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An octopus named Paul (hatched in Dorset, England in 2008) has accurately predicted the winner of each game during the World Cup. Paul, who now lives at the Sea Life Center in Oberhausen, Germany, makes his prediction using his nine brains, three hearts and soothsaying ability, and now stands with an impressive record of 6-0.

To determine each winner, he chooses between two boxes which one he will open first and then eat the mussels from inside. Each individual box has the national flag representing the teams playing, the one that Paul pulls the mussels from first, is declared his pick for the winner. To date, Paul has been 100% accurate in his choices.

Dubbed the ‘eight-legged oracle’, he shocked his home country by predicting Spain to win over Germany, which has led to him receiving death threats. The response in Spain was more positive with Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero quoted as saying that he wished to send a protective team to watch over the octopus. In addition, according to the Washington Post, celebrity chef Jose’ Andres has removed octopus from the menu of all of his U.S. restaurants in honor and appreciation of Paul.

Octopuses have a very low life expectancy, some only live up to six months and others to five years. They are recognized as one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, with research showing that they exhibit both short and long term memory. They are known as incredible escape artists and frequently break free from their aquariums to move into other tanks. Some reports claim that they have boarded ships and open holds in search of crabs.

Watch Paul at work picking Spain as the winner:

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Shamans, mystics, high priestesses and psychics access many forms in nature in order to communicate with the natural and supernatural worlds and receive information from the earth and the higher planes. On the earth plane, the natural elements of earth, air, fire and water relay energetic messages. In my work as an intuitive, I pay attention to signs in nature as they appear, as there is much information to be found in the world around us if we slow down long enough to look around and take notice. With any reading of natural elements, there is an art and skill involved as well as discernment. Mystics will explain that not every animal has a message when seen and the same goes for other natural elements. Having said that, there are times in nature, in clouds, in totem animal appearances and in other rare occurrences, when there is a message being shared.

While traveling on Sunday evening along the coast of Florida, a friend of mine watched a storm rolling in and she noticed that the clouds looked particularly ominous. She snapped this photo and sent to me,  asking me what I thought about this formation. When reading clouds, the shape of the cloud is taken into account along with the connection with the elements of air and water. When clouds appear light and fluffy, they represent the energy of air. On days when clouds prepare to release the water vapor they have gathered, they represent the element of water as they return the condensation back to the earth as rain.

The clouds in this photo are gathering for a strong storm. The energetic pattern formed here expresses the anger emitting from the earth plane regarding the catastrophic situation in the oceans with the oil spill in the Gulf. The clouds are extremely dark and heavy, as if they are trying by sheer will to lift and remove the toxic oil out of the ocean.

The image has taken on the energy and shape of a dragon cloud. Dragons represent the ley lines of the earth. The earth is in great turmoil as the devastation continues from the oil spill which continues to spread, soon to reach the rest of Florida and then over to the Atlantic, moving up to North Carolina and into the Gulf Stream which will carry it over to Europe. The cycles of balance in nature are not fully understood during this shift of the ages and it is not quite clear how much damage will occur when the oil spill hits the gulf stream, which affects our weather patterns. No one quite knows how rapidly earth changes will occur. We have only to reference the scientific research presented regarding the melting Wilkins ice shelf in the Antarctic, which was predicted that it would take another 15 years to move and instead a huge section has already broken away and the shelf still in existence is now being described by climate scientists as ‘hanging by a thread’. The surprise collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf provides another example.

While many people are deeply saddened over the oil spill in the Gulf, it has not yet hit the full global consciousness that this is a disaster of proportions which has not been seen before in this lifetime and many others. Beyond the very obvious and growing worse daily environmental impact, there will be an equally devastating economic impact which will be felt globally.

Returning back to the Dragon Cloud and what it predicts, beyond the ley lines and earth energy that it represents, the dragon also represents Asia. The dragon will bring a backlash from Asia and it will affect the stock markets in a most negative way. Watch for this to occur this week and the effect to be felt in all markets.

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As you may know, the numerology of your birthday, or of a particular year, can correspond to the Tarot, particularly the Major Arcana (the trumps).  Using this system, we can discover much about the traits and patterns that may be anticipated in a given year.

This year, 2009, would be 2+0+0+9 =11.  So this is the Tarot Year of Justice. Or is it Strength?

