October 31, 2016

Mel Brooks Presents: Young Frankenstein




I'm enjoying movie FRIGHT night on this Hallows' Eve! It's time for me to get the popcorn ready, order my pizza and turn off the lights. I always have to set the stage for a goosebump, hair-raising, spine-tingling night of HORROR movies! Bwahahahaha... Ahem. Nevertheless, this Mel Brooks classic has been a permanent fixture on my Halloween movie list. I always have to throw in a little bit of humor. See you later, alligators! :D ♥
Bwahahahahahaha...
laugh photo: kitty evil laugh kittyevillaugh.gif

Jack O'Lanterns and The Tale Of Stingy Jack. A Person Asked Me Today If I Knew How The Tradition Began. I Had No Idea. So I Looked It Up And Now I Am Sharing Info With You. :)

[source: Pumpkin Nook]

The Irish brought the tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack O'Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O'Lantern was not a pumpkin. Pumpkins did not exist in Ireland. Ancient Celtic cultures in Ireland carved turnips on All Hallow's Eve, and placed an ember in them, to ward off evil spirits.

The Tale of Stingy Jack and the Jack O' Lantern

Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. Many of the stories, center round Stingy Jack. Here's the most popular story:

Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who took pleasure in playing tricks on just about everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. After the Devil climbed up the tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. Unable to touch a cross, the Devil was stuck in the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses, and the Devil climbed down out of the apple tree.

Many years later, Jack died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was mean and cruel, and had led a miserable, worthless life on earth. Stingy Jack was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared . He had nowhere to go, but to wander about forever in the dark Netherworld between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave, as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell, to help Stingy Jack light his way. Jack had a Turnip with him. It was one of his favorite foods, and he always carried one with him. Jack hollowed out the Turnip, and placed the ember the Devil had given him, inside the turnip. From that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern".

On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.

A Little Halloween History

[source: wikipedia]

Halloween or Hallowe’en (a contraction of All Hallows’ Evening) is an annual holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night preceding All Hallows Day. Much like Day of the Dead celebrations, the holiday has ancient origins tied to seasonal change, harvest time, and festivals honoring the dead. Typical Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

Pre-Christian influences

Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-an or sow-in)", derived from the Old Irish Samuin meaning "summer's end". Samhain was the first and by far the most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Irish and Scottish calendar and, falling on the last day of Autumn, it was a time for stock-taking and preparation for the cold winter months ahead. There was also a sense that this was the time of year when the physical and supernatural worlds were closest and magical things could happen. To ward off these spirits, the Gaels built huge, symbolically regenerative bonfires and invoked the help of the gods through animal and perhaps even human sacrifice.

Christian influences

Halloween is also thought to have been heavily influenced by the Christian holy days of All Saints' Day (also known as Hallowmas, All Hallows, and Hallowtide) and All Souls' Day. Falling on November 1st and 2nd respectively, collectively they were a time for honoring the Saints and praying for the recently departed who had yet to reach heaven. By the end of the 12th century they had become days of holy obligation across Europe and involved such traditions as ringing bells for the souls in purgatory and "souling", the custom of baking bread or soul cakes for "all crysten [christened] souls". It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints Day, and All Hallow's Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving onto the next world. To avoid being recognised by a soul, Christians would wear masques and costumes to disguise themselves, following the lighted candles set by others to guide their travel for worship the next day. Today, this practice has been perpetuated through trick-or-treating.

In Britain the rituals of Hallowtide and Halloween came under attack during the Reformation as Protestants denounced purgatory as a "popish" doctrine incompatible with the notion of predestination. In addition the increasing popularity of Guy Fawkes Night from 1605 on saw Halloween become eclipsed in Britain with the notable exception of Scotland. There and in Ireland, they had been celebrating Samhain and Halloween since the early Middle Ages, and it is believed the Kirk took a more pragmatic approach towards Halloween, viewing it as important to the life cycle and rites of passage of local communities and thus ensuring its survival in the country.

North American almanacs of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century give no indication that Halloween was recognized as a holiday. The Puritans of New England, for example, maintained strong opposition to the holiday and it was not until the mass Irish and Scottish immigration during the 19th century that the holiday was introduced to the continent in earnest. Initially confined to the immigrant communities during the mid-nineteenth century, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and by the first decade of the twentieth century it was being celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial and religious backgrounds.

Etymology

The word Halloween is first attested in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even ("evening"), that is, the night before All Hallows Day. Although the phrase All Hallows is found in Old English (ealra hฤlgena mรฆssedรฆg, mass-day of all saints), All-Hallows-Even is itself not attested until 1556.

The Hellbound Train

The Hellbound Train
poem written by Anonymous

A Texas cowboy lay down on a barroom floor,
Having drunk so much he could drink no more;
So he fell asleep with a troubled brain
To dream that he rode on a hell-bound train.

The engine with murderous blood was damp
And was brilliantly lit with a brimstone lamp;
An imp, for fuel, was shoveling bones,
While the furnace rang with a thousand groans.

The boiler was filled with lager beer
And the devil himself was the engineer;
The passengers were a most motley crew-
Church member, atheist, Gentile, and Jew,

Rich men in broad cloth, beggars in rags,
Handsome young ladies, and withered old hags,
Yellow and black men, red, brown, and white,
All chained together-O God, what a sight!

While the train rushed on at an awful pace-
The sulphurous fumes scorched their hands and face;
Wider and wider the country grew,
As faster and faster the engine flew.
Louder and louder the thunder crashed
And brighter and brighter the lightning flashed;
Hotter and hotter the air became
Till the clothes were burned from each quivering frame.

And out of the distance there arose a yell,
"Ha, ha," said the devil, "we're nearing hell"
Then oh, how the passengers all shrieked with pain
And begged the devil to stop the train.
But he capered about and danced for glee,
And laughed and joked at their misery.
"My faithful friends, you have done the work
And the devil never can a payday shirk.

