American Buddhist Net

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Astrological Consultations, Courses, and Workshops
2. Learn Astrology One-on-One with Jim Shawvan
3. Llewellyn's 2010 Daily Planetary Guide
4. Quotations and Bonus Links: Important News Stories
5. JIM SHAWVAN'S ASTROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS,
JANUARY 2010
6. Meditation on Lovingkindness, Compassion,
Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity
7. How to find the cheapest gas for your car
8. For more information...

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1. ASTROLOGICAL CONSULTATIONS, COURSES, AND WORKSHOPS

Jim Shawvan offers consultations on:

- Lifelong Issues and Current Issues (Natal, Karmic, and Predictive Astrology)
- Electional Astrology (choosing the best dates and times for important actions such as marriage, opening a business, incorporating, listing real estate, making an offer on real estate, surgery, etc.)
- Horary Astrology (answering a question)
- Relationships (Synastry)
- Relocation Astrology (finding the best places to live)
- Travel Astrology (being in the right place at the right time to start off a new cycle in your life)

For more information, see Jim's home page at http://www.jshawvan.homestead.com

Because of Jim's other commitments, the 12-week Predictive Astrology Course and the half-day workshops (Solar Fire, Solar Maps, Electional Astrology, and Horary Astrology) will next be scheduled in the spring. If you would like to learn these topics in the meantime, please see item 2 below. For full descriptions of the Course and the Workshops, see http://www.jshawvan.homestead.com/classes.html

Questions? Please e-mail Jim at jshawvan@yahoo.com or jshawvan@gmail.com, or call him at 619-321-7080.

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2. LEARN ASTROLOGY ONE-ON-ONE WITH JIM SHAWVAN

Jim offers private tutoring (by phone or in person) in the areas of Electional, Horary, Karmic, Natal, Predictive, Relationship, Relocation, and Travel Astrology, as well as the Solar Fire and Solar Maps software programs.

Contact Jim about your interests at 619-321-7080, or by e-mail at jshawvan@yahoo.com or jshawvan@gmail.com

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3. LLEWELLYN'S 2010 DAILY PLANETARY GUIDE...

features Jim Shawvan's Opportunity Periods for the entire year of 2010.
More than a datebook, this guide is a powerhouse of day-to-day planetary information. Opportunity Periods are times when the positive flow of energy will not be obstructed by difficult aspects of the Moon. This calendar allows you to focus on the hours and minutes when it is best to do anything, from asking for a raise to searching for romance to negotiating a business deal. This quick and easy-to-use electional system is ready for you to use at a glance. There's no guesswork involved, and a brief explanation accompanies each Opportunity Period, to explain how to use that specific time to your best advantage.
The 2010 Daily Planetary Guide (price $12.99) is available in bookstores and at Amazon. See http://tinyurl.com/y9loszr

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4. QUOTATIONS AND BONUS LINKS: IMPORTANT NEWS STORIES

"The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists." - Ernest Hemingway

"No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law, and no courts are bound to enforce it." - American Jurisprudence, 2nd Edition. Source: 16 Am Jur 2d, Sec 177, late 2d, Sec 256

"A government that does not trust its law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is itself unworthy of trust." - James Madison (1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President. Source: Federalist Papers

"'The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.' The right of the whole people, old and young, men, women and boys, and not militia only, to keep and bear arms of every description, and not such merely as are used by the militia, shall not be infringed, curtailed, or broken in upon, in the smallest degree; and all this for the important end to be attained: the rearing up and qualifying a well-regulated militia, so vitally necessary to the security of a free State. Our opinion is that any law, State or Federal, is repugnant to the Constitution, and void, which contravenes this right." - Nunn vs. State. 1 Ga. (1 Kel.) 243, at 251(1846)

"When the representative body have lost the confidence of their constituents, when they have notoriously made sale of their most valuable rights, when they have assumed to themselves powers which the people never put into their hands, then indeed their continuing in office becomes dangerous to the State, and calls for an exercise of the power of dissolution." - Thomas Jefferson

"Society honors its living conformists and its dead troublemakers." - Mignon McLaughlin

"Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamp post: for support, not illumination." - Vin Scully

"Armaments, universal debt and planned obsolescence -- those are the three pillars of Western prosperity." - Aldous Huxley

"The world is so dreadfully managed, one hardly knows to whom to complain." - Ronald Firbank (1886-1926) British novelist

