captured. We are looking at the dawn of new world, where Russia (the richest country in natural resources), China (the richest country in labor resources) and India (the richest country in intellectual resources) are going to compete for new super-power title (my money is on China, since it is much more organized); the U.S., Europe, Canada, Australia and Brazil are going to be the second world, and the rest remain in the 3rd place. The jury is out on Arab countries rich with oil. If the green economy takes hold, they are going to be pushed back into the third world. They may also simply kill themselves with suicide bombers, expanded Taliban, etc.
SO, PLEASE, AMERICA, BUY AMERICAN PRODUCTS AND USE LOCAL SERVICES!
But, then, again, who can afford American products now when American dollar has shrunk so much…
Well, I am griping now, yet I know there is going to be more to gripe about a month from now… Read my previous article on that.
SHRINKING DOLLARS
Posted by Ella Moss on June 25, 2010
Posted in American economy, FINANCES, economy, global economy, labor market, personal finance, predictions | Tagged: 401K, American economy, Bill Gates, Brazil, budget, business, China, deflation, dollar, Donald Trump, economy, economy solutions, Europe, expense, financial crisis, global economy, immigration, income, India, inflation, labor market, living expense, money, Obama, Obama Administration, predictions, Russia, savings, suicide bombers, supeer-power, unemployment, unemployment benefits, value, Warren Buffet, wealth, worry | 4 Comments »
COUNTDOWN TO BIG BANG
Posted by Ella Moss on May 23, 2010
In my article Financial Crisis is not over until it’s over, I’ve predicted some sort of disaster within a week of 8/1/10.
I also said that February and April of 2010 are the months where we can see the preview of what is about to happen.
Well, these months were abuzz with Greece predicament.
We also had an Iceland volcano erupting on 4/14 and paralyzing air travel all over the world, especially in Europe.
Then we had the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on 4/21.
All these financial disasters, man-made and natural are due mostly to Saturn / Uranus opposition.
Now, 7/22/10 – 8/12/10 we have the opposition of these 2 planets but with Jupiter added to the mix. Jupiter tends to exaggerate all situations greatly. Thank God, it is 2 degrees ahead of Uranus during these 20 days, which diffuses the situation somewhat.
But it also exactly squares Pluto, giving more power to Pluto’s hard blows.
Most importantly, Mars enters the mix on 7/29, acting as the trigger of events 7/30 – 8/5.
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto are all the hard hitters of the zodiac, and they all appear to battle each other during the outlined dates, with Mars conjoining Saturn (structure) in opposition to Jupiter and Uranus (sudden explosion), and they all square Pluto (power quake).
Now that’s in the sky. It only affects us if we have natal planetary points within their battle zone.
Unfortunately for us, Americans, we have one – it is Venus.
Whether the true birthday of the U.S. is on 7/2 or 7/4, American Venus would be hit.
Venus represents money, possessions and relationship in any horoscope, whether mundane or natal.
So as the country, we are bound to be hit. In fact, we are likely to be blindsided, thanks to Uranus, who likes to hit from behind when we least expect it.
What can we expect? Most likely, some kind of huge man-made disaster that is coming from Europe. I say so based on February and April events, that are pointing towards across the Atlantic.
We may be spared physical casualties, but are likely to be hit in the wallet with an unusual force. Discounted euro could certainly do that to us.
Of course, the planetary warfare is factual, while European disaster is my educated guess.
It can be worse. It can be a terrorist act that overshadows the WTC one.
It can even be war. Let’s not forget that the crazy North Koreans downed a South Korean ship recently.
In fact, more than a decade ago, I’ve bookmarked these dates in my ephemeris as a possible onset of another world war.
But always an optimist, I believe that mostly it is our wallets that would suffer. But since Venus also signifies relationships, our political relationships are also at great risk.
There is also total solar eclipse on July 11 that worries me, although it is only going to be visible in Southern Hemisphere and falls in 19′ of Cancer, which makes it seemingly safe for the U.S.A. But I came across an interesting article by a fellow astrologer David Crook, Total Solar Eclipse of July 11. Some of his insights make me downright scared.
In July, I am going to see my Guru, Sai Baba, who is like Jesus Christ of our times. He even brought Jesus Christ to me once in a dream that still remains more vivid than my so-called reality.
On 8/1 I am heading for the hills of Catskills (and I hope, I am not too late then).
I certainly do pray for all of us.
It would be good that whoever reads this post would join me in my prayer.
Now, for a light-hearted finish to this article, I’ve written something for devotees of Secret and Power of Attraction:
THE SONGS IN MY HEAD
In the fabric of time there is a black hole
That swallows dreams as we’re getting old
(It looks like a subway tunnel where all trains
disappear to when they are needed the most
It feels like the very familiar pain
of a body limb that’s been lost)
Once again I see dreams falling into the Void,
While stepping on pieces of broken hearts.
