Neptune’s Pull

You’d think that with being Piscean (a water sign), having an affinity to the planets and the rest of the Universe and a natural pull to anything water-based, the signs today were most definitely there.

With yesterday being Friday the Thirteenth, a very good day if I say so myself, the day Friday or the number 13 would come into the mix somewhere, coincidentally speaking and all that. You’d have thought. (I was born on the thirteenth. Of March)

It may be true that Galileo saw Neptune for the second time on January 27th, 1613: but the second sighting of a distant planet in a year that ends in 13 is just a fact that looks like it ties in. It doesn’t. If Galileo had discovered Neptune on a Friday the 13th, now, that would be more of a coincidence. However, he didn’t. January 27th was a Sunday that year. The 13th was a Sunday also. And back then, Galileo thought Neptune was a star.

Galileo’s first sighting was in December, the month before, in the year before. Incidentally, the 13th and the 27th December 1612 were also Sundays this month too, but he made his first sighting on a Monday. Things just do not fit together.

No. I was being pulled in a certain direction, and I didn’t know which way to go for definite.

Today was Grand National day. A horse race. A day for (I believe) national betting. I’m not a gambling person (although I do throw away thousands of pounds on the lottery), and I’m not into horse racing.

I’m not actually all that good at horse riding. I’ve ridden (rode?) twice in my life, once on Edward and the other time on Oliver, and on both occasions I was almost tossed off. I got the balance between the horse coming up and me going down during the canter or the trot ever so slightly wrong, and we met, painfully, in the middle. I couldn’t even get on the horse the first time I went, I’m sure it was some kind of test – the horse was a giant.

So. Grand National day. I was asked if I’d like to place a bet. I looked at the names of the horses, and two stood out to me. Neptune Collonges and Neptune Equester. Neptune is the name of the Roman God of the Sea, and this is where the planet gets it’s name. Being Piscean ( a water sign) (…a sign) (…I had my sign), I paid my pound for my each way bet (…I had to confirm that this didn’t mean the horse had to run there and back, and I still don’t think I understand what this means), and waited impatiently for my millions to come rolling in.

The horses were doing their racing, sadly many falling (with two being fatally injured – this is the reason why I’m not really into horse racing), and only a small number completed the race.

My pound on Neptune Equester was lost, as my horse came in in thirteenth place.

Aha! Thirteen!

Not exactly a winner, but never mind. I could have saved my pound, and been a pound richer after the race. Like I said, I’m not a gambling person, but every now and then… well, you never know. But I should have.

Incidentally, there is a link to the number thirteen and Neptune: the blue planet has 13 moons.

Naiad; Thalassa; Despina; Galatea; Larissa; Proteus; Triton; Nereid; Halimede; Sao; Laomedeia; Psamathe and Neso.

I don’t think any of these were running today…