Conference hydra::dejavu

    Well, we closed on our house on the 14th after many delays.  We
    really love the house and we're quite happy. Something that I've 
    been working on has finally come together after giving me weeks of 
    trouble.  Things seem to be on the up swing for me. I don't know 
    if the comet affected things in my life or not. I have been doing 
    alot of chanting lately, if that makes a difference.
    
    		Dave

    Well, after the closest approach, it's all uphill.  :-)
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

    I wouldn't say the week has been rotten, but it has been a struggle.
    I've had to redo things over and over, my writing creativity is
    at zero and I'm definitely itchy with my life in general but have
    no clear idea of what I'd find better (no use chanting for some-
    thing until you know what to chant for--sigh.)
    
    I was attributing the general messy internal state to a couple of
    VERY strong transits in my chart from Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus.
    When the three of them talk to each other, you can feel definitely
    pulled between what seems like a choice between freedom and security,
    broadening and focusing.
    
    My own astrologer always advises that when you feel sh***y is a
    good time to reflect like h**l on what it is you really want, and
    what direction you truly desire to take.  Sometimes wrongness of
    a life direction can take irritating everyday forms of manifestation,
    not just crashing, threatening changes.  And has been recounted
    elsewhere in this file, when one finds destiny and begins cooperating
    with it, all of a sudden the way becomes easier.
    
    Hope this is of some help.  Maybe you should visit whoever you see
    for guidance, consolation, support, divination, whatever.  Just
    clarifying the issues makes me feel a lot better, even if the solution
    is not immediately accessible.
    
    Marcia

    I also had a REALLY good week!!!!!   I have gotten more accomplished
    this week then I have in a while.   I started off the week really
    fine by fixing an installation problem that had been plaguing me
    for about a week.   In responce to Dave, I am sure the chanting
    helped.    In responce to Marcia, chanting works for everything,
    including chanting for the wisdom of what it is you want to change
    or not change as the case may be.   
    
    This buddism is also called the Buddism of the Middle Way.  That
    when a person is feeling "out of sorts" that they are out of rythmn
    with the universe.   
    
    The general state of the world is getting really touchy.   But I
    think most religons including this Buddism predict that the end
    of this century to be a very difficult and trying time for all people.
    (this ties into Nostradomuous(sp) preditions also)
    
    In my opinion the world as a whole is becoming increasingly out
    of rythmn.   But the world is a reflection of each individuals life
    condition.  As more and more people become "in rythmn" with themselves
    and the world around them world peace will be obtained.  
    
    Better days are coming and I am looking forward to the 21 century
    with great enthusiam.   
    
    
    
    					Susan 

    RE.O
           Have you checked your Bio-rhythm chart lately ?
    
           Maybe it's being recharged. That with a lot of other
           negative things can really be a bummer.
    
           I must admit however, that these past couple of week have
           been bad for me. One setback after another, but I have 
           know things will get better.
    
    
                      
      --Rick-->

    	I do feel better now, thank you, but things were pretty intense
    there for a while.
    
    	I'm still curious about some mysical interpretations of Halley's
    comet. I have an article at home somewhere that mentions some things,
    I'll try to find it over the weekend...
    
    	Ed
    

    	I am sorry, but this worry over Comet Halley has little basis
    in fact, for these reasons:
    
    	Halley was 35 million miles from Earth at its closest approach
    in 1986, one of the most distant (and therefore poorest showings)
    of the comet in centuries.  We humans were physically unaffected
    by it in any way, as Earth did not even go through Halley's tail,
    as it did in 1910 - and even then it would mean *nothing*, as there
    is nothing in the tail to affect Earth or its inhabitants in any
    way.  
    
    	Also, there are DOZENS of comets discovered every year which
    pass by Earth (and undoubtedly many others we will never know about);
    their composition is quite similar to Halley's (a dirty chunk of
    rock covered with ice - remnants from the formation of the Sol System);
    shouldn't we be *affected* by ALL passing comets, or just the ones
    which get publicity?
                        
    	I foolishly hoped that in this era of Comet Halley's next passage
    by Earth - an era where we sent space probes hurtling at the object
    to understand it in better detail than ever - we would be spared
    the ancient superstitious fears, the misunderstandings, the hucksters
    waiting like vultures to make a fast buck off those who don't really
    understand what a comet is; but I was obviously wrong.  
    
    	I would like to think (and hope again) that by 2061, or perhaps
    2134, the human race will see Comet Halley and know what it is,
    and admire it for what it REALLY is, and not still linger under
    fear brought about by ignorance.  The only time the human race will
    ever have to worry about a comet is if it is on a collision course
    with Earth - THERE is the only time a comet is an evil omen, and
    even that can be solved with today's technology (send a rocket to
    it with a nuclear device to either knock it away from Earth or destroy
    the comet).  Besides, scientists also believe that comets were live
    BRINGERS, not life-enders; they think that comets in the early days
    of Earth's history carried all the molecules necessary for life,and
    brought them to Earth when they bombarded our planet billions of
    years ago.
              