But the hopelessness is out of vogue
So I must hold onto sanity hard
I open my third eye at last
Looking for reasons present and past
I shout all out but silence inside
And I hear a song making grooves in my mind:
“Got to love, got to love
who you are
Got to love, got to love
where you’re at
Got to love, got to love
what you have
LEARN TO APPRECIATE”
If I could sing, I would sing right back
(not quite mad yet, but growing madder)
My other song on another track:
“But I do, I just want it better!”
Instead, I hear a strange refrain:
“Only wrong dreams are dreamt in vane.
Get away from the hole,
It’s not good for the soul.
Got to love, got to love
who you are
Got to love, got to love
where you’re at….
Posted in FINANCES, astrology, economy, enlightenment, poetry, politics, spirituality | Tagged: astrological predictions, astrology, debt crisis, diaster, economy, Europe, finances, financial crisis, financial diaster, global economy, God, Greece, gulf of mexico oil spill, guru, Icelandic volcano, India, Jesus Christ, Jupiter, Law of Attraction, man-made disaster, mars, money, North Korea, Pluto, prayer, relationships, Sai Baba, Saturn, Secret, South Korea, the U.S., Uranus, Venus, war, world | 1 Comment »
GOING CRAZY IN JUNE
Posted by Ella Moss on April 20, 2010
I found this little poem of mine, written on 06/09/04 but still quite relevant, and decided to publish it as a tribute to the upcoming Poetry Cafe edition:
1.
It is only beginning of June,
But it feels like the end of the world
That is certainly coming up soon,
As the weather turns hot
And the souls turn cold.
My money is gone, and so is love
And everything else disappears…
But my heart has been so light –
I’ve lost everything, even fear.
Or, maybe, my body’s been shed
With the very last tear drop.
God has caught me in His blue net,
And I am slowly going up.
I am dancing and dancing with God –
After all, it’s the end of the world –
And my heart has been just so light:
It no longer has something to hold.
There are drops of the warm summer rain
Licking nakedness of my soul,
And I deem myself finally sane,
Flying into the sky’s blue hole.
2.
Wait, God, wait! Can’t You see, are You blind?
There is my little boy left behind!
I have not lost him just yet,
But he’s losing me fast, can’t you wait?!
I can bear my losses, not his
I can bear my crosses, not his
Can’t You hear him crying at all?
Let me fall back in June, let me fall!
3.
There are towers falling with me,
and spilled blood smells a lot like the oil,
And young boy in Iraq whispers scream,
His red life sipping into the soil,
His dark skin slowly turning white…
That’s my son, only older somehow…
Did I sent him into the fight?
Am I responsible now?
No, my son is a three-years-old,
Starving and all alone,
Licking an empty bowl
That’s been empty for so long…
I am lost. Are we in China?
Texas? Afghanistan? Uruguay?
I cannot help him. I switch TV channel,
Eat my potato chips and cry.
I’m sorry, my baby, we’ve fallen
To the very bottom of June,
And the rivers of prayers are swollen..
But the end of the world’s coming soon.
4.
I am walking my son to day care.
He is holding my hand so tight!
“When you need me, I’m always there” –
That’s what God has told me last night.
5.
At the bottom of June, I am dancing with God.
I am asking Him questions, ‘cause I am His child:
“Am I dying, my Lord, or just changing my skin?
On what day have You thought of the concept of sin?”
“My child, I am only the Maker of Dreams.
Each soul wakes up, when it actually screams.
Still, I am your closest friend,
‘cause I am always there.
Right now, I’m holding your hand,
As you’re walking me to the day care”
Posted in economy, enlightenment, poetry, politics, spirituality | Tagged: crisis, God, hunger, Iraq, life, loss, Love, money, mother, prayer, recession, relationships, spirituality, the end of the world, war, women, WTC | 5 Comments »
1 YEAR OLD PRESIDENCY
Posted by Ella Moss on January 20, 2010
Obama has been our president for 1 year now, and he already got a bum rap. Everyone is discussing how disappointed they are.
Don’t we just love creating celebs and then tearing them apart?
This guy’s major mistake was going for the presidency to begin with. Only a truly crazy, truly stupid (remember that other one?) or truly idealistic person would go for this most thankless job in the world.
Since Obama is obviously sane and smart, he must be too idealistic.
His second major mistake (according to many TV pundits) was saving us from THE GREATEST DEPRESSION and cushioning our financial fall.
Why was that a mistake? According to the TV pundits, this was a mistake because 1) he continued many policies initiated during the previous administration (not enough change), 2) he moved too much to the left (? was not it his platform when he was running?) and created bigger government.
(Personally, I don’t know what else he could have done, when the government was the only one left with the money as banks and insurance companies were collapsing left and right , but I am no pundit)
His third mistake was trying help those stupid insured and uninsured Americans whose medical expense soared and coverage did not hold very well. That did not go too well or too smoothly, or whatever. Does anyone know what’s in that health care reform bill?
(Personally, I don’t think Americans need it at all, since all I am hearing that they would rather pay $30,000/ yr for their medical insurance for a family of 4 -yes, I personally know such a family – and then keep their fingers crossed that their insurance would pay their medical bills when they get sick)
His 4th major mistake was apparently sending troops to Afghanistan after all that peace talk and the Nobel peace prize. Apparently, we are so tired of war, that we don’t care if the terrorists are not.