One of the most controversial things that Arthur Waite did when he and Pamela Colman Smith created their new Tarot deck in 1909, was to switch the order of the Eight and the Eleven of the Major Arcana.

So for people who prefer other decks, this year is the Tarot year of Strength, and 2006 was the Justice year.  To read about the attributes of the Strength year, you can visit here: http://www.owlsdaughter.com/article4.html

I believe it is worthwhile to bear the older order in mind, but by and large, I believe that we can anticipate a big year for Justice.

The Justice year always heralds a new beginning.  After the many changes and turns of Fate in a Wheel of Fortune year as LAST YEAR was: http://www.owlsdaughter.com/wheelyeararticle.html it brings a much-needed time when we can adjust to and assimilate what has occurred. 

In a Justice year, we need to evaluate wisely, determining what to keep in our lives, and what is no longer true or right for us.  It is the opportunity to judge how we can restore balance and harmony.

If there is any single theme in a Justice year, it would be about choosing what is fair.. fair to us, and fair to the greater good of all.  In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the Goddess Justitia sits on Her throne, without a blindfold, in order to see clearly the evidence and facts before Her.  In a Justice year, clear-eyed evaluation and truth-telling is vital.  Candor and scrupulous honesty will be essential.

Certainly, legal matters will be a priority, as well as issues having to do with finances, property, contracts and business or personal partnerships.

On the world stage, we can clearly see this in some of the most urgent matters on Barack Obama’s agenda, starting of course with the many complex facets of the economic crisis.

Other Justice issues on the national level will certainly involve the future of Guantanamo, the legal rights of detainees, undocumented immigration, civil liberties vs. the Patriot Act, the questions around last year’s dismissals of the U.S. Attorneys, as well as the numerous issues having to do with the Executive branch powers, and the Constitutional laws that have been tested under the Bush administration.

But beyond these thorny temporal matters, Justice is also about, as Tarot expert Rachel Pollack notes, the “psychic laws of Justice, by which we advance according to our ability to understand the past.”   This is a time for karmic payback, which, sooner or later, always comes around.

This is not about punishment, but it is about adjustment.  For better or worse, things will work out the way that they must. Balance must be restored, based on the decisions and actions that have been taken in the past.

Therefore I suggest that this be a major focus of your intention for the year ahead.  Make sure that you are on the side of what is righteous and fair.

One area in which you can make an enormous difference is to be an activist for tolerance and justice.  The days of bigotry and hatred can only truly come to an end when well-meaning people take action to defeat them at every opportunity.

Here are some excellent suggestions, from the SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: http://www.splcenter.org/ a nationally recognized leader in the fight against hate crimes.  You can help promote tolerance and justice for all:

* Speak up when you hear slurs. Let people know that bias speech is unacceptable.  Apathy is as dangerous as hate.

* Cross social boundaries.  Seek out opportunities to interact with people who are different from you, ex: eat lunch with someone new.

* Complain to the media outlets that promote stereotypes.

* Look inside yourself for hidden biases. You can even test yourself here.

* Encourage your local law enforcement officials to identify bias-motivated criminal acts as hate crimes.

You can even test yourself HERE: http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html

As we see the consequences of our previous choices, this year can bring us a golden opportunity to adjust our path forward accordingly.  We can take this time to consider what our own right choices and preferences are, as well as what is truly right or wrong for the good of all.

It is up to us to wield the sword of Justice, in order to bring the scales back into balance.  We must now do whatever is necessary, no matter how challenging, in order to gain, or re-gain equilibrium.

This may not always be an easy time, and certainly the lessons of the Strength Year may be needed. But the Justice Year promises to be a time when real wisdom and renewal are possible.

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Listen to an interview as Kala speaks with Beth Owl’s Daughter about the Tarot on The Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show Here: http://exploreyourspirit.com/Media/shows1.shtml#MysteryTarot

More about Beth Owl’s Daughter:
Beth Owl’s Daughter has been working with the Tarot since 1972 as a way to empower others to access their own deep wisdom. She offers readings in person or by phone, organizes and leads the local Raleigh-Durham Tarot Meetup every month, and teaches classes on how to use the Tarot as a tool for ritual, healing and self-discovery. She is a member of the American Tarot Association, which sets the standard for rigorous skill, knowledge and integrity.  More info at: www.owlsdaughter.com

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