Friends! The Sun moves into Aquarius today at 8:10 am pacific time. We leave the silence of Capricorn to rally our passionate troupes. Here’s the big question: Who do you want to be playing with this year? With whom do you feel most alive? Who inspires you, lifts you, awakens you? This month is the time to summon your allies.

Aquarius is the sign of the water bearer. Its phrase is “Water of life am I, poured forth for thirsty men.” Aquarius as the world server wants to pour forth its gift for all in need. But Aquarius is particularly interested in offering up this water of life with his true peers. This is the sign of group collaboration and nothing thrills an Aquarian more than the opportunity to build something together.

Cautionary note: It is easy to feel like the lone wolf in Aquarius as well. When we try to collaborate, all kinds of wretchedness can surface.

We might feel that there is no one that gets us, no one that sees as we do, no one as passionate about what we are passionate about. The moment we give into these inner monologues, we have begun to radically limit ourselves. We must dare to sound our most unique LEO note consistently, summoning those of like mind and heart. The response may begin with just one steadfast ally, but if our LEO song is true and generous and powerful and meant to “pour forth for thirsty men” then be patient and sing. Before you know it, you will have a whole “da-who-doray-Grinch-Who-Stole-Christmas” chorus of allies singing your song.

Carolyn Casey, one of my favorite astrological allies, suggests we speak this out into the world:

“Let the winds of change blow through my life, bringing the most radically enlivening thing that could possibly happen. I am hoisting my sails. Parasail me into the place where I can connect with my allies, and together we can do the most good.”

Here, she is writing about Uranus, one of the rulers of Aquarius. She speaks not only to the willingness to dance with change but to actually strongly invite change into our lives so that it can do its work without our resistance. Bring on the change! Bring on the allies!

And remember, Allies aren’t always our best friends. They may be someone like Carolyn Casey who whispers to me through her excellent writing and inspires me to forge ahead on my journey. And remember too the words of David Whyte as you begin to sound your call:

….anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.

Aquarius is the final air sign and wants to distribute, circulate and gather. Stay open. Be curious. Talk to people. Join forces. Do it differently. Gather for salons and share your creative genius with your pals. SHARE. Come down from your mountain top and offer it up. Experiment. Improvise.

Be the lightening rod for your bolt out of the blue. Then speak that inspiration, share it, dance it, engage it, sing it. Take a breath and in that silent moment between inhale and exhale, listen for the sweet sound of your approaching allies.

Heidi Rose Robbins grew up learning the zodiac with her alphabet. As a practicing astrologer for over 15 years, Heidi takes a practical, sensitive, and inspiring approach to astrology. It is Heidi’s passion and commitment to speak to the depth of who we are and to help us grow into the next outrageous blossoming of our true selves. Her thriving worldwide practice includes transformative retreats for women twice a year in Ojai, California. GIA is pleased to offer Heidi as a regular guest columnist.

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A Poem for Aquarius

Everything is Waiting for You – David Whyte

Your great mistake is to act the drama
as if you were alone. As if life
were a progressive and cunning crime
with no witness to the tiny hidden
transgressions. To feel abandoned is to deny
the intimacy of your surroundings. Surely,
even you, at times, have felt the grand array;
the swelling presence, and the chorus, crowding
out your solo voice. You must note
the way the soap dish enables you,
or the window latch grants you freedom.
Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.
The stairs are your mentor of things
to come, the doors have always been there
to frighten you and invite you,
and the tiny speaker in the phone
is your dream-ladder to divinity.

Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into
the conversation. The kettle is singing
even as it pours you a drink, the cooking pots
have left their arrogant aloofness and
seen the good in you at last. All the birds
and creatures of the world are unutterably
themselves. Everything is waiting for you.

“I see the goal, I reach the goal and then I see another.”

Have things been a bit intense of late? Can I hear a hallelujah? Wow.

Everyone around me has been in the thick of transformation. The month of Scorpio is always a ride. It requires a full address of the darkness. It requires tenacity and it requires firmly holding a vision of the light.

But now…..Ahhhhhh. Now we welcoming Sagittarius. No matter how much we love Scorpio for its intensity and power, we are all ready for the  the optimism and freedom of Sagittarius when the Sun moves into this fiery sign.

(And by the way, the Sun moved moves into Sagittarius at  8:08 am pacific time today).

Sagittarius brings momentum. It brings forward movement. It brings the big, gorgeous goal and the white stallion even shows up for us to ride on toward it. Jupiter rules Sagittarius bringing good fortune, generosity and expansions of consciousness. Everything grows bigger, richer, fuller, stronger under Jupiter and the sign of Sagittarius.

The legs are ruled by Sagittarius allowing us to run, ski, jump, kick with vigor and passion. We STAND UNDER what we believe in with the power of our legs, our roots and our connection to the earth. And we UNDER-STAND the biggest ideas and visions and begin to make them our own.

Sagittarius is the physical philosopher. He wants to travel the world and come to understand who we are as Humanity. He wants to be free and unbounded and full of aspiration and desire. The KEY with Sagittarius is to gather all that gorgeous, vital energy and DIRECT it towards a tangible goal. This way we can become ‘the one pointed disciple’ of Sagittarius and harness all our vitality in the name of our vision.

Pay attention this month to Mercury Retrograde IN Sagittarius. Mercury goes retrograde on November 23rd and again goes direct on December 13th. (This might not be a ton of fun for Thanksgiving travel, but breathe and bring a good book). In general, during this time let the ride be an inner one.

