Pluto Glyph

This is a repost of my Pluto ~ Glyph astrology article posted on my kimberlykeown.com website. The  Planet Glyph Articles are my interpretations of planet symbols commonly used in astrology.


Pluto ~ Glyph
by Kimberly Keown ©2006

As Pluto is the Planet most associated with Power, this Glyph appropriately includes the letter 'P'. (At least in English.)

I think the Glyph symbolizes a Human - the oval of the 'P' represents the head, and the bottom fork of the 'L' represents the feet. Thus, Pluto rules with the head - intellect - and the feet - common sense that provides a firm, steady base of support.

The foot of the Pluto Glyph is long and stable, creating a solid base or platform upon which to stand. It's the same length as the head, indicating that the intellect does not supercede its platform. Or rather, analysis and theory does not supercede reality and known fact.

The long, upright stem of the 'L' represents the body - in particular the heart. As this area is under emphasized, the Power of Pluto does not primarily operate with its emotions or heart, but instead with the intellect as its base of operations. Pluto uses logic and rationalization to give its ideas a steady platform on which to be released to the world.

This may seem like a contradiction, considering that Pluto is associated with Scorpio, a Water sign. However, Pluto is the master of control and not one to be driven by fleeting emotion. Pluto keeps its emotions in check, and uses the power of its intellect - and a firm grasp of reality - to rationalize emotions into logical, reasonable explanations.

As a Water sign, Pluto starts out with a hunch - an intuition - then uses intellect and common sense to explain the emotion and make it rational and believable. This gives the emotion credibility, as there is scientific proof to substantiate it. This separates Pluto from the other Water signs.

The other Water signs - Pisces and Cancer (and their rulers Neptune and the Moon) - are primarily intuitively and emotionally driven; they are not known for being very factual or intellectual. Thus, their hunches or conclusions are dismissed by some as 'flaky' or 'strange', as they often cannot explain to others why they feel the way they do. Pluto, however, explains its emotions, intuition, and hunches with a logical, rational, step-by-step process that helps the 'left-brained' signs understand how and why Pluto reached the conclusions it did.

While Pluto is down-to-earth and full of common-sense, the strong, heavy bottom leg of the 'L' implies a willingness to muscle through life with a certain amount of brute force. This is great when one is pioneering through new territory (after all, Scorpio's secondary ruler is Mars), as Pluto has enough force to forge (and pave!) a path through the thickest forest, crushing underfoot anything that inhibits its forward motion.

Used indiscriminately, this power does more harm than good. Others don't like those heavy-handed tactics, and can be hurt by them. It becomes matter of whether the end justifies the means. So it's back to the intellect to discriminate whether the end does justify the means... and if not, what other acceptable means exist to reach the desired end.

As the foot in the Pluto Glyph is the same length as the head, the foot does not supercede the intellect. Pluto has the intelligence to recognize when its tactics are too strong or inappropriate, and the objectivity to pull itself away and turn in another direction - even when it's emotionally caught up in the current outcome. Pluto uses intellect to recognize when its feelings are faulty or inappropriate to the situation and thus can weed out appropriate feelings from inappropriate ones - and control them all.

Pluto seeks to master its emotions ~  To not be mastered by them.

Mobile versions of this article: .mobi (Kindle) .epub (Nook).

(0) Tue 20 Mar 2012, 18:35pm

Mercury Glyph


This is a repost of my Mercury ~ Glyph astrology article posted on my kimberlykeown.com website. The  Planet Glyph Articles are my interpretations of planet symbols commonly used in astrology.


 Mercury ~ Glyph
by Kimberly Keown ©2006

My perspective is that the Mercury Glyph looks like a child with horns.

A child often throws temper-tantrums to achieve his goal and relieve his frustrations. Yet Mercury is the 'Messenger of the Zodiac'. Mercury is very social and communication-oriented. So how can the 'Messenger of the Zodiac' be likened to a difficult, argumentative child?

Mercury is the ruler of Gemini, which can be a child-like scatterbrained sign. It's also very intellectual and wordy. It represents the sign of the twins, or duality. In this case, a dual nature. Mercury can be an angel or a devil, depending on his mood and the nature of his message.

With only its horns and without the rest of its body, the Mercury Glyph would be the Taurus Glyph - the universal sign for stubbornness. As Taurus is the zodiac sign associated with the Bull, I feel the horns of Mercury symbolize the headstrong, stubborn, bull-headedness of a Child.

Without its horns, the Mercury Glyph would be the Venus Glyph that almost everyone knows - the universal sign for the Feminine. Venus is the ruler of Taurus (incidentally) and Libra, and symbolizes love. In Taurus, love of material things and creature comforts, living the good life. In Libra, love for people and relationships.

Venus and Mercury have the same objective - building relationships. Venus relates primarily through the heart and focuses on the quality of the relationship. Mercury relates through the head via words and focuses on communication in the relationship. After all, if no mental exchange exists between two parties, they can't relate emotionally either; so there is no relationship.

A child is not always rational, nice, or good-tempered. Adults often communicate on this level, regardless of their age. Mercury represents the child within us all, the one who gets his point across... one way or the other. Mercury is about results, not finesse.

Unlike Venus, who is so focused on preserving relationships that she does not say anything if she can't say something nice, Mercury states his case and delivers his message. It's not about being delicate or repressing what needs to be said. It's about keeping communication going, period. The style of the delivery may leave a lot to be desired... but tact here is superfluous.

It's this basic honesty (albeit at times total lack of respect/rudeness) and results-oriented mindset that gives Mercury the willingness and ability to deliver his message, regardless of circumstances. In ancient times, Kings' Messengers ran for miles to deliver messages during times of war. And like the steadfast mailman - who delivers his mail in wind, hail, sleet, or snow - Mercury delivers his message at any cost, in any environment.

These stubborn, tenacious, steadfast qualities make Mercury the 'Messenger of the Gods'.
And perhaps part of the reason people are inclined to 'kill the messenger'!

Like any child mercury can be charming & angelic: a master of witty repartee, enjoyable conversation, and warm exchanges. Like the little girl in the nursery rhyme - when she was good, she was very, very good. But when she was bad, she was horrid!

Mobile versions of this article: .mobi (Kindle) .epub (Nook).

(0) Tue 20 Mar 2012, 17:54pm

Mobile-Friendly Sites

I found a great article on making a mini mobile-friendly version of an html website.
http://danidraws.com/2009/05/09/
It's a couple years old, but seems to do the trick and isn't terribly hard if you're website savvy.

In addition to the above article, I also found through research and experience that because of the variety of mobile devices now on the market:

  • DO add the header code described in Dani's article: <meta name="viewport" content="width=320">. Even with content set at 100%, it still seems to look too small on many devices without this zooming code.

    You can experiment with the width... it doesn't necessarily need to be 320. On some websites I have used up to 750. It really depends on the layout of your site. Be sure to test on several different simulators and mobile devices to make sure it looks good on all of them.
  • Using percentages for width (100%) can work better than using fixed width. However, depending on your website layout, fixed width may work for you.

    From my experience, websites that are set at fixed width of no more than 800px and have the zooming code in their header tend to format better on mobile devices.

    Websites with a larger fixed width are just too wide to fit in their entirety on most mobile devices and still be readable without the viewer having to zoom into the content. (i.e. most of my websites)

  • Using relative font sizes (small, medium, large) may work better than using fixed sizes (10pt). But again, this depends on your site; and sometimes using fixed sizes works just fine.
  • Vertical content tends to format more consistently and is easier to read on  mobile devices (i.e. placing picture first then text under it, instead of wrapping the text around picture).
  • Text that is center-justified may have a harder time wrapping than a normal left-justify. So use it sparingly and double check it on your mobile devices. 
  • A computer mentor of mine suggested that thumb-friendly buttons work better for mobile device navigation than text links. There are free button generators out there; or they are easy to make in GIMP or Adobe Photoshop.

A couple of easy-to-use sites to get an initial idea of how your website may look on a phone or tablet are Google GoMo and iPad Peek. They don't always show coding flaws however, so they are best for an initial understanding of how your site might look. There are more complicated others out there such as Google Android SDK, and many subscription sites that you can use to test your site on mobile simulators. The most accurate test, of course, is to view your site on the actual devices.

- I recently made a mini mobile-friendly version of my Cowgirl Image site.
It doesn't have the full content of the desktop site, but I do offer several of my articles there for download.

- My Cowgirl Model website now has a mobile-friendly version.

- My Kimberly Keown website now has a mobile-friendly version.

- My Cowgirl Model Blog is always mobile-friendly as an RSS feed.

(0) Mon 19 Mar 2012, 15:40pm

Cardinal T-Square

The Cardinal T-Square and Cardinal Cross

This is a good astrology article (pdf file) on the 2009-2012 Cardinal T-square by Patricia M. Hanus. The fact that Uraneous and Saturn are at odds and play a major part underscores my message about the Capricorn-Aquarius Age shift (as detailed in my 2012 Shift articles). Adding Pluto to the mix gives extra impact as to how serious this transition is.

The writer's website is http://astro-vis ion.org/astrology_services.htm


Indian Prophecy and the Galactic Alignment

Indians are rising in popularity (and rightfully so), largely due to the Mayan Calendar and other prophecies such as the Hopi Prophecies.

More links can be found on my Kimberly Keown website .

(0) Thu 23 Feb 2012, 20:49pm

2012 Shift: Pt 3

This article is also posted on my kimberlykeown.com website.

The Year of New Karma

If you have not yet read my first and second 2012 articles, I strongly encourage you to do so, as this one won't make much sense without that background.