"I called my stockbroker this morning and asked him what I should be buying. He said, 'Canned goods and ammunition'." - Richard Boddie

New study reveals most children unrepentant sociopaths
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_study_reveals_most_children

Saudi Arabia steps up hunt for witches and black magicians
http://tinyurl.com/yg9qbm7

A great editorial cartoon - http://www.gocomics.com/chuckasay/2009/12/17/

When elites make our decisions for us - by Walter E. Williams
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=117635

US govt policies will increase planting of trees at expense of food crops
http://theburningplatform.com/economy/woods-are-better-than-food

"Detroit jet terrorist attack was staged"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq2gz0Zr0jQ

Flight 253 passenger: Sharp-dressed man aided terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab onto plane without passport - http://tinyurl.com/y8l2w46

Ron Paul says agenda behind bombing incident is more war, more attacks on liberty - http://tinyurl.com/yalapep

Cause and Effect in the "Terror War" - by Glenn Greenwald
http://tinyurl.com/y9px6u3

Agents of the state are morally responsible for their actions
by Wendy McElroy - http://www.wendymcelroy.com/news.php?extend.2898

The Feds seem intent on murdering Sherry Peel Jackson
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=161735

Americans are Hell-Bent on Tyranny - by Paul Craig Roberts
http://www.vdare.com/roberts/091221_tyranny.htm

The Fed is a Fascist Cartel - by Nelson Hultberg
http://bit.ly/7Rc3Lp

Top Trends of 2010 - by Gerald Celente
http://www.trendsresearch.com/journal.html

2010 Forecast - http://tinyurl.com/ydyn2vb

Google expands tracking to logged-out users - http://tinyurl.com/ydkp3s8

Global Warming For Dummies in 1 min 21 sec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO3i6c3s0Uc

The Linchpin of the Global Warming Movement Has Broken - The Myth of Neutral Academic Peer Review - by Gary North - http://www.garynorth.com/public/5782print.cfm

How to manufacture a climate consensus - by Patrick J. Michaels
http://tinyurl.com/ykq34k8

Historical video perspective: Our current 'unprecedented global warming' in the context of scale - http://tinyurl.com/ye764sm

BBC News: Himalayan glaciers melting deadline 'a mistake'
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=28190

Rise of sea levels is 'the greatest lie ever told'
http://tinyurl.com/d4zayx

The Great Hoax - by Peter Ferrara
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/12/16/the-great-hoax

No rise of atmospheric CO2 in last 160 years, research finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091230184221.htm

A lot of hot wind - Lots of new record low temperatures
http://imva.info/index.php/2009/12/a-lot-of-hot-wind/

UN goons silence journalist who questions Gore on ClimateGate
http://tinyurl.com/yd9kjqq

If Climategate Is No Big Deal, Why Are Questions About It Met with an Armed Response? - http://tinyurl.com/yckunn5

IPCC caught again: Himalayan glaciers not melting
http://tinyurl.com/yk459sf

Climate Skeptic: We are winning the science battle
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=2682

Fact-based climate debate - by Lee C. Gerhard
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/dec/16/fact-based-climate-debate/

Head of IPCC has financial interest in cap-and-trade legislation
http://tinyurl.com/ycteudf

Third World Under Attack From Genocidal Climate Change Policy
http://tinyurl.com/y8sl9jc

Wikipedia climate entries controlled, deleted by warming troll for years -
Over 500 Internet entries showing that global warming is not man-made were
erased by an administrator of Wikipedia who is a global warming activist. Wikipedia has become a propaganda organ for the global-warming fraud. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=119745

Tamiflu anti-viral drug revealed as complete hoax
http://www.naturalnews.com/027734_Tamiflu_Roche.html

Former head of CDC lands lucrative job as president of Merck vaccine division
http://www.naturalnews.com/027789_Dr_Julie_Gerberding_Merck.html

The health care reform flim-flam - by Junious Ricardo Stanton
http://www.seeingblack.com/board/viewtopic.php?p=9088

Medicare’s Refusal of Medical Claims Continues to Outpace Private Rate - by Mary Theroux - http://www.independent.org/blog/?p=4459

The Mammogram Scam - http://tinyurl.com/ybsn8yq

Are the banks worse than Enron? - by Nomi Prins - http://tinyurl.com/yj4aezq

Bank of America following the plan - http://tinyurl.com/yemts9r

Breaking Point 2010 - by Gerald Celente
http://www.rense.com/general88/breaking.htm

