Correction: the “Start Nothing” times posted for this column were actually from a previous column. The CORRECT Start Nothing times for June 16-22, 2013, are:START NOTHING: 2:26 p.m. to 6:19 p.m. Sun., 8:55 p.m. to 11:39 p.m. Tues., and 12:16 p.m. Thurs. to 1:31 a.m. Fri.
To avoid this problem, I will try to publish a monthly block of S/Ns in future.
BY TIM STEPHENS
This preamble has two parts: first, my gripe about the National Security Agency revelations; second, LEO’s Luck Forecast. So if you hate political belly-aching, you can skip to Leo’s luck message or the weekly forecast.
Let’s look at the persons for whom secrecy is very important: Politicians and drug dealers – “intelligence” agencies and sexual molesters/rapists – government agencies and thieves – lawyers and judges, Mafioso and drug dealers – corporations and murderers.
My first experience with true secrecy was being sexually molested by my step-grandfather at age 9-10. That was secret # 1. Secret # 2, which I discovered about the age of twenty, was that my mother and grandmother had actively aided and abetted this molestation – and that of my brother and sisters. Secrecy worked very well for awhile.
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From 10 to 20 I completely forgot the molestation had occurred. But at twenty, I discovered that my mother was shipping my young sister (13 years old) to Hal’s house (no one called him “grandpa”) – a house in the country, fifty miles away, for ten days. Ten days of uninterrupted rape. I confronted my mother, I said: Don’t send her. She said, I have to, nothing will happen. I felt like someone had pressed my forehead onto the red-hot element on the stove top. Such evil can paralyze the mind. Oh, I forgive her, somewhat. I know she was herself raped by this same man, her step-father, so as a consequence she married a man who would leave her, and, being left and bereft, she returned to her parents, with 4 children in tow. She paid for her security, food and shelter, with her children’s souls. You or I, if desperate, might make the same bargain. Ultimately, food and shelter is paramount and good, even if paid for by rape. But that’s too simple. On the truth level, she wanted to come back, she wanted to sacrifice her children, she was imprinted by her own rapes and the rapes of all her brothers and sisters: in a sense, she had no choice but to slip into the lake of evil, because she had been imprinted with it; it was her reality, a reality far stronger, to her, than all the health of all the healthy families in the world. But to forgive her because she was raped as a child, would force us, in all likelihood, to forgive the rapist, Hal, for he also was probably reaped as a child, hence his later actions. But where, then, does the responsibility begin?
The impulse to rape, to abuse, and secrecy, and hiding and spying, the hiding of truth, these are all one thing. They are not separate.
(I have since come to believe that most psychics and channelers were abused as children: the disassociation it causes blossoms naturally into psychic abilities. The rending of the world, the ripping apart of the fabric of trust, also rips apart the film of social surfaces/appearances and lets the abused one see beyond ordinary life. This may be why the Biblical God condemned all psychics to death by stoning. It was a way of culling the diseased members of his human herd. If this were really God, and He existed today, we would haul off every sexually abused child and kill them. The Biblical and Koranic God has always been a beast of violence. I’m not saying God was wrong or should be condemned (though such a god certainly should be). I’m saying the Old Testament view of God was mistaken. I know this to be true, because nature is beautiful. No cruel God could create such beauty.
But back to the topic: Secrecy, even when used to avoid humiliation (e.g., to hide an embarrassing illness) even when only the equivalent of a “white lie,” is still a form of lying by omission. And it deceives. To “let people think what they want” seems justified, but it is not: it is a form of deception by omission.
