Solar Eclipse on Friday: Where, How to See It -Solar Eclipse

Solar eclipses have been blamed in the past for war, famine, and the deaths of kings. But the upcoming total eclipse on Friday, August 1, will mostly be celebrated by excited sky-watchers—even if it won't break any records.

The sun will be completely obscured for just under two and a half minutes, "a tad on the short side," according to astrophysicist Fred Espenak, an eclipse expert based at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

A typical eclipse lasts for three minutes, Espenak said, and the longest possible is seven and a half minutes.

When it starts, this year's full eclipse will be visible from a narrow arc spanning the Northern Hemisphere.

Its path will begin in Canada and continue northeast across Greenland and the Arctic, then southeast through central Russia, Mongolia, and China.

Before moving east, the eclipse will start over far-northern Canada around 8:30 a.m. Greenwich mean time (or about 4:30 a.m. eastern time). The eclipse will reach totality—when the sun is totally hidden by the moon—in just under an hour.

In a much wider swath of the globe—including northeastern North America along with most of Europe and Asia—people will be able to see a partial eclipse.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/07/080731-solar-eclipse.html

Hurricane Dolly May Hit Texas

Tropical Storm Dolly headed on Monday for the southern Texas coast where it might become a hurricane later this week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm, with winds of nearly 50 mph (85 kph), emerged from the Yucatan Peninsula over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane watch was issued for the southern portion of the Texas coast.

The watch, which means hurricane conditions can be expected within 36 hours, was issued from Brownsville north to Port O'Connor, the hurricane center said.

Dolly dumped rain on popular tourists resorts on Mexico's Caribbean coast overnight but caused no damage.

The United States has got off lightly for the past two Atlantic hurricane seasons, with just one hurricane -- Humberto in November 2007 -- making landfall in the United States.

But it was pummeled in 2004 and 2005, when a series of powerful hurricanes, including Katrina, ravaged Florida and the U.S. Gulf Coast.

About Dolly

The name Dolly has been used for seven tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.

1953's Hurricane Dolly - strong storm that lost intensity rapidly, passed over Bermuda but caused minor damage.

1954's Hurricane Dolly - small storm that remained far from land.

1968's Hurricane Dolly - moved parallel about 125 miles off the East Coast of the United States but did not hit land.

1974's Tropical Storm Dolly - weak storm that did not strike land.

1996's Hurricane Dolly - formed in Caribbean, made landfall at Quintana Roo, Mexico and again at Tamaulipas, Mexico, killing fourteen and destroying hundreds of homes.

2002's Tropical Storm Dolly - formed west of Africa and tracked northwest, never threatened land.

2008's Tropical Storm Dolly - a currently active tropical storm

Tarot Cards - The Lovers

The Lovers (L'Amoureux)The Children of the Voice; The Oracle of the Mighty Gods.
Card Number: 6Key Number: 17Rulership: GeminiHebrew Letter: ZainTranslation: Weapon or Sword Numerical Value: 12
Divinatory meaningUpright - Harmony and union, choices to be made using intuition and not intellect. Difficult decisions to be made not necessarily about love. Some form of test and consideration about commitments. Abstract thought, internal harmony and union, second sight. Possibly a struggle between two paths.
Ill Dignified or Reversed - Contradiction, deception, disharmony, duality and one's own internal conflict. Infidelity, and romantic disturbances. Indecisiveness, postponing choices and a warning not to make important decisions at this time.
http://www.paranormality.com/tarot_meanings.shtml

Tarot Cards - The Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune (La Roue de Fortune)The Lord of the Forces of Life .
Card Number: 10Key Number: 21Rulership: JupiterHebrew Letter: KaphTranslation: Hand Numerical Value: 9
Divinatory meaningUpright - Effortless success. Good fortune that is unexpected. Coincidences. Luck. The beginning of a new cycle. Advancement. Positive upheaval. Change. A card of good fortune, the appearance of destiny and Karmic change.
Ill Dignified or Reversed - Bad luck that is unexpected. Resistance to change. Unexpected interruptions. A warning against gambling. Difficulties. Delays.

http://www.paranormality.com/tarot_wheel_of_fortune.shtml

Tarot Cards - Dragons

Celtic Dragon Tarot
Dragons are the theme of this deck and they appear on every card in the Celtic Dragon Tarot, with or without humans. The scenes are traditional tarot with a few changes - Swords are associated with Fire and Wands with Air.
Dragon Tarot
Dragons are a legend in many cultures, and they appear in quite a few different colours and poses in this highly popular Dragon Tarot deck from fantasy artist Peter Pracownik.Dragon Tarot
The Dragons Tarot features mythical dragons, earthly dinosaurs and feathered serpents from all cultures, myths and eras in its very colourful and useable 78 cards. Not to be confused with the other.
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/dragons.shtml

Tarot Cards And The Kabbalah

The origins of the Tarot deck and its associated interpretive meanings may never be known with empirical certainty. However, one school of thought subscribed to by Kabbalistic occultists is that the Tarot deck stems from Jewish mysticism.