Dream. Envision. Discuss. But don’t necessarily focus on huge outer action.

Mercury Retrograde is a time to turn inward and focus all your inner yearning, passion and visionary strength to rally around the goal. If you Do take action, be clear, one-pointed and lead with your JOY.

Heidi Rose Robbins grew up learning the zodiac with her alphabet, and has been a practicing astrologer for over 15 years. She has a practical, sensitive, and inspiring approach to astrology. It is Heidi’s passion and commitment to speak to the depth of who we are and to help us grow into the next outrageous blossoming of our true selves. Her thriving world-wide practice includes transformative retreats for women twice a year in Ojai, California. GIA is proud to have Heidi as a regular guest columnist.

Poem for Sagittarius

A (very) Sagittarius Song

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Enjoying facebook yesterday, I found this poster. If you can’t see the visual, it says:

“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.” ~Albert Einstein

Hmmm, Einstein? I doubt it.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love the sentiment. And I have been a huge fan of Einstein’s since high school, when I read his little 1916 book on Relativity (delightful little volume). The man invented the field of theoretical physics and innovated how we view the world.

Einstein looked at the world from a new perspective, one in which things were not fixed and stationery, as western science typically viewed the world.  For instance, western science has said the hardest substance in the world is a diamond, while eastern philosophy names water as the hardest substance because over time it can eat away anything. Though this is changing, Western science has tended to take a snapshot view of things, dissected and frozen in time. (Physiology was such a great step forward from anatomy! )

Einstein moved us into understanding that perspective mattered, that the same thing can be validly, scientifically experienced differently from two viewpoints. It was radical.

So where did this Law of Attraction-sounding quote come from?

Granted, I am a lay person, a mere fan of Einstein and not a scholar. But, sorry, I don’t remember Einstein’s theories on the Law of Attraction. Attributing quotes about magical manifestation and subtle energy to Einstein is, in my opinion, going rawther overboard.

Therefore, I would like to see the source of this quote. Anyone have a footnote? (Please comment with your source. The source of the poster was not mentioned in the post, and I sincerely apologize to anyone who owns the copyright to it, please also comment with your information, too.)

This quote is not in wikiquotes, for instance: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Albert_einstein.  (But the disputed and misattributed sections of Einstein’s page are enlightening.)

Why Am I Picking on This Quote?

I am not trying to be a party pooper here! On the contrary, I have been a student of energy healing, consciousness, intuition, manifestation and many other “soft subjects” for a decade and a half, if not my whole life.

But I am disturbed that we are relying on a fictional quote to inspire us, when the truth is so much stronger.

Share this inaccurate poster, and this quote can be debunked and used to debunk anything else you stand for, too. Why bother?

We don’t need fictional quotes.

We don’t need to induct Einstein into the New Age to make the New Age valid or “real”.

Einstein did worlds of good exactly as he was. And we can do good exactly the way we are, too. Those who are ready will recognize the truth in this quote, without the Einstein byline at the bottom. Let it go.

A false attribution weakens the quote, weakens your argument, weakens your reputation, and weakens the public opinion of what you are doing.

The truth is so much stronger.

The lesson here is this: check your sources before you post. Even if you LOVE the sentiment, make sure you are accurate. (For example, in my first book, Gift of the Healer, I even use a  quote often misattributed to Einstein, but I note its vague source.)

The Truth is all you need. It is the only thing that sets you free.

“Warrior am I and from the battle I emerge triumphant”

The Sun moves into Scorpio today at 2:30 pm. We now plunge into the one of the most intense, penetrating, deep times of the year. In Scorpio, we are all warriors and as such we all have the opportunity to wrestle with our stuff.

The energy of Scorpio carries a willingness to dive in and explore all the dark corners. There’s a look in the eyes of Scorpio warriors that says, “Yes, I WILL. I will emerge triumphant.” And this is the month we all get to have that look in our eyes. We all get to say, “I’m tired of this darkness. I insist on LIGHT.”

The wrestling is what’s interesting. It’s not an easy journey. There are tears, fears and inner turmoil. But each step–each TINY step–we take towards something brighter, lighter or better for us is a victory.

I just gathered 19 women for my Radiant Life Retreat about 10 days ago and I watched each woman breathe through her dark corners. Each woman embodied part of what I like to call ‘our wretchedness’ and got to see it transform into LOVE. Emerging triumphant is emerging with more potency, love or wisdom in our lives. It’s emerging more FREE.

I think we must wrestle with the chains that bind us in the name of FREEDOM. Our charts offer our Maps to Freedom and we must call on every tool available– every gift in the chart — to keep us on a path of liberation. Because if we are FREE, we are authentic, generous, vital and unencumbered. We are choosing our lives every moment.  We are offering ourselves without agenda or accounts. We are soaring inwardly and outwardly.

Here, however, we need a word about wrestling. There is wrestling that stays entangled and emeshed in the dark OR there is wrestling that keeps its eye on the light. As we wrestle, we must keep our hearts open and we must breathe as deeply as we can muster. We can fight using LIGHT at our sword. We can fight with the right word, the right touch, the right choice. We can be warriors — who though they may have cause to strike something dead — instead make the choice to kill with LOVE and liberate another being with that love. In Scorpio, we can set ourselves or others FREE with our ability to wield power well.

