A Poem

the gentle pull of Saturn kicks upon invisible strings inexorably tethered to my spirit and as a captive I surrender to the judgement of its wisdom the darkness a tidal moment to reflect upon

moments of isolation feed my needs with sustenance whilst oceans of water purify the clouds then worries them away my heart bathing in the extreme humility of nature

thus rumination for this ruminant is a blessing the Tohubohu of the mind inexplicably evolving into a preponderance of calm creativity gliding the metrical staves of inspiration

and as the goat of Capricorn translates within me I push forever onward each crack and diverse angle negotiated with the self assuredness I blithely recognise as that determined creature I frequently forget I am

Sally A Mortemore 2021

Thank you for taking the time to read my work 🙏

It is … only in the state of complete abandonement and loneliness that we experience the helpful powers of our own nature

Carl Jung – Modern Man in Search of a Soul

I AM so good at being on my own I sometimes wonder how far down the road to becoming a hermit I could actually travel – an easy journey for some Capricorns.

WE are ambitous, practical, determined, earthy, capable of achieving anything we set our minds to and we get younger as we get older both in looks and behaviour having been born old! We are the wisest sign and I am pleased to share it with 2 of the most extraordinary women I have had the greatest honour of working with and whom I admire hugely for their strength, humility and dedication – Annie Lennox and Sylvia Syms.

- What truly matters in Jung's message is the understanding that we are ultimately grounded in something infinite and eternal, and that our lives as finite beings, illusory as they are, serve a divine purpose -

Bernado Kastrup

EMPEDOCLES OF ACRAGAS: PHILOSOPHER, POET, SHAMAN

A wonderful read by James Cussen discussing the philosophies of Empedocles and the continual battle between Love and Strife for dominance. The four cycles being – 1. Love's Hegemony 2. The Weakening of Love 3. Strife's Hegemony 4. The Weakening of Strife.

'Thus by the dense concealment of Harmonia is held fast a rounded sphere exulting in its joyous solitude.'

I found the section entitled The Roots of the Matter particularly fascinating concerning the elements of earth, air, fire and water (the four classifications / elements of each Zodiac sign in Western astrology), and my own observations regarding the 12 signs in relation to personality traits, something I am becoming more and more aware of (and fascinated by) as I get older … and older!

I grew up with 3 Leos / 3 fire signs – 1 Capricorn / 1 earth sign amongst all that heat, and desire to be the centre of attention roaring their way through life. I was a complete anathema to them always telling me I was wrong; whatever I said I was told I didn't know what I was talking about, whatever I did it was never good enough, whatever I wanted in life I was told I wanted the opposite, and what I looked like regarding the way I dressed, or did my hair, was embarrassing and a mess and they were not going to be seen walking down the street with me looking like that. When I fought back with a down to earth, logical reply the claws would come out and scratch me to pieces.

Once I passed on some very complementary remarks about my niece to my brother who replied with a hrumf ' Ha – they don't know her' – I had thought he would be pleased my colleagues from the show I was working on had enjoyed meeting her, and was completely taken aback by his derogatory response. I told him I believed myself to be a good judge of character, and was in agreement with their perceptions – he proceeded to tell me I didn't know what I was talking about, I didn't know anything, and to grow up! I told him to stop patronising me. He was insensed slamming the table saying 'How DARE you talk to me like that! I am old enough to be your father!' (he was 19 when I was born). He roared like there was no tomorrow, and my mother witnessed eveything, saying nothing. She died a few months later, and I discovered from her neighbours just how frequently she would knock their door in tears having been bullied on the phone by him – the lioness submitting to the King even though she could hunt better than him.

It is only in the last 15 years that I have begun to recognise similar traits in other Leos, roaring whenever I touch a raw nerve with my directness, (bordering bluntness) causing their status to be under threat. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule taking in to account other influences in their astrological charts, but this recognition has helped me to understand my familial past. And YES, I CAN be too blunt, and that is something I have to monitor in myself.

'The entirety of the universe is made up of these four basic elements. These individual elements of water, air, earth and fire are unchanging, eternal and innumerable'

I am a typical Capricorn and extremely down to earth by the way!

'Everything is a mix of these four elements'

Below – he explains far better than I -

Further reading by Sally: