Cynique

I don't really do "astrology" but what you call "magical talk" is has been given validity in the sphere of Meta-physics, which has always captivated me with its concept of energizing thoughts into things by tapping into the universe which is the source of all energy. Involved in this is the projecting of visualized images into the universe and then making these images materialize by channeling them back into your life. This is known as the "as above, so below" principle and is what "bright ideas" and "inspirations" spring from. As is the power of positive thinking, which even the medical profession advocates. And, of course, for every action there is a reaction, so negative energy exists and this is the stuff of black "magic" . Quantum physics also figures into "magic" because what it observes defies explanation when it demonstrates how an object can be 2 places at the same time, and it even casts doubt on believing what you see because, in its realm, what you look at, changes as soon as you look away from it. Fascinating stuff! I did, indeed, go stand on my front porch last night at midnight and silently visualized the faces of Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Kellyanne Conway, and Steve Bannon disintegrating before being blown away like confetti This took less than a minute. Once done, I went back inside and got on with my evening. I have always sought to become one with the universe and never miss an opportunity to go out and observe any extraordinary celestial phenomenon, and I regularly commune with the moon. ( Something I usually announce on this site whenever anything unusual is on schedule to happen in the sky.)

I am absolutely fascinated with the spell ritual! I am, however, leery as to whether it is black magic or white magic, and if Trump's followers (that witch Anne Coulter, in particular) will check out the instructions and conjure up a counter spell that will negatively affect those focusing on Trump. So, at midnight, I will limit my participation to simply visualizing disintegrating images of Trump, Pence, KellyAnne Conway and Steve Bannon.

@Mel Hopkins Thanks for all the pertinent interesting information! To me Beyonce is, among many things, a phenomenon whose time has come. She filled a vacancy crying to be filled, and is, indeed, Destiny's child whose fate is entwined with providing a happy alternative to the sorrowful Virgin Mary, mother of a crucified son whose promises of salvation have been relegated to the hereafter. As a charismatic distraction from this gloom, Beyonce is about the living not the dead, a beautiful esoteric symbol who embodies the joy of womanhood and is deemed worthy of the adulation because she dares to encourage it. In the black section atop Mount Olympus where Queen Oprah has been joined by Michelle Obama, Beyonce completes this triumvirate, there for the black masses to take pride in and - for those more pragmatic and less star struck to note how it pays to be at the right place at the right time and - to be ready.

@Mel Hopkins As usual i was being the contrarian in questioning the advisability of not caring about being accepted. You speak with more sincerity than I do on this subject. To me, trying to make your mark out there in the real world is akin to playing a game in which initially conforming to expectations is a ploy to get past the first hurdle. The upper hand is gained by your manipulating whoever was misled enough by your facade to give you an opportunity. The second step in the course of doing your job efficiently, is to take back yourself, and become aloof if being well-liked in the work place requires you to put on an act. I don't think I need to tell you to never underestimate the effectiveness of passive aggressiveness. In another post, we talked about there being genes for different inclinations. I, myself, never had the "ambitious" gene but I do think I have a "lazy" one. So, over the years, I did not pursue positions of authority because, as Pioneer said on another post, I didn't want the responsibility or the challenge; didn't want to take my job home with me. For some reason, however, I would often have the ear of those in authority, who would unofficially seek my input about problems that would arise. I would offer advice and when it proved beneficial, I'd gain a smug satisfaction from being the "power behind the throne". (In one case, I prevented a co-worker from being fired by pointing out certain things about him to our supervisor.) Meanwhile, I'd collect my pay check and all of my fulfillment would occur away from my regular job, doing what I enjoyed and this included writing for the love of writing. @Delano, Like you, I am comfortable in any company, even if it's hostile because i like to argue. That's why I try to stay up on things, something which enables me to converse with Millennials as easy as "intellectuals", with "bougie" sistas as well as baby mamas. I hold no degrees, my employment resume is unimpressive, but I am a people-watcher and pretty well-schooled in the book of life. @Troy I must confess, however, that the black dilemma has me stumped. Obviously it calls for a many- pronged attack on the racist, capitalistic system. But "black unity" is just an empty phrase, and talk is cheap. "Lifting others as you climb", is too often neutralized by the "I got mine, now you get yours" attitude. I'm looking down the tunnel but I don't see a light.

