To begin with, it was the astrological threads that drew me here most. It was good to get to share and see people sharing immediate feelings and ideas about astrology and about charts without following any particular party line. When I first came into contact with astrologers, I found that most of the people I met were of either of a theosophical or an esoteric bent in their thinking – and the more I learnt about these systems of thought, the less I grew to like them.

Since posting here, I have written more about my thoughts about what astrology means to be. I have written about Sun/Moon symbolism, taken a critical look at how the lunar nodes are interpreted and commented on our new sub-division of dwarf planets too, along with various musings on some of my favourite books. Most recently I have revised my 'Confessions of a Lapsed Astrologer' and put certain observations there into a separate article called 'Horror Sories and Horror-Scopes.' I have also written some new reviews recently, as part of an ongoing critique on astrology. Nothing I have written here is meant to be the last word on anything, so these articles may be revised again at various points – and new ideas added but anyway, do check these out, at www.geocities.com/lyndastev...SSIONS.htm

I don't give out full details about my chart. I don't wish to offend anyone who might ask. My experience is that all too often, instead of being a means to understand oher people better, it just becomes another way of not looking beyond the stereotypical label. The fact of the matter is, if I did not feel that there can't be more to astrology than this kind of pigeonholing Lord-of-the-Flies style, then....I am not an astrologer. Not if it becomes like making hate generalisations about other nationalities for example - a point I hope will not be lost on one or two individuals in particular. Sorry if all this sounds uncool.

It might be worth pointing out that I was never interested in instigating any kind of ’politically correct’ campaign, nor have I ever wished to impose any beliefs of my own on anyone else. I still find it hard to believe the degree of ugliness I experienced last year on one tribe. I appreciate those friends who did challenge what was happening, but the double standards and hypocrisy shown by so many others, along with the willingness to point fingers, sickened me and I still don't really understand what that was all about. So now - if there is something I state that you do not like, then try checking with me first what my intentions were before reaching any conclusions, or storing up petty vendettas or scores to settle later on, because I might have unintentionally pissed someone off. True, somtimes I feel critical of the way a lot of astrology is applied. I am sceptical about certain areas of it too, although it would surprise me that anyone secure in their beliefs should feel either threatened or prejudiced enough to make it an 'us against them' issue. I did originally come here in good faith, not to attack or provoke in any way - in case that point ever got missed.

A colleague suggested to me a while back that I must be Budapest's last remaining gothic girl, but I can assure him that that is far from the case. The proof can be seen at gothic.hu - follow the links here, although I have not been very active there recently.

However, I do still occasionally review stuff on my "Poison Quill' pages, so do feel free to send me any music/stories that on anything that has real mood and amosphere, such as medieval music, or dark folk. Check out my pages at www.geocities.com/lyndastev...nQuill.htm

As far as the UK goes, I do not miss the banality of a lot of it, nor the then beckoning opportunities of New Labour's brave new world of workfare, and certainly not the weather, but I do miss the 'alternative' culture there was - in some cities there, anyway. I do find that most Hungarians do not socialise much outside family in quite the same way and attitudes tend to be very conventional.

Currently, my day job involves working as a full-time freelance provider of conversational English classes with people of all levels of proficiency, from all walks of life - rich, poor, young and old and have been away from home for over a decade now. Being self-employed in a different country without the comforting matrix of family, friends and culture is not a soft option. Just in case there are still any questions.....

I do speak Hungarian, though not necessarily perfectly at all times.

As for Budapest, I can say that the city has great grandeur and beauty alongside what I suppose you could still call a lot of East European shabbiness and poverty, next to a whole plethora of shopping malls. I live in an area called Rákosfalva, in a district named Zugló. The view from outside shows a pretty urban landscape of post-Communist tower blocks in a fairly inner-city landscape, with graffiti decorating most of the buildings that line the railway track (something my family, who have a critical eye, were very quick to pick up on). The Big Brands and Names of the Malls has certainly put paid to the 50's precinct behnd the flats and the little shops have closed down, so there may be more blight yet there - however, the old Mall, Sugár, has been reborn, complete with cinema. 10 minutes' walk from here and Árkád, the other big mall here, on the other side. Walking though any of the malls here often makes me feel like an extra (a runner, needless to say) in a remake of Logan's Run. Dome life in the 21st Century (yes, science fiction is another pash of mine, second only to vampires).

Onto creative things:

The minor arcana of a tarot pack I have designed has now been published in a limited edtion for collectors of tarot, at www.alchemywebsite.com/tarot/...07.html

I may be having some copies made up of the whole pack from Hungary - double-sided photocopies on thick paper are now more feasible than ever and there is someone known to me who has already printed sets of cards and has suggested he may be able to help. So do contact me if you would be interested in knowing more.

If you are in Budapest, you can still see an exhibition of mine, still up since May 1st 2004 of all times. It is at Bajczi Zsilinzski Utca 29, on the 4th floor. Just opposite Arany János Utca metro station. My most recent artwork can now be accessed from my site, at www.geocities.com/lyndastev...yintro.htm

The work is for sale and any inquiries, or for that matter, invitations for more exhibitons, are always welcome, as are any other kinds of friendly inquiries or comments from other artists