There are a few dates of note this month. On November 2nd, both Venus and Mercury move in Sagittarius taking all the depth and soul-searching of the last month and putting it in to action. There should be a surge of creative optimism and a willingness to dream big. Also, on November 10th, the planet Mars will move into the industrious and analytical sign of Virgo. Virgo and Scorpio together make for tenacious, rigorous work. Get into it and get it done.

May this month allow you to be your own alchemist taking all that is dead or lead in you and transforming it into the gold light of the soul. Or in brass tacks terms, let’s transform another small piece of the wretchedness in our lives and feel a little lighter, more generous and with more room to breathe in the beauty of our lives.

Heidi Rose Robbins grew up learning the zodiac with her alphabet, and has been a practicing astrologer for over 15 years. She has a practical, sensitive, and inspiring approach to astrology. It is Heidi’s passion and commitment to speak to the depth of who we are and to help us grow into the next outrageous blossoming of our true selves. Her thriving world-wide practice includes transformative retreats for women twice a year in Ojai, California. GIA is proud to have Heidi as a regular guest columnist.

Poem for Scorpio

The Sonnets to Orpheus, II, 29 — Ranier Maria Rilke (Mitchell Translation)

Silent friend of many distances, feel
how your breath enlarges all of space.
Let your presence ring out like a bell
into the night.  What feeds upon your face

grows mighty from the nourishment thus offered.
Move through transformation, out and in.
What is the deepest loss that you have suffered?
If drinking is bitter, change yourself to wine.

In this immeasurable darkness, be the power
that rounds your senses in their magic ring,
the sense of their mysterious encounter.

And if the earthly no longer knows your name,
whisper to the silent earth: I’m flowing.
To the flashing water say: I am.

~ Ranier Maria Rilke ~

Today at  4:21 am PDT, the sun moved into Virgo. It’s harvest time, friends. Most of us don’t have much of a connection with sheathing wheat or gathering the bounty of the earth to prepare for the winter. The closest we get to a seed’s fruition is the farmer’s market.

But let’s take the harvest as a grand metaphor. What did you plant in the spring, that soaked in the summer’s heat and is now RIPE? Perhaps a great deal grew over the summer and your field is wild with abundance. Now you begin to gather what has grown and separate the wheat from the chaff. What will actually aid in your next life steps? Now you decide what you will store for future use. You come in out of the sun and see what you really have to work with.

The month of Virgo brings in the energy of hard work, discrimination and refinement. It works in and with the physical world to prepare the way for love to flow. It asks what systems, structures or rhythms are NOT working in your life. Virgo pays careful and systematic attention to what needs to be adjusted. It studies with care and executes with precision. There is no nonsense with Virgo. There is work to be done and Virgo loves work.

We go back to school in Virgo. We return from summer vacation. We buy new notebooks and new clothes. We prepare for the coming winter. We apply ourselves to what we love with great devotion and care. We cleanse, purify and pay attention to our health on all levels.

These are the days we sign up for a new yoga class, start to eat with great care or clear out patterns of thought or belief that no longer serve us. These are the days we assess what will need to be done in order for us to survive another winter. This is the time to clean up summer’s excess and buckle down for the work ahead.

Maybe it doesn’t sound like so much fun. But there’s nothing like making a few adjustments in our daily living that allow so much more beauty and life and love to pour through. There are many gifts that present themselves as we pay closer attention – as we freely give our attention – to what matters most in our life. Virgo pays attention. Virgo registers the most minute clue. Virgo offers herself in service to our greatest purpose.

I was always one of those children that LOVED going back to school. There was something about a fresh notebook and a fresh start. And a sense of growth and progression. Even if you didn’t particularly love to return to the classroom, ask yourself now where you’d like to apply your love, devotion and work. Let the month of Virgo launch you.

Heidi Rose Robbins grew up learning the zodiac with her alphabet, and has been a practicing astrologer for over 15 years. She has a practical, sensitive, and inspiring approach to astrology and a thriving world-wide practice that includes transformative retreats for women twice a year in Ojai, California. It is her passion and commitment to speak to the depth of who we are and to help us grow into the next outrageous blossoming of our true selves.

A Poem by Mary Oliver –celebrating the energy of Virgo

Flare
12.

When loneliness comes stalking, go into the fields, consider
the orderliness of the world. Notice
something you have never noticed before,

like the tambourine sound of the snow-cricket
whose pale green body is no longer than your thumb.

Stare hard at the hummingbird, in the summer rain,
shaking the water-sparks from its wings.

Let grief be your sister, she will whether or no.
Rise up from the stump of sorrow, and be green also,
like the diligent leaves.

A lifetime isn’t long enough for the beauty of this world
and the responsibilities of your life.

Scatter your flowers over the graves, and walk away.
Be good-natured and untidy in your exuberance.

In the glare of your mind, be modest.
And beholden to what is tactile, and thrilling.

~ Mary Oliver ~
(The Leaf and the Cloud: A Poem)

~I am that and that am I~

We roar forth into Leo today at 9:12 pm. Do you have a party invite for this weekend? Go! It’s time to cut loose. Leo is a fire sign and has much to do with the full expression of the Self. During this month, we can all take center stage in our lives and generously offer what we are here to give.

Recently I spoke to a potent group of artists who had taken the phrase, “No Apologies, Manifest, Be Seen” as their motto for the year. This is Leo incarnate. In the energy of Leo, we don’t mind being seen for what we are here to give. We don’t apologize for our gift and we offer our Selves up to tangibly express.

