TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Mathematician Paul Erdos used to describe himself as a ‘machine for turning coffee into theorems,'” writes
philosopher Helena Cronin at www.edge.org. “In much the same way, genes are machines for turning oxygen, water, light, zinc, calcium and iron into
bears, beetles, bacteria or bluebells.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, Taurus, it’s a perfect time to apply this way of thinking to yourself. By the end of this week, see if you can fill in the blanks in the following sentence: “I am a machine for turning _______ into _______.” In other words, define the nature of the alchemical magic you are here on Earth to carry out.

1 – Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2 – I will respond; I’ll ask you five questions.
3 – You’ll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers.
4 – You’ll include this explanation.
5 – You’ll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed
—
Questions by

1. What, in your opinion, is the biggest/best/most beautifulest thing that has ever happened to you? (keeping in mind that I am not a typical woman, and don’t automatically expect it to involve me)

I can’t narrow it down to one. It’s a series of moments, where the fog in my mind clears, and I am alert and fully myself. Everything around me is so detailed and beautiful, and these moments last the most in my mind. You’ve seen this. ;)

2. What is third most common trait among your friends? Why do you think that trait is so common? (third because the first two are even easy for me to identify)

Dissatisfaction with the way things are, whether quiet or obvious. I think that this is common because I want to change things, I’m charismatic and motivating, and people that seriously want change will gravitate toward me.

3. What was your biggest accomplishment in high school?

Well, 9th grade (Freshman year) was technically in Junior High, so I can’t count earning Eagle Scout. It would be a close tie between not becoming a homicidal maniac and going to Japan.

4. When do you think, minus the laura insident, was the moment (or series of moments) in which your life changed the most?

When I came home once, while working at Voyager.net, and had a pleasant conversation with my parents without feeling like I owed them an explination about my homework. I felt SO grown-up…

5. Why do you get stuck in the “this is how it is, and how it always will be” mode of operation? (excepting your parents, you can’t use that)

I am violently opposed to outside change. No one has the right to change me without my permission. This comes from my sure sense of who I am, what I am, how I am, etc. There’s a core in me that feels timeless and unchangeable. ‘This is how it is’ stems from a combination of ‘This is how I am’ and bullshitting on subjects that I know a little about but which I can hypothesize fairly easily. ‘and how it always will be’ is something I try very hard not to do, because everything changes, whether I want it to or not. Welcome to the land of paradox. I will change, and yet I know I will endure, unchanged.

Oh, and this is neat.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Picture two people you know who seem to believe they are superior to you. Maybe they imagine they’re smarter or funnier or more popular than you, and therefore think they’re justified in treating you carelessly. Maybe these elitists are under the impression that because they have higher social status or more money than you, you don’t deserve their focused attention. Next, Taurus, consider the idea, taught by every decent spiritual leader, that people like this have a pathologically inflated sense of self-importance. Finally, place two white roses in a special place in your home. Beneath each, lay a piece of paper on which you have written the name of the person with the superiority complex, along with the words “I am fr** of your judgment” and a drawing of a winged heart.