My Mom
by Kelly (Veneo)
With this being the month of Mothers Day here in the United States, I thought it would be a most appropriate time to think about, show appreciation for and honor our Moms. Mine has been on my mind a lot these days as she’s dealing with cancer again. The first time was 14 years ago when she had breast cancer for the first time. She had a reoccurrence of breast cancer a couple of years ago, and now it has traveled to the bones of her legs (mostly in her left leg). She’s been through a lot lately with having had a core biopsy in this leg, which resulted in two breaks due to the fragility of the leg. She most recently had surgery to have a pin put in it, and she is on her second course of chemotherapy.
I believe we choose our parents before we’re born, and
it’s easy to see why I chose my Mom. She has so much courage, strength, and
fortitude. She’s been through so much in her life and yet makes it look easy.
I’m not really too concerned about the cancer, because I really feel that she
will understand what this dis-ease is about for her and will overcome, as well
as share her experience with others in order to help them learn and grow as
well …
Let me tell you about my Mom. She was born on December 8, 1941, the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and also the day the United States declared war — entering World War II. She certainly came in expecting to accomplish a lot and agreed to take on a fair amount with the Number 8 vibration being both her birth number and the number of her life-path. (For the life-path number the whole date is added together: 12+8+15=35 … 3+5=8.) Numerology can tell us a lot about ourselves, others and events, just as astrology does. The 8 vibration is rather like a stern taskmaster. It’s a heavy number, and rather fatalistic. But those born under its vibration are also resilient achievers.
Let me mention a little about these numerological and astrological “keys to the universe” or “star signs,” as Linda Goodman called them, because they sometimes get a bad rap from those who don’t understand how they can be used well. Some are opposed to such tools for religious reasons, but they may not understand the background. When I refer to numerology, I’m speaking of the ancient system handed down by the Chaldeans of Mesopotamia, a system later associated with the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). The Chaldean system, which predates the development of Kabbalah by many centuries, is also said to have been used by the Essenes, who may have taught it to Jesus during the years in which his activities were unknown. Both numerology and astrology are ancient tools or keys that were once entrusted to priests and rabbis. Many references to such systems are in the Bible. The book of Ecclesiastes says, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven,” and many take that verse as a reference to astrology.
Despite the difficulty of the 8 vibration that doubly marked the date of my Mom’s birth, I would say that, astrologically, my Mom picked a very good date to be born.
With what lay ahead for her in her life, she was going to
need all of the fire she has in her chart. The fire signs are Aries, Leo and
Sagittarius, and they are masculine (direct and energetic) signs that are
active, enthusiastic, outgoing, energetic, and spontaneous. As a child, my Mom
demonstrated the attributes of these fire qualities well and had “no fear,” so
to speak. Everyone in her family looked to her as the strong one, and when her
Mother was dying of breast cancer and was in extreme pain, it was my Mom (who
was 15 at the time) and not her older sister who gave their Mother morphine
shots. It was also my Mom who introduced me to the art and science of astrology
when I was 15. At the time, she was doing a lot of self-discovery, as her
marriage to my Dad was ending. And I, the curious Virgo with the Gemini
Ascendant and Moon, was quite intrigued as well.
She also read several other books and shared things with me that helped me understand and open up to ideas about Christianity other than what I had been taught in the Catholic Church. She encouraged me to expand my horizons and explore what is out there in our big expansive world. This push to expand my horizons included her desire and encouragement for both of her children (my brother, Bill, and me) to go to college. This was of urgent importance to her, because she wanted us to be educated and open-minded, as well as independent and self-sufficient, and to see the world as a wonderful, interesting, exciting, and beautiful place full of interesting people, places, and philosophies about life and our existence. This describes perfectly her Sagittarian Sun.
The reason it was so important to her that her children become self-sufficient and educated was because she didn’t have such choices herself. She married young, at age 18, due to early childhood circumstances that left her an orphan at 15. Her Dad (whom she was very close to and adored) died when she was 12. Her Mother fell apart after her father died (I sense she had a Pisces Moon or Ascendant), and died from breast cancer the size of a lemon three years later. Her biggest fear had been dying of breast cancer, as her own Mother had, and indeed, that came to pass.
Mom, orphaned at 15, moved in with her newlywed sister and brother-in-law, who became her legal guardians. Mom’s mother had been a Virgo, like I am. But Mom’s sister was a Pisces with a Cancer Moon and Scorpio Ascendant — a triple water, with a major placement in each of the three water signs, just as Mom is a triple fire, with her Sun, Moon and Ascendant all in fire signs. Well, let me tell ya … fire and water, for the most part, don’t mix. Water will put out fire. Water signs are sensitive, intuitive, emotional, receptive and of female polarity.