Leo is a sign of leadership. We lead the way through offering our particular gift — the gift we each have to singly give. We offer it to our community so we can all thrive. In Leo, we take responsibility for generously giving of ourselves, holding nothing back.

Use this month to warm those near you with your particular gift. Learn more about your true identity — who you ARE — through all forms of artistic expression. Cook, paint, act, sing, dance, write, create. Or for that matter, LIVE your life embodying a quality like grace or tenacity or courage. And let the living BE the artistry.

The phrase for Leo is “I am that and that am I.” In Leo, we discover we are always more than we thought we were. The “I” grows under Leo. The “I” grows into the we. We expand our ideas of identity and recognize that part of leadership is recognizing our oneness with those we lead. We recognize that any brilliance we express is part of the one brilliance from which we all emerge. That’s why Leo is also associated with the heart and with the true identification with another. Namaste — “I bow to the divinity in you” — is actually a very Leo greeting. “Hello Love,” my homespun Namaste, is likewise acknowledging the heart of another as part of the one heart, the one love, the love that connects us all.

So, during this month, be courageously YOU. Greet the lion of love in others and recognize it in yourself. Dare to express. Dare to stand in the light as a generous act. Offer it up.

Big love.

Heidi Rose Robbins grew up learning the zodiac with her alphabet, and has been a practicing astrologer for over 15 years. She has a practical, sensitive, and inspiring approach to astrology and a thriving world-wide practice. She offers transformative retreats for women twice a year in Ojai, California. It is her passion and commitment to speak to the depth of who we are and to help us grow into the next outrageous blossoming of our true selves.

A Leo Poem

Now I become myself. It’s taken
Time, many years and places,
I have been dissolved and shaken,
Worn other people’s faces,
Run madly, as if Time were there,
Terribly old, crying a warning,
“hurry, you will be dead before —–”
(What? Before you reach the morning?
or the end of the poem, is clear?
Or love safe in the walled city?)
Now to stand still, to be here,
Feel my own weight and density!…..
Now there is time and Time is young.
O, in this single hour I live
All of myself and do not move
I, the pursued, who madly ran,
Stand still, stand still, and stop the Sun!

~ May Sarton ~

By Amelie Boissonnas  (age 8 )

International Fairy Day is always on the 24th of June. It’s a time to celebrate the existence of fairies. I think International Fairy Day is a time to go green.  For example picking up trash and caring for plants, animals, and nature.

The world of the fae are legends and stories in our world. The fae are beings of the elements: rock, air, water, fire, and spirit.  If you call on fairies, they can help you heal or help you find things.

3 Facts about Fairy Day

• Fairy day was made up by an artist
• Fairy day happens every June 24th
• Fairy day is not very well known

According to Jessica Galbreth, the founder of Fairy Day (fairyday.com), the fairies once lived where we live. They chose to leave because humans became too many, too jaded, and too fast for the easier, more genteel pace of the lovely fairies. The fairies because of these reasons left and created their own world. The veil between us and the fairies is getting thinner. Believe in the fairies and you might make it lift and the fairies might come back.

I believe in fairies a lot for my own reasons. In this paragraph I’ll tell you one of the reasons why. My front garden has really clayish soil. Through thought I asked the fairies to help the plants and to make the dirt more like quality dirt, and to make the plant I accidentally stepped on grow back. The next minute I felt a feeling of peace and wings tickling my body. The next day the plant I stepped on was already 1 inch tall! I feel protected in that garden now and I also hear whispers in there.

Celebrating Fairy Day

Click on this link to go to the facebook Fairy Day page. There might be a facebook Fairy Day event in your area. I even found a Fairy Day event on craigslist.

To celebrate, you may want to make fairy cookies.  Here is a fairy cookie cutter I think you will like.  Click here. You can make sugar cookies with the cookie cutter. They sound delicious.

Maybe you want to encourage a child who loves fairies to read. Use these great books to help! I read them when I was younger.

Suggestions from me about what to do on Fairy Day:

• Go outside
• Put crystals and/or a little ball of tin foil outside for the fairies
• Pick up trash if you see any
• Remenber the magic of being a child
• Invite fae into your garden through song, thought, note, or talking to them
• Find and talk to faces in trees
• Take a moment to see the beauty in everything even the simple things
• Bake sugar cookies in the shape of fairies.

God bless all those

who have used their bodies and minds in service of their hearts.

Who have stood up for what they believe and

pushed themselves through uncomfortable circumstances to share it.

Who have faced death itself,

remembering why they live.

Amen.

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.

Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

– Anonymous

Did you catch this article about religious literacy in the news recently?  It’s interesting that so many Americans who belong to a religion don’t know what the religion believes — i.e., what they are supposed to believe.

