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A Few Predictions from John Hogue

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(A few prophecies from the Modern Nostradamus, John Hogue:)

DATELINE: 31 May 2020

THE PRELUDE::     May you Live in Interesting Quickening Times

This title is a variation on the Chinese proverb that euphemistically sugarcoats a time of upheaval, an end of the long vacation from history’s whirlwinds as “Interesting.” There are many moving future-trending parts to the quickening evolutionary crisis of the human race. HogueProphecy will try to keep giving you the larger perspective as the news plays its infantile fixation on one running part of this engine of global crises, such as the Coronavirus. The first important trend to anticipate is upon us: what kind of “new abnormal” is the world about to enter, just as it looks like the US and Europe are the first large centers of civilization after China to stagger out of their economic shutdowns and slowly resuscitate the engine of commerce.

What are signs of the damage to look out for?

How long will the recovery be? Will half the world emerge unemployed? Are the dire figures initially being reported about job losses going to end up in fact not at all as high as feared, just like forecasts of the Coronavirus’ death toll have turned out far lower than first anticipated?

Given the quickening times, I will start off my May 2020 Article wave with several news-trending articles providing you with quick oracular insights into future trending themes….

Awakening from a COVID Pan-Econodemic Coma
By early July we will begin to See How much Damage Shutting Down the World. did To the Body Economic

…  The ILO believes half of the world’s workforce—1.6 billion workers—will have no jobs to return to. Like gig workers in the developed world, the informal or day-job workers on short-term contract will be hardest hit, especially in developing nations.

The ILO report came out at the end of April, roughly after month one of the global economic “coma” as my oracle likes to call it, declaring, “The first month of the crisis is estimated to have resulted in a drop of 60 percent in the income of informal workers globally.”

Imagine an epic peril of 436 million businesses descending into foreclosures, bankruptcy with a good chance that a third of these, even half might disappear?

The EU’s (Eeeyoooky!) unemployment stats are coming in. If COVID-19 prays on the vulnerable with compromised immune systems and preexisting conditions, the post-COVID-Pan-Econodemic has the econimmunologically unhealthy members of the EU in its clutches.

Italy is in shock and crawling out of the shutdown weak as a kitten. Then there’s Spain’s Labor Ministry revealing unemployment benefits hitting an all-time high of 5.2 million at the end of April alone. The Spanish working in the food and beverage services lost 720,000 jobs. With the Bank of Spain forecasting an economic shrinkage of 6.8 percent and even 12.4 percent in 2021, “if the Covid-19 lockdown lasts eight or 12 weeks.”

… People’s habits have undergone a shock from this plague and lockdown. China, the first outbreak center opening back to business in early April, has seen a lot less people returning to crowded malls, movie theaters, sport venues and restaurants.

France’s President Macron has already declared in late May 2020 a cancellation of August vacations. Say au revoir to millions of French folk crowding their own and Italy’s restaurants and Mediterranean beaches sustaining millions of French, Italian or the 720,000 Spanish food and beverage workers hoping to go back to work in hotels, bistros and kitchens of these nationally critical tourist markets.

The same vacuum of international tourism is coming all over the world.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) when faced in mid-May with 90 percent of air travel grounded in Europe and the US since the start of the pandemic are now predicting a great downsizing of the airline industry as a consequence. They have concluded recovery back to pre-COVID-shutdown levels will take until 2023, a minimum of three years.

…Now let’s look to the EU’s economic heart, the German economy, without which there would be no Euro economic union, since the euro is a deutschmark in disguise. It’s heading for its worst recession since it had no economy left standing at the end of World War II. The German Economic Ministry predicted it will shrink by 6.3 percent in 2020 but rebound by 5.2 GDP after the economy revives in the second half of 2021.

…( Rick) Sanchez (of RT America) pointed out that that printing unbacked fiat money to abandon “is not good for consumers.” The reckoning comes later when they begin bracing for rises in the cost of living because of all this printing by fiat across the globe. The funny money has been cranked out by central banks in the trillions—$5 trillion by the US alone in mid-May.

…I can feel it clearly, we aren’t coming back to pre-COVID prices for food or much else. There will be a slow climb in costs that the US president will do whatever magic tricks with stimuli of the economy he can to curtail. That means the real pocketbook pain is coming “after” the 3 November presidential election.

…Also by year’s end perhaps 40 percent of the 40-million plus unemployed are still unemployed.

…

If you Can’t Work You Can’t Eat
The Hunger Games of Global Food Shortages are Here

No work equals no income, equals no food security and no future. This, framed in my brevity of words, is what the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder related in his late April UNO report. He added that a “massive” rise in poverty was coming in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown and lockdown. And what he didn’t mention directly is these newly-impoverished people will go hungry.

…

Where there’s Plague, there’s War:
US Playing Games of Military Chicken with Iran  From the Persian Gulf to Venezuela And US is behind Renewal of Tensions in Hong Kong
Plus the Sino-Indian Border Crisis in Ladakh

There is an important overview not being addressed by the US mainstream media. There is a reason behind why President Trump threatens to defund WHO (World Health Organization) because it answers, in his view, as an agent of China.

…

! EARTH TRAUMA WARNING !
Sooner than Later: Tropical Oceans
Will Begin Collapsing in Ten Years!

It is coming in our lifetimes! The timing, speed and intensity of temperature rises have brought forward estimates by scientists of a catastrophic biodiversity loss their earlier findings pushed back far over the horizon window to the distant year of 2100.

from:    http://www.hogueprophecy.com/2020/06/preview/

The sections have been greatly abbreviated.  Go to the link to read the full text.

