The Country – Love or Loathe It?

I like it if I have plenty to do, (Aries sun?) but usually there isn’t. I prefer holidays where I can go on tours or look at museums and stuff.

I love the country – I love big trees, clean, fresh air, animals, magical glens and big rocks to climb on…but haven’t lived there and have no immdeiate plans to. Definitely agree that it’s best for childhood, but also think it’s damned healthy for adulthood too, in short bursts. I hate living in the ‘burbs, drives me crazy being so far from everything and everyone, but in the inner city I feel the absence of trees very strongly. Will work out where I’m supposed to live one day. Inner city in a secret garden on top of an apartment block, maybe?
– piscean (north node taurus and moon in aquarius)

Oh, wait:

Sagg sun/Pisces Rising/Moon Aries.

Well I was born in the country North NSW, raised in the city, The Bra, when i moved out of home lived in the cross, lizzy bay, Potts Point for about 10 years..got job offer in QLd and after contract finished started by living in the hinterland, moved further back to the real bush then spent 7 years in rainforest pretty much by myself…moved back to the city, met wife have 3 kids. Living back in The Bra.
I love the bush but it takes about 2 years to get that city edgey thing out of you so you can truly relax. Then life is just one perfect day after the next. Personally I think the bush is for adults not so much for kids. Families struggle in isolated places for lots of different reasons. Once the kids have grown up I’ll be pushing to move back north. When I lived in the cross I loved it, its a real community or was when i lived there. So for me the secret is one extreme or the next. Either inner city deep in the thick of it or isolated beauty. The middle ground, suburbia or semi rural are mind killers that would never work for me not sure they work for anyone.

Love, love, love the country – Pisces sun, Taurus rising, Aries moon. I lived in Sydney for 17 years and sometimes I felt like I’d moved so far from my ‘centre’ that there were times when I literally thought I was losing my mind. Recently have discovered my farm again…love the smell, the cattle, the kangaroos…

BTW, I’m not usually a Liz Hurley fan, but I love this photo!

huh? what? say somethin?

just lookin at picture

My nodes are the Scorpio/Taurus polarity.

i lurve the country- but it has to be a specific kind…ie, you wouldnt catch me dead living in a rural town in Oz. sorry, lots are lovely, but i’d go mad, plus not an actual fan of ‘the bush’. BUT love what i would refer to as ‘the wilderness’- specifically- overseas, aka NZ mountains, Canada mountains, etc. the more clean crisp air thing, where you can hike and canoe and drink cocoa and camp without fear of a zillion snakes and bugs. also love the ocean in general, any coastal strip no matter where in the world is good for me. cant do tropics.

need the stimulus of a middle sized city to live though (not a fan of the ginormous ones either, need something in between…) where at least i can go to movies, have variety of restaurants etc at my finger tips, and alot of buzz.

sagg sun, aries rising, aquarius moon.

I grew up in the (leafy) suburbs and I remember holiday trips to the country as a child – I would get very nervous if I couldn’t see buildings to the horizon. I later lived in an inner city commune of hippies and freaks, Helen Garner-style and loved it. Moved to the country 20 years ago. Small town – max pop 500. The culture shock was indescribably excruciating for about a year-and-a-half. Now I wouldn’t budge for anything. During the day all I can hear is the birds; at night the crickets and frogs – bliss! I regularly visit he river near where I live, to write, think, draw and swim. To go anywhere, like supermarket shopping, visiting friends, the movies etc, I have to drive for at least an hour and a half, during which time I get lots of thinking done, or just space out. There’s no reason to rush anywhere. I often fly to Sydney – it takes as long to drive to the airport as it does to fly 1000kms. Sure, to supplement one’s existence one must go to a lot of trouble but that enhances enjoyment and it’s always great to get home from people, traffic and rushing, to the peace and quiet. Ah, the serenity!

I’ve got sagg south node bang on my asc line and I love the country. I’ve pretty much lived everywhere with late husb’s transfers and have had the best. Three stints in the city but never in the ‘burbs thankfully.