Oh, yea, the 5th major mistake was not personally watching who was getting on the plane in Nigeria (remember that guy with a bomb in his underwear?)
It is obvious, he has gotten nothing right, and now he is a lame duck.
I’m sure many are guessing now that Haitian earthquake would not have happened otherwise.
What we needed as our president in times like these was a MIRACLE GUY. You know, the one who could give everyone a $100,000+ job, instill brains in every kid born in America, abolish all illnesses, turn every criminal into a born-again righteous Christian and instill immediate peace on Earth.
It’s too bad that no one like that bothered to run. But then, again, the last MIRACLE GUY we know of was crucified on the cross.
Posted in politics | Tagged: Obama, great depression, financial crisis, health care, miracle, Jesus Christ, afghanistan, peace, Haiti, Haitian earthquake, health care reform bill, American Presidency | 10 Comments »
MORE ON THE GREAT FINANCIAL DISASTER OF 2010
Posted by Ella Moss on December 1, 2009
As I was drinking coffee this morning and watching the news, the potential default of Dubai Government Fund perked my ears.
“This is it”, I’ve told myself, “My predictions are beginning to manifest”.
In my October 2008 article “Financial Crisis: it’s not over until it’s over” I’ve predicted that the world will tremble in December of 2009 from some terrible financial news, as Pluto enters Capricorn and begins to wreck governmental and corporate institutions.
I also said, “By the end of November of 2009, we would begin to cry for mercy, as our economy would get completely stalled: Saturn, the planet of lack and limitations, joins Pluto, the Terminator, in the assault on the U.S. Venus, the planet of Money. It begins to squeeze it from Libra, the sign of relationships and justice. So as global trade gets restructured, we get the foul end of the deal. Saturn would limit our reach into the packets of other countries. We may face the retribution for our misadventures on foreign soil and/ or for amassing huge deficit (read “debt to other countries”).
But I was wrong: it’s not our country’s deficit that is going to do us in, but other countries’ default on their debt obligations.
Since I am just an astrologer and not a psychic, I got timing and institutions involved right, but I could not foresee the actual turn of events. Who could?
Dubai has been swimming in gold, its coffers filled to the brim, it seemed, by oil it was sitting on. It was building the new world wonders and aimed at becoming the new world financial center. It appeared to be the richest country in the Middle East, and its only foreseen threat was depletion of oil reserves at some point of the far away future.
So a whole lot of pension and hedge funds from all kind of countries invested in it, thinking it was almost risk-free.
Think about it:
The first part of the world financial crisis that ruptured in the fall of 2008 was brought in by losses of private investors. As bad as it was, it was contained by huge governmental bail-outs by governments of the developed world.
This strategy indebted governments of the richest countries but defrosted financial markets.
Now comes the second part (i.e. the other shoe drops):
Governments begin defaulting.
Private financial institutions are already seriously ailing, and are held alive by financial transfusions by the governments. Now the governments need donors…AND WHO COULD RESCUE THEM??…..
Dubai is just a beginning of the falling dominoes. If it defaults, the legions of pension and hedge funds that invested in it are going to collapse, and THERE IS GOING TO BE NO FINANCIAL DONOR TO SAVE THEM.
This means that
1) many retirees all over the world are going to be left without pensions, and governments, already stretched to the max, would have to extend more social services to them and bleed more money.
2)Financial institutions are going to freeze once again, as investors lose a few more billions
AND WHO IS GOING TO BAIL THEM OUT THIS TIME? WHERE NEW MONEY IS GOING TO COME FROM?
The developed world is going to lose its footing and fall onto the developing world, crushing it.
3)The developing world (save for China, Russia and India) is going to default too. AND WHO IS GOING TO BAIL THEM OUT THIS TIME? WHERE NEW MONEY IS GOING TO COME FROM?
4) Unemployment and riots are going to shoot up. Would Obama be able to sign 3 yrs unemployment benefits? Where the U.S. money is going to come from?
Now the question is should I get my savings out of the bank before the summer of 2010 (that is when the world crushes)? I should take a good look at a horary chart on that one…
The good news is that the timing of events suggests that the actual birth date of the U.S. is actually July 2. Now we know.
Posted in astrology, economy, politics | Tagged: 2010, astrological forecast, bail out, developed world, developing world, Dubai, economy, financial crisis, financial institutions, global economy, government, hedge funds, pension funds, Pluto in Capricorn, predictions, predictions 2010, Saturn in Libra, summer of 2010, unemployment | 6 Comments »
PREDICTIONS: 2010 AND BEYOND
Posted by Ella Moss on November 28, 2009
As an astrologer, I’ve learned long time ago that I can predict timing of events with much greater certainty than their nature.
For instance, I can say that events that will begin to transpire this December and become more obvious starting in April of 2010 will crest around August 1, hitting Americans directly where their wallet is with violent force, because all potent forces of heaven will be attacking Venus in the U.S. horoscope.
