My Notes on The Magical Carousel by Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet, seventh chapter, Libra.1
Union, Awareness of the Origin
The children are pulled higher!
They get so elevated that the ground below disappears, and a heavy mist envelops them as they gain altitude. Visibility reduces to almost zero as if the author wanted to paint the picture of the children strolling on clouds. No sooner does the idea of a cloud walk cross the mind than the action comes to a screeching halt. But without being able to see, obscured by the mysterious mist, there is no apparent reason to explain what is happening.
The motion of the elevator then gently begins to rock to and fro. Readers get the sense that the rocking is like a cradle, a rocking chair, or to use Thea’s words “like a giant pendulum.” The movement slows and comes into balance, and a gentle wind wafts its way past their faces, lifting their hair, as well as their moods. They “feel light and airy.” Gradually, the mist clears. They can see again, but their feet are still in the clouds.
A delightful scene emerges with pastel colors that “shade the walk”, a quaint lane lined with mansions, all aglow with the color of sunset. A beautiful scenery well thought out and sculpted with fine proportion, each piece aligned and relating to the next at just the right measure of space. The allure of the avenue beckons, and the children become excited to get out to see more, when they notice the number 7. This is of course the prompt to find the key with the matching number, insert the key into the lock, and free themselves so that they can investigate Libra.
The children scurry off ringing doorbells, trying to discover where the inhabitants are because there is no one around. Nameplates on the homes suggest a certain level of society and custom exists but each bell they ring goes unanswered. Eventually they arrive at the grandest of the mansions and promptly hear pattering feet inside, in response to the bell, which rang more like a “flourish of chimes” than your typical ding-dong. The door opens. A boy has answered the call. But he also is just leaving so how could he be answering the bell? Then he notices the children and seems to recognize them even though they haven’t the faintest idea who he is. As it turns out all the inhabitants are down at the park waiting for the children, which made me laugh because normally I find myself in this life waiting for Libras not the other way around. But I digress!
Nevertheless, the Sun moves into Libra right on time, every September 22, 2022 — or 23rd depending on the year. The children follow the boy who leads them to the park and the waiting crowd. The beauty of the place is breathtaking, the landscaping, the blue sky, everything, everything carries a touch of splendor because splendor is in the air. Cheers reach the children as if they are heroes. A small group approaches, “and summons a chariot. The children are placed inside and are borne along by a delicate white winged horse, hardly touching the invisible ground beneath them.” Libra is the land of beautiful people, and they are everywhere, as couples, cavorting with each other and celebrating the arrival of their special guests. The hosts are appreciative and exceedingly nice to the children who are pleasantly surprised at all the adulation.
All the couples paraded past the children; the children were raised on a platform where they could have a better view of the crowd. Each couple is more attractive than the next, but the most important couple is Frank and Felicity Harmony. The Harmony’s mirror one another precisely, with the one exception that one is a man and the other a woman. As Frank and Felicity step forward, they turn and face the crowd who quiet themselves, eager to hear the speech. It is not a brief speech, but it is courteous, and solicitous, each sharing equally in the delivery of the announcement, and ending on the high note of UNION!
The crowd erupts in applause and invitations are handed for the “Twilight Ball”, an after party to the main event celebrating the arrival of the children. The home of Frank and Felicity is being staged for the Twilight Ball, and people have gathered here as well, awaiting the arrival of the special guests who arrive in their chariot. The Harmony’s live in an exquisite home, but they have a problem deciding upon where to have their guests stay in their formidable mansion. Together, the hosts and their guests climb to the top floor and consider one room after the next. We are treated to a bit of humor once again and surprised to learn what is behind certain closed doors. In one there is a mess of laundry and an unkempt room, in the next a squabbling couple can be heard, and in the last a pair of shoes come flying out bouncing of the door as the host gently closes the door with an apologetic nod. Finally, the perfect room is found, and the children settle in to prepare for an evening of entertainment.
