Living Library

Folks in Europe seem to have found a unique and successful way to begin collapsing walls between people. It is called the Living Library.

You can "check out" a Muslim, homosexual, drug addict, Christian, political activist or other group against whom you have a prejudice but no real contact. It is your opportunity to ask questions, get answers and perhaps come to a new understanding, all in 20 minutes. The human volunteers can end the conversation at any time if the conversation or behavior is in any way offensive or abusive.

The first one was held in 2001 at FDenmark's annual Roskilde Festival. The huge open-air festival features concerts by artists from many genres and attracts upwards of 40,000 people every year. The event is one of Northern Europe's most well-known concert venues and the site of much political advocacy. At Roskilde, people who behaved abusively toward the Living Library volunteers were thrown out of the festival.

The idea is spreading. Besides the COpenhagen area, Living Libraries have also been instituted in the southern Swedish city of Lund, in the town of Almelo, the Netherlands and in Budapest, Hungary. The Council of Europe has published a pamphlet of guidelines for organizations eager to take the project to their own areas. This pamphlet is available in several languages, including English.

I wonder when groups will begin to have Living Libraries in major US cities?

Book Review: Mapping Your Travels & Relocation

Mapping Your Travels & Relocation
Maritha Pottenger

Do you like to travel? Have you ever wondered what life will be like for you in a new place? In this book by astrologer Maritha Pottenger you can gain great insight as to why and how a certain place seems to affect your certain ways. You will learn you best vacation spots, and the most successful places for you to live. You will be able to understand what it will take to adjust in a certain area and why you experience certain events.

One of the most important decisions you can ever make involves choosing a new place to live. Whether you are launching a fresh career or entrepreneurial pursuit, planning retirements, or seeking a soul mate, the "WHERE" is very important.

The seventh volume in the Astrology Made Easy Series, this also features astrological charts and cases studies that illustrate how a new location affected different individuals. It also contains, as do the other books, a CD-ROM which promises to make it a breeze for beginners to calculate the ideal place to meet their needs. Although I am not a beginner, I decided to put this to the test as I am relocating several thousand miles.


A Real Life Example

After calculating my relocated chart, I learned, as my intuition had already told me, that it will be a very good place for me to use my intuitive, spiritual, artistic, healing and caring abilities in a professional manner. With a relocated Saturn in the 5th house and relocated Neptune trine Midheaven it will be a very positive place for me. Relocated Pluto in my 11th house opens the door for tight friendship bonds and I already have many good friends and professional acquaintances in that place.

Mars will be relocated to my 9th house, giving me extra energy in foreign cultures (and it is in another country!) , higher education (I will be working on a doctorate!), and religion/spirituality. According to my relocated chart I will also find myself more extroverted about these issues once I have moved. Uranus will shift to my 11th house, highlighting and strengthening friendships as well as serving my need to be independent. Uranus rules also rules astrology! Jupiter - the planet of increase and blessings, will shift into my 8th house. That house covers the metaphysical, psychotherapy, in-depth research, and expansion of sexuality, intimacy and money gained from others/money attained without earning it.

Venus will join Mars in my 9th house giving further support and blessings to my finances and love relationships in this new and foreign/international culture. Mercury and the Sun will be relocated to my 11th house, giving a another boost to friendships, groups and associations. I already have a network of people there so this bears out and I have not yet moved!

The relocated Moon in my 6th house speaks to my heart and soul really being invested in serving others in my work after I relocate.

I will gain a Libra Ascendant in this new place - increasing my attractiveness in the eyes of others and taking my social life, articistic pursuits and diplomatic skills to the next level. That is always a plus and again, from the times I have stayed in this place on long vacations, this seems to be quite true!!

I will gain a Cancer Midheaven, which speaks to being a professional nurturer, the home, caring for others, food and restaurants or working with women, the sea, the land, or real estate.

The only two chart aspects not interpreted in this report were Chiron and the North/South Nodes. For me, Chiron would shift to my 5th house with Saturn - which could signal a need to be healed and secure within myself about my creative abilities or I will falter and 2) the North Node relocated to my 9th house tells me that my destiny (North Node) is in being in a foreign culture, undertaking higher education, teaching and learning and working with spirituality and religion. My South Node would then be in my 3rd house so I must keep my mind focused on the "big picture". To stay mired in picayune details is past life karma from which I must evolve. Remember - always view North and South Node as the indications where you need to take a BIG leap and swim across the lake to growth and maturity.


Conclusion

Other than the absence of Chiron and North Node information in the relocation, this is a great addition to the Astrology Made Easy series and one which readers wil find easy to use and understand. I recommend experimenting with places to see where YOUR best location is - and then making plans to get there, even if only for a vacation. For business poeple, it cna be used to determine where to move and be successful in business. Whatever your purpose, try it, you'll like it!

Highly recommended!