I've always maintained that the descendants of slaves created their own unique culture that evolved from the "make-do" existence of their forebears, - a subculture replete with its own music and dance, its own cuisine, even its own language. This is why I've never been into Afro-centrism , adopting African names and dressing in African garb and emulating African customs in a pathetic attempt to establish a pseudo identity, when our authentic selves lie right here in this country. And a lot of "blackisms" have been incorporated into mainstream America. Opportunities certainly exist to capitalize off of this situation. Because the greater society does not adjust to us, out of expediency, many blacks do adopt a double consciousness and are "bi-lingual", presenting a facade that will not provide a reason for rejection in their field of endeavor. Fortunately for many blacks, being themselves is not a big deal anymore because who they are is not that different from the "norm". People of all ethnicities put their best foot forward, at least until they get established. Feeling no need to be accepted is a luxury only some can afford. LOL

IMO, spirituality is really just an abstract version of religion; a personal belief minus the fables. Religion is introduced to people early in their life and while many feel obliged to accept the dogma of their particular denomination, others begin to question their religion because it doesn't give them peace of mind. There is a theory that there is a religious "gene" and not everybody is born with it. But everybody does want something to believe in and while some look outward for this, others look inward. IMO, Religion is for those who'd rather depend on other sources for guidance, while spirituality is recognizing the answers that are right before our eyes if we just listen to our inner voices. ACIM, a new age cult, thinks the "devil" is just a religious version of the "ego". They say the ego harbors the materialism that has an insatiable desire to be fed, it fuels the desire for praise and attention, and keeps altruism in check. The ego is present at birth so life is, indeed, a constant struggle to find a happy medium. The black community is too caught up in religion, a security blanket that got them through slavery. Its way of coping with its ongoing problems is to pray and put things in god's hands. But, as our friend harry brown constantly reminds us, the church and their preachers are part of the problem instead of the solution. Black people still have "soul" but this younger generation has lost its spiritual compass. Replicating themselves with babies, using FaceBook as their stage, a preoccupation with the bling, and a super-sensitivity to being dissed are the consequences of egos gone amok. Unfortunately, neither the ghetto environment of the underclass nor the superficial atmosphere of the black middleclass do much to nurture spirituality. This doesn't bode well for the future. I think spiritual people are the most likely to evolve into altruists and - vice versa.

Good news! Glad this twerp has been reined in and exposed as the degenerate sociopath that he is!

I don't agree. Especially since you're offered nothing new in your effort to convince me that you are right. The difference between you and me is that I don't have a problem with either an individual or a mass demonstration, but your pants are in a bunch because these athletes don't put on a happy face and shuffle into the white house to pay to homage to Massa Trump so as not to rock the boat. I think people are entitled to register their protest anyway they choose, and I admire these brothers for not being starstruck by a "pretender to the throne". (Tom Brady set the example when he snubbed Obama, so who can chide his teammates for making a similar statement?) And it's not like they won't gain a measure of fame by not showing up for this farce.

These "demonstrations" are self explanatory, as is their aim of "making a statement". That is their intent and the publicity derived from demonstrations making a statement have an impact because they generate publicity, and agitate their foes. These tactics are examples of individual acts of passive resistance and are part of the weaponry in the arsenal of dissent. Yes, black professional athletes and entertainers often stoop to conquer in the hope that the end will justify the means when it comes to enriching their bank accounts. Uncle Tomism is frequently synonymous with expediency. And, it is common knowledge that Donald Trump is thin-skinned. He, himself, says he doesn't like people who aren't nice to him - because he obviously craves approval. Finding ways to bug him is what being a "creative nuisance" is all about. Obviously our opinions on this subject differ; so be it.