John Williams: Prepare for the hyperinflationary Great Depression
http://tinyurl.com/yekbcl3

Veterans' group calls on soldiers to refuse to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan - http://www.truthout.org/1214091

BBC now admits Al Qaeda never existed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-hYorNi0nA

Why they hate us (II) - by Stephen M. Walt
How many Muslims has the U.S. killed in the past 30 years?
http://tinyurl.com/yf4a7l2

Americans are deeply involved in Afghan drug trade - by Glen Ford
http://tinyurl.com/yjamme4

Tarpley: 'Obama declares war on Pakistan' - http://tinyurl.com/yc8346g

9/11: Pentagon aircraft hijack impossible
http://pilotsfor911truth.org/american_77_hijack_impossible.html

Ventura's 'Conspiracy Theory' show probes 9/11 mysteries
http://rawstory.com/2009/12/venturas-conspiracy-theory-show-probes-911/

Years of Deceit: US openly accepts that Bin Laden is dead
http://www.veteranstoday.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9641

Doug Casey on Rome (and the decline and fall of America)
http://tinyurl.com/ydy8fm6

Is There a Constituency for Liberty in the U.S. Media? - by William L. Anderson - http://www.lewrockwell.com/anderson/anderson274.html

An Ideal Guide to Keynes's Dangerous and Destructive Economics
http://mises.org/daily/3916

How one of San Diego's worst inner-city schools turned around
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/dec/09/cover-gompers-takes-bow/

Ode to the Average American Citizen - by tzo
http://www.strike-the-root.com/92/tzo/tzo3.html

The Supreme Court has spoken: You have no rights
by Robert Higgs - http://www.independent.org/blog/?p=4506

Please enslave me - by Larken Rose
http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Opinion/062806-2009-12-16-please-enslave-...

National ID is the ultimate victimless crime - by Wendy McElroy
http://www.wendymcelroy.com/news.php?extend.2886

America's Secret ICE Castles - by Jacqueline Stevens
"If you don't have enough evidence to charge someone criminally but you think he's illegal, we can make him disappear."
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100104/stevens/single

Avoid these foods for a healthier new year
http://tinyurl.com/yd9954y

Aspartame alert: Diet soda destroys kidney function
http://www.naturalnews.com/027758_aspartame_kidney_failure.html

Medical device maker paid $800,000 to doctor who fabricated a study
http://www.naturalnews.com/027745_Medtronic_fraud.html

To the Hope and Change Crowd -- How's It Working Out for You?
by Joe Bageant - http://www.alternet.org/story/144460/?page=entire

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5. JIM SHAWVAN'S ASTROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS, JANUARY 2010:

Jupiter conjoins Neptune * Saturn squares Pluto * Mars retrograde * Mercury retrograde * recent Lunar Eclipse * Venus conjoins the Sun * Venus squares Saturn * Sun semisquares Jupiter * Mars sesquiquads Pluto * Venus semisquares Neptune * Mercury conjoins the Sun * Mercury conjoins Venus * Venus semisquares Jupiter * Mercury semisquares Jupiter * Sun quincunxes Mars * Mercury squares Saturn * Mercury semisquares Neptune * Venus quincunxes Mars * Solar Eclipse * Mercury goes direct * Venus opposes Mars * Sun opposes Mars * Venus semisquares Uranus * Sun semisquares Uranus * Mars sesquiquads Uranus

From April 2009 until January 29, 2010, Jupiter (optimism, wealth, success) conjoins Neptune (illusion, delusion, self-deception). Politicians, bankers, and the public are almost all equally clueless about the economic disaster into which the United States and the entire world are headed. Mostly, they are whistling in the pitch-black darkness as they walk toward the edge of the cliff. People who talk about "green shoots" and "recovery" are delusional, and this will become clear soon enough.

From September 2009 to October 2010, Saturn (limitation, frustration, delay, responsibility) squares Pluto (irresistible transformation, overwhelming force). Remember the old line about an irresistible force meeting an immovable object? This combination is about as close as it comes to such a confrontation in the real world. Conflict of wills, and conflict of our human will with the nature of reality, take center stage. Don't block the road - that bulldozer won't slow down just because you're in the way. This aspect is happening in the earliest degrees of Cardinal signs, which some astrologers call "the World Axis" - and that means some of the huge changes coming up will be highly visible and will affect millions or even billions of people.