"You've bullied the weak, you've robbed the poor,
The starving brother you've turned from the door;
You've laid up gold where the canker rust,
And have given free vent to your beastly lust.
"You've justice scorned, and corruption sown,
And trampled the laws of nature down.
You have drunk, rioted, cheated, plundered, and lied,
And mocked at God in your hell-born pride.

"You have paid full fare, so I'll carry you through,
For it's only right you should have your due.
Why, the laborer always expects his hire,
So I'll land you safe in the lake of fire,

"Where your flesh will waste in the flames that roar,
And my imps torment you forevermore."
Then the cowboy awoke with an anguished cry,
His clothes wet with sweat and his hair standing high.

Then he prayed as he never had prayed till that hour
To be saved from his sin and the demon's power;
And his prayers and his vows were not in vain,
For he never rode the hell-bound train.

Do Not Whisper To The Wind ~ by Rayne Avalotus

A poem/song often told to small children by the superstitous. Though this piece is often heard most often in human Santharian villages, it is believed to have originated from stories of the Forbidden Zone in Northern Sarvonia and dark places like the Water Marshes.

Do Not Whisper To The Wind
by Rayne Avalotus

Do not whisper to the wind,
For wind winds far and deep,
Deep down into the shadow land
Where evil creatures sleep.
The echo of thy uttered word
Can wake them, make them creep!

Do not whisper to the wind,
For seething monsters hear;
The winds will carry monologues
To meet their careful ears,
And they will rise up from their tombs
To plague the world with fear.

Do not whisper to the wind
For demons know, they say,
Where rests thy sleepy, pretty head
When darkness swallows day,
And in the night they’ll come on thee
And steal thy soul away!

Do not whisper to the wind,
For evil’s waiting there
With anxious claws and open ears
Just listening to the air.
And waiting for a foolish child
To whisper unaware.

Do not whisper to the wind,
For beasts come leather skinned
With eyes aglow in sickly hue
And figures tall and thinned.
Thou may not, shall not, cannot
Ever whisper to the wind!

Classic Cartoon The Groovie Goolies Show! This Is One Of My All-Time Favorite Childhood Cartoons Enjoy! HAPPY HALLOWEEN HAVE FUN, BE SAFE!



Cute Halloween Jokes ;)

Ghost Ghosts Haunted House smiley smilie smileys smilies icon icons emoticon emoticons animated animation animations gif gifs Happy Halloween Pictures, Images and Photos

Q. What do you call a witch who lives at the beach?
A. A sand-witch.

Q. Where does a ghost go on Saturday night?
A. Anywhere where he can boo-gie.

Q. What did the skeleton say to the vampire?
A. You suck.

Q. Why did the ghost go into the bar?
A. For the Boos.

Q. What happens when a ghost gets lost in the fog?
A. He is mist.

Q. Why did the Vampire read the Wall Street Journal?
A. He heard it had great circulation.

Q. What are ghosts' favorite kind of streets?
A. Dead ends.

Q. What kind of makeup do ghosts wear?
A. Mas-scare-a.

Q. What happens when two vampires meet?
A. It was love at first bite!

Q. Why did the skeleton go disco dancing?
A. To see the boogy man.

Q: Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?
A: He had no guts.

Q. How did the ghost say goodbye to the vampire?
A. So long sucker!

Q. Where do vampires keep their money?
A: The blood bank!!!

Q. Why does a cemetery have to keep a fence around it?
A. Because people are dying to get in.

Happy Halloween Everyone! I Hope You Have A SPOOKTACULAR Fun Halloween Night And Please Be Safe... What's Really Scary Is These Cartoons I've Used For The Past 8 Years, Still Apply TODAY!

NEW ONES ADDED BELOW
PLEASE DON'T VOTE FOR MORE OF THE SAME MISERY

Tonight's Halloween New Moon In Scorpio Is The Most Powerful Of The Year. This Is The Time To Manifest Your Wildest Dreams. ♥

painting photo credit: The Magician by Graciela Bello

This Is The Time To Manifest Your Wildest Dreams.
written by The AstroTwins
[source: CrystalWind.ca]

Abracadabra! On Sunday, October 30, the Scorpio new moon does a powerful disappearing act, blanketing our world in darkness—in the best way possible.

As la luna shrouds us in a veil of mystery, we plunge into the shadows of the unseen universe within ourselves. As our outer eyes, as well as our inner vision, adjust to the darkness, it is here we can begin to see the light. New moons are typically invisible to the naked eye, but we can look to the dark night sky as if it were a blank canvas—symbolic for new beginnings and intention setting.

There's nothing halfway about the intensity of Scorpio energy, which can often veer to the extremes. While Scorpio is associated with control, dominance, and intensity, it bears an incredibly powerful and spiritual energy, too. Scorpio is the ruler of transformation, making this lunation extra powerful when it comes to shifting parts of our lives that have been—until now—previously blocked.

Sunday's Scorpio new moon could be absolutely alchemical. Are you ready to turn a leaden aspect of your life into pure, shimmering gold? Get the ball rolling on those metamorphic efforts. Real change takes work—and it never just happens overnight. But this is a NEW moon, so it's all about setting clear intentions and then jumping off the starting block. We have until May 10, 2017—the date of the corresponding full moon in Scorpio—to break out of restrictive habits and replace them with rituals that give us life.

The Scorpio new moon will sit at a close degree to strategic Mercury, so operating from a clear-cut plan is the way to win. Mercury is the social butterfly of the zodiac, so forget about struggling alone to make change. Join a support group, online and in real-time, to champion one another as we rise from the ashes!