In the first and second articles, I explain how our world is moving from 3rd-dimension Capricorn energy into 5th-dimension Aquarian energy. I further explain that, as individuals, we are making a karmic shift and leaping or falling into the new Age of Aquarius, which is now upon us.

Because I feel that karma is such an integral part of this shift, I want to discuss it in more detail and devote this entire article to it.

I have written two other articles that greatly supplement this one and I encourage you to read them: Uraneous ~ Glyph discusses Intradependence; and Christ & Astrology discusses Karma and Predestination.

Most people generally know what karma is from the phrase, 'what goes around, comes around'. What people often don't realize is that there are different types of karma. Karma is a vast conceptual and energetical force, and there are multiple aspects to it. It's not a simple tit-for-tat element that can be contained inside one vengeful little catch-phrase.

Because of the current Capricorn-to-Aquarius Age shift, the two aspects of karma I am focusing on here are the Saturn and Uraneous aspects.

The Saturnian age of karma, the one that is leaving, is the one we have all lived in our whole lives. This aspect of karma is denoted by a large group, or community, karma. Primarily it consists of our immediate and extended family, our friends, our society, and our world as a whole.

Because we have lived in the Capricorn Age of external community (and thus governmental) dependence, it follows that our karma is also based on the community. The primary function of Saturn and Capricorn karma is not necessarily about the individual's helpful actions vs. harmful actions. It's much broader than any individual and encompasses the survival of the society as a whole.

For example, in the shadow-side energy of Capricorn society, a man or woman who goes to work each day and earns enough money to keep a roof over themselves and their family is viewed as acceptable in society. If this person decides to beat their spouse or kids at home, or perform other 'private' crimes, it's largely ignored by the group as a whole, because this person is maintaining the physical structures that their society requires.

In contrast, a homeless person sitting on the sidewalk receives more contempt and ostracism from the group than if he had committed unspeakable crimes. With Saturnian (or group) karma, the sacrifice of an individual is often justified by the well-being of the group... and the group is threatened when someone fails to conform to and maintain those required societal structures.

This is how Saturn karma is created. It is defined by patterns we repeat over and over in order to gain security within our society, and therefore in our individual lives. Those patterns are reinforced by fear of the ostracism and punishment meted out to each individual when he fails to meet the demands of the group, and the rewards he receives when he does meet them.

This starts with our family when we are born and growing up. We are taught by our immediate caregivers how we must act, think, feel, and live in order to be safe and survive within the group. From there, our community dictates how we must behave within our greater neighborhood. City and national laws then require us to go to school, work, court, pay taxes, obey laws, and defend our country in peace and war.

The experiences we have in the Capricorn society are accepted or rejected based on the judgement of the group. So most everyone tends to have the same experiences and lives essentially the same lives as everyone else. For example, in America we watch the same movies and listen to the same music. We read the same books. We watch the same shows on television. We define our life experiences within the framework of what is acceptable to communicate to others and share with them. If we can't externally communicate something or share it with others of the group, we deny that it exists.

Obviously, this is a rigid society to live in. Saturnian karma is about conformity. The ultimate reason for artificially forcing individuals to conform is to create an outer framework of security and stability for society as a whole. Saturn knows that without a stable, secure, organized external society there can be no individual security or existence. At its best, Saturn karma creates lasting community and housing structure, neighborly help, and healthy habits and life patterns an individual can rely on for support all the days of his life.

At its worst, the society degenerates into extreme oppression and dependence on external policy and government... Communism. (There is an even worse scenario... the descent into a military-ruled police state, but that is Scorpio/Pluto karma and not covered here.)

Communism

Saturn conditioning imposes on our individual inclinations and overrides them. This creates a severe, external karma of ruts and repeating cycles that are very difficult for an individual to break... no matter how hard he tries. Even though a person struggles and struggles to change them over a long period of time, decades even, he may well fail. The external system (be it family, friends, or the nation) does not provide the resources for an individual to flourish and survive when he bucks the system. To a large degree, conformity to the accepted rules of society - whether they are just or not - is unequivocally required for the individual to live.

For this reason, Saturnian karma is made of patterns and ruts that are repeated over and over by almost everyone in the immediate family, society, community, and nation. Brother oppresses brother and neighbor oppresses neighbor. Everyone keeps everyone else in order and in line. As long as the society that imposes these strictures exists, they are nearly impossible for an individual to break out of.

Some of these patterns are healthy and good, such as responsibly working to earn resources and provide for our families; and they should be maintained whether we live in a Capricorn society or not. Some are negative and bad for us, such as family-pattern alcoholism and violence, and cause us to sabotage our self-respect and ultimate happiness over and over.

Strong family or group karma may be linked through decades or centuries of family history. Common negative patterns include generational alcohol and drug abuse; physical and emotional violence; long cycles of poverty and hardship; genetic physical, mental, and emotional disease. Sometimes there is a 'family curse' associated with a particular group throughout generations (such as the Kennedys).

Common positive patterns include family unity and protection; taking care of one another during illness or instilling a healthy lifestyle and good moral judgement; handing down vocational or technical knowledge and ability through generational teachings; sharing housing or monetary resources through inheritance (such as the Hiltons); or simply passing along 'good genes'.

Even though negative Saturnian karma is nearly impossible to change, it does not mean we should simply not try. Violence, addictions, bad habits, negative thought patterns, and general self-sabotage should always be battled against and attempted to heal... whether we appear to be winning the battle or not. We should always try to do right by each other and ourselves, and stand by good morals and principals even when those efforts seemingly fail. Combating the Saturn type of karma is a battle of will and endurance, not of strength.

This is why even when it seems a pattern is licked for good, it can crop up again years later. For example, a former alcoholic can relapse after years or decades of remission. Even though the individual was able to rise out of his karmic rut for a while, the conditioning and societal influences that contributed to the alcoholism did not change. Although the individual may have changed, the society or group he lived in did not; and years later the individual went down again under the same relentless karmic pull.

Excuses, Excuses

Because Saturn karma can be so widespread, encompassing numerous people and time spans, individuals often use it to deny responsibility for their actions. Peer pressure is an integral part of Saturn karma, and while it is not always possible to resist it, some people use it to justify their own willingness and desire to destroy others.

This is the very definition of mob violence mentality, as the individuals feel that if everyone in the group is guilty, no one is guilty. They think that if they hide within the group, the group will protect them from the consequences of their actions. If 'everyone' is doing it, the sheer number of people and length of time the action was done will somehow override and erase the wrong it has caused. This is a true case of 'might is right', and the strongest man (or mob) seemingly wins.

However, Saturn karma can be short-sighted in this respect. Saturn can be so focused on winning the battle that it loses the war.

We have now moved into the Age of Aquarius and Uranian karma. We are moving from a time of dependency on community, or group karma, into a time of individualism, or independent karma. And individual karma means individual responsibility.

This is the period we have entered into, the 5th dimension and the Age of Aquarius.

Separatism

At the opposite end of the spectrum from Communism is Separatism (or anarchy), which is ruled by Uraneous, ruler of Aquarius. This is an absence of government, of rules, and of any conformity that might bind people together and submit them to each other's limiting influence for the sake of security. Individuals refuse to cooperate or conform in any way because it might impinge on their personal freedoms. With this type of karma it's every man for himself; and the individual feels he owes no one anything, as he provides for himself and accepts nothing from others.

Because these individuals are not enslaved to anyone else's ideas or principals, each person has his own experiences in life that he has neither the need nor means to share with others, unless they too happen to have had like experiences. This opens a much broader individual perspective, as there is no one to tell an individual what is possible or not possible, or to limit him in any way. He is able to accept a myriad of experiences that life may bring, and open himself to possibilities of a world that is limitless.

The extreme separatist society usually cannot be maintained, as it's practically impossible to not depend on somebody for something - even if it's simply the atmosphere that provides the air you breath, the sun for warmth and light, or water to drink and plants to eat. At some point, everyone depends on something or someone for security other than themselves. At some point, everyone needs someone else to communicate with and share their lives with in order to make life worth living. And sharing requires, to some degree, compromise and conformity. So most separatists usually relent in their individualism enough to band into little like-minded groups that fight together and share resources.

Capitalism, Democracy, and the Leap

The long age of Capricorn defined our community structures and created a firm base that will not be easily dissolved. Each Age builds on one another. We NEEDED the external structures of law and order and community cooperation created in the Capricorn system to be able to move successfully into the next era.

Now the Aquarian Age will bring its own gifts of individuality to our society, and community dependence will move into the background so that the focus is fully on the individual.

The incoming separatist Uranian energy of the 5th dimension clashing with the outgoing, oppressive Saturnian energy of the 3rd dimension could bring on a worst-case scenario. It is within the realm of possibility that our conformist society will break into a million pieces... and we will all become survivalists living in the woods and battling each other for resources. This is a doomsday scenario that many people fear will actually happen, and some are taking extreme measures to prepare for it.

However, the ultimate goal of the fusion of Capricorn and Aquarian society is intradependence. Here we have the group cooperation and organization of Capricorn, combined with the rugged individual vision of Aquarius.

Apart, the two are diametrically opposed. When you have only one or the other, you have a failed society, such as we have currently. Capricorn on its own deteriorates into the dependency on government and lack of freedom that is Communism. Aquarius on its own deteriorates into each individual as a law unto himself and with only himself to depend on, which is Survivalism.

