ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your concern over individual liberty is re-energized today. You're reminded how much freedom is being eroded. Many become aware of how much they've become disenfranchised or else how imminently they are next. You take steps to push back.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your freedom of action is limited today. Frustration makes you lash out. Instead, analyze what's blocking you. Begin breaking the holds on you in small, careful ways. Recreate your situation beginning today; in a few years you'll be able to make a big change.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You're keenly sensitive to how old power structures are trying to hold on while social and technical progress promises to move beyond them. It's easier to decide your loyalties when you understand where the future is most likely headed.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Important changes occur today, affecting your career or status. Controversy surrounds you how and your personal and professional loyalties are tested to a decision-point. Do you decide for yourself or buckle to external pressure?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You are open to opinions and ideas that seem radical, yet have been around for a long time. You seek a philosophic response to social, corporate and political ills. You seek new perspectives on liberty versus tyranny.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Today, you want to live a non-ordinary life. You dislike the usual hubbub and want to get away and relax. You can rest in a park, meditate in seclusion, explore a side of yourself you usually have to set aside.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You must find friends among people whose ideas match yours. Some relationships are breaking up because of social or ideological divides, so you need more compatible matches. There causes in which you want to participate.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You take an interest in a philosophy or religion that's outside the mainstream. A different, even countercultural, way of living seems attractive, For now, you want to believe; feasibility can be considered later.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your restlessness is a sign that you have new interests developing. Don't act strange or erratic; instead, be introspective and bring to consciousness what new directions you're headed in.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You feel as though your settled routine is being upended. For many, the home life is in turmoil. This is a good day to acknowledge the difficulties and work creatively to make a shift in a positive direction.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You distrust old sources of information today. You're sensitive to propaganda and efforts to shade the truth. You want total honesty and you turn away from those who are deliberately not giving it to you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You retreat from the world and become absorbed into your own concerns. Insofar as you're interested in big issues, they are of a spiritual or abstract nature. You have difficulty accepting that social and physical shifts can affect your real life.

Great Spirit, remove from me those things that block me from You. Allow me this day to experience the oneness

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Personal and professional loyalties are important to you now. Even if it costs you severely, you're willing to live up to obligations and expectations. You're able to endure problems without complaint.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have strong beliefs that can become impassioned now. Stay calm, and don't let your fervency get so strong that people become afraid or turned off. Speak your mind but also be willing to listen and learn.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You're apt to state beliefs as facts. You put a lot of zeal into topics that are mostly theoretical, at least to you. You need to stick to what you know for sure and not overstate your thoughts.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You prefer stability and predictability today, especially in relationships. You may tend to rely too much on others, though; you might not see that you're deferring too much and not taking enough initiative.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You're willing to suffer but many are lax and let situations slide into difficult times. Strive to get others live up to standards; be an example to them. Get people to see the importance of responsibility.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You dislike routines and programs but without them you are ineffective. You must pay attention to immediate details and act on them in order to achieve your end goals. Be alert to whether your attention is drifting and actions are inefficient.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You feel concerned about people's importance relative to you. You tread cautiously, sensing it's wise to appear unaggressive and non-threatening. You evaluate issues of power and personal influence carefully.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are drawn to situations that have an element of danger to them. You need to anticipate potential dangers carefully. For many, secrets are important features of the day and you want to uncover them or learn what others have revealed.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're inclined to give more importance to others' ideas over your own. Many, however, must be mindful of any responsibility they may have to make decisions. You may be more comfortable soliciting honest opinions before making a directive.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You feel you need to do everything yourself but instead you must focus on getting tasks done efficiently. This probably means allowing or enlisting partnerships to share the labor. You must find ways to make the work to their advantage.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You are serious, hard-working and determined today. You're willing to sacrifice personal pleasures to ensure that business is taken care of as soon as possible. You want to be able to have fun without nagging worries.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You desire success and advancemen, but you dislike direct competition. You want to simply do your best, come what may. You're willing to guide people through their difficult moments today. Don't go for the easy way out.

Sep 4, 476:
Western Roman Empire falls

Romulus Augustus, the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed by Odoacer, a German barbarian who proclaims himself king of Italy.

Odoacer was a mercenary leader in the Roman imperial army when he launched his mutiny against the young emperor. At Piacenza, he defeated Roman General Orestes, the emperor's powerful father, and then took Ravenna, the capital of the Western empire since 402. Although Roman rule continued in the East, the crowning of Odoacer marked the end of the original Roman Empire, which centered in Italy.