Here’s the link:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_rel_religious_literacy_poll

What do you think?  Comments I got when I posted this on facebook yesterday:

Daria Boissonnas
Shocking: “Less than half of Americans know that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist, and less than four in 10 know that Vishnu and Shiva are part of Hinduism.”
Yesterday at 10:48am

Erik Christian Wibe Due
…certainly much better to be a Norwegian then… at least 10 out of 10 of us brilliant Norwegians know such elementary stuff…
Yesterday at 11:27am

Jenna Kensey
I wonder if one factor is because Americans tend to be rather a la carte with their spiritual beliefs — a blend of this, that, and the other thing?
Yesterday at 11:37am

Robin Ridley
I saw this, too. Interesting that atheists and agnostics knew more about the precepts of the major religions than avowed followers. Do they know what they believe in?
Yesterday at 12:25pm

Diane Fast
I’m wondering if the ignorance is because most forms of Christianity consider themselves the only acceptable choice. So maybe people don’t explore any other religion because it is ignorance at best, demonic at worst.
Yesterday at 12:33pm

Sheri McConnell
I agree Diane. Isn’t it b/c most Americans are Christian and just don’t “study” outside of their religion. I always joke that I was Babtist as a child b/c that is the bus that came by and picked kids up in the poor neighborhoods… and then I was Catholic for a while b/c of ex husband… and after seeing the inside of that… I just decided to be spiritual. I find Religion facinating as a way to study human behavior.
23 hours ago

Patsy North
I think a survey of Americans’ knowledge of just about anything would probably yield the same results..
22 hours ago

Morna McEver Golletz
Daria, did you take the test? I saw it on the news the other night. I missed one of the 15, the last one. I think it might have more to do with being curious about the world around you. I think also depends on where you live. In DC it’s such a multi-cultural area, we are exposed to many beliefs.
21 hours ago

Lois Darlington
It looks as though education is the main determiner. I was very interested that Jews and atheists/agnostics had the highest scores on the question about the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation!
15 hours ago

Daria Boissonnas
I think being curious and thinking for yourself is key. Buying the “we’re right and they’re wrong” mentality sure makes the world a lot simpler, but it closes you off to new expansive viewpoints. (Task #3 of Awakening: Explore Possibilit…y in the World!!!)

They say that when you are truly comfortable in your spiritual outlook, discussions with and about other religions/viewpoints will only deepen and strengthen your understanding of your own beliefs, not convert or brainwash you. At their core or in their higher teachings, most religions say the same positive thing anyway. I see people today rejecting the how-tos and keeping the core spiritual message.

The trouble comes when it all gets passed around by word of mouth, people add their own stuff, and it loses its power and accuracy. The Law of Attraction teachings, for instance, have declined to a bunch of hooey that doesn’t work in many cases. Not that I have an opinion. Reiki has been so watered down in some lineages that it’s not Reiki any more. Etc.

Seek truth. Read the classics and the masters. Keep questioning.
4 hours ago

Patsy North
I think the curiosity has to be stronger than the fear of those who are different.

The planet Mercury is zinging backwards through the sky right now.  I’ve noticed more and more people are aware of Mercury’s retrograde periods and are warning not to engage in contracts or agreements in this time.  It’s becoming cool to fuss about it.  But what does retrograde really mean?  Is it a serious threat?

Most of the time, as the planets circle the sun, they go “forward” in the sky.  But because Earth, too, is circling the sun, we get weird times when they appear to move backwards.  This is like when you are in a bus or a car and the car next to you moves forward but you see and feel like you’re going backwards.  From our angle, Mercury just looks like it’s traveling backwards right now.

1. Check its zodiacal sign for context

First of all, give this Mercury retrograde some context.  Whatever zodiac sign the planet is in gives its effects a definite flavor.  Mercury itself is the messenger god and the trickster healer.  His energies resonate with the exchange of information.  They govern communications, education, computers, internet, travel, etc.  That could be anything.

This retro, Mercury is in Virgo, which is about discrimination, analysis, and correcting.  It’s also about the energies of purity, humility, practicality and organization.  Virgo is the nurturing mother who knows best, healers, and all that is holy, pious or religious.  These are some areas where Mercury may turn over the dirt in your life.  If you want to track retrogrades, always check the sign they’re in.  In fact, you may also want to check what else is going on in the sky and in your charts, which may be much more significant.

2. Look for the inauthentic to surface

Imagine running your hand down a fabric like velvet with a “nap” or a directional fiber.  A cat or dog’s coat is similar.  It’s smooth one way, but when you go the opposite way, the fibers stand up and poke into your hand.  You can see all the way to the animal’s skin or the woven base of the fabric.  Some fabrics and furs will actually push your hand in another direction. 

A planet’s retrograde is like running your hand the wrong way over its orbit and energy.  Retrograde lifts up what is usually smooth and surfacey and has a look underneath.  It digs up and releases, often seemingly against our conscious will, what shouldn’t be there.  The inauthentic and out-of-place works itself out.

This is not a BAD thing!  Back in the day, we used to reverse the flow of vacuum cleaners to blow air out the hose to unclog it.  Retrogrades “unclog” the planet’s energy.  They are like a natural periodic cleanse that keeps Mercury energy running smoothly for you.  How convenient! 

Because so much crud will be surfacing, you will likely have to deal with it to help clear it away.  This inauthentic junk is also why some recommended you avoid nailing down permanent agreements or contracts during this time — some of the debris may be included. 

For me this time, writing my book this week I realized I’d drawn an old conclusion in one section, a conclusion I hadn’t updated with new insights yet.  I had to change the whole mnemonic of that chapter!  This is the kind of wonderful thing that comes from a retrograde period.  I was delighted!

3. Stay in integrity and hold a steady course

There’s never anything to “worry” about in the spiritual journey.  It’s all good in the end, and you always have all you need in every moment.  That means you have all you need to deal with Mercury retros, too.  If you are living and working in true authenticity and integrity, you’re good.  Embrace the period of change, and use it to naturally cleanse out what’s not working for you.  Maintain your balance with flexibility, and you’ll be fine through any planet’s retrograde period. 

