At the moment of my birth, Venus rose high in the morning sky above me, between the ninth and tenth house of fated ego work, declaring my mother’s tiny child an inevitable painter of the stars. It would be difficult to overstate how deeply I have suffered to do this work and last week, while my paintbrush moved entranced over canvas upon canvas, I hated it for the loss I have endured. But we do not get to outrun our destiny in this life, so today, I say “yes” to the all-ness of me.

Today is my birthday and today, I am filled with awe that I get to create this art for others, each person a Universe unto themselves. In this moment, for @ethereal_sol ♥️ We met years ago at the Portico Market, she bought my art, followed me on Instagram, and a couple months ago, won my contest. This Starcraft Map is a magical artifact, illustrating with potent usefulness, the position of the planets at the moment of her birth, and she honors me greatly, sharing in this living magic.

What a crazy trip this life is. What a staggering shock that we are even here at all, that we have each other, and for all the madness of this moment we can hardly believe is befalling us, the Earth spins on in perfect symmetry with her Moon, eight other planets and countless smaller bodies, around a glorious, holy, atomic bomb of a life form that birthed us. And we are here, held in a benevolent mystery beckoning us to know it through all peoples, all faiths, all times. Thank you, Life, for this terrible, wonderful, symmetrical mess of a miraculous existence.