Here are a few rituals you can do to alchemize your life at the Scorpio new moon:

1. TRANSFORM TRASH INTO TREASURE.

Scorpio is the regenerator of the zodiac: the proverbial Phoenix, the ultimate recycler. Its alchemical powers can turn metaphorical lead into gold. Today, you just might find something in a scrap heap worth salvaging. A relationship, a pair of shoes, a journal entry that turns into an award-winning short film…there's something you've abandoned that's ripe for reinvention. Rediscover it. Re-spin it. Make something old shiny and new again.

2. CHECK UNDERNEATH "THE HOOD."

Scorpio is the sign of internal health, and the Scorpio new moon is a golden time to renew your internal well-being before the winter. Ruled by Pluto, god of the underworld, Scorpio is obsessed with what's happening on the inside. Haven't had your blood drawn for a while? Make an appointment for a little needling. (Scorpio is especially linked to hematology, so if you're feeling worn down, you might discover a need for more iron at this new moon.) Fallen out of touch with your gyno? Stop by for a tete-a-tete with the ol' speculum. Cleanses, detoxes, colonics, extreme facials (think: aestheticians squeezing the s*** outta your pores) will siphon out all the gunk, rejuvenating and renewing your glow.

3. REBIRTH YOUR SEXUAL PROWESS.

Scorpio is best known as the "sex sign," as it rules the reproductive organs. However, sex is far from recreational under Scorpio's reign. It's a means of reaching higher planes of ecstasy, consciousness, and spiritual awareness. The Scorpio new moon is a good time to up your libidinous literacy. T is for tantra, so begin your sexual alphabet lessons there. Then back up a few letters to O, and brush up on orgasms and oxytocin. Oxytocin is the "bonding hormone" that's released when women breastfeed, so look lovingly at a baby/kitten/puppy and (drumroll) at an orgasm. Scorpio rules perma-bonding, so this hormone is of special interest today. If you don't want to end up infatuated with a no-strings fling, learn about your inner pharmacy and its transformative chemical powers.

4. EMBRACE THE URGE TO MERGE.

So you're making money, but what are you really doing besides spending it? Scorpio understands that true wealth comes from ownership: real estate, assets, intellectual property. Scorpio rules joint resources, whether it's a home that you co-own (with a partner OR the bank), money that you've borrowed from a creditor, or intellectual rights to a piece of work that pays you passive income.

Today, take a gander at your portfolio and count your assets. Maybe you've got a diversified spread of stocks, a country house, and royalties from an optioned movie. Perhaps you've just got your great-grandma's wedding ring…or nothin' much at all.

Whatever the case, the Scorpio new moon is ideal for setting your mind on making your money work harder for you. If you're in debt, establish a repayment plan or reduce your interest by switching to a zero-percent balance transfer card. You might even hock some stuff on eBay and put the profits into an interest-bearing account. Reduce your carbon footprint AND your expenses creatively: Bike to work (or carpool), host potlucks to bring down the grocery bill, or start an investment club with some savvy friends.

5. HARNESS YOUR PSYCHIC POWERS.

Scorpio has a reputation for being uncannily intuitive, even downright psychic. This new moon will open a potent portal, bringing forth gut feelings and knowing flashes. In this uber-practical, material world (the domain of Scorpio's OPPOSITE sign, Taurus), most of us may tend to brush these messages aside, never giving much credence to our inner guidance. But in Scorpioville, nothing is too freaky, psychedelic, or uncanny to be explored.

What would happen if we spent the whole day communing with the little voice in our heads? If we did five to ten minutes of free-writing at the top of each hour, letting our hand dance across the page, revealing the inner workings of our minds? What might seem like crazy-talk could actually be the kernels of brilliant thought. Shush the inner critic and let it flow. We guarantee that you'll be amazed by yourself at least once throughout this new moon.

An eyes-closed, lights-off meditation could also yield new "sight." You might even place a crystal on the space between your eyebrows, that little area called the third-eye chakra which is the physical point through which higher consciousness and intuition flows. Pounding out an ancient rhythm in a drum circle can get you in a near trancelike state as well, quieting the mind and awakening your extrasensory perception. Let go and let it flow. The universe is your psychic hotline now.

6. TAKE A DIGITAL DETOX.

In keeping with Scorpio's "tune in, turn on, drop out" ethos, circle the Scorpio new moon for a 24-hour media diet. Silence social media and give yourself a breather from the blogosphere. You may not realize how much you're zombie-walking through life, absorbing the ads, feeds, and thousands of images you see each day. In the words of Scorpio thought leader Terence McKenna, "Stop consuming images and start producing them." Paint. Draw. Create a collage…and don't be surprised if your pictures manifest into form in the days ahead under Scorpio's powerful influence.

7. FAN THE FLAME OF DESIRE.

To allow sexual energy to course through our bodies is to touch the force of life—this is something Scorpio well understands. Although this sign gets a rep for being vampy and obsessive, in its highest expression, Scorpio can evoke a sacred sexuality. Think: tantra, mind-body-soul connections, a timeless and ageless appeal. Our sexual sparks never go out, but we must keep the pilot light lit.

Forget what the fashion mags have proclaimed as appealing and stop obsessing in the mirror. Sexuality doesn't live there. It lives in our connection to eros, which comes from being powerfully present and excited about life. Moving your body in a way that makes you feel sensual is the way to get this magnetic force flowing. Who cares if Sunday is a school night? Embrace the night owl vibes of this new moon and dance 'til way past your bedtime. (For more on this, check out the sacred seduction teachings of Kitty Cavalier.)

Scorpio is the sign that is also associated with death and rebirth. At times, inevitable finalities must take place in order for us to come alive—and into our sexuality—again. This eclipse could portend "the beginning of the end," as we muster the courage to say goodbye to situations (or limiting beliefs about ourselves and others) that are deadening, draining, and downright unsexy.

