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By Simone Butler It's a holiday weekend, and the Family from Hell is living it up. Not that they need an excuse to whoop and holler. The five-year-old boy leads the charge at top decibel for hours daily in their backyard, facing my house. Behind closed doors, I try to work--or god forbid, relax--as the white noise of a kitchen fan feebly defends me from the ruckus. I read somewhere that hell must be an infernally noisy place. Perhaps resembling our modern cities? In his new book The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want: A Book About Noise, Garret Keizer notes that church bells were once the loudest sounds that people heard. Industrialization added jets, leaf-blowers and booming car stereos, all of which contribute to "a decibel-blasted lifestyle that doctors link to depression and rage." Silence, then, is the remedy for what ails us. But where to find it in this nerve-jangling society? We could move to an isolated location, or check ourselves into a monastery. But for most of us, this is not realistic. So, we can either embrace the fast-track, noise-fueled lifestyle with all its attendant anxieties, or find the silence within. As one of nine children growing up in a shack in Iran, the brilliant architect Nader Khalili was constantly subject to screaming fits and flying objects. How did he stay sane? "I learned to find silence in here," he said with a twinkle in his eye, pointing to his forehead. I'm still not sure how Khalili accomplished this feat, but I find it inspiring. We could all use a dose of silence and tranquility, as we build toward a jittery conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus in Aries on June 8. This planetary combination sparks exciting opportunities, crises and sudden changes. It's been 84 years since revolutionary Uranus last charged through fiery Aries, bringing such radical changes during its 7-year transit as the 1929 stock market crash. Jupiter intensifies Uranus' urge for breakdown and reform in corrupt systems, such as those that have led to unspeakable travesties like the Gulf oil spill. The June 12 New Moon in Gemini (4:15 am Pacific time) accelerates the imperative for change. Gemini is a lively, intelligent air sign--not inclined to sit still for long. Yet Saturn, newly direct in late Virgo, throws a stabilizing square to this New Moon that helps to ground us, or brings lessons about slowing down and taking better care of ourselves. Mercury will also be moving through the sign of the Twins, as it links up harmoniously with Jupiter and Uranus. Revelations, progress and resolution are likely at this New Moon, as long as we manage to not spin out of control. Soon after the Sun's entry into sensitive Cancer at the Summer Solstice on June 21, the Moon's conjunction to Pluto brings up intense emotional issues at the June 26 lunar eclipse. Thus ends a month of turbulence and transformation intended to clear away the past to prepare us for a brave new world at the July 11 solar eclipse. Tune out distractions at the June 12 New Moon so you can hear any important messages coming through. Take some time to yourself, find a serene spot or listen to relaxing music. As for me, I'm praying that the Family from Hell goes on holiday soon, as they did last year. But either way, I'll do my best to find the silence within.
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June
Theme: The Silence Within