Creator, help me to let go of old ways. Let my old thoughts and beliefs be abandoned. Every change is preceded by struggle. Help me go through the struggle today

Sep 5, 1666:
Londoners desperately attempt to halt fire

Firefighters in London begin blowing up homes in a desperate attempt to halt the spread of a great fire through the city on this day in 1666. All other attempts to stop the progress of the flames over the previous three days had failed. By the time the fire was finally snuffed out the following day, more than 100,000 people had been left homeless.

London in the 17th century was no stranger to large fires. In one incident, a gunpowder fire killed 27 people and, in another, the homes on London Bridge were consumed in a blaze. Just outside of London, hundreds of houses burned in Oxford, Marlborough, Southwold and Newport in the years leading up to 1666. Still, the city had not established an official fire department.

In 1666, London was one of the largest cities in the world, with 400,000 residents spread out over 458 acres within the city's walls. At about 2 a.m. on Sunday, September 2, a fire broke out in the home of Thomas Farynor, one of the king's bakers. Most of Farynor's family escaped the flames by climbing out a window and onto a neighbor's roof. However, a servant in the house did not use this exit because he was afraid of heights; he died in the fire.

The tightly packed houses on London's narrow streets were susceptible to fire because of their wood frames. Also, most homes contained supplies of flammable materials such as oils, tallow and resin. A strong westerly wind toward the city center helped to fan the flames. At 3 a.m., the mayor was awakened to alert him of the spreading blaze, but he determined that the fire was not seriously threatening and did not take action.

Despite his optimism, the fire continued to spread during the day on Sunday, outpaced only by the rumors that it had been set by foreigners. Mobs began assaulting immigrants throughout the city. King Charles II showed up and directly supervised the firefighting efforts. Meanwhile, looting was rampant and entrepreneurs from outside the city took the opportunity to charge residents outrageous prices to haul their belongings out of the fire's range. By Sunday night, the fire had advanced more than a half mile west.

On Monday, the king took steps to restore civil order to the city and brought in the militia. The militia, however, was powerless to stop the fire from destroying the high-end business section of the city. The Royal Exchange, where commodities were traded, was consumed, but Leadenhall, a large marketplace to the north, was saved. On Tuesday, September 4, the fire picked up strength. The residents of Oxford, 60 miles away, could see and smell the smoke. St. Paul's Cathedral, the most prominent building in the city, burned, along with the thousands of valuable books stored inside. The Tower of London was spared only because the surrounding buildings were demolished and torn down to prevent them from burning. The fire even managed to jump the city's walls and spread to the suburbs.

Finally, on September 5, weakening winds allowed the fire to be contained, although it was not fully brought under control until the morning of Thursday, September 6. Remarkably, although a good portion of the city had been devastated, only eight people lost their lives to the blaze. The ground remained too hot to walk on for a day and ash clogged the streets. King Charles II ordered that bread be brought to the city to feed the displaced people. He also addressed the refugees and told them that it was not the French or Dutch who were responsible for the fire but, instead, that it was God's will. His words did not stop his citizens from hanging a French watchmaker who had been coerced into confessing.

My Creator, help me to focus on the spiritual way

ARIES (March 21-April 19): This is a good day for an honest discussion of the home finances and budget. Spouses need to put their heads and hearts together and make intelligent, far-sighted plans and stick to them.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You feel frustrated when you try different approaches without seeing any of them through. You start with great hopes but are liable to defeat yourself. You need to be consistent and deliberate.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can feel trapped in an unpleasant situation today. You are challenged to be more understanding of people and the reasons why the circumstances are being put upon you. Accept it with grace and it will turn out better.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): This is a good day to discuss your feelings with a partner. The course of the relationship must be explicitly understood by both of you. This is a day you can tell each other where you stand and what you want.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You need to reserve some quiet time today to think things over. First you engage, then you consider, then you decide. Otherwise you will wind up being moved by events instead of moving them by your choices.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): People are hard to get along with today until you have better understanding of their personalities and outlooks. By taking a different approach, you can begin getting different -- and better -- responses.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You would do well to expand your expertise on the job today. Allow yourself to see different aspects outside your usual duties. You may learn something necessary, or even something more appealing.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You're feeling ambitious but it may be hard to listen to any advice that would slow you down. Yet, planning and preparations are needed over diving into enterprises unprepared. You don't need to stop, just slow down a bit.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You are liable to push yourself more than usual to keep up appearances. The situation, or a partner, isn't the best right now so you feel you have to cover until everything improves.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Expect to need a little help with carrying out your ambitions today. You need to get approval and a go-ahead. Unless higher-ups look with favor upon you, you won't get very far on your own.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It's important to build on your strengths today rather than trying to improve your weaknesses. The latter strategy can be tried at a later time but today it's better to do what you're good at.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Thorny issues need to be aired but do so without a confrontation. Try to keep the discussion about the issue, not about personalities. You can afford to be gentle with the person who means a lot to you.

