News Flash!
The Cosmic Café Has Reopened Its Doors! Cosmic Café Archives page
Posited at the corner of Universal Avenue and Stellar Drive, the Cosmic Café serves as a hangout for all the residents of Mount Olympus: Mercury, Venus, even mighty Jupiter himself. The Café is a place for them to change their outfits (AKA signs) and therefore their moods. It's where they chat, mingle, make decisions, and discuss the aspects they're making to one another - and the effects their decisions are having on The Mortals. (That would be Us, here on Planet Number Three.) Surprisingly, even secretive Pluto shows up now and then, occasionally with Persephone (when she's not with her Mom, of course…).
Your 'Cosmic Hostess,' (Kim Rogers-Gallagher, a 9th-house Sagittarius) makes frequent visits to the Café, chats with the planets, occasionally goes on adventures with them, and keeps careful records of the goings-on at the Café. (She's been given permission to present these observations for your entertainment and education by her Uncle Jupiter, who admittedly does tend to dote on those born under his sign, Sagittarius.)
Oh yes! To be certain you will not miss any installment of the Cosmic Café, we will be archiving past issues on the Cosmic Café Archives page (that makes sense, doesn’t it?)
An 'Orientation' for Newcomers….
For those of you who've never visited the Cosmic Café with Kim, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for a delightful, educational journey to the place the planet's think of as their 'home away from Olympus': The Cosmic Café. Instead of the ordinary horoscopes or forecasts you'll see on other astrological sites, prepare to hear The Astrological News straight from the planet's mouths - literally!
As you listen in on the planets' conversations, watch them interact, and share the reactions of your hostess, keep in mind that you're guaranteed to have two things during your visits to the Cosmic Café: First, you'll have a great time reading the current astrological headlines via the comments and opinions of the newsmakers themselves. Just don't mistake the fun for nonsense. You're also going to learn a lot of astrology, whether you're brand-new or you've been at it for some time. Most importantly, however, your mission is to enjoy!
Cosmic Café
By Kim Rogers-Gallagher
The Café Prepares for Pluto and Mars to Square Off - Part I
Battening Down the Cosmic Hatches
It was early May - at least, I think it was. Like I said, time moves differently in the Café than it does in other places. I had just finished dinner with Jupiter, Mercury, Moon, and Pluto - who insisted on having…well, never mind what he had. It wasn't human - Moon would never stand for that, much less prepare it - and to be fair, he did have an awful lot of fruit 'on the side.' I assumed it was pomegranates. Moon had once told me that she kept a 'healthy supply' of them on hand for him, along with lots of sweets for Venus.
I helped Moon clear the table, and as we came out of the kitchen, noticed that Pluto had retired to his spot in the corner of the Café. His laptop wasn't open, however. Instead, his steely, dark eyes were trained directly on the door, and Mercury was helping Jupiter move all the tables - except Pluto's - away from what I suddenly realized was officially 'Pluto's Corner.'
I began to help Jupiter with the largest table, since it was obvious that he was having a bit of trouble. He was doing quite a bit of huffing and puffing, which was natural. In human form, he had to weigh in at 350 - at least - pretty hefty, even though he looked to be about six feet tall. (And of course, most of that weight was concentrated on his midsection - what some might refer to as a 'generous corporation.') The second I touched the table, however, Jupiter stopped, leaned on his end, shook his head, and managed to puff out a few words: 'Uh-uh, honey. Merc' and I can get this. You just go sit at the bar, have a beer, and get your pad and pen out. I'll come and sit with you as soon as we're done here. It won't be long now.'
I started to ask what wouldn't be long, but Jupiter just shook his head and nodded at the bar. I'm a Sagittarius, I learned long ago to trust my Uncle Jupiter, and so I followed directions. I seated myself at the corner of the bar, so I'd have a good view of the entire café. Mercury noticed, gave me a thumb's up and an approving nod, and moved the last table out of the way. Jupiter collapsed onto the barstool next to me to catch his breath. Mercury skated quickly and discreetly behind the bar, placed several fire extinguishers just a few feet from Pluto's Corner, tossed us a wave, and skated into the kitchen.
Then, I got it. Mars was coming.
What Mercury and Jupiter had been doing was clearing a path from the front door to 'Pluto's Corner,' where only one additional chair had been placed - to Pluto's immediate right. That meant he'd be seated in a square to whoever was about to arrive - the aspect that Pluto and Mars just so happened to be angling toward, at any moment. Yee-Ha. Talk about fireworks!
