God's Gift

God gave me an early Christmas present. I got to my dad's house and realized I forgot my bag of stuffed animals to donate to the church for kid's in Africa. Then I figured while I was at dad's I might as well sort through some of my sister's toys with her to donate more toys next weekend when I finally remember to bring mine over. 

As I was looking for things to ship to the kids I decided: check the book shelf for any kids books. Then as I was looking at the books I thought, Can they speak/read English? What if they get the book and they can't understand it? Then my eyes struck a book about Birthdays and I looked at it and paused... I was like... is this an astrology book? Holy crap this is an astrology book! Time to match notes... I grabbed some note paper and a pencil and started right in. Holy crapolios!!! 

My findings:

The Secret Language of Birthdays: Personology Profiles for Each Day of the Year  by Gary Goldschneider, Joost Elffers, Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, 2004

First off Goldschneider was born May 22, 1939 -which puts him in the Gemini category. He attended University of Pennsylvania and Yale University -which makes him a Libra (mentally oriented) air sign -mixed with Gemini means bordering genius. Goldschneider was a therapist who after a while started noticing people's personality types paralleled with astrology. So in my eyes -pretty legit level of study, practical application, and thorough research.

The book itself breaks down into several sections (very well organized). 

Part 1 = Basic overview and understanding of the zodiac signs -especially the seasons they fall under.

Part 2 = a closer look at the signs as grouped by their season, rather than their element.

Part 3 = a two page overview of each sign and what personality type it is associated with.

Part 4 = every single birth date of the year and what that individual personality type is like. 

Part 1: The Spheres of Explanation

Diagrams are very helpful. In fact I'd say that instead of making an idiots guide to the Zodiac, Goldschneider has built on assumed previous knowledge of it and has explained the overarching themes within each cycle. 

The first thing he states is this:

Cycle 1 (The Beginning) = Birth -Spring-Aries

Cycle 2 (Age 21) = Young Adult -Summer-Cancer

Cycle 3 (Age 42) = Adult -Fall -Libra

Cycle 4 (Age 63) = Old - Winter -Capricorn

 I was stunned. He basically affirmed my discovery that essentially the zodiac signs didn't just hint at a person's personality type -but the age of their soul itself. Old soul, young soul. Affirmations are important. they mean that the discoveries you make can be validated by others outside/ not in contact with you. Means it's Truth. 

Then Goldschneider goes on to say that another level involved with the signs are the way they develop their perceptions of the world. He uses language that's a little too distant for me, so I'll put things in my own terms by translating his jargon. 

Side 1 = Subjective Growth and Objective Reality. He explains it in more detail as well -basically you grow physically and your views on life depend a great deal on your upbringing, your experiences, your feelings/ intuition, personal opinions... as opposed to wisdom or studied logic. You will also be more worldly, emotional, concerned with the Here and Now, and you will have a subconscious level of spirituality -like a hippie where it just sort of flows from you. 

Side 2 = Objective Growth and Subjective Reality. Instead of growing outwardly, you will grow far more inwardly. You will be more mature, pragmatic, and wise. Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius will be more "Social" signs. Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces will be more "Universal" signs. They will be concerned with fate, destiny, eternal life, God, sensation, and thought. they will have a conscious and intentional spirituality. 

It is also important to note that the planets associated with each sign reveal hints of their personality. For instance "Side 1" signs are associated with the inner planets (closer and more personal). "Side 2" signs are associated with the outer, impersonal planets. 

Goldschneider then goes on to break down the circle again, this time vertically. He explains how the seasons effect each sign and links them to the concept of yin and yang. 

Waxing = Winter to Spring (shorter days, longer nights) -Days get brighter and weather improves-Increase in Light

Waning = Summer to Fall (longer days, shorter nights) -Days get darker and weather worsens- Decrease in Light

He then sums it up with a box:

#	Season	Age	Signs	Wax/Wane	Understanding
1	Spring	0-21	Aries, Taurus, Gemini	Wax	Intuition/ Instinct
2	Summer	21-42	Cancer, Leo, Virgo	Wane	Feelings/ Emotions
3	Fall	42-63	Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius	Wane	Sensation
4	Winter	63-84	Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces	Wax	Thought

 After I decided his basic explanation of the zodiac was legit, I then turned the page and saw a 365 day overview with one word describing each sign on each birth date. He also had a nice circle map covering the Elements of each sign and the Mutability/ Cardinal/ Fixed description. 

Feb 27 = The Reality Master

I have no idea what that means.

I haven't read Parts 2 or 3 of the book yet. I kind of skipped to Part 4 to see how correct his assessment of the February 27th Pisces was. (That's me). 