@Pioneer1 So, in other words, if asked, you would beat a path to the white house, and suck up to Trump in hopes that you wouldn't alienate white folks which is a bigger sin than alienating fellow blacks by "Uncle Toming" Trump so he will be pleased enough to maybe throw blacks a few crumbs. This is a familiar scenario that hasn't particularly worked in the past - or the present so far. Again, it's about powerless people winning moral victories by humiliating a man who hates to be humiliated, And the only white folks who are offended by this are those who still want Trump to be "given a chance". Not to mention black folks like you who apparently adhere to the ol slavery adage about "catching more flies with sugar than vinegar". LOL

I wish I had something positive to contribute to this discussion. I am, however, encouraged that all y'all's broad views of the grim future have not dulled your optimism, and that you are motivated by the challenges that show no signs of dissipating. To me, the current political situation is a sign that the tide has turned, - as it inevitably does. The Pandora's box of Trumpism has been opened and emptied and the old rules don't apply. If this can be described as a teachable moment one lesson would be that truth has become a very elusive entity that language imprisons by holding "reality" captive. So those in control can manipulate words to describe a scenario of their choice, and since the word "reality", itself, is trapped in the confines of 7 written symbols, or 4 spoken syllables, who can effectively invoke "reality" as a defense against alternate "facts"? What is reality?? Is it actually a state of flux where we create our own truths? This is the growing trend black folks must try and navigate, figuring out a way to make white folks believe lies we make up. BTW, I don't agree with the pundits who claim that Trump's base has eroded. I even think he is gaining converts from the ranks of wimps who, since their vote couldn't whip him, are simply joining him. Meanwhile, his opponents react more than act. Progressives and Liberals are standing around diagnosing Trump's mental health and pointing out how untrue and illogical his rationales are, ferreting out obscure laws in an attempt to thwart the Republican majority, while making idle threats of impeachment and filibusters. I am very disappointed in how The Press seems to be so in awe of the office of the Presidency that they allow Trump to publicly mock the news media. The idea of simply calling him an outright liar seems unthinkable to reporters. So here I sit, watching how the lines are being drawn, hoping that those who recognize the signs of this country becoming a dictatorship will be able rally enough supporters to ward off the threat. I watched Bill Maher's interview with Milo whose diarrhea of the mouth was probably contracted from blowing diseased penises. He can be dismissed as a "guilty pleasure" because he attacks icons using sly humor and a savvy persona to say what others think, taking full advantage of the mean-spiritness that Trump has popularized. I would simply describe Milo's position with the publishing industry as a mutually beneficial "69".. Bill Maher is, first and foremost, a stand-up comedian. I appreciate how he not only takes obnoxious bigoted Conservatives to task but also calls out Liberals for being smug, do-gooders. He is not a particularly skilled debater but he fortifies his views by inviting articulate people of his persuasion to keep the Republican apologists in check. This alone makes his show worth watching. Elsewhere, this Pop Culture Vulture is motivated to put on her Milo hat because she is sick of BEYONCE who, thanks to the slavish devotion of her social media "Beehive", thinks that having a big belly full of twins has not only obligated her to parade around and show off her bloated abdomen, but has also elevated her to the realm of Earth Mother - a goddess to be held in awe and worshiped by all who look upon her! Her appearance at the Grammys, looking like a latter day Cleopatra with a stomach tumor, was a yawner. She needs to go somewhere and sit down and hope Jay-Z's genes aren't stronger than hers. I'm also sick of seeing a frolicking Obama's grinning face plastered all over the internet, as he has embarked on an extended vacation, immersing himself in a lifestyle where the troubles of the world will never again intrude upon his carefree existence. He may be better off as result of his presidency but I'm not so sure about the rest of the black people who put him in office.

In describing a person's personality, there are a lot of general things that apply to everyone. I once shared a copy of a reading I had that was based on my birth date, hour and year. I found the reading to be very applicable to me. The person I showed the reading to, however, said it also described her. I confess that the reading was one I sent off for and it wasn't free. I never thought of my friend and as being similar to me in any way. But - maybe our self perception is the same. How we see ourselves often doesn't comply with how others see us. Which impression is the true one????