The unobstructed pathway from the front door to Pluto's Corner made sense, too - Mars never did deal well with obstacles. Point A to Point B is the only way he travels. The fire extinguishers made sense, too, especially if things got out of hand, which certainly wasn't out of the question when two such potent 'gods' were astrologically placed in that square aspect, the cosmic equivalent of an argument. Oh, my. Mars and Pluto, arguing. Did I really want to be there?
Out of habit, I glanced at my watch, which read 3:14 PM, May 13, 2007. That would mean that dinner had taken…days? Weeks? Oh well. Just to get my bearings, I pulled out my ephemeris, which was far more valuable at the Café. The 'argument' between Pluto and Mars was due to occur at any second, and inevitable - and not just because they were in a square.
The news about Pluto's supposed 'demotion' had created a problem. Every planet 'rules' at least one sign. Venus, for example, likes to think of Libra and Taurus as her personal property. Before Pluto was discovered, Mars was the 'official owner' of both Aries and Scorpio, but once the similarities between Pluto and Scorpio became obvious, most astrologers considered Pluto a 'natural match' for Scorpio. If Pluto had demoted, who'd be in charge of Scorpio now?
That thought crossed my mind at the same time it dawned on me that human spectators to this type of event might not be entirely welcome - and did I really want to be in the vicinity of a cosmic battle of this proportion? Jupiter, of course, read my mind, patted my hand, and said, 'Stay put, honey. Watch and learn. Besides, would I let anything happen to my favorite niece?' Somewhat reassured, I sipped my beer, squeezed Jupiter's hand, and prepared myself. It was a good thing, too, because not less than three seconds (human time, anyway) later, the door opened. Well, not so much opened, really, as exploded.
That would be Mars.
I winced, but with Jupiter's hand in mind, I dared to glance in that direction. It certainly was Mars, he certainly wasn't there for a late supper, and he certainly didn't notice anyone or anything but Point B: Pluto. He stepped through where the plate-glass of the front door had been, crossed his arms, glared toward The Corner and said, 'We need to talk.'
Pluto, who reminded me more than ever of Stephen Siegal at that moment, didn't budge. He leaned back comfortably in his chair, crossed his hands, tapped his thumbs together and said, 'My, all this drama for little old me?' He had a smug grin on his face as he continued. 'Gosh. I can't wait to get to Pisces. '
Mars didn't respond. He drifted toward Pluto - at least, that's how it looked from my vantage point. It was as if he were riding on of those airport walkways (a nice Pisces trick, I couldn't help but think.) His arms were still crossed, but his expression had changed. I wondered if he'd gotten the same 'vibes' from Pluto that I had: That even the Lord of the Underworld could literally feel 'cornered' every now and then, even though corners were famously his favorite spot, in any circumstance.
All of us held our breath, but when Mars reached Pluto's table, the Lord of the Underworld simply gestured to Mars to take a seat - well, to take the seat to his immediate right. Mars sat, and the two began to speak in hushed tones.
Apparently, at least temporarily, they were both pacified. Mars had used his traditional 'outlet' - smashing something - and Pluto too, was satisfied. The sarcastic wit he'd used helped, of course, but the fact that Mars had come to him - well, in his mind, it was his first victory in this square-war - even though it wasn't Mars' choice. (The 'faster-moving' planet always approaches or 'comes to' the slower. Do the math.)
Still, the day - or the evening, or whatever it was, Cosmically and Café-speaking - was young. So we waited. Three of us. Jupiter, with his arm across my shoulders, sipping beers with Mercury (who was playing bartender), and working on the New York Times Sunday crossword. (In pen. Mercury insisted.)
Oddly enough, the 'theme' of the puzzle was 'The Calm Before the Storm.' Odder still, none of us mentioned it.
Next Time: Round Two: Mars enters Aries: The Plot Thickens - Part II
Kim Rogers-Gallagher has been a professional astrologer/writer/lecturer for pretty darned close to twenty years. After years of investigating permanent nesting spots, she's settled in Florida, with her trusty computer, far too many pets, a hurricane survival kit, (which came in really handy last year) and a bottle of deep tanning lotion. Kim is the author of 'Astrology for the Light Side of the Brain' and 'Astrology for the Light Side of the Future,' and has co-authored several other works. She lectures internationally, both for major conferences and local groups. Kim writes monthly for Dell Horoscope, and is a frequent contributor to other astrological journals. She also writes for several online sites. Kim served on the board of ISAR (the International Society for Astrological Research) for several years and was an editor of ISAR’s journal, The International Astrologer. Needless to say, Kim is a 9
th-house Sagittarius who's proud to call Jupiter her patron planet and favorite Uncle.