On December 20, Mars went retrograde, and it will remain so until March 10. It may not be as easy as usual to get things done during this period, and we may not be terribly clear about our desires and goals.

On December 26, Mercury went retrograde, and it will remain so until January 15, after which it moves very slowly for a while. Mercury-ruled matters such as business and communications will not become normal again until at least January 22. For details, see the article at http://www.jshawvan.homestead.com/mercrx2010.html

On December 31, the Full Moon provided a view of a partial Lunar Eclipse, for those on the night side of the Earth who had good viewing conditions. The eclipse was not visible in the Western Hemisphere, where it was daylight at the time. Traditionally, making important decisions around the time of an eclipse is considered unwise. With Mercury retrograde, I would hope that none of my readers would be making life-changing decisions now anyway!

Throughout January and until February 9, Venus (love, beauty) conjoins the Sun (vitality, self-confidence). Other things being equal, this could be a great time for relationships and for artistic creativity. Unfortunately, other things are not equal, and dealing with these matters will not be simple or straightforward during this period.

Through January 3, Venus (love, beauty) squares Saturn (frustration, limitation, delay). There is almost nothing good to be said about this combination, except that sometimes it indicates making a commitment to a relationship. With Mercury retrograde, this is not the time to make such a commitment. If you are single and available, the best tactic right now is to pretend for the duration that you have taken a vow of celibacy and have no interest in finding a partner. That will be the least painful path.

Through January 3, the Sun (vitality, self-confidence) semisquares Jupiter (optimism, success). This aspect will affect people who have important natal points at 10-12 Cardinal and 25-27 Fixed. These two bodies are quite compatible, and get along well even in hard aspect. The worst of this combination is overoptimism and overspending. If you can exert enough self-control to avoid such problems, you should find this to be a pleasant and enjoyable period.

Through January 7, Mars (energy, assertiveness) sesquiquadrates Pluto (irresistible force, transformation). This aspect will affect people who have important natal points at 2-4 Cardinal and 17-19 Fixed. If we're not careful, we can find ourselves butting heads with our spouses, lovers, children, parents, coworkers, bosses, and you name it. The antidote is the conscious and deliberate cultivation of lovingkindness and compassion.

On January 1 and 2, Venus (love, beauty) semisquares Neptune (illusion, delusion, self-deception). This aspect will affect people who have important natal points at 8-10 Cardinal and 23-25 Fixed. Ideal for artistic creativity, this aspect is less than helpful in matters of love, since we can easily deceive ourselves about who the other person really is.

From January 1 to 7, retrograde Mercury (business, busyness) conjoins the Sun (vitality, self-confidence). We tend to put our own business first now, which is healthy, in a way, but unfortunately our thinking is not clear because of the retrograde Mercury. We simply don't have all the information we need right now, even if we think we do - and we are better off postponing any important decisions at least until late January.

From January 2 to 8, retrograde Mercury (communication) conjoins Venus (love, charm, tact). This aspect is great for tactful communication and persuasive speech, but don't talk yourself or anyone else into any decisions that you'll regret later on. See the paragraph above.

On January 3 and 4, Venus (love, beauty) semisquares Jupiter (expansion, success). This aspect will affect people who have important natal aspects at 11-12 Cardinal and 26-27 Fixed. The Universe may pour blessings upon you during these two days. Enjoy them!

On January 5 and 6, retrograde Mercury (seeing the details) semisquares Jupiter (seeing the big picture). This aspect will affect people who have important natal aspects at 11-13 Cardinal and 26-28 Fixed. Optimism reigns, and you may have some great successes now.

From January 6 to 8, the Sun (vitality, self-confidence) quincunxes retrograde Mars (drive, assertiveness). This aspect will affect people who have important natal points at 16-18 Leo and Capricorn. In this case, the Sun is the problem and Mars is the solution. With all the reasons to postpone important commitments now, if your work is not using up all that energy, perhaps physical activity for its own sake might be your best outlet. How about the gym, or some energetic dancing?

From January 6 to 26, Mercury (communication) squares Saturn (limitation, frustration, delay, but also responsibility). Mercury will change directions, from retrograde to direct, right in the middle of this transit, which is why it lasts so long. Even if you are champing at the bit to make decisions and commitments now, wait a while longer.