Of course, goodbyes are not always a fatal matter. The French refer to an orgasm as "La petit mort," translated directly as "the little death." May this new moon bring you such, ahem, happy endings.

8. MANIFEST FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE.

Scorpio rules our larger, lump sum material resources (commissions, royalties, bonuses, inheritances) as well as the money we share with others. But how best to shake that moneymaker during the new moon and sow the seeds of prosperity? Not by jumping in the rat race, playing a cutthroat game of shark-eat-shark. That would be the lower energy of Scorpio in action… which always comes 'round to bite us in the ass in the end.

Instead, we should fly like the eagle—the secondary symbol representing Scorpio. Manifesting abundance from a visionary place is as much a matter of faith as it is skill. We can sign up for seminars and classes until the cows come home, but if we don't believe that we actually deserve this money, it will flow out of our lives like water through a sieve. In her book The Law of Divine Compensation, miracle-maven Marianne Williamson (a Cancer) schools us in shifting our mindset so we can open to the miracles and prosperity the universe has to offer.

Simple mantras can be powerful, too. Make a list of the limiting thoughts you have about your resources…for example, "There's not enough money to go around." Once these limiting beliefs have been illuminated, reframe them as positives, as in "I am well taken care of by the world and my loved ones." Tape that mantra to your mirror and repeat each morning. Soon enough, this credo will become more than a platitude…it will be the way you view the world.

9. REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED AS SUCCESS.

The mention of Scorpio sends shivers down some people's spines, but that's because they only know part of the story. Scorpio actually has three phases, or energetic vibrations. The lowest is the ground-dwelling Scorpion, the easily threatened creature with the deadly, vengeful sting. Above that is the soaring eagle, the wizened Scorpio who's learned his life's lessons and keenly observes everything with laser insight. The highest manifestation is the Phoenix, the mythical bird that rises from the ashes of destruction to create new life.

At the Scorpio new moon, we can choose to access any one of these energies—including getting even. If you must stoke a desire for payback, do so proactively. Remember the adage that success is the best revenge. Win the battle AND the war by making your own life amazing rather than taking someone else's happiness down.

Dreamy New Moon In Scorpio On Sunday October 30th. Spritual Bliss by Tania Gabrielle


Spiritual Bliss
written by Tania Gabrielle
[source: CrystalWind.ca]

Sunday October 30th welcomes a New Moon in Scorpio – a rare third lunation in one calendar month!

The Sun and Moon at 7° in Scorpio are forming a beautiful, dreamy trine to Neptune, which expands the theme of optimism and positive new energy that launched the month of October.

7° activates the lightning strike of intuition. This number bridges realities,heaven and earth. What a beautiful parallel theme is woven by this New Moon as it dances with spiritual, compassionate Neptune (ruler of watery Pisces).

Any emphasis on water signs in astrology means your feelings will be more sensitive and life will seem more surreal and magical.

Your imagination is really enriched as your spiritual connection to the divine deepens now.

Empathy, compassion, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, generosity and gratitude are the gifts bestowed on you now.

This New Moon is conjunct (joined with) to Mercury. There is a powerful message you have to share that began unfolding in mid October when the Sun was conjunct Mercury during the Full Moon. Now BOTH Sun and Moon are joined with Mercury stimulating your perception, brilliant ideas, enhancing all forms of communication, and igniting your mind with clarity.
  • Make plans and initiate communication that involves negotiation or business deals.
  • You’ll be more focused on the unseen, on psychic, intuitive subjects on the mystical and magical part of life.

Remember, this New Moon is magnifying that trine to Neptune! Mercury-Moon-Sun trine Neptune nudges you to remember that you are immortal. It enhances your imagination, connecting you to the eternal. You are OPEN to be inspired by the Light of the Divine and RECEPTIVE to the messages flowing to and from your heart-center.

Allow yourself to flow uninhibited in the watery environment of creation and awakenings generated by this lunation.

The universe is sending us a gift of Love…

Have a beautiful, transformative Scorpio New Moon!

Love and Blessings,
Tania Gabrielle

New Moon In Scorpio On Sunday October 30th by Lena Stevens and Patricia Liles at PowerPath.

Intro written by Lena Stevens at www.thepowerpath.com
Body written by Patricia Liles. Contact her at PATLILES@aol.com

Dear Friends,

NEW MOON IS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30 AT 11:38 AM MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME (MDT).
This is a good moon to get clear on new intentions and to set your priorities so that you can maintain any new found balance in your life. If you have weathered a big change, now would be a good time to anchor whatever new situation the change has brought into your life. If life has been a bit challenging for you recently, focus on clearing and completing what you need to be done with. Use Death as an ally to make it permanent.

Blessings,
Lena

Astrological Notes:

SCORPIO NEW MOON
Sun and Moon in Scorpio ~ 8ยบ
Sunday, Oct. 30, 11:38 AM Mountain Daylight Time
(October 30, 2016, 5:38 PM Greenwich Mean Time)

A powerful turning of the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere as the Sun begins to favor the southern latitudes. We feel the power of completion as the cycle of harvest comes to an abundant end, and we celebrate Samhain – the sacred midpoint between fall and winter. The howling voice of the winds begins to blow away the leaves, and we take seriously the lessons of letting go of all that is old and come to completion.

Scorpio, the fixed, power sign for water, plunges us into the cycle of death, regeneration and rebirth. We, along with the trees, animals, plants, begin to draw our sap inward to sustain us through the challenges of winter. Scorpio helps us align with the Dark, to commune with the hidden mysteries within us – the unformed, the unspoken. As the days darken, we rejoice in the cackle of getting our inner witch on and playing in the ever more accessible realms of the invisible worlds. Scorpio is a reminder that our galaxy is predominately dark matter, that there is more mystery than reality by far and that we haven’t a clue of how to explain, measure or own it.