This is why I’m so disappointed in Obama. No matter what it costs, openness and the sharing of one of the most valuable commodities, truth, must be paid for, in the same way that freedom must be paid for. Those who have no regard for the truth, have no right to freedom. Those who sneak about and spy can have only one reason: the gaining or preservation of power. And power enslaves both the powerful and their victims. Truth – secrets, which are hidden truth – can be frightening to share and reveal, but doing so is the gate to ascension. (Take that as you wish.) Obama, poor fellow, has buckled to the forces of darkness. Bush was actively dark, but with a passion to protect; Obama is weakly dark, and that is worse. This is the slow, horrendous mistake that the average American is making: in giving up their right to truth (in this case, letting the NSA do what they want, in secret) in handing over their right to know, they are slowly ceding their freedom. The process is slow and subtle – the consequence, the punishment, is especially subtle at first. It sneaks up on the lazy (for the victims of secrecy-peddlers are often morally lazy) until one day they find a splendiferous variety of chains and tendrils slowing their every step, chains so invisible they didn’t know they were being locked; tendrils so subtle they crept upon them while they slept. Is it a coincidence that the phenomena of American obesity followed the Patriot Act (the enshrinement of secret government)? I don’t think so. The Patriot Act demanded that the populace ignore the very law itself: to do so, people turned to their slurpees, their corn syrup and everything tasty. There was no difference between McCarthyism and the firing of Bill Maher (the comic and talk show host) – Maher was fired because he was truthful enough to say on network television, that the 9-11 terrorists were “not cowards.” In essence, Maher told the U.S. public how to win the “war on terror.” For this truth, the hierarchy fired him, and twisted the bands of repression a little tighter around its own citizens.
BTW, the fight that’s building between the forces of darkness (governments worldwide, basically, and criminals) and the forces of “revelation” (whistleblowers such as Assange, Bradley and Snowden) is just one manifestation of the battle I have been talking about since 2006 – the hierarchy versus the “rebels.” It will continue until at least September 2015. Then, I’m pretty sure, the hierarchies will win the field. (Though it might be a very different hierarchy than in 2006.) Even this, though, is one step in humanity’s progress.
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LEO, from June 25, 2013 to July 15, 2014, your luck will be tied to background matters, to government agencies, corporate head offices, institutions such as hospitals, to charitable organizations, spas and retreats. If you work in one of these areas, or in health fields, a promotion is possible. You might begin a new kind of love/romance in these places, a quiet, magic, sensual love. But the wild, woolly mad cap world of ordinary jostling and elbowing does not hold much promise for you, not during these 54 weeks. This is not a good time to seek attention, engage in contests, demand results, to leap into the romantic spotlight or try to outshine a rival. Where glitz, glamour, charisma and wooing a crowd are concerned, wait for a better time. In legal, educational, far travel and cultural affairs, use this period for study and preparation. Research will yield huge rewards.
For the best results, rest deeply, rejuvenate, be charitable and spiritual, contemplate, visit psychics, counsellors, and therapists. This is a great year to cast out old demons and bogeymen, to fulfill old obligations and to reacquaint yourself with your soul. It’s a very valuable time, for it can bring spiritual cleansing and emotional healing. (This prepares you for a fresh “run” for the next 12 years.) That old love you pined over in the mid-1990’s to 2011 (partly because you still can’t understand him/her, and partly because he/she so quickly eluded you and disillusioned you) – that old love loses its power now. This is a freeing year. You might not feel hugely popular, but security, real estate, family, investment and similar concerns will grow with a healthy, quiet providence, especially before March 2014. You can combine your restful and your ambitious urges. For example, visit a spa and then invest in it – or purchase a vacation, retreat or retirement property. Protect your health against expanded weight (hips, thighs) and too much protein.
JUNE 16-22, 2013 | WEEKLY FORECAST
All Dates / Times Pacific Daylight Time
START NOTHING:
11:09 pm Mon. to 8:53 am Tues.
6:25 am Wed. to 8:32 pm Thurs.
Whatever you’re doing, Aries, start aiming toward completion rather than starting, as Mercury will retrograde next week (June 26). Even now, events are beginning to slow. Your home life remains active and affectionate, but you might be so busy you hardly notice. If you ignore a mate now, you might face the music later. Finish chores Sunday. This night to Tuesday features meetings, negotiations, compromise, and, finally, Tues., success and/or love (or a joyous message). Dig deep, be curious Wed./Thurs. – hidden treasure abounds in financial, investment, intimate, research and health arenas. You could strike gold! Wisdom, a mellow mood, gentle love and cultural venues fill Fri./Sat.
