Happy Birthday!

[marwood]

Happy Birthday Raphael!
Hope you have a great day and enjoy a glass or three
of the finest wine known to humanity!
Chin Chin.
Marwood.

[Saturn]

Indeed, felicitations and all that Raphael, have a great day.

[Pjerrot]

Wishing you a wonderful birthday as well, Raphael.

Pjerrot

[Malia]

It's a great day for birthdays! Raphael, you and my beloved sister-in-law have the same birthday. I'll be sure to raise a fork of cake in your honor today.

[Saturn]

We've never had a proper Birthday thread before, I think we should add to this one when we notice it's someone else's birthday, instead of staring a new one just for just one person.

[Ennis]

Raphael --

"This is your birth-day (Tom), and I rejoice
That thus it passes smoothly, quietly.
Many such eves of gently whisp'ring noise
May we together pass, and calmly try
What are this world's true joys, ---"

JKeats
18.November.1816

Happy Birthday, Raphael

Blessed be.

[Jupiter]

Happy Birthday Raphael!

May you have a wonderful one


P.S. I always suspected you were a Gemini for some reason, seems like my guess was right

[Raphael]

Wow, thanks fellow Keatsians- this is so nice of you all! I actually spent it seeing a homeopath re the eczema.
After, I went into town to get more almond oil and then popped into a pagan/vegan choc shop to see the women in there as I like having a chat with them and nosing about ( they always have new things to look at) and they gave me a sweet little cut glass egg ( with a little glass stand to sit it on) for a gift. I've got a little round table with crystals on it and the ivory minature of dear Junkets on it- the little egg is sitting next to him now.

I don't drink wine Marwood- but I did have a bottle of sparkling water with nettle and apple in it from the vegan shop- very refreshing.

Hope the cake was a plum one Malia..

Jupiter- however did you guess I'm a Gemini?!

Ennis- love the poem..

[Ennis]

Raphael --

So glad you had a "happy" birthday. Wish I could give you the gift of no eczema! My son has something that makes his fingertips sore and they crack -- makes it painful for him to get his hands wet, write, etc. At first we thought it was a reaction to the factour replacement medication for his hemophilia, but his hemotologist ruled that out several years ago. Do you have any suggestions that would help him? I'm not sure if it's eczema, or what. Is that what you use the almond oil for?

[Raphael]

So glad you had a "happy" birthday. Wish I could give you the gift of no eczema!

Well it was ok- it was kind of interesting at the homeopathy consultation as it got me thinking along new insights into the eczema causes. I hope his remedy works- when I get it.
Ennis- this is top wish on my 3 wish list- to banish that bloody eczema out of my life for good!

My son has something that makes his fingertips sore and they crack -- makes it painful for him to get his hands wet, write, etc.

Ennis- I totally empathasise with him- that's what the eczema does to my hands- this time last week I had them curled up, could hardly open them- had to ask the man on the top floor to come and cook for me and wash my dishes.

At first we thought it was a reaction to the factour replacement medication for his hemophilia, but his hemotologist ruled that out several years ago.

Has he had an allergy test? I strongly recommend it- I'm having one in about two weeks' time. I also recommend only using natural vegetable soaps such as chamomile and check there is no sodium laurel sulphate in them.Pure olive oil soap is also good.

Do you have any suggestions that would help him? I'm not sure if it's eczema, or what. Is that what you use the almond oil for?

I use the sweet almond oil to moisturise- it greatly reduces the incidence of cracking. I'm also making a home made ointment with it. He could also use coconut oil- this is very soothing- just avoid going out in the sun with oily hands ( for obvious reasons). Organic aloe vera cream is also soothing.

Are his fingers itching? Eczema always itches.

[BrokenLyre]

May be late, but best wishes for your Raphael on your birthday. I hope you are well and that you can pluck a measure of joy and laughter from the "wide arable land of events."

[Jupiter]

Jupiter- however did you guess I'm a Gemini?!

Well, Geminis usually love to talk, they are very good conversationalists, and are very adept at expressing themselves using words. Then, they are also very friendly, easygoing and sociable. And they're usually interested in a plethora of different subjects, and always willing to share their varied knowledge and discuss it, but they're also interested in hearing what others have to say, as this helps them absorb even more knowledge, and this is one thing they are exceptionally good at, for their mind is quick and sharp. A strong interest in poetry is sometimes present, whether it's in writing or reading. All in all, I'd say the three main characteristics of a Gemini person are communicativeness, expansiveness and eclecticism.

It seemed to me that you possessed all of these characteristics, so I drew the conclusion that you must be a Gemini

[Raphael]

May be late, but best wishes for your Raphael on your birthday. I hope you are well and that you can pluck a measure of joy and laughter from the "wide arable land of events."

Thank you Broken Lyre. I'd be fine if this eczema would bog off!

[Raphael]

A strong interest in poetry is sometimes present, whether it's in writing or reading. All in all, I'd say the three main characteristics of a Gemini person are communicativeness, expansiveness and eclecticism.

Well, that's true of me I think!

It seemed to me that you possessed all of these characteristics, so I drew the conclusion that you must be a Gemini

You must be observant and also into astrology Jupiter! What's your sign? Do you find the ascendent important? I have done charts and it usually comes out that my ascendent is scorpio but some charts say it is sagitarius.

[Jupiter]

You must be observant and also into astrology Jupiter! What's your sign? Do you find the ascendent important? I have done charts and it usually comes out that my ascendent is scorpio but some charts say it is sagitarius.

Well I am an aficionado (read that: obsessee) of astrology and I know of a few things, but I am by no means an expert. I'm a Pisces (and a very typical one at that, too) with an ascendant in Gemini. The ascendant is regarded as the 'mask' you wear when meeting others, the face you show to the world and also your 'coping mechanism' with which you face difficult situations, a sort of protecting shield if you like.

The importance of the ascendant is relative, it may be stronger in some people and weaker in others. You see, every planet, sign and house on your chart are assigned a certain rank, depending on the number of aspects a certain planet (and this includes the ascendant) makes with the other planets, as well as other criteria that I'm not so knowledgeable of. For example, in my chart, the ascendant ranks ninth, and therefore is not particularly strong, and it doesn't help me much, either, since I am very shy and quiet and most of the times find it difficult to talk to people. This may also be due to the fact that my ascendant is in many negative aspects (i.e. squares and oppositions) with other signs.

To calculate the ascendant you need the exact hour and minute of your birth. The reason why you're getting different results is probably due to the fact that your ascendant is somewhere at or near the border between Scorpio and Sagittarius, so some charts interpret it as the former, and others as the latter. These two signs are essentially different - Scorpio is passionate, intense and mysterious, while Sagittarius is enthusiastic, easygoing and straightforward - so if your ascendant is positioned right between them, it may be a little bit of both. However if you say that it's usually Scorpio, then most likely it is, although a certain influence from Sag is not out of the question.