On January 7 and 8, Mercury (communication) semisquares Neptune (confusion, delusion). This aspect will affect people who have important natal points at 9-10 Cardinal and 24-25 Fixed. If something is bugging you, don't try to figure it out right now. The time is not ripe yet.

On January 7 and 8, Venus (love, beauty) quincunxes Mars (assertiveness, action). This aspect will affect people who have important natal planets at 16-18 Leo and Capricorn. The problem is Venus and the solution is Mars. Don't try to pressure your lover or anyone else. Just go use up all that energy in hard work or physical exercise.

On January 15, the New Moon will provide an Annular Solar Eclipse, visible from Central Africa through southeastern China. The current pair of eclipses (the December 31 Lunar Eclipse plus this Solar Eclipse) defines a period when our decisions are likely to be based on less accurate information than we would hope. This reinforces the current Mercury retrograde and Storm.

On January 15, Mercury makes its direct station, i.e., starts moving slowly forward again. However, we aren't out of the woods yet. Mercury will not be acting "normal" until it speeds up to at least 40' (minutes of arc) per day, which only happens on January 22. Until then, we are in the "Mercury Storm." For more information on Mercury retrograde and associated phenomena, see the article at
http://www.jshawvan.homestead.com/mercrx2010.html

From January 22 to 31, Venus (love, beauty) opposes retrograde Mars (energy, assertiveness). This is the sexiest pair of planets there is, and some folks will start new love affairs at this time. Mars is in a hurry, so Venus needs to be the one to exercise judgment and perhaps put the brakes on.

From January 24 to February 3, the Sun (vitality, self-confidence) opposes Mars (energy, assertiveness). It's easy to get into quarrels now, and the news will likely be as full of violence as it ever gets. To avoid getting drawn into any such Martial negativity, make a conscious effort to cultivate patience and wisdom. Meditation helps, but it is also a good idea to spend some time working off all that energy with vigorous physical activity.

From January 24 to 26, Venus (love, beauty) semisquares Uranus (upsets, surprises, the urge for freedom). This aspect will affect people who have important natal points at 8-9 Fixed and 23-24 Mutable. With Venus in the emotionally distant sign of Aquarius and involved with the freedom planet Uranus, you will have a desire for adventure and the excitement of the new. If you're already in a committed relationship, it's best to limit the new people in your life to friendships.

From January 27 to 29, the Sun (vitality, self-confidence) semisquares Uranus (the urge for freedom). This aspect will affect people who have important natal points at 8-9 Fixed and 23-24 Mutable. Whereas the Venus aspect (paragraph above) refers specifically to relationships, the Sun aspect has to do with every area of life. Hence the grass looks greener on the other side of every fence. Welcome new insights and new interests into your life. They will expand your mind!

From January 28 to February 2, Mars (energy, impulsiveness) sesquiquadrates Uranus (sudden events, surprises). This aspect will affect people who have important natal points at 8-9 Fixed and 23-24 Mutable. The same degrees get yet another Uranian adventure, this one involving the physical energy of Mars. Drive carefully and don't get on any rickety ladders. With that caution, this can be great fun!

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6. MEDITATION ON LOVINGKINDNESS, COMPASSION,
SYMPATHETIC JOY, AND EQUANIMITY

The following meditation is known as "The Divine Abodes" or "The Four Immeasurables". Reciting these words to ourselves is always appropriate, no matter what the circumstances. Start by saying "May I have happiness", etc., through all four lines; then repeat, inserting the name of someone you like; then again with the name of someone who's neutral to you; and
finally with the name of someone whom you don't like. (It may take a while before you are comfortable doing this for the ones you don't like - but it's very important in the long run.) This practice is beneficial for us and for everyone with whom we come in contact.

May all living beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May we all be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May we always rejoice in the happiness of others.
May we abide in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.

And a wonderful affirmation from Raymon Grace:

"May I always be in the right place at the right time to do as much good as possible."

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7. HOW TO FIND THE CHEAPEST GAS FOR YOUR CAR

At the links below, you can find cheap gas prices in your city anywhere in the United States. For Canada, use the third link, GasBuddy.

http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx
http://www.automotive.com/gas-prices/
http://www.gasbuddy.com/

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8. FOR MORE INFORMATION

about the astrological services, courses, and workshops offered by Jim Shawvan, Certified Astrological Professional, see
http://www.jshawvan.homestead.com