I wonder, has it happened to you? That moment where you meet someone and you just know that they’ll be important?
It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have a forever together relationship with that person, or even a complete can’t keep my eyes (or my hands) off you thing- just that they’ll be important.
It’s happened to me twice.
The first one, I married.
I remember distinctly that first introduction. It was May 1988. It wasn’t a bolt from the blue or love at first sight or anything like that- far from it. But as I shook his hand I knew he would be important. Eventually we became friends, and much later started dating. We’ve been together now for 26 years…forever, really.
The second one was a relationship of a completely different kind. I remember that handshake too. Yet that person helped wake me up and direct me in this direction- to what I’m doing today…the writing, the astro. I knew from the start it would be an Important friendship, and it has been.
Both occasions felt karmic- yet for different reasons.
It’s this concept that Jessica Shepherd explores in Karmic Dates and Momentary Mates: The Astrology of the Fifth House.
Ok, it’s at this point that I have a confession to make.
Jessica sent me this book, plus her wonderful work on Venus in December last year. I posted a review on Karmic Dates a few weeks later, in my wisdom didn’t save the draft, and promptly lost the post when I had a technical glitch of the sql kind on my website just a few days later.
It’s taken me all these months to sit down and re-write it. For that, I can only apologise to Jessica. On the upside, it gave me reason to re-read the book- and I got even more from it this time around. I loved it last time, I loved it more on the second read.
Karmic Dates is about endings as much as it is about beginnings. It’s about understanding why the one that got away, got away; why the meant to be wasn’t- meant to be, that is; and why the Universe could be so cruel to send someone who was so impossibly unavailable yet so perfect your way.
The thing is, every one of these people come into our lives for a reason. Sometimes that reason is seasonal, sometimes it’s for life. As Jessica says “Some connections in your life exist for the pure joy of helping you to grow and reach your potential through pleasure, creativity, and love!” Even through heartbreak. Sometimes, especially through heartbreak.
Jessica begins Karmic Dates with a discussion about karma and it’s influences. The karma that comes from action, and the karma that arises from a failure or inability to act. The karma that attracts, the karma that repels, the karma that just is.
From here she moves into the fifth house. This is where it all gets very interesting. The fifth house, you see, is where we play, fall in love and generally take risks or give birth to things. Or risk our personal identity security in falling in love and giving birth to things.
It’s about romance, hook-ups, short term love affairs and our personal Mr (or Ms) Big ie the one that got away. Sure, some of these will turn into 7th house relationships, but that’s not what this book is about.
Those of us with 5th house planets have plenty to learn in this regard. While a 5th house planet doesn’t mean that we’ll be doomed to hook-ups for our entire romantic history, it does indicate that we may have a potential immaturity when it comes to love matters and, to quote Jessica, more short-term shared relationship karma than others and “having fifth house planets—with their hunger for heart-opening connections—alerts us to this possibility.”
A relationship that lasts for a period of time can be just as exciting or fulfilling as a “forever” partner. Our momentary mate may be a romantic interest, a weekend fling, a short-term love affair, or a person with whom we schlep to Ikea and set up house for a time. Karmic mates wear other guises, too, besides sexual partners. You can recognize them by the joy, buzz, attraction, and excitement they stimulate in you—the initial, heady yeast of relationships.
The thing is- some relationships aren’t meant to last beyond bin night. In some relationships we are meant to learn what we need to learn, grow in the way we need to grow…and move on. I guess the tough part is in knowing the difference. Part 4 helps with this…and the questions that come with knowing the difference.
The second part of Karmic Dates is about the 5th house. What it means to fall into your 5th house- and even the concept of play-mates or play-dates even within the boundaries of an otherwise committed relationship.
Part 3 is all planets and signs in the 5th house. Of course, with a 5th house Jupiter, I read this section first. And man, did I wish that I’d read this years ago! This section deals with what it means to have a sign on the cusp of the 5th house, and what each planet means when in the 5th house. Even if you don’t have any planets in the 5th, the sign on the cusp will tell you a lot about your creative and romantic energy- and your attitude to short term relationships.
Even if, like me, you’re in a long-term relationship, this section will help you rekindle the spark and keep the romance bubbling. I read both the section on Cancer on the cusp, and Jupiter in the 5th house.
My Verdict?
As I said at the outset- I loved this book. Not just for the writing- although I do love Jessica’s “voice” and style- but for the concept. All too often we miss out on what a fifth house relationship has to offer because society tells us that we should be looking for something more long term, more forever in nature- and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that…it’s what most of us want- a committed, mutually respectful and loving relationship. Sometimes, though, it’s the things that we learn and enjoy in our karmic dates along the way that help us find our soul mate. Sometimes one even becomes the other…but then again, sometimes it doesn’t- and that’s ok too.
The fine-print: I received an electronic copy of this from the author for review purposes. The opinions are my very humble own ones…