Sep 6, 1522:
Magellan's expedition circumnavigates globe

One of Ferdinand Magellan's five ships--the Vittoria--arrives at SanlÚcar de Barrameda in Spain, thus completing the first circumnavigation of the world. The Vittoria was commanded by Basque navigator Juan SebastiÁn de Elcano, who took charge of the vessel after the murder of Magellan in the Philippines in April 1521. During a long, hard journey home, the people on the ship suffered from starvation, scurvy, and harassment by Portuguese ships. Only Elcano, 17 other Europeans, and four Indians survived to reach Spain in September 1522.

On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain in an effort to find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. In command of five ships and 270 men, Magellan sailed to West Africa and then to Brazil, where he searched the South American coast for a strait that would take him to the Pacific. He searched the RÍo de la Plata, a large estuary south of Brazil, for a way through; failing, he continued south along the coast of Patagonia. At the end of March 1520, the expedition set up winter quarters at Port St. Julian. On Easter day at midnight, the Spanish captains mutinied against their Portuguese captain, but Magellan crushed the revolt, executing one of the captains and leaving another ashore when his ship left St. Julian in August.

On October 21, he finally discovered the strait he had been seeking. The Strait of Magellan, as it became known, is located near the tip of South America, separating Tierra del Fuego and the continental mainland. Only three ships entered the passage; one had been wrecked and another deserted. It took 38 days to navigate the treacherous strait, and when ocean was sighted at the other end Magellan wept with joy. He was the first European explorer to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic. His fleet accomplished the westward crossing of the ocean in 99 days, crossing waters so strangely calm that the ocean was named "Pacific," from the Latin word pacificus, meaning "tranquil." By the end, the men were out of food and chewed the leather parts of their gear to keep themselves alive. On March 6, 1521, the expedition landed at the island of Guam.

Ten days later, they dropped anchor at the Philippine island of Cebu--they were only about 400 miles from the Spice Islands. Magellan met with the chief of Cebú, who after converting to Christianity persuaded the Europeans to assist him in conquering a rival tribe on the neighboring island of Mactan. In subsequent fighting on April 27, Magellan was hit by a poisoned arrow and left to die by his retreating comrades.

After Magellan's death, the survivors, in two ships, sailed on to the Moluccas and loaded the hulls with spice. One ship attempted, unsuccessfully, to return across the Pacific. The other ship, the Vittoria, continued west under the command of Juan SebastiÁn de Elcano. The vessel sailed across the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived at the Spanish port of SanlÚcar de Barrameda on September 6, 1522, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the globe. The Vittoria then sailed up the Guadalquivir River, reaching Seville a few days later.

Elcano was later appointed to lead a fleet of seven ships on another voyage to Moluccas on behalf of Emperor Charles V. He died of scurvy en route.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You express yourself too carelessly today. By showing off, you're apt to arouse more contempt than respect. If you give gifts, make them appropriate to the recipient rather than something that simply makes you feel good.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You're apt to be in full competition over who has the most money and the most goods. You're in danger of showing overblown vanity now, thus creating a lot of tension. Strive for true excellence of character instead.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You put a lot of energy into work today. Many expect better rewards than usual. There is a good possibility of recognition now. Those in ill-health must look out for increased intensity of inflammation or fever.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You want to indulge in pleasure today. You're excitable and it's hard to be austere. Beware of excessive spending. It would be constructive to strengthen your religious or spiritual practices.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You want to be helpful but you have a great challenge to determine who really needs it. You're to try too much or inappropriately. The weak and helpless need assistance more than those who can help themselves.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your energy can be the envy of the people around you. You have the verve and the audacity to get things done. You're clever at manipulating the rules now and in ways that most likely are completely legit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're apt to base momentary success on a transient relationship. You're challenged to develop a more sound basis for continued success. Develop talents that can be broadly applied.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You're feeling energetic today so a lot of self-control is necessary. Study your motives carefully and never act from negativity. It's important to substitute sincere positive motives instead.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're apt to pretend agreement just to avoid arguments. You want to be a good pal and resort to flattery. You're challenged to disagree tactfully and expect people to have tougher skin than you give them credit for.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You throw yourself into your job today. You enjoy a good challenge: an obstacle gets your adrenaline flowing. You need to watch out for enthusiasm tipping over into anger, however.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There is a strong tendency to mix romance and work but this is problematic. While having some charisma may be unavoidable, it's important to pursue professional excellence instead of abusing the attention you get.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You can't wait for long, drawn-out plans now. You must, however, ensure you have a sound plan in place. You can fail on account of impatience -- unwillingness to plan and to accumulate resources.

