The following is a reading from Rob Brezney’s Freewill Astrology for Libra for the week of July 15^th 2010. “The Italian word terribilita was originally used by art critics to describe the sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo. According to various dictionaries, it refers to “a sense of awe-inspiring grandeur,” “the sublime mixed with amazement,” or “an astonishing creation that provokes reverent humility.” In my astrological opinion, terribilita is a prerequisite for the next chapter of your life story. You need to be flabbergasted by stunning beauty. Where can you go to get it? A natural wonder might do the trick, or some exalted architecture, or the biography of a superb human being, or works of art or music that make you sob with cathartic joy. For extra credit, put yourself in the path of all the above.”

This message hits home for me and it seems that I got a jump on being “flabbergasted by stunning beauty” starting in May when I took a month-long trip to Argentina, mostly spending time in Buenos Aires. Visiting this city gave me an unexplainable sense of happiness. People ask me what it was in particular that I liked so much about the city and I can’t put my finger on it. I think it was a combination of many things that seem to put me in an altered space. It was the visuals, the buildings, crumbling slightly, but with beautiful lines of an elegant luxurious time that is still very much present. It felt right being in a place where dance and music are embedded in the culture. Tango music is being played on the streets, in restaurants in taxis, color and texture called to me every where. It was the little differences that I noticed, like each cup of café con leche was served with a glass of sparkling mineral water and a small cake or cookie. It was the warmth of the faces on the streets, the misty nights and the dance embrace of many. I danced with partners that have danced tango for 30 or 40 years. I felt another layer of trust and relaxation in being able to follow, which has been a challenge for me from the get-go of my tango journey. Part of the time I was on a tango cultural immersion tour with Daniela Borgialli and Rommel Oramas for their yearly pilgrimage to tango mecca. So yes it was the dance that was part of the feeling but it was more than that. My senses were and invaded and surrounded by color, sound and language that was different and brighter than what I have grown accustomed to. Being in South America for the first time opened my eyes in new ways and I became a fanatic photographer. I wanted to capture the magic, savor it, take it home and share it.

My beauty flabbergasted-ness continued in late June when I met for ten days at The Nest with my Human Nature Dance Theatre cohorts: Jayne, Paul, Breanna and Mizu, to develop work for our upcoming fall performances. We arrived at the title “Animal Etiquette” and started revolving our work around questions of Wild/Tame, Animal/Human, Male/Female. It was a blissful flow of training, creating, making salad dressing, getting out into the rivers and landscapes around the area. I’m so grateful to have a group of partners for mutual support and witnessing for the last 16 years. This last working period was particularly satisfying since we didn’t have the stress of performing finished work at the end of our retreat. The process had more time to just be and not feel pushed. What a relief.

For extra credit I took a flabbergasting trip with my partner Earl though Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and had wonderful adventures with both of our families and then finished off with a few days in Yellowstone. This primordial landscape of ancient volcanoes, geysers and all sorts of hydrothermal features put me in tangible touch with the purity of water mixing with the fiery molten core of earth. Seeing the steam, the shooting water and intensity of color and pressure was completely compelling. It reminded me of the reality of where we are and what is going on at deeper levels…. the earth resonates with soul. In these places where earth’s crust is the thinnest I felt messages coming to me through dreams and mist. When reminded to go to the core, what is reflected back to me is the goodness of being and trust in this feminine incarnation. Onward to the next chapter.