08/10/08

"The Sichuan earthquake of May 12, 2008, occurred as the result of motion on a northeast striking reverse fault or thrust fault on the northwestern margin of the Sichuan Basin. The earthquake's epicenter and focal-mechanism are consistent with it having occurred as the result of movement on the Longmenshan fault or a tectonically related fault. The earthquake reflects tectonic stresses resulting from the convergence of crustal material slowly moving from the high Tibetan Plateau, to the west, against strong crust underlying the Sichuan Basin and southeastern China. "

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008ryan.php#summary

Does that mean that Tibet pushed back? Those who believe in Karma would say so. I read an article regarding the feeling in some circles that the cyclone in Burma is nature's disapproval of the Junta. Traditionally Burmese rulers would pray and do religious activities and the weather was their responsibility. If the weather was good the leader was good.  Unfortunately this cyclone shows just how dangerously inept the Junta really is. The Junta is seeing the beginning of the end of their unjust rule with this cyclone. You can't have power over a country you can't control in any fashion. If the people of Burma didn't have a problem with the Junta that has changed with the cyclone.  The survivors have lost everything. You can't stop a person who has nothing left to loose but their life. Especially if they believe in reincarnation.

Bushyaib said he feels there's going to be a lot of angry Buddhists going forward. Peaceful protest against totalitarian rule is like wishing the brick isn't going to hit your face. Sometimes the unjust rulers have to be overturned with force. Even our own Thomas Jefferson said that the tree of liberty has to be watered with the blood of patriots and politicians on a regular basis to grow strong.  Just wishing for the evil doers to go away ain't going to make the change that is necessary. Good people have to take a stand and be willing to bleed and die to make the biggest changes. The Nazis wouldn't have been defeated without that sort of effort.

05-13-08: Here's a reply to a question on the astrology list I'm on, regarding natural disasters and astrology.

I don't know about Western Astrology and natural
disasters but the Asian community is not surprised by
the earthquake in China. This is the year of the Earth
Rat and predictions about volcanic action,
earthquakes, tidal waves, climatic storms, firestorms,
tornadoes and floods have been on Chinese Astrology
websites before the new year arrived.

The Rat also has water elements attached to it so
tsunami's had also been predicted. This Earth Rat with
the water elements portend landslides and building
collapse because the it is "earth over water" which is
not stable. It also points to food shortages, food
poisonings, and the need to change polluting
practices.

Since Rat is so fertile sex scandals are predicted.

Some Chinese Astrology sites mention Pluto in
Capricorn and the Earth transforming itself starting
this year and going for 16 years. Some have discussed
magnetic pole shifts.

I'm half Japanese and live in San Francisco where
nearly 200,000 Chinese-Americans live. I can say that
a lot of people I know are not surprised with the
volcano, tsunami, or earthquake activity. "It's the
year of the Rat." we say. I'm holding my breath until
next year, Earth Ox, earth on earth. More stable.

We'll see if they get wonky about my mentioning Chinese astrology on a Western astrology group, but it's true. Chinese astrology website had been predicting earthquakes, etc., since before the year of the Rat started. When I was sharing the year of the Rat with the ClayMates I left that stuff out because I didn't want to be a bummer on CITY-o-Clay. If they followed the links I gave to them they would have seen those predictions.

This is not to say that I have no sympathy for the dead and injured in China. I believe that there are three levels of Karma. (1) all the Karma you've created in thousands of lifetimes, (2) the Karma you packed for this incarnation, (3) "Shit Happens" Karma.

In this incarnation we have our "baggage" and life lessons are part of the Karma we brought with us. We don't clear up all our Karma in one lifetime. Then there's the "Shit Happens" Karma, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, etc. We didn't earn that Karma personally. It's just part of living in the manifest realm. It's how we deal with these things that determine what sort of Karma we're creating going forward.

I live in earthquake country. I know that at any time my apartment tower on the edge of a hill can go down like a toboggan. I know that a 6.8 on the Hayward fault is going to cause hundreds of thousands of people to go homeless, thousands of deaths, thousands of road closures and the hospitals and fire fighters aren't going to be able to help all that need help. I accept this inevitability. It's a part of living here. One can't go around living in fear.

Should "the big one" happen while I'm living here it's just part of "Shit Happens Karma". With Jupiter in the first house I will most likely survive. I picture myself volunteering at the evacuation centers helping my neighbors. Administrative assistants come in handy after a disaster getting the survivor's names database updated.