Oh Great Spirit, today help me to know myself. Help me to see the joy, kindness, strength and beauty that I am

Creator, let my foundation be spiritual and simple.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You strive for both breadth of knowledge and specificity of facts. This is a recipe for trying to know everything so you have to select categories and levels of detail. Let need and desire guide you on this.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have strengths in both creativity and logic. You have to find the right balance when using them. Don't be creative beyond what can be suggested by logic nor let strict logical forms inhibit your creative leaps.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You sense that you are so right that you can crush anyone with the strength of your evidence and arguments. Thing is, you're also very kind and have no wish to crush anyone. You need to practice being kind and convincing without holding back.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your attention tends to be too broad and so needs to be more specific to your needs. You have to sort meaningful facts from trivia. Available resources are flooded with irrelevancies and distractions and you must weed them out.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Close relationships, especially in the family, are due for a rupture today. There is a measure of independence gained now so ensure that it goes well. Resistance can cause a separation with bad feelings.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your learning should be geared toward improving professional skills or keeping up with the knowledge of the field. Some can gain prominence through showing what they know and by teaching many others.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You can switch between being non-judgmentally generous and judgmentally harsh. A lot depends on what assumptions you hold and how well you apply them. You must be both reasonable and compassionate.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are struggling with balancing many considerations that don't fit well together. You want to be emotionally close, yet professionally distant. You want to be cooperative and competitive. You walk a fine line among contradictions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A business partner can be instrumental in professional or public recognition. You need to stay in good humor in order to impress people. You have discussions in order to teach but you also need to listen and learn.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You look for education and philosophy to gibe meaning and expanded perspective on your everyday activities. You feel the need to understand the why of things, instead of just accepting them the way they are.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You can feel that your ability to make a public impact is inhibited by family considerations. It may be that by being in the public eye will turn opinions around and make people proud of you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You both need to have debates and you are afraid of them. You can be unsure about your ability to win but you only need to practice. Winning isn't important so much as honing your skill at it for when it counts.

My Great Spirit, today I surrender my life and my will to Your care

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are eager to accept others' good will but this can take the initiative out of you. You have to think hard how you can repay favors and act on your own. You can't rely on people doing everything for you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You need friends to keep your spirits up. Use the time to tap into your imagination and make plans. Once you have an actionable timetable, you can take comfort in having something to look forward to that's under your control.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You prefer the simple and direct approach today. You need self-confidence to cut through the ambiguities and uncertainties of most people. You have the role of getting people to think more clearly today.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your desire for success is clouded by the desire to be popular. You may be willing to accept the short-term ease of support, over the long term benefits that come from intense preparation. The right course is rough on you today.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It is easy to be self-indulgent today. However, you would do well to work on being responsible as you can sow the seeds of future success by trying. Inaction about difficulties lets them become more ruined and troubling.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You can be too concerned about, and involved with, other people's' issues and problems. You need also to open up time and energy for matters that personally concern you. Don't empathize so thoroughly, for your own sake.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You can be popular at work as long as you remain a moral and idealistic force. People need to be inspired about something beyond the here-and-now and you're the one to do it. You need to stand for, not against, something.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are challenged to live up to your ideals in the face of temptation to let standards slip. Beware of being a hypocrite today. Admit your shortcomings, while encouraging everyone to be better people.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It's important to nourish your imagination. Don't let it be stifled or go unused. At the moment, practical uses aren't the issue. What's important is maintaining your imagination and sparking your spirit.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You intuit what people mean today. The big danger is that you will read more into them than what they say or intend. Be careful about connecting dots and filling in blanks; your intuition isn't perfectly reliable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You don't entertain doubts today, so the real question is whether you are on the right or wrong side of ethical decisions. Many are so engrossed in practical matter that this subtlety can get overlooked.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are creatively inspired today, yet perhaps too sensitive for your own good. You need take ownership of your emotions instead of letting yourself react to external prods. Engage reality instead of being driven from it.

Oh Great Spirit, You take care of me today and tell me what I can do for You today. Give me the discipline to talk to You whenever I am in doubt or fear. Let me come to You if I get irritated. You are my solution.

Great Spirit, heal my mind today, let me see love

Great Spirit, thank You for listening to my prayers

Grandfather, I'm listening

Oh Great Spirit, guide my thinking today. Let me walk in a sacred way on the Red Road. Let me be a learner of lessons and give me Your greatest gift - wisdom!

