I'll be there, so will Kim Farnell and Claire Chandler from the Lodge. Anyone else from the forum? If you're a regular poster and you see me around, please come up and say hello. It will be nice to put some faces behind these names/aliases

I'll see you there!

If I were going, I'd have brought my sax for Frank's jam-session. Oh well, maybe next time.

Yes, another time, I hope.


Do you know the definition of Perfect Pitch?




When the accordian doesn't touch the sides of the trash dumpster...




...and lands on the banjo.

Have a good one Deb. I did plan on going, but normal things happened to make it not so.

I know that it is late in the day to be offering my feedback on UAC now, but I still want to pay my respects to the organisers and administrators, because this was one of the most impressive and successful astro-events I?ve attended. It was my first UAC, and I admit I had a lot of reservations about going to such a large gathering. I was worried that when astrologers flock together into such a large collective, all with our own individual views and differing perspectives, there would be an underlying sense of chaos, and confusion, and the opportunity for real hospitality would be lost. I still think that is a danger at many large events, but for UAC 2008 I could not have been more wrong.

Soon into the conference I started to notice how good I was feeling about being an astrologer in the company of so many other astrologers. Everyone that I spoke to agreed there was a noticeable undertone of friendliness and benevolence. The organisers made the whole event look easy, and although there were a few hiccups, I never heard anyone complain or entertain the idea that there could be anything to complain about. I?m sure it helped that catering was not part of the conference package, because I?ve come to the conclusion that astrologers are much more tolerant of bad speakers than bad catering. Apparently not everyone absolutely loves absolutely all food as I do. Then again there was such a wide choice of speakers that it would have been extremely hard for someone to complain about what was being served there!

I also think the organisers got the daily time-planning spot on, with four leisurely talks throughout the day and good breaks in between, giving delegates a good balance between taking information in, and being able to natter, chatter and socialise in-between. The evening events were enjoyable and well planned. Michael Lutin was incredibly funny and organised an extremely impressive performance of Plutonia. One tiny grumble was that I felt this went on just a little too long, given that most of the delegates had been sitting and absorbing for most of the day, so they really need the opportunity to express themselves at night, but just a 15 minute cut would have made that show perfect. I decided in advance that I wouldn?t be able to cope with the two and a half hour-long documentary ?Return of the Magi? by Kelly Lee Phipps, though I heard some good reports of it. I wouldn?t have cared if it was the launch of a Hollywood blockbuster, two and a half hours is too much of a sacrifice for me, given the limited opportunity of socialising with friends that I don?t get to see very often.

The location and venue was a strange mix of being practically perfect, and yet so wrong. Denver was lovely, the hotel was ideal, and its setting was perfect. We had bars, shopping malls, restaurants, diners, coffee shops, free buses, and lots of sunny weather. It is very hard to find fault with any of it. Yet Denver is the ?mile high? city and altitude-sickness turned out to be a real problem. Nearly all the speakers I am aware of came down with sore throats, and there were so many nose bleeds toward the end of the conference that rumours were split over whether they were being caused by the altitude, bad air-conditioning in the hotel, or my own suggestion that we were really in Royston Vasey and it was all in the meat. (The Brits got it). That said, the local people were very nice. I not only had nose bleeds and a very sore throat but the first mouth ulcer of my life. The discussions about who had the worst sore throat will be one of the endearing memories that defines UAC 2008 for me, but I still think it was all worth it.

I met far too many lovely people for the first time to contemplate naming any of them, but since Frank waved at me from up at the top of the thread, I will say that I was constantly amazed by the amount of time and energy I saw him putting into ensuring that everyone had a good time. It was good to meet you Frank and AFAN should know how much you did them proud.

I have to say that one of the best benefits for me was that I got to meet quite a few regulars to the forum, and saw the faces behind some aliases (I?ll be keeping the secrets safe). I was endlessly congratulated and thanked for being involved with this site, and I couldn?t count the number of times that astrologers came up to me and admitted to being lurkers to this forum, wanting to pass on their thanks for how the posts and contributions here have helped them understand some astrological issue they were wrestling with. (So I am passing those thanks on now, because the regular contributors and moderators should know how much their efforts are being appreciated by astrologers worldwide). It was also satisfying to see many of the articles published here by various astrologers were acknowledged as research material for other people?s talks, which shows that web-published material is starting to be taken very seriously. On top of that I had an incredibly warm, attentive and generous reception to my talk, so all-in-all the conference had a very positive, motivating effect on me. At least, I thought it did until I came home and collapsed into a 3-day long sleep !

After the weekend I?m off for a family holiday, but don?t worry, I?ll spare you all the details of that. If anyone else wants to share their UAC memories please do - it's not too late.