 

EUropean Volcanic Action

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Active volcanism found under the heart of northwest Europe

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Researchers have found new hints of active volcanism near some of the most populated areas of Europe. The study obtained GPS monitoring data from antennae across western Europe to monitor subtle movements in the Earth’s surface believed to be caused by an increasing subsurface mantle plume.

The Eifel region is situated roughly between the cities of Aachen, Trier, and Koblenz, in west-central Germany. It is home to many early volcanic features, including the circular lakes called maars.

These are the remains of violent volcanic explosions, like the one which created Laacher See– the largest lake in the area. The eruption that produced this is believed to have happened some 13 000 years ago, with similar explosive strength to the catastrophic 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption.

The mantle plume that possibly triggered this historic activity is thought to be still present, spreading up to 400 km (250 miles) down into the earth. However, it is unknown whether it is still active or not.

“Most scientists had assumed that volcanic activity in the Eifel was a thing of the past,” said lead author, professor Corne Kreemer. “But connecting the dots, it seems clear that something is brewing underneath the heart of northwest Europe.”

eifel-germany-june-10-2020-2

Eifel scenery. Image credit: Walter Koch/Wikimedia

In the new study, the research team who are based at the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of California, Los Angeles used information from thousands of commercial and state-owned GPS antennae all over western Europe to monitor how the ground is moving vertically and horizontally as the Earth’s crust is stretched, sheared, and pushed.

The findings revealed that the region’s land surface is moving in an upward and downward direction over a huge area centered on the Eifel, and areas including Luxembourg, eastern Belgium, and the southernmost province of the Netherlands, Limburg.

“The Eifel area is the only region in the study where the ground motion appeared significantly greater than expected,” Kreemer stated. “The results indicate that a rising plume could explain the observed patterns and rate of ground movement.”

The new results support a previous study that found seismic evidence of magma moving underneath the Laacher See– both studies indicate that the Eifel area has an active volcanic system.

“This does not mean that an explosion or earthquake is imminent, or even possible again in this area,” the researchers noted.

“We and other scientists plan to continue monitoring the area using a variety of geophysical and geochemical techniques, in order to better understand and quantify any potential risks.”

Reference

“Geodetic evidence for a buoyant mantle plume beneath the Eifel volcanic area, NW Europe” – Geophysical Journal International – Kreemer, C. et al. – DOI: 10.1093/gji/ggaa227

Abstract

The volcanism of the Eifel volcanic field (EVF), in west-central Germany, is often considered an example of hotspot volcanism given its geochemical signature and the putative mantle plume imaged underneath. EVF’s setting in a stable continental area provides a rare natural laboratory to image surface deformation and test the hypothesis of there being a thermally buoyant plume. Here we use Global Positioning System (GPS) data to robustly image vertical land motion (VLM) and horizontal strain rates over most of intraplate Europe. We find a spatially coherent positive VLM anomaly over an area much larger than the EVF and with a maximum uplift of ∼1 mm yr−1 at the EVF (when corrected for glacial isostatic adjustment). This rate is considerably higher than averaged over the Late-Quaternary. Over the same area that uplifts, we find significant horizontal extension surrounded by a radial pattern of shortening, a superposition that strongly suggests a common dynamic cause. Besides the Eifel, no other area in NW Europe shows significant positive VLM coupled with extensional strain rates, except for the much broader region of glacial isostatic adjustment. We refer to this 3-D deformation anomaly as the Eifel Anomaly. We also find an extensional strain rate anomaly near the Massif Central volcanic field surrounded by radial shortening, but we do not detect a significant positive VLM signal there. The fact that the Eifel Anomaly is located above the Eifel plume suggests that the plume causes the anomaly. Indeed, we show that buoyancy forces induced by the plume at the bottom of the lithosphere can explain this remarkable surface deformation. Plume-induced deformation can also explain the relatively high rate of regional seismicity, particularly along the Lower Rhine Embayment.

Featured image credit: Walter Koch/Wikimedia

from:     https://watchers.news/2020/06/12/active-volcanism-found-under-the-heart-of-northwest-europe/

Who WIll Speak for the Animals?

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“Trump Administration’s New Rules Promote Senseless Slaughter Of Alaska’s Most Iconic Wildlife”

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By Anthony McLennan / Truth Theory

Black bears, wolves and coyotes are among the animals facing increasingly cruel deaths by hunters as the Trump administration finalizes a reversal of the 2015 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

The cancellation of this act would allow trophy hunters to use all kinds of treacherous methods to lure out and kill their prey, including:

– Attracting and killing grizzly bears with bait, including junk food. Even if this means disturbing their hibernation.

– Using dogs to hunt bears.

– The use of artificial light to enter the dens of bears, wolves and coyotes. And the right to kill mothers, cubs and pups.

– Slaughtering swimming caribou and other animals from boats and planes.

The changes to the 2015 regulations were first drafted in 2018.

The new ruling is expected to be published in the Federal Register this week, and will be effective in a month’s time.

It will leave animals across Alaska’s 20 million acres of federal land and 10 natural preserves facing an uncertain future.

Senseless slaughter, amazingly cruel policy

Those in favor of the regulation change are arguing that it is necessary to cull the top predatory animals. Supposedly in order to allow the populations of caribou, moose and other game – which are also hunted – to flourish.

The alignment of state and federal regulations in Alaska is another of their arguments.

Conservationists however are concerned about the cruelty as well as the ecosystem damage.

Said Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity:

“The Trump administration’s new rules promote the senseless slaughter of some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife on the very preserves and refuges meant to protect biological diversity.

“It’s outrageous to bait and shoot brown bears and litter pristine public lands with cruel and indiscriminate traps.”

Jesse Prentice-Dunn, senior representative for the Sierra Club’s Responsible Trade Program, added: “This amazingly cruel policy is just the latest in a string of efforts to reduce protections for America’s wildlife at the behest of oil companies and trophy hunters.”