My Creator, teach me about choices and decisions and consequences. Put an Elder in my life to guide me

Great Spirit, help us to learn and remember the old ways

Sep 18, 1634:
Anne Hutchinson arrives in the New World

Anne Hutchinson, an Englishwoman who would become an outspoken religious thinker in the American colonies, arrives at the Massachusetts Bay Colony with her family.

She settled in Cambridge and began organizing meetings of Boston women in her home, leading them in discussions of recent sermons and religious issues. Soon ministers and magistrates began attending her sessions as well. Hutchinson preached that faith alone was sufficient for salvation, and therefore that individuals had no need for the church or church law. By 1637, her influence had become so great that she was brought to trial and found guilty of heresy against Puritan orthodoxy. Banished from Massachusetts, she led a group of 70 followers to Rhode Island--Roger Williams' colony based on religious freedom--and established a settlement on the island of Aquidneck.

After the death of her husband in 1642, she settled near present-day Pelham Bay, New York, on the Long Island Sound. In 1643, she and all but one of her children were massacred in an Indian attack. She is recognized as the first notable woman religious leader in the American colonies.

Creator, no one can determine which dwelling I choose to enter. No one has the power to do so, only me. Let me choose wisely today

Great Spirit, let my seed that I plant today be based on values that will make You pleased with my selection

Sep 20, 1519:
Magellan sets out
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Spain in an effort to find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. In command of five ships and 270 men, Magellan sailed to West Africa and then to Brazil, where he searched the South American coast for a strait that would take him to the Pacific. He searched the Río de la Plata, a large estuary south of Brazil, for a way through; failing, he continued south along the coast of Patagonia. At the end of March 1520, the expedition set up winter quarters at Port St. Julian. On Easter day at midnight, the Spanish captains mutinied against their Portuguese captain, but Magellan crushed the revolt, executing one of the captains and leaving another ashore when his ship left St. Julian in August.

On October 21, he finally discovered the strait he had been seeking. The Strait of Magellan, as it became known, is located near the tip of South America, separating Tierra del Fuego and the continental mainland. Only three ships entered the passage; one had been wrecked and another deserted. It took 38 days to navigate the treacherous strait, and when ocean was sighted at the other end Magellan wept with joy. He was the first European explorer to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic. His fleet accomplished the westward crossing of the ocean in 99 days, crossing waters so strangely calm that the ocean was named "Pacific," from the Latin word pacificus, meaning "tranquil." By the end, the men were out of food and chewed the leather parts of their gear to keep themselves alive. On March 6, 1521, the expedition landed at the island of Guam.

Ten days later, they dropped anchor at the Philippine island of Cebú--they were only about 400 miles from the Spice Islands. Magellan met with the chief of Cebú, who after converting to Christianity persuaded the Europeans to assist him in conquering a rival tribe on the neighboring island of Mactan. In fighting on April 27, Magellan was hit by a poisoned arrow and left to die by his retreating comrades.

After Magellan's death, the survivors, in two ships, sailed on to the Moluccas and loaded the hulls with spice. One ship attempted, unsuccessfully, to return across the Pacific. The other ship, the Vittoria, continued west under the command of Basque navigator Juan SebastiÁn de Elcano. The vessel sailed across the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived at the Spanish port of SanlÚcar de Barrameda on September 6, 1522, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the globe.

My Creator, help me to be a giving person today

Sep 20, 1565:
First European battle on American soil
Spanish forces under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés capture the French Huguenot settlement of Fort Caroline, near present-day Jacksonville, Florida. The French, commanded by Rene Goulaine de Laudonniere, lost 135 men in the first instance of colonial warfare between European powers in America. Most of those killed were massacred on the order of Aviles, who allegedly had the slain hanged on trees beside the inscription "Not as Frenchmen, but as heretics." Laudonniere and some 40 other Huguenots escaped.

In 1564, the French Huguenots (Protestants) had settled on the Banks of May, a strategic point on the Florida coast. King Philip II of Spain was disturbed by this challenge to Spanish authority in the New World and sent Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to Florida to expel the French heretics and establish a Spanish colony there. In early September 1565, Aviles founded San Augustin on the Florida coast, which would later grow into Saint Augustine--the oldest city in North America. Two weeks later, on September 20, he attacked and destroyed the French settlement of Fort Caroline.

The decisive French defeat encouraged France to refocus its colonial efforts in America far to the north, in what is now Quebec and Nova Scotia in Canada.