I found out John Steinbeck was born on this date. And Irwin Shaw.

"Those born on February 27th... spend a great deal of energy trying to understand the basic elements of everyday life -how things work, why people act the way they do, how to work to advantage with the environment -but this is only the beginning" (Goldschneider, 766). He then goes on to describe a personality type that explores the world in terms of culture, social structures, and the universality of the world. This person builds each step of the way on what they discover -creating well founded lines of logic that grow and deepen with time. They then feel very poised and confident in their conclusions about life. Their greatest issues are with their personal lives. 

Negatives: They tend to be emotionally demanding. They tend to date people who are less than appealing to others and probably not that good for them. They don't know much about themselves. They can't seem to figure out the difference between what they want and what they need. They can tend to seek advice from others, rather than from within themselves. They put too much emphasis on their love lives and not enough on themselves. They date a lot and are prone to have issues with lust and alcohol. They can be overpowering and dominant over others. They struggle to master social situations. They don't watch their health and should find someone to help them know when to seek medical attention. They can struggle with mistrust, intolerance, stubbornness, and discouragement.

Positives: They gather wisdom and use it to guide them through decisions they have to make. By finding their true needs they can achieve emotional stability and happiness. Extended periods of time alone to reflect would do this person much good. They are happiest when their minds are allowed to wander freely and they can explore the world without criticism. They can be magnetic and greatly influential. They can be focused, purposeful, deep, and committed. They have the wisdom of observation within themselves to learn more from their experiences than having another person guide or teach them. 

Overall: this describes me very well -except for the negative aspects. But then again there are good reasons why none of those would fit me. 

I'm not emotionally demanding because I was raised by someone overly emotional and negative.

I don't date in general and when I do I'm attracted to people who are "better than me" or are on a path of self-improvement.

I didn't know much about myself until I found the Zodiacs and my world started getting peiced together. Now I know me very well.

I'm not sure about the want versus need thing. I don't want much most of the time. I'm happy with what I've got.

I don't tend to seek advice from others -in fact I never do. I learn from people indirectly by seeing their mistakes and their accomplishments and understanding why they fail or succeed. I learn from my experiences and the experiences of others and figure things out for myself.

I don't date a lot. Again, kind of waiting. I do yearn for a soul mate, but then I kind of realize love isn't as magical as most people paint it up to be. I do enjoy being single.

I don't have issues with lust because of my medication for my Social Anxiety Disorder. I actually find lust to be kind of annoying and distracting. But the medication usually keeps it at bay.

I don't drink alcohol -my mom's an alcoholic, I hate the taste of alcohol, and I have no desire to drink it.

I don't struggle with social situations anymore thanks to my medication and the discovery that I had a disorder.

I'm not overpowering or dominant over others because I was raised by an overbearing parent who ruled my life. I've always had someone looming over me. I'm just used to being subordinate.

I don't watch my health as much as I could. I just don't really care for my body/vessel/fleshvelope as much as I should. Kind of like my car.

I struggle with trusting people and opening up to them. It's frightening as all hell. Like ripping your chest open and literally pulling out your heart.

I'm not intolerant because I'm not attached to who people are. That's why I can understand them well.

I struggle sometimes with stubbornness, but I'm always open-minded enough to listen.

I only struggle with discouragement when someone wants to do something extremely impractical. Like when my sister said she wanted to wear an obvious platinum blonde wig to church today... No.

"Extended periods of time alone to reflect would do this person much good". It's good to know that God has a plan and that I've seen what His plans have been for me and how perfectly they've unfolded into molding who I am today. He's protected me all this time from negative tendencies I would have otherwise lost myself to. I love Him. He's always watched out for me and guided me.

February 28th -my sister's birthday. Just as the previous page describes me and the negative tendencies I've managed to avoid, this one is like an open diary of her life. It actual made me a little sick to my stomach to see how eerily similar it was to mirroring her own life. 

If there is any criticism I can bring to the book and its theories it's that Goldschneider has a really weird name and he failed to acknowledge the shift that can occur within a person's element depending on their Soul's Age and their Orientation towards emotions, thought, or spirituality. I've seen a Cancer become a Pisces and a Pisces turn Scorpio and a Scorpio turn Cancer. My mom is a Libra turned Gemini. You can't say that people's personality types are "fixed" within the confines of a specific zodiac type and then also suggest that some signs are "mutable" and can change. People change based on their influences and their interests. They evolve and devolve. It's all based on what they want in life and what they think their purpose is. I think people have a set path and a given set of traits, but from there people travel down the road to their own fate. God just tries to guide them as best they can down whichever road they choose within their element.