As you might know, tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google (Also Youtube), increasingly censor information that does not fit the mainstream narrative. Freedom of speech should be the basic human right, however, in the current era, you are not allowed to share your views anymore. Fortunately, alternative platforms appear that are censorship-free. Minds.com is one of these platforms. You can sign up for free, HERE, and make sure you follow Truth Theory on Minds.

Featured Image credit: PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Image 1 Credit: Sylvie Bouchard

Image 2 Credit: designpics

from:    https://truththeory.com/2020/06/11/trump-administrations-new-rules-promote-senseless-slaughter-of-alaskas-most-iconic-wildlife/

Meanwhile, Back on the Farm…

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World on the brink of worst food crisis in 50 years, UN warn

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Categories: Featured articles, Hunger

World on the brink of worst food crisis in 50 years, UN warns

The UN has warned that the world is on the verge of the worst food crisis in at least 50 years as the recession following the COVID-19 pandemic may put basic nutrition beyond impoverished people’s reach. The organization has urged governments to take prompt action to prevent further disaster as 49 million more may fall into extreme poverty due to the outbreak.

Food systems are failing and the pandemic is mitigating the situation, said UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, on June 9, 2020.

“Unless immediate action is taken, it is increasingly clear that there is an impending global food emergency that could have long term impacts on hundreds of millions of children and adults.”

Although harvests of crops are holding up and export bans and protectionism have been largely avoided so far, the worst of the pandemic’s impacts and the recession that will follow is yet to be felt.

This year, about 49 million more may fall into extreme poverty due to the coronavirus as the number of people who are severely food insecure will rapidly expand.

“Even in countries with abundant food, we see risks of disruptions in the food supply chain,” Guterres pointed out. “We need to act now to avoid the worst impacts of our efforts to control the pandemic.”

The secretary-general plotted a three-point plan to restore the world’s ailing food systems and avoid further harm.

First, countries must focus aid on the worst-affected regions to ward off immediate disaster and for governments to prioritize food supply chains.

“That means designating food and nutrition services as essential while implementing appropriate protections for food workers. It means preserving critical humanitarian food, livelihood, and nutrition assistance to vulnerable groups.”

“And it means positioning food in food-crisis countries to reinforce and scale up social protection systems,” he added.

Second, countries must strengthen social protection systems for nutrition by safeguarding access to safe and nutritious food, especially for young children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people, and other vulnerable groups.

“This includes supporting children who no longer have access to school meals,” he continued.

Third, people must invest in the future by building a more inclusive and sustainable world.

“We have an opportunity to build a more inclusive and sustainable world,” Guterres said. “Let us build food systems that better address the needs of food producers and workers. Let us provide more inclusive access to healthy and nutritious food so we can eradicate hunger.”

According to Maximo Torero, the chief economist of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the world’s food systems were under threat as never before in modern times, as the coronavirus outbreak and lockdowns hinder people’s ability to buy and sell food.

“We need to be careful,” Torero reminded, “this is a very different food crisis than the ones we have seen.”

The UN’s report on the pandemic’s impact on food security shows that harvests are healthy and supplies of staple foods are robust, but most people get theirs from local markets, which are affected by the lockdowns.

Loss of income attributed to lockdowns are also putting food out of reach for many people who are already struggling. Although global markets remained steady, the price of basic necessities has started to hike in some nations.

Lockdowns are slowing down harvests while millions of seasonal laborers are not able to work. Food waste has hit damaging levels as farmers are forced to throw perishable produce as the result of supply chain problems. Meat industry plants have been forced to close as well.

“The Covid-19 crisis is attacking us at every angle,” said Agnes Kalibata, the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for the 2021 food systems summit.

“It has exposed dangerous deficiencies in our food systems and actively threatens the lives and livelihoods of people around the world, especially the more than 1 billion people who have employment in the various industries in food systems.”

Kalibata added that there was also a chance for countries to improve food systems, alongside reducing poverty and increasing worldwide resilience.

“Food has always brought people together and it can again if we build back better as it relates to our food systems.”

Featured image credit: Prayag Tejwani/Unsplash

from:    https://watchers.news/2020/06/10/world-on-the-brink-of-worst-food-crisis-in-50-years-un-warns/

Who Knew???

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EPA suspends enforcement of environmental laws amid coronavirus

BY REBECCA BEITSCH – 03/26/20 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a sweeping suspension of its enforcement of environmental laws Thursday, telling companies they would not need to meet environmental standards during the coronavirus outbreak.

The temporary policy, for which the EPA has set no end date, would allow any number of industries to skirt environmental laws, with the agency saying it will not “seek penalties for noncompliance with routine monitoring and reporting obligations.”

Cynthia Giles, who headed the EPA’s Office of Enforcement during the Obama administration, called it a moratorium on enforcing the nation’s environmental laws and an abdication of the agency’s duty.

“This EPA statement is essentially a nationwide waiver of environmental rules for the indefinite future. It tells companies across the country that they will not face enforcement even if they emit unlawful air and water pollution in violation of environmental laws, so long as they claim that those failures are in some way ’caused’ by the virus pandemic. And it allows them an out on monitoring too, so we may never know how bad the violating pollution was,” she wrote in a statement to The Hill.

The EPA has been under pressure from a number of industries, including the oil industry, to suspend enforcement of a number of environmental regulations due to the pandemic.

“EPA is committed to protecting human health and the environment, but recognizes challenges resulting from efforts to protect workers and the public from COVID-19 may directly impact the ability of regulated facilities to meet all federal regulatory requirements,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. 

In a 10-page letter to the EPA earlier this week, the American Petroleum Institute (API) asked for a suspension of rules that require repairing leaky equipment as well as monitoring to make sure pollution doesn’t seep into nearby water.