Since Venus traditionally rules money and relationships, American relationships will suffer either within the country or abroad. I cannot rule out civil unrest, although I would not go as far as predicting civil war.
Unfortunately, I really cannot say what exactly is going to happen. I don’t believe anybody can. In my experience, even the best of psychics often make mistakes when it comes to future events, because we really have the power of the free will.
With this power we still cannot change the forces of time that spin the heavens, but we may lessen or even change their impact to some degree. Of course, our ability to do so is much more evident in our personal lives than on the national or international scope.
But even mundane astrologers are still handicapped in their ability to predict, since no nation has a birth certificate with official time stamped on it. The U.S., for instance, has at least 4 horoscopes that astrologers like to consider. Even its date of birth is in dispute, since historical facts point to July 2 rather than July 4 that we all celebrate.
I can assure you though, that no matter what happens around August 1 of 2010, we will survive, and the world is not going to come to an end in December of 2012 either.
About 100 years ago, a little known guru of a much more famous guru Paramahansa Yogananda wrote a tiny treatise “The Holy Science” that went unnoticed by even Yogananda’s disciples.
However, this little gem deserves almost as much reverence as Bhagavat Gita. There, Sri Yukteswar recalculated yugas (Divine divisions of time) based on precession of equinox and position of the Sun in relationship to the Galactic Center.
Yugas describe the relationship of Light and Darkness in terms of time.
There are 8 yugas in total in what is called 1 Divine Day of 24,000 years. They start with the Ascending Kali Yuga of 1200 years, during which the light of human consciousness gradually increases.
He pinpointed the beginning of that yuga at the year of 499 a.d..
This means, that in the 1699 a.d. the Ascending Dwapara Yuga began, and it will last until 4099 a.d..
During Ascending Dwapara Yuga, the light of human consciousness increases enough to develop amazing technologies based on atomic and molecular manipulations of material reality, as well as developing abilities to manipulate electricity, magnetic and gravitational forces and the like.
By the end of this yuga, humanity as the whole is also going to perfect mystical and occult techniques, enabling itself to expertly manipulate reality.
During the Ascending Treta Yuga, personal relationship with God is going to become commonplace, and during the Ascending Satya Yuga, the humanity, once again, would enter its Golden Age.
The Descending Satya Yuga will follow, and the Divine Light would begin to gradually diminish until it would be totally shut out during the Descending Kali Yuga.
If you look at the known human history, you would agree that the year of 499 a.d. falls smack in the middle of so called Dark Ages, and as of 1699, humanity began technological advancement in earnest.
Since we are at the threshold of the Advancing Dwapara Yuga, the technological advancement we have seen so far is only the beginning.
I predict that during the next decade technology is going to continue develop in leaps and bounds, particularly computer and nano technology, revolutionizing our relationship with the world. E-readers are going to become commonplace, and even catalogs are going to be on e-readers rather than on paper. TV and computer technology will merge completely. We are going to use “TV sets” for reading e-mail, solving “websudoku” puzzles, and reading news as much as watching them.
Cyber space is going to continue being the new gold mines of the world economy, and green technology is going to improve and cheapen enough to become common place.
Nano technology is going to affect every facet of our lives, from clothes to medicine, but it is in medicine where it is geared to make major impact. By the end of the next decade, we may finally defeat cancer, and our greatest concern is going to be infectious diseases.
I would be watching with interest the time period between October of 2010 and April of 2011 for some remarkable technological break-through, as Neptune – Uranus mutual reception returns for the last time.
Economically, during the next decade the U.S., Europe, Russia, China and India will continue to be the main engines, as the U.S. will continue to lead in consumerism, Russia will continue to dominate the market of natural resources, China will remain the world’s greatest factory, and India is going to finally reap the benefits of its investment in education.
But the U.S and Europe are going to be much poorer, and India, Russia, and China much richer.
This will change the political picture, as Russia and China will become the 2 main super powers.
I also believe that Pluto in Capricorn is going to undermine democracy everywhere on Earth and squash all civil unrests that flare up, and the U.S. is no exception. Of course, Orwell’s Big Brother comes to mind, but it would still remain the exaggerated version of reality. While all powers are going to strengthen their control, no country is going to descent to the fascist or communist regimes of the past.
Terrorist acts and the fear they spread are going to dominate the world politics. I am certain that Israel and Palestine are going to remain being locked in conflict, and Middle East is going to remain being the nest of terrorism. But acts of terror are going to be more sophisticated, using technological sabotage as well as suicide bombers.
During Ascending Dwapara Yuga, Light and Darkness fiercely compete with each other, and the world is full of shadows. But the Light is getting stronger every year, so, in my mind, the most important developments of the next decade are going to begin taking hold as of March of 2012. That is when Neptune is finally going to settle in Pisces, its own sign, while Uranus straddles through Aries.
I believe that spring is going to mark the beginning of the quiet revolution within human mind. I don’t mean the plentitude of small technological devices that would allow us to control them with the force of our thoughts. They already exist and are about to invade our everyday life. I bet, one of the most sought out presents this X-Mass is going to be the game where people can move a ball with their mind alone.
