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Grand Pa Jean was very happy
with their return,
especially because of Michel, with whom he had
developed a special bond. When the carriage rode
into their street, the Rue des Remparts, the two
immediately sought eye contact. Hector and Bertrand
were dead-tired from the long trip and went straight
to bed, but Michel was still excited about his
performance. Feverishly, he discussed his peculiar
prophesy and his urge to speak out with his
grandfather. The strange scent in Grasse had
awakened something in him, the pre-teen reported.
Jean took him seriously and suggested that he would
share all his insights relating to astrology with
him, but now Michel had to go to bed. It took hours
before the sparkle in his mind diminished and he
finally fell asleep. A few months later, Grandpa
found a suitable moment to further his eldest
grandchild’s education in astrology. He decided to
tell him all the ins and outs of it and took him up
to the attic. This was his personal domain and no
one was allowed to snoop around in there uninvited.
Especially not children, because he was afraid his
delicate instruments might get damaged or his papers
lost. From his easy chair Grandfather told Michel
that he had managed to pick up an ingenious piece of
equipment in Paris a while back. It consisted of two
polished lenses in a pipe, through which you could
see very far.
“Thanks to this invention, a whole new world has
opened up for me,” he said, “and in my mind, you are
now old enough to enter into this world. I foresee a
great future for you. You have exceptional mental
capacities and that is why I am now going to tell
you everything I know about astrology. Up till now I
have never allowed anyone to be in this room without
supervision, but for you I am making an exception. I
hereby give you permission to use all of my
instruments and books anytime you want to.” His
grandfather got up and retrieved a large object from
underneath a dusty cloth.
“Using this spy-glass, young man, you can see the
planets so closely that it seems like you are right
there. But first, I will give you some theory,
before we explore the heavens.” His grandson was
looking at the exciting device, his eyes like
saucers.
“Astrology looks for the relationship between events
in the cosmos, on earth and in humans. But haven’t
we already talked about this before?” Michel shook
his head “no.”
“My memory is not what it used to be, my boy.
Through this research we are able to use information
about one moment to trace a series of events which
follow it. In other words: we can predict the future
from it. This is much more difficult than it seems.
Since time immemorial it has been accepted that the
Sun, the Moon and the planets influence our lives
here on Earth.” Grandfather got up again, opened the
attic shutter and placed the spy-glass on its stand.
“Come and stand over here. The sun has just set and
we will probably be able to see several planets. Let
me see if… there it is! Look Michel, just above the
last rays of the sun: Mercury, the planet of the
intellect and mental capacities.” His grandson
looked through the device and discovered a pink
planet that was twinkling. Jean continued.
“As you know, the Earth rotates around the Sun in
one year and not the other way around as the Church
claims. They’re also still insisting that the Earth
is flat and that you can fall off it. Poppycock!
They just prefer to keep their followers ignorant.”
“But doesn’t the Sun also make a circle every year?”
“Yes, but not around the Earth, but along various
groups of stars. Those groups all together are
called the Zodiac. For example, there is Gemini,
Aries, Taurus, etcetera.”
“I’m a Sagittarius.”
“Undeniably true, my boy, but it will take some time
before the Sun will pass by there, because we are
not currently living in the age of Sagittarius.”
Grandpa peered through the spy-glass again and
continued his tale.
“Mercury is always near the Sun and for that reason
it not always clearly visible, but tonight we are
lucky,” and he passed the device over.
“That planet’s not very exciting,” said Michel,
while he peered through the lenses.
“Well, you should see the Moon,” and Jean serenely
looked up the celestial body in the cloudless canopy.
There was genuine love between grandfather and
grandson. Perhaps because they were so much alike.
They both had the same interests and they were both
of slight build. Only the youngest one still had his
life stretching out before him and Grandpa obviously
didn’t anymore.
“This is what you want to see,” said Jean and
stepped aside.
“Wow!” exclaimed Michel and gazed at the gigantic
Moon, full of craters, mountains and crevices.
“Someone is walking around on there, Grandpa.”
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