The perfect fusion of these two powerful energies is intradependence, or Capitalism, which is the cornerstone of a successful society. True Capitalism is what the founding fathers envisioned and fought for when they created the United States of America. It's what Democracy originally stood for... a general structure of government that provides a rudimentary support for the people... but enough individual freedom that the people control their own lives. The people, in turn, are responsible enough to bear this great freedom and don't require the external law of the group to force them to behave in an acceptable way. At its best, the government helps the people obtain MORE freedom, and the people contribute freely to make their government successful and able to support them.

The age of Group Karma is over. The new age of Individual Karma has begun.

While Saturn rules group karma, Uraneous rules individual karma. 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.' 'As you sow, so shall you reap.' This is Uranian karma. This means that, as we have entered the Aquarian Age, from here on out our lives will be largely determined by the choices we make as individuals. While we will have the power to make our own decisions, we will equally bear responsibility for the consequences.

I will not go too deeply into individual karma here, because I did so in my previous article 2012 Shift: Part 2. Suffice it to say that as we leap or fall into the Age of Aquarius in our individual karma, the danger is that we will not make the leap to intradependence but will fall into separatism and survivalism. Because Aquarius rules the day, where each of us ends up will be according to each of us as individuals.

Group karma no longer applies. Group experience no longer applies. Each person now has the responsibility and the power to make his or her own decisions. Those who were strong in their group karma and allowed their families or society as a whole to dictate their actions will no longer be able to hide behind them. They will be forced to make their own choices.

But wait, it's not all about Government. Remember we are entering the 5th Dimension.

Earlier I said that shadow-side Saturn societies tend to think might is right, and though they may win the battles, they can lose the war. Why?

Saturn is about the past. Uraneous is about the deep past.

Saturnian karma accumulates like layers of rock and strata that build up slowly over long periods of time. Each new layer builds upon the other and hides the one beneath. This is why people tend to forget their histories under social conditioning and usually are unable to (or don't care to) look back and remember the past. However, these layers also tend to repeat periodically. So even though people don't care to remember the past, they tend to live it over and over in repeating cycles, whether they recognize it or not.

Uranian karma is like an oil shaft that cuts deep down through the Saturnian layers of internalized community brainwashing and conditioning. It goes through all of it, until it reaches the core of who the individual is as a person, and who he was before he led his life of conformity. In a single instant, Uraneous brings a core sample of that person's soul, plus the Saturn strata portions, back up to the surface of his life.

Uraneous is not about moving on and denying the past, or subconsciously repeating it over and over. It's about going to the heart of it and extracting the most important parts of ourselves in order to resurrect them... the parts that are immortal and never die. It's about looking at a small sample of each layer in our lives so we can view our lives as a whole. In this way, Uranian karma confronts every aspect of our existence in one small portion, and we are unable to hide or deny any of it. We can 'see the entire universe in a grain of sand'.

Saturn rules mortality and death... physical death, the death of the body, and long buried or forgotten parts of ourselves that seem gone forever. This is good and necessary when we outgrow something and no longer need it. We must have the ability to release things regarding ourselves that we don't like or want, and be rid of them forever.

However, Uraneous is about undying spirit, eternity, and things you can't get rid of. So parts of ourselves that we chose to abandon or were forced to forget long ago under the imposing Saturn influence, will now be resurrected and brought up into our everyday lives. Any issues we buried without working them through will come up for reexamination so that we can truly resolve them once and for all.

This is the time to finally break those Saturnian karmic cycles and start anew, afresh, and alone. Group karma will no longer hold sway over us. Now the possibilities and probabilities are endless. No longer will our experiences be limited by the group. Individuals will have individual experience. Uraneous will delve down deep into the individual's core being and core self, and that person's new life will be determined based on who he is inside.

Each person's coming experiences will depend on himself as an individual. His focus will no longer be on policing his neighbor or being responsible for his neighbor's actions. His karma will be directed towards himself and his responsibility for his own life. In this way, he will create his own upcoming scenarios.

WHO we share our experiences with will also be determined by who we are as individuals. Now like attracts like. No longer will people be forced to live, work, and be together with others simply because society dictates it. The new Aquarius Age will pair us with individuals of like mind, common views, and similar life paths.

For those with whom we felt strong bonds of love and connection in the Capricorn Age, we will have an even stronger bond with them in the Aquarian Age. As for the people we were with in the Capricorn Age for superficial reasons (such as money), we will likely separate from them, possibly forever. From now on, people will be with each other by choice... not by dependence or because no one better came along.

In short, the Aquarian Age is releasing us as individuals from the responsibility of being responsible for everyone else, in favor of being responsible for ourselves. We'll have no one to prevent us from our successes, but no one to blame for our failures. In the new era, we stand and fall on our own merits.

It's up to each of us to learn well the positive lessons of the Capricorn Era, and carry them into the Aquarian Age. Whilst being responsible for ourselves in the new era, we must bring with us the willingness to cooperate with others, the ability to maintain a rudimentary social organization, and the desire to care for our families & neighbors and help them whenever possible. Perhaps society will no longer 'force' us to do these things. But we shouldn't have to be forced. We should want to do them anyway.

Mobile versions of this article: .mobi (Kindle) .epub (Nook).

Image used with permission from Microsoft.

(0) Sat 7 Jan 2012, 19:20pm

Uraneous Glyph

This is a repost of the recently modified Uraneous Glyph astrology article posted on my kimberlykeown.com website. The  Planet Glyph Articles  are my interpretations of planet symbols commonly used in astrology.

Although I originally wrote this article in 2006, now that we have firmly entered the Age of Aquarius it seems especially relevant. It nicely supplements my 2012 Shift article series, and particularly 2012: Pt 3: The Year of New Karma.


Uraneous ~ Glyph
by Kimberly Keown ©2006, modified 2012.

Let's start with the name - Uraneous.

I know it's commonly spelled 'Uranus'. However, I liken this spelling to a nickname.
'Uraneous' seems to me more of an esoteric, proper, planetary spelling... so that's what I use.

I think the glyph often used to symbolize Uraneous looks like a bird rising up in flight from his perch on an egg. (Gender is not an issue here, because of the symbolism - read on...)

This seems like it should be the symbol for Scorpio or Pluto - representing the Phoenix rising from the ashes and being born anew.

However, this bird has already hatched, so its death and rebirth (symbolized by Scorpio and Pluto) is already complete; and it's now preparing to fly - taking the egg with it, as the egg is fastened securly to the Bird's talons.

I believe this represents the struggle we all have with maturing and 'leaving the nest' of our past experiences and associations. We must reconcile our heritage (our past environment) with the new environment we are about to enter as we create new lives. Our 'new lives' can be as children becoming adults; as parents with now-grown children; as workers nearing retirement; as any transition we face in which we release the old for the new.

In making our transitions into the future, we can't just 'let go' of the egg - our parents, our child homes, etc. We are in some ways still in need of the nourishment and self-identification provided by our roots. So we must in some form take these things along with us, and adapt to our new environments (college, jobs, new houses, new families, etc.) while integrating our past associations with the new.

We may fly away from the nest... but we bring with us the egg we were hatched from.

As each person is always integrating the old with the new, this makes for complicated relationships - whether those are personal, business, or work relationships!

Uraneous is the planet most associated with independence. Yet its zodiac sign Aquarius is most associated with the Brotherhood of Man, groups uniting to better the world, and so forth. While this at first seems like a contradiction, the above interpretation of the Uraneous Glyph explains this. The ultimate aim of Uraneous - and Aquarius - is 'Intradependence'. That is taking care of one's Self while at the same time helping those in Society... who in turn help the individual function independently.

In today's Democratic society, few people can survive without Society's help. We need Society to obtain food, water, housing, etc. The population is too great for very many people to live apart from Society anymore, so we are all dependent on each other. However, at the same time we are alone. As a Democratic Society does not automatically provide for an individual's survival, each person must take care of himself and actively provide for his own needs. So Democracy is not about living in a dependent society or an independent/isolated society. It is a Society of Intradependence.

The reason I use the word 'Intradependence' - as opposed to 'Interdependence' - is because I see 'Interdependence' as leaning more toward Dependence, while 'Intradependence' leans more toward Independence. Since Democracy does not assume responsibility for anyone's survival, each individual must be more proactive in caring for himself, than not. We are, as individuals, slightly more independent than dependent.

Even though Uraneous is an independent sign, it ultimately seeks to unite one's individual self to others and to its past... but in a healthy, non-codependent way. At its best, Uraneous is not about separation from the group, from our family, or from our history. It's about our own individual definition within it.

So it's a struggle. To fly off into the future whilst being securely Anchored to our past. Of such, we create our present. Thus, life is one long transition ~ From the old to the new. It truly is the 'journey' that matters most and not the destination. For without the journey, we cannot arrive.

Mobile versions of this article: .mobi (Kindle) .epub (Nook).

(0) Sat 7 Jan 2012, 11:17am

2012 Shift: Pt 2

This article is also posted on my kimberlykeown.com website.

Clash of the Titans: Aquarius vs. Capricorn

If you have not yet read my first 2012 article, I strongly encourage you to do so, as this one won't make much sense without that background.

In the first article, I explain how our world is moving from 3rd-dimension Capricorn energy into 5th-dimension Aquarian energy.

For simplicity's sake, in that article I did not specifically define Capricorn energy as being 3rd-dimension energy. Now that I have, you may well ask why we are moving from a 3rd dimension world into the 5th dimension. Is there not a 4th dimension in-between?

The answer is no.

Other astrologers may disagree with me, but this is my interpretation. And when it gets right down to it, astrology is the art of cosmic interpretation.