No, I mean the unbelievable rise in consciousness on individual level. We saw a similar spurt in consciousness during the early 80s of the last century, when Uranus and Neptune traversed Sagittarius at the same time. Sagittarius, the country of Jupiter is the sign of expansion of consciousness, while Uranus represents break-trough and Neptune is the symbol of oneness.
In Aries, Uranus is going to emphasize unique individuality of each of us, while Neptune, strong in its own sign, is going to bring mysticism and spiritual oneness to the forefront of consciousness.
Of course, for many, Neptune in Pisces would signify the descent into drugs, and Uranus in Aries coupled with Pluto in Capricorn could easily describe flare ups of anarchy. After all, Pluto walking through the sign of government and corporate structures is going to change them all big time, forcing many into quiet and not-so-quiet revolt.
Uranus in Aries is going to ensure that Big Personalities rule that moment of time, and independent contractors are going to outnumber employees everywhere. Even employees are going to be much more independent, often working from home thanks to continuously evolving technology and loss of all kinds of corporate benefits.
The Ascending Dwapara Yuga by no means signifies the end of suffering, and Africa is going to continue to be the epicenter of human suffering for a while. Changes of climate, poverty, infectious diseases and terrorist acts are going to continue being our terrible bane for a few decades longer, as Darkness does not give up so easily.
It is going to be up to us as individuals to uphold the Light, and Neptune and Uranus are going to give us a little hand there during the next decade. After all, all the disasters that befall the human kind are there to forge the kindness of the heart, so God may enter it.
Posted in astrology, enlightenment, spirituality | Tagged: 2010, 2012, Africa, astrological predictions, astrology, China, civil unrest, e-readers, enlightenment, financial crisis, guru, India, kali yuga, middle east, money, mutual reception, nano technology, Neptune, Neptune in Pisces, Paramahansa Yogananda, Pluto in Capricorn, precession of equinox, predictions for 2010, predictions for 2012, relationships, Russia, timing, U.S. chart, Uranus, Venus, YUGAS | 3 Comments »
THE ONLY RIGHT WAR
Posted by Ella Moss on September 11, 2009
Today is 9/11.For the first time in the 7 yrs I woke up without a pang in my heart on this date. I was actually annoyed that every tv channel this morning it seems was carrying a live broadcast of the memorial service. And I was annoyed when a slim crowd of demonstrators was blocking my way as I was rushing to a business meeting on the narrow streets of downtown Manhattan.
It was the evening news actually that brought the pain of that horrible day 8 yrs ago right back.
They were talking about the war in Afghnistan on the evening news, and that it is a lost cause we should forget about.
We’ve been there for 8 yrs now and are losing ground. “Why would we send more troops there” they questioned.
Well, 8 yrs of peace and general fatigue of endless wars abroad can make us forget, that it was Afghanistan where the tragedy of 9/11 originated. The Taliban that has gained back 80% of the territory was the breeding ground from where the enemy struck.
I have not lost anyone to the 9/11. But like everyone else, I’ve lost the carefree ease of life, maybe, forever. I am not even talking about having to show my ID and open my bags every time I step into a building in my city, or about endless security checks at the airports.
I am talking about the loss of innocence, high expectations, etc.
The lives of every American have not been the same, this recession including.
But by quitting all wars we are not going to get back the innocence of life in peace and prosperity. We have not won it.
No doubt that by starting the unnecessary war in Iraq, we forgot about the necessary war in Afghanistan, and all our gains there were eroded.
But if we quit now, Taliban and Al Queda will win and we can expect many more 9/11s.
In fact, we are likely to lose 3 countries to Taliban and Al Queda at once, as Pakistan is struggling to hold them off and is likely to lose without our presence there.
With Pakistan going unstable, India will tremble.
Who cares, you may ask. These countries are so far away.
Well, they still have airplanes that fly great distances, and very determined killers who hate us.
Whatever is left of our way of life, I would rather defend it.
Whatever it takes, even an endless war. That war is the only right war, because it keeps the enemies at bay.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: 9/11, afghanistan, Afgunistan, Al Queda, India, news, Packistan, Pakistan, Taliban, troops, war | 2 Comments »
MY OMNIPRESENT GURU
Posted by Ella Moss on August 26, 2009
In 2004, I had a gum infection that cost me $7000 to take care of and sent me over the edge into bankruptcy (so what’s the deal with the Universal health care idea? How many people should choose between financial and physical hardships before it becomes reality?…)
Anyhow, this spring an oral surgeon pointed to my x-ray and told me, “it’s baaack. Pony up another $6000 as an implant is now needed” (well, maybe, the words were different, but the meaning was the same) – where’s that universal health care again… Needless to say, I don’t have this money, so I left for my summer vacation with an uncertain future.
As time went on, I began feeling pain and sensitivity to cold. Dismayed, I made an appointment with another dentist. Terrible foreboding of the utter financial ruin killed many of my plans.
