"I understood once again that in any mandala offering, it is the 'offering' process that is auspicious and meritorious (what we gave of ourselves), the giving itself, and not the result --"
Namaste' y'all.
Robin
Postcards from UAC~The United Kingdom Branch]
GOING HOME
In a just a little while I will be on my way home from
UAC, the United Astrology Conference, here in New Orleans. For someone who does
not travel and, aside from nature walks and photography, does not even go out
all that much, this has been a trip in more ways than one. In other words, you will
seldom see me in large social groups.
At 2 PM yesterday the Marketplace closed and we deconstructed
our booth. As we packed our freight boxes it was only too clear that the mandala
of UAC was disintegrating very literally by that point. No, we did not sweep it
into the river, but as I surveyed the now-empty space where our booth was, I
understood once again that in any mandala offering, it is the 'offering'
process that is auspicious and meritorious (what we gave of ourselves), the
giving itself, and not the result -- what we got from the process.
Of course I personally got a lot out of the conference,
but it probably cannot be measured in dollars earned in the Marketplace.
Immersed real-time in the stream of astrologers from all over the world, I once
again have a real sense of how things are with us and where we are going. And
as wonderful as we are as a group, I cannot say that all is rosy.
It is clear to me that astrology is still struggling to
be properly recognized as a profession by society and that making a living
through astrology remains a hard row to hoe. At the same time, I see that our intent
and heart is in the right place and our compassion to be of use to others is
very much alive and well.
Being here has been something of a wild ride, one that I will
long remember. I certainly have ridden in enough elevators (some packed to the
limit) and walked enough hallways for a while. And I will not miss the stinging
in my eyes from the strong rug shampoo these hotels use that apparently has no
way of being absorbed, except by our bodies.
But I will cherish the very many friends I have met here
and the meaningful conversations we have had with one another. Isn't that what
this conference is really all about? Of course I enjoyed the lectures I
attended, but when I spontaneously think of this last week, it is the
friendship of my fellow astrologers that comes to mind, and all my Facebook
friends that I had never met before. We are many!
I include here a quick iPhone photo of our dog Molotov
that my wife took yesterday. There he is amidst some poppies in our yard. I
know that he is (and has been) waiting for me to come home all this time. My
wife tells me that he has been spending most of his time in my office.
Anyway, I am on my way. Thanks to all of you who read
this and I will return to my regular blog tomorrow (as they say around here), "If
the good god is willing, and the creek don't rise."
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| Molotov, Michael Erlewine's dog |
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