I applaud the black Patriot players for not going to the white house to meet with Trump. Tom Brady is a big time Trump fan and he always took a pass on going to the white house when Obama was in. Brady is a jerk who was deceptive about his involvement in the inflated football scandal. He also is now selling his autograph, charging an exorbitant amount to sign super bowl memorabilia, charging even more for a personal comment. He has no class and I hope he and his air head wife self implode. The Trump factor has brought out the mean-spirited pettiness in his foes who are stooping to his level because they are powerless to do anything other than to take advantage of the thin-skins of Trump and his lackeys. As far as the office of the Presidency is concerned, it either makes the man, or the man makes it. This honorable office has thus far shown no signs of transforming Trump's into an admirable statesman but is, instead, being besmirched by the behavior of the corrupt bigoted narcissist holding it.

@Pioneer1 You visualize a Utopia, Pioneer. You forgot to mention one essential requirement: People's brains will need re-wiring to erase their natural suspicions of those different from themselves. I could see birds of a feather flocking together in little separate colonies, but I don't see all of these different species living together in harmony.. The direction America is headed for, thanks to Trump and the schism created by his election, does not bode well for a tolerant diverse society. The tide will have to turn and the present leadership overthrown to dispel what is turning into a Dystopia wracked with chaos. Again, I don't imagine I'll be around witness any of this civil upheaval @Delano I agree with your assessment. Black Americans are a lost tribe wandering in the wilderness, going around in circles. It's hard not to believe that they are not cursed.

So does all of this mean that females are becoming masculine, giving sway to their true selves while men are degenerating into wussies, really wanting to cry but not wanting to appear weak? And if the sexes start deferring to their true selves, will this void the dysfunction that is now plaguing society? And will this role reversal wherein people will start doing what they want to do, dispel violence and stabilize society? Guess anything is possible during the course of time. I don't imagine I'll be around to witness this evolutionary transformation. Thank god.

I agree. The only religion I am more intolerant of than Christianity, is Islam. Devout Muslims seem so furtive and clannish and, in all honesty, I couldn't care less about them being banned. As a group, they have never reached out to black people and I feel no obligation to support their battle to be adopted by a country that still treats its blacks like stepchildren.

@Pioneer1 I don't need a ghost writer. When you live as along as I have, your life is a book with many chapters. I simply verbalize my memories, utilizing what writing skills I, as a Leo and self-published author, have. Because I always look for the irony in life, that is the angle of my vignettes, and that tends to make simple events compelling. Everybody has stories to tell, but everybody doesn't choose to put them in writing. @Delano I do sorta feel that I have a dual animus, one of which is masculine. I'm not a very maternal person and I often find myself more empathetic with a male point of view when it comes to romance because - I think a woman is silly to think she should be the center of a man's universe, demanding his undivided attention, and that she should get over her goddess fantasies and simply be a woman the man of her choice would voluntarily cherish. I have also discerned that in the cyber world, I seem to be able to infuse my written words with "emotion" and people are often unduly affected by what I say because my subjective sentiments transcend my objective words.

Here's another point of view. In my ongoing quest for the truth, I agree with the idea that African American men are maladjusted due to being cast into the domain of Western civilization. They came to America as strangers in a strange land, constrained by the slavery that was incompatible with a compulsion to be free, and this subjected them to the stress that damaged their psyches. Since not a lot has changed down through the centuries and the pressure has never relented, the evolving victimization of black males has mutated the DNA of their brains, making them inherently dysfunctional inhabitants of a country that devalues them. As for black women, I think they're somewhat dysfunctional, too, particularly the fatherless ones who populate the amoral inner city subculture, looking for love in all the wrong places, indiscriminately breeding children they are ill-equipped to rear alone, raising daughters who will replicate their mothers' lifestyles and sons who will either kill or be killed on the means streets of the ghetto. Upwardly mobile black women fare better, In spite of struggling with the image of being angry ball-busters, vainly searching for the "Mr.Rights" who white women beat them out of, left to put on brave faces in an effort to enjoy the independence they'd gladly exchange for the reliability of a good strong mate, they still rise. I think all black people are basically neurotic. I look around and see the lily white crowds of indignant "humanitarians" responding to Trump's banning of Muslim immigrants, and when I compare this compassionate outpouring to the indifference or disgust currently shown the grievances of Native Americans and Blacks, 2 groups who were here before all the European immigrants, it becomes obvious that the mixed emotions and frustration that comes with being black in America makes being neurotic inevitable. I know there are exceptions to my examples, but all African Americans no matter how well off they are, are affected in some way by the burden of their skin color. Can all of their woes be attributed to a System that is stacked against them? Maybe, it could also be due to the randomness of Fate. Jews made it through the holocaust and never-ending anti-semitism, only to become among America's most affluent high achievers. Some folks have all the luck. Arguably...