I know that it is late in the day to be offering my feedback on UAC now, but I still want to pay my respects to the organisers and administrators, because this was one of the most impressive and successful astro-events I?ve attended. It was my first UAC, and I admit I had a lot of reservations about going to such a large gathering. I was worried that when astrologers flock together into such a large collective, all with our own individual views and differing perspectives, there would be an underlying sense of chaos, and confusion, and the opportunity for real hospitality would be lost. I still think that is a danger at many large events, but for UAC 2008 I could not have been more wrong.

Soon into the conference I started to notice how good I was feeling about being an astrologer in the company of so many other astrologers. Everyone that I spoke to agreed there was a noticeable undertone of friendliness and benevolence. The organisers made the whole event look easy, and although there were a few hiccups, I never heard anyone complain or entertain the idea that there could be anything to complain about. I?m sure it helped that catering was not part of the conference package, because I?ve come to the conclusion that astrologers are much more tolerant of bad speakers than bad catering. Apparently not everyone absolutely loves absolutely all food as I do. Then again there was such a wide choice of speakers that it would have been extremely hard for someone to complain about what was being served there!

I also think the organisers got the daily time-planning spot on, with four leisurely talks throughout the day and good breaks in between, giving delegates a good balance between taking information in, and being able to natter, chatter and socialise in-between. The evening events were enjoyable and well planned. Michael Lutin was incredibly funny and organised an extremely impressive performance of Plutonia. One tiny grumble was that I felt this went on just a little too long, given that most of the delegates had been sitting and absorbing for most of the day, so they really need the opportunity to express themselves at night, but just a 15 minute cut would have made that show perfect. I decided in advance that I wouldn?t be able to cope with the two and a half hour-long documentary ?Return of the Magi? by Kelly Lee Phipps, though I heard some good reports of it. I wouldn?t have cared if it was the launch of a Hollywood blockbuster, two and a half hours is too much of a sacrifice for me, given the limited opportunity of socialising with friends that I don?t get to see very often.

The location and venue was a strange mix of being practically perfect, and yet so wrong. Denver was lovely, the hotel was ideal, and its setting was perfect. We had bars, shopping malls, restaurants, diners, coffee shops, free buses, and lots of sunny weather. It is very hard to find fault with any of it. Yet Denver is the ?mile high? city and altitude-sickness turned out to be a real problem. Nearly all the speakers I am aware of came down with sore throats, and there were so many nose bleeds toward the end of the conference that rumours were split over whether they were being caused by the altitude, bad air-conditioning in the hotel, or my own suggestion that we were really in Royston Vasey and it was all in the meat. (The Brits got it). That said, the local people were very nice. I not only had nose bleeds and a very sore throat but the first mouth ulcer of my life. The discussions about who had the worst sore throat will be one of the endearing memories that defines UAC 2008 for me, but I know I suffered the most because I wasn't able to eat food, and the Regulus Banquest was torture to my soul. It was good to see 'fellow Brit' Bernadette Brady win an award, even if she did go and dedicate it to the 'Ozzies' in the bar afterwards; and I was pleased to be there to see Rob Hand collect his recognition for a lifetime's contribution to astrology. Well deserved. Well done to Lee Lehman, Richard Tarnass and Michael Munkasey, and all those that received service awards too, but ESPECIALLY to Margie Herskovitz, who provided the most wonderful moment of the conference when she collected her award and most of us either cried until we laughed or laughed until we cried

I met far too many lovely people for the first time to contemplate naming any of them, but since Frank waved at me from up at the top of the thread, I will say that I was constantly amazed by the amount of time and energy I saw him putting into ensuring that everyone had a good time. It was good to meet you Frank and AFAN should know how much you did them proud.

I have to say that one of the best benefits for me was that I got to meet quite a few regulars to the forum, and saw the faces behind some aliases (I?ll be keeping the secrets safe). I was endlessly congratulated and thanked for being involved with this site, and I couldn?t count the number of times that astrologers came up to me and admitted to being lurkers to this forum, wanting to pass on their thanks for how the posts and contributions here have helped them understand some astrological issue they were wrestling with. (So I am passing those thanks on now, because the regular contributors and moderators should know how much their efforts are being appreciated by astrologers worldwide). It was also satisfying to see that many of the articles published here by various astrologers were acknowledged as research material for other people?s talks, which shows that web-published material is starting to be taken very seriously. On top of that I had an incredibly warm, attentive and generous reception to my talk, so all-in-all the conference had a very positive, motivating effect on me. At least, I thought it did until I came home and collapsed into a 3-day long sleep !

After the weekend I?m off for a family holiday, but don?t worry, I?ll spare you all the details of that. If anyone else wants to share their UAC memories please do - it's not too late.

Deb wrote: I met far too many lovely people for the first time to contemplate naming any of them, but since Frank waved at me from up at the top of the thread, I will say that I was constantly amazed by the amount of time and energy I saw him putting into ensuring that everyone had a good time. It was good to meet you Frank and AFAN should know how much you did them proud.

Too kind, young lady, too kind.

