Excellence in Cultural Cosmology

  • La Passione di Roma & the difference between modern and classical art

    William James (often referred to as the father of modern psychology) was greatly impressed with what he believed to be the distinction between classical and modern art. In ancient Greek art, he argued, lay the quintessence of all reality. There the artist’s idea runs through all his creation allowing it to lose any amount of…

  • Survey your bounty – Today is a Three of Wands Day

    With the sun in Cancer (containment) and the moon in Aries (entrepreneurial spirit), today is a Three of Wands day. On a divinatory level, the Three of Wands implies initial completion of some important project or idea.   The foundations have been laid – the first feedback is positive – there’s promise and potential – but…

  • Mars in Virgo – a time to be whole

    For most of June and July, the planet Mars (action) is in the zodiac sign of Virgo (wholeness through service) – making this a time to work and play with purpose. Not just any old purpose, mind you, for the challenge of Virgo is to be of service not to oneself, but to the whole of…

  • It’s a Four of Cups Day – Beware too much of a good thing

    With the sun in Cancer (feelings) and the moon in Pisces (divine discontent), today and tomorrow are Four of Cups days. On a divinatory level, a Four of Cups day signals a time of dissatisfaction, boredom, and perhaps even depression.  This can play out in any area of our lives, but no matter where, what,…

  • Psychological Integration in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra

    The night before last, my husband and I attended the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of Antony and Cleopatra at Stratford-upon-Avon. Because we’ve enjoyed everything we’ve seen there before, we were sorely disappointed when the play failed to live up to our expectations.  From the lack of enthusiastic clapping as the last act culminated into…

  • Coming up soon – Page of Wands Days

    With the sun in Cancer (creativity and feeling) and the sun in Sagittarius (intuition and optimism), Thursday and Friday are Page of Wands days. The Page of Wands represents inspired inspiration in its most fragile form. There’s a stirring of possibilities that we know may, in the end, not work out at all. This often…

  • Today is an Eight of Cups Day – one big soppy mess

    With the sun in Cancer (emotions and roots) and the moon in Scorpio  (death or transformation), today is an Eight of Cups day. On a divinatory level, the Eight of Cups suggests the necessity of giving something up.  Some sad truth must be faced about something or someone.  No further action can be taken.  We’ve…

  • The Summer Solstice and the Portal of Mortals

    “Today is the summer solstice – the longest day of the year.   From here we start the long, slow slog to darkness, which culminates at the winter solstice when the sun does its annual ‘about face’ to again, favour us with its warming rays. As markers of our seasons, the solstices have long been the…

  • Today is a Two of Swords Day – Prepare to see things as they really are.

    With the sun in Gemini (where we learn that dichotomies like dark/light and good/bad – are but two sides of the same coin) and (2) the moon in Libra (where we often find ourselves in a stalemate) today is a Two of Swords day. On a divinatory level, the Two of Swords suggests we’re trying…

  • Today is a Six of Wands Day – that’s right – lots of hot air!

    With the sun in Gemini (air) and the moon in Leo (fire) it’s a Six of Wands day. When fire and air combine, you get just what you might think – lots of hot air. A Six of Wands day may find you soaring to new heights through a well deserved pat on the back…