Keith
October 23 - The Day of Conflicting Karma
(taken from The Secret Language of Birthdays. Happy birthday, Keith!)
Those born on October 23 are rarely able to achieve stability in all aspects of their lives. No matter how hard they try to balance their energies, there always seems to be one major area at any given time which will be out of kilter. Somehow, controversy seems to follow them wherever they go. Truth to tell, they do bore easily and so are often on the lookout for excitement. Therefore what appears heavily stressful or difficult to others may actually be enjoyable to them.
Most October 23 people are not so big on planning. They have a talent for improvisation and therefore tend to deal with situations as they arise. Similarly, they are rather impulsive and when they see an opportunity, don’t hesitate to go for it.
When those born on this day have negative or critical feelings toward the way things around them are being handled, they are likely to express their opposing points of view bluntly. Because they dislike vagueness and ingratiating speech, their words can sometimes offend others. Depending on their social circle, work environment or cultural milieu, it is possible that they will be pegged as rough or unsophisticated by more genteel types.
October 23 people have an undeniable talent for setting up groups or taking over the helm of already existing ones. Because of their charisma and well-developed sense of humor, they can be popular figures in deed. Yet they will have great difficulty letting go of their posts when the time has come to call it quits. In like manner, those born on this day are prone to possessiveness, jealousy and claiming behavior in personal relationships. The lessons of giving up power for its own sake and seeking the deal of unconditional love should, as their lives progress, become more and more meaningful to them.
Because those born on this day are magnetically attracted to adventure and challenge (often they take the role of hero coming to the rescue), they frequently find themselves in the thick of exciting situations. Even the calmest and most fearless of October 23 people have to beware of sudden instabilities, even disasters, which arise around them. Accidents of all types are commonplace to this day, so those October 23 people who succeed are usually highly adept at handling emergency situations.
Because those born on this day live active rather than static lives with the propensity for change as well as instability, the opportunities for growth and improvement are great here. On a personal and spiritual level, October 23 people are capable of making enormous progress in this lifetime. If not, they may become sensationalists, going from one stimulating experience to another. Staying balanced, refusing to be diverted or sidetracked, and generally finding peace within themselves are their stepping stones.
Planets
Since Mercury represents quickness of thought and change, October 23 people may find themselves likely to both overreact mentally and to change their minds and physical surroundings with great regularity. The combination of Mercury with Venus and Pluto (rulers of Libra and Scorpio respectively) can add to the propensity of October 23 people to land themselves in hot water in both love relationships and social situations.
Tarot - The Heirophant
The Heirophant, an interpreter of sacred mysteries who is symbolic of human understanding and faith. His knowledge is esoteric, and he has authority over things unseen. Favorable traits conferred by this card are self-assuredness and insight; unfavorable traits include moralizing, bombast and dogmatism.
Health
Those born on October 23 must beware of accidents of all kinds. In addition, tempers may have to be controlled to avoid injury to themselves and others. Suppressing aggression is not the answer but working on it, perhaps through therapy. Repressed emotions can also have a devastating somatic effect on the heart and internal abdominal organs. Cultivating peaceful pursuits in their lifestyle (communing with nature) are beneficial to those born on this day. Vigorous daily exercise is also recommended, as well as making music or dancing.
Advice
Seek stability, peace and harmony. Don’t overemphasize control. Things can sometimes be put right without your intervention. Listen to your adversaries, even enemies on occasion, and learn from them. Walk away from no-win situations.
Mediation
Some places have seasons, others only climate -- so with people.
And both use the history of black people to provoke empathy for the suffering of white people.
“The problem is that while the television show reproduces slave suffering, it’s unable to acknowledge that those experiences are familiar rather than novel. The Gilead in the television show is post-racial and ahistorical. The powerful Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) calls Moira a "degenerate," in part because it’s suggested she is a lesbian, but there’s no suggestion of racial prejudice in the show. No one in the series, seems to see or reference race. Gilead is virulently sexist and homophobic, but it is, to all appearances, less racist than the current United States.”
[...]
“The Handmaid's Tale doesn’t just scrub the future of racism, though. It also cleanses the past. Neither Moira nor anyone else mentions American slavery, or uses the past history of black oppression to try to understand the current situation in Gilead. It's as if the show's creators feared that any discussion of racism, or any recognition of race, would cause Gilead to crumble, leaving the handmaids, black and white, standing in the rubble, blinking in confusion.”