Where I live I have so many choices. About two hours to anything in all directions. I live in a country town and we coffee at several great cafes, lunch at wineries, dine in pubs or restaurants with quality menus and have bookshops.

I love going to the city to play, try new eateries, go to the theatre, either Bris or Sydney and like playing on the Sunshine Coast. I used to enjoy the Gold Coast but don’t now. I only go there when friends invite me to a celebration. When the kids were small we were transferred to Bundaberg but bought a house at Elliott Heads, 23 ks outside town on the coast. That’s my second favourite and the kids loved it and still talk about it as a great place to spend 6yrs after the restrictions of inner Bris living where they couldn’t ride bikes or go anywhere unsupervised.

I grew up on a cattle property but like most country kids, left for the smoke. Alpha Tauri’s fallen in love with my town so I’m staying where I am hopefully till I buy my other tiny piece of ground

I’m a Kataka and I loathe the country! I love urban areas, the hustle and bustle, having things to do.
I have Capricorn Rising, Taurus Moon, and Libra Mars.
Capricorn and Taurus are Earth signs, so I should like the country. (No, I really do hate it) However, I have a LOT of Cancer, Scorpio and Gemini in my chart, so that probally balances it out

Shell, I’m with you. grew up in deep country, no tv, no radio, early on we had no electricity either. Never ever get bored anywhere I live, in the middle of nowhere, in the country, in the middle of a big city. I will retire to the country though, I’m working on it slowly.
Gemini sun, Aquarius moon, Taurus rising

Detest the ‘burbs. Too samey.
Hate the city, except for rare cultural visits. Too many people, too noisy, too fast. Have to visit national capital about every 3 months for work and always relieved to get back on the train and calm down as I leave it further behind me, able to think and breathe again.

Spent early years in a cottage where the only access was a footpath, no road. Got my first pair of shoes when I started school. Ran wild and free in safe, open countryside. Grew up with vast open skies so find hills and mountains almost as threatening as cities.

Happy where I am now. A couple of neighbours, who don’t speak to me – no idea why and doesn’t bother me at all. Look out over fields and ancient woodland. Walk to nearest village, and occasionally into little market town. No street lights, so see stars all the time. Wonderful clear night skies – can see venus from my bed at the moment. Didn’t realise she moved so fast. Watch owls, seasons, light, skies, can tell the time by the amount of light, the wind by the movement of the leaves. Can hear this 300+ year old house creak and it feels reassuring. Lack of human noise means I can hear the owls hunting, foxes and deer barking – through double glazed windows.

Nearest city is an hour’s drive. Go there about once a year apart from work visits. Refuse to have meetings which require me to drive there in rush hour – too much stress! Rush hour here is 4 cars in an hour. Shop in the village (half an hours’ walk) and by mail order to avoid going to the supermarket more than about once a month, or walk into town to the market.

I feel at one with my surroundings and totally part of my environment. I do stray out, but always want to come back home quite quickly. Once took a 6 month temp contract 3 hours away. Commuted 6 hours a day, plus regular delays, so I could be at home at night for my 4 hours sleep, before turning round and going back to work. No one in the city where I worked could understand why I didn’t stay over.

The only real downside is that small community life is like living in a goldfish bowl. Everyone knows your business and you know theirs. But it is also what makes you part of the community and creates a strong sense of place. But there is a kind of unwritten law that certain things apply to everyone, such as seeing your neighbours’ underwear on the washing line is something you NEVER EVER discuss with anyone, or helping someone in need, no matter what you think of them – you are their only hope and you may need them one day. And no mobile signal is a blessing most of the time – calls are rarely truly urgent.

I’m really glad others love city life. It means I can keep my sanctuary for myself! Apart from the likes of Ms Hurley, who gives country dwellers a bad name. Part of my region is totally blighted by weekending urbanites who destroy the local economy with very serious knock on effects. Lovely rural delis are fine for those who can afford them, but locals are priced out of everything and … oh don’t get me started. It’s a serious problem.

Taurus sun/cancer moon/north node virgo in 12th – a country dwelling cliche?