GAZETTE Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian News

TAMPA God. Buddha. Allah. Mohammed. Elvis. Most of us believe there is some sort of omniscient "being" out there with a guiding hand in our travels along this plain. I recently spent an afternoon with local astrologer Martin Montes and we discussed the science of it.

After giving him my birthday and time of birth, he got on the computer and printed out my "star chart." As read it, I was very surprised that he touched on a lot of things that have occurred in my life. I am a skeptical individual, but this was really cool. How the constellations were aligned at the date, time and location of my birth, formed a "blueprint," he said, of my destiny.

Admitting that I was skeptical, I told Montes that my knowledge of astrology was limited to what I'd read in the horoscopes in the Gazette and the dailies, and that they seemed very generic. He agreed, adding that "horoscopes in most magazines or newspapers are a bit cosmetic and they have to be. Everyone's astrology chart is specific to their soul, their time of birth, where they were born, and that is just a script showing what you need to do in this life. When you write a generic horoscope you have to be very basic. It can be specific to a side, but it is going to be hit or miss depending on that person's day, that person's charts.

It is difficult to really utilize the daily horoscopes in a person's life. However, it is a useful tool, and it does help a person to understand what is going on currently. It is more like an appetizer. It intrigues people."

Montes continues, "Horoscopes can only give you a paragraph. An hour with an astrologer can give you loads of information and a deeper insight. We are all spiritual beings. We are all spirits. On earth there are no coincidences. I believe that we agree to a Śscript' before we come to earth. Obstacles or people that come into your life are there to teach you." "Earth is unfortunately a very challenging place to be. Earth is the greatest place to learn. Divinely, there is a script that must be completed: "Thy will be done," as it were. On the flip side is that we have free will." Montes explains, "To me that is fear. The allowance for things to happen, the lessons to learn, the people who touch our lives. We can resist that because we have free will‹through fear we can delay our destiny and our journey."

People should not to feel victimized or powerless, Montes says. "You are powerful, beyond what you could imagine. Everyone has the ability to influence others because we are all energy. We all are impressionable, so we all connect with one another. It is important to know that you are powerful, you are not alone, there is a purpose for your life."

How did Montes become so interested in astrology? "It started with a curiosity. I was at an auction for AIDS research in New York and I won an astrology reading. I went and got my report. I read it. I found it very intriguing. I studied a little astrology on my own, reading books. Then, at 29, I was referred to an astrologer who had been on Oprah, and he captivated me. From that moment on, I had an inner desire, or guidance, to move towards this direction. I involved myself in a home study. I wound up becoming a certified astrologer.

Montes continues, "I discovered that In a past life I was a scribe for an astrologer in Egypt. I found that extremely intriguing. Astrology has been around for ever, it dates back to the Babylonians. It is considered an esoteric science but it is actually a spiritual art. It is a phenomenal tool to let someone understand their path‹that allows one to help someone focus on their life, instead of just existing, since this life is a temporary journey. Astrology is one of many, many different tools."

Montes says the moon plays an integral part in our lives. "A full moon means that the moon is completely opposite the sun and the earth is out of the way, so the moon picks up the reflection of the sun. The earth doesn't give it a shadow." To the astrologer the full moon is a sign of completion. "The moon is the fastest moving light in the solar system. It goes through the whole constellation about every 28 days. The moon moves around the constellation of the 12 cycles, and it comes back to the point where it is full, opposite the sun. The moon has a gravitational pull and, as we know, it controls the tides. Since the earth is 2/3 water, the moon has an effect on the whole planet."

"The sun gives us life; the moon protects us. You sleep. It is the unconsciousness. It is the other side. It is the mother who doesn't complain, who works behind the scenes. The father is bright, he goes out and attracts attention for the ego; the woman, on the other side, is the moon, the emotionally stronger one, the one who nurtures."

"Lunar cycles are vital to people. From time to time we all go through ups and downs emotionally‹especially if you are Śwater sign,' like Cancer. Cancers tend to be very tenacious, very protective, so when the moon goes through the cycles, the Cancers feel that. It is not that they are moody or cranky by nature, but that part of that solar identity is controlled by the moon."

"When you are born, when your physical body comes into the world and the spirit encases your body, the sun will be reflecting in the constellation of a specific sign. At the time of your birth, where the sun was, gives you the basic characteristics of that specific constellation. Everyone born under a given sign has a common denominator. However, each is different. 100% different. Even identical twins who are born four minutes apart are different because this moment has never been lived, it is a new moment and it never stops because life never ends."

"Astrology is a great tool for people to use in their lives. Listen to your dreams. Trust your intuitions and feelings. Look around you. Just meditate and simply follow your heart. Whatever your passion is. Whatever makes you feel good, do it. Even if it is through amateur pursuits, pursue it. Find your joy and pursue it."

"Spirituality is not a religion. Everyone is a spirit. It gives you that life, it gives you that smile, it gives you that feeling. Connect with that spirit. We are all spiritual people, we are just vibrating at different consciousnesses because we are thinking differently. It is just really great to be on a journey of exploration and to know your journey. Basically anything that you do in life that brings you fulfillment and serves other people, humanity, is a blessing."

We are all privy to this‹no one is discriminated against in the unconscious, Montes says. "Discrimination comes from fear-based, ego-based consciousness. That has to do with the need for control and power. In reality, everyone has a purpose, everyone feels the same way. We are all created equal. We all feel pain. If we break a leg, we all feel that pain."

Montes says we must all nurture ourselves. "Learn to like yourself. Build positive attributes. Eat right. Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep. Do not abuse recreational substances like alcohol and drugs. Find a balance in your life. Find time to balance your emotional, spiritual, psychological, and physical body. Do that and you will feel much happier with your life."

He adds, "Follow your heart. Follow your journey. Seek and you will find. There is not really only one path for everyone. That is the great part of living. It is infinite. There are six billion souls out there, on six billion paths leading them to happiness. You can't escape life, and there is no such thing as death. We go through a physical loss of body but we never really die‹we go to a spiritual dimension. You know that from your dreams, from psychic experiences or visions, depending on how sensitive you are to it. It is important to know that this is real. It is not your imagination." Montes is currently writing a book about the power to heal. It should be out in June of 2005. A book tour is planned upon its release.

FMI www.cosmiccuisine.com or 813-902-9434.

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