Great Spirit, this I know - You will never leave me, only my doubting makes it seem like You do. This I know - Your love is always dependable, only my doubting makes it seem like You do. Today remove the doubts from my belief system and allow me to stand straight and see You with straight eyes

Sep 22, 1598:
Playwright Ben Jonson is indicted for manslaughter
On this day in 1598, playwright Ben Jonson is indicted for manslaughter after a duel.

Jonson's father, a clergyman, died before Jonson was born, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a master bricklayer at Westminster. Jonson attended Westminster school, where he was educated by great classical scholars. He tried his hand at bricklaying, then joined the army and traveled to Flanders, where he killed a man in single combat.

Back in England by 1594, he became an actor and playwright. In the fall of 1598, he killed another actor in a duel and was arrested. He was very nearly hanged, but his ability to read and write saved him. He claimed "benefit of clergy," which allowed him to be sentenced by the lenient ecclesiastical courts.

Jonson was also jailed twice for his writing and viewed with some suspicion for his conversion to Catholicism. However, he became a successful playwright with his comedy Every Man in His Humor, which was performed in 1598 by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, featuring William

Shakespeare in a leading role. After several less successful plays, he again scored a hit with Volpone (performed in 1605 or 1606), a comedy about a wealthy Venetian who falsely informs several greedy relations and associates that each is sole heir.

In 1605, Jonson wrote the first of his many masques, a popular form of court entertainment involving elaborate and elegant spectacle. He won favor at court and in 1616 was given a royal pension, becoming England's first unofficial poet laureate. Jonson was friends with William Shakespeare, John Donne, Francis Bacon, tutor to the son of Sir Walter Raleigh, and acquainted

with most of the important court figures of 17th-century England. His poetry was much admired by younger writers, including Robert Herrick and Thomas Carew, who called themselves "sons of Ben." Known for his clever remarks and witty verbal battles at pubs like the Mermaid Tavern, Jonson was as famous in his time as Shakespeare. He died in 1637.

Great Spirit, teach me values first

Great Spirit, let me be aware of Your presence

Great Spirit, teach me to pray. Let not one drop of liquor touch my lips today

Great Spirit, teach me respect for all spiritual things

Sep 26, 1580:
Drake circumnavigates the globe

English seaman Francis Drake returns to Plymouth, England, in the Golden Hind, becoming the first British navigator to sail the earth.

On December 13, 1577, Drake set out from England with five ships on a mission to raid Spanish holdings on the Pacific coast of the New World. After crossing the Atlantic, Drake abandoned two of his ships in South America and then sailed into the Straits of Magellan with the remaining three. A series of devastating storms besieged his expedition in the treacherous straits, wrecking one ship and forcing another to return to England. Only the Golden Hind reached the Pacific Ocean, but Drake continued undaunted up the western coast of South America, raiding Spanish settlements and capturing a rich Spanish treasure ship.

Drake then continued up the western coast of North America, searching for a possible northeast passage back to the Atlantic. Reaching as far north as present-day Washington before turning back, Drake paused near San Francisco Bay in June 1579 to repair his ship and prepare for a journey across the Pacific. Calling the land "Nova Albion," Drake claimed the territory for Queen Elizabeth I.

In July, the expedition set off across the Pacific, visiting several islands before rounding Africa's Cape of Good Hope and returning to the Atlantic Ocean. On September 26, 1580, the Golden Hind returned to Plymouth, England, bearing its rich captured treasure and valuable information about the world's great oceans. In 1581, Queen Elizabeth I knighted Drake during a visit to his ship. The most renowned of the Elizabethan seamen, he later played a crucial role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The explorer died 1596 at the age of 56.

Great Spirit, today, if I need it, please provide me positive criticism

Grandmothers, teach me the values of the Great Mystery

Sep 28, 1542:
Cabrillo discovers San Diego Bay

On this day in 1542, the Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovers San Diego Bay while searching for the Strait of Anian, a mythical all-water route across North America.

Cabrillo was not the first to search for a water passage across the North American continent, and he would not be the last. Ever since the voyages of Columbus, Europeans had dreamed of finding a shorter trade route to the Orient. Once it became clear that North America was not India, as Columbus had believed, but an entirely new continent, explorers hoped that an all-water route through the New World might still be found. Vastly underestimating the breadth of the continent, early 16th and 17th century explorers like Cabrillo believed that one such route might be the elusive Strait of Anian, a navigable passage some sailors claimed linked the Pacific with the Gulf of Mexico.

