Basics of Western Astrology Explained By: Paul Curran Introduction This article covers the basics of Astrology and how they are inter-related. Astrology is defined as ‘the art or practice of determining the supposed influences of the planets and their motions on human affairs and human disposition’. From this practice a horoscope can be produced – a diagram (or chart) of the relative positions of planets and signs of the Zodiac at a specific time, usually the time of birth. A forecast can then be produced. The Zodiac Western Astrology originated way back, around 500 BC, with a concept called the… Keep Reading

Normally, I avoid speaking publicly on controversial topics that are driven by politics, religion, or race. However, as a concerned mother and aunt of young adult and teenage African American males, I find it extremely difficult to be silent about the racially-charged violence against young black males by those in whom authority is entrusted. Of course, this type of violence against young black males is not new. In my opinion, it only appears that it has just recently been occurring at alarming rates because of the heightened attention this issue has received of late. Most of the increased awareness seems… Keep Reading

By Beh Lih Yi JAKARTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The rights of Indonesia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community may have come under “unprecedented attack” in 2016, according to Human Rights Watch, but activists said progress had seen LGBT people no longer living in the shadows of society. The LGBT community is largely tolerated in Indonesia, especially in urban areas. But LGBT people suffered a sudden public backlash when a central government minister said in January that LGBT people should be barred from university campuses. The comment swiftly “grew into a cascade of threats and vitriol” against LGBT Indonesians, rights… Keep Reading

Hector Silva’s work paved the way for latino artists in the gay community. Sometimes quaintly called “erotic,” his explicit imagery normalized gay sex by demonstrating the intimacy of lovemaking. Even if his impact was restricted to only Los Angeles’s often conflicted latino gay community, it would be important, but it found an audience far beyond his home community. It brazenly illustrated the love and adoration between two men, and it challenged any who saw it to rethink their own conception of what it meant to be queer and Latino. Self-taught, Silva draws on traditions of Chicano prison art, but the… Keep Reading