(Oh, did I forget to mention they ALL do this?  And see, you’ve been OK all along!)

You can do it.  Take this opportunity to heal your worries about Mercury retrograde.  Embrace the change that life naturally and periodically moves us through. 

Dates This Time
Mercury retrograde begins: August 20, 2010, 3:59 pm EDT in Virgo
Ends: September 12, 2010, 7:09 pm EDT in Virgo
Note:  On either side of retrograde is a period where the planet is stopped or moving very, very slowly, which also affects the energy of that planet.  So retrogrades are now longer than you thought they were, who knew?  Best to do your best all the time and stop worrying!

Videos go viral when they touch us deeply in a way that is basic to our human nature.  If you haven’t seen the “Embrace Life” public service announcement from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership in the UK (http://www.sussexsaferroads.gov.uk/), view it here:

I’m a weeper, so of course I cried.  By the time I’d showed it to all the kids, I was sobbing.  But beyond the happy ending, there are remarkable things about this video and the fact that it resonated so much with folks around the world that it went viral, with over 9.3 million YouTube views at this writing.

1.  It’s artistic and beautiful.  As humanity evolves forward, arts are coming to the forefront.  Not just in museums, but in the amount and quality of beauty and design in everyday life.  For isntance, things that used to be primarily functional (like public service announcements) are becoming more artistic and beautiful.  Think of all the colored/designed phone covers and computers now, where these items used to be gray and functional.  As humanity shifts out of our logical Navigator Mind and back into our creative, artistic, metaphorical Essential Mind, people are demanding more artistic flair and design in their lives.  You can see this everywhere.

2. It’s positive reinforcement, not negative.  When I was a kid, parents spanked, a technique largely frowned upon today.  It’s based on negative reinforcement: negative actions have negative consequences so you’re trained to avoid the negative ones (in theory… it didn’t work so well on me).  Today, parents focus on positive reinforcement:  positive actions have positive consequences, so you want to do more positive stuff.  In terms of power, positive reinforcement trumps negative, any day.  This reflects a step up the evolutionary ladder from the punishment mindset.  This shift is similar to emerging from the First Phase of Healing Mastery (fixing what’s broken) into the Second Phase (seeking solution w/o interest in causality).

Masaro Emoto did an experiment with rice years ago that has been independently duplicated hundreds of times around the world and demonstrates that positive reinforcement is stronger than negative.  You can do this too: take three identical jars, add the same amount of rice and just cover the rice with water.  Then seal the jars and set them next to each other.  Each day, to the first one say “I love you”, to the next say, “I hate you”, and completely ignore (don’t even look at) the third.  The results?  Generally, the first jar simply ferments, like beer or sauerkraut – it doesn’t go bad.  The second typically goes bad, you see mold, it turns icky colors, etc.  But the third one goes putrid, really gross compared to #2.  Conclusion: positive reactions preserve and sustain, negative reactions (even to negative things) hurt, but ignoring hurts most of all.  This is why kids and adults would rather act out negatively than be ignored.  I see signs everywhere that humanity is shifting into positive reinforcement mode.

3. The PSA is metaphorical.  Now this is extraordinary.  The main character is NOT driving a real car.  We did NOT see blood and guts.  And really unusual — we did not see a single seatbelt in a seatbelt PSA!!!   The child and female represented his seatbelt.  What is the metaphor?  Love saved the man’s life.  He buckled up out of love so he could come home to embrace his loved ones.  And we saw the looks on their faces that showed what seeing him again meant to them. 

Metaphor gets to the essence of the matter — it shows us what we’re really talking about, and what it MEANS.  Here, we saw no car.  No seatbelt.  No gore.  No stats.  No lecture.  But message heard, loud and clear, by millions of people all over the world.

We are changing as a species, evolving more fully into our true form of consciousness, the one that operates through the artistic, conceptual, metaphorical, possibility-oriented right brain, which we at the Global Institute for Awakening call the Essential Mind.  This popular ad is great evidence of this shift.

Intrigued?  To learn more about humanity’s evolution and what we are all ultimately seeking and how to get that for yourself and others, join as a member and receive with your membership our extraordinary two-part class, “How to Find What You’ve Been Missing”, where we go into this in much more detail!  Join here:  http://www.GIAwaken.com/benefits

To learn more about the video and the artist who created it, check out this brief CNN interview with him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnXH_P9SVAk

Watch this short but inspiring video (link below) about a fashion show for all abilities here in Madison, Wisconsin!  When I was a kid, nonstandard abilities and states were considered embarrassing.  Today we are increasingly celebrating their innate beauty and perfection.

How did the world change like this?  By individuals speaking and acting from their hearts.  One by one — and every one of them counted — family and friends of special people stood up out of compassion and love and said, “No, I love this person and will not send them away or look down upon them.  They are a complete human being having their own life experience.  I want them in school.  I want them to hold a job if they want to.  I want them to live to the fullest like every other human being.”

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_f36bfbba-13a6-5eb1-9f4c-9fc368723cf1.html?mode=video

Never assume you don’t count.  Your power to create change is much bigger than you think.  When a group of people join together with a purpose, they start to build a certain consciousness.  When enough people hold those ideas and that consciousness, it becomes available to the larger group, and eventually to all of humanity.

Here at the Global Institute for Awakening, we too are gathering those who want to build the consciousness of a positive future for humanity.  Will you join us in changing the world?  Check out our membership benefits here.