In June 1542, Cabrillo departed from the West Coast of Mexico and sailed northward to probe the complex broken coastline of the Pacific. Repeatedly turning east to follow any inlet that held the promise of being the Strait, Cabrillo was the first European to explore many of the Pacific Coast bays and inlets. Though San Diego Bay--as well as all the other inlets he subsequently explored--never led to the mythic Strait of Anian, Cabrillo did succeed in mapping many of the most important features of the California coast, though he missed discovering San Francisco Bay.

Despite the failure of the Cabrillo mission, other explorers continued to search for the Strait of Anian and its northern cousin, the Northwest Passage, for many years to come, though with no more success. Ironically, a passage across the continent actually did exist, and in 1905, the Arctic explorer Roald Amundsen became the first man to make an all-water crossing of North America. But Amundsen's cold and treacherous far-northern route was hardly the shortcut to the Orient Cabrillo and countless other explorers had dreamed of, and died for, over the course of more than five centuries.

Sep 28, 1634:
John Milton's drama, Comus, performed
John Milton's masque, Comus, is performed for the Earl of Bridgewater, who had been named lord president of Wales and the Marches. The drama was the 25-year-old Milton's first stab at the themes of the struggle between good and evil, which he explored in his masterpiece Paradise Lost.

The indulged son of a prosperous London businessman, Milton excelled at languages in grammar school and at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he took a bachelor's degree and then a master's. He decided to continue his education on his own, spending six years reading every major work of literature in several languages. He published Comus in 1637, several years after its first performance. The same year, he published an elegy for a college classmate, Lycidas. In 1638, he went abroad to continue his studies.

In 1642, Milton married 17-year-old Mary Powell, but she left him a few weeks later. Milton wrote a series of pamphlets arguing for the legalization of divorce based on incompatibility. The idea, however mild it seems today, was scandalous at the time, and Milton experienced a vehement backlash.

Milton's wife returned to him in 1645, and the pair had three daughters. However, he continued to spout controversial views. He supported the execution of Charles I, he railed against the control of the church by bishops, and he upheld the institution of Cromwell's Commonwealth, of which he became secretary of foreign languages.

In 1651, he lost his sight but fulfilled his government duties with the help of assistants, including poet Andrew Marvell. His wife died the following year. He remarried in 1656, but his second wife died in childbirth. Four years later, the Commonwealth was overthrown, and Milton went to jail. The blind man lost his position and property, but was saved from a lifetime in prison by the intervention of loyal friends.

Milton remarried in 1663. Blind, impoverished, and jobless, he began to dictate his poem Paradise Lost to his family. When the poem was ready for publication, he sold it for 10 pounds. Once printed, the poem was immediately hailed as a masterpiece of the English language. In 1671, he wrote Paradise Regained, followed by Samson Agonistes. He died in 1674

Sep 28, 1066:
William the Conqueror invades England

Claiming his right to the English throne, William, duke of Normandy, invades England at Pevensey on Britain's southeast coast. His subsequent defeat of King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings marked the beginning of a new era in British history.

William was the illegitimate son of Robert I, duke of Normandy, by his concubine Arlette, a tanner's daughter from the town of Falaise. The duke, who had no other sons, designated William his heir, and with his death in 1035 William became duke of Normandy at age seven. Rebellions were epidemic during the early years of his reign, and on several occasions the young duke narrowly escaped death. Many of his advisers did not. By the time he was 20, William had become an able ruler and was backed by King Henry I of France. Henry later turned against him, but William survived the opposition and in 1063 expanded the borders of his duchy into the region of Maine.

In 1051, William is believed to have visited England and met with his cousin Edward the Confessor, the childless English king. According to Norman historians, Edward promised to make William his heir. On his deathbed, however, Edward granted the kingdom to Harold Godwine, head of the leading noble family in England and more powerful than the king himself.

In January 1066, King Edward died, and Harold Godwine was proclaimed King Harold II. William immediately disputed his claim. In addition, King Harald III Hardraade of Norway had designs on England, as did Tostig, brother of Harold. King Harold rallied his forces for an expected invasion by William, but Tostig launched a series of raids instead, forcing the king to leave the English Channel unprotected. In September, Tostig joined forces with King Harald III and invaded England from Scotland. On September 25, Harold met them at Stamford Bridge and defeated and killed them both. Three days later, William landed in England at Pevensey.

With approximately 7,000 troops and cavalry, William seized Pevensey and marched to Hastings, where he paused to organize his forces. On October 13, Harold arrived near Hastings with his army, and the next day William led his forces out to give battle. At the end of a bloody, all-day battle, King Harold II was killed--shot in the eye with an arrow, according to legend--and his forces were defeated.

