Although it is tempting, I won’t. I guess it’s just a coincidence that Mars is retrograde and I just happened to read about it today. It’s been retrograde for around 2 1/2 months (since the beginning of the year) and will be over by March 11th. What does that mean? I picked out a few applicable phrases: things don’t move ahead as quickly or easily, unresolved conflicts demand attention, new plans of action are required, and one’s life situation needs some inner reflection. Oh, and I thought it was just me!

In keeping with my strange mood of late, I saw a wonderful film last night: Séraphine. It is the true story of a woman of simple means who took on cleaning and laundering jobs during the day, and painted by night — bathed in candlelight, and in a trance. Her painting evolved as the result of a celestial calling (Maria?), and she had no formal training. She is considered one of the major ”naive” painters — alongside Henri Rousseau.

As luck would have it, she was discovered by an art dealer. With some major delays (due to the First World War and the Great Depression), he helped establish her in the art world. Unfortunately, she did not know about her fame, as the last years of her life were spent in what could be called an insane asylum. And the real turning point came just a few years after her death — with major exhibits in Paris, Zurich and New York (MoMA).

It’s a bittersweet story with a message for me: Do what you have to do, regardless of the outcome. Her life ended tragically (in my opinion), but it was a full life — with a generous supply of ups and downs.

Where do the stars fit in? Well, I was just thinking, with Mars going out of retrograde, I’m about ready for another “up”! :)