When the festivities finally begin, the most notable activity is how interested each person is in the appearance of the other, how attractive, and beautiful each attendee is, and the vying for attention becoming a veritable competition. The commotion over the children builds in anticipation of the gala’s spectacular moment: “TAKE YOUR PLACES FOR THE DANCE OF THE SETTING SUN!”
The music hits all the mellifluous notes of songbirds, the dancers are synchronized like a school of golden shiners in a synchronized swim, or a murmuration of starlings that fill the twilight sky, with “the graceful and rhythmic movements of the dance.” As Val and Pompom join the dance, they are immediately struck by how awkward their moves feel by comparison, yet no one notices much less cares. The dancers carry on, and the dancers dance, and dance, and dance. The music’s beat quickens, and the movements become more frenetic and intense, while the dancers try to simultaneously keep the rhythm. Finally, there is a lone dancer left on the floor and she is declared the winner. Her prize? She is awarded her weight in gold.
A large scale is moved in place to weigh out precisely how much gold to give the finalist, always with the goal in mind to be fair and balanced. Afterward, each couple ascends the scales and weighs in as well. To Val and Pompom’s amazement each partner perfectly balances the other. The hubbub is dying down, as the final couple descend from the scale and Frank and Felicity begin their sanctimonious goodbyes, entreating the guests to be mindful of preparations for the festivities the following year. Encouraging them all to maintain good company, and to UNITE. Applause breaks out the way it does when the urge is more about needing to leave, signaling that the party is over. And just as the guests are beginning to move toward the exits someone recalls that Val and Pompom have not taken their turn on the scale.
The children of course wanted to participate all along and were eager to hop on the scale, so they each jumped up onto one of the plates with excitement. First, Pompom takes his place, but then when Val steps on her side of the scale comes crashing down given that she is obviously much bigger than her younger brother. It’s an embarrassing moment for the hosts who pride themselves on all things being equal. The turn of events has the hosts and guest aghast, so Val takes notice that it is time to leave.
She hops off the scale and grabs her brother, quickly motioning to Frank and Felicity their own goodbyes. But Mr. and Mrs. Harmony takes their abrupt eat and run attitude as rude. Such rudeness is such an offense that it cannot simply be ignored so they huddle together debating about what to do. They finally take the children and the entire entourage of the party to the court building, with its imposing architecture, symbolic pillars, and great halls. At the end of one of these halls sits an impressive man in an oversized chair. He is the judge. The Harmony’s argue their case which mostly revolves around the girl outweighing the boy. Such an offense of course being an admission of a refusal to work toward the higher good, and an unwillingness to strive for UNION. Unforgiveable!
The judge turns his authority to the children to hear their side of the story. Pompom takes the lead and blurts out how they are in rush to get out of there and need to leave NOW! Upon hearing his impudence, the crowd harangues them with accusations of guilt and insolence, and contempt of court, screaming for just banishment. The judge in a fit of impatience is forced to act, and makes his ruling:
“You are to leave Libraland and will be banished to the Unknown.” A scale larger than the previous one is wheeled into the court. “But before leaving here, you will be balanced.”
Pompom takes his place on the plate and as soon as Val jumps on the other side, Pompom goes shooting into the air. The judge must quiet down the court before proceeding. An assistant enters with golden swords, and one by one hands them to Pompom until the scales balance perfectly.
“With the sword in hand you will complement each other in spite of yourselves,” the judge declares.
Justice is served, and everyone moves outside to the enormous stairs leading up to the face of the court building. There they meet up once more with the white winged horse drawing the chariot. The children take their place and soar into the sky with the collective below yelling in unison, “UNION, LITTLE ONES, STRIVE FOR UNION!”
1 Norelli-Bachelet, P. (2017). The Magical Carousel and Commentaries: A Zodiacal Odyssey (2017th ed.). Notion Press, Inc.
Hudson Valley Astrologer 
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