The Scorpio archetype is The Healer, The Shaman/Curandera, The Alchemist. The water element of Scorpio gives a feeling nature of great depth and strong passionate emotion and intensity. Coming after Libra, the sign of the partner, this emotional sign brings sexuality, desire and magnetism to the zodiac. Scorpio rules the reproduction and elimination organs of the body. The tantric energy that Scorpio can embody so fully teaches how to hold our power and bring it through the lower chakras and into the heart and beyond mastering the art of being fully present, surrendered and aware. Scorpio’s symbols of the eagle who sees from high above the fray and the mythical Phoenix that rises from its own ashes are clues to Scorpio’s strengths ~ the ability to see the psychological motivations at play and the ability to re-create, rebirth, and rejuvenate from their own symbolic deaths. Scorpio’s magnificence can be seen in crisis where their power held in reserve is suddenly available to care for those in need.

Scorpio has dominion over the eighth house that rules other people’s money, shared resources, debt, taxes, inheritance, and money gained through your passion. Contemplate your debts – energetic and monetary. Are you creating power energy leaks with debt? Are you handling other people’s resources with integrity?

We find the Sun and Moon in Scorpio aligned with Mercury in the New Moon chart. Mercury, the Messenger, rules how we think, communicate, network ideas, perceive patterns, and how we share all the info we gather. Mercury is considered neutral and androgynous energy. Mercury in Scorpio is willing to go deep and bring the uncomfortable and unseen to the table; it also gives us the power to speak what has gone unspoken or speak our truth with power and conviction.

The Sun/Moon/Mercury are trined to Neptune in Pisces, so we have a wide-open channel to lift our perceptions and communications to an open and accepting frequency with others. When we release our secrets, burdens, and grudges, our spirits can soar and our hearts open, and it gives Spirit more room to work through our lives. Neptune/Mercury magnified by the Sun and Moon increases our intuition, imagination, psychic and musical abilities. Neptune is also conjoined to the South Node, so the work of opening, surrendering, and transcending is trying to confer the gift of forgiving what has gone before and to teach the practice of living in just this moment with great trust and without fear and worry. The gift of the water elementals-Scorpio, Pisces-are ours for the asking. Neptune goes direct on Nov 19 and is extremely powerful and concentrated as it’s virtually at standstill now.

Pluto is the modern ruler of Scorpio and Mars is the traditional ruler. They are close in the sky now. Pluto in Capricorn is slowly (2008-2024) eliminating and transforming the shadow aspects of the patriarchy, authority, of government, corporations, financial institutions. It hasn’t been pretty. Mars, on the other hand (also in Capricorn), is squaring (crisis) the radical duo of Eris and Uranus. Yikes! Pluto/Mars is fully empowering the righteous rage of the feminine warrior, Eris, to bring the long festering wounds/suppressed voice of the feminine forward whether in the form of the indigenous, the enslaved, the disrespected, or the disenfranchised. Something that is apparent in the healing work I do is how the wounding through invalidation or abuse of the second chakra, a seat of the emotions, sexuality and desire nature (Scorpio), cause the chakra to be defended and shut down and consequently render the third chakra of personal will/power impotent. That loss of energy also manifests as the loss of the voice in the fifth chakra, because it has no support from the lower chakras and results in the inability to speak one’s truth or to be heard, to express oneself fully. Taurus, the opposite sign of Scorpio rules the throat/voice. They are linked. We see the dynamic played out collectively at this time, too, with the exposure of so called ‘locker room’ talk and the impassioned speech by Michelle Obama embodying the righteous feminine warrior declaring this archaic rhetoric/behavior no longer acceptable. As the emotional body of the feminine is opened, healing results and balance can be restored to the miraculously self-healing and evolving beings that we are.

As we cross this powerful threshold leading to the still point of winter (or the radiance of summer), take time to sit in the dark with candlelight and listen for the messages, signs and insights from the other worlds during this weekend of Halloween, Samhain/Hallowmas. Throw everything into the fire that no longer serves you. Honor your ancestors and their dreams. Use your power for healing work, and begin to vision what you want to grow when the light begins to increase again in the New Year after Winter Solstice.

October 29, 2016

12 Inspirational Quotes ~ By Horace

Quintus Horatius Flaccus, (Venosa, December 8, 65 BC – Rome, November 27, 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus. Horace is generally considered by classicists to be one of the greatest Latin poets and is known for having coined many Latin phrases that remain in use today, whether in Latin or translation, including carpe diem ("pluck the day" literally, more commonly used in English as "seize the day"), Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country), Nunc est bibendum (Now we must drink), and aurea mediocritas ("golden mean.").

His works, like those of all but the earliest Latin poets, are written in Greek metres, ranging from the hexameters which were relatively easy to adapt into Latin to the more complex measures used in the Odes, such as alcaics and sapphics, which were sometimes a difficult fit for Latin structure and syntax. [source: wikipedia]

12 Inspirational Quotes Made By Horace
  1. Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.

  2. Always keep your composure. You can't score from the penalty box; and to win, you have to score.

  3. He is armed without who is innocent within, be this thy screen, and this thy wall of brass.

  4. Begin, be bold and venture to be wise.

  5. It is courage, courage, courage, that raises the blood of life to crimson splendor. Live bravely and present a brave front to adversity.

  6. Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be silly at the right moment.

  7. One wanders to the left, another to the right. Both are equally in error, but, are seduced by different delusions.

  8. Sad people dislike the happy, and the happy the sad; the quick thinking the sedate, and the careless the busy and industrious.

  9. You traverse the world in search of happiness, which is within the reach of every man. A contented mind confers it on all.

  10. Suffering is but another name for the teaching of experience, which is the parent of instruction and the schoolmaster of life.

