Circus Cast: Tony Vowles, Strong Man
Round the corner from the entrance, against the big top stripes, there stands a wooden stage. A lone figure paces the platform, his broad shoulders covered by a blue velvet cape. ”Step right up…” the barker cries, “See superhuman acts of strength!”
Throw off your robes and grasp the barbell if you are…
The Strong Man:Well-trained and confident, the Strong Man is unafraid of his personal strengths. Steadily, he hones his skills, besting his less focused competitors. The strong man offers consisent stability (with a side of pride) to those who travel with him. Likes: red meat, sweat, admirers. Dislikes: people who don’t commit, California cuisine, narrow slacks.
Magpie Circus Cast Member: Tony Vowles of The Astrology Blog
Tony arrived on our radar when I announced a circus casting call to the Magpie Girl mailing list. Much to my surprise, he eschewed the ”obvious” role of Forutne Teller and auditioned instead as Strong Man. (I do love people who eschew the obvious!) Now this strapping fellow is ready to dazzle and delight. Tony, take it away…
Q: The Magpies are pretty interested in the intersection between Art + Spirituality. Will you talk to us a little bit about how astrology and poetry connect for you?
Well, they are both languages of the spheres in a way – art connects us to the bigger pictures and the smaller pictures in life – it is a reflection of the unknown, the imaginative, the ‘canvas to the paint’ – and we are painters – as Astrologers, as Poets – in anything we do. Art connects to life in such a profound way. For instance, it is fascinating to watch the media, newspapers and such like and see reflections of Astrological transits happening. As some of the planets hover around Aquarius/Pisces/Aries at present we see the Tate Modern Art Gallery here in London showing exhibitions called ‘Voyeur, Surveillance and Camera’ and Picasso ‘Peace and Freedom’– all very Piscean themes. There is also a bit of Aries thrown in with the exhibition ‘Rude Britannia’. The movie Avatar might be another example of the ‘zeitgeist’ movement being expressed through art.
Poetry is another example, and being quite a literary person, I love imaginative use of language that conveys wider subjects – from the works of Lao Tzu to Rumi to John Milton. They all, in varying degrees captured an essence of the universe through words – and it is this that interests me – this understanding of the nature of the time. Astrology is the tool I use to understand and express these patterns and I spill my understanding upon the page – in the same way that the great Poets did. The poem ‘To Charles Diodati’ by John Milton was a fine example of a Capricorn Man falling in love with a Sagittarian woman – and Milton himself was a Sagittarius Sun with Moon, Mercury, Venus and Saturn all in Capricorn. Art does indeed mirror life.
Q: Tell us why you chose the Strong Man as your circus character. What draws you to this sideshow performer?
Haha! Well, actually when I first looked at it the words conveyed _STRO _AN. I put an A and an M in front to make Astro Man! Plus, the ’Strong Man’ had a star on his arm!
Q: How would you characterize your approach to the astrological arts? What’s your unique style?
Astrology is such a rich subject and there are many people that do many different things with the art. Some are predictive, some are counselors/therapists, some study politics and the cycles of history etc. My own approach lends itself towards the spiritual/therapeutic side – I’m less interested in prediction – more interested in how I can help people on their journeys through life, to express their own unique selves – to find what ‘makes their hearts sing’ and connects them to their own cycles and patterns. I am intuitively strong and this aids me, along with many years of practice in Astrology and energy arts. A business background in IT helps me ground and produce (hopefully) a professional presentation to the work that I do. This art makes my heart sing and I seek to help others discover their own ways – and they are myriad and all fascinating to engage with.
You can find Tony at The Astrology Blog where he writes about the current astrological transits. He can also be found on Twitter (@TonyVowles) and Facebook. Tony’s writing an Astrological Poetry book. And he’ll be offering a range of services – reports, consultations etc. – so tune into the blog for further details. Tell him Magpie Girl sent you!
What is your circus persona? To get your backstage pass and choose from a mysterious cast of characters, just join my mailing list. (Top o’ the page, stage right.) Email me a picture of your backstage pass, and get featured as a Circus Cast member. (Link love included!) To see our entire cast to date, click here. On with the show!
2 comments
I want Tony to do a series of post where he lists “recommended reading” for each star sign. Wouldn’t that be intriguing? I’m Scorpio, Tony…. :-)
Hey Rachelle – well, the bible for anyone starting out with looking at their sign (for me anyway) is Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs – it’s fabulously written and very detailed – most of the sun sign books are rehashes of familiar statements but Linda delved into it like no other. Love Signs (from the same author) is also another classic. A series of recommended reading articles is intrigiung – I’ll give it some thought! :-)
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