Some occultists even go as far as to say it was an abstract code developed by Kabbalah masters to embody their thoughts and ideas, in an allegorical format. But before we delve into the nuances of the relationship between tarot cards and Jewish mysticism we must first answer a fundamental question. What exactly is the Kabballah?

Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah have roots that date back to the third to sixth century A.D. during this period a book called the "Book of Creation" was written, in anonymity, and contained meditations based on the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This book is believed to be the foundation of modern day Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah. However, it would be many centuries before this seedling of ideas would grow into the tree of life we know today as the Kabbalah.

In fact it would not be until the twelfth and thirteenth centuries A.D. that the ideas and concepts, in this book, would be expanded and built upon significantly.

During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries A.D. the writing and publication of the Zohar or "Book of Splendor" contributed greatly to the ideas and concepts of the modern Kabbalah. One of the major underlying principles of the Kabbalah was that the universe consisted of four worlds. These four worlds were created in order the highest world belonging to God and the lowest world belonging to man.

In addition these four worlds consisted of emanations called sephiroth. The four worlds were each separated into identical sets of ten sephiroth. The only difference being the energy associated with them. This energy is defined by the world that the sephiroth resides in.

Visual aids were constructed from the sephiroth. The focus of meditation was now on these geometric structures the most popular being the tree of life. It consisted of ten sephiroth connected by twenty-two pathways corresponding to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

With this in mind a correlation between the tarot deck and the tree of life may be formed. The first correlation is between the four worlds of the Kabbalah and the four suits of the tarot deck. The next correlation that may be formed is between the ten sephiroth and the minor arcana numbered ace through ten. The final relationship that may be formed is between the twenty-two cards of the major arcana, twenty-two pathways, at twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

The major debate among occultist is the placement of the cards on the twenty-two pathways. A common practice would be to start with the first card of the Major Arcana and proceed arithmetically to the world card number twenty-two. However, there is a wrench in the works. The fool card's number zero of the major arcana defies placement on the pathways as it would skew the other twenty-two cards to non-corresponding numerical pathways.

So, there in lies the rump of the problem. The placement of the fool card on the pathways has been the subject of much debate. Almost as if the fool cards true nature has disrupted the correlation of the tarot cards and the pathways. However, Court de Gebelin wrote an essay in the late 1700's defining a correlation between the cards and the Hebrew alphabet. In addition another author published in "The Primitive World" Comte de Mellet proposed the linking structure between the tarot cards and the twenty-two pathways marked by the Hebrew alphabet.

Whether you subscribe to the Kabbalistic school of thought regarding the tarot cards or not it is very interesting to note the many similarities between the Jewish mysticism and the tarot deck. It is hard to deny that such a correlation exists but never the less one must keep an open mind without irrefutable historical evidence.

Although, we may never know the exact origins, nature, or purpose of these mystical cards one thing is certain we will continue to enjoy these aesthetically pleasing mystical cards for ages to come.

http://www.articlesbase.com/new-age-articles/tarot-cards-and-the-kabbalah-306840.html
http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/spotlite/news/kabbalah.jpg

Meaning Of Each Tarot Card: Secrets Revealed

We all seem to come to a crossroads in our lives from time to time when we have big questions about the direction we want to go. These times can involve making decisions about career, relationships, and finances, to name a few. Should I take this new job? Is this the right person for me to marry? When is the best time to buy that new car?

Many seek answers from various types of alternative practitioners. They feel that psychics, astrologers, and tarot card readers can see the future and provide guidance for the present. This article will provide an introduction to the tarot, giving you insight into the meaning of every card so that you can more readily grasp the efficacy of your tarot reading.

Every has heard of tarot cards, but how many people know the names and meanings of each tarot card? In each tarot deck are cards emblazoned with images and old symbols that represent tidbits of ancient knowledge, teachings, or archetypes. There are four suits of cards and a set of cards called the Major Arcana. Each of these cards has a special and separate meaning that contributes to the whole message of a reading.

The 'Fool' tarot card stands for unenlightened person; the 'Magician' represents a very talented person; the 'High Priestess' stands for wisdom and intuitive ability; the 'Empress' governs the cycle of birth, death and re-birth; the 'Emperor' stands for worldly power; following ceremonies and beliefs is represented by the 'Pope'; love is represented by the 'Lovers'; the 'Chariot' stands for struggle; Strength' represents exactly what it implies; the 'Hermit' stands for soul-searching; the 'Sun' represents contentment; while the 'Moon' is associated with feminism and seduction.

Tarot card suits each represent a different aspect of a person's life in them. One way to portray positivity is the "Star." Predicting mentality alterations and problems are done by the "Swords". A person's internal life and their personal evolution are referred to in the "Cups." Work changes are portrayed by the "Wands." The "Pentacles" suit show financial situations and wealth.

The card of 'Justice' is self explanatory and represents exactly what its name means. The card of 'Death' is more symbolic and signifies a death that is spiritual or mental. Martyrdom is representative of the 'Hanged Man'. The symbol for sudden change is the 'Tower'. 'Temperance' denotes balance and harmony. Self-examination is represented by 'Judgment'. Collectively these cards lead to the card 'World'.

http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm/379685?articleid=379685