William then marched on London and received the city's submission. On Christmas Day, 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned the first Norman king of England, in Westminster Abbey, and the Anglo-Saxon phase of English history came to an end. French became the language of the king's court and gradually blended with the Anglo-Saxon tongue to give birth to modern English. William I proved an effective king of England, and the "Domesday Book," a great census of the lands and people of England, was among his notable achievements. Upon the death of William I in 1087, his son, William Rufus, became William II, the second Norman king of England.

Sep 28, 48 B.C.:
Pompey the Great assassinated

Upon landing in Egypt, Roman general and politician Pompey is murdered on the orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt.

During his long career, Pompey the Great displayed exceptional military talents on the battlefield. He fought in Africa and Spain, quelled the slave revolt of Spartacus, cleared the Mediterranean of pirates, and conquered Armenia, Syria, and Palestine. Appointed to organize the newly won Roman territories in the East, he proved a brilliant administrator.

In 60 B.C., he joined with his rivals Julius Caesar and Marcus Licinius Crassus to form the First Triumvirate, and together the trio ruled Rome for seven years. Caesar's successes aroused Pompey's jealousy, however, leading to the collapse of the political alliance in 53 B.C. The Roman Senate supported Pompey and asked Caesar to give up his army, which he refused to do. In January 49 B.C., Caesar led his legions across the Rubicon River from Cisalpine Gaul to Italy, thus declaring war against Pompey and his forces.

Caesar made early gains in the subsequent civil war, defeating Pompey's army in Italy and Spain, but he was later forced into retreat in Greece. In August 48 B.C., with Pompey in pursuit, Caesar paused near Pharsalus, setting up camp at a strategic location. When Pompey's senatorial forces fell upon Caesar's smaller army, they were entirely routed, and Pompey fled to Egypt.

Pompey hoped that King Ptolemy, his former client, would assist him, but the Egyptian king feared offending the victorious Caesar. On September 28, Pompey was invited to leave his ships and come ashore at Pelusium. As he prepared to step onto Egyptian soil, he was treacherously struck down and killed by an officer of Ptolemy.

My Creator, let me love. Let me put into action the love dominos

Sep 29, 1547:
Miguel de Cervantes is born

Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, is born this day near Madrid.

Cervantes led an adventurous life and achieved much popular success, but he nevertheless struggled financially throughout his life. Little is know about his childhood, except that he was a favorite student of Madrid humanist Juan Lopez, and that his father was an apothecary.

In 1569, Cervantes was living in Rome and working for a future cardinal. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the Spanish fleet to fight against the Turks. At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, he took three bullets and suffered permanent damage to his left hand. Later, he was stationed at Palermo and Naples. On the way home to Madrid in 1575, he and his brother Roderigo were captured by Barbary pirates and held captive in Algiers. Cervantes was ransomed after five years of captivity and returned to Madrid, where he began writing. Although his records indicate he wrote 20 to 30 plays, only two survive. In 1585, he published a romance. During this time, he married a woman 18 years younger than he was and had an illegitimate daughter, whom he raised in his household. He worked as a tax collector and as a requisitioner of supplies for the navy, but was jailed for irregularities in his accounting. Some historians believe he formulated the idea for Don Quixote while in jail.

In 1604, he received the license to publish Don Quixote. Although the book began as a satire of chivalric epics, it was far more complex than a simple satire. The book blended traditional genres to create a sad portrait of a penniless man striving to live by the ideals of the past. The book was a huge success and brought Cervantes literary respect and position, but did not generate much money. He wrote dramas and short stories until a phony sequel, penned by another writer, prompted him to write Don Quixote, Part II in 1615. He died the following year.

Great Spirit, teach me to be a heart warrior

Sep 30, 1399:
Henry IV proclaimed

Henry Bolingbroke is proclaimed King Henry IV of England upon the abdication of King Richard II.

Henry was the eldest surviving son of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster. While his father was away in Spain, Henry joined other lords in opposing King Richard II's rule. Richard later regained the upper hand and in 1398 banished Henry from the kingdom. When John of Gaunt died in February 1399, Richard seized the Lancastrian estates, thus depriving Henry of his inheritance. Claiming to be defending the rights of the nobility, Henry invaded England in July 1399, and Richard surrendered to him without a fight in August.

Upon becoming king of England, Henry imprisoned Richard in Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire, where the former king died of undetermined causes in February 1400. After a turbulent reign, Henry was succeeded by his son Henry V, the second of England's three Lancastrian kings.

Grandfather, if I need to cry, let me realize it's a natural process and help me to let go

My Creator, today I ask You to direct my thoughts

Great Spirit, teach me to laugh.