Astro Ani's Explorations: Happy Birthday

This year my birthday coincided with a full lunar eclipse and with two other birthday friends' celebrations - Ani Drolkar, whose birthday is on the 6th of October, and Maura whose birthday is on the 8th of October... (Maura and I are birthday twins!) On my birthday there was something for every part of me - the part that meditates and prays, the part that resonates with the heavens and nature - and the part that enjoys good company and good food!

The great thing about the time difference between Australia and the USA is that one can have two birthdays. So my birthday began with birthday wishes from family and friends on Tuesday evening here in the USA (which was the morning of Wednesday the 8th in Australia) - and concluded with a birthday wishes from family and friends and dinner on Wednesday evening here in the USA! Talk about value adding...

I calculated the time difference and worked out that my exact birth time would be at 12:22am I was determined that this year, at the time I was born a) I wouldn't be asleep and b) I wouldn't be driving! Fortunately I was at our Temple doing a prayer shift for two hours from 10pm-midnight (as part of our ongoing 24 hour prayers for peace vigil). I took the opportunity afterwards to walk around the Stupa at the temple while I was being 'born' so-to-speak. I imagined my family, particularly Mum walking around the Stupa with me - and then it branched out to Dad and my wider family (yes you!). It was a dark and stormy night and yet exhilarating. Afterwards I drove slowly home in the dark trying to avoid running over frogs on the wet road - including the biggest frog I've ever seen. Was it a frog or a frog-a-saur?

After a few hours sleep I got up to watch the lunar eclipse underway just before 6am. It was dark, and the sky was beautifully clear allowing me to see the earth's shadow gradually occluding the bright full moon. There wasn't an earthly being around - which was just as well because I was in my pyjamas and thongs. Then I meditated until the eclipse passed. And then it was off for a catch up sleep, brunch, a walk and a cuppa with my Aussie friend, Ani Kunzang.

And finally there was the joint birthday dinner at... Bassets with Ani Drolka and Maura and friends! And Ely sent me a Basset Birthday card too. It was raining Bassets! When I see a basset I am always reminded of our beautiful-hearted Basset, Abigail (named after a risque character in a risque Australian sit-com last century - No. 96) and her irascible sister, Tumshie (named after the Scottish word for Turnip - although she was better looking than that). Here are some photos of the day

Kunzang and I

Basset and friends

Ely Basset

Poolesville Bassets (It's the month of Halloween so Bassets has 'Hallow-eenified its exterior and interior ) - and has even entered its own 'Basset Hound' in the Poolesville Scarecrow competition!)