Day 5

Day 5 of 31 Days to Know You

You have a family.
You carry them in your head.
And maybe in your heart.
They might not be the family you were born to.
They might not even exist.
Except in your own world.
Which you have created.
And carry with you.
In your head.
And maybe in your heart.

“When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching -- they are your family. ” 

― Jim Butcher

There is a way, using astrology, to write a "family" story, that actually tells about the characters that you carry with you. There are eight planets and two lights that are used in astrology. Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. You don't need to know anything about astrology to write this story. Just name a character for each of these planets and for the Sun and the Moon.

Let the Sun be you.

The Moon: your mother, or any other close women in your life -- except grandmother (unless she's in the role of mother)

Mercury: an elementary school teacher or a childhood neighbor, or siblings.

Venus: a best female friend (if she helps you define your values, so much the better)

Mars: a male friend (if he is fiery in nature, full of energy, and/or aggressive, he has Mars attitude)

Either of the above can be a love-interest, a life-partner, husband or wife.

Jupiter: a benefactor or someone exotic. This can be a kindly older brother. It could be a Teacher, but one who teaches adults. It could be someone acquainted with law or with philosophy. It can also be in-laws, grandparents, or lawyers.

Saturn: This could be your father. This could also be a boss. Someone with authority. Someone older. Someone established, stuck-in-a-rut, or one who loves order and antiquity.

Uranus: a teen-ager or someone quirky and unusual, maybe an inventor, or someone who shakes things up whenever s/he comes around

Neptune: a mystic or someone in service to the global family or the family of man -- someone who gives herself or himself in service to others -- it could also be someone who looses themselves in drugs or alcohol, or someone who is so spiritual-minded, they forget about daily existence

Pluto: someone in tune with power aspects of life such as sex and death, someone acquainted with sorrow, maybe someone who deals with the dying. A powerful person. Or one who rises from the ashes, having known great sorrow and returned from it. Someone who may have changed your life in a powerful way for either good or ill -- but having to do with power (as in, someone who helped you gain your own personal power -- perhaps when you stopped letting him or her have power over you). Someone with whom you've had a power-play.

Either choose each of these from your real life friends and family or invent the characters. You might want them to be aspects of yourself. Maybe you'd rather they were completely separate individuals to put as much distance between these characters as you need. Gradually, bring them closer.

Let them interact. Put two or three in a room and let them talk. Let them talk about you. Bring the Sun (you) into the room with each of them -- have a conversation or write about the interaction between them. Maybe it's you who want to talk about them. Have your say. What would the others say when the Sun (you) has left the room.

In what ways are you the same as each other character -- in what ways are you different?

Take any two characters and think about how they get along. Does the Sun agree with Uranus or find her irritating? Does the Moon understand Neptune?  Do you (Sun) get along with Saturn (the father image) or are you like two sides of a coin or two ends of an argument? Are there any  two planets here that are at total odds with each other?

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relatives.”
― Oscar Wilde

If you take the time to do this exercise, put your writing away and save it. If you ever have your chart done, you may be surprised at what you find -- that you already knew the connections between, for instance, your sense of self-worth (Venus) and your attitude toward authority (Saturn).

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” 

― Mother Teresa

Day 6

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