But before I went to see a doctor, I prayed to my guru, Sai Baba, and put a bit of vibuhti (a sacred ash He creates) in my mouth.
As I was doing it, I felt as if He looked down on me from His portrait up on the altar. At that moment I knew my prayer was answered.
I still went to my appointment. More x-rays were taken. I was cleared. No infections. Not even a cavity.
ANOTHER MIRACLE FROM SATHYA SAI BABA!
As my way of thanking Him, I’ve decided to dedicate this post to my experiences with Him, as I am so blessed to have Him in my life!
I first heard of Sai Baba either in late 1996 or early 1997 from my astrology student. She was his devotee and she gave me a few books to read about Sai Baba.
Although I found some of the books interesting, I could not believe their main assertion that Sai Baba is the Avatar of our age. Moreover, I regarded the whole idea of a guru as a dangerous fallacy. I thought that when people put gurus / priests and the like between themselves and God, they separate themselves from God, giving up on having direct connection with the Creator and relieving themselves of responsibility for their own spiritual growth.
Personally, I have enjoyed and cherished such direct connection with God since childhood. God has always been my Guru, and I did not see the need for another.
In December of 1997, everything has changed.
I was stuck in Katmandu, Nepal with my youngest sister and her 3-year-old boy, my nephew. Due to unforeseen circumstance, we had very little money. On top of it, my relationship with my sister was deteriorating.
In the beginning of our trip, we were planning to travel through India, and I still had Indian airline tickets, which I bought in advance.
My sister’s Nepalese husband has not arrived from Russia, as planned, and her Nepalese relatives were advising us against the trip to India. I did not want to go there by myself, all alone during the Holidays. I was afraid to travel with my sister and nephew, as money was unexpectedly tight, and the boy was so young. Spending another month in Nepal did not inspire me either. I felt like I was there already 1 month too long. But my ticket back to the U.S. was on 1/15, more than a month away.
As I was considering all these options in my mind, I was passing by merchants’ stalls, and I’ve noticed little medallions of Sai Baba on sale. Spontaneously, I bought one. I looked at it and thought: “If you are an Avatar, like they say, what should I do?”
Immediately, a thought came into my mind: “Go home for the Holidays”.
The thought felt foreign to me, there was unmistakable Indian accent there, not to mention, that I did not even consider such a possibility before. “How am I going to do that?”, I asked, “How can I change my ticket less than 2 weeks before Christmas?”
“Don’t worry”, I heard a thought with an Indian accent in my head.
That very day, I went to a travel agent, and asked him to change my ticket to December 20th or so. He was skeptical. “You are asking for a miracle,” he said.
Ten days later, he called me and announced, “The miracle has occurred. You are going to get home in time for Christmas!”
And I went home for Christmas, and it felt so good to be home!…
Since then, I started taking Sai Baba seriously.
Some time later, he came to me in my dream. In that dream, I was standing in front of a mirror, practicing a lecture on astrology. Suddenly, Sai Baba appeared, saying, “So, you like to teach?”. I was so startled, I woke up. That week, I related that dream to my student, Sai Baba’s devotee. “Yes”, she said, “he does scare people sometimes. But if he comes into someone’s dream, it is for real. They say, one cannot dream about Sai Baba without him actually coming into the dream”.
But that still was not enough for me to become a full-blown Sai Baba’s devotee. I was apprehensive, and I did not want anyone to bud into my direct relationship with God.
In the early September of 1998, I got very sick. My period has presumably ended, but I continued to bleed, and I was bleeding with such force – as if someone turned on a faucet. I was afraid to go to a doctor, and for a few days, I simply prayed for healing.
I continued to bleed, however, getting weaker and weaker. Soon, it was hard to get off the couch, but I continued to work and pray for healing. By the fourth day, I could hardly feel my body, and a few steps would make my heart beat, as if I ran a marathon.
That night, Sai Baba came into my dream. “What kind of healing do you want?”, he asked. Again, I was startled, and said the first thing that came into my mind: “A classical one”. Suddenly, pipes were playing, and I saw a huge stage curtain made of red velvet.
Sai Baba waved his hand, the curtain opened, and Jesus Christ came into the opening.
All I can say, that it was more real, then our everyday reality, and I was so overcome with joy, seeing Jesus Christ walking towards me, that I lost my mind. Like a little child, I was overcome with excitement. “Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ!..”, I kept screaming his name over and over again. He smiled, and as I realized that I was behaving like a child, I saw myself being a child in my dream. I felt embarrassed, but I could not help myself. I was besides myself with joy and excitement. Jesus Christ came over to me and picked me up. “So, what do you want?”, he asked me.
At that moment, my strange bleeding and the urgent need for healing have totally left my mind. I was so happy to see him, that I totally forgot I needed healing! All I could remember was one thing I have always wanted: “Faith”, I said.
For the longest time, I have wanted to have faith as strong as the faith of Jesus Christ. Even though God has created numerous miracles for me almost on everyday basis (from mundane (making onto a leaving bus, healing my puppy when all vets gave up on it, etc., to breathtaking (taking me back in time)), I knew my faith was rather feeble.