P.S. Right now you can join for $50 off while we are in pre-launch mode!

by Tamara Gold

Do you go through your day feeling kind of pitchy?

Or perhaps no one is listening to you and you want to yell out, “Hey dogg, listen up, listen up, listen up. Okay, dogg…..”

You even go to your favorite store, touch a few tubes of the new Tom Ford lipstick line and think, “I’m just not feeling it.”

Your husband hums in the shower and you find yourself saying, “Honey, I love you, but I’m worried about your song selection. With all the great pop songs out there what were you thinking by humming ‘Yellow Submarine?”

What I’m thinking is that life mirrors “American Idol.”

Think about it a moment: Just like on “Idol,” we wake up every morning, style ourselves in the best way possible and then go out on that great stage of life to put on our best performances. Sometimes we win; other times we’re stuck in the bottom three. A detractor can makes our lives miserable. Other times, our personal Simon says, “You went from zero to hero. Well done. ”

What are the deeper lessons of Idol that apply to your life, business and personal style?

Just like Simon tells us on Idol, please stay true to who you are.

It’s time to recognize your own unique talents and stay true to the best vision of you. Think about the singers on Idol who are some mish-mash of what they think everyone else wants them to be as an artist. Suddenly, they’re schitzo!  One week, they’re crooning a country song and the next they’re doing some Zeppelin. It’s confusing because everyone else wonders, “Who is this person?” Just like on Idol when you figure out the best version of you then stick with it. Think about Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry who were always true to their unique visions. No one had either of them singing show tunes. Those songs just didn’t fit. People who are true to themselves can’t be anything else but beautiful and authentic.

Just like Paula used to tell us on Idol, show us a little more personality.

Don’t hide out. Your personality makes you magnetic and unforgettable. This is true when it comes to your personal style. Perhaps you’re like Crystal Bowersox this season and you dress like you live in a Seattle coffee shop. You know what? She’s perfect because her clothing reflects her true personality. Can you imagine how uncomfortable she would feel if they forced her to wear a tight mini skirt and low-cut shirt? Don’t let others dictate how you will present yourself to the world.

Do it your own way – because the world has enough cookie cutter types.

Your goal is to stand out from all of those who are simply auditioning. You don’t want to look like that cookie cutter girl with the same outfit, the same hair and even the same makeup. Your individuality will make you rise from the pack, and often this does start with clothing. Siobhan Magnus might wear a short tulle skirt with legwarmers and cowboy boots next week, but somehow it all works because she has style to stand out for the rest. Look at Adam Lambert. Like him or not, he commands the room from his ever-growing hair to his pointy-shoes.

Realize that everyone isn’t always a fan.

You can’t go through the day worrying if everyone will vote for you. There will be people who don’t like you or those who judge you harshly. Remember that Simon was rude to Jennifer Hudson and basically told her that she stunk. She was low in the top ten when she got kicked off “Idol,” disappeared and came back to win an Oscar and have a hit CD. Your detractors can and will be wrong. I’m sure Daughtry isn’t still upset that he didn’t win Idol or even come in as the runner up.

Make sure to appreciate the Ellen in your life.

There will always be someone who desperately wants you to win and sees the positive in you. He or she will make you laugh and smile like Ellen does on “Idol.” Cherish this person and let their compliments sink in.

Realize that we all make bad song choices.

Big Mike, I feel your pain on Beatles week. But realize that we all make a bad decision or two in life. You might even do it in front of a lot of people like those Idol contestants. But the key is you put yourself out there and someone will “get” your tune.

Finally, just like on Idol, polish yourself, grow and evolve as you go on.

Think about the Idol contestants on week one vs. the finale of the show. Of course, they’ve had major makeovers from top industry pros. They’ve been polished up and the gold has been tumbled until it shines. Most of the ladies begin as regular people and look like beautiful stars when it’s over. You can work on your own hair, face and clothing in the same manner. Realize it’s not an overnight fix. Heck, it takes those idols all season to really look fabulous.

Oh, one more. Everyone is a winner.

Yes, if you put yourself out there, stay true to who you are and focus on doing your best then how can you not become a winner?

Right, dogg?

Hollywood Makeup Artist, Writer, and Style Consultant, Tamara Gold publishes publishes the “Red Lipstick Report” e-zine. Beauty & Style. News & Reviews for Real Women. Information, Inspiration, How-To Videos and Spotlight Interviews with Industry Experts keep you feeling and looking your best…in all areas of your life and your business.  If you want to create your own authentic personal style in your life, creative endeavor or business, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to The Red Lipstick Report at www.TamaraGold.com.

Check out this nice WSJ video about a reporter having acupuncture sessions for neck & shoulder pain and sleeping/digestive trouble.  It’s a nice overview and example of an acupuncture session.  (Woo, LI4s and LI11s!)

http://online.wsj.com/video/testing-acupuncture/C66816BC-2110-402B-B254-61668040B9D0.html

Must admit I’m disappointed in the journalism… all she could say after a few sessions was that she’s feeling “better”?  Either share your results so we can compare details to what the acupuncturist said, or send a reporter who’s not so shy about her physical issues.  Ah, well, good try.

Every two years, our family drops everything to watch as much of the Olympics as we can.  It’s been an inspiring two weeks.  (The kids want to take up snowboard cross and figure skating TODAY!)