  11. Anger is a momentary madness, so control your passion or it will control you.

  12. The one who cannot restrain their anger will wish undone, what their temper and irritation prompted them to do.
BONUS

Wisdom is not wisdom when it is derived from books alone.

BONUS BONUS

Who then is free? The wise man who can command himself.

or extended version:

Who then is free? The one who wisely is lord of themselves, who neither poverty, death or captivity terrify, who is strong to resist his appetites and shun honors, and is complete in themselves smooth and round like a globe.

INSPIRATIONAL POEM: Hidden Mystery ♥

written by Fred Burks

In the deepest depths of you and me
In the deepest depths of we
Lies the most beautiful jewel
Shining forth eternally

Within that precious jewel
Within that priceless piece of we
Lies a time beyond all time
Lies a place beyond all space

Within that sacred source of radiance
Lies a love beyond all love
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
Ever so patiently

Waiting for you, waiting for me
Waiting patiently for all to see
The beauty that is you inside of me
The beauty that is me inside of thee

In the deepest depths of you and me
In the deepest depths of we
Lies the love and wisdom
Of all Eternity ♥

INSPIRATION: A True Story About A 4-Year-Old's Letter To God ♥

A True Story
written by Unknown Author
[source: Inspire21.com]

There is a kind soul working in the dead letter office of the U.S. Postal Service somewhere...

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God, so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could, so she dictated these words:

****************

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith.
(written by the mother of Mer Claire)

*****************

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to: God in Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.

A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had. Yesterday there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, "To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand.

Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers, titled, "When a Pet Dies." Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

******************

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I am wherever there is love.

"Love, God"

Love, Wealth, or Success? An Inspirational Story with Wisdom ♥


Love, Wealth, or Success?
An Inspirational Story with Wisdom

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." "Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she said. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in.

"We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us agree to our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest."

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him.

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success. The other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love. Wherever He goes, we go with him.

Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!

INSPIRATION: Resentful Man Finds Mother-In-Law Hunched Over In Kitchen, Hard Heart Shatters When He Realizes Why She’s There ♥

InspireMore.com
written/shared by Josh Starling
Thursday October 20, 2016

Marriage is not only a union between two people, but a union between two families. Relationships in the immediate family can be difficult enough. When you marry into an entirely new family unit things can get dicey in a hurry. Sometimes it’s not until it’s too late that we come to appreciate people like our mother-in-law.

When Scott met his mother-in-law, he knew off the bat they weren’t going to be the best of friends. But when Scott and his wife were in their seventh year of marriage, their life took a drastic turn that changed their world forever. Scott’s wife was diagnosed with aggressive Leukemia when she was only 3o years old.

Out of this tragedy, Scott learned that even the one he thought was unlovable was deserving of all his gratitude.
This is Sharon, my mother-in-law.

She taught me it's important work to see someone for who they are, not what you expect.

When I first met my mother-in-law, I had a hard time understand her thick South Virginia accent. And she seemed a little bossy in that southern passive aggressive polite way. But I knew she was important to the love of my life, so I accepted her begrudgingly as some of us do when family is forced on us.

After 7 years, I still didn't really know her.

When my wife got leukemia at 30, when they gave her 10% chance to live a year, when our world was shattered and changed forever, Sharon very quietly and very firmly stepped into the role she was born for. She moved, with her dependent Vietnam vet husband, into our house and became my wife's caretaker too.

Over a period of two years, she bought most of the groceries, cooked almost every meal, did most of the laundry and cleaning, drove both dependents to almost every one of the 300+ doctor appointments, sorted tens of thousands of pills, and made sure they were all taken on time at every hour of the day.

And she did this when she herself was diagnosed with cancer in the middle of caring for everyone else. When she was getting a mastectomy. When she was going through chemo.

She hums when she works. She talks to herself when there is no one to listen. And she goes about every day with humility and grace.

I took this picture before I left for work one day. She didn't know I was there.

 This, friends, is what greatness looks like in a quiet moment. Waiting on oatmeal to cook for her daughter for the 300th time since she got sick. Her hair was gone from her own chemo. She refused caring against all odds.

Not everyone gets to have a real-world superhero in their lives. And for this I was filled with gratitude every day.

*********

Scott’s story is one that we all need to internalize. There will always be people in life, some of them family, that are hard to love. Let’s do all that we can to love them well despite our feelings about them.

After all of the years spent living in frustration and annoyance at the “family” forced upon him, Scott realized just in time what a wonderful woman his Mother-In-Law really was.

October 28, 2016

VENEZUELA: Crisis At Venezuela’s Marxist Socialist Government-Run Oil Giant PDVSA Deepens As Caribbean Debts Pile Up. China Is Cutting Off Cash To Venezuela.

Reuters News, USA
written by Marianna Parraga
Friday October 28, 2016

Unpaid debts and broken promises are making Venezuelan oil giant PDVSA an outcast in several Caribbean countries where it had been a guest of honor.

The state-run company's crumbling finances are causing operational disruptions across one of its most essential regions, according to internal company documents, six sources with knowledge of its operations, and Thomson Reuters vessel-tracking data.

Business partners in the island nations of Curacao, Bonaire, Jamaica and the Bahamas are turning away from the firm as debts pile up to tugboat operators, ship brokers, maritime agencies and terminal owners, the sources and documents show.

The company's problems include blocked loading operations in the Bahamas and threats from the governments of Curacao and Jamaica to replace PDVSA as a partner of refineries in both places. Many vessels are also anchored offshore, blocked from discharging cargoes at ports because PDVSA has not paid suppliers and business partners.

The mounting Caribbean problems are adding to a broader crisis for PDVSA, which is already reeling from declining production, low crude prices and an unprecedented economic downturn at home. The company saw operating cash flow plummet by 63 percent, to $2.1 billion, in the first quarter compared to the same period a year earlier, according to its most recent financial report.