Chiron is the planet that orbits between Saturn (ruler of Capricorn and the 3rd dimension) and Uraneous (ruler of Aquarius and the 5th dimension) in our solar system and provides the transition of energies between the two. This makes Chiron the keeper of the 4th dimension. Chiron is now widely accepted as being important in astrology charts.

But wait... Chiron is NOT actually a planet. It's a Centaur or minor planet. This means it has the characteristics of a comet and asteroid, but is too small to be considered a real planet.

Astrologically, there is a reason for Chiron's small size. Chiron is an energetical transition point, not a resting place. It's a stepping stone, or 4th-dimension bridge between Saturn and Uranian energy (the 3rd and 5th dimensions). It is not an end-point in of itself.

Ask different astrologers what Chiron energy is, and you may get different answers or just a lot of confusion. What Chiron energy actually is, is hard to define for this reason: Chiron is a ferry, not a rest area. As a transition energy, Chiron is always in motion. It's not a static energy that can be quantified and pinned-down.

Chiron's name itself denotes transition. Chiron in Greek mythology was a great Centaur. And a Centaur is neither a man nor beast, but a transition between the two.

This is why the transition from the 3rd dimension to the 5th dimension will be abrupt and somewhat disjointed. Chiron will swing the Capricorn-Aquarius energies back & forth like a game of tug-of-war. There will not necessarily be a smooth blending of energies, as with a solution of sugar and water. Instead there will be separation, as with an oil spill into the ocean. It will be Capricorn energy one day, Aquarian energy the next, then back to Capricorn... until finally the Aquarian energy wins out and we are fully immersed in the 5th dimension.

Because we are living in the shadow-side of Capricorn energy (as explained in my first article), there will necessarily be an immense amount of resistance to the new incoming Aquarian 5th dimension energy.

Saturn rules Capricorn (technically a cardinal sign, but jokingly referred to by astrologers as the only 'fixed cardinal' sign) and is the planet of rigidity and limitation. Those who embrace these qualities will fiercely (cardinal energy) resist the malleable, borderless, changeable nature of the Aquarian 5th dimension. Since Uraneous is the ruler of Aquarius (a fixed sign), the stubborn Uranian energy will keep coming like a freight train until it batters down the Saturn walls and forces its way into the new era.

So you have two very rigid planets, ruling fixed signs, at odds with each other and each one seeking to prevail. Neither one will give way... Saturn because it does not want to change, even though its time is past; and Uraneous because this is its time, and it will not be denied its rightful due.

This is why it is vital to learn the positive lessons of the Capricorn era so we can take them with us into the 5th dimension... and transition into the next era in the most positive way possible.

The Steven Spielberg movie remake of War of the Worlds is a good illustration of what can happen when waning 3rd-dimension Capricorn energy clashes with incoming 5th-dimension Aquarius energy. Rather than a positive, smooth transition that gently integrates structure and rationality with impossibilities-become-reality, the shadow side of a 3rd-to-5th dimension shift can come about as a ferocious psychic or physical war, rather than a friendly passing-of-the-guard.

Tom Cruise (aka 'Ray') is going about a typical Capricorn day. It's probably going about as bad as the others. He's working long shifts at his machinery-operating job. His boss ignores union rules by keeping him late and wants him to work extra shifts with just a few hours of rest. Upon arriving home on this day, Ray finds he is late for a meeting with his ex-wife, who is dropping off their two spoiled, materialistic children at Ray's house for the weekend while she and her new husband take a trip. Upon entering Ray's house, the ex finds it cluttered & dirty, and there is no food in the fridge.

Let's make a creative leap here based on many people's current reality. Lets surmise that Ray is working long hours to earn enough money to make his child support payments each month, as well as pay the mortgage on his house. Perhaps there was an ugly divorce, and he lost money in the settlement also. Not wanting to be a dead-beat father who abandons his kids financially even though he no longer lives with them, he works extra shifts because he is struggling financially... and so doesn't have the leisure time to clean his house and make nourishing meals; or even enough extra money to stay well-supplied with food.

Working long shifts and not being re-married, Ray is not able to let the children live with him for extended periods of time, which would enable him to: a) build a better relationship with them; and b) lessen his financial strain.

Ray's children are obviously affected by the bad relationship between him and his ex-wife, and they make it clear they think Ray is irresponsible: a bad father in particular, and a loser in general. The children (whether they are aware of it or not) are reaping the financial benefits of a child-support-paying father plus a well-employed mother & stepfather; and they seem to have no concept of hardship, struggle, or sacrifice. Accordingly, it's the rich stepfather to whom they give credit for the little extra luxuries in their lives (such as Tivo).

Unfortunately, this type of injustice can be all-too-common when one lives in the shadow-side of Capricorn energy.

On this day, things change for Ray and his family.

Out of the blue, a 'lightening storm' hits the city. Within a matter of minutes or hours, the city is being destroyed by long-buried alien robots that come up out of the ground and laser-beam everything and everyone in sight.

Ray, nearly catatonic from the shock of what has suddenly happened, grabs the kids and flees the city. What ensues then is a terrible death-defying journey in which Ray struggles to keep himself and his children alive.

This 'irresponsible' father (who according to the kids cares only for himself) survives an against-all-odds struggle with death & carnage and does everything in his power to protect his children and get them to safety. Eventually, rational Capricorn energy reasserts itself and a virus or bad germ causes the alien robots to die, allowing Ray to make it to an area (or dimension) that appears to be fairly unaffected by them. Ray, his ex-wife, and their children are miraculously reunited and apparently okay.

The story ends, so we don't know what happens after that. Maybe the family reconciles and lives happily ever after. Maybe the ex and kids return to their superficial, supercilious ways and Ray is finally separated from them and free to move on with his life. Maybe the alien robots come back.

And so it goes, Capricorn energy one minute and Aquarian energy the next.

While crises (no matter what form they take) are painful and terrifying, they happen for a reason. Instead of blindly running through the 5th dimension transition in fear and panic, we need to look deeper to find the base lesson of this shift and what greater good it may bring. Looking deeper, I find that the overarching theme of the 3rd to 5th dimension transition is the necessity for each person to make a spiritual karmic leap or fall.

As I explained in my first article, we are moving from the Capricorn 'letter of the law' into the Aquarian 'spirit of the law' which is denoted by spiritual karma. Now each person will either make a leap to a more positive 'heavenly' dimension, or fall into a more negative 'hellish' dimension. Which one it is will be completely determined by individual choices and action.

Those who enjoyed unprecedented wealth and security during the Capricorn age by using negative methods and means to achieve that lifestyle, now have the karmic opportunity to mend their ways. They can leap to a positive place in life wherein they can enjoy the new wealth of the 5th dimension. But if they fail to balance their karma, they will fall into the shadow side of Aquarian energy, into a world of misery.

Those who struggled in the Capricorn era because they stood strong in their principals and morals (the epitome of positive Capricorn energy) will leap to a positive change of fortune in the Aquarian Age. However, if they abuse their newfound wealth, they too will fall into the negative side of the 5th dimension, into a world of difficulty.

So each person must make a leap or a fall into the new Aquarian Age, and choose for himself whether to land on its positive side or its shadow side.

The story A Christmas Carol is a perfect illustration of this concept. Ebeneezer Scrooge is the consummate example of a life built by embracing the shadow side of Capricorn energy. Of wealth obtained at the expense of others.

One minute Scrooge is going about his rational Capricorn day, business as usual. The next he is thrust into Aquarian energy and visited by his dead partner's ghost and the 3 spirits of Christmas Past, Present, & Future.

It's made very clear to Scrooge by the spirits that he must choose to mend his ways and balance his karma. If he does not, he will face a dimension of hell he has never before encountered or dreamed of. He must either leap or fall into the new Aquarian era of life.

Scrooge decides to leap. He mends his ways and becomes a changed person for the better.

Meanwhile, poor struggling, honest Bob Cratchit has barely survived the shadow side of the Capricorn era and is facing the potential death of his son Tiny Tim. He suddenly receives a change of fortune for the better when Scrooge finally rewards him for his years of service. Cratchit embraces this new life of abundance for himself and his family. He too makes a leap.

And there the story ends. Do we know if Scrooge kept up his new ways or reverted back to a selfish miser? No. Do we know if Bob Cratchit used his new wealth and position in a responsible way, never forgetting the poverty and struggle he came from? No.

It's possible that both Scrooge and Cratchit did embrace their new lives and lived happily ever after. It's also possible that they fell to the negative side of Uranian energy, even after making the initial leap.

The hallmark of the new Aquarian Age is the law of spiritual karma. There are no shortcuts. There is no cheating or resting on your laurels. There is no hypocrisy. There is no hiding from yourself. If you embrace positivity in the new age, you will receive it back. If you embrace negativity, you will reap the consequences.

I briefly mentioned the awareness of ghosts in my first article as a result of the incoming 5th dimension. Because there will be at least a cursory integration of Capricorn and Aquarian energy, this will allow some of the people who passed from the physical world in death to rejoin it. Others will pass from the physical world into the spiritual world. The Aquarian energy will cause inter-dimensional portals to become more accessible, and this will create some blending of physical and spiritual states of being.

Some will rejoin the physical world as normal human beings, so it is possible that some long-lost dead relatives will be physically reunited with their still-living loved ones. This is the miracle of the Aquarian Age.

Ghostbusters is a classic 80's movie that will never die, because it tackled the issue of dealing with Aquarian-Age ghosts in a Capricorn-Age world. It also is a good illustration of the potential conflict and reconciliation of the 3rd & 5th dimensions in our upcoming shift.