I find all of the comments on this subject very thought-provoking. Astrology has never captivated me. I have had a chart cast and readings, and I didn't find them be especially accurate or prophetic. I was told by one reader that my aura inhibited her powers because she could sense that I was a skeptic. My skepticism may have had something to do with how she asked me more questions than I asked her. I figured that, with her psychic gift, she should've been able to divine the answers about me and shouldn't have needed to quiz me. I do harbor a certain amount of awe for Astronomy, however. The configurations of heavenly bodies are predictable and constant and they seem to represent order in a universe that is fraught with chaos. In this vein, I would like to share something interesting I've just experienced. Yesterday I was thinking about an old friend of mine who I haven't seen or heard from in over 25 years. The last time I saw her was when she was briefly in Chicago for a funeral. She caught up with me and we were able to spend a couple of hours together, and it was like we'd never lost touch. We parted with her extracting a promise that if I ever came to LA, I'd look her up and that was that, since I never made that trip. I always thought of her as the "golden girl". She was very pretty and very smart and - a very nice person, and she was able to beat out a few other girls for a really cool, smart, popular guy they all had eyes for. When she became pregnant, they got married and moved to California, where from all reports they were apparently living happily ever after. They had a long marriage (about 63 years) and in a recent picture their niece posted on FaceBook, they looked well preserved and happy. Of all my girlfriends, she was the one who had it all, a beautiful home, a good income, a high achieving daughter. The golden girl who enjoyed a fulfilling life. Then today, this same niece, who is a friend of mine on FaceBook, in-boxed me a message telling me that my friend had lost her husband My first thought was that the golden girl's sheen was probably a little dulled. But the story doesn't end here. There was my other old faraway friend, who I talked with on the phone from time to time, and we would always reminisce about the salad days of our youth. it was during one of our last conversations that she mentioned what I had always known but didn't think it was something she still dwelt on. She had been one of the girls that my other friend beat out for this guy they both liked. The health of this friend was very frail and she would become depressed, looking back over her life, thinking about all the trials and tribulations she had gone through. Indeed, she was not somebody I'd label a "golden girl" despite that fact that she was also pretty, and smart and nice. Anyway, the subject of what evolved into an intriguing love triangle involving my 2 friends and the guy one had married, often came up and we would laugh about it. But, then, during one conversation, she opened up about her feelings, saying that this guy had been the love of her life and that she'd never really gotten over her broken heart and that over the years when their paths crossed she thought she saw a glint in his eyes that signaled to her what might have been. One of the last things I said to this friend when she'd declared she was tired and ready to go, was to "cheer up", adding that maybe in another place and another time, she would be reunited with this love of her life. She chuckled and said "who knows?" This friend, who I'll call Jackie, died in December a week after her 83rd birthday. The second thing I thought about upon hearing about the death of the first friend's husband today, was: "now it's your turn, Jackie". Coincidence? Maybe. The only mystery deeper than Life, is Death. Two words that have no meaning.

I hope it's a revolution that can successfully overturn the present administration. The real enemy is the Right Wing Christian Evangelicals who want to turn this country into a fascistic theocracy, with VP Pence being the power behind the throne. I just read an article by a woman who removed herself from this underground net work that is allied with the Alt Right and Tea Party cults, and the things she had to say about how she and thousands of other children are being brainwashed by their religious fanatic parents through homeschooling, were chilling. She said they are being trained as missionaries to go out into the general population and convert people to a strict oppressive Christian way of life that is against EVERYTHING that does not comply with their narrow views which encompass white supremacy, homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny, anti-abortion and anti-global warming.