Mom met my Dad (an Aquarius with a Capricorn Moon) when
she was 16 or 17. They got married when she was 18 and had me when she was 19.
I was born the day before her own Mother’s birthday. When Mom was 21, my
brother was born, a Pisces with a Virgo Moon and Scorpio Ascendant. By Sun
Signs, our family represented all four elements (air for Dad, fire for Mom,
earth for me and water for my brother).
Unfortunately, it was not a happy marriage, as my Mom had really rushed into marriage when she wasn’t ready and didn’t even know herself. Looking at it now, I can see how my Dad’s Capricorn Moon had seemed to fit the bill for her at the time, since she had been looking for a father figure who would protect her from the harsh cold world. The world had already proved to her that it could change her happy childhood and life as she knew it in an instant. The earth sign Capricorn is associated with the “Father” type energy and is ruled by Saturn, the planet of karma. The sign also, in Linda Goodman’s formulation, vibrates to the number 8, my Mom’s defining number. My Dad wasn’t ready to be married at 21, but he loved my Mom and wanted to make her happy. She was anxious to be married. But they were just too immature … unready to handle the responsibilities of being married — and parents, at that.
Mom has remarried and, astrologically, the signs of those she lived with after she was orphaned have repeated. My Stepfather’s Sun Sign is Capricorn (like my father’s Moon), while his Moon Sign is Cancer, the same Moon Sign as Mom’s sister who had been her guardian. How’s this for a wedding date? 8/8/81. It’s not only an 8 day, but the elements added together and reduced total 8 as well! (8+8+19=35 … 3+5=8) Boy does she know how to pick ’em! At the time she thought 8’s were lucky, and she picked the date on purpose. I think her higher self knew that it was a karmic thing to be worked out …
While Mom is all fire herself, she has long been surrounded by both earth and water — both of which tend to restrict or put out fire! In the earth element, there are the Virgo Suns of my grandmother and me, together with the Capricorn placements of the men my Mom married. Water is there with the placements of her sister/guardian, her current husband and my brother. The only close fire she had in the family was her own Dad, who was a Leo, which helps explain their close relationship. Her Moon would have conjuncted his Sun.
Mom had breast cancer the first time a year after my son
was born. In our family tree of repeating placements, he’s a Sagittarian with a
Leo Ascendant and Cancer Moon. The diagnosis came after my brother and I had
both finished college (Mom’s proud Leo Moon would want you to know that we
did). He was living on his own, and I had been married 15 months. 
It was
obviously a tough time in Mom’s life as she faced the illness that her mother
and grandmother had died from. For Mom, there were issues that needed to be
healed, and she discovered some blockages within her, related to her heart chakra.
She did a lot of searching and re-evaluating of things in her life. She looked
again into the question that we all come to: “Who Am I?”
I believe that she found many an answer at that time, but some of the blockages remained or are still unresolved, as the cancer has returned twice. I truly believe — I know — in my heart and soul that this time she will achieve this full healing and will reach a higher evolutionary stage of development.
I know, Mom… I went a bit out on a limb there, huh? You always introduced me to things of this nature, but I went all the way with it. Well sweet Momma, you led me there, and I picked you, so what does that tell you?
Your higher self always knew when I was stuck and not growing spiritually, like I was in my first marriage, and you would gently guide me through books you read that stirred you so much. You knew this Virgo daughter of yours with the Gemini Moon and Ascendant wouldn’t be able to resist, and your enthusiasm about what stirred you was oh so contagious to me.
Besides, my higher self recognized and resonated so strongly to them and KNEW what you were passing along to me were Truths. Thank you for sharing spiritual truths with me and encouraging me to learn and grow. I know I haven’t given you the easiest time, but hey … Bill and I came into your life to shake you up and teach you a little as well. (Wink, wink.) Why else would both of your children’s Sun and Mercury placements square yours?
I know you’ll get through this with flying colors, Mom, and I am so proud to be your daughter. You are always in our thoughts and prayers, and we’ll all be sending you lots of Healing Light, Love and Energy to assist you in your healing. Hey, I know why so many Virgos are attracted to astrology … it’s Astro-Logical — makes perfect sense!!! That one came from your son-in-law Troy.