One other point I want to mention about the coming era. The 5th dimension will likely bring more deaths due to drug overdoses.

Many people in our society have sought to cheat, escape, or soften the harshness of the overbearing Capricorn era by using drugs to connect with malleable 5th dimension Aquarian energy. Instead of actually working through their problems and doing the requisite soul-searching to create practical solutions, these people simply take drugs to alleviate their pain and completely ignore the root cause of their problems.

When people take drugs - prescription & illegal - magical things appear to happen. (Magic is an inherent part of Aquarian energy.) Disease or sicknesses are cured or offset; mental or emotional imbalance is regained; great talents are miraculously acquired such as super-athleticism, super vocal abilities, super-intelligence, and the ability to defy death. America's medical system has been based almost entirely on drugs... the almighty 'cure-all' for the ills of society.

During the 5th dimension Age of Aquarius, this unhealthy drug-dependency and refusal to face the root cause of problems will backfire. The law of karma that will come into effect will not allow people to lie to themselves or circumvent truth. All people will be forced to confront their problems head on without any short-cuts or short-term solutions.

What would happen if you were submerged underwater in a lake, and you chose to suck in more water with a straw? You would drown.

Excessive drug use during the Aquarian age will have the same effect. 5th dimension energy is very malleable and changeable, such as water in a lake. When people were in the harsh, rigid 3rd-dimension Capricorn era, it was as if they were living in a spiritual drought. In those days, sucking 5th dimension spiritual water from a straw via drug use was like taking a drink from a lake on a hot day. However, with the immersion of the oncoming 5th dimension era, it's as if these people will be plunged into the lake. If they keep sucking water through a straw, they will likely overdose.

From being in a spiritual drought, we are now moving into a spiritual flood. Changeable energy and possibility will be an abundance, not a scarcity. What will become more scarce will be structure, boundaries, and rigidity - which is something drugs dissolve, not create. As a result, people who continue unnecessary drug use in the new era may experience a frightening shift in dimensions and reality, dissolution of mental and emotional boundaries, and a feeling of being cut adrift and lost in a spiritual sea.

There are those who embraced the structure of the Capricorn era in a positive way, learned responsibility, and sought to deal with their problems head on. Because they did not try to cheat or circumvent those harsh lessons by the use of drugs or other softening energies, they will do well in the 5th dimension. They will have inner structure, inner discipline, and inner organization to guide them even when the outer structures of their lives fall. They will be able to create boundaries in their world that will keep them and their loved ones sane and safe.

So the moral of the story? Don't do drugs, just say no, only you can prevent forest fires. You've heard it all before. But YOU are responsible for your choices. You have been warned.

Although the tone of this article has been rather grim, I am not predicting that during or around 2012 our world will be suddenly invaded by aliens and ghosts, world war, death, and carnage. I have used some extreme examples to illustrate the coming energetical influences and their resulting confluence.

What I am saying is that our world is changing, and no longer will everyone in society be and live together in the same way. People will split off in their own directions and have different life experiences. There are wonderful blessings to look forward to and frightening emergences to prepare for. Never-before dreamt of possibilities will become reality.

In the coming Aquarian age, our karma - that is, our actions and the consequences thereof - will determine the world we build for ourselves. It will not all happen at once. It will not all be difficult. But some of it will be. There is an adjustment to be made... for everyone. A new way of living to be understood, accepted, and established. It will take time.

But it will happen.

Mobile versions of this article: .mobi (Kindle) .epub (Nook).

Image used with permission from Microsoft.

(0) Sat 17 Dec 2011, 16:39pm

2012 Shift

This article is also posted on my kimberlykeown.com website.

It's hard to believe 2011 is almost over. Now we're heading into infamous 2012, the end and re-start of the Mayan Long Count calendar. The 2012 date ends a 26,000 year axial earth precession. So 2012 should bring lots of endings and brand new beginnings. Be prepared for life to change, whether it comes painstakingly slow, unsettlingly fast, or both.

My personal opinion (based on intuition and personal experience) is that in many ways 2012 will bring back a return of the 1980's, only in a more permanent way. Almost as if the 1980's was a small sample of the future of the 21st century.

Why do I say this? Because we are experiencing a return of the 5th dimension, largely associated with Uraneous and the Age of Aquarius. The band The 5th Dimension, who sang Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, had it right.

Our current period of reality has been essentially a Saturn/Capricorn influence. Unfortunately, it has been characterized by the shadow (or negative) side of Capricorn - not the truth, fairness, and justice the positive side truly stands for.

Because we are living in the shadow side of Capricorn energy, our current society is very rigid and in many ways oppressive and overbearing. Everyone, especially in America, is judged by their job, money, material goods, and status in the community. It's a society very much based on conformity and everyone doing and being the same in order to fit in. Those who do not fit in are ostracized.

People drive cars that all look alike and have no individual character. Success in the workplace is more dependent on bosses' and coworkers' personal opinions of each other than by the quality of the work done. There is a debate about whether homeless people ought to be allowed to enter a public library.

In general, at least in America, there is an unwillingness to recognize or help the poor. Look at the charities that get the most attention. Celebrities who donate to the poor in Africa, Mexico, or other 3rd world countries get the most press. Donations to the poor in their own country are not often met with such accolades.

The laws that are enforced in this time are not about justice. They are about whatever the people FEEL like enforcing at the time. A good example of this is traffic laws. Every time I drive, I see about 1 in 10 people use a turn signal before turning. The majority of people tailgate the car ahead of them and pressure them into entering an intersection before it's truly safe to do so. At stop signs, there is barley time to get half-way through the intersection before the next car rams through... and that's if they even bother to come to a complete stop in the first place. When there are icy/snowy road conditions, very few people slow down or are patient with those who may need to drive slower.

I hardly ever see anyone pulled over by traffic cops. This is because the government IS the people, and the people have decided that obeying traffic laws is no longer necessary. If the majority of the people do not obey the laws, they will not be enforced by their government.

However, people should not NEED a traffic cop to pull them over to convince them to use a turn signal or respect other drivers on the road. It simply seems that many people have no moral compass and no interest in doing what's right. This society... although self-righteous about the mores and laws it DOES uphold, is less about being moral and more about being popular. When Capricorn energy is used in the wrong way, this is the hypocrisy and paradox that comes about. 

Capricorn energy used correctly creates strong government, boundaries, and laws that are meant to provide organization, safety, and protection for all. In order to fulfill this purpose, all people are required to conform.

However, when the energy is used incorrectly, the Capricorn society becomes the society that exists today. Its members harbor a self-righteous, entitlement attitude of exclusion that is seeming based on logic, reason, and conformity. But in truth it hides a rebellious, emotional, double standard. It's EVERYONE ELSE that's supposed to outwardly conform to laws, and never the individual. And when the majority of society shares this attitude, the minority that does actually conform to the law is ostracized.

The result is a society of people that refuse to obey a simple turn-signal law. And because the majority refuses to obey the law, their government fails to enforce it.

No more. The 5th dimension will usher in an energy of personal karma and 'mind your own business'. Whether it's because of crises that cause people to spend more time worrying about their own lives and less about other people, or just a general shifting of consciousness that ceases the neighbor-to-neighbor oppression, the 5th Dimension will bring an era of privacy and personal responsibility. It will not be the government's sole responsibility to enforce laws. The rule of karma will be greater than the rule of government. Those without a moral compass, who have the willingness to invade or violate others, will be subject to their own private hell.

Because oppression will cease (albeit slowly), creativity will flourish. Because people will spend so much less time obsessing over their neighbors, they will devote more time to solving real problems and finding effective solutions. This will in turn create more resources and opportunity. Society will be forced to release the current poverty-driven economy based on exclusion, and embrace one of inclusion and abundance.

So for the people who embraced the Capricorn era in a positive way, the change that begins in 2012 will be a welcome one, as oppressive restrictions will be replaced by 'the spirit of the law' and not 'the letter'. This perfectly sums up the 2012 shift, as Saturn/Capricorn rules the body and physical conditions (the 'letter of the law'). And Uraneous/Aquarius rules spirit and non-physical consciousness (the 'spirit of the law'). This defines how the rule of physical government will be replaced by the law of spiritual karma. The laws of the masses and fear of societal exclusion will be changed into the laws of cause-and-effect of individual actions & consequences.

For those who embraced the negative part of the Capricorn era, the 2012 era will be extremely unwelcome. Those who embraced hypocrisy and exclusion may suffer never-before experienced personal crises. These could come in a number of ways: health or marital problems, job or income losses, loss of friends, or environmental disasters. Hopefully these people will grow in faith, morality, and compassion as a result of these crises. It's now up to each person to balance their own karma; not their neighbors or the government.

The 5th dimension, because it is so malleable and creative, will allow miracles to happen in broad daylight and full consciousness. This malleable energy will allow things to happen in a less-than-logical way. Wishes will come true, miraculous healings will occur, and heroic rescues of life or money will become relatively common. 

On the flip-side, nightmares will become waking reality. Strange happenings the Capricorn consciousness could not explain or accept (and so ignored or dismissed) will happen despite unbelief or denial. The increasing interest in aliens and other life forms is evidence of this. Dimensional portals will open and become more accessible. Awareness and acceptance of ghosts or other inter-dimensional beings will be prevalent. 

Look at what the popular movies are. The old superheros. Not the new ones... the OLD ones from the 1980's or before. Transformers, Captain America, Superman, Batman, The Green Hornet. War of the Worlds, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Wizard of Oz, and Roald Dahl screenplays such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Harrison Ford epics such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and now Cowboys and Aliens. Add to that the newer sci-fi movies & shows such as Meet Joe Black, the Stargate series, plus countless others about aliens & alternate dimensions... and you have a pretty good grasp of 5th dimension energy.

