PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY August 31 2009 to September 6 2009 Monday August 31 Tip of the Iceberg Dear Jonathan, I'm concerned. If everything has consciousness, from the sun to a lettuce, what can we eat without causing pain to something? Mary Dear Mary, Greg Sams argues, in his latest book, that the Sun may not just be 'conscious' of its own existence... but conscious of the far-reaching implications of its own behaviour and able to adapt this. Is the Sun really so intelligent and sensitive? Are animals? Are lettuces? We may not know the answers, but we humans have, at least, the ability to form such questions. So we surely ought to keep asking them! Tuesday September 1 Pulse of the Earth Hi Jonathan, Native Americans have long known that Mother Earth is a conscious living being, as is Father Sky. They say she even has a heartbeat. I think I felt this one day while standing beside a river in the mountains. I was watching water rush over the rocks when I noticed a steady rhythmic pulse coming up from the ground - into my feet and through my body. I have experienced it only once but I recognised it instantly. Powerful yet calm and reassuring, it made me feel like a child wrapped in my mother's arms as she rocked me to sleep. Tenaya. Wednesday September 2 Pain-free Food Dear Jonathan, I have always wondered how vegetarians can tear a vegetable from its roots, skin it, peel it, or even boil it alive! I don't know if vegetables can feel 'pain' , as animals do, but whatever is born, grows and dies, must have some sort of consciousness. Thalia Dear Jonathan, In answer to Mary, who asked if there is anything we can eat without causing it pain? I want to say, 'Fruit'. It is produced to be eaten and digested, so the seeds it contains are carried away and deposited with their own little pile of fertiliser. Gina Thursday September 3 What to expect from the aspects Hi Jonathan, Can you say more about the aspects on Sept 17-18? From what I've read it sounds frightening. Michelle Dear Jonathan, I've been hearing bad things about the Saturn/Uranus opposition this month. How severe is this going to get? Nick Dear All, I've had several emails which make me suspect that, somewhere on the internet, astrologers are scaremongering. The next few weeks will be no more intense than last February. I cover all this in my latest September Video forecast - click here to join the Five Star Service. Friday September 4 Lunar C Once, months were 28 days long. They lasted as long as it took the Moon to go from New to Full and back again. The idea of a seven day week comes from the time it takes the Moon to move from one 'quarter' to the next. It was only 'years' that we measured by the movement of the Sun. Maybe one day we'll start counting smaller units of time by the lunar calendar once more. Meanwhile, more by coincidence than design, this weekend coincides with a Full Moon. For many people, the next few days may bring drama. Saturday September 5 Your Week Ahead Take a look at the Full Moon this weekend. Though officially, it's already 'past full' it's still big enough to worry a werewolf. And though you can't see it with the naked eye, up near the Moon is the planet Uranus. Rising as the Moon sets is Saturn. It too is hard to see, not because it is so distant but because dawn is so bright. If you could catch a glimpse, though, you might not recognise it. Saturn's rings are invisible. It is 'edge on' to Earth. It's a time when many things look and feel different to how we think they should. And Mercury, turning retrograde this week, may also give a lot of people pause for thought. Sunday September 6 Celebrity Sunday - Noel and Liam Gallagher Geminis and Virgos are supposed to get along very well. According to traditional lore, both signs are ruled by Mercury - which is also the planet of commerce, communication and intellectual exploration. Why then, should Noel and Liam Gallagher have such a fractious relationship? Perhaps it's because Mercury also governs brotherhood and traditionally, male siblings have squabbled, ever since the days of Cain and Abel. Is their latest break-up really forever? I doubt it. They'll patch things up and get the band back together again. But not for another few years. Back to Index   Click here for Jonathan Cainer's Daily Zodiac Forecasts