Other industries had also asked to ignite the “force majeure” clauses of any legal settlements they had signed with the EPA, allowing for an extension on deadlines to meet various environmental goals in the face of unforeseen circumstances.

But Giles and others say the memo signed Thursday goes beyond that request, giving industries board authority to pollute with little oversight from the agency.

“Incredibly, the EPA statement does not even reserve EPA’s right to act in the event of an imminent threat to public health,” Giles said.

“Instead, EPA says it will defer to states, and ‘work with the facility’ to minimize or prevent the threat. EPA should never relinquish its right and its obligation to act immediately and decisively when there is threat to public health, no matter what the reason is. I am not aware of any instance when EPA ever relinquished this fundamental authority as it does in this memo.”

The memo says companies should try to minimize “the effects and duration of any noncompliance” with environmental laws and should also keep records of their own noncompliance, along with identifying how the coronavirus was a factor.

The EPA on Friday pushed back against characterization of the memo as a waiver of environmental rules.
“During this extraordinary time, EPA believes that it is more important for facilities to ensure that their pollution control equipment remains up and running and the facilities are operating safely, than to carry out routine sampling and reporting,” agency spokeswoman Andrea Woods told The Hill by email.
“If a facility has exceedances of limits on pollution the policy does not offer any no action assurance. We retain all our authorities and will exercise them appropriately. It is a temporary policy and will be terminated when this crisis is past.”

Critics say it’s not unreasonable to refrain from environmental enforcement on a case-by-case basis when companies are unable to comply with the letter of the law, but many were alarmed by the breadth of Thursdays memo.

“It is not clear why refineries, chemical plants, and other facilities that continue to operate and keep their employees on the production line will no longer have the staff or time they need to comply with environmental laws,” Eric Schaeffer, a former director of civil enforcement at the EPA who is now with the Environmental Integrity Project, wrote in a letter signed by a number of environmental groups in anticipation of the memo.

The letter writers also criticized the requests from the API, arguing nearby communities would face prolonged exposure to a number of air and water pollutants that might be expelled through oil production — something they say would have “a very specific impact on public health and safety.”

The diminished compliance requirements for industry comes at a time when the EPA has refused to budge on deadlines for comments as they proceed with a number of deregulatory actions.

Environmental and public health groups had argued that those with science and health backgrounds who would normally weigh in on such regulations have been pulled into the coronavirus fight, leaving them unable to divert their attention.

“The Environmental Protection Agency has not shown the same concern for the impact the coronavirus has had on the ability of community and public interest groups to respond to various proposals to weaken environmental standards,” Schaeffer wrote in the letter.But the EPA has argued exceptions were not needed.

“We’re open and continuing our regulatory work business as usual,” an EPA spokesperson told The Hill in a statement. “As regulations.gov is fully functioning, there is no barrier to the public providing comment during the established periods.”

from:   https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/489753-epa-suspends-enforcement-of-environmental-laws-amid-coronavirus

On the Upcoming Eclipse

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Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse: Hope for Wisdom, Prepare for War

June 3rd, 2020

By Nikki Harper

Staff Writer for Wake Up World

Friday sees the first lunar eclipse in Sagittarius since the eclipse cycle of 2010-13 – and it looks like this new eclipse cycle might turn out to be a bumpy ride.

For a start, the eclipse is locked into a tight square with a highly passive aggressive, overly sensitive, emotionally volatile Mars in Pisces. It’s also opposite Venus retrograde, hindering the expression of genuine emotion and loving kindness. This combination of a Moon-Mars square and a Moon-retrograde Venus opposition do not bode at all well for interpersonal relationships. There’s a huge amount of anger in this energy, coupled with bitterness, resentment and perhaps jealousy too.

Lunar eclipses tend to clear the path towards something our souls need to learn, but they often do so with major accompanying drama, tears and upset. This eclipse energy may test even the most stable and loving of relationships; for a struggling relationship, the tension may just be too much.

On a geopolitical scale, both Mars and Venus retrograde are traditionally considered portents of war, so for them to be tightly involved with a lunar eclipse is pause for thought indeed. We are already seeing wide scale social anger, whether connected to the covid-19 epidemic, or connected to racial, economic and social injustice – this lunar eclipse suggests that this anger is not likely to simmer down any time soon. There are also hints of earthquakes or other geophysical upheaval connected to this energy.

Interestingly, the lunar eclipse occurs at 15 degrees Sagittarius, just one degree away from the mysterious ‘Great Attractor’ – a gravitational anomaly which, for reasons science can’t yet explain, appears to be pulling our galactic neighbourhood towards it. The Great Attractor lies at 14 degrees Sagittarius; the symbolism of its mysterious pull or hold over us is not lost in this eclipse, which exudes Sagittarian mystery energy as we collectively seek an elusive truth – but whose truth? My truth or your truth? What if there is more than one truth? What if the powers that be in today’s modern world are experts in manipulating ‘the truth’? Is this how wars start?

Sagittarius energy in its purest form is about wisdom and justice. Tumultuous events around this lunar eclipse should help to clear the way towards a greater understanding of wisdom and justice, but the path to reach that desirable end point may be troubled indeed. We can hope for wisdom, but we should also prepare, metaphorically at least, for war, both in our public and private lives. The two weeks between now and the solar eclipse on June 21st will be critical.

Aries

New religious or cultural experiences are opening your mind – but you may not be comfortable with that. You may be stuck in a process of denial, attempting to hold onto the status quo, but this lunar eclipse demonstrates that you must make a leap of faith or be left behind. It’s OK to have been wrong; what matters is that you are big enough now to acknowledge your mistakes and to adjust your thinking. You could lead the way towards a better understanding across cultures, communities and backgrounds, but to do so, you must first relinquish your need to be right and your need to ‘win’.