The shadow-side of the 5th dimension is that there can be TOO much malleability. When Capricorn rigidity is lost, a complete breakdown of boundaries, reason, and logic can occur. Dimensions and conditions can change so rapidly that there is not a firm structure to hold onto either mentally or physically; much as if one is involved in a psychic or physical earthquake. Because of this, insanity, displacement, and disorientation can abound.

Those who truly learned and integrated the positive side of the Capricorn energy will do well in the new era. They will be responsible, practical, and self-disciplined enough to create boundaries and structure for themselves, and able to bring a comfortable order to their world. Those who relied on society to 'make' them conform to boundaries and create structure for them will have a more difficult time, as they will not have the inner resources to ground them in the midst of dissolution and chaos.

So 2012 is a transition; it is not a be-all end-all year. It's a transition into a less-artificial and more personally authentic state of living. The Capricorn period of logic and rationality was needed to provide structure. Now that structure will be relaxed, and our individual motivation and choice will be our ruler.

Mobile versions of this article: .mobi (Kindle) .epub (Nook).

Image used with permission from Microsoft.

(0) Sun 4 Dec 2011, 10:57am

Gene & Shannon Simmons Charities

I have to admit, I'm a reality-show junkie. And Gene Simmons Family Jewels is one of my favorites.

I especially liked Season 6. Gene & Shannon go back to Gene's home country of Israel to meet his long-lost half siblings. Gene makes a point of saying in one of the episodes that he loves Israel, his birth country. And he loves the US, as it gave him & his mother the life they have now.

This is the epitome of patriotism. Recognizing and dedicating yourself to the country you came from, and honoring the country you immigrated to.

Gene & Shannon regularly visit US military troops, giving them recognition and support with free concerts and one-on-one conversation. This is well documented throughout the A&E reality show. The awareness through media coverage Gene & Shannon bring for this cause is invaluable. It's a great reminder for all Americans (and especially many American celebrities who tend to ignore the US and its needs) that we need to first honor and give back to the country (or countries) that gives us our lives... and then help the others.

This is a repost of an article printed on The Clicker on Today website,July 4, 2011.


Exclusive clip: Gene Simmons thanks U.S. troops
By Anna Chan

Gene Simmons is in the mood to share again.

The Kiss bassist recently revealed the troubled state of his relationship on "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," and visited half-siblings in Israel he never knew he had.

But this time, it's not his family that he wants to share with fans and viewers, but his love for the U.S. of A. On Tuesday's episode of the reality show, titled "The Demon Salutes," the rocker and longtime love Shannon Tweed chat with his therapist about his feelings for the United States.

Tweed told Dr. Ann Wexler, "He feels emotion for his country because his country saved his mother."

"From the concentration camps of Germany," Simmons explained. "I owe America everything."

The Kiss rocker talks about why he loves the U.S. and visits troops stationed at Fort Hood in Texas on the upcoming episode of "Family Jewels."

To honor the country, the pair traveled to Dallas to attend the Aces & Angels "Salute to the Troops" charity event to thank the troops for all that they do.

"No matter what sacrifices we make, no matter how hard we work, it's dwarfed by the amount of sacrifice and dedication and loyalty that our troops have," Simmons said.

Simmons and Tweed also paid a visit to the troops stationed at Fort Hood, where they got some training and gave those deploying a send-off.

Watch it all happen when "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" airs on July 5 at 10:30 p.m. on A&E.


(0) Sat 12 Nov 2011, 10:26am

Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen

I'm all about giving back to your own country. It seems like many Americans, including a lot of celebrities, take for granted the high-level of living available to many in the USA. They donate massive amounts of money to other countries and make a big deal about it.

 While some DO give back to the USA as well as foreign countries, they don't publicize it very well because it doesn't bring as much attention. In general, they seem to minimize the need to give back to the country that made them great in the first place.

I think it's very important to help other countries. But let's help our own first. Then there will be more people ABLE to give to other countries.

When I hear of celebrities recognizing & acting on the need to help the poor in our very own United States of America, I like to help spread the word.

This is a reprint of a story posted on the Huffington Post website 2011.


Bon Jovi Opens Charitable Pay-What-You-Can Restaurant In NJ

RED BANK, N.J. -- In three decades as one of the world's biggest rock stars, Jon Bon Jovi has eaten in some of the world's best restaurants, savoring the best food the planet has to offer.

Yet there's no place he'd rather have dinner than The Soul Kitchen, a "pay-what-you-can" restaurant he and his wife Dorothea established in a former auto body shop near the Red Bank train station in central New Jersey.

The restaurant provides gourmet-quality meals to the hungry while enabling them to volunteer on community projects in return without the stigma of visiting a soup kitchen. Paying customers are encouraged to leave whatever they want in the envelopes on each table, where the menus never list a price.

The restaurant is the latest undertaking by the New Jersey rocker's Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which has built 260 homes for low-income residents in recent years.

"With the economic downturn, one of the things I noticed was that disposable income was one of the first things that went," Bon Jovi told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday before the restaurant's grand opening ceremony. "Dining out, the family going out to a restaurant, mom not having to cook, dad not having to clean up - a lot of memories were made around restaurant tables.

"When I learned that one in six people in this country goes to bed hungry, I thought this was the next phase of the Foundation's work," he said.

It started several years ago when Dorothea Bongiovi (she uses the legal spelling of her husband's name) and Jon started helping out at a food pantry at nearby St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church. They later moved their focus to the Lunch Break program, which feeds 80 to 120 people a day, dubbing it "The Soul Kitchen."

They brought that name with them to a former auto body shop down the street from the Count Basie Theater, where Jon and his self-titled band have played many fundraising shows for local charities.

It took a year and $250,000, but the restaurant now rivals any of its competitors in trendy Red Bank, with entrees like cornmeal crusted catfish with red beans and rice, grilled chicken breast with homemade basil mayo and rice pilaf, and grilled salmon with soul seasonings, sweet potato mash and sauteed greens, many of which were grown in the herb and vegetable garden right outside the restaurant's doors.

Bon Jovi, who has a home in next-door Middletown, is adamant about one thing.

"This is not a soup kitchen," he emphasizes. "You can come here with the dignity of linens and silver, and you're served a healthy, nutritious meal. This is not burgers and fries.

"There's no prices on our menu, so if you want to come and you want to make a difference, leave a $20 in the envelope on the table. If you can't afford to eat, you can bus tables, you can wait tables, you can work in the kitchen as a dishwasher or sous chef," he said. "If you say to me, `I'm not a people person,' I say, `That's not a problem. We'll take you back to Lunch Break to volunteer with those people. If you don't want to volunteer with that, we'll take you to the FoodBank."

After volunteering at one of those places, a person will be given a certificate good for a meal at The Soul Kitchen.

"If you come in and say, `I'm hungry,' we'll feed you," Bon Jovi said. "But we're going to need you to do something. It's very important to what we're trying to achieve."

That includes making people feel part of a larger community that cares about them, while still expecting them to contribute to society at large.

"This is not an entitlement thing," Bon Jovi said. "This is about empowering people because you have to earn that gift certificate."

He and others at the restaurant want those who can afford to dine out to patronize the restaurant as well and pay what they consider market prices, or even a bit more than that, to help sustain The Soul Kitchen as a true community resource.

Bon Jovi said he is currently writing songs for his band's next album, due out in 2013, along with another typically massive Bon Jovi tour. He said many of the songs are inspired by the current economic downturn and the struggles of everyday people to make ends meet without losing hope.

In the meantime, he and his wife plan to stay active in the restaurant, where he estimates he has worked at least once a week in recent months. The Soul Kitchen is open for dinner Thursday through Saturday, and offers Sunday brunch.

How important is rolling up his sleeves and working in the restaurant to him?

"Last Friday, I was at the White House, serving on the Council for Community Solutions, got on a train, changed in the bathroom and got here in time to wash dishes Friday night," he said. "I'm the dishwasher, for real. I can't cook a lick."

(0) Sat 12 Nov 2011, 9:57am

Converting a Text Doc to eBook

With eBook readers so popular, many writers are converting their texts to eBook formats in order to sell them on the internet, or simply for personal use.

Even if you're computer savvy, it can be a challenge to find a conversion method that's simple yet preserves the integrity of the original format when it goes to eBook.

I recently converted my Cowgirl Image horse-training articles to .mobi eBook format.

Between learning how to convert texts for my computer job and for my own use, I found a method that works consistently, easily, and quickly.


Convert Original Text to HTML

Using recommended conversion techniques such as Word / Open Office to Calibre / MobiPocket Creator did not give me proper formatting or consistent results.

I found that the key to good eBook conversion seems to be to make a good HTML version of your text. The easiest way I've found to do this is to use Google Docs.

OpenOffice and Microsoft Word (while great processing programs) do not seem export the same clean HTML versions Google Docs does.

  1. You can access Google Docs through your existing Google Account if you have one; or if you don't it only takes a few minutes to create. You will need an account in order to upload your original text.

  2. Upload your original text to Google Docs and when prompted, tell Google Docs to convert it to a Google Document.

    Once it's open in Google Docs, scan the document and make any adjustments needed.

  3. If text is 1.5 or double-spaced, set it at 1.0 Single Line Spacing. Highlight the text and click Format-->Line Spacing. You can fix any extra spaces between paragraphs here. If needed, use Remove Space After Paragraph.