Jesus Christ smiled, put me down, and placed the palm of his hand on mine. I knew, that he was transmitting faith to me symbolically.
Then I woke up. Because the dream was so real and more vivid than my reality, I felt like I grew wings.
However, I continued to bleed. But that morning I was able to summon up the courage to go to the doctor.
At first, the doctor could not believe my claim. Then he checked my blood pressure, fixed the bleeding problem (at that point, I hardly bled, because, according to him, I hardly had any blood left) and sent me to the hospital for emergency blood transfusion. At the hospital I was told that I should have gone into shock or be dead already, because I lost some incredible percentage of blood. I do remember that, after the transfusion, the higher number of my blood pressure was 37.
In other words, I should have been dead, but I was not. Another miracle?
I also must say that my faith has grown slowly but steadily since then.
After Sai Baba brought Jesus Christ to me, any doubt that I had about him, has disappeared from my mind, and I became his ardent devotee.
Meanwhile, one day, as my boyfriend was fixing something in my apartment, some acid got into his eye, and he collapsed onto my rug in pain. That second I felt so helpless, I picked up the phone to dial 911. But suddenly I remembered: Sai Baba’s vibuhti!
My student, who told me about Sai Baba, gave me a tiny paper pouch with his vibuhti before I left for India. I totally forgot about it, and never took it with me. Now, almost a year later, I remembered it and found it immediately. I poured a bit of the grey powder onto my boyfriend’s eye, and immediately he stopped crying. “What did you do?”, he asked in surprise, “My pain is gone!”. I was just as amazed at the power of vibuhti as he was.
Soon afterwards, my boyfriend complained of the terrible pain in his liver area. As he took off his shirt, I saw his liver being so enlarged that it raised the ribs above it.
Without saying anything, I poured water in a glass, squeezed there a few drops of lemon, and mixed it with the rest of the vibuhti I had left. My boyfriend drank the mixture, and soon, within that day (!) he was fine.
I began to feel the need to visit Sai Baba’s center, and so I ventured there one Thursday.
I was unimpressed with the gathering. It did not have the charged meditative atmosphere I was used to, when I would come to meditate at the SRF center.
Afterwards I went for coffee with one of the ladies, and she said that next week they are going to celebrate Sai Baba’s birthday.
I remember that the day of celebration we were supposed to go skiing, and I begged my friends to postpone the departure, so I could be at the celebration. We agreed to leave early next morning, but I was to spend the night at my friends’ house, so we don’t lose any more time.
So I went to celebrate Sai Baba’s birthday dressed in skiing jacket and pants.
Actually, I ran, because I was certain that I was an hour late.
I was shocked to find out that I have arrived an hour early! There was no one there except for people in charge of arrangements.
In front of the stage, in the midst of the seats for the audience, there was a chair prepared for Sai Baba. It had flower garlands and his orange robe on it. There were also flowers spread all around it.
I was told that no one expects Sai Baba to appear in person. “He is here in spirit”, a lady said to my questions.
Boldly, I sat down to the left of Sai Baba’s chair and began to meditate. I felt his presence strongly, and my meditation was deep and satisfying.
But I had to leave before the festivities were over.
Before I left, I picked up an orange flower from the floor, where Sai Baba’s feet would have rested. I put it in my sack, that was already filled to the rim.
As I was going to the exit door, I’ve decided to take the flower out of my sack and put it in the pocket of my skiing jacket, so the flower would not get crushed.
As I left the building, I went to have a cigarette before heading for the subway. I sat down in the tiny square right across the street. My cigarettes were in the same pocket where I have placed the flower. Carefully, I moved the flower to another pocket, and light up my cigarette.
I could not truly enjoy that cigarette though, because, in about 10 feet away from me, there was a young man, who was obviously mentally disturbed. He was talking to himself, gesticulating widely (it was the time before cell phones).
“He is the one who needs a blessing”, I thought, and decided to give him Sai Baba’s flower. I finished my cigarette and unzipped the pocket where I have placed the flower. To my total awe, I found 2 flowers that were completely identical!
So I gave one flower to the young man, and went to my friend’s house.
While on my way there, I contemplated the miracle and realized what Sai Baba was saying to me with this gesture: God has enough blessings for everyone, so when blessing is shared, it does not lessen, it only grows!
A month later I had a dream I could not remember, but, because of it, I found myself in the morning talking outloud to my higher-self. I was given a choice: I may continue my life as it was then (happy, professionally and emotionally fulfilled, independent, but with romantic attachments), or I may choose to have a family (husband, children) and be able to express love and care. I was told / shown that the second choice is going to be painful.
To me, it was not even a choice. Of course, I want to be able to live and express love and care! After all, I know God as Supreme Love and Care, and I want to be just like Him!
So that morning I made a commitment to God to start a family.
My boyfriend was an obvious choice. We loved each other, and for the past 3 years he begged me to marry him and start a family.
But wait, just last night I threw him out, being totally mad at him for a good reason, and thinking that our relationship should be finally over!