TAURUS April 20-May 20
A strong money period is coming to an end, Taurus. Do all you can to make recent advances permanent – e.g., persuade a customer to make you an employee, or a prime supplier, etc. Work to complete rather than chaser big new things, for the latter will probably fall victim to a looming slow-down. (Technically, it begins June 26, but the effects will subtly begin even this week.) Enjoy romance, pleasure, or even just soak up a beautiful day Sunday. This eve thru Tues. brings chores, health concerns – eat, dress sensibly. Follow safety rules Mon. You’ll succeed, might even be handed a lucrative new job Tues! (Say yes to any offer.) Relationships, exciting meetings, opposition and opportunities fill midweek – splendid luck if you co-operate! Life’s depths, mysteries, sexual urges, research, large financial decisions Fri./Sat.
GEMINI May 21-June 20
Your charisma, energy, sensual magnetism, hope and determination remain strong. June has brought good money times, and this week might bring the best. Tie things up, complete projects rather than start new ones. A late, great money or fame, relocation or relationship break-through might come, but this isn’t really new, it comes as a result of your past efforts – so grab any opportunity! (And if there are none, continue to radiate your cheerfulness or “moral philosophy” to anyone who will listen.) After a sluggish, restful morning, Sunday eve begins a romantic phase that lasts thru Tuesday – take a risk. If you’re a parent, children charm. Soak up beauty. Midweek brings chores; pamper your health. Exciting meetings, challenging people, Fri./Sat.
CANCER June 21-July 22
A month of weariness ends Thursday, when a month of energy and charisma, and a year of great luck, begin. (Read your “Luck Forecast” in last week’s column – you are, over the next two years, going to make some of the best money of your life.) Continue to beware physical confrontations through July 13: channel your energy, instead, into ambitious background efforts such as management meetings, liaisons with government agencies, etc. Sunday’s busy until suppertime: then thru Tues., a “down home” feeling relaxes you. Take care of family, property and security interests. Midweek emphasizes romance, beauty, pleasure and a small but potent winning streak. Though Fri./Sat. Bring chores and health concerns, these are also the first two days of a month of energy, clout, magnetism and swift progress!
LEO July 23-Aug. 22
After daytime shopping (buy nothing important) see friends Sunday night to Tues. Send messages, finish paperwork, find those hard-to-find items. (Drive cautiously Mon.) By Wed./Thurs. you slow down into domestic comfort – and, perhaps unexpectedly, could meet a new friend or even a light, flirty lover. Romance, pleasure, beauty are slated Fri./Sat. Enjoy all these various shades of socializing, but prepare to quietly disengage also, as you are entering a month of low energy and recuperation. Your popularity will be slow to fade, though, as others will seek you out even into mid-July. If single, your hopes about a marriage remain high. If married, your hopeful plans include far travel, a cultural event, a legal affair, or higher education. Do something about these now or next Wed. (June 26) – it’s possible a major “touch from the past” will boost these plans next week.
VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22
Work hard to complete projects rather than start new ones, Virgo, especially in career, business, and status zones. June 26 (technically) will begin three weeks of slow-downs, mistakes and “reverse gears.” The present week, though, holds many splendid chances to march forward, sew up, and succeed, especially Tuesday (money, earnings) and Wed./Thurs. (communications, reports, travel, details, applications). You remain interested in financial and sexual “opportunities” through mid-July. Your energy and charisma remain high Sunday. Chase money, buy/sell (nothing important) Mon./Tues. A contact or communication you make midweek could bring a great career boost/recognition, now or later. Home, rest, Fri./Sat. A month (and year) of popularity and happiness begins Thursday!