Taurus

Something you’ve been clinging to, whether it’s a person or a project, is about to be removed. This will be upsetting, for sure, but in your heart, you’ve seen this coming. Whether it’s a relationship breakdown or the ending of a cherished idea, you will need some time to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and face the world afresh. What you lose will be more than made up for by the potential which is heading your way, but it might not feel that way at first. Understand that life goes in cycles. You will be back on the up again soon.

Gemini

This eclipse is a turning point for a close relationship. If you are truly in love, and you believe it’s worth keeping and fighting for, then do that. Put in the work and heal your love life. If, on the other hand, you are not being treated well, then make a conscious choice to walk away with your head held high. Struggling on and pretending it’s not happening is no longer an option. If your relationship is settled and happy, you can easily ride out this bump, but in that case look for the ‘make or break’ effect in a different close partnership or interpersonal relationship. Something has to give.

Cancer

Events around this lunar eclipse may throw your daily life into chaos for a while – never a lot of fun. However, this disruption to your routines is a blessing in disguise. Under the cover of chaos, you can start to work out what you want to keep and what you want to discard from your daily arena. When you emerge from the chaos, things will be very different, but you have a great deal of say over how different and in what way. It’s important to seize what looks like a problem at this time and turn it into an opportunity to clear the decks.

Leo

A compulsive desire to take risks surfaces for you during this lunar eclipse – especially risks involving love or money. Or both! You need to walk a fine line here, between getting an adrenaline rush versus getting run over by the consequences of your risk. Stay away from gambling, and don’t take chances with a relationship you value too much to lose. You do have some issues to work through here, regarding spontaneity and a quest for fun and enjoyment, but if you allow this eclipse energy to push you too far into recklessness, the lessons you’ll learn will be painful indeed.

Virgo

Childhood trauma may resurface during this eclipse energy, particularly if you have suffered abuse of any kind. The struggle to get your truth heard may be very painful, but help is available to you if you ask for it. There’s also a focus on your current home and family, and you may be suffering from itchy feet and a strong desire to move home. Hold of on any major decisions until the eclipse energies have settled, because all is not quite what it seems here. Impulsive moves regarding major legal contracts are not, repeat not, a good thing right now.

Libra

For you, seeking wisdom during this eclipse may be quite a literal theme. Your plans to go back to school may be disrupted, or you may suddenly discover that you need extra qualifications or that you have to study for something, even if you don’t really want to. You’re being asked to make a distinction between facts and wisdom. ‘Knowing things’ is not wisdom in itself; wisdom is the skilful application of what you know. Don’t become complacent over your level of education; instead, seek to expand your mind and to gain true wisdom and insight.

Scorpio

Your ethics are in question during this lunar eclipse; if you have done something shady, you can expect to be found out. The eclipse also impacts your financial zone, and may bring unwelcome financial news. The key to handling this is to not panic. You will survive. Avoid going into unnecessary debt; avoid working yourself to exhaustion. Learn to be grateful for what you do have, not to be resentful over what you do not have. Fostering gratitude for life will help you to absorb any shocks this eclipse has in store, and will also put you in better touch with your divine self.

Sagittarius

Think back to the 2010-2013 period. Something was going on in your life at that time which taught you a great deal – but now it’s time to re-visit that lesson. Your sign always seeks wisdom and truth, but you are kidding yourself over one particular issue, preferring to lie to yourself instead of facing reality. This eclipse cycle will show you the worst of what happens if you deceive yourself or others – but it can also show you the magic of self-belief and the divinity of honesty. Set your sail towards truth and be ruthless in pursuing it, even – especially – within yourself.

Capricorn

Your empathy and compassion are laudable, but during this eclipse you may be shown the folly of having a ‘saviour mentality’. Look to your own motives when you’re trying to help others. There’s more going on here than just you doing good deeds; it speaks to a fundamental part of your character and your need to be liked, admired and seen as a success. The eclipse is here to teach you humility; to learn this lesson, you need to listen to your higher consciousness and to stop caring so much about what others think of you.

Aquarius

Your sign has always battled a need to belong on the one hand versus a need to be independent on the other hand. The lunar eclipse shatters your illusions about the need to fit in, and frees you to be the different, unique soul you are. It’s time to stop trying to change the system from within the system. It’s not going to work. Step outside, learn about the greater concepts of reality, and discover the power of manifestation. The price of real change is that people may not like you for it; is that a price you’re willing to pay?

Pisces

This lunar eclipse rocks your understanding of power – both the power you personally have and the power you as a citizen have delegated to your elected representatives. Neither your personal power nor the collective political power is serving you well right now. The eclipse teaches you, however, that you are never powerless. You always have your own personal integrity, and your freedom of choice. How you deal with your current crisis will be telling; others may be calling the shots and circumstances may be beyond your control, but you always, always have a choice over how to react.

About the author:

Nikki Harper is a spiritualist writer, astrologer, and editor for Wake Up World.

from:    https://wakeup-world.com/2020/06/03/sagittarius-lunar-eclipse-hope-for-wisdom-prepare-for-war/

Puerto Rico Earthquake Zone

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New undersea faults discovered near earthquake epicenters in southern Puerto Rico

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New undersea faults discovered near earthquake epicenters in southern Puerto Rico

Seismologists from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have found previously unknown undersea faults near the epicenters of earthquakes in Puerto Rico. The findings will help seismologists develop a clearer picture of tectonic activity in the area and give the public a clearer sense of the potential for future tremors.

In a news release published by the USGS, the agency announced that seafloor faults may have triggered the previous earthquake series on the island, which began December 28, 2019, including an M6.4 on January 7, 2020.

