In The Stars

Being born on the 30th of September, 1943 during World War II does not sound like the ideal time for a lover to be born. My parents must have been optimists as my eldest sister was born while war was threatening, the next sister born as the war started and I was born before the war ended, just prior to the baby-boom.

Most of my life I have avoided conflict wherever I could and that seems to be part of the Libran persona. That being said, I did get into my share of fights in my kid and teenage years and also did a two-year stint in the army when I was drafted at the age of 18.

I have never been a big fan of astrology regarding it as so much hocus-pocus but I do think from time time, there may be more to it than meets the eye. For example, my first wife was a Pisces. I discovered after the marriage went down in flames that relationships between Librans and Pisceans are an ongoing train wreck - generally speaking. My second wife (an Aquaris) and I have been married for almost 50 years. For the most part, we get along very well, both being air signs . I like balance in my life and my wife provides that in spades.

According to an onlineastrology website, Libra's have the following traits: "They are known for being charming, beautiful, and well-balanced. They thrive on making things orderly and aesthetically pleasing. They also crave balance, and they can be equally as self-indulgent as they are generous. Libras are also the kings and queens of compromise, and they like making peace between others."

The Aquarian profiles reads as: "People born under the Aquarius sign are said to be progressive, independent, intelligent, unique, and idealistic. Their elemental sign is air, the same as that for Gemini and Libra. Like air, Aquarians don't have a single, clear shape and seem to defy categorization."

That latter trait sounds just like my wife but many of the other traits apply to both of us. On the other hand, they must also apply to hundreds of millions of other people around the globe as well.

I take the daily horoscope with a grain of salt though I must confess to sneaking a peek at it from time to time. However, they are generalized in nature with no specifics that could set the heart racing. What I would like to see one day is; "Buy a lottery ticket today. You will win." If that came to pass, and I won the lottery as predicted, I would truly become a starry-eyed believer.

But, one of the issues I have with the daily horoscope is; how relevant is to me, now living half-way around the world from my place of birth?

My three kids all have very different personalities and all seem to fit the profiles of the astrological signs they were born under. "Seem to" is the operative word. My daughter is a typical Cancer and is something of a believer. My two sons are practical techies and are true skeptics.

But, back to me. Yes, as a Libran, I do like nice things. I really like balance and harmony but at the same time, I am a Contrarian. I will argue as the day is long for something I feel passionate about but I keep an open mind. I do not take fools lightly and loath bullies and usurpers. I would just love everyone in the world to get along.

With regard to the future; is it in the stars? In a practical sense, yes. If by some amazing stroke of luck we humans could survive through our warlike ways and work together to make our planet a better place to live, we would still have to look at the long picture. Where are we going to go when our local star begins its downward spiral? We are going to have to vacate the premises at some point in our collective future. The sooner we get our collective act together and begin planning for that event, the better off we will be.

Which brings me to my final point. Humans in the distant future will be born on different planets and in different solar systems. What happens to the black art of astrology when this begins happening? What about a child born on Mars or on the moon? Does the earth then become one of this child's planetary signs? How will that work? Just asking.