Is magick the same as mysticism? Some of those who've studied Christianity have concluded that the miracles attributed to Jesus were the work of a Mystic and that's what he was, rather than what the bible declared him to be. The mind-over-matter meta-physical concept is something I consider a form of magick and if you can just get in synch with certain forces, this dynamic can work. I have been fascinated by this subject for years. And at one time experimented with "pyramid power", meditating inside of a collapsible one which could be purchased during the new age craze back in the 1960s. This was a relaxing, mind-expanding experience which could've been brought on by the magnetic rearrangement of molecules, the pyramid shape was supposed to bring about. With the exception of one blood pressure pill, I have currently discontinued all of the medications routinely prescribed to me because the annoying side effects and questionable benefits were "cures" worse than the ailment. I have, instead, replaced these pills with natural holistic remedies which I feel have worked for me as well as pharmaceuticals. I also practice auto-suggestion, planting in my subconscious mind before I go to sleep at night, instructions for my body to cure any existing diseases on its own. I have had some encouraging success with all of these alternatives. However, I probably would be more diligent and conventional where my health is concerned if I was younger. But now, I just call my own shots and go with the flow. I also have a theory that prayer is a form of magick. It's energizing a wish, and when it works, this has nothing to do with religion, but more to do with exercising the inner power that has been shared with us by the greatest magician of all: our Creator and the Master of the Universe...

People really have deified MLK, because his death turned him into a martyr and people consider infallible. Were he alive today, I don't think King could've reversed the erosion of the civil rights gains, or that he would've had a repeat victory in post-racial America. The reason there is a need to re-address racism is because it never went away; like many diseases, it just went into remission. Movements go through phases before their goal can become a pillar of society. The Civil Rights movement has yet to reach the final stage where racial equality is institutionalized. The Black Lives Matter movement is stuck in the same phase as the incompleted civil rights movement because neither has taken permanent root in the American landscape due to a lingering reluctance to relinquish white entitlement. I think King would've been very distressed by how the violence he so abhorred has erupted in the inner cities where black-on-black crime is rampant. In view of that, he might've suspended marching for white acceptance and focused more on blacks coming together to love and respect each other.

@Troy @Pioneer1Yes, the demonstration was a spectacle that made white women feel good about themselves. (And yes, black women have always been "liberated", taking up the slack while waiting for the brothers to "man up".) But the tremendous, world-wide outpouring was also an annoyance to Donald Trump, inasmuch as the message it sent tarnished his image. Anything that doesn't make Trump feel good about himself forces him to confront his inadequacies and this throws him off his game. To combat this, his sycophants have shifted into an alternate universe where lies are recycled as "alternate facts" and Trump's followers accept these lies because they don't want to believe that he is misleading them. For his opponents, an effective defense against this strategy is to become creative nuisances who mock him with the truth. Using the ballot to unseat opponents is also a strategy that is on the Feminist agenda and this is a good thing.

Well, our fearless leader has been inaugurated much to the satisfaction of all the Evangelicals whose prayers for a Trump victory won out over those praying for a qualified leader and are now praying that the tyrant they were against, will miraculously become a savior they'll be for. Sharing this sentiment are the many others who are simply resigned to accepting defeat. The undertones of Trump's inaugural speech were "it's my way or the highway" - obviously his formula for making America great again. And if a Cabinet made up bigots, clueless amateurs, corporate millionaires and Russian puppets is any indication of what Trump considers "great", then this nation is at risk of collapsing under the weight of its "greatness". The only people more pathetic than the "forgotten" crybabies conned into thinking they'll be better off with Trump, are the "deer-in-the-headlights" Democrats, lost in the shuffle. Thomas Jefferson once said :“I hold that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” Carl Schurz another statesman, later said : "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right." Malcolm X declared: "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. Barak Obama spoke about the "the audacity of hope." To all my sisters out there demonstrating for justice and equality, this 83-year-old retread from the 1960s says "right on!"

I wonder if the breakdown of the Go Fund would show small contributions from a lot of people, or large contributions from a few philanthropic organizations and wealthy anonymous donors who come to the rescue in well-publicized cases such as this. I'm also beginning to wonder if there's a silent segment among the black population who have accepted Trump's presidency and are willing to just go along to get along. Many are star struck by the "office-of-the-president" no matter who holds it, not to mention those who think God is in charge and He will deal with Trump.