Earthquakes in southern Puerto Rico – May 2020. Credit: TW/SAM, Google. Data source: USGS

USGS said their seismologists were not surprised by the fact that earthquakes occurred but by where they occurred.

Puerto Rico lies on an active boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates, with the northeast corner of the Caribbean plate moving eastward about two centimeters (less than an inch) per year along a strike-slip fault. There is geologic evidence of earthquakes that probably took place millennia ago, while history records earthquakes and tsunamis in Puerto Rico as far back as the 1500s. But most seismic activity has been on the north side of the island, not the south side, where previously unknown undersea faults may have triggered this latest earthquake series.

“It seemed likely that a previously unknown fault system off the south coast was involved in the earthquake sequence, and there should be evidence of that on the seafloor,” said Uri ten Brink, a USGS research geophysicist.

“We thought that if that were true, the information would be potentially very valuable to science, and to the people of southern Puerto Rico. They are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Maria, and now they are facing a completely different type of hazard, and they are hungry for information about it.”

Ten Brink, along with scientists from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, ran a sequence of one-day research cruises out of the University of Puerto Rico Marine Station in La Parguera from March 7 to 13.

Preliminary findings confirm ten Brink’s assumptions that there is proof of at least one underwater fault in Guayanilla Bay, which might be an extension of a fault mapped previously on land.

Several more faults had been tentatively identified lying 7 and 15 km (4 and 9 miles) offshore, in waters up to about 1 000 m (3 300 feet) deep, also within areas identified as the epicenters of some of the latest earthquakes.

seismic-reflection-profiles-march-2020

Locations of multichannel seismic reflection profiles (in black), collected during cruise FA2020-14. Image credit: Uri ten Brink, USGS

The team towed a device called “sparker” to map the faults, which uses an electrical charge to produce an air bubble in the sea. When the bubble expands, it generates a sound wave that travels through water and into the seabed, where geologic layers reflect some of the energy back to the surface. The research vessel also towed an array of 32 hydrophones below the sea surface to spot pressure changes underwater.

By measuring differences in the signals’ return, researchers can identify differences in the elevation of the rock beneath the seafloor. The differences, called offsets, are considered to be indications of faults that have been active recently.

The USGS team collected about 250 km (155 miles) of seismic reflection data, imaging the seabed and underwater structures at resolutions of just a few meters.

From the ship, several fresh scars were identified in shore-facing cliffs from Punta Montalva to Guayanilla Bay, which was caused likely by rockfalls due to the powerful tremors.

The team also searched for evidence of a fault breaking the seafloor at Punta Montalva, but the seismic data do not indicate clearly such a fault at first look.

Ten Brink said that in the following months, more sophisticated data processing is likely to unveil more faults, and the team expects to be able to measure ruptures along the faults.

“This data will eventually help seismologists develop a clearer picture of tectonic activity in the area,” he remarked. “Ultimately, we hope the USGS’ work in this region will help give the public a clearer sense of the potential for future earthquakes.”

“The USGS’ research findings are being used to improve building codes that will help Puerto Rico better withstand future earthquakes and to better prepare for tsunamis.”

Featured image credit: Uri ten Brink, USGS

from:    https://watchers.news/2020/05/31/new-undersea-faults-discovered-near-earthquake-epicenters-in-southern-puerto-rico/

Castile Soap

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These days, the soap is also made with coconut, castor, or hemp oils. Sometimes it’s made with avocado, walnut, and almond oils as well. These oils give the soap its lathering, moisturizing, and cleansing properties.

Castile soap is an exciting product since it’s not only environmentally friendly but also incredibly useful and effective for certain purposes. You can use it on your body, to clean your house, and even on pets.

You may find that a bottle or bar of castile soap conveniently replaces a plethora of other products in your home.

Castile soap is also safe and gentle to use as long as it’s diluted properly.

26 different uses for castile soap

You may be surprised by all of the ways that you can use castile soap. Some types of castile soap are made with essential oils. If you buy plain or unscented castile soap you may choose to add essential oils to the following solutions at your own discretion.

Feel free to experiment a bit with the recipes to find a ratio that works to suit your personal preference. But know that when you dilute the soap, you’re shortening its shelf life, so be sure to use the solution within a few weeks.

1. Wound cleaning

Castile soap can be used to clean minor wounds. Add 2 teaspoons of soap to 2 cups of filtered drinking water to create a cleansing solution.

A 1999 animal studyTrusted Source found that castile soap was effective in healing wounds and lowering the rate of wound complications. It was compared to a saline solution, benzalkonium chloride, bacitracin, and a combination of all of these.

However, research from 2015 found that saline solution works better than castile soap in cleaning open fractures. This research followed 2,500 people for a year and found that people who used castile soap at the start of surgery were 32 percent more likely to require a second surgery compared to people who used saline.

2. Deodorant

Castile soap can be used to make a natural deodorant. Add 1/2 teaspoon of castile soap and 1 teaspoon of sea salt to a small spray bottle and use in the underarm area as needed.

3. Dish soap

Add 1 part of castile soap to 10 parts of water to make a liquid dish soap.

4. Dishwasher detergent

Use a natural option to replace your usual dishwasher detergent. Mix equal parts of castile soap and water in a bottle. Fill your detergent compartment as normal.

5. Window cleaner

Freshen up and shine your windows with a natural spray. Use 1 tablespoon of castile soap in a quart of water to clean your windows. Then rinse using soda water and dry the windows with newspaper.

6. Shampoo

Pre-make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of castile soap in a cup of water. Use a small amount of this diluted castile soap to wash your hair. Or simply work a small amount of neat (undiluted) soap into wet hair.

7. Face wash

Castile soap is mild enough to use on your face and strong enough to potentially prevent acne and kill harmful bacteria. Rub a few drops of soap onto your face and rinse as usual.

