My pal Audrey, who works
hand in glove with the astrology community here in Sonoma, has told me
that while this past year was turbulent for many folks, the coming year
is slated to be an even wilder ride. Lots of change, lots of tumult,
some good, some not so good, she is predicting. Hold onto your hats.
And she's right, in the
large sense, at least. The stars don't lie. Why would they? Most
certainly there will be change: famous and not so famous people will
die, some of them in strange and sudden ways, and others will be chosen
to replace them as pop heroes or nobodies, all depending. There will be
coups and revolutions, and the planet will suffer droughts and
hurricanes and tornadoes. There will be a bumper crop of (take your
pick) wheat, corn, sugar, rice, coffee, cocoa, soy beans. And, on the
downside, somewhere in this world there will be an utter devastation in
one or more of the above commodities. In the midst of smoke and war,
people will still smile and laugh and find time to fall in love, and of
course babies will be born out of all of this-- wonderful, pink, black,
brown, yellow, adorable, brilliant, precocious babies (are there any
other kind?).
Years ago, when I lived in
New England, the idea that I knew folks who made a living charting the
movements of stars and extrapolating what the future will look like
tomorrow, well, let me tell you, those rational ladies and gentlemen
would harrumph me out of town if I ever said something as unscientific
like that. And they are right, too. God doesn't shoot dice, and I would
probably not be alive today if I lived by superstition alone, if I
didn't take my pills when I was sick, if I refused to pay attention to
the lesson learned by touching a hot stove.
And I would also be remiss
if I paid no heed to the wisdom of stories and great literature. I don't
know whether I would have died earlier, but surely my life would be
greatly diminished, worth little or nothing. What I'm trying to say is,
if you believe in astrology, it's okay. And if you believe in science,
fine. And if you believe in anything at all you're better off than those
poor souls who have nothing but their wallets and credit cards to cling
to. Me, I believe in every bit of it--words and science and stars and
myth and music; it's what makes my world go round; it keeps things
vibrant and beautiful.
Let me be the first then to
wish you all a happy and sane 2014. It's right around the corner. And
unless something goes dreadfully wrong in the physical universe between
now and then you can bet on it, just like the next hurricane or the next
love affair.