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Da Vinci’s Last Supper: Archetype of the Four Alchemical Elements of Nature

By Gabriel Comia, Jr. Last Supper  More often, one may notice the printed painting of the Last Supper hanging on dining walls of many Filipino homes - a customary tradition for the predominantly Roman Catholic country which was ruled by Spain for more than 300 years since 1521. Aside from the painting, some are sculptured wood did by artisans or hammered stainless and aluminum metal artistically embossed crafts. Most people who are patrons of this religious art do not have an idea that the artist of this masterpiece was Leonardo Da Vinci, an Italian master of the art, painter, inventor, mathematician, alchemist, and follower of ancient philosophy. The mural painting housed by the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, Italy covers the end wall of the dining hall which measures 4.6m x 8.8m using egg tempera which was a popular painting medium during that time before the development of the oil painting. The painting represents the scene of ...

MOTHERING WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM ASTROLOGY

by Rinna Plofino-Garrucho Mother and Child. Photo by  guille pozzi  on  Unsplash In the astrology community, often I would hear, “I wish I knew astrology earlier.”. Now knowing what I know, whenever I hear that, I think of my children. We have four children; eldest is a sweet grown-up lady, 20 years of age, then twins -  a boy and a girl -  aged 11, and youngest is a 10-year old girl. I gave birth to our eldest when I was 22 years old, and needless to say, I was groping in the dark as a young mother. Although young, the desire to love her, protect her and give her the best was all that I had in my mind. Growing up, I would be overprotective of her, set high expectations and so many other things that had led to a less than ideal mother-daughter relationship. On the other hand, my relationship with my 3 younger children is better as I started mothering wiser in my 30s. A big family of 6 members each with different personalities is not for everyone. T...

AROUND THE ZODIAC WITH PHILIPPINE HEROES

By Blesilda Carmona-De La Rosa              Philippine Independence Day was declared on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite and has been commemorated ever since. This year marked its 121 st observance, and I count myself blessed to be one of the many heirs to the freedom that Filipino revolutionaries, our heroes sung or unsung,   had fought for.   Now the fourth Monday of August is National Heroes Day in the Philippines. Do you know your Philippine national heroes? Once upon a time, I made a bet with myself that I can go at least once around the 12 signs of the zodiac and be able to name a Philippine national hero who was born under that Sun sign. I was thinking: National Heroes Day, 12 signs of the zodiac, at least one national hero or heroine per sign. Easy peasy. Let’s do this!             Aries: General Emilio Aguinaldo, born on March 22, 1869 in Kawit, Cavite, was the President...

Code of Ethics for Astrologers

by Resti Santiago As with any profession, astrologers need to abide by a code of ethics.  There are do’s and don’ts ethical astrologers agree to protect the name of their beloved scientia. There might be differences in techniques  and interpretations due to personality differences and other factors. One astrologer may prefer modern or psychological astrology, and another one would prefer the older system but both of them must adhere to the same code of ethics. Why is ethics important?  Ethics is important so that fleeting personal opinions and personality-based pronouncements will not erode the reputation of other astrologers or astrology itself.  Astrologers, knowing their strengths and weaknesses, should try not to project their own issues when reading their clients’ charts. One common trait of newbies (mostly males) is to use astrology as pick-up lines. Though it is understandable at first, as one tries to experiment with the knowledge, it can...

Painting the Zodiac Signs

By Shanti Isla I painted these in 2016 when Venus was transiting Capricorn. I was inspired by the Llewelyn astrology calendars. I buy them every year. I used acrylic paint on 8" x 10" canvas. I am self-taught. Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Sagittarius Capricorn I only painted seven signs because at that time I was taking care of the baby of my sister. When baby was asleep, I would paint. Then my feelings changed and I wanted to paint something else. (Editor's note: Taurus and Virgo were painted after the initial set of seven. They have been added to this post.) Self portrait by Shanti Isla Shanti is a Capricorn. She is organized, responsible and hardworking. Her rising sign is Aquarius. Smart, passionate and crazy in love because Leo is in her house of relationships. She was the chef and owner of Bliss Cafe, a vegetarian restaurant in Baguio City.

Venus in retrograde

By Luanne Manlapaz Venus and Earth. Photo from WikiCommons. I'm stuck with being in love with you at least for the next 31 days- Venus is in the peak of her retrograde and there is nothing I can do but give in, helplessly drink what the cosmos bring, succumb to the planets, without a clue- I'm never strong enough not to and the pull is so strong that one night of being with you will never be enough at least not until the end of this Venus month and we don't even have to touch (well, maybe hold hands just like the last time- the innocent gesture of a dangerous crime) But really, in reality, because I rarely get to see you maybe merely looking at you will do- I'm intoxicated by your presence alone; and I crave the sound of your voice carrying your priceless thoughts to my soul- a need so raw; I'm infatuated, addicted feeling helpless and medicated I've chanted the mantra of mind over matter, emptied my mind with deep brea...

How Saturn Made Me Take a Crash Course in Astrology

By Kaye Domingo Having had several sessions with astrologer Resti Santiago, including some where I received warnings from him, I realized that astrologers can give you a blueprint of your fate. But this will have an impact on you once you realize that you have   experienced these significant events mentioned in your readings. There will be a greater impact after you realize that what was predicted in your readings have actually come to pass. F rom September 2015 to December  2017,   Saturn was in Sagittarius . I hav e a Sagittarius ascendant and sun sign . The past two years took me by surprise. I t was as if I got run over by a train, especially towards mid-2017 until the end of that year. I won't go into details; I lost everything I worked for in the last 10 years – family, house, kids, money, my sanity – all in one day. From that day on, I have taken the liberty to study the external factors of my fate. And I took this as the moment when ...