8. Body wash

Squeeze a small amount of castile soap into your hands to use as a body wash. Use a washcloth or loofah to gently exfoliate your skin.

9. Hand soap

You can easily make your own hand soap or foaming hand soap. Add 2 tablespoons of castile soap to 12 ounces of water. It’s optional to add 1/2 teaspoon of a carrier oil or any essential oil. Fill your soap dispenser with the mixture.

10. Shaving

You can use castile soap in place of shaving cream. Lather up a bit of pure soap in your hands and then apply it to the area you want to shave. You can add a small amount of a carrier oil to help moisturize your skin.

11. All-purpose household cleaner

An all-purpose castile liquid cleaner can tackle all sorts of cleaning jobs. Use 1 to 2 cups of soap in a quart of water as a cleaning spray.

12. Foot bath

Use castile soap to make yourself a relaxing foot bath. Simply add 2 teaspoons of liquid soap to a small bucket of hot water. You can add a few drops of an essential oil to enhance the experience. Sit back and unwind as you soak your feet for up to 20 minutes.

13. Laundry detergent

Add 1/2 cup of castile soap to a load of laundry. You can use less soap if you’re using a high-efficiency washing machine. This may be a particularly appealing option for those who get rashes from traditional store-bought laundry detergents.

14. Bath

Make your bath more luxurious by adding 2 tablespoons of liquid soap to a hot tub of water. You can add 1 tablespoon of a carrier oil if you want some extra moisture for your skin.

15. Sinus decongestion

A castile soap steam is a convenient way to clear your sinuses. Simply add 1 tablespoon of soap to a bowl of boiling hot water. Place your face over the water, drape a towel over your head, and breathe in the mist.

16. Mopping

Castile soap can be used to make your floors sparkle. Add 1/2 cup of soap to 3 gallons of hot water and mop as usual.

17. Toilet cleaner

Mix 1 cup of soap and 4 cups of water and put in a spray bottle. Use this solution to clean your toilet.

18. Ant spray

Add 1/4 cup of soap to a quart of water to make a spray that can be used to keep ants away from plants. Always test it on a small part of the plant before using it on the entire plant.

19. Fruit and vegetable rinse

Castile soap is a great way to clean any pesticides or residue from fresh fruits and vegetables. Add 1/4 teaspoon of soap to a bowl of water. Soak and then gently rub the produce using your hands. Then rinse with plain water.

20. Teeth cleaner

If you can handle the taste, you can use a drop of soap on your toothbrush to brush your teeth. You may wish to use a peppermint or tea tree oil castile soap.

21. Pet wash

Castile soap can even be used to wash your pets. The exact amount of soap you use will vary depending on the amount of hair and the size of your animal. Use a small amount of soap mixed with water to wash your pet. Then rinse with clean water.

Essential oils can be toxic to animals, so use an unscented soap.

Also note that castile soap is sometimes made with avocado oil. While many parts of the avocado are toxic to animals as well, the oil is generally considered safe. Even so, you may prefer to use a castile soap that is formulated without avocado oil.

22. Plant spray for bugs

Keep bugs off of your plants by mixing 1 tablespoon of castile soap in a quart of water to make a spray.

23. Makeup remover

Castile soap can be combined with witch hazel and a carrier oil to make a natural makeup remover. Mix equal parts of all three ingredients together and use a cotton ball to gently remove makeup. Then use a washcloth with warm water to remove any remaining residue.

24. Mouthwash

Make a mouthwash by adding 1 drop of castile soap to a shot glass of water. Use peppermint soap to improve the taste.

25. Scouring scrub

You can use a castile soap scrub cleaner in your kitchen or bathroom. Mix 1 cup of castile soap and 3 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake some baking soda and then spray the cleaning solution on the area that needs to be cleaned. Use a sponge or brush to scrub away any dirt or grime.

26. Makeup brush cleaner

Remember to wash your makeup brushes every week if you can. Simply fill a cup with warm water and a few drops of castile soap. First rinse your brushes in water, then place them in the cup for about 10 minutes. Rinse the brushes again and allow them to air dry.

from:   https://www.healthline.com/health/castile-soap

On the Magnetic Field

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ESA’s SWARM investigates weakening of Earth’s magnetic field, possible split up of South Atlantic Anomaly

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Categories: Earth changes, Editors’ picks, Featured articles, Satellites and space missions

ESA's SWARM investigates weakening of Earth's magnetic field, possible split up of South Atlantic Anomaly

Over the past 200 years, Earth’s magnetic field has lost around 9% of its strength. Meanwhile, a large region of reduced magnetic intensity has developed between Africa and South America — known as South Atlantic Anomaly. Over the past 5 years, however, a second center of minimum intensity has emerged southwest of Africa, suggesting that the South Atlantic Anomaly could split up into two separate cells.

Earth’s magnetic field is vital to life on our planet– it is a complex and dynamic force that protects living beings from cosmic radiation and charged particles from the Sun.

The current prevailing understanding is that it’s largely generated by a sea of superheated, swirling liquid iron that makes up Earth’s outer core around 3 000 km (1 864 miles) below the surface. It acts as a spinning conductor, producing electrical currents that generate the continuously changing electromagnetic field.

It’s known that the field varies in strength and direction. For instance, recent studies have shown that the north magnetic pole’s position is rapidly migrating toward Siberia.

Image credit: World Data Center for Geomagnetism/Kyoto University

Image credit: World Data Center for Geomagnetism/Kyoto University

For the past 200 years, the magnetic field has lost about 9 percent of its strength on a worldwide average.

Meanwhile, a large region of reduced magnetic intensity has developed between Africa and South America — known as the South Atlantic Anomaly.