I immediately called him, and told him that I am ready to take him back. He said something like: “Great! I am going to step by to see you as soon as I can, but I just got a lucrative contract and I am extremely busy.”
A month later, I found out that he got a new girlfriend, not a contract, and all this time he was extremely busy with her.
To be sure, I was pulling away from him for a good year, thinking that we should break up. But now, instead of feeling relief, I felt the most intense emotional pain. My self-importance was slighted as never before (he chose another woman over me!), but also my most important commitment to God was in obvious jeopardy.
For the next 18 days I could not either eat nor sleep. None of the sleeping pills were helpful, and I was afraid of losing my mind.
Since I could not sleep, I meditated. But, even as I would banish every thought out of my mind, I would still feel the most intense emotional pain.
And then I had two the most important meditations in one day:
In the morning, as I was meditating, I caught the presence of my higher-self. It felt as if It was staring at me with utmost interest, thinking “How dramatic!..”, while I was being pierced by intense emotional pain in the absolute stillness of my mind, voided of all thoughts. This allowed me to shift my perspective, and I got out of that meditation, laughing. The pain was gone.
In the afternoon, I meditated again, as it was my usual practice before starting teaching my regular astrology class.
Nothing unusual seemed to have transpired during the meditation itself. But I must have been in the state of “second attention”, as Carlos Castaneda would have called it. Because I got out of it truly feeling / realizing my Divinity.
Yes, intellectually, I knew for the longest time that I am part of the Divine, and Divinity is my true nature, which is true for every human being. But I never felt it before, therefore I could never own it.
This was the most significant realization in my entire life: finally, even if for a fleeting moment, there were no spiritual distance between me and God, finally I was able to “touch” God!
I have also felt the imprint of Sai Baba’s presence at that moment, and I knew he made this realization possible. He was not just an omniconscious miracle-maker, he was a true guru.
In less than a year, I’ve met a man, who became my husband and the father of my child.
In the fifth month of my pregnancy, I was stricken with lime disease. My husband went to Sai Baba’s meeting, asking for vibuhti. Incredulously, there was a man, who had a packet of vibuhti, given to him by Sai Baba himself.
It relieved my fever, and there were no bad consequences to this dangerous illness.
In the seventh month of my pregnancy, I performed a Hindi ritual, dedicating my child to Sai Baba.
Although I felt like my pregnancy was ordained by God, and I felt constant loving presence of the Divine, I was still worried about karmic intent of the soul that was about to become my son.
So Sai Baba came to me in the dream, saying that this soul is my friend, and how to name the child.
My son was born on Thursday (Sai Baba’s day), on the 9th day of a month, at 9 PM.
Giving him birth was surprisingly easy, and I had none of the usual complications and problems, except for occasional backache.
Sai Baba’s birthday was coming, and I was intent on coming to the celebration. I was thinking of it, while sitting in a rocking chair and nursing my son. My back was bothering me, and I thought to myself, that I should not forget to ask Sai Baba at his birthday celebration to cure my backache. Immediately, pain stopped never to return!
There were many big and little miracles of that nature since then. Although I stopped doing spiritual healings myself, because I was overly tired and overly stressed most of the time, occasionally I had either a request or an urge to do so. During those few times, I felt Sai Baba’s presence, and I knew it was his energy that facilitated healing.
In 2003, He summoned me to India, as I had hard time with my marriage and the terrible turn the world took in 2001. I did not know I needed help, but He did!
While I did not get the interview, He took my letter, and, on my last day at the ashram, despite the exceptionally huge crowd (there was some kind of celebration that day), He came out to the outskirts where I was and LOOKED AT ME. Our eyes met, and I felt my soul being scanned and cleaned.
Oh, there were many miracles, coincidences and teachings. Too many to put all in one post. But that moment of Him looking at me was a more defining spiritual experience than when another Indian guru raised my kundalini.
As I am about to end this story, I want to mention a few other interesting miracles I have received from Sai Baba in the past few years.
In 2004, my husband and I needed to move. A month later, after seeing lots of apartments, I have found the one we are living in now. It is a spacious 2 bedrooms, 2 baths apartment with incredible view of the park, in the building that is well kept, and it is cheaper then other apartments I’ve seen.
A few months after the move I found a letter to Sai Baba that I wrote in my PDA in February of 2004, asking him for a precisely such apartment! I wrote it obviously on my way to work, without much hope, and totally forgot about it!
Moreover, my neighbor next door just happened to be a Sai Baba’s devotee! He came to her in a dream and told her to to talk to me, so she went over and introduced herself to me. Even better, we have discovered that we both have memories of the same past live where we were sisters! (How’s that for a coincedence?)
Yes, there have been plenty of other miracles too, but I am not writing a book, just a “Thank You” note to Sai Baba. He has always been there for me, since He came into my life in 1997.
It’s been enormous privilege to have a true Avatar as a guru. With Sai Baba at the helm, my life is the greatest ride ever:-)!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: avatar, blessings, Faith, guru, healing, Jesus Christ, kundalini, miracles, Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba, universal health care, vibuhti | Leave a Comment »