But WHY are we viewers so inspired?  It’s an important question with a deep answer.  At first we think of the athletes’ fitness levels.  All the competitors they beat.  World and olympic records broken.  Chance overcome.  Number and rank of medals won.  Who’s proven to be the best.

But I see something more powerful and profound.  We are really inspired by what got the athletes there in the first place.  While they have been training so intensely, they have each been on an Olympic spiritual journey. 

And they are waaaaaay ahead of most of us.  That’s inspiring.

Our spiritual journey pushes us through limit after limit.  Eventually we are supposed to notice that limits are illusions.  When you begin to see possibility instead of limitation, you become empowered to choose rare and extraordinary possibilities like competing in the Olympics.  Very few in any field make it to this level.  They join the ranks of those called “world-class”.

These Olympic athletes have tested their limits over and over.  Daily.  Sure, they look good after all those reps, but most of them get the bigger picture.  When they fall down, even in front of millions of viewers, they get back up again.  When they are DQ’ed they say, that’s how it goes sometimes.  When snow conditions change between the first and last competitor, they say, hey that’s snow for you.  When they don’t qualify for the medals round, they are overjoyed to have made it to the Olympics at all.

The spiritual journey is not about winning medals.  It’s about improving yourself over yesterday.  And it’s about having fun.  Personal records become more meaningful than world records (though worlds are great fun!)  Competition with others becomes a formality.  Competition against your own fear and doubt is the real challenge. 

Me, I have days where I fall down and lie there for a while feeling sorry for myself.  Thinking of these athletes helps me pick myself up and try again, just like they do.  I am so grateful for this inspirational boost every two years.

The spiritual journey knows no borders.  As these international games close tonight, let’s carry with us in our hearts the profound spiritual inspiration the athletes have demonstrated so well: 

• Getting up again with grace, celebrating failure as an indication of trying. 
• True teamwork, knowing the group is as strong as its weakest link. 
• Sportsmanship, knowing competition and defeat are illusions.
• Constant personal growth and improvement, knowing our Potential is much greater than we think.
• Self-support, nutrition, and training based on possibility, to get us where we want to be to love our lives.

Thank you to every single Olympic athlete, and to all those who support them!  We appreciate their inspiring journeys.  Now let’s honor them with our own.

Most of what we know about the world through science is theory. Extremely well-documented and well-reasoned theory, but our current best theory nonetheless. That gives you room to live your life as an experiment. It’s important to come to your own spiritual understanding of the world and my place in it, in addition to learning from research.

Discovery of a 9,000-year-old carved-pillar site in Turkey is challenging the currently accepted timeline of human history. Here are a Newsweek and a Smithsonian article, or search yourself for "Göbekli Tepe".

Newsweek:  http://www.newsweek.com/id/233844/page/1

Smithsonian:  http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/gobekli-tepe.html?c=y&page=3

What do you think?

Another Valentine’s Day, another day of chocolates, roses, and love, love, love!

Whether you already have all the attention, respect, and unconditional love you want, or you think there’s nobody on the planet that has what you’re looking for, I assure you: there is ONE person in the world who will always be there for you, always… well, if you can find them. (I’ll tell you how in a sec.) 

• This person loves you from the moment of your birth to the moment you leave the planet.

• They support whatever you do with loud applause (no matter how mediocre YOU thought the results were).  Whatever you do is just peachy with them, because YOU did it.

• They love, respect and honor your personal preferences, eccentricities, scars, whims and tastes.  They love how you think.  Whatever or however you think.

• They love and appreciate every cell of your body, your shape, your attributes and your so-called ‘flaws’.  They know you are beautiful and handsome and every adjective you want to be, no matter what anyone else says.

Intrigued?  I’ll warn you now: The trick is finding this person.  Many of us have lost track of him/her, but I’ll help you find them right now.  Then it’s up to you to invite them to play with you and declare their love.  To do this, you need to take a very honest and honoring look at yourself.  Do NOT look at yourself through others’ eyes, which you’ve been likely doing your whole life!

Ready?  Do you know who your biggest fan is?

It is YOU.

Now, now, no grumbling!  When you truly become your biggest fan, you open ALL doors to success and happiness (and charisma!)  I’ve seen it happen.

Unfortunately, we haven’t been encouraged or taught how to love ourselves, how to be our own biggest fan.  We’ve been warned against it: ”don’t let that accomplishment go to your head” etc.  Too many wonderful healers go to great lengths to cut themselves down and get in their own way.  We hate the image in the mirror (or that certain portion of it).  We sabotage our divine brilliance, get stuck in fears about what others will think.  We attract attention by failing. And we suffer under the lashes of our own inner critic.

Silly us.  (Silly you!)

HOW CAN YOU allow yourself to love, honor, nurture and support yourself exactly the way you are?  Ask yourself this question right now because when you ask a question you generate the answers. Now all you have to do is find the answer you like (and there are millions to choose from.)

You are a divine being, with a unique message to share with the world, based on exactly who you are and aaaaaaaall your life experiences.  And when you let this message out, when you step into your highest calling, it heals both you and the world.

Best of all, there is NOTHING you need first to fulfill your highest calling.  You are ready right now… because you are perfect, lovable, and delightful (OK, maybe a little cranky sometimes, but even that is cute) just the way you are.

So Happy Valentine’s Day from the one person who loves and supports you the most: YOU.  ♥ ♥ ♥ 

How can you start to love yourself back a little better, starting now?

© 2010 Daria Boissonnas