I first spotted Amanda at a busy intersection not long ago. “Sober, homeless, hungry,” read her sign. Nothing new there – destitute folks populate most well-trafficked street corners in San Diego, looking for handouts. What stood out about Amanda was the air of cleanliness and decency about her – and the flame-point Siamese cat perched on her shoulder. I rolled down the window and handed her $5. Her eyes lit up. “Can I pet your cat?” I asked. And so our connection began.

Amanda and her husband, John, have been homeless since they lost their jobs ten months ago. Both have college degrees. Neither does drugs or alcohol. At first, they camped out by a river near other homeless folks. But their tent was stolen while they were staying in a hotel room for a few nights, so now they’re sleeping under a bridge. Finding work is not easy once you’re homeless. “The position has been filled” is a constant refrain. Amanda, who studied business in college, even thought about becoming a stripper. “But they wouldn’t take me because of my tattoos and stretch marks,” she says.

On an average day, Amanda makes $30 or $35 pan-handling while John looks for work. Amanda’s take buys food for the couple and their cat, and, if they’re lucky, a motel room a few times a week. A seasoned Capricorn, Amanda has seen a lot in her 33 years. Kicked out of the house at 15 and pregnant by 16, she got into trouble and lost her child. Repeated attempts to gain custody failed, and uterine cancer left her unable to bear more children.

At the intersection, Amanda often gets accosted or propositioned. “It’s like being an animal in a zoo, standing out here with people pointing and staring,” she admits. “It’s the most humbling thing a person can experience.” When feeling down, she reads the Bible verses scrawled on the back of her sign. Words like, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds,” keep her spirits up. And nine-month-old Angel does his part, resting patiently on her shoulder for hours at a stretch, nuzzling her neck. Going back home to Indiana is not an option – the unemployment rate is 50 percent, and winters are fierce. “This is a better place to be homeless than there,” she sighs. But Amanda has faith that things will get better. “We’re not going to stay homeless for long.”

Amanda and John dream of having a van to call home until they get back on their feet. What’s your dream? See it coming true at Saturday’s total lunar eclipse in Gemini/Sagittarius. With Uranus turning direct the night before, inspiration and breakthroughs will be palpable.  The eclipse will be most visible in Alaska, Hawaii, northwestern Canada, Australia, New Zealand and central and eastern Asia. The east coast of the U.S. may see only the initial stages before moonset. Over the central regions, the moon will set as it becomes immersed in the Earth’s reddish shadow. The Rocky Mountain and prairie states will see the moon set in total eclipse, while here in the west the moon will start to emerge from the shadow as it sets, reaching totality from 6:06 a.m. to 6:57 a.m. (PST). Adding to the magic, both the sun and moon will be seen simultaneously in most places in the U.S. and Canada. Don’t miss this gorgeous sight!