PDVSA's Caribbean operations represent a quarter of its global refining capacity and serve as a loading hub for a third of its exports of crude and fuel oil.

For a graphic on PDVSA's facilities in the Caribbean, see: tmsnrt.rs/2dEYaRb

"PDVSA has absolutely lost ground in the Caribbean," said Lisa Viscidi, director of Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, noting falling oil sales in the region for the past two years.

PDVSA did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

In the latest mishap, a PDVSA fuel-oil cargo bound for Asia has been trapped in the Caribbean sea for more than a month after a court ordered the detention of the tanker "Hero" in Curacao, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation and Thomson Reuters vessel-tracking data.

Curacao's port authority barred the ship from leaving on Sept. 18 after a unit of Core Laboratories won the court order to force payment of delinquent debts, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. PDVSA had allegedly failed to pay the unit, Saybolt, several million dollars for months of oil testing services.

Mark Elvig, general counsel for Core Laboratories, declined to comment.

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE

The problems reflect a stark reversal for a company that has been a trusted partner of governments in the Caribbean.

About a decade ago, Caribbean countries laid out red carpets for PDVSA executives, who came offering cheap oil under the Petrocaribe program that leftist President Hugo Chavez launched to win allies as a bulwark against Washington.

Petrocaribe worked well for years, as poor islands curbed the impacts of rising global oil prices and Venezuela bartered oil for everything from medical services to black beans.

PDVSA had used Caribbean facilities to offset frequent outages and incidents plaguing its storage, refining and port networks in Venezuela. The region offers vast storage capacity, ample refineries and crude blending facilities, and deep water docks to load Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) for trips to Asia.

But the relationships of the past are now increasingly strained as suppliers and service providers go unpaid.

"PDVSA's cash flow problems are impacting routine operations," a trader at a private company that has worked with PDVSA in the Caribbean told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "You only accumulate several million dollars in debt for port services by not paying for months or even years."

The company has slashed its operating budget to $45 million monthly from $145 million monthly in 2015, the PDVSA trading team source said. That budget pays for all trade activities in Venezuela and overseas, the source said, including tanker cleaning, routine inspections, storage, brokerage, freight costs, port services and oil imports.

REFINERIES AT RISK

The tanker detention came days after Curacao's government signed a memorandum of understanding with Guangdong Zhenrong Energy, indicating the Chinese firm could soon replace PDVSA as the operator of the Isla refinery in 2019.
CNN Money
China is cutting off cash to Venezuela
written by Patrick Gillespie
September 30, 2016

Venezuela can't pluck leaves off China's money tree anymore.

After pouring billions into Venezuela over the last decade, China is cutting off new loans to the Latin American nation. It's a major reversal of relations between the two nations, experts say. It also comes at the worst time for Venezuela, which is spiraling into an economic and humanitarian crisis.

"China is not especially interested in loaning more money to Venezuela," says Margaret Myers, a director at Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington research group that tracks loans between China and Latin America.

Since 2007, China's state banks loaned Venezuela $60 billion, according to the Inter-American Dialogue. That's more that it loaned to any other Latin American country. China is considered Venezuela's most important creditor.

Of that, Venezuela still owes China approximately $20 billion, experts say, and there's no sign that it can pay back the amount amid its crisis.

Venezuela pays back the vast majority of its loans to China with oil shipments. Last year, Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA, shipped about 579,000 barrels of oil per day to China, according to the company's financial audit.

But this year, Venezuela -- which has the world's largest oil reserves -- has seen oil production crash to a 13-year low. Some of its service providers, such as Schlumberger (SLB), have dramatically lowered operations due to unpaid bills from the Venezuelan government.

Socialist president Nicolas Maduro has led a regime that mismanaged Venezuela's resources and pushed the economy into a crisis, experts say. China has now run out of patience.

"The Chinese have allowed the Venezuelans to be stupid," says Derek Scissors, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who tracks Chinese investment around the world. "The Chinese don't want to allow the Venezuelans to be stupid anymore."

China's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Venezuela's finance ministry did not respond either.

Like the government, Chinese companies too are losing interest interest in Venezuela. Since 2010, Chinese companies have invested $2.5 billion a year on average in projects in Venezuela. In the first half of this year, they only invested $300 million, according to AEI.

China long saw Venezuela as one of its top allies in Latin America, experts say. In exchange for cash and infrastructure developments, China wanted a secure source of oil for years to come.

But China's ambitions have hit the reality of the crisis in Venezuela, where inflation is expected to skyrocket 700% and the economy is projected to shrink 8% this year, according to the IMF. Its currency has plummeted in value and many experts believe Venezuela could default on its debt.

With dwindling revenues, Venezuela can't pay for many imports of food and medicine, causing massive shortages in those items. Some Venezuelans, who can, are even traveling to the United States to buy basics like toilet paper and tuna fish.

Amid widespread protests for Maduro to resign, his government must now push on without China's help.
Officials in Curacao have said the move follows years of frustrated efforts to persuade PDVSA to invest $1.5 billion to upgrade Isla.

"We have decided not to wait any more and look for alternatives," said Ben Whiteman, the island's Prime Minister, in a broadcasted speech in September.

The island's government declined a Reuters request for comment, and the Chinese firm did not respond.

PDVSA said in a September news release that the renewal of its lease is not up for negotiation yet.

Isla is strategically important because its lease contract includes the Bullenbay terminal, with 17.75 million barrels of storage and blending capacity. Bullenbay is where PDVSA receives the imported light oil it mixes with its own extra heavy crude to create an exportable blend.

Also in September, Winston Watson, general manager of Petrojam - Jamaica's state company that owns the Kingston refinery - said he was fed up with PDVSA's foot-dragging on upgrading the plant.

"If they say no, then I guess we would have to go to the market and seek another investor," he said of PDVSA to lawmakers in parliament, according to a transcript.