LIBRA Sept. 23-October 22
Wedding (and divorce) bells continue to ring for “sensitized” Librans. By sensitized, I mean aware, in love, or open to love. If you’re in a self-protective mode/phase (not unlikely, considering the possible domestic upheavals of the last five years) then you’ll hardly notice. Many of you will face a climax, now or through mid-July (but especially this week and next) in far travel, education, a social or cultural venue (e.g., marrying) or a legal affair. It should be a lucky, fulfilling climax, but it could turn your stress levels up a notch. A former flame might return soon, probably someone who also represented a “status catch” for you. Or, more likely, a former career/business opportunity will return. Both, now to mid-July. You impress others Mon./Tues. Chase money and love Wed./Thurs.
SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21
Work too complete rather than begin projects, Scorpio. A slow-down phase of mistakes and second-guesses begins June 26, but is sending tendrils even into this week. Sunday is happy, social, but retreat this eve thru Tuesday – rest, contemplate, plan, interface with government, protect health. Your energy and pizzazz surges upward Wed./Thurs. – you could make a splendid investment, dig up a “treasure” through research or detective work, open the door to sweet intimacy with someone special, be named in an inheritance, change your lifestyle for the better, or solve a health mystery . A lucky two days, for those who search! Chase money, buy and sell, trust your memory and appearances Fri./Sat. Significant changes continue “under the radar” at your work place.
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21
The accent continues on relationships – lucky, intense relationships that could turn romantic as fast as paper catches fire. You’ve been lucky in relationships for 12 months now, but it won’t happen if you lock yourself in your apartment. (The paradox here is that the general climax of this lucky trend occurs Wednesday, the very day of this week that you’re likely to seek solitude. Weird. Another weird thing: Mercury goes retrograde next Wednesday, June 26, at the exact day, hour, and minute that the Moon contacts Mars, your romance planet, with a lucky aspect. My best guess is that a former lover or prospect will return sometime between June 20 and July 22, and that this “return” will be intimate and affect your future finances and lifestyle.) If you’re married, seek opportunities, allies, openings, agreements and public prominence all week – be humble and friendly!
CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19
Start wrapping up work projects, Cap. A slowdown and mistake-prone period starts next week. In addition, by late Thurs. night you enter a month – and year – of lucky relationships, management opportunities and potential “fame.” Both are good reasons to finish tasks now. (Though you’ll be impelled to work thru mid-July, because a former neglected chore will return. Still, soldier on now instead of waiting.) Sunday’s wise, mellow. This night into Tuesday accents your ambitions, community standing, prestige relations – careful Mon., charge ahead Tues. Friends, popularity, perhaps a flirty romance, visit you Wed./Thurs. – so might a big work reward during these lucky two days. You’ll be happy! Retreat, rest and plan Fri./Sat. A former “partner” (or playful competitor) might return soon.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18
The main river of romance ends Thursday, but a stream goes on to mid-July. Still, it’s time to make a dalliance something more solid, or to let it go. If you’re single, work demands can replace passion, but only for a year; if you and a lover can last through it, the following year (August 2014-August 2015) could bring co-habitation or marriage. Aspects hint that you and one you love will go into “conversational gear” soon. Sunday’s mysterious, perhaps lustful. Research rewards. This night thru Tues. brings gentle love, perhaps a marriage proposal to some, understanding, higher learning, far travel or legal matters to others. Be cautious Mon., when disruptions can surprise. (No radios in the bath tub.) Be ambitious midweek – your “rep” soars with higher-ups. And even as you’re chasing a practical, prestigious goal, romance could occur. Thursday begins a month – and year – of expanding work.
PISCES Feb. 19-March 20
This end of June marks a turn-around: it ends (and might bring a climax in) home, realty, domestic, security and retirement pursuits. You remain blessed in these zones until June 25, so work to wrap up any related projects – or pounce, quickly, on an opportunity here. An income source might end now to July 13 (or already has earlier in June) – if so, it will likely be replaced by a source from your past. Life goes into “reverse gear” next week, so complete rather than start, especially in relationships, negotiations and dealings with the public. That said, Thursday begins a month – and year – of lucky and happy passion, beauty, pleasure, self-expression, speculation and creativity. Your career will respond to this happiness, and grow also. Depths, mysteries, lust and financial concerns Mon./Tues. Understanding, love, winning midweek. Be ambitious Fri./Sat.