The South Atlantic Anomaly refers to an area where our protective shield is weak. This animation shows the magnetic field strength at Earth’s surface from 2014-2020 based on data collected by the Swarm satellite constellation. Credit: ESA

The minimum field strength in this area has pummeled from 24 000 nanoteslas to 22 000 from 1970 to 2020. At the same time, the area of the anomaly has expanded and advanced westward at a pace of around 20 km (12 miles) per year.

In addition, for the past five years, a second center of minimum intensify has appeared southwest of Africa, indicating that the South Atlantic Anomaly could rupture into two separate cells.

The magnetic field is commonly pictured as a powerful dipolar bar magnet at the planet’s core, tilted at about 11° to the axis of rotation. However, the growth of the anomaly signifies that the process involved in generating the field is more complex as simple dipolar models were not capable of accounting for the latest development of the second minimum.

The South Atlantic Anomaly refers to an area where our protective shield is weak. White dots on the map indicate individual events when Swarm instruments registered the impact of radiation from April 2014 to August 2019. The background is the magnetic field strength at the satellite altitude of 450 km (280 miles). Credit: ESA

Scientists from the Swarm Data, Innovation, and Science Cluster (DISC) used information from ESA’s Swarm satellite constellation to study the anomaly and have a better understanding of it. Swarm satellites are built to determine and accurately measure the different magnetic signals comprising the Earth’s magnetic field.

“The new, eastern minimum of the South Atlantic Anomaly has appeared over the last decade and in recent years is developing vigorously,” said Jurgen Matzka from the German Research Center for Geosciences.

“We are very lucky to have the Swarm satellites in orbit to investigate the development of the South Atlantic Anomaly. The challenge now is to understand the processes in Earth’s core driving these changes.”

earth-magnetic-field-may-20-2020-2

Image credit: ESA/ATG Medialab

Scientists have been speculating whether the present weakening of the field is an indication that the planet is heading for an imminent pole reversal, in which the north and south magnetic poles reverse places.

Such events have happened many times throughout the Earth’s history, and we are long overdue by the average rate — roughly every 250 000 years at which the switch occurs.

While the mysterious origin of South Atlantic Anomaly is yet to be identified, ESA said that at the surface level it does not present a cause for alarm. However, satellites and other spacecraft flying through the area are more likely to experience technical malfunctions as the magnetic field is weaker in this region, so charged particles can penetrate the altitudes of low-Earth orbit satellites. In addition, SWARM scientists think the intensity dip in the South Atlantic occurring now is well within what is considered normal levels of fluctuations.

Featured image credit: ESA/ATG Medialab

from:    https://watchers.news/2020/05/20/swarm-weakening-earth-magnetic-field-split-up-south-atlantic-anomaly/

Dolphins & the Lockdown

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Dolphins Bring Gifts From the Sea in Apparent Response to Lack of Human Interaction

The sea mammals have been lining up to bring gifts ashore – “apparently because they’re missing interaction with humans,” according to a report by 7News.

Elias Marat
Credit: Barnacles Cafe & Dolphin Feeding

(TMU) – For much of the world, it’s been weeks if not months since we entered lockdown. And while humanity hitting the “pause” button has seemingly been a blessing in disguise for some creatures who have used the respite to enjoy clean air and water for the first time in decades, other animals actually may miss us human beings.

Such appears to be the case for the dolphins who hang out at Tin Can Bay in Queensland, Australia, where the sea mammals have been lining up to bring gifts ashore – “apparently because they’re missing interaction with humans,” according to a report by 7News.

Barnacles Café and Dolphin feeding is typically filled with tourists throughout the year, and offers visitors the priceless opportunity to interact with wild humpback dolphins. And the wild dolphins do enjoy the opportunity to be treated to fresh fish by happy visitors.

But Australia began imposing strict quarantine rules in the middle of March, visitors stopped lining up to feed the animals – and the humpbacks may be worried about the sudden disappearance of their land-loving bipedal friends.

According to Barnacles, the local dolphin pod has been presenting gifts to staff at the café, ranging from barnacle-encrusted bottles to sea sponges and fragments of coral.

A post on the cafe’s Facebook page read:

“The pod has been bringing us regular gifts, showing us how much they’re missing the public interaction and attention. They are definitely missing you all.”

A volunteer at the café told reporters from ABC that while the pod has displayed this behavior in the past, the gestures have been increasing since the venue shut down.

For dolphin expert and University of Queensland PhD student Barry McGovern, the explanation for the dolphins’ behavior could be far more mundane.

“Nothing surprises me with dolphins and their behavior anymore. They do everything – they use tools, they have culture, they have something similar to names in signature whistles.”

In general, dolphins are one of the most intelligent animal species on the planet. From their playful nature to their sociability and friendliness toward humans, as well as their legendary interactions with seafarers, dolphins have inspired the adoration of humans since time immemorial.

Increasingly, human researchers are discovering that dolphins display skills and sophistication previously attributed only to the human species, including strong problem solving capabilities and a complex system of communication.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we should project our own feelings of longing borne of the quarantine onto ocean mammals. McGovern explained:

“In all likelihood, they probably don’t miss humans per se … They probably miss a free meal and the routine.”

Dolphins are also generally prone to “play-like behavior.” McGovern said:

“They often play with bits of weed and coral and all sorts of things and just leave it on their rostrum (nose).They’re used to getting fed now, so they’re used to humans coming in. When it’s not happening, maybe it’s just out of boredom.”

Since coronavirus restrictions are being phased out, Barnacles Café has reopened and they have resumed dolphin feeding activities.

from:    https://themindunleashed.com/2020/05/dolphins-bring-gifts-from-the-sea-in-apparent-response-to-lack-of-human-interaction.html