    	Larry
    

RE: .-1
    
    "Besides, scientists also believe thta comets in the early days
    of Earth's history carried all the molecules necessary for life..."
    
    Although, I've heard this proposed, I think that very few (if any)
    scientists consider this to be more than an outside possibility.
    
    The cometary mass-extinction hypothosis, as controversial as it
    is, is on much firmer ground.  The stronger vote is therefore on
    comets being negative in their (excuse the expression) overall impact
    on Earth life.
    
    I agree with you, there is no known mechanism, except psychological,
    by which a non-impacting comet will have much effect on Earth life.
    It is unlikely that significant mechanisms *consistent with our
    present understanding of physics* will turn up.
    
    					Topher

    Re .9:
    
    Hmm.  And this time, the comet passes us and AIDS breaks out! :-)
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.                                    
    

    	Comets have NOTHING to do with plagues - it is once again the
    old human pattern of connecting "unearthly" events with causing
    Earthly disasters.  Just because Halley passed by Earth when influenza
    broke out in the 1910's has no connection whatsoever.  
    
    	And the Black Plague of the 1300's occured when Halley was nowhere
    near Earth; it was caused by disease-carrying fleas who spread it
    among the filthy and superstitious cultures of Medieval Europe.
    
    	Perhaps you are confusing my comment on the theory that comets
    MAY hold the ingredients which MIGHT have started life on Earth
    billions of years ago - comets most probably do NOT have actual
    organisms on them, just the materials (water, carbon) for building
    life.  Think about it; if they were formed over 5 billion years
    ago when the Sol system was created, then how could they contain
    life when there was NO life in our solar system (life did not appear
    on Earth until about 3.75 billion years ago)?
                                                 
    	And as I said in 113.7, Comet Halley is NOT the only comet in
    the Sol system!  There are literally billions forming a huge spherical
    cloud (called the Oort Cloud) far beyond the orbit of the planet
    Pluto, with thousands falling in towards Sol (Sun) constantly for
    billions of years.  Are ALL comets to blame for Earthly disasters? 
    I think not.  I would look to natural causes and human fallibility
    before blaming celestial objects and events.
                                         
    	Larry
                                                

    re .11:
    
    A small nit - a chief reason for the Black Plague was due indirectly
    to the growing witch hysteria of the time.  As it happened, the
    persecution of suspected witches on the European continent was not
    restricted to humans: certain animals were thought to be "familiars"
    [spirit/demon companions of the supposed witches, manifested in
    animal form].  Any animal could be accused of being a familiar,
    but nocturnal animals, especially those with a touch of mystery
    about them, were particularly "fair game."  One such animal that
    was often accused of being a familiar was the common housecat [as
    if cats were common!].  As a result, cats were slaughtered mercilessly,
    and the feline population of continental Europe dropped spectacularly.
    At the same time, a migration of disease-bearing rats migrated into
    Europe, and without the protection of the cats, multiplied to nearly
    plague proportions.  It was from the fleas on these rats that the
    Black Plague came.
    
    Persecution of suspected witches resulted in misery, pain, and death
    for both victims and persecutors.  There should be a moral in that,
    somewhere.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

    	See how dangerous ignorance and superstition can be to civilized
    society?!
    
    	Larry
    

    RE .12
    
    Also the rat at the same time was praised and depicted as a cat
    killer.  Another reason for the plagues advancement into Europe.
    
    Steve

RE: .9
    
    The "Great Spanish Influenza Epidemic" (more properly a "pandemic")
    took place in 1918.  From our current perspective, this seems in
    the right ballpark but its really quite a gap of time.
    
    The British astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle, along with his colleage N.
    C. Wickramasinghe, believe that life developed in space, and that
    the earth was actually seeded by space born bacteria.  This includes
    comets.  Specifically, they have proposed that the black matter
    covering the surface of Halley's (and presumably other old comets)
    is bacteria.  They believe that many epidemics, small and large,
    have come from bacterial rains associated with comets, and meteor
    streams.  This is described in their book "Diseases From Space".
    
    The general opinion is that their astronomy, a minor element of
    the whole picture, is first rate, but they have managed an amazing
    job of getting a dozen other fields (epidemiology, infrared
    spectroscopy, biochemistry, biology, evolutionary dynamics, etc.)
    half right.  The whole thing forms a neat but distorted picture;
    sort of like attaching signifcance to the mushroom which appears
    when you fold a dollar bill the right way.
    
    				Topher