  4. To make each chapter start on its own page, give each chapter title an H1 or H2 heading. This command is located in Paragraph-->Format-->Heading 1. Highlight the chapter text and click Heading 1.
    You can manually adjust font/size after you select the heading.

  5. If you want a Table of Contents inserted during conversion, simply make sure all chapters are in H1 or H2 format.
    (Instructions for this are in Step 3).

    Then Insert-->Table of Contents.
    You can highlight & change the text size to make it small text.

    Use multiple Shift-->Enter to put space between the Table of Contents and book text. I recommend putting the ToC at the end of your text, as Calibre will insert its own at the beginning of your book.

  6. To make additional spaces anywhere in the text, you can use Shift-->Enter. Multiple Enters will not work.

    If you need to get rid of a few extra spaces between paragraphs that showed up in a completed .mobi version, you may have some paragraph formatting issues. Find the matching text in the Google Doc, then highlight the problem paragraph and the paragraphs above & below. Go to Format-->Clear formatting. Go back to the text and hit Backspace, then Shift-->Enter to remake the paragraph breaks. Then add back any indentation if applicable, if it doesn’t happen automatically.

  7. Once you are done formatting/editing your document, you need to export your document as HTML.
    File-->Download As-->HTML
    (You can also save a second copy to your computer in another format such as rich text or Word for future use.)

  8. The file will then be saved to your computer as an HTML file. If it's zipped, you need to extract the file once it's saved. You can then open the unzipped HTML file to make sure it looks ok.


Convert HTML to .mobi (for Kindle) in Calibre   

Calibre is a great open-source book conversion software you can install on your computer.

  1. Add your HTML file to Calibre using the Add Books button, or simply drag and drop into the Calibre interface.

  2. Click Edit Metadata to add/edit the Author, Title, and other information. You can also generate a Calibre book cover here if you don't have one, or attach your own.

    I've read that Amazon prefers a 600 x 800px cover, Barnes & Noble 600 x 730px.

  3. When you're finished, go to Convert Books. Select the Output Format. I use .mobi, and the instructions below pertain to this format. However, it's easy to select another output format. (The Input format should reference your HTML file and say ZIP or HTML.)

  4. Double check the Metadata info to make sure it's okay. If you have your own book cover, you can also add it here.

  5. Next go to the Look & Feel tab. Depending on the formatting of your text, you may or may not need to make an adjustment here, such as Insert Blank Line Between Paragraphs and Line Size (the space between each paragraph).

    I personally like to set Line Size at 1.2 em for very separated paragraphs.  For text that doesn't use separated paragraphs (such as books), do not check Insert Blank Line Between Paragraphs... and set Line Size at about 0.5em.

  6. In Page Setup I set the Output profile to Kindle, and Input profile to Default Input Profile.

  7. For chapter spacing, the Structure Detention tab should say Chaptermark At PageBreak.

    (The default Detect Chapters At code tells you that Calibre is referencing your H1 or H2 tags. You can change this setting if you wish.)

  8. If you are using a Table of Contents, go to the MOBI Output tab.
    Uncheck Do Not Add Table of Contents.
    Do check Put Generated Table of Contents at Beginning of Book.

    Probably the .mobi book will end up showing two Tables of Contents: the one you created in Google Docs and the Calibre one. I don’t know how to fix this, so I just make the Google Docs Table of Contents in very small font, and put it at the end of the book.

  9. You can permanently set the above options in the Preferences tab.

  10. Adjust anything on the other tabs as needed, then give the ok to convert your book.

  11. Once your eBook is finished, find your new book in the the list of Formats. Select your book and click View to preview your book.

    To preview your eBook in an Amazon Kindle format (highly recommended), install the Kindle Previewer.

Convert .mobi to .epub (for Nook)

  1. Find your new .mobi file in Calibre (or use Add Books to add it). 
  2. Click Convert Book Individually.
    (I use individual conversion to make sure the Input tab is set correctly each time.)
  3. Change the Input format to MOBI, and the Output format to EPUB.
  4. Choose a cover (if desired or applicable). It may resize the cover to Calibre-chosen dimensions no matter which cover you chose. So far I've been unable to figure out how to keep Calibre from resizing an ePub cover (this doesn't seem to be a problem with mobi, so it may be connected to the Output File setting).
  5. Go to Page Setup and change settings to Output File: Nook, and Input File: Mobipocket Books.
  6. Go to the EPUB Output tab and adjust any settings if needed. Click Preserve Cover Aspect Ratio.
  7. Click Okay.
  8. You now have an ePub file suitable for publishing.
  9. Preview your file in the Nook for PC app, or any ePub reader such as EPUB Reader for FireFox. 
  10. A couple errors I have found is that in the .epub version, the Table of Contents anchors are sometimes off by one chapter - even though they are correct in the .mobi version. Also, the ePub books don't seem to show the Title/Author information in the header bar. Unfortunately, I don't know how to fix this.

Convert PDF to eBook

Once in a while Google Docs will not accept your file. Perhaps you have a photo or strange formatting in the original text that Google Docs just cannot handle. The workaround method I've found is to convert your text to a PDF file (instead of HTML), then use Calibre to convert it to eBook.

  • If you don't already have a PDF converter installed on your computer, Bullzip PDF Printer is a terrific open-source program that you use from the Print dialogue of your computer.

    Or convert your file online using Adobe CreatePDF. You may have to pay for this service.

    If you are using OpenOffice, it comes installed with a PDF Exporter, so simply open your original file and go to File-->Export as PDF.

  • Once you've created your PDF file and previewed it to make sure it looks good, add it to Calibre and follow the same steps for conversion to eBook.

Why not just use PDF files all the time instead of HTML docs? You can try it, it may work fine for you.

However, Calibre states in its help files that there can be numerous formatting problems when converting from PDF. For instance, I have not been able to figure out how to make a Table of Contents work using a PDF File.

Therefore, I recommend using the PDF method as a second choice.

(0) Sun 23 Oct 2011, 2:32am

Cowgirl Mania Images Creative Commons Licensed

My images on my Cowgirl Mania site are more outdated than the photos on cowgirlmodel.com and kimberlykeown.com.

For this reason, I am allowing the images on Cowgirl Mania to be used by the public as outlined in a Creative Commons Attribution License. Proper attribution or a link to one of my websites (cowgirlmania.cowgirlmodel.com, cowgirlmodel.com, kimberlykeown.com, cowgirlimage.net) MUST be posted in order to use these photos.

To view the license see the Cowgirl Mania Copyright page.

Images on my other websites may not be used without permission, so please check the copyright page on each site for licensing information.





(0) Sun 2 Oct 2011, 21:37pm

New Article: Christ & Astrology

Also posted on my kimberlykeown.com website.

CHRIST & ASTROLOGY

Many people in Christian religions today are afraid to study esoteric arts. As a born & raised Christian who also believes in the spirituality of esoterism, this article seeks to reconcile these two seemingly conflicting mantras.

Be forewarned: this is heavy reading and not for the frivolous of heart.

***********

I am a Christian and was raised in the Catholic church, but I've always been much more spiritual than religious. Although I wholeheartedly embraced my church's teachings about God and faith, I was searching for explanations and answers for my life that the trappings of Catholicism did not address and could not answer. Eventually, my inner desire to pursue spirituality over religion caused me to drift away from the Catholic church.

The paradox was that I had great faith in God and the teachings my religion instilled in me - but I did not embrace the rituals of my religion and had no desire to follow them. And that led me TO astrology. In the end, my decision to embrace astrology resulted in a firm departure from the religion I was raised with... and an even firmer embracing of the spiritual teachings it gave me.

***********

Many people raised in Christian religion today are afraid to learn about esoteric arts such as astrology. This is because the Bible tells people to not place their faith in astrologers, sorcerers, or other such arts; but instead to place their faith in God alone.

If God is truly the creator of all things, then God created the universe, and God created the planets. He put them in order, and he gave them meanings and reasons for existence; just as he created humans and gave them meanings and reasons for existence. God created astronomy (the observation of the planets), and God created astrology (the interpretation of the planets).

Planets move in a logical, orderly, predictable rhythm and they act as a giant cosmic clock. Astrology is the interpretation of these planet meanings and rhythms. Astrology is about cycles, rhythms, time, and orderliness; not only in the planets and the cosmos, but in our earthly lives.

I believe that at the time of those Biblical writings, esoteric arts were widely accepted and used... and more widely misused. People had forgotten that the planets are a mirror of our earthly existence, not a dictation of it. 'As above, so below'. Everyone's heard that. But the part left off is: 'And as it is below, so it is above'. Planetary energies influence us, but we also influence them in equal measure.

I believe many of the people in Biblical times placed their faith completely in predestination: that the planets controlled life below. And for those who were thieves, murderers, and sinners, this was a convenient way to abdicate responsibility for their actions. After all, it was the 'planets' (or 'gods') causing them to react and 'making them' do bad things... not their own guilty intent. If those people could pretend they had no control over their actions, they could pretend they were not responsible for them - and would not have to bear the karma, or consequences, that would arise. They sought to deny the immutable law of karma: that in harming others, you harm yourself. 'Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.'

Those same people who blindly accepted predestination would have necessarily given up their power over their own lives. With power comes responsibility, and with responsibility comes power. If you abdicate responsibility for your actions, you forfeit the power to control your actions, and therefore your life. Thus, the dogma of predestination meant that the 'planets (or 'gods') had absolute power in determining the events that would happen to those people.