You forgot to mention the lovely nosebleeds I suffered, and even worse excusing your (and others who shall remain nameless) behaviour at "Johnny Rockets" by explaining that your ebullient mannerisms and incomprehensible accents (well, to most Americans anyway) was due to the excessive amounts of sugar I allowed you to consume earlier in the day.

Never mind that I was passed out early that morning due the excessive hours one was expected to keep that damnable suite open for anyone who whished to overindulge in some ?Chateau D? Cardboard? (and even raid my private stock of fine wines if allowed) until the wee hours of the morning.

Not, mind you, that I didn?t enjoy every minute of it myself?;-)

At least we weren?t camped out in the common room across from Laura B?s room bellowing show tunes all hours. That was Swansea, I think.

Next time, I?ll bring a guitar instead of doing the acapella bit.

It was an extreme (though mostly exhausted) pleasure to meet you and also spend time with great friends like Kim and Claire and Nick and Roy and Kate and Wendy and? (hint ? AA Conference in 2009 ? please? I need my share of good Bitter - Courage Directors for starters, maybe some Greene King or Adnam's if those are still around -or whatever the Real Ale is these days).

All and all, a wonderful UAC.

I only managed to see 1 and ? lectures, but that?s more than my average, usually. One was Branka?s on love Horary and the other was Pat Geisler?s on actors who are subsumed by their roles. I had to leave that one because Solar Fire suddenly went wonky on me and my lecture was next. So the good people at Astrolabe and Esoteric took care of it just in time for my Electional lecture.

But as always for me, astrology conferences are much more about the company than they are about the lectures. Just sitting down and having a chat with your beverage of choice, sharing a joke, or even occasionally an astrological insight.

So, until the next time we all gather again, it was great seeing you all - and the next time I see you will definitely not be too soon.

Frank

I'm so envious of all of you who managed to get to the conference. Thank you Deb for taking time to write about your impressions, much appreciated.

Deb wrote:It was also satisfying to see that many of the articles published here by various astrologers were acknowledged as research material for other people?s talks, which shows that web-published material is starting to be taken very seriously.

I've been thinking about this - the world is changing in this regard. More and more insightful, qualified information is coming available for free on the net, and that's the rythm of the future. Maybe bisnes mentality regarding to information is starting to be a thing of the past (but on the other hand you must get your livelihood somehow).

Recently I got a hint of a great Vedic astrology site maintained by Barbara Pijan Lama http://www.barbarapijan.com/bpa/bAstrHom.htm . I've just read a little part of the site and I've already learned as much as from any book. It's the same with the Skyscript site which is a treasure trove of traditional astrology. It's hard to believe that all this is here for free, when at the same time there's people/organizations who charge hundreds of dollars for a lesson. I think spreading information benefits us all, because many minds always think better than just one mind.

Maybe bisnes mentality regarding to information is starting to be a thing of the past (but on the other hand you must get your livelihood somehow).

Hi Papretis,
My opinion is that the internet has certain uses that compliment and support the use of books and courses. I can?t see it ever replacing either of them, nor being a threat to their sales. By allowing easier access to some material, it can help to stimulate an interest ? but the only people likely to make the most of the free material are those with a genuine interest; the type of people who will then want to purchase some books and take up some courses. In fact, courses probably gain most of all, because people become aware of there being too much material on the internet, not all of it being worth the time it takes to read, so people need guidance on where to focus in order to develop a structured knowledge. We also find out favourite authors because we like their style of conveying information, so some free articles on the internet are likely to bring increased sales of books. I suppose I see the internet doing for books, what videos did for the cinema industry.

But it is a marvel isn?t it? I can remember in the early 1990s when there were so many texts that I wanted to get my hands on, but without the internet it seemed an impossibility. Nowadays even the rarest books can be seen in digital format, all in the comfort of our own homes. What would we ever do without it now ?

-----------

Good to hear from you Frank. I didn?t mention your lovely nosebleeds because mine were worse ? I must be the most delicate little soul on Earth because I was so sensitive to altitude effects that I got several nose bleeds just going up and down in the elevator. (I should say ?up OR down?, because ?up and down? makes me sound like someone with very little life experience who likes to ride elevators for fun).

I think you might have me confused without someone else, because I don?t really understand your reference to ?Johhny Rockets? or sugar consumption. I didn?t do any early hours socialising either ? are you thinking of ?you know who? (from over in the mundane section?).

Deb wrote:I think you might have me confused without someone else, because I don?t really understand your reference to ?Johhny Rockets? or sugar consumption. I didn?t do any early hours socialising either ? are you thinking of ?you know who? (from over in the mundane section?).

No confusion here. You were sitting right across from me and marvelling at the bacon double cheeseburger. This was after I had to explain to the dancing waiter that the reason you were all acting up was that I allowed you all to have sugar much too early in the day.

Ah, the penny drops - 'Johnny Rockets' was the diner (!) I was thinking it was a person and wondering who I might have been ebullient at ?? Yes well, when the waiters start dancing around, and serving burgers that are large enough to sink ships, one should expect behavioural standards to drop.