Her parents often spent nights away. It was strange because until Ida’s revelation, she’d never given much thought to the whys and wherefores. It wasn’t hard to guess what her dad was doing — most likely haunting public johns and gay bars in Long Beach, San Pedro, or wherever. And Reina had her Mormon paramour… Dusty assumed there were a lot more where he came from (though not necessarily Mormon). The boss at her father’s bank was a prime candidate — how else would Arnold have kept his job after a charge of public lewdness?
Maybe Claudia was the daughter of one of those men…
She shared a few names and theories with Mr. Raskin.
—
It was a time of upheaval and great promise—shifting sands, as Ginevra put it — and the only thing that mattered was keeping her shit together. She sought balance in hyper-vigilant attention to body, mind, and spirit. Self-care was the theme of the hour: yoga and journaling workshops, colon cleanses, meditation-spa retreats. (She even got in touch with Marilyn about shrooming with the bruja.) It was essential to be awake and aware, ready with open heart for whatever pesky festivities the Universe had planned. The trouble with Allegra was put on the back burner; this was Dusty’s time. Besides, she’d had enough therapy to know that what was good for her would be good for the marriage.
She decided to visit Chakrapani, the renowned vedic astrologer. Her first session was a long while back, before she came out. Dusty remembered him being harsh, plainspoken, and unguarded; all of his predictions had come true. She’d been frightened to see him again, but now it was definitely time. She couldn’t afford to have fear in her life. About anything.
“You are at the end of a Ketu period. Ketu is the beginning of change taking place — it has been this way for the last three years.”
He worked from the guesthouse of a mansion in Hancock Park. Chakrapani must have been ancient but didn’t seem to have aged. Though he possessed that timeless, sprightly, lit-from-within guru energy, he still managed to give her the willies.
“Thereafter, you are in the Ketu-Jupiter. I’m wondering how the Ketu-Jupiter is going to react, because Ketu and Jupiter are not in harmonious conditions. They have the tendency to create some stress and anxiety. I’m wondering in what way it’s going to manifest for you, physically, mentally, psychologically. There is a tendency to create tension. It can also bring some traveling. Is it possible you will be traveling?”
“Yes — to England, for my work. I travel a lot for my work… but there’s nothing just now. Is it bad? To travel?”
“It’s not a question of ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ You’ll be prompted to do the traveling. It has the tendency to bring the possibility of traveling, going places. And Jupiter is aspecting the rising sign very strongly. Jupiter is also in aspect with Mars — Mars and Jupiter in mutual aspect, which can bring you organization. Doing things and getting things done, which is considered very good. I am also wondering if it will bring opportunity to bring entertainment and positive energies, and take life a little easier. Those kinds of things it can create. The nature of Jupiter is to be taking it easy. To spend money only on good causes. Not to take too much stress in doing things, which you used to do in the past.”
It was all a bit bland. Dusty wondered if he’d lost his touch, his edge, his whatever. He was known for not pulling punches, with celebrities, powerhouses, or anyone else. She remembered randomly mentioning him to Amy Pascal a few years ago and to her surprise, Amy went for a consult — which Dusty almost regretted, because apparently he foretold all the Sony craziness and a fall from grace. Not that there was anything Amy could have done about it.
“What else do you see?” she asked. She knew it wasn’t a crystal-ball/storefront psychic situation, but hey. “You can tell me anything. I promise not to flip out.”
She wanted him to drop the hammer, any kind of hammer — a sledge, a mallet, a gavel, even one of those little red rubber reflex dillies that doctors use on your knees. It was her Season of the Hammer and she implored the gods to bring it.
“From the point of view of the Ketu, Jupiter is not good. But from Jupiter itself, it is not bad. Jupiter is well placed in the Ninth House, it is aspecting the Rising Sign very strongly and in good relationship with Mars. What else do you want? But Jupiter is not a benevolent planet for people born with Virgo Rising. Your Rising Sign is Virgo. Jupiter is a malefic for people of that sign.”
“A malefic?”
“It is not good. That is why it does not bring you a certain amount of happiness in the area of relationships. That has not been that great, true? Looking back in your life? Jupiter is occupying the constellation of Mars and is not a benevolent planet! And Mars is aspecting in Jupiter so it brings a certain amount of aggressive nature. Anyway, this Ketu as a whole is not that great a planet. It’s okay. It keeps you in an ‘unconventional’ state — not in the state of doing one thing in particular, but doing many things. Jupiter lasts for one year but Ketu will go two more years.”
“So you’re saying there’s ‘potential for difficulty’ in the next two years?”
“Not difficulty. Potential for diversification. Life changes in so many ways…”
“Oh my God, Chakrapani!” she said, in mock aghast. “That is so vague.” When he started to giggle, she was charmed, in spite of herself. “I read an interview that you never tell people someone they love is dying, if you’ve ‘seen’ it in their chart — you say, ‘Be kind to him,’ instead!”
“I cannot ‘see’ or know such things,” he said. “It is possible to know, but not for me. I have not climbed that high!”
“So what are you really trying to tell me? What are you hiding?”
He tittered but she wasn’t kidding around anymore.
“I know that difficulties are always — they’re always there, that’s part of life. But Chakrapani: are you saying I’m entering a particularly difficult period?”
“Particularly unconventional. A time where opportunity for unconventional types of activity arise. We don’t have ‘future,’ we only have ‘now,’ so what are you going to do? You don’t know—today you are okay, tomorrow you may be something different. Who you are, what you are going to do, where you are going… these are all tendencies reflected by Ketu. That is why it is stressful: you can’t see ‘future.’ Jupiter has created the problem! Of the relationship with your wife, it is over.”