This also is the immutable law of karma. By refusing to live up to your responsibilities to others, you refuse responsibility for your own life. You then forfeit the power to be responsible for your life, which means you forfeit your ability to control it. Have you ever heard the phrase, 'If you don't make your own decision, someone will make it for you and you might not like it'? This is the essence of predestination. If you don't make a decision, a decision will be made for you. Whether you like that decision or not is determined by chance.

***********

The Bible itself is a book of prophets, and prophets are simply masters of esoteric arts. The Bible makes countless references to dreams, predictions, visions, and other psychic states. As a manifestation of God, Jesus Christ himself was a seer and knew all things... including his own fate and the fates of men. Jesus lived by predestination - his express purpose in life was to die on the cross for men's sins.

However, Jesus' entire message throughout his life, modeled by the life he lived, made it clear that men are not slaves to predestination, that they have a choice about how to live: to choose good or choose evil. To choose life or choose death. In fact, Jesus came to earth to force men to MAKE a choice and predetermine their own fates. God wants companions; not subjugates. He said 'if you are not for me, you are against me'. There is no ambivalence, no fence-sitting, no hiding your choice or letting others choose for you. Every man must choose for himself the life he will live, and stand behind it proudly and firmly.

Although his life was predetermined, Jesus too made his choice. As God, he could have chosen to save himself pain and not die on the cross. He could have chosen a less painful and drawn-out death. He could have chosen to not sacrifice himself for his creations. But he did choose to do it. Nothing would dissuade him. He was determined to do it. And because he refused to make any other choice, he predetermined his own fate. He predestined his life and death.

Likewise, those who crucified Jesus could have chosen to not do it. Some of their number probably did choose to not be part of it. But many of them were determined to do it, and so they did. We are all determined to make our own choices in life, and therefore we predetermine our own fates.

***********

Astrology is not a dead art based on predetermination and planet cycles. It is a living art that plots our challenges, joys, and issues in real time. As such, it can be the 'road map' that gives us direction in our lives and helps us grow in the right direction.

For those who seek deep spirituality; who want to study the actual creations of God and how they are ordered; who do not want lifeless, predestined predictions; astrology and the esoteric arts have a lot to teach. Planetary alignments and meanings can explain a person's personality and show how each person differs from one another in temperament and in life circumstances. They can show where the person has challenges and where things come more easily. They can explain various circumstances going on in a person's life at that time and give clues for how to survive and grow from those challenges; or how to accept or release them in order to move forward.

Astrology is a limitless art. There is no end to how deep it can go or how meaningful its interpretations can be. Like mathematics and code, it's a complex, precise methodology that encompasses every aspect of existence, and of life itself. It's the very essence of God the Creator. The actual scope of astrology is limited only by its interpreter; and the interpreter's level of spirituality determines how completely and how well he can translate it.

People need to draw from their own personal spirituality and create a unique, relevant, evolving relationship with their own God. In the Bible, God states over and over that he is a Living God. This means he wants a growing, personal, active connection with each person. Not predestined, dead rituals based on rote, lifeless planetary movements and external sources. This is why the Bible teaches people to look to God for guidance; not the astrologers who teach predestination and abdication of personal power.

***********

God created good, and God created evil. God created predestination, and he created choice. As God, Jesus chose to die on the cross and bear the karma, or responsibility, of creating sin. In doing so, he relinquished his power over mankind and gave men the power to determine their own fates and bear the responsibility of their own lives. Remember the two thieves who died with Jesus. One chose eternal light, and the other eternal darkness. Each one of us must choose to either take the road to a higher calling and a more positive life, or the road to a lower calling and a negative life. What we are determined to do is our destiny.

Mobile versions of this article: .mobi (Kindle) .epub (Nook).

Image used with permission from Microsoft.

(0) Sun 28 Aug 2011, 17:45pm

How I Got Here

Many people lately have asked me how I went from horse-training to modeling. Although the reasons have always been clear to me, I realized I need to write about my motivation so others can understand also. I've posted the following in my Cowgirl Model website About Kim section. It's written in 3rd person, to fit in with the verbiage on the rest of the site.

Horse-Trainer to Model

Training horses was too dangerous & hard for Kim to think of doing it forever. And since her clients were mostly backyard horse owners who didn't have thousands of dollars to spend on training, the income potential was limited. Kim used to have nightmarish visions of training hoses at 50 years old, getting a broken leg, and being SOL in business and money.

So she slowly shifted her interest to modeling. In the process of doing this Kim became very interested in digital media, found her inner web geek, and developed considerable web tech skills. And she discovered something surprising... online horse training. Instead of divorcing herself from being a trainer, Kim found a way to incorporate training horses into her modeling / internet ventures by writing horse-training articles. She's currently in the slow process of writing & narrating articles and building a library to sell in her online store alongside her modeling posters.

The reason for Kim's interest in modeling to begin with? Two reasons.

Reason one, Kim was tired of the proliferation of what she calls 'wanna-be cowboys'. These are people who conspicuously dress up as 'cowboys' or 'cowgirls' for show, soley to gain attention. By wearing the clothes, they convince themselves they are the real thing.

In reality they are not good animal-handlers or good horsemen; do not have a strong work ethic; have not shouldered great responsibility; have not developed unusual talent, intelligence, or nerve; have not done courageous deeds; have not displayed fortitude, independence, adaptability, or ingenuity; have not faced hardship or sacrifice... and simply have little or no qualifications for portraying themselves as real cowboys. (See the Close-Up page of Kim's Cowgirl Image website.)

They are like ordinary people dressing up in a superman costume and calling themselves superheros. But clothes alone do not make the man. It's experience and what's inside that counts. It's not about what you're born with. It's about the principles you stand for, and what you develop into as you grow throughout your life.

Kim's mission is simply to provide images of a real cowgirl and do what The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly did for westerns... present reality - good, bad, and ugly. Her horse-training articles are a terrific complement to this goal, as they provide techniques that are truly effective and emphasize safety for both horse and handler.

The second reason Kim gravitated toward modeling was that she disliked the lack of morality and positive values in society (particularly in the modeling industry). She quickly got tired of being bombarded with images of bikini-clad women with fake tans and plastic surgery every time she turned on the tv or saw an internet ad on her social network pages.

In addition to finding the sheer volume of this type of media offensive, she noticed the absence of values it engendered. These 'models' were truly leaving the 'role' off their profession and being the worst of examples. While their appeal was (and is) valid and appropriate for certain niches and types of media, it was not appropriate for daytime viewing or a family setting. This type of media sent out negative messages that made others (including Kim) feel less than or unimportant because they had a less glorified job or didn't look a certain way. And the worst part was the message that women should mutilate their bodies in the name of beauty, instead of accepting themselves and using healthy methods to improve their physiques.

Kim decided that if she was offended by this unhealthy, unrealistic portrayal of women in our society, others probably were as well.

Kim is a purist and a realist. She doesn't believe in plastic surgery or artificial means of altering one's self. She feels that every job requires a certain amount of moral responsibility and that our society needs real role models to look up to; not people who are in-it-to-win-it simply for money and ego.

Our culture today glorifes and gives riches, fame, and fortune to people who sing, dance, or act. These are things hard to do and it takes a tough, talented person to perform in public. Many deserve their wealth and are solid personalities. Many tell inspiring stories about their lives and truly are caring, positive role models we can look up to. Many use their celebritydom to give back to society, and use their wealth to give others a hand-up.

But many people honored today have no character, morals, personality, or accomplishments actually deserving of the glory and reward given them. Many are drug addicts. Many go to prison for DUI, then fight their sentences - completely ignoring the fact they could have killed someone while driving repeatedly under the influence (duh!... that's why it's illegal to drink and drive). Many have out-of-control tempers, unhealthy relationships, and commit domestic violence. And these often are people our society upholds as winners and shining examples of success.

Kim feels we should honor people who have actually done something positive, selfless, or real: firefighters, war heroes, policeman, those who fight abuse and cruelty for humans & animals, those who fight for freedom and quality of life.

Kim feels she has a moral responsibility to provide a positive message in whatever field she is in; and that makes her a good role model... someone people can respect and look up to. As a horse-trainer who actually invented her own methodology of training, she has proved her worth in a dangerous and difficult industry that in reality few succeed. (See her article Co de of the West and Morailty in Horse-Training.)

Kim takes her moral responsibilities seriously and feels she has done something to deserve that respect. She doesn't feel she loses anything by spreading a positive message on her climb up the ladder of life.

(0) Mon 1 Aug 2011, 18:09pm

Dust Pic / Tsunami Hoax

I got this through an email and after a little research found out that it's a hoax.
It's quite a picture though, and shows the power of mother nature.
If dust can amass like this, imagine what water can do.


Caption: This picture was taken on the banks of Sumatra Island (the height of waves was of approx. 32 m = 105 ft). It was found saved in a digital camera, after the disaster. We cannot know for sure, but very likely the one who took the picture is not alive any more (it was just a matter of seconds).

According to http://www.hoax-slayer.com/tsunami-wave-sumatra.shtml
The photograph does not depict a tsunami wave nor was it taken in Sumatra. In fact, the "wave" shown in the photograph is a large dust storm that hit the town of Griffith, NSW Australia in 2002.

The photograph is featured as part of a Sydney Morning Herald news article that was re-posted on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website in November 2002. The photograph includes the following caption:

The residents of Griffith rushed to seal their houses at dusk yesterday as a fierce dust storm raced into the town with warning, propelled by winds of up to 90 kilkometres (sic) an hour. The dust cloud moved across the state and into Sydney today. Photo: Denis Couch

(0) Fri 10 Jun 2011, 14:06pm