Asteroid Astrology: Page 6

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Holiday Flashbacks

Holiday Rush got your knickers in a twist? Kick back with a mug of hot cocoa or mulled cider and enjoy this collection of Yule-themed articles from the AAA archives: everything you always wanted to know about (asteroids) Santa, Rudolf, Carol and Yule, but were afraid to ask!

Explore the astrological origins of the Santa Claus myth (oops! that’ll earn me some coal!), with “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Asteroid!”

And if you thought you had the skinny on Rudolph, think again, with “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Rock Chunk”.

Can’t get that Christmas Carol out of your head? “Here We Come a-Carol-ing” may help you understand why some resonate more than others.

And don’t forget A Visit From Santy Claws: my yuletide classic for feline lovers everywhere!

AAA Wishes You All the Happiest of Holiday Seasons, and a wondrous, joyous 2023!

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A Simple Yule

[Above, a slender crescent moon hangs like an ornament in a striated, pre-dawn solstice sky.]

Well, I suppose “simple” is in the eye of the beholder.  But after the exhaustion that was Halloween for me this year (three weeks to put it up, two weeks to take it down), I felt I needed a rest.  Late November to early December is always “hell month” for me, with so much de-decorating, redecorating and seasonal switch-ups going on; it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a break with a streamlined Yule.

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Eighty Years of White Christmas

The most enduring of Christmas carols just might be Bing Crosby’s 1942 version of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”, celebrating its eightieth year this holiday season.  Even in this day of flash-in-the-pan one-hit-wonders, streaming and digital downloads, Crosby’s classic retains its lofty perch as the world’s best-selling single, with global sales exceeding fifty million.  But it’s not just Crosby – add in the sales figures of the hundreds of artists who have covered the tune, and total sales of “White Christmas” double to over 100 million!  Perhaps writer/composer Irving Berlin’s post-creation assessment of the tune for his secretary was correct:  “I want you to take down a song I wrote over the weekend.  Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote.”

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“Casablanca” Turns 80: Here’s Looking at You, Kid!

When “Casablanca” was released in 1942, no one expected it would stand out among the hundreds of films churned out by Hollywood yearly, let alone achieve the iconic status it has.  The film did reasonably well at the box office, but it wasn’t until it won the Academy Award for Best Picture that people began to take it seriously.  Over the decades, “Casablanca” has earned an enduring place in movie-lovers’ hearts, with its star-studded leading players, supporting cast of popular ‘40s character actors, memorable dialogue, and iconic theme song, “As Time Goes By.”  “Casablanca” regularly makes it to the top of the lists of the most popular movies of all time, and was one of the first films nominated by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.  It remains a personal favorite, and I never miss an opportunity to watch.

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AAA Profile: King Charles III

On November 14, 2022, Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will celebrate his 74th birthday, the first as King.  Having served the longest apprenticeship in British royal history, Charles had been heir apparent for seventy years before his mother passed away in early September and the Prince of Wales finally came into his inheritance.   It had been a long road.  Once the world’s most eligible bachelor, Charles became half of the fairytale wedding of the 20th century, followed by scandal and divorce, and a second, controversial marriage with the love of his life.  While kicking his heels for three-quarters of a century, Charles established The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund, founded in 1979, which awards money to grant applicants in six categories:  heritage and conservation, education, health and wellbeing, social inclusion, environment, and countryside.  He is also a noted proponent of efforts to combat climate change and species extinction.

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Garden Glimpses: Late Autumn Color

It’s November, and Nature is retreating from her active stance, but even as she presses pause on another season of fruitfulness, there is color and beauty everywhere you turn.  The bounty of the harvest is still visible in every roadside farmstand, with bevvies of pumpkins, gourds and squashes in every imaginable hue, from classic oranges and yellows to reds, pinks, greens, whites, greys, even black.  Solid, spotted, banded, freckled or striped; warted, grooved, bumpy or smooth, there’s something for every taste, and all still appropriate as seasonal décor, inside or out, through the looming Thanksgiving holiday.

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