Petrojam and the Jamaican government did not respond to requests for comment.

LATE RENT, STRANDED SHIPS

Another setback came in the Bahamas. For about a month starting in mid-September, PDVSA was blocked from loading cargoes at the massive BORCO terminal because of late rent payments for storage tanks, according to one of the PDVSA sources and a ship broker.

The BORCO standoff contributed to an ongoing decline in PDVSA's exports - and its ability to generate cash - just as payment delays snarled its imports.

In September, PDVSA's crude exports suffered an annual decline of 12 percent to 1.55 million barrels per day, according to Thomson Reuters Trade Flows data.

U.S.-based Buckeye Partners, which operates the terminal, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Near other Caribbean and Venezuelan ports, about a dozen tankers carrying around 2.5 million barrels of light crude and products - including two cargoes supplied by BP - have been stuck at sea for weeks at a time, waiting for payment from PDVSA before discharging, according to traders from private firms and vessel tracking data.

In May, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made an official visit to Jamaica and sought to reassure Caribbean dignitaries of PDVSA's long-term health.

"Be confident," he said. "Venezuela has faced situations even more difficult than the one we are passing through."

VENEZUELA: More Than 100,000 Protest In Venezuela On Wednesday Demanding A Referendum Against Venezuelan President And Denounce His Government’s Growing Authoritarianism.


Venezuela Protest Wednesday October 26th.

Speeches given on Wednesday October 26th.

Henrique Capriles y el Balance en La Toma De Venezuela; Weds. Oct. 26.

The Wall Street Journal, USA
written by Kejal Vyas and Anatoly Kurmanaev
Wednesday October 26, 2016

CARACAS, Venezuela—The country’s political opposition called for a nationwide strike as more than 100,000 protesters took to the streets on Wednesday to demand a referendum against Venezuelan President Nicolรกs Maduro and denounce his government’s growing authoritarianism.

With the oil-dependent economy in a downward spiral, Mr. Maduro’s detractors urged Venezuelans to stay home on Friday for a 12-hour general strike, raising the ante on the Socialist government.

The opposition said it was giving the government until Nov. 3 to enable a referendum this year to potentially oust Mr. Maduro—as permitted by the constitution—or else they will march that day to the Miraflores presidential palace in downtown Caracas, a hotbed of government loyalists where the opposition has been largely prohibited from gathering since 2002.

That year, demonstrators clashed with supporters of Mr. Maduro’s predecessor and mentor, the late Hugo Chรกvez, leaving 19 people dead and briefly deposing the leftist leader.

“We’re going to Miraflores to demand Maduro’s resignation,” said Henry Ramos, head of the National Assembly. “We’re going to declare his unconstitutionality in the streets.”

Many of the opposition’s top leaders also said they wouldn’t participate in coming talks with the government meant to defuse the political crisis. Those talks are scheduled for Sunday on the resort island of Margarita, with the Vatican serving as a mediator.

“Venezuela’s political crisis is set to enter a new phase,” said Risa Grais-Targow, an analyst with risk consultancy Eurasia Group, adding that the government is likely to do all in its power to impede protesters “including using violence and repression if necessary.”

At least 43 people died during a wave of protests in 2014, mostly protesters shot by security forces and armed government supporters. Since then, the opposition has struggled to mobilize people despite the rapid deterioration of the economy. But in recent months, however, turnout at protests has grown.

In Caracas on Wednesday, protesters blocked the main highway crossing the capital, chanting “no to dictatorship, yes to democracy.”

“I can’t bear this government any longer,” said Luis Ginori, a 51-year-old Caracas liquor merchant who braved the streets just three days after back surgery. “We have to take risks to create change.”

Former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, a moderate within the opposition who didn’t support the 2014 street protests, also took a harder line against the government, saying it had lost its legitimacy.

“We as Venezuelans needs to start thinking of the day after Maduro resigns,” Mr. Capriles told protesters in Caracas. “This government has already lost what is most important: the people.”

As of Wednesday night, the rights group Penal Forum said it had documented more than 100 arrests around the country and dozens of injuries, many from rubber bullets that security forces used to disperse protests.

Three opposition supporters received gunshot wounds in the Western city of Maracaibo after an attack by pro-government supporters, according to witnesses and family members. A 19-year-old student, Pedro Luis Medina, was in critical state in the hospital with a bullet lodged in the stomach, family members said.

The protests came a day after the opposition-controlled congress voted to start legal proceedings to remove Mr. Maduro from power after his government indefinitely suspended an attempt by the opposition to remove him via the recall referendum.

The legislature’s move was mostly symbolic because the Supreme Court, which is allied to Mr. Maduro, has banned the congress from passing any laws or measures.

Mr. Maduro, who has overseen the country’s deepest recession in decades, responded to Tuesday’s vote by calling it a parliamentary coup, and called all top public officials, including Mr. Ramos, to an emergency meeting in Caracas on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Ramos didn’t attend.

“They are repeating the 2002 scheme completely,” Mr. Maduro said at his own rally in downtown Caracas on Wednesday, referring to the coup.

So far, Mr. Maduro appears to have the full backing of the armed forces, which were widely purged after the 2002 coup. In a speech made in full combat fatigues on Tuesday, the head of the Armed Forces, Vladimir Padrino, pledged his loyalty to the president and attacked the opposition.

“They want to overthrow the lawfully established government of Nicolรกs Maduro,” he said.

The large scale of Wednesday’s protests took many observers by surprise, underlining the citizens’ deep frustration with Mr. Maduro’s handling of an economic crisis and the suspension of what many here see as their last remaining democratic rights.

In Maracaibo, several thousand protesters surrounded the main court building, demanding the right to recall the president. In Puerto Ordaz in the east, protesters took over the Iron Square, a traditional pro-government rallying point.